bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do bacterial root endophytes contribute to growth in saline conditions? A pre-reintroduction cultivation study of threatened saltmarsh Limonium species
Authors: Nogales Amaia , Costa Maria Cristina Simões , Navarro-Torre Salvadora , Sousa Vicelina , Caperta Ana 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background and Aims Highly specialized halophilic flora, such as the threatened endemic sea-lavender species Limonium algarvense and Limonium daveaui, are adapted to grow in saline environments. Plant-associated microorganisms associate with halophytes promoting their survival and growth, namely stress tolerance. In this study, we compared the effects of halophilic bacterial inoculants and characterized seed germination and plant growth under saline conditions.Methods A new protocol was developed for in vitro seed germination with bacterial inoculation. The experimental set up included three treatments: non-inoculation, inoculation with a single bacterial inoculum (Pantoea sp., LDR15) or a consortium of halotolerant bacteria (Pantoea genus). We assessed plants’ physiological status, biomass, and leaves characteristics under saline irrigation.Results Exposure to NaCl (200 mM) along with inoculation using either LDR15 strain or the bacterial consortium negatively affected seed germination. The inoculated bacteria were localized in root cortex and phloem. Under non-saline conditions, bacterial inoculation had no effect in leaf number and fresh biomass, being leaf reflectance values higher in L. algarvense than in L. daveaui. Salinity significantly reduced both leaf number and size, succulence and biomass, being this effect more pronounced in L. algarvense than in L. daveaui. The bacterial consortium negatively affected plant survival, but plants inoculated with the LDR15 strain had higher biomass than the non-inoculated ones.Conclusion We concluded that even though halotolerant bacteria did not improve seed germination upon salinity exposure, the bacterial inoculation with LDR15 strain in germinated plantlets can be a suitable strategy for promoting plant development in saline environments.
Double Stokes Polarimetric Microscopy for Chiral Fibrillar Aggregates
Authors: Mazeika Viktoras , Mirsanaye Kamdin , Castano Leonardo Uribe , Krouglov Serguei , Alizadeh Mehdi , Maciulis Mykolas , Kontenis Lukas , Karabanovas Vitalijus , Barzda Virginijus 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy is a powerful tool for imaging collagen and other noncentrosymmetric fibrillar structures in biological tissue. Polarimetric SHG measurements provide ultrastructural information about the fibrillar organization in a focal volume (voxel). We present a reduced nonlinear polarimetry method named double Stokes polarimetry (DSP) for quick characterization of chiral C6 symmetry fibers without data fitting that simplifies and speeds up the polarimetric analysis. The method is based on double Stokes-Mueller polarimetry and uses linear and circular incident and outgoing polarization states. The analytical expressions of DSP polarimetric parameters are defined in terms of conventional SHG Stokes vector components. A complex chiral susceptibility (CCS) model is assumed to derive expressions of ultrastructural parameters consisting of the magnitude and phase of molecular complex-valued chiral susceptibility ratio, real-valued achiral ratio, and fiber orientation in a voxel. The ultrastructural parameters are expressed in terms of directly measurable DSP polarimetric parameters. DSP is validated with rat tail tendons sectioned at different orientations. DSP can be applied to investigate the origin of chiral complex-valued susceptibility of collagen, to study modifications of collagen in cancerous tissue, to map ultrastructural parameters of large areas for whole-slide histopathology, and to image moving specimens in real time.
Investigating the Effect of Oral Probiotic Capsules on Postpartum Quality of Sleep in Primiparous women: A Three-blind Randomized Control trial
Authors: Rastegar Maryam , Shoorab Nahid Jahani , Salari Roshanak , Rastaghi Sedigheh 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Introduction
: Quality of sleep is an important indicator of health. Sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue is one of the most common problems after delivery. Early postpartum (first 4 weeks) is when sleep is most disturbed. The gut microbiota may affect sleep quality and affect host health through the production of metabolites and compounds. The present study aims to determine the effect of oral probiotic capsule on the quality of sleep after delivery in primiparous women.
