bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of deletion of the protein kinase PRKD1 on development of the mouse embryonic heart
Authors: Waheed‐Ullah Qazi , Wilsdon Anna , Abbad Aseel , Rochette Sophie , Bu'Lock Frances , Hitz Marc‐Phillip , Dombrowsky Gregor , Cuello Friederike , Brook J. David , Loughna Siobhan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCongenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly, with an overall incidence of approximately 1% in the United Kingdom. Exome sequencing in large CHD cohorts has been performed to provide insights into the genetic aetiology of CHD. This includes a study of 1891 probands by our group in collaboration with others, which identified three novel genes—CDK13, PRKD1, and CHD4, in patients with syndromic CHD. PRKD1 encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase, which is important in a variety of fundamental cellular functions. Individuals with a heterozygous mutation in PRKD1 may have facial dysmorphism, ectodermal dysplasia and may have CHDs such as pulmonary stenosis, atrioventricular septal defects, coarctation of the aorta and bicuspid aortic valve. To obtain a greater appreciation for the role that this essential protein kinase plays in cardiogenesis and CHD, we have analysed a Prkd1 transgenic mouse model (Prkd1em1) carrying deletion of exon 2, causing loss of function. High‐resolution episcopic microscopy affords detailed morphological 3D analysis of the developing heart and provides evidence for an essential role of Prkd1 in both normal cardiac development and CHD. We show that homozygous deletion of Prkd1 is associated with complex forms of CHD such as atrioventricular septal defects, and bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves, and is lethal. Even in heterozygotes, cardiac differences occur. However, given that 97% of Prkd1 heterozygous mice display normal heart development, it is likely that one normal allele is sufficient, with the defects seen most likely to represent sporadic events. Moreover, mRNA and protein expression levels were investigated by RT‐qPCR and western immunoblotting, respectively. A significant reduction in Prkd1 mRNA levels was seen in homozygotes, but not heterozygotes, compared to WT littermates. While a trend towards lower PRKD1 protein expression was seen in the heterozygotes, the difference was only significant in the homozygotes. There was no compensation by the related Prkd2 and Prkd3 at transcript level, as evidenced by RT‐qPCR. Overall, we demonstrate a vital role of Prkd1 in heart development and the aetiology of CHD.
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of oral deracoxib in geese (Anser anser domesticus)
Authors: Fadel Charbel , Łebkowska‐Wieruszewska Beata , Poapolathep Amnart , Serih Firas , Bourdo Krzysztof , Giorgi Mario 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe integration of pain management in veterinary practice, driven by heightened animal welfare concerns, extends to avian species where subtle and nonspecific behavioral signs pose challenges. Given that safety concerns with classical NSAIDs highlight the need for more targeted alternatives in birds, this study explores the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of Deracoxib (DX), a COX‐2 selective NSAID approved for use in dogs, following a single oral administration in geese. Six healthy female geese received 4 mg/kg DX. Blood was drawn from the left wing vein to heparinized tubes at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 24 h. Plasma DX concentrations were measured using HPLC coupled to an UV detector, and the data were pharmacokinetically analyzed using PKanalix™ software in a non‐compartmental approach. The results indicated a terminal half‐life of 6.3 h and a Tmax of 1 h, with no observed adverse effects. While refraining from claiming absolute safety based on a single dose, it is worth highlighting that further safety studies for DX in geese are warranted, suggesting a possibility for intermittent use. In addition, drawing conclusions on efficacy and suitability awaits further research, particularly in understanding COX‐2 selectivity and protein binding characteristics specific to geese.
Salinity tolerance of fishes: Experimental approaches and implications for aquaculture production
Authors: Seale Andre P. , Cao Ke , Chang Ryan J. A. , Goodearly Tyler R. , Malintha G. H. T. , Merlo Reilly S. , Peterson Taylor L. , Reighard Jasmine R. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe life history, distribution and diversity of fishes are largely influenced by environmental salinity. Changes in salinity affect a range of physiological processes including metabolism, nutrition, reproduction and growth. Therefore, fish can be conditioned to environmental parameters most suitable for production, where distinct traits are optimised through species‐specific manipulation of salinities. The primary purpose of this review is to summarise the existing literature on the salinity tolerance of aquacultured fish. The various experimental approaches for determining salinity tolerance are compared, along with summarised information for key species employed in aquaculture, including their native distributions, life history stage and optimal salinity for survival and growth. The implications for production were assessed by considering the effects of salinity on growth, reproduction, management, disease mitigation and marketability.
