bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the occurrence and cause of bloody urine in cattle and management practices in Cheliya, Jibat, and Dire Inchini districts of the West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Borena Bizunesh Mideksa , Sarba Edilu Jorga , Eteya Waktole Terfa , Feyissa Negassa , Bayu Morka Dandecha , Kebede Birhanu , Tola Getachew Kebebew 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
A study was conducted to assess the causes of bloody urine and management practices in cattle from the Cheliya, Jibat, and Dire Inchini districts of the West Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.
Materials and methods
Two kebeles from each of the three districts were selected based on bloody urine case reports, and a total of 215 cattle-owning households were selected for the questionnaire survey. Field observations were performed to screen for possible causes of bloody urine in the study areas. Six animals with symptoms of bloody urine were clinically examined, followed by postmortem and histopathological examinations.
Results
The questionnaire survey results showed that 72.1% (n = 155) of the households had at least one bloody urine case in their cattle herd. Among the three districts, more bloody urine cases were reported in the Cheliya district (95.0%), compared to 67.4% in Jibat and 53.5% in Dire Inchini. About 33.0% of the households reported the death of at least one cattle due to bloody urine; 58.8% of which were from the households in Cheliya, while 40.8% in Jibat, and 4.7% in Dire Inchini district. The occurrence of bloody urine was related to the dry season, feed shortage, access to bracken fern-infested pasture, and a known history of eating bracken fern. There was a high infestation rate of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) in the grazing areas. All six suspected cattle exhibited chronic wasting and hematuria. Centrifugation of the urine samples revealed hematuria. Postmortem examination revealed petechial hemorrhage, papillomatous formations, thickened areas of mucosa, and white/red nodules on the urinary bladder.
Conclusions
Severe infestation of the bracken fern in the study areas, chronic hematuria, and wasting and postmortem findings in the bladder were all suggestive of bracken fern poisoning. Therefore, an immediate and integrated approach should be implemented to prevent cattle from accessing infested areas, remove this plant from grazing areas, and replace it with appropriate forage.
Busulfan plus cyclophosphamide vs. total body irradiation plus cyclophosphamide for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute T lymphoblastic leukemia: a large-scale propensity score-based study
Authors: Xu Yang , Shen Yifan , Liu Minyuan , Shen Danya , Chu Mengqian , Li Xuekai , Zhang Xiang , Fan Yi , Chen Jia , Wu Depei , Hu Shaoyan 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is considered as a promising treatment option for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the clinical prognosis outcomes of allo-HSCT in T-ALL patients following the two myeloablative conditioning regimens, total body irradiation plus cyclophosphamide (TBI-Cy) and busulfan plus cyclophosphamide (BuCy), have not yet been determined. We conducted a retrospective analysis on 222 patients with T-ALL. Of these, 83 received TBI-Cy and 139 received BuCy as conditioning regimens. The analysis was conducted after propensity score matching based on a large-scale data between 2012 and 2022. The TBI-Cy conditioning regimen resulted in significantly higher 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the BuCy conditioning regimen (OS: 73.9% vs. 53.7%, p = 0.003; PFS: 58.6% vs.46.0%, p = 0.020). The improved survival outcomes may be attributed to the reduced cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). The 2-year CIR was 35.7% in the TBI-Cy group, and 46.4% in the BuCy group (p = 0.036). Additionally, there was no significant difference in non-relapse mortality (NRM) between the two groups, with a 2-year NRM of 8.0% in the TBI-Cy group and 12.6% following the BuCy group (p = 0.315). Patients with extramedullary disease prior to allo-HSCT or were in no remission (NR) at allo-HSCT who received the TBI-Cy conditioning regimen showed improved survival outcomes compared to those who received the BuCy conditioning regimen. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the TBI-Cy conditioning regimen was an independent predictive factor for improved OS and PFS and reduced CIR. In conclusion, TBI-Cy conditioning regimen appears to be a safe and effective choice for allo-HSCT in T-ALL patients.
