bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
D3.1 Case Study Base Layer dataset for each of the case studies
Authors: Popova Gabriela , Beckmann Michael , Gastinger Miene-Marie , Mueller Birgit , Paulus Anne , Will Meike , Cord Anna , Roilo Stephanie , Domingo-Marimon Cristina , Langerwisch Fanny , Václavík Tomáš , Bednář Marek , Ziv Guy , Gosal Arjan
Published: December 2024

The Case Study Base Layer, described in this deliverable, is a harmonised geospatial database spanning across the five case study areas of BESTMAP: South Moravia (Czech Republic), Mulde (Germany), Humber (Great Britain), Backa (Serbia), and Catalonia (Spain). It is based on the Preliminary Case Study Base Layer (MS3) and includes geospatial information on climatic and soil conditions, biodiversity, land use/land cover (including crop types), farm structure and socio-economic data. It serves as a base for biophysical ecosystem service (ES) models as well as socio-economic statistical models. Thereby, the Case Study Base Layer will be crucial for mapping Farming System Archetypes (FSAs) and for building a common agent-based modeling (ABM) framework across all case studies. This report accompanies the data in Deliverable D3.1 and describes the compilation, harmonization, meta-data structure, secure storage and access of case study baye layer data using the BESTMAP instance of the UFZ GeoNetwork.
D4.3 Mapping of ESS / biodiversity / socioeconomic bundles into policy indicators
Authors: Popova Gabriela , Domingo-Marimon Cristina , Roilo Stephanie , Beckmann Michael , Paulus Anne , Schneider Katharina , Václavík Tomáš , Gosal Arjan , Wool Rosemary , Breckenridge George , Gunning Jodi , Ziv Guy
Published: December 2024

Most of the agricultural policies, such as the new CAP, or the European Union Sustainable Development Goals, already present their list of associated indicators to monitor impacts. As BESTMAP biophysical models aim to map the impacts of these types of policies, each of the model outputs have a range of associated policy indicators. This deliverable includes the results of an exhaustive review of policy indicators from different sources linked to agricultural practices, associated with or translated to BESTMAP model results. In some cases, BESTMAP models return an output that can be directly considered an indicator. In other cases, BESTMAP model results can support partially existing indicators.
Factors in Choosing a Field of Study at a University by Russian and French Applicants: a Comparative Analysis
Authors: Temnova Larisa V. , Maslennikova Anna D.
Published: December 2024

This article is based on an empirical study conducted between February and May 2023, employing methods such as online questionnaire surveys, content analysis of school websites, and secondary analysis of regulatory documents in the field of education in Russia and France. These documents include materials from organizations, centers, and other structures addressing issues related to vocational guidance, employment, training, and the development of student mobility in secondary schools and colleges.

The work highlights the scientific problem of considering students’ personal interests, inclinations, and abilities as a critical factor in selecting a university training program. The study revealed differences between Russian and French applicants in terms of the importance attributed to institutional, social, and personal factors when choosing a university course. Both Russian and French applicants place equal emphasis on institutional factors when deciding on a course of study. However, French applicants prioritize personal motives, such as self-realization, self-development, interesting future work, and the potential to build a successful career. Conversely, Russian applicants are more influenced by social factors, including entrance exam results, the prestige of the university, the potential to secure a well-paying job after graduation, and future high earnings. French applicants tend to make more balanced and informed decisions, leveraging their existing abilities to secure fulfilling future employment, achieve self-actualization, and develop successful careers.
Family Structure as a Result of Marital, Reproductive, and Self-Preservation Behavior of the Population in Russia
Authors: Sinelnikov Alexander B.
Published: December 2024

This article analyzes data from the All-Russian population censuses of 2002, 2010, and 2020. The author compares the proportion of families with children under the age of 18 that lack one parent (either father or mother) to the proportion of single spouses among all married individuals. In many cases, the absence of one parent is not due to relationship breakdowns, but rather the temporary migration of one spouse for work. It should not be assumed that such families are without a parent altogether. The author concludes that census data may exaggerate the number of families without one parent, thereby creating the illusion of a growing trend, especially in Moscow. However, even when adjusted for this overstatement, one in five families – both nationwide and in the capital – still lacks one parent. This situation is most common in families with a single child. In Russian society, childlessness is considered a deviation from the social norm. Although this norm has become less rigid in recent years, almost all families still have at least one child, even in cases of marital discord. Subsequently, many of these families eventually break up. However, once a child is born, further births typically occur only in the absence of serious marital conflict. Having a second child significantly reduces the likelihood of family breakdown, but the birth of a third or subsequent child has little additional effect on this risk. The instability of marriages and the social acceptability of divorce in Russian society contribute to lower fertility rates. The majority of families have only one or two children, a family structure that does not ensure full generational replacement and is therefore demographically unfavorable. To halt depopulation, Russia’s demographic policy should not only encourage childbirth within existing families but also promote legal marriage and the creation of new families, while also addressing the high divorce rate.
Distributions in spaces with thick submanifolds
Authors: Ding Jiajia , Vindas Jasson , Yang Yunyun
Published: December 2024

