bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Powiat olkuski i nowe wyzwania po 24 lutego 2022 roku
Authors: Kwiatkowska Monika , Berbeć Dawid
Published: November 2023

In the face of the humanitarian crisis after 24 February 2022, Olkusz County faced new challenges. Local authorities took instant decisions to organize aid for Ukraine. From 28 February to 10 March 2022, over 10,000 people came to Olkusz. The establishing of the “county tent city” used as a reception point was the main initiative undertaken by the local government. Numerous county-level institutions and local non-governmental organizations were involved in the aid initiatives. They were coordinating the collection of essential goods, organized their transports to Ukraine and participated in the aid operations of communities and organizations from Germany, the UK, Canada, the US, and France. The contribution of volunteers who worked in the “county tent city” and collection points was undoubtfully crucial and invaluable. The local community showed empathy engaging in bottom-up initiatives and those coordinated by county-level institutions and local non-governmental organizations. The authors of this article analyzed primary sources, including data received from the local government of Olkusz County, and secondary sources in the field of history and characteristics of the region. They also made a description of the previously conducted in-depth interview with the county office representatives.
UK Kidney Association Patient Safety Alert
Authors: Gama Rouvick , Marrington Rachel , Bramham Kate
Published: November 2023

This article outlines the importance of early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and the ways in which the use of inappropriately estimated glomerular filtration rate equations and/or analysis of serum creatinine can lead to clinically significant inaccuracy in glomerular filtration rate estimation that can then impact the timing of diagnosis, chronic kidney disease staging and prescribing practice
OUTCOME OF PROSTHETIC JOINT INFECTION (PJI) IS MORE DEPENDENT ON JS-BACH CLASSIFICATION THAN TREATMENT METHOD
Authors: Hotchen Andrew , Wismayer Martina , Dudareva Maria , Sigmund Irene Katharina , McNally Martin
Published: November 2023

Aim

To compare outcomes of PJI in relation to treatment method versus classification using the JS-BACH system.

Method

Patients having surgery for EBJIS Criteria Confirmed PJI between 2010–2015 were included. Index surgical procedures were 1-stage or 2-stage revision or debridement and implant retention (DAIR). Patients completed the EuroQol EQ-5D-3L questionnaire and were followed clinically to a median of 4.7 years (IQR 2.7–6.7 years). Patients were stratified using the JS-BACH classification1 into either ‘Uncomplicated’, ‘Complex’ or having ‘Limited treatment options’, by two separate classifiers, blinded to clinical outcome.

Results

216 patients met the inclusion criteria. There were 51 patients classified as Uncomplicated (23.6%), 127 (58.8%) as Complex and 38 (17.6%) having Limited treatment options. Patients underwent either DAIR (n=97), 1-stage (n=35) or 2-stage (n=84) revision. Patients classified as Uncomplicated PJI had the lowest risk of recurrence or treatment failure, regardless of index procedure performed. Complex patients were significantly more likely than Uncomplicated patients to have recurrence following 2-stage revision (Odds Ratio 1.85; p=0.040) or DAIR (OR 1.83; p=0.037), but not 1-stage revision (OR 0.518; p=0.675). Limited treatment option patients had the highest recurrence risk regardless of index procedure (1-stage: OR 2.5 p=0.036; 2-stage: OR 3.3 p=0.004; DAIR: OR 3.40 p=0.006).

At one year after surgery, Uncomplicated patients had the highest EQ-index scores (a marker of Quality of Life), with all treatments (EQ-5D-3L mean index scores; Uncomp 0.773, Complex 0.512, Limited Options 0.310: p<0.01). Differences in patient-reported outcomes were greater between the JS-BACH classification groups than between any methods of treatment.

Conclusions

The JS-BACH classification effectively predicted outcome after three common PJI treatments. Comparing outcomes between treatments, without stratification of the patients, may be misleading as factors other than treatment method have a major effect on outcome. Classification may allow better allocation of individual treatments to provide optimal outcome for patients.
OUTCOMES OF MEGA-ENDOPROSTHESIS IN LOWER LIMB PERIPROSTHETIC JOINT INFECTIONS: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY
Authors: Anibueze Chukwudubem , Mudiganty Srikanth , George David , McCulloch Robert , Warren Simon , Miles Jonathan
Published: November 2023

Aim

Mega-endoprosthesis over the last two decades have played a significant role in management of non-neoplastic cases for limb salvage for a variety of indications involving bone loss, infection, fracture and failed revision surgery. This is a retrospective case control study comparing outcomes of Mega-Endoprosthesis (MEP) in non-neoplastic cases with periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), with previous history of PJI and aseptic revision. Failure was defined as persistence/recurrence of infection, all cause revision, and antibiotic suppression during the follow up period. Secondary aims were identification of causative organisms, resistance profile and causative factors for revision surgery.

Method

A total of 122 patients undergoing 133 MEPs were identified between January 2012 and December 2020. 60 procedures were categorised as group 1 (infection; 50%), 20 as group 2 (previous history of infection; 16.7%), and 53 controls (no infection; 44.2%). Mean age of the cohort was 70.97 years (37.16–94.17), with a mean follow-up of 44.5 months (0.2–179) including patients lost to follow up.

