bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LA DOCENCIA EN LA UNIVERSIDAD: LA NECESIDAD DE UN NUEVO PARADIGMA
Authors: Ardenghi Juan I. , Buffo Flavia E.
Published: April 2024

Entrevistas con alumnos de primer año de la universidad en carreras de ingeniería, acerca del proceso de adaptación a la vida universitaria, dejan en descubierto cómo se siguen sosteniendo, por parte de los docentes, ciertos mecanismos tradicionales de enseñanza que empiezan a ser extemporáneos. Por otro lado, es claro, desde la visión que tiene el profesor universitario de sí mismo, y desde la letra de los reglamentos de ingreso a la docencia universitaria, que no hay exigencia de formación docente para ocupar dichos cargos. La pregunta que surge es si ante los cambios en el perfil del sujeto universitario se puede seguir sosteniendo esta postura de que el profesor universitario no necesita tener ningún tipo de formación en lo que concierne al oficio de enseñar y transmitir una disciplina. La formación docente nunca será definitiva, lo que entra en juego es la posición subjetiva de este enseñante que queda desdibujada en medio de los polos opuestos que representan, por un lado, el adidactismo, aquella corriente en la que las condiciones para el aprendizaje no constituyen una acción a considerar por parte del docente dado que la buena docencia deviene directamente de sus saberes científicos y, por otro lado, la educación como un conjunto de normas prescriptivas y normativas. Estas posiciones polarizadas no parecen dar respuesta ante este cambio en el perfil del estudiantado, y sugerimos que esto tiene impacto en el desempeño de los cursantes de los primeros años. Esto nos lleva a pensar si la enseñanza en la universidad, al menos en nuestras materias de Matemática iniciáticas, no necesita un paradigma de docente diferente.
Şüpheli Alacak Kavramının Muhasebe ve Hukuk Açısından Değerlendirilmesi
Authors: Eroğlu Nevber Zeynep
Published: April 2024

Firmaların yurtiçindeki alacakları şüpheli hale gelebileceği gibi, örneğin ihracattan kaynaklanan yurtdışı alacakları da şüpheli hale gelebilir. Bu çalışmada şüpheli alacak kavramı Vergi Usul Kanunu hükümlerine göre açıklanmış ve yurtdışından olan alacakların bu kanun ve ilgili mevzuat çerçevesinde nasıl değerlendirildiği anlatılmıştır. Yurtdışındaki firma ile ihtilaf vukuunda hangi ülke hukukuna göre dava açılması gerektiği ve Türk hukuk sisteminin konuya bakış açısı değerlendirilmiştir.
Döviz Kurundaki Volatilite Mevduat Banka Kredilerini Etkiler mi?
Authors: Karataş Elçiçek Yasemin
Published: April 2024

Bu çalışmada 2013:05-2023:05 dönemi için Türk Bankacılık sektöründeki mevduat banka kredileri üzerinde döviz kuru volatilitesinin etkili olup olmadığı incelenmiştir. Çalışmada yöntem olarak ARDL sınır testi analizi kullanılmıştır. ARDL sınır testi uzun dönem bulgularına göre mevduat banka kredileri dolar kuru volatilitesinden pozitif yönde etkilenirken, euro kuru volatilitesinden negatif yönde etkilenmektedir. Kısa dönem bulgularına göre ise mevduat banka kredileri sadece euro kurunda meydana gelen volatiliteden negatif yönde etkilenmektedir.
Stoklarda Maliyeti Oluşturan Unsurlar Yönünden VUK, BOBİ FRS ve TMS-2’nin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi
Authors: Mert Hüseyin , Mert Haluk , Özçelik Didem
Published: April 2024

İşletmelerde satılmak veya tüketilmek amacıyla alınan varlıklar, stokları oluşturmaktadır. Stoklar kullanılış amaçları yönünden; ilk madde ve malzeme, yarı mamul ve mamuller, ticari mallar, hizmet maliyeti ve diğer stoklar olarak tasnif edilmektedir. Stoklar, işletme varlık kalemleri içinde gerek yerine getirmiş oldukları işlev, gerekse rakamsal büyüklük olarak önemli bir yere sahiptir. Ülkemizde muhasebe uygulamalarına yön veren üç düzenleme bulunmaktadır. Vergi Usul Kanunu, Büyük ve Orta Boy İşletmeler için Finansal Raporlama Standardı ve Türkiye Finansal Raporlama Standartları. Düzenleyici otorite işletmeler bazında hangi düzenlemeye tabi olacaklarının kurallarını mevzuat ile belirlemiştir.
Kestävyysulottuvuudet ja ekososiaalinen sivistys ohjauksen koulutuksen opetussuunnitelmissa
Authors: Peltola Sara , Vihtari Kalle , Foster Raisa
Published: April 2024

