bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sociology of Conflict and Communal Management: A Qualitative Inquiry at University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Western Urban, Sierra Leone
Authors: Mohamed Bangura  
Published: October 2024

As a qualitative sociological research technique, case sociological inquiry was utilized in the sociological research conveyed out to examine the mainsprings of conflicts in colleges, thresholds and nature of conflict, upshots of conflict, models utilized to resolve conflicts. Forty lecturers working in three constituent colleges of University of Sierra Leone in Freetown, Western Urban, Sierra Leone which constituted the sociological research group or cohort of the inquiry, were determined utilizing the criterion sampling technique within the purview of convenience sampling and purposive sampling mode. The social particulars were collected via dialogues and semi-structured dialogue structure and explored with content analysis. A medium threshold conflict in colleges will submit constructive outcomes regarding individual and organizational facets and consequently augment the effectuality of colleges when considering the constructive out-turns and repercussions of conflicts in colleges. Nonetheless, subsequently the augment in the threshold of conflict can marshal to cynical character, communal and organizational upshots, both lecturers and college bureaucrats at colleges should have an extensive mastery of conflict and superior conflict oversight competences. Besides, conflict intelligence will curtail the character, communal and administrative grounds that divulge the conflict. The contemporary sociological inquiry discovers the ensuing significant and obvious outcomes: lecturers fatigue as a result of conflict, hesitance to service, decline in job productivity and conducting, downturn in organizational obligation, pressure or anxiety, solitude, depression, mistrust, subside in motivation, hesitance to come to college, wanting to quit college, exit of principled conducts, disengagement, and annoyance. Furthermore, one of the most significant outcomes of the sociological inquiry is to divulge some social constituents such as functional communication, actualization of tasks or duties in a punctual means, organizational suitability, conduct of lecturers and bureaucrats in harmony with the directives of professional and employment ideals, collaboration and collegiality in colleges which have no conflict.
Mesoporous Silica Microparticle-Protein Complexes: Effects of Protein Size and Solvent Properties on Diffusion and Loading Efficiency
Authors: Al Tahan Mohamad Anas , Michaelides Kyprianos , Somasekharan Nair Smith , AlShatti Shouq , Russell Craig , Al-Khattawi Ali 
Published: October 2024

Oral administration of protein-based therapeutics is highly desirable due to lower cost, enhanced patient compliance, and convenience. However, the harsh pH environment of the gastrointestinal tract poses significant challenges. Silica-based carriers have emerged as potential candidates for the delivery of protein molecules, owing to their tuneable surface area and pore volume. We explored the use of a commercial mesoporous silica carrier, SYLOID, for the delivery of octreotide and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using a solvent evaporation method in three different solvents. The loading of proteins into SYLOID was driven by diffusion, as described by the Stokes-Einstein equation. Various parameters were investigated, such as protein size, diffusion, and solubility. Additionally, 3D fluorescence confocal imaging was employed to identify fluorescence intensity and protein diffusion within the carrier. Our results indicated that the loading process was influenced by the molecular size of the protein as octreotide exhibited a higher recovery rate (71%) compared to BSA (32%). The methanol-based loading of octreotide showed uniform diffusion into the silica carrier, whereas water and ethanol loading resulted in the drug being concentrated on the surface, as shown by confocal imaging, and further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pore volume assessment supported these findings, showing that octreotide loaded with methanol had a low pore volume (1.2 cc/g). On the other hand, BSA loading was affected by its solubility in the three solvents, its tendency to aggregate, and its low solubility in ethanol and methanol, which resulted in dispersed particle sizes of 223 and 231 μm, respectively. This reduced diffusion into the carrier, as confirmed by fluorescence intensity and diffusivity values. This study underscores the importance of protein size, solvent properties, and diffusion characteristics when using porous carriers for protein delivery. Understanding these factors allows for the development of more effective oral protein-based therapeutics by enhancing loading efficiency. This, in turn, will lead to advances in targeted drug delivery and improved patient outcomes.
