bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of RIG-I signaling in the early stage of Paragonimus proliferus infection causes lung injury via type I immune response in rat
Authors: Wang Qing-Qing , Zhou Guo-Zhong , Wu Kun-Li , Yang Yong-Rui , Li Hong-Juan , Ding Jie , Liu Xing , Li Chong-Xi , Zhang Lu , Li Sheng-Hao , Zhang Rui-Xian
Published: April 2024

Paragonimiasis is a common zoonotic parasitic disease. The retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) signaling is very important for the host to recognize invading pathogens (especially viruses and bacteria). However, the role of RIG-I signaling in the early stages of P. proliferus infection remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat models with lung damage caused by P. proliferus were established. Experimental methods including Enzyme-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA), real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blotting, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were used to explore the mechanisms of lung injury caused by P. proliferus. As a result, the expression of the mRNA and proteins of RIG-I signal-related key target molecules, including RIG-I, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6), interferon regulatory Factor 7 (IRF7), IPS-1, and downstream C-X-C chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), were significantly up-regulated immediately after infection, peaked at 3 or 7 days, and showed a downward trend on after 14 days. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), interferon (IFN)-α, -β, and -γ, which represent type 1 immune response, gradually increased and reached a peak by 14 days, which was consistent with the changes in the degree of inflammatory damage observed under HE staining of lung tissues. In conclusion, RIG-I signaling is activated in the early stage (before 14 days) of P. proliferus infection, it is inferred that the lung injury of the host may be related to the activation of RIG-I like signaling to induce type I immune response.
Whole genome analysis of Human Mastadenovirus D causing Keratoconjunctivitis in India - A multicentre study
Authors: Philomenadin Ferdinamarie S , Singh Mini P , Shastri Jayanthi , Phukan Anil C , Nagarajan Muruganandam , Kaliaperumal Subashini , Ratho Radha Kanta , Ram Jagat , Sathe Madhav J , Ingole Avinash , Rathod Darshana B , Nongrum Benjamin , Parvez Rehnuma , Malik Vineeta , Dhodapkar Rahul
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Human mastadenovirus (HAdV) types 8, 37, 64 have been considered the major contributors in Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) epidemics, but recent surveillance data have shown the involvement of emerging recombinants, including HAdV-53, HAdV-54, and HAdV-56. In our initial work, positive samples for adenovirus revealed that our strains were closer to HAdV-54 than HAdV-8. Hence, the current study aimed to use whole genome technology to identify the HAdV strain correctly.
Methodology: Oxford Nanopore technique was used, wherein a Targeted sequencing approach using long-range PCR amplification was performed. Primers were designed using HAdV-54 (AB448770.2) and HAdV-8 (AB897885.1) as reference sequences. Amplicons were sequenced on the GridION sequencer. Sequences were annotated using Gatu software, and similarities with standard reference sequence was calculated using Bioedit software. The phylogenetic tree was built after alignment in MEGA v7.0 using Neighbour joining method for each of the genes: Penton, Hexon, and Fiber. The effect of novel amino acid changes was evaluated using the PROVEAN tool. The Recombination Detection Program (RDP) package Beta 4.1 was used to identify recombinant sequences.
Results: Of the five samples sequenced, OL450401, OL540403, and OL540406 showed nucleotide similarity to HAdV-54 in the penton region. Additionally, OL450401 showed a statistically significant recombination event with HAdV-54 as minor and HAdV-8 as major parents. This was further supported by phylogenetic analysis as well.
Conclusions: In the present study, we have found evidence of a shift from HAdV-8 towards HAdV-54, thus stressing the need for surveillance of HAdVs and to stay updated on the rise of new recombinants.
Amitié et amour : passages
Authors: Ducousso-Lacaze Alain
Published: April 2024

Partant de son expérience clinique, l’auteur s’interroge sur des situations particulières d’homoparentalité. Il s’agit de celles où deux amis, un homme et une femme, se mettent d’accord pour faire un enfant ensemble, puis l’élever sans s’engager dans une vie conjugale. Le lien reste-t-il un lien d’amitié ? Une dimension pulsionnelle généralement attribuée à l’amour ne vient-elle pas s’en mêler ? L’auteur propose des réponses à ces questions en appui sur un entretien clinique de recherche auprès d’un homme engagé dans cette forme de parentalité. Il met en évidence comment, avec le devenir-parent, le lien d’amitié est traversé par les enjeux d’une scène primitive hétérosexuelle mais aussi par une actualisation des enjeux œdipiens et soumis aux exigences de la filiation instituée et de la filiation fantasmatique.
Endolithic microbes may alter the carbon profile of concrete
Authors: Brown Jordan , Chen Corona , Carr Deborah
Published: April 2024

