bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Outcomes by Intention-to-Treat Comparison for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Population-Derived Cohort Study
Authors: Larsson Patrik , Swartling Oskar , Cheraghi Diana , Khawaja Ajnon , Soreide Kjetil , Sparrelid Ernesto , Ghorbani Poya
Published: October 2024

Background

The overall treatment response among patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is poorly understood as most studies report solely on resected patients. We aimed to investigate the outcomes in patients with LAPC as an intention-to-treat-analysis from the time of diagnosis from a complete source population.

Patients and Methods

An observational cohort study in a population-defined region within a universal healthcare system. All consecutive patients discussed at multi-disciplinary tumour board (MDT), aged ≥ 18 years and diagnosed with LAPC were included. Exposure was set as recommended treatment by MDT (i.e. upfront surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, palliative treatment or best supportive care). Outcome measures were overall survival analysed by Kaplan–Meier survival estimates and multivariable analyses using logistic regression for odds ratios (OR) and Cox proportional hazard analysis for hazard ratios (HR).

Results

In total, 8803 MDT events (6055 unique patients) with pancreatic disease were held during the study period. Some 1436 (24%) had pancreatic cancer, of which 162 (11%) had LAPC and 134 met the population-defined criteria. In overall survival analyses, the patients who were recommended neoadjuvant therapy (± surgery) demonstrated no significant difference to palliative chemotherapy (median 11.0 months vs. 11.8 months; p = 0.226). In multivariable analysis, adjusted OR for overall survival comparing the treatment groups was 0.27 (95% CI 0.02–3.29, p = 0.306) and Cox proportional HR 0.96 (95% CI 0.58–1.59, p = 0.865).

Conclusions

In patients with LAPC, survival was not statistically different between those recommended for attempt at neoadjuvant (± surgery) compared with those recommended palliative chemotherapy. The findings suggest that conversion/downstaging chemotherapy is successful in only a select few.
Cardiorespiratory Responses to Exercise in Hypobaric versus Normobaric Hypoxia: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Crossover Study
Authors: VINETTI GIOVANNI , TURNER RACHEL , TABONI ANNA , RAUCH SIMON , SERAGLIO PAOLO MARIO ENRICO , NETZER NIKOLAUS , STRAPAZZON GIACOMO , GATTERER HANNES
Published: October 2024

Purpose

There is controversy whether there are meaningful physiological differences between hypobaric (HH) and normobaric hypoxia (NH). This study aimed to compare the cardiorespiratory responses to acute HH and NH under strictly controlled conditions. We hypothesized no differences at rest and during submaximal exercise, whereas during maximal exercise, a higher maximal ventilation (V̇Emax), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), and maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2max) in HH than in NH.

Methods

In a randomized, single-blind, crossover design, eight young healthy subjects (three females) were studied in an environmental chamber in which either the barometric pressure (HH) or the inspired oxygen fraction (NH) was reduced to the equivalent of ~4000 m altitude. Measurements were taken at rest, and during submaximal (moderate and high intensity) and maximal cycling exercise.

Results

All resting parameters were similar between HH and NH, except for a lower root mean square of the successive R-R interval differences in HH (P < 0.05). SpO2 was 2% higher in HH at all exercise intensities (P < 0.05). During submaximal exercise, minute ventilation was similar between HH and NH. However, HH yielded a 7% lower tidal volume during moderate-intensity exercise (P < 0.05) and a lower respiratory exchange ratio during high-intensity exercise (P < 0.01). V̇Emax and V̇O2max were 11% and 6% higher in HH, respectively (P < 0.01 for both). SpO2 at maximal exercise was positively correlated with V̇Emax, V̇Emax/V̇O2max, and V̇O2max.

Conclusions

The higher V̇O2max found in HH than in NH can be attributed to the higher V̇Emax counteracting desaturation at maximal exercise. Conversely, submaximal SpO2 improved in HH through mechanisms other than increased ventilation. These findings are likely due to respiratory muscle unloading in HH, which operated through different mechanisms depending on exercise intensity.
TheEscherichia coli ribBriboswitch senses flavin mononucleotide within a defined transcriptional window
Authors: Eschbach Sébastien H. , Hien Elsa D.M. , Ghosh Tithi , Lamontagne Anne-Marie , Lafontaine Daniel A.
Published: October 2024

Riboswitches are metabolite-binding RNA regulators that modulate gene expression at the levels of transcription and translation. One of the hallmarks of riboswitch regulation is that they undergo structural changes upon metabolite binding. While a lot of effort has been put to characterize how the metabolite is recognized by the riboswitch, there is still relatively little information regarding how ligand sensing is performed within a transcriptional context. Here, we study the ligand-dependent cotranscriptional folding of the FMN-sensingribBriboswitch ofEscherichia coli. Using RNase H assays to study nascentribBriboswitch transcripts, DNA probes targeting the P1 and sequestering stems indicate that FMN binding leads to the protection of these regions from RNase H cleavage, consistent with the riboswitch inhibiting translation initiation when bound to FMN. Our results show that ligand sensing is strongly affected by the position of elongating RNA polymerase, which is defining an FMN-binding transcriptional window that is bordered in its 3′ extremity by a transcriptional pause site. Also, using successively overlapping DNA probes targeting a subdomain of the riboswitch, our data suggest the presence of a previously unsuspected helical region involving the 3′ strand of the P1 stem. Our results show that this helical region is conserved across bacterial species, thus suggesting that this predicted structure, the anti*-P1 stem, is involved in the FMN-free conformation of theribBriboswitch. Overall, our study further demonstrates that intricate folding strategies may be used by riboswitches to perform metabolite sensing during the transcriptional process.
High-speed camera system for efficient monitoring of invasive plant species along roadways
Authors: Dyrmann Mads , Skovsen Søren Kelstrup , Christiansen Peter Hviid , Kragh Mikkel Fly , Mortensen Anders Krogh
Published: October 2024

