bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
117 Supplementation with soy hull during late gestation and lactation on parasite indicators in hair sheep ewes
Authors: Robertson MacKenzie , O'Brien Dahlia J , Wildeus Stephan A , Davis Javin , Matthews Kwame 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Before lambing and up to 8 wk during lactation, ewes experience a temporary loss of immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN). This can result in a periparturient increase in fecal egg counts (FEC) along with clinical symptoms of parasitism. This increase in FEC can lead to greater larval numbers on pasture, consequently exposing lambs to a greater level of infection that can impair production. Adequate supplementation during late gestation and lactation has been shown to reduce the impact of this temporary loss in immunity and decrease GIN infection levels in ewes. This study evaluated the supplementation of an agro-byproduct (soy hull) on GIN infection parameters in hair sheep ewes. Pregnant ewes (n = 36) were allocated, balanced by breed, parity and fetal numbers to either corn/soybean (CS) or soy hull (SH) supplementation during the last trimester of pregnancy. Ewes rotationally grazed predominantly fescue pastures subdivided into 6 sections (0.13 ha) using electro-netting (3 sections of 6 ewes/supplement type). Ewes were supplemented at either 0.75% BW (late gestation) or 1.5% BW (lactation) using a single feeder per section. Ewes lambed on pasture and lambs were weaned at approximately 63 d. Lambs had access to the supplement provided to their dams. Blood and fecal samples were collected in prepartum, postpartum and at weaning for determination of packed cell volume (PCV) and FEC. Pooled treatment group feces were also collected and cultured to determine GIN genera. Body condition scores (BCS) were also recorded at each sampling. Data were analyzed in a model with supplement type and breed as the main effects and FEC were log transformed before analysis. There was a mixed population of GIN throughout the study with H. contortus (49.5%) and Tricostrongylus spp. (46.6%) being the most common. Supplement type had no effect on ewe BCS prepartum, postpartum or at weaning (averaging 2.6 ± 0.1, 2.3 ± 0.1 and 2.0 ± 0.1, respectively). Supplement type influenced PCV at weaning only, with ewes supplemented with CS having a greater (P &lt; 0.03) PCV than those supplemented with SH (33.0 ± 0.7% and 30.8 ± 0.7%, respectively). PCV was similar between treatments prepartum (38.4 ± 1.3%) and postpartum (34.4 ± 0.9%). Ewe FEC was similar between CS and SH supplemented ewes prepartum (271.6 ± 0.5 epg) and at weaning (298.5 ± 80.5 epg); however, at postpartum sampling CS ewes tended (P = 0.09) to have reduced FEC (234.1 ± 62.0 epg) compared with SH (414.1 ± 59.6 epg) supplemented ewes. At weaning, lamb FEC was not influenced by supplementation or breed and averaged 502.3 ± 83.2 epg. Data indicate that substituting SH for a more traditional corn-based supplement in landrace hair sheep ewes managed in a pasture-based system had no influence on GIN infection. Agro-byproduct supplementation should be explored further for their use in sustainable, forage-based sheep production systems.
Structure of cytotoxic amyloid oligomers generated during disaggregation
Authors: Kaku Toshisuke , Ikebukuro Kazunori , Tsukakoshi Kaori 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Amyloidosis is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid proteins. The causative proteins aggregate from monomers to oligomers and fibrils, among which some intermediate oligomers are considered as major toxins. Cytotoxic oligomers are generated not only by aggregation but also via fibril disaggregation. However, little is known about the structural characteristics and generation conditions of cytotoxic oligomers produced during disaggregation. Herein, we summarized the structural commonalities of cytotoxic oligomers formed under various disaggregation conditions, including the addition of heat shock proteins or small compounds. In vitro experimental data demonstrated the presence of high-molecular-weight oligomers (protofibrils or protofilaments) that exhibited a fibrous morphology and β-sheet structure. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the distorted β-sheet structure contributed to their metastability. The tendency of these cytotoxic oligomers to appear under mild disaggregation conditions, implied formation during the early stages of disaggregation. This review will aid researchers in exploring the characteristics of highly cytotoxic oligomers and developing drugs that target amyloid aggregates.
Attract-and-kill for managing Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) abundance and leaf injury in commercial vineyards
Authors: Lannan Mitchell C , Guédot Christelle 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) feeding negatively impacts many plant species, including grapes, potentially reducing fruit quality and yield. Chemical control, representing the current grower standard, relies on frequent broadcast applications of broad-spectrum insecticides, with alternative management strategies mostly lacking. Attract-and-kill (A&K) is a behavioral management strategy that combines semiochemical attractants and a killing agent on a substrate. This study assessed the impact of A&K on (i) the number of P. japonica adults and (ii) the percent of P. japonica feeding injury on grape foliage compared to the grower standard in commercial vineyards. This 2-year study was conducted at 3 commercial vineyards with 4 paired plots consisting of a grower standard control and an A&K treatment. The A&K treatment consisted of commercial lures, each placed on outside-edge grapevines, and weekly applications of carbaryl on the plants holding lures. The grower standard received broadcast insecticide applications at the grower’s discretion. The A&K treatment experienced similar numbers of P. japonica adults and similar proportions of leaf injury compared to the grower standard. The use of A&K reduced by 96% the crop area treated with insecticides compared to the grower standard. The area treated by A&K was at the edge of the vineyards, where more leaf injury occurred regardless of treatment. A&K is a targeted approach that was effective at managing P. japonica and reducing chemical inputs on a small scale. It has the potential to be scaled up and refined to provide growers with a new management strategy.
The WIPO IGC Chair’s Draft on IP and Genetic Resources—Reasons for concern