There is great interest to understand and reduce the massive carbon footprint of the concrete industry. Recent descriptions of microbes incidentally living inside concrete materials ("concrete endoliths") raised questions about how much carbon is either stored in or released from concrete by these microbes. We generated preliminary global estimates of how much organic carbon is stored within the living biomass of concrete endoliths (biomass-carbon) and much CO2 is released from respiring concrete endoliths. Between 2020–2022, we collected widely varying samples of Portland cement-based concrete from Lubbock, Texas. After quantifying endolith DNA from 25 concrete samples and estimating the current global mass of concrete, we calculated that the global concrete endolith biomass-carbon as low as 5191.9 metric tons (suggesting that endoliths are a negligible part of concrete's carbon profile) or as high as 1141542.3 tons (suggesting that concrete endoliths are a pool of carbon that could equal or offset some smaller sources of concrete-related carbon emissions). Additionally, we incubated concrete samples in air-tight microcosms and measured changes in the CO2 concentrations within those microcosms. Two out of the ten analyzed samples emitted small amounts of CO2 due to the endoliths. Thus, "concrete respiration" is possible, at least from concrete materials with abundant endolithic microbes. However, the remaining samples showed no reliable respiration signals, indicating that concrete structures often do not harbor enough metabolically active endoliths to cause CO2 emissions. These results are preliminary but show that endoliths may alter the carbon dynamics of solid concrete and, thus, the carbon footprint of the concrete industry.
Predicting multifunctional peptides based on a multi-scale ResNet model combined with channel attention mechanisms
Authors: Liu Jing , Zhao Hongpu , Zhang Yu , Liu Jin , Guan Xiao
Published: April 2024

Peptides are biomolecules composed of multiple amino acid residues connected by peptide bonds, which are widely involved in physiological and biochemical processes in organisms and exhibit diverse functions. In previous studies, the focus was primarily on single-functional peptides. However, research trends indicate that an increasing number of multifunctional peptides are being identified and discovered. To address this challenge, we proposed a deep learning method based on multi-scale ResNet as the backbone combined with a channel attention mechanism (called MSRC) for the identification of multifunctional peptides. Furthermore, the data imbalance problem was solved through the comprehensive use of online data augmentation and confidence-based weighted loss functions. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed MSRC method achieved an accuracy of 0.688 with an absolute true rate of 0.619. Notably, in predicting minority class peptides such as AEP, AHIVP, and BBP, the MSRC model exhibited heightened sensitivity, showcasing its exceptional capability in addressing issues related to minority classes. By enhancing the precision in identifying and predicting multifunctional peptides, the MSRC method was poised to contribute significantly to advancements in drug discovery, disease treatment, and biotechnology.
Dynamics analysis of dengue fever model with harmonic mean type under fractal-fractional derivative
Authors: Aldwoah Khaled A. , Almalahi Mohammed A. , Shah Kamal , Awadalla Muath , Egami Ria H.
Published: April 2024

Dengue is a viral illness transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and is a significant global threat. In this study, we developed a model of the dengue epidemic that incorporates larvicide and adulticide, as well as the harmonic mean incidence rate under fractal-fractional derivatives. We examined various theoretical aspects of the model, including nonnegativity, boundedness, existence, uniqueness, and stability. We computed the basic reproduction number $ \Re _{0} $ using the next-generation matrix. The model has two disease-free equilibriums, a trivial equilibrium, and a biologically realistic, along with one endemic equilibrium point. These findings enhanced our understanding of dengue transmission, providing valuable insights for awareness campaigns, control strategies, intervention approaches, decision support, guiding public health planning, and resource allocation to manage dengue effectively.
Assessing the accuracy and efficiency of kinematic analysis tools for six-DOF industrial manipulators: The KUKA robot case study
Authors: Elhadidy Mohamed S. , Abdalla Waleed S. , Abdelrahman Alaa A. , Elnaggar S. , Elhosseini Mostafa
Published: April 2024

Accuracy is an important factor to consider when evaluating the performance of a manipulator. The accuracy of a manipulator is determined by its ability to accurately move and position objects in a precise manner. This research paper aims to evaluate the performance of different methods for the kinematic analysis of manipulators. The study employs four distinct techniques, namely mathematical modeling using the closed form solutions method, roboanalyzer, Peter Corke toolbox, and particle swarm optimization, to perform kinematic analysis for manipulators. The KUKA industrial manipulator is used as an illustrative case study in this research due to its widespread use in various industrial applications in addition to its high precision and stability. Its wide usage in the industry makes the results of this research highly relevant and allows for a thorough evaluation of the performance of the different methods being studied. Furthermore, understanding the kinematic analysis of the manipulator can also help in improving the performance and increasing the efficiency of the robot in different tasks. This paper conducts a comparison of the accuracy of the four methods, and the results indicate that particle swarm optimization is the most accurate method. The RoboAnalyzer approach achieved the fastest execution time.
Event-triggered impulsive control for second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems under DoS attacks
Authors: Wang Qiushi , Ren Hongwei , Peng Zhiping
Published: April 2024

We investigated impulsive consensus in second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) under Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. We consided scenarios where the communication network is subjected to DoS attacks, disrupting communication links and causing changes in the communication topology. An event-triggered impulsive control(ETIC) approach is proposed to flexibly address these issues. Additionally, an upper bound on the DoS attack period is introduced. Finally, a numerical example is given to verify the validity of the major results.
Narrativas, disputas e corporalidades homoafetivas no terreiro de umbanda em uma cidade amazônica
Authors: Rosário Victor Lean do
Published: April 2024