Results

Overall failure rate was 71/133 53.3% (group 1 39/60 (55.56%), group 2 12/20 (60%) and controls 20/53 (37.7%)). Thirteen patients died in the first 2 years (five in group 1, one in group 2 & seven in controls). The most common postoperative infection was polymicrobial followed by Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus Species (CoNS) and Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Nineteen patients had polymicrobial PJI (Eighteen in group 1 and one in control). CoNS led to postoperative infection in Fifteen patients (six in group 1, five in group 2 and four in control group). MSSA was the pathogen in four patients (three in group-1 and one in the control group). The same organisms were responsible for recurrent infection in fourteen patients in group 1 and one patient in group 2. Limb salvage was achieved in 96.2% overall (95% group 1, 90% group 2, 100% control group).

Conclusions

MEPs in the context of PJI have a significant risk of failure however they play an important role in limb salvage. Patients should be counselled appropriately prior to surgery.
FRACTURE-RELATED INFECTION: PREVALENCE AND APPLICATION OF THE NEW CONSENSUS DEFINITION IN A COHORT OF 1,004 SURGICALLY TREATED ANKLE FRACTURES
Authors: Pilskog Kristian , Høvding Pål , Fenstad Anne Marie , Inderhaug Eivind , Fevang Jonas Meling , Dale Håvard
Published: November 2023

Aim

Surgical treatment of ankle fractures comes with a substantial risk of complications, including infection. An unambiguously definition of fracture-related infections (FRI) has been missing. Recently, FRI has been defined by a consensus group with a diagnostic algorithm containing suggestive and confirmatory criteria. The aim of the current study was to report the prevalence of FRI in patients operated for ankle fractures and to assess the applicability of the diagnostic algorithm from the consensus group.

Method

Records of all patients with surgically treated ankle fractures from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed for signs of postoperative infections. Patients with suspected infection were stratified according to confirmatory or suggestive criteria of FRI. Rate of FRI among patients with confirmatory and suggestive criteria were calculated.

Results

Suspected infection was found in 104 (10%) out of 1004 patients. Among those patients, confirmatory criteria were met in 76/104 (73%) patients and suggestive criteria were met in 28/104 (27%) at first evaluation. Patients with clinical confirmatory criteria (N= 76) were diagnosed with FRI. Patients with suggestive criteria were further examined with either bacterial sampling at the outpatient clinic, revision surgery including bacterial sampling, or a wait-and-see approach. Eleven (39%) of the 28 patients had positive cultures and were therefore diagnosed as having FRI at second evaluation. In total 87 (9%) patients were diagnosed with FRI according to the consensus definition. Only 73 (70%) of the 104 patients with suspected FRI had adequate bacterial sampling.

Conclusions

The prevalence of FRI, applying the FRI-consensus criteria, for patients with surgically treated ankle fractures was 9%. Twenty-two percent of patients who met the confirmatory criteria had negative bacterial cultures. The current study shows that we did not have a systematic approach to patients with suspected FRI as recommended by the consensus group. A systematic approach to adequate bacterial sampling when FRI is suspected is paramount. The consensus definition of FRI and its diagnostic algorithm facilitates such an approach.
NOVEL ANTIMICROBIAL COATING ON TITANIUM WITH STABLE NON-ANTIBIOTIC QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS TO PREVENT IMPLANT-ASSOCIATED INFECTION
Authors: Riool Martijn , Li Rui , van Hofwegen Laure , Vavilthota Nikitha , de Boer Leonie , Loontjens Jacobus , Zaat Sebastian
Published: November 2023

Aim

The use of medical devices has grown significantly over the last decades, and has become a major part of modern medicine and our daily life. Infection of implanted medical devices (biomaterials), like titanium orthopaedic implants, can have disastrous consequences, including removal of the device. For still not well understood reasons, the presence of a foreign body strongly increases susceptibility to infection. These so-called biomaterial-associated infections (BAI) are mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Formation of biofilms on the biomaterial surface is generally considered the main reason for these persistent infections, although bacteria may also enter the surrounding tissue and become internalized within host cells. To prevent biofilm formation using a non-antibiotic based strategy, we aimed to develop a novel permanently fixed antimicrobial coating for titanium devices based on stable immobilized quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs).

Method

Medical grade titanium implants (10×4×1 mm) were dip-coated in a solution of 10% (w/v) hyperbranched polymer, subsequently in a solution of 30% (w/v) polyethyleneimine and 10 mM sodium iodide, using a dip-coater, followed by a washing step for 10 min in ethanol. The QAC-coating was characterized using water contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, AFM and XPS. The antimicrobial activity of the coating was evaluated against S. aureus strain JAR060131 and S. epidermidis strain ATCC 12228 using the JIS Z 2801:2000 surface microbicidal assay. Lastly, we assessed the in vivo antimicrobial activity in a mouse subcutaneous implant infection model with S. aureus administered locally on the QAC-coated implants prior to implantation to mimic contamination during surgery.

