bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization and complete genome sequence of highly lytic phage active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from Egypt
Authors: El-Tawab Abeer K. Abd , Othman B. A. , Sharaf A. , El-Masry Samar S. , El-Arabi T.F.
Published: November 2024

Background

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most resistant bacteria to antibiotics. S. aureus is an important, widespread pathogen that can cause a variety of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Phages have been recognized as natural, safe, highly specific and effective alternatives agents to antibiotics for preventing and treating bacterial infections caused by MRSA. Therefore, this study aims at the characterization of a novel isolated lytic phage, vB_SauP_ASUmrsa123.

Methods

Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus MRSA were obtained on Mannitol Salt Agar and Baird Parker Agar plates and confirmed using VITEK 2. Sewage and clinical samples were used to isolate specific phages for S. aureus MRSA, and plaque assays were used for host range determination on Luria-Bertani (LB) media. The phage morphology of the isolated phage was determined by transmission electron microscopy. The phage’s whole genome sequencing was identified.

Results

A total of 25 isolates of Staphylococci were obtained from different clinical sources and showed typical colonies on Baird-Parker and Mannitol Salt Agar plates. The VITEK 2 automated system revealed that all 25 isolates were confirmed as S. aureus (MRSA). Two of the most antibiotics-resistant isolates were further confirmed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. A lytic phage was detected against the MRSA isolates tested In Vitro, namely vB_SauP_ASUmrsa123. The phage belonged to Rountreeviridae family based on morphological properties observed by TEM and the host range of the isolated phage was tested on the 25 clinical MRSA isolates in Vitro. The one-step growth curve of the isolated phage showed that the latent period was about 55 min, and the burst size was estimated at 167 PFU. The whole genome sequencing and annotation of genes revealed that phage vB_SauP_ASUmrsa123 contained a linear dsDNA with a size of about 17,155 bp with predicted 24 ORFs. Analysis of its genome provides valuable information approximately the variety of phages belonging to the staphylococcal phages class I.

Conclusion

A lytic Podo Phage vB_SauP_ASUmrsa123 was identified against S. aureus MRSA isolates and its genome was sequenced. The phage was found to be eligible for potential application in biocontrol.
Anti-aging potential of Cephalotaxus harringtonia extracts: the role of harringtonine and homoharringtonine in skin protection
Authors: Ahn Si-Young , Lee Chang-Dae , Ku Ja Jung , Lee Sanghyun , Lee Sullim
Published: November 2024

Photoaging damages the skin layers. The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays a crucial role in the central mechanism of photoaging. TNF-α production leads to direct damage to skin cells and facilitates the degradation of vital extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. TNF-α stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) activation This accelerates the loss of skin elasticity and wrinkle formation. Thus, preventing photoaging and delaying the skin aging process are important research objectives, and the development of new anti-aging substances that target the TNF-α and MMP-1 pathways is promising. In this context, the efficacies of four extracts derived from two types of Cephalotaxus harringtonia (CH) buds (CH-10Y-buds, CH-200Y-buds) and leaves (CH-10Y-leaves, CH-200Y-leaves) were investigated, exhibiting a significant reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Among the four extracts, CH-10Y-buds was the most effective in reducing ROS and exhibited the highest amounts of harringtonine and homoharringtonine. The activities of harringtonine, homoharringtonine, and ginkgetin were evaluated; harringtonine exhibited a high efficacy in inhibiting TNF-α-induced inflammatory responses and MMP-1 activation, thereby reducing collagen degradation. These findings suggest that CH-10Y-buds and their components herringtonin are promising candidates for preventing damage caused by photoaging. Our results can facilitate the development of new methods for maintaining skin health and inhibiting the skin aging process. Further research is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the potential efficacy of these candidate substances and investigate their applicability to actual skin. Such studies will aid in the development of more effective anti-aging strategies in the future.
Effects of anger and trigger identity on triggered displaced aggression among college students: based on the “kicking the barking dog effect”
Authors: Liu Shen , Li Wenxiu , Hong Xinwei , Song Minghua , Liu Feng , Guo Zhibin , Zhang Lin
Published: November 2024

Background

Drawing on the “kicking the barking dog effect”, this study investigated the individual and group-level mechanisms underlying triggered displaced aggression (TDA).

Methods

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of anger and hostile attribution on TDA, examining these factors at both the individual and group levels. The preliminary experiment investigated how emotions affect subsequent cognition at an individual level with the aim of understanding the underlying generative process of TDA. Experiment 1 explored the relationship between anger, hostile attribution, and subsequent aggressive behaviors at an individual level, while also discussing the underlying generative process of TDA. Experiment 2 investigated the relationship between anger, hostile attribution, and subsequent aggressive behaviors from a group-level perspective, while also delving into the impact of trigger identity on the underlying generative process of TDA.

Results

When individuals were exposed to both a provocation and a subsequent triggering situation, they demonstrated stronger hostile attribution and displayed more aggressive behavior directed toward the trigger. This study found that hostile attribution played a complete mediating role in the influence of anger on TDA, while the triggering situation itself had a moderating role. In the presence of triggering situations, individuals exhibited stronger hostile attribution as their level of anger increased. In the absence of a triggering situation, changes in anger level did not have a significant effect. In the presence of a triggering situation, the identity of the trigger played a moderating role in the process of “anger → hostile attribution → TDA”. When the trigger belonged to an in-group, individuals exhibited stronger hostile attribution toward the out-group and subsequently displayed greater TDA.

