bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between mineral and vitamin D deficiency and risk of cognitive disorders in primary school children
Authors:   The Far Eastern State Medical University, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, Chernobrovkina М.А. , Senkevich О.А. ,   The Far Eastern State Medical University, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, Kovalsky Yu.G. ,   The Far Eastern State Medical University, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation
Published: July 2022

Objective. To evaluate the impact of vitamin and mineral status on the cognitive development of children aged 7–8 years. Patients and methods. This observational, analytical, cross-sectional study included randomly selected healthy children aged 7–8 residing in Khabarovsk region (n = 60). Study participants were assigned to one of the two groups after assessment of their cognitive abilities (verbal and logical thinking, short-term memory, voluntary attention, and fine motor skills). Group 1 included 30 children with a low cognitive profile, whereas Group 2 comprised 30 children with normal mental development. We measured their serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and minerals (Сu, Zn, Mg, Se, Ca) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results. Children from Group 1 demonstrated lower serum levels of Cu, Zn, and vitamin D compared to those in Group 2 (p < 0.05). Higher levels of Mg and Zn correlated with better verbal and logical thinking (r = 0.9 and r = 0.46, respectively). Higher serum concentrations of Mg, Zn, Ca, and D were associated with improved mnestic parameters (r = 0.36, r = 0.43, r = 0.36, r = 0.37, respectively). We found that optimal levels of Se, Cu, and vitamin D ensured better attention (r = 0.38, r = 0.43, r = 0.43, respectively). The relative risk analysis also indicates that there is a positive correlation between mineral and vitamin D deficiency and the probability of cognitive developmental abnormalities in children. Conclusion. Our results demonstrate potential negative effects of mineral and vitamin D deficiency on intellectual development of children. Key words: vitamin D, primary school children, cognitive abilities, mineral status
Confessions of a repentant bubble theorist
Authors: Barlevy Gadi
Published: July 2022

The author argues that while models of bubbles seem like a natural framework for studying asset booms, whether an asset is a bubble may not matter in determining if policymakers should intervene against the boom to mitigate the fallout should the boom turn into a bust.
Buddhism and socialism in the philosophy of Seno’o Giro (1890–1961)
Authors:   Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lepekhova Elena S.
Published: July 2022

This article discusses the philosophical views of Seno Giro (1890–1961), the founder of the movement “Shinko Bukkyo Seinen Domei” (“Youth League of the Revival of Bud­dhism”). The study shows that Seno Giro sought to develop his own original philosophy, combining a complex of Buddhist doctrines and the main aspects of socialism, which was popular in the liberal Japanese circles at that time. The paper analyzes the main trends of his movement, which was focused on the reformation of traditional Buddhist institu­tions and the creation of a Buddhism that would be more suitable for the requirements of the modern era. The evolution of Seno Giro’s views is traced from a simple adherence to the dogmas of Nitirenism to the idea that Buddhism, if it were reorganized on the basis of the ideas of Western philosophy, could be a solution to the social problems caused by capitalism. Thus, it is concluded that Seno Giro not only called for a complete reformation of Japanese Buddhism (as many Japanese intellectuals of that time did), but also sought its practical implementation, considering the synthesis of socialism and Buddhism as the most appropriate option. According to Seno Giro, the study of the political philosophy of socialism would help to awaken Buddhists from their “dogmatic sleep”, and Buddhism, in turn, would complement socialist atheism and materialism with humanistic ethics, due to the fact that it lacks the monotheism and creationism inherent in Christianity.
Natural science foundations of the problem of interaction of consciousness and body
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Technical University, Cherepanov Igor V.
Published: July 2022

The article examines the natural-scientific foundations of the problem of the interaction of consciousness and body in non-reductive theories suggesting the impossibility of re­ducing mental properties to the properties of physical systems. There are three determin­istic ways to solve this problem-interactionism, materialistic and idealistic epiphenome­nalism, and two indeterministic ways-parallelism and correlativism. All these methods are subjected to constructive criticism: interactionism, materialistic and idealistic epiphe­nomenalism contradict the principles of causal isolation of physical events and the episte­mological completeness of physics, on which the building of modern natural science is based, parallelism is a heuristically empty concept, and correlativism needs a special class of psychophysical laws that have not been discovered by natural science until now. It is shown that the truth of one theory explaining the interaction of consciousness and body, and the falsity of others should not be determined solely on conceptual grounds in the space of philosophical discourse, but can be established empirically in the process of the development of natural science knowledge. Accordingly, the natural-scientific cri­terion that allows us to make a choice between interactionism or epiphenomenalism, on the one hand, and parallelism or correlativism, on the other, is the principle of causal clo­sure of the physical world, based on the law of conservation of physical energy. If the law of conservation of physical energy is violated in both directions – from the mental to the physical and from the physical to the mental, then interactionism is true. If the law of conservation of physical energy is violated only in one direction – from the mental to the physical or from the physical to the mental, then materialistic or idealistic epiphe­nomenalism is true, respectively. If the principle of causal isolation of the physical world is not violated in the behavior of material systems in any direction, then the choice be­tween parallelism and correlativism depends on the existence of laws of the psychophysi­cal order that determine the relationship of mental and physical events. If such laws are not found as a result of natural science research, then parallelism is true, and if they are found, then correlativism is true.
Perception of the novel “Demons” by F.M. Dostoevsky in Russian pre-revolutionary radical criticism
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Puschaev Yuriy V.
Published: July 2022