Novel Mammalian Ubiquitous Promoter Isolated from Bovine MSTN Gene Promoter
Authors: Eom Kyeong-Hyeon , Kwon Dong-Hyeok , Kim Young-Chai , Gim Gyeong-Min , Yum Soo-Young , Kim Seong-Min , Cha Hyuk-Jin , Jang Goo 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

As the understandings about the biotechnology and the pathophysiology of diseases getting advanced, the genetic materials or genetically engineered cells have brought hopes on patients with inherited diseases. Among many congenital diseases, the muscular dystrophy has been globally one of the major subjects of genetic therap. To apply genetic therapy selectively in muscular tissue, the promoters which express genes specifically in muscle have been necessitated by researchers. In the current study, the promoter region of MSTN gene was postulated as candidate muscle-specific promoter for gene therapy, from the biological significance and muscle-specific distribution of the myostatin. Accordingly, we aimed to isolate a novel promoter for gene therapy from the MSTN gene promoter and trim it more suitable for the therapeutic applications. During the experiments, it was revealed that the MSTN promoter region have functionally distinguishable parts: the highly conserved core region and the region that react to myogenic differentiation. The core region of bovine MSTN gene promoter showed ubiquitous expression of marker gene in differentiated cell lines or cells with stemness, originated from human, mouse, and cattle. In conclusion, we suggest the proximal region of bovine MSTN gene promoter as novel ubiquitous promoter.
Fractal Geometry in Tumour Immunoediting
Authors: Soleymani Nasim , Shariatpanahi Seyed Peyman , Goliaei Bahram 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
As being composed of cancer cells and myofibroblasts, different areas including cancer nest and stroma develop in tumour. The latter plays an important role in penetration of immune system. On the other hand, immune cells do not spread evenly in these areas, and don’t have the same effect on different cells. It is well established that tumour tissue has fractal properties, including unique fractional dimension along with lacunarity. In this study, partial differential equations were applied to simulate the infiltration and diffusion of immune cells in the two areas of modelled tumour tissue. Here we show that not only is fractal dimension an important factor in immunoediting, but also the fractal architecture of tumour plays a vital role in maintaining tumour in equilibrium. The significance of lacunarity is shown in the results. It is shown that tumours with smaller fractal dimension and greater lacunarity are defined as malignant, in contrast, tumours with greater fractal dimension and smaller lacunarity are defined as benign, both of which is due to immunoediting procedure occurring different relating to not just the fractal dimension but also to the pre-fractal architecture of tumour.
Relation Between the Dash Score and Radiographic Evaluation of the Wrist in Patients With Wrist Fracture.
Authors: Hassoun Anthony , Haroun Rami , Hoyek Fadi 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Traditionally, the assessment of distal radius fracture outcomes has been based on radiological measurements and self-evaluation scores. However, there is uncertainty regarding how accurately these measurements reflect the patient's perception of their outcome. In this study, we examined the correlation between radiological measurements and patient-perceived outcomes using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand outcome (DASH) score. The study involved 140 patients who had healed from a distal radius fracture and had been treated with DVR, Kapandji, percutaneous pinning or closed reduction. The retrospective assessment included 78 females and 62 males, with a mean DASH score of 3.54 points. The study revealed that there was little to no significant correlation between the final radiological measurement and the DASH score, except for the ulnar variance. In conclusion a better radiological outcome did not necessarily equate to a better patient-perceived outcome, as measured by the DASH score.
The importance of stair climbing for recovery after total hip arthroplasty in patients with hip ankylosis secondary to ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Yang Tianyu , Yang Boning , Hao Shimin , Zhang Ao , Shen Dianlin , Guo Lei 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Stair climbing is effective in improving hip function; We examined the importance of stair climbing for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients receiving Total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Methods
Retrospective analysis of 33 AS patients undergoing unilateral THA, Harris hip scores (HHS), hip range of motion (ROM), flexion, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), time to start and duration of stair climbing, were compared at 6 months, one year, and final follow-up. Multivariable regressions were utilized to adjust for differences in clinical outcomes and stair climbing time among patients.
