bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation and Genomic Characterization of the G6P[1]‐Type Sheep Rotavirus in China
Authors: Li Ping , Zhao DengShuai , Wang TianYu , Yu DiXi , Zhang KeShan
Published: July 2024

Rotavirus A (RVA) is a prevalent cause of enteric diarrhea in infants, bovine, pigs, and sheep globally. Currently, the G6P[1]‐type rotaviruses are prevalent in sheep or goat in Bangladesh, Turkey, and Uganda. However, this genotype has not been reported in Chinese sheep or goat. Therefore, 12 anal swabs were collected from diarrheal sheep in Gansu Province, China, in 2023 and tested for rotavirus using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Pathological sections and immunohistochemistry were used to observe pathological changes and rotavirus antigens in the duodenum, respectively. The sheep rotavirus was isolated in MA‐104 cells and characterized through indirect immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. The genes of the strain were obtained using the next‐generation sequencing technology and analyzed phylogenetically. One sheep was positive for rotavirus by RT‐PCR, and immunohistochemistry revealed numerous rotavirus antigens in the apical portion of the duodenal villi. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the strain was characterized by virus particles that were “wheel‐shaped” and measured 70–80 nm in size. The gene constellations of this strain is G6‐P[1]‐I2‐R2‐C2‐M2‐A11‐N2‐T6‐E2‐H3. BLASTn and phylogenetic tree analyses suggest that this strain is likely a recombinant of human rotavirus, goat rotavirus, and bovine rotavirus. The comparison of amino acid similarities revealed three differences in the key antigenic epitopes of the VP7 and VP4 proteins between the GO34 strain and this study strain despite the identical gene constellations of the two strains. To date, this is the first report of this constellation of RVA being found in sheep.
Apalutamide and Goserelin for Androgen Receptor–Positive Salivary Gland Carcinoma: A Phase II Nonrandomized Clinical Trial, YATAGARASU
Authors: Honma Yoshitaka , Monden Nobuya , Yamazaki Keisuke , Kano Satoshi , Satake Hironaga , Kadowaki Shigenori , Utsumi Yoshitaka , Nakatogawa Tomohiko , Takano Ryo , Fujii Koji , Koroki Yosuke , Aoyama Junya , Ouchi Shohei , Ogawa Tetsuro , McCarthy Sharon , Brookman-May Sabine D. , Mundle Suneel , Li Jinhui , Thaper Daksh , Nagao Toshitaka , Tada Yuichiro
Published: June 2024

Purpose:

To assess the efficacy and safety of apalutamide plus goserelin for androgen receptor (AR)–positive unresectable or recurrent/metastatic salivary gland carcinoma.

Patients and Methods:

This trial was an open-label, single-arm, multicenter phase II study. Patients with histologically confirmed unresectable or recurrent/metastatic salivary gland carcinoma with AR expression were included. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR) according to RECIST v1.1 by an independent central radiology review in the first 24 response-evaluable (RE) patients who had been observed at least 24 weeks from study initiation (primary RE patients). The efficacy was to be declared when at least 8 of the 24 primary RE patients responded.

Results:

A total of 31 patients were enrolled. In the first 24 primary RE patients with a median follow-up of 7.4 months, confirmed ORR by independent central radiology review was 25.0% [6/24 patients; 95% confidence interval, 9.8%–46.7%; P = 0.11 (one-sided)], which did not meet the predefined criteria of efficacy. Clinical benefit rate (ORR + rate of stable disease for at least 24 weeks) and median progression-free survival were 50.0% and 7.4 months, respectively. Both median duration of response and overall survival were not reached. Exploratory analyses showed a better ORR of 54.5% (6/11) in patients with AR positivity ≥70% and no history of prior systemic therapy. Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 35.5% (11/31), which included skin rash, anemia, leukopenia, and cancer pain.

Conclusions:

Although this study did not meet the predefined efficacy criteria, apalutamide plus goserelin showed clinically meaningful efficacy in a subset of patients with AR-positive salivary gland carcinoma and safety consistent with prior experience in prostate cancer.
Precision Targeting of the Gut Microbiome for Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Lombardi Pasquale , Pinato David J.
Published: July 2024

Transforming gut microbial status from a prognostic trait to a therapeutic target is a key goal to understand and reverse resistance to anticancer immunotherapy. Glitza and colleagues propose selective manipulation of the gut microbiome with SER401 following antibiotic preconditioning and highlight multiple challenges in delivering microbiome manipulation to the clinic.

