bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kritik Hastalarda Trombositopeni Varlığı Hastalık Ciddiyetinin Bir Göstergesidir
Authors: Akbaş Türkay
Published: January 2025

Amaç: Kritik hastalarda trombositopeni sık görülmektedir. Çalışmamızda üçüncü basamak medikal yoğun bakım ünitesine (YBÜ) yatırılan hastalarda, yatış esnasındaki trombositopeni sıklığı ve trombositopeni varlığının morbidite ve mortalite ile olan ilişkisinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: Mart 2018 ve Şubat 2020 tarihleri arasında YBÜ’ye yatırılan 681 hasta geriye dönük incelendi. Vakaların yatış tanıları, komorbiditeleri, yatış günü bakılan laboratuvar tetkikleri, APACHE II (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II) ve SOFA (sequential organ failure assessment) skorları, uygulanan organ destek tedavileri ve mortalite oranları kaydedildi. Trombositopeni kriteri için trombosit sayısı
Broadcasting the Life and Death of Victorian Cities: Urban Heritage in Ken Russell's Early BBC Shorts, 1959–61
Authors: Van Eecke Christophe
Published: January 2025

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the question of how to care for and preserve Victorian urban heritage was an important topic in public debate. At the beginning of his career at the BBC, Ken Russell made four highly original short documentaries that address this issue from several different points of view. John Betjeman: A Poet in London (1959) and Shelagh Delaney's Salford (1960) offered middle-class and working-class perspectives on the large-scale destruction of Victorian buildings to make way for modern planning and high-rises, while A House in Bayswater (1960) and London Moods (1961) further elaborated on points made in the first two films. Considered as a thematic cluster, these four films map how several discourses intersected on the contested site of Victorian urban heritage, not least the different voices of middle-class and working-class stakeholders, both of whom had an interest in preserving aspects of urban architectural heritage, but for widely different reasons. As such, a close reading of these films demonstrates how topical documentaries can become, over the distance of more than half a century, a powerful site for reconstructing and understanding the subtle shadings of past attitudes and old cultural debates.
Form, Time and Trauma: The Terence Davies Triptych and Queer Temporalities
Authors: Smith Matthew
Published: January 2025

This article argues that Children, Madonna and Child and Death and Transfiguration mark the emergence of Terence Davies’s unique and idiosyncratic approach to cinematic temporality and, in their dissolution of the traditional distinction between flashback and flashforward, encourage the emergence of a formal approach that works to express the complex relationship between the adult homosexual and the queer child. Via the work of Katherine Bond Stockton this article problematises the notion of the queer child as an ‘undead’ or ghostly figure that intrudes on or haunts the life of the adult and instead suggests that, in its temporal uncertainty and formal ingenuity, the Trilogy conceptualises the queer child as an unborn or newborn figure that comes into existence via present-tense acts of adult recollection and recognition. Central to this reading is an attempt to reposition the Trilogy as a triptych – a religiously inflected tripartite cultural object divided into three panels that encourages a circular or reciprocal engagement and asks the spectator to read across the three elements of the work rather than through them as in a traditional linear narrative.
Ensuring Freedom of Speech and Countering Propaganda in the Context of a Legal Regime of Martial Law
Authors: Vigirinsky Andriy Valeriyovych
Published: January 2025

The aim of this article was to analyze and assess the coherence and adequacy of measures taken by Ukraine, as a democratic country under the state of martial law due to armed aggression by the Russian Federation, in the field of upholding freedom of speech. This task has its objective premises as the state is compelled to counter the threat to national security in the informational sphere, including the destructive influence of propaganda.

The article covers: Organizational measures regarding the establishment of a unified news channel «Unified News»; Legislative and law enforcement measures concerning the criminalization of acts aimed at justifying armed aggression, glorifying armed aggression, and disseminating materials containing such information; Instances of influencing the activities of media representatives and civil society using state apparatus; The methodology of functioning of the Disinformation Counteraction Center as a working body under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

A militant democracy must exert efforts to defend itself against those who threaten it sufficient to ensure the stability of the democratic system. Accordingly, restrictive measures within a militant democracy have certain limits that cannot be disregarded, otherwise there are risks of authoritarianization of power. These criteria include the rule of law, democracy, human rights, human dignity, and freedom.

Depending on the type of restrictive measures analyzed during the study, it has been established that there are facts that can be qualified as encroachments on the criteria of democracy, which should remain inviolable, including the principles of the rule of law, legality, legal certainty, presumption of innocence, and censorship. The motives behind some of these abuses lie beyond objective necessity and could have been avoided. However, the fact of their existence seems to be more indicative of a desire to maintain concentration of power beyond the limits of the values of the system of checks and balances, as an element of the principle of separation of powers, including through concealing or seeking to limit the ability of the media and civil society to expose the self-serving actions of holders of power.

Key words: militant democracy, propaganda, freedom of speech, system of checks and balances, martial law, state of emergency legal regime.
The concept of the right of the Ukrainian people to land in the legal doctrine and legislation of Ukraine: origins, main provisions, ways of improvement
Authors: Drozd Iryna Vladyslavivna
Published: January 2025

The article is devoted to the problem of researching the content and historical foundations of the formation of the concept of ownership rights of the Ukrainian people to land in order to eliminate legal gaps and specify the constitutional foundations in determining the subjects of ownership rights to land.

