bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Net Costs of Breast Cancer in Colombia: A Cost-of- Illness Study Based on Administrative Claims Databases
Authors: Torres Gabriel Fernando , Alarcón Brigitte Alejandra , Reyes-Sanchez Juan Manuel , Castaño-Gamboa Natalia , Buitrago Giancarlo
Published: October 2023

Background
Breast Cancer (BC) is associated with substantial costs of healthcare; however, real-world data regarding these costs in Colombia is scarce. The contributory regime provides healthcare services to formal workers and their dependents and covers almost half of the population in Colombia. This study aims to describe the net costs of healthcare in women with BC covered by the contributory regime in Colombia in 2019 from the perspective of the Colombian Health System.
Method
The main data source was the Capitation Sufficiency Database, an administrative database that contains patient-level data on consumption of services included in the National Formulary (PBS, in Spanish Plan de Beneficios en Salud). Data on consumption of services not included in the PBS (non-PBS) were calculated using aggregated data from MIPRES database. All direct costs incurred by prevalent cases of BC, from January 1 to December 31, 2019, were included in the analysis. The net costs of the disease were estimated by multiplying the marginal cost and the expected number of cases with BC by region and age group. Marginal costs were defined as the costs of services delivered to patients with BC after subtracting the expected costs of health services due to age, comorbidity burden or region of residence. To calculate these costs, we used Propensity Score Matching in the main analysis. All costs were expressed in 2019 international dollars. Productivity losses, transportation expenses, and caregiving costs were not included.
Results
A total of 46,148 patients with BC were identified. Total net costs were $392.7 million (95% CI $386.4 to $404.9 million) 60% associated with non-PBS services. Marginal costs were $8,507 (95% Confidence Interval $8,305 to $8,708), with substantial variations between regions age groups (from $4,509 for older patients in the Amazonia region to $12,646 for younger patients in the Pacific region). The costs for PBS services were higher for ambulatory services and for patients who died during 2020.
Conclusions
BC imposes a substantial economic burden for the Colombian Health System with important variations in net costs between regions and age groups. Patients near death and ambulatory services were associated with higher costs of healthcare.
Four ways of implementing robustness quantification in strain characterisation
Authors: Pianale Luca Torello , Caputo Fabio , Olsson Lisbeth
Published: October 2023

Background.
In industrial bioprocesses, microorganisms are generally selected based on performance; whereas robustness, i.e. the ability of a system to maintain a stable performance, has been overlooked due to the challenges in its quantification and implementation into routine experimental procedures. This work presents four ways of implementing robustness quantification during strain characterisation. One Saccharomyces cerevisiae laboratory strain (CEN.PK113-7D) and two industrial strains (Ethanol Red and PE2) grown in seven different lignocellulosic hydrolysates were assessed for growth-related functions (specific growth rate, product yields, etc.) and eight intracellular parameters (using fluorescent biosensors).
Results.
Using flasks and high-throughput experimental setups, robustness was quantified in relation to: (i) stability of growth functions in response to the seven hydrolysates; (ii) stability of growth functions across different strains to establish the impact of perturbations on yeast metabolism; (iii) stability of intracellular parameters over time; (iv) stability of intracellular parameters within a cell population to indirectly quantify population heterogeneity. Ethanol Red was the best-performing strain under all tested conditions, achieving the highest growth function robustness. PE2 displayed the highest population heterogeneity. Moreover, the intracellular environment varied in response to non-woody or woody lignocellulosic hydrolysates, manifesting increased oxidative stress and unfolded protein response, respectively.
Conclusions.
Robustness quantification is a powerful tool for strain characterisation as it offers novel information on physiological and biochemical parameters. Owing to the flexibility of the robustness quantification method, its implementation was successfully validated at single-cell as well as high-throughput levels, showcasing its versatility and potential for several applications.
Heterogeneous Graph Fully-Connected Attention Network
Authors: wang rui , Xie Cheng , Duan HaoRan , Wan XinHao
Published: October 2023

With the increasing popularity of graph structures, Graph embedding, Which aims to project nodes into low dimensional space while preserving the topological structure information of graph and the information of nodes themselves, has attracted an increased amount of attention in recent years. Most embedding methods based on heterogeneous graphs use meta-path guided random walks to capture the semantic and structural correlations between different types of nodes in the graph. However, current meta-path schemes only convert heterogeneous graphs into isomorphic graphs for processing, which ignores intermediate node information and cannot measure the importance of the meta-path to the target node, resulting in incomplete information. Moreover, when aggregating relevant node features, Only simple weighted summation is performed on the information of nodes, without considering the deeper and more complex relationships between adjacent nodes. In order to solve the above two problems, in this paper, we propose the HGFAN model, which uses the relational adjacency matrix to generate meta-paths of different lengths and evaluates the importance of the meta-path, then aggregates the information of the meta-path layer by layer, and finally uses full connection Attention captures deeper and more complex relationships between node features. Extensive experiments on three real datasets have shown that our proposed model achieves state-of-the-art performance, further proving that the HGFAN model can obtain higher quality node representations by aggregating meta-path information of different lengths layer by layer and mining more complex relationships between nodes.
International multicenter real-world REGistry for patients with metastatic renAL cell carcinoma – Meet-URO 33 study (REGAL study)
Authors: Rebuzzi Sara Elena , Fornarini Giuseppe , Signori Alessio , Buti Sebastiano , Procopio Giuseppe , De Giorgi Ugo , Pignata Sandro , Naglieri Emanuele , Maruzzo Marco , Banna Giuseppe Luigi , Rescigno Pasquale , Messina Carlo , Mattana Alvise , Basso Umberto , Bimbatti Davide
Published: October 2023

