bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bacteriological profile of community peritonitis operated in a Moroccan Hospital
Authors: BAZHAR SAMIA , Benaissa Elmostafa , Ziad Fatima , Laamara Leila , Ben Lahlou Yassine , Chadli Mariama , Elouennass Mostafa 
Published: September 2024

Introduction. Peritonitis is characterized by acute inflammation of the peritoneum, often resulting from digestive organ perforation or intra-abdominal septic focus. It may be either of infectious or noninfectious origin. The germs involved are those of the digestive flora (Enterobacteriaceae and Anaerobic), while gram-positive cocci and yeasts can be isolated in nosocomial infections. Our study aims to isolate and identify the germs involved in community-acquired peritonitis, in order to assess their susceptibility to the antibiotics available in our Country.

Methods. This is a retrospective study of bacteriological profile of community peritonitis in Rabat Morocco. A total of 150 adult patients with peritonitis, were admitted and samples were collected intraoperatively for bacteriological examination between July 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023.

Results. Among the 150 patients, 101 (67.8%) were males and 48 (32.2%) were females, with sex/ratio of 2.1. The mean age of the patients was 40.5 years +/- 20.12. The distribution of germs was dominated by Escherichia coli (44%). Overall, 70% of Escherichia coli isolated, had a resistance to Ampicillin but no resistance to Ampicillin has been reported by Enterococcus.

Discussion. In the present study, we were interested in the bacteriological profile of community peritonitis, in order to adapt the antibiotic therapy to our bacterial ecology.
Our findings indicate a concerning trend of increasing resistance among Escherichia coli to the commonly used Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid combination in our clinical setting.

Conclusion. Consequently, there is a need to reassess the empiric antibiotic prescribed for the management of community-acquired peritonitis.
Latent learning without map-like representation of space in navigating ants
Authors: Clement Leo , Schwarz Sebastian , Wystrach Antoine 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDesert ants are excellent navigators. Each individual learns long foraging routes meandering between the trees and bushes in their natural habitat. It is well-known how the insect brain memorizes and recognizes views, and how this recognition can guide their way. However, little is known about the rule that guide spatial learning in the first place. Here we recorded the paths of desert ants navigating in their natural habitat under various displacement conditions. We demonstrate that ants learncontinuouslythe routes they travel and memorize them in one trial, without the need for reward or punishment, and even if these routes are meandering and do not lead to places of interest: a concept called ‘latent learning’, which is typically associated with the formation of map-like representation in vertebrates. Yet, the failure of ants to solve simple artificial navigation tasks -even with the goal being clearly visible- reveals that they relied on egocentric visual memories without map-like representation of the surrounding space. Our results unveil the rules governing the formation and recall of latent memories. A model shows that it can be implemented in the insect’s Mushroom bodies brain area through dynamic interactions between short- and long-lasting memories.
Experimental Investigations of Impact Strength of Structural Wood Available in Northern Himalayas
Authors: Sheikh Ummer Amin , Jameel Azher , Koul Majid Hameed 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe current paper presents the detailed investigation of impact strength of different wood species available in the northern Himalayan region of India. Wood has always provided a potential structural material for constructing different engineering structures in these hilly areas. Although some studies have been performed to determine the strength of structural wood, but individual mechanical characterization of different wood species available in these areas needs immediate attention to design safe and reliable structures. Seven different wood species that have been traditionally used for constructional purpose in northern Himalayan region of India, have been selected for investigation. Test samples of same species have been collected from different regions of this area for the purpose of experimentation. The test samples selected for experimentation were defect free and were developed in accordance with ASTM: D-143 standards. In the current work, wood samples have been seasoned naturally and it has been made sure that the moisture content of the test specimens remains below the fiber saturation point. Due to the anisotropic behavior of wood, the impact strength has been investigated along both principal loading direction i.e. parallel and perpendicular to grains.
