bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Adherence in a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Suggests Feasibility of a Novel Therapeutic Ultrasound Device to Treat Vulvovaginal Atrophy
Authors: Baber Rodney , Colombo Gianna , Dreon Darlene , Lashanlo Sara , Rockweiler Holly , Kingsberg Sheryl 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background
A randomized (1:1), double-blind, sham-controlled study assessed effectiveness of home-use therapeutic ultrasound for vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) in post-menopausal women. The objective of the present secondary analyses was to assess participant-reported compared to objectively-tracked adherence to the home-use therapy, and the association between treatment adherence and VVA improvement.
Methods
Participants applied ultrasound 8 min/day to the vaginal introitus for 12 weeks followed by open-label ultrasound treatment to week 48. In 42 post-menopausal women (ages 48–70) with self-assessed vaginal dryness and clinician-diagnosed VVA, self-reported treatment adherence was collected by daily electronic diary. Objective adherence was obtained from a device log recording date, time, and use duration. Clinicians scored vaginal tissue health using the Vaginal Health Index (VHI).
Results
At week 12, self-reported and device-log adherence rates (mean ± SD; Paired t-test) in the modified intent-to-treat population were high among those who remained in the study and were similar in both active treatment (n = 14) and sham (n = 15) groups. Active treatment self-reported adherence was 85.44% ± 20.07% and device-log adherence was 80.66% ± 26.89% (P = 0.6). Sham self-reported adherence was 89.82% ± 8.01% and device-log adherence was 82.53% ± 20.31% (P = 0.2). There was a significant, positive association between ultrasound treatment dose and improved VHI from baseline to week 12 (r = 0.510, P = 0.04; Pearson’s correlation). Thereafter, among participants who remained enrolled in the study, adherence (by device log) was not significantly different at week 24 or week 48 compared to the first 12 weeks (P = 0.5, ANOVA). Compared to baseline (Paired t-test), improvement in VHI was seen at week 24 (P = 0.03) and week 48 (P = 0.06). There were no differences in treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) between ultrasound treatment versus sham. Participants liked that the ultrasound therapy was non-invasive (37%); easy to use (26%); less messy than typical treatments (16%); able to make the participant feel healthier (10%); and was able to generate tissue moisture (11%).
Conclusions
Participant-reported adherence was not statistically different than objectively tracked adherence. Both measures of adherence were high among those who remained in the study, and such adherence to daily, at-home ultrasound therapy proved efficacious in improving VVA.
Trial registration
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03931213. 24/04/2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03931213?id=NCT03931213&rank=1&tab=history&a=2
Early nasal microbiota and subsequent respiratory tract infections in infants with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Korten Insa , Steinberg Ruth , Mostacci Nadja , Kieninger Elisabeth , Frauchiger Bettina , Casaulta Carmen , Usemann Jakob , Moeller Alexander , Trachsel Daniel , Rochat Isabelle , Blanchon Sylvain , Mueller-Suter Dominik , Kern Barbara , Zanolari Maura , Frey Urs , Ramsey Kathryn , Hilty Markus , Latzin Philipp 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a driving factor for lung function decline in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). The respiratory microbiota is closely related to the pathogenesis of LRTIs in healthy infants, data in CF infants is scarce. We compared nasal microbiota development between CF and healthy infants and assessed associations between early-life nasal microbiota, LRTIs and antibiotic treatment in CF infants. We analyzed the microbiota after amplification of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from 1511 biweekly nasal samples from 50 CF and 30 healthy infants. Microbiota diversity differed between CF infants and healthy controls following LRTIs and/or antibiotic treatment. CF infants with a lower α-diversity presented with a subsequent higher number of LRTIs. Early nasal microbiota alterations may contribute to an increased susceptibility to LRTIs in CF infants and may further increase after LRTIs and antibiotic treatment. This emphasizes the possible preventive potential of targeting the nasal microbiota in CF-related LRTI management.
