bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlative factors of poor prognosis and abnormal cellular immune function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Bai Hua , Zeng Hong-Mei , Zhang Qi-Fang , Hu Yue-Zhi , Deng Fei-Fei
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a serious disease causing human dementia and social problems. The quality of life and prognosis of AD patients have attracted much attention. The role of chronic immune inflammation in the pathogenesis of AD is becoming more and more important.

AIM

To study the relationship among cognitive dysfunction, abnormal cellular immune function, neuroimaging results and poor prognostic factors in patients.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 62 hospitalized patients clinical diagnosed with AD who were admitted to our hospital from November 2015 to November 2020. Collect cognitive dysfunction performance characteristics, laboratory test data and neuroimaging data from medical records within 24 h of admission, including Mini Mental State Examination Scale score, drawing clock test, blood T lymphocyte subsets, and neutrophils and lymphocyte ratio (NLR), disturbance of consciousness, extrapyramidal symptoms, electroencephalogram (EEG) and head nucleus magnetic spectroscopy (MRS) and other data. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent prognostic factors. the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to determine whether the prognosis was good. The correlation between drug treatment and prognostic mRS score was tested by the rank sum test.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that abnormal cellular immune function, extrapyramidal symptoms, obvious disturbance of consciousness, abnormal EEG, increased NLR, abnormal MRS, and complicated pneumonia were related to the poor prognosis of AD patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the decrease in the proportion of T lymphocytes in the blood after abnormal cellular immune function (odd ratio: 2.078, 95% confidence interval: 1.156-3.986, P < 0.05) was an independent risk factor for predicting the poor prognosis of AD. The number of days of donepezil treatment to improve cognitive function was negatively correlated with mRS score (r = 0.578, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The decrease in the proportion of T lymphocytes may have predictive value for the poor prognosis of AD. It is recommended that the proportion of T lymphocytes < 55% is used as the cut-off threshold for predicting the poor prognosis of AD. The early and continuous drug treatment is associated with a good prognosis.
Bipolar hip arthroplasty using conjoined tendon preserving posterior lateral approach in treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures
Authors: Yan Ting-Xin , Dong Sheng-Jie , Ning Bo , Zhao Yu-Chi
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Hip fractures account for 23.8% of all fractures in patients over the age of 75 years. More than half of these patients are older than 80 years. Bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BHA) was established as an effective management option for these patients. Various approaches can be used for the BHA procedure. However, there is a high risk of postoperative dislocation. The conjoined tendon-preserving posterior (CPP) lateral approach was introduced to reduce postoperative dislocation rates.

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the CPP lateral approach for BHA in elderly patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed medical data from 80 patients with displaced femoral neck fractures who underwent BHA. The patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Among the 80 patients, 57 (71.3%) were female. The time to operation averaged 2.3 d (range: 1-5 d). The mean age was 80.5 years (range: 67-90 years), and the mean body mass index was 24.9 kg/m2 (range: 17-36 kg/m2). According to the Garden classification, 42.5% of patients were type Ⅲ and 57.5% of patients were type Ⅳ. Uncemented bipolar hip prostheses were used for all patients. Torn conjoined tendons, dislocations, and adverse complications during and after surgery were recorded.

RESULTS

The mean postoperative follow-up time was 15.3 months (range: 12-18 months). The average surgery time was 52 min (range: 40-70 min) with an average blood loss of 120 mL (range: 80-320 mL). The transfusion rate was 10% (8 of 80 patients). The gemellus inferior was torn in 4 patients (5%), while it was difficult to identify in 2 patients (2.5%) during surgery. The posterior capsule was punctured by the fractured femoral neck in 3 patients, but the conjoined tendon and the piriformis tendon remained intact. No patients had stem varus greater than 3 degrees or femoral fracture. There were no patients with stem subsidence more than 5 mm at the last follow-up. No postoperative dislocations were observed throughout the follow-up period. No significance was found between preoperative and postoperative mean Health Service System scores (87.30 ± 2.98 vs 86.10 ± 6.10, t = 1.89, P = 0.063).

CONCLUSION

The CPP lateral approach can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative dislocation without increasing perioperative complications. For surgeons familiar with the posterior lateral approach, there is no need for additional surgical instruments, and it does not increase surgical difficulty.
Association of preschool children behavior and emotional problems with the parenting behavior of both parents
Authors: Wang Su-Mei , Yan Shuang-Qin , Xie Fang-Fang , Cai Zhi-Ling , Gao Guo-Peng , Weng Ting-Ting , Tao Fang-Biao
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Parental behaviors are key in shaping children’s psychological and behavioral development, crucial for early identification and prevention of mental health issues, reducing psychological trauma in childhood.

AIM

To investigate the relationship between parenting behaviors and behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.

METHODS

From October 2017 to May 2018, 7 kindergartens in Ma’anshan City were selected to conduct a parent self-filled questionnaire - Health Development Survey of Preschool Children. Children’s Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (Parent Version) was applied to measures the children’s behavioral and emotional performance. Parenting behavior was evaluated using the Parental Behavior Inventory. Binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the detection rate of preschool children’s behavior and emotional problems and their parenting behaviors.

