bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary clove (Syzygium aromaticum) powder enhanced broiler chicken growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, gut histomorphometry and health-associated whilst decreasing pathogenic microbiota
Authors: Ogwuegbu Mercy Chisara , Uzochukwu Ifeanyi Emmanuel , Ukah Ebube Glory , Obey Confidence Obioma , Okpanachi Uchele , Mthiyane Doctor Mziwenkosi Nhlanhla
Published: August 2023

This study investigated effects of dietary clove powder on growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, jejunal histomorphometry and ileal health-associated as well as pathogenic microbiota populations in broiler chickens. A total of 250 Chikun strain day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 dietary groups with 5 replicates of 10 birds each for 8 weeks in a completely randomized design. The groups were fed diets containing clove bud powder at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 g/kg diet (coded as CLO0, CLO5, CLO10, CLO15, and CLO20). Results showed dietary clove supplementation linearly increased (P < 0.001) slaughter weight and body weight gain whilst it quadratically increased total feed intake (P < 0.001) in boilers. Also, whilst there was no effect of diet (P > 0.05) on dressed weight and wing weight, dietary clove powder quadratically increased weights of live chickens at slaughter (P < 0.001), breast meat (P < 0.001), back cut (P < 0.001), and shank (P < 0.01), as well as the drumstick/thigh ratio (P < 0.001). Further, it linearly increased apparent digestibility of DM (P < 0.001), CP (P < 0.001), and EE (P < 0.01) as it quadratically increased CF (P < 0.01). Furthermore, it quadratically increased jejunal villus length (P < 0.05) and thickness of epithelium (P < 0.001) whilst it linearly increased crypt depth (P < 0.01) and thickness of muscularis (P < 0.001). Moreover, it increased ileal Lactobacilli (P < 0.05) whilst decreasing Salmonella (P < 0.05) and E. coli (P < 0.05) bacterial species. In conclusion, dietary clove powder improved growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, gut histomorphometry and Lactobacilli while it decreased Salmonella and E. coli bacteria. It can be included in broiler diets at 1.0 to 1.5 g per kg diet without adverse effects.
How do parents manage their children's fever? A cross-sectional study related to mothers' knowledge
Authors: Tariverdi Marjan , Bolouki Samieh Sakhtemanpour , Tamaddondar Mohammad , Rahmati Mohammad Bagher , Mohammadian Maryam , Satarzadeh Mohammad
Published: August 2023

Introduction
This study was designed and conducted to investigate the level of knowledge of mothers of febrile children regarding care and treatment measures at the time of referral to medical centers in patients referred to Bandar Abbas Children's Hospital.
Method
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 mothers of febrile children referred to Bandar Abbas Children's Hospital during a two-month period in 2022. The desired information on fever treatment and control was collected using a 15-item researcher-made questionnaire.
Results
Three hundred mothers of children with fever who had visited the hospital were included. A total of 113 people were illiterate and had less than a diploma, and 187 people had a diploma or higher. Fifty mothers did not know what temperature constitutes a fever, 78 considered a temperature of 37°C or higher as a fever, and 55 considered a temperature of 37.5°C as a fever. Most mothers (176 individuals) noticed fever through body warmth, while 77 noticed it through a thermometer. The first action of 207 mothers was footbath, while the first action of only 92 mothers was to visit a doctor. A total of 265 mothers preferred to use acetaminophen, and 35 preferred ibuprofens as a fever reducer. The majority of mothers who preferred acetaminophen gave it every 6 hours, with only 8.35% giving it every 4 hours.
Conclusion
Most mothers in this study did not have accurate knowledge of how to treat and care for a child with a fever, especially those with lower education levels. It is essential to implement educational programs to inform mothers about fever in children.
Radiation Dose During Transarterial Chemoembolization and Risk Factors for High Radiation Dose
Authors: Choi Tae Won , Chung Jin Wook
Published: August 2023

The present study aims to provide detailed reports on radiation doses during transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) era and identify the risk factors for high radiation doses. This retrospective study included 385 consecutive patients who underwent initial conventional TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between January 2016 and December 2017. In most cases, CBCT was performed at the common hepatic artery or celiac axis to confirm the location of the tumor and the three-dimensional hepatic artery anatomy. Information on total dose area product (DAP), total cumulative air kerma (CAK), fluoroscopy time, and DAP and CAK of each digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and CBCT scan was recorded. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for high DAP during TACE. The mean values of total DAP and CAK were 165.2 ± 81.2 (Gy·cm²) and 837.1 ± 571.0 (mGy), respectively. The mean fluoroscopy time was 19.1 ± 10.3 min. The mean DAP caused by fluoroscopy, DSA, and CBCT was 51.8 ± 43.9, 28.0 ± 24.1, and 83.9 ± 42.1 Gy·cm², respectively. Male sex, a high body mass index, largest tumor size >3 cm, presence of aberrant right and left hepatic arteries, and a large number of selectively treated vessels were identified as independent predictors of high total DAP during TACE. In conclusion, we provided detailed reports on radiation doses during TACE and the risk factors for high radiation doses.
Joint Design Influence on Laser-MIG Hybrid Welding of Maraging Steel
Authors: L Subashini , Prabhakar KV Phani , Ghosh Swati
Published: August 2023

