bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tiotropium: efficacy and safety in pediatric bronchial asthma
Authors: Kolosova Natalia G. , Grebeneva Irina V. , Denisova Veronika D.
Published: March 2021

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic lung diseases observed in children. According to the international and Russian guidelines, the long-term objectives of asthma treatment in children and adolescents are to achieve good symptom control, minimize the risk of asthma exacerbations, reduce hospital admissions, decrease the use of short-acting bronchodilators, reduce restrictions in the airflow and side effects, and ensure that normal activity levels are maintained. The asthma treatment is based on the use of inhaled corticosteroids as a backbone therapy and addition of adjunctive therapy if the disease control is poor or worsening. Tiotropium bromide is the first anticholinergic drug that has been approved for children and adults with poorly controlled asthma and is currently used as a treatment option for moderate to severe bronchial asthma. Randomized clinical trials in children and adolescents with persistent bronchial asthma showed high efficacy and safety of tiotropium. The addition of tiotropium in the form of 2 inhalations of 2.5 μg once a day to the bronchial asthma therapy in children over 6 years old, including medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids, is a preferred and safe option to increase the therapy coverage compared to an increase of a dose of inhaled corticosteroids to high levels, regardless of the disease phenotype (In atopic, non-atopic bronchial asthma, bronchial asthma with obesity, etc.). Tiotropium adjunctive therapy may also be a therapeutic option for children using inhaled corticosteroids, who have asthma that does not respond well to long-acting β2-agonist therapy, or for those, who are worried about the safety of long-acting β2-agonists.
Acute urticaria: differential diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Pampura Alexander N. , Zakharova Irina N. , Varlamov Evgeniy E. , Simakova Maria A.
Published: March 2021

Acute urticaria remains one of the most topical pediatric problems. Acute urticaria lasts for up to 6 weeks, during which blisters appear with varying frequency and intensity. In about 40% of cases, urticaria is accompanied by angioedema. The prevalence of acute urticaria is 1 to 5% in the population, and in the child population the frequency of acute urticaria reaches 6.7%. According to recent estimates, 10 to 20% of the population has had an episode of acute urticaria during their lifetime. About 50% of children with acute urticaria have concomitant allergic diseases. The management of children with acute urticaria presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Treatment of acute urticaria in children begins with elimination of the significant trigger – appropriate measures are taken (withdrawal of the drug, administration of an elimination diet, therapy of infectious and inflammatory processes). First-line drugs for acute urticaria are H1-antihistamines, and it is recommended to use H1-antihistamines of the II generation. However, if clinical manifestations develop rapidly, if the patient has generalized urticarial rashes, angioedema, gastrointestinal symptoms, parenteral forms of first-generation antihistamines may be used to relieve the acute allergic reaction. Patients who do not respond to treatment with antihistamines may respond to short-term therapy with systemic glucocorticoids, although the efficacy of this treatment has yet to be tested in controlled clinical trials. The prognosis for acute urticaria is favorable – in most cases, acute spontaneous urticaria remains the only episode in the patient’s life. The disease develops into a chronic form in 5% of patients, and other estimates suggest that the symptoms of urticaria persist in 9.5% of children for up to 6 months.
Is it always easy for children with mild asthma?
Authors: Glushkova Evgeniya F. , Surovenko Tatiana N.
Published: March 2021

Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic disease of children, the worst way is their quality of life. Compliance in the treatment of children is very important, since the actual effect of a drug is determined by both the effective drugs and patient adherence and correct use. A relevant test is the use of mild asthma, which is able to control bronchial hyperreactivity associated with exercise, cold air, and other nonspecific irritants (smoke, odors, etc.). Planning of baseline therapy for children with mild asthma aged 5 years old and younger is particularly problematic for paediatricians due to high incidences of acute respiratory viral diseases and viral-induced exacerbations of bronchial asthma among them. In these children, allergen-specific immunotherapy, long-acting B-agonists, the use of many metered-dose inhaled glucocorticosteroids. are not recommended.

Montelukast, an oral antileukotriene drug, has advantages in the treatment of children with mild asthma with virus-induced exacerbations, with asthma of physical exertion and severe bronchial hyperreactivity, especially when combined with allergic rhinitis, as well as in special clinical cases, when parents refuse to use ICS for treatment children with mild asthma or inability to use them for some reason. The use of montelukast for mild asthma in children in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic also has advantages that pediatricians can use when observing these children in the pediatric area, taking into account contraindications.
The role of multistraine probiotics in non-specific seasonal prevention of acute respiratory infections in children with recurrent URTI in organized teams
Authors: Lyudmila D. Panova Lyudmila D. Panova Lyudmila D. Panova
Published: March 2021

Introduction. A broad evidence base of numerous randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses asserts the role of intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in the development of various diseases, including those of infectious origin, in infancy and later stages of life.

Purpose. Assessment of the efficacy of a multi-strain immuno-probiotic during rehabilitation of frequently ill children visiting organized groups during the period of epidemiological distress for acute respiratory diseases.

