bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inborn Errors of Immunity in Jordan: first report from a tertiary referral center
Authors: Alzyoud Raed , Al-Suwaiti Motasem , Maitah Hiba , Aladaileh Boshra , Noubani Mohammed , Nsour Hamazh 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Purpose
Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a heterogeneous group of diseases with variable clinical phenotypes. Without the IEI national registry, this study has been conducted to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentations, treatment, and outcome of IEI in Jordanian children.
Methods
Retrospective data analysis for IEI children diagnosed and followed in Immunology, Allergy, and Rheumatology Division Queen Rania Children's Hospital, the only pediatric hospital in Jordan from 2010 till the end of 2022.
Results
A total of 467 patients, 263 (56.3%) males and 204 (43.7%) females, were diagnosed with IEI. The prevalence of IEI was 16.2/100,000 Jordanian children. The mean age at symptom onset was 18 months (1 week to 144 months), a positive family history was reported in 43.5%, and the consanguinity rate was 47.9%. The most common IEI category was immunodeficiencies affecting cellular and humoral immunity at 33.2%, followed by predominantly antibody deficiencies (PAD) at 16.9%. The overall IEI diagnostic delay mean (range) was 12.6 (0-135) months. Pulmonary and gastrointestinal clinical features were the most common at 55.2% and 45.6%, respectively; the majority were infection-related. The overall mortality was 33.2%; the highest rate was reported in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) at 56.2%
Conclusions
The high minimal estimated IEI prevalence at 16.2/100,000 Jordanian children compared to the regional and worldwide data, with the diversities in clinical presentation and distribution of IEI categories in our cohort point to unique features of IEI in Jordanian children, heeding national registry establishment, regional and international collaborative networks.
Methodology for Biomarker Discovery with Reproducibility in Microbiome Data using Machine Learning
Authors: Rojas-Velazquez David , Kidwai Sarah , Kraneveld Aletta D. , Tonda Alberto , Oberski Daniel , Garssen Johan , Lopez-Rincon Alejandro 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background: In recent years, human microbiome studies have receivedincreasing attention as this field is considered a potential source for clinicalapplications. With the advancements in omics technologies and AI, researchfocused on the discovery for potential biomarkers in the human microbime usingmachine learning tools has produced positive outcomes. Despite the promisingresults, several issues can still be found in these studies such as datasets withsmall number of samples, inconsistent results, lack of uniform processing andmethodologies, and other additional factors lead to lack of reproducibility inbiomedical research. In this work, we propose a methodology that combines theDADA2 pipeline for 16s rRNA sequences processing and the Recursive EnsembleFeature Selection (REFS) in multiple datasets to increase reproducibility andobtain robust and reliable results in biomedical research.
Results: Three experiments were performed analysing microbiome data frompatients/cases in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD), and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). In each experiment, we found a biomarkersignature in one dataset and applied to 2 other as further validation. Theeffectiveness of the proposed methodology was compared with other featureselection methods such as K-Best with F-score and random selection as a baseline. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) was employed as a measure of diagnosticaccuracy and used as a metric for comparing the results of the proposedmethodology with other feature selection methods.
Conclusions: We developed a methodology for reproducible biomarker discoveryfor 16s rRNA microbiome sequence analysis, addressing the issues related withdata dimensionality, inconsistent results and validation across independentdatasets. The findings from the three experiments, across 9 different datasets,show that the proposed methodology achieved higher accuracy compared toother feature selection methods. This methodology is a first approach to increasereproducibility, to provide robust and reliable results.
Applying Narrative Medicine to Prepare Empathetic Healthcare Providers in Undergraduate Pharmacy Education in Singapore: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Han Zhe , Barton Keith C. , Ho Li-Ching , Yap Kai Zhen , Tan Doreen Su-Yin , Lee Shuh Shing , Neo Constance Xue Rui , Tan Amanda Han Lin , Boey Brian Ming Yao , Soon Charis Jia Yan , Gallagher Paul J. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background: Although narrative medicine has demonstrated positive impact on learners’ empathy in medical education, this pedagogical approach has not been evaluated in pharmacy education. This study sought to apply and evaluate the narrative medicine approach in extending empathy in undergraduate pharmacy students.
Methods: Narrative medicine was applied through workshops which used narratives of people with different experiences and perspectives. First-year undergraduate pharmacy students who volunteered and attended these workshops formed the intervention group (N=31) and the remaining first-year cohort formed the control group (N=112). Group interviews (GIs) assessed pharmacy students’ engagement with the narrative medicine approach, their emotional responses to narratives, and the perspectives of pharmacy students and faculty of this pedagogical approach. Pharmacy students’ empathy was measured using Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professions Student (JSE-HPS).
