bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Efforts to Improve the Accuracy and Precision of Carbonate Clumped‐Isotope Analysis
Authors: Oikawa Kazuma , Abe Osamu , Iryu Yasufumi
Published: October 2024

The carbonate clumped‐isotope thermometer, a relatively recent innovation, is based on the strong relationship between 13C‐18O bond abundance in carbonates and their formation temperature. It can measure temperatures solely based on the CO2 extracted from carbonates and has attracted attention as it accurately reconstructs surface water temperatures on a geological timescale. However, at the time of development, there were many limitations in its application to paleoenvironmental reconstruction such as the large sample size (10 mg), the complicated organic contaminant removal process, and the lack of internationally recognized carbonate standards, and improvements in the measurement method were required. Here, we review the studies conducted since the thermometer development to improve the accuracy and precision of carbonate clumped‐isotope analysis. Finally, we discuss advanced carbonate clumped‐isotope analysis methods, including laser spectroscopy.
Tasks, wages and new technologies
Authors: Cnossen Femke
Published: October 2024

This paper addresses the role of technology in shaping worker‐level task prices, exploiting within‐occupation variation using a unique survey linked to administrative data for over 180,000 Dutch workers between 2014 and 2020. Nonroutine abstract and interactive tasks are related to wage premia, and routine tasks to wage penalties. However, these task returns vary according to exposure to the types of (new) technology, such as computers, robots and artificial intelligence. Overall, wages are higher in technology‐intensive industries, but newer technologies target non‐routine tasks differently. This may have profound implications for the nonroutine wage premium given the rise of artificial intelligence.
Biodegradable Temporising matrix in the reconstruction of complex wounds: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lane George , Fitzpatrick Niall James , Kastritsi Olga , Matzakanis Georgios , Braimah Fatima , Nordin Mohamad Nazmi M. , Asaju Ayobami , Aziz Fouad Tariq , Rahman Shafiq , Rollett Rebecca
Published: October 2024

Objective

To assess the efficacy of biodegradable temporising matrix (BTM) in complex wound reconstruction.

Methods

The authors conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis as per the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta‐analysis (PRISMA) guidelines following a literature search assessing BTM in complex wound reconstruction. The primary outcome measures included the proportion of BTM integration as well as integration time. Secondary outcomes included graft take over BTM, infection rate and other complications as well as scar outcome.

Results

Twenty six studies met the inclusion criteria with a total of 1153 complex wounds. The mean proportional integration was 92.7% at (95% confidence intervals [CI] 88.57, 96.87, p < 0.001) with a mean integration time of 34.05 days (95% CI 33.33, 34.79, p < 0.001). The infection rate was low at 12.6% with an untransformed proportion metric assessment (0.126, 0.08–0.168, p < 0.001) at the site of BTM application. Favourable scar outcomes were reported using the matching assessment using photographs with scars (MAPS) and patient and observer scar assessment scales (POSAS).

Conclusion

BTM offers a robust dermal template in reconstruction of complex wounds. The authors recommend for randomised controlled trials to enhance the current evidence base.
Effects of copper on hydroxyapatite thin films by pulsed laser deposition on silicon
Authors: Bohorquez‐Santiago Leonardo , Devia‐Narvaez Diana M. , Ospina‐Ospina Rogelio , Torres‐Ceron Darwin A. , Amaya‐Roncancio Sebastian , Martinez Sebastian , Castillo‐Paz Angelica M. , Rodriguez‐Garcia Mario E.
Published: October 2024

This study deals with the effect of Cu on hydroxyapatite (HAp) thin films on silicon substrates prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for Cu concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.8 wt.%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy provide additional evidence of HAp in the films, which exhibit characteristic HAp bands such as the 960 cm−1 phosphate ion band. The X‐ray diffraction patterns confirm the presence of HAp, without copper‐related peaks, suggesting that it is not incorporated into the HAp lattice, which is present as an amorphous phase. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the presence of Cu on the HAp thin films, possibly related to the adsorption of Cu2+ on HAp surfaces through electrostatic or interactions with (PO4)3− groups. Atomic force microscopy shows that the roughness of the films varies depending on the presence or absence of copper ions. Finally, density functional theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations explain the effects of atomic diffusion on roughness and HAp clustering. These changes correlate with the contact angle values, indicating the formation of hydrophobic films due to copper inclusions.
Genetic Perspectives on Feed Event, Meal and Feed Efficiency Traits in Bos taurus indicus Beef Cattle
Authors: Valente Júlia de Paula Soares , Mota Lúcio Flávio Macedo , Rodrigues Gustavo Roberto Dias , Deniz Matheus , Malheiros Jessica Moraes , Canesin Roberta Carrilho , Dias Laila Talarico , Costa João Henrique Cardoso , Mercadante Maria Eugênia Zerlotti
Published: October 2024

