bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endovascular therapy versus best medical management for isolated posterior cerebral artery occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Alkhiri Ahmed , Alamri Aser F , Alharbi Abdullah R , Almaghrabi Ahmed A , Alansari Nayef , Niaz Abdulelah A , Alghamdi Basil A , Sarraj Amrou , Alhazzani Adel , Al-Ajlan Fahad S
Published: September 2023

Background and purpose:

Isolated posterior cerebral artery occlusions (iPCAO) were underrepresented in pivotal randomized clinical trial (RCTs) of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in ischemic stroke, and the benefit of EVT in this population is still indeterminate. We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of EVT compared to best medical management (BMM) in patients with iPCAO.

Methods:

We searched Medline/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane databases up to May 2023 for eligible studies reporting outcomes of patients with iPCAO treated with EVT or BMM. We pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model.

Results:

Seven studies involving 2560 patients were included. EVT was associated with significantly higher likelihood of early neurological improvement (OR, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.38–2.91]; p < 0.00001) and visual field normalization (OR, 3.08 [95% CI, 1.76–5.38]; p < 0.0001) compared to BMM. Rates of good functional outcomes (mRS 0–2) were comparable between the two arms (OR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.70–1.10]; p = 0.26). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) was comparable between the two groups (OR, 1.94 [95% CI, 0.96–3.93]; p = 0.07). Mortality was also similar between the two groups (OR, 1.36; [95% CI, 0.77–2.42]; p = 0.29).

Conclusions:

In patients with iPCAO, EVT was associated with visual and early neurological improvement but with a strong trend toward increased sICH. Survival and functional outcomes may be slightly poorer. The role of EVT in iPCAO remains uncertain.
Lost in translation: a neglected mTOR target for lymphangioleiomyomatosis
Authors: Evans Jilly F. , McCormack Francis X. , Sonenberg Nahum , Krymskaya Vera P.
Published: September 2023

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a cystic lung disease of women resulting from mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) genes that suppress the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. mTORC1 activation enhances a plethora of anabolic cellular functions, mainlyviathe activation of mRNA translation through stimulation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K1)/ribosomal protein S6 (S6) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1)/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Rapamycin (sirolimus), an allosteric inhibitor of mTORC1, stabilises lung function in many but not all LAM patients and, upon cessation of the drug, disease progression resumes. At clinically tolerable concentrations, rapamycin potently inhibits the ribosomal S6K1/S6 translation ribosome biogenesis and elongation axis, but not the translation 4E-BP1/eIF4E initiation axis. In this mini-review, we propose that inhibition of mTORC1-driven translation initiation is an obvious but underappreciated therapeutic strategy in LAM, TSC and other mTORC1-driven diseases.
Heterotic grouping of provitamin A-enriched maize inbred lines for increased provitamin A content in hybrids
Authors: Maazou Abdoul-Raouf Sayadi , Gedil Melaku , Adetimirin Victor O. , Unachukwu Nnanna , Mengesha Wende , Meseka Silvestro , Menkir Abebe
Published: September 2023

Background

The establishment of heterotic groups of inbred lines is crucial for hybrid maize breeding programs. Currently, there is no information on the heterotic patterns of the Provitamin A (PVA) inbred lines developed in the maize improvement program of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to form productive PVA enriched hybrids for areas affected by vitamin A deficiency. This study assessed the feasibility of classifying PVA-enriched inbred lines into heterotic groups based on PVA content without compromising grain yield in hybrids. Sixty PVA inbred lines were crossed to two testers representing two existing heterotic groups. The resulting 120 testcrosses hybrids were evaluated for two years at four locations in Nigeria.

Results

The two testers effectively classified the inbred lines into two heterotic groups. The PVA-based general combining ability and specific combining ability (HSGCA) method assigned 31 and 27 PVA enriched maize inbred lines into HGB and HGA, respectively, leaving two inbred lines not assigned to any group. The yield-based HSGCA method classified 32 inbred lines into HGB and 28 inbred lines into HGA. Both PVA and yield-based heterotic grouping methods assigned more than 40% of the inbred lines into the same heterotic groups. Even though both PVA and yield-based heterotic grouping of the inbred lines differed from the clusters defined by the DArTag SNP markers, more than 40% of the inbred lines assigned to HGA were present in Cluster-1 and 60% of the inbred lines assigned to HGB were present in Cluster-3. Interestingly, the inbred lines assigned to the same heterotic groups based on PVA content and grain yield were distributed across the three Ward’s clusters. The PVA-based HSGCA was identified as the most effective heterotic grouping method for breeding programs working on PVA biofortification.

