bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gross motor trajectories of pre-term and full-term infants under different parental educational approaches
Authors: Francisco Anilsa Suraia Pedro Gaspar , Graciosa Maylli Daiani , Pacheco Sheila Cristina da Silva , Sanada Luciana Sayuri
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to explore motor trajectories of Brazilian pre-term and full-term infants from 3 to 12 months old whose parents participated in an educational program and had received guidance on gross motor development. Forty-eight Brazilian infants aged 3 months old were divided into Group 1 (full-term infants and their parents who received only verbal guidance, n = 14), Group 2 (full-term infants with parents who received an educative folder in addition to the same verbal guidance, n = 23), and Group 3 (preterm infants with parents who received the same verbal guidance and educative folder, n = 11). The folder had similar information to the verbal guidance; nonetheless, it helped to teach parents and allowed later consultation at home. We applied Alberta Infant Motor Scale, Affordances in Home Environment for Motor Development–Infant Scale, and a questionnaire about infants’ information at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months old. In longitudinal comparison, all groups showed a significant difference for AIMS variables on total score and subscales; all subitems of AHEMD-IS; and time spent in prone, supine, sitting, and standing positions. In general, no differences were found between groups. Motor trajectory, home opportunities, and parental positioning practices were similar between full-term and preterm infants with different guidance approaches.
Heartbeat recordings in music therapy bereavement care following suicide: Action research single case study of amplified cardiopulmonary recordings for continuity of care
Authors: Ghetti Claire M. , Schreck Brian , Bennett Jeremy
Published: November 2023

Bereavement services incorporating family-centered practices are emerging within hospital-based care but are often time-limited and lack personalization. This action research single case study explored one father’s experience of music therapy using amplified cardiopulmonary recordings (ACPR) during bereavement following his son’s death by suicide, to critique current norms and inspire transformative change in systems of care. As co-researchers, a bereaved father, his music therapist, and a music therapy researcher used iterative cycles to qualitatively analyze a series of dialogic reflections upon an 8-year experience of ACPR to construct two overarching themes: 1) continuity experienced as compassion, and 2) process of music therapy with ACPR as tool for resilience and positive growth. Aspects of continuity in the ACPR process, in relation with the music therapist, in journeying through grief, and in the heart and heartbeat were perceived as overwhelming compassion that fostered positive growth in the face of profound loss. We see our study as a first step in promoting culture change by exposing underlying practices, assumptions and policies within the context of hospital-based bereavement care and identifying an exceptional example of possibilities. Our findings add to the literature on action research for transformation by demonstrating that the process of relational knowledge co-creation can be perceived as part of the therapeutic journey.
“Extraordinary powers for extraordinary times”: A conjunctural analysis of pandemic policing, common sense, and the abolitionist horizon
Authors: Brooks Andrew , Lorange Astrid
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we offer a conjunctural analysis of policing and incarceration, examining their expansion in relation to structural economic conditions over the last 50 years and interrogating how the sudden onset of the Covid-19 pandemic enabled extraordinary growth in policing powers in the Australian jurisdictions of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC). We examine how popular support for police-led responses to crisis and fines as a common-sense solution to social problems were sought during the period that the Public Health Orders were in effect in the two states. We argue that the discursive project of naturalizing the police-led response to the pandemic—via official communications from the state governments as well as media coverage of the pandemic—attempts to further entrench a vision of law and order governance in which infrastructures of discipline and punishment are necessary and inevitable. We identify this vision as a direct barrier to abolition and a significant limit on the capacity to imagine alternative frameworks for justice. We end by considering a small archive of tweets from users in NSW and VIC published on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter (now called X) in 2020–21. We argue that this archive registers the way the common-sense status of the fine as an efficient, effective, and equitable punishment gives way to punitive fantasies about police and prisons. We read this archive alongside the broad refusal to pay Covid-related fines and the ongoing legal disputes contesting the legitimacy of their issuance, concluding by proposing that the conjunctural moment of the Covid-19 pandemic has given rise to unresolved contradictions between the naturalized logic of law and order crisis management and the potential for this logic to come undone.
Toward safer aviation: Application of GA-XGBoost-SHAP for incident cognition and model explainability
Authors: Xiong Minglan , Wang Huawei , Che Changchang , Lin Ruiguan
Published: November 2023

Flight incidents are characterized by complex mechanisms, leading to poor prediction model robustness and explainability. Based on the full-dimensional description of flight incidents, the explainable module is added to the prediction model to achieve its accuracy, stability, and explainability. Firstly, imbalance processing is performed employing the sampling method, and a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied for feature selection; these results are then considered as prediction model input. Secondly, an extreme gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost)-based incident severity prediction model is established with five categories of none, minor, serious, fatal, and total as prediction labels; real data is used for validation, and the model shows good robustness and superiority. Finally, the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) is introduced to explain the correlation between incidents severity and input features and to measure feature importance. The results show that the proposed method has higher prediction accuracy and robustness. Which can provide some decision-making reference for aviation operation management departments to emergencies, learn the deep-seated law of incidents, and promote the paradigm of active safety management.
A rolling bearing fault diagnosis method based on a new data fusion mechanism and improved CNN
Authors: Yu Tianzhuang , Ren Zhaohui , Zhang Yongchao , Zhou Shihua , Zhou Xin
Published: November 2023