As reflexões sobre as homossexualidades masculinas nas religiões afro-brasileiras é um tema explorado sob várias perspectivas antropológicas, narradas principalmente nos grandes centros urbanos. Pretendo, neste artigo, compreender as experiências de homens homoafetivos em um terreiro de umbanda em uma cidade interiorana na Amazônia paraense, interessado nas relações com as entidades cultuadas no espaço. A cidade de Igarapé-Açu é o cenário onde se encontra o barracão, fruto de vários conflitos entre Zé Pelintra e os médiuns gays que baiam no terreiro. Inicialmente, esboço uma genealogia dos estudos sobre diversidade sexual e gênero em contextos interioranos, e busco empreender, por meio de incursões etnográficas, como as bichas lidam com a jocosidade da entidade malandra. O corpo aqui é o eixo central para refletir sobre como os conflitos também são uma forma de constituição do sagrado, e as territorialidades do espaço reúnem interações entre o sagrado e a cidade na Amazônia paraense.
Michael A. Gilbert: Not arguing logically is not illogical: Other ways of communicating arguments
Authors: Gilbert Michael A. , Carozza Linda
Published: April 2024

Michael A. Gilbert has contributed significantly to the field of contemporary Argumentation Theory. Most notable are his multi-modal theory of argumentation and coalescent argumentation, models of argument that he developed to address how interlocutors actually argue in the marketplace. His ideas were not always understood, appreciated, or acknowledged by the larger argumentation community. Recently, though, the Centre for Research in Reasoning, Argumentation & Rhetoric (in Ontario, Canada) recognized Gilbert’s contributions in a week-long Institute dedicated to his scholarship. Provoking as his theories might seem, rhetorical scholars can find some common ground with Gilbert’s works.
Marc Angenot : La rhétorique à l’épreuve de l’histoire des idées
Authors: Angenot Marc , Doury Marianne , Robineau Théophile
Published: April 2024

Dans l’entretien qu’il a accordé à Marianne Doury et Théophile Robineau, Marc Angenot revient sur la place de la rhétorique dans ses travaux. Rappelant que l’ancienne rhétorique se fonde essentiellement sur le modèle judiciaire, il en souligne l’intérêt, mais aussi les limites, pour explorer le discours social dont il cherche à en rendre compte. Il en reprend la perspective globalisante, mobilisant ethos, pathos et logos, dont la prise en compte conjuguée est nécessaire à la compréhension des idées et de la façon dont elles sont portées et discutées dans la société. Mais il insiste sur la nécessaire prise en compte de l’inscription du discours social dans une histoire de plus ou moins long terme, condition à son intelligibilité. Le fait de se donner le discours social comme objet de recherche oblige également à reconsidérer la notion de situation telle que l’envisage traditionnellement la rhétorique, et à redéfinir le regard porté sur la question de la persuasion.
Marc Angenot: Rhetoric put to the test by the History of Ideas
Authors: Angenot Marc , Doury Marianne , Robineau Théophile
Published: April 2024

In the interview he gave to Marianne Doury and Théophile Robineau, Marc Angenot discusses the place of rhetoric in his work. Recalling that ancient rhetoric was essentially based on the judicial model, he emphasizes its interest, but also its limitations, in exploring the social discourse he seeks to account for. He takes up its global perspective, mobilizing ethos, pathos and logos, the combined consideration of which is necessary for an understanding of ideas and the way in which they are carried and discussed in society. But he insists on the necessity of taking account of the fact that social discourse is embedded in a more or less long-term history, which is a prerequisite for its intelligibility. Taking social discourse as the object of research also requires us to reconsider the notion of situation as traditionally understood in rhetoric, and to redefine the way we look at the question of persuasion.
Emmanuelle Danblon: Rhetorical exercises, or the art of rediscovering “the taste for truth”
Authors: Danblon Emmanuelle , Koren Roselyne
Published: April 2024

After having theorized an anthropological approach to the persuasive function and explored the issues at stake in the rationality regimes of practical reason, Emmanuelle Danblon has devoted the last ten years to a realistic, “artisanal” approach to rhetoric practiced in the context of rhetorical exercises. The aim of these exercises is to revive a lost “taste” for truth. Rather than taking fallacious arguments as their object, and giving primacy to descriptive theoretical deciphering of "alternative" truths and statements deemed irrational, Emmanuelle Danblon proposes that participants in these exercises first undergo a collective initiation to a typology of arguments, followed by role-playing in which they try to defend positions contrary to their own, or which seem paradoxical, difficult to imagine or irrational, against other participants defending the opposite points of view. The stakes are both cognitive and ethical: understanding the Other from the inside rather than judging him or her, making progress in self-knowledge and working in a craft mode to rediscover a taste for truth.
Christopher Tindale : Explorer les fondements culturels de la rhétorique et de la raison
Authors: Tindale Christopher , Amossy Ruth
Published: April 2024

