bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National multi‐centre study found a low prevalence of severely impaired lung function in children and adolescents
Authors: Lukić Ana , Buchvald Frederik , Agertoft Lone , Rubak Sune , Skov Marianne , Perch Michael , Nielsen Kim G.
Published: January 2022

Aim

As no data to our knowledge exist, the aim of the study was to describe the national prevalence and characteristics of Danish children and adolescents with severely impaired lung function.

Methods

We performed a descriptive, cross‐sectional Danish multi‐centre study. Children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years old demonstrating severely impaired lung function from 2015 to 2018, defined by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) <60% or who had lung transplantation, were eligible for inclusion.

Results

This study included 113 children with a mean age (standard deviation) of 12.9 years (3.5 years). The prevalence of severely impaired lung function was approximately 13 in 100,000. The mean (standard deviation) FEV1 was 46.1% (10.1%) of predicted, and z‐score was −4.5 (0.8). The most frequent diagnosis was cystic fibrosis (20.4%), followed by asthma (19.5%) and bronchiolitis obliterans (16.8%), while almost 25% had different elements of airway malformations or non‐pulmonary conditions. Two adolescents with cystic fibrosis underwent lung transplantation.

Conclusion

The estimated prevalence of severely impaired lung function in Danish children and adolescents was low, and extremely, few children underwent lung transplantation. The most frequent diagnosis was cystic fibrosis, while almost 25% had different elements of airway malformations or non‐pulmonary conditions, which may require clinical attention.
Landmark‐guided T‐maze learning in the wolf spiderTigrosa helluo
Authors: Guth Tiffany L. , Persons Matthew H.
Published: January 2022

Spatial learning and navigation may be acquired through idiothetic information (i.e., self‐referential movement cues) or allothetic cues (e.g., external landmarks). Animals may use specific types of landmarks to navigate known as reference frames. A reference frame is an environmental shape or boundary that provides a framework for spatial localization. Wolf spiders produce draglines of silk as they move through the environment that could serve as reference frames and may predispose spiders to use other reference frames to navigate. Using a modified water T‐maze, we recorded the ability of adult femaleTigrosa helluowolf spiders to correctly navigate toward a target goal. We measured variation in spatial learning of the target location with and without a reference frame landmark (tape marking the correct path). Females were trained over ten consecutive trials to successfully achieve the goal. Training trials were then repeated the following day for each subject for a total of 20 trials over two days. In the landmark condition, after the 20 trials, we reversed the reference frame to the incorrect arm choice to test for a decline in performance. For each trial, we measured the latency to achieve the goal and number of reversions or path retracing. Results indicate significantly shorter time to goal over subsequent trials with shorter mean latency to achieve the goal on the second day compared with the first. The landmark treatment showed significantly fewer wrong turns and path retracings than the control, and the reversal of the reference frame significantly increased the latency to achieve the goal. Wolf spiders can learn simple T‐maze navigation under our testing conditions, but learning is enhanced when reference frames are present. Landmarks are important for spider allothetic spatial navigation, and learned spatial navigation tasks are better retained over two days in the presence of reference frames.
Trends in the amyloidosis mortality rate in Japan: A nationwide observational study from 1998 to 2019
Authors: Harada Ko , Hagiya Hideharu , Koyama Toshihiro , Otsuka Fumio
Published: January 2022

Aim

Despite the increasing attention that has been paid to amyloidosis in recent years, there have been few reports on amyloidosis mortality and its trends worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the trends in crude and age‐adjusted amyloidosis‐associated mortality rates in Japan from 1998 to 2019.

Methods

We used national Vital Statistics data among older adults aged over 50 years. The data were analyzed using the joinpoint regression program to estimate the long‐term trends and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs).

Results

A total of 9158 amyloidosis‐associated deaths were recorded from 1998 to 2019, of which 56.1% were in men. The crude mortality rate per 1 000 000 older adults aged over 80 years increased from 9.65 to 54.3 among men and from 7.02 to 22.1 among women during the study period. Overall, the AAPCs of age‐adjusted amyloidosis‐associated mortality rates increased significantly over the study period (1.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–2.7%). While the annual percentage change (APC) of age‐adjusted mortality rates in women showed no significant change over the study period, the APC in men markedly increased in the 2013–2019 period (8.2%, 95% CI: 6.0–10.4%).

Conclusions

This study revealed an increasing trend in mortality associated with amyloidosis, and in particular a marked increase in mortality among men over the past 6 years. Considering its high mortality rate and susceptibility to the effects of an increasing population of older adults, amyloidosis deserves more attention from healthcare providers to improve the understanding of diagnosis, clinical treatment, and healthcare planning. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 246–250.
Modeling and Monte Carlo simulation on photothermal effect in Gd3Al3Ga2O12:Ce3+/Y3Al5O12:Cr3+ layered composite ceramic
Authors: Wang Tengyu , Qin Keyang , Wang Xiangfu
Published: January 2022