Determinants of Customer Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Para-social Interaction
Authors: Peng Chen , Xiaoyu Quan , Fang Wen , Kun Liu 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
This study explores the influencing factors of Chinese consumers' purchase intention, with a focus on the mediating role of para-social interaction. It examines key attributes of influencers, including attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness in relation to consumer-brand recognition and purchase intention. By analyzing influencer marketing in China, the research underscores influencer attributes, para-social interaction, consumer-brand recognition, and para-social interaction in shaping consumer purchase intention. A total of 550 participants from China responded to the survey questionnaire, and the data were analyzed using SPSS-AMOS. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how para-social interactions impact purchase intentions in the Chinese market.
Atomic structures of a bacteriocin targeting Gram-positive bacteria
Authors: Zhou Z. Hong , Cai Xiaoying , He Yao , Yu Iris , Imani Anthony , Scholl Dean , Miller Jeff 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Due to envelope differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria1, engineering precision bactericidal contractile nanomachines2 requires atomic-level understanding of their structures; however, only those killing a Gram-negative bacterium are currently known3,4. Here, we report the atomic structures of an engineered diffocin, a contractile syringe-like molecular machine that kills the Gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile. Captured in one pre-contraction and two post-contraction states, each structure fashions six proteins in the bacteria-targeting baseplate, two proteins in the energy-storing trunk, and a collar protein linking the sheath with the membrane-penetrating tube. Compared to contractile machines targeting Gram-negative bacteria, major differences reside in the baseplate and contraction magnitude, consistent with differences between their targeted envelopes. The multifunctional hub-hydrolase protein connects the tube and baseplate and is positioned to degrade peptidoglycan during penetration. The full-length tape measure protein forms a coiled-coil helix bundle homotrimer spanning the entire length of the diffocin. Our study offers mechanical insights and principles for designing potent protein-based precision antibiotics.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of podoplanin and their role in the concurrent occurrence of preeclampsia and HIV in women of African descent
Authors: Mtshali Zamahlabangane , Naicker Thajasvarie 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Research has consistently demonstrated alterations in podoplanin expression within the placenta of women with preeclampsia. Notably, anomalous podoplanin expression has been observed within the syncytiotrophoblast layer, hinting at a possible involvement in the pathogenesis of the condition. This study aims to examine the possible connection between specific variations in podoplanin (rs1148455, rs10927904, and rs7518611) and susceptibility to preeclampsia. Participants were enrolled and grouped according to pregnancy type (control or preeclampsia), disease onset (early-onset or late-onset) and HIV status (negative or positive). Whole blood was collected and analysed using the TaqMan genotyping assay, comparisons were made using the Chi-squared test. Results showed a significant elevation in the TT genotype (rs1148455) in preeclampsia cases [CT vs TT: Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.5179, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.2815-0.9528, p = 0.0335] compared to control pregnancies. Subgroup analysis revealed a higher prevalence of the TT genotype (rs10927904) in late-onset preeclampsia [CT vs TT: OR = 0.5128, CI = 0.2623-1.003, p = 0.0494; TT vs CT/CC: OR = 0.5256, CI = 0.2766-0.9990, p = 0.0481] relative to control pregnancies. These findings highlight a genetic link between the TT genotype of rs1148455 with preeclampsia, consistent with immunoexpression studies involving podoplanin. Sub-group analysis further reveals an association of the TT genotype (rs10927904) with late-onset preeclampsia, a less severe form of disease indicating differing genetic predispositions between early and late-onset forms.
