bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The pattern of alternative splicing and DNA methylation alteration and their interaction in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) response to repeated drought stresses
Authors: Wang Ling , Wang Lei , Tan Meilian , Wang Linhai , Zhao Wei , You Jun , Wang Lijun , Yan Xingchu , Wang Wei 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Background
Drought stress has significantly hampered agricultural productivity worldwide and can also result in modifications to DNA methylation levels. However, the dynamics of DNA methylation and its association with the changes in gene transcription and alternative splicing (AS) under drought stress are unknown in linseed, which is frequently cultivated in arid and semiarid regions.

Results
We analysed AS events and DNA methylation patterns in drought-tolerant (Z141) and drought-sensitive (NY-17) linseed under drought stress (DS) and repeated drought stress (RD) treatments. We found that the number of intron-retention (IR) and alternative 3’ splice site (Alt3’SS) events were significantly higher in Z141 and NY-17 under drought stress. We found that the linseed response to the DS treatment was mainly regulated by transcription, while the response to the RD treatment was coregulated by transcription and AS. Whole genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed that drought stress caused an increase in the overall methylation level of linseed. Although we did not observe any correlation between differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially spliced genes (DSGs) in this study, we found that the DSGs whose gene body region was hypermethylated in Z141 and hypomethylated in NY-17 were enriched in abiotic stress response Gene Ontology (GO) terms. This finding implies that gene body methylation plays an important role in AS regulation in some specific genes.

Conclusion
Our study is the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the relationship between linseed methylation changes and AS under drought and repeated drought stress. Our study revealed different interaction patterns between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and DSGs under DS and RD treatments and differences between methylation and AS regulation in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive linseed varieties. The findings will probably be of interest in the future. Our results provide interesting insights into the association between gene expression, AS, and DNA methylation in linseed under drought stress. Differences in these associations may account for the differences in linseed drought tolerance.
The evaluation of an artificial intelligence system for estrus detection in sows
Authors: Verhoeven Steven , Chantziaras Ilias , Bernaerdt Elise , Loicq Michel , Verhoeven Ludo , Maes Dominiek 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Background
Good estrus detection in sows is essential to predict the best moment of insemination. Nowadays, a technological innovation is available that detects the estrus of the sow via connected sensors and cameras. The collected data are subsequently analyzed by an artificial intelligence (AI) system. This study investigated whether such an AI system could support the farmer in optimizing the moment of insemination and reproductive performance.

M&M
Three Belgian sow farms (A, B and C) where the AI system was installed, participated in the study. The reproductive cycles (n = 6717) of 1.5 years before and 1.5 years after implementation of the system were included. Parameters included: (1) farrowing rate (FR), (2) percentage of repeat-breeders (RB), (3) farrowing rate after first insemination (FRFI) and (4) number of total born piglets per litter (NTBP). Also, data collected by the system were analyzed to describe the weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI), estrus duration (ED) and the number of inseminations used per estrus. This dataset included 2261 cycles, collected on farms B and C.

Results
In farm A, all parameters significantly improved namely FR + 4.3%, RB − 3.75%, FRFI + 6.2% and NTBP + 1.06 piglets. In farm B, the NTBP significantly decreased with 0.48 piglets, but in this farm the insemination dose was too low (0.8 × 109 spermatozoa per dose). In farm C, only the NTBP significantly increased with 0.45 piglets after the implementation of the system. The WEI as determined by the system varied between 78 and 90 h, being 10–20 h shorter in comparison with the WEI as determined by the farmer. The ED, determined by the system ranged from 48 to 60 h, and was less variable as compared to the ED as assessed by the farmer. The mean number of inseminations per estrus remained similar over time in farm B whereas it decreased over time from approximately 1.6–1.2 in farm C.

