bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of cortisol cut-off limits and steroid dynamics in the ACTH stimulation test: a comparative analysis using Roche Elecsys Cortisol II immunoassay and LC-MS/MS
Authors: Okutan Sema , Jørgensen Nanna Thurmann , Pedersen Lars Engers , Borresen Stina Willemoes , Hilsted Linda , Hansen Lennart Friis , Feldt-Rasmussen Ulla , Klose Marianne 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Measurement of cortisol concentrations is method dependent. The study aimed to establish assay-specific cut-off limits for cortisol after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation, comparing Roche Elecsys Cortisol II immunoassay to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and to assess the impact of patient characteristics, estrogen containing oral contraceptives as well as relation to other adrenocortical steroid hormone dynamics.

Methods
One hundred healthy participants underwent a 250 μg ACTH-test, with plasma samples analyzed using ElecsysCortI, ElecsysCortII, and LC-MS/MS. Cortisone, corticosterone, 17-OH-progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione, and testosterone were additionally analyzed with LC-MS/MS. Cut-off limit for a normal cortisol response to the ACTH-test was defined as: 2.5th percentile–1.96 × SE.

Results
ElecsysCort II measured cortisol concentrations 21% (95% CI: 19–22%) lower than ElecsysCort I. Cut-off limits for cortisol 30 and 60 min after ACTH were 426 and 485 nmol/L (ElecsysCort II) and 411 and 470 nmol/L (LC-MS/MS). Cut-offs were unaffected by gender, or body-composition. The ACTH-test resulted in significantly increased adrenocortical steroid hormones, except for decreased cortisone concentrations (both sexes), and decreased testosterone in men (1.9 nmol/L, 95% CI: 1.3–2.5). Testosterone was increased in women (0.07 nmol/L, 95% CI: 0.02–0.13).

Conclusion
ElecsysCort II has high analytical performance and yields significantly lower cortisol concentrations than prior polyclonal immunoassays. This clinically relevant difference underscores the necessity for revised cut-off limits for improved diagnostic precision. Suggested 30-minute cortisol cutoff limits are 411 nmol/L (LC-MS/MS) and 426 nmol/L (ElecsysCort II). Adrenocortical steroids increased upon ACTH stimulation, except for cortisone in both sexes and testosterone in men, both of which decreased.
Dynamics of neural fields with exponential temporal kernel
Authors: Shamsara Elham , Yamakou Marius E. , Atay Fatihcan M. , Jost Jürgen 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe consider the standard neural field equation with an exponential temporal kernel. We analyze the time-independent (static) and time-dependent (dynamic) bifurcations of the equilibrium solution and the emerging spatiotemporal wave patterns. We show that an exponential temporal kernel does not allow static bifurcations such as saddle-node, pitchfork, and in particular, static Turing bifurcations. However, the exponential temporal kernel possesses the important property that it takes into account the finite memory of past activities of neurons, which Green’s function does not. Through a dynamic bifurcation analysis, we give explicit bifurcation conditions. Hopf bifurcations lead to temporally non-constant, but spatially constant solutions, but Turing–Hopf bifurcations generate spatially and temporally non-constant solutions, in particular, traveling waves. Bifurcation parameters are the coefficient of the exponential temporal kernel, the transmission speed of neural signals, the time delay rate of synapses, and the ratio of excitatory to inhibitory synaptic weights.
