bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nailfold capillary density in 140 untreated children with juvenile dermatomyositis: an indicator of disease activity
Authors: Pachman Lauren M. , Morgan Gabrielle , Klein-Gitelman Marisa S. , Ahsan Najah , Khojah Amer
Published: October 2023

Background

We lack a reliable indicator of disease activity in Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM), a rare disease. The goal of this study is to identify the association of nailfold capillary End Row Loop (ERL) loss with disease damage in children with newly diagnosed, untreated JDM.

Findings

We enrolled 140 untreated JDM and 46 age, race and sex matched healthy controls, ages 2–17. We selected items from the Juvenile Myositis Registry for analysis. Variables include average ERL density of 8 fingers, average capillary pattern, hemorrhages, and clinical and laboratory correlates. Laboratory data includes Myositis Specific Antibodies (MSA), disease activity scores (DAS), Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale (CMAS), and standard clinical serologic data. The reduced mean ERL density is 5.1 ± 1.5/mm for untreated JDM vs 7.9 ± 0.9/mm for healthy controls,p < 0.0001, and is associated with DAS-skin,r = -0.27p = 0.014, which did not change within the age range tested. Untreated JDM with MSA Tif-1-γ had the lowest ERL density, (p = 0.037); their ERL patterns were primarily “open” and the presence of hemorrhages in the nailfold matrix was associated with dysphagia (p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Decreased JDM ERL density is associated with increased clinical symptoms; nailfold hemorrhages are associated with dysphagia. Duration of untreated disease symptoms and MSA, modify NFC shape. We speculate nailfold characteristics are useful indicators of disease activity in children with JDM before start of therapy.
Hemolysis and cardiopulmonary bypass: meta-analysis and systematic review of contributing factors
Authors: Bhirowo Yudo P. , Raksawardana Yusuf K. , Setianto Budi Y. , Sudadi Sudadi , Tandean Tommy N. , Zaharo Alfia F. , Ramsi Irhash F. , Kusumawardani Hening T. , Triyono Teguh
Published: October 2023

Background

The use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is almost inevitable in cardiac surgery. However, it can cause complications, including hemolysis. Until now, there have not been any standards for reducing hemolysis from CPB. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to determine the factors that increase or reduce hemolysis in the use of CPB.

Methods

Keywords Earches (cardiac surgery AND cardiopulmonary bypass AND hemolysis) were done on PubMed databases and Cochrane CENTRAL from 1990—2021 for published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied interventions on CPB, in cardiac surgery patients, and measured hemolysis as one of the outcomes. Studies involving patients with preoperative hematological disorders, prosthetic valves, preoperative use of intra-aortic balloon pumps and extracorporeal circulation, emergency and minimally invasive surgery are excluded

Results

The search yielded 64 studies that met the inclusion criteria, which involved a total of 3,434 patients. The most common surgery was coronary revascularization (75%). Out of 64 studies, 33 divided into 7 analyses. Remaining 31 studies were synthesized qualitatively. Significant decreases were found in centrifugal vs roller pumps for PFHb (p = 0.0006) and Hp (p < 0.0001) outcomes, separated vs combined suctioned blood (p = 0.003), CPB alternatives vs conventional CPB (p < 0.0001), and mini extracorporeal circulation (MiniECC) vs conventional CPB for LDH (p = 0.0008). Significant increases were found in pulsatility (p = 0.03) and vacuum-assisted venous drainage (VAVD) vs gravity-assisted venous drainage (GAVD) (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

The review shows that hemolysis could be caused by several factors and efforts have been made to reduce it, combining significant efforts could be beneficial. However, this review has limitations, such as heterogeneity due to no standards available for conducting CPB. Therefore, further research with standardized guidelines for CPB is needed to yield more comparable studies. Meta-analyses with more specific parameters should be done to minimize heterogeneity.
Co-delivery of dimeric camptothecin and chlorin e6 via polypeptide-based micelles for chemo-photodynamic synergistic therapy
Authors: Guo Zhaopei , Wong Ka Hong , Li Enze , Zhou Xingzhi , Jiang Di , Gao Jiebing , Chen Meiwan
Published: October 2023

Background

The integration of photodynamic therapy with a chemical drug-delivery system has displayed great potential in enhancing anticancer therapy. However, the solubility and non-specific biodistribution of both chemotherapeutic agents and photosensitizers continue to pose challenges that hinder their clinical applications.

Method

A polypeptide-based nanoscale drug delivery system was fabricated to address the prementioned issues. An amphiphilic polymer was formed by conjugating the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) onto a polypeptide poly-(L-lysine)-b-polyphenylalanine (PKF) for encapsulating the model drug dimeric camptothecin (DCPT), and the nanoparticles (PCD) with high drug loading efficiency were further modified with acid-sensitive polyethylene glycol (PEG) to yield the drug delivery sytem (PPCD).

Results

The DCPT and Ce6 encapsulation efficiency were analyzed as 99% and 73.5%, respectively. In phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution at a pH of 7.4, the PEG shell improved the stability of micelles and shielded their positive charge while in the acidic tumor microenvironment, the pH-sensitive PEG layer was removed to expose the cationic nanoparticles, thus facilitating the cellular uptake of PPCD micelles. Benefiting from the enhanced cellular internalization, the amount of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) treated with PCD and PPCD micelles were obviously increased. Furthermore, the enhanced anti-cancer efficacy prompted by PPCD micelles was validated through cellular and animal study.

