bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whole genome case-control study of central nervous system toxicity due to antimicrobial drugs
Authors: Ås Joel , Bertulyte Ilma , Norgren Nina , Johansson Anna , Eriksson Niclas , Green Henrik , Wadelius Mia , Hallberg Pär
Published: February 2024

A genetic predisposition to central nervous system (CNS) toxicity induced by antimicrobial drugs (antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitic drugs) has been suspected. Whole genome sequencing of 66 cases and 833 controls was performed to investigate whether antimicrobial drug-induced CNS toxicity was associated with genetic variation. The primary objective was to test whether antimicrobial-induced CNS toxicity was associated with seventeen efflux transporters at the blood-brain barrier. In this study, variants or structural elements in efflux transporters were not significantly associated with CNS toxicity. Secondary objectives were to test whether antimicrobial-induced CNS toxicity was associated with genes over the whole genome, with HLA, or with structural genetic variation. Uncommon variants in and close to three genes were significantly associated with CNS toxicity according to a sequence kernel association test combined with an optimal unified test (SKAT-O). These genes were LCP1 (q = 0.013), RETSAT (q = 0.013) and SFMBT2 (q = 0.035). Two variants were driving the LCP1 association: rs6561297 (p = 1.15x10-6, OR: 4.60 [95% CI: 2.51–8.46]) and the regulatory variant rs10492451 (p = 1.15x10-6, OR: 4.60 [95% CI: 2.51–8.46]). No common genetic variant, HLA-type or structural variation was associated with CNS toxicity. In conclusion, CNS toxicity due to antimicrobial drugs was associated with uncommon variants in LCP1, RETSAT and SFMBT2.
Rapid and specific detection of wheat spindle streak mosaic virus using RT-LAMP in durum wheat crude leaf extract
Authors: Marra Monica , Mussano Paolo , Pinton Eugenio , Montemurro Cinzia , Baldoni Elena , Ratti Claudio , Matić Slavica , D’Errico Chiara , Accotto Gian Paolo
Published: February 2024

To accurately determine the spread of any pathogen, including plant viruses, a quick, sensitive, cost-effective, point-of-care diagnostic assay is necessary. Wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) is a Bymovirus, transmitted by the plasmodiophorid Polymyxa graminis Led, which causes yellow mosaic and reduces the grain yield in wheat. Currently, detection protocols for WSSMV use ELISA or more sensitive PCR-based approaches requiring specialized laboratory and personnel. A protocol for reverse transcription loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) has been developed and optimized for the rapid detection of viruses using crude extracts from wheat leaves. The protocol was specific for WSSMV detection, while no reaction was observed with SBCMV or SBWMV, the non-target viruses transmitted by the same vector. The RT-LAMP assay was shown to be as sensitive as the one-step WSSMV specific RT-PCR. The RT-LAMP assay can be performed under field conditions using a portable instrument, and can help the actual spread of WSSMV, an aspect of this virus not yet well understood, to be explored.
Word or pseudoword? The lexicality effect in naming and lexical decision tasks during advanced aging
Authors: Rojas Carlos , San Martín Marilyn , Urzúa Paula , Guerra Ernesto
Published: February 2024

Although there is evidence that recognizing pseudowords is more difficult than recognizing words during childhood, adulthood, and early old age (60–75 years), it is not yet clear what happens during advanced aging or the fourth age, a stage when the decline of fluid intelligence strongly affects processing speed, but a good performance of crystallized intelligence is described through an increase in vocabulary and knowledge. The objective of this study was to determine the lexicality effect in advanced aging, specifically exploring how the ability to recognize words and pseudowords (ortho-phonologically plausible for Spanish) is affected during the third and fourth-ages. The lexicality effect was measured using naming and lexical decision tasks. Response time and accuracy were compared between a fourth-age group (80+ years) and two third-age groups (60–69 and 70–79 years) through linear regression models. The results showed that, in general, the fourth-age group had longer response times and reduced accuracy when recognizing words and pseudowords. Moreover, they showed a significant lexicality effect (which increases from the third- age onwards), reflected in higher costs during pseudoword recognition, especially when the task required more cognitive effort (lexical decision task). These results were consistent with the impact of the deterioration of fluid intelligence on the speed of lexical recognition and with the better performance that crystallized intelligence can generate on accuracy, especially in the early stages of old age. Additionally, this study supports the fact that pseudoword recognition resists cognitive decline, as accentuated deterioration is visualized only after 80 years.
Disposable impedance sensors based on novel hybrid MoS2 nanosheets and microparticles to detect Escherichia Coli DNA
Authors: Nguyen Tien Ngoc Phuc , Nguyen Son Hai , Tran Mai Thi
Published: February 2024

The rapid and accurate detection of pathogenic bacteria is essential for food safety and public health. Conventional detection techniques, such as nucleic acid sequence-based amplification and polymerase chain reaction, are time-consuming and require specialized equipment and trained personnel. Here, we present quick, disposable impedance sensors based on the novel hybrid MoS2 nanomaterial for detecting Escherichia coli DNA. Our results indicate that the proposed sensors operate linearly between 10- 20 and 10−15 M concentrations, achieving an impressive detection limit of 10−20 M with the highest sensitivity observed at a 0.325 nM probe concentration sensor. Furthermore, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy biosensors exhibited potential selectivity for Escherichia coli DNA over Bacillus subtilis and Vibrio proteolyticus DNA sequences. The findings offer a promising avenue for efficient and precise DNA detection, with potential implications for broader biotechnology and medical diagnostics applications.
Efficacy, safety, and side effects of oliceridine in acute postoperative pain, a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wolf Anne , Unterberg Matthias , Witowski Andrea , Adamzik Michael , Wolf Alexander
Published: February 2024

