bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blueprinting the Ecosystem Health Index for Blue Carbon Ecotones
Authors: Convertino Matteo , Zhang Jiaqi 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Blue Carbon Ecotones (BCEs) play a critical role in regulating abiotic and biotic ecological fluxes underpinning services which are also critical for protection in the land-ocean continuum. Previous assessments of BCEs typically focused on specific aspects such as fishery, carbon storage, or biodiversity. The sustainable conservation and development of BCEs at the global and local scale requires a comprehensive assessment of their systemic health status and its drivers to control. Here, we proposed a novel Benefit-Pressure-Transformation Risk model (BPT model) to calculate Ecotone Health Index (EHI) for mangrove, salt marsh, and seagrass as core BCEs, based on habitat structure, species morphological features, ecological services, pressures from both nature and human activities, vulnerability of species, and niche overlap. The health status of BCEs is more sensitive to structural indicators such as area, fragmentation, and height compared to co-dependent environmental pressure. For instance, 54% and 13% of mangroves' EHI are explained by species height and marine pressure, respectively. Thus, the focus on BCE's structure, where connectivity plays a dominant role in habitat and species integrity, is critical for enhancing EHI. This research provides clear analytics along coastlines at a pixel resolution of 1 °(lat)
× 1 °(long)(100km × 100km at the equator) globally with a novel index EHI, and yet setting a quantitative basis for BCEs assessment. Our BPT model is not just a descriptive framework, but a flexible tool that can be applied to all ecosystems at any scale.
Public Expenditure, Housing Value and Wealth Redistribution: Evidence from Chinese Cities
Authors: Zhang Ping , Zhuge Andong , Li Bo , Wang Xiao 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
China’s household wealth is growing rapidly and has become significant worldwide. While the government played an important role in economic growth and wealth accumulation, few research has explained why and how government expenditure redistributes household wealth in Chinese cities. This study uses China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) household survey (2010–2018) and prefecture-level data to estimate the impact of government expenditure on household wealth, especially the value of housing asset. We find that the capitalization of government expenditure contributes an important part to housing value appreciation, which accounts for more than 50% of household wealth. Furthermore, the impact mechanism of government expenditure on households’ wealth has a substantial redistributive effect. Government expenditures greatly advance the net worth of households who own their houses, especially for households that own two or more houses, but contribute much less to those comprising rental tenants.
JEL codes: D31, P25, H54, H41
Metagenomics analysis of bacterial communities in the periphytic biofilms from floating fish cages and their relationship with water physicochemical parameters
Authors: A Nadia Sabrina , A Najatul Su' Ad , M Firdaus-Nawi , Ramly Rimatulhana , Abdullah Azila , M Izzuan-Razali , H. Syafiq-Izzuddin M. A. , H Muhammad Fadzil , J. Mohamad Hafizan A. , Zamri Samtina , M Nur-Nazifah 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

