bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis following influenza infection: a case report
Authors: Wickramasinghe Chathula Ushari , Sivasubramanium Murugapillai , Muthugala Rohitha
Published: May 2023

Background

Acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis is a life-threatening condition leading to shock and multiorgan failure. Although prevalent in the general population, the incidence during pregnancy is low, with a high maternal and fetal mortality rate. The highest incidence is in the third trimester/early postpartum period. Infectious etiology for acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis is rare with only a handful of cases following influenza infection being documented in the literature.

Case presentation

A 29-year-old Sinhalese pregnant lady in the third trimester presented with an upper respiratory tract infection and abdominal pain, for which she was managed with oral antibiotics. An elective caesarean section was done at 37 weeks gestation due to a past section. On postoperative day 3 she developed a fever with difficulty in breathing. Despite treatment, she succumbed to death on the sixth postoperative day. The autopsy revealed extensive fat necrosis with saponification. The pancreas was necrosed and hemorrhagic. The lungs showed features of adult respiratory distress syndrome and necrosis was observed in the liver and kidneys. Polymerase chain reaction of lungs detected influenza A virus (subtype H3).

Conclusion

Although rare, acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis from an infectious etiology carries risk of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a high level of clinical suspicion must be upheld among clinicians to minimize adverse outcomes.
Sex differences in learning and performing the Go/NoGo tasks
Authors: Zhang Qianwen , Li Mingxi , Wang Zhiru , Chen Fujun
Published: May 2023

Background

The quality of learning and post-learning performances is critical for daily life. The behavioral flexibility is equally important for adapting the changing circumstances. The learning process requires repeated practices, which enhances prompt and proper behavioral responses, in turn, which promotes habits formation as well. Despite the well-documented sex differences in learning and performances, contradictory results were reported. A possible cause might be a systematic analysis due to specific research interests, regardless of the continuity of natural acquisition process. Here, we investigate the potential sex differences in learning, performances and adjustments of habited behaviors with regular and reversal Go/NoGo tasks.

Methods

Both male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. All rats were trained for a regular rodent Go/NoGo task and a subset of rats were trained for a reversal rodent Go/NoGo task, both with strict elimination criteria. The behavioral performance data were stored in PC for off-line analysis. Multiple behavioral indices were analyzed for both passed and retired rats.

Results

The ability of learning the regular the reversal Go/NoGo tasks was similar for both male and female rats, however, the female rats took longer time to master the task principles in later stages for both tasks. In the regular Go/NoGo task, the female rats spent more time on completing the trial in performance optimization phases, which implied female rats were more cautious than male rats. Along with the progression of training, both male and female rats developed Go-preference strategies to perform the regular Go/NoGo task, which induced failure to meet the setting success criteria. The retired male rats exhibited shorter RTs and MTs than the retired female rats after developing Go-preference. Moreover, the time needed to complete the Go trials was significantly prolonged for male rats in the reversal Go/NoGo task.

Conclusions

Overall, we conclude that distinctive strategies were employed in performing Go/NoGo tasks for both male and female rats. Male rats required less time to stabilize the performance in behavioral optimization phase. In addition, male rats were more accurate in estimating time elapsing. In contrast, female rats took more cautious considerations in performing the task, through which minimal influences were manifested in the reversal version of task.
Cryptosporidium parvum competes with the intestinal epithelial cells for glucose and impairs systemic glucose supply in neonatal calves
Authors: Dengler Franziska , Hammon Harald M. , Liermann Wendy , Görs Solvig , Bachmann Lisa , Helm Christiane , Ulrich Reiner , Delling Cora
Published: May 2023

Cryptosporidiosis is one of the main causes of diarrhea in children and young livestock. The interaction of the parasite with the intestinal host cells has not been characterized thoroughly yet but may be affected by the nutritional demand of the parasite. Hence, we aimed to investigate the impact of C. parvum infection on glucose metabolism in neonatal calves. Therefore, N = 5 neonatal calves were infected with C. parvum on the first day of life, whereas a control group was not (N = 5). The calves were monitored clinically for one week, and glucose absorption, turnover and oxidation were assessed using stable isotope labelled glucose. The transepithelial transport of glucose was measured using the Ussing chamber technique. Glucose transporters were quantified on gene and protein expression level using RT-qPCR and Western blot in the jejunum epithelium and brush border membrane preparations. Plasma glucose concentration and oral glucose absorption were decreased despite an increased electrogenic phlorizin sensitive transepithelial transport of glucose in infected calves. No difference in the gene or protein abundance of glucose transporters, but an enrichment of glucose transporter 2 in the brush border was observed in the infected calves. Furthermore, the mRNA for enzymes of the glycolysis pathway was increased indicating enhanced glucose oxidation in the infected gut. In summary, C. parvum infection modulates intestinal epithelial glucose absorption and metabolism. We assume that the metabolic competition of the parasite for glucose causes the host cells to upregulate their uptake mechanisms and metabolic machinery to compensate for the energy losses.
Experimental and MCFT-Based Study on Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Subjected to In-Plane Shear Forces
Authors: Wagh Suyash K. , Vianthi Agie , Liao Wen-Cheng
Published: May 2023