RESULTS

High level of parental support/participation was negatively correlated with conduct problems, abnormal hyperactivity, abnormal total difficulty scores and abnormal prosocial behavior problems. High level of maternal support/participation was negatively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms and abnormal peer interaction in children. High level of parental hostility/coercion was positively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms, abnormal conduct problems, abnormal hyperactivity, abnormal peer interaction, and abnormal total difficulty scores in children (all P < 0.05). Moreover, paternal parenting behaviors had similarly effects on behavior and emotional problems of preschool children compared with maternal parenting behaviors (all P > 0.05), after calculating ratio of odds ratio values.

CONCLUSION

Our study found that parenting behaviors are associated with behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children. Overall, the more supportive or involved the parents are, the fewer behavioral and emotional problems the children experience; conversely, the more hostile or controlling the parents are, the more behavioral and emotional problems the children face. Moreover, the impact of fathers’ parenting behaviors on preschool children’s behavior and emotions is no less significant than that of mothers’ parenting behaviors.
Acute pancreatitis as a complication of acute COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Basic-Jukic Nikolina , Juric Ivana , Katalinic Lea , Furic-Cunko Vesna , Sesa Vibor , Mrzljak Anna
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis is a rare extrapulmonary manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but its full correlation with COVID-19 infection remains unknown.

AIM

To identify acute pancreatitis’ occurrence, clinical presentation and outcomes in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients with acute COVID-19.

METHODS

A retrospective observational single-centre cohort study from a transplant centre in Croatia for all adult renal transplant recipients with a functioning kidney allograft between March 2020 and August 2022 to record cases of acute pancreatitis during acute COVID-19. Data were obtained from hospital electronic medical records. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was proven by a positive SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction on the nasopharyngeal swab.

RESULTS

Four hundred and eight out of 1432 (28.49%) patients who received a renal allograft developed COVID-19 disease. The analyzed cohort included 321 patients (57% males). One hundred and fifty patients (46.7%) received at least one dose of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine before the infection. One hundred twenty-five (39.1%) patients required hospitalization, 141 (44.1%) developed pneumonia and four patients (1.3%) required mechanical ventilation. Treatment included immunosuppression modification in 233 patients (77.1%) and remdesivir in 53 patients (16.6%), besides the other supportive measures. In the study cohort, only one transplant recipient (0.3%) developed acute pancreatitis during acute COVID-19, presenting with abdominal pain and significantly elevated pancreatic enzymes. She survived without complications with a stable kidney allograft function.

CONCLUSION

Although rare, acute pancreatitis may complicate the course of acute COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients. The mechanism of injury to the pancreas and its correlation with the severity of the COVID-19 infection in kidney transplant recipients warrants further research.
Possessed: Understanding the Lives of Enslaved Americans
Authors: Bonner Christopher James
Published: February 2024

Abstract: Enslaved people in the US South lived in a system designed to exploit their labor in pursuit of profit. This historiographical essay considers key questions about labor and power raised in the previous two decades of scholarship on antebellum slavery. What were the forms and meanings of enslaved people’s politics, and how can we track them through the archive? How was slavery connected to other phenomena including empire and capitalism in the early United States? In pursuing these questions, scholars have illuminated the history of slavery at different scales, ranging from the lived experiences of bound workers to transatlantic networks of commerce and credit through which the products of enslaved labor moved. This essay considers some of the different ways recent historians have worked to understand the institution of slavery, with a particular focus on the question of how closely their approaches bring us to understanding the shape of enslaved humanity.
Linda Lê: In memoriam
Authors: Do Tess , Barnes Leslie , Yeager Jack A.
Published: February 2024

Abstract: The introduction provides a contextual frame for this issue, underlining the moment in 1992 when Linda Lê claimed to have found her voice, captured in the provocative cover of Les évangiles du crime . A brief biography leads to the summaries of the eleven articles, from renowned Lê scholars as well as new voices. Their contributions resonate with previous work (such as exile and intertextuality), while tracing new lines of study (such as translation, animality, beyond nation). An afterward and acknowledgements follow, including an expression of gratitude for the rich legacy that Linda Lê has left us.
Dramaturgical Analysis of Smiles in Intercultural Communication Between Korean Students and Native English Speakers
Authors: Kim Do Kyun David
Published: February 2024

abstract: This study analyzes the use of a smile exposed by those who speak English as a second language when they communicate with native English speakers. Based on Erving Goffman's dramaturgy perspective, this study specifically investigates communication between Korean students at three U.S. universities and native English speakers. Based on interviews with 48 Korean students, this study reveals the underlying structure of their impression management, which articulated the use of smiling in intercultural communication. The discussion includes theoretical analyses of the smiles displayed by second-language users, along with the implications of smiles that can be interpreted differently in different situations. This study will contribute not only to studies dealing with intercultural communication among people with different native languages but also to the theoretical expansion of dramaturgy to the intercultural and international communication context.
Platform Fans: Contradictory Practices of K-Pop Fandom and the Digital Public Sphere
Authors: James Samantha
Published: February 2024

