bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of welfare technology on care ethics: a qualitative analysis of healthcare professionals and managers’ experiences with welfare technologies
Authors: Gjerstad Brita , Gjerstad-Sørensen Ragnhild , Teig Inger Lise 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Providing healthcare for the elderly population is challenging due to a shortage of staff. The challenge is addressed by increased use of technology. The article explores the impact of welfare technology on healthcare personnel’s care ethical considerations in Norway’s primary healthcare sector. Through a qualitative study of how healthcare professionals, managers, and technology suppliers understand and perceive welfare technology in healthcare, we examine whether instrumental values displace care-ethical values in primary healthcare practices.

Methods
The study is based on a qualitative analysis of interviews with healthcare workers, healthcare managers and technology suppliers in primary healthcare in Norway. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and quality developers at the municipal administrative level and healthcare managers and staff in healthcare units. Interviews with suppliers/manufacturers of welfare technology (GPS, pill dispensers and robotics) were also conducted. We combined an inductive approach with theoretical exploration as we alternated between the empirical data, a thematic approach, and theories of technology and care ethics.

Results
In the analysis of the empirical material, we identified two overarching themes that were related to our research question: 1) demands and solutions and 2) two sides of autonomy. The informants generally highlighted the benefits of welfare technology, but the informants were also ambiguous about the use of welfare technology. Autonomy was seen as an important value but was attached with ambivalence.

Conclusion
Care ethical considerations are significantly present within healthcare professionals’ understandings of technology even though managers and technology suppliers were advocating for welfare technology in a more instrumental sense. Despite extensive acclaim for user autonomy, healthcare personnel make decisions about care and technology use independently of the resource situation. They hold onto a professional room of freedom in between the patient’s needs, available resources, and suitable technology. They are sceptical about applying technological solutions if they suspect it will lead to potentially adverse consequences, such as loneliness or increased insecurity due to technological illiteracy. By engaging a relational autonomy approach in their care practices, healthcare professionals control technology rather than submit to technology and we see that rather than being displaced by technical-economic reasoning, care ethical reasoning also accommodates technology.
Viruses and neurodegeneration: a growing concern
Authors: Shouman S. , Hesham N. , Salem T. Z. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) cause a progressive loss of neurons. Since NDDs are multifactorial, the precise etiology varies on the basis of the type of disease and patient history. Cohort studies and case studies have demonstrated a potential link between viral infections and the onset or progression of NDDs. Recent findings concerning the mechanisms by which neuropathic infections occur have provided more insights into the importance of such connections. In this review, we aim to elaborate on the occurrence of the neuropathic effects of viruses from epidemiological, clinical, and biological perspectives while highlighting potential treatments and challenges. One of the key players in viral neuropathogenesis is neuroinflammation caused by the immune response to the virus; this can occur due to both neurotropic and nonneurotropic viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about whether vaccines are essential for preventing viruses or whether vaccines may play a part in exacerbating or accelerating NDDs. By classifying viruses and the common NDDs associated with them and further delving into their cellular pathways, this review provides insights to advance the development of potential treatments and diagnostic methods.

Graphical Abstract
Brief communication: gaps and opportunities in HIV research in Venezuela
Authors: Morgado Jesús A. , Medina María G. , Guevara Rafael N. , Carballo Martín , Torres Jaime R. , Carrión-Nessi Fhabián S. , Forero-Peña David A. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Over the past decade, Venezuela has experienced a political and economic crisis that has affected the country’s scientific research development. Currently, the state of HIV research in Venezuela remains unknown. We conducted a systematic review identifying 683 articles over the last 20 years of which only 101 met our inclusion criteria. A decrease in national scientific production was observed starting in 2017, although there was an increase in foreign research on the Venezuelan migrant population. Knowledge gaps were identified in areas such as epidemiology, efficacy and resistance to antiretroviral therapy, and HIV in pregnancy.
Factors associated with alcohol, smoking, and illicit drug use among university students in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Authors: Cheuyem Fabrice Zobel Lekeumo , Edzamba Michel Franck , Amani Adidja , Mossus Tatiana 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Substance use, including alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, is a growing public health problem worldwide. There is a rapid increase in substance use among young adults in many sub-Saharan African countries. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with the use of different psychoactive substances among university students in Yaoundé.

Methods
A cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted from September to October 2023 at Yaoundé I University in Cameroon. All eligible students aged 18 years and older who gave written informed consent were included. A convenience nonprobability sampling method was used to recruit consenting students. The collected data were reviewed and checked for completeness before being entered. The data were analyzed using Statistics 4.3.3.