Electronic feeders record feeding behaviour as feed events by tracking the animal's in‐out visits to the feeder. Another way to measure feeding behaviour is based on meals. However, the two approaches provide different outcomes. The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters (heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations) for feed event and meal traits, and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with feed efficiency traits in Nellore cattle. The present study analysed six feed event traits (DMIFE: dry matter intake per feed event, FED: feed event duration, TBFE: time between feed events, FTd: feeding time per day, FEd: feed events per day, and FR: feeding rate), six meal traits (DMIME: DMI per meal, MED: meal duration, TBME: time between meals, MC: meal criterion, MTd: meal time per day, and MEd: meals per day), and three feed efficiency traits (ADG: average daily gain, DMI, and RFI: residual feed intake). The traits were measured in feed efficiency tests of Nellore cattle (age = 280 ± 41 days and body weight = 258 ± 47 kg at enrolment). The MC was calculated for each animal and ranged from 1.70 to 64.0 min, i.e., any pair of feed events separated by less than the MC value was considered part of the same meal. The heritabilities and correlations were estimated by fitting univariate and bivariate animal models, respectively, using single‐step genomic BLUP. The highest heritabilities for feed event traits were 0.35 ± 0.06 (FED), 0.39 ± 0.06 (FTd), and 0.50 ± 0.05 (FTd), and for meal traits were 0.31 ± 0.06 (MED) and 0.45 ± 0.06 (MTd). The genetic correlation between feed event traits and meal traits were weak. FR, FED, and FTd had moderate genetic correlations with RFI (−0.56 ± 0.11, 0.44 ± 0.11, 0.60 ± 0.08, respectively). These results indicate that more efficient animals spent less time at the feeder per feed event and per day, and eat faster compared to less efficient animals. In conclusion, feed event and meal traits must be treated as distinct groups of traits since the genetic and phenotypic correlations were, in general, weak to moderate. Among feed event versus meal traits, feed event traits are more favourable to explain the genetic relationships of feeding behaviour with feed efficiency‐related traits.
Liver metastases in high‐grade neuroendocrine neoplasms: A comparative study of hepatic tumor volume and biochemical findings in NETG3 versus NEC
Authors: Melhorn Philipp , Raderer Markus , Mazal Peter , Berchtold Luzia , Beer Lucian , Kiesewetter Barbara
Published: October 2024

Abnormal liver blood tests and liver tumor burden are known prognostic factors in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN). However, the relationship between biochemical liver parameters and hepatic tumor load is largely unknown in NEN and in high‐grade NEN (G3) specifically. The primary objective of this study was to correlate the biochemical parameters and liver tumor volume of patients with neuroendocrine tumors grade 3 (NET G3) or neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC). We wanted to investigate whether patients with NET G3 with extensive liver involvement had less severely elevated laboratory liver parameters than NEC patients. In total, 46 patients with NEN were included, 31 had NEC and 15 NET G3. All patients had distant metastatic disease, with liver metastases being the most common (n = 39). Both laboratory results and semiautomatic volumetric measurements of liver tumor burden were obtainable for 34 patients at baseline and 26 patients at follow‐up. Alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma‐GT (gGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased significantly between the two time periods (p < .01). In a regression model, liver tumor burden significantly affected several blood parameters, for example, increasing AP, gGT, LDH, and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) by a factor of 1.02–1.04 per unit increase (1% tumor burden; all p < .001). AP, gGT, and LDH were significantly lower in NET G3 (factor of 0.43–0.68) than in NEC. Here, we found that liver chemistries changed over the NEN disease course, correlated with hepatic tumor burden, and differed by histologic subtype. The current data can potentially guide treatment decisions, for example, with regard to integration of liver‐directed therapies.
The Effects of Task Repetition on the Processing and Acquisition of Technical Vocabulary Through Video‐Lecture‐Based Tasks: A Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Shi Danni , Révész Andrea , Pellicer‐Sánchez Ana
Published: October 2024

This study investigated how repeating a video‐lecture‐based task affects second language (L2) learners’ processing and incidental acquisition of technical vocabulary as well as the relationship between processing and lexical gains. The participants were 75 Chinese learners of L2 English. Thirty participants performed the task once (control group), whereas another 30 participants did the same task three times (repetition group). The two groups then completed unannounced vocabulary posttests. The remaining participants engaged in stimulated recall after performing the task once, twice, or three times. The repetition group made greater gains in vocabulary knowledge than the control group, and the repetition group's visual attention to the target words declined during repeated viewing. The amount of attention to the target words emerged as a predictor of delayed meaning recall, with task repetition decreasing the strength of this relationship. Stimulated‐recall participants repeating the task reported increased awareness of specific aspects of the target words.
POU2F2 activates the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway and enhances B lymphocyte function during diabetic kidney disease by promoting PIK3CD transcription
Authors: Li Xiaoxia , Cao Shukun , Zi Xiaolin , Yu Haiqiao , Mao Chunmei
Published: October 2024

Background

Phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate 3‐kinase catalytic subunit delta (PIK3CD) is the predominant isoform of the catalytic subunit of PI3K in lymphocytes. Based on comprehensive bioinformatics, this study explores the functions of PIK3CD in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression in mice and B lymphocyte activity.

Methods

Non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice that spontaneously develop DKD were applied as animal models. Lentiviral vector‐mediated PIK3CD silencing was introduced in mice, followed by histological staining and biomarker assessments to evaluate DKD‐associated symptoms. The activity of the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway was determined by western blot analysis. Following bioinformatics analyses, the interaction between POU class 2 homeobox 2 (POU2F2) and PIK3CD in B lymphocytes was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Their functions in B cell function were identified by MTT, flow cytometry and IgG deposition assessment.

