bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fermented plant product (FPP) suppresses immediate hypersensitivity reactions with impaired high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) signaling
Authors: Kodama Tomoki , Yokoyama Ayana , Nishioka Yuki , Kawasaki Riku , Teshima Aiko , Maeda Akira , Hojo Ayano , Suizu Takumi , Torii Hideto , Fujioka Kotaro , Kishida Shinsuke , Fujimura Takashi , Arakawa Kenji , Ikeda Atsushi , Kawamoto Seiji
Published: February 2025

Fermented plant product (FPP) is a dietary supplement made by fermentation and aging of a variety of plants, including fruits, vegetables, and grains. A previous study has shown that oral FPP supplementation prevents the development of allergic rhinitis-like nasal symptoms in a murine model of Japanese cedar pollinosis without affecting systemic immune response. However,　the mode of action by which FPP exerts an anti-allergic effect remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that FPP acts on mast cells to suppress immediate hypersensitivity reactions in vitro as well as in vivo. We found that stimulation with FPP potently suppressed IgE antibody-mediated degranulation of RBL-2H3 rat basophilic leukemia cells. We also found that oral feeding with FPP significantly suppressed passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA), an in vivo model of IgE- and mast cell-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. Mechanistic analysis revealed that FPP extensively suppressed the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) signaling pathway, in which FPP not only inhibited intracellular Ca2+ influx upon FcεRI ligation but also negatively regulated another Ca2+-independent FcεRI signaling pathway leading to granule translocation through microtubule formation. These results suggest that FPP fulfills its anti-allergic activity by acting on the IgE-mast cell axis to suppress immediate hypersensitivity reactions.
Digital economy and environmental quality of African countries: evidence from spatial Durbin model
Authors: Arogundade Sodiq , Hassan Adewale Samuel
Published: February 2025

This study examined the spatial impact of the digital economy on the environmental quality of 36 African countries between 1995 and 2020. Methodologically, the study used the fixed effect instrumental variable regression model, spatial Durbin model and two alternative proximity matrices—contiguity and inverse distance. The empirical outcomes have produced three important findings: (1) there is evidence of spatial spillover on the impact of digital economy on environmental quality in Africa, i.e. third-country’s digital economy plays a significant role in determining the environmental quality of host country; (2) spatial spillover of environmental quality in the region, which is due to interconnected ecosystems, shared natural resources, and transboundary environmental factors such as air and water pollution; (3) African countries are not independent when it comes to environmental issue, i.e., environmental quality of a specific country is being influenced by its drivers from neighbouring countries. The estimates are also robust to alternative measures of the digital economy and a different proximity matrix—inverse distance. The study suggests that African policymakers should undertake a joint task effort to enforce the regulatory framework on recycling electronic waste. Also, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, is essential for meeting the energy needs of digital infrastructure.
Mutations in the plant-conserved uL1m mitochondrial ribosomal protein significantly affect development, growth and abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Núñez-Delegido Emilio , Teruel-Elvira Pablo , Robles Pedro , Seller-Lozano Aitana , Domínguez-Espinosa David , Quesada Víctor
Published: February 2025

Mitochondria ribosomes, or mitoribosomes, reflect the endosymbiotic origin of this organelle. Mitoribosomes are made up of RNAs and proteins (mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, MRPs). Considering the large amount of MRPs identified in plant mitoribosomes, the number of MRPs for which mutations producing mutant phenotypes have been hitherto reported is rather limited. Moreover, the contribution of plant mitoribosomes, and hence mitochondrial translation, to abiotic stress, is almost completely unknown. To advance knowledge about the role of mitochondrial translation in plant development and stress acclimation, we performed a thorough genetic and phenotypic analysis of the Arabidopsis mrpl1-1 and 3 mutants affected in the MRPL1 (MITOCHONDRIAL RIBOSOMAL PROTEIN L1) gene encoding MRP uL1m. Compared to the wild type, the mrpl1-1 and 3 mutants show delayed growth, small body size and smaller leaf palisade cells, although the morphology of chloroplasts and mitochondria is similar. We identified a novel MRPL1 mutant allele, mrpl1-2, that causes early seedling lethality, which reveals that Arabidopsis MRPL1 is an essential gene. Furthermore, the mrpl1 viable mutants are less responsive than the wild type to increased growth temperature, and are hypersensitive to antibiotics doxycycline and chloramphenicol, and also to salt, osmotic and ABA stress. In summary, impaired MRPL1 function severely hinders plant growth and development, likely by triggering retrograde signaling due to translational perturbation, and it enhances sensitivity to abiotic stress. Besides, our results support a role for mitochondria translation in acclimation to adverse environmental conditions. To our knowledge this is the first work to report an altered abiotic stress sensitivity phenotype due to mutations in a plant MRP gene.
Automatic Heterogeneous Runtime Using Signal Processing Domain-Specific and Parallel Patterns
Authors: Zaidi Yaseen , Winberg Simon
Published: February 2025