See related article by Glitza et al., p. 1161 (8)
Acantholytic Dyskeratotic Acanthoma of the Nail Revealed by a Longitudinal Erythronychia
Authors: Chamli Amal , Fazzeni Maryem , Helal Imen , Frioui Refka , Hammami Houda , Zaouak Anissa , Fenniche Samy
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Focal acantholytic dyskeratosis is a distinctive histological pattern first described by Ackerman in 1972, consisting of focal suprabasal clefts in the epidermis and dyskeratotic cells at all levels of the epidermis with hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis. The first case of subungual acantholytic dyskeratosis acanthoma (ADA) was reported in 1990. This subungual variant is a very rare entity. Case Presentation: A 63-year-old female patient consulted for a longitudinal erythronychia (LE) associated with distal onycholysis. Dermoscopy showed LE with a few splinter hemorrhages, with localized hyperkeratosis and thinning of the nail plate at the free edge. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of ADA. Conclusion: ADA is a rare tumor that could mimic various inflammatory or neoplastic conditions. To our knowledge, this is the eighth reported case in the literature. This uncommon entity could mimic various inflammatory or neoplastic conditions.
Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals a Novel Pathogenic GRIN2B Variant in a Patient with Neurodevelopmental Disorder and an inv(6)(p24p11.2)pat
Authors: Córdova-Fletes Carlos , Rivera Horacio , Domínguez-Quezada Ma. Guadalupe , Aguayo-Orozco Thania Alejandra , Garza-González Elvira , Núñez-García Luis A. , Mercado-Silvae Francisco Miguel , Rosales-Reynoso Mónica Alejandra , Barros-Núñez Patricio
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are diverse and can be explained by either genomic aberrations or single nucleotide variants. Most likely due to methodological approaches and/or disadvantages, the concurrence of both genetic events in a single patient has hardly been reported and even more rarely the pathogenic variant has been regarded as the cause of the phenotype when a chromosomal alteration is initially identified. Case Presentation: Here, we describe a NDD patient with a 6p nonpathogenic paracentric inversion paternally transmitted and a de novo pathogenic variant in the GRIN2B gene. Molecular-cytogenetic studies characterized the familial 6p inversion and revealed a paternal 9q inversion not transmitted to the patient. Subsequent whole-genome sequencing in the patient-father dyad corroborated the previous findings, discarded inversions-related cryptic genomic rearrangements as causative of the patient’s phenotype, and unveiled a novel heterozygous GRIN2B variant (p.(Ser570Pro)) only in the proband. In addition, Sanger sequencing ruled out such a variant in her mother and thereby confirmed its de novo origin. Due to predicted disturbances in the local secondary structure, this variant may alter the ion channel function of the M1 transmembrane domain. Other pathogenic variants in GRIN2B have been related to the autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder MRD6 (intellectual developmental disorder, autosomal dominant 6, with or without seizures), which presents with a high variability ranging from mild intellectual disability (ID) without seizures to a more severe encephalopathy. In comparison, our patient’s clinical manifestations include, among others, mild ID and brain anomalies previously documented in subjects with MRD6. Conclusion: Occasionally, gross chromosomal abnormalities can be coincidental findings rather than a prime cause of a clinical phenotype (even though they appear to be the causal agent). In brief, this case underscores the importance of comprehensive genomic analysis in unraveling the wide-ranging genetic causes of NDDs and may bring new insights into the MRD6 variability.
Neurologists Preferences on Basic and Advanced Cardiac Imaging Utilization in Ischemic Stroke Patients
Authors: Secchi Thaís L. , Pille Arthur , da Silva Mariana M.D. , Martins Sheila C.O. , Bagur Rodrigo , Sposato Luciano A. , Ayan Diana
Published: June 2024

Introduction: It is unknown how cardiac imaging studies are used by neurologists to investigate cardioembolic sources in ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Between August 12, 2023, and December 8, 2023, we conducted an international survey among neurologists from Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, to investigate the frequency of utilization of cardiac imaging studies for the detection of cardioembolic sources of ischemic stroke. Questions were structured into deciles of percentage utilization of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), ECG-gated cardiac computed tomography (G-CCT), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). We estimated the weighted proportion (x¯) of utilization of each cardiac imaging modality, both globally and by continent. We also investigated the use of head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) as an emerging approach to the screening of cardioembolic sources. Results: A total of 402 neurologists from 64 countries completed the survey. Globally, TTE was the most frequently used cardiac imaging technology (x¯ = 71.2%), followed by TEE (x¯ = 15.8%), G-CCT (x¯ = 10.9%), and CMRI (x¯ = 7.7%). Findings were consistent across all continents. A total of 288 respondents routinely used a CTA in the acute ischemic stroke phase (71.6%), but the CTA included a non-gated CCT in only 15 cases (5.2%). Conclusions: This survey suggests that basic cardiac imaging is not done in all ischemic stroke patients evaluated in 4 continents. We also found a substantially low utilization of advanced cardiac imaging studies. Easier to adopt screening methods for cardioembolic sources of embolism are needed.
A hybrid SATS algorithm based security constrained optimal power flow using FACTS devices
Authors: Cherukupalli Kumar , Chinda Padmanabha Raju
Published: July 2024

