bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of E. coli and C. albicans with a Dietary Women’s Health Formulation
Authors: Robins Howard , Kamarei A. Reza , Finkelstein Eric 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
Two common infections in women are urinary tract infections (UTIs) and vaginal candidiasis (VC). The focus of this research project was to counter the root causes of these two infections, namely, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Candida albicans (C. albicans).
Purpose
The purpose of this research project was to develop a dietary formulation for women’s health that inhibits both E. coli and C. albicans.
Materials & Methods
We designed a propriety blend of five strains of Bifidobacteria, ten strains of Lactobacilli, and organic cranberry powder. For the carriers, we chose a proprietary blend of organic red fruit and vegetable juices. The probiotics were added to a sterilized blend of juice and cranberry powder. Three strains of E. coli and two strains of C. albicans were used in this study.
Results
While E. coli in the control sample showed a typical growth curve for microorganisms, E. coli growth was completely inhibited in the test sample from days 1 to 5. Similarly, while C. albicans in the control sample showed overwhelming uncountable growth, C. albicans growth in the test sample was reduced by 70% on day 1 and was completely inhibited from day 2 to day 5.
Conclusion
The results of this in vitro study indicate that E. coli O157:H7 and C. albicans (the microorganisms responsible for UTI and VC) were completely inhibited by a healthy dietary formulation for women. These findings have advanced our knowledge of the inhibition of two pathogens responsible for two common medical problems in women.
Peripheral blood DNA methylation analysis reveals epigenetic marks associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk
Authors: Paniagua Felipe Vaca , Cruz Miguel Ruiz de la , Gregorio Héctor Martínez , Díaz-Velásquez Clara , Ambriz-Barrera Fernando , Resendiz-Flores Norma , Gitler Rina , Rojo-Castillo María , Pradda Didier , oliver Javier , Perdomo Sandra , Gómez-García Eva , De-La-Cruz-Montoya Aldo , Terrazas Luis , Torres-Mejía Gabriela , Hernández-Hernández Fidel de la Cruz 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Background. Only a fraction of 15-20% of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) patients carry pathogenic coding genetic variants. Therefore, other pathogenic molecular mechanisms could explain the etiopathology of the syndrome. Aberrant germline DNA methylation in tumor suppressors has been reported in HBOC.
Methods. We aimed to discover novel methylation marks associated with HBOC risk in 231 incident cases negative for pathogenic variants and 156 healthy controls using peripheral blood DNA, through methylation analysis by targeted bisulfite sequencing (NGS-Illumina) on 18 tumor suppressor gene promoters (330 CpG sites).
Results. Increased methylation levels were detected in the promoters of EPCAM (p=0.00088), ATM (p=0.0074), and RAD51C (p=0.018). Four specific sites were linked to an increased risk of HBOC, FANCI (cg89786999) OR:1.64 (95%CI:1.3-2.0), PALB2 (cg23652916) OR=1.65 (95%CI:1.4-1.9), MSH2 (cg47630224) OR:1.93 (95%CI:1.5-2.4), and EPCAM (cg47596828) OR= 2.93 (95%CI:2.1-4.1). The biomarker capacity of the four sites showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.758, high specificity and sensitivity. Comparison with three well-established cohorts revealed that MSH2 cg47630224 methylation was associated with 3-fold increased HBOC risk (AUC: 0.892, sensitivity: 0.90, specificity: 0.89).
Conclusions. Four novel DNA methylation CpG sites were associated with HBOC risk, suggesting potential application as biomarkers in patients without detectable coding mutations.
