bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EVALUATING TRACE FOSSILS, FLUVIAL ARCHITECTURE, AND COLONIZATION PATTERNS IN CHANNEL AND OVERBANK DEPOSITS FROM THE MIOCENE VINCHINA FORMATION, WESTERN ARGENTINA
Authors: VALENCIA GUSTAVO L. , BUATOIS LUIS A. , MÁNGANO M. GABRIELA , FARINA MARTIN E. , KRAPOVICKAS VERÓNICA
Published: October 2024

Trace-fossil distribution within the framework of three-dimensional fluvial architecture has been commonly overlooked. The Miocene Vinchina Formation in western Argentina preserves extensive outcrops of fluvial deposits, including architectural elements of both anastomosing and braided systems identified along the Quebrada de La Troya. Multistorey sandy channels, amalgamated sandy channels, heterolithic multistorey channels, channels with gravel bars, abandoned channels, muddy floodplains, crevasse splays, and crevasse channels have been identified. Of these, only the deposits of three elements were bioturbated, namely crevasse splays, anastomosing abandoned channels, and braided abandoned channels. Vertical simple burrows (Skolithos isp.), large-sized J burrows (Capayanichnus vinchinensis), and simple horizontal burrows (Palaeophycus tubularis) are the most common trace fossils in the Vinchina Formation. Other elements include the horizontal meniscate trace Taenidium barretti and the vertebrate footprints Tacheria troyana, Macrauchenichnus troyana, and Ardeipeda isp. The trace-fossil assemblages identified in the Vinchina Formation collectively illustrate the Scoyenia Ichnofacies. In addition, five ichnofabrics are characterized. The position of the water table, substrate consistency, flow energy, and time between depositional events under arid to semi-arid climate conditions were the main parameters controlling bioturbation. Based on detailed observation of the cross-cutting relationship among ichnotaxa, the ichnofabric distribution and the preservation features of the trace fossils studied, a colonization sequence for each of the subenvironments of the Vinchina Formation is proposed in this study. In addition to integration with conventional facies analysis, articulating ichnologic data and fluvial architecture provides further insights into the application of trace fossils to unravel the sedimentary dynamics of alluvial systems.
THE INFLUENCE OF SEASONALITY ON LIVE-DEAD FIDELITY OF CAENOGASTROPODA FROM THE NORTHERN COAST OF SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL
Authors: LIMEIRA JUNIOR SILVIO CESAR MARQUI , MARTINS HENRIQUE BAZZO , PERROCA JÚLIA FERNANDES , RODRIGUES SABRINA COELHO , GHILARDI RENATO PIRANI
Published: October 2024

Environmental seasonality produces variations in the distribution and structure of biodiversity throughout the year. Understanding how ecological fidelity is affected by these variations allows taphonomists to assess not only the degree of fidelity, but also to identify which seasonal assemblage the fossil record reflects. The present study aims to evaluate the fidelity of gastropod mollusks from a tropical soft substrate environment (Ubatuba Bay, Brazil) collected over a 12-month interval. Samples were collected at four sites within a bathymetric interval of 5–15 m. After the taxonomic assessment, statistical analysis of the live-dead assemblages was conducted. For biodiversity, the total number of shells per sampling site, relative abundance, and species richness, as well as the Shannon index were used. Fidelity was based on the relative percentages of species between the living and dead assemblages and similarity between them was measured by the Sørensen index. Our results show that during stable rainfall/fluvial conditions, the number of dead individuals was low, and fidelity was low while during intense turbidity and subsequent death of gastropods, the abundance of dead individuals increased, and fidelity became high. Only at collection site P4, during intense rainfall/fluvial conditions, the diversity and similarity indices showed significant values. The clockwise circulation of water masses within the bay and the upwelling currents in summer, coupled with the physical-geographical barrier at P4, explain the accumulation of shells at the site, as well as its seasonal behavior. Thus, seasonality exhibited a direct impact on the live-dead fidelity of soft-substrate Caenogastropoda from Ubatuba Bay, Brazil.
Poltergeist-Like 2 (PLL2)-dependent activation of the wound response distinguishes systemin from other immune signaling pathways
Authors: Schaller Andreas , Li Rong , Ahmad Fatima Haj , Fuglsang Anja , Steppuhn Anke , Stintzi Annick
Published: October 2024

Systemin, the first signaling peptide identified in plants, mediates induced resistance against insect herbivores in tomato1. Initially, systemin was perceived as a hormone-like, long-distance messenger that triggers systemic defense responses far from the site of insect attack. It was later found to rather act as a phytocytokine, amplifying the local wound response for the production of downstream signals that activate defense gene expression in distant tissues2. Systemin perception and signaling rely on the systemin receptor SYR13. However, the specifics of SYR1-dependent signaling and how systemin signaling differs from other phytocytokine signaling pathways remain largely unknown. Here, we report that systemin activates the poltergeist-like phosphatase PLL2 in a SYR1-dependent manner. PLL2, in turn, regulates early systemin responses at the plasma membrane, including the rapid inhibition of proton pumps through the dephosphorylation of their regulatory C-termini. PLL2 was found to be essential for downstream defense gene induction, ultimately contributing to insect resistance.
Engineering synthetic signaling receptors to enable erythropoietin-free erythropoiesis
Authors: Cromer M. , Shah Aadit , Majeti Kiran , Ekman Freja , Selvaraj Sridhar , Sharma Devesh , Sinha Roshani , Soupene Eric , Chati Prathamesh , Luna Sofia , Charlesworth Carsten , McCreary Travis , Lesch Benjamin , Tran Tammy , Chu Simon , Porteus Matthew
Published: October 2024

