bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of β‐glucan on finfish and shellfish health and well‐being: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Van Doan Hien , Sumon Md Afsar Ahmed , Tran Hung Quang , Le Chinh Xuan , Mohammady Eman Y. , El‐Haroun Ehab R. , Hoseinifar Seyed Hossein , Ringo Einar , Stejskal Vlastimil , Dawood Mahmoud A. O. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluating the inclusion of β‐glucan in aquaculture animal diets and its impact on their health outcomes. Relevant studies were identified from Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 82 primary studies published between 1996 and 2024 were reviewed, of which 70 were included in the meta‐analysis. The results revealed that the application of β‐glucan to aquaculture animal's diets significantly enhanced specific growth rate (SGR; mean effect, g = 2.71; p < 0.001), feed conversion ratio (FCR; g = −3.88; p < 0.0001) and lowered mortality after exposure to pathogens. Likewise, β‐glucan had a positive influence (p < 0.0001) on innate immune parameters (lysozyme and phagocyte activity, NBT, ACH50, and IgM). The study found that the effects of β‐glucans varied among marine and freshwater fish where freshwater fishes (g = 2.05–6.57) exhibit better performance. This study also found a negative correlation between fish's innate immune response and trophic level, suggesting that fish with higher trophic levels may be less efficient at absorbing this bio‐stimulant. Even though there were high heterogeneity (I2 = 73%–97%, p < 0.05) due to the diversity of tested organisms and publication bias, our model and findings are valid. The findings suggest that the dietary application of β‐glucans can have beneficial effects on growth and immune responses especially for freshwater species. The validity of these observations needs to be confirmed by further prospective studies.
Adaptive and maladaptive pathways of COVID‐19 worry on well‐being: A cross‐national study
Authors: Mancini Anthony D. , Chapman Cherylle , Kadir Asha , Model Zachary , Prati Gabriele 
Published: June 2024

ObjectiveIn a preregistered study, we examined whether worries about COVID‐19 are simultaneously linked with enhanced well‐being through social interaction and with reduced well‐being through depression symptoms.MethodIn August 2020, census‐matched participants from high‐ and low‐prevalence regions in the United States and Italy (N = 857) completed assessments of COVID‐19 worry, social interaction, depression symptoms, and well‐being.ResultsWorries about COVID‐19 predicted both more social interaction and more depression (ps < 0.001). In multiple mediational analyses, an adaptive pathway of COVID‐19 worry through social interaction was associated with higher well‐being, whereas a maladaptive pathway through depression symptoms was associated with lower well‐being. Further, a comparison of high and low COVID‐19 prevalence regions replicated the mediational findings for social interaction, providing evidence against reverse causation and common method variance.ConclusionFindings suggest that normative worries about acute stressors may both benefit and undermine well‐being, depending on their impact on social behavior or depression symptoms.
Inference for all variants of the multivariate coefficient of variation in factorial designs
Authors: Ditzhaus Marc , Smaga Łukasz 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe multivariate coefficient of variation (MCV) is an attractive and easy‐to‐interpret effect size for the dispersion in multivariate data. Recently, the first inference methods for the MCV were proposed for general factorial designs. However, the inference methods are primarily derived for one special MCV variant while there are several reasonable proposals. Moreover, when rejecting a global null hypothesis, a more in‐depth analysis is of interest to find the significant contrasts of MCV. This paper concerns extending the nonparametric permutation procedure to the other MCV variants and a max‐type test for post hoc analysis. To improve the small sample performance of the latter, we suggest a novel bootstrap strategy and prove its asymptotic validity. The actual performance of all proposed tests is compared in an extensive simulation study and illustrated by real data analysis. All methods are implemented in the R package GFDmcv, available on CRAN.
The impact of industrial robots on export stability
Authors: Zhou Hua , Fan Jiachen , Gan Tian 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe application of industrial robots has emerged as a significant influencing factor on international trade. Based on product export stability data from 49 major exporting countries and corresponding industrial robot application data between 2010 and 2019, this study investigates the impact and mechanisms of industrial robot application on export stability in these countries. The findings demonstrate that the application of industrial robots enhances export stability. The mechanism results indicate that the application of industrial robots principally impacts trade stability by lowering export costs and raising the technological complexity of export products. Moreover, this effect can be enhanced by increased financial development, an innovative environment, and the empowerment of women. This study provides valuable policy implications for advancing the application of industrial robots and improving export stability.
Sarnak's conjecture in quantum computing, cyclotomic unitary group coranks, and Shimura curves
Authors: Ingalls Colin , Jordan Bruce W. , Keeton Allan , Logan Adam , Zaytman Yevgeny 
Published: June 2024

