bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 on a Medium-Sized Travel Medicine Clinic in Eastern Pennsylvania, USA
Authors: Palwai Pravallika , Gareca Marcelo , Rao Sowmya R. , Knouse Mark C. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic (COVID) disrupted international travel. We sought to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient volume, traveler demographics, and income of our travel clinic in Pennsylvania, USA.
Methods:
We extracted de-identified pre-travel data on 3,510 pre-travel consultations for adults during: Pre-COVID-19 (January 2018-December 2019), Early COVID-19 (April 2020-March 2022) and Late COVID-19 (April 2022-March 2023). We compared traveler demographics, destinations, purpose of travel, medical conditions, and number of vaccinations administered over time, and we obtained our clinic’s revenue from our financial database (TruSource) from the Pre-COVID-19 period to the Early and Late COVID-19 periods.
Results:
We observed 84% and 85% relative decreases in traveler volume and revenue respectively from the Pre-COVID-19 to the Early COVID-19 period. The proportional decrease in volume was highest for travelers over 65 years of age, decreasing from 16–11%. Of those that sought care during Early COVID-19, proportionally fewer travelers had multiple co-morbid conditions and were taking chronic medications. Trip length increased and there was a significant proportional increase in travel to Africa. Travel to visit friends or family and for service work also proportionally increased during Early-COVID-19 versus Pre-COVID-19. Clinic volume and revenue began to increase in Late COVID-19 but did not return to Pre-COVID levels.
Conclusions:
The COVID pandemic resulted in a large reduction in patient volume and revenue in our academic-based Pennsylvania travel clinic. We saw substantial changes in our traveler demographics, destinations, as well as reasons and durations of travel.
CaMK2A overexpression activates CREB signaling-dependent mitophagy and induces neuronal apoptosis in diabetes retinopathy
Authors: Yang Xiaochun , zhang yuxin , zhou yikun , liu mingzhi , zhao haiyan , yang yang , su jianyun 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and vision impairment. The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CaMK2A) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway has been implicated in various neurological disorders. However, its role in DR pathogenesis remains elusive.
Methods
We established a DR mouse model by streptozotocin administration and performed histological, biochemical, and molecular analyses to investigate the involvement of CaMK2A/CREB signaling and its interplay with mitophagy. Additionally, we employed in vitro high-glucose (HG) treatment in immortalized RGC-5 cell line to dissect the underlying mechanisms. Pharmacological and genetic modulations were utilized to target CaMK2A/CREB pathway and mitophagy.
Results
In the DR model, we observed retinal degeneration, increased apoptosis, and reduced neurotransmitter production, accompanied by enhanced mitophagy and activation of the CaMK2A/CREB pathway. HG induction in RGC-5 cells recapitulated these findings, and autophagy inhibition partially rescued cell death but failed to suppress CaMK2A/CREB activation, suggesting mitophagy as a downstream consequence. CaMK2A knockdown or CREB phosphorylation inhibition attenuated HG-induced mitophagy, apoptosis, and neurotransmitter depletion, while CREB activation exacerbated these effects. CaMK2A silencing mitigated DR progression, oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuronal loss, akin to dopamine/carbidopa administration in DR mouse model.
Conclusion
Our findings unveil a pivotal role of CaMK2A/CREB signaling in driving mitophagy and neurodegeneration in DR. Targeting this pathway represents a potential therapeutic strategy for DR management.
Mapping Green space, Roads &amp; Built-up Areas with Optical Remote Sensing and Polarimetric SAR (A Novel Approach)
Authors: Aghlmand Majid , Onur Mehmet İnanç , Talaei Reza 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Recent progress in remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) has revolutionized the research studies on urban space. Satellites that image on daily basis and cloud platforms that increase mathematical modelling precision and speed have given rise to extraction of high-quality data. In this study, we propose a novel approach in extracting information on green space, buildings, and roads in Ankara and Eskişehir cities in Türkiye. In this approach, optical and SAR images are utilized. Modelling is also fulfilled in google earth engine cloud platform using machine learning algorithm. We show how optical and SAR images with varying indexes may lead to a Land use/Land cover map with the highest overall accuracy (98.94 for Ankara and 93.97 for Eskişehir). Additionally, techniques offered in this study can help to extract other classes other than the present study ones. Land use/Land cover map is the basis of many studies and can benefit urban management, planning, urban policy making, protection and renovation, and environmental sustainment.
