bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organisational Culture and Transformational Leadership Style Affect Employee Performance with Innovative Work Behaviour as Mediation Variables
Authors: Widianingsih Dewi , Christa Usup Riassy , Harinie Luluk Tri
Published: February 2024

This study aims to empirically analyze the influence of organizational culture, transformational leadership style, and innovative work behaviour on employee performance, as well as investigate the mediating effect of innovative work behaviour on the relationship between organizational culture and transformational leadership style on employee performance in the Archives and Libraries Office of North Barito Regency.The research method used is an explanatory quantitative approach with data collection using survey methods. The population in this study were all employees, except for the Head of the Archives and Libraries Office of North Barito Regency, which totalled 46 (forty-six) employees, both civil servants and honorary staff. The sampling technique used purposive sampling and obtained a sample of 43 Archives and Libraries Office employees of North Barito Regency—data analysis using SPSS and Smart PLS statistical applications. The results of the research in this study can be concluded (1) Organizational Culture has a positive and significant effect on employee performance; (2) The transformational leadership style has a positive and significant effect on employee performance; (3) Organizational Culture has no significant effect on innovative work behaviour; (4) The transformational leadership style has no significant effect on innovative work behaviour; (5) Innovative work behaviour has a positive and significant effect on employee performance; (6) Innovative work behaviour has not been able to mediate the influence of organizational culture on employee performance; (7) Innovative work behaviour has not been able to mediate the effect of transformational leadership style on employee performance.
Implementation of Islamic Bank Mudharabah Financing in Makassar
Authors: Nurdin Maryam , Mukhtar Lutfi  , Muhammad Wahyuddin Abdullah  , Saiful Muchlis
Published: February 2024

This study aims to determine the implementation of mudharabah contracts in Islamic banks. The type of research used is qualitative. This research was conducted with in-depth interviews. The informants who will be the source of data in this research are people who are directly involved in mudharabah financing practices. Informants were determined by purposive sampling and snowball techniques. Informants were determined by certain criteria: (1) Islamic banking leaders in Makassar (2) Islamic banking account officers in Makassar (3) Customers who are or have received mudharabah financing. The total number of informants is 5 people. The results showed that there is a high risk of moral hazard so that this financing is transferred to the Mudharabah contract, so the conclusion of this study is that the implementation of the mudharabah contract is not fully implemented.
Ending Poverty: Islamic Solutions For The Welfare of The Ummah
Authors: Wahyudi Ickhsanto , Mahroji Mahroji , Angelita Julya
Published: February 2024

Poverty is a social problem of global concern. In developing countries including Indonesia, tens of millions of people live below the poverty line. In Islam, poverty is seen as a form of social injustice that must be resolved. The Quran and Hadith explicitly indicate the duty of Muslims to help the poor. This paper aims to analyze the Islamic perspective on poverty and propose Islamic solutions to achieve the welfare of the Ummah, within the framework of achieving maqashid sharia.  The method used is a literature study of Islamic sources and contextual analysis of the poverty situation in Muslim countries. The results show that poverty is caused by various factors, both internal and external. Islam offers comprehensive solutions such as the Islamic economic system, optimization of zakat and waqf, policy reform, and others. This is important in order to realize the purpose of sharia to protect the lives, property, and benefit of the people. However, its implementation needs to be studied further so that it is right on target in alleviating poverty in the contemporary Islamic world.
Penta Helix A Strategy of Development of Womenpreneurs Creative Creations in The City of Tanjungbalai in The Islamic Economic Presfective
Authors: Salsabila Raja Putri , Syahbudi Muhammad , Ikhsan Muhammad
Published: February 2024

The aim of this research is to find out suitable development strategies to be carried out by stakeholders in developing creative craft womenpreneurs in Teluk Nibung sub-district. The method used is qualitative with the SOAR method as a determinant of the strategy proposed by the author. The result of the SOAR method is O-A, which is a strategy that uses all opportunities to develop creative seashell crafts. It has been suggested that the development of creative craft womenpreneurs in the city of Tanjungbalai really needs support from the government in the form of capital assistance, marketing and training to increase the potential of the creative economy in the city of Tanjungbalai.
The Role of Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Task Technology Fit to Increase Perceived Impact on Learning
Authors: Aulia Nur Saskia , Marsasi Endy Gunanto
Published: February 2024