AbstractSarnak's conjecture in quantum computing concerns when the groups and over cyclotomic rings with , , are generated by the Clifford‐cyclotomic gate set. We previously settled this using Euler–Poincaré characteristics. A generalization of Sarnak's conjecture is to ask when these groups are generated by torsion elements. An obstruction to this is provided by the corank: a group has only if is not generated by torsion elements. In this paper, we study the corank of these cyclotomic unitary groups in the families and , , by letting them act on Bruhat–Tits trees. The quotients by this action are finite graphs whose first Betti number is the corank of the group. Our main result is that for the families and , the corank grows doubly exponentially in as ; it is 0 precisely when , and indeed, the cyclotomic unitary groups are generated by torsion elements (in fact by Clifford‐cyclotomic gates) for these . We give explicit lower bounds for the corank in two different ways. The first is to bound the isotropy subgroups in the action on the tree by explicit cyclotomy. The second is to relate our graphs to Shimura curves over via interchanging local invariants and applying a result of Selberg and Zograf. We show that the cyclotomy arguments give the stronger bounds. In a final section, we execute a program of Sarnak to show that our results for the and families are sufficient to give a second proof of Sarnak's conjecture.
Measurements of soil protist richness and community composition are influenced by primer pair, annealing temperature, and bioinformatics choices
Authors: Mau Rebecca L. , Hayer Michaela , Purcell Alicia M. , Geisen Stefan , Hungate Bruce A. , Schwartz Egbert 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

Protists are a diverse and understudied group of microbial eukaryotic organisms especially in terrestrial environments. Advances in molecular methods are increasing our understanding of the distribution and functions of these creatures; however, there is a vast array of choices researchers make including barcoding genes, primer pairs, PCR settings, and bioinformatic options that can impact the outcome of protist community surveys. Here, we tested four commonly used primer pairs targeting the V4 and V9 regions of the 18S rRNA gene using different PCR annealing temperatures and processed the sequences with different bioinformatic parameters in 10 diverse soils to evaluate how primer pair, amplification parameters, and bioinformatic choices influence the composition and richness of protist and non-protist taxa using Illumina sequencing. Our results showed that annealing temperature influenced sequencing depth and protist taxon richness for most primer pairs, and that merging forward and reverse sequencing reads for the V4 primer pairs dramatically reduced the number of sequences and taxon richness of protists. The data sets of primers that targeted the same 18S rRNA gene region (e.g., V4 or V9) had similar protist community compositions; however, data sets from primers targeting the V4 18S rRNA gene region detected a greater number of protist taxa compared to those prepared with primers targeting the V9 18S rRNA region. There was limited overlap of protist taxa between data sets targeting the two different gene regions (80/549 taxa). Together, we show that laboratory and bioinformatic choices can substantially affect the results and conclusions about protist diversity and community composition using metabarcoding.