Blood transfusion plays a vital role in modern medicine. However, availability is contingent on donated blood, and frequent shortages pose a significant healthcare challenge. Ex vivo manufacturing of red blood cells (RBCs) derived from universal donor O-negative pluripotent stem cells emerges as a solution, yet the high cost of recombinant cytokines required for ex vivo erythroid differentiation remains a major barrier. Erythropoietin (EPO) signaling through the EPO receptor is indispensable to RBC development, and EPO is one of the most expensive components in erythroid-promoting media. Here, we used design-build-test cycles to develop highly optimized small molecule-inducible synthetic EPO receptors (synEPORs) which were integrated at a variety of genomic loci using homology-directed repair genome editing. We found that integration of synEPOR at the endogenous EPOR locus in an induced pluripotent stem cell producer line enabled culture with small molecule to yield equivalent erythroid differentiation, transcriptomic changes, and hemoglobin production compared to cells cultured with EPO. Due to the dramatically lower cost of small molecules vs. recombinant cytokines, these efforts eliminate one of the most expensive elements of ex vivo culture media—EPO cytokine. Because dependence on cytokines is a common barrier to ex vivo cell production, these strategies could improve scalable manufacturing of a wide variety of clinically relevant cell types. More broadly, this work showcases how protein engineering and genome engineering may be combined to introduce precisely regulated and tunable behavior into cells, an advancement which will pave the way for increasingly sophisticated synthetic biology applications.
Balancing Present Joy and Future Goals: Insights from Delay of Gratification in Chinese Patients with Hypertension– A Qualitative study
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Feng Danni , Huang Sufang , Wang Quan , Zhang Kexin , Huang Jingjing , Sheng Xiaoxuan , Liu Shiya
Published: October 2024

Background: Hypertension is a high-risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and its management still needs to be improved. This study explains this situation from the perspective of delay of gratification and provides new ideas for hypertension management.
Method: A qualitative study was used. Twenty-five community-based hypertensive patients were recruited via maximum variation sampling and purposive sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted between June 2023 and August 2023 at a community hospital in central China. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically, and the Colaizzi seven-step analysis method was used to analyze the information.
Results: The delay of gratification in the daily self-management process of hypertensive patients needs to be improved. A lack of long-term health goals, sensitivity to instant pleasure, and attention bias were the main barriers affecting the delay of gratification in hypertensive patients. Autonomous motivation and altruism are facilitating factors for delayed gratification in hypertensive patients.
Conclusion: Medical staff should pay attention to the problem of low self-management levels in hypertensive patients and take the perspective of delay of gratification as a new perspective for targeted intervention in hypertensive patients. They should actively guide patients regarding emotions, cognition, coping strategies, etc., improve their delay of gratification level, and build a long-term health behavior system to achieve more effective disease management and health promotion.
Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD): the Role in Tumor Progression and Immunotherapy
Authors: Gao Yuting , Wang Xuanlin , Sun Ruixin , Li Jing , Li Yaran , Li Dong , Sun Zujun
Published: October 2024

Background: Numerous studies have shown that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is a tumor-promoting factor in a variety of malignancies. However, it is not entirely clear the role and the potential molecular mechanism of G6PDH in the pathogenesis or clinical prognosis of different tumors.
Methods: This study first investigated the pan-tumoral expression of G6PD, then G6PD gene expression were studied in cancers, survival prognosis, tumor immunity, immunosuppressive cell infiltration, DNA methylation, gene alteration assay, and response to immunotherapy. We also investigated the function of G6PD in the development and prognosis of various cancers.
Results: Our results suggest that G6PD expression was higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues and was related to tumor stage, metastasis, and prognosis in most cancers and subtypes of the Cancer Genome Atlas. High G6PD expression is protective in a small number of cancers, including paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma, and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. However, it is a risk factor for the majority of cancers. The prognosis for progression-free survival was better in people with G6PD alterations than in those without them. G6PD and immune cell infiltration were significantly positively correlated in prostate cancer, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, liver cancer, and low-grade glioma of the brain. Additionally, the degree of G6PD methylation was shown to inversely correlate with mRNA expression. The PGD, GCLM, SRXN1, TRIM16L, and TXNRD1 genes all showed significant positive correlation with G6PD expression level. The major genetic alterations were missense mutations in G6PD, and mutations at the R192C/S locus were detected in cutaneous melanoma, uterine cancer, and thyroid carcinoma. In several malignancies, G6PD expression is associated with immunological and chemotherapeutic outcomes.
Conclusions: According to the study, patients who expressed more G6PD generally had better therapeutic outcomes. Our study highlights the role of G6PD in oncogenesis, detection, prognosis, and treatment planning.
The student voice in quality assurance. What factors make for a great GP placement in the eyes of undergraduate medical students?
Authors: Thornton Simon , Thompson Trevor , Gresham Maria , James Alice
Published: October 2024