Background: Nowadays, different therapeutic options are available for the first-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Immuno-combinations are the standard first-line therapy in all mRCC patients regardless of the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) risk category, even though TKI monotherapy is still a therapeutic option in selected patients. However, comparisons between the different first-line treatment strategies are lacking and few real-world data are available in this setting. For this reason, the regimen choice represents an important issue in clinical practice and the optimal treatment sequence remains unclear.
Methods: The REGAL study is a multicentric prospective observational study enrolling mRCC patients treated with first-line systemic therapy according to clinical practice in a real-world setting. A retrospective cohort of mRCC patients who received first-line systemic therapy from the 1st of January 2021 will also be included. The primary objective is to identify potential prognostic and predictive factors that could help guide the treatment choice; secondary objectives included the assessment of the prognostic performance of the Meet-URO score compared with the IMDC score and the comparison between treatment strategies according to response and survival outcomes and toxicity profile.
Discussion: Considering the high number of therapeutic first-line strategies available for mRCC, the identification of clinical prognostic and predictive factors to candidate patients to a preferable systemic therapy is still an unmet clinical need. The Meet-URO 33 study aims to provide a large-scale real-world database on mRCC patients, to identify the clinical predictive and prognostic factors and the different performances between the ICI-based combinations according to response, survival and toxicity.
Trial Registration: CESC IOV 2023-78.
Poetische Schreibkompetenz fördern. Versuch einer Kartierung.
Authors: Mangel Mischa
Published: October 2023

Der Bericht liefert einen Überblick über empirische Studien zum literarischen Schreiben im Erstsprachenunterricht. Ausgewertet wurden 61 peer-reviewte Beiträge. Mit Blick auf zentrale Parameter (u. a. methodisches Vorgehen, Klassenstufe, Teilnehmende, Textsorte, Förderansatz) zeigt sich ein breites Spektrum. Die Studien des Auswertungskorpus weisen dabei besonders häufig die folgenden Merkmale auf: (1) quantitative Ausrichtung, (2) Verortung in der Primar- bzw. frühen Sekundarstufe I, (3) Teilnahme von bis zu fünfzig Schüler:innen (4) ohne inklusionspädagogischen Bezug, (5) Untersuchung erzählenden Schreibens im Rahmen von (6) Schreibstrategieinstruktion, der Vermittlung von Textmusterwissen oder der Entlastung des Schreibprozesses.
Zur Modellierung und Analyse von Lehr-Lerndialogen über das Schriftsystem
Authors: Weinhold Swantje , Jagemann Sarah , Bormann Franziska
Published: October 2023

Im basalen Lese- und Rechtschreibunterricht sind Lehr-Lerndialoge, in denen gesprochene und geschriebene Wortformen in ihrem Verhältnis zueinander analysiert werden müssen, alltäglich. Lehrpersonen und Lernende handeln diesen Lerngegenstand mittels gesprochener und geschriebener Sprache als Lernmedium aus. Damit diese Aushandlungsprozesse gelingen können, müssen die Interaktanten eine schriftsystembezogene Denksprache finden und etablieren.

Im Projekt Ko-Konstruktionen über das Schriftsystem (KoKonS) widmen wir uns der Frage, wie solche Lehr-Lerndialoge fachlich und diskursiv gestaltet sind und welche (fach-)sprachlichen Formen für die Verständigungs- und Verstehensprozesse genutzt werden. Ausgehend von den Anforderungen, die die Interaktanten bewältigen müssen, schlagen wir in diesem Beitrag ein Modell zur Analyse von Aushandlungsprozessen über das Schriftsystem (MAAuS) vor. Entlang der Dimensionen Lerngegenstand, Lernmedium und Lernmaterialien werden einzelne Handlungskomponenten systematisiert und detailliert vorgestellt. Anhand der exemplarischen Analyse einer Unterrichtssequenz zeigen wir die Komplexität des Forschungsgegenstands und den Nutzen des kategorialen, qualitativen Analysemodells.
Comparative assessment of beef characteristics from young bulls of different breeds and the influence of storage conditions on meat quality indicators
Authors: Donetskikh A. G.
Published: October 2023

