bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Single Amino Acid Mutation Alters the Neutralization Epitopes in the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Glycoprotein
Authors: Oraby Ahmed K. , Stojic Aleksandra , Elawar Farah , Bilawchuk Leanne , McClelland Ryley , Erwin Kaci , Granoski Madison , Griffiths Cameron , Arutyunova Elena , Lemieux M. Joanne , West Frederick , Ramilo Octavio , Mejias Asuncion , McLellan Jason , Marchant David 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of infant hospitalization. All current available RSV therapeutics including antibody prophylaxis and adult vaccination target the RSV fusion glycoprotein (RSV-F).The seven neutralization sites on RSV-F are highlyconserved and infrequently mutated. Here, we show that asingle amino acid mutation at position 305 in RSV-F significantly alters antigenic recognition of RSV-F binding sites and changes the susceptibility of RSV to neutralizing antibodies. In an in vitro evolution assay, we show that RSV-F L305I occurs in the majority of RSV quasi-species. Computational modelingpredicted that the L305I mutation alters the epitope landscape of RSV-F, resulting in changes to neutralizing antibody sensitivity and affinity towards the RSV-F glycoprotein. Screening of published RSV-F sequences revealed that position 305 in RSV-F is a conserved leucine and isoleucine in RSV-A and RSV-B subtypes, respectively. Our study suggests that select amino acids in RSV-F may act asconformational switches for RSV to evade host serum antibodies. This work has important implications in understanding RSV evolution and resistance as it suggests that mutational resistance to neutralizing antibodies can also occur at sites distal to antigenic epitopes, significantly altering antibody sensitivity to viral infection. These unique antigenic landscape changes should be considered in the context of vaccine and therapeutic development in order to better understand viral mechanisms of evasion and resistance.
Incidence, Causes, and Determinants of Maternal Near-Miss among Women Attending Public Hospitals in Borena Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Kamangira Boboh , Ayele Gudeta , Melaku Kaleb , Abdulkadir Abdulbari , Dube Polite , Vushoma Eubert 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background: Maternal near-miss refers to an event where a woman who nearly died but survived complications that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. Survivors of near-miss events share several characteristics with mothers who would have died. Thus, up-to-date information on the magnitude and causes of maternal near-miss is vital to improve the quality of maternal care.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among women attending public hospitals in Borena zone from August 15 to November 15, 2022. All women admitted to participating hospitals during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days following termination of pregnancy who met the WHO near-miss criteria were enrolled into the study.
Result: Out of the total 1421 deliveries during the study period, we were able to identify 117 women that developed potentially life-threatening conditions, with 61 of these women experiencing severe maternal outcomes (55 near-misses and 6 maternal deaths). The maternal near-miss incidence ratios was estimated to be 38.7 per 1000 live births and a mortality index of 9.8%. Hypertensive disorders, 61.8% (CI: 48% - 74%), and obstetric hemorrhage, 29.1% (CI: 18% - 42%) were the leading underlying causes of maternal near-misses.
Conclusion: The incidence of maternal near-miss was remarkably high when compared to previous studies. Giving special emphasis to life-saving interventions, critical care, reducing delays and improving the referral system are critical to improve quality of care.
Effect of lung volume preservation during spontaneous breathing trial on successful extubation among patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Study protocol for a multi-center clinical trial.
