bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetics in ophthalmology: molecular blueprints of retinoblastoma
Authors: Marković Leon , Bukovac Anja , Varošanec Ana Maria , Šlaus Nika , Pećina-Šlaus Nives 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis review presents current knowledge on the molecular biology of retinoblastoma (RB). Retinoblastoma is an intraocular tumor with hereditary and sporadic forms. 8,000 new cases of this ocular malignancy of the developing retina are diagnosed each year worldwide. The major gene responsible for retinoblastoma is RB1, and it harbors a large spectrum of pathogenic variants. Tumorigenesis begins with mutations that cause RB1 biallelic inactivation preventing the production of functional pRB proteins. Depending on the type of mutation the penetrance of RB is different. However, in small percent of tumors additional genes may be required, such as MYCN, BCOR and CREBBP. Additionally, epigenetic changes contribute to the progression of retinoblastoma as well. Besides its role in the cell cycle, pRB plays many additional roles, it regulates the nucleosome structure, participates in apoptosis, DNA replication, cellular senescence, differentiation, DNA repair and angiogenesis. Notably, pRB has an important role as a modulator of chromatin remodeling. In recent years high-throughput techniques are becoming essential for credible biomarker identification and patient management improvement. In spite of remarkable advances in retinoblastoma therapy, primarily in high-income countries, our understanding of retinoblastoma and its specific genetics still needs further clarification in order to predict the course of this disease and improve therapy. One such approach is the tumor free DNA that can be obtained from the anterior segment of the eye and be useful in diagnostics and prognostics.
Identification and cross-country comparison of students’ test-taking behaviors in selected eTIMSS 2019 countries
Authors: Zheng Xiaying , Sahin Fusun , Erberber Ebru , Fonseca Frank 
Published: September 2023

AbstractUnfavorable test-taking behaviors, such as speededness and disengagement, have long been a validity concern for large-scale low-stakes assessments. Understanding the presence and extent of such behaviors is important for ensuring the validity of inferences based on test scores. This study examined test-taking behaviors using item response time (RT), a process data-derived variable from the TIMSS 2019 database. Analyses compared the United States to three other countries (England, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates) that administered the digital version of TIMSS (eTIMSS) 2019 in English at grade 8. Test-taking behaviors were identified within each country and compared within and across countries. Specifically, to identify distinct types of test-taking behaviors, mixture modeling was employed on RT and item scores from Booklet 1, Part 1, of the eTIMSS 2019 eighth-grade assessment. The results indicated that each country had several latent classes of students with different pacing trajectories and performance. The test-taking behaviors of these latent classes were labeled as Steady; Disengaged or Very disengaged; Speeded or Very speeded; and Efficient and high-performing. Most of the students in each country had a Steady pace (medium to high sum score; steady RT throughout the test): 71% in England, 74% in both Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, and 84% in the United States. Disengaged or Very disengaged students (low sum score; short RT) were identified in each country but were more prevalent in England and the United Arab Emirates (above 20% in both) than in the United States and Singapore (both below 10%). The study also revealed small percentages of Speeded or Very speeded students (low to medium sum score; long RT at first but very short RT toward the end) in England, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States (1%, 5%, and 6%, respectively) but not in Singapore. A unique class of Efficient and high-performing students (high sum score; short RT) was identified only in Singapore (24%). This study demonstrated that mixture modeling is a useful technique for identifying distinct test-taking behaviors and highlighted the presence and extent of unfavorable test-taking behaviors within each selected country using data from Booklet 1, Part 1, of the eTIMSS 2019 eighth-grade assessment.
Functional and structural changes in the neuroretina are accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction in a type 2 diabetic mouse model
Authors: Lam Christie Hang-I , Zou Bing , Chan Henry Ho-Lung , Tse Dennis Yan-Yin 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment, is suggested to exhibit functional and structural changes in retinal neurons as the earliest manifestation, which could be used to predict the progression of related angiopathy. While neural function and survival rely on proper mitochondrial function, and a growing body of literature has supported the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the development of DR, how diabetes affects mitochondrial function in retinal tissue remains elusive. This study primarily aimed to investigate mitochondrial functional changes in a diabetic rodent model. We also characterized the early DR phenotype, in particular, neurodegeneration.

Methods
C57BLKsJ-db/db (db/db) mice (a type 2 diabetic mouse model) were used with their normoglycemic heterozygous littermates (db/+) serving as controls. Longitudinal changes in retinal function and morphology were assessed with electroretinography (ERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), respectively, at 9, 13, 17, and 25 weeks of age. At 25 weeks, the retinas were harvested for immunohistochemistry and ex vivo mitochondrial bioenergetics.