Restored oxbow wetlands within an agricultural landscape: using physical and biological characteristics to evaluate impacts of tile drainage input
Authors: Leberg Samuel , Osterhaus Dylan , Pierce Clay , Stewart Timothy 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Oxbow wetlands have been restored in the Midwestern United States to sequester sediment and nutrients originating from agricultural activities and to provide habitat for wetland-dependent species. Intensive agriculture may have adverse impacts on oxbow functions, especially if wetlands receive water inputs from subsurface drainage systems (e.g., tile drainage). To explore the influence of tile drainage on oxbow wetland ecology, we quantified relationships between physical and biotic variables in 12 Iowa, USA oxbows over a two-year period. Six oxbows received direct water inputs from tile drainage (multipurpose oxbows), whereas remaining sites did not (non-tiled oxbows). In each oxbow, we measured physical variables and documented taxonomic composition, diversity, and abundance of macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, and fishes. Although water temperature was lower in multipurpose oxbows, values for remaining physical variables were similar across sites. No significant difference was detected for any biotic variable across oxbow type. Across field seasons, 44 invertebrate taxa were observed in both oxbow types with an average richness of 18.6 in non-tiled oxbows and 17.5 in tile-fed oxbows. We sampled 35 fish species, with an average richness of 8.2 in non-tiled oxbows and 11.4 in multipurpose oxbows. A total of 2682 Topeka shiner were found in both non-tiled and multipurpose oxbows. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that potential physical determinants of macrophyte, invertebrate, and fish abundance were unrelated to tile drainage. Our results suggest that tile drainage has negligible ecological impact on multipurpose oxbows in agricultural landscapes and does not cause physical or biological characteristics to differ significantly between oxbow types.
Effects of neighborhood built environment on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review
Authors: Song Yiling , Bai Xiaotian , Yu Hongjun 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
With an increasingly aging population, older adults are at increased risk for cognitive impairment. Exposure to complex neighborhood built environments may be beneficial to the cognitive health of older adults, and the purpose of this study was to systematically review the scientific evidence on the effects of neighborhood built environments on cognitive function in older adults.
Methods
Keywords and references were searched in Web of Science, Pubmed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Studies examining the relationship between the built environment and cognitive function in older adults were included. The neighborhood built environment as an independent variable was classified according to seven aspects: density, design, diversity, destination accessibility, public transportation distance, blue-green space, and built environment quality. The cognitive function as the dependent variable was classified according to overall cognitive function, domain-specific cognitive function, and incidence of dementia. The quality of the included literature was assessed using the National Institutes of Health's Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Study Quality Assessment Tool.
Results
A total of 56 studies were included that met the inclusion criteria, including 31 cross-sectional studies, 23 longitudinal studies, 1 case-control study, and 1 longitudinal study design combined with a case-control design. Most of the studies reviewed indicate that the built environment factors that were positively associated with cognitive function in older adults were population density, street connectivity, walkability, number of public transportation stops around the residence, land use mix, neighborhood resources, green space, and quality of the neighborhood built environment. Built environment factors that were negatively associated with cognitive function in older adults were street integration, distance from residence to main road. The relationship between residential density, destination accessibility, and blue space with cognitive function in older adults needs to be further explored.
Conclusion
Preliminary evidence suggests an association between the neighborhood built environment and cognitive function in older adults. The causal relationship between the built environment and cognitive function can be further explored in the future using standardized and combined subjective and objective assessment methods, and longitudinal or quasi-experimental study designs. For public health interventions on the cognitive health of older adults, it is recommended that relevant authorities include the neighborhood built environment in their intervention programs.
Experiences and attitudes of clinical and academic nurses about Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nursing Curriculum and Duties - A Qualitative Study
Authors: Gorjian Zahra , Asadizaker Marziyeh , Zarea Kourosh , Irajpour Alireza , Ahmadi Fatemeh , Rokhafroz Dariush 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Background
The widespread emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and their psychological, social, economic, and social effects are evident at the national and international levels, especially in recent years. Special nurses could be effective to prevent and control such infections phenomenon. In Iran, there is no special IPC nurse who is responsible for controlling infections. This research explores clinical and academic nurses’ attitudes about Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nursing Curriculum and Duties.
