bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HSPA1A inhibits pyroptosis and neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury via DUSP1 inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: He Xuegang , Deng Bo , Zhang Cangyu , Zhang Guangzhi , Yang Fengguang , Zhu Daxue , Yang Yong , Ma Bing , Hu Xuchang , Wang Yonggang , Kang Xuewen
Published: February 2025

Background

Inflammation and proinflammatory programmed cell death, referred to as pyroptosis, are important causes of poor functional recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Heat shock protein family A member 1A (HSPA1A) is a molecular chaperone protein that is highly expressed after TSCI and is thought to be neuroprotective. However, the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of HSPA1A after TSCI are unclear.

Methods

The levels of pyroptosis and inflammation after TSCI were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting analysis. The role of HSPA1A in regulating pyroptosis and inflammation in TSCI was verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. The molecular mechanism of the effects of HSPA1A in TSCI was elucidated by bioinformatics and coimmunoprecipitation analyses.

Results

Pyroptosis and inflammation are significantly increased after TSCI. HSPA1A overexpression in microglia attenuated nigericin- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pyroptosis and inflammation in vitro, whereas knockdown of HSPA1A aggravated pyroptosis and inflammation. In vivo, overexpression of HSPA1A reduced tissue damage, nerve cell death, pyroptosis, and inflammation in TSCI rats and promoted functional recovery. Mechanistically, we identified that HSPA1A interacts with dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) and inhibits activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, thereby attenuating pyroptosis and inflammation.

Conclusion

HSPA1A reduces pyroptosis and inflammation after TSCI by upregulating DUSP1 and inhibiting MAPK pathway activation. HSPA1A activation has potential as a therapeutic approach to promote functional recovery after TSCI.
Evaluation of a modified short all oral treatment regimen for rifampicin-multidrug resistant tuberculosis in Dominican Republic
Authors: Rodríguez María , Bustos Yamile Celis , Encarnación Melanea , Muñoz Elisabet , De los Santos Sandra , Sánchez Ingrid , Portorreal Lissette , Sombie Seydou Benjamín , Sall Fatimata Bintou , Merle Corinne Simone , Perez Freddy
Published: February 2025

Background

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and impact on health-related quality of life (HQoL) of a fully oral shortened regimen for Rifampicin-Resistant/Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (RR/MDR-TB) over 9 to 12 months under programmatic conditions.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted on an all-oral modified Shortened Treatment Regimen (mSTR) comprising linezolid (Lzd), bedaquiline (Bdq), levofloxacin (Lfx), clofazimine (Cfz), and cycloserine (Cs). Patients with RR/MDR-TB were enrolled between January and December 2022 across seven drug-resistant TB units in the Dominican Republic.

Results

A total of 113 patients were enrolled, with 87% achieving culture conversion at two months. Treatment outcomes revealed that 79% of patients were successfully treated and didn’t relapse six months after the end of the treatment, 14% were lost to follow-up during the treatment, 6% deceased, and one experienced treatment failure due to Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs). Adverse events of Special interest (AESI) were common, with 82% of patients experiencing at least one AE with high proportion of QT interval prolongation, elevated transaminases, and anemia. A total of 12% of the patients experiencing Serious Adverse Events (SAEs). Improvement in HQoL dimensions was noted throughout treatment, with the EQ-VAS score increasing by an average of 15.5 by treatment end.

Conclusion

The high treatment success rate of the 5-drug mSTR facilitated the adaptation and integration of a shortened treatment regimen lasting 9 to 12 months in routine care in Dominican Republic. SAEs were -rare. Although AESI were frequent, they were manageable in most cases. Continuous monitoring, particularly with regard to the use of Lzd and Bdq, is crucial to effectively mitigating risks. Since September 2023, this short all oral treatment regimen is the recommended approach for patients with RR/MDR-TB in the Dominican Republic.
Three-year changes in ocular biometric components in children with amblyopia
Authors: Khorrami-Nejad Masoud , Aliyari Roqayeh , Nouraeinejad Ali , Heirani Mohsen , Emamian Mohammad Hassan , Hashemi Hassan , Fotouhi Akbar
Published: February 2025

Background

Amblyopia is associated with structural differences in ocular biometrics, but existing studies often lack long-term follow-ups. This study compares three-year changes in ocular biometric components in amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes.

Methods

In this prospective cohort, study data were collected in 2015 and 2018 in Shahroud, northeast Iran. The sample comprised 4968 primary students (9935 eyes), including 4931 non-amblyopic students (9893 eyes) and 37 students with amblyopia (42 eyes). Axial length, keratometry, central corneal thickness, lens thickness, pupil diameter, anterior chamber depth, lens power and vitreous chamber depth were measured using Lenstar LS900. Multilevel mixed-effects regression models were used to determine any association between variables.

