bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors that influence owner consent for exploratory laparotomy in horses with colic in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Averay Kate , Wilkins Clara , de Kantzow Max , Simon Olivier , van Galen Gaby , Sykes Benjamin , Verwilghen Denis 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundHorse owners' motivators and barriers for consent to exploratory laparotomy are poorly understood.ObjectivesTo (1) determine the proportion of Australian and New Zealand horse owners who would consent to exploratory laparotomy and (2) identify motivators and barriers for consent.Study designCross‐sectional survey.MethodsA questionnaire was developed and distributed online. Descriptive statistics were calculated by tabulating respondents by their answers to whether they would consent to exploratory laparotomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify variables associated with consenting to exploratory laparotomy.ResultsTwo thousand two hundred horse owners participated with a 68.3% survey completion rate. Most were female (95.6%), and 18.7% stated they would consent to exploratory laparotomy, 55.2% would consider exploratory laparotomy and 26.1% would not consent to exploratory laparotomy being performed on their horse. Geographical location, intended use of the horse and perceptions regarding the cost and prognosis of exploratory laparotomy, as well as the previous experience of respondents significantly impacted the decision. Self‐reported level of financial comfort, gender of respondents, number of horses owned and pre‐existing relationship with nearest equine referral clinic did not impact the decision. Top motivators for exploratory laparotomy were high probability of survival, trust in hospital, emotional value of horse and the alternative being euthanasia. Top barriers for exploratory laparotomy were financial cost, uncertain outcome, welfare concern and age of the horse.Main limitationsSelf‐selection bias and acquiescence in responses.ConclusionsMost respondents indicated that they would consider or consent to exploratory laparotomy. Several factors for owners to decide for exploratory laparotomy could be identified. Improved owner education regarding the positively reported survival rates for exploratory laparotomy would be beneficial.
Detection of COVID‐19 from chest X‐ray images: Boosting the performance with convolutional neural network and transfer learning
Authors: Asif Sohaib , Wenhui Yi , Amjad Kamran , Jin Hou , Tao Yi , Jinhai Si 
Published: July 2022

AbstractCoronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is a pandemic that has caused thousands of casualties and impacts all over the world. Most countries are facing a shortage of COVID‐19 test kits in hospitals due to the daily increase in the number of cases. Early detection of COVID‐19 can protect people from severe infection. Unfortunately, COVID‐19 can be misdiagnosed as pneumonia or other illness and can lead to patient death. Therefore, in order to avoid the spread of COVID‐19 among the population, it is necessary to implement an automated early diagnostic system as a rapid alternative diagnostic system. Several researchers have done very well in detecting COVID‐19; however, most of them have lower accuracy and overfitting issues that make early screening of COVID‐19 difficult. Transfer learning is the most successful technique to solve this problem with higher accuracy. In this paper, we studied the feasibility of applying transfer learning and added our own classifier to automatically classify COVID‐19 because transfer learning is very suitable for medical imaging due to the limited availability of data. In this work, we proposed a CNN model based on deep transfer learning technique using six different pre‐trained architectures, including VGG16, DenseNet201, MobileNetV2, ResNet50, Xception, and EfficientNetB0. A total of 3886 chest X‐rays (1200 cases of COVID‐19, 1341 healthy and 1345 cases of viral pneumonia) were used to study the effectiveness of the proposed CNN model. A comparative analysis of the proposed CNN models using three classes of chest X‐ray datasets was carried out in order to find the most suitable model. Experimental results show that the proposed CNN model based on VGG16 was able to accurately diagnose COVID‐19 patients with 97.84% accuracy, 97.90% precision, 97.89% sensitivity, and 97.89% of F1‐score. Evaluation of the test data shows that the proposed model produces the highest accuracy among CNNs and seems to be the most suitable choice for COVID‐19 classification. We believe that in this pandemic situation, this model will support healthcare professionals in improving patient screening.
