bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Per Pupil and School Safety Spending: An Empirical Perspective
Authors: Heise Michael , Nance Jason P.
Published: September 2024

abstract: In response to growing concerns over school violence, crime, and safety, schools continue to implement school crime prevention and reduction policies and programs. Aside from the increased demands on school budgets imposed by new and enhanced school safety programs, two additional factors further complicate matters. First, just as schools vary in terms of their violence and crime prevention programmatic needs, schools (and districts) also vary in terms of their financial needs and health. Second, schools similarly vary in the magnitude of financial tradeoffs incident to school administrators’ reconciling competing claims for school crime prevention programs and other demands on an exhaustible supply of school funds. Exploiting the nation’s leading data set on public school crime and safety, the U.S. Department of Education’s 2017–18 School Survey on Crime and Safety (“SSOCS”), supplemented by district-level current per pupil spending data, we explore variation in school administrators’ views about the nature of the compromise between school safety and other budgetary claims. Our core findings imply that variation in student per pupil spending as well as perceived litigation exposure persistently informed administrators’ reports about the inadequacy of school funding and how it limits school crime prevention and reduction efforts. That school finance trade-offs implicate school crime prevention programs reinforce the broader point that school finance issues implicate a suite of factors that extend beyond student academic achievement and other traditional outcomes and into school crime, violence, and safety domains.
How States Prioritize Educational Needs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Assessing the Distribution of the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund
Authors: McMorris Claire , Knight David S.
Published: September 2024

abstract: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress in 2020 included significant aid to state education systems. These included direct aid to K-12 districts and higher education institutions, and funds to be used at the discretion of Governors through the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER). We examine the factors influencing where and how GEER funding was distributed across state K-12 systems and what inequities were introduced in its spending. Using a mixed methods analysis of state GEER spending plans and district-level finance data, we focus specifically on how distribution sought to target schools serving disadvantaged student groups. We find that several state leaders decided to send their GEER funds to school districts via funding formulas, and that some Governors made decisions to direct their GEER funds towards certain student groups. State spending patterns were not strongly related to governor political ideology or the states' existing funding formulas or inter-district resource allocation patterns. We discuss the implications of this policy related to two state case examples, California and New York, and provide insight for future education stimulus funding proposals.
Access and Importance of Pell Awards at Public Regional Historically Black Colleges and Universities: What Do the Data Say?
Authors: Daugherty Alice L. , Katsinas Stephen G. , Keeney Noel
Published: September 2024

abstract: The Pell Grant is the foundational need-based student aid program in the United States, providing students of lower socio-economic status a pathway to afford college costs and educational expenses. Currently, over one-third of all U.S. undergraduate students receive Pell. This paper examines federal Pell assistance and institutional costs for students at the 38 publicly controlled regional Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which serve high average percentages of low-income students and students of color. By deploying the University of Alabama Education Policy Center's new Mission-Driven Classification System to enrollment, tuition and fees, and other costs metrics along with federal Pell and student loan data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a more direct apples-to-apples comparison of the 38 public regional HBCUs to the 182 public regional non-HBCU in the same 19 southern states, is revealed, as are comparisons to the universe of 461 public regional universities nationally. This paper finds that America's most financially disadvantaged students rely on Pell Grants to alleviate financial constraints at public regional HBCUs, where 55 percent of students are Pell recipients, a rate 24 percent higher than their non-HBCU counterparts. Moreover, the data underscore an opportunity for Congress to construct a meaningful federal role in higher education by providing stable and sustainable funding for the Pell Grant program.
How to Design a State Education Aid Formula Using a Regression-based Estimate of the Cost-capacity Gap: The Case of Connecticut, USA
Authors: Zhao Bo
Published: September 2024

abstract: After being sued for inequity and inadequacy in school funding, many states in the US have reformed their education aid formulas but have still faced many criticisms. Using Connecticut as an example, this paper shows how to design a more equitable and adequate aid formula with tools to win broad support from communities and lawmakers. It develops a measure of the gap between education cost and revenue capacity as an indicator for each district’s need for state aid. Both education cost and revenue capacity are estimated using school district characteristics that are outside the direct control of local officials at any given point in time. This paper shows that Connecticut school districts have a wide range of cost-capacity gaps, due to disparities in cost factors and property tax base, and therefore have different needs for state aid. While larger-gap districts, on average, received more state aid per pupil than smaller-gap districts, many districts—especially the largest-gap ones—received less aid than they needed to close their cost-capacity gaps. Further analysis suggests that inadequate school funding could have a negative impact on student test performance. As a potential solution, this paper proposes a gap-based formula to allocate state aid and includes tools to make the formula more attractive to a wide range of school districts. The policy simulations show that the gap-based formulas can align aid with the gaps better than the existing formula does. However, applying tools to increase the formula’s attractiveness to small-gap districts would compromise the ability of state aid to eliminate inequity and inadequacy and would often require a larger state aid pool. This paper expands the academic community’s knowledge about the US education equity and adequacy by examining Connecticut’s school funding for the first time under the regression-based cost-capacity gap approach. This analysis can be relevant and useful for other states facing similar issues, as it provides a practical, step-by-step roadmap how to apply the sufficiently general research method and formula design to an individual state.
Can, and Should, an Outcomes-Based Approach Be Used to Determine Funding for Special Education?
Authors: Needham Chris
Published: September 2024