Results

Detailed material characterization of the titanium samples showed the presence of a homogenous and stable coating layer at the titanium surface. Moreover, the coating successfully killed S. aureus and S. epidermidis in vitro. The QAC-coating strongly reduced S. aureus colonization of the implant surface as well as of the surrounding tissue, with no apparent macroscopic signs of toxicity or inflammation in the peri-implant tissue at 1 and 4 days after implantation.

Conclusions

An antimicrobial coating with stable quaternary ammonium compounds on titanium has been developed which holds promise to prevent BAI. Non-antibiotic-based antimicrobial coatings have great significance in guiding the design of novel antimicrobial coatings in the present, post-antibiotic era.
IS AN ISOLATED POSITIVE SONICATION FLUID CULTURE IN REVISION ARTHROPLASTIES CLINICALLY RELEVANT?
Authors: Rondaan Christien , Maso Alessandra , Birlutiu Rares Mircea , Fernandez Marta , de Brito Vicens Diaz , Salles Mauro Jose Costa , Junyent Joan Gómez , del Toro Maria Dolores , Hofstätter Jochen , Moreno Jaime Esteban , Wouthuyzen-Bakker Marjan
Published: November 2023

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of an isolated positive sonication fluid culture (SFC) in patients who underwent revision surgery of a prosthetic joint. We hypothesized that cases with a positive SFC have a higher rate of infection and prosthesis failure during follow-up compared to controls with a negative SFC.

Method

This retrospective multicentre observational study was performed within the European Study Group of Implant-Associated Infections (ESGIAI). All patients who underwent revision surgery of a prosthetic joint between 2013 and 2019 and had a minimum follow-up of 1 year were included. Patients with positive tissue cultures or synovial fluid cultures were excluded from the study.

Results

95 cases (positive SFC) and 201 controls (negative SFC) were included. There was no difference in infection and prosthesis failure during follow-up between both groups. When solely analysing patients that were not treated with antibiotics, 16% of the cases had an infection during follow-up versus 5% of the controls (P 0.046).

Conclusions

Withholding antimicrobial treatment in patients with an isolated positive SFC is associated with a higher reinfection rate. Antimicrobial treatment should be considered in isolated positive SFC, especially in case of high virulent pathogens.
„Schöne Klimaprosa“, „unnötig dramatische Rhetorik“ und „Blablabla“: Sprachthematisierende Äußerungen und metadiskursive Reflexionen im deutschen Klimawandeldiskurs
Authors: Putterer Elisabeth
Published: November 2023

The present article examines metalinguistic and metadiscursive reflections in the public discourse on climate change. The public thematisations of language play a crucial role in public discourses as they carry out strategic and action-orienting functions. The article investigates which expressions and whose language use are repeatedly the subject of metalinguistic reflections in the defined section of the discourse. In the process we also address the question of which positions and arguments are expressed or justified through the thematisation of language. Furthermore, the study investigates the metadiscursive reflections of the discourse participants, which are frequently connected with media criticism. The analysis focuses on a corpus of manually selected articles from German newspapers. In order to identify and examine the explicit thematisations of language, the paper adopts a methodological approach which combines corpus-linguistic tools with interpretive-hermeneutic analyses. The analysis reveals how the critical thematisation of the same linguistic phenomenon is in many cases used to justify conflicting positions in the discourse.
“We will not atikuloot our future!”
Authors: Ugah Helen Ufuoma
Published: November 2023

This study argues that stance-taking, a discourse strategy in linguistics, serves the purpose of giving citizens voices to engage politicians on different social media platforms and taking them to task on their political agendas during electioneering campaigns. It aims to evince the extent to which Nigerians utilise Nigerianness – the domestication and acculturation of English language, to express their stances about the various socio-political realities in Nigeria. It deploys online comments generated from 20 posts in Nairaland and Sahara Reporters about the Nigerian 2019 general elections, and applies Martin/White’s (2005) Appraisal Theory to address Nigerians’ functional use of Nigerianness to embody their perceptions of the Nigerian socio-political dynamics.

The study evinces that online forums are public spaces that enable Nigerians to follow up on and participate in debates on political events in the country, and the use of Nigerianness gives insight into the expectations of Nigerians from their political leaders.
Visible light sensing based on shadow features using multi-scale region convolutional neural network
Authors: Du Xiaoxiao , Zhang Yanyu , Wang Chao , Li Dun , Zhu Yijun
Published: November 2023

There are various production items in the industrial internet of things (IIoT) environment, such as pedestrians, robots, automated automated guided vehicles, etc. The practice industrial environment requires simultaneous communication and sensing of production items to achieve intelligent production and control. Thus, sensing methods not only require the integration of communication but also achieve sensing tasks such as recognition and positioning. Compared with traditional sensing media, visible light sensing has the advantages of high-speed communication, high sensing accuracy, and security, low energy consumption, and has become a potential sensing technology. Based on the strong directivity of visible light spatial radiation and the consistency of light intensity and position, this paper proposes a multi-scale visible light sensing-region convolutional neural network (VLS-RCNN) framework based on shadow features for multiple target sensing. The framework enables the recognition and positioning to use shared visible light shadow features to assist each other, and the multi-scale compensation strategy of the shadow region makes the framework more robust. The simulation results show that positioning results in the sensing area improve the recognition accuracy. The recognition results also reduce the positioning error without additional overhead. Therefore, this paper provides a new perspective for the sensing technology in the future IIoT, which should be considered to sense objects of interest by utilizing the inherent characteristics of visible light.
Physics-driven universal twin-image removal network for digital in-line holographic microscopy
Authors: Rogalski Mikołaj , Arcab Piotr , Stanaszek Luiza , Micó Vicente , Zuo Chao , Trusiak Maciej
Published: November 2023

