bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Basculing in elite show jumping horses: a motion analysis study of trunk and neck movement
Authors: Fercher C. , Reiser M. , Müller H. , Joch M. , Maurer H. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The movement of the trunk and neck plays a crucial role in training and assessing the technical performance in show jumping horses. The term ‘bascule’ describes a rounded and harmonious jumping movement characterised by an arched or bulged back and a lower, stretched neck position. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the specific kinematic features that define basculing. The question remains whether the impression of a rounded back is the result of spine flexion into an upward curved position or a combination of thorax elongation and a downward movement of the neck. Additionally, the timing of these movement components remains unclear. To address these questions, we conducted kinematic analyses on six ridden show jumpers with varying levels of competition experience. Using a simplified kinematic model, we analysed the trajectories of the trunk length, trunk height, neck length, and trunk-neck angle throughout different phases of a jump over a single 130 cm vertical fence during a training session. Furthermore, we explored potential differences in basculing execution based on the horses’ competition levels. Our findings indicate that the horses’ body posture while jumping over the fence does not exhibit true flexion of the thoracolumbar spine, resulting in an upward arched shape of the spine. Instead, during the take-off phase, the trunk shows elongation, suggesting a reduced curvature of the spine in this region, accompanied by a downward movement of the neck. However, we consistently observed a shortening of the neck segment, indicating flexion of the cervical spine. Correlation analyses suggest that these changes are associated with the horses’ level of competition, with more pronounced basculing observed in horses with higher competition levels.
Mussolini’s Cesare
Authors: Gaborik Patricia 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This article discusses the collaboration between Benito Mussolini and Giovacchino Forzano in the writing of three historical dramas, focusing on the third text of their collaboration, Cesare, which dates to 1939. Placing this partnership within the context of Fascism’s broader theatrical programming, the essay discusses the play as a model of Fascist theater, for its imparting of Fascist ideological tenets, propagandistic messages, and pedagogical aims. It focuses in particular on the ways in which the play uses the analogy between ancient Rome and Fascist Italy, and between Julius Caesar and Mussolini, embodying fascism’s poetics of history, contributing to the anthropological revolution, and overall demonstrating the ‘new fascist man’ through the character of Caesar/Mussolini.
The Classical Performances at the Temples of Agrigento and Paestum (1928–1938)
Authors: Troiani Sara 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This article surveys and analyzes classical performances staged between 1928 and 1938 in the archeological areas of Agrigento and Paestum, and underlines similarities and differences between them to evaluate the impact of Fascist ideology on their organization. Indeed, these performances were much more concerned with staging ancient poetry recitations, pantomimes, choreographies, and parades rather than entire plays, as these were effective conduits for Fascism’s visual aesthetics, which was aimed at enhancing the archeological settings that hosted them. The events organized in Agrigento were meant to extend the presence of classical performances in ancient theaters and monuments other than Syracuse under the supervision of the National Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA) and other national and international artists, while the performances staged in Paestum were intended to promote international tourism in Italy, which included the programmatic restoration and renovation of ancient monuments.
The quality of family relationships in dementia: Mixed methods to unravel mixed feelings
Authors: Marques Maria J. , Gonçalves-Pereira Manuel , de Vugt Marjolein , Verhey Frans , Woods Bob ,   The Actifcare Consortium
Published: December 2023

Objective: Close relationships influence health and quality of life outcomes for people with dementia and their families. Yet, we know little on the role of different relationship domains with quantitative methods having proved to have limitations in this research field. We aimed to study these relationship domains over time, contrasting the views of people with dementia and their family carers, making use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was adopted, analysing longitudinal data (four time points over three years) from 66 dyads of Portuguese community-dwelling people with dementia and their primary carers, from the EU-Actifcare project sample. Quantitative assessments used sociodemographic and clinical variables, and Positive Affect Index scores, with descriptive and inferential analyses. Qualitative data, collected through individual and joint semi-structured interviews, were explored using thematic analysis. Results: Both quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated that some domains of relationship quality are affected in different ways, with changes occurring at different stages. Some (e.g., ‘communication’) may even improve after initial decline. ‘Closeness’ was consistently altered over time, from carers’ perspectives, and played an important protective role regarding institutionalisation. Overall, changes in the relationship quality were perceived differently by people with dementia and their carers, and these divergent perspectives often led to tension. Qualitative data revealed that ‘mixed feelings’ (ambivalence) involve complex experiences, arguably more difficult to manage than negative feelings alone. Furthermore, perceived informal support, particularly from the extended family, and receiving formal services’ assistance, seemed to facilitate positive (re)appraisals of the relationship. Conclusions: A deeper understanding of relationship quality and its domains as dementia progresses may help tailoring interventions to tackle modifiable aspects of relationships, meeting the needs and cherishing the resources of dyads and families. Timely assessments could identify relationships at risk and need for support, including for alternative caring arrangements.
Automatic annotation of the bHLH gene family in plants
Authors: Thoben Corinna , Pucker Boas 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The bHLH transcription factor family is named after the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain that is a characteristic element of their members. Understanding the function and characteristics of this family is important for the examination of a wide range of functions. As the availability of genome sequences and transcriptome assemblies has increased significantly, the need for automated solutions that provide reliable functional annotations is emphasised.

