bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On maximizing the likelihood function of general geostatistical models
Authors: Chu Tingjin 
Published: May 2024

AbstractGeneral geostatistical models are powerful tools for analyzing spatial datasets. A two‐step estimation based on the likelihood function is widely used by researchers, but several theoretical and computational challenges remain to be addressed. First, it is unclear whether there is a unique global maximizer of the log‐likelihood function, a seemingly simple but theoretically challenging question. The second challenge is the convexity of the log‐likelihood function. Besides these two challenges in maximizing the likelihood function, we also study the theoretical property of the two‐step estimation. Unlike many previous works, our results can apply to the non‐twice differentiable covariance functions. In the simulation studies, three optimization algorithms are evaluated in terms of maximizing the log‐likelihood functions.
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seeds accelerates wound healing in rats: Possible molecular mechanisms
Authors: Ahmed Khaled Abdul‐Aziz , Jabbar Ahmed A. J. , Galali Yaseen , M. Al‐Qaaneh Ayman , Akçakavak Gökhan , Salehen Nur Ain , Hassan Rawaz Rizgar , Mothana Ramzi A. , Abdulla Mahmood Ameen , Fantoukh Omer I. , Hasson Sidig , Hawwal Mohammed F. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWound healing is a complex, intricate, and dynamic process that requires effective therapeutic management. The current study evaluates the wound healing potentials of methanolic extract of Cuminum cyminum L. seeds (CCS) in rats. Sprague Dawley (24) rats were distributed into four cages, wounds produced on the back of the neck, and received two daily topical treatments for 14 days: A, rats received normal saline; B, wounded rats treated with intrasite gel; C and D, rats received 0.2 mL of 250 and 500 mg/kg of CCS, respectively. After that, wound area and closure percentage were evaluated, and wound tissues were dissected for histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical examinations. Acute toxicity trials of methanolic extract of CCS showed the absence of any physiological changes or mortality in rats. CCS application caused a significant reduction in wound size and a statistically elevated percentage of wound contraction than those of vehicle rats. CCS treatment caused significant up‐regulation of collagen fiber, fibroblasts, and fewer inflammatory cells (inflammation) in granulation tissues. TGF‐β1 (angiogenetic factor) was significantly more expressed in CCS‐treated rats in comparison to normal saline‐treated rats; therefore, more fibroblasts transformed into myofibroblasts (angiogenesis). CCS‐treated rats showed remarkable antioxidant potentials (higher SOD and CAT enzymes) and decreased MDA (lipid peroxidation) levels in their wound tissue homogenates. Hydroxyproline amino acid (collagen) was significantly up‐regulated by CCS treatment, which is commonly related to faster wound closure area. The outcomes suggest CCS as a viable new source of pharmaceuticals for wound treatment.
Sustainable quality improvement: An essential ingredient for sustainability in modern medical curricula?
Authors: Chambers Jenna , Alberti Hugh , Harrison Michael , Mulgrew Nicola 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundHealth care delivery contributes a significant carbon footprint in the United Kingdom, and paradoxically climate change is linked to poorer human health outcomes. New General Medical Council (GMC) requirements mandate medical graduates must be able to apply sustainable care to their practice. Implementation of sustainable health care (SHC) teaching is a new challenge for medical schools, and there are several identified barriers including an overcrowded curriculum, lack of expertise within faculties, lack of institutional support and inadequate assessment techniques.ApproachWe established a new SHC curriculum spiralling throughout the overall medical curriculum, and as part of this introduced a sustainable quality improvement (susQI) project to our final year cohort. SusQI considers the environmental, social and financial impacts as well as patient and population outcomes. Our students undertook this in their final year GP assistantships.EvaluationWe sought multi‐sourced data through focus groups, formal end of placement feedback, informal feedback and external feedback. We applied thematic analysis to focus group transcriptions and triangulated with the other data sources. We identified some common themes: First, susQI was enjoyed and valuable; second, it allowed meaningful participation; third, it created a co‐learning environment; and fourth, timing and curriculum placement are important when integrating susQI.ImplicationsSusQI can implement SHC into the overcrowded medical curriculum in a low cost, low resource manner without the need for experienced faculty. SusQI is empowering for students and grants them an active team role. Expansion into secondary and tertiary care is feasible, and we contend that susQI can be placed in other health care curricula.
The geoeconomics of protecting profits from migrants in maritime distress
Authors: Rudolph Terence Adam 
Published: May 2024