Alpine blooming of “snow fleas”: the importance of snow for Alpine springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) ecology and biodiversity
Authors: Valle Barbara , Porco David , Skarżyński Dariusz , Frati Francesco , Caccianiga Marco , Rodriguez-Prieto Ana , Zeni Michele , Gobbi Mauro 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSpringtails can occur in large populations on the snow surface. This peculiar habitat hosts specialized winter-active springtails living in colonies and using this seasonal habitat for feeding, effective dispersal and migration. Snow-active species have never been studied in Southern European Alps: the aim of this work is to study snow-active springtails of Adamello-Brenta Nature Park (“PNAB”; Italy), a peripheral mountain range of relevant biogeographic interest using integrative taxonomy. Springtail “bloomings” were sampled for 17 months by an environmental assistant of the park. Nine assemblages of springtails were found when temperatures were higher than 0 °C; eight were monospecific, with a total of five species found. The snow-active springtail fauna found includes both common Central-Northern European nival species like Desoria hiemalis (first record for Italy, although genetically differentiated from Northern Alps populations), Ceratophysella sigillata (known in Italy mainly from caves) and three species likely new to science (Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp1, Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp2, H. cf. peloponnesica, all belonging to the Hypogastrura socialisgroup). Snow is an important ephemeral habitat for springtails, for the biodiversity hosted and for its importance as an ecological corridor. We could hypothesize that snow, especially in peripheral mountain chains, acts as a fragmentary ephemeral habitat for those cold-adapted springtails. This could constitute a relevant aspect to take into consideration for conservation biology, especially in the context of the ongoing climate change. On the other hand, the Alpine chain probably acts as an ecological barrier for nival species, since isolated species and populations were found in PNAB.
Graphical Abstract
Expanding our knowledge of the coffee family in continental Africa: a synopsis of the genus Pyrostria (Rubiaceae)
Authors: Matheka Kennedy W. , Goyder David , Darbyshire Iain 
Published: March 2024

SummaryA summary of the species ofPyrostriafrom continental Africa is presented, including full descriptions of three new species,P. makovui,P. namacubiensisandP.rovumensisfrom the coastal forests of the Tanzania-Mozambique border region, and one new subspecies,P. lobulatasubsp.bridsoniaefrom Zambia.Pyrostria makovuiis the first species with plurilocular (3-lobed) fruits and the second hermaphrodite species for the study area, characters that are otherwise found mainly in taxa ofPyrostriafrom Madagascar and surrounding islands. Five of the 16 species treated in this synopsis remain undescribed because they are known only from incomplete material. A key to the species ofPyrostriaoccurring in continental Africa is presented and notes on the distribution, habitat and relevant taxonomic considerations are provided, along with an assessment of the conservation status (extinction risk) for each species. TheCoastal Forests of Eastern AfricaBiodiversity Hotspot is found to be a centre of diversity forPyrostria, with the Rovuma Centre of Plant Endemism in Mozambique and Tanzania being particularly rich in endemic species.
OX26-cojugated gangliosilated liposomes to improve the post-ischemic therapeutic effect of CDP-choline
Authors: d’Avanzo Nicola , Paolino Donatella , Barone Antonella , Ciriolo Luigi , Mancuso Antonia , Christiano Maria Chiara , Tolomeo Anna Maria , Celia Christian , Deng Xiaoyong , Fresta Massimo 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCerebrovascular impairment represents one of the main causes of death worldwide with a mortality rate of 5.5 million per year. The disability of 50% of surviving patients has high social impacts and costs in long period treatment for national healthcare systems. For these reasons, the efficacious clinical treatment of patients, with brain ischemic stroke, remains a medical need. To this aim, a liposome nanomedicine, with monosialic ganglioside type 1 (GM1), OX26 (an anti-transferrin receptor antibody), and CDP-choline (a neurotrophic drug) (CDP-choline/OX26Lip) was prepared. CDP-choline/OX26Lip were prepared by a freeze and thaw method and then extruded through polycarbonate filters, to have narrow size distributed liposomes of ~80 nm. CDP-choline/OX26Lip were stable in human serum, they had suitable pharmacokinetic properties, and 30.0 ± 4.2% of the injected drug was still present in the blood stream 12 h after its systemic injection. The post-ischemic therapeutic effect of CDP-choline/OX26Lip is higher than CDP-choline/Lip, thus showing a significantly high survival rate of the re-perfused post-ischemic rats, i.e. 96% and 78% after 8 days. The treatment with CDP-choline/OX26Lip significantly decreased the peroxidation rate of ~5-times compared to CDP-choline/Lip; and the resulting conjugated dienes, that was 13.9 ± 1.1 mmol/mg proteins for CDP-choline/Lip and 3.1 ± 0.8 for CDP-choline/OX26Lip. OX26 increased the accumulation of GM1-liposomes in the brain tissues and thus the efficacious of CDP-choline. Therefore, this nanomedicine may represent a strategy for the reassessment of CDP-choline to treat post-ischemic events caused by brain stroke, and respond to a significant clinical need.