The novel “Demons” by F.M. Dostoevsky has a very rich history in terms of its percep­tion in the history of Russian and Soviet culture. Contrary to a popular belief, it was never banned in Soviet times. It was published four times as part of the collected works of Dostoevsky (1927, 1957, 1974, 1982). This article examines how the novel “Demons” was received by the Russian radical criticism during the author’s lifetime. The analysis focuses on the critical articles by N.K. Mikhailovsky, one of the leaders of the narodniks, and P.N. Tkachev, a radical revolutionary, an associate of S.G. Nechaev. They are united by a sharply critical attitude to the novel, its almost complete rejection. Both Mikhailovsky and Tkachev categorically deny that such metaphysical and religious ideas and disputes take place in the revolutionary environment in which the cult of scientific knowledge, positivism and atheism reign, as it is presented in the novel. Mikhailovsky also reproaches Dostoevsky for having overlooked the main demon of Russia at that time – the demon of wealth and its threat for the country. In a dispute that followed be­tween Dostoevsky and Mikhailovsky, the topics of conservative socialism and whether socialism can be non-atheistic were raised. Unfortunately, this dispute did not develop. Tkachev’s criticism of this novel was even more harsh. According Tkachev’s main thesis, Dostoevsky exclusively limited himself to analyzing psychiatric anomalies of human character, painting the inner world of mentally ill people, and ascribing to his characters and to their reality only the inner states of his soul and only his own ideas. These works are only the first stage of the perception of “Demons” by the revolutionary-radical liter­ary tradition. However, for example, in the early Soviet years (1920s), some Marxist authors believed that in “Demons”, on the contrary, Dostoevsky in many respects truth­fully reflected the revolution and its elements (V.F. Pereverzev). And in the early Soviet historical science, at the same time, a trend was formed towards an apology and justifica­tion of Nechaev himself and of his actions.
Illegal heirs of Demodocus: a sophistic logos as a tool for the transformation of the universe
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Volf Marina N.
Published: July 2022

Epic songs played an essential didactical role in ancient Greek society, stabilizing it by the maintenance of its moral patterns. To achieve the desired effect on the audience, the aedes used special techniques. The improving aspect of epic poetry is typical for an­cient authors using this genre. On the case of Parmenides’ poem, it is shown that philo­sophical poems follow only partially the principles of the epic genre, corresponding to it in form and, probably, in purpose, but the content has significantly transformed. Even if Parmenides set himself didactical tasks, they were directly related not to the social, but the cognitive sphere. The sophists as teachers of wisdom of the new generation, who pre­served and embodied the didactic claims of bards to preserve and transmit some moral paradigm. They also used ancient techniques: improvisation, mnemonics, stylistic modes. As for didactics, the sophists also taught by patterns, not transferring and preserving an­cient moral ones, but producing them anew, transforming old forms. Illustrations for the construction are given in the surviving speeches of Gorgias based on plot parallels with three songs of Demodocus in the Odyssey – on heroes, love, and insidious decep­tion. It is shown that in the process of the construction, the logos played a role of a tool for changing the world, both for the better and for the worse, and through this process the sophist edits subtly the old moral content, working out the inversion of plot lines. The ha­bitual form justifies and legitimizes the novelty of the content, and the audience, fasci­nated by the word, gradually accepts this novelty. In sum, sophists shape the moral para­digm through epic techniques, correlating ethics with the cognitive sphere, however, un­like Parmenides, the main emphasis is placed not on divine thinking, and apprehension (doxa), but on the descriptive and discursive nature of the world’s cognition.
“Truth that one produces” or the history of philosophy by Elizabeth Anscombe
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scienc, Sanzhenakov Alexander A.
Published: July 2022

The article deals with the specifics of Elizabeth Anscombe’s approach to the history of philosophy. First, the author presents various approaches to the history of philosophy, and then gives a brief introduction of Anscombe as a philosopher and as a historian of philos­ophy. Her articles “Causality and Determinism” and “Practical Truth” are discussed as paradigmatic examples of Anscombe’s works on the history of philosophy. These exam­ples show that Anscombe’s appeal to the philosophy of the past, and especially to the legacy of Aristotle, was not episodic. The reason for her turning to the history of phi­losophy were always caused by theoretical difficulties in the contemporary philosophical context. For instance, the article “Causality and Determinism” appeals to a wide range of sources (Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, Hume, Mill) in order to show the history of the forma­tion of the concept of causality as a necessary connection of events, but Anscombe looks for a solution to the problem in the works of her older contemporary B. Russell. Espe­cially often, Anscombe turns to Aristotle’s practical philosophy, with the help of which she attacks contemporary concepts. In particular, she criticizes the concept of “moral obligation”, points at an incorrect understanding of the “practical syllogism”, reveals the shortcomings of the Anglo-American concept of desire. In the end, the author of the article offers a brief retelling of the analysis of the Aristotelian concept of “practical truth”, which Anscombe proposes to understand as “the truth that one produces in acting according to choice and decision”. In proposing such an interpretation, Anscombe relies less on a philological or contextual analysis, but rather is guided by her own intuitions.
On the Specifics of the Justification of Morality in Russian Philosophical Tradition
Authors:   Tula Branch of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Gel’fond Mariya L.
Published: July 2022