AbstractCommercial vessels play a significant role in rescuing migrants on the Mediterranean. There are physical and financial risks to performing these commercial rescues that are poorly understood and often ignored. For ship captains, migrants in maritime distress embody the close linkages between geoeconomic and geopolitical risk. I argue that the negotiation of migrant rescues by commercial shipping captains captures the ways in which geoeconomic and geopolitical security‐seeking discourses become entangled and contradictorily embodied in everyday life and suffering. The rationale and logic that underwrite the securitisation of the supply chain is the discursive site where geopolitical and geoeconomic strategy define the risks in maritime rescue space. This study extends from a conceptual framework that identifies the spatial structuring of an ongoing dialectic between geopolitical and geoeconomic strategy as a defining feature of geoeconomic analyses. The research is based on interviews with 24 maritime professionals and a series of freedom of information requests to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) for information about rescues involving commercial ships. This paper contributes new information on the human geography of maritime rescues that involve commercial ships and migrants in the Central Mediterranean.
Identification of hypoxia‐induced metabolism‐associated genes in canine tumours
Authors: Kato Taiki , Sakurai Masashi , Watanabe Kenji , Mizukami Yoichi , Nakagawa Takayuki , Baba Kenji , Mizuno Takuya , Igase Masaya 
Published: May 2024

