bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of a fennel seed extract on the STAT signaling and intestinal barrier function
Authors: Das Barun , Rabalais John , Kozan Philip , Lu Tina , Durali Nassim , Okamoto Kevin , McGeough Matthew D. , Lee Beom Jae , Barrett Kim E. , Marchelletta Ronald , Sivagnanam Mamata 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundFoeniculum vulgare,F.vulgare, commonly known as fennel, is believed to be one of the world’s oldest medicinal herbs and has been exploited by people for centuries as a nutritional aid for digestive disorders. In many southeast Asian countries, it is ingested as an after-meal snack, mukhvas, due to its breath-freshening and digestive aid properties.F.vulgareis used in some countries, such as Iran, as a complementary and alternative treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).MethodsThis study investigated the effects of fennel seed extract on intestinal epithelium barrier function and the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway. This pathway is active in inflammatory bowel disease. To study the protective effects of fennel seed extractin vitro, monolayers derived from the T84 colonic cell line were challenged with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and monitored with and without fennel seed extract. To complement ourin vitrostudies, the dextran sodium sulfate induced murine colitis model was employed to ascertain whether the protective effect of fennel seed extract can be recapitulatedin vivo.ResultsFennel seed extract was shown to exert a protective effect on transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in both T84 and murine models and showed increases in tight junction-associated mRNA in T84 cell monolayers. Both models demonstrated significant decreases in phosphorylated STAT1 (pSTAT1), indicating reduced activation of the STAT pathway. Additionally, mice treated with fennel seed showed significantly lower ulcer indices than control mice.ConclusionsWe conclude barrier function of the gastrointestinal tract is improved by fennel seed extract, suggesting the potential utility of this agent as an alternative or adjunctive therapy in IBD.
Utilization of maternal waiting home and associated factors among women who gave birth in the last one year, Dabat district, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Shiferaw Mulugeta Melese , Tiguh Agumas Eskezia , Kebede Azmeraw Ambachew , Taye Birhan Tsegaw 
Published: July 2022

Background
Maternal mortality and adverse pregnancy outcomes are still challenges in developing countries. In Ethiopia, long distances and lack of transportation are the main geographic barriers for pregnant women to utilize a skilled birth attendant. To alleviate this problem, maternity waiting homes are a gateway for women to deliver at the health facilities, thereby helping towards the reduction of the alarming maternal mortality trend and negative pregnancy outcomes. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the utilization of maternity waiting homes in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess utilization of maternity waiting home services and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the last year in Dabat district, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 5 to February 30, 2019. A total of 402 eligible women were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested, and interviewer-administered questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Data were entered into EPI info version 7.1.2 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. Statistically significant associations between variables were determined based on the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its 95% confidence interval and p-value of ≤ 0.05.

Results
Maternity waiting home utilization by pregnant women was found to be 16.2% (95% CI: 13, 20). The mothers’ age (26–30 years) (AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08,0.69), primary level of education (AOR = 9.05; 95% CI: 3.83, 21.43), accepted length of stay in maternity waiting homes (AOR = 3.15; 95% CI: 1.54, 6.43), adequate knowledge of pregnancy danger signs (AOR = 7.88; 95% CI: 3.72,16.69), jointly decision on the mother’s health (AOR = 2.76; 95% CI: 1.08,7.05), and getting people for household activities (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.21, 5.52) had significant association with maternity waiting home utilization.

Conclusion
In this study, maternity waiting home utilization was low. Thus, expanding a strategy to improve women’s educational status, health education communication regarding danger signs of pregnancy, empowering women’s decision-making power, and shortening the length of stay at maternity waiting homes may enhance maternity waiting home utilization.
Influence of upper limb activity on the step count and accuracy of sleep time of a wristband-type physical activity tracker
Authors: Sano Nobuyuki , Taniguchi Takanori , Nakazono Hisato 
Published: July 2022

Background
A wristband-type consumer physical activity tracker (PAT) is commonly used in rehabilitation to assess an individual’s physical activity. However, under the free-living setting, the wristband-type PAT tends to overestimate step counts when compared with the research-standard criterion. Also, daily rhythm characteristics, such as sleep time, are difficult to monitor accurately based solely on self-reporting.

