bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Giardia VSPAS7 protein attenuates Giardia intestinalis-induced host macrophage pyroptosis
Authors: Sun Min , Zhao Zhiteng , Li Ying , Cao Lili , Li Jianhua , Zhang Xichen , Li Xin , Zhang Nan , Cheng Shuqin , Wang Xiaocen , Gong Pengtao 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Background
The unicellular protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis, which primarily infects humans and animals such as cattle and sheep, is having a major negative impact on public health. Giardia is able to evade the recognition and elimination of the host immune system because of the trophozoite surface and extracellular vesicles (EVs) covered by variant-specific surface proteins (VSPs). As key proteins for immune evasion, whether VSPs can regulate Giardia-induced pyroptosis and promote Giardia evasion of host immune responses has not been reported.

Methods
To examine the role of Giardia VSPAS7 on Giardia-induced activation of the signaling pathway, secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, pyroptosis and the mechanism involved, we constructed the pcDNA3.1-vspas7 expression plasmid and transfected this plasmid into mouse macrophages. Key proteins for pyroptosis, IL-1β secretion and LDH release were detected in pcDNA3.1-vspas7-transfected wild-type (WT) cells and NLRP3-deficient cells by western blot, ELISA and LDH assays, respectively. The interactions of Giardia VSPAS7 and mouse NLRP3 were examined using immunofluorescence assays (IFA), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays.

Results
VSPAS7 could decrease the levels of phosphorylated-p65 (P-p65), P-IκBα and P-ERK caused by Giardia and reduce the production levels of Giardia-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, IL-12 p40 and TNF-α. The results showed that VSPAS7 inhibited Giardia-mediated activation of NF-κB, ERK/MAPK signaling and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, VSPAS7 suppressed Giardia-induced macrophage pyroptosis by reducing GSDMD cleavage, caspase-1 activation, IL-1β secretion and LDH release. We further found that VSPAS7 could interact with mouse NLRP3 directly, and in NLRP3-deficient cells the suppression of Giardia-induced macrophage pyroptosis by VSPAS7 was significantly attenuated.

Conclusions
Overall, VSPAS7 could inhibit Giardia-induced activation of signaling pathways and pyroptosis in host macrophages, allowing Giardia evasion of host immune responses. Studies on Giardia VSP-mediated immune evasion provide an important theoretical basis for in-depth studies on Giardia pathogenicity.

Graphical abstract
Decoding the transcriptomic expression and genomic methylation patterns in the tendon proper and its peritenon region in the aging horse
Authors: Pechanec Monica Y. , Mienaltowski Michael J. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Objectives
Equine tendinopathies are challenging because of the poor healing capacity of tendons commonly resulting in high re-injury rates. Within the tendon, different regions – tendon proper (TP) and peritenon (PERI) – contribute to the tendon matrix in differing capacities during injury and aging. Aged tendons have decreased repair potential; the underlying transcriptional and epigenetic changes that occur in the TP and PERI regions are not well understood. The objective of this study was to assess TP and PERI regional differences in adolescent, midlife, and geriatric horses using RNA sequencing and DNA methylation techniques.

Results
Differences existed between TP and PERI regions of equine superficial digital flexor tendons by age as evidenced by RNASeq and DNA methylation. Cluster analysis indicated that regional distinctions existed regardless of age. Genes such as DCN, COMP, FN1, and LOX maintained elevated TP expression while genes such as GSN and AHNAK were abundant in PERI. Increased gene activity was present in adolescent and geriatric populations but decreased during midlife. Regional differences in DNA methylation were also noted. Notably, when evaluating all ages of TP against PERI, five genes (HAND2, CHD9, RASL11B, ADGRD1, and COL14A1) had regions of differential methylation as well as differential gene expression.
Mitochondrial SOS: how mtDNA may act as a stress signal in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Gorham Isabelle K. , Barber Robert C. , Jones Harlan P. , Phillips Nicole R. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundAlterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels have been observed in Alzheimer’s disease and are an area of research that shows promise as a useful biomarker. It is well known that not only are the mitochondria a key player in producing energy for the cell, but they also are known to interact in other important intracellular processes as well as extracellular signaling and communication.BodyThis mini review explores how cells use mtDNA as a stress signal, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease. We investigate the measurement of these mtDNA alterations, the mechanisms of mtDNA release, and the immunological effects from the release of these stress signals.ConclusionLiterature indicates a correlation between the release of mtDNA in Alzheimer’s disease and increased immune responses, showing promise as a potential biomarker. However, several questions remain unanswered and there is great potential for future studies in this area.
Evaluating the effect of Roxadustat on ventricular repolarization in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Zhang Yangyang , Zhang Liang , Ge Pengcheng , Xu Ruyi , Ye Zhen 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Background
Roxadustat is a novel oral medication used to treat anemia in CKD patients. Several studies have shown that Roxadustat can alleviate anemia in CKD patients by increasing hemoglobin levels and regulating iron metabolism. We aimed to evaluate the effect of Roxadustat on ventricular repolarization in PD patients. This study may provide a new integrated approach to the assessment and treatment of CKD.

