bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of pharmacodynamics, network pharmacology and metabolomics to elucidate the effect and mechanism of Jingfang Granule in the treatment of Paraquat induced Pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Yue Rujing , Yang Tianye , Niu Dejun , Zeng Zhen , Wang Xishuang , Pan Lihong , Yao Jingchun
Published: February 2025

Objective

One of the main risk factors of COVID-19 is Pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The protective effect of Jingfang Granule (JF) to bleomycin-induced PF has been confirmed in our previous studies. This work was designed to reveal the effect and mechanism of JF on PF which induced by Paraquat (PQ).

Methods

In this study, the PF mice model was induced by PQ with the administration of 1, 0.5, and 0.25 g/kg JF or Nintedanib (NTNB) 45 mg/kg by oral administration. The ameliorating effects of JF were reflected by the survival curve and lung coefficient. And the pathological alterations of lung were observed by H&E, Masson and Sirius red staining. Then, the expression of fibrosis-associated protein α-SMA and TGFβ1/Smad2,3 signaling pathway was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot. An integrated approach combined metabolomics with network pharmacology was applied to recognize the mechanism of JF on ameliorated the PQ-induced PF, and the result of integrated was verified by western blot.

Results

The experiment results showed that JF could inhibit the progression of PQ-induced PF and delay the death of mice after PQ poisoning, and the inhibit effect was similar to NTNB. JF also reduced fibroblasts in lung tissue of the PF mice model by significantly down- regulated the expression of α-SMA and TGFβ1/Smad2,3 signaling pathway. In addition, JF intervened 16 serum metabolites compared with PQ-induced PF mice, and the differential metabolites were linked 241 corresponding targeted proteins obtained by database, which have 79 common targets to JF related targets. The integrated results of metabolomics, network pharmacology and western blot showed that apoptosis was a crucial way for JF to relieve the PQ-induced PF, and JF regulated the signals of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 protein and PI3k/Akt pathway to inhibit the apoptosis.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that JF down-regulated the TGFβ1/Smad2,3 signaling pathway to reduce the fibroblasts, regulate the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3 and PI3k/Akt pathway to inhibit the apoptosis, and display a favorable effect on inhibiting the development of pulmonary fibrosis and delaying the death of PQ-induced PF mice.
Inverse association between prognostic nutritional index and kidney stone prevalence: A population-based study
Authors: Wang Lei , Yu Yi , Jiang Ziwen , Lin Fuxiang , Zhong Yuxiang , Wang Chao , Huang Sidan , Xu Zhanping
Published: February 2025

Background

Kidney stones frequently occur due to metabolic disorders, dietary habits, and lifestyle influences. The Prognostic Nutritional Index, which reflects an individual’s nutritional condition, might be associated with kidney stone prevalence. This study examines the association between PNI and kidney stone prevalence in US adults.

Methods

The study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database from 2009–2018 and excluded pregnant women, and individuals who lacked data on kidney stones, or had incomplete Prognostic Nutritional Index data. Independent associations between Prognostic Nutritional Index and kidney stones were investigated by multivariate logistic regression and subgroup analyses, in addition to exploring nonlinear associations using smoothed curves and threshold effects.

Results

A total of 13,835 participants aged ≥ 20 years were included, with a kidney stone prevalence of 8.48%. An inverse association was observed between the Prognostic Nutritional Index and kidney stone prevalence (OR =  0.97, 95% CI =  0.96–0.98, P <  0.001). This relationship was not significantly modified by race, education, marital status, or comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. However, sex and total cholesterol levels influenced the association. Stratified analysis showed a significant negative association in men (OR =  0.98, 95% CI =  0.96–0.99, P =  0.031), but not in women. A nonlinear relationship was identified in individuals with total cholesterol ≥  5.2 mmol/L, with a significant negative association below the inflection point of 57 (OR =  0.96, P =  0.012) and a positive association above it (OR =  1.11, P =  0.03). These findings suggest that the Prognostic Nutritional Index is inversely associated with kidney stones, particularly in men and those with high cholesterol levels.

Conclusion

The Prognostic Nutritional Index was negatively associated with the risk of kidney stones, particularly in men and individuals with high cholesterol levels below the identified inflection point, suggesting that tailored nutritional management may be crucial for these subgroups.
Introduction: The future is now in past forward motion
Authors: Papaioannou P. Julie
Published: February 2025

This introduction highlights Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s filmmaking since the beginning of his artistic career in the 1990s, and his critical position on contemporary debates concerning African film aesthetics and narrative construction as pinnacles of cinematic creation in Africa and the Global South. As an introduction to this Special Issue, ‘Aesthetics of the Future: The Cinema of Jean-Pierre Bekolo’, of the Journal of African Cinemas, it outlines distinct converging points of critique in the articles of the contributors to this issue that focuses on the filmmaker’s artistic and critical engagement, mainly from Les Saignantes (2005) to Miraculous Weapons (2019). The interview with Jean-Pierre Bekolo and the contributors of this issue aim to shed light to the filmmaker’s critical point of view on the future of African cinemas.
Science fiction and masquerade in Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s Les Saignantes (2005): A cinematic way out of Africa’s declining future
Authors: De Groof Matthias
Published: February 2025

