bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melatonin: A versatile tool for sustaining agricultural productivity and improving food security
Authors: Agathokleous Evgenios , Zhou Boya , Xu Jianing , Ioannou Andreas , Feng Zhaozhong , Saitanis Costas , Frei Michael , Calabrese Edward , Fotopoulos Vasileios
Published: January 2024

Melatonin is produced by plants, algae, and animals. Worldwide studies
show diverse positive effects of exogenous melatonin on plants, edible
plant products, and algae, but the potential of melatonin to enhance
food and feed systems through these positive effects remains largely
unexplored. Through a meta-analysis of about 25,000 observations, we
show that exogenous application of melatonin significantly increases
crop productivity and yields, and enhances the nutritional and
nutraceutical value of edible plant products and algae by regulating
diverse biological functions. Melatonin can improve plants, edible plant
products, and algae under various current climate change scenarios,
environmental pollution factors, and other stresses by about 7% to
nearly 30%, on average, depending on the stressor. We also analyze
various technical/methodological factors influencing the desired
outcomes and identify conditions that offer optimal enhancement. This
study offers a scientific and technical roadmap facilitating sustainable
food and feed production through the application of exogenous melatonin.
Integrative small RNA and degradome sequencing reveal drought memory stress-responsive miRNAs and their targets in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Yue Wenjie , Zhang Haobin , Su Ning , Sun Xuming , Song Weining , Nie Xiaojun , Yue Hong
Published: January 2024

Drought has gradually become one of the most severe abiotic stresses in
plants. A growing body of evidence indicates that stress memory does
exist in plants and can improve the plants’ stress resistance. In this
study, a total of 195 candidate drought memory-related miRNAs were
identified according to the miRNA sequencing data, and targets of 64
(32.8%) candidate miRNAs were validated by degradome sequencing.
Several miRNAs like tae-miR408_L-1, tae-miR171a, tae-miR164a-5p,
tae-miR396c-5p, tae-miR9778, tae-miR408_L-1, tae-miR9676-5p,
tae-MIR9676-p3_1ss21GA, tae-miR9662a-3p and PC-3p-5049_3565 were
validated crucial in drought memory. Besides, our results revealed that
drought memory displayed a transcriptional stress memory. It could
regulate auxin-activated signaling pathway, calcium-transporting, heavy
metal transporting, glutathione biosynthetic, protein modification,
electron transport, energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, plant
growth and development to respond to the drought. Furthermore, miRNAs
may regulate various plant hormones and glucose metabolism pathways to
indirectly regulate proline homeostasis and further increase the drought
resistance of drought training plants. In addition, the mTOR signaling
pathway was also found crucial in drought memory. Our results contribute
to an understanding of drought memory in wheat seedlings and may lead to
new strategies for drought-resistant breeding.
Cold-start problems in data-driven polypharmacy side effect prediction
Authors: Dewulf Pieter , Stock Michiel , Baets Bernard De
Published: January 2024

Combining drugs, a phenomenon called polypharmacy, can induce (new)
adverse side effects. The identification of adverse combinations is a
key task in pharmacovigilance. In this context, in silico approaches
based on machine learning are promising as they can learn from a limited
number of combinations to predict for all. In this work, we identify
various polypharmacy prediction tasks and show how they can improve
post-market surveillance systems or detect polypharmacy side effects
earlier during drug development. We elaborate on model validation and
propose a new model that obtains AUC-ROC=0.843 for the hardest
“cold-start” task up to AUC-ROC=0.957 for the easiest task.
Spatial model of foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in an endemic area of Thailand
Authors: Chanchaidechachai Thanicha , Jong Mart de , Fischer Egil
Published: January 2024

Foot-and-mouth disease (FDM) is a disease of cloven-hoved animals with
high costs in animal welfare and for production of animal products. Up
to now transmission between farms in FMD-endemic areas has been given
little attention. Between farm transmission can be quantified by
distance independent transmission parameters and a spatial transmission
kernel indicating the rate of transmission of an infected farm to
susceptible farms depending on distance. The spatial transmission kernel
and distance-independent transmission parameters were estimated from
data of an FMD outbreak in Lumpayaklang subdistrict in Thailand between
2016 and 2017. The spatial between-farm transmission rate in
Lumpayaklang subdistrict was higher compared with spatial between-farm
transmission rate from FMDV in epidemic areas. The result can be
explained by the larger size of within-farm outbreak in endemic area due
to no culling. Inclusion of distance-independent transmission parameters
improved the model fit, which suggests the presence of transmission
sources from outside the area and spread within the area independent of
distance between farms. The remaining distance dependent transmission
was mainly local and could be due to over-the-fence transmission or
other forms of contact between nearby farms. Farm size on the kernel
positively effects the transmission rate, by increasing both infectivity
and susceptibility with increasing farm size. From the results, we
suggested more strict outbreak responses, as well as the outbreak
communication to the farmers to reduce the between-farm transmission.
Movement restrictions and enforced by checkpoints during the outbreak
can prevent the transmission from outside and the distance-independent
transmission within an area.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SERUM DECORIN LEVELS IN EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF PPROM IN SECOND AND THIRD TRIMESTER PREGNANCIES
Authors: Bicer Huseyin Guray , Oncu Necdet , Baltan Ecem
Published: January 2024

