bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geochronology, geochemistry, and geological significance of early Jurassic intrusive rocks in the Lesser Xing’an- Zhangguangcai Range, northeast China
Authors: Zhao Zhonghai , Li Zhongju , Li Haina , Cheng Binbin , Yin Yechang
Published: August 2024

The Lesser Xing’an—Zhangguangcai Range of northeast China is located in the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), which records intense magmatism during the Mesozoic. The petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of the Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in this region are unclear. In this paper, we present new zircon U–Pb age and whole-rock geochemical data for these intrusive rocks to investigate their origins and tectonic setting. Zircon U–Pb dating suggests these intrusive rocks were emplaced during the Early Jurassic (197–187 Ma). The granites are enriched in silica and alkali, and depleted in MgO and CaO. They are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, and have high A/CNK values and low zircon saturation temperatures (TZr ~ 779°C), suggesting they are highly fractionated I-type granites derived by partial melting of lower crustal materials. The granites exhibit negative Nb, Ta, P, Eu, and Ti anomalies due to fractional crystallization. The diorites and gabbros have low SiO2 contents and high Mg# values, and are enriched in light rare earth and large-ion lithophile (Ba, K, and Sr) elements, and depleted in heavy rare earth and high field strength (Nb, Ta, and Ti) elements. The geochemical characteristics show that the mafic magmas were derived by partial melting of mantle that had been metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. Based on the geochemical characteristics of coeval intrusive rocks and the regional geological setting, we suggest the Early Jurassic intrusive rocks in the Lesser Xing’an—Zhangguangcai Range were formed along an active continental margin, possibly as a result of bidirectional subduction of the Mudanjiang Oceanic plate between the Jiamusi and Songnen—Zhangguangcai Range massifs.
Study on the precursory characteristics and influencing factors of rockburst in the bifurcation area of coal seam
Authors: Zhang Heng , Shao Caijun , Chen Guofeng , Zhou Jincheng , Cao Wenhao , Ji Xianjun
Published: August 2024

To explore the precursory characteristics and influencing factors of rockburst in the bifurcation area of coal seam, the evolution and expansion of fracture and the energy accumulation and dissipation characteristics of coal-rock parting-coal structure (CRCS) during failure and instability process are explored from a micro-scopic perspective, and the influence of coal and rock parting parameters on the instability is studied. The following four points are addressed: (1) Compared with the single coal structure or the coal- rock combined structure, the CRCS can more directly reflect the geological structure characteristics of the coal seam in the bifurcated area; (2) The failure and instability process of CRCS includes two types of instability: slip and fracture. The slip instability is characterized by low strength and high energy release, which is very difficult to predict. (3) Before the failure of CRCS, there are several precursor signal characteristics, such as the shortened development time of the "stable—fracture—stable" cycle, abnormal slip dislocation of the contact surface, and rapid accumulation of rock fracture energy. (4) The inclination angle of the contact surface affects the instability form, the strength of the rock parting affects the instability state, and the thickness of the rock parting affects the impact tendency. The research results have important theoretical significance for preventing rockburst caused by failure and instability in bifurcated area of coal seam.
Effects of different roughness on Brazilian splitting characteristics of rock-concrete interface
Authors: Chen Yan , Wang Gaofei , Zhou Lei , Deng Liangtao , Wang Jiahao
Published: August 2024

In order to study the tensile properties of rock-concrete composite disc specimens with different roughness, the surface of the gray-white sand specimen was artificially grooved, and six different roughness were configured. The test results show that the roughness size and roughness mode jointly control the tensile strength of the rock-concrete interface. With the increase of roughness, the tensile strength of the sample changes from the initial decrease to the increase and then decrease, and the tensile strength reaches the highest when the roughness is f3. The variation trend of pre-peak energy accumulation and post-peak energy accumulation of the sample is opposite, and the dissipation energy is closely related to the crack propagation strain. The roughness and crack closure strain, crack peak strain, crack propagation strain and crack closure stress show a sinusoidal periodic variation. The crack propagation strain is closely related to the change of dissipation energy. The change trend of crack closure stress is basically consistent with the change trend of tensile strength. Therefore, in the actual project, grasping the period of roughness variation and selecting the construction position can make the rock-concrete interface stable and get twice the result with half the effort.
In vivo pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside compound K mediated by gut microbiota
Authors: Deng Ming-Si , Huang Su-tian-zi , Xu Ya-Ni , Shao Li , Wang Zheng-Guang , Chen Liang-Jian , Huang Wei-Hua
Published: August 2024

