bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Face-to-face versus 360° VR video: a comparative study of two teaching methods in nursing education
Authors: Babaita Abdulfatai Olamilekan , Kako Mayumi , Teramoto Chie , Okamoto Miho , Hayashi Yoko , Ohshimo Shinichiro , Sadamori Takuma , Hattori Minoru , Moriyama Michiko
Published: March 2024

Background

The practical sessions during skills laboratory simulation or clinical simulation are cores of nursing education. For this, different modalities have been devised to facilitate psychomotor skills learning. One of the commonly used educational material or instructional method to supplement skills learning across various disciplines is video-based teaching method. The opportunities of traditional two-dimensional video might be limitless and maximized with 360º virtual reality (VR) video, which offers immersive experience. This study incorporates 360º VR video into skills laboratory training as an alternative approach to face-to-face procedure demonstration.

Methods

An open-label, parallel (1:1), randomized controlled trial study was conducted among third-year undergraduate nursing students at Hiroshima University, Japan. The nursing students were block-randomized into 360º VR video and face-to-face demonstration group. After a 3-hour theoretical class of patient management on ventilator and closed-suction principles of mechanically ventilated patients in an Intensive Care Unit focused class, the 360º VR group watched the 360º VR video of closed tracheal suction (including oral) using the head-mounted display of Meta Quest 2 individually, while the face-to-face group attended the instructor’s demonstration. A week after the skills laboratory, the students’ psychomotor skills, knowledge, satisfaction, confidence were evaluated; the 360º VR video group’s perception was explored; Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the two groups.

Results

A total of 57 students were analyzed; 27 students in the 360º VR video group and 30 students in face-to-face group. There were no statistically significant differences between both groups in skills, knowledge, and confidence. However, the face-to-face group had higher satisfaction level than the 360º VR group; this difference was statistically significant. In the 360º VR video group, 62% agreed that VR makes learning more interesting; more than half of students (62.5%) experienced VR sickness symptoms, and “feeling of drunk” is the highest. The students appreciated the ready to use, immersiveness, and realism; however, symptoms and discomfort, burdensomeness, and production limitations were improvements recommended.

Conclusion

Although face-to-face demonstration is the established method of teaching psychomotor skills to nursing students, the use of 360º VR video could achieve similar learning effect as an alternative approach.
Association between inflammatory bowel disease and cancer risk: evidence triangulation from genetic correlation, Mendelian randomization, and colocalization analyses across East Asian and European populations
Authors: Liu Di , Cao Meiling , Wang Haotian , Cao Weijie , Zheng Chenguang , Li Yun , Wang Youxin
Published: March 2024

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has been associated with several cancer risks in observational studies, but the observed associations have been inconsistent and may face the bias of confounding and reverse causality. The potential causal relationships between IBD and the risk of cancers remain largely unclear.

Methods

We performed genome-wide linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), standard two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), and colocalization analyses using summary genome-wide association study (GWAS) data across East Asian and European populations to evaluate the causal relationships between IBD and cancers. Sensitivity analyses for the MR approach were additionally performed to explore the stability of the results.

Results

There were no significant genetic correlations between IBD, CD, or UC and cancers (all P values > 0.05) in East Asian or European populations. According to the main MR analysis, no significant causal relationship was observed between IBD and cancers in the East Asian population. There were significant associations between CD and ovarian cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.898, 95% CI = 0.844–0.955) and between UC and nonmelanoma skin cancer (OR = 1.002, 95% CI = 1.000–1.004, P = 0.019) in the European population. The multivariable MR analysis did not find any of the above significant associations. There was no shared causal variant to prove the associations of IBD, CD, or UC with cancers in East Asian or European populations using colocalization analysis.

Conclusions

We did not provide robust genetic evidence of causal associations between IBD and cancer risk. Exposure to IBD might not independently contribute to the risk of cancers, and the increased risk of cancers observed in observational studies might be attributed to factors accompanying the diagnosis of IBD.
Medication non-adherence and self-inflicted violence behaviors among 185,800 patients with schizophrenia in the community: a 12-year cohort study
Authors: Zuo Chuanlong , Yang Xianmei , Wu Xiangrui , Fan Ruoxin , Liu Jun , Xiang Hu , Li Yang , Zhao Xing , Liu Xiang , Liu Yuanyuan
Published: March 2024

Background

Despite the importance of medication adherence in treatment effectiveness, little is known about the association between medication non-adherence and self-inflicted violence behaviors. We aimed to assess whether medication non-adherence increased the risk of self-inflicted violence behaviors among schizophrenics in communities (hypothesis 1) and whether the dose–response relationship existed (hypothesis 2).

Methods

This 12-year cohort study in western China recruited 292,667 community-dwelling schizophrenics. The proportion of regular medication (PRM) was calculated by dividing the time of “regular adherence” by the total time of antipsychotic treatment during follow-up period as an indicator of medication adherence. For hypothesis 1, medication adherence was designated as a binary variable with a threshold of 0.8 (PRM); for hypothesis 2, medication adherence was specified as five-category and continuous variables, respectively. Inverse probability weighting and mixed effects Cox proportional hazards models were conducted for confounders control and survival analyses.

