bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lesión renal aguda y nefritis intersticial aguda debido a picadura por escorpión: reporte de caso
Authors: Cortés Ana , Castaño Manuela , Medina Sebastián , Berrouet Marie Claire
Published: March 2022

El envenenamiento debido a picadora de escorpiones es reportado en diferentes países de Suramérica, en algunos, como México, es un problema de salud pública. En Colombia el accidente por escorpiones no es de reporte obligatorio, por lo que hay subregistro de casos. Los accidentes por este tipo de animales ponzoñosos se asocian a manifestaciones locales, y en casos de gravedad moderada a severa, a problemas cardiovasculares y neurológicos. Sin embargo, es importante reconocer manifestaciones que, aunque reportadas con menos frecuencia, implican gran morbilidad, como la pancreatitis y las alteraciones renales, entre las que está la nefritis. Se reporta el caso de un varón de 46 años, que presentó un accidente por Tytus, con nefritis intersticial. Este es el primer reporte de esta complicación en Colombia. Nuestro objetivo principal es resaltar la importancia de una pronta identificación de casos y un oportuno inicio del tratamiento por parte del personal de la salud, que permitan disminuir la morbilidad y mortalidad de estos pacientes.
Czystość czy zmaza? Czy jest sens łączyć rozumienie z wyjaśnianiem w antropologii i interpretatywnej socjologii?
Authors: Pawliszak Piotr
Published: March 2022

Dwie ostatnie dekady są okresem kryzysowych przeobrażeń w tych obszarach nauk społecznych, w których dokonuje się jakościowych, interpretatywnych analiz kultur. W ramach rozpowszechnionej tendencji do nieskrępowanego łączenia paradygmatów z czasem pojawił się także, częściowo opozycyjny wobec niego, nurt zmierzający do łączenia elementów humanistyki i nauk przyrodniczych, w szczególności rozumienia i wyjaśniania. Nie reprezentuje on jednak znanej z historii tendencji do podporządkowania „humanitas” wymogom „scientia”, lecz szuka nowej równowagi pomiędzy nimi i teoretycznych podstaw do integracji pozwalającej na wytwarzanie bardziej ugruntowanej wiedzy, a także umożliwiającej lepsze przewidywanie i refleksyjną kontrolę życia społecznego. Jest to zadanie szczególnie istotne w sytuacji późnonowoczesnego dynamicznego rozrostu coraz bardziej złożonych systemów społeczno-technologiczno-ekologicznych generujących nowe ryzyka i możliwości. W eseju, za pomocą narzędzi z obszaru analizy dyskursu i socjologii oraz filozofii wiedzy, zostaje podjęta analiza kilku kluczowych teoretycznych założeń, na których może być ufundowana integracja. Przedstawiono również propozycję połączenia procedury interpretacji i wyjaśniania w koncepcji „maksymalnej interpretacji”, a także próbę wyjaśnienia tendencji, która ją zrodziła i jej interpretacji w kategoriach teorii kulturowej Mary Douglas.
Doświadczanie ciężarnego ciała jako ciała przekraczającego granice – studium socjologii ucieleśnienia
Authors: Jakubowska, Honorata
Published: March 2022

W artykule zaprezentowano, w oparciu o indywidualne wywiady pogłębione, doświadczanie ciężarnego ciała przez kobiety. Najczęściej ciężarne ciało jest przedmiotem zainteresowań naukowych albo jako przedmiot medykalizacji czy dyscyplinowania albo analizowane są jego reprezentacje. W tym artykule akcent przesunięty jest na doświadczanie, a tym samym wpisuje się on w rozważania prowadzone w ramach socjologii ucieleśnienia. Doświadczanie ciężarnego ciała, jako ciała o wyjątkowym statusie, łączącego w sobie dwa byty, jest analizowane poprzez odniesienie się do pojęcia granic i ich trzech wymiarów. Po pierwsze, interesuje mnie powiększanie się ciężarnego ciała, jego rozrastanie się i wynikające z tego zmiany codziennych praktyk kobiet oczekujących narodzin dziecka. Po drugie, granice ciężarnego ciała odnoszę do (nie)zależności ciała kobiety i rozwijającego się wewnątrz jej ciała dziecka. I wreszcie po trzecie, na przykładzie społecznej praktyki dotykania brzucha ciężarnej kobiety, analizuję granice prywatności i intymności ciężarnego ciała.
NEURO PROGENITOR CELLS (NPCS) AND PPARγ EXPRESSION IN THE BRAIN OF PROTEIN-DEFICIENT RATS AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF PASAK BUMI (Eurycoma longifolia Jack) EXTRACT
Authors: Sanyoto Didik Dwi , Triawanti Triawanti , Airlangga Dimas Ikhsan
Published: March 2022

