bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The redox-sensitive R-loop of the carbon control protein SbtB contributes to the regulation of the cyanobacterial CCM
Authors: Mantovani Oliver , Haffner Michael , Walke Peter , Elshereef Abdalla A. , Wagner Berenike , Petras Daniel , Forchhammer Karl , Selim Khaled A. , Hagemann Martin 
Published: April 2024

AbstractSbtB is a PII-like protein that regulates the carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in cyanobacteria. SbtB proteins can bind many adenyl nucleotides and possess a characteristic C-terminal redox sensitive loop (R-loop) that forms a disulfide bridge in response to the diurnal state of the cell. SbtBs also possess an ATPase/ADPase activity that is modulated by the redox-state of the R-loop. To investigate the R-loop in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, site-specific mutants, unable to form the hairpin and permanently in the reduced state, and a R-loop truncation mutant, were characterized under different inorganic carbon (Ci) and light regimes. Growth under diurnal rhythm showed a role of the R-loop as sensor for acclimation to changing light conditions. The redox-state of the R-loop was found to impact the binding of the adenyl-nucleotides to SbtB, its membrane association and thereby the CCM regulation, while these phenotypes disappeared after truncation of the R-loop. Collectively, our data imply that the redox-sensitive R-loop provides an additional regulatory layer to SbtB, linking the CO2-related signaling activity of SbtB with the redox state of cells, mainly reporting the actual light conditions. This regulation not only coordinates CCM activity in the diurnal rhythm but also affects the primary carbon metabolism.
Utility of new FDG-PET/CT guidelines for diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis in patients with implanted cardiac pacemakers for atrioventricular block
Authors: Tanabe Subaru , Nakano Yusuke , Ando Hirohiko , Fujimoto Masanobu , Onishi Tomohiro , Ohashi Hirofumi , Kuno Shimpei , Naito Kazuhiro , Waseda Katsuhisa , Takahashi Hiroshi , Suzuki Yasushi , Fukuta Motoyuki , Amano Tetsuya 
Published: April 2024

AbstractDiagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), especially in isolated cases, is challenging, particularly due to the limitations of endomyocardial biopsy, leading to potential undiagnosed cases in pacemaker-implanted patients. This study aims to provide real world findings to support new guideline for CS using 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron-emission tomography computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) which give a definite diagnosis of isolated CS (iCS) without histological findings. We examined consecutive patients with cardiac pacemakers for atrioventricular block (AV-b) attending our outpatient pacemaker clinic. The patients underwent periodical follow-up echocardiography and were divided into two groups according to echocardiographic findings: those with suspected CS and those without suspected CS. Patients suspected of having nonischemic cardiomyopathy underwent FDG-PET/CT for CS diagnosis. We investigated the utility of the new guideline for CS using FDG-PET/CT. Among the 272 patients enrolled, 97 patients were implanted with cardiac pacemakers for AV-b. Twenty-two patients were suspected of having CS during a median observation period of 5.4 years after pacemaker implantation. Of these, one did not consent, and nine of 21 cases (43%) were diagnosed with definite CS according to the new guidelines. Five of these nine patients were diagnosed with iCS using FDG-PET/CT. The number of patients diagnosed with definite CS using the new guidelines tended to be approximately 2.3 times that of the conventional criteria (p = 0.074). Three of the nine patients underwent steroid treatment. The composite outcome, comprising all-cause death, heart failure hospitalization, and a substantial reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction, were significantly lower in patients receiving steroid treatment compared to those without steroid treatment (p = 0.048). The utilization of FDG-PET/CT in accordance with the new guidelines facilitates the diagnosis of CS, including iCS, resulting in approximately 2.3 times as many diagnoses of CS compared to the conventional criteria. This guideline has the potential to support the early identification of iCS and may contribute to enhancing patient clinical outcomes.
Comprehensive evaluation and performance analysis of machine learning in heart disease prediction
Authors: Al-Alshaikh Halah A. , P Prabu , Poonia Ramesh Chandra , Saudagar Abdul Khader Jilani , Yadav Manoj , AlSagri Hatoon S. , AlSanad Abeer A. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHeart disease is a leading cause of mortality on a global scale. Accurately predicting cardiovascular disease poses a significant challenge within clinical data analysis. The present study introduces a prediction model that utilizes various combinations of information and employs multiple established classification approaches. The proposed technique combines the genetic algorithm (GA) and the recursive feature elimination method (RFEM) to select relevant features, thus enhancing the model’s robustness. Techniques like the under sampling clustering oversampling method (USCOM) address the issue of data imbalance, thereby improving the model’s predictive capabilities. The classification challenge employs a multilayer deep convolutional neural network (MLDCNN), trained using the adaptive elephant herd optimization method (AEHOM). The proposed machine learning-based heart disease prediction method (ML-HDPM) demonstrates outstanding performance across various crucial evaluation parameters, as indicated by its comprehensive assessment. During the training process, the ML-HDPM model exhibits a high level of performance, achieving an accuracy rate of 95.5% and a precision rate of 94.8%. The system’s sensitivity (recall) performs with a high accuracy rate of 96.2%, while the F-score highlights its well-balanced performance, measuring 91.5%. It is worth noting that the specificity of ML-HDPM is recorded at a remarkable 89.7%. The findings underscore the potential of ML-HDPM to transform the prediction of heart disease and aid healthcare practitioners in providing precise diagnoses, exerting a substantial influence on patient care outcomes.
Phylogeny and structural modeling of the transcription factor CsqR (YihW) from Escherichia coli
Authors: Rybina Anna A. , Glushak Roman A. , Bessonova Tatiana A. , Dakhnovets Artemiy I. , Rudenko Alexander Yu. , Ozhiganov Ratislav M. , Kaznadzey Anna D. , Tutukina Maria N. , Gelfand Mikhail S. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCsqR (YihW) is a local transcription factor that controls expression of yih genes involved in degradation of sulfoquinovose in Escherichia coli. We recently showed that expression of the respective gene cassette might be regulated by lactose. Here, we explore the phylogenetic and functional traits of CsqR. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CsqR had a conserved Met25. Western blot demonstrated that CsqR was synthesized in the bacterial cell as two protein forms, 28.5 (CsqR-l) and 26 kDa (CsqR-s), the latter corresponding to start of translation at Met25. CsqR-s was dramatically activated during growth with sulfoquinovose as a sole carbon source, and displaced CsqR-l in the stationary phase during growth on rich medium. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed two possible states of the CsqR-s structure, with the interdomain linker being represented by either a disordered loop or an ɑ-helix. This helix allowed the hinge-like motion of the N-terminal domain resulting in a switch of CsqR-s between two conformational states, “open” and “compact”. We then modeled the interaction of both CsqR forms with putative effectors sulfoquinovose, sulforhamnose, sulfoquinovosyl glycerol, and lactose, and revealed that they all preferred the same pocket in CsqR-l, while in CsqR-s there were two possible options dependent on the linker structure.
Chronic replication stress invokes mitochondria dysfunction via impaired parkin activity
Authors: Kawabata Tsuyoshi , Sekiya Reiko , Goto Shinji , Li Tao-Sheng 
Published: April 2024

