bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximum Norepinephrine Dosage as an Priming Indicator for Vasopressin Therapy for Neonatal Septic Shock: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhong Jun , Zhang Jing , Lin Yingyi , Ma Dongju , Mo Jing , Ye Xiuzhen
Published: January 2024

Vasopressin is uesd as a second-line vasopressor for neonates with septic shock, but the optimal timing of initiation is uncertain. We hypothesized that norepinephrine (NE) dosage is associated with neonatal septic shock mortality, and can be used for determining the optimal timing of vasopressin therapy in neonates. This study explores the correlation between the maximum norepinephrinedosage (MND) and mortality in neonates with septic shock, aiming to inform the timing of vasopressin therapy in such cases. This retrospective cohort study included neonates with evidence of septic shock and those who received NE infusion. The predictive efficacy of MND for mortality was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and its correlation was assessed via multivariate logistic regression. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationship between MND and poor prognostic indicators. The study included 123 neonates, with 106 in the survival group and 17 in the death group. The death group had significantly lower birth weight (p=0.022), 1-min Apgar score (p=0.005), serum albumin (p＜0.001), pH value (p=0.013), and base excess (BE) (p=0.001) levels, but higher lactate (LAC) levels (p=0.009). MND demonstrated an ROC area under the curve of 0.775 (95% CI: 0.63-0.92, p＜0.001) for predicting mortality, with an optimal threshold of 0.3 µg/(kg·min), a sensitivity of 82.4%, and a specificity of 75.5%. Multivariatelogistic regression indicated that an MND > 0.3 µg/(kg·min) (OR, 64.45, 95% CI: 3.04-1364.94) significantly increased mortality risk. Spearman rank correlation showed a positive correlation between MND and LAC (r=0.252, p=0.005), vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) (r=0.836, p＜0.001), and a negative correlation with BE (r=-0.311, p=0.001).
Conclusions: MND > 0.3 µg/(kg·min) is closely associated with mortality in neonates with septic shock and can serve as a primary auxiliary tool for deciding the timing of vasopressin therapy.
Bi-Directional Context-Aware Networks for the Nested Named Entity Recognition
Authors: Li Yao , Liao Ningsheng , Yan He , Zhang Ye , Wang Xu
Published: January 2024

A prevalent method for nested named entity recognition involves enumerating all potential entity spans within a given sentence, considering these spans as potential entity types, and subsequently subjecting them to classification. Nevertheless, this span-centric approach traditionally undertakes the decoding of each entity span independently, neglecting the underlying semantic connections that exist between these spans, as well as the valuable information pertaining to the specific locations of the head and tail tokens within each span. Therefore, we introduced a bidirectional context-aware network specifically engineered to model and elucidate the semantic relationships that underpin these spans. Additionally, we improve the bi-affine mechanism by introducing rotational position coding to capture the relative position information between the head and tail markers. We carried out experiments on three nested datasets, producing convincing outcomes that firmly demonstrate the superior performance of our model compared to existing models, particularly in terms of F1 scores.
A novel pseudo-labeling framework based on matrix integration for adverse drug reaction prediction
Authors: Chen Junheng , Han Fangfang , He Mingxiu , Shi Yiyang , Cai Yongming
Published: January 2024

Background
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are one of the global public health events that seriously endanger human life and cause high economic burdens. Therefore, predicting the possibility of their occurrence and taking early and effective response measures are of great significance. The construction of a correlation matrix between drugs and their adverse reactions, followed by effective correlation data mining, is one of the current strategies to predict ADRs using accessible public data. Since the number of known ADRs in real-world data is far less than the number of their unknown counterparts, the drug-ADR association matrix is very sparse, which greatly affects the classification performance of machine learning methods.
Results
To effectively solve the problem of sparsity, we propose a novel pseudo-labeled data augmentation framework that mines potential unknown drug-ADR pairs by integrating multiple weighted matrix factorization (MF) models and treating them as pseudo-labeled drug-ADR pairs. Pseudo-labeled data is added to the training set and the MF model is fine-tuned to improve the classification performance.
Conclusions
This paper reproduces the baselines under the same experimental conditions to evaluate the performance of the proposed method on sparse data from the Side Effect Resource (SIDER) database. Experimental results showed that our method outperformed other baselines in the Area Under Precision-Recall (AUPR) and F1 scores, and still maintained the best performance in sparser scenarios. Furthermore, we conducted a case study and the results showed that our proposed framework efficiently predicted ADRs in the real world.
The prognostic impact of peripheral blood eosinophil counts in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with nivolumab
Authors: Yoshimura Akihiro , Nagahara Akira , Ishizuya Yu , Yamamoto Yoshiyuki , Hatano Koji , Kawashima Atsunari , Nakai Yasutomo , Nakayama Masashi , Nishimura Kazuo , Nonomura Norio , Kato Taigo
Published: January 2024

