bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Continuous Fragility Index of Statistically Significant Findings in Randomized Controlled Trials That Compare Interventions for Anterior Shoulder Instability
Authors: Al-Asadi Mohammed , Sherren Michelle , Abdel Khalik Hassaan , Leroux Timothy , Ayeni Olufemi R. , Madden Kim , Khan Moin
Published: January 2024

Background:

Evidence-based care relies on robust research. The fragility index (FI) is used to assess the robustness of statistically significant findings in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). While the traditional FI is limited to dichotomous outcomes, a novel tool, the continuous fragility index (CFI), allows for the assessment of the robustness of continuous outcomes.

Purpose:

To calculate the CFI of statistically significant continuous outcomes in RCTs evaluating interventions for managing anterior shoulder instability (ASI).

Study Design:

Meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A search was conducted across the MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases for RCTs assessing management strategies for ASI from inception to October 6, 2022. Studies that reported a statistically significant difference between study groups in ≥1 continuous outcome were included. The CFI was calculated and applied to all available RCTs reporting interventions for ASI. Multivariable linear regression was performed between the CFI and various study characteristics as predictors.

Results:

There were 27 RCTs, with a total of 1846 shoulders, included. The median sample size was 61 shoulders (IQR, 43). The median CFI across 27 RCTs was 8.2 (IQR, 17.2; 95% CI, 3.6-15.4). The median CFI was 7.9 (IQR, 21; 95% CI, 1-22) for 11 studies comparing surgical methods, 22.6 (IQR, 16; 95% CI, 8.2-30.4) for 6 studies comparing nonsurgical reduction interventions, 2.8 for 3 studies comparing immobilization methods, and 2.4 for 3 studies comparing surgical versus nonsurgical interventions. Significantly, 22 of 57 included outcomes (38.6%) from studies with completed follow-up data had a loss to follow-up exceeding their CFI. Multivariable regression demonstrated that there was a statistically significant positive correlation between a trial’s sample size and the CFI of its outcomes ( r = 0.23 [95% CI, 0.13-0.33]; P < .001).

Conclusion:

More than a third of continuous outcomes in ASI trials had a CFI less than the reported loss to follow-up. This carries the significant risk of reversing trial findings and should be considered when evaluating available RCT data. We recommend including the FI, CFI, and loss to follow-up in the abstracts of future RCTs.
The 8 Rights of Organizational Health Equity Work
Authors: Kneusel-Rivera Maria Milagros
Published: January 2024

Health inequities are costing the US health care system an estimated $320 billion annually. Those costs are predicted to increase if inequitable care is not addressed. As a Health Equity Consultant for small community-based organizations and a large healthcare system I observe and advise on a variety of organizational attempts at advancing health equity. Over many years of doing this work I have developed what I call The 8 Rights of Organizational Health Equity Work. This well-organized approach outlines the most important things an organization must get right if they want to create meaningful and sustainable movement towards heath equity. Unless healthcare organizations are intentional and strategic about reducing health disparities, any progress we have made in recent years will lag and given the costs of disparities, the industry may find itself in a financial crisis that it may not recover from. The 8 Rights of Organizational Health Equity Work provides the structure that is needed to reduce health inequities in a concerted way.
Nonstationary time-frequency characteristics of vehicle suspension systems based on evolutionary power spectral density
Authors: Zhang Buyun , Tan Chin An , Liu Zhiqiang , Hu Zhenglin
Published: January 2024

Improving the ride comfort for vehicles that travel at varying speeds is a nonstationary problem and has been an increasingly important topic for suspension system research. Accurate identification of frequencies associated with the resonant responses is needed for effective design of active suspension control strategies. However, traditional time-frequency (TF) methods have resolution limitations in either the time domain or the frequency domain. This paper proposes a new methodology to employ the evolutionary power spectral density (EPSD) to describe the responses of vehicles in the time-frequency domain. The key to calculate the responses in nonstationary cases is to derive the nonuniform modulation function which is obtained by the pseudo excitation method. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed method, an example of a seven-degree-of-freedom vehicle model is investigated in which the nonstationary excitations acting on the wheels are computed by the nonuniform modulation function and a precise integration method. Results show that resolutions obtained by the EPSD are more precise than the traditional TF methods with less than 0.2 Hz of bandwidth in both the lower frequency range at the first natural frequency of 1 Hz and in the higher frequency around 10 Hz. Moreover, the changing of the resonant frequency with varying speeds provides the insights, from the perspective of human body’s sensitivity to frequencies of vibration, to improve the ride comfort for vehicles under nonstationary driving conditions.
“I Learned to Bottle Up My Feelings From a Young Age”: A Narrative Analysis of Latina Young People’s Family Mental Health Socialization
Authors: Lilly Jenn M.
Published: January 2024

