bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding academic vocabulary learning in higher education: Perspectives from first‐year undergraduates in Hong Kong
Authors: Chung Edsoulla , Wan Aaron , Fung Daniel 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe learning of academic vocabulary, which consists of words commonly found in academic discourse across disciplines, is crucial for success in higher education. However, studies have shown that English as a second language (ESL) students face significant challenges acquiring this vocabulary, particularly during their first year of university. Given the pivotal role that learners’ beliefs play in language learning, understanding their beliefs regarding their academic vocabulary learning (AVL) can provide educators with insights into the teaching strategies that effectively address the difficulties learners encounter. Accordingly, this mixed‐methods study examined the beliefs of 172 first‐year ESL undergraduates in Hong Kong regarding their AVL. Quantitative findings indicated that although students generally recognised the importance of developing academic vocabulary, their beliefs about their competence and effective learning methods varied. The students’ English proficiency level was also found to be associated with their beliefs. An analysis of open‐ended responses further revealed that the students faced challenges related to the infrequent occurrence of academic vocabulary in non‐academic contexts, its complex nature, as well as the difficulty of retaining newly learned words. The paper concludes by discussing pedagogical implications and directions for future research.
A revenue management approach for tourism logistics optimization
Authors: Di Puglia Pugliese Luigi , Guerriero Francesca , Miglionico Giovanna 
Published: June 2024

AbstractTourism is a very complex industry and represents one of the most profitable activity in the world. A tourist product requires the execution of several multifaceted activities. Indeed, transportation, accommodation, entertainment, food, and beverages represent only some of the products/services required by a tourist. It is evident that a single enterprise cannot provide all the components of a tourist product, but several interrelated actors should collaborate. This leads to a very complex supply tourist chain that needs to be optimized. The relevant theories and methods of logistics can be used to efficiently manage all the flows that are generated in a tourist chain. The definition of appropriate policies, at the different nodes of the chain, can improve the performance of all the actors involved in tourism logistics. In this paper, we concentrate our attention on tour operators that are relevant in the touristic logistic chain since they are involved in several activities. We introduce different revenue management policies to support tour operators in the decision of accepting the most profitable tourist requests. A request consists of flights and hotel booking, characterized by a starting time of the trip and the length of stay at the destination. We allow for various combinations of flight legs and multiple categories of hotels to accommodate a variety of customer preferences and needs. A computational study is carried out by considering different scenarios, and the performance of the considered revenue management policies is analyzed in detail.
Fugitive Study at University: Moving Beyond Neoliberal Affect Through Aesthetic Experimentation with Space‐Times
Authors: Trafí‐Prats Laura 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe article proposes a relational pedagogy centred on study, to contest the affective condition of the present and how it shapes narratives of young people being disengaged and with a lack of future. In doing so, it draws from affect theory and black radical studies to outline a more complex approach to affect in university experience. It mobilises the concept of study, advanced by Stefano Harney and Fred Moten in their book The Undercommons, to direct attention to less linear and transparent space‐times where study, a practice of affecting and being affected by what others do to you and what you do with it, exceeds the frameworks of the university. Further to this, the article connects study and fugitivity to what Moten calls an aesthetics of the break practiced across black studies. In doing so, it links affect to complex spatial‐temporal relationalities that emerge from sensuous experimentation and creative speculation, which engage both in university and its escape. These ideas are explored through a participatory study with university students in Manchester, UK called Sensing the Black Outdoors. I present the findings derived from radical sensory‐spatial experiments, which led to: (a) visual encounters centred in not looking away and staying with the material presence of blackness and (b) the development of collective experiments with sensory media for feeling and imagining alternative experiences of space and time in the city.