L’entretien mené avec Christopher Tindale par Ruth Amossy dans ce numéro spécial sur les défis lancés à la rhétorique propose un tour d’horizon du travail innovant du chercheur canadien. Passant de la logique informelle à une théorie de l’argumentation rhétorique, Tindale aboutit finalement à une approche anthropologique qui met au défi la tradition rhétorique occidentale. Cette approche part du principe que les modes de raisonnement dépendent de la culture et que les arguments, en tant qu’expression de la raison, peuvent prendre de nombreuses formes au-delà de celles que repère et décrit la tradition occidentale. Tindale aborde donc la question de la communication interculturelle dans sa dimension argumentative. Dans ce cadre, il présente une « rhétorique de la rencontre » qui explore la rencontre entre des personnes issues de cultures très différentes et examine comment un environnement cognitif mutuel peut, au fil du temps, émerger et permettre un échange argumentatif.
Steve Oswald: Pragmatics and rhetoric
Authors: Oswald Steve , Herman Thierry
Published: April 2024

Does the search for perlocutionary effectiveness (getting people to agree with a claim, to buy a product, etc.) without truth or morality playing a decisive role constitute what some call manipulation? Precisely because he is interested in the mechanisms of persuasion, Steve Oswald has woven links between cognitive science and rhetoric around this notion. Drawing on theories of cognitive pragmatics and work in psychology, this researcher goes off the beaten track of rhetoric by opening what is for many a black box: the question of the effects of discursive strategies. He has approached this question first by attempting to explain the mechanism theoretically, but more recently also experimentally. Examining the question of rhetorical effects in this way makes it possible not only to revitalise the discipline by documenting the intuitions or empirical findings of the old rhetoricians, but also to build bridges between approaches that sometimes ignore each other: informal logic, cognitive psychology, cognitive pragmatics, and discourse analysis.
L’imaginaire socio-discursif de « la femme africaine » dans le discours des dirigeants politiques français
Authors: Mejdoubi Sara
Published: April 2024

Les représentations de la « femme africaine » ne sont pas neutres. Elles sont révélatrices d’un certain positionnement sur les femmes de cette partie du monde. Cet article propose d’analyser le syntagme de « femme africaine » et ses variantes, comme imaginaire socio-discursif, dans les discours politiques-diplomatiques français. A partir de la démarche de l’Analyse du Discours, nous examinons les savoirs d’opinion qui continuent d’affecter l’image des femmes du continent africain. Une attention particulière est accordée à un corpus constitué de discours des politiques français, prononcés dans différents contextes et en lien avec des contraintes discursives variées. Il s’agit de montrer comment s’est constitué la « femme africaine » comme imaginaire, ses modes de circulation au sein des groupes sociaux et, enfin, la manière dont les dirigeants politiques l’utilisent dans leurs discours. Cet usage opère un ensemble de catégorisations, maintenant la « femme africaine » dans des imaginaires sociaux en rupture avec les réalités de l’Afrique.
The Intersection of Coaching and Leadership
Authors: Cortrite Michael D. , Ramirez Byron
Published: April 2024

This chapter provides readers with an in-depth exploration of the intersection of coaching and leadership. The chapter is intended for an audience of practicing coaches, individuals in leadership positions, and academics interested in the scholarship around coaching and leadership and their common best practices. The authors incorporate a hands-on, applied perspective and throughout the chapter highlight key lessons for readers. The chapter aims to provide a detailed review of the existing literature, an analysis of the philosophical and practical connections between coaching and leadership, and a set of key principles and best practices that readers can apply in coaching and leadership contexts. The authors discuss the many principles and best practices that are used by both coaches and leaders, including listening and self-reflection.
A Multi-Granularity Triangular Fuzzy Approach for Diabetes Blood Glucometer Selection Using PROMETHEE and Three-Way Decision
Authors: Wang Liyin , Cheng Yuting , Fan Xueqing , Wang Anna , Zhao Hansen
Published: April 2024

This chapter focuses on the issue of selecting a blood glucose meter for diabetic patients. To address this problem, the authors have developed a comprehensive evaluation model that combines triangular fuzzy (TF) logic, multi-granularity (MG), three-way decision (TWD), and rough set theory. The evaluation model takes into consideration the performance indicators of the blood glucose meter and user requirements. The authors utilize TF logic to model the indicators and determine their weights, while integrating the TWD method to handle incomplete and uncertain information. Subsequently, they introduce the PROMETHEE method to comprehensively evaluate and rank various alternatives. Finally, within this evaluation model, they select the optimal choice based on its score. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method in resolving the blood glucose meter selection problem and providing personalized recommendations for diabetic patients.
Prediction of Parkinson's Disease Severity Based on Feature Optimization
Authors: Zhang Tao , Xue Zaifa , Huo Zesheng
Published: April 2024

