bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Citizen science as a vehicle to address multiple policy objectives: Case studies from Australia
Authors: Marks Leah , Mitchell Jo , Rowbotham Samantha , Laird Yvonne , Smith Ben J. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIssue AddressedDespite increasing interest in citizen science as an approach to engage members of the public in research and decision making about health and wellbeing, there is a lack of practical evidence to guide policy and practice organisations to utilise these approaches. In this study we investigated how and why citizen science came to be incorporated into the work of two policy organisations.MethodsWe offer two in‐depth case studies of Australian government organisations which have utilised citizen science in environmental and healthy ageing policy. Interviews with organisational informants and relevant documents were analysed inductively to explore how citizen science came to be adopted, legitimised and supported.ResultsCitizen science was utilised to address multiple organisational objectives, including increasing community participation in science; enhancing individuals' wellbeing, learning, and skills, and generating data to support research and policy in a relatively cost‐effective manner. In both cases, grant funding was a mechanism to support citizen science, with project delivery facilitated through academic‐policy partnerships and led by external academic or community partners.ConclusionAlthough citizen science is relatively new in policy and practice settings, this study underscores the value of these approaches in realising co‐benefits for organisations, academics, and community members. The support and advocacy of senior managers as ‘champions’, and a willingness to invest in trialling new approaches to address policy problems are necessary ingredients to foster acceptance and legitimacy of citizen science.So What?Citizen science initiatives can be strategically utilised by health promotion organisations to enact priorities related to genuine community involvement, support research and innovation and facilitate collaboration and partnerships between academic, policy and community stakeholders.
Attempted movement classification of spinal cord injured patients using hybrid CNN‐LSTM networks
Authors: Shrestha Kumar , Rahman Md. Asadur , Saha Pritom Kumar , Rashid Mohd Abdur , Higa Hiroki 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIndividuals who are suffering from the most severe of motor disabilities can improve their quality of life by controlling and directing mechanical and electronic devices. As for Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) patients', attempted hand movements can be classified using electroencephalography (EEG). The research aims to develop a hybrid CNN‐LSTM (Convolutional Neural Network—Long Short Term Memory) architecture for multichannel EEG signal classification. It is a challenging task to classify real‐world multichannel EEG data from SCI patients. The proposed research preprocessed the EEG data to improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio and arranged for them to extract additional information from the data. The preprocessing step includes filtering, downsampling, and artifact removal, while the postprocessing step includes time‐frequency representation and spatial information encoding. A hybrid CNN‐LSTM is used for feature extraction and classification. The proposed method has been implemented on a dataset consisting of 5 different classes of attempted hand movements from 10 SCI patients. The average classification accuracy of 92.36% is achieved for 5‐class classification. To check the global validity of the proposed network, the BCI competition IV data is classified by the proposed method and has found 92.70% overall accuracy.
Earnings quality of multinational corporations: Evidence from Latin America before and after IFRS implementation
Authors: Melgarejo Mauricio 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study evaluates whether Latin American multinational corporations (MNCs) report higher quality of accounting reports than companies with only operations in their home countries. In addition, it explores whether the impact of internationalization on the quality of accounting information has changed since the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the region. An emerging area of research studies the effect of firms’ internationalization on accounting and finance. Nevertheless, evidence of the impact of internationalization on the quality of earnings quality is scarce. Based on a sample of public organizations listed on the main stock exchanges of Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Chile from 2000 to 2020, this study finds that companies with international operations present higher‐quality accounting reports than firms with only local operations. The impact of IFRS implementation on the quality of financial reports is significant only for companies with operations in their home countries. Latin American MNCs show a decline in the quality of accounting reports after adopting IFRS.