This study aims to explore Task-Technology Fit, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Ease of Use on users' Attitudes toward Video Conferencing applications, as well as their impact on Perceived Impact on Learning. Researchers added Task-Technology Fit as an element of novelty and used the Technology Acceptance Model as the main theory used. This research uses a survey method with the participation of 170 respondents who actively use Video Conference applications in various contexts and are of all ages with productive age specifications. The results of the analysis show that there is a significant positive correlation between Task-Technology Fit and Perceived Usefulness, as well as Task-Technology Fit and Perceived Ease of Use. In addition, a significant positive relationship was detected between Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness. Furthermore, Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use have a positive impact on users' Attitudes toward Video Conferencing applications. Apparently, user Attitude also has a proven positive influence on the Perceived Impact on Learning. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used as the analysis technique conducted using AMOS Graphics 24. The practical implications of these findings involve recommendations for Video Conferencing application developers to improve features and design to enhance user experience. Hopefully, these findings can support the development of video conferencing-based technologies to be more effective and have a positive impact on virtual learning and interaction.
Decomposing stimulus complexes and dissecting art:
a theory of evaluation
Authors: Huston JP
Published: February 2024

A theoretical model is presented, which attempts to account for the evaluation of complex stimuli in terms of their constituent elements that are relevant to the intent of the assessment. The subjective evaluation of a compound stimulus is postulated to be a function of the number, weight and integrity of critical components, or sub-qualities, and their interactions. The model has application to the evaluation of any stimulus complex including works of “art”. For illustrative purpose, it will here be applied to the analysis of pictorial works of art.
Disturbance of motivated behavior in rats by epileptic afterdischarges
Authors: Mareš P , Chocholová L
Published: February 2024

Nearly all epileptic seizures in patients are characterized by deranged consciousness. We started to study changes in motivated behavior (drinking in thirsty rats) as a possible analogue of compromised consciousness during and after epileptic seizures. Epileptic afterdischarges (ADs) were elicited by stimulation of the dorsal hippocampus and/or thalamus. Rats with implanted electrodes (deprived of water for 24 hours) were trained to lick water from a narrow tube. After pretraining ADs were elicited eight times in each animal and access to water was allowed during different phases of the AD. Stimulation did not affect licking if no AD was induced. If stimulation was successful, licking was stopped in nearly 70 % of stimulations and modified (biting the tube) in 30 %. Hippocampal ADs (characterized by serrated waves in the EEG and by an arrest of behavior with subsequent automatisms) completely blocked licking, signs of recovery appeared during the interval between the AD and recurrent AD and it progressed during recurrent ADs. Thalamic ADs abolished licking in 82% of cases and immediately after ADs normal licking reappeared in 49 % of these observations. Our results suggest that changes in motivated behavior might serve as an analogue of compromised human consciousness.
The relationship between episodic memory and context: clues from memory errors made while under stress
Authors: Nadel L , Payne JD
Published: February 2024

In a series of studies in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jan Bures introduced cortical spreading depression to the field of behavioral neuroscience (eg. Bures 1960). This technique offered a unique way to study the role of cortex in learning and memory, and attracted the attention of many who began their graduate studies at that time, including one of us (LN, cf. Nadel 1966).
An NIH postdoctoral fellowship to study with the master himself brought LN to Prague in September 1967. Thus began a relationship that included science, politics, and personal life, and has lasted over 30 years1,2.
The first scientific exchange began with Jan pulling a piece of paper from his desk with a long list of possible experiments written on it -- “pick one”, he said. This led to a series of studies on interhemispheric transfer of learning under conditions of monocular input, demonstrating, amongst other things, that such transfer is not a uniform process. Depending on the kind of trials given with both hemispheres intact, and the eye which remained open to input, transfer can either be non-specific, likely involving some kind of procedural knowledge, or highly specific, likely involving knowledge about the trained discrimination itself (Nadel and Buresova, 1970). These studies anticipated LN’s future work on multiple memory systems, a research enterprise pursued in the following decades by many labs (including LN’s: e.g. Nadel and O’Keefe 1974, O’Keefe et al. 1975).
In this paper we focus on several scientific issues that Jan has been thinking about for the past 25 years. In particular, we consider spatial learning, the hippocampus, and memory. To this mix we add stress, something well known to anyone living in Prague in 1968.
LN left Prague after the 1968 invasion and stayed in London for seven months, during which time arrangements were made for an eventual return to the Medical Research Council Cerebral Functions Research Group in 1970. Thus it was that LN happened to be down the hall when John O’Keefe and Jonathan Dostrovsky discovered place cells (O’Keefe and Dostrovsky 1971) and began the program of research leading to the cognitive map theory of hippocampal function (O’Keefe and Nadel 1978).
Hyperinsulinemia and oxidative stress
Authors: Kyselová P , Žourek M , Rušavý Z , Trefil L , Racek J
Published: February 2024