Testing of concrete panels subjected to pure in-plane shear loading is necessary to elucidate the shear behavior of concrete. However, available data for predicting the shear capacity and behavior of steel fiber-reinforced concrete are rather limited. This study aims to evaluate the shear capacity and behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete made of highly flowable strain hardening fiber-reinforced concrete (HF-SHFRC) experimentally and analytically, respectively, using a panel tester loaded under pure shear and modified compression field theory (MCFT). The test was conducted using a panel test machine at the University of Toronto. The test results of the HF-SHFRC demonstrated strain hardening behavior at tension after the first crack, as indicated by the increase in the shear stress after the first crack in the HF-SHFRC panel. An analysis procedure is proposed for predicting the shear strength of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) based on experimental data of the SFRC panels to obtain reliable results. A comparison of results obtained from the proposed analysis procedure and experiments show that it accurately predicted the response of the HF-SHFRC. The proposed MCFT-based analysis procedure can provide valuable insight for understanding the behavior of the SFRC panels under shear loading.
The G51D SNCA mutation generates a slowly progressive α-synuclein strain in early-onset Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lau Heather H. C. , Martinez-Valbuena Ivan , So Raphaella W. L. , Mehra Surabhi , Silver Nicholas R. G. , Mao Alison , Stuart Erica , Schmitt-Ulms Cian , Hyman Bradley T. , Ingelsson Martin , Kovacs Gabor G. , Watts Joel C.
Published: May 2023

Unique strains of α-synuclein aggregates have been postulated to underlie the spectrum of clinical and pathological presentations seen across the synucleinopathies. Whereas multiple system atrophy (MSA) is associated with a predominance of oligodendroglial α-synuclein inclusions, α-synuclein aggregates in Parkinson’s disease (PD) preferentially accumulate in neurons. The G51D mutation in the SNCA gene encoding α-synuclein causes an aggressive, early-onset form of PD that exhibits clinical and neuropathological traits reminiscent of both PD and MSA. To assess the strain characteristics of G51D PD α-synuclein aggregates, we performed propagation studies in M83 transgenic mice by intracerebrally inoculating patient brain extracts. The properties of the induced α-synuclein aggregates in the brains of injected mice were examined using immunohistochemistry, a conformational stability assay, and by performing α-synuclein seed amplification assays. Unlike MSA-injected mice, which developed a progressive motor phenotype, G51D PD-inoculated animals remained free of overt neurological illness for up to 18 months post-inoculation. However, a subclinical synucleinopathy was present in G51D PD-inoculated mice, characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in restricted regions of the brain. The induced α-synuclein aggregates in G51D PD-injected mice exhibited distinct properties in a seed amplification assay and were much more stable than those present in mice injected with MSA extract, which mirrored the differences observed between human MSA and G51D PD brain samples. These results suggest that the G51D SNCA mutation specifies the formation of a slowly propagating α-synuclein strain that more closely resembles α-synuclein aggregates associated with PD than MSA.
P16 immunohistochemistry is a sensitive and specific surrogate marker for CDKN2A homozygous deletion in gliomas
Authors: Vij Meenakshi , Cho Benjamin B. , Yokoda Raquel T. , Rashidipour Omid , Umphlett Melissa , Richardson Timothy E. , Tsankova Nadejda M.
Published: May 2023

Molecular characterization of gliomas has uncovered genomic signatures with significant impact on tumor diagnosis and prognostication.CDKN2Ais a tumor suppressor gene involved in cell cycle control. Homozygous deletion of theCDKN2A/Blocus has been implicated in both gliomagenesis and tumor progression through dysregulated cell proliferation. In histologically lower grade gliomas,CDKN2Ahomozygous deletion is associated with more aggressive clinical course and is a molecular marker of grade 4 status in the 2021 WHO diagnostic system. Despite its prognostic utility, molecular analysis forCDKN2Adeletion remains time consuming, expensive, and is not widely available. This study assessed whether semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry for expression of p16, the protein product ofCDKN2A, can serve as a sensitive and a specific marker forCDKN2Ahomozygous deletion in gliomas. P16 expression was quantified by immunohistochemistry in 100 gliomas, representing both IDH-wildtype and IDH-mutant tumors of all grades, using two independent pathologists’ scores and QuPath digital pathology analysis. MolecularCDKN2Astatus was determined using next-generation DNA sequencing, with homozygousCDKN2Adeletion detected in 48% of the tumor cohort. ClassifyingCDKN2Astatus based on p16 tumor cell expression (0–100%) demonstrated robust performance over a wide range of thresholds, with receiver operating characteristic curve area of 0.993 and 0.997 (blinded and unblinded pathologist p16 scores, respectively) and 0.969 (QuPath p16 score). Importantly, in tumors with pathologist-scored p16 equal to or less than 5%, the specificity for predictingCDKN2Ahomozygous deletion was 100%; and in tumors with p16 greater than 20%, specificity for excludingCDKN2Ahomozygous deletion was also 100%. Conversely, tumors with p16 scores of 6–20% represented gray zone with imperfect correlation toCDKN2Astatus. The findings indicate that p16 immunohistochemistry is a reliable surrogate marker ofCDKN2Ahomozygous deletion in gliomas, with recommended p16 cutoff scores of ≤ 5% for confirming and > 20% for excluding biallelicCDKN2Aloss.
Micro-hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus mimicking intrahepatic intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct: a case report
Authors: Matsumoto Takatsugu , Shimizu Takayuki , Sato Shun , Tanaka Genki , Yamaguchi Takamune , Park Kyung-Hwa , Sakuraoka Yuhki , Shiraki Takayuki , Mori Shozo , Iso Yukihiro , Nemoto Takehiko , Kubota Keiichi , Nozawa Yumi , Ishida Kazuyuki , Aoki Taku
Published: April 2023

Background

Microhepatocellular carcinoma with a gross bile duct tumor thrombus is extremely rare, making the correct preoperative diagnosis difficult.