abstract: As state and federal governments place an increasing emphasis on academic outcomes, should they be used to determine adequate funding for students with disabilities (SWD)? Although adequacy is determined through a political process, it requires an understanding of cost – the expenditure required to reach a specific outcome. Therefore, with the complexity of statistical modeling this study represents an initial foray into whether an outcomes-based approach can be used to analyze student outcomes in relation to funding for SWD. Focused on North Carolina, I apply a cost function approach to account for cost differentials coming from variations in resource prices, student needs, and efficiency (Duncombe & Yinger, 2008). While the findings show a significant positive relationship between math growth and funding for SWD, there were no significant relationships with three other outcomes. Additionally, difficulties in modeling mean the findings are only correlational. Given that most SWD are in general education classes where the focus is on academic outcomes, justifying more funding for SWD requires a recognition of cost through some form of outcome measure. The questions remain, though: what outcomes should be related to funding for SWD and whether the difficulty in modeling the relationship can be resolved, giving support to a causal relationship.
Blind Optimism and Student Loan Debt
Authors: O’Malley Thomas C. , Payne Brian C.
Published: September 2024

abstract: This paper analyses potential links between extreme optimism and student loan debt. Prior work finds extreme optimism to be associated with imprudent household savings and investment decisions. This paper explores whether these findings are relevant to student loan decisions. Using the most recent administration of the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), we present evidence that extreme optimists tend to be over-indebted with higher student loan balances, in absolute terms and relative to income. They are less likely to make payments on their student loan debt or reduce their loan balance. Extreme optimists are also more likely to take out loans for a degree they do not obtain and to enroll in income-based repayment plans.
Educational Rights and Wrongs: How COVID-Related Student Math Achievement Losses Distributed and Implications for Equal Educational Opportunity
Authors: Heise Michael
Published: September 2024

abstract: Comparing changes to school districts’ mean math achievement from 2019 to 2022 across 5,696 public school districts and 39 states provides critical information on how historic student achievement losses attributable to disruptions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic distributed. Core findings emphasize that while increased student access to in-person schooling during the 2020–2021 school year systematically corresponds with smaller student math achievement losses, per pupil spending variation does not. Student achievement losses were larger in school district’s with comparatively higher percentages of URM, IDEA-eligible, and low-income students, as well as in larger districts and districts that experienced enrollment turbulence. Student achievement decay’s uneven distribution raises equal educational opportunity concerns that are as troubling as they are obvious.
Practical Significance and Critical Resource Theory: Tools for Increasing Equal Educational Opportunity
Authors: Kaplan Leslie S. , Owings William A.
Published: September 2024

abstract: Creating equitable schools by removing barriers to student engagement and achievement is a central school leadership responsibility. Using equity audits to systematically examine disparities in school resources and student outcomes can help identify and remedy them. This article will explain how using practical significance linked with Critical Resource Theory’s methodology can advance school leaders’ equity efforts – despite today’s political climate.
Care of the Self or Pursuit of a Better World? The Transformation of Vegetarianism in Yiguandao Discourses from the Late Qing Period to the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Broy Nikolas
Published: September 2024

Abstract: This article traces the evolution of vegetarianism among practitioners of the Chinese-Taiwanese religious movement Yiguandao (Way of Pervading Unity) from the late nineteenth century until the contemporary global COVID-19 pandemic. Even though abstention from meat and related food products is not a requirement for membership, devoted Yiguandao practitioners nevertheless value it as a hallmark of religious commitment and dedication. I argue that we can observe a clear shift in discourses on vegetarianism that is intimately related to the evolution of Yiguandao from a local religious group at the beginning of the twentieth century to a globalized movement in the early twenty-first century. Although throughout most of the twentieth century Yiguandao's discourses on vegetarianism favored a self-centered approach aimed at the physical and religious well-being of the individual, in recent decades they have been infused with scientific concepts and have become increasingly linked to social and environmental concerns on a global basis.
An estimate of fitness reduction from mutation accumulation in a mammal allows assessment of the consequences of relaxed selection
Authors: Chebib Jobran , Jonas Anika , López-Cortegano Eugenio , Künzel Sven , Tautz Diethard , Keightley Peter D.
Published: September 2024