Empagliflozin, a sodium‐glucose cotransporter inhibitor enhancing mitochondrial action and cardioprotection in metabolic syndrome
Authors: Li Yunhao , Zhang Zhanming , Zhang Zheming , Zheng Ningning , Ding Xudong 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMetabolic syndrome (MetS) has a large clinical population nowadays, usually due to excessive energy intake and lack of exercise. During MetS, excess nutrients stress the mitochondria, resulting in relative hypoxia in tissues and organs, even when blood supply is not interrupted or reduced, making mitochondrial dysfunction a central pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in the MetS. Sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors were designed as a hyperglycemic drug that acts on the renal tubules to block sugar reabsorption in primary urine. Recently they have been shown to have anti‐inflammatory and other protective effects on cardiomyocytes in MetS, and have also been recommended in the latest heart failure guidelines as a routine therapy. Among these inhibitors, empagliflozin shows better clinical promise due to less influence from glomerular filtration rate. This review focuses on the mitochondrial mechanisms of empagliflozin, which underlie the anti‐inflammatory and recover cellular functions in MetS cardiomyocytes, including stabilizing calcium concentration, mediating metabolic reprogramming, maintaining homeostasis of mitochondrial quantity and quality, stable mitochondrial DNA copy number, and repairing damaged mitochondrial DNA.
GPR124 promotes trophoblast proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibits trophoblast cell apoptosis and inflammation via JNK and P38 MAPK pathways
Authors: Shen Yan , Lian Yan , Xiao Li , Miu Yaya , Niu Jianmin , Cui Qingyu 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEarly‐onset preeclampsia, which occurrs before 34 weeks of gestation, is the most dangerous classification of preeclampsia, which is a pregnancy‐specific disease that causes 1% of maternal deaths. G protein‐coupled receptor 124 (GPR124) is significantly expressed at various stages of the human reproductive process, particularly during embryogenesis and angiogenesis. Our prior investigation demonstrated a notable decrease in GPR124 expression in the placentas of patients with early‐onset preeclampsia compared to that in normal pregnancy placentas. However, there is a lack of extensive investigation into the molecular processes that contribute to the role of GPR124 in placenta development. This study aimed to examine the mechanisms by which GPR124 affects the occurrence of early‐onset preeclampsia and its function in trophoblast. Proliferative, invasive, migratory, apoptotic, and inflammatory processes were identified in GPR124 knockdown, GPR124 overexpression, and normal HTR8/SVneo cells. The mechanism of GPR124‐mediated cell function in GPR124 knockdown HTR8/SVneo cells was examined using inhibitors of the JNK or P38 MAPK pathway. Downregulation of GPR124 was found to significantly inhibit proliferation, invasion and migration, and promote apoptosis of HTR8/SVneo cells when compared to the control and GPR124 overexpression groups. This observation is consistent with the pathological characteristics of preeclampsia. In addition, GPR124 overexpression inhibits the secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)‐8 and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) while enhancing the secretion of the anti‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)‐4. Furthermore, GPR124 suppresses the activation of P‐JNK and P‐P38 within the JNK/P38 MAPK pathway. The invasion, apoptosis, and inflammation mediated by GPR124 were partially restored by suppressing the JNK and P38 MAPK pathways in HTR8/SVneo cells. GPR124 plays a crucial role in regulating trophoblast proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and inflammation via the JNK and P38 MAPK pathways. Furthermore, the effect of GPR124 on trophoblast suggests its involvement in the pathogenesis of early‐onset preeclampsia.
How to be an effective ally
Authors: Lindsey Merry L. , Dahm Lauren E. , Harris Brandon J. , Woods Letha 
Published: May 2024

AbstractInclusivity in biomedical research provides many positive attributes, including increased productivity, higher creativity, and improved wellness for all. While marginalized individuals work tirelessly to achieve equity and inclusion, this task should not be left solely to those most affected by exclusionary tactics. These individuals and the organizations with whom they are affiliated would benefit from the support of an ally. An ally is defined as a person or organization that actively supports the rights of a marginalized group without being a member of it. Allies have a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in promoting fairness, equity, and inclusion, and thus serve as positive change agents within an organizational setting. We summarize here the importance of being an effective and dynamic ally and offer guidance on how to achieve that goal.