Method
This three-blind randomized clinical trial study was conducted in August to November 2023 on 60 eligible primiparous women who gave birth in Mashhad, Iran health centers. The drug group (n = 30) took one probiotic capsule (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium-Bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Bifidobacterium longum) and the placebo group (n = 30) took a placebo capsule from the third day after delivery for 30 days. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality questionary was completed before and after the study. The analysis was done using SPSS version 25 statistical software. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests, T-test and Mann-Whitney test were used. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results
The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic and obstetric characteristics except in BMI. Before the intervention, the overall score of postpartum quality of sleep in the drug and placebo groups was 9.66 ± 6.21 and 11.70 ± 6.68, and after the intervention in the probiotic group was 6.16 ± 2.75 and in the placebo group it was 6.60 ± 2.66 with a statistically significant difference in the intervention group compared to the placebo (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Consumption of probiotic capsules improves the quality of sleep and maternal health in the postpartum period.
Open-label, controlled, phase 2 clinical trial assessing the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of INM004 in pediatric patients with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome
Authors: Fayad Alicia , Principi Iliana , Balestracci Alejandro , Alconcher Laura , Coccia Paula , Adragna Marta , Amoreo Oscar , Bettendorff María Carolina , Blumetti María Valeria , Bonany Pablo , Tonfi María Laura Flores , Flynn Luis , Ghezzi Lidia , Montero Jorge , Ramirez Flavia , Seminara Claudia , Suarez Angela , Spizzirri Ana Paula , Rivas Marta , Pichel Mariana , Zylberman Vanesa , Spatz Linus , Massa Carolina , Valerio Marina , Sanguineti Santiago , Colonna Mariana , Roubicek Ian , Goldbaum Fernando 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS) is a severe condition mainly affecting children. It is one of the leading causes of acute kidney injury in pediatric population. There is no established therapy for this disease. INM004 is an anti-Shiga toxin composed of equine polyclonal antibodies. This study aimed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of INM004 in pediatric patients with STEC-HUS.
Methods
Phase 2, open-label clinical trial with an historical control arm. Patients in the treatment arm received two doses of INM004. The primary endpoints were the safety profile, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy (dialysis days) of INM004. Secondary endpoints included other renal and extrarenal outcomes. Propensity score matching was used for efficacy comparisons between arms.
Results
Fifty-seven and 125 patients were enrolled in the treatment and control arm, respectively. After propensity score matching, 52 patients remained in each arm. INM004 was well-tolerated. Eight adverse events were considered possibly related, none of which were serious or severe. In the primary efficacy endpoint, patients of the treatment arm presented a non-statistically significant difference of two dialysis days. On secondary endpoints, trends toward a lower number of patients needing dialysis and dialysis for more than ten days, and shorter time to glomerular filtration rate normalization, were observed favoring the treatment arm.
Conclusions
INM004 showed an adequate safety profile. Efficacy trends suggesting a beneficial effect in the amelioration of kidney injury were observed. These results encourage the conduction of a Phase 3 study of INM004 in pediatric patients with STEC-HUS.
Isolated hydatid cyst in the medial rectus muscle: unveiling a rare orbital occurrence
Authors: Attar Alireza , Khademi behzad , Jalalpour Mohammad Hassan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Orbital hydatid disease, while rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of unilateral proptosis, particularly in endemic areas. Accurate diagnosis and comprehensive management are essential for effective treatment and favorable long-term outcomes.
Case Presentation
A 12-year-old boy presented with a one-month history of diplopia and left-sided proptosis. A CT scan revealed a cystic mass within the left medial rectus muscle. Surgical intervention confirmed the presence of a hydatid cyst following cyst rupture and irrigation with hypertonic saline. The patient underwent a two-month course of albendazole therapy. Initially, the patient experienced persistent exotropia and diplopia, but at the three-year follow-up, he exhibited no diplopia or proptosis and only mild residual exotropia.
