bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Behavioral medicine in the GLP-1 era
Authors: Tomiyama A Janet 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist medications are receiving high levels of attention because of their dramatic efficacy in causing weight loss. This commentary discusses several ways that those in behavioral medicine and health psychology might think about these medications—whether they should be fully in support of them or whether they pose a risk. The positive aspects of GLP-1s include their great promise in improving health independent of weight loss and the perspective that their efficacy frees individuals from the difficulties of behavioral weight maintenance and the associated stigma of “failing” to lose weight. However, GLP-1 agonist medications also risk medicalizing weight and increasing weight stigma (in addition to those on GLP-1 medications being stigmatized for taking the “easy way out”). From a social identity perspective, GLP-1 medications could even be perceived as a tool to eradicate an entire social group—those that identify as higher weight. In terms of clinical care, a patient-centered, weight-inclusive approach will allow for individuals to receive the treatment that fits with their own social and health context. In terms of research, behavioral medicine should shift away from weight loss interventions simply to lower body mass index, and instead intervene on actual health markers, disease endpoints, or healthy behaviors. Doing so will improve health regardless of a person’s weight or whether they are on GLP-1 agonist medications.
A blended mindfulness-based stress reduction program to improve diabetes self-management among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a mediation effect analysis
Authors: Wang Hongjuan , Ge Lin , Yan Yan Kwok Jojo , Zhang Zhuo , Wiley James , Guo Jia 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
The mechanisms through which the blended mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program improves diabetes self-management among individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remain unclear.

Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of blended MBSR on perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, while also exploring the potential mechanisms underlying its effects on improving diabetes self-management.

Methods
One hundred individuals with T2DM were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups (50 participants each) from March 2020 to July 2020. A randomized clinical trial, combined with generalized estimating equations for repeated measures, was employed to assess the intervention effects of the blended MBSR on perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms compared to standard care. Mediation analyses using Model 4 in SPSS PROCESS were conducted to evaluate the contributions of the blended MBSR to diabetes self-management.

Results
Participants in the blended MBSR group showed a significant reduction in perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms compared to the control group over 12 weeks. Bootstrap mediation analyses indicated that changes in perceived stress and anxiety fully mediated the effect of the blended MBSR on diabetes self-efficacy. In contrast, depressive symptoms were not associated with diabetes self-efficacy and therefore did not qualify as mediators. Additionally, diabetes distress was found to be an insignificant mediator. Furthermore, changes in diabetes self-efficacy served as a partial mediator of the positive effects of the blended MBSR on diabetes self-management.

Conclusions
The blended MBSR program effectively reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in individuals with T2DM. The intervention’s impact on perceived stress and anxiety contributed to an increase in diabetes self-efficacy, subsequently enhancing diabetes self-management. Interventions that aim to reduce perceived stress and anxiety, while also increasing diabetes self-efficacy, are recommended to develop diabetes self-management strategies with clearly defined mechanistic pathways.
TRPS1 is a useful marker in differentiating metastatic breast carcinoma from pancreatic adenocarcinoma in fine-needle aspiration specimens
Authors: Yildiz Bahadir , Jean-Gilles Jerome , Giampoli Ellen J , Kovar-Peltz Sierra , Yang Qi , Miyamoto Hiroshi , Wang Ying 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Distinction of metastatic breast carcinoma (BC) to the pancreas from primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is essential but challenging. Breast carcinoma shares similar morphology and exhibits an overlapping immunohistochemistry (IHC) profile with PAC. We investigated the utility of recently reported trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) IHC in differentiating metastatic BC from PAC in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens.

Methods
We assessed consecutive patients of PAC (n = 49). Due to limited cases of metastatic BC to the pancreas (n = 3), cases of metastatic BC (n = 23) in various locations, including lymph node, lung, bone, or soft tissue, were included. Immunohistochemistry for TRPS1 was performed by using the cell blocks obtained from FNA. A quantitative score for TRPS1 expression was calculated by multiplying the intensity and the percentage of positive cells. Immunoreactivity scores were assigned as negative, low positive, intermediate positive, or high positive.