In the realm of power systems, achieving optimal operation while ensuring security remains a paramount challenge. The security constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) problem deals with optimizing power system operations while taking into account security limitations. Flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) is a system consisting of static equipment used for transmitting electrical energy in the form of AC. The static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) is a specific form of series FACTS device. The unified power flow controller (UPFC) is a FACTS device that is connected in parallel and series with a transmission line. In this research, hybrid simulated annealing and tabu search (hybrid SATS) algorithm is designed to solve SCOPF problems that involve use of FACTS devices. The combination of simulated annealing and tabu search is intended to improve algorithm's pace of convergence and the quality of its solutions. Hybrid SATS with FACTS devices are used to investigate line flow limit violations during single line failures and ensure power flows remain within their security limitations. The efficacy of proposed algorithm is demonstrated through case studies utilizing IEEE 30 bus system. These case studies demonstrate algorithm's capabilities to achieve optimal and secure power system functioning to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Sqrt-Loglogish CNN and Markov model for 5G spectrum sensing application
Authors: Rajanna Anupama , Kulkarni Srimannarayana , Prasad Sarappadi Narasimha
Published: July 2024

The research presents innovative methods for spectrum sensing in 5G networks, using the Sqrt-Loglogish convolutional neural network (SL-CNN) and hidden orthogonal intuitionistic fuzzy Markov model (HOIFMM). The proposed methods aim to tackle issues related to detecting principal user signals accurately, mitigating interference, and efficiently utilizing the spectrum in wideband spectrum environments due to their diverse and ever changing characteristics. The Sqrt-Loglogish CNN improves spectrum sensing by addressing static threshold dependency and potential overfitting. The HOIFMM offers a complex framework for predicting sparsity levels and primary user patterns. The results highlight the effectiveness of the suggested techniques in differentiating primary user signals from noise and interference, resulting in enhanced interference management tactics and overall network performance. MATLAB simulation is performed and compared the proposed methods performance with existing state-of-the-art methods such as CNN, deep neural network (DNN), long short-term memory (LSTM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The proposed method has outperformed existing methods in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. Future endeavors include improving these methods, investigating sophisticated machine learning algorithms, and doing real world validations to guarantee scalability and resilience in various 5G deployment situations. This research advances the spectrum sensing capabilities in 5G networks, potentially improving efficiency, reliability, and quality of service.
Prevention of credit card fraud transaction using GA feature selection for web-based application
Authors: Sreekanth Kavuri , Mamidi Ratnababu , Reddy Thumu Srinivas , Maddileti Kuruva , Deepthi Darivemula
Published: July 2024

Credit card fraud (CCF) is a regular event that generates financial losses. A considerable share of the significantly increased volume of internet transactions is made with credit cards. CCF detection programmes are consequently highly prioritised by banks and other financial organisations. These fraudulent transactions can come in a wide variety of formats and categories. To maintain data integrity, financial institutions support digital transactions. One of the most popular ways to pay the products and services can be done by both online and offline by using a credit card. Thus, there is a higher possibility of fraud during these financial transactions. This informs programmers to the requirement for a reliable technique for identifying successful fraud. Credit card users and businesses that accept credit cards have recently had to contend with the serious issue of CCF. Application-level frauds and transaction level frauds are the two categories into which CCF controlled frauds are divided. Therefore, utilizing genetic algorithm (GA) feature selection for web-based applications, it is advised to use this strategy as a method for the prevention of CCF transaction. This method's performance is evaluated based on a number of factors, including accuracy, recall, and specificity.
Enhanced query performance for stored streaming data through structured streaming within spark SQL
Authors: Jose Benymol , N. Rajesh , Joseph Lumy
Published: July 2024

Traditional database systems like relational databases can store data which are structured with predefined schema, but in the case of bigdata, the data comes in different formats or are collected from diverse sources. The distributed databases like not only spark querying language (NoSQL) repositories are often used in relation to bigdata analytics, but a continual updating is required in business because of the streaming data that comes from stock trading, online activities of website visitors, and from the mobile applications in real time. It will not have to delay, for some report to show up, to assess and analyse the current situation, to move forward with the next business choice. Apache Spark’s structured streaming offer capabilities for handling streaming data in a batch processing mode with faster responses compared to MongoDB which is a document-based NoSQL database. This study completes similar queries to evaluate Spark SQL and NoSQL database performance, focusing on the upsides of Spark SQL over NoSQL databases in streaming data exploration. The queries are completed with streaming data stored in a batch mode.
Input/output optimization scheduler for cloud-based map reduce framework
Authors: Naaz Farha , Banu Sameena
Published: July 2024

