bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors contributing to COVID-19 is rumour acceptance – results of CEDMO Study
Authors: Barták Miroslav , Moravec Václav , Hynek Nikola , Gabrhelík Roman , Lukavská Kateřina , Miovský Michal , Šťastná Lenka , Petruželka Benjamin 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

COVID-19 has been associated with a number of rumours. Our research examined the level of agreement with the claim that COVID-19 was a rumour per se, two years after the pandemic, including investigation of socio-economic, psychological as well as political believes and media use characteristics that may help to explain why some people believe in this rumour. A voluntary observational study was conducted among a quasi-representative Czech population (n = 2453). The analysis was performed in r Studio. First, we performed a series of univariate ordinal logistic regression models, second, we performed multivariate models. We found that about 6% of respondents in 2023 believe that COVID-19 is a rumour, and another 6% are not sure. Respondents are more likely to consider COVID-19 a rumour if they are male, in younger age groups up to 54 years and less educated. Respondents who visit disinformation portals at least once a week and those who are very dissatisfied with democracy in terms of their political beliefs are more likely to agree with the statement that COVID-19 is a rumour than other population groups. Compared to other studies, visiting disinformation websites emerged as a risk factor, but so did dissatisfaction with democracy as such.
Evaluation of response to Targeted therapy and immunotherapy for advanced HCCs: A retrospective, controlled study
Authors: xiang tao , liu ding-kun , yang jian , ai dan-ni , yuan bing , li xiao-hui , dong jing-hui , zhu zhen-yu , Liu Jiangtao , Duan Feng 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background: To validate the correlation between radiomics extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathologic alterations in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with targeted therapy and immunotherapy, and to compare the accuracy of necrosis evaluation by radiologists and subtraction technology.
Methods: Thirty-five patients diagnosed unresectable HCCs (n = 39) who underwent curative resection at two centers after receiving combined treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and programmed death ligand-1 antibodies were included. Using linear regression model to verify the consistency between investigator-based imaging evaluation and three-dimensional (3D) subtraction-based imaging analysis and their capability to distinguish major pathological response (MPR) and pathological complete remission (PCR) were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with pathological outcome as the gold standard.The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) were compared.
Results: 3D subtraction-based imaging analysis suggested a strong correlation with histopathologic alteration (R2 = 0.81) and was superior in classifying MPR or PCR comparing to the use of investigator-based imaging evaluation (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve: MRP, 0.80 vs. 0.52; PCR, 0.69 vs. 0.54).
Conclusion: 3D subtraction-based imaging analysis based on tumor characteristics showed a stronger correlation with pathology, and 3D subtraction-based imaging analysis was significantly superior to investigator-based imaging evaluation in classifying MPR or PCR.
The Application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Archaeology: Methodological Challenges and a Case Study from Poland
Authors: Jakubczak Michał , Tyszkiewicz Michał J. , Leloch Michał 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in archaeology has rapidly gained momentum due to its potential to automate and enhance the efficiency of data analysis. This paper examines the application of neural networks for processing Digital Terrain Model (DTM) data to detect archaeological sites in Poland. The study focuses on identifying trenches, mounds, and charcoal kilns through automated image segmentation, utilizing a U-Net convolutional neural network. While the results demonstrate the promise of AI in improving archaeological site detection, various challenges are highlighted, including data quality, feature misclassification, and regional variability in model performance. Additionally, the research underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, as successful implementation requires expertise in archaeology, geospatial analysis, and programming. Despite AI’s potential for time-saving, significant effort is required to ensure accurate annotations and avoid over-reliance on the technology. The case study provides valuable insights into the complexities of applying AI to large-scale archaeological datasets and raises important questions about the limitations and future development of these methods. This paper concludes that while AI offers powerful tools for archaeological research, careful consideration must be given to its methodological challenges. Standardizing procedures and improving data quality will be critical to fully exploiting AI's potential in archaeology.