Ohjausalan ammattilaisia koulutetaan maassamme yliopistoissa ja ammatillisissa opettajakorkeakouluissa. Koulutukset antavat kelpoisuuden toimia opinto-ohjaajan tehtävissä eri kouluasteilla. Perusopetuksen ja toisen asteen opetussuunnitelmat nostavat ekososiaalisen sivistyksen ja kestävyysteemat kasvatuksen tavoitteiksi, minkä vuoksi myös opinto-ohjaajilla on oltava ymmärrys ekososiaalisesti kestävästä elämänorientaatiosta. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastelemme teoriaohjaavan sisällönanalyysin avulla, 1) miten taloudellinen, sosiaalinen ja ekologinen kestävyysulottuvuus ovat läsnä kahdeksan korkeakoulun ohjauksen koulutusohjelmien kirjoitettujen opetussuunnitelmien sisällöissä ja tavoitteissa sekä sitä, 2) näkyykö niiden painotuksissa ekososiaaliseen sivistyskäsitykseen liittyvä arvohierarkia. Kestävän kehityksen ajatuksesta poiketen ekososiaalinen sivistyskäsitys asettaa eri kestävyysulottuvuudet tiedeperustaiseen arvojärjestykseen siten, että ekologinen kestävyys on asetettava kaikkein tärkeimmäksi. Tutkimuksemme mukaan ekologinen kestävyys näkyy kuitenkin hyvin vähän ohjauskoulutusten opetussuunnitelmissa. Sen sijaan sosiaalinen kestävyys ilmenee suunnitelmissa vahvimmin, ja taloudellinen kestävyys on näkyvissä työelämän tarpeisiin vastaamisen näkökulmasta. Tarkastelemalla uudelleen nykyisten opetussuunnitelmien tavoitteita voitaisiin ohjauksen arvopohjaa avartaa huomioimaan ekososiaalisen sivistyskäsityksen mukainen kestävyysulottuvuuksien tärkeysjärjestys. Tämä voi tarjota tavan kehittää ohjausalan ammattilaisten osaamista vastaamaan paremmin aikamme ekososiaalisiin kriiseihin.
Opetusharjoittelun ohjaus harjoittelupäiväkodin työyhteisön toimintana
Authors: Chydenius Heidi , Vehviläinen Sanna , Fonsén Elina
Published: April 2024

Varhaiskasvatuksen opettajankoulutukseen sisältyvä opetusharjoittelu toteutetaan aina yliopiston kanssa yhteistyössä toimivassa harjoittelupäiväkodissa. Viimeaikaisten tutkimusten mukaan opetusharjoittelua ohjataan parhaiten harjoittelupäiväkodin työyhteisön yhteisenä toimintana. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastelemme harjoittelupäiväkodin työyhteisön jäsenten kuvaamaa ohjaustoimijuutta sosiokulttuurisesta näkökulmasta. Aineistomme koostui varhaiskasvatuksen eri ammattilaisten fokusryhmähaastatteluista, joita lähestyimme semioottisen analyysin välinein (aktanttimalli ja toimijuuden modaliteetit). Tunnistimme eri henkilöstöryhmien ilmaisemaa ohjaustoimijuutta analysoimalla haastattelupuheessa esiintyviä toimijarooleja ja toiminnan pyrkimyksiä sekä toimijoiden välisiä suhteita ja toimijuuden modaliteetteja. Varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien ja päiväkodin johtajien ohjaustoimijuus näyttäytyi tuloksiemme mukaan vahvana ohjaustoimijuutena mutta varhaiskasvatuksen lastenhoitajien rajoitettuna. Opetusharjoittelun ohjaus kietoutui yhteen ohjaavan varhaiskasvatuksen henkilöstön ammatillisen kehittymisen kanssa. Esitämme, että työyhteisön jäsenten osallistuminen opetusharjoittelun ohjaukseen ja saattaminen yhteisiin keskusteluihin opiskelijan kanssa voisi vahvistaa koko yhteisön ammatillista osaamista. Tunnistamme lisäksi ohjaustoimijuuteen liittyviä tekijöitä, joiden avulla työtekijöiden toimijuuden mahdollisuuksia voidaan tukea.
El derecho a participar en la vida cultural y la restauración
Authors: Blanco-Uribe Quintero Alberto José
Published: April 2024

Texto para el debate 28 de la Revista PH 112 (junio 2024) sobre Necesidad, canales y límites de la participación ciudadana en los procesos de restauración.
Gestational Malnutrition is Still the Skeleton in the Closet: Where Are the Malnutrition Risk Screening Criteria?
Authors: Erick Miriam A
Published: April 2024

In 2020 there were 3,613,647 live births in the US. Fifty to 90% of those pregnancies were affected by nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) while the most severe NVP, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) affected 1.5- 3.0% of those gravidas. In 2014 58,436 gravidas were hospitalized with HG. While hospital admissions for HG were down 42%, the number seen in Emergency departments rose by 27.7%. Although HG has been viewed as a positive predictor of a favorable pregnancy outcome, patients who also demonstrate weight loss and electrolyte disturbance may be a distinct entity and at greater risk for growth retardation and fetal anomalies. Poorly managed HG can result in compounded maternal injuries, increased rates of therapeutic abortions and suicide ideation, as well as a high rate of fetal loss. This study focuses on one of the most severe catastrophes originating from HG: Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) continues to be an under-recognized and often misunderstood disease in all populations. The acknowledged cause of WE is vitamin B1 or thiamin deficiency, a specific form of malnutrition. Unfortunately, this syndrome is most often recognized at autopsy, especially among non-alcoholics. One manifestation of WE is cognitive dysfunction which may explain the increase in suicidal ideation and/or elected terminations. The current mounting legislation of pregnancy termination limits will complicate the decision to abort for critically ill gravidas and their medical providers. However, antecedent events to WE are extremely poor nutritional intake leading to excessive weight loss and delayed nutritional interventions which can mitigate these situations.
Sex Differences in Exercise-Induced Effects on Respiratory Infection and Immune Function
Authors: Bauza Daniel E. Rodriguez , Silveyra Patricia
Published: April 2024

