bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Specyfika funkcjonowania dziecka z mutyzmem wybiórczym w środowisku pozarodzinnym
Authors: Kos Ewa Arleta
Published: April 2024

The presented study has two purposes. One of them is to discuss selected views as to the causes of selective mutism in the context of the classification position, along with controversies around the diagnostic criteria for this disorder.
Another, more important from the perspective of this study, is to discuss the specifics of the functioning of a child with selective mutism in the educational environment. The problems on which this reflection focuses is the question about the possibility of recognizing selective mutism in the preschool/school environment and the features of the functioning of a child with selective mutism in the educational environment. To discuss the issues analyzed in the study, the author used the most important review papers published so far regarding the analyzed topic.
In the first part of the study, the author emphasized the scale of the problem in the population of preschool/school children with reference to statistical data indicating the incidence of mutism in the population. The author also discusses the diagnostic criteria of mutism in terms of DSM-5 and ICD-10. Author pointed out problem areas related to the recognition of mutism.
In the next part of the study, the author described selected reasons for the appearance of mutism in the child’s development. Then the author characterized the specificity of the child’s functioning in the educational environment, emphasizing the consequences of not implementing the appropriate educational and therapeutic interactions. An analysis of the literature indicates that it is necessary to increase the scientific interest in the problem of mutism among children. The problem has serious consequences and affects an increasing number of children. For this reason, knowledge of how a child with mutism functions in a kindergarten/school enables the implementation of adequate forms of help and support.
Wczesna diagnoza logopedyczna dziecka z alalią i niedokształceniem mowy o typie afazji
Authors: Olempska-Wysocka Magdalena
Published: April 2024

Diagnosis of specific speech development disorders is an interdisciplinary procedure, taking into account not only the child’s speech examination but also the results of psychological, audiological, neurological, psychiatric and other examinations. The article presents numerous studies and observations of children with apraxia and childhood aphasia, which allowed for the identification of indicators for early detection of specific speech disorders. Therefore, early logopedic diagnosis is important, which on the one hand is a planning process with the use of appropriate standards of conduct. On the other hand, it must be a process conducted by an interdisciplinary team of specialists in cooperation with the child’s parents.
Aesthetic Modes of Attack: The Woman Critic-Artist, Caractère unique
Authors: Van Herk Aritha
Published: April 2024

This paper explores how women who are both critics and artists resist the designations assigned to genre and gender. The alias of caractère unique subverts the academic categories that seek to locate and confine their unique practice and their work. In a set of creative evasions that explore the limitations of brackets and applications, this investigation of ambiguity proceeds as a poetics of digression, working from interviews that Dorota Filipczak conducted with Mieke Bal and Rukmini Bhaya Nair. The result is an excursion into bavardage that is nevertheless an aesthetic disruption of the authority of structure and destination.
Income Shocks, Financial Hardship, and Changes in Depression Symptomatology Among Older Americans During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sharma Muna , Babiarz Patryk
Published: April 2024

Using data from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this research examined the effect of financial hardship experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of older Americans. Estimates from the ordinary least squares and logistic regressions showed that individuals who experienced income shocks, particularly those with decreased retirement savings/assets income, reported more depressive symptoms and a higher likelihood of depression. Similarly, financial hardship measured as the number of financial arrears was found to be positively correlated with depression symptoms and the onset of depression. Depression symptomatology and onsets were mainly influenced by pandemic-related shocks to retirement/assets income among retired individuals and by earnings shocks among nonretired respondents. The effects were more pronounced among retired individuals and those without a preexisting history of psychiatric problems.
Iranian Women’s Experience of Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sheikh Sewaini Fariba , Gholamzadeh Jofreh Maryam , Stith Sandra , Mohammadi Rezgar
Published: April 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) all over the world, including Iran. This study used a qualitative phenomenological method to identify and analyze 10 Iranian women’s experiences of IPV during the pandemic. Using purposive sampling, semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) data analysis method. Data analysis revealed that during the pandemic, IPV was exacerbated by financial stress, children’s online education, conflict over health protocols, and social isolation. Participants reported trying many ways to cope with IPV, including focusing on religion and spirituality, seeking new hobbies, seeking help from their families, and seeking professional counselors. This research emphasized the importance of understanding cultural factors when offering services to IPV victims or survivors and demonstrated that IPV survivors, even in collectivist countries, need legal and mental health support.
Sert Hammadde Tane Boyutu ve Pişirim Sıcaklığının Duvar Karosu Bünye Özelliklerine Etkisi
Authors: Tanışan Belgin , Karakedi Sakarya Gamze
Published: April 2024