Purpose
To identify the conditions measured as step counts by a wristband-type consumer PAT when using the upper limbs in daily living, and the measurement accuracy of the sleeping time estimated from the wristband-type PAT.

Methods
Forty participants (20 females, mean age 32.65 ± 9.52 years) were enrolled in two experiments in this study. In Experiment 1, we measured the influence of upper limbs activity (movement speed and distance) on step counts of wristband-type and waist holder-type PAT in two upper limb tasks. In Experiment 2, we verified the measurement accuracy of two sleep times by wristband-type PAT using a self-reported survey for 3 days.

Results
The results of Experiment 1 revealed that the step counts using wristband-type PAT were influenced by upper limbs activity depending on movement distance (F (1, 19) = 31.705, p < 0.001) but not speed (F (1, 19) = 2.669, p < 0.117). Whereas, there was no relationship between step counts and upper limb activity in waist holder-type PAT. The results of Experiment 2 showed that the sleep times of wristband-type and self-report had a strong correlation (coefficient value = 0.93, p < 0.001).

Conclusions
This PAT is useful for capturing changes in the amount of physical activity and the daily rhythm within the individual. It can be expected to be used for rehabilitation support centered on upper limb activity and daily rhythm.
Piling it on: Perceived stress and lack of access to resources among US-based LGBTQ+ community members during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Levandowski Brooke A. , Miller Susan B. , Ran Davy , Pressman Eva A. , Van der Dye Timothy 
Published: July 2022

Objectives
While the LGBTQ+ community has been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 medical complications, little research has considered non-medical impact.

Methods
We conducted a secondary analyses of USA-based respondents from a global cross-sectional online mixed-methods survey collecting sexual orientation, gender identity, and the perceived stress scale (PSS). Bivariate and multivariate ordinal regression statistics were performed.

Results
Fourteen percent (n = 193,14.2%) identified as LGBTQ+. Variables significantly associated with LGBTQ+ included: COVID testing/treatment affordability, canceled activities, stocking food/medications, quitting job, lost income, and inability to procure groceries/cleaning supplies/medications. Adjusting for Hispanic ethnicity and income, BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals had twice the odds (OR:2.02;95%CI:1.16–3.53) of moderate compared to low PSS scores, and high compared to moderate PSS scores, compared to white non-LGBTQ+ individuals. Adjusting for Hispanic ethnicity, income, age, and education, deaf LGBTQ+ individuals had twice the odds (OR:2.00;95%CI:1.12–3.61) of moderate compared to low PSS scores, and high compared to moderate PSS scores, compared to hearing non-LGBTQ+ individuals.

Conclusion
The LBGTQ+ community has increased stress due to COVID-19. Public health interventions must mitigate stress in BIPOC and deaf LGBTQ+ communities, addressing their intersectional experiences.
Sib-pair subgroup familial type 1 diabetes mellitus in children in the state of Qatar
Authors: Afyouni Houda , Haris Basma , Syed Najeeb , Ahmed Ikhlak , Hamed Noor , Abdel-Karim Tasneem , Mohammed Shayma , Khalifa Amel , Al-Maadheed Maryam , Zyoud Mahmoud , Elawwa Ahmed , Al-Khalaf Fawziya , Petrovski Goran , Hussain Khalid 
Published: July 2022

Background
Type 1 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes mellitus (DM) in children. It can be sporadic in onset or cluster in families, which comprises parent-offspring and sib-pair subgroups. The risk of developing DM in first-degree relatives of affected individuals is 8–15 fold higher. There is limited data about familial DM from the Gulf region. This study aims to describe the clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics of sib-pair familial type 1 diabetes in Qatar.

Methods
Every child with DM following up at Sidra Medicine was recruited. Data was collected regarding clinical features, family history, type 1 diabetes autoantibodies and whole genome sequencing was performed. Genetic analysis for MODY genes and HLA association analysis was conducted.