Latina young people report high levels of mental health problems and low levels of help-seeking compared with their white peers, but little research has examined factors influencing their mental health views. Inductive analysis of 25 participants’ narratives revealed that Latina young people described three stages in the development of their mental health-related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors: undergoing a process of family mental health socialization, suffering in silence, and attaining a new perspective. Within each of these phases, participants shared stories that attest to their agency and resilience. This research uncovers a novel theoretical construct, “family mental health socialization,” which elucidates how young people internalize mental health-related beliefs, behaviors, and norms within their cultural and family context. Implications for social work practice include the need for culturally sensitive, family-centered interventions that promote open communication about mental health.
Lexical and Sublexical Skills in Children's Literacy
Authors: Acha Joana , Ibaibarriaga Gorka , Rodríguez Nuria , Perea Manuel
Published: January 2024

Letter knowledge and word identification are key skills for reading and spelling. Letter knowledge facilitates the application of sublexical letter-sound mappings to decode words. With reading experience, word identification becomes a key lexical skill to support decoding. In transparent orthographies, however, letter knowledge might be an enduring predictor of decoding and spelling, even in children with some reading experience. This study investigated the association of children's sublexical (letter knowledge) and lexical skills (word identification and vocabulary) with word decoding and spelling accuracy in Spanish, which is a transparent orthography. The sample consisted of 117 Spanish-speaking children, aged 8 to 10. Results revealed that (1) letter knowledge and word identification were independently associated with children's word spelling; (2) word identification was uniquely associated with word decoding; and (3) children's vocabulary level was associated with word identification. The implications of these findings were examined within the framework of reading models and the characteristics of a transparent orthography.
Early Detection and Intervention for Hirschsprung’s Disease: A Key to Successful Outcomes
Authors: Rathi Karishma , Verma Aanya , Pingat Priyanka
Published: January 2024

Hirschsprung’s disease is a congenital disorder characterized by the absence of nerve cells in the colon muscles, leading to difficulties in evacuating stool. This case report describes a newborn patient presenting with typical symptoms of the disease, including abdominal distension, constipation, diarrhea, and fever. The patient’s initial laboratory investigations revealed anemia (Hb: 9.80 g/dL), low RBC count (3.50 million/cu mm), elevated RDW (16.70%), increased WBC count (11 000/cu mm), and raised platelet levels (891 000/µL) along with an elevated CRP (3.22). The baby received a comprehensive treatment regimen, including blood transfusion, Syp. MVBC, Enterogermina, Inj. Pan, Inj. Metro, Inj. Piptaz, Inj. Vancomycin, Calcium gluconate, and Inj. Aminoven. Following this treatment and necessary surgical intervention, the patient demonstrated significant improvement in frequent bowel movements and alleviation of other symptoms. This case highlights the importance of prompt diagnosis and multidisciplinary management for favorable outcomes in infants with Hirschsprung’s disease.
Visual bordering: How refugee-serving organizations represent refugees on Instagram
Authors: Jhoti Anya , Allen William L
Published: January 2024

Theories of symbolic bordering highlight how xenophobic media coverage and humanitarian messaging create boundaries between migrants and receiving communities partly based on deservingness. Contrasting with studies of mainly text-based representations of refugees, we examine refugee-serving organizations’ visual communications work on Instagram. Using a discourse-centered online ethnographic approach, we collected 191 posts made in early 2021 by five UK-based organizations. Then, we applied quantitative content and qualitative semiotic analysis to these posts, complemented by two semi-structured interviews with communications staff members. We show how visual choices invoke divisions between posts’ refugee subjects and their intended audiences, while rendering some refugees legible and particularly worthy of protection or empathy. These choices include using stereotypical elements, obscuring identifiable people, and explicitly attributing quotations to refugees. We also identify “takeover” posts where refugees had controlled organizations’ social media accounts. Our study contributes understanding of how symbolic bordering occurs visually online and has implications for humanitarian communications practice.
Skills to enhance the efficacy of anti-racist supervision
Authors: Bussey Sarah Ross
Published: January 2024

In a time of increased social division, overt bigotry, and pervasive structural violence, social workers have an opportunity to lead the helping professions in meaningful social transformation. Social work supervisors play a central role in developing and guiding ethical social work practice. Yet, little empirically driven scholarship exists providing supervisors with strategies for disrupting racism and bias in the practice of their supervisees. This exploratory qualitative study employs a grounded theory approach to unearth such strategies. Fifteen participants with social work supervisory experience, who identified as anti-racist, offered insights into in vivo approaches to disrupting racism in social work practice.

Findings

The findings from this study emphasize the importance of a strong supervisory foundation, comprised of centering race and being in authentic relationship with staff. Further, strategies such as assessing the race consciousness of staff create the foundation to employ competencies for efficacious anti-racist supervision including taking space versus pausing, providing incremental pedagogical scaffolding, and leveraging a foundational supervisory skillset.

