bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the perspectives of recruiters is key to improving randomised controlled trial enrolment: a qualitative evidence synthesis
Authors: Farrar Nicola , Elliott Daisy , Houghton Catherine , Jepson Marcus , Mills Nicola , Paramasivan Sangeetha , Plumb Lucy , Wade Julia , Young Bridget , Donovan Jenny L. , Rooshenas Leila
Published: October 2022

Background

Recruiting patients to randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is often reported to be challenging, and the evidence base for effective interventions that could be used by staff (recruiters) undertaking recruitment is lacking. Although the experiences and perspectives of recruiters have been widely reported, an evidence synthesis is required in order to inform the development of future interventions. This paper aims to address this by systematically searching and synthesising the evidence on recruiters’ perspectives and experiences of recruiting patients into RCTs. 

Methods

A qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) following Thomas and Harden’s approach to thematic synthesis was conducted. The Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ORRCA and Web of Science electronic databases were searched. Studies were sampled to ensure that the focus of the research was aligned with the phenomena of interest of the QES, their methodological relevance to the QES question, and to include variation across the clinical areas of the studies. The GRADE CERQual framework was used to assess confidence in the review findings.

Results

In total, 9316 studies were identified for screening, which resulted in 128 eligible papers. The application of the QES sampling strategy resulted in 30 papers being included in the final analysis. Five overlapping themes were identified which highlighted the complex manner in which recruiters experience RCT recruitment: (1) recruiting to RCTs in a clinical environment, (2) enthusiasm for the RCT, (3) making judgements about whether to approach a patient, (4) communication challenges, (5) interplay between recruiter and professional roles.

Conclusions

This QES identified factors which contribute to the complexities that recruiters can face in day-to-day clinical settings, and the influence recruiters and non-recruiting healthcare professionals have on opportunities afforded to patients for RCT participation. It has reinforced the importance of considering the clinical setting in its entirety when planning future RCTs and indicated the need to better normalise and support research if it is to become part of day-to-day practice.

Trial registration

PROSPERO CRD42020141297 (registered 11/02/2020).
Development of novel DNA marker for species discrimination of Fasciola flukes based on the fatty acid binding protein type I gene
Authors: Okamoto Emi , Tashiro Michiyo , Ortiz Pedro , Mohanta Uday Kumar , Hobán Cristian , Murga-Moreno César A. , Angulo-Tisoc José M. , Ichikawa-Seki Madoka
Published: October 2022

Background

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for nuclear phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) and polymerase delta (pold), respectively, have been used to differentiate Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, and hybrid Fasciola flukes. However, discrimination errors have been reported in both methods. This study aimed to develop a multiplex PCR based on a novel nuclear marker, the fatty acid binding protein type I (FABP) type I gene.

Methods

Nucleotide sequence variations of FABP type I were analyzed using DNA samples of F. hepatica, F. gigantica, and hybrid Fasciola flukes obtained from 11 countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. A common forward primer for F. hepatica and F. gigantica and two specific reverse primers for F. hepatica and F. gigantica were designed for multiplex PCR.

Results

Specific fragments of F. hepatica (290 bp) and F. gigantica (190 bp) were successfully amplified using multiplex PCR. However, the hybrid flukes contained fragments of both species. The multiplex PCR for FABP type I could precisely discriminate the 1312 Fasciola samples used in this study. Notably, no discrimination errors were observed with this novel method.

Conclusions

Multiplex PCR for FABP type I can be used as a species discrimination marker in place of pepck and pold. The robustness of the species-specific primer should be continuously examined using a larger number of Fasciola flukes worldwide in the future since nucleotide substitutions in the primer regions may cause amplification errors.

Graphical abstract
Computational quantification and characterization of independently evolving cellular subpopulations within tumors is critical to inhibit anti-cancer therapy resistance
Authors: Alkhatib Heba , Rubinstein Ariel M. , Vasudevan Swetha , Flashner-Abramson Efrat , Stefansky Shira , Chowdhury Sangita Roy , Oguche Solomon , Peretz-Yablonsky Tamar , Granit Avital , Granot Zvi , Ben-Porath Ittai , Sheva Kim , Feldman Jon , Cohen Noa E. , Meirovitz Amichay , Kravchenko-Balasha Nataly
Published: October 2022

Background

Drug resistance continues to be a major limiting factor across diverse anti-cancer therapies. Contributing to the complexity of this challenge is cancer plasticity, in which one cancer subtype switches to another in response to treatment, for example, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to Her2-positive breast cancer. For optimal treatment outcomes, accurate tumor diagnosis and subsequent therapeutic decisions are vital. This study assessed a novel approach to characterize treatment-induced evolutionary changes of distinct tumor cell subpopulations to identify and therapeutically exploit anticancer drug resistance.

Methods

In this research, an information-theoretic single-cell quantification strategy was developed to provide a high-resolution and individualized assessment of tumor composition for a customized treatment approach.

Briefly, this single-cell quantification strategy computes cell barcodes based on at least 100,000 tumor cells from each experiment and reveals a cell-specific signaling signature (CSSS) composed of a set of ongoing processes in each cell.

Results

Using these CSSS-based barcodes, distinct subpopulations evolving within the tumor in response to an outside influence, like anticancer treatments, were revealed and mapped. Barcodes were further applied to assign targeted drug combinations to each individual tumor to optimize tumor response to therapy.

The strategy was validated using TNBC models and patient-derived tumors known to switch phenotypes in response to radiotherapy (RT).