Citizens’ perceptions of the quality of democracy in the American states
Authors: Flavin Patrick , Shufeldt Gregory 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectiveWe examine the relationship between citizens’ evaluations of democratic performance in their state of residence and demographic, political, and institutional factors.MethodsWe fielded two original surveys (summer 2021 and summer 2022) that asked respondents to evaluate democratic performance in their state both in general and for specific metrics.ResultsCitizens who identify with the political party that controls state government have more positive evaluations of state democratic performance while Republicans (controlling for a litany of covariates) have more negative evaluations. Strikingly, citizens’ perceptions are not related to an objective measure of state democratic performance even when they are primed with information about where their state ranks in a survey experiment.ConclusionCitizens’ assessments of democratic quality appear to be yet another feature of American politics that has become politicized and polarized, with important implications for system support and legitimacy going forward.
Clinical, pathologic, and molecular characterization of a non‐metastatic multicentric cutaneous mast cell tumor in a cow
Authors: Chevallier Lucie , Briand Amaury , Reyes‐Gomez Edouard , Defer Wilfried , Millemann Yves , Béguin Jérémy 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCutaneous mast cell tumors are rarely reported in cattle. Although mutations in the c‐KIT gene have been shown to play a central role in the oncogenesis of canine mast cell tumors, few data are available in cattle. This report describes the clinical, histologic, immunohistochemical, and genetic features of a multicentric cutaneous mast cell tumor in an adult cow. An 11‐year‐old Prim'Holstein cow was presented for a 5‐month history of multiple skin nodules. Cytologic and histologic analyses of the nodules led to a diagnosis of mast cell tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis for KIT expression showed a moderate to strong signal in neoplastic mast cells with a cytoplasmic and membranous pattern. Sequencing of the c‐KIT gene coding sequence revealed no mutation. Despite partial response after corticosteroid treatment, euthanasia was elected. No metastases to the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver were identified at post‐mortem and histologic examinations.
Blood donation screening for hepatitis B virus core antibodies: The importance of confirmatory testing and initial implication for rare blood donor groups
Authors: Fu Michael X. , Ingram Jennifer , Roberts Courtney , Nurmi Visa , Watkins Emma , Dempsey Nina , Golubchik Tanya , Breuer Judith , Brailsford Su , Irving William L. , Andersson Monique , Simmonds Peter , Harvala Heli 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesExclusion of blood donors with hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antibodies (anti‐HBc) prevents transfusion‐transmitted HBV infection but can lead to significant donor loss. As isolated anti‐HBc positivity does not always indicate true past HBV infection, we have investigated the effectiveness of confirmatory anti‐HBc testing and the representation of rare blood groups in anti‐HBc‐positive donors.Materials and MethodsThree hundred ninety‐seven HBV surface antigen‐negative and anti‐HBc initially reactive blood donor samples were tested by five different anti‐HBc assays.ResultsEighty percentage of samples reactive in Architect anti‐HBc assay were positive by the Murex assay and anti‐HBc neutralization. Eleven out of 397 samples showed discordant results in supplementary testing from the Murex confirmatory test result, and five remained undetermined following extensive serological testing. Thirty‐eight percentage of anti‐HBc‐positive donors identified as minority ethnic groups compared with 11% representation in anti‐HBc‐negative donors (p < 0.0001); the frequency of the Ro blood group in anti‐HBc‐positive donors was 18 times higher in non‐white ethnic groups.ConclusionUsing two anti‐HBc assays effectively enabled the identification of HBV‐exposed and potentially infectious donors, their deferral and potential clinical follow‐up. However, the exclusion of confirmed anti‐HBc‐positive donors will still impact the supply of rare blood such as Ro.
High diversity within and low but significant genetic differentiation among geographic and temporal populations of the global Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Dalmieda Jezreel , Hitchcock Megan , Xu Jianping 
Published: February 2024