We have presented the construction of a theory of distributions (generalized functions) with a "thick submanifold", that is, a new theory of thick distributions on $ \mathbb{R}^n $ whose domain contains a smooth submanifold on which the test functions may be singular. We defined several operations, including "thick partial derivatives", and clarified their connection with their classical counterparts in Schwartz distribution theory. We also introduced and studied a number of special thick distributions, including new thick delta functions or, more generally, thick multilayer distributions along a submanifold.
Revisiting the classical target cell limited dynamical within-host HIV model - Basic mathematical properties and stability analysis
Authors: Wacker Benjamin
Published: December 2024

In this article, we reconsider the classical target cell limited dynamical within-host HIV model, solely taking into account the interaction between $ {\rm{CD}}4^{+} $ T cells and virus particles. First, we summarize some analytical results regarding the corresponding dynamical system. For that purpose, we proved some analytical results regarding the system of differential equations as our first main contribution. Specifically, we showed non-negativity and boundedness of solutions, global existence in time and global uniqueness in time and examined stability properties of two possible equilibria. In particular, we demonstrated that the virus-free equilibrium and the plateau-phase equilibrium are locally asymptotically stable using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion under appropriate conditions. As our second main contribution, we underline our theoretical findings through some numerical experiments with standard Runge–Kutta time stepping schemes. We conclude this work with a summary of our main results and a suggestion of an extension for more complex dynamical systems with regard to HIV-infection.
“A Woman with Film Reels for Eyes”: The Many Genres and Speculative Possibilities of Black Women’s Film Criticism
Authors: O’Malley Hayley
Published: December 2024

This essay argues that African American women’s writing became a crucial repository for film-critical thought in the second half of the twentieth century. I focus on writing by Lorraine Hansberry, Alice Childress, Toni Morrison, Adrienne Kennedy, Alice Walker, and bell hooks, and I show how they experimented with a wide range of literary genres—including novels, plays, memoirs, and poetry—to depict, criticize, and develop powerful alternative visions for film. Never content with analyzing only what cinema was, these authors speculatively imagined what cinema could be: more inclusive, more politically radical, more aesthetically innovative. To tell this story, I blend archival research and close readings to examine these writers’ work in its historical context, employing an interdisciplinary set of methods for film historiography by tracing the cinematic thought of Black women writers who turned to film
Black Women Documentary Filmmakers Roundtable: Zeinabu irene Davis, Juanita Anderson, and Tracy H. Strain
Authors: Reich Elizabeth
Published: December 2024

Juanita Anderson, Tracy Heather Strain, and Zeinabu irene Davis speak together about the history of Black women film and media makers, their own work, and their efforts—and community’s—to build a world for Black women in film. They share names and stories of women who influenced them, as well as hopes that more collections will document what has remained a largely unrecorded history. The conversation also considers the painful contradictions of erasure inherent in finalizing records and archives even while optimistically producing one.
Un mémorialiste toulousain face à l’exclusion pénale : des rituels judiciaires de rupture et leurs limites au xviiie siècle, à partir des Heures perdues de Pierre Barthès
Authors: Garet Laura
Published: December 2024

Entre 1737 et 1780, le Toulousain Pierre Barthès consigne méticuleusement dans ses Heures perdues les événements notables ayant lieu dans sa ville. Au fil des pages, la plume de l’annaliste transcrit le déroulement de multiples exécutions judiciaires mettant en scène la rupture, momentanée ou définitive, entre les déviants et le commun. Le scripteur, défenseur d’une morale religieuse et sociale traditionnelle, ne s’oppose jamais à ces scènes tragiques de la vie urbaine, et tient en haute estime la définition exemplaire de la doctrine pénale d’Ancien Régime. Pourtant, les descriptions qu’il fournit des rituels d’exclusion permettent de deviner une réception parfois mitigée de la part des justiciables ; l’adhésion, le rejet, la mécompréhension et la critique caractérisent ainsi, au siècle des Lumières, les réactions de la foule aux châtiments publics.
Une rupture institutionnelle sous la Révolution : l’instauration du gouvernement révolutionnaire et son application au niveau des districts (frimaire-nivôse an II)
Authors: Meignan Pierre
Published: December 2024

Dans un contexte de crise aux aspects multiples, l’instauration du gouvernement révolutionnaire, à la fin de l’année 1793, marque une véritable rupture dans l’ordre politico-administratif en France. La mise en place de ce régime d’exception par la Convention se traduit notamment par le statut nouveau attribué à l’échelon administratif du district, qui devient, aux dépens du département, l’intermédiaire incontournable du pouvoir central pour la surveillance de l’exécution des lois. Auprès de cette administration, un personnage est créé, chargé spécialement de cette mission, l’agent national de district, qui remplace le procureur syndic. Comment les administrations de district s’adaptent-elles à cette rupture institutionnelle et endossent-elles le rôle nouveau qui leur est attribué ? Répondre à cette question est l’enjeu de cette contribution, qui s’intéresse à la figure des agents nationaux dans les premières semaines de leur existence, incarnation au niveau local de cette transition.
Défis et limites de la coopération transnationale dans les Caraïbes
Authors: Loew-Turbout Frédérique
Published: December 2024