Results

One hundred eighty-five thousand eight hundred participants were eligible for the final analyses, with a mean age of 47.49 years (SD 14.55 years), of whom 53.6% were female. For hypothesis 1, the medication non-adherence group (PRM < 0.8) had a lower risk of suicide (HR, 0.527, 95% CI, 0.447–0.620), an increased risk of NSSI (HR, 1.229, 95% CI, 1.088–1.388), and non-significant risk of attempted suicide compared with adherence group (PRM ≥ 0.8). For hypothesis 2, the lowest medication adherence (PRM < 0.2) was associated with increased risks of suicide attempt (HR, 1.614, 95% CI, 1.412–1.845), NSSI (HR, 1.873, 95% CI, 1.649–2.126), and a decreased risk of suicide (HR, 0.593, 95% CI, 0.490–0.719). The other non-adherence groups had lower risks for all three self-inflicted violence behaviors. The associations between medication adherence in continuous-variable and three outcomes were consistent with the categorical medication adherence results.

Conclusions

Almost no medication taken as prescribed was associated with an increased risk of suicide attempt and NSSI. However, medication adherence did not appear to prevent completed suicide. Besides, patients with moderate adherence had a lower incidence of suicide attempt and NSSI. These findings highlight the need for a more detailed portrayal of medication adherence and the need to be vigilant for suicide intent in schizophrenics with good medication adherence who may be overlooked previously.
Childhood maltreatment and health in the UK Biobank: triangulation of outcome-wide and polygenic risk score analyses
Authors: Espinosa Dice Ana Lucia , Lawn Rebecca B. , Ratanatharathorn Andrew , Roberts Andrea L. , Denckla Christy A. , Kim Ariel H. , de la Rosa Pedro A. , Zhu Yiwen , VanderWeele Tyler J. , Koenen Karestan C.
Published: March 2024

Background

Childhood maltreatment is common globally and impacts morbidity, mortality, and well-being. Our understanding of its impact is constrained by key substantive and methodological limitations of extant research, including understudied physical health outcomes and bias due to unmeasured confounding. We address these limitations through a large-scale outcome-wide triangulation study.

Methods

We performed two outcome-wide analyses (OWAs) in the UK Biobank. First, we examined the relationship between self-reported maltreatment exposure (number of maltreatment types, via Childhood Trauma Screener) and 414 outcomes in a sub-sample of 157,316 individuals using generalized linear models (“observational OWA”). Outcomes covered a broad range of health themes including health behaviors, cardiovascular disease, digestive health, socioeconomic status, and pain. Second, we examined the relationship between a polygenic risk score for maltreatment and 298 outcomes in a non-overlapping sample of 243,006 individuals (“genetic OWA”). We triangulated results across OWAs based on differing sources of bias.

Results

Overall, 23.8% of the analytic sample for the observational OWA reported at least one maltreatment type. Of 298 outcomes examined in both OWAs, 25% were significant in both OWAs and concordant in the direction of association. Most of these were considered robust in the observational OWA according to sensitivity analyses and included outcomes such as marital separation (OR from observational OWA, ORo = 1.25 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.29); OR from genetic OWA, ORg = 1.06 (1.03, 1.08)), major diet changes due to illness (ORo = 1.27 (1.24, 1.29); ORg = 1.01 (1.00, 1.03)), certain intestinal diseases (ORo = 1.14 (1.10, 1.18); ORg = 1.03 (1.01, 1.06)), hearing difficulty with background noise (ORo = 1.11 (1.11, 1.12); ORg = 1.01 (1.00, 1.01)), knee arthrosis (ORo = 1.13 (1.09, 1.18); ORg = 1.03 (1.01, 1.05)), frequent sleeplessness (ORo = 1.21 (1.20, 1.23); ORg = 1.02 (1.01, 1.03)), and low household income (ORo = 1.28 (1.26, 1.31); ORg = 1.02 (1.01, 1.03)). Approximately 62% of results were significant in the observational OWA but not the genetic OWA, including numerous cardiovascular outcomes. Only 6 outcomes were significant in the genetic OWA and null in the observational OWA; these included diastolic blood pressure and glaucoma. No outcomes were statistically significant in opposite directions in the two analyses, and 11% were not significant in either OWA.