AbstractCanine tumours including urothelial carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, mammary gland tumour, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma have been identified as causes of death, but effective therapies are limited due to insufficient knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved. Within the tumour microenvironment, hypoxia activates hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) in tumour cells. High HIF1α expression correlates with enhanced glycolysis and poorer outcomes in human cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoxic tumour cells remain elusive in dogs. In our study, we investigated upregulated genes in a canine malignant melanoma cell line during hypoxia using RNA‐sequencing analysis. Glycolysis and HIF1 signalling pathways were upregulated in hypoxic melanoma cells. HIF1α knockout melanoma cells revealed that the glycolysis marker MCT4 is regulated by HIF1α activation. Hypoxia induces high lactate secretion due to enhanced glycolysis in canine melanoma cells. Furthermore, we examined monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) expression in malignant melanoma and eight other types of canine tumour tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Membrane‐localized MCT4 protein was mostly detected in urothelial carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma rather than malignant melanoma. We conclude that canine MCT4 protein plays a role in lactic acid efflux from glycolytic cells and may serve as a marker for hypoxia and glycolysis in canine tumours. These findings could inform future therapeutic strategies targeting MCT4.
Introduction: World Englishes and Cultural Linguistics special issue
Authors: Latić Denisa , Peters Arne , Wolf Hans‐Georg , Polzenhagen Frank 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis special issue brings together contributions from leading researchers from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia active in the field of Cultural Linguistics, with particular reference to English worldwide. The special issue comprises nine substantive research articles together with a comprehensive bibliography dealing with Cultural Linguistics and world Englishes. It is anticipated that the special issue will provide a very useful reference and starting point for future research in this area.
Shift invariant subspaces in growth spaces and sets of finite entropy
Authors: Limani Adem 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe investigate shift invariant subspaces within the realm of analytic functions in the unit disc, whose radial growth is determined by a majorant . Our main result offers a complete characterization of the shift invariant subspaces generated by Nevanlinna class functions within the aforementioned class of growth spaces. Our description is expressed in terms of a certain ‐entropy condition, which naturally arises in connection with boundary zero sets for analytic functions in the unit disc, having modulus of continuity not exceeding on the unit circle. Furthermore, we utilize our findings to establish a structural theorem on approximation in model spaces.
Lower vascular conductance responses to handgrip exercise are improved following acute antioxidant supplementation in young individuals with post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Weggen Jennifer B. , Darling Ashley M. , Autler Aaron S. , Hogwood Austin C. , Decker Kevin P. , Richardson Jacob , Tuzzolo Gina , Garten Ryan S. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractYoung individuals with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) display peripheral vascular and autonomic nervous system dysfunction, two factors potentially stemming from a redox imbalance. It is currently unclear if these aforementioned factors, observed at rest, alter peripheral haemodynamic responses to exercise in this population. This study examined haemodynamic responses to handgrip exercise in young individuals with PTSD following acute antioxidant (AO) supplementation. Thirteen young individuals with PTSD (age 23 ± 3 years), and 13 age‐ and sex‐matched controls (CTRL) participated in the study. Exercise‐induced changes to arm blood flow (BF), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and vascular conductance (VC) were evaluated across two workloads of rhythmic handgrip exercise (3 and 6 kg). The PTSD group participated in two visits, consuming either a placebo (PL) or AO prior to their visits. The PTSD group demonstrated significantly lower VC (P = 0.04) across all exercise workloads (vs. CTRL), which was significantly improved following AO supplementation. In the PTSD group, AO supplementation improved VC in participants possessing the lowest VC responses to handgrip exercise, with AO supplementation significantly improving VC responses (3 and 6 kg: P < 0.01) by blunting elevated exercise‐induced MAP responses (3 kg: P = 0.01; 6 kg: P < 0.01). Lower VC responses during handgrip exercise were improved following AO supplementation in young individuals with PTSD. AO supplementation was associated with a blunting of exercise‐induced MAP responses in individuals with PTSD displaying elevated MAP responses. This study revealed that young individuals with PTSD exhibit abnormal, peripherally mediated exercise responses that may be linked to a redox imbalance.
Implications of Context Effects in Consumer Utility Models for Optimal Product Design and Differentiation
Authors: Gowharji Waleed F. , Michalek Jeremy J. , Whitefoot Kate S. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Consumer choice models used in optimal product design typically ignore potential context effects by assuming the utility of each product is independent of the attributes of other products in the choice set. We characterize implications of context effects for profit-maximizing designs by deriving the first-order conditions of the design problem under alternative utility formulations, and we propose a utility function that incorporates context effects and has well-defined optimal design solutions for all products in the choice set. We then conduct a discrete choice survey experiment of automobile options and find statistically significant context-effect parameters and superior out-of-sample prediction when context-effect parameters are used in both logit and mixed logit models. These results suggest that context effects can be important in engineering design contexts and have the potential to affect optimal design differentiation.
Usability and Performance Comparison of Active Shape Memory and Passive Stockings for Medical Compression
Authors: Pettys-Baker Robert , Subash Niharikha , Abel Julianna , Shah Surbhi , Holschuh Brad 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
On-body compressive therapy is an essential treatment for a variety of health conditions. Traditional compression methods like pneumatics and knit stockings offer quality compression, but present issues with user experience (donning/doffing challenges or bulk/mass issues). This paper covers two studies related to active compression stockings, which utilize knitted shape memory alloy (SMA) wire to produce dynamic compression forces on the body. When these SMA knit panels are heated with an at-home heating pad, the knit contracts and creates dynamic compression. The first study characterizes the forces produced on the body by a new iteration of an SMA knit stocking. The second study compares two versions of the SMA knit garment with a commercially available knit compression garment. The results show that SMA knit compression garments are able to produce medical grade compression on the body, but that sizing and material properties can greatly impact the forces produced. In a comparison of different compression stockings, the user experience of the SMA compression garment was preferred over the alternative garments. Overall, the potential of SMA knit compression is further highlighted, with a clear need for further development to ensure consistent medical grade compression.
Complete genome sequence of two chromosomes of
Vibrio metoecus
strain ZF102 isolated from the abdominal cavity of moribund laboratory zebrafish (
Danio rerio
)
Authors: Kim Sung Guk , Wang Sharon X. , Foley Steven L. 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Vibrio metoecus
was isolated from the abdominal cavity of moribund laboratory zebrafish. We report complete genomic sequences of
V. metoecus
strain ZF102 that has two circular chromosomes of 2,872,299 and 1,170,691 bp and two plasmids of 5,265 and 2,361 bp.
In vitro
,
in planta,
and comparative genomic analyses of
Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
syringae
strains of pepper (
Capsicum annuum
var.
annuum
)
Authors: Ranjit Sochina , Deblais Loïc , Poelstra Jelmer W. , Bhandari Menuka , Rotondo Francesca , Scaria Joy , Miller Sally A. , Rajashekara Gireesh 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
syringae
(
Pss
) is an emerging phytopathogen that causes
Pseudomonas
leaf spot (PLS) disease in pepper plants.
Pss
can cause serious economic damage to pepper production, yet very little is known about the virulence factors carried by
Pss
that cause disease in pepper seedlings. In this study,
Pss
strains isolated from pepper plants showing PLS symptoms in Ohio between 2013 and 2021 (
n
= 16) showed varying degrees of virulence (
Pss
populations and disease symptoms on leaves) on 6-week-old pepper seedlings.
In vitro
studies assessing growth in nutrient-limited conditions, biofilm production, and motility also showed varying degrees of virulence, but
in vitro
and
in planta
variation in virulence between
Pss
strains did not correlate. Comparative whole-genome sequencing studies identified notable virulence genes including 30 biofilm genes, 87 motility genes, and 106 secretion system genes. Additionally, a total of 27 antimicrobial resistance genes were found. A multivariate correlation analysis and Scoary analysis based on variation in gene content (
n
= 812 variable genes) and single nucleotide polymorphisms within virulence genes identified no significant correlations with disease severity, likely due to our limited sample size. In summary, our study explored the virulence and antimicrobial gene content of
Pss
in pepper seedlings as a first step toward understanding the virulence and pathogenicity of
Pss
in pepper seedlings. Further studies with additional pepper
Pss
strains will facilitate defining genes in
Pss
that correlate with its virulence in pepper seedlings, which can facilitate the development of effective measures to control
Pss
in pepper and other related
P. syringae
pathovars.

