bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of light/dark regimes on structure and physiology of Chlorella vulgaris biofilms
Authors: Gao Yan , Bernard Olivier , Fanesi Andrea , Perré Patrick , Lopes Filipa 
Published: October 2023

IntroductionBiofilm-based microalgae production technologies offer enormous potential for improving sustainability and productivity. However, the light pattern induced by these technologies is a key concern for optimization.MethodsIn this work, the effects of light/dark cycles on architecture, growth, and physiology of Chlorella vulgaris biofilms were assessed in a millifluidic flow-cell with different time cycles (15 s to 3 min) keeping the average light constant at 100 μmol·m−2·s−1.Results and discussionResults showed that photoinhibition can be mitigated by applying a light fraction of 1/3 and a cycle time of 15 s. By contrast, when the cycle time is extended to 90 s and 3 min, photoinhibition is high and photoefficiency dramatically decreases. To cope with light stress, cells acclimate and organize themselves differently in space. A high peak light (500 μmol·m−2·s−1) triggers a stress, reducing cell division and inducing clusters in the biofilm. This work provides guidelines for optimizing rotating microalgae production systems in biofilms and assesses the minimum rotating frequency required to maintain the net growth rate close to that of continuous light of the same average intensity, mitigating photo-inhibition. The overall gain in productivity is then provided by the total surface of the biofilm turning in the illuminated surface area.
An artificial intelligence prediction model outperforms conventional guidelines in predicting lymph node metastasis of T1 colorectal cancer
Authors: Piao Zheng Hua , Ge Rong , Lu Lu 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundAccording to guidelines, a lot of patients with T1 colorectal cancers (CRCs) undergo additional surgery with lymph node dissection after being treated by endoscopic resection (ER) despite the low incidence of lymph node metastasis (LNM).AimThe aim of this study was to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to more effectively identify T1 CRCs at risk for LNM and reduce the rate of unnecessary additional surgery.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 651 patients with T1 CRCs. The patient cohort was randomly divided into a training set (546 patients) and a test set (105 patients) (ratio 5:1), and a classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm was trained on the training set to develop a predictive AI model for LNM. The model used 12 clinicopathological factors to predict positivity or negativity for LNM. To compare the performance of the AI model with the conventional guidelines, the test set was evaluated according to the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Finally, we tested the performance of the AI model using the test set and compared it with the JSCCR and NCCN guidelines.ResultsThe AI model had better predictive performance (AUC=0.960) than the JSCCR (AUC=0.588) and NCCN guidelines (AUC=0.850). The specificity (85.8% vs. 17.5%, p&lt;0.001), balanced accuracy (92.9% vs. 58.7%, p=0.001), and the positive predictive value (36.3% vs. 9.0%, p=0.001) of the AI model were significantly better than those of the JSCCR guidelines and reduced the percentage of the high-risk group for LNM from 83.8% (JSCCR) to 20.9%. The specificity of the AI model was higher than that of the NCCN guidelines (85.8% vs. 82.4%, p=0.557), but there was no significant difference between the two. The sensitivity of the NCCN guidelines was lower than that of our AI model (87.5% vs. 100%, p=0.301), and according to the NCCN guidelines, 1.2% of the 105 test set patients had missed diagnoses.ConclusionThe AI model has better performance than conventional guidelines for predicting LNM in T1 CRCs and therefore could significantly reduce unnecessary additional surgery.
DNA damage repair mutations in pancreatic cancer– prognostic or predictive?
Authors: Hu Ya-Fei , Hu Hai-Jie , Kung Heng-Chung , Lv Tian-Run , Yu Jun , Li Fu-Yu 
Published: October 2023

ObjectiveThe efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy (PtCh) for pancreatic cancer (PC) patients with DNA damage repair gene mutations (DDRm) compared to those without DDRm remains uncertain.MethodsAfter a thorough database searching in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, a total of 19 studies that met all the inclusion criteria were identified. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for PC patients with DDRm versus those without DDRm after PtCh.ResultsPatients with advanced-stage PC who have DDRm tend to have longer OS compared to patients without DDRm, regardless of their exposure to PtCh (HR=0.63; I2 = 66%). Further analyses indicated that the effectiveness of PtCh for OS was modified by DDRm (HR=0.48; I2 = 59%). After the first- line PtCh (1L-PtCh), the PFS of advanced-stage PC with DDRm was also significantly improved (HR=0.41; I2 = 0%). For patients with resected PC, regardless of their exposure to PtCh, the OS for patients with DDRm was comparable to those without DDRm (HR=0.82; I2 = 71%). Specifically, for patients with resected PC harboring DDRm who received PtCh (HR=0.85; I2 = 65%) and for those after non-PtCh (HR=0.87; I2 = 0%), the presence of DDRm did not show a significant association with longer OS.Conclusion1L-PtCh treatment is correlated with favorable survival for advanced-stage PC patients with DDRm. For resected-stage PC harboring DDRm, adjuvant PtCh had limited effectiveness. The prognostic value of DDRm needs to be further verified by prospective randomized controlled trials.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022302275.
Emotional responses to favorite and relaxing music predict music-induced hypoalgesia
Authors: Valevicius Darius , Lépine Lopez Anaïs , Diushekeeva Ajar , Lee April Chaewon , Roy Mathieu 
Published: October 2023