Conclusion

This study presents a promising method to promote the solubility and biodistribution of both chemotherapeutic agent and photosensitizer, thereby facilitating the further application of chemo-photodynamic cancer therapy.

Graphical Abstract
Cross talk of tumor protein D52 (TPD52) with KLF9, PKCε, and MicroRNA 223 in ovarian cancer
Authors: Khan Khushbukhat , Zafar Sameen , Badshah Yasmin , Ashraf Naeem Mahmood , Rafiq Mehak , Danish Lubna , Shabbir Maria , Trembley Janeen H. , Afsar Tayyaba , Almajwal Ali , Razak Suhail
Published: October 2023

Background

Gynecologic cancers comprise malignancies in the female reproductive organs. Ovarian cancer ranks sixth in terms of incidence rates while seventh in terms of mortality rates. The stage at which ovarian cancer is diagnosed mainly determines the survival outcomes of patients. Various screening approaches are presently employed for diagnosing ovarian cancer; however, these techniques have low accuracy and are non-specific, resulting in high mortality rates of patients due to this disease. Hence, it is crucial to identify improved screening and diagnostic markers to overcome this cancer. This study aimed to find new biomarkers to facilitate the prognosis and diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Methods

Bioinformatics approaches were used to predict the tertiary structure and cellular localization along with phylogenetic analysis of TPD52. Its molecular interactions were determined through KEGG analysis, and real-time PCR-based expression analysis was performed to assess its co-expression with another oncogenic cellular pathway (miR-223, KLF9, and PKCε) proteins in ovarian cancer.

Results

Bioinformatics analysis depicted the cytoplasmic localization of TPD52 and the high conservation of its coiled-coil domains. Further study revealed that TPD52 mRNA and miRNA-223 expression was elevated, while the expression of KLF 9 and PKCε was reduced in the blood of ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, TPD52 and miR-223 expression were upregulated in the early stages of cancer and non-metastatic cancers.

Conclusion

TPD52, miR-223, PKCε, and KLF9, can be used as a blood based markers for disease prognosis, metastasis, and treatment response. The study outcomes hold great potential to be translated at the clinical level after further validation on larger cohorts.
Effect of genotype on individual response to the pharmacological treatment of glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Scuteri Damiana , Pocobelli Giulio , Sakurada Yoichi , Russo Rossella , Tonin Paolo , Nicotera Pierluigi , Bagetta Giacinto , Corasaniti Maria Tiziana , Nucci Carlo
Published: October 2023

The social impact of glaucoma is worth of note: primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting some 68.56 million people with overall prevalence of 2.4%. Since one of the main risk factors for the development of POAG is the increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) causing retinal ganglion cells death, the medical treatment of POAG consists in the use of drugs endowed with neuroprotective effect and able to reduce IOP. These drugs include beta-blockers, prostaglandin analogues, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, alpha or cholinergic agonists and rho kinase inhibitors. However, not all the patients respond to the same extent to the therapy in terms of efficacy and safety. Genetics and genome wide association studies have highlighted the occurrence of mutations and polymorphisms influencing the predisposition to develop POAG and its phenotype, as well as affecting the response to pharmacological treatment. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims at identifying genetic variants and at verifying whether these can influence the responsiveness of patients to therapy for efficacy and safety. It follows the most updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 recommendations. The literature search was conducted consulting the most relevant scientific databases, i.e. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Public Health Genomics and Precision Health Knowledge Base up to June 14th, 2023. The search retrieved 1026 total records, among which eight met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the analysis. The results demonstrated that the most investigated pharmacogenetic associations concern latanoprost and timolol, and that efficacy was studied more in depth than safety. Moreover, the heterogeneity of design and paucity of studies prompt further investigation in randomized clinical trials. In fact, adequately powered and designed pharmacogenetic association studies are needed to provide body of evidence with good certainty for a more appropriate use of medical therapy in POAG.

PROSPERO registration: CRD42023434867.
The successful treatment of a Gustilo–Anderson type IIIc distal leg injury with a large bone defect in elderly patient with severe osteoporosis: a case report
Authors: Nozaka Koji , Miyakoshi Naohisa , Mita Motoki , Shimada Yoichi
Published: October 2023

Background

Gustilo–Anderson type IIIc tibial open fracture with large bone defects in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis is a rare injury that may be a challenging clinical scenario.

