bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diseño curricular para el desarrollo sostenible y la ciudadanía global: intervención pedagógica en educación superior
Authors: Renteria-Vera Jorge Amado , Vélez-Castañeda Chárol Kátherin , Rodríguez-Caro Yesit Jovan , Peresin María Soledad
Published: February 2024

Los estudiantes del siglo XXI conviven en un mundo cada día más interconectado y diverso que requiere de aprendizajes activos, orientados desde una perspectiva multicultural. Por esta razón, el siguiente artículo tuvo como objetivo plantear el diseño e implementación de una propuesta para el fortalecimiento de las competencias de desarrollo sostenible y la ciudadanía mundial. En este sentido, se formula el modelo de gestión curricular que contribuye en la solución de los problemas locales y globales, dentro de los procesos pedagógicos de la Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo, ubicada en Medellín- Colombia. A través de las fases de caracterización, planificación, aplicación y evaluación, se propuso una investigación de naturaleza cuantitativa, con alcance descriptivo y de tipo experimental aplicada a 152 profesionales en formación de diferentes pregrados. Los resultados indican que el rango medio de la puntuación mediana del post test es mayor que la del pre test con un p-valor 4.553x10-9 menor del 5%. Esto se ve materializado en las capacidades de los estudiantes para ser flexibles y adaptables, tener conocimientos de la comunicación intercultural, ser autosuficiente en relación con los asuntos globales y generar un buen clima escolar, entre otras. De ahí se concluye que, la intervención pedagógica mejoró los resultados, de forma significativa, sobre los aprendizajes de los participantes del estudio.
Creación y pensamiento en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Aproximaciones filosóficas a los poporos
Authors: Mogollón-González Daniel-Ricardo , Maldonado-Serrano Jorge Francisco , Angarita-Cáceres Rafael Gonzalo
Published: February 2024

El artículo examina el poporo (Sugi/Yo’buru/Dumburru) de las culturas Kogi, Iku, Wiwa y Kankuama que habitan la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), situada al norte de Colombia. La investigación articula una serie de conversaciones con indígenas de la SNSM durante los últimos seis años. El acercamiento metodológico utilizado ha sido la etnografía compartida. A partir de la investigación, se adelanta un análisis de las consideraciones míticas sobre el poporo de cada uno de los grupos indígenas y se exponen los contenidos metafísicos, epistemológicos y éticos que se derivan de la acción de poporear. Los hallazgos obtenidos constituyen la posibilidad de realizar un diálogo entre culturas y perspectivas sobre los elementos fundamentales de una cosmovisión: metafísica, epistemología y ética, junto con la manera en la que se relacionan y se presentan. La evidencia allegada permite reconocer que en las sociedades ancestrales que pueblan la SNSM es posible distinguir conceptualmente los elementos distintivos de una cosmovisión; tal indicación, sin embargo, no implica, para estos grupos, la posibilidad de especializarse en la ejecución de uno de ellos en desmedro de los otros.
Community practice in nursing programs in the context of primary health care
Authors: Betancurth-Loaiza Diana Paola , Pico-Merchán María Eugenia , Orozco-Castillo Liliana
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Praxis involves the work of individuals in which social, political, psychological, economic, historical, cultural, institutional, moral, and ethical configurations are intertwined. Nursing professionals and students materialize their praxis with people, families, and communities. Objective: To determine the categories extracted from the scientific literature on community praxis in nursing programs. Method: A narrative review was conducted to interpret scientific studies related to community nursing programs and their practices (2011-2022) in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, using the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, and also Google Scholar. Quality assessment was performed through critical reading based on analysis tools for various study types. The collected data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti version 8 software. Results: Three categories were extracted: the complexity and simplicity of community nursing practices; the contradictions between text and context; and finally, the action and relational creation for education in community nursing. Conclusion: It is necessary to give new meaning to community nursing practices based on the experiences learned and promote an attitude in students and teachers characterized by initiative, solidarity, and trust.
Prediabetes: difícil decisión en el tratamiento farmacológico
Authors: Galvis Cristhian , Corredor-Rengifo David , Abreu-Lomba Alin
Published: February 2024

La Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) es el tipo más común y representa más del 90% del conglomerado de todos los diabéticos a nivel mundial. Por tanto, se busca intervenir de forma precoz el ciclo de salud- enfermedad que conlleva a esta patología. Se ha podido establecer la prediabetes como una etapa previa al desarrollo de diabetes y en consecuencia es importante retrasar o evitar esta progresión, que puede ocurrir hasta en el 10% de los pacientes.  Es de suma importancia la intervención primaria de las etapas prediabéticas. Este tratamiento deberá ser basado en un programa intensivo de cambios de hábitos de vida como la base del manejo. Adicionalmente, se han estudiado fármacos los cuales se individualizan según el objetivo de tratamiento. Entre los cuales están la metformina, con evidencia en grupos poblacionales especiales, los análogos de GLP1 y los ISGLT2. Pero para estos últimos grupos aun la evidencia es insuficiente.
Panorama de la osteoporosis en pacientes con VIH
Authors: Tello-Cajiao Maria Elena , Riveros Bermudez Sonia Dayana , Abreu Lomba Alin
Published: February 2024