Results
44 families with sib-pair familial diabetes were identified. Of these, 2 families had 4 affected siblings and 5 families had 3 affected siblings. The majority are of Qatari ethnicity and the most common autoantibody was GAD65. The most common age of onset in the proband was 5–9 years while it was 10–14 years in subsequent siblings. The occurrence of DKA & HbA1c levels were lower in the second affected sibling. No relevant MODY gene variants were found. HLA analysis found 15 variants in at least 50% of the subjects. Most common were HLA-F*01*01*01G, HLA- DPA1*01*03*01G, HLA- DRB3*02*02*01G, HLA- E*01*01*01G & DRB4*03*01N.

Conclusions
The prevalence of sib-pair diabetes is 3.64%. The second affected siblings were older. MODY is unlikely and Class I and II HLA genes was present in sib-pair diabetes.
Plasma metabolomic analysis indicates flavonoids and sorbic acid are associated with incident diabetes: A nested case-control study among Women’s Interagency HIV Study participants
Authors: Yu Elaine A. , Alemán José O. , Hoover Donald R. , Shi Qiuhu , Verano Michael , Anastos Kathryn , Tien Phyllis C. , Sharma Anjali , Kardashian Ani , Cohen Mardge H. , Golub Elizabeth T. , Michel Katherine G. , Gustafson Deborah R. , Glesby Marshall J. 
Published: July 2022

Introduction
Lifestyle improvements are key modifiable risk factors for Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) however specific influences of biologically active dietary metabolites remain unclear. Our objective was to compare non-targeted plasma metabolomic profiles of women with versus without confirmed incident DM. We focused on three lipid classes (fatty acyls, prenol lipids, polyketides).

Materials and methods
Fifty DM cases and 100 individually matched control participants (80% with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) were enrolled in a case-control study nested within the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. Stored blood samples (1–2 years prior to DM diagnosis among cases; at the corresponding timepoint among matched controls) were assayed in triplicate for metabolomics. Time-of-flight liquid chromatography mass spectrometry with dual electrospray ionization modes was utilized. We considered 743 metabolomic features in a two-stage feature selection approach with conditional logistic regression models that accounted for matching strata.

Results
Seven features differed by DM case status (all false discovery rate-adjusted q<0.05). Three flavonoids (two flavanones, one isoflavone) were respectively associated with lower odds of DM (all q<0.05), and sorbic acid was associated with greater odds of DM (all q<0.05).

Conclusion
Flavonoids were associated with lower odds of incident DM while sorbic acid was associated with greater odds of incident DM.
Morphological, biochemical, and nutritional value of prickly and smooth fruit spinach
Authors: ABOLGHASEMI Reza , HAGHIGHI Maryam , ETEMADI Nematollah 
Published: July 2022

