bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health literacy and its determinants among school-going children: a school-based cross-sectional study in Nepal
Authors: Adhikari Prakash , Paudel Kiran , Bhusal Sandesh , Gautam Kamal , Khanal Pratik , Adhikari Tara Ballav , K. C. Prabhat , Shrestha Roman , Shrestha Sushan Man 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Limited health literacy is linked to unhealthy behaviors, adverse health outcomes, poor quality of life and financial burdens on society. However, little is known about the level of health literacy, especially among school-going children. This cross-sectional study assesses health literacy levels and their determinants in 354 school children from Kathmandu Metropolitan City, utilizing a multi-stage cluster sampling method. The 10-item Health Literacy for School-Aged Children was used to measure the student’s literacy levels. Bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression at the significance level of 0.05 were performed to determine factors associated with limited health literacy. The majority of participants (76.6%) had moderate health literacy, while 13.8% had a high level and 9.6% had a low level of health literacy. Students from nuclear families had lower odds [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.8] of having limited health literacy. Students whose mother education was up to secondary school (aOR: 10.1; 95% CI: 1.3–78.9), students with pre-existing mental health conditions (aOR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4–9.6) and students with unsatisfactory health status (aOR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.5–10.5) had higher odds to have limited health literacy. These results suggest the importance of prioritizing school health promotion and education activities for students with pre-existing mental health conditions and mothers with low educational attainment. Implementing peer support group programs for children with mental illnesses, mobilizing school health professionals and introducing interventions such as vocational training of mothers can collectively improve health literacy among school-going children.
Distribution of Serum Testosterone Concentrations in IBD Males and Associations With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity
Authors: Judge Ciaran , Lightowler Daniel , Singh Abhey , Yeap Bu B , Thin Lena 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
An inverse relationship exists between inflammation and testosterone concentrations in non–inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) immune conditions but has not been objectively explored in the IBD male population. We aimed to characterize the distribution of testosterone concentrations in a cohort of males with IBD and identify any relationship between testosterone levels and disease activity.

Methods
We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study of male IBD patients. Demographics, disease characteristics, sex-hormone concentration, gonadotropins, C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin, and patient-reported outcomes on quality of life and erectile function were collected. Relationships between disease activity, biomarkers, patient-reported outcome scores, and testosterone levels were analyzed using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses.

Results
A total of 85 male IBD patients were included with a mean age 44 ± 14.1 years, of which 49.4% had Crohn’s disease. Mean testosterone concentration was 15.4 ± 5.2 nmol/L and 17.6% had a serum testosterone &lt;10.4 nmol/L. Active disease was associated with lower testosterone concentrations in univariate analysis (β ± SE = −0.25 ± -1.99, P = .02) but not in multivariate analysis (β −0.18 ± 1.75, P = .06). Testosterone concentrations were independently associated with sex hormone–binding globulin levels (β ± SE = 0.45 ± 0.04, P &lt; .0001) and a younger age (β ± SE = −0.32 ± 0.04, P &lt;.0001). Erectile function scores (5-item International Index of Erectile Function) were lower in IBD patients with a longer duration of disease (β ± SE = −0.24 ± 0.006, P = .04).

Conclusions
Lower testosterone concentrations in men with IBD may reflect confounding from other factors and are not independently associated with disease activity. Greater awareness and screening for sexual dysfunction should occur in males with IBD, particularly in those with a longer disease duration.
Effect of environmental drivers on the spatiotemporal distribution of mackerel at age in the Nordic Seas during 2010−20
Authors: Ono K , Katara I , Eliasen S K , Broms C , Campbell A , dos Santos Schmidt T C , Egan A , Hølleland S N , Jacobsen J A , Jansen T , Mackinson S , Mousing E A , Nash R D M , Nikolioudakis N , Nnanatu C , Nøttestad L , Singh W , Slotte A , Wieland K , Olafsdottir A H 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
A joint spatio–temporal distribution model of mackerel (ages 3–10) was developed to investigate the age-based responses of mackerel to three environmental drivers: sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth, and chlorophyll-a concentration during the summer months 2010–20 in the Nordic Seas. The study showed that SST was the most important variable amongst the ones tested and had the strongest impact on the distribution of the younger age classes (3–5), which had a narrower range of favourable SST and a stronger aversion to cold temperatures than older individuals. Consequently, the impact of SST differed regionally; in the polar front regions, SST explained up to 61% of the variability in the observed density of young individuals, where Arctic water masses likely acted as a barrier to these young individuals. That said, part of it could be confounded with the limited migration capability of young mackerels, which could not reach the furthest frontal regions. In warmer southern waters, the same environmental variables had less explanatory power for mackerel of all ages. Individuals in the south were likely not constrained by temperature and perhaps more influenced by other variables, such as food availability or ocean current (throughout their migration path), for which appropriate data are lacking. Moreover, the model showed that older mackerel were distributed more to the north and west, and their migration pattern changed when the 2013 year-class no longer migrated to the west compared to previous year-classes. Additionally, all-year classes started migrating more eastward from summer 2018.
Evaluation of university and training standards in clinical perfusion, a european-wide survey
Authors: Giesbrecht André , Klüß Christian , Debeuckelaere Gerdy , Bruño Maria Angeles , Wenzel Folker , Kohl Matthias , De Somer Filip , Bauer Adrian 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Adequate theoretical and practical training of prospective clinical perfusionists is essential for maintaining clinical standards and ensuring patient safety during cardiac surgery procedures. Perfusion schools play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining higher education and training standards in clinical perfusion. The aim of this study is to obtain a comprehensive overview of European training standards in clinical perfusion in 2023.

