bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O-RADS MRI scoring system: key points for correct application in inexperienced hands
Authors: Cabedo Lledó , Sebastià Carmen , Munmany Meritxell , Fusté Pere , Gaba Lydia , Saco Adela , Rodriguez Adela , Paño Blanca , Nicolau Carlos
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of the O-RADS MRI criteria in the stratification of risk of malignancy of solid or sonographically indeterminate ovarian masses and assess the interobserver agreement of this classification between experienced and inexperienced radiologists.

Methods

This single-centre retrospective study included patients from 2019 to 2022 with sonographically indeterminate or solid ovarian masses who underwent MRI with a specific protocol for characterisation according to O-RADS MRI specifications. Each study was evaluated using O-RADS lexicon by two radiologists, one with 17 years of experience in gynaecological radiology and another with 4 years of experience in general radiology. Findings were classified as benign, borderline, or malignant according to histology or stability over time. Diagnostic performance and interobserver agreement were assessed.

Results

A total of 183 patients with US indeterminate or solid adnexal masses were included. Fifty-seven (31%) did not have ovarian masses, classified as O-RADS 1. The diagnostic performance for scores 2–5 was excellent with a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 97.4%, 100%, 96.2%, and 100%, respectively by the experienced radiologist and 96.1%, 92.0%, 93.9%, and 94.8% by the inexperienced radiologist. Interobserver concordance was very high (Kappa index 0.92). Almost all the misclassified cases were due to misinterpretation of the classification similar to reports in the literature.

Conclusion

The diagnostic performance of O-RADS MRI determined by either experienced or inexperienced radiologists is excellent, facilitating decision-making with high diagnostic accuracy and high reproducibility. Knowledge of this classification and use of assessment tools could avoid frequent errors due to misinterpretation.

Critical relevance statement

Up to 31% of ovarian masses are considered indeterminate by transvaginal US and 32% of solid lesions considered malignant by transvaginal US are benign. The O-RADs MRI accurately classifies these masses, even when used by inexperienced radiologists, thereby avoiding incorrect surgical approaches.

Key points

• O-RADS MRI accurately classifies indeterminate and solid ovarian masses by ultrasound.

• There is excellent interobserver agreement between experienced and non-experienced radiologists.

• O-RADS MRI is a helpful tool to assess clinical decision-making in ovarian tumours.

Graphical Abstract
World Health Organization World Hand Hygiene Day, 5 May 2024. SAVE LIVES: clean your hands campaign: promoting knowledge and capacity building on infection prevention and control, including hand hygiene, among health and care workers
Authors: Kilpatrick Claire , Tartari Ermira , Deeves Miranda , Pittet Didier , Allegranzi Benedetta
Published: April 2024

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Hand Hygiene Day continues to “bring people together and accelerate hand hygiene action at the point of care in health care to contribute to a reduction in health care-associated infections and the achievement of safer, quality health care for all”.
Genetically predicted dietary macronutrient intakes and atrial fibrillation risk: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Zhuoya , Zhang Jiale , Jiao Haoyang , Tian Wei , Zhai Xu
Published: April 2024

Background and aim

Previous observational investigations have indicated a potential association between relative dietary macronutrient intakes and atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF) risk. In this study, we employed Mendelian Randomization (MR) to evaluate the presence of causality and to elucidate the specific causal relationship.

Methods

We employed six, five, and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables for relative carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake, identified from a genome-wide association study that included 268,922 individuals of European descent. Furthermore, we acquired summary statistics for genome-wide association studies on AF from the FinnGen consortium, which involved 22,068 cases and 116,926 controls. To evaluate the causal estimates, we utilized the random effect inverse variance weighted method (IVW) and several other MR methods, including MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO, to confirm the robustness of our findings.

Results

Our analysis indicates a convincing causal relationship between genetically predicted relative carbohydrate and protein intake and reduced AF risk. Inverse variance weighted analysis results for carbohydrates (OR = 0.29; 95% CI (0.14, 0.59); P < 0.001) and protein (OR = 0.47; 95% CI (0.26, 0.85); P = 0.01) support this association. Our MR analysis did not identify a significant causal relationship between relative fat intake and AF risk.

Conclusion

Our study provides evidence supporting a causal relationship between higher relative protein and carbohydrate intake and a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AF).
Attachment insecurities, emotion dynamics and stress in intimate relationships during the transition to parenthood
Authors: Kouri Georgia , Meuwly Nathalie , Richter Marianne , Schoebi Dominik
Published: April 2024

Background

In intimate relationships, which are characterized by emotional interdependence, partners act as attachment figures which serve emotion regulation functions. The experience of emotions as well as the strategies that partners use to regulate them and to respond to relational experiences, especially during stressful periods, differ greatly according to their attachment orientation. An important aspect in emotion dynamics is emotional inertia, which reflects the degree to which a person’s current affective state is resistant to change on a moment-to-moment basis. Inertia has been related to maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, like suppression and rumination, preferentially used by highly anxious and avoidant individuals. The aim of this study is to examine associations between attachment orientations and reports on the experience of positive and negative affect, and their dynamics in daily life across the transition to parenthood.