Le bassin caraïbe est une mosaïque. Composé de peuples, de cultures, de paysages, d’espaces de tailles variées aux situations économiques et politiques très hétérogènes, la Caraïbe partage en commun un même espace maritime, la mer éponyme.Cette géographie particulière qui fait cohabiter îles, archipels et espaces continentaux rend la lecture de cette zone du monde particulièrement complexe et ne favorise pas les coopérations entre pays ou entités présents. Ces coopérations se limitent souvent à des accords économiques et commerciaux.Dans cet exposé nous reviendrons sur les caractères particuliers qui fondent l’espace caraïbe, les différentes formes de coopérations transnationales qui se superposent les unes aux autres témoignant de cette diversité caribéenne, pour mieux prendre la mesure des enjeux auxquels la Caraïbe se trouve confrontée aujourd’hui et les défis qu’elle devra relever demain pour ne pas devenir un espace en marge.
« Bien sûr, les personnes âgées doivent en règle générale être interrogées en priorité. »
Authors: Charles-Dominique Luc
Published: December 2024

« Bien sûr les personnes âgées doivent en règle générale être interrogées en priorité. » Ce précepte méthodologique, extrait d’un document publié par les Archives nationales en 1990, ne fait que prolonger les présupposés romantiques qui voyaient les anciens comme les ultimes dépositaires d’une mémoire en péril de disparition imminente. En France, depuis les années 1840, on s’est attaché à ne recueillir que la mémoire musicale des personnes les plus âgées appartenant à la « civilisation paysanne », instaurant ainsi une double forme d’isolat, socioculturel et générationnel. Les collecteurs du xixe siècle et d’une partie du siècle suivant n’avaient pas pour objectif de « reconstituer le répertoire complet d’un village », selon l’expression de Constantin Brăiloiu (1913-1953), ni encore moins d’étudier la pratique musicale globale d’une époque, toutes générations et milieux sociaux confondus. Les répertoires récents, d’importation, en vogue, ne les intéressaient pas. Seuls comptaient ceux marqués du sceau de l’autochtonie et de l’ancienneté. En réalité, les archives ainsi constituées ne témoignent que d’une certaine forme de culture musicale de la catégorie la plus âgée de la population. Elles ne doivent en aucun cas être considérées comme représentatives de l’ensemble d’une culture à une époque donnée. L’ethnomusicologue, l’historien, mais aussi le musicien et l’acteur culturel doivent donc faire preuve de la plus grande prudence pour une exploitation scientifique ou artistique de ces sources.
A bolu : constructions patrimoniales en Sardaigne
Authors: Macchiarella Ignazio
Published: December 2024

Comme ailleurs, les pratiques musicales de tradition orale en Sardaigne ont connu une période de relative crise après la Seconde Guerre mondiale avec la diffusion des nouveaux médias. Dans les années 1980, on assiste à un renversement général de tendance à la suite d'une redécouverte du lieu en termes d'identité. En 2005, l'UNESCO a introduit le cantu a tenore dans la liste des chefs-d'œuvre du patrimoine oral et immatériel de l'humanité. Mon essai vise tout d'abord à décrire le scénario dans lequel s'est déroulée l'intervention de l'UNESCO, les méthodes (quelque peu controversées) avec lesquelles elle a été réalisée et les résultats qui en ont découlé, tant dans le contexte de la pratique musicale objet de la proclamation, que dans celui d'autres pratiques musicales non prises en compte par la reconnaissance, mais d'égale valeur culturelle pour les habitants de l'île. L'accent est mis sur les initiatives significatives menées par des groupes de chant ténor en collaboration avec des représentants d'autres pratiques traditionnelles (canto a cuncordu, launeddas, poésie improvisée, chant accompagné à la guitare) qui ont promu des actions originales d'autopatrimonialisation, culminant, en 2015, dans la création d'une association composée de musiciens de différentes pratiques traditionnelles. Cette association propose, à travers des initiatives financées par le Gouvernement Régional de Sardaigne, sa propre idée de patrimoine et d'authenticité. À la lumière de la situation prise en considération, l'essai propose des réflexions théoriques et méthodologiques sur le rôle de l'ethnomusicologue et sur l'impact de l'action de l’Unesco sur les pratiques musicales de tradition orale.
De l’apport du folk music revival au renouveau de l’accordéon diatonique en France et en Italie
Authors: Pinelli Raffaele
Published: December 2024