This will be the first meta-analysis on the efficacy, safety, and side effects of oliceridine on postoperative pain. Our aim with this work is to evaluate the clinical utility of this relatively new substance in a broad postoperative context. Oliceridine is a new so-called bias opioid that is approved for severe pain requiring an opioid. Due to its biased agonism, it is said to have fewer side effects than conventional opioids. This systematic review and meta-analysis will analyze the efficacy, safety, and side effects of oliceridine compared to placebo or morphine in acute postoperative pain for up to 72 hours. In January 2024, an extensive search in various databases will be performed without restrictions for randomized controlled trials with at least single blinding. After data extraction, data will be pooled and meta-analytic calculations performed. A random-effects model will be used. Dichotomous data will be presented as risk ratio and continuous data as standardized mean difference. Dose-dependent side effects will be evaluated with meta-regression. Heterogeneity will be assessed via the Q statistic and prediction interval in case of a sufficient number of included studies. Publication bias will be examined using funnel plot and Duval and Tweedie’s trim and fill method.
Implications of MTHFD2 expression in renal cell carcinoma aggressiveness
Authors: Silva Rafaela V. N. , Berzotti Lucas A. , Laia Marcella G. , Araújo Liliane S. , Silva Crislaine A. , Ribeiro Karen B. , Brandão Millena , Michelleti Adilha M. R. , Machado Juliana R. , Lira Régia C. P.
Published: February 2024

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of cancer in kidney and is often diagnosed in advanced stages. Until now, there is no reliable biomarker to assess tumor prognosis during histopathological diagnosis. The Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) overexpression has been suggested as prognostic indicator for RCC, however, its protein profile needs to be clarified. This study investigated the MTHFD2 expression in different RCC cohorts, associating it with tumor characteristics and prognostic factors. Gene expression comparisons between non-neoplastic (NN) and tumor samples, as well as patients’ survival analysis, were assessed using KM-Plotter tool. MTHFD2 protein pattern was evaluated in 117 RCC by immunohistochemistry and associations with prognosis, clinical and pathological data were investigated. The tumors exhibited higher MTHFD2 transcript levels than NN, being even higher in the metastatic group. Opposite gene expression patterns were found among clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and pappilary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) subtypes, showing higher and lower expressions compared to NN samples respectively. Overexpression was associated with shorter overall survival for ccRCC and pRCC subtypes, and shorter recurrence-free survival for pRCC. The immunolabeling profile varied according to tumor subtypes, with lower intensity and expression scores in ccRCC compared to pRCC and to chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC). MTHFD2 protein expression was associated with larger tumors and higher Fuhrman grades. Although prognostic value of protein immunostaining was not confirmed, patients with higher MTHFD2 tended to have lower survival rates in the pRCC group. The results highlight MTHFD2 different patterns according to RCC histological subtypes, revealing marked variations at both the genetic and protein levels. The mRNA indicated tumor prognosis, and greater expression in the tumor samples. Although MTHFD2 immunolabeling suggests tumor aggressiveness, it needs to be validated in other cohorts as potential prognostic factor.
Genetic risk score for insulin resistance based on gene variants associated to amino acid metabolism in young adults
Authors: Lares-Villaseñor Eunice , Guevara-Cruz Martha , Salazar-García Samuel , Granados-Portillo Omar , Vega-Cárdenas Mariela , Martinez-Leija Miguel Ernesto , Medina-Vera Isabel , González-Salazar Luis E. , Arteaga-Sanchez Liliana , Guízar-Heredia Rocío , Hernández-Gómez Karla G. , Serralde-Zúñiga Aurora E. , Pichardo-Ontiveros Edgar , López-Barradas Adriana M. , Guevara-Pedraza Laura , Ordaz-Nava Guillermo , Avila-Nava Azalia , Tovar Armando R. , Cossío-Torres Patricia E. , de la Cruz-Mosso Ulises , Aradillas-García Celia , Portales-Pérez Diana P. , Noriega Lilia G. , Vargas-Morales Juan M.
Published: February 2024

Circulating concentration of arginine, alanine, aspartate, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, taurine and valine are increased in subjects with insulin resistance, which could in part be attributed to the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes associated with amino acid metabolism. Thus, the aim of this work was to develop a Genetic Risk Score (GRS) for insulin resistance in young adults based on SNPs present in genes related to amino acid metabolism. We performed a cross-sectional study that included 452 subjects over 18 years of age. Anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters were assessed including measurement of serum amino acids by high performance liquid chromatography. Eighteen SNPs were genotyped by allelic discrimination. Of these, ten were found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and only four were used to construct the GRS through multiple linear regression modeling. The GRS was calculated using the number of risk alleles of the SNPs in HGD, PRODH, DLD and SLC7A9 genes. Subjects with high GRS (≥ 0.836) had higher levels of glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment- insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower levels of arginine than subjects with low GRS (p < 0.05). The application of a GRS based on variants within genes associated to amino acid metabolism may be useful for the early identification of subjects at increased risk of insulin resistance.
Spanish version of the short European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire HLS-Q12: Transcultural adaptation and psychometric properties
Authors: Muñoz-Villaverde Sergio , Serrano-Oviedo Leticia , Martínez-García María , Pardo Yolanda , Tares-Montserrat Llüisa , Gómez-Romero Francisco Javier , Garcimartin Paloma
Published: February 2024

