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Red and blue language: Word choices in the Trump and Harris 2024 presidential debate

Political debates are a peculiar type of political discourse, in which candidates directly confront one another, addressing not only the the moderator’s questions, but also their opponent’s statements, as well as the concerns of voters from both parties and undecided voters. Therefore, language is adjusted to meet specific expectations and achieve persuasion. We analyse how the language of Trump and Harris during the Presidential debate (September 10th, 2024) differs in relation to semantic and pragmatic features, for which we formulated targeted hypotheses: framing values and ideology, appealing to emotion, using words with different degrees of concreteness and specificity, addressing others through singular or plural pronouns. Our findings include: differences in the use of figurative frames (Harris often framing issues around recovery and empowerment, Trump often focused on crisis and decline); similar use of emotional language, with Trump showing a slightly higher tendency toward negativity and toward less subjective language compared to Harris; no significant difference in the specificity of candidates’ responses; similar use of abstract language, with Trump showing more variability than Harris, depending on the subject discussed; differences in addressing the opponent, with Trump not mentioning Harris by name, while Harris referring to Trump frequently; different uses of pronouns, with Harris using both singular and plural pronouns equally, while Trump using more singular pronouns. The results are discussed in relation to previous literature on Red and Blue language, which refers to distinct linguistic patterns associated with Republican (Red) and Democratic (Blue) political ideologies.

A novel cardiomyopathy phenotype linked to a CHD7 missense variant

Changes in soil phosphorus dynamics amended with rock phosphate-enriched compost and chemical fertilizers

To adopt effective phosphorus (P) management strategies for sustainable mustard (Brassica juncea L.) production, it is crucial to understand how P is transformed and made available in the soil by utilising diverse P sources. In this study, a field experiment carried out with five treatment combinations; T1: control, T2:100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), T3: enriched compost @ 6 t/ha, T4:100% RDF + enriched compost @ 6 t/ha, and T5:50% RDF + enriched compost @6 t/ha. Findings indicated that the soil treated with 100% RDF together with enhanced compost at 6 t/ha exhibited substantial improvements in saloid-P, aluminum-P (Al-P), iron-P (Fe-P) and calcium-P (Ca-P) in contrast to compost and 100% RDF alone; however, it was statistically similar to a treatment obtaining 50% RDF + enhanced compost @ 6 t/ha. For soil that has been fertilized with chemical fertilizers and enriched compost, remarkable improvement (15.5% and 8%) in alkaline phosphatase activity (ALPA) was seen in contrast to the exclusive use of chemical fertilizers and enriched compost, respectively, compared to 100% RDF, enriched compost and chemical fertilizers enhanced the amount of soil microbial biomass phosphorous (MBP; 55%), microbial biomass carbon (MBC; 34%), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA; 45%). Enriched compost @ 6 t/ha maintained greater P availability and microbial activities culminating in significantly higher mustard grain yield (2.93 Mg/ha). Mustard grain yield was 16.7% higher on soil treated with 100% RDF than control. The outcomes demonstrated that enrichment of processed compost (6 t/ha) with chemical fertilizers (100% RDF) is a good strategy for improved P accumulation deciphering P conversions in soil-plant systems and sustaining mustard yields in degraded ecosystems.

Tribological performance and lubrication mechanism of polyacrylamide as a high-efficiency water-based lubricant additive for titanium alloys

An experimental study of the dual modulation of the colchicine-induced rat model of Alzheimer’s disease by superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and the soluble product of Dipylidium caninum adult worm

