bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Amplicon Barcoding Based Sequencing Reveals Bacterial Diversity From Himalayan Hotspring of Kotli Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Authors: Ishaque Kazima , Shah Asad Hussain , Fariq Anila , Rasheed Sajida Rasheed , Jannat Sammyia , Sharif Sobia 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Microorganisms are found to exist everywhere including extreme habitats where other forms of life rarely thrive. In this study, culture-independent technique was used to analyze the microbial diversity of water samples from Tata Pani hot spring in district Kotli of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Physiochemical analysis was also conducted to study the microbial community composition and diversity of the hot spring in extreme environment. Metagenomic sequencing of five different hot spring samples yielded 875,184 of 16S rRNA sequence reads. The original sequencing output files were submitted in National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) under the Bioproject ID PRJNA869294 with the accession numbers SRX17083105, SRX17083106, SRX17083107, SRX17083108 and SRX17083109 for 5 hot water samples. Bacterial abundance measures and diversity statistics were assessed using QIIME metagenomics workflow. All the resulting 16S rRNA fragments were then classified into ten bacterial phyla. The highly represented phylum was Proteobacteria (74.68%), followed by Firmicutes (18.58%) and Bacteroidetes (4.25%) respectively. Proteobacteria were detected in a wide temperature range and their relative abundance increased with the decreasing temperature in almost all samples. There were also some unidentified sequences detected at each taxonomic level in all samples. Multivariate analysis indicated that electrical conductivity, temperature and pH are the major environmental factors involved in modelling microbial communities. This is the first study of a high resolution microbial phylogenetic profile of Tatapani hot spring.
Relationship between outdoor walking path preferences and street environment of older adults in a suburban area
Authors: Gu Yangcheng , Wang Xiaorui , Matsushita Daisuke 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the relationship between walking path preferences and street characteristics of older adults who live in suburban areas. Physical inactivity is more prevalent in developed countries because trends in urban design and built environments over the past several decades have led to car-oriented suburban development. Compared to urban areas, suburban areas have different characteristics, including limited traffic, a high rate of aging, low floor area ratios, and low building heights. We measured the spontaneous walking path of 30 older adults for two months using GPS loggers and calculated the Walk Score, Green View Index (GVI), Sky View Ratio (SVR), and the existence of the sidewalk. Participants who walked ≥ 1 km on ≥ 20 days during the 2-month experiment were classified as the active group, whereas others were classified as the inactive group. The results showed that the active group preferred the path with a significantly higher GVI, whereas the inactive group preferred the path with a significantly higher Walk Score. In addition, there was a positive correlation between walking distance and both GVI and SVR. The findings have important implications for urban planners seeking to create a supportive environment that promotes outdoor walking activity.
Educational workshops for health care professionals on compassionate communication following adverse events in health care: a mixed method evaluation
Authors: McQueen Jean , Berry Gillian , Gordon June , Cook Marcia 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background: When things go wrong in healthcare patients and families want to be included, they want open honest compassionate communication yet in practice this does not always happen.
Purpose: This study evaluates the impact of compassionate communication skills training offered to 74 health care staff from across NHS Scotland. The training intervention focused on open communication and ‘good’ patient family involvement during adverse event reviews using a person-centred approach.
Methods: The evaluation, completed by two independent reviewers, draws on the 4 levels of the Kirkpatrick model. It aims to determine learners' reaction to the training and its impact on knowledge, confidence, and practice. It draws on both qualitative and quantitative data from participants who completed the training. This includes feedback from course evaluation forms, pre and post measures of knowledge and confidence together with thematic analysis from reflective practice assignments.
Results: Quantitative outcomes indicate participants felt more confident crafting and delivering an apology, communicating, and including patients and families in adverse event reviews. They valued the on-line delivery method which combined both theory and practice. Qualitative analysis of participants' self-reported reflective practice logs suggest the training inspired improved communication, and empathic presence.
Conclusion After completing the training staff felt more confident, and some evidenced self-reported skill enhancement and changes in practice through a more person-centric compassionate approach to involving patients and families in the adverse event review process.
A feasibility study of [18F]F-AraG positron emission tomography (PET) for cardiac imaging – myocardial viability in ischemia-reperfusion injury model
Authors: shrestha uttam , Chae Hee-Don , Fang Qizhi , Lee Randall J. , Packiasamy Juliet , Huynh Lyna , Blecha Joseph , Huynh Tony L. , VanBrocklin Henry F. , Levi Jelena , Seo Youngho 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Purpose: Myocardial infarction (MI) with subsequent inflammation is one of the most common heart conditions leading to progressive tissue damage. A reliable imaging marker to assess tissue viability after MI would help determine the risks and benefits of any intervention. In this study, we investigate whether a new mitochondria-targeted imaging agent, 18F-labeled 2'-deoxy-2'-18F-fluoro-9-β-d-arabinofuranosylguanine ([18F]F-AraG), a positron emission tomography (PET) agent developed for imaging activated T cells, is suitable for cardiac imaging and to test the myocardial viability after MI.