Background

Health literacy has a direct impact on the health of populations. It is related to education, capacity for self-care, and management of health resources. The Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire HLS-Q12 is one of the reference instruments but has not yet been adapted to Spanish. The aims of the study were to cross-culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the HLS-Q12.

Methods

Data was collected from June 2020 to March 2022. The sample consisted of 60 patients who initiated cancer treatment for the first time within a clinical trial. Double direct translation, back-translation, cognitive debriefing with a 10-patient sample, and an expert committee were used for cross-cultural adaptation. For validation of the HLS-Q12, a psychometric analysis was performed to assess feasibility, reliability, sensitivity to change and construct validity with other measures such as health-related quality of life, empowerment, and health needs.

Results

The HLS-Q12 is equivalent at the semantic, conceptual, and content level to the original version and its psychometric properties demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88 and a McDonald´s omega of 0.91, a high degree of fit for the confirmatory factor analysis, and a statistically significant sensitivity to change (p = 0.025).

Conclusions

Based on robust psychometric values, the Spanish version of HLS-Q12 was found to be a good cross-culturally adapted tool for collecting correct information on health literacy in cancer patients regardless of tumour type or stage. Although more studies are needed, this version of HLS-Q12 could be used in research for collecting data on the health literacy needs of Spanish-speaking patients.
Vitamin D levels of pregnant immigrant women and developmental disorders of language, learning and coordination in offspring
Authors: Arrhenius Bianca , Surcel Heljä-Marja , Hinkka Yli-Salomäki Susanna , Brown Alan , Cheslack-Postava Keely , Sourander Andre
Published: February 2024

Background

Prenatal vitamin D deficiency is a common health concern among immigrants. No previous studies have examined the associations between prenatal vitamin D levels and developmental disorders of language, scholastic skills, and coordination in an immigrant sample.

Methods

The sample included 542 immigrant mothers of cases with language, scholastic, coordination or mixed developmental disorders, 443 immigrant mothers of controls without these disorders and 542 Finnish mothers of controls. Maternal vitamin D was measured in serum samples collected during early pregnancy and stored in a national biobank.

Results

The mean vitamin D levels during pregnancy were 25.0 (SD 14.4) nmol/L for immigrant mothers of cases, 25.4 (SD 15.5) for immigrant mothers of controls and 42.3 (SD 19.1) for Finnish mothers of controls. Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy were not associated with the selected developmental disorders in offspring when immigrant mothers of cases were compared to immigrant mothers of controls (adjusted OR for continuous log-transformed vitamin D: 1.01, 95% CI 0.75–1.36, p = 0.96). When immigrant mothers of cases were compared to Finnish mothers of controls, the adjusted OR for continuous vitamin D was 18.94 (95% CI 11.47–31.25), p <0.001). The results were similar when vitamin D was examined as a categorical variable or divided into quintiles.

Conclusions

Prenatal vitamin D levels were low, and similar, among immigrant mothers of cases with selected developmental disorders and unaffected controls. This indicates that vitamin D unlikely mediates previously observed associations between maternal immigrant status and the selected developmental disorders in offspring. The proportion of immigrant mothers with severe vitamin D deficiency was very high, which underlines the importance of prenatal counselling and overall public health efforts to improve immigrant health.
Effects of team-based mixed reality simulation program in emergency situations
Authors: Choi Moon-Ji , Kim Kyeng-Jin
Published: February 2024

Background

This study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a team-based mixed reality simulation program about emergencies.

Method

A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was utilized. We recruited 32 nurses for the experimental group and 32 for the control group, resulting in a total of 61 nurses ultimately included as subjects for analysis. This mixed reality program is designed to facilitate responses in cardiopulmonary resuscitation situations simultaneously using four HoloLens. With shared content visible to all four trainees, the participants could engage in simulation while freely communicating. The experimental group engaged in cardiopulmonary resuscitation emergency simulation while wearing the HoloLens, while the control group was provided with written CPR materials.

Results

There were significant increases in the experimental group’s critical thinking (p < .001), learning transfer motivation (p = .006), communication confidence (p = .033), and learning immersion (p < .001) compared to the control group.