Conclusions

We show that a barcode-guided targeted drug cocktail significantly enhances tumor response to RT and prevents regrowth of once-resistant tumors. The strategy presented herein shows promise in preventing cancer treatment resistance, with significant applicability in clinical use.
Identification and growth-promoting effect of endophytic bacteria in potato
Authors: Shuang Ma , Sun Jiying , Teng Wang
Published: October 2022

In agriculture, Bacillus
species are efficient and ecologically tool for promote the growth of the
plant.

Purpose: This study obtains the plant growth-promoting (PGP) ability of
endophytic bacteria isolated from the potato tubers.

Methods: Using endophytic
bacteria to promote potato growth, achieve the purpose of increasing production.
In this experiment, the growth- promoting ability of the strain was verified by
laboratory identification and field test validation.

Result: The isolates
were identified as Bacillus species based on a 16S rRNA gene sequence
and gyrB gene sequence analysis. DNA hybridization finally identified it as Bacillus
velezensis. Among the PGP attributes, the strain K-9 was found to be positive
for indole acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, siderophore
production, and nitrogen fixation. The isolate was found negative for potassium
solubilization. The quantitative estimation of IAA product to 9.09 μg/ml. The
isolate also had the ability to produce lytic enzymes such as amylase and
protease. The quantitative estimation of protease activity is 89.16 μg/ml. The inoculation strain K-9 improved bioaccumulation of roots
and buds and yield in the potato compared to uninoculated control plants.

Conclusion: These findings give an insight into the ways to use PGP bacteria to increase
potato production.
Quantitative MRI indicators and features for partial subscapularis tendon tears on conventional shoulder MRI
Authors: Wang Qiqi , Zhao Jie , Zhou Suying , Lv Yuchan , Liu Xin , Yang Haitao
Published: October 2022

Background

Diagnosing partial subscapularis (SSC) tendon tears still faces challenges. A failure rate of massive posterosuperior rotator cuff tear repair will be highly increased when extending more than one-third of SSC tendon. This study aims to investigate the quantitative indicators and features of partial SSC tears on conventional shoulder MRI and improve the preoperative diagnostic accuracy.

Materials and methods

Four hundred and thirty-seven patients underwent MRI and arthroscopy were retrospectively reviewed; 89 patients with partial SSC tears in case group and 50 patients with normal SSC in control group were included. Six MRI features with the explicit definition of some quantitative indicators were evaluated.

Results

Fissure sign showed the highest diagnostic efficiency for the partial SSC tears, with a specificity of 92%, sensitivity of 75.3%, and accuracy of 81.3%. Thinning of SSC, fluid collection under the coraco-glenoid arch (CGA), and combined SSP complete tear also showed high specificity of 86%, 80%, and 80%, respectively, while the sensitivity and accuracy were moderate, with a sensitivity of 38.2%, 50.6%, and 48.3%, respectively, an accuracy of 55.4%, 61.2%, and 59.7%, respectively. The specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of lesser tuberosity cysts were all moderate with values of 68%, 56.2%, and 60%, respectively. However, fat accumulation under the CGA showed no significant difference between the partial SSC tears group and the control group.

Conclusion

Several specific MRI features with quantitative indicators defined in this study can be used to improve the accuracy of preoperative MRI diagnosis of partial SSC tears.
Sustained remission of psychotic symptoms secondary to hypothyroidism (myxedema psychosis) after 6 months of treatment primarily with levothyroxine: a case report
Authors: Chan Eric C.
Published: October 2022

Background

Psychotic symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, also known as “myxedema psychosis,” are a treatable cause of psychosis often associated with complete recovery. While most cases receive both thyroxine and a short course of antipsychotics, some reports indicate that symptoms can resolve without antipsychotic treatment, though follow-up in these cases has often been short or not reported. This is one of the first case reports demonstrating sustained remission of psychotic symptoms at 6 months in a case of myxedema psychosis treated with minimal antipsychotic medication.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a 40-year-old Caucasian woman who was brought to hospital with a 7-day history of anxiety and decreased sleep and 1 day of disorganized speech, paranoid delusions, and auditory hallucinations. After being admitted to psychiatry for management, screening blood work revealed elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone. The patient was initiated on treatment with levothyroxine and low doses of antipsychotics. Her symptoms resolved on the third day of her admission with ongoing symptomatic remission at 6 months follow-up.

Conclusions

The identification of myxedema psychosis is important owing to the implications on treatment and prognosis of the disorder. Our case suggests that sustained symptom resolution may occur with little to no antipsychotic treatment, though these findings are preliminary and additional study is needed before definitive conclusions on the optimal approach can be made.
Association of co-occurring mental health problems with hepatitis C status among young people who inject drugs in rural New Mexico, 2016–2018
Authors: Gupta Akash , Shebl Fatma M. , Tong Yao , Wagner Katherine , Bassett Ingrid V. , Page Kimberly , Winstanley Erin L.
Published: October 2022

Background

Injection drug use (IDU) remains the strongest risk factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States. HCV rates are increasing in rural areas among young adult people who inject drugs (PWID). People with HCV and PWID have disproportionate rates of mental health problems; however, it is unclear whether risky injection behaviors mediate the association between mental health problems and HCV. We examined the association between mental health problems and HCV in a rural cohort of young adult PWID, with the goal of informing rural service delivery.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from a convenience sample of young adult PWID in 2 rural counties in New Mexico. Participants were recruited from 2 community venues between September 2016 and May 2018. Associations between mental health problems and HCV were examined using bivariate (Fisher’s exact) and multivariable modified Poisson regression analyses (with robust standard errors). Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we assessed duration of IDU and receptive syringe sharing (RSS) as mediators of this relationship.