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of short-term hyperglycemia and short-term hyperinsulinemia on parameters of oxidative stress in Wistar rats. Twenty male rats (aged 3 months, average body weight 325 g) were tested by hyperinsulinemic clamp (100 IU/l) at two different glycemia levels (6 and 12 mmol/l). Further 20 rats were used as a control group infused with normal saline (instead of insulin) and 30 % glucose simultaneously. Measured parameters of oxidative stress were malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and total antioxidant capacity (AOC). AOC remained unchanged during hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Malondialdehyde (as a marker of lipid peroxidation) decreased significantly (p<0.05) during the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, and increased significantly during isolated hyperglycemia without hyperinsulinemia. Reduced glutathione decreased significantly (p<0.05) during hyperglycemia without hyperinsulinemia. These results suggest that the short-term exogenous hyperinsulinemia reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during hyperglycemia in an animal model compared with the control group.
Biliary decompression reduces the susceptibility to ethanol-induced ulcer in jaundiced rats
Authors: Cingi A , Ahiskali R , Oktar BK , Gülpinar MA , Yegen C , Yegen BÇ
Published: February 2024

We investigated the gastric response to an ulcerogenic irritant and the change in gastric functions in an experimental rat model of obstructive jaundice, with or without biliary drainage. After biliary obstruction for 14 days, rats with ligated bile duct (BDL) were randomly divided into three groups: BDL group without biliary drainage, BDL followed by choledochoduodenostomy (CD) or a choledochovesical fistula (CVF). The gastric functions were evaluated 2 weeks after the surgery. Gastric damage, induced by orogastric administration of ethanol, was evaluated 30 min later using a lesion index and microscopic scoring was then performed on fixed stomachs. Basal gastric acid secretion was measured by the pyloric ligation method.The lesion index and maximum lesion depth did not differ in the BDL and sham groups, while they were significantly reduced in the CD group. Gastric acid output and secretory volume were reduced in the BDL group compared to the sham group, while these reductions were abolished in the CD group. Afferent denervation with capsaicin further reduced the ulcer index in the later group. Our data suggest that gastric mucosal susceptibility to injury is dependent on the normal flow of bile into the duodenal lumen, which appears to be a requirement for adaptive gastric cytoprotection.
Fluoride plus aluminum: useful tools in laboratory investigations, but messengers of false information
Authors: Strunecká A , Strunecký O , Patočka J
Published: February 2024

Aluminofluoride complexes (AlFx) form spontaneously in aqueous solutions containing fluoride and traces of aluminum ions and appear to act as phosphate analogs. These complexes have become widely utilized in laboratory investigations of various guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. Reflecting on many laboratory studies, a new mechanism of fluoride and aluminum action on the cellular level is being suggested. The long-term synergistic effects of these ions in living environment and their hidden danger for human health are not yet fully recognized.
Lyotard and Democratic Aesthetics: The Sublime, the Avant-Garde, and the Unpresentable
Authors: Burdman Javier
Published: February 2024

In recent years, democratic theorists have inquired into the aesthetic dimension of contemporary politics. Influenced by Hannah Arendt and Jacques Rancière, these scholars claim that there is an analogy between democratic politics and aesthetic experiences, since both involve the confrontation of an indeterminacy that cannot be overcome by means of rational argumentation. Contributing to this perspective, but challenging some of Rancière’s insights, this article shows the importance of Jean-François Lyotard’s writings on aesthetics for understanding what I call ‘democratic aesthetics’. This aesthetics, I argue, consists in works of art that bring representation to its limits, thus arousing an experience of the unpresentable. Influenced by Immanuel Kant’s analysis of the sublime, Lyotard claims that avant-garde art, by disrupting the rules of representational art, put representation as such into question. This experience of the unpresentable contributes to cultivating a readiness to listening to voices that are not yet heard, because they lack a discourse by which to express themselves. Given that politics in postmodernity, following Lyotard, consists in shifting the dividing line between the sayable and the unsayable, avant-garde art is conductive to a postmodern politics – which, I argue, is analogous to democratic politics.
Dam(n)med Bodies: Disorderly Subjectivity and Sublime Experience in the Narmada Movement
Authors: Gandhi Tanay
Published: February 2024

This paper explores moments of democratising disorderliness that interrupt a vision of the sublime as a particular ordering of subjectivity. Situated within the context of the Narmada movement against the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in India in the mid-1990s, it argues that sublime regimes and ‘counter-sublime’ insurgences draw their energies from the figures of the dam and the bund, respectively. Where the dam’s walls establish the horizons of visibility, of who counts as subject, the bund’s curved surfaces reveal a pluralising depth that folds the visible with/in the invisible, constituting the possibility of novel modes of seeing/subjectification.

