bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of lauric acid on the relaxation of corpus cavernosum in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male Wistar rats
Authors: Olubiyi Makinde Vincent , Kawu Mohammed Umaru , Magaji Mohammed Garba , Salahdeen Hussein Mofomosara , Magaji Rabiu Abdulssalam 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
Background
Diabetes mellitus is a global health challenge and has been recognised as a risk factor for erectile dysfunction. Dissatisfaction with standard medications has been reported by some patients, hence therapeutic plants are being considered as a viable alternative therapy, with their active components being investigated to create a standard regimen. Lauric acid is the most abundant constituent of coconut oil and is proposed to be responsible for its therapeutic properties. The corpus cavernosum plays an important role in erectile function with its relaxation favouring erection. This study thus sought to investigate the possible relaxant action and mechanism of lauric acid on the corpus cavernosum of diabetic male Wistar rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin after which graded doses of lauric acid were administered orally to three groups of diabetic rats, once daily for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the corpus cavernosal tissues of the rat penis were extracted. Following phenylephrine or potassium chloride (KCl)—induced contraction, relaxation response to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside was used to evaluate endothelium-dependent and nitric oxide-mediated relaxation, respectively.

Results
Relaxation response to acetylcholine, following pre-contraction with phenylephrine, was significantly decreased in the cavernosal tissues of diabetic untreated rats and was not significantly improved in lauric acid treated diabetic groups. Relaxation response to acetylcholine, following pre-contraction with KCl, was significantly decreased in the diabetic untreated group but was significantly improved in lauric acid treated diabetic groups at the lowest dose. Decreased relaxation response to sodium nitroprusside, following pre-contraction with phenylephrine in tissues of diabetic untreated rats, was significantly improved in lauric acid-treated diabetic groups at lower doses. Decreased relaxation response to sodium nitroprusside, following pre-contraction with KCl, was significantly improved in lauric acid-treated diabetic groups at all doses.

Conclusion
Lauric acid improved relaxation of corpus cavernosum muscle in diabetic male rats by enhancing nitric oxide-mediated relaxing action of sodium nitroprusside and possibly inhibiting KCl-induced contraction.
The relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor-A serum level and the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Badrah Mai Hesham , Abdelaaty Talaat Abdelfattah , Imbaby Salma Alaa Eldin , Abdel-Fattah Yousra Hisham , Silim Walid Mohamed , El Feky Amr Yosry 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
Background and aims
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common microvascular complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The nerve fibers injury is caused by the interaction between metabolic and vascular factors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential growth factor for vascular endothelial cells. We aimed to investigate the relation between VEGF-A serum level and the degree of DPN.

Results
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 81 patients with T2DM. Based on the combined clinical and electrophysiological assessment, 67 patients (82.7%) were diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy of which 32 patients (39.5%) had subclinical neuropathy, whereas 35 patients (43.2%) were confirmed cases of DPN. Patients with DPN had longer duration of DM and higher values of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Although the mean serum VEGF-A level in diabetic patients without neuropathy was higher than that in diabetic patients with DPN, this difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). However, patients with subclinical DPN had significantly higher serum VEGF-A level compared to patients with confirmed DPN (P < 0.001).

Conclusion
DPN was found to be a common finding in the studied sample of T2DM patients. Longer duration of DM and poor glycemic control may be risk factors for development of severe DPN. Low VEGF-A serum levels may lead to more severe DPN in patients with T2DM.
Intellectually disabled patients’ intensive care admission characteristics, weaning from mechanical ventilation, and sedative drug use: a single-center retrospective case-control study
Authors: Bineth Noa , Barel Nevo , Bdolah-Abram Tali , Levin Philip , Einav Sharon 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
Background
Intellectually disabled (ID) patients present unique therapeutic challenges. We aimed to describe the characteristics of ID patients admitted to a general intensive care unit (ICU).

Results
We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing critically ill adult ID patients to matched patients without ID (1:2 ratio) in a single ICU (2010–2020). The main outcome measure was mortality. Secondary outcomes included complications during admission and characteristics of weaning from mechanical ventilation. The study and control groups were randomly selected based on similar age and sex. ID patients nonetheless had an average APACHE score of 18.5 ± 8.7 vs. 13.4 ± 8.5 in controls (p < 0.001). ID patients had more hematological (p = 0.04), endocrinological (p < 0.001) and neurological (p = 0.004) comorbidities and used more psychiatric medication before admission. No difference was found in mortality rates. Differences were found as there were more secondary complications, such as pulmonary and sepsis (p < 0.03), frequent requirement of vasopressors (p = 0.001), significantly higher intubation rates with more weaning attempts, tracheostomies and longer ICU and hospital admissions (p < 0.019).