Authors: Subira Carles , Rognoni Gina , Baquerizo Herbert , García Carolina , Cabañes Sara , Torre Maria de la , Quevedo Beatriz , Pedrós Cristina , Tizón Ana I. , Murillo Natalia , Parro Laura , Eiras Fernando , Rialp Gemma , Altaba Susana , González-Castro Alejandro , Pacheco Andrés F. , Bayoumi Pablo , Medrano Norma , Vallverdú Imma , Higón Áurea , Navarro María D. , Falcón Alirio , Keough Elena , Arizo David , Martínez Juan F. , Durán Núria , Rodríguez Raquel , Popoviciu-Koborzan Melinda R. , Guerrero Isabel , Concha Pablo , Barral Patricia , Batlle Montserrat , Cano Sílvia , Garcia-Castrillon Silvia , Andorrà Xavier , Tua Yenifher , Arnau Anna , Fernández Rafael 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background: the best spontaneous breathing test (SBT) during weaning from mechanical ventilation is a 30-min test with pressure support ventilation (PSV) 8 cmH2O without positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). There is a debate about the possible collapse of some alveolar units during such SBT and during extubation with continuous suctioning. A few experiences showed extubation without suctioning as feasible and safe. Lung ultrasound is an excellent tool to determine the level of lung aeration. We hypothesize that preserving lung volume during SBT and extubation can yield higher rates of successful extubation.
Methods:
Primary objective: To determine the rates of successful extubation in two extubation approaches aiming at different levels of lung volume preservation: standard SBT (30-min PSV8 without PEEP followed by extubation with continuous suctioning) versus experimental SBT (30-min PSV8 + PEEP5 followed by extubation without suctioning).
Secondary objectives: To determine reintubation rate, ICU and hospital stays, the lung volume aeration using modified lung ultrasound score (LUS) before and after successful or failed SBT, diaphragm and intercostal thickness and thickening fraction by ultrasound (US) before and after successful or failed SBT.
Design: Multi-center, randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to a two opposing extubation strategies. The follow-up period will be 90-days after randomization.
Discussion: A representative group of mechanically ventilated patients ready to be liberated from the ventilator will be studied in order to provide comprehensive data on the potential impact of preserving lung volume during weaning.
Ethics and registration: The study has been approved by the Board Research Committee (CEIm) of the Fundació Unió Catalana d'Hospitals with the code CEI 22/67 and 23/26. Already registered on ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05526053 on August 2023.
Validation of Interpersonal relationship scale inventory: Confirmatory factor analysis modelling approach using AMOS.
Authors: Debnath Sumit Kumar , Khatri Puja 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Interpersonal relationships are crucial for the growth and development of the organization as it directly or indirectly impacts employee performance. The present study aimed to develop an interpersonal relationship scale inventory for nurses, identifying the various dimensions of interpersonal relationships and validating the developed scale using EFA and CFA approaches. A methodological cross-sectional study design consisting of two phases was used. The study was conducted in government and private-sector hospitals. In the first phase, 250 nurses participated in the study, and 4 factors with 16 items were identified using EFA. In the second phase, confirmatory factor analysis was performed with a sample size of 766 nurses. Information related to factor loading (EFA), descriptive statistic, correlation matrix, standardized estimation in the CFA model, and discriminant validity were presented in tabular form. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 23.0. The result indicated that the CFA model was ascertained by the following indices: CFI =0.973; GFI= 0.958; RMSEA= 0.048; TLI= 0.967; SRMR= 0.033. The results were within the acceptable range, indicating that the four factors obtained from EFA were validated, also the reliability and the discriminant validity of the model were established. Moreover, the study shows that the four factors identified were regarded as crucial element that supports the interpersonal relationship scale developed in the study. The four-factor scale can be used by nursing managers, and educators to understand the competencies of nurses towards people management, which have a significant impact on patient outcomes. Also, the scale would be helpful in assessing the effectiveness of the training program to measure the social skills and competencies of the nurses, hence there exist a significant implication of this study. The study concludes with the validation of the four-factor interpersonal relationship scale inventory which can be a useful tool to assess workplace relationships for healthcare professionals. As a future scope, the researcher can validate the scale using different sample frames.
Study of mediating effect of Emotional Coping Ability in the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Wellness of Nursing Professionals
Authors: Debnath Sumit Kumar , Khatri Puja , Nanda Shweta 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of emotional coping ability in the relationship between EI and wellness. The study was conducted in public and private hospitals and 766 valid responses were considered for the analysis. Information related to the demographic, correlation coefficient, direct and indirect effects, and the path coefficient of the model was presented in tabular form. Data were analysed using SPSS 22 and Smart PLS 3. Findings show that the path between EI and wellness was mediated by emotional coping ability and the effect was found to be statistically significant. The R2 for the model was found to be 41.5%. Moreover, the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.527–0.601. The present study was able to establish the mediating effect of emotional coping ability and proposes a model of wellness, which is of great significance for the psychological intervention of nursing professionals in the future.