The development of modern industry has accelerated the need for intelligent fault diagnosis. Nowadays, most bearing fault diagnosis methods only use the information of one sensor, and the diagnostic knowledge contained in single-sensor data is often insufficient, which leads to insufficient diagnostic accuracy under complex working conditions. In addition, although convolutional neural network (CNN) has been widely used in fault diagnosis, the network structures used are still relatively traditional, and the ability of feature extraction is relatively poor. To solve the problems, firstly, this paper innovatively uses coordinate attention (CA) to more fully mine fusion information after concatenate (Cat) operation and proposes a new data fusion mechanism, Cat-CA. Then an improved Residual Block is proposed, and a novel improved CNN is built by stacking this Block. Finally, the Cat-CA-ICNN is built by combining Cat-CA and improved CNN, and its effectiveness and superiority are verified using two datasets.
Ewing sarcoma of the temporal bone with aneurysmal bone cyst-like changes: A rare case report with an unusual radiological presentation
Authors: Lloret Isabel , Hompland Ivar , Lobmaier Ingvild VK , Sundseth Jarle , Server Andres
Published: November 2023

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a malignant small round cell tumor, accounting for 10–15% of all primary bone tumors and approximately 3% of all pediatric cancers. Primary ES of the cranial bone is unusual with reported incidence from 1% to 6% of all ES cases. This report shows a rare case of primary ES of the squamous temporal bone in a 12-year-old boy with a history of swelling of the right temporal region and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. We illustrate the extremely unusual radiological presentation of this primary ES of temporal bone associated with large aneurysmal bone cyst-like (ABC-like) changes. The boy was successfully treated according to Euro Ewing 2012 protocol. He is alive with no evidence of recurrence and metastasis after 16 months of completed treatment.
Bacterial profile and extended spectrum beta lactamase screening of urinary tract infection among asymptomatic and symptomatic pregnant women attending antenatal care in ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Getie Molla , Gebre-Selassie Solomon , Getu Yemeserach , Birara Setognal , Tiruneh Chalachew , Abebaw Abtie , Akelew Yibeltal , Abeje Getu , Enkobahry Aklesya
Published: November 2023

Introduction:

The occurrence of extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing uropathogens, especially in pregnant women can result in life-threatening condition and morbidity for both the mother and the newborn due to very limited drug options for treatment of these pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial profile, associated factors, and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and to identify extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing bacterial uropathogens.

Methods:

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2018 on a total of 177 pregnant women with and without symptoms of urinary tract infection at ALERT Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From these study participants, 72 have symptoms, whereas 105 have no symptoms. All urine samples were inoculated onto cysteine lactose electrolyte deficient medium and MacConkey agar. Colonies were counted to check the presence of significant bacteriuria. Pure isolates of bacterial pathogen were characterized and identified at species level by colony morphology, gram stain, and standard biochemical procedures. All Gram-negative isolates were put into Muller–Hinton agar plates for antibiotic susceptibility test by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Extended spectrum beta lactamase was detected using double-disk synergy methods on Muller–Hinton agar. The data were double entered into epidemiological Information system and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 26.

Results:

The overall proportion of urinary tract infection among pregnant women was 14.7% ( n = 26/177). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the predominant bacterial etiologic agent of urinary tract infection 26.9% ( n = 7/26). The proportion of extended spectrum beta lactamase among Gram-negative isolates was 50% ( n = 6/12). Among extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing isolates (100%), all are resistance to amikacin and gentamicin while intermediate level resistance rate of 66.7% was observed among trimethoprim–sulphamethoxazole. They were susceptible for some limited drugs, and these were Nitrofurantoin (83.3%) and Chloramphenicol (83.3%).

Conclusions:

Majority of extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing isolates exhibited co-resistance to other commonly prescribed antibiotics. This indicates that the option of treatment for these pathogens rapidly decreased from time to time which results serious life-threatening conditions, especially in mother and newborn unless the appropriate measure is taken.
Examining the Complexity of Pre-Service Social Studies Teacher Dispositions: Ideology, Experience, and Privilege
Authors: Magill Kevin Russel
Published: November 2023

In this piece, the author examined the impact of ideology, experience, and privilege on pre-service Social Studies teacher disposition. Findings suggest that participants conceptually understood injustice and began to critique social antagonisms like whiteness and class. However, they continued reinforcing raced and classed ideologies in their interactions with those outside their group. When faced with the cognitive dissonance between stated ideology and their privileged position, the more liberal participants re-narrativize their political stances to adopt more critical ideological worldviews while maintaining their privileged identities. More conservative participants disassociated themselves from more extreme aspects of U.S. conservative political ideology. Both groups maintained the ideologies that provided justification for social hierarchy. Upbringing/identity, understandings of power/hierarchy, emic cultural understandings, and a desire to live one’s ideology, or not, beyond the classroom, informed participant decition making.
Biosimilars in Dermatology Review
Authors: Baker John , Kalb Robert
Published: November 2023

Background

Safe and effective biosimilar medications have the potential to significantly increase access to these valuable drugs. The two current biosimilars available in dermatology in the United States (US) are infliximab and rituximab which were Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 2016 and 2018 respectively. There has been significant interest in this topic as a number of biosimilar versions of adalimumab will be available in 2023.