IMPORTANCE
Ecosystem functioning is driven by the activity and interactions of the microbial community, in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Protists are a group of highly diverse, mostly unicellular microbes whose identity and roles in terrestrial ecosystem ecology have been largely ignored until recently. This study highlights the importance of choices researchers make, such as primer pair, on the results and conclusions about protist diversity and community composition in soils. In order to better understand the roles protist taxa play in terrestrial ecosystems, biases in methodological and analytical choices should be understood and acknowledged.
Multi-COBRA hemagglutinin formulated with cGAMP microparticles elicits protective immune responses against influenza viruses
Authors: Zhang Xiaojian , Shi Hua , Hendy Dylan A. , Bachelder Eric M. , Ainslie Kristy M. , Ross Ted M. 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

In humans, seasonal influenza viruses cause epidemics. Avian influenza viruses are of particular concern because they can infect multiple species and lead to unpredictable and severe disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a universal influenza vaccine that provides protection against all influenza strains. The cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) is a promising adjuvant for subunit vaccines, which promotes type I interferons’ production through the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. The encapsulation of cGAMP in acetalated dextran (Ace-DEX) microparticles (MPs) enhances its intracellular delivery. In this study, the Computationally Optimized Broadly Reactive Antigen (COBRA) methodology was used to generate H1, H3, and H5 vaccine candidates. Monovalent and multivalent COBRA HA vaccines formulated with cGAMP Ace-DEX MPs were evaluated in mice for protective antibody responses. cGAMP MPs adjuvanted COBRA HA vaccines elicited robust antigen-specific antibodies following vaccination. Compared with COBRA HA vaccine groups with no adjuvant or blank MPs, the cGAMP MPs enhanced HAI activity elicited by COBRA HA vaccines. The HAI activity was not significantly different between cGAMP MPs adjuvanted monovalent or multivalent COBRA HA vaccines. The cGAMP MPs adjuvanted COBRA vaccine groups had higher antigen-specific IgG2a-binding titers than the COBRA vaccine groups with no adjuvant or blank MPs. The COBRA vaccines formulated with cGAMP MPs mitigated diseases caused by influenza viral challenge and decreased pulmonary viral titers in mice. Therefore, the formulation of COBRA vaccines plus cGAMP MPs is a promising universal influenza vaccine that elicits protective immune responses against human seasonal and pre-pandemic strains.

IMPORTANCE
Influenza viruses cause severe respiratory disease, particularly in the very young and the elderly. Next-generation influenza vaccines are needed to protect against new influenza variants. This report used a promising adjuvant, cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), to enhance the elicited antibodies by an improved influenza hemagglutinin candidate and protect against influenza virus infection. Overall, adding adjuvants to influenza vaccines is an effective method to improve vaccines.
Phenotypic resistant single-cell characteristics under recurring ampicillin antibiotic exposure in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Kollerová Silvia , Jouvet Lionel , Smelková Julia , Zunk-Parras Sara , Rodríguez-Rojas Alexandro , Steiner Ulrich K. 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

Non-heritable, phenotypic drug resistance toward antibiotics challenges antibiotic therapies. Characteristics of such phenotypic resistance have implications for the evolution of heritable resistance. Diverse forms of phenotypic resistance have been described, but phenotypic resistance characteristics remain less explored than genetic resistance. Here, we add novel combinations of single-cell characteristics of phenotypic resistant
E. coli
cells and compare those to characteristics of susceptible cells of the parental population by exposure to different levels of recurrent ampicillin antibiotic. Contrasting expectations, we did not find commonly described characteristics of phenotypic resistant cells that arrest growth or near growth. We find that under ampicillin exposure, phenotypic resistant cells reduced their growth rate by about 50% compared to growth rates prior to antibiotic exposure. The growth reduction is a delayed alteration to antibiotic exposure, suggesting an induced response and not a stochastic switch or caused by a predetermined state as frequently described. Phenotypic resistant cells exhibiting constant slowed growth survived best under ampicillin exposure and, contrary to expectations, not only fast-growing cells suffered high mortality triggered by ampicillin but also growth-arrested cells. Our findings support diverse modes of phenotypic resistance, and we revealed resistant cell characteristics that have been associated with enhanced genetically fixed resistance evolution, which supports claims of an underappreciated role of phenotypic resistant cells toward genetic resistance evolution. A better understanding of phenotypic resistance will benefit combatting genetic resistance by developing and engulfing effective anti-phenotypic resistance strategies.

