bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the symphytognathoid spider genus Mysmenopsis Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Mysmenidae) from the Brazilian Amazonian region: description of five new species and new records
Authors: PANTOJA PAULO , BONALDO ALEXANDRE BRAGIO , XAVIER CLÁUDIA
Published: July 2023

Five new species of Mysmenopsis from the Brazilian Amazonian region are described: M. rodriguesae n. sp. and M. nadineae n. sp. known by males and females, M snethlageae n. sp., M. lopardoae n. sp. and M. regiae n. sp. known only by males. Three species, M. cienaga Müller, 1987 (previously known from Peru and Colombia), M. penai Platnick & Shadab, 1978 (Ecuador and Colombia), and M. shushufindi Dupérré & Tapia, 2020 (Ecuador) are recorded for the first time in Brazilian Amazonian region. An additional record of M. penai from northeastern Brazil is included.
A new species of Kana Distant representing the first record of Evacanthinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Madagascar
Authors: DIETRICH CHRISTOPHER H.
Published: July 2023

Kana ranomafanensis sp. n. is described and illustrated based on specimens from montane rainforests in eastern Madagascar. This is the first record of the diverse and widely distributed leafhopper subfamily Evacanthinae from Madagascar. A revised diagnosis of Kana Distant is provided and the new species is compared to species from the Indomalayan and Afrotropical regions. Evidence from previous molecular divergence time analyses suggests that ancestors of the new species arrived in Madagascar via transoceanic dispersal. The ovipositor of the genus and the male genitalia of Kana decora (Melichar), previously known only from the female holotype from Sri Lanka, are illustrated for the first time.
Dogs Bark, the Carnival Moves On… Revisiting Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust
Authors: Beilharz Peter
Published: July 2023

Modernity and the Holocaust is now thirty years old. How should we respond to the book, its controversy, and its history or context? In this essay I offer three steps as a way into this labyrinth. First, I review the core claims of Bauman’s book (1989). Second, I use my four-volume edited collection of essays on his work (2002) as a decade check on its reception. Third, the new volume, Revisiting Modernity and the Holocaust: Heritage, Dilemmas, Extensions (2022) is brought into play as a third optic or time slice. I conclude that the book is a classic, which means we should still read it and use it as a marker, but also that the debate has out of necessity moved on. As Bauman used to say, “The dogs bark, the carnival moves on”.
Liquid Modernity and the Holocaust
Authors: Brzeziński Dariusz
Published: July 2023

In Modernity and the Holocaust, Zygmunt Bauman argued that the Holocaust had been by no means a negation of the civilising process, but was, on the contrary, its consequence. He claimed that the constitutive features of solid modernity, such as bureaucratic culture, the rise of instrumental rationality and the domination of blueprint utopia, were reflected in the genesis and course of the Holocaust. Bauman’s main aim in writing the book was to make fundamental changes in the problematization of modernity in the social sciences, and to highlight the need to develop norms, values and attitudes that were in opposition to modernity. An overview of these facts provides a starting point for my analysis of Bauman’s later analyses of the Holocaust. By focusing on two issues that he emphasised in the context of the genesis of the Holocaust, namely the mechanism of adiaphorization and the process of the social construction of “otherness”, I show how these phenomena materialize in liquid modernity. I identify their connections with a range of features of the liquid modern condition, including the development of individualism and consumer culture, the sense of insecurity and the “nostalgic turn”. I emphasise that, according to Bauman, both moral indifference and xenophobia are increasingly significant phenomena in contemporary society, which may entail pernicious – and currently barely foreseeable – consequences. I argue that the way Bauman wrote about both solid and liquid modernity was characterised by a dystopian poetics, which was a foundation for his utopian thought.
On “Modernity and the Holocaust” – inspirations and critique after three decades
Authors: Starnawski Marcin
Published: July 2023

The article discusses the main theses of Zygmunt Bauman’s book Modernity and the Holocaust, the contexts of its writing and its early critical reception in the 1990s. As an introduction to the issue’s theme, it focuses on the proposals for a contemporary interpretation of Bauman’s work put forward by the authors of the articles published in this issue of Studia Litteraria et Historica. In the final section, the author proposes a reading of Modernity and the Holocaust in relation to educational issues raised in the 1960s by Theodor W. Adorno.
Student Mobilisation in Kosovo: 1968, 1981 and 1997
Authors: Archer Rory
Published: July 2023

This article is a review of Student Movements for the Republic of Kosovo: 1968, 1981 and 1997, by Atdhe Hetemi, Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements; Cham: Springer International Publishing; Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan: 1st ed. 2020 ISBN 978-3-030-54951-0
Violence as the Cause of Jewish Flight from Poland, 1945–1946
Authors: Semczyszyn Magdalena
Published: July 2023