La redécouverte de l’accordéon diatonique, « instrument paysan de l’âge industriel » selon les mots de Francesco Giannattasio, s’inscrit dans le sillage des mouvements revivalistes européens, notamment en France et en Italie. Grâce à l’initiative de certains musiciens et de quelques facteurs d’instruments des deux pays, l’instrument à soufflet a éveillé progressivement l’attention du public le plus large, passant d’un « prototype » destiné à l’exécution des répertoires de musiques de tradition orale à un instrument à part entière, qui a inspiré des musiques originales aujourd’hui composées à son intention. En examinant le chemin emprunté par cet instrument au cours des dernières décades, l’article aborde les faits et les processus interdynamiques entre certains musiciens et facteurs d’instruments qui ont conduit, après plusieurs décennies de production de faible intensité, tant à la reprise de sa facture instrumentale qu’au renouveau de son organologie et de ses répertoires.
Fascisme, cinéma et archéologie : de Cabiria (G. Pastrone, 1914) au Miroir de Diane (Y. Gianikian et A. Ricci Lucchi, 1996)
Authors: Houcke Anne-Violaine
Published: December 2024

Cet article propose d’envisager différents gestes archéologiques mis en œuvre dans le cinéma italien, de Cabiria (G. Pastrone, 1914) au Miroir de Diane (Y. Gianikian et A. Ricci Lucchi, 1996) : l’ambition monumentale de reconstituer le passé à partir des découvertes archéologiques dans le péplum, l’attention tournée vers le sol et le sous-sol dans le cinéma d’après-guerre (R. Rossellini, F. Fellini, P. P. Pasolini, L. Visconti), l’archéologie du présent expérimentée dans les films de found footage de Yervant Gianikian et Angela Ricci Lucchi. Dans chaque cas, il s’agit d’identifier les enjeux politiques qui informent diverses démarches de mise en scène et/ou de mise au jour du passé. Si l’archéologie est sans doute l’une des disciplines dont les pratiques, méthodes, concepts sont les plus repris, transformés, métaphorisés par d’autres disciplines, l’idée directrice de ce texte a été de commencer par se méfier des métaphores archéologiques, et de chercher, dans les films retenus, des liens tangibles avec la pratique de l’archéologie en Italie. C’est par là qu’il espère contribuer à rematérialiser l’usage métaphorique de l’archéologie dans le champ des études cinématographiques.
Gothique étrusque et télévision
Authors: Harari Maurizio
Published: December 2024

Cet essai vise à contextualiser la série télévisée du 1975 Ritratto di donna velata – un thriller de décor archéologique et en particulier étrusque – juste à la fin de la période la plus vitale du cinéma gothique italien et aux débuts du giallo d’horreur dans le nouveau style de Dario Argento. En même temps, on tente d’expliquer le succès assez modeste, dans le cinéma fantastique, de l’imaginaire démonologique des Étrusques, par rapport aux vampires, par exemple, ou aux zombies.
Sergio Citti’s Mortacci (1989) : Death, Orrore popolare, and the Survival of Paganism
Authors: Camilletti Fabio
Published: December 2024

Cet essai examine les intersections entre archéologie et mémoire dans Mortacci (1989), une comédie noire de Sergio Citti, originalement inspirée par Pier Paolo Pasolini et assimilable, en général, à la catégorie poreuse de l’horreur populaire (Folk Horror). En localisant ce film dans le cadre d’un intérêt croissant pour les aspects populaires et folkloriques de la mort, ayant lieu en Italie depuis la fin des années 1970, la thèse de cet essai est que Mortacci montre vigoureusement une caractéristique parmi les plus distinctives de l’horreur populaire : la coexistence, dans l’espace rural de l’Italie, de deux modèles antithétiques de la mort, c’est-à-dire le bien organisé au-delà du catholicisme et la survivance anti-transcendantale du folklore. L’au-delà apparemment anti-chrétien de Citti finit, donc, par être subtilement construit comme un modèle pre-chrétien de survivance, investi de traits clairement païens et employant des références au passé archéologique pour souligner l’immanence pérenne de l’Antiquité païenne au cœur de la modernité italienne.
Retours du passé. L’exhumation du vestige antique dans Roma (Federico Fellini, 1972) et Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017)
Authors: Solnychkine Sophie Lécole
Published: December 2024

Ce texte propose de s’intéresser à la figure que constitue au cinéma l’exhumation du vestige antique. La perspective analytique adoptée, matériaulogique, implique d’observer attentivement la figuration des matériaux représentés à l’écran, en partant de l’intimité des objets du passé et des matériaux qui les ont recueillis. Il s’agira d’observer comment, remis en circulation parmi les vivants, l’objet archéologique innerve de sa puissance les corps en présence et matérialise ainsi sa puissance de transformation sur le présent.
Champollion en contexte : déchiffrer les hiéroglyphes, construire un grand savant au xixe siècle
Authors: Carraro Flavia , Chappey Jean Luc , Ducène Jean-Charles , Jacob Christian , Ragazzoli Chloé , Montserrat Felix Relats , Thomasson Fredrik
Published: December 2024