Materials and methods.93 children older than 3 years of age were enrolled in an open comparative prospective clinical observation during the high-risk respiratory infection period  – November, December. Children were observed for 1.5 months during administration of the multi-strain probiotic and 1 month after discontinuation of the probiotic. The subjects were randomized into two groups: the treatment group (60 children) received the multi-strain probiotic in the maximum age-specific dosage variances (children aged 3 to 12 years old – 1 capsule, older than 12 years of age – 2 capsules) once a day in the morning for 14 days and the comparison group (33 children) did not receive the multi-probiotic for the same period.

Results and discussion. It was found that the incidence of disease in children receiving the multi-probiotic (the treatment group – 60 children) was statistically lower, and the disease severity was milder than in the group of children, who did not receive the probiotic (the comparison group – 33 children). Not a single child who received the multi-probiotic in the course of disease did not require antibiotic therapy during the entire observation period. Moreover, the incidence of respiratory infections in the treatment group within a month after discontinuation of the probiotic was 4.6 times lower than in the comparison group. No side effects were reported.

Conclusions. The study results allowed the author to recommend the use of a multi-strain immuno-probiotic as a nonspecific immunomodulatory supplement for the seasonal prevention of acute respiratory infections, especially in frequently ill children at a high risk of infections.
Experience of using semi-elemental formulas for enteral nutrition in children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Maksimycheva Tatyana Y. , Kondratyeva Elena I. , Odinaeva Niso D.
Published: March 2021

Introduction. The issues of choosing the optimal product for enteral nutrition in children with cystic fibrosis in combination with comorbid conditions require a special clinical approach and cause difficulties for practitioners.

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of correcting the nutritional status in children with cystic fibrosis against the background of concomitant conditions using a semi-element product for enteral nutrition.

Materials and methods. 20 children (boys – 9, girls – 11) aged from 1 year to 3 years (average age 2.9±0.7 years) with a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and concomitant comorbid conditions - uncupable intestinal syndrome, post-resection syndrome against the background of meconial ileus, food allergy (the semi-element formula was prescribed according to indications, the evaluation of effectiveness according to the SCORAD index was not included in the objectives of the study). The state of actual nutrition, pancreatin doses, intestinal syndrome, nutritional status (anthropometric indicators) were evaluated at baseline (before) and 3 months (after) the use of Peptamen Junior in the study group.

Design:prospective, observational, without comparison group.

Results and discussion. The analysis showed that the anthropometric indicators significantly increased against the background of the correction of the diet and the use of “Peptamen Junior” as an additional food. BMI increased from 34.5 percentiles to 57.0 (p < 0.05).

Correction of nutrition using a semi-element formula with an altered fat composition, including SCT, and correction of the dose of pancreatic enzymes by calculating the fat content in food, led to a decrease in the manifestations of intestinal syndrome.

Conclusion.The results obtained indicate the clinical effectiveness of the semi-element formula for enteral nutrition for the correction of nutritional deficiency (BMI less than 50 percentile) in young children with cystic fibrosis and concomitant pathology that requires a special approach.
Probiotics for prevention of acute respiratory infections in children: therapeutic potential.
Authors: Zakharova Irina N. , Sugyan Narine G.
Published: March 2021

Acute respiratory viral infections represent a group of clinically, pathomorphologically similar acute inflammatory respiratory diseases that manifest by fever, a runny nose, sneezing, cough, sore throat, a general feeling of ill health of varying severity. Activation of latent, persistent infections of viral and/or bacterial origin may occur in recurrent respiratory infections. Decreased production of local immunity contributes greatly to the development of viral and bacterial infections, persistence of pathogenic micro-organisms. Intestinal microflora can directly or indirectly affect the human respiratory tract through increased production of cytokines, short-chain fatty acids. In recent years, there has been a scientific interest in the therapeutic potential of probiotics for the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections. Earlier studies have shown a positive effect of probiotics on the respiratory tract with a view to prevent and reduce the incidence and severity of respiratory infectious diseases by expending the number of IgA secreting cells in the bronchial mucosa. Studies showed that the use of probiotics can reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections, duration of fever, cough, and the need for antibacterial agents in children. Peptidoglycans and muramyl peptides that are constituents of the bacterial cell wall have antiviral activity. Probiotics can also inhibit virus attachment through a process of competing for the specific receptors. The regeneration of the mucous membrane is enhanced by the ability of mucin to prevent the virus from attaching to epithelial cells and suppress virus replication. The antiviral effect of probiotics may be caused by the ability to produce antimicrobial peptides, dehydrogenases and NOs. Probiotics can modulate the functions of epithelial and dendritic cells, CD4 +, CD8 + T lymphocytes, NK cells, stimulate the synthesis of secretory immunoglobulins, helping to neutralize the virus.
Hemodynamics in renal transplant in children with various morphological changes in the long-term post-transplant period
Authors: Ektov Denis B. , Pykov Mikhail I. , Valov Alexey L. , Molchanova Maria S. , Kushnir Berta L. , Martynenkova Aliya V.
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Ultrasound scanning is one of the main methods of instrumental examination of patients after allogenic transplantation of kidney. The main reasons of dysfunction of the kidney transplant in long post-transplantation term are acute or chronic rejection, as well as acute and chronic nephrotoxicity of calcineurin inhibitors.

