bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cushing Syndrome Is Associated With Gut Microbial Dysbiosis and Cortisol-Degrading Bacteria
Authors: Zhang Minchun , Shi Zhun , Wu Chao , Yang Fangming , Su Tingwei , Jing Xiaohuan , Shi Juan , Ren Huahui , Jiang Lei , Jiang Yiran , Zhang Cui , Zhou Wenzhong , Zhou Yijing , Wu Kui , Zheng Sichang , Zhong Xu , Wu Luming , Gu Weiqiong , Hong Jie , Wang Jiqiu , Ning Guang , Liu Ruixin , Zhong Huanzi , Zhou Weiwei , Wang Weiqing 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Context
Cushing syndrome (CS) is a severe endocrine disease characterized by excessive secretion of cortisol with multiple metabolic disorders. While gut microbial dysbiosis plays a vital role in metabolic disorders, the role of gut microbiota in CS remains unclear.

Objective
The objective of this work is to examine the alteration of gut microbiota in patients with CS.

Methods
We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from 78 patients with CS and 78 healthy controls matched for age and body mass index. Furthermore, we verify the cortisol degradation capacity of Ruminococcus gnavus in vitro and identify the potential metabolite by LC-MC/MS.

Results
We observed significant differences in microbial composition between CS and controls in both sexes, with CS showing reduced Bacteroidetes (Bacteroides vulgatus) and elevated Firmicutes (Erysipelotrichaceae_bacterium_6_1_45) and Proteobacteria (Enterobacter cloacae). Despite distinct causes of hypercortisolism in ACTH-dependent and ACTH-independent CS, we found no significant differences in metabolic profiles or gut microbiota between the 2 subgroups. Furthermore, we identified a group of gut species, including R. gnavus, that were positively correlated with cortisol levels in CS. These bacteria were found to harbor cortisol-degrading desAB genes and were consistently enriched in CS. Moreover, we demonstrated the efficient capacity of R. gnavus to degrade cortisol to 11-oxygenated androgens in vitro.

Conclusion
This study provides evidence of gut microbial dysbiosis in patients with CS and identifies a group of CS-enriched bacteria capable of degrading cortisol. These findings highlight the potential role of gut microbiota in regulating host steroid hormone levels, and consequently host health.
Visual Hybrids as Constitutive Rhetorical Acts: Rhetorical Interplay between Unity and Difference
Authors: Aczél Petra 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRhetoric is broadly referred to as the theory and practice of suasory communication enabling humans to participate actively in public. Although traditionally viewed as strongly tied with exclusively verbal persuasion, rhetoric has always extended beyond this limitation. Semiforgotten elements of the ancient faculty prove that rhetoric requires creative visual imagination from both parties (orator and audience) and that the practice emanates from and embeds in visuospatial, sensual experiences. These visual features are combined with the verbal in rhetorical practice resulting in a multidimensional—hybrid—discourse, the main function of which is persuasion. In this hybridity of codes and modes, the primary movement in the persuasive act is connection. This connection relates the person to the world, human imagination to articulation, thoughts to images, and words to pictures. By means of this connection persuasion becomes identification, a constitutive act enhancing the unity of different entities (either human or material).The present essay conceives of rhetoric, and especially visual rhetoric, as a suitable framework to interpret visual hybrids. Here, visual hybrids are understood to be entities that enact the internal rhetorical interplay between difference and unity represented by visual elements and motifs. The article first investigates the concept of ingenium and multimodality to introduce general rhetoric as a holistic framework of human experience and expression that is inherently visual and sensual. Then the paradigms of visual rhetoric are outlined to propose a possible classification of visual hybrids, illustrated by contemporary examples from art and advertising.
Aging disrupts spatiotemporal regulation of germline stem cells and niche integrity
Authors: Urman Michelle A. , John Nimmy S. , Jung Tyler , Lee ChangHwan 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
A major factor driving stem cell decline is stem cell niche aging, but its molecular mechanism remains elusive. We use the Caenorhabditis elegans distal tip cell (DTC), the mesenchymal niche that employs Notch signaling to regulate germline stem cells (GSCs), as an in vivo niche aging model and delineate the molecular details of the DTC/niche aging process. Here, we demonstrate that a drastic decrease in C. elegans germline fecundity, which begins even in early adulthood, is mainly due to an age-induced disruption in spatial regulation of Notch-dependent transcription in the germline combined with a moderate reduction in Notch transcription at both tissue and cellular levels. Consequently, the Notch-responsive GSC pool shifts from the distal end of the gonad to a more proximal region, disrupting the distal-to-proximal germline polarity. We find that this GSC pool shift is due to a dislocation of the DTC/niche nucleus, which is associated with age-induced changes in the structure and morphology of the DTC/niche. Our findings reveal a critical link between physiological changes in the aging niche, their consequences in stem cell regulation, and germline tissue functions.
Factors Affecting Recurrence and Survival for Patients with High-Risk Stage II Melanoma
Authors: Dedeilia Aikaterini , Lwin Thinzar , Li Siming , Tarantino Giuseppe , Tunsiricharoengul Sasha , Lawless Aleigha , Sharova Tatyana , Liu David , Boland Genevieve M. , Cohen Sonia 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
In the current era of effective adjuvant therapies and de-escalation of surgery, distinguishing which patients with high-risk stage II melanoma are at increased risk of recurrence after excision of the primary lesion is essential to determining appropriate treatment and surveillance plans.

