bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduction of sporadic and neurofibromatosis type 2–associated vestibular schwannoma growth in vitro and in vivo after treatment with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor AS602801
Authors: Dougherty Mark C. , Shibata Seiji B. , Clark J. Jason , Canady Franklin J. , Yates Charles W. , Hansen Marlan R.
Published: September 2022

OBJECTIVE

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are benign nerve sheath tumors that result from mutation in the tumor suppressor gene NF2, with functional loss of the protein merlin. The authors have previously shown that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is constitutively active in human VS cells and plays a central role in their survival by suppressing accumulation of mitochondrial superoxides, implicating JNK inhibitors as a potential systemic treatment for VS. Thus, the authors hypothesized that the adenosine 5ʹ-triphosphate–competitive JNK inhibitor AS602801 would demonstrate antitumor activity in multiple VS models.

METHODS

Treatment with AS602801 was tested in primary human VS cultures, human VS xenografts, and a genetic mouse model of schwannoma (Postn-Cre;Nf2flox/flox). Primary human VS cell cultures were established from freshly obtained surgical tumor specimens; treatment group media was enriched with AS602801. VS xenograft tumors were established in male athymic nude mice from freshly collected human tumor. Four weeks postimplantation, a pretreatment MRI scan was obtained, followed by 65 days of AS602801 (n = 18) or vehicle control (n = 19) treatment. Posttreatment MRI scans were used to measure final tumor volume. Tumors were then harvested. Finally, Postn-Cre;Nf2flox/flox mice were treated with AS602801 (n = 10) or a vehicle (n = 13) for 65 days. Posttreatment auditory brainstem responses were obtained. Dorsal root ganglia from Postn-Cre;Nf2flox/flox mice were then harvested. In all models, schwannoma identity was confirmed with anti-S100 staining, cell proliferation was measured with the EdU assay, and cell death was measured with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining. All protocols were approved by the local institutional review board and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees.

RESULTS

Treatment with AS602801 decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in primary human VS cultures. The systemic administration of AS602801 in mice with human VS xenografts reduced tumor volume and cell proliferation. Last, the AS602801-treated Postn-Cre;Nf2flox/flox mice demonstrated decreased cell proliferation in glial cells in the dorsal root ganglia. However, AS602801 did not significantly delay hearing loss in Postn-Cre;Nf2flox/flox mice up to 3 months posttreatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that JNK inhibition with AS602801 suppresses growth of sporadic and neurofibromatosis type 2–associated VSs. As such, AS602801 is a potential systemic therapy for VS and warrants further investigation.
Spinal robotics in cervical spine surgery: a systematic review with key concepts and technical considerations
Authors: Beyer Ryan S. , Nguyen Andrew , Brown Nolan J. , Gendreau Julian L. , Hatter Matthew J. , Pooladzandi Omead , Pham Martin H.
Published: September 2022

OBJECTIVE

Spinal robotics for thoracolumbar procedures, predominantly employed for the insertion of pedicle screws, is currently an emerging topic in the literature. The use of robotics in instrumentation of the cervical spine has not been broadly explored. In this review, the authors aimed to coherently synthesize the existing literature of intraoperative robotic use in the cervical spine and explore considerations for future directions and developments in cervical spinal robotics.

METHODS

A literature search in the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases was performed for the purpose of retrieving all articles reporting on cervical spine surgery with the use of robotics. For the purposes of this study, randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, retrospective case series, and individual case reports were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was utilized to assess risk of bias of the studies included in the review. To present and synthesize results, data were extracted from the included articles and analyzed using the PyMARE library for effect-size meta-analysis.

RESULTS

On careful review, 6 articles published between 2016 and 2022 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, including 1 randomized controlled trial, 1 nonrandomized controlled trial, 2 case series, and 2 case reports. These studies featured a total of 110 patients meeting the inclusion criteria (mean age 53.9 years, range 29–77 years; 64.5% males). A total of 482 cervical screws were placed with the use of a surgical robot, which yielded an average screw deviation of 0.95 mm. Cervical pedicle screws were the primary screw type used, at a rate of 78.6%. According to the Gertzbein-Robbins classification, 97.7% of screws in this review achieved a clinically acceptable grade. The average duration of surgery, blood loss, and postoperative length of stay were all decreased in minimally invasive robotic surgery relative to open procedures. Only 1 (0.9%) postoperative complication was reported, which was a surgical site infection, and the mean length of follow-up was 2.7 months. No mortality was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Robot-assisted cervical screw placement is associated with acceptable rates of clinical grading, operative time, blood loss, and postoperative complications—all of which are equal to or improved relative to the metrics seen in the conventional use of fluoroscopy or computer-assisted navigation for cervical screw placement.
taxation of ‘intangible’ innovation: the Patent Box in Europe and the Italian case
Authors: Caramia Lucrezia Valentina
Published: September 2022