Results
Decreased ERG responses were observed in db/db mice as early as 13 weeks of age. OCT revealed that db/db mice had significantly thinner retinas than the controls. Immunohistochemistry showed that the retinas of the db/db mice at 25 weeks were thinner at the outer and inner nuclear layers, with lower photoreceptor and cone cell densities compared with the db/+ mice. The number of rod-bipolar cell dendritic boutons and axon terminals was significantly reduced in db/db mice relative to the db/+ mice, suggesting that diabetes may lead to compromised synaptic connectivity. More importantly, the retinas of db/db mice had weaker mitochondrial functions than the controls.

Conclusions
Our longitudinal data suggest that diabetes-induced functional deterioration and morphological changes were accompanied by reduced mitochondrial function in the retina of db/db mice. These findings suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction may be a contributing factor triggering the development of DR. While the underlying mechanistic cause remains elusive, the db/db mice could be a useful animal model for testing potential treatment regimens targeting neurodegeneration in DR.
Experimental study of effect of infill density on tensile and flexural strength of 3D printed parts
Authors: Karad Akshay S. , Sonawwanay Puskaraj D. , Naik Mahesh , Thakur D. G. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAdditive manufacturing (AM) is an innovative procedure that can quickly create complex structures. By layering a material, a three-dimensional object is created using this technique. Every deposit of liquefied or partly liquefied material abides by the previous deposit. Fused deposition modelling’s (FDM) objective is to comprehend how varied interior structures influence the bending resistance of the printed samples and to investigate the impact of various infill patterns and percentages. The term “infill” describes the pattern of solid material used to fill a 3D-printed object's interior. It is utilized to give the printed part structural support and strength. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material was chosen for this study as it offers a greater and superior finished plane along with dimensional stability. The infill pattern chosen for the flexural test study was the triangular pattern which includes different densities of infill percentages precisely, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. A few specimens of ABS material having 100% infill density are put through a tensile test according to the ASTM D638. The ASTM D790 standard was used to make a model and test the flexural strength of the specimen. Line and triangle patterns provided the most ideal tensile and bending strength properties. This is likely because the deposited rasters are associated with the direction of loading. For line patterns with 100% infill, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a convincing connection between the microstructures and the rasters (porosity, voids, gap between beads and hole due to polymer pulled out). Furthermore, SEM analysis showed matrix failure and significant voids in a triangular pattern at infill densities of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.
Perioperative Outcomes in Transcarotid Artery Revascularization Versus Carotid Endarterectomy or Stenting Nationwide
Authors: Ramsay Ian A. , Burks Joshua D. , Lu Victor M. , Silva Michael , Abdelsalam Ahmed , Starke Robert M. , Luther Evan 
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a newer treatment for carotid stenosis where the carotid artery is accessed directly in the neck for stenting. It is less invasive than carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and has less embolic potential than carotid artery stenting (CAS), but population-level utilization of TCAR and outcomes are currently unknown. Our study compares outcomes of TCAR with those of CEA and CAS.

METHODS:
The National Inpatient Database was used for years 2015 to 2019. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to compare CEA, CAS, and TCAR outcomes with age, sex, race, hospital teaching status, symptomatic carotid disease status, side of procedure, intraoperative monitoring, and the weighted Elixhauser comorbidity score as covariates.

RESULTS:
TCAR comprised 0.69% of these procedures in 2016, rising to 1.35% in 2019. The inpatient rates of death, stroke, and myocardial infarction for TCAR were 0.63% (95% confidence interval: 0.36%, 1.06%), 0.42% (0.21%, 0.80%), and 1.46% (1.04%, 2.05%), respectively. Compared with CEA, TCAR had statistically insignificant difference odds of death, odds ratio (95% CI) for stroke was 0.47 (0.25, 0.87), and for myocardial infarction, it was 0.66 (0.37, 0.94). Compared with CAS, for TCAR, the odds ratio for death was 0.41 (0.24, 0.71), and for stroke, it was 0.48 (0.26, 0.91).

CONCLUSION:
TCAR is underutilized relative to other revascularization techniques yet has favorable outcomes compared with CEA and CAS. TCAR may be preferred to CAS in patients not surgical candidates for CEA and has a less invasive possibility for those eligible for CEA.
Pilot Analysis of Surgeon Instrument Utilization Signatures Based on Shannon Entropy and Deep Learning for Surgeon Performance Assessment in a Cadaveric Carotid Artery Injury Control Simulation
Authors: Balu Alan , Pangal Dhiraj J. , Kugener Guillaume , Donoho Daniel A. 
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Assessment and feedback are critical to surgical education, but direct observational feedback by experts is rarely provided because of time constraints and is typically only qualitative. Automated, video-based, quantitative feedback on surgical performance could address this gap, improving surgical training. The authors aim to demonstrate the ability of Shannon entropy (ShEn), an information theory metric that quantifies series diversity, to predict surgical performance using instrument detections generated through deep learning.