Reelin deficiency exacerbates cocaine‐induced hyperlocomotion by enhancing neuronal activity in the dorsomedial striatum
Authors: de Guglielmo Giordano , Iemolo Attilio , Nur Aisha , Turner Andrew , Montilla‐Perez Patricia , Martinez Angelica , Crook Caitlin , Roberts Amanda , Telese Francesca 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe Reln gene encodes for the extracellular glycoprotein Reelin, which regulates several brain functions from development to adulthood, including neuronal migration, dendritic growth and branching and synapse formation and plasticity. Human studies have implicated Reelin signaling in several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Mouse studies using the heterozygous Reeler (HR) mice have shown that reduced levels of Reln expression are associated with deficits in learning and memory and increased disinhibition. Although these traits are relevant to substance use disorders, the role of Reelin in cellular and behavioral responses to addictive drugs remains largely unknown. Here, we compared HR mice to wild‐type (WT) littermate controls to investigate whether Reelin signaling contributes to the hyperlocomotor and rewarding effects of cocaine. After a single or repeated cocaine injections, HR mice showed enhanced cocaine‐induced locomotor activity compared with WT controls. This effect persisted after withdrawal. In contrast, Reelin deficiency did not induce cocaine sensitization, and did not affect the rewarding effects of cocaine measured in the conditioned place preference assay. The elevated cocaine‐induced hyperlocomotion in HR mice was associated with increased protein Fos expression in the dorsal medial striatum (DMS) compared with WT. Lastly, we performed an RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization experiment and found that Reln was highly co‐expressed with the Drd1 gene, which encodes for the dopamine receptor D1, in the DMS. These findings show that Reelin signaling contributes to the locomotor effects of cocaine and improve our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the cellular and behavioral effects of cocaine.
Merlin immunohistochemistry is useful in diagnosis of tumours within the spectrum of biphasic hyalinizing psammomatous renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Collins Katrina , Hwang Michael , Antic Tatjana , Paintal Ajit , Argani Pedram , Matoso Andres , Gopinath Arun , Baskovich Brett , Mehra Rohit , Williamson Sean R. , Idrees Muhammad T. , Barletta Justine A. , Anderson William J. , Hirsch Michelle S. , Hornick Jason L. , Acosta Andres M. 
Published: July 2022

AimsBiphasic hyalinizing psammomatous (BHP) renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a newly described emerging entity within the spectrum of papillary RCC in the WHO 2022 classification. Molecular analyses have discovered that BHP RCC consistently harbour somatic mutations in the neurofibromin 2 (NF2) gene. The NF2 gene product, merlin, is known to primarily function as a tumour suppressor. Merlin protein loss correlates closely with the presence of NF2 mutations in benign and malignant tumours arising in different sites. In the present study we explored the role of merlin immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tumours within the spectrum of BHP RCC to determine the diagnostic utility of this marker.Materials and MethodsWe performed merlin IHC in 13 BHP RCC, 18 papillary RCC, 10 TFE3‐translocation RCC, 15 TFEB‐altered RCC (including 13 TFEB‐rearranged and 2 TFEB‐amplified), and 10 mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinomas of unknown mutational status.ResultsUnequivocal loss of merlin expression in >90% of the tumour cells was observed in 12/13 BHP‐RCC (92%), with the remaining tumour demonstrating weak focal cytoplasmic expression in ~10% of the tumour. In contrast, merlin was diffusely or multifocally expressed in all papillary RCC, TFE3‐translocation RCC, and TFEB‐altered RCC, as well as in 70% of mucinous tubular and spindle carcinomas. Conclusions: In this study, merlin IHC was ~92% sensitive and ~94% specific for BHP RCC. These data suggest that merlin IHC is a reliable surrogate marker for the presence of underlying NF2 gene inactivation, being diagnostically useful to identify BHP RCC.ConclusionsIn this study, merlin IHC was ~92% sensitive and ~94% specific for BHP RCC. These data suggest that merlin IHC is a reliable surrogate marker for the presence of underlying NF2 gene inactivation, being diagnostically useful to identify BHP RCC.