Procedure: To test whether the myocardial [18F]-F-AraG signal is coming from cardiomyocytes or immune infiltrates, we compared cardiac signal in wild-type (WT) mice with that of T cell deficient Rag1 knockout (Rag1 KO) mice. We assessed the effect of dietary nucleotides on myocardial [18F]F-AraG uptake in normal heart by comparing [18F]F-AraG signals between mice fed with purified diet and those fed with purified diet supplemented with nucleotides. The myocardial viability was investigated in rodent model by imaging rat with [18F]F-AraG and 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) before and after MI. All PET signals were quantified in terms of the percent injected dose per cc (%ID/cc). We also explored [18F]FDG signal variability and potential T cell infiltration into fibrotic area in the affected myocardium with H&E analysis.
Results: The difference in %ID/cc for Rag1 KO and WT mice was not significant (p = ns) indicating that the [18F]F-AraG signal in the myocardium was primarily coming from cardiomyocytes. No difference in myocardial uptake was observed between [18F]F-AraG signals in mice fed with purified diet and with purified diet supplemented with nucleotides (p = ns). The [18F]FDG signals showed wider variability at different time points. Noticeable [18F]F-AraG signals were observed in the affected MI regions. There were T cells in the fibrotic area in the H&E analysis, but they did not constitute the predominant infiltrates.
Conclusions: Our preliminary preclinical data show that [18F]F-AraG accumulates in cardiomyocytes indicating that it may be suitable for cardiac imaging and to evaluate the myocardial viability after MI.
Identification of pericyte loss and neutrophils infiltration in Focal cortical dysplasia by Integrated Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA-Sequencing
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Weiliang , Xu Fei , Yao Yi , Zhang Xiaobin , Weng Mingxiang , Wang Fengpeng , Gang Baozhi 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Epilepsy is one of the most common serious brain conditions. Focal cortical dysplasia(FCD) is the most common diagnosis in children among patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who require surgical treatment. However, the pathogenic genes and the interaction between different cells of FCD are not clear, especially the immune mechanism of FCD remains nascent. We further analyze FCD data in terms of genes, cellular changes and immune infiltration by integrating bulk and single-cell sequencing data.
Methods
The scRNA-seq dataset GSE201048 and bulk RNA-seq dataset GSE62019 were combined to perform deconvolution to infer the cell composition ratio of samples in bulk RNA-seq of FCD. We used AUCell analysis, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, cell communication analysis and WGCNA to analyze pericyte function and pericyte cell communication. PPI was used to identify hub genes. GSVA and The Pearson correlation analysis were used to identify relationships between hub genes and pericyte. We used logistic regression to construct a diagnostic model based on hub genes. Finally, we performed immune infiltration analysis.
Results
Pericytes were significantly reduced in FCD. Neutrophils cells were significantly different between the FCD group and the control group ( p < 0.05 ), and the degree of immune infiltration was higher in the FCD group. PPI network analysis identified 5 hub genes related to pericytes. Through LASSO regression analysis, we established a risk score model containing five genes.
Conclusion
This study provides a new perspective to study the molecular mechanism and cell changes in FCD. It was found for the first time that pericytes play an important role in FCD.
Validity of the checkbox method: a new scale for quantification of response cost
Authors: Oda Ryo , Yasutani Hinako 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

In the checkbox method, participants check boxes in a grid of 10 × 10 checkboxes on a web page by pointing the mouse on each box and clicking. Each box is numbered from 1 to 100 and it is only possible to check them in order. This method is useful for quantitatively measuring the extent to which respondents are willing to pay a cost, such as the willingness to help or to express gratitude. It needs to be tested whether the checkbox method of measurement shows similar results to traditional methods such as the Likert scale in contexts not directly related to cost. However, no studies have compared the results of a Likert scale with those of a checkbox scale in such a context. We asked participants to complete both a Likert scale and a checkbox scale of the Big Five personality traits using the TIPI-J and investigated relationships between the scales. Despite the time-consuming nature of the responses, there were statistically significant correlations between the number of boxes checked and the Likert scale scores, which revealed that the checkbox method can measure the Big Five personality traits correctly to some extent.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of student-centered teaching model in medical microbiology education
Authors: Qian Jun , Xu Weizhen , Kao Wenping , Wang Xu , Zhang Qingmeng , Zhuang Min 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background: The student-centered teaching model involves reforms in training mode, teaching methods, assessment systems, class roles and learning behaviors, aiming to improve the teaching quality effectively, which has become an inevitable trend for maximizing teaching efficiency. Medical microbiology is the study of the pathogenic microorganisms related to human infectious diseases, playing a crucial role in the training of medical professionals. However, there is a lack of data demonstrating the effectiveness of this teaching modelin the medical microbiology education of undergraduate medical students. This study aims to evaluate it.