Comparative assessment results for quality indicators of meat samples obtained from Black Pied, Simmental and Aberdeen Angus young bulls and the influence of different temperature conditions on the quality of vacuum-packed beef during refrigerated storage are presented. The general chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and biological value of the samples based on the content of nonessential and essential amino acids were determined, as well as the protein quality index (PQI) and amino acid score. Analysis of the general chemical composition revealed higher moisture and protein content and the lowest fat content in Black Pied beef compared to other breeds. The amino acid composition of the protein showed a higher content of essential amino acids and the highest PQI value in Simmental beef. According to the calculation results, higher amino acid scores for lysine (149.1% and 129.1%) and tryptophane (200.0% and 240.0%) were noted in meat from Simmental and Aberdeen Angus young bulls, respectively. For the process of storing vacuum-packed meat in a cooled (at a temperature of 2.0 ± 0.5 °C) and superchilled state (minus 2.0 ± 0.5 °C) at a relative air humidity of 85%, a comparative analysis of changes in free amino acids and dynamics of hydrolytic and oxidative spoil- age of meat samples from various breeds was conducted. After 21 days of storage in a superchilled state, the content of free amino acids in Black Pied, Simmental and Aberdeen Angus beef was lower by 13.1% (P > 0.05), 24.1% (P ≤ 0.05) and 17.0% (P ≤ 0.01) compared to storage in a cooled state, respectively. For all studied samples stored in a cooled state, the acid number values were 40% to 41% (P ≤ 0.01) higher than in a superchilled state and peroxide number values were 20% to 23% (P ≤ 0.05) higher than in a superchilled state. It has been established that lowering the storage temperature of vacuum-packed beef helps to better preserve quality and ensure safety for meat from all breeds studied.
Comparative antioxidant effect of ascorbic acid and rosemary extract
Authors: Tunieva E. K. , Nasonova V. V. , Revutskaya N. M.
Published: October 2023

The aim of the work was to study an effect of ascorbic acid and the extract of rosemary on fat oxidation, color characteristics, pH and moisture binding capacity of minced pork during cold storage. The antioxidants were introduced into minced pork in an amount of 0.05%. After addition of the antioxidant, minced meat was packed in the modified atmosphere with the high oxygen content and stored at a temperature of 4 ± 2 ºС for 15 days. The indicators of the hydrolytic (acid value) and oxidative (peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value) spoilage, color characteristics, pH and moisture binding capacity (MBC) were determined during the whole storage period (0, 5, 8, 12, 15 days). An increase in the acid value was recorded in all minced meat samples during storage without a significant difference between the control and experimental samples. Addition of the antioxidants led to a decrease in the peroxide value after 12 days of minced meat storage. Malonaldehyde began to accumulate in the control and the sample with ascorbic acid on the 8th day of storage and in the sample with the rosemary extract on the 12th day. The results obtained point to inhibition of fat oxidation in the minced meat samples with the antioxidants. Addition of the antioxidants facilitated an increase in redness compared to the control. Contrary to the rosemary extract, addition of ascorbic acid led to a decrease in pH and MBC of minced meat. Therefore, the use of the rosemary extract exerted more effective action of minced pork stability during storage compared to the same dose of ascorbic acid.
Nonparametric statistics. Part 3. Correlation coefficients
Authors: Nikitina M. A. , Chernukha I. M.
Published: October 2023

A measure of correlation or strength of association between random variables is the correlation coefficient. In scientific research, correlation analysis is most often carried out using various correlation coefficients without explaining why this particular coefficient was chosen and what the resulting value of this coefficient means. The article discusses Spearman correlation coefficient, Kendall correlation coefficient, phi (Yule) correlation coefficient, Cramér’s correlation coefficient, Matthews correlation coefficient, Fechner correlation coefficient, Tschuprow correlation coefficient, rank-biserial correlation coefficient, point-biserial correlation coefficient, as well as association coefficient and contingency coefficient. The criteria for applying each of the coefficients are given. It is shown how to establish the significance (insignificance) of the resulting correlation coefficient. The scales in which the correlated variables should be located for the coefficients under consideration are presented. Spearman rank correlation coefficient and other nonparametric indicators are independent of the distribution law, and that is why they are very useful. They make it possible to measure the contingency between such attributes that cannot be directly measured, but can be expressed by points or other conventional units that allow ranking the sample. The benefit of rank correlation coefficient also lies in the fact that it allows to quickly assess the relationship between attributes regardless of the distribution law. Examples are given and step-by-step application of each coefficient is described. When analyzing scientific research and evaluating the results obtained, the strength of association is most commonly assessed by the correlation coefficient. In this regard, a number of scales are given (Chaddock scale, Cohen scale, Rosenthal scale, Hinkle scale, Evans scale) grading the strength of association for correlation coefficient, both widely recognized and not so well known.
Monte Carlo matrix-product-state approach to the false vacuum decay in the monitored quantum Ising chain
Authors: Maki Jeffrey Allan , Berti Anna , Carusotto Iacopo , Biella Alberto
Published: October 2023