Inscrit au calendrier officiel des commémorations nationales de 2022, le bicentenaire de la lecture à l’Institut le 27 septembre 1822 de La Lettre à Monsieur Dacier relative à l’alphabet des hiéroglyphes phonétiques de Jean-François Champollion-le-jeune a convoqué l’acte de naissance d’une discipline, l’égyptologie, et le paradigme d’un lieu de mémoire. Cet événement constitue aussi un véritable lieu de savoir, construit dans des sites géographiques, des objets et des personnes. L’objet de cet entretien tiré d’une table ronde de plusieurs heures, qui s’est tenue à la Bibliothèque nationale de France, était d’ouvrir un espace réflexif dans la célébration et l’hagiographie, pour interroger, dans une perspective d’anthropologie des savoirs, le déchiffrement des hiéroglyphes par Champollion dans son contexte historique, social et intellectuel. Il s’agit autant d’interroger des notions comme celles de « grand homme », de « découverte », et d’ « invention », de réfléchir aux mécanismes sociaux et intellectuels d’un « déchiffrement » que d’examiner le geste par lequel l’Europe a construit l’Égypte ancienne comme discipline savante.
“Still-Vexed”: Laura E. Richards’s Captain January and Shakespeare
Authors: Sharoni Josephine
Published: December 2024

This paper examines the connection between Laura E. Richards’s Captain January and Shakespeare’s The Tempest, considering how the allusions to the play might change our reading of the story. The discussion is then widened to show the importance of Shakespeare for Richards and her manner of relating to his work, implying that Captain January is still relevant to the teaching of Shakespeare.
Questioning the Role of Questions in Teaching and Learning
Authors: Islam Yusuf Mahbubul
Published: December 2024

The chapter relates the story of how the author, essentially a teacher of Computer Science, discovered the role and importance of questions towards developing the human brain and equally how questions support the Theory of Constructivism to organize information for retrieval. In his journey to find why students find it difficult to learn programming or for that matter, anything, he triangulated neuroscience, education theories and Scripture to come up with the purpose of questions in teaching and learning. The method developed is called Question-based Learning (QBL), or alternatively Query-based Access to Neurons (QuBAN) and utilizes the learning potential of the human brain.
Career adaptability as an instructional scaffold for career education in South African schools
Authors: Algra Marlene , Olivier Hermien
Published: December 2024

Background: South African learners need more career preparation, as it provides a sense of control in the current economic climate of high unemployment, as confirmed by the business sector.Objective: The intentions of this study were to gain an understanding of the manner in which learners make use of career adaptability as a scaffold to prepare for the workplace, as well as the way African proverbs assist learners with thinking critically and deconstructing the career adaptability construct.Method: The study was an exploratory case study with 20 Grade 11 black African learners from an urban government secondary school in the Gauteng province, South Africa.Results: The study confirmed that scaffolding the career adaptability construct to career construction encouraged learners to think critically about their career planning strategies.Conclusion: The results demonstrated the extent to which the career adaptability construct functioned as a teaching scaffold during learners’ career preparation activities.Contribution: This study was undertaken to understand how learners plan for careers in the 21st-century world of work. The career adaptability construct was explicitly chosen to explore the potential possibilities for supporting learners and function as an instructional scaffold in the career path development process. The study can potentially add value to career education in all South African schools.
Opioid Prescribing Trends and Determinants in Saudi Emergency Rooms for Acute Pain: A Cross-sectional Analysis
Authors: Alsharari Abdulrahman Jadid , Hasan Hajar Ali , Althubaiti Aseel Fahad , Sulaiman Lama Mohammed , Aldosari Hamdan Saeed , Alqubaysi Atheer Ibrahim , Alrais Mmdoh Mohammad , Alqarni Ali Mohammed , Aleid Abbas Fadeil , Alessa Mohammed Yousef
Published: December 2024

Introduction:

With the global rise in musculoskeletal disorders, especially in emergency medical settings, concerns about opioid prescribing practices have intensified. This study, set in the unique cultural and healthcare context of Saudi Arabia, aims to comprehensively analyse the factors influencing opioid prescribing in emergency departments (EDs). By delving into the intricacies of how patient demographics, pain severity, healthcare provider backgrounds and situational factors impact these practices, the research seeks to fill a critical knowledge gap. It positions itself within the existing literature as a vital contribution to understanding and improving pain management strategies in acute care settings, with a focus on the judicious use of opioids.

Methods:

This study employed a cross-sectional design conducted across various regions of Saudi Arabia, spanning from August to October 2023. It included a representative sample of 2110 participants, comprising patients who had received opioids in EDs and healthcare providers involved in opioid prescribing. Participants were chosen using a convenience sampling technique. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires designed to capture comprehensive information on demographics, pain severity and prescribing behaviours. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 28.0, focusing on descriptive statistics to provide a clear picture of opioid prescribing patterns and the influencing factors.

Results:

The results of this study revealed a complex and varied landscape of opioid prescribing in Saudi EDs. Key findings highlighted the influence of patient demographics, with notable variations in prescribing practices based on factors such as age, gender and location. The severity of pain and the backgrounds of healthcare providers were also found to significantly affect prescribing decisions. These results demonstrate the diverse factors at play in opioid prescribing, suggesting a need for more individualised and context-aware pain management approaches in emergency medical settings.