Conclusions

Our findings underscore the far-reaching negative effects of childhood maltreatment in later life and the utility of an outcome-wide triangulation design with sensitivity analyses for improving causal inference.
The mouse retinal pigment epithelium mounts an innate immune defense response following retinal detachment
Authors: Abcouwer Steven F. , Miglioranza Scavuzzi Bruna , Kish Phillip E. , Kong Dejuan , Shanmugam Sumathi , Le Xuan An , Yao Jingyu , Hager Heather , Zacks David N
Published: March 2024

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) maintains photoreceptor viability and function, completes the visual cycle, and forms the outer blood-retinal barrier (oBRB). Loss of RPE function gives rise to several monogenic retinal dystrophies and contributes to age-related macular degeneration. Retinal detachment (RD) causes separation of the neurosensory retina from the underlying RPE, disrupting the functional and metabolic relationships between these layers. Although the retinal response to RD is highly studied, little is known about how the RPE responds to loss of this interaction. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to compare normal and detached RPE in the C57BL6/J mouse. The naïve mouse RPE transcriptome was compared to previously published RPE signature gene lists and from the union of these 14 genes (Bmp4, Crim1, Degs1, Gja1, Itgav, Mfap3l, Pdpn, Ptgds, Rbp1, Rnf13, Rpe65, Slc4a2, Sulf1 and Ttr) representing a core signature gene set applicable across rodent and human RPE was derived. Gene ontology enrichment analysis (GOEA) of the mouse RPE transcriptome identified expected RPE features and functions, such as pigmentation, phagocytosis, lysosomal and proteasomal degradation of proteins, and barrier function. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) at 1 and 7 days post retinal detachment (dprd) were defined as mRNA with a significant (padj≤0.05) fold change (FC) of 0.67 ≥ FC ≥ 1.5 in detached versus naïve RPE. The RPE transcriptome exhibited dramatic changes at 1 dprd, with 2297 DEG identified. The KEGG pathways and biological process GO groups related to innate immune responses were significantly enriched. Lipocalin 2 (Lcn2) and several chemokines were upregulated, while numerous genes related to RPE functions, such as pigment synthesis, visual cycle, phagocytosis, and tight junctions were downregulated at 1 dprd. The response was largely transient, with only 18 significant DEG identified at 7 dprd, including upregulation of complement gene C4b. Validation studies confirmed RNA-Seq results. Thus, the RPE quickly downregulates cell-specific functions and mounts an innate immune defense response following RD. Our data demonstrate that the RPE contributes to the inflammatory response to RD and may play a role in attraction of immune cells to the subretinal space.
A review of the melliferous flora of Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, on the basis for the honey production cycle
Authors: Zúñiga-Díaz Donají , Cetzal-Ix William , López-Castilla Héctor , Noguera-Savelli Eliana , Tamayo-Cen Iván , Martínez-Puc Jesús Froylán , Basu Saikat Kumar
Published: March 2024

Background

The Yucatan Peninsula (YP) is one of the most important regions in global apiculture. Hence, this work reviews and integrates the knowledge of the species diversity, growth habits, ecosystems, floral calendars during the apiculture production cycles and the types of vegetation represented in the melliferous flora (MF) of the YP; as a basis for proposing selection strategies locating suitable apiculture production areas for local beekeepers and help in the economic development of the region.

Methods

A comprehensive review of the MF literature was carried out using the snowball method to determine and update the number of species useful for apiculture. The growth habits and flower calendars were determined through a review of the literature and databases of specimens from the herbaria CICY, UCAM and MEXU.

Results

The YP reports a total of 935 taxa of MF (98 families and 498 genera); of these, Campeche has 812 taxa, followed by Quintana Roo (786) and Yucatán (767). The MF is made up of herbs (282), followed by shrubs (260), trees (229), climbers (82), woody climbers (67) palms (14) and parasitic plant (1).

Conclusion

Of the 935 species of MF registered at the regional level, a high number of species have flowering throughout the year, however, not all of these species are considered useful for local commercial apiculture. Only a select group of 23 species are considered of major importance for local apiculture industry.
Suicide warning signs that are challenging to recognize: a psychological autopsy study of Korean adolescents
Authors: Lee Yeon Jung , Kweon Yong-Sil , Kang Yun Hyong , Yoon Kyung Hee , Lee Mi-Sun , Bhang Soo-Young , Hong Hyun Ju
Published: March 2024

Background

In South Korea, the leading cause of youth death has been suicide for about 20 years. In this study, we conducted a multi-method psychological autopsy to identify the psychiatric diagnosis, developmental history, personality traits, family history, school life, warning signs of suicide, and risk factors related to suicide for the first time in Korea.

Methods

This was a postmortem, retrospective, and descriptive study of 36 adolescents who died by suicide between August 2015 and July 2021 in South Korea. We obtained qualitative and quantitative data from the Korean Psychological Autopsy of Adolescent, conducted by the Suicide and School Mental Health Institute, the official student mental health policy-focused research institute of the Korean Ministry of Education.

Results

The adolescents comprised equal percentage of girls and boys. Approximately half of the deaths (55.6%) occurred at home and most (72.2%) involved jumping from a height. Most of the adolescents (97.2%) had one major psychiatric disorder before death, with depressive disorder being the most prevalent (75%). They were at a high risk for internet addiction before death. The most common personality trait was avoidance (28.6%), followed by submissiveness (27.3%). Half of the parents reported that the adolescents were satisfied with their school life and the teachers observed that they had no behavioral problems. One year before death, seven (19.4%) adolescents injured themselves and five (13.9%) had attempted suicide. Most of the deceased (80.6%) had expressed suicide warning signs to their families within one year before death. Adolescents had a long experience of family-related adverse events.