A physically active lifestyle has health benefits, including enhanced vaccination responses, improved neutrophil and macrophage function, increased T cell proliferative capacity, lower numbers of senescent T cells, and lower levels of inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, exercise or physical activity is effective for preventing and treating chronic diseases. A more robust immune response is generally thought to be exerted in females than males in response to various challenges. Sex hormones in both sexes have been suggested as mediators of immune function, but research on this topic has not been designed with a sex-specific lens. The authors reviewed and summarized the experimental and clinical evidence in the available literature linking exercise, immune function, and risk of upper respiratory infections, as well as associated mechanisms. Collectively, the available literature indicates that moderate exercise improves immune function and risk for upper respiratory infections in both sexes. In contrast, prolonged and high-intensity exercise temporarily impairs immune responses and upper respiratory infection risk at a higher degree in females than males. Therefore, moderate exercise and activity may enhance immune function regardless of sex, whereas prolonged and high-intensity exercise temporarily impairs immune responses, predominantly in females more than their male counterparts.
Guillaume des Autelz et Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle: l’exemple du Sonnet pour Estreine, un poème inédit
Authors: Pich-Ponce Eva
Published: April 2024

Manuscript RB II 2534 from the Real Biblioteca de Madrid contains an unpublished poem by Guillaume des Autelz, addressed and dedicated in 1559 to Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, bishop of Arras. This study aims to provide the edition of this poem and to contextualize it in the literary trajectory of this poet of the Pléiade. We will observe the evolution that characterizes Des Autelz's trajectory and how, through his relationship with Granvelle, the poet tries to obtain a certain recognition from the Habsburgs.
Sabine Macher et le chantier du poème
Authors: Laügt Élodie
Published: April 2024

This article analyses the trope of the ‘chantier’, a key paradigm of modernity, in the poetry of Sabine Macher as she ‘transgresse les barrières de chantier’ so as to be able to write in direct contact with the building site and on it, taking charge of its plurilingualism and inscribing it within the ‘chant’ of the poem. I draw from Barbara Johnson’s reading of Mallarmé and from the conception of the referent as a process in order to shed light on the politics of Macher’s poem and its encounter with a milieu that is traditionally composed of men and marked by structures of domination inherited from colonisation. Through its dealing with the waste generated by the building site, but also because of its proximity with the archaeological dig and by means of operations of recycling and of fusion, Macher’s writing offers an original relationship to history and memory, both individual and collective.
Kamel Daoud's Meursault, contre-enquête (2013) and Camus's L’Étranger (1942): from Postcolonial Remake to De-Narration
Authors: Louar Nadia
Published: April 2024

In his debut novel, Kamel Daoud retells the story of French novelist and philosopher Albert Camus’s 1942 novel L’Étranger. Told from the vantage point of Harun, the brother of the nameless Arab killed in L’Étranger, Daoud’s Meursault, contre-enquête (2013) is a complex tribute to the Nobel prize-winning author. This essay argues that Daoud’s creative reworking of Albert Camus’s classic lies in the way it reframes the question of postcolonial rewriting in terms of literary affiliation – a question of choice – rather than of filiation – a question of lineage and hierarchy. It then offers to reread the ‘postcolonial remake’ as an act of ‘de-narration’ – a creative act of revision – that enables Kamel Daoud to evade the stereotypical postcolonial readings of his novel. What is most ingenious in the narration of Meursault, contre-enquête is its constant reference to the performance of rewriting Camus’s text not as a form of cultural reappropriation but as a metanarrative exposing its own story to the same critical scrutiny as he does Camus’s. Even when literary and political problematics converge in Daoud’s novel, they do not suggest the postcolonial tale of retribution. Rather, they elicit a new model of literary and social bond.
Top-down and bottom-up approaches to video quality of experience studies; overview and proposal of a new model
Authors: Koniuch Kamil , Baraković Sabina , Husić Jasmina Baraković , Subramanian Sruti , De Moor Katrien , Janowski Lucjan , Wierzchoń Michał
Published: April 2024

Modern video streaming services require quality assurance of the presented audiovisual material. Quality assurance mechanisms allow streaming platforms to provide quality levels that are considered sufficient to yield user satisfaction, with the least possible amount of data transferred. A variety of measures and approaches have been developed to control video quality, e.g., by adapting it to network conditions. These include objective matrices of the quality and thresholds identified by means of subjective perceptual judgments. The former group of matrices has recently gained the attention of (multi) media researchers. They call this area of study “Quality of Experience” (QoE). In this paper, we present a theoretical model based on review of previous QoE’s models. We argue that most of them represent the bottom-up approach to modeling. Such models focus on describing as many variables as possible, but with a limited ability to investigate the causal relationship between them; therefore, the applicability of the findings in practice is limited. To advance the field, we therefore propose a structural, top-down model of video QoE that describes causal relationships among variables. This novel top-down model serves as a practical guide for structuring QoE experiments, ensuring the incorporation of influential factors in a confirmatory manner.
Objective assessment criteria reduce the influence of judgmental bias on grading
Authors: Peter Sophia , Karst Karina , Bonefeld Meike
Published: April 2024