Invasive plant species pose ecological threats to native ecosystems, particularly in areas adjacent to roadways, considering that roadways represent lengthy corridors through which invasive species can propagate. Traditional manual survey methods for monitoring invasive plants are labor-intensive and limited in coverage. This paper introduces a high-speed camera system, named CamAlien, designed to be mounted on vehicles for efficient invasive plant species monitoring along roadways. The camera system captures high-quality images at rapid intervals, to monitor the full roadside when following traffic speed. The system utilizes a global shutter sensor to reduce distortion and geotagging for precise localistion. The camera system makes it possible to collect extensive data sets, which can be used for a digital library of the invasive species and their locations, but also subsequent training of machine learning algorithms for automated species recognition.
Code and Data Repository for Control of Dual-Sourcing Inventory Systems Using Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Böttcher Lucas , Asikis Thomas , Fragkos Ioannis
Published: October 2024

This project provides implementations of neural networks that control single-sourcing dynamics and dual-sourcing dynamics, with or without empirical demand data.
A Peaceman-Rachford Splitting Method for the Protein Side-Chain Positioning Problem
Authors: Burkowski Forbes , Im Haesol , Wolkowicz Henry
Published: October 2024

This paper considers the NP-hard protein side-chain positioning (SCP) problem, an important final task of protein structure prediction. We formulate the SCP as an integer quadratic program and derive its doubly nonnegative (DNN) (convex) relaxation. Strict feasibility fails for this DNN relaxation. We apply facial reduction to regularize the problem. This gives rise to a natural splitting of the variables. We then use a variation of the Peaceman-Rachford splitting method to solve the DNN relaxation. The resulting relaxation and rounding procedures provide strong approximate solutions. Empirical evidence shows that almost all our instances of this NP-hard SCP problem, taken from the Protein Data Bank, are solved to provable optimality. Our large problems correspond to solving a DNN relaxation with 2,883,601 binary variables to provable optimality.

History: Accepted by Paul Brooks, Area Editor for Applications in Biology, Medicine, & Healthcare.

Funding: This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [Grants 50503-10827 and RGPIN-2016-04660].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.0094 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2023.0094 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Where Did the Demand Go? Teaching Demand Censoring with the Newsvendor Challenge
Authors: Gijsbrechts Joren , Van Staden Heletjé Emily
Published: October 2024

The newsvendor model is widely used to teach decision making under uncertainty. Traditionally, analytical methods have been taught to determine the optimal order quantity that balances missed profit from ordering too few units against the cost of excess inventory from ordering too many. In practical settings, however, organizations must estimate these costs using censored data as only sales are observable in the data, not the true demand. Neglecting demand censoring can, therefore, lead to underestimating lost sales. These concepts can be difficult to grasp in a classroom setting. Hence, we developed a fun classroom challenge to simulate the newsvendor problem with data and demand censoring. In the challenge, students are provided with hypothetical, long-term sales data and are tasked with determining the optimal number of units to order per period. The challenge extends the traditional newsvendor model by including censored data such that traditional approaches result in suboptimal decisions. The challenge also emphasizes the importance between time spent on predictions (forecasting demand) and prescriptions (order decisions). The challenge can be adapted to diverse student cohorts, and experience reveals productive class discussions as students compete to determine the best order policies.

Supplemental Material: The Teaching Note is available at https://www.informs.org/Publications/Subscribe/Access-Restricted-Materials .
Narratives and Valuations
Authors: Morag Dor , Loewenstein George
Published: October 2024

Although the significance of narrative thinking has been increasingly recognized by social scientists, very little empirical research has documented its consequences for economically significant outcomes. The current paper addresses this gap in one important domain: valuations. In three experiments, participants were given the opportunity to sell an item they owned (mug in Study 1, hat in Studies 2 and 3) using an incentive-compatible procedure (multiple price list). Prior to making selling decisions, participants were randomly assigned to either a narrative treatment, in which they were asked to tell the story of their item, or a list treatment, in which they were asked to list the characteristics of their item. The narrative treatment led to significantly higher selling prices and increased rates of participants refusing all offered prices. We further explore potential mechanisms, and the impact of different types of narratives, by analyzing self-reported classifications of, and employing natural language processing techniques on, participants’ narratives.