Seramik karoların teknolojik özelliklerinin bünyede kullanılan hammadde
karakteristikleri (tane boyut dağılımı, kimyasal bileşim, mineralojik yapı) ile ilişkili
olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada, standart duvar karosu bünye reçetesinin
yaklaşık %30’unu oluşturan kuvars ve pegmatit sert hammaddeleri 90 dakika
öğütme işlemi sonrasında reçetede kullanılmış ve hazırlanan bünyeler farklı
sıcaklıklarda (1110, 1120, 1127 ve 1147 C) pişirilmiştir. Sinterleme sonrası
bünyelerin; pişme küçülmesi (%), su emme (%), mukavemet ve L*, a* ve b*renk
parametreleri belirlenmiş ve standart bünye ile kıyaslamaları yapılmıştır.
Numunelerin içerdiği fazlar ve mikroyapı görüntüleri sırasıyla XRD ve SEM
analizleri ile karakterize edilmiştir.
Sonuç olarak, sert hammaddelerin
öğütülmesiyle standarta göre daha düşük sıcaklıklarda, daha üstün fiziksel ve
mekanik özelliklere sahip bünyeler elde edilebileceği görülmüştür.
Hilando conexiones con los ancestros: el uso de malacates en rituales póstumos en el sitio maya de Palenque
Authors: De Tomassi Mirko
Published: April 2024

El análisis de los bienes funerarios aporta información acerca de la ritualidad de las poblaciones prístinas. La presente investigación aspira a ampliar el conocimiento acerca del uso funerario de los malacates entre los mayas prehispánicos. Estos objetos son generalmente interpretados como parte de la identidad de los individuos enterrados. Sin embargo, en Palenque los malacates se encuentran depositados en contextos que presentan evidencia de rituales póstumos y manipulación secundaria de las osamentas. Se escrudiñan con detalle seis contextos funerarios recientemente excavados en el Grupo IV, un conjunto doméstico de elite del sitio de Palenque. Estas sepulturas son comparadas con entierros de otros grupos domésticos y con un ejemplo de la realeza: el sarcófago de la Reina Roja. Fuentes iconográficas, históricas y etnográficas permitieron inferir que los malacates en Palenque se utilizaban para llevar a cabo ritos póstumos que involucraban la producción de hilo para materializar una ruta de comunicación con los ancestros.
General theoretical and cross-sectoral issues of anti-corruption: current state
Authors: Popova Nadezhda A.
Published: April 2024

Corruption is one of the main threats to the national policy of the Russian Federation, impeding socio-economic development, the effective functioning of public authorities and the formation of civil society. Corruption control should be carried out as a result of a systematic approach aimed both at identifying offenses and eliminating the causes of their occurrence. The main provisions of national legislation aimed at combating the socio-legal phenomenon under consideration, as well as the norms enshrined in international legal acts, are studied. It is concluded that the Russian legislation aimed at countering corruption activities is an interdisciplinary institution, as a result of which it is based on the norms of various branches of law, in particular, criminal, administrative, civil and others. One of the features of countering corruption in the Russian Federation is the use of the most stringent repressive measures, which is expressed in legal formalization and standardization. The trends in tightening measures of criminal and administrative legal means, sanctions for violation of restrictions and prohibitions, as well as strengthening control over ongoing anti-corruption activities are highlighted. As a result of the comparative legal analysis, it is noted that the corruption control in the Russian Federation is carried out through mandatory norms enshrined in criminal and administrative legislation, which is due to the complex corruption situation in the state.
Changing the social image of financial law at the turn of the 20th–21st centuries
Authors: Rybakova Svetlana V.
Published: April 2024

The consolidation of the Russian state as a social state in the Constitution of the Russian Federation required significant changes both in the system of domestic law and in the system of its individual branches. One of the leading industries that bore a significant “burden” to implement the corresponding transformation is financial law, which by that time, as scientists put it, occupied a “modest place” among other industries. The fulfillment of the assigned mission significantly contributed to changing not only the content, but also the role of financial law in the life of society, the state, and the individual. In essence, the social appearance of financial law has changed, which, although it should be social at its core, is not always clearly socially “coloured”. In this regard, the purpose of this study, based on the thesis about the change in the social image of financial law at the turn of the 20th–21st centuries, is to argue for the presence of a social vector in the development of this branch of law as one of the special branches of the Russian legal system. Using historical, logical methods, as well as methods of comparative legal research and system analysis, the basic prerequisites and conditions for the corresponding transformation, as well as its features, are identified using the example of individual sub-sectors and institutions of financial law. The thesis about the implementation in the norms of financial law of the state’s targets for the implementation of plans and forecasts of socio-economic development is substantiated, it is proven that not only traditional financial and legal institutions (budgetary and legal, tax and legal) are involved in the implementation of the social tasks of the state, but also other (institutions of public banking law, money issue). The current financial legislation and individual acts of strategic planning are analyzed, which made it possible to argue the hypothesis that in the last three decades the social appearance of financial law has changed significantly: not only the socialization of financial law itself has occurred (external aspect), but its content has also changed, including changes the composition of its principles, system, subjects (intra-industry aspect).
Legal regulation of compulsory licensing in European countries (review and comparative analysis)
Authors: Latyntsev Alexander V.
Published: April 2024