Background Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have gained approval for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), the response rate is still limited. Therefore, it is urgent to explore novel and concise markers of responses to ICIs that can help assess clinical benefits. Recently, it has been noted that peripheral blood eosinophil counts is an independent factor correlated with clinical outcome of ICIs in some types of cancer. Methods We investigated peripheral blood absolute eosinophil counts (AECs) at baseline and 4 weeks after the initiation of nivolumab for mRCC patients between February 2016 to May 2022. In addition, we examined clinicopathological features including irAEs and analyzed the correlation between AECs and clinical efficacy of nivolumab. Results Of all patients, 22 patients (27.0%) developed irAEs. The median AECs in patients with irAEs was significantly higher at baseline and 4 weeks after the treatment compared to those without irAEs (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). With the cutoff value of AECs of 329 cells/µL at 4 weeks after the treatment for prediction of irAEs, high-AECs groups had significantly higher number of responders compared with that in low-AECs group (p < 0.001). Accordingly, the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in patients with high-AECs group than those in low-AECs group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.009, respectively). Conclusion High AECs at 4 weeks after the treatment serve as the prominent surrogate marker associated with the incidence of irAEs and better clinical outcome in mRCC patients receiving nivolumab.
A computational investigation on the adsorption behavior of bromoacetone on B 36 borophene nanosheet
Authors: Taier Meriem , Allal Hamza , Bousba Salim , Bouhadiouche Fathi , Maza Soumeya , Damous Maamar , Boussadia Ahlem
Published: January 2024

Density functional theory (DFT) methods are employed to investigate the capability of B36 borophene nanosheets as sensors for detecting the bromoacetone (BCT) molecule. An evaluation of the structural and electronic properties of both BCT and B36 borophene is conducted. Subsequently, through computed metrics such as adsorption energy, charge density difference (CDD), and density of states (DOS), the interaction between B36 and the BCT molecule is examined via dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT). Employing the reduced density gradient (RDG-NCI) approach for the analysis of non-covalent interactions, we further explored the nature of these interactions. The obtained results illustrate that B36 borophene nanosheets serve as effective sensors for the BCT molecule, showcasing their ability to adsorb up to five BCT molecules through an exothermic process. BCT molecules chemiadsorb onto B36 borophene by forming B‒O covalent bonds, engaging the oxygen atom of the carbonyl group in BCT with the edge boron atoms of B36 borophene. Additionally, BCT molecules physio-adsorb on both the concave and convex sides of B36 borophene, facilitated by van der Waals interactions. Ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations confirm the thermal stability of the BCT@B36 concave and convex complexes at both 300 K and 400 K.
Action recognition algorithm based on skeleton graph with multiple features and improved adjacency matrix
Authors: Zhang Shanqing , Jiao Shuheng , Chen Yujie , Xu Jiayi
Published: January 2024

Although graph convolutional networks have achieved good performances in skeleton graph-based action recognition, there are still some problems such as: incomplete utilization of skeleton graph features the adjacency matrix without logical adjacency information between nodes. The skeleton graph features and the graph convolutional operators demand further improvement. In this paper, we propose a human action recognition algorithm based on multiple features of the skeleton graph. Furthermore, an improved adjacency matrix make full use of the multiple skeleton graph features. These features include local differential features of the skeleton graph, multi-scale edge features and motion features of the original skeleton graph, in addition to the nodal features and nodal motion features. Extensive results are conducted on four standard datasets (NTU RGB-D 60, NTU RGB-D 120, Kinetics, and Northwestern-UCLA). The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the SOTA action recognition algorithms.
Causal association between immune cell traits and Ankylosing Spondylitis: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Xuhong , Zhou Lamei , Qian Xian
Published: January 2024

Background: Previous studies have observed a significant association between immune cell traits and Ankylosing spondylitis (AS); however, a causal relationship has not been established. Therefore, we conducted this bidirectional Mendelian randomization study to comprehensively evaluate the intricate interactions between 731 immune cell traitsand AS, aiming to uncover potential causal relationships while enhancing our understanding of disease development.
Methods: We retrieved extensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from two reputable sources, the IEU open GWAS database and the FinnGen studies, renowned for their extensive genetic information. We performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study to investigate the causal relationship between 731 immune cell traits and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). Our analysis utilized the Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) method, along with MR-Egger, Weighted Median, and Weighted Mode. We assessed associations between 731 immune cell traits and AS using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Finally, we performed tests for horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and conducted a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis to validate our results.
Results: Our research has established that 10 distinct immune cell types significantly contribute to the development of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). We identified 3 types of monocytes, 1 type of T cell, 1 type of B cell, and 1 type of granulocyte as risk factors for AS. In contrast, a different group of immune cells, including 1 type of monocyte, 2 types of T cells, and 1 type of B cell, appears to offer protection against the disease. Concerning the onset of AS, its impact on immune traits is evident in the varied expressions across 41 T cell subgroups: 16 subtypes show high expression, while 25 demonstrate low expression. Similarly, in B cells, 3 subtypes are highly expressed, and 4 subtypes are lowly expressed. Likewise, variations in expression were observed in lymphocytes and monocytes, with 3 types of each showing high and low expression, respectively. Moreover, our study reveals a bidirectional causal relationship between the expression of CX3CR1 on CD14+ CD16- monocytes and on monocytes generally, and the occurrence of AS.
Conclusion: The goal of this research is dedicated to exploring the bidirectional causal relationship between immune cells traits and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). It aims to not only offer new avenues for unraveling the biological mechanisms of AS but also to guide clinical research towards novel investigative directions and to provide fresh clues for the development of new therapeutic approaches.
Concept and initial realization of PHYSER — A PHYsics-based framework for SpacebornE GNSS-R soil moisture retrieval with accurate soil reflectivity
Authors: Yang Ting , Guo Zhizhou , Lu Feng , Wan Wei
Published: January 2024