Past research has indicated that students with a migration background are graded worse than those without a migration background, despite them showing the same level of academic performance. Negative implicit associations of teachers associated with these student characteristics could explain these findings. Objective assessment criteria, such as error tables, provide user-independent rules for the interpretation of results and could therefore help to ensure that the influence of student characteristics on assessment is reduced. To test this hypothesis, 157 pre-service teachers assessed a dictation. Two aspects were varied: the presentation of an error table for assessment and the name of the student who had written the dictation (with vs. without a supposed Turkish migration background). An implicit association test measured implicit associations of the pre-service teachers toward the performance of Turkish and German people. When no error table was used and the pre-service teachers had negative implicit associations toward the performance of people with a Turkish migration background, they graded students with a migration background worse than students without a migration background. No grading disparities were found when the error table was used. To reduce judgmental bias, the use of objective assessment criteria can therefore be recommended.
The clinical value of iodine-125 seed implantation in the treatment of iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Wan Qin , Tan Liling , Tang Xinlan , Wang Wenjun , Su Yu , Wu Zhen , Ke Mengmeng , Chen Zhijun
Published: April 2024

Objective

To explore the clinical benefits of 125I seed implantation for iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC).

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 36 patients with RAIR-DTC who underwent radioactive 125I seed implantation from January 2015 to February 2022, involving 73 lesions. Prescription dose: 80~120 Gy. All cases were followed up at 1, 3, and 5 months postoperatively to monitor changes in tumor size, serum thyroglobulin (Tg), and serum anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels in thyrotropin-inhibited states, pain scores, and postoperative adverse reactions. The data were processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0. LER (Local Effective Rate) and LCR (Local Control Rate) were expressed as n (%), tumor diameter, Tg, and pain scores were represented as Median (Q1, Q3). Pairwise comparisons were conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and a p-value of less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance.

Results

Tumor size was significantly reduced after treatment (all P < 0.001): tumor length diameters were 32.67 (17.70, 45.72) mm, 27.45 (12.30, 39.98) mm, 20.70 (11.98, 37.58) mm, and 20.39 (10.56, 33.20) mm in the preoperative, 1-, 3-, and 5-months postoperative periods, respectively. Additionally, two consecutive post-treatment results were more minor and statistically significant than the previous results (P < 0.001). The LER at 1-, 3-, and 5-months post-surgery was 23.73%, 38.98%, and 52.54%, respectively, while the LCR at the same time points was 98.31%, 96.61%, and 94.92%, respectively. Patients’ serum Tg levels decreased significantly after surgery. (P < 0.001). Serum Tg levels were measured before surgery and 1-, 3-, and 5-months post-surgery. The results showed that serum Tg levels were 249.45 (79.39, 4718.75) ng/ml, 193.40 (44.53, 2829.00) ng/ml, 192.10 (25.58, 1758.00) ng/ml, and 136.25 (16.57, 1553.25) ng/ml, respectively. Two consecutive post-treatment results were more minor and statistically significant than the previous results (P < 0.001). The patients’ pain symptoms were significantly relieved after 125I brachytherapy (P < 0.001). The pain scores before 125I seed implantation and at 1, 3, and 5 months after the operation were 5.00 (4.00, 6.00), 3.00 (2.25, 4.00), 2.00 (2.00, 3.00), and 2.00 (1.00, 3.00), respectively.

Conclusion

Most lesions treated with 125I seed implantation in RAIR-DTC patients showed shrinkage and improved pain symptoms.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT06362772.
Lichen planus pemphigoides with predominant mucous membrane involvement: a series of 12 patients and a literature review
Authors: Combemale Loraine , Bohelay Gérôme , Sitbon Ishaï-Yaacov , Ahouach Btisseme , Alexandre Marina , Martin Antoine , Pascal Francis , Soued Isaac , Doan Serge , Morin Florence , Grootenboer-Mignot Sabine , Caux Frédéric , Prost-Squarcioni Catherine , Le Roux-Villet Christelle
Published: April 2024

Background

Lichen planus pemphigoides (LPP), an association between lichen planus and bullous pemphigoid lesions, is a rare subepithelial autoimmune bullous disease. Mucous membrane involvement has been reported previously; however, it has never been specifically studied.

Methods

We report on 12 cases of LPP with predominant or exclusive mucous membrane involvement. The diagnosis of LPP was based on the presence of lichenoid infiltrates in histology and immune deposits in the basement membrane zone in direct immunofluorescence and/or immunoelectron microscopy. Our systematic review of the literature, performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, highlights the clinical and immunological characteristics of LPP, with or without mucous membrane involvement.

Results

Corticosteroids are the most frequently used treatment, with better outcomes in LPP with skin involvement alone than in that with mucous membrane involvement. Our results suggest that immunomodulators represent an alternative first-line treatment for patients with predominant mucous membrane involvement.
Association of high disease activity and serum IL-6 levels with the incidence of inflammatory major organ events in Behçet disease: a prospective registry study
Authors: Hirahara Lisa , Kirino Yohei , Soejima Yutaro , Iizuka Yuki , Yoshimi Ryusuke , Fujieda Yuichiro , Atsumi Tatsuya , Tono Toshihiro , Kobayashi Daisuke , Meguro Akira , Takeuchi Masaki , Sakamaki Kentaro , Takeno Mitsuhiro , Mizuki Nobuhisa , Nakajima Hideaki
Published: April 2024

Background

Little is known about the relationship between the disease activity of Behçet disease (BD) and the incidence of inflammatory major organ events.

Objectives

In this prospective registry study, we investigated the association between the Behçet Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) and incidence of inflammatory major organ events, defined as the inflammation of the ocular, central nervous, intestinal, and vascular systems in BD.