The link between total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, arylesterase activity, and subgingival microbiota in psoriasis patients
Authors: Paksoy Tuğçe , Ustaoğlu Gülbahar , Yaman Deniz , Arıöz Özkan , Demirci Mehmet , Ünlü Özge , Avcı Emre , Polat Mualla 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundStudies focusing on the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases have suggested a possible association between these two chronic and inflammatory disorders. We aimed to comparatively investigate the salivary oxidative status, biomarker levels, clinical findings, and the microbial load on subgingival biofilm samples in psoriasis patients and controls.MethodsForty participants were allocated into four groups as follows: (1) systemically and periodontally healthy (C group); (2) systemically healthy with periodontitis (P group); (3) psoriasis (Ps) and periodontally healthy (Ps‐C group); and (4) Ps with periodontitis (Ps‐P group). Subgingival biofilm samples were obtained to detect the periodontopathogenic agents by Real‐time PCR (qPCR). The total antioxidant status (TAS) (mmol/l), total oxidant status (TOS) (μmol/l), and arylesterase (ARE) activity (U/L) were analyzed using saliva samples.ResultsThe level of TOS and oxidative stress index (OSI) were significantly higher in patients with Ps‐P and P compared to controls (P = 0.001, and P ˂ 0.001, respectively). ARE levels were higher in controls compared to Ps and P (P ˂ 0.001). The prevalences of bacteria detected in subgingival biofilm samples were similar between all groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionsThis study reported that psoriasis may amplify TOS and OSI, and the co‐existence of psoriasis and periodontitis may aggravate oxidative stress.
Microstructure and phase evolution of polymer‐derived SiHfOC ceramic microspheres
Authors: Zhang Xuemeng , Sun Jia , Zhang Yuyu , Li Hejun 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe SiHfOC ceramic microspheres were synthesized from the polysilazane and hafnium(IV) acetylacetonate hybrid precursors through a combination of hydrothermal method and polymer‐derived ceramics (PDCs) method. The SiHfOC ceramic microspheres consist of β‐SiC, SiO2, and m‐HfO2 in an amorphous SiOC matrix and are in a spherical morphology with an average size of about 2 μm. Hafnium‐containing nanoparticles with ∼50‐nm size are not only uniformly distributed on the surface of the ceramic microspheres but also embedded in the SiHfOC ceramic microspheres, forming a unique mosaic structure. Pyrolyzing at 1000°C offers a possibility of an in situ formation of nanocrystal nuclei in the amorphous SiOC ceramic matrix, and the subsequent annealing at 1500°C helps the small nanocrystal nuclei grow and separate the amorphous SiHfOC into a multiphase SiOC network containing β‐SiC, SiO2, m‐HfO2 nanocrystalline and free C. This research provides a methodology for preparing multicomponent ceramic microspheres that can efficiently develop high‐performance PDCs modified by transition metal alkoxide.
Dry heat sterilization modelling for spacecraft applications
Authors: Flax Brian , Tortora Andrew , Yeung Yen , Schubert Wayne W. , McDonnell Gerald 
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Aims
Inactivation processes using heat are widely used for disinfection and sterilization. Dry heat sterilization of spacecraft equipment has been the preferred microbial inactivation method as part of interplanetary travel protection strategies. An antimicrobial model, based on temperature and exposure time based on experimental data, was developed to provide reliable sterilization processes to be used for interplanetary applications.

Methods and Results
Bacillus atrophaeus spores, traditionally used to challenge dry heat sterilization processes, were tested over a range of temperatures in comparison with spores of Bacillus canaveralius that have been shown to have a higher heat resistance profile. D-value and Z-values were determined and used to develop a mathematical model for parametric sterilization applications. The impact of the presence of a contaminating soil, representative of Mars dust, was also tested to verify the practical application of the model to reduce the risk of microbial contamination in such environments.

Conclusion
The sterilization model developed can be used as an intrinsic part of risk reduction strategies for interplanetary protection.

Significance and Impact
Forward and backward planetary protection strategies to reduce the risks of microbial contamination during interplanetary exploration and research is an important consideration. The development of a modern sterilization model, with consideration of microorganisms identified with higher levels of heat resistance than traditionally deployed in terrestrial applications, allows for the consideration of optimal inactivation processes to define minimum criteria for engineering design. The ability to inactivate living microorganisms, as well as to degrade biomolecules, provides a reliable method to reduce the risk of known and potentially unknown contaminants in future applications.