Laser-MIG Hybrid welding (LHW) was performed in a single- pass on M250 maraging steel plates of 10 mm thickness with three modified joint designs. A Y-groove joint preparation with included angles (IA) of 16°, 24°, and 30° and root face of 2.5 mm was used. Welding was performed using M250 W2 filler wire. The heat input for welding increased as the IA increased. The composition of weld fusion zone affected the reverted austenite (RA) volume fraction formed on aging. With an increase in base metal melting, the fusion zone was enriched with solute elements such as Ni, Mo and Ti, ultimately increasing RA after aging. When the transverse tensile strength of all welds was comparable to that of the parent metal, a significant reduction in KIc fracture toughness of fusion zone (FZ) was observed as the RA increased. The space between neighboring RA pools (formed in intercellular regions) was smaller in the laser fusion zone (LFZ) owing to its fine grain size compared to the arc fusion zone (AFZ), and the welds failed by connecting series of cavities that only arise in the RA. LFZ appears to play an important role in determining weld toughness of LHW welds.
Genetic Chronicle of the Capybara: The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Authors: Pasa Rubens , Menegídio Fabiano Bezerra , Garcia Caroline , Silva Iuri Batista da , Kavalco Karine Frehner
Published: August 2023

A brazilian digital influencer has kept a capybara (named Filó) in captivity, using her in his videos, which is against the law in Brazil. Because of this, she was confiscated by professionals from the IBAMA (Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources). However, the commotion surrounding the confiscation of the animal disregards the dangers associated with humans being in close proximity to wild animals. Despite their widespread and sanitary importance, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris lacks a description of its complete mitochondrial genome. To fill this gap, we assembled and annotated the mitogenome of capybara and used it to make the phylogeny of the related groups.
Evaluation of antioxidant enzyme levels, oxidative stress markers and serum prolidase activity in testicular cancer
Authors: Kılıç Sinan , Kaba Mehmet , Kaba Sultan
Published: August 2023

Background: Testicular cancer is a significant malignancy affecting males, and understanding the underlying biochemical changes associated with the disease is essential for improved management and treatment strategies. The enzyme prolidase, which plays a very important role in collagen metabolism, has been associated with various disease mechanisms, especially cancer.
Objective: Evaluation of the association of antioxidant enzyme levels, oxidative stress markers, and serum prolidase activity with testicular cancer may provide valuable information regarding the pathophysiology of the disease. In this study, it was aimed to investigate antioxidant enzyme levels, oxidative stress markers, and serum prolidase activity in adult and pediatric patients diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Methods: A total of 33 male patients (mean age: 25.3 ± 11.1 years, range: 1-52) diagnosed with testicular cancer were included, along with 35 age-matched male volunteers as the control group (mean age: 27.4 ± 8.2 years). Serum specimens were gathered and preserved at a temperature of -20°C until the time of analysis. The analysis involved superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and prolidase levels, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms of testicular cancer.
Results: The study revealed that patients with testicular cancer had notably higher levels of serum prolidase activity and malondialdehyde (MDA), compared to the control group (all with p-values < 0.05). On the other hand, levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were significantly lower in testicular cancer patients (all with p-values < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our research uncovers a potential link connecting heightened serum prolidase activity, oxidative stress, and the presence of testicular cancer. The findings suggest the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of testicular cancer and emphasize the importance of prolidase as a potential biomarker for the disease.
Output-Feedback Based Event-Triggered Formation Control for USVs with Obstacle Avoidance Mechanism
Authors: Liu Shang , Zhang Guoqing , Guo Ge , Li Jiqiang
Published: August 2023

This paper focuses on the output-feedback based event-triggered control strategy for the formation tracking and obstacle avoidance activity of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) with unmeasurable velocity, constrained communication and actuator fault. To be specific, an event-triggered based state observer is designed by using the neural networks (NNs) and minimal learning parameter (MLP) technique, which releases the constraint of continuous feedback signal acquisition and reduces the communication burden from sensor to controller channel. Using the designed observer, an adaptive triggering condition with adjustable threshold is derived, so that the triggered state and the adaptive law are updated only in the discrete-time domain. Furthermore, by virtue of the artificial potential field (APF) method, a novel obstacle avoidance mechanism is developed for USVs formation to achieve obstacle avoidance and waypoints-based path navigation performance. Based on above design, the output-feedback based event-triggered controller is derived and only two aperiodic adaptive laws are designed to compensate the actuator fault and system uncertainties. Considerable effort has been made to guarantee the semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) stability. Finally, two numerical simulations are illustrated to demonstrate the remarkable performance of the proposed control strategy.
Unveiling Rare Neurovascular Complexity; A Rare Bilateral Thalamic Infarction Case Report and Concise Literature Review
Authors: Achhami Eliz , Lamichhane Seshkanta , Kandel Ashim , Mahaju Satyam , Poudel Anubhav , Adhikari Lukash
Published: August 2023