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: Funding for the studies came from Loewenstein’s personal research fund provided by Carnegie Mellon University.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.01076 .
Meta-evaluation of research in the usage of gamification method in English language teaching
Authors: Akkaş Baysal Emine , İnanç Hasan Burak
Published: October 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the research in the use of the gamification method in English language teaching. In this study, thirty-eight researches were evaluated. For this purpose, the Council of Higher Education National Thesis Center and Google Academic databases were used to reach research in the use of the gamification method in English language teaching. The sample of this study consisted of twenty-two master's theses, fourteen articles, and two dissertations. The studies were classified and analyzed regarding the type of research, year of publication, method of research, sample, data collection tool and duration of research. Findings show that studies in our country about the subject were primarily at the master's level, and they were carried out using quantitative methods. Findings also show that the number of studies about the subject has been rising only in recent years, and university students were mostly chosen as a sample. Different data collection tools were found to be used in future studies.
Shifting critical listening class to virtual learning during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Eppendi Jhoni
Published: October 2024

Transforming the conventional face-to-face EFL learning into virtual learning has been believed to be an ideal alternative to education access in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak. Hypothetically, abrupt transitions will require adaptation and rising practical predicament since the necessary toolkit must be allocated individually to conduct the listening Course. Thus, this study's purpose is to examine students' perception of the functioning of remote learning for Critical Listening class due to a prediction for drawing divergent language acquisition. This study involved forty-six students of the English education department at the Borneo University of Tarakan as research respondents. The data was recorded by distributing questionnaires and closed-ended questions through Google Forms and interview, while mixed analysis methodologies were applied. The questionnaire and interview result showed that students claim they struggle hard in the transitional phase and developing their educational outcomes. Most participants noticed an augmented listening performance in one teaching period, yet a higher chance of committing academic dishonesty than the prior learning circumstance. Therefore, the learning performance still needs enhancement in providing universally supported audios and solutions to plagiarism.
Investigating the perceptions of preservice teachers on collaborative in-situ microteaching
Authors: Özcan Emrah , Yüksel H. Gülru
Published: October 2024

Micro-teaching has been criticized for its artificial nature, limited practice period, and inadequate feedback. Giving preservice teachers in-situ opportunities that they can collaborate on lesson planning, teach, and receive peer feedback can assist in addressing these drawbacks. To that end, an intervention study was devised to provide in-situ microteaching for preservice English teachers (PT). Following the intervention, we solicited PTs' feedback on the impact of the collaborative in-situ microteaching experience on their pedagogical knowledge development. A total of 41 PTs participated in the 14-week intervention program offered as part of the Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) course. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected during this intervention study. A survey created by the researchers was used to gather quantitative data, and the reflection papers submitted by the participating PTs served as a source of qualitative data. The results revealed that participants rated the experience as having a moderate overall contribution to their pedagogical knowledge development. Collaborative in-situ microteaching (CiM) had a slightly higher influence on student teachers’ lesson delivery skills than on their lesson planning skills. As per the qualitative data, the most frequently mentioned benefits were acquiring expertise in classroom management, material development and lesson planning, and getting to know young learners.
Recent Full-Scale Mechanical and Creep Testing of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): A Summary
Authors: Khademibami Laya , Shmulsky Rubin , Senalik Christopher Adam , Seale Roy Daniel , Ross Robert J. , Mohammadabadi Mostafa , Williamson Thomas , Fatemi Seyed Abolghasem
Published: October 2024

The effects of foam core density, foam discontinuity in the shear zone, and flexural properties based on the effect of duration of load testing on structural insulated panels (SIPs) were investigated. These characteristics were individually evaluated for two SIP depths: 6.5 inches and 12.25 inches. For each of the two depths, SIP specimens were assigned to short-duration 1/3-point bending tests and the other matched SIP specimens were subjected to a 90-day creep test, followed by short-duration 1/3-point bending tests. Half of the specimens contained a foam density of 1.0 lb/ft3 and the other half with 1.2 lb/ft3. Likewise, half of the panels contained an expanded polystyrene (EPS) discontinuity in the bending test shear zone, whereas the other half did not have such joints or discontinuities. The findings showed that SIPs with no EPS discontinuity were approximately twice as strong as those with EPS discontinuity. Regardless of depth classes, the SIP specimens with foam density of 1.2 lb/ft3 had a higher Pmax and lower Δymax. Additionally, there was no significant difference for Pmax and Δymax before and after creep testing within the 12.25-inch depth class or for Pmax for the 6.5-inch-deep specimens, but Δymax increased by approximately 7 percent after the creep test in the 6.5-inch-deep specimens. Results indicated that specimens with no foam discontinuity in shear critical areas had more strength in comparison with the specimens with a foam discontinuity and higher density foam cores were stronger for the specific flexural strength test conditions regardless of depth classes.
Successful Conservative Treatment of Cervical Spondylolysis in a 2-year-old Patient
Authors:   Musculoskeletal Oncology Pathology Unit, Traumatology and Orthopedics Clinic of UdelaR at the National Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Montevideo, Uruguay,, Sapriza Santiago , Belzarena Ana C ,   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA., García Fernando ,   Musculoskeletal Oncology Pathology Unit, Traumatology and Orthopedics Clinic of UdelaR at the National Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Montevideo, Uruguay,, Silveri Claudio ,   Musculoskeletal Oncology Pathology Unit, Traumatology and Orthopedics Clinic of UdelaR at the National Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Montevideo, Uruguay,
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Cervical spondylosis is a rare condition in pediatric patients with currently scarce cases in the literature. The C2 location is particularly uncommon with only a small number of case reports describing this condition. Given its limited evidence in the literature, its etiology and standard of care treatment persist obscure. Case Report: Here, we present the case of a 2-year-old with bilateral atraumatic C2 spondylolysis. The patient presented with initial negative radiographs and was later diagnosed with advanced imaging, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a high degree of suspicion in this setting. The patient underwent successful conservative treatment confirmed clinically and radiologically. Conclusion: Cervical spondylolysis is uncommon in the pediatric population, the C2 location being particularly rare. Clinical presentation can be diverse ranging from asymptomatic to spine instability with associated neurological deficits. The diagnosis of this condition is challenging and there are no current strong recommendations regarding the treatment gold standard. Keywords: Cervical spondylolysis, pediatric spondylolysis, C2 spondylolysis.
DFC-Net: a dual-path frequency-domain cross-attention fusion network for retinal image quality assessment
Authors: Kui Xiaoyan , Hai Zeru , Zou Beiji , Liang Wei , Chen Liming
Published: October 2024

