bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening of the key genes and signaling pathways for schizophrenia using bioinformatics and next generation sequencing data analysis
Authors: Kotturshetti Iranna , Vastrad Basavaraj , Kori Veena , Vastrad Chanabasayya , Kotrashetti Shivakumar
Published: December 2024

Schizophrenia is thought to be the most prevalent chronic psychiatric disorder. Researchers have identified numerous proteins associated with the occurrence and development of schizophrenia. This study aimed to identify potential core genes and pathways involved in schizophrenia through exhaustive bioinformatics and next generation sequencing (NGS) data analyses using GSE106589 NGS data of neural progenitor cells and neurons obtained from healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia. The NGS data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. NGS data was processed by the DESeq2 package in R software, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and REACTOME pathway enrichment analysis were carried out to identify potential biological functions and pathways of the DEGs. Protein-protein interaction network, module, micro-RNA (miRNA)-hub gene regulatory network, transcription factor (TF)-hub gene regulatory network, and drug-hub gene interaction network analysis were performed to identify the hub genes, miRNA, TFs, and drug molecules. Potential hub genes were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves in the R package. In this investigation, an overall 955 DEGs were identified: 478 genes were remarkably upregulated and 477 genes were distinctly downregulated. These genes were enriched for GO terms and pathways mainly involved in the multicellular organismal process, G protein-coupled receptor ligand binding, regulation of cellular processes, and amine ligand-binding receptors. MYC, FN1, CDKN2A, EEF1G, CAV1, ONECUT1, SYK, MAPK13, TFAP2A, and BTK were considered the potential hub genes. The MiRNA-hub gene regulatory network, TF-hub gene regulatory network, and drug-hub gene interaction network were constructed successfully and predicted key miRNAs, TFs, and drug molecules for schizophrenia diagnosis and treatment. On the whole, the findings of this investigation enhance our understanding of the potential molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia and provide potential targets for further investigation.
Starting a cultural collective for mothers of children with disabilities: A case study
Authors: Raknes Solfrid , Sæbjørnsen Siv Elin N. , Aarlie Hege C. , Bromstad Thrine Marie N. , Makuu Mariana J. , Yamala Caroline , Hean Sarah
Published: December 2024

Background: Caring for children with disabilities in Tanzania involves significant challenges, including stigma, limited support and mental health risks. A cultural collective for caretakers of children with disabilities enrolled at a primary school was established to address these issues.Objectives: The study aims to explore the experiences of caregivers who started a cultural collective and to assess its impact on their lives in the short term.Method: This study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach with a sequential mixed-methods design. Data were collected over a period of 8 weeks, while the participants in this study established a collective in Dar es Salaam. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s method for thematic analysis.Results: As assessed by a validated and normed questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), 63% of the caregivers showed signs of depression before starting work in the collective. Economic needs, education and the desire for support were the primary motivations for joining. Starting the collective improved social support, fostered agency and began to enhance caregivers’ financial conditions.Conclusion: The collective addressed caregivers’ needs for economic improvement, social support and mental support, and the experience was vitalising for the caretakers.Contribution: This study deepens our understanding of holistic interventions for children with disabilities and their families in urban Africa. It offers valuable insights into a crucial stage of developing contextually relevant interventions for vulnerable, poverty-stricken populations. It provides a model that can be adapted for similar interventions in comparable contexts.
Judah and Tamar: A missiological study of Genesis 38 in its redemptive-historical context
Authors: Wielenga Barend (Bob)
Published: December 2024

In this article, Genesis 38 was researched with missiological interests in mind. Using the redemptive-historical reading strategy, the importance of the Bible, and especially of the Old Testament, for missions has been stressed, based on the analysis of Genesis 38. Attention was paid to the literary framework in which Genesis 38 appears, constructed around the 11 toledōth statements in Genesis. The results of this literary analysis were used for a thematic reading of Genesis 38, focusing on some central issues such as the theocentric character of redemptive history, the interconnectedness of the editorial and divine communicative intentions with the inclusion of Genesis 38 in the established literary tradition of Genesis 37–50, the significance of the three-fold promise of God to Abraham (Gn 12:1–3)1 for the interpretation of Genesis 38, and the impact of Judah and Tamar on Israel’s ancient history. Next, the redemptive-historical analysed text was missionally re-read to show the present Christian community of faith how important this narrative could be for its missiological reflections and missional praxis, with attention paid to three central missiological issues: the missio Dei, the missiones ecclesiae, and corporate worship for missions.Contribution: This article, based on the redemptive-historical reading of Genesis 38 as an example, shows that the Old Testament, in its own right, is missionally relevant for the present Christian community of faith.
Medication Adherence of People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Davao City
Authors: Campomayor Ephole John T. , Ginelza Aj April Summer M. , Villanueva Nicole V. , Morales Sonia S. , Gabucan Von Jay Maico G.
Published: December 2024

Objectives:

Medication adherence is imperative for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV), as this directly affects the success of their treatment and the management of the condition. Medication adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is the extent of patient medication-taking behaviors following that of prescribed recommendations at the start and during the therapy as well as during medical appointments. As such, prompt adherence to HAART enhances immune suppression and viral load, leading to a low chance of spreading the virus to other individuals.