Background: Bilateral thalamic infarction resulting from the occlusion of the artery of Percheron (AOP) is an exceedingly rare cerebrovascular event. The intricate interplay between neurovascular anatomy, midbrain function, and clinical manifestations in such cases remains an area of clinical interest and exploration.
Case Presentation: We present the case of a 48-year-old male farmer with a known history of Diabetes mellitus, who presented with diplopia, bilateral drooping of eyelids, and eventually loss of consciousness while working in the field. Initial management centered around suspected meningioencephalitis, given fever and unresponsiveness. Advanced evaluations, including brain MRI and MRA, led to the diagnosis of bilateral upper midbrain infarction involving the artery of Percheron. The patient's clinical course revealed an improvement in consciousness and responsiveness over three weeks of conservative management.
Conclusions: This case report highlights the clinical rarity and diagnostic challenges associated with bilateral thalamic infarction due to AOP occlusion. The complex neurovascular interplay revealed by this case emphasizes the importance of precise diagnosis and tailored management in rare cerebrovascular events. The insights gained from this case contribute to a deeper understanding of the clinical impact and potential implications of such occurrences within the realm of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases.
Effect of polystyrene microplastics on the antioxidant system and immune response in GIFT (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Zheng Yao , Addotey Tracy Naa Adoley , Chen Jiazhang , Xu Gangchun
Published: August 2023

Recent investigations have reported large number of microplastics (MPs) in the freshwater environment, which may have adverse effects on growth and development of freshwater organisms. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of chronic sub-lethal dose of MPs on the oxidative status (ROS, SOD) and immune response (IL-1ß, TNF-α) of the genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT). Juveniles of GIFT (5.1 ± 0.2 g) were exposed to concentrations of 0 (group A), 75 nm (group B), 7.5 µm (group C), 750 µm (group D), 75 nm + 7.5 µm + 750 µm (group E) and 75 nm + Chlorella (group F). ROS content in the brain and gills were significantly decreased in group F and significantly increased in group D after the 14 d exposure. SOD activities in the intestine showed an elevation in group F and in the brain and gills in group D, and that of the gills generally decreased over time in group B and F. The highest ROS and SOD levels were observed in the brain in group D with the lowest in the intestines at the same concentration. The activity of IL-1ß was significantly up-regulated in the liver across all the exposure groups. IL-1ß was significantly up- regulated in the brain of group B and in the gills of group D. TNF-α was significantly up- regulated in the brain of group B/D/E, in the liver of group B/C/D, in the intestine of group B and in the gills of group D. The highest IL-1ß and TNF-α activities were recorded in the brain and the lowest in the intestine in group D. Overall, the current study revealed that GIFT’s immune response and antioxidant system could be affected by MPs.
GAPiM: Discovering Genetic Variations on a Real Processing-in-Memory System
Authors: Abecassis Naomie , Gómez-Luna Juan , Mutlu Onur , Ginosar Ran , Moisson-Franckhauser Aphélie , Yavits Leonid
Published: August 2023

Variant calling is a fundamental stage in genome analysis that identifies mutations (variations) in a sequenced genome relative to a known reference genome. Pair-HMM is a key part of the variant calling algorithm and its most compute-intensive part. In recent years, Processing-in-Memory (PiM) solutions, which consist of placing compute capabilities near/inside memory, have been proposed to speed up the genome analysis pipeline. We implement the Pair-HMM algorithm on a commercial PiM platform developed by UPMEM. We modify the Pair-HMM algorithm to make it more suitable for PiM execution with acceptable loss of accuracy. We evaluate our implementation on single chromosomes and whole genome sequencing datasets, demonstrating up to 2x speedup compared to existing CPU accelerations and up to 3x speedup compared to FPGA accelerations.
Study of radiation dose due to 226Ra, 222Rn and 210Po in drinking water of Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, India
Authors: K. Lavanya B. S. , N. Namitha S. , Hidayath Mohamed , S. Pruthvi Rani K. , M. Saveena J. , S. Chandrashekara M.
Published: August 2023

Groundwater dissolves radioactive minerals like uranium, radium, radon and polonium during its flow. 226Ra, 222Rn, and 210Po are the decay products of the 238U series which causes ingestion dose to human being. The activity of these radionuclides was studied in groundwater samples collected from Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, India. 226Ra, 222Rn and 210Po concentration in bore well water samples were varied from 2.18 to 96.42mBql− 1, 0.94 to 26.95Bql− 1, 0.72 to 6.33mBql− 1 respectively. The average ingestion dose due to 226Ra, 222Rn and 210Po were 6.41, 11.60 and 2.51µSvy− 1 respectively.
A Novel Surgical Landmark to Identify the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (Identifying Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve)
Authors: Dundar Yusuf , Schwartz Cynthia M , Lierly Micah , Nguyen Tam Q , Gilbert Kerry K. , Smith Drew , Tello Nadia , Cordero Joehassin
Published: August 2023