Graphical abstract
Ellis enveloping semigroups in real closed fields
Authors: Baro Elías , Palacín Daniel 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe introduce the Boolean algebra of d-semialgebraic (more generally, d-definable) sets and prove that its Stone space is naturally isomorphic to the Ellis enveloping semigroup of the Stone space of the Boolean algebra of semialgebraic (definable) sets. For definably connected o-minimal groups, we prove that this family agrees with the one of externally definable sets in the one-dimensional case. Nonetheless, we prove that in general these two families differ, even in the semialgebraic case over the real algebraic numbers. On the other hand, in the semialgebraic case we characterise real semialgebraic functions representing Boolean combinations of d-semialgebraic sets.
Advancing ocean ecosystem conservation via property rights, rather than marine protected areas (MPAs)
Authors: Libecap Gary D. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThere is demand to protect at-risk fish species and ecosystems. Property rights regimes can be superior to spatial controls via Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for doing so. Empirical cases from Australia and the US indicate that MPAs are inequitable, too large and restrictive, and controversial. These conditions lead to resistance and political pushback, threatening long-term budgets and conservation goals. A critique of MPAs is presented along with a range of property rights arrangements–common, community, private—and Coasean bargaining as alternatives. Outlined benefits are a.) Rights holders have a stake in conservation and are central in its design. They are more than respondents. b). Costs/benefits can be more equally distributed, including direct payments that include both costs of transition and contribution to public goods provision. c.) Spatial set-asides confront tradeoffs and hence, are more apt to be economically sited and designed. d.) Modifications can occur more smoothly through market exchange than through the political process. Durable global conservation efforts can be enhanced.
COVID-19 vaccines: history of the pandemic’s great scientific success and flawed policy implementation
Authors: Prasad Vinay , Haslam Alyson 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe COVID-19 vaccine has been a miraculous, life-saving advance, offering staggering efficacy in adults, and was developed with astonishing speed. The time from sequencing the virus to authorizing the first COVID-19 vaccine was so brisk even the optimists appear close-minded. Yet, simultaneously, United States’ COVID-19 vaccination roll-out and related policies have contained missed opportunities, errors, run counter to evidence-based medicine, and revealed limitations in the judgment of public policymakers. Misplaced utilization, contradictory messaging, and poor deployment in those who would benefit most—the elderly and high-risk—alongside unrealistic messaging, exaggeration, and coercion in those who benefit least—young, healthy Americans—is at the heart. It is important to consider the history of COVID-19 vaccines to identify where we succeeded and where we failed, and the effects that these errors may have more broadly on vaccination hesitancy and routine childhood immunization programs in the decades to come.
Integration of Disability Awareness Improves Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward People with Disabilities
Authors: Sinha Tanvee , Parish Ashley , Lein Donald H. , Wylie Elizabeth , Carver Cathy , Brooks William S. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPersons with disabilities (PWD) often require special accommodations and more comprehensive healthcare yet frequently have encounters with physicians who are unprepared to provide tailored and complete care. A multipronged disability awareness curriculum for second-year medical students was implemented, including content on disability etiquette, patient-centered and interprofessional learning sessions for individuals with physical disabilities and intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a debriefing session with physiatrists. The objective of this study was to utilize a mixed methods approach to evaluate the disability awareness curriculum in undergraduate medical education (UME). Assessment was conducted using course evaluations, pre- and post-surveys including the Attitudes and Perspectives Towards Persons with Disabilities (APPD) scale and Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS), and student focus groups. The mean scores from both the APPD (2.11 ± 0.43 pre-score vs. 1.7 ± 0.39 post-score) and MAS (2.45 ± 0.43 pre-score vs. 2.25 ± 0.55 post-score) indicate the curriculum improved medical students’ attitudes toward PWD (p < 0.05), with lower numbers representing more favorable attitudes. After completing the curriculum, medical students’ attitudes were comparable to those of doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students. Qualitative analysis from focus groups highlighted four major themes: education, comfort level, impact on future practice, and disability differences. This curriculum has potential as a valuable framework for delivering effective disability education to medical students to prepare future physicians to serve PWD and their unique needs. It meets core competencies, provides an opportunity to learn in interprofessional environments, and integrates PWD into the educational process.