Materials and Methods:

This study utilized a quantitative method to retrospectively review the specific and de-identified information in the pharmacy records of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-dedicated facility in Davao City, Philippines. Davao City is the capital city of Region XI, one of the regions with very high HIV incidence. Medication adherence rates of PLHIV to HAART were determined using the proportion of days covered (PDC) from 2021 to March 2024. PDC is obtained by taking the quotient of the number of days that the patient has the medication on hand over the number of days in the period of investigation. In addition, age and sex were collected as demographic data.

Results:

The study revealed that the clients in the pharmacy records were dominantly from the male gender, ages 25–34 years old. The utilization of HAART increased from 2021 to 2024, as seen in the records. However, adherence fluctuated across the years. The frequency of adherent patients in 2021–2024 was 92.31%, 77.00%, 82.68%, and 81.00%, respectively. The Chi-squared test reveals no significant difference in the number of adherent and nonadherent patients across the years except in 2023 (χ2 = 9.955; P = 0.018) when grouped according to age.

Conclusion:

Medication adherence across the years investigated was favorable, with many patients showing good adherence to medication. However, there are patients who do not adhere and thus require follow-up and additional interventions to ensure the success of treatment and management.
Factors Associated with the Nonacceptance of Mass Drug Administration for Schistosomiasis among Adults 18 Years Old and above in Selected Endemic Barangays in Mindanao, Philippines
Authors: Santos Conrigo Boya Trota , Punzalan Mary Germeyn Durias
Published: December 2024

Aims and Objectives:

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting the nonacceptance of mass drug administration (MDA) for schistosomiasis among adults aged at least 18 years old and above in Mindanao, Philippines.

Materials and Methods:

The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative methods to describe the MDA implementation and cross-sectional study to determine the factors associated with nonacceptance of MDA.

Results:

The findings revealed that several factors were associated with the nonacceptance of MDA for schistosomiasis among adults, including awareness of MDA for schistosomiasis and knowledge of what is used in diagnosing schistosomiasis. However, it was also observed that there were misconceptions among respondents regarding the disease. The study highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and also providing accurate and detailed information about schistosomiasis to correct misconceptions. It was found that the primary source of information about schistosomiasis and MDA was the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), who played a crucial role in disseminating information to the community. Furthermore, the study emphasized the need for creative strategies to disseminate information on schistosomiasis, such as integrating them with other health programs such as maternal and child health or the 4Ps program.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing the nonacceptance of MDA for schistosomiasis in rural areas of the Philippines. Tackling the nonacceptance of MDA for schistosomiasis requires comprehensive and culturally sensitive approaches. By enhancing awareness, correcting misconceptions, and utilizing creative dissemination strategies, we can significantly improve MDA uptake and contribute to the long-term goal of schistosomiasis control and eventual elimination.
A diagnostic dilemma of autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy syndrome
Authors: Surushe Sanket A , Sharma Richa , Kamath Chitra D , Dhurat Rachita S
Published: December 2024

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APCED) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome. There is a loss of function mutation in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. It is characterized by two of the following conditions: chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism, or Addison’s disease. Here, we describe one such mysterious case of APCED syndrome, which posed a diagnostic challenge.
Functional analysis of school refusal: An exploratory study in the Indian context
Authors: Yadav Arun Singh , Rajendra Kiragasur Madegowda , Sravanti Lakshmi , Kommu John Vijay Sagar , Seshadri Shekhar , Girimaji Satish Chandra
Published: December 2024

Background:

School refusal behaviour is an umbrella term that often subsumes constructs such as truancy, school refusal, and school phobia. It is influenced by various psychological and psychosocial factors and can lead to significant distress to the child and the family.

Aim:

To assess the clinical and functional profile of school refusal behavior in children and adolescents presenting to a tertiary care child and adolescent psychiatry center in the Indian context.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty-six subjects (6–17 years) presenting to a tertiary Child and Adolescent Psychiatry service with school refusal behavior (SRB) were evaluated using the MINI-KID 6.0 and School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised (SRAS-R). The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the sample were studied using frequency analysis and central tendencies. The association between school refusal and these variables was examined using Cramer’s V coefficient.

Results:

Anxiety in social/evaluative situations associated with tangible rewards at home was the predominant primary reason for school refusal in this sample. There was a significant statistical association between functions of school refusal and scholastic performance, psychiatric diagnosis, and family stressors. The Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) scores varied widely from 30 to 80 indicating an inability to function in almost all areas to no more than a slight impairment in functioning.

Conclusions:

School refusal is a complex multifactorial phenomenon with both individual and psychosocial contributing factors. Understanding the phenomenon from a functional perspective helps in devising an individualized treatment plan that may lead to better outcomes.
Initial experiences of an english-speaking digital assistant for tobacco cessation in India
Authors: Ali Enub , Antony Nitin , Sachdeva Ankur , Deshpande Smita N.
Published: December 2024

Background:

The WHO tobacco control team established the Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco (AIQT) in July 2020. The AIQT team developed a virtual assistant “Florence” to provide digital counseling services to people willing to quit tobacco.