The Flame Retardant Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Composites with Boric Acid Modified ZSM-5 Synergists
Authors: Zhai Xiaokun , Gu Jiajia , Ma Qin , Jin Yuwei , Zhang Ruiyan , Luo Faliang 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Cyclic olefin copolymer exhibits promising alternative of thermal insulation foam in building fields. However, it is challenging to improve COC flame retardant behavior due to macromolecular chain with carbon and hydrogen elements. Herein, we utilize boric acid modified ZSM-5 (BZ5) as synergist in order to achieve the intumescent flame retardant (IFR) COC composite. The surface morphology, distribution of flame retardants, flame retardancy and morphology and structure of carbon residue of the composite were studied by SEM, EDS, LOI, CCT and FTIR characterizations. With adding BZ5 as a synergist, the LOI value can reach up to 28.5%, which is much higher than that of 15.3% for neat COC. Char residue content increased from 0.97% to 19.7% with BZ5 as a synergist in the COC composite. According to SEM and FTIR results, dense microscopic carbon residue structure after boric acid modification. The study shows that the modification of boric acid with appropriate content can improve the flame retardancy of COC.
Comparing the Prognostic Value of Lactate to the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio Among Sepsis Patients: a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chebl Ralph Bou , Haidar Saadeddine , Kattouf Nadim , Assaf Mohamad , Alwan Joudie Sahar , Khamis Mohamed , Abdeldaem Karim , Makki Maha , Tamim Hani , Dagher Gilbert Abou 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
The prognostic role of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was studied in several disease conditions such as appendicitis, cardiovascular disease, malignancy, and sepsis. Lactate is a commonly used prognostic biomarker in sepsis. The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic value of lactate to the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio among septic patients.
Methods
This was a prospective cohort study including adult septic or septic shock patients presenting to the Emergency Department of a tertiary care center, between September 2018 and February 2021. The primary outcome was to compare the prognostic value of the NLR to lactate with regard to in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was to compare the prognostic value of the NLR to lactate in different septic patient subgroups with regard to in-hospital mortality.
Results
The number of septic patients included in this study was 874. In the stepwise logistic regression, NLR was not associated with in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.003, 95% CI = 0.994–1.012, p = 0.544), whereas lactate was associated with in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.188, 95% CI = 1.086–1.299, p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference between the AUC of NLR and lactate (0.552 95% CI = 0.504–0.599 vs 0.591 95% CI = 0.544–0.637, p = 0.22). Lactate outperformed NLR in the following subgroups: albumin < 30, patients less than 65 years of age and patients with sepsis due to a urinary tract infection. There was no statistically significant difference in the AUCs between lactate and NLR in patients with septic shock, Lactate < 2, Lactate ≥ 2, diabetes, malignancy, chronic kidney diseases, other sources of infection, albumin ≥ 30 and age ≥ 65.
Conclusion
In this study, lactate but not NLR was associated with in-hospital mortality. There was no significant difference in the AUCs between lactate and NLR among sepsis patients and among the majority of the subgroups in this study (including septic shock patients). However, lactate outperformed NLR in the following subgroups: albumin < 30 g/L, patients less than 65 years of age and patients with sepsis due to a urinary tract infection. Our results advocate for the continued use of serum lactate rather than NLR, despite its limitations, as a predictor of mortality among septic patients and the different subgroups in this study.