Precise risk‐prediction model including arterial stiffness for new‐onset atrial fibrillation using machine learning techniques
Authors: Kanegae Hiroshi , Fujishiro Kentaro , Fukatani Kyohei , Ito Tetsuya , Kario Kazuomi 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia and is an important risk factor for ischemic cerebrovascular events. This study used machine learning techniques to develop and validate a new risk prediction model for new‐onset AF that incorporated the use electrocardiogram to diagnose AF, data from participants with a wide age range, and considered hypertension and measures of atrial stiffness. In Japan, Industrial Safety and Health Law requires employers to provide annual health check‐ups to their employees. This study included 13 410 individuals who underwent health check‐ups on at least four successive years between 2005 and 2015 (new‐onset AF, n = 110; non‐AF, n = 13 300). Data were entered into a risk prediction model using machine learning methods (eXtreme Gradient Boosting and Shapley Additive Explanation values). Data were randomly split into a training set (80%) used for model construction and development, and a test set (20%) used to test performance of the derived model. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for the model in the test set was 0.789. The best predictor of new‐onset AF was age, followed by the cardio‐ankle vascular index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, sex, body mass index, uric acid, γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase level, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure at cardio‐ankle vascular index measurement, and alanine aminotransferase level. This new model including arterial stiffness measure, developed with data from a general population using machine learning methods, could be used to identify at‐risk individuals and potentially facilitation the prevention of future AF development.
Lifestyle counseling in patients with hypertension in primary health care and its association with antihypertensive pharmacotherapy
Authors: Lindblom Sebastian , Ivarsson Charlotte , Wändell Per , Bergqvist Monica , Norrman Anders , Eriksson Julia , Lund Lena , Hagströmer Maria , Hasselström Jan , Sandlund Christina , Carlsson Axel C 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe study aimed to investigate differences in hypertensive‐ and cardio‐preventive pharmacotherapy depending on if patients with hypertension received lifestyle counseling or not, including the difference between men and women. Data from the Region Stockholm VAL database was used to identify all patients with a hypertension diagnosis and had visited a primary health care center within the past five years. Data included registered diagnoses, pharmacotherapy, and codes for lifestyle counseling. Logistic regression adjusted for age and comorbidity (diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, gout, obesity, heart failure) was used, presenting results as odds ratios (OR) with 99% confidence interval (CI). The study included 130,030 patients with hypertension; 63,402 men and 66,628 women. Patients receiving recommended lifestyle counseling were more frequently treated with three or more hypertensive drugs: women OR 1.38 (1.31, 1.45) and men = 1.36 (1.30, 1.43); certain drug classes: calcium antagonists: women 1.09 (1.04, 1.14) and men 1.11 (1.06, 1.16); thiazide diuretics: women 1.26 (1.20, 1.34) and men 1.25 (1.19, 1.32); and aldosterone antagonists: women 1.25 (1.12, 1.41) and men 1.49 (1.34, 1.65). Patients receiving recommended level of lifestyle counseling with concomitant coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, or stroke were more frequently treated with statins than those who did not. Further, recommended lifestyle counseling was significantly associated with anticoagulant treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation. Lifestyle counseling according to recommendations in national guidelines was significantly associated with a more thorough pharmacological treatment of hypertension, statins, and antithrombotic drugs as well as anticoagulants, in both men and women.
The antibacterial, antioxidant, and insecticidal activities of essential oils from Thymus vulgaris L., Salvia officinalis L., and Ocimum basilicum L.