Contrasting effects of fire and rodent competition on western harvester ant activity and disk formation
Authors: Pienaar Ryan , Bishop Tara B. B. , Clair Samuel B. St 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

In North American deserts, the spread of invasive annual grasses is resulting in larger and more frequent fires that threaten the biological resilience and stability of desert ecosystems. Native consumers, including ants and rodents, likely have critical roles in defining post-fire plant community assembly and resilience to biological invasions. This study aimed to understand how western harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis) that form mounds and large vegetation-free disks in the Great Basin Desert respond to fire and rodent community abundance. We tested this by installing treatment plots that excluded or allowed rodents and were burned or unburned in a full factorial design. We measured ant disk and mound size and density, along with a direct measure of ant activity in each experimental plot. Fire increased ant mound density by 126% compared to unburned plots. Rodent presence decreased ant activity by 39%, mound density by 59%, mound diameter by 13%, and mound height by 166%. We also show an interaction where the adverse effects of rodents on ants were greater in burned than in unburned plots. These results suggest that more frequent fires are likely to benefit ants, and fluctuations in rodent populations are likely to affect ant activity and disks and alter their responses to fire.
Risk factors and prognosis of hospital-acquired VTE in patients with sepsis
Authors: Li+ Shuangping , Huang+ Shenshen , Wang Wei , MAO Yimin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) in sepsis patients and the effect of VTE on the prognosis of sepsis patients.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study. A total of 528 patients with sepsis who were hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology between January 2022 and September 2023 were included. Hospitalization data and 90-day survival data were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the risk factors for hospital-acquired VTE in sepsis patients. K‒M survival curves were used to analyse the prognosis of sepsis patients with and without VTE. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the occurrence of VTE and 90-day mortality in patients with sepsis.
Results
According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 223 patients with sepsis were included 186 (83.4%) without VTE and 37 (16.9%) with VTE. The length of hospital stay (OR 1.509; 95% CI 1.030–1.089) and duration of mechanical ventilation (OR 3.845; 95% CI 1.297–11.585) were found to be independent risk factors for hospital-acquired VTE. K‒M survival analysis revealed a significant difference in 90-day prognosis between patients with and without VTE (p < 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that VTE was a risk factor for death within 90 days of sepsis onset (OR 2.221; 95% CI 1.201–4.108).
Conclusion
The incidence of hospital-acquired VTE was high in sepsis patients although receiving thrombosis prevention, and the occurrence of VTE affected the prognosis of sepsis patients. The identification of risk factors could contribute to monitoring and preventing VTE, which may reduce the incidence of VTE and improve the prognosis of patients with sepsis.
Superconductivity in CaH6 and ThH10 investigated by fully ab initio Eliashberg method and self-consistent Green's function
Authors: Darussalam Alwan Abdillah , Koretsune Takashi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The pressurized hydrogen-based superconductors are phonon-mediated superconductors characterized by high phonon frequencies. In these superconductors, the structure of the density of states (DOS) around the Fermi energy (EF) becomes important in evaluating their transition temperature (Tc) due to their high phonon frequencies. We investigate this phenomenon by calculating Tc of Im-3m CaH6 and Fm-3m ThH10 within the framework of the fully ab initio Eliashberg method without introducing any adjustable parameter. Our calculated Tc agrees with the experimental Tc quantitatively. Remarkably, the self-consistent calculation for the electron Green's function leads to smaller Tc in these materials due to the existing dip structure in the DOS around EF. This finding is in contrast to cases of systems with peak structures in the DOS around EF, such as Im-3m H3S and Fm-3m LaH10, providing a unified understanding of how structures of DOS affect the evaluation of Tc.