Retinal image quality assessment (RIQA) is crucial for diagnosing various eye diseases and ensuring the accuracy of diagnostic analyses based on retinal fundus images. Traditional deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for RIQA face challenges such as over-reliance on RGB image brightness and difficulty in differentiating closely ranked image quality categories. To address these issues, we introduced the Dual-Path Frequency-domain Cross-attention Network (DFC-Net), which integrates RGB images and contrast-enhanced images using contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) as dual inputs. This approach improves structure detail detection and feature extraction. We also incorporated a frequency-domain attention mechanism (FDAM) to focus selectively on frequency components indicative of quality degradations and a cross-attention mechanism (CAM) to optimize the integration of dual inputs. Our experiments on the EyeQ and RIQA-RFMiD datasets demonstrated significant improvements, achieving a precision of 0.8895, recall of 0.8923, F1-score of 0.8909, and a Kappa score of 0.9191 on the EyeQ dataset. On the RIQA-RFMiD dataset, the precision was 0.702, recall 0.6729, F1-score 0.6869, and Kappa score 0.7210, outperforming current state-of-the-art approaches.
Celebrating One Year of Optica Quantum
Authors: Raymer Michael , Franke-Arnold Sonja , Soto Luis Sanchez , Srinivasan Kartik
Published: October 2024

The Editors of Optica Quantum look back on the first year of the Journal since its launch in October 2023.
Realization of edge states along a synthetic orbital angular momentum dimension
Authors: Liao Yu-Wei , Yang Mu , Zhang Hao-Qing , Hao Zhi-He , Hu Jun , Zhu Tian-Xiang , Zhou Zong-Quan , Luo Xi-Wang , Xu Jin-Shi , Li Chuan-Feng , Guo Guang-Can
Published: October 2024

Synthetic dimensions have emerged as promising methodologies for studying topological physics, offering great advantages in controllability and flexibility. Photonic orbital angular momentum (OAM), characterized by discrete yet unbounded properties, serves as a potent carrier for constructing synthetic dimensions. Despite the widespread utilization of synthetic OAM dimensions in the investigation of topological physics, the demonstration of an edge along such dimensions has remained challenging, significantly constraining the exploration of important topological edge effects. In this study, we establish an edge within a Floquet Su–Schrieffer–Heeger OAM lattice, creating approximate semi-infinite lattices by introducing a pinhole in the optical elements within a cavity. Leveraging the spectral detection capabilities of the cavity, we directly measure the phase transitions of zero (±π) energy edge states, elucidating the principle of bulk-edge correspondence. Furthermore, we dynamically observe the migration of edge modes from the gap to the bulk by varying the edge phase, and we reveal that interference near the surface results in the discretization of the spectrum. We offer, to our knowledge, a novel perspective for investigating edge effects and provide an important photonic toolbox in topological photonics.
Rightwing populist attitudes and public support for climate policies in Western Europe: Widening the scope using the European Social Survey
Authors: Kulin Joakim , Johansson Sevä Ingemar
Published: October 2024

In Western Europe, rightwing populist parties and their supporters frequently deny the realities of climate change and oppose climate policies. Meanwhile, public opinion research has tied ideological orientations associated with rightwing populism to climate change denial/skepticism and climate policy opposition. Yet, comprehensive studies assessing the relative importance of various rightwing populist orientations across national contexts are lacking. Using European Social Survey data (Round 8) from 15 Western European countries, we systematically investigate the relationships between a large set of orientations related to rightwing populism and public views about climate change. The results show that nationalism and nativism, that is, orientations associated with the thick ideology of rightwing populism, appear to be comparably strong and consistent predictors, especially regarding opposition to climate change mitigation policies. However, the relative importance of different orientations varies across Western European countries, and depend on whether the focus is on policy attitudes or climate change beliefs. Researchers studying single countries and/or specific attitudinal outcomes should therefore be cautious when generalizing about these relationships cross-nationally.
Planning for climate change resilience—Collation, update and assessment of Mozambique’s marine fisheries data and management
Authors: Mafuca Jorge Mario , Mutombene Rui Jorge , Filipe Osvaldo , Abdula Silvia , Malauene Bernardino Sergio , Dias Nilza , Jubb Quick Rex Arthur , Fennessy Sean , Everett Bernadine , Roberts Mike
Published: October 2024