In this work we characterize the false vacuum decay in the ferromagnetic quantum Ising chain with a weak longitudinal field subject to continuous monitoring of the local magnetization. Initializing the system in a metastable state, the false vacuum, we study the competition between coherent dynamics, which tends to create resonant bubbles of the true vacuum, and measurements which induce heating and reduce the amount of quantum correlations. To this end we exploit a numerical approach based on the combination of matrix product states with stochastic quantum trajectories which allows for the simulation of the trajectory-resolved non-equilibrium dynamics of interacting many-body systems in the presence of continuous measurements. We show how the presence of measurements affects the false vacuum decay: At short times the departure from the local minimum is accelerated while at long times the system thermalizes to an infinite-temperature incoherent mixture. For large measurement rates the system enters a quantum Zeno regime. The false vacuum decay and the thermalization physics are characterized in terms of the magnetization, connected correlation function, and the trajectory-resolved entanglement entropy.
The effect of post-packaging pasteurization on physicochemical and microbial properties of beef ham
Authors: Azizpour Nasim , Razavi Seyed Hadi , Azizpour Mehran , Khazaei Poul Esmaeil
Published: October 2023

In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of three different post-packaging pasteurization temperatures (55, 65, and 75°C) on the physicochemical (pH, drip loss, texture profile, and color), microbial (lactic acid bacteria, mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria, as well as mold and yeast), and sensory (odor, taste, texture, color, slime, exudates, swelling, and overall acceptability) characteristics of vacuum-packed beef ham during 30 days of storage at two different temperatures (5 and 12°C).

Lactic acid bacteria and total mesophilic and psychrotrophic counts were reduced to zero by post-packaging pasteurization at 65 and 75°C. Higher post-packaging pasteurization temperatures resulted in a significant increase in drip loss in the treated samples at 65 and 75°C, as well as a small rise in pH in all the samples. Furthermore, higher post-packaging pasteurization temperatures decreased lightness, yellowness, and h° values while increasing redness and ΔE. During post-packaging pasteurization, Chroma remained constant. The textural profile analysis revealed that post-packaging pasteurization and storage had a significant impact on the texture of beef ham. The sensory analysis showed no changes after post-packaging pasteurization in the samples, and the sensory parameters remained stable during their storage at 65 and 75 °C.

Finally, our investigation showed that 65°C is an optimal post-packaging pasteurization temperature for increasing the shelf-life of beef ham under refrigeration.
Hospital waste incinerator ash: characteristics, treatment techniques, and applications (A review)
Authors: El-Amaireh Nuseibah Abd Alhameed , Al-Zoubi Habis , Al-Khashman Omar Ali
Published: October 2023

The amount of medical waste generated has increased enormously since the COVID-19 outbreak. An incineration process is the main method that is usually used to treat this waste, causing an increase in both medical waste bottom ash (MWBA) and medical waste fly ash (MWFA). In this work, the physical and chemical characteristics of MWFA and MWBA were reviewed. This ash contains high levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and heavy metals. Furthermore, medical waste ash appears to have high leachability in the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test and the European standard test (EN 12457). Owing to its toxicity, medical ash can be treated using various methods prior to disposal based on the covered review. These techniques include chemical, supercritical fluid, cement-based, melting, microwave, and mechanochemical techniques. The shortcomings of some of these treatment methods have been identified, such as the emission of high levels of chlorine from the melting technique, limited applications of the flotation method on the industrial scale, long-term stability of leachate treated by cement-based methods that have not been confirmed yet, and high energy consumption in the supercritical technique. This review also covers possible applications of medical waste ash in cement production, agriculture, and road construction.
Pirtobrutinib: First Non-covalent Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor for
Treating Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma in Adults
Authors: De Surya K.
Published: October 2023

:

Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive subtype of Non-hodgkin's
Lymphoma (NHL). Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, and
is one of the therapeutic targets for B-cell-driven malignancies. Approved covalent BTK
inhibitors such as ibrutinib, acalabrutinib, and zanubrutinib are associated with treatment
limitations due to off-target side effects and the development of C481 substitution resistance
mutations. Pirtobrutinib was approved by the US FDA on January 27, 2023, for
the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma, including the resistance to
covalent BTK inhibitors. In this perspective, physicochemical properties, synthesis, dosage
and administration, mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, drug
interactions, and treatment-emergent adverse events of pirtobrutinib are discussed.
Protective Roles and Therapeutic Effects of Gallic Acid in the
Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Current Trends and Future
Directions
Authors: Momeni Zahra , Danesh Sepideh , Ahmadpour Mahsa , Eshraghi Reza , Farkhondeh Tahereh , Pourhanifeh Mohammad Hossein , Samarghandian Saeed
Published: October 2023

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are serious life-threatening illnesses and significant
problematic issues for public health having a heavy economic burden on all society
worldwide. The high incidence of these diseases as well as high mortality rates make
them the leading causes of death and disability. Therefore, finding novel and more effective
therapeutic methods is urgently required. Gallic acid, an herbal medicine with numerous
biological properties, has been utilized in the treatment of various diseases for
thousands of years. It has been demonstrated that gallic acid possesses pharmacological
potential in regulating several molecular and cellular processes such as apoptosis and autophagy.
Moreover, gallic acid has been investigated in the treatment of CVDs both in
vivo and in vitro. Herein, we aimed to review the available evidence on the therapeutic
application of gallic acid for CVDs including myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury
and infarction, drug-induced cardiotoxicity, hypertension, cardiac fibrosis, and heart failure,
with a focus on underlying mechanisms.
Developments in Stem Cell Therapy by Utilizing Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Goyal Priyanshi , Malviya Rishabha
Published: October 2023