“Patent Box” is a term for the application of a lower corporate tax rate to the income derived from the ownership of patents. This tax subsidy instrument has been introduced in several countries since 2000. This paper, through a comparative analysis, compares the Patent Box adopted in three different European jurisdictions, which are distinguished by the particular attractiveness of their tax systems, and then focuses on the peculiar case of the Italian Patent Box. Art. 6, D.L. of 21 October 2021, n. 146, in fact, introduces the new discipline of the Patent Box, a preferential taxation mechanism of income from the direct and indirect use of certain intangible assets which, only two months later, has already undergone further and important changes by art. 1, comma 10, of L. 30 December 2021, n. 234: this disruption requires considering the causes of the legislative intervention and, therefore, the structure of a tax promotion mechanism that has already received relevant consideration in the OECD.
Alignment of Taxation and Sustainability : might the Digital Controls of Non-Financial Information Become a Universal Panacea?
Authors: Grau Ruiz Maria Amparo
Published: September 2022

There are certain trends that are already affecting –or will soon inevitably affect, the evolution of the tax law everywhere.These are the digitalization processes started by many tax administrations and the current challenges experienced by accounting and auditing institutions to provide reliable non-financial information. Both may offer new opportunities for fairer  taxation in the search for sustainable development. In the middle of digital and green transformations, would it be possible to better adjust the tax treatment deserved by the taxpayers in accordance with their real impacts on sustainability? Regional and global organizations are devoting efforts to ensuring some degree of homogeneity in the measures to adopt. The purpose of the following pages is to open the discussions for in-depth research in the future. The dogmatic-legal and analytical methods have been used to supplement the comparative one in carrying out the review of the current state of the art and proposed changes.
EVALUATION OF METAL AND BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATERS IN AGRICULTURE AND AQUACULTURE ACTIVITY AREAS OF WEST GODAVARI DISTRICT
Authors: Rao D. Nageswara , Rao T.Bhaskara , Machiraju P.V.S.
Published: September 2022

Groundwater is the main source for drinking purposes. Agriculture and Aquaculture activities are the major sources of human food. Various chemicals like fertilizers, pesticides, pH modifiers, and nutrients are being employed to enhance crop yields. Due to the excessive application of these chemicals, the ground waters in the surrounding areas will be contaminated. Keeping in view the hectic agriculture and aquaculture activities it is aimed to evaluate the metal and bacterial contamination status in waters for suggesting the possible remedial measures to protect the public. From the proposed study area, 16 Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for metal ion concentrations. Further the waters are also analyzed for evaluating the bacterial contamination. The study results revealed that the waters were found to contain MPN count along with water-borne disease-causing pathogens. These waters are needed to be subject to suitable treatment techniques available for considering these waters for drinking and domestic purposes.
Circaea lutetiana (L) PLANT AND ITS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Authors: Kozhantayeva Akmaral , Tashenov Yerbolat , Tosmaganbetova Kuldi , Tazhkenova Gaukhar , Mashan Togzhan , Bazarkhankyzy Aidana , Iskakova Zhanar , Sapiyeva Ardak , Gabbassova Anar
Published: September 2022

Circaea lutetiana is a medicinal plant in the Onagraceae family. The plant has been used for the treatment of wounds. As its chemical composition possesses valuable components, the infusion has been drunk or washed for treatment of injuries. The paper identified the chemical components of the leaves and stems of the plant Circaea lutetiana. The compositions of Circaea lutetiana leaves and stems were extracted with hexane and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The method of peak area normalization was used to identify 22 compounds. Among them, The primary compounds (leaves and stems) are esters (30,799%), alkanes (12,69%), fatty acids (carboxylic acids), oxo-fatty acids (7,038%), phytosterols (3,43%), triterpenoids (3,01%). Analysis of each part of the plant (stems, leaves, and fruits) and more detailed information on the specific plants were investigated.
ANALYTICAL METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF GENOTOXIC IMPURITY p-ANISALDEHYDE IN TENELIGLIPTIN USING GC-MS
Authors: M. Manivannan  , P. Parthiban  , P.Ilayaraja
Published: September 2022

This research aimed to develop a sensitive GC–MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) technique for the estimation of genotoxic impurity p-anisaldehyde in Teneligliptin drug to meet the current regulatory requirements. A simple and specific method was developed and validated according to ICH (International Council for Harmonization) guidelines. The LOQ (limit of quantitation) and LOD (limit of detection) values were determined as 0.38 and 0.12 ppm, respectively. The approach was linear in the range of 0.38–56 ppm with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997. The average recovery of Teneligliptin was 93%. The validation parameters strongly support that the developed technique is suitable to determine the p-anisaldehyde in Teneligliptin hydrobromide hydrate.
ANALISIS PENERAPAN E-GOVERNMENT PADA PROGRAM BANTUAN NON-TUNAI DI APLIKASI E-WARONG DENGAN METODE SWOT DI KECAMATAN TANJUNG LUBUK KABUPATEN OKI
Authors: Khairunnisa Miranda , Zuhri Yadi Ilman
Published: September 2022