Methods

We enrolled participants from Japanese multicenter prospective cohorts. The BDCAF was evaluated annually. BD-related symptoms, including inflammatory major organ events, were monitored. The association between BDCAF and inflammatory major organ events was analyzed by time-to-event analysis. An unsupervised clustering of the participants’ BDCAF, therapeutic agents, and multiple serum cytokines was also performed to examine their association with inflammatory major organ events.

Results

A total of 260 patients were included. The patients had a median BDCAF score of 2 [Interquartile range, 1-3] at the enrolment and remained disease active at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, indicating residual disease activity in BD. Patients with a BDCAF score of 0 had a longer inflammatory major organ event-free survival at 52 weeks than those with a score of 1 or higher (p=2.2 x 10-4). Clustering analysis revealed that patients who did not achieve remission despite treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors had high serum inflammatory cytokine levels and incidences of inflammatory major organ events. Among the elevated cytokines, IL-6 was associated with inflammatory major organ events.

Conclusion

This study suggests that treatment strategies targeting overall disease activity and monitoring residual serum IL-6 may help prevent inflammatory major organ events in BD.
Association between serum creatinine to albumin ratio and short- and long-term all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to the intensive care unit: a retrospective analysis based on the MIMIC-IV database
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Li Han , Luo Huiwen , Shi Ruizi , Chen Sirui , Hu Junchao , Luo Hua , Yang Pei , Cai Xianfu , Wang Yaodong , Zeng Xintao , Wang Decai
Published: April 2024

Background

Serum creatinine (Cr) and albumin (Alb) are important predictors of mortality in individuals with various diseases, including acute pancreatitis (AP). However, most previous studies have only examined the relationship between single Cr or Alb levels and the prognosis of patients with AP. To our knowledge, the association between short- and long-term all-cause mortality in patients with AP and the blood creatinine to albumin ratio (CAR) has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term relationships between CAR and all-cause mortality in patients with AP.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study utilizing data from the Medical Information Market for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. The study involved analyzing various mortality variables and obtaining CAR values at the time of admission. The X-tile software was used to determine the optimal threshold for the CAR. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationship between CAR and both short- and long-term all-cause mortality. The predictive power, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of CAR for short- and long-term mortality in patients with AP after hospital admission were investigated using Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted.

Results

A total of 520 participants were included in this study. The CAR ideal threshold, determined by X-tile software, was 0.446. The Cox proportional hazards model revealed an independent association between CAR≥0.446 and all-cause mortality at 7-day (d), 14-d, 21-d, 28-d, 90-d, and 1-year (y) before and after adjustment for confounders. K-M survival curves showed that patients with CAR≥0.446 had lower survival rates at 7-d, 14-d, 21-d, 28-d, 90-d, and 1-y. Additionally, CAR demonstrated superior performance, with higher AUC values than Cr, Alb, serum total calcium, Glasgow Coma Scale, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome score, and Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment score at 7-d, 14-d, 21-d, 28-d, 90-d, and 1-y intervals. Subgroup analyses showed that CAR did not interact with a majority of subgroups.

Conclusion

The CAR can serve as an independent predictor for short- and long-term all-cause mortality in patients with AP. This study enhances our understanding of the association between serum-based biomarkers and the prognosis of patients with AP.
Asparaginase-specific basophil recognition and activation predict Asparaginase hypersensitivity in mice
Authors: Rathod Sanjay , Hoshitsuki Keito , Zhu Yin , Ramsey Manda , Fernandez Christian A.
Published: April 2024

Background

Asparaginase (ASNase) is a crucial part of acute leukemia treatment, but immune responses to the agent can reduce its effectiveness and increase the risk of relapse. Currently, no reliable and validated biomarker predicts ASNase-induced hypersensitivity reactions during therapy. We aimed to identify predictive biomarkers and determine immune cells responsible for anaphylaxis using a murine model of ASNase hypersensitivity.

Methods

Our preclinical study uses a murine model to investigate predictive biomarkers of ASNase anaphylaxis, including anti-ASNase antibody responses, immune complex (IC) levels, ASNase-specific binding to leukocytes or basophils, and basophil activation.

Results

Our results indicate that mice immunized to ASNase exhibited dynamic IgM, IgG, and IgE antibody responses. The severity of ASNase-induced anaphylaxis was found to be correlated with levels of IgG and IgE, but not IgM. Basophils from immunized mice were able to recognize and activate in response to ASNase ex vivo, and the extent of recognition and activation also correlated with the severity of anaphylaxis observed. Using a multivariable model that included all biomarkers significantly associated with anaphylaxis, independent predictors of ASNase-induced hypersensitivity reactions were found to be ASNase IC levels and ASNase-specific binding to leukocytes or basophils. Consistent with our multivariable analysis, we found that basophil depletion significantly protected mice from ASNase-induced hypersensitivity reactions, supporting that basophils are essential and can be used as a predictive marker of ASNase-induced anaphylaxis.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates the need for using tools that can detect both IC- and IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to mitigate the risk of ASNase-induced hypersensitivity reactions during treatment.
Comparative development of human filariae Loa loa, Onchocerca volvulus and Mansonella perstans in immunocompromised mouse strains
Authors: Chunda Valerine C. , Fombad Fanny Fri , Kien Chi Anizette , Ebai Rene , Esofi Frederick , Ntuh Anna Ning , Ouam Emmanuel , Gandjui Narcisse Victor Tchamatchoua , Ekanya Relindis , Nietcho Franck , Nchang Lucy Cho , Magha Chefor , Njouendou Abdel Jelil , Enyong Peter , Hoerauf Achim , Wanji Samuel , Ritter Manuel
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Mouse models of human filarial infections are not only urgently needed to investigate the biology of the nematodes and their modulation of the host’s immunity, but will also provide a platform to screen and test novel anti-filarial drugs. Recently, murine Loa loa infection models have been stablished using immunocompromised mouse strains, whereas murine Mansonella perstans infections have not been implemented until now.