Objective

This review will discuss biosimilar basics and the experience with biosimilars used in dermatology in the US, Asia, and Europe.

Methods

All articles in Ovid/Medline from 2015 to Feb 2023 on biosimilars were reviewed with a particular emphasis on medications used in dermatology. Other reports from pharmaceutical manufacturers and blogs following the development of the biosimilar industry provided key insights.

Results

Biosimilars have been able to produce significant savings and market share increases, particularly in Europe, where there has been a longer experience. The specifics depend on drug prescribing practices and incentives in the individual country. This degree of savings and market share increases have not been realized with the current biosimilars available in the US.

Conclusion

While biosimilars have resulted in significant savings compared to originator drugs, it is clear that prescribing incentives and physician education are crucial in achieving these savings. To what degree biosimilar market share will increase in the US remains to be determined.
Specters of comfort women: Biopolitical colonial warfare, questions of humanity, and the haunted future
Authors: Kim-Kiteishvili Jungah
Published: November 2023

The memories of “comfort women” have been discursively represented primarily within the dynamic discussions that define narratives regarding the universal human rights of women. In this article, I attempt to re-read the history of the comfort women system against the paradigmatic human rights narratives of gender-based violence while contextualizing its history within the legacy of colonial racism. The understanding of the comfort women system as colonial violence that I put forward thus challenges the basic assumptions of current debates on contested memories in East Asia. For this, I draw on haunting aspects of Zainichi Korean documentary filmmaker Soonam Park’s archivization of human suffering during the colonial period and on Michel Foucault’s notion of biopolitics. I further discuss the contrasting implications of W. E. B. Du Bois’s visits to Japan and to the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto in light of Michael Rothberg’s reading of Du Bois and of his conceptual reflections on “marking caesuras.” In this regard, I characterize Imperial Japan as the absent empire of postcolonial grammatology, underscoring thereby the manner in which Eurocentrism, binary thinking, and habitual orientation around the color line inhabit and determine much of the work carried out under the banner of postcolonial studies.

“Enter the ghost, exit the ghost, re-enter the ghost.” – Hamlet.
Genome sequence resource for “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” strain GDCZ from a historical HLB endemic region in China
Authors: Zheng Yongqin , Li Yun , Xu Pengbin , Liu Chaoji , Chen Jianchi , Deng Xiaoling , Zheng Zheng
Published: November 2023

Objectives

“Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” (CLas) is an un-culturable α-proteobacterium that caused citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), a destructive disease threatening citrus production worldwide. In China, the presence of HLB was first reported in Chaoshan region of Guangdong province, China around a century ago. Thus, whole genome information of CLas strains from Chaoshan area become the most important resource to understand the population diversity and evaluation of CLas in China.

Data description

CLas strain GDCZ was originally from Chaozhou city (Chaoshan area) and sequenced using PacBio Sequel long-read sequencing and Illumina short-read sequencing. The genome of strain GDCZ comprised of 1,230,507 bp with an average G + C content of 36.4%, along with a circular CLasMV1 phage: CLasMV1_GDCZ (8,869 bp). The CLas strain GDCZ contained a Type 2 prophage (37,452 bp) and encoded a total of 1,057 open reading frames and 53 RNA genes. The whole genome sequence of CLas strain GDCZ from the historical HLB endemic region in China will serve as a useful resource for further analyses of CLas evolution and HLB epidemiology in China and world.
Patient-reported side effects and satisfaction of pre-hospital analgesia with low-dose esketamine: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Häske David , Eppler Fabian , Heinemann Niklas , Schempf Benjamin
Published: November 2023

Background

Analgesia is a core intervention in emergency medicine. Pain is subjective, so patient-reported experience with pain and analgesia is essential for healthcare professionals.

The aim of this study was to evaluate patient-reported side effects and satisfaction associated with pre-hospital analgesia with low-dose esketamine.

Methods

This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted as part of quality assurance measures of the German Red Cross Emergency Medical Service, Reutlingen, Germany.

The survey was administered to all patients who received prehospital esketamine analgesia from paramedics. Addresses were obtained from medical records and mailed 10 days after the event. Patient feedback was anonymous and could not be linked to operational documentation.