abstract: This article investigates the notion of an idealized digital public sphere by illustrating the contradiction between the supportive and subversive mediated communication practices of international K-pop fans across social media platforms. Fans subvert historic mass media communication practices by using social media to make their voices heard. However, they simultaneously engage in platform-mediated communication practices that uphold the status quo, doing what production companies, popular opinion, and even other fans expect them to do. Despite new communication-mediating platforms allowing fans to self-govern, create fan economies, and influence their own public opinion, the platformization of K-pop fandom has not demonstrated an idealized digital public sphere. The platformization of the K-pop industry is integral to its viability and global success, and by understanding how K-pop fans communicate online and offline, scholars can learn more about other increasingly globalized, hybridized, and platformized organizing practices and the digital public sphere.
Organismal Superposition and Death
Authors: Nair-Collins Michael
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: Organismal superposition holds that the same individual both is and is not an organism, as a consequence of organismal pluralism. When coupled with the assumption that death is the cessation of an organism, this entails that there is no unique answer as to whether brain death is biological death. This essay argues that concerns about organismal pluralism and superposition do not undermine a theory of biological death, nor entail any metaphysical indeterminacy about the biological vital status of a brain-dead individual.
Lived Religion in Religious Vaccine Exemptions
Authors: Lee Hajung
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: This essay explores a more inclusive and equitable interpretation of "religion" within the context of religious vaccine exemptions. The existing literature critiques the prevalent interpretation of the meaning of religion in religious exemption cases, but frequently overlooks the importance of incorporating the concept of "lived religion." This essay introduces the concept of lived religion from religious studies, elucidates why this lived religion approach is crucial for redefining "religion," and illustrates its application in the domain of religious vaccine exemptions. The author contends that broadening the meaning of religion by employing the concept of lived religion would promote a more inclusive and equitable implementation of religious vaccine exemptions.
Are Psychedelic Experiences Transformative? Can We Consent to Them?
Authors: Kious Brent M. , Peterson Andrew , McGuire Amy L.
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT: Psychedelic substances have great promise for the treatment of many conditions, and they are the subject of intensive research. As with other medical treatments, both research and clinical use of psychedelics depend on our ability to ensure informed consent by patients and research participants. However, some have argued that informed consent for psychedelic use may be impossible, because psychedelic experiences can be transformative in the sense articulated by L. A. Paul (2014). For Paul, transformative experiences involve either the acquisition of knowledge that cannot be obtained in any other way or changes in the self. Either of these characteristics may appear to undermine informed consent. This article argues, however, that there is limited evidence that psychedelic experiences are transformative in Paul's sense, and that they may not differ in their transformative features from other common medical experiences for which informed consent is clearly possible. Further, even if psychedelic experiences can be transformative, informed consent is still possible. Because psychedelic experiences are importantly different in several respects from other medical experiences, this article closes with recommendations for how these differences should be reflected in informed consent processes.
Overcoming the diffraction limit by exploiting unmeasured scattering media
Authors: Sun Shuai , Nie Zhen-Wu , Du Long-Kun , Chang Chen , Liu Wei-Tao
Published: February 2024

Scattering is not necessarily an obstacle to imaging. It can help
enhance imaging performance beyond the reach of a lens system.
However, current scattering-enhanced imaging systems require prior
knowledge of the transmission matrix. There are also some techniques
that do not require such prior knowledge to see through strongly
scattering media, but the results are still limited by the optics
used. Here we propose overcoming the diffraction limit through a
visually opaque diffuser. By controlling the distance between the
diffuser and lens system, light with higher spatial frequencies is
scattered into the entrance pupil. With the deformed wavefront
corrected, we experimentally achieved imaging with 3.39× enhancement of the Rayleigh limit. In
addition, our method works well for objects that are 4× larger than the memory effect range
and can maintain super-resolution performance for a depth of field 6.6× larger than a lens can achieve. Using
our method, an obstructive scattering medium can enhance the
throughput of the imaging system, even though the transmission matrix
of the scattering medium has not been measured beforehand.
IntroUNET: Identifying introgressed alleles via semantic segmentation
Authors: Ray Dylan D. , Flagel Lex , Schrider Daniel R.
Published: February 2024

