bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Illness Experience of Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Lee Hyeon ae , Kim Seon Nyeo , Kim Hwa Young , Sohn Sue Kyung
Published: March 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the experiences of patients with glaucoma. Methods: Data were collected from March to April in 2023, through individual in-depth interviews with 10 glaucoma patients. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis. Results: Six theme clusters were extracted that described patients’ experiences: 1) The frightening disease unexpectedly discovered; 2) A dismal life gradually trapped in darkness; 3) Fear of the unseen; 4) Following treatment without any other options; 5) Grateful for the help but feeling miserable; 6) Realizing the importance of eyes and health. Conclusion: The results of this study provide a deep understanding and insight into the experience of Glaucoma patients. Glaucoma patients experienced physical, mental, and social pain through the disease process. Therefore, psychological nursing interventions are needed to understand and reduce mental pain along with medical treatment to relieve physical symptoms in glaucoma patients. Furthermore, it will be necessary to prepare institutional support measures to minimize various social restrictions.
Self-Preferencing in E-Commerce Marketplaces: The Role of Sponsored Advertising and Private Labels
Authors: Long Fei , Amaldoss Wilfred
Published: March 2024

We study when and why a platform may seek to give preference to its private label in sponsored advertising.
Market Liquidity and Competition Among Designated Market Makers
Authors: Bellia Mario , Pelizzon Loriana , Subrahmanyam Marti G. , Yuferova Darya
Published: March 2024

Do competition and incentives offered to designated market makers (DMMs) improve market liquidity? We employ data from NYSE Euronext Paris to show that exogenous changes in contract design lead to significant decreases in quoted and effective spreads. In particular, market liquidity increases the most for stocks with the largest increase in competition among DMMs. Our analysis shows that competition among DMMs is an important aspect of contract design, along with elements such as rebates and requirements.

This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance.

Funding: M. G. Subrahmanyam thanks the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for generous financial support via the Anneliese Maier Award. L. Pelizzon thanks the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE for financially sponsoring this research and Italian Ministry for University and Research [MIUR–2017RSMPZZ]. This work was also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Grant 329107530].

Supplemental Material: The Internet Appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01801 .
Deep Dive Into Diabetic Retinopathy Identification: A Deep Learning Approach with Blood Vessel Segmentation and Lesion Detection
Authors: Upreti Kamal , Kapoor Anmol , Hundekari Sheela , Upreti Shitiz , Kaul Kajal , Kapoor Shreya , Tiwari Akhilesh
Published: March 2024

In the landscape of diabetes-related ocular complications, diabetic retinopathy stands as a formidable challenge, reigning as the leading cause of vision impairment worldwide. Despite extensive research, the quest for effective treatments remains an ongoing pursuit. This study explores the burgeoning domain of AI-driven approaches in ocular research, particularly focusing on diabetic retinopathy detection. It delves into various diagnostic methodologies, encompassing the detection of microaneurysms, identification of hemorrhages, and segmentation of blood vessels, primarily utilizing retinal fundus photographs. Our findings juxtapose conventional machine learning techniques against deep neural networks, showcasing the remarkable efficacy of Convolutional neural network (CNN) and Random Forest (RF) in segmenting blood vessels and the robustness of deep learning in lesion identification. As we navigate the quest for clearer vision, artificial intelligence takes center stage, promising a transformative leap forward in the realm of vision care.
Blockchain-based Traceability for Teak Identity: A Transformational Approach
Authors: Sheng Sai Woon , Wicha Santichai
Published: March 2024

The Southern regions of India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia are where teak originated. Teak is a high-value wood that used to be an export good for Thailand, bringing in a lot of money. Thailand produced approximately 71,954.53 m3 of teak plantation timber and exported wood products worth 1.1 billion baht overseas in 2018, according to the Forest Industry Organization (FIO). Due to its high demand, there is also a chance that smuggled wood from within the country or wood that has been illegally obtained abroad will enter the supply chain. Encroachment and illegal logging are still major problems in Thailand. Blockchain technology has become extremely popular due to its distinctive immutability and traceability properties, which have the opportunity to overcome a variety of issues. In order to get rid of illegal teak timber and achieve traceable, transparent, and reliable teak data that is moved through the teak supply chain, we present a decentralized application (DApp) based on the Ethereum blockchain that implements a traceability system for teak identity. According to the findings of the experiment, our DApp achieves a good trade-off between the system’s gas cost of 116K (2.53 USD) to store data in the Ethereum blockchain and provide high security, transparency, privacy, resilience, and robustness. We observed that the newly proposed blockchain-based system can reduce illegal logging, the usage of paper-based documentation, and the time needed to validate the documentation in teak supply chain controls when we compared it to the traditional process used in the supply chain.
Contrastive Analysis of Interferometric Techniques for Small Channel Temperature Measurements
Authors: H. Divya  , L. B. Gantala
Published: March 2024

