bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multidisciplinary management of invasive vertebral hemangioma: the role of different neurointervention modalities—a retrospective study
Authors: Sultan Ahmed Elsayed , Hassan Tamer , Abdelbary Mohamed , Elwany Amr
Published: September 2023

Background

Catastrophic intraoperative bleeding is a major complication of surgical removal of invasive vertebral hemangioma. Interventional neuroradiology techniques could be more useful tools to manage such hemorrhagic lesions.

Results

Retrospective analysis of cases of invasive vertebral hemangioma revealed 17 cases treated at the Alexandria University School of Medicine from 2006 to 2020. The study included 52.9% of males with a mean age of 38.4 ± 18.6 years old. All patients reported local and sometimes radicular pain; 64.7% exhibited progressive neurological deficits. Imaging revealed thoracic spine affection in 11 cases, lumbar vertebral in four cases, and cervical vertebra in two cases. Vertebral involvement occurred in 10 cases and paravertebral extension in 13 cases. Neurointervention modalities included transarterial embolization followed by corpectomy and fixation (one case with C4 lesion), direct surgery with corpectomy and anterior fixation (one case with C7 lesion), vertebroplasty alone (four cases), vertebroplasty with fixation (seven cases), and direct transpedicular alcohol injection with immediate devascularization and necrosis of the vascular channels inside the lesions (six cases). The alcohol injection use ranged from 4 to 10 ml in each pedicle. All patients did well during the follow-period post-intervention. The neurological deficits improved over six months. All patients showed improved Nurick grade regardless of the intervention (preoperative mean 2.7 ± 1.9 vs. postoperative mean 1.1 ± 1.3, p value 0.0001). Two patients were completely paraplegic, but with intact deep sensation, they improved dramatically and can walk unsupported post-intervention.

Conclusions

Vertebral hemangioma can present in an invasive manner that necessitates intervention. Preoperative embolization, alcohol injection, or vertebroplasty are helpful methods to decrease intraoperative catastrophic hemorrhage. Alcohol injection is cost-effective with immediate devascularization of the lesion. The extensive 360 surgery utilization can be decreased with the use of alcohol and vertebroplasty. More cases are needed to validate these conclusions.
Dynamic energy pricing considering agent specific losses in residential energy hubs
Authors: Kidd Braden
Published: September 2023

The rise of distributed energy generation and storage is creating new opportunities for energy consumers to actively engage with energy markets. Achieving these potential benefits will require the implementation of new business models to address limitations of existing market structures. One promising area of research involves the use of decentralised energy trading markets. These markets can increase renewable energy generation through improved infrastructure utilisation and financial returns. However, facilitating these markets is challenging due to the constraints of physical laws and energy losses. The model presented in this paper addresses these challenges by demonstrating an energy market structure for local energy trading that accounts for physical constraints and losses. It fairly allocates the gains of trade and incentivises agents to minimise distribution losses. This market structure can be implemented with existing metering data and approximate values of electrical distribution network properties.
The utility of estimation of glomerular filtration rate by serum cystatin C as a predictor of diabetic kidney disease in both type I and type II diabetic patients: a single center study
Authors: Mansour Ahmed E. , Abdelmoniem Rasha O. , Elbadawy Ayman M. , Ibrahim Walaa M.
Published: September 2023

Background

Diabetic kidney disease is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease all over the world. The general recommendation for the subjects with DM is to perform kidney function as screening: in T1DM, 5 years after diagnosis, and in type 2, at the time of diagnosis. The early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease depends on the albumin excretion ratio; however, the albumin excretion ratio (AER) does not correlate with the severity and progression of the disease.

Methods

The subjects in this study included thirty patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and thirty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were recruited from the outpatient clinic and inpatient in the Internal Medicine Department at Benha University Hospitals in the endocrinology unit from January 2022 to January 2023 as cases who were subground according to albuminuria into two groups (normoalbuminuria less than 30 mg/24 h urinary collection) and albuminuric group more than 30 mg/24 h urinary collection; all patients were subjected to thorough history including baseline characteristics, examination, and related laboratory investigations.

Results

Serum cystatin C level at a cutoff value of 82 was associated with sensitivity (81.4) and specificity (82.4), and it was negatively significantly correlated with BMI, duration of diabetes mellitus, albuminuria, blood urea, and serum creatinine, and it was positively significantly correlated with e-GFR creatinine.

