bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Faire participer pour faire accepter ? Cadrages du débat et cultures épistémiques en tension dans une recherche participative
Authors: Seguin Laura
Published: May 2023

Dans les sciences de l’environnement, les recherches participatives conduites en partenariat avec des groupes socioprofessionnels peuvent répondre à des objectifs très différents. Les fondements sur lesquels ces recherches s’adossent, et notamment les partis pris épistémologiques et politiques propres aux chercheurs et chercheuses, à leurs partenaires et aux organismes de financement, déterminent le cadrage des espaces participatifs auxquels les parties prenantes sont ensuite conviées. Pourquoi faire participer, qui faire participer ? Quels savoirs mobiliser et/ou construire ? Dans une perspective de sociologie des sciences, cet article porte un regard réflexif sur un projet de recherche participative, en s’intéressant à sa genèse et en prenant les scientifiques et partenaires pilotes du projet comme objets de recherche. L’analyse met en évidence les opérations de (re)cadrage des termes du débat et des espaces participatifs. Elle montre également l’intérêt d’introduire un processus réflexif de la part des scientifiques qui interviennent sur le cours de l’action, dans un processus de co-ingénierie de la participation.
La fabrique participative de l’offre programmatique. Métamorphoses du « faire campagne » et dépolitisation de l’école dans la liste « Amiens c’est l’tien » aux élections municipales de 2020
Authors: Douniès Thomas
Published: May 2023

L’article étudie ce que la métamorphose participative des campagnes politiques fait à la formation de l’offre programmatique à l’aune du traitement de l’école dans la liste d’union de la gauche « Amiens c’est l’tien » aux élections municipales françaises de 2020. L’approche ethnographique montre que la démocratisation de l’élaboration du programme se transforme en processus d’évaluation de la conflictualité des propositions. Le dispositif participatif contribue à une consensualisation du traitement de l’école obéissant à des finalités externes – travailler une présentation de soi de la liste qui soit non clivante – et des finalités internes – contourner les dissensus entre membres de la campagne. En éclairant les relations entre la transformation des pratiques de représentation, la recomposition de la division du travail politique, et les modalités de dépolitisation des enjeux sociaux, l’enquête montre en quoi le dispositif participatif est le laboratoire d’évolutions en cours du jeu politique et contribue ainsi à la compréhension des transformations contemporaines de la démocratie locale.
Le problème et la question
Authors: Esmili Hamza , Giry Johan
Published: May 2023

L’article propose une relecture la controverse insécablement politique et épistémologique qui prend forme dans le problème musulman en France. Il retrace deux de ses motifs constitutifs : l’un libéral qui correspond au paradigme de la lutte contre la radicalisation, l’autre conservateur apparaissant avec la thèse du séparatisme islamiste. En creux de la dispute autour du problème musulman, il s’agit ensuite de retrouver le motif manquant – celui que l’on affirme socialiste – en vue d’appréhender autrement, de façon tout à fait sociologique, la réaffiliation religieuse parmi les immigrés et leurs enfants. Ce motif refoulé dans notre conscience collective est fondé sur l’appréhension du social comme dimension sui generis , irréductible tant à son identification libérale à une classe d’éléments reliés par l’analogie de propriétés sociales qu’à la réaction conservatrice déliant la nation des solidarités pratiques qui ne cessent pourtant de la parcourir. Intrinsèquement sociologique et politique, le motif socialiste se découvre en filigrane de la refondation réflexive qui prend forme dans le réinvestissement de la tradition islamique parmi les immigrés et leurs enfants.
A Rose by Any Other Name: Gender-Affirming Care and Severe Mental Illness
Authors: Hayes Samantha , Suleiman Mariella , Slobod Elina , Eschenbach Suzanne K.
Published: May 2023

The transgender population has higher rates of psychiatric disorders and stigma within medical settings. Literature suggests that gender-affirming care is the standard when working with such patients. There are limited studies regarding treating these patients with severe mental illness (SMI). This article explores how to treat SMI that impacts patients' reality to the point where their assigned sex cannot be acknowledged. The case presented is that of a transgender woman, where clarification of her natal sex was crucial to treatment. The patient denied her natal sex, endorsing a history of miscarriage. Studies on treatment of transgender SMI patients are limited. Gender-affirming treatment is the standard of care for these patients. Training how to ask pertinent questions and communicate effectively is necessary to prevent misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, and agitation.

