bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tradisi Ziarah dalam Masyarakat Jawa Perspektif Filsafat Nilai Max Scheler
Authors: Latifah Eni
Published: August 2023

This research aimed to reveal the tradition of visiting graves in Javanese society from the perspective of Max Scheler's philosophy of value. This research was a type of field research using descriptive qualitative methods by collecting data obtained from observation, interviews, and documentation. As for data analysis, namely description, interpretation, induction and deduction, internal coherence, holistic, internal continuity, heuritics, and inclusive or analogical language. The research results showed that the pilgrimage tradition adheres to philosophical values, namely enjoyment, life, psychology, and religion. The stages of values obtained in the Pilgrimage tradition in Max Scheler's perspective were: First, the value of pleasure was reflected in the enthusiasm of the community such as togetherness, cohesiveness, enjoying free-range chicken ingkung after a joint prayer ritual. Second, mutual cooperation in order to clean the graves of grandparents or guardians. Third, the spiritual value when reading the consent and followed by a prayer followed by the community holding the event. Fourth, the value of holiness with the aim of getting blessings from the Creator (God).
Street Food in Visual Media in Turkey: Food Mediatization in Tourism
Authors: NurAksu Rabia , Yilmaz Gül
Published: August 2023

Visual media has played a significant role in driving various transformations since its inception. The media has often portrayed gastronomy as a visual spectacle, showcasing allure, a reassuring image, and authenticity. Countries endeavor to enhance their gastronomy tourism by not only
presenting their human and natural assets but also highlighting their distinct food and beverage cultures through visual media. This study aims to analyze the depiction of street food in Turkey in both national and international visual media and to explore the extent to which the promotion
of street cuisine has been leveraged within the context of gastronomy tourism. The study seeks to contribute to future efforts aimed at making street food a compelling attraction in Turkey???s gastronomy tourism. For this study, an extensive literature review was conducted and semiotic analysis
was applied to visual media components. National and international productions featuring street food in Turkey were analyzed across 10 distinct categories. ??stanbul emerged as the most prominently featured city in these productions. Furthermore, ??stanbul???s multicultural nature and its
history of migration from various regions allow it to reflect the culinary cultures of different parts of Turkey. Based on the findings within the scope of this study, the emotions, thoughts, and messages evoked by visual media materials depicting street food in Turkey can be summarized as
follows: a sense of camaraderie, social engagement, delightful gastronomic experiences, intriguing encounters, a feeling of familial warmth and authenticity, nostalgia, a sense of belonging, cross-cultural interaction, and visually striking presentations.
Mekanisme Pendisiplinan Siswa di SMA Dalam Penegakan Tata Tertib Sekolah
Authors: Lisnawati  , Martono Nanang , Puspitasari Elis
Published: August 2023

Various cases of violations of school rules show that one of the reasons is because students do not understand the contents of the rules. During this time students tend not to be involved in the formulation of the rules and only become the executor. This study aims to examine student involvement in enforcing school rules. This research was conducted using qualitative methods (field research) in a high school in Banyumas Regency, Central Java. Disciplining students at the school is a challenge in itself because most of the students come from the lower classes. The lower class is synonymous with harsh life demands that make it difficult to manage. Data was collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. The research targets were determined purposively, namely school principals, counseling teachers, and students (OSIS chairmen and students who often violate the rules). The results of the study show that teachers carry out a series of disciplines by collaborating with school organizations such as OSIS, MPK, and other organizational activists in the process of formulating rules through joint forums, dissemination of rules offline and online, supervising students during departures and raids, and assessing student discipline individual or collective (class). Based on this, it can be concluded that the school has provided an open space for students to be involved in disciplinary mechanisms from the formulation to the implementation of school rules.
An Empirical Investigation of Taiwanese Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in an Initiative to Adopt Digitization during Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Dong Dahui , Chen Meng-lin
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a new opportunity to accelerate the integration of digital and information technology with the concept of technology teaching content knowledge (TPACK) in education. The Ministry of Education of Taiwan has introduced the digitization of humanities and social sciences (H&SS) courses since 2017, and 189 projects in three categories have been chosen and subsidized by 2022. This study coded and categorized the curriculum content of these projects in accordance with the TPACK framework and used data mining techniques to investigate the TPACK of teachers involved in the implementation of these subsidized digital H&SS courses. By counting technical knowledge (TK), content-knowledge (CK), and technology-content-pedagogy knowledge (TCPK) in digital H&SS courses, we show that before the pandemic, humanities courses emphasized digital technology content with pedagogy (TCP), pedagogy (P), and technology with content (TC), while during the pandemic they focused more on content (C). Social sciences courses shifted from stressing technological pedagogy (TP) and C before the pandemic to increased emphasis on TC during the pandemic. Overall, teachers prioritized P, TCP, and TC across disciplines. Additional findings include differences in TPACK focus between fields, thorough TPACK descriptions in social sciences courses, and emphasis on technology (T) in scientific methods courses both before and during the pandemic. Analysis of P, TC, and TCP topics revealed gaps in skills and technology-specific pedagogy, thus shedding light on the strategies for developing digital teaching competencies of university teachers and how to develop them. The study also provides recommendations for future implementation of digital H&SS programs.
Development and Calibration of a Low-Cost Electrical Measurement Instrument
Authors: Cit Guilherme , Monteiro Jean G. , Quirino Tiago M. , Quirino Jonatas M.
Published: August 2023