In this study, we report the presence of bacterial community in terms of abundance and taxonomic biodiversity from periphytic biofilm samples attached to the surface of floating fish cage components in the Pahang River and their relationship with water physicochemical parameters. Periphytic biofilm samples were collected from five sites located in the different districts alongside the Pahang River. Water physicochemical parameters assessment was also conducted simultaneously during the sampling process. Bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was then extracted from periphytic biofilm samples and sequenced on NovaSEQ6000 by Illumina Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to construct metagenomics libraries. The results indicated the predominant phyla were Cyanobacteria, which accounted for more than half of the total bacteria detected, followed by Proteobacteria, Planctomycetota and Actinobacteriota. At the class level, the top five most detected classes were Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinomycetia and Planctomycetes. Statistical analysis discovered a significant correlation between the bacterial abundance and distribution with the water physicochemical parameters. This study is the first report of bacterial abundance and its relationship with water physicochemical parameters in the Pahang River through metagenomic analysis.
Patterns of US Citizenship Status vs. Diet Quality among Adults of African Descent
Authors: Jeffery Tia D. , Duan Xuejing , Ardakani Azam , Batheja Sapna , Stevinson Gifty , Monroe-Lord Lillie 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Introduction: With the substantial growth rate of the Black immigrant population in the US, the impact of colonization on the diets of African Americans and disproportionately high rates of chronic diseases in the Black Community, studies should place more emphasis on ethnicity when investigating nutrition-related risk factors. This study examined the relationship between variations in citizenship level and diet quality among adult subjects of African descent.
Methods: We analyzed data from 1,198 African American adults in the NHANES 2015-2016. A 'citizenship level' scale was developed using principal component analysis, incorporating years lived in the US, country of birth, and citizenship status. Diet quality was assessed using HEI scores. Associations between citizenship level, gender, age, income, and categorized diet quality (poor, moderate, or good) were examined using a Monte Carlo simulation of Fisher's exact tests. Linear regression models were employed to examine the relationship between citizenship level and continuous HEI scores, adjusting for gender, age, and income, with stratified analyses conducted for each demographic subgroup.
Results: Fisher's exact tests revealed that the level of US citizenship, gender, age, and income level were all significantly associated with the categorical level of diet quality (HEI). Regression analysis demonstrated that a lower level of US citizenship was significantly associated with higher HEI scores, indicative of better diet quality (p < 0.001), even after adjusting for gender, age, and income. This relationship persisted across most demographic subgroups but appeared stronger among males and those in the lowest income bracket. The relationship was also significant for younger adults but not for adults aged 65 and older.
Conclusions: Studies suggest a need for more inclusive culturally tailored nutrition interventions. To minimize the impact of colonization and US assimilation on lifestyle practices and chronic diseases, future studies should consider interventions that utilize traditional dietary patterns of the African diaspora as a tool to improve the quality of life among people of African descent.
Antigen clustering effect on immunogenicity in prefusion-stabilized spike-based COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Matthews Melissa M. , Kim Tae Gyun , Kim Keon Young , Obata Fumiko , Shibata Satoshi , Shibata Noriko , Iha Higor Alves , Meshcheryakov Vladimir , Hsieh Tzung-Yang , Collins Mary , Tamai Miho , Sasaki Daiki , Fujii Jun , Ishikawa Hiroki , Wolf Matthias 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Initial studies on the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) spike protein as a protein subunit vaccine suggested sub-optimal efficacy in mammals. Although protein engineering efforts have produced CoV-2 spike protein sequences with greatly improved immunogenicity, additional strategies for improving the immunogenicity of CoV-2 protein subunit vaccines are scaffolding and the use of adjuvants. Comparisons of the effectiveness of engineered protein-only and engineered protein-nanoparticles vaccines have been rare. To address this gap, we inoculated mice with two doses of either sequence-optimized trimeric spike protein or one of several sequence-optimized spike nanoparticles. We measured their immune response up to two months after the first dose. We also measured the immune response and protection against live virus in hamsters inoculated with either sequence-optimized trimeric spike protein or a liposome-based sequence-optimized spike nanoparticle. We found that in the presence of adjuvant, the antibody and neutralization titers elicited by spike-nanoparticles were not significantly greater than those elicited by spike-only in mice, even at doses as low as 0.1 µg/animal. Hamsters vaccinated with spike-only or spike-nanoparticles were equally protected from live virus one month after their first inoculation. These results indicate that sequence-optimized protein subunit vaccines in the form of individual prefusion-stabilized trimers can be as effective in improving immunogenicity as in scaffolded form.
GNPNAT1 promotes cancer cells metastasis through stabilization Slug in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: He Jinqi , Li Faxiang , Jing Zihan , Ren Xingmei , Jia Dexin , zeng Yuan , Yu Yan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rate. GNPNAT1 has been identified as a metastasis-associated gene in LUAD. However, the exact role and related mechanism of GNPNAT1 in regulating LUAD metastasis remain largely unknown.
Method
We analyzed the expression of GNPNAT1 in the TIMER2, GEPIA2 and GEO databases and confirmed the results by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The potential biological functions of GNPNAT1 in LUAD was investigated based on TCGA-LUAD database. The correlations between GNPNAT1 and cancer immune characteristics were analyzed via the ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT R package. The underlying mechanisms of altered GNPNAT1 expression on LUAD cell tumorigenesis, proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis were explored in vitro and in vivo.
Result
We demonstrated that GNPNAT1 expression was markedly increased in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues and negatively correlated with the overall survival (OS) of patients. hsa − miR − 1−3p and hsa − miR − 26a − 5p were the upstream miRNA targets of GNPNAT1. GNPNAT1 was positively correlated with the infiltration levels of CD8 T cells, memory activated CD4 T cells, NK cells resting, Macrophages M0, Macrophages M1, Neutrophils, gamma delta T cells, Eosinophils, and was negatively correlated with memory resting CD4 T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), resting NK cells, Monocytes, resting dendritic cells, resting mast cells. GNPNAT1 knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT, and metastasis of LUAD cell, while overexpression of GNPNAT1 revealed the opposite effects. Rescue assay showed that Slug knockdown reversed GNPNAT1-induced LUAD cells migration, invasion, and EMT. Mechanistically, GNPNAT1 promoted cancer cells metastasis via repressing ubiquitination degradation of Slug in LUAD.
Conclusion
These data indicated that GNPNAT1 was critical for proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT process, and metastasis of LUAD cells and may be a potential therapeutic target for LUAD.
The prognostic value of serum creatinine dynamics in neonates
Authors: Chisavu Flavia , Schiller Adalbert , Chisavu Lazar , Stroescu Ramona , Boia Marioara , Steflea Ruxandra , Gafencu Mihai 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background: Acute kidney injury (nAKI) is common in neonates with increased mortality and hospitalization. Less is known about the creatinine dynamics outside acute kidney injury and impact on survival in new-borns in the first week of life.
Methods: We performed an observational, retrospective, single-centre study on new-borns admitted to “Louis Turcanu” Emergency County Hospital for Children between 2014 and 2022. The cohort consisted in 1106 neonates with serum creatinine values recorded in the first day of life and at least another measurement between days 2 and 7. We evaluated the outcomes of ascending serum creatinine trend on mortality, hospital stay and chronic kidney disease development.
Results: 23.4% (259) babies had an ascending trend of serum creatinine andhad on day one higher urea levels, lower haemoglobin and thrombocytes, lower serum proteins and higher degrees of inflammation compared to the ones with a descending trend. A rising creatinine increased the risk of nAKI in the first seven days by 12.93 times and overall nAKI by 4.07 times. Ascending creatinine trend independently increased mortality in the entire cohort by 1.92 times and 4.65 times in the subgroup of patients without AKI. In the crude analysis, ascending creatinine trend increased the risk of chronic kidney disease by 8.74 times and in adjusted model, only nAKI was an independent risk factor (8.57 times).
Conclusions: Rising creatinine in the first week of life independently increased nAKI development and mortality. Even patients with small serum creatinine rises that did not reached nAKI presented higher mortality.
Relationship between sarcopenia indices and BMD variables in healthy community-dwelling older women
Authors: Jeon Yun Kyung , Kim Keunyoung 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the association between sarcopenia indices and bone mineral density (BMD) values using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to examine the proper threshold of sarcopenia-related indices in healthy older women. Eighty-six community-dwelling healthy postmenopausal women aged over 50 (median 67; IQR 60-73) were enrolled. Body composition, including skeletal muscle index (SMI) and BMD values of the L-spine(LS) and femoral neck (FN) were evaluated using DXA. Hand-grip strength (HGS) and the speed of the 6-minute walk test (6 MWS) were used as sarcopenia indices to evaluate physical performance. HGS and 6MWS were significantly decreased in patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis and BMD of the FN. BMD values from the LS and FN were significantly correlated with HGS. The 6MWS, as a performance score, was significantly associated only with the BMD of the FN. In postmenopausal older women, muscle strength and gait speed can be the indices to estimate femoral neck BMD rather than lumbar BMD. Older women with low HGS and 6 MWS scores can be a red flag for musculoskeletal health, and more attention is required.
Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Chinese MAS Based on GIS
Authors: Yu Pengfei , Yang Xiaoming , Wu Wanyi , Guan Jianliang 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