Some historians of Russian philosophical thought, relying on the fact that it focuses on moral issues, argue that the problem of justification of morality is as significant, as independent and as thoroughly developed in the Russian philosophical tradition as in Western ethics. Mean­while, an analysis of the main trends and most famous doctrines of Russian religious ethics of the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries shows that justification of morality is present in them only implicitly, not as a solution of a separate theoretical problem. In this regard, the relevance of the analysis of Russian ethical-philosophical thought is to identify and reveal the reasons for this situation, as well as to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the op­tion of defending the moral good, which does not separate the problem of justification of morality from the philosophical search for the foundations of life. The purpose of the article also includes checking the hypothesis that the synthetic discursive strategy used by the leading representatives of the Russian philosophical tradition, relying simultaneously on rational and irrational (super-rational) grounds, provides a more complete moral development of a person than attempts to initiate his transformation on a purely religious basis or to use only rational arguments to prove to the moral skeptic the necessity of transformation into a moral person. Of greatest research interest in this context is Leo Tolstoy’s concept of “reasonable faith”.
The Golden Rule and the Categorical Imperative
Authors:   University of Belgrade, Babić Jovan
Published: July 2022

The Golden Rule – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” or in its negative formulation “do not do unto others what you would not have done unto you” – is one of the most ancient formulations of moral criteria. We encounter it in some form in the canonical texts of practically all religions that aspire to any kind of universality. At the first glance, the categorical imperative states and demands the same as the Golden Rule. This presents the question of whether the categorical imperative is a variation of the Golden Rule, or whether, inversely, the Golden Rule is a different way of stating the demand that morality be one and the same the world over? In other words, can these two “rules” be reduced to each other? If this is indeed the case, it would represent an exceptional example of correlation be­tween practice and theory, sophisticatedly elaborated in Kant’s moral philosophy. Alas, if the argument that follows in this text is correct, it will show that the categorical imperative is not a variation of the Golden Rule, nor is the Golden Rule a popular form of the demand placed by the categorical imperative. Furthermore, it will show that the Golden Rule does not present a deontological standpoint at all, and that it fails to guard against arbitrariness; it does not have the capacity to be a criterion of the particular kind of evaluation we call moral or issue the cardinal demand of universal objectivity and impartiality. None of which can be denied the categorical imperative, due to its precious property Kant labels as “formalism”.
Critical brain wave physics of neuronal avalanches without sandpiles of self organized criticality
Authors: Galinsky Vitaly , Frank Lawrence
Published: July 2022

Analytical expressions for scaling of brain wave spectra derived from the general nonlinear wave Hamiltonian form show excellent agreement with experimental ``neuronal avalanche'' data. The theory of the weakly evanescent nonlinear brain wave dynamics1,2 reveals the underlying collective processes hidden behind the phenomenological statistical description of the neuronal avalanches and connects together the whole range of brain activity states, from oscillatory wave-like modes, to neuronal avalanches, to incoherent spiking, showing that the neuronal avalanches are just the manifestation of the different nonlinear side of wave processes abundant in cortical tissue. In a more broad way these results show that a system of wave modes interacting through all possible combinations of the third order nonlinear terms described by a general wave Hamiltonian necessarily produces anharmonic wave modes with temporal and spatial scaling properties that follow scale free power laws. To the best of our knowledge this has never been reported in the physical literature and may be applicable to many physical systems that involve wave processes and not just to neuronal avalanches.
Assessing the effectiveness of the TaMATE1B and TaALMT1 genes to enhance the Al3+ tolerance of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) grown under controlled conditions and in the field.
Authors: Kawasaki Akitomo , Wasson Anton , Kielnhofer Evangeline , Ryan Peter , Delhaize Emmanuel
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Durum wheat is sensitive of acid soils because it lacks effective genes for Al3+ tolerance. Previous research showed introgression of the bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) TaMATE1B and TaALMT1 genes individually increased the Al3+ tolerance of durum wheat. Here we aimed to (a) combine the genes into a single durum line, (b) compare the various introgression lines to each another and (c) establish the effectiveness of the introgressions in improving tolerance of acid soils in the field.
Methods
Durum wheat lines homozygous for Al3+-tolerant alleles of TaMATE1B and TaALMT1 were crossed to develop a line that incorporated both genes. The lines comprised of Jandaroi (parental cultivar), TaMATE1B-Jandaroi, TaALMT1-Jandaroi and TaMATE1B + TaALMT1-Jandaroi were screened for Al3+ tolerance by hydroponic and soil cultures in a growth cabinet. The lines were also assessed for biomass production and grain yield in the field on acid soils.
Results
The durum wheat lines with the various Al3+-tolerance genes introgressed performed better based on root growth than Jandaroi, the parental cultivar, in both hydroponic and soil assays when grown in a cabinet. The various introgression lines were tolerant of acid soils compared to Jandaroi when grown in the field as assessed by shoot biomass and grain yield.
Conclusion
The TaALMT1 and TaMATE1B genes improve the acid soil tolerance of durum wheat with indications that combing the two genes is the most effective strategy. The various lines will be valuable to breeders who wish to enhance the acid soil tolerance of durum germplasm.
Handheld NDVI Sensor-based Rice Productivity Assessment under Combinations of Fertilizer Soil Amendment and Irrigation Water Management in Lower Moshi Irrigation Scheme, Tanzania
Authors: Kimaro Oforo Didas , Gebre Sintayehu Legesse , Hieronimo Proches , Kihupi Nganga , Feger Karl-Heinz , Kimaro Didas N.
Published: July 2022