HDAC7 is a specific therapeutic target in Acute Erythroid Leukemia
Authors: Goyama Susumu , Zhang Wenyu , Yamamoto Keita , Chang Yu-Hsuan , Yabushita Tomohiro , Hao Yangying , Shimura Ruka , Nakahara Jakushin , Shikata Shiori , Iida Kohei , Chen Qianyi , Zhang Xichen , Kitamura Toshio 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Acute erythroleukemia (AEL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia with a poor prognosis. In this study, we established a novel murine AEL model with Trp53 depletion and ERG overexpression. ERG overexpression in Trp53-deficient mouse bone marrow cells, but not in wild-type bone marrow cells, leads to AEL development within two months after transplantation with 100% penetrance. The established mouse AEL cells expressing Cas9 can be cultured in vitro, induce AEL in vivo even in unirradiated recipient mice, and enable to efficient gene ablation using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We also confirmed the cooperation between ERG overexpression and TP53 inactivation in promoting the growth of immature erythroid cells in human cord blood cells. Mechanistically, ERG antagonizes KLF1 and inhibits erythroid maturation, meanwhile TP53 deficiency promotes proliferation of erythroid progenitors. Furthermore, we identified HDAC7 as a specific susceptibility in AEL by the DepMap-based two-group comparison analysis. HDAC7 promotes the growth of human and mouse AEL cells both in vitro and in vivo through its non-enzymatic functions. Our study provides experimental evidence that TP53 deficiency and ERG overexpression are necessary and sufficient for the development of AEL and highlights HDAC7 as a promising therapeutic target for this disease.
Intelligent QLFEKF integrated navigation based on the X-ray pulsar / solar and target planetary Doppler for the SSBE cruise phase
Authors: Tao Wenjian , Song Jianing , Lin Qin , Wang Hui , Chen Zebin , Yang Jikun , Wang Jihe , Zhang Jinxiu 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The Solar System Boundary Exploration (SSBE) is the focal point for future far-reaching space exploration. Due to the SSBE having many scientific difficulties that need to be studied, such as super-long space exploratorydistance, super-long flighttime in orbit, and super-large communication data delay between the ground and the probe, the probe must have sufficient intelligence to realize intelligent autonomous navigation. The traditional navigation schemes have been unable to provide high accuracy autonomous intelligent navigation independent on the ground for the probe. Therefore, high accuracyintelligent astronomical integrated navigation would provide new methods and technologies for the navigation of the SSBE. The probe of the SSBE is disturbed by multiple sources of solar light pressure and the complex unknown environment during the long cruise operation in orbit. In order to ensure the position stateand velocity state error estimation high accuracy for the probe cruise phase, an autonomous intelligent integrated navigation scheme based on the X-ray pulsar / solar and target planetary Doppler velocity measurement is proposed. The reinforcement Q-learning method is introduced, and the reward mechanism is designed for trial-and-error tuning of stateand observationnoise error covariance parameters. The federated extended Kalman filter (FEKF) based on Q-learning (QLFEKF) navigation algorithm is proposed to achieve high accuracystate estimation of the autonomous intelligence for the SSBE cruise phase. The main advantage of the QLFEKF is that the Q-learning combined with the conventional federated filtering method could optimize the state parameters in real-time, and obtain high position and velocity state estimation (PVSE)accuracy. Compared with the conventional FEKF integrated navigation algorithm, the PVSEnavigation accuracy of the federated filter integrated based the Q-learning navigation algorithm are improved by 55.84% and 37.04% respectively, which present with the higher accuracy and greater capability of the raised autonomous intelligent integrated navigation algorithm. The simulation results show that the intelligent integrated navigation algorithm based on QLFEKF has higher accuracy navigation,and able to satisfy the demandsof autonomous high accuracy for the SSBE cruise phase.
Global path planning for mobile robots based on improved A-Star algorithm
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Dong Biaobiao , Zhang Le , Liu Jing , Han Huiyan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Aiming at the problems of lengthy planning time, easy to fall into local optimization, and insufficient ability to adapt to complex environments in the global path planning process of A-Star algorithm, we propose an improved A-Star algorithm. First, we introduce global obstacle information and local obstacle information into the heuristic function to adapt to different environmental requirements, and propose a U-shaped "trap" region filling strategy to reduce the number of searched nodes and improve the search efficiency. Secondly, we assign a priority to the search neighborhood and use directional gain to enhance the orientation of the search process. Then, we introduce a key node selection strategy to eliminate redundant nodes on the path and improve the smoothness of the path. Simulation results prove that the algorithm in this paper has significant improvement in terms of the number of traversed nodes, path nodes, path inflection nodes, turning angle, pathfinding time and path length. Finally, we experiment with the improved algorithm in a real environment, proving the effectiveness of the improved algorithm and demonstrating its ability to significantly enhance the performance of mobile robot path planning.
