bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Submerged Fatigue Testing of Marine Energy Advanced Materials
Authors: Lusty Ariel F. , Murdy Paul , Gionet-Gonzales Julia A.
Published: August 2024

Marine energy structures are typically made of advanced composite materials and are subjected to extreme ocean environments in service. In extreme ocean environments, seawater currents and waves load structures repeatedly, which cause two environmental conditions: water intrusion and mechanical fatigue. In prior research, the two environmental conditions were applied sequentially, where composite specimens were aged and then mechanically tested. To understand the combined effects of dynamic loading and water intrusion on composite materials, the present study involves the static and fatigue four-point bend testing of composite coupons in a water tank. The water tank was designed and built to fit either a 100 kN or a 250 kN load frame. Flexural strength value, cycles to failure, and failure mode results from submerged fatigue testing will be used to inform marine energy structure designs. The coupon-scale test method will be used to scale up to and inform methods for subsequent subcomponent testing and standards development. The benefits of designing marine energy structures to informed standards are decreased lifetime costs and increased reliability and energy production, ultimately leading to a sustainable and low-carbon energy system.
OPTIMALISASI BUMDes SEBAGAI STRATEGI PENINGKATAN PEREKONOMIAN MENEKAN KEMISKINAN DI KABUPATEN POHUWATO
Authors: Ginting Arwanto Harimas , Nawawi Sulton
Published: August 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisi optimalisasi Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUMDes) sebagai satu strategi dalam upaya peningkatan perekonomian masyarakat untuk menekan kemiskinan. Kemiskinan merupakan masalah yang tidak dapat diselesaikan dengan satu program saja. Perlu berbagai program dan upaya dalam menangani kemiskinan. Undang-undang Nomor 6 tahun 2014 tentang Desa memberi peluang bagi pemerintah desa untuk mendapatkan dana dan mengelola sumber daya yang ada di desanya melalui sebuah badan usaha yang disebut BUMDes. Menggunakan metode kualitatif dan melakukan wawancara, observasi dan dolumentasi dalam pengupulan data. Teknik Analisis Data menggunakan konsep Miles dan Huberman dengan langkah-langkah Data Reduction (reduksi data), Data Display (penyajian data) dan Conclusion Drawing / Verification (Penarikan Kesimpulan). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa optimalisasi sebagai sebuah strategi telah dilakukan oleh Dinas Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Desa Kabupaten Pohuwatu. Namun optimalisasi belum berjalan dengan maksimal dikarenakan pengetahuan masyarakat tentang manfaat BUMDes masih minim. Ditambah pemahaman pemerintah desa yang seharusnya mampu memberikan dukungan penuh bagi BUMdes masih sangat kurang.
FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PENURUNAN ANGKA PERNIKAHAN DI INDONESIA
Authors: Ningtias Indira Setia
Published: August 2024

Pertumbuhan penduduk yang tidak terkendali akan menimbulkan berbagai masalah, baik dari aspek lingkungan, sosial, hingga budaya. Malthus dalam teorinya telah memprediksi kondisi pertumbuhan penduduk yang semakin tidak terkendali, pembatasan pertumbuhan penduduk yang mungkin dapat dilakukan adalah dengan pengekangan diri dengan menunda pernikahan. Pernikahan merupakan salah satu peristiwa kependudukan diakui legalitasnya apabila pasangan sudah terdaftar dan memperoleh dokumen kependudukan sebagai bukti keabsahan. Namun dalam sepuluh tahun terakhir terjadi penurunan angka pernikahan di Indonesia. Penelitian ini berfokus pada kondisi turunnya angka pernikahan didasari oleh dimensi Preventife Checks dalam teori yang dikemukakan Malthus, mengingat dimensi Positive Checks merupakan dimensi yang tidak diharapkan terjadi. Metode penulisan menggunakan library research dengan mengumpulkan berbagai sumber studi pustaka dan internet. Hasil penelitian menunjukan pertumbuhan penduduk di Indonesia khususnya yang terjadi pada 5 (lima) tahun terakhir mengalami penurunan seiring dengan turunnya angka pernikahan. Hal ini dipengaruhi berbagai fenomena yang berkembang di Indonesia diantaranya globalisasi yang berpengaruh pada pola pikir anak usia muda saat ini, masalah sosial yang menuntut standar kesuksesan, fenomena naiknya angka perceraian dalam masyarakat yang mempengaruhi mental calon pasangan muda, pandemi covid-19, lahirnya Undang-undang Nomor 16 Tahun 2019 serta fenomena nikah siri yang menjadikan pernikahan tersebut tidak tercatat dan tidak diakui secara hukum.
 