Conclusion

Serum cystatin C can be used as an early marker of diabetic kidney disease in both type I and type II diabetic patients better than AER and serum creatinine.
High-Salt-Diet (HSD) aggravates the progression of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) via regulating epithelial necroptosis
Authors: Qi Jialong , Wang Jinli , Zhang Ying , Long Huan , Dong Liang , Wan Ping , Zuo Zan , Chen Wenjie , Song Zhengji
Published: September 2023

Due to its unclear etiology, there is no specific medicine to cure the recurrent and incurable inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Unhealthy dietary habits unconsciously contributed to the progression of IBD, for example a High-Salt-Diet (HSD) is the most neglected and frequently adopted habit. However, the molecular mechanism of how HSD aggravates the progression of IBD has yet to remain uncovered. Herein, we focus on the hypothesis that necroptosis pathway may be involved in the process of IBD exacerbated by HSD. To this end, different gene expression (DEGs) profiles of human epithelia under hypertonic culture conditions were applied to screen candidate pathways. What’s more, gene expression manipulation, immune microenvironment detection, RIPK3/MLKL gene knockout (KO), and wild-type (WT) mice were carried out to research the promotion of IBD progression under treatments of high salt intake. Based on our present results, gene expression profiles in human normal colon epithelia cell NCM460 were significantly changed under salt- or sucrose-induced hypertonic culture conditions. RIPK3 was significantly up-regulated under both conditions. Furthermore, mice colon epithelia cell CT26 growth was inhibited in a time- and dose-dependent manner by extra NaCl incubation. Autophagy, and Necroptosis pathways were activated and enhanced by LPS pretreatment. HSD significantly exacerbated DSS-induced IBD symptoms in vivo in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, RIPK3-/- and MLKL-/- mice presented severe IBD symptoms in vivo. Overall, the results demonstrated that HSD aggravated the IBD progression via necroptosis activation, providing novel strategies and promising targets for the clinical treatment of IBD.
Improving Real-World Mortality Data Quality in Oncology Research: Augmenting Electronic Medical Records With Obituary, Social Security Death Index, and Commercial Claims Data
Authors: Shao Ping , Tepsick Jon G. , Walker Brigham , Ray Herman E.
Published: September 2023

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the relative improvements in mortality data capture of adding different external data to enriched electronic medical records (EMRs) for patients with melanoma.

METHODS

An enriched EMR database, containing structured and unstructured data, was used to evaluate the incremental mortality data capture of the following external data sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), public obituary, and an administrative open-claims database for the claims data set. Overall survival (OS) was assessed for each data set and the composite data set using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

A total of 3,882 patients were included in the study. The enriched EMR data set identified 1,085 patients with a death record. The SSA data set identified 213 patients (73 unique when combined with enriched EMR) with a death record, while the obituary data set identified 1,127 patients (241 unique). The administrative claims data set identified 378 patients (73 unique) with a death record; however, all these unique patients were already accounted for in the combined SSA and obituary data set. The composite data set yielded a median OS of 13.39 years, about 4 years shorter than the enriched EMR data set alone (17.63 years).

CONCLUSION

When the enriched EMR data set was augmented with one external data set, the obituary data set provided the most additional value, followed by claims, and then SSA. The augmentation of all the data sources had a significant impact on the OS results compared with enriched EMR alone.
Effect of Metformin Versus Placebo on New Primary Cancers in Canadian Cancer Trials Group MA.32: A Secondary Analysis of a Phase III Randomized Double-Blind Trial in Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Goodwin Pamela J. , Chen Bingshu E. , Gelmon Karen A. , Whelan Timothy J. , Ennis Marguerite , Lemieux Julie , Ligibel Jennifer A. , Hershman Dawn L. , Mayer Ingrid A. , Hobday Timothy J. , Bliss Judith M. , Rastogi Priya , Rabaglio-Poretti Manuela , Thompson Alastair M. , Rea Daniel W. , Stos Paul M. , Shepherd Lois E. , Stambolic Vuk , Parulekar Wendy R.
Published: September 2023

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned coprimary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical trial updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.

Metformin has been associated with lower cancer risk in epidemiologic and preclinical research. In the MA.32 randomized adjuvant breast cancer trial, metformin ( v placebo) did not affect invasive disease-free or overall survival. Here, we report metformin effects on the risk of new cancer. Between 2010 and 2013, 3,649 patients with breast cancer younger than 75 years without diabetes with high-risk T1-3, N0-3 M0 breast cancer (any estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) were randomly assigned to metformin 850 mg orally twice a day or placebo twice a day for 5 years. New primary invasive cancers (outside the ipsilateral breast) developing as a first event were identified. Time to events was described by the competing risks method; two-sided likelihood ratio tests adjusting for age, BMI, smoking, and alcohol intake were used to compare metformin versus placebo arms. A total of 184 patients developed new invasive cancers: 102 metformin and 82 placebo, hazard ratio (HR), 1.25; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.68; P = .13. These included 48 contralateral invasive breast cancers (27 metformin v 21 placebo), HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.72 to 2.27; P = .40 and 136 new nonbreast primary cancers (75 metformin v 61 placebo), HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.74; P = .21. Metformin did not reduce the risk of new cancer development in these nondiabetic patients with breast cancer.
Shaking the Basemap
Authors: Madera Judith
Published: September 2023

This chapter discusses Black geographies revealed through abolitionist print records from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It focuses on early feminist geographic discourses and civics, arguing that author-activists such as Nancy Gardner Prince, Maria Stewart, and Pauline Hopkins wrote the ramp to new imaginations of history. The chapter claims that Black narratives extended material spaces and projected new sites of possibility. Discourse and place-making can be mutually constitutive. Topics examined include Caribbean anticolonial ecologies and discursive countercartographies.
“My Bad Attitude toward the Pastoral”
Authors: Elliott Chiyuma
Published: September 2023