The most modern technological advances are accompanied by more complex and sophisticated demands of society. Among the main social demands, energy consumption is one of the factors with the highest growth, but technologies related to the theme have not developed at the appropriate pace to the context, especially observing that consumers have little or no information about their consumption data. The wide variety of electronic equipment is evident, therefore, the development of a system that allows the user to monitor the energy consumption of the equipment by only a low-cost sensor and with high precision is an interesting advantage. To this end, it is proposed the implementation of artificial neural networks to increase the accuracy of microcontrolled instrument connected via Wi-Fi, to provide reliable data that can be stored in the cloud and present consumption in real time.
Membangun Budaya Wisuda di TK Miftahul Falah: Peran Guru dan Orang Tua dalam Memperkuat Nilai-nilai Budaya dan Kepribadian Anak-Anak
Authors: Nurrohmah Nisa , Tarigan Annisa Kania Fauzani , Masitoh Imas
Published: August 2023

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana peran orang tua dan guru dalam memperkuat nilai-nilai budaya dan kepribadian pada anak terutama budaya wisuda yang saat ini sedang marak diperbincangkan. Budaya wisuda dalam proses pendidikan di TK Miftahul Falah ternyata mampu memperkuat kepribadian anak untuk termotivasi dalam melanjutkan jenjang pendidikan. Selain dari itu, penanaman karakter yang dilakukan oleh orang tua dan guru mampu menjadikan anka memiliki kepribadian baik. Latar belakang peneliti untuk mengusung judul penelitian ini adalah karena sedang maraknya budaya wisuda yang menimbulkan pro kontra antara pihak sekolah, orang tua dan masyarakat itu sendiri. Diharapkan dengan adanya hasil penelitian ini mampu menghilangkan keresahan dan pro kontra yang terjadi belakangan ini.
The Children’s Picture Books Lexicon (CPB-Lex): A large-scale lexical database from children’s picture books
Authors: Green Clarence , Keogh Kathleen , Sun He , O’Brien Beth
Published: August 2023

This article presents cpb-lex, a large-scale database of lexical statistics derived from children’s picture books (age range 0–8 years). Such a database is essential for research in psychology, education and computational modelling, where rich details on the vocabulary of early print exposure are required. Cpb-lex was built through an innovative method of computationally extracting lexical information from automatic speech-to-text captions and subtitle tracks generated from social media channels dedicated to reading picture books aloud. It consists of approximately 25,585 types (wordforms) and their frequency norms (raw and Zipf-transformed), a lexicon of bigrams (two-word sequences and their transitional probabilities) and a document-term matrix (which shows the importance of each word in the corpus in each book). Several immediate contributions of cpb-lex to behavioural science research are reported, including that the new cpb-lex frequency norms strongly predict age of acquisition and outperform comparable child-input lexical databases. The database allows researchers and practitioners to extract lexical statistics for high-frequency words which can be used to develop word lists. The paper concludes with an investigation of how cpb-lex can be used to extend recent modelling research on the lexical diversity children receive from picture books in addition to child-directed speech. Our model shows that the vocabulary input from a relatively small number of picture books can dramatically enrich vocabulary exposure from child-directed speech and potentially assist children with vocabulary input deficits. The database is freely available from the Open Science Framework repository: https://tinyurl.com/4este73c.
CURRICULUM RELEVANCE ON GRADUATE CAREER: A TRACER STUDY OF THE GRADUATES OF CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITYTANZA CAMPUS
Authors: SAQUIN MELONA I.
Published: August 2023