Results
In 49 PAC cases, 47 (95.9%) exhibited negative while 2 (4.1%) exhibited low positive TRPS1 expression. However, TRPS1 expression was high positive in 23 (88.0%) of 26 metastatic BC cases, including 10 (83.3%) of 12 triple-negative BC (TNBC) and 13 (92.9%) of 14 non-TNBC cases.

Conclusions
Our results suggest that TRPS1 IHC represents a highly accurate and reliable method for differentiating metastatic BC from PAC.
The Role of Renal Medullary Bilirubin and Biliverdin Reductase in Angiotensin II-Dependent Hypertension
Authors: Arthur Gertrude , Wasson Andrew R , Straughan Ross E , Drummond Heather A , Stec David E 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Increased circulating bilirubin attenuates angiotensin (Ang) II-induced hypertension and improves renal hemodynamics. However, the intrarenal mechanisms that mediate these effects are not known. The goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that bilirubin generation in the renal medulla plays a protective role against Ang II-induced hypertension.

METHODS
Twenty-week-old male C57Bl/6J mice were implanted with intrarenal medullary interstitial (IRMI) catheters following unilateral nephrectomy. After this time, biliverdin IXα was specifically infused into the kidney (3.6 mg/day) for 3 days before implantation with an osmotic minipump delivering Ang II (1,000 ng/kg/min). BP was recorded for 3 days, 1 week after minipump infusion, in conscious mice. To further explore the antihypertensive role of renal medullary bilirubin generation, mice with specific deletion of biliverdin reductase-A (Blvra) in the thick ascending loop of Henle were generated. At 20 weeks, BlvraTALHKO and control mice (Blvrafl/fl) were infused with Ang II for 2 weeks.