Results
A phylogenetic approach was adapted for the automatic identification and functional annotation of the bHLH transcription factor family. The bHLH_annotator, designed for the automated functional annotation of bHLHs, was implemented in Python3. Sequences of bHLHs described in literature were collected to represent the full diversity of bHLH sequences. Previously described orthologs form the basis for the functional annotation assignment to candidates which are also screened for bHLH-specific motifs. The pipeline was successfully deployed on the two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions Col-0 and Nd-1, the monocot species Dioscorea dumetorum, and a transcriptome assembly of Croton tiglium. Depending on the applied search parameters for the initial candidates in the pipeline, species-specific candidates or members of the bHLH family which experienced domain loss can be identified.

Conclusions
The bHLH_annotator allows a detailed and systematic investigation of the bHLH family in land plant species and classifies candidates based on bHLH-specific characteristics, which distinguishes the pipeline from other established functional annotation tools. This provides the basis for the functional annotation of the bHLH family in land plants and the systematic examination of a wide range of functions regulated by this transcription factor family.
Transcriptome-wide N6-methyladenosine methylation profile of atherosclerosis in mice
Authors: Zheng Xinbin , Zhou Bo , Li Yuzhen , Zhong Hengren , Huang Zhengxin , Gu Minhua 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a critical pathological event during the progression of cardiovascular diseases. It exhibits fibrofatty lesions on the arterial wall and lacks effective treatment. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common modification of eukaryotic RNA and plays an important role in regulating the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of m6A modification in AS remains largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, we explored the transcriptome distribution of m6A modification in AS and its potential mechanism.

Methods
Methylation Quantification Kit was used to detect the global m6A levels in the aorta of AS mice. Western blot was used to analyze the protein level of methyltransferases. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were used to obtain the first transcriptome range analysis of the m6A methylene map in the aorta of AS mice, followed by bioinformatics analysis. qRT-PCR and MeRIP-qRT-PCR were used to measure the mRNA and m6A levels in target genes.

Results
The global m6A and protein levels of methyltransferase METTL3 were significantly increased in the aorta of AS mice. However, the protein level of demethylase ALKBH5 was significantly decreased. Through MeRIP-seq, we obtained m6A methylation maps in AS and control mice. In total, 26,918 m6A peaks associated with 13,744 genes were detected in AS group, whereas 26,157 m6A peaks associated with 13,283 genes were detected in the control group. Peaks mainly appeared in the coding sequence (CDS) regions close to the stop codon with the RRACH motif. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that m6A-containing genes were significantly enriched in AS-relevant pathways. Interestingly, a negative correlation between m6A methylation abundance and gene expression level was found through the integrated analysis of MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq data. Among the m6A-modified genes, a hypo-methylated but up-regulated (hypo-up) gene Fabp5 may be a potential biomarker of AS.

Conclusions
Our study provides transcriptome-wide m6A methylation for the first time to determine the association between m6A modification and AS progression. Our study lays a foundation for further exploring the pathogenesis of AS and provides a new direction for the treatment of AS.
A comprehensive assessment of exome capture methods for RNA sequencing of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples
Authors: Zong Liang , Zhu Yabing , Jiang Yuan , Xia Ying , Liu Qun , Jiang Sanjie 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRNA-Seq analysis of Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) samples has emerged as a highly effective approach and is increasingly being used in clinical research and drug development. However, the processing and storage of FFPE samples are known to cause extensive degradation of RNAs, which limits the discovery of gene expression or gene fusion-based biomarkers using RNA sequencing, particularly methods reliant on Poly(A) enrichment. Recently, researchers have developed an exome targeted RNA-Seq methodology that utilizes biotinylated oligonucleotide probes to enrich RNA transcripts of interest, which could overcome these limitations. Nevertheless, the standardization of this experimental framework, including probe designs, sample multiplexing, sequencing read length, and bioinformatic pipelines, remains an essential requirement. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive comparison of three main commercially available exome capture kits and evaluated key experimental parameters, to provide the overview of the advantages and limitations associated with the selection of library preparation protocols and sequencing platforms. The results provide valuable insights into the best practices for obtaining high-quality data from FFPE samples.
Quantifying and reducing inequity in average treatment effect estimation
Authors: Nieser Kenneth J. , Cochran Amy L. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Across studies of average treatment effects, some population subgroups consistently have lower representation than others which can lead to discrepancies in how well results generalize.