Conclusion
This case underscores the importance of considering orbital hydatid cysts in the differential diagnosis of unilateral proptosis in endemic regions. Heightened awareness, accurate diagnosis, and a tailored therapeutic approach, including surgical removal and antiparasitic treatment, are crucial for successful management and improved long-term outcomes.
Federated Learning-based Content Caching Strategy for Edge Computing
Authors: Nivethitha V , Aghila G 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In the realm of edge computing, effective content caching stands as a pivotal strategy to manage the exponential surge of mobile data within 5G networks. Content caching revolves around enabling the local storage of content in caches, ensuring swift and recurrent access to data. Yet, the challenge lies in accurately predicting the popularity of the files and thus requires caching due to constraints such as limited cache space and fluctuating file preferences. Conventional learning-based methods tackle this issue by gathering user data centrally for training purposes, to predict the file popularity. However, there arises a concern regarding user reluctance to entrust their private data to a central server. To address this, a novel solution is introduced in this paper called Federated Learning-based Content Caching (FLCC). FLCC operates by employing an enhanced Stacked Autoencoder in the edge devices without the necessity for centralized data collection during training. Utilizing a federated learning approach, FLCC prioritizes data privacy by aggregating user updates through federated averaging. This method implements a hybrid filtering mechanism based on a stacked autoencoder, training each user individually with their local data. The results from the FLCC approach showcase its superior cache efficiency when compared to traditional learning-based techniques. The proposed FLCC approach is a robust solution that upholds data privacy while enhancing content caching effectiveness in edge computing environments.
Psychometric properties of a parenting assessment tool for Chinese parents of 0-3-year-olds according to the Nurturing Care Framework
Authors: Jia Ni , Wang Lijun , Meng Jing , Xu Mengxue , Guan Hongyan , Liu Aihua , Kong Wenrui , Zhu Zonghan , Dai Yaohua 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Given the limited information on early parenting measurements based on the conceptual framework of nurturing care through observational and interviewing methods, the study aimed to evaluate a parenting assessment tool developed for Chinese parents of 0-3-year-olds (PAT(0–3)). 549 mother dyads were conveniently sampled from 10 cities of China for validation, 75 cases were selected for test-retest reliability two weeks later and 158 children were selected for testing child neuropsychological and physical development. The scale includes two parts (Education part and Healthcare part), 5 subscales and 47 items. The internal consistency alpha coefficient of PAT(0–3), Education part and Healthcare part were 0.882, 0.848 and 0.741 respectively. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the test and retest was 0.928 for PAT(0–3). The results of confirmatory factor analysis were: χ2 = 3003.51(p < 0.01), χ2/df = 2.93, CFI = 0.63, TLI = 0.61, RMSEA = 0.06 (90%CI:0.057–0.062). Education part was positively linked to the neuropsychological development (r = 0.201, p < 0.05), and Healthcare part was positively associated with child weight (r = 0.209, p < 0.05), child length (r = 0.293, p < 0.05). PAT(0–3) was positively related to maternal education level (η2 = 0.16, p < 0.01) and maternal age (η2 = 0.06, p < 0.05). PAT(0–3) based on the NCF by interviewing and observational methods yielded a reliable and marginally valid measurement of early parenting in China.
Combined Serum Total Tau-Neurofilament Light Polypeptide Could be Used as Screening Biomarkers For Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ceylan Gözde , Sakallı Nazan Karagöz , Içli Hacer Eroğlu , Küçükgergin Canan Başaran , Doğru-Abbasoğlu Semra , Vural Pervin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aim
To evaluate the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with serum tau, neurofilament light polypeptide (NFL), neurogranin, chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) and fatty acid binding protein-3 (FABP-3) as non-invasive markers for early diagnosis of AD.
Methods
Total 86 AD patients and 30 healthy individuals were recruited. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) scores, glucose and lipid profile parameters were assessed.