In the feature film Les Saignantes (2005) by Cameroonian filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Africa looks allegorically at itself through its cinema. The film features two women reacting against the postcolonial power-structure of commandment and the phallocentric gaze that shapes the imagery of Africa. They do so by applying a masquerade strategy central to feminist film theory. In setting its narrative in the future and in a dying universe, the film functions as a mirror enlarging the current state of affairs in postcolonial Africa and warning for its continuation. An in-depth analysis of Les Saignantes shows how the use of imagination can alter ethnologizing gazes on Africa and how it can deal with political appropriations through a strategy of the female gaze and an ancient ritual called Mevungu.
Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s Le président: Documenting the absence
Authors: Keresztesi Rita
Published: February 2025

Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s ‘mockumentary’ film Le président (2013) exposes the dangers of a single story and absolute political rule by presidents-for-life. He not only mimics but also mocks the ‘visible evidence’ thesis of the documentary film genre and blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction. Bekolo’s film opts for multiple voices to entice political dissent and believes in the power of art to imagine liveable African futures.
An interview with Jean-Pierre Bekolo and the contributors of this Special Issue
Authors: Papaioannou P. Julie
Published: February 2025

The corresponding editor of this Special Issue of the Journal of African Cinemas (JAC) invited all contributors to submit questions they would consider asking the filmmaker on his work and the notion of the future in African cinemas. All submitted questions by the contributors of this issue were organized to create a conversational flow and were presented to Jean-Pierre Bekolo, who in turn graciously accepted to respond in writing. One of the objectives is to create a common space for all participants to engage with the filmmaker and bring to light guiding principles of the notion of the future, futurism and Afrofuturism from the filmmaker’s perspective. The corresponding editor is indebted to Jean-Pierre Bekolo for taking the time to respond meticulously to each and every question that was presented to him. My expression of gratitude to the contributors of this issue, Matthias De Groof, Vlad Dima, Rita Keresztesi and Olivier Tchouaffe for their keen engagement in submitting their interview questions.
The crime scene in transnational crime TV series after Brexit: Vigil and Giri/Haji
Authors: Baetz Josephine
Published: February 2025

Traditionally national and local, the crime genre has shifted to depictions of invisible borders and free movement during European integration. In the wake of Brexit, this development has been disturbed, with greater focus on borders as obstacles and on restricted movement. This article examines the spaces of borders and movements of border crossings in UK transnational series Vigil (2021–present), set in the Atlantic Ocean and Scotland, and Giri/Haji (2019), set in London and Tokyo. It focuses on the crime scene in these series as a space that has responded to these historical shifts in genre. The series illustrate two contrasting responses to these developments in a post-Brexit context. Vigil depicts its crime scene on a nuclear submarine as a space that is initially both isolated and rigidly bordered. At the same time, it reveals borders between nations, characters and genres to be increasingly porous. Giri/Haji follows a Tokyo police detective on the search for his ex-Yakuza brother in London. Its crime scene connects both cities into a mediatized space that moves with the characters. In both series, the highly connected cross-border spaces of earlier series are shown to be disrupted on various levels, including their temporalities.
Ornament and crime: Power, gender and domestic opulence of Gomorrah (2014–21)
Authors: Flanagan Pamela
Published: February 2025

Italian TV series Gomorrah – The Series (2014–21) presents a contemporary dramatization of the lives of the Neapolitan Camorra based on Roberto Saviano’s novel (2006). This visual analysis critically examines the symbolism of the fictional domestic interiors of the main protagonists, Genny Savastano and Ciro Di Marzio, who inhabit the La Scampia neighbourhood of urban Naples. The rise in quality contemporary TV dramas which give high attention to character development, relationships and the elongated storyline has allowed the production quality to flourish. Thus, fictional interiors within quality TV series, such as Gomorrah, have become integral for the viewer to assimilate narrative and meaning from the interior spaces. In this close analysis, I use the lens of interior design to examine the mise en scène via the combination of components from the atmosphere, set, lighting and narrative. June Whiteread (2017) suggests the mise en scène of film and TV allows our eyes and imaginations to consider how it might feel to be in, to smell and to emulate the emotion with the fictional interior. Key to this visual scrutiny is how the curation of objects, furniture, colour palettes, ornamentation and decorative motifs serve as narrative backdrops. This critical analysis explores the boundaries of power, class and gender through the fictional interiors of Gomorrah, where the hard, masculine architecture conceals the jewel-like interiors encased within the darkness.
‘With a spaceship at the end’: Genre hybridity in Copenhagen Cowboy by Nicolas Winding Refn
Authors: Sweeney David
Published: February 2025