Alzheimer’s disease, affecting 7.24 million globally, requires combination therapies, including cholinesterase inhibitors and immunotherapy, for optimal management, emphasizing the benefits of these treatments. The current study investigated the potential synergy between superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and a soluble product of Dipylidium caninum adult worms to enhance biochemical and cognitive changes in a colchicine-induced rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. The study involved 50 male albino rats randomly assigned into five groups: group I, the negative control; group II, the positive control; group III, the soluble product of D. caninum excretory-secretory product (ESP)-intervened group; group IV, the SPION-intervened group; and group V, the combination of SPIONs and the soluble product of D. caninum adult worm ESP-intervened group. Each group consisted of 10 rats. The study compared the biochemical and cognitive abilities of the three intervention groups to the negative control using the MANOVA test, revealing a significant fit model (p = 0.000) and a large effect size (partial eta squared = 0.750) for the biochemical improvement. The same results were found for all biochemical tests, including amyloid beta (AB1–42), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The effect sizes were large (0.551, 0.729, 0.674, and 0.445, respectively), and the fit models were significant (P = 0.000). When comparing the experimental groups pairwise, it was clear that group V was the most effective therapy, as it had the smallest mean difference across all biochemical markers when compared to the negative control group. Regarding cognitive changes, both the multivariate test and tests of between-subject effects of all seven cognitive parameters were significant, with P values ≤ 0.05 and a large effect size due to the partial eta squared values above 0.1. However, for the passive avoidance (PA) effect, initial latency and locomotor activity have medium effect sizes with values between 0.01 and 0.1 (0.061 and 0.018, respectively). Pairwise comparisons between intervention and negative control groups revealed that group IV (SPION-intervened) had the smallest values of cognitive parameters, making it the best intervention therapy for cognitive changes. The Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that the least mean timing needed for cognitive changes to normalize was 20 days at a median point of 0.5, with group III (D. caninum ESP-intervened group) having a significantly different Log Rank (Chi-Square = 85.490, P = 0.000).

Pilot implementation result of frequency, distribution, and factors associated with unsuccessful tests and error rates at Truenat sites in Nigeria

Detection of Deltacoronavirus in environmental fecal samples from seabirds in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, central equatorial Atlantic Ocean

This study investigates the presence of avian coronaviruses (CoVs), Avian influenza viruses (AIVs), and Avian rotaviruses group A (AvRVs) in seabird populations inhabiting the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA), isolated and remote oceanic islands situated in the equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean. In July 2022, 95 environmental fecal samples were collected from seabird colonies and screened for these viruses by quantitative one-step real-time RT-PCR (AIVs and AvRVs), by the conventional pancoronavirus RT-PCR protocols and metatranscriptomics of a positive sample. Four environmental samples tested positive for CoVs. Avian AIVs and AvRVs were not detected. Phylogenetic analyses revealed CoVs closely related to avian deltacoronaviruses previously identified in waterbirds from Asia and Australia. We could not recover the CoV by metatranscriptomics but we recovered a single viral contig of an avian enterovirus. The findings contribute valuable insights into virus dynamics among seabird populations, laying the groundwork for future investigations in this field.

Characterization of a periodontal-inflammatory microRNA profile during multibracket orthodontic treatment in adolescents

Abstract This study aimed to identify functional microRNAs (miRNAs) and their respective targets as central regulatory factors of tooth movement during orthodontic treatment. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of 24 adolescent patients (< 18 years) treated with a full-mouth multibracket appliance (MBA; Thermal Copper Nickel Titanium archwire) was analyzed for miRNAs-21, -29b, -34a, -126, -132, -146a, and -221. GCF samples were taken from the second premolar in either jaw using non-invasive sampling before, 7 days, 5 weeks, and 3 months after application of orthodontic force (8 samples per patient). Validated miRNA targets and regulated pathways were identified using the miRTarBase database (release 9.0) and Reactome (version 87). All analyzed miRNAs were consistently detected in the GCF (Ct value < 35) and a moderate to high correlation was found between samples taken from the mandible and maxilla before treatment (r = 0.42 to 0.71, all p ≤ 0.041). All miRNAs showed changes in their expression levels with orthodontic tooth movement compared to baseline (significant time effect, all p  < 0.001). The general profile indicated an increase in miRNA expression in both jaws with time except for miR-21, which showed reduced levels one week after MBA application ( p  = 0.046). For miR-34, a significant interaction effect was observed (time × jaw, p  = 0.0396) in that lower levels were found after five weeks and three months of treatment in the mandible compared to the maxilla. The medium to late treatment phase was characterized by an increase in miR-146 and miR-221. Gene signaling pathway analysis suggested regulation of cellular response to stress including hypoxia, matrix reorganization and vascular remodeling. Since the identified miRNA profile was linked to targets involved in the remodeling process of the alveolar supporting apparatus and alveolar bone, GCF-derived miRNAs may represent diagnostic biomarkers to monitor cellular processes during orthodontic tooth movement and potentially optimize individual treatment outcomes.