Each generation, spontaneous mutations introduce heritable changes that tend to reduce fitness in populations of highly adapted living organisms. This erosion of fitness is countered by natural selection, which keeps deleterious mutations at low frequencies and ultimately removes most of them from the population. The classical way of studying the impact of spontaneous mutations is via mutation accumulation (MA) experiments, where lines of small effective population size are bred for many generations in conditions where natural selection is largely removed. Such experiments in microbes, invertebrates, and plants have generally demonstrated that fitness decays as a result of MA. However, the phenotypic consequences of MA in vertebrates are largely unknown, because no replicated MA experiment has previously been carried out. This gap in our knowledge is relevant for human populations, where societal changes have reduced the strength of natural selection, potentially allowing deleterious mutations to accumulate. Here, we study the impact of spontaneous MA on the mean and genetic variation for quantitative and fitness-related traits in the house mouse using the MA experimental design, with a cryopreserved control to account for environmental influences. We show that variation for morphological and life history traits accumulates at a sufficiently high rate to maintain genetic variation and selection response. Weight and tail length measures decrease significantly between 0.04% and 0.3% per generation with narrow confidence intervals. Fitness proxy measures (litter size and surviving offspring) decrease on average by about 0.2% per generation, but with confidence intervals overlapping zero. When extrapolated to humans, our results imply that the rate of fitness loss should not be of concern in the foreseeable future.
SPOT: A machine learning model that predicts specific substrates for transport proteins
Authors: Kroll Alexander , Niebuhr Nico , Butler Gregory , Lercher Martin J.
Published: September 2024

Transport proteins play a crucial role in cellular metabolism and are central to many aspects of molecular biology and medicine. Determining the function of transport proteins experimentally is challenging, as they become unstable when isolated from cell membranes. Machine learning-based predictions could provide an efficient alternative. However, existing methods are limited to predicting a small number of specific substrates or broad transporter classes. These limitations stem partly from using small data sets for model training and a choice of input features that lack sufficient information about the prediction problem. Here, we present SPOT, the first general machine learning model that can successfully predict specific substrates for arbitrary transport proteins, achieving an accuracy above 92% on independent and diverse test data covering widely different transporters and a broad range of metabolites. SPOT uses Transformer Networks to represent transporters and substrates numerically. To overcome the problem of missing negative data for training, it augments a large data set of known transporter-substrate pairs with carefully sampled random molecules as non-substrates. SPOT not only predicts specific transporter-substrate pairs, but also outperforms previously published models designed to predict broad substrate classes for individual transport proteins. We provide a web server and Python function that allows users to explore the substrate scope of arbitrary transporters.
Allergies to antibiotics among US women with uncomplicated urinary tract infection
Authors: Joshi Ashish V. , Marijam Alen , Mitrani-Gold Fanny S. , Wright Jonathon
Published: September 2024

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTI) are generally treated empirically with antibiotics. However, antibiotic allergies limit the available oral treatment options for some patients. We assessed the proportion of self-reported antibiotic allergies among US women with uUTI. We performed a cross-sectional survey of US women (≥18 years) with a self-reported uUTI in the previous 60 days and an oral antibiotic prescription. Participants completed an online questionnaire about their most recent uUTI episode. Descriptive self-reported allergy data were stratified into subgroups by whether the participant had recurrent UTI (≥2 uUTIs in the past 6 months or ≥3 uUTIs in past 12 months, including the index episode), the number of different antibiotics given for the index episode (1, 2, ≥3), and whether the treatment was clinically aligned according to Infectious Diseases Society of America uUTI guidelines. Overall, 375 participants completed the questionnaire. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT; 38.7%), ciprofloxacin (22.7%), and nitrofurantoin (18.9%). Most participants (62.7%) received only 1 antibiotic for their uUTI, and most (56.5%) were classified as having a non-recurrent uUTI. No antibiotic allergies were reported for most participants (69.3%), with 24.0% reporting 1 antibiotic allergy and 6.7% reporting ≥2 antibiotic allergies. Allergies to ≥2 antibiotic types were more common among participants classified as having recurrent uUTI, or who used multiple antibiotics to treat their uUTI. The most common allergy was to SXT (15.7%), followed by amoxicillin-clavulanate (8.3%) and ciprofloxacin (5.3%). Similar allergy trends were seen across subgroups, except higher rates of ciprofloxacin allergy were seen in participants given multiple antibiotics. Antibiotic allergies were relatively frequent in this uUTI cohort and the most common allergy was to SXT, which was the most prescribed antibiotic. Allergies to antibiotics reduce the available treatment options for uUTI in some patients.
Tolerability of Diquas LX on tear film and meibomian glands findings in a real clinical scenario
Authors: Arita Reiko , Fukuoka Shima , Kaido Minako
Published: September 2024