Conclusions

Selecting PVA enriched maize inbred lines with diverse genetic backgrounds from the three marker-based clusters may facilitate the development of productive hybrids with high PVA content and for generating source populations to develop more vigorous maize inbred lines with much higher concentrations of PVA.
The standardized extract of Centella asiatica L. Urb attenuates the convulsant effect induced by lithium/pilocarpine without affecting biochemical and haematological parameters in rats
Authors: Rivadeneyra-Domínguez Eduardo , Zamora-Bello Isaac , Castañeda-Morales Juan Manuel , Díaz-Vallejo Joel Jahaziel , Rosales-Sánchez Óscar , Rodríguez-Landa Juan Francisco
Published: September 2023

Background

Status epilepticus (SE) is a type of epileptic activity characterized by a failure of the inhibitory mechanisms that limit seizures, which are mainly regulated by the GABAergic system. This imbalance increases glutamatergic neurotransmission and consequently produces epileptic activity. It is also associated with oxidative stress due to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defences. Unfortunately, long-term treatment with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) may produce hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and haematological alterations. In this way, some secondary metabolites of plants have been used to ameliorate the deterioration of nervous system disorders through their antioxidant properties, in addition to their anticonvulsant effects. An example isCentella asiatica, a plant noted to have a reputed neuroprotective effect related to its antioxidant activity. However, similar to conventional drugs, natural molecules may produce side effects when consumed in high doses, which could occur withCentella asiatica. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a standardized extract ofCentella asiaticaL. Urb with tested anticonvulsant activity on biochemical and haematological parameters in rats subjected to lithium/pilocarpine-induced seizures.

Methods

Twenty-eight adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 7 each): vehicle (purified water),Centella asiatica(200 and 400 mg/kg), and carbamazepine (CBZ) (300 mg/kg) as a pharmacological control of anticonvulsant activity. Treatments were administered orally every 24 h for 35 consecutive days. On Day 36, SE was induced using the lithium/pilocarpine model (3 mEq/kg, i.p. and 30 mg/kg s.c., respectively), and the behavioural and biochemical effects were evaluated.

Results

Centella asiatica400 mg/kg increased the latency to the first generalized seizure and SE onset and significantly reduced the time to the first generalized seizure compared to values in the vehicle group. Biochemical parameters, i.e., haematic cytometry, blood chemistry, and liver function tests, showed no significant differences among the different treatments.

Conclusion

The dose ofCentella asiaticathat produces anticonvulsant activity in the lithium/pilocarpine model devoid of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and alterations in haematological parameters suggests that the standardized extract of this plant could be of utility in the development of new safe therapies for the treatment of convulsions associated with epilepsy.
Medical students’ perceptions of factors that Impact their performance in human physiology course: suggestions for improving course presentation
Authors: Halalsheh Raed , Al-Rawashdeh Amneh , Rababah Eman
Published: September 2023

Objectives

The study aims to examine students’ perceptions of factors that impact students’ performance in the Human Physiology course at HU’s College of Applied Health Sciences and their suggestions for improvement.

Method

A cross sectional study was conducted between March 2022 and April 2022. A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate students in Physiology courses (online and blended) via Microsoft Teams. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially, and thematic analysis was employed based on the most frequent statements for the open-ended question.

Results

In total, 435 students participated in the study. Results indicated that students had high levels of agreement (M = 4.39) regarding faculty teaching style compared to (M = 4.24) towards course content and (M = 3.49) moderate levels towards technological aspects. In terms of the statistically significant differences at (α = 0.05) in students’ perceptions of factors that influence their performance due to the variables (gender, GPA, college, and teaching methods: online or blended), results showed that course content was not affected by any variables. The technological aspects were affected by GPA and gender. In terms of faculty teaching style, it was affected by all variables (GPA, college, and teaching method) except gender. One open-ended question regarding suggested improvements revealed four main themes: assessment and evaluation, technical issues, teaching methods and tools, and Arabic language support.

Conclusion

The study findings recommend greater use of assessment for learning methods and provision of interactive materials to help medical students overcome the challenges that might impact their performance.
‘Arm brains’ (axial nerves) of Jurassic coleoids and the evolution of coleoid neuroanatomy
Authors: Klug Christian , Hoffmann René , Tischlinger Helmut , Fuchs Dirk , Pohle Alexander , Rowe Alison , Rouget Isabelle , Kruta Isabelle
Published: September 2023

Although patchy, the fossil record of coleoids bears a wealth of information on their soft part anatomy. Here, we describe remains of the axial nerve cord from both decabrachian (Acanthoteuthis, Belemnotheutis, Chondroteuthis) and octobrachian (Plesioteuthis, Proteroctopus, Vampyronassa) coleoids from the Jurassic. We discuss some hypotheses reflecting on possible evolutionary drivers behind the neuroanatomical differentiation of the coleoid arm crown. We also propose some hypotheses on potential links between habitat depth, mode of life and the evolution of the Coleoidea.
PI3K-AKT activation resculpts integrin signaling to drive filamentous tau-induced proinflammatory astrogliosis
Authors: Wang Peng , Anderson D. Eric , Ye Yihong
Published: September 2023

Background

Microtubule-binding protein tau is a misfolding-prone protein associated with tauopathies. As tau undergoes cell-to-cell transmission, extracellular tau aggregates convert astrocytes into a pro-inflammatory state via integrin activation, causing them to release unknown neurotoxic factors.