Layered composite ceramics have wide application in solid‐state lasers. However, the photothermal effect in the layered ceramics has not been clarified, due to the interface effect between layers. In this work, the model of photon propagation and thermal distribution in the Gd3Al3Ga2O12:Ce3+/Y3Al5O12:Cr3+ layered ceramics are established. The property of photon absorption, reflection, transmission, and thermal distribution are studied by combining the Monte Carlo method and the convolution method. It is found that the photon absorption distribution and thermal distribution of this layered ceramics show the gradient change. Furthermore, this change is strongly dependent on the type, beam width, and power of laser. The temperature of layered ceramics induced by Gaussian beam is higher than that induced by flat circular beam. This work provides a useful research method for the design of layered ceramic materials with excellent scintillation performance.
Citations to Interest Groups and Acceptance of Supreme Court Decisions
Authors: Canelo Kayla S.
Published: January 2022

Interest groups have become increasingly involved in every aspect of American politics, including at the U.S. Supreme Court, with the filing of amicus curiae briefs. In recent years, the justices have been more frequently citing interest‐group‐filed briefs in their opinions, suggesting these groups play some role in the decision‐making process. What we do not know is whether these types of citations might carry any potential implications for public perceptions of the Court's decisions as this phenomenon becomes more prevalent and people become equipped with this information. To test this empirically, I implement a survey experiment with approximately 3000 respondents that assesses acceptance of Supreme Court opinions that cite interest‐group‐filed amicus curiae briefs. I find that the public is less accepting of decisions that cite ideologically overt interests in the aggregate and less accepting of decisions that cite interest groups that are ideologically incompatible with their own preferences. However, the public does not view Supreme Court decision making as political, even when the justices cite ideologically charged groups. Taken together, these findings suggest the public uses interest group source cues to evaluate Supreme Court decisions when equipped with this information and that while the public responds negatively to politics in Supreme Court decisions, the Court maintains its image as a nonpolitical entity.
The Politicized Enforcement of Laws Criminalizing Executive Branch Conflicts of Interest
Authors: Peterson Jordan Carr
Published: January 2022

There exist a host of separate federal statutes governing conflicts of interest for employees in the federal executive branch. These are supplemented by additional administrative rules promulgated by the Office of Government Ethics. Most provisions regulate financial self‐dealing via the imposition of criminal sanctions. In this article, I analyze the enforcement of public ethics law in the executive branch in three ways: first, by examining the textual substance of the statutory and administrative provisions regulating financial conflicts; second, through the presentation of descriptive statistics on enforcement of federal prohibitions on self‐dealing; and third, through exploratory analyses to investigate whether enforcement of federal public ethics law is driven by partisan dynamics or ideological preferences. My results indicate that the Department of Justice is at least somewhat more likely to successfully prosecute employees of agencies whose ideological preferences are misaligned with the incumbent president.
The Importance of Position: Agency Discretionary Budgets and PAS Appointments
Authors: Gui Fred , Rothenberg Lawrence
Published: January 2022

Agency budgets are recognized as strong conditioning influences on executive nominations and, by extension, bureaucratic politicization. Key is an appointed position with greater budgetary authority attached being more important. Yet, position importance has been measured broadly—for example, distinguishing among appointment tiers—without incorporating discretionary budgets as a more nuanced measure. We rectify this, assessing hypotheses about how a position's discretionary budget impacts the president's nomination choice and the Senate's responses. As expected, higher budgets are associated with presidents nominating those with whom they are more in tune ideologically, but this effect is mitigated for top‐tier appointments. Also as predicted, the Senate moves these high budget appointments through the process more smoothly with higher approval likelihoods. Budgets are a key element of position importance for department‐level agencies, structuring how presidents choose and the Senate reacts in politicizing the bureaucracy.
Going for Goals: Presidential Appointments and Agency Goal Change
Authors: Piper Christopher
Published: January 2022

With dozens of mandates, federal agencies have considerable discretion in how they focus their time and resources. In this article, I explain how presidents influence agency goals, focusing on how appointee teams are essential to prioritizing and resetting agency goals. Using original data on federal agency goals from the Obama administration to the Trump administration, my analysis of strategic and priority goals across 56 agencies reveals that agencies in which the president has a higher percentage of key appointed positions filled experienced higher levels of long‐term goal change. This finding highlights the president's immediate need to get their appointee teams in place to alter the course of agency policymaking for their whole first term.
Kant on Inclination and Reason
Authors: Shaddock Justin
Published: January 2022

Kant's Incorporation Thesis states that inclinations do not determine the will independently of reason. But do inclinations represent objects as desirable independently of reason? Or, is reason involved in the very constitution of an inclination so that inclinations without reason are impossible? The former interpretation is held by Christine Korsgaard and Tamar Schapiro. The latter is given by Janelle DeWitt and Allen Wood. I argue for a novel version of the latter interpretation by appealing to Kant's hylomorphism. On my interpretation, reason makes inclinations possible in the way that form does matter. Reason orders the objects of our possible inclinations amongst all our ends in a system. Rather than these relations being consequent to or dependent upon the contents of our inclinations, I argue that these relations are a priori conditions of the possibility of our inclinations. For, we come to have particular inclinations only by their objects coming to occupy places in our system of ends, where such places are antecedently marked out by reason's determination of the interrelations among all our ends.
Identification of the novel HLA‐DQB1*03:471 allele by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Bost Chloé , Wojciechowski Elodie , Fort Marylise , Congy‐Jolivet Nicolas , Bouthemy Charlène
Published: January 2022

HLA‐DQB1*03:471 differs from DQB1*03:02:01 by one nucleotide substitution in codon 142 in exon 3.
Association between hearing impairment, school performance and cognitive function in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease
Authors: Raiza Fontes Barros Bomfim Joara , Orge Anunciação Bacelar Carolina , Marques da Silva Neto Marinho , Salles Cristina , Marice Teixeira Ladeia Ana , Renata Rissatto‐Lago Mara
Published: January 2022

Objective

To investigate the association among hearing impairment, school performance, and cognitive function in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease.

