bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of steroid therapy on pediatric acute liver failure: prognostic implication and interplay between TNF-α and miR-122
Authors: El-Shanawany Rania M. , El-Maadawy Eman A. , El-Araby Hanaa A. , Talaat Roba M. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Background
Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare illness marked by rapid deterioration of liver function, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly in children. While steroids have been observed to correlate with improved survival, evidence supporting their efficacy in ALF children remains limited. miR-122, a liver-specific microRNA, plays a pivotal role in liver pathology, with its expression significantly altered in various liver diseases. Thus, it is considered a potential biomarker for disease progression, aids in prognosis, and identifies therapeutic targets. Our study aims to assess the expression of miR-122 in 24 children with ALF, both before and after steroid therapy, alongside its relationship with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), to better understand its potential role in treatment response and disease outcomes. miR-122 levels were determined using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), while TNF-α levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patient sera.

Results
In ALF children who survived after steroid treatment, miR-122 was markedly decreased compared to both pre-treatment levels (p = 0.003) and levels in deceased patients (p = 0.01). In addition, TNF-α levels significantly increased in surviving patients compared to pre-treatment levels (p = 0.008) and levels in deceased children (p = 0.028). A negative correlation was observed between TNF-α and miR-122 following steroids (r=-0.46, p = 0.04). miR-122 demonstrated 72% sensitivity and 67% specificity in distinguishing survivors and non-survivors, as indicated by its receiver-operated characteristic curve. A positive correlation was found between miR-122 before steroid therapy and both aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) before (r = 0.641, p = 0.002 and r = 0.512, p = 0.02, respectively) and after (r = 0.492, p = 0.03 and r = 0.652, p = 0.003, respectively) steroids treatment.

Conclusion
Our data implies that lower miR-122 levels in steroids-treated ALF children are associated with a better outcome. Although miR-122 is not a strong standalone marker, it could be valuable in a biomarker panel. The increased TNF-α levels and decreased miR-122 expression indicate their involvement in the disease’s pathophysiology. More studies are needed to validate our results.
Li-ion transport in two-dimensional nanofluidic membranes
Authors: Kim Gyu Won , Lee Minwoo , Bae Jihong , Han Jihoon , Park Seokmin , Shim Wooyoung 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe growing demand for lithium, driven by its critical role in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and other applications, has intensified the need for efficient extraction methods from aqua-based resources such as seawater. Among various approaches, 2D channel membranes have emerged as promising candidates due to their tunable ion selectivity and scalability. While significant progress has been made in achieving high Li+/Mg2+ selectivity, enhancing Li+ ion selectivity over Na+ ion, the dominant monovalent cation in seawater, remains a challenge due to their similar properties. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental mechanisms underlying Li+ selectivity in 2D channel membranes, focusing on the dehydration and diffusion processes that dictate ion transport. Inspired by the principles of biological ion channels, we identify key factors—channel size, surface charge, and binding sites—that influence energy barriers and shape the interplay between dehydration and diffusion. We highlight recent progress in leveraging these factors to enhance Li+/Na+ selectivity and address the challenges posed by counteracting effects in ion transport. While substantial advancements have been made, the lack of comprehensive principles guiding the interplay of these variables across permeation steps represents a key obstacle to optimizing Li+/Na+ selectivity. Nonetheless, with their inherent chemical stability and fabrication scalability, 2D channel membranes offer significant potential for lithium extraction if these challenges can be addressed. This review provides insights into the current state of 2D channel membrane technologies and outlines future directions for achieving enhanced Li+ ion selectivity, particularly in seawater applications.
Graphical Abstract
Efficient transformation and genome editing in a nondomesticated, biocontrol strain, Bacillus subtilis GLB191
Authors: Zhao Yu , Wang Zhenshuo , Wang Qian , Wang Bing , Bian Xiaoning , Zeng Qingchao , Lai Daowan , Wang Qi , Li Yan 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBacillus subtilis has been widely used as a biological control agent in agricultural production. Environmental strains of B. subtilis are an important source of biological control agents. However, due to its low genetic transformation efficiency, the genetic manipulation of the environmental and nondomesticated strains is challenging. In this study, the impact of competent cell preparation, pulse electroporation, and recovery culture on the electroporation efficiency of B. subtilis GLB191 was assessed utilizing response surface methodology. Results indicated that the concentration of glycine, DL-threonine, and Tween 80 used in a cell wall weakening solution during competent cell preparation, and the voltage applied during pulse electroporation were the primary factors affecting electroporation efficiency. Optimization of these factors led to nearly a three-fold increase (reaching 74.00 ± 5.10 CFU/µg DNA) in electroporation efficiency. The elimination of dam and dcm modifications to mitigate the influence of host restriction-modification systems was integrated to further increase the electroporation efficacy. An electroporation efficiency for replicative plasmids of 1.96 ± 0.05 × 106 CFU/µg DNA was achieved using the optimized strategy. Utilizing this improved methodology, the temperature-sensitive plasmid pJOE8899 was efficiently transformed into B. subtilis GLB191, resulting in a markerless knockout of pdeH. The optimized transformation strategy significantly enhances the efficiency of markerless genome editing of nondomesticated B. subtilis, offering the potential for future interpretation of their modes of action, which is critical for the development of the nondomesticated B. subtilis strains.
Associations Between Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Risk Factors According to Age and Sex
Authors: Baretella Oliver , Blum Manuel R , Abolhassani Nazanin , Alwan Heba , Wildisen Lea , Del Giovane Cinzia , Tal Kali , Moutzouri Elisavet , Åsvold Bjørn O , Cappola Anne R , Gussekloo Jacobijn , Iacoviello Massimo , Iervasi Giorgio , Imaizumi Misa , Weiler Stefan , Razvi Salman , Sgarbi José A , Völzke Henry , Brown Suzanne J , Walsh John P , Vaes Bert , Yeap Bu B , Dullaart Robin P F , Bakker Stephan J L , Kavousi Maryam , Ceresini Graziano , Ferrucci Luigi , Aujesky Drahomir , Peeters Robin P , Bauer Douglas C , Feller Martin , Rodondi Nicolas 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Context
Subclinical thyroid dysfunction (ScTD), comprising subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo) and subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper), has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events.