Results

The mean age of children without and with amblyopia at baseline were 9.7 ± 1.7 and 9.9 ± 1.5 years, respectively. The mean axial elongation in amblyopic and non-amblyopic groups over three years was 0.37 (95% CI: 0.34–0.40) and 0.33 mm (95% CI: 0.31–0.34), respectively (p < 0.001). Amblyopic eyes showed greater axial elongation than non-amblyopic eyes (p < 0.001). Anterior chamber depth was constant in amblyopic eyes while it decreased in non-amblyopic eyes by 0.13 mm. Vitreous chamber depth increased significantly in both groups, with a greater increase observed in the amblyopic eyes (0.36 vs. 0.28 mm) (p < 0.001). Flat and steep keratometry increased significantly in amblyopic eyes (p < 0.001), while it was constant in non-amblyopic eyes. Lens power decreased significantly in both groups (p < 0.001). The increase in the axial length and vitreous chamber depth in the amblyopic eye was greater than in the non-amblyopic eyes (p < 0.001). The spherical equivalent change in both groups was − 0.31 D.

Conclusions

Amblyopia was associated with significant changes in key biometric parameters, offering valuable insight into the structural alterations underlying the condition.
Safety reporting in neonatal clinical trials: reflections towards optimal, globally relevant approaches
Authors: Hill Louise F. , Obiero Christina W. , Bekker Adrie , Walker Ann Sarah , Bielicki Julia A. , Sharland Mike , Schiavone Francesca
Published: February 2025

Adverse event (AE) collection is a key part of evidence generation in clinical trials and an integral element of safety reporting. AE assessment and documentation is particularly challenging in neonates who are a heterogeneous population with high rates of co-morbidities. Neonatal research is finally gaining the attention of regulators regarding drug development and the need for optimal dosing specific to this population. However, further efforts are necessary to ensure that adverse events (AEs) are adequately collected, allowing for the generation of essential safety data. It is also crucial that the methodology used aligns with the intended trial outcomes to minimise the burden on trial sites. In resource-constrained settings, where pharmacovigilance implementation can be particularly challenging, a pragmatic approach to safety reporting is even more important given the significant public health need for effective drugs. This commentary reflects on some of the challenges and potential areas of improvement in safety reporting that could be addressed in future neonatal-focused trials.
A cost-effective strategy for identifying Angiostrongylus spp. larvae in Achatina fulica: combined morphological and molecular biology
Authors: Jiang Ling , Li Tianmei , Jiang Yingrui , Liu Yuhua , Chen Shaorong , Liu Hongkun , Fang Wen , Zhao Shenhua , Li Rong , Guo Yunhai
Published: February 2025

Background

The detection of Angiostrongylus spp. larvae in intermediate host snails is a critical epidemiological investigation, essential for the effective control of disease outbreaks. Compared to molecular biological detection methods, lung microscopy, a traditional pathogen morphological detection approach, is susceptible to oversights and exhibits relatively lower sensitivity. However, we posit that lung microscopy offers irreplaceable advantages in the context of large-scale field surveys and can serve as a vital foundation for use in conjunction with other diagnostic technologies.

Methods

In this study, 348 Achatina fulica samples were examined using lung microscopy, PCR, and AcanITS1 qPCR. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare detection rates and sensitivities among these methods. DNA from a snail confirmed positive by lung microscopy was diluted and tested using PCR and AcanITS1 qPCR to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the molecular assays. Finally, we combined the highly sensitive AcanITS1 qPCR with lung microscopy for identifying Angiostrongylus spp. larvae in Achatina fulica for the first time to our knowledge and compared its diagnostic efficacy with that of individual testing methods.

Results

The lung microscopy, PCR, AcanITS1 qPCR, and combined test yielded detection rates of 29.31%, 32.18%, 38.22%, and 38.51%, respectively. These differences were statistically significant (X
2 = 9.565, p < 0.05). Notably, AcanITS1 qPCR demonstrated superior sensitivity with a detection threshold of 10 pg/μl, outperforming the PCR with a threshold of 10 ng/μl. When PCR was utilized as the gold standard, the sensitivities for lung microscopy, AcanITS1 qPCR, and the combined test were determined to be 88.39%, 97.32%, and 98.21%, respectively. Correspondingly, the specificities were 98.73%, 89.83%, and 89.83%, respectively.

Conclusions

This novel straregy, the combined test for the detection of Angiostrongylus spp. larvae in Achatina fulica exhibited superior positive detection rates and sensitivity compared to each of the three individual methods. We believe that this novel strategy is not only applicable to large-scale field investigations of Achatina fulica and Pomacea canaliculata but also has potential application value for monitoring the infection of these snails sold at the local farmers’ markets with Angiostrongylus spp. larvae. Of course, while qPCR is exceptionally sensitive, the potential for false negatives remains a consideration. Repeated experimentation is also essential to maximize the reliability and accuracy of the outcomes.