Methods

Thirty‐one participants with sickle cell disease (SCD) and 31 healthy participants in the control‐comparison group (CG), both aged 8–17 years underwent auditory system evaluation (pure tone audiometry and acoustic reflex), were screened for the risks of (central) auditory processing disorder and dysfunction of cognitive function using the Scale of Auditory Behaviors (SAB) and the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), respectively, and were interviewed to obtain clinical data and data on school performance.

Results

In the SCD group, eight (25.8%) participants presented with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The group with SCD and SNHL presented a higher occurrence of poor school performance than the group of participants with SCD without SNHL (p = 0.016). The MMSE score for aspects related to attention and calculation in the SCD group with SNHL was lower than in the SCD group without SNHL (p = 0.016). In the SAB, the SCD group with SNHL presented a lower score than the SCD group without SNHL in aspects related to academic performance and attention.

Conclusion

Hearing impairment in children and adolescents with SCD, specifically SNHL, is associated with poor school performance and enhances the risk of cognitive impairment in terms of attention and calculation.
SymRK‐dependent phosphorylation of Gα protein and its role in signaling during soybean (Glycine max) nodulation
Authors: Roy Choudhury Swarup , Pandey Sona
Published: January 2022

SUMMARY

Heterotrimeric G proteins, comprised of Gα, Gβ and Gγ subunits, influence signaling in most eukaryotes. In metazoans, G proteins are activated by G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR)‐mediated GDP to GTP exchange on Gα; however, the role(s) of GPCRs in regulating plant G‐protein signaling remains equivocal. Mounting evidence suggests the involvement of receptor‐like kinases (RLKs) in regulating plant G‐protein signaling, but their mechanistic details remain scarce. We have previously shown that during Glycine max (soybean) nodulation, the nod factor receptor 1 (NFR1) interacts with G‐protein components and indirectly affects signaling. We explored the direct regulation of G‐protein signaling by RLKs using protein–protein interactions, receptor‐mediated in vitro phosphorylations and the effects of such phosphorylations on soybean nodule formation. Results presented in this study demonstrate a direct, phosphorylation‐based regulation of Gα by symbiosis receptor kinase (SymRK). SymRKs interact with and phosphorylate Gα at multiple residues in vitro, including two in its active site, which abolishes GTP binding. Additionally, phospho‐mimetic Gα fails to interact with Gβγ, potentially allowing for constitutive signaling by the freed Gβγ. These results uncover an unusual mechanism of G‐protein cycle regulation in plants where the receptor‐mediated phosphorylation of Gα not only affects its activity but also influences the availability of its signaling partners, thereby exerting a two‐pronged check on signaling.
Morphological and molecular data reveal the conspecificity of the spider mites Tetranychus gloveri and T. okinawanus (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Sharkey Emily R. , Beaulieu Frédéric , Moore Matthew R. , Bolton Samuel J.
Published: January 2022

Spider mites from Florida identified as Tetranychus gloveri Banks yielded COI and ITS1/ITS2 sequences that were either highly similar or identical to GenBank sequences of Tetranychus okinawanus Ehara from Japan. In the description of T. okinawanus, only a single morphological character, the length of the solenidion on tarsus III, was used to separate T. okinawanus from T. gloveri. Using types of both species, this character was reassessed and is shown to provide no basis for the treatment of T. okinawanus as a distinct species. Therefore, we assert that Tetranychus okinawanus Ehara is a junior synonym of Tetranychus gloveri Banks. We also provide a diagnosis and supplementary description of T. gloveri based on specimens from available geographic regions (USA: Louisiana, Florida; Japan) and designated a female lectotype.
A Bioenergetic View of Coach Learning and Development
Authors: Stoszkowski John , Amato Hans
Published: January 2022

Recent years have seen huge growth in coaching and an associated focus on how it can be optimized through a well informed and appropriately professional coaching workforce. An ongoing focus of coaching researchers has been the importance of sufficiently reflective coach learning and development, with an emphasis on the development of sufficiently critical and analytical thinking. This paper shines a light on an area that we believe has a fundamental influence on the aforementioned thinking processes but has been underconsidered in the coaching literature to date: namely, bioenergetics and the impact of energy metabolism. We provide an outline of the bioenergetic view, with a focus on energy metabolism and mitochondrial function and the influence they may have on coach learning and development. We then offer ideas on how coaches might address these impacts through promoting a better appreciation of the impact of stress and diet on energy metabolism. We conclude with a call for open dialogue and further research on this important area.
Archaeal and Bacterial Metagenome-Assembled Genome Sequences Derived from Pig Feces
Authors: Crossfield Matthew , Gilroy Rachel , Ravi Anuradha , Baker David , La Ragione Roberto M. , Pallen Mark J.
Published: January 2022