The article notes that the issue of the Ukrainian people’s belonging to a separate subject of land rights is unresolved in legal science, as there is no unified understanding of the content of Article 13 of the Constitution of Ukraine among scientists. Such a situation may indicate the imperfection of the content of the above and the need to eliminate its shortcomings, taking into account the trends of modern Ukrainian legislation and taking into account the country’s European integration course.

The author also points out that the current Article 13 of the Constitution of Ukraine contains a provision on the right of ownership of the Ukrainian people to land, which contains signs of the idealistic concept of the Soviet land legislation on the ownership of land by the people — a concept that formed the ideological basis for the usurpation of the institution of land ownership by the state, reducing it to the right of exclusive state ownership of land.

It is emphasized that in no European constitution is the people recognized as the owner of land and not endowed with land legal personality, but quite often land is recognized as the main national wealth of the respective country. It is emphasized that the Land Code of Ukraine does not provide for the possibility (grounds) of acquisition of land ownership by the Ukrainian people. The need to finalize and combine the content of Articles 13 and 14 of the Constitution of Ukraine is substantiated. It was concluded that the Constitution of Ukraine should ensure and protect the legal order of the Ukrainian State, therefore its norms cannot be contradictory and unclear. At the same time, the declarative provisions on land ownership of the Ukrainian people allow some politicians to manipulate these slogans, which in the end does not always benefit the Ukrainian people, and in the future may negatively affect the development of modern land legislation and its harmonization with EU legislation.

Key words: Constitution, land, property, Ukrainian people, national wealth, subjective right to land.
New challenges in the activities of the ECtHR in the conditions of military aggression against Ukraine
Authors: Dunayev Eduard Vladislavovich
Published: January 2025

Ways of improving the activities of the ECtHR in the context of the international legal assessment of Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation are proposed: shortening the term of consideration of cases. It is proposed to limit the term of consideration of ECtHR cases regarding the international legal assessment of Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation to one year; implementation of the current mechanism for timely execution of decisions of the ECtHR and strict liability for non-implementation of such decisions on the part of the Russian Federation; ensuring the effective cooperation of state authorities for the timely implementation of ECtHR decisions regarding the international legal assessment of Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation: supplementing the list of tasks It is proposed to supplement this list with the following powers: systematization of prerequisites and additional substantiation of ECtHR decisions regarding the international legal assessment of Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation; development of a mechanism for cooperation with representatives of the ECtHR in the context of the international legal assessment of Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation. The proposed areas of improvement of the activity of the ECtHR in the context of the international legal assessment of Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation are capable of positively influencing the general situation in Ukraine, counteracting to a certain extent the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukrainians, speeding up the victory of the Ukrainian nation over the Russian occupiers, and in general improving the process of interaction of Ukrainian state bodies with the world community within the scope of justice.

Key words: ECHR, rights and freedoms, protection of human rights, military aggression of the Russian Federation, international legal assessment of crimes.
The Effect of Ethical and Altruistic Leadership Behaviors on Job Performance and Turnover Intention: The Case of a Public Hospital
Authors: Denizli Fatih , Kınış Zühal
Published: January 2025

The study examines the effects of ethical and altruistic leadership behaviors on job performance and turnover intentions in a public hospital sample. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ethical and altruistic leadership behaviors in healthcare institutions on the job performance and intention to leave of healthcare professionals. For this purpose, 346 healthcare workers participated in the study, which was carried out in Kayseri between January 1 and February 1, 2024, and the data were collected via a survey technique. The "ethical leadership", "altruistic leadership", "job performance" and "turnover intention" scales were used as the data collection tools. This research revealed that ethical and altruistic leadership behaviors have a positive effect on the job performance of healthcare workers and a negative effect on their turnover intentions. The findings obtained in the study will provide important contributions to the health services leadership literature and to the practice of health managers. It will also provide data for new studies to be conducted in this context.
Bütçe Bilinci ve Bütçe Bilincinin Artışında Etkili Olan Faktörlere Kuramsal Bir Bakış
Authors: Barut Muhammed Emin , Türkal Hasan
Published: January 2025