Dorongan pangan non tunai/ cash merupakan bantuan sosial pangan dalam wujud non tunai dari pemerintah yang diserahkan pada keluarga  tiap tiap bulannya lewat metode akun elektronik yang dipakai guna membeli materi pangan di e- warung yang berkolaborasi dengan bank. Riset ini bermaksud guna mengenali informasi terkait faktor- faktor internal/ dalam serta eksternal serta determinan strategi yang bisa dipakai dalam pengembangan strategi. Kemajuan elektronik gerai terkesan lambat sebab tertinggal dalam teknologi data di dalam usahanya. Pada riset ini memakai analisa SWOT guna memastikan strategi pengembangan sistem data.. Hasil penelitian kekuatan terhadap peluang perlu dilakukan promosi dan sosialisai langsung kepada masyarakat terutama masyarakat yang membutuhkan bantuan program E-Warong. Serta melakukan pengembangan produk untuk melayani dan memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat, kekuatan terhadap ancaman melakukan evaluasi serta monitoring lebih detail guna mencegah hal yang tidak di inginkan terutama dalam saluran program E-Warong, kelemahan terhadap peluang, dengan melakukan evaluasi terhadap pihak pengembang dan membagi tugas antara para pengembang untuk mengetahui apa yang dibutuhkan masyarakat saat ini, kelemahan terhadap ancaman, melakukan kajian dan evaluasi secara menyeluruh untuk mengetahui kekurangan yang dimiliki pada Produk.
THE GREAT ABSENTEE: NOTES ON THE ITALIAN RECEPTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY RUSSIAN POETRY FOR CHILDREN
Authors:   University of Bologna, Niero Alessandro
Published: September 2022

The article offers a review of 20 th century Russian children’s poetry translated into Italian. Despite the fact that Russia can boast a great tradition of children’s literature in verse, the number of existing Italian translations is not very large and the authors translated are only some happy few. They are Vladimir Mayakovskiy, Osip Mandel’shtam, Boris Pasternak, Korney Chukovskiy and Samuil Marshak. Their not very many texts have mostly appeared for little publishers with scarce circulation. Attention to formal aspects has also not always been impeccable, and no Italian poet has systematically devoted himself to elaborate Italian versions that could aspire to true aesthetic autonomy. This is why, in spite of some notable translations in recent times, we must continue to speak of Russian poetry for children as the great absentee on the Italian cultural scene.
EDUCATION BY THE WORD: GIANNI RODARI IN THE TEXTS AND CONTEXTS OF ITALIAN AND SOVIET CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Authors:   Illinois Wesleyan University, Balina Marina , Caroli Dorena ,   University of Bologna
Published: September 2022

The article examines the early stages of the work of Italian children’s poet, prose writer, and editor of children’s periodicals, Gianni Rodari. The authors analyze Rodari’s work in the context of the postwar situation in Italy; the authors considers Rodari’s relations with Soviet Russia and the sources of the popularity of his work in the Russian translations on the example of the tale-tale “The Adventures of Cipollino”.
PINOCCHIO FROM FLORENCE IN RUSSIAN BERLIN
Authors:   Moscow State Pedagogical University, Arzamastseva Irina
Published: September 2022

The article deals with the story of Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio”, translated by Nina Petrovskaya and revised by Aleksey Tolstoy in Berlin at the time of their collaboration in the newspaper “Nakanune”. Attention is drawn to the use of commedia dell’arte characters’ names in international political newspeak in connection with the press appearances of A. Gramsci whose biography is closely linked with pro-Bolshevik circles in Berlin and Moscow. The interest in the translation of “The Adventures of Pinocchio” in the Russian press in the 1920s was most probably linked to the beginning of Soviet-Italian relations and the choice of future course facing Russian emigrants. The hypothesis of the different positions of Aleksey Tolstoy and Maksim Gorky concerning the question of return to Russia is put forward. The circumstances of the choice of the book for translation and the alignment of translation by Nina Petrovskaya and processing of the translation by Aleksey Tolstoy are described. Emphasis is placed on the anti-fascist movement, the centre of which was Florence, the city of Carlo Collodi. Petrovskaya’s anti-fascist views and Tolstoy’s pro-Soviet stance enable us to see the tale from the perspective of social struggle and personal choice. The roles of both Russian authors in the work on the book and their relationship to the Italian-Russian patronage family Signorelli are clarified. The re-addressing of the tale, which predetermined the further oblivion of the Berlin book, is explained: the new translation was addressed not so much to children as to adults, Russian émigrés.
ITALIAN ANTHOLOGIES ABOUT RUSSIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE. AN OVERVIEW (1926–1944)
Authors:   University of Bologna, Caroli Dorena , De Florio Giulia ,   University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Italy
Published: September 2022

The “Archive” section publishes four fragments selected from studies of Italian authors who wrote about children’s literature — the writers and teachers Giuseppe Fanciulli (1881–1951) and Olindo Giacobbe (1880–1950), the children writer, translator and publisher Mary Tibaldi-Chiesa (1896–1968) and teacher Olga Visentini (1893–1961). These works, written between 1926 and 1943, are taken from textbooks and are interesting in that they present the view of Italian experts on Russian children’s literature. The authors build the history of Russian literature for children, give an overview of contemporary émigré children’s literature, and try to determine the national identity of children’s literature in Russia. Giuseppe Fanciulli turns to Russian folklore, to the fairy tale genre and brings the line of his research to the beginning of the 20 th century. The work of Mary Tibaldi-Chiesa gives a detailed review of translations of Russian literature into Italian, made with a focus on children’s and youthful readers, and also presents a detailed biography of Alexander Pushkin. Olga Visentini’s essay is based on the previous experience of Olindo Giacobbe, supplementing and continuing his work up to the first attempts at Soviet children’s literature.
VAMBA’S NOVEL “THE PRINCE AND HIS ANTS” IN A LITERARY CONTEXT
Authors:   Saint Petersburg State University, Guskov Nikolaj
Published: September 2022