The topic of compulsory licensing is one of the most controversial in the field of intellectual property protection, including in our country in modern realities. At the same time, practically none of the legal scholar has any doubts about the need for this measure as a legal mechanism aimed at achieving a compromise between the private interests of patent holders and public interests. However, many questions arise about the possible legal tools for the issuance of compulsory licenses, so it is interesting to review the European experience in the legal regulation of compulsory licensing, followed by a comparative analysis of the legal mechanisms’ features. An overview of the legal regulation features of compulsory licensing in a number of Central European countries is presented: Austria, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The main legal norms of these countries devoted to the issuance of compulsory licenses are highlighted, with their subsequent comparative analysis. Thus, it was noted that, despite the commonality of approaches, in different States the possible grounds and conditions, as well as the authorized bodies and procedures for issuing compulsory licenses differ depending on the historically developed national characteristics of civil and administrative legislation. Countries are identified in which compulsory licensing is carried out administratively or judicially. Special attention is paid to the legal norms of European countries on decision-making procedures, on the specifics of compulsory licensing in identifying anti-competitive practices on the part of the patent holder, etc. Examples of the issuance or refusal to issue compulsory licenses are also considered.
REPRESENTASI ALAM DAN HARMONISASINYA DENGAN MANUSIA DALAM NOVEL SEBUAH WILAYAH YANG TIDAK ADA DI GOOGLE EARTH KARYA PANDU A. HAMZAH: KAJIAN EKOKRITIK SASTRA
Authors: Fauziah Euis , Suntini Sun , Kautsar Tifani
Published: April 2024

Penelitian ini merupakan analisis representasi alam dan harmonisasinya dengan manusia dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah: Kajian Ekokritik Sastra. Rumusan Masalah: 1) Bagaimana representasi alam dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah?; 2) Bagaimana harmonisasi alam dengan manusia ditinjau dari etika lingkungan dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah?. Tujuan Penelitian: 1) Untuk mendeskripsikan representasi alam dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah; 2) Untuk mendeskripsikan harmonisasi alam dengan manusia ditinjau dari etika lingkungan dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah. Metode Penelitian: deskriptif kualitatif. Teknik: teknik pemerolehan data: (studi pustaka dan dokumentasi) dan teknik pengolahan data: (analisis). Hasil Penelitian: 1) Representasi alam yang terdapat dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah mencakup representasi biologis alam, representasi konseptual alam, dan representasi psikologis alam. 2) Harmonisasi alam dengan manusia ditinjau dari etika lingkungan yang ditemukan dalam novel Sebuah Wilayah yang Tidak Ada di Google Earth karya Pandu A. Hamzah yaitu sikap hormat terhadap alam, sikap tanggung jawab moral terhadap alam, sikap solidaritas terhadap alam, sikap kasih sayang dan kepedulian terhadap alam, sikap tidak mengganggu kehidupan alam, sikap hidup sederhana dan selaras dengan alam.
Yıldız Hamidiye Camii Tavan Süslemesinin İzleri: Gök Mavisi Üzerine Altın Renginde Yıldızlı Kalem İşi Bezeme
Authors: Sağ Mustafa Kaan
Published: April 2024

Sultan II. Abdülhamid, 1885’te Yıldız Hamidiye Camii’ni selatin camisi olarak inşa ettirmiştir. Caminin dikkat çeken özelliklerinden biri harim bölümünün tavanını süsleyen gök mavisi üzerine altın renginde yıldızlı kalem işi bezemedir. Britanyalı mimar ve mimarlık tarihçisi William Richard Lethaby, 1892’de yazdığı “Mimarlık, Mistisizm ve Mit” adlı eserinin “Gökyüzüne Benzeyen Tavanlar” bölümünde bezemenin kökeni ve kullanıldığı farklı dönemler hakkında detaylı bilgi vermektedir. Bezemenin görüldüğü en erken tarihli yapılar antik Mısır döneminin tapınak ve mezarlarıdır. Lethaby, geç antik dönemde uygulamanın Roma ve Bizans mimarisinin önemli bir bileşeni haline geldiğini belirtmektedir. Bezeme, Bizans İmparatorluğu ile yakın ilişkiler içerisinde bulunan Avrupa devletlerinde de yaygınlaşmış, orta çağda özellikle gotik mimarinin bir parçası haline gelmiştir. 19. yüzyıla gelindiğinde neogotik mimarinin doğuşuyla Avrupa ve Amerika’da tekrar popüler hale gelen tavan bezemesi aynı dönemde Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun başkenti İstanbul’da da görülmektedir. Ele alınan çalışmada, bezemenin kronolojik ve coğrafi yolculuğu örnekler üzerinden analiz edilmektedir. Yıldız Hamidiye Camii harim tavanındaki uygulama, bu doğrultuda antik Mısır, gotik ve Bizans mimarisine gönderme yapan, imparatorluğun gücünü temsil eden, çok katmanlı ve eklektik bir tasarım olarak değerlendirilmektedir.
Facilitating collaborations between home and international students; different perspectives of engagement associated with having responsibilities in a group environment
Authors: Fairfax Simon A. , Saha Subhrajyoti
Published: April 2024

This case study reports on studentsâ€™ responses to a newly designed group project used in a second-year undergraduate module at the University of Liverpool. The goals of the group project were to improve student engagement in the module and facilitate a collaboration between home and international students to develop a broader sense of student community within the department of mathematics. The extent to which these goals were achieved are explored in detail.
Engaging students via interactive lecture activities inspired by common classroom practice
Authors: Brewer Cerian
Published: April 2024