Authors: Batista Pedro Henrique D 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The requirement to disclose certain information in a patent application in order to promote compliance with national rules on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) related to genetic resources (GRs) has been a very controversial topic. After decades of disagreements, an international instrument in this area is expected to be agreed during a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Diplomatic Conference to be held in 2024. The basis for the final steps in the negotiation is the Chair’s Draft prepared by the Secretariat of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee. The question is, however, whether this Draft has the potential to achieve the desired goals. This article undertakes a critical analysis of the Draft to assess its adequacy for an effective protection of GRs and its suitability for strategic policies on ABS. We also explore alternative regulatory options for specific issues.
Blinded by the light: does heat or light enhance wild mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) attraction to CO2-baited traps in the Great Salt Lake area?
Authors: Harker Alexandra , Fairbanks Kelsey , Dewsnup M Andrew , Faraji Ary , Bibbs Christopher S 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The New Jersey Light Trap has been among the earliest trap models used for mosquito surveillance in the United States. This trap was modernized in the 1950s to the miniature CDC light trap, with the addition of CO2 following soon after. The incandescent light has the tendency to attract nontarget insects, as well as losing a substantial portion of their energy as heat. Few studies have delineated whether heat or light in isolation make a difference in field collections using the former traps within the United States. Our study focused on isolating heat and light variables by using incandescent bulbs, light emitting diode (LED) bulbs, and electric heating patches affixed to a base model CO2 trap as designed at the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District. Sites were selected in the urban and suburban foothills and canyons of the Wasatch Mountain front, industrial areas near the Salt Lake City International Airport, and rural wetlands in the marshes outlying the Great Salt Lake. Five traps were replicated within each sector during the summer and fall summer seasons. Collections were composed of Aedes dorsalis (Meigen), Culex pipiens L., Culex tarsalis Coquillett, and Culiseta inornata (Williston). Composition changes were a result of seasonal, rather than spatial, shifts. The results showed that LED light traps depressed collections of key species. Otherwise, there were negligible differences in collections among incandescent, heat film, and base model traps. In the Intermountain West, the miniature CDC trap is reliable enough to make programmatic decisions even if light usage varies by district.
Drought shifts soil nematode trophic groups and mediates the heterotrophic respiration
Authors: Zhao Cancan , Shao Yuanhu , Lu Huijie , Classen Aimée T , Wang Zuyan , Li Ying , Liu Yanchun , Yang Zhongling , Li Guoyong , Fu Shenglei 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
As the most diverse metazoan taxa, soil nematodes serve a diversity of functions in soil food webs and thus can regulate microbial community composition and affect organic matter decomposition and nutrient turnover rates. Because nematodes depend on water films to access food resources, drought can negatively affect nematode–microbial food webs, yet the impacts of drought on nematode diversity and abundance and how these changes may influence food web members and their functions are hardly explored. Here, we coupled research along a drought gradient in arid and semiarid grasslands with a detailed intact plant–soil microcosm experiment to explore the patterns and mechanisms of how drought impacts nematode abundance and carbon footprint, microbial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and heterotrophic soil respiration. Overall, in the field and the microcosm experiments, we found that nematode abundance, carbon footprint and diversity, microbial PLFA and heterotrophic respiration were reduced under drier conditions. In addition, drought altered nematode and microbial community composition, through reducing the nematode channel ratio and increasing the relative fungivorous nematode abundance and the fungal to bacterial ratio. The soil decomposition channel shifted from a bacterial to a fungal pathway in response to drought, indicating decelerated heterotrophic respiration under drought. These results highlight the important contribution of soil nematodes and their associated microbial food web to soil carbon cycling. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate key soil fauna into terrestrial ecosystem model evaluation.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in a transgender patient: a case report
Authors: Menon Rahul , Lockie Phil 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The frequency of transgender individuals seeking gender affirming care is increasing over the last decade. Transgender patients suffer from obesity and psychiatric illness at elevated levels compared with the general population. A 54-year-old male-to-female transition patient presented with morbid obesity, hyperlipidaemia, and weight gain 2 years after their gender-transition and hormonal therapy. She received a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). At 7 months postoperatively, the patient has experienced 49% excess body weight loss, her body dissatisfaction had resolved and has completed further plastic surgery. The RYGB is an effective method for weight loss as well as benefits from cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic related conditions, and psychosocial wellbeing. Holistic treatment in conjunction with dietetic and psychology services can help maintain long-term weight management. Bariatric surgery combined with a multidisciplinary care team addressing medical and psychiatric concerns is integral to achieving and maintaining weight loss and gender identity.
Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA)/American Urological Association (AUA) telemedicine and men’s health white paper
Authors: Khera Mohit , Bernie Helen L , Broderick Gregory , Carrier Serge , Faraday Martha , Kohler Tobias , Jenkins Lawrence , Watter Daniel , Mulhall John , Raheem Omer , Ramasamy Ranjith , Rubin Rachel , Spitz Aaron , Yafi Faysal , Sadeghi-Nejad Hossein 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this white paper is to educate health care professionals about the evolution of telemedicine (TM) and to propose a hybrid model that leverages the strengths of traditional in-person medicine as well as virtual medicine while maximizing the safety and quality of men’s sexual health care.