To articulate the spatial distribution [1][2] idiosyncrasies of martial arts schools within the People's Republic of China, utilizing the capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS 10.7), this investigation endeavors to examine a plethora of factors influencing such patterns. By harnessing the geographic latitude and longitude data for 492 martial arts schools across 31 provinces in mainland China as of Feb 2024, this study employs a suite of analytical tools including but not limited to nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation, the disequilibrium index, spatial autocorrelation, and geographically weighted regression analysis within the ArcGIS environment, to graphically delineate the spatial distribution nuances of martial arts schools. The investigation draws upon variables such as martial arts boxings, wushu hometowns, demographic densities, educational attainment levels within the populace, and regional cultural influences to elucidate the spatial distribution idiosyncrasies of martial arts schools. The spatial analytical endeavor unveiled a Moran's I value of 0.172, accompanied by a Z-score of 1.75 and a P-value of 0.079, signifying an uneven and clustered distribution pattern predominantly concentrated in provinces such as Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Hunan, and Sichuan. The delineation of martial arts schools exhibited a prominent high-density core centered around Shandong, flanked by secondary high-density clusters with Hunan and Sichuan at their heart. Amongst the array of variables dissected to explain the spatial distribution traits, the explicative potency of "martial arts boxings", " wushu hometowns" and "population density" exhibited a descending trajectory, whilst "educational level of the populace" inversely correlated with the geographical dispersion of martial arts schools. The entrenched regional cultural ethos significantly impacts the spatial layout of martial arts institutions, endowing them with distinct regional characteristics.
St. Louis Enhancing Engagement and Retention in HIV/AIDS Care (STEER): a participatory intersectional needs assessment for intervention and implementation planning
Authors: Humphries Debbie , Marotta Phillip , Hu Yue , Wang Victor , Gross Greg , Rucker Darius , Jones Johnnie , Alam Faiad , Brown Tawnya , Carter Chelsey R. , Spiegelman Donna 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background