We report the recovery of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from fecal samples collected in 2018 from five healthy adult female pigs in southeast England. The resulting nonredundant catalog of 192 MAGs encompasses 102 metagenomic species, 41 of them novel, spanning 10 bacterial and 2 archaeal phyla.
A reevaluation of the tectonic history of the Dashwoods terrane using in situ and isotope-dilution U-Pb geochronology, western Newfoundland
Authors: Hodgin* Eben B. , Macdonald Francis A. , Karabinos Paul , Crowley James L. , Reusch Douglas N.
Published: January 2022

Synthesis of the Ordovician Taconic orogeny in the northern Appalachians has been hindered by along-strike variations in Laurentian, Gondwanan, and arc-generated tectonic elements. The Dashwoods terrane in Newfoundland has been interpreted as a peri-Laurentian arc terrane that collided with the Laurentian margin at the onset of the Taconic orogeny, whereas along strike in New England, the Moretown terrane marks the leading edge of peri-Gondwanan arcs. The peri-Laurentian affinity of the Dashwoods terrane hinges on the correlation of its oldest metasedimentary rocks with upper Ediacaran to Lower Ordovician rift-drift deposits of the Laurentian Humber margin in western Newfoundland. Here, we report U-Pb dates and trace-element geochemistry on detrital zircons from metasedimentary rocks in the southern Dashwoods terrane that challenge this correlation and provide new insights into the Taconic orogeny. Based on age and trace-element geochemistry of detrital zircons analyzed by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS), we identified ca. 462–445 Ma sedimentary packages with a mixed provenance consisting of Laurentian, Gondwanan, and arc-derived Cambrian–Ordovician sources. These deposits overlap in age with Upper Ordovician strata of the Badger Group of the Exploits subzone, which also contain Laurentian detritus. We infer dominantly east-directed transport of Laurentian detritus from the Taconic collision zone across a postcollisional arc–back-arc complex at ca. 462–455 Ma followed by dominantly west-directed transport of detritus from the Red Indian Lake arc at ca. 455–445 Ma. Our analysis of zircon inheritance from Dashwoods igneous rocks suggests that 1500–900 Ma Laurentian crystalline basement of the Humber margin is an unlikely source of Dashwoods inherited zircon. Instead, a more cosmopolitan Laurentian inheritance may be best explained as sourced from subducted Laurentian sediment. Our results demonstrate that the sampled metasedimentary units from the southern Dashwoods terrane do not correlate with rift-drift strata of the Humber margin as previously proposed, nor with the basement of the Moretown terrane; yet, these Middle to Upper Ordovician successions suggest the potential for an alternative plate-tectonic model in which the Taconic orogeny may have been initiated by collision of Gondwanan arc terranes that closed the main tract of the Iapetus Ocean along the Baie Verte–Brompton Line.
Supplemental Material: Zn-, Mg- and O-isotope evidence for the origin of mantle eclogites from Roberts Victor kimberlite (Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa)
Authors: Huang Jian , al. et
Published: January 2022

Analytical methods, modeling procedures, Tables S1–S3, and Figures S1–S5.
Direct numerical evaluation of multi-loop integrals without contour deformation
Authors: Pittau Roberto , Webber Bryan
Published: January 2022

We propose a method for computing numerically integrals defined via $$i \epsilon $$

i
ϵ

deformations acting on single-pole singularities. We achieve this without an explicit analytic contour deformation. Our solution is then used to produce precise Monte Carlo estimates of multi-scale multi-loop integrals directly in Minkowski space. We corroborate the validity of our strategy by presenting several examples ranging from one to three loops. When used in connection with four-dimensional regularization techniques, our treatment can be extended to ultraviolet and infrared divergent integrals.
Point Cloud Intensity Correction for 2D LiDAR Mobile Laser Scanning
Authors: Liu Xu , Li Qiujie , Xu Youlin , Wei Xuefeng
Published: January 2022

The acquisition of point cloud data by mobile laser scanning (MLS) includes not only the information about the 3D geometry of the object but also the intensity from the scanned object. However, due to the influence of various factors, there is a large deviation between the intensity and the spectral reflection characteristics of the scanned object. Intensity correction should be carried out before this method is applied to object recognition. A new point cloud intensity correction method for 2D MLS that was developed by combining theoretical derivation with empirical correction is proposed in this paper. First, based on the LiDAR formula, the main factors influencing MLS intensity are investigated, and a distance piecewise polynomial and an incident angle cosine polynomial are adopted to obtain the intensity correction model of UTM-30LX 2D LiDAR on a diffuse reflector plate. Second, according to the scan pattern, a 2D scan grid is constructed to organize the MLS intensity, and a new method of spherical neighborhood search fitting plane is proposed to accurately calculate the cosine of the incident angle. Finally, the obtained intensity correction model is utilized to correct the MLS intensity of a wall. Two groups of verification experiments are carried out on single sites and multiple sites to test the effect of the intensity correction model. Overall, the improvements in intensity consistency range from 70% to 92.7% after correction within the tested ranges of distance and incident angles [0.52 m-5.34 m, 0°-74°]. The results indicate that the proposed intensity correction model yields highly accurate fitting and can effectively remove the deviation in MLS intensity caused by the distance and incident angle.
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) DARI PERSPEKTIF DERMATOLOGI
Authors: Sitaresmi Adya , Setyowatie Lita
Published: January 2022