Long-acting diquafosol ophthalmic solution (DQS-LX) has significant advantages regarding patient adherence owing to the reduced frequency of required eye drops; however, some patients prefer conventional diquafosol ophthalmic solution (DQS) over DQS-LX. Herein, to clarify the characteristics of patients according to their preference for ophthalmic solutions, dry eye (DE) and meibomian gland (MG) findings were retrospectively investigated. This study enrolled 341 patients with DE (mean age, 62.1 ± 11.7 years) treated at the Itoh Clinic between November 8, 2022, and July 31, 2023, who switched from DQS to DQS-LX. Patients were divided into two groups: those who continued DQS-LX administration (DQS-LX group) and those who wished to revert to conventional DQS (DQS group). Data regarding subjective symptoms assessed using the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire, tear film breakup time (BUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining (CFS), conjunctival hyperemia/papilla, meiboscore, plugging, vascularity, meibum grade, and Schirmer’s score at the time of DQS-LX switch were evaluated. Of the 341 patients, 31 (9.1%) wished to revert to conventional DQS. In total, 16 eyes of 16 patients in the DQS group and 32 eyes of 32 patients in the DQS-LX group—for whom complete data were available—were included in the analysis. The DQS-LX group had higher SPEED scores, lower TMHs (P < 0.001, respectively), shorter FBUTs, greater CFS findings, larger meibum grades, lower Schirmer scores, and more pluggings compared with the DQS group (P = 0.005, 0.001, 0.001, 0.046, 0.003, respectively). Meiboscores and vascularity did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = 0.73 and 0.39, respectively). In conclusion, patients with low tear film volume and DE complicated by moderate or severe meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) preferred DQS-LX, while those with allergic findings preferred conventional DQS.
Social-behavioral insights in understanding tuberculosis transmission pattern during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The MyTBNet study protocol
Authors: Aziz Zirwatul Adilah , Mohamad Abdul Hadi , Mohamad Noordin Noorliza , Mohd Shariff Noorsuzana
Published: September 2024

Many countries have reported increase of TB incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic period, which demands dire attention as it may threaten global effort to end TB transmission. Services, are among many others, were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the years 2020 and 2021; but its impact on the TB transmission is not well understood. This retrospective population-based molecular and epidemiological cohort study aims to determine the pattern of TB transmission in Kuala Lumpur (an area with high population density, moderate TB burden and high rates of COVID-19 cases) for the cohort of Pulmonary TB (PTB) cases notified from 2020 until 2021 and factors associated with clustering or clear epidemiologic linkage. This study will be carried out from 2022 until 2024. The study will utilise comparative phylogenetic analysis to determine the degree of relatedness between different isolates, based on the genomes similarities, and overlay this with epidemiological, clinical and social network data to enhance understanding of the social-behavioural dynamics of TB transmission. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) cultures will be genotyped using Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit Variable Number Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR) and whole-genome sequence (WGS) for MTBC cluster isolates. Epidemiologic and genomic data will be overlaid on a social network constructed by means of interviews with patients, by using Social Network Analysis questionnaire, to determine the origins and transmission dynamics of the outbreak. The finding of this study would aid in the identification of TB transmission events, facilitating active case finding, TB screening, TB contact tracing, and the mapping of social contacts during critical period. This will contribute to building an effective preventive and preparedness strategy to interrupt TB transmission in Malaysia, tailored to the characteristics of the local population.
A novel reconstruction model for thoracic spinal cord injury in swine
Authors: Nourbakhsh Ali , Takawira Catherine , Barras Elise , Hampton Chiara , Carossino Mariano , Nguyen Khoivu , Gaschen Lorrie , Lopez Mandi J.
Published: September 2024