METHODS
For this study, 53 perfusion schools in Europe were found and contacted, of which 30 (56,6%) responded, giving a sample size of n = 30, which were then included in the data analysis. The quantitative data of the survey are analysed using descriptive methods.

RESULTS
The university and training standards in clinical perfusion in Europe vary in many respects. Starting with the entry criterion for studies (most frequently a required bachelor's degree 36.7% or second most common an university entrance qualification 30%), the duration (from less than 12 months (13.3%) up to 36 months (13.3%)) and regarding the content of the teaching in clinical perfusion (less than 30 ECTS (33.3%) and more than 180 ECTS (6.7%)). The mean value for teaching in clinical perfusion content is 62.63 ECTS credits.

CONCLUSIONS
The obtained results show important differences between countries and schools. As such they form a valuable database for future discussions establishing a common European curriculum and training standards for perfusionists. For the generalisability of the results, further evaluations and larger samples are needed.
COVID-19 restrictions limited interactions of people and resulted in lowered E. coli antimicrobial resistance rates
Authors: Collignon Peter , Beggs John , Robson Jennifer 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Antibiotic resistance is rising globally and is a major One Health problem. How much person-to-person transmission or ‘contagion’ contributes to the spread of resistant strains compared with antibiotic usage remains unclear. As part of its COVID-19 response, Australia introduced strict people movement restrictions in early 2020. Along with internal lockdown measures, movement of people into Australia from overseas was severely restricted. These circumstances provided a unique opportunity to examine the association of people movements with changes in resistance rates.

Methods
Monthly resistance data on over 646 000 Escherichia coli urine isolates from 2016 till 2023 were modelled for statistical changes in resistance trends during pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown periods. Data were available for three clinical contexts (community, hospital and aged-care facilities). Data were also available for antibiotic usage volumes and movements of people into Australia.

Results
In 2020, arrivals into Australia decreased by &gt;95%. Antibiotic community use fell by &gt;20%. There were sharp falls in trend rates of resistance for all antibiotics examined after restrictions were instituted. This fall in trend rates of resistance persisted during restrictions. Notably, trend rates of resistance fell in all three clinical contexts. After removal of restrictions, an upsurge in trend rates of resistance was seen for nearly all antibiotics but with no matching upsurge in antibiotic use.

Conclusions
Restricting the movement of people appeared to have a dramatic effect on resistance rates in E. coli. The resulting reduced person-to-person interactions seems more closely associated with changes in antibiotic resistance than antibiotic usage patterns.
Antimicrobial activity of eight plant essential oils having antioxidant property against spoilage microbes
Authors: Xia Huili , Liu Daoqi , Jin Yuan , Wang Mingcheng , Qiao Zhu , Wu Qi , Liu Ying , Li Enzhong 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aims
To identify efficient, broad-spectrum, and non-toxic preservatives for natural agricultural products, eight essential oils were screened for high inhibitory and antioxidant activities against spoilage microbes.

Methods and Results
The zone of inhibition test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay were performed to assess the antimicrobial activity of eight essential oils against B. subtilis, S. aureus, Penicillium, Saccharomyces, and E. coli. Among the eight essential oils, garlic and rose essential oils exhibited the best inhibitory effects, their MICs against the spoilage microbes were 40–640 μL/L and 10–320 μL/L, respectively. In addition, the antioxidant activities of eight essential oils were compared using the DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging assays and the reducing power assay. eight essential oils had antioxidant capacity, among which rosemary, thyme, rose, and tea tree essential oils performed best. Moreover, the combination of thyme and rose exerted stronger antioxidant activity. Therefore, the concentrations of rose and garlic, and thyme essential oils were optimized using response surface methodology to obtain the optimal composite ratios, which were 1254 μL/L, 640 μL/L, and 1228 μL/L for rose, garlic, and thyme, respectively. The DPPH free radical-scavenging rate detected using this formulation was 50.2%, basically consistent with the prediction. Zone of inhibition diameters with the compound essential oil, against five spoilage microbes, were all greater than 45 mm.