Results

Here, we combine transcriptomics with isotope labeling-based quantitative mass spectrometry analysis of mouse primary astrocyte secretome to establish PI3K-AKT as a critical differentiator between pathogenic and physiological integrin activation; simultaneous activation of PI3K-AKT and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in tau fibril-treated astrocytes changes the output of integrin signaling, causing pro-inflammatory gene upregulation, trans-Golgi network restructuring, and altered secretory flow. Furthermore, NCAM1, as a proximal signaling component in tau-stimulated integrin and PI3K-AKT activation, facilitates the secretion of complement C3 as a main neurotoxic factor. Significantly, tau fibrils-associated astrogliosis and C3 secretion can be mitigated by FAK or PI3K inhibitors.

Conclusions

These findings reveal an unexpected function for PI3K-AKT in tauopathy-associated reactive astrogliosis, which may be a promising target for anti-inflammation-based Alzheimer’s therapy.
The negative association of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with the health of mother and child considering maternal childhood maltreatment
Authors: Köhler-Dauner Franziska , Dalhof Manuela , Hart Lara , Ziegenhain Ute , Fegert Jörg M.
Published: September 2023

Background

Social distancing strategies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have left families facing a variety of different constraints. Especially in this stressful time, children need a stable parental home to prevent developmental consequences. Additional risk factors such as maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) may affect mother’s psychosomatic health and children’s physical well-being in this period.

Objective

It was aimed to analyze the associations between maternal CM, mother’s mental health, and children’s physical complaints during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic.

Method

Mothers of a well-documented birth cohort from a longitudinal study were included in this study. Psychosomatic health was assessed with the PHQ-D and children’s physical health with the GBB-KJ during the pandemic. N = 159 mothers completed the online survey. To describe the maternal CM, data from a longitudinal survey were used.

Results

The calculation of three mediation analyses demonstrate that maternal depression symptoms (c-path: β = 0.10, p = .02; c’-path: β = 0.07, p = .13), somatic symptoms (c-path: β = 0.10, p = .02; c’-path: β = 0.07, p = .13) and psychosomatic symptoms (c-path: β = 0.10, p = .02; c’-path: β = 0.06, p = .19) fully mediate the relationship between CM and children’s physical health complaints.

Conclusions

Maternal CM experiences seem to be one relevant risk factor during the pandemic and seem to influence the way in which parents deal with stressful situations and increase the risk for depressive symptoms. The present results highlight the importance to provide individually adjusted assistance to help the families to get through the pandemic.
The clinical effectiveness of fused image of single-photon emission CT and facial CT for the evaluation of degenerative change of mandibular condylar head
Authors: Jeon Seung-Hwan , Lim Seung-Weon , Jung Ki-Hyun , Jeon Jae-Yun , Kim Sang-Yoon , Kim Ji-Young , Choi Yoon-Young , Hwang Kyung-Gyun
Published: September 2023

Background

The primary objective of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of fused images obtained from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and facial computed tomography (CT) for evaluating degenerative changes in the mandibular condylar head. This assessment was accomplished by comparing the Technetium-99 m methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) uptake ratio with the results of clinical and radiographic findings.

Methods

The study included 17 patients (3 males and 14 females) with suspected osteoarthritis of the mandibular condyle, totaling 34 temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Based on clinical and radiographic examinations, the TMJs were categorized into four groups: normal (group N), internal derangement (group ID), osteoarthritis (group OA), and osteoarthritis sequelae (group OAseq). For each patient, bone SPECT and facial CT scans were registered and reconstructed to create fused SPECT/CT images. The 99mTc-MDP uptake levels in the TMJs were statistically compared among the four groups.

Results

The 99mTc-MDP uptake ratio showed a gradual increase in the order of the following: group N, group OAseq, group ID, and group OA. There was a significant difference observed among groups (p = 0.003), mainly driven by the disparity between group OA and both group N (p < 0.001) and group OAseq (p = 0.048).

Conclusion

Fused SPECT/CT image can be an effective tool for evaluating degenerative changes in the mandibular condylar head. The technique demonstrated the ability to differentiate between normal TMJs and those with internal derangement, osteoarthritis, or osteoarthritis sequelae. This approach holds promise as a valuable method in clinical assessments of TMJ degeneration.
A technical review of percutaneous sclerotherapy with bleomycin for giant hepatic venous malformation
Authors: Ghaemi Omid , Mehrabi Nejad Mohammad-Mehdi , Rouhezamin Mohammad Reza , Ayoobi Yazdi Niloofar , Pourghorban Ramin , Rokni Yazdi Hadi
Published: September 2023

Background

Hepatic venous malformation (HVM), traditionally called liver haemangioma, is considered the most common benign hepatic lesion. Treatment might be indicated in large and symptomatic HVMs. We aim to describe stepwise technical aspects of trans-hepatic percutaneous sclerotherapy of hepatic venous malformation (HVM).

Main text

Patients with symptomatic HVM larger than 5 cm are selected after discussion in hepatobiliary multidisciplinary team. After prophylactic antibiotic and corticosteroid administration, local anaesthesia and conscious sedation are applied. A 22-gauge spinal or Chiba needle is used to obtain percutaneous access to the HVM through normal liver parenchyma under ultrasound guidance. To ensure proper needle placement and to prevent accidental delivery of sclerosant into unintended areas, about 5–10 mL iodine contrast is injected under fluoroscopy. Then, 45–60 IU bleomycin is mixed with 10 mL distilled water and 10 mL lipiodol and is slowly injected under fluoroscopy over a period of 20–30 s. After the needle is removed, manual pressure is applied over the puncture site for a period of 5 min followed by placement of a sandbag. Patients are monitored for 6–8 h post-procedure.