Methods
A single-center retrospective study analyzed patients with stage IIB or IIC melanoma. Demographic and tumor data were collected, and genomic analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples was performed via an internal next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform (SNaPshot). The end points examined were relapse-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS), and melanoma-specific survival (MSS). Uni- and multivariable Cox regressions were performed to calculate the hazard ratios.

Results
The study included 92 patients with a median age of 69 years and a male/female ratio of 2:1. A Breslow depth greater than 4 mm, a higher mitotic rate, an advanced T stage, and a KIT mutation had a negative impact on RFS. A primary lesion in the head and neck, a mitotic rate exceeding 10 mitoses per mm2, a CDH1 mutation, or a KIT mutation was significantly associated with a shorter DMFS. Overall survival was significantly lower with older age at diagnosis and a higher mitotic rate. An older age at diagnosis also had a negative impact on MSS.

Conclusion
Traditional histopathologic factors and specific tumor mutations displayed a significant correlation with disease recurrence and survival for patients with high-risk stage II melanoma. This study supported the use of genomic testing of high-risk stage II melanomas for prognostic prediction and risk stratification.
Probabilistic Outcomes Are Valued Less in Expectation, Even Conditional on Their Realization
Authors: Paolacci Gabriele , André Quentin 
Published: December 2023

Most theories of decision making under risk assume that payoffs and probabilities are separable. In the context of a lottery, the subjective value of a prospective outcome (the payoff) is assumed to be independent of the likelihood that the outcome will occur (the probability). In violation of this assumption, we present eight experiments showing that people anticipate less utility from uncertain outcomes than from certain outcomes, even conditional on their realization. The devaluation of uncertain outcomes is observed across different measures of utility (willingness to spend money or time; choice between different options), different populations (student and online samples), and different manipulations of uncertainty. We show that this result does not simply reflect a misunderstanding of the instructions or people’s aversion toward a “weird” transaction with unexplained features. We highlight the implications of this phenomenon for empirical investigations of risk preferences and conclude with a discussion of the psychological mechanisms that might drive the devaluation of probabilistic outcomes. This paper was accepted by Yuval Rottenstreich, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.02284 .
WORK EXPERIENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE SIBERIAN FEDERAL DISTRICT
Authors: Zinich Alla V. , Maximova Svetlana G. 
Published: December 2023

The possibilities of realizing the labor potential of young people are largely determined by their educational base, motivational aspects and the availability of work experience in the field that is outlined by the framework of their professional identity. In this regard, much attention should be paid to the study of these processes. The article presents an analysis of the existing work experience of modern Siberian youth and the factors influencing it. Empirical data were obtained as a result of a survey conducted on the basis of a sociological study in 2021 on the territory of all subjects of the Siberian Federal District. Its main purpose was to assess the main driving motives of educational and work activities among modern youth. New are the results that allow us to assess regional differences in the distribution of respondents both by the presence of work experience and by the characteristics of its components. The presented results allow us to judge the availability of work experience among Siberian youth and assess the possibility of combining it with educational activities. The form of registration of labor relations and the connection with the professional education of the respondents' place of work are analyzed. It is noteworthy that in their answers to the question about barriers in the labor market in their region, most noted the fact that it is quite difficult to get a job in a specialty, but it is possible. Among the reasons that prompted young people to start working, the end of vocational training and the need to pay for it were most often highlighted. At the same time, revealing their plans for the application of the education they have already received, in most cases, young people noted that they plan to work by profession or continue their studies. And the main measures to improve the situation with the employment of graduates of educational institutions included the development of a training system, the opening of new areas of training, strengthening the role of career guidance activities at school, orientation to digitalization and the formation of a forecast of the need for personnel for the economy of the region.
Literatura infantil y mediación lectora. Concepciones y creencias del profesorado en formación
Authors: Valencia Leguizamón Mariana , Rodríguez León Daniel Mauricio , Raga Prieto Lina María 
Published: December 2023