Case presentation

A 78-year-old man was referred to our department for close examination of a liver tumor that was incidentally detected using ultrasonography. Blood tests revealed normal levels of tumor markers. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a 2-cm-sized hyperechoic mass with indistinct borders and hypoechoic margins at the origin of the right hepatic duct. Dynamic computed tomography showed a tumor with arterial phase predominance, a heterogeneous contrast effect, and prolonged enhancement. Cystic structures were observed in the tumors. In addition, localized dilatation of the caudate lobe bile duct was observed near the tumor. Cholangiography showed that the common bile duct, right and left hepatic ducts, and secondary branches did not have dilatation or stenosis. Biopsies of the bile duct revealed no malignancy. Under suspicion of intrahepatic intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct, right hemi-hepatectomy was performed. The extrahepatic bile duct was preserved, because no tumor was found at the margin of the right hepatic duct during intraoperative frozen diagnosis. Macroscopically, the lesion was an 18 × 15 mm tumor occupying a dilated intrahepatic bile duct near the right hepatic duct, with a soft, fine papillary tumor. Based on morphology and immunostaining, tumor matched with moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, a 2 mm-sized hepatocellular carcinoma was observed in the liver parenchyma near the bile duct, where the tumor was located.

Conclusions

Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with small hepatocellular carcinoma with a gross bile duct tumor thrombus. The cystic part seen on the preoperative images was considered as a gap between the bile duct and the tumor thrombus. The patient recovered well with no signs of recurrence 20 months after surgery.
Upside and downside correlated jump risk premia of currency options and expected returns
Authors: He Jie-Cao , Chang Hsing-Hua , Chen Ting-Fu , Lin Shih-Kuei
Published: May 2023

This research explores upside and downside jumps in the dynamic processes of three rates: domestic interest rates, foreign interest rates, and exchange rates. To fill the gap between the asymmetric jump in the currency market and the current models, a correlated asymmetric jump model is proposed to capture the co-movement of the correlated jump risks for the three rates and identify the correlated jump risk premia. The likelihood ratio test results show that the new model performs best in 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month maturities. The in- and out-of-sample test results indicate that the new model can capture more risk factors with relatively small pricing errors. Finally, the risk factors captured by the new model can explain the exchange rate fluctuations for various economic events.
A core of functional complementary bacteria infects oysters in Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome
Authors: Clerissi Camille , Luo Xing , Lucasson Aude , Mortaza Shogofa , de Lorgeril Julien , Toulza Eve , Petton Bruno , Escoubas Jean-Michel , Dégremont Lionel , Gueguen Yannick , Destoumieux-Garzόn Delphine , Jacq Annick , Mitta Guillaume
Published: May 2023

Background

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is one of the main cultivated invertebrate species worldwide. Since 2008, oyster juveniles have been confronted with a lethal syndrome known as the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS). POMS is a polymicrobial disease initiated by a primary infection with the herpesvirus OsHV-1 µVar that creates an oyster immunocompromised state and evolves towards a secondary fatal bacteremia.

Results

In the present article, we describe the implementation of an unprecedented combination of metabarcoding and metatranscriptomic approaches to show that the sequence of events in POMS pathogenesis is conserved across infectious environments. We also identified a core bacterial consortium which, together with OsHV-1 µVar, forms the POMS pathobiota. This bacterial consortium is characterized by high transcriptional activities and complementary metabolic functions to exploit host’s resources. A significant metabolic specificity was highlighted at the bacterial genus level, suggesting low competition for nutrients between members of the core bacteria.

Conclusions

Lack of metabolic competition between the core bacteria might favor complementary colonization of host tissues and contribute to the conservation of the POMS pathobiota across distinct infectious environments.
Successful prioritisation of inguinal herniotomies in children during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimise emergency presentations
Authors: Marei Mahmoud Marei , Hassan Ahmed Sobhy , Kamel Mohamed , Moore Aiden , Aworanti Olugbenga Michael
Published: April 2023

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disrupted the delivery of elective surgery in children. We introduced guidance to mitigate this impact. By reviewing the outcomes for inguinal herniotomies, we aimed to determine if this guidance has enabled us to prevent an increase in the elective surgery wait time and therefore the need for emergency surgery for incarcerated hernias. This report aims to share our learnt lessons about responding to a crisis limiting accessibility to elective surgery.

Results

We performed a retrospective review of all elective and emergency herniotomies performed between April 1 and September 30, 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and the same period in 2020 (post-COVID-19). We compared the data on wait time from referral to clinic review/elective surgery and incarceration rates. During the study period in 2019, 76 elective herniotomies were performed compared to 46 in 2020. We did not observe a simultaneous increase in emergency herniotomies in 2020 (27 [2020] vs 25 [2019], OR [95% CI] = 1.53 [0.79–2.9]; p = 0.2). The median time from referral to elective surgery in 2019 compared to 2020 did not differ (56 vs 59 days, respectively; p = 0.61). In 2020, 72% of children that required emergency surgery had not been previously referred to our service and the median age (interquartile range) at which they presented with an incarcerated hernia was 2.8 months (2.1–13.7 months).