Fisheries are recognized as important in Mozambique, yet they are increasingly threatened by over-exploitation and climate change. We collate and synthesize the available literature and data on marine fisheries in Mozambique; assess the status of the main fishery species/stocks; give an overview of current management of the fishery, and discuss planning for fisheries resilience in the face of climate change predictions. In Mozambique there is a heavy reliance on marine fisheries. From a food security and local economy perspective, the critical sector is the artisanal fisheries which comprises over 90% of the total landings and provides food and livelihood for millions of people, particularly in the coastal zone. Regarding economic value and earning foreign currency, the most valuable industrial / semi-industrial fisheries are the shallow-water shrimp, the deep-water crustacean and the rocky bottom demersal. Current stock assessment for these sectors indicates that the core stock species are fully- or over-exploited. Limited data are available for the artisanal fishery, but it is likely that the same status applies to this sector. Globally, well-managed fisheries have been among the most resilient to climate change—overall, fisheries best practices confer ecological resilience by providing a portfolio of options to fishers and a buffer against losing target stock. Ideally, best practices include scientifically-informed catch limits, accountability measures, regional flexibility in policy practices, protection of essential fish habitat (Marine Protected Areas), and effective monitoring, control and surveillance. Mozambique has a relatively well-managed industrial/semi-industrial fishery. However, the artisanal fishery, due to its spatial scattering, multi-gear and multi-species nature, presents a huge challenge. Facing the future with climate change will require increased attention to reduce stressors to the social–ecological systems in which fisheries exist and persist. Specific recommendations in this context are presented.
Pain after laparoscopic endometriosis-specific vs. hysterectomy surgeries: A retrospective cohort analysis
Authors: Yagur Yael , Engel Offra , Burstein Rachel , Bsharat Justin , Weitzner Omer , Daykan Yair , Klein Zvi , Schonman Ron
Published: October 2024

Objectives

To evaluate pain perception and analgesic use between patients who underwent endometriosis-specific laparoscopic surgery compared to laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Material and methods

This retrospective cohort study included women diagnosed with endometriosis who underwent laparoscopic surgery from 1/2019 to 11/2022. The control group consisted of premenopausal women who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, which was considered a similarly extensive surgery. Demographics, preoperative and post-operative data were compared between groups. Post-operative pain scores on a visual analogue scale (VAS) between 0 (no pain) and 10 (worst pain) were compared between groups for each post-operative day (POD). Standard pain relief analgesia on POD 0–1 included fixed intravenous treatment with paracetamol and intramuscular diclofenac. The need for additional analgesics (morphine or dipyrone) beyond the standard pain relief protocol was compared between groups.

Results

Among 200 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery, 100 (50%) were in the endometriosis group and 100 (50%) in the hysterectomy group. The endometriosis group was characterized by younger age and lower parity (both, p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in mean VAS scores for each post-operative day. However, among patients who needed additional analgesics beyond the standard protocol on POD 1, a higher percentage of women in the endometriosis group used opioids rather than milder analgesics, as compared to controls (1% vs. 0.2%, respectively, p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Increased post-operative morphine use was observed in patients with endometriosis following laparoscopic surgery, despite no significant difference in mean VAS scores during the post-operative days. These findings suggest that personalized pain relief protocols should be adjusted for women with endometriosis.
Exploring unsupervised feature extraction of IMU-based gait data in stroke rehabilitation using a variational autoencoder
Authors: Felius Richard , Punt Michiel , Geerars Marieke , Wouda Natasja , Rutgers Rins , Bruijn Sjoerd , David Sina , van Dieën Jaap
Published: October 2024

Background

Variational AutoEncoders (VAE) might be utilized to extract relevant information from an IMU-based gait measurement by reducing the sensor data to a low-dimensional representation. The present study explored whether VAEs can reduce IMU-based gait data of people after stroke into a few latent features with minimal reconstruction error. Additionally, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the latent features in comparison to gait speed, by assessing 1) their reliability; 2) the difference in scores between people after stroke and healthy controls; and 3) their responsiveness during rehabilitation.

Methods

We collected test-retest and longitudinal two-minute walk-test data using an IMU from people after stroke in clinical rehabilitation, as well as from a healthy control group. IMU data were segmented into 5-second epochs, which were reduced to 12 latent-feature scores using a VAE. The between-day test-retest reliability of the latent features was assessed using ICC-scores. The differences between the healthy and the stroke group were examined using an independent t-test. Lastly, the responsiveness was determined as the number of individuals who significantly changed during rehabilitation.

Results

In total, 15,381 epochs from 107 people after stroke and 37 healthy controls were collected. The VAE achieved data reconstruction with minimal errors. Five latent features demonstrated good-to-excellent test-retest reliability. Seven latent features were significantly different between groups. We observed changes during rehabilitation for 21 and 20 individuals in latent-feature scores and gait speed, respectively. However, the direction of the change scores of the latent features was ambiguous. Only eleven individuals exhibited changes in both latent-feature scores and gait speed.