Aim:

To assess tobacco users’ experience of using WHO digital health assistant “Florence” and to track their behavior changes.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted at a tertiary care Teaching Hospital in Delhi-NCR, India from November 2021 to March 2022. A total of 102 English-speaking tobacco users were enrolled through snowballing and online requests to use Florence (https://www.who.int/campaigns/Florence), once at baseline, and pursue as often as they wish during the next three months. A predesigned WHO questionnaire (Florence Introductory Questionnaire and Florence User Follow-up Questionnaire) was used to assess participants’ experiences of using Florence and track changes in tobacco use behavior at follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed through SPSS-22 using appropriate frequency distribution parameters and nonparametric tests to assess acceptance and efficacy of Florence.

Results:

Most participants at baseline, over 3-5 minutes, felt that Florence could not understand their speech (48%), and needed improvement in advice and information on quitting and tobacco use (52%) but felt comfortable interacting with Florence (42.2%). However, participants who re-visited Florence during the next 3 months (12/102) agreed that Florence helped them make a quit plan and used the recommended toll-free quit (9/12). Overall, there was a significant increase in proportion of participants who did not consume tobacco in the last 07 days after using Florence (09 versus 25 of 102, P < 0.01) and made quit plans (07 versus 15 of 102, P < 0.01) compared to baseline.

Conclusion:

Considering the ease, accessibility, and amount of time spent with this virtual assistant, Florence appears a positive step forward in tobacco cessation.
Suicide deaths in south and south-east districts of Delhi during pre- and post-COVID-19 period - A comparative analysis
Authors: Singh Kumkum , Kaur Ravneet , Behera Chittaranjan , Balhara Yatan P. S. , Kaushik Ruchika
Published: December 2024

Background:

Suicides are among the leading causes of death in the world and pose a major public health challenge. Mental health issues intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing an increase in the number of suicides globally. Contributory factors included social isolation, loneliness, unemployment, grief due to loss of family, fear of death, and financial stress.

Aim:

To assess the pattern of suicide deaths following the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to pre-COVID-19 in the South and South-east districts of Delhi.

Materials and Methods:

Pre-COVID-19 suicide data were reviewed from April 2017 to March 2020. We collected data from police inquest papers, medical records, and the evaluation of autopsy reports. Post-COVID-19 data for suicide deaths were collected from April 2020 and March 2023. The close relatives of the deceased were interviewed using a standardized proforma. Data were analyzed using STATA version 16.

Results:

A total of 1435 and 1462 suicide deaths were reported in the pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic period, respectively. Suicide deaths among males were significantly higher in the post-COVID-19 period (P = 0.001). The place of suicide was non-residence in a significantly higher number of suicide deaths during the post-COVID-19 period (P = 0.001), while there was no significant difference in terms of alcohol use (P = 0.249), and physical illness (P = 0.28) during pre- and post-COVID-19 period. The most common cause of death was hanging both in the pre-COVID-19 (93.91%) and post-COVID-19 (95.5%) period.

Conclusion:

There was no significant difference in the number of suicide deaths pre- and post-COVID pandemic. A significantly higher rate among males, non-residence as the place of suicide, and history of psychiatric illness was found in the post-COVID-19 period.
Combined modalities for the rapid diagnosis of patients with suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Sayed Mohsin Hasan , Sane Kavita
Published: December 2024

Background:

In settings with high burden of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, the use of various diagnostic modalities can result in superior and quick diagnosis leading to prompt initiation of treatment.

Objective:

This study assessed the diagnostic performance of the fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) stain, fluorescence microscopy (FM) and cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) in patients with suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN).

Methods:

This cross-sectional studyodes, who underwent FNAC. The FNAC samples were subjected to cytomorphological examinati involved 255 patients clinically suspected of TBLN with palpable lymph non, ZN stain, FM and CBNAAT. The diagnostic performance of each modality was compared with CBNAAT, and combined performance was determined. The diagnostic performance of CBNAAT was determined by comparing it with composite reference standard.

Results:

Of 255 patients, 148 (58.04%) showed features of TBLN on FNAC. The presence of epithelioid cell granulomas with caseous necrosis (67.57%) was the predominant cytomorphological pattern. On ZN stain, FM and CBNAAT, 31 (20.95%), 63 (42.57%) and 100 (67.57%) patients were found to be positive for TBLN, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CBNAAT was 58.59%, 91.83%, 92% and 58.06%, respectively. Finally, the combination of ZN stain, FM and CBNAAT led to the detection of 88.51% patients with TBLN.

