bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incomplete lineage sorting and long-branch attraction confound phylogenomic inference of Pancrustacea
Authors: Yu Hiu Yan , Chu Ka Hou , Tsang Ling Ming , Ma Ka Yan 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThe phylogenetic relationships within Pancrustacea (including Crustacea and Hexapoda) remain elusive despite analyses using various molecular data sets and analytical approaches over the past decade. The relationship between the major lineages of Allotriocarida, which includes Hexapoda, the most species-rich animal taxon, is particularly recalcitrant.MethodsTo investigate and resolve the root of phylogenetic ambiguity in Pancrustacea, we re-evaluated the evolutionary relationships of major pancrustacean clades using a phylogenetically informed orthology approach and assessed the effect of systematic errors, with a major focus on long branch attraction (LBA) and incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). A data set comprising 1086 orthologs from 106 species representing all major extant classes of pancrustaceans was assembled and used in gene tree and species tree construction after various filtering processes.Results and discussionRegardless of the filtering criteria and phylogenetic analyses, the resulting trees consistently supported (1) a sister relationship of Remipedia and Hexapoda (hence rejecting the monophyly of Xenocarida, i.e. Remipedia + Cephalocarida), and (2) refuted the monophyly of Multicrustacea, as Copepoda is either sister to or nested within Allotriocarida. Examination of gene trees reveals that the grouping of Multicrustacea and Xenocarida in previous phylogenetic studies may represent LBA artefacts. Phylogenetic signal analyses suggest a low resolution and an incidence of strong conflicting signals at the deep splits. Further analyses indicate a partial contribution of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) to the contradictory signal in the allotriocaridan phylogeny, leading to limited support for any potential relationships between Branchiopoda, Cephalocarida and Copepoda. This study suggests the need for further examination of other potential sources of signal discordance, such as introgression and gene tree estimation error to fully understand the evolutionary history of Pancrustacea.
Unraveling the potential of CD8, CD68, and VISTA as diagnostic and prognostic markers in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Rezagholizadeh Fereshteh , Tajik Fatemeh , Talebi Morteza , Taha Seyed Reza , Shariat Zadeh Mahdieh , Farhangnia Pooya , Hosseini Hamideh Sadat , Nazari Aram , Mollazadeh Ghomi Shabnam , Kamrani Mousavi Seyede Mahtab , Haeri Moghaddam Niloofar , Khorramdelazad Hossein , Joghataei Mohammad Taghi , Safari Elahe 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionPancreatic cancer is a truculent disease with limited treatment options and a grim prognosis. Immunotherapy has shown promise in treating various types of cancer, but its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer has been lacking. As a result, it is crucial to identify markers associated with immunological pathways in order to improve the treatment outcomes for this deadly cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of three markers, CD8, CD68, and VISTA, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common subtype of pancreatic cancer.MethodsWe analyzed gene expression data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database using bioinformatics tools. We also utilized the STRING online tool and Funrich software to study the protein-protein interactions and transcription factors associated with CD8, CD68, and VISTA. In addition, tissue microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were performed on 228 samples of PDAC tissue and 10 samples of normal pancreatic tissue to assess the expression levels of the markers. We then correlated these expression levels with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients and evaluated their survival rates.ResultsThe analysis of the GEO data revealed slightly elevated levels of VISTA in PDAC samples compared to normal tissues. However, there was a significant increase in CD68 expression and a notable reduction in CD8A expression in pancreatic cancer. Further investigation identified potential protein-protein interactions and transcription factors associated with these markers. The IHC staining of PDAC tissue samples showed an increased expression of VISTA, CD68, and CD8A in pancreatic cancer tissues. Moreover, we found correlations between the expression levels of these markers and certain clinicopathological features of the patients. Additionally, the survival analysis revealed that high expression of CD8 was associated with better disease-specific survival and progression-free survival in PDAC patients.ConclusionThese findings highlight the potential of CD8, CD68, and VISTA as diagnostic and prognostic indicators in PDAC.