Conclusions

Most of the adolescents had mental health disorders and expressed suicidal intentions using verbal and nonverbal signs. However, it was challenging for families to recognize the risk signs because of adolescents’ personality traits or a good school life. To prevent adolescent suicide, adolescents, parents, and teachers need to be educated to recognize signs of suicide warning signs and equipped to guide adolescents to appropriate care.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia neonatal sepsis: a case report
Authors: Adefila Williams Oluwatosin , Osie Isaac , Keita Modou Lamin , Wutor Baleng Mahama , Yusuf Abdulsalam Olawale , Hossain Ilias , Molfa Minteh , Barjo Ousman , Salaudeen Rasheed , Mackenzie Grant
Published: March 2024

Background

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a gram-negative bacteria known for causing opportunistic and nosocomial infections in humans. S. maltophilia is an emerging pathogen of concern due to it’s increasing prevalence, diverse disease spectrum, intrinsic multi-drug resistance and high mortality rates in immunocompromised individuals. S. maltophilia is a rare cause of neonatal sepsis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The bacterium’s multi-drug resistance poses a considerable challenge for treatment, with various mechanisms contributing to its resistance.

Case presentation

We report a case involving a 40-h-old male African neonate who exhibited symptoms of neonatal sepsis. The blood culture revealed Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, which was sensitive to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin but resistant to other antibiotics. Lumbar puncture for CSF could not be done because the father declined.

We treated the newborn with the empirical first-line antibiotics as per the national guideline intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin for six days, and the child recovered fully with a repeated negative blood culture.

Conclusions

This report describes a neonatal sepsis case caused by S. maltophilia, a multi-drug resistant bacteria and a rare cause of neonatal sepsis. We report that early detection of the bacterial and antimicrobial management based on local antibiogram data may be essential for successful patient’s management.
Perceived attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians among individuals with psychiatric illness in the religiously diverse Southern Region of Thailand: a multihospital-based survey
Authors: Pitanupong Jarurin , Wichitnark Garn , Wiwattanaworaset Pakawat , Tepsuan Laddaporn , Norphun Naruttha , Yakkaphan Puangsan
Published: March 2024

Objectives

This study purposed to analyze perceived attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians and related factors among individuals with psychiatric illnesses in southern Thailand.

Materials and methods

From May to July 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted at four psychiatric outpatient clinics in Southern Thailand. The questionnaires utilized were: 1) a demographic information questionnaire, 2) a questionnaire regarding attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians, 3) a questionnaire evaluating individuals’ attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians while receiving medical attention, and 4) a patient-doctor relationship questionnaire. All data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the factors associated with perceived attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and linear regressions. The analyses were conducted using the R Foundation for Statistical Computing software, version 4.3.1. Statistical significance was defined as a p-value of less than 0.05.

Results

Among our 542 participants, the mean age was 36.3 ± 14.1 years. The majority were female (64.6%), Buddhist (62.4%), and diagnosed with depression (46.3%). Approximately three-quarters showed a good doctor-patient relationship (74.0%). The median (IQR) score of the perceived attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians was 75 (66, 88). Predominantly, the LGBTQ + physicians were perceived as normal (76.3%) and being a viable part of society (88.7%). Moreover, our participants disagreed with the view that being an LGBTQ + physician was a sin (70.6%) or immoral (68.2%). They felt comfortable during history taking (79.0%), physical examination not involving private parts of the body (72.5%), and management for both medical (78.4%) and psychiatric conditions (81.4%) at the hands of LGBTQ + physicians. However, they reported feeling uncomfortable during history taking involving private matters (6.3%) and the physical examination of private parts (16.4%). Older age, absence of LGBTQ + close relatives/friends, and being a Muslim were associated with lower scores of perceived attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians. Conversely, a higher level of education and a reported mismatch between the patient’s sex and gender were associated with higher scores.

Conclusions

Most participants reported positive perceived attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians. However, some age groups and adherents of Islam showed lower perceived attitude scores and reported feeling uncomfortable receiving medical treatment from LGBTQ + physicians. On the one hand, LGBTQ + physicians have cause to be concerned about this point; on the other hand, finding appropriate approaches to promote positive attitudes toward LGBTQ + physicians among these groups of people remains a necessity.
Determination of Euler pole parameters for Sundaland plate based on updated GNSS observations in Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Alif Satrio Muhammad , Ching Kuo-En , Sagiya Takeshi , Wahyuni Widya Nabila
Published: March 2024