This study aimed to investigate the morphological (qualitative and quantitative traits) and biochemical characteristics (such as leaf pigments and total antioxidant capacity, vitamin E and C content, total soluble carbohydrate, total amino acid content, nitrate concentration, nitrate reductase assay, oxalic acid content, Ca and Fe content) in spinach. The selected accessions in this study were prickly (’Varamin Prickly’) and smooth (’Monatol’) fruits of spinach selected among 44 accessions. This experiment was carried out in spring, arranged as a complete randomized block with three replicates and 18 observations. Results showed no significant differences between the two accessions for most qualitative and quantitative morphological traits. In contrast, biochemical characteristics showed significant differences between the two accessions. Both accessions had high yields, but the dry biomass of ’Varamin Prickly’ accession was more than ’Monatol’ (smooth fruit). The results indicated that the fruit type does not appear to cause variations in morphological traits, and differences in accessions could be due to genetic sources and environmental distribution. The prickly fruit accession showed a significant superiority for most qualitative nutraceutical traits, including DPPH, flavonoid, phenol, carbohydrate, amino acid, fiber, and Fe content compared to smooth fruit accession. Finally, it was found that prickly fruit accession is very suitable for mechanized harvesting and human diet due to its appropriate plant, leaf, petiole, and qualitative nutraceutical traits and can be used for breeding purposes and cultivation fields.
Chemical composition and in vitro and in vivo biological assortment of fixed oil extracted from Ficus benghalensis L.
Authors: Ibrahim Muhammad , Rauf Abdur , Muhammad Naveed , Khalil Anees Ahmed , Akram Muhammad , Aziz Qasim , Ullah Zia , Al-Awthan Yahya S. , Bahattab Omar , Al-Duais Mohammed A. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Ficus benghalensis (Moraceae) is widely found in Asian Countries and has been traditionally prescribed owing to its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxation properties. Purposely, in this study, phytochemical composition and isolation of fixed oil from F. benghalensis were comprehended for the first time. The fatty acids were isolated from hexane (HO) and chloroform (CO) fractions and were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The fatty acid ester was identified by comparing the mass spectra with the equipment library. The major fatty acids identified from HO extract were oleic acid methyl ester (42.67), palmitic acid methyl ester (28.79), linoleic acid methyl ester (11.36), docosanoic acid methyl ester (8.83), and stearic acid methyl ester (3.21). Similarly, the major constituents of CO fraction were palmitic acid methyl ester (65.94), oleic acid methyl ester (10.18), stearic acid methyl ester (9.15), elaidic acid methyl ester (5.32), and linoleic acid methyl ester (3.94). Both of the isolated fixed oils were screened for antibacterial, antioxidant, analgesic, and muscle relaxant effects. Regarding the antibacterial effect, the maximum zone of inhibition against Bacillus subtilis was 26.32 and 25.09 mm by HO and CO fractions, respectively. Both HO and CO demonstrated significant antioxidant effects, i.e., 70.23 and 72.09 µg/mL at a higher dose (100 µg/mL). Similarly, both experimented fractions demonstrated significant analgesic effects while the muscle relaxant effect and sedative were non-significant. Results of the present study conclude that fixed oils are the significant antibacterial and analgesic.
A varying-coefficient partially linear transformation model for length-biased data with an application to HIV vaccine studies
Authors: Wan Alan T. K. , Zhao Wei , Gilbert Peter , Zhou Yong 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Prevalent cohort studies in medical research often give rise to length-biased survival data that require special treatments. The recently proposed varying-coefficient partially linear transformation (VCPLT) model has the virtue of providing a more dynamic content of the effects of the covariates on survival times than the well-known partially linear transformation (PLT) model by allowing flexible interactions between the covariates. However, no existing analysis of the VCPLT model has considered length-biased sampling. In this paper, we consider the VCPLT model when the data are length-biased and right censored, thereby extending the reach of this flexible and powerful tool. We develop a martingale estimating function-based approach to the estimation of this model, provide theoretical underpinnings, evaluate finite sample performance via simulations, and showcase its practical appeal via an empirical application using data from two HIV vaccine clinical trials conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Deconstructing Mixed Constitutions
Authors: Shinar Adam 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
A central task of comparative constitutional law scholarship is categorization and classification of constitutions. Recent scholarship, no doubt informed by the populist tide, has sought to develop the concept of a mixed constitution. Broadly speaking, a mixed constitution is a constitution that integrates liberal and illiberal elements, elements that are usually separate and not found under the same constitution. The study of “mixed constitutions” encompasses both descriptive and normative aspects. First, an attempt to ascertain what, exactly, makes a constitution “mixed.” Second, an attempt to analyze either the desirability of such a system or an attempt to figure out how to harness mixed constitutions in the service of particular normative goals, for example the protection of human rights. This article has two goals. First, an inquiry into the descriptive aspect of mixed constitutions. My aim is to show that given the seeming consensus of what constitutes a mixed constitution, the category itself might encompass many more constitutions than is often acknowledged, to the point that many constitutions are likely to be mixed to a certain extent. My second goal is to demonstrate that given this definitional consensus, what makes a constitution mixed is not necessarily because the constitution itself is mixed, but because sub-constitutional norms shape our constitutional understanding. Put differently, the meaning of a constitution is not determined exclusively through an analysis of the constitution, but also by shifts in sub-constitutional understandings. If this is correct, then it turns out that the universe of mixed constitutions is much larger than thought, which casts doubt on the utility of the category of mixed constitutions.
A note on bat faunal assessment in Karuna bat cave, Baglung, Nepal
Authors: Bhattarai Prabhat Kiran , Sharma Basant , Ghimire Sandip , Sharma Suraj , Bhattarai Bishal 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
In 2019, we surveyed the Karuna bat cave during spring and autumn seasons and recorded two species of fruit bats; Rousettus leschenaultii and Eonycteris spelaea, and two species of insectivorous bats; Hipposideros armiger and Rhinolophus macrotis. Although there was no variation in colony size of insectivorous bats, the fruit bat population (around 38,000 individuals) was only recorded in autumn which indicated seasonal migration. Occasional killing of bats, unsustainable guano extraction, and tourism development threaten this major cave for bats in Nepal. The study recommends prioritizing scientific research and bat friendly cave conservation actions.
Variations on Violence in Greek and Akkadian Succession Myths
Authors: Myerston Jacobo 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIn this article I explore a selection of texts from Greece and Mesopotamia that either recount or comment on the succession myth. I argue that representations of violence in those texts differ considerably within the same culture and time period. I explain these variations as social deixis, positing that ancient authors and interpreters of the succession myth used different representations of violence to present themselves as innovative figures. I argue that both mythmakers and myth-interpreters increased and decreased the intensity and number of violent features to mark a position in the competitive field of cosmological knowledge. Through the comparison of the sources, I show that there was as much competition and innovation in Greece as in Mesopotamia within the field of cosmology. The similarity of social contexts and practices may explain the cross-cultural transfer of knowledge between specialists of these two regions.
“Organised Clairvoyance”: Supranational Surveillance and Controlled Borderlessness in H. G. Wells’sA Modern Utopia
Authors: Foster Jonathan 
Published: July 2022