Distribution, Scaling, and Depiction of the Temporal Branches of the Facial Nerve
Authors: Hunt Bradley , Johson Santos A. , Klukkert Zachary S. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Purpose. Iatrogenic injury to the temporal branches of the facial nerve (CN VII) is the leading postoperative complication of the preauricular surgical approach to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Many of the anatomical illustrations vary greatly in how the anatomy of the temporal branches of the facial nerve are depicted. Additionally, there are few studies that discuss this variation. This study aims to provide more accurate data on this discrepancy.
Methods. Here, the distribution of temporal branches of the facial nerve was examined in 20 cadaveric donors. A count of branches and the location of each was mapped as they crossed the zygomatic arch, with attention paid to variation in the breadth of the nerve free “preauricular window” which is pertinent to the surgical access to the TMJ. Comparable measures were collected from published anatomical illustrations and tested for accuracy.
Results. Preauricular window breadth measurements were found to be comparable to previous studies, but the mean value was lower here. Patterns in the nerve distribution fit a proportional model whereby the zygomatic length (ZL) is divided into five equal segments, the most posterior of which was found to be free of CN VII branches in all donors. In anatomic illustrations, the number of nerve branches crossing ZL was undercounted and the breadth of the preauricular window was overestimated.
Conclusion. Results suggest that controlling for face size could reduce the variation observed in the breadth of the facial nerve-free zone near the TMJ. Non-cadaveric reference illustrations do not represent the anatomy accurately.
Enhancing Flash Flood Susceptibility Modeling in Arid Regions: Integrating Digital Soil Mapping and Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Sheikh Zahra , Zolfaghari Ali Asghar , Raeesi Maryam , Soltani Azadeh 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Flash floods in arid regions are among the most dangerous and destructive disasters worldwide, with their frequency increasing due to intensified climate change and anthropogenic activities. This study aims to identify susceptibility areas to flash floods in arid regions, characterized by high vulnerability, numerous complexities, and unknown mechanisms. 19-flash flood causative physiographic, climatic, geological, hydrological, and environmental parameters were considered. Using the Boruta wrapper-based feature selection algorithm, temperature, distance to the river, and elevation were identified as the most effective parameters. Four standalone and hybrid machine learning models (Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), GLMnet, TreeBag, and Ensemble) were employed to model and determine flash flood susceptibility maps. Based on performance evaluation metrics (accuracy, precision, recall, and Areas Under Curve (AUC) indexes), the RF and Ensemble models exhibited the best performance with values of (0.94, 0.93), (0.97, 1), (0.92, 0.88), (0.94, 0.94), respectively. The findings highlighted the previously overlooked role of soil in flood susceptibility mapping studies, particularly in arid areas with high levels of silt and clay soils. This study introduced digital soil mapping for the first time in flood susceptibility studies, providing an effective approach for the spatial prediction of soil properties using easily accessible remote sensing data to generate soil maps in areas with limited available data. It emphasizes the importance of examining the role of soil in arid areas during flash flood modeling and recommends using Ensemble and RF models for their high flexibility in such studies.
Tomographic diffractometry of laser-induced plasma formations
Authors: Fleischer Sharly , Ostrovsky Ivan , Hurvitz Gilad , Bograd Eli , Flaxer Eli , Hazra Soumitra 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

A sensitive optical diffractometry method is developed and utilized for advanced tomography of laser-induced air plasma formations. Using transverse diffractometry and Supergaussian plasma distribution modelling we extract the main parameters of the plasma being the plasma density, width and shape with 20𝜇𝑚 spatial resolution throughout the plasma formation. The experimentally recorded diffraction patterns fitted by the Supergaussian plasma model are found to capture unprecedentedly delicate traits in the evolution of the plasma from its effective birth and on. Key features in the spatial evolution of the plasma such as the 'escape position', the 'turning point' and the refocusing dynamics of the beam are identified and explored in details. Our work provides experimental and theoretical access into the highly nonlinear dynamics of laser-induced air plasma.