Conclusion

By adhering to local guidelines for resumption of elective activity, the pandemic did not result in children waiting longer to be seen by a surgeon for a suspected inguinal hernia. As a result, we did not perform more emergency herniotomies. Urgent prioritisation of hernias in infants, from birth up to 3 months old, was a beneficial strategy. Public health education on childhood hernias will improve outcomes.
Research on the forward-modeling method of viscoelastic Chapman extension in partially saturated rocks
Authors: Liao Jianping , Zhang Qing , Zhou Lin , Xie Jintao , Xu Yungui , Wang Lixin
Published: May 2023

The propagation of seismic waves in fractured rocks is greatly influenced by the fracture system and fluid content. Seismic anisotropy varies with frequency and fluid saturation. Previous theories on frequency-dependent anisotropy (FDA) are mostly limited to the assumption of single-phase fluid, whereas almost all reservoirs are usually partially or fully saturated with one or more fluids. The inelasticity, heterogeneity, and anisotropy exhibited by real earth media seriously challenge the traditional theory of uniform fully elastic media. Therefore, based on the Chapman elastic theory, we consider the viscoelastic model, the relative mobility of saturated fluids, and the coupled effects of commonly independently considered squirt flow and patch effects on the frequency-dependent anisotropic seismic wave propagation in viscoelastic media. By calculating the frequency-dependent anisotropic elastic coefficients of two-phase immiscible fluid-saturated fractured rocks, a new viscoelastic Chapman extension model for FDA in partially saturated rocks, which includes the unified seismic wave propagation effects of squirt flow and patch effects, is constructed. The effect of relative permeability is significant, and compared to the case of complete saturation, the effective fluid mobility in partially saturated rocks may be lower, which may lead to nonmonotonic changes in elastic modulus and water saturation. Numerical experiments are conducted on our viscoelastic Chapman extension model to discuss the coupling effects of squirt flow and patch effects on the FDA of viscoelastic media in cracked rocks with partially saturated reservoirs, under the conditions of no fractures and the existence of fractures. The simulation results of the P-wave modulus, P-wave velocity, and anisotropy parameters confirm the validity of our method and model. We link the anisotropy of viscoelastic media with fluid flow parameters in fractures, which is conducive to improving the understanding of frequency-dependent seismic anisotropy in partially saturated rocks with fractures and the combination of seismology and reservoir engineering.
Monitoring induced microseismicity in an urban context using very small seismic arrays: The case study of the Vendenheim EGS project
Authors: Fiori Rémi , Vergne Jérôme , Schmittbuhl Jean , Zigone Dimitri
Published: May 2023

Monitoring the seismicity induced by fluid injections in deep geothermal reservoirs is often limited by the significant anthropogenic ambient noise level inherent to most enhanced geothermal system (EGS) projects in urban contexts. We report on the performance of a monitoring network made of three small aperture (72 m) seismic arrays composed of 21 3D nodes. We test the setup for four months (from 12 December 2020 to 8 April 2021) of the Strasbourg sequence of induced earthquakes (2019–2022) related to the EGS Georhin project (Vendenheim, France). The deployment starts a few days after the MLv = 3.6 induced earthquake of 4 December 2020 and covers the early shut-in period of the wells. We use a beamforming technique to characterize the main noise sources, which consist of slow apparent velocities of surface waves emitted from mobile anthropogenic sources (motorway and railway traffic). We detect events with a phase-weighted stacking method, which is efficient when wavefronts illuminate the arrays with a high apparent velocity. Earthquakes associated with these detections are located using a matched field processing technique. The obtained catalog includes 216 seismic events, which represent four times more events than the reference catalog from Le Bureau Central Sismologique Français–Renass (the national academic agency in charge of seismicity monitoring in France), and a reduction of the completeness magnitude from 0.3 to −0.5. The clustering of the seismicity is analyzed using waveform correlation. The enriched catalog reveals intermittent seismic activity during the slow and continuous decrease in fluid pressure after shut-in.
Enhancing earthquake detection from distributed acoustic sensing data by coherency measure and moving-rank-reduction filtering
Authors: Chen Yangkang , Savvaidis Alexandros , Chen Yunfeng , Saad Omar M. , Fomel Sergey
Published: May 2023

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) enables the recording of earthquake signals at an unprecedented low cost with high durability using fiber optic cables. It is often compromised by relatively lower data quality in single-channel measurements compared with traditional seismic receivers but compensated by high-density recordings from hundreds of channels per earthquake event. The multichannel nature of DAS data sets facilitates the applications of well-developed coherency-based denoising methods arising from reflection seismology for detecting more earthquakes. We first introduce a coherency measure for detecting earthquake signals from DAS data sets. Then, we apply a moving-rank-reduction (MRR) filter to enhance the DAS data quality so as to improve the earthquake detectability. The MRR filter is tailored from a rank-reduction filter that is widely used in processing multichannel reflection seismic data. We find that a simple band-pass or median filter is incapable of revealing weak signals generated from small-magnitude or far-away earthquake events, whereas the MRR filter significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio that enables the detection of those weak signals. We apply the MRR method and the coherency measure on the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth DAS data sets for denoising and earthquake detection. As a result, our framework detects all 31 cataloged events, outperforming the previous detection of 25 events using the same data set.
Childbearing Trajectories in a West African Setting: A Sequence Analysis Approach
Authors: Bras Hilde , Remund Adrien , Delaunay Valérie
Published: May 2023