Methods
The present prospective cohort study enrolled 65 CKD patients who were treated with Roxadustat and 31 CKD patients who received conventional therapy between January 2021 and June 2022. All patients were examined for ECG in the absence of clinical symptoms and compared the ECG indicators. Demographic and clinical data of all patients were collected. All data used SPSS 18.0 for statistical analyses.

Results
The T peak-to-end (Tpe) of PD patients in the Roxadustat group was remarkably slower than that of patients in the conventional group. Additionally, the Tpe/QT ratio in the conventional group was significantly elevated than that in the Roxadustat group. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that Tpe (95%CI 1.191 ~ 2.141, P = 0.002) and Roxadustat treatment (95%CI 1.357 ~ 42.121, P = 0.021) were the risk factors of PD patients with high Tp-e/QT ratio.

Conclusion
In summary, we found that Roxadustat could improve ventricular repolarization in peritoneal dialysis patients, which indicated a potential cardiovascular protective effect of Roxadustat. This study might provide a new integrated approach to the assessment and treatment of CKD.
A Lenz into the predictive power of language teacher emotion regulation and self-evaluation on L2 grit, teaching style preferences, and work engagement: a case of Chinese EFL instructors
Authors: Ma Yue 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAn individual’s capacity to successfully control their emotional experiences and react to them requires them to engage in a number of processes, including those that are physiological, behavioral, and cognitive. When educators engage in self-evaluation, they investigate and assess the quality of their professional work. These two teacher-related conceptions have the potential to open up valuable perspectives in the course of the professional pursuits of teachers. Even though earlier research has shown their significance, the potential implications of these factors on the resiliency and teaching style preferences of language instructors have not been emphasized. As a result, the purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a language teacher’s ability to regulate their emotions while carrying out self-evaluation procedures may accurately predict their level of resilience as well as their preferred method of instruction. To accomplish this, 399 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers were asked to reflect on their experiences by responding to the following related questionnaires: The Language Teacher Emotion Regulation Inventory (LTERI), The Core of Self-evaluation Questionnaire (CSEQ), the L2-teacher Grit Scale (L2TGS), Grasha Teaching Style Inventory (TSI) and the Engaged Teacher Scale (ETS). The results demonstrated that those EFL teachers who maintained healthy emotional control were grittier and more engaged. They also tended to teach in a manner focused on the students. The pedagogical implications of this research are discussed further in depth.
Anatomy of thermal unrest at a hydrothermal system: case study of the 2021–2022 crisis at Vulcano
Authors: Pailot-Bonnétat Sophie , Rafflin Victoria , Harris Andrew , Diliberto Iole Serena , Ganci Gaetana , Bilotta Guiseppe , Cappello Annalisa , Boudoire Guillaume , Grassa Fausto , Gattuso Alessandro , Ramsey Michael 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHydrothermal systems can generate phreatic and/or phreatomagmatic explosions with little warning. Understanding the temporal and spatial evolution of geophysical and geochemical signals at hydrothermal systems is crucial for detecting precursory signs to unrest and to inform on hazard. Thermal signatures of such systems are poorly defined because data records are often too short or discrete compared to activity timescales, which can be decadal. La Fossa system of Vulcano has been monitored since the 1980s and entered a period of unrest in 2021. We assessed the thermal signature of La Fossa using ground- and satellite-based data with various temporal and spatial scales. While continuously-recording stations provided continuous but point-based measurements, fumarole field vent surveys and infrared images obtained from satellite-flown sensors (ASTER and VIIRS) allowed lower temporal resolution but synoptic records to be built. By integrating this multi-resolution data set, precursory signs of unrest could retrospectively be detected from February to June 2021. Intensity of all unrest metrics increased during summer 2021, with an onset over a few days in September 2021. By September, seismic, CO2, SO2 and other geochemical metrics also indicated unrest, leading Civil Protection to raise the alert level to yellow on October 1. Heat flux, having been 4 MW in May 2019, increasing to 90 MW by September, and peaking at 120 MW in March 2022. We convolved our thermal data sets with all other monitoring data to validate a Vulcano Fossa Unrest Index (VFUI), framework of which can be potentially applied to any hydrothermal system. The VFUI highlighted four stages of unrest, none of which were clear in any single data set: background, precursory, onset and unrest. Onset was characterized by sudden release of fluids, likely caused by failure of sealed zones that had become pressurized during the precursory phase that began possibly as early as February 2021. Unrest has been ongoing for more than 18 months, and may continue for several more years. Our understanding of this system behavior has been due to hindsight, but demonstrates how multiparametric surveys can track and forecast unrest.
Graphical Abstract
Housing and management factors and breed predisposition for haemorrhagic bowel syndrome in swine
Authors: Holenweger Fabienne , Schüpbach Gertraud , Hofer Andreas , Sidler Xaver , Grahofer Alexander 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundHaemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) is a sporadically occurring disorder characterized by sudden death in pigs in combination with a pale and bloated carcass with no prior signs of disease. Most often HBS is affecting fattening pigs. Due to the good general health and performance before death as well as the time point of disease shortly prior to slaughter, this syndrome means a significant economic impact for the farm and is a major animal welfare concern. Furthermore, the cause or the causing agents have not yet been identified even though it is a worldwide known problem. The aim of this study was to detect possible risk factors for the occurrence of HBS with the focus on risk factors on herd level.ResultsManagement and feeding strategies of 97 Swiss fattening herds with high and low HBS incidence were assessed and examined to identify risk factors for the disease. Having only pigs sired by the PREMO® breed in the herd showed to be a significant risk factor for HBS (Odds Ratio (OR) = 147) as compared to having other breeds or a mixture of multiple breeds. Furthermore, pigs from two or more origins per batch compared to having only one origin per batch significantly increased the disease risk (OR = 52). Farms with 1 decimetre greater feeding place width per finisher pig have a lower HBS incidence (OR = 0.07). The frequency of cleaning of the distribution pipes (split up into categories, e.g. once a month) was associated with being a HBS case farm (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe four factors identified in this study for the occurrence of HBS represent different aspects of the environment and management. This leads to the assumption that it is a multifactorial syndrome and a thorough examination of each herd individually is necessary to mitigate disease risk. This study suggests that part of the susceptibility to HBS is genetically determined. The reduction of HBS in the herd should be the main objective to improve the economic status of the herd and improve animal welfare.
The modulation of carbohydrate intake and intermittent fasting in obese Saudi women: a pilot study
Authors: Al-jammaz Muneerah H. , Al-kalifah Abdulrahman , Al-bader Nawal Abdullah , Al-hussain Maha H. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Background
In recent years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased, leading to the development of various dietary interventions as potential treatments. Two popular diets are time-restricted feeding and low-carbohydrate diets, but there is limited research on the effects of combining them. This study assessed the effects of pairing an eight-hour time-restricted feeding window with a moderate-carbohydrate diet and compared to a paired eight-hour time-restricted feeding window with a regular diet.