This article discusses the violence against the Jews as a factor affecting the postwar emigration of Jewish survivors from Poland. The author assumes that violence was related to the exclusion of Jews from the Polish national community. However, this exclusion was of a complex nature and took place primarily not on the political or institutional level, but on the level of social ties. In some part of Polish society Jews were perceived as “others”, “redundant people” or even enemies. Postwar emancipation proclaimed by the communists resulted in the policy of inclusion and made Jews equal, although in practice, even during the so-called Jewish autonomy (1945–1949), there were no equal rights in all areas (e.g. restitution of property). In times of social, economic and political crisis, the emigration of Jews was a favorable phenomenon for the authorities. Thus, the communist government did not encourage emigration, but rather turned a blind eye to it.
Decolonizing Slavic Studies: On Builders, Destroyers, and Covert History of Institutions. Editorial
Authors: Wróblewska-Trochimiuk Ewa , Ćwiek-Rogalska Karolina
Published: July 2023

Editorial.
Minerals with a palmierite-type structure. Part II. Nomenclature and classification of the palmierite supergroup.
Authors: Juroszek Rafał , Krüger Biljana , Krüger Hannes , Galuskina Irina
Published: July 2023

The palmierite supergroup, approved by the IMA-CNMNC, includes five mineral species characterised by the general crystal-chemical formulaXIIM1XM22(IVTO4)2(Z= 3). On the basis of the crystal-chemical arguments and heterovalent isomorphic substitution schemeM++T6+↔M2++T5+, the palmierite supergroup can be formally divided into two groups: the palmierite groupM12+M22+(T6+O4)2, and the tuite groupM12+M222+(T5+O4)2. Currently, the palmierite group includes palmierite K2Pb(SO4)2, and kalistrontite K2Sr(SO4)2, whereas the tuite group combines tuite Ca3(PO4)2, mazorite Ba3(PO4)2, and gurimite Ba3(VO4)2. The isostructural supergroup members crystallise in space groupR$\bar{3}$m(no. 166). The palmierite-type crystal structure is characterised by a sheet arrangement composed of layers formed byM1O12andM2O10polyhedra separated byTO4tetrahedra perpendicular to thecaxis. The abundance of distinct ions, which may be hosted at theMandTsites (M= K, Na, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sr, Pb, Rb, Zn, Tl, Cs, Bi, NH4and REE;T= Si, P, V, As, S, Se, Mo, Cr and W) implies many possible combinations, resulting in potentially new mineral species. Minerals belonging to the palmierite supergroup are relatively rare and usually form under specific conditions, and their synthetic counterparts play a significant role in various industrial applications.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of high-intensity statin on coronary microvascular dysfunction
Authors: Huang Bihan , Han Xueying , Pan Yun , Chen Dongdong
Published: July 2023

Objective

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the role of high-intensity statin pretreatment on coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients with coronary heart disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase were searched. This meta-analysis selection included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), involving high-intensity statin pretreatment as active treatment, and measurement of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI), myocardial blush grade (MBG) or index of microvascular resistance (IMR) in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients undergoing PCI. I2 test was used to evaluate heterogeneity. Pooled effects of continuous variables were reported as Standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Pooled effects of discontinuous variables were reported as risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Random-effect or fix-effect meta-analyses were performed. The Benefit was further examined based on clinical characteristics including diagnosis and statin type by using subgroup analyses. Publication bias was examined by quantitative Egger’s test and funnel plot. We performed sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of pooled effects.

Results

Twenty RCTs were enrolled. The data on TIMI < 3 was reported in 18 studies. Comparing with non-high-intensity statin, high-intensity statin pretreatment significantly improved TIMI after PCI (RR = 0.62, 95%CI: 0.50 to 0.78, P < 0.0001). The data on MBG < 2 was reported in 3 studies. The rate of MBG < 2 was not different between groups (RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.93, P = 0.21). The data on IMR was reported in 2 studies. High-dose statin pretreatment significantly improved IMR after PCI comparing with non-high-dose statin (SMD = -0.94, 95% CI: -1.47 to -0.42, P = 0.0004). There were no significant between-subgroup differences in subgroups based on statin type and diagnosis. Publication bias was not indicated by using quantitative Egger’s test (P = 0.97) and funnel plot. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.

Conclusions

Comparing with non-high-intensity statin, high-intensity statin pretreatment significantly improved TIMI and IMR after PCI. In the future, RCTs with high quality and large samples are needed to test these endpoints.
A study on prevention of bleeding complications using lusutrombopag for safe RFA in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with low platelet counts: prospective observational study
Authors: Yoshida Hideo , Ohki Takamasa , Kanezaki Mineo , Teratani Takuma , Sato Shinpei , Obi Shuntaro , Sato Takahisa , Akamatsu Masatoshi , Uchino Koji , Taniguchi Hiroyoshi
Published: July 2023

Background

Platelet (PLT) transfusion was the most practical way to increase patients’ PLT counts before invasive hepatic procedures such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A novel drug that raises the PLT count by acting on the thrombopoietin receptor has recently become available.