A growing body of evidence suggests that gene flow between closely related species is a widespread phenomenon. Alleles that introgress from one species into a close relative are typically neutral or deleterious, but sometimes confer a significant fitness advantage. Given the potential relevance to speciation and adaptation, numerous methods have therefore been devised to identify regions of the genome that have experienced introgression. Recently, supervised machine learning approaches have been shown to be highly effective for detecting introgression. One especially promising approach is to treat population genetic inference as an image classification problem, and feed an image representation of a population genetic alignment as input to a deep neural network that distinguishes among evolutionary models (i.e. introgression or no introgression). However, if we wish to investigate the full extent and fitness effects of introgression, merely identifying genomic regions in a population genetic alignment that harbor introgressed loci is insufficient—ideally we would be able to infer precisely which individuals have introgressed material and at which positions in the genome. Here we adapt a deep learning algorithm for semantic segmentation, the task of correctly identifying the type of object to which each individual pixel in an image belongs, to the task of identifying introgressed alleles. Our trained neural network is thus able to infer, for each individual in a two-population alignment, which of those individual’s alleles were introgressed from the other population. We use simulated data to show that this approach is highly accurate, and that it can be readily extended to identify alleles that are introgressed from an unsampled “ghost” population, performing comparably to a supervised learning method tailored specifically to that task. Finally, we apply this method to data from Drosophila, showing that it is able to accurately recover introgressed haplotypes from real data. This analysis reveals that introgressed alleles are typically confined to lower frequencies within genic regions, suggestive of purifying selection, but are found at much higher frequencies in a region previously shown to be affected by adaptive introgression. Our method’s success in recovering introgressed haplotypes in challenging real-world scenarios underscores the utility of deep learning approaches for making richer evolutionary inferences from genomic data.
TRPS1 modulates chromatin accessibility to regulate estrogen receptor alpha (ER) binding and ER target gene expression in luminal breast cancer cells
Authors: Scott Thomas G. , Sathyan Kizhakke Mattada , Gioeli Daniel , Guertin Michael J.
Published: February 2024

Common genetic variants in the repressive GATA-family transcription factor (TF) TRPS1 locus are associated with breast cancer risk, and luminal breast cancer cell lines are particularly sensitive to TRPS1 knockout. We introduced an inducible degron tag into the native TRPS1 locus within a luminal breast cancer cell line to identify the direct targets of TRPS1 and determine how TRPS1 mechanistically regulates gene expression. We acutely deplete over 80 percent of TRPS1 from chromatin within 30 minutes of inducing degradation. We find that TRPS1 regulates transcription of hundreds of genes, including those related to estrogen signaling. TRPS1 directly regulates chromatin structure, which causes estrogen receptor alpha (ER) to redistribute in the genome. ER redistribution leads to both repression and activation of dozens of ER target genes. Downstream from these primary effects, TRPS1 depletion represses cell cycle-related gene sets and reduces cell doubling rate. Finally, we show that high TRPS1 activity, calculated using a gene expression signature defined by primary TRPS1-regulated genes, is associated with worse breast cancer patient prognosis. Taken together, these data suggest a model in which TRPS1 modulates the genomic distribution of ER, both activating and repressing transcription of genes related to cancer cell fitness.
Dual mutations in the whitefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit confer target-site resistance to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides
Authors: Yin Cheng , O’Reilly Andrias O. , Liu Shao-Nan , Du Tian-Hua , Gong Pei-Pan , Zhang Cheng-Jia , Wei Xue-Gao , Yang Jing , Huang Ming-Jiao , Fu Bu-Li , Liang Jin-Jin , Xue Hu , Hu Jin-Yu , Ji Yao , He Chao , Du He , Wang Chao , Zhang Rong , Tan Qi-Mei , Lu Han-Tang , Xie Wen , Chu Dong , Zhou Xu-Guo , Nauen Ralf , Gui Lian-You , Bass Chris , Yang Xin , Zhang You-Jun
Published: February 2024

Neonicotinoid insecticides, which target insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), have been widely and intensively used to control the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, a highly damaging, globally distributed, crop pest. This has inevitably led to the emergence of populations with resistance to neonicotinoids. However, to date, there have been no reports of target-site resistance involving mutation of B. tabaci nAChR genes. Here we characterize the nAChR subunit gene family of B. tabaci and identify dual mutations (A58T&R79E) in one of these genes (BTβ1) that confer resistance to multiple neonicotinoids. Transgenic D. melanogaster, where the native nAChR Dβ1 was replaced with BTβ1A58T&R79E, were significantly more resistant to neonicotinoids than flies where Dβ1 were replaced with the wildtype BTβ1 sequence, demonstrating the causal role of the mutations in resistance. The two mutations identified in this study replace two amino acids that are highly conserved in >200 insect species. Three-dimensional modelling suggests a molecular mechanism for this resistance, whereby A58T forms a hydrogen bond with the R79E side chain, which positions its negatively-charged carboxylate group to electrostatically repulse a neonicotinoid at the orthosteric site. Together these findings describe the first case of target-site resistance to neonicotinoids in B. tabaci and provide insight into the molecular determinants of neonicotinoid binding and selectivity.
Identification of tungiasis infection hotspots with a low-cost, high-throughput method for extracting Tunga penetrans (Siphonaptera) off-host stages from soil samples–An observational study
Authors: Matharu Abneel K. , Ouma Paul , Njoroge Margaret M. , Amugune Billy L. , Hyuga Ayako , Mutebi Francis , Krücken Jürgen , Feldmeier Hermann , Elson Lynne , Fillinger Ulrike
Published: February 2024

Background

The sand flea, Tunga penetrans, is the cause of a severely neglected parasitic skin disease (tungiasis) in the tropics and has received little attention from entomologists to understand its transmission ecology. Like all fleas, T. penetrans has environmental off-host stages presenting a constant source of reinfection. We adapted the Berlese-Tullgren funnel method using heat from light bulbs to extract off-host stages from soil samples to identify the major development sites within rural households in Kenya and Uganda.

