bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Lettered Indian
Authors: Larson Brooke
Published: December 2023

Bringing into dialogue the fields of social history, Andean ethnography, and postcolonial theory, The Lettered Indian maps the moral dilemmas and political stakes involved in the protracted struggle over Indian literacy and schooling in the Bolivian Andes. Brooke Larson traces Bolivia's major state efforts to educate its unruly Indigenous masses at key junctures in the twentieth century. While much scholarship has focused on “the Indian boarding school” and other Western schemes of racial assimilation, Larson interweaves state-centered and imperial episodes of Indigenous education reform with vivid ethnographies of Aymara peasant protagonists and their extraordinary pro-school initiatives. Exploring the field of vernacular literacy practices and peasant political activism, she examines the transformation of the rural “alphabet school” from an instrument of the civilizing state into a tool of Aymara cultural power, collective representation, and rebel activism. From the metaphorical threshold of the rural school, Larson rethinks the politics of race and indigeneity, nation and empire, in postcolonial Bolivia and beyond.
Introduction
Authors: Masco Joseph , Wedeen Lisa
Published: December 2023

The chapter argues that there is a core affinity between conspiracy theory and critical theory. Arguing against Richard Hofstadter that there is an easy line of demarcation between the two, the introduction to Conspiracy/Theory asks how the individual can manage knowing in a world that is filled with state and corporate deceptions, attentional hacks, and complex, multifaceted forms of violence. It interrogates the role of anticipation and intuition for those who have either too much information or not enough to explain the conditions they are experiencing. It also redraws the lines between theory and conspiracy, while attending to the need to identify political manipulations for power or profit.
Conspiracy, Theory, and the “Post-Truth” Public Sphere
Authors: Melley Timothy
Published: December 2023

There is nothing new about the sort of suspicion now commonly called “conspiracy theory,” but the idea that conspiracy theory is a special type of discourse—one that is easily recognized and dismissed as pathological—emerged during the Cold War and is entangled with the history of the security state. In the post-World War II United States, both allegations of conspiracy and dismissals of “conspiracy theory” have become part of a robust discourse on human agency, sovereign power, and the health of the public sphere. Conspiracy discourse is a symptom of the conditions of knowledge in a security society in which secrets are the objects of insistent speculation, public understanding struggles to keep pace with technical innovation, and citizenship is increasingly organized around risk mitigation.
The Play of Conspiracy in Plato'sRepublic
Authors: Kasimis Demetra
Published: December 2023

Does the Republic depict a conspiracy? The ostensible impetus for Socrates’s discussion of profound political change behind closed doors is a desire to consider the meaning of justice, not to replace a political order with a new one. But the dialogue takes place during the Peloponnesian War, when fears of plots sporadically consumed an eroding Athenian democracy. Arguments about political instability and instances of plotting reverberate throughout the dialogue that takes shape in this suspicious climate. Whether Socrates makes us privy to a conversation about a political world that does not exist or presents us with a strategy for talking about revolution undetected remains unresolved. The chapter argues that Athenian fears of secret power and revolution express themselves in the style and arguments of the Republic and suggests that already at the origins of democratic practice, critics like Plato were concerned with theorizing the subtleties of democratic erosion.
An Economy of Suspicion
Authors: El-Haj Nadia Abu
Published: December 2023

In the shadow of the ongoing wars on terror, the US public domain is saturated with references to a military-civilian divide. So, too, is it replete with talk about soldier trauma, a pervasive framework through which the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan appear in the public domain. This chapter considers the ways in which these two phenomena act in concert to interpellate the American public—referred to as “civilians,” a figure that the chapter explores—to the call of war. Rather than understanding state secrecy as the only—or even as the primary—obstacle to a critical and participatory democratic citizenship, the chapter suggests such analyses can operate as alibis for political inaction. The American public, the chapter maintains, knows more than enough to engage in a robust critique of American militarism, if only it were to choose—and were authorized—to care.
Conspiracies of Theory
Authors: Morris Rosalind C.
Published: December 2023

This chapter examines the world of informal and illegal gold mining in South Africa and reflects on the fact that conspiracy theories about gold (including its hoarding, concealment, and theft) have often relied upon gold as a figure of the real and the true at the same time as it has been imagined as the ultimate object of dissimulation. Moving between Richard Hofstadter’s account of paranoid style and the theatrical efforts made by precarious scavengers of precious metals to access both value and the power of the state, the chapter reflects on the analytical operations by which resemblance is coded as identity. Sometimes, these operations permit the coherence of multilingual and multiethnic collectivities. At other times, it generates a violent mimesis of state forms of punitive justice. The chapter argues that this vacillation and the categorical instability it reveals are intrinsic to both scientific/analytical discourse about informal economies and popular (and populist) thought more generally.
Humanitarian Profiteering in the Central African Republic as Conspiracy and Rumor
Authors: Lombard Louisa
Published: December 2023

A massive influx of humanitarian actors in conjunction with a rise in armed violence in the Central African Republic has confronted Central Africans with their own poverty and others’ wealth in new ways. In attempting to explain Central Africans’ predicament, many have found evidence showing that it is in fact the humanitarians who are fomenting conflict to shore up their well-paid jobs. African theories of wrongdoing in their midst are generally discussed as rumor, but they are equally examples of conspiracy thinking. Conspiracy thinking is inherently about moral claims, and conspiracies must be considered in light of social processes and individual actions, because even conspiracies that are held with conviction do not always change how people act.
Confessions of an Accused Conspiracy Theorist
Authors: Meister Robert
Published: December 2023