Conclusions
Critically ill adult ID may have more comorbidities and be sicker at the time of admission compared to their age- and sex-matched counterparts. They require more supportive treatment and their weaning from mechanical ventilation may be more challenging.
Images of depression in Charles Baudelaire: clinical understanding in the context of poetry and social history
Authors: Stanghellini Giovanni , Ikkos George 
Published: December 2022

SummaryThere is increasing recognition of the importance of the humanities and arts in medical and psychiatric training. We explore the poetry of Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867) and its evocations of depression through themes of mood, time and self-consciousness and discuss their relation to images of ‘spleen’, the ‘snuffling clock’ and the ‘sinister mirror’. Following the literary critical commentaries of Walter Benjamin (1892–1940) and Jean Starobinski (1920–2019) we identify some of their roots in the poet's experience of the rapid and alienating urbanisation of 19th-century Paris. Appreciation of the rich vocabulary of poetry and the images it generates adds depth to clinical practice by painting vivid pictures of subjective experience, including subjective experience of the ‘social’ as part of the biopsychosocial constellation.
Age and Cohort Trends in Formal Volunteering and Informal Helping in Later Life: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: Han Sae Hwang , Shih Yao-Chi , Burr Jeffrey A. , Peng Changmin 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
Formal volunteering holds great importance for the recipients of volunteer services, individuals who volunteer, and the wider society. However, how much recent birth cohorts volunteer in middle and late adulthood compared with earlier birth cohorts is not well understood. Even less well-known are the age and cohort trends in informal helping provided to friends and neighbors in later adulthood. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, we estimated age and cohort trends in formal volunteering and informal helping from 1998 to 2018 for a wide range of birth cohorts born between 1909 and 1958. We used multivariate, multilevel models based on Bayesian generalized modeling methods to estimate the probabilities of volunteering and informal helping simultaneously in a single model. Despite having advantages in human and health capital, recent birth cohorts showed volunteering levels in late adulthood that are similar to those of their predecessors. Moreover, more recent birth cohorts were consistently less engaged in informal helping than earlier birth cohorts throughout the observation period. More research is needed to illuminate the sociocultural drivers of changes in helping behaviors and overall prosocial and civic engagement.
Latest trends in bioimaging and building a proactive network of early-career young scientists around bioimaging in Europe
Authors: Valenta Hana , Quiblier Nathan , Laghi Valerio , Cabriel Clément , Riti Justine 
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT
Biological research is in constant need of new methodological developments to assess organization and functions at various scales ranging from whole organisms to interactions between proteins. One of the main ways to evidence and quantify biological phenomena is imaging. Fluorescence microscopy and label-free microscopy are in particular highly active fields of research due to their compatibility with living samples as well as their versatility.
The Imabio Young Scientists Network (YSN) is a group of young scientists (PhD students, postdocs and engineers) who are excited about bioimaging and aim to create a proactive network of researchers with the same interest. YSN is endorsed by the bioimaging network GDR Imabio in France, where the initiative was started in 2019. Since then, we aim to organize the Imabio YSN conference every year to expand the network to other European countries, establish new collaborations and ignite new scientific ideas.
From 6-8 July 2022, the YSN including researchers from the domains of life sciences, chemistry, physics and computational sciences met at the Third Imabio YSN Conference 2022 in Lyon to discuss the latest bioimaging technologies and biological discoveries. In this Meeting Review, we describe the essence of the scientific debates, highlight remarkable talks, and focus on the Career Development session, which is unique to the YSN conference, providing a career perspective to young scientists and help to answer all their questions at this career stage. This conference was a truly interdisciplinary reunion of scientists who are eager to push the frontiers of bioimaging in order to understand the complexity of biological systems.
Diurnal small RNA expression and post-transcriptional regulation in young and old Drosophila melanogaster heads
Authors: Fey Rosalyn M. , Chow Eileen S. , Gvakharia Barbara O. , Giebultowicz Jadwiga M. , Hendrix David A. 
Published: December 2022