IntroductionThe hypoalgesic effect of music has long been established. However, the characteristics of music which are important for reducing pain have not been well-studied. Some research has compared subject-selected preferred music to unfamiliar music selected by researchers, and has typically found a superior effect from preferred music. In this study, we sought to discover what aspects of listeners' relationship with their preferred music was important in producing a hypoalgesic effect.MethodsWe conducted a thermal pain and music listening experiment with 63 participants (14 male, 49 female, mean age = 21.3), in which music excerpts were paired with thermal stimulations. Pain ratings of intensity and unpleasantness, as well as emotional response variables, were rated on visual analog scales. We also conducted brief structured interviews about participants' favorite music, on which we conducted thematic content analysis. Themes and emotion variables were analyzed for their effects on pain ratings.ResultsWe first replicated the finding that favorite music outperforms experimenter-selected relaxing music in reducing pain unpleasantness (MD = −7.25, p &lt; 0.001) and that the difference in hypoalgesia was partially mediated by an increase in musical chills (ab = −2.83, p &lt; 0.01). We then conducted a theme analysis on the interview transcripts and produced four themes relating to emotional experience: moving/bittersweet, calming/relaxing, happy/cheerful, and energizing/activating. We found suggestive evidence that moving/bittersweet favorite music reduces pain unpleasantness through increased music pleasantness (ab = −5.48, p &lt; 0.001) and more musical chills (ab = −0.57, p = 0.004).DiscussionWe find that music pleasantness and musical chills are salient predictors of music-induced hypoalgesia, and that different categories of favorite music derived from qualitative analysis may engage these emotional pathways to different degrees.
Non-operative treatment strategy for appendiceal abscess in children under 3 years old: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Li Huan , Luo Jianfeng , Wang Haibin , Guo Qin , Huang Peng , Lei Haiyan , Li Wenhai , Yang Jun 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundThere are few studies on appendiceal abscess with appendicolith in children under 3 years old. This study aims to explore the success rate of non-surgical treatment of appendiceal abscess and assess the potential influence of an appendicolith on non-surgical treatment outcomes in children under 3 years old.MethodsThe clinical data of children under 3 years old who were diagnosed with appendiceal abscess at the Wuhan Children's Hospital, China, from February 2013 to May 2020 were collected. According to the findings of ultrasonography and CT imaging, they were divided into two groups, namely, the appendicolith group and the non-appendicolith group.ResultsA total of 94 children with appendiceal abscess were identified, meeting the specified study criteria, and categorized into two groups, namely, the appendicolith group (n = 51, 54.3%) and the non-appendicolith group (n = 43, 45.7%). Non-surgical treatment was unsuccessful in six out of the 94 children, yielding an overall success rate of 93.6% for non-surgical management of appendiceal abscess in children under 3 years old. The success rate for non-surgical treatment in the appendicolith subgroup was 90.2%, whereas that for the non-appendicolith subgroup was 97.7%. No statistically significant distinction was observed between the two groups (P = 0.292). Likewise, there were no significant differences in gender, age, duration of symptoms, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rebound pain, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, and abscess cross-sectional area between the appendicolith group and the non-appendicolith group. However, there is a statistical difference in tenderness in the right lower abdomen.ConclusionNon-surgical treatment of appendiceal abscess has a high success rate and can be considered an effective treatment strategy. In pediatric patients under 3 years old without evidence of complete intestinal obstruction or diffuse peritonitis, non-surgical treatment may be considered for appendiceal abscess.
Investigation of anti-depression effects and potential mechanisms of the ethyl acetate extract of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. through the integration of in vivo experiments, LC-MS/MS chemical analysis, and a systems biology approach
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Li Lingling , Chen Jianxin , Hu Mengyuan , Zhang Yali , Zhang Xuya , Lu Yi 
Published: October 2023