Conclusion

These findings expand the applicability of the “kicking the barking dog effect” and offer suggestions for controlling the escalation of intergroup conflicts.
Structural effects of intraretinal cysts on outer retinal layers in eyes with diabetic macular edema
Authors: do Nascimento Micael Valtoni Dantas , Iovino Claudio , Yuan Po Hsiang Shawn , Khan Haaris M. , Cunha Leonardo Provetti , Zacharias Leandro Cabral , Lacerda Nehemias , Navajas Eduardo , Monteiro Mario L. R. , Preti Rony C.
Published: November 2024

Background

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the main cause of visual loss in individuals with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study aims to investigate the effects of central macular intraretinal cysts on the underlying outer retinal layer (ORL) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods

In this retrospective and cross-sectional study, diabetic patients with or without DR were categorized into three groups: without DME (group 1), with DME but without any cyst featuring a plateau in the lower region (group 2), and patients with cyst featuring an inferior cyst plateau (group 3), defined as a flat conformation at its posterior aspect. Variables such as central macular intraretinal cyst height, inferior cyst plateau, and ORL thickness were measured, and ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption was assessed via Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and compared between groups. Correlations between OCT-measured variables and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were investigated.

Results

A total of 164 eyes were included: 48 in group 1, 47 in group 2 and 69 in group 3. Compared with Groups 1 and 2, Group 3 presented a greater intraretinal cyst height (p < 0.001), a thinner mean ORL beneath the cysts (p < 0.0001) and more frequent EZ disruption (p < 0.0001), which was associated with lower BCVA values. Cyst height, cyst plateau and ORL thickness were significantly correlated with BCVA (p < 0.0001). EZ disruption was associated with the cyst height, the cyst plateau and the underlying ORL thickness. Correlations were observed between cyst height and ORL thickness (r = − 0.32, p < 0.001), between cyst height and cyst plateau (r = 0.60, p < 0.001), and between cyst plateau and ORL thickness (r = − 0.56, p < 0.001). Every increase of 10 μm in plateau width and in cyst height results in reductions of 0.16 μm and 0.29 μm in ORL thickness, respectively, independent of the other parameters. The optimal cutoff point for cyst height that best discriminates plateau formation was determined to be 130.5 μm, with a sensitivity of 89.9% and specificity of 83%.

Conclusions

In patients with DME, large central intraretinal cysts may assume a flat configuration in their lower region, termed a plateau, and are associated with photoreceptor damage due to compression, which can result in visual impairment. These findings can be understood based on modified Hertz’s mechanical contact theory.
Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) in children and adolescents: factor structure, reliability, validity, item parameters and interpretability of the parent version for practical use in Greece
Authors: Kotsis Konstantinos , Mitropoulou Andromachi , Tzotzi Alexandra , Marchionatti Lauro Estivalete , Hoffmann Mauricio Scopel , Schafer Julia Luiza , Casella Caio B. , Simioni André , Papanikolaou Katerina , Basta Maria , Serdari Aspasia , Koumoula Anastasia , Salum Giovanni Abrahão
Published: November 2024

Background

Health systems need tools to assess patient’s experience of service, but existing tools lack reliability and validity assessment. Our aim is to investigate the factor structure, reliability, validity, item parameters and interpretability of the parent version of the Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) for practical use in Greece.

Methods

A total of 265 caregivers that were using mental health services in Greece participated in this study as part of the Nationwide cross-sectional survey from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI). Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to test factor structure. Reliability of all models were measured with omega coefficients. Tobit regression analysis was used to test for convergent and discriminant validity with specifically designed questions. Item parameters were assessed via Item Response Theory. Interpretability was assessed by means of IRT-based scores.

Results

We found that ESQ is best represented and scored as a unidimensional construct, given potential subscales would not have enough reliability apart from a general factor. Convergent and discriminant validity was demonstrated, as caregivers who perceived that their child benefited from the received mental health care had 6.50 higher summed scores (SMD = 1.14, p < 0.001); while those who believed that their child needed additional help had 5.08 lower summed scores on the ESQ (SMD = −0.89, p < 0.001). Average z-scores provided five meaningful categories of services, in terms of user satisfaction, compared to the national average.

Conclusions

Our study presents evidence for the reliability and validity of the ESQ and provides recommendations for its practical use in Greece. ESQ can be used to measure experience of service and might help drive improvements in service delivery in the Greek mental health sector.
Electrode Location and Domain-Specific Cognitive Change Following Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Zargari Michael , Hughes Natasha C. , Chen Jeffrey W. , Cole Matthew W. , Gupta Rishabh , Qian Helen , Summers Jessica , Subramanian Deeptha , Li Rui , Dawant Benoit M. , Konrad Peter E. , Ball Tyler J. , Englot Dario J. , Dhima Kaltra , Bick Sarah K.
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) motor symptoms. DBS is also associated with postoperative cognitive change in some patients. Previous studies found associations between medial active electrode contacts and overall cognitive decline. Our current aim is to determine the relationship between active electrode contact location and domain-specific cognitive changes.