Conclusion

The program developed in this study presents an effective educational strategy that can enhance nurses’ emergency competencies and leverage the practicality of mixed reality.
Intoxication of antibiotic persisters by host RNS inactivates their efflux machinery during infection
Authors: Ronneau Séverin , Michaux Charlotte , Giorgio Rachel T. , Helaine Sophie
Published: February 2024

The host environment is of critical importance for antibiotic efficacy. By impacting bacterial machineries, stresses encountered by pathogens during infection promote the formation of phenotypic variants that are transiently insensitive to the action of antibiotics. It is assumed that these recalcitrant bacteria—termed persisters—contribute to antibiotic treatment failure and relapsing infections. Recently, we demonstrated that host reactive nitrogen species (RNS) transiently protect persisters against the action of β-lactam antibiotics by delaying their regrowth within host cells. Here, we discovered that RNS intoxication of persisters also collaterally sensitizing them to fluoroquinolones during infection, explaining the higher efficiency of fluoroquinolones against intramacrophage Salmonella. By reducing bacterial respiration and the proton-motive force, RNS inactivate the AcrAB efflux machinery of persisters, facilitating the accumulation of fluoroquinolones intracellularly. Our work shows that target inactivity is not the sole reason for Salmonella persisters to withstand antibiotics during infection, with active efflux being a major contributor to survival. Thus, understanding how the host environment impacts persister physiology is critical to optimize antibiotics efficacy during infection.
Feasting on the land: Haunted political space in recent Welsh language films
Authors: Woodward Kate
Published: February 2024

This article will focus on spectrality in the cinematic spaces of two Welsh language films, Yr Ymadawiad (The Passing) (2015) and Gwledd (The Feast) (2021). Both films envision spectral happenings as a means of exploring and re-exploring past and present debates about the endlessly contested nature of the Welsh landscape and the resulting hauntological traces within the national psyche. The films suggest contradictory versions of the Welsh landscape. Often described as empty and barren, Wales has simultaneously been seen as a rich resource for extensive extraction of its natural resources. With located hauntings by ghosts that are specific and placed, Yr Ymadawiad’s temporal indeterminacy imagines ghostly presences beneath the waters of a drowned village, while Gwledd depicts the horrific revenge of an earth at the mercy of humans, characterizing human use of rural space as monstrous and destructive. Both films are highly located and rooted within specific Welsh landscapes, depicting both the uniqueness of the Welsh experience and its intimate connection with global issues relating to the loss of land.
Above and below: The sounding of haunted geologies
Authors: Wilson Louise K.
Published: February 2024

This article investigates uses of sound in contemporary artists’ time-based work in relation to Nils Bubandt’s concept of ‘haunted geologies’. The work of artists and filmmakers such as Ben Rivers, Derek Jarman, Mark Jenkin, Shift Register and Louise K. Wilson is utilized as a means of exploring and enriching the concept of the haunted geological. Combined uses of field recording, post-production and the manipulation of frequencies are examined, as suggestive of affective acts of divination and evocation, which evidence both visual and sonic signification. The visible forms and discrete voids of ‘difficult’ and unquiet locations (in the United Kingdom and Australia) that have been disturbed, unsettled or remain resistant to knowledge provide the focus for a discussion, appertaining both to the realm of the ‘above’ and to the ‘below’. The concept of ghost strata enables a consideration or navigation of that which has been misplaced, providing a useful and productive means for imaginative reflection on the impacts of loss. While suggesting this loss, nonetheless, ghost strata remind us of the persistence of stone as a form of vibrant and sentient matter – providing evidence of material agency which foregrounds and heightens the sense of the destructive nature of the current environment. The potency of materiality is further present in the media utilized to ‘capture’ or co-create phenomena across a variety of scales and states of rock and stone. To this end, the powers of analogue film, audio recorder or hard drive to both document and manifest phenomena are explored as a means of unearthing a recent past of spectrality in the geologic. In this sense, the ghosts that we have created can be seen to foretell of future hauntings in the time of the Anthropocene.
Situación del amamantamiento, prevalencia y factores asociados con la duración de la lactancia en la población de referencia del Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca
Authors: Rubio Gil Francisco Javier , Frutos Bernal Elisa , Sánchez Martín África , Martín González Raquel , Hernández Rosado Cristina , Perfontan Guerrero Virginia , Poyo Poyo Apolonia , Fraile Alonso Fabiola
Published: February 2024

Introducción: Nuestro trabajo aporta la situación de la lactancia materna (LM) en la población de Salamanca y los motivos más frecuentes del abandono de la misma.
Material y métodos: Desde junio de 2016 a julio de 2017, se recogieron datos de 263 recién nacidos a término, cuyas madres tenían intención de lactar, con seguimiento al alta, a los 2, 4, 6 y 12 meses. Principales variables analizadas: edad de la madre, nivel de estudios, tipo de familia, situación laboral, experiencia e información previa sobre LM, agarre espontáneo al pecho tras el parto, tipo de lactancia y suplementos durante el ingreso, alimentación en las últimas 24 horas y edad de introducción de otros alimentos diferentes de la LM.
Resultados: Edad media de la madre: 32,9 años, casada: 54,8 %, estudios universitarios: 50,2 %, nacionalidad española: 89,4 %, trabaja fuera de casa: 67,7 % y primípara: 54,5 %. La introducción de otros alimentos diferentes de la lLM se produjo a los 3,6 meses. Las razones más frecuentes para el abandono de la LM fueron que el bebé se quedaba con hambre y la escasa ganancia de peso. La prevalencia de LM al alta fue del 91,6 % y del 79,8 %, 69,0 %, 59,5 % y 39,2 % en las madres que respondieron la encuesta telefónica a los dos, cuatro, seis y doce meses, respectivamente.
Caso Airton Honorato e outros vs. Brasil
Authors: Cardoso Squeff Tatiana de A. F. R. , De Carvalho Victoria Magri Moreira , Lucchetti Silva Pedro , Espada Jordana Strano
Published: February 2024