[
Psychiatr Ann.
2023;53(5):221–223.]
An Overview of Diagnostic and Clinical Considerations Pertaining to Psychosis-Risk Syndromes
Authors: Millman Zachary B. , Weintraub Marc J.
Published: May 2023

Early intervention in psychosis can provide significant clinical benefits for patients, but disambiguating risk states from a full-threshold illness—a prerequisite for informed clinical decision-making—can be challenging. This article overviews the assessment, phenomenology, and treatment of clinical high-risk (CHR) syndromes, a set of risk factors and symptoms that indicate substantially elevated risk for psychosis when presenting among help-seeking youth. Symptoms associated with CHR states often present as qualitatively similar to those of formal psychotic disorders and may be associated with distress and behavior change. However, insight has not been lost and behavior is not seriously disorganized or dangerous. The emerging nature of these symptoms in conjunction with the young age of patients at CHR and high levels of public stigma bring unique challenges to assessment, clinical feedback, and treatment. Nonetheless, there are numerous guidelines and standards that can support clinicians in providing high quality care for this important population.[Psychiatr Ann. 2023;53(5):194–198.]
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Kim Hyun Jung , Carol Emily
Published: May 2023

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) are currently conceptualized as distinct illnesses. However, there has been considerable debate over the association between these two disorders. Research findings over the last decade suggest a number of overlapping domains between ASD and SSD: shared environmental risk factors, genetics, neurobiological features, brain imaging, clinical features, and comorbidities. These commonalities lead to significant challenges in differentiating between the core symptoms of ASD and SSD. Misinterpretation of symptoms is common in clinical practice, particularly while working with young people at the early stage of these neurodevelopmental conditions, such as first-episode psychosis or clinical high risk. It is essential for mental health professionals to know about research-informed clinical guidelines on how to differentiate ASD and SSD in the clinical setting.

[
Psychiatr Ann
. 2023;53(5):209–215.]
Comparing Visual Outcomes of Light Adjustable Intraocular Lenses in Patients With and Without Prior History of Corneal Refractive Surgery
Authors: Moshirfar Majid , Henrie Marshall K. , Payne Carter J. , Hansen Annika M. , Ronquillo Yasmyne C. , Hoopes Phillip C.
Published: May 2023

Purpose:

To assess visual outcomes of light adjustable intraocular lens (LAL; Calhoun Vision, Inc) implantation after cataract extraction in patients with a history of corneal refractive surgery.

Methods:

The records of patients who received LALs with and without a history of corneal refractive surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Data for 51 eyes (30 patients) with a history of corneal refractive surgery and 52 eyes (44 patients) without refractive surgery were analyzed. A total of 36 eyes of patients with and 43 eyes of patients without a history of corneal refractive surgery had 12-month follow-up data available. The primary outcomes evaluated were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA).

Results:

At 12 months, 31% of eyes with a history of corneal refractive surgery had a UDVA of 20/20 or better and 97% of eyes were 20/40 or better. In contrast, 63% of patients with no history of corneal refractive surgery had 20/20 UDVA or better at 12 months and 100% were 20/40 or better. Of patients with a history of corneal refractive surgery, 55% and 83% of eyes at 12 months were within ±0.50 and ±1.00 diopters, respectively, of the target refraction compared to 89% and 96% of eyes without a history of corneal refractive surgery.

Conclusions:

LALs are a promising platform for achieving excellent visual outcomes following cataract surgery. Patients with a prior history of corneal refractive surgery can achieve excellent visual outcomes with the LAL. However, this study found that patients with a history of corneal refractive surgery demonstrated less predictable visual acuity outcomes when compared to patients without a history of corneal refractive surgery.

[
J Refract Surg.
2023;39(5):311–318.]
First-order periodic coupled systems with orderless lower and upper solutions
Authors: Minhós Feliz , Perestrelo Sara
Published: May 2023

We present some existence and localization results for periodic solutions of first-order coupled nonlinear systems of two equations, without requiring periodicity for the nonlinearities. The arguments are based on Schauder's fixed point theorem together with not necessarily well-ordered upper and lower solutions. A real-case scenario shows the applicability of our results to some population dynamics models, describing the interaction between a criminal and a non-criminal population with a law enforcement component.
The Third Wave of Self-Regulated Learning’s Measurement and Intervention Tools: Designing ‘Diaria’ as a New Generation of Learning Diary
Authors: Nan Cenka Baginda Anggun , Santoso Harry B. , Junus Kasiyah
Published: May 2023

Digital transformation accelerates the undertaking of online learning at various levels of education. Online learning mandates students to have high self-regulation skills. Therefore, self-regulated learning (SRL) plays an important role in the education field. In the third wave of SRL measurements, there is an idea of how measurement is applied concurrently with the intervention. This study proposes a learning diary that we call Diaria to take part in the third wave. Diaria was developed by means of the user-centred design with three phases, including design research, design prototype, and design evaluation. Usability testing was selected as an evaluation design method involving 30 participants. The evaluation results were examined based on several categories, including distribution of the System Usability Scale score, issues category, task performance, and potential solution. An initial investigation of the impact of learning diaries on students' SRL skills was carried out as a pilot study. This experiment involved 24 participants in a linear algebra course. The interview method was applied to collect data, followed by thematic content analysis to understand the resulting transcripts. The findings exhibited the prototype has good usability. In addition, recommendations for improvement are suggested. Meanwhile, the pilot study shows that there are various student learning strategies, advantages to a learning diary, and several valuable notes for the main study.
What Motivate Students to Continue Using Online Collaborative Tools: Post-Acceptance of Information System Approach
Authors: I. Inan Dedi , Nizar Hidayanto Achmad , Juita Ratna , R. Lesmono Dennis , Honggo Felicia , Melissa Michelle , D. Melianti Shannia
Published: May 2023