Digital in-line holographic microscopy (DIHM) enables efficient and cost-effective computational quantitative phase imaging with a large field of view, making it valuable for studying cell motility, migration, and bio-microfluidics. However, the quality of DIHM reconstructions is compromised by twin-image noise, posing a significant challenge. Conventional methods for mitigating this noise involve complex hardware setups or time-consuming algorithms with often limited effectiveness. In this work, we propose UTIRnet, a deep learning solution for fast, robust, and universally applicable twin-image suppression, trained exclusively on numerically generated datasets. The availability of open-source UTIRnet codes facilitates its implementation in various DIHM systems without the need for extensive experimental training data. Notably, our network ensures the consistency of reconstruction results with input holograms, imparting a physics-based foundation and enhancing reliability compared to conventional deep learning approaches. Experimental verification was conducted among others on live neural glial cell culture migration sensing, which is crucial for neurodegenerative disease research.
Suppressing blooming interference in structured light systems by adaptively reducing camera oversaturated energy
Authors: Chiang Pei-Ju , Cheng Chih-Chun , Lin Chang-Hao
Published: November 2023

Structured light systems often suffer interference of the fringes by blooming when scanning metal objects. Unfortunately, this problem cannot be reliably solved using conventional methods such as the high dynamic range (HDR) method or adaptive projection technique. Therefore, this study proposes a method to adaptively suppress the oversaturated areas that cause blooming as the exposure time increases and then fuse the multi-exposure time decoding results using a decoding inheritance method. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method provides a more effective suppression of blooming interference than existing methods.
The petawatt laser of ELI ALPS: reaching the 700 TW level at 10 Hz repetition rate
Authors: Nagymihály Roland S. , Falcoz Franck , Bussiere Benoit , Bohus János , Pajer Viktor , Lehotai Levente , Ravet-Senkans Muriel , Roy Olivier , Calvez Steven , Mollica Florian , Branly Stephane , Paul Pierre-Mary , Börzsönyi Ádám , Varjú Katalin , Szabó Gábor , Kalashnikov Mikhail
Published: November 2023

Performance of the novel high repetition rate HF-PW laser system of ELI ALPS is presented in its first operation phase at 400 TW and 700 TW levels. Long-term operation was tested at 2.5 and 10 Hz repetition rates, where an exceptional 0.66% and 1.08% shot-to-shot energy stability was demonstrated, respectively. Thorough spatio-spectral and temporal measurements confirmed high quality output pulses with a Strehl ratio of >0.9 after compression at both repetition rates. Amplified pulses with an unprecedentedly high 240 W average power were reached for the first time from a PW-class amplifier chain by using novel pseudo-active mirror disk amplification-based pump lasers.
Hierarchical deconvolution dehazing method based on transmission map segmentation
Authors: Shi Xiaotian , Huang Feng , Ju Lin , Fan Zhigang , Zhao Shuxuan , Chen Shouqian
Published: November 2023

Images captured in fog are often affected by scattering. Due to the absorption and scattering of light by aerosols and water droplets, the image quality will be seriously degraded. The specific manifests are brightness decrease, contrast decrease, image blur, and noise increase. In the single-image dehazing method, the image degradation model is essential. In this paper, an effective image degradation model is proposed, in which the hierarchical deconvolution strategy based on transmission map segmentation can effectively improve the accuracy of image restoration. Specifically, the transmission map is obtained by using the dark channel prior (DCP) method, then the transmission histogram is fitted. The next step is to divide the image region according to the fitting results. Furthermore, to more accurately recover images of complex objects with a large depth of field, different levels of inverse convolution are adopted for different regions. Finally, the sub-images of different regions are fused to get the dehazing image. We tested the proposed method using synthetic fog images and natural fog images respectively. The proposed method is compared with eight advanced image dehazing methods on quantitative rating indexes such as peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), image entropy, natural image quality evaluator (NIQE), and blind/referenceless image spatial quality evaluator (BRISQUE). Both subjective and objective evaluations show that the proposed method achieves competitive results.
emoción estética
Authors: Algaba Nieves
Published: November 2023

El relato de Stefan Zweig, La colección invisible, presenta un novedoso cultivo de la écfrasis que supera la tradicional división entre écfrasis crítica y literaria. Por un lado, será la emoción derivada de la contemplación de la belleza la que articule el proceso descriptivo y, por otro, será la inexistencia del objeto de arte la que trascienda cualquier percepción distanciada o racional de la experiencia estética.
Challenges of the visual line of sight operations of unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Sándor Zsolt
Published: November 2023

