bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bat-associated ticks as a potential link for vector-borne pathogen transmission between bats and other animals
Authors: Szentiványi Tamara , Takács Nóra , Sándor Attila D. , Péter Áron , Boldogh Sándor A. , Kováts Dávid , Foster Jeffrey T. , Estók Péter , Hornok Sándor 
Published: October 2024

Background
Potentially zoonotic pathogens have been previously detected in bat-associated ticks, but their role in disease transmission and their frequency of feeding on non-bat hosts is poorly known.

Methodology/Principal findings
We used molecular blood meal analysis to reveal feeding patterns of the bat-associated tick species Ixodes ariadnae, I. simplex, and I. vespertilionis collected from cave and mine walls in Central and Southeastern Europe. Vertebrate DNA, predominantly from bats, was detected in 43.5% of the samples (70 of 161 ticks) but in these ticks we also detected the DNA of non-chiropteran hosts, such as dog, Canis lupus familiaris, wild boar, Sus scrofa, and horse, Equus caballus, suggesting that bat-associated ticks may exhibit a much broader host range than previously thought, including domestic and wild mammals. Furthermore, we detected the zoonotic bacteria Neoehrlichia mikurensis in bat ticks for the first time, and other bacteria, such as Bartonella and Wolbachia.

Conclusions/Significance
In the light of these findings, the role of bat ticks as disease vectors should be urgently re-evaluated in more diverse host systems, as they may contribute to pathogen transmission between bats and non-chiropteran hosts.
Early high-sensitivity troponin elevation in predicting short-term mortality in sepsis: A protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Ferrière-Steinert Santiago , Valenzuela Jiménez Joaquín , Heskia Araya Sebastián , Kouyoumdjian Thomas , Ramos-Rojas José , Gajardo Abraham I. J. 
Published: October 2024

Background
Sepsis is a common admission diagnosis in the intensive care unit (ICU). The Sepsis-3 consensus associates sepsis diagnosis with acute organ dysfunction. In these patients troponin elevation is a well-established phenomenon, but its clinical significance is not settled, as no systematic review has addressed the prognostic significance of the increasingly prevalent high-sensitivity troponin assays in acute organ dysfunction setting.
This study aims to clarify the association between early serum troponin levels in high-sensitivity assays with short-term mortality risk in septic patients with acute organ dysfunction.

Methods
We will systematically search PubMed, Scopus and Embase for original articles; additionally, a manual search will be carried out through relevant literature. Generally, studies will be deemed eligible for inclusion if they evaluate the association between high-sensitivity troponin in the first 24 hours of admission and ICU, 30-days, or In-hospital mortality; in patients with septic shock or sepsis related to acute organ dysfunction. Two reviewers will independently select studies and extract the data. A meta-analysis for mortality outcome will be performed for comparative data regarding two effect measures: Odd ratios and Standardized Mean differences.

Discussion
This study will provide further evidence about the role of high-sensitivity troponin assays in predicting mortality in septic patients; potentially helping to guide further research and yielding valuable information for patient assessment.
Conclusion about the certainty of evidence will be presented in a ´Summary of findings´ table.

Trial registration
PROSPERO registration:
(CRD42024468883).
Determination of the mean duration of recent infection and false recency rate for the HIV triplex multiplex bead assay
Authors: Domaoal Robert A. , Vuong Jeni , Zheng Amy , Detorio Mervi , Parekh Bharat S. , Yufenyuy Ernest L. 
Published: October 2024

Background
We developed the HIV Triplex multiplex bead assay to identify and serotype HIV infection with high sensitivity and specificity; and distinguish recent from long-term HIV-1 infections. It can facilitate accurate incidence estimation, while reducing the number of tests and blood collected, which is highly desirable for use in future studies and surveys. Using previously collected, treatment-naive longitudinal seroconversion HIV-1 positive panels and specimens from individuals infected for >12 months, we determined the assay’s mean duration of recent infection (MDRI) and false-recency rate (FRR) respectively, at various mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) cutoffs.