This article deals with the novel “The Prince and his Ants” (1893) by Luigi Bertelli (1860–1920), who wrote under the pseudonym of Vamba, who was one of the founders of classical Italian children’s literature, and whose work is little known in Russia. The plot about the adventures of a lazy boy turned into an ant is compared with other books about insects. The pretexts of the novel are the works of Alfred Brehm, Jean Henri Fabre, Frances Hubert, Carlo Emery, popular science articles in Italian children’s magazines, the novel “The Adventures of a Cricket” (1877) by Ernest Candez. Traditionally ants were portrayed either sympathetically or antipathically in the role of social and moral allegories (Bible, Virgil, Ovid, Aesop and other fabulists, Fransis Bacon, and others). Vamba’s innovation is that the educational, instructive and entertaining principles are inseparable from each other and are of equal importance. Although there is no direct evidence of the acquaintance of Russian writers with Vamba’s novel, a comparison of the texts suggests that this is one of the possible pretexts of famous children’s books about insects: “The Adventure of an little Ant” (1935) by Vitaly Bianki, “The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Valya” (1937) Jan Larri and “Barankin, be a (hu)man” (1962) Valery Medvedev. While differing in their views on the place of man among other animals, these texts are typologically close to Vamba’s creative principles.
Mechanism Prediction of Gastro-protective Effects of the Biebersteinia multifida against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcers; an Insilco study
Authors: Zarchi Saeed Rezaei , Dousti Mahdi , Rezazadeh Davood , Sajadi Elham , Rizvand Sara , Roozbahani Narges Eskandari
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is one of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Herbal remedies are alternative therapies that have different gastro protective mechanisms, the gastro protective effect of Biebersteinia multifida (BM) was evaluated previously.Objective: This study was performed to predict the possible mechanism of action of BM bioactive compounds on ameliorating ethanolic PUD in an Insilico study by molecular docking.Methods: Bioactive compounds in BM were screened by Molegro Virtual Docker 6.0 (MVD) for their effects on factors affecting the healing and progression of ethanolic PUD.Results: The principal bioactive compound in BM root that has an ameliorating effect in PUD is the flavonoids luteolin rutinoside. This compound establishes the lowest binding energy with the enzymes xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase-2, and superoxide dismutase, respectively.Conclusion: Biebersteinia multifida probably affects the factors involved in ethanolic PUD due to the presence of flavonoids luteolin rutinoside and thus plays a role in the healing of PUD.Keywords: Molecular Docking, Biebersteinia multifida, Peptic ulcer, Molegro Virtual Docker
Verifiable autonomy: From theory to applications
Authors: Dennis Louise , Dixon Clare , Fisher Michael
Published: September 2022

The Autonomy and Verification group11 Part of a wider, international, Autonomy and Verification Network of activity: https://autonomy-and-verification.github.io sits within the Department of Computer Science22 https://www.cs.manchester.ac.uk at the University of Manchester. The group has a long history of research into agents and multi-agent systems (both at Manchester and, previously, at the University of Liverpool) particularly in the areas of formal specification and verification, multi-agent programming, ethical agent reasoning, and swarms, teams and organisations.
Generically and coarsely computable isomorphisms
Authors: Calvert Wesley , Cenzer Douglas , Harizanov Valentina
Published: September 2022

Inspired by the study of generic and coarse computability in computability theory, we extend such investigation to the context of computable model theory. In this paper, we continue our study initiated in the previous paper (Journal of Logic and Computation 32 (2022) 581–607) , where we introduced and studied the notions of generically and coarsely computable structures and their generalizations. In this paper, we introduce the notions of generically and coarsely computable isomorphisms, and their weaker variants. We sometimes also require that the isomorphisms preserve the density structure. For example, for any coarsely computable structure A, there is a density preserving coarsely computable isomorphism from A to a computable structure. We demonstrate that each notion of generically and coarsely computable isomorphisms, density preserving or not, gives interesting insights into the structures we consider, focusing on various equivalence structures and injection structures.
The Helico Maze Detects Early Impairment of Reference Memory at Three Months of Age in the 5XFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Migliorati Martine , Manrique Christine , Rahrah Melinda , Escoffier Guy , El Ahmadi Abdessadek , Girard Stéphane D. , Khrestchatisky Michel , Rivera Santiago , Baranger Kévin , Roman François S.
Published: September 2022