Case presentation

This study presents the case of a 68-year-old Japanese man who sustained a Gustilo–Anderson type IIIc open tibial fracture with a large bone defect. The patient had severe osteoporosis and the bone was contaminated; therefore, we determined that the bone could not be returned to the tibia. The patient underwent acute limb shortening and gradual lengthening with an Ilizarov external fixator combined with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and teriparatide administration for limb reconstruction, which allowed immediate full weight-bearing capacity. The fixator was removed at 12 months postoperatively, and by this time, the fracture had completely healed. At the most recent 5-year follow-up after the injury, the patient reported full weight-bearing capacity without walking aids and had full knee and ankle range of motion.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the use of combined Ilizarov technique, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, and teriparatide for limb reconstruction of Gustilo–Anderson type IIIc open tibial fractures with large bone defects in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis.
Analysis of metabolites in human gut: illuminating the design of gut-targeted drugs
Authors: Gil-Pichardo Alberto , Sánchez-Ruiz Andrés , Colmenarejo Gonzalo
Published: October 2023

Gut-targeted drugs provide a new drug modality besides that of oral, systemic molecules, that could tap into the growing knowledge of gut metabolites of bacterial or host origin and their involvement in biological processes and health through their interaction with gut targets (bacterial or host, too). Understanding the properties of gut metabolites can provide guidance for the design of gut-targeted drugs. In the present work we analyze a large set of gut metabolites, both shared with serum or present only in gut, and compare them with oral systemic drugs. We find patterns specific for these two subsets of metabolites that could be used to design drugs targeting the gut. In addition, we develop and openly share a Super Learner model to predict gut permanence, in order to aid in the design of molecules with appropriate profiles to remain in the gut, resulting in molecules with putatively reduced secondary effects and better pharmacokinetics.
Battling with the low-resource condition for snore sound recognition: introducing a meta-learning strategy
Authors: Li Jingtan , Sun Mengkai , Zhao Zhonghao , Li Xingcan , Li Gaigai , Wu Chen , Qian Kun , Hu Bin , Yamamoto Yoshiharu , Schuller Björn W.
Published: October 2023

Snoring affects 57 % of men, 40 % of women, and 27 % of children in the USA. Besides, snoring is highly correlated with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is characterised by loud and frequent snoring. OSA is also closely associated with various life-threatening diseases such as sudden cardiac arrest and is regarded as a grave medical ailment. Preliminary studies have shown that in the USA, OSA affects over 34 % of men and 14 % of women. In recent years, polysomnography has increasingly been used to diagnose OSA. However, due to its drawbacks such as being time-consuming and costly, intelligent audio analysis of snoring has emerged as an alternative method. Considering the higher demand for identifying the excitation location of snoring in clinical practice, we utilised the Munich-Passau Snore Sound Corpus (MPSSC) snoring database which classifies the snoring excitation location into four categories. Nonetheless, the problem of small samples remains in the MPSSC database due to factors such as privacy concerns and difficulties in accurate labelling. In fact, accurately labelled medical data that can be used for machine learning is often scarce, especially for rare diseases. In view of this, Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML), a small sample method based on meta-learning, is used to classify snore signals with less resources in this work. The experimental results indicate that even when using only the ESC-50 dataset (non-snoring sound signals) as the data for meta-training, we are able to achieve an unweighted average recall of 60.2 % on the test dataset after fine-tuning on just 36 instances of snoring from the development part of the MPSSC dataset. While our results only exceed the baseline by 4.4 %, they still demonstrate that even with fine-tuning on a few instances of snoring, our model can outperform the baseline. This implies that the MAML algorithm can effectively tackle the low-resource problem even with limited data resources.
A modified class of Ostrowski-type inequalities and error bounds of Hermite–Hadamard inequalities
Authors: Vivas-Cortez Miguel , Samraiz Muhammad , Ullah Aman , Iqbal Sajid , Mukhtar Muzammil
Published: October 2023

This paper aims to extend the application of the Ostrowski inequality, a crucial tool for figuring out the error bounds of various numerical quadrature rules, including Simpson’s, trapezoidal, and midpoint rules. Specifically, we develop a more comprehensive class of Ostrowski-type inequalities by utilizing the weighted version of Riemann–Liouville (RL) fractional integrals on an increasing function. We apply our findings to estimate the error bounds of Hadamard-type inequalities. Our results are more comprehensive, since we obtain the results of the existing literatures as particular cases for certain parameter values. This research motivates researchers to apply this concept to other fractional operators.
Validation of a lower limb exoskeleton assist device focusing on viscous properties: verification of assist effectiveness by measuring muscle activity
Authors: Shimoda Yusuke , Sugino Tomotaka , Okui Manabu , Nishihama Rie , Nakamura Taro
Published: October 2023

Because exoskeletal assistive devices are worn directly by a person, enhancing cooperation is important. However, existing assistive devices have problems in terms of their cooperation with human behaviors. This is because existing assistive devices are driven by estimating the wearer’s movement intention based on predetermined movement time and device angle information. Although these methods are expected to work as expected, in practice, it is difficult to achieve the expected behavior. Therefore, an assistance method is required to reduce such misalignment with time and misalignment between the device and wearer. Therefore, this study focused on the viscoelastic properties that generate force in response to movement and are expected to enhance coordination. In a previous study, the authors confirmed the effects of viscoelastic properties or an assistive device with variable stiffness. However, viscous characteristics during movement have not been considered. In this study, we aimed to improve the coordination by focusing on the viscous characteristics. The viscous torque outputs in response to the angular velocity are expected to be driven in response to actual human motion. In this study, the viscous torque was calculated as the product of the command viscosity coefficient and the joint angular velocity and was applied to a lower-limb exoskeleton-type assist device equipped with a magneto-viscous fluid brake and a planetary gear mechanism. In addition, a viscous command that changes the torque according to speed (proposed method), a time command that changes the output value according to the passage of time, and an angle command that changes the command value according to the angle information of the device were applied to the assist device, and surface EMG measurements and command signals were compared. The target movement was a seated movement, and the left and right vastus medialis and semimembranosus muscles were measured. More than half of the subjects showed a decrease in myopotential for five subjects for all three command methods, confirming the effectiveness of the viscous command.
Oral isolation of Geotrichum silvicola with Geotrichum candidum from immunocompetent teenager with oral Geotrichosis signs: the first documented case report
Authors: Abed Ahmed Badri , Korcan Safiye Elif , Titiz Serap , Güngör Serdar , Gelgör Ibrahim Erhan
Published: October 2023