This research employs a state-of-the-art digital interferometric technique to investigate the temperature distribution within a confined rectangular channel, with a hydraulic diameter of 3 mm. The experimental setup incorporates an optical glass channel, with nanofluids (Aluminium oxide) as the test fluid at 0.001% volume concentration. To induce controlled heating, a heater filament is strategically placed along the bottom wall of the channel. Simultaneously, a T-type thermocouple is carefully placed to measure the temperature along the upper wall. Two distinct interferometric methods, namely the Michelson interferometer and the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, are employed to capture the complex details of fringes resulting from the evolving temperature field within the test section. A high-resolution CCD camera is employed to capture these fringes, and sophisticated digital image processing techniques are subsequently applied for in-depth fringe analysis. The culmination of these efforts results in the origin of a comprehensive localized temperature distribution map within the small-sized channel. The obtained temperature profiles are meticulously compared, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness and reliability of the Michelson and Mach-Zehnder interferometric techniques in this specific experimental context. This detailed comparative analysis contributes to the broader understanding of interferometric methods for temperature measurements in confined fluidic systems.
Biological Synthesis of Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles Using Ziziphus oenopolia Leaf Extract
Authors: S. Kavica  , P. Rajesh  , V. Velmani  , G. T. Parethe
Published: March 2024

In this article, cobalt oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from the leaf extract of Ziziphus oenopolia by using cobaltous chloride hexahydrate. The prepared samples were characterized and subjected to the antimicrobial activity of some pathogens. The first confirmation of the formation of the cobalt oxide nanoparticles resulted from the reaction mixture’s color change from light brown to dark brown at room temperature. Further, UV-Visible spectrum analysis showed a strong absorption band at the visible region around 269 nm, confirming the formation of stable cobalt oxide nanoparticles. From the FT-IR spectrum, the peaks at 3626, 2978, 1689,1519,1396 and 578 cm-1 show the presence of OH stretching, C=O group, C=C stretching, C-C bonds and cobalt oxide nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction showed their crystalline nature with a face-centered cubic structure; the surface morphology revealed an irregular shape. The antibacterial studies have been carried out against four bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebisella pneumonia; E. coli showed the highest zone of inhibition. The antifungal studies were exhibited against Candida albicans, Candida vulgaris, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger; Aspergillus niger showed the highest zone of inhibition.
Strength Behavior of Prestressed Concrete Sleepers with Steel Slag Partial Replacement
Authors: R. Malathy  , D. Deepalakshmi  , Syedibrahim
Published: March 2024

Prestressed concrete sleepers (PCS) are very popular and commonly used by Indian Railways. This research is aimed at studying the behavior of concrete sleepers made with steel slag as a partial replacement for traditional cement concrete. A pre-stressed concrete railway sleeper was made using energy-optimizing furnace (EOF) steel slag, a byproduct in the steel manufacturing process, partially in the place of coarse aggregate, following the Indian Railways Standard (T39-85) for sleepers. EOF steel slag coarse aggregates were subjected to a few tests, including those for chemical resistance, soundness and alkali reactivity and the results were found to be satisfactory. Compared to the traditional concrete mix, the compressive strength is increased by about 20%. It paves the way to utilize the discarded steel slag for manufacturing cost-effective prestressed railway sleepers.
Jute and Flax Fiber Composites Enhancement through Carbon Nanotube Filler
Authors: T. Sathish  , R. Saravanan
Published: March 2024

This investigation primarily focuses on enhancing the sustainable jute/flax/epoxy nanocomposite with the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as filler. The flax and jute natural fibres were treated with sodium hydroxide solution. The compression moulding technique was preferred for better fabrication. The CNTs were thoroughly mixed with epoxy resin with the help of a ball milling-type mixture. The nanocomposite samples were prepared by varying the reinforcement and filler content. Jute fibre varied from 59 to 99 wt%, Flax Fiber varied from 0 to 40 wt% and the filler was maintained as constant of 1 wt%. The five types of laminated and fabricated composites were characterized in terms of tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity. The SEM examinations were carried for the composite samples to analyse the fibre diameter (µm), CNT dispersion and interfacial adhesion. The results revealed that the sample fabricated with 69 jute fibre, 30 wt% flax fibre, and 1 wt% CNT filler outperformed with 60.1 MPa tensile strength, 79.3 MPa flexural strength, 8.1 GPa modulus of elasticity.
Box-Behnken Design for Photocatalytic Degradation of Sudan Black B by Catalyst-Embedded Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: V. S. Angulakshmi  , S. Mageswari  , S. Kalaiselvan  , R. Padmavathi  , K. Parvathi
Published: March 2024

This research employs a Box Behnken design-based technique for photocatalytic use of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) derived from spray pyrolysis. This procedure was used for photocatalytic degradation applications on Sudan black dye using Citrus limonum oil as a carbon precursor and Fe/Co/Mo supported on silica as a catalyst. The influence of initial dye concentration was compared to the effects of H2O2, catalyst concentration and solar light intensity. The Response Surface Methodology was used to optimize growth parameters for higher yield and graphitization. The as-grown CNTs were exemplified using scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. This work resulted in the identification of the optimal set of spray pyrolysis turning parameters for achieving high CNT yield and effective decolorization of Sudan black B dye by employing MWCNTs as catalyst. The degree of decolorization of Sudan black B dye increases upto a certain level with an increase in initial H2O2 concentration and subsequently declines as excess H2O2 hydroxyl radicals formed serve as scavengers, resulting in less dye decolonization.
Nano-Titanium Dioxide: Antioxidant Activity and Cytotoxicity Against Human Lung Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Blessymol B  , V. Kalaiselvi  , P. Yasotha  , S. Gopi  , S. Ramanathan
Published: March 2024