The study determined the relevance of the curriculum to the graduates' careers. It specifically aimed to: determine the socio-demographic profile of the participants in terms of age, sex, present job level, type of industry employed, employment status, tenure of service, monthly income, number of months/years it took them to land a job after graduation and higher studies they pursue after college; identify the difficulties encountered seeking for a job; identify the graduates' ratings to the following skills gained from their respective curriculum that has relevance to their present career; and identify the participants' perception in the skills that need enhancement in the curriculum. The study used a descriptive research design to describe the above-mentioned sociodemographic profile of the participants, difficulties encountered seeking a job, skills gained by the graduates from their respective curriculum, and the perceived skills that need training and development. The data were gathered from 200 Cavite State University - Tanza Campus graduates from 2016 to 2020. As a result, the participants belong to the age of 24-29 years old and are female. Currently in rank and file level in terms of the level of position in their present job in various industries regardless of the degree they have earned. Specifically, the business process outsourcing and manufacturing industries are seen to be the top choices of the participants for their employment. Furthermore, most of the participants are holding a regular/permanent position with 1-2 years of experience and has monthly income ranging from 20,001-30,001. In terms of the length of period, before they got a job, it took those 1-6 months before landing a job. There is also a significant number of graduates who opted not to pursue higher education. Most of the graduates encountered all difficulties in seeking a job. Specifically, the limited professional network gave the graduates difficulty the most in seeking for a job. In terms of the graduates' self-assessed ratings of skills gained from their respective curricula relevant to their careers, it was revealed that all the skills provided are moderately relevant to the graduates' careers. Nevertheless, information technology and research skills are the skills that have the most relevance to the present career of graduates. This result implies that most of the graduates recognized that the given skills in their respective curriculum provided them with the necessary knowledge and skills that could be beneficial in their present careers. Lastly, based on the assessment of the participants on the skills that need to be enhanced in the curriculum, problemsolving skill must be enhanced as it helps graduates to cope with the industry requirement easily if this skill is acquired before graduating.
ASSESSING THE PROGRESSIVE PROMISE OF HBO’S THE WIRE
Authors: HULL TODD
Published: August 2023

HBO’s The Wire garnered critical acclaim for its portrayal of the urban problems of the city of Baltimore, particularly its Black population, specifically those engaged in the street-level drug trade. One of the main accolades was the show’s realism in its portrayal of life on the streets. It also received praise for giving its characters more depth in comparison to shows that had come before it. This was seen as giving a more compassionate and less stereotyping view of those characters. This article will address the issue of stereotypes, whether the show’s realism furthered the reduction of stereotypes of Blacks, and will assess the critical acclaim the show has received in the two decades since it premiered.
Unravelling a trichloroacetic acid-catalyzed cascade access to benzo[f]chromeno[2,3-h]quinoxalinoporphyrins
Authors: Tekuri Chandra Sekhar , Singh Pargat , Nath Mahendra
Published: August 2023

A facile one-pot four-component synthetic methodology is evolved to construct novel copper(II) benzo[f]chromeno[2,3-h]quinoxalinoporphyrins in good yields via a sequential reaction of copper(II) 2,3-diamino-5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrins, 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione, aromatic aldehydes, and dimedone in the presence of a catalytic amount of trichloroacetic acid in chloroform at 65 °C. Further, the newly prepared copper(II) porphyrins were transformed to the corresponding free base and zinc(II) benzo[f]chromeno[2,3-h]quinoxalinoporphyrins under standard demetallation and zinc insertion conditions. The absorption and emission properties of the obtained porphyrins were investigated by using UV–visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The preliminary photophysical results revealed a significant red-shift in their absorption and emission spectra as compared to the meso-tetrakis(4-methylphenyl)porphyrins due to the extended π-conjugation.
Construction and validation of an e-book about cardiovascular risk in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus
Authors: Fedocci Elizabete Melo Montanari , Antonini Marcela , Sorensen William , Rocha Karyanna Alves de Alencar , Gir Elucir , Reis Renata Karina
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Objective: To build and validate an e-book about cardiovascular risk in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Methods: Methodological study based on the evaluation research theory with analysis of outcome. It involved technological production comprising the phases of analysis and planning, modeling, implementation, and evaluation. Cardiovascular risk factors and strategies to reduce them were discussed. The e-book was validated with experts from all over the country between October 2017 and August 2018 using the Content Validity Index.

Results: As the e-book was written to meet the needs of the population, accessible language was used for an easier understanding of the content. Several aspects of the e-book were evaluated by experts. Afterwards, the most frequent criticisms and/or suggestions were analyzed. A concordance rate of 80.5% was observed after analysis of the global CVI. All items had satisfactory agreement rates, with a CVI of 86.6% for general impression, 96.8% for objective, 92.0% for content and 90.4% for relevance.

Conclusion: The e-book was evaluated in several aspects by experts and a global agreement index of 80.5% was found. Suggestions were accepted aiming at ensuring a more complete, cohesive, easy to read and updated material. According to the evaluation between experts, the material proved to be valid for use by people living with HIV in order to understand their cardiovascular risk and to know healthier habits that may help in prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Residência Álvaro Osório de Almeida de Lucio Costa
Authors: Souza Vinicius Marques de , Florio Wilson
Published: August 2023

Dentro do conjunto de projetos residenciais realizados por Lucio Costa, durante o período autodenominado como chômage1 (1932-1935), foi selecionado para este artigo, o projeto não construído da residência Álvaro Osório de Almeida, idealizada em 1934. Apesar das poucas informações existentes do projeto, foi possível realizar uma análise projetual a partir da simulação digital do percurso, como aproximação da experiência arquitetônica, identificando elementos e conceitos aplicados. Com base de levantamento bibliográfico, consulta de fontes primárias e estudo dos desenhos existentes, foi possível definir e analisar o objeto de estudo por meio de simulações digitais. A contribuição original do artigo é analisar uma das primeiras obras modernas de Costa a partir da compreensão do percurso virtual, cujos resultados acrescentam novos conhecimentos e enriquecem a discussão deste período experimental do arquiteto.
Nível de serviço para bicicletas
Authors: Batista Diogo Gomes Pereira , Costa Angelina Dias Leão
Published: August 2023