Objective. Assessment of dopplerographic indicators of the blood flow throughout the transplanted kidney vessels in patients with preserved nitrogen excretion function under various morphological changes.

Materials and methods. The study includes an analysis of the medical history of 98 children with end-stage chronic renal failure who underwent 98 allogeneic kidney transplants from a posthumous donor. There were analyzed the results of 185 percutaneous puncture biopsies and ultrasound studies of renal transplants. The analyzed data of morphological studies are divided into 4 groups. 1st group – there are no morphological changes affecting graft function. 2nd group – morphological signs of calcineurin toxicity. 3rd group – borderline damage of the graft. 4th group – acute and chronic graft rejection.

Results and discussion. Indices of resistance and pulsation measured at the level of the renal artery and interlobular arteries tended to decrease in the kidneys with immunological influence and remained stable in other morphological groups. This means that, the higher the degree of hyalinosis of the arteries, the lower the indices of resistance and pulsation indices measured at the level of the common renal artery and interlobular arteries.

Conclusions. The revealed tendency of a decrease in the values of the resistance index and the pulsation index at the level of the common renal artery of the interlobular arteries can be considered as one of the initial ultrasound signs that allow to speak of a decrease in the elasticity of the vascular wall. Normal indices of renal hemodynamics do not exclude the presence of pathological processes leading to graft dysfunction.
Role of vitamin D in pre-school children’s health
Authors: Zakharova Irina N. , Dolbnya Svetlana V. , Kuryaninova Victoriya A. , Klimov Leonid Ya. , Kipkeev Shamil O. , Tsutsaeva Anna N. , Yagupova Anastasia V. , Enina Elena A. , Avtandilyan Liana L. , Atanesyan Roza A. , Dyatlova Anna A. , Ponomareva Mariya E. , Karaseva Alisa A.
Published: March 2021

Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects, including maintaining calcium and phosphate homeostasis, and affecting the immune and endocrine systems. The article summarizes data on the expected biological effects of vitamin D on children’s health. The results of randomized clinical trials evaluating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the incidence of acute respiratory tract infections are reviewed in detail. It has been shown that daily intake of vitamin D at a dose of 10 to 25 mcg/day (400–1000 IU/day) compared with placebo leads to a significant decrease in the proportion of children and adolescents who have had at least one episode of acute respiratory infection. The criteria for the provision of calciferol and the gradation of the status of vitamin D deficiency and deficiency in different countries are discussed. It has been shown that in the interpretation of the 25 (OH) D results there is a consensus on two points: calcidiol levels below 12 ng/ml (30 nmol/L) are considered clearly insufficient, and levels above 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L) are considered sufficient in all regions. The incidence of hypovitaminosis D has been reported in children aged 3 to 7 years, where the overall combined assessment, regardless of age group, ethnic composition and breadth of the studied populations, showed that 13% of European children had a serum calcidiol concentration of less than 12 ng/ml (<30 nmol/L), and about 40% had a level of less than 30 ng/ml (<75 nmol/L). The data on the physiological need and the recommended daily dose of vitamin D for preschool children have been analyzed. In each country, the recommended intake of vitamin D is set (from 400 to 4000 IU), depending on the target concentration of serum calcidiol, the level of insolation, and nutritional characteristics. The necessity of conducting clinical studies in the age group from 3 to 7 years to determine an adequate, effective and safe preventive dose of vitamin D for preschool children in the Russian Federation is emphasized.
Efficiency of elimination-irrigation therapy in children with allergic rhinitis and recurrent respiratory
Authors: Malanicheva Tatyana G. , Ziatdinova Nelli V. , Gataullina Guzel S.
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Despite new diagnostic methods contributing to an understanding of the etiopathogenesis of acute respiratory tract diseases and a variety of drugs for effective therapy, respiratory tract diseases continue to stand first in the overall morbidity profile in both children and adults. Frequently ill children are most susceptible to diseases, especially at the age of 3 to 6 years old, which accounts for up to 75% of all acute respiratory infection cases and shows no positive response to the medical-preventive activities. The article discusses the relationship between allergic rhinitis and recurrent respiratory diseases.

Materials and methods. The possibility and effectiveness of complex treatment of allergic rhinitis in 65 frequently ill children aged 3 to 12 years are considered. The main group consisted of 35 children who were included in the traditional anti-allergic therapy with an isotonic solution of sea salt in an age-related dose for 10 days. The comparison group consisted of 30 children who received only traditional anti-allergic therapy, which was comparable in the compared groups. Patients underwent in-depth clinical and specific allergological examinations, as well as assessment of atopic response parameters of mucosal immunity, including determination of eosinophil levels, side, and Il-4 concentrations in nasal secretions.

Results. Thus, the 12-month follow-up control over children with AR showed that the annual frequency of ARIs in the treatment group decreased by 1.4 times and, when averaged, was 5.2 cases, while in the comparison group it was 7.3 cases p < 0.05.