Objective
There are many surgical landmarks have been proposed to localize the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). However, there is still no reliable landmark to find the RLN precisely. The objective was to use the inferior border of the cricopharyngeal muscle and the ICTC to define a reliable landmark for the RLN.
Methods
Cadaver dissection study in an Academic Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Residency Training Program. A cadaveric study of 64 RLNs was carried out, including measurements of different surgical landmarks in conjunct to proposed surgical landmark (Dundar’s point).
Results
The average distance from the reference point to the RLN is 2.3mm and the RLN is localized just posterior to the reference point in 95.3% of dissection specimens. The RLN passes under the inferior constrictor muscle in 90.6% of the cases. There was no statistically significant difference between right and left RLNs in term of relation with the reference point.
Conclusions
The proposed surgical point can be used as a reliable landmark to identify the RLN. This reference point can help surgeons during difficult cases by providing additional anatomical landmark.
Level of Evidence: IV
Preserving Flow Table Integrity in OpenFlow Networks through Smart Contract
Authors: Bargayary Birglang , Medhi Nabajyoti
Published: August 2023

SDN revolutionises network management by providing a centralised controller that enables flexible and effortless configuration of networks. However, this flexibility also leads to a vulnerability that enables the adversary to trick the security system into allowing the installation of unauthorised flow rules in the switches. Blockchain provides us with a way to protect against malicious tampering with flow rules by storing them in the distributed ledger. In this work, we propose FTISCON, a mechanism to preserve the integrity of the OpenFlow flow table that utilizes blockchain technology. We employ the Ethereum Private Blockchain to implement the proof-of-concept and conduct a comparative analysis of the proposed scheme and existing related schemes, evaluating their performance in terms of delay, computation time, transaction cost, and detection rate. The proposed work is found to perform better in each of these. The study results suggest that the proposed approach offers a practical and efficient remedy to prevent flow modification attacks within SDN networks.
Opportunities and Challenges for the Utilization of Cervical Screening Among Women Living in Mekelle, Tigray Ethiopia, 2021
Authors: Adane Shewit , Zenebe Kahsay Mekdes , Asrat Mekdes , Haftu Abera , Hagos Hadagay , Hagos Asefa
Published: August 2023

Introduction: cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Ethiopia. Despite the recommendations by different national and international organizations for cervical cancer screening, service utilization remains low. Besides, the existing few studies are unable to explore the lived experiences of women on cervical cancer screening.
Objective: To explore the opportunities and challenges for cervical cancer screening among women living in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2021 GC.
Methodology: Phenomenological study design was employed and women who are married, had a history of childbirth, are native Tigrigna speakers, and had lived at least six months in the study area were interviewed. Data was collected using in-depth interview guide and a total of fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted. Audios were transcribed first and translated to English version then after, code book was developed. Then data was imported to ATLAS ti 7 software and using the software codes were categorized, themes and families were identified. Finally, data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Result: In this study a total of fifteen women were interviewed and their minimum and maximum age were 32&47 years respectively. Opportunities and challenges were explored from the participants’ perspective; they explained that health extension workers, access for information, and seeing screened and treated women were among opportunities for cervical cancer screening and in the counterpart carelessness, less awareness and embarrassment were the challenges mentioned by the respondents which were recognized as obstacles not to attend cervical cancer screening. They explained that again failure to attend cervical cancer screening may end up with infertility and death.
Conclusion and recommendation: Health extension workers, access for information and seeing screened and treated women were opportunities to utilize cervical cancer screening whereas carelessness, less awareness and embarrassment were challenges that hinders screening for cervical cancer. As cervical cancer screening service is very important in protecting and promoting women’s life, the health system should give emphasis to scale up screening for cervical cancer in order to prevent morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer by mobilizing both the community members and health professionals.
Distribution of global sea turtle nesting explained from regional-scale coastal characteristics
Authors: Christiaanse Jakob C. , Antolínez José A. A. , Luijendijk Arjen P. , Athanasiou Panagiotis , Duarte Carlos M. , Aarninkhof Stefan
Published: August 2023

Climate change and human activity threaten sea turtle nesting beaches through increased flooding and erosion. Understanding the environmental characteristics that enable nesting can aid to preserve and expand these habitats. While numerous local studies exist, a comprehensive global analysis of environmental influences on the distribution of sea turtle nesting habitats remains largely unexplored. Here, we relate global sea turtle nesting distribution to 22 coastal indicators, spanning hydrodynamic, atmospheric, geophysical, habitat, and human processes. Using state-of-the-art global datasets and a novel 50-km-resolution hexagonal coastline grid (Coastgons), we employ machine learning to identify spatially homogeneous patterns in the indicators and correlate these to the occurrence of nesting grounds. Our findings suggest sea surface temperature, tidal range, extreme surges, and proximity to coral and seagrass habitats significantly influence global nesting distribution. Low tidal ranges and low extreme surges appear to be particularly favorable for individual species, likely due to reduced nest flooding. Other indicators, previously reported as influential (e.g., precipitation and wind speed), were not as important in our global-scale analysis. Finally, we identify new, potentially suitable nesting regions for each species, showing that on average 23% of global coastal regions between -37◦ and 48◦ latitude could be suitable for nesting, while only 6% is currently used by turtles. Our results help identify suitable nesting conditions, quantify potential hazards to global nesting habitats, and lay a foundation for nature-based solutions to preserve and potentially expand these habitats.
Cell-free scaffold for regenerating defective bile ducts
Authors: Miyazawa Mitsuo , Aikawa Masayasu , Takashima Junpei , Kobayashi Hirotoshi , Ohnishi Shunsuke , Ikada Yoshito
Published: August 2023