RESULTS
IRMI infusion of biliverdin significantly decreased blood pressure compared with mice infused with vehicle (118 ± 4 vs. 158 ± 2 mmHg, p &lt; 0.05). Angiotensin-II infusion resulted in significantly higher blood pressure measured in conscious mice 7 days after implantation in BlvraTALHKO as compared to Blvrafl/fl mice (152 ± 2 vs. 140 ± 3 mmHg, P &lt; 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Altogether, these findings show that medullary bilirubin and biliverdin reductase can improve hypertension and that mechanisms that increase bilirubin and biliverdin reductase in the renal medulla could be an effective approach to treat hypertension.
Isomaltodextrin inhibits kidney enlargement induced by a high-protein diet through its metabolism by gut microbiota
Authors: Takagaki Ryodai , Takahashi Jun , Endo Shin , Kujirai Ryota , Abe Mizuki , Kikuchi Koichi , Suzuki Chitose , Matsumoto Yotaro , Tomioka Yoshihisa , Abe Takaaki , Morita Hidetoshi 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
To evaluate the effects of the soluble fiber isomaltodextrin in a protein-biased diet, a 21-day protein diet trial was conducted in rats, with 60% of the calories derived from protein. The results revealed that the high-protein diet alone led to a significant increase in kidney weight. In contrast, the consumption of water with 5% isomaltodextrin dissolved in it, along with a high-protein diet, suppressed this weight gain. To elucidate this mechanism, an analysis of serum urea toxins confirmed that the concentrations of phenyl sulfate were significantly higher with high protein, and significantly lower with isomaltodextrin. The impact of a high-protein diet increased phenol in cecal contents, an increase that was mitigated by isomaltodextrin. This suggests that the inhibitory effect of isomaltodextrin on renal hypertrophy was due to the suppression of urea toxin precursor production by the gut microbiota.
Age interactions influence biparental care behavior and reproductive success
Authors: Van Parys Dakota , Harris Carter W , Brady Brittany N , Verrillo Jessica R , Benowitz Kyle M 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Prolonged reproductive interactions can lead to social plasticity and fitness differences for a focal individual in response to their partner’s characteristics. Age can provide a way to manipulate the influence of a social partner due to its predictable consequences for mate quality and reproductive effort. Here, we use a full factorial design to examine the interactions between male and female age on behavior and reproductive performance in the obligately caring, frequently biparental burying beetle Nicrophorus orbicollis. We found that both males and females increased their reproductive effort with age. However, this response was weaker than that of a related, more uniparental species that provides facultative care, indicating that details of age-related behavior are predictable based on species differences. We also found that male and female behavior depended on both their own and their partner’s age, as well as their partner’s behavior. Lastly, we found that mismatched age pairs had the highest levels of reproductive success. These results indicate that reproductive senescence does occur but that it can be mitigated by having a young social partner. This also suggests a rarely found pattern wherein age-mismatching may have beneficial consequences for both parental and offspring fitness.
Benchmarking recent computational tools for DNA-binding protein identification
Authors: Luo Xizi , Chi Amadeus Song Yi , Lin Andre Huikai , Ong Tze Jet , Wong Limsoon , Rahman Chowdhury Rafeed 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Identification of DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) is a crucial task in genome annotation, as it aids in understanding gene regulation, DNA replication, transcriptional control, and various cellular processes. In this paper, we conduct an unbiased benchmarking of 11 state-of-the-art computational tools as well as traditional tools such as ScanProsite, BLAST, and HMMER for identifying DBPs. We highlight the data leakage issue in conventional datasets leading to inflated performance. We introduce new evaluation datasets to support further development. Through a comprehensive evaluation pipeline, we identify potential limitations in models, feature extraction techniques, and training methods, and recommend solutions regarding these issues. We show that combining the predictions of the two best computational tools with BLAST-based prediction significantly enhances DBP identification capability. We provide this consensus method as user-friendly software. The datasets and software are available at https://github.com/Rafeed-bot/DNA_BP_Benchmarking.
Ecphrasis and manual labour: the aesthetics of woodwork in Leonidas
Authors: Chaldekas Matthew 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Leonidas of Tarentum wrote many epigrams commemorating dedications by poor labourers. Yet his epigrams also include ecphrases of famous artworks that evoke aristocratic tastes and prestige, such as Apelles’ Aphrodite Anadyomene and Myron’s Cow. This contrast raises the problem of how to reconcile these two seemingly discordant registers. Leonidas himself offers a solution in two epigrams on the dedications of woodworkers that both draw upon the conventions of ecphrasis (AP 6.204, 205). By framing this banausic craft in a mode usually reserved for high art, Leonidas presents his characteristic appreciation of society’s lower classes in aesthetic terms. Moreover, his ecphrastic depiction of woodworkers also draws upon the actual iconography through which these craftsmen were represented in the ancient plastic arts. Thus, we can witness Leonidas’ engagement with his Lebenswelt and his employment of an underappreciated aesthetic register in his dedicatory epigrams. As with ecphrastic epigrams on artworks such as Myron’s Cow, Leonidas’ poems draw upon artefacts that Leonidas and his readers may have encountered in their real lives, but we must also be wary of assuming that Leonidas simply acts as an impartial witness who merely documents what he has seen. Despite the iconographic parallels, Leonidas’ poems utilize a highly stylized poetic language. The article will conclude by showing how Leonidas’ use of manual labour plays a metapoetic role within his own aesthetics of purported poverty.
Fabius Maximus Rullianus and the capture of Gavius Pontius: Livy’s book 11 and the last years of the Third Samnite War
Authors: Waldron Byron 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
In 292 BC, Fabius Maximus Rullianus and his son Fabius Gurges led an army against the Samnites in one of the last battles of the Third Samnite War (298–290). According to Periochae 11 and Orosius’ History against the Pagans (7.22), the Fabii captured none other than Gavius Pontius himself, who, thirty years earlier, had humiliated Rome at the Caudine Forks. This article demonstrates the untenability of two modern claims against the episode’s historicity, namely, that the cooperation of the Fabii can be dismissed entirely as a literary duplicate, and that this account of Pontius’ capture is as problematic as the annalistic claim that Pontius was captured in 318. The article argues for the broad reliability of the events described. It then discusses the Fabian-Pontian clash within the context of the last years of the Third Samnite War and considers the campaign’s significance to Roman expansion in the late 290s.
An efficient injection protocol for Drosophila larvae
Authors: Soltani Sattar , Huynh Nhan , King-Jones Kirst 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Intravenous injection provides a direct, rapid, and efficient route for delivering drugs or other substances, particularly for compounds with poor intestinal absorption or molecules (e.g. proteins) that are prone to structural changes and degradation within the digestive system. While Drosophila larvae represent a well-established genetic model for studying developmental and physiological pathways, as well as human diseases, their use in analyzing the molecular effects of substance exposure remains limited. In this study, we present a highly efficient injection method for Drosophila first- and second-instar larvae. Despite causing a slight developmental delay, this method achieves a high survival rate and offers a quick, easily adjustable protocol. The process requires 3–5 h to inject 150–300 larvae, depending on the microcapillary needle, microinjection system, and the compound being administered. As proof of concept, we compared the effects of injecting ferritin protein into Fer1HCH00451 mutant first instar larvae with those of dietary ferritin administration. Our results show that ferritin injection rescues Fer1HCH mutants, a result that cannot be achieved through dietary delivery. This approach is particularly valuable for the delivery of complex compounds in cases where oral administration is impaired or limited by the digestive system.
Construction of a multi-parametric ultrasonographic nomogram for precise assessment of papillary breast lesions
Authors: Li Yunhua , Li Hui , Du Lianfang , Shi Qiusheng , Li Gang , Jia Chao , Jin Lifang , Liang Hongmei , Li Fan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Objectives
To analyze the multi-parametric ultrasonographic (MpUS) features of atypical/malignant papillary lesions of the breast with clinical information, identify independent risk factors, and construct a nomogram to improve the diagnostic accuracy.