Results

A total of 201 patients were contacted, and 119 responses were received via the online questionnaire and postal mail (response rate 59%). The mean age of the patients was 68±13 years, with 64.7% (n=77) being female. The main diagnosis reported was fractures of the extremities in 69.7%. Patients reported initial median pain intensity on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of 10 [8-10]. Pain was unbearable for 96.3% of patients. After administration of analgesia, 95.3% were satisfied or very satisfied. Patients reported no side effects in 78.5%, minor side effects in 10.0%, significant but well tolerable side effects in 11.3%, borderline tolerable side effects in 0.2%, and no unbearable side effects. Borderline tolerable nausea was reported in 2% of patients along with dreams in 0.8%. No nightmares were reported. Further analysis showed that patients older than 80 years reported significantly more side effects (p< 0.001) and were thus less satisfied with the analgesia.

Conclusions

Both patient perception and analgesia with few side effects were important for both safety and satisfaction. In the present study, low-dose esketamine analgesia was associated with low side effects and high patient satisfaction.
Trends and spatial distribution of neonatal sepsis, Uganda, 2016–2020
Authors: Migamba Stella M. , Kisaakye Esther , Komakech Allan , Nakanwagi Miriam , Nakamya Petranilla , Mutumba Robert , Migadde Deogratius , Kwesiga Benon , Bulage Lilian , Kadobera Daniel , Ario Alex R.
Published: November 2023

Background

In Uganda, sepsis is the third-leading cause of neonatal deaths. Neonatal sepsis can be early-onset sepsis (EOS), which occurs ≤ 7 days postpartum and is usually vertically transmitted from the mother to newborn during the intrapartum period, or late-onset sepsis (LOS), occurring 8–28 days postpartum and largely acquired from the hospital environment or community. We described trends and spatial distribution of neonatal sepsis in Uganda, 2016–2020.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive incidence study using routinely-reported surveillance data on in-patient neonatal sepsis from the District Health Information System version 2 (DHIS2) during 2016–2020. We calculated incidence of EOS, LOS, and total sepsis as cases per 1,000 live births (LB) at district (n = 136), regional (n = 4), and national levels, as well as total sepsis incidence by health facility level. We used logistic regression to evaluate national and regional trends and illustrated spatial distribution using choropleth maps.

Results

During 2016–2020, 95,983 neonatal sepsis cases were reported, of which 71,262 (74%) were EOS. Overall neonatal sepsis incidence was 17.4/1,000 LB. EOS increased from 11.7 to 13.4 cases/1,000 LB with an average yearly increase of 3% (p < 0.001); LOS declined from 5.7 to 4.3 cases/1,000 LB with an average yearly decrease of 7% (p < 0.001). Incidence was highest at referral hospitals (68/1,000 LB) and lowest at Health Center IIs (1.3/1,000 LB). Regionally, total sepsis increased in Central (15.5 to 23.0/1,000 LB, p < 0.001) and Northern regions (15.3 to 22.2/1,000 LB, p < 0.001) but decreased in Western (23.7 to 17.0/ 1,000 LB, p < 0.001) and Eastern (15.0 to 8.9/1,000, p < 0.001) regions.

Conclusion

The high and increasing incidence of EOS in Uganda suggests a major gap in sepsis prevention and quality of care for pregnant women. The heterogenous distribution of neonatal sepsis incidence requires root cause analysis by health authorities in regions with consistently high incidence. Strengthening prevention and treatment interventions in Central and Northern regions, and in the most affected districts, could reduce neonatal sepsis. Employment of strategies which increase uptake of safe newborn care practices and prevent neonatal sepsis, such as community health worker (CHW) home visits for mothers and newborns, could reduce incidence.
Caregiver strain among patients of palliative care in Sri Lanka: validation of modified caregiver strain index - Sinhala version
Authors: Ramadasa U. , Silva S. , Udumulla U. , Perera S. , Lekamwasam S.
Published: November 2023

Background

Care givers of Palliated patients are at risk of adverse physical, psychosocial and emotional sequelae in varied nature. Efficient and valid assessment tools facilitate early detection to take corrective measures. The Modified Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI), composed of domains associated with caregiver strain is a simple and brief tool that can be used in both clinical and field settings. This study aimed to adapt and validate this in order to cater effective palliative care services in Sri Lanka.

Methods

After cross-cultural adaptation, 200 primary caregivers in 3 teaching hospitals were recruited. The internal consistency, item-total correlations, of the 13-item S-MCSI were performed. The criterion validity was assessed by Pearson correlation between the total scores of S-MCSI, the Karnofky Performance Scale and the Barthel index. Construct validity was determined by the principal component analysis keeping the Varimax with Keiser normalization as the rotation method. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test (KMO) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity statistics were also performed to determine the adequacy of the sample and correlations between items, respectively. The number of factors was determined by the Scree plot, percentage of variance explained by each component and number of Eigen values over 01 (Kaiser-Guttman rule).