Results

PIK3CD was found to be highly expressed in the kidney of DKD mice. Knockdown of PIK3CD inactivated the Akt/mTOR signalling, thus ameliorating tissue injury and fibrosis, enhancing the expression of AQP1 and decreasing urinary NGAL contents, UACR, BUN and β‐NAG/creatinine ratio. These effects were negated by the Akt‐specific activator SC79. POU2F2 was found to promote PIK3CD transcription by binding to its promoter, thus activating the Akt/mTOR pathway. Knockdown of POU2F2 suppressed B cell proliferation in vitro and decreased B cell population and IgG deposition in the mouse kidney. However, these trends were reversed upon additional PIK3CD overexpression.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that POU2F2 mediates PIK3CD‐dependent Akt/mTOR signalling activation, thus enhancing B lymphocyte function and promoting DKD progression.

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Impact of Topical Fluocinonide on Oral Lichen Planus Evolution: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Polizzi Alessandro , Tartaglia Gianluca Martino , Santonocito Simona , Alibrandi Angela , Verzì Anna Elisa , Isola Gaetano
Published: October 2024

Objective

To examine the impact of fluocinonide 0.05% gel formulation for the topical treatment of oral lichen planus (OLP).

Methods

Through an RCT design, 47 patients with OLP were randomly allocated for topical OLP treatment with fluocinonide 0.05% (n = 23) or placebo (n = 24). Patients were examined for OLP symptoms, signs, disease severity, and extension score changes over 6‐month follow‐up.

Results

After 6 months, in comparison with placebo, patients treated with fluocinonide experienced a significant reduction of OLP symptoms (p = 0.024), signs (p = 0.014), and OLP extension score (p = 0.028). The two‐way ANOVA estimation models revealed that treatment with fluocinonide determined, at 6 months, a positive significant effect on the reduced OLP signs (p = 0.017), OLP symptoms (p = 0.026), and OLP extension score (p = 0.028). The multivariate regression analysis highlighted that anxiety, stress, and depression were significant predictors of every analyzed OLP outcome (p < 0.05 for each parameter) and that patients who had baseline anxiety, depression, and stress gained more benefits from fluocinonide at 6‐month follow‐up.

Conclusions

Topical fluocinonide 0.05% was more efficacious compared to placebo in reducing OLP outcomes at 6‐month follow‐up. Anxiety, depression, and stress were significant predictors of OLP outcomes and positively impacted the treatment with fluocinonide at 6 months.
C57BL/6 Peritoneal Macrophage Exosomes Improve Antileishmanial Functions of the RAW264.7 Cells
Authors: Gandomkar Hadis , Changaei Mostafa , Hosseini Mir Mohammadreza , Soudi Sara , Hosseini Ahmad Zavaran
Published: October 2024

Leishmaniasis is considered one of the most critical health concerns in the world. Unfortunately, no protective vaccines exist and conventional treatments are relatively ineffective. Therefore, new strategies are necessary against leishmaniasis. In recent years, exosomes have shown promising therapeutic outcomes in various diseases, including infectious diseases. In this regard, we aimed to explore the effect of the exosome, pyrimethamine and their combination on the anti‐parasitic function of RAW264.7 cells against Leishmania major. Exosomes were isolated from the C57BL/6 peritoneal macrophages. L. major infected and non‐infected RAW264.7 cells treated with exosomes, pyrimethamine (PM), and exosomes along with PM. The effect of the treatments was analysed on phagocytosis, efferocytosis, the intracellular parasite count, arginase activity, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Exosomes could significantly elevate the phagocytosis, efferocytosis, NO and ROS in both infected and non‐infected groups (Pv < 0.05). The exosomes reduced the arginase activity in both groups (Pv < 0.05). The intracellular parasite count was significantly lower after treatment with exosomes (Pv < 0.05). These results demonstrate that MQ‐derived exosomes can enhance in vitro anti‐parasitic responses against L. major. This provides a potential pathway for more effective treatments and underscores the importance of further research in this area.
National identification weakens, and territorial identification strengthens, the relationship between masculine honor values and the justification of practices of connivance with the mafia
Authors: Mirisola Alberto , Travaglino Giovanni A. , Giammusso Isabella
Published: October 2024

Organized crime's governance raises questions about mechanisms facilitating the exercise of illegal authority in society. The present research tested the association between masculine honor ideology and the justification of connivance practices facilitating criminal groups' activities. We examined the novel idea that national identification would attenuate and territorial identification would strengthen such a relationship, reflecting different sources of authority at the national and territorial levels. In Studies 1a and b (N = 398 and N = 399), we measured individuals' endorsement of masculine honor, justification of connivance practices, and national and territorial identifications. In Study 2 (N = 390), we experimentally manipulated the salience of these identities. Results supported the hypotheses that the link between masculine honor and justification of connivance was weaker at higher levels of national identification and stronger at higher levels of territorial identification. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Can't see the carbon for the CO2? Regulating CCU value chains under and beyond climate law
Authors: Yliheljo Emilie , Paloniitty Tiina
Published: October 2024