Background
With general practice becoming an increasingly important part of undergraduate medical education, it is vital to have reliable ways for assessing placement quality. The most prevalent tools for such assessment are the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) and the Manchester Clinical Placement Index (MCPI). These instruments were not specifically designed for use only in GP contexts and were developed without student involvement at inception. As a result, they may omit quality indicators valued by students on GP placement. This study sought to understand the quality of learning in GP from the student perspective and compare this to what is assessed by DREEM and MCPI. We hope the results of this study will inform the development of placement quality questionnaires inspired by the student voice.
Methods
Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 undergraduate medical students in academic years 3–5 at the University of Bristol into four focus groups. These ran from May 2023 to April 2024 and were based on a topic guide developed and agreed on by all authors. Theoretical saturation was achieved as no new themes emerged in the final focus group. The focus groups were recorded and transcribed in full. The transcripts underwent systematic coding using NVivo. The codes formed the basis for the thematic analysis.
Results
Four main themes emerged: a sense of belonging, quality of learning, efficiency of learning, and the qualities of the GP teacher. These themes are illustrated by pertinent quotes from the focus groups. Subthemes included being given appropriate clinical autonomy within the placement, timely access to resources, structured clinical activities, and tutor qualities such as enthusiasm and leadership.
Conclusions
This paper offers a new perspective on the quality of GP placements by focusing on the student experience. It identifies themes and subthemes that education teams should assess, beyond what's covered by existing tools like MCPI and DREEM. These include students’ sense of belonging, perceived learning efficiency, and appropriate clinical autonomy. We argue that ignoring these areas neglects key aspects of student needs. We are piloting a new questionnaire incorporating these themes to better identify substandard placements and improve student experiences.
The Use of Smart Surveillance Technologies for Suicide Prevention in Public Spaces: A Professional Stakeholder Survey from the United Kingdom
Authors: Joyner Laura , Cliffe Bethany , Mackenzie Jay-Marie , Pettersen Elizabeth , Marsh Ian , Phillips Penny , Marzano Lisa
Published: October 2024

Background
Around a third of suicides in the United Kingdom occur in public spaces, such as on the railways, at bridges, or coastal locations. Increasingly, the use of Artificial Intelligence and other smart technologies are being proposed as a means of optimising or automating aspects of the surveillance process in these environments. Yet relatively little is known about how they are being used for suicide prevention and the realities of deploying these systems in public spaces.
Methods
108 professional stakeholders across the UK completed an online survey to understand how smart surveillance technologies are being deployed across different types of public spaces to (also) prevent suicides. Through a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions, participants were also asked about the perceived benefits, limitations, and biggest barriers of implementing these technologies for suicide prevention reasons.
Results
72 examples of smart surveillance technology were identified, with around two-thirds at “high-risk” locations. Motion-activated CCTV, cameras with AI analytics, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras were the most commonly identified technologies. More than half of systems alerted a control room when activated, and the majority (80%) initiated a human-led response.
Qualitative analysis suggests that these technologies can help guide real-time or future rescue responses. However, the importance of ensuring technology met the needs of a location was raised, with many originally designed for other purposes (e.g. crime prevention). Furthermore, several participants indicated technology alone could not prevent suicides, and felt a human response was still required. This, however, presented challenges such as the feasibility of delivering rapid responses. Barriers to installation and other challenges, including ethical and legal concerns, were also raised.
Conclusions
The present findings suggest that smart surveillance technologies have the potential to aide suicide prevention efforts but are unlikely to replace other measures. The findings highlight the importance of engaging with other stakeholders, including staff who lead the response or work with the systems day-to-day and people with lived experience of suicide. Furthermore, environmental factors, existing infrastructure and the processes surrounding the use of these tools may also influence their effectiveness as a suicide prevention measure when deployed in real-world settings.
Chromatin remodeling restraints oncogenic functions in prostate cancer
Authors: Lanzuolo Chiara , Rosti Valentina , Petrini Cristiano , Lembo Giovanni , Gorini Francesca , Quadri Roberto , Mutarelli Margherita , Salviato Elisa , Soldateschi Emanuele di Patrizio , Montanari Emanuele , Albo Giancarlo , Ripa Francesco , Fasciani Alessandra , Crosti Mariacristina , Vaira Valentina , De Lorenzis Elisa , Maggioni Marco , Ferrari Francesco
Published: October 2024