Background

Oral geotrichosis is an infection caused by Geotrichum species. It is an uncommon opportunistic oral fungal infection caused mainly by Geotrichum candidum and rarely found in immunocompetent hosts. This report attempted to highlight a case of unusual geotrichosis, which requires accurate observation, as well as indicate the appropriate diagnostic methods that may contribute to eliminating the misdiagnosis of this fungal infection.

Case presentation

We report of unusual isolation of Geotrichum silvicola and Geotrichum candidum from the oral cavity of a 15-year-old immunocompetent female with a sign of oral geotrichosis. The isolation of Geotrichum silvicola and Geotrichum candidum was performed using Mitis Salivarius Agar. After a month of prescribing appropriate medication and improving oral hygiene, the patient showed the absence of all the signs of geotrichosis without any complaints and an improvement in overall oral health.

Conclusions

The isolation of Geotrichum silvicola and Geotrichum candidum from the oral cavity of an immunocompetent patient is considered an unusual and rare case that documented for the first time.
Optimization for biohydrogen purification process by chemical absorption techniques
Authors: Chusut Wichayaporn , Kanchanasuta Suwimon , Inthorn Duangrat
Published: October 2023

Palm oil decanter cake and crude glycerol, which are characterized by their highly biodegradable organic content and nutrient-rich composition, are attractive ingredients for biohydrogen production. In this experiment, we investigated (1) how to produce hydrogen more effectively by co-fermenting palm oil decanter cake and crude glycerol and (2) how to improve the quality of the hydrogen gas produced via chemical absorption technology. This study was divided into two parts. In the first part, the co-fermentation was conducted with a fixed decanter cake concentration of 1% total solids (TS) w/v and variable crude glycerol concentrations (0.25–2.0% w/v). The results showed that maximum biohydrogen production was achieved with 2.0% w/v crude glycerol, which had a hydrogen yield of 131 L kg−1 TSadded and a hydrogen productivity of 1310 mL L−1 d−1. In the second part of the experiment, biohydrogen purification was conducted using the chemical absorption technique by varying four different alkaline solutions: mono ethanolamine (MEA), ammonia (NH3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and potassium hydroxide (KOH). The highest hydrogen purity of 98.9% v/v was reached with the MEA solution at a 5 M concentration and a 280 mL min−1 feed mixed gas flow rate for an absorption time of 5 min. However, to achieve sustainable waste management in palm oil mill plants, the feasibility of integrating the biohydrogen production process with palm oil mill effluent from the biogas plants and applying a hydrogen gas quality improvement system need to be investigated further.
The effects of statin therapy on aneurysm size, growth rate, and matrix metalloproteinases-9 levels in patients with aortic aneurysm: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pramana Ketut Angga Aditya Putra , Pintaningrum Yusra , Rahmat Basuki
Published: October 2023

Background

Aortic aneurysm enlargement over time causes rupture, which frequently results in death. The family of proteases known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) is assumed to be proteolytic activity involved in the growth of aortic aneurysms. Statins are pleiotropic lipid-lowering medications with anti-inflammatory action. Statins can lower aneurysmal enlargement and MMP secretion, according to a number of studies, however the evidence is still up for debate. The purpose of this study is to assess how statins affect aortic aneurysm patient's aneurysm diameter size, growth rate, and MMP-9 levels.

Methods

From January 2000 to December 2022, electronic journal searches in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane were conducted to discover papers evaluating the effects of statin treatment in patients with aortic aneurysm. Aneurysm diameter size, growth rate, and MMP-9 levels were the outcomes we were looking for. Meta-analyses were run on the included studies, and mean differences (MD) and 95% CIs were calculated with Review Manager v5.4.

Results

Our analysis includes a total of ten research. Statin medication substantially reduced aneurysm diameter size by 0.30 mm (P = 0.04; MD − 0.30; 95% CI − 0.58 to − 0.01) and growth rate by 0.34 mm/year (P < 0.00001; MD − 0.34; 95% CI − 0.40 to − 0.29) compared to placebo. There was no significant change in MMP-9 concentrations between individuals with aortic aneurysm who took a statin and those who did not.