Introducción: la infección por el Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH) es un problema importante de salud pública. La terapia antirretroviral ha mejorado notablemente la sobrevida de los pacientes; en consecuencia, la cronicidad de la infección ha conllevado a diversas complicaciones como las alteraciones del metabolismo mineral óseo.
Objetivo: resumir los principales factores que afectan la salud ósea en el paciente con VIH y que llevan al aumento del riesgo de osteoporosis y fracturas en esa población.
Métodos: se realizó una revisión narrativa de los principales factores que alteran el metabolismo mineral óseo en pacientes con VIH.
Resultados: el metabolismo mineral óseo en el paciente con VIH se afecta por factores tradicionales modificables, como la deficiencia de vitamina D y no modificables como la edad. Sin embargo, la presencia del virus, la respuesta inflamatoria inmune del huésped y la terapia retroviral también pueden disminuir la densidad mineral ósea.
Conclusión: la identificación e intervención precoz de los factores que afectan a la salud ósea en pacientes infectados por el VIH es imprescindible para reducir el riesgo de osteoporosis y fracturas.
The Virtual Teaching in Statistics Course in Higher Education: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Research
Authors:   Research Group EVIGUI “Educación Virtual en Ingeniería utilizando GUIs”, Universidad César Vallejo (UCV), Trujillo, Perú, Alvarado-Silva Carlos A.
Published: February 2024

The research presents a bibliometric review aimed at understanding the most effective educational practices for teaching statistics in a virtual setting. It identifies the primary scopes, achievements, and challenges associated with this recent approach. To achieve this, the study explores articles published in journals indexed in databases like Scopus and Web of Science between 2017 and 2023. These articles offer recommendations based on evidence-backed pedagogical practices. Out of the scrutinized articles, 50 studies aligning with inclusion criteria were analyzed. These studies were subjected to a bibliometric approach and systematic literature research supported by the R bibliometrix software. This software was utilized to identify various research trends. Based on the study results, the analysis grouped teaching methods that exhibit greater efficacy in the virtual learning of the statistics.
Clinicomorphological patterns in an outbreak of paederus dermatitis in patients attending rural tertiary care hospital
Authors: Bandi Niharika Reddy  , Reddy Duttala Indira , Kumar B. Udaya , Reddy N. Harish Kumar
Published: February 2024

Background: Paederus dermatitis (PD) is an acute irritant contact dermatitis caused by beetles belonging to the genus ‘Paederus’. The study aims to describe the clinical and morphological patterns and epidemiology of PD.
Methods: A descriptive study was done on 80 patients with PD attending DVL OPD in a tertiary care hospital for 6 months i.e.; from March to August 2023. A detailed clinical history was taken and local and systemic examinations were done.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 24.8 years. The percentage of females affected was 61.25% and males was 38.75%. Peak cases were noted during May (32.5%) followed by August (17.5%). Out of 80 patients, 61 had erythematous plaques (76.25%) along with other types of lesions (mixed lesions), 8 had post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (10%), 5 had bullae (6.25%), 6 had erosions alone (7.5%). Out of 61 patients with erythematous plaques, 16 had vesicles and 15 had pustules. Common sites involved were face and neck (42.5%), trunk (35%), and upper extremity (30%), 51.2% of patients were sleeping with windows open, 73.7 % of patients complained of itching, 80% of patients were residing in areas with nearby vegetations. 60% of the patients affected were students residing at college hostels in rural areas with surrounding vegetation.
Conclusions: PD can present in various forms and should be promptly differentiated from other conditions. Proper education of the general population and awareness about the paederus beetles should be given.
Bowens disease: clinico pathological correlation with review of literature
Authors: A. Rohini , Joseph Leena Dennis , Priyadarshini Anuradha
Published: February 2024

Bowen’s disease is a type of squamous cell carcinoma in situ. It is most frequently diagnosed in the sixth to eighth decade of life. However, there have also been a few reports of pigmented Bowen’s disease. A single or multiple erythematous, round to irregular, scaly, keratotic, nodular, pigmented patches/plaques are first signs of the lesion. All cases of Bowen’s disease presented at a tertiary care centre over a period of seven years were included in this study. The patient details and clinical history were obtained from medical records. Histopathological slides of these cases were reviewed and analyzed. There were fourteen cases of Bowen’s disease with most patients belonging to 5-6th decade of life (80%). Males were more commonly affected (60%). Duration of the lesion ranged between 3-5 years in 60% of the patients. Most common site involved was lower back (80%). Most common presenting feature was hyperpigmented, erythematous plaques with scaling seen in 90% of the patients. Epidermal changes such as marked acanthosis with full thickness atypia were noted in 90 % and hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis was noted in 70% of the patients. Lichenoid infiltrates at dermo-epidermal junction was noted in 70% cases. The correct identification helps in appropriate diagnosis and treatment after biopsy confirmation. Adequate resection helps in preventing risk of invasive malignancy in these conditions.
Re-contextualising human resource management in the 4IR: Lessons for Lesotho
Authors: Mahapa Mildred , Mahao Maletsoela Ellen , Sesinyi Lenyora
Published: February 2024