Methods

Longitudinal data from a sample of 152 mixed-gender couples collected across the transition to parenthood was analyzed. We predicted that individuals with a more insecure attachment would report more negative and less positive affect, and that their emotional experience would be more resistant to change over time. We explored effects when participants reported feeling stressed.

Results

The data suggested that attachment anxiety was associated with less positive and more negative affect and that attachment avoidance was associated with more positive affect. Anxious individuals showed lower emotional inertia and not higher as we expected. Reported stress for anxious and avoidant individuals was significantly associated with more negative but not less positive affect.

Conclusions

Results are discussed in the light of their impact on couples during stressful periods. Differences between anxiety and avoidance are found, emphasizing the importance of attachment insecurities on the experience of emotion. Furthermore, our findings on momentary fluctuating affect offer complementary insight into the emotional functioning of individuals with different attachment orientations.
GCMS-based phytochemical profiling and in vitro pharmacological activities of plant Alangium salviifolium (L.f) Wang
Authors: Hongal Annapurneshwari M. , Shettar Arun K. , Hoskeri Joy H. , Vedamurthy A. B.
Published: April 2024

Background

There is an urge for traditional herbal remedies as an alternative to modern medicine in treating several diseases. A significant number of modern pharmaceutical drugs are based on or derived from medicinal plants or their extracts. These drugs derived from the plant origin have various antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory activities. Alangium salviifolium belongs to Cornaceae family and is well known for its medicinal properties. The present study was carried out to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant effect and possible bioactive components present in the chloroform, acetone, ethanol, methanol and aqueous extract of Alangium salviifolium leaves.

Methodology

Dried leaves of Alangium salviifolium were subjected to serial solvent extraction using increasing polarity of solvents, i.e., chloroform, acetone, methanol, ethanol, and distilled water. Crude extracts were further tested for qualitative analysis of phytochemicals using standard procedure, while GCMS analysis was performed to identify the probable phytocompounds. Antibacterial activity was performed against bacterial pathogens using agar well method, whereas antioxidant activity was performed using in vitro PM, DPPH and FRAP assays.

Results

Phytochemical analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of key phytochemical classes. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, several high and low molecular weight chemical compound kinds were discovered. These chemical substances are regarded as having significant biological and pharmacological effects. All crude extracts had considerable and comparable in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Conclusions

According to the findings of this study, Alangium salviifolium leaves are a rich source of phytoconstituents that are crucial in stopping the advancement of numerous disorders.
Influence of tool nose angle on cutting performance in hot machining of Inconel 718
Authors: Liu Xin , Lin Xiaoliang , Jia Xiaowei , Li Yueyang , Shao Changfeng
Published: April 2024

Superalloy Inconel718 is an important material for aircraft preparation because of its excellent performance at high temperatures. However, when cutting Inconel718, a large amount of cutting heat will be generated, resulting in excessive tool temperature and serious wear, which accelerates the tool failure. In order to solve this problem, the influence of tool angle on the process of thermal aided machining was studied by simulation model combined with thermal aided machining technology. During the cutting process, the workpiece preheating temperature rises from room temperature 20° C to 500° C, the front tool angle range is − 5° to 10°, and the rear tool angle range is 4° to 16°. By analyzing various parameters, it was found that a smaller tool rake angle can effectively reduce the tool temperature. Additionally, a flank angle of around 12° was found to decrease the maximum wear area of the tool by approximately 10.5%. Moreover, it was observed that implementing heat-assisted machining can result in a significant reduction of tool temperature by 11.1%, as well as a decrease in cutting force ranging from 18 to 22%, particularly at temperatures exceeding 500 °C.
Machine Learning–Based Survival Prediction Models for Progression-Free and Overall Survival in Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Rask Kragh Jørgensen Rasmus , Bergström Fanny , Eloranta Sandra , Tang Severinsen Marianne , Bjøro Smeland Knut , Fosså Alexander , Haaber Christensen Jacob , Hutchings Martin , Bo Dahl-Sørensen Rasmus , Kamper Peter , Glimelius Ingrid , E Smedby Karin , K Parsons Susan , Mae Rodday Angie , J Maurer Matthew , M Evens Andrew , C El-Galaly Tarec , Hjort Jakobsen Lasse
Published: April 2024

PURPOSE

Patients diagnosed with advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (aHL) have historically been risk-stratified using the International Prognostic Score (IPS). This study investigated if a machine learning (ML) approach could outperform existing models when it comes to predicting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study used patient data from the Danish National Lymphoma Register for model development (development cohort). The ML model was developed using stacking, which combines several predictive survival models (Cox proportional hazard, flexible parametric model, IPS, principal component, penalized regression) into a single model, and was compared with two versions of IPS (IPS-3 and IPS-7) and the newly developed aHL international prognostic index (A-HIPI). Internal model validation was performed using nested cross-validation, and external validation was performed using patient data from the Swedish Lymphoma Register and Cancer Registry of Norway (validation cohort).

