bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A machine-learning method for biobank-scale genetic prediction of blood group antigens
Authors: Hyvärinen Kati , Haimila Katri , Moslemi Camous , Biobank Blood Service , Olsson Martin L. , Ostrowski Sisse R. , Pedersen Ole B. , Erikstrup Christian , Partanen Jukka , Ritari Jarmo
Published: March 2024

A key element for successful blood transfusion is compatibility of the patient and donor red blood cell (RBC) antigens. Precise antigen matching reduces the risk for immunization and other adverse transfusion outcomes. RBC antigens are encoded by specific genes, which allows developing computational methods for determining antigens from genomic data. We describe here a classification method for determining RBC antigens from genotyping array data. Random forest models for 39 RBC antigens in 14 blood group systems and for human platelet antigen (HPA)-1 were trained and tested using genotype and RBC antigen and HPA-1 typing data available for 1,192 blood donors in the Finnish Blood Service Biobank. The algorithm and models were further evaluated using a validation cohort of 111,667 Danish blood donors. In the Finnish test data set, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) balanced accuracy for 39 models was 99.9 (98.9–100)%. We were able to replicate 34 out of 39 Finnish models in the Danish cohort and the median (IQR) balanced accuracy for classifications was 97.1 (90.1–99.4)%. When applying models trained with the Danish cohort, the median (IQR) balanced accuracy for the 40 Danish models in the Danish test data set was 99.3 (95.1–99.8)%. The RBC antigen and HPA-1 prediction models demonstrated high overall accuracies suitable for probabilistic determination of blood groups and HPA-1 at biobank-scale. Furthermore, population-specific training cohort increased the accuracies of the models. This stand-alone and freely available method is applicable for research and screening for antigen-negative blood donors.
Creating synthetic populations in transplantation: A Bayesian approach enabling simulation without registry re-sampling
Authors: Gunsalus Paul R. , Rose Johnie , Lehr Carli J. , Valapour Maryam , Dalton Jarrod E.
Published: March 2024

Computer simulation has played a pivotal role in analyzing alternative organ allocation strategies in transplantation. The current approach to producing cohorts of organ donors and candidates for individual-level simulation requires directly re-sampling retrospective data from a transplant registry. This historical data may reflect outmoded policies and practices as well as systemic inequities in candidate listing, limiting contemporary applicability of simulation results. We describe the development of an alternative approach for generating synthetic donors and candidates using hierarchical Bayesian network probability models. We developed two Bayesian networks to model dependencies among 10 donor and 36 candidate characteristics relevant to waitlist survival, donor-candidate matching, and post-transplant survival. We estimated parameters for each model using Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) data. For 100 donor and 100 candidate synthetic populations generated, proportions for each categorical donor or candidate attribute, respectively, fell within one percentage point of observed values; the interquartile ranges (IQRs) of each continuous variable contained the corresponding SRTR observed median. Comparisons of synthetic to observed stratified distributions demonstrated the ability of the method to capture complex joint variability among multiple characteristics. We also demonstrated how changing two upstream population parameters can exert cascading effects on multiple relevant clinical variables in a synthetic population. Generating synthetic donor and candidate populations in transplant simulation may help overcome critical limitations related to the re-sampling of historical data, allowing developers and decision makers to customize the parameters of these populations to reflect realistic or hypothetical future states.
Advancing image segmentation with DBO-Otsu: Addressing rubber tree diseases through enhanced threshold techniques
Authors: Xie Zhenjing , Wu Jinran , Tang Weirui , Liu Yongna
Published: March 2024

Addressing the profound impact of Tapping Panel Dryness (TPD) on yield and quality in the global rubber industry, this study introduces a cutting-edge Otsu threshold segmentation technique, enhanced by Dung Beetle Optimization (DBO-Otsu). This innovative approach optimizes the segmentation threshold combination by accelerating convergence and diversifying search methodologies. Following initial segmentation, TPD severity levels are meticulously assessed using morphological characteristics, enabling precise determination of optimal thresholds for final segmentation. The efficacy of DBO-Otsu is rigorously evaluated against mainstream benchmarks like Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), and Feature Similarity Index (FSIM), and compared with six contemporary swarm intelligence algorithms. The findings reveal that DBO-Otsu substantially surpasses its counterparts in image segmentation quality and processing speed. Further empirical analysis on a dataset comprising TPD cases from level 1 to 5 underscores the algorithm’s practical utility, achieving an impressive 80% accuracy in severity level identification and underscoring its potential for TPD image segmentation and recognition tasks.
Analysis of dermoscopy images of multi-class for early detection of skin lesions by hybrid systems based on integrating features of CNN models
Authors: Alshahrani Mohammed , Al-Jabbar Mohammed , Senan Ebrahim Mohammed , Ahmed Ibrahim Abdulrab , Mohammed Saif Jamil Abdulhamid
Published: March 2024