METHODS:
Annotated images from a publicly available video data set of surgeons managing endoscopic endonasal carotid artery lacerations in a perfused cadaveric simulator were collected. A deep learning model was implemented to detect surgical instruments across video frames. ShEn score for the instrument sequence was calculated from each surgical trial. Logistic regression using ShEn was used to predict hemorrhage control success.

RESULTS:
ShEn scores and instrument usage patterns differed between successful and unsuccessful trials (ShEn: 0.452 vs 0.370, P < .001). Unsuccessful hemorrhage control trials displayed lower entropy and less varied instrument use patterns. By contrast, successful trials demonstrated higher entropy with more diverse instrument usage and consistent progression in instrument utilization. A logistic regression model using ShEn scores (78% accuracy and 97% average precision) was at least as accurate as surgeons' attending/resident status and years of experience for predicting trial success and had similar accuracy as expert human observers.

CONCLUSION:
ShEn score offers a summative signal about surgeon performance and predicted success at controlling carotid hemorrhage in a simulated cadaveric setting. Future efforts to generalize ShEn to additional surgical scenarios can further validate this metric.
NMR Studies on the Structure and Functions of Small Biomolecules with Highly Flexible Conformation
Authors: Murata Michio , Umegawa Yuichi , Hanashima Shinya 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
In this review, we deal with the flexible structures of small biomolecules and discuss how spontaneous conformational changes are related to their biological functions, mainly focusing on our recent research results. In particular, we applied nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based methods to biomolecules that largely comprise methylene-dominant chain(s) by observing spin-spin coupling constants in solution NMR and quadrupolar interactions and chemical shift anisotropy in solid-state NMR. In the study of spermidine and spermine, we investigated how the shape of a molecule changes when the ammonium groups interact with polyanions such as ATP. In membrane lipid studies, we examined the orientation and conformation of the choline phosphate moiety in the hydrophilic head group of membrane lipid molecules, and the average structure and fluctuations of the fatty acids, which were mainly alkane chains in the hydrophobic part. In these structural studies, the goal was not to determine the predominant conformation of biomolecules, but to elucidate the average conformation of multiple conformers that were interchanging at high speed. We used physicochemical parameters to describe the changes in the average structure of lipid in membranes. Computational methods were adopted to estimate the structural changes in molecules, but experimental results are still important to judge the reliability of the calculation results. Through these studies, we discuss how the flexibility of biomolecules is involved in the expression of biological function.
Polarized Fluorescence of N-Salicylideneaniline Derivatives by Direct Exchange from Photoaligned N-Benzylideneaniline Side Groups in Liquid Crystalline Polymeric Films
Authors: Tanaka Mizuki , Yamaguchi Hinano , Kondo Mizuho , Sakamoto Moritsugu , Sasaki Tomoyuki , Ono Hiroshi , Kawatsuki Nobuhiro 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Photoalignment of liquid crystalline polymer with N-benzylideneaniline (NBA) side groups and subsequent in situ exchange achieves polarized fluorescence of oriented N-salicylideneaniline (SA) derivatives. In situ hydrolysis of NBA and condensation with 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivatives form oriented SA side groups. SA exhibits excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), inducing polarized fluorescence with a 2.3 polarization ratio. The emissive wavelength depends on the 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivative. Stepwise formation of different oriented SA side groups allows for color tuning of the oriented film.
Expression of Fascin and SALL4 in odontogenic cysts and tumors: an immunohistochemical appraisal.
Authors: Kulkarni Spoorti , Alampally Harishanker , Guddattu Vasudev , Rodrigues Gabriel , Carnelio Sunitha 
Published: September 2023