Background: The 5XFAD model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) bearing five familial mutations of Alzheimer’s disease on human APP and PSEN1 transgenes shows deposits of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) as early as 2 months, while deficits in long-term memory can be detected at 4 months using the highly sensitive olfactory-dependent tests that we previously reported. Objective: Given that detecting early dysfunctions in AD prior to overt pathology is of major interest in the field, we sought to detect memory deficits at earlier stages of the disease in 3-month-old male 5XFAD mice. Methods: To this end, we used the Helico Maze, a behavioral task that was recently developed and patented. This device allows deeper analysis of learning and subcategories of hippocampal-dependent long-term memory using olfactory cues. Results: Eight male 5XFAD and 6 male wild-type (WT: C57Bl6 background) mice of 3 months of age were tested in the Helico Maze. The results demonstrated, for the first time, a starting deficit of pure reference long-term memory. Interestingly, memory impairment was clearly correlated with Aβ deposits in the hippocampus. While we also found significant differences in astrogliosis between 5XFAD and WT mice, this was not correlated with memory abilities. Conclusion: Our results underline the efficiency of this new olfactory-dependent behavioral task, which is easy to use, with a small cohort of mice. Using the Helico Maze may open new avenues to validate the efficacy of treatments that target early events related to the amyloid-dependent pathway of the disease and AD progression.
Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment as Tools for Following Cognitive Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Participants
Authors: Wang Ge ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Estrella Alliyah , Hakim Ornin , Milazzo Paul , Patel Sonali , Pintagro Clara , Li Daniel , Zhao Rui , Vance David E. , Li Wei
Published: September 2022

Background: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are two commonly used cognitive screening and diagnostic tools. Objective: Our goal was to assess their efficacy for monitoring cognitive changes, as well as the correlation between the two tests. Methods: At baseline, participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were divided into four groups based on their cognitive diagnoses: healthy control (HC), early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). MMSE or MoCA scores were compared among the four groups using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) model with repeated measures with post-hoc Bonferroni correction. For those participants who had both MMSE and MoCA assessments done, a Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the two assessments for each visit. Results: The MMSE scores were significantly different among the four groups at baseline, which was true for each of the three annual follow-up visits. By contrast, the MoCA scores were not significantly different between HC and EMCI groups at either baseline or any of the follow-up visits. For participants with a diagnosis of LMCI, the cognitive performance deteriorated in a linear manner 12 months after the baseline, which was independent of MMSE or MoCA. At last, the MMSE scores were moderately related to MoCA scores, which got stronger along with the time of follow-up. Conclusion: MMSE and MoCA are comparable as cognitive assessment tools to monitor cognitive changes. In addition, the measurements of MMSE and MoCA are moderately correlated for the follow-up visits.
Supplementation With Carotenoids, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin E Has a Positive Effect on the Symptoms and Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Nolan John M. , Power Rebecca , Howard Alan N. , Bergin Paula , Roche Warren , Prado-Cabrero Alfonso , Pope George , Cooke John , Power Tommy , Mulcahy Ríona
Published: September 2022

Background: Preliminary work by our center has reported behavior and functional benefits in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) following targeted micronutritional supplementation. Objective: To build on the existing exploratory research and investigate the impact of these micronutrients on the natural progression of AD in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Patients with mild-moderate AD consumed daily 1 g fish oil (of which 500 mg DHA, 150 mg EPA), 22 mg carotenoids (10 mg lutein, 10 mg meso-zeaxanthin, 2 mg zeaxanthin), and 15 mg vitamin E or placebo for 12 months in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Carotenoids, ω-3FAs, and vitamin E were quantified in blood. Carotenoids were also measured in skin. AD severity was measured using the mini-mental state examination and dementia severity rating scale tools. Behavior, mood, and memory were measured using an informant-based questionnaire. Results: Following 12 months of supplementation, the active group (n = 50) compared to the placebo group (n = 27), demonstrated statistically significant improvements in skin carotenoid measurements, blood carotenoids, ω-3FAs, and vitamin E concentrations (p < 0.05, for all). The active group also performed better in objective measures of AD severity (i.e., memory and mood), with a statistically significant difference reported in the clinical collateral for memory (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Exponential increases in the prevalence of AD and its relentless progressive nature is driving the need for interventions that help to ameliorate symptoms and improve quality of life in AD patients. Given the positive outcomes demonstrated in this trial, this combined micronutrient dietary supplement should be considered in the overall management of AD.
Acupuncture Treatment Modulate Regional Homogeneity of Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex in Patients with Amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Zhang Jinhuan , Hu Shan , Liu Yongfeng , Lyu Hanqing , Huang Xingxian , Li Xinbei , Chen Jianxiang , Hu Qingmao , Xu Jinping , Yu Haibo
Published: September 2022