Abstract: Malnutrition due to protein deficiency disrupts the neurogenesis process that affects cell development and brain function. One of the efforts to overcome the matter is to use the pasak Bumi (Eurycoma longifolia Jack) which has compounds believed to increase the process of neurogenesis. The aim of study to analyze the effect of pasak bumi extract on the expression of NPCs (Tuj-1) and PPARγ cell in the brains of malnourished rats. Groups of experimental animals that were were divided into 5 groups, namely (P1) malnourished rats + placebo (aquades); (P2) malnourished rats + pasak bumi extract (EPB) 7,5 mg/kg BW; (P3) malnourished rats + EPB 15 mg/kg BW; (P4) malnourished rats + EPB 22,5 mg/kg BW; (P5) malnourished rats + EPB 30 mg/kg BW. As a control, normal rats were used which were given a placebo. Parameters examined include Tuj-1 and PPARγ using immunohistochemistry procedure. The results showed that the P3 group (15 mg/kg BW) had more cells expressing Tuj-1 than the other doses. There was a significant difference between the KP and the P3, P4, and P5 groups. There was no significant difference in the expression of PPARγ in all malnourished groups with EPB and KN intervention. Conclusion: extract of pasak bumi was able to improve the neurogenesis process in malnutrition but not PPARγ. Keywords: Malnutrition, pasak bumi extract, NPCs, Tuj-1, PPARγ
Attribution and credit bias in publication ethics
Authors: Matheson Alastair
Published: March 2022

In this article, I argue that many of the ethical problems associated with the authorship of journal literature can usefully be clarified if authorship is placed within the broader concept of attribution, which extends beyond the author byline to encompass everything that readers are told about the work’s origination and the parties responsible. I also suggest that as the attribution of literature has grown more complex, and the opportunities for misattribution have become more subtle and multifarious, attribution has become increasingly vulnerable to systematic bias. Accordingly, I define “credit bias” as the systematic distortion of attribution, frequently in the interests of those with influence over the publication. I present a four-step framework for evaluating publications, discuss misattribution in drug industry literature as an illustration of credit bias, and examine the role of editorial standards in mitigating, but also in assisting, credit bias. I also argue for an independent scientific standard to promote ethical conduct in the medical journal sector.
Association of a Wider Medial Gap (Medial Laxity) in Flexion with Self-Reported Knee Instability After Medial-Pivot Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Ueyama Hideki , Kanemoto Narihiro , Minoda Yukihide , Nakagawa Shigeru , Taniguchi Yoshiki , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: March 2022

Background:

Medial-pivot total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is designed with high articular conformity in the medial compartment in order to achieve stability. The subjective outcome of patients has been reported to be good postoperatively; however, the association between the objective and subjective knee stability and the influence of subjective stability on the overall outcomes of TKA remained unknown. Our hypothesis was that postoperative flexion joint-gap imbalance could affect subjective knee instability following TKA in medial-pivot prostheses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between the joint gap in flexion and subjective knee instability and between subjective knee instability and outcomes following medial-pivot TKA.

Methods:

A total of 769 patients who underwent primary TKA with use of medial-pivot prostheses were enrolled. Clinical outcomes included knee range of motion, Knee Society Score-2011 (KSS-2011), Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12), patient-reported subjective knee instability, and axial knee radiography to assess flexion joint-gap balance measured at the final follow-up. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without subjective knee instability. Moreover, associated factors were analyzed for postoperative subjective knee instability.

Results:

Overall, 177 patients (23%) reported experiencing postoperative subjective knee instability. Knee flexion (p = 0.04); KSS-2011 symptom (p<0.001), satisfaction (p<0.001), expectation (p=0.008), and activity (p<0.001) subscales; and FJS-12 (p < 0.001) were significantly worse in patients with subjective knee instability. The KSS-2011 subjective score differences were greater than the minimal clinically important difference. Older age at the time of surgery (odds ratio, 1.04; p = 0.04) and a wider postoperative joint gap in flexion on the medial side (odds ratio, 1.21; p = 0.001) were significant risk factors for subjective knee instability. A gap angle of −2.9° (i.e., medial laxity) was the threshold to predict postoperative knee instability (sensitivity, 0.29; specificity, 0.91).

Conclusions:

Postoperative flexion joint-gap laxity on the medial side following medial-pivot TKA affected the patient-reported subjective knee instability scores. Postoperative KSS-2011 subjective scores following medial-pivot TKA were poorer in patients with subjective knee instability.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Booktubers: lectura en red, nuevas literacidades y aplicaciones didácticas
Authors: Paladines Paredes Lenin Vladimir , Aliagas Marín Cristina
Published: March 2022

Se presenta una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica sobre la comunidad Booktuber (jóvenes lectores que comentan y reseñan libros en la plataforma YouTube) publicada a partir del año 2009. El corpus consiste en 43 publicaciones, que se analizan desde dos categorías: a) aproximaciones al estudio de los Booktubers desde diferentes perspectivas disciplinares y metodologías de investigación, y b) aplicaciones didácticas que han surgido a partir de estas prácticas. El análisis muestra las fases de desarrollo de este ámbito de investigación, y cómo se ha ido estructurado alrededor de ciertos temas de interés, perspectivas y metodologías. Además, se reflexiona sobre la necesidad de profundizar en el análisis discursivo y la inclusión de la investigación participativa con los propios Booktubers para mejorar la comprensión del fenómeno y su aplicación didáctica dentro de las aulas.
Dominios y dificultades digitales de los estudiantes del curso de Pedagogía de la Universidad Estatal de Ceará (Brasil) a través de la educación a distancia
Authors: De Morais Araújo Erbendice , Andrade de Sousa Francisca Genifer , Heredia Ponce Hugo , Fiuza Fialho Lia Machado
Published: March 2022