The following question often emerges: what is the maximum distance during a visual line of sight (VLOS) operation between the remote pilot and the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)? The answer is complex, and there is no particular number because it depends on several factors that have to be jointly taken into consideration. The generally mentioned 1 km rule is not applicable for all cases. In some cases, 1 km means the absolute maximum. However, it should be considered that in certain situations, the operation can get out of the VLOS operation limits, even if obstacles and other factors do not hinder the view of the UAV.
Die „Grande Nation“ und der „Fall Google“: Jeanneneys und Racines Digitalisierungsstrategien und die aktuelle französische Digitalisierungsstrategie
Authors: Martinello Lisa
Published: November 2023

Der Artikel stellt die Reaktionen der ehemaligen Präsidenten der französischen Nationalbibliothek auf Google Books einander gegenüber. Er legt die Kritikpunkte Jean-Noël Jeanneneys dar, der Kooperationen von Bibliotheken mit kommerziellen Unternehmen wie Google ablehnte und sich mit Europeana für ein europäisches Gegenprojekt einsetzte. Kontrastiert mit Jeanneneys Einstellung wird die Offenheit seines Nachfolgers Bruno Racine gegenüber Massendigitalisierungsprojekten mit kommerziellen Partnern. Abschließend wird ein Ausblick auf die Digitalisierungspolitik der Nationalbibliothek unter der aktuellen Leitung gegeben.
Continuous non-adherent culture promotes transdifferentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells into retinal lineage
Authors: Ling Qiying , Liang Jia-Jian , Chen Shaowan , Chen Chong-Bo , Ng Tsz Kin , Huang Yuqiang
Published: November 2023

Non-adherent culture is critical for the transdifferentiation of stem cells from mesoderm to neuroectoderm. Sphere culture has been reported to directly induce the adipose tissue cells to neural stem cells. Here we aimed to evaluate continuous non-adherent culture on the transdifferentiation potential of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) into retinal lineage. Human ASCs were induced into retinal lineage by the treatment of noggin, dickkopf-related protein 1, and IGF-1 (NDI) under adherent and non-adherent culture. The NDI induction treatment with the adherent culture for 21 days promoted robust expression of retinal markers in the induced ASCs as compared to those without NDI induction on the adherent culture. With continuous non-adherent culture for 21 days, human ASCs could highly express retinal marker genes even without NDI induction treatment as compared to those on the adherent culture. The combination of continuous non-adherent culture with the NDI induction did not show a significant upregulation of the retinal marker expression as compared to either NDI induction with the adherent culture or continuous non-adherent culture without NDI induction treatment. In summary, both non-adherent culture and NDI induction medium could independently promote the transdifferentiation of human ASCs into retinal lineage. Yet, their combination did not produce an enhancement effect.
An advanced approach for fig leaf disease detection and classification: Leveraging image processing and enhanced support vector machine methodology
Authors: Alzoubi Sharaf , Jawarneh Malik , Bsoul Qusay , Keshta Ismail , Soni Mukesh , Khan Muhammad Attique
Published: November 2023

In the rapidly evolving landscape of agricultural technology, image processing has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing critical agricultural challenges, with a particular focus on the identification and management of crop diseases. This study is motivated by the imperative need to enhance agricultural sustainability and productivity through precise plant health monitoring. Our primary objective is to propose an innovative approach combining support vector machine (SVM) with advanced image processing techniques to achieve precise detection and classification of fig leaf diseases. Our methodology encompasses a step-by-step process, beginning with the acquisition of digital color images of diseased leaves, followed by denoising using the mean function and enhancement through Contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization. The subsequent stages involve segmentation through the Fuzzy C Means algorithm, feature extraction via Principal Component Analysis, and disease classification, employing Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in conjunction with SVM, Backpropagation Neural Network, and Random Forest algorithms. The results of our study showcase the exceptional performance of the PSO SVM algorithm in accurately classifying and detecting fig leaf disease, demonstrating its potential for practical implementation in agriculture. This innovative approach not only underscores the significance of advanced image processing techniques but also highlights their substantial contributions to sustainable agriculture and plant disease mitigation. In conclusion, the integration of image processing and SVM-based classification offers a promising avenue for advancing crop disease management, ultimately bolstering agricultural productivity and global food security.
Chromatographic analysis of the chemical composition and anticancer activities of Curcuma longa extract cultivated in Palestine
Authors: Abualhasan Murad , Jaradat Nidal , Hawash Mohammed , Shraim Naser , Asaad Mohammad , Mousa Ahmed , Mousa Zain , Tobeh Reem , Mlitat Balsam
Published: November 2023