Ginsenoside Compound K (GCK) is the main metabolite of natural protopanaxadiol ginsenosides with diverse pharmacological effects. Gut microbiota contributes to the biotransformation of GCK, while the effect of gut microbiota on the pharmacokinetics of GCK in vivo remains unclear. To illustrate the role of gut microbiota in GCK metabolism in vivo, a systematic investigation of the pharmacokinetics of GCK in specific pathogen free (SPF) and pseudo-germ-free (pseudo-GF) rats were conducted. Pseudo-GF rats were treated with non-absorbable antibiotics. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was validated for the quantification of GCK in rat plasma. Compared with SPF rats, the plasma concentration of GCK significantly increased after the gut microbiota depleted. The results showed that GCK absorption slowed down, Tmax delayed by 3.5 h, AUC0-11 increased by 1.3 times, CLz/F decreased by 0.6 times in pseudo-GF rats, and Cmax was 1.6 times higher than that of normal rats. The data indicated that gut microbiota played an important role in the pharmacokinetics of GCK in vivo.
RNA editing regulates host immune response and T cell homeostasis in SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Huang Molly , Mark Adam , Pham Jessica , Vera Karina , Saravia-Butler Amanda M. , Beheshti Afshin , Jiang Qingfei , Fisch Kathleen M.
Published: August 2024

Adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing by ADAR1 has been implicated in maintaining self-tolerance, preventing autoimmunity, and mediating antiviral immunity. Foreign viral double-stranded RNA triggers rapid interferon response and activates ADAR1 in the host immune system. Emerging data points to a role of ADAR1 A-to-I editing in the inflammatory response associated with severe COVID-19 disease. We identify A-to-I editing events within human whole transcriptome data from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, non-infected individuals, and individuals with other viral illnesses from nasopharyngeal swabs. High levels of RNA editing in host cells are associated with low SARS-CoV-2 viral load (p = 9.27 E-06), suggesting an inhibitory effect of ADAR1 on viral infection. Additionally, we find differentially expressed genes associated with RNA-modifications and interferon response. Single cell RNA-sequencing analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infected nasopharyngeal swabs reveals that cytotoxic CD8 T cells upregulate ADAR1 in COVID-19 positive samples (p = 0.0269). We further reveal ADAR1 expression increases with CD4 and CD8 T cell activation, and knockdown of ADAR1 leads to apoptosis and aberrant IL-2 secretion. Together, our data suggests A-to-I RNA editing is required to maintain healthy homeostasis of activated T cells to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
shRNA-mediated down-regulation of Acsl1 reverses skeletal muscle insulin resistance in obese C57BL6/J mice
Authors: Roszczyc-Owsiejczuk Kamila , Imierska Monika , Sokołowska Emilia , Kuźmicki Mariusz , Pogodzińska Karolina , Błachnio-Zabielska Agnieszka , Zabielski Piotr
Published: August 2024

Prolonged consumption of diet rich in fats is regarded as the major factor leading to the insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Emerging evidence link excessive accumulation of bioactive lipids such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and ceramide (Cer), with impairment of insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. Until recently, little has been known about the involvement of long-chain acyl-CoAs synthetases in the above mechanism. To examine possible role of long-chain acyl-coenzyme A synthetase 1 (Acsl1) (a major muscular ACSL isoform) in mediating HFD-induced IR we locally silenced Acsl1 in gastrocnemius of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6J mice through electroporation-delivered shRNA and compared it to non-silenced tissue within the same animal. Acsl1 down-regulation decreased the content of muscular long-chain acyl-CoA (LCACoA) and both the Cer (C18:1-Cer and C24:1-Cer) and DAG (C16:0/18:0-DAG, C16:0/18:2-DAG, C18:0/18:0-DAG) and simultaneously improved insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake as compared with non-silenced tissue. Acsl1 down-regulation decreased expression of mitochondrial β-oxidation enzymes, and the content of both the short-chain acylcarnitine (SCA-Car) and short-chain acyl-CoA (SCACoA) in muscle, pointing towards reduction of mitochondrial FA oxidation. The results indicate, that beneficial effects of Acsl1 partial ablation on muscular insulin sensitivity are connected with inhibition of Cer and DAG accumulation, and outweigh detrimental impact of decreased mitochondrial fatty acids metabolism in skeletal muscle of obese HFD-fed mice.
Impact of source, packaging and presence of food safety management system on heavy metals levels in spices and herbs
Authors: Moussa Layale , Hassan Hussein F. , Savvaidis Ioannis N. , Karam Layal
Published: August 2024

Spices and herbs are susceptible to various contaminants, including heavy metals. Our study aimed to quantify the levels of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (As), and cadmium (Cd) in 96 composite samples of 13 herbs and spices frequently consumed in Lebanon. Twenty percent (19/96) and 4% (4/96) of the samples exceeded the permissible levels of Pb and Cd, respectively and all the samples met the permissible levels of As and Hg according to Codex Alimentarius standards. For Pb and Cd, unpackaged samples had the highest levels of unacceptable samples of 31% (8/26) and 8% (2/26), respectively. The samples locally packaged in companies with and without Food Safety Management System (FSMS) had the same levels of unacceptable samples of 12% (3/26) and 4% (1/26) for Pb and Cd, respectively. Imported packaged samples had unacceptable levels of Pb (28% (5/18)) and were acceptable for the three other heavy metals.
Analyzing the diffusion of feminist discourses on Chinese social media: A case study of the 2022 Tangshan restaurant attack
Authors: Fang Gege , Hong Zitong , Chen Guanting , Wang Jingwen
Published: August 2024