Como parte de su autorreconocimiento profesional, algunos maestros de lengua y literatura enfrentan la necesidad de reconstruir su autobiografía lectora en su paso por la universidad. En este contexto, se busca reconocer las creencias que algunos profesores en formación declaran acerca de lo que, para ellos, significa la literatura infantil. Metodológicamente, se diseñó y se implementó una entrevista semiestructurada para saber lo que los informantes entienden por literatura infantil, y lo que destacan como experiencia sobre mediación de lectura literaria infantil. Este diseño responde a una pretensión hermenéutica enmarcada en el enfoque cualitativo de la investigación educativa y, particularmente, se ajusta al estudio de creencias del tipo: pensamiento del profesor. Como resultado, advertimos dos categorías emergentes: una referida a la concepción global sobre literatura infantil, y otra al corpus asociado por los informantes a dicha concepción. En conclusión, estos testimonios: a) vuelven la atención sobre debates clásicos como el de la función pedagógica de la literatura infantil o el de su autonomía dentro de “la gran literatura”; b) confirman la hipótesis de la hegemonía del código escrito, por encima de la ilustración y de la oralidad; y 3) señalan experiencias de mediación poco memorables, con predominio de la narrativa clásica, escasamente centradas en la interpretación profunda de las obras, y sin ninguna orientación clara hacia el deleite estético.
Quality of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports for Lodge Developments in Protected Areas: The Okavango Delta Case, Botswana
Authors: LEEPILE Leungo Boikanyo L. , ROOS Claudine , RETIEF Francois Pieter , MOOLMAN Hans Jurie 
Published: December 2023

This paper evaluates the quality of environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports for lodge developments in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, which is a wetland of international importance and forms part of a transboundary conservation area and world heritage site. A quality review of 31 EIA reports, approved between 2013 and 2021, was conducted by applying a context specific EIA report quality review package. The review package consists of four review areas with seventeen categories and 64 sub-categories, adapted from similar international packages to address the specific legal requirements for EIA in Botswana as well as best practice. Results show that the overall quality of the reports are poor, with 71% graded as ‘unsatisfactory’. In general, descriptive areas of the EIA reports fared better, while the performance of the more analytical areas was ‘poor’. Key areas of weakness include - the identification of impacts; prediction and assessment of impact magnitude; as well as identifying alternatives and mitigation measures. Overall results suggest that currently EIA report content is insufficient to inform decision-making towards sustainable tourism development in the Okavango Delta. It is recommended that areas of weakness can be addressed by providing clear strategic direction; developing a central data management system; setting norms and standards for tourism development as well as building capacity and awareness of key stakeholders. This will ensure that EIA remains a tool of choice for decision making and avoid becoming a mere ‘red-tape’/administrative process aimed at securing development approvals.
Radiation shielding capability and exposure buildup factor of cerium(iv) oxide-reinforced polyester resins
Authors: Aloraini Dalal A. , Almuqrin Aljawhara H. , Kaky Kawa M. , Sayyed M. I. , Elsafi Mohamed 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The radiation shielding characteristics of the polyester resin composites reinforced with cerium(iv) oxide (CeO2) have been studied. The prepared composites were pure polyester–resin (Poly/CeO2-0), 90% per weight polyester resin and 10% CeO2 (Poly/CeO2-10), (Poly/CeO2-30), (Poly/CeO2-50), and (Poly/CeO2-60). The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values for the free polyester and polyester samples with CeO2 were experimentally measured compared with the XCOM data. The experimental LAC value was found to be 0.2377 cm−1 at 0.0595 MeV, which is in good agreement with the calculated value of 0.2454 cm−1. Also, for the same sample, the experimental LAC was found to be 0.1034 cm−1 at 0.662 MeV, showing a good agreement with the calculated value of 0.1057 cm−1. The LAC values for the free polyester, Pol/CeO2-30, and Pol/CeO2-60 are 1.43, 31.82, and 107.77 cm−1 at 0.015 MeV, respectively. The big difference in the LAC values between the composite with 0 and 60% CeO2 is evident. The radiation shielding efficiency (RSE) of the polyester with different amounts of CeO2 was experimentally measured at four energy values. Also, we extended the calculation of RSE at other energy values in the range of 0.015–15 MeV). The exposure buildup factor (EBF) values for the free CeO2 sample and the samples with CeO2 are calculated. The EBF is small at low energies, then increases, and attains a maximum value at moderate energy; the EBF shows a decreasing trend with an increase in the energy.
Assessment of geosites as a basis for geotourism development: A case study of the Toplica District, Serbia
Authors: Ivanović Marko , Lukić Tin , Milentijević Nikola , Bojović Vojkan , Valjarević Aleksandar 
Published: December 2023

