bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The show must go on: fostering residents’ sustainable employability in medical education – a qualitative exploration of the Resident Leadership Program
Authors: van de Voort Iris , Leistikow Ian , Weenink Jan-Willem
Published: October 2024

Background

Residents’ sustainable employability (SE) is threatened by high burn-out rates, sleep deficits, and career dissatisfaction. Medical education may contribute to residents’ SE by providing them with opportunities to influence their employment contexts and to develop conscious self-regulation. This paper explores how residents, participating in the Resident Leadership Program (RLP), are enabled to work on, and learn about, their SE.

Methods

The RLP took place between February and July 2021 and consisted of lectures on, and practice in, quality improvement (QI) work. SE was the theme that governed residents’ QI projects. In this study, residents were interviewed individually before the program (n = 8), were observed while participating in the program (45 h) and were interviewed in three groups after the program (n = 8). The data were analysed in accordance with the ‘flexible-coding’ method.

Results

The findings are presented in four ‘acts’ mirroring an unfolding play as a metaphor to show how residents’ understanding of context, self-regulations, and quality improvement work—relevant to their SE—changed in the RLP. The acts include ‘setting the stage’, describing how residents experienced the context of medicine; ‘acting the part’, depicting how residents managed their employment contexts using self-regulation; ‘changing the décor’, elaborating on residents’ QI projects; and ‘growing one’s role’, presenting residents’ take-aways from participating in the RLP that may benefit their SE. These take-aways encompassed awareness of the importance of SE, a reconsideration and/or adjustment of self-regulation, feeling better equipped to navigate employment contexts, and increased joy in work because of contributing to peers’ SE through QI work.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that medical education is a fruitful environment for providing important lessons and tools for residents to work on and learn about their SE, likely benefiting their SE throughout their careers.
Brain-movement relationship during upper-limb functional movements in chronic post-stroke patients
Authors: Muller C. O. , Faity G. , Muthalib M. , Perrey S. , Dray G. , Xu B. , Froger J. , Mottet D. , Laffont I. , Delorme M. , Bakhti K.
Published: October 2024

Background

Following a stroke, brain activation reorganisation, movement compensatory strategies, motor performance and their evolution through rehabilitation are matters of importance for clinicians. Two non-invasive neuroimaging methods allow for recording task-related brain activation: functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (fEEG), respectively based on hemodynamic response and neuronal electrical activity. Their simultaneous measurement during movements could allow a better spatiotemporal mapping of brain activation, and when associated to kinematic parameters could unveil underlying mechanisms of functional upper limb (UL) recovery. This study aims to depict the motor cortical activity patterns using combined fNIRS-fEEG and their relationship to motor performance and strategies during UL functional tasks in chronic post-stroke patients.

Methods

Twenty-one healthy old adults and 21 chronic post-stroke patients were recruited and completed two standardised functional tasks of the UL: a paced-reaching task where they had to reach a target in front of them and a circular steering task where they had to displace a target using a hand-held stylus, as fast as possible inside a circular track projected on a computer screen. The activity of the bilateral motor cortices and motor performance were recorded simultaneously utilizing a fNIRS-fEEG and kinematics platform.

Results and conclusions

Kinematic analysis revealed that post-stroke patients performed worse in the circular steering task and used more trunk compensation in both tasks. Brain analysis of bilateral motor cortices revealed that stroke individuals over-activated during the paretic UL reaching task, which was associated with more trunk usage and a higher level of impairment (clinical scores). This work opens up avenues for using such combined methods to better track and understand brain-movement evolution through stroke rehabilitation.
Noval insights and therapeutic strategies for tumor-induced kidney pathologies
Authors: Wang Meng , Han Yong , Zhang Chao
Published: October 2024

Recent progress in elucidating the role of specific antidiuretic hormones in Drosophila models has provided valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying tumor-induced renal dysfunction. Xu et al. identified the mammalian neurokinin 3 receptor (TACR3), a homolog of the G protein-coupled receptor TkR99D in fruit flies, as a potential therapeutic target for alleviating renal tubular dysfunction in mice with malignant neoplasms. Here, we commented on these findings by emphasizing the structural and evolutionary significance of TACR3 and provided an in-depth analysis of cell type specific expression of TACR3 in response to renal injury and expressional dynamics during renal carcinoma progression. The implications of these findings for transforming the therapeutic approaches to renal complications associated with oncological disorders were highlighted. We also acknowledged the limitations of current experimental models in this study and emphasized the necessary clinical validation in the future. These insights could contribute to the advancement of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for treating tumor-related renal pathologies.

Graphical Abstract
The impact of tau-PET in a selected memory clinic cohort: rationale and design of the TAP-TAU study
Authors: Vermeiren Marie R. , Somsen Joost , Luurtsema Gert , Reesink Fransje E. , Verwey Nicolaas A. , Hempenius Liesbeth , Tolboom Nelleke , Biessels Geert Jan , Biesbroek J. Matthijs , Vernooij Meike W. , Veldhuijzen van Zanten Sophie E. M. , Seelaar Harro , Coomans Emma M. , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Lemstra Afina W. , van Harten Argonde C. , Visser Leonie N. C. , van der Flier Wiesje M. , van de Giessen Elsmarieke , Ossenkoppele Rik
Published: October 2024

Background

Tau-PET is a diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and specificity for discriminating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia from other neurodegenerative disorders in well-controlled research environments. The role of tau-PET in real-world clinical practice, however, remains to be established. The aim of the TAP-TAU study is therefore to investigate the impact of tau-PET in clinical practice.