Much research has focussed on restoring the defective part of the gastrointestinal tract, which is considered the best way to preserve function. However, to date, no method for reconstructing the gastrointestinal tract has been developed. Here, we report a bile duct replacement method that does not require cell culture and that replaces defective bile ducts thus enabling bile duct regeneration without stenosis. The bioabsorbable bile duct substitute (BDS) (artificial bile duct (ABD); absorption period of 6–8 weeks) that we have developed is capable of reliably regenerating bile ducts, including Y-shaped bile ducts, without attaching cells to the ABD, and it can regenerate the bile duct without stenosis. Bile duct regeneration occurred in the lateral part of the ABD after the ABD passed into the duodenum. Immature cells that regenerated the bile ducts adhered to the outside of the ABD, and the adhered cell clusters formed peribiliary glands, which regenerated as mature bile duct epithelium. Furthermore, cells that adhered to the outside of the ABD regenerated bile duct epithelial cells, peribiliary glands, and fibromuscular layers into structures similar to those of the native bile duct. These results indicate that the use of this bioabsorbable BDS to restore the bile duct is a minimally invasive treatment that preserves function in the hepato-biliary-pancreatic area.
Equal Tax and Equal Compensation: A Fair and Efficient Way to Save Climate
Authors: Jin Jim , Kobayashi Shinji
Published: August 2023

An international agreement is essential for saving our climate but has not been reached due to disagreements between developed and developing countries. We propose a global GHG tax combined with equal compensation to everyone. It follows from two principles of fairness: (i) to penalize GHG emissions equally because of their equal damage; (ii) to compensate everyone equally because of their equal rights. It is Pareto efficient, i.e., motivating every country to maximize world welfare. It benefits countries with current per capita emissions lower than the world average, i.e., benefiting most people in the world. Although not a Pareto improvement over the status quo, it makes every country better off compared with a fair benchmark where current emissions are duly penalized and compensated. We also demonstrate that subsidizing emission reductions by a poll tax on everyone can maximize world welfare and benefit every country over the status quo but is unfair.
Applying a New Trigonometric Radial Basis Function Approximation in Solving Nonlinear Vibration Problems
Authors: Rostami Hossein Talebi , Najafabadi Maryam Fallah , Ganji Davood Domiri
Published: August 2023

This study introduces a semi-analytical New Trigonometric Radial Basis Function (NTRBF) method for solving strongly nonlinear differential equations in vibration problems. The method uses a particular trigonometric function to deal with differential equations in an extraordinary and original approach. It was compared to four different problems, including the Global Residue Harmonic Balance Method (GRHBM) in solving circular sector oscillator problem, the Continuous Piecewise Linearization method (CPLM) in solving strong nonlinear differential equation of a tapered beam, the Differential Transform Method (DTM) to solve centrifugal rotating frame motion, and Akbari-Ganji's Method (AGM) to solve Duffing-type nonlinear oscillator. These problems were solved in different conditions. The plots and tables represent both cumulative and maximum errors between the NTRBF and other methods, which use the numerical 4th-order Runge-Kutta method as a benchmark for accuracy. The outcomes prove the high accuracy and efficiency of the innovative technique and its unique capability in solving various nonlinear vibration problems.
Disruption of the white matter structural network in patients with hemifacial spasm and changes after microvascular decompression
Authors: Lv Kuan , Zhang Chuanpeng , Liu Bing , Yang Aocai , Luan Jixin , Hu Pianpian , Yao Zeshan , Liu Jiang , Ma Guolin
Published: August 2023

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a syndrome characterized by involuntary contractions of the facial muscles innervated by the ipsilateral facial nerve. Currently, microvascular decompression (MVD) is an effective treatment for HFS. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a non-invasive advanced magnetic resonance technique that allows us to reconstruct white matter (WM) virtually based on water diffusion direction. This enables us to model the human brain as a complex network using graph theory. In our study, we recruited 32 patients with HFS and 32 healthy controls to analyze and compare the topological organization of whole-brain white matter networks between the groups. We also explored the potential relationships between altered topological properties and clinical scale scores. Compared to HC group, the white matter network was disrupted in both preoperative and postoperative groups of HFS patients, mainly located in the somatomotor network, limbic network and default network. There was no significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative groups. There was a correlation between the altered topological properties and clinical scale scores in the postoperative group of patients. Our findings indicate that in HFS, the white matter structural network was disrupted before and after MVD, and these alterations were correlated with the clinical symptoms. It is suggested that these which may be some potential neuroimaging biomarkers for HFS.
Personal exposure to source-specific particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and systemic inflammation: A cross-sectional study of urban-dwelling older adults in China
Authors: Xu Jia , Zhang Nan , Fu Yucong , Zhang Yujuan , Li Penghui , Han Jinbao , Gao Shuang , Wang Xinhua , Geng Chunmei , Yang Wen , Zhang Liwen , Han Bin , Bai Zhipeng
Published: August 2023