Methods
This retrospective study analyzed consecutively hospitalized patients diagnosed with pathologically confirmed papillary breast lesions from January 2017 to June 2023. Preoperative sonographic examinations, including gray-scale ultrasound (G-US), color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), were conducted. Sonographic scans were retrospectively reviewed alongside clinicopathological data. Binary logistic regression identified independent risk factors for screening atypical/malignant papillary lesions. The receiver operating characteristic curve evaluated the predictive accuracy of these lesions, resulting in the development of a nomogram for assessing risk.

Results
The study involved 176 female patients with breast papillary lesions, identifying key predictors for atypical or malignant outcomes: age 57 or order, US diameter ≥13.95 mm, resistive index ≥0.70, enlarged enhancement on CEUS, and contrast agent retention, with respective odds ratios of 6.279, 8.078, 9.246, 9.401, and 5.047. The integrated use of G-US, CDFI, and CEUS in the MpUS approach offered higher diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.966) than G-US or CDFI alone (0.869/0.918). CEUS particularly enhanced prediction for non-mass-like lesions, with a positive predictive value of 83.3%. A nomogram incorporating MpUS and patient age achieved an AUC of 0.956 for predicting atypical or malignant papillary lesions.

Conclusions
MpUS imaging is highly effective for predicting malignant breast papillary lesions, especially considering patient age. The nomogram offers an intuitive framework for assessing malignant risk in these lesions.