This paper aims to understand what motivates students at universities in Indonesia to continue using Online Collaborative Tools (OCTs) for their collaboration work. Utilising OCTs is crucial as Covid-19 hit us in 2019 and forced all of us, particularly those who studied at university, to work online as precautionary measures. This research employs the Post-Acceptance Model of Information Systems (IS) approach to understand this issue. For an OCT to continue use, performance: effectivity, efficiency, and certainty is the key determinant, and perceived usability: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment mediates confirmation and satisfaction and the intention to continue use. A total of 354 participants are involved in the data analysis employing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Our results revealed that while the relationship between confirmation and satisfaction is partially mediated by perceived ease of use and enjoyment, the relationship between confirmation and intention to continue use is also partially mediated by perceived usefulness and enjoyment, and satisfaction. We found that the intention to continue using the OCT can be determined by 67.9% (substantial) of the variance of the model. Our research contributes theoretically to the IS research in this context and practically to the OCT discourse. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
Influence of APP-Assisted Teaching on Teaching Quality in Mobile Learning
Authors: Zhang Juan , Zhang Peng
Published: May 2023

At present, a large number of education APPs have been developed and widely applied, making mobile learning one of the more popular learning methods under influence of the epidemic. Undeniably, control of college students is indeed an issue that needs to be considered to prevent non-learning behaviors of students in APP learning. Education APPs are more suitable to assist traditional education and to help teachers’ teaching and students’ learning. Based on the theory of fragmented learning and activity learning, a questionnaire on the influence of APP-assisted teaching technology on teaching quality of mobile learning was designed, and mediating effect of team interdependence on the influence of APP-assisted teaching technology on teaching quality of mobile learning was measured. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to measure difference between APP usage quantity and teaching quality. Results show that convenience, individuation and immediacy of APP-assisted teaching technology have significant influence on teaching quality of mobile learning. Team interdependence plays a part in mediating effect of APP-assisted teaching technology on teaching quality of mobile learning. Different APP usage quantity samples all show a significant effect on teaching quality (p<0.05). Conclusions have important reference value for learners to rely on education APPs to carry out fragmented, efficient and personalized learning, to improve education APPs as a teaching method to assist traditional teaching, and to avoid learners falling into “technology-oriented” misunderstanding of over-reliance on APPs for learning.
A Proposal of a Scenario to Integrate Active Pedagogical Approaches to Teach Scratch in Primary School
Authors: Chekour Mohammed , Zaoui Seghroucheni Yassine , Aboulkacem Amina , Hafid Moulay Mustapha
Published: May 2023

In the digital age, people are increasingly connected and frequently use technology in their daily lives. Elementary school students are no exception. They show a great interest in the digital world and especially in games. Scratch gives these students the opportunity to create their own games instead of being passive consumers of these programs. Also, it is a software that allows the development of computational thinking. Thus, to learn programming using Scratch allows students to be actors in their learning which increases their capacity to solve problems. The objective of this work is to propose a pedagogical scenario to teach Scratch to primary school students based on active pedagogical approaches that put the learner at the centre of the teaching-learning process. Once challenged by a problem, students propose solutions. Scratch gives the opportunity to verify the accuracy of the proposed solutions. Accordingly, students try to detect the source of the error and rectify the instructions of their programs. The class, grouped in trios, evaluates the proposed solutions by adopting the "trial and error" method until the desired result is obtained. Therefore, the scenario proposed in this work combines active pedagogical approaches while taking into consideration the nature of the subject taught. Indeed, it aims to make the students fully involved in their learning with the "trial and error" method and to develop their capacities of investigation and problem-solving in a motivating and collaborative environment.
Evaluation of Hotel Performance with Sentiment Analysis by Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: Rafeef A. Hameed  , Wael J. Abed  , Ahmed T. Sadiq
Published: May 2023