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) merupakan penyakit baru yang terjadi akibat infeksi virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Manifestasi klinis umumnya berupa gangguan sistem respirasi. Namun, COVID-19 juga dapat bermanifestasi sebagai gejala ekstraparu, salah satunya dermatologi. Mekanisme pasti terjadinya manifestasi kulit pada COVID-19 masih belum dipahami secara penuh, namun diduga disebabkan oleh efek langsung virus terhadap sel keratinosit, respon imun berlebihan, maupun karena obat-obatan yang digunakan untuk tatalaksana COVID-19. Manifestasi kulit dari COVID-19 dapat dibagi menjadi lima kelompok lesi, yaitu lesi pseudo-chilblains, vesikuler, urtikaria, makulopapular eritematosa, dan vaskular. Lesi makulopapular eritematosa (44,18%) dan chilblains (19,72%) merupakan lesi yang paling sering ditemukan. Lesi vesikuler dan vaskular lebih jarang ditemukan. Lesi chilblains biasa ditemukan sebelum atau bersamaan dengan timbulnya gejala COVID-19 yang lain, dan seringkali muncul pada pasien kontak erat atau asimptomatik sehingga pengenalan lesi secara dini dapat digunakan untuk mendeteksi adanya COVID-19.
Memória editorial e temática da Editora Universitária da UFPE (1955-2014)
Authors: Silveira Murilo Artur Araújo da , Bufrem Leilah Santiago
Published: January 2022

Apresenta o percurso editorial da Editora Universitária da UFPE e a configuração temáticas das publicações em sessenta anos. Tem como objetivo central reconstruir a linhagem temática e editorial da Editora Universitária da UFPE (EDUFPE) por meio dos itens registrados no catálogo de publicações do período de 1955 a 2014. A análise se concentra em 2.225 registros bibliográficos por meio dos métodos cientométrico e análise de domínio. Os principais resultados são: a) trajetória editorial marcada por três momentos históricos; e b) predominância de publicações das Ciências Humanas e das Letras e Artes. Conclui que o percurso da EDUFPE está diretamente vinculado ao de sua mantenedora ao longo do tempo.
Migração de informações na perspectiva do modelo Open Archival Information System
Authors: Santos Henrique Machado dos , Flores Daniel
Published: January 2022

Este estudo realiza uma reflexão sobre a implementação das estratégias de migração no âmbito dos repositórios digitais em conformidade com o modelo Open Archival Information System - OAIS. Dessa forma, descreve os procedimentos para garantir a manutenção da autenticidade e o acesso contínuo às informações no longo prazo. A metodologia consiste no levantamento bibliográfico de materiais previamente publicados, composto por livros e artigos científicos recuperados pela ferramenta de pesquisa Google Scholar. O modelo OAIS é utilizado como prisma da discussão, de modo que as estratégias de migração representam uma categoria norteadora deste estudo. A análise dos dados coletados é de natureza qualitativa e a discussão segue a lógica dedutiva, consequentemente, obtém-se um artigo de revisão assistemática. Observa-se que o repositório que segue o OAIS é um ambiente confiável para executar estratégias de migração e registrá-las por meio de metadados para manter a autenticidade e garantir que a comunidade designada tenha acesso contínuo à informação no longo prazo. Portanto, clarifica a relação entre OAIS e as estratégias de migração, logo, visa ampliar a discussão em torno dos repositórios digitais. Esta reflexão fornece subsídio teórico aos pesquisadores recém-iniciados no tema e demonstra que a discussão sobre as estratégias de preservação merece novas releituras, então direcionadas aos repositórios digitais em conformidade com o OAIS.
Cenário dos repositórios institucionais: a realidade dos Institutos Federais de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia
Authors: Porto Vera Lucia Solano Feitosa , Cavalcanti Vanessa Oliveira de Macêdo , Nascimento Bruna Laís Campos do , Mello Dante Alighieri Alves de , Alvarez Edgar Bisset
Published: January 2022

Como forma de ampliar a visibilidade e divulgação das produções acadêmicas e científicas, algumas instituições de ensino passaram a fazer uso de Repositórios Institucionais (RI), ferramentas tecnológicas que surgiram a partir do movimento mundial de acesso aberto à informação científica. Este trabalho apresenta como objeto de estudo o cenário de implantação de Repositórios nos Institutos Federais de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia (IF) com marco temporal até maio de 2020. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de caráter qualitativo. Foi realizado o mapeamento para identificar quais IF possuíam Repositório Institucional. A coleta de dados aconteceu por meio de consulta em sites institucionais, envio de e-mails ao grupo de bibliotecários da Rede brasileira de Institutos Federais e coleta de informações por meio do Sistema Eletrônico do Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão (e-SIC). Identificou-se que das 38 instituições pesquisadas 15 já possuem Repositório Institucional e outras 15 estão em fase de implantação. Acredita-se que a implantação de repositórios nos IF ainda precisa avançar significativamente para proporcionar maior visibilidade às suas produções acadêmicas, técnicas e científicas.
A classificação e suas consequências
Authors: Moreira Walter
Published: January 2022