The scope of this study is to synthesize titanium dioxide nanoparticles by chemical method and to assess their antioxidant and anticancer properties. Titanium isopropoxide was employed as a precursor in the production of the nanoparticles of titanium dioxide. The sample was analyzed using a variety of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. Further, their antioxidant and anticancer activities have been investigated. The crystallite size of titanium dioxide nanoparticles was revealed by X-ray diffraction, and the functional groups were confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis reveal the structure of the nanoparticles and the presence of titanium, carbon, and oxygen molecules, respectively. The antioxidant activity indicates that as the concentration of the TiO2  nanoparticles increases, it reaches the activity of ascorbic acid (standard). The sample shows good cytotoxic effect against A549 human lung cancer cell lines.
Anticancer and Antibacterial Evaluation of Pure Poly(o-Toluidine) for Tissue Engineering and Cancer Treatment
Authors: V. Gayathri  , R. Balan  , A. Kalaivani
Published: March 2024

Chemical oxidative polymerization was employed to synthesize pure poly (ortho-toluidine) (POT). The synthesized POT was characterized using XRD, FT-IR, and SEM analyses. Additionally, the samples were subjected to biological evaluation. The antibacterial activity of POT was tested against both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria. Notably, E. coli displayed significant susceptibility to POT's antibacterial effects, especially at higher concentrations. Furthermore, in vitro anticancer experiments were conducted on MG-63 bone cancer cells to assess the cytotoxicity of POT. Pristine POT exhibited the highest level of cytotoxicity, as evidenced by an IC50 value of 83.15 g/ml. In summary, this investigation highlights the robust antibacterial and anticancer activities of POT. These findings suggest potential applications of POT in areas such as tissue engineering scaffolds, anticancer therapies, and various biomedical uses.
Examples of property (T) II1 factors with trivial fundamental group
Authors: Chifan Ionuţ , Das Sayan , Houdayer Cyril , Khan Krishnendu
Published: March 2024

abstract: In this article we provide the first examples of property (T) $\mathrm{II}_1$ factors $\mathcal{N}$ with trivial fundamental group, $\mathcal{F}(\mathcal{N})=1$. Our examples arise as group factors $\mathcal{N}=\mathcal{L}(G)$ where $G$ belong to two distinct families of property (T) groups previously studied in the literature: the groups introduced by Valette in [Geom. Dedicata 112 (2005), 183--196] and the ones introduced recently in [Anal. PDE 16 (2023), 433--476] using the Belegradek-Osin Rips construction from [Groups Geom. Dyn. 2 (2008), 1--12]. In particular, our results provide a continuum of explicit pairwise nonisomorphic property (T) factors.
High-efficiency reflective terahertz cross-polarization converter with broadband and wide-angle response
Authors: Yang Jun , Li Kaiwen , Zha Xiaojie , Zhang Guozhen , Xi Hongzhu , Deng Guangsheng , Li Ying , Yin Zhiping
Published: March 2024

In this paper, a broadband terahertz metasurface dedicated to cross-polarization conversion was designed, fabricated, and assessed. The metasurface, comprising two nested double-split rings, features an inherent insensitivity to the angle of incidence. Simulations reveal that the converter achieves a >99% polarization conversion efficiency across the 90–140 GHz range. Moreover, it maintains a >90% polarization conversion ratio (PCR), even at a 50° incidence angle. The sample, featuring 50×70 arrays, was fabricated, and the relevant experimental results align closely with the simulated outcomes. The metasurface characteristics can markedly enhance the performance of cross-polarization converters operating in the terahertz range.
Viewing resolution and depth-of-field enhancement for a digital 3D display based on neural network-enabled multilayer view perspective fitting
Authors: Yang Le , Jing Shipei
Published: March 2024

The traditional digital three-dimensional (3D) display suffers from low resolution and a narrow depth of field (DoF) due to the lack of planar pixels transformed into view perspectives and the limitation of the diffraction effect of the lens, respectively, which are the main drawbacks to restrict the commercial application of this display technology. Here, the neural network-enabled multilayer view perspective fitting between the reconstructed and original view perspectives across the desired viewing depth range is proposed to render the optimal elemental image array (EIA) for enhancing the viewing resolution as well as the DoF of the digital 3D display. Actually, it is an end-to-end result-oriented coding method to render the fusion EIA with optimal multidepth fusion and resolution enhancement with high registration accuracies for both view perspective and depth reconstructions by using a depth-distributed fitting neural network paradigm. The 3D images presented in the simulations and optical experiments with improved viewing resolution and extended viewing depth range are demonstrated, verifying the feasibility of the proposed method.
Topological protection of dual-polarization biphoton states in photonic crystals
Authors: Chen Chenyuan , Ye Bilin , Zhang Huangjie , Zhou YongGang , Jin SangZhong , Hao Ran
Published: March 2024