Conclusions. In children with recurrent respiratory diseases, suffering from allergic rhinitis, the complex anti-allergic therapy, with the inclusion of elimination and irrigation therapy with a preparation based on isotonic sea salt solution, led to a decrease activity of markers of allergic inflammation in the nasal mucosa, which is confirmed by a decrease in the level of eosinophils, secretory IgE and IL-4 in nasal secretions against the background of a decrease in the frequency of acute respiratory diseases during follow-up for a year.
Sleep as a biological rhythm: clinical aspects
Authors: Puchkova A. N. , Poluektov M. G.
Published: March 2021

Insomnia is a widespread disorder affecting not only sleep quantity and quality, but also daytime well-being and performance, as well as having a negative impact on physical and mental health. Many people have problems falling asleep and maintaining sleep that do not reach the clinical criteria of insomnia. For all the prevalence of such sleep disorders, specialists often overlook a fundamentally important factor that affects sleep and wakefulness cycle, ease of falling asleep and daytime performance. These are circadian rhythms of the body under the control of the biological clock.This review highlights the specifics of the human biological clock and its relationship to insomnia and complaints of poor sleep. The phenomenon of the human chronotype as a set of individual preferences in sleep-wake rhythm is considered. Late chronotype, tat tends to wake up late and be active in the evening turns out to be the most vulnerable to the appearance of complaints of poor sleep and development of insomnia. This result is typical for different age groups. The reason for problems sleep for the late chronotype is the need to adjust to social demands and to fall asleep and wake up too early relative to the phase of one’s own circadian rhythm.Circadian rhythms may contribute to the formation and maintenance of insomnia. Both chronic and acute insomnia may have a chronobiological component that is not always considered. Late chronotype may be a factor further exacerbating the course of insomnia. The regularity of circadian rhythms may also be impaired in insomnia.The importance of the biological clock in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness also explains the successful approach to insomnia treatment with melatonin, which plays an important signaling role in the circadian regulation of the body.
Vestibulo-atactic disorders correction in chronic brain ischemia
Authors: Belskaya G. N.
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Chronic brain ischemia (CBI) is one of the most common causes of vestibulo-atactic disorders and cognitive impairment in the elderly.Objective. To investigate the effectiveness of Vinpotropil we trail in the treatment of patients with CBI.Materials and methods. The open-label, comparative, randomized study included 60 patients, 24 men and 36 women, aged 40 to 72 years (mean age – 52.8 ± 7.7 years), with CBI. The cause of the disease was atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels (16 people), hypertension (11 people) and their combination (33 people). During 2 months together with a basic therapy (antihypertensive, hypolipidemic therapy – as in-dicated) patients of group 1 (30 people) had been taken betagistine 24 mg x 2 r/day; group 2 (30 people) – Vinpotropil 1 caps x 3 r/day in combination with Betagistin Canon 24 mg x 2 r/day. Results and discussion. As a result of the treatment, there was a decrease in the severity of vertigo from 2.9 ± 0.3 points at the beginning of the study, to 2.1 ± 0.3 (group 1) and 1.4 ± 0.4 points (group 2), p < 0.05. The average score on the MoСА test was 27.3 ± 0.8 at the beginning of treatment, and by its end significantly increased in patients of both groups, amounting to 28.7 ± 0.6 and 29.2 ± 0.5 (p < 0.05).Conclusion. The data obtained indicate that the administration of Vinpotropil in addition to Betahistine Canon allowed to achieve more pronounced results of therapy.
Okul Öncesi Öğretmen Adaylarının Kaynaştırmaya Yönelik Öz-Yeterlik Algılarının İncelenmesi
Authors: BAŞPINAR Serpil , SÖNMEZ Nesrin
Published: March 2021

Giriş: Gelişim ve öğrenmenin en hızlı olduğu okul öncesi dönemde özel gereksinimli çocukların erken tanılanmasıve erken müdahalenin nitelikli bir şekilde yapılarak onların potansiyellerini en üst seviyeye ulaştırmak önemlidir.Bu dönemde kaynaştırma uygulamalarının niteliği bu uygulamaları yürüten öğretmenlerin yeterlikleriyle birebirilişkilidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, okul öncesi öğretmeni adaylarının kaynaştırma konusunda öz-yeterlik algıdüzeylerini belirlemek ve adayların kaynaştırma öz-yeterlik algı düzeylerini, en son mezun olunan okul, daha önceözel gereksinimli bireylerle etkileşimde bulunma durumu, etkileşimin süresi ve öğretmenlik uygulaması yaptığısınıfta özel gereksinimli çocuk bulunma durumu değişkenleri açısından incelemektir.Yöntem: Çalışmada betimsel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Çalışma grubunu okul öncesi öğretmenliği bölümündeöğrenim gören 107 son sınıf öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak “Öğretmen AdayıBilgi Formu” ve “Özel Gereksinimli Çocukların Kaynaştırılmasına Yönelik Öğretmen Yeterliği Ölçeği”kullanılmıştır. Araştırma verilerinin analizi bir istatistik programı ile yapılmıştır.Bulgular: Çalışma sonunda elde edilen bulgulara göre; okul öncesi öğretmeni adaylarının kaynaştırmaya yöneliköz-yeterlik algıları orta düzeydedir. Okul öncesi öğretmeni adaylarının öz-yeterlik algılarının ölçeğin genelinde vealt ölçeklerde incelenen değişkenler açısından anlamlı farklılık göstermediği belirlenmiştir.Tartışma: Okul öncesi öğretmeni adaylarının kaynaştırmaya yönelik öz-yeterlik algı düzeyinin arzu edilenseviyede olmaması, kaynaştırma ve özel eğitim alanı ile ilgili bilgilerinin ve uygulama deneyimlerinin hizmetöncesinde yeterince sağlanmadığına işaret etmektedir. Bu bilgi ve deneyimler artarsa kaynaştırmaya yönelik özyeterlik algıları da yüksek düzeye ulaşabilir. Öz-yeterlik algısını etkileyen olası faktörlerin belirlenmesi için başkaçalışmalara gereksinim olduğu düşünülmektedir. Yapılacak benzer çalışmalarda nitel yöntemin de kullanılması,bu çalışmadakinden farklı değişkenlerin incelenmesi; öğretmen adaylarının genel öğretmenlik öz-yeterlik algılarıile kaynaştırmaya yönelik öz-yeterlik algılarının ilişkisinin incelenmesi öneriler arasında sayılabilir.
PREPARAÇÃO DE MATERIAL A BASE DE FERRO/CARVÃO A PARTIR DE RESÍDUO DO BIODIESEL PARA APLICAÇÃO NA REMOÇÃO DE CONTAMINANTES ORGÂNICOS
Authors: Diniz Rochele , Mendonça Thais , Domingues Raquel , Gonçalves Maraísa
Published: March 2021