Esta pesquisa refere-se ao parecer apresentado pelo Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisa em Direito Internacional (GEPDI), vinculado à Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, perante a Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos, na condição de amicus curiae, com fundamento no artigo 44(3) do Regulamento da Corte, no caso Airton Honorato e outros vs. Brasil. Quanto à metodologia, trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva que, por meio da abordagem quali-quantitativa, logrou demonstrar que o caso deve ser julgado procedente, sendo o Estado brasileiro responsabilizado internacionalmente pela violação dos artigos 1(1), 4, 8(1) e 25 da Convenção Americana de Direitos Humanos haja vista a sua conduta ativa e omissiva em relação ao Sr. José Airton Honorato e os outros 11 informantes
Synergies and Tensions Between Safety and Security in Civil Aviation
Authors: Virissimo Marcello Cristovão Guedes , Vaz-Ferreira Luciano
Published: February 2024

Safety has been a major concern for the aviation industry. With the rise of security threats over the past two decades, safety and security have come together and now coexist as strategies and management practices. However, they often do so, without careful reflection on their interrelationships and the kind of implications this may have. Investigating this area from different perspectives and identifying the synergies and tensions between safety and security was the focus of this study. The development of this paper brought enlightening insights into the complex interrelationships between safety and security, but also into the challenges associated with research and management.
The lacrimal apparatus as an organ at risk during radionuclide therapy
Authors: Sheremeta M. S. , Trukhin A. A. , Yartsev V. D. , Yudakov D. V. , Korchagina M. O. , Gojaeva S. A.
Published: February 2024

Within the framework of the article, the authors analyzed the available information about the damage to the lacrimal apparatus during radionuclide therapy. In focus of article lesions of the lacrimal production system, the main and accessory lacrimal glands, as well as lacrimal drainage are considered. It was found that damage to the lacrimal apparatus is characteristic of 131I therapy for thyroid cancer, as well as for radioligand therapy using anti-PSMA antibodies labeled with 177Lu and 225Ac. 177Lu-PSMA and 225Ac-PSMA may damage the lacrimal gland with the formation of a clinically pronounced "dry eye syndrome". The pathogenesis of such lesions is associated with the accumulation of a radioisotope in the tissues of the lacrimal apparatus, while during therapy with 131I, accumulation is realized due to the expression of the sodium-iodine symporter in the nasolacrimal duct, and during therapy with 177Lu-PSMA and 225Ac-PSMA, the radiobiological effect is realized in connection with the expression PSMA by lacrimal tissue. An analysis of the available sources showed that to date there are no results of systematic studies on the problem, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the individual risks of developing these complications, methods for their prevention that have proven effectiveness have not been developed, and the treatment methods used, having relatively low efficiency, are not specialized. The authors concluded that the strengthening of interdisciplinary interaction, as well as the organization verification methodology and correct studies, can contribute to solving problems related to the study of the complications under consideration.
Hyperparathyroidism of different genesis in young patients with Turner syndrome: case series and brief review
Authors: Ozhimalov I. D. , Karavaynaya T. K. , Fedorova Ju. D. , Gorbacheva A. M. , Bibik E. E. , Maganeva I. S. , Eremkina A. К. , Mokrysheva N. G.
Published: February 2024

Hyperparathyroidism is a syndrome characterized by an excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone. Etiologically, hyperparathyroidism is subdivided into primary hyperparathyroidism, which develops as a result of parathyroid adenoma, carcinoma or hyperplasia, and secondary hyperparathyroidism, which happens as a compensatory response to a hypocalcemia caused by condition outside the parathyroid glands. Turner syndrome may also be accompanied by mineral metabolism disorders of various etiology. An association of hyperparathyroidism and Turner syndrome is interesting because of multifactorial impact on bone mineral density, but only few cases of such coexistence have been previously described in the literature. This article describes two patients with Turner syndrome and hyperparathyroidism of different etiology. Hyperparathyroidism, normocalcemia, vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, parathyroid tumors were found in both cases. In one case a number of assays was performed to confirm the patient’s normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism, and surgery was performed to achieve remission. In the second case, treatment of vitamin D deficiency resulted in normalization of serum concentration of parathormone, after which the patient was prescribed antiresorptive therapy. The pathogenetic association between Turner syndrome and hyperparathyroidism requires further investigation. Comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of mineral metabolism disorders are essential for patients with coexistence of these two diseases.
Machine learning methods in differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism
Authors: Golounina O. O. , Belaya Zh. E. , Voronov K. A. , Solodovnikov A. G. , Rozhinskaya L. Ya. , Melnichenko G. A. , Mokrysheva N. G. , Dedov I. I.
Published: February 2024

AIM: To develop a noninvasive method of differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of an optimal algorithm for predicting the probability of ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) obtained using machine learning methods based on the analysis of clinical data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: As part of a single-center, one-stage, cohort study, a retrospective prediction of the probability of EAS among patients with ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism was carried out. Patients were randomly stratified into 2 samples: training (80%) and test (20%). Eleven machine learning algorithms were used to develop predictive models: Linear Discriminant Analysis, Logistic Regression, elastic network (GLMNET), Support Vector machine (SVM Radial), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), Naive Bayes, binary decision tree (CART), C5.0 decision tree algorithms, Bagged CART, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting (Stochastic Gradient Boosting, GBM).

