bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emaciated enigma: Decline in body conditions of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion
Authors: Albrecht Sofia , Minto Cóilín , Rogan Emer , Deaville Rob , O'Donovan Jim , Daly Mags , Levesque Stephanie , Berrow Simon , Brownlow Andrew , Davison Nicholas J. , Slattery Orla , Mirimin Luca , Murphy Sinéad 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMonitoring the nutritional health of cetaceans has become increasingly important in a changing environment, where multiple stressors impact animals. Particularly for those species that require consumption of energy‐dense prey, such as the common dolphin. Thus far, no uniform measure for monitoring body condition has been recommended across cetaceans, and species‐specific measures may need to be developed if employed as a population condition indicator under Descriptor 1 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Here, nine morphometric body condition indices were applied to long‐term common dolphin stranding data sets originating from Ireland and the UK. We report a recent decline in the nutritional health of common dolphins in the Celtic Seas ecoregion comparing animals from 2017 to 2019 to animals from 1990 to 2006, with an increase in cases of animals dying due to starvation. Using ordinal regression trees, ventral blubber thickness (VBT) was identified as the most important index to predict nutritional status, defined at necropsy, followed by the scaled mass index (SMI). Using generalised linear models, both the VBT and SMI indices differentiated individuals that died from chronic and acute causes of death (i.e., bycatch), where animals in chronic conditions had significantly thinner VBT and lower SMI. Both significant temporal and seasonal patterns in VBT were identified, with poorer body conditions observed during the autumn and better body conditions observed during the spring, as well as an overall decline detected in VBT during the study period. While VBT was positively correlated with total body length, SMI showed the opposite trend. The VBT index is recommended for monitoring nutritional health within the species when total body length and season are considered. Further research is needed to understand the underlying causes for the observed decline, including shifts in prey availability and/or quality, to inform targeted conservation management strategies.
Phenotypic divergence of Glossina morsitans (Diptera: Glossinidae) populations in Zambia: Application of landmark‐based wing geometric morphometrics to discriminate population‐level variation
Authors: Muyobela Jackson , Pirk Christian W. W. , Yusuf Abdullahi A. , Sole Catherine L. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAn important consequence of the discontinuous distribution of insect populations within their geographic range is phenotypic divergence. Detection of this divergence can be challenging when it occurs through subtle shifts in morphological traits with complex geometries, such as insect wing venation. Here, we used landmark‐based wing geometric morphometrics to investigate the population‐level phenotypic variation of the two subspecies of Glossina morsitans, G. m. centralis Machado and G. m. morsitans Westwood that occur in Zambia. Twelve homologous landmarks digitised on the right wings of 720 specimens collected from four and five sites (80 per site with 1:1 sex ratio) within the G. m. centralis and G. m. morsitans range respectively, were subjected to generalised Procrustes analysis to obtain wing centroid size (CS) and wing shape variables. Linear permutation models and redundancy analysis were then used to compare CS and wing shape between male and female G. morsitans, the two subspecies G. m. centralis and G. m. morsitans, the sexes of each subspecies and between sample locations within each subspecies range, respectively. Significant differences in CS and wing shape were observed between G. morsitans sexes, subspecies and sample locations within each subspecies range. A neighbour‐joining cladogram derived from the analysis of Procrustes distances showed that tsetse within each subspecies range were highly divergent. We conclude that G. morsitans populations in Zambia exhibit significant population‐level variation in fly size and wing shape which suggests high levels of population structuring. The main drivers of this structuring could be random genetic drift in G. m. centralis demes and local adaptation to environmental conditions in G. m. morsitans populations. We therefore recommend molecular studies to estimate the levels of gene flow between these populations and identify possible barriers to genetic flow.