Conclusion

Overall, this meta-analysis demonstrates that statin medication is considerably helpful in reducing aneurysm diameter size and aneurysmal growth rate in individuals with aortic aneurysm.
Bone marrow transplantation/non-bone marrow transplantation gap: to what extent does it exist in the Egyptian children with acquired aplastic anemia? Retrospective descriptive study
Authors: Abdallah Abd El Megied Mohamed , Afifi Rasha Abdel-Raouf Abdel-Aziz , Ali Howida Ahmed
Published: October 2023

Background

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is not always feasible in resources-limited countries for treatment of acquired aplastic anemia (AA); accordingly, an alternative and acceptable non-BMT is required to avoid missing many cases who are liable to die while waiting for BMT. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of the gap between BMT and non-BMT in Egypt. The resolution and survival outcomes of BMT versus non-BMT therapy (isolated IST, combined IST & Eltrombopag (EPAG) (double therapy) and combined IST and EPAG and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) (triple therapy)) were evaluated.

Methods

Medical records were reviewed for epidemiological and clinical data, as well as response to BMT and non-BMT used. Sixty patients with acquired AA were involved. BMT was performed in 18 patients, while non-BMT was performed in 42 patients.

Results

Resolution occurred in 13/18 (72.2%) patients treated with BMT, 5/14 (35.7%) isolated IST, 10/12 (83.3%) combined IST-EPAG, and 12/16 (75%) triple ATG-IST-EPAG with an overall resolution occurring in 27/42 (64.2%). The percentage of survivors in those treated with BMT was 72.2%, isolated IST 5/14 (35.7%), double therapy 10/12 (83.3%), and triple therapy 10/16 (62.5%) with an overall survivor occurring in 25/42 (59.5%). Despite the lack of a statistically significant correlation, it was found that patients who received BMT had 1.769 times higher survival rates than those who received non-BMT.

Conclusion

In Egypt, BMT is the ideal therapy for acquired AA with acceptable results for non-BMT regarding resolution and survival. Double therapy is the best modality of non-BMT regarding resolution and survival. Accordingly, it is recommended to be initiated in case of unavailable matched donor.
Postsecondary biology students’ ways of participating in the critique and discussion of primary scientific literature
Authors: Jablonski G. B. , Grinath A. S.
Published: October 2023

This multiple-case study describes varied forms of productive disciplinary engagement in the critique and discussion of primary scientific literature by postsecondary biology students. Such descriptions are necessary for biology educators to design for and recognize diverse repertoires of participation.
Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormones Is Associated With Decreased Vitamin D Levels in the Euthyroid Population
Authors: Li Yuanmeng , Sun Juan , Jiao Yang , Li Naishi , Zhao Weigang
Published: October 2023

Context

The relationship between vitamin D and thyroid profiles lacks consensus despite extensive investigations. Whether vitamin D levels correlate with thyroid hormone sensitivity remains largely unexplored.

Objective

To explore the relationship between vitamin D levels and thyroid hormone sensitivity among euthyroid individuals.

Methods

This study involved 6452 euthyroid participants. Clinical parameters, including TSH, free thyroxine, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and other relevant indicators were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012. To quantify thyroid hormone sensitivity, we calculated the Thyroid Feedback Quantile-based Index (TFQI), the TSH index (TSHI), and the thyrotropin thyroxine resistance index (TT4RI).

Results

Subjects with impaired thyroid hormone sensitivity have decreased 25(OH)D levels (TFQI, TT4RI: P < 0.05; TSHI: P = .05574) following adjustment of confounding variables. Age-specific analysis found negative correlations between thyroid hormone sensitivity indices and 25(OH)D within the 20 to 60 years subgroup, turning positive in the 60 to 80 years subgroup. In females, thyroid hormone sensitivity indices and vitamin D levels were negatively linked, while in males, vitamin D's relationships with TFQI, TT4RI, and TSHI shifted from negative to positive when 25(OH)D levels exceeded 63.5 nmol/L, 56.7 nmol/L, and 56.7 nmol/L, respectively. Stratification by race revealed U-shaped curvilinear patterns resembling those found in the males. In body mass index (BMI) subanalysis, vitamin D had differing associations with thyroid hormone sensitivity indices: negative in the <25 kg/m2 and ≥30 kg/m2 subgroups and U-shaped in the 25-30 kg/m2 subgroup.

Conclusion

Impaired thyroid hormone sensitivity correlates with decreased vitamin D levels among euthyroid subjects, with associations varying by age, sex, race, and BMI.
Midpoint of C7 Lateral Mass Serves as an Accurate Reference Point for the Placement of T1 Pedicle Screws: An Anatomic Study
Authors: Kim Kevin T. , Panagos Michael , Hentschel Matthew , Sharma Ashish , Han Nathan , Chryssikos Timothy , Schwartzbauer Gary , Crandall Kenneth M. , Sansur Charles A.
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Free-hand placement of T1 pedicle screws can often be challenging. A reliable free-hand technique for placement of T1 pedicle screws can overcome some of the difficulties associated with poor fluoroscopy in this region. The purpose of this study was to propose a novel anatomic landmark for accurate identification of the T1 entry point using the midpoint of the C7 lateral mass as a reference point. Our hypothesis is that the midpoint of the C7 lateral mass is within 1–2 mm of the center of the T1 pedicle.

