bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Multidetector Computed Tomography in the Assessment of Malignant Large-Bowel Lesions
Authors: Gafoor Hameed Fazal , Krishna Abhay
Published: March 2024

Background and Objective:

Intestinal disease can be examined with computed tomography (CT), which also allows for an assessment of extraintestinal pathology. In addition, CT enhances diagnostic specificity (SP) and offers an exceptional evaluation of the perienteric anomalies that typically accompany bowel disorders. The preoperative grading accuracy was found unappealing, varying between 48% and 77%. The bowel wall thickening among individuals with colorectal cancer is classified as benign or malignant depending on the extent of thickening, symmetrical and asymmetrical thickening, focal, segmental, or diffuse involvement, and related perienteric anomalies. The current study used a cohort of patients with colorectal cancers. The study aimed to find out sensitivity (SN) and SP of multidetector CT (MDCT) in detecting malignant pathologies of the large bowel by comparing the MDCT diagnosis with findings of histopathological examination.

Materials and Methods:

The study was an observational study, done from December 2019 to December 2021 in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, Kerala. The patients included were clinically and radiologically indicative of bowel lesions, who were referred with clinical suspicion of large-bowel diseases. The 16-slice Philips ACCESS MDCT scanner was used for MDCT. Oral, rectal, and IV contrast were used after plain CT imaging.

Results:

The study consisted of 63 patients, of which 53 lesions were found to be malignant on MDCT. However, only 51 patients had cancer verified by histology. Histopathology indicated that the two instances, which the MDCT had identified as malignant, were actually inflammatory. Therefore, for the diagnosis of malignant tumors, MDCT had a SN of 98.10%, SP of 81.80%, a positive predictive value of 96.20%, and a negative predictive value of 90.00% in the present study. On histology, a case that was first identified as benign on MDCT turned out to be malignant. Benign abnormalities on CT showed broad intestinal involvement and modest, symmetric wall thickening. The CT characteristics of malignant tumors included localized intestinal involvement and pronounced asymmetric wall thickening.

Conclusion:

MDCT has shown to be a trustworthy method for the purpose of evaluating and discriminating benign from malignant colon and rectum tumors. In addition to merely identifying a tumor, MDCT also offers additional information on any perienteric anomalies that may be present around the lesion, the presence of lymph node enlargement, invasion of adjacent viscera, the existence of intestinal obstruction, and metastatic tumors.
WhatsApp Support Group for 950 Children and Adolescents/Parents with Type 1 Diabetes – Physician’s Perspective on Merits and Demerits
Authors: Kesavadev Jothydev , Shankar Arun , Krishnan Gopika , Sanal Geethu , Sreelakshmi R. , Jothydev Sunitha
Published: March 2024

Even though the concept of telemedicine (TM) is more than a century old, we have probably never harnessed the multitude of benefits offered by this technology. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, TM became legal and its practice in hospitals has opened up new avenues for effective and timely delivery of treatment, especially for diabetes. Evidence-based research has found TM-based management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) efficient in delivering equivalent or better care and outcomes when compared to only face-to-face visits. A T1D community consisting of parents and children with T1D was formed in Kerala in 2017. Almost all of these parents had access to WhatsApp and were part of the T1D community on WhatsApp. Here, we review the merits and demerits of utilizing the WhatsApp support group in assisting people with T1D to better manage diabetes and improve their quality of life.
Prevalence of Complementary and Alternate Medicine Use among People with Diabetes in Kerala, India
Authors: Kesavadev Jothydev , Saboo Banshi , Shankar Arun , Krishnan Gopika , Jothydev Sunitha , Chandran Vysakh , Basanth Anjana , Raj Sourav , Manojan K K , Aravind S R
Published: March 2024

Introduction:

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among individuals with diabetes has seen a significant surge. Estimates show that 80% of people in developing countries still prefer CAM for the treatment of health conditions. CAM encompasses various medical practices outside mainstream medicine and is increasingly employed for the reasons such as enhancing control over treatment, adopting a holistic health approach, and managing conditions alongside conventional medicine. CAM is widely embraced, due to cultural factors and perceived benefits, driving its popularity. Despite varying opinions on the impact of CAM on glycemic control, its substantial use prompts the need for a focused study.

Objective:

The present study explores the utilization of CAM in people with diabetes and examines potential associations with various factors that could influence CAM use.

Methods:

Between October 2022 and June 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 335 people with type 2 diabetes at our center using a validated structured questionnaire to explore their utilization of CAM.