In 2010 the author of this chapter was accused of "conspiracy theory" for exposing the University of California's (UC)'s long-term strategy to pledge revenues from higher enrollments and tuition increases for general purpose bonds to fund construction outside its core educational mission. Even after UC's financial strategy was documented online, the university denied that this explained its conduct during the financial crisis. The chapter shows how and why such deniability was part of its strategy. At stake is the conversion of the university’s mission from education to finance, which explains the explosion of student debt in recent years. The chapter also considers the political and personal effects of being accused of conspiracy theory in a moment of unannounced financial restructuring of higher education.
Conspiracy and Its Curious Afterlives
Authors: Hillis Faith
Published: December 2023

Instead of dismissing the “paranoid style” of politics, this chapter argues for the generative power of conspiracy. It traces the actions of a circle of French and Russian activists whose scheming managed to change the course of international politics and may have also resulted in the production of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. At the same time, the chapter reflects on an unexpected afterlife of conspiracy—its tendency to entrap its practitioners, resulting in unexpected outcomes. The chapter closes with a methodological reflection about the challenges that working on conspiracies poses to historians—namely, the risk that they too will become entrapped in conspiracies and their unexpected byproducts.
Stiffness-dependent MSC homing and differentiation into CAFs – implications for breast cancer invasion
Authors: Saxena Neha , Chakraborty Soura , Dutta Sarbajeet , Bhardwaj Garvit , Karnik Nupur , Shetty Omshree , Jadhav Sameer , Zafar Hamim , Sen Shamik
Published: December 2023

Cellular heterogeneity and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening have been shown to be drivers of breast cancer invasiveness. Here, we examine how stiffness-dependent crosstalk between cancer cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) within an evolving tumor microenvironment regulates cancer invasion. By analyzing previously published single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, we establish the existence of a subpopulation of cells in primary tumors, secondary sites and circulatory tumor cell clusters of highly aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that co-express MSC and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) markers. By using hydrogels with stiffnesses of 0.5, 2 and 5 kPa to mimic different stages of ECM stiffening, we show that conditioned medium from MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells cultured on 2 kPa gels, which mimic the pre-metastatic stroma, drives efficient MSC chemotaxis and induces stable differentiation of MSC-derived CAFs in a TGFβ (TGFB1)- and contractility-dependent manner. In addition to enhancing cancer cell proliferation, MSC-derived CAFs on 2 kPa gels maximally boost local invasion and confer resistance to flow-induced shear stresses. Collectively, our results suggest that homing of MSCs at the pre-metastatic stage and their differentiation into CAFs actively drives breast cancer invasion and metastasis in TNBC.
Evaluation of the “Step-Ramp-Step” Protocol: Accurate Aerobic Exercise Prescription with Different Steps and Ramp Slopes
Authors: MACKIE MARY Z. , IANNETTA DANILO , KEIR DANIEL A. , MURIAS JUAN M.
Published: December 2023

The step-ramp-step (SRS) can assign constant-load exercise intensities from a ramp-incremental test. Its precision using different moderate-intensity (MOD) steps or ramp slopes has yet to be evaluated.

Purpose

To assess whether: i) a lower amplitude constant-load MOD is appropriate to determine the mean response time (MRT); ii) the method accurately corrects the dissociation in the V̇O2–PO relationship during ramp compared with constant-load exercise when using different ramp slopes.

Methods

Eighteen participants (7 females) performed three SRS tests including: i) step-transitions into MOD from 20 to 50 W (MOD50) and 80 W (MOD80); and ii) slopes of 15, 30, and 45 W·min−1. The V̇O2and PO at the gas exchange threshold (GET) and the corrected respiratory compensation point (RCPCORR) were determined. Two to three 30-min constant-load trials evaluated the V̇O2and PO at the maximal metabolic steady state (MMSS).

Results

There were no differences in V̇O2at GET (1.97 ± 0.36, 1.99 ± 0.36, 1.95 ± 0.30 L·min−1), and RCP (2.81 ± 0.57, 2.86 ± 0.59, 2.84 ± 0.59) between 15, 30, and 45 W·min−1ramps, respectively (P> 0.05). The MRT in seconds was not affected by the amplitude of the MOD or the slope of the ramp (range 19 ± 10 s to 23 ± 20 s;P> 0.05). The mean PO at GET was not significantly affected by the amplitude of the MOD or the slope of the ramp (range 130 ± 30 W to 137 ± 30 W;P> 0.05). The PO at RCPCORRwas similar for all conditions ((range 186 ± 43 W to 193 ± 47 W;P> 0.05).