While genre hybridity in television and cinema is nothing new, Copenhagen Cowboy (2023), the six-episode Netflix series co-created – with screenwriter Sara Isabella Jønsson Vedde – and directed by Danish auteur filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, is remarkable for the way its mixture of genres is both a continuation of the hybrid approach already established in Refn’s cinema work (and in his first streaming series, for Amazon Studios, Too Old to Die Young [2019]) and a kind of meta-commentary on it. Copenhagen Cowboy was pitched to Netflix as a continuation of Refn’s Pusher trilogy, a series of grittily realistic gangster films set in Copenhagen’s criminal underworld. However, with the series Refn also wished to introduce elements of other genres, including science fiction: as he told Netflix, the series would climax with ‘a spaceship at the end’. Although Refn has described his psychedelic Viking adventure Valhalla Rising (2009) as a ‘science fiction film’, this comment seems to reflect more the creative process involved in making it than the narrative presented on-screen; Copenhagen Cowboy represents his first explicit foray into the realm of science fiction. However, it is science fiction of a particular kind: superhero science fiction and I discuss the series here as, ultimately, a superhero narrative; ‘ultimately’ because its nature as a superhero text is only truly revealed in the final episode.
La inteligencia artificial predictiva al servicio de la prevención e investigación del delito y del proceso penal
Authors: García Torres María Luisa
Published: February 2025

El uso de la inteligencia artificial ‒en adelante, IA‒ predictiva ha transformado profundamente la labor de las Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado, así como la de los órganos jurisdiccionales.
En el caso de la Policía, se ha producido un cambio significativo en la organización de las estrategias de prevención e investigación del delito, sustituyendo su instinto natural y tradicional investigativo por cálculos matemáticos realizados por IA. Estamos ante la llamada vigilancia y la investigación predictiva. Por su parte, los jueces, en la actualidad, también se auxilian de algoritmos en la toma de decisiones. A esto se le denomina justicia penal predictiva.
El presente estudio tiene como objetivo examinar los beneficios que las herramientas de IA predictiva aportan a la prevención, a la investigación y al proceso penal. Ahora bien, también identificar sus limitaciones y explorar las oportunidades que presentan estos sistemas. La finalidad de este estudio es que, en todo caso, se garantice la protección de los derechos fundamentales de los ciudadanos.
Evaluation of the nutritional value of fermented pangasius fish waste and its potential as a poultry feed supplement
Authors: Abun Abun , Rusmana Denny , Haetami Kiki , Widjastuti Tuti
Published: February 2025

Background and Aim: The increasing global demand for sustainable and nutrient-dense poultry feed necessitates innovative approaches to utilize byproducts such as pangasius fish waste. This study explores the potential of bioconverted fermented pangasius fish waste (FPW) produced through microbial fermentation as a poultry feed supplement.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, bioconversion of pangasius fish waste utilized a microbial consortium (PaRmYl: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Rhizopus microsporus, and Yarrowia lipolytica) at varying inoculum doses (5%, 10%, and 20%) and fermentation durations (2, 4, and 8 days). Nutritional content, enzyme activity, and antioxidant properties were analyzed. The second stage involved biological testing on 90 broiler chickens (randomized into three treatment groups with 30 replications each) to assess digestibility and nitrogen retention of FPW-based feed.

Results: Fermentation with a 10% inoculum dose over 4 days yielded the optimal nutritional composition, with crude protein content increasing to 37.27%, enhanced amino acid (EAA/NEAA ratio: 0.88), and fatty acid profiles (notably ω-3 and ω-6). Protease and lipase activity peaked at 1.49 U/mL and 1.21 U/mL, respectively, with antioxidant activity showing an IC50 value of 39.84 ppm. Biological tests demonstrated significantly higher dry matter digestibility (75.53%) and nitrogen retention (75.53%) in broilers fed FPW compared to non-fermented feed.

Conclusion: FPW, produced through microbial bioconversion, offers a sustainable and cost-effective poultry feed supplement, enhancing digestibility and nutrient retention while addressing environmental concerns related to fish processing waste.

Keywords: amino acids, bioconversion, enzyme activity, fatty acids, fermented fish waste, poultry feed supplement.
A Stable Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Scheme: Application on Free Surface Flows with Open Boundaries
Authors: Halada T. , Beneš L.
Published: February 2025

In Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method, dealing with free surface flows, artificial viscosity is frequently used to stabilize the computations. Artificial viscosity is associated with excessive dissipation. However, using only the physical viscosity, issues with stability arise. In fact, artificial viscosity hides some of the problems of a widely used SPH schemes. In order to resolve stability issues, we employed conservative modification of boundary integrals formulation of boundary conditions together with midpoint scheme to solve free surface flows in three-dimensional open geometries including open boundaries.
Artificial Intelligence for Simulation of Soot Deposits: from 2D to 3D Estimates
Authors: Khýr M. , Isoz M. , Plachá M.
Published: February 2025