Methods

Therefore, we aim to establish experimental M. perstans infections using the immunocompromised mouse strains RAG2IL-2Rγ-/- (lack B, T and natural killer cells), IL-4Rα/IL-5-/- (impaired IL-4/5 signalling and eosinophil activation) and NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wj l/SzJ (NOD scid gamma, NSG) BALB/c mice (lack mature lymphocytes) through subcutaneous (s.c.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation of infective stage 3 larvae (L3) isolated from engorged vectors.

Results

In total, 145 immunocompromised mice have been inoculated with 3,250 M. perstans, 3,337 O. volvulus, and 2,720 Loa loa L3 to comparatively analyse which immunocompromised mouse strain is susceptible to human filarial infections. Whereas, no M. perstans and O. volvulus L3 could be recovered upon 2-63 days post-inoculation, a 62-66% Loa loa L3 recovery rate could be achieved in the different mouse strains. Gender of mice, type of inoculation (s.c. or i.p.) or time point of analysis (2-63 days post inoculation) did not interfere with the success of L3 recovery. In addition, administration of the immune suppressants hydrocortisone, prednisolone and cyclophosphamide did not restore M. perstans L3 recovery rates.

Discussion

These findings show that RAG2IL-2Rg-/-BALB/c and C57BL/6, IL-4Rα/IL-5-/- BALB/c and NSG mice were not susceptible to M. perstans and O. volvulus L3 inoculation using the applied methods, whereas Loa loa infection could be maintained. Further studies should investigate if humanized immunocompromised mice might be susceptible to M. perstans. and O. volvulus.
Environmental control of interannual and seasonal variability in dinoflagellate cyst export flux over 18 years in the Cape Blanc upwelling region (Mauritania)
Authors: Roza Surya Eldo V. , Versteegh Gerard J. M. , Pospelova Vera , Zonneveld Karin A. F.
Published: April 2024

The increasing threat of anthropogenic environment and climate change amplifies the urgency to investigate the effect of these changes on marine ecosystems. We provide information about the export flux of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts between 2003 and 2020 in the upwelling ecosystem off Cape Blanc (Mauritania), one of the world’s most productive regions. We compared the cyst export flux with variability in environmental parameters, such as wind speed, wind direction, dust emission, sea surface temperature (SST), SST difference between trap location and open ocean (SSTa), and chlorophyll-a concentration. This information is valuable to determine the ecological signal of dinoflagellate cysts that could be applied in recent and paleo records. The total export production of dinoflagellate cysts fluctuated between 0 - 1.18 x 105 cysts m-2 d-1 for the heterotrophs and 0 - 1.06 x 104 cysts m-2 d-1 for the photo-/mixotrophs. The export productions of both groups were in line with changes in upwelling intensity, which in most years, intensified in spring - summer. Dinoflagellate cyst association was dominated by heterotrophic taxa that formed an average of 94% of the association throughout the sediment trap record. A strong interannual variation in the cyst export fluxes, as well as the association composition was observed in the record. We identified five groups that showed comparable variability in export production with changes in environmental conditions: (1) maximal upwelling; Echinidinium delicatum/granulatum, E. transparantum/zonneveldiae, Echinidinium spp., Trinovantedinium spp., and Protoperidinium latidorsale, (2) combined maximal upwelling and dust input; Archaeperidinium spp., P. americanum, P. stellatum, and P. subinerme, (3) upwelling relaxation; Gymnodinium spp. and L. polyedra, (4) warm surface waters; Bitectatodinium spongium and Protoceratium reticulatum, (5) species with no specific relationship to the studied environmental variables; Brigantedinium spp., E. aculeatum, Impagidinium aculeatum, P. conicum, P. monospinum, Pentapharsodinium dalei, and Spiniferites spp. The sediment trap record documented a gradual shift in the cyst taxa association that co-occurred with the gradual increase of Saharan dust input to the region, notably after 2008. The cyst association contained five photo-/mixotrophic taxa that were formed by potentially toxic dinoflagellates. The latter could cause threats to the socio-economy of coastal communities.
Explainable AI-driven model for gastrointestinal cancer classification
Authors: Binzagr Faisal
Published: April 2024

