bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latent class analysis of imaging and clinical respiratory parameters from patients with COVID-19-related ARDS identifies recruitment subphenotypes
Authors: Filippini Daan F. L. , Di Gennaro Elisa , van Amstel Rombout B. E. , Beenen Ludo F. M. , Grasso Salvatore , Pisani Luigi , Bos Lieuwe D. J. , Smit Marry R.
Published: November 2022

Background

Patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) require respiratory support with invasive mechanical ventilation and show varying responses to recruitment manoeuvres. In patients with ARDS not related to COVID-19, two pulmonary subphenotypes that differed in recruitability were identified using latent class analysis (LCA) of imaging and clinical respiratory parameters. We aimed to evaluate if similar subphenotypes are present in patients with COVID-19-related ARDS.

Methods

This is the retrospective analysis of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19-related ARDS who underwent CT scans at positive end-expiratory pressure of 10 cmH2O and after a recruitment manoeuvre at 20 cmH2O. LCA was applied to quantitative CT-derived parameters, clinical respiratory parameters, blood gas analysis and routine laboratory values before recruitment to identify subphenotypes.

Results

99 patients were included. Using 12 variables, a two-class LCA model was identified as best fitting. Subphenotype 2 (recruitable) was characterized by a lower PaO2/FiO2, lower normally aerated lung volume and lower compliance as opposed to a higher non-aerated lung mass and higher mechanical power when compared to subphenotype 1 (non-recruitable). Patients with subphenotype 2 had more decrease in non-aerated lung mass in response to a standardized recruitment manoeuvre (p = 0.024) and were mechanically ventilated longer until successful extubation (adjusted SHR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23–0.91, p = 0.026), while no difference in survival was found (p = 0.814).

Conclusions

A recruitable and non-recruitable subphenotype were identified in patients with COVID-19-related ARDS. These findings are in line with previous studies in non-COVID-19-related ARDS and suggest that a combination of imaging and clinical respiratory parameters could facilitate the identification of recruitable lungs before the manoeuvre.
CXCL1 promotes colon cancer progression through activation of NF-κB/P300 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhuo Changhua , Ruan Qiang , Zhao Xiangqian , Shen Yangkun , Lin Ruirong
Published: November 2022

Background

The upregulated expression of CXCL1 has been validated in colorectal cancer patients. As a potential biotherapeutic target for colorectal cancer, the mechanism by which CXCL1 affects the development of colorectal cancer is not clear.

Methods

Expression data of CXCL1 in colorectal cancer were obtained from the GEO database and verified using the GEPIA database and the TIMER 2.0 database. Knockout and overexpression of CXCL1 in colorectal cancer cells by CRISPR/Cas and "Sleeping Beauty" transposon-mediated gene editing techniques. Cell biological function was demonstrated by CCK-8, transwell chamber and Colony formation assay. RT-qPCR and Western Blot assays measured RNA and protein expression. Protein localization and expression were measured by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.

Results

Bioinformatics analysis showed significant overexpression of CXCL1 in the colorectal cancer tissues compared to normal human tissues, and identified CXCL1 as a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer. We demonstrate that CXCL1 promotes the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells and has a facilitative effect on tumor angiogenesis. Furthermore, CXCL1 elevation promoted the migration of M2-tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) while disrupting the aggregation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at tumor sites. Mechanistic studies suggested that CXCL1 activates the NF-κB pathway. In the in vivo colon cancer transplantation tumor model, treatment with the P300 inhibitor C646 significantly inhibited the growth of CXCL1-overexpressing colon cancer.

Conclusion

CXCL1 promotes colon cancer development through activation of NF-κB/P300, and that CXCL1-based therapy is a potential novel strategy to prevent colon cancer development.
A novel design for biodiesel production from methanol + mutton bone fat mixture
Authors: Farokhnia Ali , Jokar Seyyed Mohammad , Parvasi Payam , Kim Albert S.
Published: November 2022

Bioenergy plays a significant role in the green transition. In this work, the conversion of methanol and mutton bone fat oil (as a low-cost feedstock) for bioenergy production was studied. The five-level, three-factor response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the transesterification reaction conditions for produced biodiesel. Twenty ultrasonic-assisted experiments at the frequency of 25 kHz were conducted to investigate the effects of methanol/oil molar ratio (M/O) and concentrations of KOH and NaOH as catalysts on biodiesel yield. A second-order polynomial equation was developed by fitting the RSM experimental data using Design-Expert software. Results showed that the optimum biodiesel yield of 90.087% could be achieved by the KOH catalyst with 2.5 wt% concentration and 15:1 M/O during 3 h of the reaction. Furthermore, the biofuel analyses showed that methanol and mutton bone fat oil can be used as a proper feedstock for biofuel production. In the following, a membrane filtration package system is proposed and modeled. The reaction kinetics was determined based on experimental data. The results of the mathematical modeling showed the reaction time appears to be 6 times shorter in a membrane setup (30 min). Consequently, membrane application is highly recommended for biodiesel production from mutton bone fat oil.
An algorithm for solving the Navier–Stokes problem with mixed boundary conditions
Authors: Abdelwahed Mohamed , Chorfi Nejmeddine , Mezghani Najeh , Ouertani Henda
Published: November 2022