Identification of three QTLs that additively affect heading time in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by QTL-seq approach
Authors: Komura Shoya , Kobayashi Fuminori , Oono Youko , Handa Hirokazu , Inoue Yoshihiro , Yoshida Kentaro 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Optimizing the timing of heading is crucial for achieving stable production in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). We analyzed a breeding line, ‘B1-0393’, that headed 5 days earlier than the Japanese elite cultivar ‘Kitahonami’. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for this difference, we conducted QTL-seq using F3 progeny of a cross between ‘Kitahonami’ and ‘B1-0393’. We detected QTLs on chromosomes 2D (QDth.kupg-2D), 3D (QDth.kupg-3D), and 4A (QDth.kupg-4A), explaining 10.25%, 2.00%, and 8.24%, respectively, of phenotypic variance. The QDth.kupg-2D locus corresponded to the major photoperiod-regulating gene Photoperiod-D1 (Ppd-D1). ‘Kitahonami’ had the photoperiod-sensitive Ppd-D1b allele and ‘B1-0393’ had the insensitive Ppd-D1a allele. QDth.kupg-4A overlapped with previously reported QTLs, while QDth.kupg-3D was a novel QTL. Segregation analysis using F2 and F3 plants confirmed that alleles from ‘B1-0393’ at all three loci accelerated heading and that the three QTLs had additive effects on days to heading. Our findings could be valuable for regulating heading time to optimize wheat yield.
Multi-omics analysis Identifies PTTG1 as a prognostic biomarker associated with immunotherapy and chemotherapy resistance
Authors: Wei Handong , Ma Yaxin , Chen Shuxing , Zou Chunlin , Wang Lihui 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) is an important gene in tumour development. However, the relevance of PTTG1 in tumour prognosis, immunotherapy response, and medication sensitivity in human pan-cancer has to be determined.
Methods
TIMER, GEPIA, the human protein atlas, GEPIA, TISCH2, and cBioportal examined the gene expression, protein expression, prognostic value, and genetic modification landscape of PTTG1 in 33 malignancies based on the TCGA cohort. The association between PTTG1 and tumour immunity, tumour microenvironment, immunotherapy response, and anticancer drug sensitivity was investigated using GSCA, TIDE, and CellMiner CDB. Molecular docking was used to validate the possible chemotherapeutic medicines for PTTG1. Additionally, siRNA-mediated knockdown was employed to confirm the probable role of PTTG1 in paclitaxel-resistant cells.
Results
PTTG1 is overexpressed and associated with poor survival in most tumors. Functional enrichment study revealed that PTTG1 is involved in the cell cycle and DNA replication. A substantial connection between PTTG1 expression and immune cell infiltration points to PTTG1's possible role in the tumour microenvironment. High PTTG1 expression is associated with tumour immunotherapy resistance. The process could be connected to PTTG1, which mediates T cell exhaustion and promotes cytotoxic T lymphocyte malfunction. Furthermore, PTTG1 was found to be substantially linked with sensitivity to several anticancer medications. Suppressing PTTG1 with siRNA reduced clone formation and migration, implying that PTTG1 may play a role in paclitaxel resistance.
Conclusion
PTTG1 shows potential as a cancer diagnostic, prognostic, and chemosensitivity marker. Increased PTTG1 expression is linked to resistance to cancer treatment. The mechanism could be linked to PTTG1's role in promoting cytotoxic T lymphocyte dysfunction and mediating T cell exhaustion. It is feasible to consider PTTG1, which is expressed on Treg and Tprolif cells, as a new therapeutic target for overcoming immunotherapy resistance.