Graphical Abstract
Prompt engineering in higher education: a systematic review to help inform curricula
Authors: Lee Daniel , Palmer Edward
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a systematic review of the role of prompt engineering during interactions with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in Higher Education (HE) to discover potential methods of improving educational outcomes. Drawing on a comprehensive search of academic databases and relevant literature, key trends, including multiple framework designs, are presented and explored to review the role, relevance, and applicability of prompt engineering to purposefully improve GenAI-generated responses in higher education contexts. Multiple experiments using a variety of prompt engineering frameworks are compared, contrasted and discussed. Analysis reveals that well-designed prompts have the potential to transform interactions with GenAI in higher education teaching and learning. Further findings show it is important to develop and teach pragmatic skills in AI interaction, including meaningful prompt engineering, which is best managed through a well-designed framework for creating and evaluating GenAI applications that are aligned with pre-determined contextual educational goals. The paper outlines some of the key concepts and frameworks that educators should be aware of when incorporating GenAI and prompt engineering into their teaching practices, and when teaching students the necessary skills for successful GenAI interaction.
Diagnostic markers of celiac disease in patients with newly diagnosed graves’ hyperthyroidism at diagnosis and after control of hyperthyroidism
Authors: Gameil Mohammed Ali , Marzouk Rehab Elsayed , Mostafa Marwa Khalil , Arafat Ahmed Abd E. L.-Hakim , Mostafa Mohammed Yehia , Elsherbiny Hanan Abdelhay
Published: February 2025

Background

The potential clinical value of early screening of celiac disease (CD), among patients with Graves’ disease (GD) at various clinical stages has not been determined precisely. Prevalence and confirmatory tests of CD in newly diagnosed GD are still debatable. We tracked the diagnostic markers of CD in patients with GD at the time of diagnosis and after control of hyperthyroidism.

Methods

Our study included 40 patients newly diagnosed with GD, who had undergone laboratory, ophthalmology, and radiology examinations. We screen patients for endomysial antibody (EMA-Ab), tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG-Ab), and IgG and IgA antigliadin antibodies (AGA-IgG and AGA-IgA) initially and after confirmed euthyroid state with antithyroid treatment with small intestinal biopsy for histopathology for patients with persistent seropositive antibodies.

Results

Initially, out of all 40 GD patients who underwent screening, the prevalence of positive AGA-IgA was (17.5%, n = 7/40), AGA-IgG (30%, n = 12/40), EmA-Ab (5%, n = 2/40), and IgA-tTG was (7.5%, n = 3/40). While baseline positive tTG-Ab persisted in only two patients, baseline positive AGA-IgA, AGA-IgG, and EmA-Ab were converted to negative when patients achieved euthyroid state. Thyroid function tests showed significant differences before and after treatment (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Seropositivity for CD during the active phase of Graves’ hyperthyroidism should be confirmed with clinical and histopathological stigma after control of hyperthyroidism.
Pretreatment of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using physicochemical methods and their effects on biodegradation
Authors: Amanna Ruth , Rakshit Sudip K.
Published: February 2025

Recently, biodegradation has gained importance as a potential solution to alleviate pollution. This study dives into the physicochemical transformations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to enhance biodegradation efficiency. PET films were subjected to pretreatments, including UV irradiation, thermal oxidation, size reduction, and a combination of thermal oxidation and size-reduction pretreatments. These pretreated samples were then biodegraded using either an immobilized enzyme or the whole-cell Thermobifida fusca YX. The physicochemical effects of these treatments were evaluated through techniques such as attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and weight-loss analysis. The findings revealed that UV irradiation caused repetitive cycles of photo-oxidation over 3 h, which impaired biodegradation due to increased crystallinity. Conversely, thermal oxidation improved biodegradation up to an optimal temperature of 80 °C. Higher temperatures were favorable for whole-cell biodegradation, while slightly lower temperatures (70–80 °C) were optimal for enzyme-mediated processes. A similar trend was observed for thermally oxidized size-reduced particles, with the smallest particle size exhibiting the highest biodegradation rates, 21.25 ± 0.24% with the immobilized enzyme and 16.61 ± 0.63% with whole cells. The study further demonstrated that all pretreatments primarily targeted the ester linkage, specifically the C = O and C–H bonds. Additionally, the effects of pretreatments were tested on chemical hydrolysis. Due to its inherently caustic nature, chemical hydrolysis did not require any pretreatment. These findings shed light on the interplay of physical and chemical factors influencing biodegradation, offering valuable insights into the importance of pretreatments for the biological hydrolysis of such polymers.