Objective
To assess associations between ScTD and cardiovascular risk factors (cvRFs) according to age and sex.

Methods
This analysis of pooled participant data from large prospective cohort studies from the Thyroid Studies Collaboration assessed cvRFs (blood pressure [BP], lipid levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP]) among participants aged 18 to 103 years with SHypo (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] &gt; 4.50 mU/L, normal fT4) and SHyper (TSH &lt; 0.45 mU/L, normal fT4) vs euthyroid (TSH 0.45-4.50 mU/L).

Results
Of 69 006 participants (mean age 62 years, 55% women, 25% current smokers) from 16 international cohorts, 3748 (5.4%) had SHypo and 3428 (5.0%) had SHyper. In both women and men, systolic and diastolic BP were similar regardless of thyroid status. Exceptions were lower diastolic BP in women with SHyper compared to euthyroid participants (adjusted mean difference [aMD] −1.3 mmHg, 95% CI −2.0 to −0.5), and lower systolic BP in men with SHyper compared to euthyroid participants (aMD −3.1 mmHg, 95% CI −4.8 to −1.4). In both women and men, lipid levels (total, HDL, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides) and hs-CRP were similar regardless of thyroid status. The only exception were women with SHyper who had lower LDL-cholesterol vs euthyroid (aMD −0.17 mmol/L, 95% CI −0.29 to −0.05).