The accumulation of soot within the porous microstructure of catalytic filters (CFs) impacts the overall performance of the device, making the prediction of soot distribution a major challenge in the design of CFs. We previously developed a neural network that leverages convolutional autoencoders and fully-connected layers and demonstrated that this network can effectively estimate the distribution of deposited soot within two-dimensional model microstructures. In this contribution, we expand on the previously devised model, by exploring its possible extension to processing three-dimensional data from real-world catalytic filter microstructures. Specifically, we examine and compare three principally different approaches to generating three-dimensional estimates, spanning from a posteriori reconstructions to the application of fully three-dimensional convolutional networks.
Improving QCM Biosensor Efficiency by Flow Cell Modification
Authors: Kubíčková L. , Studeník O. , Plachá M. , Isoz M.
Published: February 2025

Biosensors based on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) are often used for detection of biomolecules, pathogens, or viruses. The biological analyte gets captured at the QCM crystal surface, leading to a change in the crystal resonant frequency and analyte detection. However, with standard biosensor geometry, most of the analyte is captured in regions where the crystal sensitivity is limited. In this work, we investigate how changes in the biosensor geometry influence the spatial distribution of the captured analyte. Using a custom implementation of an immersed boundary method, we add obstacles on the non-detecting top wall of the biosensor flow cell, which is motivated by the possibility to 3D print this surface. Next, we simulate the biomolecules as Lagrangian particles with the Brownian motion taken into account and evaluate the probability of the analyte detection. Several different variants of obstacle shapes and layouts were tested. With the best obstacle configuration found, the amount of analyte captured in the most sensitive region of the crystal was 17% higher than in the standard configuration. The obtained results may be used (i) to generate QCM sensor geometries and validate this computational study, and (ii) as a basis for the development of less computationally demanding models usable in automatic optimization of the QCM biosensor geometry.
Frequency Analysis of the Wake Behind a Baffle in the PBT Mixing Vessel
Authors: Procházka P. , Uruba V. , Brůha T.
Published: February 2025

This article is devoted to an experimental investigation of the flow field behind a radial baffles located in a mixing vessel equipped with a pitched blade turbine (PBT) impeller pumping downward. The dynamics of the flow is studied using time-resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) anemometry method and the various modes are detected using Oscillation Pattern Decomposition (OPD) method. Through OPD analysis, the quasiperiodical structures are revealed and highlighted in the flow structures of the vortex wake. This research explores frequencies which did not exceed blade passage frequency (BPF). Such results can be very helpful to validate CFD models and to design vessels with better efficiency of mixing process.
Features of the Vortex Structures in Cavities of Different Depth
Authors: Rozumnuk N. , Baskova O. , Kravchenko V. , Baskova G.
Published: February 2025

The vortex flow features in and behind three-dimensional cavities with rectangular cross sections were studied based on direct numerical simulations. The Reynolds numbers range of Rew ≈ 5000…10000 and non-isothermal flow were considered. The results obtained showed a significant dependence of vortical flow on the cavity depth. The cavity flow variations in the transverse direction were obtained that can propagate into the external flow and induce earlier development of downstream instability, while the presence of a cavity does not change essentially the integral characteristics of the channel flow under the considered conditions.
Numerical Study of Characteristics and Cavitation Phenomena in a Centrifugal Pump Impeller
Authors: Yahi F. , Meziane A. , Hamnoune Y. , Merabet N. , Azril N. , Talamali A. , Zemouri Abdelhalim
Published: February 2025

This study focuses on the numerical analysis of characteristics and cavitation phenomena within centrifugal pumps, which are critical in various industrial applications. Firstly, we begin this investigation by analyzing the steady state to determine various characteristics of the centrifugal pump under study, including the head, net positive suction head, and the characteristic curve H = f (Qv). Using ANSYS CFX, we tested three different meshes to obtain a solution that aligns well with the manufacturer’s data (Nominal Flow Rate (Q), Head (H), Motor Power (P), Rotational Speed (rpm), Efficiency and NPSHrequired (required Net Positive Suction Head giving by the manufacturer)). Secondly, we proceed to study the cavitation phenomenon, which can dramatically affect pump performance and durability, leading to efficiency loss, noise, vibration, and structural damage. By considering an unsteady state regime and simulating different operating conditions, this research aims to understand the influence of key parameters, including impeller design and inlet pressure, on the intensity and location of cavitation. In our study, we focused on the variation of the inlet pressure (0.47 bar ≤ Pa ≤ 0.67 bar), which affects the NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) and plays a significant role in the occurrence of cavitation. The results provide insights into minimizing cavitation effects, enhancing pump performance, and extending pump lifespan.
Cytotoxicity and Apoptotic Effects of Microcystin-LR and Anatoxin-a in Mouse Lymphocytes
Authors: Teneva I. , Mladenov R. , Popov N. , Dzhambazov Balik M.
Published: February 2025