RESULTS

In total, 707 and 760 patients with aHL were included in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. Examining model performance for OS in the development cohort, the concordance index (C-index) for the ML model, IPS-7, IPS-3, and A-HIPI was found to be 0.789, 0.608, 0.650, and 0.768, respectively. The corresponding estimates in the validation cohort were 0.749, 0.700, 0.663, and 0.741. For PFS, the ML model achieved the highest C-index in both cohorts (0.665 in the development cohort and 0.691 in the validation cohort). The time-varying AUCs for both the ML model and the A-HIPI were consistently higher in both cohorts compared with the IPS models within the first 5 years after diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The new prognostic model for aHL on the basis of ML techniques demonstrated a substantial improvement compared with the IPS models, but yielded a limited improvement in predictive performance compared with the A-HIPI.
Rehumanizing Ainu
Authors: Tamura Yurika
Published: April 2024

This article argues that many contemporary female Ainu performance-activists from the Ainu community of Japan, including a performance scene led by Ainu huci (female elders) at an Ainu cultural education center in Sapporo, Japan, engage in performance of desubjectification, which emphasizes the sameness of their humanity with the dominant Japanese rather than arguing for Ainu ethnic difference or their colonial history. At first glance, their performance and iterations seem detached from the discourse of Indigenous resistance. However, this article demonstrates how such iteration of singularity—sameness—derives from a particular Ainu colonial history and argues that their performance critically eschews colonial and imperial ideas of authenticity, ethnic difference, and the universal human. In doing so, the Ainu performance scene in this article presents itself as a theoretical performance activism against the Western (and Japanese imperial) notion of Indigenous peoples as less-than-human. By using bodies, sound, and sensations, these performers define Ainu Indigeneity in their own terms, and achieve an Ainu Indigenous critique of the “human,” the concept that is built on exclusion and marginalization of ethnic minorities and colonized subjects.
Indigenous Women on the Frontlines of Climate Activism
Authors: Guajajara Sônia Bone , Xakriabá Célia , McNee Malcolm , Langdon Elena
Published: April 2024

In this public address, transcribed and translated from the Portuguese, two leaders of Brazil’s pan-ethnic Indigenous rights movement, Sônia Bone Guajajara and Célia Xakriabá, describe their respective formation, their involvement in environmental and human rights struggles, and the global stakes involved in the recognition and protection of the traditional territorial claims and land-use practices of Indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon and beyond.
Hortense Spillers and the Ungendering of (Re)productive Racial Capitalism
Authors: Weinbaum Alys Eve
Published: April 2024

This article theorizes the reproductive dimensions of racial capitalism. It begins by bringing into conversation Black Marxist theories of racial capitalism and Marxist feminist theories of social and biological reproduction proffered by Cedric Robinson and Silvia Federici respectively. It demonstrates that since its inception, racial capitalism has depended on processes of racialized (re)productive accumulation that are ongoing but not yet fully theorized. At the center of the essay is a close reading of Hortense Spillers’s 1987 contribution “Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe: An American Grammar Book.” Though Spillers is not generally regarded as either a Black Marxist or a Marxist feminist, the essay argues that she ought to be recognized as a theorist of racialized (re)productive accumulation—a process that begins aboard the slave ship, persists on the plantation, and endures into the present. Racialized (re)productive accumulation exploited she whom Spillers often denotes as “the captive female,” and, also, paradoxically, ungendered her. Ultimately, through examination of the process of ungendering in Atlantic slavery, the essay suggests that Spillers opens up new ways to think about the history of racial capitalism, (re)productive dispossession, and the possibility of its refusal. The article concludes by considering how Spillers’s complex insights about the process of ungendering might yet be mobilized to secure truly substantive forms of reproductive justice.
Surrogacy at the Fertility Frontier
Authors: Vertommen Sigrid
Published: April 2024

Surrogacy is a popular assisted reproductive practice in Israel, and it has been legal since 1996, albeit, until recently, only for married heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples who aspired to genetic parenthood were therefore “forced” to look for available surrogates abroad, in countries such as the United States, India, Nepal, Mexico, and Russia. This resulted in the emergence of a lucrative transnational surrogacy industry in Israel that relies on the reproductive labor power of racialized egg cell providers and surrogates in the global South, East, and North. While much of the existing research on surrogacy in Israel explains its ubiquity by centering cultural accounts of Jewishness, this article rethinks contemporary policies, practices, and markets of assisted reproduction from the vantage point of the “colonial episteme,” by unpacking the complex “intimacies” and reproductive afterlives of settler colonialism and racial capitalism in Israel/Palestine. The article argues that surrogacy operates both as a demographic frontier in the consolidation of a Jewish state in Israel/Palestine and as a commodity frontier for the accumulation of capital in a booming surrogacy industry. Surrogacy and other reproductive technologies also emerge as sites of reproductive resistance through practices of surrogacy strikes and sperm smuggling.
Η διαχρονική ηθική προσέγγιση της εφαρμογής του TRIAGE στην πράξη
Authors: Βαρβαγιάννη Ελένη
Published: April 2024