We consider a time-dependent Navier–Stokes problem in dimension two and three provided with mixed boundary conditions. We propose an iterative algorithm and its implementation for resolving this considered problem. The discretization is based on a backward Euler scheme with respect to the time variable and the spectral method with respect to the space variables. We present some numerical experiments which confirm the interest of the discretization.
Antimicrobial resistance and rational use of medicine: knowledge, perceptions, and training of clinical health professions students in Uganda
Authors: Kanyike Andrew Marvin , Olum Ronald , Kajjimu Jonathan , Owembabazi Shebah , Ojilong Daniel , Nassozi Dianah Rhoda , Amongin Joan Fidelia , Atulinda Linda , Agaba Kenneth , Agira Drake , Wamala Nicholas Kisaakye , Buule Richard , Nabukeera Germinah , Kyomuhendo Robert , Luwano Rehema , Owobusingye Whitney , Matovu Dissan , Musoke Philip , Bongomin Felix , Kiyimba Kenedy
Published: November 2022

Background

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important global health concern, projected to contribute to significant mortality, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, perceptions of clinical health professions students towards antimicrobial resistance and rational use of medicine and confidence level to prescribe antimicrobials.

Methods

An online descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical health professions students across 9 medical schools in Uganda. A semi-structured questionnaire using Kobo Toolbox form was shared among participants via WhatsApp Messenger (Meta, California, USA). Knowledge was categorized using modified Bloom’s cut-off. One-way ANOVA, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression were used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

We surveyed 681 participants, most were pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree (n = 433, 63.6%), with a mean age of 24 (standard deviation: 3.6) years. Most participants (n = 596, 87.5%) had sufficient knowledge about antimicrobial resistance with a mean score of 85 ± 14.2%. There was a significant difference in mean knowledge scores of year 4 (86.6%) compared to year 3 (82.4%) (p = 0.002) and year 5 (88.0%) compared to year 3 (82.4%) (p < 0.001). Most participants (n = 456, 66.9%), were confident on making an accurate diagnosis of infection, and choosing the correct antimicrobial agent to use (n = 484, 71.1%).

Conclusion

Health profession students exhibited good knowledge on antimicrobial resistance and high self-perceived confidence that should be leveraged to foster better future antimicrobial prescription practices. However, they still agreed that a separated course unit on AMR is necessary which responsible authorities should consider to consolidate the efforts.
Social media analysis of Twitter tweets related to ASD in 2019–2020, with particular attention to COVID-19: topic modelling and sentiment analysis
Authors: Corti Luca , Zanetti Michele , Tricella Giovanni , Bonati Maurizio
Published: November 2022

Background

Social media contains an overabundance of health information relating to people living with different type of diseases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong impacts and reported trends have revealed a considerable increase in prevalence and incidence. Research had shown that the ASD community provides significant support to its members through Twitter, providing information about their values and perceptions through their use of words and emotional stance. Our purpose was to analyze all the messages posted on Twitter platform regarding ASD and analyze the topics covered within the tweets, to understand the attitude of the various people interested in the topic. In particular, we focused on the discussion of ASD and COVID-19.

Methods

The data collection process was based on the search for tweets through hashtags and keywords. After bots screening, the NMF (Non-Negative Matrix Factorization) method was used for topic modeling because it produces more coherent topics compared to other solutions. Sentiment scores were calculated using AFiNN for each tweet to represent its negative to positive emotion.

Results

From the 2.458.929 tweets produced in 2020, 691.582 users were extracted (188 bots which generated 59.104 tweets), while from the 2.393.236 total tweets from 2019, the number of identified users was 684.032 (230 bots which generated 50.057 tweets). The total number of COVID-ASD tweets is only a small part of the total dataset. Often, the negative sentiment identified in the sentiment analysis referred to anger towards COVID-19 and its management, while the positive sentiment reflected the necessity to provide constant support to people with ASD.

Conclusions

Social media contributes to a great discussion on topics related to autism, especially with regards to focus on family, community, and therapies. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of social media, especially during the lockdown period. It is important to help develop and distribute appropriate, evidence-based ASD-related information.
Evaluation the effects of red yeast rice in combination with statin on lipid profile and inflammatory indices; a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Tavan Ali , Noroozi Saam , Zamiri Bardia , Gholchin Vafa Reza , Rahmani Mohammadhossein , Mehdizadeh Parizi Mohammadjavad , Ahmadi Amin , Heydarzade Reza , Montaseri Mohammad , Hosseini Seyed Ali , Kojuri Javad
Published: November 2022

Background

Dyslipidemia is a prominent cause of cardiovascular disease as it leads to inflammation and plaque deposition within arteries. Treatment includes lifestyle modifications and lipid-lowering medications. We aimed to assess the therapeutic effects of red yeast rice (RYR) alongside statin therapy.

Methods

This triple-blind randomized clinical trial involved 92 dyslipidemia patients and was performed in 2019. Standard laboratory tests were used to assess the serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. Subsequently, patients randomly received one daily RYR or placebo tablet for 1 month beside routine single statin therapy. Subsequently, blood tests were repeated and compared against the baseline. Liver function tests were also requested.