Applications

These strategies represent tangible approaches social work supervisors might employ when engaging in anti-racist practice with their staff.
Mapping working practices as systems: An analytical model for visualising findings from an institutional ethnography
Authors: Hawkins Anna
Published: January 2024

This paper presents a new methodological model that was developed whilst carrying out an Institutional Ethnography to explore school food working practices. The model brings together two complementary approaches; Institutional Ethnography and Systems Thinking, to offer a novel approach to the analysis and visualisation of ethnographic data as systems maps that show how power shapes practices. This novel contribution allows for the mapping of complex working practices to show interdependencies and flows, and addresses limitations in the applicability of Institutional Ethnography to policy research. This approach will be useful for researchers and practitioners who want to utilise findings from Institutional Ethnography to design effective interventions, change outcomes of working practices, or tackle policy problems.
Changing Responses to Juvenile Arrests: Analyzing 30 Years of Juvenile Court Records
Authors: Powell Kathleen
Published: January 2024

This article assesses change in juvenile formal social control in the United States from 1985 to 2014. By combining national juvenile arrest and court data, I compute and analyze arrest-adjusted trends in court processing and case dispositions. Results indicate that the juvenile justice system now operates with a wider net of control through stronger connections with law enforcement and increased use of less-severe dispositions, especially those dispensed prior to adjudication. This increased exposure to formal system involvement, even if less severe, nonetheless raises concerns for youth and their social and developmental outcomes of system involvement.
Re-animating the archive: encountering and transforming historical materials with digital design tools
Authors: Ericson Kristine G.
Published: January 2024

Once documents exist outside physical archives in high-resolution digital forms, researcher-artists may interact with them in previously impossible or forbidden ways – spinning them around in three dimensions, zooming in to their tiniest details, or tearing them apart. Commonly used by visual and spatial designers, digital 3D modeling, animation, and image-editing tools make possible affective and intimate encounters with historical documents. Through these encounters, researcher-artists may uncover insights about the events, environments, and ways of understanding the built and natural worlds that those documents represent.
An acoustic emission onset time determination method based on Transformer
Authors: Yang Zhensheng , Li Haoda , Chen Runtu
Published: January 2024

Acoustic emission (AE) technology, as the main method of non-destructive testing technology, has been widely used in structural health monitoring (known as SHM) in the fields of machinery and civil engineering. Locating the failure source is an important application of SHM, and accurately identifying the moment when the AE signal first reaches the sensor (which is called onset time) is of vital importance. Deep learning model has been widely used in onset time determination of AE signals in recent years due to its powerful feature extraction ability. However, as one of the most popular models, Transformer has not been further studied in such field and its effectiveness remains to be proven. In this paper, a novel AE onset time determination method based on Transformer is proposed. Firstly, a preprocessing method based on segmentation-concatenation is applied to divide original data into several connected small segments, while the integrating labeling method is applied on small label segments. Secondly, the preprocessed data and labels are substituted into the Transformer model for training. Finally, for the sequence processed by the Transformer model, the first-time index that reaches the maximum value is obtained as the determination result. Based on the Hsu-Nielson source AE data, the feasibility and performance of this method are analyzed and compared with several commonly used methods: Akaike information criterion (AIC), short/long term average combined with AIC (STA/LTA-AIC), floating threshold (FT) and 1D-CNN-AIC method. The results show that the proposed method is significantly better than AIC, STA/LTA-AIC and FT. Moreover, the determination efficiency is greatly improved while the performance of the proposed method is close to that of 1D-CNN-AIC. Meanwhile, the method has robust performance especially in low signal-to-noise ratio scenario. In practical applications with small-scale data, the proposed method is of relatively high reference as well as application value.
Patients’ perceptions on outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Thanki Shail , Pressman Elliot , Jade Kassandra M , Skanes Ruby , Armouti Ahmad , Guerrero Waldo R , Vakharia Kunal , Parthasarathy Ashwin B , Fargen Kyle , Mistry Eva A , Nimjee Shahid M , Hassan Ameer E , Mokin Maxim
Published: January 2024

Background

The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is a clinician-reported scale that measures the degree of disability in patients who suffered a stroke. Patients’ perception of a meaningful recovery from severe stroke, expected value of a stroke intervention, and the effect of disparities are largely unknown.

Methods

We conducted a survey of patients, their family members, and accompanying visitors to understand their personal preferences and expectations for acute strokes potentially eligible for acute endovascular intervention using a hypothetical scenario of a severe stroke in a standardized questionnaire.

Results

Of 164 survey respondents, 65 (39.6%) were the patient involved, 93 (56.7%) were a family member, and six (3.7%) were accompanied visitors (friends, other). Minimally acceptable disability after a stroke intervention was considered as mRS 2 by 42 respondents (25.6%), as mRS 3 by 79 (48.2%), and as mRS 4 by 43 (26.2%) respondents. Race was associated with different views on this question ( p < 0.001; Hispanic and Black patients being more likely to accept disability than Caucasian and Asian patients), while sex ( p = 0.333) and age ( p = 0.560) were not. Sixty-three respondents (38.4%) viewed minimally acceptable probability of improvement with an intervention as over 50%, 57 (34.8%) as 10–50%, and 44 (26.8%) as less than 10%.