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is a relationship with serum
decorin levels in second and third trimester pregnant women with PPROM.
DESIGN: After this study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics
Committee of Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital all
subjects included in the study signed informed consent forms that they
agreed to participate in the study. SETTING: We collected all
biochemical and demograpfic characteristics of patients. Decorin levels
of plasma samples were measured using the Human Decorin Elisa Kit.
POPULATION: 35 patients who were diagnosed with PPROM from the
outpatient clinic with the complaint of sudden gush of amniotic fluid
and 35 patients without any obstetric problem were included in our
study. METHODS: This study is a prospective controlled study. All
statistical analyzes were performed using IBM SPSS 26.0 statistical
package program and Microsoft Excel V 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
mean plasma decorin level was 14.7 ng/ml in the PPROM group and it was
not found to be statistically significantly lower than the control group
with the mean plasma decorin level of 17.5 ng/ml (p=0.339). RESULTS: A
significant correlation was found between plasma decorin levels and BMI
in both groups (p<0.05). In the PPROM group, no significant
correlation was found between the latent time from sampling to delivery
of the pregnant woman (p=0.153). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the
approach to diagnose or predict PPROM by determining the serum decorin
levels that we aimed in our study is not currently possible.
Prevalence of disclosed and undisclosed financial conflicts of interest among systematic review authors regarding the management of proximal humerus fractures
Authors: Verble Cole , Ferrell Matthew , Reddy Arjun , Anderson Michael , Weaver Michael , Hartwell Micah , Vassar Matt
Published: January 2024

Background: A systematic review is an important evidence synthesis
technique used to collate results from individual studies, such as
treatments for proximal humerus fractures. Therefore it is necessary to
minimize bias in systematic reviews, including financial COIs. Financial
bias has been shown to result in unreliable assessments of credibility,
which is why transparency with COI is essential for accurate assessments
of research. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the
influence of financial bias on the results and conclusions of systematic
reviews of proximal humerus fracture treatments and to characterize the
nature of disclosed and undisclosed COIs. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE and Ovid
Embase databases were searched to locate systematic reviews covering
proximal humerus fracture treatments. Following these searches, title
and abstract screening was performed in a duplicate, masked fashion.
Data from the final reviews were extracted in a triplicate manner. The
data included: PubMed ID and/or DOI; journal; publication date; author
names; affiliations; interventions; funding source; risk of bias
assessment/statement; whether systematic review author(s) on any of the
primary studies; the articles primary outcome; whether an overall pooled
effect estimate was calculated; pooled effect estimate; type of pooled
effect estimate/significance; the primary outcomes favorability of
pooled effect estimate; and favorability of narrative
results/conclusions. All authors of each systematic review were screened
for non-disclosed COIs. Results: We found no relationship between
authorial COI and the results and conclusions of the systematic reviews.
Among the 17 included systematic reviews, 7 (41.2%) had at least one
non-disclosed COI. Of the 7 reviews with a non-disclosed COI, 2 (28.6%)
were found to have a high risk of bias. Conclusions: Findings from this
study have limited generalizability due to our small sample size. More
studies are needed to fully elucidate the effect of financial bias on
the results and conclusions of systematic reviews.
Density-dependent diffusion and refuge in a spatial Rosenzweig-MacArthur model: stability results
Authors: Rodriguez-Quinones Leoncio , Gordillo Luis
Published: January 2024

In this note we present a study of the solutions associated to a
particular spatial extension of the Rosenzweig-MacArthur model for
predator and prey. The analysis presented here shows that positive
steady state solutions emerge via a transcritical bifurcation mechanism,
in accordance with the insight obtained from previous numerical and
analytical results. In the model under discussion, prey is assumed to
move avoiding crowds via a density-dependent diffusion and also
incorporates the existence of a refuge zone, where predators cannot
consume prey. Saturation in prey consumption is also included through a
Holling type II functional response.
Falkner-Skan equation with Heat Transfer: A new Optimal approach
Authors: Khan Imran , Ullah Hakeem , Fiza Mehreen , Islam Dr. Saeed , Kumam Poom , Sitthithakerngkiet Kanokwan
Published: January 2024

In this paper we used the newly developed optimal approach namely
Optimal Auxilary Function Method (OAFM) for the solution of the
Falkner-Skan equation with heat transfer. The constitutive equations
obtained from Navier-Stokes equations are converted into a set of
nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) with the help of a
similarity transformation. For the solution of the obtained ODEs with
boundary conditions is solved by OAFM. The OAFM along with convergence
is studied in detail. The effects of the physical parameters are
discussed with the help of tabular data and graphs. The reliability and
effectiveness of the method is achieved by comparing the results
available in the literature.
The Utility of Extended Electrocardiographic Monitoring for Detecting Atrial Fibrillation in Cryptogenic Stroke in the African-American population
Authors: Ortega Romy Rodriguez , Al-sadawi Mohammed , Capric Violeta , Sidiqi Baho , Francois Jonathan , Budzikowski Adam
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Cryptogenic stroke comprises about 25% of all ischemic
strokes. Depending on modality and duration of ECG monitoring,
subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) is detectable in 2.7-30% of
cryptogenic stroke patients. Hypothesis: Extended ECG monitoring after
cryptogenic stroke has not been studied in the African American (AA)
population. This retrospective study aims to study the incidence and
risk factors of subclinical AF in African Americans. Methods: We
retrospectively reviewed 96 patients who received implantable loop
recorders (ILR) for detecting subclinical atrial fibrillation after
cryptogenic stroke. In the vast majority of patients, the ILR was
implanted during index hospitalization. Binary univariate and
multivariate analyses were performed to determine predictors for AF
detection. Results: AF was detected in 29% of patients (28/96) at 1000
days. All AF that was detected was exquisitely paroxysmal and ranged in
duration between 0.05-103 minutes (mean 8.4 minutes with SD= 22.1
minutes). Binary univariate analysis revealed the use of
non-dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers to be associated with
decreased odds of AF detection. Multivariate analysis found coronary
artery disease diagnosis to be associated with increased odds of AF
detection. Fifty percent of the events in the AF group were detected
within the first 36 days of loop recorder implantation. Conclusions: AF
detection in our population occurs very early after index stroke and at
significantly higher rates that reported before. Baseline
characteristics have a poor predictive ability for the detection of AF.
These findings emphasize the need for pre-discharge ILR implantation to
improve AF detection in all patients with cryptogenic stroke.
Efficiency of the synthetic self-splicing RiboJ ribozyme is robust to cis- and trans-changes in genetic background
Authors: Vlková Markéta , Morampalli Bhargava Reddy , Silander Olin
Published: January 2024