Methods

Lusutrombopag 3 mg was administered daily for 7 days to patients who underwent RFA for liver tumors with low PLT counts (< 50,000 PLT µL− 1). We collected demographic data concerning the patients’ liver function and PLT counts.

Results

Lusutrombopag was administered to 91 patients, with a median age of 71 years (range 51–86). Forty-two patients had hepatitis C, 12 had hepatitis B, 21 had alcoholic liver disease, 11 had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and five had other diseases. The median Child-Pugh score was 7 (range 5–11). Thirty-seven patients had stage I tumors, 41 had Stage II, 12 had stage III, and one had stage IV. PLT count was elevated from 4.4 × 104 ± 1.4 × 104 to 8.6 × 104 ± 2.5 × 104 PLT µL− 1. Lusutrombopag administration prevented PLT transfusions in 84/91 patients (92%). No patient had bleeding complications after RFA. One had portal thrombosis after lusutrombopag administration. Patients who achieved PLT counts of > 50,000 PLT µL− 1 had higher PLT counts before lusutrombopag administration. The degree of splenomegaly did not affect the rate of PLT count elevation. There was no specific adverse effect by administrating lusutrombopag for patients with PLT counts of around 50,000 µL− 1 but > 50,000 µL− 1.

Conclusions

Lusutrombopag administration before RFA was effective and seemed to be relatively safe for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with low PLT counts.

Trial registration

This study was approved by Japanese Red Cross Medical Center Institutional Reseach Comittie (#862, 07/03/2016), and was registered in a publically accessible primary register (#UMIN000046629, registered date: 14/01/2022).
Progressive arteriopathy with vasospasm in focal cerebral arteriopathy in childhood: a case report
Authors: Nishimoto Takuma , Oka Fumiaki , Fujii Natsumi , Inoue Hirofumi , Hasegawa Shunji , Yamane Masatoshi , Nomura Sadahiro , Ishihara Hideyuki
Published: July 2023

Background

Focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA) is a clinically important disease that often causes progressive arteriopathy. We report a case of FCA with progressive arteriopathy due to arterial shrinkage of the outer diameter found on T2-weighted three-dimensional sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolutions (3D-SPACE) imaging.

Case presentation

The patient was a 9-year-old girl who developed right hemiparesis. Acute infarction was detected in the basal ganglia. Vascular images revealed stenosis from the distal internal carotid artery (ICA) to the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Intravenous heparin was administered for 8 days, and the symptoms improved. However, 29 days after onset, right hemiparesis transiently developed again and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed progressive stenosis from the ICA to MCA, while 3D-SPACE showed similar shrinkage of the outer diameter. Aspirin was started, and there was no subsequent recurrence. After 12 months, MRA and 3D-SPACE showed improvement of stenosis and arterial shrinkage.

Conclusions

Given the time course, the change in the outer diameter was thought to be vasospasm. Thus, vasospasm may be one of the causes of progressive arteriopathy in FCA.
An in-depth analysis of perinatal related mortality among women of South Asian ethnicity in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: de Graaff Esti , Sadler Lynn , Lakhdhir Heena , Simon-Kumar Rachel , Peiris-John Roshini , Burgess Wendy , Okesene-Gafa Karaponi , Cronin Robin , McCowan Lesley , Anderson Ngaire
Published: July 2023

Background

International and national New Zealand (NZ) research has identified women of South Asian ethnicity at increased risk of perinatal mortality, in particular stillbirth, with calls for increased perinatal research among this ethnic group. We aimed to analyse differences in pregnancy outcomes and associated risk factors between South Asian, Māori, Pacific and NZ European women in Aotearoa NZ, with a focus on women of South Asian ethnicity, to ultimately understand the distinctive pathways leading to adverse events.

Methods

Clinical data from perinatal deaths between 2008 and 2017 were provided by the NZ Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee, while national maternity and neonatal data, and singleton birth records from the same decade, were linked using the Statistics NZ Integrated Data Infrastructure for all births. Pregnancy outcomes and risk factors for stillbirth and neonatal death were compared between ethnicities with adjustment for pre-specified risk factors.

Results

Women of South Asian ethnicity were at increased risk of stillbirth (aOR 1.51, 95%CI 1.29–1.77), and neonatal death (aOR 1.51, 95%CI 1.17–1.92), compared with NZ European. The highest perinatal related mortality rates among South Asian women were between 20–23 weeks gestation (between 0.8 and 1.3/1,000 ongoing pregnancies; p < 0.01 compared with NZ European) and at term, although differences by ethnicity at term were not apparent until ≥ 41 weeks (p < 0.01). No major differences in commonly described risk factors for stillbirth and neonatal death were observed between ethnicities. Among perinatal deaths, South Asian women were overrepresented in a range of metabolic-related disorders, such as gestational diabetes, pre-existing thyroid disease, or maternal red blood cell disorders (all p < 0.05 compared with NZ European).