Background:MicroRNAs are a class of small (~22nt) endogenous RNAs that regulate target transcript expression post-transcriptionally. Previous studies characterized age-related changes in diurnal transcript expression but it is not understood how these changes are regulated, and whether they may be attributed in part to changes in microRNA expression or activity with age. Diurnal small RNA expression changes with age were not previously studied.Methods:To interrogate changes in small RNA expression with age, we collected young (5 day) and old (55 day)Drosophila melanogasteraround-the-clock and performed deep sequencing on size-selected RNA from whole heads.Results:We found several microRNAs with changes in rhythmicity after aging, and we investigated microRNAs which are differentially expressed with age. We found that predicted targets of differentially expressed microRNAs have RNA-binding and transcription factor activity. We used a previously published method to identify mRNA transcripts which show evidence of microRNA targeting that is altered after aging, and found several that are involved in muscle development and maintenance. Finally, we identified novel microRNAs using the random-forest-based method miRWoods, which surprisingly also discovered transfer RNA-derived fragments.Conclusions:We showed a decrease in global microRNA expression and a corresponding increase in piRNA expression during aging. We also found an increase in rhythmicity ofDrosophilasmall RNAs during aging, including microRNAs, piRNA clusters, and novel transfer RNA-derived fragments. To our knowledge this is the first study examining diurnal small RNA expression around the clock in young and oldDrosophila, and as such it paves the way for future research on changes in small RNA regulatory molecules in the context of aging.
The Effect of Pyridostigmine as an Antidote for Botulinum Type A: An Experimental Study on Rabbits
Authors: Salim Alhasan Huda , Hasan Jawad , Alharoon Sawsan 
Published: December 2022

Background: Botulinum toxin (BoNT) or Botox injections are popular non-surgical and non-invasive option to optimize and change an individual’s facial appearance and achieve rejuvenation. Pyridostigmine is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor important in clinical practice. This study evaluated the toxic effect of BoNT to demonstrate the efficacy of anticholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine. Methods: We conducted an experimental interventional study to evaluate the antidote effect of pyridostigmine against BoNT. Forty rabbits (skeletally mature males, body weight 1000–2000 g) were included in the study. The rabbits were injected with Clostridium botulinum type A neurotoxin complex (BoNT or Botox), which was reconstituted with 0.9% sterile sodium chloride to a concentration of 100 U/2.5 mL. Animals were divided randomly into four groups (10 in each) as follows: Group 1 (control group), group 2 (pyridostigmine-treated group), group 3 (BoNT only group), and group 4 (BoNT + pyridostigmine treated group). Results: In the control group, there was statistical difference between the rabbits’ weight (P=0.03). The left muscle was significantly heavier than the right (P=0.025). In the pyridostigmine only group, the rabbits’ weight had a high statistical difference during four weeks of the study (P=0.002). In the BoNT injection group, weight had high statistically significant difference four weeks of the study (P=0.033), which was more in first week (1.55±0.2 kg) and then subsequently decreased in the fourth week (1.345±0.13 kg). The mean weight of the rabbits’ right quadriceps muscle was 6.573±1.3 g, which was significantly lower than the mean weight of the rabbits’ left quadriceps muscle (8.09±1.2 g, P=0.0001). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Iraq to investigate the antidote effect of pyridostigmine against BoNT injections. Pyridostigmine and saline caused increased weight of rabbits in comparison to rabbits that received BoNT injections. Pyridostigmine can act as strong antidote against Botox toxicity.
Three-dimensional wavelet decomposition-based radiomics analysis for tumor characterization in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Bagher-Ebadian Hassan , Siddiqui Farzan , Ghanem Ahmed I. , Movsas Benjamin , Chetty Indrin J. 
Published: December 2022

Background:We investigated the potential predictive value along with interpretability of the three-dimensional wavelet decomposition (3D-WD)-based radiomics analysis for characterization of gross-tumor-volumes (GTVs) for patients with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). The goal was to characterize and identify the spatial frequencies and regions of primary tumor that are responsible for classifying the HPV status.Methods:One-hundred twenty-eight OPSCC patients (60-HPV+ and 68-HPV-, confirmed by immunohistochemistry-P16-Protein) were retrospectively studied. 3D-WD analysis was performed on the contrast-enhanced-CT images of patients’ primary tumor-GTVs to decompose information into three decomposition levels explained by a series of high-pass and low-pass wavelet coefficients (WCs). Log-Energy-Entropy of the WCs was calculated as radiomics features. A Least-Absolute-Shrinkage-and-Selection-Operation (Lasso) technique combined with a Generalized-Linear-Model (Lasso-GLM) was applied on the feature space to identify and rank the frequency sub-bands associated with the HPV status. The classifier was validated using a nested-cross-validation technique. Average of Area Under ROC (AUC), and Positive and Negative Predictive values (PPV and NPV) were computed to estimate the generalization-error and performance of the classifier. The significant features were used to weight tumor sub-band frequencies to reconstruct the tumor zones with highest information towards characterization of HPV.Results:Among 22 frequency-based features, two low-frequency and two high-frequency features were statistically discriminant between the two cohorts. Results (AUC/PPV/NPV=0.798/0.745/0.823) imply that tumor’s high-frequency and low-frequency components are associated with its HPV positivity and negativity, respectively.Conclusions:This study suggests that compared to the central zones of tumor, peritumoral regions contain more information for characterization of the HPV-status. Albeit subject to confirmation in a larger cohort, this pilot study presents encouraging results in support of the role of frequency-based radiomics analysis towards characterization of tumor microenvironment in patients with OPSCC. By associating this information with tumor pathology, one can potentially link radiomics to underlying biological mechanisms.
Developing the multi-dimensional mobility divide index (MDI) as a methodology to assess the accessibility level of public transport systems
Authors: Repetto Cino , Benzi Leonardo , Bagnasco Martina , Hatzakis Tally , Brinkmann Florian , Alčiauskaitė Laura , Andrushevich Alexey (Aliaksei) , Koenig Alexandra 
Published: December 2022