Methods
Qualitative research design was adopted with content analysis based on the data of a comparative study of a master of infection prevention and control curricula in different countries in 2022 in X. Thirty-six participants including clinical and academic nurses through a purposive sampling were recruited. Data was gathered via in-depth seven semi-structured discussions of the focused groups. The accuracy and validity of the research tools were measured by Four-Dimension Criteria (FDC) developed by Lincoln and Guba.
Results
A total of 628 codes, 30 subcategories and 4 categories were extracted from the quotes. The categories obtained were: "Necessity and importance of creating a specialized field", " Expected capabilities and skills", “General characteristics of the curriculum " and "Course evaluation".
Conclusion
Specialist nurses of IPC can play their roles in various positions and environments. Therefore, the establishment of IPC nursing courses should be taken into account by educational policymakers in Iran. It is also suggested that other policymakers and decision makers in the nursing field of other less developed countries should put this issue on their agenda.
Association between living alone and all-cause mortality of young and middle-aged patients with acute myocardial infarction: analysis of the China Acute Myocardial Infarction (CAMI) registry
Authors: Jiang Yu , Yang Jin-Gang , Qian Hai-Yan , Yang Yue-Jin 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background: Lack of social support is a known predictor of the prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Although as a common factor associated with social support, there are limited data on long-term prognostic impact of living status in young and middle-aged patients with AMI.
Methods and Results: We analyzed data from the China Acute Myocardial Infarction (CAMI) Registry, a total of 8307 consecutive AMI young and middle-aged patients admitted at 108 hospitals in China between January 2013 and September 2014 were included. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality. The secondary endpoints included in-hospital mortality and 2-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs; a composite of all-cause mortality, MI, or stroke). Multivariate logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the effect of living status on short-term and long-term outcomes. Of the analyzed patients, living alone was associated with 2-year all-cause mortality and MACCEs among all analyzed patients after multivariate adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] =2.082 [1.192-3.636], P=0.010; adjusted HR =2.130 [1.387-3.269], P=0.001), but not with poorer in-hospital mortality.
Conclusions: The analysis suggested that living alone was associated with both 2-year all-cause mortality and MACCEs in AMI young and middle-aged patients but did not show an extra effect on the in-hospital mortality after covariate adjustment.
Registration: NCT01874691 at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/
Evaluation of an artificial intelligence-based clinical trial matching system in Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study
Authors: Wang Kunyuan , Cui Hao , Zhu Yun , Hu Xiaoyun , Hong Chang , Guo Yabing , An Lingyao , Zhang Qi , Liu Li 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted clinical trial screening is a promising prospect, although previous matching systems were developed in English, and relevant studies have only been conducted in Western countries. Therefore, we evaluated an AI-based clinical trial matching system (CTMS) that extracts medical data from the electronic health record system and matches them to clinical trials automatically.
Methods: This study included 1,053 consecutive inpatients primarily diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma who were referred to the liver tumor center of an academic medical center in China between January and December 2019. The eligibility criteria extracted from two clinical trials, patient attributes, and gold standard were decided manually. We evaluated the performance of the CTMS against the established gold standard by measuring the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and run time required.
Results: The manual reviewers demonstrated acceptable interrater reliability (Cohen’s kappa 0.65–0.88). The performance results for the CTMS were as follows: accuracy, 92.9%–98.0%; sensitivity, 51.9%–83.5%; specificity, 99.0%–99.1%; PPV, 75.7%–85.1%; and NPV, 97.4%–98.9%. The time required for eligibility determination by the CTMS and manual reviewers was 2 hours and 150 hours, respectively.
Conclusions: We found that the CTMS is particularly reliable in excluding ineligible patients in a significantly reduced amount of time. The CTMS excluded ineligible patients for clinical trials with good performance, reducing 98.7% of the work time. Thus, such AI-based systems with natural language processing and machine learning have potential utility in Chinese clinical trials.
Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal molecular mechanism of amino acid transport between source and sink during tea shoots development
Authors: Zhang Jie , Sun Kangwei , Wang Yu , Qian Wenjun , Shen Jiazhi , Sun Litao , Ding Zhaotang , Fan Kai 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Nitrogen transport from source to sink is crucial for tea shoots growth and quality formation. Amino acid represents the major transport form of reduced nitrogen in the phloem between source and sink, but the molecular mechanism of amino acid transport from source leaves to new shoots is not yet clear. Therefore, the composition of metabolites in phloem exudates collected by the EDTA-facilitated method was analyzed through widely-targeted metabolomics. A total of 326 metabolites were identified in the phloem exudates with the richest variety of amino acids and their derivatives (93), accounting for approximately 39.13% of the total metabolites. Moreover, through targeted metabolomics, it was found that the content of glutamine, glutamic acid, and theanine was the most abundant, and gradually increased with the development of new shoots. Meanwhile, transcriptome analysis suggested that the expression of amino acid transport genes changed significantly. The WGCNA analysis identified that the expression levels of CsAVT1, CsLHTL8, and CsAAP6 genes located in the MEterquoise module were positively correlated with content of amino acids such as glutamine, glutamic acid, and theanine in phloem exudates. Reducing the CsAAP6 in mature leaves resulted in a significant decrease in the content of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, leucine, asparagine, glutamine, arginine in the phloem exudates, indicating that CsAAP6 played an important role in the source to sink transport of amino acids in the phloem. The research results will provide the theoretical basis and genetic resources for the improvement of nitrogen use efficiency and tea quality.
Adaptation of the spiritual care guideline for the Iranian elderly: Study protocol
Authors: Azadmanesh Mohammad , Keshvari Mahrokh , Karimi Tayebe , Jamalinasab Aliasghar 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Spiritual health in the elderly creates integrity and wholeness in them and gives purpose and meaning to their lives. Thus, this aspect of health needs special consideration in nursing practice. Clinical practice guidelines assist the medical staff in delivering care that is more effective in this regard. This study aims to develop a spiritual care (SC) guideline for the elderly since there isn't a clinical practice guideline for spiritual care in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The Guidelines International Network's ADAPTE process was chosen as the basis for work.
DISCUSSION:
The application of the guidelines is improved by identifying and incorporating the perspectives of patients and caregivers during the adaptation process. One of the expected effects of implementing this guideline is an improvement in the patient's quality of life.
Phenotypic Variability of Polymerase Gamma–Associated Ataxia
Authors: Wei Yanping , Guan Yuzhou , Qian Min 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Objective: Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (POLG) are causing a wide spectrum of overlapping disorders, including ataxia as one of the most common presentations. Our study was to determine the clinical, electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and genetic characteristics of the POLG-associated ataxias (POLG-A).
Methods: We assessed 3 adult ataxia patients with biallelic POLG mutations for exhaustive phenotypes, follow-up data, and accessory investigations, consisting of blood chemistry, metabolic survey, cerebral fluid analysis, electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction velocity (NCV), electroencephalogram (EEG), brain MRI, muscle biopsy, and gene sequencing.
Results: In these 3 POLG-A patients, ataxia was one of the first and dominant presentations, and aggravated gradually. Significant proprioceptive loss caused by sensory neuropathy indicated that sensory ataxias prevailed over cerebellar ones. Clusters of non-ataxia phenotypes consisted of ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, dysarthria, dysphagia and exercise intolerance in Patient2 and Patient3, epileptic seizures in Patient1. Consequently, Patient2 and Patient3 were identified as sensory ataxic neuropathy, dysarthria and ophthalmoparesis (SANDO), while Patient 1 conformed to spinal cerebellar ataxia with epilepsy (SCAE). Brain imaging seemed noncontributory. The final diagnosis relies on the molecular finding of deleterious mutations in POLG.