Developing intervention fidelity strategies for a behaviour change intervention delivered in primary care dental practices: The RETURN Fidelity Strategy
Authors: Lowers Victoria , Young Bridget , Harris Rebecca Vera 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Behaviour change interventions delivered in real-world settings could be vulnerable to threats to internal and external validity if methodological considerations are overlooked. Intervention fidelity strategies are an important mechanism to improve the scientific rigor of such studies. Feasibility studies provide a vital opportunity to refine and optimise research processes and implementation strategies before embarking on larger scale projects. This paper sets out the development of a comprehensive intervention fidelity strategy guided by The National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium (NIH BCC) recommendations.
Method
Using observations (53 hours) and qualitative interviews (17 participant interviews and 2 staff interviews) conducted during the delivery of the RETURN fidelity study (InteRventions to rEduce inequaliTies in the Uptake of Routine deNtal care), an intervention fidelity strategy was developed for use in the RETURN main trial.
Results
A comprehensive intervention fidelity strategy was developed, structured around the five domains of the NIH BCC's recommendations (design, training, delivery, receipt, enactment) and attending to the goals pertaining to each of those domains. This paper sets out the fidelity strategy implemented in the RETURN main trial.
Implications and Conclusions:
The RETURN fidelity strategy was influenced by the unique research environment the primary dental care setting presents. The strategy could serve as a blueprint to other researchers conducting research in similar settings. It is also intended that this strategy is read alongside the RETURN results upon their publication.
T cell exhaustion-related exosome genes for predicting survival and immunotherapy efficacy in colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Yilin , Su Peizhu , Lu Qinghua , Huang Huiwen , Li Zhaotao 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Treatment options for colorectal cancer are limited. T cell exhaustion is one of the barriers to tumor immunotherapy. No comprehensive analysis of T cell exhaustion-related exosome prognostic models for colorectal cancer (CRC) has been conducted.
Method
Samples were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, exoRBase database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm screened out T cell exhaustion-related exosome differential expression genes, signature genes were screened by univariate Cox regression and Lasso regression, and risk score models were constructed and validated. A nomogram containing risk scores and clinical parameters was established and evaluated. In addition, single cell analysis and tumor immune microenvironment assessment were also performed.
Results
Sixteen signature genes were identified, based on which the risk score model was constructed and validated. This model can predict the overall survival (OS) of TCGA and GEO queues well. Scores were identified as independent risk factors for OS and correlated with certain clinicopathological features. A nomogram was developed that integrated clinical parameters and risk scores and showed higher predictive accuracy. Finally, significant differences in immune microenvironment were found between the high- and low-risk groups. Thus, scores can also be used to predict the response to immunotherapy.
Conclusions
In general, we screened out T cell exhaustion-related exosome genes of CRC, constructed a risk score model which could predict survival and immunotherapy efficacy, and found correlations between risk scores and clinicopathologic features and immune microenvironment.
KN-VLM: KNowledge-guided Vision-and-Language Model for Visual Abductive Reasoning
Authors: Tan Kuo , Qi Zhaobo , Zhong Jianping , Xu Yuanrong , Zhang Weigang 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Visual abductive reasoning strives to deduce the most suitable hypothesis that effectively explains the underlying visual context, garnering considerable attention in the academic community. However, recent efforts are inherently limited by their exclusive reliance on visual information, overlooking the invaluable com-monsense and the semantic/causal relationships, leading to inaccurate abductive reasoning outcomes. To tackle the above issue, we propose a simple but powerful KNowledge-guided Vision-and-Language Model (KN-VLM), which primarily consists of a visual reasoning branch and a knowledge reasoning branch. The visual reasoning branch utilizes a powerful visual embedding model followed by a visual-Qformer to capture visual features. The knowledge reasoning branch aims to acquire two complementary types of knowledge commonsense knowledge and complemented knowledge. The former aims to extract the intricate and detailed conceptual knowledge embedded within the observed video, which deepens the model’s comprehension of the presented video content. The latter utilizes the external knowledge base to further augment the understanding of the interconnec-tions and causal relationships among these concepts, thereby strengthening the model’s abductive reasoning capability. After that, the effective fusion of the two branches completes the abductive reasoning task, which generates descriptions for the observed and explanation events. Experimental results on the VAR and CookReasoning dataset show that our model achieves promising performance.