This chapter uses C. S. Giscombe’s 1994 book-length poem Here to explore systematically some key ways that songs and poetry document racialized experiences of geography, particularly the shifting boundaries between North and South and between urban and rural. It explores Giscombe’s complex allusions to Jean Toomer’s Harlem Renaissance classic Cane and argues that Giscombe indicates the presence of “Dixie Islands,” much like Shrinidhi Ambinakudige. But Giscombe’s poetic presentation of the geographic phenomenon allows him to spell out the emotional stakes of living in such a shifting world full of latent potential danger, blurry racialized boundaries, and moments of quiet reprieve.
Blackness in the (Post)Colonial African City
Authors: Matlon Jordanna
Published: September 2023

This chapter elaborates the Black Geographic in the African city. There, affirmations and contestations of a Blackness born of negation but not erasure vie among disrupted yet unbroken ancestral lineages and homemaking claims. The chapter begins by examining two iconic sites in the French mission civilisatrice (civilizing mission): the colonial municipalities of the Four Communes in Senegal and the postcolonial regional hegemon of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. In doing so the chapter demonstrates how the mission civilisatrice deeply conflated the terms of race and culture to articulate the right to the city. It then engages AbdouMaliq Simone’s theorization of “black urbanism,” which disrupts imperial denouncements of Blackness to posit alternative, always, and already livelihood strategies, mobilities, and meaning-making practices to offer a vital contribution to the Black Geographic spatial imaginary.
Marielle Franco and Black Spatial Imaginaries
Authors: Muñoz Solange
Published: September 2023

This chapter examines Black women in political positions of power and their representation, focusing on Marielle Franco’s life, death, and legacy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It explores Franco’s social and spatial significance, intersectionality, and positionality as an activist, Black woman, favelada, LGBTQ person, and single mother elected to city council and then assassinated. The chapter employs Black Geographies to examine Franco’s assassination in the context of white nationalism, Black genocide, and spatial violence. In doing so, it unpacks how Black Geographic approaches give meaning to Black women who sacrifice themselves through their person, bodies, and lives to position themselves at the center of white supremacist political institutions. The chapter argues that Franco represents and embodies alternative visions and projects that strive for social justice, equality, and collective and inclusive agendas.
The San Francisco Blues
Authors: Dillon Lindsey
Published: September 2023

This chapter focuses on grassroots urban redevelopment by residents of San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood in the 1960s and 1970s, and their efforts to build permanent housing and community infrastructure for Black residents. It shows how Hunters Point housing activists worked to make space for Black life in a market economy dependent on the uneven devaluation of people and place, through an alternatively collaborative and critical relationship with state agencies. The vision of a “new Hunters Point” stems from a branch of the blues epistemology Clyde Woods identified in the Mississippi Delta, as this epistemology was crafted and reworked through the landscape and politics of the US West. Housing activists in Hunters Point aimed to produce a more humane sociospatial arrangement in San Francisco.
Old Town Road
Authors: Molanphy Chris
Published: September 2023

In Old Town Road, Chris Molanphy considers Lil Nas X's debut single as pop artifact, chart phenomenon, and cultural watershed. “Old Town Road” was more than a massive hit, with the most weeks at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history. It is also a prism through which to track the evolution of popular music consumption and the ways race influences how the music industry categorizes songs and artists. By both lionizing and satirizing genre tropes—it's a country song built from an alternative rock sample, a hip-hop song in which nobody raps, a comical song that transcends novelty, and a queer anthem—Lil Nas X troubles the very idea of genre. Ultimately, Molanphy shows how “Old Town Road” channeled decades of Americana to point the way toward our cultural future.
The Limited Utility of the Hospital Frailty Risk Score as a Frailty Assessment Tool in Neurosurgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: Covell Michael M. , Roy Joanna Mary , Rumalla Kavelin , Dicpinigaitis Alis J. , Kazim Syed Faraz , Hall Daniel E. , Schmidt Meic H. , Bowers Christian A.
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) is an International Classification of Disease 10th Revision-based scale that was originally designed for, and validated in, the assessment of patients 75 years or older presenting in an acute care setting. This study highlights central tenets inherent to the concept of frailty; questions the logic behind, and utility of, HFRS' recent implementation in the neurosurgical literature; and discusses why there is no useful role for HFRS as a frailty-based neurosurgical risk assessment (FBNRA) tool.

METHODS:

The authors performed a systematic review of the literature per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, including all cranial and spinal studies that used HFRS as their primary frailty tool. Seventeen (N = 17) studies used HFRS to assess frailty's impact on neurosurgical outcomes. Thirteen total journals, 10 of which were neurosurgical journals, including the highest impact factor journals, published the 17 papers.

