bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Equine enteroid-derived monolayers recapitulate key features of parasitic intestinal nematode infection
Authors: Hellman Stina , Martin Frida , Tydén Eva , Sellin Mikael E. , Norman Albin , Hjertner Bernt , Svedberg Pia , Fossum Caroline 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Stem cell-derived organoid cultures have emerged as attractive experimental models for infection biology research regarding various types of gastro-intestinal pathogens and host species. However, the large size of infectious nematode larvae and the closed structure of 3-dimensional organoids often hinder studies of the natural route of infection. To enable easy administration to the apical surface of the epithelium, organoids from the equine small intestine, i.e. enteroids, were in the present study used to establish epithelial monolayer cultures. These monolayers were functionally tested by stimulation with IL-4 and IL-13, and/or exposure to infectious stage larvae of the equine nematodes Parascaris univalens, cyathostominae and/or Strongylus vulgaris. Effects were recorded using transcriptional analysis combined with histochemistry, immunofluorescence-, live-cell- and scanning electron microscopy. These analyses revealed heterogeneous monolayers containing both immature and differentiated cells including tuft cells and mucus-producing goblet cells. Stimulation with IL-4/IL-13 increased tuft- and goblet cell differentiation as demonstrated by the expression of DCLK1 and MUC2. In these cytokine-primed monolayers, the expression of MUC2 was further promoted by co-culture with P. univalens. Moreover, live-cell imaging revealed morphological alterations of the epithelial cells following exposure to larvae even in the absence of cytokine stimulation. Thus, the present work describes the design, characterization and usability of an experimental model representing the equine nematode-infected small intestinal epithelium. The presence of tuft cells and goblet cells whose mucus production is affected by Th2 cytokines and/or the presence of larvae opens up for mechanistic studies of the casual interactions between nematodes and the equine intestinal mucosa.
PET/MR Based Attenuation Corrections of 18 F-FBPA PET for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy: Comparison with PET/CT-based Attenuation Correction
Authors: Lo Yi-Wen , Lin Ko-Han , Lee Chien-Ying , Li Chia-Wei , Lin Chien-Yuan , Chen Yi-Wei , Wang Ling-Wei , Wu Yuan-Hung , Huang Wen-sheng 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Tumor-to-normal ratio (T/N) measurement is crucial for patient eligibility to receive boron neutron capture therapy. This study aims to compare the difference in standard uptake value ratios on brain tumors and normal brains using PET/MR ZTE and atlas-based attenuation correction with the current standard PET/CT attenuation correction. Regarding the normal brain uptake, the difference was not significant between PET/CT and PET/MR attenuation correction methods. The T/N ratio of PET/CT-AC, PET/MR ZTE-AC and PET/MR AB-AC were 2.34 ± 0.95, 2.29 ± 0.88, and 2.19 ± 0.80, respectively. The T/N ratio comparison showed no significance using PET/CT-AC and PET/MR ZTE-AC. As for the PET/MRI AB-AC, significantly lower T/N ratio was observed (-5.18 ± 9.52%; p < 0.05). The T/N difference between ZTE-AC and AB-AC was also significant (4.71 ± 5.80%; p < 0.01). Our findings suggested PET/MET imaging using ZTE-AC provided superior quantification on FBPA-PET compared to atlas-based AC. Using ZTE-AC on FBPA-PET/MRI might be crucial for BNCT pre-treatment planning.