Results:

Among the study participants, 40.7% used CAM to treat diabetes. Among them, 40.6% of subjects used CAM as complementary to modern medicine and 59.4% used CAM as an alternative to modern medicine. 65.2% of people used Ayurveda, followed by homeopathic medicines (16.3%), yoga (5.2%), naturopathy (3%), massage therapy (1.5%), and ladoo therapy (0.7%). Some of the participants had used multiple types of CAM for their diabetes treatment. 1.5% of participants used homeopathy and Ayurveda decoction. 0.7% of CAM users used Ayurveda + naturopathy, a combination of Ayurveda + Unani, and the combination of Ayurveda + protein supplements. Other therapies (traditional medicine) were found to be used by 1.5% of CAM users. Among the CAM users, 73.5% chose CAM for the treatment of diabetes, while for 14.4%, it was recommended by family and friends. It was found that 83.7% of subjects discontinued CAM use, while a minuscule share of 16.3% continued with CAM. Among those discontinued, 43.4% did not find CAM to be effective, whereas 44.3% had other reasons for discontinuing CAM.

Conclusion:

These findings highlight the need for increased awareness and education regarding CAM use and its potential hazards. Health-care providers should consider discussing CAM use with their patients and encourage them to report its use to ensure comprehensive and safe medical care. Proper CAM practice and management are important for people with diabetes.
Association of serum periostin levels with asthma control status and severity in children
Authors: Moustafa Asmaa N. , Kasem Ahmed H. , Yousef Ebthal Essam , Moness Hend M. , Fadle Yossra Samir
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Periostin is a promising indicator in the pathogenesis of T-helper type-2 allergic reactions. This study aimed to identify the relationship between serum periostin levels and asthma control in children.

Procedure

In this study, 90 children were recruited and grouped as follows: 30 children in a control group (group I), and another group comprising 60 children with physician-diagnosed asthma (group II). The control status and severity of asthma in patients were assessed in accordance with the recent Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. Serum periostin concentrations were examined in all enrolled patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results

The median (interquartile range) periostin levels of asthmatic children were substantially higher than those of healthy children [23 (13.1, 48) vs. 15 (10.5, 24); P = 0.015]. Based on a simple logistic regression analysis, serum periostin concentrations strongly correlated with asthma (odds ratio = 1.037; confidence interval = 1.008–1.066; P = 0.012). In a receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for serum periostin was 0.984, with 100% sensitivity and 95.35% specificity in detecting uncontrolled asthma.

Conclusion

Serum periostin levels were shown to be a helpful biomarker for assessing childhood asthma control in children.
Longitudinal assessment of growth and neurodevelopment of children with in utero severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 exposure: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Sujaya , Sharma Ritu , Gupta Rakesh , Yadav Sanju , Qamal Sahabzada Faisal , Imran Shazmeen
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Research related to the impact of maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on fetuses and neonates remains limited. The majority of previous studies have focused on immediate outcomes. We conducted this prospective cohort study to evaluate the effect of in utero SARS-CoV-2 exposure on the growth and neurodevelopment of infants, considering the scarcity of long-term follow-up studies in the literature.

Primary Objective

The primary objective of the study was to compare neurodevelopment and growth up to the age of 1 year among coronavirus disease COVID-positive and COVID-negative neonates born to COVID-positive mothers.

Secondary Objectives

The secondary objectives of the study were to assess the status of exclusive breastfeeding in infants at the age of 6 months and to assess the risks of vertical and horizontal transmission of COVID-19 infection.

Methods

We included live neonates with gestational age >28 weeks born to pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and delivered at the institute in this prospective observational cohort study. Details related to delivery and neonatal profile, including the neonatal COVID status were collected. Neonates were followed up at 6 months and 1 year for physical growth profile and neurodevelopmental profile using World Health Organization growth charts and the Baroda Development screening test (BDST).

Results

A total of 6 SARS-CoV-2-positive and 82 SARS-CoV-2-negative neonates were followed until the age of 1 year. There was no statistically significant difference between the SARS-CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative cohorts concerning gestational age (P-value 0.300), birth weight (P-value 0.988), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (P-value 0.288). Approximately 65.9 and 45.4% of infants were still exclusively breastfeeding at the ages of 6 months and 1 year, respectively. No difference was observed in wasting (P-value 0.393) and stunting at the ages of 6 months (P-value 0.656) and 1 year between the two cohorts. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in neurodevelopmental status at 6 months (P value for BDST score 0.236; P value for developmental quotient (DQ) 0.446) and 1 year (P value for BDST score 0.635; P value for DQ 0.666) between the two groups.

Conclusion

Our study generated evidence that in utero exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection does not seem to affect the growth and neurodevelopment of neonates born to SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers; however, further studies including nonexposed controls, are warranted to support our findings. Furthermore, the benefits of rooming-in and breastfeeding on the neurodevelopment and physical growth of infants far outweigh the minimal risk of horizontal transmission.
Hemmorhagic Cutaneous Ancient Schwannoma of The Mastoid: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ravi G. C. , Thomas Nitha , Greeshma P. G. , Nair Reshma Radhakrishnan , Famida P. A.
Published: March 2024