Undifferentiated cells, known as stem cells, have the capacity to self-renew and specialise in a variety
of distinct mature and functional cell types while still retaining their original identity. For their significance
in regenerative medicine, stem cells' deep potential has been widely examined, and this work has established
the groundwork for cell-based therapeutics. With the potential to repair and restore specific organs or tissue injuries
or chronic disease situations when the body's regenerative process is insufficient to heal, regenerative
medicine is quickly advancing in healthcare. The most recent developments in stem cell-based treatments for
regenerative medicine are covered in this review, focusing on mesenchymal stem cell-based treatments because
these cells have received the most clinical research. The most recent applications of artificial intelligence
algorithms in stem cell-based therapeutics are presented, along with their limitations and potential future
applications.
Proposition of In silico Pharmacophore Models for Malaria: A Review
Authors: de Sousa Natália Ferreira , de Araújo Igor Mikael Alves , Rodrigues Teresa Carolliny Moreira Lustoza , da Silva Pablo Rayff , de Moura Jéssica Paiva , Scotti Marcus Tullius , Scotti Luciana
Published: October 2023

:

In the field of medicinal chemistry, the concept of pharmacophore refers to the specific
region of a molecule that possesses essential structural and chemical characteristics for binding
to a receptor and eliciting biological activity. Understanding the pharmacophore is crucial
for drug research and development, as it allows the design of new drugs. Malaria, a widespread
disease, is commonly treated with chloroquine and artemisinin, but the emergence of parasite
resistance limits their effectiveness. This study aims to explore computer simulations to discover
a specific pharmacophore for Malaria, providing new alternatives for its treatment. A literature
review was conducted, encompassing articles proposing a pharmacophore for Malaria, gathered
from the "Web of Science" database, with a focus on recent publications to ensure up-to-date
analysis. The selected articles employed diverse methods, including ligand-based and structurebased
approaches, integrating molecular structure and biological activity data to yield comprehensive
analyses. Affinity evaluation between the proposed pharmacophore and the target receptor
involved calculating free energy to quantify their interaction. Multiple linear regression was
commonly utilized, though it is sensitive to multicollinearity issues. Another recurrent methodology
was the use of the Schrödinger package, employing tools such as the Phase module and
the OPLS force field for interaction analysis. Pharmacophore model proposition allows threedimensional
representations guiding the synthesis and design of new biologically active compounds,
offering a promising avenue for discovering therapeutic agents to combat Malaria.
Deciphering the Therapeutic Applications of Nanomedicine in Ovarian
Cancer Therapy: An Overview
Authors: Mathur Pooja , Bhatt Shailendra , Kumar Suresh , Kamboj Sweta , Kamboj Rohit , Rana Arpana , Kumar Harish , Verma Ravinder
Published: October 2023

The majority of deadly cancers that afflict the female reproductive system occur in the
ovary. Around 1,40,000 women worldwide die from ovarian cancer each year, making it the sixth
most common cancer-associated deceases among females in the United States. Modern, cutting-edge
treatments like chemotherapy and surgery frequently produce full remissions, but the recurrence rate
is still very high. When this crippling condition is diagnosed, there are frequently few therapeutic
choices available because of how quietly it manifests.

:

Healthcare practitioners must have a fundamental grasp of the warning signs and symptoms of ovarian
cancer, as well as the imaging techniques and treatment choices available, to give the patient the
best care possible. The discipline of medical nanotechnology has gained a lot of momentum in recent
years in resolving issues and enhancing the detection and treatment of different illnesses, including
cancer.

:

This article gives a brief summary of types, risk factors and approaches to ovarian cancer treatment.
We subsequently discussed the pathophysiology of ovarian cancer with the risk factors. This review
also emphasizes the various signalling pathways involved in ovarian cancer. Our comprehensive integration
of recent findings in fundamental research in the nano arena reveals the strong interest in these
nanomedicines in ovarian cancer treatment. However, these nanomedicines still require more research,
as indicated by the comparatively small number of clinical trials ongoing. This article will
provide a reference for ovarian cancer treatment.
Natural Products and Biological Activities of Plants from Genus Morus:
2011-2023
Authors: Wang Yan-Ao , Liu Chao , Guo Xu , Zhang Meng-Qi , Sun Shutao , Sun Jin-Yue , Khan Afsar , Liu Lu , Chen Ying-Ying
Published: October 2023

Species of genus Morus (family Moraceae) have been used as traditional medicinal and
edible resources since ancient times. Genus Morus has been acknowledged as a promising resource
for the exploration of novel compounds with various bioactivities. Phytochemical investigations of
the genus have led to the discovery of more than approximately 453 natural products from 2011 to
2023, mainly including flavonoids, Diels-Alder adducts, 2-arylbenzfuran, alkaloids and stilbenes.
Bioactive constituents and extracts of this genus displayed a wide range of impressive biological
properties including antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective,
renoprotective, and some other activities. Herein, the research progress of this genus Morus from
2011 to 2023 on phytochemistry and pharmacology are systematically presented and discussed for
the first time. This current review provides the easiest access to the information on genus Morus for
readers and researchers in view of enhancing the continuity on research done on this genus.
HELLP Syndrome Developing at 14 Weeks of Gestation: An Extremely
Rare Case Report and a Literature Review
Authors: Park So Hee , Kim Hayeon , Choi Jeong In , Chung Soo-Ho , Sang Jae Hong
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome
is a disease of pregnancy that occurs very rarely before 20 weeks of gestation. We report a case of
HELLP syndrome developing at 14 weeks and 2 days of gestation.