METHODS:

Using 3-dimensional reconstruction software, the pedicle of T1 and the lateral mass of C7 were isolated to assess the location of the T1 pedicle relative to the C7 lateral mass. Specifically, the distance between the center of the T1 pedicle and the center of the C7 lateral mass was measured on 40 computed tomography scans. Furthermore, a clinical validation of this technique was performed by assessing the postoperative computed tomography scans of 53 patients undergoing cervicothoracic instrumentation. The Gertzbein and Robbins classification system was used to grade the accuracy of T1 pedicle screw placements in all patients using this technique.

RESULTS:

The average horizontal deviation + SD from centers of the T1 pedicle and the C7 lateral mass was 0.398 mm ± 0.953 mm. The T1 pedicle on average was slightly medial to the center of the C7 lateral mass. A total of 98.1% of T1 pedicle screws placed in vivo using the free-hand technique were of Grade A.

CONCLUSION:

In this article, we demonstrate that the center of the C7 lateral mass overlays the T1 pedicle and the optimal entry point is immediately below the midpoint of the C7 lateral mass. This approach provides a practical and accurate landmark in posterior cervicothoracic spine procedures that reduce the need for additional radiation exposure or increased operative time with image-guided techniques.
Ήχοι – ηχητικά σύμβολα
Authors: Παλαιολόγου Μιχαήλ
Published: October 2023

Το παρόν κείμενο αποτελεί συνοδευτικό υπόμνημα στο κύριο μέρος της διδακτορικής μου διατριβής που είναι το έργο Textons για μεικτό σύνολο οργάνων και εστιάζει στη διερεύνηση των Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών των οργάνων της ορχήστρας και τη χρήση τους στη διαδικασία της σύνθεσης. Το υπόμνημα χωρίζεται σε τέσσερα κύρια μέρη. Στο πρώτο μέρος παρουσιάζεται η έρευνα που έγινε με σκοπό την συγκέντρωση και κατηγοριοποίηση των Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών των οργάνων της ορχήστρας. Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δίνεται στον προσδιορισμό της έννοιας Διευρυμένες Τεχνικές μέσα από ιστορική αναδρομή, έρευνα στην υπάρχουσα βιβλιογραφία και εργογραφία καθώς και διερεύνηση Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών μέσω επαφής με εξειδικευμένους μουσικούς στη Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό. Το δεύτερο μέρος εστιάζει στην ανάπτυξη ιδεών σχετικά με τη σύγχρονη αντίληψη του ήχου και του θορύβου ως δομικά στοιχεία σε μία σύνθεση. Έμφαση δίνεται στον συνθέτη Helmut Lachenmann και στην ανάπτυξη της θεωρίας των Τύπων Ήχου. Στο τρίτο μέρος παρουσιάζονται οι διαφορετικοί τρόποι χρήσης των Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών στη διαδικασία της σύνθεσης μέσω της ανάλυσης του έργου Textons. Διερευνώνται ερωτήματα όπως κατά πόσον οι Διευρυμένες Τεχνικές μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν για την ανάπτυξη και την εδραίωση μουσικής μορφής. Αλλά και στην περίπτωση που χρησιμοποιούνται μόνο ως μέρος της χρωματικής παλέτας ενός συνόλου εάν μπορούν να θεωρηθούν ισάξιες άλλων κλασικών ενορχηστρωτικών επιλογών. Τέλος, στο τέταρτο μέρος, γίνεται η παρουσίαση ενός λεπτομερούς πολυμεσικού εγχειριδίου εκτέλεσης των Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών των μουσικών οργάνων της ορχήστρας. Στο υπόμνημα συμπεριλαμβάνεται η παρουσίαση των Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών με πλήρη ανάπτυξη των αναμενόμενων ηχητικών αποτελεσμάτων, του δυναμικού εύρους, του επίπεδου δυσκολίας καθώς και του τρόπου εκτέλεσης. Παράλληλα έχει δημιουργηθεί ένα πρωτότυπο πολυμεσικό εγχειρίδιο σε ιστοσελίδα στο διαδίκτυο στο οποίο συμπεριλαμβάνονται και βίντεο παρουσίασης των Διευρυμένων Τεχνικών του εγχειριδίου.
Τροποποιημένη βαρύτητα
Authors: Ασημάκης Πέτρος-Παναγιώτης
Published: October 2023

Σε αυτή τη διδακτορική διατριβή μελετάμε διάφορες τροποποιημένες θεωρίες βαρύτητας και τις εξετάζουμε σε κοσμολογικό υπόβαθρο ώστε να δούμε ποιες από αυτές μπορούν να είναι βιώσιμες από μαθηματική και πειραματική άποψη.
The genome sequence of the Cossus hoverfly, Volucella inflata (Fabricius 1794)
Authors: Crowley Liam M. , Sivell Olga , Sivell Duncan , Mitchell Ryan , Barnes Jaimie C. , Wotton Karl R. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Volucella inflata (the Cossus hoverfly; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Syrphidae). The genome sequence is 753.5 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 6 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.66 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 11,161 protein coding genes.
The genome sequence of the Common White Wave, Cabera pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Wawman Denise C. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Cabera pusaria (the Common White Wave; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Geometridae). The genome sequence is 794.3 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.64 kilobases in length.
Hashimoto’s thyroidits and other causes of hypothyrodisim – systematic review
Authors: Jurek Aleksander , Szumlas Zuzanna , Mrozek Łukasz , Klocek Konrad , Zwolski Maciej , Puchalski Krzysztof , Kostecki Bartosz , Hajduk Aleksandra
Published: October 2023

Introduction and objective: The aim of the study is to summarize the knowledge about hypothyroidism, with particular emphasis on Hashimoto's disease, as its most common cause.