Methods
We tested seroconversion specimens (N = 814) from 142 individuals infected with HIV-1 subtypes B, C, or AE, and 1341 cross-sectional specimens from individuals infected >12 months. The MFI cutoffs of 1000 to 2000 were evaluated for recency classification, including an MFI of 1250 corresponding to the limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay (LAg-EIA) cutoff of 1.5 normalized optical density for MDRI and FRR. We used four statistical methods: Methods 1 and 2 used the empirically balanced observation time approach. Method 2 MFI values were raised to power = 1.33, based on a repeated measures model to linearize the relationship between MFI and time points, whereas Method 1 was not linearized. Methods 3 and 4 employed quadratic and linear interpolations for each seroconversion panel. FRR was calculated by dividing the number of specimens misclassified as recent by the total number of specimens tested.

Results
MDRI values ranged from 135–146 days at MFI = 1000 to 229–279 days at MFI = 2000 by the 4 methods. FRR varied from 0.15%-1.27% with increasing MFI cutoff. At MFI = 1250, the average MDRI of 4 methods was 169 days and ranged from 159–183 with overlapping 95% CIs and FRR = 0.52%.

Conclusion
The HIV Triplex assay demonstrates a longer dynamic range compared to current HIV recency assays with a low FRR for cutoffs examined. With a longer dynamic range and low FRR, the MDRI for recent infection can be extended as appropriate to detect more recent infections, increasing the value of incidence assays benefiting public health surveillance and future surveys.
Modification of the association between coffee consumption and constipation by alcohol drinking: A cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007–2010
Authors: Kong Wanru , Sheng Wei , Zheng Ya 
Published: October 2024

Background
The association between coffee consumption and constipation remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship of coffee consumption with the risk of constipation, while also investigating potential effect modifiers.

Methods
This cross-sectional study included 7844 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010. Coffee consumption was extracted from the 24-hour dietary recall. Constipation was assessed using the Bristol Stool Form Scale. The association between coffee consumption and constipation was assessed using multivariable restricted cubic spline and logistic regression with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results
There was a J-shaped relationship between total coffee consumption and the risk of constipation in the whole population (p for nonlinearity = 0.049), with 1–2 cups/day of total coffee potentially reducing the risk of constipation by 39% (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.35–1.06, p = 0.07). As for caffeinated coffee, a J-shaped association between its consumption and the risk of constipation was also observed in the whole population (p for nonlinearity = 0.008), with 1–2 cups/day being significantly associated with a reduced risk (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.35–0.95, p = 0.03). When restricting to never drinkers of alcohol, the associations between total and caffeinated coffee consumption and constipation shifted to inverse linear trends, where at least 3 cups/day was significantly associated with an 88% reduction in constipation risk (total coffee: OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02–0.68, p = 0.02; caffeinated coffee: OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02–0.70, p = 0.02). Decaffeinated coffee showed no association with constipation.

Conclusions
Consuming 1–2 cups of caffeinated coffee daily was associated with a reduced risk of constipation in the general population. Among never drinkers of alcohol, a linear protective effect was observed, with a notable 88% reduction in constipation risk for those consuming at least 3 cups per day. Moderate caffeinated coffee intake may therefore be a viable dietary strategy for managing constipation in the general population.
Association of Childhood Abuse With Incident Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Anyane-Yeboa Adjoa , Casey Kevin , Roberts Andrea L. , Lopes Emily , Burke Kristin , Ananthakrishnan Ashwin , Richter James , Cozier Yvette C. , Koenen Karenstan C. , Chan Andrew T. , Khalili Hamed 
Published: October 2024

INTRODUCTION:
A link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), stressful life events, and psychological factors has previously been reported. Our objective was to examine the relationship between emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of childhood and risk of IBD using a large cohort of female health professionals.