Methods and findings

Simple, low-cost units of multiple funnels were designed to allow the extraction of >60 soil samples in parallel. We calibrated the method by investigating the impact of different bulb wattage and extraction time on resulting abundance and quality of off-host stages. A cross-sectional field survey was conducted in 49 tungiasis affected households. A total of 238 soil samples from indoor and outdoor living spaces were collected and extracted. Associations between environmental factors, household member infection status and the presence and abundance of off-host stages in the soil samples were explored using generalized models. The impact of heat (bulb wattage) and time (hours) on the efficiency of extraction was demonstrated and, through a stepwise approach, standard operating conditions defined that consistently resulted in the recovery of 75% (95% CI 63–85%) of all present off-host stages from any given soil sample. To extract off-host stages alive, potentially for consecutive laboratory bioassays, a low wattage (15–25 W) and short extraction time (4 h) will be required. The odds of finding off-host stages in indoor samples were 3.7-fold higher than in outdoor samples (95% CI 1.8–7.7). For every one larva outdoors, four (95% CI 1.3–12.7) larvae were found indoors. We collected 67% of all off-host specimen from indoor sleeping locations and the presence of off-host stages in these locations was strongly associated with an infected person sleeping in the room (OR 10.5 95% CI 3.6–28.4).

Conclusion

The indoor sleeping areas are the transmission hotspots for tungiasis in rural homes in Kenya and Uganda and can be targeted for disease control and prevention measures. The soil extraction methods can be used as a simple tool for monitoring direct impact of such interventions.
The least sample size essential for detecting changes in clustering solutions of streaming datasets
Authors: Atif Muhammad , Farooq Muhammad , Abiad Mohammad , Shafiq Muhammad
Published: February 2024

The clustering analysis approach treats multivariate data tuples as objects and groups them into clusters based on their similarities or dissimilarities within the dataset. However, in modern world, a significant volume of data is continuously generated from diverse sources over time. In these dynamic scenarios, the data is not static but continually evolves. Consequently, the interesting patterns and inherent subgroups within the datasets also change and develop over time. The researchers have paid special attention to monitoring changes in cluster solutions of evolving streams. For this matter, several algorithms have been proposed in the literature. However, to date, no study has examined the effect of variability in cluster sizes on the evolution of cluster solutions. Moreover, no guidance is available on determining the impact of cluster sizes on the type of changes they experience in the streams. In the present simulation study using artificial datasets, the evolution of clusters is examined concerning the variability in cluster sizes. The findings are substantial because tracing and monitoring the changes in clustering solutions have a wide range of applications in every field of research. This study determines the minimum sample size required in the clustering of time-stamped datasets.
Comparison of postoperative complications in mediastinal lymph node dissection versus mediastinal lymph node sampling for early stage non-small cell lung cancer: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Qiao , Li Weijuan , Cai Ningning , Chen Weiwei , Zhao Xiaojuan , Huang Xiongfeng
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The most effective treatment for early stage (I-II) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is surgical resection. However, the extent of mediastinal lymph nodes removal required and the impact of their removal remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the postoperative complications in patients with stage I-II NSCLC who received mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND) or mediastinal lymph node sampling (MLNS).

Methods and analysis

According to the predefined inclusion criteria, we will conduct a comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies examining the postoperative complications of MLND compared to MLNS in patients with stage I-II NSCLC. The search will be performed across multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang, Sinomed, VIP, Duxiu, and Web of Science from inception to February 2024. Additionally, relevant literature references will be retrieved and hand searching of pertinent journals will be conducted. Screening, data extraction, and quality assessment will be performed by two independent reviewers. Review Manager 5.4 will be applied in analyzing and synthesizing. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be used to assess the quality of evidence for the whole RCTs and used Newcastle-Ottawa scale to assess the methodologic quality of observational studies.

Ethics and dissemination

This study did not include personal information. Ethical approval was not required for this study. This study is based on a secondary analysis of the literature, so ethical review approval is not required. The final report will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusion

This systematic review will contribute to compare the safety and survival benefits of these two surgical techniques for the treatment of early stage NSCLC, to further guide the selection of surgical approaches.