Skin cancer is one of the most fatal skin lesions, capable of leading to fatality if not detected in its early stages. The characteristics of skin lesions are similar in many of the early stages of skin lesions. The AI in categorizing diverse types of skin lesions significantly contributes to and helps dermatologists to preserve patients’ lives. This study introduces a novel approach that capitalizes on the strengths of hybrid systems of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models to extract intricate features from dermoscopy images with Random Forest (Rf) and Feed Forward Neural Networks (FFNN) networks, leading to the development of hybrid systems that have superior capabilities early detection of all types of skin lesions. By integrating multiple CNN features, the proposed methods aim to improve the robustness and discriminatory capabilities of the AI system. The dermoscopy images were optimized for the ISIC2019 dataset. Then, the area of the lesions was segmented and isolated from the rest of the image by a Gradient Vector Flow (GVF) algorithm. The first strategy for dermoscopy image analysis for early diagnosis of skin lesions is by the CNN-RF and CNN-FFNN hybrid models. CNN models (DenseNet121, MobileNet, and VGG19) receive a region of interest (skin lesions) and produce highly representative feature maps for each lesion. The second strategy to analyze the area of skin lesions and diagnose their type by means of CNN-RF and CNN-FFNN hybrid models based on the features of the combined CNN models. Hybrid models based on combined CNN features have achieved promising results for diagnosing dermoscopy images of the ISIC 2019 dataset and distinguishing skin cancers from other skin lesions. The Dense-Net121-MobileNet-RF hybrid model achieved an AUC of 95.7%, an accuracy of 97.7%, a precision of 93.65%, a sensitivity of 91.93%, and a specificity of 99.49%.
Six-dimensional force/torque sensor for aerodynamic characteristic study of high-speed train with different wind angles under stationary tornado
Authors: Li Mu , Wu Yecheng , Gan Jiankun , Chai Bo , Zhang Yuanzhao
Published: March 2024

Researchers conducted an investigation by tornado simulator to study the impact of wind angle on the aerodynamic characteristics of a reduced (1:150) high-speed train model using six-dimensional force/torque sensor. The reduced scale model size can match the relative size relationship between high-speed train and tornado vortex core in real condition. Results show that the wind angle affects the mean value and standard deviation of the force and moment coefficient of the high-speed train at the same radial position. The variations of the mean value and standard deviation of the pitching moment coefficient of the high-speed train carriage model at 60°and 90°are different from that at other wind angles. The variations of the mean value of the pitching moment coefficient of the high-speed train head model at 0°, 15°and 30°are different from that at other wind angles. The variations of the standard deviation of the pitching moment coefficient of the high-speed train head model at 60°,75°and 90°are different from that at other wind angles. This research will help the further study of the operation safety of high-speed train in the event of a tornado impacting a high-speed train network.
The causal relationship between gut microbiota and immune skin diseases: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization
Authors: Feng Fei , Li Ruicheng , Tian Rui , Wu Xueyi , Zhang Nannan , Nie Zhenhua
Published: March 2024

Background

Increasing evidence suggests that alterations in gut microbiota are associated with a variety of skin diseases. However, whether this association reflects a causal relationship remains unknown. We aimed to reveal the causal relationship between gut microbiota and skin diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and lichen planus.

Methods

We obtained full genetic association summary data for gut microbiota, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and lichen planus from public databases and used three methods, mainly inverse variance weighting, to analyze the causal relationships between gut microbiota and these skin diseases using bidirectional Mendelian randomization, as well as sensitivity and stability analysis of the results using multiple methods.

Results

The results showed that there were five associated genera in the psoriasis group, seven associated genera were obtained in the atopic dermatitis group, a total of ten associated genera in the acne group, and four associated genera in the lichen planus group. The results corrected for false discovery rate showed that Eubacteriumfissicatenagroup (P = 2.20E-04, OR = 1.24, 95%CI:1.11–1.40) and psoriasis still showed a causal relationship. In contrast, in the reverse Mendelian randomization results, there was no evidence of an association between these skin diseases and gut microbiota.

Conclusion

We demonstrated a causal relationship between gut microbiota and immune skin diseases and provide a new therapeutic perspective for the study of immune diseases: targeted modulation of dysregulation of specific bacterial taxa to prevent and treat psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and lichen planus.
Modified in-vitro AATCC-100 procedure to measure viable bacteria from wound dressings
Authors: Lee Sang Hyuk , Glover Thomas , Lavey Nathan , Fu Xiao , Donohue Marc , Karunasena Enusha
Published: March 2024

Chronic wounds are reoccurring healthcare problems in the United States and cost up to $50 billion annually. Improper wound care results in complications such as wound debridement, surgical amputation, and increased morbidity/ mortality due to opportunistic infections. To eliminate wound infections, many antimicrobial dressings are developed and submitted to FDA for evaluation. AATCC-100 is a standard method widely used to evaluate cloth wound dressings. This method, requires enrichment, followed by culturing to measure the concentration of culturable organisms; a caveat to this method could result in neglected viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria and overestimate the antimicrobial properties of wound dressings. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess this accepted protocol with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), to measure time dependent antimicrobial efficacy of wound dressing, and to examine for potential viable bacteria but non-culturable as compared with traditional plating methods. The test organisms included opportunistic pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15692) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300). To mimic a wound dressing environment, samples of commercially available wound dressings (McKesson Inc.) with silver ion (positive control) and dressings without silver ion (positive control) were assessed under sterile conditions. All samples were examined by the original protocol (the extended AATCC-100 method) and qRT-PCR. The expression of specific housekeeping genes was measured (proC for P. aeruginosa and 16s rRNA for S. aureus). Based on these tests, log reduction of experimental conditions was compared to identify time dependent and precise antimicrobial properties from wound dressing samples. These results showed antimicrobial properties of wound dressings diminished as incubation days are increased for both methods from day 1 PCR result of 4.31 ± 0.54 and day 1 plating result of 6.31 ± 3.04 to day 3 PCR result of 1.22 ± 0.97 and day 3 plating result of 5.89 ± 2.41. These results show that data from qRT-PCR generally produced lower standard deviation than that of culture methods, hence shown to be more precise. Complementary parallel analysis of samples using both methods better characterized antimicrobial properties of the tested samples.
Small object detection algorithm incorporating swin transformer for tea buds
Authors: Shi Meiling , Zheng Dongling , Wu Tianhao , Zhang Wenjing , Fu Ruijie , Huang Kailiang
Published: March 2024