Global soil moisture (SM) observation using the spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is becoming an effective supplement and enhancement to traditional microwave remote sensing observations. The state-of-the-art SM retrieval frameworks for spaceborne GNSS-R are based on empirical or semi-empirical modeling, which relies on reference SM data from other sources (e.g., microwave radiometer or in situ SM products) to eliminate the effects of land surface random errors (e.g., surface roughness and vegetation). This study defines a generic framework for PHYsics-based SpacebornE GNSS-R SM retrieval, namely PHYSER, and proposes initial strategies to realize the framework. The framework concept devotes to deriving accurate soil reflectivity and retrieving SM by estimating soil permittivity from Fresnel reflection coefficients, thus wholly independent of external SM products. It assumes that GNSS-R surface reflectivity and its related soil reflectivity are affected by observing system errors and land surface random errors. The framework is initially realized by deriving accurate soil reflectivity from empirical corrections to avoid the grand challenge of building a forward scattering model under complex land surface conditions. Accurate soil reflectivity is derived through two steps: 1) Surface Reflectivity CALibrating (SuR-CAL), aiming to calibrate the system errors using the reflectivity of inland water bodies, and 2) Soil Reflectivity CORrecting (SoR-COR), aiming to correct the random errors mainly from surface roughness and vegetation using the zeroth-order radiative transfer (τ–ω) model. The framework is validated using one-year data from BuFeng-1 A/B (BF-1) twin satellites. The findings and conclusions mainly include: 1) PHYSER reveals that independent spaceborne GNSS-R SM retrieval without reference SM products is achievable through deriving accurate soil reflectivity. 2) Land surface random errors play a more significant role in influencing soil reflectivity than system errors. The SuR-CAL and SoR-COR steps improve the correlation coefficient (R) between BF-1 reflectivity and the SMAP SM up to ~ 7% and ~ 36%, respectively. 3) The BF-1 SM estimates agree well with the SMAP SM and ERA5 SM (ubRMSD = 0.067 m3m− 3 and MAE = 0.073 m3m− 3 against SMAP; ubRMSD = 0.079 m3m− 3 and MAE = 0.088 m3m− 3 against ERA5). The BF-1 SM also agrees well with the in-situ measurements with mean ubRMSE = 0.055 m3m− 3 and MAE = 0.066 m3m− 3. The proposed framework provides a promising physics-based concept to independently retrieve SM for the GNSS-R community, which is expected to considerably support the in-orbit and next-generation GNSS-R missions to promote operational SM retrieval and applications.
A new combined prognostic model involving SLC44A4 improves the predictive ability for colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Li Pan-Yuan , Cheng Xiao-Qing , Wu Yan-Chuang , Zhu Jia , Sheng Cai-Xia , Jiang Zhi-Nong , Hu Xiao-tong , Fu Guo-Xiang
Published: January 2024

Prognosis prediction is crucial for improving therapeutic strategies and achieving better clinical outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Solute carrier family 44 member 4 (SLC44A4) is a prognostic marker in head and neck cancer, renal cancer, and urothelial cancer. However, its prognostic value in CRC has not been evaluated. To determine the prognostic significance of SLC44A4 in CRC, we evaluated this gene using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Next, we used tissue-microarray-based immunohistochemistry to assess the expression level of SLC44A4 protein in colorectal cancer tissues and analyzed the prognostic significance of SLC44A4. The online databases revealed that SLC44A4 was downregulated in CRC, and high expression of SLC44A4 was related to better overall survival (OS). Then, univariate and multivariate analysis of tissue-microarray-based immunohistochemistry data showed that SLC44A4 was an independent favorable prognostic factor for OS. Furthermore, the new prognostic model, including pM classification, absence or presence of relapse, and SLC44A4 expression level, had better predictive ability than the model without SLC44A4 expression level. So SLC44A4 gene could be a biomarker to predict the prognosis of CRC patients. In addition, this new prognostic model we proposed can improve the predictive ability to evaluate the prognosis and clinical outcomes of CRC patients.
Pathogenesis Analysis of Idiopathic Macular Hole Based on Proteomic Approach
Authors: Ding Jingjing , Liu Siyuan , Wang Xue , Cao Fan , Tao Liming , Bao Ning , Liu Dongwei
Published: January 2024