Polarization control is a major issue in topological quantum optics that limits reliable generation and transmission of quantum states. This study presents what we believe to be a novel topological photonic crystal design that provides topological protection for biphoton pairs for both TE and TM polarization. By well-designed cell configurations within the lattice, two topological boundaries emerge that can accommodate TM and TE modes at the same time. By adjusting the dispersion curves, we can further design nonlinear four-wave mixing processes within the topological photonic crystals and provide theoretical explanations for the entanglement of the dual-polarization biphoton states. Numerical results confirm the robust transport of entangled photon pairs, even when subjected to sharp bending. Moreover, combining the dual-polarization topological photonic crystal with a polarization beam splitter enables the preparation of polarization-encoded maximally entangled states. Our work exhibits significant potential for applications in robust optical quantum information processing and quantum secure communication.
Architecture and planning of a regional multicore fiber submarine network comprising core selective switch-based branching units
Authors: Matsumoto Kako , Jinno Masahiko
Published: March 2024

We propose a novel branching unit (BU) architecture based on a 1×2 core selective switch (CSS) for regional multicore fiber (MCF) submarine systems. The proposed BU architecture requires only three CSS pairs and no fan-in fan-out devices, which reduces component cost, conserves space resources in the BU body, and halves the number of MCFs in branching cables resulting in a significant cable cost savings. For further component cost and space savings, we propose and discuss two approaches to achieve a higher-core-count CSS: one is to employ 16-CFs in a CSS for input and output ports and the other is to employ four bundled 4-CFs. These architectures increase the number of reconfigurable cores in a single CSS. While the proposed CSS-based BU architecture has the advantage of halving the number of MCFs in the branch cable, the aggregation of MCFs in the branch cable leads to core identification number (ID) contention, which increases the number of cores required if traditional same-core-ID assignment in the upstream and downstream is employed. We develop a bidirectional core assignment method that addresses this issue by assigning different core IDs in the upstream and downstream and validate its efficacy using the linear integer planning method.
Synthesizing polarization singularity lattices using phase ramps
Authors: Gangwar Kapil K. , Bansal Sarvesh , Senthilkumaran P.
Published: March 2024

In this paper, a novel methodology for generating polarization singularity lattices using ramp phase structures in a polarization interferometer is presented. By applying differential tilts to distinct regions within the wavefront using a spatial light modulator, a phase-discontinuity line separating the two regions is formed. During propagation along this line, phase vortices are formed at discrete points about which the phase difference on either side of the ramp is π. This wavefront with phase vortices is superimposed with a plane wave in orthogonal polarization in a polarization interferometer, giving rise to polarization singularities. A common-path polarization interferometer is constructed using a spatial light modulator to reduce errors and complexity. Polarization fringes instead of intensity fringes obtained in this interferometer host polarization singularities. Lattices made up of a linear chain of polarization singularities—unusually of the same index polarity—are found here. Experimental results corroborate the theoretical predictions. This study shows that singularities can be produced with non-spiral phase plates by using linear phase ramps. The method discussed in this paper may find potential applications in optical trapping and particle steering.
Side ionic-gated perovskite/graphene heterojunction synaptic transistor with bipolar photoresponse for neuromorphic computing
Authors: He Xiaoying , Xu Minghao , Liu Shilin , Wang Kun , Cao Bowen , Rao Lan , Xin Xiangjun
Published: March 2024

By combining the good charge transport property of graphene and the excellent photo-carrier generation characteristic of perovskite nanocrystal, we propose and demonstrate an ionic-gated synaptic transistor based on CsPbBr3/graphene heterojunction for bipolar photoresponse. Controlling the potential barrier of the CsPbBr3/graphene heterojunction by the ionic-gate of the electrical double-layer effect can promote the separation of photogenerated carriers and effectively retard their recombination. Using the ionic-gate-tunable Fermi level of graphene and the pinning effect of perovskite nanocrystal, the bipolar photocurrent responses corresponding to the excitatory and inhibitory short-term and long-term plasticity are realized by adjusting the negative gate bias. A series of synaptic functions including logic operation, Morse coding, the optical memory and electrical erasure effect, and light-assisted re-learning have also been demonstrated in an optoelectronic collaborative pathway. Furthermore, the excellent optical synaptic behaviors also contribute to the handwritten font recognition accuracy of ∼95% in artificial neural network simulations. The results pave the way for the fabrication of bipolar photoelectric synaptic transistors and bolster new directions in the development of future integrated human retinotopic vision neuromorphic systems.
Active reinforcement learning versus action bias and hysteresis: control with a mixture of experts and nonexperts
Authors: Colas Jaron T. , O’Doherty John P. , Grafton Scott T.
Published: March 2024