Background:Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. has long been used as an anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and anti-aging agent in traditional Chinese medicine in Asia. Its ethyl acetate extract (ECS) has been identified as the main antioxidant component with neuroprotective and estrogen-like effects. However, the potential of ECS in treating depression has not been explored yet.Methods: We identified the primary metabolites in ECS in this study using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Network analysis was used to find the potential targets and pathways associated with the anti-neuroinflammatory depression action of the ECS. In addition, we established a corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression mouse model to assess ECS’s antidepressant effects by monitoring various behavioral changes (e.g., sucrose preference, forced swimming, tail suspension, and open field tests) and biochemical indices of the hippocampus, and validating the network analysis results. Significant pathways underwent verification through western blotting based on network analysis prediction.Results: Our study demonstrates that ECS possesses significant antidepressant activity. The LC-MS/MS analysis of ECS identified 30 main metabolites, including phloridzin, phlorizin, ursolic acid, and naringenin, as well as other flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic acids. These metabolites were found to be associated with 64 candidate target proteins related to neuroinflammatory depression from the database, and ten hub proteins were identified through filtration: CXCL8, ICAM1, NOS2, SELP, TNF, IL6, APP, ACHE, MAOA and ADA. Functional enrichment analyses of the candidate targets revealed their primary roles in regulating cytokine production, inflammatory response, cytokine activity, and tumor necrosis factor receptor binding. In vivo, ECS improved hippocampal neuroinflammation in the mouse model. Specifically, ECS reduced the expression of inflammatory factors in the hippocampus, inhibited M1 microglial cell polarization, and alleviated depression through the regulation of the NF-κB-NLRP3 inflammation pathway.Conclusion: Based on experimental and network analysis, this study revealed for the first time that ECS exerted antidepression effect via anti-neuroinflammation. Our research provides valuable information on the use of ECS as an alternative therapeutic approach for depression.
Shared decision making and medication adherence in patients with COPD and/or asthma: the ANANAS study
Authors: Achterbosch Maria , Vart Priya , van Dijk Liset , van Boven Job F. M. 
Published: October 2023

Background: Medication adherence to inhalation medication is suboptimal in patients with COPD and asthma. Shared decision making (SDM) is proposed as an intervention to improve medication adherence. Despite its wide promotion, evidence of SDM’s association with greater medication adherence is scarce. Also, it is unknown to what degree patients presently experience SDM and how it is associated with medication adherence.Objective: To (i) assess the level of SDM and (ii) medication adherence, (iii) explore the relation between SDM and medication adherence and iv) investigate possible underlying mechanisms.Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. A survey was distributed among Dutch patients with COPD and/or asthma using inhaled medication. Medication adherence was measured using the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI-10), and SDM by the 9-item Shared Decision-Making questionnaire (SMD-Q-9). Feeling of competence, relatedness and feeling of autonomy from the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) were considered as possible mechanisms. The primary outcome was adherence.Results: A total of 396 patients with complete information on relevant covariates were included. Mean SDM-Q-9 score was 26.7 (SD 12.1, range 0–45) and complete adherence was 41.2%. The odds ratio for the association of SDM with adherence was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.02). This only changed minimally when adjusted for mediators (mediating effect &lt;3%).Conclusion: The patient experienced level of SDM in daily practice and medication adherence have room for improvement. No association between SDM and medication adherence was observed. Factors related to feeling of competence, relatedness and feeling of autonomy did not meaningfully explain this finding.
COVID-19 pandemic-related weight gain in the pediatric population declined after restrictions ended, except among obese patients
Authors: Irschik Stefan , Brandt Jennifer B. , Eisenkölbl Johannes 
Published: October 2023

IntroductionChildhood obesity has become an important topic, not only of increasing relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic but specifically enhanced by it. Restrictions implemented to mitigate further outbreaks led to major constraints on daily physical activity, leading to a severe increase in body weight among children. This study highlights changes in BMI and weight development in children during and (in particular) after the COVID-19 restrictions in Austria, focusing on various socioeconomic factors.MethodsWeight development throughout the pandemic and socioeconomic factors were evaluated by anonymous cross-sectional surveys filled out by parents at a pediatric practice.ResultsThis study included 388 children. The rate of obesity increased by 88.5%, from 6.4 to 12.1%, throughout the pandemic, reaching a maximum of 15.2% during the restrictions. Overall, age-adapted BMI z-scores increased significantly by 0.22 during the restrictions and remained increased by 0.19 compared to pre-pandemic levels. With the exception of obese children, all children in the study population experienced significant weight loss after the restrictions were lifted. Obese children continued to gain weight without any sign of the onset of normalization. Socioeconomic factors, such as participation in regular activity in the form of organized sport or the availability of an outdoor area, were associated with relevant differences before the pandemic but had no protective effect against intra-pandemic weight gain. A higher level of parental education was the only factor associated with less weight gain in children during the early phase of the pandemic.DiscussionAustrian COVID-19 restrictions have had concerning effects on pediatric BMI, with very little effect of socioeconomic background. After restrictions were loosened, measurable weight loss occurred, but the significant increase in children's BMI percentiles persisted. No weight loss was observed among children who were obese prior to the pandemic. There is a need for broad projects tackling childhood obesity, as obese children are the most vulnerable group with the strongest and most severe long-term effects.
The relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being in Chinese university students: the mediating roles of perceived health, social support and self-esteem
Authors: Liao Tianzhi , Yin Yujia , Hu Xiaoyong , Tang Saizhao , Shim Yunsik 
Published: October 2023