Assessing the Utility of a Genotype‐Guided Tacrolimus Equation in African American Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single Institution Retrospective Study
Authors: Obayemi Joy E , Callans Lauren , Nair Nikhil , Gao Hui , Gandla Divya , Loza Bao‐Li , Gao Sarah , Mohebnasab Maedeh , Trofe‐Clark Jennifer , Jacobson Pamala , Keating Brendan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractTacrolimus metabolism is heavily influenced by the CYP3A5 genotype, which varies widely among African Americans (AA). We aimed to assess the performance of a published genotype‐informed tacrolimus dosing model in an independent set of adult AA kidney transplant (KTx) recipients. CYP3A5 genotypes were obtained for all AA KTx recipients (n = 232) from 2010 to 2019 who met inclusion criteria at a single transplant center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Medical record data were used to calculate predicted tacrolimus clearance using the published AA KTx dosing equation and two modified iterations. Observed and model‐predicted trough levels were compared at 3 days, 3 months, and 6 months post‐transplant. The mean prediction error at day 3 post‐transplant was 3.05 ng/mL, indicating that the model tended to overpredict the tacrolimus trough. This bias improved over time to 1.36 and 0.78 ng/mL at 3 and 6 months post‐transplant, respectively. Mean absolute prediction error—a marker of model precision—improved with time to 2.33 ng/mL at 6 months. Limiting genotype data in the model decreased bias and improved precision. The bias and precision of the published model improved over time and were comparable to studies in previous cohorts. The overprediction observed by the published model may represent overfitting to the initial cohort, possibly limiting generalizability.
Lipid A in outer membrane vesicles shields bacteria from polymyxins
Authors: Burt Marie , Angelidou Georgia , Mais Christopher Nils , Preußer Christian , Glatter Timo , Heimerl Thomas , Groß Rüdiger , Serrania Javier , Boosarpu Gowtham , Pogge von Strandmann Elke , Müller Janis A. , Bange Gert , Becker Anke , Lehmann Mareike , Jonigk Danny , Neubert Lavinia , Freitag Hinrich , Paczia Nicole , Schmeck Bernd , Jung Anna Lena 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe continuous emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacterial pathogens poses a major global healthcare challenge, with Klebsiella pneumoniae being a prominent threat. We conducted a comprehensive study on K. pneumoniae’s antibiotic resistance mechanisms, focusing on outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and polymyxin, a last‐resort antibiotic. Our research demonstrates that OMVs protect bacteria from polymyxins. OMVs derived from Polymyxin B (PB)‐stressed K. pneumoniae exhibited heightened protective efficacy due to increased vesiculation, compared to OMVs from unstressed Klebsiella. OMVs also shield bacteria from different bacterial families. This was validated ex vivo and in vivo using precision cut lung slices (PCLS) and Galleria mellonella. In all models, OMVs protected K. pneumoniae from PB and reduced the associated stress response on protein level. We observed significant changes in the lipid composition of OMVs upon PB treatment, affecting their binding capacity to PB. The altered binding capacity of single OMVs from PB stressed K. pneumoniae could be linked to a reduction in the lipid A amount of their released vesicles. Although the amount of lipid A per vesicle is reduced, the overall increase in the number of vesicles results in an increased protection because the sum of lipid A and therefore PB binding sites have increased. This unravels the mechanism of the altered PB protective efficacy of OMVs from PB stressed K. pneumoniae compared to control OMVs. The lipid A‐dependent protective effect against PB was confirmed in vitro using artificial vesicles. Moreover, artificial vesicles successfully protected Klebsiella from PB ex vivo and in vivo. The findings indicate that OMVs act as protective shields for bacteria by binding to polymyxins, effectively serving as decoys and preventing antibiotic interaction with the cell surface. Our findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying antibiotic cross‐protection and offer potential avenues for the development of novel therapeutic interventions to address the escalating threat of multidrug‐resistant bacterial infections.