Conclusion

In this technical review, we described our institutional technique of percutaneous sclerotherapy, which could be regarded as an alternative to TAE in the management of HVM.
Reconceptualizing Integrated Knowledge Translation goals: a case study on basic and clinical science investigating the causes and consequences of food allergy
Authors: Dixon Jenna , Shantz Emily , Clarke Ann E. , Elliott Susan J.
Published: September 2023

Background

Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) and other forms of research co-production are increasingly recognized as valuable approaches to knowledge creation as a way to better facilitate the implementation of scientific findings. However, the nature of some scientific work can preclude direct knowledge to action as a likely outcome. Do IKT approaches have value in such cases?

Methods

This study used a qualitative case study approach to better understand the function of IKT in a non-traditional application: basic and clinical science investigating the causes and consequences of food allergy. Building off previous baseline findings, data were obtained through in-depth interviews with project scientists and steering committee members and complemented by researcher observation. Data were analyzed through an integrated approach to understand how well participants perceived the stipulated project IKT outcomes had been met and to better understand the relationship between different forms of IKT goals, outcomes, and impacts.

Results

We propose a conceptual model which builds temporal continuity into the IKT work and understands success beyond truncated timelines of any one project. The model proposes project IKT goals be conceptualized through three metaphorical tower blocks: foundational (changing the culture for both scientists and knowledge-users), laying the groundwork (building relationships, networks and sparking scientific inquiry), and putting scientific knowledge to action. Based on this model, this case study demonstrated notable success at the foundational and intermediate blocks, though did not turn basic and clinical research knowledge into actionable outcomes within the project timespan.

Conclusions

We find that current IKT literature which situates success as filling a knowledge to action gap is conceptually inadequate for understanding the full contributions of IKT activities. This work highlights the need for building cultural and scientific familiarity with IKT in order to better enable knowledge to action translation. Improving understanding and communication of science and empowering knowledge-users to engage with the research agenda are long-term strategies to build towards knowledge implementation and lay the ground work for many future research projects.
Exploring the prevalence and factors associated with post-acute COVID syndrome in Egypt: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Azzam Ahmed , Khaled Heba
Published: September 2023

Background

Post-COVID-19 survivors may experience long-term symptoms known as Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). The PCAS symptom spectrum includes a wide range of symptoms affecting different organs. The prevalence and risk factors of PACS may vary across different regions, and a meta-analysis focused on Egypt can help understand the national prevalence and unique population-specific predictors.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines to identify studies published in Egypt that documented symptoms, signs, and post-COVID-19 outcomes in patient cohorts. The results were reported, based on the random effects model, as proportions (%) and odds ratios with 95% CI.

Results

A total of 16 studies with 3097 COVID-19 survivors and an age range of 3 to 94 years were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 survivors experiencing at least one persistent symptom, regardless of hospitalization status, was high at 78.3%. A total of 54 clinical symptoms or conditions were reported among the survivors. The most commonly reported symptom was fatigue, which affected approximately half of all survivors (48.1%). Bone ache or myalgia, anorexia, anxiety, dyspnea, and depression were also among the most frequently reported symptoms at 32.9%, 32.8, 31.5, 19.9, and 19.5, respectively. The pooled prevalence of Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PCPF) among hospitalized Covid survivors was 40%. The study found that female sex, severe COVID, and the presence of any comorbidity were independent risk factors for PACS (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis of 16 studies conducted in Egypt highlights the high prevalence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. The high prevalence of Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis and psychological disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, is a cause for concern. There was also a single report on post-COVID diabetes mellitus, stroke, migraine, and coagulative ocular disorders that need further investigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis conducted at a national level to determine the prevalence and predictors of post-COVID syndrome. Larger studies with a longer follow-up period are still needed to confirm these findings and explore other potential risk factors and modifiers of the Post-COVID syndrome.
Material Culture as an Index of Modernity in Spain’s Silent Film Era
Authors: Mercer Leigh
Published: September 2023

This essay examines the display of technological objects, consumer goods, and other materials within the earliest Spanish realist cinema, as well as the manipulation of things in pioneering fantasy films, to reveal how Spanish filmmakers projected the modernity of Spain and thereby addressed foreign objectification of their nation as exotic or different. Through an analysis of several actualities, point-of-view rail films, and factory films produced in Barcelona between 1900 and 1930, as well some key Segundo de Chomón trick films shot in the city, this article shows how this early Barcelona film culture deployed material forms to mark the agency and cosmopolitanism of turn-of-the-century Spain and to contest the “cabinet of curiosities vision” that French actuality filmmakers in particular had once imposed on the nation.
The Probable Revolution
Authors: Douglas Lee
Published: September 2023