β-catenin localization in the ctenophoreMnemiopsis leidyisuggests an ancestral role in cell adhesion and nuclear function
Authors: Walters Brian M. , Guttieres Lucas J. , Goëb Mayline , Marjenberg Stanley J. , Martindale Mark Q. , Wikramanayake Athula H. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe emergence of multicellularity in animals marks a pivotal evolutionary event which was likely enabled by molecular innovations in the way cells adhere and communicate with one another. β-catenin is significant to this transition due to its dual role as both a structural component in the cadherin-catenin complex and as a transcriptional coactivator involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, our knowledge of how this protein functions in ctenophores, one of the earliest diverging metazoans, is limited. To study β-catenin function in the ctenophoreMnemiopsis leidyi, we generated affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies targetingMlβ-catenin. We then used this tool to observe β-catenin protein localization in developingMnemiopsisembryos. In this article we provide evidence of consistent β-catenin protein enrichment at cell-cell interfaces inMnemiopsisembryos, suggesting thatMlβ-catenin had an ancestral role in cell adhesion. Additionally, we found β-catenin enrichment in some nuclei, particularly restricted to the oral pole around the time of gastrulation, suggestingMlβ-catenin may have a nuclear function inMnemiopsisembryos. TheMlβ-catenin affinity-purified antibodies now provide us with a powerful reagent to study the ancestral functions of β-catenin in cell adhesion and transcriptional regulation.
High-speed Intracellular Temperature Mapping Reveals the Existence of Non-Conductive Dissipation of Energy by Heating
Authors: Takarada Masaharu , Shirakashi Ryo , Takinoue Masahiro , Ishida Motohiko , Morita Masamune , Noji Hiroyuki , Tabata Kazuhito V. , Funatsu Takashi , Okabe Kohki 
Published: September 2024

AbstractRecently, intracellular thermometry has revealed temperature variations within cells. Although the biological significance of intracellular temperature change is recognized, the physical principles of intracellular temperature change remain a mystery. Here, we investigate intracellular heat transfer through intracellular temperature mapping using a fluorescent polymeric thermometer and high-speed fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Through infrared laser irradiation assisted heating, we track changes in temperature distribution to examine the mechanism of intracellular heat dissipation in relation to heat conduction. Continuous heating provokes the significantly slower (second order) relaxation of averaged temperature of single cells compared to liposomes of comparable size, and is affected by intracellular structures and molecules. Furthermore, we reveal the existence of intracellular temperature relaxation independent of heat conduction. Our results may explain the mechanisms of temperature variation in cells that are unresolved based on our current understandings, providing the first step toward unraveling intracellular thermodynamics under non-equilibrium conditions.
Triglyceride/High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Index and Future Cardiovascular Events in Diabetic Patients without Known Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Nakashima Ryosuke , Ikeda Shota , Shinohara Keisuke , Matsumoto Sho , Yoshida Daisuke , Ono Yoshiyasu , Nakashima Hiroka , Miyamoto Ryohei , Matsushima Shouji , Kishimoto Junji , Itoh Hiroshi , Komuro Issei , Tsutsui Hiroyuki , Kinugawa Shintaro , Abe Kohtaro 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) index, calculated as TG levels divided by HDL-C levels, is suggested as a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated the association between the TG/HDL-C index and initial CVD events in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsWe analyzed the association between the TG/HDL-C index and CVD events in T2DM patients with retinopathy and hyperlipidemia without known CVD enrolled in the EMPATHY study, which compared intensive and standard statin therapy (targeting LDL-C levels <70 mg/dL and ≥100 to <120 mg/dL, respectively).ResultsA total of 4665 patients were divided into high (TG/HDL-C ≥2.5,n=2013) and low (TG/HDL-C <2.5,n=2652) TG/HDL-C index groups. During a median follow-up of 36.8 months, 260 CVD events occurred. The high TG/HDL-C index group had higher CVD risk compared to the low TG/HDL-C index group (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.45–2.47,p<0.001). This association was consistent across various subgroups. However, a trend toward interaction between the TG/HDL-C index and EMPATHY treatment allocation for CVD risk was observed (pfor interaction=0.062). Intensive statin treatment was associated with reduced CVD risk compared to standard treatment in the high TG/HDL-C index group but not in the low group.ConclusionsA TG/HDL-C index ≥2.5 was associated with increased CVD risk in T2DM patients with retinopathy and hyperlipidemia without a history of CVD. The TG/HDL-C index may be a predictor of CVD and indicate patients who could benefit from intensive statin treatment.