AbstractReplication stress is a major contributor to tumorigenesis because it provides a source of chromosomal rearrangements via recombination events. PARK2, which encodes parkin, a regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis, is located on one of the common fragile sites that are prone to rearrangement by replication stress, indicating that replication stress may potentially impact mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we show that chronic low-dose replication stress causes a fixed reduction in parkin expression, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, indicated by an increase in mtROS. Consistent with the major role of parkin in mitophagy, reduction in parkin protein expression was associated with a slight decrease in mitophagy and changes in mitochondrial morphology. In contrast, cells expressing ectopic PARK2 gene does not show mtROS increases and changes in mitochondrial morphology even after exposure to chronic replication stress, suggesting that intrinsic fragility at PARK2 loci associated with parkin reduction is responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction caused by chronic replication stress. As endogenous replication stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are both involved in multiple pathophysiology, our data support the therapeutic development of recovery of parkin expression in human healthcare.
Urban Nature Indexes tool offers comprehensive and flexible approach to monitoring urban ecological performance
Authors: Pierce Jennifer Rae , Costadone Laura , Mannetti Lelani , Morpurgo Joeri , Green Charlyn Elaine , Halder Michael D. , Guijosa Pablo Arturo Lopez , Bogan Abner L. , Galt Russell , Hughes Jonathan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe present the Urban Nature Indexes (UNI), a comprehensive tool that measures urban ecological performance under one standard framework linked to global commitments. The UNI was developed by interdisciplinary experts and evaluated by practitioners from diverse cities to capture each city’s ecological footprint from local to global scale. The UNI comprises six themes (consumption drivers, human pressures, habitat status, species status, nature’s contributions to people, and governance responses) that encompass measurable impacts on climate change, biodiversity loss, ecosystem services, pollution, consumption, water management, and equity within one comprehensive system. Cities then adapt the UNI to their context and capacity by selecting among indicator topics within each theme. This adaptability and holistic approach position the UNI as an essential instrument for nature-positive transformations. With the institutional support of IUCN, the UNI offers an opportunity for cities to assess and enhance their contributions towards a more sustainable and biodiverse future.
Universal and Language-Specific Connected Speech Characteristics of Bilingual Speakers With Alzheimer's Disease: Insights From Case Studies of Structurally Distinct Languages
Authors: Dutta Manaswita , Mello Tina M. D. , Cheng Yesi , Dash Niladri Sekhar , Nandi Ranita , Dutt Aparna , Bose Arpita 
Published: April 2024

Purpose:
Connected speech analysis has been effectively utilized for the diagnosis and disease monitoring of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Existing research has been conducted mostly in monolingual English speakers with a noticeable lack of evidence from bilinguals and non-English speakers, particularly in non-European languages. Using a case study approach, we characterized connected speech profiles of two Bengali–English bilingual speakers with AD to determine the universal features of language impairments in both languages, identify language-specific differences between the languages, and explore language impairment characteristics of the participants with AD in relation to their bilingual language experience.

Method:

Participants included two Bengali–English bilingual speakers with AD and a group of age-, gender-, education-, and language-matched neurologically healthy controls. Connected speech samples were collected in first language (L1; Bengali) and second language (L2; English) using a novel storytelling task (i.e.,
Frog, Where Are You?
). These samples were analyzed using an augmented quantitative production analysis and correct information unit analyses for productivity, fluency, syntactic and morphosyntactic features, and lexical and semantic characteristics.

Results:
Irrespective of the language, AD impacted speech productivity (speech rate and fluency) and semantic characteristics in both languages. Unique language-specific differences were noted on syntactic measures (reduced sentence length in Bengali), lexical distribution (fewer pronouns and absence of reduplication in Bengali), and inflectional properties (no difficulties with noun or verb inflections in Bengali). Among the two participants with AD, the individual who showed lower proficiency and usage in L2 (English) demonstrated reduced syntactic complexity and morphosyntactic richness in English.