Dietary supplementation with lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, does not improve performance of juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer) held under chronic high temperature
Authors: Bowden Alyssa , English Chloe , Smullen Richard , Barnes Andrew C. , Franklin Craig E. , Cramp Rebecca L. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Increasing water temperatures are pushing aquaculture species to their thermal limits resulting in poor production performance. Additionally, animals in aquatic systems are often subject to concurrent stressors such as crowding, handling, and external influences such as disease and algal blooms. To ameliorate these effects, functional aquaculture feeds are a valuable area of research to pursue. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L., MOF), as a dietary supplement or a bath, has sedative, antispasmodic, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties at optimal temperatures. However, the potential value of MOF in mitigating the effects of chronic thermal stress in fish is unknown. In this study, MOF was added into the diets of juvenile barramundi at concentrations of 0% (control), 0.2% (0.2% MOF), and 0.5% (0.5% MOF). Fish were acclimated to 30°C upon arrival, then underwent a thermal ramp up to 37°C where they were held for a minimum of 3 weeks prior to measurements. MOF at the experimental inclusion rates did not provide chronic stress relief (similar growth rates, feed conversion ratios, feeding rates, metabolic rates, scale cortisol content, and thermal tolerance values) in thermally challenged barramundi. In fact, fish fed MOF had significantly lower survival throughout the trial than those fed the control diet. Likewise, MOF provided no benefit to fish in responding to a secondary acute stressor (either a 2 h crowding event or a pathogen challenge with Streptococcus iniae). Therefore, we conclude that MOF in diets of juvenile barramundi does not mitigate the adverse effects of chronic thermal stress and concurrent acute stressors.
Association Between Pretreatment Emotional Distress and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: an individual patient data meta-analysis of 4632 patients in 7 trials
Authors: Zhou Jian-Guo , Li Xin , Li QiSha , Jin Su-Han , Chen Xiaofei , Shen Juanyan , Ma Hu 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Emotional distress (ED) associated with worse survival outcomes in patients with melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, several preclinical studies suggest the association between stress and cancer treatment extends beyond ICIs alone. Here we used an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of 4632 patients in 7 trials and a Kaplan-Meier analysis to verify broader connection between ED and survival outcomes in NSCLC patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis show that compared with patients without ED, patients with ED had worse survival outcomes, regardless of ICIs or chemotherapy (hazard ratio (HR) of overall survival (OS), 1.21, p=0.01; hazard ratio of progression-free survival (PFS), 1.19, p=0.01). IPD meta-analysis also supported results above (HR of OS, 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.30; HR of PFS, 1.15, 95% CI, 1.03-1.28). Our research suggest that ED is only a prognostic biomarker in NSCLC, rather than a predictive biomarker for ICIs.
QC-Net: A Hybird Quantum-Classical Neural Network Model for Medical Image Segmentation
Authors: Wang Aijuan , Li Xiangqi , Li Lusi , Li Tiehu 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

The U-Net architecture is widely recognized as one of the most prominent models for medicalimage segmentation, comprising an encoder and a decoder. The encoder is crucial for extractingimage features to enhance segmentation accuracy, typically incorporating convolutional and poolinglayers. However, standard encoder structures often miss some classical features and struggleto extract high-level features effectively. In this paper, a hybird Quantum-Classical Neural Network(QC-Net) model with a novel encoder is proposed, aiming to capture more representativefeatures. Our encoder features a Residual Convolutional Block (RCB) to primarily extract somemissed features, and then Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) is employed into the output featuremaps after the RCB and pooling operations to handle more complex and noisy information. Consequently,a two-qubit parameterized circuit is devised to capture the final output features of theencoder, aiming to further capture the hidden high-level features from the quantum dimension.The decoder incorporates a joint attention mechanism and deconvolution operations to recoverthe spatial resolution and detail information of the original input image. To validate its efficacy,we conduct skin lesion segmentation experiments utilizing the ISIC2018 dataset. Notably, ourQC-Net model outperforms both U-Net and CA-Net, achieving an average Dice coefficient of93.2%, indicating improvements of 5.43% and 1.12%, respectively. These results underscore theoutstanding performance of our proposed QC-Net model.