Although the detection procedure has been shown to be highly effective, there are several obstacles to overcome in the usage of AI-assisted cancer cell detection in clinical settings. These issues stem mostly from the failure to identify the underlying processes. Because AI-assisted diagnosis does not offer a clear decision-making process, doctors are dubious about it. In this instance, the advent of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), which offers explanations for prediction models, solves the AI black box issue. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach, which results in the interpretation of model predictions, is the main emphasis of this work. The intermediate layer in this study was a hybrid model made up of three Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) (InceptionV3, InceptionResNetV2, and VGG16) that combined their predictions. The KvasirV2 dataset, which comprises pathological symptoms associated to cancer, was used to train the model. Our combined model yielded an accuracy of 93.17% and an F1 score of 97%. After training the combined model, we use SHAP to analyze images from these three groups to provide an explanation of the decision that affects the model prediction.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes in COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients: a propensity score matched cohort study
Authors: Delfino-Pereira Polianna , Ventura Vanessa das Graças José , Pires Magda Carvalho , Ponce Daniela , Carmo Gabriel Assis Lopes do , Carmo Lilian Pires de Freitas do , Paiva Bruno Barbosa Miranda de , Schwarzbold Alexandre Vargas , Gomes Angélica Gomides dos Reis , Castro Bruno Mateus de , Polanczyk Carísi Anne , Cimini Christiane Corrêa Rodrigues , Lima Daniela Antunes de , Sousa Fabiano Carvalho de , Bartolazzi Frederico , Vietta Giovanna Grunewald , Vianna Heloisa Reniers , Chatkin José Miguel , Ruschel Karen Brasil , Kopittke Luciane , Castro Luís César de , Carneiro Marcelo , Reis Priscilla Pereira dos , Marcolino Milena Soriano
Published: April 2024

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially those on dialysis or who have received a kidney transplant (KT), are considered more vulnerable to severe COVID-19. This susceptibility is attributed to advanced age, a higher frequency of comorbidities, and the chronic immunosuppressed state, which may exacerbate their susceptibility to severe outcomes. Therefore, our study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in KT patients with those on chronic dialysis and non-CKD patients in a propensity score-matched cohort study. This multicentric retrospective cohort included adult COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed patients admitted from March/2020 to July/2022, from 43 Brazilian hospitals. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Propensity score analysis matched KT recipients with controls - patients on chronic dialysis and those without CKD (within 0.25 standard deviations of the logit of the propensity score) - according to age, sex, number of comorbidities, and admission year. This study included 555 patients: 163 KT, 146 on chronic dialysis, and 249 non-CKD patients (median age 57 years, 55.2% women). With regards to clinical outcomes, chronic dialysis patients had a higher prevalence of acute heart failure, compared to KT recipients, furthermore, both groups presented high in-hospital mortality, 34.0 and 28.1%, for KT and chronic dialysis patients, respectively. When comparing KT and non-CKD patients, the first group had a higher incidence of in-hospital dialysis (26.4% vs. 8.8%, p < 0.001), septic shock (24.1% vs. 12.0%, p = 0.002), and mortality (32.5% vs. 23.3%, p = 0.039), in addition to longer time spent in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this study, chronic dialysis patients presented a higher prevalence of acute heart failure, compared to KT recipients, whereas KT patients had a higher frequency of complications than those without CKD, including septic shock, dialysis during hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality as well as longer time spent in the ICU.
Genomic comparative analysis of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato
Authors: Lu Yingling , Tang Dexiang , Liu Zuoheng , Zhao Jing , Chen Yue , Ma Jinmei , Luo Lijun , Yu Hong
Published: April 2024

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato is a common pathogenic fungus of ants. A new species, O. fusiformispora, was described based on morphology and phylogenetic evidence from five genes (SSU, LSU, TEF1α, RPB1, and RPB2). The whole genomes of O. fusiformispora, O. contiispora, O. subtiliphialida, O. satoi, O. flabellata, O. acroasca, and O. camponoti-leonardi were sequenced and annotated and compared with whole genome sequences of other species in O. unilateralis sensu lato. The basic genome-wide characteristics of the 12 species showed that the related species had similar GC content and genome size. AntiSMASH and local BLAST analyses revealed that the number and types of putative SM BGCs, NPPS, PKS, and hybrid PKS-NRPS domains for the 12 species differed significantly among different species in the same genus. The putative BGC of five compounds, namely, NG-391, lucilactaene, higginsianin B, pyripyropene A, and pyranonigrin E were excavated. NG-391 and lucilactaene were 7-desmethyl analogs of fusarin C. Furthermore, the 12 genomes had common domains, such as KS-AT-DH-MT-ER-KR-ACP and SAT-KS-AT-PT-ACP-ACP-Te. The ML and BI trees of SAT-KS-AT-PT-ACP-ACP-Te were highly consistent with the multigene phylogenetic tree in the 12 species. This study provided a method to obtain the living culture of O. unilateralis sensu lato species and its asexual formed on the basis of living culture, which was of great value for further study of O. unilateralis sensu lato species in the future, and also laid a foundation for further analysis of secondary metabolites of O. unilateralis sensu lato.
Microbial communities are thermally more sensitive in warm-climate lizards compared with their cold-climate counterparts
Authors: Zhu Xia-Ming , Chen Jun-Qiong , Du Yu , Lin Chi-Xian , Qu Yan-Fu , Lin Long-Hui , Ji Xiang
Published: April 2024