Schwannomas synonymously known as neurilemmomas or neurinomas are uncommon benign neoplasms of neural sheath origin. They account for 5% of all benign soft-tissue tumors. 6%–8% of tumors occur intracranially and 25%–45% occur extracranially in the head-and-neck region, of which cutaneous schwannomas located in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue in the head and neck are an unusual entity. Of the seven subtypes described by Erlandson, ancient schwannoma is a very rare distinctive histopathological variant resulting from long-term degenerative changes and accounts for 0.8% of all soft-tissue tumors. This seminal article is a systematic review of schwannomas in the ear in its entirety from 1977 to 2023 along with a case report of a profusely bleeding cutaneous ancient schwannoma occurring in the mastoid region in a swelling of a short duration of 6 months in a 75 year old female. To the best of our knowledge, this case has two firsts to its credit. It is the first reported case of an ancient schwannoma in the mastoid region and also the first reported case presenting with bleeding from the schwannoma. Due to its rarity, ancient schwannoma must be included in the differential diagnosis for any bleeding mass in the ear to avoid an erroneous diagnosis of malignancy.
Primary Endoscopic Stapedotomy
Authors: Yeolekar Aditya , Lathi Aniket , Kahane Kaustubh , Mishra Shivani , Muthe Varsharani , Patil Gauri
Published: March 2024

Background:

Otosclerosis is a progressive disease of the otic capsule which presents with conductive hearing loss with an intact tympanic membrane. The description of the disease was first given by Valsalva in 1704. Since then, several techniques are described for otosclerosis. All these procedures have traditionally been performed with microscope. New modifications of surgical techniques have been introduced time to time. The concept of minimally invasive surgical techniques has sprung up lately. Recent advances in optics such as high-definition endoscopes have revolutionized the surgeries in otology.

Aim:

The study aimed to study the feasibility of primary endoscopic stapedotomy.

Objectives:

(1) The objectives of the study were to evaluate Air-bone gap (ABG) closure in primary endoscopic stapedotomy and (2) to study intra- and post-operative complications in primary endoscopic stapedotomy.

Methodology:

Thirty patients with otosclerosis underwent stapedotomy using the standard 0.4 mm 18 cm endoscope and high-definition camera system.

Results:

Of the 30 cases, 17 were males and 13 were females, with a mean age of 39.84 years. A minimal removal of posterosuperior bony canal wall was required in 21 (70%) cases. The average operative time was 65 min. Among intraoperative complications, chorda tympani injury was seen in 2 (6%) cases, and incus subluxation and stapes footplate subluxation in 1 (3%) case each. Pure-tone audiograms done at an interval of 4 months demonstrated improvement across the three speech frequencies (500–2000 Hz) (50.2 dB vs. 23.7 dB). The average postoperative ABG was within 10 dB in twenty (66%) ears and between 10 and 25 dB in the rest ten (33%) ears.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic stapedotomy is a good alternative tool to conventional operating microscope. It offers better visualization, less trauma while elevating tympanomeatal flap flap, lesser bone curettage, and provides equivalent results.
Evaluation of Brain Structures’ Volume Using vol2Brain Software in Patients with Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Cetin Seda , Karatas Mehmet , Sirik Mehmet , Uckardes Fatih , Aydin Ali
Published: March 2024

Background:

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otolaryngologic emergency that, if left untreated, may result in permanent hearing loss. Our aim was to investigate the morphological effects in areas known as auditory centers in patients with idiopathic SSNHL (ISSNHL).

Materials and Methods:

In this study, magnetic resonance imaging’s (MRIs) of 22 patients with ISSNHL (study group) and 31 patients without ISSNHL and any neurological disorder (control group) between January 2013 and January 2021 in a tertiary university hospital were retrospectively evaluated in which the volumes and percentages of gray and white matters of the brain, temporal lobe, and brainstem were calculated with an online MRI brain volumetry system known as fully automatic pipeline (vol2Brain).

Results:

It was found that the brain areas known as the hearing center had a smaller volume in patients with ISSHNL than in normal individuals. Age and gender were found to be effective in volumetric calculations.

Conclusıon:

Studies that can preserve brain volume for patients with ISSNHL can be included in treatment practices. More literature and clinical research are needed as there is no proven treatment for ISSNHL. Our study findings will support the literature in this regard.
Prenatal Ultrasound Imaging of Orofacial Clefts: A Pictorial Essay
Authors: Yang Tze-Yi , Chang Tung-Yao
Published: March 2024

Orofacial clefts (OFCs), including cleft lip (CL), cleft palate (CP), and CL with palate (CL/P), are relatively common congenital birth defects occurring in approximately 1 in 500 to 1 in 2500 live births. Detecting OFCs during prenatal ultrasound screening is crucial for informed decision-making and multidisciplinary medical care. This review provides a practical guide for routine and advanced screening for OFCs during mid-pregnancy. The Maarse classification system facilitates effective communication among the multidisciplinary team, categorizing OFCs into five types. Basic ultrasound views encompass coronal, sagittal, and axial imaging of the face and hard palate. Additional visualization techniques are employed in case of suspected anomalies during the initial screening. Advanced ultrasound views provided by the expert in prenatal OFC diagnosis include imaging of the posterior edge of the hard palate and the posterior part of the soft palate. Detected OFCs exhibit a range of severity and affect different structures, underscoring the importance of accurate detection and classification for appropriate treatment planning. Implementing a standardized screening protocol for OFCs is essential. By enhancing detection rates and enabling early diagnosis, prenatal ultrasound screening contributes to improved patient outcomes and facilitates timely intervention by the multidisciplinary team. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the significance of standardized protocols and specialized techniques for prenatal ultrasound screening of OFCs. Early detection and classification of these malformations play a vital role in comprehensive management, ensuring that affected individuals and their families receive the appropriate care and support they need.
Genetic Counseling of Fetal Microcephaly
Authors: Chien Shu-Chin , Chen Chih-Ping
Published: March 2024