Association between cardiometabolic index and kidney stone from NHANES: a population-based study
Authors: Wang Qianqian , Wang Zhaoxiang , Tang Zaixiang , Liu Can , Pan Ying , Zhong Shao 
Published: October 2024

PurposeThe Cardiometabolic Index (CMI) is a novel marker of visceral obesity and dyslipidemia. Our study aimed to explore the association between CMI and kidney stones among US adults.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among adults with complete records of CMI and kidney stones information from the 2011 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the baseline characteristics of the study population. The independent relationship between CMI and kidney stones was evaluated using IPTW-adjusted multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and subgroup analysis.ResultsA total of 9,177 participants, with an average CMI of 0.72 (0.99), were included in this study. The IPTW-adjusted logistic regression revealed that CMI was an independent risk factor for kidney stones. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for kidney stones were 1.39 (95% CI: 1.24 – 1.56, P &lt; 0.001) for the second CMI tertile and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.17 – 1.47, P &lt; 0.001) for the third CMI tertile, compared with the first CMI tertile. A linear relationship between CMI levels and kidney stone risk was observed in the RCS analysis. Subgroup analysis showed that the association between CMI levels and kidney stone risk remained stable across groups.ConclusionsA positive association between CMI level and the risk of kidney stones was observed among US adults in our study. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.
Ecotoxicological impacts of cadmium on soil microorganisms and earthworms Eisenia foetida: from gene regulation to physiological processes
Authors: You Rui , Li Hui , Li Xia , Luo Lihui , Wang Peng , Xia Han , Zhou Ya 
Published: October 2024

Cadmium is a hazardous heavy metal that is commonly found in the soil and poses significant risks to soil organisms. The toxic effects of Cd on soil microorganisms and earthworms (Eisenia foetida) have been extensively studied, but most studies focused on high Cd pollution levels. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the different responses of soil organisms to moderate and low levels of Cd contamination. According to the study, the presence of 2.5 mg/kg of Cd had a significant impact on the microbial community’s composition and diversity. The relative abundance of most microbes decreased, while the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota showed a considerable increase. The LEFSE analysis revealed that the Bacillus genus of the Firmicutes phylum can serve as a biomarker in soil contaminated with 2.5 mg/kg of Cd. At the same time, the functional analysis of PICRUSt 2 shows that microorganisms found in polluted soil have a noticeable decrease in their ability to metabolize lipids. On the other hand, our findings indicate that Cd has a detrimental effect on the biomass of earthworms and induces oxidative stress in these animals. The activation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes in earthworms was carried out to mitigate oxidative stress. The study found a strong positive relationship between SOD and both time and Cd pollution. However, CAT exhibited inhibition throughout the later stages of the experiment, particularly when exposed to relatively higher levels of pollution. The analysis of RNA in earthworms revealed that soil Cd pollution at a concentration of 2.5 mg/kg primarily impacts the cellular structure and function of earthworms. This pollution disrupts the integrity of the cytoskeleton structure, hampers DNA replication, and compromises the precision of cell signaling. Simultaneously, when compared to the control group, several metabolic pathways exhibited abnormalities.
The β2-adrenergic biased agonist nebivolol inhibits the development of Th17 and the response of memory Th17 cells in an NF-κB-dependent manner
Authors: Hajiaghayi Mehri , Gholizadeh Fatemeh , Han Eric , Little Samuel R. , Rahbari Niloufar , Ardila Isabella , Lopez Naranjo Carolina , Tehranimeh Kasra , Shih Steve C. C. , Darlington Peter J. 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionAdrenergic receptors regulate metabolic, cardiovascular, and immunological functions in response to the sympathetic nervous system. The effect of β2-adrenergic receptor (AR) as a high expression receptor on different subpopulations of T cells is complex and varies depending on the type of ligand and context. While traditional β2-AR agonists generally suppress T cells, they potentially enhance IL-17A production by Th17 cells. The effects of pharmacological drugs that count as biased agonists of AR like nebivolol are not completely understood. We investigated the impact of nebivolol on human memory CD4+ T (Th1, Th2, Th17) cells and polarized naive Th17 cells, highlighting its potential for IL-17A suppression via a non-canonical β2-AR cell signaling pathway.MethodsThe effects of nebivolol were tested on healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, purified memory Th cells, and polarized naive Th17 cells activated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28/anti-CD2 ImmunoCult reagent. IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17A, which are primarily derived from Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, respectively, were quantified by ELISA and flow cytometry. IL-10 was measured by ELISA. Gene expression of RORC, ADRB1, ADRB2, and ADRB3 was evaluated by qPCR. The ADRB2 gene was knocked out in memory Th cells using CRISPR/Cas9. Protein expression of phosphorylated serine133-CREB and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 was assessed by Western blot. Proliferation was assessed by fluorescent dye loading and flow cytometry.ResultsNebivolol treatment decreased IL-17A and IFN-γ secretion by activated memory Th cells and elevated IL-4 levels. Nebivolol reduced the proportion of IL-17A+ Th cells and downregulated RORC expression. Unlike the β2-AR agonist terbutaline, nebivolol inhibited the shift of naive CD4+ T cells toward the Th17 phenotype. IL-10 and the proliferation index remained unchanged. Nebivolol-treated β2-knockout memory Th cells showed significant inhibition of β2-AR-mediated signaling, evidenced by the absence of IL-17A suppression compared to controls. Phosphorylation of the NF-κB p65 subunit was inhibited by nebivolol, but CREB phosphorylation was not changed, suggesting a selective transcriptional control.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate that nebivolol acts through a β2-AR-mediated signaling pathway, as a distinctive anti-inflammatory agent capable of selectively shifting Th17 cells and suppressing the phosphorylation of NF-κB. This highlights nebivolol’s potential for therapeutic interventions in chronic autoimmune conditions with elevated IL-17A levels.