Conclusion
Participants with ScTD and euthyroid participants have similar cvRFs and differences are arguably too small to explain the increased cardiovascular risk in ScTD observed in previous studies.
Producing Rooted Knowledge
Authors: Sa'di-Ibraheem Yara 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Israeli universities’ discrimination against Palestinian students, the vast majority of whom are Israeli citizens, has been amply researched and documented. Some attention has also been given to these institutions’ small percentages of Palestinian staff. Yet the implications of these discriminatory practices for Palestinian students and staff with regard to psychological well-being, experiences of acquiring and producing knowledge, and the ethics of the research in which they participate as assistants, surveyors, or local informants have received little attention. These consequences can be traced by reading accounts of the daily experiences of Palestinian students and faculty members. Research on such experiences reveals that, overall, Palestinian students and faculty in Israeli universities have strong feelings of anxiety toward the spaces where they work and intellectual milieu in which they study and teach. These sites, therefore, could serve as good locations for reflecting on questions of positionality and contributing to thinking about the relationship between ethics and politics in knowledge production from a Palestinian perspective.
Time and the Lyric
Authors: Subramaniam Shiv 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
While many poems in the South Asian literary archive cannot be classified as stories, it is less clear whether they can be meaningfully classified as lyrics. This article suggests that the lyric is indeed a meaningful concept by proposing a feature that short, nonnarrative poems tend to share: a resistance to the laws of time. In order to illustrate what this resistance to time amounts to, the article begins with a reading of the Caurapañcāśikā (The Thief's Fifty), an exemplary collection of Sanskrit lyrics attributed to the eleventh-century poet Bilhaṇa. The Caurapañcāśikā shows us a lovesick speaker who responds to a hostile world by imagining an alternative reality, one where past moments of union with the beloved can be remembered so vividly that they are indistinguishable from the present. In conclusion, the article suggests that the speaker's desire to evade temporal laws is also, if less obviously, the desire that generates the lyric.
Voices from the African Diaspora in India
Authors: Graves Eyssallenne Jazmin 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The Islamic devotional tradition of Sidis, Indians of East African ancestry, in Gujarat and Mumbai in western India involves the performance of devotional songs. These songs constitute an oral archive that the Sidi community has preserved over generations. This article examines the lyric poetry of the Sidi devotional song corpus, contextualizing the corpus with reference to genres of premodern and early modern Indian Sufi poetry composed in regional registers of the lingua franca, Hindavi. The article analyzes Sidi devotional songs and their ritual performance contexts to characterize the Sidi devotional tradition as Sufi. At the heart of this tradition is the Sufi practice of remembrance of God, the Prophet, and Sufi saints, especially the Sidi ancestor-saints. In Sidi ritual contexts, remembrance engenders ecstatic states through which devotees mediate the blessings of the ancestor-saints. Sidi women, as saints or ritual musicians, specialists and participants, play a critical role in this process.
Frequency multiplexing in millimeter-wave over fiber fronthaul transmission links with an InAs/InP quantum dash mode-locked laser
Authors: Xie Xiaoran , Liu Guocheng , Lu Zhenguo , Liu Jiaren , Poole Philip J. , Mao Youxin , Vachon Martin , Barrios Pedro , Song Chunying , Chen Xianling , Zhang Xiupu 
Published: December 2024

This study evaluates and compares four millimeter-wave (mmWave) radio-over-fiber (RoF) frequency multiplexing techniques considering InAs/InP quantum dash (QD) mode-locked lasers (MLLs) for optical carriers. The QD-MLL can generate multiple coherent optical carriers simultaneously with consistent frequency differences. Following heterodyne detection, the radio frequency linewidths of the QD-MLL can be minimized to 2.4 kHz. In this paper, four distinct RoF-based mmWave frequency multiplexing architectures are presented and compared experimentally. It is shown that the error vector magnitude of two 2 GBaud/s 16-QAM mmWave signals can reach as low as 7.1% after demultiplexing for all four techniques.
Methodological review to develop a list of bias items for adaptive clinical trials: Protocol and rationale
Authors: Staibano Phillip , McKechnie Tyler , Thabane Alex , Olteanu Daniel , Nanji Keean , Zhang Han , Lunny Carole , Au Michael , Gupta Michael K. , Pasternak Jesse D. , Parpia Sameer , Young JEM (Ted) , Bhandari Mohit 
Published: December 2024

Background
Randomized-clinical trials (RCTs) are the gold-standard for comparing health care interventions, but can be limited by early termination, feasibility issues, and prolonged time to trial reporting. Adaptive clinical trials (ACTs), which are defined by pre-planned modifications and analyses that occur after starting patient recruitment, are gaining popularity as they can streamline trial design and time to reporting. As adaptive methodologies continue to be adopted by researchers, it will be critical to develop a risk of bias tool that evaluates the unique methodological features of ACTs so that their quality can be improved and standardized for the future. In our proposed methodological review, we will develop a list of risk of bias items and concepts, so that a risk of bias tool specific to ACTs can be developed.