Network platforms have ushered in a novel propagation model for feminist discourses. The emergence of oriental feminism in society has led to gender-based public opinions surrounding public events becoming a trending topic on Chinese social media. This study uses the 2022 Tangshan restaurant attack as a case study, an incident that sparked widespread discussions across China in 2022. The research gathered 366,602 network communication nodes within a week and examined the communication networks of three types of content nodes (information, opinion, and appeasement) using the complex network modeling method. The findings revealed that all three types of information communication networks exhibit an apparent scale-free characteristic, and the "key minority" of nodes significantly affects information communication. Information-type and appeasement-type Weibo display notable similarities in the quantity and degree distribution of nodes within the communication networks and in the information decay rate. Moreover, authoritative information issuers have become the primary catalyst for information propagation. Conversely, opinion-type Weibo has the widest communication network diameter and features a high degree of participation, multilevel propagation, and a slow decay rate. This indicates that the interaction between opinion leaders and netizens has enhanced the depth and breadth of information diffusion for opinion-type Weibo.
Service providers’ perspectives on the challenges of informal caregiving and the need for caregiver-orientated mental health services in rural South Africa: A descriptive study
Authors: Silaule Olindah , Nkosi Nokuthula Gloria , Adams Fasloen
Published: August 2024

Informal caregivers of persons with mental disorders encounter various challenges in their role of caregiving. As such, they require support to enable them to cope with the demands of their caregiving. There is comprehensive evidence on the experiences of burden among informal caregivers in mental health; however, there is a limited number of studies that report on the mental health services aimed specifically at supporting informal caregivers in their role. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of the service providers regarding the challenges encountered by informal caregivers and the mental health services available to support these caregivers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health coordinators at provincial, district, and sub-district level and mental health professionals from a district hospital. Focus group discussions were conducted with primary healthcare supervisors and community health workers in Bushbuckridge municipality, South Africa at participants’ workplaces and sub-district offices. Semi-structured interviews and focus group guides with semi-structured questions were used to direct data collection in August 2022–January 2023. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic inductive analysis was conducted using NVivo 12 software. Three themes were identified, namely perceived caregiving consequences and related factors, current state of mental health services, and factors affecting delivery of informal caregiver mental health services. The service providers acknowledged the negative consequences faced by informal caregivers. This includes the experience of caregiver burden which was attributed to the uncooperative and violent behaviours exhibited by the mental health care users. The current state of formal and informal community mental health services was described and considered inadequate to meet informal caregivers’ needs. Various personal, health system, and contextual factors influencing the provision of caregiver-orientated services were identified. The findings revealed the need for intersectoral collaborations between hospital-based and community-based mental health service providers, and community stakeholders to ensure provision of user-friendly and accessible mental health services for informal caregivers.
The role of complement and extracellular vesicles in the development of pulmonary embolism in severe COVID-19 cases
Authors: Dumitrescu Gabriel , Antovic Jovan , Soutari Nida , Gran Charlotte , Antovic Aleksandra , Al-Abani Kais , Grip Jonathan , Rooyackers Olav , Taxiarchis Apostolos
Published: August 2024

Complement and extracellular vesicles (EVs) association with thrombogenic tendencies is acknowledged, but limited evidence exists for their link to COVID-19 venous thromboembolism. This study aims to examine the relationship between pulmonary embolism and the expression of complement and other proteins related to thrombogenesis in severe Covid-19 patients. We included prospectively 207 severe COVID-19 patients and retrospectively screened for pulmonary embolism (PE). This analysis comprises 20 confirmed PE cases and 20 matched patients without PE. Blood samples taken at the admission in the intensive care unit were analyzed for complement using ELISA. EVs derived from neutrophils, endothelium, or platelets, as well carrying complement or tissue factor were analyzed using flow cytometry. Complement levels were markedly elevated, with a notable increase in C3a and Terminal Complement Complex. The most prevalent EV population was identified as tissue factor (TF)-carrying EVs which peaked in patients with PE during ICU days 4–9. However, for both the complement and analyzed EV populations, no statistically significant differences were found between the patients who developed pulmonary embolism and those who did not. In conclusion, complement factors and EVs expressing tissue factor, along with EVs derived from endothelial cells and platelets, are elevated in severe COVID-19 patients, regardless of the presence of pulmonary embolism. However, the involvement of complement and procoagulant EVs in peripheral plasma in the development of pulmonary embolism is still unclear and requires further investigation.
Source apportionment, source-specific health risks, and control factors of heavy metals in water bodies of a typical karst basin in southwestern China
Authors: Mu Dijin , Meng Jianan , Wang Sangju , Xiao Shizhen , Wang Hao , Sun Xiangxuan , Wu Pan
Published: August 2024