To provide a precise Euler pole parameter of Sundaland plate for earthquake potential evaluation in Sumatra, Indonesia after the 2004 M9.2 Aceh earthquake, we adopted 37 new Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations in Sumatra and 30 transformed published velocities in Indochina and Malaysia under the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2014 (ITRF2014). The 37 GNSS data were processed using the software Bernese v.5.2. The GNSS velocities were calculated by the coordinate time series analysis with the least squares method. The grid search algorithm was used in Euler pole parameter estimation, which was validated using the bootstrap resampling. The optimized Euler pole parameters are the latitude of 45.63 ± 0.45°, the longitude of − 88.71 ± 0.38° and the angular velocity of 0.337 ± 0.002°/Myr in counterclockwise direction. Besides, the distinguishable and systematic pattern in space is shown in the residual velocities, which may imply the possibility of minor postseismic deformation, Tibetan crustal flows, or the hypothesis that the Sundaland Plate is composed of several microplates.
Prior experiences as students and instructors play a critical role in instructors’ decision to adopt evidence-based instructional practices
Authors: Kraft Annika R. , Atieh Emily L. , Shi Lu , Stains Marilyne
Published: March 2024

Background

There has been a growing interest in characterizing factors influencing teaching decisions of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructors in order to address the slow uptake of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs). This growing body of research has identified contextual factors (e.g., classroom layout, departmental norms) as primary influencers of STEM instructors’ decision to implement EBIPs in their courses. However, models of influences on instructional practices indicate that context is only one type of factor to consider. Other factors fall at the individual level such as instructors’ past teaching experience and their views on learning. Few studies have been able to explore in depth the role of these individual factors on the adoption of EBIPs since it is challenging to control for contextual features when studying current instructors. Moreover, most studies exploring adoption of EBIPs do not take into account the distinctive features of each EBIP and the influence these features may have on the decision to adopt the EBIP. Rather, studies typically explore barriers and drivers to the implementation of EBIPs in general. In this study, we address these gaps in the literature by conducting an in-depth exploration of individual factors and EBIPs’ features that influence nine future STEM instructors’ decisions to incorporate a selected set of EBIPs in their teaching.

Results

We had hypothesized that the future instructors would have different reasoning to support their decisions to adopt or not Peer Instruction and the 5E Model as the two EBIPs have distinctive features. However, our results demonstrate that instructors based their decisions on similar factors. In particular, we found that the main drivers of their decisions were (1) the compatibility of the EBIP with their past experiences as students and instructors as well as teaching values and (2) experiences provided in the pedagogical course they were enrolled in.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that when considering the adoption of EBIPs, there is a need to look beyond solely contextual influences on instructor’s decisions to innovate in their courses and explore individual factors. Moreover, professional development programs should leverage their participants past experiences as students and instructors and provide an opportunity for instructors to experience new EBIPs as learners and instructors.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the anus successfully treated with multidisciplinary therapy for metachronous metastatic and local recurrences after DCF chemotherapy: a case report
Authors: Naito Ryozan , Shiraishi Takuya , Hosoi Nobuhiro , Watanabe Takayoshi , Shioi Ikuma , Shibasaki Yuta , Nakazawa Nobuhiro , Osone Katsuya , Okada Takuhisa , Sano Akihiko , Sakai Makoto , Ogawa Hiroomi , Sohda Makoto , Shirabe Ken , Saeki Hiroshi
Published: March 2024

Background

Docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) chemotherapy is reportedly an effective treatment strategy for squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA). However, studies regarding its use in Japanese patients remain scarce.

Case presentation

Here, we present the case of an 82-year-old woman with SCCA, cStage IIIB. Chemoradiotherapy was initiated after colostomy of the anorectal mass; however, para-aortic lymph node recurrence was observed 3 months after treatment completion. Five courses of DCF chemotherapy were subsequently administered, resulting in a complete response (CR). Two years and 1 month later, the aortic lymph node was enlarged again, and the patient achieved CR again after radiotherapy. Nine months later, local recurrence was detected in the anal canal, and laparoscopic perineal rectal amputation was performed. The patient remains progression-free 5 years and 10 months after the initial treatment and 1 year and 7 months after the final treatment.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that complementary treatment after DCF chemotherapy may be efficacious in Japanese patients with SCCA and help achieve CR. Despite occasional local recurrences, this approach may help achieve long-term progression-free survival.
Sex-dependent vulnerability for Wistar rats model following intranasal instillation with Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 43816 causing lobar pneumonia
Authors: Diboue Betote Patrick Hervé , Del Florence Ndedi Moni Esther , Matchuenkam Sonia Raïssa Gayap , Beack Sandrine Suzanne Bayengue , Fifen Rodrigue , Ouedraogo Raogo , Agbor Gabriel A. , Semde Rasmané , Nnanga Nga , Nyegue Maximilienne Ascension
Published: March 2024

Background

Klebsiella pneumoniae has become one of the major threats to public health as it causes nosocomial and community-acquired infections like lobar pneumonia. This infection causes acute inflammation in the lung, characterized by the recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells, generating free radicals, and decreasing the endogenous antioxidant balance system. Many experimental studies have focused on the induction, progression and resolution of infection up to its peak, but these documented processes remain highly random and their sex dependence un-elicited. These fluctuations of physiopathological parameters would impact disease progression depending on the animal’s model and bacterial strain used. The present study investigated the sex-dependent vulnerability of Wistar rats to K. pneumoniae ATCC 43816 lobar pneumonia induced by the intranasal instillation method.