RESULTS: The study included 223 patients (163 women, 60 men) with ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism, of which 175 patients with Cushing’s disease (CD), 48 — with EAS. As a result of preliminary data processing and selection of the most informative signs, the final variables for the classification and prediction of EAS were selected: ACTH level at 08:00 hours, potassium level (the minimum value of potassium in the active stage of the disease), 24-h urinary free cortisol, late-night serum cortisol, late-night salivary cortisol, the largest size of pituitary adenoma according to MRI of the brain. The best predictive ability in a training sample of all trained machine learning models for all three final metrics (ROC-AUC (0.867), sensitivity (90%), specificity (56.4%)) demonstrated a model of gradient boosting (Generalized Boosted Modeling, GBM). In the test sample, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity of the model in predicting EAS were 0.920; 77.8% and 97.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The prognostic model based on machine learning methods makes it possible to differentiate patients with EAS and CD based on basic clinical results and can be used as a primary screening of patients with ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism.
Growth hormone — 30 years of clinical practice: past, present, future
Authors: Dedov I. I. , Bezlepkina O. B. , Pankratova M. S. , Nagaeva E. V. , Raykina E. N. , Peterkova V. A.
Published: February 2024

The recombinant technologies era, which began in the second half of the XX century, made it possible to produce recombinant growth hormone (rGH) necessary for the treatment of stunting of various genesis. The time of practically unlimited possibilities of rGH production has come, which served as a stimulus for studying the efficacy and safety of rGH application, searching for optimal ways of its use and dosing regimes. Many years of experience in the use of somatropin in clinical practice allowed us to obtain data on its effectiveness primarily in somatotropic insufficiency in children, to study its effect on the functional state of various organs and systems, and to expand the indications for the use of RGR.
Learning About Colonialism by Scrolling?
Authors: Lenehan Fergal
Published: February 2024

It is here argued that lifewide learning possibilities may also be viewed in relation to social media, not least the plat-form Twitter, recently rebranded as X, and the Twitter/X thread; a number of tweets threaded together to form a longer text which is then communicated to, often, a large number of people. Twitter threads may be seen as a lifewide textual offer containing cosmopolitan potentiality, meaning here the potential for a transformation in per-spective due to contact with others on global issues, as envisioned by Delanty (2008). It is also argued that the Twitter/X thread functions as a type of social media genre, and three specific types of thread are here analyzed: 1) a collectively created type of thread which looks for contributions from numerous followers on Twitter/X, creating a multi-agent text; 2) an individually-created, 'closed' and usually numbered thread; and 3) an individually-created and open and/or open to collectivization thread, to which other tweets may be added at any time. Twitter threads from the curated Indigenous Australian account @IndigenousX, the British-Irish academic Katy Hayward and Irish historian Liam Hogan are analyzed as lifewide textual offers containing cosmopolitan potentiality. The global issue at the centre of all three threads - and accounts - are the contemporary consequences of European colonialism.
Digital Competences in the Educational Sphere
Authors: Schroot Tanja , Cavaletto Giulia Maria , Ricucci Roberta
Published: February 2024

Digital skills are one of the most contested key competences in the educational sphere. On the one hand, they have become essential to guarantee standards of educational quality and progress, on the other hand they tend to further hamper educational inequalities among the contemporary highly-diversified student population. This paper ties into these premises with a case study located in Turin, Italy based on 19 teachers and educators from all school levels (primary, lower-secondary and upper-secondary education) to highlight the transformation of needs and challenges related to the different phases of the life cycle of students. Three main issues were investigated from a comparative perspective among the study participants: (1) the coherence of their knowledge regarding opportunities and the challenges of digitalization; (2) their skills to implement digital instruments in their working context; and (3) their attitude towards the transfer of potential benefits that enhance learning outcomes through digital instruments. Findings suggest that high-quality and effective staff formation represents one of the most critical issues when talking about digitality in the educational sphere. A chronic lack of time for training, the ongoing work in emergency conditions, the heterogenous institutional endowment with technical devices (PCs, digital infrastructure, etc.), and the suspicion towards the benefits of digitality in the classroom are some of the major barriers to the forwarding of digital competences as a set of skills, knowledge and attitudes within the educational context.
Theaterproben und Interaktion
Authors: Wessel Anna
Published: February 2024

Wie werden künstlerische Ideen von Regie und Schauspieler*innen in Theaterproben interaktiv entwickelt, vermittelt und ausgehandelt? Anna Wessel betrachtet Probeninteraktionen aus sprechwissenschaftlicher Perspektive und kombiniert diese mit theaterwissenschaftlichen und linguistischen Aspekten. Dabei stellt sie die Besprechungsphasen von Theaterproben in den Fokus und zeigt auf, welche interaktiven Probenpraktiken zum Einsatz kommen, wie mit ihnen Instruktionen der Regie gestaltet werden und wie die Schauspieler*innen darauf sprachlich und spielend reagieren. Die Erkenntnisse liefern eine neue Perspektive auf interaktive Prozesse theatraler Probenarbeit - in Theorie und Praxis.
The effect of creative drama method in 4th grade primary school values education
Authors: Kara Fazilet Barcın , Kuşdemir Kayıran Bilge
Published: February 2024