Handheld Optical Sensor was used to measure canopy reflectance at red region (656 nm) and near-infrared region (774 nm) to generate NDVI data for monitoring rice productivity under soil amendment with combinations of fertilizers at two levels of water regime in smallholder Irrigation Scheme, in Lower Moshi, Tanzania. The study was carried out in an experimental design consisted of two irrigation water levels (flooding and system of rice intensification) with multi-nutrients (NPK) and single nutrient (urea) application replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Flood irrigation water was applied at 7 cm height throughout the growing season, while SRI treatment irrigation water was applied at 4 cm height under alternate wetting and drying conditions. The annual rate of fertilizers applied was 120 kg N/ha, 20 kg P/ha, and 25 kg K/ha. The variety SARO-5 was used in this experiment. Simple correlation coefficient (r) was used to measure the degree of association between field crop performance parameters (plant height, number of tillers, biomass, yield) and NDVI across growth stages and three positions of the sensor above the canopy in the tested fertiliser combinations and water regimes. Results show that at any given fertiliser combinations and water levels, there was no significant correlation between plant height and NDVI except for the plant height at a vegetative stage for 0.6 m above the crop canopy and booting stage at 0.3 m and 0.6 m above the canopy respectively (p < 0.05). A good correlation was also observed between NDVI at booting and full booting stage regardless of the position of the sensor above the canopy and the number of tillers at full booting growth stage (p < 0.05). A significant relationship was observed between rice grain yield and NDVI at the vegetative, booting, and full booting stage. The simple linear regression models explained only slightly less than 30% of the yield predictions by NDVI at the early stage of the crop growth, decreasing gradually to 5% at the full booting growth stage. Results from this study have demonstrated a positive linear relationship between rice grain yield and NDVI for the tested soil fertiliser amendments and irrigation water regimes. The study conclude that handheld NDVI-based sensor can be used in smallholder rice yield predictions for optimising soil fertiliser use and irrigation water management.
Regulation of Community Advisory Boards During Conduct of Clinical Trials in Uganda; a qualitative study involving Stakeholders
Authors: Mijumbi Andrew Ojok , Mugenyi Levicatus , Nanfuka Mastula , Agaba Collins , Ochieng Joseph
Published: July 2022

Background: Community advisory structures such as Community Advisory Boards (CABs) play an important role of helping researchers to better understand the community at each phase of the clinical trial. CABs can be a source of accurate information on the community, its perception of proposed research and may identify factors that make community members vulnerable to the problem under investigation. Although CABs help to build mutually beneficial relationships between the researcher(s) and the communities in which the clinical trial is being implemented, meaningful engagement would require ethical guidance and regulatory oversight. The study assessed the stakeholders’ perspectives regarding the regulatory oversight of CABs in Uganda Methods: This was a cross-sectional study employing qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Key informant interviews (KIIs) with the trial investigators, CAB chairpersons, community liaison officers, regulators and REC chairpersons were conducted. A KII guide was designed and utilized during key informant interviews. The guide included questions on role of investigators and CAB members in clinical trials; challenges of community engagement; facilitation of CABs; regulatory oversight of CABs; work relationships between investigators and CABs; and opinions on how community trials should be conducted among others. All interviews were conducted in English. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim. A code book was generated based on the transcripts and study objectives. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data in Atlas ti based on emerging themes and sub-themes and in line with the study objectives. Results: Of the 34 respondents, 29.4% were investigators, 29.4% CAB chairpersons, 29.4% research regulators/REC Chairs and 11.8% community liaison officers. Fifty-nine percent were male and had varying occupations and demographic characteristics. Content analysis identified themes including the current practices for CAB establishment and monitoring; need for regulatory oversight; appropriate training and skills; and challenges faced by CABs. Conclusion: There is need for regulatory oversight of CABs based on contextualized ethical guidelines as well as capacity strengthening in terms of training and skills development.
Identifying Factors Across Multiple Scales That Impact Bat Activity and Species Richness in a Fragmented Landscape
Authors: RUSSO-PETRICK KELLY M. , Bowling KAREN V. ROOT
Published: July 2022