Case Presentation:

A 33-year-old Asian primipara at 14 weeks and 2 days of gestation visited the
emergency room with a fever and headache. Initial blood pressure was 140/70 mm Hg, temperature 38.5 C, heart rate 130 beats/min with tachycardia. Her prenatal examination has been unremarkable, and fetal ultrasonography was within normal range. The laboratory results showed low
platelet count with elevated liver enzymes, D-dimer, and fibrinogen but no sign of jaundice. Her
WBC differential suggested a bacterial infection. Thus, we diagnosed early HELLP syndrome and
immediately started conservative treatments. One day after admission, symptoms and laboratory
results showed aggravation of the disease. We performed termination, followed by dilation and
curettage for retained placenta. Her general condition improved rapidly after the operation. Placental biopsy showed both acute and chronic inflammation. She also had anticardiolipin antibody
IgM, and after discharge, she was referred to a rheumatology specialist to address the antiphospholipid syndrome issue.

Discussion:

Although the triggers of HELLP syndrome are unclear, a recent inflammatory hypothesis suggests that placenta-derived inflammatory cytokines are involved. In our case, the anti-cardiolipin antibody may have triggered microangiopathy of the placenta. Our analysis of published
HELLP cases revealed that, apart from the three diagnostic criteria, the most common abnormal
laboratory finding was antiphospholipid antibodies. Therefore, despite its rarity, if a sign of inflammation is present in a patient, it is important to consider HELLP syndrome regardless of gestational age
Marine Actinobacterial Streptomyces Sp., Mediated Synthesis of Silver
Nanoparticles: Characterization and Different Biological Properties Under
In-vitro Condition
Authors: Kamala Kannan , Kumar G.J. Jeevan , Ganapathy Dhanraj , Sundramoorthy Ashok K. , Sivaperumal Pitchiah
Published: October 2023

Background:

Green synthesis of nanomaterials is promising as a biological source for
treating different diseases without side effects.

Methods:

In the present study, marine Streptomyces sp. was used to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles,
which were then characterized and evaluated for various therapeutic activities and A 549 breast
cancer cell line for cytotoxic evaluation.

Results:

The Surface Plasmon Resonance exhibited a peak at 434 nm, and the FT-IR spectrum of St-
AgNPs revealed the presence of secondary metabolites, which were used for stabilization and capping
processes. The St-AgNPs showed an agglomerated spherical shape with a diameter of 10–35
nm. The elemental composition was silver (60.0%), oxygen (14.9%), sodium (14.9%), and carbon
(15.0%). The St-AgNPs exhibited significant antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH 62.2 ± 2.1, H2O2
57.76 ± 2.4%, TAA 64.3±2.7, and NO 64.3 ± 2.7 at 100 μg/mL. The cytotoxic activity using A 549
Breast cancer cell line was found to be only 20 % of viable cells at 100 μg concentration. St-AgNPs
revealed good antibacterial efficacy against Streptococcus mutants, Klebsiella Sp. and Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA).

Conclusion::

The St-AgNPs may be a good choice for antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic agents
in the future with further relevant study and may be used in the field of nano biomedicine.
Immunomodulatory Effects of Combined Nicotinic Acid and Prednisolone
in Adjuvant-induced Arthritis
Authors: Mirzaaghasi Shadan , Froushani Seyyed Meysam Abtahi
Published: October 2023

Background:

The combination of two drugs may lead to better results while reducing the
need for each medication.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the synergistic benefits of combination therapy by subopti-mal dose of niacin (Nic.) and prednisolone (Pred.) in an experimental model of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods:

About 50 male Wistar rats (weighing 150 - 160 grams) were randomly divided into five groups of ten, including healthy and RA groups treated with Nic. (80 mg/kg-orally), or Pred. (2 mg/kg-orally), and/or co-administration of Nic. and Pred. (half doses with each one-orally). RA was induced by the injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into the hind paw of each rat. All treatments were initiated on the fifth day following the induction and continued until day 30 post-induction.

Results:

The combined Nic. and Pred. at half doses promoted a significant regression in the severity of the established RA, which is more pronounced than full doses of either drug alone. Combination therapy promoted a reduction in some hematological and biochemical RA parameters, like neutral red uptake by phagocytic cells, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, and C-reactive protein, more profound than each drug alone. Combined treatment caused a greater decrease in IFN-γ expression than other treatments in the area of plantar joints. All treatments were effective in increasing the expression of the IL-10 in the area of plantar joints. Prednisolone was less effective in reducing the expression of the TNF-α in the area of plantar joints than the other group.