Environmental exposure to atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can disturb the immune response. However, the evidence on adverse health effects caused by exposing to PAHs emitted from various sources among different vulnerable subpopulation is limited. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether exposure to source-specific PAHs could increase the level of systemic inflammation in older adults. The present study included 101 community-dwelling older adults and collected filter samples personal exposure to PM2.5 during the winter of 2011 in Tianjin, China. We collected blood samples after the PM2.5 sample collection, and analyzed PM2.5 bound PAHs and serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)1β, IL6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) levels. The Positive Matrix Factorization model was applied to distinguish PAHs sources. We used a linear regression model to assess the relative effects of source-specific PM2.5 bound PAHs on the levels of measured inflammatory cytokines. The key finding lies on that after controlling for confounders, the levels of systemic inflammation were adversely affected by exposing to most PAHs sources, especially the biomass burning or diesel vehicle emission. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in the concentration of PAHs originated from biomass burning could significantly increase the level of IL1β (16.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7%, 29.8%) and IL6 (13.0%, 95% CI: 0.3%, 27.3%), and an IQR increase in PAHs contributed by diesel vehicle emission was significantly associated with the increase of IL6 levels (12.7%, 95% CI: 0.1%, 26.9%). The stratified analysis revealed that non-smokers were more susceptible to the PAHs emitted from biomass burning and diesel emission. In summary, exposure to PAHs from certain specific sources of PAHs may significantly enhance systemic inflammation in the elderly. These findings highlight the importance of considering exposure sources in epidemiological studies and that of controlling exposures to organic materials from specific sources.
A real-world study of treatment patterns following disease progression in epithelial ovarian cancer patients undergoing poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor maintenance therapy
Authors: Zhang Nan , Zheng Hong , Gao Yunong , Shu Tong , Wang Hongguo , Cai Yan
Published: August 2023

Background
The efficacy of subsequent therapy after poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor maintenance treatment has raised concerns. Retrospective studies show worse outcomes for platinum-based chemotherapy after progression of PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy, especially in BRCA-mutant patients. We aimed to describe subsequent therapy in ovarian cancer patients after PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy and evaluate their response to treatment. We focused on chemotherapy for patients with a progression-free interval (PFI) of ≥ 6 months after prior platinum treatment, based on BRCA status.
Methods
We analyzed real-world data from Peking University Cancer Hospital, including patients who received subsequent therapy after progression to PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer between January 2016 and December 2022. Clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes were extracted from medical records. The last follow-up was in May 2023.
Results
A total of 102 patients were included, of which 29 (28.4%) had a germline BRCA1/2 mutation and 73 (71.6%) exhibited BRCA1/2 wild-type mutations. The PARP inhibitors used were Olaparib (n = 62, 60.8%), Niraparib (n = 35, 34.3%), and others (n = 5, 4.9%). The overall response rate (ORR) was 41.2%, and the median time to second progression (mTTSP) was 8.1 months (95%CI 5.8–10.2). Of 91 platinum-sensitive patients (PFI ≥ 6 months) after progression to PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy, 65 patients subsequently received platinum regimens. Among them, 30 had received one line of chemotherapy before PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy. Analysis of these 30 patients by BRCA status showed an ORR of 16.7% versus 33.3% and mTTSP of 7.1 (95% CI 4.9–9.1) versus 6.2 months (95% CI 3.7–8.3, P = 0.550), for BRCA-mutant and wild-type patients, respectively. For the remaining 35 patients who had received two or more lines of chemotherapy before PARP inhibitor-maintenance therapy, ORR was 57.1% versus 42.9%, and mTTSP was 18.0 (95% CI 5.0–31.0) versus 8.0 months (95% CI 4.9–11.1, P = 0.199), for BRCA-mutant and wild-type patients, respectively.
Conclusion
No differences in survival outcomes were observed among patients with different BRCA statuses. Furthermore, for patients who had undergone two or more lines of chemotherapy before PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy, no negative effects of PARP inhibitors on subsequent treatment were found, regardless of BRCA status.
Abordagem Clínico-Cirúrgica e Ortodôntica de Mordida Cruzada Posterior Unilateral em Paciente Infantil: Relato da Conduta e das Intercorrências
Authors: Silva Walléria Medeiros da , Souza Lucas Oliveira , Rocha Renata Andréa Salvitti de Sá , Alencar Catarina Ribeiro Barros de , Barbosa Taís de Souza , Fonseca Fátima Roneiva Alves
Published: August 2023