Actualmente es importante que los estudiantes y los profesores tengan una buena formación digital para poder impartir y recibir diferentes contenidos a través de plataformas digitales. En este sentido, este artículo pretende analizar el curso de Pedagogía de la Universidad Estatal de Ceará (Brasil) y dar voz a los diferentes agentes que participan en él para conocer su formación en cuanto a la competencia digital y afrontar su aprendizaje en una modalidad educativa virtual. Para ello desde un estudio de caso, se utilizaron diversos instrumentos, aplicados a 23 estudiantes. Los resultados evidenciaron poco conocimiento sobre el uso de las TIC antes del comienzo del curso semipresencial y revelaron que las precarias condiciones económicas de los estudiantes impedían el acceso a un ordenador con internet en sus casas, lo que tuvo un impacto negativo en la educación académica. Además, que los estudiantes son conscientes de la necesidad de dominar las TIC en la enseñanza de la educación a distancia (ED). Se concluye que los estudiantes de ED en UECE no están bien entrenados para interactuar de forma fructífera y que los profesores tutores necesitan educación continua sobre la educación digital. Como cierre del estudio, recopilando el análisis contextual, se plantea una matriz DAFO.
El impacto de las TIC en el alumnado con discapacidad en la Educación Superior. Una revisión sistemática (2010-2020).
Authors: Fernández-Batanero José María , Román-Graván Pedro , Montenegro-Rueda Marta , Fernández-Cerero José
Published: March 2022

Este artículo ofrece una visión general sobre el impacto de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) para el estudiante con discapacidad en la educación superior. Los datos se han obtenido mediante una revisión sistemática de la literatura en destacadas bases de datos destacadas a nivel científico en el mundo de la educación (Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, Dialnet, ERIC y Google Scholar) en el periodo comprendido entre 2010 hasta 2020. La muestra se constituyó de 36 estudios. A través de una metodología descriptiva y cuantitativa se presentan los datos bibliométricos más significativos y mediante mapas bibliométricos se aplica una metodología basada en análisis de co-palabras, técnicas de agrupamiento o clustering y técnicas de visualización, con el objeto de determinar los campos de estudio e investigación. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de los trabajos realizados se han llevado a cabo, principalmente, en países europeos y americanos. Los estudios recogen que las TIC favorecen la inclusión y la accesibilidad del alumnado con discapacidad en el contexto universitario, pero existen una serie de desafíos que dificultan la integración eficaz de las TIC relacionados, principalmente, con la falta de formación y capacitación del profesorado y una falta de compromiso y concienciación por parte de las instituciones universitarias.
El aprendizaje basado en proyectos y las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación dentro de un centro escolar. Un estudio de caso
Authors: Vallina de los Ríos Iván , Pérez Navío Eufrasio
Published: March 2022

Actualmente, el impacto de la Sociedad de la Información y la Comunicación es extensible a toda la sociedad. Las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), están creadas con el objetivo de facilitar las cosas, pero depende de las personas darles un uso apropiado. En este punto la educación juega un papel fundamental en el devenir de la relación que se establezca entre las TIC y los usuarios de las mismas. Una metodología que responde a las demandas y necesidades educativas del momento es el Aprendizaje basado en Proyectos (ABP), especialmente si se introducen las TIC dentro de dicha propuesta educativa. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la situación actual del Colegio Loyola en relación a dos aspectos de gran relevancia hoy en día dentro del ámbito educativo, como son el ABP y las TIC. Mediante un estudio de caso se ha analizado cuantitativa y cualitativamente los resultados obtenidos a través de un cuestionario. Los resultados muestran como dentro del claustro existen variedad de opiniones sobre los temas aquí planteados, particularmente atendiendo a la edad y etapa educativa. Se puede concluir que el centro se encuentra en una dinámica positiva de trabajo con las TIC y el ABP.
Diversity of Quantitative and Qualitative Characters of Rice Grain from Riau Province, Indonesia
Authors: Hidayatun Nurul , Ramadyanti Devi , Koswanuddin Dodin , Yunita Etyn
Published: March 2022

Rice is grown in almost all regions in Indonesia, including Riau Province, as a staple food. Although rice is the most widely grown food crop in comparison to other crops, rice production from this region has not been able to meet the needs of the Riau population. To meet the needs of rice, the people of Riau still have to bring it from other regions. Riau Province has a large collection of diverse rice germplasm for food self-sufficiency. Several rice accessions from the area have been collected and conserved in the Genebank of the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD), located at Indonesian Center for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development (ICABIOGRAD). This study was intended to assess the diversity of rice from Riau Province based on the grain characteristics. A total of 25 rice accessions from Riau which were conserved in the IAARD-ICABIOGRAD Genebank were examined. Grain length, shape, color, and other grain-related characters were observed following the international standard descriptors for rice by IRRI and IBPGR. While the thousand-grain weight was measured using the standardized operational procedure from ISTA. The grain diversity was analyzed using the NTSYS-pc software version 2.2. The average of length, width, and thickness of the unhulled paddy was measured at 7.9, 3.0, and 1.9 mm, respectively. The weight of 1,000 grains ranged from 20.37 to 25.67 with an average of 23.02 g. Most of the accessions had a brown furrow or spot on straw background lemma-palea, with a straw apiculus a medium-sized sterile lemma, and were awnless. The majority of the rice grain was medium size, measuring 5.24 mm in length and 2.24 mm in width. White grain makes up the majority of the accessions. Accessions from Riau can be divided into five groups based on the seven characteristics of rice grains. Those groupings were unrelated to the district from which the accessions were obtained, illustrating the beyond boundaries of germplasm distribution and transfer of germplasm within this district.
Sumber Daya Genetik Kambing Panorusan Samosir
Authors: Khairiah Khairiah , Nurzannah Sri E. , Sitindaon Sri H. , Ramija Khadijah El , Fahmilia Fera , Febretrisiana Arie , Wasito Wasito
Published: March 2022