Conclusion:

The study provides crucial insights into the nuanced nature of opioid prescribing in Saudi Arabian emergency rooms, emphasising the need for more informed and patient-specific approaches to pain management. The findings advocate for enhanced educational initiatives for healthcare providers and patients, aiming to standardise opioid prescribing practices and improve patient outcomes. This research significantly contributes to the field by offering a detailed understanding of the factors influencing opioid prescribing, thereby guiding future healthcare policies and clinical practices in the realm of acute pain management.
Ayurvedic management of Shwitra in a child
Authors: Meshram Bhimrao , Rajagopala S. , Kumar Mahapatra Arun
Published: December 2024

Vitiligo is an acquired disease of the skin and mucous membranes characterized by well-demarcated, depigmented patches and occurs by selective destruction of melanocytes. A 10-year-old female child presented with chief complaints of hypopigmented discoloration of the skin over the face, chest, and right upper limb for a year. Based on the clinical features and considering Ayurveda descriptions, the condition was diagnosed as Shwitra. The patient was managed with Ayurveda interventions including Virechana (~therapeutic purgation) and Samsarjana krama (~ posttherapy dietetic regimen for revival) followed by internal medication and external application. The Ayurveda intervention showed good clinical improvement in repigmentation of the skin and color changes from chalky white to normal skin color. The case report inferred that the management approaches were found effective in reversing depigmented patches and it may be used in future cases with varied drug combinations based on different Ayurveda parameters.
Management of postcholecystectomy syndrome through Kunjal kriya and customized diet
Authors: Walkikar Shilpa Shankarrao , Harti Shivakumar
Published: December 2024

Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome (PCS) is the occurrence of gastric clinical features post-cholecystectomy. It shows features such as nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, or persistent upper gastric pain on the right side in approximately 5–40% of patients undergoing cholecystectomy. It can be transient, continuous, or long-lasting. A 24-year-old female patient of PCS came to outpatient department of Swasthavritta and Yoga with chief complaints of urticaria, hyperacidity, nausea, vomiting, and regurgitation for more than two years. It can correlate PCS with Urdhwaga amlapitta (~upward hyperacidity) symptomatically. Classical texts have prescribed diet and lifestyle modifications for the symptoms of Urdhwaga amlapitta and one among them is a yogic intervention Kunjal kriya (~yogic therapeutic self-induced emesis). The patient in this case was advised this Kriya along with diet and lifestyle modifications to assess their effectiveness. Encouraging effects were noted during treatment. The procedure was prescribed to be done under the supervision of experts in the early morning once a week for 12 weeks. The patient was examined at an interval of 15 days during these 12 weeks of intervention. The symptoms including urticaria, hyperacidity, nausea, vomiting, and regurgitation were significantly reduced by the end of the intervention. The patient experienced relief in the symptoms. This case report shows that Kunjal kriya along with Ayurveda diet and lifestyle management can be beneficial in the management of such pathologies.
Identification of the bacterial phylotypes Bifidobacterium dentium, Actinomyces naeslundii, and Propionibacterium species in deep dental caries using fluorescence in situ hybridization
Authors: Chandra M Athul , Pujar Madhu , Bhat Kishore G , Kumbhar Vijay , Bhatt Akanksha Ajay
Published: December 2024

Background and Objectives:

Dental caries is a progressive irreversible microbial disease. Different regions of the carious dentin contain different bacteria in various proportions. With the recent advent of new techniques in molecular biology, our understanding of the microbial agents associated with dental caries has grown tremendously. It is essential to identify and quantify the organisms from the diseased sites quickly and reliably. Fluorescent in situ hybridization is one such technique. Thus, the present study was aimed at estimating the prevalence of the bacteria Bifidobacterium
dentium, Actinomyces
naeslundii, and Propionibacterium in deep dental caries using FISH and comparing it with subgingival plaque samples.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 60 subjects were included in the study. Two samples were obtained from one patient leading to a total of 120 samples. Carious samples were obtained for the test group, and for the control group, a subgingival plaque sample was collected. The collected specimens of the test group were transported in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and the subgingival plaque samples in reduced transport fluid. The samples were then processed for assessing the prevalence of the bacteria using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Results:

The results of the present study showed the presence of phylotypes B. dentium, A. naeslundii, and Propionibacterium species in deep dental caries. Although all the above-said phylotypes were present in deep dental caries, a statistically significant difference in the prevalence was only seen with respect to Propionibacterium species.

Conclusion:

FISH is a simple, quick, and versatile approach for bacterial identification and quantification. It also has a high sensitivity, allowing it to detect single bacterial cells. This method can be applied directly to clinical samples and utilized as a rapid diagnostic tool for detecting the presence of newer phylotypes in deep dental caries.
Identification of Anthocyanin Protein Targets in Neisseria gonorrhoeae through Virtual Molecular Docking and Protein Network Analysis
Authors: Nas John Sylvester B.
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND:

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring compounds recognized for their antioxidant properties and potential therapeutic effects. While previous studies have documented their antibacterial activity, their impact on Neisseria gonorrhoeae has not been explored. This study aims to identify the primary protein targets of anthocyanins in N. gonorrhoeae and assess the implications of these interactions within the broader protein network.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We employed molecular docking studies to evaluate the binding affinities of various anthocyanins to key N. gonorrhoeae proteins involved in metabolism, protein degradation, and DNA/RNA modification. In addition, we analyzed protein-protein interactions and gene co-occurrence patterns to elucidate the functional significance of the identified protein targets.