There is an increasing amount of knowledge on the cytotoxic properties of cyanotoxins, but relatively little is known regarding their fine specificity and mechanisms of action. In this study, we investigated the influence of microcystin-LR and AnTx-a on mouse B- and T-lymphocyte subpopulations in vitro. Cyanotoxins significantly decreased the cell viability after 4 and 24 h, compared to the untreated control. After 24 h exposure to microcystin-LR and anatoxin-a, the viability of splenocytes dropped to 23% and 57%, respectively. Our data demonstrate that microcystin-LR induced apoptosis specifically in mouse B cells, probably via the B-cell antigen receptor and mitochondrial pathway, while the T cells were not affected. AnTx-a showed cytotoxic effects on both lymphocyte subpopulations, but the effects were driven by mechanisms different from apoptosis. These findings demonstrate that the cyanotoxins could cause cytotoxic alterations in a variety of cell types different from the major targets, operating via distinct mechanisms.
PARQO: Penalty-Aware Robust Plan Selection in Query Optimization
Authors: Xiu Haibo , Agarwal Pankaj K. , Yang Jun
Published: February 2025

The effectiveness of a query optimizer relies on the accuracy of selectivity estimates. The execution plan generated by the optimizer can be extremely poor in reality due to uncertainty in these estimates. This paper presents
PARQO
(
P
enalty-
A
ware
R
obust Plan Selection in
Q
uery
O
ptimization), a novel system where users can define powerful robustness metrics that assess the expected penalty of a plan with respect to true optimal plans under uncertain selectivity estimates. PARQO uses workload-informed profiling to build error models, and employs principled sensitivity analysis techniques to identify human-interpretable selectivity dimensions with the largest impact on penalty. Experiments on three benchmarks demonstrate that PARQO finds robust, performant plans, and enables efficient and effective parametric optimization.
Topology-Preserving Graph Coarsening: An Elementary Collapse-Based Approach
Authors: Meng Yuchen , Li Rong-Hua , Lin Longlong , Li Xunkai , Wang Guoren
Published: February 2025

Graph coarsening techniques aim at simplifying the graph structure while preserving key properties in the resulting coarsened graph, have been widely used in graph partitioning and graph neural networks (GNNs). Existing graph coarsening techniques mainly focus on preserving cuts or graph spectrums. In this paper, we propose a new method that focuses on preserving graph topological features. In particular, we develop a novel graph coarsening approach, called Graph Elementary Collapse (GEC), by extending the concept of elementary collapse in algebraic topology to graph analysis. With this novel method, we can ensure a kind of equivalence relationship called
homotopy equivalence
of the graph during the coarsening process, thereby preserving numerous topological properties, including connectivity, rings, and voids. To enhance the scalability, we also propose several carefully-designed optimization techniques to reduce the time and memory consumption of our approach. Extensive experiments on several real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method across various GNN prediction tasks.
Powering In-Database Dynamic Model Slicing for Structured Data Analytics
Authors: Zeng Lingze , Xing Naili , Cai Shaofeng , Chen Gang , Ooi Beng Chin , Pei Jian , Wu Yuncheng
Published: February 2025

Relational database management systems (RDBMS) are widely used for the storage of structured data. To derive insights beyond statistical aggregation, we typically have to extract specific subdatasets from the database using conventional database operations, and then apply deep neural networks (DNN) training and inference on these subdatasets in a separate analytics system. The process can be prohibitively expensive, especially when there are various subdatasets extracted for different analytical purposes. This calls for efficient in-database support of advanced analytical methods.

In this paper, we introduce LEADS, a novel SQL-aware dynamic model slicing technique to customize models for specified SQL queries. LEADS improves the predictive modeling of structured data via the mixture of experts (MoE) and maintains efficiency by a SQL-aware gating network. At the core of LEADS is the construction of a general model with multiple expert sub-models trained over the database. The MoE scales up the modeling capacity, enhances effectiveness, and preserves efficiency by activating necessary experts via the SQL-aware gating network during inference. To support in-database analytics, we build an inference extension that integrates LEADS onto PostgreSQL. Our extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate that LEADS consistently outperforms the baseline models, and the in-database inference extension delivers a considerable reduction in inference latency compared to traditional solutions.
Evaluation of current indirect methods for measuring LDL-cholesterol
Authors: Drobnik Sophia , Scharnagl Hubert , Samani Nilesh J. , Braund Peter S. , Nelson Christopher P. , Hollstein Tim , Kassner Ursula , Dressel Alexander , Drobnik Wolfgang , März Winfried
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Accurately quantifying low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for precise cardiovascular disease risk assessment and treatment decisions. The commonly used Friedewald equation (LDL-CFW) has faced criticism for its tendency to underestimate LDL-C, particularly at high triglycerides (TG) or low LDL-C, potentially leading to undertreatment. Newer equations, such as those by Martin and Hopkins (LDL-CMH) or Sampson (LDL-CSN), have been proposed as alternatives. Our study aimed to assess the validity of LDL-CFW, LDL-CMH, and LDL-CSN compared to ß-quantification (LDL-CUC), the reference method recommended by the Lipid Research Clinics.