Accurate identification of small tea buds is a key technology for tea harvesting robots, which directly affects tea quality and yield. However, due to the complexity of the tea plantation environment and the diversity of tea buds, accurate identification remains an enormous challenge. Current methods based on traditional image processing and machine learning fail to effectively extract subtle features and morphology of small tea buds, resulting in low accuracy and robustness. To achieve accurate identification, this paper proposes a small object detection algorithm called STF-YOLO (Small Target Detection with Swin Transformer and Focused YOLO), which integrates the Swin Transformer module and the YOLOv8 network to improve the detection ability of small objects. The Swin Transformer module extracts visual features based on a self-attention mechanism, which captures global and local context information of small objects to enhance feature representation. The YOLOv8 network is an object detector based on deep convolutional neural networks, offering high speed and precision. Based on the YOLOv8 network, modules including Focus and Depthwise Convolution are introduced to reduce computation and parameters, increase receptive field and feature channels, and improve feature fusion and transmission. Additionally, the Wise Intersection over Union loss is utilized to optimize the network. Experiments conducted on a self-created dataset of tea buds demonstrate that the STF-YOLO model achieves outstanding results, with an accuracy of 91.5% and a mean Average Precision of 89.4%. These results are significantly better than other detectors. Results show that, compared to mainstream algorithms (YOLOv8, YOLOv7, YOLOv5, and YOLOx), the model improves accuracy and F1 score by 5-20.22 percentage points and 0.03-0.13, respectively, proving its effectiveness in enhancing small object detection performance. This research provides technical means for the accurate identification of small tea buds in complex environments and offers insights into small object detection. Future research can further optimize model structures and parameters for more scenarios and tasks, as well as explore data augmentation and model fusion methods to improve generalization ability and robustness.
Climate change-induced shifts in survival and size of the worlds’ northernmost oviparous snake: A 68-year study
Authors: Elmberg Johan , Palmheden Ludvig , Edelstam Carl , Hagman Mattias , Kärvemo Simon
Published: March 2024

Because of their dependence on ambient temperature ectothermic animals can serve as sentinels of conservation problems related to global warming. Reptiles in temperate areas are especially well suited to study such effects, as their annual and daily activity patterns directly depend on ambient temperature. This study is based on annual data spanning 68 years from a fringe population of Grass Snakes (Natrix natrix), which is the world’s northernmost oviparous (egg-laying) reptile, and known to be constrained by temperature for reproduction, morphology, and behavior. Mark-recapture analyses showed that survival probability was generally higher in males than in females, and that it increased with body length. Body condition (scaled mass index) and body length increased over time, indicative of a longer annual activity period. Monthly survival was generally higher during winter (i.e., hibernation) than over the summer season. Summer survival increased over time, whilst winter survival decreased, especially during recent decades. Winter survival was lower when annual maximum snow depth was less than 15 cm, implying a negative effect of milder winters with less insulating snow cover. Our study demonstrates long-term shifts in body length, body condition and seasonal survival associated with a warming climate. Although the seasonal changes in survival ran in opposite directions and though changes were small in absolute terms, the trends did not cancel out, but total annual survival decreased. We conclude that effects of a warming climate can be diverse and pose a threat for thermophilic species in temperate regions, and that future studies should consider survival change by season, preferably in a long-term approach.
Spatial-temporal differentiation of urban eco-efficiency and its driving factors: A comparison of five major urban agglomerations in China
Authors: Liu Xiang , Zhang Xinyuan , Yuan Man , Liu Jia , Zhou Guolin
Published: March 2024

This paper utilizes an improved undesirable output DEA model to measure the eco-efficiency of cities in five major urban agglomerations in China during 2006–2020. It employs the Theil Index and Geodetector to investigate the spatial-temporal distribution differentiation characteristics and driving factors of urban eco-efficiency. The main findings are as follows. Firstly, the eco-efficiency of all urban agglomerations showed a fluctuating upward trend, but the eco-efficiency performance of different urban agglomerations in China shows a stratification characteristic. Specifically, the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration consistently ranks first in China, while the mean values of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, and Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration are lower than the national average. Secondly, the overall differences in the urban eco-efficiency of all sample cities show a consistently fluctuating downward trend. The factor that affects the level differences of eco-efficiency in different cities is the intra-regional differences. Last but not least, the top three factors affecting the spatial distribution difference of urban eco-efficiency in the whole sample are environmental pollution control investments, innovation level, and environmental infrastructure investments. In the end, this paper proposes that reducing the intra-regional differences is the primary task to achieve the coordinated improvement of urban eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations, and then puts forward some policy suggestions to improve eco-efficiency for the five major urban agglomerations.
Automatic detection of expressed emotion from Five-Minute Speech Samples: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Mirheidari Bahman , Bittar André , Cummins Nicholas , Downs Johnny , Fisher Helen L. , Christensen Heidi
Published: March 2024