Conclusion
The AI system can help farmers to improve the reproductive performance, assess estrus characteristics and reduce the number of inseminations per estrus. Results may vary between farms as many other variables such as farm management, genetics and insemination dose also influence reproductive performance.
Teachers’ conflicts in implementing comprehensive sexuality education: a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis
Authors: Shibuya Fumiko , Estrada Crystal Amiel , Sari Dian Puspita , Takeuchi Rie , Sasaki Hirono , Warnaini Cut , Kawamitsu Saki , Kadriyan Hamsu , Kobayashi Jun 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Introduction
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) enables children and young people to learn about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social characteristics of sexuality. Teachers experience conflicts in teaching CSE due to different cultural and religious backgrounds. This qualitative systematic review aimed to describe the conflicts experienced by teachers in the implementation of CSE in schools. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify the causes of conflict among teachers in implementing CSE.

Methods
This article focused on teachers’ conflicts in implementing CSE from 2010 to 2022. Online bibliographic databases, such as PubMed, Web of Science, and ERIC, were used to search for relevant articles. The following search term was used: Teacher, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and Conflict.

Results
A total of 11 studies were included in the review. All 11 studies were conducted in countries with a predominantly Christian population. The majority of the studies were conducted in Africa. The study respondents included teachers, school principals, and school coordinators. The studies identified that CSE implementation is related to multiple conflicts, depending on the context of the country. Five themes on the causes of conflict emerged from the thematic meta-synthesis: (1) Hesitancy in talking about sex education among teachers due to the cultural and religious context; (2) non-integration of traditional sex education into comprehensive sexuality education, (3) fostering effective facilitation of CSE among teachers, (4) determining the appropriate age to start sex education, and (5) roles of stakeholders outside the school.

Conclusions
This qualitative systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis highlighted several conflicts among teachers in CSE implementation. Despite the teachers having a perception that sex education should be provided, traditional sex education has not yet transformed to CSE. The study findings also emphasize the need to identify the teacher’s role in CSE implementation. The thematic meta-synthesis also strongly reflected the context of Christianity in Europe and Africa; thus, further research on the religious context in other regions is needed.
Seismic predictions of fluids via supervised deep learning: Incorporating various class-rebalance strategies
Authors: Gao Shunli , Xu Minghui , Zhao Luanxiao , Chen Yuanyuan , Geng Jianhua 
Published: March 2023

Seismic fluids prediction under the machine-learning framework is of great significance for the exploration and development of oil and gas resources, geothermal energy exploitation, carbon dioxide sequestration monitoring, and groundwater management. Data-driven supervised machine-learning algorithms often rely heavily on the characteristics of the data (number of labels and data distribution). The disparity in the number of different labels for the majority and minority samples can hinder the generalization ability of the machine-learning model, especially weakening the predicting power for minority groups (e.g., hydrocarbon-bearing rocks) which are often of essential interest to us. For a clastic reservoir exhibiting a typical class imbalance (the ratio of gas sandstone to other lithofluids is significantly low), under the framework of a supervised convolutional neural network, we investigate and compare various class-rebalance methods to enhance the model’s prediction ability for gas-bearing sandstones. To achieve the purpose of class rebalance, we mainly use sampling methods to obtain class-balanced data sets and cost-sensitive learning methods to modify loss functions. The crosswell blind tests indicate that the ensemble-based undersampling method of BalanceCascade is found to be most effective in enhancing the prediction performance, increasing the F1 score of gas sandstone by as much as 15%. We also propose the combination of Balance Cascade and focal-loss (FL) methods, which can further improve the F1 score of gas-bearing sandstone in several wells compared with using BalanceCascade or FL alone. By incorporating class-rebalance strategies into model building, we finally obtain more reliable seismic prediction results for gas-bearing sandstone.
Geotechnical site characterization with 3D ambient noise tomography
Authors: Wang Yao , Tran Khiem T. , Cox Brady R. , Vantassel Joseph P. 
Published: March 2023