Spinal cord (SC) reconstruction (process to reestablish the severed neural continuity at the injury site) may provide better recovery from blunt SC injury (SCI). A miniature swine model of blunt SC compression was used to test the hypothesis that reconstruction of the SC with sural nerve in combination with surgical decompression and stabilization improves functional, macro- and microstructural recovery compared to decompression and stabilization alone. Following blunt T9-T11 SC compression injury, five adult Yucatan gilts randomly received laminectomy and polyethylene glycol (as fusogen) with (n = 3) or without (n = 2) sural nerve graft SC reconstruction. Fusogens are a heterogeneous collection of chemicals that fuse the axon membrane and are currently used to augment epineural coaptation during peripheral nerve graft reconstruction. Outcome measures of recovery included weekly sensory and motor assessments, various measurements obtained from computed tomography (CT) myelograms up to 12 weeks after injury Measurements from postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and results from spinal cord histology performed 12 weeks after injury were also reported. Vertebral canal (VC), SC and dural sac (DS) dimensions and areas were quantified on 2-D CT images adjacent to the injury. Effort to stand and response to physical manipulation improved 7 and 9 weeks and 9 and 10 weeks, respectively, after injury in the reconstruction group. Myelogram measures indicated greater T13-T14 VC, smaller SC, and smaller DS dimensions in the reconstruction cohort, and increased DS area increased DS/VC area ratio, and higher contrast migration over time. Spinal cord continuity was evident in 2 gilts in the reconstruction cohort with CT and MRI imaging. At the SCI, microstructural alterations included axonal loss and glial scarring. Better functional outcomes were observed in subjects treated with sural nerve SC reconstruction. Study results support the use of this adult swine model of blunt SCI. Long-term studies with different nerve grafts or fusogens are required to expand upon these findings.
Beyond two dimensions: Exploring 3D dielectrophoresis for microparticle control using carbon electrodes
Authors: Pilloni Oscar , Madou Marc , Oropeza-Ramos Laura
Published: September 2024

This study explores the frontiers of microparticle manipulation by introducing an actuator platform for the three-dimensional positioning of microparticles using dielectrophoresis (DEP), a technique known for its selectivity and ease of integration with microtechnology. Leveraging advancements in carbon-based devices due to their biocompatibility and electrochemical stability, our work extends the application of DEP from two-dimensional constraints to precise 3D positioning within microvolumes, employing a photolithography-based fabrication process known as Carbon-MEMS technology (C-MEMS). We present the design, finite element simulation, fabrication, and testing of this platform, which utilizes a unique combination of planar and 3D carbon microelectrodes individually addressable on a transparent substrate. This setup enables the application of DEP forces, allowing for high-throughput manipulation of multiple microparticles simultaneously, as well as displacement of individual microparticles in any desired direction. Demonstrated with spherical 1μm and 10μm diameter polystyrene microparticles, this platform features straightforward fabrication and is suitable for batch industrial production. The study concludes with a discussion of the platform’s advantages and limitations, marking a significant step toward a valuable tool for studying complex biological systems.
Association of dysphagia and loneliness and their interaction with sleep quality among older adults in nursing homes: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Wen Bihan , Li Yao , Zhang Mengyao , Xu Huilan
Published: September 2024

Objective

Poor sleep quality is a risk factor for many adverse health outcomes and has become a widespread and serious public health problem, especially among older adults. This study aimed to explore the association between dysphagia, loneliness, and their interaction with sleep quality among older Chinese adults living in nursing homes.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used multistage cluster random sampling to select 56 nursing homes in Hunan Province, China. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, health-related status, lifestyle, and behavioral and social psychological factors were collected. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep quality. The 30 mL Water Swallowing Test and Eating Assessment Tool-10 items were used to screen for dysphagia, and the 14th item of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to measure loneliness. Binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between poor sleep quality, dysphagia, and loneliness. The interaction between these variables was evaluated using multiplicative and additive interaction models.

Results

This study included 3,356 older adults aged 60 and above. The mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was 6.31 ± 3.11, and the incidence of poor sleep quality was 30.8%. A total of 642 (19.1%) older adults had dysphagia, and 1,358 (40.5%) experienced loneliness. After adjusting for all covariates, dysphagia and loneliness were associated with an increased risk of poor sleep quality. The interaction analysis demonstrated that the risk of poor sleep quality among older adults with dysphagia and loneliness was 3.476 times higher than that in those without dysphagia and loneliness. Dysphagia and loneliness had an additive interaction effect on poor sleep quality in older adults living in nursing homes.

Conclusions

Poor sleep quality can be effectively prevented by focusing on older adults in nursing homes experiencing dysphagia, loneliness, or both and implementing targeted health interventions.
Production and characterization of homologous protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO) proteins: Evidence that small N-terminal amino acid changes do not impact protein function
Authors: Wang Cunxi , Zheng Meiying , Est Chandler , Lawal Remi , Liang Wenguang , Korasick David A. , Rau Michael J. , Saracco Scott A. , Johnson Virginia , Wang Yanfei , White Tommi , Li Wenze , Zhang Jun , Gu Xin , Liu-Gontarek Flora
Published: September 2024