Results

A total of 263 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 26.1 years. The majority were male (66.3%) and Hispanic/Latino (a) (87.6%). The median age first injected was 19 years, and over half reported having ever engaged in RSS (53.4%). At least one mental health problem was reported by 60.1% of participants, with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being the most prevalent condition (42.2%). A majority (60.9%) tested positive for HCV antibody, and just under half (45.7%) of all participants tested positive for HCV ribonucleic acid. In SEM, PTSD had a significant total effect on HCV (τ = 0.230, P = 0.05), and this relationship was partially mediated by duration of IDU (αβ = 0.077, P = 0.03). The association between mental health problems and HCV was partially mediated by duration of IDU and the sequential mediation of duration of IDU and RSS (αβ + αββ = 0.091, P = 0.05).

Conclusions

High HCV rates among young adult PWID in rural New Mexico may be partly explained by mental health problems, duration of IDU and RSS. Mental health services for young adult PWID in rural areas may help decrease HCV transmission in rural areas.

Trial Registration N/A.
Failure and fault classification for smart grids
Authors: Krivohlava Zuzana , Chren Stanislav , Rossi Bruno
Published: October 2022

Smart grid (SG) has been designed as a response to the limitations of traditional power grids caused by growing power supply demands. SG is considered a critical infrastructure in which dependability plays a crucial role and manifestation of failures can lead to severe consequences. Architecture-wise, SGs can be decomposed in several layers comprising variety of physical, software, communication and business components, each representing a potential point of failure determined by their underlying faults. In this paper, we present a systematic literature review surveying 30 different faults and failures which can occur in the SG infrastructure. The discovered faults and failures are investigated to extract details about their causes, impacts, detection techniques and counter-measures. Based on the collected information, the faults and failures are classified and mapped to Smart Grid Reference Architecture Model (SGAM), providing a useful frame of reference for practitioners and researchers dealing with hardware and software dependability in this complex domain.
COVID-19’s effects on the Egyptian population’s brain: Could MRI and specialized MR spectroscopic analysis be beneficial?
Authors: Reda Alaa Mohamed , Elsharkawy Ahmed , Dawoud Tamer Mahmoud
Published: October 2022

Background

The recent pandemic of COVID‐19 has thrown the world into chaos due to its high rate of transmissions. Recently viewed neurological manifestations among hospitalized Egyptian patients with COVID‐19 in quarantine centres. Ataxia, disturbed consciousness and convulsions should be further evaluated by MRI and MRS for CNS involvement by SARS‐CoV‐2. How COVID-19 targeting the CNS is still under study, as it is difficult to predict which diagnostic neurological tests will be used to identify high-risk COVID19 patients. MR spectroscopy represents a non-invasive in vivo diagnostic technique for evaluation of metabolic profile of the brain and can reveal important information about the underlying pathologies. Multiple recent reports in the medical literature had confirmed the neurological complications in COVID-19 infection, though few studies has reported the MR spectroscopic findings in these patients. This cross-sectional study aimed to use MRI and MR spectroscopic findings for evaluation of the neurological manifestation of Egyptian COVID‐19 patients.

Results

Ninety-one male and twenty-seven female met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 52 years ± 10 (SD) (age range; 12–78 years). The commonest neurological manifestations were disturbed conscious level (82.2%). The most common MRI findings were acute ischemic insult with/without haemorrhagic areas (42.3%), demyelinating patches of altered signal intensity (31.3%). Sixty cases who had haemorrhagic areas were excluded to perform MRS due to contamination of the spectra by blood component. However, the remaining 67 patients had NAA reduction, choline elevation, glutamate/glutamine and lactate elevation in short TE35, with mean of NAA/Cr ratio = 1.04 ± 0.14, Choline/Cr = 0.49 ± 0.04 and Glx/Cr = 1.56 ± 0.22.

Conclusions

During the current pandemic of COVID-19, radiologists should be aware of wide spectrum of MRI and MRS findings of COVID-19-related CNS involvement.
Investigation of the corrosion inhibition potentials of some 2-(4-(substituted)arylidene)-1H-indene-1,3-dione derivatives: density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Oyeneyin Oluwatoba Emmanuel , Ojo Nathanael Damilare , Ipinloju Nureni , Agbaffa Eric Bamidele , Emmanuel Abiodun Vestor
Published: October 2022

Background

Corrosion is a threat to material strength and durability. Electron-rich organic inhibitor may offer good corrosion mitigation potentials. In this work, anti-corrosion potentials of nine derivatives of 1H-indene-1,3-dione have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) approach and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Chemical reactivity descriptors like energies of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (ELUMO), highest occupied molecular orbital (EHOMO), electron affinity (A), ionization potential (I), energy gap (ΔEgap), global hardness (η), global softness (σ), electronegativity (χ), electrophilicity (ω), number of transferred electrons (ΔN) and back-donation (ΔEback-donation) were computed at DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d) theoretical level. The local reactive sites and the charge partitioning on the compounds were studied using Fukui indices and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface analysis. The adsorption behavior and the binding energy of the inhibitors on Fe (110) surface in hydrochloric acid solution were investigated using MD simulation.