Prospective Evaluation of the Relationship Between Breast Cancer Tissue, Normal Breast Tissue, and Gut Microbiota in Turkish Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
Authors: Özsaray Mehmet Fatih , Bozkurt Gürkan , Şimşek Turgay , Ergül Emel , Akkoyunlu Deniz Sünnetçi , Çine Naci , Cantürk Nuh Zafer 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and breast cancer by analyzing cancerous breast tissue, normal breast tissue, and stool samples from patients diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery.
Materials and Methods: Stool samples and per-operative cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissue samples were collected from patients diagnosed with breast cancer who were scheduled for breast-conserving surgery and met the specified criteria. Data on patients’ age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), history of additional diseases, allergy history, menopausal status, menstrual regularity, breastfeeding history, oral contraceptive use, previous surgeries, family history of breast cancer, recent antibiotic use, COVID-19 infection and vaccination history, histological subtype and stage of breast cancer, malignant/normal breast tissue samples, and stool samples were collected and analyzed by using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.
Results: The study included 22 female patients diagnosed with stage 1-2 breast cancer between 2022-2023 in a single center. The average age of the patients was 58.30±12.73 years, and mean BMI was 28.85±3.13 kg/m2. However, only 7 (31.8%) had a BMI below 30, and 15 patients (68.2%) had a BMI above 30. No significant differences were found between demographic and clinical characteristics and microbiota composition of the individual patients. Microbiota analysis revealed significant differences in the growth patterns of various genera, families, and species of bacteria in tumor and normal breast tissue samples. In particular, it was found that the genera Ruminococcus, Eubacterium, Actinobacter, and Stenotrophomonas were increased in tumor tissue compared to normal breast tissue, while the genera Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Bifidobacterium, Propionibacterium, Lactococcus, Proteobacteria, Burkholderia, Faecalibacterium, and Pelomonas were more abundant in normal breast tissue compared to tumor tissue.
Conclusion: Despite the small sample size and some limitations of the methods used in microbiota analysis., different growth patterns of bacterial genera, families, and species were identified in cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissue. Future studies with larger and more diverse populations will contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between microbiota and breast cancer.
Diagnostic Accuracy of E-FAST Examination Performed by Newly Trained Emergency Physicians and Its Impact on Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Buyurgan Çağrı Safa , Yarkaç Akif , Bozkurt Seyran , Köse Ataman , Akar Gülhan Akverdi , Mete Ruken , Güldür Buğrahan , Oflas Selva , Kanevetçi Necmettin Kaan , Güldür Çiğdem Öncü , Koyuncu Rohad Sadık , Yüksek Hasan Hüsnü , Temel Gülhan Orekici 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

BACKGROUND: E-FAST is considered a critical assessment tool for patients with trauma. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the E-FAST examination performed by newly trained emergency medicine residents and its effect on clinical outcomes.
METHODS: Patients presented to the adult emergency department of a tertiary university hospital with multiple traumas were prospectively evaluated. Ultrasonography examinations were performed by emergency medicine residents specifically trained in E-FAST. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography was determined by sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values (NPVs and PPVs), using computed tomography (CT) results as the golden standard. Clinical outcomes were defined as the need for emergency surgery, and chest tube placement, hospitalization, and need for surgery in patients with false negative (FN) E-FAST assessment.
RESULTS: A total of 158 patients were included in the study. For hemoperitoneum, sensitivity was 81.25%, specificity 100%, PPV 100%, NPV 95.45%, accuracy 96.2%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.91; for hemothorax, sensitivity was 35.71%, specificity 100%, PPV 100%, NPV 94.12%, accuracy 94.3%, and AUC 0.68; and for pneumothorax, sensitivity was 59.38%, specificity 100%, PPV 100%, NPV 90.65%, accuracy 91.77%, and AUC 0.80. None of the six hemoperitoneum patients assessed as FN required a treatment plan for this reason. Chest tubes were placed in 5 of the 9 hemothorax patients assessed as FN due to the subsequent development of hemodynamic instability, and in 4 of the 13 pneumothorax patients due to the need for mechanical ventilation. E-FAST assessment was positive in 7 of the 8 patients requiring emergency surgery.