Kata kunci : dokumen kependudukan; globalisasi; pernikahan; pertumbuhan penduduk; undang-undang.
Partisan Change with Generational Turnover: Latino Party Identification from 1989-2022
Authors: Wakefield Derek , Fraga Bernard , Fisk Colin
Published: August 2024

Narratives and studies of Latino partisanship often emphasize Democratic identification, but some have recently suggested a shift towards Republicans. We address these by examining Latino party identification over a 33-year period, leveraging 35 publicly-available national surveys with a total of over 99,000 Latino respondents along with Census data to create post-stratified survey weights to correct for biases. We emphasize changing partisanship over time by nativity, birth cohorts, and by national origin. From 1990 to 2012, we observe an overall increase in Democratic identification and decrease in Republican identification, but this is driven by foreign-born Latinos. After 2012, we see greater Republican identification among older native-born Latinos and immigrants, and accelerating independent identification among Millennial and Gen Z Latinos. These results show that generational turnover and differences by nativity challenge extant theories of Latino partisan change over time.
Hubungan Efikasi Diri dengan Tekanan Darah Lansia di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Negara Ratu Kabupaten Lampung Utara Tahun 2023
Authors: Emilda Reca , Wijayanto Wisnu Probo , Sutrsino Sutrsino , Kameliawati Feri
Published: August 2024

Latar Belakang: efikasi diri atau kepercayaan diri seseorang terkait dengan menjaga pola hidup dalam upaya pengendalian tekanan darah terutama pada lansia sangat dibutuhkan, karena lansia banyak yang mengalami hipertensi. Angka kejadian hipertensi penduduk usia 55-64 tahun sebanyak 29,97%, usia 65-74% sebanyak 36,47% dan usia > 75 tahun sebanyak 37,89%. Komplikasi yang terjadi pada penderita hipertensi dapat dikendalikan dengan terapi nonfarmakologi, yaitu memodifikasi gaya hidup. Tinggi rendahnya efikasi diri dapat mempengaruhi gaya hidup pada penderita hipertensi
Tujuan: diketahui hubungan efikasi diri dengan tekanan darah lansia di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Negara Ratu
Metode: Jenis peneltian kuantitatif dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah Lansia di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Negara Ratu sebanyak 212 responden dengan sampel sebanyak 139 yang diambil secara purposive sampling. Pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner, analisis data secara univariat dan bivariat menggunakan uji gamma
Hasil: sebanyak 85 (61,2%) responden memiliki efikasi diri tidak baik, dan sebanyak 92 (66,2%) responden memiliki tekanan darah hipertensi. Ada hubungan efikasi diri dengan tekanan darah lansia di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Negara Ratu dengan nilai (p-value = 0,001)
Kesimpulan: efikasi diri terbukti memiliki hubungan dengan tekanan darah lansia
Formulasi Dan Uji Stabilitas Fisik Body Wash Ekstrak Etanol 70% Bunga Telang (Clitoria ternatea L.)
Authors: Haikal Vikri , Audina Mia , Hidayah Nur , Budi Setia
Published: August 2024

Latar Belakang: Body wash dibuat dengan menambahkan bahan aktif antibakteri untuk menekan pertumbuhan mikroorganisme. Senyawa metabolit antibakteri yang dimiliki ekstrak etanol 70% bunga telang yaitu saponin, tanin, terpenoid, alkaloid dan flavonoid
Tujuan: Mengetahui pengaruh perbedaan konsentrasi natrosol 0,5%, 1% dan 1,5% terhadap stabilitas formulasi sediaan body wash ekstrak bunga telang
Metode: Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah quasy-experimental dengan rancangan penelitian one-grup pretest-posttest design.
Hasil: Stabilitas organoleptis ketiga formula stabil konsisten dan memiliki warna biru keunguan, bau khas bunga telang. Ketiga formula stabil homogen. Stabilitas tinggi busa dan viskositas ketiga formula stabil dan memenuhi syarat. Stabilitas pH ketiga formula memenuhi rentang syarat.
Simpulan: Variasi konsentrasi natrosol berpengaruh terhadap uji stabilitas evaluasi pH dan tidak berpengaruh terhadap uji stabilitas organoleptis, homogenitas, tinggi busa, viskositas dan tipe emulsi. Formulasi yang paling optimal adalah formulasi II (1%)
Efektivitas Pemberian Edukasi Dengan Metode Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Menggunakan Media Audio-Visual Terhadap Rasionalitas Penggunaan Antibiotik Di Desa Kresik Bura
Authors: Mursidah Diana Aulia , Saputri Rina , Aryzki Saftia , Syamsu Erlina
Published: August 2024

Latar belakang: Penggunaan antibiotik yang tidak rasional dapat menyebabkan kegagalan terapi dan resiko resistensi. Salah satu faktor yang mempengaruhi penggunaan antibiotik yaitu pengetahuan yang dapat ditingkatkan dengan pemberian edukasi. Metode FGD bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi masalah yang lebih spesifik berkaitan dengan topik yang dibahas. Edukasi dengan media audio-visual memudahkan dalam penyampaian informasi dan lebih mudah diterima oleh masyarakat.
Tujuan:  Menganalisis efektivitas pemberian edukasi dengan metode Focus Group Discussion (FGD) menggunakan media audio-visual terhadap rasionalitas penggunaan antibiotik di masyarakat Desa Kresik Bura.
Metode: True eksperimental dengan desain pretest posttest control group. Teknik sampling yang digunakan adalah stratified random sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 100 responden. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Desa Kersik Bura pada Bulan Juni 2023-Juli 2023.
Hasil:  Hasil rasionalitas penggunaan antibiotik sebelum edukasi dengan hasil rasional sebanyak 40%, setelah diberikan edukasi terjadi peningkatkan menjadi 72%. Hasil uji wilcoxon pada kelompok kontrol 0.180 dan pada kelompok eksperimen 0.000. Hasil uji mann-whitney diperoleh p-value 0.000.
Kesimpulan: Pemberian edukasi dengan metode FGD menggunakan media audio-visual efektif dalam meningkatkan rasionalitas penggunaan antibiotik.
Small pituitary volume and central nervous system anomalies in Fanconi Anemia
Authors: Corredor Beatriz , Solís Inés , Zubicaray Josune , Sevilla Julián , Argente Jesús
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genomic instability disorder associated with congenital abnormalities, including short stature and the presence of central nervous system anomalies, especially in the hypothalamic-pituitary area. Thus, differences in pituitary size could associate with the short stature observed in these patients. Our aim was to evaluate whether central nervous system abnormalities and pituitary gland volume correlate with height and hormone deficiencies in these patients.