To realise the objectives of the European Green Deal (EGD), fossil carbon will have to be not only reduced but also replaced with recycled carbon. The European Commission considers industrial carbon management and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies to be part of the solution. A value chain ensues when carbon dioxide (CO2) is captured and utilised as raw material. Examination of the climate, energy and environmental legal landscape of one specific CCU value chain—comprising of waste, waste incineration and plastic raw material—reveals the varied approaches regulation has towards CO2 and carbon. In this article, both carbon cycle legislation and legislation on the carbon source and the material storing carbon are analysed. The legislation being developed directly for CCU for products (other than synthetic fuels) focusses on the carbon cycle and CO2 under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) and a proposed Carbon Removal Certification Framework. Regulatory uncertainty remains for the studied CCU value chain as the capture of CO2 from waste incineration has yet to be incentivised under the EU ETS. Further, the criteria for the permanence of carbon storage in products to qualify under the EU ETS and of the long‐term storage under the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) have yet to be developed. For a more complete understanding, we have also analysed waste and product regulations. The conceptual structure of the EU Waste Framework Directive does not seem to support circulating carbon. This context also raises the fundamental question of whether the purpose of waste incineration could be carbon recycling instead of mere energy production. Regarding material storing carbon, plastics, the regulator has been silent as CCU‐originated plastic raw material is not recognised in EU plastics law. These issues must be identified and resolved one by one before the EGD can be secured; revisiting only climate law instruments does not suffice.
Can clinical guidelines reduce variation in transfusion practice? A pre–post study of blood transfusions during cardiac surgery
Authors: Irving Adam , Harris Anthony , Petrie Dennis , Avdic Daniel , Smith Julian , Tran Lavinia , Reid Christopher M. , McQuilten Zoe K.
Published: October 2024

Background and Objectives

Previously published studies have consistently identified significant variation in red blood cell (RBC) transfusions during cardiac surgery. Clinical guidelines can be effective at improving the average quality of care; however, their impact on variation in practice is rarely studied. Herein, we estimated how variation in RBC use across cardiac surgeons changed after the publication of national patient blood management guidelines.

Materials and Methods

We performed a pre–post study estimating change in variation in RBC transfusions across 80 cardiac surgeons in 29 hospitals using a national cardiac surgery registry. Variation across surgeons was estimated using fixed‐effects regressions controlling for surgery and patient characteristics and an empirical Bayes shrinkage to adjust for sampling error. RBC use was measured by three metrics—the total number of units transfused, the proportion of patients transfused and the number of units transfused, conditional on receiving RBC.

Results

The primary analysis utilized 35,761 elective cardiac surgeries performed between March 2009 and February 2015 and identified a 24.5% reduction (p < 0.0001) in mean total units transfused accompanied by a 37.2% reduction (p = 0.040) in the variation across surgeons. The reduction in mean total units was driven by both the proportion of patients transfused and the number of units transfused, conditional on receiving RBC, while the reduction in variation was only driven by the latter.

Conclusion

In our study of RBC transfusions across cardiac surgeons, the surgeons who used more RBC in the pre‐guideline period experienced larger reductions in RBC use after the guidelines were published.
Confidence Interval Estimating the Mean of Normal Distribution and Skewed Distribution
Authors: Mokhtar Siti Fairus , Md Yusof Zahayu , Sapiri Hasimah
Published: October 2024

The confidence interval is an important statistical estimator of population location and dispersion parameters. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend CI utilising various techniques. This includes classical CI, percentile bootstrap method, bootstrap-t and proposed bootstrap-t decile mean method. Distributions that are skewed and normal are used to generate data. The efficiency of the proposed method is evaluated on the basis of an extensive simulation study. The simulation findings show that the performance of the Student-t and three bootstrap approaches varies dramatically depending on sample size and skewness type. The coverage probability and length of the proposed confidence interval are compared with certain existing and widely used confidence intervals. For illustrative purposes, two real-life data sets are analysed, which, to some extent, support the simulation study conclusions. This paper's findings will be useful to a variety of researchers with practical experience in the fields of science and social sciences.
Species Checklist and Diversity of the Herpetofauna of Tun Razak Agricultural Research Center, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Aieziq Nazri Fashrul Idzry , Farinordin Farah Ayuni , Alias Nur Aina Afiqah , Musrizal Norzaizatul Najwa , Zahar Azuar Nurul ‘Ain Najwa , Mohd Salleh Mohd Hairul , Irham Razak  , Muhammad Nasir Dzulhelmi , Rashid Yusdayati , Mohd Izam Nur Amalina
Published: October 2024