Primary prostate cancer (PCa) is characterized by multifocal growth and a highly variable clinical course, which is not effectively predicted by prognostic screenings. Innovative strategies for the stratification of primary prostate cancers are still needed. Using prostate biopsies, we analyzed the epigenome of 17 chemo-naïve patients with putative PCa for genome-wide mapping of heterochromatic and euchromatic domains, as well as their three-dimensional (3D) compartmentalization in the cell nucleus. We identified two subgroups of cancer patients with different degrees of chromatin 3D architecture and transcriptome alterations: the LDD (Low Degree of Decompartmentalization) and HDD (High Degree of Decompartmentalization) groups. HDD subtype exhibits an extensive chromatin reorganization that restrains tumor potential, by repressing pathways related to extracellular matrix remodeling and phenotypic plasticity. We derived an 18-genes transcriptional signature that distinguishes HDD from LDD subtype and we confirmed its prognostic relevance across multiple cohorts covering more than 900 prostate cancer patients in total. We propose this transcriptional signature derived from chromatin compartmentalization analysis as a novel prognostic tool that could be adopted at the time of the diagnostic prostate biopsy.
Predicting creep failure life in adhesive-bonded single-lap joints using machine learning
Authors: Jan Faizullah , Kujawa Marcin , Paczos Piotr , Eremeyev Victor A.
Published: October 2024

Accurately predicting the creep failure life of bonded joints, particularly single-lap adhesive joints (SLAJs), remains a significant challenge, requiring considerable time and resources. The ability to predict the duration of creep failure in SLAJs is crucial for ensuring the structural integrity of structures and limiting the failure of creep-prone adhesive connections. This study utilizes machine learning (ML) to identify critical features and predict the creep failure life of adhesive-bonded single-lap joints. Significant features influencing the behavior of SLAJ-type connections were identified through correlation analysis and sequential feature selection. Multiple ML algorithms were employed to analyze complex relationships among key features and predict creep failure life. The results highlight the importance of factors such as creep strain of SLAJ, Ultimate Tensile Strength of adhesive (UTS), creep stress of SLAJ, area of adhesive (A), and Young's modulus (E) in reliably predicting creep failure life. The Random Forest (RF) ensemble ML model, incorporating these features, demonstrates reliable predictive accuracy. In conclusion, the developed ML model exhibits significant potential for accurately predicting the creep failure life of adhesive-bonded SLAJs. Finally, the ML model was validated using experimental studies. The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available in the repository attached to the paper.
Multilingual User Perceptions Analysis from Twitter using Zero Shot Learning for Border Control Technologies
Authors: Shaikh Sarang , Yayilgan Sule Yildirim , Zoto Erjon , Abomhara Mohamed
Published: October 2024

Online social networks (OSNs) such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit have transformed communication by enabling users to share opinions and perceptions on various topics. The vast amount of user-generated content on these platforms poses significant challenges for manual analysis. Advances in artificial intelligence, particularly transformer-based models like BERT and GPT, have improved the processing of multilingual data for tasks such as text classification, sentiment analysis, and emotion analysis. However, these models often require extensive task-specific training and high-quality labeled data, which is impractical for multilingual contexts. This study addresses these limitations by utilizing zero-shot learning (ZSL) with transformer-based models, which eliminate the need for task-specific training and can classify new data into unseen classes without manual annotation. The use case for this study is border control technologies (BCTs), a hot topic following the European Union (EU) commission’s ”Smart Borders Package” aimed at improving border crossing points’ efficiency and security. We introduce a novel ”user perception extraction architecture” to analyze multilingual perceptions of BCTs from Twitter. As there is no existing multilingual Twitter dataset for this purpose, we compiled a dataset of 90,789 multilingual tweets related to BCTs from 2008 to 2022. This study contributes to the research domain of user perception analysis from OSNs and opens new directions for understanding and improving global public perceptions of BCTs and other technologies or domains.
The Impact of Pathogen Sensitivity to Antibiotics Loaded in Cement on the Number of Revisions and Costs in the Treatment of Periprosthetic Knee Infection
Authors: DAVULCU CUMHUR DENIZ , OZER METE , AFACAN MUHAMMED YUSUF , ELIBOLLAR CANSU , KAYNAK GOKHAN , UNLU MEHMET CAN
Published: October 2024

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of the pathogen's sensitivity to the loaded antibiotics on infection resolution, the number of revisions, and the associated costs in patients undergoing revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) due to PJI.
Material and Methods: We reviewed the treatment and follow-up processes of 61 patients who underwent rTKA for late-stage PJI following primary total knee arthroplasty (pTKA) in our clinic. The study included 11 patients in the resistant group and 50 in the sensitive group in line with the power analysis results. Patients' demographic characteristics and comorbidities were recorded. All patients received dual antibiotic-loaded cement. Microbiological examinations of patients were analyzed, and the number of revision surgeries each patient underwent was determined. We analyzed all surgeries related to infection treatment, including open irrigation, debridement, polyethylene exchange, implant extractions, antibiotic-loaded cement spacer placements, spacer changes, and debridements, and the implantation of revision prostheses, including tumor prostheses. The total number of surgeries each patient underwent was recorded. We also reviewed hospital system records of total protocol costs during patient admissions.
Results: Of 61 patients undergoing revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), 11 had antibiotic-resistant infections and 50 had antibiotic-sensitive infections. The groups had similar demographics. Polymicrobial infections were more frequent in the resistant group (p=0.017), with all resistant cases showing gentamicin resistance and two showing teicoplanin resistance. The resistant group required more surgeries (average 3.91±2.7 vs. 2.34±1.3, p=0.043) compared to the sensitive group, with teicoplanin resistance doubling revision surgeries (p=0.005). Costs were similar between groups, averaging $6279.74. Gram-negative infections led to more revisions (p=0.013). Polymicrobial infections did not significantly affect the number of surgeries or costs compared to single-strain infections.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that in rTKA surgeries using dual antibiotic-loaded bone cement, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are more challenging and time-consuming to treat. This underscores the necessity of exploring new methods to enhance local efficacy by loading cement with antibiotics based on specific pathogen culture and sensitivity results, while also providing clinical evidence of the effectiveness of current treatment methods against sensitive microorganisms.
Study on the Application of Progressive Training Method Combined with Imagery Training Method in Laparoscopic Suturing Skills Training for Resident Physicians
Authors: Lin Wenxue , Li Rizeng , Yu Jian , Peng Xiaoping , Xia Jianfu , Huang Bingchen
Published: October 2024