Fetal microcephaly is a small head with various losses of cerebral cortical volume. The affected cases may suffer from a wide range in severity of impaired cerebral development from slight to severe mental retardation. It can be an isolated finding or with other anomalies depending on the heterogeneous causes including genetic mutations, chromosomal abnormalities, congenital infectious diseases, maternal alcohol consumption, and metabolic disorders during pregnancy. It is often a lifelong and incurable condition. Thus, early detection of fetal microcephaly and identification of the underlying causes are important for clinical staff to provide appropriate genetic counseling to the parents and accurate management.
Landmark-guided versus Real-time Ultrasound-guided Combined Spinal-epidural Anesthesia Techniques: Paramedian Sagittal Oblique and Transverse Interlaminar Approach
Authors: Ökmen Korgün , Yıldız Durdu Kahraman
Published: March 2024

Background:

There are different types of real-time ultrasound (US)-guided combined spinal epidural (CSE) anesthesia techniques. We aimed to investigate the effect of real-time US-guided paramedian sagittal oblique (PSO), transverse interlaminar (TI) approach method, and landmark-guided (LG) CSE anesthesia.

Methods:

Ninety patients who underwent CSE block were included in the study. Patients were randomized into LG (n = 30), PSO (n = 30), and TI (n = 30) groups. The primary outcome was number of needle manipulations. The secondary outcomes are the number of attempts, needle visibility, procedure time, procedure success rate, catheter placement difficulty, posterior complex distance, and complications.

Results:

The number of needle manipulations was statistically significantly lower in the LG technique group (P < 0.000). When the number of attempts, the difficulty of catheter placement, and the procedure’s success rate were compared between the three groups, we did not find a statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). In addition, when the procedure times were compared, the time measured for the LG group was statistically significantly lower than in the PSO and TI groups (P < 0.000).

Conclusion:

In the results of this study, the real-time US-guided CSE anesthesia application had a similar success and complication level with LG technique. The LG method had a shorter processing time and fewer needle manipulations.
Predictive Modelling for Heart Disease Diagnosis: A Comparative Study of Classifiers
Authors: Agarwal Nidhi , Deepakshi  , Harikiran J , Lakshmi Yampati Bhagya , Pramod Kumar Aylapogu , Muniyandy Elangovan , Verma Amit
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Timely and accurate diagnosis of heart disease is crucial for effective intervention and patient care. With the emergence of machine learning techniques, there is a growing interest in leveraging these methods to enhance diagnostic accuracy and predict disease outcomes.
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the performance of three machine learning classifiers—Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, and k-Nearest Neighbors in predicting heart disease based on patient attributes.
METHODS: In this study, we explore the application of three prominent machine learning classifiers—Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, and k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN)—to predict the presence of heart disease based on a set of patient attributes.
RESULTS: Using a dataset of 303 patient records with 14 attributes, including age, sex, and cholesterol levels, the data is pre-processed, scaled, and split into training and test sets. Each classifier is trained on the training set and evaluated on the test set. Results reveal that Naive Bayes and k-Nearest Neighbors classifiers outperform Logistic Regression in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and area under the ROC curve (AUC).
CONCLUSION: This study underscores the promising role of machine learning in medical diagnosis, showcasing the potential of Naive Bayes and k-Nearest Neighbors classifiers in improving heart disease prediction accuracy. Future work could explore advanced classifiers and feature selection techniques to enhance predictive accuracy and generalize findings to larger datasets.
Risk management in large-scale information system projects
Authors: Castillo-Ñopo Diego Armando , Loyola-Blanco Khateryn Fiorela , Castro-Marca Raul , Rosa-Gavino Gian Davor La , Aragón-Retuerto Jherson Giovanny , Rafael-Sifuentes Hegel Alvaro , Marín Rodriguez William Joel
Published: March 2024

This article deals with project management in information systems, whose relevance lies in the vital importance of these systems in modern companies. Information systems are essential for decision making and data management in today's interconnected world. Project management, on the other hand, coordinates elements such as scope, resources, costs, schedules and risks to achieve defined objectives. The systems development life cycle (SDLC) structures the process, encompassing phases such as scope definition, planning, execution, monitoring and closure. These phases are integrated with risk management, which identifies, evaluates and mitigates threats and opportunities. Mitigation strategies act before adversity, while contingency planning prepares for the unforeseen. That is why risk management is integrated throughout the project life cycle to anticipate and address challenges. The combination of both aspects is critical in a constantly evolving technology environment. In addition, organizational culture and communication play a critical role. A culture of awareness and accountability, transparency in communication and active stakeholder participation are essential. Training and continuous adaptation allow learning from past experiences and improving practices.
Construction and Research on Cloud-edge Collaborative Power Measurement and Security Model
Authors: Huang Jiajia , Sun Ying , Jiang Xiao , Huang Youpeng , Zhou DongXu
Published: March 2024