Methods

TAP-TAU is a prospective, longitudinal multi-center study in 300 patients (≥ 50 years old) with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia across five Dutch memory clinics. Patients are eligible if diagnostic certainty is < 85% after routine dementia screening and if the differential diagnosis includes AD. More specifically, we will include patients who (i) are suspected of having mixed pathology (e.g., AD and vascular pathology), (ii) have an atypical clinical presentation, and/or (iii) show conflicting or inconclusive outcomes on other tests (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging or cerebrospinal fluid). Participants will undergo a [18F]flortaucipir tau-PET scan, blood-based biomarker sampling, and fill out questionnaires on patient reported outcomes and experiences. The primary outcomes are change (pre- versus post- tau-PET) in diagnosis, diagnostic certainty, patient management and patient anxiety and uncertainty. Secondary outcome measures are head-to-head comparisons between tau-PET and less invasive and lower cost diagnostic tools such as novel blood-based biomarkers and artificial intelligence-based classifiers.

Results

TAP-TAU has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Amsterdam UMC. The first participant is expected to be included in October 2024.

Conclusions

In TAP-TAU, we will investigate the added clinical value of tau-PET in a real-world clinical setting, including memory clinic patients with diagnostic uncertainty after routine work-up. Findings of our study may contribute to recommendations regarding which patients would benefit most from assessment with tau-PET. This study is timely in the dawning era of disease modifying treatments as an accurate etiological diagnosis becomes increasingly important.

Trial registration

This trial is registered and authorized on December 21st, 2023 in EU Clinical Trials with registration number 2023-505430-10-00.
CRISPR/Cas9 technology for advancements in cancer immunotherapy: from uncovering regulatory mechanisms to therapeutic applications
Authors: Feng Xiaohang , Li Zhengxing , Liu Yuping , Chen Di , Zhou Zhuolong
Published: October 2024

In recent years, immunotherapy has developed rapidly as a new field of tumour therapy. However, the efficacy of tumour immunotherapy is not satisfactory due to the immune evasion mechanism of tumour cells, induction of immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME), and reduction of antigen delivery, etc. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology can accurately modify immune and tumour cells in tumours, and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy by targeting immune checkpoint molecules and immune regulatory genes, which has led to the great development and application. In current clinical trials, there are still many obstacles to the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in tumour immunotherapy, such as ensuring the accuracy and safety of gene editing, overcoming overreactive immune responses, and solving the challenges of in vivo drug delivery. Here we provide a systematic review on the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in tumour therapy to address the above existing problems. We focus on CRISPR/Cas9 screening and identification of immunomodulatory genes, targeting of immune checkpoint molecules, manipulation of immunomodulators, enhancement of tumour-specific antigen presentation and modulation of immune cell function. Second, we also highlight preclinical studies of CRISPR/Cas9 in animal models and various delivery systems, and evaluate the efficacy and safety of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in tumour immunotherapy. Finally, potential synergistic approaches for combining CRISPR/Cas9 knockdown with other immunotherapies are presented. This study underscores the transformative potential of CRISPR/Cas9 to reshape the landscape of tumour immunotherapy and provide insights into novel therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.
Teachers’ perception of their students’ dietary habits in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Authors: Mekonnen Kifle Mekdes , Terragni Laura , Morseth Marianne
Published: October 2024

Background

Poor dietary choices and consumption of unhealthy foods are major determinants of malnutrition among adolescents in Ethiopia. The school food environment is a valuable setting for exploring adolescents’ eating habits. Teachers have an important role in understanding factors that impact students’ dietary choices. The aim of this study is to explore secondary school teachers’ perceptions towards adolescents’ dietary habits in Ethiopia.

Methods

The study employed a qualitative research design. Four focus group discussions, involving a total of 13 teachers, were conducted at governmental and private schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Additionally, observations of the food environment in these four schools. The transcripts from the focus group discussions and photographs from observations were analyzed using thematic analysis. Triangulation of data sources and persistent observation of the data were employed to enhance the study’s trustworthiness. The study was approved by the Norwegian Center for Research Data and the Addis Ababa Health Bureau, and all participants provided informed consent.

Result

Teachers perceived adolescents’ dietary habits as unhealthy, characterized by the consumption of unsafe foods, limited variety, and reliance on processed foods. Factors negatively influencing adolescents’ dietary habits include a lack of awareness about a healthy diet among both students and parents. Low familial income levels were also identified as a barrier to eating a healthy diet. The unavailability of healthy foods and the advertising of unhealthy and processed foods as well as peer influence were hindrances to a healthy diet both at school and home.