Objective
This study aims to explore an efficient teaching method to improve laparoscopic suturing skills in resident physicians by combining the progressive training method with the imagery training method.
Methods
This study used a randomized controlled trial methodology. The experimental group received training utilizing a combination of the progressive training method and the imagery training method In contrast, the control group followed the traditional teaching method of practicing continuous complete actions. Both groups were trained in intracorporeal suturing and knot-tying under laparoscopy. The training effects of the two groups were compared and analyzed before and after the training, including LS-CAT scores and suturing time.
Results
In the second test, the experimental group had much higher LS-CAT scores than the control group, as well as a considerably lower number of operation errors. In the experimental group, 88.9% of the trainees were proficient, compared to only 28.6% in the control group. There was no significant difference in suturing time between the two groups. In the third test, all trainees met proficiency standards, and the total LS-CAT scores were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of LS-CAT scores in tissue handling and operation mistakes.
Conclusion
The combination of the progressive training method and the imagery training method significantly improved resident physicians’ laparoscopic suturing skills. This method greatly enhanced the efficiency and quality of learning laparoscopic suturing and knot-tying skills among surgical and gynecological resident doctors.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate the pathogenic stress on the invasive weed Alternanthera philoxeroides
Authors: Qi Shanshan , Zhang Yu , Yan Mengting , Naz Misbah , Nkansah Francis Kwaku , Huang Zhiyun , Xiong Huanhe , Dai Zhicong , Du Daolin
Published: October 2024

Invasive plants have caused huge damages in ecosystems. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play important roles in plant growth. However, the importance of AMF in pathogenic stress on invasive plants were rarely studied. The effects of AMF (Glomus etunicatum) on the resistance to pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani of an invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides were examined in this study. Our results showed that AMF significantly promoted stem length, spacer length, and leaf area of A. philoxeroides. The pathogen R. solani negatively impacted plant growth, including above-ground biomass and root characteristics. However, AMF inoculation mitigated these negative effects. Notably, AMF colonization rates increased significantly in the presence of pathogen. AMF significantly promoted the above-ground growth and decreased the root/shoot ratio to help resist pathogen. These findings indicate that AMF can enhance A. philoxeroides resistance to pathogenic stress, potentially contributing to its invasive success. This study provides insights into the complex interactions between invasive plants, beneficial fungi, and pathogens, which may have implications for understanding and managing plant invasions.
Characteristics of patients who die in an acute palliative care unit
Authors: Mercadante Sebastiano , Cascio Alessio Lo , Casuccio Alessandra
Published: October 2024

Aim: To evaluate the characteristics of patients with advanced cancer who die in an acute palliative care unit (APCU). The second outcome was to evaluate the risk factors for death in APCU.
Methods: Consecutive patients with advanced cancer admitted to the APCU in a period of 13 months were prospectively assessed. At APCU admission epidemiologic data, characteristics of admission, cachexia, being on-off anticancer treatment, and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) were assessed. Patients who died in APCU were extrapolated from the entire sample. A similar random sample of patients who were discharged alive in the same study period, matched for age and gender, was selected for comparison.
Results: Fifty-four patients (12%) died in APCU. Statistical differences between died and discharged patients atadmission were found in MDAS (p=<0.0005), home palliative care referral (p<0.0005), cachexia (p=0.018), being off-therapy (p=<0.0005), cognitive/clinical decline (p=<0.0005), and symptom burden (P=0.002). At the multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with dying in APCU were MDAS (p=0.006), referral from home care (p=0.025), being off-therapy (p=0.002), pain (<0.05), and dyspnea intensity (p=0.038), and total ESAS (p=0.025).
Conclusion: Mortality risk in APCU is associated with home palliative care referral, high symptom burden, cognitive failure, and general worsening of the clinical condition, as well being off-therapy. More proactive and timely end-of-life care is needed for these patients.
Clinical and Radiographic Results of Atlantoaxial Interfacetal Fusion Using Local Bone with Fixation: Does the Joint Cartilage Debridement Matter?
Authors: Yuan Lei , Wang Yongqiang , Wang Chao
Published: October 2024