The expanding knowledge of the variety of synthetic genetic elements has
enabled the construction of new and more efficient genetic circuits and
yielded novel insights into molecular mechanisms. However, context
dependence, in which interactions between proximal (cis) or
distal (trans) elements affect the behaviour of these elements,
can reduce their general applicability or predictability. Genetic
insulators, which mitigate unintended context-dependent
cis-interactions, have been used to address this issue. One of
the most commonly used genetic insulators is a self-splicing ribozyme
called RiboJ, which can be used to decouple upstream 5’ UTR in mRNA from
downstream sequences (e.g., open reading frames). Despite its general
use as an insulator, there has been no systematic study quantifying the
efficiency of RiboJ splicing or whether this autocatalytic activity is
robust to trans- and cis-genetic context. Here, we
determine the robustness of RiboJ splicing in the genetic context of six
widely divergent E. coli strains. We also check for possible
cis-effects by assessing two SNP versions close to the catalytic
site of RiboJ. We show that mRNA molecules containing RiboJ are rapidly
spliced even during rapid exponential growth and high levels of gene
expression, with a mean efficiency of 98%. We also show that neither
the cis- nor trans-genetic context has a significant
impact on RiboJ activity, suggesting this element is robust to both
cis- and trans-genetic changes.
The numbers of nontrivial solutions to p-Laplacian impulsive equations with nonhomogeneous Neumann boundary conditions
Authors: Jian Liu , Yu Wenguang
Published: January 2024

The sufficient condition of the existence of solutions to some
superlinear p-Laplacian impulsive differential equations with
nonhomogeneous Neumann boundary conditions is obtained. We get two
theorems via variational methods and corresponding critical-points
theorems. To reveal the value of obtained theorems, two examples are
presented combining with the Newton-iterative method.
Do predators keep prey healthy or make them sicker? A meta-analysis
Authors: Richards Robert , Drake John , Ezenwa Vanessa
Published: January 2024

Ecological theory suggests that predators should keep prey populations
healthy by reducing parasite burdens. However, empirical studies show
that predators often have minimal effects on, or even increase,
parasitism in prey. To quantify the overall magnitude and direction of
the effect of predation on parasitism in prey, we conducted a
meta-analysis of 50 empirical studies. We also examined how key
attributes of these studies, including parasite type, study design, and
predator interaction type (consumptive vs. non-consumptive) contributed
to variation in the predator-prey-parasite interaction. We found that
the overall effect of predation on parasitism differed between parasites
and parasitoids and that predator interaction type, and whether a
predator was a non-host spreader of parasites were the most important
traits predicting the parasite response. Our results suggest that the
mechanistic basis of predator-prey interactions strongly influences the
effects of predators on parasites and that these effects, while context
dependent, are predictable.
Study on kinetics of thermal degradation of Polymethyl Methacrylate/Cyclic Olefin Copolymer blend
Authors: Khosravinezhad Maryam , Kazemi M.
Published: January 2024

Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) was mixed with cyclic olefin copolymer
(COC) because of hardness, strength and transparency properties. The
results of thermal analysis through TGA and DTG showed that, the thermal
properties of the alloy are improved using 40% cyclic olefin copolymer.
Kinetics of thermal degradation (pyrolysis) of polymers has been studied
and analyzed. The computation of kinetic analysis is measured along the
different methods used to study the kinetics. The activation energy (E)
of degradation of studied materials was estimated using Ozawa Flynn and
Wall (OFW),Starink and Kissinger’s methods, and evaluation of three
kinetic parameters taken appropriate kinetic model in terms of percent
change for both types of polymers have been proposed, and finally,
simulated curves were compared with the experimental curves. Both
mechanisms of the degradation for the COC and PMMA under nitrogen
atmosphere would reflect intramolecular transfer and random scission of
the main chain.
Diagnostic agreement between oral fluid and serum assays to detect measles IgG antibody in healthcare providers
Authors: Dong Mei , Sun Jingyi , Xie Hui , Liu Jie , WANG Yiting , Fu Yin , Dong Jianping , Huang Fang
Published: January 2024