Methods

In this cross-sectional exploratory study 21 patients diagnosed with FA between 2017 and 2022 in a Spanish Reference Center were investigated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed and pituitary volume calculated and corelated with height and other endocrine parameters.

Results

The percentage of abnormalities in our series was 81%, with a small pituitary (pituitary volume less than 1 SD) being the most frequent, followed by Chiari malformation type 1. The median value of pituitary volume was -1.03 SD (IQR: -1.56, -0.36). Short stature was found in 66.7% [CI95% 43-85.4]. Total volume (mm3) increases significantly with age and in pubertal stages. There were no differences between volume SD and pubertal stage, or the presence of endocrine deficiencies. No correlations were found between pituitary volume and the presence of short stature. The intraclass correlation index (ICC) average for volume was 0.85 [CI95% 0.61-0.94] indicating a good‐to‐excellent correlation of measurements.

Discussion

Central nervous system anomalies are part of the FA phenotype, the most frequent after pituitary hypoplasia being posterior fossa abnormalities, which may have clinical repercussions in the patient. It is therefore necessary to identify those who could be candidates for neurosurgical intervention. The size of the pituitary gland is smaller in these patients, but this does not seem to be related to hormone deficiency and short stature or exposure to a low dose of total body irradiation.
Association of atherogenic index of plasma and triglyceride glucose-body mass index and sarcopenia in adults from 20 to 59: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Pan Ruirong , Wang Tingwei , Tang Ruixue , Qian Zifan
Published: August 2024

Background

The relationship between atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) and sarcopenia has not been studied in the United States (US) population.

Methods

This research included 4,835 people from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2018. The relationship between sarcopenia and TyG-BMI, as well as the AIP index, was examined through the utilization of restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, subgroup analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Diagnostic value of AIP and TyG-BMI for sarcopenia was compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

In this research, 428 people with sarcopenia were identified among the 4,835 subjects that were included in the experiment. AIP and sarcopenia were positively associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.58 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of (1.07, 2.34) on fully adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis. Similarly, TyG-BMI and sarcopenia were positively associated with an OR of 8.83 and a 95% CI of (5.46, 14.26). AIP and sarcopenia had a non-linear positive connection (P-value<0.001, P-Nonlinear=0.010), while TyG-BMI and sarcopenia had a linear positive correlation (P-value<0.001, P-Nonlinear=0.064), according to RCS analysis. Subgroup analyses showed a significant interaction between TyG-BMI and sarcopenia due to gender (P = 0.023). ROC curves showed that TyG-BMI (AUC:0.738, 95% CI: 0.714 - 0.761) was more useful than AIP (AUC:0.648, 95% CI: 0.622 - 0.673) in diagnosing sarcopenia.

Conclusion

In US adults aged 20–59 years, our study revealed a correlation between elevated AIP and TyG-BMI levels and heightened sarcopenia risk. Moreover, TyG-BMI has better diagnostic validity than AIP.
Effect and consequence of the rheological properties of nano Fe2O3-modified drilling muds in the Dibella oil field
Authors: Mahamadou Abdoulaye seyni , Jun Gu , Moctar Maimouna Issa
Published: August 2024