Conclusion

This study provides additional evidence of the nutrition transition which is linked to the double burden of malnutrition among adolescents in low-income countries. Factors affecting adolescent diets at school are multileveled. Incorporating nutrition education into the school curriculum will likely improve dietary awareness mitigating peer influence. Regulating the school food environment and enforcing advertisement laws targeting adolescents can promote healthier school food environments. Providing short term nutrition trainings for biology or science teachers and strengthen their role in delivering nutrition education to children and their families, along with implementing measures to address food insecurity and restricting availability of unhealthy food at school need to be regarded as priorities.
Revisiting the potential anti-obesity effects of kimchi and lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi: a lustrum of evidence
Authors: Sharma Anshul , Lee Hae-Jeung
Published: October 2024

Kimchi, a renowned and culturally significant Korean dish, has gained global recognition as a superfood due to its abundant nutritional content and positive impact on human health. The process of producing kimchi involves the fermentation of various vegetables using lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The primary genera of kimchi LAB encompass Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Weissella. Impressively, kimchi comes in over 200 varieties with cruciferous vegetables as its main ingredients, complemented by a range of secondary ingredients that contribute to its nutritional and holistic health benefits. These secondary ingredients include salted fish, ginger, garlic, and red pepper powder. Due to its various functional properties, kimchi has attracted considerable interest. Kimchi has been extensively studied, and its recognized health benefits, including anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, neuroprotection, anti-allergic, regulation of immunological responses, and many more, have been covered in many review papers. A current literature review regarding the anti-obesity properties of kimchi and kimchi LAB is currently lacking. Therefore, the present review has directed its attention towards the literature concerning the anti-obesity properties of kimchi and LAB derived from kimchi over the last five years.
Breaking Stereotypes: How Undergraduates’ Life Experiences of Scientists Shape their Scopes of Possibility
Authors: Acosta-Parra Ashley Rose , Ovid Dax , Tripp Brie
Published: October 2024

Informed by the Cultural Learning Pathways framework, 31 semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduates who completed six Scientist Spotlight assignments. Results indicate these curricular interventions can shape undergraduates science identity by enhancing current and imagined Scopes of Possibility for themselves and others.
Imaging manifestations and treatment efficacy of Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: An analysis of 29 cases with internal and external traditional Chinese medicine approaches
Authors: Ning Qiuping , Zhang Zheng , Ren Hua , Fan Tiebing , Li Chunzhi
Published: October 2024

Objectives: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we analysed the clinical manifestations of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) before and after treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Methods: This was a retrospective study. Clinical manifestations and imaging features of patients with biopsy-proven GLM before and after treatment were retrospectively analysed from April 2021 to April 2023 at Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.
Results: Among 29 women of childbearing age (mean age, 34.3±3.6 years), Compared to pre-therapy, the number of patients with lumps, ruptures, pain, and menstrual irregularities was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The Chinese medicine staging demonstrated a transition from bulk to ulcerated (P=0.041). Pre- and post-treatment MRI changes included lesion number, distribution, maximal diameter, time-signal intensity curves (TIC), apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC), and BI-RADS categories 3 and 4a (all P＜0.05). Furthermore, substantial changes were seen in chest wall invasion, nipple discharge, increased feeding arteries, and skin edema (all P＜0.05).
Conclusion: Combining internal and external Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy proved successful for GLM. A reliable assessment of therapy efficacy is provided by MRI examination of lesion changes before and after treatment.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.10.8981
How to cite this: Ning Q, Zhang Z, Ren H, Fan T, Li C. Imaging manifestations and treatment efficacy of Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: An analysis of 29 cases with internal and external traditional Chinese medicine approaches. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(10):2410-2415.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.10.8981
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Na pograniczu chemii, biologii i fizyki – rozwój nauk. Tom 4
Authors: Szłyk Edward
Published: October 2024

Dear Readers, We present to you the fourth volume of the monograph "Na pograniczu chemii, biologii i fizyki – rozwój nauk” ("On the border of chemistry, biology and physics – development of sciences") containing several articles sent for printing by participants of the 15th Copernican Doctoral Seminar, which returned to its traditional form after the turmoil related to the pandemic. We are celebrating a small anniversary of a conference in the form of a seminar, which is the most beneficial for PhD students. Thus, the conference has a doctoral character and stands out from other similar meetings with its interdisciplinary nature. This year's monograph presents the results of work in the following disciplines: biology, chemistry, physics, food sciences and material sciences. The subject of the monograph covers issues of modern science related to progress in areas important for society (energy, global warming, new materials) in an interdisciplinary way, i.e. in accordance with the assumptions of the Copernican Doctoral Seminar. During the 15th CDS, the issues of the Priority Research Areas of the NCU were discussed, such as: astrophysics and astrochemistry; towards personalised medicine, which were discussed in separate scientific sections of the 15th CDS, contributing to the improvement of the scientific quality of the seminar. The published articles bring new knowledge to the field of exact and natural sciences, and the reader will find valuable cognitive and methodological data for the development of research towards his or her doctorate.
Utilizing Baidu Index Data to Investigate the Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Public Concern towards Lifelong Education
Authors: Tan Qinyi , Ao Yang , Teng Luyan
Published: October 2024