Conclusion:

Combined use of ZN stain, FM and CBNAAT leads to superior and swift diagnosis of patients with clinically suspected TBLN.
Role of autologous blood patch pleurodesis for management of prolonged pulmonary air leak: A systematic review
Authors: Abdalla Berun A. , Kakamad Fahmi H. , Hassan Marwan N. , Muhialdeen Asia Bahaaldeen , Ahmed Farman J. , Ahmed Harem K. , Kakamad Suhaib H. , Salih Rawezh Q. , Mohammed Shvan H. , Mustafa Shevan M. , Omar Diyar A. , Kareem Pavel Mustafa , Hasan Sabah Jalal , Mahmood Yousif M. , Mustafa Mohammed Q.
Published: December 2024

Prolonged air leak (PAL) represents the most commonly encountered complication following pulmonary resection. This review aims to show the role of autologous blood pleurodesis (ABPP) in the management of PAL. A search was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar for English-language articles until September 15, 2023, with titles containing the related phrase “autologous blood patch pleurodesis (ABPP), and prolonged air leaks.” Included studies comprised four randomised controlled trials, ten cohort studies, a case series, and nine case reports from various countries. Patients undergoing ABPP had a mean age of 52.7 years. Autologous blood volumes for pleurodesis varied (50 mL to 250 mL). Approximately 73.8% of cases responded to ABPP in 1 to 30 days (mean 3.75 days), and in-hospital complications were infrequent (3.9%). Follow-up durations post pleurodesis were up to 20 months. The evidence presented in this systematic review supports the role of ABPP as an effective and safe intervention for managing PAL, particularly after pulmonary resection.
Evaluation of Cyclin D1 protein and its association with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of lung cancer: A retrospective study from Southern Kerala, India
Authors: Panakkal Neeraja , Lekshmi Asha , Nair Jagathnath K. K. M. , Sujathan Kunjuraman
Published: December 2024

Background:

Cyclin D1 is a protein that can enhance the proliferation of cancer cells and has been detected in various malignancies, including lung cancer. However, routine examinations for Cyclin D1 in lung cancer cases have not been conducted in Kerala.

Aim:

This study sought to evaluate the links between cyclin D1 expression, clinicopathological characteristics, and 2-year survival rates in lung cancer.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study used medical records and paraffin blocks of lung cancer patients at the Regional Cancer Centre in Kerala, India, between 2015 and 2018. The data were collected from 61 subjects, comprising of lung adenocarcinoma (18%), lung squamous cell carcinoma (27.9%), non–small-cell lung carcinoma (18%), poorly differentiated carcinoma (19.7%), and negative for malignant cells (16.4%). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS.

Results:

The study revealed that 31.10% of the lung cancer patients exhibited overexpression of cyclin D1. A significant correlation was observed between cyclin D1 expression and histopathological results (P = 0.002), indicating that the level of cyclin D1 might be linked to specific histopathological subtypes of lung cancer. Despite this significant finding, cyclin D1 expression did not show any association with the clinical stage of the cancer or other clinical characteristics of the patients. Furthermore, when examining the 2-year survival rates of the patients, the study found no significant difference between those who had overexpression of cyclin D1 and those who did not (P = 0.145).

Conclusion:

Cyclin D1 expression was associated with histology type of lung cancer with no significant association to prognosis.
Effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation in post-COVID-19 patients: A pre- and post-interventional study
Authors: Bargaje Medha Deepak , Sharma Priyasha , Londhe Jyoti Deepak , Patil Sanjeevani Vishwanath , Anokar Anita Tulsiramji , Doke Purwa Prakash , Oswal Jitendra Shankarlal , Doke Prakash Prabhakarrao , Rayamane Kranti Laxman , Sule Nachiket Sandeep , Deshpande Aruna Bhimsen
Published: December 2024

Background:

The need of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for COVID-19 patients with long-term effects was desperately felt. The study’s objective was to measure the effect of PR on functional capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with post COVID conditions.

Methods:

Pulmonary medicine department of a teaching hospital conducted this pre-experimental study. The patient underwent a pre and post-assessment, including a six-minute walk test (6MWT) measuring distance, oxygen desaturation, pulse rate, and HRQOL. The intervention had six components; education to patients and caregivers, breathlessness relieving exercises, postural correction, aerobic training, strength training, and stretching exercises. These activities were carried out twice a week for eight weeks, supervised, unsupervised in homes, and a combination.

Results:

The study enrolled 155 post-COVID patients (Males, 102 and female, 53), out of which 28 (18.1%) had mild, 55 (35.5%) had moderate and 72 (46.5%) had severe COVID. Paired t-test showed improvement in resting pulse rate (P = 0.001) and resting oxygen saturation (P < 0.0001). Distance walking for six minutes increased after rehabilitation (P < 0.0001). After eight weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation, there was an improvement (P < 0.001) in all domains of quality of life, that is, mobility, self-care, pain and discomfort, usual activity, sleep, anxiety and depression.