Results

Total cholesterol significantly (P = 0.019) decreased in the treatment group (− 10.2 mg/dL) compared with the placebo group (− 1.3 mg/dL). HDL cholesterol decreased by 2.19 mg/dL in the treatment group but increased by 0.53 mg/dL in the treatment group (P = 0.083). LDL cholesterol declined in both placebo (− 5.09) and treatment (− 0.73) groups (P = 0.187). TG increased by about 7 mg/dL in the treatment group but fell by roughly 1 mg/dL in the placebo group (P = 0.386). Hs-CRP increased by 0.28 mg/dL in the treatment group but decreased by 0.09 mg/dL in the placebo group (P = 0.336).

Conclusions

We found that adding RYR (Lesstat®) to statin medications significantly decreases total cholesterol. However, no significant effect was seen on other lipid profile components or Hs-CRP. Finally, we showed that RYR is safe to add to statins considering liver function (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05095480).
Effectiveness of home-based “egg-suji” diet in management of severe acute malnutrition of Rohingya refugee children
Authors: Roy S. K. , Jahan Khurshid , Khatoon Soofia , Alam Nurul , Tasnim Saria , Parveen Shahana , Ferdaus Ambrina , Cubra Khadijatul
Published: November 2022

Background

Prevalence of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among Rohingya children aged 6–59 months who took shelter in refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, was found to be 7.5%.

Objective

To measure the effectiveness of homemade diet in the management of severe acute malnutrition of Rohingya refugee children.

Methods

In total, 645 SAM children (MUAC < 11.5 cm) aged 6–59 months were selected and fed the homemade diet for 3 months by their caregivers and followed up for next 2 months. Nutrition counseling, demonstration of food preparation and the ingredients of food (rice powder, egg, sugar and oil) were provided to the families for 3 months to cook “egg-suji” diet to feed the children.

Results

The study children were assessed for nutritional status. After intervention, energy intake from diet increased from 455.29 ± 120.9 kcal/day to 609.61 ± 29.5 kcal/day (P = 0.001) in 3 months. Frequency of daily food intake improved from 4.89 ± 1.02 to 5.94 ± 0.26 (P = 0.001). The body weight of children increased from 6.3 ± 1.04 kg to 9.93 ± 1.35 kg (P = 0.001), height increased from 67.93 ± 6.18 cm to 73.86 ± 0.35 (P = 0.001) cm, and MUAC improved from 11.14 ± 1.35 cm to 12.89 ± 0.37 cm (P = 0.001). HAZ improved from − 3.64 ± 1.35 to − 2.82 ± 1.40 (P = 0.001), WHZ improved from − 2.45 ± 1.23 to 1.03 ± 1.17 (P = 0.001), WAZ improved from − 3.8 ± 0.61 to − 0.69 ± 0.78, and MUACZ improved from − 3.32 ± 0.49 to 1.8 ± 0.54 (P = 0.001) from the beginning to the end of observation. Morbidity was found in 5.12% children in the first month which reduced to 0.15% at the end of follow-up.

Conclusions

Nutritional counseling and supply of food ingredients at refugee camps resulted in complete recovery from severe malnutrition for all children which was sustainable.
Increased Meal Size but Reduced Meal-Stimulated Plasma Cholecystokinin Concentrations in Women With Obesity
Authors: Geary Nori , Asarian Lori , Graf Gwendolyn , Gobbi Susanna , Tobler Philippe N , Rehfeld Jens F , Leeners Brigitte
Published: November 2022

To better understand the physiological basis of obesity in women, we investigated whether obesity or menstrual cycle phase affects laboratory test-meal size or meal-stimulated plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) concentration. Women with healthy weight (body mass index [BMI] of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, N = 16) or obesity (BMI 30-39.9 kg/m2, N = 20) were tested once in the late-follicular or peri-ovulatory phase (LF/PO) and once in the mid-luteal phase (ML). Meals of ham sandwiches were offered and blood was sampled. Menstrual cycle phases were verified with participants’ reports of menses and measurements of progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations. Women with obesity ate significantly larger meals than women with healthy weight, (mean, 711 [95% CI, 402-1013] kJ, P = 0.001, during the LF/PO and 426 [105-734] kJ, P = 0.027, larger during the ML). Women with healthy weight ate smaller meals during LF/PO than ML (decrease, 510 [192-821 kJ], P = 0.008), but women with obesity did not (decrease, 226 [−87-542] kJ, P = 0.15). CCK concentrations 18 to 30 minutes after meal onset were lower in women with obesity than in women with healthy weight during LF/PO (3.6 [3.1-4.1] vs 6.1 [4.5-7.7] pmol/L; P = 0.004), but not during ML, with a significant interaction effect (1.8 [1.2-2.4] pmol/L, P = 0.048). Women with obesity consumed larger meals than women with healthy weight but displayed reduced meal-stimulated plasma CCK concentrations. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that a defect in CCK secretion compromises satiation in obese women and contributes to the development or maintenance of obesity.
POU1F1/Pou1f1 c.143-83A > G Variant Disrupts the Branch Site in Pre-mRNA and Leads to Dwarfism
Authors: Akiba Kazuhisa , Hasegawa Yukihiro , Katoh-Fukui Yuko , Terao Miho , Takada Shuji , Hasegawa Tomonobu , Fukami Maki , Narumi Satoshi
Published: November 2022