Results

The high chemical reactivity, kinetic instability and good corrosion inhibition potentials demonstrated by the inhibitors are rationalized based on their high EHOMO, A, σ, ΔN, ΔEback-donation, and low ΔEgap, ELUMO, I and η. A wide difference of approximately 2.4–3.2 eV between the electronegativities of iron and the 1H-inden-1,3-diones suggests good charge transfer tendency from the latter to the low-lying vacant d-orbitals of iron. The heteroatoms (O and N) and the aromatic moieties are the nucleophilic sites on the inhibitors for effective adsorption on the metal surface as shown by condensed Fukui dual functions and MEP analysis. The MD simulation shows good interaction and strong binding energy between the inhibitor and Fe (110) surface.

Conclusions

Effective surface coverage and displacement of H3O+, Cl− and water molecules from Fe (110) surface by the inhibitors indicate good corrosion inhibition properties of the inden-1,3-diones. 2-((4,7-dimethylnaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)-1H-indene-1,3(2H)-dione display low energy gap, strongest binding interaction and most stabilized iron-inhibitor configuration, hence, the best anti-corrosion potential.

Graphical abstract
Production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil using mesoporous MgO-SnO2 nanocomposite
Authors: Velmurugan Amirthavalli , Warrier Anita R.
Published: October 2022

Mesoporous, bifunctional MgO-SnO2 nanocatalysts with enhanced surface area are used for producing biodiesel from waste cooking oil. Biodiesel with yield of 80% is achieved within the first 20 min when transesterification is carried out at an optimum condition of 18:1 methanol to oil ratio, 2 wt% of nanocatalyst, and at a reaction temperature of 60 °C. The conversion gives a maximum yield of 88% when transesterification is allowed to continue for 120 min. The waste cooking oil used in this work is dominated with linoleic acid and oleic acid, which during transesterification gets converted into methyl linoleate and 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester. These nanocatalysts are fabricated using a composite of rutile (tetragonal) phase SnO2 and cubic phase MgO nanostructures with prominent crystal orientation along [211] and [200] plane respectively. The MgO-SnO2 nanocomposites with an enhanced surface area of 31 m2/g, basic sites of 2 mmol/g, and particle size of ~15 nm are synthesized by novel sequential thermal decomposition and sol-gel technique. The synthesized wide band gap nanocomposites have Mg and Sn in the ratio of 15:1 and do not have any impurity phases as observed in the X-ray diffraction pattern and EDS spectrum. The presence of surface oxygen states and Mg2+ and Sn4+ oxidative states is responsible for the catalytic activity and recyclability displayed by the composites. This work signifies the role of nanocomposites and their synthesis conditions in improving the rate of transesterification. These metal oxide nanocomposites which are nontoxic, stable, cost effective, and easier to synthesis are promising catalysts for large-scale transesterification of waste cooking oil to biodiesel.
Community Member and Health Care Provider Perspectives on Communication With Chinese American Patients With Cancer: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Robbel Courtney , Vesel Linda , Ernst Emma , He Yang , Vesel Tamara
Published: October 2022

PURPOSE:

Effective health care provider-patient discussions of cancer diagnoses and prognoses are essential to enhance health outcomes in oncology. Chinese Americans have been designated an underserved population in oncology by the National Institutes of Health. We explored the perspectives of Boston Chinese American community members and health care providers regarding communication preferences and decision making in oncology care.

METHODS:

In this inductive, qualitative study, we conducted virtual, semi-structured interviews with 21 health care providers with experience in caring for Chinese American patients with cancer and 25 older Boston Chinatown community members who self-identify as Chinese or Chinese American. Thematic analysis was performed.

Results:

Two major themes were identified. First, provider communication should incorporate a gentle but truthful approach, careful word choice, authority-led style, and professionalism. Second, the family plays a large role in medical and nonmedical settings, and a family-centered approach to communication should be used.

Conclusion:

Our study builds on and challenges current knowledge regarding oncologic communication with Chinese American patients. A focus on the improvement of provider-patient cancer communication for Chinese Americans will improve care quality and satisfaction among patients and clinicians alike and serve to decrease disparities in care.
Molecular Characterization of Circulating Tumor DNA in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Ruhen Olivia , Lak Nathalie S.M. , Stutterheim Janine , Danielli Sara G. , Chicard Mathieu , Iddir Yasmine , Saint-Charles Alexandra , Di Paolo Virginia , Tombolan Lucia , Gatz Susanne A. , Aladowicz Ewa , Proszek Paula , Jamal Sabri , Stankunaite Reda , Hughes Deborah , Carter Paul , Izquierdo Elisa , Wasti Ajla , Chisholm Julia C. , George Sally L. , Pace Erika , Chesler Louis , Aerts Isabelle , Pierron Gaelle , Zaidi Sakina , Delattre Olivier , Surdez Didier , Kelsey Anna , Hubank Michael , Bonvini Paolo , Bisogno Gianni , Di Giannatale Angela , Schleiermacher Gudrun , Schäfer Beat W. , Tytgat Godelieve A.M. , Shipley Janet
Published: October 2022

PURPOSE

Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are rare neoplasms affecting children and young adults. Efforts to improve patient survival have been undermined by a lack of suitable disease markers. Plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has shown promise as a potential minimally invasive biomarker and monitoring tool in other cancers; however, it remains underexplored in RMS. We aimed to determine the feasibility of identifying and quantifying ctDNA in plasma as a marker of disease burden and/or treatment response using blood samples from RMS mouse models and patients.

METHODS

We established mouse models of RMS and applied quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect ctDNA within the mouse plasma. Potential driver mutations, copy-number alterations, and DNA breakpoints associated with PAX3/ 7-FOXO1 gene fusions were identified in the RMS samples collected at diagnosis. Patient-matched plasma samples collected from 28 patients with RMS before, during, and after treatment were analyzed for the presence of ctDNA via ddPCR, panel sequencing, and/or whole-exome sequencing.