Conclusions

A wide range of acceptable outcomes were reported regardless of gender or age. However, race was associated with different acceptable outcome. This is an important finding to demonstrate because of the persistent racial and ethnic disparities in the utilization of endovascular therapy for acute stroke in the United States.
Stereotypes bias social class perception from faces: The roles of race, gender, affect, and attractiveness
Authors: Bjornsdottir R Thora , Beacon Elizabeth
Published: January 2024

People quickly form consequential impressions of others’ social class standing from nonverbal cues, including facial appearance. Extant research shows that perceivers judge faces that appear more positive, attractive, and healthy as higher-class, in line with stereotypes associating high class standing with happiness, attractiveness, and better wellbeing (which bear a kernel of truth). A wealth of research, moreover, demonstrates strong stereotypical associations between social class and both race and gender. The current work bridged these areas of inquiry to explore (1) intersectional biases in social class impressions from faces and (2) how associations between social class and attractiveness/health and affect can be used to shift social class impressions. Our studies found evidence of race and gender stereotypes impacting British perceivers’ social class judgements, with Black (vs. White and Asian) and female (vs. male) faces judged as lower in class. Furthermore, manipulating faces’ emotion expression shifted judgements of their social class, with variations in magnitude by faces’ race, such that emotion expressions shifted judgements of Black faces more than White faces. Finally, manipulating faces’ complexion to appear healthier/more attractive shifted social class judgements, with the magnitude of this varying by faces’ and perceivers’ race, suggesting a role of perceptual expertise. These findings demonstrate that stereotypes bias social class impressions and can be used to manipulate them.
Migrant health in the United Kingdom
Authors: Oliver Tim , Caleyachetty Dr Rishi , Farrington Dr Rebecca
Published: January 2024

Migration is not a new phenomenon and current migration affects practically all countries and individuals in some way. For vulnerable people, the decision to leave home is almost always multi-causal, highly complex, and often involves many stops and hazards along the way. Large numbers of people leave their country of birth, fleeing from war, famine, and persecution, or seeking to improve their economic and professional prospects.
Toward a Future Orientation: A Supportive Mental Health Facility Environment
Authors: Hagerup Anne , Wijk Helle , Lindahl Göran , Olausson Sepideh
Published: January 2024

Background:

The provision of supportive environments is essential in clinical and environmental psychology. Mental health disorders are a major issue, and the experience of being at a mental health facility is affected by numerous factors related to the building’s design.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to explore the expectations of a mental health facility planning group regarding the potential impact of a supportive design on patients’ mental health and staff’s therapeutic practices when planning and designing a new mental health facility.

Methods:

The new mental health facility is a case study and data were collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with nine participants and analyzed using a thematic analysis. The participants came from a mental health facility planning group in a new mental health facility in Norway.

Results:

The overall expectation of the new building was related to a future orientation to support patients’ mental health and therapeutic practices. Three main themes were identified: toward a future orientation, supportive building design, and work environment.

Conclusions:

Supportive environments are expected to influence patients’ mental health and staff’s therapeutic practices, including providing options for novel treatment needs in contrast to older and more outdated buildings that are perceived as hindering appropriate treatment conditions.
Perceptions and Experiences of Pursuing Research Among Medical Students in Problem-Based Learning Curriculum: A Cross-Sectional Study from Qatar
Authors: Al-Subai Reem R , Kaleem Muhammad Z , Hassanien Doaa , Eldestawy Meral , Hamwi Mahmoud N , Elsayed Engy , Al-Kawari Amal S , H Farooqi Habib , Daher-Nashif Suhad
Published: January 2024

OBJECTIVES

Early introduction to research prepares medical students for the practice of evidence-based medicine. Few studies have examined the experiences of research among medical students in the Arab region. This study assesses medical students’ experiences in pursuing research at the national College of Medicine (CMED) in the state of Qatar.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed through Google Forms. The inclusion criteria called for students over 18 years old enrolled in the college in Years 2 to 6 (pre-clinical and clinical phases) during the spring semester of 2022. The questionnaire included 5 sections with multiple-choice questions and 5-point Likert-scale questions. The questionnaire was validated using esperts review and by piloting it on 10% of the eligible students. STATA 17.0 was used to perform the statistical analysis, which involved a logistic regression and Mann–Whitney U test.