Results: Five themes, guided by internal and external factors in cognition, emerged from GIs: 1) incongruence between students’ motivation and faculty’s perception, 2) learning context, 3) academic context, 4) cognitive system, and 5) affective system. Themes 1, 4 and 5 referred to internal factors such as students’ motivation, perceiving learnings and feelings. Themes 2 and 3 referred to external factors including workshop materials, activities, content and facilitation. There was no significant difference in JSE-HPS scores between intervention and control groups across 3 timepoints.
Conclusion: Pharmacy students engaged with the narrative medicine approach as narratives elicited emotional responses, exposed them to diverse perspectives, and deepened their appreciation of the importance of empathy and complexities of understanding patients’ perspectives. The narrative medicine approach needs to be repeated and scaffolded within the curriculum to bring about meaningful and sustained improvements in empathy.
Pyk2 Tyrosine Kinase Facilitates Porphyromonas gingivalis Internalization and Autophagy in Immortalized Human Gingival Epithelial Cells
Authors: Zhang Manman , Lu Xiaoying , Wu Ximing , Yu Yang , Ma Jiaojiao , Long Xu , Xu Mengqi , Liu Jie , Pan Yaping , Kou Yurong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), the keystone bacterial pathogen of chronic periodontitis, were able to invade immortalized human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) and elicit a series of inflammatory responses. Proline-rich tyrosine kinase2 (Pyk2), a member of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) family as non-receptor tyrosine kinase was universally acknowledged to be closely related to cell adhesion, migration and proliferation.
Methods and methods: Epi-4 cells were infected by P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 (MOI = 100). P. gingivalis internalization and cellular autophagy were evaluated by transmission electron and scanning electron microscopy. Light chain (LC) 3 Ⅱ and Pyk2 protein expression was assessed in the epi-4 cells by immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence. LC3 Ⅱ and Pyk2 mRNA and protein expression in P. gingivalis-infected epi4 cells were measured in the absence or presence of Pyk2 inhibitor (TAE226) using real-time PCR and western blotting. The number of intracellular P. gingivalis was determined by the antibiotic protection assay.
Results: Our results demonstrated that P. gingivalis internalization induced autophagosomes in epi-4 cells. The enhanced levels of autophagy and Pyk2 expression by P. gingivalis were time-dependent. Furthermore, Pyk2 could regulate P. gingivalis internalization and autophagy. Pretreatment with TAE226 prevented these infection-induced changes in epi-4 cells.
Conclusion:Pyk2 tyrosine kinase could facilitate P. gingivalis internalization and autophagy in epi-4 cells. This study further elucidated the mechanism of P. gingivalis pathogenesis and provided new perspectives and targets for treating and preventing periodontitis.
Anxiety matters: food exposure, weight exposure, and virtual body exposure in anorexia nervosa
Authors: Melles Hanna , Jansen Anita 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Anxiety is a core characteristic of anorexia nervosa and a target of exposure therapy, which can be optimized if we know more about the emotional and behavioral responses during exposure to anorexia nervosa relevant fear stimuli.
Methods
We exposed patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls to anorexia nervosa related fear stimuli (food, eating, weighing, and various virtual bodies) in the laboratory, and tested whether the responses of patients changed after exposure treatment.
Results
Patients reported more anxiety, consumed less calories, and also reacted more negatively while imagining that virtual bodies of different weights were theirs than did healthy controls. After exposure treatment, patients reported less fears and they consumed more calories while their BMI had increased. They were also more accepting of healthier weights.
Conclusions
Exposure to food-, body- and weight-related stimuli in the laboratory induces emotional reactions in patients with anorexia nervosa that can be targeted during exposure therapy. Exposure therapy led to symptom reduction and is a promising intervention for the treatment of anorectic fears, but more research is needed to optimize its efficacy.
Proximate and Anti -Nutritional Properties of Four Forms ofthegenusBasella (Basellaceae) in South-western, Nigeria
Authors: Ojo Funmilola Mabel , Adenegan-Alakinde Taiwo Ayomipo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Three species and a land race of the Genus Basella Linn. namely; Basella alba, Basella cordifolia, Basella rubra and Basella alba round exist in Nigeria. All the members are consumed as leafy vegetables. The aim of this study is to find out which of the Basella forms is more nutritious and the levels of the ant-nutritional components. Results from this study will add to our knowledge of the Basella species and also form the basis for recommendations to be made to farmers on the species to increase its cultivation and consumption.
Methods
They were evaluated for the percentage proximate, Vitamins and anti-nutritional properties using Standard methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists.