Working through oral histories, films, images, archival materials and ethnographic studies alongside the work of Foucault and the later Merleau-Ponty, the paper argues that the Narmada movement enacts a counter-sublime that contests the invisibility imposed by the dam in favour of an imbrication of the human and non-human disclosing radically different constellations of visibility and subjectification.
Non-motor symptoms in patients with isolated dystonia: comparison between the age of onset
Authors: Zhou Yifan , Wang Lingbing , Li Hongxia , Wu Yiwen
Published: February 2024

Background: The etiology and motor presentation differs between pediatric- and adult-onset dystonia. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that non-motor symptoms are frequent in adult dystonia, which affect the quality of life. By contrast, little is known about the frequency and severity of such presentations in pediatric-onset individuals. Here, we investigated the motor and non-motor symptoms in a large cohort of Chinese patients with isolated dystonia and compared between pediatric-onset and adult-onset groups.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 34 pediatric-onset patients and 197 adult-onset patients with isolated dystonia were recruited. Motor impairment was assessed by the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS). Non-motor symptoms were evaluated through several validated scales, including fatigue (by Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS), excessive daytime sleepiness (by Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS), sleep disturbance (by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), anxiety (by Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI) and depression (by Beck Depression Inventory 21, BDI-21).

Results: Generalized dystonia was more common in pediatric-onset patients and focal dystonia was more common in adult-onset patients (p < 0.001). Generally, the BFMDRS score in total pediatric-onset group was higher than adult-onset group (p = 0.002). No differences was found in BFMDRS score between pediatric-onset and adult-onset patients with cervical and multifocal subtype dystonia. Compared with adult-onset group, pediatric-onset group had a lower rate of sleep disturbance (p < 0.0001) and similar rates of fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression and anxiety. Logistic regression analysis on patients with cervical dystonia indicated that the adult-onset and motor severity were independently associated with increased odds of sleep disturbance (p = 0.03) and depression (p = 0.01), respectively.

Conclusion: Pediatric-onset dystonia patients were less likely to display focal dystonia. Most non-motor symptoms in pediatric-onset patients were comparable to their adult-onset counterparts. Non-motor presentations may to some extent correlate with motor symptoms, but their underlying pathophysiology need to be investigated further.
Structural models of forming an integrated information and educational system “quality management of higher and postgraduate education”
Authors: Biloshchytskyi Andrii , Omirbayev Serik , Mukhatayev Aidos , Kuchanskyi Oleksandr , Hlebena Мyroslava , Andrashko Yurii , Mussabayev Nurken , Faizullin Adil
Published: February 2024

The study examines the design of an information and educational System for quality education management. The requirements for the information environment of universities are formulated. The delineation of distinct stages in the technological process for shaping the values of information objects is outlined, achieved through the execution of information procedures. These procedures generate a technologically comprehensive product applicable within the university context. A set of heterogeneous systems for automating university activities makes obtaining integral characteristics based on information from different sources difficult. The research suggests an approach that allows you to get rid of the disadvantage. The introduction of an integrated information environment has been reviewed. To implement the information system “quality Management of Higher and Postgraduate Education,” a conceptual model of the system architecture and a logical structure was developed. The developed information model was based on the model of a complex information and educational environment of a higher educational institution and the Ontological model of the database of the integrated information and educational environment. The preliminary results of the pilot implementation of the system in the activities of Astana IT University are summarized, which made it possible to improve the quality management of the educational process.
Association between red cell distribution width–and–albumin ratio and the risk of peripheral artery disease in patients with diabetes
Authors: Li Dongling , Long Juan , Zhang Jialu , He Meinan , Zeng Qingxiang , He Qiaoling , Zhan Wanhua , Chi Yongqian , Zou Mengchen
Published: February 2024

Aim

The aim of this study is to explore the association between red blood cell distribution width–to–albumin ratio (RAR) and the risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in patients with diabetes.

Methods

This cross-sectional study extracted the data of 1,125 participants with diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. A weighted univariable logistic regression model was used to explore variables associated with PAD. With PAD as the outcome variable, a weighted logistic regression model was established. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were effect size.

Results

After adjusting for covariates, the risk of PAD in patients with diabetes was observed in those with higher RAR (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.06–3.15). In addition, RAR ≥3.25 was related to increased risk of PAD in patients with diabetes (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.05–3.95). In people with diabetes aged ≥65, RAR was a risk factor for PAD with an OR value of 2.67 (95% CI: 1.30–5.46). RAR ≥3.25 was associated with increased risk of PAD (OR = 3.06; 95% CI: 1.15–8.11) relative to RAR <2.80. In people with diabetes who smoked, the risk of PAD was elevated in those with RAR ≥3.25 (OR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.28–6.32). As for patients with cardiovascular disease, the risk of PAD was elevated as the increase of RAR (OR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.05–5.10). RAR ≥3.25 was correlated with increased risk of PAD (OR = 3.75; 95% CI: 1.42–9.87). The area under the curve of RAR for the risk of PAD in patients with diabetes was 0.631 (95% CI: 0.588–0.675).