Conclusions

The SRS protocol accounts for the V̇O2MRT when using smaller amplitude steps, and for the V̇O2slow component when using different ramp slopes, allowing for accurate partitioning of the exercise intensity domains in a single test.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Transcranial Photobiomodulation as Treatment for Concussion
Authors: TAYLOR ALEX M. , MANNIX REBEKAH , ZAFONTE RALPH D. , WHALEN MICHAEL J. , MEEHAN WILLIAM P.
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Literature indicating that transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) may enable the brain to recover normal function after concussion, resulting in symptoms reduction, and improved cognitive function after concussion is limited by small sample sizes and lack of controls.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examining the effect of 6 wk of tPBM in patients 11 yr or older who received care for persistent postconcussion symptoms between September 2012 and December 2015. Our primary outcome measure was the mean difference in Postconcussion Symptom Scale total score and the raw Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing composite scores between study entry and treatment completion. Participants received two, 10-min sessions either with tPBM units or via two placebo units, three times per week. We screened for potential confounding variables using univariable analyses. We entered covariables that differed between the two groups on univariable screening into a regression analysis. We considered adjusted odds ratio that did not cross one statistically significant.

Results

Forty-eight participants completed the study. Most were female (63%), and a majority sustained their injury during sports or exercise (71%). Despite randomization, those that received tPBM therapy reported a greater number of previous concussions. After adjusting for the effect of previous concussions and multiple comparisons, there were no significant differences between tPBM and placebo groups at 3 or 6 wk of treatment.

Conclusions

Despite showing promise in previous investigations, our study did not show benefit to tPBM over placebo therapy in patients experiencing persistent postconcussion symptoms. Further investigation is needed to determine if varying the dose or timing alters the efficacy of tPBM after concussion.
How the Demos [Public] Regulate the Kratos [Administration] Through Repeated Elections: Lessons Learned from the Elections in Türkiye for the Government and Opposition
Authors: Keser Ahmet , Kılıç Burak , Özbek Cuma Ali
Published: December 2023

Objections to the results of conducted elections and repeated elections are a significant issue. The aim of this study is to investigate repeated elections and the reasons for canceling them through the decisions of Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council (SEC) since its establishment and to examine the results of repeated elections to reveal which side benefits from this. According to the results of the content analysis, the study found within the frame of the investigated period the SEC to have annulled a total of five elections, four of which had been local and one that had been a parliamentary election, and the most frequent reason for repeating the elections to have been due to restricted or ineligible voters voting, which occurred for four separate elections. Lessons exist for the government and opposition parties to learn from these annulled and repeated elections, with repeated elections generally resulting in an unfavorable outcome for the contesting party.
Derslik Sosyolojisi: İlkokulda Sınıfın Etkileşimci İnşası
Authors: Tombak İlhan Büşra , Gündüz Mustafa
Published: December 2023

İnsanın toplum halinde yaşama ihtiyacı, farklı yapı ve mekanizmalarda kurumların oluşturulmasını sağlamıştır. Bu kurumların başında gelen eğitim, toplumsallaşma süreçlerini doğrudan ve dolaylı biçimde gerçekleştiren bir kurumdur. Bu süreçleri en yoğun biçimde yaşan grup ise sınıflardır. Toplumsal bir grup olarak sınıflar, toplum özelliği gösteren sosyal birlikteliklerdir. Bu birlikteliğin kendine özgü özellikleri ve yapısı bulunur. Bu çalışma, pedagojik anlamda sınıfın toplumsal boyutunun nasıl oluştuğunu Sembolik Etkileşimci bir bakış açısıyla anlamaya çalışmaktadır. Çalışma, etnografi yöntemiyle Zeytinburnu’nda yer alan bir okulda 1. sınıfta yürütülmüştür. Katılımcılar 9 kız ve 7 erkek öğrenci, bir erkek öğretmen ve 16 veliden oluşmaktadır. Çalışmanın verileri öğretmen ve öğrenci görüşmeleri ve gözlem yöntemleriyle elde edilmiştir. Tüm veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle incelenmiş ve sonuçlar aktarılmıştır. Sınıf oluşumunu ele alan çalışma, derslik sosyolojisinin öğretmen, öğrenci, eğitim pratikleri ve fiziksel ortamla nasıl etkileşim içerisinde oluştuğunu açıklamaktadır.
Bir Devrimci Portresi Olarak Elveda Gülsarı: Kolhozlarda Aile ve Arkadaşlık İlişkilerinin Kırılganlığı
Authors: Özyurt Cevat
Published: December 2023

Bu makalede, nitel araştırma yöntemi uygulanarak, hermaneutik yaklaşımla Elveda Gülsarı romanının kahramanı yoldaş Tanabay’ın birincil ilişkileri üzerinden, Cengiz Aytmatov’un Sovyet sistemine yönelik eleştirileri sistematik ve bütünlüklü olarak analiz edilmektedir. Hermaneutik yaklaşım, metindeki sembolik ifadeler ile ekonomik ilişkilere bağlı olarak kişilerin tutum, davranış ve düşüncelerinde meydana gelen değişimleri yorumlayarak yazarın sosyalist sistem içindeki insan algısını anlama imkânı vermektedir. Romanda rahvan at Gülsarı’nın trajedisi ön plana çıkarılmış ve tüm detaylarıyla anlatılmıştır. Emekçi Tanabay’ın ve Kolhoz halklarının trajedisi ise örtük biçimde ve fragmanlar hâlinde verilmiştir. Kişilere ilişkin fragmanlar ilişkisel olarak birleştirildiğinde, Elveda Gülsarı büyük bir sosyolojik değeri haiz bir metne dönüşür. Romanın sembolik çözümlemesi yapıldığında Aytmatov’un esas olarak Tanabay’ın ve Kolhoz halklarının trajedisini anlatmak istediği görülür. Roman, Sovyet yönetimine içeriden yapılan edebî eleştirilerin ilk örneklerinden birini oluşturur. Bu eserle Aytmatov, Sovyetler Birliği’nde sosyalist gerçekçiliğin sınırlarını aşıp, eleştirel gerçekçiliğe yönelmiştir. Özgürleşme ve eşitlik idealiyle kurulan “yeni toplum”da kamusal alana, muhalefete, aracı kurumlara/sivil toplum kuruluşlarına yer verilmemesi, aile ve arkadaşlık ilişkileri üzerinde ideolojik devletin olumsuz etkisini artırmıştır. Sistemin yabancılaşmasına ve Tanabay gibi emekçilerin yalnızlaşmasına ontolojik birer sorun olarak bakan Aytmatov, Sovyet sisteminin mevcut hâliyle sürdürülebilirliğine ilişkin güçlü eleştirel bir bakış ortaya koyar.
The Reverse Emergent Properties of The International Democracy Promotion Regime in The Arab Middle East
Authors: Yaylacı İsmail
Published: December 2023