Conclusion

VAEs can be used to effectively reduce IMU-based gait assessment to a concise set of latent features. Some latent features had a high test-retest reliability and differed significantly between healthy controls and people after stroke. Further research is needed to determine their clinical applicability.
Minocycline reduces alveolar bone loss and bone damage in Wistar rats with experimental periodontitis
Authors: Frazão Deborah Ribeiro , Matos-Souza José Mario , dos Santos Vinicius Ruan Neves , Nazario Rayssa Maite Farias , Chemelo Victoria dos Santos , Bittencourt Leonardo Oliveira , Balbinot Gabriela de Souza , Collares Fabrício Mezzomo , Gomes-Leal Walace , Ferreira Railson Oliveira , Rösing Cassiano Kuchenbecker , Movila Alexandru , Lima Rafael Rodrigues
Published: October 2024

This study aimed to investigate the impact of minocycline on the alveolar bone in experimental periodontitis in rats. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control without periodontitis; experimental periodontitis induced by ligature; experimental periodontitis + intraperitoneal administration minocycline for seven days. Ligatures remained in place in both periodontitis groups for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanized and one hemimandible underwent micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis to assess vertical bone loss and alveolar bone quality. Histopathological analysis was performed on the other hemimandible. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA with Tukey’s post-test (p<0.05). The results showed a significant reduction in vertical bone loss in the animals treated with minocycline compared with untreated animals. Minocycline also preserved the alveolar bone thickness, number, spacing, and bone volume to tissue volume ratio. Histopathological analysis indicated that minocycline reduced bone resorption, decreased inflammatory response, and maintained the bone collagen fibers. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of minocycline in reducing vertical bone loss and preserved bone quality in rats with experimental periodontitis. The results of this study indicate that minocycline has the potential to serve as an additional treatment option for periodontitis. However, further research is warranted to assess the efficacy and safety of minocycline use in patients with periodontitis.
Gizatasunaz eta pentsamendu teknologikoaren ibilbideaz
Authors: Mentxakatorre Jon
Published: October 2024

Testu honetan ordenagailua eta adimen artifiziala agertzeko ezinbesteko izan den Mendebaldeko kontzientziaren historia egingo dugu. Horretarako, halabeharrezko izango zaigu, labur bada ere, logika giza gogoetetan nola sartu zen ezagutzea, une jakinean giza eremutik atera eta makinen eremuan txerta zedin. Hau da, logika giza pentsamenduan nola sartu, nola errotu eta nola atera den aztertuko dugu, eta azaldu egingo dugu ibilbide horrek gizatasunari zer ondorio eragin dizkion eta gaurgeroko joera nagusiak zein izango diren. Gure sakoneko abiapuntua honakoa da: adimen artifizialaren makina transhumanismo modernoaren ekarpenik nabariena da. Gizakiaren baieztapena edo ezeztapena jokoan daude, nihilismoak itzalitako garai honetan. Testu honen helburua, beraz, adimen artifizialaren agerpenak berak, erabilera jakinak baino lehen, aspaldiko galderaren aurrean dakarrena aztertzea da: Zer da gizakia?
Farmazia Komunitarioaren eta Lehen Mailako Arretaren Integrazioa Euskal Herrian: Aliantza Estrategiko bat
Authors: Urionagüena Amaia , Gastelurrutia Miguel Ángel , Solinís Aspiazu María Ángeles , Isla Ruiz Arantxazu , Del Pozo Rodríguez Ana , Calvo Begoña
Published: October 2024

LABURPENA: Gaur egun, osasun sistemek erronka konplexuei egin behar diete aurre, hala nola krisi sanitario globalei, presio ekonomiko eta sozialei, edo arreta sanitarioaren eskaeraren etengabeko handipenari. Lehen mailako osasun arreta funtsezkoa da erronka horiei aurre egiteko, baina osasun arretaren zenbait zerbitzutan dagoen fragmentazioak zaildu egiten du koordinazio asistentziala. Osasun arretaren integrazioa erronka hauei aurre egiteko estrategia gisa aurkezten da, osasun sistemaren kalitatea eta eraginkortasuna hobetuko lituzkeena. Testuinguru honetan, farmazia komunitarioa lehen mailako arreta indartzeko eta pazientearen koordinazio asistentziala hobetzeko gai den baliabide baliotsua izan daiteke. Herritarrengandik hurbil eta eskuragarri kokatuta dagoenez, farmaziak funtsezko zeregina izan dezake osasunaren sustapenean, gaixotasunaren prebentzioan, osasun arazoen detekzioan, gaixotasun kronikoen kudeaketan eta osasun sistemetan erabilgarri dauden baliabideen optimizazioan. Farmaziak ikuspegi asistentzialago baterantz izan duen bilakaerak, lehen mailako arretan ekarpen nabarmena egiteko duen ahalmena azpimarratzen du, sendagaiak emateaz haraindiko zerbitzu sorta  zabala eskainiz. Gainera, farmazialariek sendagaien inguruko prestakuntza zabala dute, beraz, lehen mailako arretarekin modu eraginkorrean integratuz, farmazia komunitarioek pazientearen osasun arreta hobea eskaintzen lagundu dezakete, eta horrek tratamendu erregimenak optimizatzeko, tratamendu farmakologikoekiko atxikipena hobetzeko, alferrikako bisita medikoekin lotutako kostuak murrizteko eta osasun emaitza hobeak lortzeko aukera ematen du. Hala ere, farmazia komunitarioa eta lehen mailako osasun arreta integratzeko, beharrezkoa izango da jarduera protokolo bateratuak ezartzea, rol argiak definitzea eta inplikatutako eragile guztien parte hartze aktiboa bermatzea. Beraz, ezinbestekoa da egun dauden oztopo kulturalak gainditzea, farmazia komunitarioak pazienteari zuzendutako osasun arreta integrala hobetzen lagun dezan bere asistentzia gaitasuna aprobetxatuz.
Latxa Euskarazko Hizkuntza-Eredua
Authors: Perez Naiara , Etxaniz Julen , Sainz Oscar , Aldabe Itziar , Rigau German , Agirre Eneko , Salem Ahmed , Ormazabal Aitor , Artetxe Mikel , Soroa Aitor
Published: October 2024