Studying the apportionment of source-specific health risks and control factors for heavy metal pollution in karst regions is crucial for prevention and management. A typical karst basin was chosen in this study to investigate the pollution characteristics of heavy metals, source-specific health risks, and control factors. The results indicate that during the rainy season, As, Cd, and Pb, as well as As during the dry season, were the primary elements responsible for water pollution in the watershed. Comparative analyses showed that the absolute principal component-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model better identifies and quantifies the sources of heavy metals in karst basin waters. The analysis of health risks revealed that during the dry season, heavy metals in the basin posed a moderate cancer risk to adults (10−4 < total cancer risk (TCR) < 10−3), whereas during the rainy season, these heavy metals posed a non-cancer risk (total hazard index (THI) > 1) and a moderate to high cancer risk (10−4 < TCR < 10−2). The APCS-MLR model combined with the health risk analysis showed that Industrial waste discharge sources are the main contributors to the health of basin residents (29.39%-52.57%), making dry season As a non-cancer risk for basin residents, as well as rainy season As and Cd a non-cancer risk and a high cancer risk for basin residents. Therefore, reasonable planning for upstream industrial production should be developed, and priority should be given to monitoring and treating As and Cd pollution in water. Analyses also showed that input pathways, dilution effects, and hydrochemical characteristics may influence the spatial and temporal variability of heavy metals in the basin. The results provide essential information and significant reference for prioritising and managing the health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in water bodies in karst areas.
Fitness factor genes conserved within the multi-species core genome of Gram-negative Enterobacterales species contribute to bacteremia pathogenesis
Authors: Mobley Harry L. T. , Anderson Mark T. , Moricz Bridget S. , Severin Geoffrey B. , Holmes Caitlyn L. , Ottosen Elizabeth N. , Eichler Tad , Gupta Surbhi , Paudel Santosh , Sinha Ritam , Mason Sophia , Himpsl Stephanie D. , Brown Aric N. , Gaca Margaret , Kiser Christina M. , Clarke Thomas H. , Fouts Derrick E. , DiRita Victor J. , Bachman Michael A.
Published: August 2024

There is a critical gap in knowledge about how Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, using survival strategies developed for other niches, cause lethal bacteremia. Facultative anaerobic species of the Enterobacterales order are the most common cause of Gram-negative bacteremia, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter freundii, and Enterobacter hormaechei. Bacteremia often leads to sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from unregulated immune responses to infection. Despite a lack of specialization for this host environment, Gram-negative pathogens cause nearly half of bacteremia cases annually. Based on our existing Tn-Seq fitness factor data from a murine model of bacteremia combined with comparative genomics of the five Enterobacterales species above, we prioritized 18 conserved fitness genes or operons for further characterization. Mutants were constructed for all genes in all five species. Each mutant was used to cochallenge C57BL/6 mice via tail vein injection along with each respective wild-type strain to determine competitive indices for each fitness gene. Five fitness factor genes, when mutated, attenuated mutants in four or five species in the spleen and liver (tatC, ruvA, gmhB, wzxE, arcA). Five additional fitness factor genes or operons were validated as outcompeted by wild-type in three, four, or five bacterial species in the spleen (xerC, prc, apaGH, atpG, aroC). Overall, 17 of 18 fitness factor mutants were attenuated in at least one species in the spleen or liver. Together, these findings allow for the development of a model of bacteremia pathogenesis that may include future targets of therapy against bloodstream infections.
Cell-intrinsic regulation of phagocyte function by interferon lambda during pulmonary viral, bacterial super-infection
Authors: Antos Danielle , Parks Olivia B. , Duray Alexis M. , Abraham Nevil , Michel Joshua J. , Kupul Saran , Westcott Rosemary , Alcorn John F.
Published: August 2024

Influenza infections result in a significant number of severe illnesses annually, many of which are complicated by secondary bacterial super-infection. Primary influenza infection has been shown to increase susceptibility to secondary methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection by altering the host immune response, leading to significant immunopathology. Type III interferons (IFNs), or IFNλs, have gained traction as potential antiviral therapeutics due to their restriction of viral replication without damaging inflammation. The role of IFNλ in regulating epithelial biology in super-infection has recently been established; however, the impact of IFNλ on immune cells is less defined. In this study, we infected wild-type and IFNLR1-/- mice with influenza A/PR/8/34 followed by S. aureus USA300. We demonstrated that global IFNLR1-/- mice have enhanced bacterial clearance through increased uptake by phagocytes, which was shown to be cell-intrinsic specifically in myeloid cells in mixed bone marrow chimeras. We also showed that depletion of IFNLR1 on CX3CR1 expressing myeloid immune cells, but not neutrophils, was sufficient to significantly reduce bacterial burden compared to mice with intact IFNLR1. These findings provide insight into how IFNλ in an influenza-infected lung impedes bacterial clearance during super-infection and show a direct cell intrinsic role for IFNλ signaling on myeloid cells.
Permissive lung neutrophils facilitate tuberculosis immunopathogenesis in male phagocyte NADPH oxidase-deficient mice
Authors: Choi Eunsol , Choi Hong-Hee , Kwon Kee Woong , Kim Hagyu , Ryu Ji-Hwan , Hong Jung Joo , Shin Sung Jae
Published: August 2024

NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) is an enzyme responsible for generating reactive oxygen species, primarily found in phagocytes. Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), along with bacterial infections such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is a representative NOX2-deficient X-linked disease characterized by uncontrolled inflammation. However, the precise roles of host-derived factors that induce infection-mediated hyperinflammation in NOX2-deficient condition remain incompletely understood. To address this, we compared Mtb-induced pathogenesis in Nox2-/- and wild type (WT) mice in a sex-dependent manner. Among age- and sex-matched mice subjected to Mtb infection, male Nox2-/- mice exhibited a notable increase in bacterial burden and lung inflammation. This was characterized by significantly elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as G-CSF, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6, excessive neutrophil infiltration, and reduced pulmonary lymphocyte levels as tuberculosis (TB) progressed. Notably, lungs of male Nox2-/- mice were predominantly populated with CD11bintLy6GintCXCR2loCD62Llo immature neutrophils which featured mycobacterial permissiveness. By diminishing total lung neutrophils or reducing immature neutrophils, TB immunopathogenesis was notably abrogated in male Nox2-/- mice. Ultimately, we identified G-CSF as the pivotal trigger that exacerbates the generation of immature permissive neutrophils, leading to TB immunopathogenesis in male Nox2-/- mice. In contrast, neutralizing IL-1α and IL-1β, which are previously known factors responsible for TB pathogenesis in Nox2-/- mice, aggravated TB immunopathogenesis. Our study revealed that G-CSF-driven immature and permissive pulmonary neutrophils are the primary cause of TB immunopathogenesis and lung hyperinflammation in male Nox2-/- mice. This highlights the importance of quantitative and qualitative control of pulmonary neutrophils to alleviate TB progression in a phagocyte oxidase-deficient condition.
Representing the child-free woman in the twenty-first century biopic
Authors: Lees Belinda
Published: August 2024

This article responds to a gap in knowledge about how screenwriters represent the figure of the child-free woman as a protagonist in the twenty-first century biographical screen drama. My initial research into the twenty-first century biopics has uncovered problematic representations of women who are child-free, including the dehumanizing portrayal of actor Marilyn Monroe in the 2022 feature Blonde or the love-fixated writer Jane Austen in the 2007 biopic Becoming Jane or the pronatalist depiction of intrepid foreign correspondent Marie Colvin in . While theorists are aware of the negative representations of child-free women in film and television, there is very little research on depictions of these women in the twenty-first century biopic, presenting an opportunity for a concentrated study that can bring theory to screenwriting practice. Where the extant literature points to problematic representations of child-free women, it does not go further to suggest possible solutions, in this case, in more nuanced film and television representations. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that negative representations of child-free women in film and television might have wider implications for child-free women in society. How, then, might the screenwriter play a role in this?
‘That might as well be the first sign of the apocalypse’: Ted Lasso, trauma and the personal apocalypse
Authors: Abbott Stacey
Published: August 2024

The first season of Ted Lasso (2020–23) was filmed in 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19, and released on Apple TV+ in August 2020, while much of the world was still in various stages of lockdown. The series has been praised by many critics and scholars for its focus on reconstructed masculinity, healing and kindness, set against the backdrop of British football. These themes have contributed to the perception that the show’s success was due to it espousing uplifting and positive feelings that were needed escapism during this unprecedented global experience, which was greatly informed by apocalyptic discourse. This article thus examines Ted Lasso not as escapism or as utopianism, but as a regenerative apocalyptic narrative in which many of the traumas of the real world are confronted and transformed. Close-textual analysis focuses on the characters of Rebecca Welton and Ted Lasso’s intersecting narratives of trauma and reconstruction to reframe an understanding of the apocalypse away from the global to the personal. I use this analysis to demonstrate how the series uses an apocalyptic framework to offer a path through trauma towards a culture of regeneration. Rather than providing an escape, I argue that the series offered audiences the tools to negotiate the complexities of a COVID-world. The article consequently shows how Ted Lasso represents an alternative apocalyptic narrative that undermines nihilism in favour of ‘the Lasso way’.
Presentación
Authors: Santos Pérez José Manuel , Beçak Rubens
Published: August 2024

Texto de presentación del número 4 (volumen 3) de la Revista de Estudios Brasileños.
Biomechanical assessment and comparison of fixation methods for bilateral sacroiliac joint luxation in 3D-printed feline pelvic bone models
Authors: Jaroensong Tassanee , Lertjarugate Kheira , Kumnuansil Natkamol , Puettimas Pimmada , Patanavibul Pasinee , Penpiratkul Suttipong , Thitiyanaporn Chaiyakorn
Published: August 2024

Background and Aim: Bilateral sacroiliac joint luxation, a condition primarily observed in cats, can significantly impact their quality of life. This study aimed to compare a control with three distinct fixation methods to identify the most robust fixation method capable of withstanding significant tensile stress.