The lagging fertility transition in West Africa has important repercussions for global population growth but remains poorly understood. Inspired by Caldwell and colleagues' fertility transition framework, as well as by subsequent research, we examine diversity in women's holistic childbearing trajectories in Niakhar, Senegal, between the early 1960s and 2018 using a sequence analysis approach. We evaluate the prevalence of different trajectories, their contribution to overall fertility levels, and their association with women's socioeconomic and cultural characteristics. Four trajectories were observed: “high fertility,” “delayed entry,” “truncated,” and “short.” While the high fertility trajectory was most prevalent across cohorts, delayed entry grew in importance. The high fertility trajectory was more common among women born between 1960 and 1969 and was followed less often by divorced women and those from polygynous households. Women with primary education and those from higher status groups were more likely to experience delayed entry. The truncated trajectory was associated with lack of economic wealth, polygynous households, and caste membership. A short trajectory was related to lack of agropastoral wealth, divorce, and possibly secondary sterility. Our study advances knowledge on fertility transitions in Niakhar—and Sahelian West African contexts more generally—by showing the diversity of childbearing trajectories within high fertility regional contexts.
Balloon-Assisted Catheterization of Occluded Carotid Artery (BOCA) Technique in Acute Stroke
Authors: Siddiq Farhan , Bhagavan Sachin , Ishfaq M. Fawad , Jaura Attiya , Bhatti Ibrahim Ahmad , Gomez Camilo R. , Qureshi Adnan I.
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND:

Acute ischemic stroke from tandem occlusion of internal carotid artery (ICA) poses a technical challenge to neurointerventionalists.

OBJECTIVE:

To present a novel balloon-assisted catheterization of occluded carotid artery (BOCA) technique used for rapid and effective catheterization of occluded/critically stenosed ICA in tandem occlusion.

METHODS:

A retrospective review of 10 patients with tandem carotid occlusion, treated with BOCA technique for revascularization between July 2020 and June 2021, was performed. Clinical, radiographic, and procedural data; details of BOCA technique; complications; and outcomes were reviewed.

RESULTS:

Of the 10 patients, 8 (80%) had complete occlusion of the cervical ICA and the remaining 2 had high-grade stenosis with poor intracranial flow. The mean age was 63.2 years. The mean presenting NIH Stroke Scale was 13.4. The BOCA technique resulted in recanalization of ICA in all patients and allowed mechanical thrombectomy of middle cerebral artery. Thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grade 2b/3 was achieved in all 10 patients. The mean groin-to-reperfusion time was 41.4 minutes. The mean internal carotid artery stenosis was 99.7% preoperatively and 41.1% postoperatively. Only one patient needed stent at the end of the procedure because of dissection.

CONCLUSION:

The BOCA technique can be used in distal first approach for acute stroke from tandem ICA occlusion. This technique allows direct guide catheterization of occluded ICA by tracking over a partially inflated balloon.
Διαδραστικότητα και μάθηση
Authors: Χατζής Δημήτριος
Published: May 2023