Herpetofauna represents a significant portion of global biodiversity. Understanding their distribution, ecology, and behavior is essential for conservation efforts. Many reptile and amphibian species are threatened or endangered due to habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and disease. A study was conducted to explore the herpetofauna in Tun Razak Agricultural Research Centre from 22 February 2023 to 17 March 2023 through Visual Encounter Survey (VES), covering four types of habitats; ponds, forest, oil palm and residential. A total of 23 species of herpetofauna were recorded, representing 14 amphibians and nine reptiles. Hylarana erythraea emerged as the most dominant species, followed by Fejervarya limnocharis. These species were found abundantly in ponds due to its suitability for breeding and ample food sources. The presence of these species indicates that the ecosystem has various habitat niches. Most of the species found were globally classified as Least Concern. However, the survey also recorded Ophiophagus Hannah and Cuora amboinensis, listed as Vulnerable and Endangered respectively. The study highlighted the importance of clean water in ponds for frog breeding, as it ensures proper oxygenation and minimizes exposure to harmful substances. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the potential of herpetofauna as a bioindicator, with changes in their populations reflecting environmental changes or disturbances. The species rank abundance curves showed that the oil palm habitat exhibited the highest species evenness, suggesting a balanced distribution of species within the ecosystem. However, further surveys are needed in the area to determine the full extent of herpetofauna composition. Overall, the findings emphasise the necessity of preserving various habitats to support herpetofauna populations while also maintaining ecosystem health and balance for human-animal coexistence.
Approximate Solution of Fuzzy Sedimentary Ocean Basin Boundary Value Problem Using Variational Iteration Method
Authors: Hatif Sinan , Fadhel Subhi Alzubaidi
Published: October 2024

The problem that is considered in this paper is developed from the migration of the coastline over time in sedimentary ocean basins that may be considered as a moving boundary problem with a variable latent heat transfer equation as a governing equation if one of the boundaries is unknown, with boundary and initial conditions are given. This model discusses the shoreline movement within sedimentary basins. The main objective of the paper is to use fuzzy logic to formulate this problem when modelling sand particles migration in saltwater by utilizing fuzzy numbers whenever replacing some of the problem's parameters. In reality, the proposed model is more general than the nonfuzzy or crisp models. By employing the variational iteration method, the approximate numerical solution of the proposed problem has been found, and computer software written in Mathematica 11 have been used to obtain the results.
Szeged and Padmakar-Ivan Energies of Non-Commuting Graph for Dihedral Groups
Authors: Romdhini Mamika Ujianita , Salwa  , Abdurahim
Published: October 2024

The graph can represent the molecule structure and the -electron energy derives the concept of graph energy. The graph also can be related to the groups or rings as its vertex set. The non-commutative graph is a type of graph whose construction is determined by the structure of a group. This paper focuses on the energy of the non-commuting graph for dihedral groups using the Szeged and Padmakar-Ivan matrices. Both matrices are constructed based on the distance between two vertices in the graph. The eigenvalues ​​of these matrices lead to the formulation of the graph's energy values​. Interestingly, the energies obtained are equal to twice the spectral radius and are hyperenergetic.
Anti-inflammatory Activity of 1-Substituted Glyoxal β-Carboline Derivatives
Authors: Zulkifli Siti Zafirah , Asha'ari Nur Ain Nabilah , Aziz Ahmad Fawwaz Aiman , Pungot Noor Hidayah
Published: October 2024

The anti-inflammatory properties of β-carbolines have been widely studied, highlighting their potential in treating inflammatory disorders. This research investigates the anti-inflammatory activity of selected 1-substituted glyoxal β-carboline derivatives, achieved through a one-step conversion of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan with activated glyoxal, without forming tetrahydro-β-carboline (THβC) intermediates. These derivatives (4e-g) were synthesized successfully without requiring expensive metal catalysts, prolonged reaction times, or stringent reaction conditions, and yielded moderate amounts. Our findings indicate that all the derivatives significantly inhibit xanthine oxidase (XO) activity, leading to a reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals. This inhibition disrupts the inflammatory cascade and attenuates the inflammatory response.
Cartan projections of fiber products and non‐quasi‐isometric embeddings
Authors: Tsouvalas Konstantinos
Published: October 2024

Let be a finitely generated group and be a normal subgroup of . The fiber product of with respect to is the subgroup of the direct product . For every representation , where is a local field, we establish upper bounds for the norm of the Cartan projection of in terms of a fixed word length function on . As an application, we exhibit examples of finitely generated and finitely presented fiber products , where is linear and Gromov hyperbolic, such that does not admit linear representations that are quasi‐isometric embeddings.
Evaluation of Exercise Program for Overweight and Obese Pediatric Participants in a Single Tertiary Center in Singapore
Authors: Leong Kylie , Tohid Muhammad Munir , Liew Bernard Xian Wei , Toh Siao Hui , Zainuddin Mohammad Ashik , Fadzully Fadzlynn , Feng Brandon Guoqiang , Bin Abu Bakar Muhammad Alif , Loo Benny Kai Guo
Published: October 2024