Authors: Oliveira Cassia Duarte , Cardoso Maria das Graças , Batista Luis Roberto , Alves Eduardo , Rosa Maria Beatriz Pereira , Ferreira Vanuzia Rodrigues Fernandes , de Souza Luciano , Pineda Maria , Fernandes Antonia Isadora , Nelson David Lee , Haddi Khalid 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe essential oils from Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, and Ocimum basilicum were extracted by hydrodistillation, characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and quantified by gas chromatography/flame ionization detector. The principal constituents were thymol, ρ‐cymene and carvacrol (T. vulgaris); camphor, β‐pinene, and 1,8‐cineole (S. officinalis); and (E)‐anethole, linalool, and 1,8‐cineole (O. basilicum). The essential oil from T. vulgaris was the most effective, forming inhibition halos of 46.16 ± 0.16 and 26.38 ± 0.33 mm, respectively, for Salmonella choleraesuis and Listeria monocytogenes. This essential oil was also more effective against S. choleraesuis, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 8.85 mg mL−1, and a minimum inhibitory concentration of 17.71 mg mL−1 for L. monocytogenes. No bactericidal activity against S. choleraesuis and L. monocytogenes was observed for the essential oils from S. officinalis, and O. basilicum. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the addition of essential oils left the bacterial cells damaged and deformed. Significant 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging capacity and lipid substrate protection were observed in the β‐carotene bleaching assay for the essential oil from T. vulgaris, with IC50 of 231.13 ± 0.53 and 15.25 ± 0.38 μg mL−1, respectively. A dose‐dependent relationship between antioxidant activity and concentrations was observed in the tests. Toxicities of LC50 = 1.24, 3.51 and 1.19 mg mL−1 against Drosophila suzukii flies, respectively, were observed for the essential oils from T. vulgaris, S. officinalis, and O. basilicum. Results suggest that essential oils can be promising antioxidant agents, insecticides, and inhibitors of pathogenic bacteria.
Inhalation of hydrogen gas mitigates sevoflurane‐induced neuronal apoptosis in the neonatal cortex and is associated with changes in protein phosphorylation
Authors: Iketani Masumi , Hatomi Mai , Fujita Yasunori , Watanabe Nobuhiro , Ito Masafumi , Kawaguchi Hideo , Ohsawa Ikuroh 
Published: June 2024

AbstractInhalation of hydrogen (H2) gas is therapeutically effective for cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and neonatal brain disorders including pathologies induced by anesthetic gases. To understand the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of H2 on the brain, we investigated the molecular signals affected by H2 in sevoflurane‐induced neuronal cell death. We confirmed that neural progenitor cells are susceptible to sevoflurane and undergo apoptosis in the retrosplenial cortex of neonatal mice. Co‐administration of 1–8% H2 gas for 3 h to sevoflurane‐exposed pups suppressed elevated caspase‐3‐mediated apoptotic cell death and concomitantly decreased c‐Jun phosphorylation and activation of the c‐Jun pathway, all of which are induced by oxidative stress. Anesthesia‐induced increases in lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage were alleviated by H2 inhalation. Phosphoproteome analysis revealed enriched clusters of differentially phosphorylated proteins in the sevoflurane‐exposed neonatal brain that included proteins involved in neuronal development and synaptic signaling. H2 inhalation modified cellular transport pathways that depend on hyperphosphorylated proteins including microtubule‐associated protein family. These modifications may be involved in the protective mechanisms of H2 against sevoflurane‐induced neuronal cell death.image
Religion and Policy Preferences in Context: Born‐Again Christian Identity, Support for Inclusive COVID‐19 Aid, and the Broader Political Environment
Authors: Seto Christopher H. , Ortiz Selena E. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractHow COVID‐19 economic aid should be distributed continues to be an important societal question, with relevance to current and future public health policy. We argue that religious identities condition the influence of broader political context on COVID‐19 policy preferences, serving as social conduits through which political attitudes are transmitted. We analyze original U.S. survey data (N = 989), to examine support for inclusive (i.e., including undocumented immigrants) COVID‐19 economic aid. We find that individuals’ religious identities interact with county‐level political context to influence COVID‐19 policy preferences. Born‐Again Christian individuals are more strongly affected by conservative political climates compared to their religious and nonreligious peers, after controlling for individual political characteristics and a host of sociodemographic factors. Findings support the conceptualization of conservative religious identities as social conduits for political messaging and show the importance of religion to how policy opinions are shaped by the broader environment.