RESULTS:

Increasing HFRS score was associated with adverse outcomes, including prolonged length of stay (11 of 17 studies), nonroutine discharge (10 of 17 studies), and increased hospital costs (9 of 17 studies). Four different HFRS studies, of the 17, predicted one of the following 4 adverse outcomes: worse quality of life, worse functional outcomes, reoperation, or in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION:

Despite its rapid acceptance and widespread proliferation through the leading neurosurgical journals, HFRS lacks any conceptual relationship to the frailty syndrome or FBNRA for individual patients. HFRS measures acute conditions using International Classification of Disease 10th Revision codes and awards “frailty” points for symptoms and examination findings unrelated to the impaired baseline physiological reserve inherent to the very definition of frailty. HFRS lacks clinical utility as it cannot be deployed point-of-care at the bedside to risk stratify patients. HFRS has never been validated in any patient population younger than 75 years or in any nonacute care setting. We recommend HFRS be discontinued as an individual FBNRA tool.
A novel perspective on the evolutionary loss of plasma-accessible carbonic anhydrase at the teleost gill
Authors: Harter Till S. , Smith Emma A. , Tresguerres Martin
Published: September 2023

The gills of most teleost fishes lack plasma-accessible carbonic anhydrase (paCA) that could participate in CO2 excretion. We tested the prevailing hypothesis that paCA would interfere with red blood cell (RBC) intracellular pH regulation by β-adrenergic sodium-proton exchangers (β-NHE) that protect pH-sensitive haemoglobin–oxygen (Hb–O2) binding during an acidosis. In an open system that mimics the gills, β-NHE activity increased Hb–O2 saturation during a respiratory acidosis in the presence or absence of paCA, whereas the effect was abolished by NHE inhibition. However, in a closed system that mimics the tissue capillaries, paCA disrupted the protective effects of β-NHE activity on Hb–O2 binding. The gills are an open system, where CO2 generated by paCA can diffuse out and is not available to acidifying the RBCs. Therefore, branchial paCA in teleosts may not interfere with RBC pH regulation by β-NHEs, and other explanations for the evolutionary loss of the enzyme must be considered.
Adenosine and γ-aminobutyric acid partially regulate metabolic and ventilatory responses of Damaraland mole-rats to acute hypoxia
Authors: Devereaux Maiah E. M. , Pamenter Matthew E.
Published: September 2023

Fossorial Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) mount a robust hypoxic metabolic response (HMR) but a blunted hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) to acute hypoxia. Although these reflex physiological responses have been described previously, the underlying signalling pathways are entirely unknown. Of particular interest are contributions from γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system of most adult mammals, and adenosine, the accumulation of which increases during hypoxia as a breakdown product of ATP. Therefore, we hypothesized that GABAergic and/or adenosinergic signalling contributes to the blunted HVR and robust HMR in Damaraland mole-rats. To test this hypothesis, we injected adult animals with saline alone (controls), or 100 mg kg−1 aminophylline or 1 mg kg−1 bicuculline, to block adenosine or GABAA receptors, respectively. We then used respirometry, plethysmography and thermal RFID probes to non-invasively measure metabolic, ventilator and thermoregulatory responses, respectively, to acute hypoxia (1 h in 5 or 7% O2) in awake and freely behaving animals. We found that bicuculline had relatively minor effects on metabolism and thermoregulation but sensitized ventilation such that the HVR became manifest at 7% instead of 5% O2 and was greater in magnitude. Aminophylline increased metabolic rate, ventilation and body temperature in normoxia, and augmented the HMR and HVR. Taken together, these findings indicate that adenosinergic and GABAergic signalling play important roles in mediating the robust HMR and blunted HVR in Damaraland mole-rats.
Pre-operative embolization of a complex systemic to pulmonary vascular malformation
Authors: Brassil Michael , Li Yangmei , Ko Michael , Faughnan Marie E , Prabhudesai Vikramaditya
Published: September 2023

A 38-year-old male patient presenting with mild exertional dyspnea was noted to have a lingular opacity on chest radiograph. CT of the chest demonstrated an unusual complex inferior lingular vascular malformation with branches arising from the left internal thoracic artery and the left inferior diaphragmatic artery via the celiac artery. There was suspected communication with both pulmonary arterial and venous branches. Following thorough assessment and comprehensive clinical investigation, the patient elected to proceed to definitive surgical management due to potential risk of life-threatening hemoptysis. Interventional radiology performed pre-operative diagnostic angiography and embolization of the systemic feeding arteries. The patient proceeded to have an uncomplicated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy and was discharged the next day. The patient was asymptomatic at follow-up with complete resolution of the malformation on CT at 6 months. We discuss an uncommon pathology which benefited from multidisciplinary management including successful pre-operative endovascular embolization.
Pancreatitis from posterior gastric wall perforation by ingested metallic wire—case report and review of literature
Authors: Senapathy Gayatri , Vengala Sudhakar , Muriki Rohini , Rughwani Hardik , Kalapala Rakesh
Published: September 2023

Gastric and duodenal perforation from ingested organic and inorganic foreign bodies, such as sewing needles, toothpick, metallic wires, fish and chicken bone, are uncommon incidents as most foreign bodies pass in the faeces. The perforated foreign body can at times migrate and either penetrate causing traumatic injury or incite inflammation with formation of abscesses or pseudo-tumours in the adjacent organs such as the liver and pancreas. We report one such case of pancreatitis in a child resulting from a metallic wire perforating the posterior gastric wall and penetrating the pancreas. The findings were detected on CT and the foreign body was extracted endoscopically. We also present review of literature on similar case reports.
Bioequivalence assessment of two Ticagrelor formulations under fasting condition in healthy Pakistani subjects
Authors: Hashmi Naghma , Jawaid Masood , Raza Shah Muhammad
Published: September 2023

Objective: To investigate the Bioequivalence of Anplag® 90mg (Ticagrelor) tablet and Brilinta® 90 mg (Ticagrelor) tablet under fasting conditions in healthy Pakistani subjects.