Methods
We develop a framework for quantifying inequity due to systemic disparities in sample representation and a method for mitigation during data analysis. Assuming subgroup treatment effects are exchangeable, an unbiased sample average treatment effect estimator will have lower mean-squared error, on average across studies, for subgroups with less representation when treatment effects vary. We present a method for estimating average treatment effects in representation-adjusted samples which enables subgroups to optimally leverage information from the full sample rather than only their own subgroup’s data. Two approaches for specifying representation adjustment are offered—one minimizes average mean-squared error for each subgroup separately and the other balances minimization of mean-squared error and equal representation. We conduct simulation studies to compare the performance of the proposed estimators to several subgroup-specific estimators.

Results
We find that the proposed estimators generally provide lower mean squared error, particularly for smaller subgroups, relative to the other estimators. As a case study, we apply this method to a subgroup analysis from a published study.

Conclusions
We recommend the use of the proposed estimators to mitigate the impact of disparities in representation, though structural change is ultimately needed.
The long-term effect on surgery-free survival of biological compared to conventional therapy in Crohn’s disease in real world-data: a retrospective study
Authors: Valvano M. , Vinci A. , Cesaro N. , Frassino S. , Ingravalle F. , Ameli M. , Viscido A. , Necozione S. , Latella G. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The introduction of biological drugs has led to great expectations and growing optimism in the possibility that this new therapeutic strategy could favourably change the natural history of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and, in particular, that it could lead to a significant reduction in surgery in the short and long term.
This study aims to assess the impact of biological versus conventional therapy on surgery-free survival time (from the diagnosis to the first bowel resection) and on the overall risk of surgery in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) who were never with the surgical option.

Methods
This is a retrospective, double-arm study including CD patients treated with either biological or conventional therapy (mesalamine, immunomodulators, antibiotics, or steroids). All CD patients admitted at the GI Unit of the S. Salvatore Hospital (L’Aquila. Italy) and treated with biological therapy since 1998 were included in the biological arm. Data concerning the CD patients receiving a conventional therapy were retrospectively collected from our database. These patients were divided into a pre-1998 and post-1998 group. Our primary outcome was the evaluation of the surgery-free survival since CD diagnosis to the first bowel resection. Surgery-free time and event incidence rates were calculated and compared among all groups, both in the original population and in the propensity-matched population.

Results
Two hundred three CD patients (49 biological, 93 conventional post-1998, 61 conventional pre-1998) were included in the study. Kaplan-Meier survivorship estimate shows that patients in the biological arm had a longer surgery-free survival compared to those in the conventional arm (p = 0.03). However, after propensity matching analysis, conducted on 143 patients, no significant difference was found in surgery-free survival (p = 0.3). A sub-group analysis showed shorter surgery-free survival in patients on conventional therapy in the pre-biologic era only (p = 0.02; Hazard Ratio 2.9; CI 1.01–8.54) while no significant difference was found between the biologic and conventional post-biologic groups (p = 0.15; Hazard Ratio 2.1; CI 0.69–6.44).

Conclusion
This study shows that the introduction of biological therapy has only a slight impact on the eventual occurrence of surgery in CD patients over a long observation period. Nevertheless, biological therapy appears to delay the first intestinal resection.
Financial stress, health and malnourishment among older adults in India
Authors: Banerjee Kajori , Sahoo Harihar , Govil Dipti 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAs India’s elderly population grows rapidly, there is a demand for robust policy tools for geriatric health management. This study focuses on unveiling the impact of financial stress and insecurity in diverse economic sectors on adult malnutrition in India. Further, we explore the connections of adult malnourishment with mental and physical health outcomes. Analysis has been done using data of 59,764 respondents aged 45 years and above from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI- Wave I) (2017-19). A modified Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) has been used to assess the risk of adult malnutrition. It categorizes malnutrition into Low Risk, High Risk Group 1 (HRG1-undernourished), and High Risk Group 2 (HRG2-over-nourished). Approximately 26% of adults were classified in HRG1, characterized by low body mass index, recent hospital admissions, and affiliation with food-insecure households. Around 25% adults belonged to HRG2 characterized by high body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. The relative risk ratios from the multinomial logit generalized structural equation model indicate that the risk of being in HRG1 was 20–40% higher among respondents not presently working or receiving pension benefits, as well as those involved in agricultural work. The risk of being in HRG2 doubles if the respondent was diagnosed with some chronic disease during the last 12 months. A higher composite cognition score reduces the risk of being in HRG1 by 4%, while it increases the risk of being in HRG2 by 3%. Additionally, experiencing episodic depression raises the risk of being in HRG1 by 10%. Financial insecurity, particularly in the informal and agricultural sectors, coupled with poor mental health, hinders positive nutritional outcomes. Extending universal pro-poor policies to fortify food security in resource poor households and integrating mental health variables in nutrition policies can be beneficial to address adult malnourishment in India.
Clinical pharmacist-led assessment and management of anticholinergic burden and fall risk in geriatric patients
Authors: Saz Hilal Gökçay , Yalçın Nadir , Demirkan Kutay , Halil Meltem Gülhan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The aim of this study was to examine the risk of fall with the surrogate outcome of the Aachen Falls Prevention Scale and to assess the clinical pharmacist interventions in order to minimize anticholinergic drug burden and associated risk of fall according to a fall risk assessment scale in the older adults.