PREPARATION OF IRON/CARBON MATERIAL FROM BIODIESEL WASTE FOR APPLICATION IN THE REMOVAL OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS. In this work, iron/carbon-based catalysts obtained from biodiesel residues, glycerin, were prepared.The composites were prepared by thermal carbonization of the glycerin polymer, from biodiesel residues, in the presence of iron salt. The materials obtained were characterized by adsorption/desorption of N2, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. XRD analysis have shown the presence of hematite and magnetite. The methylene blue (MB) adsorption and oxidation tests reached 99% color removal in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The steadystate spectra confirmed the MB oxidation by the reduction of the fluorescence intensity. Besides, it has high stability, with no active phase leaching, proving a heterogeneous oxidation process.
The Diagnostic Accuracy of Cardiac Enzymes-Lipid Profile Ratio for Diagnosing Coronary Heart Disease in Chest Pain Patients
Authors: Kadry Mohamed , Zahran Faten M. , Emran Tarek M. , Omran Mohamed M.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Lipid abnormalities increase Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk. Our developed indexes 1,2 were reported in scientific Journals. Here, we verified and evaluated the cardiac enzymes-lipid profile ratio's diagnostic value for diagnosing CHD patients.

Methods:

Lipid profiles and cardiac enzymes were estimated in all chest pain patients. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the markers' diagnostic accuracy.

Results:

There were varieties of significant differences (P < 0.01- P < 0.0001) of Creatine Kinase MB (CK-MB) - lipid profile ratio and Troponin I-lipid profile ratio within the groups of chest pain patients. For discriminating between Non-Coronary Chest Pain (NCCP) and Stable Angina (SA) groups, the AUCs were the greatest for CK-MB- High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (0.62) and for Troponin I-HDL (0.62). Moreover, for discriminating between NCCP and Unstable Angina (UA) groups, the AUC was the greatest for CK-MB-HDL ratio (0.97). Also, for discriminating between NCCP and Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) groups, the AUC was the greatest for index 2 (0.99). Similarly, for discriminating between SA and UA groups, the AUC was the greatest for CK-MB-HDL ratio (0.90). For discriminating between SA and AMI groups, the AUC was the greatest for index 2 (0.97). Finally, for discriminating between UA and AMI groups, the AUC was the greatest for index 2 (0.78).

Conclusion:

Independent CK-MB-HDL ratio can be used as a good and simple index for diagnosing CHD in chest pain patients and discriminating between the different groups of these patients
Role of Warburg Effect in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Potential Treatment Option
Authors: Kuspriyanti Niken Puspa , Ariyanto Eko Fuji , Syamsunarno Mas Rizky A. A.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Under normal conditions, the heart obtains ATP through the oxidation of fatty acids, glucose, and ketones. While fatty acids are the main source of energy in the heart, under certain conditions, the main source of energy shifts to glucose where pyruvate converts into lactate, to meet the energy demand. The Warburg effect is the energy shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis in the presence of oxygen. This effect is observed in tumors as well as in diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. If glycolysis is more dominant than glucose oxidation, the two pathways uncouple, contributing to the severity of the heart condition. Recently, several studies have documented changes in metabolism in several cardiovascular diseases; however, the specific mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods:

This literature review was conducted by an electronic database of Pub Med, Google Scholar, and Scopus published until 2020. Relevant papers are selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results:

A total of 162 potentially relevant articles after the title and abstract screening were screened for full-text. Finally, 135 papers were included for the review article.

Discussion:

This review discusses the effects of alterations in glucose metabolism, particularly the Warburg effect, on cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and cardiac hypertrophy.