Neuronopathic Gaucher disease: Rare in the West, common in the East
Authors: Goker‐Alpan Ozlem , Ivanova Margarita M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractGaucher disease (GD) stands as one of the most prevalent lysosomal disorders, yet neuronopathic GD (nGD) is an uncommon subset characterized by a wide array of clinical manifestations that complicate diagnosis, particularly when neurological symptoms are understated. nGD may manifest as the acute neuronopathic type, or GD type 2 (GD2), either prenatally or within the first weeks to months of life, whereas GD type 3 (GD3) symptoms may emerge at any point during childhood or occasionally in adolescence. The clinical presentation encompasses severe systemic involvement to mild visceral disease, often coupled with a spectrum of progressive neurological signs and symptoms such as cognitive impairment, ataxia, seizures, myoclonus, varying degrees of brainstem dysfunction presenting with stridor, apneic episodes, and/or impaired swallowing. This manuscript aims to provide a comprehensive review of the incidence, distinctive presentations, and diverse clinical phenotypes of nGD across various countries and regions. It will explore the natural history of the neurodegenerative process in GD, shedding light on its various manifestations during infancy and childhood, and offer insights into the diagnostic journey, the challenges faced in the clinical management, and current and investigative therapeutic approaches for GD's neurological variants.
Umbilical arterial catheter duration as risk factor for Bell's Stage III necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates
Authors: Lalitha Renjini , Hicks Matthew , Qureshi Mosarrat , Kumaran Kumar 
Published: May 2024

AbstractObjectivesTo explore risk factors for Stage‐III necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC‐III) in preterm neonates.MethodsThis was a retrospective case‐control study of neonates born <33 weeks gestational age (GA) who were admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit, between 2015 and 2018. NEC‐III cases were compared with Stage‐II NEC (NEC‐II) and non‐NEC controls. Two to four non‐NEC controls were matched by GA ± 1 week and date of birth ± 3 months, to one NEC‐III case. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine risk factors for NEC‐III.ResultsOf 1360 neonates born <33 weeks, 71 (5.2%) had NEC‐II and above, with 46% being NEC‐III. Mean age of onset of NEC‐III was 13.7 days versus 23.9 days for NEC‐II (p = 0.01). Neonates with NEC‐III were of lower GA (NEC‐III 25.4 weeks, NEC‐II 27.3 weeks, and non‐NEC 26 weeks; p = 0.0008) and had higher Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension‐II scores (NEC‐III 47.5, NEC‐II 28.4 and non‐NEC 37, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed duration of umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) >5 days was significantly associated with the development of NEC‐III with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.05–13.66) for NEC‐III versus non‐NEC and AOR 5.57; 95% CI (1.65–18.73), p = 0.006 for NEC‐III versus NEC‐II. Rupture of membranes (ROM) >1 week was associated with NEC‐III (AOR 6.93; 95% CI [1.56–30.69] vs. non‐NEC and AOR 11.74; 95% CI [1.14–120.34] vs. NEC‐II).ConclusionThe increased association of NEC‐III with duration of UAC and ROM could be further examined in prospective studies, and an upper limit for UAC duration could be considered in NEC prevention bundles.