Artikulu honetan Latxa hizkuntza-ereduak (HE) aurkeztuko ditugu, egun euskararako garatu diren HE handienak. Latxa HEek 7.000 miloi parametrotik 70.000 milioira bitartean dituzte, eta ingeleseko LLama 2 ereduetatik eratorriak dira. Horretarako, LLama 2 gainean aurreikasketa jarraitua izeneko prozesua gauzatu da, 4.3 milioi dokumentu eta 4.200 milioi token duen euskarazko corpusa erabiliz. Euskararentzat kalitate handiko ebaluazio multzoen urritasunari aurre egiteko, lau ebaluazio multzo berri bildu ditugu: EusProficiency, EGA azterketaren atariko frogako 5.169 galdera biltzen dituena; EusReading, irakurketaren ulermeneko 352 galdera biltzen dituena; EusTrivia, 5 arlotako ezagutza orokorreko 1.715 galdera biltzen dituena; eta EusExams, oposizioetako 16.774 galdera biltzen dituena. Datu-multzo berri hauek erabiliz, Latxa eta beste euskarazko HEak ebaluatu ditugu (elebakar zein eleanitzak), eta esperimentuek erakusten dute Latxak aurreko eredu ireki guztiak gainditzen dituela. Halaber, GPT-4 Turbo HE komertzialarekiko emaitza konpetitiboak lortzen ditu Latxak, hizkuntza-ezagutzan eta ulermenean, testu-irakurmenean zein ezagutza intentsiboa eskatzen duten atazetan atzeratuta egon arren. Bai Latxa ereduen familia, baita gure corpus eta ebaluazio-datu berriak ere lizentzia irekien pean daude publiko https://github.com/hitz-zentroa/latxa helbidean.
Adimen artifizialaren eragina kontrol esparruan
Authors: Larrea Sukia Mikel , Irigoyen Eloy , Iturbe Lucia , Etxebarri Aritz
Published: October 2024

LABURPENA: (250 hitz gehienez eta paragrafo batean). Laburpenak (bai ingelesez eta baita euskaraz)ezin du luzeran orrialde hauxe gainditu
Continuing Medical Education Questions: October 2024
Authors: Karna Rahul
Published: October 2024

Article Title: Recommended 10-Year Follow-Up Strategy for Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Radiofrequency Ablation: A Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation
The Impact of Varying Alginate Co-activation with Probiotics on the Artemia Bioencapsulation to Enhance Immunity Against Vibrio spp.
Authors: Suryono Chrisna Adhi , Santoso Adi , Yudiati Ervia , Yulianto Bambang , Sunaryo Sunaryo , Azhar Nuril , Alghazeer Rabia
Published: October 2024

Alginate is known as an immunostimulant. The comprehensive study of Artemia on its co-activity with Lactobacillus bulgaricus resolves the relationship of feed digestibility, hematological parameters, gene expression, feed digestibility, and disease-resistant have not been covered. This study aimed to determine the effect of various doses alginate with Lactobacillus bulgaricus bio-encapsulated Artemia in Vibrio vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. harveyi challenged. Alginate from Sargassum sp. L. bulgaricus were cultured and grown with de Man, Rogosa and Shape media. Nauplii Artemia was encapsulated for one hour with 400, 600, 800 ppm alginate doses, with and without probiotics. The Artemia then was challenged with three Vibrio spp. The Artemia mortality, immune parameters (Phenol Oxidase, Super-oxide Dismutase) were evaluated. Pro Phenol Oxidase, b-1,3-glucan-binding proteins (LGBP), and Lectin gene expression as well as gut evacuation time, fullness of gut were recorded.  Compared to the non-probiotic alginate, co- probiotic activated and improved the mortality rate of 400 ppm alginate from 100% to 30-70% (36 h), CMI of 276-702, and mortality reduction (41.21-74.59%). The co-activity of 400 ppm alginate and L. bulgaricus resulted in higher PO and SOD activity. LGBP and proPO gene expression were also upregulated 233.44% and 185.17%. The gut evacuation time and fullness of alginate 400 ppm and L. bulgaricus treatment have also resulted in better performance than those of 800 ppm alginate without probiotics. Alginate and L. bulgaricus probiotics cooperated synergically through pre and probiotic mechanisms. This Artemia bio model defines that this combination will improve the survival rate, immune system, and gene expression. In the future this will be beneficial in terms of shrimp production in ponds.
In vivo Anti-arthritic Activity of Soft Coral Lobophytum sp. From Southeast Sulawesi in Freund’s Complete Adjuvant Induced Arthritis
Authors: Fristiohady Adryan , Nurpajriani Nurpajriani , Malaka Muhammad Hajrul , Ilyas Y Muhammad , Pascayantri Asniar , Haruna Lidya Agriningsih , Purnama La Ode Muh. Julian , Asasutjarit Rathapon , Sahidin Idin , Yodha Agung Wibawa Mahatva
Published: October 2024