Background and purpose: With the advancement of Industry 4.0 and the vigorous development of the Internet, search engines have become one of the important platforms for the public to obtain information. As the world's largest Chinese search engine, Baidu is widely popular with the Chinese public. Similar to Google Trends, the Baidu Index is one of the most important databases on the Internet and even in the entire data age. This study adopted the Baidu Index to investigate the public's attention to "Lifelong Education" and analyze its changing trend and geographical distribution, to grasp the public's attention to it in a more comprehensive way. Materials and methods: The Baidu Index was used to obtain the attention of the keyword “Lifelong Education" from July to November 2023. The characteristics of attention are analyzed from three aspects: trend research, demand graph, and user portrait. Finally, it focuses on the comparison between the keyword "Lifelong Education" and the related word "Lifelong Education Platform". Results: The term "Lifelong Education" showed two fluctuations during the period, both of which showed an initial rise and then a decline. For the demand graph, the public pays the most attention to "Lifelong Education Platform", "Lifelong Learning" and "Compulsory Education". The group that pays more attention to "Lifelong Education" is mainly distributed in East China, mostly female, 20~29 years old. Conclusion: Similar to Google Trends, the Baidu Index is a useful tool to study the trend of keyword searches, insight into the change in netizens' demand and monitoring the trend of media public opinion. The results show that the main reasons for the two obvious changes in search volume are that the National Open University of China opens freely lifelong education platform and provides free and comprehensive learning resources, and "Lifelong Education" appears as a translation in the National College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) in June 2023.
Pomoc misjonarzy w realizacji nowej wystawy stałej Muzeum Misyjno-Etnograficznego Księży Werbistów w Pieniężnie
Authors: Kwaśniewska Monika
Published: October 2024

Artykuł przedstawia konkretny przykład zrealizowanych badań terenowych wskazując na przydatność zbieranego w terenie materiału dla muzealnych aplikacji, a tym samym na potencjalne pola współpracy i ewentualne możliwości ekspozycyjne. Omówiony przykład dotyczy badań terenowych przeprowadzonych w 2019 r. na obszarze ziemi dobrzyńskiej, a dokładnie pow. rypińskiego, w trakcie których przeprowadzono prawie 80 wywiadów. Dokumentacja badań została zarchiwizowana i posłużyła budowie stałej ekspozycji w Muzeum Ziemi Dobrzyńskiej w Rypinie. Omówiony przykład służy wskazaniu jak wysiłek badań etnograficznych może zostać wykorzystany przez muzeum, i jak ono jako jedyne, przez swoje możliwości ekspozycyjne, może w istocie odzwierciedlić terenowe artykulacje badanych społeczności. W przeciwieństwie do akademii, współczesne muzeum, znacznie lepiej i z korzyścią dla siebie jest w stanie wyartykułować emocjonalność, sensoryczność, afektywność, nietekstowość, materialność, cielesność i nostalgiczność, które towarzyszą sytuacji badawczej i relacjom społeczności lokalnej z rzeczami. W tej optyce współpraca akademii i muzeum, jej kontynuacja we współczesnych warunkach jawi się jako obopólnie korzystna i konieczna.
Asymmetric Naïveté: Beliefs About Self-Control
Authors: Fedyk Anastassia
Published: October 2024

Do individuals anticipate time inconsistency in others? This paper jointly investigates beliefs about one’s own and others’ present bias. In an online laboratory experiment, participants engaged in a real-effort task display little awareness of their own present bias but anticipate present bias in others. Structurally, I estimate a present bias parameter [Formula: see text] of 0.82. Participants perceive others’ [Formula: see text] to be 0.87, indicating substantial sophistication, contrasted with 1.03 for themselves, indicating full naïveté. At the individual level, asymmetric naïveté correlates with overoptimism regarding one’s own versus others’ task enjoyment and time availability. The wedge in beliefs about present bias can inform equilibrium outcomes in a number of collaborative, competitive, and hierarchical settings, including teams in the workplace, management practices such as deadlines and tournament incentive schemes, and household consumption decisions.

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: Financial support from the Laboratory for Economic Applications and Policy (Harvard University); Pershing Square Venture Fund for Research on the Foundations of Human Behavior (Harvard University); Harvard Business School (PhD Research Budget); and the Russell Sage Foundation (Small Research Grant) is gratefully acknowledged.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.01780 .
Carreira e Identidade de Trabalho: Um Estudo com Trabalhadores da Tecnologia da Informação
Authors: Rampa Dias Bárbara Zaida , Novaes Luna Iúri , De Bettio Mattos Valéria
Published: October 2024