Impact of single‐cell RNA sequencing on understanding immune regulation
Authors: Hu Xueli , Zhou Xikun 
Published: July 2022

AbstractSingle‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq), one of the most powerful technologies, can describe the transcriptomic heterogeneity of single cells and reveal previously unreported cell types or states in complex tissues. With the rapid development of scRNA‐seq, it has renewed our view of cellular heterogeneity and its significance for deeply understanding cell development and function. There are a large number of studies applying scRNA‐seq to investigate the heterogeneity of immune cells and disease pathogenesis, focusing on differences among every individual cell, which have provided novel inspiration for disease therapy and biological processes. In this review, we describe the development of scRNA‐seq and its application in immune‐related physiological states, regulatory mechanisms and diseases. In addition, we further discuss the opportunities and challenges of scRNA‐seq in immune regulation.
Interchangeability of floral volatiles in ternary lure combinations for catching three cetoniin chafer species (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae)
Authors: Matula Eszter , Lohonyai Zsófia , Fail József , Tóth Miklós , Imrei Zoltán 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIn behavioural field experiments, we aimed to study the interchangeability of molecular structures, which only differ by single hydrogen, hydroxyl or methyl group from components of a known attractant blend of the flower damaging Epicometis hirta (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae), and two other cetoniin occasional pests Cetonia aurata aurata and Potosia cuprea, typical to the fauna of Central and Southern Europe. Rac. 1‐phenethyl alcohol or methyl eugenol (of the known attractant blend of rac. 1‐phenethyl alcohol, (E)‐anethol and methyl eugenol) were replaced with structurally similar floral compounds widespread among plant families in general. All baited treatments caught significantly more of the three species compared with the unbaited control. The ternary blend containing 2‐phenethyl alcohol caught numerically the most of the three species and gave a significant increase compared with the basic blend with rac. 1‐phenethyl alcohol for C. a. aurata and E. hirta. Benzyl alcohol performed similarly well to 2‐phenethyl alcohol in catching C. a. aurata and P. cuprea, and it was superior to the blend with phenylacetaldehyde. On the contrary, for E. hirta, the treatment containing phenylacetaldehyde was better than the combination with benzyl alcohol, resulting in a similar effect to the blend with 2‐phenethyl alcohol. In another experiment, the known ternary blend including methyl eugenol performed numerically the best in attracting E. hirta compared with the blends with eugenol or isoeugenol, which results are congruent with the earlier findings on C. a. aurata and P. cuprea. Our work resulted in a single optimized attractant combination for all three cetoniin species that includes 2‐phenethyl alcohol, methyl eugenol and (E)‐anethol.
Elevated CO2 does not alter behavioural lateralization in free‐swimming juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) tested in groups
Authors: Jarvis Dominic M. , Pope Edward C. , Duteil Mathieu , Fürtbauer Ines , Brown M. Rowan , Davis Richard J. , King Andrew J. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe authors investigated left–right turning preferences of n = 260 juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) reared in ambient conditions and ocean acidification (OA) conditions or in ambient conditions but tested in OA water. Groups of 10 individuals were observed alone in a circular tank, and individuals' left and right turning during free‐swimming was quantified using trajectory data from the video. The authors showed that near‐future OA levels do not affect the number of turns made, or behavioural lateralization (turning preference), in juvenile D. labrax tested in groups.
Short‐chain fatty acids affect the development of inflammatory bowel disease through intestinal barrier, immunology, and microbiota: A promising therapy?