Conclusion

A higher RAR was related to increased risk of PAD in patients with diabetes. The findings might offer a reference for the management of PAD in patients with diabetes.
Association of thyroid autoimmunity with extra-thyroid diseases and the risk of mortality among adults: evidence from the NHANES
Authors: Song Jun-Long , Hu Jia-Wei , Li Ling-Rui , Xu Zhi-Liang , Li Juan-Juan , Sun Sheng-Rong , Chen Chuang
Published: February 2024

Background

Thyroid autoimmunity is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. However, its association with extra-thyroid diseases and mortality risk in the general population remains uncertain. Our study aims to evaluate the association of thyroid autoimmunity with extra-thyroid disease and the risk of mortality.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with participants from 2007–2008, 2009–2010, and 2011–2012, tracking their mortality until 2019. Associations between thyroid autoimmunity, which was defined as having positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and/or thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), and extra-thyroid disease including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, arthritis, cancer and chronic renal disease and the risk of mortality were investigated.

Results

A total of 7431 participants were included in this study. Positive The prevalence of positive TgAb was 7.54%, and positive TPOAb prevalence was 11.48%. TgAb was significantly associated with diabetes (Model 1: OR=1.64, 95% CI:1.08-2.50; Model 2: OR=1.93, 95% CI: 1.21-3.08) and hypertension (Model 1: OR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.49-0.91; Model 2: OR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.44-0.88). TPOAb was associated with a lower prevalence of chronic lung disease (model 1: OR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.95; model 2: OR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.53-0.95). No associations were observed between TgAb, TPOAb and other extra-thyroid diseases. Neither TgAb nor TPOAb were associated with all-cause mortality or heart disease mortality.

Conclusion

TgAb was linked to a higher prevalence of diabetes and a lower prevalence of hypertension, while TPOAb was associated with a decreased prevalence of chronic lung disease. However, neither TgAb nor TPOAb posed a risk for all-cause mortality or heart disease mortality.
Spatial suitability evaluation based on multisource data and random forest algorithm: a case study of Yulin, China
Authors: Li Anqi , Zhang Zhenkai , Hong Zenglin , Liu Lingyi , Liu Lei , Ashraf Tariq , Liu Yuanmin
Published: February 2024

With a large population and rapid urbanization, there are still many challenges to optimize the ecological-agricultural-urban space. Here, taking Yulin City, situated on the Loess Plateau of China as a case in point, we explored the spatial suitability evaluation of ecological-agricultural-urban space. Building upon the Chinese government’s concept of “resource and environmental carrying capacity and territorial development suitability evaluation” (hereinafter referred to as “double evaluation”), this study applies machine learning to the planning of ecological-agricultural-urban space. It explores an intelligent evaluation method for land space patterns using multi-source data. Based on the random forest (RF) algorithm and geographic information system (GIS), resulting in evaluated spatial patterns for ecological-agricultural-urban in the Yulin area. The results showed the constructed random forest models achieved an accuracy of 93% for ecology, 90% for agriculture, and 92% for urban space in Yulin City on the test dataset. By means of suitability analysis, the results indicated that the extremely important ecological space were predominantly located in the southwestern and eastern regions of the study area, while suitable space for agricultural production were primarily scattered throughout the southeast. In contrast, suitable space for urban construction were concentrated mainly in the central part of the study area. The use of machine learning has proven to be effective in addressing multicollinearity among spatial evaluation factors across three different areas. By eliminating human subjectivity in weight assignment during evaluation, it introduces fresh perspectives for land space planning and status assessment. These findings may offer support for the scientific delineation of ecological-agricultural-urban space (three districts and three lines) in China.
The noise is the signal: spatio-temporal variability of production and productivity in high elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of North America
Authors: Klinger Rob , Stephenson Tom , Letchinger James , Stephenson Logan , Jacobs Sarah
Published: February 2024

There are expectations that increasing temperatures will lead to significant changes in structure and function of montane meadows, including greater water stress on vegetation and lowered vegetation production and productivity. We evaluated spatio-temporal dynamics in production and productivity in meadows within the Sierra Nevada mountain range of North America by: (1) compiling Landsat satellite data for the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) across a 37-year period (1985–2021) for 8,095 meadows >2,500 m elevation; then, (2) used state-space models, changepoint analysis, geographically-weighted regression (GWR), and distance-decay analysis (DDA) to: (a) identify meadows with decreasing, increasing or no trends for NDVI; (b) detect meadows with abrupt changes (changepoints) in NDVI; and (c) evaluate variation along gradients of latitude, longitude, and elevation for eight indices of temporal dynamics in annual production (mean growing season NDVI; MGS) and productivity (rate of spring greenup; RSP). Meadows with no long-term change or evidence of increasing NDVI were 2.6x more frequent as those with decreasing NDVI (72% vs. 28%). Abrupt changes in NDVI were detected in 48% of the meadows; they occurred in every year of the study and with no indication that their frequency had changed over time. The intermixing of meadows with different temporal dynamics was a consistent pattern for monthly NDVI and, especially, the eight annual indices of MGS and RSP. The DDA showed temporal dynamics in pairs of meadow within a few 100 m of each other were often as different as those hundreds of kilometers apart. Our findings point strongly toward a great diversity of temporal dynamics in meadow production and productivity in the SNV. The heterogeneity in spatial patterns indicated that production and productivity of meadow vegetation is being driven by interplay among climatic, physiographic and biotic factors at basin and meadow scales. Thus, when evaluating spatio-temporal dynamics in condition for many high elevation meadow systems, what might often be considered “noise” may provide greater insight than a “signal” embedded within a large amount of variability.
Reproducible WiSDM: a workflow for reproducible invasive alien species risk maps under climate change scenarios using standardized open data
Authors: Davis Amy J. S. , Groom Quentin , Adriaens Tim , Vanderhoeven Sonia , De Troch Rozemien , Oldoni Damiano , Desmet Peter , Reyserhove Lien , Lens Luc , Strubbe Diederik
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Species distribution models (SDMs) are often used to produce risk maps to guide conservation management and decision-making with regard to invasive alien species (IAS). However, gathering and harmonizing the required species occurrence and other spatial data, as well as identifying and coding a robust modeling framework for reproducible SDMs, requires expertise in both ecological data science and statistics.