The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of creative drama method on the acquisition of "Responsibility", "Respect" and "Patience" values by fourth grade primary school students. The study was designed using the parallel mixed model, which is one of the mixed method designs. The study group of the research consists of primary school 4th grade students studying in a public school in the fall semester of 2018-2019 academic years. There were 42 students in the experimental group and 40 students in the control group. The research data were collected through the "Responsibility Scale", "Respect Tendency Scale", "Patient Behavior Scale", "Student and Teacher Diaries", "Teacher Interview Form" and "Personal Information Form". In addition, data were obtained with the "Word Association Test" to determine the conceptual change in values before and after the implementation. All in all, it has been established that the use of the creative drama method in values education is very effective in adopting values, embodying in-class learning, and encouraging the students to develop positive attitudes about the values discussed.
Lead paragraphs of French and Turkish news items: Insights for French language learners
Authors: Mavaşoğlu Mustafa
Published: February 2024

This study compared French and Turkish news items related to road accidents, specifically focusing on lead paragraphs. It aimed to provide insights for Turkish speakers learning French about reading comprehension and written expression at A2 and B1 levels. Data were collected from five newspapers in each country. French news items and Turkish news items showed similarities in word count but differed significantly in sentence and clause structures. French paragraphs tended to have longer single sentences with fewer clauses, while Turkish paragraphs had shorter sentences with more clauses. The study also explored the inclusion of informational components in lead paragraphs, such as accident scenes, types of vehicles, information about victims, circumstances of the accident, and casualty data. Results revealed variations between the two languages, emphasizing the importance of including information about casualties in lead paragraphs for effective communication in both languages.
Nie na miejscu. Strategie dysocjacyjne w poezji Karin Boye i Marii Pawlikowskiej-Jasnorzewskiej
Authors: Skoczyńska Maria
Published: February 2024

Artykuł poświęcony jest zagadnieniu rozdarcia istniejącego w twórczości Karin Boye i Marii Pawlikowskiej-Jasnorzewskiej oraz wykorzystaniu przez nie terapeutycznej funkcji natury. Bohaterki liryczne tych poetek tęsknią za bezpiecznym miejscem, którego nie mogą we współczesnym świecie znaleźć. Wykorzystują więc strategię radzenia sobie z wewnętrznym rozdarciem, tj. „dysocjację literacką”. Analiza porównawcza twórczości Boye i Pawlikowskiej-Jasnorzewskiej ma przybliżyć ich  podejście do dysocjacji, a także sposób jej wykorzystywania w konkretnych tekstach poetyckich.
Erstellung und Integration von Verwaltungsschalen aus Heterogenen Datenquellen
Authors: Zhao Jingyun , Vogel-Heuser Birgit , Hartl Fandi , Höfgen Josua , Ocker Felix , Vojanec Bernd , Markert Timo , Kraft André
Published: February 2024

Heterogene Datenquellen und inkonsistente Schnittstellen zwischen verschiedenen Ingenieursdisziplinen stellen eine enorme Herausforderung bei der Erstellung einer virtuellen Repräsentation eines realen Produkts, Anlage oder Prozesses dar. Zu dieser digitalen Darstellung wird die Verwaltungsschale (VWS) als ein standardisiertes Konzept vorgeschlagen. Jedoch erfordert die VWS-Erstellung oft erheblichen manuellen Aufwand, um Informationen aus technischen Engineering- und Betriebsdaten zu extrahieren und zu strukturieren. Der folgende Beitrag schlägt einen semi-automatisierten Ansatz zur Extraktion von Engineering-Informationen aus Dokumenten der Formate PDF, STP, XML, AML sowie URDF vor, um anhand dieser Informationen mehrere VWS zu erstellen, die zusammengeführt werden können. Anhand dreier Anwendungsfälle werden die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Ansatzes diskutiert.
Hate speech mainstreaming in the Greek virtual public sphere: A quantitative and qualitative approach
Authors: Tsirbas Yannis , Zirganou-Kazolea Lina
Published: February 2024

This study delves into the manifestation and characteristics of hate speech in the Greek online public sphere, specifically exploring its most prominent forms, namely racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, nationalism, sexism, and homophobia/transphobia. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the research analyzes popular Greek online news media. It aims to uncover the visibility and operational patterns of hate speech, addressing key questions about its prevalence and presentation on these platforms. Findings reveal the normalization of discriminatory speech, particularly sexism and nationalism, in the digital landscape. Moreover, distinct themes and linguistic elements associated with different forms of hate speech highlight the intertwined nature of these discriminatory expressions. This research sheds light on the pervasive nature of hate speech in Greece’s online realm, emphasizing its implications for democratic principles.
KCTD5 regulates Ikaros degradation induced by chemotherapeutic drug etoposide in hematological cells
Authors: Ma Lan , Yin Changqing , Zhang Yi , Li Jie , Shi Liuzhi , Zhou Tong , Huang Xixi , Liu Yaqi , Cao Jiawei , Wu Guang , Gu Haihua , He Licai
Published: February 2024