METHODS:
We included participants in the Nurses' Health Study II who completed the Physical and Emotional Abuse Subscale of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Sexual Maltreatment Scale of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale in 2001. Diagnosis of IBD was determined by self-report and confirmed independently by 2 physicians through review of medical records. We used Cox proportional hazard modeling to estimate the risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) while adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS:
Among 68,167 women followed from 1989 until 2017, there were 146 incident cases of CD and 215 incident cases of UC. Compared with women with no history of abuse, the adjusted hazard ratios of CD were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–2.02) for mild, 1.58 (95% CI 0.92–2.69) for moderate, and 1.95 (95% CI 1.22–3.10) for severe abuse (P
trend = 0.002). We did not observe an association between childhood abuse and risk of UC.

DISCUSSION:
Women who reported early life severe abuse had an increased risk of CD. These data add to the growing body of evidence on the critical role of early life stressors in development of CD.
Exploring the effect of fertilizer application on yield and decoding CO2 flux under flooded paddy conditions towards sustainable agriculture
Authors: Abirami R  , Leninraja D  , Jothimani S  , Ramesh P T  , Bhuvaneswari J  
Published: October 2024

The impact of organic and inorganic nutrient management on the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), soil properties such as available nutrients, microbial population and soil organic carbon (SOC) were investigated in paddy (Oryza sativa L.) field (at 8o 46’ N Latitude and 77o 42?’ E Longitude) under flooded condition during late pishanam season in 2023-2024. The treatments were designed to observe the effects of applying fertilizer based on the soil test crop response (100 % STCR-based NPK) that had been modified by organic amendments, which include absolute control (unfertilized), inorganic fertilizers, sole application of organic amendments (Farm yard manure, Green leaf manure, Vermicompost and Poultry manure) and combined these organic amendments with inorganic fertilizers. The main objective of this study is to understand the intricate relationship between fertilizers and carbon flux in paddy soils, which is crucial for developing sustainable agricultural practices that minimize environmental harm while ensuring food security. The observation of the experimental field study reported that the combined application of poultry manure at the rate of 5 tonnes per hectare with 100% STCR-based inorganic fertilizer recorded maximum yield and yield attributes. The treatment combination of poultry manure + inorganic fertilizer enhanced in sequestrating the soil organic carbon (0.67%) resulted in higher grain yield (5972 kg ha-1) and also observed that this combination will limit the emission of CO2 to the atmosphere. Therefore, it could be a better choice for carbon storage and higher productivity in a sustainable rice cropping system.
Effect of spermidine intake on skeletal muscle regeneration after chemical injury in male mice
Authors: Iwata Tomohiro , Shirai Takanaga , Uemichi Kazuki , Tanimura Riku , Takemasa Tohru 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSkeletal muscle has a high regenerative ability and maintains homeostasis by rapidly regenerating from frequent damage caused by intense exercise or trauma. In sports, skeletal muscle damage occurs frequently due to intense exercise, so practical methods to promote skeletal muscle regeneration are required. Recent studies have shown that it may be possible to promote skeletal muscle regeneration through new pathways, such as promoting autophagy and improving mitochondrial function. Spermidine is a type of polyamine, and oral intake of spermidine promotes autophagy and improves mitochondrial function without inhibiting mTOR. Therefore, we evaluate the effects of spermidine intake on skeletal muscle regeneration after injury using a mouse model of cardiotoxin‐induced muscle injury. Our results showed no significant change in skeletal muscle wet weight with spermidine intake at all time points. In addition, although spermidine intake significantly increased the mean fiber cross‐sectional area 14 days after injury, these effects were not observed at other time points. In addition, we analyzed stem cells, autophagy, mTOR signaling, inflammation, and mitochondria, but no significant effects of spermidine intake were observed at almost all time points and protein expression levels. Therefore, spermidine intake does not affect skeletal muscle regeneration after chemical injury, and if there is any, it is very limited.
Heparanase‐induced endothelial glycocalyx degradation exacerbates lung ischemia/reperfusion injury in male mice
Authors: Noda Kentaro , Atale Neha , Al‐Zahrani Amer , Furukawa Masashi , Snyder Mark E. , Ren Xi , Sanchez Pablo G. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) is a carbohydrate‐rich layer on the vascular endothelium, and its damage can lead to endothelial and organ dysfunction. Heparanase (HPSE) degrades the eGC in response to cellular stress, but its role in organ dysfunction remains unclear. This study investigates HPSE's role in lung ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. A left lung hilar occlusion model was used in B6 wildtype (WT) and HPSE genetic knockout (−/−) mice to induce I/R injury in vivo. The left lungs were ischemic for 1 h followed by reperfusion for 4 h prior to investigations of lung function and eGC status. Data were compared between uninjured lungs and I/R‐injured lungs in WT and HPSE−/− mice. WT lungs showed significant functional impairment after I/R injury, whereas HPSE−/− lungs did not. Inhibition or knockout of HPSE prevented eGC damage, inflammation, and cellular migration after I/R injury by reducing matrix metalloproteinase activities. HPSE−/− mice exhibited compensatory regulation of related gene expressions. HPSE facilitates eGC degradation leading to inflammation and impaired lung function after I/R injury. HPSE may be a therapeutic target to attenuate graft damage in lung transplantation.
A software tool for fabricating phantoms mimicking human tissues with designated dielectric properties and frequency
Authors: Zhang Xinyue , Xu Guofang , Zhang Qiaotian , Liu Henghui , Nan Xiang , Han Jijun 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Dielectric materials play a crucial role in assessing and refining the measurement performance of dielectric properties for specific tasks. The availability of viable and standardized dielectric materials could greatly enhance medical applications related to dielectric properties. However, obtaining reliable phantoms with designated dielectric properties across a specified frequency range remains challenging. In this study, we propose software to easily determine the components of dielectric materials in the frequency range of 16 MHz to 3 GHz.