Voice disorders are one of the incipient symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Most of the existing PD severity prediction methods are based on baseline features, and generally select features with high relevance for dimensionality reduction. To further improve the prediction performance, the LDFSF and GWT-RF-Att methods are proposed respectively from the perspective of feature selection and feature transformation. The LDFSF method utilizes dynamic feature selection strategy based on SOM clustering to select feature subsets with high correlation, low redundancy, and high complementarity from voice features. The GWT-RF-Att method uses graph wavelet transform to extract the more effective feature set based on the baseline features, and uses random forest improved by attention mechanism to improve the prediction performance of the model. The results on the Parkinson's telemonitoring dataset show that the performance of the two methods is better than that of the existing comparison methods, thus verifying their effectiveness.
Strategy Selection and Outcome Evaluation of Change-Based Three-Way Decisions Based on Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Jiang Chunmao
Published: April 2024

In this chapter, we enhance the trisecting-acting-outcome (TAO) model of three-way decision-making (3WD) with a novel approach for strategy selection and outcome prediction using Q-learning in reinforcement learning. We reinterpret the changes in tripartition and actions in the TAO model as states and actions in reinforcement learning, respectively. The reward is quantified using cumulative prospect theory, and the Q-learning algorithm iteratively determines action sets that achieve target rewards efficiently. This method offers a cost-effective and psychologically attuned action set for predicting the utility in change-based 3WD, demonstrated through a practical example.
A Snapshot Survey of Data Acquisition Forms in Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Studies
Authors: Niu Yuge , Liu Kexin , Lu Fanghui , Zhang Jiayi
Published: April 2024

Multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) analysis is an important field widely used in the decision-making process. As the volume of data increases, it becomes critical to have a comprehensive understanding of large-scale data collection. However, current research lacks a holistic approach to obtaining large-scale data. This chapter aims to address this research gap by summarizing classic papers, open datasets, remote sensing data, sentiment analysis, and questionnaire survey data collection forms in MADM research. Classic papers provide a wealth of foundational knowledge, while open datasets provide diverse and large-scale data. Additionally, remote sensing data provides real-time information for urban planning and environmental management decisions. Finally, sentiment analysis leverages social media to gain unique insights, and questionnaire surveys are valid. Overall, this chapter helps researchers and professionals improve their selection and design of data collection methods to ensure reliable and impactful data collection, thereby improving the ability to make informed decisions.
The Use of Digital Tools for Customer Engagement in the Financial Services Sector
Authors: Khandelwal Ruchi , Kapoor Deepa
Published: April 2024

The 21st century brought with it the ‘digital media,' that gained popularity with growing access of Internet to consumers and companies began using it for promotion of market offerings. Post the economic crisis of 2008-09 which caused major setback to financial service firms, the firms increased the use of customer relationship management strategies. With escalating competition, the objective of CRM was to create and retain business and win over W-O-M of existing customers to bring in new customers. The ICT advancements and digital media aided financial firms in connecting with customers. Customer engagement became the new buzz word for companies practicing CRM. Digital tools helped companies to target market better- tracking customer preferences for providing more customized solutions and steering the way for value co-creation in the financial services sector. This chapter is focused on discussing the concept and need of customer engagement in the financial services sector, the use of digital tools by the firms for customer engagement, and their role in the value co-creation process.
Detection of Pepper Plant Leaf Disease Detection Using Tom and Jerry Algorithm With MSTNet
Authors: Thirumalraj Arunadevi , Chandrashekar Rakesh , B. Gunapriya , Balasubramanian Prabhu kavin
Published: April 2024

Leaf diseases have a detrimental effect on crop production quality in agriculture. In order to improve agricultural sector output, this has led to a greater emphasis on automating the detection of leaf diseases. In recent years, the process of categorising plant leaves using characteristics and machine learning has advanced. Usually, machine learning is used for supervised training of leaf classifiers using a set of data. Plant illnesses negatively impact both the amount and quality of agricultural goods by causing substantial growth and financial losses. Detecting plant diseases in big agricultural fields within a day has emerged as a critical topic of study. Three processes are used in this study to forecast pepper plant diseases (PPD): picture capture, feature selection, and image classification. The Kalman filter is used to remove noise from images before processing. Feature selection becomes important because it effectively solves the issue by eliminating redundant and unnecessary data, cutting down on computation time, improving learning accuracy, and improving comprehension of the model or data. For feature selection, Tom and Jerry optimisation (TJO) is used, and for final classification, the Modified Swin Transform method (MSTNet) is used. Using TJO, MSTNet's hyperparameters are adjusted to ascertain if a leaf is contaminated. On the Plant Village Dataset, experiments are carried out with different parameter measurements. The suggested MSTNet outperforms the accuracy rates of the current models with a 99.2% classification accuracy.
Ontology-Oriented Modeling of the Vickers Hardness Knowledge Graph
Authors: Nasrabadi Hossein Beygi , Skrotzki Birgit
Published: April 2024