Vardenafil Versus Tamsulosin Efficacy in Relieving Ureteral Stent-Related Symptoms : A Randomized Single Center Study
Authors: Abdelbary Ahmed , Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed , Massoud Amr Medhat , Elmarakbi Akram A. , Abdellatif Ahmad 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background: Urinary symptoms are common side effects following ureteral DJ insertion, different solutions are applied to overcome these symptoms like alpha-adrenergic blockers and phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
Aim of the work: To compare the effect of Vardenafil 10 mg once daily versus Tamsulosin 0.4mg once daily on stent-related symptoms (SRSs).
Patients and methods: A single center prospective randomized trial was conducted from November 2020 to November 2022 on patients presented with SRSs, randomized to receive either Vardenafil or Tamsulosin for subsequent 4 to 6 weeks. The efficacy of drugs to relieve SRSs was measured by the Ureteral stent symptom questionnaire (USSQ score).
Outcomes: The main outcome measure used was the Ureteral stent symptom questionnaire scores, with sexual score analysis regarding gender and age.
Results: Of 208 patients, the mean age was 45.07±9.5 years, ranging from 21 to 65 years. There was an improvement regarding urinary symptoms, sexual health, body pain, general health, and work performance after the administration of Vardenafil, p= 0.001. On the other hand, Tamsulosin achieved improvement in most categories except sexual health, p=0.5. Univariate and multivariate analysis of sexual health score in the USSQ showed statistically significant differences toward females and males over 50 years, p= 0.003 and 0.02 respectively.
Clinical Implications: both drugs were safe for the patients who were involved in the study, and minimal side effects were reported.
Limitations: Vardenafil has a limited half-life, and it was sometimes necessary to add Tamsulosin to enhance its efficacy.
Conclusion: Vardenafil is a valid option for SRS relief with favorability toward improving sexual functions in females and elder males.
Fibrotic Phenotype in CRISPR knockout p53 of Hepatic Organoids within a Pro-Carcinogenic Microenvironment
Authors: ERDAL Esra , Karabicici Mustafa , Akbari Soheil , Calıskan Ceyda , Celiker Canan , Oz Ozden , Binokay Leman , Karakulah Gokhan , Senturk Serif 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Hepatic fibrogenesis is a pathological outcome of chronic liver injury, characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, leading to hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the lack of reliable models that mimic precancerous fibrogenesis in the early stage of the disease remains a significant obstacle. Here, we utilized human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatic organoids (eHEPO) to replicate the early stages of human liver fibrosis, focusing on CRISPR/Cas9 system-mediated TP53 loss within a pro-carcinogenic microenvironment (pc-ME) comprising the secretome of activated hepatic stellate (LX2) and M2-polarized macrophages. We confirmed that our model represents an enrichment score across various signaling pathways according to transcriptome analysis, including inflammation, extracellular matrix (ECM) modification, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. The model also displayed altered proliferation and differentiation properties depending on medium-derived stimulations, alongside noticeable alterations in key regulators of HIF1A, IFNA, STAT3, and Wnt/TGF-b signaling pathways. Importantly, our TP53KO-eHEPO model exhibited an enhanced fibrotic morphology with atypical cells, pseudo-glandular-tubular rosettes, steatohepatitis-like inflammatory areas, and ballooning-like hepatocytes. Additionally, we confirmed the augmentation of myofibroblast and fibrosis marker expression, including PDGFRB, COL1A1, COL3A1, and COL11A1, as well as early pro-carcinogenic markers GPC3 and MUC1. Overall, this model stands as a significant advancement in the study of liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, offering a valuable tool for investigating the impact of first-hit genes like TP53 and inflammatory conditions on hepatic progenitor cell transformation in diverse microenvironments, and providing a potential platform for early-stage drug development and candidate identification.