Literature Search Strategy
A literature search focused on the use of TM in urology and men’s health was performed through PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science (January 1, 2012–April 26, 2022). Keywords included all known permutations of the terminology used to refer to virtual health, care as well as the terminology used to refer to urologic diseases, issues specific to men’s health, and men’s sexual health concerns. Publications that emerged after the literature search that met this criterion also were incorporated. Opinion pieces, letters to the editor, meeting abstracts, and conference proceedings were excluded. Additional resources were retrieved, such as governmental technical reports, legislative updates and reviews, and blogs. This search strategy yielded 1684 records across databases after removal of duplicates. Abstracts from the retrieved records were reviewed for relevance. Relevant publications were defined as those that reported data on any aspect of TM use specific to urology, men’s health, and/or men’s sexual health. If relevance was unclear from the abstract, then the full text of the article was retrieved for a more detailed review. In addition, the published evidence-based practice guidelines relevant to care for erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, ejaculatory dysfunction, and hypogonadism were retrieved. The most common reasons for article exclusions were a focus on TM use in disciplines other than urology and the absence of data (ie, opinion pieces). After exclusions, a total of 91 publications remained and constituted the evidence base for this paper.
(001) Brain Activation Patterns Associated with Visually Evoked Sexual Arousal in Female-To-Male Transgender Individuals
Authors: Park K , Kim G , Lee M , Lee H S , Jeong G 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Cross-sex hormones in female-to-male (FtM) transgender individuals play a crucial role in brain plasticity. Brain activity associated with sexual arousal in FtM transgenders receiving cross-sex hormones is poorly understood.