Methods
A total of 184 phantoms were fabricated and measured using open-ended coaxial probe method. The relationship among dielectric properties, frequency, and the components of dielectric materials was fitted through feedforward neural networks. Software was developed to quickly calculate the composition of dielectric materials.

Results
We performed validation experiments including blood, muscle, skin, and lung tissue phantoms at 128 MHz, 298 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.45 GHz. Compared with literature values, the relative errors of dielectric properties are less than 15 %.

Conclusions
This study establishes a reliable method for fabricating dielectric materials with designated dielectric properties and frequency through the development of the software. This research holds significant importance in enhancing medical research and applications that rely on tissue simulation using dielectric phantoms.
Towards defining the public interest in technology: lessons from history
Authors: Washington Anne L. , Cheung Joanne 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The public interest suggests a singular approach to a social good, but lessons from history illustrate the nuances of sharing open space, transportation networks, and policy mandates. Serving the public exists across a spectrum of possibilities. In this essay, we consider how the emerging field of public interest technology could learn from previous assumptions about who counts as the public and how benefits or harms can be overly concentrated in certain populations. We situate public interest technology as a growing capability of government public service, an institutionalized professional practice like public interest law, as well as a site of critical inquiry. Our definition of the public interest is motivated by a theory of change that recognizes the strength of inclusion. Punctuated with historic and contemporary examples, this essay argues that by acknowledging conflicts of interest and embracing the marginal, public interest technology could build ethical infrastructures to serve all.
59. Kolloquium der Südwestdeutschen und Schweizerischen Kriminologischen Institute und Lehrstühle – Tagungsbericht
Authors: Brettel Hauke , Weinand Marisa , Steffan Christian , Schallert Christoph , Ramm Yannick , Tries Marc , Horten Barbara 
Published: October 2024