Despite the dramatic increase in the international democracy promotion efforts toward the Arab Middle East in the period between the September 11, 2001 attacks and the Arab uprisings in 2010, the authoritarian regimes in the region have paradoxically become more entrenched. This paper tries to analyze this puzzling development by taking democracy promotion toward the Arab Middle East as an international regime. By examining the constitutive norms, procedures, and the institutions of this international democracy promotion regime, I argue that the weak character of the regime produced what I call ‘reverse emergent properties’—contradictory systemic effects that cannot be reduced to its individual parts, in this case the individual democracy promotion initiatives.
LA FORMACIÓN JURÍDICO AMBIENTAL. CARACTERIZACIÓN HOLÍSTICA
Authors: Sanchez Alcides Antunez , Ocampo Eduardo Díaz , Paneque Janet Vázquez
Published: December 2023

Objetivo: El Derecho Ambiental se desarrolla como la lógica respuesta a la necesidad de explotar los recursos naturales en un marco de racionalidad, aprovechamiento sostenible y protección del ambiente por los Estados. Su evolución ha sido rápida y progresiva, incorporándose paulatinamente en todas las ramas jurídicas y adquiriendo, a su vez, autonomía propia como disciplina vinculada con casi todas las ciencias debido a su transdisciplinariedad. La educación ambiental, es el instrumento fundamental para alcanzar los objetivos necesarios para lograr alcanzar el desarrollo sostenible, propone que la población adquiera conocimientos de los aspectos naturales, culturales y sociales que contribuyen a la solución de los problemas ambientales, al vincular al ser humano con su entorno. Se analizan en el artículo los referentes teóricos epistemológicos del proceso de formación jurídico ambiental a partir de su caracterización holística desde diferentes enfoques de su construcción desde la complejidad y el pensamiento crítico, lo que tributará a lograr alcanzar el principio jurídico del desarrollo sostenible por su multidimensionalidad, desde el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje en la asignatura Derecho Ambiental en la carrera de Derecho con la integración de contenidos.Metodología: se utilizan como métodos la revisión bibliográfica, el análisis histórico, análisis síntesis, holístico dialéctico, e inducción deducción.Resultados: coadyuvará a la solución a los problemas ambientales desde la integración del contenido jurídico ambiental con una propuesta de contenidos para el proceso docente educativo, incidirá en el conocimiento de la educación ambiental, donde el hombre-naturaleza y a fin de lograr la conservación de las condiciones ambientales que requiere para su hábitat sin perjuicio del desarrollo de las actividades económicas que lo impactan, necesitada de establecer los mecanismos, medidas y procedimientos que permitan una convivencia armónica de lo natural, de lo social y de lo económico por su transdisciplinariedad de la cuestión ambiental.
Non-Pharmacological approach for the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease
Authors: Randhawa Mohammad Akram , Khan Sadia Azam , Aqsa Naseer  , Baqai Muhammad Tariq
Published: December 2023

Treatment of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is becoming a challenge. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed but have many risks, particularly in long-term use. In an earlier pilot study, we have reported benefits of short-term practice of a new life-style, two meals a day with only liquids in between, for management of GERD. Present case report demonstrates benefits of long-term practice of this dietary regimen. A 61 year old patient complaining of night refluxes was diagnosed to have severe GERD with ulcerations at gastroesophageal junction and was advised to take two meals a day with only water, fruit juice, tea, or milk in intervening period. His reflux symptoms improved within fortnight and he remained well for long-time. Endoscopy done after seven years revealed competent and clear gastroesophageal junction. It is concluded that suggested life-style, “Akram’s life-style”, for GERD is a useful alternate to risky medical and surgical interventions.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7291

How to cite this: Randhawa MA, Khan SA, Naseer A, Baqai MT. Non-Pharmacological approach for the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7291

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.
Predicting outcomes of Lung Cancer using the modified glasgow prognostic score: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Min Yonghua , Li Xiaofeng , Chen Huafei , Xu Yumei , Lan Gang
Published: December 2023

Background & Objective: Previous studies have suggested that the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) could be a potential biomarker for lung cancer (LC). However, the association between mGPS and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in lung cancer patients remains unclear. The purpose of our study was to investigate possible correlation between mGPS and OS or PFS in LC patients.