Therapy-related leukemia carries a poor prognosis, and leukemia after chemotherapy is a growing risk in clinic, whose mechanism is still not well understood. Ikaros transcription factor is an important regulator in hematopoietic cells development and differentiation. In the absence of Ikaros, lymphoid cell differentiation is blocked at an extremely early stage, and myeloid cell differentiation is also significantly affected. In this work, we showed that chemotherapeutic drug etoposide reduced the protein levels of several isoforms of Ikaros including IK1, IK2 and IK4, but not IK6 or IK7, by accelerating protein degradation, in leukemic cells. To investigate the molecular mechanism of Ikaros degradation induced by etoposide, immunoprecipitation coupled with LC-MS/MS analysis was conducted to identify changes in protein interaction with Ikaros before and after etoposide treatment, which uncovered KCTD5 protein. Our further study demonstrates that KCTD5 is the key stabilizing factor of Ikaros and chemotherapeutic drug etoposide induces Ikaros protein degradation through decreasing the interaction of Ikaros with KCTD5. These results suggest that etoposide may induce leukemic transformation by downregulating Ikaros via KCTD5, and our work may provide insights to attenuate the negative impact of chemotherapy on hematopoiesis.
Preliminary results of scintillation monitoring at KLEF-Guntur low latitude station using GNSS software defined radio
Authors: Gandreti Venkata Ramana , Miriyala Sridhar , Tanneeru Venkateswara Rao , Devanaboyina Venkata Ratnam , Deshpande Kshitija
Published: February 2024

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have become an integral part of modern life, supporting various applications, from precise positioning and navigation to timing and synchronization. However, GNSS signals are vulnerable to natural interferences including various atmospheric disturbances, with ionospheric scintillations being a significant challenge. Ionospheric scintillations, caused by irregularities in the Earth’s ionosphere, introduce rapid fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of GNSS signals. These fluctuations can severely degrade the accuracy and reliability of GNSS receivers, leading to positioning errors and navigation failures. Hence, it is crucial to develop effective mitigation strategies. One of the promising approaches to mitigate ionospheric scintillations is the utilization of Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology in GNSS receivers. SDR allows for real-time adaptation to changing signal conditions, enabling the receiver to detect scintillations and adjust its signal processing accordingly. This adaptability enhances the receiver’s stability against ionospheric disturbances, ensuring more robust and accurate positioning and navigation. In this paper, preliminary results of GNSS SDR (Make: iP-Solutions, Japan) installed at Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF), Vaddeswaram (Guntur) (16.44° N, 80.62° E) are presented. Amplitude scintillation index (S4) variations for different PRNs and subsequent positioning results are interpreted from April to September 2023. The results are compared and validated with those of the co-located Novatel GNSS receiver and NAVIC receiver. Most of the S4 variations correlate well with the S4 values from the Novatel and NAVIC receivers. S4 observations from the Septentrio receiver at Daytona Beach (Florida) are also presented. The results of SDR will be extended further for the development of scintillation mitigation algorithms. We plan to install an SDR and employ similar mitigation strategy at this location in the near future.
Psychische und psychosomatische Folgen von Alltagsrassismus und Antisemitismus, Trauma und Internalisierung
Authors: Velho Astride
Published: February 2024

Erfahrungen von Rassismus und Antisemitismus haben Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit, und obwohl diese Tatsache im deutschsprachigem Raum kaum Beachtung findet, ist sie hoch bedeutsam für die Forschung und Praxis von Public Health. Der Beitrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick über internationale Forschungsergebnisse zu den psychischen und psychosomatischen Effekten von Rassismus und Antisemitismus. Dabei wird die traumatisierende Wirkung von alltäglichen, multiplen Diskriminierungserfahrungen und Mikroaggressionen ebenso ausgeführt, wie die psychodynamischen Folgen, die durch Internalisierungen entstehen können.
Vielfalt und Gesundheit in Betrieb und Organisation
Authors: Faller Gudrun
Published: February 2024

Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es, auf die Public Health-Relevanz des Diversityansatzes im Kontext der Erwerbsarbeit aufmerksam zu machen. Zu diesem Zweck wird einleitend auf aktuelle Herausforderungen der Arbeitswelt eingegangen und davon ausgehend auf die strukturelle Benachteiligungen spezifischer Gruppen in der Arbeitswelt hingewiesen. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden die Begriffe Diskriminierung und Vielfalt im betrieblichen Kontext diskutiert, um im Fazit eine Erweiterung bislang vorliegender Konzepte zur gesundheitsfördernden Organisationsentwicklung im Sinne des Diversityansatzes zu empfehlen.
Solidarversicherung als Kulturversicherung
Authors: Bröckerhoff Peter
Published: February 2024

Sozialversicherungen entlasten Individuen durch Absicherung elementarer Lebensrisiken, stiften soziale Integration, wirken demokratisierend und stellen zugleich eine rechtsförmige Rückversicherung dieser kulturellen Errungenschaften dar. Allerdings bedarf es einer genauen Reflexion des kulturellen Erbes der Sozialversicherung, damit diese sich nicht in Widersprüche mit ihrem solidarischen Anspruch verstrickt, der darin besteht, Zugang für alle Mitglieder einer politischen Gemeinschaft zu bieten.