A distance-based framework for assessing the ex-situ conservation status of plants

We present a framework to assess the ex-situ conservation status of plant species, by estimating the fraction of extant genetic diversity that has been conserved as seeds or other living material outside their natural habitat. We use a species distribution model to predict the area that is suitable for a species, and use inclusion and exclusion buffers to estimate its range. The range is divided into a number of zones that is proportional to the square root of its size. The geographic and environmental distance between zones is combined into a single distance metric that is used as to set weights on the links of a network connecting neighboring zones. An adjusted network is created by setting the distance between zones with seed samples to zero and halving the distance to neighboring zones for which there is no seed sample. The ex-situ conservation score (XC, between 0 and 1) is then computed as the reduction in the sum of the weights of the shortest paths between the nodes in the adjusted network relative to the sum the weights of the shortest paths in the original network. We adjust XC for small seed sample sizes and for the number of seed samples with unknown geographic origin. We illustrate our framework for 61 wild Vigna species in Africa. Twenty-three species were not conserved ex-situ (XC = 0), and 42 species had very low conservation scores (XC < 0.2). Range sizes were very different from the suitable area sizes predicted with the species distribution model (r = 0.09). The geographic and environmental distances were weakly correlated (r = 0.29), illustrating the importance of considering both. The Pearson correlation coefficient between XC and seed sample size for each species was 0.94, suggesting that seed sample size can be useful for quickly evaluating ex-situ conservation status.

Volatilomic response to targeted cancer therapy in vitro

Abstract Clinical advancement of novel therapeutics is often hindered by variable patient responses. Therefore, clinically translatable biomarkers of response are urgently required to facilitate precision medicine trials. Endogenous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be non-invasively detected in exhaled breath and biofluids and have shown great potential for early cancer detection. Since emerging evidence suggests that cancer-associated VOCs may reflect alterations in the tumour lipidome, we speculated that the response to metabolically active therapies could be monitored through VOC measurement. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated the lipidomic and volatilomic profiles of mTOR catalytic inhibitors (mTORci)-resistant and -sensitive colorectal cancer cells. Distinct lipid-derived VOC signatures, including upregulated alkenes, aldehydes, and fatty acids were observed in mTORci-resistant cells. These enriched VOCs correlated with phospholipid structure and desaturation positions, suggesting that they may be surrogates of dysregulated lipid metabolism. This novel association between VOCs and drug response establishes a precedent for further investigation into VOC biomarkers of treatment response. VOCs associated with therapy response in vitro need to be targeted in clinical trials to identify biomarkers that could be translated to monitor therapeutic response in a clinical setting.

Retraction: Participants’ understanding of informed consent in clinical trials: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis

Using zeolite, molasses, and PGP microorganisms to improve apatite solubility and increase phosphorus uptake by Sorghum bicolor L. (Speedfed cultivar)

Ecological restructuring of North Tethyan marine vertebrate communities triggered by the end-Cretaceous extinction