Conclusions

Consistent with previous reports, women of South Asian ethnicity in Aotearoa NZ were at increased risk of stillbirth and neonatal death compared with NZ European women, although only at extremely preterm (< 24 weeks) and post-term (≥ 41 weeks) gestations. While there were no major differences in established risk factors for stillbirth and neonatal death by ethnicity, metabolic-related factors were more common among South Asian women, which may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes in this ethnic group.
Pararespiratory and paradigestive lymph node metastases in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: predicting survival and refining the N staging system
Authors: Tian Dong , Jiang Kai-Yuan , Yang Yu-Shang , Yan Hao-Ji , Yu Rui-Xuan , Huang Heng , Jian Shun-Hai , Zhou Hai-Ning , Wen Hong-Ying , Chen Long-Qi
Published: July 2023

Background

The site of lymph node metastasis (LNM) may affect the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). To investigate the prognoses of pararespiratory and paradigestive LNM and to propose a novel N (nN) staging system that integrates both the LNM site and count.

Methods

This study was a multicenter, large-sample, retrospective cohort study that included ESCC patients with LNM between January 2014 and December 2019 from three Chinese institutes. Patients were set into training (two institutes) and external validation (one institute) cohorts. The primary outcomes were survival differences in LNM site and the development of novel nodal staging system. The overall survival (OS) of patients with pararespiratory LNM only (Group A), paradigestive LNM only (Group B), and both sites (Group C) was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the independent prognostic factors. An nN staging system considering both the LNM site and count was developed and evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

In total, 1313 patients were included and split into training (n = 1033) and external validation (n = 280) cohorts. There were 342 (26.0%), 568 (43.3%) and 403 (30.7%) patients in groups A, B and C, respectively. The OS of patients with pararespiratory and patients with paradigestive LNM presented significant differences in the training and validation cohorts (P < 0.050). In the training cohort, LNM site was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 1.58, 95% confidence intervals: 1.41–1.77, P < 0.001). The nN staging definition: nN1 (1–2 positive pararespiratory/paradigestive LNs), nN2 (3–6 pararespiratory LNs or 1 pararespiratory with 1paradigestive LN), nN3 (3–6 LNs with ≥ 1 paradigestive LN), nN4 (≥ 7 LNs). Subsets of patients with different nN stages showed significant differences in OS (P < 0.050). The prognostic model of the nN staging system presented higher performance in the training and validation cohorts at 3-year OS (AUC, 0.725 and 0.751, respectively) and 5-year OS (AUC, 0.740 and 0.793, respectively) than the current N staging systems.

Conclusions

Compared to pararespiratory LNM, the presence of paradigestive LNM is associated with worse OS. The nN staging system revealed superior prognostic ability than current N staging systems.
JMJD6 functions as an oncogene and is associated with poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Liu Honggang , Jiang Menglong , Ma Fenghui , Qin Jiapei , Zhou Xin , Xu Liqun , Yan Xiaolong , Jiang Tao
Published: July 2023

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with a high prevalence and poor prognosis. It is an urgent problem to deeply understand the molecular mechanism of ESCC and develop effective diagnostic and prognostic methods.

Methods

Using tumor tissue and corresponding paracancerous samples from 141 resected ESCC patients, we assessed Jumonji domain-containing protein 6 (JMJD6) expression using Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and univariate or multivariate analysis were used to investigate the relationship between JMJD6 expression and clinicopathological features. The expression status and prognostic value of JMJD6 were analyzed by bioinformatics and enrichment analysis.

Results

The expression of JMJD6 in ESCC samples was higher than that in the corresponding paracancerous samples, and high expression of JMJD6 was positively associated with poor prognosis of ESCC patients. In addition, bioinformatics analysis of the expression and prognosis of JMJD6 in a variety of tumors showed that high expression of JMJD6 was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) in ESCC patients. Enrichment analysis indicated that the high expression of genes similar to JMJD6, such as Conserved oligomeric Golgi 1(COG1), Major facilitator superfamily domain 11 (MFSD11) and Death Effector Domain Containing 2 (DEDD2), was associated with poor prognosis of ESCC, suggesting that JMJD6 might be involved in the occurrence and prognosis of ESCC.

Conclusion

Our study found that JMJD6 expression was significantly increased in ESCC patients and positively correlated with prognosis, indicating that targeting JMJD6 might be an attractive prognostic biomarker and provides a potential treatment strategy for ESCC.