Hadoop MapReduce (HMR) provides the most common MapReduce (MR) framework, and it is available as open source. MR is a famous computational framework for evaluating unstructured, and semi-structured big data and executing applications in the past ten years. Memory and input/output (I/O) overhead are just two of the many problems affecting the current HMR scheduler system. This study aims to improve systems resource use including the processing of data in real-time by creating a memory I/O optimized scheduler (MIOOS) for HMR. The disk I/O seek can be reduced by using MIOOS, which analyzes the entire memory management. Additionally, the MIOOS makespan approach is used to reduce the occurrence of problems in intermediary tasks. Both the MIOOS approach and the current approach are assessed by using complex scientific workflow applications with extreme task inter-dependencies. Further, the comparison study demonstrates that the MIOOS framework outdoes the current approach regarding makespan and overall memory usage.
Minitab 20 and Python based-the forecasting of demand and optimal inventory of liquid aluminum sulfate supplies
Authors: Dwipurwani Oki , Puspita Fitri Maya , Supadi Siti Suzlin , Yuliza Evi
Published: July 2024

In a company, inventory management is crucial due to the significant impact on various aspects of the business. Similarly, the Indonesian water supply company (PDAM) requires effective inventory management to ensure the supply of liquid aluminum sulfate chemicals. The probabilistic statistical inventory control (SIC) model is commonly used for inventory management. However, previous research on chemical inventory models in PDAMs often relied on simple linear regression to forecast demand data, which fails to capture the inherent volatility in demand. Therefore, this research aimed to predict demand data using the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) method and determine the optimal policy for supplying liquid aluminum sulfate chemicals. The results showed that the best demand forecasting model was SARIMA (2,1,2) (1,1,0)12 with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) value of 8.19%. The finding of the optimal inventory policy showed a safety stock value of 11,922.35 kg, a reorder point value of 49,511.20 kg, and an order quantity of 21,526.59 kg, leading to a total cost of IDR 11,132,034,145.45. The sensitivity test also showed that variations in lead time, price, μ, and σ parameters directly influence changes in total cost, reorder point, and safety stock. These calculations were conducted using Minitab and Python software.
Bio-inspired wireless sensor networks - a protocol for an enhanced hybrid energy optimization routing
Authors: Joshi Rati D. , Banu Sameena
Published: July 2024

Recently, there has been a focus on the significance of swarm intelligence-inspired routing algorithms for achieving optimum solutions in biologically inspired wireless sensor networks (WSNs). These protocols depict a network of wireless mobile nodes forming an infrastructure that is agile, dynamic, and independent of a central administrative facility. Among the challenges faced by bio-inspired WSNs, mobility awareness and excessive energy consumption (EC) stand out as significant hurdles, particularly in dynamic models with intermittent connections. This project seeks to tackle these obstacles by deploying the hybrid energy efficiency (HEED) approach to distributed clustering for network system cluster formation, along with fusion routing protocol of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and PIO to select cluster-heads and optimize solutions in bio-inspired WSNs. The success of the suggested approach is assessed using a variety of criteria, such as energy usage, rate of packet delivery, EC, and routing overhead and network lifetime. The methods like ad hoc on-demand distance vector's (AODV) and ant colony optimization (ACO) methods are employed in the testing and validation. In comparison to the reactive AODV routing protocol and ACO, the suggested routing protocol (HPSOPIO) reduces energy usage and increases network lifespan.
MLFF-Net: a multi-model late feature fusion network for skin disease classification
Authors: Gairola Ajay Krishan , Kumar Vidit , Sahoo Ashok Kumar
Published: July 2024

Early diagnosis is paramount to preventing skin diseases and reducing mortality, given their global prevalence. Visual detection by experts using dermoscopy images has become the gold standard for detecting skin cancer. However, a significant challenge in skin cancer detection and classification lies in the similarity of appearance among skin disease lesions and the complexity of dermoscopic images. In response, we developed multi-model late feature fusion network (MLFF-Net), a multi-model late feature fusion network tailored for skin disease detection. Our approach begins with image pre-processing techniques to enhance image quality. We then employ a two-stream network comprising an enhanced densely linked network (DenseNet-121) and a vision transformer (ViTb16). We leverage shallow and deep feature fusion, late fusion, and an attention module to enhance the model’s feature extraction efficiency. The subsequent feature fusion module constructs multi-receptive fields to capture disease information across various scales and uses generalized mean pooling (GeM) pooling to reduce the spatial dimensions of lesion characteristics. Finally, we implement and test our skin lesion categorization model, demonstrating its effectiveness. Despite the combination, convolutional neural network (CNN) outperforms ViT approaches, with our model enhancing the accuracy of the best model by 6.1%.
Enhancing emotion detection with synergistic combination of word embeddings and convolutional neural networks
Authors: Jadon Anil Kumar , Kumar Suresh
Published: July 2024

Recognizing emotions in textual data is crucial in a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) applications, from consumer sentiment research to mental health evaluation. The word embedding techniques play a pivotal role in text processing. In this paper, the performance of several well-known word embedding methods is evaluated in the context of emotion recognition. The classification of emotions is further enhanced using a convolutional neural network (CNN) model because of its propensity to capture local patterns and its recent triumphs in text-related tasks. The integration of CNN with word embedding techniques introduced an additional layer to the landscape of emotion detection from text. The synergy between word embedding techniques and CNN harnesses the strengths of both approaches. CNNs extract local patterns and features from sequential data, making them well-suited for capturing relevant information within the embeddings. The results obtained with various embeddings highlight the significance of choosing synergistic combinations for optimum performance. The combination of CNNs and word embeddings proved a versatile and effective approach.
Virality classification from Twitter data using pre-trained language model and multi-layer perceptron
Authors: Tedjasulaksana Jeffrey Junior , Girsang Abba Suganda
Published: July 2024