Methods: An extensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Trip Database, Worldwide Science, and Google Scholar databases was done for relevant articles, published prior to May 30, 2021, that report correlation between mGPS and OS or PFS in LC patients. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as the main parameters for evaluation.

Results: A total of 28 studies involving 9,748 lung cancer patients were analysed. The pooled analysis revealed that elevated mGPS (≥ 0) was associated with poor OS (HR=1.54; 95% CI, 1.32-1.77) and PFS (HR=1.49; 95% CI, 1.17-1.82). Furthermore, a significant correlation between mGPS (1 or 2) and OS was observed. However, no significant correlation was found between mGPS (1 or 2) and PFS. Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity demonstrated that mGPS ≥ 0 was associated with worse OS compared to mGPS=0 in both Asian (HR=1.46; 95% CI, 1.04-1.89; p<0.05) and Caucasian (HR=1.64; 95% CI, 1.35-1.94; p<0.05) cohorts of LC patients.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that positive mGPS is associated with poor survival results. Therefore, mGPS may be used as a biomarker for predicting prognosis in LC patients.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.8397

How to cite this: Min Y, Li X, Chen H, Xu Y, Lan G. Predicting outcomes of Lung Cancer using the modified glasgow prognostic score: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.8397

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.
Non-classical monocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Authors: Στεργιώτη Ειρήνη-Μαρία
Published: December 2023

Ο Συστηματικός Ερυθηματώδης Λύκος (ΣΕΛ) είναι μια χρόνια, συστημική αυτοάνοση νόσος που εκδηλώνει ποικίλες κλινικές και μοριακές διαταραχές που αποδίδονται στην απώλεια αυτοανοχής στα νουκλεϊκά οξέα και άλλα ενδογενή αντιγόνα, με συνέπεια την παραγωγή αυτοαντισωμάτων. Η υπερβολική και μη αναστρέψιμη βλάβη των ιστών που προκαλείται από τα αυτοαντισώματα και την εναπόθεση των ανοσουμπλεγμάτων επηρεάζει τα υποκείμενα όργανα οδηγώντας σε σημαντική νοσηρότητα και αυξημένη θνησιμότητα. Τα μονοκύτταρα του περιφερικού αίματος επιδεινώνουν τη φλεγμονή και την ανάπτυξη βλάβης τελικών οργάνων στον ΣΕΛ. Τρεις κύριοι υποπληθυσμοί μονοκυττάρων έχουν αναγνωριστεί και συγκεκριμένα τα κλασικά, τα ενδιάμεσα και τα μη κλασικά μονοκύτταρα. Οι διαταραχές στην φυσιολογία των μονοκυττάρων αποτελούν βασικό πυλώνα της παθογένειας του ΣΕΛ και οδηγούν στη διαιώνιση της φλεγμονής και στη βλάβη των ιστών. Πρόσφατες μελέτες τονίζουν τη συμμετοχή τελικώς διαφοροποιημένων υποσυνόλων ανοσοκυττάρων στη βλάβη των ιστών και τη σοβαρότητα της νόσου. Πάρα τα σημαντικά ευρήματα ότι τα μη κλασικά μονοκύτταρα συμβάλλουν στην εξέλιξη της νόσου στους ιστούς στόχους, παραμένουν ο λιγότερο μελετημένος υπότυπος. Στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η περαιτέρω διερεύνηση του ρόλου και της λειτουργίας των μη κλασικών μονοκυττάρων στον ΣΕΛ. Η κατανόηση των μοριακών οδών που εμπλέκονται στην ενεργοποίηση και λειτουργία των μη κλασικών μονοκυττάρων στην περιφέρεια των ασθενών με ενεργό νόσο, πριν από τη μετανάστευση τους στους ιστούς στόχους, μπορεί να οδηγήσει στην ανάπτυξη στοχευμένων θεραπειών για τη ρύθμιση των αποτελεσμάτων τους. Για τον λόγο αυτό, στη παρούσα διατριβή πραγματοποιήσαμε έναν ολοκληρωμένο μεταγραφικό, πρωτεομικό και λειτουργικό χαρακτηρισμό των τριών περιφερικών μονοκυτταρικών υποπληθυσμών από ασθενείς με ενεργό ΣΕΛ και υγιή άτομα. Τα αποτελέσματά μας καταδεικνύουν εκτεταμένες μοριακές διαταραχές στα μη κλασικά μονοκύτταρα του περιφερικού αίματος, που χαρακτηρίζονται από ενισχυμένα φλεγμονώδη χαρακτηριστικά όπως η απορυθμισμένη επιδιόρθωση του DNA, ο κυτταρικός κύκλος και η αυξημένη σηματοδότηση ιντερφερόνης σε συνδυασμό με στοιχεία διαφοροποίησης και αναπτυξιακές διαδικασίες. Η ενισχυμένη βλάβη του DNA, η αυξημένη έκφραση του p53, η διακοπή του κυτταρικού κύκλου στην G0 φάση και η αυξημένη αυτοφαγία, τονίζουν τη δυνατότητα διαφοροποίησης των μη κλασικών μονοκυττάρων στον ΣΕΛ. Αυτό το παθογονικό προφίλ σχετίζεται με έναν ενεργοποιημένο φαινότυπο των μη κλασικών μονοκυττάρων που εμφανίζει χαρακτηριστικά M1 στην κυκλοφορία, τροφοδοτώντας τη φλεγμονώδη απόκριση. Συμπερασματικά, τα ευρήματα αυτά υπογραμμίζουν τα μη κλασικά μονοκύτταρα ως ένα παθογόνο κυτταρικό τύπο στη νόσο που θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως ένας επιπλέον θεραπευτικός στόχος για την νόσο.
Development, validation and use of artificial-intelligence-related technologies to assess basic motor skills in children: a scoping review
Authors: Figueroa-Quiñones Joel , Ipanaque-Neyra Juan , Gómez Hurtado Heber , Bazo-Alvarez Oscar , Bazo-Alvarez Juan Carlos
Published: December 2023