O impacto das mudanças ocorridas no mundo do trabalho sobre a constituição identitária e as carreiras dos trabalhadores não é uniforme, apesar de sua abrangência e intensidade, conforme evidenciam estudos recentes sobre o tema. Assim, objetivou-se compreender especificamente o processo de construção das identidades de trabalho de trabalhadores da área da tecnologia da informação (TI) por se associarem aos novos modelos de carreira. Trata-se de um estudo de casos múltiplos, realizado por meio de entrevistas com oito trabalhadores de TI, sendo as informações submetidas à análise narrativa. Os resultados evidenciaram que a forma identitária narrativa e o discurso de carreira possibilidade destacam-se nos relatos dos participantes, sendo que, em alguns casos, suas narrativas se encontram ancoradas em discursos associados à empregabilidade, mobilidade, precarização do trabalho e incerteza em relação ao futuro. Conclui-se, assim, que a identidade de trabalho dos investigados é formada por aspectos da identidade organizacional, profissional e vocacional, sendo essa última a mais saliente, o que parece indicar uma tendência dos processos de carreira no contexto do trabalho contemporâneo.
A Atuação do Psicólogo na Gestação de Alto Risco: Uma Revisão Integrativa
Authors: Basler Taritza , Formolo Portinho Daiane , Vaz da Rosa Viegas Gabriela , Stein Luciana Letícia , Schneider Donelli Tagma Marina
Published: October 2024

O objetivo desta revisão integrativa foi identificar na literatura publicações referentes à atuação do psicólogo na gestação de alto risco, caracterizar tal atuação e analisar seus principais resultados. As buscas pelas publicações foram realizadas sem data limite, com os descritores "Psycholog*" AND "high risk pregnancy", nas bases de dados EBSCO, PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, Scopus; e nas bibliotecas virtuais BVS, Periódicos Capes e SciELO, sendo dos 2.452 estudos recuperados, 9 elegíveis. Os estudos selecionados tiveram como amostra gestantes a partir do segundo trimestre de gestação, com importante diversidade de diagnósticos, dentre eles, de maior prevalência o de hipertensão arterial sistêmica. As propostas de intervenção psicológicas foram igualmente diversas, com maior ocorrência aquelas voltadas para o manejo da ansiedade e da depressão; na sua totalidade com melhora dos desfechos clínicos avaliados. Este estudo evidencia a importância da atuação do psicólogo no período pré-natal de alto risco através de sua contribuição para a prevenção e promoção de saúde materno-fetal, o que traduz a necessidade de ampliação de pesquisas de intervenção psicológica nesse contexto.
Testamento e liberdade: a tradução de “Liberté”, de Paul Éluard, e a II Guerra na poesia bandeiriana
Authors: Anan Sylvia Tamie
Published: October 2024

Escrito em 1943, o poema “Testamento”, de Lira dos Cinquent’Anos, indica uma mudança nos interesses de Manuel Bandeira enquanto poeta, em uma das raras alusões a acontecimentos políticos presentes na sua obra. Embora os aspectos temáticos e formais do poema sejam característicos da obra bandeiriana, surge o questionamento sobre o papel da poesia em um mundo assolado por acontecimentos fora do alcance do eu-lírico. Assim, o poema expande o conceito de “poesia de circunstância” presente na poética bandeiriana. No mesmo período, Bandeira traduziu a quatro mãos, com Carlos Drummond de Andrade, o poema “Liberté”, de Paul Éluard, que demonstra como a preocupação com o alcance da poesia durante o conflito armado também se estendia para o campo concreto.
psk1 virulence gene-induced pulmonary and systemic tuberculosis in a young woman with normal immune function: A case report
Authors: Wu Fan , Yang Bin , Xiao Yan , Ren Li-Li , Chen Hong-Yi , Hu Xin-Lan , Pan Yan-Yu , Chen Yu-Sheng , Li Hong-Ru
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease and an important public health problem. Despite progress in controlling tuberculosis, the incidence of tuberculosis in China is still very high, with 895000 new cases annually. This case report describes the investigation of a case of severe disseminated tuberculosis in a young adult with normal immune function, conducted to ascertain why a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis ) strain caused such severe disease.

CASE SUMMARY

A previously healthy 28-year-old woman presented to our hospital with a 1-month history of fever and fatigue. She was diagnosed with severe disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis, spinal tuberculosis with paravertebral abscesses, and tuberculous meningitis. M. tuberculosis was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. She was treated with standard antituberculous therapy and underwent debridement, bone graft, and internal fixation surgery for spinal tuberculosis. She responded to therapy and regained her ability to walk following the surgery. We analysed the whole-genome sequence of the strain and designated it BLM-A21. Additional M. tuberculosis genomes were selected from the Virulence Factor Database (http://www.mgc.ac.cn/cgi-bin/VFs/genus.cgi?Genus=Mycobacterium ) for comparison. An evolutionary tree of the BLM-A21 strain was built using PhyML maximum likelihood software. Further gene analysis revealed that, except for the pks1 gene, BLM-A21 had similar virulence genes to the CDC 1551 and H37Rv strains, which have lower dissemination.