Conclusion:

This combination may be a useful approach to controlling RA.
An Optimal Dietary Pattern for Healthy Longevity: Scoping Differencing Review between the Mediterranean and the Japanese Diet
Authors: Vitale Elsa
Published: October 2023

Background:

From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, micronutrients were associated
with the concept of healthy aging and it was deemed as important to recognize eating lifestyles
that better involved these healthy macronutrients.

Methods:

The present integrative differencing literature review aimed to identify correlations
between healthy longevity and both the Mediterranean (MD) and the Japanese diet (JD).

Results:

A review of the primary and secondary literature was performed by consulting Embase
and Medline (PubMed) databases. The bibliographic research focused on the critical reading of
the studies in the last ten years. A total of 10 studies, 3 belonging to Embase and 7 to PubMed,
were finally included, which exhaustively agreed with the inclusion criteria considered.

Conclusion:

In all manuscripts selected, “over” elderly participants reported good adherence to
both Mediterranean and Japanese eating behaviours, acceptable anthropometric characteristics,
active social life, and regular physical activity.
Hydrogel-based Drug Delivery System in Diabetes Management
Authors: Saharan Renu , Kaur Jaspreet , Dhankhar Sanchit , Garg Nitika , Chauhan Samrat , Beniwal Suresh , Sharma Himanshu
Published: October 2023

Background::

It is estimated that there are over 200 million people living with diabetes
mellitus (DM) all over the world. It is a metabolic condition caused by decreased insulin action or secretion.
Diabetes Mellitus is also known as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Type 1 diabetes mellitus and
type 2 diabetes mellitus are the two most common types of DM. Treatment for type 1 diabetes often
consists of insulin replacement therapy, while treatment for type 2 diabetes typically consists of oral
hypoglycemics.

Objective::

Conventional dosing schedules for the vast majority of these medications come with a
number of drawbacks, the most common of which are frequent dosing, a short half-life, and low bioavailability.
Thus, innovative and regulated oral hypoglycemic medication delivery methods have
been developed to reduce the limitations of standard dose forms.

Methods::

The studies and reviews published under the title were looked up in several databases (including
PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar).

Results::

Hydrogels made from biopolymers are three-dimensional polymeric networks that can be
physically or chemically crosslinked. These networks are based on natural polymers and have an inherent
hydrophilic quality because of the functional groups they contain. They have a very high affinity
for biological fluids in addition to a high water content, softness, flexibility, permeability, and biocompatibility.
The fact that these features are similar to those of a wide variety of soft living tissues
paves the way for several potentials in the field of biomedicine. In this sense, hydrogels offer excellent
platforms for the transport of medications and the controlled release of those drugs. Additionally,
biopolymer-based hydrogels can be put as coatings on medical implants in order to improve the biocompatibility
of the implants and to prevent medical diseases.

Conclusion::

The current review focuses on the most recent advancements made in the field of using
biopolymeric hydrogels that are physically and chemically crosslinked, in addition to hydrogel coatings,
for the purpose of providing sustained drug release of oral hypoglycemics and avoiding problems
that are associated with the traditional dosage forms of oral hypoglycemics.
Mental Health and Stigmatization Linked to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kadiri Sunil Kumar , Mundhra Shakshi , Tiwari Prashant
Published: October 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached an entirely new level of severity. It has jolted the
entire world and caused pervasive chaos. A significant portion of the psychological responses thus
far have been reactions to events in other countries, worries about the future, and responses to confinement. Initial and prominent responses to the pandemic in India have been appalling, with a sense
of impending and palpable danger. Concerns based on facts coexist with those based on the abundance of information and misinformation disseminated by the media, particularly social media. Even
with the stringent requirements for testing, many individuals still seek reassurance through testing.
Despite the lack of general indications for their use, they stockpile pharmaceuticals out of dread of
contracting the disease. In addition to recommendations regarding hand cleansing, there are uncertainties regarding whether to wear a mask, the type of mask to use, the distance to be maintained, and
how to disinfect surfaces. There are legitimate concerns regarding employment losses and economic
decline during and after the pandemic. Social isolation and social prejudice are not synonymous.
Maintaining a distance of 1-2 meters is permissible for security purposes. In terms of status and opportunities, everyone should be treated equally. The situation calls for a cheerful tone of speech.
Using expressions such as "the end of the world" and "the plague" is discouraged. Contamination
caused by rumors must be avoided. It is essential to promote early detection and prevention. Those
who have been afflicted with COVID-19 must share their accounts of compassion and struggle. Before COVID-19, only a minority of individuals with mental health issues were treated. According to
studies, the pandemic has widened the mental health treatment divide, and outpatient mental health
services have been particularly disrupted.
Atypical Interpersonal Problem-Solving and Resting-state Functional
Connectivity in Adolescents with Maltreatment Experience
Authors: Gerin Mattia I. , Viding Essi , Puetz Vanessa B. , Armbruster-Genc Diana J.N. , Rankin Georgia , McCrory Eamon J.
Published: October 2023

Background:

Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered neurocognitive functioning,
which is thought to reflect, in part, adaptation to early adverse environmental experiences. However,
we continue to lack a precise mechanistic understanding linking atypical neurocognitive processing
with social functioning and psychiatric outcomes following early adversity.