Transgenic soybean, cotton, and maize tolerant to protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides have been developed by introduction of a bacterial-derived PPO targeted into the chloroplast. PPO is a membrane-associated protein with an intrinsic tendency for aggregation, making expression, purification, and formulation at high concentrations difficult. In this study, transgenic PPO expressed in three crops was demonstrated to exhibit up to a 13 amino acid sequence difference in the N-terminus due to differential processing of the chloroplast transit peptide (CTP). Five PPO protein variants were produced in and purified from E. coli, each displaying equivalent immunoreactivity and functional activity, with values ranging from 193 to 266 nmol min-1 mg-1. Inclusion of an N-terminal 6xHis-tag or differential processing of the CTP peptide does not impact PPO functional activity. Additionally, structural modeling by Alphafold, ESMfold, and Openfold indicates that these short N-terminal extensions are disordered and predicted to not interfere with the mature PPO structure. These results support the view that safety studies on PPO from various crops can be performed from a single representative variant. Herein, we report a novel and robust method for large-scale production of PPO, enabling rapid production of more than 200 g of highly active PPO protein at 99% purity and low endotoxin contamination. We also present a formulation that allows for concentration of active PPO to > 75 mg/mL in a buffer suitable for mammalian toxicity studies.
Aerobic exercise up-regulates Klotho to improve renal fibrosis associated with aging and its mechanism
Authors: Zhao Jinfeng , Guan Yue , Jia Yingxiu , Chen Yinghua , Cai Yue
Published: September 2024

Renal fibrosis is a major cause of renal dysfunction and is a common pathological event in almost all forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Currently, the pathomechanisms of renal fibrosis are not well understood. However, researchers have demonstrated that aerobic exercise can improve renal fibrosis. Klotho is considered to be a negative regulator of renal fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of Klotho in the improvement of renal fibrosis through aerobic exercise. We performed a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention in 19-month-old male C57BL/6J mice. Physiological and biochemical indexes were performed to assess renal function and renal fibrosis. The roles of Klotho were further confirmed through knockdown of Klotho by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in C57BL/6J mice.Q-PCR and Western blot were performed to quantify determine the expression of relevant genes and proteins in the kidney. Results: Aging decreased Klotho expression via activated the upstream TGF-β1/p53/miR34a signaling pathway and affected its downstream signaling pathways, ultimately leading to renal fibrosis. Exposure to aerobic exercise for 12 weeks significantly improved renal fibrosis and alleviated the intrarenal genetic alterations induced by aging. Conclusion: Our results showed that aerobic exercise increased Klotho expression by inhibiting the TGF-β1/p53/miR34a signaling pathway and further inhibited its downstream TGF-β1/smad3 and β-linker protein signaling pathways. These results provide a theoretical basis supporting the feasibility of exercise in the prevention and treatment of CKD.
Examining acculturative stress among international students in Ghana using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Unpacking the social support systems
Authors: Gyamerah Kwasi-Gyasi , Osafo Prof Joseph , Gyasi-Gyamerah Angela Anarfi , Boadu Evans Sakyi
Published: September 2024

Acculturation, a cultural and psychological process, can cause stress for international students studying in Ghanaian universities. This paper examined the challenges faced by these students, highlighting the many obstacles they face on campus and throughout the country, and the social support systems available to them. Using the interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), rooted in acculturative stress concepts this paper found that international students often find life challenging and frustrating, regardless of their continent of origin. The paper revealed that university administrators and faculties do not adequately support international students, and self-efficacy is insufficient in coping with acculturative stress. Financial concerns, being unrealistically perceived as affluent, abrupt academic schedule changes, weather conditions, and frequent marriage proposals were significant sources of stress. This paper observed that international students in Ghana enjoy immediate and long-term advantages such as bilingualism, cultural awareness, intercultural understanding, high-status recognition, and easier employment in their home countries. The paper concludes that international students often struggle to adjust to Ghana’s new sociocultural and academic environment albeit there are some advantages. The findings of this study can help offices of international student affairs and student exchange organizations on university campuses in Ghana, thus, providing tailored counselling services to students in vulnerable groups.
Mitigating the Impact of UAV Fluctuations on Air-to-Ground Wireless Communications in the Presence of Channel Aging
Authors:   Federal University of Ceará, Paiva Antonio , Freitas Jr. Walter ,   Federal University of Ceará, Silva Yuri ,   Federal University of Ceará, Antonioli Roberto , Fodor Gabor
Published: September 2024