We develop a new 3D ambient noise tomography (3D ANT) method for geotechnical site characterization. It requires recording ambient noise fields using a 2D surface array of geophones, from which experimental crosscorrelation functions (CCFs) are then extracted and directly inverted to obtain an S-wave velocity ([Formula: see text]) structure. The method consists of a forward simulation using 3D P-SV elastic wave equations to compute the synthetic CCF and an adjoint-state inversion to match the synthetic CCFs to the experimental CCFs for extraction of [Formula: see text]. The main advantage of the presented method, as compared with conventional passive-source seismic methods using characteristics of Green’s function (GF), is that it does not require equal energy on both sides of each receiver pair or far-field wavefields to retrieve the true GF. Instead, the source power spectrum density is inverted during the analysis and incorporated into the forward simulation of the synthetic CCFs to account for source energy distribution. After testing on synthetic data, the 3D ANT method is applied to 3 h of ambient noise recordings at the Garner Valley Downhole Array (GVDA) site in California, using a surface array of 196 geophones placed on a 14 × 14 grid with 5 m spacing. The inverted 3D [Formula: see text] model is found to be consistent with previous invasive and noninvasive geotechnical characterization efforts at the GVDA site.
Randomized Phase II Trial of Ficlatuzumab With or Without Cetuximab in Pan-Refractory, Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Bauman Julie E. , Saba Nabil F. , Roe Denise , Bauman Jessica R. , Kaczmar John , Bhatia Aarti , Muzaffar Jameel , Julian Ricklie , Wang Steven , Bearelly Shethal , Baker Audrey , Steuer Conor , Giri Anshu , Burtness Barbara , Centuori Sara , Caulin Carlos , Klein Robert , Saboda Kathylynn , Obara Stefanie , Chung Christine H. 
Published: March 2023