Purpose: Pediatric obesity is rising in prevalence. We audited the results of an exercise program for overweight and obese pediatric participants in a tertiary pediatric hospital. The main aim was to determine the program’s effectiveness, with the main outcome of change in body mass index (BMI). Method: Retrospective review of data from all pediatric participants attending the program between January 2017 and December 2022. Inclusion criteria for analysis were BMI ≥90th centile, ages 6–15, attendance in at least 2 sessions and for at least 1 week. Statistical analysis was done using Generalized Additive Modeling. Results: One hundred thirty seven participants were included. The average duration in the program was 16 months (min = 1 wk, max = 57 mo). Majority (66%, n = 94) attended at intervals of >4 weeks. Only 7% (n = 9) attended weekly. The shorter the visit intervals, the more likely the BMI loss. The greatest decrease in BMI (−0.275; 95% confidence interval, −0.381 to −0.17) was in 15-year-old obese participants with visit intervals of <1 week. At the last visit, 84.7% maintained, 12.4% improved and 2.9% worsened in BMI category, respectively. Conclusion: Participants who attended an exercise program at least weekly demonstrated the best outcomes. Most did not adhere to the recommended frequency and thus had poorer outcomes. We have since made improvements to our program to increase visit frequency.
The Goldilocks effect of glial tau
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: October 2024

Too much or too little tau in glial cells enables the accumulation of neurotoxic oxidative stress.
The riboflavin biosynthetic pathway as a novel target for antifungal drugs against
Candida
species
Authors: Nysten Jana , Peetermans Arne , Vaneynde Dries , Jacobs Stef , Demuyser Liesbeth , Van Dijck Patrick
Published: October 2024

In recent decades, there has been an increase in the occurrence of fungal infections; yet, the arsenal of drugs available to fight invasive infections remains very limited. The development of new antifungal agents is hindered by the restricted number of molecular targets that can be exploited, given the shared eukaryotic nature of fungi and their hosts which often leads to host toxicity. In this paper, we examine the riboflavin biosynthetic pathway as a potential novel drug target. Riboflavin is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. Its biosynthetic pathway does not exist in humans, who obtain riboflavin through their diet. Our findings demonstrate that all enzymes in the pathway are essential for
Candida albicans
,
Candida glabrata,
and
Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Auxotrophic strains, which mimic a drug targeting the biosynthesis pathway, experience rapid mortality in the absence of supplemented riboflavin. Furthermore,
RIB1
is essential for virulence in both
C. albicans
and
C. glabrata
in a systemic mouse model. The fungal burden of a
RIB1
deletion strain is significantly reduced in the kidneys and brain of infected mice, and this reduction becomes more pronounced over time. Nevertheless, auxotrophic cells can still take up external riboflavin when supplemented. We identified Orf19.4337 as the riboflavin importer in
C. albicans
and named it Rut1. We found that Rut1 only facilitates growth at external riboflavin concentrations that exceed the physiological concentrations in the human body. This suggests that riboflavin uptake is unlikely to serve as a resistance mechanism against drugs targeting the biosynthesis pathway. Interestingly, the uptake system in
S. cerevisiae
is more effective than in
C. albicans
and
C. glabrata,
enabling an auxotrophic
S. cerevisiae
strain to outcompete an auxotrophic
C. albicans
strain in lower riboflavin concentrations.

IMPORTANCE

Candida
species are a common cause of invasive fungal infections.
Candida albicans
, in particular, poses a significant threat to immunocompromised individuals. This opportunistic pathogen typically lives as a commensal on mucosal surfaces of healthy individuals but it can also cause invasive infections associated with high morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are only three major classes of antifungal drugs available to treat these infections. In addition, the efficacy of these antifungal agents is restricted by host toxicity, suboptimal pharmacokinetics, a narrow spectrum of activity, intrinsic resistance of fungal species, such as
Candida glabrata
, to certain drugs, and the acquisition of resistance over time. Therefore, it is crucial to identify new antifungal drug targets with novel modes of action to add to the limited armamentarium.
Microbial diversification is maintained in an experimentally evolved synthetic community
Authors: Al-Tameemi Zahraa , Rodríguez-Verdugo Alejandra
Published: October 2024

Microbial communities are incredibly diverse. Yet, the eco-evolutionary processes originating and maintaining this diversity remain understudied. Here, we investigate the patterns of diversification for
Pseudomonas putida
evolving in isolation and with
Acinetobacter johnsonii
leaking resources used by
P. putida
. We experimentally evolved four experimental replicates in monoculture and co-culture for 200 generations. We observed that
P. putida
diversified into two distinct morphotypes that differed from their ancestor by single-point mutations. One of the most prominent mutations hit the
fleQ
gene encoding the master regulator of flagella and biofilm formation. We experimentally confirmed that
fleQ
mutants were unable to swim and formed less biofilm than their ancestor, but they also produced higher yields. Interestingly, the
fleQ
genotype and other mutations swept to fixation in monocultures but not in co-cultures. In co-cultures, the two lineages stably coexisted for approximately 150 generations. We hypothesized that
A. johnsonii
modulates the coexistence of the two lineages through frequency-dependent selection. However, invasion experiments with two genotypes in monoculture and co-culture did not support this hypothesis. Finally, we conducted an evolutionary “replay” experiment to assess whether the presence or absence of
A. johnsonii
influenced the coexistence of morphotypes at the population level. Interestingly,
A. johnsonii
had a stabilizing effect on the co-culture. Overall, our study suggests that interspecies interactions play an important role in shaping patterns of diversification in microbial communities.