Method: This was an open-label, cross-over, randomized, single-dose, two-period, single-center Bioequivalence Study conducted at Center of Bioequivalence Studies and Clinical Research (CBSCR), ICCBS, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan from September 2020 to January 2021. This was an open-label, randomized, single-dose, two-period, cross-over Bioequivalence Study. After randomization, a single dose of Ticagrelor 90mg tablet (test or reference drug) were administered orally in 1:1 ratio to each subject under fasting conditions. Seven days washout period was kept between the two periods in order to avoid carry over. Blood samples were then taken up to 48th hours post-dose. Point estimates and 90% confidence intervals (CI) for the ratio of the log-transformed values were calculated. Bioequivalence assessment of both, the reference and the test drugs were based on the primary Pharmacokinetic PK metrics including peak maximum concentration (Cmax), area under the curve (AUC) from zero to last quantifiable concentration (AUClast), and AUC from zero to infinity (AUCtotal) after log-transformation of data with ANOVA. In this bioequivalence study, the primary pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed for both Ticagrelor and its Active Metabolite (AR-C124910XX). Safety endpoints were evaluated by monitoring adverse events (AEs).

Results: The 90% Confidence Intervals (CIs) of the Geometric Mean Ratio for primary PK parameters including Cmax, AUClast, and AUCtotal all were within the accepted bioequivalence range of 80%- 125%. In the current study, no serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion: Our results showed that the two tested formulations of Ticagrelor tablets were bioequivalent and well tolerated.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04941196.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.6.8203

How to cite this: Hashmi N, Jawaid M, Shah MR. Bioequivalence assessment of two Ticagrelor formulations under fasting condition in healthy Pakistani subjects. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(6):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.6.8203

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.
Multiple institutions’ research findings using the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank
Authors: Barapatre Seemran , Gao Yuhe , Becich Michael John , Chandran Uma R. , Amin Waqas , Li Yaming , Ye Ye
Published: September 2023

Mesothelioma remains an under-researched cancer due to the lack of high-quality patient samples and clinical information, especially outcomes and asbestos exposure data. The National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank (NMVB) is a biobank in which mesothelioma annotated biospecimens can be made widely available to the research community. Here, we summarized the significant research findings from 20 publications that utilized the NMVB samples for novel biomarker and therapeutic discoveries. The results showed that the use of the NMVB resource was utilized for a number of basic science studies including, but not limited to, studies of biomarkers, abnormal gene expression, and potential therapeutic targets. Some selected findings from these studies include the identification of positive biomarkers such as miRNAs, autoantibodies, and HMGB1. Genes that have mutations or high/low levels of expression like BAP1 or BLM genes can play essential roles in mesothelioma. Algorithms like SPaRTAN and GES can help to understand cell activities. Treatments investigated include thiostrepton, interferon-β gene, and Brentuximab. Publications reviewed indicated a significant impact of the NMVB resource utilized in significant studies focusing on biomarker and therapeutic discoveries, which can act as a model for rare diseases, especially in oncology.
NCBench: providing an open, reproducible, transparent, adaptable, and continuous benchmark approach for DNA-sequencing-based variant calling
Authors: Hanssen Friederike , Gabernet Gisela , Smith Nicholas H. , Mertes Christian , Neogi Avirup Guha , Brandhoff Leon , Ossowski Anna , Altmueller Janine , Becker Kerstin , Petzold Andreas , Sturm Marc , Stöcker Tyll , Sivalingam Sugirthan , Brand Fabian , Schmidt Axel , Buness Andreas , Probst Alexander J. , Motameny Susanne , Köster Johannes
Published: September 2023

We present the results of the human genomic small variant calling benchmarking initiative of the German Research Foundation (DFG) funded Next Generation Sequencing Competence Network (NGS-CN) and the German Human Genome-Phenome Archive (GHGA).

In this effort, we developed NCBench, a continuous benchmarking platform for the evaluation of small genomic variant callsets in terms of recall, precision, and false positive/negative error patterns. NCBench is implemented as a continuously re-evaluated open-source repository.

We show that it is possible to entirely rely on public free infrastructure (Github, Github Actions, Zenodo) in combination with established open-source tools. NCBench is agnostic of the used dataset and can evaluate an arbitrary number of given callsets, while reporting the results in a visual and interactive way.

We used NCBench to evaluate over 40 callsets generated by various variant calling pipelines available in the participating groups that were run on three exome datasets from different enrichment kits and at different coverages.