Materials and Methods: Twenty pelvic bone models of cats were made using a 3D printer with polylactic acid plastic. Each model was assembled by cutting the sacroiliac joints and pelvic girdle symphysis with a handsaw, then bonded with cyanoacrylate glue. 3D feline pelvic bone models were categorized into four significant groups, each consisting of five models. The study discovered that the three groups used distinct fixation methods: Two lag screws (DS), K-wires at the ilium wing and sacroiliac joints (TK), and K-wires at the sacroiliac joints (DK). The final group, not fixed, was the control.

Results: The results were characterized further through a mechanical compression force test using a universal testing machine. The most robust method at the sacroiliac joints, the DK technique, sustained a maximum force of up to 183.86 N while maintaining the correct bone alignment. The fixation method is more accessible and faster to implement in comparison to the DS method.

Conclusion: The DK group exhibited the greatest maximum load capacity among all groups. Sacroiliac joint luxation treatment can effectively be addressed using the K-wires fixation method. However, the DK need space of sacral body same as DS for fixation. Further clinical study should be performed.

Keywords: 3D-printed model, biomechanical testing, cats, sacroiliac joint luxation.
The relationship of free fatty acid levels with cognitive status and neuroimaging characteristics in adolescents with obesity
Authors: Samoilova Yu. G. , Matveeva M. V. , Podchinenova D. V. , Oleynik O. A. , Shuliko L. M. , Kovarenko M. A. , Kudlai D. A.
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a progressive health and economic problem of modern society. Endocrine-metabolic changes in childhood and adolescence have an impact on cognitive status, which is accompanied by changes in the perfusion of gray and white matter of the brain, as well as its architectonics.

AIM: Verification of fatty acid (FA) levels in relation to cognitive function and brain neuroimaging data in adolescents with obesity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is a single-center observational one-stage comparative. 60 teenagers aged 10–16 years were selected to participate. The main study group was formed of 34 adolescents with obesity (SDS BMI ≥+2.0), 26 subjects with normal weight made up the control group. The calculation of SDS BMI was performed on the WHO «Anthroplus» calculator. To obtain anthropometric data, a vertical height meter MSK — 233, scales and a soft centimeter tape were used. The levels of free fatty acids in the blood serum were determined by chromatomass spectrometry on the Agilent 7000B detector. For neurocognitive testing, the Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale and the Ray test were used. Contrast-free perfusion magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed on a Signa Creator “E” MR tomograph by GE Healthcare, 1.5 Tl, China, by Arterial Spin Labeling. For MR tractography, the GE Sygna Creaton 1.5 Tesla apparatus was used using the method of diffusion imaging with high angular resolution HARDI (High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging). Statistical processing of the obtained results was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics software.

RESULTS: According to the results of a comparative analysis, adolescents with obesity were distinguished by an increased content of free LC and a decrease in cognitive functions (p <0.05). A lot of statistically significant correlations of different groups of LC with changes in cognitive characteristics, cerebral blood flow and pathways were also obtained.

CONCLUSION: The results obtained confirm the significant role of free fatty acids in the pathogenesis of obesity and indicate the effect of lipotoxicity on morphological changes in the structures of the central nervous system, which can lead to the formation of cognitive disorders.
Los canales de la percepción
Authors: Díaz María Elena
Published: August 2024

La complejidad de las funciones que Aristóteles le atribuye al sensorio común, la necesidad de que posea una sede fisiológica y su capacidad especializada de la phantasía se forjaron al calor de la polémica con sus predecesores, sobre todo Alcmeón, Empédocles, Gorgias y Platón. Gorgias se había valido de la concepción de la percepción de Empédocles para sostener que los sentidos operan de un modo especializado y son incapaces de realizar cualquier tipo de síntesis o articularse con el pensamiento, más allá de que esto no era ni una afirmación ni una consecuencia de la teoría del físico presocrático. La respuesta de Platón en el Theatetus encontró ecos en la psicología aristotélica y puede considerarse el antecedente más directo de la actividad sintética que Aristóteles le atribuye al sensorio común. Sostenemos que tanto para Platón como para Aristóteles, más allá de que eligen polemizar con Empédocles en vez de con Gorgias, fue crucial el impacto del argumento gorgiano.
Results of the application of a set of functional MRI paradigms to diagnose “covert cognition” phenomenon in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness
Authors: Piradov M. A. , Yatsko K. A. , Cherkasova A. N. , Ryabinkina Yu. V. , Kovyazina M. S. , Varako N. A. , Belkin A. A. , Kremneva E. I. , Krotenkova M. V. , Suponeva N. A.
Published: August 2024

In recent years, the development of instrumental diagnostics has made it possible to identify a subgroup among patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDoC) in which the phenomenon of “covert cognition” occurs, characterized by a dissociation between the clinical assessment and the data of instrumental diagnostic methods. To identify this phenomenon, we used a set of diagnostic paradigms developed at the Scientific Centre of Neurology in collaboration with a group of neuropsychologists from M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and tested on a cohort of healthy volunteers (n = 10) under the control of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

   Objective: to evaluate the results of applying a set of paradigms to diagnose the phenomenon of “covert cognition” in a Russian-speaking cohort of patients with PDoC.