Introdução: As maloclusões dentárias são alterações que causam o desequilíbrio do sistema estomatognático, apresentando diversos fatores etiológicos. A mordida cruzada é uma alteração transversal do posicionamento dentário entre as arcadas superior e inferior, afetando a região anterior e posterior, de forma uni ou bilateral. O tratamento pode incluir a utilização de aparelhos fixos ou removíveis, juntamente com procedimentos clínicos conservadores. Objetivos: Descrever um caso de um paciente com mordida cruzada posterior unilateral em um paciente infantil de seis anos de idade, tratado de forma interdisciplinar. Relato de caso: Paciente do sexo feminino, seis anos de idade, apresentando elementos dentários ausentes, com falta de espaço e uma mordida cruzada posterior unilateral de origem funcional. O plano de tratamento foi executado por meio de procedimentos interceptativos em ortodontia e odontopediatria: ulectomias, slices verticais e desgastes seletivos, além do planejamento de uso de uma placa expansora bilateral removível, que não recebeu adesão do paciente para sua utilização. Resultados: Os procedimentos realizados, como as ulectomias e os slices verticais, se mostraram bons auxiliadores na correção de problemas de maloclusão e falta de espaço da paciente. O tratamento da mordida cruzada posterior unilateral de origem funcional, feito através da utilização de um aparelho expansor removível de expansão lenta da maxila, mostrou que a colaboração do paciente é extremamente necessária para que se obtenha bons resultados e ocasione o descruzamento da mordida.
Principais Lesões Brancas que acometem a Cavidade Oral
Authors: Dias Brenno Anderson Santiago , Menezes Iasmim Lima , Vasconcelos Marcelo Gadelha , Vasconcelos Rodrigo Gadelha
Published: August 2023

Introdução: As lesões brancas da cavidade oral constituem um grupo heterogêneo de alterações, possuindo diversas etiologias, podendo ser desde lesões de carácter irritativo até lesões que indicam certo potencial de malignidade, necessitando assim, de uma criteriosa avaliação. Entre os fatores que influenciam no processo diagnóstico, estão: a cor, distribuição, duração e localização da lesão, porém, devido à semelhança clínica entre algumas lesões brancas, não é possível estabelecer um diagnóstico definitivo apenas por meio do exame clínico, necessitando da realização de uma biópsia, e em alguns casos de solicitação de exames complementares, com o objetivo de atingir um diagnóstico confiável, e efetuar o tratamento adequado. Objetivos: Discorrer sobre as principais lesões brancas presentes na cavidade oral, dando ênfase no diagnóstico diferencial entre cada uma delas, já que tal abordagem implicará diretamente na conduta profissional e no estabelecimento do tratamento adequado para cada paciente. Métodos: Para isso foi realizada uma revisão de literatura através da busca de artigos publicados no PubMED entre os anos de 2016 e 2020. Resultados: Destaca-se que as lesões brancas orais podem ser desde lesões benignas reacionais até lesões potencialmente malignas. É necessária atenção no exame clínico das lesões brancas, fazendo questionamentos ao paciente sobre a origem da lesão, além de realizar manobras semiotécnicas para obtenção de informações importantes a respeito da lesão. Conclusão: Ademais, é necessário o conhecimento dos cirurgiões-dentistas acerca dos diferentes tipos de lesões brancas que acometem a cavidade oral, além da realização de biópsia para análise histopatológica para obtenção do diagnóstico definitivo.
THE FUNCTIONING OF THE VOCABULARY FOR MARKING INACCURATE TIME PERIODS IN THE SPEAKERS OF THE LOWER SUPERDNIPRIAN REGION
Authors: Bilenko Tetyana , Tatarovska Olesya
Published: August 2023

Time phenomenon plays an extremely important role in reflecting language and cultural peculiarities of any nation. Time is an integral aspect of our world model, a characteristic of existenceduration, and an important part of people's lives, especially in the modern world, where it is becoming a valuable resource. The language picture of certain territories encodes the value content of time in different ways. Its decoding reveals the worldview of a cultural society.Time, as a component of the world’s language picture, is endowed with properties inherent in humanthinking and worldview. Awareness of time as an integral element of reality is a source of cultural coding. The temporal code of culture is represented through the names of time intervals, which are understood as cultural signs. Their study in the ethnolinguistic context helps to reveal national specificity and characterize the linguistic traditions of a particular ethnic area.Based on the material of the famous ethnographic work "The Dictionary of NyzhniaNaddniprianshchyna.(The Lower Dnieper Ukraine)Dialects" by Viktor Antonovych Chabanenko, the article analyses lexemes denoting inaccurate time intervals, one of the informative layers of dialect vocabulary, which was formed on the basis of wide and comprehensive use of allresources of the national language and became its organic part. The present study is devoted to the elucidation of the semantics, structure, lexical and word-formation meaning of these linguistic means to denote time, as well as to the identification of their potential possibilities recorded in the dictionary. The disclosure of time awarenesspeculiaritiesby Ukrainian people and the identification of time units that constitute the specificity of the lexical system of the dialects inNyzhniaNaddniprianshchyna clearly reflects the individual perception of the world by the speakers of a particular ethnolinguistic area.
A RELATIVE POET AMONG THE "PRAZANS": THE EXTRAORDINARY CREATIVE PERSONALITY OF O. STEFANOVYCH
Authors: Vladymyrova Valentyna , Reva Nataliya , Riabokon Kateryna
Published: August 2023