Graphical Abstract
Memory efficient implementation of gravity inversion
Authors: Chen Tao , Rao Ying
Published: February 2025

The distribution of density plays a crucial role in interpreting subsurface geological structures for resource exploration and deep-structure research. However, conventional gravity inversion often involves storing a dense, large sensitivity matrix, demanding significant computational resources. To enhance the memory efficiency of gravity inversion, we introduce an intelligent data-sensing-based inversion to minimize the data involved in the inversion process. Initially, we validate the effectiveness of our approach using two synthetic data. Our intelligent data sensing approach employs a loss-controlled compression technique to sense the optimal subset from the original gravity anomaly. A user-specified threshold determines the degree of the information loss. Subsequently, we invert the optimal subset, but not all is used in each iteration. Instead, we implement an inverting-testing strategy during the iteration, where part of the optimal subset serves as the inverting dataset, and another part serves as the testing dataset. The amounts of inverting and testing datasets are equal in each iteration but may vary across iterations based on the inversion process. We conduct statistical analyses to assess the impact of the intelligent data sensing approach on memory requirement during gravity inversion. The proposed method is applied to two field datasets, demonstrating that it requires only a small percentage of the total gravity anomaly to reconstruct density distribution nearly identical to those obtained using the complete optimal subset.
Angle-Domain Least-Squares Reverse Time Migration In 2D Tilted Transverse Isotropic Media
Authors: Song Hengli , Liu Yuzhu
Published: February 2025

Extending least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) to tilted transverse isotropic (TTI) media (TTI-LSRTM) improves imaging accuracy. However, TTI-LSRTM necessitates multiple migration parameters, including velocity, density, anisotropy parameters, and symmetry axis tilt angle θ t of the stratum. Current multi-parameter inversion methods face challenges due to parameter coupling and high nonlinearity, making it difficult to provide accurate migration parameters for TTI-LSRTM. To address these limitations, we propose an angle-domain LSRTM in TTI media (TTI-ALSRTM), which extends Born modeling and gradient calculation from the space domain to the space-angle domain. Our method ensures robust data matching and rapid convergence even with inaccurate migration parameters. Additionally, it extends RTM-based angle-domain common image gathers (ADCIGs) from isotropic media to LSRTM-based ADCIGs in TTI media, enhancing their reliability. Numerical experiments on two-layer and Marmousi models, as well as field offshore streamer data demonstrate its efficacy and practicality.
An average-derivative based second-order staggered-grid finite-difference scheme for 3D frequency-domain elastic wave modeling
Authors: Wang Maosheng , Li Yang , Chen Yong , Fu Zhenwu , Wang Dawei , Tang Fujiao
Published: February 2025

In this paper we develop an average-derivative based second-order staggered-grid finite-difference (ADSSFD) scheme for performing 3D frequency-domain elastic wave modeling. The ADSSFD scheme applies the idea of average derivative to discretize the first-order derivative of the stress tensors and combines the anti-lumped strategy to obtain a set of optimal finite difference coefficients. We combine the Levenberg-Marquardt method with simulated annealing to minimize the misfit between the normalized phase velocity and one, ensuring the solution avoids local minima. Dispersion analysis shows that when the upper limit of the phase velocity error is set to 1%, the ADSSFD scheme can reduce the minimum number of grid points per shear wavelength to 3.6. Numerical experiments show that under the same numerical setting, the ADSSFD scheme exhibits higher accuracy than the classic fourth-order staggered-grid (FSFD) scheme and the compact second-order staggered-grid (CSFD) scheme. In addition, we show the feasibility of using the ADSSFD scheme to perform simulations in the 3D Overthrust model. We use a parallel iteration solver to solve the large sparse linear system obtained after the discretization. Since the condition number of the matrix in the ADSSFD scheme is smaller than that of the FSFD scheme, the ADSSFD scheme is cheaper to run.
Does Adjuvant Mitotane Impact Cure Rates in Adrenocortical Carcinoma? Insights From the ICARO-GETTHI/SEEN Registry
Authors: Carmona-Bayonas Alberto , Álvarez-Escolá Cristina , Ballester Navarro Inmaculada , Hernando Cubero Jorge , Mangas Cruz Miguel Ángel , Garcia-Centeno Rogelio , Iglesias Clara , García-Donas Jesús , Picón María José , Paja Miguel , González Batanero Lorena , García Lourdes , Alonso Gordoa Teresa , López Carlos , Hanzu Felicia , Martínez-Trufero Javier , Febrero Beatriz , Saiz-López Patricia , Blanco Carrera Concepción , Ramón y Cajal Teresa , Veiguela Brenda , Gressani Oswaldo , Valdés Nuria , Jimenez-Fonseca Paula
Published: February 2025

Context

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy with a high risk of postoperative recurrence. Although adjuvant mitotane is commonly used, its potential for achieving cure rather than simply postponing inevitable recurrence remains uncertain.

Objective

This study investigates whether mitotane impacts ACC recurrence patterns by preventing or delaying recurrence.

Methods

This retrospective analysis used data from the ICARO-GETTHI/SEEN registry, which includes 36 Spanish hospitals. Recurrence in nonmetastatic ACC patients after resection was analyzed using Cox models, flexible longitudinal models, and mixture cure models to evaluate the impact of mitotane.

Results

Among 244 patients, 133 (52%) received adjuvant mitotane, with therapeutic levels monitored in 84%. Findings suggest a possible “cure fraction” with a 32.5% estimated 30-year cure rate (95% CI, 23.4%-45.0%). Cox regression indicated a 39% reduced recurrence risk (HR 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39-0.95) for mitotane-treated patients, with effects diminishing over 24 months. Mixture cure models suggest mitotane primarily delays rather than prevents recurrence. Effect modification analysis showed significant benefit in male patients (HR 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16-0.69), younger patients, tumors with higher Ki-67% (modeled as a continuous variable), and those with venous invasion (HR 0.47; 95% CI, 0.27-0.82), with potential synergy when combined with radiotherapy.