Kambing Panorusan Samosir telah ditetapkan sebagai salah satu sumber daya genetik (SDG) ternak lokal Indonesia. Tulisan ini menerangkan kajian potensi SDG ternak lokal Kambing Panorusan Samosir untuk konservasi in situ dan pengembangannya secara ex situ. Pengkajian telah dilakukan di lokasi adaptasi Loka Penelitian Kambing Potong di Sei Putih, dan di lokasi asalnya di Kabupaten Samosir. Tujuan dari penulisan kajian ini adalah menyampaikan informasi hasil kajian SDGT kambing Panorusan Samosir menyangkut aspek: keragaan karakter morfologi dan biologi, daya dukung pemeliharaannya di dua lokasi kajian dan potensi pengembangannya baik secara in situ dan juga ex situ. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwakeragaan Kambing Panorusan Samosir pada lokasi adaptasi dan lokasi asalnya beririsan secara nyata. Daya dukung pemeliharaan kambing Panorusan Samosir di dua lokasi uji, meskipun memiliki agroeksistem yang berbeda namun masih pada kriteria baik. Pengembangan SDGT kambing Panorusan Samosir memiliki potensi ekonomi tinggi sehingga perlu didukung peestarikan dan pengembangannya, baik secara in situ maupun ex situ, selaras dengan dengan kondisi geografis dan kearifan budaya masyarakat setempat.
The Diversity of Wild Musa acuminata Originated from Mount Halimun–Salak National Park Based on Morphology and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) Resistance Characters
Authors: Zaelani Ahmad , Hasrianda Erwin Fajar , Ahmad Fajarudin , Poerba Yuyu Suryasari
Published: March 2022

ndonesia is well-known as a center of diversity of banana in the world. Here, wild Musa acuminata is growth widely in some areas, included Java islands. However, the genetic diversity study of wild banana, especially in Java Island is still limited. In this study, we observed the genetic diversity of wild banana in Mount Halimun-Salak National Park (TNGHS), West Java, Indonesia and studied its resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. Cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) using molecular markers. The plant materials were collected and phenotyped in some different locations of conservation area TNGHS from 7 to 11 October 2019. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was calculated to estimate the genetic diversity on eight accessions of wild M. acuminata based on eighteen morphological characters. Moreover, the study of its resistance traits to Foc TR4 was analyzed by using SCAR markers i.e. ScaU1001 and ScaS0901. The most contributed characters on principal component 2 (PC2) was showed on number of fruits with the value of 0.586 and bract apex shape with value of -0.648 on principal component 3 (PC3). For the resistance study, the eight accessions of wild M. acuminata produced specific band of ScaS0901 marker. The knowledge of the genetic diversity and the resistance study of wild M. acuminata in TNGHS would be useful for conservation strategy and bioprospecting of the wild banana in TNGHS.
Peningkatan Hasil dan Kualitas Umbi Bawang Merah dengan Aplikasi Pupuk Kandang Kambing di Tanah Regosol (Improving Shallot Bulb Yield and Quality with Goat Manure Application in Regosol Soils)
Authors: Sopha Gina Aliya , Prathama Mathias , Asgar Ali
Published: March 2022

Tanah Regosol mempunyai kadar bahan organik dan N-total yang tergolong sangat rendah sehingga penggunaan pupuk organik dapat memperbaiki sifat fisik dan kimia tanah serta meningkatkan hasil umbi bawang merah. Penelitian bertujuan mengetahui pengaruh pemberian pupuk kandang kambing terhadap sifat kimia tanah Regosol dan hasil umbi bawang merah pada tanah tersebut. Percobaan pot dilakukan di rumah kaca di Kebun Percobaan Balai Penelitian Tanaman Sayuran (BALITSA), Lembang, Jawa Barat pada bulan Maret – Juni 2015. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) dengan tiga ulangan dan 11 perlakuan dosis pupuk kandang kambing. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pemberian pupuk kandang kambing meningkatkan C-organik, N-Kjeldahl tanah Regosol, dan meningkatkan serapan hara N dan K. Aplikasi pupuk kandang kambing juga berpengaruh positif terhadap pertumbuhan, berat kering tanaman, hasil, dan kualitas umbi bawang merah. Dosis rekomendasi pupuk kandang kambing di tanah Regosol adalah 3–13, 5 t/ha dengan peningkatan bobot kering eskip sebesar 17-52% dari kontrol, tanpa pupuk kandang kambing.  