The future perspectives of the European Unified Patent Court in the light of the existing intellectual property courts in the United States and Japan
Authors: Khuchua Tamar 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe entering into force of Europe's Unified Patent Court (UPC) on 1 June 2023 shifts the question on whether and how a specialised and unified court should be designed to the question on how the already conceived court shall function to meet the set institutional and substantive goals for the European patent adjudication. Despite the contextual legal and economic differences, the examples of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) and the Tokyo Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC) can serve as guidance for the new European court, especially in its early days of operation. This article, outlining both the differences and similarities in the origins of the three courts, articulates upon the challenges as well as the achievements of the United States and Japanese examples to shed light on the future perspectives of the UPC and wherever relevant, provide policy‐oriented and practical recommendations for those in charge of shaping the UPC's jurisprudence. To this end, it is submitted that particular attention should be paid to ensuring the wide range of competences of the UPC judges; the interinstitutional dialogue between the UPC and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) as well as the dialogue among the UPC judges, including the encouragement of dissenting opinions; consultation of public, if possible in the form of amicus curiae briefs; and international cooperation with existing specialised IP courts worldwide. Based on evidenced foreign practices, these mechanisms are argued to serve the objectives of avoiding ‘overspecialisation’, achieving uniformity while maintaining accuracy, securing the new court's legitimacy and, finally, fostering global judicial harmonisation.
A UPLC‐MS/MS method for quantification of metabolites in the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and its biological validation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Cao Da , Depaepe Thomas , Sanchez‐Muñoz Raul , Janssens Hilde , Lemière Filip , Willems Tim , Winne Johan , Prinsen Els , Van Der Straeten Dominique 
Published: June 2024

Summary

The plant hormone ethylene is of vital importance in the regulation of plant development and stress responses. Recent studies revealed that 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) plays a role beyond its function as an ethylene precursor. However, the absence of reliable methods to quantify ACC and its conjugates malonyl‐ACC (MACC), glutamyl‐ACC (GACC), and jasmonyl‐ACC (JA‐ACC) hinders related research.

Combining synthetic and analytical chemistry, we present the first, validated methodology to rapidly extract and quantify ACC and its conjugates using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS). Its relevance was confirmed by application to Arabidopsis mutants with altered ACC metabolism and wild‐type plants under stress.

Pharmacological and genetic suppression of ACC synthesis resulted in decreased ACC and MACC content, whereas induction led to elevated levels. Salt, wounding, and submergence stress enhanced ACC and MACC production. GACC and JA‐ACC were undetectable in vivo; however, GACC was identified in vitro, underscoring the broad applicability of the method.

This method provides an efficient tool to study individual functions of ACC and its conjugates, paving the road toward exploration of novel avenues in ACC and ethylene metabolism, and revisiting ethylene literature in view of the recent discovery of an ethylene‐independent role of ACC.
Meta‐analysis of high‐power short‐duration versus cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Lin Limin , Huang Ying , Huang Qunying , Yu Fuling , Mao Yinjun 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe existing literature regarding the treatment strategy for high‐power short‐duration (HPSD) ablation in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently insufficient. The objective of this study is to perform a comparative analysis evaluating the effectiveness, safety, and procedural efficiency of HPSD versus cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for AF.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases to identify trials comparing HPSD with CBA for AF from their inception until December 25, 2023. Treatment effect measures were expressed as odds ratio (OR), mean difference (MD), accompanied by a 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThe analysis comprised six eligible trials involving a total enrollment of 2481 patients. No statistically significant disparities were observed in recurrent atrial arrhythmia (OR 0.90; 95% CI, 0.71–1.16) or total complications (OR 0.65; 95% CI, 0.38–1.12) between the two ablation techniques examined in this study. However, HPSD technique exhibited a significantly prolonged procedure time (MD 27.42; 95% CI, 19.03 to 35.81). Conversely, no significant differences were observed between the two modalities in terms of total fluoroscopy duration (MD −4.37; 95% CI −10.70 to 1.96) and ablation time (MD 7.95; 95% CI −3.97 to 19.88). Furthermore, HPSD demonstrated significantly higher odds of extrapulmonary vein (PV) trigger ablation compared to CBA (OR 18.86; 95% CI, 5.12–69.49). The subgroup analyses revealed that CBA continued to exhibit superior procedure time (except for the paroxysmal AF subgroup: [MD 29.52; 95% CI −4.25 to 63.60]), while no significant differences in safety and efficacy (except for the HPSD ≥ 70 W subgroup: [OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.20–0.97]) outcomes were still observed.ConclusionAmong patients undergoing ablation therapy for AF, both HPSD and CBA demonstrate comparable efficacy and safety profiles; however, HPSD is associated with longer procedural time and higher rates of extra‐PV trigger ablation.
The frequency of superior cluneal nerve entrapment diagnosed with ultrasound‐guided nerve block in patients with low back pain: A prospective, cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kiral Busra Sezer , Misirlioglu Tugce Ozekli , Terlemez Rana , Palamar Deniz , Kiral Dogan , Aygun Eren , Akgun Kenan 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIntroductionTo determine the frequency of superior cluneal nerve entrapment (SCN‐E) in patients who applied to our outpatient clinic with low back pain.MethodsTwo hundred patients with mechanical low back pain persisting more than 3 months were included in our study. All patients were evaluated with detailed clinical history and physical examination. Ultrasound‐guided diagnostic injection was performed in patients who had tenderness on the posterior iliac crest and whose main complaint emerged by pressing on this point. Patients with 70% or greater pain relief 1 h after the injection were considered as SCN‐E. The frequency and clinical features of SCN‐E were determined and compared with other mechanical low back pain.ResultsThe mean age of the patients included in our study was 48.56 ± 14.11 years, with 138 female and 62 male patients. The diagnostic injection was performed on 31 patients and considered positive in 24 of them. The frequency of SCN‐E was determined as 12%. The Hip‐Knee Flexion Test was determined to be more specific for SCN‐E than other causes of low back pain, the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 41.67% and 88.64% (p = 0.001; p < 0.01). In addition, all demographic and clinical features in patients diagnosed with SCN‐E were found to be similar to other mechanical low back pain cases.ConclusionsIn patients with chronic low back pain, SCN‐E is not a rare cause and is often overlooked. Increasing the awareness and experience of physicians on SCN‐E will prevent patients from being exposed to unnecessary surgical or non‐surgical treatments.
Xenopus as a model system for studying pigmentation and pigmentary disorders
Authors: El Mir Joudi , Nasrallah Ali , Thézé Nadine , Cario Muriel , Fayyad‐Kazan Hussein , Thiébaud Pierre , Rezvani Hamid‐Reza 
Published: June 2024

AbstractHuman pigmentary disorders encompass a broad spectrum of phenotypic changes arising from disruptions in various stages of melanocyte formation, the melanogenesis process, or the transfer of pigment from melanocytes to keratinocytes. A large number of pigmentation genes associated with pigmentary disorders have been identified, many of them awaiting in vivo confirmation. A more comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of pigmentary disorders requires a vertebrate animal model where changes in pigmentation are easily observable in vivo and can be combined to genomic modifications and gain/loss‐of‐function tools. Here we present the amphibian Xenopus with its unique features that fulfill these requirements. Changes in pigmentation are particularly easy to score in Xenopus embryos, allowing whole‐organism based phenotypic screening. The development and behavior of Xenopus melanocytes closely mimic those observed in mammals. Interestingly, both Xenopus and mammalian skins exhibit comparable reactions to ultraviolet radiation. This review highlights how Xenopus constitutes an alternative and complementary model to the more commonly used mouse and zebrafish, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in melanocyte cell biology and related diseases.