The subject of sentiment analysis through social media sites has witnessed significant development due to the increasing reliance of people on social media in advertising and marketing, especially after the Corona pandemic. There is no doubt that the prevalence of the Arabic language makes it considered one of the most important languages all over the world. Through human comments, it can know things if they are positive or negative. But in fact, the comments are many, and it takes work to evaluate the place or the product through a detailed reading of each comment. Therefore, this study applied deep learning approaches to this issue to provide final results that could be utilized to differentiate between the comments in the dataset. Arabic Sentiment Analysis was used and gave a percentage for each positive and negative commentary. This work used eight methods of deep learning techniques after using Fast Text as embedding, except Ara BERT. These techniques are the transformer (AraBERT), RNN (Long short-term memory (LSTM), Bidirectional long-short term memory (BI-LSTM), Gated recurrent units (GRUs), Bidirectional Gated recurrent units (BI-GRU)), CNN (like ALEXNET, proposed CNN), and ensemble model (CNN with BI-GRU). The Hotel Arabic Reviews Dataset was utilized to test the models. This paper obtained the following results. In the Ara BERT model, the accuracy is 96.442%. In CNN, like the Alex Net model, the accuracy is 93.78%. In the suggested CNN model, the accuracy is 94.43%. In the suggested LSTM model, the accuracy is 95%. In the suggested BI-LSTM model, the accuracy is 95.11%. The accuracy of the suggested GRU model is 95.07%. The accuracy of the suggested BI-GRU model is 95.02%. The accuracy is 94.52% in the Ensemble CNN with BI-GRU model that has been proposed. Consequently, the AraBERT outperformed the other approaches in terms of accuracy. Because the AraBERT has already been trained on some Arabic Wikipedia entries. The LSTM, BI-LSTM, GRU, and BI-GRU, on the other hand, had comparable outcomes.
Marcos Espinel entre 1835 y 1846. Impresos y círculos políticos en Ecuador
Authors: Cabrera Hanna Santiago
Published: May 2023

Al analizar la trayectoria de Marcos Espinel, entre 1835 y 1846, se pueden comprender las múltiples formas de participación política, así como la formación intelectual y los cambios de posición de los dirigentes políticos ecuatorianos en el contexto del naciente republicanismo decimonónico. Para acometer este propósito, el artículo se divide en dos partes. La primera considera la actividad impresa en que se involucró Espinel dentro del círculo político de José Félix Valdivieso, en respaldo de su proyecto para reanexar el Ecuador a Nueva Granada y como promotor del voto en 1839. La segunda estudia los aportes del personaje en la segunda administración de Juan José Flores y su apoyo al gobierno provisional de Vicente Ramón Roca.
Characterization of Chemotaxis-Associated Gene Dysregulation in Myeloid Cell Populations in the Lungs during Lipopolysaccharide-Mediated Acute Lung Injury
Authors: Holloman Bryan Latrell , Cannon Alkeiver , Wilson Kiesha , Singh Narendra , Nagarkatti Mitzi , Nagarkatti Prakash
Published: May 2023

During endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI), immune cell recruitment resulting from chemotaxis is mediated by CXC and CC chemokines and their receptors. In this study, we investigated the role of chemokines and their receptors in the regulation of myeloid cell populations in the circulation and the lungs of C57BL/6J mice exhibiting LPS-mediated ALI using single-cell RNA sequencing. During ALI, there was an increase in the myeloid cells, M1 macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils, and other granulocytes, whereas there was a decrease in the residential alveolar macrophages and M2 macrophages. Interestingly, LPS triggered the upregulation of CCL3, CCL4, CXCL2/3, and CXCL10 genes associated with cellular migration of various subsets of macrophages, neutrophils, and granulocytes. Furthermore, there was an increase in the frequency of myeloid cells expressing CCR1, CCR3, CCR5, and CXCR2 receptors during ALI. MicroRNA sequencing studies of vehicle versus LPS groups identified several dysregulated microRNAs targeting the upregulated chemokine genes. This study suggests that chemokine ligand–receptors interactions are responsible for myeloid cell heterogenicity and cellular recruitment to the lungs during ALI. The single-cell transcriptomics allowed for an in-depth assessment and characterization of myeloid cells involved in immune cell trafficking during ALI.
A Novel PD-L1 Antibody Promotes Antitumor Function of Peripheral Cytotoxic Lymphocytes after Radical Nephrectomy in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: An Zesheng , Hsu Michelle A , Gicobi Joanina K , Xu Tianxiao , Harrington Susan M , Zhang Henan , Pavelko Kevin D , Hirdler Jacob B , Lohse Christine M , Nabavizadeh Reza , Pessoa Rodrigo R , Sharma Vidit , Thompson R Houston , Leibovich Bradley C , Dong Haidong , Lucien Fabrice
Published: May 2023

The intrinsic and acquired resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade is an important challenge for patients and clinicians because no reliable tool has been developed to predict individualized response to immunotherapy. In this study, we demonstrate the translational relevance of an ex vivo functional assay that measures the tumor cell killing ability of patient-derived CD8 T and NK cells (referred to as “cytotoxic lymphocytes,” or CLs) isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with renal cell carcinoma. Patient-derived PBMCs were isolated before and after nephrectomy from patients with renal cell carcinoma. We compared the efficacy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab) and a newly developed PD-L1 inhibitor (H1A Ab) in eliciting cytotoxic function. CL activity was improved at 3 mo after radical nephrectomy compared with baseline, and it was associated with higher circulating levels of tumor-reactive effector CD8 T cells (CD11ahighCX3CR1+GZMB+). Treatment of PBMCs with FDA-approved PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors enhanced tumor cell killing activity of CLs, but a differential response was observed at the individual-patient level. H1A demonstrated superior efficacy in promoting CL activity compared with FDA-approved PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. PBMC immunophenotyping by mass cytometry revealed enrichment of effector CD8 T and NK cells in H1A-treated PBMCs and immunosuppressive regulatory T cells in atezolizumab-treated samples. Our study lays the ground for future investigation of the therapeutic value of H1A as a next-generation immune checkpoint inhibitor and the potential of measuring CTL activity in PBMCs as a tool to predict individual response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
Phenotypic Expressions of Chronic Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Patients with Primary and Secondary Mitochondrial Mutations Presenting at Tertiary Eye Care Center, South India
Authors: Challa Naveen Kumar , Narsini Hima Bindu , Aldakhil Sulaiman
Published: May 2023