Background: Although acupuncture is widely used to improve cognitive and memory in the amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients with impressive effectiveness, its neural mechanism remains largely unclear. Objective: We aimed to explore functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) mechanism of acupuncture for aMCI. Methods: A randomized, controlled, single-blind research was performed. A total of 46 aMCI patients were randomly assigned into verum and sham acupuncture group, who received a total of 24 times treatments (3 times/week, 8 weeks). Clinical evaluation and fMRI scanning were performed at baseline and after treatment for all aMCI patients. The interaction effects and inter-group effects of regional homogeneity (ReHo) were performed using mixed effect models, and the correlations between clinical improvement and neuroimaging changes before and after verum acupuncture treatment were analyzed using Pearson correlations. Results: As a result, interaction effects showed increased ReHo value in left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), increased functional connectivity between left DLPFC and left precuneus, and decreased functional connectivity between left DLPFC and left inferior temporal gyrus after verum acupuncture but inversely after sham acupuncture in the aMCI. Condition effects showed increased ReHo in right lingual gyrus, and bilateral post-central gyrus after verum and sham acupuncture in the aMCI. In addition, the changed Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores in verum acupuncture group were significantly correlated with changed ReHo values in left DLPFC. Conclusion: Together, our findings further confirmed that acupuncture could be used as a promising complementary therapy for aMCI by modulating function of left DLPFC to improve cognitive symptoms.
Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species Decreases Amyloid-β Levels via Activation of PI3K/Akt/GLUT1 Pathway in N2a/APP695swe Cells
Authors: Peng Yan , Zhang Li , Zhou Fanlin , Wang Yangyang , Zhang Xiong , Fan Jianing , Li Shijie , Li Xiaoju , Li Yu
Published: September 2022

Background: Dysregulated glucose metabolism in the brain is considered to be one of the key causes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Abnormal glucose uptake in AD is tightly associated with decreased levels of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and GLUT3 in the brain, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: We aimed to explore the cause and mechanism of impaired glucose uptake in AD. Methods: N2a/WT and N2a/APP695swe cells were cultured in vitro, and cellular glucose uptake and ATP content, as well as the expression of GLUT1, GLUT3, and PI3K/Akt pathway members, were detected. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by flow cytometry. After treatment with the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), the above indicators were detected again. Results: GLUT1 expression was significantly decreased (p = 0.0138) in N2a/APP695swe cells, while GLUT3 expression was no statistical difference (p > 0.05). After NAC treatment, PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels, GLUT1 expression, glucose uptake and ATP levels were remarkably increased (p = 0.0006, p = 0.0008, p = 0.0009, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0013), while Aβ levels were significantly decreased (p = 0.0058, p = 0.0066). After addition of the PI3K inhibitor LY29004, GLUT1 expression was reduced (p = 0.0008), and Aβ levels were increased (p = 0.0009, p = 0.0117). In addition, increases in glucose uptake and ATP levels induced by the Akt activator SC79 were hindered by the GLUT1 inhibitor WZB117 (p = 0.0002, p = 0.0005). Aβ levels were decreased after SC79 treatment and increased after WZB117 treatment (p = 0.0212, p = 0.0006). Conclusion: Taken together, scavenging of ROS prevents from Aβ deposition via activation of the PI3K/Akt/GLUT1 pathway, and improved the impaired glucose uptake in N2a/APP695swe cells.
Cognitive Resilience in Brain Health and Dementia Research
Authors: Joshi Mahesh S. , Galvin James E.
Published: September 2022

With the expected rise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the coming decades due to the aging population and a lack of effective disease-modifying treatments, there is a need for preventive strategies that may tap into resilience parameters. A wide array of resilience strategies has been proposed including genetics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle modifications, behavioral changes, and management of comorbid disease. These different strategies can be broadly classified as distinguishing between modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, some of which can be quantified so that their clinical intervention can be effectively accomplished. A clear shift in research focus from dementia risk to addressing disease resistance and resilience is emerging that has provided new potential therapeutic targets. Here we review and summarize the latest investigations of resilience mechanisms and methods of quantifying resilience for clinical research. These approaches include identifying genetic variants that may help identify novel pathways (e.g., lipid metabolism, cellular trafficking, synaptic function, inflammation) for therapeutic treatments and biomarkers for use in a precision medicine-like regimen. In addition, innovative structural and molecular neuroimaging analyses may assist in detecting and quantifying pathological changes well before the onset of clinical symptoms setting up the possibility of primary and secondary prevention trials. Lastly, we summarize recent studies demonstrating the study of resilience in caregivers of persons living with dementia may have direct and indirect impact on the quality of care and patient outcomes.
Scrutinize artificial intelligence algorithms for Pakistani and Indian parody tweets detection
Authors: Abu Talha Muhammad , Zafar Adeel
Published: September 2022

False information is becoming more frequent in distributing disinformation by distorting people’s awareness and decision-making by altering their views or knowledge. The propagation of disinformation has been aided by the proliferation of social media and online forums. Allowing it to readily blend in with true information. Parody news and rumors are the most common types of misleading and unverified information, and they should be caught as soon as possible to avoid their disastrous consequences. As a result, in recent years, there has been a surge in interest in effective detection approaches. For this study, a customized dataset was built that included both real and parody tweets from Pakistan and India. This study proposes a two-step strategy for detecting parody tweets. In the first stage of the approach the unstructured data is converted into structured data set. In the second step, multiple supervised artificial intelligence algorithms were employed. An experimental assessment of the different classification methods inside a customized dataset was undertaken in this study, and these classification models were compared using evaluation metrics. Our results showed accuracy of 92%.
Bilingual dictionary generation and enrichment via graph exploration
Authors: Goel Shashwat , Gracia Jorge , Forcada Mikel L.
Published: September 2022