Results

The total MCSI score ranged 0 to 26. The overall Cronbach’s alpha of the 13-item questionnaire was 0.80 while item-total corrections ranged 0.34 to 0.62, exception of one item (0.11). Inverse correlations were demonstrated in total scores of MCSI and Karnofky Performance Scale (r =- 0.32, p < 0.001) and Barthel index (r =-0.34, P < 0.001). A Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of 0.79 (p < 0.001) for Bartlett’s test indicated adequate sampling and nonlinearity of factors. The Scree plot showed a three-factor structure explaining 57% of the variation. Items regarding personal wellbeing of caregiver loaded together while the effects on the family loaded separately. Adjustment of personal concerns and family issues along with time alteration grouped as the third factor.

Conclusions

The study showed that the Sinhala version of MCSI has adequate psychometric properties and reliability to be used as a validated tool to estimate the caregiver burden within a short time period for any health care workers.
Differential cellular localization of lectins in the testes of dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) during active and inactive breeding seasons
Authors: Gewaily Mahmoud S. , Abdallah Mohamed Gaber , Khalifa Norhan E. , Habotta Ola A. , Noreldin Ahmed E.
Published: November 2023

The reproductive activity of the male dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) as a seasonal breeder is affected by various seasonal changes that reflect on the reproductive performance. In the current study, we explored a differential cellular localization of lectins in eight dromedary camel testes utilizing lectin histochemistry (LHC). The glycoconjugates’ localizations were detected within the testicular tissue utilizing 13 biotin-labeled lectins (PNA, ConA, LCA, RCA120, GS IB4, WGA, BPL, DBA, ECA, PHA-E4, UEA-1, PTL-II, and SBA) distributed into six sets. The cellular structures revealed diverse lectins distribution that may reflect various glycoproteins’ structures and their compositional modifications during spermatogenesis. Some of the investigated lectins were restricted to acrosomes of spermatids that will help study different stages during the spermatogenic cycle of dromedary camel, particularly PNA, and ECA. The statistical analysis showed a marked positive correlation between the response intensity of various lectins and the breeding season (P < 0.05). We can conclude that lectins have a fundamental role during camel spermatogenesis and are associated with the reproductive activity of dromedary camel.
Plasma metabolomics and quantitative interstitial abnormalities in ever-smokers
Authors: Choi Bina , San José Estépar Raúl , Godbole Suneeta , Curtis Jeffrey L. , Wang Jennifer M. , San José Estépar Rubén , Rosas Ivan O. , Mayers Jared R. , Hobbs Brian D. , Hersh Craig P. , Ash Samuel Y. , Han MeiLan K. , Bowler Russell P. , Stringer Kathleen A. , Washko George R. , Labaki Wassim W.
Published: November 2023

Background

Quantitative interstitial abnormalities (QIA) are an automated computed tomography (CT) finding of early parenchymal lung disease, associated with worse lung function, reduced exercise capacity, increased respiratory symptoms, and death. The metabolomic perturbations associated with QIA are not well known. We sought to identify plasma metabolites associated with QIA in smokers. We also sought to identify shared and differentiating metabolomics features between QIA and emphysema, another smoking-related advanced radiographic abnormality.

Methods

In 928 former and current smokers in the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD cohort, we measured QIA and emphysema using an automated local density histogram method and generated metabolite profiles from plasma samples using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (Metabolon). We assessed the associations between metabolite levels and QIA using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, pack-years, and inhaled corticosteroid use, at a Benjamini–Hochberg False Discovery Rate p-value of ≤ 0.05. Using multinomial regression models adjusted for these covariates, we assessed the associations between metabolite levels and the following CT phenotypes: QIA-predominant, emphysema-predominant, combined-predominant, and neither- predominant. Pathway enrichment analyses were performed using MetaboAnalyst.

Results

We found 85 metabolites significantly associated with QIA, with overrepresentation of the nicotinate and nicotinamide, histidine, starch and sucrose, pyrimidine, phosphatidylcholine, lysophospholipid, and sphingomyelin pathways. These included metabolites involved in inflammation and immune response, extracellular matrix remodeling, surfactant, and muscle cachexia. There were 75 metabolites significantly different between QIA-predominant and emphysema-predominant phenotypes, with overrepresentation of the phosphatidylethanolamine, nicotinate and nicotinamide, aminoacyl-tRNA, arginine, proline, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate pathways.

Conclusions

Metabolomic correlates may lend insight to the biologic perturbations and pathways that underlie clinically meaningful quantitative CT measurements like QIA in smokers.
The extracellular polysaccharide inhibit porcine epidemic diarrhea virus with extract and gene editing Lacticaseibacillus
Authors: Chen Shaojun , Nai Zida , Qin Ziliang , Li Gang , He Xinmiao , Wang Wentao , Tian Yaguang , Liu Di , Jiang Xinpeng
Published: November 2023