PurposeThe intent of this paper is to understand the effect of Physical Activity on university students' Subjective Well-being and to explore whether Perceived Health, Social Support, and Self-esteem play roles as mediating variables.MethodsSelf-reported data from 404 college students (147 males and 257 females) were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The relationships between the study variables were tested by mediation models and 5,000 bootstrap samples using AMOS version 24.Results(1) The six hypotheses were supported in the measurement model in the results (P &lt; 0.05). Physical Activity was related to Social Support, Perceived Health, and to Self-esteem; Social Support, Perceived Health, and Self-esteem were all related to Subjective Well-being. However, the direct positive effect of Physical Activity gradually decreased in the order of Self-esteem, Social Support, and Perceived Health. The direct effect of Perceived Health, Social Support, and Self-esteem on Subjective Well-being also decreased sequentially. (2) In the Structural Equation Model (χ2 = 825.451, p &lt; 0.001, df = 455, CMIN/df = 1.814, CFI = 0.942, RMSEA = 0.045), the three hypotheses of mediation were supported (P &lt; 0.05), showing positive indirect effects between Physical Activity and Subjective Well-being. Of the three mediating effects, Social Support and Self-esteem were not different, and the mediating effect of Perceived Health showed the largest impact. This indicates that Social Support, Perceived Health, and Self-esteem mediate the effects of Physical Activity, and Subjective Well-being regulation has positive indirect effects.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the importance of meeting the needs of Social Support, Perceived Health, and Self-esteem when designing interventions to promote college students' sports participation to enhance Subjective Well-being.
Mental Distress Among Norwegian Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predictors in Initial Response and Subsequent Trajectories
Authors: Lu Li , Hannigan Laurie J. , Brandlistuen Ragnhild E. , Nesvåg Ragnar , Trogstad Lill , Magnus Per , Unnarsdóttir Anna Bára , Valdimarsdóttir Unnur A. , Andreassen Ole A. , Ask Helga 
Published: October 2023

Objectives: To identify factors associated with change in mental distress at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to pre-pandemic levels, and with changes during the following 1.5 years.Methods: The prospective Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study collected eight waves of data during the pandemic (March 2020–September 2021) in 105,972 adult participants used for this analyses. A piecewise latent growth model was fitted to identify initial level and longitudinal changes in mental distress.Results: Mental distress peaked at the beginning of the pandemic. Factors associated with initial increases were: medical conditions, living alone, history of psychiatric disorders, lower education, female sex, younger age, and obesity. Being quarantined or infected with SARS-CoV-2 were associated with increasing distress while being vaccinated was associated with reduced mental distress.Conclusion: Having a chronic disease and being quarantined or infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus were associated with more mental distress during the pandemic. This knowledge is important for planning interventions to support individuals during future pandemics and other societal crises.
Development of Risk Assessment Framework for Political Risk Guarantee in Public-Private Partnership Projects
Authors: Permana Andre , Tiong Lee Kong Robert 
Published: October 2023

In Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, guarantees can be regarded as a government fiscal support. Due to its uncertainty, one of the key challenges in guarantee valuation is to define appropriate assumptions for underlying risk factors since infrastructure projects are not assets that can be explicitly linked to an observable market price. While very few governments formally measure them, it is also found that sometimes the assessment on political risk covered by the guarantees is highly subjective and ambiguous. This paper proposes a methodology that combined quantitative and qualitative approach for contingent liabilities assessment for PPP infrastructure projects with focus on political risk. It uses fuzzy sets based risk assessment that quantifies expert opinion on likelihood and impact of risk factors into an input to quantitative risk analysis. A particular developing country is chosen so that the proposed methodology can be applied according to the country and infrastructure sectors specific context.
Developing Stakeholder Engagement for Infrastructure Projects
Authors: Widianingrum Ratna 
Published: October 2023

The relatively high economic growth leads to an increase in infrastructure needs in Indonesia. Providing these needs for infrastructure has an irreplaceable role in improving the overall quality of life of the population, therefore its success requires support and commitment from various stakeholder groups. In the context of the support, a concept to approach the stakeholders is known as stakeholder engagement. The objective of this research is to measure the effectiveness of a program in affecting the condition of stakeholders, and in developing the stakeholder engagement which will directly determine the success of infrastructure development. This study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method through a case study approach to observing the relationship between the use of the stakeholder-involvement program and the level of stakeholder engagement. The results show that the quality of activities (procedural quality, responsiveness quality, quality of outcomes) shows relatively good results with a middle-level involvement. It will require more activities to trigger a more intense relationship and to increase the level of stakeholder engagement in providing their support for infrastructure development.