Conclusion

This study underscores the intriguing possibility that adjuvant mitotane delays recurrence, yet questions remain as to its curative capacity. The early benefit suggests a cytostatic effect, but certain subgroups—especially males, younger individuals, and those with high-risk tumors—may experience a more durable outcome. Further research is needed to explore mitotane's curative potential in ACC management.
The Case Series of Contralateral Interhemispheric Transfalcine Approach to Medial Parietooccipital Pathologies: Surgical Technique and Results
Authors: Krystkiewicz Kamil , Orzechowska Magdalena Julita , Pytlarz Beata , Arczewski Filip , Dziedzic Karol , Furtak Jacek , Tosik Marcin
Published: February 2025

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

The medial parietooccipital and peritrigonal areas present challenges for neurosurgical procedures. Adjacency to the eloquent cortex—postcentral gyrus and cuneus, as well as crucial white matter tracts, such as optic radiation—makes the surgical approaches difficult. This study aims to describe the surgical technique and outcomes of treating lesions using the contralateral approach.

METHODS:

This study is a retrospective analysis of 19 surgical cases treated in the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurooncology, Copernicus Memorial Hospital, in Łódź between April 2021 and May 2024.

RESULTS:

Nineteen cases were treated with the contralateral posterior interhemispheric transfalcine transprecuneus approach. Six cases were vascular (all arteriovenous malformation) and 13 tumors (5 glioblastomas, 4 meningiomas, 4 metastasis, and 1 pilocytic astrocytoma). Twelve of them were in precuneus, 3 in the peritrigonal part of lateral ventricle, 2 in falx, and 2 in pulvinar. The mean surgery time was 4 hours 15 minutes ± 2 hours 21 minutes. The superior sagittal sinus was injured and managed using suture and hemostatic material in 2 cases. In 2 cases, a small anastomotic vein was sacrificed, and in none of cases, a venous infarction related to anastomotic veins was observed. A new neurologic deficit was present in 8 cases post-surgery improving after a few days. The mean hospitalization time was 11 ± 8.7 days.

CONCLUSION:

The contralateral interhemispheric transfalcine approach is a valuable surgical technique for managing medial parietooccipital and peritrigonal lesions.
Too many hats: The challenges of opening up funding agencies to ethical stakeholder participation
Authors: Schuerz Stefanie , Fetting Constanze
Published: February 2025

Background As the processes of scientific knowledge production and innovation are increasingly opened up to broader audiences, research and innovation funding agencies (RFOs) have emerged as a new site of public engagement. While public engagement in R&I has a long tradition, RFOs have little experience with such practices, leading to potential ethical pitfalls and a need for new ethics governance approaches. Methods Eleven participatory pilot projects were implemented by RFOs in two phases. Pilot data were collected via structured reporting templates, narrative pilot stories and final pilot reports. In addition, more open exchange took place in peer-learning workshops and meetings, which were protocoled and partly transcribed. These data were analyzed in a qualitative content analysis following Mayring (2014). Results This paper provides insights into drivers and barriers to ethical participation in the activities of research funding agencies and offers recommendations for enhancing the inclusivity and integrity of RFO practices. It describes the specificities of (ethical) engagement in RFO activities as elicited from our data along three axes: 1) structures, in terms of how funding agencies must proactively lay the groundwork for enabling ethical participatory processes; 2) processes, especially in terms of managing the different steps involved in recruiting and engaging participants; and 3) actors, in terms of the roles and responsibilities the involved stakeholders may inhabit. Conclusions The paper identifies various drivers of ethical engagement, including gaining an understanding of the structural context conditions within which participatory activities are implemented, identifying and addressing barriers to participation, and managing the expectations of all stakeholders involved in the process. Looking into potential instruments for ethical governance for funding agencies, the merits of ethics self-assessment, ethics review and external support are discussed. Concrete recommendations are formulated for teams and organizations planning to implement participatory activities in the future.
Systematic review: e-cigarettes vs. conventional cigarettes
Authors: Janik Mateusz , Ufnalska Barbara , Rychlewska-Duda Joanna , Lisiecka Justyna , Fabijański Artur , Konarska Anna , Machowiak Anna , Nowak Michał , Firlej Wojciech , Dukacz Adrianna
Published: February 2025

Introduction
Electronic cigarettes have gained widespread popularity by being marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking. Possibility of inhaling vapor created by heating nicotine liquid instead of combusting tobacco leaves revolutionized tobacco market, bringing a lot of questions about harmfulness or advantages of e-cigarettes. Their popularity is increasing and many aspects about their influence on health are still unclear. At the same time, better social acceptance than tobacco cigarettes brings out questions if they are a step to smoking cessation or if they encourage more people to start using nicotine.
Aim of the review
This systematic review provide an analysis of the existing literature on the influence of e-cigarettes on the human body with their economic and behavioral aspects. By examining a wide range of studies, we aim to elucidate the potential risks and benefits associated with e-cigarette use and provide a comparison of both electronic and conventional forms of nicotine consumption.
 