Twitter is one of the well-known text-based social media that is often used to disseminate content. According to Katadata, Indonesia ranked fifth in the world in 2023. So many people or organizations want to make tweets go viral. Therefore, this research aims to develop a model that uses tweet data from the Indonesian language Twitter social media to categorize the level of virality. There are several tasks in classifying the level of virality, such as upsampling data, predicting sentiment and emotion, and text embedding. Upsampling data was carried out because the dataset used was an imbalanced dataset. Data upsampling, emotions, and text embedding is carried out using the bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT) model. Meanwhile, sentiment prediction uses the Ro-bustly optimized BERT pretraining approach (RoBERTa). The results of text embedding, sentiment, emotion, will be combined with Twitter metadata then all features will be fed into the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model to classifying the level of virality which is divided into 3 classes based on the number of retweets, namely low, medium and high. The proposed method produces an F1-score of 49% and an accuracy of 95% and performs better than the baseline model.
Enhancing IoT network defense: advanced intrusion detection via ensemble learning techniques
Authors: El Hajla Salah , Ennaji El Mahfoud , Maleh Yassine , Mounir Soufyane
Published: July 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) has evolved significantly, automating daily activities by connecting numerous devices. However, this growth has increased cybersecurity threats, compromising data integrity. To address this, intrusion detection systems (IDSs) have been developed, mainly using predefined attack patterns. With rising cyber-attacks, improving IDS effectiveness is crucial, and machine learning is a key solution. This research enhances IDS capabilities by introducing binary attack identification and multiclass attack categorization for IoT traffic, aiming to improve IDS performance. Our framework uses the ‘BoT-IoT’ and ‘TON-IoT’ datasets, which include various IoT network traffic and cyber-attack scenarios, such as DDoS and data infiltration, to train machine learning and ensemble models. Specifically, it combines three machine learning models-decision tree, resilient backpropagation (RProp) multilayer perceptron (MLP), and logistic regression-into ensemble methods like voting and stacking to improve prediction accuracy and reduce detection errors. These ensemble classifiers outperform individual models, demonstrating the benefit of diverse learning techniques. Our framework achieves high accuracy, with 99.99% for binary classification on the BoT-IoT dataset and 97.31% on the ToN-IoT dataset. For multiclass classification, it achieves 99.99% on BoT-IoT and 96.32% on ToN-IoT, significantly enhancing IDS effectiveness against IoT cybersecurity threats.
Invasive Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease in Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential
Authors: Heimlich J. Brett , Raddatz Michael A. , Wells John , Vlasschaert Caitlyn , Olson Sydney , Threadcraft Marcus , Foster Kristoff , Boateng Emmanuel , Umbarger Kelsey , Su Yan Ru , Roden Dan M. , Barker Colin M. , Bick Alexander G.
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) occurs due to acquired mutations in bone marrow progenitor cells. CHIP confers a 2-fold risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, there are limited data regarding specific cardiovascular phenotypes. The purpose of this study was to define the coronary artery disease phenotype of the CHIP population-based on coronary angiography.

METHODS:

We recruited 1142 patients from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center cardiac catheterization laboratory and performed DNA sequencing to determine CHIP status. Multivariable logistic regression models and proportional odds models were used to assess the association between CHIP status and angiography phenotypes.

RESULTS:

We found that 18.4% of patients undergoing coronary angiography had a CHIP mutation. Those with CHIP had a higher risk of having obstructive left main (odds ratio, 2.44 [95% CI, 1.40–4.27];
P
=0.0018) and left anterior descending (odds ratio, 1.59 [1.12–2.24];
P
=0.0092) coronary artery disease compared with non-CHIP carriers. We additionally found that a specific CHIP mutation, ten eleven translocase 2
(TET2
), has a larger effect size on left main stenosis compared with other CHIP mutations.