Methods

Experimental pneumonia was induced by K. pneumoniae ATCC 43816 in male and female Wistar rats following intranasal instillation. The physiopathogenesis of the disease was studied by bacteriological and histopathological exams, histomorphometric analysis of the blood and/or lung tissue, and body weight loss in infected animals. In addition, the overall severity of lesions was determined by the total score obtained by averaging the individual scores from the same group of animals.

Results

The K. pneumoniae ATCC 43816 strain showed inoculation dose-, incubation time of the disease- and sex-dependent- differences in its ability to induce lobar pneumonia. Evaluation of different parameters showed that the disease peaked on day 15 post-inoculation, with more pathogenic effects on female rats. This observed sex-dependence difference in Wistar rats was mainly highlighted by the determined lethal dose 50 (LD50), bacterial load count in whole blood and lung tissues, body weight loss, inflammatory granulomas forming and diffuse alveolar damages. The pathogenicity was confirmed by scoring the severity of pathologic lesions of lung tissues.

Conclusions

The results obtained highlighted the gender-dependency in the physiopathogenesis processes of K. pneumoniae ATCC 43816 induced-lobar pneumonia, in Wistar rats. Female Wistar rats’ susceptibility is useful in studying pathology and in preclinical trial investigations of new treatments for infectious pneumonia.
“English like Hindi”: Chetan Bhagat, Popular Fiction, and India’s Voice
Authors: Srinivasan Ragini Tharoor
Published: March 2024

This essay examines the rise of Chetan Bhagat, an icon of the New India “after English” who ironically writes his best-selling popular fictions in English. When Bhagat’s demotic English travels outside India, it is taken up by readers and critics whose responses to his work reveal the persistence of the fantasy of accessing India’s unmediated voice. The essay reads the extant Anglo-American critical discourse on Bhagat, with special attention to the postcritical and post-postcolonial turns in contemporary literary scholarship. It argues that Bhagat’s anointment as a global Anglophone literary icon with purchase on the “real” India lays bare a problem endemic to English literary studies—namely, the problem of enacting comparative literary analysis within English itself. It also raises a number of questions at the intersections of world literature and the global Anglophone, which are rival strategies for the teaching of non-Western literatures in English in US academe. In its concluding sections, the essay considers whether it is possible to teach Bhagat’s “English like Hindi” without allowing it to masquerade as a conduit to a supposedly authentic Indian vernacular sphere.
Constraint against Constraint: Hunger Strikes and the Score
Authors: DeMay Timothy
Published: March 2024

In 1961, the poet Jacques Roubaud was dismissed by the French military in Algeria after undergoing a series of “clandestine hunger strikes,” an act he later referred to as his “very first constraint.” By using a term that at once refers to a particular and increasingly prevalent resistance act, the rules and procedures used by post–World War II avant-garde artists and writers, and oppressive structures like prisons that delimit lives, “constraint” provides a way to rethink the history of avant-garde procedural poetry through the act of the hunger strike. This essay analyzes the constraint as a “score,” a method of making that allows for the repeatability and transformation of forms across contexts. This repetition with a difference is underscored by a cast of 1960s and 1970s writers from France, the United States, and Morocco, including Roubaud, Norman H. Pritchard, Bernadette Mayer, Saïda Menebhi, and Abdallah Zrika. Foregrounding the hunger strike and seeing an aesthetics that accords with this provocative and popular act, this essay makes a case for avant-garde practice, rather than the avant-garde object, as acts that might not only reorganize everyday life into weapons and tools, but also thread trans-national possibilities of solidarity through a shared political form.
Empathy in Post-Oslo Palestinian Literature: Reading between Identification and Recognition in Ala Hlehel’s Au Revoir Acre and Ibtisam Azem’s The Book of Disappearance
Authors: Green Rachel
Published: March 2024

This article considers Ala Hlehel’s Au Revoir Acre and Ibtisam Azem’s The Book of Disappearance, two Arabic-language novels published in 2014 by Palestinian authors with Israeli citizenship. It argues that both texts thematize empathy, despite its familiar pitfalls, as central to their imaginings of an inclusive political future in Israel/Palestine in the post-Oslo era. In revivifying eighteenth-century Acre and the city’s triumphant defeat of Napoleon in 1799, Hlehel’s creatively embellished historical novel curates an effortless cascade of emotionally contagious intergroup identification in a space of historic Palestinian triumph. Conversely, in positing the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of all Palestinians from Historic Palestine, set against the backdrop of a troubled friendship and a searching soul, Azem’s speculative work offers a Fanonian critique of the politics of recognition and a concomitant turn to affect. Together, the texts constitute a future-oriented strand of contemporary Palestinian writing that counterintuitively thematizes intergroup empathy, drawing upon its symbolic currency to scaffold a pedagogical hermeneutics of decolonial overture.
Efficient axonal transport of endolysosomes relies on the balanced ratio of microtubule tyrosination and detyrosination
Authors: Konietzny Anja , Han Yuhao , Popp Yannes , van Bommel Bas , Sharma Aditi , Delagrange Philippe , Arbez Nicolas , Moutin Marie-Jo , Peris Leticia , Mikhaylova Marina
Published: March 2024