Resenha da obra:

BOWKER, G. C.; STAR, Susan L. Sorting things out: classification and its consequences. Cambridge: Mit Press, 2000.
Requadros e janelas
Authors: Oliveira Mariana Vicente
Published: January 2022

Na cidade vemos o mundo enquadrado e nosso horizonte, muitas vezes, assemelham-se a uma linha tracejada. Na Novela Gráfica de Will Eisner, os requadros não só são utilizados para representar as estruturas que recortam a vida urbana, mas também são um convite para que o próprio leitor conecte as cenas. Assim, o autor constrói aos poucos, com palavras e desenhos, um olhar crítico às formas que a cidade nos impõe e como nos afeta.
Inpatient Management of Acute Stroke of Unknown Type in Resource-Limited Settings
Authors: Prust Morgan L. , Saylor Deanna , Zimba Stanley , Sarfo Fred Stephen , Shrestha Gentle S. , Berkowitz Aaron , Vora Nirali
Published: January 2022

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with a disproportionate burden on low- and middle-income countries. Critical elements of guideline-based stroke care developed in high-income countries are not applicable to resource-limited settings, where lack of access to neuroimaging prevents clinicians from distinguishing between ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage, requiring challenging clinical decision-making, particularly in the acute setting. We discuss strategies for acute inpatient management of stroke of unknown type with a focus on blood pressure management and antiplatelet therapy when neuroimaging is unavailable, and review some of the challenges and strategies for successfully implementing stroke unit care in resource-limited health care settings.
Climate Information Services Available to Farming Households in Northern Region, Ghana
Authors: Baffour-Ata Frank , Antwi-Agyei Philip , Nkiaka Elias , Dougill Andrew J. , Anning Alexander K. , Kwakye Stephen Oppong
Published: January 2022

Climate information services can build the resilience of African farmers to address the increasing threats associated with climate change. This study used household surveys with 200 farmers and focus group discussions to identify the types of climate information services available to farming households in two selected districts (Tolon and Nanton) in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study also identified the dissemination channels and the barriers faced by farmers in their access and use of climate information services for building climate resilience in Ghanaian farming systems. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the determinants of farmers’ access to climate information services. Results show that 70% of the surveyed farmers had access to varied forms of climate information services. The most prevalent meteorological variables accessible to them were rainfall, temperature, and windstorms in the form of daily and weekly weather forecasts, with only very limited availability and use of seasonal climate forecasts. Radio, television, and advice from extension agents were reported as the major dissemination channels by study respondents. A majority of the farmers reported lack of communication devices, mistrust in weather and climate forecasts, and lack of visual representations in the forecasts as major barriers to access and use of climate information services. The results highlight the importance of timely and reliable access to climate information services in enhancing farmers’ decision-making capacities and the need for training and recruitment of more extension agents to work with farmers on linking climate information services to targeted actions on crop and land management.
Diagnostic criteria for acute headache attributed to ischemic stroke and for sentinel headache before ischemic stroke
Authors: Lebedeva Elena R. , Ushenin Anton V. , Gurary Natalia M. , Gilev Denis V. , Olesen Jes
Published: January 2022

Background

Defining the relationship between a headache and stroke is essential. The current diagnostic criteria of the ICHD-3 for acute headache attributed to ischemic stroke are based primarily on the opinion of experts rather than on published clinical evidence based on extensive case-control studies in patients with first-ever stroke. Diagnostic criteria for sentinel headache before ischemic stroke do not exist. The present study aimed to develop explicit diagnostic criteria for headache attributed to ischemic stroke and for sentinel headache.

Methods

This prospective case-control study included 550 patients (mean age 63.1, 54% males) with first-ever ischemic stroke and 192 control patients (mean age 58.7, 36% males) admitted to the emergency room without any acute neurological deficits or severe disorders. Standardized semi-structured interview forms were used to evaluate past and present headaches during face-to-face interviews by a neurologist on admission to the emergency room in both groups of patients. All headaches were diagnosed according to the ICHD-3. We tabulated the onset of different headaches before a first-ever ischemic stroke and at the time of onset of stroke. We divided them into three groups: a new type of headache, the previous headache with altered characteristics and previous unaltered headaches. The same was done for headaches in control patients within one week before admission to the hospital and at the time of entry. These data were used to create and test diagnostic criteria for acute headache attributed to stroke and sentinel headache.

Results

Our previous studies showed that headache at onset of ischemic stroke was present in 82 (14.9%) of 550 patients, and 81 (14.7%) patients had sentinel headache within the last week before a stroke. Only 60% of the headaches at stroke onset fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of ICHD-3. Therefore, we proposed alternative criteria with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 97%. Besides, we developed diagnostic criteria for sentinel headache for the first time with a specificity of 98% and a sensitivity of 100%.

Conclusions

We suggest alternative diagnostic criteria for acute headache attributed to ischemic stroke and new diagnostic criteria for sentinel headache with high sensitivity and specificity.
Visual functions and disability in Iranian adults: a population-based study
Authors: Hashemi Hassan , Mehravar Fatemeh , Asgari Soheila , Emamian Mohammad Hassan , Fotouhi Akbar
Published: January 2022

Background

Vision-related quality of life is related to severity of visual impairments and show the impact of eye diseases on daily activities. This study aims to assess visual functions and disability and its association with age, gender, education, marital status, and economic status in adults aged 45–69 years.

