bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unraveling Coinfection Dynamics into 100 Whole Genome of Diarrheal Pathogens: A Genome-to-Systems Biology Approach withPlesiomonas shigelloides
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Uzzal , Rahman A.B.Z Naimur , Hossain Md. Shahadat , Dey Shajib , Chowdhury Zeshan Mahmud , Bhattacharjee Arittra , Ahammad Ishtiaque , Ahmed Md. Imran , Sultana Khandokar Fahmida , Hashem Abu , Das Keshob Chandra , Keya Chaman Ara , Salimullah Md. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractDiarrhea is the second leading cause of mortality among infants under the age of five. One of the main causes of this disease is multipathogenic infections, which can make the conditions of patients even worse.Plesiomonas shigelloides(P. shigelloides) is one of the pathogenic bacteria that contributes to the pathophysiology of diarrhea and may be implicated in coinfection with other diarrheal pathogens. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the hypothetical proteins to explore the genetic insights ofP. shigelloidesand its relationships with common diarrheal diseases. For this reason, we used 16S rRNA sequencing together with several biochemical tests to identify the bacteria that we isolated from diarrheal patients (8 years). Afterwards, the whole genome ofP. shigelloideswas sequenced, assembled and annotated in order to obtain the genomic insights ofP. shigelloides. In addition, the common virulence genes of ten (10) common diarrhea-causing bacteria were identified from 100 whole genome sequences. Finally, the system biology approach was applied to predict the coinfection pattern betweenP. shigelloidesand the virulence genes of 10 bacteria. The complete genome sequencing analysis of this bacterium revealed 899 hypothetical proteins from which 33 hypothetical proteins shared the clusters with the 109 virulence genes of 10 distinct diarrheal pathogens, forming a strong interaction based on biological processes, molecular functions, subcellular localization, or pathways. All diarrhea causing bacteria were found to haveP. shigelloidesmicrobial interactions; however,V. choleraeexhibited the strongest relationships, whileC. difficileshowed the weakest. The results of this investigation clearly imply thatP. shigelloidesshares a coinfection pattern with other bacteria that cause diarrhea. Finally, the findings from the complete genome provide new avenues for researchers to pursue their investigation of the pathophysiology of diarrhea.
Developing folate-conjugated miR-34a therapeutic for prostate cancer treatment: Challenges and promises
Authors: Li Wen (Jess) , Wang Yunfei , Liu Xiaozhuo , Wu Shan , Wang Moyi , Turowski Steven G. , Spernyak Joseph A. , Tracz Amanda , Abdelaal Ahmed M. , Sudarshan Kasireddy , Puzanov Igor , Chatta Gurkamal , Kasinski Andrea L. , Tang Dean G. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractProstate cancer (PCa) remains a common cancer with high mortality in men due to its heterogeneity and the emergence of drug resistance. A critical factor contributing to its lethality is the presence of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs), which can self-renew, long-term propagate tumors and mediate treatment resistance. MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) has shown promise as an anti-PCSC therapeutic by targeting critical molecules involved in cancer stem cell (CSC) survival and functions. Despite extensive efforts, the development of miR-34a therapeutics still faces challenges, including non-specific delivery and delivery-associated toxicity. One emerging delivery approach is ligand-mediated conjugation, aiming to achieve specific delivery of miR-34a to cancer cells, thereby enhancing efficacy while minimizing toxicity. Folate-conjugated miR-34a (folate-miR-34a) has demonstrated promising anti-tumor efficacy in breast and lung cancers by targeting folate receptor α (FOLR1). Here, we first show that miR-34a, a TP53 transcriptional target, is reduced in PCa that harbors TP53 loss or mutations and that miR-34a mimic, when transfected into PCa cells, downregulated multiple miR-34a targets and inhibited cell growth. When exploring the therapeutic potential of folate-miR-34a, we found that folate-miR-34a exhibited impressive inhibitory effects on breast, ovarian and cervical cancer cells but showed minimal effects on and targeted delivery to PCa cells due to a lack of appreciable expression of FOLR1 in PCa cells. Folate-miR-34a also did not display any apparent effect on PCa cells expressing prostate-specific membrane antigen (PMSA) despite the reported folate’s binding capability to PSMA. These results highlight challenges in specific delivery of folate-miR-34a to PCa due to lack of target (receptor) expression. Our study offers novel insights on the challenges and promises within the field and cast light on the development of ligand-conjugated miR-34a therapeutics for PCa.
Obesity status and its relative factors of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in China based on body condition assessment
Authors: Tang Yinpu , Jia Ting , Zhou Fangyi , Wang Liang , Zhang Li 
Published: November 2023