Methods

Using data from three studies comprising 5,738 datasets, LDL-C was determined with the four methods in samples with TG up to 5.65 mmol/L. We calculated median and mean differences, correlations, and used the Passing and Bablok regression for comparisons. Concordance/discordance analyses were conducted.

Results

All equations provided generally accurate LDL-C estimations with slight differences among them. At TG<1.69 mmol/L, no clinically significant divergences were observed. As TG values increased, LDL-CFW offered the most accurate estimation, followed by LDL-CSN, while LDL-CMH exhibited increasingly strong positive bias. LDL-CFW was not inferior to LDL-CSN and LDL-CMH in terms of concordance/discordance.

Conclusions

LDL-CFW generally provided reliable estimates of LDL-C in most samples, showing non-inferiority to LDL-CSN or LDL-CMH, thereby confirming its legitimacy for routine use. Since current treatment recommendations are based on studies employing LDL-CFW, its replacement by alternatives is not justified.
Differential levels of thyroid hormones, cortisol, and apolipoprotein M in fatty liver disease
Authors: Zargar Amir Mohammad , Tayebinia Heidar , Hasanzarrini Maryam , Bahiraei Mohamad , Mohagheghi Sina
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), recently reclassified as metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), can also manifest in patients classified as non-MAFLD who do not meet MAFLD criteria. The involvement of cortisol and thyroid hormones may play a role in the pathogenesis of FLD by modifying the metabolism of specific lipoproteins, particularly apolipoprotein M (Apo M). This study investigated cortisol and thyroid hormones levels and Apo M gene expression in white blood cells (WBCs) of individuals with MAFLD, non-MAFLD, and healthy controls.

Methods

The serum and WBCs of the study subjects were collected from patients with FLD (n=99) including 58 MAFLD and 41 non-MAFLD and healthy individuals (n=23). To investigate the gene expression of Apo M and thyroid and cortisol hormones, qRT-PCR and ELISA methods were used, respectively.

Results

The Apo M gene expression was significantly lower in FLD patients, both non-MAFLD, and MAFLD patients compared to the control group (p<0.05). Total T4 and TSH hormone levels in the MAFLD patients were significantly decreased and increased compared to the control group, respectively (p<0.05). The cortisol level was significantly elevated in the FLD and MAFLD patients compared to the control group (p<0.01).

Conclusions

Alterations in Apo M gene expression also cortisol and thyroid hormones levels in non-MAFLD patients were milder than MAFLD patients when compared to the control. Also, likely Apo M may be involved in FLD pathogenesis.
Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and properties of CrVNiAlCu high-entropy alloy
Authors: Bai Shijie , Xiao Yifeng , Wu Liang , Zhang Qiankun
Published: February 2025

This study employs X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical workstations, and hardness testers to evaluate the impact of annealing temperatures (600, 700, and 800°C) on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of the CrVNiAlCu high-entropy alloy. Findings demonstrate that the as-cast alloy is composed of copper-rich FCC and chromium-rich BCC phases. With increasing annealing temperatures, the alloy’s crystals transform into dendritic structures, accompanied by the precipitation of new phases. The as-cast alloy displays a peak hardness of 674 HV, which significantly reduces after annealing. Moreover, annealing treatment reduces lattice distortion and element segregation in the alloy, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the alloy. Importantly, the alloy attains its highest corrosion resistance after annealing at 800°C.
Mechanism research on inhibition of gastric cancer in vitro by the extract of Pinellia ternata based on network pharmacology and cellular metabolomics
Authors: Feng Fan , Hu Ping , Chen Jun , Peng Lei , Wang Luyao , Tao Xingkui , Lian Chaoqun
Published: February 2025

Background and purpose

Gastric cancer is a kind of malignant tumor with high incidence and high mortality, which has strong tumor heterogeneity. A classic Chinese medicine, Pinellia ternata (PT), was shown to exert therapeutic effects on gastric cancer cells. However, its chemical and pharmacological profiles remain to be elucidated. In the current study, we aimed to reveal the mechanism of PT in treating gastric cancer cells through metabolomic analysis and network pharmacology.

Methods

Metabolomic analysis of two strains of gastric cancer cells treated with the Pinellia ternata extract (PTE) was used to identify differential metabolites, and the metabolic pathways were enriched by MetaboAnalyst. Then, network pharmacology was applied to dig out the potential targets against gastric cancer cells induced by PTE. The integrated network of metabolomics and network pharmacology was constructed based on Cytoscape.

Results

The PTE was confirmed to significantly inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HGC-27 and BGC-823 cells. The results of cellular metabolomics showed that 61 metabolites were differently expressed in gastric cancer cells of the experimental and control groups. Through pathway enrichment analysis, 16 metabolites were found to be involved in the glycerophospholipid metabolism, purine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. Combined with network pharmacology, seven bioactive compounds were found in PT, and the networks of bioactive compound–target gene–metabolic enzyme–metabolite interactions were constructed.