Curcuma longa (turmeric) is a plant that has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine for centuries. Turmeric has a long history of use in both food and traditional medicine for the treatment of ailments such as diarrhea, cancer, flatulence, and dyspepsia. In Palestine, this plant was cultivated for the first time. The objective of this study was to characterize the extract of C. longa and assess its antimutagenic activity against a variety of cancer cells. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were employed to identify the constituents of turmeric. The cytotoxic effects of C. longa were evaluated on cancer and normal cell lines using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay. The results revealed the presence of 10 components in turmeric extract as identified by GC–MS. The major constituents comprising 78% of the total constituents were α-zingiberene (27.51%), tumeron (19.44%), β-sesquiphellandrene (19.40%), and aromatic-tumeron (11.63%). HPLC analysis successfully separated the main constituent, curcumin (1.78%), along with two other curcumin derivatives. The cytotoxicity results demonstrated potent anticancer activity of the C. longa extract against HeLa and LX2 cell lines, with IC50 values of 46.84 ± 2.12 and 29.77 ± 1 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the plant extract at a concentration of 250 µg/mL exhibited over 95% inhibition against all tested cancer cell lines. These findings highlight the promising potential of turmeric as a natural source with powerful anticancer activities. Moreover, the extract may possess other biological activities such as antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which could be explored in future studies.
The Internationalization of Left-Wing Terrorism and Counter-terrorism. The Role of the Past in Debates About Security and Liberty in Western Europe, 1968–1978
Authors: Bauerkämper Arnd
Published: November 2023

The rise of international left-wing, revolutionary terrorism confronted western democracies with a new challenge in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In particular, the relationship between security and human rights was contentious and changeable, and differences between European states are notable. Terrorism and reactions to it varied, not least according to the prevailing political, legal, and cultural traditions. Memories of the recent past played a particularly prominent role, especially with respect to the states that had been occupying powers during the Second World War. The counter-terrorist policies pursued by West Germany’s government met particularly intense suspicion in neighboring counties and even in the framework of alliances such as NATO and the EC. The specter of a Nazi-like police state haunted opponents of excessive police and intelligence operations within Germany and Italy, as well. They forged political alliances of like-minded foreign critics. All in all, strategies of historically legitimizing terrorism and counterterrorist proved multi-pronged and ambiguous. Texts such as laws and pamphlets represented this dimension of political and cultural history.
Intertwining Plague and Memory: Post-Apocalyptic Genre and Possible World Narrative in Peng Shepherd’s The Book of M
Authors: Xiang Yujie
Published: November 2023

This article engages with the relationship between plague and postapocalyptic genre in Peng Shepherd’s The Book of M (2018) in the conceptual system of possible worlds semantics. It argues that Shepherd’s novel frames postapocalypse not as a work of pessimism but as a social and historical context to explore the logical possibilities of the plague named Forgetting in unrevealed catastrophes and to project such themes as love, hope and unquenchable search for answers that never come. This article first examines Ory and Max’s loss of memory before proceeding to explore the mechanisms of logical possibilities and metaphorical use of Forgetting in the story. Following Marie Laure Ryan’s key concepts “accesibility relationships”, “fantasy universe”, and “private worlds” in the possible worlds narrative theory, this study then concludes that The Book of M offers readers an opportunity to observe the fictional Forgetting’s truth and status through metaphors and thus enables them to recognize the potential of plague in reality.
SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA: formation process and rapid molecular diagnostic methods
Authors: Ge Xiao , Zhou Huizi , Shen Fangyuan , Yang Guimao , Zhang Yubo , Zhang Xiaoyu , Li Heng
Published: November 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which caused coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is spreading worldwide and posing enormous losses to human health and socio-economic. Due to the limitations of medical and health conditions, it is still a huge challenge to develop appropriate discharge standards for patients with COVID-19 and to use medical resources in a timely and effective manner. Similar to other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 has a very complex discontinuous transcription process to generate subgenomic RNA (sgRNA). Some studies support that sgRNA of SARS-CoV-2 can only exist when the virus is active and is an indicator of virus replication. The results of sgRNA detection in patients can be used to evaluate the condition of hospitalized patients, which is expected to save medical resources, especially personal protective equipment. There have been numerous investigations using different methods, especially molecular methods to detect sgRNA. Here, we introduce the process of SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA formation and the commonly used molecular diagnostic methods to bring a new idea for clinical detection in the future.
Detection of blasts using flags and cell population data rules on Beckman Coulter DxH 900 hematology analyzer in patients with hematologic diseases
Authors: Kim Hanah , Hur Mina , Yi Jong-Ho , Lee Gun-Hyuk , Lee Seungho , Moon Hee-Won , Yun Yeo-Min
Published: November 2023

Objectives

White blood cell (WBC)-related flags are essential for detecting abnormal cells including blasts in automated hematology analyzers (AHAs). Cell population data (CPD) may characterize each WBC population, and customized CPD rules can be also useful for detecting blasts. We evaluated the performance of WBC-related flags, customized CPD rules, and their combination for detecting blasts on the Beckman Coulter DxH 900 AHA (DxH 900, Beckman Coulter, Miami, Florida, USA).

Methods

In a total of 239 samples from patients with hematologic diseases, complete blood count on DxH 900 and manual slide review (MSR) were conducted. The sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of the five WBC-related flags, nine customized CPD rules, and their combination were evaluated for detecting blasts, in comparison with MSR.

Results

Blasts were detected by MSR in 40 out of 239 (16.7 %) samples. The combination of flags and CPD rules showed the highest sensitivity compared with each of flags and CPD rules for detecting blasts (97.5 vs. 72.5 % vs. 92.5 %). Compared with any flag, the combination of flags and CPD rules significantly reduced false-negative samples from 11 to one for detecting blasts (27.5 vs. 2.5 %, p=0.002).