POU Class 1 Homeobox1 (POU1F1/Pou1f1) is a well-established pituitary-specific transcription factor, and causes, when mutated, combined pituitary hormone deficiency in humans and mice. POU1F1/Pou1f1 has 2 isoforms: the alpha and beta isoforms. Recently, pathogenic variants in the unique coding region of the beta isoform (beta domain) and the intron near the exon–intron boundary for the beta domain were reported, although their functional consequences remain obscure. In this study, we generated mice carrying the Pou1f1 c.143-83A>G substitution that recapitulates the human intronic variant near the exon–intron boundary for the beta domain. Homozygous mice showed postnatal growth failure, with an average body weight that was 35% of wild-type littermates at 12 weeks, which was accompanied by anterior pituitary hypoplasia and deficiency of circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 and thyroxine. The results of RNA-seq analysis of the pituitary gland were consistent with reduction of somatotrophs, and this was confirmed immunohistochemically. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of pituitary Pou1f1 mRNA showed abnormal splicing in homozygous mice, with a decrease in the alpha isoform, an increase in the beta isoform, and the emergence of the exon-skipped transcript. We further characterized artificial variants in or near the beta domain, which were candidate positions of the branch site in pre-mRNA, using cultured cell–basis analysis and found that only c.143-83A>G produced transcripts similar to the mice model. Our report is the first to show that the c.143-83A>G variant leads to splicing disruption and causes morphological and functional abnormalities in the pituitary gland. Furthermore, our mice will contribute understanding the role of POU1F1/Pou1f1 transcripts in pituitary development.
Piglet cardiopulmonary bypass induces intestinal dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction associated with systemic inflammation
Authors: Salomon Jeffrey D. , Qiu Haowen , Feng Dan , Owens Jacob , Khailova Ludmila , Osorio Lujan Suzanne , Iguidbashian John , Chhonker Yashpal S. , Murry Daryl J. , Riethoven Jean-Jack , Lindsey Merry L. , Singh Amar B. , Davidson Jesse A.
Published: November 2022

The intestinal microbiome is essential to human health and homeostasis, and is implicated in the pathophysiology of disease, including congenital heart disease and cardiac surgery. Improving the microbiome and reducing inflammatory metabolites may reduce systemic inflammation following cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to expedite recovery post-operatively. Limited research exists in this area and identifying animal models that can replicate changes in the human intestinal microbiome after CPB is necessary. We used a piglet model of CPB with two groups, CPB (n=5) and a control group with mechanical ventilation (n=7), to evaluate changes to the microbiome, intestinal barrier dysfunction and intestinal metabolites with inflammation after CPB. We identified significant changes to the microbiome, barrier dysfunction, intestinal short-chain fatty acids and eicosanoids, and elevated cytokines in the CPB/deep hypothermic circulatory arrest group compared to the control group at just 4 h after intervention. This piglet model of CPB replicates known human changes to intestinal flora and metabolite profiles, and can be used to evaluate gut interventions aimed at reducing downstream inflammation after cardiac surgery with CPB.
Temperature and Light Multiphysical Fields Modulate the Propagation of Chemical Waves on Multiple Length Scales in a System
Authors: Zhang Baoying
Published: November 2022

The phenomenon of multiple length scales exists in plants during growth, which is influenced not only by light but also by other physical fields such as substance concentration and temperature, and the combined effects of various physical fields form a complex multi-scale phenomenon. However, the mechanism of the multi-physical interaction of temperature and light on the formation of multiple length scales in plants has not been investigated. In this paper, we coupled a gel with a Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) chemical reaction system, constructed a one-dimensional open reaction diffusion system, and investigated the changes in the multiple length scale periodic structure of chemical waves in the one-dimensional gel system under the combined effect of multiple physical fields of light and temperature. It was found that when increasing the light intensity at T = 26 °C or decreasing the temperature at the light intensity I ≤ 50 µW·cm−2, the chemical wave multiple length scale period structure of the system changed as follows: P8 → P16 → P8 → P4 → P2 → P1, and the chemical wave period structure complexity showed a non-linear change of first increasing and then decreasing. When increasing the light intensity at T ≤ 24 °C or decreasing the temperature at the light intensity I > 50 µW·cm−2, the chemical wave period structure complexity of the system shows a linear decrease.
PROTESTANTISM – REGULATION OF CONSUMPTION
Authors: Ermolaev Vladimir A.
Published: November 2022

In the article, the author examines the gastronomic culture and its regulatory function, expressed in the regulation of eating behavior and food consumption by people through the existence of prohibitions and permits. In particular, it is indicated that such tools, as a rule, find their place in religious canons (codes of rules).

Speaking about the religious regulation of consumption, the author examines Protestantism and its currents and trends. According to the results of the study, it was revealed that within the framework of Adventism, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc., there are tools for regulating food consumption that have a characteristic similarity with those in Judaism, Islam and Catholicism. Of course, Protestantism, being a denomination of Christianity, along with Catholicism, can borrow some rules and features. Meanwhile, drawing an analogy with these religions and confessions, we can talk about the existence of prohibited and permitted food, while in some areas of Protestantism restrictions are not as strict as in others.

Religion, acting as a regulator of eating behavior, designates products originating from “unclean” and “pure” animals and birds. At the same time, in the Bible, the signs that make it possible to differentiate food have a symbolic meaning – “unclean” food sources symbolize mundanity, the impossibility of turning to God, the sinfulness of man.

As a result, a gastronomic cultural layer is formed, within which the nutrition of believers, that is, the products they use daily, also taking into account national characteristics, not only have an impact on health, but also have a symbolic meaning of commitment to God, enlightenment, etc.