Circadian regulation of the lactate metabolic kinetics in mice using the [ 1 H- 13 C]-NMR technique
Authors: Chen Lili , Wu Kefan , He Jingang , Hou Jiabao , Zhang Yuan , Liu Lian , Wang Jie , Xia Zhongyuan 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Lactate is not only the energy substrate of neural cells, but also an important signal molecule in brain. In modern societies, disturbed circadian rhythms pose a global challenge. Therefore, exploring the influence of circadian period on lactate and its metabolic kinetics is essential for the advancement of neuroscientific research. In the present study, mice were infused [3-13C] lactate through the tail vein for a duration of two minutes. After 30 minutes lactate metabolism, the animals were sacrificed and the brain tissue was extracted and tested. And then the [1H-13C] NMR technology was employed to investigate the kinetic information of lactate metabolism in different brain regions during various time periods and acute sleep deprivation, to detect the enrichment of various neurochemicals. The results revealed fluctuating lactate concentrations in the brain throughout the day, with lower levels during light periods and higher levels during dark periods. Most metabolites displayed strong sensitivity to circadian rhythm, exhibiting significant day-night variations. Conversely, only a few metabolites showed changes after acute sleep deprivation, primarily in the temporal brain region. Interestingly, in contrast to brain lactate metabolism, liver lactate metabolism exhibited a significant increase following acute sleep deprivation. This study explored the kinetics of lactate metabolism, hinted at potential clinical implications for disorders involving circadian rhythm disturbances, and providing a new research basis for clinical exploration of brain lactate metabolism.
The burden of traveling for cervical cancer treatment in Uganda: a mixed-method study
Authors: Dau Hallie , Zhou Chuanlin , Nankya Esther , Naguti Priscilla , Basemera Miriam , Payne Beth A. , Vidler Marianne , McNair Avery , AboMoslim Maryam , Mithani Nadia , Smith Laurie , Orem Jackson , Nakisige Carolyn , Ogilvie Gina 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
BACKGROUND Uganda has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world. Many women are diagnosed and treated with advanced stages of the disease. With only one facility offering comprehensive cervical cancer care in Uganda, many women are required to travel significant distances and spend time away from their homes to receive cervical cancer care. It is important to understand the burden of time away from home while attending treatment because it can inform the expansion of cervical cancer screening programs. The aim of this mixed-methods paper is to describe how the distance to cervical cancer treatment locations impact women in Uganda.
METHODS Women were recruited from September 19, 2022, to January 17, 2023 at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) and the cancer clinic at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRF). Women were eligible for the study if they were (i) aged ≥18 years with a histopathologic diagnosis of cervical cancer; (ii) being treated at the UCI or JRRF for cervical cancer; and (iii) able to provide consent to participate in the study in English, Luganda, Lusoga, Luo, or Runyankole. All participants completed a quantitative survey and a selected group were sampled for semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using the convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. Descriptive statistics were reported for the quantitative data and qualitative data using an inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach.
RESULTS In all, 351 women participated in the quantitative section of the study and 24 in the qualitative. The quantitative and qualitative findings largely aligned and support one another. Women reported traveling up to 14 hours to receive treatment and 20% noted that they would spend three or more nights away from home during their current visit. Major themes of the qualitative include means of transportation, spending the night away from home, and financial factors.
CONCLUSION Our findings show that traveling to obtain cervical cancer care can be a significant burden for women in Uganda. Approaches should be considered to reduce this burden such as additional satellite cervical cancer clinics or subsidized transportation options.
“If the person dies the picture remains in my mind”. Experiences of healthcare workers in the provision of healthcare services to migrants in Botswana
Authors: Balekang Galekgatlhe Bailey , Galvin Treasa , Rakgoasi Daniel Serai 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
In recent years, cross-border migration has received significant attention in high-level political dialogues in many countries. While there exists some literature describing the health status of migrants, and examining how migrants perceive service use in receiving countries, there seems to be little focus on the perspectives of healthcare providers and the challenges they face in providing healthcare in encounter migrant environments. This study sought to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare providers in managing care for migrants, as well as to examine the challenges and barriers faced in their practices.
Methods
This study used a descriptive qualitative. Twenty healthcare workers participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted between May 2019 and July 2019. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
Healthcare professionals in different services experience similar difficulties when providing care to migrants. Healthcare providers reported that they experienced several challenges when dealing with migrants which include: problems related to the referral of migrant patients; lack of knowledge of the healthcare system on the part of migrants; language barriers; payment barriers; constraints on the provision of healthcare to migrants; and migrants are tricky people.
Conclusion
There is a need to provide medical staff with practical tools through training to ensure they are committed to providing quality care to vulnerable migrants groups. More attention should be paid to healthcare workers and migrant patients by providing effective strategies to enhance dialogues between the two parties for effective communication. Public health policies should be inclusive of migrant population to avoid conflicting decisions between professional integrity and policy statements.