CONCLUSION: In trauma patients with positive E-FAST findings requiring emergency surgery, attempts to detect additional organ injuries using CT scans should not delay the need for surgery. Serial E-FAST assessments can enhance diagnostic accuracy and contribute to patient management in trauma cases.
Recombinant ISRAA ameliorates imiquimod-induced psoriasis and knocking out Israa delays its onset
Authors: Alsabbagh Manahel Mahmood , Aljishi Muna , Sultan Ameera , Marwani Amar Muhsin , Althaf Nasneen , Bakhiet Moiz , Taha Safa 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Psoriasis, an inflammatory disease, is largely mediated by T-helper 17 cytokines. We have previously identified the immune system-released activating agent (Israa) as a novel gene that connects the nervous and immune systems. This research aims to investigate the role of the Israa gene in psoriasis in vivo using the imiquimod-induced psoriasis model. We established the model in C57BL/6 wildtype mice, which were then treated with 200 pg/mouse, 400 pg/mouse, or 800 pg/mouse of recombinant ISRAA compared to methotrexate. Subsequently, we also induced psoriasis in Israa-knockout mice to confirm the effect of Israa. Results consistently showed improvement in psoriasis in all groups receiving recombinant ISRAA. The 200 pg/mouse dose eliminated the disease, reduced the cutaneous release of IL-17 to one-third and TNF-α to one-sixth, increased IL-10 release to over 500 pg, completely resolved parakeratosis, decreased epidermal thickness to one-half, and reduced the expression of CD4 and neutrophil elastase in the skin (all p < 0.05). Israa-knockout mice exhibited less severe psoriasis in all scoring, biochemical, and histological parameters compared to wild-type mice (p < 0.05). This study highlights Israa as a crucial molecule in psoriasis and confirms its immunomodulatory role in inflammatory diseases.
A Novel Multi-Input Neural Network Model for MicroRNA Target-Site Detection
Authors: Mohebbi Mohammad , Bennett Ethan , Williams Phillip 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Purpose: MicroRNAs are tiny non-coding RNA sequences that regulate gene expressions and play crucial roles in controlling cell activities. They function by binding to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and suppressing protein synthesis. Detecting the binding location of a microRNA is an important step towards discovering microRNA functions. Given the many possibilities that a microRNA can bind to an mRNA, microRNA target-site detection is a challenging task in vivo and in vitro; from time and cost limitations of experimental methods to high false positive rates of computational methods.
Methods: In this paper, we propose a multi-input neural network-based algorithm that yields high recall and precision results simultaneously. Moreover, we designed a Dynamic Programming(DP) algorithm to predict the duplex structure of microRNA target-site, specific to the context of these sequences. The predicted duplex structures, substructures resulting from the DP algorithm, minimum free energy (MFE) of the substructures, and a probabilistic image of possible base pairs in the duplex are all fed in parallel into our algorithm to learn a comprehensive and precise model.
Results and Conclusions: Our method on an experimentally validated test set, detects target-sites with AUPRC of 0.9373, Precision of 0.8725, Recall of 0.8703, and outperforms several commonly used computational methods of microRNA target predictions. In addition, using the duplex structure, MFE, and binding probabilities, rather than the nucleotide sequences of the microRNA and targetsites, enables our model to generalize beyond specific sequence contexts and perform well on sequentially distant samples. The source code for our algorithm and the accompanying datasets are freely accessible on Github at: https://github.com/mohebbimg/minn.git
Agmatine Attenuates Behavioral and Biochemical Alterations in Rats Exposed to Ethanol during Adolescence
Authors: Kale Mayur B. , Chandurkar Pranali A. , Wankhede Nitu L. , Taksande Brijesh G. , Umekar Milind J. , Upaganlawar Aman B. 