Conclusion:

Pulmonary rehabilitation is beneficial for post-COVID patients in improving their quality of life and six-minute walk test parameters, resulting in improved functional capacity and overall quality of life.
Prognostic significance of eosinophil-to-platelet ratio and C-reactive protein in predicting adverse events during acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A comprehensive observational study
Authors: Yogesh M , Kadalarasu D , Makwana Naresh , Chatterjee Iva S.
Published: December 2024

Background:

Biomarkers like sarcopenia, eosinopenia and C-reactive protein (CRP) may predict major adverse events including intubation, ICU admission, mortality and readmission in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. We aimed to determine their prognostic utility and accuracy.

Methods:

This was a prospective analysis of COPD patients hospitalised for acute exacerbation over one year. Patients with primary diagnoses other than COPD were excluded. Patients were screened to select a sample of 205 participants, with 55 experiencing adverse events including intubation, ICU admission, in-hospital mortality and 30-day readmission. Data on demographics, lung function, symptoms, nutrition, frailty, sarcopenia, eosinophil-to-platelet ratio (EPR) and CRP were extracted. Differences between groups were analysed using t-tests and regression modelling.

Results:

EPR <0.755 and CRP ≥15.8 mg/dL were significant predictors of adverse events after adjustment, with EPR having an AUC of 0.79 and CRP an AUC of 0.68 for composite outcomes. In multivariate analysis, sarcopenia, EPR and CRP remained significant with the outcome variables (intubation, ICU admission, in-hospital mortality and 30-day readmission).

Conclusion:

EPR and CRP are useful prognostic markers of clinically significant in-hospital outcomes during COPD exacerbations. However, a multidimensional approach may further optimise risk prediction.
Cryptococcosis and tuberculosis coinfection: Always a clinical challenge
Authors: Srivastava Shilpi , Mahla Vikash , Aggarwal Amitesh , Narang Shiva
Published: December 2024

Cryptococcosis and tuberculosis are known to cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Coinfection involving Cryptococcus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) within immunocompetent hosts presents a rare and intriguing clinical scenario that challenges conventional paradigms of infectious diseases. The literature on cryptococcal and tubercular coinfection in immunocompetent hosts is scarce, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive exploration of this unique clinical entity. Immunocompetent patients who exhibit meningitis-like symptoms are rarely evaluated for cryptococcal meningitis, which can cause the illness to be misdiagnosed or delayed leading to catastrophic consequences, including death. This case report discusses the clinical manifestations, diagnostic challenges, and therapeutic considerations specific to cases where Cryptococcus and M. tuberculosis coexist in individuals with robust immune systems. The review also addresses the difficulty of distinguishing coinfection from sequential infections, providing insights into the potential synergistic or antagonistic interactions between Cryptococcus and M. tuberculosis. By synthesizing available evidence and identifying gaps in knowledge, this case report contributes to the evolving understanding of coinfections in immunocompetent hosts. Furthermore, implications for clinical management, including optimized diagnostic strategies and tailored treatment regimens, are discussed. The exploration of host–pathogen interactions in coinfection scenarios has broader implications for infectious disease research and public health strategies, guiding future investigations into the complexities of infectious diseases in immunocompetent individuals.
Los nombres de 80 elementos químicos en lengua de signos española (LSE)
Authors: Valdés-González Aránzazu , Martín-Antón Javier
Published: December 2024

Este trabajo recoge la parte inicial del proceso de traducción de la tabla periódica a una lengua de modalidad viso-gestual: la lengua de signos española (LSE). En concreto, presentamos una propuesta de Signos para 80 de los 118 elementos químicos. Para ello, se ha desarrollado un proceso de creación léxica basado en la etimología de los nombres de los elementos que permite la creación de nuevas unidades léxicas mediante combinación simultánea. El método creado, además, evita la influencia de la lengua oral —lengua mayoritaria— sobre la lengua de signos —minoritaria y minorizada—. Asimismo, a medida que se avanzó en el estudio etimológico, se dio respuesta a las limitaciones derivadas de las carencias lexicológicas de la LSE, consecuencia de su situación de lengua minorizada. Es importante destacar que los resultados de esta investigación facilitaran el desarrollo de los Signos de las denominaciones de los elementos químicos, tanto para el sistema de signos internacional (SSI) como para cualquiera de las 1563 lenguas de signos documentadas.
Atenuación en narrativas orales
Authors: González Riffo Javier
Published: December 2024

En este trabajo se realiza un análisis variacionista del empleo de recursos de atenuación en narraciones orales de experiencia personal construidas individual y conversacionalmente por hablantes de Santiago de Chile. Para esto, se sigue el modelo expuesto en Autor (2017), quienes clasifican los recursos de atenuación según tres ejes pragmáticos: certeza, veracidad y estima. Los factores extralingüísticos corresponden al sexo de los informantes, su grupo socioeconómico y el tipo de construcción narrativa.  Se contrastan 36 narraciones individuales y 54 narraciones conversacionales (o co-construidas). Los resultados muestran que los hablantes de grupo socioeconómico alto atenúan más que los de los grupos bajo y medio; las mujeres atenúan más que los hombres en narraciones individuales, y en las conversacionales aquellas construidas por dos hombres presentan menos atenuadores que las construidas por dos mujeres y un hombre y una mujer. Por último, es posible observar que en las narraciones individuales los hablantes atenúan menos que en las conversacionales, lo que se explicaría por una validación conversacional que es apreciable en las últimas.
Metaphors we judge by
Authors: Božović Petar
Published: December 2024