AbstractToplica district represents an area in Southern Serbia with significant forms of geoheritage that have not been valorized yet. The aim of this pioneering study is to systematically analyze and evaluate all manifestations of the geodiversity in the Toplica district. Based on the geological importance, degree of attractiveness, and size, a total of six geosites were selected. The main goal of the study is to emphasize the insufficient utilization of huge geotourism potentials of the Toplica district and to determine the current geotourism development and geotourism potential of evaluated geosites. The geotourism suitability of each geosite is defined through comparative analysis. The Geosite Assessment Model (GAM) is used to assess the current state of the various elements of geodiversity in the study area. Positioning within the GAM matrix is defined by the values of the investigated parameters. Visualization of the distribution of the GAM indicators is an innovative approach for the interpretation of the obtained results. As a projection of the geotourism potential, the study presents the results of the traffic accessibility of geosites using the Geographic Information System (GIS)-based isochronous method. GIS and Digital Terrain Models are used in the visualization of the research area. The results of GAM apostrophize the current tourist value of Devil’s City, while the isochron analysis of GIS highlights the great geotourism potential of publicly little-known and touristically unaffirmed geosites. The results represent a basis that can support the affirmation of geotourism, the improvement of existing, and the development of new geotourism strategies in the Toplica district.
Earthen Architecture in Nordic Countries: Future Directions
Authors: Lorenzon Marta , Kinzel Moritz , Zoëga Guðný , Dabaieh Marwa 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThroughout prehistory, earthen architecture has played a pivotal role in establishing a sustainable and easily maintainable built environment, showcasing humanity's capacity to design and construct intricate structures using eco-friendly and cost-effective materials. This special issue underscores the enduring significance of earthen architecture in our historical and contemporary understanding of sustainable building practices.
Computational investigations of different iron oxide–coronene nanoclusters: a DFT study
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Jamil Nuzhat , Nazir Arif , Ata Sadia , Athir Naveed , Kanwal Qudsia , Nisa Mehr-un , Alzahrani Fatimah M. , Bukhari Attaullah , Kamran Muhammad Z. , Ghafoor Parveen , Iqbal Munawar 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This study utilizes density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the adsorption of iron oxide clusters on the surface of coronene nanocages. The study explores five different adsorption geometries (P1–P5) using the B3PW91/6-311G (d, p) approach, comparing them to pure coronene. Electronic properties, including energy (hf), HOMO, LUMO, Fermi level, HOMO–LUMO gap, vertical ionization potential, electron affinity, chemical hardness, softness, and chemical potential, were analyzed compared to native coronene nanocages. The calculations revealed strong chemisorption in P1, attributed to significant charge transfer from coronene to the metal atom, resulting in altered positions of HOMOs and LUMOs and a reduced HOMO–LUMO gap (E
gap). Across all geometries (P1–P5), electronic densities in HOMOs were concentrated on iron oxides, while in LUMOs, the electronic cloud was distributed throughout the structure. The diffusion of d-electrons from iron contributed to a more diffuse structure and a lower HOMO–LUMO gap (E
gap), indicating N-type conduction. Global indices demonstrated increased reactivity of iron oxide–adsorbed coronene nanocages compared to native, unbound coronene.
Evaluation of the RP-LC method for determining the pKa of abiraterone and its assay
Authors: Şanlı Senem , Şahin Meryem Cansu , Özdemir Ayşe , Paşa Buket 
Published: December 2023

AbstractA straightforward, dependable, and quick RP-LC method for the analysis of abiraterone acetate in its dose form and human urine has been devised. With DAD detection, sensitivity was reported to be high. The LOD and LOQ of the procedure were deemed adequate. The suggested approach was exhaustively validated in accordance with ICH requirements, and the findings demonstrated that it was exact, accurate, selective, and sensitive for the analysis of this pharmaceutical. The chromatographic separation was realized using a X-Terra RP-18 (150 × 4.60 mm i.d. × 5 μm) column and a UV detector set at 255 and 267 nm. In addition, pKa values were calculated based on the relationship between the retention factor and the pH of the mobile phase. The influence of the composition of the mobile phase on the ionization constant was investigated by measuring the pKa at various acetonitrile–water combinations ranging from 50 to 70% (v/v).