Active reinforcement learning enables dynamic prediction and control, where one should not only maximize rewards but also minimize costs such as of inference, decisions, actions, and time. For an embodied agent such as a human, decisions are also shaped by physical aspects of actions. Beyond the effects of reward outcomes on learning processes, to what extent can modeling of behavior in a reinforcement-learning task be complicated by other sources of variance in sequential action choices? What of the effects of action bias (for actions per se) and action hysteresis determined by the history of actions chosen previously? The present study addressed these questions with incremental assembly of models for the sequential choice data from a task with hierarchical structure for additional complexity in learning. With systematic comparison and falsification of computational models, human choices were tested for signatures of parallel modules representing not only an enhanced form of generalized reinforcement learning but also action bias and hysteresis. We found evidence for substantial differences in bias and hysteresis across participants—even comparable in magnitude to the individual differences in learning. Individuals who did not learn well revealed the greatest biases, but those who did learn accurately were also significantly biased. The direction of hysteresis varied among individuals as repetition or, more commonly, alternation biases persisting from multiple previous actions. Considering that these actions were button presses with trivial motor demands, the idiosyncratic forces biasing sequences of action choices were robust enough to suggest ubiquity across individuals and across tasks requiring various actions. In light of how bias and hysteresis function as a heuristic for efficient control that adapts to uncertainty or low motivation by minimizing the cost of effort, these phenomena broaden the consilient theory of a mixture of experts to encompass a mixture of expert and nonexpert controllers of behavior.
‘The illness isn’t the end of the road’—Patient perspectives on the initiation of and early participation in a multi-disease, community-based exercise programme
Authors: Regan-Moriarty Joanne , Hardcastle Sarah , McCallion Maire , Youell Azura , Collery Audrey , McCarren Andrew , Moyna Niall , Kehoe Brona
Published: March 2024

Background

Exercise is the cornerstone of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Hospital-based CR exercise programmes are a routine part of clinical care and are typically 6–12 weeks in duration. Following completion, physical activity levels of patients decline. Multi-disease, community-based exercise programmes (MCEP) are an efficient model that could play an important role in the long-term maintenance of positive health behaviours in individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) following their medically supervised programme.

Aim

To explore patients experiences of the initiation and early participation in a MCEP programme and the dimensions that facilitate and hinder physical activity engagement.

Methods

Individuals with established CVD who had completed hospital-based CR were referred to a MCEP. The programme consisted of twice weekly group exercise classes supervised by clinical exercise professionals. Those that completed (n = 31) an initial 10 weeks of the programme were invited to attend a focus group to discuss their experience. Focus groups were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Twenty-four (63% male, 65.5±6.12yrs) patients attended one of four focus groups. The main themes identified were ‘Moving from fear to confidence’, ‘Drivers of engagement,’ and ‘Challenges to keeping it (exercise) up’.

Conclusion

Participation in a MCEP by individuals with CVD could be viewed as a double-edged sword. Whilst the programme clearly provided an important transition from the clinical to the community setting, there were signs it may breed dependency and not effectively promote independent exercise. Another novel finding was the use of social comparison that provided favourable valuations of performance and increased exercise confidence.
Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid attenuates cognitive impairment in offspring caused by maternal surgery during mid-pregnancy
Authors: Feng Yunlin , Qin Jia , Lu Yanfei , Wang Mengdie , Wang Shengqiang , Luo Foquan
Published: March 2024

Some pregnant women have to experience non-obstetric surgery during pregnancy under general anesthesia. Our previous studies showed that maternal exposure to sevoflurane, isoflurane, propofol, and ketamine causes cognitive deficits in offspring. Histone acetylation has been implicated in synaptic plasticity. Propofol is commonly used in non-obstetric procedures on pregnant women. Previous studies in our laboratory showed that maternal propofol exposure in pregnancy impairs learning and memory in offspring by disturbing histone acetylation. The present study aims to investigate whether HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) could attenuate learning and memory deficits in offspring caused by maternal surgery under propofol anesthesia during mid-pregnancy. Maternal rats were exposed to propofol or underwent abdominal surgery under propofol anesthesia during middle pregnancy. The learning and memory abilities of the offspring rats were assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The protein levels of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), phosphorylated cAMP response-element binding (p-CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and phosphorylated tyrosine kinase B (p-TrkB) in the hippocampus of the offspring rats were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and western blot. Hippocampal neuroapoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining. Our results showed that maternal propofol exposure during middle pregnancy impaired the water-maze learning and memory of the offspring rats, increased the protein level of HDAC2 and reduced the protein levels of p-CREB, BDNF and p-TrkB in the hippocampus of the offspring, and such effects were exacerbated by surgery. SAHA alleviated the cognitive dysfunction and rescued the changes in the protein levels of p-CREB, BDNF and p-TrkB induced by maternal propofol exposure alone or maternal propofol exposure plus surgery. Therefore, SAHA could be a potential and promising agent for treating the learning and memory deficits in offspring caused by maternal nonobstetric surgery under propofol anesthesia.
Seasonal and sex-related variation in vitamin D status and its association with other biochemical markers in young individuals: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Mendes Marcela Moraes , Araújo Maísa Miranda , Botelho Patrícia Borges , de Carvalho Kênia Mara Baiocchi
Published: March 2024