Background: Idiopathic macular hole (IMH) severely impairs patients' vision and quality of life, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. We applied a proteomic approach to analyze the pathogenesis of IMH to promote the diagnosis and treatment of IMH.
Methods: We performed LC-MS/MS analysis of vitreous bodies from three patients with IMH and three control patients. Vitreous proteins were identified and subjected to quantitative analysis using MaxQuant 1.6.14 software. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using Java Treeview and Cluster 3.0 software. Motifs were analyzed using MEME. Fisher's exact test was used for the enrichment analysis.
Results: A total of 1263 proteins were identified in the IMH and control groups using LC-MS/MS for vitreous samples. Among these, 122 proteins were uniquely present in the IMH group, while 292 proteins were present only in the control group. When comparing the two groups, 18 significantly different proteins were found in the IMH group, with 4 proteins being upregulated and 14 proteins being downregulated. The expression of proteins involved in lipoprotein metabolism, extracellular matrix (ECM), cell adhesion and migration, the complement and coagulation cascade pathway, fibrosis，and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway is associated with IMH.
Conclusion: A proteomic approach revealed that the pathways of the complement and coagulation cascade, cell adhesion and migration, ECM remodeling, EMT, fibrosis, and lipoprotein metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of IMH.
Identification of potential biomarkers in myelodysplastic syndromes by weighted gene co-expression network analysis
Authors: Li Kongfei , Wang Yuxiao , Lu Ying , Pei Renzhi
Published: January 2024

MDS is characterized by great heterogeneity in clinical manifestations, cytogenetic and molecular biological manifestations, therapeutic options and efficacy. The lack of specific molecular mechanism discovery and effective targeted therapy is a well-known problem of MDS. Therefore, finding critical target molecules and therapeutic targets is at the forefront of current research. Using data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), we performed a thorough investigation of the mRNA expression profile of MDS in this work. Three mRNA microarray datasets (GSE58831, GSE4619, GSE19429) with MDS and control samples were used to creation of co-expression networks by using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). A total of 15 key apoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (ARDEGs) genes were obtained by performing weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) analysis. The GO analyses indicated that key genes are mainly enriched in B cell activation, beta-catenin-TCF complex, and DNA-binding transcription repressor activity. The GSEA and GSVA suggested that hypoxia, TGF-β signaling, and IL2 STAT5 signaling are crucial in the gene changes of MDS. Furthermore, A total of 5 differentially expressed genes (VPREB3, LEF1-AS1, PAX5, CD79A, LEF1) were related to the survival of MDS patients. Our findings may provide novel insight into the molecular characteristics of MDS through integrative analysis of GEO data by using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and suggest potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for MDS.
The Importance of Evaluation of Hemoglobin and Hematocrit Values in 0-2 Age Group Patients with Head Trauma
Authors: YUCEER Ömer
Published: January 2024

Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of moderate and severe head trauma in patients aged between 0–2 years who admitted to the emergency department and were hospitalized in the service or intensive care unit, the type of trauma, the age group in which the trauma occurred, the most common localization of the trauma on the head, the severity of the trauma and the rate of decrease in hemoglobin (HGB) and hematocrit (HCT), and to understand the relationship between the rate of decrease in HGB and HCT and the severity of the trauma in this age group who cannot be fully cooperative in anamnesis and examination.
Method
In this study, patients, who were admitted to the emergency department of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Training and Research Hospital between 2019 and 2022, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13 and below and who were hospitalized in the service or intensive care unit, were evaluated. Among these hospitalized patients, 180 patients who underwent brain computed tomography (CT) before being hospitalized in the emergency department, whose clinical findings were determined according to PECARN rules, whose hemogram blood was taken and who were found to have no hemolysis were retrospectively analyzed.
Discussion
In the study, 97 male and 83 female patients were evaluated. The majority of the cases were falls with 124 (68.8%) cases. (Head traumas were evaluated according to the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) estimation rules and falls from a height of less than 3 feet (90cm) were considered as falls, while falls from a higher height were considered as falls from a height). It was observed that most of the trauma-related lesions occurred in the temporal region in 62 cases (34.44%). The most common lesion detected was skull bone fractures without parenchymal hemorrhage in 112 cases (62.2%). It was determined that 167 (92.8%) and 13 (7.2%) patients were hospitalized in the service and intensive care unit, respectively. Patients were classified according to their ages as between 0–1 years and between 1–2 years. There were 103 cases (57.22%) aged between 0–1 years and 77 cases (42.78%) aged between 1–2 years.
Conclusion
At the end of this study, it was determined that as the severity of trauma increased, the decrease in HGB and HCT values increased.
Feasibility and Acceptability Evaluation of a Digital Therapeutic Program for Improving Cancer Prevention: A Pre-Post Interventional Study
Authors: Zhang Xianwei , Zhang Sheng , Zhang Haiyan , Xiong Ziyou , Li Yi , Li Lufeng , Pi Xitian , Liu Hongying
Published: January 2024