Aim:

The aim was to report the phenotypic expression of chronic Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) patients with primary and secondary mitochondrial mutations presenting at a tertiary eye care center in South India.

Materials and Methods:

Of 51 patients suspected to have LHON, 15 patients turned out to be positive for mitochondrial mutations. All 15 patients with LHON are in the chronic phase of the disease and have undergone clinical examination that included visual acuity, fundus examination, visual fields, and optical coherence tomography. Clinical data were compared among the LHON patients with primary mutations of G11778A and T14484C and grouped secondary mutations. Descriptive analysis was reported.

Results:

There was no significant difference found in visual acuities in both the eyes of the three genotypic groups (G11778A, T14484C, and secondary mutations) (P > 0.05). Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) analysis showed that nine patients carrying G11778A and three patients carrying secondary mutations were similar, while two patients with T14484C showed severe thinning of RNFL in all four quadrants.

Conclusions:

Among a small percentage of patients who were positive for LHON mutations, severe RNFL thinning was the most prominent finding in the T14484C mutation that differentiates from G11778A and secondary mutations. Other clinical features seem to be similar among all genotypic groups examined.
Ultrasound measurement of the distance of the phrenic nerve from the brachial plexus at the classic interscalene point and upper trunk: A volunteer-based observational study
Authors: Sripriya R , Manisha Gupta J , Arthi P R , Parthasarathy S
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims:

The method of blocking the brachial plexus at the level of the upper trunk has been gaining popularity as a phrenic nerve–sparing alternative for interscalene block. We aimed to measure the distance of the phrenic nerve from the upper trunk and compare it with the distance between the phrenic nerve and the brachial plexus at the classic interscalene point by using ultrasound.

Method:

In this study, after ethical approval and trial registration, 100 brachial plexus of 50 volunteers were scanned from the emergence of the ventral rami and its course was traced to the supraclavicular fossa. The distance of the phrenic nerve from the brachial plexus was measured at two levels: the interscalene groove along the cricoid cartilage (classic interscalene block point) and from the upper trunk. The presence of anatomical variations of the brachial plexus, the classic traffic light sign, vessels across the plexus, and the location of the cervical oesophagus were also noted.

Results:

At the classic interscalene point, the C5 ventral ramus was observed to be just emerging or to have fully emerged from the transverse process. The phrenic nerve was identified in 86/100 (86%) of scans. The median (IQR) distance of the phrenic nerve from the C5 ventral ramus was 1.6 (1.1-3.9) mm and that of the phrenic nerve from the upper trunk was 17 (12-20.5) mm. Anatomical variations of the brachial plexus, the classic traffic light sign, and vessels across the plexus were seen in 27/100, 53/100, and 41/100 scans respectively. The oesophagus was consistently located on the left side of the trachea.

Conclusions:

There was a 10-fold increase in the distance of the phrenic nerve from the upper trunk when compared to that from the brachial plexus at the classic interscalene point.
Anaesthetic concerns in post-COVID mucormycosis at a tertiary care hospital in India: An observational study
Authors: Lahiri Swati , Kundu Asim Kumar , Ray Manjushree
Published: May 2023

Administration of anaesthesia in post-COVID mucormycosis patients is a real challenge due to complications such as dyselectrolytemia, renal failure, multi-organ failure, and sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the challenges and perioperative complications of administration of anaesthesia in terms of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing surgical resection of post-COVID rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM). The present study was a case series, which was carried out on 30 post-COVID, biopsy-proven mucormycosis patients enrolled for ROCM resection under general anaesthesia, and all data were collected retrospectively for this series. The post-COVID mucormycosis patients had diabetes mellitus as the most common comorbidity (96.6%), and difficult airway was a common feature (60%) among them. Anaesthetic management of post-COVID mucormycosis patients is a real challenge due to associated comorbidities.
Utility of cerebral oximetry in balloon mitral valvotomy and its correlation with post-procedure neurological complications: A pragmatic prospective observational study
Authors: Wadaskar Dhawal R. , Isal Vidya G. , Jain Ruchi A. , Basantwani Shakuntala J.
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims:

Neurological complications (NCs) are significantly associated with reduced regional cerebral saturation (rSO2) in patients undergoing cardiac surgeries, as assessed with cerebral oximetry (COx). However, limited evidence is available in patients undergoing balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV). Thus, we evaluated the utility of COx in patients undergoing BMV, the incidence of BMV-related NCs and the association of >20% reduction in rSO2 with NCs.