RESULTS

The study had 179 student participants (over half of the eligible group). Half were in the preclinical phase, and half were in the clinical phase. Approximately half had published at least 1 paper. For voluntary research, the main motivators were passion and positive past experiences, while the main demoralizer was inadequate time. For mandatory medical-student research, supervisor help was the main facilitator, and an academic load leaving insufficient time for research was the main barrier. The factors positively influencing voluntary research participation were being older, being male, studying in a more advanced program phase, and having a lower score for negative attitudes toward research. The main limitation of the study was the inclusion of only 1 medical school with 1 type of curriculum.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that better research experience can be ensured by providing space, time, and proper academic and moral support to students. The authors believe that doing so will indirectly positively affect the future translation of skills in evidence-based medicine into clinical practice.
Agile human resource management: A systematic mapping study
Authors: Moh’d Shaima’ , Gregory Peggy , Barroca Leonor , Sharp Helen
Published: January 2024

Agile HR is well-established in practice and has emerged as an exciting research area in the last 4 years. However, no comprehensive review of the literature on this subject has been conducted. The aim of this paper is to map the current state of agile HR research. We conducted a systematic mapping study and found 86 relevant primary studies. Our findings are organised into seven research topics that fall into two major themes: Agile for HR; how the HR function adopts agile practices, and HR for Agile; how the HR function supports an agile organisation. The HR for Agile theme is more mature, with more research papers, proposed models, and frameworks. We also review the types of publications, venues, and research methods. The body of publications is fragmented and diverse, with most articles published after 2019, primarily in multidisciplinary journals, incorporating a mix of theoretical and empirical approaches. The paper contributes a thematic analysis of research topics, a comparison of traditional with agile HR practices, a list of theories and models used, a new definition of agile HR, research gaps in the literature, and an agenda for future research. Contributions to practice include findings that agile HR practices benefit organisations, that agile talent acquisition facilitates organisational agility, and that HR can transition to agility by making small changes to their practices rather than undergoing radical change. More academic work needs to be done on agile HR to improve conceptual clarity, theory building and development, understanding benefits and value for the business, identifying challenges, understanding contextual factors, and critically exploring outcomes.
Inside–Outside: Extracorporeal Fixation of Condyle: A Case Report
Authors: Mundepi Naman , Verma Gaurav
Published: January 2024

Fracture of the condylar process is the most common site within the fractures of the mandible and causes problems such as occlusal dysfunction, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and facial deformities. Therefore, proper treatment of this entity is paramount in preventing such problems. Essentially, there are three treatment approaches, namely, observational, close reduction and open reduction, and internal fixation. 1 The debate between open and close reduction has been going on ever since with the proof that open reduction aims at restoring the facial asymmetry of the patient faster: although it has its own demerits like limited access even through surgical exposure and difficulty in reduction. Medially displaced fractures that pose such problems are treated with extracorporeal fixation of the fractured segment. 2 We hereby present such a case with the detailed technique and the literature around it.
Biochemical and Functional Characterization of Plasma Derived Human Celestrase 1
Authors: Dolia Sheetal , Verma Sachin , Ray Suma
Published: January 2024

Background

C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) is a protein derived from fresh frozen human plasma and is widely used in the treatment of Hereditary Angioedema. C1-INH product must have high purity with preserved functionality.

Objective

The aim of the study was to perform extensive characterization of human C1-esterase inhibitor (Celestrase 1) with special emphasis on functionality of the protein by different mechanisms along with its purity and structural elucidation.

Design

Comparative study.

Methods

This study describes the purification and characterization of an economically viable, highly pure and efficient human plasma-derived C1-INH prepared from cryopoor plasma by combination of chromatography steps, capable of removing protein contaminants. The purification process includes two orthogonal virus clearance steps -solvent detergent and virus retentive filtration and further, characterized by various biochemical and functional assays along with other commercially available entities.

Results

The developed process yields 0.75  ±  0.1 vials of C1-INH /L of cryopoor plasma with 44.4  ±  3.6% overall process recovery. Celestrase 1 shows comparability with an existing market comparator, with respect to its purity by different methods. Celestrase 1 proved its functionality in binding irreversibly to the complement protein by classical pathway of the complement system and in the Kallikrein system. Additionally, the antigen-to-biologic activity ratio an indicative of the functionality for Celestrase 1 (0.94) was found comparable to market comparator (0.79). Identity of the product was confirmed by Western blot analysis. The structural analysis of Celestrase 1 was found to be similar to market comparator and exists predominantly in α-helix secondary structure by Far UV Circular Dichroism (CD).