Results
There was a significant correlation between stair climbing start time and HHS (r = -0.399, P = 0.011) at 6 months postoperatively. At one year postoperatively and at the final follow-up, stair climbing time was positively correlated with HHS (r = 0.456, P= 0.004) (r = 0.416, P = 0.008). The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that HHS was independently associated with stair climbing start time (P = 0.003) at 6 months postoperatively. At one year postoperatively (P = 0.008) and the final follow-up (P = 0.016), HHS was associated with stair climbing time. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of stair climbing start time and one year stair climbing time was 0.795 (95 % CI: 0.644–0.947, P = 0.006) and 0.793 (95 % CI: 0.598–0.989, P = 0.027), respectively.
Conclusion
THA can improve hip function in AS patients undergoing THA. Sensible stair climbing exercise in the postoperative period can achieve better clinical outcomes.
Development and Evaluation of Vegan Yogurts and Sour Milk Alternatives from White Lupin
Authors: Misz András , Vágvölgyi Csaba , Csutorás Csaba 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
A method to produce white lupin milk was devised, leading to the creation of fermented, dairy-like products. We developed vegan yogurt and sour milk alternatives using white lupin milk. Two mesophilic (CHN-11, CHN-22) and two thermophilic (YC-380, YC-X11) commercial yoghurt cultures were tested, with thermophilic ones yielding superior sensory outcomes for lupin-based yogurt alternatives. The sensory appeal of these products improved with inulin addition. Fourteen panelists assessed the products using a nine-point hedonic scale. Strawberry and peach-flavored white lupin yogurt alternatives achieved sensory scores comparable to cow milk yogurts, suggesting their potential as true substitutes. The sensory values of strawberry and peach-flavored white lupin-based yogurt alternatives closely matched those of cow milk yogurts, positioning them as viable alternatives. These lupin-based products could serve as functional foods for individuals with cow milk allergy or lactose intolerance. While current literature lacks reports on cross-reactivity between milk proteins and white lupin proteins, the potential allergenic proteins in white lupin do pose constraints on their broader application.
Enhancing Maritime Surveillance Video Clarity through SWIN-ESR: A Super-Resolution Approach for Efficient and Precise Ship Safety Monitoring
Authors: Guo Ziyang , Chen Ming , Zhang Gaozheng 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
With advancements in hardware and the rapid development of the internet, the clarity of surveillance videos has significantly improved, allowing people to quickly understand incidents in a specific location without being physically present. This is especially crucial in maritime navigation, where there is a lack of the solid ground feeling of safety. High-definition surveillance videos transmitted from the sea become a medium for land-based entities to ensure maritime safety. However, due to the absence of base stations at sea, these videos must be transmitted via satellite communication, which is limited by bandwidth and efficiency. Under normal weather conditions, the upload speed for a movie is generally below 200kb/s, and even lower during bad weather, meaning it could take a whole day to transmit a two-hour movie. To rapidly transmit surveillance videos without changing hardware, the data is compressed during transmission, such as by reducing the resolution. However, there is a high demand for the clarity of these images or videos, necessitating the use of image super-resolution techniques at the receiving end to enhance resolution and reconstruct the original high-definition images or videos as closely as possible.To minimize the loss of video information or even eliminate it, a method based on video super-resolution using the SWIN-ESR network is proposed to restore the original video, achieving the goal of transmission. This paper will compare SWIN-ESR with SRCNN, SRGAN, ESRGAN, and Real-ESRGAN, and evaluate the models through a series of performance metrics. The experimental results demonstrate that SWIN-ESR performs well in various numerical aspects.