RESULTS

Human tumor-derived DNA was detectable in plasma samples from mouse models of RMS and correlated with tumor burden. In patients, ctDNA was detected in 14/18 pretreatment plasma samples with ddPCR and 7/7 cases assessed by sequencing. Levels of ctDNA at diagnosis were significantly higher in patients with unfavorable tumor sites, positive nodal status, and metastasis. In patients with serial plasma samples (n = 18), fluctuations in ctDNA levels corresponded to treatment response.

CONCLUSION

Comprehensive ctDNA analysis combining high sensitivity and throughput can identify key molecular drivers in RMS models and patients, suggesting potential as a minimally invasive biomarker. Preclinical assessment of treatments using mouse models and further patient testing through prospective clinical trials are now warranted.
Antiferromagnetic-configuration–dependent high harmonic generation in bilayer CrI3
Authors: Liu Y. Q. , Zhang Zhiya , Si M. S. , Zhang G. P.
Published: October 2022

Bilayer CrI3 accommodates both interlayer antiferromagnetic (AFM) and intralayer ferromagnetic couplings. Different alignments of intralayer ferromagnetic orders would lead to almost degenerate AFM configurations, which are insensitive to conventional techniques such as VSM and magneto-optical Kerr effect. Here, we demonstrate high harmonic generation (HHG) as a feasible means to detect the AFM configurations in bilayer CrI3 with AB and

stacking orders. When the intralayer magnetic moments are aligned along the z-axis, the AB stacked bilayer CrI3 cancels the 3n-order harmonics under the circularly polarized laser field. However, the

stacked bilayer contains both even and odd harmonic. The 3n-order harmonics are recovered as the intralayer magnetic moments of AB bilayer are in-plane aligned. For an in-plane linearly polarized laser field, the

stacking bilayer with the magnetic moments along the x-axis contains both the even and odd harmonics in each component. However, when the magnetic moments are along the y-axis, the perpendicular component of HHG cancels out for the linearly polarized laser field along the x-axis. More interestingly, when the linearly polarized laser field is along the y-axis, the parallel component includes only the odd harmonics while the perpendicular component contains only the even harmonics. Our study provides HHG as a potential tool to detect AFM configurations.
Sympathy, Fear, Hate
Authors: Libby C.
Published: October 2022

A recent pastoral guide designed to help Christians better understand “transgender individuals and the broader ideological movement” took a seemingly bizarre turn when it urged readers to sympathize with radical feminist concerns about the safety of women and the increasing threat to their very identity. While the depiction of the dangerous trans subject as a potential source of injury is nothing new, the increasingly frequent evangelical reliance on affectively charged rhetoric mimicking trans-exclusionary radical feminist writing is surprising enough to merit further investigation. This essay analyzes and responds to the burgeoning connections between trans-exclusionary radical feminism, “gender critical” writing, and transphobic evangelical Christian rhetoric by arguing that their affective resonance, predicated on the proper cultivation of sympathy, fear, and hatred, is made possible by a shared commitment to a dimorphic conception of sex difference and the politics of injury.
Obeah, Orisa, and Religious Identity in Trinidad, Volume I, Obeah
Authors: Hucks Tracey E.
Published: October 2022

Obeah, Orisa, and Religious Identity in Trinidad is an expansive two-volume examination of social imaginaries concerning Obeah and Yoruba-Orisa from colonialism to the present. Analyzing their entangled histories and systems of devotion, Tracey E. Hucks and Dianne M. Stewart articulate how these religions were criminalized during slavery and colonialism yet still demonstrated autonomous modes of expression and self-defense. In Volume I, Obeah, Hucks traces the history of African religious repression in colonial Trinidad through the late nineteenth century. Drawing on sources ranging from colonial records, laws, and legal transcripts to travel diaries, literary fiction, and written correspondence, she documents the persecution and violent penalization of African religious practices encoded under the legal classification of “obeah.” A cult of antiblack fixation emerged as white settlers defined themselves in opposition to Obeah, which they imagined as terrifying African witchcraft. These preoccupations revealed the fears that bound whites to one another. At the same time, persons accused of obeah sought legal vindication and marshaled their own spiritual and medicinal technologies to fortify the cultural heritages, religious identities, and life systems of African-diasporic communities in Trinidad.
Memory Construction and the Politics of Time in Neoliberal South Korea
Authors: Lee Namhee
Published: October 2022

In Memory Construction and the Politics of Time in Neoliberal South Korea Namhee Lee explores memory construction and history writing in post-1987 South Korea. The massive neoliberal reconstruction of all aspects of society shifted public discourse from minjung (people) to simin (citizen), from political to cultural, from collective to individual. This shift reconstituted people as Homo economicus, rights-bearing and rights-claiming individuals, even in social movements. Lee explains this shift in the context of simultaneous historical developments: South Korea’s transition to democracy, the end of the Cold War, and neoliberal reconstruction understood as synonymous with democratization. By examining memoirs, biographies, novels, and revisionist conservative historical scholarship, Lee shows how the dominant discourse of a “complete break with the past” erases the critical ethos of previous emancipatory movements foundational to South Korean democracy.
The City Electric
Authors: Degani Michael
Published: October 2022