According to the results of the study, the author formulated the factors that are important in determining eating behavior and consumption: a) symbolizing; b) cleansing; c) providing and d) adapting (relevant to the current situation of globalization of the world space and the technologization of life spheres).
Intertrochanteric fractures and mortality in elderly patients
Authors: Tsitko Hanna , Dudzińska Paulina , Milanowska Małgorzata , Grudzińska Aleksandra , Jarosz Dominika
Published: November 2022

The aim of the following article was to provide an overview of the medical knowledge on the correlation of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur and mortality in the elderly population. Due to the fact that life expectancy has increased, we can observe an increasing trend of hip fractures. There are about 20,000 fractures of the proximal end of the femur treated in Poland and 300,000 patients in the United States annually. It is estimated that the upward trend of fractures can be traced to 2050 with an increase of +1% per year. There are expected to be 6 million cases per year worldwide according to International Osteoporosis Foundation. The most frequently early mortality related factors are biodemographic factors - age and gender. The majority - 75% of those treated fractures are female. Also, the risk of fracture of the proximal end of the femur in women over 50 years is almost 20%, and by the age of 80 it reaches 30%. Although among women the risk of fracture is higher, mortality is lower than man who experienced the same fracture. Other predictors of poor functional outcomes and early mortality factors for patients with hip fracture besides age and gender, are clinical factors, such as time spent waiting for surgery or comorbidities. Knowing those factors, we can try to avoid some complications. Each surgeon has to remember about a multidisciplinary care protocols, which are made to improve healthcare, shorten length of hospital stay, and decrease mortality in hip‐fracture‐operated patients. Also, it is significant to select proper surgical methods depending on the fracture complexity. This article was written based on analyzing data available in publications in Pubmed and Google Scholar databases.
Transformation and Growth of the Coercive Apparatus in Putin’s Russia
Authors: Kołodziejski Konrad
Published: November 2022

The article describes the transformation of the Russian coercive apparatus (comprising security services and the military) after Vladimir Putin came to power. The different forces charged with ensuring domestic and external security of the state are one of the cornerstones of Putin’s presidency. The first stage of the changes saw them consolidated and brought under tighter control of the president’s camp, whilst during the second – following Putin’s re-election as president in 2012 – they were much expanded and modernised. Looking mainly at the normative acts from that period, the article discusses the scope and nature of these changes as well as their wider political context related to the development of a centralised, authoritarian power system in Russia. It also focuses on the parallel process of changes introduced in the prosecutor’s office and the justice system whose aim – like in the case of the coercive apparatus – was to extend the power of the president and strengthened the state’s control over society.
Leishmania: case management and UK transmission
Authors: Wright Ian
Published: November 2022

Leishmania are vector-borne protozoan parasites that cause a wide range of clinical disease (leishmaniosis). Leishmania infantum is the species mainly causing leishmaniosis in European cats and dogs, and has zoonotic potential. Sandflies are the principal vector of transmission, but non-vectorial routes such as venereal, transplacental and blood transfusion have been described. There is no gold-standard diagnostic test, so leishmaniosis is diagnosed using a combination of methods alongside relevant clinical signs. Early diagnosis is essential for assessing prognosis, successfully managing the disease and minimising transmission. This article discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of leishmaniosis in dogs and cats, and the risk of it becoming established in the UK.
Can cats and dogs live in purrfect harmony?
Authors: Kinsman Rachel
Published: November 2022

Researchers from Dogs Trust have published new findings on how dog owners introduce their new puppies to their existing household cats, and what factors were associated with desirable behaviour from the puppies.
High-aperture EUV microscope using multilayer mirrors and a 3D reconstruction algorithm based on z-tomography
Authors: Malyshev I. V. , Reunov D. G. , Chkhalo N. I. , Toropov M. N. , Pestov A. E. , Polkovnikov V. N. , Tsybin N. N. , Lopatin A. Ya. , Chernyshev A. K. , Mikhailenko M. S. , Smertin R. M. , Pleshkov R. S. , Shirokova O. M.
Published: November 2022

The article is devoted to the development of an EUV microscope using a wavelength of 13.84 nm. Due to the use of a mirror lens with a large numerical aperture, NA = 0.27, and a short depth of focus, it has been possible to carry out z-tomography of bio-samples for the first time with this type of microscope. A 3D image was reconstructed, and a pixel resolution of 140 nm was obtained. A new simple algorithm for the 3D reconstruction of absorption images from z-tomography data has been proposed that takes into account lens aberrations and a point spread function. The algorithm reduces the inverse absorption task to the corresponding well-studied task of fluorescence microscopy, with an error of 10% for cells up to 10 µm thick.
Optical trapping and manipulation of massive particles based on spatial diffraction of a 45° tilted fiber Bragg grating
Authors: Lin Wei , Zhang Shiyu , Liu Bo , Zhang Hao , Liu Haifeng , Han Junyuan , Liu Feng
Published: November 2022