Parallel and signal processing patterns for large-scale radio data applications have been captured with a new domain-specific language (DSL), OptiSDR. The intermediate representations (IR) of the code are optimized at the frontend with the Delite compiler targeted for heterogeneous computing architecture (HCA). The design flow begins at the abstract programming model and, at a later stage, addresses tuning of the domain applications to the target HCA comprising GPUs and MCPU, as well as scheduling and optimal memory access. For a variety of signal processing use cases, the framework has shown up to two orders of magnitude higher computational speed than MPI and C++ and comparable performance to architecture-specific CUDA. Additional gains are ease of use, scalable computing, and efficient runtime.
Advancing Interactive Parallelization: iCetus
Authors: Barakhshan Parinaz , Eigenmann Rudolf
Published: February 2025

Despite advancements in parallelization tools, optimizing scientific applications remains a complex and time-consuming task due to the iterative nature of the optimization process and the expertise required to validate optimization results. Existing tools often fail to efficiently shorten the optimization cycle or validate the outcomes of applied optimizations, such as ensuring result correctness and performance improvements. This paper introduces iCetus, an interactive parallelizer designed to address these challenges. iCetus provides a unified environment that supports a wide range of optimization strategies, including manual, automatic, and AI-driven approaches. It enables users to target specific code sections rather than the entire codebase, aiming to accelerate the optimization process. The integrated framework automates validation, ensuring that optimizations enhance performance while maintaining correctness. Evaluation of iCetus against traditional methods demonstrates a significant reduction in development time and improvements in the reliability of optimization results, indicating its potential as an effective solution for enhancing the efficiency of scientific applications.
Effective Home-School Partnerships to Support Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities in South Africa: A Missing Ingredient to Attaining Inclusive Education, two decades later?
Authors: Masondo B. W. , Mabaso N. P. M.
Published: February 2025

Almost two decades later since the promulgation of the White Paper 6 on inclusive education policy in South Africa, the nation has yet to attain what the policy provided as practical inclusion guidelines within the education fraternity. Parental involvement is one of the guidelines that continue to be highlighted as an area of development in the field of inclusive education literature. The involvement of parents in the education of their children often yields positive educational outcomes in general. Therefore, the same can be expected from parental involvement in the education of children with severe intellectual disabilities (SID). There is a dearth of information on how much parents know about what is expected from them if a functional home-school partnership is to be attained. The study aimed to investigate how much parents whose children are diagnosed with SID know about home-school partnerships. The data presented here are results of individual face-to-face interviews with eight (8) South African parents of foundation phase learners diagnosed with severe intellectual disabilities. A minimum of two parents from each of the four identified full-service schools and special needs schools were chosen. Parents who were chosen for the study were those who had experience taking care of and supporting learners with SID. These parents were specifically chosen since their experiences are pertinent to the research. An interpretive paradigm and a biographical design within a qualitative research approach were used in the study. The purposive sampling method consisted of eight (8) participants which are parents of learners diagnosed with severe intellectual disabilities and placed in Full-Service Schools and Special Needs Schools. Biographical and qualitative questionnaires were used in the data collection and data were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that parents have limited knowledge of home-school partnerships. Additionally, findings also indicate that parents need to be educated about home-school partnerships and the importance of forming such partnerships in supporting children with severe intellectual disabilities so that they can also understand the role they need to play in these partnerships. The findings of the study further indicate that parents have a limited understanding of what home-school partnerships are. Thus, they have minimal knowledge of the role they need to play in supporting their children with SID. Furthermore, findings suggest that schools need to be open to involving parents in strategies for forming successful partnerships. The study has unveiled the gaps between what parents know and ought to know to actively participate in home-school partnerships, for the learning enhancement of children with SID. Additionally, the recommendations suggest what can be done to address the existing gaps and fast-track the move toward attaining inclusive education guidelines.
A Novel Mathematical Model with Fairness Constraints for Uninterrupted Network Coverage in Disasters
Authors: Şatır Akpunar Özge , Akpinar Şener
Published: February 2025

Drones can be used as base stations to support search and rescue operations due to damage to telecommunications infrastructure after a disaster. This involves identifying a number of hotspots over the disaster area where the drones should hover for a certain amount of time, and moving the drones between these points along the pre-determined routes. Allocating the drones to appropriate locations and finding optimal routes is an optimization problem, and solving this problem to optimality is crucial to ensure sustainable operations with limited resources. This paper addresses this optimization problem and presents the drone base station allocation and routing problem (DBSARP) under disaster conditions. The problem aims at separately optimizing two objectives: spatial coverage by maximizing the coverage areas and temporal coverage by maximizing the total hover time as well as considering fairness. A mathematical model is proposed to determine the locations and routes of the drone base stations (DBSs) and their lengths of stay at each location. Furthermore, a real-life implementation of the proposed model is realized based on the earthquake that happened in the Bayrakli district of Izmir, Türkiye in 2020. Finally, a set of sensitivity analyses is performed by varying key parameters of the problem, such as battery capacities and number of the DBSs.
Profiles of Family Stressors Among Low-Income Families with Young Children
Authors: Justice Laura M. , Singletary Britt , Jiang Hui , Schmeer Kammi K.
Published: February 2025

Objectives

This study examined profiles of family stressors, based on the five dimensions of the Family Stress Model (economic hardship, economic pressure, parental psychological distress, interparental relationship problems, and disrupted parenting) among low-income families with young children. We aimed to validate the model with a sample of low-income families and then to determine whether there were reliable profiles of families on the five dimensions.