Indeed, the 4th industrial revolution (4IR) has redefined the world of work. A new set of skills needs to be defined and made available to organisations. Human resource management practices now operate in a complex, interconnected, unpredictable, and evolving environment. The question that one needs to answer is: how can HR align its functions to meet the demands of the fourth IR? It is prudent that human resource functions evolve quickly and adapt to changing demands. Research purpose: This paper seeks to unpack the changes that have been brought about by the 4IR and suggest ways in which HR professionals in Lesotho can align with this inevitable era of digitalisation. Motivation for the study: Due to the dynamics and transformations that have been brought about by the 4IR, this study was motivated by the need to understand the effects of the 4IR in small economies on the HR function and offer lessons to embrace change. Research approach: The research was qualitative in nature, and data was collected purposefully from journal articles, newspapers, and book chapters. Content analysis was used for the data analysis. Research findings: The effects of the 4IR through digitalisation disruptions have been felt across all corporate functions, and HR is no exception. It has had a massive influence on both the economy and the labour force and impacted employee roles in terms of health, mobility, working hours, personal life, and general administration. HR leaders play a critical role in ensuring that businesses are able to successfully adopt and deploy new technologies. Contributions: The research unpacks the effects of 4IR and gives practical lessons for HR professionals in Lesotho.
Sense of Magnitude
Authors: Trivedi Nripesh
Published: February 2024

It is often wondered what is the pattern followed by numbers everywhere. This has applications from science to daily routine of people. This paper answers this problem. In this paper, a simple but accurate sense of numbers or magnitude is presented.
Students’ Creative Thinking Ability in Solving Mathematical Problems
Authors: Nasrianti Asra , Tahmir Suradi , Upu Hamzah
Published: February 2024