Literatürde bütçe bilinci kavramını tanımlayan ve bütçe bilincinin artmasında etkili olan faktörleri kuramsal olarak inceleyen çalışmalar sınırlı düzeydedir. Bütçe bilinci ile ilgili olarak yeterli düzeyde akademik çalışmanın yapılmamış olması bu çalışmayı özgün kılmaktadır. Özelikle içerisinde bulunduğumuz asırda vatandaşların bütçe belgelerine erişebilme, okuyabilme, anlayabilme ve analiz etme yeteneğinin kazandırılması ve bütçe bilinç düzeyinin artırılması gereklilik arz etmektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı gerek ulusal gerekse uluslararası maliye literatüründe bütçe bilinci kavramını tanımlamak ve bütçe bilincini etkileyen faktörleri kuramsal olarak incelemektir. Çalışmada vatandaşların bütçe bilinç seviyesini etkileyen çeşitli faktörler tespit edilmiştir. Bu kapsamda mali şeffaflık, hesap verilebilirlik, bütçe savunuculuğu, mali demokrasi, katılımcılık, vatandaş odaklı bütçe ve vatandaş bütçe raporu gibi uygulamaların vatandaşların bütçe bilinç düzeyini etkileyen faktörler olduğu görülmüştür. Dolayısıyla karmaşık bütçe belgelerinin, çoğu zaman anlaşılmadığı bir ortamda; kamu bütçelerinin açık, şeffaf ve anlaşılır bir düzeyde, hesap verilebilir bir şekilde halk ile paylaşılması hem demokrasi hem de katılımcılığı artırdığı tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca vatandaşların bütçe bilinç düzeyinin artırılması sadece siyasal iktidarlara ve politikacılara bırakılmaması, bütçe savunuculuğu uygulaması ile sivil toplum kuruluşlarının bütçe bilincinin artışında aktif rol üstlenmesi gerekli olduğu görülmüştür.
Savaş - Çevre İlişkisinde Bir Dönüm Noktası: İkinci Dünya Savaşı
Authors: Akin Sezai , Yücel Batmaz Nazlı
Published: January 2025

Savaş ve çevre ilişkisinin dönüm noktası olarak İkinci Dünya Savaşı kabul edilmektedir. Zira bu savaş; savaş sırasında gerçekleşen muharebelerde ve cephe gerisinde veya kentlerde oluşan çevresel tahribat bakımından kendisinden önceki savaşlardan çok daha yıkıcı bir teknolojiyi ve askeri anlayışı ortaya çıkartmıştır. Ayrıca çevrenin belirli bir kısmının savaş aracı olarak kullanılması düşüncesinin aksine, askeri anlamda birincil hedef olmayan bir alanın savaşı kazanmak amacıyla bir savaş aracı olarak kullanılması da bu anlamıyla savaş-çevre ilişkisinin önemli bir dönüm noktasıdır. Dolayısıyla bir zamanlar savaşın ana amacı olan çevrenin, araç olma unsurunun daha ağır basmaya başlaması bakımından savaş-çevre ilişkisi önemli ölçüde değişmiştir. Meydana gelen bu değişim ise savaş sonucunda çevreyi geri dönülmesi imkânsız bir tahribata maruz bırakmış fakat oluşan tahribata rağmen savaşlar nihayete ermemiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı ise, savaş-çevre ilişkisinde meydana gelen değişiklikler bağlamında İkinci Dünya Savaşının savaşın çevresel etkileri ve insan ve çevre ilişkileri için bir kırılım noktası olduğunu ortaya koymaktır. Literatür araştırması yöntemi kullanılarak hazırlanan çalışmada, İkinci Dünya Savaşının ortaya çıkarttığı sonuçlar bakımından insan-çevre ilişkisini değiştirdiği ve hem insan-çevre ilişkisi bakımından hem de savaşın ortaya çıkarttığı çevresel etkileri bakımından bir dönüm noktası olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Sinema Filmlerinde Devlet İmajı: “Son İclas” Filminde Azerbaycan Halk Cumhuriyeti Örneği
Authors: Orujov Umud
Published: January 2025

Belgeseller, toplumun belleğini ve tarih algısını şekillendirmede önemli bir araç olarak kabul edilmektedir. Bu yapıtlar, tarihsel olayları ve kültürel imgeleri aktararak toplumsal hafızayı etkilemektedir. Çalışmanın konusu olan "Son İclas" filmi, Azerbaycan'ın bağımsızlık mücadelesini konu alarak ülkenin tarihine dair önemli imgeler sunmaktadır. Bu belgesel, Azerbaycan'ın milli kimliğinin ve ulusal hafızasının yeniden inşası sürecinde kritik bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, "Son İclas" filminin topluma ilettiği mesajları analiz etmek ve belgeselin toplum bilinci üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektir. Belgeseller, geçmiş olayları ve tarihi anları ele alarak toplumsal hafızayı pekiştiren bir mekanizma işlevi görür ve bu sürecin nasıl oluştuğunu irdelemek, araştırmanın önemini artırmaktadır. Analitik bir yaklaşımla incelendiğinde, "Son İclas" belgeseli, sosyolojik, psikolojik ve siyasi açılardan çeşitli nüanslar içermektedir. Çalışmada yöntem olarak nitel yöntemler kulanılmış olup filmdeki sahneler, görsel imgeler, karakterlerin konuşmaları ve toplumun tarih algısını ve milli kimlik duygusunu nasıl şekillendirmeye çalışdığı yorumlayıcı bir perspektiften incelenmiştir. Bu yaklaşıma göre araştırmacı, belgeseli bir sanat eseri olarak değerlendirmekte ve izleyicilerin deneyimlerini ve algılarını öne çıkarmaktadır. Sonuç olarak söyleyebilmekteyiz ki "Son İclas" belgeseli, Azerbaycan'ın tarihine dair anlatıları ve sembolleri kullanarak toplumsal hafızayı etkileyen bir etki yaratmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, filmin sunum tarzı ve içeriği üzerine yapılan analizler, toplumun tarihle olan ilişkisini daha derinlemesine anlamamıza olanak tanımaktadır. "Son İclas" gibi yapıtlar, tarihsel olayların ve ulusal deneyimlerin geçmişe ve geleceğe nasıl yansıdığını anlamaya yönelik önemli birer referans noktası oluşturmaktadır.
E-Ürün Karşılaştırmanın Tüketici Karmaşasına Etkisi: Elektronik Ürünler Örneği
Authors: Akçi Yavuz , Kılınç Kazım
Published: January 2025