METHODS:

A single-institution retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients with PD who underwent subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS from August 05, 2010, to February 22, 2021, and received preoperative and postoperative neuropsychological testing. Standardized norm-referenced test z-scores were categorized into attention, executive function, language, verbal memory, and visuospatial domains. SD change scores were averaged to create domain-specific change scores. We identified anterior commissure/posterior commissure coordinates of active electrode contacts in atlas space. We evaluated differences in active electrode contact location between patients with a domain score decrease of at least 1 SD and less than 1 SD. We performed multiple variable linear regression controlling for age, sex, education, time from surgery to postoperative neuropsychological testing (follow-up duration), disease duration, preoperative unified Parkinson's disease rating scale off medication scores, and preoperative memory scores to determine the relationship between active electrode contact location and domain change.

RESULTS:

A total of 83 patients (male: n = 60, 72.3%) were included with a mean age of 63.6 ± 8.3 years, median disease duration of 9.0 [6.0, 11.5] years, and median follow-up duration of 8.0 [7.0, 11.0] months. More superior active electrode contact location in the left STN (P= .002) and higher preoperative memory scores (P< .0001) were associated with worsening memory. Active electrode contact location was not associated with change in other domains.

CONCLUSION:

In patients with PD who underwent STN DBS, we found an association between superior active electrode contacts in the left STN and verbal memory decline. Our study increases understanding of factors associated with cognitive change after DBS and may help inform postoperative programming.
Ποιότητα ζωής και κόστος διαβίωσης ασθενών με καρκίνο πνεύμονος
Authors: Κυρανούδη Αγγελική
Published: November 2024

Εισαγωγή: Ο καρκίνος του πνεύμονα ευθύνεται για το 34% περίπου των θανάτων από καρκίνο στους άνδρες και για το 23% στις γυναίκες. Οι πρόοδοι στις θεραπευτικές επιλογές για ασθενείς με καρκίνο του πνεύμονα βελτιώνουν το ποσοστό επιβίωσης και κάνουν την ποιότητα ζωής πολύ πιο σημαντική. Σκοπός: Η διερεύνηση της ποιότητας ζωής των ασθενών με καρκίνο πνεύμονα καθώς και εκτίμηση της μεταβολής του κόστους διαβίωσής τους. Υλικό και Μέθοδος: Πρόκειται για περιγραφική μελέτη παρατήρησης. Το δείγμα της μελέτης αποτέλεσαν 170 ασθενείς με καρκίνο πνεύμονα. Η συλλογή των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη χρήση δύο ερευνητικών εργαλείων που περιλάμβαναν ανοικτού και κλειστού τύπου ερωτήσεις. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε με χρήση του SPSS ver. 21.0. Αποτελέσματα: Η μέση ηλικία των ασθενών ήταν τα 67,4 έτη και το 72,4% των ασθενών ήταν άνδρες. Η πλειοψηφία των ασθενών (71,2%) ήταν συνταξιούχοι και το 13,6% εργαζόμενοι. Το μέσο κόστος ζωής των ασθενών, λόγω της νόσου, κατά το προηγούμενο εξάμηνο ήταν €4.518 Οι ασθενείς με χαμηλότερο συνολικό κόστος διαβίωσης είχαν καλύτερη γενική υγεία (p=0.006). Οι ασθενείς που ζούσαν με περισσότερα άτομα, με υψηλότερο μηνιαίο οικογενειακό εισόδημα και χαμηλότερο συνολικό κόστος ζωής είχαν καλύτερη ψυχική υγεία (p: 0,016, 0,027, 0043, αντίστοιχα). Συμπέρασμα: Η θεραπευτική προσέγγιση έχει ως κύριο στόχο την ποιότητα ζωής του καρκινοπαθούς παράλληλα με την αποτελεσματικότητα της θεραπείας. Ο καθορισμός των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την ποιότητα ζωής που ο ασθενής θεωρεί σημαντικούς είναι ζωτικής σημασίας και το κόστος ζωής είναι ένας από αυτούς τους παράγοντες. Θα πρέπει να ληφθούν υπόψη στρατηγικές για τη μείωση του κόστους ζωής των καρκινοπαθών.
Το Αναστασιματάριον Δανιήλ του πρωτοψάλτου
Authors: Λάσκος Δημήτριος
Published: November 2024

Η διατριβή παρουσιάζει το μέλος του Αναστασιματαρίου του Δανιήλ πρωτοψάλτη (+1789) του εκ Τυρνάβου της Θεσσαλίας. Σε αυτή παρατίθεται πλήθος στοιχείων για τη ζωή και το πολυσχιδές (μελοποιητικό, υμνογραφικό, διδακτικό κ.ά.) έργο του, παρουσιάζεται με αναλυτικότατο τρόπο η χειρόγραφη ή με άλλον τρόπο διάδοση του συνόλου της συνθετικής του παραγωγής και, ειδικότερα, εξετάζονται ενδελεχώς οι χειρόγραφοι κώδικες που περιλαμβάνουν το υπό του Δανιήλ μέλος του Αναστασιματαρίου (ή τμήμα αυτού), μέλος που αποτελεί την πρώτη συστηματική καταγραφή του νέου αργού στιχηραρικού τρόπου μελοποίησης του βιβλίου του Αναστασιματαρίου. Επιπλέον, εξετάζεται αναλυτικά η μορφολογία αυτού του μέλους, καταγράφονται δηλαδή και εξετάζονται οι μελωδικές γραμμές (εναρκτήριες, μεταβατικές, τελικές) και η αλληλουχία τους για την κατ' ήχον μελοποίηση των αναστασίμων ύμνων, με τις πιθανές παραλλαγές τους.
Data analytics for research on complex brain disorders
Authors: Kontoulis Michail , Doukas George , Pountridis Theodosios , Ilias Loukas , Ladikos George , Lamrpou Vaggelis , Alexakis Kostantinos , Askounis Dimitris , Ntanos Christos
Published: November 2024