Metaphors are an all-pervasive feature of legal language that reflects and shapes the perception, interpretation and application of the law across jurisdictions. The aim of this study is to map and understand better the cognitive structure and general use of metaphors in legal discourse with special focus on the genre of judgments of the European Court of Justice. To this end, the Eur-Lex judgments corpus has been scrutinized by using the corpus-based methods and the Sketch Engine corpus query tool for determining the most frequently used conceptual metaphors for six target domains: LAW, COURT, RIGHTS, DISCRIMINATION, and COMPANY. Along with unearthing the most typically used metaphoric conceptualizations for the target domains, the data suggest that the analyzed metaphors are not incidental, isolated, mental conceptualizations, but rather part of a conceptual cluster forming a variety relations.  Additionally, some implications have been drawn for teaching legal English by advocating the introduction of metaphors while illustrating the use of corpus-based methodology for the development of effective evidence-based authentic ESP teaching materials to foster metaphoric competence, an area surprisingly neglected in legal English textbooks.
La percepción de la neología: un análisis cuantitativo con atención a la transgresión
Authors: Torner Sergi , Arias-Badia Blanca , Troncoso-Ruiz Aurora
Published: December 2024

El sentimiento neológico, entendido como la percepción que tienen los hablantes de que una determinada forma léxica es neológica, se considera uno de los rasgos definitorios de la neología. Asimismo, entre los factores condicionantes del sentimiento neológico se encuentra la transgresión, ya sea de tipo morfológico, semántico o pragmático. Este trabajo estudia los factores que inciden en el sentimiento neológico por medio del análisis cuantitativo de las respuestas de 114 informantes a una encuesta sobre un centenar de unidades neológicas en español. El análisis contrasta la percepción de los hablantes con datos objetivos sobre las unidades de la encuesta —frecuencia, año de primera documentación, ámbito de especialidad, registro y tipo de neologismo—, además del etiquetado como transgresoras de algunas de las unidades por parte del equipo investigador. El estudio demuestra que los hablantes son capaces de discernir los rasgos definitorios de las unidades léxicas y que la incorporación reciente a la lengua, el registro neutro y el ámbito no especializado son factores que favorecen la sensación de familiaridad con la forma neológica. Igualmente, los resultados aportan datos acerca de la distinta percepción que los hablantes tienen sobre cada tipo de neologismo: los semánticos resultan más conocidos y recientes; los préstamos, más sorprendentes; los compuestos cultos, más comprensibles y especializados; los neologismos por truncación, más informales. Finalmente, el trabajo revela que los hablantes perciben las unidades que se han creado transgrediendo alguna regla de la lengua. La transgresión se relaciona con unidades más desconocidas, sorprendentes y difíciles de comprender.
2023–2024 Reviewers
Authors: Hardy Warren
Published: December 2024

2023–2024 Reviewers
Sustainability in the prosecution of the crime of aggression: reflections in the wake of Russia’s initiation of a war of aggression against Ukraine*
Authors: Kreß Claus
Published: December 2024

The long period of sidelining the crime of aggression in the international legal policy discourse is over. On the contrary, in the wake of Russia’s initiation of a war of aggression against Ukraine, there is strong and widespread rhetoric in international politics suggesting that a critical moment in history has been reached with respect to the prosecution of the crime of aggression. However, to ensure the sustainability of such prosecutions, powerful rhetoric is not enough. As regard the resolve to match words with deeds, the odds are still out. At the time of writing, it remains an open question whether a critical number of State leaders will be prepared to rise to the historical challenge before them and eventually pave the way for sustainable prosecution of the crime of aggression. The crucial test is whether States Parties to the ICC Statute are ready, within the immediate future, to overcome the debilitating jurisdictional restraints that govern the Court’s exercise of jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.
Atender a lo sagrado Profundizando en la mística de lo cotidiano
Authors: Mazzini Maria Marcela
Published: December 2024

Luego de repasar algunos datos de la vida y obra de Margaret Guenther, en una primera parte; el texto revisita en un segundo punto, un artículo que va a tener diez años el año próximo: María Marcela Mazzini, «Mística en la trama de la vida cotidiana».[1] Se señalan aspectos fundamentales de aquel escrito y se cuestionan algunas afirmaciones, procurando su actualización.
En la tercera parte se intenta dar un paso de profundización, a la luz de un concepto que Guenther desarrolla en uno de sus artículos y que podría considerarse una expresión equivalente a la mística de lo cotidiano: atender a lo sagrado. Esa idea se despliega en sus diversos aspectos en el resto del texto y se esbozan algunas ideas que apuntan a descubrir lo sagrado tanto en la propia vida como en la de aquellos y aquellas a quienes acompañamos.
 