Methods
A systematic search was conducted using electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Keywords included "e-cigarettes", "vaping", "health effects", "conventional cigarettes", "tobacco", "respiratory system", "cardiovascular system", "immune system", "oral health", and "cellular effects". The search was limited to studies published up to December 2023. Both observational and experimental studies were included.
 
Conclusion
While e-cigarettes are often promoted as a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, the evidence suggests that they are not without significant health risks. It is important to remember that they are a new form of substance use, and many aspects related to them are still unknown. E-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes present distinct usage patterns and cost profiles. Years of research on larger sample sizes are needed to determine their impact on humans.
New perspectives in the management of acute pancreatitis – focus on antibiotic prophylaxis, management of necrosis and COVID-19 implications
Authors: Woźniak Aleksandra , Cioch Michał Jakub , Nowak Julia , Hermanowicz Kamil , Kaczmarska Urszula , Doman Katarzyna , Najdek Agnieszka , Oleksy Daria , Komada Dawid , Mycyk Marcin
Published: February 2025

This review highlights the recent development in the management of acute pancreatitis in the area of antibiotic prophylaxis, management of necrosis and correlation with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The evidence from recent studies has not shown a significant benefit of administration of antibiotic prophylaxis in acute pancreatitis. Additionally, a few trials draw attention to the disadvantages of prophylactic use of antibiotics. However, in this area more trials have to be conducted. When it comes to management of necrosis, the recent data recommends a postponed drainage. Delayed procedure is considered now as preferential treatment. Furthermore, delayed drainage is associated with fewer interventions and necrosectomies compared to immediate drainage. There is still insufficient data to confirm the influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the development and course of pancreatitis. Special attention should be brought to all COVID-19 patients presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms. Measurement of amylase and/or lipase levels in the serum is recommended for preliminary diagnosis. If suspicion arises, full diagnosis of acute pancreatitis should be conducted for early implementation of supportive treatment.
The Sexual Victimization of Black College Women
Authors:   , Wilson Hannah Caroline
Published: February 2025

Sexual victimization is a pervasive mental and physical health issue with overarching implications for university campuses and victim service providers alike. While a large expanse of research exists on sexual violence and the factors associated with victimization, less is known about the potentially unique experiences faced by Black college women in particular. Utilizing data collected by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examines the prevalence of college sexual victimization, levels of social support for victims and non-victims, intimate partner sexual victimization (IPSV), and the predictability of self-esteem on sexual victimization. In addition, comparisons are made between Black college women and their White counterparts. After conducting multiple t-tests and logistic regression analyses, results indicated that Black college women were more likely to experience IPSV than White college women, and Black college women received less social support following sexual victimization than Black non-victims. These findings can help in establishing more efficient and accessible assistance for victims.
A Study on Flat-Address-Space Heterogeneous Memory Architectures
Authors:   , Islam Mahzabeen
Published: February 2025

In this dissertation, we present a number of studies that primarily focus on data movement challenges among different types of memories (viz., 3D-DRAM, DDRx DRAM and NVM) employed together as a flat-address heterogeneous memory system. We introduce two different hardware-based techniques for prefetching data from slow off-chip phase change memory (PCM) to fast on-chip memories. The prefetching techniques efficiently fetch data from PCM and place that data into processor-resident or 3D-DRAM-resident buffers without putting high demand on bandwidth and provide significant performance improvements. Next, we explore different page migration techniques for flat-address memory systems which differ in when to migrate pages (i.e., periodically or instantaneously) and how to manage the migrations (i.e., OS-based or hardware-based approach). In the first page migration study, we present several epoch-based page migration policies for different organizations of flat-address memories consisting of two (2-level) and three (3-level) types of memory modules. These policies have resulted in significant energy savings. In the next page migration study, we devise an efficient "on-the-fly'" page migration technique which migrates a page from slow PCM to fast 3D-DRAM whenever it receives a certain number of memory accesses without waiting for any specific time interval. Furthermore, we present a light-weight hardware-assisted address reconciliation process for address management of the migrated pages. Such an on-the-fly page migration with hardware-assisted address reconciliation technique provides significant performance improvement over systems using epoch-based page migration and OS-based address management. Finally, we have developed an analytical model, which employs offline analyses of memory access counts per page and recommends whether an application is migration friendly or not. This can be useful in deciding if page migration (either epoch-based or on-the-fly based) should be used or turned off for a given application. Thus, our data management techniques and model enable significant performance improvements for flat-address heterogeneous memory systems involving NVMs.
Bouncing Back: Resilience as a Moderator between Aggression and Depression in Older Gay Men and Lesbians Group Differences
Authors:   , Griggs Tosha
Published: February 2025