Research into clinical applications of speech-based emotion recognition (SER) technologies has been steadily increasing over the past few years. One such potential application is the automatic recognition of expressed emotion (EE) components within family environments. The identification of EE is highly important as they have been linked with a range of adverse life events. Manual coding of these events requires time-consuming specialist training, amplifying the need for automated approaches. Herein we describe an automated machine learning approach for determining thedegree of warmth, a key component of EE, from acoustic and text natural language features. Our dataset of 52 recorded interviews is taken from recordings, collected over 20 years ago, from a nationally representative birth cohort of British twin children, and was manually coded for EE by two researchers (inter-rater reliability 0.84–0.90). We demonstrate that the degree of warmth can be predicted with anF1-score of64.7%despite working with audio recordings of highly variable quality. Our highly promising results suggest that machine learning may be able to assist in the coding of EE in the near future.
El escándalo: teoría y realidad en los procesos criminales de la Real Chancillería de Valladolid (Castilla, s. XVIII)
Authors: Torremocha Hernández Margarita
Published: March 2024

El escándalo es un acto o dicho que ocasiona en el prójimo mal ejemplo. Su importancia queda reflejada en toda clase de literatura: novela, teatro, pliegos de cordel, relaciones de sucesos, etc. Considerado pecado, ha sido analizado por el Derecho Canónico, los escritos de moral y los libros de confesores. Y, como delito, tiene presencia en los tratados de práctica jurídica en la etapa previa a la codificación. Todo lo que conocemos a través de estas fuentes nos proporciona la teoría sobre el escándalo, lo escandaloso y lo que escandaliza, pero analizarlo además desde las fuentes judiciales de la Edad Moderna, en concreto del siglo XVIII, nos permite saber qué influjo tuvo vinculado al delito, entender cómo llega a tener presencia en los tribunales, qué peso tuvo en las condenas como circunstancia agravante, así como las diferencias que se aprecian entre la casuística con hombres y mujeres como protagonistas.
Con el cuerpo, de palabra y obra. Conductas de escándalo público de las jóvenes en España, 1800-1835
Authors: Calvo Caballero Pilar
Published: March 2024

Este artículo investiga la capacidad de escándalo público de las jóvenes en los inicios del Romanticismo. A través de ocho pleitos judiciales de la Real Chancillería de Valladolid y desde la historia de las emociones, se estudia cómo se construye el escándalo de las menores. Estas ejercen su libertad emocional sin límites ni vergüenza, insensibles al sufrimiento emocional que provocan. Sus escándalos son una navegación emocional irracional, por imposible: una vida travestida para subsistir, la herencia del amor de un viejo casado, la eterna relación con un escribano, comerciante o cirujano casados, con el párroco, con el esposo de la prima o el halago de los soldados hasta contraer el gálico. Irracionalidad que obedecería a que son muchachas empeñadas en salir de sus privaciones o soledad; pueden trabajar honestamente, pero apoyadas en su juventud y belleza se sienten atraídas por un comercio ilícito que les depara mejor vida y les abre el círculo de relaciones con personas privilegiadas. Familia o personas respetables las alientan y otras las amonestan, pero la decisión es suya. Sus transgresiones, desde el inocente travestismo al amancebamiento y la prostitución, se beneficiarán de la piedad de los tribunales. Como las visitas pastorales y confesores, antes que castigar, los tribunales las aperciben, procurándoles así la oportunidad de rehacer sus vidas fuera del escándalo.
Un juego de resistencias: la nueva mujer a finales de la sociedad decimonónica
Authors: Rodríguez Serrador Sofía
Published: March 2024

Los comportamientos alejados de la normatividad social suelen ser tildados de escandalosos, especialmente si sus protagonistas son mujeres. En el siglo xix, el modelo social hegemónico era el de esferas separadas (pública/privada). Sin embargo, algunas mujeres manifestaron comportamientos que desafiaban las costumbres. Bien fuera en su vida privada o doméstica, bien por traspasar esta frontera y fruto de su actividad en el mundo cultural, universitario, en el ámbito laboral e incluso en el político provocaron escándalo y rechazo. Estos comportamientos, en ocasiones, fueron condenados por la moral pública e incluso por el poder legislativo y las autoridades judiciales. Nuestro trabajo analiza —a través de fuentes literarias, hemerográficas, legislativas y judiciales— cómo la sociedad española decimonónica recibió estos cambios, los admitió o combatió, y cómo influyeron en el modelo de la nueva mujer y en el debate sobre la cuestión femenina.
Mujeres, pecado y escándalo público en el norte de Portugal a finales del Antiguo Régimen: la comarca de Vila Real
Authors: Martín García Alfredo
Published: March 2024