Environmental temperature affects the composition, structure, and function of the gut microbial communities in host animals. To elucidate the role of gut microbiota in thermal adaptation, we designed a 2 species × 3 temperatures experiment, whereby we acclimated adult males of two agamid lizard species (warm-climate Leiolepis reevesii and cold-climate Phrynocephalus przewalskii) to 20, 28, and 36°C for 2 weeks and then collected their fecal and small-intestinal samples to analyze and compare the microbiota using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing technology. The fecal microbiota displayed more pronounced interspecific differences in microbial community than the small-intestinal microbiota in the two species occurring in thermally different regions. The response of fecal and small-intestinal microbiota to temperature increase or decrease differed between the two species, with more bacterial taxa affected by acclimation temperature in L. reevesii than in P. przewalskii. Both species, the warm-climate species in particular, could cope with temperature change by adjusting the relative abundance of functional categories associated with metabolism and environmental information processing. Functional genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism were enhanced in P. przewalskii, suggesting the contribution of the fecal microbiota to cold-climate adaptation in P. przewalskii. Taken together, our results validate the two hypotheses tested, of which one suggests that the gut microbiota should help lizards adapt to thermal environments in which they live, and the other suggests that microbial communities should be thermally more sensitive in warm-climate lizards than in cold-climate lizards.
Considerations for the assessment of blast exposure in service members and veterans
Authors: Rowland Jared A. , Martindale Sarah L.
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Blast exposure is an increasingly present occupational hazard for military service members, particularly in modern warfare scenarios. The study of blast exposure in humans is limited by the lack of a consensus definition for blast exposure and considerable variability in measurement. Research has clearly demonstrated a robust and reliable effect of blast exposure on brain structure and function in the absence of other injury mechanisms. However, the exact mechanisms underlying these outcomes remain unclear. Despite clear contributions from preclinical studies, this knowledge has been slow to translate to clinical applications. The present manuscript empirically demonstrates the consequences of variability in measurement and definition across studies through a re-analysis of previously published data from the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Study 34.

Methods

Definitions of blast exposure used in prior work were examined including Blast TBI, Primary Blast TBI, Pressure Severity, Distance, and Frequency of Exposure. Outcomes included both symptom report and cognitive testing.

Results

Results demonstrate significant differences in outcomes based on the definition of blast exposure used. In some cases the same definition was strongly related to one type of outcome, but unrelated to another.

Discussion

The implications of these results for the study of blast exposure are discussed and potential actions to address the major limitations in the field are recommended. These include the development of a consensus definition of blast exposure, further refinement of the assessment of blast exposure, continued work to identify relevant mechanisms leading to long-term negative outcomes in humans, and improved education efforts.
The covariant structural and functional neuro-correlates of cognitive impairments in patients with end-stage renal diseases
Authors: Liu Yuefan , Wang Huiying , Sha Guanchen , Cao Yutong , Chen Yongsheng , Chen Yuanyuan , Zhang Jingyi , Chai Chao , Fan Qiuyun , Xia Shuang
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Cognitive impairment (CI) is a common complication of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that is associated with structural and functional changes in the brain. However, whether a joint structural and functional alteration pattern exists that is related to CI in ESRD is unclear.

Methods

In this study, instead of looking at brain structure and function separately, we aim to investigate the covariant characteristics of both functional and structural aspects. Specifically, we took the fusion analysis approach, namely, multimodal canonical correlation analysis and joint independent component analysis (mCCA+jICA), to jointly study the discriminative features in gray matter volume (GMV) measured by T1-weighted (T1w) MRI, fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter measured by diffusion MRI, and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) measured by blood oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) MRI in 78 ESRD patients versus 64 healthy controls (HCs), followed by a mediation effect analysis to explore the relationship between neuroimaging findings, cognitive impairments and uremic toxins.

Results

Two joint group-discriminative independent components (ICs) were found to show covariant abnormalities across FA, GMV, and ALFF (all p < 0.05). The most dominant joint IC revealed associative patterns of alterations of GMV (in the precentral gyrus, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parahippocampal gyrus, and hippocampus), alterations of ALFF (in the precuneus, superior parietal gyrus, and superior occipital gyrus), and of white matter FA (in the corticospinal tract and inferior frontal occipital fasciculus). Another significant IC revealed associative alterations of GMV (in the dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex) and FA (in the forceps minor). Moreover, the brain changes identified by FA and GMV in the above-mentioned brain regions were found to mediate the negative correlation between serum phosphate and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The mCCA+jICA method was demonstrated to be capable of revealing covariant abnormalities across neuronal features of different types in ESRD patients as contrasted to HCs, and joint brain changes may play an important role in mediating the relationship between serum toxins and CIs in ESRD. Our results show the mCCA+jICA fusion analysis approach may provide new insights into similar neurobiological studies.
Circular RNA expression profiles and functional predication after restraint stress in the amygdala of rats
Authors: Wang Chuan , Wang Qian , Xu Guangming , Sun Zhaoling , Zhang Dong , Ma Chunling , Li Yingmin , Wen Di , Zhang Xiaojing , Cong Bin
Published: April 2024

Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress elevates the risk of various psychological diseases, many of which are characterized by central nervous system dysfunction. Recent studies have demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly abundant in the mammalian brain. Although their precise expression and function remain unknown, they have been hypothesized to regulate transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression. In this investigation, we comprehensively analyzed whether restraint stress for 2 days altered the circRNA expression profile in the amygdala of male rats. The impact of restraint stress on behavior was evaluated using an elevated plus maze and open field test. Serum corticosterone levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 10,670 circRNAs were identified using RNA sequencing. Ten circRNAs were validated by reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyzes supported the notion that genes associated with differentially expressed circRNAs are primarily implicated in neuronal activity and neurotransmitter transport. Moreover, the three differentially expressed circRNAs showed high specificity in the amygdala. Overall, these findings indicate that differentially expressed circRNAs are highly enriched in the amygdala and offer a potential direction for further research on restraint stress.