Older gay men and lesbians may be at greater risk for depression than older sexual majority adults due to a lifetime of sexual minority stress. We hypothesize that aggression and being single are positively associated with depression. Resilience is negatively associated with depression. Aggression, being single and resilience account for a significant proportion of variance in depression. Resilience moderates the relationship between aggression and depression. Significant differences between older gay men and older lesbians' aggression, resilience and depression scores exist. For our older gay men and lesbian combined group, a moderation analysis indicated that in addition to aggression and resilience, being single significantly predicted depression accounting for approximately 57% of the variance in depression. Furthermore, resilience significantly moderated the relationship between aggression and depression in our model of older gay men and lesbians. For our older gay men-only group a moderation analysis (indicated that and resilience significantly predicted depression accounting for approximately 57% of the variance in depression. Furthermore, resilience significantly moderated the relationship between aggression and depression in our model, in our sample of older gay men. Four our lesbian-only group a moderation analysis indicated that being single and resilience significantly predicted depression accounting for approximately 54% of the variance in depression.
The Saxophone Music of Pierre-Philippe Bauzin: A Survey of Original Compositions and Rediscovery of Lost Works
Authors:   , Murphy Sean
Published: February 2025

Pierre-Philippe Bauzin (1933-2005) was a skilled keyboard performer, improviser, and composer. By way of his close personal friendship with renowned saxophonist Jean-Marie Londeix, Bauzin began dedicating, composing, and often times performing music for saxophone with Londeix, beginning in 1959. The results of this friendship produced eleven original works for saxophone with diverse instrumentation, ranging from solo compositions to large ensembles. Due to Bauzin's preference for improvising the piano accompaniments of his music on each performance, however, a majority of his compositions were thought to be incomplete or lost. This study surveys Bauzin's complete opus for saxophone by way of both his published works, and the author's rediscovery of the manuscripts to these previously assumed lost compositions for saxophone. The pieces studied are Sonata no. 1 (1959), Poème (1960), Cinq Pièces Breves en Forme de Musique (1960), Esquisses (1967), Divertimento (1968), and Quatuor no. 1 (1962). In addition, chapter 8 provides information regarding other compositions for saxophone by Bauzin that did not survive in their completed form. The survey of each work contains information pertaining to creation, performances of significance in saxophone history, and compositional techniques present within each work that can be used to identify the components of Bauzin's unique compositional style.
Enhancing Storage Dependability and Computing Energy Efficiency for Large-Scale High Performance Computing Systems
Authors:   , Huang Song
Published: February 2025

With the advent of information explosion age, larger capacity disk drives are used to store data and powerful devices are used to process big data. As the scale and complexity of computer systems increase, we expect these systems to provide dependable and energy-efficient services and computation. Although hard drives are reliable in general, they are the most commonly replaced hardware components. Disk failures cause data corruption and even data loss, which can significantly affect system performance and financial losses. In this dissertation research, I analyze different manifestations of disk failures in production data centers and explore data mining techniques combined with statistical analysis methods to discover categories of disk failures and their distinctive properties. I use similarity measures to quantify the degradation process of each failure type and derive the degradation signature. The derived degradation signatures are further leveraged to forecast when future disk failures may happen. Meanwhile, this dissertation also studies energy efficiency of high performance computers. Specifically, I characterize the power and energy consumption of Haswell processors which are used in multiple supercomputers, and analyze the power and energy consumption of Legion, a data-centric programming model and runtime system, and Legion applications. We find that power and energy efficiency can be improved significantly by optimizing the settings and runtime scheduling of processors, and Legion runtime performs well for larger-scale computation in terms of power and energy consumption.
A Data-Driven Computational Framework to Assess the Risk of Epidemics at Global Mass Gatherings
Authors:   , Alshammari Sultanah
Published: February 2025

This dissertation presents a data-driven computational epidemic framework to simulate disease epidemics at global mass gatherings. The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia is used to demonstrate the simulation and analysis of various disease transmission scenarios throughout the different stages of the event from the arrival to the departure of international participants. The proposed agent-based epidemic model efficiently captures the demographic, spatial, and temporal heterogeneity at each stage of the global event of Hajj. Experimental results indicate the substantial impact of the demographic and mobility patterns of the heterogeneous population of pilgrims on the progression of the disease spread in the different stages of Hajj. In addition, these simulations suggest that the differences in the spatial and temporal settings in each stage can significantly affect the dynamic of the disease. Finally, the epidemic simulations conducted at the different stages in this dissertation illustrate the impact of the differences between the duration of each stage in the event and the length of the infectious and latent periods. This research contributes to a better understanding of epidemic modeling in the context of global mass gatherings to predict the risk of disease pandemics caused by associated international travel. The computational modeling and disease spread simulations in global mass gatherings provide public health authorities with powerful tools to assess the implication of these events at a different scale and to evaluate the efficacy of control strategies to reduce their potential impacts.
An Overview and Performance Guide to Johannes Möller's "Shenandoah Fantasy for Two Guitars"
Authors:   , Douglas Charles William
Published: February 2025