This research deals with the development of the Vickers hardness knowledge graph, mapping the example dataset in them, and exporting the data-mapped knowledge graph as a machine-readable Resource Description Framework (RDF). Modeling the knowledge graph according to the standardized test procedure and using the appropriate upper-level ontologies were taken into consideration to develop the highly standardized, incorporable, and industrial applicable models. Furthermore, the Ontopanel approach was utilized for mapping the real experimental data in the developed knowledge graphs and the resulting RDF files were successfully evaluated through the SPARQL queries.
Lean Production Model to Reduce Defects and Achieve Sustainability in a Peruvian Textile SME
Authors: Camones-Caballero Vierochka , Feril-Encarnacion Francisco , Leon-Chavarri Claudia , Noriega-Bardalez Fernando
Published: April 2024

Currently, SMEs are exposed to economic losses due to inadequate internal management, one of the main being "Process Management". This brings consequences to the entire flow of production and sales of the company in a directly proportional way. Also, without the necessary material to produce, there are no products to sell, affecting the level of defective and customer satisfaction. Therefore, the motivation of the article is to design the management by processes and analyze the causes of the increase in the levels of defective in the SMEs of the Peruvian textile sector. To address this challenge, it aims to reduce the level of defective products from 8% to 5% optimal as indicated by the technical gap. The solution integrates Lean tools such as the 5S tool, Autonomous Maintenance and Process Standardization to improve and increase quantitative and qualitative indicators in the company. In addition, the PDCA cycle was integrated as a fundamental contribution and link to the proposed solution model and also as a mechanism to support sustainability that will be implemented and that allows the continuous improvement of processes and product quality, which will increase the competitiveness and profitability of the company in the market.
Proximity-Based Labeling Identifies MHC Class II and CD37 as B Cell Receptor–Proximal Proteins with Immunological Functions
Authors: Hoeger Sean , Drake Lisa A , Drake James R
Published: April 2024

The BCR allows for Ag-driven B cell activation and subsequent Ag endocytosis, processing, and presentation to recruit T cell help. Core drivers of BCR signaling and endocytosis are motifs within the receptor’s cytoplasmic tail (primarily CD79). However, BCR function can be tuned by other proximal cellular elements, such as CD20 and membrane lipid microdomains. To identify additional proteins that could modulate BCR function, we used a proximity-based biotinylation technique paired with mass spectrometry to identify molecular neighbors of the murine IgM BCR. Those neighbors include MHC class II molecules, integrins, various transporters, and membrane microdomain proteins. Class II molecules, some of which are invariant chain–associated nascent class II, are a readily detected BCR neighbor. This finding is consistent with reports of BCR–class II association within intracellular compartments. The BCR is also in close proximity to multiple proteins involved in the formation of membrane microdomains, including CD37, raftlin, and Ig superfamily member 8. Known defects in T cell–dependent humoral immunity in CD37 knockout mice suggest a role for CD37 in BCR function. In line with this notion, CRISPR-based knockout of CD37 expression in a B cell line heightens BCR signaling, slows BCR endocytosis, and tempers formation of peptide–class II complexes. These results indicate that BCR molecular neighbors can impact membrane-mediated BCR functions. Overall, a proximity-based labeling technique allowed for identification of multiple previously unknown BCR molecular neighbors, including the tetraspanin protein CD37, which can modulate BCR function.
Miliary Tuberculosis in In Vitro Fertilization pregnancy: a series of three cases with a history of hypothyroidism
Authors: Singh Apoorva , Singh Urmila , Singh Bhanu Pratap , Siddiqui Mohammad Sofiyan Haroon
Published: April 2024

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of tuberculosis as compared to normal pregnancy. This increased risk remains unexplained. Most of the reports are based on small case series, and the risk profile is not well described. Hypothyroidism has not been described as a potential risk factor in any series. In this case series, we elaborate on the profile of three military tuberculosis cases of IVF pregnancies, all having hypothyroidism history as the common factor, and were referred to our super-specialty center with the onset of symptoms during the late first or mid-second trimester of pregnancy. All three cases were diagnosed on X-ray chest Posterior-Anterior (PA) view, showing miliary tuberculosis and a known case of hypothyroidism. Antitubercular treatment was started. In this report, we describe the clinical course and unfavorable outcomes of these three cases.
Mycobacterium genavense Mycobacteremia in a Host with Advanced AIDS
Authors: Kandikuppa Ravi Teja , Gopalakrishnan Ram , Sethuraman Nandini
Published: April 2024

Nontuberculous mycobacteria and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) are important opportunistic pathogens in patients with advanced immunodeficiency. We present a case of a 38-year-old male who presented with fever, cough, breathlessness, and constitutional symptoms and, on evaluation, was found to have advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), possible PCP, and mycobacteremia caused by Mycobacterium genavense. We report what seems to be the first case report of M. genavense mycobacteremia in a host with AIDS from India.
Clinical Outcomes of Patients Treated with Intravenous Fosfomycin in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Observational Study
Authors: Premachandran Krishna Prabha , Gopalakrishnan Ram , Ramasubramanian Venkatasubramanian , Krishnamurthy Arun Chander , Nambi P. Senthur
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Fosfomycin has a unique structure and mechanism of action among antimicrobials. It has reemerged as a potential tool against multidrug-resistant organisms in intensive care units. In this study, we looked into the clinical outcomes of patients treated with intravenous fosfomycin in our center for the past 5 years.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective observational study on the characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients who received fosfomycin as definitive therapy from 2016 to 2021 was done.