Background: In basic motor skills evaluation, two observersers can eventually mark the same child’s performance differently. When systematic, this brings serious noise to the assessment. New motion sensing and tracking technologies offer more precise measures of these children’s capabilities. We aimed to review current development, validation and use of artificial intelligence-related technologies that assess basic motor skills in children aged 3 to 6 years old.

Methods: We performed a scoping review in Medline, EBSCO, IEEE and Web of Science databases. PRISMA Extension recommendations for scoping reviews were applied for the full review, whereas the COSMIN criteria for diagnostic instruments helped to evaluate the validation of the artificial intelligence (AI)-related measurements.

Results: We found 672 studies, from which 12 were finally selected, 7 related to development and validation and 5 related to use. From the 7 studies, we tracked 10 other publications updating and/or using these technologies. Engineering work and technological features have been prioritised in studies about AI-related technologies. The validation of these algorithms was strictly based on engineering criteria; it means, no substantive knowledge of the medical or psychological aspects of motor skills was integrated into the validation process. Technical features typically evaluated in psychometric instruments designed for assessing motor skills in children were also ignored (e.g., COSMIN criteria). The use of these AI-related technologies in scientific research is still limited.

Conclusion: Clinical measurement standards have not been integrated into the development of AI-related technologies for measuring basic motor skills in children. This compromises the validity, reliability and practical utility of these tools, so future improvement in this type of research is needed.
A survey of the training experiences and needs on Wellcome Trust PhD programmes
Authors: Fawcett Charlotte , Sandilands Kathryn , Ng'ang'a Rispah , Muasya William , Budriunaite Ieva , Andleeb Humma , Gatua Winfred , de Abreu Nunes Laetitia , Oketch John , Piazza Giulia G.
Published: December 2023

Background Training for PhD researchers was previously identified by the Wellcome Trust funded Emerging Research Cultures project as an area for further investigation to ensure an inclusive culture which enables PhD students to become well-rounded researchers. Methods The Taskforce on Training conducted a survey of 36 Wellcome Trust-funded PhD students and 10 programme administrators to evaluate the provision of training in eight key areas. This survey examined a number of issues, such as availability and knowledge of training, potential gaps in training, and the perceived usefulness of training. Results PhD students reported that training was generally useful and viewed as important; technical training in particular was highly valued. However, the survey identified that students desired additional training in project management and personal development. A survey of programme administrators highlighted the wide variety in training availability for students across several Wellcome Trust programmes currently run in the UK. Conclusion In response to these findings, a number of recommendations were made. These included: promotion of peer mentoring for PhD students, and alternative methods for delivery of well-being training. However, this report only explores the views of a limited number of Wellcome Trust funded PhD students and would benefit from further research into the experiences of PhD students, programme administrators, and PhD supervisors.
Improving health outcomes among older adults in India: effectiveness and implementability of a novel comprehensive geriatric assessment based intervention
Authors: Kshatri Jaya Singh , Shenkin Susan , Mercer Stewart , Weller David , Palo Subrata Kumar , Pati Sandipana , Janssen Daisy , Pati Sanghamitra
Published: December 2023

Background There is significant evidence on the benefits of comprehensive assessment in older adults. But this evidence is primarily from western countries and in secondary care settings. National policies in India recognize this need and envision community-based screening and facility-based assessment programs integrated into the care pathways for the elderly. However, this is yet to translate into specific interventions, primarily due to lack of complex interventions necessary and evidence of their effectiveness. This study aims to design and pilot an integrated (Community + Facility) Elderly Health Status Assessment and Screening (EHSAS) intervention to improve health outcomes of older adults and assess its feasibility for implementation in Indian rural settings. Methods We propose a hybrid design where we will build the complex intervention, develop and validate the tools needed, pilot it using an exploratory cluster randomized trial and evaluate its implementatbility using the Exploration-Preparation-Implementation-Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Conclusions This study will fill critical gaps in evidence regarding the effectiveness of geriatric screening and assessment in community and primary care settings in low-middle income countries and provide validated tools and implementation models for adoption into national programs. Registration CTRI/2023/07/055661
AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATION OF ACADEMIC DEBTS BASED ON TELEGRAM
Authors: Petrosyan Ashot S. , Surmachevskaya Angelica A. , Novichkov Andrey A. , Lukin Daniel G. , Gareeva Gulnara A.
Published: December 2023

This article considers the process of optimizing the time and convenience of taking academic debts by creating a Telegram bot that automatically sends students notifications about debts and indicates the day when they can be passed. One of today’s popular platforms for deploying bots is the Telegram messenger. The peculiarity of a system implemented with the help of a bot is its ease of use and minimization of resources spent on software storage, which greatly simplifies interaction with the system.