Background: Various stemness markers (SOX2, OCT4, and NANOG) have been studied in odontogenic cysts and tumors. However, studies on SALL4 having similar properties of stemness has not been documented. Additionally, insight into fascin as a migratory molecule is less explored. Following a thorough literature search we hypothesize that fascin might contribute for the local migratory behaviour of the odontogenic epithelial cells in tumors and cysts while SALL4 may contribute to stemness property. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of fascin and SALL4 in histopathological variants of Ameloblastoma, Adenomatoid Odontogenic Tumor (AOT) and various odontogenic cysts namely Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC), Dentigerous cyst (DC), Radicular cyst (RC), and Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC). Methods: Semi-quantitative analysis of fascin and SALL4 immuno-positive cells was evaluated in a total of 40 cases of ameloblastoma (11 plexiform, 12 follicular, 12 unicystic, and 5 desmoplastic) variants, 6 cases of AOT, 15 cases each of OKC, DC, RC and 5 of COC. Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the association between SALL4 and fascin expression in odontogenic cysts and tumors. Results: Fascin immunopositivity was observed in peripheral ameloblast-like cells, and the expression was weak or absent in stellate reticulum-like cells. A moderate to weak immune-reactivity to SALL4 was observed in the cytoplasm of ameloblastoma, epithelial cells of DC and RC having a marked inflammatory infiltrate, which was an interesting observation. COC and AOT had negative to weak expressions. Conclusion: Expression of fascin in ameloblastomas elucidate their role in motility and localized invasion. Its expression in less aggressive lesions like DC, COC, AOT will incite to explore the other functional properties of fascin. SALL4 expression in the cytoplasm of odontogenic cysts and tumors may represent inactive or mutant forms which requires further validation.
Impact of coenzyme Q10 as an adjuvant therapy to letrozole on spermiogram results and sex hormone levels in Iraqi men with infertility; randomized open label comparative study
Authors: Fadhil Essa Bahauldeen , Mohammed ‎ Mohammed Mahmood , Alkawaz Ula M. 
Published: September 2023

Background: Worldwide, infertility affects about 15% of reproductive-age couples. In many cases, infertility can't be treated, however new treatment options with promising value have been involved in recent clinical trials. The aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the impacts of adding coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to letrozole on the results of spermiogram and sex hormone tests in men diagnosed with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (iOAT) syndrome, which is a type of male defective spermatogenesis of unknown etiology. Methods: This randomized, open-label, parallel two-arm interventional study included 67 adult male patients aged 18-60 years with a confirmed diagnosis of iOAT syndrome recruited from The High Institute for Infertility Diagnosis & Assisted Reproduction Technologies/Nahrain University. Patients were randomly separated into two groups, Group A included 29 patients treated with letrozole 2.5 mg tablet orally twice a week, Group B included 38 patients treated with a combination of letrozole 2.5 mg tablet orally twice a week plus CoQ10 400 mg per day. Both groups completed treatment for three months. Semen samples, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), and testosterone (T) were analyzed at day one, and at the end of month one, two and three. Results: Both groups showed that sperm concentration, normal morphology, total sperm count and motility, serum testosterone and FSH levels, and T/E2 ratio were significantly increased, while estradiol levels significantly decreased after three months of treatment. Seminal fluid volume changed significantly in group A only. In comparing between the two groups, all measured parameters, apart from sperm motility and FSH level, demonstrated a significant difference after three months of treatment, while sperm volume reached significant value after only two months of therapy. Conclusions: CoQ10 as adjuvant treatment to letrozole effectively improved most of the tested sperm parameters in Iraqi men with iOAT. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05847257, May 6, 2023).
Economic effects of the war in Ukraine and recession
Authors: korriku belisa , TARTARAJ AZETA 
Published: September 2023

Background: The current situation from economic effects of war, as political uncertainty, geographic proximity,and the impact of new sanctions against Russia,has led to negative reactions in European stock markets.Previous research has shown that economic crises can have significant impacts on consumer financial behaviors and attitudes. Methods:The purpose of the study was to examine how consumer attitudes and behaviors change during periods of recession and to identify the implications for financial education and management during challenging economic times.Demographic data and financial management behavior data were collected from a sample 428 respondents.By examining consumer attitudes and behaviors during a recession,this study can provide insights into how financial education and management can be improved to support consumers during challenging economic times.A survey was conducted to investigate the financial attitudes and behaviors of individuals during a recessionary period from January 15th to February 28th,2023 and included questions about age, financial education level,savings behavior,attitudes towards debt,gender and financial management behavior,age and financial education, and income and savings behavior.Data were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA. Results:Participants with higher income levels had higher levels of savings and investing behaviors than those with lower income levels. Participants with a higher level of formal education in finance had higher levels of budgeting and investing behaviors than those with a lower level of formal education in finance. Participants who reported higher levels of self-rated financial knowledge had higher levels of all financial management behaviors compared to those with lower self-rated financial knowledge. Conclusions:The findings suggest that financial education and management programs should target individuals with lower income levels and less formal education in finance. Promoting self-rated financial knowledge may be a useful strategy for improving financial management behaviors. Future research could explore the effectiveness of different financial education and management programs on improving financial attitudes and behaviors during recessionary periods.