Empleando como base de información la riqueza documental de las llamadas «Visitas e Devassas» del arzobispado de Braga, se estudian las transgresiones femeninas perseguidas por las autoridades eclesiásticas en la comarca de Vila Real, perteneciente a la región portuguesa de Trás-os-Montes, en los años finales del Antiguo Régimen. A través del vaciado sistemático de 8395 acusaciones registradas en los libros entre 1760 y 1818, se acomete un análisis cuantitativo, al objeto de comprender la intensidad en la persecución de los pecados por parte de las autoridades eclesiásticas, su evolución temporal, la tipología de los delitos cometidos y su relación con el estado civil de las infractoras. También se trata de relacionar estos comportamientos con las estructuras económicas, sociales y culturales de un espacio territorial eminentemente rural y se emprende un análisis comparativo con otros territorios portugueses ya estudiados. La información procesada apunta a la existencia de un mayor rigor en la vigilancia de los desvíos femeninos en comparación con los masculinos y la preponderancia de los pecados vinculados a la moral sexual, en especial los concubinatos, en los que destaca el protagonismo de las mujeres solteras. Asimismo, la importancia que siguen mostrando estas transgresiones a finales del período, evidencia las limitaciones del proceso de disciplinamiento en este campo.
Trajetórias de professoras de educação física: da invisibilidade histórica ao protagonismo na década de 1930
Authors: Bruschi Marcela
Published: March 2024

Este estudo investiga a participação de professoras eseus envolvimentos em um projeto de escolarização daEducação Física nos anos de 1930. O interesse centra-senas primeiras professoras formadas na Escola de EducaçãoFísica do Espírito Santo (EEFES), criada em 1931, e os lugaresprofissionais ocupados por elas nos anos que se sucederam.Usa os conceitos da História Cultural para perceber osprotagonismos das professoras e opera com o paradigmaindiciário na análise das fontes. Opera com os arquivos daEEFES e com a imprensa periódica. Ao trazer as mulherespara a centralidade, elas são retiradas de um lugar deanonimato mantido pela tradição historiográfica da áreaEducação Física para que apresentem suas trajetórias econtribuições.
Uso da Escala de Avaliação de Ambientes de Aprendizagens dedicados à Primeira Infância (EAPI): pontos de vista de coordenadoras pedagógicas
Authors: Vasconcelos Ferreira Marisa , Domingues dos Santos Daniel
Published: March 2024

artigo apresenta a análise qualitativa de um grupo focalque teve como objetivo investigar como coordenadoraspedagógicas de uma rede municipal de ensino avaliaramo uso de uma escala de avaliação de ambientes deaprendizagem ao realizar observações de turmas de criançasna Educação Infantil. Verificou-se que a apropriação de uminstrumento de avaliação com critérios objetivos contribuiu para a formação pessoal e profissional, bem como dinamizou interlocuções com gestoras escolares, professoras e pesquisadoras. Ao mesmo tempo, a intensidade do processo e a percepção de fragilidades na qualidade da Educação Infantil, pelas coordenadoras, indicaram a necessidade de apoio às profissionais, visando fortalecer seu papel articulador da formação continuada na escola.
Strategies of Social Reproduction: Medical Students from Germany in Central and Eastern Europe from a Centre–Periphery Perspective
Authors: Schäfer Gregor
Published: March 2024

Higher education degrees from European Union countries are automatically recognised in other Member States. However, legal recognition does not necessarily translate into symbolic recognition in the profession. This dynamic can be observed in the field of medicine in Germany, where German graduates often face symbolic devaluation when they graduate in certain other countries and return to work in Germany. At the same time, the group of foreign medical students is socially exclusive, and admission to a medical programme in Germany is difficult and unsuccessful for many applicants. Based on the theory of symbolic power and capital and a centre–periphery perspective, this paper reconstructs the means and ways by which privileged students from the centre, Germany, seek social reproduction by studying medicine abroad in the semi-periphery, Hungary, Latvia and Romania. The results show that moving to the semi-periphery is only chosen when other alternatives in the centre are not feasible. Certain symbolic disadvantages of studying abroad were identified, and countermeasures were developed to ensure symbolic legitimacy upon return. The results also show that the semi-periphery is not homogeneous in its symbolic ambivalence from a centre–periphery perspective.
A Broken Social Elevator? How to Promote Social Mobility. OECD report (Paris, OECD Publishing, 2018)
Authors: Csathó Ábel
Published: March 2024

The review presents OECD’s A Broken Social Elevator? How to Promote Social Mobility volume. Its primary aim is to identify the mechanisms that hinder social mobility, focusing in particular on inter-generational mobility and the lack of it. The mechanisms are presented in three groups – property, health, and education – which are not only mechanisms of mobility but also indicators of it. The three groups can, of course, be broken down purely analytically, but in reality, they are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing. In addition to this, albeit with less emphasis, I also present the chapter on intra-generational mobility. I also discuss the possible consequences of low social mobility and make some critiques, first and foremost concerning the sometimes somewhat over-generalized conclusions of the book.
Development and Validation of the Deenz Body Dysmorphic Scale (DBDS-20) in a College Student Population
Authors: Dar Deen Mohd
Published: March 2024