Background

While several studies have investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and biochemical parameters, the results are still inconsistent and mostly overlook seasonal variations. This study explored the relationships between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations, biochemical markers, and seasonal variation among young males and females.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 individuals aged 18–24 years of both sexes residing in Brasilia, Brazil (latitude: 15°S). Sociodemographic variables, season of blood collection, and serum levels of 25(OH)D, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), glucose, insulin, hs-CRP, parathyroid hormone, ionized calcium, and alkaline phosphatase were included. Descriptive statistics and differences among groups, correlations, and linear regression tests were performed.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 21.17±1.7 years, and the mean serum 25(OH)D level was 25.76±7.0 ng/mL. Of the participants, 50.7% had vitamin D insufficiency (20 to 29.9 ng/mL), and 23.2% were vitamin D deficient (≤20 ng/mL). Vitamin D deficiency was higher in the spring (53.2%) and among females (29.5%). In young men with vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency (≤29.9 ng/mL) (n = 49), 25(OH)D levels were inversely correlated with HOMA-β (r = -0.234, p = 0.032) and triglyceride (r = -0.415, p = 0.003) levels. However, there were no significant correlations between 25(OH)D concentrations and biochemical markers among women with insufficient and deficient vitamin D levels.

Conclusion

This study found a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency among young individuals living in Brasília, Brazil, particularly women and during the spring season. Our findings suggest that lower 25(OH)D levels (≤29.9 ng/mL) may be associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in young men studied. However, further studies with larger representative samples are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the association between vitamin D and biochemical parameters.
A novel micellular fluorogenic substrate for quantitating the activity of 1-phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate phosphodiesterase gamma (PLCγ) enzymes
Authors: Visvanathan Ramya , Utsuki Tadanobu , Beck Daniel E. , Clayton W. Brent , Lendy Emma , Sun Kuai-lin , Liu Yinghui , Hering Kirk W. , Mesecar Andrew , Zhang Zhong-Yin , Putt Karson S.
Published: March 2024

The activities of the phospholipase C gamma (PLCγ) 1 and 2 enzymes are essential for numerous cellular processes. Unsurprisingly, dysregulation of PLCγ1 or PLCγ2 activity is associated with multiple maladies including immune disorders, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the modulation of either of these two enzymes has been suggested as a therapeutic strategy to combat these diseases. To aid in the discovery of PLCγ family enzyme modulators that could be developed into therapeutic agents, we have synthesized a high-throughput screening-amenable micellular fluorogenic substrate called C16CF3-coumarin. Herein, the ability of PLCγ1 and PLCγ2 to enzymatically process C16CF3-coumarin was confirmed, the micellular assay conditions were optimized, and the kinetics of the reaction were determined. A proof-of-principle pilot screen of the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds 1280 (LOPAC1280) was performed. This new substrate allows for an additional screening methodology to identify modulators of the PLCγ family of enzymes.
Current perspectives on neuromodulation in ALS patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jiménez-García Ana M. , Bonnel Gaspard , Álvarez-Mota Alicia , Arias Natalia
Published: March 2024

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually patient mortality. In recent years, neuromodulation techniques have emerged as promising potential therapeutic approaches to slow disease progression and improve the quality of life of ALS patients. A systematic review was conducted until August 8, 2023, to evaluate the neuromodulation methods used and their potential in the treatment of ALS. The search strategy was applied in the Cochrane Central database, incorporating results from other databases such as PubMed, Embase, CTgov, CINAHL, and ICTRP. Following the exclusion of papers that did not fulfil the inclusion criteria, a total of 2090 records were found, leaving a total of 10 studies. R software was used to conduct meta-analyses based on the effect sizes between the experimental and control groups. This revealed differences in muscle stretch measures with manual muscle testing (p = 0.012) and resting motor threshold (p = 0.0457), but not with voluntary isometric contraction (p = 0.1883). The functionality of ALS was also different (p = 0.007), but not the quality of life. Although intracortical facilitation was not seen in motor cortex 1 (M1) (p = 0.1338), short-interval intracortical inhibition of M1 was significant (p = 0.0001). BDNF showed no differences that were statistically significant (p = 0.2297). Neuromodulation-based treatments are proposed as a promising therapeutic approach for ALS that can produce effects on muscle function, spasticity, and intracortical connections through electrical, magnetic, and photonic stimulation. Photobiomodulation stands out as an innovative approach that uses specific wavelengths to influence mitochondria, with the aim of improving mitochondrial function and reducing excitotoxicity. The lack of reliable placebo controls and the variation in stimulation frequency are some of the drawbacks of neuromodulation.
Participatory epidemiology on major camel calf health and management problems in pastoral and semi-pastoral zones of Somali region, Ethiopia
Authors: Hussein Hassan Abdi , Mohamed Abdifetah , Ahmed Juhar Mohamed
Published: March 2024