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of atlantoaxial interfacetal fusion with local bone autografting combined with posterior internal fixation for treating patients with atlantoaxial instability (AAI) or reducible atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD).
Methods: Patients with AAI or reducible AAD who underwent surgery using C1-2 fixation and interfacetal bone fusion in our institution from March 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. According to whether articular cartilage was scraped and the joint was decorticated during surgery, the patients were divided into the scraped (S) group and the non-scraped (NS)group. The granular bone harvested from the C2 spinous process, lamina, and tubercula posterius was packed into the atlantoaxial joint. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were assessed.
Results: We recruited 57 patients with > 2 year of follow-up and an average age of 42.32±17.56years. The operations were successfully performed in all patients without any intraoperative complications. The mean operation duration was 123.11±37.24 min, and the average blood loss was 129 ± 61 mL. At the final follow-up, all patients (100%) achieved anatomic atlantoaxial reduction (ADI<3 mm), and solid atlantoaxial fusion. Compared with preoperation, ADI decreased from 7.11±2.34 to 1.57±0.74 mm (P<0.01), and the cervicomedullary angle increased from 134.88°±13.74° to 146.46°±11.14° (P<0.01), and the average JOA score significantly improved from 13.05±1.93 to 15.46±1.48 at the final follow-up (P<0.01) at the final follow-up.
Conclusions: Atlantoaxial interfacetal fusion using local bone graft was an efficient and safe surgical procedure for treating patients with AAI or reducible AAD, even if the atlantoaxial joint cartilage debridement and surface decortication were not performed.
Latent intrarenal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation could persist until toddlerhood in children with a history of low birth weight
Authors: Ishimori Shingo , Ishiko Shinya , Fujimura Junya , Aoyama Shuhei , Kimura Yuka , Kitakado Hideaki , Ueda Chika , Inoki Yuta , Tanaka Yu , Horinouchi Tomoko , Yamamura Tomohiko , Sakakibara Nana , Nagano China , Nozu Kandai
Published: October 2024

Purpose
The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a crucial role in kidney development and the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, no studies have examined the association between RAAS and CKD in children with a history of preterm birth and low birth weight (LBW).
Methods
In first urine biomarker study, we prospectively evaluated intrarenal RAAS markers using spot urine in children, both with and without a history of LBW, who required evaluation for short stature and had no clinical kidney symptoms at registration. In second, we conducted a retrospective immunohistochemical pathological study using kidney biopsy specimens in subjects, both with and without a history of LBW, with reduced kidney function and pathological glomerular hypertrophy. Urinary angiotensinogen (AGT) was assessed as a marker of intrarenal RAAS.
Results
A total of 45 children with a median age of 5.0 years were evaluated in the prospective biomarker study. Urinary AGT/creatinine (Cr) levels were significantly higher in children with a history of LBW (n = 24) than in those without (n = 21; 12.6 vs. 6.7 µg/ng Cr, p < 0.01). In the immunohistochemical kidney pathological study, the positive area of AGT staining in the renal tubules of the subject with a history of LBW was more extensive than that of the subject without a history of LBW.
Conclusions
Our biomarker and pathological studies indicated that latent intrarenal RAAS activation in children with a history of LBW persists until toddlerhood and may contribute to the progression of CKD.
Genome-Wide Analysis of KNOX Genes in Brassicaceae: Evolution, Comparative Genomics, and Expression Dynamics in B. napus Floral and Silique Development
Authors: He Xiaoli , Tan Chengfang
Published: October 2024

Background
Knotted-like homeobox (KNOX) genes, belonging to a subfamily of the homeobox gene family, play crucial roles in cell fate determination and body plan specification during early embryogenesis in higher organisms. Brassica rapa (B. rapa, AA), Brassica oleracea (B. oleracea, CC) and their natural hybridization named Brassica napus (B. napus, AACC) are excellent models for the study of polyploidy genes because they undego genome triplication events after Arabidopsis-Brassiceae divergence. Moreover, the specific gene structure and functional differentiation of KNOXs in B. napus is still unclear.
Methods and results
KNOX homologs from the three Brassica species, namely, B. rapa, B. oleracea and B. napus were downloaded from the Brassica database. Their evolutionary conservation and classification were analyzed with bioinformatics tools. This study identified 32, 15 and 14 KNOX genes in the genome of B. napus, B. rapa and B. oleracea, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that KNOXs can be classified into three classes based on their structural characteristics. The KNOX homologue proteins across the three Brassica species consistently share a highly conserved domain organization. Synteny analysis indicated that the KNOX gene family of B. napus expanded during allopolyploidization, with whole-gene duplication and segmental duplication being the primary contributors to the majority of KNOX gene duplications. Further analyses of the cis-elements, gene structures and expression patterns of KNOX genes in B. napus showed high conservation among members within the same group. RNA-seq data clearly divided BnKNOXs into three classes: Class I exhibited moderate and specific expression in buds and inflorescence tips; Class III showed specific low expression in seeds and stamens; while the second class shows expression in most tissues. qRT-PCR results indicated widespread involvement of KNOX genes in reproductive organ development.
Conclusions
The evolutionary conservation and diversification of KNOX proteins are significant in plant evolution and species formation, providing a robust foundation following the Arabidopsis-Brassiceae divergence. The gene structure, cis-elements, and tissue-specific expression patterns underscore the sequence and functional differences among BnKNOX genes. The distinct roles of BnKNOX genes in reproductive development are highlighted. These findings lay the groundwork for further functional studies of BnKNOX genes in B. napus.
Vision Transformer and FFT-ReLU Fusion for Advanced Image Deblurring
Authors: Mahmud Syed Mumtahin , Noki Mahdi Mohd Hossain , Majumder Prothito Shovon , Radi Abdul Mohaimen Al , Ali Md. Haider , Khan Md. Mosaddek
Published: October 2024