Conclusion:

Reversing the Warburg effect could become a potential treatment option for cardiovascular diseases.
An Overview of Studies Demonstrating that ex vivo Neuronal Networks Display Multiple Complex Behaviors: Emergent Properties of Nearest-Neighbor Interactions of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons.
Authors: Shea Thomas B.
Published: March 2021

The responsiveness of the human nervous system ranges from the basic sensory interpretation and motor regulation to so-called higher-order functions such as emotion and consciousness. Aspects of higher-order functions are displayed by other mammals and birds. In efforts to understand how neuronal interaction can generate such a diverse functionality, murine embryonic cortical neurons were cultured on Petri dishes containing multi-electrode arrays that allowed recording and stimulation of neuronal activity. Despite the lack of major architectural features that govern nervous system developmentin situ, this overview of multiple studies demonstrated that these 2-dimensionalex vivoneuronal networks nevertheless recapitulate multiple key aspects of nervous system development and activityin situ, including density-dependent, the spontaneous establishment of a functional network that displayed complex signaling patterns, and responsiveness to environmental stimulation including generation of appropriate motor output and long-term potentiation. These findings underscore that the basic interplay of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity underlies all aspects of nervous system functionality. This reductionist system may be useful for further examination of neuronal function under developmental, homeostatic, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Effect of Stress Management Training for the Elderly in Rural Northern Thailand
Authors: Choowanthanapakorn Monchanok , Seangpraw Katekaew , Ong-artborirak Parichat
Published: March 2021

Background:

Stress management is an important health promotion activity for elderly people.

Objective:

This research aimed to study the effect of stress management training program on the knowledge and stress management skills of elderly living in the rural community of northern Thailand.

Methods:

This was a quasi-experimental study. The elderly living in rural northern part areas of Thailand were recruited for the study. Multi-stage random sampling was employed to select participants. Seventy-two elderly people were assigned to the intervention group. Participants received stress management training, including knowledge, meditation, and self-practice massage. Interview questionnaires were used as a research instrument in the process of data collection. An independent t-test was employed to compare mean scores between the two groups. Three different time periods were examined using repeated measures ANOVA, test with a significant level of 0.05.

Results:

After the program, there were statistically significant differences in mean scores of knowledge and stress management between the intervention and the control group. The mean scores of knowledge and stress management of the intervention group were higher than the control group (p-value<0.05), and the level of stress of the elderly in the intervention group had decreased within and between groups after the follow-up (p-value<0.05).

Conclusion:

Stress management training program is effective in developing knowledge and stress management skills and helping reduce stress for the elderly living in the rural community of Thailand. This program should be applied to reduce stress and to improve quality of life among other age groups.
A Mixed-Method Approach on Secure Attachment and its Effects on Caregivers of Older Adults Living at Home
Authors: Kaewkerd Onuma , Othaganont Pranom , Williams Christine L
Published: March 2021

Background:

A secure attachment style of informal caregivers is important for the care of older adults at home. Informal caregivers who have secure attachment style to care for older adults, can effectively provide care for older adults.

Objective:

A sequential explanatory mixed-method design was introduced to study the factors predicting secure attachment and explain informal caregivers’ perceptions.

Materials and Methods:

140 informal caregivers were selected from sub-district health-promoting hospitals from provinces in the northeastern Thailand by using the multi-stage random sampling method. The parameters included were caregivers’ personal information, satisfaction, empathy, health status, and caregivers’ attachment. Five experts in the field considered the content validity of all the measurements. The reliability of the four measurements was verified by applying Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, yielding 0.83, 0.70, 0.82 and 0.74. The researchers analyzed the data obtained from descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analysis. A qualitative descriptive study was performed using semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results:

The results of quantitative data (a cross-sectional design) revealed that caregivers’ health status was considered the strongest predictor (β = .362, t = 5.208, p <.001) of secure attachment, followed by satisfaction, gender (female) and empathy. The qualitative data results revealed that four factors, i.e., caregivers’ healthy status, caregivers’ satisfaction, caregivers’ empathy, and female gender, could help the caregivers provide better care.

Conclusion:

Informal caregivers with good health status exhibited secure attachment. Healthcare teams and nurses should implement a program promoting good health status for informal caregivers who care for older adults at home.
Variations in Desired Fertility Preferences among Young and Older Women in Nigeria: Evidence from Demographic Health Survey 2018
Authors: Akeju Kemi , Owoeye Taiwo , Ayeni Raphael , Jegede Lucy
Published: March 2021

Background:

Despite many countries of the world with fertility below replacement level, fertility rate in Nigeria remains high with contributing factors associated with high fertility preference and the desire for large families.

Objectives:

This paper explores variations in desired fertility preference among Nigerian women within the reproductive ages 15 to 49. It considers the impact of proximate factors of age, wealth, education, use of contraceptives, and other associated factors on fertility preference.

Methods:

Using Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2018) data, responses of 33924 women with children of 0-60months (birth recode file) were considered. Fertility preference is measured by “ideal no of children”. Responses from the dataset were coded into two groups (desire 1-4 children and desire more than 4 children) based on the implicit Four-child Policy of National Policy on Population for Development, Unity, Progress, and Self-reliance of 1988. We use descriptive statistics, logistic regression and cox proportional regression to identify the size and associating impacts of identified explanatory variables on the two groups.