Background: An easy-to-use, low-risk, and non-invasive method to detect
the measles antibody, such as oral fluid (OF) assay, is required in the
clinic. Methods: We tested the measles IgG antibody in the serum and OF
of healthcare providers enrolled from four hospitals in Beijing, China,
between March and December in 2018. We also tested the pre- and
post-vaccination antibodies in selected participants. Serum and OF
antibodies were detected by indirect and capture EIA, respectively.
Results: Overall, 550 pairs of serum and OF samples were collected from
495 participants, including 55 pre- and post-vaccination pairs. ROC
analysis showed a high diagnostic value of OF assay (AUC = 0.84, P
< 0.01). The positive and negative consistency rates with
serum were 90.0% and 67.9%, respectively (κ = 0.53). The sensitivity
and specificity of the OF assay were 90.2% and 67.9%, respectively.
Positive measles IgG rates in paired serum and OF were 83.6% and
80.2%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the OF
assay between different genders (P > 0.05) and vaccination
histories (P = 0.12). Statistically significant differences were
identified in participants with different histories of measles contacts
and measles infections. In different age groups, the positive OF measles
antibody rates ranged from 71.6% to 89.7% (P = 0.01), with
participants ≥ 40 years old having the highest positive rate. After
vaccination, increased measles antibody levels and positive rates were
observed by both serum and OF assays. Conclusions: There was a
relatively high agreement between serum and OF measles antibody assays.
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to a 16-year old domestic cat with co-morbidities in Pennsylvania, USA.
Authors: Tewari Deepanker , Boger Lore , Brady Steven , Livengood Julia , Killian Mary , Nair Meera , Thirumalapura Nagaraja , Kuchipudi Suresh , Zellers Corey , Schroeder Betsy , Torchetti Mia , Carpenter Ann , Kunkel Amber , Brightbill Kevin
Published: January 2024

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2),
besides causing human infection, has been shown to naturally infect
several susceptible animal species including large cats (tigers, lions,
pumas, spotted leopards), dogs, cats, ferrets, gorillas, and minks. We
report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 from a domestic cat that exhibited
respiratory disease after being exposed to SARS-CoV-2 virus from humans
in the same household. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in two oropharyngeal
swabs collected at two time points, 11 days apart; the first, when the
cat was reported to be sick and the second, before euthanasia due to
poor prognosis. The viral nucleic acid detected at two time points
showed no genomic variation and resembled the clade GH circulating in
humans in the United States. Clinical and pathological findings noted in
this 16-year-old cat were consistent with respiratory and cardiac
insufficiency. SARS-CoV-2 viral infection was likely an incidental
clinical finding, as virus was not detected in fixed lung, heart or
kidney tissues. Only fresh lung tissue collected at necropsy showed the
presence of viral nucleic acid, albeit at a very low level. Further
research is needed to clarify the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in
companion animals of advanced age and underlying cardiac disease.
Clinical Magnet Application to Temporarily Inhibit Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Therapy in Emergency Situations: One size fits all.
Authors: Santomauro Maurizio , Petretta Mario , cacciatore francesco , riganti carla , santomauro andrea , Castellano Gaetano , Viggiano Aniello , iovino gianluigi , Rapacciuolo Antonio , Mafettone Francesco , Abete Pasquale
Published: January 2024

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillatoruse has increased
worldwide. The annual rate of inappropriate shock (IAS) is between 3.1%
and 25% and is usually followed by admission in Critical Care units. In
such setting, the suspension of shock therapy is mandatory during an
electrical storm. Temporary inhibition is also requested during surgical
procedures but now is not yet clearly addressed by guidelines. Here we
describe the strategies that can be followed to reduce IAS in critical
care settings with the appropriate use of any model of clinical magnet,
to temporarily inhibit shock therapies.
CYTOKINE RELEASE SYNDROME AFTER TISAGENLECLEUCEL INFUSION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY/RELAPSED B-LINEAGE ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA: IS THERE A ROLE FOR DICLOFENAC?
Authors: Napolitano Sara , Ottaviano Giorgio , Bettini Laura , Russotto Vincenzo , Bonanomi Sonia , Rovelli Attilio , Biondi Andrea , Rona Roberto , Balduzzi Adriana
Published: January 2024

Background: Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a major complication
after chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) T cell treatment, characterized by
an uncontrolled sistemic inflammatory reaction. The potential role of
diclofenac in the management of CRS has been investigated in five
pediatric patients treated for relapsed/refractory B-lineage acute
lymphoblastic leukemia. Procedure: in case of persistent fever with
fever-free intervals shorter than 3 hours, diclofenac continuous
infusion was initiated, at the starting dose of 0.5 mg/Kg/day, the
lowest effective pediatric dose, in our experience, possibly escalated
up to 1 mg/Kg/day, as per institutional guidelines. Vital signs, O2
requirement, SpO2/FiO2 ratio and dosage of diclofenac and vasopressors
until CRS resolution were recorded. Results: CRS occurred at a median of
20 hours (range 8-27) after tisagenlecleucel infusion. Diclofenac was
started at a median of 20 hours (range 13-33) after fever onset. A mean
of 3,07 febrile peaks without diclofenac and 0,95 with diclofenac were
reported (p-value 0.02). A clinical benefit was achieved by hampering
the progression of tachypnea and, mainly, tachycardia. Despite fever
control, CRS progressed in four of the five patients and hypotension
requiring vasopressors, fluid retention, besides hypoxia, occurred.
Vasopressors were followed by 1-2 doses of tocilizumab (one in patient 2
and two in patients 3, 4, and 5), plus steroids in patients 4 and 5.
Conclusion: based on a limited number of patients, diclofenac leads to a
better fever control, which translates into symptom relief and
improvement of tachycardia, but could not prevent the progression of
CRS.
Title: Synergic effects of anticancer peptide CIGB-552 and Cisplatin in lung cancer models
Authors: Rodriguez Yolanda Gomez , Arguelles Brizaida Oliva , Riera-Romo Mario , Duque Jorge Fernandez de Cossio Dorta , Almeida Freya Freyre , Quintero Yaima Chacon , Arteaga Amalia Vazquez , Borrego Tania Cardenas , Suarez Rocio Garateix , Richards Enma Brown , Diaz Dagmara Pichardo , Velazco Lizet Aldana , Garay Hilda Elisa , Massó Julio Raúl Fernández , Vallespi Maribel Guerra
Published: January 2024