AbstractInA Modern Utopia(1905), H. G. Wells prophesised that emergent technologies of personal identification such as fingerprinting and central registries would enable the dismantling of national borders. Situating Wells’s novel as a literary expression of a period of experimentation in European mobility control at the turn of the twentieth century, this essay argues that Wells’s ideas about controlled borderlessness were indeed highly prescient, anticipating the recent rise of supranational mobility controlà lathe EU’s Schengen cooperation. If Wells’s theorisation of mobility control was ahead of its time, then so was his suspenseful narrative about undocumented aliens in utopia fearfully navigating a supranational surveillance state. In this essay I emphasise the correspondences between Wells’s delineation of controlled borderlessness and modern-day supranational mobility control, whilst also highlighting discrepancies and discordant notes in Wells’s bureaucratic-technocratic utopian vision.
Genesis 1 in the

Book of Jubilees
Authors: VanderKam James 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
The author of the Book of Jubilees rewrote the creation stories in Gen 1–2 and fashioned them in such a way as to stress several points: the importance of the Sabbath day, the idea that God alone, without assistance, created everything, and his conviction that God and Israel, who with the elite angels are the only ones who celebrate the Sabbath, are joined in a unique relationship of which the Sabbath is a sign.
The Unknown Gnostic Text of Deir el-Balaizah
Authors: Markschies Christoph 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
The paper deals with a little-known Gnostic text from Deir el-Balaizah. After discussing its localization and dating, the paper addresses why the text was previously largely unknown and also to what extent it can be related to (other) Gnostic texts.
Eusebius on “Double Creation” (Praeparatio evangelica 11,23–25)
Authors: Morlet Sébastien 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
The paper analyses the most significant exegesis of the Creation narrative in Eusebius’s work. This exegesis reveals Eusebius’s deep and hidden dependence towards Origen – especially his idea of a “double Creation” (intelligible and sensible Creation). The question remains which works of Origen were used by Eusebius and why Origen is not openly mentioned.