This research aims to determine the description of students' creative thinking abilities in solving mathematical problems in learning Trigonometry. The research design is descriptive qualitative. The research subjects were Class X high school students. Data collection instruments included Creative Thinking Ability TESTs and interviews. The data analysis technique used is time triangulation. This research explores students' creative thinking abilities in solving mathematical problems. The results show that the ability to think creatively Students' mathematics is described based on a review of the answers to the mathematical creative thinking ability test which consists of 4 aspects, namely fluency, flexibility, novelty and detail. Based on the average results of students' answers in solving questions regarding mathematical creative thinking abilities, there were 5 questions, which had different averages, although none of their creative thinking abilities reached the very high category. This shows that students are less able to solve problems with mathematical creative thinking skills. The ability to think creatively at the high strata is at high criteria with an average of 28.6. The highest score achieved by students was 32 and the lowest score was 23.
Andrographis paniculata Leaves Extract Inhibit TNF-α and Caspase-3 Expression of Septic Rats’ Intestinal Tissues
Authors: Ardika Ryco Giftyan , Budiono Bernardus Parish , Widiastiti Nyoman Suci , Maharani Nani , Susilaningsih Neni , Sandra Ferry
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND: Microcirculation and cellular disturbances caused by sepsis might trigger significant intestinal damage. Andrographis paniculata extract decreases inflammatory intestinal epithelial cells with its role as an antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory agent. However, A. paniculata extract’s effect on sepsis have not been commonly studied, especially in the intestinal tissues. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine A. paniculata leaves extract (APLE) effect in sepsis-induced intestinal tissues of rats by examining the expression of inflammatory cytokines involved in sepsis, namely tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and Caspase-3.METHODS: Rats were divided into five groups; two groups received no pretreatment and the other three groups received 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg BW/day APLE, respectively. Three pretreated groups and one group with no pretreatment were then injected with 1 mg/200 g BW lipopolysaccharides (LPS) intraperitoneally to create septic rat models. Three days after the LPS-induction, rats were euthanized and the expression of TNF-α and Caspase-3 were assessed based on the immunohistochemical staining of rats’ intestinal tissues.RESULTS: Compared with NaCl (sham), LPS significantly (p<0.001) induced TNF-α expression from 6.60±1.36 to 25.37±1.74. Pretreatment of 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg BW/day APLE could significantly (p<0.001) inhibit the LPS-induced TNF-α expression (18.82±1.36, 11.45±1.18, and 6.89±1.90, respectively). Similar with TNF-α, compared with NaCl (sham), LPS significantly (p<0.001) induced Caspase-3 expression from 6.92±1.66 to 23.59±2.25. Pretreatment of 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg BW/day APLE could significantly (p<0.001) inhibit the LPS-induced Caspase-3 expression (17.47±1.68, 12.99±1.51, and 5.59±1.51, respectively).CONCLUSION: The pretreatment of APLE could inhibit the LPS-induced TNF-α and Caspase-3 expression, therefore APLE could be suggested as a potential sepsis-preventing agent.KEYWORDS: Andrographis paniculata, sepsis, TNF-α, Caspase-3, lipopolysaccharide
Expression of GABAA Receptor Subunits α1 and β2 in Healthy Human Dental Pulp
Authors: Sivakumar Diveyaa , Shahidan Wan Nazatul Shima , Ghani Nurhafizah , Liszen Tang , Ramli Rosmaliza
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), has a well-established role in pain modulation. While numerous studies have delved into the expression of GABA and its receptors in dental pulp, the exact influence of these receptors on dental pain signaling has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the gene and protein expression of the two most abundantly expressed GABA type A (GABAA) receptor subunits, GABAA receptor subunit α1 (GABRA1) and β2 (GABRB2), in healthy human dental pulp.METHODS: Six tooth samples were collected from healthy individuals referred for orthodontic treatment. Total RNA was isolated from the pulp tissues of three samples and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to assess gene expression of GABRA1 and GABRB2. The other three samples were examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for visualization of GABRA1 and GABRB2 proteins within the dental pulp.RESULTS: RT-PCR analysis reported the presence of both GABRA1 and GABRB2 in the dental pulp, and independent t-test analysis revealed that the expression of GABRA1 was significantly higher than GABRB2. The immunohistochemical staining provided compelling visual evidence of the expression of GABRA1 and GABRB2 proteins within the odontoblast layer of dental pulp, clearly indicating their presence in the cell bodies and odontoblastic processes extending into the dentin.CONCLUSION: The presence of α1 and β2 subunits of the GABAA receptor in healthy human dental pulp offers valuable insights for further research into the potential roles of GABAA receptors in dental pain signaling.KEYWORDS: γ-aminobutyric acid, GABAA receptors, GABRA1, GABRB2, dental pain, pain signaling
Hypoglycemic Activity and Safety Assessment of Pediococcus acidilactici Strain DNH16 in Experimental Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rats Induced with Streptozotocin
Authors: Fachrial Edy , Lina Juliana , Harmileni Harmileni , Anggraini Sari , Sihotang Widya Yanti
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases tend to rise throughout the year in all parts of the world. The α-glucosidase inhibitors are frequently used to both prevent and treat T2DM. This α-glucosidase inhibitor activity is seen in some probiotic species, and a certain strain of Pediococcus acidilactici exhibits promising characteristics as an α-glucosidase inhibitor. This study was conducted to assess the hypoglycemic activity and safety of P. acidilactici strain DNH16 (PADNH16) in experimental rats with T2DM induced by streptozotocin.METHODS: The experiment was conducted in vivo using Wistar rats. Acarbose was employed as a positive control, and Lactobacillus casei was used as a comparative. For 24 days, post-prandial blood glucose levels were assessed every 3 days, followed by serum biochemical levels measurement of liver, kidney, and lipid profiles. The pancreas was histopathologically examined utilizing the Hematoxyline-Eosin staining procedure.RESULTS: Administration of PADNH16 to T2DM rats lowered post-prandial blood glucose levels and gave hypoglycemic benefits comparable to acarbose and commercial probiotics. PADNH16 dosing did not affect serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), urea, or creatinine levels, showing that PADNH16 was not hazardous to liver or kidney function. The lipid profile assessment revealed that the values, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides, were comparable to the control group. The pancreatic histopathology revealed that injection of PADNH16 caused no alterations to pancreatic β cells.CONCLUSION: P. acidilactici isolate DNH16 has a hypoglycemic effect on T2DM rats, but does not affect liver function enzymes, kidneys, lipid profiles and does not provide significant changes in pancreatic β cells.KEYWORDS: diabetes mellitus, inhibitor α-glucosidase, Pediococcus acidilactici strain DNH16
Narcissistic Behavior Madrasah Aliyah students on Tiktok
Authors: Rahmawati Novi , Magfiroh Nafilah , Laksana Eko
Published: February 2024

Tiktok is one of the most popular social media. On use Tiktok, can function as an educational and entertainment medium, but can also spread misleading value. In Indonesia, existence Tiktok is quite popular, there are around 22.2 million monthly active users.  The research aims to determine the level of narcissism of Madrasah Aliyah students who use Tiktok. Researchers used online surveys to collect data. One hundred students using TikTok answered a survey that was launched using a Google form. Overall, the results show that student narcissism is at a moderate level. In detail, 34 students have narcissistic behavior at a low level, 31 students are in the very low category, 28 students are moderate, and 7 students are in the high category, these students have a tendency to use Tiktok only to access entertainment.
Mobile Application Use and Patient Engagement in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Sniderman Jhase , Monarrez Ruben , Drew Jacob , Abdeen Ayesha
Published: February 2024

» Mobile applications (MAs) are widely available for use during the perioperative period and are associated with increased adherence to rehabilitation plans, increased satisfaction with care, and considerable cost savings when used appropriately.

» MAs offer surgeons and health care stakeholders the ability to collect clinical data and quality metrics that are important to value-based reimbursement models and clinical research.

» Patients are willing to use wearable technology to assist with data collection as part of MAs but prefer it to be comfortable, easy to apply, and discreet.

» Smart implants have been developed as the next step in MA use and data collection, but concerns exist pertaining to patient privacy and cost.