Image deblurring is a crucial task in computer vision, aiming to recover sharp images from blurry inputs caused by camera shake, motion blur, or other factors. Traditional methods often struggle with complex or severe blur, particularly in high-resolution images. Recent advancements in deep learning, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Vision Transformers (ViTs), have shown promise but have limitations in capturing long-range dependencies and computational efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel image deblurring approach that integrates the strengths of Vision Transformers and the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with ReLU (Rectified Linear Unit) sparsity. Our method leverages a Vision Transformer architecture designed for image restoration tasks to preprocess blurry images, efficiently capturing both local and global features to reduce blurriness. This is followed by post-processing using FFT with ReLU sparsity, which targets and removes blur-related frequencies while preserving image sharpness and clarity. Extensive experiments on benchmark datasets demonstrate that our method produces sharper, more visually appealing images compared to state-of-the-art models. Furthermore, subjective human evaluations alongside traditional metrics such as PSNR and SSIM provide comprehensive evidence of the practical effectiveness of our deblurring technique. Our results indicate that the proposed method not only excels in quantitative measures but also significantly enhances perceptual image quality, making it highly suitable for real-world applications. The source code and results are available at https://github.com/Dip-to/
Vision-Transformer-and-FFT-ReLU-Fusion-for-Advanced-Image-Deblurring.git
Аритмология у Макробия: греческое знание в латинской культуре
Authors: М.С. Петрова
Published: October 2024

В разделе книги обсуждается аритмологическая составляющая «Комментария на “Сон Сципиона”» (I, 5–7) Макробия в контексте латинской культуры V века. Выявляется зависимость латинского автора от предшествующего греческого научного знания, показана его «избирательность» при изложении учения о числах священной пифагорейской десятки, неразрывно связанного с мирозданием. Демонстрируется, что Макробиева трактовка пифагорейской арифметики близка к тому, что можно найти в «Изложении математических предметов, полезных при чтении Платона» Теона Смирнского, «Введении в арифметику» Никомаха Геразского, «О сотворении мира» и «Правилах аллегории» Филона Александрийского, «Аттических ночах» Авла Геллия, «Комментарии к “Тимею” Платона» Калкидия, «Теологуменах арифметики» пс.-Ямвлиха, «О бракосочетании Филологии и Меркурия» Марциана Капеллы и др.

The section of the book discusses the arrhythmological component of Macrobius’ “Commentary on the Dream of Scipio” (I, 5–7) in the context of the Latin culture of the 5th century. The dependence of the Latin author on the previous Greek scientific knowledge is revealed, and his “selectivity” in presenting the doctrine of the numbers of the sacred Pythagorean ten, inextricably linked with the Universe, is shown. It is demonstrated that Macrobius’ treatment of Pythagorean arithmetic is close to what can be found in Theon of Smyrna’s “On Mathematics Useful for the Understanding of Plato”, Nicomachus of Gerasa’s “Introduction to Arithmetic”, Philo of Alexandria’s “On the Creation of the World”, Aulus Gellius’ “Attic Nights”, Calcidius’ “Commentary on Plato’s Timaeus”, Ps. Iamblichus’ “Theologumena of Arithmetic”, Martianus Capella’s “On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury”, and others. Keywords: Macrobius, doctrine of numbers, Pythagorean arithmetic, creation of the Universe.
Неблизкий путь... К публикации Дневника епископа Нектария о путешествии
Authors: М.Ц. Арзаканян
Published: October 2024

В разделе книги публикуется Дневник епископа Кишиневского и Молдавского Нектария о его поездке в составе делегации Русской православной церкви на торжества в Дамаск по случаю 50-летия архиерейского служения патриарха Антиохийского и всего Востока Александра III в июне-июле 1954 г. Текст сопровождается историко-политическим комментарием и предисловием, в котором отмечены вехи жизненного пути автора дневника, прослеживается путь его религиозного служения и получение сана епископа; приводится краткий исторический очерк об Антиохийской православной церкви; воссоздан портрет «виновника торжества» — патриарха Антиохийского и всего Востока Александра III.