Conclusion

For the treatment of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), the current study presents a pure, safe, and functionally efficient product that can meet the therapeutic needs of patients deficient in C1-INH.
Novel nanoparticle CS-C60-Fe3O4 magnetically induces tissue-specific aggregation and enhances thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sun Jie , Chang Zhengyao , Gao Xudong , Sun Huiwei , Chai Yantao , Li Xiaojuan , Zhang Xiaoming , Feng Fan
Published: January 2024

Metallofullerenes are an important type of metallic nanomaterial with promising applications in several medical fields. Thermal ablation, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA), is an important treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The thermal expansion of fullerenes makes them good adjuncts to thermal ablation treatment of HCC. In this study, we used an innovative method of emulsification and cross-linking to produce CS-C60-Fe3O4 (Chitosan-C60-Fe3O4) nanoparticles, which have the advantages of uniform particle size and high bioavailability, as a kind of novel nano-pharmaceutical. The CS-C60-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the cross-linking reaction from chitosan–acetic acid solution, Fe3O4 nanoparticles by Fe2SO4·7H2O and FeCl3·6H2O, and C60. The average particle size of CS-C60-Fe3O4 was 194.3 nm. Because CS-C60-Fe3O4 is magnetic, it can achieve specific and tissue aggregation in HCC tumor tissues. Moreover, compared with normal soluble C60 (EL35-C60), CS-C60-Fe3O4 prolonged the retention time of C60 in the blood of mice. CS-C60-Fe3O4 alone is not cytotoxic to cultured cells or tumor tissues, but when combined with thermal ablation strategies (RFA and MWA), it significantly upregulates the antitumor effects of thermal ablation on HCC tissues, that is, it acts as a sensitiser to thermal ablation. In the presence of thermal ablation, CS-C60-Fe3O4 interfered with iron metabolism in HCC cells and induced ferroptosis of HCC cells in the tumor tissues. These results not only expand our understanding of metallofullerenes but also provide additional options for the treatment of advanced HCC.
Deep evolutionary fusion neural network: a new prediction standard for infectious disease incidence rates
Authors: Yao Tianhua , Chen Xicheng , Wang Haojia , Gao Chengcheng , Chen Jia , Yi Dali , Wei Zeliang , Yao Ning , Li Yang , Yi Dong , Wu Yazhou
Published: January 2024

Background

Previously, many methods have been used to predict the incidence trends of infectious diseases. There are numerous methods for predicting the incidence trends of infectious diseases, and they have exhibited varying degrees of success. However, there are a lack of prediction benchmarks that integrate linear and nonlinear methods and effectively use internet data. The aim of this paper is to develop a prediction model of the incidence rate of infectious diseases that integrates multiple methods and multisource data, realizing ground-breaking research.

Results

The infectious disease dataset is from an official release and includes four national and three regional datasets. The Baidu index platform provides internet data. We choose a single model (seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), nonlinear autoregressive neural network (NAR), and long short-term memory (LSTM)) and a deep evolutionary fusion neural network (DEFNN). The DEFNN is built using the idea of neural evolution and fusion, and the DEFNN + is built using multisource data. We compare the model accuracy on reference group data and validate the model generalizability on external data. (1) The loss of SA-LSTM in the reference group dataset is 0.4919, which is significantly better than that of other single models. (2) The loss values of SA-LSTM on the national and regional external datasets are 0.9666, 1.2437, 0.2472, 0.7239, 1.4026, and 0.6868. (3) When multisource indices are added to the national dataset, the loss of the DEFNN + increases to 0.4212, 0.8218, 1.0331, and 0.8575.

Conclusions

We propose an SA-LSTM optimization model with good accuracy and generalizability based on the concept of multiple methods and multiple data fusion. DEFNN enriches and supplements infectious disease prediction methodologies, can serve as a new benchmark for future infectious disease predictions and provides a reference for the prediction of the incidence rates of various infectious diseases.
Predicting microbial interactions with approaches based on flux balance analysis: an evaluation
Authors: Joseph Clémence , Zafeiropoulos Haris , Bernaerts Kristel , Faust Karoline
Published: January 2024

Background

Given a genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) of a microorganism and criteria for optimization, flux balance analysis (FBA) predicts the optimal growth rate and its corresponding flux distribution for a specific medium. FBA has been extended to microbial consortia and thus can be used to predict interactions by comparing in-silico growth rates for co- and monocultures. Although FBA-based methods for microbial interaction prediction are becoming popular, a systematic evaluation of their accuracy has not yet been performed.

Results

Here, we evaluate the accuracy of FBA-based predictions of human and mouse gut bacterial interactions using growth data from the literature. For this, we collected 26 GEMs from the semi-curated AGORA database as well as four previously published curated GEMs. We tested the accuracy of three tools (COMETS, Microbiome Modeling Toolbox and MICOM) by comparing growth rates predicted in mono- and co-culture to growth rates extracted from the literature and also investigated the impact of different tool settings and media. We found that except for curated GEMs, predicted growth rates and their ratios (i.e. interaction strengths) do not correlate with growth rates and interaction strengths obtained from in vitro data.

Conclusions

Prediction of growth rates with FBA using semi-curated GEMs is currently not sufficiently accurate to predict interaction strengths reliably.
Characterization and gene expression analysis reveal universal stress proteins respond to abiotic stress in Gossypium hirsutum
Authors: Li Yunqing , Zheng Ao , Li Zhuang , Wang Hu , Wang Jing , Dong Zhanghui , Yao Lina , Han Xiao , Wei Fei
Published: January 2024

Background

Universal stress proteins (USPs) are a class of stress-induced proteins that play a crucial role in biotic and abiotic stress responses. These proteins have previously been reported to participate directly in responses to various stress and protect plants against unfavorable environmental conditions. However, there is limited research on USPs in cotton, and systematic characterization of USPs in Gossypium species is lacking.