Purpose – create a tool for passing academic debts, interaction with the database created in Google Table, interaction with the participants of the educational process online, which saves personal time of students and teachers.

Method or methodology of the work: the article deals with the method which implements the delivery of academic debts by creating Telegram bot. To implement it we use a database available to all teachers, updated in real time, created in Google Tables and the C# programming language.

Result: developed a unique tool that implements functions of adding, storing, interacting and 24/7 access to academic debts data.

Scope of the results: data on debts stored in the database and updated by teachers is useful for monitoring each student about his debts in educational institutions.
ABOUT FUNCTIONAL DIAGNOSTICS OF CARS WITH AN ELECTRIC POWER PLANT
Authors: Chernyshkov Anton S. , Fedotov Alexander I. , Yan’kov Oleg S.
Published: December 2023

The article is devoted to the development of a method of functional diagnostics of cars with an electric power plant on stands with running drums. The necessity of carrying out functional diagnostics of cars with an electric power plant is analyzed. The reasons hindering the development and implementation of the bench method for monitoring the technical condition of cars with an electric power plant are considered. The article presents the results obtained by the authors in previous works. The developed mathematical models are presented, test modes for testing cars with an electric power plant on a stand with running drums are proposed. The results of analytical and experimental identification of interrelations between the parameters of the technical condition of a car with an electric power plant and the main parameters of its functioning are presented. The revealed patterns made it possible to develop a method of functional diagnostics of cars with an electric power plant based on the use of a diagnostic matrix. The developed method of functional diagnostics is implemented by measuring and then comparing with the normative values of the main parameters of the functioning of a car with an electric power plant when monitoring its technical condition on a stand with running drums. A control algorithm is proposed that allows implementing the developed method of functional diagnostics.

Purpose – development of a method of functional diagnostics of cars with an electric power plant on stands with running drums.

Methods or methodologies of research – a numerical method based on the finite-difference scheme of the Park method, using a special numerical-iterative method of composing equations of motion; full-scale experimental research.

Results – a method of functional diagnostics of cars with an electric power plant on stands with running drums has been developed, which, based on the revealed dependencies of the parameters characterizing the traction and dynamic properties of cars with electric power plants on the parameters of the technical condition of their units and systems, is carried out using the developed algorithm and diagnostic matrix allows quantitative control of the technical condition of cars with electric power installation, their power units and systems during the operation of cars with an electric power plant on stands with running drums and is implemented on the developed bench equipment.

Practical implications. The results obtained in the form of the developed method and the equipment implementing it are advisable to apply when monitoring the technical condition and diagnostics of cars with an electric power plant at service stations, testing at manufacturing plants.
ANALYTICAL NOTE ON THE RESULTS OF AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF STUDENTS
Authors: Burov Alexander S.
Published: December 2023

The empirical research is aimed at determining the life values and goals of Russian students in the context of solving the problem of ensuring state sovereignty as a sphere of responsibility of the state and a factor in the formation of a new world order. This empirical study is a structural part of the study “Sovereignty and Responsibility of the Russian State in the conditions of the formation of a new world order,” as well as the continuation of the research “Political and legal mechanisms for ensuring the sustainability of socio-political systems” and “Factors of sustainable development of Russian statehood in the context of modern global challenges.”
Development of a mathematical optimization model and application of dynamic programming methods in the task of managing the learning group of the training process of cadets of law enforcement agencies in higher educational institutions
Authors: Sumin Viktor , Rodin S. , Kravchenko Andrey
Published: December 2023

This article discusses the problem of developing a mathematical model and applying dynamic programming methods to improve the effectiveness of the training process for students in the interests of law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation in subordinate higher educational institutions, which, within the framework of this article, are considered as a complex organizational system. Currently, due to the existential challenges presented to our country, it is necessary to solve more multifaceted professional tasks by employees of law enforcement agencies in their practical activities. All this requires advanced professional training for solving professional tasks by law enforcement officers who study at higher educational institutions. The training of law enforcement officers in higher education institutions, like any complex organizational system, depends on the objective and subjective parameters that affect the functioning of this system. To this end, in order to increase the effectiveness of managerial decision-making in the process of training cadets of law enforcement agencies, heads of higher educational institutions responsible for improving the quality of the educational process should introduce information systems into the activity that operate on the basis of a mathematical apparatus describing the model of preparing students to perform professional duties. The development of mathematical models involves the use of the apparatus of the theory of operations research, as well as the theory of Markov random processes, in particular, the description of functioning based on processes with discrete states and continuous time and using game theory in order to achieve the necessary practical results is considered.
Integrating the Calibre software product into the Cadence Virtuoso environment and increasing the intelligent properties of CAD IC design
Authors: Poluektov Aleksandr , Shehovcov Dmitriy , Skorkin I , Chubunov Pavel
Published: December 2023