Η δυναμική της εκπαίδευσης στη νέα εποχή εκφράζεται από το συνεχώς μεταβαλλόμενο χαρακτήρα της. Οι μαθητές απορρίπτουν την μετατροπή τους σε παθητικούς δέκτες και επιζητούν έναν πιο ενεργό ρόλο στην μάθηση. Επιθυμούν να είναι οι ίδιοι κατασκευαστές των γνώσεων που θα αφομοιώσουν. Από την άλλη πλευρά οι εκπαιδευτικοί αναζητούν τη διαθεματικότητα στη διδασκαλία τους και επιδιώκουν να αντιπαραβάλουν τις θεωρητικές γνώσεις με γνώριμες καταστάσεις του πραγματικού κόσμου. Η εκπαιδευτική ρομποτική αποτελεί την απάντηση σε αυτές τις αναζητήσεις, καθώς δίνει στους μαθητές τον πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο στην εκπαιδευτική διαδικασία και τη δυνατότητα να οικοδομήσουν οι ίδιοι τη γνώση. Η διεπιστημονική προσέγγιση της διδασκαλίας που επιτυγχάνεται με τη ρομποτική φέρνει σε επαφή τη θεωρία του μαθήματος με τις λύσεις σε πρακτικά προβλήματα της καθημερινότητας. Όχημα για την εισαγωγή της εκπαιδευτικής ρομποτικής στη σχολική ζωή αποτελούν οι Διαγωνισμοί.Η παρούσα εργασία αναδεικνύει τα βασικά σημεία, όπως αυτά αποκαλύφθηκαν μέσα από τη δημιουργία ενός διαγωνισμού εκπαιδευτικής ρομποτικής από μηδενικό επίπεδο. Παρέχει εμπειρικές πληροφορίες σχετικά με το σχεδιασμό και τη διοργάνωση του διαγωνισμού για έξι συναπτά έτη. Περιγράφει τα χαρακτηριστικά των μαθητών που συμμετέχουν και υπογραμμίζει τα αποτελέσματα που επιφέρει η διαδικασία του διαγωνισμού σε αυτούς. Παρουσιάζει και αναλύει στατιστικά στοιχεία που συλλέχθηκαν μέσω ερωτηματολογίων σε διαφορετικές περιόδους: πριν από τον διαγωνισμό, αμέσως μετά τη λήξη και ένα εξάμηνο μετά το διαγωνισμό.Η πανδημία του covid-19 άλλαξε την εκπαίδευση και τις δραστηριότητες που ήταν συνδεδεμένες με αυτή. Οι εκπαιδευτικοί διαγωνισμοί αναδιοργανώθηκαν. Η πανδημία επιτάχυνε τις αλλαγές, έθεσε νέους όρους διεξαγωγής και έφερε νέες συνήθειες. Εκτός των άλλων η εργασία επισημαίνει τις αλλαγές στο σχεδιασμό ενός δια ζώσης Διαγωνισμού εκπαιδευτικής ρομποτικής για την μετατροπή του σε εξ’ αποστάσεως, αναφέρει πως αυτές οι αλλαγές εφαρμόστηκαν και ποια συμπεράσματα προέκυψαν, ενώ ταυτόχρονα καταγράφει τα πλεονεκτήματα και τα μειονεκτήματα του νέου τρόπου διεξαγωγής. Τα ευρήματα της αξιολόγησης συγκρίθηκαν με αντίστοιχα δεδομένα από τις αξιολογήσεις των δια ζώσης διαγωνισμών των προηγούμενων ετών.
Deriving and validating an asthma diagnosis prediction model for children and young people in primary care
Authors: Daines Luke , Bonnett Laura J , Tibble Holly , Boyd Andy , Thomas Richard , Price David , Turner Steve W , Lewis Steff C , Sheikh Aziz , Pinnock Hilary
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Accurately diagnosing asthma can be challenging. We aimed to derive and validate a prediction model to support primary care clinicians assess the probability of an asthma diagnosis in children and young people.

Methods: The derivation dataset was created from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) linked to electronic health records. Participants with at least three inhaled corticosteroid prescriptions in 12-months and a coded asthma diagnosis were designated as having asthma. Demographics, symptoms, past medical/family history, exposures, investigations, and prescriptions were considered as candidate predictors. Potential candidate predictors were included if data were available in ≥60% of participants. Multiple imputation was used to handle remaining missing data. The prediction model was derived using logistic regression. Internal validation was completed using bootstrap re-sampling. External validation was conducted using health records from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD).

Results: Predictors included in the final model were wheeze, cough, breathlessness, hay-fever, eczema, food allergy, social class, maternal asthma, childhood exposure to cigarette smoke, prescription of a short acting beta agonist and the past recording of lung function/reversibility testing. In the derivation dataset, which comprised 11,972 participants aged <25 years (49% female, 8% asthma), model performance as indicated by the C-statistic and calibration slope was 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85–0.87 and 1.00, 95% CI 0.95–1.05 respectively. In the external validation dataset, which included 2,670 participants aged <25 years (50% female, 10% asthma), the C-statistic was 0.85, 95% CI 0.83–0.88, and calibration slope 1.22, 95% CI 1.09–1.35.

Conclusions: We derived and validated a prediction model for clinicians to calculate the probability of asthma diagnosis for a child or young person up to 25 years of age presenting to primary care. Following further evaluation of clinical effectiveness, the prediction model could be implemented as a decision support software.
Effects of the ketogenic diet on multiple sclerosis with a focus on the paediatric population
Authors: Szponarowicz Patrycja , Raczkiewicz Przemysław , Rzeszutko Mateusz , Snopkowski Bartosz , Panek Eliasz , Jasłowski Damian , Panasiuk Dominika , Korzec Tomasz , Sosnowski Jakub , Skrętowicz Mateusz
Published: May 2023

Introduction and Purpose:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that damages the nervous system. Although MS is usually diagnosed in adults, it can also occur in children and adolescents, which presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In recent years, attention has been drawn to the role of diet in alleviating MS symptoms, including in the pediatric population. The ketogenic diet, characterized by low carbohydrate intake, high fat intake, and moderate protein intake, is of interest as an additional therapeutic approach in MS due to its effects on metabolism and reduction of inflammation in the body.
 
Materials and methods:
This article reviews the literature on the impact of the ketogenic diet on MS, with particular emphasis on its impact on the course of MS in the pediatric population. Articles were searched by key words, e.g. multiple sclerosis, paediatrics, children, diet, ketogenic diet, in various configurations, in Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar databases.
 
Current state of knowledge:
While there are several studies on the effects of the ketogenic diet, including those on MS in children, the results are inconclusive and require further research. Some publications suggest that the ketogenic diet can help alleviate MS symptoms, such as problems with balance and coordination, and improve patients' quality of life.
 