AbstractObesity is a common health problem in captive wildlife. Since the obesity status of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in China has not previously been investigated, we recorded seven relevant variables (sex, age, daily feed supply, proportion of high-calorie feed, outdoor enclosure area, outdoor time, and foot disorder) related to obesity in 204 captive Asian elephants through field investigation of 43 elephant-raising facilities. Assessment of obesity was based on visual body condition scoring for each individual. It revealed that obesity was prevalent for captive Asian elephants (especially elephants in zoos) in China. Over 70% of captive Asian elephants in China were overweight or in obesity to various degrees. Statistical analysis showed that for elephants in zoos, insufficient outdoor time might be the primary potential cause of obesity. We suggested facilities to extend the outdoor time and control the supply of high-calorie feed (e.g., fruits, vegetables, pellets, etc.) for captive elephants, thereby alleviating obesity through increased exercise and a suitable energy intake. Moreover, all facilities should implement positive reinforcement training to facilitate regular physical examinations, including foot health checks and blood sampling. This training would improve the ability to collect more precise information relating to elephant health, obesity, and the evaluation of animal welfare.
Assessment of antimicrobial activity of insects’ products and nests used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso
Authors: Ouango Mamadou , Cissé Hama , Romba Rahim , Drabo Samuel Fogné , Semdé Rasmané , Savadogo Aly , Gnankiné Olivier 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn Burkina Faso, products and insect nests are used for therapeutic purposes in traditional medicine. However, this use by local populations is marginal and empirical. Our study aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of insect products and their nests. For this purpose, the collected insect products and nests were finely ground. Hydroethanolic extraction of bioactive molecules with potential antibacterial activity was performed according to standard methods. The solid medium diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activity of hydroethanolic extracts of honey bee, bee wax, propolis, and termite nests against 22 pathogenic strains by inhibition diameter. Imipenem was used as a positive control. The extraction yields varied from 7.33% to 35.38% depending on the content of soluble matter. All products extracts and insect nests tested showed inhibitory activities. The inhibition diameters varied depending on the extract and strain tested. The largest diameter of inhibition (26±0.0 mm) was obtained using the nest extract ofMacrotermes bellicosusagainstSalmonellaTyphimurium ATCC14028. The lowest diameter of inhibition was 07±0.0 mm obtained with honey extract against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853. Index multi-resistance of the extracts tested were between 0.2 and 0.6. Interestingly, the inhibition diameters of certain products and nest extracts of insects were sometimes greater than those of imipenem against the strains tested. This study revealed the antimicrobial potential of termite nest extracts and hive products against pathogens.
Evaluation of Phage and Antibiotic Combinations forStaphylococcus aureusBiofilm Eradication: Insights from the Wax Worm Model
Authors: Archana L , Manohar Prasanth , Bozdogan Bulent , Nachimuthu Ramesh 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundGalleria mellonella, an advantageous model organism, to investigate the therapeutic potential of bacteriophages. Employing theGalleria mellonella(waxworm) model, this study involved infecting the larvae with pathogenicStaphylococcus aureus, followed by combination treatment with staph phages; vB_Sau_Saa90 and vB_Sau_Saa165 at the concentrations of 107and 109PFU/mL and oxacillin, at 100 mg/kg. The treatment modalities were executed in three distinct orders: pre-phage treatment, simultaneous treatment, and post-phage treatment. Each treatment was administered at 90 min intervals. The health state index of the waxworms was monitored throughout the study.ResultsAmong the three treatment orders, both pre-phage treatment and post-antibiotic treatment exhibited the significant outcomes. The survival percentages ranged from 40% to 50%, 30% to 50%, and 50% to 70% across strong, moderate, and weak biofilm conditions. Notably, the phages vB_Sau_Saa90 and vB_Sau_Saa165 displayed remarkable effectiveness in combination with antibiotics. This successful synergy showcased the potential of combinatorial treatment in effectively addressing biofilm-related infections.ConclusionsThis study holds considerable significance as it underscores the suitability ofG. mellonellaas a model organism for exploring bacteriophage-based therapeutic approaches. The study’s findings shed light on the efficacy of combining bacteriophages and antibiotics to targetS. aureusbiofilm cells. The observed results in the waxworm model highlight a promising avenue for managing biofilm infections. However, the need for further validation through larger animal models is emphasized, as this could potentially pave the way for novel treatment strategies with broader clinical implications.
A bibliometric analysis of global research trends on CEO compensation: evidence from the Scopus database
Authors: Alfawareh Faraj Salman , Che Johari Edie Erman , Ooi Chai-Aun 
Published: November 2023