Previous studies have proved that healthy behaviors hinder the onset and progression of tumors. Digital therapeutics (DTx), playing pivotal role in facilitating behavioral adjustments through educational interventions, lifestyle support, and symptom monitoring, contributes to the goal of tumor prevention. Our study aimed to assess the feasibility of using the AITI app, employing the DTx approach for cancer prevention and examining its impact on lifestyle modifications and SF-36. In a 4-week trial with 57 participants engaging actively, we found both the average daily activity rate and 4-week retention rate at 35 (61.4%). The USE Questionnaire scores (validity, ease of use, acquisition, and satisfaction) ranged from 68.06 to 83.10, indicating AITI's user-friendliness. Participants noted enhanced awareness and positive habit changes, particularly in exercise and diet (p＜0.0001), suggesting the DTx approach's potential for advancing cancer prevention. The study highlights the feasibility and acceptability of this lifestyle intervention using DTx via AITI, demonstrating effectiveness in altering behaviors. However, larger and longer studies are needed to comprehensively assess its impact.
Qualitative Descriptive Study on the Use of Instructional Videos by Undergraduate Students
Authors: McFerren Belinda P.
Published: January 2024

This qualitative descriptive study explored the use of instructional videos by undergraduate students at community colleges and universities in the southeastern United States. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as the framework for this study. According to the TAM, the use of technology is influenced by perceptions related to the ease of use, enjoyment, and usefulness of the technology. Therefore, the research questions were, “How do undergraduate students describe their use of instructional videos?” and “How do undergraduate students describe their perceptions of the ease of use, usefulness, and enjoyment of instructional videos?” The sample included 20 research participants. Eleven participants chose to be interviewed individually, and nine participants chose to attend one of three focus groups. Reflexive thematic analysis identified seven themes: use, usefulness, enjoyment, ease of use, length of video, video characteristics, and student factors. Usefulness, the most important determinant for use, is increased when the videos contain the specific information that is needed for success in the class. Students also consider the length, and occasionally enjoyment, when deciding whether to watch videos and how they watch videos. Students employ a variety of strategies, such as speeding up the video, to obtain the information needed using the least amount of time. The use of instructional videos is also influenced by certain video characteristics and student factors. Although ease of use does not influence intention to use, actual usage can be impacted by challenges related to ease of use. The findings from this study increase understanding related to the use of instructional videos and can be applied to increase the likelihood that students will use, and therefore benefit, from instructional videos.
Parents Awareness about the Use of Self-Medication in Children, Saudi Arabia, 2023
Authors: Shammari Reham Obaid AL , Enizy Rasha Jazy AL
Published: January 2024

Aim: To assess the knowledge and practice of parents about the use of self-medication in their children and to determine the reasons that lead to this situation. In addition to determining the relationship between self-medication practice and socio-demographic characteristics. An observational cross-sectional intuitional-based study including 427 parents regarding children's self-medication was conducted in King Saud Hospital in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.
Result: A total of 427 participants were included in this study; (62.1%) of them were females, and (37.9%) were males. The commonest age group was found to be 31–35 years old (25.1%). Most of the participants (72.8%) were graduates, while (7.5%) were postgraduates. Most of the participants (78.7%) predominantly used synthetic medicines, while (21.3%) used herbal medication. The majority of the parents (69.8%) were aware of the side effects and complications of the medications. The most frequent self-medications used by the parents were antipyretics (81.5%), cough syrups (41.9%), and anti-allergy medication (23%). Moreover, reasons for parental self-medication of their children were awareness about their children’s disease from the symptoms (72.6%), waiting time at the clinic for too long (61.8%), and consultation fees being too expensive (52%). Among the socio-demographic characteristics that we included in the table, only occupation and the number of children were found to be statistically significant (p≤0.05).
Conclusion: Overall, this study can conclude that there is a huge use of self-medication for children by parents attending King Saud Hospital, Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. The knowledge and practice of the majority of parents regarding self-medication in their children were found to be acceptable. However, despite that, many of the parents were educated, but their knowledge of many of them about self-medication was insufficient. Significant associations were found between the use of self-medication and both occupation and the number of children.
Sociological Analysis of Stress Management among Farmers and Rural Development In Selected Communities in Kwara State
Authors: Folorunsho Sunkanmi
Published: January 2024