Results
AD patients were divided into three groups according to CDR: 33 mild, 29 moderate, and 24 severe stages. Serum total tau and NFL levels were higher, neurogranin, YKL-40, FABP-3 not changed in AD patients. Late onset AD was related with higher FABP-3 levels when compared to early onset. Glucose, total cholesterol, LDL were elevated in AD patients. We evaluated for the first time the combined effects of serum total tau-NFL as biomarkers in early diagnosis of AD, and assessed whether the created ROC curves had a strengthening effect on the parameters. Serum total tau values alone had the highest sensitivity and specificity. When NFL-total tau were combined, NFL sensitivity and specificity was higher compared to the values obtained alone. In addition, NFL was correlated to total tau. Both NFL and total tau were in close relationship with lipid profile parameters.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that serum total tau alone is sufficient for the early diagnosis of AD; however, combinations of total tau-NFL biomarkers could also be used as screening tests. High glucose, total cholesterol, LDL support the relationship between AD and metabolic syndrome.
Synthesis of the dibenzylbutane lignan LCA derivatives and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory activities
Authors: Zhang Juan , Gai Conghao , Wang Jing , Zhuo Xiaobin , Zou Yan , Yang Jishun , Song Yan , Zhao Qingjie , Chai Xiaoyun 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The roots of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers have been used for the treatment of rheumatic. In the previous study, we extracted and isolated the natural product dibenzylbutane lignan LCA with anti-inflammatory activity. With LCA as the lead compound, two series of LCA derivatives with imide structure and butadiene structure were designed and synthesized. Among them, compounds 10c and 16a showed stronger inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO and ROS production in RAW264.7 cells. Further studies showed that compound 16a not only reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β, but also significantly reduced the expression levels of iNOS and COX-2. Preliminary mechanism of action studies suggests that 16a may exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the NF-κB signalling pathway. Overall, compound 16a may be used as a promising anti-inflammatory drug to enrich the compound library. In addition, the study of 16a could provide research ideas and methods for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.
"Observing Pulmonary Function Disparities in Diabetes Patients from Demographic and Hormonal Perspectives: A Study Based on NHANES Database"
Authors: Wu Jianyang , Lin Yuyuan , Xu Jianxin , Pan Jie , Lin Mengxin , Xu Zhiyang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Diabetes is a global public health issue commonly associated with various complications, including impaired lung function. Existing studies suggest that the relationship between diabetes and lung function varies significantly across age, racial, and gender groups. However, specific differences in lung function within these demographic characteristics have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to explore lung function disparities among diabetic patients using data from the 2009–2012 NHANES.
Methods
Data from 2009–2012 NHANES were analyzed, including 8087 participants with valid physical measurements and lung function data, of which 984 were diabetic. Multivariate linear regression was employed to assess the effects of factors such as age, gender, race, BMI, and smoking on lung function indicators (peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC)). Additionally, lung function was compared between male diabetic patients with different testosterone levels and postmenopausal female diabetic patients using hormone therapy.
Results
The study found significant disparities in lung function among diabetic patients across different racial, age, and gender groups. Specifically, in terms of race, Black diabetic patients exhibited poorer lung function compared to White and Mexican American patients, particularly in FEV1 and FVC indices. Regarding age, participants under 50 showed higher PEF, FEV1, and FVC than those over 50. Gender-wise, males had higher PEF, FEV1, and FVC than females. Male diabetic patients with testosterone levels ≥ 16 ng/dL had significantly better lung function indicators than those with testosterone levels < 16 ng/dL, notably in FEV1 and FVC (P < 0.001). Postmenopausal female diabetic patients using hormone therapy showed significant improvement in lung function. Specifically, those using estrogen and progesterone therapy exhibited marked improvement in FVC (P = 0.024).
Conclusion
This study reveals significant impacts of gender, race, and hormone levels on lung function among diabetic patients, providing new insights for personalized treatment. Male patients and postmenopausal female patients using hormone therapy demonstrated better lung function, suggesting the potential consideration of testosterone and estrogen supplementation in clinical treatment. These findings underscore the importance of addressing gender and racial disparities in medical research, promoting more precise and effective medical practices.