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the first invasive assessment of coronary artery disease in CHIP and offers a description of a specific atherosclerotic phenotype in CHIP wherein there is an increased risk of obstructive left main and left anterior descending artery stenosis, especially among
TET2
mutation carriers. This serves as a basis for understanding enhanced morbidity and mortality in CHIP.
Palliative Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Di Palo Katherine E. , Feder Shelli , Baggenstos Yleana T. , Cornelio Cyrille K. , Forman Daniel E. , Goyal Parag , Kwak Min Ji , McIlvennan Colleen K. ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association Clinical Pharmacology Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology and Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing
Published: July 2024

Cardiovascular disease exacts a heavy toll on health and quality of life and is the leading cause of death among people ≥65 years of age. Although medical, surgical, and device therapies can certainly prolong a life span, disease progression from chronic to advanced to end stage is temporally unpredictable, uncertain, and marked by worsening symptoms that result in recurrent hospitalizations and excessive health care use. Compared with other serious illnesses, medication management that incorporates a palliative approach is underused among individuals with cardiovascular disease. This scientific statement describes palliative pharmacotherapy inclusive of cardiovascular drugs and essential palliative medicines that work synergistically to control symptoms and enhance quality of life. We also summarize and clarify available evidence on the utility of guideline-directed and evidence-based medical therapies in individuals with end-stage heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, and other cardiomyopathies while providing clinical considerations for de-escalating or deprescribing. Shared decision-making and goal-oriented care are emphasized and considered quintessential to the iterative process of patient-centered medication management across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease.
Cretacetrocta, a new genus of barklice from the Early Cretaceous Lebanese amber
Authors: HAKIM MARINA , MAALOUF MOUNIR , AZAR DANY
Published: June 2024

Pachytroctidae is a diverse extant family of Troctomorpha, represented by few fossil taxa from the Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar and Lebanon, and a single species from the Eocene amber of France (Oise). Herein, we describe and illustrate a new monospecific genus Cretacetrocta libanella Hakim & Azar gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous Bqaatouta amber outcrop (Lebanon). The new taxon is tentatively assigned to Pachytroctidae, and the only hitherto record from Lebanese amber of the subfamily Tapinellinae. The new finding reveals potential unreliability of the character ‘nodulus’ as a key diagnostic characteristic of the family, at the very least among fossil representatives. On the other hand, sexual dimorphism, a common trait in modern species of the Pachytroctidae, remains unveiled among extinct taxa.
2. Cross and Consolation
Authors: Bouteneff Peter C.
Published: June 2024

This chapter seeks to explore the assertion that “music is the most spiritual of the arts” by focusing on some aspects of its capacity to render and evoke the transcendent. It begins by pointing out the evident power of music more generally speaking, its effect on the human body and soul. It then attempts to make inroads into understanding the inevitably broad concept of ‘spirituality,’ with reference especially to music. And sometimes people equate music’s overall power with spiritual power. Among the factors that might quantify and particularize the spiritual power of music is the texts to which it is set, or out of which it comes, notably when the text is explicitly sacred, i.e., consciously dedicated to the praise and awe of transcendent reality, whether personal or not. But another, more affective marker is music’s capacity to reflect the range of human experience, from suffering to joy. Some of the music that most commonly evokes the descriptive of ‘spiritual’ is that which—with or without sacred text—does best at evoking human feeling, perhaps suffering even more than joy. A concluding case study of Arvo Pärt’s music helps illustrate this phenomenon. This chapter argues that one reason that listeners, whether secular or religious, find Pärt’s music spiritually evocative is its capacity to ‘listen to its listeners’ and somehow, mysteriously, to empathize with them in their grief, and indicate paths towards hope.
7. From the Sacred to the Ordinary through the Lens of Psychological Science
Authors: Greenberg Yeshaya David M.
Published: June 2024

Spiritual elements of music have been interwoven into the very fabric of human existence of millennia, and arguably at the foundation of musical experience. Yet there is next to no empirical research on the spiritual nature of music in any of the social or biological sciences. Here the author presents initial findings from an ongoing research program that consists of five empirical research studies aimed mapping the role of spirituality in musical experiences. From situations that are sacred to the ordinary, the findings converge to show that aspects of spirituality are infused within individual and group experiences of music, from music-making and singing to passive listening and personal preferences. Further, the findings point to universal elements underpinning the links between music and spirituality and its ability to cross cultures, including serving as a bridge to bond conflicting cultures together. This research program lays an empirical foundation on which future research can build.
8. An Inquiry into Musical Trance
Authors: Turan Dilara
Published: June 2024

Establishing a comprehensive framework for investigating the profound connection between music and spiritual experiences, this chapter first introduces the Metaphysics of Quality by Robert Pirsig. This philosophical approach offers specific ontological positions on spirituality and empiricism, laying the groundwork for the exploration of music and trance phenomena, often considered outside of empirical studies. Drawing upon the Metaphysics of Quality, the study then adopts a multidisciplinary approach to unravel the intricate dynamics of musical trance. It addresses the prevailing dichotomy in existing literature, which often isolates either the socio-cultural significance or the psychoacoustic mechanisms of music in trance states. In order to bridge this gap, the inquiry simultaneously delves into music's role as a culture-specific sign and a sonic inducer within spiritual contexts. Through cognitive and psychological lenses, the study explores theories of altered states of consciousness (ASC), examines ethnographic examples of musical trance practices from nine distinct geographical regions, and provides comparative analysis of field recordings to gain insights into the psychoacoustic properties accompanying trance states. While direct causality between sound and trance induction remains elusive, the study identifies common sonic patterns hinting at a complementary function of music in ASC. Various units of statistical regularities in music emerge as significant elements linking sound to perceptual and socio-cultural contexts of trance rituals. Through integration within a non-dualist eco-social model of sonic signification, the chapter provides a nuanced understanding of music's multifaceted role in facilitating spiritual experiences across diverse cultural landscapes.
15. Listening to the Lived Experiences of Worshippers
Authors: Manders Elspeth
Published: June 2024