   Material and methods. In this fragment of a prospective study, after analyzing the medical records of 138 patients, 10 individuals with PDoC of various etiologies were included. Patients underwent a thorough neurological examination and a comprehensive neurophysiological and imaging study with emphasis on fMRI with paradigms.

   Results. When analyzing the fMRI data, significant activation clusters were detected in five patients in response to some passive paradigms, some of which were comparable to those of healthy subjects.

   Conclusion. Using the proposed set of fMRI paradigms, we demonstrated the possibility of identifying the phenomenon of “covert cognition” in a Russian-speaking cohort of patients in vegetative state / with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (1/6), and confirmed by instrumental methods preservation of individual aspects of consciousness in patients in minimally conscious state “minus” (4/4).
Pituitary apoplexy with acute complete bilateral third nerve palsy and papillary involvement: A case report
Authors: Bahadoram M. , Sadrian M. , Sharififard M. , Akade E. , Rasras S.
Published: August 2024

Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition primarily associated with pituitary adenomas. It presents with sudden, severe symptoms due to inadequate blood supply, bleeding, or tissue death in the pituitary gland. This case report describes a case of PA in a 40-year-old female, and reviews the recent literature surrounding the subject. The patient presented with complete bilateral third nerve palsy and dilated non-reactive pupils. Her initial symptoms included retroorbital headache, fever, and double vision, which rapidly progressed to oculomotor nerve palsy. MRI revealed hemorrhagic PA. High-dose steroids were initiated, leading to the resolution of ptosis. Additionally, surgical intervention was performed. PA typically affects older males with known adenomas, making this case unusual due to the patient's age, gender, and absence of prior adenoma history. Differentiating PA from other intracranial pathologies is crucial, and MRI plays a pivotal role in accurate diagnosis.
Difficulties in differential diagnosis of glial tumors and limbic encephalitis: literature data, clinical observations
Authors: Belkina A. A. , Chekanova E. O. , Zakroyshchikova I. V. , Konovalov R. N. , Zakharova M. N.
Published: August 2024

Temporal and parahippocampal glial tumors at early morphological stages of their development may mimic the clinical and neuroimaging picture of limbic encephalitis. Delayed diagnosis of glioblastoma can have a negative impact on the prognosis of the disease, which is why there is a need to find approaches for its earlier detection.

   The aim of this paper is to analyze possible difficulties and errors in the differential diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and glioblastoma based on literature data and our own clinical observations.

   Features such as onset of the disease at a young age, subacute development of symptoms, response to immunosuppressive therapy and the MRI imaging of bilateral T2 hyperintense changes in the limbic areas are typical for AE, but do not exclude the diagnosis of a primary tumor of the central nervous system. Therefore, caution should be exercised regarding the likelihood of a primary brain tumor when patients of any age group present with symptoms characteristic of AE, especially if no specific for AE antibodies are detected. To shorten the time to diagnosis, a multidisciplinary approach, critical analysis of clinical data, a shortening of the examination interval and an increase in the frequency of imaging follow-up examinations are required.
Difficulties in the diagnosis of depression in somatic and neurological practice: clinical observation
Authors: Tyuvina N. A. , Maximova T. N. , Prokhorova S. V. , Kamelina E. A.
Published: August 2024

Depression often develops on a background of somatic and neurological conditions, but the relationship and mutual influence of these disorders can be different. Depression can be exogenous-organic in the context of somatic and neurological diseases; it can be a nosogenic reaction to the disease. In somatic and neurological patients, endogenous depression can be observed as a comorbid depressive episode of a recurrent depressive disorder or a bipolar affective disorder. However, patients' somatic complaints often mask the psychopathological picture of the depression and make its diagnosis more difficult. Conversely, depression can trigger or aggravate somatic condition via psychosomatic mechanisms, which is of great importance for the care providers of these patients. To illustrate the above, we present a clinical observation in which a patient with a history of two traumatic brain injuries with subsequent hospitalizations, long-term alcohol abuse, hepatitis B and C, accompanied by antiviral therapy, was diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder (current episode – depressive hypochondriacal). Difficulties in the diagnosis of depression, aetiopathogenetic and therapeutic aspects are discussed.
Длительное разрушение составного стержня при растяжении в условиях ползучести в присутствии активной среды
Authors: Fomin Leonid Viktorovich , Basalov Yuriy Genrikhovich
Published: August 2024

Рассматривается напряженно-деформированное состояние и длительная прочность составного растягиваемого стержня при ползучести в условии воздействия на него активной окружающей среды.
Конструкция состоит из центрального стержня и двух симметрично расположенных стержней относительно центрального, соединенных с идеальной адгезией.
Ползучесть каждой из трех частей стержня описывается степенной реологической моделью с различными значениями параметра.
Для определения времени до разрушения используется кинетическое уравнение, описывающее накопление повреждений в процессе ползучести, структура которого одна и та же для всех стержней.
Влияние активной среды определяется диффузионным проникновением ее элементов в материал стержня.
Используется приближенный метод решения уравнения диффузии, основанный на введении диффузионного фронта.
Анализируется распределение напряжений во времени при условии проникновения активной среды в разные части стержня с различными коэффициентами диффузии.
Выполнен параметрический анализ влияния напряжений и параметров реологических моделей материалов составного стержня на напряженно-деформированное состояние и длительную прочность как элементов стержневой системы, так и трехстержневой системы в целом.
Определена зависимость времени до разрушения от соотношения коэффициентов диффузии активной среды в элементах составного стержня.
Видоизмененная задача Коши для неоднородного вырождающегося гиперболического уравнения второго рода
Authors: Urinov Akhmadzhon Kushakovich , Okboev Akmaljon
Published: August 2024