Methods: This study focused on undergraduate clinical medicine students at Harbin Medical University from grade 2018 to 2021. The teaching team began implementing a student-centered teaching model and incorporating online content into the class from grade 2019. The effectiveness of the teaching model was evaluated by comparing the usual scores and final exam scores of different grades under different teaching models used Pearson correlation. An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted after the course in grade 2020 and 2021 to assess students' opinions on the student-centered teaching model.
Results: The final exam scores of students from grade 2019, 2020, and 2021 using the new teaching model (85.29±0.51, 76.84±0.60, 80.88±0.55) were significantly higher than those of grade 2018 under traditional teaching model (75.83±0.55). There was a significant correlation between usual scores and final exam scores(grade 2019 r =0.3936, grade 2020 r =0.2819, grade 2021 r =0.1953, P < 0.05). Results from the questionnaire showed that 61.62% students of grade 2020 (183/297) and 65.90% students of grade 2021 (201/305) believed that the new teaching model helped integrate knowledge and understand the key contents, 60.27% (179/297) and 67.87% (207/305) of the studentsfelt it increased their desire to learn clinical professional courses, 65.66% (195/297) and 71.80% (219/305) of the studentsthought it enhanced problem analysis and solving abilities, 58.59% (174/297) and 62.30% (190/305) of studentsbelieved it stimulated their interest in studying medical microbiology.
Conclusions: The student-centered teaching model significantly improved student learning efficiency in medical microbiology courses, enhanced the development of higher-order skills, and promoted students' awareness of active learning through various assessments.
The Mediating Role of Police Officers' Emotional Self-Regulation Competency in the Association between Perceived Stress and Suicide Tendency
Authors: Tansel Bülent , Padır Mehmet Ali , Demir Volkan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Suicide tendency is prevalent among police officers, influenced by various psychological factors and challenging work conditions that impact their well-being and mental health. Despite its significance, there remains a scarcity of evidence addressing this critical issue. The current study aimed to examine the mediating role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy in the association between perceived stress and suicide probability.
Method
The data were collected from 855 police officers (85.8% men; mean age = 35.68 ± 8.83) in Turkey. Using a cross-sectional research design, participants were administered the stress subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), the Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Suicide Probability Scale.
Results
The results showed that perceived stress had a significant direct positive impact on suicidal probability and a negative impact on regulatory emotional self-efficacy. The regulatory emotional self-efficacy had a significant direct negative impact on suicidal probability. Furthermore, regulatory emotional self-efficacy played a partial mediating role in the effect of perceived stress on suicidal probability.
Conclusions
Effective use of emotional self-regulation skills by police officers can mitigate the impact of perceived stress and decrease suicidal tendencies.
MRI Radiomics and Biological Correlations for Predicting Axillary Lymph Node Burden in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Hong Minping , Xu Maosheng , Fan Sijia , Xu Zeyan , Fang zhen , Ling keng , Lai Penghao , Han Chaokang , Chen Zhonghua , Hou Jie , Liang Yanting , Zhou Changyu , Wang Junyan , Chen Xiaobo , Huang Yanqi 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background and aims Preoperative prediction of axillary lymph node (ALN) burden in patients with early-stage breast cancer is pivotal for individualised treatment. This study aimed to develop a MRI radiomics model for evaluating the ALN burden in early-stage breast cancer and to provide biological interpretability to predictions by integrating radiogenomic data.
Methods This study retrospectively analyzed 1211 patients with early-stage breast cancer from four centers, supplemented by data from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) and Duke University (DUKE). MRI radiomic features were extracted from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI images and an ALN burden-related radscore was constructed by the backpropagation neural network algorithm. Clinical and combined models were developed, integrating ALN-related clinical variables and radscore. The Kaplan–Meier curve and log-rank test were used to assess the prognostic differences between the predicted high- and low-ALN burden groups in both Center I and DUKE cohorts. Gene set enrichment and immune infiltration analyses based on transcriptomic TCIA and TCIA Breast Cancer dataset were used to investigate the biological significance of the ALN-related radscore.
Results The MRI radiomics model demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.781–0.809 in three validation cohorts. The predicted high-risk population demonstrated a poorer prognosis (log-rank P< 0.05 in both cohorts). Radiogenomic analysis revealed migration pathway upregulation and cell differentiation pathway downregulation in the high radscore groups. Immune infiltration analysis confirmed the ability of radiological features to reflect the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment.