Results
The concentrations of the proximate, anti-nutritional and vitamin constituents varied among the species and the land race. B. alba had the highest moisture (98.00 ± 0.01%), crude fibre (0.59 ± 1.01%) and Ash (33.39 ± 2.11%) contents. B. rubra had the highest protein (3.64 ± 0.01%) and Vitamin E (0.50 ± 0.02%). B. cordifolia had the highest fat content (0.68 ± 1.03%). the species had Vitamin B1 content (2.00 ± 0.02%) except B. alba round (1.50 ± 0.02%). The percentage of proximate, Vitamins B2 and E contents were within required limits and are excellent sources of Vitamins.
Conclusion
The anti-nutrients were within the safe limits. Cyanide and Mercury were not detected in all the forms. All the vegetables can be planted and consumed depending on the need of the consumers.
Youth not engaged in education, employment, or training: A discrete choice experiment of service preferences in Canada
Authors: Quinlan-Davidson Meaghen , Dixon Mahalia , Chinnery Gina , Hawke Lisa D. , Iyer Srividya , Moxness Katherine , Prebeg Matthew , Thabane Lehana , Henderson JL 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background. Prior research has showed the importance of providing integrated support services to prevent and reduce youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) related challenges. There is limited evidence on NEET youth’s perspectives and preferences for employment, education, and training services. The objective of this study was to identify employment, education and training service preferences of NEET youth. We acknowledge the deficit-based lens associated with the term NEET and use ‘upcoming youth’ to refer to this population group.
Methods. Canadian youth (14-29 years) who reported Upcoming status or at-risk of Upcoming status were recruited to the study. We used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey, which included ten attributes with three levels each indicating service characteristics. Sawtooth software was used to design and administer the DCE. Participants also provided demographic information and completed the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs–Short Screener. We analyzed the data using hierarchical Bayesian methods to determine service attribute importance and latent class analyses to identify groups of participants with similar service preferences.
Results. A total of n=503 youth participated in the study. 51% of participants were 24-29 years of age; 18.71% identified as having Upcoming status; 41.15% were from rural areas; and 36.03% of youth stated that they met basic needs with a little left. Participants strongly preferred services that promoted life skills, mentorship, basic income, and securing a work or educational placement. Three latent classes were identified and included: (i) job and educational services (38.9%), or services that include career counseling and securing a work or educational placement
(ii) mental health and wellness services (34.9%), or services that offer support for mental health and wellness in the workplace and free mental health and substance use services; and (iii) holistic skills building services (26.1%), or services that endorsed skills for school and job success, and life skills.
Conclusions. This study identified employment, education, and training service preferences among Upcoming youth. The findings indicate a need to create a service model that supports holistic skills building, mental health and wellness, and long-term school and job opportunities.
Tear Fluid as a Matrix for Biomonitoring Environmental and Chemical Exposures
Authors: Amini Parshawn , Okeme Joseph 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose: Exposures to hazardous chemicals have been linked to many detrimental health effects. It is critical to have effective biomonitoring methods to measure the levels of these chemicals in humans to better evaluate key environmental exposures that increase the risk of chronic disease and death. Traditional biomonitoring utilizing blood and urine is limited due to the specialized skills and invasiveness of collecting these fluid samples. The systematic review focuses on the tear fluid, which is largely under-researched, as promising alternative to these traditional fluids. The objective is to evaluate the practicability of using human tear fluid for biomonitoring environmental exposures, highlighting potential pitfalls and opportunities.
Recent finding: Tear fluid biomonitoring represents a promising method for assessing exposures. Tear fluid uniquely interfaces with the external environment at the air-tear interface, providing a surface for airborne chemicals to diffuse into the ocular environment and interact with biomolecules. Tear fluid also contains molecules from the internal environment that have travelled from the blood to tears by crossing the blood-tear barrier. Our review shows that tear fluid can be used to identify hazardous chemicals from the external and environment environments and to differentiate between different exposure groups.
Summary: The review provides a critical analysis of the current state of knowledge in tear-based biomonitoring and draws attention to the promise of using the method for noninvasively increasing access to exposure assessment. The method will become acceptable for routine use as more individual and inter lab studies focus on broadly identifying and quantify exposure markers in tears, understanding factors that influence reliability of the method and standardizing the tear fluid method.
Deloitte Canada’s Cocreated ICT Simulation for Advanced Accounting
Authors: Taylor Samantha , Barnard Kara , McGregor Janine , Rafuse Angela 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
In business, shift happens fast. Consequently, the accounting profession, including students, must adapt early and often. Fortunately, students reported improved learning and satisfaction through interactive professional learning experiences (Riley, Eldridge, and Venkatesh 2021). This study introduces a cocreated simulation between our university and Deloitte Canada, a professional services firm. A partnership of academics, auditors, and consultants yielded this information communications technology (ICT) business combination simulation for an advanced financial accounting course. Our simulation aimed to empower learners to focus on communicating technical accounting solutions in a professional environment. We also provided a video simulation, solution, and assessment rubric.