Trial registration

The study was approved by Tangdu Hospital ethics committee (No. TDLL-202110-02).
Nucleus high intensity in the T2-weighted MRI is a potential predictor of annulus tear in cervical injured patients: a case comparative study
Authors: Wan Shengyu , Zhang Jian , Wu Chao , Lin Xu , Li Jingchi , Wu Fan , Zhang Zifan , He Lipeng
Published: July 2023

Background

Segmental fusion operations assume paramount significance for individuals afflicted by full layers of annulus tears as they avert the perils of rapid disc degeneration and segmental instability. Structures with high signal intensity in the T2-weighted MRI can predict potential damage to the injured segment. Since local structures are shortly related biomechanically, this may be an effective predictor for annulus tears.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 57 patients afflicted by cervical injuries and subjected to single-segment ACDF has been performed in this study. The surgeon performed intraoperative exploration to assess the integration status of the annulus. The signal intensity of the prevertebral space, nucleus, and injured vertebral bodies were judged in the T2-weighted imaging data. Regression analyses identified independent predictors for annulus tears, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was computed to evaluate the predictive performance of potential independent predictors.

Results

The occurrence of nucleus high intensity was significantly higher among individuals with annulus tears, and the nucleus high intensity was deemed an independent predictor for determining the presence of intraoperative visible annulus tears in patients with cervical injuries. AUC for nucleus high intensity was calculated as 0.717, with a corresponding p-value less than 0.05.

Conclusions

In the realm of diagnosing annulus tears in injured cervical patients, nucleus high intensity in the T2-weighted MRI emerges as a promising predictive factor. Notably, this applies specifically to patients devoid of fracture and visible annulus tears in their MRI scans. Such positive outcomes should be regarded as prospective indications for ACDF.
Effectiveness of physical therapy interventions in women with dyspareunia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fernández-Pérez Paula , Leirós-Rodríguez Raquel , Marqués-Sánchez Mª Pilar , Martínez-Fernández María Cristina , de Carvalho Fernanda Oliveira , Maciel Leonardo Y. S.
Published: July 2023

Background

Dyspareunia is defined as the occurrence of pain during or after sexual intercourse, which directly affects physical, sexual, and mental health. This condition can lead to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem in women who experience it.

Objectives

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions for the treatment of female dyspareunia.

Design

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted.

Method

Search of publications was conducted in Scopus, Medline, Pubmed, Cinahl and Web of Science. Treatment effects were defined as standardized mean difference and their 95% confidence intervals. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using Crohan's Q test and quantified using the I2 index.

Results

Of the 19 articles selected, six applied multimodal physiotherapy treatments; five, electrotherapy; three, Thiele's massage; two, interdisciplinary interventions or pelvic floor muscle training; and one, extracorporeal shockwave therapy. The meta-analysis showed significant results for the variables pain and quality of life with the interventions based on electrotherapy and electrotherapy combined with pelvic floor muscle training. These interventions did not show significant results for the improvement of sexual function.

Conclusions

Physiotherapy techniques are effective and procedures have been identified with reliable results in improving pain and quality of life in patients with dyspareunia. One of the most important aspects is the strengthening of the perineal musculature and the application of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. Furthermore, manual trigger point release therapy and Thiele massage, optimize and guarantee the reduction of pain intensity.

Prospero registration

CRD42021236155.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) extract ameliorates insulin resistance by regulating mitochondrial function and oxidative stress in the skeletal muscle of db/db mice
Authors: Han Jin-Young , Park Miey , Lee Hae-Jeung
Published: July 2023

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a growing health problem worldwide, is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance and defective insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells. The skeletal muscle is a central organ that consumes most of the insulin-stimulated glucose in the body, and insulin resistance can damage muscles in T2DM. Based on a strong correlation between diabetes and muscles, we investigated the effects of stevia extract (SE) and stevioside (SV) on the skeletal muscle of diabetic db/db mice.

Methods

The mice were administered saline, metformin  (200 mg/kg/day), SE (200 and 500 mg/kg/day), and SV (40 mg/kg/day) for 35 days. During administration, we checked the levels of fasting blood glucose twice a week and conducted the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). After administration, we analyzed serum biochemical parameters, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), insulin and antioxidant enzymes, and the cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle fibers of db/db mice. Western blots were conducted using the skeletal muscle of mice to examine the effect of SE and SV on protein expression of insulin signaling, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress.

Results

SE and SV administration lowered the levels of fasting blood glucose, OGTT, and ITT in db/db mice. The administration also decreased serum levels of TG, TC, and insulin while increasing those of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Interestingly, muscle fiber size was significantly increased in db/db mice treated with SE500 and SV. In the skeletal muscle of db/db mice, SE and SV administration activated insulin signaling by increasing the protein expression of insulin receptor substrate, Akt, and glucose transporter type 4. Furthermore, SE500 administration markedly increased the protein expression of AMP-activated protein kinase-α, sirtuin-1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α. SV administration significantly reduced oxidative stress by down-regulating the protein expression of 4-hydroxynonenal, heme oxygenase-1, SOD, and GPx. In addition, SE500 and SV administration suppressed the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in the skeletal muscle of db/db mice.