The development of supportable, cost-effective, and high-performance nanoparticles (NPs) is one of the new examination points within penetrating applications. The consideration of tailorable nanoparticles offers the chance to figure out water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs) with upgraded properties, providing exceptional opportunities in the energy, oil, gas, water, or framework enterprises. In WBDFs, nano and micron materials are investigated to control their rheological properties and their influence. This paper aims to analyze the influence of nano Fe2O3 on the rheological behavior of drilling fluid muds under high temperatures and pressure. Additionally, we seek to identify the optimal concentration of iron oxide nanoparticles that maintain consistent rheology; we examined the interfering effects of shear rates and iron oxide nanoparticle temperature on the shear type of the changed depleting liquid in the Dibella oil field to make the penetrating activity efficient, realistic, and skilled. We observe that as the temperature increases, the water-based mud (WBM), plastic viscosity (PV), yield point (YP), and gel strength (Gs) decrease until the reject structure is disrupted. Therefore, we must proceed with our assessment using nano Fe2O3 to resolve the shortcomings of the slope framework. Six water-based mud cakes containing 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 g weight percent of iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles were prepared for this evaluation. The experimental outcomes revealed an optimal nanoparticle mixing of 2.5 g weight percent, which resulted in a 13.8% reduction in the API filtrate volume and a 40% reduction in filter cake thickness. At 300°F temperature and type 10.00 pressure, the results of our experiments consistently demonstrate a decrease of 14.77% in the rheological properties of PV and YP and 10 s and 10 min in the gel strength of carbon oxide nanoparticles. The YP–PV span is 2.7, and the yield strength is 11 lb/100 ft2. On the other hand, mud cake A, which contains 0.5 wt% NPs, loses 6 mL of fluid after 30 min. In contrast, drilling mud cake E, which is composed of 3 wt% NPs, shows a fluid loss of 5.1 mL in the API filter press test. Based on the Bingham plastic model, the maximum shear stress versus shear rate was observed for bentonite drilling muds E and F, with 2.5 wt% and 3 wt% NPs, respectively, and this result indicates that the use of nano Fe2O3 can effectively adjust the properties of drilling fluids.
MicroRNA dysregulation in ataxia telangiectasia
Authors: Cirillo Emilia , Tarallo Antonietta , Toriello Elisabetta , Carissimo Annamaria , Giardino Giuliana , De Rosa Antonio , Damiano Carla , Soresina Annarosa , Badolato Raffaele , Dellepiane Rosa Maria , Baselli Lucia A. , Carrabba Maria , Fabio Giovanna , Bertolini Patrizia , Montin Davide , Conti Francesca , Romano Roberta , Pozzi Elisa , Ferrero Giulio , Roncarati Roberta , Ferracin Manuela , Brusco Alfredo , Parenti Giancarlo , Pignata Claudio
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a rare disorder characterized by neurodegeneration, combined immunodeficiency, a predisposition to malignancies, and high clinical variability. Profiling of microRNAs (miRNAs) may offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of complex rare human diseases, as miRNAs play a role in various biological functions including proliferation, differentiation, and DNA repair. In this study, we investigate the differential expression of miRNAs in samples from AT patients to identify miRNA patterns and analyze how these patterns are related to the disease.

Methods

We enrolled 20 AT patients (mean age 17.7 ± 9.6 years old) and collected clinical and genetic data. We performed short non-coding RNA-seq analysis on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and fibroblasts to compare the miRNA expression profile between AT patients and controls.

Results

We observed 42 differentially expressed (DE)-miRNAs in blood samples and 26 in fibroblast samples. Among these, three DE-miRNAs, miR-342-3p, miR-30a-5p, and miR-195-5p, were further validated in additional AT samples, confirming their dysregulation.

Discussion

We identified an AT-related miRNA signature in blood cells and fibroblast samples collected from a group of AT patients. We also predicted several dysregulated pathways, primarily related to cancer, immune system control, or inflammatory processes. The findings suggest that miRNAs may provide insights into the pathophysiology and tumorigenesis of AT and have the potential to serve as useful biomarkers in cancer research.
The challenge of safe and sustainable development of the unmanned ship: seeking for effective legal responses
Authors: Shao Yude , Yu Yanan , Ma Yanqiu
Published: August 2024

Technological innovation is changing the way maritime transport is done, and automated driving is one of the hot topics, including unmanned ships that use automated driving technology, but legal challenges to the application of unmanned ships in the shipping industry must be resolved before that happens—whether and how the principles of existing international conventions regarding unmanned ships. To deal with this problem, it is far from enough to rely on the efforts of international organizations or the revision of international conventions. The paper analyzes several typical legal issues faced by unmanned ships: the legal definition of unmanned ships, the seaworthiness of unmanned ships, the master and crew rules, and the collision and rescue of unmanned ships, taking China as an example, the paper explains reasonable and effective legal path of domestic and international laws, trying to seek solutions at the level of domestic law beyond international convention. The paper concludes that the traditional navigation rules have largely been developed to meet the needs of manned transportation, and cannot be fully applied to unmanned ships. Therefore, until there is an international regulation specifically for unmanned ships, it would be appropriate to interpret or revise existing international conventions to apply to unmanned ships. And for countries including China, it is important to consider the improvement of domestic laws.
Differences in cyanophage and virioplankton production dynamics in eddies of opposite polarity in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Weissenbach Julia , Goldin Svetlana , Hulata Yotam , Lindell Debbie
Published: August 2024

Viruses are abundant in the ocean and influence both the composition of marine communities and biogeochemical cycles. Despite their high abundance, production rates of distinct virus taxa in the environment are largely unknown. Here, we investigated production dynamics of T4-like cyanophages and compared them to those of the total dsDNA virioplankton community in two adjacent eddies of opposite polarity in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Virioplankton production rates were 3-fold higher in the cyclonic than in the anticyclonic eddy, potentially due to higher metabolic activity of their bacterial hosts in the cyclone, and had similar virus production rates during the day and night in the cyclone. In contrast, T4-like cyanophages had similar production rates in the two eddies but showed approximately 4-fold higher production rates at night than during the day, potentially due to a combination of greater infection, increased burst size and more cyanophages completing their infection cycle at night. These findings suggest that virioplankton community production is affected more by spatially differentiated environmental conditions while T4-like cyanophage production is more affected over the diel cycle. Differences in production for the T4-like cyanophages relative to the virioplankton community indicate that spatial variability at the mesoscale differentially impact distinct components of the virioplankton.
Acute and chronic ocular outcomes in SJS/TEN patients treated with oral ciclosporin vs intravenous immunoglobulin
Authors: Foo Valencia Hui Xian , Yueh Lee Haur , Mehta Jodhbir S. , Ong Hon Shing
Published: August 2024

Background/Aim

To evaluate differences in ocular complications of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) patients receiving either systemic IVIG or Ciclosporin (CsA) as initial treatments.