Tüketiciler genel olarak ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak için çeşitli seçenekler arasından tercih yapmaktadırlar. Ancak bunu yaparken alternatifler arasında en yüksek düzeyde fayda elde edecekleri mal ve hizmetleri tercih etmeye çalışmaktadırlar. Bu tercih sürecinde çeşitli araştırmalar içerisine girmekte ve alternatifleri değerlendirmektedirler. Bu çalışma elektronik ürün satın almak isteyen tüketicilerin e-ürün karşılaştırma sitelerinden faydalanma durumlarını ve satın alma karar süreçlerine olan etkilerini belirlemek için yapılmıştır. Nicel araştırma yöntemi seçilmiş olup çalışma için ihtiyaç duyulan verilerin toplanması için anket yöntemi seçilmiş ve anket uygulaması sonucunda 474 geçerli anket verisi elde edilmiştir. Toplanan verilere PLS-SEM analizi uygulanmıştır. Analizlerin sonucunda e-ürün karşılaştırma sitelerinin kullanıldığı ve tüketici karmaşasının azaltılmasına pozitif yönlü etkilerinin olduğu görülmüştür. Çalışmanın sonucunda elektronik ürün satın almak isteyen tüketicilerin yaşadığı karmaşıklığın azaltılmasında e- ürün karşılaştırmasının pozitif yönde anlamlı etkisinin olduğu görülmüştür. E-ürün karşılaştırma sitelerinin katılımcıların içine düşeceği kargaşayı azalttığı görülmüştür.
Pazarlama Literatürünün Kodları: Kitap Eleştirisi Yazmak İçin Model Önerisi ve Pazarlama 3.0 – 4.0 – 5.0 – 6.0 Kitapları Örneği
Authors: Özkaynar Kürşad
Published: January 2025

Kitap eleştirisi çalışmalarının önemi, salt içerik özetinin veya bir eserin değerine ilişkin değerlendirici yargıların sağlanmasının ötesine uzanmaktadır. Kitap kritiği / eleştirisi akademik sorgulamanın özünü barındırmaktadır. Eleştiri, bilimsel çalışmaların titiz, analitik ve yansıtıcı bir şekilde incelenmesi anlamına gelmektedir. Yazarlar için eleştirel bir geri bildirim mekanizması işlevi görerek, argümanlarını geliştirebilecek ve akademik söyleme katkıda bulunabilecek içgörüler sunmaktadır. Katkılarına rağmen, kitap kritiği / eleştirisi akademik hiyerarşide genellikle göz ardı edilmektedir. Çalışma, kitap eleştirilerinin küratöryel işlevlerini ön plana çıkararak, akademik diyaloğun temel bir bileşeni olarak yeniden konumlandırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca model / kılavuz önerilmiş, eleştiri / kritik çalışmalarında olması gereken ana başlıklar belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Pazarlamanın önemli kavramlarından x.0 kavramını anlatan Pazarlama 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 adını taşıyan kitaplar üzerinden model örneklendirilmiştir. Bundan sonra yapılacak kitap eleştirileri için bir kılavuz niteliği taşıması, kitap eleştirisi çalışmalarının artmasını sağlayarak ilgili disipline arşiv niteliğinde katkı sunması beklenmektedir. Çalışma tüm sosyal bilimler alanında kullanılabilecek bir eleştiri modeli ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır.
A Literature Review of Early Communicative Intervention for Children with Nonverbal Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors:   Korean Association For Persons With Autism, Jang Yeon , Lee SoHyun
Published: January 2025

Children with non-verbal autism spectrum disorder(ASD) have difficulties with social interaction and social development because of their limited verbal expression. Early intervention for children with non-verbal ASD has been shown to significantly improve their communication skills and reduce their ASD symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the trends in early communication intervention programs for children with non-verbal ASD overseas and to discuss the practicality of applying them in Korea. The results of the study showed that a total of 22 relevant studies were conducted between 1998 and 2023. Most of the studies were single-subject studies, and 45.5% of the studies involved parents as interventionists. In 68.2% of the studies trained interventionists, including parents, reported that the most important target skills were found to be verbal communication, joint attention and eye contact. Based on these findings, practical implications for national early intervention programs are discussed herein.
Enhancing Reading Skills: Manga Readers' Perception of English Translations
Authors: Nor Hidayah , Rahimah Annisa aulya , Asfihana Raida
Published: January 2025