Objective:

The present work investigated interpersonal problem-solving, resting-state functional connectivity
(rsFC), and mental health symptoms in adolescents with documented maltreatment experience
and explored whether altered neural function contributes in part to poorer social functioning.

Methods:

Forty adolescents (aged 12-17) with documented experiences of abuse or neglect and a carefully
matched group of 42 non-maltreated peers participated in this study that measured task-based interpersonal
problem-solving skills and rsFC.

Results:

Adolescents with maltreatment experience showed poorer interpersonal problem-solving performance,
which partly accounted for their elevated mental health symptoms. Resting-state seed-based
analyses revealed that adolescents with maltreatment experience showed a significant increase in rsFC
between medial Default Mode Network (DMN) hubs, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), with a
posterior cluster, including the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus (PCu), retrosplenial cortex
(RSC), and lingual gyrus (LG). Moderation analyses revealed that maltreatment-related increased
DMN rsFC partly accounted for poorer performance in interpersonal problem-solving.

Conclusion:

Poorer interpersonal problem-solving, partly accounted for by atypical coupling between
DMN medial hubs, was associated with maltreatment exposure. Interventions tailored to enhance interpersonal
problem-solving represents a promising avenue to promote resilience and reduce the likelihood
of mental health disorder following maltreatment experience.
Lexical Speech Features of Spontaneous Speech in Older Persons With and Without Cognitive Impairment: Reliability Analysis
Authors: Hamrick Phillip , Sanborn Victoria , Ostrand Rachel , Gunstad John
Published: October 2023

Background

Speech analysis data are promising digital biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer disease. However, despite its importance, very few studies in this area have examined whether older adults produce spontaneous speech with characteristics that are sufficiently consistent to be used as proxy markers of cognitive status.

Objective

This preliminary study seeks to investigate consistency across lexical characteristics of speech in older adults with and without cognitive impairment.

Methods

A total of 39 older adults from a larger, ongoing study (age: mean 81.1, SD 5.9 years) were included. Participants completed neuropsychological testing and both picture description tasks and expository tasks to elicit speech. Participants with T-scores of ≤40 on ≥2 cognitive tests were categorized as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Speech features were computed automatically by using Python and the Natural Language Toolkit.

Results

Reliability indices based on mean correlations for picture description tasks and expository tasks were similar in persons with and without MCI (with r ranging from 0.49 to 0.65 within tasks). Intraindividual variability was generally preserved across lexical speech features. Speech rate and filler rate were the most consistent indices for the cognitively intact group, and speech rate was the most consistent for the MCI group.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that automatically calculated lexical properties of speech are consistent in older adults with varying levels of cognitive impairment. These findings encourage further investigation of the utility of speech analysis and other digital biomarkers for monitoring cognitive status over time.
Natural Language Processing of Referral Letters for Machine Learning–Based Triaging of Patients With Low Back Pain to the Most Appropriate Intervention: Retrospective Study
Authors: Fudickar Sebastian , Bantel Carsten , Spieker Jannik , Töpfer Heinrich , Stegeman Patrick , Schiphorst Preuper Henrica R , Reneman Michiel F , Wolff André P , Soer Remko
Published: October 2023

Background

Decision support systems (DSSs) for suggesting optimal treatments for individual patients with low back pain (LBP) are currently insufficiently accurate for clinical application. Most of the input provided to train these systems is based on patient-reported outcome measures. However, with the appearance of electronic health records (EHRs), additional qualitative data on reasons for referrals and patients’ goals become available for DSSs. Currently, no decision support tools cover a wide range of biopsychosocial factors, including referral letter information to help clinicians triage patients to the optimal LBP treatment.

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the added value of including qualitative data from EHRs and referral letters to the accuracy of a quantitative DSS for patients with LBP.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in a clinical cohort of Dutch patients with LBP. Patients filled out a baseline questionnaire about demographics, pain, disability, work status, quality of life, medication, psychosocial functioning, comorbidity, history, and duration of pain. Referral reasons and patient requests for help (patient goals) were extracted via natural language processing (NLP) and enriched in the data set. For decision support, these data were considered independent factors for triage to neurosurgery, anesthesiology, rehabilitation, or minimal intervention. Support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, and multilayer perceptron models were trained for 2 conditions: with and without consideration of the referral letter content. The models’ accuracies were evaluated via F1-scores, and confusion matrices were used to predict the treatment path (out of 4 paths) with and without additional referral parameters.

Results

Data from 1608 patients were evaluated. The evaluation indicated that 2 referral reasons from the referral letters (for anesthesiology and rehabilitation intervention) increased the F1-score accuracy by up to 19.5% for triaging. The confusion matrices confirmed the results.

Conclusions

This study indicates that data enriching by adding NLP-based extraction of the content of referral letters increases the model accuracy of DSSs in suggesting optimal treatments for individual patients with LBP. Overall model accuracies were considered low and insufficient for clinical application.