Conclusions

In conclusion, this study revealed the complicated mechanisms of PT against gastric cancer. Our work provides a novel paradigm to identify the potential mechanisms of pharmacological effects derived from a natural compound.
Knowledge, awareness, and … skills? Instructional design choices in multicultural counseling
Authors: Redmond-Matz Trina , Mitchell Renae C. , James Kimberly M. , Flinn Jennifer A. , Jocoy Kathleen A.
Published: February 2025

The development of multiculturally competent counselors is an objective of graduate training programs affiliated with national counseling and psychology associations in the United States. While this area of scholarship and training is rapidly developing; it is not clear the degree to which “multicultural competency” is achieved, especially, the development of multicultural counseling skills. To attain information about multicultural counseling training, two surveys were conducted that queried graduate multicultural counseling instructors about curriculum and experiences teaching. These individuals were solicited by e-mail to take part in online surveys, in 2009 and 2020. Educators indicated that they developed diverse curricula using simulations, advocacy instruction, field experiences, and cultural exposure. This diversity however, also indicates lack of uniformity and consensus regarding multicultural skills training, both in curricular content and assessment. Additionally, training appears to be culturally constrained due to the homogeneity in instructor and student identities, inattention to communication/language differences and exclusion of indigenous/traditional healing practices and practitioners. The multicultural counseling field may be enhanced by increasing diversity in instructors and trainees, explicit attention to diversity in language and communication, and incorporating the contributions of international, traditional/indigenous investigators and practitioners.
The lacked access to beef in the low-income region: An evidence from the eastern part of Indonesia
Authors: Nazaruddin La Ode , Aulia Qisthina , Gyenge Balázs , Fekete-Farkas Mária , Szabó Kinga
Published: February 2025

Indonesia generally has better food security performance, but the extent of food access at the commodity and regional level still needs to be questioned. The present study examines the causes of purchasing frequency and dietary habits of beef (access to beef) in eastern Indonesia, a low-income region. The variables under study are related to Turner’s and colleagues’ model, so the other aim of the present study is to prove the workability of the model. This research used a survey by randomly distributing an online questionnaire from July to October 2023 to 408 meat consumers/buyers in Indonesia’s western part (high-income region) and eastern part (low-income region). Data collected from the survey were analysed mainly using the structural equation modelling technique using RStudio. This study discovered that people in eastern Indonesia purchase beef less frequently, which is caused by low incomes and high prices. People in east Indonesia also have irregular beef consumption habits contributed by infrequent purchasing, low incomes, and high prices. Moreover, the extended model proposed by Turner and colleagues is workable under a moderation test with limited variables (e.g., price, income, geographical factor, and food purchase). Besides the findings, this study has made scientific contributions to food accessibility and consumer behaviour, developed an extended model by Turner and colleagues, and conducted a comparative study on beef consumption (between marginal and non-marginal regions and between coastal and non-coastal regions). The efforts to improve accessibility to food will contribute to achieving zero goals under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Radiolytic alterations to neptunium extraction and redox in 30 % tri-n-butyl phosphate
Authors: Dunbar Joshua R. , Peterman Dean R. , Jensen Mark P.
Published: February 2025

The extraction of neptunium in the +IV, +V, and +VI oxidation states was studied in irradiated solutions of 30 % tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) in dodecane as well as in synthetic mixtures of TBP with its primary radiolysis product, di-n-butyl phosphoric acid (HDBP). Extraction of all three oxidation states was increased by irradiation, with the most dramatic effect for Np(IV). Without stabilization of the neptunium oxidation state, the irradiated organic phase displayed redox activity toward the Np(VI/V) couple, achieving a Np(VI):Np(V) ratio set by absorbed dose, independent of starting oxidation state. In synthetic TBP-HDBP mixtures, Np(VI) was extracted better than in the irradiated case, while Np(IV) displayed similar behavior between the two systems. The presence of HDBP resulted in greater equilibrium Np(VI):Np(V) ratios when contacting a Np(V) solution in 4 M HNO3 with the synthetic mixture. Tetravalent neptunium also formed precipitates in the presence of HDBP at low acidities or high HDBP concentrations. All evidence points toward an ion-exchange extraction mechanism, where DBP−, rather than nitrate, coordinates to Np(IV) or Np(VI). Reductive stripping of Np(VI) from degraded organic phases using nitrous acid was unsuccessful, indicating that Np(VI) reduction is inhibited by the presence of HDBP.
The significance of taking a spiritual history: A randomized controlled study in a sample of German psychotherapists
Authors: Reininger Klaus Michael , Akpinar Seda , Schweizer Katinka
Published: February 2025

Background: In the past, psychotherapists have neglected religious and spiritual issues compared to other themes like sexuality or somatic experiences.

Objective: We aim to determine if psychotherapists view taking a spiritual history as less important than taking a sexual or somatic history when patients report a spiritual crisis vs. a sexual crisis vs. a somatic crisis as causes for their depressive states.