PurposeThis study investigates the current trends in CEO compensation by applying a bibliometric technique from the Scopus database.Design/methodology/approachThe bibliometric analysis examines CEO compensation trends through the Scopus database. Frequency analysis is conducted using Microsoft Excel, while data visualisation is performed using VOSviewer. Finally, citation metrics are carried out using Harzing's Publish or Perish.FindingsThe results reveal that research into CEO compensation has been consistently increasing since 1976. This study identifies the most popular publication trends, the most active institutions, the top funding institutions, annual publication growth, document and source type, publishers, subject area, author co-citations, highly cited articles, top publishing countries, and keyword co-occurrences. Notably, Arizona State University in the United States (US) is the leading institution with the most prominent publications on CEO compensation. The US is the most active country involved in CEO compensation research.Research limitations/implicationsThe current research only derived articles from the Scopus database. Nonetheless, the findings provide an in-depth comprehension of the meaning of “CEO compensation” and present the outline of the research trends on the concept, thus significantly facilitating further studies.Practical implicationsThe findings can assist researchers in comprehending and classifying the drivers of CEO compensation previously identified and proven in past studies. Additionally, the findings also create opportunities for new researchers to study CEO compensation.Originality/valueThis study is among the pioneering research investigating CEO compensation-related publications and utilising the Scopus database from an international perspective. This study also offers a historical view of CEO remuneration, a summary of the most significant nations, journals, and writers on the topic, and an outline of how CEO remuneration studies have changed over time. These contributions will enable other researchers to focus on this subject.
Reinventing the wheel? Factors influencing relationship: links between sustainability and financial performance. European evidence
Authors: Rahi ABM Fazle , Johansson Jeaneth , Lions Catherine 
Published: November 2023

Purpose
This study aims to examine the factors that influence the relationship between sustainability and financial performance (FP) of the European listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzed data from 795 companies in 21 European countries by applying linear mixed-effects multilevel regressions, a two steps system generalized method of moments and quantile regression models to uncover the links between sustainability and FP.

Findings
The past four decades have witnessed abundant research to determine the relationship between corporate sustainability and FP. Thus, conducting further research in 2023 could be seen as “reinventing the wheel.” Yet, earlier research considered firms as isolated entities with sustainability and FP being dependent only on that firm’s actions. By contrast, with the help of network governance theory, this study shows that a firm’s sustainability and FP depend on an interplay among interorganizational actors, such as institutional qualities, macroeconomic factors and an embrace of sustainability. Here, large firms play an essential role. Three significant findings are drawn. First, sustainability performance has a significant impact on FP in the European context. Second, the institutional quality (IQ) of the rule of law and control of corruption plays a crucial role in enhancing sustainability and FP, and finally the interaction of IQ and economic growth helps to increase companies’ market value (Tobin’s Q). The consistent and empirically robust findings offer key lessons to policymakers and practitioners on the interplay among multiple actors in corporate sustainability and FP.