Results:

Many Nigerian women desire more than four children, with ideal family desire of more than four children higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Wealthy and educated households have lower fertility preferences. Younger women within ages 15-29 tend to desire lower fertility but use fewer contraceptives than middle-aged women 30-49. Only 12% of Nigerian women within the reproductive ages use contraceptives.

Conclusion:

Educating younger women through community-based sensitization programs would reduce the desire for large family size and prevent unintended pregnancy.
Africa Review.
Authors: Afrika Focus Editors
Published: March 2021

Ghana
Cherchez l'homme
Authors: Thienpont Eva
Published: March 2021

Although in recent years scholars have developed a distinct interest inthe gender perceptions of Oscar Wilde, very little attention has beendevoted to the way in which the author depicts masculinities, particularlyin his comedies. This essay explores Wilde's treatment of the figuresof the Dandy and the Gentleman, the Jatter of which has beenlargely ignored in Wilde studies. It shows that, throughout his comedies,Wilde subverts the traditional images of Victorian masculinity normallyendorsed by nineteenth-century melodrama.
De Islam en de wording van de Europese identiteit
Authors: Van Reeth Jan M.F.
Published: March 2021

L'Europe étant une idée plutôt qu'une région géographique précise,toute tentative de définition se heurte à des obstacles enracinés dans lesprofondeurs de l'histoire. Aujourd'hui nous voyons renaître la théoriequi lie la naissance de l'Europe moderne ainsi que le commencement duMoyen Âge, à l'entrée en scène de l’Islam, l'empire musulman étanttenu responsable de la division du monde méditerranéen ancien en deuxparties bien distinctes. Pour réfuter cette thèse, nous invoquonsexistence de frontières culturelles séculaires, antérieures à l’Islam, quiséparent l’Occident de l’Orient, mais suivant des lignes de démarcationinverses. En outre, nous insistons sur le caractère occidental des pays duMaghreb, qui faisaient partie de l’Empire romain occidental et latin.
Talige stileringen als identiteitsconstructie bij Marokkaanse jongens
Authors: Jaspers Jürgen
Published: March 2021

This article points at the problematic relationship between sociolinguisticsand sociology, which has a.o. led to a conception of language asmerely a reflector or a marker of identity, and to a neglect of the role oflanguage in social and ethnic life. Instead, identity is here portrayed asan interplay between self- and other-positioning, and this promises toreveal much more about the quirky and fleeting linguistic uses someMoroccan youths make of Antwerp dialect, Standard Dutch and imperfectDutch. These uses are subsequently analysed as linguistic stylisations(cf. Rampton), ie. strategic exaggerations or inauthenticities whichpotentially or temporarily question the social relations they evoke.
Literatuurgeschiedschrijving én empirische literatuurwetenschap?
Authors: Vandenhaute Daan
Published: March 2021

The empirical study of literature might be tolerated as a discipline, withinliterary studies it remains an unknown, peripheral possibility, that has to dealwith a lot of scepticism and ignorance. Often it is associated with sheer quantitativeresearch, only focusing, moreover, on the contemporary. In this articleI try to show that the empirical approach also can be applied for the study ofliterary history, with attention paid to qualitative aspects. I demonstrate thisby means of empirical research I have done into the Swedish first time poetsof the 1970s. I point out that the empirical study of literature is conceived ofas a methodology that is applied within a specific theoretical framework, thesystemic study of literature.
Een typologie van de carrières van het hogere personeel van de hertogen van Bourgondië in het graafschap Vlaanderen (1419-1477)
Authors: Dumolyn Jan
Published: March 2021

In the fifteenth century, the rise of the Burgundian state in the county ofFlanders brought about a specialisation and differentiation within the administrativeapparatus, though a 'bureaucracy' in the sense of Max Weber was stillnot established. This contribution focusses on the careers of the superiorducal officers of the Council of Flanders (the supreme court of law in thecounty) and the Chambre des Comptes (an institution for financial control)during the reigns of Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. Different financialand juridical career patterns are sketched. University degrees, noble titles,networks of social relations and patronage remained important factors in thecourse of these careers.
Het Derde Rijk en de antieken: Mythevorming en architecturale zelfrepresentatie in nazi-Duitsland
Authors: Nelis Jan
Published: March 2021

The National Socialist State represented itself by means of vast publicbuildings, executed in a stripped neoclassical style, thus linking the ThirdReich directly with Antiquity and a more recent German past (1750-1850). Hitler, who showed much interest in art and especially in architecture,wanted his Reich, which he came to see as a sort of myth, to look monumentaland timeless. The buildings would symbolize the power of the newregime. They were the scene and background of public life and were usedto mobilize the German masses into a solid nation. A new political culture,an ersatz religion, was created, and a cult to go with it. Polities, aesthetics,religion, ... all became one dramatic whole.
Sebalds visie
Authors: Lennon Patrick
Published: March 2021