Methods:

This pragmatic, prospective, observational study was performed after ethical approval, over November 2018 to August 2020, in the cardiology catherization laboratory of a tertiary care hospital. The study involved 100 adult patients undergoing BMV for symptomatic mitral stenosis. The patients were evaluated at initial presentation, pre-BMV, post-BMV and 3 months after the BMV.

Results:

The incidence of NCs was 7%, including transient ischaemic attack (n = 3), slurred speech (n = 2) and hemiparesis (n = 2). A significantly greater proportion of patients with NCs had a > 20% decrease in the rSO2 (P value = 0.020). At >20% cut-off, the COx had a sensitivity and specificity of 57.1% and 80%, respectively, in the prediction of NCs. Female sex (P value = 0.039), history of cerebrovascular episodes (P value < 0.001) and number of balloon attempts (P value < 0.001) were significantly associated with NCs. Patients with and without NCs had a significantly greater post-BMV mean % change in rSO2 than pre-BMV (both right and left sides), but the magnitude of mean % change was greater in those with NCs.

Conclusions:

COx alone has low sensitivity and specificity in the prediction of NCs and cannot reliably predict the development of post-BMV NCs.
Reduced tissue creatine levels in patients with long COVID-19: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Ranisavljev M , Todorovic N , Ostojic J , Ostojic SM
Published: May 2023

Total creatine concentration in the skeletal muscle and brain of long COVID patients were significantly lower when compared to the reference values for the general population, as measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 1.5-T in vastus medialis muscle, thalamus, and three bilateral cerebral locations across the white and gray matter.
The effect of anterior esthetic fixed appliance of prematurely lost primary incisors on sound production and speech intelligibility
Authors: Melegy Reham A. A. , El-Hosary Amina M. , Serag Eldeen Shaima M.
Published: May 2023

Aims

This work aimed to compare the sound production and speech pattern in children with prematurely extracted anterior teeth after prosthetic rehabilitation with fixed functional space maintainer.

Settings and design

The study was conducted as a clinical trial. The clinical part was carried out at Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University and speech evaluation and assessment was done in Phoniatric Unit, ENT Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University.

Patients and methods

Twenty-five children of both sexes aged from 3 to 6 years old were included in the study. The selected children were in need for extraction of maxillary primary incisors or had already got extracted and treated by anterior esthetic fixed appliance. Children attended for speech and language evaluation at before appliance delivery, immediately after appliance insertion, 7 days after appliance insertion, 14 days after appliance insertion and 1 month after appliance insertion. And they were evaluated by articulation test, speech intelligibility test, and spectrographic parameters.

Statistical analysis used

All test statistics were performed using the SPSS software statistical package and the significance was set at P value less than or equal to 0.05.

Results

There were statistically significant differences between follow up periods for/S/,/S/, and/Z/sounds but no statistically significant difference for/z/and/∫/sounds. The mean shimmer in dB, the mean absolute Jitter and the mean noise to harmonic ratio for the sounds were diminished after adaptation of the appliance. Also, high significant differences were found between 1 month after appliance insertion and all different follow up periods. No difference with immediately after appliance insertion.

Conclusions

Replacement of prematurely lost primary incisors with fixed prosthetic appliances will assist in the proper development and intelligibility of speech. Also, in accurate consonants sounds production as/s/,/s/,/z/,/∫/(alveolar fricatives), and/z/(dental fricatives).
Evaluation of caries removal using papain versus conventional bur in primary teeth
Authors: Kandil Susan A. , Abu Hamila Nahed A. M. , Ezzat Marwa M. , Metwally Nancy M.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Conventional treatments for caries removal in children are often associated with pain and fear, so chemomechanical caries removal agents as Brix 3000 have been developed as one of minimally invasive technique which consists of applying a proteolytic substance that only softens the infected dentin tissue and preserves healthy tooth tissue providing more comfortable, and conservative treatment.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of papain compared to the conventional bur preparation in caries removal in primary teeth.

Patients and methods

A randomized controlled clinical trial with sample consisted of 30 healthy children aged from 4 to 7 years old. On 60 bilaterally cavitated primary molars, a split mouth approach was used, where caries excavation was carried out with Brix 3000 on one side and traditional burs on the other. The variables evaluated were pain response, the average treatment time needed and Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts before and after caries removal.

Results

Regarding pain response, there was a statistically significant difference between the two techniques, however Brix 3000's caries removal time was significantly longer than the bur's. S. mutans and Lactobacillus counts were reduced using each of the methods, and a statistically significant difference was found; however, the reduction was slightly greater using the chemomechanical method than the conventional method, but this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Brix 3000 is an efficient alternative for caries removal in primary teeth with no pain and great microbiological efficacy, however it requires longer time.
Scanning electron microscopic study of smear layer changes following ultrasonic endoactivator irrigation system during root canal treatment of primary teeth
Authors: Ghaly Mohamed , Alsherif Aya , Khatab Arafa
Published: May 2023

Aims

Evaluation of smear layer changes following ultrasonic endoactivator irrigation system during root canal treatment of primary teeth under Electron Microscope.