Methods and analysis
We will perform a systematic database search to capture studies that have proposed or reviewed items pertaining to methodological risk, bias, and/or quality in ACTs. We will perform a comprehensive search of citation databases, such as Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, the Cochrane library, and Web of Science, in addition to multiple grey literature sources to capture published and unpublished literature related to studies evaluating the methodological quality of ACTs. We will also search methodological registries for any risk of bias tools for ACTs. All screening and review stages will be performed in duplicate with a third senior author serving as arbitrator for any discrepancies. For all studies of methodological quality and risk of bias, we will extract all pertinent bias items, concepts, and/or tools. We will combine conceptually similar items in a descriptive manner and classify them as referring to bias or to other aspects of methodological quality, such as reporting. We will plan to generate pertinent risk of bias items to generate a candidate tool that will undergo further refinement, testing, and validation in future development stages.

Ethics and dissemination
This review does not require ethics approval as human subjects are not involved. As mentioned previously, this study is the first step in developing a tool to evaluate the risk of bias and methodological quality of ACTs. The findings of this review will inform a Delphi study and the development of a risk of bias tool for ACTs. We plan on publishing this review in a peer-reviewed journal and to present these findings at international scientific conferences.
Architectures of syntopia: An interdisciplinary speculative model for constructions with insect-infested wood
Authors: Asa Pelin , Krauthausen Karin , Stock Robert , Dierichs Karola 
Published: December 2024

Based on a case study in Franconia, Germany, where beetle infestation of spruce trees is high, we present an interdisciplinary approach from materials science, cultural theory, and computational design to develop architectures for syntopic living. The term syntopy was coined by Luis René Rivas and describes “two or more related species inhabiting the same macrohabitat.” It is a combination of the Greek words syn* for together and *topos for place. Architectures of Syntopia aim to create spatial structures for humans that emanate from and are located in a specific place – a topos. They also include non-human species, creating what Anna Tsing describes as “multispecies worlds“. By interweaving methods from materials science and cultural theory with computational design, different speculative perspectives are developed on one and the same subject: the beetle infestation of the spruce.
Increasing eccentric contraction duration enhances resistance exercise‐induced inhibitory control improvement while reducing the exertion perception: A pilot study in young men
Authors: Dora Kento , Hashimoto Takeshi , Yuuki I. Wayan , Yang Su , Tachi Kousei , Hashimoto Kaito , Fujie Shumpei , Iemitsu Motoyuki , Ogoh Shigehiko 
Published: December 2024