Roads have variable impacts on wildlife, including bats. Bat habitat preferences along roads vary across spatial scales, creating the need for multi-scale habitat studies. The main objective of this study was to determine what habitat factors impact bat activity and species richness along road transects at local and landscape scales and to identify areas of highest bat activity in the Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio using acoustic monitoring. At the local scale, bat activity and/or species richness were positively associated with canopy height, clutter at 0-3 meters, humidity, natural habitat, canopy cover, months water present, and temperature, and were negatively associated with clutter at 3-6.5 meters. At the landscape scale, activity and/or richness had positive associations with habitat heterogeneity, roads, open natural habitats, ponds, upland prairie, and overall forest cover, and had negative associations with conifers and cropland. High activity areas were consistent between years and clustered in the northern part of the region, especially near protected areas and low activity areas were typically located in the southern part of the region near agricultural areas. When managing bat habitat along roads, it would be advantageous to decrease mid-level clutter, vary habitat types, increase savanna and upland prairie cover, avoid excessive conifer or cropland cover, plant tall trees, and provide water sources. This study shows that combining acoustic road surveys with habitat analyses at multiple scales can be used to examine the most important habitat factors influencing bat activity and species richness.
Development and characterization of Aluminium AA7075 hybrid composite foams (AHCFs) using SiC and TiB2 Reinforcement
Authors: Singh Nitish Kumar , Sethuraman Balaguru
Published: July 2022

In this study AA7075/SiC/TiB2 closed-cell Aluminium hybrid composite foam (AHCFs) with different densities was fabricated by top-loaded bottom pouring stir casting technique. This technique uses oyster-shell powders (CaCO3 2.5 wt. % of composite with 60 μm size) as blowing agents and no viscosity-enhancing ingredient. The silicon carbide (SiC 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt. % with 25 μm) and titanium di-boride (TiB2 3 wt. % with particle size 15 μm) are used as primary and secondary reinforcement agents. It has been noted that the addition of TiB2 and SiC enhanced the mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity, yield strength, and plateau strength) of AHCFs. The energy absorption capacity of AHCFs increases with the addition of SiC up to 3 wt. % and a further increase in SiC content leads to the reduction. It is observed that density and cell wall thickness increases with increasing the wt. % of SiC and Cell size and porosity decrease with an increase in wt. %. of reinforcement. It is also noted that Stirring temperature also strongly influenced the microstructural properties of AHCFs, and 750 0C of stirring temperature is sufficient for aluminium foaming.
First publication of endemic channels as part of a pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: when to turn on the alarms? Recommendations of a pediatric ASP program
Authors: Londoño-Ruiz Juan Pablo , Gutierrez-Tobar Ivan Felipe , Bermúdez-Bohórquez Naddya Lheidy , Rodriguez-Hernandez Andrea Esperanza
Published: July 2022

Background
Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) consider DOT a fundamental measure to quantify the impact of ASP. Novel strategies have been described, but no endemic channels (EC) have been reported to compare antibiotic use within historical patterns. This report describes the process of constructing an EC and analyzing its interpretation.
Methods
This was a descriptive study of the construction, implementation, and analysis of EC. The median and quartile method, as well as the geometric mean (GM) and confidence interval (CI) methods using DOT for the last 4 years were used. ECs have also been elaborated on in critical services (PICU).
Results
GM and CI method was more sensitive in identifying changes in antimicrobial use. Ceftriaxone increased its use starting in December 2021, reaching the warning zone in March 2022 in relation to increased cases of bacterial and complicated pneumonia. Piperacillin–tazobactam showed an important increase in PICU during the first 8 months of 2021, reaching the alert zone until August 2021; thereafter, its use decreased, and this variation was related to a modification in the presentation of complicated appendicitis during the COVID 19 pandemic restrictions. The use of ampicillin-sulbactam has increased since January 2022 because of a change in local guidelines regarding its use in appendicitis and peritonitis. The changes identified in each EC allowed ASP to take different conducts.
Conclusion
EC allowed us to construct a new tool to measure ASP impact, internal comparison of antibiotic use facilitated taking timely interventions. EC could be useful for all pediatric and adult ASP.
Analysis of intermunicipal journeys for cardiac surgery in Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS): an approach based on network theory
Authors: Sousa Ludmilla Monfort Oliveira , Pereira Hernane Borges de Barros , de Araújo Edna Maria , Miranda José Garcia Vivas
Published: July 2022