Results:

The indications for use of fosfomycin were urosepsis (34%), intra-abdominal infections (22%), and primary bacteremia. The overall cure rate on treatment with fosfomycin was 69%. The highest cure rate was seen with meningitis, urosepsis, and skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs). Patients with infections caused by Escherichia coli had better survival than others. Adverse events were seen only in 6%.

Conclusions:

Fosfomycin is a very effective drug for urinary tract infections, SSTIs, and meningitis caused by carbapenem-resistant E. coli.
Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019: Case Series from a Tertiary Care Center in the Western State of India
Authors: Patel Tushar , Pandya Pankti , Patel Ketan K. , Patel Kamlesh , Patel Atul K.
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in patients who have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is linked to higher mortality and health-care costs. There is a dearth of published research on CMV reactivation in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2.

Materials and Methods:

Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe clinical and laboratory profiles and outcomes of CMV reactivation in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 illness. In this retrospective study carried out at a tertiary care hospital ICU in the Western state of India, patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 who were admitted from January 1, 2021, to May 31, 2021, and who got CMV viral load testing by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were analyzed.

Results:

During the study period, 27 out of 277 admitted patients were subjected to plasma CMV viral load testing, of which 13 patients had detectable viral load giving a prevalence of 4.7%. Patients who tested positive for CMV had significantly higher mortality (P = 0.020) and ventilator support needs (P = 0.004). Both fungal and bacterial bloodstream infections were frequent in CMV-positive patients, but neither was statistically significant (P = 0.065 and P = 0.571, respectively). In this case series, there was no difference in CMV reactivations according to the degree of lymphopenia (P = 0.149), usage of steroids (P = 0.766), or immunomodulatory medications (tocilizumab/bevacizumab, P = 0.926).

Conclusions:

In SARS-CoV-2 patients with severe illness, CMV reactivation was associated with an increased need for ventilator support, a higher incidence of nosocomial infection (bacterial and fungal), and overall mortality.
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) as a Screening Test for Predicting Bleeding Manifestations in Adult Patients with Dengue Infection – A Diagnostic Accuracy Study
Authors: Thomas Riya Sarah , Lenin Audrin , Sathyendra Sowmya , Hansdak Samuel George , George Tina , Zachariah Anand , Iyadurai Ramya , Belavendra Antonisamy , Geevar Tulasi , Abraham Asha Mary , Abraham Anuja , Beck Manisha Madhai , Rathore Swati
Published: April 2024

Background:

Thrombocytopenia has been well established in dengue infections; however, coagulopathy is yet to be explored. Objective: The primary outcome was to assess derangement of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) as a predictor of bleeding manifestations and severity of disease in dengue.

Methods:

This prospective cohort study included adults with dengue fever confirmed by serology, presenting to a single tertiary care center in South India. A structured questionnaire was used to extract clinical features and laboratory parameters at presentation, including aPTT. The patients were clinically observed during their course of illness for the outcomes of major and minor bleeding manifestations along with features of severe dengue.

Results:

Between May 2020 and September 2021, 140 patients were screened and 122 were recruited. Among these, 72 patients had normal aPTT and 50 had deranged aPTT. There were 41 bleeding events noted and 35 patients had severe dengue. There was a statistically significant correlation for aPTT derangement with major bleeding events (relative risk [RR] =4.03 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6–10.5]; P = 0.002), with minor bleeding events (RR = 2.52 [95% CI: 1.1–5.6]; P = 0.017) and with severity of dengue (RR = 3.14 [95% CI: 1.7–5.8); P < 0.001]. aPTT had a good negative predictive value of 93.1% (95% CI: 84.5–97.7) for major bleeding. There was no statistically significant correlation between thrombocytopenia and bleeding manifestations.

Conclusion:

aPTT can be used as an indicator for predicting bleeding events and severity in dengue fever, with a good negative predictive value.
Digital technology for preventative health care in Myanmar
Authors: Hlaing Phone Myint , Nopparatjamjomras Thasaneeya Ratanaroutai , Nopparatjamjomras Suchai
Published: April 2024

The emerging rapidly developing new technologies bring digital applications into our society. Digital technology had been widely applied to various health-care fields including the area of preventative health care. Digital preventative health care is the provision of health-care services for the prevention of diseases, controlling of disease processes, and other health-care services related to preventative health care by the use of digital technology. It is an essential element in the future development of the health-care environment. This review article highlights the current situation of digital technology used in providing health-care services for disease prevention in Myanmar health-care environment. It also covers the future direction of implementing digital technology in other specific areas of preventative health care in Myanmar designed to provide health-care delivery and services more effectively.
Characteristics & outcomes of cancer patients with COVID-19: A multicentre retrospective study from India
Authors: Kumar Akash , Baghmar Saphalta , Mehta Prashant , Tiwari Priya , Kumar Lalit , Bakhshi Sameer , Agarwal Amit , Gupta Ishaan , Trikha Anjan , Bhatnagar Sushma , Gogia Ajay , Malik Prabhat Singh , Sahoo Ranjit Kumar , Rastogi Sameer , Pramanik Raja , Batra Atul , Pushpam Deepam , Sharma Chitresh K , Sharma Vinod , Kataria Babita , Goyal Kapil , Samaga Shreyas , Bothra Sneha J , Sharma Atul
Published: April 2024

Background & objectives:

High mortality has been observed in the cancer population affected with COVID-19 during this pandemic. We undertook this study to determine the characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with COVID-19 and assessed the factors predicting outcome.