Η αναγγελία 3.000 και 4.000 νεκρών λόγω νόσησης από COVID-19 την ημέρα, κάθε μέρα, υπήρξε αναμφίβολα σοκαριστική, ακόμη και εάν στην αρχή, αφορούσε τις “απομονωμένες” σε σχέση με την Ευρώπη Η.Π.Α.! Μπροστά στο δέος αυτών των αριθμών και των ρυθμών θανάτων που άρχισαν να εξαπλώνονται από χώρα σε χώρα και από ήπειρο σε ήπειρο, η παγκόσμια ιατρική κοινότητα κλήθηκε από τις αρχές του 2020 να δώσει την υγειονομική απάντησή της. Η μόνη απάντηση που μπορούσε να ανταποκριθεί σε αυτήν την πρόκληση ήταν η υιοθέτηση αυστηρών πρωτοκόλλων triage τόσο για την προτεραιοποίηση των εισερχομένων σε κάθε υγειονομικό σύστημα ασθενών όσο και για την κατανομή των ακραία ελλειπόντων πόρων. Τι είναι, όμως, το “triage”; Η λέξη “triage” φθάνει σε εμάς από την πρώτη εμφάνισή της περί το 1717, όπου χρησιμοποιείται για να χαρακτηρίσει χαμηλής ποιότητας κόκκους καφέ. Ο Baron Dominique Jean Larrey, αρχιχειρουργός του Ναπολέοντα, είναι ο πρώτος που θα χρησιμοποιήσει triage στο πεδίο της μάχης καθιερώνοντας την πρώτη αρχή του, την “Αρχή της Προτεραιότητας σε Όσους Έχουν τη Μεγαλύτερη Ανάγκη”. Πρωτοπορεί, μάλιστα, καθώς θα αγνοήσει το βαθμό των τραυματιών στο στράτευμα, τον κοινωνικό τίτλο και την εθνικότητά τους. Το triage θα εξελιχθεί κατά τη διάρκεια των επόμενων αιώνων, θα σμιλευθεί μέσα από τους μεγάλους πολέμους για να φθάσει στις ημέρες μας να χρησιμοποιείται σε όλα τα Συμβάντα Μαζικών και Πολλαπλών Απωλειών, στα Τμήματα Επειγόντων Περιστατικών, στις Μονάδες Εντατικής Θεραπείας, στις Πανδημίες και οπουδήποτε οι ανάγκες ασθενών και τραυματιών υπερβαίνουν τους διαθέσιμους ιατρικούς και ανθρώπινους πόρους. Είναι το triage συμβατό με τις επιταγές του Ιπποκρατικού Όρκου; Μπορεί να αντέξει εάν αντιπαρατεθεί με τις αρχές που επιβάλλει η Καντιανή Κατηγορική Προσταγή; Πώς λειτουργεί το triage σε σχέση με τις αρχές που καθιερώνονται από τη Σύμβαση της Γενεύης, πώς εφαρμόζεται το triage όσον αφορά τις Καταστροφές έτσι όπως ορίζονται κατά τον “World Medical Association” και, τέλος, πώς επηρεάζεται η εφαρμογή του triage από την ισχύ των τεσσάρων αρχών της σύγχρονης Βιοηθικής, όπως αυτές καθιερώθηκαν από τους φιλοσόφους TL Beauchamp & JF Childress; Πριν καταλήξουμε στα συμπεράσματά μας, οφείλουμε να δούμε με προσοχή τον τρόπο που εφαρμόζεται το triage στις Καταστροφές εν τη ευρεία εννοία τους, στα Τμήματα Επειγόντων Περιστατικών, στις Μονάδες Εντατικής Θεραπείας και στις Πανδημίες δίδοντας έμφαση στα κριτήρια που εφαρμόζονται για τη διαλογή ασθενών. Ενώ το τελευταίο μέλημά μας είναι να διερευνήσουμε τις τυχόν ποινικές ευθύνες του ιατρού που διενεργεί triage, ώστε να παράσχουμε την πλήρη στήριξή μας στον ιατρό που καλείται να αναμετρηθεί με πραγματικά ιατρικά διλήμματα μένοντας συχνά απροετοίμαστος από το υγειονομικό σύστημα για την τραγικότητα της φύσης τους!
Creation and Characterization of the β-1,4-Glucanase (CMCase)Producing Mutant Strains of Bacillus sp. with Ultraviolet Radiation and Ethidium Bromide
Authors: Sezan A , Baylan M
Published: April 2024

In this study, the β-1,4-glucanase-producing Bacillus sp. strains were isolated from soil; then, in these strains, the undesired enzyme genes such as α-amylase, xylanase, protease were inactivated by mutation using Ethidium bromide (EtBr) and UV ray; thus, only β-1,4-glucanase producing strains were obtained.  The enzyme activities (pH, temperature, thermostability, etc.) of the wild strain and its two mutant variants (UV mutant (mUV), EtBr mutant (mEB)) producing β-1,4-glucanase were partially characterized. It was found that the optimum pHs for the mUV, mEB, and the wild strain were 7.0, 6.0 and 9.0, respectively; and the optimum temperatures were 50, 60, and 50 ℃, respectively. Finally, the molecular weights of the cellulase enzymes of all the three bacteria were found to be 40 kDa by SDS-PAGE and zymogram analysis.
Effects of estradiol, progesterone and kisspeptin-1 concentrations at the time of insemination on conception rates in cattle
Authors: Kaya S , Kaçar C , Arı UC , Merhan O , Demir MC , Bekyürek T , Gürbulak K
Published: April 2024