This study introduces the Deenz Body Dysmorphic Scale (DBDS-20), a novel instrument designed to assess body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) traits among college students. Through rigorous psychometric evaluation, the DBDS-20 demonstrates high reliability, validity, and multidimensionality. In a sample of 109 college students (64 female, 36 male), the scale exhibits strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89) and significant correlations with established measures of body image dissatisfaction and psychological distress. The DBDS-20 represents a valuable tool for identifying and addressing BDD traits in college student populations.
Methods of thyroidectomy: principles and indications
Authors: Rashitov M. M.
Published: March 2024

This lecture presents 3 methods of thyroidectomy; the most common and widely used thyroidectomy method, i.e. the extrafascial thyroidectomy method (1), the historical subcapsular thyroidectomy method (2) and the combined extrafascial and subfascial thyroidectomy methods (3). Each of these methods is used in everyday practice and have their own indications for use. The methods are presented with a detailed description of the steps. In the description of the technique of the operation, we determined the stages. The presented three methods of thyroidectomy are a systematization of the existing widely used surgical methods of operation for various diseases of the thyroid gland. In our opinion, this systematic step-by-step approach to thyroidectomy, taking into account the characteristics of thyroid pathology, can improve the standards of treatment, surgical outcomes and training of surgeons in the field of thyroid surgery.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic foot syndrome
Authors: Demidova T. Yu. , Lobanova K. G. , Teplova A. S. , Gurova I. D. , Bairova V. E.
Published: March 2024

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases, leading to the development of many complications includingdiabetic foot syndrome (DFS). The problem of a progressive increase in the number of patients with DFS and the high risk of amputation in the population of patients with DM requires research to identify risk factors and specify ways to correct them.

Aim: To study the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients of the limb rescue center suffering from type 2 diabetes (DM2).

Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 729 medical histories of patients with T2D hospitalized in the foot rescue department of the limb rescue center of the State Clinical Hospital named after V.P. Demikhov in the period between 2019 and 2020 was carried out. An analysis of anamnestic data, clinical and laboratory parameters, drug therapy, the nature of surgical intervention and the outcome of hospitalization was performed. The statistical analysis was carried out using STATISTICA 8.0.

Results: The study included 729 patients with T2D. Men dominated among patients (58%). The median of age was 66 [59.0; 73.0] years. 50.89% had experience of diabetes for more than 10 years. 53% of these patients had DFS, 79.2% had diabetic polyneuropathy, 45% had previously undergone amputation of the lower extremity, 24.8% had revascularization. A significant proportion of patients at admission had uncontrolled high level of glycemia. The median of glucose level was 9.9 mmol/l [7.2; 13.8]. Median meaning of HbA1c was 7.8% [6.7; 9.1]. BMI and lipid profile were not evaluated in all patients. In the department 224 patients were diagnosed with DFS for the first time. Gangrene prevailed among the ulcerative-necrotic complications of DFS. Arterial hypertension (AH) prevailed among the concomitant pathologies. GFR ˂ 60 ml/min/1.73m2 was observed in 45.36% of patients. According to X-ray data, 27.16%  of patients (107 out of 394) showed signs of impaired bone density. In the department, 113 patients underwent revascularization, 372 — amputation of the lower limb, while 37 patients (9.95%) underwent amputation at the level above the knee, and 335 (90.05%) — at the level below the knee. Only 244 patients received local treatment among patients with DFS. A total of 718 patients were discharged; 11 patients died. The median duration of hospitalization of discharged patients was 13.0 [9.0; 18.0] bed days, the average duration of hospitalization of deceased patients was 11.31±2.21 (95% CI 6.49–16.13) bed days.

Conclusion: Most of the patients with DM2 and DFS had prolonged decompensation of carbohydrate metabolism, dyslipidemia, increased BMI, hypertension. The study concluded that it is important to monitor and correct risk factors to improve the prognosis of the disease.
Clinical case of a young patient with metastatic neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas
Authors: Androsova A. V. , Orlova R. V. , Ivanova A. K. , Belyak N. P. , Kutukova S. I.
Published: March 2024

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Hashtag como elemento (des)organizador do discurso político
Authors: Lacerda Gustavo Haiden de
Published: March 2024

Este artigo, com base na Análise de Discurso Materialista (AD), discute o modo pelo qual as hashtags (des)organizam os discursos político-midiáticos no X-Twitter. O corpus construído para o presente gesto analítico foi elaborado em torno da hashtag #quemmorreu, desde sua enunciação primeira até suas retomadas em outras vinte e uma publicações. Alicerçado nos postulados metodológicos da AD, o estudo observou as regularidades entre as circulações da hashtag para compreender a estruturação algorítmica de seus efeitos de sentido pela forma como significa os discursos nas redes digitais. As análises levaram à compreensão de um efeito de rumor derrisório, atrelado à forma do discurso polêmico, que desestabiliza poderes políticos e midiáticos estabelecidos, reivindicando outros sentidos pela contenda ideológica algoritmicamente mediada pela disputa acerca de #quemmorreu.
Pulmonary tuberculosis and venous thromboembolism
Authors: Kambouche Faouzia , Mohamed El Habib Labdouni
Published: March 2024