Over the last twenty years of neoliberal reform, the power supply in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s metropolis, has become less reliable even as its importance has increased. Though mobile phones, televisions, and refrigerators have flooded the city, the electricity required to run these devices is still supplied by the socialist-era energy company Tanesco, which is characterized by increased fees, aging infrastructure, and a sluggish bureaucracy. While some residents contemplate off-grid solutions, others repair, extend, or tap into the state network with the assistance of freelance electricians or moonlighting utility employees. In The City Electric Michael Degani explores how electricity and its piracy has become a key site for urban Tanzanians to enact, experience, and debate their social contract with the state. Moving from the politics of generation contracts down to the street-level experience of blackouts and disconnection patrols, he reveals the logics of infrastructural modification and their effects on everyday life. As politicians, residents, electricians, and utility inspectors all redistribute flows of payment and power, they reframe the energy grid both as a technical system and as an ongoing experiment in collective interdependence.
Separable mechanisms drive local and global polarity establishment in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal epithelium
Authors: Pickett Melissa A. , Sallee Maria D. , Cote Lauren , Naturale Victor F. , Akpinaroglu Deniz , Lee Joo , Shen Kang , Feldman Jessica L.
Published: October 2022

Apico-basolateral polarization is essential for epithelial cells to function as selective barriers and transporters, and to provide mechanical resilience to organs. Epithelial polarity is established locally, within individual cells to establish distinct apical, junctional and basolateral domains, and globally, within a tissue where cells coordinately orient their apico-basolateral axes. Using live imaging of endogenously tagged proteins and tissue-specific protein depletion in the Caenorhabditiselegans embryonic intestine, we found that local and global polarity establishment are temporally and genetically separable. Local polarity is initiated prior to global polarity and is robust to perturbation. PAR-3 is required for global polarization across the intestine but local polarity can arise in its absence, as small groups of cells eventually established polarized domains in PAR-3-depleted intestines in a HMR-1 (E-cadherin)-dependent manner. Despite the role of PAR-3 in localizing PKC-3 to the apical surface, we additionally found that PAR-3 and PKC-3/aPKC have distinct roles in the establishment and maintenance of local and global polarity. Taken together, our results indicate that different mechanisms are required for local and global polarity establishment in vivo.
Drosophila GSK3β promotes microtubule disassembly and dendrite pruning in sensory neurons
Authors: Dzaki Najat , Bu Shufeng , Lau Samuel Song Yuan , Yong Wei Lin , Yu Fengwei
Published: October 2022

The evolutionarily conserved Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β (GSK3β), a negative regulator of microtubules, is crucial for neuronal polarization, growth and migration during animal development. However, it remains unknown whether GSK3β regulates neuronal pruning, which is a regressive process. Here, we report that the Drosophila GSK3β homologue Shaggy (Sgg) is cell-autonomously required for dendrite pruning of ddaC sensory neurons during metamorphosis. Sgg is necessary and sufficient to promote microtubule depolymerization, turnover and disassembly in the dendrites. Although Sgg is not required for the minus-end-out microtubule orientation in dendrites, hyperactivated Sgg can disturb the dendritic microtubule orientation. Moreover, our pharmacological and genetic data suggest that Sgg is required to promote dendrite pruning at least partly via microtubule disassembly. We show that Sgg and Par-1 kinases act synergistically to promote microtubule disassembly and dendrite pruning. Thus, Sgg and Par-1 might converge on and phosphorylate a common downstream microtubule-associated protein(s) to disassemble microtubules and thereby facilitate dendrite pruning.
Short-term and bystander effects of radiation on murine submandibular glands
Authors: Uchida Hitoshi , Ingalls Matthew H. , Maruyama Eri O. , Johnston Carl J. , Hernady Eric , Faustoferri Roberta C. , Ovitt Catherine E.
Published: October 2022

Many patients treated for head and neck cancers experience salivary gland hypofunction due to radiation damage. Understanding the mechanisms of cellular damage induced by radiation treatment is important in order to design methods of radioprotection. In addition, it is crucial to recognize the indirect effects of irradiation and the systemic responses that may alter saliva secretion. In this study, radiation was delivered to murine submandibular glands (SMGs) bilaterally, using a 137Cs gamma ray irradiator, or unilaterally, using a small-animal radiation research platform (SARRP). Analysis at 3, 24 and 48 h showed dynamic changes in mRNA and protein expression in SMGs irradiated bilaterally. Unilateral irradiation using the SARRP caused similar changes in the irradiated SMGs, as well as significant off-target, bystander effects in the non-irradiated contralateral SMGs.
COP27 Climate Change Conference: Urgent action needed for Africa and the world
Authors: ` `
Published: October 2022

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.8.7186

How to cite this:COP27 Climate Change Conference: Urgent action needed for Africa and the world. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(8):2058-2060.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.8.7186

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Mulberroside A could serve as a pan inhibitor for the tyrosine kinase domains of the HER family
Authors: Wadi Jaafar , Sagheer Othman
Published: October 2022