What Constitutes High Risk for Venous Thromboembolism? Comparing Approaches to Determining an Appropriate Threshold
Authors: Mittman Benjamin G , Hu Bo , Schulte Rebecca , Le Phuc , Pappas Matthew A , Hamilton Aaron , Rothberg Michael B 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundGuidelines recommend pharmacological venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis only for high-risk patients, but the probability of VTE considered “high-risk” is not specified. Our objective was to define an appropriate probability threshold (or range) for VTE risk stratification and corresponding prophylaxis in medical inpatients.MethodsPatients were adults admitted to any of 10 Cleveland Clinic Health System hospitals between December 2020 and August 2021 (N = 41,036). Hospital medicine physicians and internal medicine residents from included hospitals were surveyed between June and November 2023 (N = 214). We compared five approaches to determining a threshold: decision analysis, maximizing the sensitivity and specificity of a logistic regression model, deriving a probability from a point-based model, surveying physicians’ understanding of VTE risk, and deriving a probability from physician behavior. For each approach, we determined the probability threshold above which a patient would be considered high-risk for VTE. We applied each threshold to the Cleveland Clinic VTE risk assessment model (CCM) and calculated the percentage of the 41,036 patients in our cohort who would be considered eligible for prophylaxis due to their high-risk status. We compared these hypothetical prophylaxis rates with physicians’ observed prophylaxis rates.ResultsThe different approaches yielded thresholds ranging from 0.3% to 5.4%, corresponding inversely with hypothetical prophylaxis rates of 0.2% to 75%. Multiple thresholds clustered between 0.52% to 0.55%, suggesting an average hypothetical prophylaxis rate of approximately 30%, whereas physicians’ observed prophylaxis rates ranged from 48% to 76%.ConclusionsMultiple approaches to determining a probability threshold for VTE prophylaxis converged to suggest an optimal threshold of approximately 0.5%. Other approaches yielded extreme thresholds that are unrealistic for clinical practice. Physicians prescribed prophylaxis much more frequently than the suggested rate of 30%, indicating opportunity to reduce unnecessary prophylaxis. To aid in these efforts, guidelines should explicitly quantify high-risk.
Architectural Immunity: ants alter their nest networks to fight epidemics
Authors: Leckie Luke , Andon Mischa Sinha , Bruce Katherine , Stroeymeyt Nathalie 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTIn animal groups, spatial heterogeneities shape social contact networks, thereby influencing the transmission of infectious diseases. Active modifications to the spatial environment could thus be a potent tool to mitigate epidemic risk. We tested whetherLasius nigerants modify their nest architecture in response to pathogens by introducing controlor pathogen-treated individuals into nest-digging groups, and monitoring three-dimensional nest morphogenesis over time. Pathogen exposure led to an array of architectural changes including faster nest growth, increased spacing between entrances, transmission-inhibitory changes in overall nest network topology, and reduced chamber centrality. Simulations confirmed that these changes reduced disease spread. These results provide evidence for architectural immunity in a social animal and offer insights into how spatial organisation can be leveraged to decrease epidemic susceptibility.
Diel and seasonal rhythmicity in activity and corticosterone in an Arctic migratory herbivore: A multifaceted approach
Authors: de Jong Margje E. , Slettenhaar Annabel J. , Fokkema Rienk W. , Leh Marion , Verhoeven Mo A. , Griffin Larry , Millesi Eva , Moe Børge , Barnreiter Elisabeth , Loonen Maarten J.J.E. , Scheiber Isabella B.R. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBirds that migrate from temperate areas to the Arctic to breed lose their strongestZeitgeberof circadian organization when they cross the Arctic circle in spring: the 24h light-dark cycle. Under continuous daylight, diverse behavioural and physiological patterns have been detected in both free-ranging and laboratory animals. To better understand the evolution of plasticity in circadian clocks, it is essential to study behavioural and physiological rhythmicity in the context of a species’ ecology. Employing a multifaceted approach, which included wildlife cameras, accelerometers, and non-invasive sampling of hormone metabolites, we investigated activity patterns and corticosterone rhythmicity in a migratory herbivore, the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis), during its Arctic breeding season in Svalbard. We found that females showed a combination of both ultradian and diel rhythmicity in nest recesses and sleep during incubation. In both parents, these rhythms in activity continued also during the gosling rearing period. During moult, many geese aligned activity with the tidal rhythm. Barnacle geese showed weak diel rhythmicity in excreted corticosterone metabolites. This suggests that while Arctic geese may adopt an alternativeZeitgeberduring the Arctic summer to maintain a diel rhythm, ultradian rhythmicity remains essential, allowing the geese to flexibly adjust their rhythms to environmental conditions.