There exist many research tools for complex brain disorders both proprietary and open source. Those tools are mostly focused on specific use cases and don’t offer a holistic view of the research and diagnostic processes. The MES-CoBraD platform offers a holistic tool that participates in all the phases of the process from planning to execution. In it researchers can create workflows of the diagnostic and research procedures. The Data Analytics module provides the functionality described in these workflows, mainly the analytical functions. The tools are integrated with the rest of the platform in a seamless manner. They are capable of analyzing different categories of data including imaging data, electroencephalogram (EEG)/polysomnography (PSG), medical device data, and consumer technology data. In this paper we present a summary of how the MES-CoBraD platform operates, the role of the data analytics in it, the actual functions implemented and integrated in the Data Analytics module and a number of use cases which show how each specific function can be used during the research and clinical procedures.
Adverse effects of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma: a narrative review
Authors: Orzołek Izabela , Stawicka Izabela , Jarmołowicz Jakub , Boczar Agata , Dryja Patryk
Published: November 2024

Introduction and purpose: Over the past two decades, the management of severe asthma shifted from high doses of inhaled and oral corticosteroids to targeted biologic agents. Adverse effects of treatment with monoclonal antibodies are not yet fully characterised. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the adverse effects of the FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma, including omalizumab, benralizumab, dupilumab, mepolizumab, reslizumab, tezepelumab.
Material and methods of research: A thorough literature review was performed using PubMed Web of Science and Embase, employing key words related to monoclonal antibodies, asthma and adverse effects.
Description of the state of knowledge: Omalizumab and mepolizumab have black box warning on the risk of anaphylaxis. Due to scarcity of data, no causal association between the use of monoclonal antibodies and risk of malignancy can be established. The most common adverse effects of biologic agents in severe asthma include upper respiratory tract infections, nasopharyngitis and asthma worsening.
Conclusions: Overall, monoclonal antibodies have a favourable safety profile, with certain risk of side effects remains present, and is variable for the different molecules. More studies of asthmatic patients treated with monoclonal antibodies are needed to spot rare adverse events and those developing over longer time.
Appreciative Inquiry–Intervention from the Appreciative Paradigm: A New Approach that Looks Beyond Methodology
Authors: Varona Federico
Published: November 2024

In this, the fifth of the series of six on the Appreciative Paradigm, the objective is to discover and deepen the identity of Appreciative Inquiry–Intervention as seen from the Appreciative Paradigm. Appreciative Inquiry– Intervention has been proposed as a methodology to achieve systemic changes at a global level.
Biotipología y cultura física en Argentina. Capacidad atlética y racionalidad corporal en Gofredo Grasso y Ruth Schwarz
Authors: Reggiani Andrés
Published: November 2024

En este capítulo nos proponemos analizar dos casos de convergencia entre biotipología y cultura física en Argentina: el médico deportólogo Gofredo Grasso y la instructora en educación física femenina Ruth Schwarz de Morgenroth. Se trata de dos figuras que desempeñaron un papel fundamental en la cultura física argentina y latinoamericana, tanto en el plano de la reflexión teórica como en el de la popularización de los saberes relacionados con la salud y el bienestar corporal por medio de ejercicios físicos. Con trayectorias profesionales y desde espacios institucionales diferentes, ambos desarrollaron un corpus ecléctico producto de la apropiación, reinterpretación y adaptación a las realidades del país de distintas tradiciones intelectuales y filosóficas: italiana y francesa, en el caso de Grasso; alemana y norteamericana en el de Schwarz. Ambos actuaron durante las décadas de 1920, 1930 y 1940, período en el cual las actividades físicas experimentaron un verdadero boom. El entusiasmo con el que sectores cada vez más importantes de la sociedad se volcaron a los deportes cuadraba bien con la campaña que los higienistas venían realizando desde finales del siglo xix en favor de las actividades físicas como medida profiláctica para templar el cuerpo y forjar el carácter —visión plasmada en el viejo aforismo MENS sana in corpore sano—. Esta “revolución de la recreación” no pasó desapercibida para un observador agudo, y hasta ese momento indiferente a estas cuestiones, como el filósofo español José Ortega y Gasset.1 En una de las conferencias dictadas a finales de la década de 1920 en Buenos Aires asoció el “triunfo de la juventud” con el “súbito entusiasmo por el cuerpo” reflejado en el ritmo vertiginoso con el que el culto de los “deportes corporales” inundaba el mundo.2
Eugenesia, medicina y sociedad. Algunas hipótesis sobre el caso uruguayo
Authors: Mitjavila Myriam , Ortega Elizabeth , Beltrán María José
Published: November 2024