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of kisspeptin (Kiss-1), estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P4) levels at the time of artificial insemination (AI) on conception rates and also whether or not there is a relationship between Kiss-1 and E2 levels in cattle.  Cows (n=100) raised on a semi-closed farm system and having corpus luteum were administered 25mg of prostaglandin F2a (Dinolytic®, Zoetis, Spain) and were evaluated following injection for signs of estrus. Just prior to AI, pre-ovulatory follicle diameters were assessed by ultrasonography (USG) and recorded. Then blood samples were collected. Blood serum samples were separated and stored until analyzed. Pregnancies were determined with rectal USG on day 30±2 following AI. The mean follicular diameters at the time of AI were similar in pregnant (17.9±0.01 mm) and non-pregnant (17.9±0.01 mm) cows. E2, P4, and Kiss-1 levels at the time of AI were determined from serum samples using the ELISA method. The Kiss-1 level at the time of AI in pregnant cows (80.58±4.4 pg/mL) was statistically higher than that in non-pregnant cows (66.68±2.48 pg/mL) (P=0.003). There were no statistically significant differences in E2 and P4 levels between pregnant and non-pregnant cows. Moreover, while a significant correlation was found between serum kiss-1 level and follicle diameter, no significant correlation was found between serum estrogen and progesterone levels. In conclusion, Kiss-1 levels at the time of AI may be used to predict the possibility of successful pregnancy in cattle, allowing different approaches to be developed to increase pregnancy rates in animals with low Kiss-1 levels at the time of AI.
Effects of age and seasonal temperatures on cortisol levels and GHR, IGF-I, and IGF-II expressions in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Tekeli H , Bildik A
Published: April 2024

The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) endocrine axis regulates the cellular growth and organ development in related to changing environmental conditions and age. The aim of this study is to determine growth factor genes, which are biological markers of growth in muscle and liver of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in different seasonal temperatures and age ranges and the reveal of the relationship between serum cortisol (COR) levels from stress parameters. No difference was found in serum COR levels between the groups with respect to temperature and age. Serum GH levels were found to be higher in the summer juvenile trout compared to the winter juvenile and adult trouts. There was no difference in liver growth hormone receptor (GHR) mRNA levels of juvenile and adult trouts in winter while insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) mRNA levels in liver and muscle tissues were found to be higher in juvenile trout compared to adults. Among trout of different ages, GHR, IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA levels in liver in summer were higher for juvenile trout compared to adults. Muscle IGF-I mRNA levels in summer were higher in adult trout compared to juveniles. IGF-II mRNA levels in liver and muscle tissues of juvenile trout showed an increase in winter compared to in summer. While the GHR and IGF-II mRNA levels in the liver tissue of adult trout were observed to higher in winter compared to summer, IGF-I mRNA levels were found to be higher in summer. GHR, IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA levels in muscle tissue of adult trout were found to be higher in summer than in winter. This study indicated that juvenile and adult rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are adapted to both winter and summer temperature and that GHR, IGF-I and IGF-II genes are highly expressed.
Strangles in a stallion in southeast Nigeria: clinical and pathological report
Authors: Okolo CC , Igwe AO , Ugochukwu IC , Omeke JN , Anyogu DC , Ogbuanya KO , Nweze NE , Shoyinka SVO
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi is the causative agent of strangles, a highly contagious mucopurulent upper respiratory tract infection of horses. This report describes the clinicopathologic findings of a fatal case of pulmonary form of strangles in a two-and-half-year-old stallion presented at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Southeast Nigeria. Treatment was attempted in quarantine using high doses of procaine penicillin; but it was unsuccessful. The clinical signs observed in the affected horse include a left unilateral supra-orbital swelling containing purulent matter, which progressed to a chronic intractable exudative pus. Anaemia with leukocytosis (due to neutrophilia) were observed in the haematologic parameters. Gross and histologic lesions were multifocally extensive abscessing necrotic lymphadenitis and bronchopneumonia with inflammatory oedema and infiltrate of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
Effects of Free-Choice Provision of Different Forage Sources in Preweaning Period on Performance and Some Rumen Parameters of Simmental Calves
Authors: Türkmen M , Muruz H
Published: April 2024

The objective was to evaluate the effect of free-choice provision of different forage sources [(alfalfa hay (AH) or grass hay (GH)] in preweaning period on performance and rumen fermentation of dairy calves. Twenty-one Individually housed Simmental calves (46.69 ± 4.14 birth weight, 3 days old) were randomly divided into 3 treatments of 7 calves each: Control: pelleted starter without forage, GH: pelleted starter + GH and AH: pelleted starter feed + AH. The study continued from 3 days of age to 56 days of age. All calves were fed 2 × 2.6 L of whole milk (5.2 L/day) until the end of the experiment. Starter and forage were offered ad libitum in different buckets during the experiment. Feed intake was monitored daily and body weight was measured at the begining and end of the experiment. Ruminal fluid samples were taken from calves on the last day of the experiment. Inclusion of forage in the diet had no significant effect on starter intake, final body weight, body structure, average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio. Fecal scores were also not affected by the treatments. At the end of the study, calves fed pelleted starter had lower rumen pH than calves fed forage supplemented diets (P<0.001). On the other hand, calves fed with forage-supplemented diets had higher acetate and acetate to propionate ratios than calves fed starter diets alone (P<0.01). The results of this experiment indicate that consumption of 5.74% GS and 6.60% AH of total DMI can improve the rumen environment without affecting starter feed consumption and animal performance, but If larger scale, on-farm studies confirm the results of this study, to achieve maximum growth in the preweaning period, it may be recommended to give the calves GH or AH separately from the starter feed.
Phenotypic and genotypic aspects of sorbitol-negative Escherichia coli isolated from cattle
Authors: Moawad A , Shehawy E , Elshayeb T , EL-Magd M
Published: April 2024