Accurate power consumption assessment is of critical importance in the fast-evolving world of cloud and edge computing. These technologies enable rapid data processing and storage but they also require huge amounts of energy. This energy requirement directly impacts operational costs, as well as environmental responsibility. We are conducting research to develop a specialized cloud-edge power measurement and security model. This model delivers reliable power usage data from these systems while maintaining security for the data they process and store. A combination of simulation-based analysis and real-world experimentation helped us to deliver these results. Monte Carlo based simulations produced power usage predictions under various conditions and Load Testing validated their real-world performance. A Threat Modeling-based security study identified potential vulnerabilities and suggested protection protocols. A collaborative approach enhances power measurements accuracy and encourages secure operation of the combined cloud-edge systems. By fusing these metrics, a more efficient and secure operation of computing resources becomes possible. This research underscores the critical importance of developing advanced techniques for power metering and security in cloud-edge computing systems. Future research may focus on both expanding the model’s use to an array of larger, more complex networks, as well as the inclusion of AI driven predictive analytics to amplify accuracy of power management.
Higher-dimensional digraphs from cube complexes and their spectral theory
Authors: Larsen Nadia S. , Vdovina Alina
Published: March 2024

We define

k

-dimensional digraphs and initiate a study of their spectral theory. The

k

-dimensional digraphs can be viewed as generating graphs for small categories called

k

-graphs. Guided by geometric insight, we obtain several new series of

k

-graphs using cube complexes covered by Cartesian products of trees, for

k\geq 2

. These

k

-graphs can not be presented as virtual products and constitute novel models of such small categories. The constructions yield rank-

k

Cuntz–Krieger algebras for all

k\geq 2

. We introduce Ramanujan

k

-graphs satisfying optimal spectral gap property and show explicitly how to construct the underlying

k

-digraphs.
Lorentzian Calderón problem near the Minkowski geometry
Authors: Alexakis Spyros , Feizmohammadi Ali , Oksanen Lauri
Published: March 2024

We study a Lorentzian version of the well-known Calderón problem that is concerned with determination of lower order coefficients in a wave equation on a smooth Lorentzian manifold, given the associated Dirichlet-to-Neumann map on its timelike boundary. In the earlier work of the authors it was shown that zeroth order coefficients can be uniquely determined under a two-sided spacetime curvature bound and the additional assumption that there are no conjugate points along null or spacelike geodesics. In this paper we show that uniqueness for the zeroth order coefficient holds for manifolds satisfying a weaker curvature bound and for spacetime perturbations of such manifolds. This relies on a new enhanced optimal unique continuation principle for the wave equation in the exterior regions of double null cones. In particular, we solve the Lorentzian Calderón problem near the Minkowski geometry.
Squeezed knots
Authors: Feller Peter , Lewark Lukas , Lobb Andrew
Published: March 2024

Squeezed knots are those knots that appear as slices of genus-minimizing oriented smooth cobordisms between positive and negative torus knots. We show that this class of knots is large and discuss how to obstruct squeezedness. The most effective obstructions appear to come from quantum knot invariants, notably including refinements of the Rasmussen invariant due to Lipshitz–Sarkar and Sarkar–Scaduto–Stoffregen involving stable cohomology operations on Khovanov homology.
How mesenchymal stem cells transform into adipocytes: Overview of the current understanding of adipogenic differentiation
Authors: Liu Shan-Shan , Fang Xiang , Wen Xin , Liu Ji-Shan , Alip Miribangvl , Sun Tian , Wang Yuan-Yuan , Chen Hong-Wei
Published: March 2024

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are stem/progenitor cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation into osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes. The transformation of multipotent MSCs to adipocytes mainly involves two subsequent steps from MSCs to preadipocytes and further preadipocytes into adipocytes, in which the process MSCs are precisely controlled to commit to the adipogenic lineage and then mature into adipocytes. Previous studies have shown that the master transcription factors C/enhancer-binding protein alpha and peroxisome proliferation activator receptor gamma play vital roles in adipogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying the adipogenic differentiation of MSCs is not fully understood. Here, the current knowledge of adipogenic differentiation in MSCs is reviewed, focusing on signaling pathways, noncoding RNAs and epigenetic effects on DNA methylation and acetylation during MSC differentiation. Finally, the relationship between maladipogenic differentiation and diseases is briefly discussed. We hope that this review can broaden and deepen our understanding of how MSCs turn into adipocytes.
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound reduces alveolar bone resorption during orthodontic treatment via Lamin A/C-Yes-associated protein axis in stem cells
Authors: Wu Tong , Zheng Fu , Tang Hong-Yi , Li Hua-Zhi , Cui Xin-Yu , Ding Shuai , Liu Duo , Li Cui-Ying , Jiang Jiu-Hui , Yang Rui-Li
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

The bone remodeling during orthodontic treatment for malocclusion often requires a long duration of around two to three years, which also may lead to some complications such as alveolar bone resorption or tooth root resorption. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a noninvasive physical therapy, has been shown to promote bone fracture healing. It is also reported that LIPUS could reduce the duration of orthodontic treatment; however, how LIPUS regulates the bone metabolism during the orthodontic treatment process is still unclear.