Trial registration

The protocol of the systematic review has been registered on Open Science Framework, with a registration number of DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/N2Y5D.
Shakespeare and Costume in Practice, Bridget Escolme (2020)
Authors: Dorney Kate
Published: February 2024

Reviewe of: Shakespeare and Costume in Practice, Bridget Escolme (2020)

Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 215 pp.,

ISBN 978-3-03057-148-1, h/bk, £74.99
Macroeconomic Uncertainty Indices for European Countries
Authors: Boikos Spyridon , Makantasi Eirini , Panagiotidis Theodore
Published: February 2024

The present article seeks to develop a macroeconomic uncertainty index for the EU Member States based on Google Trends for a period of fifteen years (from January 2008 to December 2022). Monthly data were collected for the 12 countries for four different word-terms, as well as for unemployment rate, inflation and the 10-year Government Bond yield. For simplifying the research the keywords searched were in English and were not translated into the countries’ own languages. Our findings were then compared to existing uncertainty indices. Lastly, we employed Impulse Response Functions (IRFs) with the existing economic indicators to highlight the effect that one standard deviation shock on the uncertainty index has on all three indicators and its ability to accurately depict the future precariousness of the country.
Aplicação da nanobiotecnologia na indústria láctea: da produção ao consumo
Authors: De Oliveira Thacila Fernanda , Mendes Haratani Flávio Yukio , Trevizani Marizia , Lopardi Leal Laís , Freire Costa Fabiano
Published: February 2024

A nanotecnologia é a aplicação tecnológica da nanociência, onde nanoestruturas estão sendo desenvolvidas e aplicadas em diversas áreas. Já a nanobiotecnologia é um ramo desta ciência que engloba as grandes áreas da engenharia e biologia molecular, desenvolvendo dispositivos para análises biológicas e químicas. Na indústria de alimentos, essa tecnologia visa aumentar a produção, a vida útil, a biodisponibilidade de nutrientes e pode ser aplicada na fabricação de embalagens. Além disso, os nanomateriais podem ser utilizados como sensores no diagnóstico de qualidade e segurança alimentar, bem como potenciais substitutos aos conservantes alimentícios tradicionais. Dessa forma, o objetivo do estudo em questão é evidenciar as aplicações da nanobiotecnologia no setor lácteo, em toda cadeia de produção até o consumo. Assim, foi constatado durante o estudo, a utilização de nanomateriais na cadeia produtiva, na substituição de conservantes tradicionais, no desenvolvimento de embalagens, no monitoramento da qualidade e na detecção de contaminantes nos produtos lácteos. Portanto, é notável que as aplicações e os impactos dessa tecnologia são inquestionáveis devido ao seu grande potencial, revelando um futuro promissor em tanto na indústria láctea quanto em outros setores.
Ways into Shakespeare's Sonnets
Authors: Vendler Helen
Published: February 2024

This lecture was originally published by the Institute of English Studies, University of London in 1990.

 The Hilda Hulme Memorial Lectures were established in 1985 following a donation from Mr Mohamed Aslam in memory of his wife, Dr Hilda Hulme. The lectures are on the subject of English literature and relate to one of ‘the three fields in which Dr Hulme specialised, namely Shakespeare, language in Elizabethan drama, and the nineteenth-century novel’.
¿Cuándo un abuso es delito? Perspectiva canónico penal del abuso
Authors: Sánchez-Girón Renedo José Luis
Published: February 2024

Tras la entrada en vigor del nuevo Libro VI del CIC, el derecho de la Iglesia recoge nuevos delitos de abuso sexual, sea por admitir como autores a personas que no son clérigos (únicos posibles autores de estos delitos con anterioridad), sea por incorporar alguna nueva forma de abuso sexual o bien nuevas posibles víctimas. Esto aparte, se mantienen algunos delitos referidos a otro tipo de abuso que ya estaban en el CIC de 1983; y hay espacios de posible abuso que no se han tipificado específicamente como delito. Aparte de conocer qué modalidades son delito y cuáles no en cada momento del tiempo, es importante tener en cuenta otros elementos del derecho canónico, como la prescripción de la acción criminal.
El perdón a uno mismo en la persona que ha cometido abuso sexual infantil
Authors: Prieto-Ursúa María , San Martín Caballero Sonia Xianzi
Published: February 2024

El proceso del perdón a uno mismo se dificulta cuando nuestra conducta ha dañado a otro de forma muy intensa e injusta y es disonante con nuestros valores o principios. Esta experiencia amenaza la propia identidad y pone en marcha mecanismos de autoprotección para conservar un autoconcepto aceptable. Desde un enfoque individual y recogiendo las aportaciones de la psicología del perdón, el artículo ofrece claves para comprender el proceso de perdón a uno mismo en el victimario de abuso sexual infantil (ASI): revisa brevemente el alcance del daño infligido, para comprender la dificultad de la tarea y las defensas y resistencias presentes durante el proceso, presenta en detalle dos mecanismos de protección con frecuencia presentes en los victimarios ASI y termina identificando los pasos del proceso de perdón a uno mismo que permitirían al victimario reconstruir una identidad aceptable desde el pleno reconocimiento de la ofensa y su responsabilidad.
Abusos en la Iglesia: posibilidades restaurativas en la justicia canónica
Authors: Ferrer Usó Valeska
Published: February 2024