In recent years, we have witnessed a steady growth of linguistic information represented and exposed as linked data on the Web. Such linguistic linked data have stimulated the development and use of openly available linguistic knowledge graphs, as is the case with the Apertium RDF, a collection of interconnected bilingual dictionaries represented and accessible through Semantic Web standards. In this work, we explore techniques that exploit the graph nature of bilingual dictionaries to automatically infer new links (translations). We build upon a cycle density based method: partitioning the graph into biconnected components for a speed-up, and simplifying the pipeline through a careful structural analysis that reduces hyperparameter tuning requirements. We also analyse the shortcomings of traditional evaluation metrics used for translation inference and propose to complement them with new ones, both-word precision (BWP) and both-word recall (BWR), aimed at being more informative of algorithmic improvements. Over twenty-seven language pairs, our algorithm produces dictionaries about 70% the size of existing Apertium RDF dictionaries at a high BWP of 85% from scratch within a minute. Human evaluation shows that 78% of the additional translations generated for dictionary enrichment are correct as well. We further describe an interesting use-case: inferring synonyms within a single language, on which our initial human-based evaluation shows an average accuracy of 84%. We release our tool as free/open-source software which can not only be applied to RDF data and Apertium dictionaries, but is also easily usable for other formats and communities.
The influences of corporate policies for COVID-19 on work stress and anxiety among healthcare employees
Authors: Akbolat Mahmut , Durmuş Ayhan , Ünal Özgün , Ezen Mustafa
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, if it is considered that educated manpower is the most valuable resource of countries, it can be thought that various policies should be developed both at the macro- and micro-levels to minimize the loss of healthcare employees. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the effects of the corporate policies for COVID-19 on the work stress and anxiety of healthcare employees. METHOD: The sample of the study consists of 136 of 265 healthcare employees in Sakarya Provincial Health Directorate Emergency Health Services in Turkey. The average age of the participants was 34.43 years, and the average duration of professional experience was 12.12 years. Approximately 61% of the participants are male and 51% have a bachelor’s degree or higher level. A questionnaire form was used in the study as the data collection tool consisting of socio-demographic characteristics, institutional policies on COVID-19, work stress, and the Status Anxiety Scale. Process Macro Model 4, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were used for the data analysis. RESULTS: According to the results of the study, the corporate policies for COVID-19 perception of participants were above average (3.30±0.82) while work stress (2.99±0.88) and anxiety (2.65±0.56) were below average. The corporate policies for COVID-19 perception of participants reduced their work stress (β= – 0.430) and anxiety (β= – 0.361). Additionally, anxiety played a mediating role in the effect of the corporate policies for COVID-19 perception on work stress, and it further raised the impact of corporate policies for COVID-19 perception on the work stress reduction (β= – 0.169). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health managers should determine and control the anxiety and stress levels of the health employees on their staff and take a number of steps to reduce their anxiety and stress.
Relationship between occupational stress injury score and simulated patient-care scenario performance among experienced paramedics
Authors: Tremblay Mathieu , Albert Wayne J. , Fischer Steven L. , Beairsto Eric , Johnson Michel J.
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND: It is well-known that psychosocial health status of paramedics may be altered by their job demands. However, it is unknown whether psychosocial health status can affect occupational performance. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to explore whether a paramedic’s symptom severity of Occupational Stress Injury (OSI) was related to simulated patient-care performance. METHODS: Nineteen paramedics with 15.0±8.7 years of paramedic experience participated in this study. Participants completed both an OSI symptom severity questionnaires, and a patient-care simulation. Vagal activity was also collected during the patient-care simulation. The simulation was used to assess experienced paramedics in a realistic stressful setting. Based on the provincial standard in New Brunswick, an experienced paramedic instructor graded the patient-care simulation using the provincial standard charts, observing performance videos and assessing data from the manikin. RESULTS: The current study suggests that paramedics who self-reported elevated symptoms of OSI were less likely to successfully complete the simulated patient-care scenario. CONCLUSION: This research suggests that the presence of self-reported elevated symptoms of OSI negatively impacts paramedics’ performance during a stressful work task simulation. Therefore, to help paramedics maintain optimal performance, it may be important to ensure that paramedics have access to appropriate resources to monitor and improve their psychosocial health.
Evaluation of human error in workers of an Iranian copper mine during the COVID-19 pandemic using the CREAM
Authors: Taheri Mohammad Reza , Mortazavi Seyyed Bagher , Asilian Hasan , Ahmadi Omran
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely affected both global economy and public health around the world. These effects have also been observed in many workplaces, including mines. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the human error of copper miners during the pandemic. METHOD: This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was performed on 192 workers of a copper mine in Iran. For this, occupation tasks were firstly analyzed using the Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA), and then the human error in different subunits was assessed using the basic Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM). The prevalence of COVID-19 among miners was determined by assessing positive PCR test records. RESULTS: The probability of human error in the operational subunits including mining, crushing, processing, and support subunits was estimated to be 0.0056, 0.056, 0.0315, and 0.0177, respectively. All three operational units were found to be in the scrambling control mode. The support unit was determined to be in the tactical control mode. Approximately 50% of all workers had been infected with COVID-19, with the highest prevalence in support units. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, copper miners are at higher risk of human error induced by poor working conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to employ some management strategies such as promotion of safety, health monitoring, and adopting supportive measures to control occupational stresses and therefore the probability of human error in the mine’s operational units.
Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Menggunakan Lectora Inspire 17 Pada Materi Mamalia Untuk Siswa Kelas X SMA
Authors: Gusliani Gusliani , Hamidah Afreni , Hakim Nasrul
Published: September 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan media pembelajaran menggunakan Lectora Inspire 17 pada materi mamalia kelas X SMA. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan dengan mengunakan model 4 D. penelitian ini dilaksanakan di SMA Negeri 12 Kota Jambi pada bulan September 2018. Data penelitian diperoleh dengan menyebarkan angket kepada validator ahli media, ahli materi dan satu orang guru mata pelajaran biologi, uji coba kelompok kecil yang terdiri dari 9 orang, uji coba kelompok besar yang terdiri dari 35 orang. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian validasi ahli media diperoleh skor 85% termasuk kedalam kategori sangat baik, validasi ahli materi diperoleh skor 91% masuk kedalam kategori sangat baikaa. Hasil ujicoba terhadap guru mata pelajaran diperoleh persentase sebesar 87,5% termasuk kedalam kategori sangat baik. Hasil uji coba kelompok kecil diperoleh persentase 88,19% termasuk kedalam kategori sangat baik. Dan hasil uji coba kelompok besar diperoleh persentase 80,2% termasuk kedalam kategori sangat baik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa media pembelajaran menggunakan Lectora Inspire 17 yang dikembangkan telah layak digunakan dalam proses pembelajaran.
Inovasi Pembelajaran sebagai Strategi Peningkatan Kemampuan Guru Biologi di SMAN 5 Metro
Authors: Carolina Hifni Septina , Suryani Ema
Published: September 2022