Numerous medicines were authorized for their targeting of the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) of human epidermal receptors (HER). However, it has been demonstrated that these TKDs exhibit persistent resistance, necessitating the development of additional inhibitors with different modes of action. A single pharmacophore can be manipulated to create a pan-inhibitor where the binding site of these receptors has been highly conserved. The development of anti-cancer agents and the introduction of synergistic action to increase the efficacy of current medications have both recently benefited from the use of medicinal plants and herbal extracts as a reliable source. The binding affinity to the TKDs was predicted by molecular docking, followed by molecular dynamic simulation to examine the changes in the motion of the enzymes, with a focus on the components responsible for catalytic activity (C α-helix), activation (activation loop), and autophosphorylation (C-terminal loop). According to the ∆G value provided by Autodock Vina (-40.54, -40.12, -37.20, -37.62 kJ/mol for HER1, HER2, HER3, and HER4, respectively) and MM/PBSA, which indicates a strong affinity for the TKDs, the outcomes are undeniably positive. Root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent accessible surface area (SASA), and the principal component analysis (PCA) detected significant dynamic changes in the TKDs, particularly in the C α-helix and the activation loop for all TKDs, suggesting that mulberroside A may alter the function of these enzymes. This study will expand our understanding of the dynamics of the TKDs and shed light on the anticancer potential of the polyphenolic compounds.
Wartość poznawcza listu do redakcji jako źródła wiedzy na przykładzie listów czytelników do redakcji pism Polonii amerykańskiej (przełom XIX i XX wieku)
Authors: Kiper Daniel
Published: October 2022

Celem artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na szczególny typ źródła historycznego, jakim są listy do redakcji pism periodycznych Polonii amerykańskiej z przełomu XIX i XX stulecia. Niniejszy szkic nie wyczerpuje problematyki dokumentów osobistych ukrytych w materiale prasowym, a tym bardziej nie rozwija w pełni zagadnień dotyczących sposobów interpretacji tego rodzaju źródeł. Jego rolą jest wywołanie dyskusji nad sensownością wykorzystania listów do redakcji o charakterze autobiograficznym do interdyscyplinarnego spojrzenia na przeszłość. Rozważania nad statusem poznawczym tych materiałów odnoszą się nie tylko do warsztatu badawczego historyka, lecz także medioznawcy, socjologa, psychologa, językoznawcy itp. W niniejszym tekście staram się pokazać, że mimo oczywistych ingerencji redakcyjnych osłabiających wiarygodność przekazu listy czytelników publikowane w ówczesnej prasie polskiej za oceanem mogą posłużyć do zgłębiania problematyki biograficznej w obrębie rozmaitych orientacji teoretyczno-metodologicznych wypracowanych na gruncie nauk humanistycznych. Wydobyte w trakcie badań nad XIX-wieczną prasą polską w Stanach Zjednoczonych fragmenty historii ludzkich poszerzają wiedzę o dziejach migracji zamorskich. Powyższa tematyka z pewnością zasługuje również na głębszą refleksję metodologiczną w kontekście rozwoju badań epistolograficznych, gdyż wykracza poza wartość czysto dokumentalną.
Na wychodźczym szlaku. Ziemie czeskie i słowackie w świetle wspomnień, dzienników i pamiętników emigrantów polistopadowych
Authors: Kuzicki Jerzy
Published: October 2022

Emigranci po upadku powstania listopadowego przemierzali ziemie czeskie i słowackie, udając się do Europy Zachodniej. Byli to głównie powstańcy z internowanych w Galicji przez Austriaków pułków generałów: Józefa Dwernickiego, Girolama Ramorina, Samuela Różyckiego i innych. Pozostawili po sobie źródła o charakterze egodokumentalnym. W tych dokumentach osobistych notowali refleksje dotyczące ziem czeskich i słowackich w monarchii habsburskiej (np. na temat wyglądu miast, gospodarki, stosunku mieszkańców do Polaków, świadomości narodowej Czechów). Poza tym w opisach marszrut poszczególnych osób (oddziałów) przez terytorium Habsburgów są również kreślone obrazy infrastruktury czy zabytków historycznych mijanych miejscowości. W artykule wykorzystano wybrane (najbardziej reprezentatywne) dokumenty osobiste. Do naszych czasów zachowało się z tego okresu kilkadziesiąt tomów wspomnień, dzienników, pamiętników (w tym część została opublikowana). W rękopisach pozostała także korespondencja.
Ewakuacje, ucieczki i wysiedlenia… Wojenne i powojenne doświadczenia Mazurów/Niemców w świetle materiałów biograficznych z powiatu ełckiego
Authors: Marcinkiewicz Stefan
Published: October 2022

W artykule zajęto się problemem wojennego i powojennego wychodźstwa ludności mazurskiej/niemieckiej z powiatu ełckiego. Celem badań było przedstawienie procesów, w wyniku których powiat ełcki opuściła zdecydowana większość jego przedwojennych mieszkańców. Zidentyfikowano podstawowe strumienie migracyjne prowadzące do ekspulsji ludności rodzimej z tych terenów. Na podstawie materiałów biograficznych – takich jak dzienniki, listy, zapiski, wspomnienia – przedstawiono zmiany ludnościowe zachodzące w powiecie ełckim w czasie wojny, a w szczególności: mobilizację mężczyzn, napływ robotników zagranicznych, napływ osób z Rzeszy („berlińczyków”), ewakuacje ludności, ucieczki przed frontem, frontową przemoc i wywózki w głąb ZSRR. Ukazano również powojenne wysiedlenia, przesiedlenia i emigracje. Na skutek tych procesów doszło do niemal zaniku społeczności mazurskiej/niemieckiej w powiecie ełckim. Obecnie liczbę osób poczuwających się do korzeni mazurskich/niemieckich można oszacować na około 150 osób. Historyczna stolica Mazur – Ełk – wraz z całym powiatem pozostały praktycznie bez Mazurów.
Między krajem rodzinnym i przybranymi ojczyznami. Przypadki Mariana Pankowskiego i Kalmana Segala
Authors: Chomiszczak Tomasz
Published: October 2022