The status of worship changed indelibly following the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, the rise in online worship impacted how music is accessed and shared, raising questions regarding the purpose of worship in this new age, the faithfulness to scripture in an increasingly secular context, and the influence of online worship on religious narratives. Previous research using empirical methods, such as mixed method surveys, has already offered invaluable contributions to reflections upon the consequences of the pandemic for worship. However; recognising that lived Christian realities are highly complex, and difficult to capture via a questionnaire, I sought to unpack lived worshipper experiences using interviews. I used a qualitative research methodology, precisely Reflexive Thematic Analysis, to investigate the worshipping experiences of five Catholic and Anglican laity worshippers and employees in the community of the Diocese of Chelmsford. In thematically analysing five interviews, I suggest four future strategies for implementing mixed ecology worship: online worship, communication, musical rhetoric, and chorister recruitment. Outcomes from using qualitative research to listen to worshippers’ experiences indicate that access to worship online is worth sustaining and developing, and that churches have work to do to ensure the continued viability of traditional choral music-making in the post-pandemic praxis.
16. An Abductive Study of Digital Worship through the Lenses of Netnography and Digital Ecclesiology
Authors: Lazić Tihomir
Published: June 2024

The rapid rise of digital technologies has transformed religious practices and communities, altering how people worship and experience spiritual realities. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, digital worship, including virtual choirs, has become a norm, enriching communal experiences and bridging offline and online realms. This study employs an innovative abductive methodology, combining netnography and digital ecclesiology, to explore digital worship's impact on spiritual growth and community formation. The central research question is: Can online music foster authentic spiritual communion among those immersed in digital worship, and, if so, to what extent? Traditional dichotomies—embodied versus disembodied, online-only versus offline-only, and real versus unreal—often limit our understanding of digital worship. The abductive approach bridges these gaps by integrating theory and empirical data, creating a dynamic dialogue between theological concepts and lived experiences. Focusing on multi-screen YouTube choir videos like ‘The UK Blessing,’ the study illustrates online worship's potential to foster unity and shared spiritual experience. By examining the extensive comments on this well-known video, the research highlights the Holy Spirit’s community-building movements facilitated through digitally-mediated music. Merging insights from digital ecclesiology and netnography provides a richer portrayal of digital worship, each discipline illuminating unique facets of this spiritual phenomenon. This exploration advances the scholarly discourse on digital spirituality, demonstrating that online worship retains the authenticity and depth of traditional practices. Moreover, different kinds of digital platforms enable diverse opportunities for spiritual connection and worship. The methodological contribution lays foundational groundwork for future research, emphasizing the utility and promise of the abductive method in studying digital worship.
Introduction
Authors: Corbett George , Moerman Sarah
Published: June 2024

In the Introduction, the co-editors first identify the core challenge issued to this volume’s contributors: how would you, with your own area of expertise, your own research experience, and your own research methodologies, address or seek to demonstrate the commonly-perceived connection between music and spiritual realities? They then situate the various chapters within the three scholarly fields which, in responding to this challenge, the volume brings together for the first time: Christian theology and music; new musicology, ethnomusicology, and congregational music studies; as well as psychology and neuroscience. While the majority of contributors to this volume focus on Christian music in Western contexts, the editors also emphasise the scope for future studies focused on another religious tradition, or engaging with non-Western understandings of music. Finally, they provide an introductory outline of the volume’s three Parts, eighteen chapters, Foreword and Afterword.
Radiology reporting in rectal cancer using magnetic resonance imaging: Comparison of reporting completeness between different reporting styles and structure
Authors: Alvfeldt Gustav , Aspelin Peter , Blomqvist Lennart , Sellberg Nina
Published: July 2024

Background

The radiology report is vital for providing imaging information to guide patient treatment, and template-based reporting can potentially increase the reporting completeness. In 2014, a national reporting template for radiological staging of rectal cancer using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was implemented in Sweden.

Purpose

To evaluate the impact of the national reporting template by comparing and analysing differences in content and completeness in MRI reports between 2010 and 2016. Focus was to compare reporting completeness (i) between different reporting years and (ii) between three defined reporting styles.

Material and Methods

493 MRI reports were gathered from 10 hospitals in four healthcare regions in Sweden, comprising 243 reports from 2010 and 250 reports from 2016. Reports were classified into three reporting styles: Expanded structured, Minimised structured, and Unstructured, and analysed using qualitative content analysis based on the national template.