Non-small cell lung cancer constitutes one the most frequent and lethal
forms of the disease. The antitumor peptide CIGB-552 is a new targeted
anticancer therapy which molecular mechanism is associated with the
inhibition of the transcription factor NF-kB, mediated by COMMD1 protein
stabilization. However, its pharmacological potential in combination
with chemotherapy is unknown. In this study, we examined the
antiproliferative capacity of CIGB-552 in combination with
chemotherapeutic agents in the non-small cell lung cancer cell line
NCI-H460 and we confirmed drug interactions in vivo, in a mouse model of
TC-1 lung cancer. We focus our research in the combination of CIGB-552
and the antineoplastic agent Cisplatin (CDDP) in a concomitant
treatment. Our results demonstrate a clear synergic effect between 37.5
μM of CIGB-552 and 5 μM of CDDP under concomitant scheme, on
proliferation inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction and
oxidative stress response. The effect of CIGB-552 (1 mg/kg) and CDDP
(0.4 mg/kg) administrated as a combined therapy was demonstrated in vivo
in the TC-1 murine model where the combination achieved an effective
antitumor response, without any deterioration signs or side effects.
These findings demonstrate the efficacy of the concomitant combination
of both drugs in preclinical studies and support the use of this therapy
in clinical trials.
Stillbirth trends by maternal socioeconomic status among a large internal migrant population in Shenzhen China over 10 years: a retrospective study
Authors: Zou Lingyun , Ma Rui
Published: January 2024

Abstract Objectives To estimate the stillbirth rate at 28 or more
gestational weeks and associated maternal socioeconomic characteristics
among a large internal migrant population in China. Design Retrospective
study Setting Shenzhen Birth Registry Database Population or Sample All
births Baoan, Shenzhen from January 2010 and December 2019 Methods The
associations between stillbirth rate and maternal socioeconomic
characteristics were assessed using logistic regression. Spearman’s rank
correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between
economic status of maternal birthplace and stillbirth rate. Main Outcome
Measures Stillbirth rates by maternal socioeconomic characteristics.
Results An overall stillbirth rate of 4.5 per 1000 births was estimated
in a total of 492,184 births in our final analysis. Migrant women had
lower maternal socioeconomic status including younger age at delivery,
lower education attainment, lower economic status of birthplace,
inadequate prenatal care, and higher risk of stillbirth. The stillbirth
rate varied by region of maternal birthplace, from 4.1 per 1000 births
in women from East China to 5.7 per 1000 births from West China. The GDP
per capita of maternal birthplace was strongly correlated with
stillbirth rate (Spearman’s coefficient -0.875, p<0.001).
Conclusions Large disparities in stillbirth rate existed between migrant
and local population and among regions of maternal birthplace in China.
Targeting strategies towards migrant women based on maternal birthplace
are needed to further reduce burden of stillbirth. Tweetable abstract
Stillbirth rate among internal migrant women in Shenzhen was inversely
correlated with economic status of maternal birthplace. Keywords
Stillbirth rate, socioeconomic status, internal migrant population,
maternal birthplace
Hepatitis E virus in pigs and environment and its public health concerns: An updated review
Authors: Ahmad Tauseef , Jin Hui , Dhama Kuldeep , Yatoo Mohd. , Tiwari Ruchi , Bilal Muhammad , Dhawan Manish , Emran Talha , Harapan Harapan
Published: January 2024

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important public health problem and
responsible for both acute and chronic viral hepatitis. The HEV
transmission usually occurs through the fecal-oral route, and public
health implications of its water-borne and food-borne transmissions
along with environmental contamination raise high concerns towards its
zoonosis. Apart from affecting developing countries, this virus is
causing a rising number of cases in the developed countries. The spread
of HEV particles to the environment can pollute surface waters, which
could be an HEV infection source for humans and animals. HEV has also
been identified in urban sewage samples in various countries. HEV virus
quite frequently infects the European community and some animal species
and identification of virus in polluted animal products suggest the
circulation of HEV from water to food chain. Several studies indicating
high seroprevalence and circulation of HEV in pigs as well as in
environmental samples warrants to investigate the role of trade in
carrier pigs, elucidate HEV virulence maintenance in the environment and
meat supply chain to throw light on the possible sources of infection in
humans and the degree of occupational risk, and zoonosis. The purpose of
this review is to discuss the HEV infections and associated risk factors
with an emphasis on pigs, presence in environment, food-borne,
water-borne, and zoonotic transmissions.
Molecular genetics of primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis among Polish patients
Authors: Bąbol-Pokora Katarzyna , Wołowiec Magdalena , Popko Katarzyna , Jasinska Aleksandra , Bryceson Yenan , Tesi Bianca , Henter Jan-Inge , Mlynarski Wojciech , Malinowska Iwona
Published: January 2024