Conclusions

This is the first study that evaluated the performance of both flags and CPD rules on DxH 900. The customized CPD rules as well as the combination of flags and CPD rules outperformed WBC-related flags for detecting blasts on DxH 900. The customized CPD rules can play a complementary role for improving the capability of blast detection on DxH 900.
Impact of Academia-Government Collaboration on Laboratory Medicine Standardization in South Korea: analysis of eight years creatinine proficiency testing experience
Authors: Lee Seunghoo , Yu Joonsang , Cho Chan-Ik , Cho Eun-Jung , Jeong Tae-Dong , Kim Sollip , Lee Woochang , Chun Sail , Min Won-Ki
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the performance of the Academia-Government Collaboration for Laboratory Medicine Standardization in Korea (KR-STDZN) based on data from KR-STDZN proficiency testing (KR-STDZN-PT) for creatinine over eight years (2015–2022).

Methods

We used KR-STDZN-PT data of creatinine tests from 2015 to 2022. Acceptance of the participating institutions’ test results was assessed by calculating the acceptance performance as absolute bias (absBias%), total coefficient of variance (tCV%), and total error (TE%) for each sample using six measurements from each institution and true values of each reference material. The test result was considered acceptable when absBias%, tCV%, and TE% were <5.10, <3.20, and <11.40 %, respectively. The proportion of acceptable institutions among all participating institutions in each round was defined as the acceptance rate. Improvements in absBias%, tCV%, and TE% were analyzed using creatinine concentration ranges in samples.

Results

The number of participating institutions increased from 2015 to 2017 but remained consistent since 2018. The acceptance rates for absBias% and TE% increased from 52.2 and 77.6 %, in 2015 and to 90.7 and 96.3 %, in 2022, respectively. The acceptance rate for tCV% remained in the 90 % range for eight years. When creatinine <3 mg/dL, mean absBias%, and mean TE% improved significantly in 2021–2022 compared to 2015–2016 (p<0.05). When creatinine >3 mg/dL, acceptance performance did not improve. Mean tCV% remained consistent annually regardless of creatinine concentration. No significant variations in test methods were observed.

Conclusions

The collaboration between academia and the government improved creatinine testing quality. Nevertheless, KR-STDZN must be expanded and refined.
Exceptional Times for an Exceptional People: How the Prosperity Gospel, Christian Nationalism, and Race Affect Americans’ Economic Attitudes and Behavior
Authors: Gaskins Ben
Published: November 2023

How does identifying with the Prosperity Gospel or as a Christian Nationalist affect political attitudes? Religion has long been a key factor in explaining public opinion, partisanship, and political ideology, though recently scholars have turned to these two theological worldviews to explain support for Donald Trump, conservative political activism, and political extremism. But these theological identities have varying effects based on race, often cutting against the direct effects of race and religion on politics. Further, while scholars have analyzed these identities on attitudes such as immigration, social/moral policies, and foreign policy, less attention has been paid to the relationship with attitudes toward spending, debt, and the economy. This paper uses two national surveys to connect the Prosperity Gospel and Christian Nationalism with race in predicting economic values and beliefs. In general, both are found to predict economic conservatism, though mostly among whites, while Prosperity Gospel adherence decreases personal economic conservatism. Both theological identities also help to explain agreement with nationalist and populist policies, helping to make sense of the relationship between (white) Christianity and support for Donald Trump.
Advances in ultrasonic welding of lightweight alloys: A review
Authors: Abbas Zeshan , Zhao Lun , Deng Jianxiong , Wang Shicheng , Hong Wanlu
Published: November 2023

The lightweight alloy sheet materials have been widely used in industries such as automobiles, aviation, and aerospace. However, there are huge challenges in the structural joining process. Likewise, industries are probing new technologies and are rapidly adapting to more complex light alloy materials. The ultrasonic metal welding is a reliable solid-phase joining technology, which has incomparable development prospects in the high-strength joining of lightweight alloy sheet materials. This article summarizes the research progress of ultrasonic welding of aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, and titanium alloy thin plates in recent years. The key features of this review article are the ultrasonic welding process, advantages, applications, and limitations. It introduces the welding process parameters to explore the breakthroughs for straightforward direction. Furthermore, to strengthen the phenomena, the current state of the ultrasonic welding of lightweight alloys and their future perspectives are also reflected.
Prediction-based variable selection for component-wise gradient boosting
Authors: Potts Sophie , Bergherr Elisabeth , Reinke Constantin , Griesbach Colin
Published: November 2023

Model-based component-wise gradient boosting is a popular tool for data-driven variable selection. In order to improve its prediction and selection qualities even further, several modifications of the original algorithm have been developed, that mainly focus on different stopping criteria, leaving the actual variable selection mechanism untouched. We investigate different prediction-based mechanisms for the variable selection step in model-based component-wise gradient boosting. These approaches include Akaikes Information Criterion (AIC) as well as a selection rule relying on the component-wise test error computed via cross-validation. We implemented the AIC and cross-validation routines for Generalized Linear Models and evaluated them regarding their variable selection properties and predictive performance. An extensive simulation study revealed improved selection properties whereas the prediction error could be lowered in a real world application with age-standardized COVID-19 incidence rates.
The Application and Innovation of the Stylized Performance of Traditional Chinese Theater in the Animated Film New Sanchakou
Authors: Sun Lijun , Cao Siqi
Published: November 2023