keywords

Allium cepa; Pupuk organik; Pemupukan; Hasil umbi

Abstract

Regosol soil has a low content of organic and nitrogen percentage, therefore the application of organic materials will improve physical and chemical soil characteristics and increase shallot bulb yield. This research aimed to investigate the effect of goat manure on chemical soil properties and shallot bulb yield in regosol soil. The pot study was conducted at IVEGRI Experimental Field in Lembang, West Java, from March to June 2015. The treatments were set up in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates and 11 doses of goat manure as treatments. The result showed that goat manure application significantly improved C-organic and N-Kjeldahl of regosol and increased the N and K uptake. Goat manure application enhanced shallot growth, shallot dry weight, bulb yield, and bulb quality. The optimal dose of goat manure was 3 to 13,5 t ha-1 that increased eskip dry bulb yield by 17-52% than control, without goat manure.
The Child As Self-Deceiver: Narrative Strategies in Katherine Paterson's and Patricia MacLachlan's Novels
Authors: Nikolajeva Maria
Published: March 2022

See article
The Picture Book Kojuro and the Bears: A Cross-Cultural Comparison with The Bears of Mount Nametoko (Nametoko Yama no Kuma)
Authors: Kilpatrick Helen
Published: March 2022

See article
Taking the Subject Further: Comparison of three of Diana Wynne Jones' Fantasies
Authors: Rumbold Margaret
Published: March 2022

See article
NMR Metabolomics Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in Postmenopausal Women Under Moderate Intensity Statins
Authors: Li Chuang , CHEN Jingxun , Wei Siyue , Zhang Mei , Chu Yushun , Meng Fanpeng , Wang Jianyu , Tang Jie , Luo Jian , Yang Yu , Niu Xiulong , Cai Wei
Published: March 2022

Background The role of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics in the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) in postmenopausal women is unclear.Method 300 postmenopausal women, who were under moderate intensity statins, were enrolled in this study, of which, and 242 were assigned into CHD Group and the other 58 in non-CAHD Group. To seek the risk factors of CHD and the relationship among Gensini, PCSK9 and NMR results, Multivariate Logistic regression and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted, in all patients as well as the patients with CHD, diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS). Results As the result of this study showed, Age was the main risk factor of CHD. Other risk factors including the particle of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-6, LDL- triglyceride (TG) and LDL-free cholesterol (FC), while, ethanol and glycerol were the protective factors. In the Spearman correlation analyses section, lipoprotein contents of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-2 ~ VLDL-5, intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), LDL-1 and LDL-2 were proved to be positively related to Gensini, while the lipoprotein contents of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), ApoA2 and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-1 ~ HDL-4 were negatively correlated with Gensini. Conclusion In postmenopausal women, age was the main risk factor of CHD, besides, the NMR measured particle of LDL-6, LDL-TG and LDL-FC were also proved to be risk factors of CHD, while, ethanol and glycerol were the protective factors. The clinical significance of the NMR and the correlation among PCSK9, Gensini and NMR metabolomics need further studied.
Leveraging Physical Intelligence for the Self-design of High Performance Engineering Structures
Authors: Paixao Jessé , Sadoulet-Reboul Emeline , Foltête Emmanuel , Chevallier Gaël , Cogan Scott
Published: March 2022

The design of complex engineering structures largely relies on computational intelligence in the form of science-based predictive models to support design decisions. This approach requires modeling and manufacturing uncertainties to be accounted for explicitly and leads to an inescapable trade-off of performance for robustness. To remedy this situation, a novel self-design paradigm is proposed that closes the loop between the design and manufacturing processes by leveraging physical intelligence in the form of real-time experimental observations. This allows the real-time product behavior to participate in its own design. The main benefit of the proposed paradigm is that both manufacturing variability and difficult-to-model physics are accounted for implicitly via in situ measurements thus circumventing the performance-robustness trade-off and guaranteeing enhanced performance with respect to standardized designs. This paradigm shift leads to tailored design realizations which could benefit a wide range of high performance engineering applications. The proposed paradigm is applied to the design of a simply-supported plate with a beam-like tuned mass damper (TMD) introduced to reduce vibrations based on an equal peaks performance criteria. The experimental setup includes a low-cost 3D printer driven by a simple decision algorithm and equipped with an online vibration testing system. The performances of a small population of self-designed plates are compared to their standardized counterparts in order to highlight the advantages and limitations of the new self-design manufacturing paradigm.
Health Risk Assessment and Statistical Analysis of Natural Radioactivity in the Uranium Exploration Area of Zabili, Chad
Authors: Penabei Samafou , Daniel Bongue , Hazou Eyakifama , Alexandre Ngwa Ebongue , Ajani Mistura Bolaji , Maleka Peane , Joel Guembou Shouop Cebastien , Halawlaw Yacoub Idriss , Godfroy Kwato Njock Moïse
Published: March 2022

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in nineteen soil samples from Zabili uranium exploration area were measured using a low-background digital gamma-ray spectrometer equipped with broad energy germanium detector. The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K range from 16.5 to 1110.9 Bq.kg− 1, 19.45 to 76.97 Bq.kg− 1, and 3.28 to 839.5Bq.kg− 1, with their mean values of 478.0, 58.9, and 562.5, respectively. In addition, radiological hazard parameters from the activity concentrations obtained were assessed by estimating radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard index, indoor and outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate and the corresponding annual effective dose, effective dose rate to different body organs and tissues, and excess lifetime cancer risk. Derived radiological hazard indices have been revised in accordance with relevant national and international legislation and guidelines. The radiological hazard parameter values were found to be above the relevant limit values for soils. In order to investigate the distribution of radionuclides and associated health hazard parameters in the study area, a statistical study was performed.
Normalization of Large Scale Transcriptome Data Using Heuristic Methods
Authors: Yosef Arthur , Shnaider Eli , Schneider Moti , Gurevich Michael
Published: March 2022