On April 25, 1974, everyday Portuguese citizens transformed a military coup into collective popular resistance, thus initiating a revolutionary process that marked an end to the Estado Novo. Image-makers, aware of the historical event unraveling in plain view, occupied public plazas and roamed city avenues to document a popular uprising that marked a clear end to Portugal’s Fascist project. In this impetus to record radical change, film and its associated technologies promised not only to document, capture, and freeze history in the making but also to make it material, to transform the push and pull of the revolutionary project into something that could be preserved and kept. The article questions the notion that digitization produces a straightforward dematerialization of the analogue print by proposing the concept of digital (im)materiality. This (im)materiality, it argues, not only allows the transformation of revolutionary images into heritage but also makes possible their (re)activation in ways that both speak to the past and reinvent the future. Attending to the (im)materiality of Portuguese militant cinema makes it possible to approach these images not as texts to be interpreted but as social artifacts through which meaning, knowledge, and memories are made. Following Morgan Adamson’s call to consider how “images of resistance endure” and how “enduring images resist,” the article traces the (im)materiality of Portugal’s revolutionary filmic images with the aim of thinking across temporalities. So while, on one hand. the text unpacks how images of the Portuguese Revolution were produced and, subsequently, transformed into heritage, it also reflects on the author’s own engagement with the Revolution’s visual archives and her co-direction of the film essay A revolução (é) provável (The Revolution [Is] Probable, 2022), where splicing, cutting, and juxtaposing digitized images makes it possible to interrogate the material texture of history while also producing other forms or knowledge and knowing.
With Strings Attached
Authors: Nair Parvati
Published: September 2023

The urban fabric of contemporary Spain has long included the presence of street vendors. Selling a range of counterfeit goods, from Ray-Ban sunglasses to Gucci bags and Nike trainers, these hawkers are mostly undocumented migrants from developing countries. They occupy patches of pavement where footfall is heavy, so as to illicitly, albeit very publicly, sell their goods, laid out on mantas, or blankets. Attached to these blankets are four strings, one fixed at each corner, that are then joined together at the center of the rectangle. When police are sighted, the strings can be grabbed and pulled up, instantly converting the manta into a sack that can be hoisted on the migrant’s back as they flee to evade detention. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Barcelona in 2018, this article explores ideological dynamics that produce the contexts and tensions experienced by the manteros. The strings of their sack facilitate a fluidity between physical mobility and immobility, or between migrancy and detention, metaphoric of the precarity of lives and livelihoods that are borderline. Through a conceptual lens shaped from theories of sociomateriality, the article explores the systems and practices of neoliberalism in Europe from the perspective of the street vendors, who embody and perform the bordering mechanisms that propel such economies. As such, Spain and Catalonia’s alignment with the European Union comes into view, as does the granularity of Spanish democracy and its tensions, especially within the context of Catalonia’s struggles with the central government. To read the lives and contexts of undocumented migrants as street vendors leads to a questioning of neoliberal democracy and its dependency on bordering mechanisms that assign migrant lives and bodies to socioeconomic margins. Yet, neoliberalism also defines its own hegemony through the construction and perpetuation of such margins, so that bordering becomes a self-perpetuating sociopolitical dynamic.
Between Skin and Stone
Authors: Walsh Michaela Django
Published: September 2023

This piece, written in the form of a letter to my son, explains the meaning of his name. In Spanish the word lienzo is a type of drystone wall. Spanning rural areas of Mexico, the lienzo has—for centuries—been a way to gently delineate space. I frame the composition of this hand-stacked structure, which is designed to accommodate movement in relation to the biopolitical technology of the U.S.-Mexico border fence, migrant dispossession, and my own family’s experiences navigating borders and cleaved spaces.
Drugs prescribed for Phelan-McDermid syndrome differentially impact sensory behaviors in shank3 zebrafish models.
Authors: Kozol Robert A. , Dallman Julia E.
Published: September 2023

Background: Altered sensory processing is a pervasive symptom in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); people with Phelan McDermid syndrome (PMS), in particular, show reduced responses to sensory stimuli. PMS is caused by deletions of the terminal end of chromosome 22 or point mutations in Shank3. People with PMS can present with an array of symptoms including ASD, epilepsy, gastrointestinal distress, and reduced responses to sensory stimuli. People with PMS are often medicated to manage behaviors like aggression and/or self-harm and/or epilepsy, and it remains unclear how these medications might impact perception/sensory processing. Here we test this using zebrafish mutant shank3ab PMS models that likewise show reduced sensory responses in a visual motor response (VMR) assay, in which increased locomotion is triggered by light to dark transitions.

Methods: We screened three medications, risperidone, lithium chloride (LiCl), and carbamazepine (CBZ), prescribed to people with PMS and one drug, 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl) pyridine (MPEP) tested in rodent models of PMS, for their effects on a sensory-induced behavior in two zebrafish PMS models with frameshift mutations in either the N- or C- termini. To test how pharmacological treatments affect the VMR, we exposed larvae to selected drugs for 24 hours and then quantified their locomotion during four ten-minute cycles of lights on-to-off stimuli.

Results: We found that risperidone partially normalized the VMR in shank3 models. LiCl and CBZ had no effect on the VMR in any of the three genotypes. MPEP reduced the VMR in wildtype (WT) to levels seen in shank3 models but caused no changes in either shank3 model. Finally, shank3 mutants showed resistance to the seizure-inducing drug pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), at a dosage that results in hyperactive swimming in WT zebrafish.