Objective
This study aimed to compare brain activation patterns associated with sexual arousal between FtM transgenders and premenopausal women using a 3.0 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods
This study included 13 FtM transgenders (mean age: 43.2±6.4 years) and 13 premenopausal women (mean age: 41.5 ± 8.3 years). The FtM transgender individuals, who have had sex-reassignment surgery, received testosterone supplementary therapy. Sexual orientation was evaluated using the Kinsey sexuality rating scale (0 = exclusively heterosexual; 6 = exclusively homosexual). Serum sex hormones were measured, including free testosterone (free-T), estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating, and luteinizing hormones. Visual sexual stimulation began with a 30-s cross fixation (rest condition), followed by a 30-s natural documentary (neutral condition), 540-s erotic video (sexual activation condition), then a 30-s cross fixation (rest condition). The fMRI data were post-processed using SPM8 software.

Results
The average rating of the Kinsey scale in the FtM transgenders was 5.6 ± 0.5, indicating their sexual orientation falls within the category of homosexual. The FtM transgenders showed significant increases in the free-T levels (18.8±18.9 pg/mL vs. 0.4±0.4 pg/mL, p &lt; 0.001) and significant decreases in the E2 levels (45.4±32.0 pg/mL vs. 279.2±247.3 pg/mL, p = 0.001) compared with premenopausal women. The brain areas with significantly higher activities during visual sexual stimuli in the FtM transgenders compared with premenopausal women included the superior parietal lobule, middle occipital gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus (p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions
This study illustrates the specific brain activation patterns associated with sexual arousal in female-to-male (FtM) transgenders. These findings could contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms associated with sexual arousal in relation to the levels of sexual hormones in FtM transgenders. This research was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation funded by the government (MSIT; 2022R1A2C2007809, 2021R1C1C2011748).

Disclosure
No.
(109) Assessment of Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT Quality in the Management of Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Raheem O A , Pathuri M , Marciano O 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Since November 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots have grown in popularity including urologic conditions. However, its accuracy and quality has not been evaluated systematically. In this study, we sought to assess the accuracy and quality of AI chatbots in the management of Erectile Dysfunction (ED).

Objective
We aim to evaluate the accuracy and quality of open-source language models in fielding common clinical questions pertaining to ED compared to board certified urologists.

Methods
Two AI open-source language models, ChatGPT and Google Bard, were fielded 15 standard questions related to ED some of which included causes, risk factors and treatment options of ED. Two board certified urologists were given the same questions on a standard survey. A third blinded board-certified urologist served as a grader using the AUA guidelines for ED on a Likert scale to assess the accuracy, robustness, and bias of each response. Urologist and AI responses were graded and aggregated using Likert scales.

Results
Overall AI responses were significantly more accurate (p&lt;0.01), robust (p&lt;0.01), and unbiased (p&lt;0.01). Additionally, Google Bard had the highest scores all around followed by ChatGPT. The urologists’ responses were approximately 38% lower compared to the AI responses.

Conclusions
This study suggests that AI responses were superior compared to urologists in the areas of accuracy, robustness, and bias pertaining to the management of ED. Albeit, the chatbots have promising role in urologic conditions including ED, its widespread clinical use and adoption warrants further evaluation in the context of clinical decision making and enhancing patient care.