Authors: Peng Kaixin , Xia Suhong , Xiao Siqi , Yu Qin 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIntestinal metabolites are attracting increasing interest, especially more and more studies have found they are closely related to diseases. Microbial fermentation of indigestible dietary fibers in the gut produces short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as the main product. SCFAs can exert influences on the integrity of the intestinal epithelial and mucosal barrier, immune reactions, and the diversity of microbiota in humans. Thus, alteration in SCFAs may affect inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD, SCFAs are involved in the main pathogenic process and play an important role in the development of intestinal inflammation. Although many studies have proved that pretreatment with SCFAs can effectively ameliorate inflammation in the gut, the mechanisms are not fully understood. In this review, we describe the relationship between SCFAs and IBD from the aspects of defense barrier, immune effects, and microbial alterations. We also summarize the effects of SCFAs on comorbidities in IBD via the gut‐brain, gut‐liver, and gut‐lung axis, and we give an overview of the prospects of their clinical application. A better understanding of the relevance of SCFAs in IBD may reveal novel targets for future study
Institutional, therapeutic, and individual factors associated with 30‐day mortality after COVID‐19 diagnosis in Canadian long‐term care facilities
Authors: Zhang Xi Sophie , Charland Katia , Quach Caroline , Nguyen Quoc Dinh , Zinszer Kate 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundCanadian long‐term care facility (LTCF) residents experienced higher death rates compared to other countries during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. This cohort study analyzes the individual, therapeutic, and institutional factors associated with death in LTCFs.MethodsInstitutional data for 17 LTCFs in Montreal, Canada were obtained from local administrative registries. Individual data for 1197 residents infected by SARS‐CoV‐2 between February 23 and July 11, 2020 were obtained through chart reviews. A multivariable modified Poisson regression model, which accounted for LTCF clustering, was used to identify resident and facility covariates associated with 30‐day mortality after COVID‐19 diagnosis.ResultsSevere shortage of licensed practical nurses (RR 2.60 95% CI 1.20–5.61) and medium‐sized facilities compared to smaller‐sized facilities (RR 2.73 95% CI 1.23–6.07) were associated with 30‐day mortality. Later COVID‐19 diagnosis (RR 0.98 95% CI 0.97–0.99 per additional day) was associated with survival. Individual risk factors for death included age (RR 1.33 95% CI 1.23–1.45 per additional 10 years), male sex (RR 1.46 95% CI 1.24–1.71), functional impairment (RR 1.08 95% CI 1.04–1.12 per unit increase of SMAF), as well as a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (RR 1.31 95% CI 1.04–1.66) and neurocognitive disorder (RR 1.31 95% CI 1.01–1.70). Among severe cases, anticoagulation was associated with survival (RR 0.70 95% CI 0.51–0.96).ConclusionsThis study identified practical nurse shortages and facility size as institutional risk factors for COVID‐19 death. Anticoagulation was associated with survival among severe cases.
Clinical, dermoscopic, and histopathologic evaluation of topical methotrexate 1% hydrogel versus topical Calcipotriol 0.005% cream in the treatment of plaque psoriasis
Authors: El Gayar Maha A. , Atwa Dina , Girgis Germeen , Marie Lamees 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundPsoriasis Vulgaris is a common immune‐mediated skin disease. Its high prevalence, disability, chronicity, disfiguration, and associated comorbidities make it a challenge for physicians. Topical agents remain the mainstay of treatment for patients with mild to moderate psoriasis.AimTo evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of topical methotrexate 1% gel (MTX) versus topical calcipotriol 0.005% cream (CPL) in the treatment of localized plaque psoriasis.MethodsThis prospective comparative study included 40 patients with localized plaque psoriasis instructed to apply MTX to one side (group A) and CPL to the other side lesions (group B) twice daily for 12 weeks. Clinical and dermoscopic evaluations before, weekly during and after 3 months of treatment were done. The immunohistopathological assessment was done for skin biopsies from 10 patients in each group before and after treatment.ResultsAt the end of 12 weeks, there was marked‐complete improvement in 97.5% of group A lesions treated with MTX 1% gel compared with 37.5% of group B lesions treated with calcipotriol 0.005% cream (p < 0.001). There was a very high statistically significant improvement in erythema that was cleared totally in 67.5% vs 22.5%, scaling in 75% vs 17.5%, and infiltration in 72.5% vs 27.5% in group A vs B, respectively (p < 0.001). These results were confirmed by dermoscopic and immunohistopathological findings.ConclusionMethotrexate 1% gel is a marvelous promising well‐tolerated effective topical agent that can be used safely in the treatment of localized plaque psoriasis.