Escherichia coli especially sorbitol-negative serogroups such as O157 that produces Shiga toxin (STEC) is involved in food poisoning with severity ranging from individual cases into outbreaks that threaten human and animal health. This study aimed to evaluate phenotypic and genotypic aspects of sorbitol-negative E.coli isolated from different sources. A total of 420 samples were collected from fecal swabs and raw milk of cattle from various locations in Kafr Elsheikh government, Egypt. The prevalence of E. coli isolates was 9.3% (39/420) as was determined by bacterial culturing. The phenotype of these isolates was serologically and molecularly determined, and the results showed an overall prevalence of E. coli O157 of 23% (9/39) with a high incidence in fecal swabs samples. The multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype as detected by antibiotic sensitivity test and confirmed by PCR revealed resistance to amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, vancomycin, ampicillin, and sulbactam with the detection of blaTEM and blaSHV MDR genes in 9 and 2 isolates, respectively. Virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eaeA) were also detected in 1, 9, 6 isolates, respectively. With these results, we could conclude that E. coli O157 was identified in not only cattle fecal swab samples but also in their milk and subsequently this could threaten animal and human health.
Assessment of Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Turkey Between 2017-2019
Authors: Bayir T , Gürcan İS
Published: April 2024

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease affecting small ruminants and causes significant agricultural damage. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has classified PPR as an animal disease that must be reported immediately. In this study was aimed to understand of spatial and seasonal epidemiology of PPR in Turkey and provide information by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Descriptive and analytical statistics were used in the study, logistic regression analysis was applied to assess the effect of season and species  factors  on PPR outbreaks occurring in Turkey. Data were obtained from the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) database of OIE. Between 2017-2019, 337 outbreaks, 18.467 cases and 11.526 deaths were reported 57 provinces of Turkey and the highest number of PPR outbreaks, cases and deaths were reported in The Central Anatolia Region. On time-wise examination, the PPR risk-areas revealed changes with different levels of endemicity. The Central Anatolia Region were the top outbreaks reported region during 2017-2018, whereas The Marmara Region reported more outbreaks during 2019. PPR outbreaks occurred throughout the year in all seasons, but were most frequently encountered during the winter season (December to February) and the results showed that seasonal and species factors are important in the spread of the disease. PPR has widely distributed throughout the country, and the epidemiological picture suggests that the disease has become an endemic infection in the country. The spatial and seasonal distribution of PPR in Turkey gives useful information on hotspot areas, allowing managers to make informed decisions about prevention and control in different parts of the country. In accordance with the PPR Global Control and Eradication Strategy, the study also outlines when and where extensive surveillance, vaccination, and biosecurity measures are required for the control and eradication of the disease in Turkey.
Vaginal bacteria of healthy cats during different stages of their oestrous cycle
Authors: Maksimovic A , Nurkic M , Maksimovic Z , Rifatbegovic M
Published: April 2024