Methods

Mothers completed questionnaires when children were between six and 15 months old to capture background information and 14 key indicators of the five Family Stress Model dimensions. Our analytical sample comprised 353 families that provided data for at least one key indicator. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to statistically validate the Family Stress Model, then explored distinct profiles using latent profile analyses (LPA), and examined how profile membership correlated with family characteristics.

Results

CFA model fit indices indicated a good fit of the data relative to the theoretical model. LPA revealed three distinct profiles of stressor among families, consistent with low, medium, and high patterns of stressors. Families in the high-stress profile experienced larger household numbers, higher maternal loneliness, reduced social connectedness, and higher reports of unplanned pregnancy.

Conclusions for practice

Findings show applicability of the Family Stress Model to low-income families with young children, and indicate that these families are diverse in terms of the stressors they experience, characterized by three distinct profiles. In this regard, low-income families should not be viewed monolithically, but rather as experiencing variability in the stressors they face.
Simulation based composite likelihood
Authors: Rimella Lorenzo , Jewell Chris , Fearnhead Paul
Published: February 2025

Inference for high-dimensional hidden Markov models is challenging due to the exponential-in-dimension computational cost of calculating the likelihood. To address this issue, we introduce an innovative composite likelihood approach called “Simulation Based Composite Likelihood” (SimBa-CL). With SimBa-CL, we approximate the likelihood by the product of its marginals, which we estimate using Monte Carlo sampling. In a similar vein to approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), SimBa-CL requires multiple simulations from the model, but, in contrast to ABC, it provides a likelihood approximation that guides the optimization of the parameters. Leveraging automatic differentiation libraries, it is simple to calculate gradients and Hessians to not only speed up optimization but also to build approximate confidence sets. We present extensive empirical results which validate our theory and demonstrate its advantage over SMC, and apply SimBa-CL to real-world Aphtovirus data.
Who is the Broker Matters: How Publics Respond to Crisis Related Cross-Sector Networks on Social Media?
Authors: Sun Jingyi , Yang Aimei
Published: February 2025

Multi-organizational cross-sector partnerships on social media involving nonprofits, governments, and corporations are increasingly important for addressing complex social issues. Such large-scale cross-sector networks would not be possible without brokers who connect otherwise disconnected clusters. Nevertheless, cross-sector brokers are not always positively received by the public. Drawing from the brokerage typology literature, we classify five distinctive types of brokers (i.e., representative, gatekeeper, liaison, itinerant, and coordinator) and explore public responses associated with them, and how such effects spill over to connected same-sector organizations. Our findings show that different types of brokers receive different public responses, which are moderated by organizations’ sectors. In particular, nonprofits playing brokerage roles are more likely to be positively received by the public compared to government agencies.
Synthesis of titania/activated carbon composites for the synergistic adsorption and photocatalysis of lindane in aqueous solutions
Authors: Stavrinou Anastasia , Theodoropoulou Maria A. , Tsakiroglou Christos D.
Published: February 2025

Lindane (LIND) is an organochlorine pesticide, belonging to the persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are bioaccumulative with detrimental effects on human health and environment. In the present work, activated carbon (AC) produced from coffee waste after activation with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and pyrolysis at 800 °C (CWAC-NaOH-800) is tested as adsorbent of LIND, and as substrate for the synthesis of hybrid adsorbent/photocatalytic materials of titanium oxide with activated carbon (TiO2/AC) via the sol–gel method, aiming at the synergistic adsorption and photocatalysis of LIND. Three different TiO2/AC materials were synthesized at mass ratio of TiO2 to AC equal to 2.0 (material TiO2/AC-0.2), 4.0 (material TiO2/AC-0.1), and 8.0 (material TiO2/AC-0.05). As the TiO2 to AC mass ratio increases, the specific surface area and total pore volume of the composite materials decrease, the meso-/macro-porosity are reduced and a pore-and-throat microporous network is created within the agglomerates of TiO2 nanoparticles. The adsorption of LIND onto the CWAC-NaOH-800 is pH-independent and follows the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity equal to 9.74 mg/g. The adsorption mechanism is likely to be the hydrophobic interactions as generally ACs tend to repel water molecules and preferentially adsorb non-polar or hydrophobic compounds such as LIND. The mass transfer multi-compartment model was used to describe the LIND sorption dynamics in CWAC-NaOH-800 and TiO2/AC-0.1, by accounting for the film/pore/surface diffusion and instantaneous linear sorption, and it was found that the contribution fraction of surface diffusion and microporosity to the total LIND sorption was enhanced with the presence of TiO2, due to the decrease of meso-/macro-porosity. For the study of the adsorptive-photocatalytic capacity of composite materials, two experimental setups were tested and compared: an ultraviolet-A (UVA) oven with LEDs (power = 22 W, λ = 375 nm) radiating from the periphery to the center of the reactor, and a UVA lamp (power = 6 W, λ = 375 nm) radiating radially from the center to the reactor walls. The material TiO2/AC-0.1 showed LIND sorption capacity comparable to that of CWAC-NaOH-800 and photocatalytic performance better than that of TiO2 nanoparticles, due to the presence of AC and the “co-adsorption” effect. During the synergistic adsorption-photocatalysis process, the TOC removal efficiency reached 90% after 3 h of photocatalysis, which is indicative of the in situ regeneration of the material. From the inverse modeling of the adsorption-photocatalysis experiments, it was found that the kinetic constant of TiO2/AC-0.1 photocatalyst was highest in the experimental setup of the UVA lamp, showing a good balance between adsorptive and photocatalytic capacity.