Lacticaseibacillus is one of the predominant microorganisms in gut from human and animal, and the lacticaseibacillus have effective applications against the viral diarrhea of piglets in the farm. However, the function and the concrete cell single pathways of the active ingredient from lacticaseibacillus was not clear within anti-infection in the postbiotics research. Here, we compared the biological function of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) purified from lacticaseibacillus casei (L. casei) and gene editing lacticaseibacillus casei with the CRISPER-Cas9 technology, which were with the ability of antioxidation and anti-inflammation, and the EPS could also inhibit the ROS production within the Porcine Small Intestinal Epithelial Cells-J2 (IPEC-J2). Interestingly, we found that both of EPS and genome editing lacticaseibacillus casei could specifically target the IFN-λ expression in the IPEC-J2, which was beneficial against the PEDV infection in the virus replication and production with the qRT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence methods. Finally, the STAT3 cell single pathway was stimulated to transcribe IFN-λ with the EPS to elucidate the detailed mechanism of activating type III IFN signals receptor of IL-10R2, which play the function between anti-inflammation and anti-virus in the PEDV infection. Taken together, our research linked a postbiotics of EPS with the antiviral infection of PEDV, which suggest that the lacticaseibacillus itself still have displayed the potential immunomodulatory activities, and highlight the immunomodulatory potential of EPS-producing microbes.

Graphical Abstract
Superior mesenteric artery syndrome and anorexia nervosa: a case report
Authors: Singh Shivani , Contrucci Ann L.
Published: November 2023

Background

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is an underdiagnosed complication in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients, which results from weight loss-induced atrophy of the mesenteric fat pad, causing compression of the third part of the duodenum. SMA syndrome can be life-threatening as its nonspecific symptomatology often results in a delayed diagnosis. It is a rare condition, but its true prevalence may be higher than the reported numbers. A history of persistent nausea and vomiting after oral intake and weight loss in AN should raise suspicion about this diagnosis, as weight loss is the most significant factor in this diagnosis. Other high-risk factors include rapid, extreme weight loss, anatomical abnormalities, or a history of prior abdominal or spinal surgeries.

Case presentation

The patient presented in this report was a 26-year-old Caucasian female with a history of severe enduring anorexia nervosa. This patient suffered from an insidious case of SMA syndrome secondary to AN. This patient presented with vague symptoms of nausea and vomiting, persistent abdominal pain, and rapid weight loss. The patient was successfully treated but could have had a much different outcome if the diagnosis had been further delayed.

Conclusions

An awareness of SMA syndrome and its clinical presentation within similar populations can prevent complications and even fatalities that come with it.
Circulating miRNAs signature on breast cancer: the MCC-Spain project
Authors: Gómez-Acebo Inés , Llorca Javier , Alonso-Molero Jessica , Díaz-Martínez Marta , Pérez-Gómez Beatriz , Amiano Pilar , Belmonte Thalía , Molina Antonio J. , Burgui Rosana , Castaño-Vinyals Gemma , Moreno Víctor , Molina-Barceló Ana , Marcos-Gragera Rafael , Kogevinas Manolis , Pollán Marina , Dierssen-Sotos Trinidad
Published: November 2023

Purpose

To build models combining circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) able to identify women with breast cancer as well as different types of breast cancer, when comparing with controls without breast cancer.

Method

miRNAs analysis was performed in two phases: screening phase, with a totaln = 40 (10 controls and 30 BC cases) analyzed by Next Generation Sequencing, and validation phase, which included 131 controls and 269 cases. For this second phase, the miRNAs were selected combining the screening phase results and a revision of the literature. They were quantified using RT-PCR. Models were built using logistic regression with LASSO penalization.

Results

The model for all cases included seven miRNAs (miR-423-3p, miR-139-5p, miR-324-5p, miR-1299, miR-101-3p, miR-186-5p and miR-29a-3p); which had an area under the ROC curve of 0.73. The model for cases diagnosed via screening only took in one miRNA (miR-101-3p); the area under the ROC curve was 0.63. The model for disease-free cases in the follow-up had five miRNAs (miR-101-3p, miR-186-5p, miR-423-3p, miR-142-3p and miR-1299) and the area under the ROC curve was 0.73. Finally, the model for cases with active disease in the follow-up contained six miRNAs (miR-101-3p, miR-423-3p, miR-139-5p, miR-1307-3p, miR-331-3p and miR-21-3p) and its area under the ROC curve was 0.82.

Conclusion

We present four models involving eleven miRNAs to differentiate healthy controls from different types of BC cases. Our models scarcely overlap with those previously reported.
Risk factors of prognosis in older patients with severe brain injury after surgical intervention
Authors: Shen Hanchao , Liu Haibing , He Jiongzhou , Wei Lianqfeng , Wang Shousen
Published: November 2023

Background

Older patients (aged ≥ 60 years) with severe brain injury have a high mortality and disability rate. The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the clinical risk factors of prognosis in older patients with severe brain injury after surgical intervention and to analyze the prognosis of the surviving group of patients 1 year after discharge.