In neurons, the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton forms the basis for long-distance protein transport from the cell body into and out of dendrites and axons. To maintain neuronal polarity, the axon initial segment (AIS) serves as a physical barrier, separating the axon from the somatodendritic compartment and acting as a filter for axonal cargo. Selective trafficking is further instructed by axonal enrichment of MT post-translational modifications, which affect MT dynamics and the activity of motor proteins. Here, we compared two knockout mouse lines lacking the respective enzymes for MT tyrosination and detyrosination, and found that both knockouts led to a shortening of the AIS. Neurons from both lines also showed an increased immobile fraction of endolysosomes present in the axon, whereas mobile organelles displayed shortened run distances in the retrograde direction. Overall, our results highlight the importance of maintaining the balance of tyrosinated and detyrosinated MTs for proper AIS length and axonal transport processes.
Outcomes of AV fistula formation for dialysis patients using interrupted sutures one-year single center study
Authors: Naz Farah , Javaid Rana Hassan , Noor Sara , Katpar Hira
Published: March 2024

Objectives: To document the Outcomes of AV fistula formation for dialysis patients using interrupted sutures.

Methods: In this Cross-sectional study conducted at PNS Shifa Karachi, from June 2022 to June 2023, patients above 18 years of age, male or female, with ESRD/CKD were included. After clinical screening and ultrasound doppler, the distal most part of wrist was considered as a site for radio cephalic AVF. Operation was performed under surgical loupe with 4.5x magnification. Standard incision of about 4-5 cm oblique proximal to the wrist crease was given at the volar surface on the radial side of Distal forearm, extending till the lateral side up to the snuffbox. Subcutaneous tissue was incised and dissection was done to identify the cephalic vein and radial artery. Distal most end of the cephalic vein was ligated using vicryl 4-0 suture and cephalic vein dissected free from the underling tissue to mobilize it up to the radial artery.

Results: During the study N=35 patients who required AVF creation visited the department. The mean age of the study participants was 59.34±15.48. If thrill at the site of AVF and backflow at cut end of cephalic vein were present the surgeons were satisfied, higher satisfaction among the surgeon was achieved in the AVF created at brachiocephalic artery while the diameter of vessels didn’t contribute in surgeon satisfaction.

Conclusion: Presence of thrill at the site of AVF and backflow at cut end of cephalic vein have strong association with good prognosis of AVF.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.5.8990

How to cite this: Naz F, Javaid RH, Noor S, Katpar H. Outcomes of AV fistula formation for dialysis patients using interrupted sutures one-year single center study. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.5.8990

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Weight reduction among females undergoing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: The role of Calcium and Vitamin D3
Authors: AlMulhim Saleh Abdulrahman , AlNaim Mounther Mohammed , Khan Abdul Sattar , Memon Abdul Qadeer , AlArfaj Haytham Mohammed , Abdulqader Ahmad A. Al , AlMulhim Abdulrahman Saleh
Published: March 2024

Objective: To evaluate the role of Vitamin-D and calcium supplementation on preoperative weight reduction in obese women before laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted at the affiliated health centers of King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia from January 2021 to December 2021. It included forty-five obese women aged 24-56 years, with body mass index (BMI) of 34.0–48.0 kg/m2. They were randomly allocated into two groups; the Group-A (N=22) included obese women who received supplementation of 5000 IU cholecalciferol (Vitamin-D3), and 1000 mg calcium daily for 12 months, while the Group-B (N=23) received no treatment. Measurement of change in weight and BMI and comparison of their pre-operative weight reduction, laparoscopic operative time, and length of hospital stay was done.

Results: There were no differences in patients’ biographic data between the two groups. During the study, Vitamin-D level in the patients increased and there was a significant positive association with weight loss. In group-A, the mean weight loss was 11.8±3.5 kg. At the end of first year, their BMI decreased from 36.1±1.6kg/m2 at baseline to 29.7±2.6 kg/m2, whereas in-group-B, the mean weight loss was 6.8±3.1 kg and their BMI decreased from 36.9±2.69kg/m2 at baseline to 32.7±0.93kg/m2. The operation time and the length of hospital stay were shorter in group-A (107 vs.128.min) and (3 vs. 5 days) respectively as compared to Group-B.