This article summarises the authorâ€™s experience transitioning from Further Education (FE) to Higher Education (HE) teaching in 2022-23. It identifies areas for concern in the authorâ€™s setting and outlines the authorâ€™s strategies for overcoming these obstacles, utilising their background in FE. In particular, this article explores common, engaging classroom activities and outlines why these activities require adapting for use in HE. Inspired by these classroom activities, this article presents a selection of interactive lecture activities promoting student engagement via formative assessment, adaptive teaching, and student ownership. It summarises how the activities have evolved over time and reflects on their use. Finally, the author reviews the success of the activities, discusses studentsâ€™ reactions to them, and outlines future plans.
Permian–Triassic Boundary in Sedimentary Succession of the Barents Sea
Authors: Malysheva E.O. , Doronina M.S. , Kleschina L.N. , Nikitina V.A. , Popov A.S. , Vasilyeva N.
Published: April 2024

—The Permian–Triassic (P–T) boundary records the most dramatic events in Phanerozoic history. The character of the boundary differs greatly, so it has been the subject of great discussion. The Barents Sea separates regions having markedly different expressions of the P–T boundary, and it can give an insight into the conditions of formation of this boundary in different parts of the European North. This contribution is based on a combination of regional projects from the Russian and Norwegian sectors, including seismic data across the Barents Sea and well data in marginal zones. Application of new seismic data and the sequence stratigraphy concept provides a novel approach to correlation and interpretation of the P–T boundary beneath the Barents Sea. The study has revealed a distinct regional sequence boundary corresponding to the P–T boundary with conformable and unconformable bedding. Three major types of this stratigraphic boundary are recognized. The distinct “erosional” type of the P–T boundary, with a significantly reduced Permian section, exists in the southeast (Timan–Pechora Basin). The conformable “overcompensated” type of boundary with an additional Lower Triassic section is interpreted in the central part of the Barents Sea. Westward, beneath the Norwegian sector, a relatively conformable “condensed” type of P–T boundary predominates. In addition to these types associated with regional paleostructural and depositional trends, the superposed “structural” subtype caused by local growth of structures at the Permian–Triassic boundary is identified.
Study on Composite Rock-Breaking Mechanism of Ultrahigh-Pressure Water Jet–PDC Cutter
Authors: Cai Can , Cao Wenyang , Yang Xianpeng , Zhang Pei , Zeng Lang , Zhou Shengwen
Published: April 2024

The drilling industry is paying increasing attention to deep and ultradeep wells because of the gradual decline and depletion of recoverable resources on the shallow surface. However, the difficulty of conventional mechanical rock-breaking grows significantly with increasing drilling depth. It has been found that the effect of a high-pressure water jet combined with a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter is significant and can greatly increase the efficacy of rock breaking. A composite rock-breaking experimental device with a high-pressure jet was designed to carry out composite rock-breaking experiments. Meanwhile, a composite rock-breaking numerical model of high-pressure water jet-PDC cutter was created by smoothed particle hydrodynamics/finite element method (SPH/FEM). After verifying the reliability of the numerical model through experiments, the key factors, including rock stress field, cutting force, and jet field, were extracted to analyze the composite rock-breaking mechanism. The results show that the enhancing effect of jet impact on rock breaking is mainly reflected in three aspects: (1) The high-pressure water jet can create a groove and crater on the rock surface, effectively unloading the rock stress at the bottom of the well and increasing the area of rock damage; (2) PDC cutter vibration can be efficiently reduced with high-pressure jet; and (3) the rock debris in front of the cutter is cleaned in time, avoiding the waste of energy caused by the secondary cutting and reducing the temperature rise of the PDC cutter. Besides, it has been investigated how parameters like jet pressure, nozzle diameter, impact distance, and cutting depth influence the effect of jet rock breaking. The findings indicate that the best rock-breaking efficiency and economy occur at jet pressures of 30–40 MPa. Correspondingly, in terms of nozzle angle, nozzle diameter, and impact distance, the ideal ranges are 60°, 1.0–1.5 mm, and 10 mm, respectively, wherein the ideal impact distance is approximately 10 times the nozzle diameter. This research is critical for the advancement of high-pressure jet drilling technology and the design of supporting drill bits.
Review of information disclosure disposition by police agencies: Focusing on the analysis of the 2023 ruling by the Central Administrative Appeals Commission
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Shin Kwan Woo
Published: April 2024