PURPOSE Primary or acquired resistance to cetuximab, an antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody (mAb), minimizes its utility in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Aberrant hepatocyte growth factor/cMet pathway activation is an established resistance mechanism. Dual pathway targeting may overcome resistance. PATIENTS AND METHODS This multicenter, randomized, noncomparative phase II study evaluated ficlatuzumab, an antihepatocyte growth factor mAb, with or without cetuximab in recurrent/metastatic HNSCC. The primary end point was median progression-free survival (PFS); an arm met significance criteria if the lower bound of the 90% CI excluded the historical control of 2 months. Key eligibility criteria were HNSCC with known human papillomavirus (HPV) status, cetuximab resistance (progression within 6 months of exposure in the definitive or recurrent/metastatic setting), and resistance to platinum and anti–PD-1 mAb. Secondary end points included objective response rate (ORR), toxicity, and the association of HPV status and cMet overexpression with efficacy. Continuous Bayesian futility monitoring was used. RESULTS From 2018 to 2020, 60 patients were randomly assigned and 58 were treated. Twenty-seven versus 33 patients were allocated to monotherapy versus combination. Arms were balanced for major prognostic factors. The monotherapy arm closed early for futility. The combination arm met prespecified significance criteria with a median PFS of 3.7 months (lower bound 90% CI, 2.3 months; P = .04); the ORR was 6 of 32 (19%), including two complete and four partial responses. Exploratory analyses were limited to the combination arm: the median PFS was 2.3 versus 4.1 months ( P = .03) and the ORR was 0 of 16 (0%) versus 6 of 16 (38%; P = .02) in the HPV-positive versus HPV-negative subgroups, respectively. cMet overexpression was associated with reduced hazard of progression in HPV-negative but not HPV-positive disease ( P interaction = .02). CONCLUSION The ficlatuzumab-cetuximab arm met significance criteria for PFS and warrants phase III development. HPV-negative HNSCC merits consideration as a selection criterion.
An outlook to centrality dependence of event-by-event fluctuations of maximum pseudo-rapidity gap
Authors: Bhattacharyya Swarnapratim , Firu Elena , Neagu Alina Tania 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
A detailed study of centrality dependence of event-by-event fluctuations of maximum pseudo-rapidity gap of the produced particles has been carried out in terms of the scaled variance ω for 22Ne-emulsion interactions at 4.1 AGeV/c and 28Si-emulsion interactions at 4.5 AGeV/c. Depending on the values of the total charges or sum of the charges of non interacting projectile fragments, event samples were classified into three different centrality classes. Presence of centrality dependence of event-by-event fluctuations of maximum pseudo-rapidity gap is reflected in the multiparticle production process from this analysis. The event-by-event fluctuations are found to increase with decreasing centrality of collisions. Experimental analysis has been compared with the results obtained from the analysis of Monte Carlo simulated (MC-RAND) events in order to extract dynamical fluctuations. The difference between the experimental and simulated values of event-by-event fluctuations establishes the existence of true dynamical correlation among the produced particles.
An ancient testis-specific IQ motif-containing H gene regulates specific transcript isoform expression during spermatogenesis
Authors: Navarrete-López Paula , Lombó Marta , Maroto Maria , Pericuesta Eva , Fernández-González Raúl , Ramos-Ibeas Priscila , Parra María Teresa , Viera Alberto , Suja José Ángel , Gutiérrez-Adán Alfonso 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT
Spermatogenic cells express more alternatively spliced RNAs than most whole tissues; however, the regulation of these events remains unclear. Here, we have characterized the function of a testis-specific IQ motif-containing H gene (Iqch) using a mutant mouse model. We found that Iqch is essential for the specific expression of RNA isoforms during spermatogenesis. Using immunohistochemistry of the testis, we noted that Iqch was expressed mainly in the nucleus of spermatocyte and spermatid, where IQCH appeared juxtaposed with SRRM2 and ERSP1 in the nuclear speckles, suggesting that interactions among these proteins regulate alternative splicing (AS). Using RNA-seq, we found that mutant Iqch produces alterations in gene expression, including the clear downregulation of testis-specific lncRNAs and protein-coding genes at the spermatid stage, and AS modifications – principally increased intron retention – resulting in complete male infertility. Interestingly, we identified previously unreported spliced transcripts in the wild-type testis, while mutant Iqch modified the expression and use of hundreds of RNA isoforms, favouring the expression of the canonical form. This suggests that Iqch is part of a splicing control mechanism, which is essential in germ cell biology.
Sigmoid volvulus and diabetes mellitus
Authors: Disci Esra , Peksoz Rifat , Atamanalp Sabri Selcuk 
Published: March 2023

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) complicates about 15.7% of sigmoid volvulus (SV) cases. However, the pathophysiology of this relation is still unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the association of DM and SV.
Methods: The clinical data of 1,051 patients treated in Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine during 56 years between June 1966 and July 2022 were considered. The records of 612 cases (58.2%) were evaluated retrospectively till June 1986, while 439 (41.8%) were investigated prospectively thereafter. To obtain the worldwide data, an electronic search of the last 56-years’ literature (from 1967 to date) was performed in Web of Science and PubMed databases.
Results: DM was statistically higher in SV patients than of general population (15.7% vs. 8.3%, p<0.001). Conversely, SV and DM co-occurrence was statistically lower in our series than of world-wide data (2.9% vs. 15.7%, p<0.001). In our series, SV and DM comorbidity was statistically higher in elders that that of children (3.9% vs. 0.0%, p<0.05). Although sigmoid gangrene was more common in DM patients when compared with that of total, the difference was not statistically significant (42.9% vs. 27.4%, p>0.05). Conversely, the mortality rate was statistically higher in DM cases than that of no diabetics in SV (28.6% vs. 7.8%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Although the pathophysiology of SV and DM comorbidity is still relatively unexplainable, our study suggests that DM worsens the prognosis of SV. For this reason, early diagnosis and proper treatment have great importance in such patients.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.3.7309
How to cite this: Disci E, Peksoz R, Atamanalp SS. Sigmoid volvulus and diabetes mellitus. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(3):825-828. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.3.7309
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Impact of COVID-19 on healthcare utilization, cases, and deaths of citizens and displaced Venezuelans in Colombia: Complementary comprehensive and safety-net systems under Colombia’s constitutional commitment
Authors: Shepard Donald S. , Boada Adelaida , Newball-Ramirez Douglas , Sombrio Anna G. , Rincon Perez Carlos William , Agarwal-Harding Priya , Jason Jamie S. , Harker Roa Arturo , Bowser Diana M. 
Published: March 2023