Johannes Möller's 2014 composition Shenandoah Fantasy for Two Guitars, is a theme and variations on the American folksong Oh Shenandoah and is the composer's only work dedicated to American music. An informed performance of this work requires biographical information. Since no scholarly work on this composer is currently available, this paper includes Möller's biographical information, compositional background and performance suggestions. This information was acquired through a recorded video interview with the composer that covered his early education as a guitarist and composer, his formal conservatory training, career accomplishments, influences that informed the piece, and suggestions for performance practice. The insight gained through this interview reveals its main influences as the Romantic Fantasy, American Minimalism, Keith Jarret's harmonization of Oh Shenandoah, American country and bluegrass music, and the sounds of American folk instruments. These are the subjects of the body of this paper. In addition to an overview of some scholarly writing on the styles which influence the piece, some solutions are offered at the end of the paper to aid in the performance of difficult passages. The intent of these solutions is to make the piece easier for the left and right hand, without sacrificing those musical elements that represent its influences. This is currently the only scholarly work available for Shenandoah Fantasy for Two Guitars and its composer.
Renewal and Memory Approaches to Study Biological and Physiological Processes
Authors:   , Tuladhar Rohisha
Published: February 2025

In nature we find many instances of complex behavior for example the dynamics of stock markets, power grids, internet networks, highway traffic, social networks, heartbeat dynamics, neural dynamics, dynamics of living organisms, etc. The study of these complex systems involves the use of tools of non-linear dynamics and non-equilibrium statistical physics. This dissertation is devoted to understanding two different sources of complex behavior – non-poissonian renewal events also called crucial events and infinite memory of fractional Brownian motion. They both generate 1/f noise frequency spectrum. Thus, we studied examples of both processes and also their joint action. We also tried to establish the role of crucial events in biological and physiological processes like biophoton emission during the germination of seeds, the dynamics of heartbeat and neural dynamics. Using a statistical method of analyzing the time series of bio signals we were able to quantify the complexity associated with the underlying dynamics of these processes. Finally, we adopted a model that unifies both crucial events and memory fluctuations to study the rhythmic behavior observed in heart rate variability of people during meditation. We were able to also quantify the level of stress reduction during meditation. The work presented in this dissertation may help us understand the communication and transfer of information in complex systems.
The Geography of Partial-Market Exits: Applying Geospatial and Econometric Methods to Analyze 2017 Department Store Closures in the United States
Authors:   , Reed Connor
Published: February 2025

Many factors have prompted the adoption of partial-market exit strategies in retail as a means of reducing cost and minimizing risk. These mass closures have become more frequent in recent years. Marketers and economists have offered explanations for these closures linked to the rise of e-commerce, the real estate cycle and general changes in consumer taste. The research here marks an attempt to apply geospatial and econometric methods to better understand what factors explain the spatial variation of these closures across the United States. Specifically, the analysis examines the store networks of Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy's- large, established department stores that, collectively, announced over 100 closures at the beginning of 2017. By treating each store as a unit of observation, and a closure as a limited dependent variable, this analysis will attempt to quantify the relationship between place-specific factors and retail closures using Probit modeling. This application of modeling marks a deviation from traditional analyses in retail geography which, up until the early 2000s, have focused almost entirely on store development and growth. The results reveal patterns of spatial clustering of closures in and around the Rust Belt and demonstrate the strong negative effect of competitive agglomeration on the probability of closure.
Cold-Formed Steel Member Connections Using BAC Screw Fasteners
Authors:   , Li Xun
Published: February 2025

In this project, the main research objective is intend to seek criteria for evaluating the capacity of BAC screw fasteners with mixed configuration of waterproof seal washer, sealer tape and different pre-drill holes to determine shear and tension strength values for the screws used in cold-formed steel connections. The thesis presents the design methods and test program conducted to investigate the behavior and strength of the screw connections in shear and tension test. Test results were compared with AISI design provisions to determine if new design equations will be developed for those screws used in BAC cooling tower applications. LRFD resistance factors and ASD safety factors were investigated to the proposed design equations.
News Framing and Social Media Responses to the Release of Boko Haram Female Captives
Authors:   , Omokore Joy Oluwadamilola
Published: February 2025

This qualitative study sheds light on the framing of the sexual abuse of the Boko Haram's female captives sent to the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and analyzes emotional themes from tweets focusing on the release of the Boko Haram's female victims, the Chibok girls. Six articles were chosen from BBC (a British news source), Punch (a Nigerian news source), and the New York Times (an American news source) to reveal the frames. In addition, 118 tweets were examined to address emotional tweets under #ourgirlsareback, #82chibokgirls, #chibokgirls82, and #chibokgirls. The findings discovered the presence of the human interest frame, conflict frame, responsibility frame, and a stereotype in the articles. The tweets showed positive common themes- joy, gratitude, and hope. Also, the tweets included conspiracy theories.