Published: December 2024

Background:
Ethanol is a psychoactive substance and its use throughout adolescence may have a role in the development of alcoholism in adulthood which
causes behavioral changes and structural alterations in particular brain regions that may be the source of these cognitive and motor impairments. As
an endogenous amine, agmatine has drawn a lot of interest in relation to drug addiction and its aftereffects. It is an endogenous neuromodulator
that has been shown to be a potential agent to manage diverse central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The current investigation aims to elucidate
the role of agmatine in mediating behavioral alterations resulting from prolonged exposure to ethanol in rats during their early adolescent years.

Methods:
Rats received saline (1 ml/kg, p.o.) or ethanol (5 g/kg/day, 35% v/v) once a day from PND 28 to PND 49. Chronic ethanol intoxication during the
CNS developing may induce sustainable neurobehavioral alterations in rats. After PND 70, the rats were subjected to behavioural and biochemical
tests.

Results:
Chronic ethanol exposure significantly reduced locomotor activity, increased anxiety-like and depressive behaviors, and impaired cognitive
function in adolescent rats. These behavioral alterations were accompanied by elevated oxidative stress, decreased hippocampal BDNF levels,
increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and disrupted neurotransmitter balance. Agmatine administration at both 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg
doses notably improved locomotor activity, reduced anxiety and depressive behaviors, and enhanced cognitive performance. Additionally,
agmatine treatment reduced oxidative stress, restored BDNF levels, normalized TNF-α and IL6 levels, and corrected the neurotransmitter
imbalance in ethanol-exposed rats.

Conclusion:
Prolonged exposure to ethanol during adolescence elicits persistent behavioural changes, characterized by diminished spontaneous locomotion and
impaired balance. Administration of Agmatine effectively restores locomotor activity, alleviates anxiety and depression, and enhances both spatial
learning and recognition memory in rats exposed to ethanol. Additionally, agmatine treatment attenuates oxidative stress indicators, including
nitrite and lipid peroxidation levels, specifically in the cerebral cortex. These findings suggest that Agmatine holds potential as a viable therapeutic
intervention for mitigating both the behavioural and biochemical repercussions induced by ethanol exposure in the rat model.
Monitoramento pós-mercado dos testes rápidos para detecção de antígenos da COVID-19 no enfrentamento à pandemia
Authors: Rodrigues Conceição Gabrielle , Cristina Balthazar Guedes Borges Helena , Coelho Adati Adati Marisa 
Published: December 2024

Introduction: Since the identification of atypical pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, called COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 requires scientists and governments to take urgent and decisive measures for monitoring and control. Objective: To present the results of post-market monitoring of COVID-19 rapid antigen detection tests (AgTR) regarding clinical or diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Method: Analysis of AgTR performance results were made available on the electronic panel of Microsoft® Power BI platform on the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) portal from 04/06/2020 to 12/28/2021. Results: 504 results relating to performance analysis were identified: 366 (72.6%) rapid tests (RT), 56 (11.0%) chemiluminescence tests, 31 (6.15%) molecular tests, 22 (4.4%) immunoenzymatic assays, and 29 (5.7%) auxiliary products for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Of the 366 RT results, 304 (83.1%) were RT for antibody detection (AcTR) and 62 (16.9%) were AgTR. Of the 62 AgTR monitored, 49 (79.1%) presented compliant results and 13 (20.9%) did not. The 62 AgTR results corresponded to 50 lots from 42 manufacturers. Conclusions: Monitoring post-market products in compliance with RDC No. 379/2020 enabled the analysis and monitoring of COVID-19 tests. The analyses carried out (guidance and fiscal) in accordance with current legislation (Law No. 6360/1976, Law No. 6437/1977) guaranteed the transparency of the process and reinforced the precepts of health surveillance regarding resolving or preventing health risks. Non-compliant products were not sold, thus guaranteeing the safety and effectiveness of the tests available in the country.