Method: Using a randomized controlled 3-group-between-subjects design, 117 psychotherapists were randomly assigned to one of three groups and presented with a fictional case vignette of a depressed patient, who reported either a spiritual vs. sexual, vs. somatic crisis as a cause for depression. As dependent variables, we assessed the importance that each group attached to taking a spiritual history, a sexual, or somatic history.

Results: Psychotherapists in the spiritual-crisis condition considered taking a spiritual history significantly less important than psychotherapists in the sexual-crisis condition placed on taking a sexual history (d = 0.47) and psychotherapists in the somatic-crisis condition placed on taking a somatic history (d = 0.57).

Discussion: Our findings show a bias against taking a spiritual history compared to a sexual and a somatic history. This bias could be addressed in the psychotherapy training as the process of taking a spiritual history constitutes a significant component of psychotherapy, one that is particularly sensitive to cultural and religious diversity.
Renting History
Authors: Whetstone Brian
Published: February 2025

House museums and historic sites have long functioned as unconventional providers of housing where employees who live onsite provide rental payments or exchange labor for housing. This article charts the growth of renting among house museums from the early twentieth century to the 1990s. House museums came to constitute a new class of landlord while tenants emerged as critical agents in the preservation of these sites. Whereas scholarship on the evolution of public history practice has focused on the public-facing labor of museum employees, shifting the focus to museum apartments reveals the intertwined nature of housing and labor in the growth of public history in the last century.
Problems of Ukrainian phonetic terminology (articulatory aspect)
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Bas-Kononenko Oksana
Published: February 2025

The article examines some problems of Ukrainian phonetic terminology, draws attention to the importance of basic anatomical and physiological information for determining the articulatory characteristics of sound units of language.
The oral form of speech is the sound “face” of the language, therefore it is important that information about the pronunciation norms of the literary language is not only accessible to the general public, but also correct and scientifically based.
Unfortunately, in scientific, educational and methodological, and popular scientific literature, there are cases of the use of inappropriate or incorrect phonetic terms, descriptions of articulatory and acoustic characteristics of sounds.
Phonetics as a branch of linguistics is special in that, in addition to general scientific and actually linguistic terms, it has a special basic vocabulary organically and objectively connected with the concepts of related sciences – biology (human anatomy and physiology) and physics (acoustics). Experimental phonetics reveals the objective material nature of speech sounds with the help of articulatory and acoustic methods of research, and therefore helps to ensure the scientific correctness of phonetic terminology.
Sound formation is a coordinated, automatic process in which various systems and organs of the human body participate. Correct understanding of the structure of the speech apparatus, and of the actions of the speech organs provides the most clear and unambiguous description of all structural elements and phenomena of the phonetic level of the language system. The use of correct phonetic terminology is also important in related fields of knowledge, in particular in speech therapy. The most typical reasons for the emergence of terminological inconsistencies and errors are false or superficial ideas about the general processes and mechanisms of speech production, misunderstanding of the structure of the speech apparatus itself.
The article gives examples of incorrectly used phonetic terms, points out errors in the descriptions of the articulation of Ukrainian consonant sounds [в] ([w]), [ч], [д͡ж], [г] in speech therapy sources. To explain objective information about the articulatory characteristics of these sounds, materials (palatograms and cineradiographic images) from the funds of the Laboratory of Experimental Phonetics of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv were used.
Keywords: Ukrainian language, phonetic terminology, experimental phonetics, speech apparatus, articulation, speech therapy.
Pet and wild rodents as hosts of Giardia duodenalis in Central Europe, Hungary
Authors: Tuska-Szalay Barbara , Sipos Ditta , Czabán Dávid , Kalmár Zsuzsa , Keve Gergő , Szekeres Sándor , Kelemen Barbara Szilvia , Sándor Attila D. , Hornok Sándor
Published: February 2025

Rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) are among the ubiquitous hosts of Giardia duodenalis, as they can harbour at least six assemblages of this species, including the zoonotic assemblages A and B. However, studies targeting a broad spectrum of rodents and rabbits sampled in the same region are scarce, even in Europe. During this study, 164 samples were collected from five rodent species and rabbits in five locations in Hungary, to examine the presence of G. duodenalis with traditional parasitological and molecular methods. Parasitological analysis revealed the presence of cysts in 58.3% of asymptomatic Norway rats and 27.6% of chinchillas. Three degus were also found Giardia-infected (prevalence: 16.7%) using flotation technique. With PCR targeting three genetic markers, 3.2% of the samples showed positivity, whereas a rate of 21.9% prevalence was detected with flotation. The PCR products of five samples could be DNA sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial sequences of the beta-giardin gene revealed the presence of assemblages B and G in rats. In addition, assemblage E was detected in a beaver, while assemblage B was present in a chinchilla. The results show that synanthropic rodent species have different epidemiological roles in the study region, depending on the prevalence of shedding Giardia cysts or harbouring zoonotic variants of G. duodenalis. Moreover, our findings confirm that pet rodents may pose a risk for zoonotic Giardia-transmission.