Methods

Clinical data of older patients with severe brain injury who were admitted to two neurosurgical centers between January 2010 and December 2020 were collected. Patient age, sex, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission, underlying disease, mechanisms of injury, abnormal pupillary reflex, head computed tomography imaging findings (such as hematoma type),intraoperative brain swelling and other factors were reviewed. All the patients were categorized into a good prognosis (survival) group and a poor prognosis (death) group by the Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS); also, the related factors affecting the prognosis were screened and the independent risk factors were identified by the Binary logistic regression analysis. GOS was used to evaluate the prognosis of the surviving group of patients 1 year after discharge.

Results

Out of 269 patients, 171 (63.6%) survived, and 98 (36.4%) died during hospitalization. Univariate analysis showed that age, GCS score at admission, underlying diseases, abnormal pupillary reflex, the disappearance of ambient cistern, the midline structure shift, intraoperative brain swelling, oxygen saturation < 90%, and cerebral hernia were risk factors for the prognosis of older patients with severe brain injury after surgical intervention. Multivariate analysis showed that age, underlying diseases, disappearance of ambient cistern, Oxygen saturation < 90% and intraoperative brain swelling were independent risk factors of the prognosis in the population. The effect of surgical intervention differed among various age groups at 1-year follow-up after surgery.

Conclusions

The results of this retrospective study confirmed that age, underlying diseases, disappearance of ambient cistern, intraoperative brain swelling, and oxygen saturation < 90% are associated with poor prognosis in older postoperative patients with severe brain injury. Surgical intervention may improve prognosis and reduce mortality in older patients (age < 75 years). But for those patients (age ≥ 75 years), the prognosis was poor after surgical intervention.
Prevalence of Human Papilloma virus in potentially malignant oral disorders is a risk factor for development of early dysplasia-A cytological investigation
Authors: Javed Maham , Anjum Rabia , Zulifqar Gulraiz , Rasheed Farhan , Amar Ali , Naseem Nadia
Published: November 2023

Objective: The proposed study was planned to screen Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) status in potentially malignant oral disorders (PMOD) and correlated HPV positivity with cytological changes in oral smears.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan from April 2020 to April 2021. Oral smears from N=162 patients with PMODs were taken by the Cytobrush and Manual Liquid Based Cytology was performed followed by p16 antibody detection on immunohistochemistry and HPV-DNA detection by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cytological changes were categorized according to the updated Bethesda Classification system 2014. SPSS was used to analyze data and p-Value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: Out of total N = 162 patients, the most prevalent lesion [39% (n=63)] was lichen planus. Fifty six percent (n=90) of the patients were habitual chewers and 43% (n=70) were smokers. Pap staining of oral smears revealed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) in 45% (n=69) cases and in 2 % (n=4) of the samples diagnosis of atypical squamous cells-cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) was made. A total of 37% cases showed HPV positivity by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) while positive p16 expression was observed in 24% of the cases. ASC-H and ASCUS category showed significant association with HPV positivity (p=0.003).

Conclusion: Early detection of PMODs by adopting minimally invasive cytological techniques and screening for HPV infection in local population is pivotal to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the advanced disease and carcinoma.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7532

How to cite this: Javed M, Anjum R, Zulifqar G, Rasheed F, Amar A, Naseem N. Prevalence of Human Papilloma virus in potentially malignant oral disorders is a risk factor for development of early dysplasia-A cytological investigation. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7532

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
“Imprecise Hyperboles” and a “Noble Ruse”: The Longevity of the Ancients and the Patriarchal Narratives of Moses in Eleazar Ashkenazi’s Revealer of Secrets
Authors: Lawee Eric
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Among biblical accounts that invite skepticism, the antediluvian genealogies of Genesis have long attracted attention, with Methuselah famously living close to a millennium and others nearly as long. This study explores an analysis of the issue and its cognates in Revealer of Secrets ( Ẓafenat paʿneaḥ ), a fourteenth-century Torah commentary by Eleazar Ashkenazi that has only recently reentered the light of history. Striking is Eleazar’s teaching that Moses composed the chrono-genealogies in Genesis based on sundry traditions that contained “imprecise narrative hyperboles.” Eleazar also suggests that the patriarchal narratives are a “noble ruse” designed to inculcate belief in the world’s creation. Eleazar's exploration of the topic provides an entrée into the fertile mind and spirited pen of this barely known late medieval rationalist as well as into an unstudied chapter in the history of Jewish reflection on a challenging biblical crux that evoked much reflection and a rich medley of larger religious themes.
Association of Cathepsin K and Tartrate- Resistant Acid Phosphatase-5b in Different Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in South Indian Population
Authors: Thangavel Sharmil , Krishnamoorthy Ezhilarasi , Jaganathan Shyam Sundar , Padmanaban Abirami M. , Samuel Shila
Published: November 2023