The assembly and dynamics of ecological communities in an ever‐changing world
Authors: Godoy Oscar , Soler‐Toscano Fernando , Portillo José R. , Langa José A. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAlternative perspectives on the maintenance of biodiversity and the assembly of ecological communities suggest that both processes cannot be investigated simultaneously. In this concept and synthesis, we challenge this view by presenting major theoretical advances in structural stability and permanence theory. These advances, which provide complementary views, allow studying the short‐ and long‐term dynamics of ecological communities as changes in species richness, composition, and abundance. Here, the global attractor, technically named informational structure (IS), is the central element to construct from information of species' intrinsic growth rates and their strength and sign of interactions. The global attractor has four main properties: (1) It contains all the limits of what is feasible and unfeasible of the dynamical behavior of an ecological system, therefore, (2) it provides a thorough characterization of all combinations of species' richness and composition in which species can coexist (i.e., feasible and stable equilibrium), (3) as well as all connections (paths) of assembly between coexisting communities. Importantly, (4) such topology of coexisting communities and their connections changes when environmental (abiotic and biotic) variation affects the ability of species to grow and interact with others. Overall, these four properties allow switching from a traditional evaluation of species coexistence at equilibrium to a much more realistic nonequilibrium perspective where changes in the structure of the global attractor underlie the transient ecological dynamics. Several fields in ecology can benefit from the study of an IS. For instance, it can serve to evaluate community responses after the end of a perturbation, to design restoration trajectories, to study the consequences of biological invasions on the persistence of native species within communities, or to assess ecosystem health status. We illustrate this latter possibility with empirical observations of 7 years in Mediterranean annual grasslands. We document that extremely wet or dry years generate ISs supporting few coexisting communities and few assembly paths. The remaining communities distinguish winners from losers of ongoing climate change and indicate the limits to future community assembly opportunities. A fully tractable operational framework is readily available to understand and predict the assembly and dynamics of ecological communities in an ever‐changing world.
Spatial ecology, biodiversity, and abiotic determinants of Congo's bai ecosystem
Authors: Hockridge Evan G. , Bradford Ella M. , Angier Katherine I. W. , Youd Beatrice H. , McGill Elijah B. M. , Ngouma Sylvain Y. , Ognangue Roger L. , Gibbon Gwili E. M. , Davies Andrew B. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractCanopy gaps are foundational features of rainforest biodiversity and successional processes. The bais of Central Africa are among the world's largest natural forest clearings and thought to be critically important islands of open‐canopy habitat in an ocean of closed‐canopy rainforest. However, while frequently denoted as a conservation priority, there are no published studies on the abundance or distribution of bais across the landscape, nor on their biodiversity patterns, limiting our understanding of their ecological contribution to Congolese rainforests. We combined remote sensing and field surveys to quantify the abundance, spatial distribution, shape, size, biodiversity, and soil properties of bais in Odzala‐Kokoua National Park (OKNP), Republic of the Congo (hereafter, Congo). We related bai spatial distribution to variation in hydrology and topography, compared plant community composition and 3D structure between bais and other open ecosystems, quantified animal diversity from camera traps, and measured soil moisture content in different bai types. We found bais to be more numerous than previously thought (we mapped 2176 bais in OKNP), but their predominantly small size (80.7% of bais were <1 ha), highly clustered distribution, and restriction to areas of low topographic position make them a rare riparian habitat type. We documented low plant community and structural similarity between bai types and with other open ecosystems, and identified significant differences in soil moisture between bai and open ecosystem types. Our results demonstrate that two distinct bai types can be differentiated based on their plant and animal communities, soil properties, and vegetation structure. Taken together, our findings provide insights into how bais relate to other types of forest clearings and on their overall importance to Congolese rainforest ecosystems.