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the major cause of invasive pneumococcal disease. However, the global population structure remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of genetic variation of S. pneumoniae based on archived multilocus sequence typing data from PubMLST.org. Our analyses demonstrated both shared and unique distributions of sequence types (STs) and allele types among regional populations. Among the 17 915 global STs, 36 representing 15 263 isolates were broadly shared among all six continents, consistent with recent clonal dispersal and expansion of this pathogen. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that >96% genetic variations were found within individual regional populations. However, though low (<4%), statistically significant genetic differentiation among regional populations was observed. Comparisons between non-clone-corrected and clone-corrected datasets showed that localized clonal expansion contributed significantly to the observed genetic differentiations among regions. Temporal analyses of the isolates showed that implementation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine impacted the distributions of STs, but the effect on population structure was relatively limited. Linkage disequilibrium analyses identified evidence for recombination in all continental populations; however, the inferred recombination was not random. We discussed the limitations and implications of our analyses to the global epidemiology and future vaccine developments for S. pneumoniae.
Mysore sentinel-2: deep learning for image classification with optimizer exploration
Authors: Sathyanarayana Natya , Singh Seema 
Published: February 2024

The classification of Sentinel-2 image is presented in this work using a tile based methodology. The Mysore district of India's Karnataka state serves as the subject region of this research. By tiling Sentinel-2 images, we were able to construct a distinct dataset and get approximately 3,000 training samples for the five classes. These images are manually labelled and geo-referenced. Three different optimizers were employed in a thorough analysis with deep learning models such as ResNet50, MobileNetV2, ShuffleNet, and VGG16 to achieve better performance metrics. With a classification accuracy of 98.1% on RESNet50 using ADAM surpassed the others. This facilitates investigating various geographical data analytics applications of the study region.
Promoting Students’ Conceptual Understanding through Directive Teacher Guidance and Non-directive Teaching Model in a Collaborative Problem Solving
Authors: Bunag Ilene DS. 
Published: February 2024

This study examined and aimed to promote students’ level of conceptual understanding in problem-solving through Directive Teacher Guidance (DTG) and the Non-directive Teaching Model (NDTM). The study employed sequential-explanatory mixed research using quasi-experimental switching replication treatment involving quantitative and qualitative data. Two groups of Grade 8 high school students were used as participants in the study. One group had 36 students, and the other had 38 students exposed to DTG and NDTM approaches. Quantitative data were obtained from the scores of students from the pretest, first posttest, and second posttest about the topics in Mathematics subject. Qualitative data were from the analysis of participants’ responses in problem-solving, focus group discussion, and classroom observation. The t-test for the dependent sample was utilized to determine the significant change in students’ level of conceptual understanding after the first and second implementation phases, while the t-test for the independent sample was used to find out the significant difference between the pretest and posttests between the two groups. Results showed that students’ conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills significantly improved after exposure to the two approaches. The two groups’ levels of conceptual understanding in switching replication treatment are found to have no significant difference. Moreover, participants preferred guided questions and guided directions and believed in the importance of attaining a conceptual understanding of the lesson. It is suggested to integrate DTG and NDTM as teaching strategies and conduct a study considering a longer span of implementation to determine the effectiveness of the two approaches.
Clinical analysis of infectious endophthalmitis following glaucoma filtration surgery
Authors: Niu Liangliang , Luo Yan , Xu Huan , Huang Haili , Jiang Rui , Sun Xinghuai 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
This study aimed to evaluate the clinical correlative factors and outcomes of treatment of bleb-associated endophthalmitis (BAE) following glaucoma filtration surgery in a Chinese population from the year 2012 to 2022, and to compare them with the clinical course during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic period.

Methods
This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive cases of BAE treated at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China, between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022. The clinical presentation, treatment modality, microbiological data, clinical course, and outcomes of visual acuity (VA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in all BAE cases were collected and analyzed.

Results
A total of 28 eyes with BAE were examined, predominantly in male patients (71.4%, p = 0.023). Most patients underwent trabeculectomy (89.3%, p ≤ 0.001), while a smaller proportion underwent Ex-PRESS implantation (10.7%). Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was the most common type of glaucoma (39.3%, p ≤ 0.001). Most patients (96.4%) presented with poor visual acuity, worse than 20/400, and IOP ranged from 3–60 mmHg. Treatment, including initial tap-and-inject procedure of antibiotics (Ceftazidime and Norvancomycin) or initial pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), was initiated 5.0 ± 7.1 days after BAE onset. Streptococcus was the most common causative organism (53.6% of cases, p ≤ 0.001). The visual acuity significantly improved from 2.58 ± 0.27 to 2.14 ± 0.85 (reported in logMAR) after treatment (p ≤ 0.001), and most patients maintained normal tension during follow-up. Poisson regression model analysis showed the annual incidence of BAE during the COVID-19 pandemic period was significantly twice greater than that of previous years.

Conclusions
BAE may cause irreversible visual impairment. POAG filtering surgery with male sex and the COVID-19 pandemic period might be potentially relevant factors for BAE. Culture positivity was closely related to BAE prognosis, with Streptococcus species being the leading pathogenic organisms. Online outpatient services, early diagnosis, and timely treatment may rescue vision and maintain IOP control in the presence of BAE.
Genome-wide profiling of histone (H3) lysine 4 (K4) tri-methylation (me3) under drought, heat, and combined stresses in switchgrass
Authors: Ayyappan Vasudevan , Sripathi Venkateswara R. , Xie Shaojun , Saha Malay C. , Hayford Rita , Serba Desalegn D. , Subramani Mayavan , Thimmapuram Jyothi , Todd Antonette , Kalavacharla Venu Kal 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season perennial (C4) grass identified as an important biofuel crop in the United States. It is well adapted to the marginal environment where heat and moisture stresses predominantly affect crop growth. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with heat and drought stress tolerance still need to be fully understood in switchgrass. The methylation of H3K4 is often associated with transcriptional activation of genes, including stress-responsive. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze genome-wide histone H3K4-tri-methylation in switchgrass under heat, drought, and combined stress.