Revolutionizing Plant Disease Detection in Agriculture: a Comparative Study of Yolov5 and Yolov8 Deep Learning Models
Authors: Hawaldar Vaibhav , Jain Rishabh , Mengde Mihir , Agrawal Supriya 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Object detection stands as a pivotal task within computer vision, finding extensive use across various domains. Recent years have witnessed a transformative shift in object detection thanks to deep learning methodologies, with You Only Look Once(YOLO) emerging as a prominent algorithm in this field. In this research paper, our focus lies in conducting an in-depth comparative analysis between two advanced deep learning models, You Only Look Once Version 5(YOLOv5) and You Only Look Once Version 8 (YOLOv8), to assess their applicability in the context of plant leaf disease detection within the agricultural sector. Our results unequivocally establish YOLOv8 as the superior performer, exhibiting exceptional precision, recall, and class differentiation, and notably, outperforming YOLOv5 by approximately 3% in mean average precision (mAP). This study demonstrates the prowess of YOLOv8 as a state-of-the-art object detection algorithm, offering implications for diverse applications beyond agriculture.
A geospatial analysis of local intermediate snail host distributions provides insight into schistosomiasis risk within under-sampled areas of southern Lake Malawi
Authors: Reed Amber Lydia , Al-Harbi Mohammad H , Makaulai Peter , Condemine Charlotte , Hesketh Josie , Archer John , Jones Sam , Kayuni Sekeleghe A , Musaya Janelisa , Stanton Michelle C , Stothard J Russell , Fronterre Claudio , Jewell Christopher 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background: Along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, the incidence of schistosomiasis is increasing with snails of the genera Bulinus and Biomphalaria transmitting urogenital and intestinal schistosomiasis, respectively. Since the underlying distribution of snails is partially known, often being focal, developing pragmatic spatial models that interpolate snail information across under-sampled regions is required to understand and assess current and future risk of schistosomiasis.
Methods: A secondary geospatial analysis of recently collected malacological and environmental survey data was undertaken. Using a Bayesian Poisson latent Gaussian process model abundance data were fitted for Bulinus and Biomphalaria. Interpolating the abundance of snails along the shoreline (given their relative distance along the shoreline ∼ x km) was achieved by smoothing, using extracted environmental rainfall, land surface temperature (LST), evapotranspiration, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and soil type covariate data for all predicted locations. Our adopted model used a combination of two-dimensional (2D) and one dimensional (1D) mapping.
Results: A significant association between normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and abundance of Bulinus spp. was detected [log risk ratio -0.83, 95% CI: -1.57, -0.09]. A qualitatively similar association was found between NDVI and Biomphalaria spp. but was not statistically significant [log risk ratio -1.42, 95% CI:-3.09, 0.10]. All other environmental data considered were non-significant.
Conclusions: The spatial range in which interpolation of snail distributions is possible appears less than y km, owing to fine-scale biotic and abiotic heterogeneities. The forthcoming challenge is to refine geospatial sampling frameworks with future opportunities to map schistosomiasis within actual or predicted snail distributions which might better reveal the environmental transmission possibilities.
SNeurodCNN: Structure-focused Neurodegeneration Convolutional Neural Network for Modeling and Classification of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Odimayo Simisola , Olisah Chollette C. , Mohammed Khadija 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the predominant form of dementia, is a growing global challenge, emphasizing the urgent need for accurate and early diagnosis. Current clinical diagnoses rely on radiologist expert interpretation, which is prone to human error. Machine learning has thus far shown promise for early AD diagnosis. However, existing methods often overlook focal structural features critical for understanding cerebral cortex neurodegeneration. This paper proposes a machine learning framework that includes a novel structure-focused neurodegeneration CNN architecture named SNeurodCNN and an image brightness enhancement preprocessor using gamma correction. Leveraging mid-sagittal and para-sagittal brain image viewpoints from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset, our framework demonstrated exceptional performance. The para-sagittal viewpoint achieved 97.8% accuracy, 97.0% specificity, and 98.5% sensitivity, while the mid-sagittal viewpoint offered deeper insights with 98.1% accuracy, 97.2% specificity, and 99.0% sensitivity. Model analysis revealed the ability of SNeurodCNN to capture the structural dynamics of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD in the frontal lobe, occipital lobe, cerebellum, temporal, and parietal lobe, suggesting its potential as a brain structural change digi-biomarker for early AD diagnosis.