Results
A total of 191 university students were enrolled in the study. Age (p-value = 0.002), level of study (p-value = 0.048), and smoking status (p-value = 0.005) of the participants were significant factors associated with alcohol use on univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression showed that students aged 20-25 years were significantly 2.9 times more likely to consume alcohol than those aged less than 20 years (p-value = 0.003). Students who smoke were 2.7 times more at risk to drink alcohol than those who do not smoke (p-value = 0.008). Living situation (p-value = 0.013) and drug use status (p-value < 0.0001) were significant factors associated with smoking on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, people who used drugs (cocaine, tramadol, cannabis, amphetamine) were 3.2 times more at risk to smoke than drug non-users (p-value < 0.0001). Drug use was significantly associated with district of residence of consumer on univariate analysis (p-value = 0.024). Living situation (p-value = 0.016), faculty/school (p-value = 0.04), and district of residence (p-value = 0.037) were significantly associated with polysubstance use. Students living in shared accommodation were 3.8 times more at risk to be polysubstance users than those living with their families (p-value = 0.023). Almost all smokers (95.1%) reported being aware of the psychosocial, mental and health consequences of substance use (p-value = 0.021).

Conclusions
Age, living situation, district of residence and smoking status have been associated with substance use among college students. These sociodemographic factors can inform the development and implementation of tailored interventions to reduce the risk of subsequent substance dependence and other harmful consequences.
Approaches for difficult-to-induce-seizures electroconvulsive therapy cases (DEC): a Japanese expert consensus
Authors: Takekita Yoshiteru , Suwa Taro , Yasuda Kazuyuki , Kawashima Hirotsugu , Omori Wataru , Kurimoto Naoki , Tsuboi Takashi , Noda Takamasa , Aoki Nobuatsu , Wada Ken , Inada Ken , Takebayash Minoru ,   Expert Consensus Development Working Group,   Electroconvulsive Therapy Committee,   Japanese Society of General Hospital Psychiatry
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Seizure threshold increases with age and the frequency of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Therefore, therapeutic seizures can be difficult to induce, even at maximum stimulus charge with available ECT devices. Such cases are known as difficult-to-induce-seizures electroconvulsive therapy cases (DECs). However, no clinical guidelines exist for DECs; thus, clinicians often face difficulties determining treatment strategies. This study aimed to obtain a consensus among clinical experts regarding the treatment of DECs.

Methods
We asked Japanese ECT experts to rate 14 approaches under six conditions of DECs on a 9-point Likert scale (1 = “disagree” to 9 = “agree”). Based on responses from 195 experts, the approaches were classified as first-line (95% confidence interval mean ≥ 6.5), second-line (mean, 3.5–6.5), or third-line strategies (mean < 3.5). Approaches rated 9 points by at least 50% of the respondents were considered “treatments of choice.”

Results
To avoid difficult seizure induction, dose reduction of benzodiazepine receptor agonist (BZRA) (8.33 ± 1.25), dose reduction or discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) or other drugs that may make seizure induction difficult (8.16 ± 1.18), and ensure hyperventilation (7.95 ± 1.47) were classified as treatments of choice. First-line treatment strategies were BRZA discontinuation (7.89 ± 1.45), stimulation timing adjustment (7.00 ± 2.00), and anesthetic dose reduction (6.93 ± 1.94). Dose reduction or discontinuation of AEDs or other drugs that might make seizure induction difficult and ensure hyperventilation were the treatments of choice across all patient conditions. The results of rating approaches for patients with mood disorders and schizophrenia were similar, with differences observed among the approaches for patients with catatonia, high risk of cognitive impairment, and cardiovascular events.

Conclusions
ECT expert recommendations are useful and can assist in clinical decision-making. Our results suggest that while some strategies are applicable across all conditions, others should be tailored to meet the specific needs of patients. These recommendations should be further evaluated in future clinical studies.
Network pharmacology: a crucial approach in traditional Chinese medicine research
Authors: Zhai Yiyan , Liu Liu , Zhang Fanqin , Chen Xiaodong , Wang Haojia , Zhou Jiying , Chai Keyan , Liu Jiangying , Lei Huiling , Lu Peiying , Guo Meiling , Guo Jincheng , Wu Jiarui 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Network pharmacology plays a pivotal role in systems biology, bridging the gap between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory and contemporary pharmacological research. Network pharmacology enables researchers to construct multilayered networks that systematically elucidate TCM’s multi-component, multi-target mechanisms of action. This review summarizes key databases commonly used in network pharmacology, including those focused on herbs, components, diseases, and dedicated platforms for network pharmacology analysis. Additionally, we explore the growing use of network pharmacology in TCM, citing literature from Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI over the past two decades with keywords like “network pharmacology”, “TCM network pharmacology”, and “herb network pharmacology”. The application of network pharmacology in TCM is widespread, covering areas such as identifying the material basis of TCM efficacy, unraveling mechanisms of action, and evaluating toxicity, safety, and novel drug development. However, challenges remain, such as the lack of standardized data collection across databases and insufficient consideration of processed herbs in research. Questions also persist regarding the reliability of study outcomes. This review aims to offer valuable insights and reference points to guide future research in precision TCM network pharmacology.
Revisiting the oxygen reactivity index in traumatic brain injury: the complementary value of combined focal and global autoregulation monitoring
Authors: Svedung Wettervik Teodor , Beqiri Erta , Hånell Anders , Bögli Stefan Yu , Olakorede Ihsane , Chen Xuhang , Helmy Adel , Lavinio Andrea , Hutchinson Peter J. , Smielewski Peter 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
The oxygen reactivity index (ORx) reflects the correlation between focal brain tissue oxygen (pbtO2) and the cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Previous, small cohort studies were conflicting on whether ORx conveys cerebral autoregulatory information and if it is related to outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Thus, we aimed to investigate these issues in a larger TBI cohort.