[1] María Marcela Mazzini, «Mística en la trama de la vida cotidiana», Teología 116 (2015): 29-48.
De lo urgente a lo importante. Prevención de abusos y sinodalidad.
Authors: Larrosa Mauricio Damián
Published: December 2024

El artículo ofrece una síntesis sobre la problemática de los abusos en ambiente eclesial. Traza una breve crónica desde el estallido de la cuestión, con algunos de los hallazgos de los diversos sondeos del fenómeno y la presentación de la reacción eclesial, hasta llegar a la urgencia de propuestas de políticas institucionales de largo plazo. En particular, plantea evidenciar la sintonía entre la construcción de vínculos sanos a través de una cultura del buen trato, con el estilo eclesiológico sinodal que el magisterio propone hoy.
NATURAL MEASURING OF THE DAY AT MONTENEGRINS AND POLES
Authors:   Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach, BOŃKOWSKI Robert
Published: December 2024

The article is about an excerpt from the rich vocabulary of measuring time, which belongs to the simplest natural division of day (and night). The etymology of these words and their current state are taken into account. All current lexemes associated with such a division are continuations of Proto-Slavic forms. However, due to historical and cultural reasons, one of these lexemes in the history of the Polish language has shifted in meaning, which is why it means something else today in the Montenegrin and Polish languages.
„THE FALSE MESSIAH“ IN ALKUM: THE EARTHLY LIFE & AFTERLIFE OF SABBATAI ZEVI IN ULCINJ (1673–2022)
Authors:   Institut za istoriju Češke akademije nauka – Prag, ŠÍSTEK František
Published: December 2024

The article, based on a combination of historical documents, secondary literature and results of field research, focuses on the stay of the „false“ or „mystical“ messiah Sabbatai Zevi (1673–76) in Ulcinj (Alkum). In the second part of the study, the author discusses possible material traces, places of memory and local traditions related to this enigmatic personality of Jewish history in contemporary Ulcinj, Montenegro. The self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi (after his conversion to Islam in 1666 officially known as Aziz Mehmed) lived in the fortress of Ulcinj in the old town, the place of his banishment by Ottoman authorities. He received visitors, maintained contacts with his followers, became a widower, re-married, died and was burried in Ulcinj. For several centuries, his alleged grave represented a discreet place of pilgrimage for his crypto-Jewish followers (dönme). Today, the exact location of his final resting place cannot be established with certainty but it is most often identified with the turbe (Muslim grave) of a holy man known as Murat Dadaj located on a private land owned by an Albanian Muslim family. The author presents a hypothesis, based on a local oral tradition, that a small dönme community might have once existed or exists even today in Ulcinj. Its members could have served as guardians of Sabbatai ́s grave. The author further discusses the possible traces of Sabbatai's presence in the Balšić Tower (Kula Balšića). Finally, he reconstructs the circumstances surrounding the erection of the statue of Sabbatai Zevi in Ulcinj in 2020 which has been serving as a new place of memory as well as a new tourist attraction.
SOURCES OF MONTENEGRIN, SERBIAN AND CROATIAN IDENTITY ON THE SOIL OF TODAY’S MONTENEGRO
Authors:   Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar – Split, MRDULJAŠ Saša
Published: December 2024

The political development of Montenegro in the last twenty years, i.e., from the country’s orientation towards state independence and its achievement, reveals that the national-formative processes within its Slavic population have not come to an end. This reality is most strongly manifested in the (traditionally) Orthodox community, but it is also present among the Catholic and Muslim population. In the context of the Orthodox community, the question of national identification is complicated by the simultaneous “offer” of the conception of Montenegrin and Serbian ethnicity, and by the ideological “testing of forces” between their promoters. Inter alia, through the unusually strong production of historical arguments that should go in favor of Montenegrin or Serbian ethnicity. At the same time, the points of view that strive to assert that one of these two national identifications is older than the other and therefore more authentic on the soil of Montenegro are of particular importance. In any case, the answer to the question about the time during which the initial forms of contemporary ethnic identities are formed can only be obtained through the analysis of medieval ethnic development on the soil of today’s Montenegro, which is the subject of the present paper. Yet, it must necessarily go beyond the Montenegrin-Serbian context, given that in the observed period the prerequisites for subsequent formation in the Croatian national sense are also created in the Catholic, Slavic and Slavized Romani population on the territory of today’s Montenegro.
MONTENEGRIN LANGUAGE STANDARD IN MILORAD PUPOVAC’S ANALYSIS
Authors:   Fakultet za crnogorski jezik i književnost – Cetinje, ČIRGIĆ Adnan
Published: December 2024

In this paper, the author analyses the views of Milorad Pupovac published in the paper entitled “Vernakulari država i diskursi nacija: rasprava povodom knjige Rajke Glušice Crnogorski jezik i nacionalizam” (Tragovi, Zagreb, god. 5, br. 2, 2022, str. 175–221), in which an effort is made to depict the process of Montenegrin language standardisation as the result of nationalist state policy.
Permutation-Based Hash Chains with Application to Password Hashing
Authors: Lefevre Charlotte , Mennink Bart
Published: December 2024