Microstructural integrity of the locus coeruleus and its tracts reflect noradrenergic degeneration in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lin Chen-Pei , Frigerio Irene , Bol John GJM , Bouwman Maud MA , Wesseling Alex J , Dahl Martin J , Rozemuller Annemieke JM , Werf Ysbrand D van der , Pouwels Petra JW , de Berg Wilma DJ van , Jonkman Laura E 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background Degeneration of the locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic system contributes to clinical symptoms in Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Diffusion MRI has potential to evaluate the integrity of the LC noradrenergic system. The aim of the current study was to determine whether diffusion MRI-measured integrity of the LC and its tract is sensitive to noradrenergic degeneration in AD and PD.Methods Post-mortem in-situ T1-weighted and multi-shell diffusion MRI were performed for 9 AD, 14 PD, and 8 control brain donors. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and Mean diffusivity (MD), were derived from the LC, and from tracts between the LC and anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), primary motor cortex (M1) and hippocampus. Brain tissue sections of the LC and cortical regions were obtained and immunostained for dopamine-beta hydroxylase (DBH) to quantify noradrenergic cell density and fiber load. Group comparisons and correlations between outcome measures were performed using linear regression and partial correlations.Results AD and PD cases showed loss of LC noradrenergic cells and fibers. In the cortex, AD cases showed increased DBH + immunoreactivity in the DLPFC compared to PD cases and controls, while PD cases showed reduced DBH + immunoreactivity in the M1 compared to controls. Higher FA within the LC was found for AD, which was correlated with loss of noradrenergic cells and fibers in the LC. Increased FA of the LC-DLPFC tract was correlated with LC noradrenergic fiber loss in the combined AD and control group, whereas the LC-M1 tract was correlated with LC noradrenergic neuronal loss in the combined PD and control group. Tract alterations were not correlated with cortical DBH + immunoreactivity.Conclusions In AD and PD, diffusion MRI may have the potential to capture noradrenergic-related alteration within the LC and its tract, driven by local noradrenergic neuronal loss within the LC, rather than noradrenergic changes in the cortex.
On Salem Numbers of Totally Positivetrace Polynomial
Authors: Hichri Hachem 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
We show that the subset of Salem numbers whose nonreal conjugates all have either positive part or negative real partis discrete, relatively dense, but not uniformly discrete. Moreover,for any integer d ≥ 3, we provide an explicit construction of suchnumbers of any degree 2d.
2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 11R06,11K16;Secondary 11Y99.
Naturally Bred Korean Silkworm Cocoon Showing Strong Green Fluorescence and Its Textile-Based Environmental Sensing Applications
Authors: Jha Rakesh Kumar , Kim Seong-Wan , Kim Sunghwan 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Mulberry silkworms have provided many valuable byproducts to humans for 5,000 years. However, numerous possibilities for their utilization still exist owing to the countless varieties of silkworms. Here, we report the application of Yeonnokjam silk (pistachio silk, PS), one of the characteristic silk varieties in Korea, as a smart fabric environmental sensor. Unlike the previously reported extrinsically modified silk, this new silk textile emits fluorescence under external stimuli. PS cocoons were exposed to different concentrations of HCl vapors. Due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of the cocoon textile, a very low concentration (5 ppm) of HCl vapor can be detected by reading the decrease in the fluorescence intensity. At a lethal concentration (3000 ppm), an instantaneous fluorescence response is obtained. Additionally, the fluorescent pigment in PS can respond to temperature and can be extracted using ethanol, indicating that PS exhibits temperature and ethanol-sensing capabilities. The findings of this study prove that natural PS can be used in bio-optical applications.
Using Resynthesized Natural Data to Probe Algorithmic Bias: A Study in De-Identification Tools
Authors: Heider Paul M. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Purpose. We present a series of experiments designed to quantify the algorithmic bias inherent in six off-the-shelf de-identification systems. We frame the core measure of algorithmic bias for de-identification tools in terms of the following null hypothesis: an (unbiased) de-identification system will perform equally well regardless of the gender, race, or ethnicity of the patient.