The purpose of the article is to characterize the specifics of O. Stefanovych's work in the context of the work of "Prague" poets, to reveal its artistic uniqueness, dominant moral and ethical existentials, and philosophical content. The main attention in the article is focused on the overview of the main stages of the writer's creative growth, taking into account the lack of research into his figure by modern literary science. The inner hermeticism of the poet among the "people of Prague" is outlined. The specifics of philosophical motives and images are defined, the characteristic features of figurative symbolism are revealed. Dominants of artistic historiosophy in poetic texts are clarified.The object of research was the poetic works of O. Stefanovych. The subject is diverse motifs and images of poetry, their philosophical, existential, religious content. The source base of the research is the collections "Poetry" (1927), "Stephanos I" (1939), "Collected Works" (1975, posthumously) by O. Stefanovych.In the article, from the standpoint of modern literary science, the specifics of O. Stefanovych's poetic work are clarified, the deep philosophical nature of his texts is characterized, and his role in the complex emigration literary process is highlighted.
«LIANOZOVIAN TEXT» IN THE GENRIKH SAPGIR’S POETICAL WORKS: METALITERARY AND INTERMEDIATE ASPECTS
Authors: Zayarna Iryna
Published: August 2023

The article examines the specifics of reflecting the history and artistic practice of the Lianozovo non-conformist artistic group in the G. Saphir's poetic cycles «The End and the Beginning» and «The New Lianozovo». The peculiarities of the deployment of the memoir component, fragments of biographies of the association's participants and autobiographical material are determined.To reconstruct elements of the creative strategies of the underground representatives–artists and writers Saphir applies the techniques of intermediality and metalliterature methods. A number of images, landscape sketches, reduced ekphrasis correspond with O.Rabin's minimalist painting and «concrete» poetry by the Lianozovites and reproduce the range of problems of so-called «barrack» literature –social troubles, restrictions of freedom in a totalitarian country, poor and disorderly life, extreme devaluation of human life, and ultimately, the absurdity of existence as a whole. G. Saphir uses the intertext by the Lianozovites (E. Kropivnitsky, I. Kholin and his own pretexts). The author resorts to the reconstruction of certain methods of the Lianozovo school such as minimalism, «protocol writing», grotesque, absurdism and applies them in depicting the realities of life in the 90s. At the same time, the connection with the concrete poetry is diversified by a wide range of traditions –from game poetry, known since ancient times, to the artistic practice of oberiuts and the later methodology of conceptual performances.The complex multi-layered text created by the writer is a kind of version of a poetic memoirs and at the same time reveals the characteristic features of his idiostyle –game poetics, an attitude to experiment, metaphysical viewpoint of world perception.
Estimating Water Needs of Landscape Palms in Mediterranean Climates
Authors: Pittenger Dennis R. , Downer A. James , Hodel Donald R. , Mochizuki Maren
Published: August 2023

The responses of five landscape palm species [king palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), and california fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)] to three levels of irrigation [50%, 25%, and 0% (no irrigation) of reference evapotranspiration] were evaluated in a coastal mediterranean climate in Irvine, CA. Cumulative leaf production varied greatly among the species, but only king and chinese windmill palms produced more leaves with additional irrigation. All species maintained at least minimally acceptable visual quality at the no-irrigation treatment. Mediterranean fan and california fan palms expressed near optimum performance with no irrigation. Many established landscape palms can maintain at least minimally acceptable appearance for an extended period with little or no supplemental water in coastal mediterranean climates. However, when rainfall plus irrigation is less than 50% of reference evapotranspiration, sensitive landscape palms could be expected to appear less attractive and grow less. Responses of palm species in this study were similar to those of many other landscape tree and shrub species, but the water needs of landscape palms are considerably less than those of commercial date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), or coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).
Emerging Palm Diseases in Florida
Authors: Elliott Monica L.
Published: August 2023

Since the mid-1990s, several new pathogens and diseases have emerged on palms (Arecaceae) growing in Florida. These include two formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum, with f. sp. canariensis causing fusarium wilt of canary island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) and a new forma specialis causing Fusarium wilt of queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta). The texas phoenix palm decline phytoplasma (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma palmae’ subgroup 16SrIV-D), which causes a lethal yellowing-type disease, has been detected in date palms (Phoenix spp.), queen palm, and cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto). New rachis (petiole) blight pathogens include Cocoicola californica on mexican fan palm and Serenomyces species on several palm species.