» The ongoing challenge of MA standardization, validation, equity, and cost has persisted as concerns regarding widespread use.
SPRAG: a Short Programming Related Answer Grading Dataset
Authors: Bonthu Sridevi , S S Rama , Prasad M. H.M. Krishna
Published: February 2024

Automated Short Answer Grading (ASAG) is one of the most stud-ied applications of NLP in the education domain. Most of the work in this area focuses on natural language responses. The main contribution of this work is the building and benchmarking of the Short Program-ming Related Answer Grading dataset. The corpus contains questions and answers taken from python programming subjects involving symbols, keywords, and no grammar. We propose data collection, preprocessing, and annotating methods that enable the creation of the corpus. This paper also provides an initial analysis of the corpus. A range of pre-trained sentence-transformer models are evaluated on the dataset for both binary and multi-class classiﬁcation. Our best ﬁne-tuned model yields an accuracy of 86.16% on binary classiﬁcation and 56.11% on multiclass classiﬁcation. We ﬁnd that ﬁne-tuning the pre-trained models results in the best performance for binary classiﬁcation. The dataset is freely available to the public.
Causal relationship between prostate cancer and cardiovascular diseases: Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization
Authors: wu xiaojing , Zhang Weiping , Chen Huijun , Weng Jianfei
Published: February 2024

Background
Prostate cancer (PCa) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a high prevalence worldwide, and the presence of both PCa and CVD signals a poor prognosis; the risk relationship between the two diseases is debatable.
Methods
This study searched for relationship to PCa and four CVDs using a Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach. Bidirectional causality was investigated using univariate MR investigations. The data were then adjusted for the six major PCa and CVD risk variables using a multivariate MR model and examined for mediated effects.
Results
PCa was a risk factor for the development of heart failure. Atrial fibrillation and stroke has been a protective effect against the incidence of PCa. Following the adjustment of the multivariate MR model, the association between PCa and heart failure persisted. However, the association between atrial fibrillation and PCa was no longer present after adjustment for BMI. The causal relationship between stroke and PCa was no longer significant in multiple multivariate adjustment models. The mediator MR analysis revealed that atrial fibrillation mediated 15.28% of the causal relationship between BMI and PCa.
Conclusions
Our study suggests that PCa is a risk factor for heart failure and atrial fibrillation is a protective factor for PCa.
Vulnerability to Subsidence of the City of Juliaca Using the Dinsar 2022 Methodology
Authors: Espetia Norman D Everlyn Flores , Espetia Rivlin Max Miliam Flores , Ticona Rina Luzmeri Yampara
Published: February 2024

Subsidence is a phenomenon related to anthropic activities including the exploitation of underground water resources, a problem present in many countries such as Iran, Mexico, India, France, Italy, China, USA, Japan, just like in the city of Juliaca. The research aimed to identify vulnerability to subsidence in the City of Juliaca through Differential Interferential Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR). The DinSAR Methodology collects satellite data and then processes it using the Sentinel Applition Platform (SNAP) and provides a final map of displacements; the software and manuals are provided by the European Space Agency (ESA). The results show worrying values, reaching an average subsidence value of -326.494mm from 2015 to 2022. These results are related to anthropic activities such as the exploitation of underground water resources and the strata of the areas most vulnerable to this phenomenon, the areas most affected by the subsidence are the areas surrounding the city of Juliaca with a vertical speed of deformation of the soil of -46.642mm / year, these values are obtained in the analysis of the periods from 2015 to 2022 (07 years), being the Auxiliary Zone 01 (Exit Huancané) the most affected by this phenomenon. Studies around the planet have shown us that subsidence puts at risk both material goods and human lives, therefore the importance of the analysis of this phenomenon must be anticipated for the correct application of possible solutions that fit the parameters of the place of study, this article is concerned.
Results of a survey on eating habits and nutritional status of university students and analysis of the correlation between different lifestyles and body composition
Authors: Liu Ling , Gong Wan , Li Jun , Zhou Wei , Lin Li
Published: February 2024

Objective To explore the results of the survey on eating habits and nutritional status of university students and the correlation analysis between different lifestyles and body composition.
Methods College students enrolled in a university were selected as the study subjects, and a total sample size of 993 cases was included in this study from November 2021 to December 2021 to analyze the effects and correlations of different lifestyles on body composition through questionnaires as well as body composition measurements.
Results (1) Living habits. 3.02% of students smoked cigarettes, 9.96% of male students smoked cigarettes, and 0.42% of female students smoked cigarettes; 17.42% of students drank alcohol; 47.83% went online for 2-3h per day, and those who went online for ≥4h were 16.01%, 48.54% studied for 9-10h per day, and 20 48.74% of students slept less than 7h;(2) Analysis of the questionnaire on the frequency of raw and simplified food for college students. 46.32% of college students could manage to eat vegetables every day, 31.02% of college students could ensure that they ate fruits 3-4 days a week, 21.15% of college students hardly ate fish and shrimp, and 16.11% of college students could ensure that they ate dairy products every day. In terms of the frequency of major food intake types per week, there was a significant difference between male and female students in terms of the frequency of food intake types, except for soya bean products (P < 0.05);(3) Analysis of body composition of college students. The percentage of male students' body fat is significantly lower than that of female students (P < 0.05), and the percentage of male students' body water, body protein, and body mineral is higher than that of female students (P < 0.05); the rate of female students' insufficient body water content, the rate of insufficient protein content, and the rate of body fat content exceeding the standard are higher than that of male students (P < 0.05);(4) Analysis of nutritional status of college students. The hidden obesity of female students is significantly higher than that of male students (P < 0.05). The percentage of malnutrition in male students is higher than that of female students (P < 0.05);(5) Correlation analysis of body fat and protein content of university students with lifestyle. The frequency of fruit consumption was an independent influence on the body fat and protein content of college students (P < 0.05).
Conclusion College students' dietary structure is unbalanced, and sleep time is generally shorter, most college students' body protein content is insufficient, and female college students' hidden obesity problem is prominent, and increasing the frequency of fruit consumption can effectively improve the proportion of protein in college students' body.
A Dynamic Symmetric Key Generation at Wireless Link Layer: Information-Theoretic Perspectives
Authors: Bhatti David Samuel
Published: February 2024