Group decision on rationalizing disease analysis using novel distance measure on Pythagorean fuzziness
Authors: Baranidharan B. , Liu Jie , Mahapatra G. S. , Mahapatra B. S. , Srilalithambigai R. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractDespite the fact that several technologies have been developed to assist healthcare workers in reducing errors and improving accuracy in illness diagnosis, there is still substantial ambiguity regarding the accurate disease diagnosis based on symptoms. The goal of this work is to establish a group decision-making problem in an uncertain situation to assist medical practitioners in generating accurate illness predictions based on symptoms. This study proposes a novel distance measure for Pythagorean fuzzy sets that incorporates the inherent uncertainty of complex, uncertain data by incorporating indeterminacy in the computation. First, we establish the proposed Mabala distance measure by describing it’s properties. Then, the suggested distance measure is applied to solve group decision-making problems in uncertain situations. A case study of disease analysis based on symptoms is presented to illustrate the decision-making procedure involving four medical professionals, five symptoms, and five probable diseases. Furthermore, We have presented two cases of disease analysis using non-standard and standard Pythagorean fuzzy soft matrices. The results suggest that the proposed Mabala’s distance measure has great potential for improving disease analysis. The proposed Mabala distance measure is compared to five existing distance measures using an identical data set of prospective disease symptoms. The comparative analysis indicates that the suggested Mabala distance measure’s result almost coincides with the results of the other distance measurements. A set of sensitivity analysis is provided to analyze the durability and consistency of the proposed distance measurements across different input scenarios.
Toward automatic robotic massage based on interactive trajectory planning and control
Authors: Xu Qinling , Deng Zhen , Zeng Chao , Li Zhuoran , He Bingwei , Zhang Jianwei 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAutonomous robotic massage holds the potential to alleviate the workload of nurses and improve the quality of healthcare. However, the complexity of the task and the dynamic of the environment present significant challenges for robotic massage. This paper presents a vision-based robotic massage (VBRM) framework that facilitates autonomous robot massaging of the human body while ensuring safe operation in a dynamic environment. The VBRM framework allows the operator to define the massage trajectory by drawing a 2D curve on an RGB image. An interactive trajectory planning method is developed to calculate a 3D massage trajectory from the 2D trajectory. This method accounts for potential movements of the human body and updates the planned trajectory using rigid point cloud registration. Additionally, a hybrid motion/force controller is employed to regulate the motion of the robot’s end-effector, considering the possibility of excessive contact force. The proposed framework enables the operator to adjust the massage trajectory and speed according to their requirements. Real-world experiments are conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that the framework enables successful planning and execution of the massage task in a dynamic environment. Furthermore, the operator has the flexibility to set the massage trajectory, speed, and contact force arbitrarily, thereby enhancing human–machine interaction.