Acute infections are among the risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The role of chronic infections such as active tuberculosis is poorly defined, although several case reports and case series have suggested a link association between tuberculosis and VTE. The unexpected resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) in developed countries provided the rationale for evaluating VTE as a possible complication of TB; never theless, the topic has received little attention in the literature.
Patient and Method: This is a prospective multicenter study done between January 2016 and January 2018. It is about 17 cases of confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis associated with deep vein thrombosis.
Results: It is about fifteen men and two women, their average age is 44,88 years. The thromboembolic complication revealed tuberculosis among 2patients, appearing during the hospitalization of 15 patients among which 11of them receiving antituberculosis drug. We have listed 3 cases of immediate pulmonary embolism and 14cases of deep vein thrombosis complicated with pulmonary embolism in 7 cases. These patients received anti-tuberculosis treatment according to the 2RHZE / 4RH protocol and a curative anticoagulant treatment based on low molecular weight heparin. A relay by vitamin K antagonists was instituted after a satisfactory INR control. The average time to effective anticoagulation was 15.12 days with extremes between 08 and 50 days.
There was favorable evolution among 14 patients, 1of them was lost to follow-up. Sight and the evolution has been fatal in two case.
Conclusion: Thromboembolic (DVT) disease must be sought systematically in the TB patients because of the risk of this complication particularly in extensive and severe forms. Prophylactic anticoagulation therapy finds its indications in these forms.
Ethanol extraction of orange peels from agricultural waste and its activity against four species of the bacteria
Authors: Tuqi Osamah. A , Hussein Tabark abdukarim , Abbas Mustafa Khudair , Ghazal Mustafa Badr , Hussein Aya Aziz
Published: March 2024

The present study was amid the Hot extraction of orange peels. It evaluated its ability to inhibit the bacteria growth against four types, i.e. Bacillus anthracis (B anthracis), Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes), Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) and Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia). Hot-extraction method was used to extract orange peels (EPO) by using ethanol as a solvent. Five concentrations of the extract orange peels were treated against the bacteria. The results showed significant effects against all types of bacteria, where the results were 15mm against B. anthracis, while S. pyogenes showed more effect, reaching 17mm. Moreover, the measurements of the EPO zone against Y. pestis were 12mm, while its zone against K. pneumonia was 15mm. The obtained results can give clear evidence of the ability of EPO to be used as an antibacterial agent. The current study has achieved positive results by utilizing agricultural waste and converting it into useful materials in the biological field, as well as reducing environmental pollution.
Identifying of a bird figure of the Nazca pampas of southern coast of Peru: a discussion post
Authors: Karl Hans-Volker , Safi Amtyaz , Tichy Gottfried
Published: March 2024

Nazca is a city and system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru. The name is derived from the Nazca culture, which flourished in the area between 100 BC and 800 AD. Nazca Lines contain over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures and 70 biomorphic designs. Some of the straight lines are 30 miles long, while the largest bio morphs stretch up to 1200 feet. Among the zoomorphic figures are the famous Nazca condor, hummingbird, pelican, shark, bird, fish, spider, lizard, parrot, flamingo, iguana, dog, llamas, jaguar, fox, whale and monkey. We have identified a studied figure of Nazca Pampas as a species of umbrella birds (Cephalopterus) and this geoglyph has more resemblances with the short-lobed parasol (Cephalopterus ornatus) than any other species.
Geochemical characterization of Lokoja-Basange Sandstone at Imiegba and Okpekpe areas, Benin flank of Anambra basin, Nigeria: implications for provenance, tectonic setting and source-rock weathering
Authors: Omale Obaje Solomon , Adekunle Adefemisoye Alex
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the geochemical attributes of the Lokoja-Basange Sandstone situated in Okpekpe and Imiegba areas of the Benin Flank of Anambra Basin, Nigeria. The aim of this study is to unveil its provenance, tectonic setting, and source rock weathering extent. Using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) "Minipal 4" spectrometer analysis, nine outcrop samples were examined for major oxide concentrations. The results show significant average SiO2 (77.09 wt. %), Al2O3 (12.10 wt. %), Fe2O3 (2.72 wt. %), Na2O (1.64 wt. %), K2O (2.41 wt. %), while TiO2, MnO, MgO, CaO, P2O5, LOI had average concentrations of less than 1.00 wt. %. Bivariate plots of log [Fe2O3/K2O] versus log [SiO2/Al2O3] indicate 77.80% litharenites and 22.20% arkose sediments. The [Al2O3]-[CaO+Na2O]-[K2O] ternary plot, the tectonic discriminant diagrams of [SiO2/20]-[K2O+Na2O]-[TiO2+Fe2O3+MgO], log [K2O/Na2O] versus SiO2, [SiO2/Al2O3] versus log [K2O/Na2O] and bivariate discriminant functions plot indicate that the sediments have felsic igneous provenance and quartzose sedimentary origin, within a passive margin tectonic setting and the source-area underwent moderate to near complete chemical weathering in semi-arid to humid climatic conditions with increasing chemical maturity. Conclusively, the chemical alteration index (CIA) ranges from 65.4% to 74.2%, averaging 70.70%; the chemical index of weathering (CIW) averages 82.37%; the plagioclase index of alteration (PIA) averages 78.88%; and the mineralogical index of alteration (MIA) averages 41.43%. These data signify extensive weathering of felsic igneous source rocks, highlighting mineralogical maturity of Lokoja-Basange Sandstone. In essence, this study enriches insights into the sandstone's origins, sedimentary context, and weathering history.
Synthesis and characterization of iron (III) complexes of l-leucine and l-methionine
Authors: Musa Shuaibu , J F Iyun , Musa Abubakar Shuaibu
Published: March 2024