Conclusions: Our work shows that the effects of drugs on sensory processing are varied in ways that can be genotype- and drug-dependent.
Case Report: IgG4-related kidney disease complicated by interstitial pneumonia
Authors: Mima Akira , Lee Rina , Murakami Ami , Gotoda Hidemasa , Akai Ryosuke , Lee Shinji
Published: September 2023

Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by tubulointerstitial nephritis with IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. We report the case of an 84-year-old male who presented with a history of dyspnea on exertion and cough. The lymph nodes were palpated in the axilla. Urinalysis revealed mild proteinuria and increased levels of NAG and β2-microglobulin. Blood tests showed hyperglobulinemia with a marked elevation of serum IgG4 levels. Chest computed tomography showed bilateral ground-glass and reticular opacities in the lower and peripheral portions of the lungs. Ga-67 scintigraphy showed kidney uptake.

The patient was diagnosed with IgG4-related kidney disease based on the renal pathology indicative of typical tubulointerstitial nephritis with extensive IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. The patient was treated with prednisolone and showed a prompt response in his clinical condition. The patient achieved normalization of serum IgG4 levels 6 months after the initiation of treatment. Although IgG4-related disease is thought to be potentially associated with organ fibrosis, there are few reports on combination of interstitial pneumonia and IgG4-related kidney disease. Our case report presents a possible pattern of IgG4-related disease.
Analyses of spike protein from first deposited sequences of SARS-CoV2 from West Bengal, India
Authors: Begum Feroza , Mukherjee Debica , Thagriki Dluya , Das Sandeepan , Tripathi Prem Prakash , Banerjee Arup Kumar , Ray Upasana
Published: September 2023

India has recently started sequencing SARS-CoV2 genome from clinical isolates. Currently only few sequences are available from three states in India. Kerala was the first state to deposit complete sequence from two isolates followed by one from Gujarat. On April 27, 2020, the first five sequences from the state of West Bengal (Eastern India) were deposited on GISAID, a global initiative for sharing avian flu data. In this study, we have analysed the spike protein sequences from all five isolates and also compared their similarities or differences with other sequences reported in India and with isolates of Wuhan origin. We report one unique mutation at position 723 and another at 1124 in the S2 domain of spike protein of the isolates from West Bengal only.  There was one mutation downstream of the receptor binding domain at position 614 in S1 domain which was common with the sequence from Gujarat (a state of western India).  Mutation in the S2 domain showed changes in the secondary structure of the spike protein at region of the mutation. We also studied molecular dynamics using normal mode analyses and found that this mutation decreases the flexibility of S2 domain.  Since both S1 and S2 are important in receptor binding followed by entry in the host cells, such mutations may define the affinity or avidity of receptor binding.
Ranking of the Largest Russian Audit Organizations and Groups: Results of 2022
Authors: Khanferyan V.
Published: September 2023

The 28th annual ranking of the largest Russian audit companies by the RAEX rating agency revealed a noticeable reduction in this market — even the nominal, excluding inflation, revenue of the list participants fell by 3.6%. The reduced demand for consulting is pulling down, while the revenue from the audit is stable
The Activity of Accepting Payments from Individuals Will Become More Transparent
Authors: Smirnov E.
Published: September 2023

By adopting Federal Law No. 298-FZ of July 10, 2023, the Parliament of Russia has significantly increased the level of control over the activities of payment agents in the country’s financial market — operators for accepting payments from individuals.
Current Questions of Tax Administration Digitalization
Authors: Boldycheva A. , Ermolaeva E. , Starkova M.
Published: September 2023

The article is devoted to certain problems and issues of tax administration in the Russian Federation. The amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation related to the new procedure for paying taxes from January 1, 2023, the introduction of such concepts as a Single tax payment and a Single taxpayer tax Account are considered in detail.
Improvement of Customs Control over Compliance with the Conditions of the Customs Procedure
Authors: Gubin A.
Published: September 2023

This article discusses the problems of customs control over compliance with the conditions of application of customs procedures. The directions of such control are defined. Various offenses related to the application of customs procedures and responsibility for them are considered. It is revealed that customs control over the use of goods in accordance with the conditions of the customs procedure is the most difficult since it is carried out selectively. To improve the effectiveness of this area of control, it is proposed to use customs monitoring. Information that is promptly obtained from the accounting records of an organization can reveal the fact of illegal use or disposal of goods.
Reformowanie administracji świadczącej – wybrane kierunki zmian i rozwoju w sferze edukacji publicznej i pomocy społecznej
Authors: Cendrowicz Dominika , Raszewska-Skałecka Renata
Published: September 2023

Celem artykułu jest analiza i ocena wybranych kierunków zmian i rozwoju w sferze administracji świadczącej na przykładzie edukacji publicznej i pomocy społecznej. W artykule podjęta zostanie próba sformułowania wniosków w zakresie wybranych kierunków reform administracji publicznej we wskazanych obszarach jej aktywności. Zostaną udzielone odpowiedzi na pytania, skąd dzisiaj płyną impulsy reformowania administracji świadczącej, jakie mechanizmy uruchamiają i kształtują reformy administracji publicznej w wybranych sferach jej działania.
Zasiedzenie służebności o treści służebności przesyłu dotyczącej gruntu zajętego pod poniemieckie urządzenia przesyłowe
Authors: Żebryk Krzysztof
Published: September 2023