Little is known about vaginal and uterine bacteria in clinically healthy cats and their correlation with different stages of the oestrus cycle. The differences in vaginal bacterial flora between household and stray queens remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of vaginal and uterine bacteria in clinically healthy household and stray queens and to correlate culture findings with specific stages of the oestrous cycle. Vaginal and uterine samples from 40 clinically healthy queens were collected for isolation of bacteria and cytological examination. Bacteria were isolated from 31 vaginal swabs (77.5%) from stray (16/20; 80%) and household (15/20; 75%) cats. The isolates were more frequently detected in pure culture (18/31; 58%) than in mixed cultures (13/31; 41.9%). Streptococcus spp. was the most commonly identified bacteria (n = 16; 51.6%), followed by coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. (n = 15; 48.4%) and E. coli (n = 12; 38.7%). A mixed bacterial culture of E. coli and Streptococcus spp. was commonly detected (50%), mainly in households (66.7%), whereas a mixed culture of Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. (41.6%) was commonly isolated from stray cats (60%).  The frequency of isolation of pure or mixed bacterial cultures and the isolates did not vary significantly during the different stages of the oestrus cycle. All uterine samples tested were negative for bacteria. This study identified the most common bacteria in the vagina of clinically healthy cats. The isolation of vaginal bacteria in pure or mixed cultures should be considered as normal finding. The stage of the oestrous cycle apparently does not affect vaginal bacterial flora. Vaginal bacteria may differ between stray and households cats. No bacteria can be isolated from the uterus of clinically healthy cats.
Effect of hCG administration on ovulation and estrus in Saanen goats subjected to short-term estrus synchronization protocol during the breeding season
Authors: Dogan I , Toker MB , Aktar A , Yilmaz MM , Udum D
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to compare the effect of hCG administered at 24 or 36 h following a short-term estrus synchronization treatment on the ovulation time and estrus parameters in non-lactating Saanen goats during the breeding season. The estrous cycles of does were synchronized with an intravaginal sponge containing 60 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) for six days, and an injection of 125 µg of d-cloprostenol at the time of sponge insertion in addition to an injection of 300 IU of eCG 24h before sponge removal. After removal of the sponges, does were injected intramuscularly either 1 ml physiological saline (0.9% NaCl) solution after 12 h (Group1/Control; n=10), 100 IU hCG after 24 h (Group2; n=9) or 100 IU hCG after 36 h (Group3; n=9).  Estrus behavior after sponge removal was observed twice daily for 84 h using teaser bucks and transrectal ovarian ultrasonography was performed twice a day for seven days to determine small, medium and large follicle numbers, luteal development and the time of ovulation. Blood samples were collected on the same days to determine serum progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) concentrations. No significant differences were observed in terms of estrus parameters, ovarian structure and serum P4 and E2 concentrations between the hCG-treated groups and the control group. Average values observed for all groups: estrous response (53.57%), the interval from sponge removal to estrus and ovulation (35.2 h and 67.86 h, respectively), duration of estrus (18.4 h), the interval from estrus onset to ovulation (50.37 h), ovulation rate (96.43%), number of ovulations (1.36), ovulatory follicle diameter (6.86 mm), corpus luteum diameter (8.22 mm), follicle and luteal growth rate (1.17 and 0.68 mm/day, respectively). In conclusion, administration of hCG at 24 or 36 h following a short-term estrous synchronization protocol does not affect ovulation time, estrus parameters, and serum P4 and E2 concentrations in goats during the breeding season.
Investigation of Serum allergen-specific IgE concentrations in feline asthma: a clinical experience
Authors: Keskin Yılmaz N , Kahraman D , Albasan H
Published: April 2024

The aim of this study is to investigate allergen agents by allergen-specific serum IgE analysis in domestic cats diagnosed with feline asthma (FA). A total of 21 cats (16 FA and 5 control cats) were included in the study. Allergen-specific serum IgE levels were measured in cats diagnosed with feline asthma and in the control group. Allergen levels were classified as negative, weak, moderate and strong. The difference between the two groups was compared statistically. While the mean age of the cats in the FA group was 3.9kg ±2.4 years, the mean age of the cats in the control group was 3.4±2.2 years. The most common clinical manifestations in cats with FA were cough, sneezing, wheezing, and acute dyspnea, respectively. Allergen-specific IgE levels tested for 20 different allergens showed that 14 out of 16 cats developed a reaction to more than one allergen. The vast majority of cats with FA had a moderate or strong positive reaction to house dust mites. In conclusion, FA is an important and common chronic lower respiratory tract disease of feline patients and allergen-specific serum IgE levels can be easily used in clinical practice to guide the selection of allergens in the treatment of this disease and adjust for the quality of life and well-being of cats.
Investigation of the Bioactivity of Escin in Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress
Authors: KÜÇÜKGÜL Altuğ , İşgör Mehmet Mustafa , Önel Süleyman Ercüment
Published: April 2024

Escin is a triterpene saponin obtained from the horse chestnut tree Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Hippocastanaceae). The aim of this study is to investigate the bioactivity of escin against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in quails. The study was conducted in male Japanese quails (n=10) with similar pre-experimental weights (Coturnix coturnix japonica) on average. In order to create oxidative stress in quails, hydrogen peroxide was given to drinking water ad libitum for 1 week. At the end of the period, escin was injected intraperitoneally to the quails twice, every other day. The weights of the experimental animals were measured at the beginning and the end of the experiment and compared. In addition, the 10-day live weight change rate and feed consumption rates of the experimental animals were also compared. Total antioxidant (TAC), total oxidant (TOC) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured colorimetrically from serum and liver homogenates of animals in the experimental groups. In addition, IL-1β translation levels from serum samples were investigated by ELISA method. According to the data obtained from the study, 10-day body weight change rates increased by 33% in the hydrogen peroxide added group compared to the control group, while an increase of 133% was observed in the escin-treated group. Besides, in serum and liver samples, it was found that escin showed strong antioxidant properties by decreasing the amount of TOC and increasing TAC levels in the group escin administered with hydrogen peroxide, compared to the group administered only with hydrogen peroxide. It was also observed that escin significantly suppressed the levels of IL-1β induced by hydrogen peroxide. As a result, escin was thought to be an alternative molecule in improving growth performance by showing significant antioxidant activity in the prevention of oxidative stress and inflammation in quails. However, multiple trials and detailed molecular analyzes are needed to obtain more detailed information on the subject.
CO2 emissions: A challenge but also a big opportunity for Spain
Authors: Dessi Paolo , Bosch-Vilardell Teresa , Puig Sebastià
Published: April 2024