Conclusion

SE and SV administration attenuated hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Moreover, the administration ameliorated insulin resistance by regulating mitochondrial function and oxidative stress, increasing muscle fiber size. Overall, this study suggests that SE and SV administration may serve as a potential strategy for the treatment of diabetic muscles.
Concurrent high-intensity interval training and probiotic supplementation improve associative memory via increase in insulin sensitivity in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Bayat Zeinab , Damirchi Arsalan , Hasannejad-Bibalan Meysam , Babaei Parvin
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a serious concern among postmenopausal women which predisposes them to cardiovascular and cognitive disorders. Healthful diet and exercise training have been essential strategies to prevent the progress of MetS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with a native potential probiotic and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 8 weeks on retention of associative memory in rats with ovariectomy- induced metabolic syndrome.

Method

Thirty-two female ovariectomized Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 8/group): Control (OVX + Veh), exercise (OVX + Exe), probiotic (OVX + Pro), exercise with probiotic (OVX + Exe + Pro). One sham surgery group was included as a control group. Animals received 8 weeks interventions, and then were tested in a step through passive avoidance learning and memory paradigm, to assess long term memory. Then serum levels of adiponectin, insulin and glucose were measured by ELISA and colorimetry respectively. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and also One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

Eight weeks of HIIT and probiotic supplementation caused an increase in step through latency and shortening of total time spent in the dark compartment in OVX + Exe + Pro group compared with OVX + Veh group. Also significant increase in serum adiponectin levels, in parallel with a reduction in glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR were achieved by the group of OVX + Exe + Pro.

Conclusion

The present study indicates that HIIT combined with probiotics supplementation for 8 weeks effectively improves associative memory in MetS model of rats partly via improving insulin sensitivity and adiponectin level.
Impact of value similarity on social trust in medical students: a cross-sectional web survey
Authors: Kondo Satoshi , Ichikawa Shuhei , Izumiya Masashi , Eto Masato
Published: July 2023

Background

Social trust in medical students is trust in the cluster of medical students and not individual medical students. Social trust in medical students seems critical in clinical practice since citizens often face unknown medical students for the first time. However, most previous research has focused on interpersonal trust in particular medical professions, and social trust in medical students has not been addressed sufficiently. In social science, the Salient Value Similarity model has demonstrated that the value similarity between professionals and citizens is associated with social trust. This research aimed to explore the relationship between social trust in medical students and the perception of value similarity. This study also aimed to determine whether the information of medical students strengthens social trust in them.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate how the perception of value similarity affects social trust. The participants answered the social trust questionnaires before and after reading a brief summary of the medical education curriculum and certification via the internet in Japan. The model structure of social trust in medical students, including the perception of value similarity, was investigated using SEM. A paired t-test was used to examine the effect of informing citizens about the knowledge, skills, and professionalism requirements of students attending medical school on social trust by reading the brief summary.

Results

The study included 658 participants, who all answered a web questionnaire. Social trust in medical students was associated with the perception of ability and value similarity. Social trust in medical students, the perception of ability, and value similarity were improved by information about medical students.

Conclusions

The perception of ability and value similarity seem to affect social trust in medical students. Information on medical education regarding the knowledge, skills, and professionalism of medical students may improve social trust in these students. Further research is required to sophisticate the model of social trust in medical students by exploring social trust in the medical students’ supervisors in clinical settings.
Chinese medical entity recognition based on the dual-branch TENER model
Authors: Peng Hui , Zhang Zhichang , Liu Dan , Qin Xiaohui
Published: July 2023

Background

Named Entity Recognition (NER) is a long-standing fundamental problem in various research fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and has been practiced in many application scenarios. However, the application results of NER methods in Chinese electronic medical records (EMRs) are not satisfactory, mainly due to the following two problems: (1) Existing methods do not take into account the impact of medical terminology on model recognition performance, resulting in poor model performance. (2) Existing methods do not fully utilize the Chinese language features contained in EMR, resulting in poor model robustness. Therefore, it is imminent to solve these two problems regarding the performance of the NER model for EMRs.

Methods

In this paper, a TENER-based radical feature and entity augmentation model for NER in Chinese EMRs is proposed. The TENER model is first used in the pre-training stage to extract deep semantic information from each layer of the feature extractor. In the decoder part, the recognition of medical entity boundary and entity category are divided into two branch tasks.

Results

We compare the overall performance of the proposed model with existing models on different datasets using the computed F1 score evaluation metric. The experimental results show that our model achieves the best F1 score of 82.67%, 74.37%, 70.16% on the CCKS2019, ERTCMM, and CEMR data sets. Meanwhile, in the CMeEE challenge, our model surpassed the top-3 with the F1 score of 68.39%.