Methods

We developed WiSDM, a semi-automated workflow to democratize the creation of open, reproducible, transparent, invasive alien species risk maps. To facilitate the production of IAS risk maps using WiSDM, we harmonized and openly published climate and land cover data to a 1 km2 resolution with coverage for Europe. Our workflow mitigates spatial sampling bias, identifies highly correlated predictors, creates ensemble models to predict risk, and quantifies spatial autocorrelation. In addition, we present a novel application for assessing the transferability of the model by quantifying and visualizing the confidence of its predictions. All modeling steps, parameters, evaluation statistics, and other outputs are also automatically generated and are saved in a R markdown notebook file.

Results

Our workflow requires minimal input from the user to generate reproducible maps at 1 km2 resolution for standard Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) greenhouse gas emission representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. The confidence associated with the predicted risk for each 1km2 pixel is also mapped, enabling the intuitive visualization and understanding of how the confidence of the model varies across space and RCP scenarios.

Discussion

Our workflow can readily be applied by end users with a basic knowledge of R, does not require expertise in species distribution modeling, and only requires an understanding of the ecological theory underlying species distributions. The risk maps generated by our repeatable workflow can be used to support IAS risk assessment and surveillance.
Mesoplasma florum: a near-minimal model organism for systems and synthetic biology
Authors: Matteau Dominick , Duval Anthony , Baby Vincent , Rodrigue Sébastien
Published: February 2024

Mesoplasma florum is an emerging model organism for systems and synthetic biology due to its small genome (∼800 kb) and fast growth rate. While M. florum was isolated and first described almost 40 years ago, many important aspects of its biology have long remained uncharacterized due to technological limitations, the absence of dedicated molecular tools, and since this bacterial species has not been associated with any disease. However, the publication of the first M. florum genome in 2004 paved the way for a new era of research fueled by the rise of systems and synthetic biology. Some of the most important studies included the characterization and heterologous use of M. florum regulatory elements, the development of the first replicable plasmids, comparative genomics and transposon mutagenesis, whole-genome cloning in yeast, genome transplantation, in-depth characterization of the M. florum cell, as well as the development of a high-quality genome-scale metabolic model. The acquired data, knowledge, and tools will greatly facilitate future genome engineering efforts in M. florum, which could next be exploited to rationally design and create synthetic cells to advance fundamental knowledge or for specific applications.
Pelvic floor therapy program for the treatment of female urinary incontinence in Belize: a pilot study
Authors: Rapp David E. , Zillioux Jacqueline , Sun Fionna , Jones Marieke , Little Michelle , Mitchell Jeanice
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Concurrently, the availability of surgical or conservative UI treatments in LMIC is limited.

Methods

We conducted a prospective feasibility study of Belize women with UI treated with pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) and education (PFE). Patients received individual PFPT/PFE over 2 days, consisting of biofeedback-enhanced PFMT in addition to behavioral, dietary, and general pelvic education. Patient completed a daily 6-month home regimen including 7 PFMT exercises (total 70 repetitions) comprising both endurance and quick flick exercises. Patients also performed comprehensive dietary and behavioral modification activities. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6-months, including validated symptom (ICIQ-FLUTS) and QOL (IIQ-7) questionnaires, and strength testing (PERFECT score, perineometry).

Results

Twenty-eight patients underwent baseline assessment. Four patients were lost to in-person 6-month follow-up, with two of these patients completing subjective assessment only by telephone. The mean (±SD) patient age, BMI, and parity were 50.0 (±10.0) years, 33.2 (±5.8), and 2.8 (±1.5). Provider assessment demonstrated patient comprehension of basic, endurance, and quick flick pelvic floor contractions in 28 (100%), 24 (86%), and 24 (86%) patients, respectively. At 6-month follow-up, significant improvements were seen across multiple validated questionnaire and strength measurement assessments. Median patient-reported improvement level was 7.0 on a 10-point Likert scale.