Methods

Retrospective review of consecutive patients admitted for SJS/TEN at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) from 2011 to 2017 who received either IVIG or Ciclosporin at the onset of the disease and had ophthalmological follow-up of at least 6 months were included. Acute ocular severity of SJS/TEN was graded using the Gregory grading score; chronic ocular complications were graded using the Sotozono system.

Results

A total of 18 subjects were included for analysis, with eight in the IVIG group and 10 in the CsA group. There were no significant differences in acute Gregory severity grading between the two groups. The CsA group had a trend towards worse overall chronic Sotozono grading scores compared to the IVIG group (median [IQR]: 2 [0–3] vs. 1 [0–6.5], p = 0.27), with a higher incidence of acute severe cornea involvement (60% vs. 25%, p = 0.93) and chronic corneal and eyelid involvement in the former than the latter. SJS/TEN patients with worse acute ocular involvement were more likely to have TEN and perianal mucosal involvement (50% vs. 0, p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Compared to those who received IVIG, SJS/TEN patients who received CsA at the acute disease stage, seemed to have worse acute corneal and chronic corneal and eyelid complications. Larger studies are needed to confirm this finding.
A pilot study on the differential urine proteomic profile of subjects with community-acquired acute kidney injury who recover versus those who do not recover completely at 4 months after hospital discharge
Authors: Kaur Harpreet , Kamboj Kajal , Naik Sachin , Kumar Vivek , Yadav Ashok Kumar
Published: August 2024

Background

Community-acquired acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is a sudden structural damage and loss of kidney function in otherwise healthy individuals outside of hospital settings having high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Long-term sequelae of AKI involve an associated risk of progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum creatinine (SCr), the currently used clinical parameter for diagnosing AKI, varies greatly with age, gender, diet, and muscle mass. In the present study, we investigated the difference in urinary proteomic profile of subjects that recovered (R) and incompletely recovered (IR) from CA-AKI, 4 months after hospital discharge.

Methods

Study subjects were recruited from ongoing study of CA-AKI cohort. Patients with either sex or age > 18 years with no underline CKD were enrolled at the time of hospital discharge. Incomplete recovery from CA-AKI was defined as eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or dialysis dependence at 4 months after discharge. Second-morning urine samples were collected, and proteome analysis was performed with LC–MS/MS. Data were analyzed by Proteome Discoverer platform 2.2 (Thermo Scientific) using statistical and various bioinformatics tools for abundance of protein, cellular component, protein class and biological process were analyzed in the recovered and incompletely recovered groups.

Results

A total of 28 subjects (14 in each group) were enrolled. Collectively, 2019 peptides and proteins with 30 high-abundance proteins in the incompletely recovered group (R/IR <0.5, abundance ratio adj. p-value <0.05) and 11 high-abundance proteins in the incompletely recovered group (R/IR >2.0, abundance ratio adj. p-value <0.05) were identified. Tissue specificity analysis, GO enrichment analysis, and pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant proteins in both the groups that are part of different pathways and might be playing crucial role in renal recovery during the 4-month span after hospital discharge.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study helped in identifying potential proteins and associated pathways that are either upregulated or downregulated at the time of hospital discharge in incompletely recovered CA-AKI patients that can be further investigated to check for their exact role in the disease progression or repair.
Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and risk of sepsis: a two-sample mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Yang , Rong Yu , Mao Jun , Zhang Jin , Xiao Wenyan , Yang Min
Published: August 2024

Objective

This investigation aimed to explore the potential causal relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior and the risk of sepsis.

Methods

Using a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach, this study evaluated the association between physical activity (including moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA], vigorous physical activity [VPA], and accelerometer assessed physical activity) and sedentary behaviors (including television watching, computer use, and driving) with the risk of sepsis. This assessment was based on whole-genome association study data from the UK Biobank and the FinnGen database. Causal inferences were estimated using inverse variance-weighted, weighted median, and MR-Egger methods. Sensitivity analyses were performed using Cochran’s Q test, the MR-Egger intercept test, and the leave-one-out method.

Results

The risk of sepsis was significantly inversely associated with genetically predicted MVPA (odds ratio [OR] 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.24–0.93, P = 0.0296) and VPA alone (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04–0.87, P = 0.0324). Conversely, prolonged driving time showed a significant positive association with the risk of sepsis (OR 3.99, 95% CI 1.40–11.40, P = 0.0097).

Conclusion

This study provides preliminary evidence of a causal relationship between MVPA and VPA and a reduced risk of sepsis, while prolonged sedentary behaviors such as driving are positively associated with an increased risk of sepsis. These findings provided essential scientific evidence for the development of effective sepsis prevention strategies.
Investigating genomic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus associated with pediatric atopic dermatitis in South Africa
Authors: Ndhlovu Gillian O. N. , Javkar Kiran G. , Matuvhunye Takudzwa , Ngondoh Froodia , Jamrozy Dorota , Bentley Stephen , Shittu Adebayo O. , Dube Felix S.
Published: August 2024

Importance

Staphylococcus aureus frequently colonizes the skin and nose of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), a disease associated with skin barrier dysfunction and chronic cutaneous inflammation. Published genomic studies on AD-associated S. aureus in pediatric populations in sub-Saharan Africa are limited.

Objectives

To investigate the phenotypic and genomic diversity of S. aureus in children with and without AD during early childhood.