Prevalence of colistin resistance in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Narimisa Negar , Keshtkar Abbasali , Dadgar-Zankbar Leila , Bostanghadiri Narjess , Far Yasaman Rouein , Shahroodian Soheila , Zahedi Bialvaei Abed , Razavi Shabnam 
Published: October 2024

ObjectiveThe emergence of resistance to colistin, the last resort for treating severe infections caused byPseudomonas aeruginosa, poses a significant threat to public health. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence of colistin resistance in clinical isolates ofP. aeruginosa.MethodA comprehensive search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, and Scopus databases was conducted to identify relevant articles published until December 2023. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was performed using Stata software to examine the pooled prevalence of colistin resistance and to conduct subgroup analyses.ResultsA total of 619 studies were included in the meta-analysis, revealing a global prevalence of colistin resistance of 1% among allP. aeruginosaisolates. Furthermore, cystic fibrosis patients exhibited the highest resistance to colistin, with a prevalence of 7% among the examined diseases.ConclusionThe increase in colistin resistance inP. aeruginosain recent years from 2% (in the period of 2006–2010) to 5% (in the period of 2020–2023) underscores the need for implementing infection prevention programs, using appropriate treatment regimens, and disseminating comprehensive information on antimicrobial resistance patterns. These measures are crucial for addressing this growing public health concern.
Sex-differential effect of waist circumference on new-onset cerebral infarction: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Lee Sang Min , Hong Minha , Ryoo Jae-Hong 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionExcessive abdominal adiposity represents a cardiovascular disease risk factor. Waist circumference (WC) reflects abdominal adiposity and is known as an easy-to-measure indicator of obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between WC level and the development of cerebral infarction in Koreans.Methods209,442 Koreans were included among the general population registered in the National Health Information Database. Depending on the degree of WC, the possibility of cerebral infarction was tracked for 4.37 person-years. Identification of patients with cerebral infarction was confirmed through the diagnostic code ICD I63 of inpatient or outpatient. Participants’ data were analyzed by sex. The hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence interval (CI) for cerebral infarction were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model.Results and discussionBetween 2009 and 2013, 2,403 cases (1.15%) of cerebral infarction occurred during the follow-up period of 915,223.6 person-years. The HRs (95% CI) for incident cerebral infarction in men was adjusted for multiple covariates, and comparison of WC levels second, third, and fourth quartile with the first quartile showed 1.10 (0.94–1.28), 1.11 (0.95–1.30), and 1.24 (1.07–1.45), respectively (P for trend 0.045). This association was not significant in women (P for trend 0.619). The severity of WC levels in men is significantly associated with the risk of developing cerebral infarction in Koreans. This finding indicates that other measurements for excessive adipose visceral tissue, except abdominal circumference, need to be taken into account to identify the risk of cerebral infarction in women.
Study on biotransformation and absorption of genistin based on fecal microbiota and Caco-2 cell
Authors: Li Zhe , Wang Yuqing , Wang Zicheng , Wu Dongxue , Zhao Yuhao , Gong Xun , Jiang Quan , Xia Congmin 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionGenistin, as a kind of natural isoflavone glycoside, has good biological activity, and its weak absorption makes it closely related to intestinal flora. However, the role of the intestinal flora is still unclear and whether the metabolites produced by the intestinal flora are absorbed systemically is also variable.MethodsGenistin was fermented for 24 h based on fecal bacteria fermentation technology. The components were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by HPLC and UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass spectrometry. The composition of intestinal flora in fermentation samples from fecal bacteria was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing. Five representative probiotics were cultured in vitro and fermented with genistin to determine similarities and differences in genistin metabolites by different bacteria at different times. Finally, the absorption results of metabolites by fermentation were verified by a Caco-2 cell monolayer.ResultsThe HPLC results of fecal fermentation showed that genistein levels increased from 0.0139 ± 0.0057 mg/mL to 0.0426 ± 0.0251 mg/mL and two new metabolites were produced. A total of 46 metabolites following fecal fermentation were identified, resulting from various biotransformation reaction products, such as decarbonylation, hydroxylation, and methylation. Simultaneously, the 16S rRNA results showed that the intestinal flora changed significantly before and after fermentation and that the intestinal microorganisms in the control (Con) group and the fermentation (Fer) group showed a significant separation trend. Five genera, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Parabacteroides, Sutterella, and Dorea, were considered the dominant flora for genistin fermentation. The qualitative results of fermentation of genistin by five probiotics at different times showed that there were significant differences in small molecule metabolites by fermentation of different bacteria. Meanwhile, most metabolites could be identified following fecal bacteria fermentation, which verified the importance of the dominant bacteria in the feces for the biotransformation of components. Finally, the absorption results of the metabolites based on the Caco-2 cell monolayer showed that 14 metabolites could be absorbed into the circulation in vivo through the mesentery.DiscussionThe small molecule metabolites of genistin by fermentation of fecal bacteria can be well absorbed systemically by the body. These studies provide a reference value for explaining the transformation and absorption of flavonoid glycosides in the intestine.