CONCLUSION

We speculate that the pks1 virulence gene in BLM-A21 may be the key virulence gene responsible for the widespread dissemination of M. tuberculosis infection in this previously healthy adult with normal immune function.
Performance Analysis and Design Considerations of the Near-Field-Focused Rotman Lens Antennas
Authors: Otman Salem M. , Kuşaf Mehmet , Öztoprak Abdullah Y.
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the application of Rotman lens antennas in the near field. The design equations of these antennas have been derived in the near field and demonstrated to be highly effective. By considering specific examples, the shapes of the inner surfaces of these lens antennas have been analyzed and discussed, revealing how practically realizable lens surfaces can be designed. As these Rotman lenses are perfect at only three points in the near field, they exhibit phase errors at other points along a line connecting the three near-field focal points, resulting in deterioration of the near-field patterns. It has been shown that by selecting the lens parameters appropriately, these phase errors can be kept to a minimum, causing only minimal beam deterioration. Compared to far-field-focused Rotman lens antennas, near-field-focused Rotman lens antennas achieve significantly higher power levels, having 3.8 to 6.3 dB improvement for different beams of a 17-element array. The study has demonstrated the potential of Rotman lenses as multiple beamforming antennas for near-field applications.
Analysis of Reader Orientation on Detection Performance of Hilbert Curve-based Fractal Chipless RFID Tags
Authors: Sheikh Muntasir M.
Published: October 2024

The role of the orientation of the radio frequency identification (RFID) reader is vital in the RFID-based communication system. This study presents the design and analysis of the impact of the orientation of the RFID reader (angle of incidence of the plane wave) on the detection and sensitivity characteristics of fractal chipless RFID tags. Four fractal (irregular) shaped tags are developed using four iterations of the Hilbert curve filling algorithm. The full-wave EM analysis of the designed tags in Matlab is performed by exporting them in Computer Simulation Technologies Micro-Wave Studio (CST MWS) in the frequency range of 2 to 20 GHz. Firstly, the performance of the tags is analyzed by observing the radar cross-section (RCS) of the tag for the fixed orientation of the incident plane wave in three different polarizations (horizontal, vertical, and oblique). Later, the variations in the EM spectrum (RCS results) are analyzed for oblique polarization by varying the incidence plane wave in both elevations (for two cases of 0∘ and 90∘) and azimuth planes (sweeping from 0∘ to 180∘ with a step size of 10∘). The analysis of the proposed aggregated RCS response for all cases in oblique polarization produces higher coding capacity (169 bits), coding spatial capacity (16.504 bits/cm2), coding spectral capacity (9.826 bits/GHz), and coding density (0.960 bits/GHz/cm2) for the realized highly irregular tag using fourth-iteration (4T) of Hilbert curve filling algorithm. The proposed procedure of detection based on aggregated response makes the developed RFID communication system more secure and reliable.
A Spoof Surface Plasmon Polaritons Filter with Controllable Negative Slope Equalization Based on Surface Resistance
Authors: Wang Chenhao , Dong Junjie , Shi Xiaomin , Yang Hailong
Published: October 2024

This paper presents a novel spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) filter integrated with controllable negative slope equalization. Different from traditional microwave filters, two microwave functions - amplitude compensation and interference suppression - are integrated into one device by depositing a lossy indium tin oxide (ITO) film on the rectangular corrugated stub of the SSPP unit. The key point of negative slope equalization benefits from the surface resistance of the ITO film, and the circuit model and behavior are analyzed in detail. Based on the principle, a prototype of a SSPP filter operating from S to C band is designed and fabricated. The measurement results show that the attenuation in the passband increases almost linearly from 3.5 GHz (−4.8 dB) to 6.9 GHz (−15.4 dB), indicating that −10.6 dB equalization is achieved. The improved S21 is attributed to the good impedance matching by sputtering the ITO film on the rectangular metal strip rather than the central strip. Due to the natural low-pass property of SSPPs, the high-order parasitic band is suppressed above the cut-off frequency of 8.5 GHz. The analyses, simulations and measurements show that the proposed SSPP filter is provided with an additional ability to compensate for positive amplitude fluctuation in wideband antennas.
Generation of multiple focal hole segment by tight focusing of azimuthally polarized double ring shaped beam
Authors: N. Veerabagu Suresh  , R.C. Sarasvathi  , Haresh M. Pandya  , K.B. Rajesh
Published: October 2024

Based on the vector diffraction theory, the effect of phase modulation on the intensity distribution of TEM11 mode azimuthally polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beam in the focal region of high NA lens is investigated theoretically. It is observed that a properly designed complex phase filter can generate multiple focal hole segment and it is useful for the manipulation of optical traps.
Ignoring the Bible in Qur’anic Studies Scholarship of the Late Twentieth Century
Authors: Stewart Devin J.
Published: October 2024

This article discusses the major factors behind an oddity in the development of Western Qur’anic studies, the lack of attention to the relationship between the Qur’an and Biblical tradition in the latter half of the twentieth century. This topic represented an important focus in the field up until the 1930s, after which it was relatively neglected throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. It has been taken up again with renewed energy in the present century. Several factors contributed to this development, including the historical configuration of the field of Qur’anic studies into separate research silos, the dispersion of the nucleus of the field in Germany after the National Socialist Party gained power in 1933, the desire to carry on Christian–Muslim dialogue, and the decrial on the part of religious studies scholars of philological obsession with origins and facile theories of influence along with a concomitant move to focus on Muslim commentaries on the Qur’an.
Diurnal Cortisol Change Moderates the Associations Between Bedtime Parenting Sensitivity and Young Children's Executive Functioning and Emotion Regulation
Authors: Philbrook Lauren E.
Published: October 2024