Advances in knowledge
Ultrasound excels in identifying papillary lesions, and integrating diverse data and multi-parametric imaging enhances malignant risk evaluation. This study establishes a predictive risk model using the nomogram method, demonstrating heightened diagnostic efficacy in breast papillary lesions.
Rethinking phase 2 trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Benatar Michael , McDermott Christopher , Turner Martin R , van Eijk Ruben P A 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
There is a long history in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) of promoting therapies based on phase 2 data, which then fail in phase 3 trials. Experience suggests that studies of 6 months in duration are too short, especially with function-based outcome measures. Multiplicity poses a serious threat to data interpretation, and strategies to impute missing data may not be appropriate for ALS where progression is always expected.
Emerging surrogate markers of clinical benefit such as reduction of neurofilament light chain levels may be better suited to phase 2 go/no-go decisions. Over-interpretation of phase 2 data, and overly optimistic communication of exploratory analyses must be avoided to ensure optimal prioritization for the investment needed for definitive phase 3 trials and to minimize the harm of false hope for people living with ALS. Delivering on advances in understanding of the neurobiology of ALS requires urgent attention to phase 2 design and implementation.
Amygdala-predominant α-synuclein pathology is associated with exacerbated hippocampal neuron loss in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Gawor Klara , Tomé Sandra O , Vandenberghe Rik , Van Damme Philip , Vandenbulcke Mathieu , Otto Markus , von Arnim Christine A F , Ghebremedhin Estifanos , Ronisz Alicja , Ospitalieri Simona , Blaschko Matthew , Thal Dietmar Rudolf 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Misfolded α-synuclein protein accumulates in 43–63% of individuals with symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. Two main patterns of comorbid α-synuclein pathology have been identified: caudo-rostral and amygdala-predominant. α-Synuclein aggregates have been shown to interact with the transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) and abnormally phosphorylated tau protein. All these proteins accumulate in the amygdala, which is anatomically connected with the hippocampus. However, the specific role of amygdala-predominant α-synuclein pathology in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and hippocampal degeneration remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study, we analysed 291 autopsy brains from both demented and non-demented elderly individuals neuropathologically. Neuronal density in the CA1 region of the hippocampus was assessed for all cases. We semiquantitatively evaluated α-synuclein pathology severity across seven brain regions and calculated a ratio of limbic to brainstem α-synuclein pathology severity, which was used to stratify the cases into two distinct spreading patterns. In the 99 symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease cases, we assessed severity of limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 neuropathological changes and CA1 phosphorylated tau density. We performed triple fluorescence staining of medial temporal lobe samples with antibodies against phosphorylated TDP-43, α-synuclein and phosphorylated tau. Finally, we employed path analysis to determine the association network of various parameters of limbic pathology in Alzheimer’s disease cases and CA1 neuronal density. We identified an association between the amygdala-predominant αSyn pathology pattern and decreased neuronal density in the CA1 region. We found that Alzheimer’s disease cases with an amygdala-predominant α-synuclein pattern exhibited the highest TDP-43 severity and prevalence of TDP-43 inclusions in the dentate gyrus among all groups, while those with the caudo-rostral pattern had the lowest severity of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological changes. We observed colocalization of TDP-43, aggregated α-synuclein and hyperphosphorylated tau in cytoplasmic inclusions within hippocampal and amygdala neurons of Alzheimer’s disease cases. Path analysis modelling suggests that the relationship between amygdala-predominant α-synuclein pathology and CA1 neuron loss is partially mediated by hippocampal tau and TDP-43 aggregates. Our findings suggest that Alzheimer’s disease cases with amygdala-predominant α-synuclein pathology may constitute a distinct group with more severe hippocampal damage, a higher TDP-43 burden and potential interactions among α-synuclein, TDP-43 and hyperphosphorylated tau.
Cortical tracking of speakers’ spectral changes predicts selective listening
Authors: Cervantes Constantino Francisco , Caputi Ángel 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
A social scene is particularly informative when people are distinguishable. To understand somebody amid a “cocktail party” chatter, we automatically index their voice. This ability is underpinned by parallel processing of vocal spectral contours from speech sounds, but it has not yet been established how this occurs in the brain’s cortex. We investigate single-trial neural tracking of slow frequency modulations in speech using electroencephalography. Participants briefly listened to unfamiliar single speakers, and in addition, they performed a cocktail party comprehension task. Quantified through stimulus reconstruction methods, robust tracking was found in neural responses to slow (delta-theta range) modulations of frequency contours in the fourth and fifth formant band, equivalent to the 3.5–5 KHz audible range. The spectral spacing between neighboring instantaneous frequency contours (ΔF), which also yields indexical information from the vocal tract, was similarly decodable. Moreover, EEG evidence of listeners’ spectral tracking abilities predicted their chances of succeeding at selective listening when faced with two-speaker speech mixtures. In summary, the results indicate that the communicating brain can rely on locking of cortical rhythms to major changes led by upper resonances of the vocal tract. Their corresponding articulatory mechanics hence continuously issue a fundamental credential for listeners to target in real time.