IMPORTANCE
Antibiotic resistance is a major challenge for modern medicine. Aside from genetic resistance to antibiotics, phenotypic resistance that is not heritable might play a crucial role for the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Using a highly controlled microfluidic system, we characterize single cells under recurrent exposure to antibiotics. Fluctuating antibiotic exposure is likely experienced under common antibiotic therapies. These phenotypic resistant cell characteristics differ from previously described phenotypic resistance, highlighting the diversity of modes of resistance. The phenotypic characteristics of resistant cells we identify also imply that such cells might provide a stepping stone toward genetic resistance, thereby causing treatment failure.
In vitro
evaluation of antifungal combinations against neurotropic dematiaceous fungi associated with primary cerebral phaeohyphomycosis
Authors: Samaddar Arghadip , Mendonsa Jenevi Margaret , Sudhaharan Sukanya , S Nagarathna , Kindo Anupma Jyoti , Shetty Anjali , Pamidimukkala Umabala 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

Primary cerebral phaeohyphomycosis is a life-threatening disease caused by neurotropic dematiaceous fungi. At present, there are no consensus guidelines regarding optimal antifungal therapy in such cases. Generally, a combination of antifungal agents is recommended for treatment. However, the activities of antifungal combinations against these fungi have not been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the
in vitro
activities of 13 double and five triple antifungal combinations against clinical isolates of
Cladophialophora bantiana
(
n
= 7),
Fonsecaea monophora
(
n
= 2), and
Cladosporium cladosporioides
(
n
= 1), using a simplified checkerboard procedure. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of nine antifungal drugs were determined by the broth microdilution method, and the interaction between antifungal agents in each combination was assessed by the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Excellent activity was observed for posaconazole and itraconazole. Flucytosine had potent activity against
C. bantiana
but was ineffective against
F. monophora
, and
C. cladosporioides
. The echinocandins demonstrated high MICs for all the isolates. Synergistic interactions were observed for all the double combinations, except when itraconazole was combined with either amphotericin B or flucytosine. The combination of amphotericin B with caspofungin showed synergistic interactions against 40% of the isolates. Antagonism was observed with isavuconazole-flucytosine combination against two
C. bantiana
isolates. The triple combinations of caspofungin and flucytosine with amphotericin B or posaconazole were synergistic against one isolate of
F. monophora
. For
C. cladosporioides
, synergy was observed for the triple combination of amphotericin B with caspofungin and flucytosine. Our results indicate that combination of caspofungin with amphotericin B or a triazole, with or without 5-flucytosine has great potential against neurotropic dematiaceous fungi.

IMPORTANCE

This research uses a modified version of the checkerboard assay to standardize the
in vitro
testing of double and triple combinations of antifungal agents against neurotropic dematiaceous fungi. Antifungal combination therapy is associated with improved outcomes in cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. In this study, we demonstrate that posaconazole is the single most active antifungal drug against this group of fungi. The double combination of amphotericin B with caspofungin or a trizole, and the triple combinations of caspofungin and flucytosine with amphotericin B or posaconazole might hold promise in the treatment of cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. Our findings will guide in developing optimal therapeutic strategies for these refractory infections.
Bilateral myelomatous pleural effusions: an unusual presentation in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma
Authors: Proskuriakova Ekaterina , Adams Megan , Reddy Vijay Ketan , Kassem Mohammed 
Published: June 2024