In this study we introduce an artificial intelligent method for addressing the batch effect of a transcriptome data. The method has several clear advantages in comparison to the alternative methods presently in use. Batch effect refers to the discrepancy in gene expression data series, measured under different conditions. While the data from the same batch (measurements performed under the same conditions) are compatible, combining various batches into one data set is problematic because of incompatible measurements. Therefore, it is necessary to perform correction of the combined data (normalization), before performing biological analysis. There are numerous methods attempting to correct data set for batch effect. These methods rely on various assumptions regarding the distribution of the measurements. Forcing the data elements into pre-supposed distribution can severely distort biological signals, thus leading to incorrect results and conclusions. As the discrepancy between the assumptions regarding the data distribution and the actual distribution is wider, the biases introduced by such “correction methods” are greater. We introduce a heuristic method to reduce batch effect. The method does not rely on any assumptions regarding the distribution and the behavior of data elements. Hence, it does not introduce any new biases in the process of correcting the batch effect. It strictly maintains the integrity of measurements within the original batches.
Modulatory effects of the mTOR-autophagy pathway on amyloid beta 42 ( Aβ42)-induced lipid changes in human iPSC-derived astrocytes
Authors: Asiamah Ernest Amponsah , Feng Baofeng , Guo Ruiyun , Liu Xin , Du Xiaofeng , Zhang Jinyu , He Jingjing , Ma Jun , Cui Huixian
Published: March 2022

Background: Dysregulated lipid metabolism, aetiology of which is unknown, causes astrocyte dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study assessed the potential of amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) to alter lipid metabolism-related variables in non-AD iPSC-derived APOE ε3/ε3 astrocytes (n=3), and the effects of exogenous activation and inhibition of mTOR-autophagy pathway on the lipid variables in Aβ-treated astrocytes. Methods and results: 24h and 48h Aβ treatments of astrocytes increased cellular GFAP and complement 3 protein and the culture medium concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Lipid droplet (LD) sizes and number, and unesterified cholesterol levels were increased but fatty acid uptake was reduced. Cellular ApoE level was higher and lower after 24h and 48h Aβ treatments, respectively. 24h and 48h Aβ treatments increased cellular LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio and p62. The modulatory effect of the mTOR-autophagy pathway on Aβ-induced lipids was tested. Relative to the 48h Aβ-treated astrocytes, treating the 24h Aβ-treated astrocytes with fresh medium for 24h increased the LC3BII/LC3BI ratio and p62, reduced LD number without altering the size, reduced ApoE, and increased fatty acid uptake and cholesterol. Autophagy activation further increased p62, reduced LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio, decreased LD number, increased LD size and cholesterol, and reduced ApoE and fatty acid uptake. Autophagy inhibition further increased LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio without altering p62, increased LD number, cholesterol and ApoE, reduced fatty acid uptake, but not LD size. Conclusion: Aβ42 alters inflammatory-state, lipid-related variables, and autophagy concurrently in astrocytes. The withdrawal of Aβ medium activates autophagy that could modulate the effects of exogenous mTOR-autophagy pathway activation and inhibition on lipids in Aβ-treated astrocytes.
Establishment of a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) fluorescence assay for the detection of swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV)
Authors: Cong Xiao , Zhu Yujun , Liu Xinchao , Lian Yuexiao , Huang Bihong , Luo Yinzhu , Gu Youfang , Wu Miaoli , Shi Yue
Published: March 2022

Background:Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) causes acute vomiting and diarrhea of piglets, leading to significant financial losses in pig industry. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technology is the second method for nucleic acid amplification under constant temperature conditions besides loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The study established a real-time reverse transcription (RT)-RPA assay for early confirmatory diagnoses to detection SADS-CoV.Results:The detection limit of the real-time RT-RPA was 74 copies/µL of SADS-CoV genomic RNA standard in 95% of cases. The assay was performed in less than 30 min and no cross-reactions were observed with 8 other common viruses that affect swine, namely, CSFV, PRRSV, PRV, SIV, SVA, TGEV, PEDV, or PDCoV. The coefficient of variation (C.V.) values of the two standards dilutions and a positive clinical sample ranged from 0 to 4.5%. A total of 72 clinical fecal samples from swine with diarrheal symptoms were analyzed via the developed RT-RPA and qRT-PCR. There was 98.61% agreement between the RT-RPA and the qRT-PCR results. Conclusions:These results indicate that the developed RT-RPA assay has good specificity, sensitivity, stability, and repeatability. In summary, the established RT-RPA assay could satisfy the demand for infield diagnoses, and is suitable for use in remote areas as it is fast, portable, and cost-effective.
A novel bone graft technique combined with plating for aseptic recalcitrant long bone nonunion
Authors: Jiang Yuxuan , Wang Xiao-long , Huang Wei , Zhu Yang-jun , Zhang Kun , Feng Dong-xu
Published: March 2022