DeepMine-Multi-TTS: A Persian Speech Corpus for Multi-Speaker Text-to-Speech
Authors: Adibian Majid , Zeinali Hossein , Barmaki Soroush 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Speech synthesis has made significant progress in recent years thanks to deep neural networks (DNNs). However, one of the challenges of DNN-based models is the requirement for large and diverse data, which limits their applicability to many languages and domains. To date, no multi-speaker text-to-speech (TTS) dataset has been available in Persian, which hinders the development of these models for this language. In this paper, we present a novel dataset for multi-speaker TTS in Persian, which consists of 120 hours of high-quality speech from 67 speakers. We use this dataset to train two synthesizers and a vocoder and evaluate the quality of the synthesized speech. The results show that the naturalness of the generated samples, measured by the mean opinion score (MOS) criterion, is 3.94 and 4.12 for two trained multi-speaker synthesizers, which indicates that the dataset is suitable for training multi-speaker TTS models and can facilitate future research in this area for Persian.
Prostate Cancer Lesions in Transition Zone Exhibit a Higher Propensity for Pathological Upgrading in Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Chen Xin , Wang He , Wang Chaozhong , Qian Chengbo , Lin Yuxin , Huang Yuhua , Wei Xuedong , Hou Jianquan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background: The varying malignancy and lethality of different grades of prostate cancer (PCa) highlight the importance of accurate diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the upgrading of transition zone (TZ) prostate cancer biopsies and identify factors to improve TZ biopsy accuracy.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 217 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy after 12+X cores transperineal transrectal ultrasound-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided targeted prostate biopsy from 2018 to 2021 in our center.
Results: Patients with TZ lesions showed a higher incidence of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade upgrading from 1 to higher grade compared to peripheral zone lesions (16.9% vs. 5.0%, p=0.005). Multivariate analysis confirmed TZ lesions as an independent risk factor (OR: 4.594, 97.5% CI: 1.569-15.238, p=0.008) for upgrading from 1 to higher. Additionally, the number of positive biopsy cores (OR: 0.586, 97.5% CI: 0.336-0.891, p=0.029) and anterior TZ lesion location (OR: 10.797, 97.5% CI: 1.503-248.727, p=0.048) were independent factors for the upgrading in TZ patients.
Conclusions: This study found that PCa lesions located in the TZ, particularly the anterior TZ, have a higher risk of ISUP grade upgrading. This elevated risk arises from the insufficient distribution of biopsy cores around the TZ lesion. The findings underscore the importance of having an adequate number of biopsy cores around the lesion area to improve the accuracy of ISUP grade assessments.
Post-Movement Beta Rebound in Sensorimotor Cortex Endures One Week After Three Days of Practice
Authors: Sisti Helene M. , Amarnath Amarnath , Balcha Rebecca , Freitas Gabriel , Vargas Elena 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The post-movement beta rebound (PMBR) is the tightly coupled increase in beta power that occurs in the sensorimotor cortex upon movement termination. It is a potential biomarker of motor control; abnormal responses could signal disease. With respect to its interaction with learning, both decreases and increases have been observed. In this study, we examined the effect of two types of practice schedules, blocked and randomized, on memory retention one week later. A blocked schedule leads to better performance during acquisition but poorer performance during long-term retention, a phenomenon known as the contextual interference effect. The aim of the present study is two-fold: (1) test the contextual interference effect using a visuomotor bimanual tracking task (2) determine whether three days of practice leads to a decreased PMBR at retention test one week later. We hypothesized that learning with either schedule would lead to decreased PMBR. Our data demonstrated no main effect of practice schedule. It is most likely that the task variants were not sufficiently different to induce the contextual interference phenomenon. Further, the PMBR was not attenuated by learning. It was evident before and after three days of practice. This has important implications for its putative role as a biomarker.