Methods
425 TBI patients with intracranial pressure (ICP)- and pbtO2-monitoring for at least 12 h, who had been treated at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK, were included. Association between ORx and ICP, pressure reactivity index (PRx), CPP, ΔCPPopt (actual CPP-CPPopt [PRx based optimal CPP]), and pbtO2 were evaluated with generalized additive models (GAMs). Association between ORx and outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS]) was investigated with logistic regressions and heatmaps for those 239 patients with GOS data.

Results
GAMs showed that ORx increased with higher ICP, PRx above + 0.30, CPP below 60–70 mmHg, and negative ΔCPPopt. In contrast to PRx, ORx did not increase at higher CPP. In outcome heatmaps, there was a transition towards unfavourable outcome when ORx exceeded + 0.50, particularly for longer durations, and in combination with high ICP, high PRx, low CPP, negative ΔCPPopt, and low pbtO2. In multivariable logistic regressions, higher ORx was associated with increased mortality.

Conclusions
ORx seemed to be sensitive to the lower, but not the upper, limit of autoregulation, in contrast to PRx which was sensitive to both. The combination of high values for both ORx and PRx was particularly associated with worse outcome and, thus, ORx may provide a complementary value to the global index PRx. ORx could also be useful to determine the safe and dangerous perfusion target intervals.
Comparative assessment of Mini-FLOTAC, McMaster and semi-quantitative flotation for helminth egg examination in camel faeces
Authors: Mohammedsalih Khalid M. , Hassan Salma A. , Juma Fathel-Rahman , Saeed Shamsaldeen I. , Bashar Ahmed , von Samson-Himmelstjerna Georg , Krücken Jürgen 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Faecal egg counts (FECs) are essential for diagnosing helminth infections and guiding treatment decisions. For camels, no evaluations of coproscopic methods regarding precision, sensitivity and correlation between individual and pooled faecal samples are currently available.

Methods
Here, 410 camel faecal samples were collected in 2022 from South Darfur State, Sudan, and analysed to compare the semi-quantitative flotation, McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC methods in terms of precision, sensitivity, inter-rater reliability and helminth egg count correlations, as well as the effects of pooling samples. Six samples were used to assess precision for McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC, while the remaining 404 samples were evaluated for sensitivity, inter-rater reliability and egg count correlations. Of these, 80 samples were used in pooling experiments.

Results
Six analyses of each sample (n = 6) using the McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC methods revealed no significant difference in the coefficient of variation between the two. For strongyle eggs, 48.8%, 52.7% and 68.6% were positive for McMaster, semi-quantitative flotation and Mini-FLOTAC, respectively. The sensitivity of the three methods showed only minimal improvement when three egg counts were performed on the same sample. McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC had similar sensitivity for Strongyloides spp. (3.5% frequency), while it was lower for semi-quantitative flotation at 2.5%. Mini-FLOTAC was more sensitive for Moniezia spp., detecting 7.7% of positives compared with 4.5% for semi-quantitative flotation and 2.2% for McMaster. For Trichuris spp., frequencies were 0.3% with Mini-FLOTAC, 0.7% with McMaster and 1.7% with semi-quantitative flotation. Mini-FLOTAC also detected higher strongyle eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces (mean 537.4) compared with McMaster (330.1). More samples exceeded treatment thresholds with Mini-FLOTAC, with 28.5% of animals having EPG ≥ 200 compared with 19.3% for McMaster, while 19.1% showed EPG ≥ 500 with Mini-FLOTAC compared with 12.1% with McMaster. There was no significant correlation between individual and pooled strongyle FECs, as indicated by Pearson correlation coefficients of r ≥ 0.368 (P ≥ 0.113) and Spearman correlation.