A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2017 to March 2019. A participatory epidemiological appraisal was used to gain a rapid overview of the range of camel calf health problems and traditional management, a measure of the importance that people place on each of them, and to identify and prioritize economically important diseases in target zones. The most important constraints to camel production were identified to be the widespread prevalence of diseases such as camelpox, contagious ecthyma, calf scour, ticks, and nonspecific pneumonia; poor management and husbandry practices such as restrictive colostrum feeding, lack of concentrate and salt supplementation and inappropriate housing; shortage of feed; and scarce seasonal variation in water. Additionally, the livestock herders not only showed their knowledge of common camel calf diseases for affected organs and symptoms but also indicated the seasonality of disease occurrences with strong agreement (W = 0.899, P< 0.003) among the informants of all focus group discussions. The overall prevalence of mange, tick infestation, and bacteria-induced diarrhea in the study area was found to be 36.3%, 36%, and 74%, respectively. Sarcoptes scabie var. cameli was the only identified mite species from mange-infested calves, while Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, and Amblyoma were the most commonly identified tick species. Similarly, the overall prevalence of diarrhea was 74% among this about 34.6% was caused by E. coli while 38.9% was affected by Salmonella and E. coli. Therefore, based on these findings, five diseases have been prioritized as the most significant calf diseases in the area (Camelpox, contagious ecthyma, and causes of pneumonia among camel calves). Improving veterinary health infrastructure and capacity, and increasing community awareness on camel health constraints are also recommended to enhance optimal camel calf rearing.
Successful Endoscopic Retrograde Appendicitis Therapy Following a Recent ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Suarez Zoilo K. , Samhoun Jalal , Drourr Joshua , Nagi Talwinder , Haider Muhammad A. , Vallejo Charles , Touqir Zahra , Forcione David
Published: March 2024

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common abdominal surgical emergencies. A laparoscopic or open appendectomy has traditionally been the gold standard. Antibiotic therapy has recently been found to be noninferior. The treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis remains a challenge, especially in the presence of an appendicolith. We present a case of a 59-year-old man with recent ST-elevation myocardial infarction who underwent successful endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy.
Diagnostic imaging features of traumatic subgaleal hematoma in a dog: a case report
Authors: Kim Juyeong , Han Changhui , Lee Youngwon , Choi Hojung
Published: March 2024

Subgaleal hematomas are accumulation of blood between periosteum and galea aponeurosis. A 2-year-old male Chihuahua was presented with a severe head swelling after trauma. Radiography and computed tomography (CT) showed a massive swelling encircling the entire calvarial vault, extending toward the cervical neck and crossing the suture line. It was heterogeneously, mild hyperdense fluid to soft tissue attenuating with contrast enhancement on CT images. On day 4, physical and imaging examination showed resolution of the calvarial swelling. Subgaleal hematoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis when there is a massive soft tissue swelling over the skull on physical and imaging examinations.
Penile neoplasm associated with Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 infection in a miniature Appaloosa
Authors: Lee Sang-Kyu , Yoon Jungho , Kim Youngjong , Lee Inhyung
Published: March 2024

An 18-year-old miniature Appaloosa stallion presented with 6 months of history of sanguineous crusts on medial hind limbs and discomfort of micturition. Cauliflower-like and small masses were treated with cryotherapy for 6 months, but the regrowth of masses occurred. Subsequently, local excision via laser and topical treatment with 5% 5-fluorouracil for 5 months were followed. However, the horse was euthanized 4 months later due to regrowth of the masses. The mass was diagnosed as penile papilloma with cellular atypia and Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV-2) DNA was detected. This is the first report of equine penile neoplasm with EcPV-2 infection in Asia.
Chromolaena odorata L. Leaf Extract Elevates Cytotoxicity of Doxorubicin on 4T1 Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Putri Amaliya Permata , Rahmawati Desty Restia , Rahman Faaza Aulia , Meiyanto Edy , Ikawati Muthi
Published: March 2024