In this study, examine information disclosure and the administrative judgment system, which are means of police control, and examine the current status of the Central Administrative Appeals Commission's citation decision that clearly recognized the illegality and unfairness of the disposition of information disclosure by police agencies in 2023. In addition, it was intended to provide suggestions for reasonable disposition of information disclosure by police agencies.
When a citizen exercises the right to request information disclosure from a police agency, the police agency decides whether or not to disclose the information in accordance with the statutory procedures set forth in the Information Disclosure Act. A person requesting information disclosure may appeal a police agency's decision to disclose information by filing an administrative appeal with the Central Administrative Appeals Commission.
After reviewing the decision to disclose information to police agencies, be able to confirm the following facts. First, police agencies identified cases where they did not comply with statutory procedures under the Information Disclosure Act or misjudged the application of reasons for non-disclosure. In addition, we were able to confirm cases where police agencies' information disclosure officers lacked basic knowledge of the Information Disclosure Act, adding or changing the reasons for disposition, or restricting the information disclosure claimant's right to object through a substantive refusal with formal legality.
The suggestions derived from the review of citation decisions regarding information disclosure by police agencies as discussed above can be summarized as follows. There is a need to do about the First, strengthening disciplinary responsibility for those in charge who do not comply with information disclosure procedures, Second, regular education and evaluation on cases of illegal and unfair information disclosure, Third, the introduction of a training completion system for police agency-specific office workers in the fields of investigation, transportation, and life safety, Fourth, strengthening the supervisory function of the Supervisory Office, Fifth, disclosure of cases of illegal and unfair decisions
A study on factors influencing burn-out among riot police officers
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Jung Jae-hoon , Aum Yoo-jin , Park Hee-kyun
Published: April 2024

The number of assemblies and demonstrations where police units are deployed is not decreasing, and it has been revealed that in the past 10 years, the number of cases in which riot police officers have experienced physical harm at assemblies and demonstrations has averaged about 90 people per year. Moreover, in a reality where it is difficult to quantitatively prepare riot police officers due to the abolition of the mandatory police system, if they are forced to leave their duties due to overloaded and difficult work, the gap in public security work at assembly and protest sites will become even larger. In other words, in order to maintain social order and ensure the safety of citizens, there is a need to explore factors at the organizational level to prevent riot police officers from experiencing burnout and leaving their duties.
Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to statistically verify the factors that affect the burnout of riot police officers. To achieve the purpose of the study, survey data that secured representativeness through proportional quota sampling, taking into account class, age, gender, etc., were used for analysis, using the 2022 national riot squad as the population. Through a review of previous research, job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment were set as independent variables and their impact on burnout was verified. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment among riot police officers all had a statistically significant impact on burnout, and that job stress in particular had the greatest impact on burnout. Based on these results, several policy recommendations were presented to reduce job stress levels and increase job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Clinical validation of the 2008 and 2022 diagnostic criteria for early multiple system atrophy
Authors: Kim Seoyeon , Woo Kyung Ah , Shin Jung Hwan , Kim Han-Joon , Jeon Beomseok
Published: April 2024

Purpose
The Movement Disorders Society criteria for multiple system atrophy (MDS-MSA) was recently proposed to improve the diagnostic accuracy, particularly the lack of sensitivity at early stages. We aimed to seek consistencies and discrepancies between the old and new criteria in early MSA-C.
Methods
Fifty patients with a cerebellar syndrome with duration less than two years were recruited. Either MSA or cerebellar ataxia (CA) was diagnosed according to the second consensus criteria and MDS-MSA criteria, respectively.
Results
Among the forty-one MSA-C patients diagnosed by the second consensus criteria, sixteen patients were diagnosed with CA by the MDS-MSA criteria due to lack of supportive clinical features. Eleven probable MSA patients were diagnosed with clinically probable MSA by the MDS-MSA criteria, due to absence of MRI biomarkers.
Conclusion
The MDS-MSA criteria seems to be stricter compared with the second consensus criteria, and modest sensitivity still proposes a challenge for early detection of MSA-C.
Extraction of carbon nanodots from benzoin resin soot for multifaceted antibacterial applications
Authors: T Pranesh , Raja Gnanadeepam , Gopal Judy
Published: April 2024

Antimicrobial compounds have been gaining paramount importance in recent years since there has been a lot of concern over the increasing threats from microbial infections. Medicinal smoke has always been received with warmth and positivity and being an age-old traditional process, has been practiced down the generations. Nanomaterials have become highly promising when it comes to antimicrobial applications and carbon nanomaterials have also gained preeminence. In the following study, carbon nanodots were extracted and characterized from benzoin resin smoke and tested for its antibacterial, anti oral bacterial and anti-biofilm properties. With rising concerns over chemically synthesized nanomaterials, green extraction of carbon nanodots from benzoin smoke, will come handy for multiple biomedical applications.
SAK3 confers neuroprotection in the neurodegeneration model of X-linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism
Authors: Aryal Shivani , Chen Shawei , Burbach Kyle F , Yang Yan , Capano Lucia S , Kim Woo Kyung , Bragg D. Cristopher , Yoo Andrew
Published: April 2024