Missouri is one of seven priority states identified by the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, and St. Louis contains almost half of the people living with HIV (PLWH) in Missouri. As St. Louis has a marked history of structural racism and economic inequities, we utilized the Intersectionality Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) framework to guide a participatory needs assessment for planning and program development.

Methods

The planning team included researchers, the lead implementer from our community partner, and two community representatives, and had biweekly 60-90 minute meetings for 18 months. The planning team discussed and approved all research materials, reviewed and interpreted results, and made decisions about outreach, recruitment, conduct of the needs assessment and development of the planned intervention. The needs assessment integrated information from existing data, (1) interviews with (a) PLWH (n=12), (b) community leaders (n=5), (c) clinical leaders (n=4), and (d) community health workers (CHWs) (n=3) and (e) CHW supervisors (n=3) who participated in a Boston University-led demonstration project on CHWs in the context of HIV and (2) focus groups (2 FG, 12 participants) with front line health workers such as peer specialists, health coaches and outreach workers. A rapid qualitative analysis approach was used for all interviews and focus groups.

Results

The IBPA was used to guide team discussions of team values, definition and framing of the problem, questions and topics in the key informant interviews, and implementation strategies. Applying the IBPA framework contributed to a focus on intersectional drivers of inequities in HIV services. The effective management of HIV faces significant challenges from high provider turnover, insufficient integration of CHWs into care teams, and organizational limitations in tailoring treatment plans. Increasing use of CHWs for HIV treatment and prevention also faces challenges. People living with HIV (PLWH) encounter multiple barriers such as stigma, lack of social support, co-morbidities, medication side effects and difficulties in meeting basic needs.