Background: This paper presents the development of a multi-dimensional mobility divide index (MDI) for assessing the accessibility of public transport developed using a co-design approach, directly involving end-users in the index design process. The index measures the gap that persons with disabilities feel they need to over-come to use public transport in the same way non-disabled citizens do. The MDI covers six accessibility-related dimensions: 1) safety, 2) convenience, 3) comfort, 4) affordability, 5) travel time, and 6) autonomy. Methods: The method paper describes the step-by-step approach to create the MDI as a set of indicators to be rated by people with different access needs to 1) provide evidence of the main criticalities to be addressed through the design and implementation of new inclusive mobility solutions, 2) guide the design of new inclusive mobility solutions and measure their impacts, and 3) inform the transport sector encouraging positive changes in transport by providing recommendations for policy-making, new directions for service innovation, improvements and practical advice or highlighting investment priorities to pave the way for a more inclusive mobility. Results: We present our findings in ways that can inform universal design and provide actionable information to researchers, policymakers, transport and urban planners, operators, and stakeholders’ representatives to promote inclusive and equitable mobility solutions for all. Conclusions: Finally, we suggest follow up research and innovation, as well as recommendations for its uptake and utilisation in the pursuit of European accessibility standards and requirements for products and services in the mobility sector.
The genome sequence of the dotted bee-fly, Bombylius discolor (Mikan, 1796)
Authors: Broad Gavin R. ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Bombylius discolor (the dotted bee-fly; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Bombyliidae). The genome sequence is 280 megabases in span. Most of the assembly (99.93%) is scaffolded into six chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the X sex chromosome assembled. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.7 kilobases in length. Genome annotation identified 10,411 protein-coding genes.
A Generalized Newton Method for Subgradient Systems
Authors: Duy Khanh Pham , Mordukhovich Boris , Phat Vo Thanh 
Published: December 2022

This paper proposes and develops a new Newton-type algorithm to solve subdifferential inclusions defined by subgradients of extended real-valued prox-regular functions. The proposed algorithm is formulated in terms of the second order subdifferential of such functions that enjoy extensive calculus rules and can be efficiently computed for broad classes of extended real-valued functions. Based on this and on the metric regularity and subregularity properties of subgradient mappings, we establish verifiable conditions ensuring the well-posedness of the proposed algorithm and its local superlinear convergence. The obtained results are also new for the class of equations defined by continuously differentiable functions with Lipschitzian gradients ([Formula: see text] functions), which is the underlying case of our consideration. The developed algorithms for prox-regular functions and their extension to a structured class of composite functions are formulated in terms of proximal mappings and forward–backward envelopes. Besides numerous illustrative examples and comparison with known algorithms for [Formula: see text] functions and generalized equations, the paper presents applications of the proposed algorithms to regularized least square problems arising in statistics, machine learning, and related disciplines.Funding: Research of P. D. Khanh is funded by Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Foundation for Science and Technology [Grant CS.2022.19.20TD]. Research of B. Mordukhovich and V. T. Phat was partly supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation [Grants DMS-1808978 and DMS-2204519]. The research of B. Mordukhovich was also supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research [Grant 15RT0462] and the Australian Research Council under Discovery Project DP-190100555. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research [Grant 15RT0462].
What Drives the Change in Employment in the US Logging Industry? A Directed Acyclic Graph Approach
Authors: He Mingtao , Li Wenying , Smidt Mathew , Zhang Yaoqi 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
Employment in the US logging industry has been declining over the past few decades and fell to a 20-year low following the 2008 economic recession. This study investigates the drivers of employment in the US logging industry from 2007 to 2017, using a directed acyclic graph (DAG). This approach is applied for the first time to disclose the contemporaneous causal relations among employment, wages, mechanization, production level, and product prices in the logging industry. Forecast error variance decomposition (VD) is further used to examine the long-run dynamic relationships between these variables. The results show that the product price directly affects employment and indirectly promotes employment through wages. The results of VD show that mechanization has an increasing long-term effect on employment.