Fecal virome is sufficient to reduce necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Offersen Simone Margaard , Mao Xiaotian , Spiegelhauer Malene Roed , Larsen Frej , Li Viktoria Rose , Nielsen Dennis Sandris , Aunsholt Lise , Thymann Thomas , Brunse Anders 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background: Fecal filtrate transfer (FFT, i.e. “sterile filtered” fecal matter) is gaining increasing attention as a safer alternative to traditional fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for treating gastrointestinal (GI) complications. Indeed, in the case of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening GI emergency occurring in preterm infants, FFT is superior to FMT in terms of both safety and efficacy when investigated in preterm piglets. Since fecal filtrate is virtually devoid of bacteria, prokaryotic viruses (bacteriophages) are assumed to mediate the beneficial effects by modulating the recipient gut microbiota. However, this assumption remains unproven.
Results: To address this gap, we isolated the virome of donor feces from the residual postbiotic fluid with no loss of bacteriophage infective potential or bacteriophage spillover to the residual fluid. We then compared clinical and gut microbiota responses to these fractions with the parent FFT solution after transferring to NEC-susceptible preterm piglets. Importantly, transfer of isolated donor virome was equally effective as FFT in reducing the severity of NEC-like pathology, whereas the residual postbiotic fraction was ineffective. The bacterial compositional data corroborated clinical findings as virome transfer reduced the relative abundance of several NEC-associated pathogens e.g. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Clostridium perfringens. A viral metagenomics analysis indicated enrichment and diversification of recipient gut viral communities with concomitant constraining effect on bacterial composition in accordance with lytic phage predation of resident bacteria. Surprisingly, virome transfer but not residual postbiotic fluid was associated with suspected viral gastroenteritis as indicated by diarrhea, intestinal atrophy, and weight loss. Although virome sequencing did not reveal any obvious causative agent, we suggest that unidentified eukaryotic viruses are candidates responsible for these side effects.
Conclusion: Using NEC as a relevant case for microbiota-directed therapy, we show that transfer of isolated fecal virome is sufficient to reduce pathogenic bacterial load and overall disease burden. However, we also highlight that receiving exogenous virome increases the risk of enteric virus infection. Despite diarrhea being a minor concern in the human infant context, future work should identify ways of eliminating eukaryotic viruses without losing treatment efficacy.
Perceptions and knowledge of ecosystem services in urban river systems, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Mack Elizabeth A. , Akamagwuna Frank C , Murata Chenai , Materechera-Mitochi Fenji , Nnadozie Chika Felicitas , Odume Oghenekaro Nelson 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The ecosystem services concept has been studied in rural contexts but not as much in urban landscapes, particularly aquatic ecosystems in Africa. This means we have little knowledge of how urban populations perceive ecosystem services (ES) supplied by rivers in urban centres. To fill this gap, this paper assesses local people’s perceptions and knowledge of ecosystem services supplied by rivers in urban centres using the Swartkops River in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape as a case study. The survey results indicated variation in the extent people felt the river provided a variety of services. There was almost universal agreement that the river never provides freshwater which likely reflects high levels of pollution in the river. An interesting aspect of the model results were differences in results related to the importance of conceptual and experiential knowledge of ES. For provisioning services, like recreation, experiential knowledge of the river was more important than conceptual knowledge, whereas for intangible ES such a regulating services, conceptual knowledge was important than experiential knowledge.