“We don’t eat what we want, we eat what get”: Understanding household drivers of stunting and its implications for improving Kenya’s human capital
Authors: Abuya Timothy , Okondo Chantalle , Nganga Wangari , Obare Francis 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background: There is low progress towards reducing malnutrition among children under five years in Kenya. Given the layered effects of stunting on human capital development, there is need to examine the cross-interaction of drivers of stunting at the household level often examined individually. We explored the cross interaction of drivers of stunting during the early years of children at household level and how it sustains high levels of stunting in five diverse counties of Kenya.
Methods: We explored the social context influencing nutrition with 30 stakeholders from four sub-sectors at the sub-national level using in-depth interviews. Twenty-one Focus Group Discussions were conducted to identify persistent drivers of stunting, and opportunities for improving nutrition during early years. Case narratives with 144 selected household members were conducted with families with a stunted child and those without any form of malnutrition.
Results: Livelihood and economic context perpetuate poverty affecting food intake. Persistent bad weather patterns threaten food availability while unfavorable market systems impact household nutrition status. High cost of farm inputs force farmers to sell high-quality produce leaving those that cannot meet market quality for household consumption. Inability to plant variety of crops and use modern methods of farming partly due to knowledge gaps and financial constraints perpetuates small scale farming. This compounded with land ownership and adjudication process limits communities to use their farms effectively for maximum economic outputs. Low income affects ability to access and prepare adequate and nutritious food limiting dietary diversity. Poor community understanding of stunting limiting timely remedial action while superstition, stigma, shame delay early detection. Inherited practices facilitate feeding patterns based on value and taboos associated with certain foods. Family structure interacts with livelihood patterns affecting child-feeding while perception of food adequacy and quality affect dietary diversification. Finally, institutional interactions with children before school generates a gap for early action where an intervention window is missed.
Conclusion: The first 1000 days are pivotal period in a child’s development and confer multi-layered health and economic benefits in a child’s future life and therefore to the society at large. Stunting, a marker of chronic undernutrition, impedes not only the physical health of the child but also capacity for full education, skills development, and therefore future earnings. This study illustrates unique perspectives from the household level as to why stunting persists in Kenya with practical solutions to inform pragmatic and policy design to ensure comprehensive responsiveness to household realities.
Damage detection of frame structure using a novel time-domain regression method
Authors: Ji Xingle , Xu Xueyong , Kun Huang 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Shear structure model is the most frequently used to model for the damage detection of frame building structures. However, due to the existence of modelling error, using a shear structure model to perform damage detection of a complex frame structure often results in inaccurate detection results. In this paper, a novel reduced model for the frame is proposed, which converts a multi-story multi-bay plane frame into a beam-like model, having one translational and two rotational degrees-of-freedom for each floor. Based on the new model, a novel time-domain regression method (TDRM) was established using the spectral density function between the horizontal acceleration of the frame floor and the reference response to identify the equivalent layer stiffness and damping parameters. Finally, a five-story two-bay frame structure is used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed time-domain regression method of estimating structural parameters and identifying structural damage.The results show that this method can identify, locate, and quantify the structural stiffness changes accurately.
Unified Convergence Analysis of Newton Midpoint-type Iterative Methods
Authors: Chandhini G , Muniyasamy M , George Santhosh , Bate Indra , Senapati Kedarnath 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

In this paper, unified convergence analyses for Newton midpoint-based iterative methods of order three and five are studied to solve the system of nonlinear equations in Banach space settings. Our analysis uses assumptions only on the first two derivatives of the involved operator and gives the number of iterations needed to achieve the given accuracy. Numerical examples are illustrated to show the performance of the methods considered.
MSC Classification: 65H10 , 65J15 , 65J05