Los procesos penales canónicos en casos de abuso necesitan ser repensados para atender realmente las necesidades de las víctimas y también del victimario, buscando hacer verdad y justicia, con la tentación que en estos procesos subyace de proteger a la institución. Es importante conocer mecanismos que el propio derecho canónico posee para no dejar de atender a las personas, a su dignidad; mecanismos e institutos jurídicos que para la tradición de la Iglesia son medios para una justicia reconciliadora y que en el mundo jurídico actual conocemos como justicia restaurativa. Nos adentramos en estas posibilidades.
Impuestos Energéticos que inciden en una comunidad energética
Authors: Puchol Tur Teresa
Published: February 2024

A día de hoy, al problema de la contaminación generada por la producción de la energía eléctrica se le ha unido el incremento de los precios causado por la crisis energética que está azotando de forma generalizada a la Unión Europea y, en lo que a nosotros nos interesa, a España. Un instrumento que puede contribuir a solucionar ambos problemas sería el uso de las comunidades energéticas. Una comunidad energética es una entidad jurídica compuesta por unos miembros que conjuntamente consumen energía generada por ellos mismos a través de unas instalaciones de energía renovable. Esta actividad de generación de energía eléctrica lleva asociada una serie de obligaciones fiscales. Por ello, este trabajo se va a centrar en analizar cómo tributan las comunidades energéticas en el impuesto especial de la electricidad, el impuesto sobre la producción de la energía eléctrica, los tributos autonómicos que les pueden ser de aplicación, y los impuestos locales.
El derecho a la intimidad de los contribuyentes en el entorno digital frente a las potestades de la administración tributaria en sus actuaciones inspectoras: La STS de 29 de septiembre de 2023
Authors: Rodríguez-Bereijo León María
Published: February 2024

La Sentencia del Tribunal Supremo núm. 1207/2023, dictada por la Sección segunda de la Sala Tercera, de 29 de septiembre recaída en el Rec.núm 4542/2021, analiza detalladamente un supuesto en el que se procede a la copia del contenido de un ordenador personal en las oficinas de la Administración tributaria en el curso de un procedimiento de inspección ya avanzado, mediante la adopción de medidas cautelares al amparo del art. 146 de la LGT tras la negativa del contribuyente a permitir la intromisión de la inspección. La resolución estima el recurso de casación interpuesto contra la sentencia núm. 218/2021, de 13 de abril, dictada por el TSJ de Murcia en el recurso de apelación núm. 36/2021 promovido contra el auto autorizante, anulando ambas resoluciones por ser contrarias a la protección de derechos fundamentales amparados en el art. 18.1, 2 y 4 de la CE. La sentencia es de una extraordinaria relevancia por su análisis detallado del derecho al entorno virtual y las garantías que deben rodear la práctica de actuaciones inspectoras que pueden afectar a este derecho fundamental, así como las reglas de competencia y procedimiento que debieran ser objeto de una adecuada regulación futura.
Petición de decisión prejudicial al TJUE a propósito de la ultimación del régimen especial de «zona franca» (As. C-376/23)
Authors: Fernández de Buján y Arranz Antonio
Published: February 2024

El objeto del procedimiento principal es un recurso de anulación de la resolución de la Administración tributaria del Estado Letona (en lo sucesivo, «VID») por la que se impuso a la sociedad de responsabilidad limitada demandante, BALTIC CONTAINER TERMINAL, la obligación de abonar derechos de importación y el impuesto sobre el valor añadido, así como el correspondiente recargo de demora. En concreto, Tribunal Supremo de Letonia alberga dudas acerca de si el hecho de que el VID exija que se indique en el sistema de registro de la demandante el número de referencia maestro (en lo sucesivo, «MRN») de la declaración en aduana para acreditar el cambio de estatuto aduanero de las mercancías está justificado y es conforme a Derecho. Desea aclarar si el régimen especial de «zona franca» puede ultimarse sin incluir el MRN en el sistema del registro, y si el titular del régimen puede ultimarlo sobre la base de una anotación relativa al estatuto aduanero de las mercancías efectuada por un funcionario de la autoridad aduanera en el documento de transporte de las mercancías (CMR), sin comprobar por sí mismo la validez de la aplicación del estatuto aduanero a las mercancías. En caso de respuesta negativa, el Tribunal Supremo de Letonia desea saber cuál es el alcance de la comprobación que la demandante debería haber efectuado.
Tasa por aprovechamiento especial de los caminos municipales utilizados por vehículos industriales para el transporte de áridos: la necesaria precisión de la delimitación de los elementos esenciales por la ordenanza fiscal
Authors: Mories Jiménez María Teresa
Published: February 2024