Discussion

Study patients demonstrated good understanding of PFMT/PFE and program completion was associated with significant improvements across a variety of subjective incontinence and quality of life outcomes, as well as objective strength testing.
Identification and validation of immune and cuproptosis - related genes for diabetic nephropathy by WGCNA and machine learning
Authors: Chen Yubing , Liao Lijuan , Wang Baoju , Wu Zhan
Published: February 2024

Background

As the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an enormous burden for all healthcare systems around the world. However, its early diagnosis has no effective methods.

Methods

First, gene expression data in GEO database were extracted, and the differential genes of diabetic tubulopathy were obtained. Immune-related genesets were generated by WGCNA and immune cell infiltration analyses. Then, differentially expressed immune-related cuproptosis genes (DEICGs) were derived by the intersection of differential genes and genes related to cuproptosis and immune. To investigate the functions of DEICGs, volcano plots and GO term enrichment analysis was performed. Machine learning and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis helped to finally screen out hub genes. The diagnostic efficacy of them was evaluated by GSEA analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, single-cell RNA sequencing and the Nephroseq website. The expression of hub genes at the animal level by STZ -induced and db/db DKD mouse models was further verified.

Results

Finally, three hub genes, including FSTL1, CX3CR1 and AGR2 that were up-regulated in both the test set GSE30122 and the validation set GSE30529, were screened. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of ROC curves of hub genes were 0.911, 0.935 and 0.922, respectively, and 0.946 when taking as a whole. Correlation analysis showed that the expression level of three hub genes demonstrated their negative relationship with GFR, while those of FSTL1 displayed a positive correlation with the level of serum creatinine. GSEA was enriched in inflammatory and immune-related pathways. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing indicated the main distribution of FSTL1 in podocyte and mesangial cells, the high expression of CX3CR1 in leukocytes and the main localization of AGR2 in the loop of Henle. In mouse models, all three hub genes were increased in both STZ-induced and db/db DKD models.

Conclusion

Machine learning was combined with WGCNA, immune cell infiltration and PPI analyses to identify three hub genes associated with cuproptosis, immunity and diabetic nephropathy, which all have great potential as diagnostic markers for DKD and even predict disease progression.
Effect of IV ferric carboxy maltose for moderate/severe anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khatib Mahalaqua Nazli , Sinha Anju Pradhan , Gaidhane Shilpa , Upadhyay Shilpa , Waghmare Nikita , Anil Abhishek , Saxena Deepak , Sawleshwarkar Shailendra , Simkhada Padam Prasad , Gaidhane Abhay , Quazi Zahiruddin Syed
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Anemia remains a prevalent global health issue with varying severity. Intravenous iron supplementation, particularly with ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), has appeared as a possible therapeutic intervention for individuals with moderate to severe anemia. The study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) in reducing anemia.

Methods

We searched electronic databases, registries, websites, e-libraries, reference lists of reviews, citations, etc. We included randomized control trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, and single-arm studies, while observational studies, case series, and case studies were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened the studies and extracted the data. We included studies of moderate-to-severely anemic Indians and excluded Indians with other comorbidities. We assessed the risk of bias and the overall quality of evidence (QoE) using GRADE GDT.

Result

We identified 255 studies and included 14 studies (11 RCT, one non-RCT, and two single-arm studies) with 1,972 participants for qualitative analysis and 10 studies in the meta-analysis. All the included studies detailed the use of FCM for anemia. The primary outcomes assessed in the included studies were anemia, hemoglobin, and adverse events. The outcomes assessed ranged from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. The risk of bias varied across different studies with different outcomes. FCM is consistent with a fewer number of adverse events as compared to other interventions and provides “moderate” to “very low” QoE.

Conclusion

A slow single infusion of 1 gram of FCM is well-tolerated, safe, and effective in treating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and surpasses other interventions (Iron Sucrose Complex (ISC), Iron sucrose, and ferrous ascorbate) in elevating hemoglobin levels and replenishing iron stores.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=459363, CRD42023459363.
Effects of seasonality and developed land cover on Culex mosquito abundance and microbiome diversity
Authors: Yan Jiayue , Green Kirk , Noel Kylee , Kim Chang-Hyun , Stone Chris M.
Published: February 2024