Chemotherapeutic agents for breast cancer such as doxorubicin can attack normal cells as the side effects. Chromolaena odorata L. and its chemical content, sinensetin, have potential anticancer  and  antioxidant  properties.  The  objective  of  this  research  is  to  examine  the anticancer properties of C. odorata leaves extract and sinensetin on 4T1 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells combined with doxorubicin. The MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium  bromide)  assay  on  4T1  cells  was  used  to  determine  the  IC50 and the Combination  Index  (CI)  of  the  two  agents  in  combination.  Washing  out the  treatment  and determining  the  cells  viability  after  a  few  days  was done  to evaluate  the  persistence  of the  effects  to  cancer  cells.  Chromolaena odorata  extract  (COE)  obtained  was  proven  to contain  sinensetin  which  gave  a positive  signal  on  the  chromatogram.  COE  and  sinensetin were  moderately  cytotoxic  to  4T1  cells  with  IC50  value  of  53  μg/mL  and  58  μM  (21.6 μg/mL), respectively. Both compounds were synergist (CI<0.7) to strong synergist (CI<0.3) when combined with doxorubicin (IC50 90 nM = 0.05 μg/mL). COE and sinensetin exhibited moderate and not cytotoxic against Vero cells with IC50 values of 60 μg/mL and 243 μM (90.43 μg/mL), respectively. Both COE and sinensetin showed selectivity index values of >1 (1.13 and 4.19, respectively).  Moreover,  the  cytotoxic  effects  of  COE  on  4T1  cells  was  persisted  until  48  h after  removing  COE  from  the  medium,  indicating  the  tumor-suppression  potency  of  COE. Our findings strengthen the scientific basis of C. odorata leaves extract to be developed as a co-chemotherapeutics agent for doxorubicin on TNBC.Keywords: Chromolaena odorata L., breast cancer cells, doxorubicin, co-chemotherapy, kidney cells.
Study on Motives Underlying the Buying of Fast Fashion in India Despite Associated Sustainability Issues
Authors: Kumar Bishnoi Sushil , Guru Ramratan
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study was to identify motivational factors for consumers in making a purchase decision for a fast fashion product. The term fast fashion is used to refer to cheaper replicas of luxury fashion trends. Apart from impacting the environment adversely, fast fashion has several other issues as well. Fast fashion has many sustainability issues but its demand is growing at a tremendous pace. The motives for the preference for fast fashion were explored in this study. Both primary and secondary data were used to conduct this research. The primary data was collected for this study via questionnaire. All the factors are rated on the 7-point Likert scale. Furthermore, the laddering technique of interviewing was employed to investigate the underlying values. The study revealed that “creating self-identity” is the most influencing motive for consumers in making a purchase decision for a fast fashion product, while “showing dominance” is the least influencing motive for consumers in making a purchase decision for a fast fashion product. This study offers insight into the factors influencing buying decisions for a fast fashion product. This research can help address the issue of sustainability in the fashion industry. These findings can also be used to promote sustainable fashion.
Conditional Knockout of the MicroRNA 17-92 Cluster in Type-I Collagen-Expressing Cells Decreases Alveolar Bone Size and Incisor Tooth Mechanical Properties
Authors: Ibrahim M. , Mohan S. , Xing M. J. , Kesavan Chandrasekhar
Published: March 2024

To test the role of the miR17-92 (miR) cluster in dental bones, we evaluated the incisor tooth phenotype by micro-CT in 5- and 12-week-old conditional knockout (CKO) mice deficient in the miR17-92 cluster in type-I collagen-expressing cells and bone strength by finite element analysis. The incisor teeth of CKO mice showed a 23–30 % reduction in tissue volume and bone volume. Accordingly, the stiffness and failure load of incisor teeth assessed by finite element analysis showed an 18–40 % decrease in CKO compared to wild-type mice. A positive correlation between bone parameters and strength data suggests that the decreased mechanical properties of incisor teeth are due to decreased tissue volume and bone volume. Subsequently, we found that the width of alveolar bone was reduced by 25 % with a 16 % increase in periodontal ligament space, suggesting that the CKO mice are more susceptible to tooth movement. Since alveolar bone is populated primarily by osteoblast lineage cells, it is likely that the reduction in periosteal expansion of alveolar bone in the lower jaw of CKO mice results from decreased periosteal bone formation. Overall, our phenotype analysis demonstrates that the miR17-92 cluster is essential for development and maintenance of tooth strength by regulating its tooth size.
Ethnobotanical Exploration of Traditional Medicinal Plants Among the Rural Inhabitants of District Muzaffarabad, Kashmir Himalayan Region
Authors: Gillani Syed Waseem , Ahmad Mushtaq , Zafar Muhammad , Manzoor Muhammad , Shah Ghulam Mujtaba , Shaheen Hamayun , Zaman Wajid , Sultana Shazia , Sadia Bibi , Khishlatovna Khaydarova Khilola
Published: March 2024

Indigenous knowledge provides insights into the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants used in local communities for basic healthcare. This research focuses on documenting the medical knowledge of rural communities that rely on medicinal plants in their traditional healthcare practices in the district of Muzaffarabad, Kashmir Himalayas. A field survey was carried out in 2022 and 2023 to collect data on wild medicinal plants. Informants were selected at random to learn about indigenous medical practices through semi-structured interviews and group discussions with 95 informants. The ethnomedicinal data were quantitatively analyzed using indices of use value (UV) and relative frequency citation (RFC). The study area documented 57 medicinal plants from 34 different families. Polygonaceae was the most dominant family, contributing 14.03% to medicinal plants, followed by Lamiaceae (10.52%) and Rosaceae (7.01%). Among medicinal plants, communities predominantly used herbs (64.91%) and leaves (29.09%) to treat several health problems. Mentha longifolia had the highest reported use value (1.71), and Bergenia ciliata had the highest recorded RFC value (0.72). Rural inhabitants continue to rely on wild medicinal plants as their primary source of medication. The transmission of indigenous knowledge to descendants is steadily declining and is primarily limited to healthcare practitioners and the elderly. These communities have kept important indigenous knowledge, which must be preserved for sustainable resource management and conservation. A more extensive field exploration is required to discover all of the indigenous knowledge in rural areas of Kashmir.