This research is examining the perceptions of manga readers towards English-translated manga and its impact on their reading skills. It evaluates both micro and macro aspects of reading skills enhancement. Employing a convergent mixed methods approach, data was collected in two phases: qualitative interviews with 15 active manga readers and quantitative questionnaires with the same participants. Results indicate a positive perception among manga readers towards English-translated manga, facilitating self-directed learning and enhancing English reading skills. Improvement spans across various reading skills, including linguistic aspects such as grammatical form and word meaning, and macro skills like identifying main ideas and extracting general information. The study, conducted at the English Education Department of Antasari State Islamic University Banjarmasin, suggests that English-translated manga effectively attract readers and motivate them to engage with English materials. Recommendations for future research include exploring similar media formats like webtoons or comics, investigating other reading skills such as writing, and conducting further tests to assess the extent of reading skill improvement among manga readers.
Telocytes in inflammatory bowel diseases: contributions to pathology and therapeutic potentials
Authors: Panganiban Ronaldo Paolo , McAninch Christina , Chulkina Marina , Pinchuk Irina V.
Published: January 2025

Telocytes, a novel mesenchymal cell population, are characterized by their distinctive long and slender projections known as telopodes and have garnered significant interest since their formal introduction to the literature in 2010. These cells have been identified in various tissues, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where they are suggested to play important roles in maintaining structural integrity, immune modulation, and barrier function. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis. While limited information is available on the fate of telocytes in this group of diseases, it has been suggested that loss/plasticity of telocytes can be among the key factors contributing to their pathogenesis. This review focuses on the current understanding of telocytes, their structural features, and their distribution within the GI tract under gut homeostasis and IBD. We also discuss the roles of these cells in immune regulation and intestinal repair. We highlight evidence implicating telocytes in the pathogenesis of IBD and other chronic inflammatory diseases that share similar pathophysiological processes with IBD. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges in gut telocyte biology and the potential therapeutic implications of telocytes in IBD.
The role of Latin America medicinal plants in wound healing
Authors: Sánchez-Ramos Mariana , Ruiz-Betancourt Andrea , Tadeo-Cuenca Stephany Abigail , Román-Guerrero Angélica , Columba-Palomares María Crystal , Guerrero-Alonso Araceli , Bernabé-Antonio Antonio , Ojeda-Ramírez Deyanira , Cruz-Sosa Francisco
Published: January 2025

Wound healing represents a global public health problem when it is not treated correctly, which can cause complications for the patient, such as functional loss of an organ, amputation, and even death. At a biological level, wound healing involves a complex mechanism in which the immune system and cellular biochemical cascades intervene in a coordinated manner, whose development occurs in stages such as inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Therefore, therapies have been developed to accelerate wound healing and have proven effective. However, factors such as diabetes mellitus limit the healing process because it causes alterations in microvascular dysfunction, as well as in the inflammatory response and greater oxidative stress. This is reflected in an abnormal healing process; therefore, the search for healing compounds has become an area of interest. In this regard, medicinal plants have been used for centuries to treat wounds in different cultures in the world. Hence, this review documents the main plant species used in Latin America due to its great biodiversity and numerous species that are potentially important for the development of new active healing compounds. In this review, 62 plant families with wound healing studies were found, highlighting Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae family. Additionally, 32 natural compounds with diverse structural nature were found, whose effects have been evaluated in in vivo and in vitro models, which are essential for studying the pathogenesis of the tissue repair mechanism, detecting new biomarkers, and evaluate new treatments. Currently, several models are used to study the wound healing process, including in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models. On the other hand, there is no appropriate model to determine the wound healing effect, and, in many cases, they are combined to provide sufficient scientific evidence. Therefore, this review demonstrates that Latin America is a potential region for research into sources of healing molecules. Nevertheless, other species are still being studied whose scientific findings allow generating viable alternatives for the solution of health problems associated with wound healing.
Analysis and validation of serum biomarkers in brucellosis patients through proteomics and bioinformatics
Authors: Li Xiao , Wang Bo , Li Xiaocong , He Juan , Shi Yue , Wang Rui , Li Dongwei , Haitao Ding
Published: January 2025

Introduction

This study aims to utilize proteomics, bioinformatics, and machine learning algorithms to identify diagnostic biomarkers in the serum of patients with acute and chronic brucellosis

Methods

Proteomic analysis was conducted on serum samples from patients with acute and chronic brucellosis, as well as from healthy controls. Differential expression analysis was performed to identify proteins with altered expression, while Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was applied to detect co-expression modules associated with clinical features of brucellosis. Machine learning algorithms were subsequently used to identify the optimal combination of diagnostic biomarkers. Finally, ELISA was employed to validate the identified proteins.

Results

A total of 1,494 differentially expressed proteins were identified, revealing two co-expression modules significantly associated with the clinical characteristics of brucellosis. The Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) algorithm identified six proteins that were concurrently present in both the differentially expressed and co-expression modules, demonstrating promising diagnostic potential. After ELISA validation, five proteins were ultimately selected.

Discussion

These five proteins are implicated in the innate immune processes of brucellosis, potentially associated with its pathogenic mechanisms and chronicity. Furthermore, we highlighted their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for brucellosis. This study further enhances our understanding of brucellosis at the protein level, paving the way for future research endeavors.
Prevalence and determinants of ideal cardiovascular health by sex and region—a population-based study in Peru
Authors: Vera-Ponce Víctor Juan , Zuzunaga-Montoya Fiorella E. , Vásquez-Romero Luisa Erika Milagros , Loayza-Castro Joan A. , Orihuela Manrique Eder Jesús , Valladares-Garrido Mario J. , Gutierrez De Carrillo Carmen Inés
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Attaining what the American Heart Association terms Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICVH) is viewed as an essential objective for preventing cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Objective

To determine the prevalence of ICVH, stratified by sex and region and its associated factors in the adult population of Peru.