Settings and design

The study was conducted as a clinical trial. The laboratory part was carried out at Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University, scanning electron microscopic analysis was conducted at electron microscope unit, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University.

Patients and methods

A total of 40 intact, extracted primary canines (due to serial extraction) were collected and randomly divided into four equal groups' including 10 teeth for each. Group I: irrigation of root canal with sodium hypochlorite by a plastic syringe with end-vented needle. Group II: irrigation of root canal by a plastic syringe with side-vented needle. Group III: the same of group I in conjunction with ultrasonic endoactivator. Group IV: the same of group II in conjunction with ultrasonic endoactivator. Then preparation of specimens was done for scanning electron microscope.

Results

It was noticed that groups III and IV that used ultrasonic endoactivator had lower scores of smear layer amount than the other groups.

Conclusions

Ultrasonic endoactivator system in conjunction with conventional irrigation could improve disinfection of the root canals of primary teeth.
Marginal bone loss associated with unilateral free end mandibular implant supporting superstructures constructed with different occlusal schemes
Authors: Tamimi Sara , Mandour Mona H.
Published: May 2023

Aims

This study was designed to evaluate the amount of bone resorption related to implant in free end saddle in response to different occlusal designs.

Patients and methods

Twenty patients with unilateral free end saddle in the lower arch till the second premolar were selected and received delayed single dental implants replacing the first molar tooth. They were divided into two main groups according to the implant superstructure deign (n = 10). Group 1: implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis which follow the principals of implant protected occlusion, and with the occlusal contact area of the crown smaller than the occlusal contact area of adjacent tooth. Group 2: implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis which follow the principals of implant protected occlusion, and with the occlusal contact area of the crown larger than the occlusal contact area of adjacent tooth. Patients were evaluated for the amount of marginal bone level at the time of crown insertion, after 3 and 6 months of function.

Results

There was a statistically significant change by time in marginal bone loss in both groups especially during the first 3 months. However, there was no statistically significant difference between marginal bone loss regarding the two groups.

Conclusion

It was concluded that increasing the occlusal contact area of the implant superstructure has no effect on marginal bone loss.
HVAC Noise Prediction Using Lighthill Wave Method
Authors: George Binoj K. , Garikipati Nagababu , Doroudian Mark , Horne Kevin , Voonna Kiran , Erbig Lars
Published: May 2023

Automotive Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system is essential in providing the thermal comfort to the cabin occupants. The HVAC noise which is typically not the main noise source in IC engine vehicles, is considered to be one of the dominant sources inside the electric vehicle cabin. As air is delivered through ducts and registers into the cabin, it will create an air-rush/broadband noise and in addition to that, any sharp edges or gaps in flow path can generate monotone/tonal noise. Noise emanating from the HVAC system can be reduced by optimizing the airflow path using virtual tools during the development stage. This paper mainly focuses on predicting the noise from the HVAC ducts and registers.

In this study, noise simulations were carried-out with ducts and registers. A Finite Volume Method (FVM) based 3-dimensional (3D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver was used for flow as well as acoustic simulations. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was used for flow field generation and noise characteristics were studied using a hybrid Lighthill Wave Model (LWM). The frequency response of the aeroacoustic noise from the ducts and registers were predicted using the simulations and the models were compared in terms of Overall Average Sound Pressure Level (OASPL). The simulated spectra exhibit good correlation with the test data.
Immune-boosting effect of natural remedies and supplements on progress of, and recovery from COVID-19 infection
Authors: Shehab Naglaa Gamil , Dortaj Sareh , Othman Mariam , Mostafa Esraa , Rezvani Parisa , Alshawi Fatimah , Al Ahmad Lilyan
Published: May 2023

Purpose: To investigate the effect of natural remedies and supplements on the progress of andrecovery from COVID-19 infection, and the role of safety precautions in controlling the spread of its causative pathogen.Methods: A questionnaire was designed and electronically distributed among previously infected individuals across countries. The survey included questions about the participants’ demographic information, medical history, how they were infected, symptoms they have experienced, where they were isolated, the degree of precautions taken against the virus, and their consumption of natural remedies or supplements before and during the infection period.Results: The results showed that natural remedies and supplements are widely consumed among COVID-19 patients both before and during infection, either as a single remedy or in combination with other remedies. As the age of the participants increased, the incidence of their hospitalization increased. Significant results were observed when comparing the severity of infection with the number of natural remedies and supplements taken before (P 0.000) and during the infection (P 0.003).Conclusion: Increasing the intake of natural remedies and/or supplements before and during COVID-19 infection lowers the severity of the infection. Vitamin C, honey, and citrus fruits such as orange and lemon were the major remedies consumed before and during infection. A large number of the participants that experienced severe COVID-19 conditions, did not consume any natural remedies or supplements.
A clinical study on the effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol on erythrocyte deformability during anaesthesia
Authors: Cui Xiang , Ma Ling , Wei Jingfang
Published: May 2023