RESULTS:

Our findings indicate that anthocyanins exhibit high binding affinities for bamE, a protein crucial for maintaining structural integrity and facilitating protein assembly. Network analysis further demonstrates bamE’s integration into a complex protein network, revealing conserved functional relationships across bacterial species. Notably, while direct co-expression of bamE with other proteins was not observed in N. gonorrhoeae, similar patterns in related bacteria suggest conserved regulatory mechanisms.

CONCLUSION:

The results of this study underscore the potential of anthocyanins to modulate bacterial protein interactions, particularly with bamE, thereby opening avenues for therapeutic interventions against bacterial infections. Further research is essential to fully elucidate these interactions and their implications for bacterial physiology and treatment strategies.
Unveiling Balantidium coli: A rare protozoan causing a series of cases of dysentery in Rajasthan and review of literature
Authors: Kataria S , Singla A , Sharma C
Published: December 2024

Balantidium coli is the largest, uncommon, and only ciliate parasite that infects humans and is more common in tropics and subtropical regions. It is mostly asymptomatic, but can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain and sometimes leads to perforation of the colon. It is harbored in animals, particularly among pigs in hotter environments and monkeys in the jungles. If not treated on time, it may lead to perforation of the large intestine, peritonitis, appendicle involvement, etc. It is more common in immune-compromised individuals, particularly in those living in poor hygienic conditions. Retrieval of rare parasites was possible only because of prompt stool transport and its early processing. There are only few previous reports regarding the pediatric cases of balantidiasis, and there is a little information about its clinical signs and treatment. Here, we report a case series of B. coli infection presenting as an acute diarrheal disease from Rajasthan.
Assessment of Masseter Muscle Hardness by Ultrasound Elastography and Hardness Meter in Healthy Individuals – An Observational Study
Authors: Patil Deepa Jatti , Rathore Rajesh Kumar , Patel Ashutosh
Published: December 2024

Background:

Examining the masseter muscle is crucial in assessment of temporomandibular disorders, hypertrophy, and sports injuries. The study aims to assess the hardness of masseter muscle in normal adults by muscle hardness meter and ultrasound elastography.

Methodology:

Seventy healthy participants were included in the study. The thickness and muscle elasticity index (MEI) of masseter was conducted with the LOGIQ P9 machine by ultrasound elastography. A portable muscle hardness meter was utilized to quantify the stiffness of the masseter muscle. The data were subjected to statistical analysis. Paired sample t-test was used to compare the masseter muscle thickness with MEI. Pearson’s correlation was used to compare the masseter thickness, MEI, and muscle hardness meter values of masseter muscle.

Results:

The patients’ average age was 33.68 ± 12.68 years. The average values of muscle hardness meter are 0.80 ± 0.08 N and 0.79 ± 0.08 N, masseter thickness 1.03 ± 0.20 cm and 1.034 ± 0.26 cm, and MEI are 1.30 ± 0.30 and 1.32 ± 0.31, respectively, on right and left sides. The MEI values augmented with age bilaterally on both sides. Males had greater masseter muscle thickness in comparison to females. The comparison between hardness values of masseter obtained by hardness meter and MEI by ultrasound elastography and the masseter muscle thickness were assessed by Pearson’s correlation. Hardness meter and MEI association were 0.628, (moderately positive) with a P < 0.001.

Conclusion:

It was discovered that portable muscle hardness meters and ultrasound elastography are reliable indicators for determining the stiffness and thickness of the masseter muscle. This study provides reference values that can be used for further research.
A bibliometric analysis of inflammatory bowel disease research in the Arab world
Authors: AlMuhaidib Shadan , Bzeizi Khalid , AlAmeel Turki , Mosli Mahmoud , Khoja Basmah , Barakeh Duna , Alomaim Waleed S. , Alqahtani Saleh A. , Al-Bawardy Badr
Published: December 2024

Background:

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to increase worldwide, including in the Arab world. This study investigates IBD research output in Arab countries from 2009 to 2023, alongside prevalence and incidence trends.

Methods:

We utilized bibliometric analysis with data from Clarivate Analytics, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and the World Bank. We compared the research output, citation impact, and funding across 22 Arab countries with global averages. Spearman’s correlation examined relationships between IBD publications and prevalence, incidence rates, gross domestic product (GDP), and population size.

Results:

Between 2009 and 2023, Arab countries produced 1004 IBD-related publications (2.9% of global output), with Saudi Arabia (37.7%) and Egypt (27.5%) being the leading countries. The median IBD incidence rose from 2.42 to 3.06 per 100,000, with the prevalence increasing from 28.93 to 33.95 per 100,000 from 2009 to 2019. Arab IBD research had a citation impact of 14.49 compared to the global average of 23.98. Funded research constituted 18.7% of Arab publications, lower than the global rate of 32.4%. We found positive correlations between IBD publication counts and prevalence (rs = 0.753), incidence rates (rs = 0.734), and GDP (rs = 0.782), all with P < 0.001. Population size showed a nonsignificant correlation (rs = 0.371, P = 0.090) with IBD publication counts.