Results
The study involved 52 obese women divided into three groups: the first group followed an 8 h time-restricted feeding with a moderate low-carbohydrate diet (8-hTRF+mLCD), the second group followed an 8 h time-restricted feeding with a regular diet (8-hTRF), and the third group was the control group. Both 8 h TRF+mLCD and 8 h TRF groups had a decrease in TG levels compared to the control group. The HDL levels in both TRF groups were significantly higher than the control group, while LDL levels remained statistically insignificant in both TRF groups.

Conclusions
This suggests that an 8 h TRF with or without mLCD can effectively treat obesity without a change in physical activity, and combining it with a low-carbohydrate diet gives better and more rapid results.
MOTIVATIONAL MECHANISM OF EMPLOYEE'S INITIATIVE BEHAVIOR
Authors: Esaulova Irena 
Published: October 2023

In today’s business, the readiness and ability of employees to voluntarily and proactively contribute to the creation and implementation of innovations through continuous improvements in processes, work and other aspects of joint activities becomes an extremely important source of efficiency and development of the organization. This ability is manifested in initiative behavior, the management of which requires the use of methods based on understanding the nature of employees’ proactivity. The article puts forward a theoretical justification for the specific motivational mechanisms of the employee’s initiative behavior, which differ significantly from the mechanisms of normative behavior; in the development of ideas about the intra-motivational nature of proactivity, the process of launching initiative behavior is described, including the stages of creating an impulse-challenge, self-actualization and self-organization; describes the main parameters of the organizational environment that supports staff initiatives. The presented results will be useful for conducting scientific research in the field of proactive behavior, as well as for the development of HR-policy and practical measures to motivate staff.
AUTOMATION OF ALL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AS THE MAIN TREND IN 2023
Authors: Pronina V. , Fedulov D. , Tihonov A. 
Published: October 2023