Rural farmers, in most cases, act as their own managers and feel responsible for numerous farming issues over which they have little or no control. Essentially, farmers allocate a significant portion of their available time primarily to safety, as well as improvements in crops, land, and even livestock. However, it is very regrettable to think that they do not extend the same care or give equal consideration to their physical, social, and mental health and well-being, increasing the likelihood of stress. If this problem of stress persists, it could lead to a reduction in their ability to provide for themselves and also impact rural development. This is why the study was undertaken to determine whether there is a relationship between stress management among farmers and rural development. This was achieved through the use of the multi-stage sampling technique in choosing 360 respondents and employing Robert Karasek’s stress theory to explain the subject matter. The study concluded that stress among farmers could lead to rural underdevelopment. Thus, the study recommends that farmers should make an effort to reduce their stress by spending quality time with their families, employing more labor (if they can afford it), and interacting with other farmers, among other strategies.
Fighting back, moving forward: Refugee women's agency in stories of resistance and resilience
Authors: Borges Gabriela Mesquita
Published: January 2024

This article introduces a novel framework for understanding refugee agency, exemplified through the experiences of refugee women across three stages and (geographical and symbolic) places: in countries of asylum, in forced migration, and in asylum. Based on 24 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with refugee women residing in Portugal, the article challenges prevailing approaches that primarily focus on refugees' efforts to change their circumstances. Instead, it advocates for conceptualizing refugee women's agency as both an emancipatory resistance against oppressive structures (resistance) and an adaptive ability to act within these constraints (resilience). In understanding resistance, the article prompts researchers to investigate how refugee women actively confront and challenge oppressive structures, advocating for an emancipatory approach that goes beyond conventional analyses of refugees seeking to change their circumstances. Conversely, the adaptive dimension of agency, framed as resilience, invites scholars to explore the resourcefulness and creative strategies employed by refugee women within the confines of these oppressive structures. This enriched perspective not only contributes to academic discourse but also provides practical insights for policymakers and humanitarian practitioners aiming to better support and empower refugee women in their daily lives.
The Effect of Qigong Exercise on State Anxiety Levels of Inpatients in Psychiatric Wards: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: babaoglu elcin , yalcinturk aydan akkurt , gunes emel erdeniz , sipahi asli zeynep , dogan selma
Published: January 2024

Qigong, an ancient Chinese medical practice, is currently utilized as a complementary treatment for anxiety and depression. While existing literature has investigated the impact of Qigong exercises on trait anxiety in outpatients, there is limited research on its influence on state anxiety in inpatients. This study examines the effect of Qigong exercise on the state anxiety levels of inpatients in psychiatric wards. This study is a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Anxiety levels were assessed using the STAI-I form before (test-1) and after (test-2) a 40-minute Qigong exercise in the intervention group. The control group completed the STAI-I forms without engaging in Qigong exercises. Seventy inpatients participated in the study, with 35 patients in each group. The mean post-test scores of the intervention group (27.20 ± 5.57) were significantly lower than those of the control group (39.72 ± 10.84). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was observed between the mean test-1 (38.42 ± 9.7) and test-2 scores (27.2 ± 5.57) within the intervention group. A daily 40-minute Qigong exercise can effectively reduce anxiety levels in psychiatry inpatients and reduce the risk of potential adverse outcomes associated with aggression and heightened anxiety. Implementing this approach as a patient contribution can improve the quality of care in psychiatric units while reducing the length of hospitalization and the need for polypharmacy.
A review on medicinal and ethnomedicinal uses, biological features, and phytochemical constituents of Sesbania sesban L. Merr., a nitrogen-fixing plant native to the Republic of Chad
Authors: Mahamat Ousman Brahim , Younes Saoud , Otchom Brahim Boy , Franzel Steven , Hidjazi Al-Djazouli Ouchar Mahamat , Soumaya El Ismaili
Published: January 2024

This study reports on a literature review of the leguminous tree Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr is found in the N'Djamena region, the Republic of Chad. The study focused on S. sesban’s medicinal and ethnomedicinal uses, biological features, and phytochemical constituents to assist in future evaluations. A literature review was conducted using academic websites, such as Science Direct and Springer, online international plant databases, and data from national herbaria. S. sesban is a perennial shrub or tree that measures 3–4 meters in height. This species is becoming rare in Ndjamena but can be found in the rainy season, while in winter, the species occurs mainly in ponds (called in the Chadian dialect "Bouta"), and in the shores of the Chari and Logone rivers. The local inhabitants in Chad use the species as medicine, livestock feed, fuelwood, and for improving soil fertility and repelling desert encroachment. Traditional healers use its leaves to treat breast cancer and edema. S. sesban is an essential species native to the Republic of Chad that needs conservation and valorization. Viewing its importance and rarity in N’Djamena, a strategy for replanting the species in gardens, homes, and fields around Ndjamena and other regions of Chad is recommended.
Sap Yield and Sugar Content of Boxelder and Norway Maple Trees in Northern Utah
Authors: Mathews Jesse , Sun Youping , Harris Paul , Dai Xin , Price Steven , McAvoy Darren , Farrell Michael , Kopp Kelly
Published: January 2024