Conclusions:
Evidence from these case studies suggests that language impairment features in AD are not universal across languages, particularly in comparison to impairments typically associated with language breakdowns in English. This study underscores the importance of establishing connected speech profiles in AD for non–English-speaking populations, especially for structurally different languages. This would in turn lead to the development of language-specific markers that can facilitate early detection of language deterioration and aid in improving diagnosis of AD in individuals belonging to underserved linguistically diverse populations.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25412458
Medical knowledge graph question answering for drug‐drug interaction prediction based on multi‐hop machine reading comprehension
Authors: Gao Peng , Gao Feng , Ni Jian‐Cheng , Wang Yu , Wang Fei , Zhang Qiquan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractDrug‐drug interaction (DDI) prediction is a crucial issue in molecular biology. Traditional methods of observing drug‐drug interactions through medical experiments require significant resources and labour. The authors present a Medical Knowledge Graph Question Answering (MedKGQA) model, dubbed MedKGQA, that predicts DDI by employing machine reading comprehension (MRC) from closed‐domain literature and constructing a knowledge graph of “drug‐protein” triplets from open‐domain documents. The model vectorises the drug‐protein target attributes in the graph using entity embeddings and establishes directed connections between drug and protein entities based on the metabolic interaction pathways of protein targets in the human body. This aligns multiple external knowledge and applies it to learn the graph neural network. Without bells and whistles, the proposed model achieved a 4.5% improvement in terms of DDI prediction accuracy compared to previous state‐of‐the‐art models on the QAngaroo MedHop dataset. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the model and verify the feasibility of integrating external knowledge in MRC tasks.
Vitamin D deficiency in Scheuermann’s disease is associated with increased adverse outcomes
Authors: Chokshi Shivan N. , Mudiganty Srikanth , Clement Rutledge Carter , Accousti William 
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Scheuermann’s disease is a diagnosis of hyperkyphosis commonly encountered in pediatric patients. Studies in animal models suggest an association with vitamin D deficiency, however, extensive studies have not been performed in humans. This study analyzes the role of vitamin D deficiency on unfavorable results in patients with Scheuermann’s disease. Methods: The TriNetX database was utilized to perform a retrospective analysis. Patients in the United States aged 0–18 years with Scheuermann’s disease were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes and categorized into those with and without a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency. Comparison of patient groups depending on age, sex, ethnic origin, prior diagnosis of fibromyalgia, anxiety disorder, myositis, and major depressive disorder. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify the association between vitamin D levels and unfavorable results including pain, depression, suicide attempt, emergency department (ED) consult, hospitalization, and procedures on the spine or spinal cord. Results: In total, 11,277 patients were identified, 39% of whom had a concurrent diagnosis of scoliosis. A total of 1,024 (9.08%) were deficient in vitamin D. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had greater odds of pain (P < 0.0001), depression (P < 0.0001), suicide attempt (P = 0.0021), ED visits (P = 0.0246), and hospital admission (P < 0.0015). Conversely, patients with vitamin D deficiency had decreased odds of surgery on the spine or spinal cord (P = 0.0009). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an elevated risk of pain, depression, suicide attempts, ED visits, and hospitalization. Our analysis highlights the need for more research to study the effect of vitamin D on Scheuermann’s disease.
Level of evidence: Level III, Prognostic
Effect of Abstract Phonemic Complexity on Mismatch Negativity Amplitude
Authors: Najem Fadi , White-Minnis Letitia , Elangovan Saravanan , Franklin Clifford , Jamos Abdullah 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Purpose Mismatch negativity (MMN) reflects a preperceptual neurophysiological response that is generated subconsciously due to the interruption of a memory trace of ongoing sensory events in the environment. It has been widely used by researchers to understand complex perceptual mechanisms. Furthermore, it has been recommended as an objective tool to investigate disorders related to auditory cognition in hearing aid and cochlear implant users. Many researchers suggest that utilizing a larger acoustic difference between standard and deviant stimuli within the oddball paradigm will lead to a more robust MMN response. The purpose of the present study is to examine if increasing the abstract phonemic contrast between standard and deviant stimuli in the oddball paradigm leads to a more robust MMN response.