IMPORTANCE

Pseudomonas
leaf spot (PLS) caused by
Pseudomonas syringae
pv.
syringae
(
Pss
) causes significant losses to the pepper industry. Highly virulent
Pss
strains under optimal environmental conditions (cool–moderate temperatures, high moisture) can cause severe necrotic lesions on pepper leaves that consequently can decrease pepper yield if the disease persists. Hence, it is important to understand the virulence mechanisms of
Pss
to be able to effectively control PLS in peppers. In our study,
in vitro
,
in planta
, and whole-genome sequence analyses were conducted to better understand the virulence and pathogenicity characteristics of
Pss
strains in peppers. Our findings fill a knowledge gap regarding potential virulence and pathogenicity characteristics of
Pss
in peppers, including virulence and antimicrobial gene content. Our study helps pave a path to further identify the role of specific virulence genes in causing disease in peppers, which can have implications in developing strategies to effectively control PLS in peppers.
A metagenomics-based workflow for the detection and genomic characterization of GBS in raw freshwater fish
Authors: Sim Kae Hwan , Ho Jiaying , Lim Jia Qi , Chan Sheot Harn , Li Angela , Chng Kern Rei 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

The unexpected foodborne outbreak in Singapore in 2015 has accentuated Group B
Streptococcus
(GBS,
Streptococcus agalactiae
) sequence type 283 as an emerging foodborne pathogen transmitted via the consumption of contaminated raw freshwater fish. Isolation-based workflows utilizing conventional microbiological and whole-genome sequencing methods are commonly used to support biosurveillance efforts critical for the control management of this emerging foodborne pathogen. However, these isolation-based workflows tend to have relatively long turnaround times that hamper a timely response for implementing risk mitigation. To address this gap, we have developed a metagenomics-based workflow for the simultaneous detection and genomic characterization of GBS in raw freshwater fish. Notably, our validation results showed that this metagenomics-based workflow could achieve comparable accuracy and potentially better detection limits while halving the turnaround time (from 2 weeks to 5 days) relative to an isolation-based workflow. The metagenomics-based workflow was also successfully adapted for use on a portable long-read nanopore sequencer, demonstrating its potential applicability for real-time point-of-need testing. Using GBS in freshwater fish as an example, this work represents a proof-of-concept study that supports the feasibility and validity of metagenomics as a rapid and accurate test methodology for the detection and genomic characterization of foodborne pathogens in complex food matrices.

IMPORTANCE

The need for a rapid and accurate food microbiological testing method is apparent for a timely and effective foodborne outbreak response. This is particularly relevant for emerging foodborne pathogens such as Group B
Streptococcus
(GBS) whose associated food safety risk might be undercharacterized. By using GBS in raw freshwater fish as a case example, this study describes the development of a metagenomics-based workflow for rapid food microbiological safety testing and surveillance. This study can inform as a working model for various foodborne pathogens in other complex food matrices, paving the way for future methodological development of metagenomics for food microbiological safety testing.
Utility of a multiplex pathogen detection system directly from respiratory specimens for treatment and diagnostic stewardship
Authors: Srivastava Smriti , Sharad Neha , Kiro Vandana Vijayeta , Ningombam Aparna , Shrivastava Sharad , Farooque Kamran , Mathur Purva 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

The availability of syndrome-based panels for various ailments has widened the scope of diagnostics in many clinical settings. These panels can detect a multitude of pathogens responsible for a particular condition, which can lead to a timely diagnosis and better treatment outcomes. In contrast to traditional identification methods based on pathogen growth on culture, syndrome-based panels offer a quicker diagnosis, which can be especially beneficial in situations requiring urgent care, such as intensive care units. One such panel is the Biofire Filmarray Pneumonia plus Panel (BFP), which we have compared against microbiological culture and identification. The lower respiratory samples from patients were tested with BFP, culture, and identification with culture considered the gold standard. The phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility results (Vitek 2) were compared with the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes detected in BFP. Statistical analysis was carried out using GraphPad 7.0 and MS Excel (Microsoft Inc.). The results showed a positive percent agreement of 100% and a negative percent agreement of 47.8% with an overall agreement of 76.72% compared to culture. BFP was better at identifying fastidious bacteria, and the agreement with culture was higher for high bacterial identification numbers (10
7
and 10
6
). There was also a correlation between the number of pathogens detected and growth in culture. Carbapenemase genes were detected in around 80% of phenotypically resistant samples and correlated with in-house PCR 60% of the time. Hence, BFP results need to be interpreted with caution especially when multiple pathogens are detected. Similarly, the presence or absence of AMR genes should be used to guide the therapy while being watchful of unusual resistance or susceptibility. The cost constraints and low throughput call for patient selection criteria and prioritization in emergency or resource-limited conditions.

IMPORTANCE
Application of syndrome-based panels in clinical microbiology is of huge support in infectious conditions requiring urgent interventions, such as pneumonia. Interpreting the results requires caution; hence, we have compared the results obtained from Biofire Filmarray Pneumonia plus Panel with standard microbiological methods.