The article discusses the technology for integrating Caliber into the Cadence Virtuoso environment and describes the impact of this integration on the productivity of engineers. The possibility of ensuring optimal interaction between developers and increasing the overall efficiency of the design team is considered, leading to end-to-end design optimization. The integration of Caliber and Cadence Virtuoso represents an important step in Electronic Design Development (EDA) and can solve a number of problems while improving the efficiency of the verification and analysis process. Here are a few aspects that demonstrate the need and benefits of such integration, data interoperability, ensuring that information received from Virtuoso can be used correctly and efficiently in Caliber and vice versa, automating the data transfer process and performing verification, speeding up all development cycles, verification can carry out, even in the early stages of design, smoother interaction between different teams using Virtuoso and Caliber. In the second part of the article, physical verification and extraction of the project is carried out using the graphical interface of the Mentor Graphics Caliber CAD system, where the topology is checked for compliance with the CTO (DRC check). For the DRC check of a project, check is performed using the Caliber application. Using Caliber in Cadence Virtuoso allows for more accurate verification of designed electronic circuits and microchips. Caliber provides deeper analysis of physical parameters such as layer compatibility, electrical and geometric rules, leading to the identification of potential problems earlier in development.
Features of modeling the functioning of universities as complex organizational systems of law enforcement agencies
Authors: Sumin Viktor , Kravchenko Andrey
Published: December 2023

The article considers an approach to solving the problem of improving the indicators characterizing the state of the educational group of a modern university, which is currently difficult to imagine without the use of systems operating on the basis of mathematical models of SED. The elements of assessing approaches to improving the effectiveness of management decision-making are considered, which cannot always be characterized quantitatively. To increase the effectiveness of the R&D, it is proposed to use methods and tools that implement a quantitative assessment of the state of the management system, which is able to justify the decision made. When modeling managerial decision-making in complex organizational systems of law enforcement agencies, a conceptual approach is proposed that is based on situational modeling and provides information to the decision-maker in this system about his current state. Based on this situational information, the decision-maker will make recommendations in the interests of situational management and ensure its adaptation to real needs. The situational approach uses a set-theoretic representation of models, which will allow combining the spatial and structural interpretation of this model. Determining the relationships between employees in complex organizational systems of law enforcement agencies will allow you to link tasks with employees based on input-output information flows using a multi-criteria assessment of alternative.
La educación artística plástica desde la autoexpresión creativa para atender a la diversidad en las aulas.
Authors: Gamero García Teresa , Díaz Santa María Yonatan , Molina Saorín Jesús
Published: December 2023

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la utilidad de la autoexpresión creativa para construir ambientes de aprendizaje inclusivos. Para ello, se realiza una revisión de la literatura especializada en la atención educativa a la diversidad atendiendo a la normativa educativa nacional y de la Región de Murcia, así como también de la educación artística. Tras examinar las necesidades educativas del alumnado, en especial las propias del alumnado con bajo desempeño funcional, se establece la educación artística como una asignatura valiosa para trabajar esta diversidad. Más concretamente, se ahonda en el enfoque propuesto por Viktor Lowenfeld y Herbert Read, denominado autoexpresión creativa. Esta metodología presenta el arte como medio de expresión del infante, trascendiendo la reproducción baladí de referencias estéticas. Siendo una actividad intelectual, la expresión artística favorece el desarrollo de la autoestima y la autonomía del sujeto. Asimismo, el niño se hace responsable de su creación, convirtiendo al profesorado en facilitador del aprendizaje, que ha de generar y preservar un ambiente propicio para la educación. Se concluye que la autoexpresión creativa es un enfoque de la educación artística que puede mejorar la atención a la diversidad y favorecer, de esta manera, la inclusión socioeducativa.
El reloj invisible: tiempo de trabajo de los chóferes y repartidores en la Economía de plataformas.
Authors: Rosenbaum Carli Federico
Published: December 2023

En el presente trabajo se aborda el tema del tiempo de trabajo de los chóferes y repartidores en la economía de plataformas, partiendo de la premisa de que estos son trabajadores dependientes y por cuenta ajena. Concretamente, se contrasta con la realidad el discurso de la flexibilidad y libertad de estos trabajadores, concluyéndose que el tiempo de trabajo es algo laxo y desdibujado, y que el binomio flexibilidad-libertad se trata de un discurso dialéctico empresarial alejado de la realidad. En otro orden, se identifican diferentes tiempos vinculados al trabajo, como los tiempos de conexión a la orden o a disposición de la empresa, los tiempos destinados a traslados, los tiempos de espera activa y los tiempos de trabajo efectivo, y se sugiere que estos tiempos se pueden identificar con la noción conceptual del tiempo de trabajo. Dicha constatación impacta directamente en dos aspectos medulares; por un lado, en relación a la limitación del horario de trabajo y los descansos, y por otro lado, en cuanto a la remuneración de estos trabajadores. Se postula que, al integrar la noción del tiempo de trabajo, estos espacios temporales deben considerarse dentro de los límites del tiempo destinado al trabajo en cada jornada (limitación de la jornada), ‘intra’ jornada (descanso intermedio), ‘inter’ jornadas (descansos entre jornadas), semanal (descanso semanal) y anual (licencia anual). Asimismo, se diagnostica que estos tiempos no se encuentran retribuidos directamente por parte de las empresas, por lo que, cada una de dichas horas de trabajo deberán respetar los mínimos imperativos salariales que se encuentren fijados por la normativa que derive de fuentes autónomas o heterónomas.