Data, setting and participants

A cross-sectional study of 220 children (aged 9–38 months) with AD (cases) and without AD (controls) from Cape Town and Umtata, South Africa.

Main outcomes and measures

S. aureus phenotypic and genomic diversity were investigated using whole-genome sequencing, antibiotic susceptibility testing and biofilm microtiter assay.

Results

Of the 124 S. aureus isolates recovered from 220 children, 96 isolates (79 cases and 17 controls) with high-quality sequences were analyzed. Isolates from cases showed greater phenotypic resistance to gentamicin (10%), rifampicin (4%), chloramphenicol (4%), and exhibited multidrug resistance (9%) than in controls. Furthermore, the isolates from cases formed stronger biofilms than those from controls (76% vs. 35%, p = 0.001), but showed no dominance of any virulence factor gene or mobile genetic elements. There was no significant difference in the distribution of immune evasion cluster types between cases and controls. However, IEC type G was identified only among cases.

Conclusion and relevance

AD-associated S. aureus has phenotypic and genetic features that are important for successful pathogenic colonization and survival. Further studies are needed to assess the pathological implications of colonization of various S. aureus lineages in vivo to elucidate their pathological contribution to AD pathogenesis and pathophysiology.
Dynamic changes in carbohydrate components and the bacterial community during the ensiling of wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum
Authors: Sun Zhiqiang , Liu Yiting , Ji Fangcai , Li Shuangye , Wang Lei , Zhou Zhenming , Wu Zhe , Yu Zhu
Published: August 2024

Sweet sorghum can be used to produce a substantial quantity of biofuel due to its high biological yield and high carbohydrate content. In this study, we investigated the dynamic changes in fermentation characteristics, carbohydrate components, and the bacterial community during the ensiling of wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum. The results revealed a rapid fermentation pattern and high-quality fermentation quality in wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum, wherein lactic acid, and acetic acid accumulated and stabilized during the initial 9 days of ensiling, with the pH values less than 4.2, until 60 days of ensiling. We found that the ensiling of sweet sorghum involved the degradation (5% ~ 10%) of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and hemicellulose and that the degradation of NDF fit a first-order exponential decay model. A shift in dominance from Lactococcus to Lactobacillus occurred before the first 9 days of ensiling, and the abundance of Lactobacillus (r = −0.68, p < 0.001) was negatively correlated with the NDF content. The relative abundances of Lactobacillus in wilted and unwilted sweet sorghum after ensiling for 60 days were 76.30 and 93.49%, respectively, and relatively high fermentation quality was obtained. In summary, ensiling is proposed as a biological pretreatment for sweet sorghum for subsequent biofuel production, and unlike other materials, sweet sorghum quickly achieves good fermentation quality and has great potential for bioresource production.
Synergistic antibacterial activity of Lactococcus lactis and Xylella phage MATE 2 for an effective biocontrol strategy against black rot disease in broccoli
Authors: Sabri Miloud , El Handi Kaoutar , El Tousy Abderrahim , De Stradis Angelo , Elbeaino Toufic
Published: August 2024

Black rot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), is considered the most destructive disease affecting cruciferous vegetables, resulting in significant losses worldwide. The need for biocontrol agents against Xcc that can reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, enhance sustainability, and ensure crops and environmental health is crucial. Combining phages with other antibacterial agents (i.e., antibiotics and bacteriocins) to treat bacterial infections is gaining increased attention due to the frequently observed synergistic effects. This study introduces for the first time the combination of a lytic phage, i.e., Xylella phage MATE 2 (MATE 2) with nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (L. lactis) bacterium as an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and practical strategy for controlling Xcc in cruciferous vegetables. The antibacterial efficacy of MATE 2 and L. lactis, individually and in combination, against Xcc was investigated through a series of in vitro assays and in planta experiments conducted on broccoli plants. The time-killing curves results showed that under conditions of reduced Xcc population concentration (103 CFU/mL), MATE 2 at 108 PFU/mL exerted a persistent inhibitory effect on Xcc growth for 7 days. The Spot assays and v-qPCR analysis showed that both L. lactis and its bacteriocin nisin have significant antibacterial potential to contrast Xcc. Furthermore, combined application of MATE 2 and L. lactis in broccoli plants by foliar spraying generated significant synergistic efficacy in preventing Xcc infections, achieving a 71% reduction in symptoms, compared with 64 and 38% for single applications, respectively. In this study, the positive synergistic effect of the combined application of phage and beneficial bacteria in preventing black rot disease underscores this eco-friendly and cost-effective approach as a promising control measure against plant bacterial diseases.
The association between dexterity and upper limb impairment during stroke recovery
Authors: Valladares Belen , Kundert Robinson Georg , Pohl Johannes , Held Jeremia P. O. , Luft Andreas R. , Veerbeek Janne Marieke , Branscheidt Meret
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Stroke-induced upper limb disabilities can be characterized by both motor impairments and activity limitations, commonly assessed using Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMMA-UE) and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), respectively. The relationship between the two assessments during recovery is largely unstudied. Expectedly they diverge over time when recovery of impairment (restitution) plateaus, but compensation-driven improvements still occur. The objective of this study is to evaluate the alignment between FMMA-UE and ARAT in defining upper limb functional recovery categories by ARAT scores. We aimed to establish cut-off scores for both measures from the acute/early subacute, subacute and chronic stages of stroke recovery.