Multiple myeloma is a rare haematological malignancy characterised by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. Typical manifestations include bone pain, fatigue and monoclonal protein elevation in serum and urine. Less than 1% of cases develop myelomatous pleural effusion, a severe complication indicative of advanced disease and a very poor prognosis.Here, we present a case of a woman with a new diagnosis of multiple myeloma complicated by bilateral myelomatous pleural effusions as the initial presentation. This case underscores the diverse clinical spectrum of multiple myeloma, the significance of timely diagnosis and the threatening implications associated with myelomatous pleural effusions.
Adjuvant external beam radiotherapy combined with brachytherapy for intermediate-risk cervical cancer
Authors: Agusti Nuria , Viveros-Carreño David , Melamed Alexander , Pareja Rene , Kanbergs Alexa , Wu Chi-Fang , Nitecki Roni , Colbert Lauren , Rauh-Hain Jose Alejandro 
Published: June 2024

Objective
Patients with intermediate-risk cervical cancer receive external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as adjuvant treatment. It is commonly administered with brachytherapy without proven benefits. Therefore, we evaluated the frequency of brachytherapy use, the doses for EBRT administered alone or with brachytherapy, and the overall survival impact of brachytherapy in patients with intermediate-risk, early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods
This retrospective cohort study was performed using data collected from the National Cancer Database. Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer from 2004 to 2019 who underwent a radical hysterectomy and lymph node staging and had disease limited to the cervix but with tumors larger than 4 cm or ranging from 2 to 4 cm with lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) were included. Patients with distant metastasis or parametrial involvement were excluded. Patients who underwent EBRT alone were compared with those who also received brachytherapy after 2:1 propensity score matching.

Results
In total, 1174 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 26.7% of them received brachytherapy. After 2:1 propensity score matching, we included 620 patients in the EBRT group and 312 in the combination treatment group. Patients who received brachytherapy had higher equivalent doses than those only receiving EBRT. Overall survival did not differ between the two groups (hazard ratio (HR) 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.62 to 1.23]; p=0.45). After stratification according to tumor histology, LVSI, and surgical approach, brachytherapy was not associated with improved overall survival. However, in patients who did not receive concomitant chemotherapy, the overall survival rate for those receiving EBRT and brachytherapy was significantly higher than that for those receiving EBRT alone (HR, 0.48 (95% CI, 0.27 to 0.86]; p=0.011).

Conclusion
About one-fourth of the study patients received brachytherapy and EBRT. The variability in the doses and radiotherapy techniques used highlights treatment heterogeneity. Overall survival did not differ for EBRT with and without brachytherapy. However, overall survival was longer for patients who received brachytherapy but did not receive concomitant chemotherapy.
Ethical issues in residency education related to the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative inquiry study
Authors: Kassam Aliya , Page Stacey , Lauzon Julie , Hay Rebecca , Coret Marian , Mitchell Ian 
Published: June 2024

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to provide care and educate junior doctors (resident physicians). We sought to understand the positive and negative experiences of first-year resident physicians and describe potential ethical issues from their stories.MethodWe used narrative inquiry (NI) methodology and applied a semistructured interview guide with questions pertaining to ethical principles and both positive and negative aspects of the pandemic. Sampling was purposive. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Three members of the research team coded transcripts in duplicate to elicit themes. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion to attain consensus. A composite story with threads was constructed.Results11 residents participated across several programmes. Three main themes emerged from the participants’ stories: (1) complexities in navigating intersecting healthcare and medical education systems, (2) balancing public health and the public good versus the individual and (3) fair health systems planning/healthcare delivery. Within these themes, participants’ journeys through the first wave were elicited through the threads of (1) engage us, (2) because we see the need for the duty to treat and (3) we are all in this together.DiscussionCases of the ethical issues that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic may serve as a foundation on which ethics teaching and future pandemic planning can take place. Principles of clinical ethics and their limitations, when applied to public health issues, could help in contrasting clinical ethics with public health ethics.ConclusionEfforts to understand how resident physicians can navigate public health emergencies along with the ethical issues that arise could benefit both residency education and healthcare systems.