Encountering the Face of Tū-mata-uenga: The Educational Experiences of Rangatahi Māori Apprehended for Offending
Authors: Cliffe-Tautari Tania 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMarginalised and ousted from the New Zealand education system, 70% of youths apprehended for offending and appearing in a New Zealand Youth Court or Rangatahi Court experiencing complex needs are not engaged in education, employment, or training (Oranga Tamariki, Oranga Tamariki. (2020). Quarterly report—September 2020). This article reports findings from a broader PhD study investigating the educational experiences of 10 rangatahi Māori (Māori youth) aged 15–17 years apprehended for serious youth offending and excluded from mainstream education. Drawing on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and kaupapa Māori, notions of indigenous resilience are used to unpack the rangatahi Māori participants’ responses to negative educational experiences in the mainstream English medium secondary school education system. This article posits that resilience was evident when the rangatahi Māori exercised tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) through boldness (a characteristic of Tū-mata-uenga the guardian of war), resistance and liminality to reject educational spaces where they perceived they were underserved, discriminated against, and marginalised. Changing the negative Māori student exclusion and disengagement statistics in mainstream education is critical. To address the exclusion statistics, classroom practitioners could be more responsive to rangatahi Māori experiencing complex needs by recognising their experiences and understanding their responses to those experiences. Understanding how resilience as resistance, liminality, and boldness is understood within te ao Māori (the Māori world) perspectives will enable a more culturally responsive approach to working with these rangatahi Māori in mainstream education.
Cu-Fe and Cu-Ni metal blend-infused polystyrene-based electrospun nanofibers for dye degradation
Authors: Sharma Varun Kumar , Kumar Prem , Kumar Sunil , Yusuf Mohd , Ahmed Bilal 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe mitigation of hazardous effects of chemical dyes on the environment and living organisms, greatly demands an efficient and effective management of dye-laden wastewater. One such solution gaining prominence is the utilization of metal-infused nanofibers-based dye removal techniques, which are simple, effective, and environmentally friendly. In this report, we present the fabrication of mechanically stable hydrophobic nanofibers infused with metal blends, fabricated through the utilization of electrospinning techniques. The successful fabrication of these mechanically stable hydrophobic nanofibers is evidenced through contact angle measurements, tensile tests, and FESEM analysis. While polystyrene-based nanofibrous mats were anticipated to be effective, nanofibrous mats infused with Cu-Fe and Cu-Ni metal blends exhibit exceptional efficacy in degrading dyes. The size and morphology of nanofibers depend on polymer concentration, with the average diameter increasing from 13 to 20%. At a 20% polystyrene concentration, only nanometer-scale fibers of polystyrene polymers were fabricated, while both Cu-Fe and Cu-Ni metal blend-infused fibers were synthesized in micrometers. Fibers infused with Cu-Fe and Cu-Ni metal blend at a 17% polymer concentration displayed nano-scale diameters, confirmed by FESEM characterizations. The heat-based technique is identified as an accessible and cost-effective approach for industries reliant on color-based processes.
Pimonidazole-alkyne conjugate for sensitive detection of hypoxia by Cu-catalyzed click reaction
Authors: Tamura Iori , Sakamoto Daichi M. , Yi Bo , Saito Yutaro , Yamada Naoki , Takakusagi Yoichi , Sando Shinsuke 
Published: March 2024

AbstractHypoxia is involved in various diseases, such as cancers. Pimonidazole has often been used as the gold-standard marker to visualize hypoxic regions. Pimonidazole labels hypoxic regions by forming a covalent bond with a neighboring protein under hypoxic conditions in the body, which is detected by immunohistochemistry performed on tissue sections. To date, some pimonidazole-fluorophore conjugates have been reported as fluorescent probes for hypoxia imaging that do not require immunostaining. They are superior to pimonidazole because immunostaining can produce high background signals. However, large fluorophores in the conjugates may alter the original biodistribution and reactivity. Here, we report a new hypoxia marker, Pimo-yne, as a pimonidazole-alkyne conjugate. Pimo-yne has a similar hypoxia detection capability as pimonidazole because the alkyne tag is small and can be detected by Cu-catalyzed click reaction with azide-tagged fluorescent dyes. We successfully visualized hypoxic regions in tumor tissue sections using Pimo-yne with reduced background signals. The detected regions overlapped well with those detected by pimonidazole immunohistochemistry. To further reduce the background, we employed a turn-on azide-tagged fluorescent dye.
Graphical abstract