Practical implications
A synergetic multifaced relationship between governmental institutions and corporations is inevitable for ensuring sustainable development. The degree of intimacy in the relationship, of course, will be determined by the macroeconomic environment.

Originality/value
In this research, this study theoretically and empirically identified that corporate sustainability and FP are not solely dependent on corporate operation. Rather, it is transformed, modified and shaped through an interaction of multiple actors’ trajectories in the macro business environment.
Mapping invasive alien plants through citizen science: shortlisting species of concern for the Nilgiris
Authors: Rehel Shiny Mariam , R.S. Reshnu Raj  , Samuel Thomas  , Milind Bunyan  , Anita Varghese  , Ankila J. Hiremath  
Published: November 2023

Species introduced from elsewhere are known as alien species. They may be introduced as crop plants or ornamental plants, or for timber. A small proportion of introduced species can become invasive thereby spreading at the cost of native species and habitats, negatively affecting biodiversity, food security, and human wellbeing. Despite the growing recognition of the threat of invasive alien species, we still lack information about the distribution and abundance of species widely accepted to be invasive. To address this information gap regarding invasive alien species distributions, we initiated a pilot citizen science effort to create an atlas of invasive plants in the Moyar-Bhavani landscape of the Nilgiri District. We aimed, through this pilot effort, to develop and test user-friendly mapping protocols and develop an interface for citizen scientists to use. Ultimately, we hope to create a model that can be scaled up to large conservation landscapes, such as the Western Ghats, the central Indian Highlands, and the Himalaya.
A Case of Fatal Non-Clostridial Gas Gangrene Following Intramuscular Injection: A Diagnostic Challenge and Dilemma at Autopsy
Authors: Das Siddhartha , Ramaswamy N , Sathish K 
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Gas Gangrene following intramuscular injection is a rare but serious condition that can lead to morbidity and mortality. This case conveys a severe and fatal complication following intramuscular injections of diclofenac and vitamin B12 in a diabetic patient. Case Report: The patient developed pain and swelling in the left buttock after the injection of vitamin B12 and Diclofenac one on each buttock which worsened over time. He was diagnosed with gas gangrene when he presented to the emergency department. The blood culture identified Klebsiella pneumonia. The patient’s condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to sepsis and acute kidney injury. Despite intensive care management, the patient succumbed five days after admission. At autopsy, gas gangrene of the left lower limb was evident on external examination. Histopathological examination confirmed the acute tubular damage in the kidney and the postmortem blood culture also grew Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter cloacae. The cause of death was determined to be acute tubular necrosis as a result of sepsis due to non-clostridial gas gangrene. Conclusion: This instance of gas gangrene following trivial trauma poses a challenge for the forensic pathologist in establishing the causal association and in determining the causative organism. These are important when medical/surgical intervention is in question to be the cause of a fatal infection like gas gangrene. Ante-mortem/postmortem blood culture can aid in defining the causative organism of gas gangrene but the causal association with the alleged trauma/insult is still a challenge at autopsy. This case report addresses and tries to overcome the diagnostic challenges and dilemmas at autopsy in a case of gas gangrene.
GITR and TIGIT immunotherapy provokes divergent multicellular responses in the tumor microenvironment of gastrointestinal cancers
Authors: Sathe Anuja , Ayala Carlos , Bai Xiangqi , Grimes Susan M. , Lee Byrne , Kin Cindy , Shelton Andrew , Poultsides George , Ji Hanlee P. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background
Understanding the mechanistic effects of novel immunotherapy agents is critical to improving their successful clinical translation. These effects need to be studied in preclinical models that maintain the heterogenous tumor microenvironment (TME) and dysfunctional cell states found in a patient’s tumor. We investigated immunotherapy perturbations targeting co-stimulatory molecule GITR and co-inhibitory immune checkpoint TIGIT in a patient-derived ex vivo system that maintains the TME in its near-native state. Leveraging single-cell genomics, we identified cell type-specific transcriptional reprogramming in response to immunotherapy perturbations.