Graphical abstract
Using gesture recognition with the memory strategy to improve preschoolers’ learning performance, motor skills, and executive function
Authors: Hsiao Hsien-Sheng , Chang I-Hsiung , Chen Yi-Hsuan , Chen Jyun-Chen
Published: February 2025

Gesture recognition can create an interactive environment in which to train children to control their thoughts, gestures, and body postures when performing learning activities. This study integrated gesture recognition and a memory strategy to develop a physical learning activity for preschoolers to improve their English learning performance, motor skills (namely, stability and movement), and executive functions (namely, working memory). The study selected 67 kindergarten level 3 preschoolers. They were divided into either the experimental group (gesture recognition with memory strategy) or the control group (traditional activity learning with memory strategy). The experiment was conducted over a period of six stages for a total duration of 360 min. The results showed that the participants who used gesture recognition with the memory strategy demonstrated better learning performance, motor skills, and executive functions, and the statistics showed a significant deviation between the two approaches. With gesture recognition, the instructor enhanced the learning process of the children’s physical motions and cognitive knowledge by strengthening the connection between life experiences and specific tasks, and the children’s executive functions also improved. The research contribution of this study is a pedagogy manuscript for teachers who want to create a physical activity with gesture technology for preschoolers.
Hydraulic erosion mitigation in sandy soil using cation-crosslinked gelation biopolymer
Authors: Lee Minhyeong , Chang Ilhan , Cho Gye-Chun
Published: February 2025

The increasing frequency of geotechnical disasters and climate-related land degradation underscores the need of resilient soil erosion mitigation. This study investigates the effectiveness of Cr3+-crosslinked xanthan gum (CrXG), a cation-crosslinked gelation biopolymer with time-dependent gelation and water-resistant properties, in mitigating hydraulic soil erosion. Through the erosion function apparatus test, rheological analysis, and microscopic observations, results indicate notable improvements in soil erosion resistance with CrXG treatment, elucidating distinct reinforcing mechanisms attributable to the gel state of the biopolymer hydrogel. The addition of 0.25% CrXG to the soil mass significantly improves critical shear stress and critical velocity, reducing the erodibility coefficient by four order magnitudes compared to untreated sand. Within 48 h, the transition from a viscous to rigid gel state in CrXG, driven by cation crosslinking, transforms the soil from high (II) to low (IV) erodibility class. Scour predictions using the program, based on river hydrograph conditions, indicate a substantial delay in reaching a 1-m scour depth. This study highlights CrXG-soil composite’s potential as an advanced geomaterial for mitigating geohazards such as floods and stream scouring, while offering insights into its competitiveness with conventional soil stabilization techniques.
Roles of Market Characteristics and Experience in Ventures’ International Growth Mode Choice: A Conjoint Experiment
Authors: Ego Philipp , Pidun Ulrich
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the decision criteria that entrepreneurs apply when choosing growth modes to internationalize their business. Specifically, we examine how market characteristics and experience impact the selection of organic, acquisitive, or collaborative growth strategies. Data on 1,080 mode decisions were collected in conjoint experiments and analyzed using hierarchical multinomial logistic regression. We find that barriers to entry and competitive intensity are the most determining market factors, and that international and mode-related experiences have considerable moderating effects. Our findings indicate that imitative behavior and normative preferences are less prevalent in entrepreneurial than in corporate decision-making.
Impact of Pre-Existing Disability on Long-Term Health Care Use Following Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Brown Hilary K. , Stukel Thérèse A. , Chung Hannah , Lee Samantha , Lunsky Yona , Bell Chaim M. , Bobos Pavlos , Cheung Angela M. , Detsky Allan S. , Goulding Susie , Herridge Margaret , Razak Fahad , Verma Amol A. , Quinn Kieran L.
Published: February 2025

Background

Emerging evidence shows the lasting impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on health care use and needs. Policy-makers require data on population-level service use to understand patient needs and health system impacts following hospitalization for COVID-19.