The resulted complexes produced between Fe (III) and biological molecules like amino acids play an important role in human life. Fe (III) complexes are synthesized with l-Leucine and l-Methionine. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis (AAS), molar conductance, melting point, infrared and uv-visible spectrophotometry analyses. The elemental analyses were used to determine the chelation ratio, 1:3(metal: ligands). The molar conductivity of the complexes show that the complexes are not electrolytic in nature. Moreover, the melting point of the tris (l-Leucine) iron (III) and tris (l-Methionine) iron (III) are 2390C and 210oC respectively.Â Â
Synthesis, characterization and DFT studies of a palladium (ii) complex with bidentate Schiff base ligands
Authors: Chakrabarty Surajit , Bhattacharjee Shoumik , Rahmani Rachida , Hussain Sheikh Afzal , Chouaih Abdelkader , Hamzaoui Fodil
Published: March 2024

The N-donor bidentate complexes of Palladium (II) of the type [PdL1Cl2] and [PdL2Cl2] {where L1 = N, N'-bis(napthanidal)-1,4-diacetyldihydiimine and L2= N, N'-bis(napthanidal)-1,2-ethylenediimine} were synthesized by refluxing of PdCl2 in acetonitrile with ligand L1 and L2. Complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurement, IR, UV-Vis and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Full geometry optimization of the ground state of the complex [PdL1Cl2] was carried out using Density Functional Theory (DFT) at B3LYP functional with 6-311G(d, p) basis set for C, N, Cl, H and LANL2DZ basis set for Pd atoms in gas and solvent (DMSO) phases. The calculated geometric and spectral results reproduced the experimental data with well agreement. Theo-retical calculated molecular orbitals (HOMOâ€“LUMO) and their energies have been calculated that suggest charge transfer occurs within the complexes. The HOMO-LUMO energy gap was found 2.6210 eV. The electrophilic and nucleophilic sites are theoretically evaluated by molecular electrostatic potential.Â Â
Estimation of samarium in nuclear fuel reprocessing streams by fiber optic aided spectrophotometry
Authors: Ganesh S , K.Pandey N.
Published: March 2024

A simple analytical procedure is developed and validated for the estimation of traces amount of samarium in aqueous streams of nuclear waste. In this method, the formation of chelation of samarium ion with 3, 6-bis [(2-Arsonophenyl) azo]-4,5dihydroxy-2,7-naphtalene disulphonic acid (Arsenazo III) to produce a reddish purple colour complex which has maximum absorption at 654 nm at pH 2.6-2.8. The intensity of the colour is proportional to the amount of Sm(III). Linear calibration graphs were obtained for 0.31 to 2.78 Âµg/mL of Sm(III) with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.32 % and correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.999 (n=10). Its molar absorptivity and Sandellâ€™s sensitivity are found to be 4.88x104 L.Mol-1.cm-1 and 2.05x10-5 Âµg/cm2 respectively. The stoichiometric composition of the chelate is 1:1. The reaction is instantaneous, and absorbance remains stable for over 24 hrs. The system allowed for the determination of samarium with a limit of detection (LOD) (3.3Ïƒ/S) of 0.314 Âµg/mL, the limit of quantitation (LOQ) (10Ïƒ/S) of 0.952 Âµg/mL. A systematic study of the influence of different parameters like pH, the concentration of the complexing agent, the stability of the colour, the volume of the buffer and interference of other competing metal ions. Results of the present method are in good agreement with those obtained by the standard procedure. It is directly applicable for the determination of samarium in environmental, industrial, water and waste streams of the nuclear plant.Â Â
Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity of Mn(ii) and Zn(ii) complexes with leucine and alanine
Authors: Jibrin Okpanaki Hamza , A. D Onu Dr , S.O. Idris Prof.
Published: March 2024

Background: Transition metals are essential metallic element and they exhibit great biological activity. In recent time, researches have shown significant progress in the utilization of transition metal complexes as drugs for treatment of several human disorders like cancer, infections and neurological disorders, amongst others.Objective: The study attempted to obtain neutral complexes of MLn.nH2O type (M = Mn/Zn and L = leucine/alanine), characterize, and then study their biological activities.Methods: 2mmols of the ligands were dissolved each, in 20 ml distilled water and 0.33 ml of 30% NaOH was added. Then 1 mmol of the metal salts was dissolved in 2 ml of water and stirred, the salt solution was added to the solution of the ligand and stirred. The dark brown and white precipitates for manganese amino acid complex and zinc amino acid complexe respectively were filtered off, washed, dried in air and then weighed to establish the percent of complexation. The complexes were then subjected to both spectroscopic and non-spectroscopic method of analysis.Result: The result suggested the coordination of the ligand to the central metal.Conclusion: The results suggested monoclinic crystal system for all the complexes formed. The antimicrobial studies showed an enhanced biological sensitivity for the complexes when compared with that of the ligands, and the structure of the newly synthesized complexes were proposed to be octahedral for Mn-amino acid and tetrahedral for the Zn-amino acid.Â Â Â