AbstractLow‐intensity resistance exercise with slow movement and tonic force generation (LRST) effectively improves cognitive inhibitory control (IC) while heightening the subjective perception, which is a barrier to exercise adherence. Compared with concentric (CON) contractions, eccentric (ECC) contractions have greater brain activation related to cognitive functions while decreasing subjective perception. Therefore, we examined whether LRST with a longer duration of ECC contraction (ECC‐LRST) could further enhance exercise‐induced IC improvement while reducing the subjective perception, compared with traditional LRST. Fourteen healthy, young males performed both ECC‐LRST and LRST, with 30% of their one‐repetition maximum. The subjective perceptions of exertion and pain associated with exercise were assessed. IC was evaluated at baseline, immediately post‐exercise, and 15‐min post‐exercise. IC improved immediately after both ECC‐LRST and LRST (both Ps < 0.05). However, the improvement in IC persisted until 15 min post‐exercise for ECC‐LRST compared with baseline (p = 0.031) but not for LRST, which showed a significantly smaller improvement than ECC‐LRST (p = 0.042). A lower perceived pain (p = 0.039) and a trend toward a lower perceived exertion (p = 0.078) were observed during ECC‐LRST than during LRST. ECC‐LRST is an effective resistance exercise protocol for improving IC while reducing the perception of exertion.
The three grand cultural spheres of the Holocene Eurasian Continent
Authors: Han Jianye 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Based on the typology of ceramic wares and analysis of the spatial distribution, origin, and dispersal of other categories of archaeological remains, it can be determined that three grand cultural spheres existed on the Holocene Eurasian Continent prior to the rise of the Silk Road. These were the Early Eastern Cultural Sphere, centered around the Yellow River valley and the Yangtze River valley; the Early Western Cultural Sphere, centered around the Tigris-Euphrates River valley (Mesopotamia); the Early Northern Cultural Sphere, located to the north of the Eastern and Western Cultural Spheres. Due to cultural interactions, collisions, and exchanges, there were large intersection zones between the three grand cultural spheres.
Preliminary discussions on painted pottery in Neolithic China
Authors: He Jun 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Chinese painted pottery probably originated during the early Neolithic and developed through the middle to the first half of the late Neolithic period. Flourishing between 6000 and 5000 years ago, it was initially heavily distributed in the middle and lower Yangtze River areas and Haidai region, then spread northward to the middle Yellow River area, and finally reached its zenith during the Taosi culture period. In this process, painted pottery transitioned from “non-ritual vessels” to “ritual vessels.” In certain regions, painted pottery emerged either independently or through the integration of exotic and local traditions; while in others, its use was due entirely to external cultural influences.
Biological evolutionary insights into the origins of agriculture: Evidence from the origin of rice agriculture
Authors: Zhao Zhijun 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The domestication of plants and animals was a unique evolutionary process influenced by human behavior. In the early stage of domestication, the morphological and genetic characteristics of plants and animals still exhibited wild traits, making the concept of the “earliest” crops and domestic animals relative. Human behavior, acting as an unconscious selection mechanism, influenced the process and rate of domestication, making it a crucial factor in identifying domestication. Archaeological evidence of early cultivation and a sedentary lifestyle indicates that the domestication of rice and the origin of rice agriculture in China spanned four to five thousand years, with significant advancements occurring approximately every two thousand years. The origin of rice agriculture began around 10,000 years ago, entered a critical stage around 8000 years ago, and was completed around 6000 years ago. After this period, farming replaced gathering and hunting as the core of the subsistence economy, leading to the establishment of agricultural societies where agricultural production became the driving economic force.
ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome in a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a case report
Authors: Tatarintseva Z. G. , Babicheva O. V. , Barbuhatti K. O. 
Published: December 2024

Introduction. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked muscle disorder caused by the dystrophin absence. This leads to the death of muscle cells and cardiomyocytes and their subsequent replacement with adipose and fibrous tissue. Clinically, this disease manifests itself as progressive muscle weakness and cardiomyopathy. We report a case of a young patient with acute myocardial injury without coronary artery occlusion due to Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Brief description. A 15-year-old male patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, no risk factors for coronary artery disease and known cardiac diseases presented with pressing chest pain. Electrocardiography showed ST segment elevation on the inferior and lateral walls. Given the pressing chest pain, electrocardiographic abnormalities and elevated cardiac biomarkers, an initial working diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction was made and the patient was taken to the catheterization laboratory for coronary angiography, which demonstrated normal cardiac anatomy and coronary arteries without hemodynamically significant stenoses. The patient was discharged from the hospital on day 14 with a final diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy cardiomyopathy and recommendations for perindopril 5 mg daily and bisoprolol 5 mg daily.Discussion. Frontline practitioners should be aware of the high prevalence of car diomyopathy in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which increases with age. Cardiac biomarkers may be chronically elevated in this disease. However, a high suspicion combined with echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging may help in diagnosing acute myocardial injury in these cases. Based on this case, we discuss the dilemmas of management and follow-up of this complex group of patients.