Conclusions:
In conclusion, the ketogenic diet may be a promising approach in the treatment of pediatric MS, but requires further research and careful assessment of benefits and risks before its introduction into therapy.
Modern methods of treating neurological diseases
Authors: Bednarz Krzysztof , Basiaga Bartosz , Trojan Sara , Leśniak Marek , Kwieciński Jakub , Miszuda Sławomir , Błaszczyk Agnieszka , Fussek-Styga Urszula , Szwedkowicz Agata , Heluszka Jakub
Published: April 2023

Aim of the article
The aim of the article is to summarize the current state of knowledge about brain-computer interfaces (BCI), i.e. systems that allow you to control electronic devices by recording the activity of nerve cells.
Materials and methods
The article is based on a literature review in the PubMed database.
Conclusions
Disorders of the nervous system pose a great therapeutic challenge due to the limited regenerative capacity of the nervous tissue. In the future, BCI may become an opportunity to improve the quality of life of patients with neurological diseases. Thanks to technological progress and increasing abilities in the field of physiology of neurons, the possibilities of using this system are increasing. Clinical trials have been performed on patients with various types of neurological deficits, including movement disorders and aphasia. Brain-computer interfaces can also help with vision loss, epilepsy, and many other conditions
Domain Change: Gaming addiction perceptions among undergraduate students in Thailand and China
Authors: Rebecca-Clark Lauren
Published: May 2023

Thailand and China’s internet penetration rates have rocketed over the past 15 years. Such increased access has led to increased scholarly interest in students’ online gaming habits in both countries. However, there is little research available about how undergraduate students in both countries consider their own and their peers’ gaming attitudes and habits, especially when these are sensitively aligned with “addiction.” Lacking too is research about how they think gaming impacts learning and academic performance between students from different university disciplines. This research examines undergraduate students in Thailand and China from the humanities compared with those from other disciplines in respect to their attitudes to and awareness of gaming addiction. A sample of 181 students from international and private universities were surveyed. Their interactions with leading games were analysed. A Likert scale was used alongside open-response questions and qualitative discourse analysis forming a mixed method to interpret these results. It is shown in this descriptive-inferential study that that students’ field of study, whether they actively played games and how often they played games all impacted how they valued their own gaming and defined the concept of “addiction.” Humanities and science students showed the same gaming habits as per daily hours spent gaming; business/economics students gamed less overall. Those who considered themselves addicted to gaming, perceived gaming addiction to account for 15-21hours spent gaming per week. Threshold gaming hours, positive and negative aspects of over gaming and a variance between moral and aesthetic appreciation of gaming as it impacts gamers’' lives were noted.
Competencias digitales docentes en el contexto de COVID-19. Un enfoque cuantitativo
Authors: Vásquez Peñafiel María-Stefanie , Nuñez Paul , Cuestas Caza Javier
Published: May 2023

Una vez finalizados los peores momentos de la pandemia ocasionada por el Covid-19, es conveniente analizar con detalle si en dicho contexto los profesores estaban preparados para garantizar la calidad de la educación virtual y cómo era su nivel frente a las competencias digitales (CDD). Con ello, será posible plantear mejoras en este aspecto ante la sociedad tecnológica en la que vivimos. Esta investigación pretende describir las CDD en un contexto específico, una universidad pública ecuatoriana, y la correlación entre las variables CDD, edad, género y experiencia, a través de una investigación con enfoque cuantitativo no experimental, descriptivo inferencial y correlacional. Para ello se llevó a cabo una encuesta en la que a través de muestreo no paramétrico se evaluaron a 92 educadores. El análisis correlacional y descriptivo muestra diferencias significativas entre las variables, demostrando que la autopercepción de los docentes respecto a la CDD es de nivel experto, y la relación entre la CDD y la edad o experiencia es inversamente proporcional. Además, las CDD y el género no mostraron una diferencia descriptiva, pero sí correlativa. Se sugiere un trabajo futuro para explicar este fenómeno a través del Análisis Cualitativo Comparativo Difuso. Por último, cabe recalcar que los docentes manejan herramientas digitales, sin embargo, aún deben seguir desarrollándose para alcanzar un nivel transformacional.
Ontology-Based Information Extraction for Labeling Radical Online Content Using Distant Supervision
Authors: Etudo Ugochukwu , Yoon Victoria Y.
Published: May 2023

Social media companies dedicate significant resources to create machine-learning models to label harmful content on their platforms, including content promoting violent, extremist beliefs. These models have to evolve over time to keep up with a dynamic threat landscape. Over time, as new violent ideologies emerge, existing models will fail to detect them. Training fresh models for the task is risky (there are new model biases to understand), time consuming (you will need to see many examples to predict new examples), and cost-ineffective. We propose an approach that prioritizes the evolution and representation of radical ideas by creating a computer program to explicitly keep track of ideologies. We show how this program uses state-of-the art deep-learning models to create human and machine-readable representations of radical ideologies by automatically consuming content symbolic of those ideologies. Our approach validates the notion that violent ideologies differ in content but are homogenous in structure. With just a few examples of content, the program creates powerful representations that can be used to automatically detect additional content with surprising accuracy. This process greatly reduces the time and resources necessary to adapt existing content-labeling models to the changing ideological and rhetorical landscape.
Elastic band resistance combined with modified Thai yoga exercise to alleviate oxidative stress and airway inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Promsrisuk Tichanon , Kongsui Ratchaniporn , Sriraksa Napatr , Boonla Orachorn , Srithawong Arunrat
Published: May 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the combi-nation of elastic band resistance exercise (EBRE) with modified Thai yoga on the alleviation of blood glucose and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Forty-two patients with T2DM were enrolled and allocated to an exercise or control group (n=21/group). The exer-cise group participated in EBRE combination with modified Thai yoga for 40 min, 5 days/wk, for 12 consecutive weeks. Blood glucose, oxida-tive stress markers, antioxidants, pulmonary function, respiratory mus-cle strength, and airway inflammation were measured before and after the 12 weeks. The results showed that the exercise group had a signifi-cant reduction in fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. More-over, T2DM patients in the exercise group showed a significant reduc-tion in plasma malondialdehyde, while superoxide dismutase and cata-lase were significantly increased. The exercise group also observed a significant improvement in pulmonary function; forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, peak ex-piratory flow, and forced midexpiratory flow as well as respiratory mus-cle strength. Interestingly, the combination of EBRE with modified Thai yoga markedly improved airway inflammation through the reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the combination of EBRE with modified Thai yoga improves blood glu-cose, oxidative stress, antioxidants, pulmonary function, respiratory mus-cle strength, and airway inflammation in T2DM patients. Hence, it could be considered as a possible exercise program for T2DM patients.
Short-term Follow-up of Autologous Adult Live-Cultured Osteoblasts Implantation in Avascular Necrosis of Femoral Head Secondary to Sickle Cell Anemia-Case Series
Authors: Agrawal Alok Chandra , Sakale Harshal , Garg Ankit Kumar , Inamdar Anupam
Published: May 2023