In this work, we proposed an optical trapping and manipulation technology based on spatial diffraction of 45° tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG). The length of the line-shape-facula of the TFBG diffraction light can be as large as tens of millimeters, which enables the TFBG trapping system control massive dielectric particles. We analyze the light distribution of the spatial diffraction by using the volume current method (VCM) and established a theoretical model to analyze the optical trapping force of TFBG based on the ray tracing method (RTM). Then, we designed several optical trapping schemes, with two-, three- and four-TFBGs respectively. Numeral simulation indicates that only the scheme with axisymmetric layout of TFBGs can achieve stable particle trapping. We comprehensively analyze the trapping force distribution of four- TFBG scheme with different influence factors. In addition, the rotation manipulation based on the two- and four- TFBGs schemes are also demonstrated. The proposed optical trapping technology open a new route for massive particles trapping and manipulation.
Using angle-selective optical film to enhance the light extraction of a thin-film encapsulated 3D reflective pixel for OLED displays
Authors: Liao Po-Hsiang , Lee Wei-Kai , Lee Chang-Cheng , Huang Chun-Wei , Wen Sheng-Wen , Chen Yi-Ting , Chen Chung-Chia , Lin Wan-Yu , Kwak B. Leo , Visser Robert Jan , Wu Chung-Chih
Published: November 2022

Light extraction improvement is still an important issue for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLEDs). In our previous work, a three-dimensional (3D) reflective pixel configuration embedding the OLED in the concave 3D reflector and patterned high-index filler had been proposed for significant enhancement of the pixel light extraction. In this work, influences of thin film encapsulation (TFE) on light extraction of such reflective 3D OLED pixels are considered as well by simulation studies. Unfortunately, the optical simulation reveals strong reduction of the light extraction efficiency induced by TFE layers. As such, an additional angle-selective optical film structure between the pixel and the encapsulation layers is introduced to control the angular distribution of the light coupled into the encapsulation layers and to solve TFE-induced optical losses. As a result, TFE-induced losses can be substantially reduced to retain much of light extraction efficiency. The results of this study are believed to provide useful insights and guides for developing even more efficient and power-saving AMOLEDs.
Adaptive horizontal scaling method for speckle-assisted fringe projection profilometry
Authors: Yang Di , Qiao Dayong , Xia Changfeng , He Qing
Published: November 2022

Phase-shifting method is widely used in fringe projection profilometry to obtain high-precision wrapped phase maps. The wrapped phase map needs to be converted to an absolute phase map to recover 3D information. The speckle pattern based phase unwrapping method requires only one additional auxiliary pattern, showing great potential for fast 3D measurements. In this paper, a speckle assisted four-steps phase-shifting method was proposed for 3D measurements. This method requires five structured light patterns to complete 3D measurements, including four-steps phase-shifting fringe patterns and a speckle pattern which is used to remove phase ambiguity. The main challenge of speckle based phase unwrapping method is to overcome the mismatch problem which often occurs in some very steep surfaces. In order to improve the speckle matching accuracy, an adaptive horizontal scaling method was proposed. A voting strategy based on phase-connected regions was proposed to reduce the computational overhead. The experiments demonstrate its superior performance, and an accuracy of 0.21 mm was achieved.
TV Culture: The Demise of the Elite and the Rise of the Popular, Abdullah Al Ghathami (2007)
Authors: Azzi Abderrahmane
Published: November 2022

Review of: TV Culture: The Demise of the Elite and the Rise of the Popular, Abdullah Al Ghathami (2007)
Marcos para la acción colectiva en exguerrilleros de FARC-EP: Tierra Grata y Pondores (2017-2019)
Authors: Rico Revelo Diana , Estrada Álvarez Jairo , Rodríguez Rodríguez Angélica
Published: November 2022

Este trabajo ha tenido como propósito indagar sobre las motivaciones para participar en la insurgencia y en acciones colectivas posteriores al Acuerdo de paz-2016; con el fin de conocer continuidades y reconfiguraciones en marcos para la acción colectiva de injusticia, identidad y eficacia. Mediante un estudio cualitativo con 24 exguerrilleros líderes de iniciativas colectivas en los ETCR del Caribe colombiano (2017-2019), se evidencian sinergias entre estos marcos en función de la construcción de paz desde lo local.
¿Por qué la ciudadanía acepta pagar sobornos? La tolerancia a la corrupción en América Latina
Authors: González-Ramírez María Fernanda , Monsiváis-Carrillo Alejandro
Published: November 2022

Un mecanismo que refuerza la corrupción en las democracias actuales es la tolerancia de los ciudadanos a la corrupción. En este estudio analizamos la tolerancia a pagar sobornos usando datos de opinión pública en América Latina. El análisis muestra que la gente normaliza el pago de sobornos cuando desconfía de la integridad del régimen político, ya sea porque ha sido víctima de corrupción, percibe que la corrupción política está generalizada o siente desapego hacia el sistema político.
Evaluación histológica del daño renal producido por los inhibidores del punto de control inmunitario
Authors: Revuelta Sara , Tascón Javier , Vicente-Vicente Laura , Casanova Alfredo G. , Morales Ana I. , Prieto Marta
Published: November 2022

Los inhibidores del punto de control inmunitario (ICI) constituyen el grupo inmunoterapéutico más relevante del ámbito oncológico, pero no están exentos de efectos adversos. Las lesiones renales, aunque raras, empeoran el pronóstico. Actualmente existen combinaciones de inmunoterapia y quimioterapia que mejoran la eficacia, pero aumentan el riesgo de sufrir efectos secundarios nefrotóxicos. El objetivo fue la evaluación histológica del daño renal asociado a los ICI anti-CTLA-4 y anti-PD-1 en combinación con cisplatino.