Conclusions: We confirm that the presence of prominent ataxia, mainly due to sensory neuropathy, especially when companied by diverse associations of muscle weakness involving ocular and pharyngeal muscle, epilepsy, exercise intolerance, hearing loss, should guide clinicians towards POLG-A.
Low-carbon environmentally friendly reverse-phase emulsion synthesis of polyacrylamide and rheological performance studies
Authors: Wen Xin , Wang Lei , Lai XiaoJuan , Liu Guiru , Yang Wenwen , Gao Jinhao , Liu Ya-meng 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Reverse emulsion polymerization is an effective method for synthesizing high-molecular-weight polymers. Herein, isoamyl caprylate was used as a replacement for traditional white oil as the continuous phase, and sorbitan monostearate/polysorbate was used as the emulsion system. When the composite emulsion system exhibited a hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 5.72, water and isoamyl caprylate formed a super-low-interfacial-tension and stable-interface membrane, thereby affording a stable reverse emulsion with a uniform particle size distribution. By studying the kinetics of the polymerization reaction, high-molecular-weight polyacrylamide spatial network structures (termed RSEs), with molecular weights of ˃18 million, were obtained. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that RSE molecules in the aqueous solution were in a microaggregate state and constituted a three-dimensional spatial network structure. The RSE polymer exhibited good temperature and shear resistances, and in an aqueous solution, it displayed typical non-Newtonian fluid behavior. Oscillatory viscoelastic tests on different concentrations of the RSE polymer demonstrated that G' ˃ G", indicating that the RSE solution was primarily elastic. This study provides a foundation and theoretical basis for the application of ester compounds in reverse emulsion polymerization. Moreover, it offers a new possibility for replacing white oil and reducing the environmental impacts of polymer production and application.
5’UTR G-quadruplex structure enhances translation in size dependent manner
Authors: Myong Sua , Lee Chun-Ying , Joshi Meera , Wang Ashley 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Translation initiation in bacteria is frequently regulated by various structures in the 5’ untranslated region (5’UTR). Previously, we demonstrated that G-quadruplex (G4) formation in non-template DNA enhances transcription. In this study, we aimed to explore how G4 formation in mRNA (RG4) at 5’UTR impacts translation using a T7-based in vitro translation system and in E. coli. We showed that RG4 strongly promotes translation efficiency in a size-dependent manner. Additionally, inserting a hairpin upstream of the RG4 further enhances translation efficiency, reaching up to a 12-fold increase. We found that the RG4-dependent effect is not due to increased ribosome affinity, ribosome binding site accessibility, or mRNA stability. We proposed a physical barrier model in which bulky structures in 5’UTR prevent ribosome dislodging and thereby increase the translation output. This study provides biophysical insights into the regulatory role of 5’UTR structures in bacterial translation, highlighting their potential applications in tuning gene expression.
Peak risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection within five seconds of face-to-face encounters: an observational/retrospective study
Authors: Asai Takeshi , Kurosaki Erina , Kimachi Kaoru , Nakayama Masao , Koido Masaaki , Hong Songchan 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

The link between aerosol dynamics and viral exposure risk is not fully understood, particularly during movement and face-to-face interactions. To investigate this, we employed Particle Trace Velocimetry with a laser sheet and a high-speed camera to measure microparticles from a human mannequin’s mouth. The average peak time in the non-ventilated condition (expiratory volume, 30 L; passing speed, 5 km/h) was 1.33 s (standard deviation = 0.32 s), while that in the ventilated condition was 1.38 s (standard deviation = 0.35 s). Our results showed that the peak of viral exposure risk was within 5 s during face-to-face encounters under both ventilated and non-ventilated conditions. Moreover, the risk of viral exposure greatly decreased in ventilated conditions compared to non-ventilated conditions. Based on these findings, considering a risk mitigation strategy for the duration of 5 seconds during face-to-face encounters is expected to significantly reduce the risk of virus exposure in airborne transmission.