Kemampuan yang dibutuhkan di era pembelajaran abad 21 yaitu berpikir kritis, kolaborasi, komunikasi, dan kreativitas. Maka dalam proses pembelajaran, siswa seharusnya dapat terlibat aktif dan berkolaborasi dengan teman. Peran guru sangat signifikan untuk setiap proses pembelajaran yang berkualitas dan bermakna. Berdasarkan observasi awal yang dilakukan di sekolah dalam pembelajaran biologi, diketahui bahwa proses pembelajaran masih lebih berpusat pada guru, dimana guru hanya menyampaikan materi sebagai suatu produk dan siswa menghafal informasi faktual. Untuk alasan inilah, kemampuan guru dalam mempersiapkan pengalaman belajar bagi siswa, seharusnya tidak hanya menekankan produk tetapi juga memperhatikan aspek proses dan sikap yang berhubungan dengan kehidupan sehari-hari. Dalam penelitian ini, peneliti memberikan beberapa gagasan terkait inovasi pembelajaran yang bisa dijadikan rujukan oleh guru untuk memperbaiki proses pembelajaran supaya tujuan pembelajaran tercapai.
Analisis CRI (Certainly Response Index) Pembelajaran Online Parasitologi pada Mahasiswa IKIP Budi Utomo Malang pada Masa Pandemi Covid-19
Authors: Qomariyah Ismi Nurul , Mistianah Mistianah
Published: September 2022

Pembelajaran berbasis  teknologi di masa pandemic Covid-19 menghadapi banyak kendala dan tantangan. Akibatnya, desain dan  strategi  pembelajaran diharapkan efektif, efisien dan mampu memberdayakan kompetensi mahasiswa dengan tepat. Namun, tes pilihan ganda dalam bentuk kuis online juga memiliki beberapa kekurangan, misalnya, cukup sulit untuk menangkap tingkat konsep penguasaan mahasiswa secara lebih mendalam dan rinci. Oleh karena itu formulir evaluasi tes pilihan ganda online dapat dikembangkan dengan sistem dua tingkat, sehingga dapat menunjukkan tingkat pemahaman dan pemikiran mahasiswa lebih lanjut. Selain itu, kepastian indeks respons juga ditambahkan untuk menentukan tingkat kepercayaan mahasiswa terhadap jawaban yang diberikan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis pemahaman mahasiswa dengan Kepastian Indeks Respons (CRI) pada materi parasitologi menggunakan tes diagnostik online dua tingkat berdasarkan aplikasi ispring suite 8. Metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif. Subjeknya adalah mahamahasiswa IKIP Budi Utomo Malang 2018 A, dengan jumlah total 18 mahasiswa. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat CRI mahasiswa cenderung rendah, jawaban dan alasan tidak benar dan terkait satu sama  lain, sehingga tampaknya mahasiswa menjawab secara acak yang tidak dapat menunjukkan alasan logis yang berkaitan dengan jawaban. Beberapa faktor yang  menyebabkan rendahnya tingkat pemahaman mahasiswa dan CRI adalah   karakteristik materi parasitologi  yang abstrak dan sulit, ruang lingkup materi  yang  kompleks dan rumit, kemampuan awal mahasiswa, dan penggunaan sumber belajar yang tidak optimal.