AIM

To investigate the effects of LIPUS on bone remodeling in an orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) model and explore the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

A rat model of OTM was established, and alveolar bone remodeling and tooth movement rate were evaluated via micro-computed tomography and staining of tissue sections. In vitro , human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were isolated to detect their osteogenic differentiation potential under compression and LIPUS stimulation by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, and Alizarin red staining. The expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP1), the actin cytoskeleton, and the Lamin A/C nucleoskeleton were detected with or without YAP1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) application via immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

The force treatment inhibited the osteogenic differentiation potential of hBMSCs; moreover, the expression of osteogenesis markers, such as type 1 collagen (COL1), runt-related transcription factor 2, ALP, and osteocalcin (OCN), decreased. LIPUS could rescue the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs with increased expression of osteogenic marker inhibited by force. Mechanically, the expression of LaminA/C, F-actin, and YAP1 was downregulated after force treatment, which could be rescued by LIPUS. Moreover, the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs increased by LIPUS could be attenuated by YAP siRNA treatment. Consistently, LIPUS increased alveolar bone density and decreased vertical bone absorption in vivo. The decreased expression of COL1, OCN, and YAP1 on the compression side of the alveolar bone was partially rescued by LIPUS.

CONCLUSION

LIPUS can accelerate tooth movement and reduce alveolar bone resorption by modulating the cytoskeleton-Lamin A/C-YAP axis, which may be a promising strategy to reduce the orthodontic treatment process.
Performance comparison ensemble classifier’s performance in answering frequently asked questions about psychology
Authors: Tong Vy Thuy , Tran Hieu Chi , Tran Kiet Trung
Published: March 2024

In today’s era of digital healthcare transformation, there is a growing demand for swift responses to mental health queries. To meet this need, we introduce an AI-driven chatbot system designed to automatically address frequently asked questions in psychology. Leveraging a range of classifiers including Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Naïve Bayes, our system extracts insights from expert data sources and employs natural language processing techniques like LDA Topic Modeling and Cosine similarity to generate contextually relevant responses. Through rigorous experimentation, we find that SVM surpasses Naïve Bayes and KNN in accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, making it our top choice for constructing the final response system. This research underscores the effectiveness of ensemble classifiers, particularly SVM, in providing accurate and valuable information to enhance mental health support in response to common psychological inquiries.
Dynamic matrix factorization-based collaborative filtering in movie recommendation services
Authors: Nguyen Vuong Luong , Vo Trinh Quoc , Nguyen Hoai Thi Thuy
Published: March 2024

Movies are a primary source of entertainment, but finding specific content can be challenging given the exponentially increasing number of movies produced each year. Recommendation systems are extremely useful for solving this problem. While various approaches exist, Collaborative Filtering (CF) is the most straightforward. CF leverages user input and historical preferences to determine user similarity and suggest movies. Matrix Factorization (MF) is one of the most popular Collaborative Filtering (CF) techniques. It maps users and items into a joint latent space, using a vector of latent features to represent each user or item. However, traditional MF techniques are static, while user cognition and product variety are constantly evolving. As a result, traditional MF approaches struggle to accommodate the dynamic nature of user-item interactions. To address this challenge, we propose a Dynamic Matrix Factorization CF model for movie recommendation systems (DMF-CF) that considers the dynamic changes in user interactions. To validate our approach, we conducted evaluations using the standard MovieLens dataset and compared it to state-of-the-art models. Our preliminary findings highlight the substantial benefits of DMF-CF, which outperforms recent models on the MovieLens-100K and MovieLens-1M datasets in terms of Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) metrics.
Investigating Variables Predicting Environmental Awareness in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development: An Analysis Based on TIMSS 2019 Data
Authors: Üstün Neslihan , Ürey Mustafa
Published: March 2024