As a result of global changes, traditional approaches to HR management have become obsolete and there is now a trend towards full automation of HR processes. Paper-based and purely human factors in management have lost their relevance. In their place has come digitalization. Its relevance arose because of the need for flexible and rapid response to emerging issues in the course of business processes. This paper examines the major changes in human resource management using digital tools, their impact on workflow, recruitment and on onboarding, employee monitoring and maintaining the corporate climate in companies. Statistical data, charts and graphs have been used to support the theoretical aspects outlined by the authors of this paper.
A Differentiable Path-Following Method with a Compact Formulation to Compute Proper Equilibria
Authors: Cao Yiyin , Chen Yin , Dang Chuangyin 
Published: October 2023

The concept of proper equilibrium was established as a strict refinement of perfect equilibrium. This establishment has significantly advanced the development of game theory and its applications. Nonetheless, it remains a challenging problem to compute such an equilibrium. This paper develops a differentiable path-following method with a compact formulation to compute a proper equilibrium. The method incorporates square-root-barrier terms into payoff functions with an extra variable and constitutes a square-root-barrier game. As a result of this barrier game, we acquire a smooth path to a proper equilibrium. To further reduce the computational burden, we present a compact formulation of an ε-proper equilibrium with a polynomial number of variables and equations. Numerical results show that the differentiable path-following method is numerically stable and efficient. Moreover, by relaxing the requirements of proper equilibrium and imposing Selten’s perfection, we come up with the notion of perfect d-proper equilibrium, which approximates a proper equilibrium and is less costly to compute. Numerical examples demonstrate that even when d is rather large, a perfect d-proper equilibrium remains to be a proper equilibrium. History: Accepted by Antonio Frangioni, Area Editor for Design & Analysis of Algorithms-Continuous. Funding: This work was partially supported by General Research Fund (GRF) CityU 11306821 of Hong Kong SAR Government. Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2022.0148 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0148 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Subcarrier modulation based phase-coded coherent lidar
Authors: Song Anpeng , Jin Kai , Xu Chen , Li Jian , Guo Youming , Wei Kai 
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a lean subcarrier modulation-based phase-coded coherent lidar system with a non-quadrature receiver and sampling ratio lower than the Nyquist sampling ratio. Specifically, by utilizing the drawbacks of low Doppler tolerance in encoding signals, phase information can be obtained after pulse compression, and the mirror frequency introduced by real sampling can be negligible. Validation experiments based on inverse synthetic aperture lidar are performed, with the corresponding imaging results having a resolution superior to 4 cm, demonstrating our system’s efficiency in phase acquisition that is free from frequency aliasing.
The menstrual cycle and the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mitra Anita , Verbakel Jan Y. , Kasaven Lorraine S. , Tzafetas Menelaos , Grewal Karen , Jones Benjamin , Bennett Phillip R. , Kyrgiou Maria , Saso Srdjan 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundThe impact of COVID-19 virus on menstrual cycles in unvaccinated women is limited.ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of changes to menstrual cycle characteristics, hormonal symptoms and lifestyle changes prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA retrospective online cross-sectional survey completed by social media users between July 2020 to October 2020. Participants were living in the United Kingdom (UK), premenopausal status and, or over 18 years of age.Main outcome(s) and measures(s)The primary outcome was to assess changes to menstrual cycle characteristics during the pandemic following the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). Secondary outcomes included assessment of hormonal and lifestyle changes.Results15,611 social media users completed the survey. Of which, 75% of participants experienced a change in their menstrual cycle, with significantly greater proportions reporting irregular menstrual cycles (P<0·001), bleeding duration more than seven days (P<0·001), longer mean cycle length (P<0·001) and overall bleeding duration (P<0·001). Over half the participants reported worsening of premenstrual symptoms including low mood/depression, anxiety and irritability. When stratified according to COVID-19 infection, there was no significant difference in menstrual cycle changes.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in considerable variation in menstrual cycle characteristics and hormonal symptoms. This appears to be related to societal and lifestyle changes resulting from the pandemic, rather than to the virus itself. We believe this may have an impact on the individual, as well as national economy, healthcare, and population levels, and therefore suggest this should be taken into consideration by governments, healthcare providers and employers when developing pandemic recovery plans.