Ritual as Intermedial Interjection in Ritwik Ghatak’sThe Cloud-Capped Star
Authors: Chattopadhyay Sanskriti , Ganguly Deb Kamal 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe experience of the cinema of Ritwik Ghatak (1925–1976), one of the most unusual filmmakers from South Asia, raises a significant issue, of how ritual can be considered a potent medium to have an intermedial effect within the complex mediality of cinema. The authors examine his film,The Cloud-Capped Star(Meghe Dhaka Tara, 1960), and show that in order to reach the “screaming point” of his “epic melodrama,” Ghatak borrowed form a forgotten ritual a fragment of a ritualistic song to become the experiential core for the experience of the film. The recurrent refrain of the song, at times the abstracted melody from the song creates a space of uncanny in-betweenness, contrasting positions of anthropological distance to a forgotten ritual with an imaginative yet guilt-ridden, painful projection of the secular self, being a part of that ritual itself.
Extracellular activity of proteases from Yarrowia lipolytica IPS21 as a function of the carbon and nitrogen source
Authors: Wieczorek Dorota , Miśkiewicz Katarzyna , Gendaszewska Dorota , Pipiak Paulina , Lasoń-Rydel Magdalena , Sieczyńska Katarzyna , Ławińska Katarzyna 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The yeast strain Yarrowia lipolytica IPS 21 was tested for its ability to produce the protease enzyme on analytically pure carbon sources as well as on waste carbon sources. It was confirmed that the yeast Y. lipolytica IPS21 can have a higher proteolytic activity in the presence of waste carbon sources in chrome-tanned leather shavings (CTLS) than on yeast extract alone. This is confirmed by the high concentration of amino acids in samples with CTLS, suggesting increased degradation of CTLS by Y. lipolytica or secretion of proteases into the medium. It was also confirmed that metals accumulate mainly in the biomass and not in the supernatant. The biomass was also found to contain high levels of Ca, K and P, which are essential for plant growth. These results show that Y. lipolytica strain IPS21 can be used for the production of extracellular alkaline proteases and for the degradation of protein waste.
Experimental Investigation of High-Force-To-Volume Extrusion Damper Subjected to Cyclic and Time History Loading
Authors: Dithurson T. , Daniel C. , Vivekananda Sharma S. , Hemalatha G. , Nair Shalini R. , Arun Solomon A. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The ability of energy dissipation from earthquake force in a controlled and iterative manner will play a vital role in maintaining structural reliability for various forces. High force-to-volume (HF2V) extrusion damper is a promising technology with simple designs, high damping force and achieving design requirements. This paper develops HF2V extrusion damper with multiple toothing configuration for seismic application. The experimental verification has been undertaken on lead extrusion dampers with various frequency range of 0.5 to 2 Hz. The maximum load-carrying capacity is 10.48 kN with strokes up to 5mm are observed with hysteresis loop with some recentering capability has a stiffness value up to 2*106 N/m, and force levels up to 2-10 kN. The maximum load carrying capacity for time history loading for Northridge earthquake is 11.57 kN. The overall findings suggest that silicone sealant may be employed to build and characterize extrusion dampers with maximum energy dissipation and high force/volume interactions. The suggested device may be a potentially effective way to provide additional energy dissipation to structures in seismic zones, according to the mechanical characteristics to the frequency. Additionally, the system can withstand for earthquake time histories, and ensuring maintenance-free operation even in the midst of frequent ground vibration.
Numerical Study on the Seismic Performance of Hybrid Shear Walls with Centered Openings
Authors: Todea V. , Dan D. , Floruț S.C. , Stoian V. , Popescu V.Ș. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The lateral resisting system comprised of hybrid shear walls is often met nowadays for high rise buildings, to reduce the lateral displacements of the building during a seismic event and to limit the damages of non-structural elements. In fact, “hybrid shear walls” term will replace the old terminology used for composite steel concrete shear walls. This structural system develops a very stable seismic behavior under cyclic lateral loads, but the seismic performance of the system could be significantly changed by the openings required for architectural or functional reasons. This paper presents in detail the seismic behavior of a composite steel-concrete shear wall designed with centered openings and partially embedded steel profiles in the edges. The composite wall was subjected to vertical and horizontal loads and tested to full failure using a cyclic loading testing procedure that simulated the action of an earthquake, aiming to record the seismic performance of the wall in terms of bearing capacity, deformation capacity, failure mode and stiffness degradation. The low-dissipative behavior recorded experimentally of the tested specimen was afterward validated and assessed in detail by performing numerical analyses using ATENA 3D Engineering software. The numerical results were extended to investigate furthermore other structural solutions to increase the bearing capacity and the seismic performance of the wall. It was found that a significant increase in deformation capacity could be obtained if the wall coupling beams are reinforced by diagonal steel bars or additional steel plates.