Materials and methods

Analytical cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the Life Stage Food and Nutrition Surveillance Survey (VIANEV). ICVH can be depicted vis-a-vis the seven metrics of the AHA: blood pressure levels, total cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking status, body mass index, physical activity levels, and dietary intake through the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The variable was categorized as deficient/moderate vs. ideal for regression analysis.

Results

Of the 863 participants examined, findings demonstrated that 38.01% had ICVH. The prevalence is trending lower in correlation with rising age and educational attainment levels and for those inhabitants residing at higher elevations. Likewise, statistically significant variations were observable concerning the prevalence of ICVH contingent on the region of residence and marital status, in particular amongst the feminine inhabitants.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that the frequency of ICVH in the grown-up inhabitants of Peru is comparatively tiny. Things linked to a lesser frequency of ICVH involve increased age, a higher level of education, living at higher altitudes, and staying married to a woman. These discoveries underscore the need to implement prevention and treatment strategies for CVD distinct for each inhabitant team.
Identification of mitophagy-related key genes and their correlation with immune cell infiltration in acute myocardial infarction via bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Sheng Zulong , Zhang Rui , Ji Zhenjun , Liu Zhuyuan , Zhou Yaqing
Published: January 2025

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a subset of acute coronary syndrome, remains the major cause of mortality worldwide. Mitochondrial dysfunction is critically involved in AMI progression, and mitophagy plays a vital role in eliminating damaged mitochondria. This study aimed to explore mitophagy-related biomarkers and their potential molecular basis in AMI.

Methods

AMI datasets (GSE24519 and GSE34198) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were combined and the batch effects were removed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in AMI were selected, intersected with mitophagy-related genes for mitophagy-related DEGs (MRDEGs), and then subjected to enrichment analyses. Next, the MRDEGs were screened using machine learning methods (logistic regression analysis, RandomForest, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) to construct a diagnostic risk model and select the key genes in AMI. The diagnostic efficacy of the model was evaluated using a nomogram. Moreover, the infiltration patterns of different immune cells in two risk groups were compared. We also explored the interactions between the key genes themselves or with miRNAs/transcription factors (TFs) and drug compounds and visualized the protein structure of the key genes. Finally, we explored and validated the expression of key genes in plasma samples of patients with an AMI and healthy individuals.

Results

We screened 28 MRDEGs in AMI. Based on machine learning methods, 12 key genes were screened for the diagnostic risk model, including AGPS, CA2, CAT, LTA4H, MYO9B, PRDX6, PYGB, SIRT3, TFEB, TOM1, UBA52, and UBB. The nomogram further revealed the accuracy of the model for AMI diagnosis. Moreover, we found a lower abundance of immune cells such as gamma delta T and natural killer cells in the high-risk group, and the expression of key genes showed a significant correlation with immune infiltration levels in both groups. Finally, 64 miRNA–mRNA pairs, 75 TF–mRNA pairs, 119 RNA-binding protein–mRNA pairs, and 32 drug–mRNA pairs were obtained in the interaction networks.

Conclusions

In total, 12 key MRDEGs were identified and a risk model was constructed for AMI diagnosis. The findings of this study might provide novel biomarkers for improving the detection of AMI.
Soil moisture partitioning strategies in blowouts in the Hulunbeier grassland and response to rainfall
Authors: Bao Zhixin , Yuan Limin , Meng Zhongju , Zhang Ezhen , Zhu Lei , Liu Jinwang
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Soil moisture and soil water retention capacity are key influencing factors for the normal growth and development of vegetation. Understanding the dynamic change characteristics of soil moisture in blowouts and soil water retention capacity is of great significance for the management of blowouts.

Methods

This study employs drying and in situ monitoring methods to select typical blowouts in different regions (sand pits, fringe zones, sand accumulation zones, and sand-grass transition zones) on the Hulunbuir Grassland. A large area of natural grassland surrounding these regions was chosen as the control (CK). Soil moisture at depths of 20, 40, 60, 100 and 200 cm below the surface was measured along the soil profile using the ECH2O-10HS soil moisture automatic monitoring instrument. The HOBO-RG3-M self-recording rain gauge was used to monitor rainfall. Soil water storage, coefficient of variation, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were calculated to study the differences in soil moisture and the dynamic change regularity in soil moisture under different rainfall conditions. This research provides important theoretical support for the soil moisture distribution and vegetation restoration in the blowouts of the Hulunbuir Grassland.