As avaliações do Nível de Serviço para Bicicletas (NSB) tratam do desempenho viário e suas múltiplas condições de segurança e conforto para ciclistas. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar o levantamento e a sistematização de características metodológicas e indicadores de adequabilidade cicloviária que envolvem as avaliações através de modelos de NSB. Os procedimentos metodológicos foram realizados a partir de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, considerando a definição de bases de dados, critérios de triagem, de inclusão e síntese, contando com 42 modelos de referência, datados entre 1987 e 2021. Os resultados apresentam um panorama conceitual e metodológico, caracterizando os tipos de medidas, análises, classificações, abordagens de percepção, indicadores proeminentes e discussão. A adequabilidade para bicicletas é a principal medida de NSB para segmentos e interseções viárias. O Volume de veículos motorizados foi a variável de efeito negativo com maior destaque, enquanto a Largura da faixa externa a de maior efeito positivo para o NSB. As aplicações em potencial do NSB abrangem a coleta de dados, projeto, análise operacional, predição de sinistros, processos participativos entre outros. Nesse contexto, busca-se uma maior compreensão acerca dos métodos de NSB e suas contribuições para o planejamento cicloviário.
Управление анализом данных для поддержки принятия решений в организационных системах
Authors: Pavlovich T. V. , Gaibova T. V.
Published: August 2023

Данное учебное пособие представляет основные сведения о методах обработки и анализа данных в организационных системах для поддержки принятия решений руководителями организаций, имеет практический аспект применения как в учебном процессе, так при решении бизнес-задач в организациях различных сфер деятельности. Учебное пособие предназначено для магистрантов, обучающихся по направлению подготовки 09.04.03 «Прикладная информатика». Может быть также рекомендовано преподавателям и студентам уровня бакалавриата и специалитета.
‘Who’s the alpha male now, bitches?’: Elliot Rodger en radicale verlossing
Authors: Janse Annelotte
Published: August 2023

Het verlangen een alfaman te worden dreef incel Elliot Rodger tot geweld, als breekijzer om de eigen, tekortschietende mannelijkheid te elimineren en verlossing te forceren, zo betoogt historica Annelotte Janse.
Het gewoonste gewoon
Authors: van Daalen Rineke
Published: August 2023

Hurenkamp en Duyvendak verkennen ‘het gewone’ in politiek en beleid; Van Daalen zoekt in haar bespreking naar ‘het gewoonste’ en denkt dat te vinden in alledaags gedrag en omgangsvormen.
Religious Education as a Pedagogy of Care in the Context of Violence: Re-Imaging Working and Thinking Together
Authors: Dube Bekithemba
Published: August 2023

This qualitative paper couched with the decoloniality theory addresses the question of how religious education as a pedagogy of care can mitigate the ambivalent terrain of school violence. Despite various inventions within South African schools, the classroom remains violent and unsafe for both learners and educators igniting the adoption of religious education as a pedagogy of care. The author used the decoloniality theory since it calls for rehumanisation of people affected by school violence. The findings indicate that despite challenges associated with religious education, the subject can be conceptualised as a pedagogy of care to mitigate the challenges of school violence. The argument of the paper is that education authorities need to re-imagine religion as a pedagogy of care that has the impetus to evoke working and thinking together within the mainstream curriculum practices in South Africa. The paper contributes to knowledge in the sense that it locates arguments in decoloniality calling for equal representation of knowledge in the curriculum to address school violence. It sees religious education as the key to contributing to a peaceful existence in school and society.

Keywords: Living and Working together, religion education, school violence, best practices.
Evaluation of Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction Pathways for Improved Sustainable Business Performance in Emerging Economies
Authors: Ramasamy Adimuthu , Inore Ishmael , Muduli Kamalakanta , Singh Sonia
Published: August 2023

Job satisfaction is one of the vital needs of almost every employee in any well-structured organization. Any shortfall in the anticipated level of employee job satisfaction would affect the employees' contribution to organizational effectiveness. The purpose of the research is twofold. It aims to study the relationship between different levels of employees' job satisfaction in organizations and the impact of employee job satisfaction on the nature of roles performed by employees. The study found that employees' job satisfaction significantly impacted their performance and productivity in the organization. Also, the significant impact of employee satisfaction has been found on the employee commitment to work. Furthermore, the significant outcome on organizational performance can be seen as the result of job satisfaction. The study results would help an organization understand the value of job satisfaction for an employee, which could help increase organizational commitment.
When growth exceeds boundaries: Tall stature, enlarged hands & feet – Is it what you think?
Authors: Gajaweera G. M. , Jegavanthan D. , Ravindu K. A. N. , Antonypillai C. N. , Atapattu N.
Published: August 2023