Oscillatory characteristics of resting-state magnetoencephalography reflect pathological and symptomatic conditions of cognitive impairment
Authors: Hoshi Hideyuki , Hirata Yoko , Fukasawa Keisuke , Kobayashi Momoko , Shigihara Yoshihito 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundDementia and mild cognitive impairment are characterised by symptoms of cognitive decline, which are typically assessed using neuropsychological assessments (NPAs), such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a novel clinical assessment technique that measures brain activities (summarised as oscillatory parameters), which are associated with symptoms of cognitive impairment. However, the relevance of MEG and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) data obtained using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has not been examined using clinical datasets. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships among MEG oscillatory parameters, clinically validated biomarkers computed from rCBF, and NPAs using outpatient data retrieved from hospital records.MethodsClinical data from 64 individuals with mixed pathological backgrounds were retrieved and analysed. MEG oscillatory parameters, including relative power (RP) from delta to high gamma bands, mean frequency, individual alpha frequency, and Shannon’s spectral entropy, were computed for each cortical region. For SPECT data, three pathological parameters—‘severity’, ‘extent’, and ‘ratio’—were computed using an easy z-score imaging system (eZIS). As for NPAs, the MMSE and FAB scores were retrieved.ResultsMEG oscillatory parameters were correlated with eZIS parameters. The eZIS parameters associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology were reflected in theta power augmentation and slower shift of the alpha peak. Moreover, MEG oscillatory parameters were found to reflect NPAs. Global slowing and loss of diversity in neural oscillatory components correlated with MMSE and FAB scores, whereas the associations between eZIS parameters and NPAs were sparse.ConclusionMEG oscillatory parameters correlated with both SPECT (i.e. eZIS) parameters and NPAs, supporting the clinical validity of MEG oscillatory parameters as pathological and symptomatic indicators. The findings indicate that various components of MEG oscillatory characteristics can provide valuable pathological and symptomatic information, making MEG data a rich resource for clinical examinations of patients with cognitive impairments. SPECT (i.e. eZIS) parameters showed no correlations with NPAs. The results contributed to a better understanding of the characteristics of electrophysiological and pathological examinations for patients with cognitive impairments, which will help to facilitate their co-use in clinical application, thereby improving patient care.
Bidirectional feature pyramid attention-based temporal convolutional network model for motor imagery electroencephalogram classification
Authors: Xie Xinghe , Chen Liyan , Qin Shujia , Zha Fusheng , Fan Xinggang 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionAs an interactive method gaining popularity, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) aim to facilitate communication between the brain and external devices. Among the various research topics in BCIs, the classification of motor imagery using electroencephalography (EEG) signals has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.MethodsThis technology assists them in controlling computers or other devices like prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, and drones. However, the current performance of EEG signal decoding is not sufficient for real-world applications based on Motor Imagery EEG (MI-EEG). To address this issue, this study proposes an attention-based bidirectional feature pyramid temporal convolutional network model for the classification task of MI-EEG. The model incorporates a multi-head self-attention mechanism to weigh significant features in the MI-EEG signals. It also utilizes a temporal convolution network (TCN) to separate high-level temporal features. The signals are enhanced using the sliding-window technique, and channel and time-domain information of the MI-EEG signals is extracted through convolution.ResultsAdditionally, a bidirectional feature pyramid structure is employed to implement attention mechanisms across different scales and multiple frequency bands of the MI-EEG signals. The performance of our model is evaluated on the BCI Competition IV-2a dataset and the BCI Competition IV-2b dataset, and the results showed that our model outperformed the state-of-the-art baseline model, with an accuracy of 87.5 and 86.3% for the subject-dependent, respectively.DiscussionIn conclusion, the BFATCNet model offers a novel approach for EEG-based motor imagery classification in BCIs, effectively capturing relevant features through attention mechanisms and temporal convolutional networks. Its superior performance on the BCI Competition IV-2a and IV-2b datasets highlights its potential for real-world applications. However, its performance on other datasets may vary, necessitating further research on data augmentation techniques and integration with multiple modalities to enhance interpretability and generalization. Additionally, reducing computational complexity for real-time applications is an important area for future work.
Elucidating the chemical profile and biological studies of Verbascum diversifolium Hochst. extracts
Authors: Yagi Sakina , Nilofar Nilofar , Uba Abdullahi Ibrahim , Caprioli Giovanni , Mustafa Ahmed M. , Angeloni Simone , Koyuncu Ismail , Seker Fatma , Polat Rıdvan , Supti Sumaiya Jahan , Tasnim Faria , Al Dhaheri Yusra , Zengin Gokhan , Eid Ali H. 
Published: January 2024

The present study was designed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition and cytotoxic properties of different extracts from aerial parts of V. diversifolium (family Scrophulariaceae), a plant that is native to Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Six extracts, namely, hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), ethanol (EtOH), 70% EtOH, and water (aqueous) were prepared by maceration. The EtOH extract was predominated by the presence of rutin (4280.20 μg g−1) and p-coumaric acid (3044.01 μg g−1) while the highest accumulation of kaempferol-3-glucoside (1537.38 μg g−1), caffeic acid (130.13 μg g−1) and 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (465.93 μg g−1) was recorded in the 70% EtOH, aqueous, and EtOAc extracts, respectively. The EtOH (46.86 mg TE/g) and 70% EtOH (46.33 mg TE/g) extracts displayed the highest DPPH radical scavenging result. Both these extracts, along with the aqueous one, exerted the highest ABTS radical scavenging result (73.03–73.56 mg TE/g). The EtOH and 70% EtOH extracts revealed the most potent anti-AChE (2.66 and 2.64 mg GALAE/g) and anti-glucosidase (1.07 and 1.09 mmol ACAE/g) activities. The aqueous extract was the most efficacious in inhibiting the proliferation of prostate cancer (DU-145) cells with an IC50 of 8.71 μg/mL and a Selectivity Index of 3.7. In conclusion, this study appraised the use of V. diversifolium aerial parts as a potential therapeutic source for future development of phytopharmaceuticals that target specific oxidative stress-linked diseases including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease among others.