Background Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a clinical
syndrome of life-threatening inflammation caused by an excessive,
prolonged, and ineffective immune response. An increasing number of HLH
cases is recognized in Poland but the genetic causes of familial HLH
(FHL) have not been reported. We investigated the molecular genetics and
associated outcomes of Polish pediatric patients who met HLH criteria.
Methods We studied 54 patients with HLH, 36 of whom qualified for
genetic studies. Twenty-five patients were subjected to direct
sequencing of the PRF1, UNC13D, STX11, XIAP and SH2D1A genes.
Additionally, 11 patients were subjected to targeted next generation
sequencing. In our study group, Results 17 patients (31%) were
diagnosed with primary HLH, with biallelic FHL variants identified in 13
(36%) patients whereas hemizygous changes were identified in 4 patients
with X-linked lymphoproliferative diseases (XLP). In addition, one
patient was diagnosed with X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium
defect, Epstein-Barr virus infection and neoplasia (XMEN) due to a
hemizygous MAGT1 variant and another newborn with autoinflammatory
syndrome caused by MVK variants. The majority (65%) of FHL patients
carried UNC13D pathogenic variants, whereas PRF1 variants only explained
two patients. Among 35 secondary HLH patients, EBV was the most common
trigger noted in 23 (65%) of the patients. In three patients with
secondary HLH, heterozygous variants of FHL genes were found.
Conclusions Overall survival for the entire study group was 74% with
median of 3,6 years of follow-up. Our results highlight the molecular
causes of primary HLH in Poland.
Prevention of nostril laceration in endonasal drilling: The use of protective ear speculum
Authors: Dubach Patrick , Michalidou Efterpi , Waser Manuel , Friedrich Hergen , Caversaccio Marco , Huth Markus
Published: January 2024

Key Points: • The use of drills in endoscopic rhinosurgery allows for
precise, safe and rapid removal of solid bone in standard procedures
such as dacryo-cysto-rhinostomia and has become indispensable in
complicated surgical interventions such as median maxillectomy •
Conventional otologic drills are often used as they are readily
available, economical and very robust in use • Injuries caused by the
rotating shaft of the burr are rare yet it can represent a serious
complication following drilling procedures in extended endonasal surgery
• The use of low-cost, reusable otology speculum eliminated this
complication of nasal entrance lacerations throughout our institution to
this date • As a simple safety measurement, we can recommend the
application of ear speculum as a reliable protection against drill
related nasal entrance laceration
FISETIN – A PROSPECTIVE NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENT WITH MULTI-MOLECULAR TARGET ‘S: A REVIEW
Authors: Ravula Arun reddy , Teegala Suraj Benerji , Pasangulapati Jagadeesh prasad , Perumal Venkatesan , Kalakotla Shanker , Boyina Hemanth kumar
Published: January 2024

Fisetin (3, 3′, 4′, 7-tetrahydroxyflavone) belongs to class of
flavonoids which is abundant in several fruits and vegetables that we
consume daily. Fisetin has manifested several health benefits in
preclinical models of neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic), traumatic brain
injury and age-associated changes (physiological and pathological). The
main aim of this present paper is to evaluate the role of fisetin in
treating several neurological diseases which is attributed to its
simultaneous targeting of various molecular pathways. This review
provides a comprehensive mechanistic pathway’s pertaining to fisetin
role in treating several neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
Shared Governance Among Nurses: A Descriptive Study from Jordan
Authors: Al-Hamdan Zaid , Bawadi Hala , Erjeh Tareq Abu- , Ahmad Muayyad , Alhamdan Mohammad , Khalili Hossein
Published: January 2024

Rationale: Shared governance (SG) of employees is crucial in building
trust within healthcare organizations. Improve decision-making and
enhancing collaboration among the nursing staff and nurses’ leaders;
pave the way for greater autonomy and management of healthcare delivery.
Purpose: To examine the SG perceptions among Jordanian registered nurses
in different clinical areas. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional
design was used. A convenience sample of 261 nurses was recruited from
three hospitals in Jordan between 2017 and 2018. tool Results: The total
SG score ranged between 86 and 344 with a mean of 175.6. There was a
slight difference in total SG scores among hospitals. However, when the
subscales were compared across the three hospitals, some differences
emerged specifically on nurses’ total perceived personnel and total
perceived goal and conflict. The median age of the sample was 28 years,
and about half of them (54%) were males. Conclusion: Our outcomes
showed that there is a space to expand the degree of nurses control and
impact in decision making, especially in those offices that scored lower
on the IPNG Implications: The study results have implications in nursing
administration, policy development, and decision making when
choosing/adopting a model of organizational SG to cultivate excellence
in the workplace.
Enteral tube administration of isavuconazole in a pediatric patient
Authors: Garner Lauren , Echols Carmen , Wilson William
Published: January 2024