No abstract available
Future of endocrinology – The role of the female physician
Authors: Muthukuda D. T. , Wijenayake U. N. , Afsana F. , Kottahachchi D. , Punchihewa P. G. , Premadasa B. A. M. , Ali S. S. , Moazzam A. , Shaikh S. S. , Shreshtha D. , Karuppiah D. , Bajaj S.
Published: August 2023

No abstract available
Challenges in post-operative management of Cushing disease
Authors: Buddhika P. G. , Wijeyawardena K. W. S. T. , Punchihewa P. G. , Muthukuda D. T.
Published: August 2023

Patients with Cushing disease (CD) undergo transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary tumor as the primary management option. Post operative period is considered as one of the most challenging aspects in the CD management due to the related high morbidity and mortality. Assessing remission following surgery is done commonly by assessing nadir serum cortisol level, a level < 2 to 5 µ,g/ dL (55-138 nmol/L) during 24 to 7 4 hours postoperatively is accepted as remission. Values more than 5-10 µ,g/dL (138-276 nmol/L) considered as non-remission. If remission is achieved, it is important to treat the adrenal insufficiency (AI) with steroids until the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA axis) recovery happens. Other anterior pituitary hormone dysfunctions should be assessed and treated appropriately. If the remission is not achieved by the surgery, secondary management options such as repeat surgery, radiotherapy and medical therapy can be used. Prevention and management of hypercortisolemia associated complications such as infections, thromboembolic events, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are also important aspect in the post operative management of CD. It is also challenging to manage surgery related complications such as Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH Secretion (SIADH) and Diabetes Insipidus (DI). Prevention or successful treatment of cortisol withdrawal syndrome is another challenging aspect that a physician needs to focus on.
Cutting Edge: Induced Loss of Rasgrp1 in Peripheral CD4+ T Cells of Conditional Rasgrp1-Deficient Mice Reveals an Essential Role for Rasgrp1 in TCR/CD28-Induced Ras–MAPK Signaling
Authors: Chang Yating , Manivannan Praveen , Doosti Abbas , Lapinski Philip E , Chen Di , Roose Jeroen P , King Philip D
Published: August 2023

Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein 1 (Rasgrp1) is a Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor that participates in the activation of the Ras–ERK signaling pathway in developing T cells and is required for efficient thymic T cell positive selection. However, the role of Rasgrp1 in mature peripheral T cells has not been definitively addressed, in part because peripheral T cells from constitutive Rasgrp1-deficient mice show an abnormal activated phenotype. In this study, we generated an inducible Rasgrp1-deficient mouse model to allow acute disruption of Rasgrp1 in peripheral CD4+ T cells in the context of normal T cell development. TCR/CD28-mediated activation of Ras–ERK signaling was blocked in Rasgrp1-deficient peripheral CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, Rasgrp1-deficient CD4+ T cells were unable to synthesize IL-2 and the high-affinity IL-2R and were unable to proliferate in response to TCR/CD28 stimulation. These findings highlight an essential function for Rasgrp1 for TCR/CD28-induced Ras–ERK activation in peripheral CD4+ T cells.
Tiltrotor Simulations with Coupled Flight Dynamics, State-Space Aeromechanics, and Aeroacoustics
Authors: Saetti Umberto , Buğday Batın
Published: August 2023

This article describes the development, implementation, and validation of a generic tilt-rotor simulation model with coupled flight dynamics, state-variable aeromechanics, and aeroacoustics. A major novelty of this work lies in the integration of the flight dynamics with a state-space
free-vortex wake code that adopts a near-wake vortex-lattice model. This way, the flight dynamics are augmented by the vortex wake dynamics so that the coupled flight and wake dynamics are self-contained and inherently linearizable. The model is implemented for a Bell XV-15 tiltrotor and validated
against U. S. Army/NASA XV-15 flight-test data and other data in the literature. Flight control design is performed to provide desired stability, performance, and handling-quality properties and to allow for a fully autonomous transition between hover in helicopter mode and highspeed flight
in aircraft mode. The simulation model has clear applications in the development and testing of advanced flight control laws, aeromechanics analysis, and the prediction of aerodynamically generated noise in generalized maneuvering flight.
Prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among staff of a tertiary institution in Enugu State, Nigeria
Authors: Nwoga Hope Obiageli , Ajuba Miriam Obinwanne , Igweagu Chukwuma Paulinus
Published: August 2023

Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and a high proportion of hypertension in Nigeria remains undiagnosed. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among the staff of Enugu State University College of Medicine. About 86% (140 of 163) of the staff of the College of Basic and Clinical Medical Sciences, Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu, Nigeria, that met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. The blood pressure, weight, and height of consenting staff members were measured. A systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg according to the guidelines from the American Heart Association, were classified as hypertension. The weight and height measurements were used to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the socio-demographic characteristics. The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 21.4%. Almost half of the participants were pre-hypertensive (48.6%). On bivariate analysis, no socio-demographic characteristic significantly affected the prevalence of hypertension among the participants, but there was an inverse relationship between educational level and prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension. The study showed that there was a high prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among the staff of Enugu State University College of Medicine. With the above result, there is an urgent need to create awareness and implement measures for early diagnosis of hypertension.
Fasudil-modified macrophages reduce inflammation and regulate the immune response in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Liu Chunyun , Guo Shangde , Liu Rong , Guo Minfang , Wang Qing , Chai Zhi , Xiao Baoguo , Ma Cungen
Published: August 2023

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202403000-00044/inline-graphic1/v/2023-09-27T141015Z/r/image-tiff

Multiple sclerosis is characterized by demyelination and neuronal loss caused by inflammatory cell activation and infiltration into the central nervous system. Macrophage polarization plays an important role in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a traditional experimental model of multiple sclerosis. This study investigated the effect of Fasudil on macrophages and examined the therapeutic potential of Fasudil-modified macrophages in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We found that Fasudil induced the conversion of macrophages from the pro-inflammatory M1 type to the anti-inflammatory M2 type, as shown by reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide, interleukin-12, and CD16/32 and increased expression of arginase-1, interleukin-10, CD14, and CD206, which was linked to inhibition of Rho kinase activity, decreased expression of toll-like receptors, nuclear factor-κB, and components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and generation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6. Crucially, Fasudil-modified macrophages effectively decreased the impact of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, resulting in later onset of disease, lower symptom scores, less weight loss, and reduced demyelination compared with unmodified macrophages. In addition, Fasudil-modified macrophages decreased interleukin-17 expression on CD4+ T cells and CD16/32, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin-12 expression on F4/80+ macrophages, as well as increasing interleukin-10 expression on CD4+ T cells and arginase-1, CD206, and interleukin-10 expression on F4/80+ macrophages, which improved immune regulation and reduced inflammation. These findings suggest that Fasudil-modified macrophages may help treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inducing M2 macrophage polarization and inhibiting the inflammatory response, thereby providing new insight into cell immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis.
Olfactory dysfunction and its related molecular mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Gu Yingying , Zhang Jiaying , Zhao Xinru , Nie Wenyuan , Xu Xiaole , Liu Mingxuan , Zhang Xiaoling
Published: August 2023

Changes in olfactory function are considered to be early biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease. Olfactory dysfunction is one of the earliest non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease, appearing in about 90% of patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease, and can often predate the diagnosis by years. Therefore, olfactory dysfunction should be considered a reliable marker of the disease. However, the mechanisms responsible for olfactory dysfunction are currently unknown. In this article, we clearly explain the pathology and medical definition of olfactory function as a biomarker for early-stage Parkinson’s disease. On the basis of the findings of clinical olfactory function tests and animal model experiments as well as neurotransmitter expression levels, we further characterize the relationship between olfactory dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in the pathology of early-stage Parkinson’s disease. The findings highlighted in this review suggest that olfactory dysfunction is an important biomarker for preclinical-stage Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, therapeutic drugs targeting non-motor symptoms such as olfactory dysfunction in the early stage of Parkinson’s disease may prevent or delay dopaminergic neurodegeneration and reduce motor symptoms, highlighting the potential of identifying effective targets for treating Parkinson’s disease by inhibiting the deterioration of olfactory dysfunction.
Expression of osteopontin in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Amer Basma S. , El-Anwar Noha M.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease entity with multiple steps and associated with many risk factors and cofactors. Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted glycosylated phosphoprotein encoded by the secreted phosphoprotein 1 gene. OPN has been implicated as an essential mediator and potential therapeutic target of cancer metastasis.

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the expression of OPN in HCC and to correlate the findings with different clinicopathological characteristics as well as p53 expression.

Materials and methods

HCC specimens (n=84) were immunostained using antibodies against OPN and p53. The association between OPN and clinicopathological parameters including grade, number of tumors, tumor size, and vascular invasion as well as p53 expression were evaluated.

Results

OPN showed positivity (+1 and +2) in 53 (63.1%) cases. OPN expression was directly proportional with tumor size, tumor grade, and vascular invasion, as high OPN expression showed a highly significant association with large-sized tumors (>5 cm in diameter), high-grade HCC, and vascular invasion. No significant association was detected between OPN expression and age (P=0.738), sex (P=0.835), and number of tumors (P=0.358). OPN expression was directly proportional to p53 expression, as p53 positivity was observed in high-grade tumors with vascular invasion (P<0.001).