Biogeographical origin of Andrographis Wall. ex Nees (Acanthaceae) in eastern peninsular India based on molecular phylogenetics
Authors: Surveswaran Siddharthan , Kalaimani Yuvasri 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

The genus Andrographis is predominantly peninsular Indian distribution after the resurrection of Haplanthus which is predominantly southeast Asian in distribution. Previous study have shown its close phylogenetic affinity with Haplanthodes and Haplanthus. In this study we constructed a most comprehensive phylogeny of the tribe Andrographideae using five plastid regions, rbcL, matK, trnLF, psbA-trnH and trnGR. The results show polyphyly between Andrographis, Haplanthodes and Haplanthus, resulting in a Andrographis sensu lato (s.l.) clade. Within this earliest splitting clade consisted of Andrographis and Haplanthus ovatus. The next split was with Haplanthodes followed by Andrographis sensu stricto (s.s) clade. Within the Andrographis clade, we observed two clades one was western in distribution and the other was eastern in distribution in peninsular India. Biogeographical analysis suggested an eastern peninsular Indian origin of Andrographis and followed by dispersal into the relative wetter western peninsular India. We deduced the time of diversification of the clades of Andrographis. We discuss the role of south Asian winter monsoon in the diversification of Andrographis which has adapted to aridity.
Transcriptome profiling reveals genes associated with inflammation and fibrosis among 10 - 15-year-old children with Schistosoma mansoni and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection along the Albert Nile in Uganda
Authors: Namulondo Joyce , Nyangiri Oscar Asanya , Kimuda Magambo Phillip , Nambala Peter , Nassuuna Jacent , Kabagenyi Joyce , Egesa Moses , Nerima Barbara , Biryomumaisho Savino , Mugasa Claire Mack , Elliott Alison , Noyes Harry , Tweyongyere Robert , Matovu Enock , Mulindwa Julius 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background Malaria and schistosomiasis are significant parasitic diseases in Uganda and coinfections with the two are not uncommon in areas endemic to both parasites. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of P. falciparum and S. mansoni coinfection on the gene expression in peripheral blood of school age children aged between 10–15 years.Methods A cross sectional study of children aged 10–15 years, was conducted in selected sites along the Albert Nile in Pakwach District in northwest Uganda. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to test for S. mansoni and P. falciparum infection. Furthermore samples that were sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq S4 and the reads aligned to the GRCh38 human genome were matched with those with S. mansoni and P. falciparum qPCR results. Differential gene expression analysis was done using DESeq2.Results Of the 210 study particpants, 76.2% (160/210) were P. falciparum positive, 91% (191/210) were S. mansoni positive and 150 (71%) had coinfection with both P. falciparum and S. mansoni, which was slightly fewer coinfections than expected by chance (Fisher exact test p-value of 0.02). RNAseq data was obtained for 33 participants of which 17 had P. falciparum and S. mansoni coinfection, 4 S. mansoni infection only, 1 had P. falciparum infection only while 11 were uninfected. Principal component analysis revealed clustering of gene expression by gender and infection status when S. mansoni and P. falciparum coinfected children were compared with uninfected children. We observed 15 DEGs of which 2 (CEPT1 and RETREG1) were downregulated and 13 (GAS6, DEXI, PALMD, SAMD15 AC138028.4, GFOD1-AS1, AC034102.6, AC005153.1, AC020914.1, AC017028.2, AC244502.3, AC013486.1, AC106760.1) upregulated when S. mansoni and P. falciparum coinfected children were compared with uninfected children. The differentially expressed genes are associated with inflammation and fibrosis and also included regulatory long noncoding RNA.Conclusions By molecular detection, this study observed a high prevalence of P. falciparum among the school age children (10–15 years) living in the S. mansoni endemic hotspots along the Albert-Nile region of Pakwach district, northwestern Uganda. The study shows differential expression of genes associated with inflammation and fibrosis among coinfected when compared to the uninfected children.