Maple syrup is a well-known natural sweetener made from the sap harvested from maple trees (Acer sp.). The North American scientific literature regarding maple syrup has predominantly originated in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the range of this Holarctic genus extends across the continent and all species produce sap with the potential for syrup production. This study focuses on two maple species commonly found in Northern Utah, namely the native boxelder (Acer negundo) and the introduced Norway maple (Acer platanoides). Thirty trees of each species were tapped in Cache Valley, UT, USA, on 19 Feb 2022, and measured for daily sap yield and sugar content until the season ended 37 days later on 27 Mar 2022. The same trees were re-tapped on 1 Mar 2023 and taps were removed 41 days later on 10 Apr 2023. Average 2022 sap yields were 22.1 L for boxelder and 7.5 L for Norway maple per tree. In 2023, average sap yields were 26.4 L for boxelder and 9.3 L for Norway maple per tree. Boxelder trees produced an average sap yield more than double that of Norway maple in both years. Sugar content was similar for both species ranging from 2.2% to 2.8%. Air temperatures were analyzed using data from Utah AgWeather System weather stations nearest to the trees, and air temperature had a significant impact on sap yield. It was found that an average daily air temperature of 0.5 °C and a daily air temperature difference of ∼10 °C with a minimum air temperature close to −5 °C and a maximum air temperature of ∼6 °C was the optimal condition for production. An analysis of the mineral nutrient concentrations in the sap and soil showed no correlation. These findings indicate that there is potential for using Utah’s maple species for syrup production.
Irrigation of Sand-based Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens with Nanobubble-oxygenated Water
Authors: DeBoer Eric J. , Richardson Michael D. , McCalla John H.
Published: January 2024

Cultural and environmental factors can place creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) under extreme stress during the summer months. This stress, coupled with the growth adaptation of creeping bentgrass, can result in shallow, poorly rooted stands of turf. To enhance root zone oxygen and rooting of creeping bentgrass, golf courses use methods such as core and solid-tine aerification, and sand topdressing. An additional method of delivering oxygen to the soil could be irrigation with nanobubble-oxygenated water. The properties of nanobubbles (NBs) allow for high gas dissolution rates in water. Irrigating with NB-oxygenated water sources may promote increased rooting of creeping bentgrass putting greens during high-temperature periods and lead to a more resilient playing surface. The objectives of this study include comparing the effects of irrigation with NB-oxygenated water sources with untreated water sources on creeping bentgrass putting green root zone and plant health characteristics using field and controlled environment experiments. Treatments included NB-oxygenated potable water and irrigation pond water, and untreated potable and irrigation pond water. In the field, NB-oxygenated water did not enhance plant health characteristics of creeping bentgrass. In 1 year, NB-oxygenated water increased the daily mean partial pressure of soil oxygen from 17.48 kPa to 18.21 kPa but soil oxygen was unaffected in the other 2 years of the trial. Subsurface irrigation with NB-oxygenated water did not affect measured plant health characteristics in the greenhouse. NB-oxygenation of irrigation water remains an excellent means of efficiently oxygenating large volumes of water. However, plant health benefits from NB-oxygenated irrigation water were not observed in this research.
THE PHONEMIC AWARENESS AND READING COMPREHENSION OF THE SECOND GRADERS
Authors: Zahira Meuthia , Andreani Sri
Published: January 2024

English literacy has been taught to students as a foreign language due to globalization. Learning English reading literacy begins at a young age and starts by learning words. Phonemic awareness aids the students in learning words in-depth and acts as the platform to identify a reading failure. The current research aims to find whether phonemic awareness and reading comprehension are related. The data for measuring phonemic awareness and reading comprehension was collected using a test and analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0. The current study revealed that phonemic awareness is related positively to reading comprehension. Moreover, the students are revealed to understand learned words well. This research brings significance to teaching phonemes to young children to aid them in learning reading English. For future research, phonemic awareness should be paid attention to in learning reading comprehension by giving the students various English word reading exercises
EFL STUDENTS’ DEMOTIVATION: A PORTRAIT OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN AN ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL
Authors: Mubarok Vandela Iqbal , Shofiya Arina
Published: January 2024