El propósito de este capítulo es presentar un análisis preliminar de las condiciones de emergencia y del perfil del eugenismo en el Uruguay de la primera mitad del siglo xx. Debido a la escasez de estudios sobre el movimiento eugenista uruguayo, se impuso la necesidad de realizar un amplio y diversificado relevamiento de material bibliográfico y documental que permitiera indagar esa problemática.
Migración del Medio Oriente y la identificación de enfermedades contagiosas en México (1900-1930)
Authors: Trejo Terreros Abraham
Published: November 2024

Este capítulo se propone examinar el diseño del control migratorio en México para estudiar las similitudes y los contrastes entre el caso mexicano y el de Estados Unidos y llamar la atención a la convergencia de intereses de ambos países en la regulación demográfica. Se inserta en las investigaciones que examinan cómo el diseño e implementación de políticas migratorias en Estados Unidos formaron la noción moderna de raza.1 En particular, se puntualiza la implementación de prácticas médicas para mostrar que, en el contexto de las normas migratorias de México de 1909, 1926 y 1930, se emplearon discursos de salud pública para la regulación de la movilidad humana.
Fatores associados à participação em programas comunitários de atividade física: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde 2019
Authors: Alves Marília da Silva , Silva Roberto Jerônimo dos Santos , Santana Cleidison Machado , Martins Henry Lima , Menezes Larissa dos Santos , Simões Viviane de Andrade
Published: November 2024

Apesar dos investimentos realizados ao redor do mundo, seja no âmbito acadêmico, seja na implementação de políticas públicas, os níveis de atividade física não têm aumentado a contento. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar quais os fatores que influenciam na participação em Programas Comunitários de Atividade Física na realidade brasileira. Para isso, utilizando a Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde 2019, investigou-se 20.014 sujeitos considerando como desfecho a participação nesses programas, com variáveis independentes divididas em biológicas e sociodemográficas. Para a análise dos dados utilizou-se da regressão logística binária, com p < 0,05, através do software Jamovi® versão 2.3.21. Observou-se que pessoas do gênero feminino (OR = 1,54; IC 95%: 1,40 - 1,69), “pessoas idosas” (OR = 1,10; IC 95%: 1,01 - 1,21) e pessoas “não brancas” (OR = 1,51; IC95%: 1,38 - 1,66) apresentaram chances elevadas de participação nos Programas Comunitários de Atividade Física. Para o segundo bloco, identificou-se que quem apresentou renda acima de cinco salários mínimos tiveram chances reduzidas em 34% (OR = 0,66; IC 95%: 0,57 - 0,76) quando comparados aos que relataram renda de até um salário, e, os que residiam próximo aos locais públicos para lazer apresentaram chances elevadas de participação (OR = 1,71; IC 95%: 1,52 - 1,92). Em suma, aspectos biológicos e sociodemográficos influenciaram na participação em Programas Comunitários de Atividade Física, contudo, a existência de locais públicos de lazer próximos às residências foi o fator de maior impacto evidenciado.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Sibling Cases with Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Turgay Yağmur İrem , Özalkak Şervan , Yıldırım Nurdan , Aycan Zehra , Savaş Erdeve Şenay , Çetinkaya Semra
Published: November 2024

OBJECTIVE:Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a polygenic disease influenced by genetic, environmental, immunological factors.There are few studies regarding siblings with T1DM.We aimed to evaluate the presentation, diagnosis, follow-up, sociodemographic characteristics of sibling T1DM cases.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed characteristics of sibling cases followed with T1DM between January 2005 and May 2017.
RESULTS: The prevalence of T1DM sibling diabetes in our clinic was 5.9%.We included 17 siblings (a total of 34 cases) who had diagnosis and follow-up data. One of the siblings was a twin.There were no statistically significant differences between the ages at diagnosis, presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms before diagnosis, glucose/C-peptide values at diagnosis, average HbA1c values in the first five years of follow-up, or hospitalization rates in the first five-years post-diagnosis between the first and second diagnosed siblings.Despite having a child diagnosed with T1DM, 23.6% of families had a second child diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis.Variations in antibody positivity were observed among siblings, there were no similarities between celiac disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis.Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in siblings diagnosed secondarily.
CONCLUSION:Our study is significant for being conducted at a reference center with a high number of diabetes patients under follow-up, for filling a gap in the literature with a detailed evaluation of sibling cases with T1DM.It serves as a comprehensive pilot study examining the manner, order of diagnosis, clinical, laboratory, and follow-up data of siblings with diabetes.There is a need for prospective studies with a larger number of sibling cases to further explore this topic.
Exploring the gender gap in UK helicopter emergency medical services
Authors: Thomas-Mourne Jessica
Published: November 2024

In UK helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), 20% of doctors and 24% of paramedics are women, yet women make up 49% of all doctors and 44% of all paramedics. One hundred and forty clinicians recruited through social media undertook an anonymous online qualitative survey exploring potential barriers and enablers, particularly for women, to following a career pathway into HEMS. Perceived barriers included: toxic, alpha, macho, boys' club HEMS cultures; bullying; discrimination; recruitment issues involving biases, fitness tests and degree of competition; HEMS communications depicting elitism and a lack of diversity; and poor work-life balance. Women feared skill fade and both women and men reported that exposure to traumatic incidents deterred them. Perceived enablers included: paid, rostered time to study and attend charity events; supportive or forgiving families; a lack of care commitments; and employers offering flexible working/contracts for less than full-time hours. This research may provide the opportunity for organisations to review diversity within their teams. A recommendations document has been produced that may help to close the gender gap within HEMS.
On mathematical induction
Authors: Pombo Jr. Dinamerico P.
Published: November 2024