The section of the book contains the Diary of Nectarios, the Bishop of Kishinev and Moldova on his trip as part of the Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the celebrations in Damascus on the occasion of the 50thAnniversary of the Episcopal Ministry of Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Alexander III in June-July 1954. The text is accompanied by a historical and political commentary and an introductory essay, which notes the milestones in the life of the diary’s author, traces his path of religious service and receiving the rank of bishop. This brief historical essay on the Antiochian Orthodox Church is given; a portrait of the “hero of the occasion” is recreated — Patriarch Alexander III of Antioch and All the East.
МИР ТЕКСТА...
Authors: М.С. ПЕТРОВА
Published: October 2024

В предисловии речь идет о текстах, рассмотрению которых посвящена книга — текстах, имеющих особое, зачастую неоднозначное, значение в области гуманитарных наук, естествознания, истории политической науки. Отмечаются проблемы, на которых авторы концентрируют свое внимание, а это проблемы чтения и интерпретации текстов, выявление отраженных в них традициях и новациях, критика заблуждений, рекон-струкция концепций, попытки систематизации письменного наследия и предшествующего знания, обсуждение идейных течений и многие другие.

The preface discusses the texts that the book is devoted to — texts that have a special, often ambiguous, significance in the humanities, natural science, and history of political science. It notes the problems that the authors focus their at-tention on, namely, problems of reading and interpreting texts, identifying the traditions and innovations reflected in them, criticizing misconceptions, recon-structing concepts, attempting to systematize the written heritage and previous knowledge, discussing ideological movements, and etc.
Impact of Pressure Infusion of sh-2 Sweet Corn Seed with Pseudomonas aureofaciens on Seedling Emergence
Authors: Reese Curtis D. , Fritz Vincent A. , Pfleger Francis L.
Published: October 2024

Pressure infusion, a new method using increased atmospheric pressure to inoculate seed with the biocontrol agent (BCA) Pseudomonas aureofaciens, was evaluated for control of Pythium in shrunken-2 (sh2) sweet corn seed. Pressure infusion increased seed hydration rates, especially in damaged areas. Shrunken-2 sweet corn (Zea mays L.) seed often contains incomplete pericarp layers and internal open spaces both within the seed and between the aleurone layer and the pericarp. We hypothesized that pressure infusion may increase the effectiveness of the BCA inoculation through delivery of bacteria to areas deep within the seed. However, pressure infusion reduced final emergence in both growth chamber and field experiments. Rapid hydration of the pressure-infused seed may have caused tissue damage. Bio-priming of pressure-infused seed increased final emergence. The BCA reduced Pythium infection of sh2 sweet corn seed 48 h after planting. Pressure infusion of seed did not significantly affect the incidence of Pythium infection when compared to other treatments using the BCA.
Diurnal Temperature Variation of the Root and Shoot Affects Yield of Greenhouse Tomato
Authors: Gent M.P.N. , Ma Y-Z.
Published: October 2024

The time of day when the root zone is heated may affect production of greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) grown under a diurnal variation in air temperature (DIF). To test this effect, the root zone was unheated, or heated to 21 °C constantly, or during 6 h in the day or in the night. Plants were grown in greenhouses with 14 °C day/14 °C night or 22 °C day/6 °C night minimum air temperatures, which resulted in 5 °C or 14 °C DIF, respectively. Seedlings were transplanted in early or late March in 1994 and 1995. Plants grown under 14 °C DIF yielded more than those grown under 5 °C DIF after both early-March and late-March planting. This increase in yield resulted from earlier fruit set and ripening and an increase in fruit size. For plants transplanted in early March, average yields with root-zone heating were greater than those with no heating because of increased fruit number. Heating the root zone had no effect on the yield from late-March planting, perhaps because unheated roots were never exposed to mean temperatures cooler than 16 °C. For the early-March planting, heating the root zone in the day did not increase yield significantly compared with heating in the night, even with a 14 °C air DIF. The time when the root zone was heated was not critical for increasing yield, and forcing the diurnal variation in temperature of the root zone to more closely match that of the air was not necessary, even with a large diurnal variation in air temperature.
Mutagenic Effects of Acute Gamma Irradiation on Miniature Roses: Target Theory Approach
Authors: Arnold Neville P. , Barthakur Nayana N. , Tanguay Marcel
Published: October 2024

Absorbed gamma-ray doses of 50, 100, and 200 Gy were used to produce mutations in miniature rose (Rosa hybrida) bushes of `Blue Blood' (BB), `Mountie' (MT), `Dark Red Mountie' (DM), and `Potluck' (PL) cultivars. The fairly good agreement achieved between measured and calculated doses from the extended gamma-ray source provided a high degree of confidence in reporting these doses. The relationship between plant height reduction (H) and absorbed dose (D) could be described as H = A - BD + CD2, in accordance with the prediction of the multi-hit target theory, where A, B, and C are constants. The mean spine number per 10 cm of stem, the mean petiole length, and the mean petal number were significantly (P≤0.05 to 0.001) reduced in all cultivars depending on D. The total number of mutations was highest in PL. The irradiated plants remained fertile. The range in color increased substantially for all the cultivars. The number of flowers in an inflorescence decreased for PL, BB, and DM but not for MT.