Methods
Patients who admitted to the geriatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital and taking at least one anticholinergic drug were evaluated both retrospectively and prospectively as groups of different patients by the clinical pharmacist. Patients’ anticholinergic burden was assessed using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale. For fall risk assessment, the Aachen Falls Prevention Scale was also administered to each patient whose anticholinergic burden was determined in the prospective phase of the study.

Results
A total of 601 patients were included. Risk of falls increased 2.50 times in patients with high anticholinergic burden (OR (95% CI) = 2.503 (1.071–5.852); p = 0.034), and the existing history of falls increased the risk of high anticholinergic burden 2.02 times (OR (95%CI) = 2.026 (1.059–3.876); p = 0.033). In addition, each unit increase in the fall scale score in the prospective phase increased the risk of high anticholinergic burden by 22% (p = 0.028). Anticholinergic burden was significantly reduced as a result of interventions by the clinical pharmacist in the prospective phase (p = 0.010).

Conclusion
Our study revealed that incorporating a clinical pharmacist in the handling of geriatric patients aids in the detection, reduction, and prevention of anticholinergic adverse effects.
Mental workload classification using convolutional neural networks based on fNIRS-derived prefrontal activity
Authors: Park Jin-Hyuck 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a tool to assess brain activity during cognitive testing. Despite its usefulness, its feasibility in assessing mental workload remains unclear. This study was to investigate the potential use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-derived signals to classify mental workload in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods
Spatial images by constructing a statistical activation map from the prefrontal activity of 120 subjects with MCI performing three difficulty levels of the N-back task (0, 1, and 2-back) were used for CNNs. The CNNs were evaluated using a 5 and 10-fold cross-validation method.

Results
As the difficulty level of the N-back task increased, the accuracy decreased and prefrontal activity increased. In addition, there was a significant difference in the accuracy and prefrontal activity across the three levels (p’s < 0.05). The accuracy of the CNNs based on fNIRS-derived spatial images evaluated by 5 and 10-fold cross-validation in classifying the difficulty levels ranged from 0.83 to 0.96.

Conclusion
fNIRS could also be a promising tool for measuring mental workload in older adults with MCI despite their cognitive decline. In addition, this study demonstrated the feasibility of the classification performance of the CNNs based on fNIRS-derived signals from the prefrontal cortex.
Electroretinography and suicidal behaviors: a systematic review
Authors: Kaggwa Mark Mohan , Prat Sebastien , Davids Arianna , Robbins Amara , Erb Bailea , Mamak Mini , Chaimowitz Gary Andrew , Olagunju Andrew T. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Electroretinogram (ERG) is one of the tools used to investigate the electrophysiological underpinnings of mental health illnesses and major clinical phenomena (e.g., suicide) to improve their diagnosis and care. While multiple studies have reported specific ERG changes among individuals with suicidal behaviors, we know of no review that has been done to characterize their findings to inform future research.

Methods
This review included available literature concerning ERG and suicidal behaviors. The paper’s first section briefly overviews the theoretical basis of ERG and neurotransmitters involved in suicidal behaviors. The second section describes the findings of a review of studies reporting ERG findings among individuals with suicidal behaviors.

Results
Most reviewed studies reported normal amplitude and implicit time of the a-waves, but the latency in individuals with suicidal behaviors was lower than normal. Additionally, the b-waves amplitude was reduced, but the implicit time and latency were increased. The b-a amplitude ratio and oscillatory potential were decreased.

Conclusion
Despite identifying certain ERG correlates with suicidal behaviors in the existing studies, there is a need for adequately powered and methodologically robust studies to advance clinical translation.