Purpose: To investigate the clinical effects of dexmedetomidine and propofol on erythrocyte deformability (ED) in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Methods: A total of 522 patients undergoing gallbladder removal surgery were randomly divided into groups A (dexmedetomidine group), B (propofol group), and C (control). Erythrocyte suspensions were prepared from each group. Then, erythrocyte deformability index (EI) was measured in terms of RBC deformability. Moreover, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity, and concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) were determined. Patients in the three groups received the same anaesthesia induction and maintenance, and their EI and Hct values were assayed before anaesthesia (T0) and post-surgery (T1). The activity of eNOS in each group was assayed using immunofluorescence microscopy and western blotting analysis.Results: There were higher levels of EI and NO, and higher eNOS activity in erythrocytes in the dexmedetomidine group than in the propofol and ginsenoside groups (p < 0.05). Post-naethesia EI (T0) values were higher in propofol and control groups than in dexmedetomidine group (p < 0.05). The protein expression of eNOS was higher in dexmedetomidine group, as was evident from immunofluorescence and western blotting analyses.Conclusion: Perioperative use of dexmedetomidine during anaesthesia increases RBC deformability in vitro and directly upregulates eNOS activity in erythrocytes.
Effect of combined treatment with benazepril and spironolactone on diabetic nephropathy and serum levels of IL-6, CRP and TNF-α
Authors: Duan Xiaoxing , Zhang Liying , Pan Xue , Shi Dongying
Published: May 2023

Purpose: To study the therapeutic effect of a combination of benazepril and spironolactone on diabetic nephropathy patients, and also to determine the influence of the combined treatment on serum IL-6, CRP and TNF-α.Methods: 100 diabetic nephropathy patients admitted to The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from April 2019 to October 2020 were randomly chosen and divided into groups E and F by drawing lots (n = 50 each). Group E received benazepril, while group F received a combined treatment of benazepril and spironolactone. Therapeutic efficacy, incidence of adverse drug reactions, and renal function after treatment, as well as IL-6, CRP and TNF-α levels in serum pre- and posttreatment, were determined. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were also measured pre-treatment, and at 7 days and 14 days post-exposure to drugs.Results: Therapeutic efficacy and renal functions were significantly better in group F than in group E, while post-treatment incidence of adverse drug reactions, and expression levels of CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were significantly reduced in group F, relative to group E (p < 0.05). Following treatment, the inflammatory factor levels were decreased in both groups.Conclusion: The combination of benazepril and spironolactone produces higher treatment effect in diabetic nephropathy patients than those that received benazepril only. The combined treatment is recommended in the management of diabetic nephropathy patients.
Clinical efficacy and anti-recurrence effect of isatis root eye drops combined with ganciclovir eye drops in the treatment of Herpes simplex keratitis; a case report
Authors: Yin Liang , Zhang Mingxue , Jin Hongguang
Published: May 2023

Purpose: The rate of gastrointestinal adenomatous polyps, often regarded as precancerous lesions, developing into cancer is 40 – 70 %. Endoscopic resection has been the preferred method for treating gastric polyps since the late 1960s. Surgical removal of polyps continues to play an important role in the treatment of polyps; however, the efficacy of such treatment cannot be guaranteed, and polyps may recur.Case presentation: Here, we report a 44-year-old man suffering from gastrointestinal polyps who refused surgical treatment and instead was treated with traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) for approximately 1 year. The patient was diagnosed with “qi deficiency and dampness syndrome” based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and was treated with the TCHM “strengthen qi and remove dampness formula”, referred to as the shen-ling-bai-zhu powder/decoction.Conclusion: This case suggests that TCHM may play an important role in the treatment of gastrointestinal polyps. Relevant data are, however, limited and a randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm TCHM efficacy in a larger population.
Molecular scaffold and biological activities of anti- Alzheimer agents
Authors: Alanazi Fars K , Radwan Awwad A , Aou-Auda Hisham
Published: May 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-associated and neurodegenerative illness which results in progressive dementia and severe cognitive malfunctions. The pathogenesis of AD is affected by some factors such as accumulation of β-amyloid, aggregation of tau protein, cholinergic insufficiency, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Factors such as gene mutation, as well as environmental, psychical and other co-existing diseases influence the pathogenesis of AD to varying extents. While there are no available drugs for arresting AD-associated neurodegeneration, the characteristics that result from AD treatment are considered as indexes of symptomatic cure. Several medications with varied scaffolds have been used for the treatment of many cognitive syndromes, including AD. These medications act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents, and as inhibitors of cholinesterase and β-secretase. Moreover, these drugs suppress the accumulation of β-amyloid and its fibril. This review is an update and compilation of various scaffolds of anti-AD medications used to ameliorate the deleterious effects of the disease, based on their pharmacologic characteristics.