Recent works have pointed out that uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) platform fluctuations due to jittering, wobbling and shaking degrade the performance of air-to-ground wireless systems. Similarly, recent works have shown that the air-to-ground wireless channel suffers from the effect of channel aging due to the high mobility of UAVs. Delays inherent to the network, high Doppler frequencies and hardware impairments accentuate this effect, as well as fluctuations in the UAV platform. Unfortunately, the literature still lacks appropriate channel models that take into account the influence of UAV fluctuations on the channel aging autocorrelation function, which is an essential requirement for channel prediction-based mitigation solutions. Therefore, in this paper, we develop autocorrelation functions that are appropriate for evaluating and mitigating the impact of UAV fluctuations on the performance of the air-to-ground channels. We demonstrate that the UAV fluctuations affect the time autocorrelation function of the channel, and consequently the coherence time, exacerbating the effects of channel aging. Furthermore, this effect is accentuated with an increasing distance between the antennas and the centroid of the UAV, and with increasing the carrier frequency. We propose a channel predictor based on an extended Kalman filter and develop autocorrelation functions to mitigate the impact of channel aging with UAV fluctuations on the spectral efficiency (SE). Then, we observe that considering statistical models of UAV fluctuations in the channel predictor design can improve SE.
Category of Hypergroups: seeking for a generalized version of Abelian Categories
Authors: Roberto Kaique Matias de , Da Conceição Tenório Ana Luiza
Published: September 2024

In this paper we study categorical properties of the category of abelian hypergroups that leads to the notion of hyper (almost) preadditive and hyper (almost) abelian categories. Our goal is to create a path towards a general theory of homological algebra for hyper-algebras. This is a first attempt to achieve this goal. We hope to improve the definitions and results, and provide more examples soon.
Detection of critical intratumoral hemorrhage during spine surgery by intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring: a case report
Authors: Seo Suyeon , Heo Nam Jin , Kim Seongmi , Ahn Jehyun , Lee Jung Seok , Seo Dae-Won
Published: September 2024

Complete surgical resection is a well-known therapeutic gold standard for spinal ependymoma, but it is associated with high postoperative morbidity. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (INM) is important for detecting and reducing the rate of surgical complications during this operative procedure. We report a case of postoperative paraplegia due to tumor bleeding during the operation. INM of the patient revealed abrupt loss of waveforms during the operation. This finding suggested that INM is helpful for detecting intraoperative hematomyelia and minimizing postoperative neurologic sequelae.
Deep Learning and Automatic Differentiation of Pancreatic Lesions in Endoscopic Ultrasound: A Transatlantic Study
Authors: Saraiva Miguel Mascarenhas , González-Haba Mariano , Widmer Jessica , Mendes Francisco , Gonda Tamas , Agudo Belen , Ribeiro Tiago , Costa António , Fazel Yousef , Lera Marcos Eduardo , Horneaux de Moura Eduardo , Ferreira de Carvalho Matheus , Bestetti Alexandre , Afonso João , Martins Miguel , Almeida Maria João , Vilas-Boas Filipe , Moutinho-Ribeiro Pedro , Lopes Susana , Fernandes Joana , Ferreira João , Macedo Guilherme
Published: September 2024

INTRODUCTION:

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) allows for characterization and biopsy of pancreatic lesions. Pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) include mucinous (M-PCN) and nonmucinous lesions (NM-PCN). Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (P-DAC) is the commonest pancreatic solid lesion (PSL), followed by pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (P-NET). Although EUS is preferred for pancreatic lesion evaluation, its diagnostic accuracy is suboptimal. This multicentric study aims to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) for detecting and distinguishing PCN (namely M-PCN and NM-PCN) and PSL (particularly P-DAC and P-NET).

METHODS:

A CNN was developed with 378 EUS examinations from 4 international reference centers (Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, New York University Hospitals, Hospital das Clínicas Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo). About 126.000 images were obtained—19.528 M-PCN, 8.175 NM-PCN, 64.286 P-DAC, 29.153 P-NET, and 4.858 normal pancreas images. A trinary CNN differentiated normal pancreas tissue from M-PCN and NM-PCN. A binary CNN distinguished P-DAC from P-NET. The total data set was divided into a training and testing data set (used for model's evaluation) in a 90/10% ratio. The model was evaluated through its sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy.

RESULTS:

The CNN had 99.1% accuracy for identifying normal pancreatic tissue, 99.0% and 99.8% for M-PCN and NM-PCN, respectively. P-DAC and P-NET were distinguished with 94.0% accuracy.

DISCUSSION:

Our group developed the first worldwide CNN capable of detecting and differentiating the commonest PCN and PSL in EUS images, using examinations from 4 centers in 2 continents, minimizing the impact of the demographic bias. Larger multicentric studies are needed for technology implementation.
A descriptive correlational study to assess the relationship between emotional intelligence and assertive behaviour among nursing students at a selected nursing college, Bangalore. India
Authors: S. Prof. Nandakumar
Published: September 2024