In this note the equivalence among the Well-ordering Principle, the Principle of Finite Induction and certain natural conditions concerning the set of integers is discussed, thereby clarifying facts encountered in the literature.
Multilocular thymic cysts- a diagnostic challenge on computed tomography
Authors: Onteddu Nirmal Kumar Reddy , Mareddy Naga Sai Rasagna , Vulasala Sai Swarupa R , Onteddu Jayabharath , Virarkar Mayur
Published: November 2024

A recent case report provided a patient scenario, wherein, a 39-year-old male patient presented with occasional palpitations, headache, and fever. Evaluation of tumor markers did not show any abnormal results. Subsequently, a computed tomography (CT) scan was undertaken, and its findings were affirmative of thymic cancer. Finally, the postoperative histopathological assessment of the mass, after its resection, confirmed it as an anterior mediastinal multilocular thymic cyst (MTC), with concurrent acute upper respiratory tract infection and acute myocarditis. Accordingly, this case report advocates the need for a preoperative histopathological examination with CT imaging to minimize the risk of confusing an MTC with a malignant thymic tumor.
Application of virtual reality technology improves the functionality of brain networks in individuals experiencing pain
Authors: Nagamine Takahiko
Published: November 2024

Medical procedures are inherently invasive and carry the risk of inducing pain to the mind and body. Recently, efforts have been made to alleviate the discomfort associated with invasive medical procedures through the use of virtual reality (VR) technology. VR has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for pain associated with medical procedures, as well as for chronic pain conditions for which no effective treatment has been established. The precise mechanism by which the diversion from reality facilitated by VR contributes to the diminution of pain and anxiety has yet to be elucidated. However, the provision of positive images through VR-based visual stimulation may enhance the functionality of brain networks. The salience network is diminished, while the default mode network is enhanced. Additionally, the medial prefrontal cortex may establish a stronger connection with the default mode network, which could result in a reduction of pain and anxiety. Further research into the potential of VR technology to alleviate pain could lead to a reduction in the number of individuals who overdose on painkillers and contribute to positive change in the medical field.
Microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and risk of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Hsiao Hui-Yi , Nien Chung-Yi , Shiu Ruei-Feng , Chin Wei-Chun , Yen Tzung-Hai
Published: November 2024

The issue of plastic pollutants has become a growing concern. Both microplastics (MPs) (particle size < 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs) (particle size < 1 µm) can cause DNA damage, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress in various organisms. The primary known impacts of microplastic/nanoplastic are observed in the liver and respiratory system, leading to hepatotoxicity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although research on the effects of MPs and NPs on diabetes is still in its early stages, there are potential concerns. This editorial highlights the risk to diabetics from co-exposure to contaminants and MPs/NPs, supported by evidence from animal studies and the various chemical compositions of MPs/NPs.
Irreversible electroporation for metastatic pancreatic carcinoma with liver metastasis: What does the evidence say
Authors: Seal Ranit , Bararia Akash , Chattopadhyay Bitan Kumar , Sikdar Nilabja
Published: November 2024

Irreversible electroporation is a promising non-thermal ablation method that has been shown to increase overall survival in locally advanced pancreatic cancer in some studies. However, higher quality studies with proper controls and randomization are required to establish its superiority when added with neoadjuvant chemotherapy over the current management of choice, which is chemotherapy alone. Further studies are required before establishment of any survival benefit in metastatic pancreatic carcinoma, and such evidence is lacking at present.
Gaulish *Uidlu(I)a ‘Sorceress
Authors: Joseph Lionel S. , Weiss Michael L.
Published: November 2024