Background
X-linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism(XDP) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that results in the loss of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). XDP is associated with disease-specific mutations in and around the TAF1 gene. This study highlights the utility of directly reprogrammed MSNs from fibroblasts of affected XDP individuals as a platform that captures cellular and epigenetic phenotypes associated with XDP-related neurodegeneration. In addition, the current study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of SAK3 currently tested in other neurodegenerative diseases.
Methods
XDP fibroblasts from three independent patients as well as age- and sex-matched control fibroblasts were used to generate MSNs by direct neuronal reprogramming using miRNA-9/9*-124 and thetranscription factors CTIP2, DLX1-P2A-DLX2, and MYT1L. Neuronal death, DNA damage, and mitochondrial health assays were carried out to assess the neurodegenerative state of directly reprogrammed MSNs from XDP patients (XDP-MSNs). RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing were performed to infer changes in the transcriptomic and chromatin landscapesof XDP-MSNs compared to those of control MSNs (Ctrl-MSNs).
Results
Our results show that XDP patient fibroblasts can be successfully reprogrammed into MSNs and XDP-MSNs display several degenerative phenotypes, including neuronal death, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction, compared to Ctrl-MSNs reprogrammed from age- and sex-matched control individuals’ fibroblasts. In addition, XDP-MSNs showed increased vulnerability to TNFα -toxicity compared to Ctrl-MSNs. To dissect the altered cellular state in XDP-MSNs, we conducted transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility analyses using RNA- and ATAC-seq. Our results indicate that pathways related to neuronal function, calcium signaling, and genes related to other neurodegenerative diseases are commonly altered in XDP-MSNs from multiple patients. Interestingly, we found that SAK3, a T-type calcium channel activator, that may have therapeutic values in other neurodegenerative disorders, protected XDP-MSNs from neuronal death. Notably, we found that SAK3-mediated alleviation of neurodegeneration in XDP-MSNs was accompanied by gene expression changes toward Ctrl-MSNs.
Maternal Anemia Emerges as a Potential Risk Factor for Anemia in Children Aged 6-59 Months in Tanzania: Evidence from the 2022 TDHS-MIS Cross-Sectional Household Survey
Authors: Xavier Sancho , Victor Audêncio , Gotine Ana Raquel Manuel , Silva Ageo Mário da
Published: April 2024

Background: Various studies have explored the risk factors for anemia in children aged 6 to 59 months, but the effect of maternal anemia on child anemia has been less examined. This study sought to analyze the impact of maternal anemia on anemia in children in this age group in Tanzania.
Methods: Data was extracted from the Tanzania TDHS-MIS 2022, conducted from March to July. A total of 2,500 children aged between 6 and 59 months were included in the final analysis. The analysis considered both univariate and multivariate odds ratios (COR and AOR, respectively), with a 95% CI, as determinants of anemia. Data was analyzed using R software.
Results:The overall prevalence of anemia in children aged 6 to 59 months was 70.16% (95% CI = 68.32; 71.95), with 40.8% of cases classified as mild, 56.4% moderate, and 2.8% as severe. This prevalence was higher in children < 24 months (75.1%). In the model adjusted for other factors, maternal anemia emerged as a potential indicator for anemia in this age group, with an AOR of 1.48 (95% CI: 1.18; 1.87) for mild anemia, 1.71 (95% CI: 1.32; 2.21) for moderate, and 2.14 (95% CI: 1.08; 4.26) for severe anemia. Furthermore, children under 24 months, males, with a recent history of diarrhea, in families with more than two children, and with mothers aged between 20 and 29 years, were more likely to develop anemia. On the other hand, children who received drugs for intestinal parasitosis in the last six months were less likely to have anemia.
Conclusion:This study highlights the high prevalence of child anemia in Tanzania, especially in children under 24 months. Maternal anemia emergedas a significant potential predictor for child anemia. Targeted interventions that address both maternal and child health are crucial for reducing the prevalence of anemia and improving child health outcomes.
The Association Between Pre-Pregnancy and First-Trimester Hair Cortisol and Preterm Birth: A Causal Inference Model
Authors: Chen Yinxian , Künzel Richard G. , Sanchez Sixto E. , Rondon Marta B. , Pinto Nelida I. , Sanchez Elena , Kirschbaum Clemens , Valeri Linda , Koenen Karestan C. , Gelaye Bizu
Published: April 2024

Background
Adverse life events and chronic psychological distress before and during pregnancy have frequently been associated with preterm birth (PTB) but the biological underpinnings remain unclear. We investigated the association between corticosteroid levels in pre-pregnancy and first-trimester hair and the risk of PTB.
Methods
We followed 1,808 pregnant women from a prospective pre-birth cohort study in Lima, Perú. Hair samples were taken at the end of the first pregnancy trimester. The two most proximal 3cm segments to the scalp (representing pre-pregnancy and first-trimester) were analyzed to obtain hair cortisol and cortisone concentrations (HCC and HCNC). PTB was defined as birth < 37 completed gestational weeks. We constructed four generalized propensity scores for pre-pregnancy and first-trimester HCC and HCNC to create corresponding inverse probability weights before fitting marginal structural models for estimating the effect of HCC and HCNC on PTB risk.
Results
Pre-pregnancy Log HCC was not independently associated with PTB risk (RR = 0.97; 95%CI: 0.79, 1.19). In contrast, one SD increase from the mean first-trimester Log HCC was independently associated with a 37% (95%CI: 1.11, 1.69) increased risk of PTB. Although imprecise, pre-pregnancy Log HCNC was negatively associated with PTB risk (RR = 0.84; 95%CI: 0.58, 1.20), whereas the association between first-trimester Log HCNC and PTB risk was positive (RR = 1.20; 95%CI: 0.87, 1.65).
Conclusions
Our findings show that chronic corticosteroid levels in early pregnancy are causally linked to PTB risk in pregnant Peruvian women. This finding contributes to understanding the biological underpinnings of PTB better to enhance PTB prevention.
PACT is requisite for prostate cancer cell proliferation
Authors: Leedman Peter , Beveridge Dianne , Woo Andrew , Richardson Kirsty , Brown Rikki , Stuart Lisa , Singh Manjot , Redfern Andrew
Published: April 2024