Evaluation of oral supplementation of free and nanoencapsulated Minthostachys verticillata essential oil on immunological, biochemical and antioxidants parameters and gut microbiota in weaned piglets
Authors: Montironi Ivana D. , Arsaute Sofía , Roma Dardo A. , Cecchini María E. , Pinotti Agustina , Mañas Fernando , Bessone Fernando A. , de LeBlanc Alejandra Moreno , Alustiza Fabrisio E. , Bellingeri Romina V. , Cariddi Laura Noelia 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Early weaning is an important stressor that impairs the piglet´s health, and essential oils appear as promising candidates to improve it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral supplementation of free and nanoencapsulated Minthostachys verticillata essential oil (EO and NEO, respectively) on immunological, biochemical and antioxidants parameters as well as on gut microbiota in weaned piglets. EO was extracted by hydrodistillation and nanoencapsulation was performed by high-energy method using Tween 80 and Span 60 as surfactants. EO and NEO were chemically analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The cytotoxic effects of both EO and NEO was evaluated on Caco-2 cell line. For in vivo assay, piglets were randomly distributed in six groups of six animals each (n = 6) and received orally EO (10 mg/kg/day) or NEO (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg/day) for 30 consecutive days. Animals not treated or treated with surfactants mixture were evaluated as control and vehicle control. Subsequently, histological, hematological and biochemical parameters, cytokines production, oxidative markers, CD4+/CD8+ T cells and gut microbiota were evaluated. GC-MS analysis was similar in both EO and NEO. The NEO was more toxic on Caco-2 cells than EO. Oral supplementation of EO or NEO (10 mg/kg/day) increased growth performance compared to control group or NEO (2.5 or 5 mg/kg/day) (p < 0.05) groups. NEO (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg/day) did not alter the morpho-physiology of digestive organs and decreased MDA levels in liver (p < 0.05), resulting safer than EO. In addition, NEO (10 mg/kg/day) showed an increase in CD4+/CD8+ T cells ratio (p < 0.001), and induced the highest serum levels of IL-10 (p < 0.01). Serum triglycerides levels were significantly lower in animals treated with EO or NEO (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg/day) compared to control group (p < 0.001). Gut microbiota analysis showed that NEO (10 mg/kg/day) favor the development of beneficial intestinal microorganisms to maintain an anti-inflammatory microenvironment. In conclusion, EO and NEO improved parameters altered by early weaning in piglets however, NEO was safer and powerful. Therefore, NEO should be further studied to be applied in swine health.
Postural instability in the anterior-posterior plane is associated with impaired postural verticality perception and fall risk in Parkinsonian syndromes
Authors: Bergmann Jeannine , Krewer Carmen , Müller Friedemann , Jahn Klaus 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Retropulsion is a postural behavior which seems frequent in Parkinsonian syndromes, hampering balance and functional tasks, as well as entailing an increase in the risk of falls. This study aimed to investigate different characteristics of retropulsion and their relation to functional disability, postural control and fall risk. Thirty subjects with Parkinsonian syndromes (75 ± 8 years, 13 female, 6 ± 5 years since diagnosis, median UPDRS III 33 (Q1-Q3 22–40), Hoehn and Yahr stage 3 (2–4)) were assessed with the Scale for Retropulsion (SRP), the Berg Balance Scale, the subjective postural vertical, and diagnostic scales. The number of falls within the last 12 months and fall risk was determined. Results revealed signs of retropulsion in 87% of subjects. The SRP score correlated moderately to well with functional disability and disease severity, and strongly with the Berg Balance Scale. The severity of retropulsion was further associated with a backward shifted verticality perception. The SRP significantly differed between recurrent fallers and single or non-fallers and identified subjects at risk of falling. In summary, retropulsion is very frequent in Parkinsonian syndromes. Subjects with an SRP score ≥ 3 have an impaired reference of verticality with considerable balance impairments and an increased risk of falling.
Faster augmented Lagrangian method for solving convex optimization problems with linear constraints
Authors: Zhang Tao 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
A faster augmented Lagrangian method (Faster ALM) with a relaxed parameter ranging from 0 to 2 is introduced in this paper for solving convex optimization problems with equality constraints. The proposed Faster ALM demonstrates a convergence rate of $O\left(1/\sum_{i=0}^{k}a_i\right)$, where ($a_i>0$ is an arbitrary constant), in a non-ergodic sense of the Lagrangian primal-dual gap, the objective function value, and the feasibility measure.To further reduce the computational cost in each iteration, we present the Linearized Faster ALM, which involves linearizing the augmented Lagrangian term while maintaining a relaxed parameter within the range of 0 to 2. The proposed Linearized Faster ALM exhibits a convergence rate of $O(1/k)$ in a non-ergodic sense of the Lagrangian primal-dual gap, the objective function value, and the feasibility measure.
MSC Classification: 47H09 , 47H10 , 90C25 , 90C30