Introduction: The prevalence of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head in sickle cell anemia is 50% whereas untreated cases lead to total hip replacement. The recent development in cellular therapy paves the way to utilize autologous adult live-cultured osteoblasts (AALCO) in the management of AVN of the femoral head secondary to sickle cell anemia. Case Report: We performed AALCO implantation in sickle cell anemia cases with AVN of the femoral head and were followed up for 6 months with the regular recording of visual analog score and modified Harris Hip Score. Conclusion: AALCO implantation for the management of AVN of the femoral head due to sickle cell anemia appears to be the biological management of choice as it results in pain reduction and improvement in function. Keywords: Osteonecrosis, femoral head, cultured osteoblasts, sickle cell anemia.
IT-Compliance in KMU – Eine Methode zum angepassten Einsatz von Rahmenwerken
Authors: Deistler Nico
Published: May 2023

Die digitale Transformation von Geschäftsprozessen und die stärkere Integration von IT-Systemen führen zu Chancen und Risiken für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU). Risiken, die zu fehlender IT-Governance, Risk und Compliance (GRC) führen können. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, die Design- und Evaluierungsphase der Erstellung eines Artefakts darzustellen. Dabei wird der Design Science Research Ansatz nach Hevner verwendet. Das Artefakt wird für die Auswahl von Standards entwickelt, indem KMU-relevante Ausprägungen und bestehende Rahmenwerke auf die definierten Kriterien angepasst werden
Ambidextrie entlang der Wertschöpfungskette – Digitale Innovation in der Lebensmittelindustrie
Authors: Buck Christoph , Kreuzer Thomas , Rex Alexander , Teuchert Antonie
Published: May 2023

Die Lebensmittelindustrie steht aufgrund komplexer, internationaler Lieferketten, einem gesellschaftlich relevanten Versorgungsauftrag bei gleichzeitig verderblichen Produkten, und steigender Anforderungen durch Endverbraucher:innen an Nachhaltigkeit vor großen Herausforderungen. Die zunehmende Digitalisierung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft verschärft diese Problematik, da sie neue Abhängigkeiten schafft und Erwartungen der Endverbraucher:innen weiter erhöht. Im Gegensatz dazu bieten digitale Innovationen aber auch große Potenziale, um die Herausforderungen zu adressieren. So werden digitale Technologien von einzelnen Akteur:innen der Wertschöpfungskette für Lebensmittel einerseits bereits zur inkrementellen Verbesserung von Produktionsprozessen und andererseits für die Schaffung völlig neuer Geschäftsmodelle und Services rund um digitale Einkaufserlebnisse genutzt. Digitale Innovationen auf Ebene einzelner Akteur:innen reichen jedoch nicht aus, um die weitreichenden Herausforderungen der Lebensmittelindustrie vollständig zu bewältigen. Vielmehr gilt es, die stärkere Vernetzung und Konnektivität durch digitale Technologien zu nutzen, um digitale Innovation auf ganzheitlicher Ebene und entlang der gesamten Wertschöpfungskette voranzutreiben. Wie daraus hervorgehende Nutzenpotenziale digitaler Innovation gehoben werden können, ist aus wissenschaftlicher und praktischer Perspektive noch ungeklärt. Dementsprechend ist es das Ziel unserer Arbeit, auf Basis einer Interviewstudie zu untersuchen, welche Nutzenpotenziale digitale Innovationen für einzelne Akteur:innen und die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette für Lebensmittel bereithalten und welche praktischen Handlungsempfehlungen sich daraus für Entscheidungsträger:innen ergeben. Dabei wollen wir darauf eingehen, wie sich Ambidextrie entlang der Wertschöpfungskette entfaltet und wie diese zukünftig bei der Adressierung der Herausforderungen helfen kann. Der vorliegende Beitrag hebt sich somit von bestehenden Arbeiten ab, da wir das Potenzial digitaler Innovation nicht nur aus Perspektive einzelner Akteur:innen, sondern entlang der gesamten Wertschöpfungskette untersuchen.