The aim of the study was to identify effective biomarkers of changes in bone mineral density (BMD) at different stages of rheumatoid arthritis patients from South Indian population, using disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) which is being used as a measurement for assessing disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The study was carried out in 92 rheumatoid arthritis patients. Serum level of tartrateresistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b) and cathepsin K was measured using ELISA. Serum rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) was recorded by the attending rheumatologists. The C-reactive protein (CRP) was quantified using a latex immunoturbidimetric method. The rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was measured by turbidimetric immunoassay method. The bone mineral density (BMD) T-score was calculated according to WHO guidelines. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was used to determine the expression of cathepsin K. The rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were categorized into three groups based on the DAS28 score as inactive (DAS ≤ 3.2), moderately active (DAS > 3.2 ≤ 5.1) and very active (DAS > 5.1) at the time of admission. Out of 92 patients, 16 (17.4%) patients had inactive disease condition, 42 (45.6%) patients had moderately active disease condition and 34 (37%) patients had very active disease condition. The mean BMD was significantly lower in very active (0.28 ± 0.04; p < 0.001) as compared with moderately active (0.71 ± 0.13; p < 0.001) and inactive (1.21 ± 0.14). TRAP5b and cathepsin K showed significant increases in very active group (p < 0.001) as compared with moderately active (p < 0.001) and inactive groups. In conclusion, The biomarker TRAP-5b and cathepsin K identified in this study may become a new and highly specific biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis
CT-based evaluation of tissue expansion in cryoablation of ex vivo kidney
Authors: Hübner Frank , Klaus Moritz , Siedow Norbert , Leithäuser Christian , Vogl Thomas Josef
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To evaluate tissue expansion during cryoablation, the displacement of markers in ex vivo kidney tissue was determined using computed tomographic (CT) imaging.

Methods

CT-guided cryoablation was performed in nine porcine kidneys over a 10 min period. Markers and fiber optic temperature probes were positioned perpendicular to the cryoprobe shaft in an axial orientation. The temperature measurement was performed simultaneously with the acquisitions of the CT images in 5 s intervals. The distance change of the markers to the cryoprobe was determined in each CT image and equated to the measured temperature at the marker.

Results

The greatest increase in the distance between the markers and the cryoprobe was observed in the initial phase of cryoablation. The maximum displacement of the markers was determined to be 0.31±0.2 mm and 2.8±0.02 %, respectively.

Conclusions

The mean expansion of ex vivo kidney tissue during cryoablation with a single cryoprobe is 0.31±0.2 mm. The results can be used for identification of basic parameters for optimization of therapy planning.
OIL PRICES SHOCKS AND INFLATION RATE PERSISTENCE FOR ALGERIA: A FRACTIONAL COINTEGRATION RELATIONSHIP
Authors: BENKHELOUF Rachid , SAHED Abdelkader
Published: November 2023

This study aims to analyse the relationship between oil prices and inflation rates in Algeria to determine the extent of inflation persistence in face to oil price shocks from January1998 to March 2023 using the recently developed Fractional Cointegration Model, which allows residuals to be fractionally integrated rather than stationary, with the classical cointegration approach based on I(0) stationarity or I(1) cointegrating relationships. This topic was chosen due to its significance for monetary policymakers, investors, financial analysts and academics in understanding the dynamics of inflation persistence in Algeria and studying the impact of some price shocks on it, such as oil price shocks. Our results also showed that Algeria has a co-integration relationship between oil prices and the inflation rate, with an estimated persistence of 0.883, which is greater than 0.5 and less than 1. This indicates that the impact of oil price shocks is still present for a long time on the inflation rate persistence in Algeria, in other words the inflation rate in Algeria will persistence for a longer period due to the shock of oil prices before eventually fading away, and with the adoption of a monetary policy targeting inflation in Algeria, it will contribute to reducing the inflation rates persistence.
Does Human Collaboration Enhance the Accuracy of Identifying LLM-Generated Deepfake Texts?
Authors: Uchendu Adaku , Lee Jooyoung , Shen Hua , Le Thai , Huang Ting-Hao 'Kenneth' , Lee Dongwon
Published: November 2023

Advances in Large Language Models (e.g., GPT-4, LLaMA) have improved the generation of coherent sentences resembling human writing on a large scale, resulting in the creation of so-called deepfake texts. However, this progress poses security and privacy concerns, necessitating effective solutions for distinguishing deepfake texts from human-written ones. Although prior works studied humans’ ability to detect deepfake texts, none has examined whether “collaboration” among humans improves the detection of deepfake texts. In this study, to address this gap of understanding on deepfake texts, we conducted experiments with two groups: (1) nonexpert individuals from the AMT platform and (2) writing experts from the Upwork platform. The results demonstrate that collaboration among humans can potentially improve the detection of deepfake texts for both groups, increasing detection accuracies by 6.36% for non-experts and 12.76% for experts, respectively, compared to individuals’ detection accuracies. We further analyze the explanations that humans used for detecting a piece of text as deepfake text, and find that the strongest indicator of deepfake texts is their lack of coherence and consistency. Our study provides useful insights for future tools and framework designs to facilitate the collaborative human detection of deepfake texts. The experiment datasets and AMT implementations are available at: https://github.com/huashen218/llm-deepfake-human-study.git