In an English language learning it demands the students to understand vocabulary, grammar, and several language skills. Consequently, the students must have sufficient motivation to concentrate in English class. If not, demotivation emerges and becomes a factor of unsuccessful learning. In relation to demotivation, this research investigates: [1] the factors contributing to the demotivation among students at the Islamic Boarding School of Tremas Pacitan in learning English and [2] the strategies used by students at the Islamic Boarding School of Tremas Pacitan to minimize demotivation in learning English. This research used a descriptive qualitative approach. The subjects of the research were 8B students of the Islamic Boarding School of Tremas Pacitan. The data were collected by conducting observation and doing an interview. The findings revealed that the factors causing learning demotivation that were divided into intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors had found personal belief and students’ boredom, while extrinsic factors such as teaching methods; classroom conditions; and less adequate facilities. Knowing that, extrinsic factors are more arisen than intrinsic factors. Moreover, students’ strategies to minimize learning demotivation were such as self-studying; asking friends for help; and ignoring their humiliating classmates. It is recommended that English teachers need to improve learning methods and facilities that support learning English.
Role of E-cadherin and β-catenin in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Petrova A. A. , Samoylova S. I. , Magomedkerimova L. V. , Parts S. A. , Reshetov I. V.
Published: January 2024

Aim of the study: to present and summarize current data on the prognostic value of E-cadherin and β-catenin markers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as well as to substantiate the potential benefit from implementing research results into clinical practice within the framework of a personalized approach to the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Material and Methods. We performed a literature search and review in Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar and RSCI databases regarding the association of the level of E-cadherin and β-catenin markers with disease prognosis, aggressiveness of tumor behavior and response to treatment.

Results. Detailed information on the functions and mechanisms of E-cadherin and β-catenin proteins were presented and pathogenetic pathways involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition were described. The results of studies on the association of β-catenin and E-cadherin expression levels with the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are collected and summarized. High expression levels of β-catenin and E-cadherin are associated with lymph node metastasis, poor prognosis and poor response to treatment.

Conclusion. The expression levels of β-catenin and E-cadherin correlate with tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis, thus suggesting that β-catenin and E-cadherin can be used as potential markers of prognosis and treatment response in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Further studies are needed to evaluate the co-expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin and other squamous cell carcinoma-associated markers, their impact on prognosis and treatment response, as well as their prognostic value.
Impact of molecular genetic profle of meningiomas on the clinical course and recurrence using combined modality treatment
Authors: Sergeev G. S. , Gaytan A. S. , Travin M. A. , Ponomarev A. B. , Afonina M. A. , Savitskaya I. A. , Yakhya F. , Krivoshapkin A. L.
Published: January 2024

Introduction. Meningioma is one of the most common central nervous system tumors, accounting for 39.7 % of all primary brain tumors. The tumor originates from arachnoid meningothelial cells and is characterized by a wide range of histological types classified into 15 subtypes. The histological classification of meningiomas allows us to predict meningioma behavior and the risk of disease recurrence, as well as to define treatment strategies. However, clinical outcomes in histological subgroups of patients are often inconsistent with the histological grade of malignancy. Thus, a more reliable method is needed both to determine the histological subtype of the tumor and to predict the clinical course of the disease with the potential for targeted treatment.

The purpose of the study was to summarize the available data on the effect of results of the genomic and proteomic tumor analysis on carcinogenesis with the relationship between the mutational changes and noninvasive diagnosis, treatment and the course of the disease.

Material and Methods. Literature search was carried out in the PubMed, Elibrary system, publications were included mainly from 2010 to 2023. with the identification of articles by the keyword “genetic analysis of meningiomas” and synonyms. 550 articles were found, of which 55 were used to write a literature review.

Conclusion. The study of the molecular genetic profile of meningiomas will improve the classification and establish a correlation with MRI data, the course of the disease and prognosis.
Thyroid cаncer occuring during pregnаncy. Literаture review
Authors: Chernyаkov A. A. , Chizhevskаyа S. Y. , Choynzonov E. L. , Bаlаtskаyа L. N. , Spirinа L. V. , Chernyshovа A. L. , Mukhаmedov M. R. , Dil O. S.
Published: January 2024

Introduction. Thyroid cаncer is the most common endocrine malignancies accounting for approximately 2 % of all cancers in Russiа аnd 2.3 % in the world. Several studies have reported on the infuence of hormonаl status on the prognosis of thyroid cаncer, in pаrticulаr, femаle sex hormones, such as estrogens аnd progesterone, contribute to thyroid cell proliferation. In this regard, thyroid cancer occurring during pregnancy is of particular interest.

The purpose of the study was to аnаlyze the literаture sources concerning thyroid cаncer occurring during pregnаncy and to evaluate the impact of pregnаncy on the progression of thyroid cancer.

Mаteriаl аnd Methods. A literature seаrch wаs conducted using Cochrаne, Librаry, and Elibrаry databases. The review included studies from 1981 to 2022.

Conclusion. Currently, most studies report thаt pregnаncy does not adversely affect the outcomes of thyroid cancer; however, many aspects concerning the hormonаl effect аnd receptor stаtus of thyroid cancer require more detаiled study.