Introduction: The transformation of data into information is important to support decision making and, thus, to induce improvements in healthcare services. The regionalized organization of healthcare systems is necessary to ensure the integrity of citizen care. From this perspective, the creation of mechanisms to guide and assess the behavior of a healthcare services network becomes necessary. However, these mechanisms must consider the interaction between different municipalities. The objective of this study is to apply network analysis as a supporting tool in the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) management. Methods: the stages of the proposed method are described and applied in a real situation, analyzing the intermunicipal interaction network for cardiovascular surgery in the municipality of Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil, from 2008 to 2020. The metrics analyzed were journeys indices, flow of patients and distance of the journeys, considering the journeys from and to the municipality in focus. Result: there was an increase of the incoming flow and in-degree indices combined with a decrease in outgoing flow, showing the growing importance of this municipality as a provider of these services. Conclusion: the method used in the study has potential to be adopted as a management tool to assess the behavior of the interactions network of the selected service, aiding the regionalized organization of the healthcare system.
A novel glycosylation-related gene signature predicts survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liang Jinxiao , Chen Qian , Chen Da , Gao Wei , Qian Xinyu , Bi Jinqiao , Han Bingbing , Lin Xingchen , Liu Jinshi
Published: July 2022

Background:
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common malignant tumor that seriously affects a huge number of human health. It is reported that abnormal levels of glycosylation promote the progression and poor prognosis of lung cancer. Hence, we aimed to explore the prognostic signature related to glycosyltransferases (GTs) for LUAD.
Method:
Based on the data of gene expression profiles obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and GTs obtained from the GlycomeDB database, we identified differentially expressed GTs-related genes (DGTs) between control and LUAD samples. The latent functions and pathways of DGTs were detected by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) methods. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were then performed to screen the candidate prognostic genes to conduct a prognostic risk model for LUAD. Kaplan-Meier(K-M) curve was operated to assess the overall survival (OS) of LUAD patients. The accuracy and specificity of the constructed risk model were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC). In addition, the infiltrating immune cells in the tumor environment were analyzed using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm.
Results:
A total of 48 DGTs were identified, contained 37 upregulated and 11 downregulated DGTs, which were mainly enriched in the processes of glycosylation, glycoprotein biosynthetic process, glycosphingolipid biosynthesis-lacto and neolacto series, and cell-mediated immune response. Furthermore, B3GNT3, MFNG, GYLTL1B, ALG3, and GALNT13 were screeded as prognostic genes to construct a risk model for LUAD that divided patients into a high-and low-risk group. K-M curve analysis suggested that high-risk patients showed shorter OS compared with low-risk patients. ROC analysis demonstrated the risk model presented a better ability for diagnosing LUAD. Additionally, the portion of infiltrating aDC and Tgd were higher in the high-risk group than the low-risk group. Spearman correlation analysis manifested that the prognostic genes (MFNG and ALG3) were significantly correlated with infiltrating immune cells.
Conclusion:
We established a novel GTs-related risk model for the prognosis of LUAD patients, providing new therapeutic targets for LUAD.
Multi-modality Treatment Approach for Paediatric AVMs with Quality-of-Life Outcome Measures
Authors: Aziz Natasha , Duddy John C. , Saeed Danial , Hennigan Dawn , Israni Anil , Puthuran Mani , Chandran Arun , Mallucci Conor
Published: July 2022

PurposeDespite the potentially devastating and permanently disabling effects of paediatric arteriovenous malformations (pAVMs) there is a paucity of studies reporting long-term Quality-of-Life (QoL) outcomes in AVM patients. We aim to evaluate the management strategies for paediatric intracranial pAVMs in the UK and long-term QoL outcomes using a validated paediatric quality-of-life outcome measure. MethodsIn this single-centre case-series, we retrospectively reviewed a prospectively maintained database of all paediatric patients (i.e. 0-18 years-old) with intracranial AVMs, who were managed at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital from July 2007 to December 2021. We also collected the PedsQL 4.0 Score for these patients as a measure of QoL. Results52 AVMs were included in our analysis. 40 (80%) were ruptured, 8 (16%) required emergency intervention, 17 (35%) required elective surgery, 15 (30%) underwent endovascular embolisation and 15 (30%) patients underwent stereotactic radiosurgery. There was an 88% overall obliteration rate. 2 (4%) pAVMs rebled and there were no mortalities. Overall, the mean time from diagnosis to definitive treatment was 144 days (median 119; range 0 – 586). QoL outcomes were collected for 26 (51%) patients. Ruptured pAVM presentation was associated with worse QoL (p=0.0008). Location impacted psychosocial scores significantly (71.4, 56.9, 46.6 for right supratentorial, left supratentorial and infratentorial, respectively; p = 0.04). ConclusionThis study shows a staged multi-modality treatment approach to pAVMs is safe and effective, with superior obliteration rates with surgery alone. QoL scores are impacted by AVM presentation and location regardless of treatment modality.
N-Acetyl Serotonin Provides Neuroprotective Effects by Inhibiting Ferroptosis in the Neonatal Rat Hippocampus Following Hypoxic Brain Injury
Authors: Yang Xiaomei , Yang Yue , Gao Feng , Lu Kangping , Wang Chunling
Published: July 2022