Effect of pH on the emulsifying performance of protein‐polysaccharide complexes
Authors: Zhang Ruyuan , Corstens Meinou , Luo Zisheng , Cao Jiarui , Schroen Karin 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDProtein‐polysaccharide complexes have been successfully used for emulsion stabilization. However, it is unclear how the complex's surface charge influences aggregation stability and coalescence stability of emulsions, and whether a low charged interfacial film can still maintain the coalescence stability of oil droplets. In the present study, the effects of pH (around the pI of protein) on the aggregation and coalescence stability of emulsions were investigated.RESULTSWhey protein isolate (WPI) and peach gum polysaccharides (PGP) complexes (WPI‐PGP complexes) were synthesized at pH 3, 4 and 5. Their sizes were 598, 274 and 183 nm, respectively, and their ζ‐potentials were +2.9, −8.6 and −22.8 mV, respectively. Interface rheological experiments showed that WPI‐PGP complex at pH 3 had the lowest interfacial tension, and formed the softest film compared to the complexes at pH 4 and 5. Microfluidic experiments showed that all WPI‐PGP complexes were able to stabilize droplets against coalescence within short timescales (milliseconds). At pH 3, no coalescence was observed even under conditions where the continuous phase flow influenced the shape of oil droplets (from spheres to ellipsoids). At pH 4 and 5, the model emulsions were stable over 16 days of storage, extensive aggregation and creaming occurred at pH 3 after 8 days. Importantly, no coalescence took place.CONCLUSIONThe present study confirmed that the aggregation stability of the emulsions was mainly determined by the surface charge of the complex, whereas the coalescence stability of emulsions is expectedly determined by steric repulsion, providing new insights into how to prepare stable food emulsions. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Dynamic changes of tenderness, moisture and protein in marinated chicken: the effect of different steaming temperatures
Authors: Zhang Jiawei , Du Dandan , Xu Yujuan , Wang Zhaoming , Cai Kezhou , Zeng Qingmei , Zhou Hui , Xu Baocai 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe steam processing characteristics of chicken are a key factor in the simplicity and versatility of steamed chicken dishes. The aim of this study was to investigate in depth the changes in tenderness and water retention of marinated chicken at different slow steaming endpoint temperatures, and to further explore the effect of the evolution of protein conformations on the water status.RESULTSThe results showed that chicken samples’ shear force peaked at 80 °C and decreased rapidly at 90 °C. As the steaming endpoint temperature increased between 50 and 90 °C, T21, T22, moisture content and centrifugal loss decreased, but P21, P22 and myofibril water‐holding capacity showed regular changes. The electrophoretic bands and protein conformation changes showed that protein in marinated chicken underwent different degrees of denaturation, degradation and aggregation. And at 70 °C, with an increase of hydrophobic groups and crosslinking of disulfide bonds as well as an increase in the number of denatured sarcoplasmic proteins, the intermolecular network was enhanced, thus affecting the water retention.CONCLUSIONWater status of chicken meat heated at different steaming temperatures is closely related to the evolution of protein conformations. The present study serves as a robust theoretical foundation for enhancing the quality of steamed chicken products at an industrial scale. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Flexible TFT backplane development for extremely small bending radius with organic ILD and novel TFT structures
Authors: Kim Taewoong , Seol Younggug , Lee Sunhee , Choi Jinhwan , Lee Jinwoo , Kim Jintaek , Lee Pilsuk , Park Juchan , Park Boik , Tien Nguyen Thanh , Kim Kihyun , Jang Cheol , Kim Yong Jo , Lee Changhee 
Published: May 2024

AbstractA new flexible low‐temperature polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors (LTPS TFTs) on PI substrate with organic ILD layer, island TFT, and TFT channel perpendicular to stress direction was proposed. AMOLED display panel manufactured with organic ILD did not show any visible degradation of panel image after outward rolling cycles of 200,000 at rolling radius of 4 mm or inward folding cycles of 200,000 at folding radius of 1 mm. Another novel structure of TFT with channel perpendicular to stress direction significantly reduced change of threshold voltage of −0.03 V compared with change of threshold voltage of −0.6 V for TFT with channel parallel to stress direction for reliability test of high drain current (HDC) after 100,000 outward‐bending cycles at bending radius of 3 mm. After inward‐bending cycles of 200,000 at bending radius of 1 mm, reliability test results for TFT device with organic ILD layer showed that change of on‐current is 10.07% for hot carrier instability (HCI) test, change of threshold voltage −0.31 V for negative bias thermal instability (NBTI) test, change of threshold voltage −0.24 V for hysteresis test, and breakdown voltage of gate insulator 7.73 MV/cm, respectively, and these performances are similar to those of TFT device with inorganic ILD (SiNx).