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides unique and detailed information to explore the competencies and attitudes of fourth and eighth-grade students worldwide. The "Environmental Awareness Scale" was developed for the first time in the TIMSS 2019 cycle to measure students' environmental awareness. This cognitive scale gives essential information on students' scientific understanding of some environmental problems at the national and international levels. Using this scale to assess students' environmental awareness will improve education for sustainable development (ESD) in this setting since the obtained data provide reliable information that education policymakers use to integrate the most important environmental education topics and concepts into their curricula and identify the factors that should be considered to raise students' environmental awareness. This study aims to investigate to what extent the science self-concept variable from science-related factors, as well as the gender and socioeconomic status (SES) variables from demographic characteristics, predict the environmental awareness of eighth-grade students in Türkiye participating in the TIMSS 2019. For this purpose, a theoretical model was developed and analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate the association between students' environmental awareness and science self-concept, gender, and SES. The analysis revealed that science self-concept, SES, and gender variables together explained 36% of students' environmental awareness. Furthermore, while science self-concept appears to be the strongest predictor of students' environmental awareness, SES level was also a significant variable explaining students' environmental awareness. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in environmental awareness between male and female students. The study's findings are discussed based on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s emphasis on the periodic monitoring and evaluation of progress in implementing ESD based on data.
On Z-Symmetric Manifold with Conharmonic Curvature Tensor in Special Conditions
Authors:   Department of Mechanical Engineering, Piri Reis University, Turkey, TAŞCI AYŞE YAVUZ , ZENGIN FÜSUN ÖZEN ,   Department of Mathematics Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
Published: March 2024

The object of the present paper is to study the Z-symmetric manifold with conharmonic curvature tensor in special conditions. In this paper, we prove some theorems about these manifolds by using the properties of the Z-tensor.
Weaving g-Frames for Operators
Authors:   Faculty of Mathematical Sciences and Computer Scienes, Kharazmi University, Iran, KHOSRAVI A. , BANYARANI J. S. ,   Faculty of Mathematical Sciences and Computer Scienes, Kharazmi University, Iran
Published: March 2024

Bemrose et al. introduced weaving frames and later, Deepshikha et al. generalized them to weaving K-frames. In this note, as a generalization of these notions, we introduce approximate K-duals and investigate the properties of K-g-frames and weaving K-g-frames. We show that woven K-g-frames and weakly woven K-g-frames coincide. We also study perturbation and erasure of woven K-g-frames and we show that they are stable under small perturbations. Also we generalize some of the known results in frame theory to K-g-frames and weaving K-g-frames.
PREVENCIJA KARCINOMA GRLIĆA MATERICE
Authors: Tomašević Aleksandar , Karadžić Mira , Miković Mirjana , Veković Vesna , Tomašević Milena
Published: March 2024

I pored razvijenih sistema prevencije, ali i savremenih, uspešnih modaliteta lečenja, karcinom grlića materice predstavlja i dalje veliki socijalni i epidemiološki problem u svetu, naročito izražen u nerazvijenim zemljama i zemljama u razvoju. Prema incidenci i mortalitetu od karcinoma grlića materice, Srbija se decenijama unazad nalazi u vrhu liste evropskih zemalja.
Dokazana centralna uloga hronične HPV infekcije i perzistentnog prisustva virusne DNK u genetskom materijalu ćelija cervikalne sluznice, dovela je i do razvoja uspešnih mera prevencije.
Primarna prevencija je predstavljena kroz HPV imunizaciju populacije u dečijem/ranom adolescentnom dobu, što omogućava smanjenje učestalosti HPV infekcije, a time i smanjenje incidence patoloških promena na sluznici grlića. Sekundarna prevencija je predstavljena kroz skrining sa ciljem otkrivanja asimptomatskih premalignih promena ili ranih stadijuma invazivne bolesti.
Pokazano je da se populacioni benefit od vakcinacije postiže kada nivo imunizacije pređe 50%. U Srbiji je trenutno dostupna devetovalentna HPV vakcina, mada sama vakcinacije nije obavezna već je na nivou preporuke, što uz nedovoljnu informisanost o HPV infekciji, udruženo sa već naširoko rasprostranjenom negativnom senzibilizacijom opšte populacije u Srbiji prema vakcinaciji uopšte, daje ukupno nizak procent vakcinisanih. Takođe, još uvek ne postoji adekvatno razvijen organizovani skrining, on se najčešće sprovodi kao povremeni, oportuni skrining, baziran na kolposkopiji sa PAP testiranjem, dok se HPV testiranje sprovodi u znatno manjem obimu, što sve predstavlja razloge visoke incidence i mortaliteta od karcinoma grlića materice u Srbiji.
NON – IgE – MEDIATED GASTROINTESTINAL FOOD ALLERGY IN CHILDREN
Authors: Živanović Mirjana , Atanasković–Marković Marina
Published: March 2024

Nutrition allergy is unfavorable immune response to food proteins. Non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy includes spectrum of disorders which are more uncommon that IgE- mediated food allergies. Their diagnosis is mainly done by clinical features cause the absence of specific biomarkers. Non-IgE-mediated food allergies include:  food protein-induced enterocolitis sydrome (FPIES), food-protein induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP), food-protein induced allergic enteropathy (FPE), food protein induced dysmotility disorders (GERD) and mixed type diseases for examp. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). In most cases   non-IgE-mediated food allergy have a good prognosis and resolving during childhood.
RESPONDING TO REQUESTS IN CAMEROON FRENCH
Authors: Farenkia Bernard Mulo
Published: March 2024