Objective

To compare health service use within 12 months following hospitalization for COVID-19 among people with and without pre-existing disabilities, and to determine the extent to which such use is related to disability and other risk factors.

Design

Population-based cohort study, Ontario, Canada.

Participants

Adults with and without disabilities hospitalized for COVID-19, 01/25/2020–02/28/2022.

Main Measures

We used Poisson regression to model adjusted rate ratios (aRR) of ambulatory care visits, diagnostic testing, emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, and palliative care visits within 1-year post-discharge, comparing patients with and without disabilities. Models were adjusted sequentially for sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and prior health service use. The importance of each set of covariates in its ability to explain observed associations was determined by calculating relative changes in disability parameter coefficients after each sequential risk-adjustment.

Key Results

The cohort included 25,320 patients with disabilities and 15,953 without. In the year after hospitalization for COVID-19, people with disabilities had higher rates of ambulatory care visits, diagnostic tests, ED visits, hospital admissions, and palliative care visits. A significant proportion of these associations was explained by sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, and prior health service use. However, adjusted relative rates associated with disability remained elevated, even after adjustment, for ambulatory care visits (aRR 1.09, 95% CI 1.08, 1.10), diagnostic tests (aRR 1.14, 95% CI 1.12, 1.16), ED visits (aRR 1.25, 95% CI 1.21, 1.29), and hospital admissions (aRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.16, 1.29).

Conclusions

These findings support the need to develop and evaluate models of care for the post-COVID-19 condition that address the needs of people with disabilities.
Training International Medical Graduate Internal Medicine Residents in Pelvic Examinations and Pap Smears
Authors: Swedish Kristin A. , Tyau Nicholas D. , Icitovic Nikolina , Metalios Eva E.
Published: February 2025

Background

Nearly 39% of Internal Medicine (IM) residents in American training programs are international medical graduates (IMGs), whose prior training in women’s health is variable. There is a paucity of data about women’s health training programs that train IMG IM residents in pelvic examinations/Pap smears.

Aim

To train IMG IM residents to competently perform pelvic examinations/Pap smears.

Setting

Montefiore Wakefield IM residency clinic, Bronx NY.

Participants

IMG categorical IM residents.

Program Description

In 2015, we established the Women’s Health Clinic (WHC) to train residents in pelvic examinations/Pap smears. The educational model includes one hour of didactics followed by trainees seeing up to four patients, supervised by WHC faculty in 1:2 preceptor to resident ratio.

Program Evaluation

We evaluated the impact of WHC on IMG residents’ self-reported competence in performing pelvic examinations/Pap smears by using McNemar’s test to compare self-reported competence in pelvic examinations and Pap smears before and after WHC participation.

Discussion

WHC improved self-reported competence among IMG residents by utilizing standardized didactics reinforced through immediate and repeated patient interactions. It is an educational model that could be reproduced by other IM programs to improve training for IMG residents.
Review: An Update on CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies for the Preventive Treatment of Episodic Migraine
Authors: Nicol Kelly S , Burkett John G
Published: February 2025

Purpose of Review

CGRP targeting therapies have revolutionized the migraine preventive space, introducing novel migraine-specific therapies to improve headache care. Four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are approved for use in prevention of episodic migraines. Erenumab (AMG334), fremanezumab (TEV48125), and galcanezumab (LY2951742) are monthly subcutaneous injections, while eptinezumab (ALD403) provides an intravenous infusion option. This review aims to examine the clinical evidence for the safety and efficacy of CGRP-targeted mAbs in the prevention of episodic migraines with a focus on recent studies (2023–2024).

Recent Findings

Long-term studies reveal ongoing safety and efficacy in recent literature for all 4 monoclonal antibodies. These investigations have built evidence for earlier access to CGRP treatment as they increase quality of life and reduce monthly migraine days while being better tolerated than non-specific migraine preventative therapies.

These studies support the recent 2024 AHS consensus statement recommending CGRP monoclonal antibodies be considered as first-line preventive treatment in episodic migraine.
Management and outcome of children with high-risk neuroblastoma: insights from the Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (SEHOP) neuroblastoma group on refractory and relapse/progressive disease
Authors: de las Heras Blanca Martínez , Rubio-Aparicio Pedro M , Rubio-San-Simón Alba , Moreno Lucas , Mazorra Paula , Almaraz Ricardo López , López Mercedes Llempén , Guill Julia Balaguer , Segura Vanessa , Bermúdez Mar , Jiménez Irene , Ramal Désirée , Cañete Adela
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Outcome for children with refractory and relapse/progressive high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) remains poor, without an internationally agreed standard second-line approach. Heterogeneity in patients’ disease and treatment strategies challenges clinical management. The survival rate for patients with resistant disease does not exceed 20% at 5 years. The study’s aim was to analyze refractory and progressive HR-NB patients in a real-world setting to evaluate current clinical practices and optimize future approaches.