Methods

Secondary analysis of four prospective cohort studies (acute/early subacute: n = 133, subacute: n = 113, chronic: n = 92) stages post-stroke. Receiver operating characteristic curves calculated the area under the curve (AUC) to establish optimal FMMA-UE cut-offs based on predefined ARAT thresholds distinguishing five activity levels from no activity to full activity. Weighted kappa was used to determine agreement between the two assessments. We used minimally clinically important difference (MCID) and minimal detectable change (MDC95) for comparison.

Results

FMMA-UE and ARAT scores showed no relevant divergence across all recovery stages. Results indicated similar cut-off scores in all recovery stages with variability below MCID and MDC95 levels. Cut-off scores demonstrated robust AUC values from 0.77 to 0.86 at every recovery stage. Only in highly functional patients at the chronic stage, we found a reduced specificity of 0.55. At all other times sensitivity ranged between 0.68 and 0.99 and specificity between 0.71 and 0.99. Weighted kappa at the acute/early subacute, subacute and chronic stages was 0.76, 0.83, and 0.81, respectively.

Discussion

Our research shows a strong alignment between FMMA-UE and ARAT cut-off scores throughout stroke recovery, except among the subgroup of highly recovered patients at the chronic stage. Discrepancies in specificity potentially stem from fine motor deficits affecting dexterity outcomes that are not captured by FMMA-UE. Additionally, the high congruence of both measures suggests they are not suited to distinguish between restitution and compensation. Calling for more comprehensive assessment methods to better understand upper limb functionality in rehabilitation.
Predictive value of peri-chemotherapy hematological parameters for febrile neutropenia in patients with cancer
Authors: Jia Hongyuan , Liang Long , Chen Xue , Zha Wenzhong , Diao Wei , Zhang Wei
Published: August 2024

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare hematological parameters pre- and early post-chemotherapy, and evaluate their values for predicting febrile neutropenia (FN).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with malignant solid tumors receiving chemotherapy were included. Blood cell counts peri-chemotherapy and clinical information were retrieved from the hospital information system. We used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method for variable selection and fitted selected variables to a logistic model. We assessed the performance of the prediction model by the area under the ROC curve.

Results

The study population consisted of 4,130 patients with common solid tumors receiving a three-week chemotherapy regimen in Sichuan Cancer Hospital from February 2019 to March 2022. In the FN group, change percentage of neutrophil count decreased less (−0.02, CI: −0.88 to 3.48 vs. −0.04, CI: −0.83 to 2.24). Among hematological parameters, lower post-chemotherapy lymphocyte count (OR 0.942, CI: 0.934–0.949), change percentage of platelet (OR 0.965, CI: 0.955–0.975) and higher change percentage of post-chemotherapy neutrophil count (OR 1.015, CI: 1.011–1.018), and pre-chemotherapy NLR (OR 1.002, CI: 1.002–1.002) predicted an increased risk of FN. These factors improved the predicting model based on clinical factors alone. The AUC of the combination model was 0.8275.

Conclusion

Peri-chemotherapy hematological markers improve the prediction of FN.
Case report: A case of effective treatment of primary myelofibrosis with nodular panniculitis using ruxolitinib combined with corticosteroids
Authors: Wufuer Guzailinuer , Zhao Jia-Lin , Huang Qin , Babayi Ainiwaer , Abudureyimu Dilinuer , Mao Min , Duan Ming-hui
Published: August 2024

We report the case of a 54-year-old healthy Han Chinese male presenting with fever, pallor, erythematous subcutaneous nodules on the limbs, and significant anemia as indicated by routine blood tests, with no response to antimicrobial therapy. Initial skin biopsy was inconclusive. The erythematous subcutaneous nodules on the limbs rapidly progressed to widespread subcutaneous nodules across the body, with worsening anemia. Bone marrow biopsy revealed multifocal fibroblastic proliferation with focal fibrosis, classified as MF-2, and positive for the JAK2V617F mutation alongside SRSF2 positivity. Whole-body PET-CT scans did not reveal any lymph nodes or suspect lesions with high SUV uptake. A subsequent skin biopsy identified the condition as nodular panniculitis (NP), leading to a final diagnosis of primary myelofibrosis(PMF)with NP. The patient initially received treatment with oral ruxolitinib and prednisone acetate, resulting in normalization of body temperature, resolution of erythematous nodules, and normalization of blood parameters.
Precision lung cancer screening from CT scans using a VGG16-based convolutional neural network
Authors: Xu Hua , Yu Yuanyuan , Chang Jie , Hu Xifeng , Tian Zitong , Li Ouwen
Published: August 2024

Objective

The research aims to develop an advanced and precise lung cancer screening model based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN).

Methods

Based on the health medical big data platform of Shandong University, we developed a VGG16-Based CNN lung cancer screening model. This model was trained using the Computed Tomography scans data of patients from Pingyi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Shandong Province, from January to February 2023. Data augmentation techniques, including random resizing, cropping, horizontal flipping, color jitter, random rotation and normalization, were applied to improve model generalization. We used five-fold cross-validation to robustly assess performance. The model was fine-tuned with an SGD optimizer (learning rate 0.001, momentum 0.9, and L2 regularization) and a learning rate scheduler. Dropout layers were added to prevent the model from relying too heavily on specific neurons, enhancing its ability to generalize. Early stopping was implemented when validation loss did not decrease over 10 epochs. In addition, we evaluated the model’s performance with Area Under the Curve (AUC), Classification accuracy, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Sensitivity, Specificity and F1 score. External validation used an independent dataset from the same hospital, covering January to February 2022.