A descriptive correlational study  to assess the relationship between emotional intelligence and assertive behaviour among nursing students at a selected nursing college, Bangalore. India. The study objectives were to assess the level of emotional intelligence and the level of assertive behaviour among nursing students and also to find out the relationship between emotional intelligence and assertive behaviour among nursing students.
Non probability convenient sampling was used to select 50 participants. The investigator after getting formal written permission from the Principal and selected a list of nursing students who fulfilled the sampling criteria and selected 50 participants after getting oral consent from them. The investigator collected the data by using the Schutte self-report rating scale to assess the level of emotional intelligence and also used Robert E. Alberti assertiveness inventory to assess the level of assertive behavior using Google forms as a platform to collect the data. 30 minutes was given for each participants for the data collection. The reliability and validity of the tool was established by 3 experts. The study result found that it was 6 (12%)participants had low level of Emotional Intelligence, 25 (50%) had moderate level of Emotional Intelligence and 19(38%) had high level of Emotional Intelligence. And also it was found that 10(20%) were shown less Assertive Behaviour, 28 (56%) were shown moderately Assertive Behaviour and 12(24%) of them were shown highly Assertive Behaviour. This study found that there was a relationship exists between the level of emotional intelligence while comparing with the level of assertive behaviour. The correlation coefficient value between the level of emotional intelligence and level of Assertive behaviour was found to be r=0.284 which indicates that there was a positive relationship between the variables.
Transformation of Islamic Religious Practices in the Digital Era
Authors: Khadiq
Published: September 2024

The development of digital technology has significantly transformed various aspects of life, including the religious practices of Muslims. In this digital era, religious practices such as worship, religious learning, and the dissemination of Islamic values have undergone changes influenced by the ease of access to information and digital media platforms. This study aims to analyze the impact of digital transformation on the religious practices of Muslims, focusing on the opportunities and challenges faced in contemporary da'wah. Identified opportunities include the expanded reach of da'wah, efficiency in delivering messages, and global connectivity among Muslims. However, challenges such as the misuse of technology, biased information, and the lack of digital literacy in society also require attention. Through a qualitative approach, this study explores strategies that da'i (preachers) can adopt to maximize digital media as an effective and contextually relevant tool for da'wah in today's socio-cultural landscape.
Young geodynamic activity in the marginal fault zone of the Sudetic Block - new data
Authors: Wojewoda Jurand , Wajs Jarosław , Sokalski Dominik
Published: September 2024

A quarter of a century ago, during cartographic works using then-known field methods for measuring structural features, on the boundary of the Sudetic and Fore-Sudetic blocks, new phenomena were recognised; these were interpreted to be tectonic in nature and the result of left-lateral strike-slip movement in the subsurface. Grabens, half-grabens, shear zones and seismites in the gold-bearing sands and gravels that form the slopes of the valley of the River Kaczawa, are estimated to be of Pliocene and early Pleistocene age, having been interpreted as deposits of the pre-Kaczawa alluvial fan system. The natural exposures documented 25 years age have now all disappeared. In 2022, these levels became exposed again as a result of renewed gravel exploitation and phenomena described in the past reappeared. Field measurements were made again, this time using modern data-recording techniques, such as photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning. This work has enabled a comparison of field measurement methods with those obtained from the point clouds data. The results were found to be highly consistent. At the same time, precise reconstructions of the structures and their connection to the geodetic reference system make it possible to supplement previous geokinematic interpretations for this segment of the Sudetic Marginal Fault Zone (SMFZ). A formerly postulated left-lateral strike-slip regime in this zone was confirmed during the period of formation of the pre-Kaczawa alluvial fan deposits, but also probable is a kinematic inversion that must have occurred during, or just after, the early Pleistocene.
VEPTP inhibition with an extracellular domain targeting antibody did not restore albuminuria in a mouse model of diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Rana Rajashree , Natoli Thomas A. , Khandelwal Puneet , Pissios Pavlos , Muhammad Abdul Bari , Chipashvili Vaja , Farrington Krista P. , Zhou Wen , Zheng Gang , Bukanov Nikolay O. , Pocai Alessandro , Magnone Maria Chiara
Published: September 2024

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end‐stage kidney disease. DKD is a heterogeneous disease with complex pathophysiology where early endothelial dysfunction is associated with disease progression. The Tie2 receptor and Angiopoietin 1 and 2 ligands are critical for maintaining endothelial cell permeability and integrity. Tie2 signaling is negatively regulated by the endothelial specific transmembrane receptor Vascular Endothelial Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (VEPTP). Genetic deletion of VEPTP protects from hypertension and diabetes induced renal injury in a mouse model of DKD. Here, we show that VEPTP inhibition with an extracellular domain targeting VEPTP antibody induced Tie2 phosphorylation and improved VEGF‐A induced vascular permeability both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with the VEPTP blocking antibody decreased the renal expression of endothelial activation markers (Angpt2, Edn1, and Icam1) but failed to improve kidney function in db/db uninephrectomized ReninAAV DKD mice.