The expansion of wireless communication introduces security vulnerabilities, emphasizing the essential need for secure systems that prioritize confidentiality, integrity, and other key aspects of data protection. Since, computational security acknowledges the possibility of breaches when adequate computational resources are available that is why information-theoretic security is being explored that suggests the existence of unbreakable cryptographic systems, even in the presence of limitless processing power. Secret key exchange has traditionally relied on RSA or DH protocols, but researchers are now exploring innovative approaches for sharing secret keys among wirless network devices, leveraging physical or link layer characteristics. This research seeks to revolutionize secure multi-party key acquisition in wireless networks, capitalizing on information-theoretic security and collaborative data extraction. It comprehensively organize and elucidate the information-theoretic aspects of secret key generation within the lower layers of wireless networks, especially the link layer, proposes a novel theoretical framework for the dynamic acquisition of symmetric secret keys, and responds to contemporary information security challenges by relying on information theory principles rather than vulnerable mathematical relationships in the post-quantum period. A new cryptographic key can be generated using a straightforward method, and when it's combined (XORed) with the previous key, it creates a continuously changing secret for encryption and decryption. This approach enhances security because as attackers attempt to break the encryption, the system generates fresh, dynamic keys, making it progressively more challenging for them to succeed. The research work in question integrates key renewal, or how often keys are updated (dynamic keys), with a security off-period. It introduces a framework for determining the best key refresh rate based on the anticipated rate at which keys might be compromised.
Quantum Vector Signal Analyzer
Authors: Wu Hao , Mitts Grant , Ho Clayton , Rabinowitz Joshua , Hudson Eric
Published: February 2024

A technique that allows a harmonic oscillator to be used as a wideband vector signal analyzer is described and demonstrated using a single trapped 40ca+ ion cooled near its motional ground state. Further, the analyzer is shown to be compatible with both quantum amplification via squeezing and measurement in the Fock basis, allowing performance beyond the standard quantum limit. In addition to providing an attractive platform for quantum sensing of small fields, the technique allows in situ calibration of qubit control lines in systems using quantum harmonic oscillators and transduction of external, non-resonant drives into oscillator motion. This technique is extendable to other quantum harmonic oscillator systems.
Heparin-enriched plasma proteome is significantly altered in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Guo Qi , Ping Lingyan , Dammer Eric B , Yin Luming , Xu Kaiming , Shantaraman Anantharaman , Fox Edward J. , Golde Todd E , Johnson Erik C.B. , Roberts Blaine R. , Lah James J. , Levey Allan I. , Seyfried Nicholas T.
Published: February 2024

Introduction:
Heparin binding proteins (HBPs) with roles in extracellular matrix assembly are strongly correlated to β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, it remains challenging to detect these proteins in plasma using standard mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches.
Methods:
We employed heparin affinity chromatography, followed by off-line fractionation and tandem mass tag mass spectrometry (TMT-MS), to capture and enrich HBPs in plasma obtained from AD (n=62) and control (n=47) samples. These profiles were then correlated to a consensus AD brain proteome, as well as with Aβ, tau and phosphorylated tau (pTau) CSF biomarkers from the same individuals. We then leveraged published human postmortem brain proteome datasets to assess the overlap with the heparin-enriched plasma proteome.
Results:
Heparin-enrichment from plasma was highly reproducible, enriched well-known HBPs like APOE and thrombin, and depleted high-abundance proteins such as albumin. A total of 2865 proteins, spanning 10 orders of magnitude were detectable. Utilizing a consensus AD brain protein co-expression network, we observed that specific plasma HBPs exhibited consistent direction of change in both brain and plasma, whereas others displayed divergent changes highlighting the complex interplay between the two compartments. Elevated HBPs in AD plasma, when compared to controls, included members of the matrisome module in brain that accumulate within Aβ deposits, such as SMOC1, SMOC2, SPON1, MDK, OLFML3, FRZB, GPNMB, and APOE. Additionally, heparin enriched plasma proteins demonstrated significant correlations with conventional AD CSF biomarkers, including Aβ, total tau, pTau, and plasma pTau from the same individuals.
Conclusion:
These findings support the utility of a heparin-affinity approach for enriching amyloid-associated proteins, as well as a wide spectrum of plasma biomarkers that reflect pathological changes in the AD brain.
Azilsartan and Ceftriaxone, A Novel Combination Ameliorates Excitotoxicity Mediated Neuroinflammation in In-Vitro, and In-Vivo Models of Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Rao Gaddam Narasimha , Jupudi Srikanth , Prasad Devarakonda Krishna , Bharathi Jeyaram , Baba Mohammad Zubair , Justin Antony
Published: February 2024