Zusammenfassung
Vom 27. bis 29. Juni 2024 fand im Wilhelm-Kempf-Haus in Wiesbaden-Naurod bei Mainz das 59. Kolloquium der Südwestdeutschen und Schweizerischen Kriminologischen Institute und Lehrstühle statt. Veranstalter waren der Lehrstuhl für Kriminologie, Strafrecht und Medizinrecht der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz und das Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forensik (ZiF). Insgesamt wurden zehn Forschungsprojekte und Berichte vorgestellt.
Exploring deceptions: cognitive strategies and dynamics in espionage
Authors: Lenzi Rafael G. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The paper examines deceptions employed during the Cold War with the purpose of exploring their underlying conceptions, mechanisms, and applications. It focuses on the interactions between the deceiver and the deceived, analyzing both sides’ perspectives. The examination centers on declassified guides, recently published as The Official
C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception, which contain detailed instructions concerning how spies should carry out their activities of deception. Three kinds of procedures were selected for analysis: behavior in public for men and women, group infiltration, and the use of secret recognition signals. To provide a practical visualization, the 2012 movie Argo, based on a real-life operation using the same principles, is complementarily analyzed. Merleau-Ponty’s approach to perception and sensation is considered along with Husserl’s concepts of sedimentation and lifeworld, while narrative semiotics and its framework guide the treatment of textuality and the approach to persuasion. The article conceives of sedimentation and contemplation of the lifeworld as mandatory components of a kind of deception that is primarily acted, reflecting upon how the spies’ interference affects the environment. The results indicate a common structure for deceptions that builds on what Greimas calls a “fiduciary contract.”
A comparative syntax of the formal politeness markers in Japanese and Korean: -Mas/-Des and -(Su)pni
Authors: An Duk-Ho 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Taking Miyagawa’s (2022. Syntax in the treetops. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press) discussion as a point of departure, I examine the properties of the formal politeness markers in Japanese and Korean, namely, -mas/-des and -(su)pni. Besides being markers of formal politeness (or allocutive agreement), these elements are parallel in that they are all limited to Emonds’ (1970. Root and structure-preserving transformations. Ph.D. dissertation, MIT) root contexts and are able to license special interrogative particles, which according to Miyagawa (2022. Syntax in the treetops. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press) is a consequence of their head-to-head φ-feature movement. In addition to the systematic similarities, there is an important difference concerning their base-generation in TP-internal and TP-external positions, which I suggest reflects a general pattern of grammaticalization in these languages. In addition to providing support for Miyagawa’s analysis, the discussion in this paper also shows that aspects of the behavior of Japanese and Korean, such as the formal politeness markers -mas/-des and -(su)pni, can generally be better understood when they are analyzed side-by-side rather than in isolation.
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension with an unfavorable prognosis
Authors: Berezina A. V. , Zlobina I. S. , Goncharova N. S. , Simakova M. A. , Lapshin K. B. , Moiseeva O. M. 
Published: October 2024

Aim. To compare clinical and hemodynamic parameters with survival of incident patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) with a prognostically unfavorable pattern of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters.Material and methods. The study included 48 incident cases with a verified diagnosis of IPAH (n=18) and CTEPH (n=30). All patients were examined in accordance with the European Society of Cardiology and the European Respiratory Society guidelines (2015). The inclusion criterion was the ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide (CO2) according to the CPET (VE/VCO2) >44, indicating an unfavorable prognosis for patients.Results. VE/VCO2 in the examined patients with IPAH and CTEPH averaged 70,6±0,8 and did not differ in the study groups. Hemodynamic parameters of patients with IPAH and CTEPH also indicated a high risk of adverse events as follows: cardiac index — 1,9±0,1 and 1,8±0,1 l/min/m2, respectively (p=0,3). Peak oxygen consumption, anaerobic threshold level, oxygen delivery to work performed were reduced in both groups. However, patients with IPAH did not have a decrease in dead space ventilation and desaturation severity during exercise was greater than in patients with CTEPH. Patients with CTEPH had better survival compared to patients with IPAH: 1 year — 89 vs 83%, 3 years — 84 vs 65%, 5 years — 73 vs 35%, 7 years — 55 vs 36%.Conclusion. Among patients with IPAH and CTEPH who have an unfavorable prognosis, patients with IPAH demonstrate a more pronounced decrease in cardiovascular and respiratory reserves, which negatively affects patient survival. CPET may be a valuable non-invasive method for death risk stratification in patients with IPAH and CTEPH.