PACT (encoded by the PRKRA gene) is a double-stranded RNA binding protein that has two main functions in mammals: facilitation of antiviral defense mechanisms via the activation of protein kinase RNA (PKR) and retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-1), and PACT is also a member of the cytoplasmic RNA-induced silencing complex. We previously described an alternate role for PACT as a modulator of nuclear receptor (NR)-regulated gene expression. Here, we investigated the role of PACT in prostate cancer (PCa) using a loss-of-function approach. Depletion of PACT in PCa cell lines resulted in a reduction in cell proliferation; however, they were viable. RNA-sequencing analysis of LNCaP PCa cells ± PACT revealed a depletion of biological processes involved in cell cycle, mitochondrial function, and NR-response pathways in the PACT knockout (KO) cells. In the PACT KO cells, downregulated genes included H2AFJ, PSMD5, AQP3, TMEM45B, SLC22A3, and KLK3 (prostate specific antigen, PSA), and siRNA mediated knockdown of these genes reduced cell growth and proliferation in LNCaP cells. Taken together, these data provide support for PRKRA as a proproliferative gene in PCa and targeting PRKRA, or the genes that are downregulated in PACT KO cells via siRNA therapies, could benefit PCa patient survival.
Development and validation of frailty risk prediction model for elderly patients with coronary heart disease
Authors: LIU Siqin , YUAN Xiaoli , LIANG Heting , JIANG Zhixia , YANG Xiaoling , GAO Huiming
Published: April 2024

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of frailty for elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), development a risk prediction model of nomogram for elderly patients with CHD, and verify the prediction effect.
Methods A total of 592 elderly patients with CHD from 3 third-level hospitals, 5 second-level hospitals and 3 community health service centers in Guizhou Province from April 2022 to January 2023 were conveniently selected and enrolled. The general information questionnaire, the Frail scale and the instrumental ability of daily living assessment scale were utilized to collect data. And the patients divided into two group according to frailty, χ2 test and logistic regression analysis were used to select and determine the influencing factors of frailty. The nomograph prediction model of elderly patients with CHD was established by R software (4.2.2). Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the area under the ROC curve were used to evaluate the e predictive effect of the model. The Bootstrap resampling method was used to verify the model and draw the calibration curve of the prediction model.
Results The incidence of frailty was 30.07%. The multiple factor analysis showed that poor health status (OR=70.885)/general health status (OR=18.018), smoking (OR=0.483), social participation (OR=0.169), impaired instrumental ability of daily living (OR=3.131) were independent risk factors for frailty (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of the nomograph prediction model was 0.837 (95% CI: 0.808 ～ 0.881, P<0.001), sensitivity of 0.798, specificity of 0.792; the X2 value of Hosmer-Lemeshow was 7.111（P=0.213）. The model validation results showed that the C value was 0.836(95% CI: 0.801~0.873), Brier score was 0.138, the predicted value was consistent with the actual value basically.
Conclusion The incidence of frailty in elderly patients with CHD is high, which is affected by many influencing factors, health status, smoking, social participation and ability of daily life have certain predictive value for frailty, that can provide reference for early screening and intervention of elderly patients with coronary heart disease.
Dexrazoxane reduces antithrombin activity: Five case reports
Authors: Nagano Tomohiro , Kondo Kaho , Matsumura Akifumi , Niiya Daigo , Fujii Soichiro , Takeuchi Makoto
Published: April 2024

Dexrazoxane prevents anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and treats anthracycline extravasation. Thrombosis is not a major adverse effect of dexrazoxane use but their relationship has been reported. Here, we describe five patients in whom antithrombin activity decreased after dexrazoxane injections. All five patients were prescribed dexrazoxane to protect the soft tissues from anthracycline extravasation during chemotherapy for hematological malignancies. This led to a reduction in antithrombin activity after a median of 4 days from the first dexrazoxane injection. The activity levels recovered several days later, and one of the patients developed deep vein thrombosis. There was no explanation other than dexrazoxane use, prompting us to speculate that dexrazoxane reduces antithrombin activity. We infer that a decrease in antithrombin activity triggers thrombosis after dexrazoxane injection. Based on these cases and a review of previous reports on dexrazoxane and thrombosis, it is recommended that clinicians monitor antithrombin decline and thrombosis development in patients undergoing dexrazoxane treatment.
A robust mouse model of human parainfluenza 3 virus infection and efficacy of GS-441524, the parent nucleoside of remdesivir, against lung pathology
Authors: Neyts Johan , Lin Yuxia , Khan Mona , Weynand Birgit , Laporte Manon , Coenjaerts Frank , Babusis Darius , Bilello John , Mombaerts Peter , Jochmans Dirk
Published: April 2024