Excitotoxicity is an early event of cerebral ischemia, oxidative stress and cytokine storm plays a critical role in dysfunction of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter-2 (EAAT-2) thereby neuroinflammatory cascade will be activated. Generally, tissue Plasminogen Activators (tPA’s) and anticoagulant therapies are being used as first line treatment options but due to its narrow therapeutic window and anticipatory drawbacks of its administration tPA’s are not much popular in clinical practice. Although, the existing treatment options would not interfere in neuroinflammatory mechanisms rather than restoring the cerebral arterial circulation, in fact EAAT-2 dysfunction during ischemic condition attributes a significant role in neuronal loss. Based on the earlier studies we designed a novel combination for target neuroinflammatory pathways in cerebral ischemia. Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) Azilsartan (Azi) and a third generation Cephalosporin Ceftriaxone (Cef) were repurposed to treat the cerebral ischemia inin vitro Oxygen Glucose deprive (OGD) primary astrocytes and N2a neuronal co-culture and in vivo middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) rat model. Novel combination was administered after ischemic reperfusion injury and then we evaluated several parameters such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis, oxidative stress markers, cytokine estimation, and RT-PCR. The novel combination ameliorated the neurodegeneration by down regulating the ROS, apoptosis, oxidative stress, glutamate concentration and also enhanced the level of antioxidant enzymes like Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Reduced Glutathione (GSH). Moreover, EAAT-2 gene expression was remarkably increased with the treatment of novel combination of Azi and Cef than the individual treatment
Attitude towards Cholera Vaccination and its Related Factors in Jordan amid the 2022 Middle East Outbreak
Authors: Sallam Malik , Athamneh Rabaa Y. , Alkhazaleh Rawan , Alzayadneh Lana , Jaradat Laila , Majali Tala , Obeidat Sarah , Shhab Aseel , Hallit Souheil , Barakat Muna , Mahafzah Azmi
Published: February 2024

Background: An outbreak of cholera was reported in the Middle East by the second half of 2022. Raising public awareness and vaccination against cholera represent critical factors in the preventive efforts. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge of cholera and attitude towards its vaccination among a sample of the general public residing in Jordan.
Methods: An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the residents in Jordan using a snowball convenience-based sampling approach. The questionnaire based on previously published studies included items to evaluate sociodemographic variables, knowledge about cholera symptoms, transmission, and prevention and the willingness to accept cholera vaccination. Additionally, four items based on the validated 5C scale in Arabic were included to assess the psychological factors influencing attitude to cholera vaccination.
Results: The final study sample comprised 1339 respondents, of whom 1216 (90.8%) heard of cholera before the study. Among those who heard of cholera, and on a scale from 0 to 20, the overall mean cholera Knowledge score (K-score) was 12.9±3.8. In multivariate analysis, being over 30 years old and occupation as healthcare workers or students in healthcare-related colleges were significantly associated with a higher K-score compared to younger individuals and students in non-healthcare-related colleges. Overall, the acceptance of cholera vaccination if cases are recorded in Jordan, and if the vaccine is safe, effective, and provided freely was reported among 842 participants (69.2%), while 253 participants were hesitant (20.8%) and 121 participants were resistant (10.0%). In linear regression, the significant predictors of cholera vaccine acceptance were solely the three psychological factors namely high confidence, low constraints, and high collective responsibility.
Conclusions: In this study, the identified gaps in cholera knowledge emphasize the need to enhance educational initiatives. Although cholera vaccine acceptance was relatively high, a significant minority of the respondents exhibited vaccination hesitancy or resistance. The evident correlation between the psychological determinants and attitudes toward cholera vaccination emphasizes the need to consider these factors upon designing public health campaigns aimed at cholera prevention. The insights of the current study highlight the importance of addressing both knowledge gaps and psychological barriers to optimize cholera control strategies.
Enhancing heat transfer in double tube heat exchanger by nail rod inserts: numerical and experimental study
Authors: Marzouk S. A. , Sharaf Maisa A. , Almehmadi Fahad Awjah , Aljabr Ahmad
Published: February 2024

Double-tube heat exchanger (DTHX) is extensively utilized in many applications because of their small size, easy maintenance, and suitability for high-pressure applications. In this study, the heat transfer enhancement in a DTHX is studied experimentally and numerically by adding a nail rod insert (NRI). The study is performed with a steel nails rod insert 1000 mm long and a turbulence flow with a Reynolds number ranging from 3200 to 5700. Three different pitches of NRI such as 100 mm, 50 mm, and 25 mm are investigated. The attained results reveal that inserting nail rods raises the Nu number, and additional improvement can be attained by reducing pitch length. Nu number enhancement ratios for 25 mm pitch NRI are 1.81–1.9 times higher than the plain tube. Pressure drop rises in all configurations with NRI due to turbulence and obstructive NRI area. Among various pitch lengths, 25 mm exhibits the highest values of pressure drop where these values are overlooked concerning potential heat transfer improvements. Exergy efficiency rises across all cases with NRI, correlating with increased heat transfer, resulting in a 128% improvement in exergy efficiency for 25 mm pitch length. The numerical findings elucidate that the novel insert augments flow turbulence with secondary flows, thereby improving heat transfer in DTHX. A comprehensive analysis is presented with temperature, velocity, and pressure drop distributions from the numerical results.
Implementation of a rapid diagnostic assay package for Cryptococcosis, Histoplasmosis and Tuberculosis in People Living with HIV in Paraguay
Authors: Aguilar Gloria , Lopez Gladys , Sued Omar , Medina Narda , Caceres Diego H , Pereira Jose , Jordan Alexander , Lezcano Virgilio , Vicenti Cristina , Benitez Gustavo , Samudio Tania , Perez Freddy
Published: February 2024

Background
Opportunistic infections (OIs) are common causes of mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV). We determined prevalence and 30-day mortality due to histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and TB in PLHIV with advanced HIV disease (AHD).
Methods
PLHIV 18 years and older, not receiving ART with advanced HIV were enrolled and followed for 30 days. Detection of Histoplasma Ag (HisAg) in urine was done by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), Cryptococcus antigen (CrAg) was detected in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens by lateral flow assay (LFA), and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) detection in urine was by LFA (TB LAM) and in sputum by GeneXpert for diagnosis of Mycobacterium infections.
Results
From August 2021 to June 2022, 491 PLHIV were enrolled; 482 (98%) had a CD4 result, and 381 patients (79%) were classified with AHD according to CD4 cell count (< 200 CD4/mm3). Frequency of an OI was 38% (n = 145/381). Antigen test positivity rate was 16% (72/467) for TB-LAM, 9% (43/464) for HisAg, and 11% (51/484) for CrAg. Twenty-one of 34 (62%) patients receiving CSF CrAg tests were positive, confirming meningitis. Significant differences in 30-day mortality were observed in patients with an OI (16%) vs no OI (7%) (p = 0.002). Mortality was highest in patients with histoplasmosis (25%), co-infection (22%), cryptococcosis (18% overall; 19% for cryptococcal meningitis), and TB (10%).
Conclusions
TB and fungal (OIs), including co-infection, were common in PLHIV in Paraguay and had high associated mortality. Laboratories and health facilities need access to CD4 testing and rapid diagnostic assays.
Machine learning insight: Unveiling overlooked risk factors for postoperative complications in gastric cancer
Authors: Lee Sejin , Oh Hyo-Jung , Yoo Hosuon , Kim Chan-Young
Published: February 2024

Since postoperative complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer are associated with poor clinical outcomes, it is crucial to predict and prepare for the occurrence of complications preoperatively. We evaluated machine learning for predicting complications after gastric cancer surgery, emphasizing its advantage in uncovering unnoticed risk factors and improving preoperative strategies over linear regression models. We retrospectively reviewed cohort data from 865 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 2018–2022. A total of 83 variables including demographics, clinical features, laboratory values, intraoperative parameters, and pathologic results were used to conduct the machine learning model. The data set was partitioned into 80% for training and 20% for validation. Utilizing the backward elimination method and a moderate strategy for handling missing data, machine learning models achieved an impressive area under the curve value of 0.744, outshining linear regression in performance. We pinpointed 15 significant variables linked to postoperative complications. Among these, operation time emerged as the most impactful, with pre-operative albumin levels and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) trailing closely. This research underscores the capabilities of machine learning in refining predictions of post-gastric cancer surgery complications. It highlights previously overlooked risk factors, emphasizing the nuanced role of Complete Blood Count (CBC) parameters.
The lower shear modulus of younger subjects can result in stronger Achilles tendons - an in silico analysis.
Authors: Pinto Otávio Teixeira , Klahr Bruno , Thiesen José Luís Medeiros , Carniel Thiago André , Fancello Eduardo Alberto
Published: February 2024

Proteins such as the collagen of tendons and other structures of the body tend to form cross-links with their neighbors as a result of aging. These new chemical bonds are known to increase the lateral force transfer between collagen molecules and, as a consequence, increase the shear stresses present in tissues with a high degree of fiber organization such as the Achilles tendon. A finite element model of the Achilles tendon is proposed to compare three levels of lesion severity on two different Achilles tendon models (young and old). The low and high levels of lesion severity show no difference between the old and the young case, but the medium level of severity shows that the lower shear modulus of the young case protects the tendon by resulting in a more homogeneous stress field, whereas the old case shows an increase in the stress concentration near the lesion site.