Results and discussion

The volumetric water content of the soil in the blowouts was 15.95%, the volumetric soil water content in different parts of the soil varied from low to high as follows: sand pit-I < sand-grass transition zone-IV < fringe zone-II < CK < sand accumulation zone-III. The soil volumetric water content of the 0–40 cm soil layer of the blowout was higher than 17.47%, and the soil volumetric water content of the 40–200 cm soil layer ranged from 12.13% to 17.47%. The volumetric water content of soil in various parts of the blowouts under different rainfall amounts had significant differences, with rainstorms and heavy rainfall effectively recharging the blowouts to a depth of 200 cm, and the blowouts responded strongly to heavy rainfall (71.5 mm). A gradual recovery of the pre-rainfall volumetric soil moisture content was seen approximately a week after rainstorms. The water retention and storage capacity of blowout soils was significantly higher than that of CK, the soil water storage capacity of different zones ranked in descending order as the sand accumulation zone (1875.38 mm) > edge zone (1373.22 mm) > CK (1188.36 mm) > sand pit (1000.39 mm) > sand–grass transition zone (803.90 mm). The correlation coefficient of sand pits and sand cover was 0.5612, and that of sand accumulation zones and sand cover was 0.5845, which confirmed that sand cover enhanced the water retention capacity of the localized area of blowouts (sand accumulation zones).
Genetic variation in patent foramen ovale: a case-control genome-wide association study
Authors: Dong Bosi , Li Yajiao , Ai Fandi , Geng Jia , Tang Ting , Peng Wan , Tang Yusha , Wang Hui , Tian Zixuan , Bu Fengxiao , Chen Lei
Published: January 2025

Background

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a congenital defect between the atria, resulting in abnormal hemodynamics. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify common genetic variants associated with PFO.

Methods

We performed a whole genome sequencing in a discovery cohort of 3,227 unrelated Chinese participants screened for PFO via contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with PFO were further validated by Sanger sequencing and subsequently were evaluated in a validation cohort. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis was conducted using the GTEx database. Single-cell sequencing analyses with pseudotime trajectory modeling were employed to evaluate their expression in human fetal hearts.

Results

The case-control GWAS of discovery cohort ultimately included 517 cases and 517 demographically matched controls. Of the 7,040,407 variants assessed, we identified rs1227675732 (OR = 2.903; 95% CI, 1.961 to 4.297; p = 3.05 × 10−8), rs62206790 (OR = 2.780; 95% CI, 1.864 to 4.146; p = 2.02 × 10−7), rs879176184 (OR = 2.724; 95% CI, 1.822 to 4.073; p = 4.30 × 10−7) and rs13115019 (OR = 2.437; 95% CI, 1.702 to 3.488; p = 5.80 × 10−7) as high-risk variants for PFO, while rs57922961 (OR = 0.5081; 95% CI, 0.388 to 0.666; p = 6.82 × 10−7) was identified as protective variant. These variations were replicated in the validation cohort (111 cases and 152 controls). Single-cell sequencing showed that CNOT2, KCNMB4, MLLT10, IGBP1, and FRG1 were highly expressed with significant changes during heart development.

Conclusion

The identification of susceptible loci for PFO might provide insights into the pathogenesis of PFO and contribute to understanding heart development.

Clinical Trial Registration

https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=40590, identifier ChiCTR1900024623.
Specific immune response to M. tuberculosis and ability to in vitro control mycobacterial replication are not impaired in subjects with immune-mediated inflammatory disease and tuberculosis infection
Authors: Farroni Chiara , Altera Anna Maria Gerarda , Salmi Andrea , Vanini Valentina , Cuzzi Gilda , Lindestam Arlehamn Cecilia S. , Sette Alessandro , Delogu Giovanni , Palucci Ivana , Sbarra Settimia , Aiello Alessandra , Picchianti-Diamanti Andrea , Gualano Gina , Palmieri Fabrizio , Goletti Delia , Petruccioli Elisa
Published: January 2025

Background

Subjects with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID), such as rheumatoid arthritis, with tuberculosis infection (TBI), have a high probability of progressing to tuberculosis disease (TB). We aim to characterize the impact of IMID on the immune response to M. tuberculosis (Mtb) in patients with TBI and TB disease.

Methods

We enrolled TBI and TB patients with and without IMID. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated with Mtb-derived epitopes (MTB300). By flow-cytometry, we identified the Mtb-specific CD4+ T cells as cytokine-producing T cells or as CD25+ CD134+ CD4+ T cells. Memory and activation status of Mtb-specific T cells were assessed by evaluating: CD153, HLA-DR, CD45RA, CD27. Mycobacterial growth inhibition assay (MGIA) was used to evaluate the ability of PBMCs to inhibit mycobacteria growth. A long-term stimulation assay was used to detect a memory response.

Results

The IMID status and therapy did not affect the magnitude of response to Mtb-antigen stimulation and the number of responders. TBI-IMID showed a cytokine profile like TBI and TB patients. The Mtb response of TBI-IMID patients was characterized by an effector memory and central memory phenotype as in TBI and TB groups. This memory phenotype allowed the increased IFN-γ production after 6 days of MTB300-stimulation. HLA-DR expression on Mtb-specific T cells was associated with TB, whereas CD153 was associated with TBI status. Finally, the TBI-IMID had an MGIA response like TBI and TB patients.

Conclusion

IMID condition does not affect key aspects of the immune response to Mtb, such as the cytokine response, memory and activation profile, and the ability to contain the mycobacteria replication. The immunological characterization of the fragile population of TBI-IMID patients is fundamental to understanding the correlation between protection and disease.
Effects of NK cell-related lncRNA on the immune microenvironment and molecular subtyping for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Jinze , Xia Chuqi , Li Yuxuan , Liu Hanhan , Gong Cheng , Liang Daoming
Published: January 2025

Background

Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) face a highly unfavorable outcome and have a poor response to standard treatments. Immunotherapy, especially therapy based on natural killer (NK) cells, presents a promising avenue for the treatment of PDAC.