Results

In the present study, the USP genes in Gossypium hirsutum were systematically identified and classified into six distinct subfamilies. The expansion of USPs in Gossypium species is mainly caused by dispersed duplication and whole genome duplication. Notably, the USPs that have expanded through allotetraploidization events are highly conserved in the allotetraploid species. The promoter regions of GhUSPs contain a diverse range of cis-acting elements associated with stress response. The RNA-Seq analysis and RT-qPCR assays revealed a significant induction of numerous GhUSPs expressions in response to various abiotic stresses. The co-expression network of GhUSPs revealed their involvement in stress response.

Conclusions

This study systematically analyzed the biological characteristics of GhUSPs and their response to abiotic stress. These findings serve as a theoretical basis for facilitating the breeding of cotton varieties in future research.
ASAP: a platform for gene functional analysis in Angelica sinensis
Authors: Wu Silan , Da Lingling , Xiao Qiaoqiao , Pan Qi , Zhang Jinqiang , Yang Jiaotong
Published: January 2024

Background

Angelica sinensis (Danggui), a renowned medicinal orchid, has gained significant recognition for its therapeutic effects in treating a wide range of ailments. Genome information serves as a valuable resource, enabling researchers to gain a deeper understanding of gene function. In recent times, the availability of chromosome-level genomes for A. sinensis has opened up vast opportunities for exploring gene functionality. Integrating multiomics data can allow researchers to unravel the intricate mechanisms underlying gene function in A. sinensis and further enhance our knowledge of its medicinal properties.

Results

In this study, we utilized genomic and transcriptomic data to construct a coexpression network for A. sinensis. To annotate genes, we aligned them with sequences from various databases, such as the NR, TAIR, trEMBL, UniProt, and SwissProt databases. For GO and KEGG annotations, we employed InterProScan and GhostKOALA software. Additionally, gene families were predicted using iTAK, HMMER, OrholoFinder, and KEGG annotation. To facilitate gene functional analysis in A. sinensis, we developed a comprehensive platform that integrates genomic and transcriptomic data with processed functional annotations. The platform includes several tools, such as BLAST, GSEA, Heatmap, JBrowse, and Sequence Extraction. This integrated resource and approach will enable researchers to explore the functional aspects of genes in A. sinensis more effectively.

Conclusion

We developed a platform, named ASAP, to facilitate gene functional analysis in A. sinensis. ASAP (www.gzybioinformatics.cn/ASAP) offers a comprehensive collection of genome data, transcriptome resources, and analysis tools. This platform serves as a valuable resource for researchers conducting gene functional research in their projects, providing them with the necessary data and tools to enhance their studies.
Genetic basis of nectar guide trichome variation between bumblebee- and self-pollinated monkeyflowers (Mimulus): role of the MIXTA-like gene GUIDELESS
Authors: Chen Hongfei , Yuan Yao-Wu
Published: January 2024

Nectar guide trichomes play crucial ecological roles in bee-pollinated flowers, as they serve as footholds and guides for foraging bees to access the floral rewards. However, the genetic basis of natural variation in nectar guide trichomes among species remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed genetic analysis of nectar guide trichome variation between two closely related monkeyflower (Mimulus) species, the bumblebee-pollinated Mimulus lewisii and self-pollinated M. parishii. We demonstrate that a MIXTA-like R2R3-MYB gene, GUIDELESS, is a major contributor to the nectar guide trichome length variation between the two species. The short-haired M. parishii carries a recessive allele due to non-synonymous substitutions in a highly conserved motif among MIXTA-like MYB proteins. Furthermore, our results suggest that besides GUIDELESS, additional loci encoding repressors of trichome elongation also contribute to the transition from bumblebee-pollination to selfing. Taken together, these results suggest that during a pollination syndrome switch, changes in seemingly complex traits such as nectar guide trichomes could have a relatively simple genetic basis, involving just a few genes of large effects.
Electroacupuncture alleviates ventilator-induced lung injury in mice by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Shuang , Li Shuji , Liu Qingmei , Wei Daneng , Huang Liping , Yin Hong , Yi Mingliang
Published: January 2024

Objective

This study was aimed to explore the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment at Zusanli point (ST36) on ventilation-induced lung injury (VILI) and its potential anti-inflammatory mechanism.

Methods

High tidal volume ventilation was used to induce the VILI in mice, and EA pretreatment at ST36 was given for 7 consecutive days. The wet/dry ratio and pathological injury score of lung tissue, and total protein content of pulmonary alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected after 4 h of mechanical ventilation (MV). Meanwhile, the expressions of TLR4 and NF- κB in lung tissue were evaluated by Western Blot, and the inflammatory factors in lung tissue were detected by ELISA.