Spain is among the 11 virtuous European countries that achieved the 2020 European targets, including the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the implementation of renewable energy. Yet, about 250 Mtons CO2 equivalent were still emitted in 2020 and is out of the question that the current efforts are not sufficient to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This Policy Brief aims to describe the current situation, critically analyze the trends, and give recommendations to the policy makers based on the ten-year experience of our group on CO2 emissions research.
“This did not happen even during the Cold War”: religion and international sanctions in the Russo-Ukrainian War
Authors: Korniichuk Iuliia
Published: April 2024

The Russian Orthodox Church has emerged as a significant contributor to the intellectual framework that underpins Russia’s full-scale invasion and war against Ukraine. The Church’s endorsement and subsequent support of the war have compelled a number of secular governments and organisations to address this political involvement, resulting in the inclusion of church leaders and church-related entities on sanctions lists related to the conflict. This article aims to analyse the presence of religious figures on sanctions lists related to the war and the challenges associated with the implementation of such sanctions, particularly in the context of the ongoing debate concerning restrictions on freedom of religion and beliefs.
Security Situation Awareness System Based on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Wu Hao
Published: April 2024

There is rapid growth of the security threats faced by enterprises and the security attacks technology is also established at a higher level. Enterprises are facing an escalating threat landscape marked by sophisticated security attacks. To address the structural and technical challenges of information security situational awareness, a method for designing an artificial intelligence-driven system is proposed. In order to solve the system structure and key technical problems of information security situational awareness technology of artificial intelligence, a method of designing information security situational awareness system is proposed, and experiments are carried out through the method. By analyzing the data sources that the system needs to collect, including network traffic mirror data, log data, security intelligence and support data, this paper verifies the feasibility of the system method of information security situational awareness technology of artificial intelligence technology. The proposed core competence platform has the characteristics of low delay and robust real-time capabilities. By presetting the event processing topology, we can quickly build the event processing process, and build the corresponding event processing topology model according to different processing requirements to meet the business requirements. The AI-powered information security situational awareness system substantially enhances security awareness and prediction accuracy.
Use of Topic Analysis for Enhancing Healthcare Technologies
Authors: Patel Usha , Kathiria Preeti , Mansuri Chand Sahil , Madhvani Shriya , Parikh Viranchi
Published: April 2024

Nowadays, technology has played a vital role in the advancement of the healthcare sector. Various healthcare datasets are available on the web in the form of patents, scientific papers, articles, textual feedback, chatlogs, abstracts of papers, medical reports, and social media posts. It is a tedious task for the stakeholders to find hidden crucial knowledge on the discussed topic from this content, which if utilized optimally can lead to the rapid development of the healthcare sector. Topic analysis concepts are very effective in extracting meaningful topics from the data. Here, frequently applied Topic modeling methods -Latent Semantic Analysis, Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Correlated Topics Model, and Non-negative matrix factorization are surveyed along with their benefits and drawbacks. Insights on new innovative topic modeling techniques used in healthcare with their objective, opportunities, and challenges are provided, which can help the researchers for the enhancement of healthcare facilities.
Construction of an Intelligent Identification Model for Drugs in Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Research on Drog Classification based on Improved Deep Algorithm
Authors: Xia Jiulin
Published: April 2024

Near-infrared spectroscopy has important applications in drug and food identification. Combining machine learning with near-infrared spectroscopy to achieve intelligent identification of drugs has become a research hotspot in recent years. To solve the problem of machine learning’s inefficiency in classifying small-scale data, a drug identification model based on near-infrared spectroscopy combined with a random fading depth belief network is proposed. Aiming at the problem that the training time of the machine learning algorithm is too long, the extreme learning machine is used to replace the back propagation algorithm to optimize the stack sparse auto-encoder network. Additionally, the stack sparse auto-encoder algorithm based on extreme learning machine algorithm is constructed. The study found that the precision of the Dropout Deep Belief Network model was 99.12%, which was higher than the other three models. Additionally, the area under the curve value of the Dropout Deep Belief Network model was 0.87, which was 0.04 higher than the binary whale optimization algorithm model, 0.26 higher than the factor decomposition machine and depth neural network model, and 0.05 higher than the random forest network model. The sparse auto-encoder algorithm based on the extreme learning machine algorithm achieved a precision of 99.72%. The study proposes two algorithm models that can effectively identify drugs using near-infrared spectroscopy. This has a positive impact on the medical industry and the safety of patients' lives and health.
Application of Sports Video Image Analysis Based on Fuzzy Support Vector Machine
Authors: Gao Licheng , Zhao Yawen
Published: April 2024

Sports video image has always been a hot topic in sports video processing. The theoretical and experimental analysis of digital image noise reduction technology is a challenging topic. In this paper, a sports video denoising algorithm is designed by combining the excellent characteristics of curvilinear transformation theory and fuzzy support vector machine. Firstly, the image with noise is curvilinear, and the conversion coefficient is obtained. Then, according to the distribution characteristics of the system noise, the system parameters are divided into space, and the system learning features are constructed. The fuzzy classification of high-frequency curves is realized using the adaptive threshold denoising method. Then, the noise reduction coefficient is reconstructed by the curve-wave method to obtain the processed image. The simulation results show that this method can overcome the pseudo-Gibbs effect effectively and suppress the noise well. This algorithm has a good application prospect in sports video image processing.