Изучена видоизмененная задача Коши для неоднородного уравнения вырождающегося гиперболического типа второго рода в характеристическом треугольнике. Известно, что вырождающиеся гиперболические уравнения обладают той особенностью, что для них не всегда имеет место корректность задачи Коши с начальными данными на линии параболического вырождения. Поэтому в таких случаях необходимо рассмотреть задачу с начальными условиями в видоизмененной форме.
Сформулированы видоизмененные задачи Коши с начальными условиями на линии параболического вырождения для неоднородного уравнения вырождающегося гиперболического типа второго рода. Поставленная задача сводится к видоизмененной задаче Коши для однородного уравнения и к задаче Коши для неоднородного уравнения с нулевыми начальными условиями. Решения видоизмененной задачи Коши для однородного уравнения получено из общего решения рассмотренного уравнения, а решения видоизмененной задачи Коши с однородными условиями для уравнения неоднородного уравнения найдены с помощью метода Римана в явном виде.
Доказано, что найденные решения действительно удовлетворяют уравнению и начальным условиям.
Synthesis Development and Molecular Docking Study of New Azo Chalcone Derivatives
Authors: Ibrahim Myasar Kh. , Mohammed Shireen R.
Published: August 2024

This work is divided into two main parts. The first part involves the synthesis of new azo chalcone compounds through a two-step process. Initially, azo compounds are synthesized by diazotizing 3-nitroaniline, followed by a coupling reaction with 4-hydroxyacetophenone, which has a terminal ketone group. Subsequently, the resulting product undergoes a Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction with various aromatic aldehyde substrates to produce new α, β-unsaturated ketones, known as azo chalcone compounds. The successful synthesis of these compounds is confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹HNMR, and ¹³C NMR spectral analyses. The second part of this study explores the theoretical biological activity of the synthesized compounds against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 through molecular docking studies. The results indicate potential antiviral properties for each compound, with compounds B5 and B8 exhibiting the most promising results. These compounds achieved higher docking scores (ΔG −6.235 kcal/mol and −5.832 kcal/mol, respectively) and each formed four hydrogen bonds with the target protein.
Graphical User Authentication Algorithms Based on Recognition
Authors: Saadi Zena M. , Sadiq Ahmed T. , Akif Omar Z.
Published: August 2024

In cyber security, the most crucial subject in information security is user authentication. Robust text-based password methods may offer a certain level of protection. Strong passwords are hard to remember, though, so people who use them frequently write them on paper or store them in file for computer .Numerous of computer systems, networks, and Internet-based environments have experimented with using graphical authentication techniques for user authentication in recent years. The two main characteristics of all graphical passwords are their security and usability. Regretfully, none of these methods could adequately address both of these factors concurrently. The ISO usability standards and associated characteristics for graphical user authentication and possible attacks on nineteen recognition-based authentication systems were discussed. In this study, differentiation table of attack patterns for all recognition-based techniques is shown. Finally, the positive and negative aspects of nineteen methods were explained in the form of a detailed table.
Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem-Solving Using Apiary Organizational-Based Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Al-Sharqi Mais A. , Sadiq Ahmed T. , Al-mamory Safaa O.
Published: August 2024

Flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSSP) is a complex and challenging problem that plays a crucial role in industrial and manufacturing production. FJSSP is an expansion of the standard job shop scheduling problem (JSSP). One of FJSSP’s objectives that the manufacturing system competing for is minimizing the makespan. This paper uses a new nature-inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm called the Apiary Organizational-Based Optimization algorithm (AOOA) to solve the FJSSP. This Algorithm simulates the organizational behavior of honeybees inside the apiary and translates their activities and vital processes during their lifecycle into phases that can solve such NP-hard problems. Two benchmark datasets, Brandimarte and Hurink, with 10 MK instances and 24 (edata, rdata, and vdata) instances respectively, were used to demonstrate the ability of AOOA to solve FJSSP. Moreover, the results of AOOA were compared with a set of state-of-the-art algorithms and statistically measured using the paired samples t-test and p-value, RPD, and group-based superiority statistical analysis to test its performance. AOOA outperformed Elitism GA, Enhanced GA, Improved GA, and MOGWO in solving all 10 MK instances and HICSA in solving 9 MK instances out of 10. Moreover, AOOA overcame CS, CS-BNG, CS-ILF, CHA, and MCA in solving 24, 12, 12, 23, and 24 instances of edata, rdata, and vdata, respectively. AOOA proved its robustness, showing promising outcomes.