Aims

This research endeavor seeks to formulate a predictive tool specifically designed for PDAC based on NK cell-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), revealing new molecular subtypes of PDAC to promote personalized and precision treatment.

Methods

Utilizing the Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub 2 platform, we discovered genes associated with NK cells in PDAC. We employed the TCGA-PAAD dataset to ascertain the expression profiles of these NK cell-related genes and to screen for lncRNAs correlated with NK cells. Subsequently, we utilized Cox regression analysis for hazard ratios and LASSO regression analysis to identify three NK cell-related lncRNAs that were used to develop a prognostic assessment model. The forecasting accuracy of this model was appraised using the ROC curve and validated using a test set and the complete dataset.

Results

Successful construction of a prognostic model comprising three lncRNAs was achieved, demonstrating good predictive efficiency in the training set, validation dataset, and the entire dataset. NK cells display robust interactions with malignant cells, CD8 T cells, and fibroblasts in the PDAC tumor microenvironment and participate in the transport of various signaling molecules and following immune responses in PDAC. According to the expression patterns of NK cell-related lncRNA, we labeled PDAC patients as four molecular subtypes, exhibiting significant differences in immune cell infiltration, drug sensitivity, and other aspects.

Conclusion

This study Uncovered the activity of NK cells within PDAC, proposed an NK cell-related lncRNA model, and delineated new molecular subtypes, thereby providing targets for personalized therapy.
Prognostic value of atherogenic index of plasma in pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Chen Meng-Qi , Wang An , Wan Chuan-Xue , Ruan Bin-Qian , Tong Jun , Shen Jie-Yan
Published: January 2025

Background

The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a brand-new lipid parameter that has been used to assess various cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of AIP in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine affiliated Renji Hospital, and included data from 125 PH patients treated during 2014–2018. The endpoint events of this study were clinical worsening outcomes. PH patients include those from group 1 and group 4. AIP was determined as the logarithm of the blood triglycerides ratio to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Results

The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year incidence rates of clinical worsening outcomes in PH patients in this study were 20.0, 44.8, and 54.4%, respectively. The median age of the PH patients was 38.00 years, with females accounting for 90.4%. After controlling for multivariable factors, the results of Cox regression analysis indicated that AIP was an independent predictor of adverse outcomes with a hazard ratio and 95% confident interval (CI) of 2.426 (1.021–5.763). The positive linear relationship of AIP was evaluated using restricted cubic spline analysis. Kaplan–Meier curves showed a significantly higher events rate in patients with AIP ≥ 0.144 compared to those with AIP < 0.144 (p = 0.002). Four potential prognostic variables, including AIP, were identified by LASSO regression to construct a nomogram. Compared to the model minus AIP, the AUC of the nomogram displayed a non-significant improvement (0.749 vs. 0.788, p = 0.298). In contrast, the results of net reclassification improvement (0.306, 95% CI: 0.039–0.459, p < 0.001) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.049, 95% CI: 0.006–0.097, p = 0.020) demonstrated significant enhancements in the predictive ability of the model when AIP was added to the clinical model.

Conclusion

AIP is an independent predictor of long-term clinical worsening in PH patients, and its inclusion in prognostic models could improve risk stratification and management.
Continuous cropping of Patchouli alters soil physiochemical properties and rhizosphere microecology revealed by metagenomic sequencing
Authors: Gu Guangtao , Zeeshan Ul Haq Muhammad , Sun Xue , Zhou Jingru , Liu Ya , Yu Jing , Yang Dongmei , Yang Huageng , Wu Yougen
Published: January 2025

Continuous cropping (CC) profoundly impacts soil ecosystems, including changes in soil factors and the structure and stability of microbial communities. These factors are interrelated and together affect soil health and plant growth. In this research, metagenomic sequencing was used to explore the effects of CC on physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial community composition, and functional genes of the rhizosphere soil of patchouli. We found that this can lead to changes in various soil factors, including the continuous reduction of pH and NH4+-N and the unstable changes of many factors. In addition, S-PPO enzyme activity increased significantly with the cropping years, but S-NAG increased in the first 2 years and decreased in the third cropping year. Metagenomic sequencing results showed that CC significantly changed the diversity and composition of rhizosphere microbial communities. The relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Bacteroides decreased substantially from the phylum level. At the genus level, the number of microbial genera specific to the zero-year cropping (CK) and first (T1), second (T2), and third (T3) years decreased significantly, to 1798, 172, 42, and 44, respectively. The abundance of many functional genes changed, among which COG0823, a gene with the cellular process and signaling functions, significantly increased after CC. In addition, NH4+-N, S-CAT, S-LAP, and SOC were the main environmental factors affecting rhizosphere-dominant microbial communities at the phylum level, while pH, SOC, and AK were the key environmental factors affecting rhizosphere functional genes of Pogostemon cablin. In summary, this study showed the dynamic changes of soil factors and rhizosphere microorganisms during CC, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the formation mechanism and prevention of CC obstacles and contributing to the formulation of scientific soil management and fertilization strategies.