Methods. We test this hypothesis within two frameworks. In the first condition, we inferred gender and race/ethnicity labels for two pre-existing de-identification corpora and analyzed performance on disaggregated subgroups. In the second condition, we controlled the dominant race/ethnicity bias for names used as realistic surrogates for resynthesizing one of these same corpora. We used false negative rate (FNR) and true positive rate (TPR) parity measures in addition to false negative counts and F1-score to evaluate the systems.
Results. In both conditions, we found cases of strong bias and near-zero bias. There was some evidence of gender bias across the de-identification systems while names indicative of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage had consistently high FNRs. We also found these pre-existing datasets to be relatively gender-balanced but heavily skewed towards White, non-Hispanic/Latinx names.
Conclusion. While parity value-based evaluations are key to understanding algorithmic bias, additional methods for identifying extreme parity values caused by low counts (i.e., floor effects) are also critical. Further, we hold our method of targeted resynthesis can be used not just for algorithmic bias evaluation but also for generating more diverse natural training/test samples for other natural language processing tasks.
Analytical performance validation of aPROMISE platform for prostate tumor burden, index and dominant tumor assessment with 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT. A pilot study
Authors: Garcia-Vicente Ana Maria , Lucas-Lucas Cristina , Pérez-Beteta Julián , Borrelli Pablo , Garcia-Zoghby Laura , Soriano-Castrejon Angel Maria , Amo-Salas Mariano 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Aim
To validate the performance of automated Prostate Cancer Molecular Imaging Standardized Evaluation (aPROMISE) in quantifying total prostate disease burden with 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT and to evaluate the interobserver and histopathologic concordance in the establishment of dominant and index tumour.
Material and methods
Patients with a recent diagnosis of intermediate/high risk prostate cancer underwent 18F-DCFPyL-PET/CT for staging purpose.
In positive-PSMA scans, automated prostate tumor segmentation was performed using aPROMISE software and compared to an in-house semiautomatic-manual guided segmentation procedure. SUV and volume related variables were obtained with both software. A blinded evaluation of dominant tumor (DT) and index tumor (IT) location was assessed by both groups of observers.
In histopathological analysis, Gleason, International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) group, DT and IT location were obtained.
We compared all the obtained variables by both software packages using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen’s kappa coefficient (k) for the concordance analysis.
Results
Fifty-four patients with a positive 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT were evaluated. The ICC for the SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion activity (TLA) was: 1, 0.833, 0.615, 0.494 and 0.950, respectively (p<0.001 in all cases). For DT and IT detection, a high agreement was observed between both softwares (k=0.733; p<0.001 and k=0.812; p<0.001, respectively) although the concordances with histopathology were moderate (p<0001).
Conclusions
The analytical validation of aPROMISE shows a good performance for the SUVmax, TLA, DT and IT definition in comparison to our in-house method, although the concordance was moderate with histopathology for DT and IT.
Total Electron Content Variations at a Low Latitude East African Station and Its Comparison with IRI-2016, IRI-Plas2017 and NeQuick-2 Models during Solar Cycle 24
Authors: Kayode Yusuf Olanrewaju , Okoh Daniel , Onori Eugene , Ometan Oluwafunmilayo , Ogwala Aghogho , Somoye Emmanuel , Adeniji-Adele Rasaq 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Ionospheric modelling is one of the most crucial approaches to study the activities of the ionosphere particularly in regions where experimental data are not readily available. This research aims to study the variations of Total Electron Content (TEC) in a low latitude east African station (Addis Ababa) by comparing experimental values of TEC from the Global Positioning System (GPS) with predicted data from IRI-2016, IRI-Plas2017 and NeQuick-2 models during solar cycle 24 using Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) metric analysis approach. An hourly interval profile computed on seasonal basis were used to study the behaviors of TEC. A monthly interval error profile plotted on annual basis was also used to investigate the deviations of the models from the GPS values. This study analyzed TEC data from 2011 to 2017, utilizing 84 months of available data. The results from this study showed TEC have their lowest values during the post-midnight hours (02:00UT) and highest values during the pre-noon hours (11:00UT). We also observed that Equinoxes have high value of TEC than Solstices except during the ascending and maximum phases where seasonal/winter anomalies were recorded. From our statistical analysis, MAE was observed to give error value of ~ 3 TECU (TEC units) lower than the RMSE. Also from this result, we concluded that MAE is a better statistical metric than RMSE. IRI-Plas2017 outperformed IRI-2016 and NeQuick-2 models in predicting TEC values in East Africa during solar cycle 24, with a 71.4% better performance compared to other models.