IMPORTANCE

In nature, bacteria live in microbial communities and interact with other species, for example, through the exchange of resources leaked into the external environment (i.e., cross-feeding interactions). The role that these cross-feeding interactions play in shaping patterns of diversification remains understudied. Using a simple bacterial system in which one species cross-feeds resources to a second species (commensal species), we showed that the commensal species diversified into two subpopulations that persisted only when the cross-feeder partner was present. We further observed loss-of-function mutations in flagellar genes that were fixed in monocultures but not in co-cultures. Our findings suggest that cross-feeding species influence patterns of diversification of other species. Given that nutrient leakage is pervasive in microbial communities, the findings from this study have the potential to extend beyond our specific bacterial system. Importantly, our study has contributed to answering the larger question of whether species evolved differently in isolation versus when interacting with other species.
Efficacy of CP-COV03 (a niclosamide-based inorganic nanohybrid product) against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in an
in vitro
model
Authors: Han Min , Lee Youn-Jung , Ahn Sang Min , Seong Jae Eun , Lee Jung Ah , Lee Yong Seop , Kim Jung Ho , Ahn Jin Young , Jeong Su Jin , Ku Nam Su , Yeom Joon Sup , Choi Jun Yong
Published: October 2024

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). CP-COV03 is a novel antiviral candidate that significantly enhanced the bioavailability of niclosamide through inorganic-based drug delivery technology. The active pharmaceutical ingredient of CP-COV03, niclosamide, has been previously shown to possess broad-spectrum antiviral activity against over 30 different viruses in the
in vitro
tests. The aim of this study is to confirm the antiviral activity of CP-COV03 against the SFTSV in an
in vitro
model. Vero cells and SFTS viral stock NCCP43270, a 2015 Gangwon Province isolate, were used to obtain the 50% tissue culture infective dose of the virus. Vero cells seeded in 96-well plates were infected with SFTSV for 1 h. SFTSV-infected cells were treated with CP-COV03 at various concentrations of 0.1–100 μM and incubated for 7 days. On the seventh day of the culture, the cytopathic effect (CPE) of SFTSV was checked by microscopy and the cell viability was checked by using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The CPE reduced as the CP-COV03 concentration increased. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) range of CP-COV03 was below 0.125 µM, as determined from the viral titers of culture supernatants collected on the third day posttreatment of CP-COV03. The plaque reduction assay showed that the IC
50
of CP-COV03 was 1.893 µM, as determined from the percentage reduction of plaque counts for each drug concentration on the second day posttreatment with CP-COV03. This study suggests that CP-COV03 could be used as a potential antiviral agent for SFTS.

IMPORTANCE

We demonstrated a concentration-dependent response and identified low a IC
50
of CP-COV03. This result is comparable to other antiviral drugs used against viruses like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature as our findings suggest that CP-COV03 may serve as a potential treatment for SFTS, highlighting its importance in the field of antiviral research.
Prevalence and management of ectopic and molar pregnancies in 17 countries in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean: a secondary analysis of the WHO multi-country cross-sectional survey on abortion
Authors: Cavalari Camila Ayume Amano , Mehrtash Hedieh , Brizuela Vanessa , Baguiya Adama , Adu-Bonsaffoh Kwame , Cecatti Jose Guilherme , Bahamondes Luis , Charles Charles M'poca , Govule Philip , Dossou Jean-Paul , Souza Renato T , Leão Luis Henrique , Filippi Veronique , Tunçalp Özge , Baccaro Luiz Francisco
Published: October 2024

Introduction

There are limited global data on ectopic pregnancy (EP) and molar pregnancy (MP), making it important to understand their epidemiology and management across different regions. Our study aimed to describe their prevalence for both conditions, severity of their complications and management among women in selected health facilities across 17 countries in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of the WHO multi-country survey on abortion. Data were collected from 280 healthcare facilities across 11 countries in Africa and 6 in LAC. Sociodemographic information, signs and symptoms, management and clinical outcomes were extracted from medical records. Facility-level data on post-abortion care (PAC) capabilities were also collected, and facilities were classified accordingly. χ2or Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare categorical data.

Results

The total number of women with EP and MP across both regions was 9.9% (2 415/24 424) where EP accounted for 7.8% (1 904/24 424) and MP for 2.1% (511/24 424). EP presented a higher severity of complications than MP. At admission, 49.8% of EP had signs of peritoneal irritation. The most common surgical management for EP was laparotomy (87.2%) and for MP, uterine evacuation (89.8%). Facilities with higher scores in infrastructure and capability to provide PAC more frequently provided minimal invasive management using methotrexate/other medical treatment (34.9%) and laparoscopy (5.1%).

Conclusion

In Africa and LAC, EP and MP cause significant maternal morbidity and mortality. The disparity in the provision of good quality care highlights the need to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based recommendations in the clinical and surgical management of EP and MP.
Electroosmotic peristaltic transport of magnetohydrodynamic Casson nanofluid in a non-uniform wavy porous asymmetric micro-channel
Authors: Ramki R. , Lakshminarayana P.
Published: October 2024