Results

The training and validation loss and accuracy over iterations show that both accuracy metrics peak at over 0.9 by iteration 15, prompting early stopping to prevent overfitting. Based on five-fold cross-validation, the ROC curves for the VGG16-Based CNN model, demonstrate an AUC of 0.963 ± 0.004, highlighting its excellent diagnostic capability. Confusion matrices provide average metrics with a classification accuracy of 0.917 ± 0.004, PPV of 0.868 ± 0.015, NPV of 0.931 ± 0.003, Sensitivity of 0.776 ± 0.01, Specificity of 0.962 ± 0.005 and F1 score of 0.819 ± 0.008, respectively. External validation confirmed the model’s robustness across different patient populations and imaging conditions.

Conclusion

The VGG16-Based CNN lung screening model constructed in this study can effectively identify lung tumors, demonstrating reliability and effectiveness in real-world medical settings, and providing strong theoretical and empirical support for its use in lung cancer screening.
Healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice towards cervical cancer screening in Sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Delie Amare Mebrat , Bogale Eyob Ketema , Anagaw Tadele Fentabel , Tiruneh Misganaw Guadie , Fenta Eneyew Talie , Endeshaw Destaw , Eshetu Habitu Birhan , Adal Ousman , Tareke Abiyu Abadi , Kebede Natnael
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Cervical cancer is a prevalent cancer among women in low and middle-income countries, but it can be largely prevented through screening programs and HPV vaccination. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer screening among healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan African countries.

Methods

Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Relevant databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, AJOL, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases were used to retrieve and search articles. The study included published and unpublished research written in English between January 2013 and May 16, 2024 for studies reporting knowledge, attitude, and practice towards cervical cancer screening among healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This review has been registered on PROSPERO. The heterogeneity of the data was evaluated using the I2 statistic. A meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 17 software, with a 95% confidence interval. The researchers also conducted publication bias and sensitivity analysis.

Results

The review included 30 studies involving 7542 healthcare providers. The pooled magnitude of good knowledge status towards cervical cancer was 67.93% (95% CI: 53.36–82.50) whereas the pooled magnitude of positive attitude towards cervical cancer was 55.26% (95% CI: 34.28– 76.23). The results also showed that about 49.68% (95% CI: 33.18–66.17) of healthcare providers had good knowledge status about cervical cancer screening, 66.63%(95% CI: 50.36– 82.89) had a positive attitude towards it, and only 17.23% (95% CI; 6.08-28.37) had ever screened for cervical cancer.

Conclusion

The overall magnitude of knowledge and attitude of healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa towards cervical cancer and its screening was suboptimal. Furthermore, a low percentage of female healthcare providers in the region had undergone screening for cervical cancer. As a result, policymakers and program administrators should focus on improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare providers to meet the global health goal of cervical cancer screening and effectively eliminating cervical cancer. Healthcare providers must serve as role models for other women who should also undergo screening.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42023495241.
MiR-125a-5p regulates the radiosensitivity of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma via HK2 targeting through the DDR pathway
Authors: Wang Qiwei , Tan Lijun , Lv Yuanhang , Yu Tianjiao , Chang Yuan , Liu Jiangtao , Sun Yanan
Published: August 2024

Objective

To determine the function of miR-125a-5p in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), its correlation with radiation sensitivity, and the underlying regulatory mechanism.

Materials and methods

We conducted the analysis on the correlation between miR-125a-5p and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The putative gene targeted by miR-125a-5p has been identified as HK2, while the expression levels of miR-125a-5p and HK2 were measured in laryngeal cancer tissues and cells using RT-PCR. MiR-125a-5p and HK2 were introduced into the lentiviral vector and the vector was used to transfect AMC-HN-8 cells. The roles of miR-125a-5p and HK2 in LSCC and on radiosensitivity were determined by evaluating cell growth, examining colony formation, analyzing flow cytometry, and utilizing the single hit multi-target model. Western blotting was used to measure H2AX and rH2AX levels in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. The validation of the interaction between miR-125a-5p and HK2 was conducted through the dual-luciferase assay. To further confirm the association between miR-125a-5p and HK2, as well as its influence on radiosensitivity, rescue experiments were performed.

Results

The expression of miR-125a-5p is downregulated in LSCC, while upregulating its expression could suppress cell growth, induce apoptosis, and enhance radiosensitivity. Additionally, HK2 exhibited high expression in LSCC and the biological function was opposite to miR-125a-5p. Western blotting analysis revealed that miR-125a-5p increased rH2AX levels and decreased H2AX levels, conversely, HK2 had the opposite effect on miR-125a-5p. These findings suggested that HK2 may serve as the target gene of miR-125a-5p. The double luciferase assay confirmed the binding of HK2 to miR-125a-5p, and rescue trials confirmed the role of miR-125a-5p in regulating the effects and radiation sensitivity of LSCC by targeting HK2 via the DDR pathway.

Conclusion

By targeting HK2 and impacting the DDR pathway, miR-125a-5p has been found to inhibit cellular proliferation, enhance apoptosis, and heighten radiosensitivity in LSCC.