Abstract: The present study examined children's diurnal cortisol as a moderator of the association between parenting sensitivity at bedtime and young children's executive functioning and emotion regulation. Fifty-one children ( M age = 4.47 years) and their families participated. Parenting sensitivity was assessed from video recordings of child bedtime. Average child morning and evening cortisol levels were measured from saliva across 3 days. A greater decline in cortisol from morning to evening reflected healthy diurnal patterning. Children's executive functioning was measured objectively, and parents reported on children's emotion regulation. Regression analyses showed that lower parenting sensitivity at bedtime was associated with lower executive functioning and more labile and less adaptive emotion regulation only for children who showed less cortisol decline from morning to evening, suggesting that adaptive cortisol patterning may be protective in the context of low parenting sensitivity. The findings identify children at greatest risk and inform interventions targeting children's developmental outcomes.
The Two Pierides: Magpies and Imitative Poetics in Early Modern England
Authors: Russell William M.
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Since antiquity, magpies have been known for their chattering call and their uncanny ability to mimic other sounds, including human speech. On this basis, the bird has by turns been maligned as a gossip, an impostor, and a hypocrite—and celebrated as an imitator. These opposed perspectives mutually inform influential accounts of the magpie, such as Ovid’s tale of the Pierides, in which the eloquent and ambitious daughters of King Pieros, who are equal in number to and even share names with the Muses, are turned into magpies after challenging the Muses to a singing contest and losing. In the early modern period, this ambivalent legacy worked against polemicists who sought to establish a clear distinction between chatter and speech through the invocation of the magpie. The black-and-white bird testified with equal conviction on either side of debates over gender, politics, and religion. Poets and critics faced a similar challenge in distinguishing poets from “pie-poets,” for the magpie spoke profoundly both to the presumption and to the transcendent promise of poetry as described by its most idealistic advocates. Tracking the magpie through early modern culture broadens our sense of the scope of early modern poetics, allowing us to appreciate how a range of writers understood imitation and how poets themselves felt about their attempts to participate in beauty through the imitation of nature and art.
Our journey with Prof. Gabriel Popescu in quantitative phase imaging: in memoriam
Authors: Hu Chenfei , Chen Xi , Zhou Renjie
Published: October 2024

Prof. Gabriel “Gabi” Popescu was a faculty member and the director of the Quantitative Light Imaging (QLI) Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a pioneer in quantitative phase imaging (QPI), having developed several common-path QPI methods at MIT and Illinois, and promoted the applications of QPI across different domains. Tragically, Prof. Popescu passed away on June 16, 2022, in Prundu, Romania. His untimely loss is deeply felt by the scientific community and his colleagues, students, and friends around the world. As former members of his group and close friends, we recount our academic journeys with Gabi in QPI from different perspectives.
Research on dynamic solution analysis and applications based on the Rydberg atom superheterodyne structure
Authors: Ren Shuang , Tang Yu , Yang Chuang , Zhou Hanbin , Wang Siyuan
Published: October 2024

This paper investigates the dynamic solution of the density matrix equation based on the Rydberg atom superheterodyne structure. Compared to the current analytical method relying on the steady-state solution, the dynamic solution is related to the Rabi frequency and the frequency of the signal to be measured. Therefore, it can comprehensively describe the instantaneous bandwidth and gain characteristics of the receiver and is in good agreement with experimental results. Additionally, we propose an atomic all-heterodyne receiver architecture that combines electric-field heterodyne and optical heterodyne techniques and demonstrates the reception and recovery of modulated signals under this architecture with linear frequency modulation (LFM) signals as an example. Our research offers interesting theoretical insights that can be applied to the performance analysis and system optimization of atomic receivers.
Impact of observability period on the classification of COPD diagnosis timing among Medicare beneficiaries with lung cancer
Authors: Metwally Eman , Soppe Sarah E. , Lund Jennifer L. , Hinton Sharon Peacock , Thompson Caroline A.
Published: October 2024

Background

Investigators often use claims data to estimate the diagnosis timing of chronic conditions. However, misclassification of chronic conditions is common due to variability in healthcare utilization and in claims history across patients.

Objective

We aimed to quantify the effect of various Medicare fee-for-service continuous enrollment period and lookback period (LBP) on misclassification of COPD and sample size.

Methods

A stepwise tutorial to classify COPD, based on its diagnosis timing relative to lung cancer diagnosis using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry linked to Medicare insurance claims. We used 3 approaches varying the LBP and required continuous enrollment (i.e., observability) period between 1 to 5 years. Patients with lung cancer were classified based on their COPD related healthcare utilization into 3 groups: pre-existing COPD (diagnosis at least 3 months before lung cancer diagnosis), concurrent COPD (diagnosis during the -/+ 3months of lung cancer diagnosis), and non-COPD. Among those with 5 years of continuous enrollment, we estimated the sensitivity of the LBP to ascertain COPD diagnosis as the number of patients with pre-existing COPD using a shorter LBP divided by the number of patients with pre-existing COPD using a longer LBP.