ObjectiveColombia hosts 1.8 million displaced Venezuelans, the second highest number of displaced persons globally. Colombia’s constitution entitles all residents, including migrants, to life-saving health care, but actual performance data are rare. This study assessed Colombia’s COVID-era achievements.MethodsWe compared utilization of comprehensive (primarily consultations) and safety-net (primarily hospitalization) services, COVID-19 case rates, and mortality between Colombian citizens and Venezuelans in Colombia across 60 municipalities (local governments). We employed ratios, log transformations, correlations, and regressions using national databases for population, health services, disease surveillance, and deaths. We analyzed March through November 2020 (during COVID-19) and the corresponding months in 2019 (pre-COVID-19).ResultsCompared to Venezuelans, Colombians used vastly more comprehensive services than Venezuelans (608% more consultations), in part due to their 25-fold higher enrollment rates in contributory insurance. For safety-net services, however, the gap in utilization was smaller and narrowed. From 2019 to 2020, Colombians’ hospitalization rate per person declined by 37% compared to Venezuelans’ 24%. In 2020, Colombians had only moderately (55%) more hospitalizations per person than Venezuelans. In 2020, rates by municipality between Colombians and Venezuelans were positively correlated for consultations (r = 0.28, p = 0.04) but uncorrelated for hospitalizations (r = 0.10, p = 0.46). From 2019 to 2020, Colombians’ age-adjusted mortality rate rose by 26% while Venezuelans’ rate fell by 11%, strengthening Venezuelans’ mortality advantage to 14.5-fold.ConclusionsThe contrasting patterns between comprehensive and safety net services suggest that the complementary systems behaved independently. Venezuelans’ lower 2019 mortality rate likely reflects the healthy migrant effect (selective migration) and Colombia’s safety net healthcare system providing Venezuelans with reasonable access to life-saving treatment. However, in 2020, Venezuelans still faced large gaps in utilization of comprehensive services. Colombia’s 2021 authorization of 10-year residence to most Venezuelans is encouraging, but additional policy changes are recommended to further integrate Venezuelans into the Colombian health care system.
Chronic cannabis use and error awareness: The effect on learning from errors
Authors: Dali Gezelle , Poulton Antoinette , Hester Robert 
Published: March 2023

Background
Cannabis is the third most commonly used drug worldwide, with studies suggesting a deleterious effect on some aspects of performance monitoring. It is unknown, however, whether diminished error awareness influences adaptive behaviour in cannabis users. Therefore, this study examined the effect of error awareness on learning from errors in cannabis users.

Methods
Thirty-six chronic cannabis users (Mage = 23.81 years; female, 36%) and 34 controls (Mage = 21.53 years; female, 76%) completed a Go/No-Go task that allowed participants to learn from errors and adapt their behaviour. Multilevel models were specified to determine whether the effect of error awareness on learning from errors differs between cannabis users and controls, and whether cannabis-use measures predict error correction while accounting for error awareness.

Results
While error awareness and correction rates did not differ between the groups, there was a significant effect of age of use onset on error correction in cannabis users. Further, the effect of error awareness was dependent on age of onset, and cannabis use-related frequency and harm. That is, cannabis users reporting an earlier age of regular use or scoring higher on the cannabis use index were less likely to perform correctly following an aware error.

Conclusion
It appears overall cannabis use might not be tightly coupled to behavioural indices of performance monitoring. There is evidence, however, that aspects of cannabis use predict impairments in learning from errors that may be associated with treatment outcomes.