Hash chain based password systems are a useful way to guarantee authentication with one-time passwords. The core idea dates back to Lamport, and is specified in RFC 1760 as S/Key. At CCS 2017, Kogan et al. introduced T/Key, an improved password system where one-time passwords are only valid for a limited time period. They proved security of their construction in the random oracle model under a basic modeling of the adversary. In this work, we make various advances in the analysis and instantiation of hash chain based password systems. Firstly, we describe a slight abstraction called U/Key that allows for more flexibility in the instantiation and analysis, and we develop a security model that refines the adversarial strength into offline and online complexity, that can be used beyond the random oracle model, and that allows to argue multi-user security directly. Secondly, we derive a new security proof of U/Key in the random oracle model, as well as dedicated and tighter security proofs of U/Key instantiated with a sponge construction and a truncated permutation. These dedicated security proofs, in turn, solve a problem of understanding the preimage resistance of a cascaded evaluation of the sponge construction. When applied to T/Key, these results improve significantly over the earlier results: whereas the originally suggested instantiation using SHA-256 uses a compression function that maps 768 bits into 256 bits, with a truncated permutation construction one can generically achieve 128 bits of security already with a permutation of size 256 bits.
Chosen-Prefix Collisions on AES-like Hashing
Authors: Chen Shiyao , Dong Xiaoyang , Guo Jian , Zhang Tianyu
Published: December 2024

Chosen-prefix collision (CPC) attack was first presented by Stevens, Lenstra and de Weger on MD5 at Eurocrypt 2007. A CPC attack finds a collision for any two chosen prefixes, which is a stronger variant of collision attack. CPCs are naturally harder to construct but have larger practical impact than (identical-prefix) collisions, as seen from the series of previous works on MD5 by Stevens et al. and SHA-1 by Leurent and Peyrin. Despite its significance, the resistance of CPC attacks has not been studied on AES-like hashing.In this work, we explore CPC attacks on AES-like hashing following the framework practiced on MD5 and SHA-1. Instead of the message modification technique developed for MD-SHA family, we opt for related-key rebound attack to construct collisions for AES-like hashing in view of its effectiveness. We also note that the CPC attack framework can be exploited to convert a specific class of one-block free-start collisions into two-block collisions, which sheds light on the importance of free-start collisions. As a result, we present the first CPC attacks on reduced Whirlpool, Saturnin-hash and AES-MMO/MP in classic and quantum settings, and extend the collision attack on Saturnin-hash from 5 to 6 rounds in the classic setting. As an independent contribution, we improve the memoryless algorithm of solving 3-round inbound phase by Hosoyamada and Sasaki at Eurocrpyt 2020, which leads to improved quantum attacks on Whirlpool. Notably, we find the first 6-round memoryless quantum collision attack on Whirlpool better than generic CNS collision finding algorithm when exponential-size qRAM is not available but exponential-size classic memory is available.
Opening the Blackbox: Collision Attacks on Round-Reduced Tip5, Tip4, Tip4’ and Monolith
Authors: Liu Fukang , Koschatko Katharina , Grassi Lorenzo , Yan Hailun , Chen Shiyao , Banik Subhadeep , Meier Willi
Published: December 2024

A new design strategy for ZK-friendly hash functions has emerged since the proposal of Reinforced Concrete at CCS 2022, which is based on the hybrid use of two types of nonlinear transforms: the composition of some small-scale lookup tables (e.g., 7-bit or 8-bit permutations) and simple power maps over Fp. Following such a design strategy, some new ZK-friendly hash functions have been recently proposed, e.g., Tip5, Tip4, Tip4’, and the Monolith family. All these hash functions have a small number of rounds, i.e., 5 rounds for Tip5, Tip4, and Tip4’, and 6 rounds for Monolith (recently published at ToSC 2024/3). Using the composition of some small-scale lookup tables to build a large-scale permutation over Fp – which we call S-box – is a main feature in such designs, which can somehow enhance the resistance against the Gröbner basis attack because this large-scale permutation will correspond to a complex and high-degree polynomial representation over Fp.As the first technical contribution, we propose a novel and efficient algorithm to study the differential property of this S-box and to find a conforming input pair for a randomly given input and output difference. For comparison, a trivial method based on the use of the differential distribution table (DDT) for solving this problem will require time complexity O(p2).For the second contribution, we also propose new frameworks to devise efficient collision attacks on such hash functions. Based on the differential properties of these S-boxes and the new attack frameworks, we propose the first collision attacks on 3-round Tip5, Tip4, and Tip4’, as well as 2-round Monolith-31 and Monolith-64, where the 2-round attacks on Monolith are practical. In the semi-free-start (SFS) collision attack setting, we achieve practical SFS collision attacks on 3-round Tip5, Tip4, and Tip4’. Moreover, the SFS collision attacks can reach up to 4-round Tip4 and 3-round Monolith-64. As far as we know, this is the first third-party cryptanalysis of these hash functions, which improves the initial analysis given by the designers.