The microclimatic effects of the native shrub Ephedra californica (Mormon tea) in California drylands
Authors: Ghazian Nargol , King Rachel , Zuliani Mario , Lortie Christopher J. 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionThe impacts of climate change can be profound in many ecosystems worldwide, including drylands such as arid and semi-arid scrublands and grasslands. Foundation plants such as shrubs can provide microclimatic refuges for a variety of taxa. These shrubs can directly influence micro6 environmental measures, and indirectly increase the local environmental heterogeneity as a result. We examined the hypothesis that, in comparison to an open gap, foundation shrubs improve the microclimate beneath their canopy and that microclimate is in turn a significant predictor of annual vegetation. The following predictions were made: 1) mean air temperature (NSAT), ground temperature (SGT), and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) will be significantly lower under the shrubs than in the open microsites; 2) shrub canopy size predicts microclimate; 3) site-level aridity estimates and percent shrub cover influence annual plant abundance and richness; and 4) the site13 level mean of NSAT and VPD predict annual plant abundance and richness.MethodsOur study took place in Southwestern California, U.S.A. We used a handheld device with a probe to measure microclimatic variables such as near-surface air temperature (NSAT), near-surface relative humidity (NSRH), and surface ground temperature (SGT) at the shrub species Ephedra californica and in the open gap, across six sites in California, United States. Air temperature and RH were then used to calculate VPD. The mean number of vascular plant species across each site was also recorded.Results &amp; discussionOnly SGT was significantly reduced under shrub canopies. Canopy volume was not a significant predictor of all three microclimatic variables, demonstrating that even small, low-stature shrubs can have facilitative effects. Furthermore, total shrub cover and aridity at sites significantly predicted mean plant richness and abundance. There were significantly more plants associated with shrubs and there were significantly more species associated with the open. Mean air temperature and VPD at the site-level significantly predicted vegetation abundance and richness, though microsite-level differences were only significant for richness. Foundation shrubs are a focal point of resiliency in dryland ecosystems. Understanding their impact on microclimate can inform us of better management, conservation, and restoration frameworks.
The supervisory relationship as a predictor of mental health outcomes in doctoral students in the United Kingdom
Authors: Mavrogalou-Foti Alkistis P. , Kambouri Maria A. , Çili Soljana 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionThe process of a doctorate degree has been implicated in the onset and exacerbation of mental health problems among doctoral students. Previous studies have suggested that the student-supervisor relationship may predict emotional wellbeing and mental health outcomes in doctoral students in the UK. However, these studies were conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic and often used unstandardized measures to investigate supervisory styles.MethodsThe present study was part of the Better Together project, a wellbeing initiative for doctoral students in the UK. It explored the predictive ability of aspects of the student-supervisor relationship with regards to doctoral students’ mental health outcomes. The sample consisted of 141 students doing a research-based doctorate degree in the UK. The survey included demographic questions and questionnaires assessing supervisory styles, the discrepancy between actual and preferred supervisory relationship, depression, anxiety, and stress.ResultsA large proportion of participants fell in the severe and extremely severe categories in the depression, anxiety, and stress sub-scales. Multiple regression analyses indicated that both supervisory styles and discrepancy significantly predicted students’ mental health outcomes. More specifically, higher scores in the uncertain supervisory style, which is characterized by indecisiveness and ambiguity, were linked with higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress.DiscussionThe findings provided new insights concerning the aspects of the student-supervisor relationship that are related to the mental health issues of doctoral students in the UK. They have important implications for future research and supervision practice.