Zasiedzenie służebności w sytuacji poniemieckich urządzeń elektroenergetycznych stanowi specyficzny fragment rozważań na temat możliwości zasiedzenia prawa rzeczowego o treści odpowiadającej służebności przesyłu przed wejściem w życie przepisów wprowadzających do Kodeksu cywilnego tę służebność. W pierwszej kolejności analizie poddane zostają uwarunkowania prawne z okresu bezpośrednio po zakończeniu II Wojny Światowej, opisujące tryb i zasady przejmowania na własność Państwa Polskiego przedsiębiorstw przesyłowych i mienia poniemieckiego. Następnie autor wskazuje na dotyczące zasiedzenia przepisy Prawa rzeczowego z 1946 r., Kodeksu cywilnego z 1964 r. oraz przepisy intertemporalne towarzyszące tym aktom prawnym. W rezultacie podejmuje próbę określenia daty, w której, w przypadku spełnienia przesłanek ustawowych, mogło dojść do zasiedzenia służebności gruntowej o treści służebności przesyłu w odniesieniu do nieruchomości zajętych pod poniemieckie urządzenia przesyłowe. Ostatnia cześć artykułu poświęcona jest rozważaniom dotyczącym tego, jaki podmiot jest aktualnie uprawniony ze służebności zasiedzianej przez Skarb Państwa pod rządami zasady jednolitej własności państwowej.
Sprawozdanie z VIII Ogólnopolskiego Seminarium z prawa rodzinnego
Authors: Komar Wojciech
Published: September 2023

Sprawozdanie dotyczy VIII Ogólnopolskiego Seminarium z prawa rodzinnego Tematem spotkania był problem ochrony osób słabszych w prawie rodzinnym i opiekuńczym Przedstawione zostały bieżące problemy praktyki i teorii Podczas seminarium wygłoszono wiele interesujących referatów Część z nich była oparta na badaniach empirycznych, inne zaś zawierały postulaty de lege ferenda Spotkanie pokazało, że dyskusja o prawie rodzinnym jest niezwykle ważna i aktualna.
Assessment and management of upper limb lymphoedema in advanced disease: a case study
Authors: Duffield Amy
Published: September 2023

Lymphoedema is thought to affect around 200 000 people in the UK ( NHS England, 2023 ). Secondary lymphoedema is a relatively common complication of cancer and cancer treatment, and in advanced disease it may present a challenging issue for community nursing staff caring for patients approaching the end of their lives. In this article, a case study considers the assessment and treatment of upper limb lymphoedema in a patient with advanced metastatic breast cancer. Management of this complex and distressing condition requires holistic assessment and collaborative care planning with the patient and their wider care team, including onward referral to specialist lymphoedema and palliative care services. The case study considers the typical presentation of lymphoedema in an upper limb, exclusion of reversible causes for oedema, awareness of palliative care emergencies such as superior vena cava obstruction, and the provision of supportive therapeutic interventions in context of the patient's expressed wishes for her ongoing care.
Better off by association
Authors: Miller Alice
Published: September 2023

As workloads increase for farm vets, the British Cattle Veterinary Association is working hard to represent the farm vet profession at the highest levels, as well as providing educational resources year-round, culminating in the annual Congress each year.
The inverse of a symmetric nonnegative matrix can be copositive
Authors: Reams Robert
Published: September 2023

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ symmetric matrix. We first show that if $A$ and its pseudoinverse are strictly copositive, then $A$ is positive semidefinite, which extends a similar result of Han and Mangasarian. Suppose $A$ is invertible, as well as being symmetric. We showed in an earlier paper that if $A^{-1}$ is nonnegative with $n$ zero diagonal entries, then $A$ can be copositive (for instance, this happens with the Horn matrix), and when $A$ is copositive, it cannot be of form $P+N$, where $P$ is positive semidefinite and $N$ is nonnegative and symmetric. Here, we show that if $A^{-1}$ is nonnegative with $n-1$ zero diagonal entries and one positive diagonal entry, then $A$ can be of the form $P+N$, and we show how to construct $A$. We also show that if $A^{-1}$ is nonnegative with one zero diagonal entry and $n-1$ positive diagonal entries, then $A$ cannot be copositive.
Understanding the experience of emotional abuse: the importance of naming and identifying non-physical violence from the target’s perspective
Authors: Penttinen Elina
Published: September 2023

Emotional abuse and psychological violence refer to patterned maltreatment used to break down the personal integrity and sense of self-worth of the target. In this article, I address the experiences of emotional abuse and psychological violence of women in long-term heterosexual relationships based on my feminist activist research in collaboration with Women’s Line, an anti-violence, women’s rights non-governmental organisation in Finland. The research included co-moderating two online support groups for women and conducting follow-up interviews. In the analysis, I show that non-physical forms of violence are deeply felt and transform a target’s sense of self and their relationships with the world. However, targets may have difficulty recognising that they are subjected to abuse and doubt their own experiences, despite the severe effects of abuse and the risks posed to their safety. Thus, I argue for the need to name and identify non-physical abuse as severe violence in order to raise awareness and to validate the target’s experiences.
¿Cripto-cuerpo? Apuntes para una teoría sobre las aperturas ontológicas del sujeto (pos)humano en la era del capitalismo informacional
Authors: Jiménez Barrera Joaquín
Published: September 2023