This case report describes a pediatric patient requiring enteral tube
treatment with isavuconazole for an invasive fungal infection
post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Previously reported
literature in adult patients support this administration technique,
however, no literature specific to pediatric patients exists. This brief
report will examine subsequent trough concentrations of enteral tube
administration of isavuconazole capsules for a pediatric patient being
treated with a concomitant interacting medication.
Prospective Evaluation of the Effect of Smartphone Electrocardiogram Usage on Anticoagulant Medication Compliance: Results of the Better Outcomes of Anticoagulation Therapy by Observation of Atrial Rhythm (BOAT-OAR) Study
Authors: Tran Andy , Okasha Osama , Steinhaus Daniel , Yousuf Omair , Giocondo Michael , Ramza Brian , Wimmer Alan , Gupta Sanjaya
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT Introduction: Compliance with anticoagulation treatment for
atrial fibrillation is highly variable. Smartphone electrocardiograms
that allow patients to have greater insight into their arrhythmia burden
may improve anticoagulant compliance. Methods: Patients were enrolled if
they had atrial fibrillation with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2 or more,
were eligible for anticoagulation and had a smartphone. Participants
were randomly assigned to receive a smartphone electrocardiogram
(AliveCor, Kardia) to record their electrocardiograms 5 times/week or to
the control group. All patients received 6 months of anticoagulant
(apixaban) dispensed as 1-month pre-loaded pill boxes. Results: A total
of 100 patients were enrolled from July 2017 to August 2019, but 5
patients in the monitor arm and 1 in the control arm withdrew
prematurely. The monitor and control groups did not differ in age,
gender, CHA2DS2-VASc score, or comorbidities. Median medication
compliance was 99.7%, with non-significantly greater compliance in the
monitor group (100%) than in the control group (99.7%)
(p-value=0.247). There was also no significant difference between
missing any dose and use/nonuse of the smartphone monitor (48.9% vs.
55.1%; p-value=0.692). Mean monitor compliance was 86.8% ±14.0% with
an average of 4.34 recorded electrocardiograms per week. Monitor group
patients with perfect medication compliance had significantly higher
monitor compliance than those patients who missed doses (median, 95.3%
vs 86.7%; p-value=0.02). Conclusions: In a study population with
higher-than-expected medication compliance, the use of smartphone
electrocardiogram did not demonstrate an improvement in medication
compliance as compared to usual care. Greater monitor compliance was
associated with greater medication compliance.
Universal performance of benzalkonium chloride for the preservation of environmental DNA in seawater samples
Authors: Jo Toshiaki , Sakata Masayuki , Murakami Hiroaki , Masuda Reiji , Minamoto Toshifumi
Published: January 2024

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows non-invasive and cost-effective
monitoring of species distribution and composition in aquatic
ecosystems. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) treatment is an inexpensive and
simple method for preserving macrobial eDNA in water samples, which is
suitable for maximizing both the number of sampling replicates and water
volume. However, its preservation performance has been evaluated in a
limited manner by species-specific assays, targeting short fragments of
mitochondrial DNA in freshwater and brackish ecosystems. Here, we
examined the performance of BAC in preserving eDNA in seawater samples,
targeting different fragment lengths of mitochondrial and nuclear eDNA,
and community information inferred by eDNA metabarcoding. First, we
quantified the time-series changes of Japanese jack mackerel
(Trachurus japonicus) eDNA concentrations in experimental tanks
and inshore seawater to compare the yields and decay rates of eDNA
between BAC treatments. As a result, BAC addition increased the eDNA
yields at the start of the experiment and substantially suppressed the
initial phase of rapid degradation but not the subsequent phase of
slower degradation. In addition, we performed eDNA metabarcoding
targeting fish community, showing that BAC addition suppressed the
decrease in species richness, where the number of fish species hardly
varied throughout the day. Findings of the present and previous studies
indicate high versatility of BAC in preserving qualitative (species
richness) and quantitative (copy number) information on aqueous eDNA
under various environmental conditions. BAC should therefore be used to
minimize the false-negative detection of eDNA, regardless of target
genetic regions, fragment sizes, environmental conditions, and detection
strategies.
Targeting CD26/DPP4 in organ fibrosis
Authors: Jungraithmayr Wolfgang , Moneke Isabelle , Ohm Birte , Meester Ingrid De
Published: January 2024

CD26/DPP4 is an exopeptidase that is expressed on the cell surface of
many organs but is also present in a circulating soluble form. Beyond
its enzymatic and co-stimulatory activity, CD26/DPP4 is involved in the
pathogenesis of chronic fibrosis across many organ diseases such as
liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, and lung fibrosis, but CD26/DPP4 has
also impact on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway
during cancer formation, chronic transplant rejection and autoimmune
diseases. The morbidity and mortality caused by fibrotic disorders is
high, and no effective therapies are available. Growing evidence
suggests that the inhibition of CD26/DPP4 can attenuate the progress of
fibrotic diseases via modulating the EMT milieu and other pathways. This
review summarizes the role of CD26/DPP4 in fibrosis-associated diseases
and highlight new opportunities of how CD26/DPP4-inhibitors may reduce
or reverse fibrosis. As a major advantage, CD26/DPP4-inhibitors are in
safe and routine clinical use against type 2 diabetes for many years
with few side effects making them promising therapeutics for a novel
clinical application in fibrotic disorders.
Theoretical simulation of blood flow for non-Newtonian fluid through the diseased catheterized curved artery with heat and mass transfer
Authors: Kot Mahmoud El
Published: January 2024