Conclusions The MRI radiomics model effectively predicted the ALN burden and prognosis of early-stage breast cancer. Moreover, radiogenomic analysis revealed key cellular and immune patterns associated with the radscore.
A joint analytic framework towards the problem of survival curves crossing and the application in patients with NSCLC
Authors: Han Xinyue , Zhou Dingzi , Yang Shuai , Weng Yang , Zhang Tao 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background: When the problem of survival-curve-crossing arises, the traditional proportional hazard (PH) Cox model usually fails to accurately estimate the effect of prognostic factors. This problem has not been completely resolved in the prognostic studies of non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, a joint analytic framework towards the SCC problem should be constructed for a better understanding of NSCLC prognosis.
Method: The framework includes segmentation, model selection, and evaluation. It presents a clear roadmap on how to choose an appropriate model given different data conditions. The performance of the framework was evaluated through the data of NSCLC patients from SEER database. We compared its goodness-of-fit with that of the PH Cox model by the Akaike Information Criterion and Cox-Snell Residuals. Besides, we also conducted subgroup analyses to enhance the validity of our framework.
Results: There was a crossing point in the survival curves of chemotherapy. The model selected by the joint analytic framework had a better goodness-of-fit performance. In contrast, the non-segmented model failed to find out that radiotherapy shortened the survival time of patients with survival time >14 months. The subgroup analyses showed specific patients who benefited from radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Conclusion: The joint analytic framework could help clinicians avoid pitfalls such as SCC during the prognosis study of NSCLC. The prognostic effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in NSCLC patients with survival time >14 months needs more attention in the future.
First Report of Hermetia Illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), Black Soldier Fly (Diptera, Stratiomyidae) from Iran
Authors: Abbasi Ebrahim 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
The black soldier fly or Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: stratiomyidae) is one of the best-known flies all around the world for its nutritional value. This species is originally a new world species and was described in 1758 by the Swedish. They lay their eggs in moist, decaying organic material such as fruits and manure. Larvae are large saprophagous maggots with six larval instars and reach 25–30 mm in length and 6–8 mm in width in the last stages. Adults of Hermetia illucens are black at all body parts except the first abdominal segment, which is translucent, and the feet-like tarsi, which are white. There are several reports of h. illucens worldwide.
Methods
In northwest Iran, specimens were collected from 36°46'36.9"n 48°27'21.1"e in Zanjan Province, where rice, corn, oilseeds, fruits, and potatoes are cultivated. The specimens were collected from fruit waste decomposing in the field as eggs and larvae and transported to the Shiraz University of medical sciences insectarium. They were reared in the insectarium, and the collected specimens' generation was established in the insectarium. All eggs, larva, pupa, and adult stages were analyzed, and photographs were captured by a sc100 model camera mount under microscope. The specimen was identified using valid identification keys.
Results
Totally, 362 flies were collected including Abricta curvicosta, Alobates pennsylvania, Bllatela americana, Carabus coriaceus, Chorthippus albomarginatus, Crocothemis erythaea, Hermetia illucens Lasius flavus, Omocestus viridulus, Orius insidiosus, Ospherantera coerulescens, and Topinoma sessile.
Conclusions
This is the first detection of Hermetia illucens in Iran.
Socio-Economic Challenges Faced by Parents of Children with Cerebral Palsy at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study.
Authors: Opeyemi Oladunni , Oyindamola Olaoye Jewel , Opelopejesu Owolabi , Faith Ajani Olumide 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and permanently affect body movements and muscle coordination. It is caused by a brain injury during development. This neurological disorder in children has an effect on the quality of life, restricts participation in peer activities, and impedes normal growth and development. Caring for and raising children with CP can have an economic burden on parents/caregivers affected families, the healthcare system, and the economy. The economic burden of CP may add to caregivers’/parents’ difficulties in finding the appropriate health services for children with CP.
Methods
This study aims to explore the socio-economic challenges experienced by parents of children with cerebral palsy at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design among 68 participants who are mostly married women and parents of children with cerebral palsy. The data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, and descriptive data analysis was used to analyze the data. The respondents were aged between 11–20 to 31–40.
Results
Nearly 80% of the respondents indicated that children with cerebral palsy are a burden to them and face difficulties communicating with their children. Furthermore, 78.4% of the respondents indicated that their child's situation affects their mental health. There is no association between monthly income and the perception of children with CP as a burden.
Conclusion
Caring for children with cerebral palsy is challenging and has a significant negative impact on family, social, and financial resources, particularly in resource-poor countries like Nigeria with little or no social support system. The findings from this study have important implications for the practice of public health in Nigeria. The state government needs to provide support systems and take measures to assist parents of children with developmental disabilities. The findings from this study can be translated to the national level for effective program implementation in relation to cerebral palsy support.