While all pipelines achieve high overall quality, subtle systematic differences between callers and datasets exist and are made apparent by NCBench.These insights are useful to improve existing pipelines and develop new workflows.

NCBench is meant to be open for the contribution of any given callset. Most importantly, for authors, it will enable the omission of repeated re-implementation of paper-specific variant calling benchmarks for the publication of new tools or pipelines, while readers will benefit from being able to (continuously) observe the performance of tools and pipelines at the time of reading instead of at the time of writing.
Surveys on migration aspirations, plans and intentions: a comprehensive overview
Authors: Mjelva Mathilde Bålsrud , Carling Jørgen
Published: September 2023

Survey data on migration aspirations, plans and intentions is important for understanding the drivers and dynamics of migration. Such data has been collected since the 1960s but has expanded massively in recent decades. This paper provides the first comprehensive overview of existing survey data in an inventory of 212 surveys with recorded metadata on geographic and temporal coverage, survey population, sample size, and other characteristics. ‘A survey’ is not always a clear-cut unit of analysis, but we adopted procedures that enable systematic comparisons, and identified surveys through systematic searches and follow-up investigation. The paper has three objectives. First, it facilitates reuse of survey data and secondary analysis, albeit with limitations in data access, which we document. Second, it helps consolidate a sprawling field and thereby contribute to methodological and theoretical strengthening. Third, it informs debates on the ethics, politics and biases of data collection by documenting broad patterns in the body of knowledge. The inventory of survey data on migration aspirations and related concepts gives migration researchers a new tool for locating existing data and strengthening the foundations for collecting new data.
The influence of gerrymandering on abortion policy in the United States
Authors: Niven David
Published: September 2023

Background: When the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) overruled a five-decade old precedent and gave states the unfettered power to regulate or ban abortion, it did so while proclaiming the decision would return power over the issue to the people, and that women specifically were not without political influence to shape policies. Nowhere amid such language about the power of the people does the Court decision acknowledge the capacity for biased legislative district maps (i.e., gerrymandering) to influence resulting policies.

Methods: Here I consider the state-level relationship between gerrymandering and abortion policy using logistic regression that controls for several variables including statewide public opinion, religion, and the number of women legislators. Data on abortion rules are derived from the Guttmacher Institute’s database as of January 1, 2023. Data on gerrymandering scores for each legislative map are derived from the Campaign Legal Center.

Results: I find that states with a pro-Republican gerrymander were considerably more likely to impose a pre-viability abortion ban in 2023. Across the 50 states, the logistic regression results suggest an increase in the odds of an abortion ban by more than 40 times as a result of a pro-Republican legislative map gerrymander. Notably, a pre-viability abortion ban is in place in nine of the 10 states where public opinion favors abortion rights but where the legislative map is biased toward Republicans.

Conclusions: The influence of mapmakers over the resulting policy clouds the Court’s sanguine assertions of the public’s influence and women’s political agency over this issue.
A vision of decolonisation: Midwifery mentoring from the perspective of Māori mentors
Authors: Pihema Nicole , Daellenbach Shanti , Te Huia Jean , Dixon Lesley , Kensington Mary , Griffiths Christine , Gray Elaine , Otukolo Dinah
Published: September 2023

Background: Mentoring is a valued form of professional and cultural support among midwives in Aotearoa (see glossary for Māori translations). Mentoring occurs both informally and via formal programmes, including Māori mentoring initiatives with tauira, new graduate and rural midwives. International studies identify indigenous mentorship as a viable approach to supporting the retention and professional development of indigenous health workers. However, little research exists on the mentoring relationship from the perspective of Māori mentor midwives. Objective: To examine the mentoring relationship from the perspective of Māori mentor midwives. Method: This qualitative research used focus groups of Māori mentors, identified from the Find Your Mentor database, to explore their views of mentoring from a Māori perspective. A semi-structured topic guide used seven simple, open questions to stimulate discussion. Discussions were transcribed and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six steps of inductive thematic analysis. Findings: A vision of decolonisation lies at the heart of the mentoring relationship for Māori mentor midwives. Mentors see their role as supporting mentees to navigate the challenges of a Pākehā health system, and to strengthen their midwifery practice through Te Ao Māori. Mentors describe how they are guided by the principles of tika and pono, and work to create a culturally safe space based on mutuality and trust through sharing kai and incorporating their whānau and that of the mentee into the relationship. Being a Māori mentor also fills the kete of the mentors. Māori mentors are sustained through being part of a midwifery hapū and experience joy and hope in sharing ngā taonga tuku iho with the next generation. Conclusion: The decolonising approach to Māori midwifery mentoring has tangible benefits for Māori mentees and Māori midwifery. Māori mentoring activities evoke different experiences for Māori mentees, as evidenced by mentor behaviours that are unique within Te Ao Māori. Being part of Māori mentoring relationships also nurtures the resilience of the mentors.
Halk Bilimi-Sözlü Tarih İlişkisi Bağlamında Avşarlar İle Cadoğlu Mücadelesinin Sözlü Kültüre Yansıması
Authors: GEZER Seyit
Published: September 2023