Se diseñó un modelo experimental en ratones C57BL/6 tratados con la terapia combinada de cisplatino (10 mg/kg, dosis única) con anti-CTLA-4 o anti-PD-1 (10 o 15 mg/kg/día, durante 6 días). Se incluyeron grupos con las monoterapias de los fármacos y un grupo control. La evaluación del daño renal histológico se realizó de forma ciega siguiendo un protocolo de cuantificación de lesión tisular basado en una escala. Los datos fueron analizados con el programa estadístico IBM SPSS Statistics.

Los resultados mostraron daño renal tubular, más pronunciado en la corteza externa, asociado al tratamiento con cisplatino, mientras que no hubo alteraciones estructurales en la monoterapia con ICI. El cotratamiento potenció el daño estructural renal del cisplatino. Esta potenciación fue más evidente en la región corticomedular, lo que sugiere que la combinación de fármacos provoca una lesión más profunda en el riñón.
Presente y futuro de la industria farmacéutica
Authors: Maderuelo Cristina
Published: November 2022

En los últimos dos siglos, la industria farmacéutica ha experimentado una enorme evolución hacia una fabricación compleja de productos farmacéuticos y formas de dosificación muy sofisticadas acompañada de grandes cambios en las prácticas de fabricación y en las instalaciones, utilizando tecnologías avanzadas asociadas a estrictas normas de calidad. Este tránsito comúnmente se representa en cuatro 4 etapas. La industria farmacéutica se encuentra actualmente en la tercera de ellas, marcada por el fuerte desarrollo de los ordenadores y las tecnologías de la comunicación, siendo una realidad la fabricación en continuo, la tecnología analítica de procesos (PAT) y la calidad por diseño (QbD). La fabricación en continuo supone un flujo continuo integrado donde las operaciones básicas suceden simultáneamente, evitando paros, acortando procesos, minimizando la manipulación y el trasvase manual del producto, así como su exposición al ambiente. El PAT permite hacer un seguimiento analítico de los materiales de partida, intermedios y producto, en línea o muy cerca de la línea en poco tiempo, a tiempo real, sin parar el proceso. Algunos ejemplos del PAT son el uso del NIR o del RAMAN para la determinación del punto final de algunas operaciones básicas o la determinación en línea de las propiedades de las formas farmacéuticas, entre otros. La fabricación en continuo y el PAT suponen ventajas en términos de eficacia y de calidad, disminuyendo la variabilidad en los productos y su posible contaminación. Asociado a ellas se encuentra el QbD, metodología aplicable al desarrollo farmacéutico que permite establecer los factores críticos relacionados con los materiales y el proceso; llevar a cabo un diseño de experimentos más completo a partir de estos factores, y, tras el análisis de los resultados obtenidos, establecer el espacio de diseño, es decir, aquel espacio para cada factor dentro del cual se obtiene un producto de la calidad establecida previamente.

La fabricación en continuo, el QbD y el PAT sientan las bases para potenciar la denominada Farma 4.0, etapa en la que, a estos elementos, se unen otros como el Internet de las cosas (IoT), la inteligencia artificial, la robótica o la computación avanzada, que permitirán disponer de sistemas autónomos y autoorganizados que funcionan independientemente de la participación humana. Se prevé que, en un entorno de este tipo, seremos capaces de recoger una cantidad enorme y variada de datos que podrán analizarse mediante algoritmos y utilizarse para tomar decisiones en tiempo real que impactarán directamente en los resultados de producción.
Liofilización de liposomas para su administración pulmonar
Authors: Calderón García Blanca , De Jesús Valle María José
Published: November 2022

El citrato de sildenafilo se ha convertido, en los últimos años, en un agente terapéutico oral utilizado para el tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial. Debido a que presenta ciertas limitaciones, como una reducción significativa de la biodisponibilidad oral y de la actividad farmacológica debido al metabolismo hepático de primer paso, se han propuesto formulaciones innovadoras para su administración por vía pulmonar, permitiendo minimizar los efectos adversos sistémicos y el efecto de primer paso.

El objetivo del trabajo es elaborar liposomas cargados de sildenafilo y posteriormente liofilizarlos. Además, evaluar las propiedades de flujo del producto sólido obtenido para su posible administración por vía pulmonar.

Los liposomas obtenidos fueron preparados mediante el método de sonicación-filtración, en ausencia de disolventes orgánicos y, por tanto, se consideran unos sistemas biocompatibles y biodegradables, muy adecuados para su posible administración por vía pulmonar. Presentaron una elevada eficacia de encapsulación de sildenafilo (EE% = 85).

Se observaron adecuados resultados de flujo del producto sólido con cada uno de los lioprotectores utilizados, obteniéndose valores de ángulo de reposo inferiores a 30º e índices de Carr (IC) también inferiores al 36 %.