Review metods: Literature review of PubMed database using key words contained in ‘Medical Subject Headings’ MeSH.  State of Knowledge: Hashimoto's disease is the most common form of thyroiditis, as well as main cause of hypothyroidism. It is an autoimmune disease that leads to gradual fibrosis and atrophy of the thyroid gland. It occurs several times more frequently in women than in men. Treatment mainly involves supplementation of thyroid hormones due to the progressive hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine (L-T4) therapy has a long history of clinical use, a defined pharmacological profile, and is considered as safe treatment of hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland. There are also other, less common causes of hypothyroidism, such as postoperative hypothyroidism, de Quervain's disease, post-radioactive iodine treatment status, drug-induced and central hypothyroidism, which are equally important and should not be forgotten during the diagnostic process.

Summary: Hypothyroidism can be caused by various factors, the main being Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Regardless of the etiology, treatment in most cases involves levothyroxine (LT-4) supplementation, which leads to euthyroidism and resolution of symptoms. Surgery may need to be performed in pateitns who meet the surgical criteria and show unresponsiveness to conservative treatment.
Dziedzictwo Renesansu: Księga jubileuszowa dedykowana profesor Annie Klimkiewicz
Authors: Miszalska Jadwiga
Published: October 2023

Dziedzictwo Renesansu to fascynująca podróż przez wieki, podczas której odkrywamy wpływ włoskiego Renesansu na literaturę i kulturę europejską. Od refleksji na temat Petrarki, przez analizę twórczości Ortensia Landa, Machiavellego i włoskich wątków w polskim Odrodzeniu oraz Baroku, aż po echa renesansowego dziedzictwa w dziełach współczesnych pisarzy: Michele Mariego i Gianniego Celatiego. To zbiór artykułów oddający hołd Profesor Annie Klimkiewicz i jej wkładowi w badanie oraz promowanie arcydzieł literatury i sztuki Renesansu. Książka stanowi nieocenione źródło wiedzy dla badaczy, studentów i wszystkich miłośników literatury pragnących zgłębić tajniki europejskiego dziedzictwa kulturowego.
Miłość do Laury w świetle filozofii moralnej Petrarki w Secretum meum
Authors: Maślanka-Soro Maria
Published: October 2023

Laura and love are the main themes of Petrarch’s Canzoniere, where they play an important role in shaping the autobiographical myth, in which love, poetry and fame are closely inter- twined. It is expressed, among other things, in the interplay between the words Laura, lauro (laurel wreath) and l’aura (poetic breath). In the lyrics that make up the Canzoniere, Laura is sometimes idealized in the spirit of dolce stil nuovo poetics, despite the sometimes critical view of her attitude of indifference to the lyrical subject of the poems. In the philosophical dialogue Secretum meum, which is an important point of reference for Canzoniere, the myth of Laura (and laurel) is subjected to a far-reaching revision, and Augustine’s unhappy love for her is shown as a cause of Francesco’s (who deceives himself by idealizing her) state of spiritual misery. The dialogue between them fits into the context of moral philosophy, com- bining Augustinian elements (knowing oneself and searching for the truth within oneself ) with Stoic elements, for example with the assumption that only virtue leads man to happiness and that the will plays a fundamental role in achieving it. Francesco doesn’t appreciate the latter assumption. Augustine, extracting the truth from his interlocutor using the “Socratic” method, proves to him that his love for Laura became a source of misfortune and the reason for his straying off the right path, and referring to the views of Cicero, he shows him three ways to effectively heal himself from the “illness” he is suffering from.
Sebastian Grabowiecki jako tłumacz Psalmów Bernarda Tassa
Authors: Miszalska Jadwiga
Published: October 2023

The article focuses on the poetry of Sebastian Grabowiecki, specifically the translations of Bernard Tass’s psalms. Several selected works were subjected to a comparative analysis, ex- amining the strategy adopted by the translator. While maintaining the formal structure of the translated poems, Grabowiecki modifies some topical images characteristic of the poetic tradition of Italy. However, no major differences were noticed in the translations that would indicate a polemical approach to religious issues and certain aspects of the Italian poet’s reformist spirituality. The conclusion is that Grabowiecki, one of the first Polish translators of poetry written in a modern language, introduced many new lyrical forms to Polish poetry and belongs to the group of those poets/translators whose works took a primary position in the emerging polysystem of Polish literature.
Irriverenze rinascimentali di Michele Mari
Authors: Janusz Joanna
Published: October 2023

The article focuses on Renaissance inspirations in some works by Michele Mari. Using pastiche, irony or quotation, the writer refers both to recognized authors of Humanism and the Renaissance (Boccaccio, Tasso) and to artists from the circle of mannerism (Pontormo, Doni). In each case, the Renaissance tradition is the starting point for an original, often bold, interpretation of classical motifs. Mari refers to Renaissance works in various ways: directly, by referring to the title or author, or using Renaissance topoi such as the library or the monster. An indirect reference to tradition consists in the use of the Renaissance enumeration technique or in the modification of the structure of the original, almost to the point of rewriting the work in the form of an apocrypha.
Online Bipartite Matching with Reusable Resources
Authors: Delong Steven , Farhadi Alireza , Niazadeh Rad , Sivan Balasubramanian , Udwani Rajan
Published: October 2023