Methods:

Patients of all age groups with a proven history of malignancy and a recent diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on nasal/nasopharyngeal reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR tests were included. Demographic, clinical and laboratory variables were compared between survivors and non-survivors groups, with respect to observed mortality.

Results:

Between May 11 and August 10, 2020, 134 patients were included from the three centres and observed mortality was 17.1 per cent. The median age was 53 yr (interquartile range 39-61 yr) and thirty four patients (25%) were asymptomatic. Solid tumours accounted for 69.1 per cent and breast cancer was the most common tumour type (20%). One hundred and five patients (70.5%) had received chemotherapy within the past four weeks and 25 patients (19.3%) had neutropenia at presentation. On multivariate analysis, age [odds ratio (OR) 7.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-54.00); P=0.033], haemoglobin [OR 6.28 (95% CI 1.07-37.04); P=0.042] neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio [OR 12.02 (95% CI 2.08-69.51); P=0.005] and baseline serum albumin [OR 18.52 (95% CI 2.80-122.27); P=0.002], were associated with higher mortality. Recent chemotherapy, haematological tumours type and baseline neutropenia did not affect the outcome.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Higher mortality in moderate and severe infections was associated with baseline organ dysfunction and elderly age. Significant proportion of patients were asymptomatic and might remain undetected.
Training for next-generation gynaecologic surgical & radiation oncologists – opportunities & challenges
Authors: Ram Thomas Samuel , Thomas Vinotha , Sathyamurthy Arvind , Ramireddy Jeba Karunya , John Neenu Oliver , Thomas Anitha , Peedicayil Abraham
Published: April 2024

The global increase in cancer burden is a challenge for countries with scarce resources. Amongst all the malignancies, gynaecological cancer still continues to have a high incidence and prevalence leading to significant morbidity and mortality. While a multipronged strategy of decreasing the gynaecological cancer burden is a global priority, one of the key strategies to decrease the morbidity and mortality is to train gynaecological oncology specialists. Most of the developed nations have an established gynaecologic oncology training programme in the form of a well-designed curriculum and skill training. However, in developing countries where the actual disease burden of these cancers is highest, such focused training programmes have only started emerging and evolving over the past two decades. While it is a positive step to initiate such training programmes in a country like India, there are still gaps in the uniformity of curriculum and training. Also, exposure to modern practices in gynaecologic oncology surgery, chemotherapy and technology in radiation oncology, especially brachytherapy, is still insufficient in many centres. This review discusses some of the challenges and opportunities in the still evolving programmes for training gynaecologic oncologists in India.
Polyalanine polymorphism in the signal peptide of Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) gene & its association with osteoporosis
Authors: Ahuja Soni Ghumnani , Shahu Arjun , Rath Subrata , Adkar Neeraj , Shouche Yogesh , Ghaskadbi Saroj , Ashma Richa
Published: April 2024

Background & objectives:

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease, characterized by a low bone mass leading to increased bone fragility and hence, a greater susceptibility to the risk of fracture. Since age-related oxidative stress is one of the factors that has been implicated in developing low bone mineral density (BMD), leading to osteoporosis, this study wanted to explore the expression of antioxidant enzymes in individuals with osteoporosis. The present study focused on mapping polymorphism in an important antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) among osteoporosis and healthy Asian Indians.

Methods:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess BMD of individuals and was classified into normal (n=96) and osteoporotic (n=88) groups. Biochemical parameters such as vitamin D, total oxidant status (TOS), and GPx1 enzyme activity were estimated from plasma samples of recruited individuals. Quantitative real-time qRT-PCR was carried out using GAPDH as an endogenous control. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood, and polymorphisms were evaluated by sequencing.

Results:

The BMD was lower in osteoporotic individuals, and further analysis of biochemical parameters indicated significantly low 25-hydroxy vitamin D and GPx1 with higher TOS levels in osteoporotic as compared to healthy individuals. Furthermore, qRT-PCR revealed low expression of GPX1 in osteoporotic individuals. GPX1 sequence analysis of the promoter and two exons revealed the lower frequency of five alanine repeats in the osteoporotic individuals.

Interpretation & conclusions:

In this study, the in silico analysis revealed the lower frequency of five alanine repeats in exon 1 of GPX1 and high TOS to be associated with osteoporosis. However, no polymorphism was found in exon 2 of GPX1 among the two study groups.