Por tanto, la liofilización de liposomas juega un papel fundamental en la conservación y la estabilidad de dichas vesículas.
A DFT Prediction Study of Dibutyl Dithiophosphate Isomers as Extractant for Rare Earth Elements
Authors: Dewi R.S. , Sastyarina Y. , Janitra R.S. , Hardianto A. , Yusuf M. , Mutalib A. , Bahti H.H. , Anggraeni A.
Published: November 2022

In this work, based on the DFT approach, the electronic structural properties of dibutyl dithiophosphate
(DBDTP) and its isomers (sec-butyl dithiophosphate and tert-butyl dithiophosphate) as extracants for
the separation of rare earth elements at the DFT level B3LYP/6 -31G(d) were predicted and also to
ascertain the DBDTP ligand isomer’s conformation as well as their relative stability. Using the base
function 6-31G*, the chemical reactivity was computed with the help of chemical hardness descriptors,
electronic chemical potential and electrophilicity. It was found that sec.-BDTP has biggest energy
gap, while tert.-BDTP exhibited the smallest energy gap. Thus, tert.-BDTP is the most chemically
reactive and stable isomer, suggesting that the rare earth metal complexes with tert.-BDTP ligand is
more stable.
Cytotoxic Activity of Ruthenium-Pyridyl Triazole Complexes against Human Cancer Cell
Authors: Alam Md. Mahbubul , Ahmed Belal , Chowdhury Md. Shahadat H.
Published: November 2022

[RuCl (η6-p-cymene)(ligand 1)] (complex 1) was synthesized by simple mixing of 2-(1-((pyridine-2-
yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)ethyl sodium sulfate (ligand 1) with [RuCl2(η6-p-cymene)]2 in methanol.
The microcrystals of the reported complex were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopic
techniques and elemental analysis. The cytotoxic activity of the ruthenium complex wass tested against
human cancer cells A375, A431, BxPC3, A549, HCT-15, LoVo cancer cell and human nontumor cell
(human embryonic kidney HEK2) by the MTT assay method. The synthesized ruthenium complex
exhibits a limited cytotoxic effect on human cancer cells and also reveals a dose-depended antimetastatic
property against LoVo cancer cell.
Adsorption of Iron(II) and Cadmium(II) Ions Separately using
Carbon Materials from Hazelnuts and Walnuts Waste Shells
Authors: Ananiashvili N. , Giorgadze N. , Tskhakaia E.
Published: November 2022

An inexpensive and efficient carbon materials as adsorbents were obtained from hazelnuts and walnuts
waste shells. Their adsorption capacity with respect to iron(II) and cadmium(II) ions was studied. The
results show that the carbonaceous material obtained from hazelnut shells has the best adsorption
capacity with respect to Fe2+ & Cd2+, which is not inferior to commercial activated carbon. Studies of
iron (II) and cadmium(II) of various concentrations showed that within 20-30 min, the best extraction
rate and adsorption for both metal ions were achieved with a solution of 0.0025 M. For Fe2+ ions, the
adsorption value and extraction rate have achieved good results at pH = 3-5, and for Cd2+ ions at pH =
5-6. Furthermore, the prepared adsorbent exhibited the excellent adsorption abilities even in the presence
of various metal ions and successfully used as sorbents for drinking and wastewater treatment without
modification and activation.
Structural and Optical Properties of Ni-Cu Doped TiO2 Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method
Authors: Anisha R. , Vasam E.K. Kirupa
Published: November 2022

Ni-Cu doped TiO2 nanoparticles as photocatalyst were synthesized by simple sol-gel method. The
effect of Ni and Cu doping on TiO2 and their structural and optical properties were analyzed by XRD,
FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM and UV-DRS techniques. The XRD patterns of calcined nanoparticles showed
a monophasic anatase structure with average diameter around 8 nm, which is in close agreement with
the TEM results. The surface morphology of the prepared Ni-Cu doped TiO2 nanoparticles were also
analyzed by SEM-EDS technique. From UV-DRS analysis, the band-gap energy value of Ni-Cu doped
TiO2 nanoparticles was found to be 2.72 eV. The photocatalytic effect of Ni-Cu doped TiO2 nanoparticles
as photocatalyst was studied under visible light irradiation through the degradation of Congo red azo
dye. The photocatalytic results revealed that Ni-Cu doped TiO2 showed 99.6% degradation efficiency
towards Congo red dye, whereas TOC analysis showed a complete mineralization of Congo red dye
with minimum degradated byproducts. These results clearly elucidated that the synthesized
photocatalyst is practically effective and is recovered easily, thus minimizing the operating costs. Due
to the stability of Ni-Cu doped TiO2 nanoparticles, the prepared photocatalyst exhibit high degrading
efficiency even after recycled several times.
Binary Mixture of t(3)-Methyl-r(2),c(6)-diphenyl-piperidin-4-one and Gum Exudates of Astragalus genus as an Green Soldier for Dissolution Control of Mild Steel in HCl
Authors: Brindha T. , Rathinam R. , Dheenadhayalan S. , Supriya S.
Published: November 2022

The corrosion inhibitive behaviour of t(3)-Methyl-r(2),c(6)-diphenyl-piperidin-4-one (3MDPP) and gum exudates of Astragalus genus (GTP) on mild steel in 1 N HCl were studied using weight loss measurements for 1 h immersion period at 303-323 K. The corrosion rate of mild steel directly varies with temperature whereas it varies inversely with concentration. The synergistic influence of different concen-trations of GTP on 3MDPP was analyzed at 303-323 K using weight loss technique. The icorr, Ecorr, Rct and Cdl values were obtained for 3MDPP, GTP and the mixture of GTP and 3MDPP (binary mixture). The calculated values of Ea, ΔH*, ΔS* and ΔG°ads suggests the physical adsorption mechanism and it obeys Langmuir isotherm. The synergistic influence of GTP on 3MDPP is clear from the synergistic parameter value (> 1).