Conclusion

OPN expression may have prognostic significance in HCC, as overexpression of OPN is associated with high-grade, large-size tumors and vascular invasion as well as high p53 expression.
Relevance of CD4+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and Foxp3 as prognostic factors in papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Farrag Mayada S. , Emarah Ziad , Hamdy Omar , Hafez Mohamed T. , Abdelwahab Khaled , Ros Mohamed H. , Farrag Nesrine S. , Ibrahiem Afaf T.
Published: August 2023

Background

There is increasing evidence supporting the prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as CD4, CD8, and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3)-expressing regulatory T cells in different cancers, however, their significance in thyroid cancer remains uncertain.

Aims

We investigated the expression of CD4, CD8, and Foxp3 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and assessed its prognostic implications.

Study design

It is a retrospective study carried out on 43 PTC cases that were retrieved from archives of pathology lab of Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt.

Materials and methods

Immunostaining for CD4, CD8, and Foxp3 was done.

Results

We found that CD4/CD8 expression was significantly higher among patients with higher lymph-node stage and more extranodal extension (P=0.038 and 0.043, respectively). Disease-free survival was found to be shorter among patients with high CD4/CD8 ratio compared with patients with low ratio (P=0.014). As regards Foxp3, there was a difference in its expression between neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissues. Both disease-free survival and overall survival were found to be shorter among patients with positive Foxp3 in tumor and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes compared with patients with negative Foxp3 in both.

Conclusions

CD4/CD8 ratio and Foxp3 could be used as predictive markers and as a target therapy for PTC.
Esthetic and functional advantages of subapical anterior segmental maxillary osteotomy in treatment of dentofacial deformity
Authors: Shahine Mohammed S. , Mwafey Ibraheem M.
Published: August 2023

Aim

This study aims to investigate the effect of anterior segmental maxillary osteotomy in treatment of maxillary prognathism with good molars occlusion.

Patients and methods

This study includes 20 patients diagnosed with dentofacial deformities − maxillary prognathism visiting maxillofacial surgery outpatient clinic in Assiut University Hospitals during the period between January 2017 and December 2021.

Results

The common complications which occur is wound infection which occur in two (10%) cases, then postoperative relapse which occur in one (5%) case, palatal mucosal tear which occur in one (5%) case, and unfavorable nasolabial esthetic which occur in one (5%) case.

Conclusion

Anterior segmental maxillary osteotomy is a recommended treatment modality of choice in patients with maxillary and/or dentoalveolar protrusion.
The effect of immediate postoperative increase in blood flow velocity in predicting maturation of arteriovenous fistula for dialysis
Authors: Meaad Mohamed , Mashaal A. , Zaki M.
Published: August 2023

Background

Doppler ultrasonography is the main imaging modality for hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as it is safe, accurate, and noninvasive. Published literature related to the utility of early postoperative ultrasound in predicting AVF maturation is scarce. With the KDOQI guidelines recommending an AVF first catheter last approach, the quest to increase AVF maturation is of utmost importance. This study aims at measuring blood flow immediately postoperatively and assessing its predictive role in AVF maturation.

Methods

We correlated the ultrasound parameters with maturation in newly created AVFs measured preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, 6 weeks, and 3, 6, and12 months postoperatively. Both demographics and vascular parameters were compared between the group of patients whose AVFs successfully maturated and those whose AVFs did not. Primary endpoint was AVF maturation; secondary endpoints included patency, functional success, and predictive value of increased vein blood flow on fistula patency.

Results

A total of 50 procedures were performed; the mean age was 52.12 years (±6.58). The overall technical success rate was 86% (43) and 39 (90.7%) of them were functionally mature according to KDOQI guidelines for maturation. Primary patency was 93.02%, 92.7%, and 88.89%; and the primary-assisted patency was 97.7%, 95.12%, and 91.67% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively.

Receiver-operated curve (ROC) showed a cutoff value of 322.8 ml/min increase in blood flow above which the AVF is more likely to become mature.

Binary logistic regression showed that arterial depth greater than 3.92 mm, arterial flow velocity greater than 88 ml/min, preoperative average vein diameter of greater than 2.5 mm, arterial flow velocity of greater than 73 ml/min immediately postoperatively, and average vein diameter of greater than 3.94 mm immediately postoperatively were significant predictors of successful maturation at 6 weeks postoperatively (P values 0.001, <0.0001, <0.0001, <0.0001, and <0.0001, respectively).

Conclusion

Immediately postoperative flow measurement is a reliable parameter that can be used to predict successful fistula maturation, especially if flow velocities exceed 326.15 ml/min.
Pain and quality of life after laparoscopic unilateral inguinal hernia repair
Authors: Azam Ahmed , Borham Waleed , Abbas Ashraf , Basheer Magdy
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Surgical repair of inguinal hernias is one of the most frequently performed operations. Transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) and Total extraperitoneal (TEP) methods are the two commonly employed laparoscopic methods for herniorrhaphy.

Objective

To evaluate the pain and quality of life (QoL) following laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery utilizing the TAPP and TEP methods.