Ketone Body Metabolism is Not Required for Improvement of Heart Failure by Ketogenic Diet in Mice
Authors: Foulks Zachary , Weinheimer Carla J. , Kovacs Attila , Michael Jessica , Pyles Kelly D. , Menezes Thiago N. , Cho Kevin , Patti Gary J. , McCommis Kyle S. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractFailing hearts increasingly metabolize ketone bodies, and enhancing ketosis improves heart failure (HF) remodeling. Circulating ketones are elevated by fasting/starvation, which is mimicked with a high-fat, low-carbohydrate “ketogenic diet” (KD). While speculated that KD improves HF through increased ketone oxidation, some evidence suggests KD paradoxically downregulates cardiac ketone oxidation despite increased ketone delivery. We sought to clarify the significance of cardiac ketone metabolism during KD in HF. Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction with apical myocardial infarction (TAC-MI) and fed either low-fat (LF) control or KD. Cardiac-specific mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 2 (csMPC2-/-) mice were used as a second model of heart failure. In both mice, feeding a KD improved HF, determined by echocardiography, heart weights, and gene expression analyses. Although KD increases plasma ketone bodies, gene expression for ketone metabolic genes is decreased in the hearts of KD-fed mice. Cardiac-specific β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 (csBDH1-/-), the first enzyme in ketone catabolism, mice were also studied and crossed with the csMPC2-/-mice to create double knockout (DKO) mice. These mice were aged to 16 weeks and switched to LF or KD, and KD was able to completely normalize the hearts of both csMPC2-/- and DKO mice, suggesting that ketone metabolism is unnecessary for improving heart failure with ketogenic diet. These studies were then repeated, and mice injected with U-13C-β-hydroxybutyrate to evaluate ketone metabolism. KD feeding significantly decreased the enrichment of the TCA cycle from ketone body carbons, as did the BDH1-deletion in DKO mice. Gene expression and respirometry suggests that KD instead increases cardiac fat oxidation. In conclusion, these results suggest that ketogenic diet decreases cardiac ketone metabolism and does not require ketone metabolism to improve heart failure.
Developmental and physiological impacts of pathogenic human huntingtin protein in the nervous system
Authors: Hana Tadros A. , Mousa Veronika G. , Lin Alice , Haj-Hussein Rawan N. , Michael Andrew H. , Aziz Madona N. , Kamaridinova Sevinch U. , Basnet Sabita , Ormerod Kiel G. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractHuntington’s Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, part of the nine identified inherited polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. Most commonly, HD pathophysiology manifests in middle-aged adults with symptoms including progressive loss of motor control, cognitive decline, and psychiatric disturbances. Associated with the pathophysiology of HD is the formation of insoluble fragments of the huntingtin protein (htt) that tend to aggregate in the nucleus and cytoplasm of neurons. To track both the intracellular progression of the aggregation phenotype as well as the physiological deficits associated with mutant htt, two constructs of human HTT were expressed with varying polyQ lengths, non-pathogenic-htt (Q15, NP-htt) and pathogenic-htt (Q138, P-htt), with an N-terminal RFP tag forin vivovisualization. P-htt aggregates accumulate in the ventral nerve cord cell bodies as early as 24 hours post hatching and significant aggregates form in the segmental nerve branches at 48 hours post hatching. Organelle trafficking up-and downstream of aggregates formed in motor neurons showed severe deficits in trafficking dynamics. To explore putative downstream deficits of htt aggregation, ultrastructural changes of presynaptic motor neurons and muscles were assessed, but no significant effects were observed. However, the force and kinetics of muscle contractions were severely affected in P-htt animals, reminiscent of human chorea. Reduced muscle force production translated to altered locomotory behavior. A novel HD aggregation model was established to track htt aggregation throughout adulthood in the wing, showing similar aggregation patterns with larvae. Expressing P-htt in the adult nervous system resulted in significantly reduced lifespan, which could be partially rescued by feeding flies the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. These findings advance our understanding of htt aggregate progression as well the downstream physiological impacts on the nervous system and peripheral tissues.