The ecological upheavals produced by the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction event (K-Pg, −66 Ma) have been mostly studied at large scale with emphasis on clades’ diversity dynamics. How this event affected the structure of paleocommunities is comparatively less investigated, especially within large vertebrate clades like fish. Here, we quantified changes in the contribution of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, rays) and actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes) to the fish community across the K-Pg extinction by analyzing ichthyolith (fossil teeth and denticles) abundance through time. Based on extensive sampling of 20 horizons from two outcrops spanning the K-Pg event in Austria (>4 tons of rock, >9,000 ichthyoliths), we show that the K-Pg event fostered elasmobranch abundance while reducing actinopterygian density in the Tethys Ocean. Elasmobranch ichthyolith dominance in postextinction communities is not driven by estimated local environmental change (paleobathymetry, bottom-water oxygenation) and may relate to the greater independence of this clade from lower trophic levels in their ecology and early life stages than actinopterygians. We further measured the size structure of ichthyolith assemblages and found that the K-Pg event initiated an increase in the range of ecological niche space occupied by elasmobranchs simultaneously to the demise of actinopterygians in postextinction communities. Finally, using the fine taxonomic resolution of the elasmobranch fossil record, we demonstrate that local environmental fluctuations controlled elasmobranch community structure and richness, which are decoupled from global-scale upheavals. Our results challenge previous hypotheses and provide insights into global and regional environmental forcing over the structure of fish communities across a mass extinction event.

Patient preferences for Remote cochlear implant management: A discrete choice experiment

Background The opportunity to assess cochlear implant outcomes remotely provides the potential to streamline delivery of care for cochlear implant users. However, the conditions required for its implementation into clinic systems must be fully understood to ensure success and sustainability. The objectives of this study were to (i) use a discrete choice experiment quantify the preferences of cochlear implant users when considering use of Cochlear Remote CheckTM, a remote assessment service, and (ii) explore the perceptions, insights and attitudes of CI users that may influence utilisation of a remote service. Design A discrete choice experiment was administrated to Australian adult cochlear implant users via an online survey. Participants chose between pairs of hypothetical clinical service options for three different clinical scenarios (acute care, troubleshooting and long-term review). Participants answered a series of questions focusing on how and when remote services should be discussed and offered within their hearing journey. Results A total of 124 adult cochlear implant users completed the survey. Conditional logit analysis revealed the strongest participant preference was clinician continuity for assessment review, followed by low service costs. They preferred to receive assessment results within one week of completion, but not by videoconference/call in the acute care scenario. Only 12% of participants preferred in-clinic visits for all scenarios. Notably, 100% of participants felt that cochlear implant users should be made aware of remote service opportunities available to them. Conclusion Study participants placed high importance on clinician continuity, but preferences for timing and delivery of results were less pronounced. This information can help to inform customisation of remote services by individual clinics. Costs and payment infrastructure for providing remote care require careful consideration. Whilst there is an appetite for use of Remote CheckTM alongside clinic visits, it is not suitable for, nor preferred by, all cochlear implant users.

Periodic leg movements and cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly adults with mediating role of REM duration and PLMS-related arousal

A cloud-assisted key agreement protocol for the E-healthcare system

Secure data transmission is critical to cloud-based electronic healthcare (e-healthcare) systems. Upon delving into the literature, it becomes clear that several security mechanisms have been developed to ensure the security of exchanged information across patients, physicians, and the cloud server, but they do not resist vulnerabilities such as man-in-the-middle, side-channel, and session key hijacking attacks. These vulnerabilities can seriously compromise the integrity of exchanged medical records. In light of this, the article proposes a cloud-assisted key agreement protocol for the e-healthcare system to enable secure authentication for patient monitoring, enhancing mutual authentication of the participating entities and creating protected session keys for secure open-channel communication. The proposed methodology employs robust and lightweight procedures, including SHA-256 and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), while considering the challenges of implementing strong security protocols in healthcare systems, such as the need for high performance and low energy consumption. The proof of correctness and robustness of the proposed protocol has been analyzed through the Real-Or-Random (RoR) model, ProVerif verification toolkit, and pragmatic illustration, while the efficiency and efficacy were checked by measuring computation, communication, storage costs, and energy consumption. The result obtained from the security analysis demonstrated that the proposed protocol resisting man-in-the-middle, replay, DoS, traceability/tracking, desynchronization, impersonation, and side channel attacks offers key secrecy, confidentiality, integrity, and authorization. In contrast, the result depicted from the performance analysis section shows that the proposed protocol is 46.99% better in communication, 96.46% in computation, and 53.69% in energy consumption, which is inaugurating its superiority over its competitors. Hence, it is recommended for practical implementation in the real-world cloud-based e-healthcare scenario.