Conclusions
Mini-FLOTAC outperformed semi-quantitative flotation and McMaster in diagnosing helminth infections in camels, offering greater sensitivity and detecting higher EPGs, particularly for strongyles, Strongyloides spp. and Moniezia spp. Thus, treatment decisions based on Mini-FLOTAC EPGs will lead to more treatments.

Graphical Abstract
Recent advancements in the diverse roles of polymerase-associated proteins in the replication and pathogenesis of Newcastle disease virus
Authors: Zhou Jinghang , Duan Yuqi , Liu Menglan , Liu Jinyang , Hu Zenglei , Duan Zhiqiang 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a significant member of the Paramyxoviridae family, known for causing epidemics and substantial economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. The NDV RNA genome primarily encodes six structural proteins (N, P, M, F, HN, and L) and two non-structural proteins (V and W). Among these, the polymerase-associated proteins (N, P, and L) and the viral RNA (vRNA) genome form the ribonucleoprotein complex, which plays a crucial role in the synthesis and transcription of NDV vRNA. In the last two decades, numerous studies have demonstrated that the polymerase-associated proteins are linked to the virulence, pathotype, and thermostability of NDV. Additionally, the interactions between these polymerase-associated proteins and host proteins are closely related to the NDV’s replication and pathogenicity. Despite significant progress in understanding the unique and shared functions of NDV polymerase-associated proteins, research on these viral proteins’ structure and function is less comprehensive than other NDV proteins, and the available information is often scattered. Therefore, this article systematically summarises and reviews the research progress made in understanding the structural features, virulence, pathotype, and thermostability correlation of NDV polymerase-associated proteins, as well as the critical roles of interactions between polymerase-associated proteins and host proteins in NDV replication and pathogenicity. This review aims to enhance our understanding of the complex functions of polymerase-associated proteins in NDV replication and pathogenesis and to contribute to the development of more effective vaccines and antiviral drugs against NDV challenges.
DNA methylation of ACADS promotes immunogenic cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Qian Ze , Jiang Yifan , Wang Yacong , Li Yu , Zhang Lin , Xu Xiaofeng , Chen Diyu 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Altered metabolism has become an important characteristic of cancer, and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase short-chain (ACADS), a regulator of lipid synthesis, is involved in carcinogenesis-associated metabolic pathways. DNA methylation is an important mechanism for silencing ACADS in various malignancies. However, the specific role of ACADS in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis remains poorly understood.

Methods and results
Using RNA sequencing data from different tumours in The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we observed that ACADS was downregulated and hypermethylated in HCC. Three potential CpG island sites (cg01535453, cg08618068, and cg10174836) were identified in the ACADS promoter. Through in vivo and in vitro experiments, we confirmed that cg08618068 was methylated in HCC. We defined this site as ACADS methylation site-2 (ACADS MS-2). Methylation of ACADS MS-2 was associated with worse survival, and mutation of MS-2 increased ACADS mRNA levels in five HCC cell lines. Sustained overexpression of ACADS not only suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells but also promoted immunogenic cell death (ICD) via the upregulation of calreticulin. Subsequently, we established a specific nomogram based on ACADS methylation levels to evaluate the 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients with HCC who underwent surgical resection.

Conclusions
Our work clarified that ACADS acts as a putative tumour suppressor in HCC and confirmed that a nomogram including ACADS methylation had good predictive performance in HCC. We also discovered a correlation between ACADS and ICD, suggesting that ACADS is an essential target for immunotherapy in HCC.

Graphical Abstract
Sound recurrence analysis for acoustic scene classification
Authors: Abeßer Jakob , Liang Zhiwei , Seeber Bernhard 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In everyday life, people experience different soundscapes in which natural sounds, animal noises, and man-made sounds blend together. Although there have been several studies on the importance of recurring sound patterns in music and language, the relevance of this phenomenon in natural soundscapes is still largely unexplored. In this article, we study the repetition patterns of harmonic and transient sound events as potential cues for acoustic scene classification (ASC). In the first part of our study, our aim is to identify acoustic scene classes that exhibit characteristic sound repetition patterns concerning harmonic and transient sounds. We propose three metrics to measure the overall prevalence of sound repetitions as well as their repetition periods and temporal stability. In the second part, we evaluate three strategies to incorporate self-similarity matrices as an additional input feature to a convolutional neural network architecture for ASC. We observe the characteristic repetition of transient sounds in recordings of “park” and “street traffic” as well as harmonic sound repetitions in acoustic scene classes related to public transportation. In the ASC experiments, hybrid network architectures, which combine spectrogram features and features from sound recurrence analysis, show increased accuracy for those classes with prominent sound repetition patterns. Our findings provide additional perspective on the distinctions among acoustic scenes previously primarily ascribed in the literature to their spectral features.