Los ayuntamientos en el uso de las competencias que les otorga la Constitución Española y la Ley Reguladora de Haciendas Locales pueden establecer tasas por el aprovechamiento especial de los bienes de dominio público. En este trabajo analizamos la tasa que establecen algunos ayuntamientos por el aprovechamiento especial de los caminos públicos para el transporte de áridos extraídos en el término municipal, y se estudia si el régimen administrativo de utilización del dominio público que, en este caso, al tratarse de un aprovechamiento especial requeriría una autorización administrativa, actúa como presupuesto del devengo de la tasa y aunque no forma parte del hecho imponible, es condición para que se dé este último. También se analiza si es posible el establecimiento de un supuesto de sustitución del contribuyente.
Multivariate Genetic Analyses Unveil the Complexity of Grain Yield and Attributing Traits Diversity in Oryza sativa L. Landraces from North-Eastern India
Authors: Anjan Roy Anjan Roy , Sanghamitra Rout Sanghamitra Rout , Lakshmi Hijam Lakshmi Hijam , Supratim Sadhu Supratim Sadhu , Pavithra S Pavithra S , Abir Ghosh Abir Ghosh , Moumita Chakraborty Moumita Chakraborty , Nandita Sahana Nandita Sahana , Saurav Singla Saurav Singla , Suddhasuchi Das Suddhasuchi Das
Published: February 2024

In the North-Eastern region of India, rice stands as the predominant staple, with diverse cultivars evolving over the past six decades. This study systematically evaluated 20 rice landraces, analyzing eleven variables related to yield and its attributing traits. The aim was to identify promising genotypes for potential breeding programs and to ascertain the minimum number of components essential for explaining the total diversity. Among the eleven principal components (PCs) examined, four PCs exhibited eigenvalues surpassing 1.0, collectively contributing to 80.45% of the total variability in the traits. PC1, which explained 31.19% of the overall variance, was associated with plant height, days to 50% flowering, panicle length, grain breadth, and grain length-to-breadth ratio. Utilizing cluster analysis, the 20 rice landraces were categorized into seven distinct clusters. Maximum inter-cluster divergence was observed between clusters VI and I, as well as clusters VI and V, indicating greater genetic distinctiveness among genotypes in these clusters compared to others. Notably, rice landraces such as Borosolpana, Phougak, Satyaranjan, Kakcheng Phou, Moniram, Kanaklata, and Bahadur were identified as genetically divergent. These genotypes hold promise for generating segregating populations, serving as valuable source materials for targeted yield improvement through meticulous selection, as indicated by inter-cluster distances.
A Predatory West, Africa’s Postcolonial States, International Trade Relations and Underdevelopment in Africa: A Survey of Centre/Core-Periphery Issues
Authors: Masumbe Peter Sakwe
Published: February 2024

This paper examines a predatory West and Africa’s postcolonial states international trade relations and underdevelopment in Africa to divulge how centre-periphery issues evoke underdevelopment in postcolonial African states. It argues that, historically, be it a core or peripheral, in whatever mode of production, the state is the dominant laboratory for all human activities, as it plays ever-dominant roles in domestic and international politico-economic and socio-cultural affairs, being the primary vector for development or underdevelopment is society. However, international trade relations have conditioned these roles and capacities of the state, in terms of strengths or weaknesses in service delivery to its citizens. Having been incorporated and monetised into the West’s capitalism, the postcolonial Africa’s state, has despite these roles, subjectively occupied a debilitating peripheral capitalist position in global wealth production. Today, like yesterday, the postcolonial African state, exhibits excruciating and traumatising underdevelopment, incarnated by uncivilised political, social, economic infrastructures, which incubate citizens’ apathy to governance, while enhancing insecurity, poverty, conflicts and fragmentation of nationalities. Using Raul Prebisch’s (1949) dependency theory, I argue that, the weaknesses and fragilisation of the postcolonial African state accrue from the despondent peripheral capitalist position it occupies in the international capitalist division of labour. Via Wallenstein’s (1930-2019) Modern World System theory, (MWS), I seek reawakening the gratuitous Africans’ slumbering consciousness towards overcoming underdevelopment; impelled by a predatory West’s instigated peripheral capitalism.
Socio-professional Antecedents of Conciliation between Work and Family Role among Tunisian Physical Education Teachers
Authors: Zemmel Hedi , Baaziz Mohamed , Saii Badai , Jannet Zouheir Ben
Published: February 2024

Background: Balancing work and family are an important issue these days, as demands and commitments in both contexts have increased. Aims: The aim of this study was to study the issue of family-work balance among Tunisian physical education teachers, and to identify the differences between men and women as well as the main factors influencing the relationship family-work. Method: 486 physical education teachers (342 men, mean age = 42.35 ±5.554, and 144 women, mean age = 42.80 ±7.708) belonging to three Tunisian governorates participated voluntarily to our study. Results: The results obtained from the MANOVA analysis showed the impact of gender and family status on reconciliation (Gender: [Lambda of Wilks = ,978 < 1, D = 3,551, p = 0,014 < p = 0,05]; Marital status: [Lambda de Wilks = ,906 < 1, d = 8,134, p = 0,000 < p = 0,05]), but work place had no effect: [Wilks' Lambda = .990 < 1, D = .830, p = 0.546 > p = 0.05]. Conclusion: Our statement therefore underlines the fact that the work-family conflict is very present among PE teachers in the south-western of Tunisia, contrary to the image perceived by society which provides that teachers have a working time that allows them to live comfortably.