Results

In 2010, all reports adhered to Unstructured reporting. In 2016, 44, 42, and 164 reports were conformant to Expanded structured, Minimised structured, and Unstructured reporting, respectively. A comparison between the years revealed a reporting completeness of 48% for 2010 reports and 72% for 2016 reports. Among the 2016 reporting styles, Unstructured reporting had the largest gap compared to the national template, with completeness at 64% versus 77.5% for Minimised structured reporting and 93% for Expanded structured reporting.

Conclusion

Implementation of template-based reporting according to Expanded structure is key to conform to national decided evidence-based practice for radiological staging of rectal cancer.
Impact of climate change on paediatric respiratory health: pollutants and aeroallergens
Authors: Domingo Karyssa N. , Gabaldon Kiersten L. , Hussari Mohammed Nour , Yap Jazmyn M. , Valmadrid Luke Carmichael , Robinson Kelly , Leibel Sydney
Published: July 2024

Paediatric populations are particularly vulnerable to respiratory diseases caused and exacerbated by aeroallergens, pollutants and infectious agents. Worsening climate change is expected to increase the prevalence of pollutants and aeroallergens while amplifying disease severity and causing disproportionate effects in under-resourced areas. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarise the role of anthropogenic climate change in the literature examining the future impact of aeroallergens, pollutants and infectious agents on paediatric respiratory diseases with a focus on equitable disease mitigation. The aeroallergens selected for discussion include pollen, dust mites and mould as these are prevalent triggers of paediatric asthma worldwide. Human rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus are key viruses interacting with climate change and pollution and are primary causal agents of viral respiratory disease. Within this review, we present the propensity for aeroallergens, climate change and pollution to synergistically exacerbate paediatric respiratory disease and outline measures that can ameliorate the expected increase in morbidity and severity of disease through a health equity lens. We support shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy worldwide, across sectors, as a primary means of reducing increases in morbidity.
Early detection of breast cancer through the diagnosis of Nipple Aspirate Fluid (NAF)
Authors: Pant Abhishek , Anjankar Ashish. P. , Shende Sandesh , Dhok Archana , Jha Roshan Kumar , Manglaram Anjali Vagga
Published: June 2024

The development of breast cancer has been mainly reported in women who have reached the post-menopausal stage; therefore, it is the primary factor responsible for death amongst postmenopausal women. However, if treated on time it has shown a survival rate of 20 years in about two-thirds of women. Cases of breast cancer have also been reported in younger women and the leading cause in them is their lifestyle pattern or they may be carriers of high penetrance mutated genes. Premenopausal women who have breast cancer have been diagnosed with aggressive build-up of tumors and are therefore at more risk of loss of life. Mammography is an effective way to test for breast cancer in women after menopause but is not so effective for premenopausal women or younger females. Imaging techniques like contrast-enhanced MRI can up to some extent indicate the presence of a tumor but it cannot adequately differentiate between benign and malignant tumors. Although the ‘omics’ strategies continuing for the last 20 years have been helpful at the molecular level in enabling the characteristics and proper understanding of such tumors over long-term longitudinal monitoring. Classification, diagnosis, and prediction of the outcomes have been made through tissue and serum biomarkers but these also fail to diagnose the disease at an early stage. Considerably there is no adequate detection technique present globally that can help early detection and provide adequate specificity, safety, sensitivity, and convenience for the younger and premenopausal women, thereby it becomes necessary to take early measures and build efficient tools and techniques for the same. Through biopsies of nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) biomarker profiling can be performed. It is a naturally secreted fluid from the cells of epithelium found in the breast. Nowadays, home-based liquid biopsy collection kits are also available through which a routine check on breast health can be performed with the help of NAF. Herein, we will review the biomarker screening liquid biopsy, and the new emerging technologies for the examination of cancer at an early stage, especially in premenopausal women.
A rare cause of abdominal pain in pregnancy - mesenteric artery thrombosis and miscarriage in a 34-year-old patient
Authors: Melicher Dóra , Gaál Szabolcs , Berényi Tamás , Fenyves Bánk Gábor , Nagy Norbert , Hegedűs Péter , Fülöp András , Szijártó Attila , Varga Csaba
Published: June 2024

Background

Mesenteric arterial thrombosis is an extremely rare thrombotic event, especially during pregnancy, that can cause rapid fatal consequences unless the patient receives early definitive treatment.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 34-year-old female presenting in her seventh week of gestation with severe abdominal pain who was promptly diagnosed with mesenteric artery occlusion amidst incipient miscarriage. The patient underwent a successful mesentery artery embolectomy, recovered and was later diagnosed with elevated factor VIII activity.

Conclusion

The diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia should be considered in pregnant women presenting with severe abdominal pain and any prior predisposing factors. Our case highlights the pivotal role of the emergency physician in maintaining a high index of suspicion coupled with timely and determined action. The prognosis of this high mortality condition depends on prompt diagnosis, early definite management and successful multidisciplinary cooperation.