Methods
We generated ex vivo tumor slice cultures from fresh surgical resections of gastric and colon cancer and treated them with GITR agonist or TIGIT antagonist antibodies. We applied paired single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing to the original surgical resections, control, and treated ex vivo tumor slice cultures. We additionally confirmed target expression using multiplex immunofluorescence and validated our findings with RNA in situ hybridization.

Results
We confirmed that tumor slice cultures maintained the cell types, transcriptional cell states and proportions of the original surgical resection. The GITR agonist was limited to increasing effector gene expression only in cytotoxic CD8 T cells. Dysfunctional exhausted CD8 T cells did not respond to GITR agonist. In contrast, the TIGIT antagonist increased TCR signaling and activated both cytotoxic and dysfunctional CD8 T cells. This included cells corresponding to TCR clonotypes with features indicative of potential tumor antigen reactivity. The TIGIT antagonist also activated T follicular helper-like cells and dendritic cells, and reduced markers of immunosuppression in regulatory T cells.

Conclusions
We identified novel cellular mechanisms of action of GITR and TIGIT immunotherapy in the patients’ TME. Unlike the GITR agonist that generated a limited transcriptional response, TIGIT antagonist orchestrated a multicellular response involving CD8 T cells, T follicular helper-like cells, dendritic cells, and regulatory T cells. Our experimental strategy combining single-cell genomics with preclinical models can successfully identify mechanisms of action of novel immunotherapy agents. Understanding the cellular and transcriptional mechanisms of response or resistance will aid in prioritization of targets and their clinical translation.
Bridging language barriers in developing valid health policy research tools: insights from the translation and validation process of the SHEMESH questionnaire
Authors: Shalev Ligat , Helfrich Christian D. , Ellen Moriah , Avirame Keren , Eitan Renana , Rose Adam J. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background
The use of research tools developed and validated in one cultural and linguistic context to another often faces challenges. One major challenge is poor performance of the tool in the new context. This potentially impact the legitimacy of health policy research conducted with informal adaptations of existing tools which have not been subjected to formal validation. Best practices exist to guide researchers in adapting and validating research tools effectively. We present here, as an extended example, our validation of the SHEMESH questionnaire ('Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment'; In Hebrew: 'SHE'elon Muchanut Ergunit le'SHinuy'), a Hebrew-language version of the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment (ORCA). SHEMESH is tailored to support implementation science projects, whose aim is to promote a more rapid and complete adoption of evidence-based health policies and practices.

Methods
The SHEMESH included originally eleven questions from the Evidence (item 1–4) and Context (items 5–11) domains. We validated SHEMESH through the following steps: 1. Professional translation to Hebrew and discussion of the translation by multidisciplinary committee; 2. Back-translation into English by a different translator to detect discrepancies; 3. Eleven cognitive interviews with psychiatric emergency department physicians and nurses; and 4. Pilot testing and psychometric analyses, including Cronbach’s alpha for subscales and factor analyses.

Results
Following translation and cognitive interviews, SHEMESH was administered to 222 psychiatrists and nurses. Pearson correlation showed significant and strong correlations of items 1–4 to the Evidence construct and items 6–11 to the Context construct. Item 5 did not correlate with the other items, and therefore was removed from the other psychometric procedures and eventually from the SHEMESH. Factor analysis with the remaining 10 items yielded two factors, which together explained a total of 69.7% of variance. Cronbach's Alpha scores for the two subscales were high (Evidence, 0.887, and Context, 0.852).

Conclusions
This multi-step validation process of the SHEMESH questionnaire may serve as a comprehensive guideline for others who are willing to adapt research tools that were developed in other languages. Practically, SHEMESH has been validated for use in implementation science research projects in Israel.