Perceptions of media portrayed violence among South Korean college students using Q methodology

Abstract Although numerous studies examine violence portrayed in the media, few have explored how viewers subjectively perceive it despite the presence of contradictory viewpoints. This study employs Q methodology to investigate South Korean college students’ subjective perceptions of media violence. The Q sample comprises 33 statements, and the P-set includes 17 university students. The analysis reveals three perception types. Type 1 (Media Violence Freedom Advocates) believe that personal values influence media violence and do not view it as a problem. They argue that regulating media violence would infringe on freedom of expression. Type 2 (Media Violence Personal Responsibility Emphasizers) view media violence as a means of portraying social issues and find violent content engaging, assuming that wrongdoers ultimately receive punishment. Lastly, Type 3 (Media Violence Ethics and Regulation Advocates) supports regulating media violence and implementing appropriate educational initiatives to address this issue. Understanding these perspectives among college students provides valuable insights for developing media regulations and educational policies.

Monolayer whole adherent islets: A novel tool for studying drug-induced diabetic phenotypes in vitro

To understand the mechanisms of diabetes and develop novel drugs, various animal diabetes models as well as in vitro experimental systems have been established. Using isolated islets in vitro is associated with several problems: (1) discontinued blood microcirculation causes ischemia and central necrosis in isolated islets, (2) dissociation of islets into single cells reduces the total number of cells and impairs endocrine function. Here, we aim to establish a novel experimental method using isolated islets to characterize cell physiology and drug effects. We have developed a method to flatten islets into monolayers by culturing small, whole, non-disrupted mouse islets on laminin-521. In this culture, islet cells remain intact, and cell-cell junctions are not broken mechanically. Small mouse islets were cultured in a 96-well plate coated with laminin-521 for six days and then exposed to various concentrations of streptozotocin (STZ) for 24 hours. Monolayer islets exposed to 0.6 mM STZ-induced a metabolic diabetes-like phenotype, i.e., islet cell death, predominantly of beta cells, causing a shift in alpha-to-beta cell ratio. The stimulation index in a glucose-stimulated insulin secretion assay was reduced in STZ-treated islets. However, insulin production per beta cell did not change significantly. The monolayer whole islet assay format allows the extraction of quantitative data regarding endocrine cell populations, “endocrine sensitivity” (stimulation index), and “endocrine power” (amount of hormone secreted per cell). It is a novel, versatile, user-friendly, semi-automated, and financially attractive experimental platform.

Pharmacokinetics of midazolam and hepatic cytochrome P450 3A activity in an in vivo extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rat model

X and Y gene dosage effects are primary contributors to human sexual dimorphism: The case of height

Many human phenotypic traits vary between the sexes, including adult height for which males are, on average, 13 cm taller than females. The biological mechanisms for this sexual dimorphism are not entirely understood. One hypothesis to explain the sexual dimorphism in height relates to differential expression in males and females of SHOX , a height-related gene in the pseudoautosomal region 1 (PAR1) on the X and Y sex chromosomes. SHOX expression is reduced on the inactive X chromosome (Xi), compared to the active X in females. Sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs), characterized by an atypical number of X and/or Y chromosomes, serve as informative models for investigating PAR1-related gene dosage effects. Here, we leveraged three large biobanks to study 928,605 individuals, including 1,225 adults with SCAs: 45,X (n = 95), 47,XXY (n = 505), 47,XYY (n = 290), and 47,XXX (n = 335). By modeling height across individuals with various sex chromosome complements, we quantified the contributions of five sex-related genomic contributors to height, including Xi chromosome dosage, Y chromosome dosage, male sex hormones, and effects of Klinefelter and Turner syndromes. We found that a unit increase in Y chromosome dosage confers 3.1cm (95% CI, 1.9 to 4.3) more to height than a unit increase in Xi chromosome dosage, independent of hormonal variables. The larger increase in height conferred by the Y chromosome explained 22.6% of the observed difference in height between 46,XY males and 46,XX females. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that reduced SHOX expression in females results in a net difference in height between the sexes.