Patients and methods

One hundred individuals with unilateral inguinal hernias who had received a clinical diagnosis participated in this prospective trial. The research population was randomly split into two groups by computer-generated software: group A, which consisted of 50 inguinal hernia patients who experienced laparoscopic TAPP surgery, and group B, which consisted of 50 inguinal hernia patients who were treated with laparoscopic TEP surgery.

Results

After one week and one month postoperatively, the TAPP group had a higher median pain VAS score than the TEP group, which was significant statistically (p values 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). The two groups’ VAS scores did not differ significantly after three- and six-months follow-up. In terms of preoperative and six-month postoperative QoL related domains, the TAPP versus TEP patients showed insignificant difference. Cases involving TAPP and TEP showed an increase of statistical significance in QoL domains from preoperative to six months following surgery.

Conclusion

According to our investigation, TEP is superior to TAPP. When performed by skilled hands, it appears to be the best method for repairing inguinal hernias.
Prediction of common bile duct stones in acute cholecystitis patients at time of hospital admission
Authors: Sadek Mohamed , Mohammed Mohammed M. , Hendy Mina Makram , Saleh Saleh Khairy , Abdelzaher Mohamed A.
Published: August 2023

Background

Early diagnosis of common bile duct stone (CBDS) is crucial since its presence affects surgical therapy and acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC) has a comparable clinical picture whether or not a CBDS is present.

Aim

At the time of hospital admission, we sought to discover predictors of CBD stones in acute cholecystitis (AC) patients.

Methods

Between January 2020 and December 2022, we chose 90 patients who had typical ACC and had previously visited the emergency room at Minia University Hospital in Egypt. The 90 AC patients were split into two groups: the 63 AC patients without CBD stones and the 27 AC patients with CBD stones. The data were obtained and compared between the two groups include gender, age, history of chronic calcular cholecystitis (CCC), white blood cells (WBC), liver function tests (LFT), and common bile duct (CBD) diameter.

Results

By using simple logistic regression analysis for prediction of CBD stones, old age > 55 years, CBD diameter more than 6 mm and elevated liver functions including total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) was associated with CBD stones. By using multiple logistic regression analysis, only 2 variable showing significant association with CBD stones, including old age > 55 years (P = 0.013, odds ratio 9.26, confidence interval 1.6–53.61) and direct bilirubin (P = 0.008, Odds ratio 55.67, confidence interval 2.89–1072.35).

Conclusion

Age, abnormal LFTs greater than twofold, and dilated CBD >6 mm in AC patients increase the likelihood of concurrent CBDS. Knowing about these results might assist physicians develop clinical suspicions for an earlier diagnosis and improved management of CBDS.
Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block versus transversus abdominis plane block in postoperative pain management after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
Authors: Hussien Rania M. , Elsaid Amr M. , Abd Elraziq Mohamed Y. , Mahrose Ramy
Published: August 2023

Background

Patients undergoing abdominal surgeries may benefit from an ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) as one of the postoperative pain management techniques.

Objective

This study compares the effects of bilateral ultrasound guided Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block versus bilateral ultrasound guided QLB on postoperative analgesia in patients having laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) under general anaesthesia (GA).

Patients and methods

45 patients who were scheduled for elective LSG participated in a randomized controlled trial. All patients were given 1–2 μg/kg of intravenous fentanyl as intraoperative narcotic during GA. QLB Group (15 patients): received ultrasound-guided QLB using 0.2 mL/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine per side after induction of general anaesthesia. TAP Group (15 patients): received ultrasound-guided TAP block using 0.2 mL/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine per side after induction of general anaesthesia. Control Group (15 patients): received general anaesthesia and then 1 gm IV paracetamol and 30 mg IV ketorolac within first hour and 8 h postoperative.

Results

QLB group used pethidine as rescue analgesia mush less than other groups with highly statistically significant difference (P value<0.001). Also, there was statistically significant difference between groups in number of patients needed rescue analgesia (60% of QLB group, 86.7% of TAP group and 100% of control group).

Also, the QLB group had superior clinical pain scores than the other groups with a statistically significant difference at PACU arrival, 30 min, 2 h, and 4 h postoperative. The TAP group had a lower VAS score than the control group, with a statistically significant difference at PACU arrival and 4 h postoperative. In comparison to the TAP group, the VAS score was lower in the QLB group, with a statistically significant difference at 30 min postoperatively.

MAP was significantly lower in the QLB group than in the control group at PACU entry, 30 min, and 6 h postoperatively. However, MAP was lower in the QLB group than in the TAP group, with a statistically significant difference only at the 12- and 24-hour post-operative time points. HR was less significantly in QLB group than control group at 30, 2, 12, 24 h postoperatively, when comparing the HR between the QLB and TAP groups, the difference became statistically significant only at the 12-hour post-operative time.

Conclusion

In compared to TAP block and IV analgesics, QLB was the most efficient method for delivering analgesia following LSG.