Results
In total, ~ 1.3 million H3K4me3 peaks were identified in this study using SICER. Among them, 7,342; 6,510; and 8,536 peaks responded under drought (DT), drought and heat (DTHT), and heat (HT) stresses, respectively. Most DT and DTHT peaks spanned 0 to + 2000 bases from the transcription start site [TSS]. By comparing differentially marked peaks with RNA-Seq data, we identified peaks associated with genes: 155 DT-responsive peaks with 118 DT-responsive genes, 121 DTHT-responsive peaks with 110 DTHT-responsive genes, and 175 HT-responsive peaks with 136 HT-responsive genes. We have identified various transcription factors involved in DT, DTHT, and HT stresses. Gene Ontology analysis using the AgriGO revealed that most genes belonged to biological processes. Most annotated peaks belonged to metabolite interconversion, RNA metabolism, transporter, protein modifying, defense/immunity, membrane traffic protein, transmembrane signal receptor, and transcriptional regulator protein families. Further, we identified significant peaks associated with TFs, hormones, signaling, fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism, and secondary metabolites. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the relative expressions of six abiotic stress-responsive genes (transketolase, chromatin remodeling factor-CDH3, fatty-acid desaturase A, transmembrane protein 14C, beta-amylase 1, and integrase-type DNA binding protein genes) that were significantly (P < 0.05) marked during drought, heat, and combined stresses by comparing stress-induced against un-stressed and input controls.

Conclusion
Our study provides a comprehensive and reproducible epigenomic analysis of drought, heat, and combined stress responses in switchgrass. Significant enrichment of H3K4me3 peaks downstream of the TSS of protein-coding genes was observed. In addition, the cost-effective experimental design, modified ChIP-Seq approach, and analyses presented here can serve as a prototype for other non-model plant species for conducting stress studies.
Application of remimazolam-0.6% sevoflurane anesthesia for flash visual evoked potential monitoring during pituitary adenoma resection: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial
Authors: Shi Fu , Tang Ranran , Du Xiangrong , Li Xin , Wu Guisheng 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Flash visual evoked potential (FVEP) is a critical method for monitoring intraoperative visual function during neurosurgery. A new benzodiazepine drug called remimazolam has recently been used for general anesthesia. However, the impact of remimazolam on FVEP remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how remimazolam, in comparison to propofol, when combined with 0.6% sevoflurane anesthesia, affects the FVEP waveform during pituitary adenoma resection.

Methods
Overall, 36 patients undergoing pituitary adenoma resection under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to either the remimazolam group (Group R) or the propofol group (Group P) in a prospective, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial. For anesthesia induction, a bolus of 0.2 mg/kg remimazolam or 2 mg/kg propofol was intravenously infused for approximately one minute. The anesthesia was maintained by continuous infusion of either remimazolam (0.7-1.0 mg/kg/h) or propofol (4–6 mg/kg/h), in combination with 0.6% sevoflurane, aimed at sustaining the bispectral index (BIS) within the range of 40–60. The primary outcome was the N75-P100 amplitude of FVEP recorded at approximately 20 min after intubation (T0). 10% of the amplitude at T0 in group P was defined as the non-inferiority margin (δ). Confidence interval testing was used to evaluate the non-inferiority hypothesis. The secondary outcomes covered the P100 latency of FVEP, electroretinogram (ERG) b wave amplitude, demographic characteristics, hemodynamics, and occurrence of adverse events.

Results
The BIS index during anesthesia was comparable between the groups at the same measured time points (P > 0.05). The N75-P100 amplitude at T0 in group R was 7.64 ± 1.36 µV, while it was 6.96 ± 0.95 µV in group P (P = 0.09), with a mean difference of 0.68 µV (95% CI, -0.11 µV to 1.48 µV). The δ was set at 0.7 and the lower limit of the 95% CI exceeded the -δ. Both remimazolam and propofol had little effect on ERG b-wave amplitudes. At the designated time points, FVEP amplitude and P100 latency displayed no appreciable variation between the two groups (P > 0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse events related to anesthesia, needle electrodes, or surgery between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion
Our findings suggest that remimazolam-0.6% sevoflurane is non-inferior to propofol-0.6% sevoflurane for general anesthesia, based on the FVEP N75-P100 amplitude. The electrophysiological data obtained in both groups indicate that reproducible and stable FVEP and ERG waveforms can be acquired at set time points. Therefore, for reliable FVEP monitoring, remimazolam-0.6% sevoflurane appears to be a safe and effective protocol in general anesthesia.

Trials registration
This study was registered on chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2200056803, 17/02/2022).