Conclusion: Vitamin-D and calcium supplementation contributes to a remarkable weight reduction of preoperative obese female patients, which in turn is associated with significantly better outcome of laparoscopic repair of ventral hernia.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.5.9047

How to cite this: AlMulhim SA, AlNaim MM, Khan AS, Memon AQ, AlArfaj HM, Al Abdulqader AA, et al. Weight reduction among females undergoing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair:  The role of Calcium and Vitamin D3. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(5):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.5.9047

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
SIX-DAYS DYNAMICS ANXIETY INDEX OF FEMALE RATS WITH HIGH LEVEL OF ANXIETY IN BLOCKADE OF MAO-B
Authors: Khusainov Denis R. , Lukyanceva Albina N. , Tribrat Natalya S. , Biryukova Elena A. , Chuyan Elena N. , Korenyuk Ivan I. , Tumanyants Karine N. , Kashutina Ekaterina V.
Published: March 2024

Notoriously that motor and research activities are gradually oppressed up to complete suppression during the daily testing of animals. Generally, an animal stops researching the test space and demonstrates the passive behavior. In the past studies on female rats we have found out that the blockade of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) doesn’t prevent of the suppression of animal’s behavior activity during the daily testing. Also, according to the cumulative result it was supposed, that the increasing of anxiety can’t to be the main reason of motor deprivation. But the last statement required of experimental confirmation. According to the said statement the purpose of this work was formulated the following way: to find out the dependence of behavior activity oppression of female rats during the daily testing of anxiety level in normal conditions and in blockade of MAO-B one.

Methods: the research work was carried out on 48 white female rats line Wistar aged 7 months, contained in standard conditions of vivarium. All of the animals were homogenous sample with the middle level of motor activity and high level of anxiety (the index of anxiety (IA) were more than 0,7 of conventional units).

The rats were divided into four groups of 12 animal units in each one, lately -2 control sets and 2 experimental one (blockade of MAO-B). The animal behavioral reactions were researched in two tests: “Open field” (circular, diameter 1m) and elevated plus-maze (EPM, standard sized for rats). The residence time of each rat in both test setting was 5 minutes. This period of time is recorded by high definition camcorder; video recording is analyzed automatically by the program complex Noldus EthoVision 12.

It was found out, that the increasing the level anxiety cannot be the only reason of motor activity oppression of high-anxiety female rats in “Open field” and elevated plus-maze tests. The blockade of MAO-B decreases the index of anxiety of animals, that, possible, indicates on directly dopaminergic system and the central dopamine participation in the emotional state regulation along with other monoamines. Also the EPM test is more indicative for analyzing of dynamic of the anxiety index compared with “Open field” test.
A Graph-Based Approach for Relating Integer Programs
Authors: Steever Zachary , Hunt Kyle , Karwan Mark , Yuan Junsong , Murray Chase C.
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a framework for classifying and comparing instances of integer linear programs (ILPs) based on their mathematical structure. It has long been observed that the structure of ILPs can play an important role in determining the effectiveness of certain solution techniques; those that work well for one class of ILPs are often found to be effective in solving similarly structured problems. In this work, the structure of a given ILP instance is captured via a graph-based representation, where decision variables and constraints are described by nodes, and edges denote the presence of decision variables in certain constraints. Using machine learning techniques for graph-structured data, we introduce two approaches for leveraging the graph representations for relating ILPs. In the first approach, a graph convolutional network (GCN) is used to classify ILP graphs as having come from one of a known number of problem classes. The second approach makes use of latent features learned by the GCN to compare ILP graphs to one another directly. As part of the latter approach, we introduce a formal measure of graph-based structural similarity. A series of empirical studies indicate strong performance for both the classification and comparison procedures. Additional properties of ILP graphs, namely, losslessness and permutation invariance, are also explored via computational experiments.

History: Accepted by Pascal Van Hentenryck, Area Editor for Computational Modeling: Methods & Analysis.

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.0255 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2023.0255 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Elective Surgery Sequencing and Scheduling Under Uncertainty
Authors: Fu Xiaojin , Qi Jin , Yang Chen , Ye Han
Published: March 2024

Problem definition: We consider a surgery sequencing and scheduling problem with uncertain durations of surgeries in the context of an operating theater. From real data collected from a hospital, we observe the common practice, namely, “to follow,” in which surgeries are conducted sequentially and immediately one after another, according to a specific schedule. Methodology/results: Based on this practice, we propose a mathematical framework to balance the risk of delay and idling using the punctuality index, which takes into consideration both the probability and intensity of delay and idle time. We develop a computationally efficient procedure based on Benders decomposition to derive exact solutions for the problem. The scheduling problem is solvable in polynomial time when the sequence is given. The framework can also accommodate a robust setting when the underlying probability distribution is not fully available. For practical use, we propose two effective heuristics for sequencing decisions by approximating the model. Using real data, we demonstrate that our framework is significantly better than the risk-neutral and probability-maximizing approaches in both performance and computational efficiency. Moreover, the robust setting can effectively lessen the risk of extremely long delay and idle time, and the heuristics are efficient with only a small sacrifice of performance. Managerial implications: With the to-follow policy, our sequencing and scheduling model describes the actual practice better. The two heuristics can be applied easily and directly to help managers of operating theaters to make decisions.

Funding: J. Qi is supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council [Grants 26202016, 16212419, and 16204521].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0029 .