The vectorial capacity of mosquitoes, which influences the dynamics of vector-borne disease transmission, is intricately linked to mosquito abundance and the composition and diversity of their associated microbiomes. However, the influence of environmental factors on mosquito populations and microbiome diversity remains underexplored. Here we examined the effects of seasonality and developed land cover on Culex mosquito abundance and bacterial diversity. Biweekly field sampling of female Culex mosquitoes was conducted using gravid and CDC light traps, spanning summer to autumn across varying developed land cover levels in two urban areas in Central Illinois. Mosquito abundance was assessed by the number of mosquitoes captured per trap night and compared across seasons and developed levels. The mean mosquito abundance for gravid and light traps was 12.96 ± 2.15 and 7.67 ± 1.44, respectively. Notably, higher levels of developed land cover exhibited higher Culex abundance than the low level for light traps, but no significant difference was found between summer and early autumn. In gravid traps, no significant differences were detected across seasons or developed levels. Microbial analysis of the mosquito microbiome revealed that Proteobacteria and Wolbachia, with a mean relative abundance of 80.77 and 52.66% respectively, were identified as the most dominant bacterial phylum and genus. Their relative abundance remained consistent across seasons and developed land cover levels, with negligible variations. Alpha diversity, as measured by observed species, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson, showed slightly higher values in early-autumn compared to late-summer. A notable pattern of bacterial diversity, as indicated by all four diversity indexes, is evident across varying levels of land development. Significantly, high or intermediate developed levels consistently showed reduced alpha diversity when compared to the lower level. This underscores the pronounced impact of anthropogenic ecological disturbances in shaping mosquito microbiomes. Beta diversity analysis revealed no significant dissimilarities in bacterial community composition across seasons and developed levels, although some separation was noted among different levels of developed land cover. These findings highlight the significant role of environmental factors in shaping mosquito abundance and their associated microbiomes, with potential implications for the vectorial capacity in the transmission of vector-borne diseases.
Dietary change influences the composition of the fecal microbiota in two rescued wild raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)
Authors: Li Hailong , Bao Lei , Wang Tianming , Guan Yu
Published: February 2024

The gut microbiota of wild animals, influenced by various factors including diet, nutrition, gender, and age, plays a critical role in their health and disease status. This study focuses on raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), a commonly found wild animal, and its gut microbiota composition in response to dietary shifts. The study aimed to compare the fecal bacterial communities and diversity of rescued raccoon dogs fed three different diet types (fish and amphibians, mixed protein with maize, and solely maize) using high-throughput sequencing. Results indicated that the dietary composition significantly influenced the gut microbiota, with notable differences in the abundance of several key phyla and genera. The study identified Firmicutes as the dominant phylum in all diet groups, with notable variations in the relative abundances of Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobiota. Notably, the group solely fed maize exhibited a significant increase in Proteobacteria, potentially linked to dietary fiber and lignin degradation. The genus-level analysis highlighted significant differences, with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium responding to dietary shifts. The genus Akkermansia in Verrucomicrobiota can be identified as a marker for assessing the health of the gut and deserves further investigation. Gender-specific differences in the gut microbiota were observed, highlighting the influence of individual variation. Furthermore, the analysis of bacterial functions suggested a connection between diet and host metabolism, emphasizing the need for further research to understand the complex mechanisms underlying the relationship between dietary composition and gut microbiota in wild animals. These findings provide crucial insights into conservation and rescue efforts for wild animals.
Chemical and microbiological insights into two littoral Antarctic demosponge species: Haliclona (Rhizoniera) dancoi (Topsent 1901) and Haliclona (Rhizoniera) scotti (Kirkpatrick 1907)
Authors: Papale Maria , Giannarelli Stefania , Azzaro di Rosamarina Maurizio , Ghezzi Lisa , Lo Giudice Angelina , Rizzo Carmen
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Antarctic Porifera have gained increasing interest as hosts of diversified associated microbial communities that could provide interesting insights on the holobiome system and its relation with environmental parameters.

Methods

The Antarctic demosponge species Haliclona dancoi and Haliclona scotti were targeted for the determination of persistent organic pollutant (i. e., polychlorobiphenyls, PCBs, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) and trace metal concentrations, along with the characterization of the associated prokaryotic communities by the 16S rRNA next generation sequencing, to evaluate possible relationships between pollutant accumulation (e.g., as a stress factor) and prokaryotic community composition in Antarctic sponges. To the best of our knowledge, this approach has been never applied before.

Results

Notably, both chemical and microbiological data on H. scotti (a quite rare species in the Ross Sea) are here reported for the first time, as well as the determination of PAHs in Antarctic Porifera. Both sponge species generally contained higher amounts of pollutants than the surrounding sediment and seawater, thus demonstrating their accumulation capability. The structure of the associated prokaryotic communities, even if differing at order and genus levels between the two sponge species, was dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota (with Archaea abundances that were negligible) and appeared in sharp contrast to communities inhabiting the bulk environment.

Discussions

Results suggested that some bacterial groups associated with H. dancoi and H. scotti were significantly (positively or negatively) correlated to the occurrence of certain contaminants.