Methods

Data from patients diagnosed with refractory and relapse/progressive (R/R-P) HR-NB between January 2019 and December 2021 at six of the major Spanish neuroblastoma treating hospitals were collected and analyzed.

Results

A total of 67 episodes of R/R-P HR-NB were included. Treatments applied included chemotherapy (97%), immunotherapy (48%), consolidation (21%), local treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy) (45%) and maintenance (16%), and were administered within a clinical trial (CT) in 34% of the episodes. Biopsy was performed in 37% of the tumors and 30% were profiled. Event-free survival (EFS) in our cohort was 20.9% and overall survival (OS) 32%. Significant survival advantage (in both OS and EFS) was observed in refractory episodes compared to relapse/progressive, in first events compared to successive, and when response or disease stabilization was achieved. MYCN status, presence of lymph node metastases, use of irinotecan or topotecan, and radiotherapy were also univariate predictors of OS.

Conclusions

Treatment of refractory and relapse/progressive HR-NB is highly heterogeneous. We confirm a poor outcome, although certain epidemiological and treatment-related factors have prognostic value. Molecular profiling and inclusion in CTs should be improved.
Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and academic burnout dimensions in children and adolescents: a network analysis approach
Authors: Iuga Ioana Alexandra , Fodor Liviu Andrei , David Oana Alexandra
Published: February 2025

Students experience high levels of academic stress associated with exams, the interaction with teachers, bullying, and parental consequences associated with failure in the academic context. An important question is how can certain people manage stressful academic situations efficiently, whereas other people struggle, eventually developing mental health problems such as academic burnout. Our main objective is to identify how different academic burnout dimensions are interconnected and associated with cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS). A secondary objective was to investigate whether the network changes its connectivity across genders. The sample consisted of 710 Romanian youth aged 9-16 (M = 10.67). Networks were estimated using the Gaussian graphical model. Further, we employed a network subgroup analysis in order to test for statistically significant differences between the networks for females and males, respectively. Our results identified emotional exhaustion and cynicism as main dimensions of academic burnout, and catastrophizing and reappraisal as main CERS in the network structure. In terms of important links within the network, the relationship between exhaustion and cynicism, followed by the relationship between exhaustion and inadequacy, self-blame and catastrophizing, and positive reappraisal and refocus on planning was emphasized. There were no statistically significant differences of global strength and edge weights across the networks, although several differences emerged in terms of individual edge differences. Following additional replication of our findings, future prevention and intervention programs should focus on cognitive strategies that would target catastrophizing and train reappraisal strategies in stressful academic settings.
Stopping bosutinib reverses bosutinib-induced elevation of serum creatinine in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Abumiya Maiko , Saito Ayano , Fujioka Yuki , Miura Masatomo , Takahashi Naoto
Published: February 2025

Bosutinib is known to increase serum creatinine levels, and its mechanism of action is believed to involve a decrease in tubular creatinine excretion due to inhibition of tubular transporters and organic cation transporter 2. This study aimed to determine whether discontinuation of bosutinib could reverse bosutinib-induced elevation of serum creatinine levels. Serum creatinine levels were compared immediately before and after bosutinib administration and after bosutinib discontinuation in 11 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. The median serum creatinine concentration significantly increased from 0.66 mg/dL before bosutinib to 0.76 mg/dL after bosutinib (P = 0.003) and decreased from 0.79 mg/dL before discontinuation of bosutinib to 0.66 mg/dL after discontinuation of bosutinib at 3 months (P = 0.005). This study revealed that bosutinib-induced elevation of serum creatinine, which was more pronounced in patients with the SLC22A2 808G/G genotype, does not indicate chronic kidney disease, but rather is simply a laboratory abnormality. If bosutinib-induced chronic kidney disease is suspected, renal function should be assessed by urinalysis and cystatin C levels to differentiate from simple elevation of serum creatinine.
The Effect of Runnels on Salt Marsh Sediment Dynamics, Vegetation, and Nitrogen Cycling
Authors: Sullivan Hillary L. , Holtzer Julia , Deegan Linda A. , Bowen Jennifer L.
Published: February 2025