Mild Behavioral Impairment and Quality of Life in Community Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Warring Ibadat , Guan Dylan , Ballard Clive , Creese Bryon , Corbett Anne , Pickering Ellie , Roach Pamela , Smith Eric E. , Ismail Zahinoor 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTObjectivesMild behavioral impairment (MBI) is a dementia risk indicator in older adults characterized by later‐life emergent and persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms. Quality of life (QoL) is a multi‐dimensional concept encompassing physical, spiritual, and emotional well‐being. QoL aims to measure and quantify perceptions of individual health, well‐being, standard of living, personal fulfillment, and satisfaction. As MBI symptoms may arise from early‐stage neurodegenerative disease, MBI may contribute to declining QoL before dementia onset. In this study, we investigated the relationship between symptoms of MBI and QoL in older adults.MethodsThe sample comprised 1107 individuals aged ≥ 50 years from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behavior, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN‐PROTECT). Multivariable linear regressions were used to model the associations between MBI symptom severity (exposure), measured using the MBI Checklist (MBI‐C), and QoL (outcome) assessed by the EuroQol‐5D (EQ‐5D, higher score = poorer QoL) and the novel Quality of Life and Function Five Domain Scale (QFS‐5) (QFS‐5, lower score = poorer QoL). Covariates were age, sex, cognition, education, ethnocultural origin, marital status, employment status, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Moderation analysis explored potential sex differences. A sensitivity analysis was performed removing anxiety/depression items from the EQ‐5D score.ResultsAcross the sample (mean age = 64.4 ± 7.2, 79.4% female) every 1‐point increase in MBI‐C score was associated with a 0.06‐point standard deviation (SD) increase in EQ‐5D score (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.06, p < 0.001) and 0.08 SD decrease in QFS‐5 score (95% CI: −0.09 to −0.08, p < 0.001). Neither association depended on sex (p = 0.59 and p = 0.41, respectively). The association remained significant after removing anxiety/depression items from the EQ‐5D score (β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.03– 0.04, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe study shows that MBI is associated with poorer QoL, independent of sex, on two QoL scales. We addressed depression/anxiety items in the EQ‐5D as a potential confounder for the observed MBI‐QoL association by conducting a sensitivity analysis that excluded those items from the EQ‐5D total score and by employing a novel measure of QoL (QFS‐5) that excludes psychiatric symptoms from measurement of QoL. Associations of MBI with the novel QFS‐5 were similar to associations between MBI and the EQ‐5D. Finding interventions to reduce the burden of MBI symptoms might improve quality of life.
Real‐world data for marginal zone lymphoma patients in the French REALYSA cohort: The REALMA study
Authors: Bommier C. , Donzel M. , Rossi C. , Fornecker L. M. , Bijou F. , Chauchet A. , Lebras L. , Ysabaert L. , Haioun C. , Bouabdallah K. , Gastinne T. , Morineau N. , Amorim S. , Jardin F. , Abraham J. , Lamy de la Chapelle T. , Gressin R. , Fouillet L. , Fruchart C. , Olivier G. , Morschhauser F. , Cherblanc F. , Belot A. , Le Guyader S. , Monnereau A. , Ghesquieres H. , Thieblemont C. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMarginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL) comprises three subtypes: extranodal MZL (EMZL), splenic MZL (SMZL) and nodal MZL (NMZL). Since clinical trials have limited representativeness, there is a need for real‐world data (RWD) evidence in MZL. Real‐world data in Lymphoma and survival in Adults (REALYSA) is a prospective multicentric French cohort of newly diagnosed lymphoma patients. This study consists of the first abstraction of MZL patients prospectively included in REALYSA between 12/2018 and 01/2021 with at least 1 year of follow‐up. It provides a landscape description of clinical characteristics, initial workup, quality of life and first‐line therapy performed in routine practice. Among 207 included patients, 122 presented with EMZL, 51 with SMZL and 34 with NMZL. At baseline, median age was 67 years (range 28–96), and patients reported a favorable global health status (75/100 (IQR 58,83)) – which was higher in NMZL and lower in SMZL patients (p = 0.006). 18FDG‐PET/CT was frequently performed at initial workup (EMZL 72%, SMZL 73%, NMZL 85%). Active surveillance was the initial management for 58 (28%) patients. The most prescribed therapies were rituximab‐chlorambucil in the EMZL population (30%), rituximab monotherapy in the SMZL population (37%) and R‐CHOP (24%)/bendamustine‐rituximab (15%) in the NMZL population. At end of first line, overall response rate was 93% among treated patients with 75% of complete response. This French nationwide study provided for the first time prospective RWD on clinical characteristics, initial management and treatment response of MZL patients.
Investigating the effects of systemic thrombolysis on electrocardiography and pulmonary artery blood pressure in patients with pulmonary embolism
Authors: Dastani Mostafa , Askari Vahid Reza , Nasimi Shad Arya , Ghorbani Niyayesh , Baradaran Rahimi Vafa 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsWe aimed to evaluate the association between electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiographic findings in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) before and after systemic thrombolysis.MethodsWe included 38 PE patients admitted to the hospital with approved right ventricular (RV) dysfunction who were indicated for systemic thrombolysis. Indications for systemic thrombolysis were considered as patients who were either hemodynamically unstable on admission or became unstable in the course of hospital admission. Systemic thrombolysis was performed by either Reteplase or Alteplase. ECG and echocardiographic findings were documented at baseline and 12–24 h following systemic thrombolysis.ResultsOur results showed that TAPSE significantly increased while RV size and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PAP) notably decreased after systemic thrombolysis (p < 0.001). The ECG abnormalities markedly diminished after systemic thrombolysis in PE patients (p < 0.001). Additionally, 100% of our patients had more than one ECG abnormality at baseline, while 55.3% had no ECG abnormalities after systemic thrombolysis. Further, the median number of ECG abnormalities remarkably attenuated after systemic thrombolysis (from 2.0 (1.0) to 0.0 (1.0), p < 0.001). Our results also revealed that delta RV size (r = 0.51, p = 0.001) and delta TAPSE (r = 0.4, p = 0.012) were positively correlated while mortality (r = −0.55, p = 0.001) was negatively associated with changes in the number of ECG abnormalities before and after systemic thrombolysis.ConclusionWe showed that systemic thrombolysis improved echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings in PE patients. Additionally, a greater decreased number of ECG abnormalities after systemic thrombolysis was accompanied by more improvement in RV size and TAPSE and a lower mortality rate.
Systemic inflammation markers independently associated with increased mortality in individuals with hyperuricemia: Results from the NHANES prospective cohort study
Authors: Ren Tian , Zhou Erye , Wu Jian , Wang Chao , Yin Yufeng 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackgroundHyperuricemia is associated with increased systemic inflammation. The systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) are novel systemic inflammation markers and prognostic markers. However, no studies have evaluated the association between the SII/SIRI and mortality risk in individuals with hyperuricemia. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the SII and SIRI for all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality in a large cohort of hyperuricemia patients.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001‐2020. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid (SUA) levels of ≥7 mg/dL in men and ≥6 mg/dL in women. The SII and SIRI were calculated based on complete blood count parameters. Associations with all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Nonlinearity and effect modification were assessed using restricted cubic splines (RCS) and interaction analysis.ResultsAmong the 6181 participants with hyperuricemia aged 20 years and older, over a total 181 months of follow‐up, there were 936 all‐cause deaths, of which 195 were cardiovascular mortality. In the fully adjusted models, the hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.73 (95% CI 1.42‐2.13) for the SII and 2.18 (95% CI 1.82‐2.62) for the SIRI with all‐cause mortality. The adjusted HRs were 2.08 (95% CI 1.37‐3.14) for the SII and 2.32 (95% CI 1.56‐3.45) for the SIRI with cardiovascular mortality. Spline models identified nonlinear U‐shaped (SII) and J‐shaped (SIRI) relationships of inflammation markers with mortality.ConclusionsElevated SII and SIRI are independent predictors of mortality in hyperuricemia patients. These inflammatory biomarkers may improve risk stratification in this high‐risk population. Further research should evaluate utility in guiding preventive interventions.
Male Sex and Ageing are Independent Risk Factors for Sarcopenia Stage in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Not Yet on Dialysis
Authors: Huang Yi‐Fang , Liu Shih‐Ping , Muo Chih‐Hsin , Lai Chen‐Yi , Chang Chung‐Ta 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe risk of sarcopenia in older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not yet on dialysis is controversial. The aims of this study were to investigate the association among sarcopenia, diabetes and predialysis CKD and evaluate the impact of gender and ageing on the risk of sarcopenia statuses in older patients with predialysis CKD.MethodsThe participants aged ≥60 years old were recruited from the community of New Taipei City, Taiwan. Handgrip strength, appendicular skeletal muscle mass and the 6‐m walk were measured. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was established based on the consensus of Asian Sarcopenia Working Group 2019. These older adults were categorised into G1, G2 and G3–5 according to the guidelines of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) after calculating the estimated glomerular filtration rate by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. The Chi‐square test and ANOVA were used to estimate the difference of categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Polytomous logistic regression was employed to assess the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the sarcopenia status and sarcopenia‐associated risk factors in the predialysis CKD patients. All tests were two‐sided, and p < 0.05 was defined as statistical significance.ResultsAmong the 3648 older adults (mean age: 71.9 ± 6.07 years), including 1701 males and 1947 females, 870 (23.9%), 94 (2.58%) and 48 (1.32%) had possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, respectively. After adjustment, the risk for possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia significantly increased with ageing (OR = 1.11, 1.10 and 1.23; 95% CI = 1.10–1.13, 1.07–1.15 and 1.18–1.30, respectively) and male gender (OR = 2.26, 20.3 and 25.4; 95% CI = 1.87–2.73, 11.5–36.0 and 11.3–57.2, respectively). Compared with KDIGO G1, no significant association between KDIGO G3–5 and the statuses of sarcopenia was observed (OR = 0.97, 0.88 and 0.91; 95% CI = 0.75–1.26, 0.43–1.78 and 0.37–2.27, p = 0.821, 0.718, 0.838, for possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, respectively). Ageing and male gender indicated a significant risk for higher sarcopenia status in older patients with predialysis CKD (0.027‐fold/year and 0.284‐fold, respectively) (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsThis study illuminated the importance of the male sex and the ageing process on the risk of sarcopenia progression in patients with predialysis CKD. Early clinical screening and aggressive treatment for the prevention of higher sarcopenia status in advanced older male adults with predialysis CKD are recommended.
Design, Synthesis, In Vitro Evaluation of New Tetrahydrooxazolo [5′,4′:4,5]Pyrimido[1,2‐a]Azepinone Derivatives as Anticancer Agents
Authors: Zeng Yan , Ma Yan , Xiao Li , Niu Chao , Nie Lifei 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTA total of 48 tetrahydrooxazolo‐[5′,4′:4,5]pyrimido[1,2‐a]azepinones were designed and synthesized from a scaffold hopping approach. All compounds were confirmed by analysis using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS techniques. The synthesized compounds were evaluated against the human cancer cell lines (HeLa, MCF‐7, A549) in vitro, and the structure–activity relationships were summarized. The compound E43 exhibited the best inhibitory activity against HeLa, MCF‐7, A549, displaying IC50 values of 1.48 ± 0.13, 3.01 ± 0.09, and 5.11 ± 0.13 μM. Molecular docking indicated that compound E43 may bind to protein (PDB:6FEX) via hydrogen bond and π stacking. Further, molecular dynamics simulations indicated a relatively low binding free energy (−40.06 kJ·mol−1) of compound E43 with protein. In conclusion, these findings suggested that E43 is promising as a potential novel anticancer drug candidate worthy of further investigation.
息堪えを伴う高負荷トレーニングによる非外傷性急性硬膜下血腫の1例(A case of non–traumatic acute subdural hematoma triggered by straining during heavy lifting)
Authors: 雅祥 堀野 , 賢作 吉田 , 玲央 石元 , 拓磨 肥後 , 幹男 中島 
Published: October 2024

要旨症例は28歳男性，100kgの重量でスクワットを行った直後より頭痛，嘔気を自覚した。続いて左上下肢麻痺，意識障害を認めたため友人が救急要請し，当院へ搬送された。来院時の意識レベルはGlasgow Coma Scale 4点（E1V1M2）で瞳孔不同を認めた。頭部CT検査で正中偏位を伴う右急性硬膜下血腫を認めた。明らかな動脈瘤や血管奇形の所見は認めなかった。同日緊急開頭血腫除去術および減圧開頭術を行った。術中所見では，肉眼的に観察可能な範囲で明らかな脳表の静脈損傷や血管奇形などの出血原因となる病変はなかった。術後の画像検査や血液検査でも出血原因の同定はできず，病歴より息堪えを伴う高負荷トレーニングが原因と考えた。術後経過は良好であり，第33病日に神経脱落症状を残さず自宅退院した。非外傷性急性硬膜下血腫の原因として，脳動脈瘤，脳動静脈奇形，硬膜動静脈瘻などの頭蓋内器質的疾患，血液疾患や薬剤性などの報告がある。諸家の報告をもとに原因精査を行ったが，前述の出血原因を示唆する所見はなかった。本症例では，息堪えを伴う高負荷トレーニングによる脳表の毛細血管の破綻，急性硬膜下血腫発生の可能性が考えられた。原因不明の急性硬膜下血腫においては，詳細な病歴聴取と鑑別診断が重要である。