Disclosure
No.
(131) Microsurgical Denervation of the Spermatic Cord for Chronic Scrotal Pain: Results from a Prospective Case Series
Authors: Abdel Raheem A , Fathy Soliman I , Hafez K 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Microsurgical spermatic cord denervation (MSCD) is one of the lines of management of chronic scrotal pain refractory to conservative lines of therapy, however, it has not been fully adopted by different centres. Other procedures such as epididymectomy, orchidectomy and vasectomy reversal are being offered instead.

Objective
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microsurgical denervation of the spermatic cord in the management of chronic scrotal pain refractory to conservative lines of therapy.

Methods
Twenty consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled for MSCD over a 24-month period. These patients underwent MSCD after exclusion of any correctable cause of chronic scrotal pain (CSP) and/or poor response to medical treatment. Efficacy of the technique was evaluated by the degree of pain improvement using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Safety was assessed by reporting any intra- or post-operative complications.

Results
The mean age of the studied population was 51.7 (36–78) years. The mean pain duration was 4.2 (1–20) years. In 8 patients (40%), the aetiology of the chronic pain was idiopathic, 5 patients (25%) the pain occurred after previous scrotal surgery (vasectomy in 2 patients, AUS in 2 and an epididymal cyst excision in 1 patient), 4 patients (20%) post scrotal trauma and 3 patients (15%) post epididymo-orchitis. Ten patients (50%) had complete pain resolution, 8 (40%) had a partial resolution of their pain, the pain remained the same in a one patient (5%), and one patient (5%) had resolution of the scrotal pain but developed pain at the incision site following MSCD. The VAS pain score significantly improved from a mean of 9.7 to 3.7 postoperatively. (p=0.0029). No significant complications have been encountered in this case series.

Conclusions
Microsurgical denervation of the spermatic cord is a safe and reliable option that should be more widely adopted to treat men with chronic scrotal pain refractory to conservative treatment.

Disclosure
No.
Vincent Toro’s Hurricane Formalism
Authors: Thomas Sara 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Vincent Toro’s poetry and essays critique the ways that US actions in the wake of natural disasters damage Puerto Rican ecologies and culture. The entwinement of colonialism and natural disaster is the subject of Toro’s two collections, Stereo. Island. Mosaic. (2016) and Tertulia (2020). These collections instruct readers to toggle between close reading of language and formal analysis of genre and shape. In Stereo, Toro produces a geo-formal poetics that takes a Taíno hurricane zemi as its central organizing form, an aesthetic choice that foregrounds non-Western literary forms in communicating Puerto Rican economic and ecological atmospheres. In Toro’s collections, the air and atmosphere are sites where anti-colonial critique and aesthetic innovation merge.
Neoliberal humanitarianism: Contradictory policy logics and Syrian refugee experiences in Japan
Authors: Liu-Farrer Gracia , Pearlman Wendy , Al-Masri Mohammed 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Since the 2011 beginning of the Syrian uprising, more than 800 Syrians have become registered residents of Japan. Japan is an unusual destination for these refugees due not only to its geographical and cultural distance from the Middle East and lack of Arab diasporic communities, but also to what we call neoliberal humanitarianism: an approach by which states adopt policies and programmes to reduce refugees’ suffering while also regarding refugees as potentially profitable workers responsible for their own economic survival and social integration. In Japan’s case, the driver of neoliberal humanitarianism is its interest in keeping par with G7 peers in ‘doing something’ in the face of a global ‘refugee crisis’ on the one hand, and its lack of political or social will to receive refugees, on the other. The contradictions inherent in these imperatives come to the fore in the ‘Japanese Initiative for the future of Syrian Refugees’ (JISR), which invites Syrian refugees to pursue graduate degrees at Japanese universities. Japan officially presents JISR participants as refugees, but legally regards them as students, provides limited financial support, and encourages them not to apply for asylum. This article investigates JISR as a case study of neoliberal humanitarianism and examines its contradictory logics and consequences, from the perspective of refugees’ experiences. Qualitative analysis of twenty-one original interviews shows that, though Syrians often choose Japan in search of stability after years of precarity in countries on Syria’s borders, neoliberal humanitarianism in this unusual destination generates a new chapter of uncertainty and disappointment.