Methods

Data in this population-based study were from the second phase of the Shahroud eye cohort study and collected by using a Short-Form Visual Functioning Scale. The scores of visual function and disability were calculated based on Rasch-transformed scores of the National Eye Institute visual functioning questionnaire, where a more negative score indicates a better situation. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the factors associated with visual functions.

Results

Among 4737 participants the visual function data for 4715 people were analyzed. The visual function of 75.3, 17.1 and 7.5% of participants were “ideal and good”, “moderate”, and “bad and very bad”, respectively, while 0.06% were unable for vision. The running mean of the visual function was calculated to be − 3.95 ± 0.02. The visual performance was worse in females than the males (β = 0.14, p = 0.005). Visual function improved with increasing levels of education (β = − 1.06, p < 0.001). It was worse in low-economic (β = 0.016, p = 0.005) and moderate-economic (β = 0.28, p < 0.001) participants than high-economic ones.

Conclusion

The visual function of Iranian adults aged 45–69 years was moderate. The male gender, higher education and the higher economic status had a better visual function.
Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng formula (A&P) improves renal mesangial cell damage in diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting the inflammatory response of infiltrated macrophages
Authors: Lin Xiao , Lei Xiao-qin , Yang Jie-ke , Jia Jian , Zhong Xia , Tan Rui-zhi , Wang Li
Published: January 2022

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the main causes of end-stage renal disease with scantly effective treatment. Numerous evidences indicated that macrophages play an important role in the occurrence and pathogenesis of DN by secreting inflammatory cytokines. Mincle is mainly expressed in macrophages and promotes kidney inflammation and damage of acute kidney injury. However, the role of Mincle in DN is unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of Mincle-related macrophage inflammation on DN, and whether it can be identified as the therapeutic target for Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng Formula (A&P), a widely used Chinese herbal decoction for DN treatment.

Methods

In vivo experiments high-fat and high-sugar diet and streptozotocin was used to establish a diabetic nephropathy model, while in vitro experiments inflammation model was induced by high-glucose in mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages (BMDM) cells and mouse mesangial (MES) cells. Kidney pathological staining is used to detect kidney tissue damage and inflammation, Western blotting, Real-time PCR and ELISA are performed to detect Mincle signaling pathway related proteins and inflammatory cytokines.

Results

Mincle was mainly expressed in infiltrated macrophage of DN kidney, and was significant decreased after A&P administration. The in vitro experiments also proved that A&P effectively down-regulated the expression of Mincle in macrophage stimulated by high glucose. Meanwhile, the data demonstrated that A&P can reduce the activation of NFκB, and the expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in DN kidney or BMDM cells. Notably, we set up a co-culture system to conform that BMDM cells can aggravate the inflammatory response of mesangial (MES) cells under high glucose stimulation. Furthermore, we found that the anti-injury role of A&P in MES cells was dependent on inhibition of the Mincle in macrophage.

Conclusion

In summary, our study found that A&P is effective in reducing renal pathological damage and improving renal function and inflammation in diabetic nephropathy by a mechanism mainly related to the inhibition of the Mincle/Card9/NFκB signaling pathway.
ABO blood grouping and COVID-19: a hospital-based study in Eastern India
Authors: Behera Birasen , Rout Bidyutprava , RajashreePanigrahy  , Kar Subrat Kumar , Sahoo Debasish , Sahu Kundan Kumar , Otta Sarita
Published: January 2022

Background

Blood group has been stated to be one of the risk factors associated with viral diseases like dengue, hepatitis virus, Norwalk virus and even the coronavirus associated with 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. In addition, anti-A antibodies in experimental models have been shown to inhibit the interaction between coronavirus and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) receptor of the host target cell, the major receptor involved in viral pathogenesis. Thus, several workers propose an association between ABO blood type and coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) disease in many previous studies. The present study was undertaken in the Eastern part of India in line with these authors to study the association of ABO blood group of patients with COVID susceptibility and severity.

Methods

This is a retrospective study over a period of 6 months from June 2020 to November 2020 where patients who underwent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) test for SARS-COV2 and having a recorded patient blood group type were considered. The qRT-PCR positive admitted cases were considered as cases, and qRT-PCR negative cases were considered as controls. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel format and analyzed by statistical method to obtain association.

Results

Consecutively obtained 5000 qRT-PCR positive patients (cases) and 11,700 (controls) were included in the present study. The mean age of cases was higher (54.24 vs. 34. 67) than the controls. Among the cases, the highest number (2379; 47.6%) of samples belonged to A blood group followed by B (1278; 25.6%) while among the control group O blood group had the highest prevalence (4215; 36%). Blood group A had a higher odd of testing positive (Odds ratio-2.552; CI 2.381–2.734; p < 0.0001) than all other blood groups. A blood group is also associated with higher risk of ICU admission (Odds ratio- 1.699; 95% CI 1.515–1.905) and 65.3% of this group is also associated with high viral load which gives an indication of higher disease severity.