Halk bilimi ürünleri geniş çerçevede incelendiğinde farklı bilim dalları için kavuştak noktası vasfı görmektedir. İçinde barındırdığı kültürel unsurlar halk bilimi için hem bir zenginlik hem de disiplinler arası yaklaşımlara açılan kapı olmaktadır. Sözlü gelenek ürünleri bu açıdan bakılınca özellikle sözlü tarih için en önemli referanslar olarak görülmektedirler. Bu ürünlerin içinde başta ağıtlar olmak üzere epik geleneğin dışa vurumu manzumeler, efsaneler ve sözlü rivayetler dikkat çekmektedir. Bu bağlamda 19. yüzyıl halk şiirinin en önemli temsilcilerinden olan Dadaloğlu’nun şiirleri incelendiğinde içinde yaşadığı toplum olan Avşarların mücadelelerini bulmak mümkündür. Dadaloğlu sözlü kültür dairesi içinde toplanan şiirlerin bazılarında ise Cadoğlu ile Avşarların mücadeleleri canlandırılmaktadır. Sadece Dadaloğlu’nun şiirlerinde değil Cadoğlu’nun aile bireylerinin anlattıkları sözlü rivayetlerde de bu mücadeleyi bulmak mümkündür. Aile bireylerinden derlenen şiirlerde de okuyanları tarihe götüren mısralar karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Gerek Cadoğlu için söylenmiş manzumeler gerekse Dadaloğlu’nun şiirleri mukayese edildiğinde Sultan Abdülmecid dönemine ait bir kavganın izlerine rastlamak mümkündür. Vakıanın oluşumu, zaman, şahıslar, mekânlar yaşanmışlığın günümüze ulaşan tanıkları olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Daha da önemlisi elde edilen ürünler tarihi aktaran sözlü notlar bütünü olarak anlatı geleneğindeki yerini muhafaza etmektedir.
Changes in density level and mangrove land cover on Teluk Pandan Coast, Lampung, Indonesia, after 10 years of community-based management
Authors: HASANI QADAR , ANISA AYU , DAMAI ABDULLAH AMAN , YULIANA DARMA , YUDHA INDRA GUMAY , JULIAN DAVID
Published: September 2023

Abstract. Hasani Q, Anisa A, Damai AA, Yuliana D, Yudha IG, Julian D. 2023. Changes in density level and mangrove land cover on Teluk Pandan Coast, Lampung, Indonesia, after 10 years of community-based management. Biodiversitas 24: 3735-3742. The mangrove ecosystem in the Teluk Pandan coastal area, Pesawaran District, Lampung Province, Indonesia, is part of the mega-biodiversity of mangroves in Indonesia. Specifically, the mangrove in this region has changed due to tourism, aquaculture, settlement activities and coastal abrasion. This study aimed to assess the changes in density level and area change of the mangrove forests at five coastal villages in Teluk Pandan during the period of community management from 2010 to 2020. The effort and success of the rehabilitation were reported in this study can be useful as a consideration of sustainable management of mangrove ecosystem both in Lampung and in other areas in Indonesia. Mangrove area was estimated through field surveys and data processing of satellite imagery from Landsat 5 in 2010 and Landsat 8 in 2020. The mangrove density level and area change were calculated by layering images of mangrove distribution from different years. The classification of mangrove density was determined based on the NDVI value. Satellite imagery was compared with field data collected from 20 observation points at five villages to ensure the density level and interpretation accuracy. Image data analysis showed the changes in mangrove area from 109.80 ha in 2010, an increase of 16.39% to 127.80 ha in 2020. The area of mangrove forest in the rare category decreased by 49.35%, the moderate category increased by 39.13%, and the dense category increased by 109.71%. The study confirmed the successful effort to manage and preserve mangroves in Teluk Pandan Sub-district. Eventually, community-based mangrove management (CBMM) and cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder management (co-management) has become the core strategy in the successful management of mangrove at five coastal villages in Teluk Pandan Sub-district.
Ethnobotanical study on plant leaves for food wrapping in traditional markets of Wonosobo District, Central Java, Indonesia
Authors: METANANDA ARYA ARISMAYA , AFRIANTO WHISNU FEBRY , HASANAH LAELI NUR , AINI YASRI SYARIFATUL , NOORFAJRIA AFNIDA SHOFFATI
Published: September 2023