Results

After four hours of mechanical ventilation, mice with ventilator-induced lung injury showed significant increases in lung wet/dry ratio, tissue damage scores, and protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α) and TLR4/NF-κB expression levels in the lung were also markedly elevated (P < 0.05). Conversely, ST36 acupuncture point pre-treatment significantly reduced these parameters (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

EA pretreatment at ST36 could alleviate the inflammatory response for VILI via inhibiting TLR4/NF- κB pathway.
The impact of delayed tracheostomy on critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation: a retrospective cohort study in a chinese tertiary hospital
Authors: Zhao Jie , Zheng Wei , Xuan Nan-xian , Zhou Qi-chao , Wu Wei-bing , Cui Wei , Tian Bao-ping
Published: January 2024

Objectives

The timing of tracheostomy for critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) is a topic of controversy. Our objective was to determine the most suitable timing for tracheostomy in patients undergoing MV.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting and participants

One thousand eight hundred eighty-four hospitalisations received tracheostomy from January 2011 to December 2020 in a Chinese tertiary hospital.

Methods

Tracheostomy timing was divided into three groups: early tracheostomy (ET), intermediate tracheostomy (IMT), and late tracheostomy (LT), based on the duration from tracheal intubation to tracheostomy. We established two criteria to classify the timing of tracheostomy for data analysis: Criteria I (ET ≤ 5 days, 5 days < IMT ≤ 10 days, LT > 10 days) and Criteria II (ET ≤ 7 days, 7 days < IMT ≤ 14 days, LT > 14 days). Parameters such as length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, and duration of MV were used to evaluate outcomes. Additionally, the outcomes were categorized as good prognosis, poor prognosis, and death based on the manner of hospital discharge. Student’s t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test were employed as appropriate to assess differences in demographic data and individual characteristics among the ET, IMT, and LT groups. Univariate Cox regression model and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model were utilized to determine whether delaying tracheostomy would increase the risk of death.

Results

In both of two criterion, patients with delayed tracheostomies had longer hospital stays (p < 0.001), ICU stays (p < 0.001), total time receiving MV (p < 0.001), time receiving MV before tracheostomy (p < 0.001), time receiving MV after tracheostomy (p < 0.001), and sedation durations. Similar results were also found in sub-population diagnosed as trauma, neurogenic or digestive disorders. Multinomial Logistic regression identified LT was independently associated with poor prognosis, whereas ET conferred no clinical benefits compared with IMT.

Conclusions

In a mixed ICU population, delayed tracheostomy prolonged ICU and hospital stays, sedation durations, and time receiving MV. Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified delayed tracheostomies as independently correlated with worse outcomes.

Trial registration

ChiCTR2100043905. Registered 05 March 2021.http://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx
The prognostic value of dynamic changes in SII for the patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI
Authors: Liu Ailin , Sun Na , Gao Feiyu , Wang Xiaotong , Zhu Hong , Pan Defeng
Published: January 2024

Background

Predicting the prognosis of primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PPCI) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in the perioperative period is of great clinical significance. The inflammatory response during the perioperative period is also an important factor. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in the systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) during the perioperative period of PPCI and evaluate its predictive value for in-hospital and out-of-hospital outcomes in patients with STEMI.

Methods

This retrospective study included 324 consecutive patients with STEMI who were admitted to the cardiac care unit. Blood samples were collected before PPCI, 12 h (T1), 24 h, 48 h after PPCI, the last time before hospital discharge (T2), and 1 month after hospital discharge. The SII was calculated as (neutrophils×platelets)/lymphocytes. Based on whether the primary endpoint occurred, we divided the patients into event and non-event groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors that might influence the occurrence of the primary endpoint. Dynamic curves of SII were plotted, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn for each node to calculate the optimal critical value, sensitivity, and specificity to assess their predictive ability for in-hospital and out-of-hospital courses. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the differences in survival rates at different SII inflammation levels.

Results

High levels of SII were individually related to the occurrence of the in-hospital period and long-term outcomes during the post-operative follow-up of STEMI patients (in-hospital SII: T1:OR 1.001,95%CI 1.001–1.001, P < 0.001; SII following hospital discharge: T1M: OR 1.008,95%CI 1.006–1.010, P < 0.001). Patients with high SII levels had lower survival rates than those with low SII levels. The analysis showed that the SII 12 h after (T1) and SII 1 month (T1M) had excellent predictive values for the occurrence of in-hospital and out-of-hospital outcomes, respectively (AUC:0.896, P < 0.001; AUC:0.892, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

There is a significant relationship between the dynamic status of SII and prognosis in patients with STEMI. This study found that the 12 h and SII 1 month affected in-hospital and out-of-hospital outcomes, respectively. Consequently, we focused on the dynamic changes in the SII.