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, progressive, chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects tissues, organs, and damages synovial joints. The RA can be treated with DMARD (disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs), such as methotrexate. However, the use of this drug long-term can cause side effects. Soft coral Lobophytum sp. has secondary metabolite compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids which has an anti-inflammatory activity, which beneficial for anti-rheumatoid arthritis agent. This study aims to determine the potential of anti RA in Lobophytum sp. using in vitro and in vivo. The anti-inflammatory assay for anti RA in vitro was performed by stabilization of human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane. In addition, anti RA was performed in arthritis model mice by induction of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) by administering LEA once daily orally for 15 days. It was found that the ethyl acetate of Lobophytum sp. (LEA) reduced the haemolysis and increased the stability of HRBC membrane. Furthermore, LEA also showed anti RA by decreasing the edema in mouse paw at dose of 50 mg.kg-1 BW (LEA50), 100 mg.kg-1 BW (LEA100), and 200 mg.kg-1 BW (LEA200), respectively with 2.5 mg.kg-1 BW of methotrexate as positive control (C+) with P<0.05. Moreover, LEA200 demonstrated highest efficacy and showed no significant different with C+ (P>0.05). In conclusion, our research has shown that LEA has anti-inflammatory for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis from in vitro and in vivo studies.
Homo Aviaticus
Authors: Váša Ondřej
Published: October 2024

The essay analyses Bohemian avant‑garde poetry and popular aviation literature of the 1920s and 1930s, trying to reconstruct a typical poetic figure of the period technological imagination, i.e. the figure of “homo aviaticus”. To organize the scattered sources, the essay first outlines Jünger’s conception of “the worker” and presents him as the model aviatic figure. The key elements of this “Gestalt” – his Ahasuerian nature, his mobile and mobilizing character, and his utilization of death – serve as the key coordinates on which the essay triangulates the Bohemian “homo aviaticus” in question. The essay subsequently interprets the poetry of Vítězslav Nezval, Jaroslav Seifert, and others (the authors published in the almanacs Devětsil, Disk, Život…), and reveals their ambivalent attitude to the aviation which they seemed to praise. The last third of the essay uncovers the intrinsic ambivalence of the figure itself: while the aviatic man used to be defined in terms of his spiritual superiority, the real problems concerned his body, so that in the end, he could only meet the expectations pinned on him at the price of self‑destruction.
Problematika zahalování v islámu
Authors: Maruškinová Katarína
Published: October 2024

Anthropological texts dealing with cultures of the Middle East often reflect on the role of women in Muslim societies. One of the main points of discussion when it comes to Muslim women is undoubtedly their public appearance, whereupon these women are most often seen veiled. Indeed, a veil, or hijab, has become one of the primary symbols of a Muslim woman when in public. While the veil can take on different forms, it has also come to symbolise a range of different things. The main objective of this paper is the analysis of the main approaches to the phenomenon of female veiling in Islam. It draws on the concept of bargaining with patriarchy as outlined by Deniz Kandiyoti, while discussing the various positions on hijab as analysed by female anthropologists with a personal connection to the broader Middle Eastern region. The paper traces the origins of female veiling, its symbolism, and its forms in the 21st century. Special attention is paid to the case of Iran, whose legislation requires women to wear the veil in public at all times.
Konference Mediatization of Culture: Constructing New Texts and Practices
Authors: Janeček Petr
Published: October 2024

Ruská folkloristická bádání patřila – minimálně od doby mytologických a historických škol druhé poloviny 19. století, spjaté se jmény jako Alexandr N. Afanasjev a Vsevolod F. Miller – k teoreticky a metodologicky nejoriginálnějším akademickým tradicím v oblasti studia folkloru, které, v plodném dialogu s evropskou vědou, tato bádání často teoreticky převyšovala. Zatímco folkloristická studia v Evropě – s výjimkou Naturmythologie, antropologické školy a finské historicko-geografické školy – je možné charakterizovat jako dominantně dokumentačně a empiricky zaměřená (přičemž nikoli náhodou bývá za vrchol evropské folkloristiky považováno období vědeckého pozitivismu přelomu 19. a 20. století), ruská (a sovětská) folkloristika se daleko častěji snažila o avantgardnější přístupy k folkloristické teorii (z nichž v Evropě výrazněji rezonoval v podstatě pouze formalismus Vladimira J. Proppa a funkční strukturalismus spjatý s Romanem Jakobsonem a Petrem Bogatyrevem). Dnes tak patří – vedle americké performančně orientované folkloristiky – k jedněm z mála svébytných folkloristických akademických tradic s vlastním vědeckým „jazykem“ (významnou roli v tom hraje také skutečnost, že jak v Rusku, tak v USA je folkloristika považovaný za samostatný akademický obor, nikoli subdisciplínu etnologie, sociokulturní antropologie či literární vědy).