A Phylogenetic Model of Established and Enabled Biome Shifts
Authors: McHugh Sean W. , Donoghue Michael J. , Landis Michael J. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWhere each species actually lives is distinct from where it could potentially survive and persist. This suggests that it may be important to distinguish established from enabled biome affinities when considering how ancestral species moved and evolved among major habitat types. We introduce a new phylogenetic method, called RFBS, to model how anagenetic and cladogenetic events cause established and enabled biome affinities (or, more generally, other discrete realized versus fundamental niche states) to shift over evolutionary timescale. We provide practical guidelines for how to assign established and enabled biome affinity states to extant taxa, using the flowering plant clade Viburnum as a case study. Through a battery of simulation experiments, we show that RFBS performs well, even when we have realistically imperfect knowledge of enabled biome affinities for most analyzed species. We also show that RFBS reliably discerns established from enabled affinities, with similar accuracy to standard competing models that ignore the existence of enabled biome affinities. Lastly, we apply RFBS to Viburnum to infer ancestral biomes throughout the tree and to highlight instances where repeated shifts between established affinities for warm and cold temperate forest biomes were enabled by a stable and slowly-evolving enabled affinity for both temperate biomes.
Decrypting the phylogenetics history of EGF-CFC proteins Cripto and Cryptic
Authors: Shylo Natalia A. , Trainor Paul A. 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTEGF-CFC proteins are obligate coreceptors for Nodal signaling and are thus required for gastrulation and left-right patterning. Species with multiple family members show evidence of specialization. For example, mouseCriptois required for gastrulation, whereasCrypticis involved in left-right patterning. However, the members of the family across model organisms have little sequence conservation beyond the EGF-CFC domain, posing challenges for determining their evolutionary history and functional conservation. In this study we outline the evolutionary history of the EGF-CFC family of proteins. We traced theEGF-CFCgene family from a single gene in the deuterostome ancestor through its expansion and functional specialization in tetrapods, and subsequent gene loss and translocation in eutherian mammals. MouseCriptoandCryptic, zebrafishTdgf1,and all threeXenopus EGF-CFCgenes (Tdgf1,Tdgf1.2andCripto.3) and are all descendants of the ancestralTdgf1gene. We propose that subsequent to the family expansion in tetrapods,Tdgf1B(Xenopus Tdgf1.2) acquired specialization in the left-right patterning cascade, and after its translocation in eutherians to a different chromosomal location,Cfc1/Cryptichas maintained that specialization.
Clinical Application of Large Language Models for Breast Conditions: A Systematic Review
Authors: Cheung Billy Ho Hung , Poon Karen Gwyn , Lai Cheuk Fai , Lam Ka Chun , Co Michael , Kwong Ava 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe application of artificial intelligence (AI) like Large Language Models (LLM) into the healthcare system has been a frequently discussed topic in recent years.Materials and MethodsWe conducted a systemic review on primary studies about the applications of LLM in breast conditions. The studies are then categorized into their respective domains, namely diagnosis, management recommendations and communication for patients.ResultsThe diagnostic accuracy ranged from 74.3% to 99.6% across different investigation modalities. The concordance of management recommendations ranged from 50% to 70% while the prognostic evaluation of breast cancer patients of distant recurrence showed an accuracy of 75% to 88%. In regards to patient communication, it is revealed that 18-30% of the references used by the LLM were irrelevant.ConclusionThis study highlights the potential benefits of LLM in strengthening patient communication, diagnose and management of patients with breast conditions. With standardized protocol and guideline to minimize potential risks, LLM can be a valuable tool to support future clinicians in the field of breast management.