Conclusions
The essential oil combination had high antimicrobial, against agricultural product spoilage microbes, and antioxidant activities.
The bacterial displacement test: an in vitro microbiological test for the evaluation of intermittent catheters and urinary tract infection
Authors: Meredith Kate , Pollard David , Mason Victoria , Ali Ased 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aims
Intermittent catheters (ICs) are commonly used in bladder management, but catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain challenging. Insertion tips may reduce the risk of CAUTIs by minimizing bacterial transfer along the urinary tract. However, there are few laboratory tests to evaluate such technologies. We describe the use of an adapted in vitro urethra agar model to assess bacterial displacement by ICs.

Methods and results
Simulated urethra agar channels (UACs) were prepared with catheter-specific sized channels in selective media specific to the challenge organisms. UACs were inoculated with Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis before insertion of ICs, and enumeration of UAC sections was performed following insertion. Four ICs were evaluated: Cure Catheter® Closed System (CCS), VaPro Plus Pocket™, Bard® Touchless® Plus, and SpeediCath® Flex Set. CCS demonstrated significantly reduced bacterial displacement along the UACs compared to the other ICs and was also the only IC with undetectable levels of bacteria toward the end of the UAC (representing the proximal urethra).

Conclusion
The bacterial displacement test demonstrated significant differences in bacterial transfer between the test ICs with insertion tips, which may reflect their different designs. This method is useful for evaluating CAUTI prevention technology and may help guide future technology innovations.
The fungus Aphanoascella galapagosensis affects bacterial diversity of Galapagos giant tortoise carapaces
Authors: Perea Brugal Miguel , Burbano Moscoso Manuela , Nieto-Claudín Ainoa , Deem Sharon L , Siddons David C , Caroca Cáceres Rodrigo 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aims
This study aimed to describe the bacterial microbiome associated with the carapace of three species of Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis porteri, Chelonoidis donfaustoi, and Chelonoidis vandenburghi) and determine the potential effect of the whitish lesions caused by the fungus Aphanoascella galapagosensis.

Methods and results
We used Oxford Nanopore’s MinION to evaluate the external bacterial microbiome associated with the carapaces from the aforementioned species. Taxonomic assignment was carried out by Bugseq and the bacterial communities were compared between carapaces with and without lesions using a NMDS with Bray–Curtis as the dissimilarity index. We found four genera of bacteria that were ubiquitous throughout all individuals, suggesting the presence of shared taxa. The results also displayed a significant difference in the microbiome between carapaces with and without lesions, and for species-carapace interaction, but not among species.

Conclusions
This study establishes a baseline of the bacterial diversity of the carapace within three Galapagos giant tortoise species, showcasing the presence of a distinctive microbial community. Furthermore, our findings suggest a significant influence of the fungus Aphanoascella galapagosensis on the bacterial populations inhabiting the carapace of these reptiles.
Evaluating large language models for health-related text classification tasks with public social media data
Authors: Guo Yuting , Ovadje Anthony , Al-Garadi Mohammed Ali , Sarker Abeed 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable success in natural language processing (NLP) tasks. This study aimed to evaluate their performances on social media-based health-related text classification tasks.

Materials and Methods
We benchmarked 1 Support Vector Machine (SVM), 3 supervised pretrained language models (PLMs), and 2 LLMs-based classifiers across 6 text classification tasks. We developed 3 approaches for leveraging LLMs: employing LLMs as zero-shot classifiers, using LLMs as data annotators, and utilizing LLMs with few-shot examples for data augmentation.

Results
Across all tasks, the mean (SD) F1 score differences for RoBERTa, BERTweet, and SocBERT trained on human-annotated data were 0.24 (±0.10), 0.25 (±0.11), and 0.23 (±0.11), respectively, compared to those trained on the data annotated using GPT3.5, and were 0.16 (±0.07), 0.16 (±0.08), and 0.14 (±0.08) using GPT4, respectively. The GPT3.5 and GPT4 zero-shot classifiers outperformed SVMs in a single task and in 5 out of 6 tasks, respectively. When leveraging LLMs for data augmentation, the RoBERTa models trained on GPT4-augmented data demonstrated superior or comparable performance compared to those trained on human-annotated data alone.

Discussion
The results revealed that using LLM-annotated data only for training supervised classification models was ineffective. However, employing the LLM as a zero-shot classifier exhibited the potential to outperform traditional SVM models and achieved a higher recall than the advanced transformer-based model RoBERTa. Additionally, our results indicated that utilizing GPT3.5 for data augmentation could potentially harm model performance. In contrast, data augmentation with GPT4 demonstrated improved model performances, showcasing the potential of LLMs in reducing the need for extensive training data.