BackgroundFracture nonunion sometimes occurs after treatment, and some patients are still difficult to heal after many times of treatment. In order to more effectively treat nonunion and heal patients with recalcitrant nonunion, a new technique for autogenous iliac crest bone grafting combined with locking compression plate(LCP) vertical fixation is presented.This study retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with recalcitrant long bone nonunion treated in our hospital to investigate the effect of this technique .MethodsFrom July 2010 to September 2020,34 patients with recalcitrant long bone nonunion underwent surgical treatment and completed follow-up at Xi’an Hong Hui Hospital.Follow-up was for at least 12 months after intervention.The injury mechanism,nonunion type,the duration of nonunion,prior treatments and the outcomes following surgery were recorded for all patients.ResultsThis study enrolled 34 patients(24 males and 10 females), with a mean age of 49.8 ± 12.3years. There were 3 patients with ulnar nonunion,1 patients with ulna and radius nonunion,9 patients with humeral shaft nonunion,1 patient with proximal humerus,2 patient with supracondylar humeru nonunion,10 patient with femoral shaft nonunion, 1 patient with supracondylar femoral nonunion,1 patient with tibiofibular nonunion,5 patient with tibia nonunion and 1 patient with clavicular nonunion.All patients received more than one regular treatment.32 patients union after 6.8 ± 2.4 months, and 2 patients had still nonunion with implants intact.ConclusionBone-forming channel technique combined with LCP vertical fixation is an excellent option for the treatment of recalcitrant long bone nonunion.Level of evidenceTherapeutic Level IV.
Increased risk of preterm delivery with high cortisol during pregnancy is modified by fetal sex: a cohort study
Authors: Oaks Brietta M. , Adu-Afarwuah Seth , Ashorn Per , Lartey Anna , Laugero Kevin D. , Okronipa Harriet , Stewart Christine P. , Dewey Kathryn G.
Published: March 2022

Background: Previous studies show an association between maternal plasma and salivary cortisol and preterm birth but have been primarily conducted in high-income countries. It is unknown whether salivary cortisol is a risk factor for preterm birth in Ghana. Our objective was to determine whether maternal salivary cortisol during pregnancy was associated with pregnancy duration and preterm delivery in Ghana. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of 783 pregnant women in Ghana. We measured salivary cortisol at baseline (mean 16 wk), 28 wk, and 36 wk gestation. Pregnancy duration was determined primarily by ultrasound. We used adjusted linear regression models to examine the association between cortisol and pregnancy duration and Poisson regression models to determine the risk of preterm delivery among women with high cortisol at baseline or 28 wk gestation. Results: Mean pregnancy duration was 39.4 ± 1.8 wk and 6.6% had a preterm delivery. Mean maternal cortisol increased throughout pregnancy, from 4.9 ± 2.7 nmol/L at baseline (16 wk) to 6.4 ± 3.2 nmol/L at 28 wk and 7.9 ± 3.0 nmol/L at 36 wk gestation. In adjusted analyses, higher cortisol concentrations at baseline (β = -0.39, p = .002) and 28 wk (β = -0.49, p = .001), but not 36 wk (β = -0.23, p = .084) were associated with a shorter pregnancy duration. Women with high cortisol at baseline (>6.3 nmol/L) had an increased relative risk of preterm delivery (RR (95% CI): 1.96 (1.13, 3.40)), but the association between high cortisol at 28 wk and preterm delivery was not significant. There was a significant interaction with fetal sex (p-for-interaction = 0.037): among women carrying male fetuses, high cortisol at baseline increased the risk of preterm delivery threefold (3.18 (1.51, 6.71)) while there was no association (1.17 (0.50, 2.74)) among women carrying female fetuses.Conclusion: Higher maternal cortisol is associated with a shorter pregnancy duration and an increased risk of preterm delivery. Subgroup analysis by fetal sex revealed that this association is evident primarily among women carrying male fetuses. Future studies of cortisol and preterm delivery should include consideration of fetal sex as a potential effect modifier.
Implications of Bacteriological Study in Complicated and Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis
Authors: Cimpean Sorin , Barranquero Alberto Gonzalez , Surdeanu Ion , Cadiere Benjamin , Cadiere Guy-Bernard
Published: March 2022

BackgroundThe bacteriological sample in the presence of intraabdominal free fluid is necessary to adapt the antibiotherapy and to prevent the development of resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between uncomplicated (UAA) and complicated acute appendicitis (CAA) in terms of bacterial culture results and antibiotic resistance, and to evaluate the predictors for complicated appendicitis.Material and methodsWe performed a single-centre, retrospective observational study of all consecutive patients who presented with appendicular peritonitis and underwent emergent surgery in a tertiary referral hospital in Brussels, Belgium, between January 2013 and December 2020. 268 patients were analysed in term of medical history, parameters at admission, bacterial culture, antibiotic resistance and postoperative outcomes.ResultsThe positive microbiological culture rate was significantly higher in CAA group (68.2 % vs. 53.4 %). The most frequently isolated bacteria in UAA and CAA cultures were E. coli (37.9 % and 48.6 %), bacteria from the Streptoccocus anginosus group (9.3 % and 7.8 %), and Bacteroides spp. (5 % and 13.1 %). The most commonly observed resistances were against ampicillin (28.9 % and 21.7 %) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (16.4 % and 10.5 %) in UAA and CAA, respectively. The predictors for complicated appendicitis were preoperative or intraoperative variables. Neither the culture results, the group of bacterial isolation nor the specific isolated bacteria predicted a complicated appendicitis.Conclusion CAA presented a higher rate of positive cultures with increased identification of Gram negative bacteria. There were not relevant differences in terms of antibiotic resistance.
Conbercept efficacy in treating diabetic retinopathy complicated with diabetic macular oedema
Authors: Hao Yanlei , Tao Yuan , Lei Jiaying , Li Shuting , Yang Mengyao , Wang Hong
Published: March 2022