Results

Extending the LBP from 1 to 5 years increased prevalence of pre-existing COPD from ~ 36% to 51%, decreased both concurrent COPD from ~ 34% to 23% and non-COPD from ~ 29% to 25%. There was minimal effect of extending the required continuous enrollment period beyond one year across various LBPs. In those with 5 years of continuous enrollment, sensitivity of COPD classification (95% CI) increased with longer LBP from 70.1% (69.7% to 70.4%) for one-year LBP to 100% for 5-years LBP.

Conclusion

The length of optimum LBP and continuous enrollment period depends on the context of the research question and the data generating mechanisms. Among Medicare beneficiaries, the best approach to identify diagnosis timing of COPD relative to lung cancer diagnosis is to use all available LBP with at least one year of required continuous enrollment.
Characterization of food color additives and evaluation of their acute toxicity in Wistar albino rats
Authors: Qasim D. A. , Lafta I. J.
Published: October 2024

Background and Aim: The use of food dyes can cause certain diseases, such as anemia and indigestion, along with other disorders, tumors, and even cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the chemical nature and toxicity of some commercial dyes locally used in processed foods compared with standard food dyes.

Materials and Methods: Three types of standard and commercial food color additives (Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine) were extensively examined. The chemical structures and functional groups of the dyes were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The melting temperatures of the dyes were also determined by chemical thermal analysis. The acute toxicity test to evaluate the standard and commercial food color safety was estimated by a range-finding study using 150 Wistar albino rats. Sub-groups were administered one of the three colors under study at doses of 2, 3, 4, and 5 g/kg body weight (BW) orally for 7 days. When no mortality was observed, an additional 15 g/kg BW was administered. Concerning the median lethal dose 50 (LD50), 38 rats were exploited using the up-and-down method.

Results: Commercial dyes had lower melting points than standard colors. Regarding the range-finding study, rats receiving different doses of the dyes exhibited no signs of toxicity, no deaths, and no clinical or gross pathological signs throughout the 7 days of the experiment. However, the animals that were dosed with 15 g/kg BW of each dye showed signs of loss of appetite, tachycardia, drowsiness, and eventual death. The LD50 values of the commercial food dyes, particularly Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine, were lower than those of the standard dyes.

Conclusion: Commercial food colors were more toxic to rats than standard food colors. Differences were observed between the purity of the standard and commercial dyes, and the latter ones contained different percentages of salt, indicating the occurrence of fraud in commercial markets.

Keywords: acute toxicity, food colors, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, lethal dose 50, range-finding study.
Abordagem crítica no ensino de língua inglesa para a Educação de Jovens e Adultos
Authors: Rosa César Morais , Ribas Fernanda Costa
Published: October 2024

Neste artigo, embasados nos pressupostos teóricos do Letramento Crítico (LC), analisamos atividades do livro didático Eja Moderna: Educação de Jovens e Adultos para o trabalho com a Língua Inglesa na Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA) e problematizamos se e em que medida essas podem encorajar a criticidade dos sujeitos discentes. Como metodologia para análise do corpus, valemo-nos das reflexões teórico-metodológicas foucaultianas (Foucault, 2020) a respeito da noção de enunciado e das quatro características da função enunciativa, as quais são mobilizadas em diálogo com os pressupostos do Letramento Crítico. Os resultados de nossa análise apontam que o material em exame traz poucas possibilidades para o professor trabalhar segundo uma abordagem crítica em aulas de língua inglesa. Por essa razão, sugerimos entradas, por meio do material, para que o professor possa estimular a capacidade dos alunos de se tornarem agentes.
Examination of state-level school safety data dashboard characteristics
Authors: Cotman Ann , Curran F. Chris , Harris-Walls Katherine
Published: October 2024

Choices made on data visualizations guide how users make meaning of the information presented. This research investigates design decisions made on 115 state-level dashboards reporting school safety data. Using pre-determined codes drawn from a framework of visualization rhetoric, dashboard characteristics were described and analyzed. Analysis demonstrates that school safety dashboards vary significantly in types of school safety data included as well as how such data are presented. Most dashboards lack specific interpretative text or narration, meaning the messages and stories communicated by dashboards are influenced largely by choices in data included, how it is visually represented, and the interactivity provided to users. The choices craft divergent stories about school safety for dashboard users—including, but not limited to, those that foreground student behavior as the central threat, those that present school practices as problematic, and those that center community creation—which may shape public discourse around school safety. In concert, rhetorical choices reflect different perspectives on safety, students, and schools.
G. P. Muraško – A. I. Filimonová (eds.): Stát a církev v SSSR a zemích východní Evropy v období politických krizí druhé poloviny XX. století.
Authors: Jechová Květa
Published: October 2024

A review of the book by G. P. Muraško and A. I. Filimonová.