The focus of this paper is on request responses by Cameroon French speakers. Data were collected from 81 French-speaking Cameroonian university students. The analysis focused on the types of request responses (preferred, dis-preferred or open-ended) and the types and linguistic realizations of the speech acts (head acts and external modifiers) used to respond to requests. Request response strategies were also examined in terms of rapport management. The results showed that the participants mostly used compliance-responses. It was also found that positive responses to requests were mostly realised using combinations of agreements and/or promises to perform the requested act and external modifiers, while negative responses to requests were realized using combinations of refusals and/or reprimands and external modifiers. The few cases of open-ended responses to requests displayed combinations of aspects of compliance and elements non-compliance responses. The analysis also revealed social variation in the use of the three types of request responses. While the study expands the scope of research on the pragmatics of Cameroon French, it calls for further research on request responses.
 

 Article visualizations:
THE INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ESL AND EFL CONTEXTS: THE PRACTICE IN GHANA AND GUINEA-CONAKRY
Authors: Owusu Sefa , Maomou Ekany
Published: March 2024

A key concept of the English language syllabus for both Ghana and Guinea-Conakry is the integrated approach (as opposed to the segregated-skills approach) to the teaching of language skills. Like the communicative language teaching method, the integrated approach exposes English language learners to authentic language and challenges them to interact naturally in the language. The designers of English language curriculum in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry believe that the receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) skills are interrelated and hence complementary, and they must not be taught separately. Teaching language skills separately in a language learning setting has been defined as the traditional approach to teaching a second or a foreign language. Teachers of English in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry are expected to move away from the traditional approach to the integrated approach to language teaching. This paper aims to find out whether teachers of English in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry are familiar with the Integrated Language Teaching method and are being employed in the ESL and EFL classrooms in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry respectively. A classroom observation and a semi-structured interview were conducted with 24 English language teachers from 4 junior high schools and 8 senior high schools in Ghana and 5 teachers of English from Saint-André Catholic School, Guinea-Conakry. The findings showed that there was a disparity between the curriculum developers’ expectations and classroom practice in Ghana and that the selection of teaching methodology was highly influenced by the thought that the students had to sit for high-stakes tests but not that they had to attain communicative competence. However, in Guinea-Conakry, teachers used the Integrated Language Teaching method because speaking is tested.

 

 Article visualizations:
VAŽNOST VIZUALIZACIJE U DIDAKTICI KNJIŽEVNOSTI: MOTIVACIJSKI FAKTOR ZA RAZVOJ ČITALAČKE SOCIJALIZACIJE? / THE IMPORTANCE OF VISUALIZATION IN LITERATURE DIDACTIC: MOTIVATIONAL FACTOR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF READING SOCIALIZATION?
Authors: Müller Mirela
Published: March 2024

Suvremena visokoškolska praksa zahtijeva odgovor na pitanje što čini "dobru" ili "prikladnu" tehniku vizualizaciju u didaktici književnosti? Međutim, na ovo se pitanje ne može odgovoriti ambivalentno, budući da se konteksti uporabe uvelike razlikuju, a naposljetku je istina da dobar učitelj zapravo može koristiti različite svrishodne tehnike kako bi pospješio čitateljske navike mlade generacije. Bavljenje slikama kao zasebnim aspektom kompetencije ulazi i upotreba tehnike vizualizacije i prezentacije koje treba savladati, ali i vizualna pismenost također igra važnu ulogu. U radu se polazi od temeljne hipoteze da se uz pomoć tehnike vizualizacije u didaktici književnosti mogu povećati čitateljske navike učenika, posebice na stranom L2 jeziku. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 79 studenata preddiplomskih i diplomskih studija. Istraživanje je provedeno od 10. do kraja siječnja 2022. putem online upitnika na svim razinama studija među studentima Odsjeka za njemački jezik i književnost Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu. Istraživanja su pokazala da se metodom vizualizacije mogu poboljšati navike čitanja na stranom jeziku kod studenata koji studiraju L2 jezik.

Contemporary higher education practice requires an answer to the question of what makes a "good" or "appropriate" visualization in the didactics of literature? However, this cannot be answered with this absoluteness, since the contexts of use vary greatly, and ultimately it is true that a good teacher can actually use everything more or less purposefully: A bad text or a factually inadequate, graphically ambiguous visualization can very well be used in a later application step in a revision task can be used sensibly. Dealing with imagery as a separate aspect of competence flows into the visualization and presentation techniques to be learned, but visual literacy also plays an important role. The paper starts from the basic hypothesis that with the help of visualization of the didactics of literature, students' reading habits can be increased, especially in L2 foreign language. The study involved 79 undergraduate and graduate students. The research was conducted from 10 to the end of January 2022 via an online questionnaire at all levels of study among students at the Department of German Language and Literature on Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of University in Split. Research has shown that the visualization method can improve reading habits in a foreign language among students studying L2 language.

 

 Article visualizations: