bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between humidity and lung function: the 2016-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Seok Jinwoo , Lee Bo , Yoon Hee-Young 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background: Ambient humidity has a significant impact on respiratory health and influences disease and symptoms. However, large-scale studies are required to clarify the specific effects on lung function and respiratory symptoms. This study examined the relationship between relative humidity (RH), lung function, and respiratory symptoms using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(KNHANES).
Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from KNHANES participants aged 40 and older, collected between 2016 and 2018. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and health questionnaires were used to assess lung function and respiratory symptoms. Individual environmental data, including RH, were obtained from the Community Multiscale Air Quality model and linked to the participants' addresses. Short-term (0–14 days), mid-term (30–180 days), and long-term (1–5 years) RH exposures were examined.
Results: In total, 10,396 participants were included (mean age: 58.3 years, male: 43.6%). In multiple regression analysis, higher RH was negatively associated with the forced expiratory volume per 1 second/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio across various time lags, while FVC was positively correlated with long-term RH exposure. In multiple logistic analysis adjusted for clinical and environmental covariates, long-term higher RH exposure was associated with a lower risk of restrictive lung disease (odds ratio [OR] at 4-year moving average [MA]: 0.978, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.959–0.997), while mid-term RH exposure decreased the risk of chronic cough (OR at 90-day MA: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.948–0.987) and sputum production (OR at 90-day MA: 0.984, 95% CI: 0.968–1.000).
Conclusion: Higher RH negatively affected lung function and increased the risk of obstructive lung disease, whereas mid-term RH exposure reduced the risk of chronic cough and sputum production.
The Impact of a Short-term High-fat Diet on Coagulation Function in a Mouse Model and Its Role in Exacerbating Concanavalin A-Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Nanizawa Eri , Tamaki Yuki , Yakura Tomiko , Otsuka Shun , Hatayama Naoyuki , Naito Munekazu 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Recently, the number of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its more advanced condition, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has been increasing. These patients are at a higher risk of cardiovascular events and thromboembolism. However, the direct impact of high-fat diet (HFD), a cause of NAFLD, on liver coagulation function is not well understood. Previously, we demonstrated that a short-term, 4-day intake of a HFD exacerbates concanavalin A (Con A)-induced acute liver injury in mice by promoting coagulation and inflammation. This model demonstrates that the liver exposed to a short-term HFD is vulnerable even before disease onset. In this study, using this model, we elucidated the detailed mechanisms by which short-term HFD intake promotes coagulation, considering primary and secondary hemostasis.
Methods
C57BL/6 mice normally fed a normal diet (ND) were subjected to a HFD for 4 days. Liver tissue and blood samples were collected before and 4 and 24 hours after Con A administration. Histological analysis, flow cytometry for platelet analysis, and blood coagulation tests related to secondary hemostasis were performed.
Results
Even with short-term consumption of a HFD alone, platelet and fibrinogen levels increased in the peripheral blood and liver. Additionally, when Con A was administered to mice on a short-term HFD, an increase in P-selectin expression was observed in the liver, with no upregulation in peripheral blood platelets. Furthermore, in mice subjected to a short-term HFD and treated with Con A, prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were observed.
Conclusions
Consuming a HFD in short-term can enhance primary and secondary hemostasis, thereby increasing the risk of thrombosis. These conditions are presumed to be a risk factor that exacerbates Con A-induced liver injury. The findings provide insight into early intervention strategies for chronic liver diseases, such as NAFLD and NASH.
Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression in Gastric Cancers Diagnosed at the University Teaching Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia
Authors: Munshi Husna , Songwe Mupeta , Mumba Chibamba , Kayamba Violet 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objective:
Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health problem worldwide due to its frequency, delayed diagnosis, treatment limitations and poor prognosis. Recently, immunotherapeutic agents targeting immunosuppressive proteins such as anti-programmed death ligand-1 have emerged as effective treatment options for advanced cancers including GC. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 in GC cases and its association with various clinicopathological variables at a referral health centre in Zambia.
Results:
GC tissues from 41 patients were evaluated, of which 27 (65.9%) were females and 14 (34.1%) were males. The median age was 63 years (IQR, 56-76 years). Six (14.6%) showed positive expression (CPS≥1) while 35 (85.4%) did not show expression (CPS<1). PD-L1 expression did not show significant associations with any of the clinicopathological variables included. This study demonstrated that a proportion of GCs in our setting express PD-L1, a potentially therapeutically actionable finding that patients with advanced stage cancer may benefit from.
What can simulation educators learn from the reluctant participant? An exploration of the factors influencing engagement amongst adult learners participating in paediatric simulation training
Authors: Newhouse Laura , Polwart Ngaire 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background:
Simulation educators are self-selected to be enthusiastic about simulation as a training modality, nevertheless we often encounter participants who are more reticent in their approach. The voice of the highly engaged participant is well publicised, however the experience of those who do not readily engage in simulation has not been extensively studied. This qualitative study will explore factors which influence learner engagement in paediatric simulation training, informing the practice and approach of simulation educators to optimise learning experiences.
Methods:
We conducted a thematic analysis of 12 semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals from a large paediatric teaching hospital in New Zealand who self-identified as reluctant participants in simulation-based education. Interviews explored factors which have influenced their engagement in simulation-based education over the course of their careers.
Results:
Three overarching themes were developed from thematic analysis which describe the factors influencing adult-learner engagement in simulation-based education. The first, “It comes down to that fear…”, explores participants narratives related to anxiety before, during and even following simulation which can impact on their ability to engage in current and subsequent simulation-based education. The second, “…armour up…”, relates to the protective mechanisms employed by participants in response to vulnerability experienced during simulation activities. The third theme, “…it sets the culture”, examines the impact of simulation facilitator characteristics and behaviours on learner engagement.
Conclusions:
These narrativeshighlighted a number of factors which facilitators should be aware when designing and implementing simulation-based education programmes. These include: (i) the benefits of regular simulation activities with transparent learning objectives to reduce participant anxiety, (ii) emergent defensive behaviours, particularly “group shielding” behaviours, which might interfere with engagement; (iii) potential discrepancies in the perceptions of facilitators and learners regarding what constitutes psychologically safe education environments.
Phosphorus uptake in eucalypts plants under split root system
Authors: FerreiraTorres Luana , de Andrade Sara Adrián López , Mazzafera Paulo 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) often limits plant growth and development because its availability in most soils is low, mainly in tropical soils. Various phosphate transporters and regulatory elements, including transcription factors, are involved in the uptake and transport of P from the soil into root cells and to other plant organs. The split-root technique was applied to three eucalypt species to understand better the mechanisms of the root-leaf signaling and remobilization response to P supply. Two-month-old seedlings of Eucalypts grandis, E. globulus, and E. tereticornis were used, with each half of the split root system placed in pots. The P treatments were: +P/+P, +P/-P, and -P/-P (+ P = P supplementation and –P = P depleted). P was supplied as 440 µM nutrient solution. Eucalypts plants were grown for six weeks and RT-qPCR evaluated the expression of genes related to P uptake, transport, and utilization in roots and leaves. P supply on one side of the root seemed to compensate for the lack of P on the other side in the + P/-P treatment, so the plant did not show P stress responses, and root-to-root signaling and remobilization in this treatment differed depending on the species. The genes analyzed were mostly induced when plants were under P deprivation, and the expression response was species-dependent. Therefore, this indicates that different mechanisms may be involved in plant response to low P and that signaling control 1may also be linked to the adaptation of eucalypts species to low soil P.
The mitochondrial D-loop is a robust maternal-species identifier in gibbons (Hylobatidae)
Authors: Lansdowne Lauren , Matsudaira Kazunari , Ishida Takafumi , McHugh Sîan , Badge Richard M. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Some gibbon species are difficult to distinguish phenotypically. This issue is compounded by recent changes in the gibbon taxonomy, which have sometimes occurred long after individuals were taken from the wild for captive breeding programmes. Furthermore, gibbon species within the Hylobates and Nomascus genera have been documented to hybridize to produce viable, fertile offspring, both in captivity and in the wild. This raises the possibility of cryptic hybrids within captive populations, threatening the genetic integrity of these genera. Phylogenetic methods using the mitochondrial D-loop and cox1 gene were compared to genetically identify gibbon species. Both loci identified lineages with cryptic hybrid ancestry. However, the D-loop outperformed the cox1 gene, providing higher resolution, particularly for Nomascus spp., which for some species were not monophyletic when using the cox1 gene. The D-loop also revealed a significantly higher number of unique sequences, making it more suitable for investigations into relatedness, such as female dispersal patterns.
Targeted memory reactivation elicits temporally compressed reactivation linked to spindles
Authors: Abdellahi Mahmoud , Rakowska Martyna , Treder Matthias , Lewis Penelope 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Memories reactivate during sleep, however the properties of such reactivation and its relationship to encoding strength and subsequent memory performance are not well understood. We set out to examine memory reactivations associated with a serial reaction time task (SRTT). 48 human participants performed the SRTT, and then slept in the lab while we deliberately induced reactivation in Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) using a Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) design. We detected reactivation after TMR cues using multiclass classification that adapted to sleep data by using sleep activity for training and wake activity for testing. We then examined the temporal properties of reactivation in relation to behavioural performance and sleep spindles. In keeping with the rodent literature, the observed reactivation was 3 to 20 times faster than waking activity. Furthermore, we report an inverted-U shaped relationship between TMR-related behavioural improvement and encoding strength, with very strong and very weak memories benefiting little from cueing while medium-strength memories benefit the most. Finally, reactivation was more frequently observed in trials with high sigma power, supporting the idea that sleep spindles are associated with memory reactivation during sleep. These findings bring us closer to understanding the characteristics of human memory reactivation after TMR, demonstrate when cueing is effective, and provide evidence for the positive relationship between the detectability of reactivation and memory consolidation.
Wearable electrodriven switch actively delivers macromolecular drugs to fundus in non-invasive and controllable manners
Authors: He Yao , Qin Xuan , Shi Haoliang , Li Hongyang , Chu Binbin , Zhang Jiawei , Wen Zhen , Sun Xuhui , Wang Houyu 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Current treatments for fundus disorders, such as intravitreal injections, pose risks, including infection and retinal detachment, and are limited in their ability to deliver macromolecular drugs across the blood‒retinal barrier. Although non-invasive methods are safer, their delivery efficiency remains suboptimal (< 5%). We have developed a wearable electrodriven switch (WES) that improves the non-invasive delivery of macromolecules to the fundus. The WES system, which integrates an electrodriven drug delivery lens with a square wave generator, leverages electrical stimulation to enhance drug penetration through the sclera-choroid-retina pathway. In our study, WES achieved a delivery efficiency of 14% for immunoglobulin G, comparable to that of intravitreal injection (16%). Moreover, WES-enhanced anti-VEGF administration resulted in an 86% inhibition of choroidal neovascularization, and anti-PDL1 delivery inhibited choroidal melanoma growth more effectively than intravenous injections, with no adverse effects on ocular health. These findings suggest that WES holds transformative potential for the non-invasive treatment of chronic fundus diseases.
Modelling Global Trade with Optimal Transport
Authors: Gaskin Thomas , Wolfram Marie-Therese , Duncan Andrew , Demirel Guven 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Global trade is shaped by a complex mix of factors beyond supply and demand, including tangible variables like transport costs and tariffs, as well as less quantifiable influences such as political and economic relations. Traditionally, economists model trade using gravity models, which rely on explicit covariates but often struggle to capture these subtler drivers of trade. In this work, we employ optimal transport and a deep neural network to learn a time-dependent cost function from data, without imposing a specific functional form. This approach consistently outperforms traditional gravity models in accuracy while providing natural uncertainty quantification. Applying our framework to global food and agricultural trade, we show that the global South suffered disproportionately from the war in Ukraine's impact on wheat markets. We also analyze the effects of free-trade agreements and trade disputes with China, as well as Brexit's impact on British trade with Europe, uncovering hidden patterns that trade volumes alone cannot reveal.
The Case of Context and Its Implications for Inclusive Education in Regional, Rural and Remote Situations: An Australian Study.
Authors: Hollitt Julie 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Formal schooling in regional, rural, and remote (RRR) Australia represents a diverse range of contexts. Using an inclusive education lens, the term ‘context’ is presented as an ill-defined concept used in the evaluation of differences in learning. Using context-specific data, this paper proposes instances of context - or the ‘case of context’ - as a more useful form of observation of differences in academic achievement as reported of learners in regional, rural and remote New South Wales, Australia. Using notions of contextual markers, conceptual worlds and ‘contexts within contexts’ the case of context is demonstrated to be multidimensional and co-constituted. This paper also proposes including all participant students in formal schooling using the concepts of ‘imagined learners’ and ‘context-specific learners’.
N-acetylcysteine increases total glutathione levels in experimental models of heart diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ferreira Aimée Souto , Schaan Thomas , Rohde Luis E. , Andrades Michael 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. Oxidative stress plays a significant role in cell damage, inflammation, and progression of CVD. The use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a well-known antioxidant and a precursor to glutathione (GSH), has shown potential in preventing different types of CVD. Yet, there is limited data assessing NAC’s impact on GSH levels in animal models of CVD.
Objective: To evaluate reduced glutathione (GSH) and total glutathione levels in cardiac tissue or serum/plasma from animals with established heart disease treated with NAC. Method: The literature search included PubMed, Embase, WoS, Scielo, Lilacs/BINACIS, and rXiv databases. The search in the databases was completed in December 2022.
Results: We identified 619 articles, fully reviewed 35, and included 7 in the meta-analysis. The included studies varied in cardiovascular disease models, NAC doses, and outcomes. Meta-analysis revealed that NAC supplementation significantly increased total glutathione levels (SMD = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.56–1.89; p = 0.0003) with low heterogeneity (I² = 37%). GSH levels showed a marginal increase (SMD = 2.49, 95% CI = -0.20–5.18; p = 0.07), with high heterogeneity (I² = 93%).
Conclusion: NAC supplementation effectively increases total glutathione in animal models of heart disease. The impact on GSH levels was less clear, possibly due to dose variability and limited study numbers. Standardization of NAC dosing and improved methodological reporting are needed for more consistent and clinically relevant findings.
Berteologi, Berkristologi, dan Berpneumatologi dengan Religiositas Orang Halmahera
Authors: Mojau Julianus 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThis article is the result of research concerning the effort to dialogically bring about an encounter about the fundamental content of Christian faith in the Lord God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as inherited by HalmaheraChristians from delegates of the Utrechtsche Zendingsvereeniging (UZV) with belief in Giki/Gikiri, Gòmánga, Jou, Ngomasa as the content of Halmahera religiosity before Islam and Christian. This effort uses the theological method of translation, anthropology, and praxis from Stephen B. Bevans by considering the soteriological meaning of the psycholinguistic meaning of the word diai in the vocabulary of three Halmahera subethnic groups (Galela, Tobelo, Loloda). Dialogical encounter is an effort to develop doing theology, Christology, and pneumatology with the religiosity of the Halmahera people which results in a new understanding of the character of the content of the Halmahera Christian faith about the Lord God in the form of diai theology, Jesus Christ in the form diai Christology, and the Holy Spirit in the form diai pneumatology which are more sensitive to structural injustice, both economic and political as well as gender and cultural-religious.
AbstrakArtikel ini merupakan hasil penelitian tentang bagaimana upaya memperjumpakan secara dialogis isi iman Kristen fundamental kepada Tuhan Allah, Yesus Kristus, dan Roh Kudus sebagaimana diwarisi oleh orang-orang Kristen Halmahera dari para utusan Utrechtsche Zendingsvereeniging (UZV) dengan kepercayaan kepada Giki/Gikiri, Gòmánga, Jou, Ngomasa sebagai isi religiositas orang Halmahera sebelum Islam dan Kristen. Usaha ini menggunakan metode berteologi terjemahan, antropologis, dan praksis dari Stephen B. Bevans dengan mempertimbangkan makna soteriologis dari makna psikolinguistik kata diai dalam kosakata tiga subetnis Halmahera (Galela, Tobelo, Loloda). Perjumpaan dialogis merupakan usaha mengembangkan berteologi, berkristologi, dan berpneumatologi dengan religiositas orang Halmahera yang menghasilkan pemahaman baru isi iman Kristen khas ke-Halmahera-an tentang Tuhan Allah dalam bentuk teologi diai, Yesus Kristus dalam bentuk kristologi diai, dan Roh Kudus dalam pneumatologi diai yang lebih peka terhadap ketidakadilan struktural, baikdalam bentuk ketidakadilan ekonomi dan politik maupun gender dan budaya-agama.
Anticancer Drug Discovery from Natural Compounds Targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: da Silva Manuele Figueiredo , Lins Arestides Alves , Gomes Midiane Correia , Marinho Washley Phyama de Jesus , de Araújo Rodrigo Santos Aquino , de Moura Ricardo Olimpio , Zhan Peng , Nascimento Igor José dos Santos , da Silva-Júnior Edeildo Ferreira 
Published: October 2024

Abstract:
The term cancer is used to describe a complex pathology characterized by the
uncontrollable proliferation of cells, which displays a fast metastatic spread, being a disease
with difficult treatment. In this context, Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) represents
a promising pathway to be inhibited, aiming to develop anticancer agents, since it
performs a pivotal role in regulating essential cellular processes, including cell proliferation,
growth, autophagy, and apoptosis. In parallel, natural compounds can effectively
represent a therapeutic strategy to fight against malignant cells. Then, compounds derived
from various plant sources, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, coumarins,
and lignans, have exhibited remarkable in vitro and in vivo anticancer properties. This review
focused in the exploration of natural products targeting the PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling
pathway, demonstrating that these compounds could even further investigated to
reveal novel and effective anticancer drugs in the future.
Discovery of 5-(Substituted Phenyl)-2-aryl Benzimidazole Derivatives as SIRT1 Activators: Their Design, in silico Studies, Synthesis, and in vitro Evaluation
Authors: Chauhan Shilpi , Kumar Ashwani , Kumar Rajnish , Saini Deepika 
Published: October 2024

Aim:
Silent information regulator two homologue one (SIRT1) is an emerging
target for managing metabolic disorders. This study aimed to synthesize novel 5-(-
substituted phenyl)-2-aryl benzimidazole derivatives and evaluate them for SIRT1 activation.

Methods:
The compounds were designed according to the findings of the QSAR models
framed in our previous studies. Molecular docking and dynamics studies were also performed
to explore the interactions of designed compounds with the active site of the
SIRT1 enzyme using AutoDock Vina and Schrödinger Maestro version 11.8.012, respectively.
Compounds with good binding affinity were synthesized by Suzuki-Miyaura
cross-coupling and spectrally characterized. The molecules were evaluated for their in
vitro SIRT1 activation properties using a fluorescent screening kit. Based on the results
of in vitro assay, a structure-activity relationship was established. SwissADME was employed
to calculate the pharmacokinetics characteristics of the synthesized molecules.

Results:
The molecular docking studies revealed that all the activators were effectively
docked in the catalytic active site. All compounds demonstrated interactions with important
amino acids like Glu230 and Arg446. In molecular dynamics simulations, the root
mean square deviation (RMSD) of compound 5m and protein SIRT1 remained stable,
i.e., below 3mm. Compound 5m, 4-(2-(3,4-dihydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-
5-yl)benzaldehyde, was the most potent compound with an EC50 value of 0.006 mM
(±0.001) and maximum activation of 240.5%. All the synthesized compounds had acceptable
theoretical ADME profiles, and drug-likeness properties complied with Lipinski’s
rule.

Conclusion:
According to the findings, synthesized compounds may be viable leads for
SIRT1 activators and may be used to advance preclinical in vivo research utilizing animal
models.