Bayesian Ananlysis of Mammalian Animals
Authors: Teklezgi Mehari Gebre 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Growth curve modelling which is a polular methodological tool due to its flexibility. The presence of many wild rabbits, the Oryctolagus cuniculus, in Australia are of major concern. Researchers were interested to investigate the age of the rabbits. Different types of models, including non-linear models were used. Besides. Different types of plots and diagrams for the measures of efficinecy were ued. Results revealed that dry weight of eye lens of the rabbit has nonlinear relationship with the age of the rabbit. The different posterior summary measures shown that differences between the estimates of the models were shown.
Fault structures of the Haichenghe fault zone in Liaoning, China from high-precision location based on dense array observation
Authors: Sun Qing-Shan , Bai Lan-Shu , Wang Liang , Wang Jiu-Yang , Yang Shi-Chao , Li En-Lai 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

The Haichenghe strike-slip blind fault, which experienced the M 7.3 Haicheng earthquake in 1975, is one of the most active seismic zones in eastern China. To better understand the fault structures, we deployed a dense array of 23 broadband seismic stations in the area in 2022, with an average distance interval of ~ 6 km. Combining the automatic workflow LOC-FLOW with manual review, we detect 1339 events with a completeness of magnitude ~ ML -0.1 using data recorded at the dense array and the Liaoning regional Seismic Network from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 in 2022. Of these, we relocated 877 earthquakes using Hypoinverse and HypoDD. The relocations finely delineate the NWW-striking Haichenghe fault, including the NW and SE segments, and its NE-trending conjugate fault. They also clearly feature two seismic gaps, one corresponding to the fragmentation zone generated by the M 7.3 Haicheng earthquake and the other being consistent with the low-velocity zone between NW and SE segments. Based on relocations, we further identify 10 clusters of recurrent events with a median magnitude of ML 0.8. We observed a phenomenon that several clusters are occurred right after the ML 3.7 event, the largest event during the observation. We suggest that, as a larger-magnitude earthquake, the ML 3.7 event resulted in the stress change along the fault plane and triggered the small-magnitude repeaters. Our results indicate that dense array observation in the study area could provide an abundant seismological basis for studying the Haichenghe blind fault.
Social Recommendation Based on Contrastive Learning of Hypergraph Convolution
Authors: Xue Peng , Gao Qian , Fan Jun 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Recommendation systems often use social relationships to improve recommendation quality in the face of sparse data. However, in reality, user interactions can be very complex, user relationships may be high-order, and the contribution of each neighbor may be different. Therefore, traditional social relationship methods cannot fully explore user interactions. Additionally, data sparsity can lead to poor model robustness, making it susceptible to noisy data. To address these issues, this paper proposes a multi-channel hypergraph convolutional network model based on contrastive learning, aiming to enhance social recommendation through high-order user relationships and contrastive learning. The model includes an embedding layer, a propagation layer, and a contrastive learning layer. For user embedding, each channel of the propagation layer learns high-order embedding information through hypergraph convolution. For item embedding, the neighbor-aware attention coefficient is used to mine the implicit correlations of items. In addition, the contrastive learning layer adds randomly uniform noise to the embedding to perform graph augmentation at the representation level, using contrastive learning to obtain more uniformly distributed embedding representations for score prediction. Experimental results on two real datasets, Douban and Yelp, show that the proposed model improves Recall and NDCG by 1.3%-2.1% and 2.0%-2.8%, respectively.