It has long been recognised that the Gaulish feminine genitive singular uidluias in the Larzac inscription belongs to the semantic sphere of magical knowledge. We propose a derivational history for *uidlu(i)a that is consistent with Indo-European noun formation, and we identify a close comparandum in an Old Irish poem that contrasts magic and war.
The Translation of Joyce's Letters into Catalan
Authors: Pujol Dídac
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: This essay focuses on the Catalan translation of a selection of James Joyce's letters, Cartes antologia . The essay discusses the main translation problems the translator encountered and the strategies and methods deployed to solve them. The difficulties analyzed center around the translation of 1) quotations from Joyce's own works, including those of works in the pre-publication stages of writing; 2) literary allusions to Homer's Odyssey and Joyce's Ulysses; 3) the combination of high and low registers; 4) wordplay; 5) idioms; and 6) metaphorical language. Natural, idiomatic language was required when translating idioms and metaphorical language. A sense of rhythm and poeticality was indispensable when translating the coalescence of high and low registers. Being able to create alliterations and near-homophones was of vital importance to convey wordplay. Familiarity with Joyce's works, especially Ulysses and its Catalan translation, was essential to translate urtexts. And, finally, a sound knowledge of the Catalan literary tradition, especially regarding the translations of the Odyssey , proved useful when translating literary allusions. In all, translating Joyce's letters is regarded as an act of literary translation, a creative process that demanded the ability to fashion a fresh, vibrant new text that had to live up to the original.
The Geno-song and Pheno-song of the "Sirens": The Finnish, Swedish, and Italian (Re)Translations of the Musical Prose of "Sirens"
Authors: Niskanen Lauri A. , Autieri Arianna
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: The challenge in any translation, but especially in translations of Joyce and of Ulysses , is that a work of art is never one voice, one utterance, but is built upon an entire literary tradition in the postmodern intertextual process. In this essay, we focus on the case of "Sirens," an episode in which the undertone of the textual surface is not only literary tradition but, intermedially, the forms, signifiers, and experience of music. In the thinking of Roland Barthes, a musical text, or writing aloud, includes phenotext, the regular mode of communication, and genotext, which refers, without denotation, directly to the body. This, according to Barthes, causes friction, the grain of the voice. In this essay, we examine how (re)translations of "Sirens" into Swedish, Italian, and Finnish recreate this friction in their respective literary horizons, through their different linguistic possibilities. We find that, in their performances of the geno-song and pheno-song of the musico-literary intermediality of Joyce's "Sirens," the Swedish, Italian, and Finnish translators either stop to explicate the symbolic in the mode of pheno-song or convey the semiotic in the legato line of geno-song, but rarely are they able to include both and convey the grain of "Sirens." Our contention is that "Sirens" should not be reduced to symbolic denotation, but that the musical aspect of the episode should also not be emphasized in an overly analytic, formal way. Through examples of i) verbal music, ii) fragmented polyphony, and iii) microstructural analogies to music, we argue that the target-text reader should hear the grain of fictive language against the musical voice.
Does the cohort approach say more about convergence in divorce trends? The case of post-socialist Czechia and Slovakia after dissolution in 1993
Authors: Garajová Alžbeta , Bleha Branislav
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This study investigates whether convergence or divergence in divorce trends occurred in two countries with common history and legislative framework measured both by transversal and cohort methods and tries to predict some short-term trends as well. Slovakia and Czechia are countries with a common history and divorce legislation, in which the post-1989 social transformation began at the same time as the start of independent development. It is therefore possible to compare retrospectively the transformation of marital dissolution over three decades in the context of social transformation as well as the development in separate state units. Despite the attractiveness of research so focused, there are surprisingly few comprehensive comparative studies of marital dissolution in such countries. Several transversal and longitudinal indicators have been calculated to compare both countries in the last three decades. A synthetic index of differentiation has been applied then. The Arima model for prediction has been applied and qualitative assumptions on divorce factors are discussed, too. Seemingly clear differences and developmental patterns in the intensity of divorce measured in a transversal way are not as evident in the case of longitudinal analysis of marriage cohorts. The reality of the transformation of family dissolution is simply more complex; the factor of the changing timing of the process – the duration of a marriage – also comes into play and cohort analysis is essential in discovering the changing divorce patterns.
The Desiring Widow in Anthony Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds and Rabindranath Tagore's Chokher Bali
Authors: Chakrabarti Turni
Published: November 2024

abstract: This article offers a comparative analysis of the widow as a socially disruptive character in Anthony Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds (1872) and Rabindranath Tagore's Chokher Bali (1903). The young widow-protagonists of these novels, Lizzie and Binodini, have no place in family or community, in British and Indian culture; as widows, they are surplus women, and are therefore disruptive and dangerous to heteronormative society. The analysis participates in postcolonial and British feminist studies of widowhood by revealing the literary, political, and religious parallels of these distinctly different socio-cultural contexts. Although both novels sympathize with the widows' plight by revealing how they are forced to scheme and lie in order to survive in a society that categorically excludes them, they are ultimately punished for the threat they pose to nuclear-family ideology, even when it is not the widows who transgress, but the men around them.
Past and Present in the Folk Fiction of Thomas Cooper
Authors: Breton Rob
Published: November 2024

abstract: This paper examines different uses of old-fashioned folk characters in radical and reformist fiction from the 1840s. Focusing on Thomas Cooper's Wise Saws and Modern Instances (1845), it argues that Cooper revised the folk figure to articulate radicalism. Cooper's folk figures contrast the middle-class reformer's counterpart in that the former are a disappearing breed representing quaint values, thus underlining a shift towards a working-class political consciousness and the need for a new critique of industrial-era corruption. Folk nostalgia was more than a means to critique industrialism, capitalism, or the factory. This analysis offers a new approach to the study of interclass relations by demonstrating the felt need for an alternative political vocabulary for working people under industrialism, capitalism, and the factory. By reading radical folk stories in the context of aesthetically elevated Chartist poetry, this analysis complicates the ways Chartist poetry has been said to aspire to middle-class tastes.
The Chartist Press and the Emergence of a Plebeian Public Sphere: Doubleday's The Political Pilgrim's Progress and O'Brien's The Rise, Progress and Phases of Human Slavery
Authors: Hansan Thinkal
Published: November 2024