Runnels, a climate adaptation technique that drains surface water to restore marsh vegetation and habitat, are increasingly being used to prevent the formation of shallow water impoundments or pannes in salt marshes that result in the loss of important ecosystem services. However, we know little about the effect of runnels on salt marsh biogeochemistry. This study measured how sediment characteristics and rates of nitrogen cycle processes were altered by impounded water and vegetation loss, and whether runnels can restore these marsh attributes to reference conditions. Impounded areas were 52 ± 4% less vegetated than nearby intact marsh, with 11 ± 2% less organic matter and 24 ± 5% higher bulk density. Additionally, impoundments removed 32 ± 32 µmol N m−2 d−1 less than reference marsh areas via denitrification. At six of the 11 runneled sites, vegetation percent cover increased by 40 ± 5%, accompanied by a 7 ± 3% recovery of organic matter and a 9 ± 6% reduction of bulk density. At sites where vegetation recovered to within 70% of reference plots at a site, runneled plots removed 97 ± 31 µmol more N m−2 d−1 than impoundments, which was also 82 ± 31 µmol more N m−2 d−1 than reference areas. The driver of recovery is related to initial site conditions, including higher redox potentials and lower porewater salinities, compared with sites where revegetation was unsuccessful. The extent of runnel effectiveness and the recovery of vegetation, sediment characteristics, and nitrogen cycle processes was variable among runneled marshes, and the effectiveness of runnels may depend on initial site-specific characteristics and degree of initial degradation.
CircTBCK protects against osteoarthritis by regulating extracellular matrix and autophagy
Authors: Wang Wei , Sun Yuzhe , Tang Peng , Zhang Rui , Jiang Yufeng , Min Hongwei , Gao Chen
Published: February 2025

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widespread chronic bone and joint disease for which there is currently no effective preventive or therapeutic treatment. Accumulating evidence indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of noncoding RNAs, play critical roles in OA. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to reveal an unexplored circTBCK and elucidate its mechanism of action in the pathological process of OA. The different expression of circTBCK was obtained both in vitro and in vivo. In the in vivo model, mice were induced via destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery, while in vitro model, mouse cells like primary chondrocytes of newborn mice and ATDC5 cell line were treated with IL-1β treatment (10 ng/mL for 24 h). The level of circTBCK was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). After circTBCK was overexpressed or knocked down, IL-1β treatment was performed, and then, chondrocyte viability was detected via a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay at 0, 24, 48, or 72 h. To assess type II collagen (Collagen II) expression, immunofluorescence (IF) analysis was used. The levels of mRNAs and proteins related to proliferation, the extracellular matrix (ECM) and autophagy were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Compared with OA treatment, primary chondrocytes with treatment of both circTBCK overexpression and IL-1βincreased the expression of anabolic factors—Collagen II and SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9), proliferation-related molecules—Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and autophagy-related molecules—Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), B-cell lymphoma 1 (Bcl1), and autophagy-related 5 (Atg5) and decreased Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1 or P62). In contrast, knockdown of circTBCK aggravated the chondrocyte degeneration induced by IL-1β. Overall, our findings suggest that circTBCK, an unexplored circRNA, could regulate autophagy, proliferation, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) to mitigate the development of OA, suggesting a possible target for OA prevention and therapy.
Recent advances in understanding how compulsivity is related to behavioural addictions over their timecourse
Authors: Solly Jeremy E. , Albertella Lucy , Ioannidis Konstantinos , Fineberg Naomi A. , Grant Jon E. , Chamberlain Samuel R.
Published: February 2025

Purpose of Review

Behavioural addictions involve loss of control over initially rewarding behaviours, which continue despite adverse consequences. Theoretical models suggest that these patterns of behaviour evolve over time, with compulsive and habitual behaviours held to reflect a loss of behavioural control. Compulsivity can be broadly described as a propensity for (or engagement in) repetitive behaviours that are not aligned with overall goals. Here, we consider whether compulsivity is associated with behavioural addictions at different stages of their development, based on self-report and neurocognitive measures.

Recent Findings

This review found that there is initial evidence that compulsive traits might predispose individuals to engage in problematic behaviours, and that self-report and neurocognitive measures of compulsivity are associated with severity of problematic behaviours even in the early stages of behavioural addictions. In the later stages of behavioural addiction, there is strong evidence for an association of gambling disorder with cognitive inflexibility, but less evidence for an association between compulsivity and other types of behavioural addiction.

Moving forwards, well-powered longitudinal studies, including studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), will be important in robustly developing our understanding of how compulsivity is related to behavioural addictions over their timecourse.
Stakeholders' Perspectives on the Landscape of Peer Support in Swedish Mental Health Services: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Engdahl Patrik , Bejerholm Ulrika , Markström Urban , Gustafsson Anneli , Rosenberg David , Argentzell Elisabeth
Published: February 2025