Conclusions

Addressing intersectional drivers of health inequities may require multi-level, structural approaches. We see the IBPA as a valuable tool for participatory planning while integrating community engagement principles in program and implementation design for improving HIV outcomes.
Machine learning constructs a diagnostic prediction model for calculous pyonephrosis
Authors: Yang Bin , Zhong Jiao , Yang Yalin , Xu Jin , Xu Jinming , Wan Chuanping , Geng Erkang , Liu Hua , Liu Jianhe 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

In order to provide decision-making support for the auxiliary diagnosis and individualized treatment of calculous pyonephrosis, the study aims to analyze the clinical features of the condition, investigate its risk factors, and develop a prediction model of the condition using machine learning techniques. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 268 patients with calculous renal pelvic effusion who underwent ultrasonography-guided percutaneous renal puncture and drainage in our hospital during January 2018 to December 2022. The patients were included into two groups, one for pyonephrosis and the other for hydronephrosis. At a random ratio of 7:3, the research cohort was split into training and testing data sets. Single factor analysis was utilized to examine the 43 characteristics of the hydronephrosis group and the pyonephrosis group using the T test, Spearman rank correlation test and chi-square test. Disparities in the characteristic distributions between the two groups in the training and test sets were noted. The features were filtered using the minimal absolute value shrinkage and selection operator on the training set of data. Auxiliary diagnostic prediction models were established using the following five machine learning (ML) algorithms: random forest (RF), xtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), support vector machines (SVM), gradient boosting decision trees (GBDT) and logistic regression (LR). The area under the curve (AUC) was used to compare the performance, and the best model was chosen. The decision curve was used to evaluate the clinical practicability of the models. The models with the greatest AUC in the training dataset were RF (1.000), followed by XGBoost (0.999), GBDT (0.977), and SVM (0.971). The lowest AUC was obtained by LR (0.938). With the greatest AUC in the test dataset going to GBDT (0.967), followed by LR (0.957), XGBoost (0.950), SVM (0.939) and RF (0.924). LR, GBDT and RF models had the highest accuracy were 0.873, followed by SVM, and the lowest was XGBoost. Out of the five models, the LR model had the best sensitivity and specificity is 0.923 and 0.887. The GBDT model had the highest AUC among the five models of calculous pyonephrosis developed using the ML, followed by the LR model. The LR model was considered be the best prediction model when combined with clinical operability. As it comes to diagnosing pyonephrosis, the LR model was more credible and had better prediction accuracy than common analysis approaches. Its nomogram can be used as an additional non-invasive diagnostic technique.
Assessing the causal relationship between CRP,IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels and intervertebral discdegeneration: a two-sample Mendelianrandomization study
Authors: Yan Xin-an , Shen Erdong , Cui Aiyong , Zhou Fengjin , Zhuang Yan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Growing research has suggested an association between chronic inflammation and Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD),but whether there is a causal effect remains unknown. This study adopted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approachto explore the etiological role of chronic inflammation in IVDD risk. Here, summary statistics for C-reactive protein (CRP),interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6 expression and IVDD were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of Europeanancestry. MR analyses were conducted by using inverse variance weighted (IVW), Wald Ratio, weighted median, and MR-Eggermethod. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. The MR analyses suggested a lackof causal association of CRP, IL-6 , and IL-1α levels on IVDD (CRP-IVDD: odds ratio [OR] = 0.97, 95% confidence interval[CI] : 0.86-1.09, P = 0.583; IL-6-IVDD: OR =1.04, 95% CI: 0.86-1.27, P = 0.679; IL-1α-IVDD: OR=1.09, 95%CI : 1.00-1.18,P=0.058). However, there was a sign of a connection between genetically elevated IL-1β levels and a decreased IVDDincidence(OR=0.87, 95%CI: 0.77-0.99, P=0.03). Our findings suggest a connection between IL-1β levels and the risk of IVDD.However, due to the support of only one SNP, heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests cannot be performed, the specific underlyingmechanisms warrant further investigation.