Tomato leaf disease recognition based on multi-task distillation learning
Authors: Liu Bo , Wei Shusen , Zhang Fan , Guo Nawei , Fan Hongyu , Yao Wei 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionTomato leaf diseases can cause major yield and quality losses. Computer vision techniques for automated disease recognition show promise but face challenges like symptom variations, limited labeled data, and model complexity.MethodsPrior works explored hand-crafted and deep learning features for tomato disease classification and multi-task severity prediction, but did not sufficiently exploit the shared and unique knowledge between these tasks. We present a novel multi-task distillation learning (MTDL) framework for comprehensive diagnosis of tomato leaf diseases. It employs knowledge disentanglement, mutual learning, and knowledge integration through a multi-stage strategy to leverage the complementary nature of classification and severity prediction.ResultsExperiments show our framework improves performance while reducing model complexity. The MTDL-optimized EfficientNet outperforms single-task ResNet101 in classification accuracy by 0.68% and severity estimation by 1.52%, using only 9.46% of its parameters.DiscussionThe findings demonstrate the practical potential of our framework for intelligent agriculture applications.
Willingness to reduce alcohol consumption predicted by short-form video exposure, media involvement, psychological bias, and cognitive factor
Authors: Chung Donghwa , Meng Yanfang 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThrough previous studies, Chinese college students are known to be prone to alcohol consumption, which can lead to health-risk behaviors such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. However, little is known about how popular social media platforms (e.g., short-form video applications) can positively impact their willingness to reduce alcohol consumption. This study was guided by the theory of optimistic bias; we investigated the direct, mediated, and moderating effects of exposure to anti-alcohol consumption short-form videos and short-form video involvement on Chinese college students’ willingness to reduce their alcohol consumption.MethodsThe current study has an empirical cross-sectional design and employed an online survey from September 1st, 2022, to November 1st, 2022. The survey specifically targeted Chinese college students, who are the most common users of short-form video applications. The accumulated data underwent rigorous examination, including hierarchical regression, mediation, and moderation analyses, all conducted using the PROCESS macro 4.0 within SPSS version 22.ResultsA total of 434 participants, aged 18–24 years, were included in this study. There were mediating effects regarding Chinese college students’ exposure to anti-alcohol consumption short-form videos (β = 0.35, p &lt; 0.01, 95% CI [0.17, 0.63]) and short-form video involvement (β = 0.44, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI [0.20, 0.65]) on their willingness to reduce alcohol consumption via reversed optimistic bias. Moreover, perceived prevention of heavy drinking control (β = 0.05, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI [0.01, 0.09]) played mediating roles in the relationship between exposure to anti-alcohol consumption short-form videos and willingness to reduce alcohol consumption.ConclusionThis study is one of the earliest studies to examine the intricate effects of exposure to anti-alcohol consumption short-form videos and short-form video involvement on the willingness to reduce alcohol consumption among Chinese college students. In addition, this study confirms that regardless of whether Chinese college students are conscientious, exposure to anti-alcohol consumption short-form videos did not increase their level of reversed optimistic bias. The empirical findings of this study are critical and can provide practical insights for Chinese health departments that encourage Chinese college students to minimize alcohol consumption.
Investigation of integrated time nanosecond pulse irreversible electroporation against spontaneous equine melanoma
Authors: Fesmire Chris C. , Peal Bridgette , Ruff Jennifer , Moyer Elizabeth , McParland Thomas J. , Derks Kobi , O’Neil Erin , Emke Carrie , Johnson Brianna , Ghosh Shatorupa , Petrella Ross A. , DeWitt Matthew R. , Prange Timo , Fogle Callie , Sano Michael B. 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionIntegrated time nanosecond pulse irreversible electroporation (INSPIRE) is a novel tumor ablation modality that employs high voltage, alternating polarity waveforms to induce cell death in a well-defined volume while sparing the underlying tissue. This study aimed to demonstrate the in vivo efficacy of INSPIRE against spontaneous melanoma in standing, awake horses.MethodsA custom applicator and a pulse generation system were utilized in a pilot study to treat horses presenting with spontaneous melanoma. INSPIRE treatments were administered to 32 tumors across 6 horses and an additional 13 tumors were followed to act as untreated controls. Tumors were tracked over a 43–85 day period following a single INSPIRE treatment. Pulse widths of 500ns and 2000ns with voltages between 1000 V and 2000 V were investigated to determine the effect of these variables on treatment outcomes.ResultsTreatments administered at the lowest voltage (1000 V) reduced tumor volumes by 11 to 15%. Higher voltage (2000 V) treatments reduced tumor volumes by 84 to 88% and eliminated 33% and 80% of tumors when 500 ns and 2000 ns pulses were administered, respectively.DiscussionPromising results were achieved without the use of chemotherapeutics, the use of general anesthesia, or the need for surgical resection in regions which are challenging to keep sterile. This novel therapeutic approach has the potential to expand the role of pulsed electric fields in veterinary patients, especially when general anesthesia is contraindicated, and warrants future studies to demonstrate the efficacy of INSPIRE as a solid tumor treatment.
Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Heliotropium indicum Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops
Authors: Akter Pervin , Siddiqua Tahera , Begum Rabeya , Ahmed A. M. Abu 
Published: January 2024

Allelopathy, a biological phenomenon where plants release chemicals that influence the growth and development of neighboring flora, offers potential natural alternatives for weed management in agriculture. This study investigated the allelopathic effects of Heliotropium indicum leaf and root extracts on the germination, growth, and biochemical parameters of eight cucurbit crops. Results demonstrated that H. indicum extracts generally inhibited seed germination across all cucurbit species, with aqueous extracts showing a stronger effect than methanol extracts in Lagenaria siceraria at 10.66 ± 0.46% (p < 0.001). The treatment also variably affected shoot and root growth, indicating both inhibitory and stimulatory actions, depending on the crop species and extract type. For instance, in methanol extract treatments, Benincasa hispida’s shoot length was significantly reduced, compared to the control, at 2.1 ± 0.14 cm (p < 0.001). Notably, aqueous leaf extracts enhanced chlorophyll content more effectively than root extracts, suggesting a potential application as a biostimulant, to improve photosynthetic efficiency in certain species, for example, Momordica charantia (p < 0.05). The study further explored the antioxidative potential of the extracts by measuring MDA levels, a biomarker for oxidative stress. MDA levels increased significantly across all species in response to both types of extracts, indicating oxidative stress (L. siceraria p < 0.05). These findings suggest the potential of H. indicum extracts as natural herbicides and biostimulants, though their effects are species-specific and dependent on concentration. This research contributes to understanding the complex interactions in plant allelopathy, and highlights the potential of plant-derived extracts in sustainable agriculture.
L’utilisation par l’administration des associations de la loi de 1901
Authors: Négrin Jean-Paul 
Published: January 2024

The administration’ s use of associations formed under the law of 1901
Paradoxically, the Association as defined in the 1901 Law, which was designed to limit encroachment by the State in the economic area by making it possible to exclude it from all those activities which private individuals undertake themselves, is nowadays increasingly used by this same State as a means for extending its influence.
As a result, associations set up by private individuals have been increasingly associated with government activity, becoming as it were the privileged partners of public authorities and financed by public money.
Moreover, such associations are no longer formed solely by private individuals, but also by public corporations and government officials.
The Administration's use of the 1901 Law, which has been severely criticised, has nonetheless enabled it to achieve certain objectives more easily than would have been possible using other means.
Nonetheless, it is undeniably true that the sometimes indiscriminate use of this System can cause problems. The Administration justifies its use of such associations in two ways : firstly, because administrative action can be much more effectively undertaken through such organisations ; secondly, because it makes co-operation with other public or private partners more easy.
As far as the activities of such associations are concerned, these fall mainly under the heading of social and cultural development.
However, the use made of the Association by public bodies raises two kinds of problem.
The first of these is to decide whether such use of the Association is lawful or not.
The second concerns the control of the operations of such associations once they have been set up or made use of.
In both of these respects, it would appear that the time has come to examine the question of regulating the conditions governing the use of the 1901 Law by public bodies — which in some cases would render this unnecessary but which, in any event, would afford better protection of the interests of the public as a whole.
L’utilisation par l’administration des associations de la loi de 1901. Rapport complémentaire
Authors: Bonifait Charles 
Published: January 2024

The administration’s use of associations formed under the law of 1901. Supplementary report

The Administration's use of associations set up under the terms of the 1901 Law constitutes a new departure in more than one respect.
Not only with regard to the objectives sought, i.e. flexibility, concerted action, reduction of cost, but also with regard to the increasing number of means employed since the association is often governed by a contract, a standard charter or an agreement.
When the Administration finds itself confronted by certain situations and obliged to deal with specific needs, it has a whole series of methods at its disposal, of which the association is one. The choice of the most appropriate legal form for its administrative purpose is, in fact, dictated mainly by pragmatic considerations. What therefore needs to be done is to de fine the various categories of association and apply a suitable set of regulations to each.