Zestawienie obok siebie losów i karier artystycznych Pankowskiego i Segala to coś więcej niż tylko zwykłe studium dwóch biograficzno-artystycznych przypadków. Losy tych pochodzących z Sanoka pisarzy, których drogi rozeszły się wkrótce po zakończeniu gimnazjalnej edukacji, co prawda świetnie ilustrują dwie „polskie drogi” typowe dla naszej historii najnowszej, jednakże z pewnymi odstępstwami od stereotypów właściwych tradycyjnemu historycznemu myśleniu. Pankowski po pobytach w obozach koncentracyjnych trafił na Zachód i tam pozostał, odżegnując się zarazem od miana emigranta i całe życie biorąc aktywny udział w życiu literackim kraju. Drugi z łagru na Kołymie powrócił do Polski, którą opuścił dopiero po wydarzeniach marcowych, nieprzymuszony, a tylko na znak solidarności ze swoimi żydowskimi rodakami; jego ostatnia dekada życia na obczyźnie była przez to nieustanną dyskusją nad kwestią własnej tożsamości. Obaj pisarze w wymienianej między sobą przez lata korespondencji wędrującej po osi Wschód–Zachód, ale również w swojej publicystyce i wywiadach, wielokrotnie wracali do pytania „kim jestem?”, ujawniając rozterki wynikające z rozdarcia między krajem rodzinnym i przybranymi ojczyznami.
„Ciągle ta dwoistość”. Wokół dyskursu autotematycznego w dylogii Andrzeja Chciuka „Atlantyda” i „Ziemia księżycowa”
Authors: Durkalewicz Wiktoria
Published: October 2022

Atlantyda i Ziemia księżycowa to najbardziej znane i najczęściej badane utwory Andrzeja Chciuka (1920–1978), polskiego pisarza, który wyemigrował z rodzinnego miasta w 1939 r. Literaturoznawcy zwracali szczególną uwagę na język dylogii, przede wszystkim bałak, oraz przedstawienia prowincjonalnego miasta, jego atmosfery oraz wielokulturowości. Nowe odczytania – a tym samym nowe interpretacje – utworów Chciuka powstały dzięki przekładowi Atlantydy i Ziemi księżycowej na język ukraiński w 2011 r. Ukraińscy badacze rozpatrują twórczość Chciuka m.in. w kategoriach autorskich modeli etnokulturowych, tożsamości narracyjnej czy auto/bio/geo/grafii. Niniejszy artykuł analizuje dyskurs autotematyczny dylogii, w którym poruszane są również takie aspekty, jak pamięć autobiograficzna, pamięć kulturowa, zagadnienia kształtowania się tożsamości wielokulturowego pogranicza, sposoby reprezentacji aktywność autonarracyjnej oraz przestrzenne ramy „ja” autobiograficznego. Wreszcie, artykuł odnosi się również do strategii paktu auto/bio/geo/graficznego.
Usytuowanie polskiej emigracji zarobkowej na południu Francji i jej struktura zawodowa w okresie międzywojennym
Authors: Ambrochowicz-Gajownik Anna
Published: October 2022

Artykuł przedstawia miejsca i warunki pracy polskich emigrantów oraz ich liczebność w regionie Prowansji i Lazurowego Wybrzeża w okresie międzywojennym. Polacy pracowali w różnych gałęziach przemysłu – wielkich i małych przedsiębiorstwach, w górnictwie, rolnictwie, hotelarstwie. Sporą grupę reprezentowali drobni kupcy, przedsiębiorcy, rzemieślnicy, mniejszą marynarze. Największe skupiska polskich emigrantów były w departamencie Bouches-du-Rhône oraz w Alpes-Maritimes. Mniejsze zaś w czterech pozostałych (Var, Vaucluse Basses-Alpes, Hautes-Alpes). Jako całość stanowili mniej liczną grupę w porównaniu do stałej emigracji górniczej na południu Francji w regionie Oksytanii. Tworzyli także w tym regionie konkurencję dla emigracji włoskiej. Uczestniczyli w polskim życiu kulturalno-oświatowym, czego dowodem była działalność stowarzyszeń.
Kilka uwag o francuskich tekstach Słowackiego oraz jego refleksjach o Francji
Authors: Kowalski Grzegorz , Wosnitzka-Kowalska Małgorzata
Published: October 2022

Artykuł podejmuje temat stosunku Słowackiego do Francji i Paryża. Autorzy posiłkują się kontekstami biograficznymi, twórczością literacką poety, a także innymi dokumentami, zawierającymi ślady jego poglądów na temat bardzo szeroko rozumianej francuskości (listy, dzienniki). By pokazać, jak poglądy te zmieniały się w czasie, autorzy zaprezentowali je w porządku diachronicznym. Przy rekonstrukcji poglądów Słowackiego we wczesnym okresie twórczości szczególna uwaga została poświęcona wierszom Paryż i Le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise jako dwóm wariantom prezentacji, a zarazem oceny miasta i związanych z nim wartości. Z kolei w rozważaniach na temat postaw Słowackiego wobec Francji po jego powrocie do Paryża w 1839 r. autorzy skupili się zwłaszcza na jego pismach politycznych. Artykuł omawia złożone przyczyny postaw poety, szczególnie w kontekście doświadczenia emigracji, a także prezentuje ten nurt w jego twórczości, który przynosi inny obraz Francji – obecny między innymi w jego tekstach po francusku, pisanych z myślą o innym niż polski odbiorcy, a także generalnie w tekstach o bardziej intymnym, a mniej publicznym charakterze.