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy is the main cause of infant brain damage, perinatal death, and chronic neonatal disability worldwide. Ferroptosis is a new form of cell death that is closely related to hypoxia-induced brain damage. N-acetyl serotonin (NAS) exerts neuroprotective effects, but its effects and underlying mechanisms in hypoxia-induced brain damage remain unclear. In the present study, 5-day-old neonatal Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to hypoxia for 7 days to establish a hypoxia model. Histochemical staining was used to measure the effects of hypoxia on the rat hippocampus. The hippocampal tissue in the hypoxia group showed significant atrophy. Hypoxia significantly increased the levels of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and the iron metabolism-related protein transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and decreased the levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). These changes resulted in mitochondrial damage, causing neuronal ferroptosis in the hippocampus. More importantly, NAS may improve mitochondrial function and alleviate downstream ferroptosis and damage to the hippocampus following hypoxia. In conclusion, we found that NAS could suppress neuronal ferroptosis in the hippocampus following hypoxic brain injury. These discoveries highlight the potential use of NAS as a treatment for neuronal damage through the suppression of ferroptosis, suggesting new treatment strategies for hypoxia-induced brain damage.
Examination of Plasmodium parasites in bone marrow puncture fluid for the diagnosis of imported-malaria in patients from the Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Huang Ying , Wu Yan , Dong Ying , He Hua , Liang Guiliang , Xu Jun , Luo Yun , Li Yang , Zhang Yanling , Huang Hongli
Published: July 2022

Background
China has been certified as a malaria-free country by World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2021, the pressure of continuously preventing the dissemination from imported-malaria urgently calls for timely monitoring and effective management the malaria cases. To compensate for the risk of missed diagnosis of malaria using peripheral blood examination alone, medical institutions in Yunnan Province launched bone marrow puncture examination to confirm Plasmodium infection more accurately.
Methods
Patients with a recent history of travelling to malaria-endemic areas outside of China, who were excluded from microbial infections such as tuberculosis and exhibited persistent abnormalities, including hepatosplenomegaly and decreased platelet pressure and the negative for Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) antigen in the peripheral blood, were enrolled in the study. The cases ware conducted the bone marrow aspirate from anterior superior iliac spine to screen for Plasmodium infection in bone marrow fluid. Then the pLDH genes of the Plasmodium isolates from cases ware amplified by nested PCR. The amplification products were sequenced, and the B-cell epitopes and the oligomeric spatial structures of the pLDH peptide chains were analyzed.
Results
Five patients found Plasmodium infection in bone marrow fluid were included in the study, which included four patients with Plasmodium negative and one patient with Plasmodium falciparum positive in peripheral blood. Two pLDH negative cases in peripheral blood were confirmed as Plasmodium vivax infection, with the proportion of ring stage, large trophozoites, schizonts, and stage III-V gametocytes reaching 28.3%, 38.3%, 4.8%, 11.5%, 16.5% and 0.8%, respectively. The erythrocyte count and hemoglobin concentration of the five cases post-treatment merely increased to the lower end of the normal range. Platelet count returned to the normal range, increasing by 466%, 378%, 252%, 168% and 35%, respectively. There were four to five B-cell antigenic determinants along pLDH peptide chains of the infected strains in the five cases. Of them, the four sequences of 63th ~ 70th aa, 86th ~ 96th aa, 198th ~ 207th aa, 287th ~ 295th were commonly found on pLDH peptide chains from Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium malariea strains. Of note, the sequence of “211-EEVEGIFDR-220" was only detected in Plasmodium vivax strain, whereas the sequence of “207-LISDAE-213” was unique for Plasmodium falciparum strain. The spatial location of both two sequences was proximal to the “fusion region" of antigenic epitopes on the surface of pLDH tetramer.
Conclusion
Examination of the Plasmodium in bone marrow puncture fluid could make up for the missed diagnosis of malaria that solely relies on peripheral blood.
Mechanistic insight into the aggregation pathway of an immunoglobulin light chain protein
Authors: Reif Bernd , Pradhan Tejaswini , Sarkar Riddhiman , Schwierz Nadine , Zacharias Martin
Published: July 2022

Systemic antibody light chains (AL) amyloidosis is characterized by deposition of amyloid fibrils derived from a particular antibody light chain protein. In addition, soluble oligomeric AL protein has a direct cytotoxic effect on cardiomyocytes prior to organ malfunction and amyloid formation. The structure of these oligomers and the mechanism of toxicity is, however, not understood. Using solution-state NMR spectroscopy, we are able to follow the individual steps involved in protein misfolding from the native state to the amyloid fibril structure at atomic resolution for the first time. We show that unfavorable mutations in the complementary determining regions introduce a strain in the protein structure which induces partial unfolding of the native state. Subsequently, the protein converts into a high molecular weight molten globule like structure. We demonstrate that this transition is driven by electrostatic interactions. The high local concentration of aggregation prone regions in the oligomer finally catalyzes the conversion into amyloid fibrils. We find that the topology of the aggregated state is determined by balanced electrostatic interactions in the core of the fibril, resulting in an anti-parallel arrangement of the beta-sheets around the conserved disulfide bond.
Identifying and prioritizing Sediment-prone areas at the sub-basin level of Tekeze watershed, Ethiopia
Authors: Hailu Melese Baye , Mishra S.K , K.Jain Sanjay , Singh Vijay P.
Published: July 2022