Conclusion

Blood group A is associated with an increased susceptibility to COVID 19 infection than other blood groups. Cases of this blood group are also associated with more critical care needs and a higher viral load on testing.
To coagulate, ligate, or both: a randomized study comparing the safety and efficacy of two endoscopic approaches for managing gastric antral vascular ectasia in cirrhotic patients
Authors: Abdo Mahmoud , Moustafa Ahmed , Mostafa Ibrahim , Abdelbary Mohammed Salah , Elatar Gamaleldin , Rahim Ali Abdel , Abdelhamid Mohamed , Abdelhalim Hanan
Published: January 2022

Background

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is an uncommon but important cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhotic patients. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is the standard therapy for GAVE. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is an emerging, safe and effective treatment for GAVE. The best way of applying EBL in the management of GAVE is not clear yet.

Aim

We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of APC alternating with EBL versus EBL alone for managing GAVE in cirrhotic patients.

Patients and methods

Forty cirrhotic patients with bleeding GAVE were randomized to receive either APC alternating with EBL (20 patients) or EBL alone (20 patients) until GAVE lesions are eradicated. Gastroscopy was done 6 months after eradication of GAVE lesions to document recurrence. Cessation of bleeding, rise of hemoglobin level, need for transfusion, hospitalization, complications, number of sessions, and recurrence of GAVE in both groups were statistically analyzed.

Results

Patients in both groups showed significantly high rate of bleeding cessation, improvement in hemoglobin levels, reduction in transfusions, and hospitalizations. There was no statistically significant difference regarding the recurrence of GAVE between the two groups. There were no complications seen in the combined therapy group. Twenty percent of the patients in the EBL group had complications including hypertrophied polyp formation and post-band ulcerations.

Conclusion

APC alternating with EBL and EBL alone are effective methods in the treatment of bleeding GAVE. Combined therapy has the potential to decrease the number of banding sessions and the number of rubber bands required to treat GAVE, consequently decreasing the incidence of band-related complications.
980-nm diode laser excision of a giant pregnancy epulis
Authors: Li Lifeng , Liu Yanming
Published: January 2022

The pure pregnancy epulis is mostly vascular, and generally shrinks or disappears with the drop in estrogen levels following delivery. However, the fibrous epulis or granulomatous epulis may enlarge rapidly in the early stages of pregnancy, necessitating surgical resection after pregnancy. This report described a 25-year-old patient with a post-term pregnancy. She had a lump on the buccal side of left mandibular molar region that was associated with intermittent hemorrhage and eating difficulty. Since the patient feared the conventional surgery, the 980-nm diode laser excision was performed to remove the epulis two weeks after delivery, with the involved teeth preserved. The new technique of 980-nm diode semiconductor laser may be a potential good option to treat pregnancy epulis, with less discomfort and involved teeth preserved.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.5102

How to cite this:Li L, Liu Y. 980-nm diode laser excision of a giant pregnancy epulis. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(3):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.5102

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.
Self-starting methods in Bayesian statistical process control and monitoring
Authors: Μπουραζάς Κωνσταντίνος
Published: January 2022

Σε αυτή τη διατριβή, το κέντρο της προσοχής βρίσκεται στην ερευνητική περιοχή του Bayesian Statistical Process Control and Monitoring (SPC/M) με έμφαση στην ανάπτυξη μεθόδων αυτόματης εκκίνησης για δεδομένα σύντομου ορίζοντα. Ο στόχος είναι η ανίχνευση μιας διαταραχής της διαδικασίας αμέσως μόλις εμφανιστεί, ο έλεγχος του ποσοστού ψευδών συναγερμών και η παροχή αξιόπιστων εκ των υστέρων συμπερασμάτων για τις άγνωστες παραμέτρους. Αρχικά, θα παρουσιάσουμε δύο γενικές κατηγορίες μεθόδων για τον εντοπισμό μετατοπίσεων παραμέτρων για δεδομένα που ανήκουν στην κανονική εκθετική οικογένεια. Το πρώτο, που ονομάζεται Predictive Control Chart (PCC), εστιάζει στις παροδικές μετατοπίσεις (outliers) και το δεύτερο, που ονομάζεται Predictive Ratio CUSUM (PRC), σε επίμονες μετατοπίσεις. Επιπλέον, παρουσιάζουμε ένα δυναμικό σχήμα εύρεσης σημείων αλλαγής διαθέσιμο τόσο για μονομεταβλητά όσο και για πολυμεταβλητά δεδομένα, που ονομάζεται Self-starting Shiryaev (3S). Είναι μια γενίκευση της γνωστής διαδικασίας του Shiryaev, η οποία θα χρησιμοποιήσει τη αθροιστική εκ των υστέρων πιθανότητα να έχει συμβεί ένα σημείο αλλαγής. Μια εκτενής μελέτη προσομοίωσης μαζί με μια ανάλυση ευαισθησίας αξιολογεί την απόδοση των προτεινόμενων μεθόδων και τις συγκρίνει με τυπικές εναλλακτικές μεθόδους. Παρέχονται τεχνικές λεπτομέρειες, αλγόριθμοι και γενικές οδηγίες για όλες τις μεθόδους που βοηθούν στην εφαρμογή τους, ενώ οι εφαρμογές σε πραγματικά δεδομένα τα απεικονίζουν στην πράξη.