The current paper deals with studying the physical characteristics of
blood flow through a curved catheterized diseased artery with heat and
mass transfer. The constitutive equations for incompressible and steady
non-Newtonian Jeffrey fluid have been modelled and solved using the
corresponding boundary conditions under the mild stenosis approximation
to obtain analytical solutions for axial velocity, temperature and
concentration. It is observed that, by increasing the curvature
parameter, the blood velocity, the arterial wall shear stress and the
temperature increase while the resistance to blood flow and
concentration decrease. Besides, the values of blood velocity, arterial
wall shear stress, and temperature are higher for Jeffrey fluid than for
Newtonian fluid, while the inverse effect is observed for the resistance
to blood flow and concentration. Moreover, the trapping phenomenon
depicts that the symmetry of the trapped bolus destroys due to the
curvature of the artery.
A novel peptide biosensor for screening ABL1 activity in vitro: a challenge for precision therapy in BCR-ABL1 and BCR-ABL1 like leukemias.
Authors: Montecchini Oksana , Braidotti Stefania , Franca Raffaella , Zudeh Giulia , Boni Christian , Sorio Claudio , Rabusin Marco , Tommasini Alberto , Decorti Giuliana , Stocco G
Published: January 2024

The pathogenic role of the overactivated ABL1 tyrosine kinase (TK)
pathway is well recognized in some forms of BCR-ABL1 like acute
lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); TK inhibitors represent a useful
therapeutic choice in these patients who respond poorly to conventional
chemotherapy. Here we report a novel peptide biosensor (PABL)-ELISA
assay to investigate ABL1 activity in four immortalized leukemic cell
lines with different genetic background. The PABL sequence comprises an
ABL1 tyrosine (Y) phosphorylation site and a targeting sequence which
increases the specificity for ABL1; additional peptides (Y-site-mutated
(PABL-F) and fully-phosphorylated (PPHOSPHO-ABL) biosensors) were
included in the assay. After incubation with whole cell lysates, average
PABL phosphorylation was significantly increased (basal versus PABL
phosphorylation: 6.84 ± 1.46% versus 32.44 ± 3.25%, p-value
< 0.0001, two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test, percentages
relative to PPHOSPHO-ABL in each cell line). Cell lines expressing
ABL1-chimeric proteins (K562, ALL-SIL) presented the higher TK activity
on PABL; a lower signal was instead observed for NALM6 and REH
(p<0.001 and p<0.05 versus K562, respectively).
Phosphorylation was ABL1-mediated, as demonstrated by the specific
inhibition of imatinib (p<0.001 for K562, NALM6, ALL-SIL and
p<0.01 for REH) in contrast to ruxolitinib (JAK2-inhibitor),
and occurred on the ABL1 Y-site, as demonstrated by PABL-F whose
phosphorylation was comparable to basal levels. While requiring further
optimization and validation in leukemic blasts to be of clinical
interest, the PABL-based ELISA assay provides a novel in vitro tool for
screening both the aberrant ABL1 activity in BCR-ABL1 like ALL leukemic
cells and their potential response to TK inhibitors.
A Retrospective Analysis of Intensive Care Unit Patients During the Pandemic Period
Authors: Canakci Ebru , Kaya Mervegul , Karatas Ahmet
Published: January 2024

A Retrospective Analysis of Intensive Care Unit Patients During the
Pandemic Period
Behavioral toxicity and pharmacokinetics of PCB 77 and PCB 180 in Swiss albino mouse: A single dose inhalation toxicity risk assessment
Authors: NARAYANAN RAMANUJAM , MUTHUSAMY SIVASELVAKUMAR , SANKARAN RAMALINGAM
Published: January 2024

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) pose health hazards to humans as
environmental and occupational workplace pollutants. The
pharmacokinetics and behavioral effects of PCBs after inhalation
exposures of Aroclor 1232 in Swiss albino mice were assessed in this
study, and these effects correlate with monoamine levels in brain. A
whole-body inhalation chamber has been utilized to expose mice to
different doses of Aroclor 1232 for single six-hour durations. The
plasma and brain samples were used to estimate the corresponding
concentration-time profiles of two representative congeners of PCBs (PCB
77 and PCB 180) and calculate their pharmacokinetic parameters. These
variables were then correlated with mouse behavior using Irwin scale,
and monoamine levels. A definite dose-dependence of PCB 77 and PCB 180
pharmacokinetic parameters was identified in plasma and brain. PCB 77
exhibited more accumulation in brain than plasma, whereas PCB 180
accumulated more in plasma than brain. Mood, autonomic scores, and
miscellaneous sub domains were significantly different from control
group scores, correlated with brain monoamine levels. Single
duration-exposure toxicity and generation of PCB 77 and PCB 180
pharmacokinetic parameters in mouse brain and plasma after inhalation
dosing of Aroclor 1232 have been successfully accomplished. The brain to
plasma ratio was correlated to behavioral disruption in mice suggesting
PCBs can alter monoamine levels. Finally, the study results could be
used to extrapolate and model neurobehavioral risk hazards at human
workplace occupational exposures to PCB mixtures, both indoor and
outdoor.
On weak solutions for fourth-order problems involving the Leray-Lions operators
Authors: Kefi Khaled , Repovš Dušan , Saoudi Kamel
Published: January 2024

We investigate the existence and the multiplicity of weak solutions for
fourth-order problems involving the Leray-Lions type operators in
variable exponent spaces. The proofs of our main results use variational
methods and combine three critical theorems of Bonanno and Marano (Appl.
Anal. 89 (2010), 1-10).