Conclusions
By leveraging the data augmentation strategy, we can harness the power of LLMs to develop smaller, more effective domain-specific NLP models. Using LLM-annotated data without human guidance for training lightweight supervised classification models is an ineffective strategy. However, LLM, as a zero-shot classifier, shows promise in excluding false negatives and potentially reducing the human effort required for data annotation.
Supplementation with avian-derived polyclonal antibodies against Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii and M. ruminantium decreases ex vivo methane production and modifies ruminal fermentation in Angus crossbred steers
Authors: Garcia-Ascolani Mariana E , Tarnonsky Federico , Roskopf Sergio , Podversich Federico , Silva Gleise M , Schulmeister Tessa M , Ruiz-Moreno Martin , Hackmann Timothy J , Dubeux Jose C B , DiLorenzo Nicolas 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing polyclonal antibodies (PAP) of avian origin against the ruminal methanogens Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii Ho (PAP-Ho) and M. ruminantium M1 (PAP-M1) on ruminal fermentation profile and methane production in Angus crossbred cattle (13 steers and 1 heifer). The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with a 3 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement, replicated in 3 periods. The factors included proportions of PAP against Ho and M1 in the mixture (100:0, 50:50, and 0:100 Ho:M1) and level of each mixture (3- or 6-mL per d). Cattle in control treatment did not receive PAP supplementation. Ruminal fluid was collected from the animals on days 0, 14, and 21 of treatment to determine of ruminal fermentation profile and ex vivo methane production. There was no effect of level of inclusion on ex vivo methane production. Supplementation with PAP-M1, either alone or in combination with PAP-Ho, decreased ex vivo methane output compared to the control group. Furthermore, in vivo molar proportion of propionate tended to be greater with PAP-M1, alone or combined with PAP-Ho, when compared with the control group. The study concluded that polyclonal antibodies against ruminal methanogens have the potential to decrease enteric methane emissions in cattle. The research provided important insights into the potential use of PAP as a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the practicality and feasibility of using PAP.
Effect of standardized ileal digestible arginine:lysine on growth performance of 6- to 13-kg nursery pigs
Authors: Humphrey Dalton C , Hagen Chloe S , Wileman Caitlyn M , Putnam Margaret C , Haydon Keith D , Greiner Laura L 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
A total of 480 newly weaned pigs (PIC 337 × 1050; Genus, Hendersonville, TN) with an initial body weight (BW) of 6.20 ± 0.61 kg were used in a dose–response study to investigate the impact of increasing standardized ileal digestible (SID) Arg:Lys on nursery pig growth performance. At weaning, pigs were placed into 48 pens with 5 barrows and 5 gilts per pen. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments. The experimental diets were formulated with increasing SID Arg:Lys, achieved by substituting corn starch, glycine, and l-alanine with l-arginine, resulting in SID Arg:Lys ranging from 45% to 145%. Diets were sublimiting in SID Lys and exceeded all other essential amino acid requirements. The experimental diets were fed across two feeding phases from days 0 to 10 and 10 to 27, with adjustments made to account for the Lys requirement of the pigs. All pens were placed on a common diet for the remaining 14 d of the study to evaluate carryover effects. Pigs and feeders were weighed at the start and end of each phase to calculate average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (G:F). Data were analyzed according to a linear regression model, which included the linear and quadratic effects of SID Arg:Lys and initial BW. Pen was the experimental unit, and results were considered significant at P ≤ 0.05 and a tendency at 0.50 &lt; P ≤ 0.10. From days 0 to 27, Arg:Lys tended to have a quadratic effect on ADFI (P = 0.058), where 97.00 ± 7.631% SID Arg:Lys maximized feed intake. Similarly, Arg:Lys had a quadratic impact on ADG (P = 0.046), where ADG was maximized at a SID Arg:Lys of 95.65 ± 7.165. Correspondingly, Arg:Lys had a quadratic effect on pig BW on day 27 (P = 0.014). These effects were carried through the end of the study, where Arg:Lys quadratically impacted days 0 to 41 ADFI (P = 0.006), ADG (P = 0.077), and day 41 BW (P = 0.028). There was no evidence of an effect of SID Arg:Lys on G:F throughout the study (P ≥ 0.315). In conclusion, SID Arg:Lys quadratically impacted ADFI and ADG in 6- to 13-kg nursery pigs, where ADFI was maximized at a SID Arg:Lys of 97.00% (95% CI [81.6%, 112.4%]), and ADG was maximized at a SID Arg:Lys of 95.65% (95% CI [81.2%, 110.1%]). Together, these data suggest that the SID Arg:Lys requirement of nursery pigs is at least 81%, based on the lower bounds of the 95% CI for maximum ADG and ADFI, and excessive Arg supplementation may negatively affect growth performance.