In an interview shortly before his death, German-born writer W G. Sebald(1944-2001) made a remarkable comment on his 'ideal' reader, i.e. "a readerwho doesn't read the text but sees it". In the present article, Lennon approachesSebald's work not as that of a creative writer but as that of a critical reader, inan attempt to discover in how far Sebald himself 'saw' the texts he read.Starting from a number of Sebald's critical essays on Adalbert Stifter, CharlesSealsfield, Leopold Kompert, Karl Emil Franzos, Joseph Roth, Franz Kafka,and Vladimir Nabokov, Lennon investigates the connections between literatureand other graphic arts, namely painting, photography, and cinematography.
De verwerving van het Engelse stemcontrast door moedertaalsprekers van het Nederlands
Authors: Simon Ellen
Published: March 2021

On the basis of spontaneous Dutch and English conversations betweennative speakers of Dutch, the present paper investigates how native speakersof Dutch acquire the laryngeal phonology of English. The laryngeal systemsin Dutch and English are significantly different: whereas voiceless stops inEnglish are aspirated in certain environments, they are unaspirated in Dutch.Moreover, phonologically voiced stops are often phonetically voiceless inEnglish, in contrast to Dutch, where they are usually prevoiced. Because theinformants have a different dialectal background in Dutch, the study alsofocuses on the extent to which the informants transfer the voice assimilationsof their Dutch regiolect into their English speech.
"De hele wereld is Hellas voor een wijs man".
Authors: Gyselinck Wannes
Published: March 2021

This paper examines the literary strategies with which Philostratusquestions, constructs and affirms a Greek universalising identity in his VitaApollonii. Despite the rapidly changing position of pagan Greeks and the riseof Christianity in the third century A.D., Philostratus constructs in hisfictionalised biography an idealised Greek identity, embodied by the protagonist,Apollonius of Tyana. This idealised identity is confirmed byApollonius' confrontation with "alterity" during his travels around the world:he finds Greece everywhere. A discussion of the issue of "Greekness" in theSecond Sophistic is revealing for Philostratus' characterisation of both hisGreek hero and the various forms of "otherness" he encounters. Perhaps themost important "other" for a Greek of the Imperial period was the Romanemperor. His dealing with the "good" emperor Vespasian is presented as aparadigmatic relationship between a Greek philosopher and a Roman emperor.His conflict, on the other hand, with the "evil" Roman emperor Domitian,whom he gloriously overcomes by his miraculous disappearance, demonstratesthe superiority of Philostratus' superhero. This ultimate divinisation of hishero reveals certain tensions between literary fiction and the historical positionof a Greek elite under Roman rule.
"Sorrow was all my soul"
Authors: Collard Christophe
Published: March 2021

George Herbert's poetry situates itself in the darkest corners of the humanpsyche. His Temple, Herbert's only poetry collection in English, portrays anafflicted soul frantically struggling to find spiritual peace. This essay attemptsto prove that the work is not, as traditionally assumed, a randomly compiledcollection of unconnected poems, but an intricate structure where each separatepoem represents a particular stage of an existential journey.
De constructionele ontwikkeling van Nederlandse receptieve werkwoorden
Authors: Delorge Martine
Published: March 2021

Though modern cognitive research pays a lot of attention to the meaning ofgrammatical patterns and the interaction of verbal and constructional semantics(with the rise of Construction Grammar, for example), there is still a lackof detailed diachronic studies. In this paper, a contribution to filling up thisgap is made by focussing on the shifts and evolutions in the grammatical possibilitiesof four Dutch verbs of reception: verkrijgen 'get', ontvangen 'receive',verwerven 'obtain' and begeren 'desire'. The synchronic constructional behaviourof these verbs will be compared with that of earlier linguistic stages ofDutch.
Verzen voor vriend en vijand
Authors: Bernard Floris
Published: March 2021

This article deals with the social context of 11th-cenrury Byzantine poetry,especially the poems of Christopher of Mytilene, John Mauropous, andMichael Psellos. In this period an elite of inrellectuals took power at court,clearly distinguishing themselves by their common acquaintance with classicaleducation. Their poetry is considered in this article as a tool of social servicein the dynamics of patronage, and similarly, as a way to enhance the positionof the author in the field of education or communication in service ofthe court. In order to uphold these mechanisms of patronage, the illusion hadto be shaped that poetry mattered to gain prestige. The inherently genericnature of this poetry is illustrated with some imerpretations of poems.
"Uw lijden is mijn' pijne."
Authors: Van der Vorst Christophe
Published: March 2021

The long consolatory poem for the blind, Ooghentroost, written by the Dutchseventeenth-century poet, Constantijn Huygens, looks like an intricate webof dialogues. The text is first of all a letter from Huygens to Lucretia vanTrello, an older friend of the author who suffered from cataract. One canregard this poem also as a collection of links between the lines in Dutch andthe margin of the poem, a subtext of references to the oeuvres of diverseauthorities such as playwrights (Euripides, Seneca, ... ), philosophers (Plato,Cicero, ... ), poets (Homer, Ovid, ... ), Church Fathers and the Bible. In thispaper I examine one specific dialogue - a conversation between Huygens andLucius Annaeus Seneca. Huygens frequently refers to Seneca's philosophicaland literary work but his entretien with the Roman writer is not in the leastunproblematic. To fit Seneca's stoic ideas into his own Christian discourse onthose who are morally blind the poet cannot but manipulate the words of hisillustrious interlocutor.