Objective: This study aims to explore the best conbercept treatment scheme by observing the efficacy of different conbercept treatment methods .Methods: This is a retrospective study with 180 patients (180 eyes) diagnosed with severe NPDR complicated with DME. The patients were divided into 3+PRN (94 eyes) and 5+PRN (86 eyes) groups.CRT、BCVA、 the number of MA、HE and DCP-VAD were measured before treatment and at months 3, 6, 9 and 12 after treatment.Results: After treatment, the BCVA of the two groups improved (P < 0.05), CRT and MA decreased (P < 0.05) at months 3, 6, 9 and 12 . DCP-VAD was higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05), HE area decreased at months 9 and 12 after treatment (P < 0.05), and BCVA in the 5+PRN group was significantly better than that in the 3+PRN group at month 12 (P < 0.05). The MA number and CRT in the 5+PRN group were lower than those in the 3+PRN group at months 9 and 12 (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Conbercept plays an important role in NPDR regression.
Treating Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy with Physical Therapy: A Case Series
Authors: Schmitt Katie , Cachia David , Hashmi Hamza
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can be seen in 19-85% of the patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy. Although pharmacotherapy has been shown to be better than placebo, its efficacy remains modest. Currently there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of CIPN with physical therapy (PT). Case Description: This case series follows 2 patients with a history of multiple myeloma and bone marrow transplant, through 10 and 13 weeks of skilled PT for treatment of CIPN. Patients were treated 1x per week in clinic with manual therapy including soft tissue massage, trigger point release, joint mobilization to the feet, a therapeutic exercise program including an ankle resistance exercise and standing stretches, neuromuscular re-education addressed with balance training, and were given a daily home exercise program.Results: Improved scores on the Neuropathic Pain Diagnostic Questionnaire (5/10 with 41 for interference reduced to 3/10 with 12 for interference and 5/10 with 29 for interference reduced to 1/10 with 4 for interference), reduced fall risk on the 4-Stage Balance Test, and decreased VAS pain ratings (10/10 reduced to 0/10 during the day and 4/10 at night and 8/10 reduced to 0/10 all times). Conclusion: This case series shows positive effect for patients with multiple myeloma treated for CIPN with PT 1x per week in clinic combined with a home program. Future studies should consider combined therapies for treatment as well as more precise outcome measures and functional tests.
Drug-Target Graph based Recurrent Network for Drug Combination Prediction
Authors: Wen Yuqi , Cao Zhiwei , Zhang Yixin , Wu Lianlian , Wang Zhongming , Dai Chong , Wang Jing , Leng Dongjin , Su Jinsong , He Song , Bo Xiaochen
Published: March 2022

Compared with monotherapy, drug combination therapy has demonstrated more effective and powerful therapeutic effects in cancer treatment. However, due to the large size of the combinatorial space, experimental identification of synergistic drug combinations is cost- and time-consuming, even with high-throughput screens. With the accumulation of various types of drug informatics data, artificial intelligence techniques have become applicable for the prediction of synergistic drug combinations, thereby reducing the experimental workload and accelerating the discovery of combination therapy. Currently, the emerging graph neural network (GNN) has been applied to drug combination prediction and brings new insight on the discovery of combination therapy. In this study, we proposed Drug-Target Graph based Recurrent Network (DTGRN) to predict synergistic drug combinations in various cancer cell lines. Specifically, we proposed a Graph Recurrent Network-based encoder to learn a low-dimensional representation of features for each node and then predicted the synergy score of novel drug combinations based on these representations via a cell line-specific projection matrix. In DTGRN, gating mechanism and cell-line-level states are employed to ensure each node representation more comprehensively absorbs local and global information and potential association information. In the application of the cell line-specific drug-target heterogeneous graph, DTGRN significantly outperforms the state-of-the-arts and several classical machine learning algorithms. More prominently, the novel drug combinations predicted by DTGRN have been validated by computational analysis and in vitro experiments, confirming the high predictive performance of DTGRN. These drug combinations could be further evaluated as potential combination therapy strategy. In summary, these results indicate that DTGRN can serve as a powerful tool for integrating heterogeneous graph information to predict drug combinations and provide a promising way to discover novel synergistic drug combination for cancer treatment.
How does globalization affect ecological footprint? A Comparative analysis of India and Pakistan
Authors: Zubair Muhammad , Khan Alam , Haq Ihtisham Ul , Tahir Muhammad
Published: March 2022

This paper focuses on the economies of Pakistan and India to figure out the potential influence of globalization on ecological footprints (EF) which is rarely researched. Time series data both for Pakistan and India is sources for the period 1991 to 2018 from internationally reliable sources. The latest cointegration approach of NARDL is utilized for the estimation of models. The results indicated that globalization has a greater impact on India as compared to Pakistan regarding environmental degradation. Social globalization reacts asymmetrically to EF in case of Pakistan. In both economies, negative shocks are dominant as compared to positive shocks. To avoid the drastic impacts of economic globalization on environmental degradation, it is necessary that production techniques should be based on modern technologies. Furthermore, long term economic policies related to globalization should be made by governments of both economies to protect their environment from further degradation.