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) have numerous engineering and biomedical applications such as sensors, MHD pumps, magnetic medications, MRI, cancer therapy, astronomy, cosmology, earthquakes, and cardiovascular devices. In view of these applications and current developments, we investigate the magnetohydrodynamic MHD electro-osmotic flow of Casson nanofluid during peristaltic movement in a non-uniform porous asymmetric channel. The effect of thermal radiation, heat source, and Hall current on the Casson fluid peristaltic pumping in a porous medium is taken into consideration. The effect of chemical reactions is also considered. The mass, momentum, energy, and concentration equations were constructed using the proper transformations and dimensionless variables to make them easier for non-Newtonian fluids. A lubricating strategy is used to make the system less complicated. The Boltzmann distribution of electric potential over an electric double layer is studied using the Debye–Huckel approximation. The temperature and concentration equations are addressed using the homotopy perturbation method (HPM), while the exact solution is determined for the velocity field. The study examines the performance of velocity, pressure rise, temperature, concentration, streamlines, Nusselt, and Sherwood numbers for the involved parameters using graphical illustrations and tables. Asymmetric channels exhibit varying behavior, with velocity declining near the left wall and accelerating towards the right wall while enhancing the Casson fluid parameter. The pumping rate boosts in the retrograde region due to the evolution of the permeability parameter value, while it declines in the augment region. The temperature profile optimizes as the value of the heat source parameter gets higher. The concentration profile significantly falls as the chemical reaction parameter rises. The size of the trapped bolus strengthens with a spike in the parameter for the Casson fluid.
BREAST LESION SEGMENTATION AND CLASSIFICATION USING U-NET SALIENCY ESTIMATION AND EXPLAINABLE RESIDUAL CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: FATIMA MAMUNA , KHAN MUHAMMAD ATTIQUE , SHAHEEN SAIMA , ALBARAKATI HUSSAIN MOBARAK , WANG SHUIHUA , JILANI SYEDA FIZZAH , SHABAZ MOHAMMAD
Published: October 2024

Breast cancer (BrC) is one of the most common causes of death among women worldwide. Images of the breast (mammography or ultrasound) may show an anomaly that represents early indicators of BrC. However, accurate breast image interpretation necessitates labor-intensive procedures and highly skilled medical professionals. As a second opinion for the physician, deep learning (DL) tools can be useful for the diagnosis and classification of malignant and benign lesions. However, due to the lack of interpretability of DL algorithms, it is not easy to understand by experts as to how to predict a label. In this work, we proposed multitask U-Net Saliency estimation and DL model-based breast lesion segmentation and classification using ultrasound images. A new contrast enhancement technique is proposed to improve the quality of original images. After that, a new technique was proposed called UNET-Saliency map for the segmentation of breast lesions. Simultaneously, a MobileNetV2 deep model is fine-tuned with additional residual blocks and trained from scratch using original and enhanced images. The purpose of additional blocks is to reduce the number of parameters and better learning of ultrasound images. Training is performed from scratch and extracted features from the deeper layers of both models. In the later step, a new cross-entropy controlled sine-cosine algorithm is developed and selected best features. The main purpose of this step is the reduction of irrelevant features for the classification phase. The selected features are fused in the next step by employing a serial-based Manhattan Distance (SbMD) approach and classified the resultant vector using machine learning classifiers. The results indicate that a wide neural network (W-NN) obtained the highest accuracy of 98.9% and sensitivity rate of 98.70% on the selected breast ultrasound image dataset. The comparison of the proposed method accuracy is conducted with state-of-the-art (SoArt) techniques which show the improved performance.
AMVFNet: Attentive Multi-View Fusion Network for 3D Object Detection
Authors: Huang Yuxiao , Huang Zhicong , Zhao Jingwen , Hu Haifeng , Chen Dihu
Published: October 2024

Pillar-based method is significant in the field of LiDAR-based 3D object detection which could directly make use of efficient 2D backbone and save computational resources during reference. Existing methods usually sequentially project the original point clouds into the cylindrical view or the bird-eye view for feature extraction. However, the former suffers from obscured problems and the scales of instances vary greatly with distance, while the latter leads to considerable confusion problems due to the loss of semantic information caused by the sparsity of the projected point cloud. In this article, we present a novel and efficient two-stage point-pillar hybrid architecture named Attentive Multi-View Fusion Network (AMVFNet), in which we abstract features from all cylindrical view, bird-eye view, and raw point clouds. Rather than designing more complex modules to solve the problems inherent in the single-view approach, our multi-view fusion architecture effectively combines the strengths of multiple perspectives to improve performance at a more fundamental level. Besides, to compensate for quantization distortion caused by projection operations, we propose attentive feature enhancement layers to further improve the capability of contextual information capturing. Extensive experiments on the KITTI detection benchmark illustrate that our proposed AMVFNet achieves competitive performance compared with other SOTA 3D object detectors.
Tumor suppressors RBL1 and PTEN are epigenetically silenced in IPF mesenchymal progenitor cells by a CD44/Brg1/PRMT5 regulatory complex
Authors: Yang Libang , Xia Hong , Smith Karen , Gilbertsen Adam J. , Jbeli Aiham H. , Abrahante Juan E. , Bitterman Peter B. , Henke Craig A.
Published: October 2024

Here we demonstrate that a CD44/Brg1/PRMT5 epigenetic regulatory module represses the tumor suppressor genes RBL1 and PTEN in IPF mesenchymal progenitor cells, thereby promoting their self-renewal and maintenance of a critical pool of fibrogenic mesenchymal progenitor cells.