In Chinese animated films, the stylized performance of traditional Chinese theater allows for greater expression and creativity, due to 3D digital technology and 8K display technology. This paper takes the animated film New Sanchakou (The Crossroads Inn, 1951), adapted from the traditional Duanda Wusheng (短打武生: martial arts performers equipped with short clothes and short-handle weapons) drama Sanchakou in Peking opera (Jingju) as an example, to explore the application and innovation of stylized performance. In the digital era, Chinese animated films innovate based on past achievements and utilize new technologies to both construct an aesthetic system with Chinese characteristics and to further display the unique charm of traditional Chinese aesthetic thought. By exploring new forms of animation’s performance creation, New Sanchakou meets the new challenge of Chinese animated film nationalization in the new era of China.
Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment on children with plagiocephaly in the context of current pediatric practice: a retrospective chart review study
Authors: King Hollis H. , Mai Julie , Morelli Haskell Mary Anne , Wolf Kimberly , Sweeney Megan
Published: November 2023

Context

Deformational plagiocephaly (DP) is on the rise in pediatric patients. The current standard of care recommended for management is repositioning with possible addition of cranial orthoses. However, strong data are lacking to support these recommendations. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is another treatment option for DP that is also lacking evidential support

Objectives

This retrospective chart review study investigated the effects of OMT at restoring a more symmetrical cranial bone configuration in children with DP.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed on medical records of patients with a diagnosis of DP from three private practices over a 4-year period from September 2017 to December 2021. Inclusion criteria were diagnoses of DP by a referring physician and aged 10 months or less at the time of initial evaluation and treatment. Patients were excluded if they had confounding diagnoses such as genetic syndromes or severe torticollis. A total of 26 patients met these criteria, and their records were reviewed. The main outcome reviewed was anthropometric assessment of the cranium, mainly the cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI).

Results

Participants demonstrated a mean CVAI – a measure that determines the severity of DP – of 6.809 (±3.335) (Grade 3 severity) at baseline, in contrast to 3.834 (±2.842) (Grade 2 severity) after a series of OMT treatments. CVAI assessment after OMT reveals statistically significant (p≤0.001) decreases in measurements of skull asymmetry and occipital flattening. No adverse events were reported throughout the study period.

Conclusions

The application of OMT has shown potential benefit for reducing cranial deformity in patients with DP.
Dental abnormalities in Myotis riparius (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with comments on its evolutionary implications
Authors: Marrelli Maria Stela , Bertocchi Natasha A. , Caccavo Aldo , Passos Fernando C. , Moratelli Ricardo , Novaes Roberto Leonan M.
Published: November 2023

The study of tooth morphology is fundamental for the taxonomic and evolutionary comprehension of mammals. However, dental abnormalities can lead to misidentifications and species invalidations. We present two distinctive dental anomalies observed in Myotis riparius: (i) hypodontia, characterized by the absence of the second upper premolar (P3) on both sides of the dental arch in an adult male from Panama, and (ii) polyodontia, characterized by the presence of three upper incisors on one side of the dental arch in an adult male from Brazil. We discuss the genetic and ecological bases of these anomalies and the importance of these case reports for understanding the evolutionary developmental biology of bats.
Properties of locally semi-compact Ir-topological groups
Authors: Wang ZhongLi , Teh Wen Chean
Published: November 2023

This study investigates some topological properties of locally semi-compact Ir-topological groups and establishes the relationship between Ir-topological groups and semi-compact spaces. The proved theorems generalize the corresponding results of Ir-topological group. Finally, we define a quotient topology on the Ir-topological group and study some topological properties of the space.
Künstliche Intelligenz als Ersatz für Märkte und Wettbewerb?
Authors: Bardt Hubertus , Kooths Stefan
Published: November 2023

Der entscheidende Vorteil der dezentralen sozio-ökonomischen Koordination über Märkte liegt in der Kapazität zum Aufspüren und Verarbeiten von allokationsrelevanten Informationen, die zentralen Planern fehlt. Mit der zunehmenden Verfügbarkeit von Daten und immer leistungsfähigeren Datenverarbeitungstechnologien, insbesondere auf dem Gebiet der künstlichen Intelligenz, werden zentralplanerischen Ansätzen neue Fähigkeiten zugeschrieben. Darin sehen einige mit Blick auf den chinesischen „Staatskapitalismus“ einen wichtigen Faktor im Systemwettbewerb der Wirtschaftsordnungen. Doch auch 100 Jahre nach der Debatte zur Unmöglichkeit der Wirtschaftsrechnung im Sozialismus wird die dezentrale Koordination über Märkte nicht obsolet. Dies ist insbesondere dadurch begründet, dass Märkte nicht nur eine mechanische Optimierung bestehender Optionen hervorbringen, sondern durch die mit ihnen verbundenen Findungs- und Kreativitätsprozesse eine nicht vorhersehbare Dynamik entfalten. Die Innovationskraft einer Wettbewerbsordnung lässt sich konzeptionell auch weiterhin nicht rechnergestützt simulieren.