Human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV-3) can cause severe respiratory tract infections. The development of vaccines and antivirals is hampered by the lack of convenient small-animal infection models. Here, we show that intranasal inoculation of AG129 mice (double IFNα/β and IFNγ receptor knockout mice) with HPIV-3 leads to viral replication in the upper and lower airways, with peak viral loads on days 1-3 post-infection. By multiplex fluorescence RNAscope and immunohistochemistry followed by confocal microscopy, we demonstrate viral tropism to ciliated cells and club cells of the bronchiolar epithelium. From day 5 post-infection, a marked lung pathology develops, with perivascular and peribronchial inflammation, bronchopneumonia, and hyperplasia of pneumocytes. Oral treatment with GS-441524, the parent nucleoside of remdesivir, drastically reduces infectious virus titers in the lung, with a relatively normal histology. Intranasal treatment also affords an antiviral effect. We conclude that AG129 mice serve as a robust preclinical model for developing therapeutic and prophylactic strategies against HPIV-3. Our results support further evaluation of GS-441524 and its prodrug forms as potential treatment of HPIV-3 infection in humans.
Hepatocyte-specific loss of melanocortin 1 receptor disturbs fatty acid metabolism and promotes adipocyte hypertrophy
Authors: Rinne Petteri , Thapa Keshav , Ghimire Bishwa , Pokharel Kisun , Cai Minying , Savontaus Eriika
Published: April 2024

Background/objectives
Melanocortins mediate their biological functions via five different melanocortin receptors (MC1R - MC5R). MC1R is expressed in the skin and leukocytes, where it regulates skin pigmentation and inflammatory responses. MC1R is also present in the liver and white adipose tissue, but its functional role in these tissues is unclear. This study aimed at determining the regulatory role of MC1R in fatty acid metabolism.
Methods
Recessive yellow (Mc1re/e) mice, a model of global MC1R deficiency, and hepatocyte-specific MC1R deficient mice (Mc1r LKO) were fed a chow or Western diet for 12 weeks. The mouse models were characterized for body weight and composition, liver adiposity, adipose tissue mass and morphology, glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, qPCR and RNA sequencing analyses were used to investigate gene expression profiles in the liver and adipose tissue. HepG2 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes were to study the effects of pharmacological MC1R activation.
Results
Chow- and Western diet-fed Mc1re/e showed increased liver weight, white adipose tissue mass and plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration compared to wild type mice. This phenotype occurred without significant changes in food intake, body weight, physical activity or glucose metabolism. Mc1r LKO mice displayed a similar phenotype characterized by larger fat depots, increased adipocyte hypertrophy and enhanced accumulation of TG in the liver and plasma. In terms of gene expression, markers of de novo lipogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis were upregulated in the liver of Mc1r LKO mice, while enzymes regulating lipolysis were downregulated in white adipose tissue of these mice. In cultured hepatocytes, selective activation of MC1R reduced ChREBP expression, which is a central transcription factor for lipogenesis.
Conclusions
Hepatocyte-specific loss of MC1R disturbs fatty acid metabolism in the liver and leads to an obesity phenotype characterized by enhanced adipocyte hypertrophy and TG accumulation in the liver and circulation.
Finite Element Analysis of Fixation Stability according to Reduction Position for Internal Fixation of Intertrochanteric Fractures
Authors: Kim Cheol-Jeong , Lee Jung Sub , Goh Tae Sik , Shin Won Chul , Lee Chiseung
Published: April 2024

In recent years, finite element analysis (FEA) has been instrumental in comparing the biomechanical stability of various implants for femur fracture treatment and in studying the advantages and disadvantages of different surgical techniques. This analysis has proven helpful for enhancing clinical treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to numerically analyze fixed stability according to location using FEA. In this study, a virtual finite element model was created based on a clinically anatomically reduced patient. It incorporated positive and negative support derived from intramedullary and extramedullary reduction from the anteroposterior (AP) view and neutral support from the lateral view. The generated model was analyzed to understand the biomechanical behavior occurring in each region under applied physiological loads.
We found that in cases of intramedullary reduction, the risk of implant failure increases due to the substantial increase in equivalent stress on the nail. This risk is amplified significantly, especially in situations where bone strength is compromised due to factors such as old age or osteoporosis, which substantially affects the stability of fixation. Extramedullary reduction, when appropriately positioned, demonstrates greater stability than anatomical reduction. It exhibits stable fixation even in scenarios with diminished bone strength. In instances in which the bone density was low in the support position, as observed in the lateral view, the average equivalent stress on the nail appeared to be relatively low, particularly in cases of positive support. Additionally, the femur experienced lower equivalent stress only in the extramedullary reduction-negative position. Moreover, by comparing different reduction methods and bone stiffness values using the same femoral shape, this study offers insights into the selection of appropriate reduction methods. These insights could significantly inform decision making regarding surgical strategies for intertrochanteric fractures.