Conclusions

Our proposed model is the first to divide the NER task into a two-branch tasks, entity boundary and types recognition. Firstly, the medical entity dictionary information is integrated into TENER to obtain the feature information of professional terms in Chinese EMRs. Secondly, the features of Chinese radicals in Chinese EMRs extracted by CNN are added to the entity category recognition task. Finally, the effectiveness of the model is validated on four datasets and competitive results are achieved.
Strategic planning to improve surgical, obstetric, anaesthesia, and trauma care in the Asia–Pacific region: introduction
Authors: Qin Rennie X. , Fowler Zachary G. , Yoon Sangchul , Jayaram Anusha , Stankey Makela , Keshavjee Salmaan , Holian Annette , Ibbotson Geoff , Park Kee B.
Published: July 2023

Surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia care are required to treat one-third of the global disease burden. They have been recognised as an integral component of universal health coverage. However, five billion people lack access to safe and affordable surgical care when required. Countries in the Asia–Pacific region are currently developing strategies to strengthen their surgical care systems. The Strategic Planning to Improve Surgical, Obstetric, Anaesthesia, and Trauma Care in the Asia–Pacific Region meeting is a three-part virtual meeting series that brought together Ministries of Health, intergovernmental organisers, funders, professional associations, academic institutions, and nongovernmental organisations in the Asia–Pacific region. The meeting series took place over three virtual sessions in February and March 2021. Each session featured framing talks, panel presentations, and open discussions. Participants shared lessons about the challenges and solutions in surgical system strengthening, discussed funding opportunities, and forged strategic partnerships. Participants discussed strategies to build ongoing political momentum and mobilise funding, the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change on surgical care, the need to build a broad-based, inclusive movement, and leveraging remote technologies for workforce development and service delivery. This virtual meeting series is only the beginning of an ongoing community for knowledge sharing and strategic collaboration towards surgical system strengthening in the Asia–Pacific region.
Primary hepatic Burkitt lymphoma in a child and review of literature
Authors: Huang Zhenhui , Hu Yuanxing , He Shengye , Zeng Jiamin , Zhang Xin , Ji Cuihong , Lu Haiwu , Xue Ping , Jiang Xiaofeng
Published: July 2023

Background

Primary hepatic Burkitt lymphoma (PHBL) in children is an extremely rare hepatic malignancy with a dismal prognosis, unless it is detected and treated promptly.

Case summary

An 11-year-old child with abdominal pain was admitted to our hospital. No notable abnormalities were found during his physical examination or laboratory workup, but the abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging both indicated a malignant hepatic mass measuring 9.2 × 7.1 × 7.5 cm in size. His postoperative pathology revealed an unexpected primary hepatic Burkitt lymphoma following a laparoscopic liver lobectomy. He then received rituximab and intense multi-agent chemotherapy as treatment. Despite post-chemotherapy bone marrow suppression, the patient eventually made a full recovery and had a good overall state.

Conclusion

In this study, we describe a rare case of pediatric primary hepatic Burkitt lymphoma and review the literature on clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment for primary hepatic Burkitt lymphoma in children. We stress that this diagnosis should be taken into account in the absence of other single hepatic lesions or primary tumors of hematological disorders, particularly when there is a normal AFP level.
Effect of adoption of organic farming on technical efficiency of olive-growing farms: empirical evidence from West Bank of Palestine
Authors: Kashiwagi Kenichi , Kamiyama Hajime
Published: July 2023

Organic farming is one of the methods that increases the value added of agricultural products in a sustainable way. This paper examines how the adoption of organic farming has impacted the technical efficiency of Palestinian olive-growing farms in the West Bank. Using cross-sectional data of olive farms in the Jenin governorate, we employ an input-oriented data envelopment analysis framework to compute radial and input use efficiencies. Considering heterogeneity in technology between organic and conventional farming, a metafrontier with a directional distance function approach was applied. As self-selection bias may exist due to the decision to adopt organic farming, we apply the endogenous switching regression method to reduce bias caused by unobserved heterogeneity. Results suggest that organic farms in Jenin are not less efficient than conventional farms. Their organic farming method improves input use efficiency with respect to labor and cost relative to conventional farming. While organic farming is commonly considered to be less efficient and more costly, our findings from Jenin imply that it is, in fact, a more efficient method. We suggest that promoting organic olive farming could offer an effective strategy for small farms to add value, despite the severe geopolitical constraints of farming in the West Bank.
Evaluation of a prison violence prevention program: impacts on violent and non-violent prison infractions
Authors: Remch Molly , Swink Gregory , Mautz Charles , Austin Anna E. , Naumann Rebecca B.
Published: July 2023

Background

Individuals who commit acts of violence in prisons are often placed in highly controlled environments called restrictive housing (i.e., solitary confinement), which can have severe physical and mental health consequences and does not reduce violence. As such, North Carolina prisons have introduced the rehabilitative diversion unit (RDU) to reduce the use of restrictive housing and reduce violence in prison.