abstract: The early nineteenth-century radical press sparked an era of print culture that challenged the political economy of liberalism and created a counter-cultural, plebeian public sphere. The post-Napoleonic Wars economic crisis, the anti-New Poor Law movement, and the War of the Unstamped shaped an alternative anti-capitalist political economy and literature defined by working-class political identity and activism. This study examines working-class political economy popularized in the radical press, how it created a counter public sphere antithetical to liberalism, and how it conceptualized a society based on social, economic, and political equality. Featured texts include Thomas Doubleday's The Political Pilgrim's Progress in relation to the political-economy theories popularized by James Bronterre O'Brien in The Rise, Progress, and Phases of Human Slavery .
Critiquing a Medieval Warrior with a Muscular Christian: The Influence of Layamon's Brut on Tennyson's Idylls of the King
Authors: Woodford Benjamin
Published: November 2024

abstract: Tennyson's Idylls of the King draws on a range of Arthurian literature to craft a Victorian version of Britain's legendary king. While most scholarship has focused on the influence of Sir Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur , Layamon's Brut was also a crucial text in shaping Arthur's characterization. Tennyson utilizes the nineteenth-century concept of muscular Christianity as a modern response to the medieval warrior king in Brut . This in turn allows the poet to critique both the warrior of Brut and his own Arthur, whose triumphs and failures in Idylls of the King are presented through that framework. While vindictive violence was clearly unsuited to the modern era, Tennyson's Arthur models the difficulties of a Christian life lived according to the values of forgiveness and compassion.
"At Home to Science": Scientific Soirees, Conspicuous Display, and the Victorian Lady of Science
Authors: Chen Eva
Published: November 2024

abstract: This article explores Victorian science's increasing integration with an ascending material culture through social soirees and meetings. The use of spectacle, visual stimulation, and commodified display in scientific soirees, from the Great Exhibition to private homes, casts scientific propagation as a mode of entertainment for the rich and titled. As a social commodity, science events welcomed privileged-class women as both audience and participants, which aligned with the era's bourgeois, gendered division of labor. Texts include press reports and historical materials, Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Voice of Science" (1891), and Wilkie Collins's Heart and Science (1883). These representations depict women who combine social status and scientific engagement to reveal the increasingly consumerist tendencies of scientific discoveries. The inclusiveness and encouragement of public participation unique to Victorian science is one reason why wealthy—including upper-middle-class—amateurs participated in science-based events, alongside professionals in the discipline. As an integral part of Victorian material culture, science and technology allowed privileged-class women to stage a new, erudite, and fashionable femininity as ladies of science.
Enhancing the performance of LP mode multiplexing devices via incident angle optimization of the array beam
Authors: Lin Rongyi , Lin Min , Zhong Yanan , Wu Ruitao , Ran Yanli , Fang Juncheng , Du Luping , Lei Ting , Yuan Xiaocong
Published: November 2024

Multiplane light conversion (MPLC) technology employs wavefront matching algorithms to enhance the design flexibility of optical devices. However, the realization of MPLC devices necessitates the construction of reflective components, which require the incident beam array to be incident on the device at a specific angle. Consequently, optimizing MPLC devices based on the angle of the incident beam is crucial for improving the performance of LP mode multiplexing devices. We applied MPLC technology to optimize the LP mode multiplexing device across a range of 0° to 32° based on the beam's incident angle. Numerical simulations revealed that the mode crosstalk of the optimized LP mode multiplexing device is below -24 dB, significantly improving the LP mode multiplexer. We optimized and fabricated an LP multiplexer with a 32° beam incidence angle, which was utilized in communication experiments to demonstrate the multiplexing of LP01, LP11, and LP21 modes over a 5 km few mode fiber transmission. The BER curve of the communication experiment is below the forward error correction threshold, indicating that optimizing the angle of MPLC equipment can effectively improve the performance of LP mode multiplexing devices.
Self-reference digital holography unit adaptable to optical microscope with light-emitting diode
Authors: Tahara Tatsuki
Published: November 2024

To perform holographic three-dimensional (3D) imaging and quantitative phase imaging with daily-use light, I developed a self-reference digital holography unit that is adaptable to an optical microscope with a light-emitting diode. The developed unit is combined with a commercially available optical microscope to implement a speckleless digital holographic microscope. Holographic 3D imaging of an amplitude object and phase objects and simultaneous imaging of fluorescence intensity and quantitative phase distributions are experimentally demonstrated with the unit.
Efficient TE-polarized mode coupling between a plasmonic tunnel junction and a photonic waveguide
Authors: Upcraft Daniel , Vaz Daniel , Youngblood Nathan , Oh Sang-Hyun
Published: November 2024

Nanoscale plasmonic gaps are useful structures both electrically, for creating quantum tunnel junctions, and optically, for confining light. Inelastic tunneling of electrons in a tunnel junction is an attractive source of light due to the ultrafast response rate granted by the tunneling time of electrons in the system as well as the compact dimensions. A main hurdle for these light emitting tunnel junctions, however, is their low external efficiency given by both low electron-to-plasmon conversion as well as low plasmon-to-photon conversion. Inversely, coupling light into a nanogap for high confinement and field enhancement can be difficult due to the size mismatches involved. We show a 3 nm gap metal-insulator-metal plasmonic tunnel junction evanescently coupled to the fundamental TE mode of a standard silicon waveguide in a tapered directional coupler configuration with a transmission efficiency of 54.8% at λ =1.55 μm and a 3-dB coupling bandwidth of 705 nm. In the inverse configuration, we show an electric field enhancement of |E|/|E0| ≈120 within a plasmonic tunnel junction in the technologically important optical telecommunications band.