Soil erosion is a serious concern around the world because of its detrimental effect on agricultural productivity and reservoir storage capacity, which is mostly caused by improper land management. Effective land management entails expensive soil conservation measures which are not affordable in developing countries, especially in large watersheds. Thus, identifying the most vulnerable areas for sediment yield and executing remedial measures for those areas is critical to lower costs and maintain effectiveness. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is one of the commonly used models to identify weak zones for erosion from smaller units (hydrologic response units). In this study, the watershed of Tekeze was divided into 34 subbasins and 158 hydrologic response units, and the areas most vulnerable for sediment production were identified using the SWAT model. The model was evaluated using SWAT-CUP SUFI 2 algorithms by comparing predicted streamflow and sediment yield in the Tekeze basin with observed values. For streamflow, R2 = 0.76, 0.85, NS = 0.76, 0.69, PBIAS=-8.1, 13.4, and for sediment, R2 = 0.8, 0.66, NS =0.8, 0.62, PBIAS=-4.1, 4.1 for calibration and validation, respectively. Results showed a large variation in sediment yield from one subbasin to the other. Out of 34 subbasins, four had a very high sediment yield (21 to 39 t/ha/yr), two had high (16 to 20 t/ha/yr), one had medium (11 to 15 t/ha/yr), four had low (6 to 10 t/ha/yr) and the rest had a very low sediment yield (0 to 5 t/ha/yr). One subbasin had quite a high SDR(> 0.45), and the other three had a high SDR (0.45-0.32). The overall result sediment delivery ratio indicated that subbasins 1, 3, 5, 14, 17, and 28 required great attention.
Ribosomal protein RPL5 regulates colon cancer cell proliferation and migration through MAPK/ERK signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Huahua , Liu Junli , Dang Qingqing , Wang Xueru , Chen Jie , Lin Xiaoyin , Yang Na , Du Juan , Shi Haiyan , Liu Yong , Han Jiming
Published: July 2022

Background: Abnormal expression of ribosomal proteins has an important regulatory effect on the progression of cancer. RPL5 is involved in the progression of various malignancies, however, the role of RPL5 in colon cancer remains is still unclear. Methods: Data from TCGA and GTEx databases were used to analyze the RPL5 expression in pan-cancer. The expression level of RPL5 in clinical colon cancer tissue samples and human colon cancer cell lines was detected by western blotting; siRNA targeting RPL5 was designed, and its interference efficiency was verified by western blotting and RT-qPCR; CCK8 assay, clone formation assay, cell cycle assay, and cell scratch assay were used to observe the effect of RPL5 on colon cancer cell proliferation and migration; the changes of proteins related to MAPK/ERK signaling pathway were also detected using western blotting. Results: The expression level of RPL5 in colon cancer tissues and cell lines was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues and NCM460 cells, respectively, and its expression level was higher in HCT116 cells and RKO cells. Knockdown of RPL5 significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCT16 and RKO cells, and arrested the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Mechanistic studies revealed that the expression of p-MEK1/2, p-ERK, c-Myc were down-regulated, and the expression of FOXO3 was up-regulated after down-regulation of RPL5, ERK activator (TBHQ) could partially reverse the above-mentioned effects caused by siRPL5. Moreover, TBHQ could partially reverse the inhibitory effect of siRPL5 on the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells. Collectively, RPL5 promoted colon cell proliferation and migration, at least in part, by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.Conclusion: RPL5 promoted colon cell proliferation and migration, at least in part, by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for cancers in which MAPK/ERK signaling is a dominant feature.
(liquid + liquid) equilibrium experiment and thermodynamic modeling of water + o-cresol + solvents (Mesityl oxide or n-Propyl acetate) at 303.2, 313.2, and 323.2 K under 101.3 kPa
Authors: Cao Tianyi , Guo Hongyue , Wang Yuxin , Cao Jingwei , Li Qingsong
Published: July 2022

In this work, the liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of the ternary mixtures of water + o-cresol + solvents (mesityl oxide or n-propyl acetate) were measured at 303.2, 313.2, and 323.2 K under 101.3 kPa. The distribution coefficients (D) and separation factors (S) were used to evaluate the effect of extracting o-Cresol from water and the high D and S values indicated that the two solvents are promising. At the same time, the NRTL and UNIQUAC models were used to correlate experimental data, and obtain regression parameters with the root mean square (RMSD) values less than 0.50%. In addition, the GUI-MATLAB tool was used to verify the good reliability of the regression parameters.