We study the classic online bipartite matching problem with a twist: off-line vertices, called resources, are reusable. In particular, when a resource is matched to an online vertex, it is unavailable for a deterministic time duration d, after which it becomes available again for a rematch. Thus, a resource can be matched to many different online vertices over a period of time. Whereas recent work on the problem has resolved the asymptotic case in which we have large starting inventory (i.e., many copies) of every resource, we consider the (more general) case of unit inventory and give the first algorithms that are provably better than the naïve greedy approach, which has a competitive ratio of (exactly) 0.5. Our first algorithm, which achieves a competitive ratio of 0.589, generalizes the classic RANKING algorithm for online bipartite matching of nonreusable resources (Karp et al. 1990) by reranking resources independently over time. Whereas reranking resources frequently has the same worst case performance as greedy, we show that reranking intermittently on a periodic schedule succeeds in addressing reusability of resources and performs significantly better than greedy in the worst case. Our second algorithm, which achieves a competitive ratio of 0.505, is a primal-dual randomized algorithm that works by suggesting up to two resources as candidate matches for every online vertex and then breaking the tie to make the final matching selection in a randomized correlated fashion over time. As a key component of our algorithm, we suitably adapt and extend the powerful technique of online correlated selection (Fahrbach et al. 2020) to reusable resources in order to induce negative correlation in our tie-breaking step and beat the competitive ratio of 0.5. Both of our results also extend to the case in which off-line vertices have weights.

Funding: R. Niazadeh’s research is supported by the Asness Junior Faculty Fellowship at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
On new protocols of Noncommutative Cryptography in terms of homomorphism of stable multivariate transformation groups
Authors:   Royal Holloway University of London, Ustimenko Vasyl , Klisowski Michał ,   University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska
Published: October 2023

Noncommutative cryptography is based on applications of algebraic structures like noncommutative groups, semigroups, and noncommutative rings. Its intersection with Multivariate cryptography contains studies of cryptographic applications of subsemigroups and subgroups of affine Cremona semigroups defined over finite commutative rings. Efficiently computed homomorphisms between stable subsemigroups of affine Cremona semigroups can be used in tame homomorphisms protocols schemes and their inverse versions. The implementation scheme with the sequence of subgroups of affine Cremona group that defines the projective limit was already suggested. We present the implementation of another scheme that uses two projective limits which define two different infinite groups and the homomorphism between them. The security of the corresponding algorithm is based on complexity of the decomposition problem for an element of affine Cremona semigroup into a product of given generators. These algorithms may be used in postquantum technologies.
Orbit isomorphic skeleton groups
Authors:   Monash University, Saha Subhrajyoti
Published: October 2023

Recent development in the classification of p-groups often concentrate on the coclass graph G(p,r) associated with the finitep-groups coclassr, specially on periodicity results on these graphs. In particular, the structure of the subgraph inducedby ‘skeleton groups’ is of notable interest. Given their importance, in this paper, we investigate periodicity results of skeleton groups. Our results concentrate on the skeleton groups in G(p,1). We find a family of skeleton groups in G(7,1) whose 6-step parent is not aperiodic parent. This shows that the periodicity results available inthe current literature for primes p≡5 mod 6 do not hold for the primes p≡1 mod 6. We also improve a known periodicity result in a special case of skeleton groups.
The Kloosterman sums on the ellipse
Authors:   Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Varbanets Sergey , Vorobyov Yakov ,   Izmail State University of Humanities
Published: October 2023

The main point of our research is to obtain the estimates for Kloosterman sums K(α, β; h, q; k) considered on the ellipse bound for the case of the integer rational moduleq and forsome natural number k with conditions (α, q)=(β, q)=1 on the integer numbers of imaginary quadratic field. These estimates can be used to construct the asymptotic formulas for the sum of divisors function τℓ(α)forℓ= 2,3, . . . over the ring of integer elements of imaginary quadratic field in arithmetic progression.
Supporting women with diabetes before, during and after pregnancy
Authors: Clark Nuru
Published: October 2023

Nuru Clark, Diabetes Specialist Nurse, Barts Health NHS Trust, London ( nuru.clark@nhs.net ), was the Gold Award winner in the Diabetes Nurse of the Year category of the BJN Awards 2023
Using technology to encourage ward-culture change and provide individualised bladder care
Authors: Powell Darrin , Fenton Nicole
Published: October 2023

When discussing continence care in an acute hospital setting, it can be viewed as a negative subject that is a thinly veiled jab at overstretched nurses. This article takes a fresh and holistic look at continence care, identifying factors that could be causing poor care and how technology could support a change in care. This article includes suggestions on how the data collected could be used to deliver the person-centred care outcomes that may be lacking in some environments, something that one of the authors (DP) has experienced first hand. This article describes the results of a recent trial at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon (Canon Valley Hospital), NHS Wales, which looked at how continence care technology could support positive care outcomes.