Abstract. Metananda AA, Afrianto WF, Hasanah LN, Aini YS, Noorfajria AS. 2023. Ethnobotanical study on plant leaves for food wrapping in traditional markets of Wonosobo District, Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 3803-3813. Currently, almost all items in our daily life are made from plastic, such as food packaging, household appliances, drink bottles, and plastic bags. The use of plastic packaging can harm the environment and human health. Plant leaves for food wrapping can be an alternative to reduce these impacts. Indonesia has many cultures, philosophies, and social activities related to using plant leaves for food wrapping. This study aimed to document public knowledge about plant leaves for food wrapping in the traditional markets of Wonosobo District, Central Java Province, Indonesia. This study used the purposive sampling technique to select 41 informants for the interviews. A total of 10 plant leaves species belonging to 7 families were used for food wrapping by traders in the traditional markets of Wonosobo District. The ten species were Musa spp., Tectona grandis, Cocos nucifera, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Artocarpus camansi, Ficus septica, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Pandanus amaryllifolius, Cordyline fruticosa, and Alocasia macrorrhizos. These trees dominate plant growth forms in this study. The leaves of these different plants were used as food plates and wraps for multiple dishes. Efforts are needed to reduce plastic use in the traditional markets by making regulations to minimize or substitute with plant leaves.
Assessment of the current state of rangelands in Karakalpak Ustyurt, Uzbekistan
Authors: RAKHIMOVA NODIRA K. , RAKHIMOVA TASHKHANIM , SHOMURODOV KHABIBULLO F. , ADILOV BEKHZOD А. , SHARIPOVA VASILA K. , SAITJANOVA UMIDA SH. , KHABIBULLAEV BEKHRUZ SH. , SADINOV JASUR S. , POLVONOV FARRUKH I. , SULTAMURATOV AZAMAT T.
Published: September 2023

Abstract. Rakhimova NK, Rakhimova T, Shomurodov KhF, Adilov BA, Sharipova VK, Saitjanova USh, Khabibullaev BSh, Sadinov JS, Polvonov FI, Sultamuratov AT. 2023. Assessment of the current state of rangelands in Karakalpak Ustyurt, Uzbekistan. Biodiversitas 24: 3835-3843. Assessing the current state of rangelands common in the territory of Karakalpak Ustyurt, Uzbekistan is of great importance in connection with intense land degradation and climate change. The article is devoted to study the main attributes and indicators for qualitative and quantitative assessment of rangelands including the current state of vegetation, soil cover and use of fodder resources. The studied types of rangelands are common on gray-brown desert soils, takyrs, and salt marshes, characterized by high gypsum content. Rangeland vegetation of Ustyurt, composed mainly of Artemisia terrae-albae Krasch., Anabasis salsa (Ledeb.) Benth. ex Volkens, Xylosalsola arbuscula (Pall.) Tzvelev, Salsola arbusculiformis Drobow, Caroxylon orientale (S.G. Gmel.) Tzvelev, ephemera, and other plant species, is the main fodder source for Karakul sheep and camels. The nutritional value of rangeland varieties is quite high in spring, it is characterized by an increased content of digestible protein in this period and decreases towards autumn, while the above-ground yield of species reaches its maximum growth. Autumn and winter-spring precipitation play the main role in the fodder productivity of rangelands. The productivity of rangelands depends on the favorable climatic conditions of the year, if more precipitation falls, the year will be more favorable for the growth and development of plants.
Palynology of Philippine Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. (Araceae) and its taxonomic implications
Authors: FONTARUM-BULAWIN NORILYN F. , MEDECILO-GUIANG MARIA MELANIE P. , CALARAMO MICHAEL A. , ALEJANDRO GRECEBIO JONATHAN D.
Published: September 2023

Abstract. Fontarum-Bulawin NF, Medecilo-Guiang MMP, Calaramo MA, Alejandro GJD. 2023. Palynology of Philippine Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. (Araceae) and its taxonomic implications. Biodiversitas 24: 4095-4109. Amorphophallus is one of the genera of Araceae with diverse pollen characters. This study aimed to investigate the pollen morphological characters of Amorphophallus in the Philippines for inferring taxonomical relationships. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate pollen morphology of 14 accessions of Amorphophallus. Both acetolyzed and unacetolyzed pollens were studied to compare the outward aspect of pollens and the pollen characters were subjected to cluster analysis. Results revealed that pollen grains were mostly spheroidal, prolate-spheroidal, and subspheroidal in shape. The pollen sizes vary from 3.0 to 50 µm and exhibit very small to medium sizes. The ornamentations of unacetolyzed pollens were psilate and striate, whereas ornamentations in acetolyzed pollens are varied from psilate, rugulate, rugulate hamulate, reticulate, scabrate, striateto verrucate ornamentations. All pollens were inaperturate and monad. Cluster analysis using Euclidean generated 2 major clusters, namely Cluster I consists of Amorphophallus adamsensis Magtoto, Mones, Ballada, Austria, R.M.Dizon, Alangui, Regina, Amorphophallus sp.3 (Samar), Amorphophallus yaoi A.Galloway, Hett. & Medecilo, Amorphophallus flammeus Calaramo, Batuyong, Bulawin & Alejandro, Amorphophallus urceolatus Hett. et al. (Ilocos), Amorphophallus rayongii Hett. & Medecilo, Amorphophallus sp.2 (Romblon), and Amorphophallus urceolatus Hett., A.Galloway & Medecilo (Cavite); and cluster 2 consists of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson, Amorphophallus fontarumii Bulawin, Medecilo & Alejandro, Amorphophallus rostratus Hett., Amorphophallus longispathaceus Engl.& Gehrm., and Amorphophallus sp.1 Based on this study, pollen shape, size, and ornamentation can be used as supplemental characters for the taxonomic identification of Amorphophallus in the Philippines.