En los últimos años, la narrativa latinoamericana reciente ha manifestado diversas reflexiones en torno al estatuto de la tecnología en las sociedades contemporáneas, pensando cómo esta afecta y modula los cuerpos y las subjetividades. En el presente artículo propongo una aproximación conceptual productiva para leer e interpretar las novelas que abordan los procesos de datificación de lo humano: el «cripto-cuerpo», matriz ontológica que aborda los modos de codificación de los cuerpos orgánicos a las interfaces digitales. Se ilustra dicho concepto por medio de un breve análisis de la novela Las constelaciones oscuras, de Pola Oloixarac (2015), considerando, entre otros, los estudios de Flavia Costa (2021), Pablo Rodríguez (2019), Rosi Braidotti (2013), Margarita Martínez (2019) y Gilles Deleuze (1991).
Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis) y William Wordsworth: poesía romántica y mustia rebelión contra el Antropoceno
Authors: Andrade Ricardo
Published: September 2023

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo realizar una crítica del Antropoceno temprano (comienzos del siglo XIX) e indagar sobre los problemas planteados por esta nueva fase tecnogeológica. Para comprender dicho propósito, se indaga en algunos poemas del Romanticismo alemán (Novalis) y el inglés (William Wordsworth). En estos autores, la poesía funciona como un discurso filosófico y político que advierte sobre las consecuencias de la hipostásis del ente humano en detrimento de la naturaleza y el auge de la razón instrumental capitalista. Al mismo tiempo, estos problemas crean las condiciones para una superación, a través de la poesía, del Antropoceno y sus crisis.
Financiarización y gentrificación transnacional
Authors: Hayes Matthew , Celleri Daniela
Published: September 2023

La financiarización de la vivienda es central para comprender el desarrollo urbano y los procesos de gentrificación transnacional en el Sur Global. La ciudad de Cuenca es un caso emblemático, debido a sus altos niveles de gentrificación y de población migrante. Por un lado, “Gringolandia”, un barrio central poblado por jubilados norteamericanos con precios crecientes; por el otro, las remesas provenientes de la histórica emigración desde el sur del Ecuador, invertidas en la construcción en partes claves de la ciudad. Ambos fenómenos han generado una burbuja inmobiliaria con viviendas casi inaccesibles a población local. En base a un extenso trabajo etnográfico (2011-2020), este artículo argumenta que la vivienda en Cuenca está siendo apropiada por grupos transnacionales con más poder adquisitivo. Este proceso ha sido fomentado por políticas basadas en la financiarización de la vivienda y titulización de hipotecas, en base al aprovechamiento de las remesas y ahorros de jubilados norteamericanos.
Gentrificación e inmigración: una relación frente a la crisis migratoria y habitacional chilena
Authors: Contreras Gatica Yasna , Seguel Calderón Beatriz
Published: September 2023

Ciudades intermedias del norte chileno que atraen población migrante/inmigrante, experimentan un explosivo aumento de asentamientos informales precarios en la periferia los cuales son respuesta a amplios procesos de especulación inmobiliaria, aumento del valor del alquiler y subalquiler, desplazamiento frente a un mercado de la vivienda y del suelo que es abusivo, desregulado e incluso racista. Frente a dichas condiciones, este artículo analiza la relación entre gentrificación e inmigración, considerando la crisis migratoria y habitacional que enfrenta el país al menos desde hace tres años.  La discusión comprende 84 entrevistas en profundidad en las ciudades intermedias de Iquique y Antofagasta, así como también entrevistas a actores clave. La relación entre gentrificación e inmigración devela la brecha de política asociada al menos a cuatro dimensiones interrelacionadas  (i) restricción, negación o limitación de acceso a la vivienda en áreas centrales; (ii) urbanización pirata y mercado de la vivienda eclusionario; (iii) construcción de programas y/o políticas habitacionales que disminuyen la agencia política de los más vulnerables; y, (iv) consolidación de asentamientos precarios autoconstruidos como estrategia de sobrevivencia, racismo, resistencia, espara y/o cambio
On weakly turbulent solutions to the perturbed linear harmonic oscillator
Authors: Faou Erwan , Raphaël Pierre
Published: September 2023

abstract: We introduce specific solutions to the linear harmonic oscillator, named bubbles. They form resonant families of invariant tori of the linear dynamics, with arbitrarily large Sobolev norms. We use these modulated bubbles of energy to construct a class of potentials which are real, smooth, time dependent and uniformly decaying to zero with respect to time, such that the corresponding perturbed quantum harmonic oscillator admits solutions which exhibit a logarithmic growth of Sobolev norms. The resonance mechanism is explicit in space variables and produces highly oscillatory solutions. We then give several recipes to construct similar examples using more specific tools based on the continuous resonant (CR) equation in dimension two.