Methods Fourteen young female adults participated in the present study. To ensure that the MMN response was elicited by phonemic and not acoustic differences in the stimuli, a one-to-many ratio was created for the abstract phonemic features while controlling the acoustic features when designing the oddball paradigm as described by Phillips et al. (2000). MMN amplitude was measured at the Cz and Fz electrodes in two conditions, with two trials in each condition. In condition 1, the standards and deviants differed by one distinctive feature: voicing in trial 1 (/tӕ/ was standard and /dӕ/ was deviant) and place of articulation in trial 2 (/bӕ/ was standard and /dӕ/ was deviant). In condition 2, the standards and deviants differed across two distinctive features: voicing and place of articulation. In trial 1, /pӕ/ was standard and /dӕ/ was deviant; in trial 2, /dӕ/ was standard and /pӕ/ was deviant.
Results MMN amplitudes elicited by two distinctive features were significantly larger than MMN amplitudes elicited by one distinctive feature (p < 0.001). Trials 1 and 2 in each condition showed no statistical difference, and they were repeatable and highly correlated. Recordings from the Cz and Fz electrodes showed no statistical difference and were highly correlated and similar in morphology.
Conclusion It is known in the literature that increasing acoustic complexity elicits a more robust MMN. The present study showed that this assumption can be extended to abstract phonemic complexity. Increasing the phonemic complexity by utilizing more distinctive features in the oddball paradigm increased the amplitude and robustness of the MMN.
The effect of job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions with mediating and moderating effects of commitment and HR practices an empirical study
Authors: Prasad K. D. V. , Kalavakolanu Sripathi , De Tanmoy , Satyaprasad V. K. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMoonlighting as a practice, the limelight was gained during the COVID-19 pandemic due to remote work involving flexible work, which saved employees’ commuting time to the office and has become a potential source of income for individuals seeking other jobs. The authors examined the phenomenon of moonlighting by assessing the relationships between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and moonlighting intentions. The authors also examined the mediating effects of employee organizational commitment and economic intentions and the moderating role of human resource practices on the relationship between job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions. The data were gathered for five reflective constructs of this empirical study—job satisfaction, organizational commitment, human resources practices, economic intentions, and moonlighting intentions—by surveying IT-enabled industry employees in Hyderabad. The data from 311 valid responses were subjected to structural equation modeling analysis using IBM AMOS version 28. The model-fit indices from SEM analysis indicate excellent model fit. The structural model from SEM analysis reveals that 50% of the variance in moonlighting is accounted for by job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The factor of job satisfaction is statistically significant and influences the moonlighting intentions of employees in IT-enabled industries. Job satisfaction has a positive impact on organizational commitment, and when organizational commitment increases, moonlighting intentions decrease. Organizational commitment partially mediates moonlighting intentions through job satisfaction. The study also assessed the moderating role of human resource practices on the relationship between job satisfaction and moonlighting intentions. The moderation analysis results reveal statistically significant and positive moderating effects of human resource practices on intentions to moonlight through job satisfaction. The slope analysis indicated that human resource practices strengthen the positive relationship between job satisfaction and moonlighting.
Research on the sustainable effect of ZnS and MoS2 decorated biochar nanocomposites for removing quinolones from antibiotic-polluted aqueous solutions
Authors: Gan Ying-Jie , Wang Yue-hui , Dang Ya-ru , Hao Wen-jie , Hu Zheng-rong , Zhang Zhi-wei , Luo Yu-min , Wu Yan-bo , Song Ai-jun , Zhao Zhong-bao 
Published: April 2024

Antibiotic concentrations in wastewater generated by industries such as sewage treatment plants, medical pharmaceuticals and aquaculture has exceeded acceptable levels. It is particularly urgent to seek a method that can efficiently remove antibiotics. The removal potential of three quinolone antibiotics, pefloxacin (PF), levofloxacin (LF) and norfloxacin (NF), in simulated contaminated water was studied using a biochar-based nanomaterial prepared by a hydrothermal method. The data were fitted with adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics. The results showed that ZnS–MoS2 activated biochar (ZMMBC) acheived maximum adsorption amounts of 199.42, 125.00 and 142.58 mg g–1 for PF, LF and NF, suggesting that ZMMBC has excellent adsorption performance. The adsorption mechanisms of PF, LF and NF molecules on ZMMBC include complexation, pore filling, π–π interactions, electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bond interactions.