The integration of peer support workers (PSW) into the mental health services workforce has offered additional avenues to strengthen service provision. In Sweden, the availability of peer support workers has grown significantly over the past decade, yet there has been insufficient investigation into their organization and implementation. Consequently, there is a growing need for further research into the current state of peer support within the Swedish context. To examine stakeholders’ perspectives on the current state of peer support within the context of Swedish mental health services. In this qualitative study, a purposeful sampling method was employed in order to recruit 30 stakeholders, including peer support workers (n = 17) within mental health services, county council and municipal officials (n = 8), and representatives from user organizations (n = 5). The informants took part in focus groups or semi-structured individual interviews. The results highlight key factors from stakeholders for advancing peer support, providing PSWs with career paths and skill development, and advocating to top-level authorities. Organizational structures need to support sustainability, with Sweden's user organizations playing a crucial role to mitigate peer drifting. Long-term success relies on secure employment and a clear implementation strategy. The physical work environment shapes peer support implementation and requires clearly defined work roles. Navigating mental health services was viewed as challenging. According to the results, it requires stakeholders to balance perspectives and address feelings of inadequacy among PSWs, underscoring the need to legitimize the PSW profession in mental health care. To ensure genuine progress in the current organization of peer support, this work role must become a foundational aspect of service delivery, rather than merely an add-on, to foster the development of a more recovery-oriented mental health service in Sweden.
A list of eclectic viruses, virus-like diseases and viroids of grapevines that should not be considered for regulatory oversight: a global plea from virologists
Authors: Fuchs Marc , Rwahnih Maher Al , Blouin Arnaud G. , Burger Johan , Chooi Kar Mun , Constable Fiona , Ertunc Filiz , Fiore Nicola , Habili Nuredin , Hily Jean-Michel , Katis Nikolaos , Lemaire Olivier , Maliogka Varvara I. , Maree Hans J. , Minafra Angelantonio , Naidu Rayapati , Pietersen Gerhard , Saldarelli Pasquale , Schmidt Anna-mary , Musić Martina Šeruga , Várallyay Éva
Published: February 2025

Grapevine (Vitis spp.) propagation material is profusely exchanged across geographic and regulatory boundaries. Trading germplasm increases the diversity of cultivars and rootstocks with enhanced viticultural attributes but also risks the dissemination of pests and detrimental pathogens such as viruses in new grape production areas. Therefore, regulations are established to facilitate the safe trade of Vitis propagation material with desirable traits. Regrettably regulations are sometimes inadequate. Consequently, the accessibility of desired germplasm for growers might be unduly delayed, providing opportunities to circumvent regulations by illegally introducing germplasm of interest, amidst risking epidemics of viruses of concern, including quarantined agents, and jeopardizing the health of vineyards. To address some of the regulatory limitations, scientists from around the world recently defined phantom agents in fruit crops, including grapevines, and provided a compelling case for their exclusion from regulatory oversight. Simultaneously, a group of virologists realized the need to complement the list of phantom agents in grapevines by considering additional viruses, virus-like diseases and viroids that should not be subject to regulatory oversight. Here, we present a list of nine viruses, 14 virus-like diseases, nine viroids, and 129 presumed viruses of the grapevine, that are not phantom agents but should be excluded from regulation or should not be regulated. Our list is anticipated to assist policy makers adopt regulations that expedite the safe exchange of Vitis germplasm across regulatory boundaries while reducing incentives for illicit introductions.
Agronomic performance and water use efficiency of newly developed wheat populations under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions
Authors: Mutanda Maltase , Shimelis Hussein , Chaplot Vincent , Shamuyarira Kwame W. , Figlan Sandiswa
Published: February 2025

Limited and variable rainfall conditions during flowering and grain filling stages remain the leading cause of poor yields and quality in the major produced crops, including wheat. Cultivating water-use-efficient wheat cultivars will buffer yield stability and environmental plasticity to achieve food security and economic opportunities. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance and water use efficiency (WUE) of newly bred wheat populations under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions to select drought-tolerant families for genetic advancement and production. Field experiments were conducted in the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons to evaluate 100 genotypes (10 parental lines and 90 families) using a 5 × 20 alpha-lattice design under drought-stressed (DS) and non-stressed (NS) conditions. Controlled experiments were conducted using custom-made plastic mulch under field conditions. The following agronomic traits were recorded: number of days to 50% heading (DTH), number of days to 50% maturity (DTM), plant height (PH), number of productive tillers (TN) per plant, spike length (SL), number of spikelets per spike (SPS), spike weight (SW), grain yield (GY), shoot biomass (SB), root biomass (RB), and total plant biomass (PB). The water use efficiency for grain yield (WUEgy), shoot biomass (WUEsb), root biomass (WUErb) and total plant biomass (WUEpb) were calculated. Eight drought tolerance indices were computed based on grain yield response under DS and NS conditions. Significant (p < 0.05) genetic variations were recorded for agronomic traits and WUE variables. The mean grain yield value of the F3 families was higher by 29.42% and WUE by 25.00% than the parental lines under DS conditions. Among the F3 wheat populations, the WUEgy ranged from 0.05 g mm−1 (LM47 X LM70) to 0.21 g mm−1 (BW141 X LM71) under DS conditions, whilst the WUEgy for the parental lines ranged from 0.08 (BW162) to 0.18 (LM48) under DS. Twenty one percent of the wheat populations had greater drought indices than parental lines. Families, BW141 X LM71, LM71 X BW162, BW140 X LM70, BW162 X BW140, BW141 X LM26, BW162 X LM71, BW152 X LM71, LM70 X BW141, LM75 X LM47 and LM70 X BW140 were selected for their high grain yield production and high WUEgy under DS conditions. These genotypes are recommended for further selection and deployment as new cultivars in South Africa or other water-limited agro-ecologies.