Methods

We evaluated the effect of the RDU on prison infractions. We compared rates of infractions by type (including violent infractions) among men enrolled in the RDU and men who were eligible for the RDU but placed in restrictive housing for control purposes (RHCP). We also evaluated sustained program impacts by comparing the hazard of first infraction among these same two groups of men after program completion, when they had returned to the general prison population. Finally, we compared the hazard of first promotion to a less restrictive custody level (medium custody) when these men had returned to the general prison population.

Results

The primary analytic cohort was made up of 3128 men contributing 897,822 person-days. Adjusted rates of violent infractions were lower in the RDU than in RHCP (adjusted rate ratio: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4, 1.1). All other categories of infractions, including drug-related infractions, occurred at higher rates during RDU, as compared to RHCP. In analyses of sustained program impacts, for most categories of infractions, there were no differences in the hazard of first infraction post-RDU and post-RHCP. However, the hazard of violent infraction post-RDU was higher (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 4.0) than post-RHCP. The hazard of promotion to a less restrictive custody level was higher post-RDU (adjusted hazard ratio: 17.4; 95% CI: 7.2, 42.2) than post-RHCP.

Conclusions

We found the RDU program may be effective in reducing violence for men enrolled in the program, but that these benefits were not sustained. Continued programming may be a useful tool to transition men from the programmatically intensive environment of the RDU to the general prison population. Additionally, we recommend the expansion of evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder.
Sustainable production of bacterioruberin carotenoid and its derivatives from Arthrobacter agilis NP20 on whey-based medium: optimization and product characterization
Authors: Noby Nehad , Khattab Sherine N. , Soliman Nadia A.
Published: July 2023

Bacterioruberin and its rare glycosylated derivatives are produced by Arthrobacter agilis as an adaptation strategy to low temperature conditions. The high antioxidant properties of bacterioruberin held great promise for different future applications like the pharmaceutical and food industries. Microbial production of bacterioruberin via a cost-effective medium will help increase its commercial availability and industrial use. The presented study aims to optimize the production of the rare C50 carotenoid bacterioruberin and its derivatives from the psychotrophic bacteria Arthrobacter agilis NP20 strain on a whey-based medium as a cost effective and readily available nutritious substrate. The aim of the study is extended to assess the efficiency of whey treatment in terms of estimating total nitrogen content in treated and untreated whey samples. The significance of medium ingredients on process outcome was first tested individually; then the most promising factors were further optimized using Box Behnken design (BBD). The produced carotenoids were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, HPLC–DAD chromatography and HPLC-APCI-MS spectrometry. The maximum pigment yield (5.13 mg/L) was achieved after a 72-h incubation period on a core medium composed of 96% sweet whey supplemented with 0.46% MgSO4 & 0.5% yeast extract and inoculated with 6% (v/v) of a 24 h pre-culture (109 CFU/mL). The cost of the formulated medium was 1.58 $/L compared with 30.1 $/L of Bacto marine broth medium. The extracted carotenoids were identified as bacterioruberin, bis-anhydrobacteriouberin, mono anhydrobacterioruberin, and glycosylated bacterioruberin. The presented work illustrates the possibility of producing bacterioruberin carotenoid from Arthrobacter agilis through a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach using cheese whey-based medium.

Graphical Abstract
New approaches to explanting high-viscosity silicone oil in retinal surgery—polyimide cannulas vs extraction sleeves vs a luer-trocar
Authors: Hammer Maximilian , Schickhardt Sonja , Munro Donald , Scheuerle Alexander , Khoramnia Ramin , Uhl Philipp , Auffarth Gerd U.
Published: July 2023

Background

The removal of high-viscosity silicone oil in retinal surgery is time-intensive. In this laboratory and porcine eye study, we evaluated the efficiency of novel extraction techniques, namely shortened polyimide-cannulas, an extraction sleeve and an experimental luer-trocar system, for commercially available silicone oils.

Methods

The volume of silicone oil after a 5-min removal time was quantified. The feasibility of all studied techniques was additionally tested in vitrectomized porcine eyes. Siluron 1000, 2000, 5000 and Xtra, as well as Densiron 68 and Densiron Xtra were examined.

Results

Shortening the 23G-polyimide-cannula from 6 mm up to 1.5 mm led to a significantly higher mean aspirated volume (e.g., 1 ml/min to 1.7 ml/min for Siluron Xtra). The extraction sleeve and luer-trocar increased the flow threefold compared to the shortest polyimide cannulas at 23G (5.2 ml/min and 5.2 ml/min vs 1.7 ml/min for Siluron Xtra, respectively). The extraction sleeve and luer-trocar system reached a similar flow at 27G as the best performing 23G-cannula. Angulation and movement of the eye was possible with the 2 mm-cannula, no angulation was possible when using the extraction sleeve. Stability and control were not impaired with the experimental luer-trocar setup.

Conclusion

Shorter polyimide-cannulas and extraction sleeves increase the extraction flow but may decrease stability during surgery. The luer-trocar system facilitates rapid removal while offering great stability and control. Small 27G silicone oil removal is possible and time efficient.