Conclusions:

Arab nations contribute 2.9% of global IBD research, with lower citation impact and funding than the global average. Enhanced local support is crucial to improving research impact and addressing the rising prevalence of IBD in the Arab world.
Improved spectral projection estimates
Authors: Blair Matthew D. , Huang Xiaoqi , Sogge Christopher D.
Published: December 2024

We obtain new improved spectral projection estimates on manifolds of non-positive curvature, including sharp ones for relatively large spectral windows for general tori. Our results are stronger than those in an earlier work of the first and third authors (2019), and the arguments have been greatly simplified. We more directly make use of pointwise estimates that are implicit in the work of Bérard (1977) and avoid the use of weak-type spaces that were used in the previous works by the first and third authors (2017, 2019). We also simplify and strengthen the bilinear arguments by exploiting the use of microlocal Kakeya–Nikodym

L^{2}\to L^{q_c}

-estimates and avoiding the use of

L^{2}\to L^{2}

ones as in earlier results. This allows us to prove new results for manifolds of negative curvature and some new sharp estimates for tori. We also have new and improved techniques in two dimensions for general manifolds of non-positive curvature.
Eigenvalues for a class of non-Hermitian tetradiagonal Toeplitz matrices
Authors: Bogoya Manuel , Gasca Juanita , Grudsky Sergei M.
Published: December 2024

We study a family of non-Hermitian tetradiagonal Toeplitz matrices having a limiting set consisting of one analytic arc only. We derive individual asymptotic expansions for all eigenvalues as the matrix size grows to infinity. Additionally, we provide specific expansions for the extreme eigenvalues, which are those approaching the endpoints of the limiting set. Although this family does not belong to the simple-loop class, we managed to extend the existing theory to this case. Our results reveal the intricate details of the eigenvalue structure and allow a high accuracy direct calculation.
Magnetic Dirac operator in strips submitted to strong magnetic fields
Authors: Le Treust Loïc , Raymond Nicolas , Royer Julien
Published: December 2024

We consider the magnetic Dirac operator on a curved strip whose boundary carries the infinite mass boundary condition. When the magnetic field is large, we provide the reader with accurate estimates of the essential and discrete spectra. In particular, we give sufficient conditions ensuring that the discrete spectrum is non-empty.
Targeted gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of patients with gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report
Authors: Yang Yun-Chuan , Chen Zhi-Tao , Wan Da-Long , Tang Hui , Liu Mu-Lin
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

Gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) represents a subtype of gallbladder malignancies characterized by a low incidence, aggressive nature, and poor prognosis. Despite its clinical severity, the genetic alterations, mechanisms, and signaling pathways underlying gallbladder NEC remain unclear.

CASE SUMMARY

This case study presents a rare instance of primary gallbladder NEC in a 73-year-old female patient, who underwent a radical cholecystectomy with hepatic hilar lymphadenectomy and resection of liver segments IV-B and V. Targeted gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis tools, including STRING, GeneMANIA, Metascape, TRRUST, Sangerbox, cBioPortal and GSCA, were used to analyze the biological functions and features of mutated genes in gallbladder NEC. Twelve mutations (APC , ARID2 , IFNA6 , KEAP1 , RB1 , SMAD4 , TP53 , BTK , GATA1 , GNAS , and PRDM3 ) were identified, and the tumor mutation burden was determined to be 9.52 muts/Mb via targeted gene sequencing. A protein-protein interaction network showed significant interactions among the twelve mutated genes. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were used to assess mutation functions and pathways. The results revealed 40 tumor-related pathways. A key regulatory factor for gallbladder NEC-related genes was identified, and its biological functions and features were compared with those of gallbladder carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

Gallbladder NEC requires standardized treatment. Comparisons with other gallbladder carcinomas revealed clinical phenotypes, molecular alterations, functional characteristics, and enriched pathways.
Antiviral therapy for hepatitis B virus infection is beneficial for the prognosis hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wan Hui , Zhang Yu-Xin , Shan Guan-Yue , Cheng Jun-Ya , Qiao Duan-Rui , Liu Yi-Ying , Shi Wen-Na , Li Hai-Jun
Published: December 2024

In this editorial, we comment on the article by Mu et al , published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology . We pay special attention to the immune tolerance mechanism caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the role of antiviral therapy in treating HCC related to HBV infection. HBV infection leads to systemic innate immune tolerance by directly inhibiting pattern recognition receptor recognition and antiviral signaling pathways, as well as by inhibiting the immune functions of macrophages, natural killer cells and dendritic cells. In addition, HBV leads to an immunosuppressive cascade by expressing inhibitory molecules to induce exhaustion of HBV-specific cluster of differentiation 8 + T cells, ultimately leading to long-term viral infection. The loss of immune cell function caused by HBV infection ultimately leads to HCC. Long-term antiviral therapy can improve the prognosis of patients with HCC and prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis.