bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptation and norm determination of the Boston Naming Test for healthy Lebanese adults aged between 50 and 88 years
Authors: Chedid Georges , Stephan Michele
Published: July 2024

The Boston Naming Test is a well-known neuropsychological test widely used to evaluate linguistic abilities, encompassing object naming and word retrieval in subjects representing various clinical pathologies. Our study has two main stages: (1) a pilot study aimed at adapting the BNT to the linguistic and cultural particularities of Lebanese society and (2) norm determination for the Lebanese version of the BNT through the analysis of participants’ responses. The primary goal of this study is to develop a Lebanese version of the BNT comprising 60 images adapted to the Lebanese language and culture. This version is based on normative data derived from healthy Lebanese adults aged between 50 and 88 years. The study seeks to assess the influence of age, gender, and education level on the naming performance of participants. In the pilot study, 103 Lebanese volunteers participated, while the normative study involved 280 healthy volunteers aged between 50 and 88 years. Three screening tests—Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q), and Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item (GDS)—were administered to select participants meeting inclusion criteria. The findings revealed a statistically significant effect of age and education level on the BNT (Lebanese version) total score. The total score decreased with age and increased with education. However, the effect of gender was not significant, a result confirmed by the generalized linear model. This study successfully produced a Lebanese version of the BNT comparable to the original English version. Additionally, it provided normative data crucial for evaluating naming ability, word retrieval, and detecting potential disorders associated with aging.
Nutritional status, dietary quality and eating disturbance issues among people with dementia in Vietnam: evidence of a cross-sectional study
Authors: Le Huong Thi , Dang Anh Kim , Le Linh Thao Thi , Nguyen Ha Thu Thi , Nguyen Giang Thu , Nguyen Huong Thi Thu , Phan Hanh Bich Thi , Nguyen Tuan Anh , Robinson Louise
Published: July 2024

Background

Due to cognitive impairments, people with dementia (PWD) often have difficulties in eating and drinking. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status, dietary quality and eating disturbance issues among PWD in Vietnam.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Vietnamese National Geriatric Hospital from April to December 2022. We used Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) to classify the severity levels of dementia. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), 24-hour recall, eating disturbance questionnaires, and anthropometric indicators were used to evaluate the nutritional status, dietary quality, and eating disorders of study subjects.

Results

Overall, among 63 study participants, 74.6 per cent of PWD were at risk of or having malnutrition. By dementia classification according to MMSE scale, people with moderate and severe dementia accounted for 53.3 per cent of those who met the recommended energy levels, compared to 42.4 per cent of people with mild dementia and normal people. In the above two groups, around three per cent of participants reached the recommended amount of fibre. Calcium (50–70%), vitamin A (80–90%), and D (90%) were found to be the most severe deficiency forms of minerals and vitamins in both male and female participants. The majority of participants (90.5%) had at least one form of eating disorders with the most frequent issue being appetite changes (76.2%) and swallowing issues (50.8%).

Conclusions

PWD in our sample frequently experienced malnutrition, a lack of essential nutrients, difficulties swallowing, changes in eating habits and appetite. It is neccesary to early screen and assess nutritional status and swallowing disturbance in PWD, and instruct their caregivers to prepare nutritious meals for them.
Effect of telerehabilitation-based core-stability exercise on pain-related disability, pain self-efficacy, and psychological factors in individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Akodu Ashiyat K. , Adedeji Adebola R. , Zibiri Rasheedah A. , Bakre Aishat T.
Published: July 2024

Background

Core-stability exercise is an exercise modality used in the management of patients with low back pain (LBP). Telerehabilitation is a new treatment approach that is gaining traction as an alternative rehabilitation approach. This study determined the effect of telerehabilitation-based core stability exercise (TCSE) and clinical-based core stability exercise (CCSE) on pain-related disability, pain self-efficacy, and psychological factors in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Materials and methods

Fifty participants (24 males and 26 females) with a mean age of 40.28 years participated in this randomized controlled study and were recruited from the out-patients physiotherapy clinic of 2 tertiary hospitals in Lagos State and were allocated into two groups (telerehabilitation-based core stability exercise group and clinical-based core stability exercise group which serves as the control) using computer-generated random number sequence. Pain-related disability, pain self-efficacy, and psychological status were assessed at baseline, and at the completion of the 4th and 8th week. Patients received supervised intervention protocols twice weekly for 8 consecutive weeks. Independent t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Friedman test were used in analyzing the data at an alpha level of 5%.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0001) noted within each group (telerehabilitation-based core stability exercise group and clinical-based core stability exercise group) in all the outcome measures assessed (Pain Disability Index, Pain Self-efficacy Questionnaire and Depression-Anxiety-Stress scale) but no group was superior to one another when compared.

Conclusion

Telerehabilitation-based core stability exercise was as efficacious as clinical-based core stability exercise in decreasing pain-related disability, improving pain self-efficacy and psychological factors, and should be incorporated as part of the treatment program in musculoskeletal rehabilitation for individuals with non-specific CLBP.

Trial registration

PACTR202208607830603, 16th August 2022—retrospectively registered, https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/
Creation and validation of the first infinium DNA methylation array for the human imprintome
Authors: Carreras-Gallo Natalia , Dwaraka Varun B. , Jima Dereje D. , Skaar David A. , Mendez Tavis L. , Planchart Antonio , Zhou Wanding , Jirtle Randy L. , Smith Ryan , Hoyo Cathrine
Published: July 2024

Background

Differentially methylated imprint control regions (ICRs) regulate the monoallelic expression of imprinted genes. Their epigenetic dysregulation by environmental exposures throughout life results in the formation of common chronic diseases. Unfortunately, existing Infinium methylation arrays lack the ability to profile these regions adequately. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) is the unique method able to profile the ICRs. However, it is very expensive and it requires not only a high coverage, but it is also computationally intensive to assess these regions.

Findings

To address this deficiency, we developed a custom methylation array containing 22,819 probes. Among them, 10,438 are CG probes targeting unique CpG sites, with 9,757 probes successfully mapping to 1,088 out of the 1,488 candidate ICRs recently described. To assess the performance of the array, we created matched samples processed with the Human Imprintome array and WGBS, which is the current standard method for assessing the methylation of the Human Imprintome. We compared the methylation levels from the shared CpG sites, and obtained a mean R2 = 0.569. We also created matched samples processed with the Human Imprintome array and the Infinium Methylation EPIC v2 array, and obtained a mean R2 = 0.796. Furthermore, replication experiments demonstrated high reliability (ICC: 0.799–0.945).

Conclusions

Our custom array will be useful for replicable and accurate assessment, mechanistic insight, and targeted investigation of ICRs. This tool should accelerate the discovery of ICRs associated with a wide range of diseases and exposures, and advance our understanding of genomic imprinting and its relevance in development and disease formation throughout the life course.
Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes in women of different ethnicity from rural northwestern Ecuador
Authors: de los Ángeles Bayas-Rea Rosa , Ponce Karina , Guenther Andrea , Mosquera Juan D. , Armijos Carolina , Mejía Lorena , Bustamante Gabriela , Zapata Sonia
Published: July 2024

Background

In Ecuador, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women. Although HPV represents a serious public health problem worldwide, the information about its prevalence and genotypes in remote communities of Ecuador is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of HPV genotypes among ethnic minority women from two remote communities of the northwestern region of Ecuador: Afro-Ecuadorians and Chachis (Amerindian group).

Methods

We included 291 women who responded to a short survey and were screened for HPV by the amplification of the L1 gene and a nested multiplex PCR to detect 14 high risk (HR) genotypes. A survey collected information on ethnicity, age, community access, and sexual and gynecological history. We identified risk factors associated with HPV infection and co-infection using multivariate logistic regression to calculate odds ratio (OR) and Wald 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Overall, HPV prevalence in the study cohort was 56%, and the five most common HR-HPV genotypes were HPV-58, -16, -68, -39, and -43; however, the distribution of HPV genotypes varied according to ethnicity. We identified lineage A (European variant) for HPV-16 and sublineage A2 for HPV-58 in both ethnic groups. Adjusting for ethnicity, age, community access, and number of sexual partners, we found that Afro-Ecuadorian women were less likely to have an HPV infection than Chachi women (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.96), and that participants in communities only accessible by river had 64% less chances of an HPV infection when compared to women in communities accessible by road (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.71), and women with 2 to 3 sexual partners had 2.47 times the odds of HPV infection than participants with 0–1 partners (OR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.32, 4.6). Similar associations were observed with prevalence of co-infection.

Conclusions

This study provides baseline knowledge regarding the prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypes in ethnic groups of the northwestern coastal Ecuador and essential information for the implementation of appropriate HPV testing and vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer.
Algae, Fungi, Binomial Nomenclature and the Search for “Correct” Pronunciations
Authors: Coye Dale F.
Published: July 2024

The spelling of Latin plurals in words like fungi, algae produces pronunciation variants and spirited arguments over correctness. Because the experts in specialty areas could be considered the arbiters of terminology standards, American and British biologists in several fields were surveyed to determine whether historical standard pronunciations of certain words have been maintained or lost. Results indicate that in some cases traditional pronunciations are still the standard in these discourse communities, while in others North America and the UK have diverged. In addition, newer spelling pronunciations have come into play on both sides of the Atlantic, even among these experts, with older forms threatened with extinction. Binomial nomenclature is also subject to variation as a longstanding debate over the use of anglicized or classical Latin and Greek challenges the need for any standard pronunciation at all.
Clashes of knowledge: ‘Green deal’ concepts and challenges for sustainable rural systems
Authors: Wójcik Marcin , Dmochowska-Dudek Karolina
Published: July 2024

The content-related scope of the article includes primarily an attempt to take a broad look at the issues of research topics undertaken in research on sustainable development of rural areas. This topic is of great importance in the context of global environmental problems and various concepts of the ‘green deal’ included in the development policies of countries, primarily the EU member states. These issues were the subject of considerations during the 30th Annual Colloquium of the Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems of the International Geographical Union, which took place on June 5–9, 2023 at the University of Lodz, at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences. To comprehensively identify the topic, the methodology of content analysis of the abstracts submitted by the authors was used. This approach and the analysis of the sample of research papers presented at the conference made it possible to identify key issues related to sustainable development of rural areas. The approach used shed light on the relationship between society and nature, and revealed a variety of perspectives and solutions proposed by researchers from around the world. An attempt to integrate the thoughts of many scientists (conference participants) and highlight basic issues in the field of sustainable development of rural areas led to the construction of a model of environmental research in relation to the geographical specificity of understanding reality. This specific thought study (synthesis of views) highlights the importance of different perspectives and knowledge systems in understanding the foundations of sustainable rural development. The content-related analysis of the conference abstracts revealed four groups of processes influencing the sustainable development of rural areas, i.e. exploitation of natural resources and its social context, changes in land use, building social awareness of environmental threats and the evolution of connections between urban and rural areas.
Entrepreneurial Initiatives of Women Self-Help Groups to Facilitate Sustainable Tourism: A Case Study with reference to Kudumbashree- Kerala
Authors: Pazhoor Isac P Elias , John G.
Published: July 2024

Abstract:
Sustainable Ecotourism and cultural tourism have been emerged as an integral part of the tourism industry, that enhances economic development, and cross-cultural understanding between people and countries, and protection of environment. Kudumbashree, an all-women Community based Organization in Kerala has introduced several programs to integrate cultural heritage of the State with Tourism sector, which in turn provides livelihood to thousands of women and to empower the local communities. This paper is an enquiry into the role of Kudumbashree in the promotion of Eco- tourism and cultural tourism in Kerala State, and its implications.
Moving Beyond Medication: Harnessing the Power of Physical Therapy and Dance Therapy in Parkinson's Disease Management
Authors: Adamiec Ksawery , Trojanowski Dominik , Rodak Małgorzata , Smorońska-Rypel Joanna , Szymczuk Błażej , Kajzar Magdalena , Nitka Kamila , Iwan Magdalena , Piątkowska Natalia , Milczarek Jakub
Published: July 2024

Introduction 
Parkinson's disease (PD) poses significant challenges due to its complex array of motor and non-motor symptoms, impacting patients' quality of life. While traditional pharmacological treatments focus on motor symptoms, non-pharmacological interventions, including physical and dance therapy, offer alternative approaches.
 
Aim of the Study
This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic potential of physical and dance therapy, including tango, in managing motor symptoms and improving overall well-being in individuals with PD. It seeks to compare these interventions with traditional treatments and explore their efficacy.
 
State of Knowledge
Parkinson's disease management involves a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Traditional treatments target motor symptoms but have limitations. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as deep brain stimulation and physical therapy, complement traditional treatments. Dance therapy, including tango, shows promise in improving motor function and quality of life.
 
Conclusions
Physical and dance therapy, including tango, offer promising avenues for managing motor symptoms and enhancing quality of life in PD patients. While traditional treatments remain essential, non-pharmacological interventions provide valuable alternatives. Further research is needed to refine intervention parameters and compare their effectiveness comprehensively. Overall, these therapies present holistic approaches to PD management, addressing both motor and non-motor symptoms for improved patient outcomes.
Guidelines for oncologic surveillance in a patient with established cirrhosis
Authors: Janus Anita , Łoś Dawid , Kaptur Agata , Dziedziński Dawid , Nowak Aleksandra
Published: July 2024

Cirrhosis is a chronic, diffuse disease process characterized by fibrosis and remodeling of the organ's normal architectonics into regenerative nodules.  It is also one of the risk factors for cancers of the organ. One of the most common is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The etiologic agent of HCC, which usually also causes cirrhosis, can be determined in more than 90% of patients. The annual risk of developing HCC ranges from 1% to 8%. It is estimated that about 1/3 of cirrhotic patients will develop HCC. By preventing cirrhosis and controlling its course, we reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma [1].
Gingival overgrowth during hypertension therapy. A case report and literature review
Authors: Wojda Martyna , Świstowska Magdalena , Wielgosz Aleksandra , Mincewicz Aleksandra , Wach Damian , Iwaniuk Kaja , Daniluk Aleksander
Published: July 2024

Introduction and purpose: Hypertension is a global public health issue, affecting over 1.4 billion people and is responsible for a significant portion of deaths due to heart disease and strokes. Pharmacotherapy, especially antihypertensive drugs, can lead to undesirable effects, including gingival overgrowth, which is a known drug-dependent phenomenon. Despite the availability of numerous drugs from various pharmaceutical classes, gingival overgrowth still remains a serious health problem, particularly among older patients.
State of knowledge: Drugs such as calcium channel blockers are commonly used in the treatment of hypertension. Amlodipine, a popular calcium channel blocker, is associated with gingival overgrowth, although the incidence of this effect can vary depending on the dose and duration of use. Gingival overgrowth may have multifactorial mechanisms, including drug-cell interactions and the patient's genetic predispositions.
Summary: Drug-induced gingival overgrowth, including amlodipine, is a rare but significant phenomenon that can complicate treatment and lead to serious consequences for the patient. Implementing prophylactic measures, monitoring periodontal state, and continuing periodontal therapy are crucial to minimalize the risk of DIGO. In cases of intensification of symptoms, surgical intervention may be necessary, however, prognosis depends on individual factors, and recurrence can be an issue for susceptible patients.
Networking Frictions and Entrepreneurial Learning in Developing Economies
Authors: Dimitriadis Stefan , Koning Rembrand
Published: July 2024

Relationships with peers help entrepreneurs learn and improve firm performance. Recent scholarship confirms that events—social gatherings such as mixers, conferences, or training programs—can help entrepreneurs build valuable social connections. Yet, for entrepreneurs in developing economies, networking frictions may make connecting with peers challenging and undermine the benefits of events. We argue that when networking frictions are high, the value of events will lie more in connecting neighbors rather than bringing together distant peers. In the presence of networking frictions, neighbors are both less likely to be someone the entrepreneur has already learned from and easier to sustain a relationship with. To test this argument, we use data from a series of networking events in Togo during which entrepreneurs were randomly assigned to meet with peers from across the city of Lomé. We find that entrepreneurs who were assigned to neighboring peers were much more likely to sustain a relationship, learn from their peer’s management knowledge, and in turn benefit more: Profits increase by 10% when entrepreneurs get to know peers who are located on average 1 km closer to them. Our results highlight the central role that networking frictions play in shaping who entrepreneurs in developing economies can successfully learn from.

This paper was accepted by Lamar Pierce, organizations.

Funding: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation [Dissertation Fellowship] and the Strategic Management Society [SRF Dissertation Fellowship].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.00281 .
O ROMANCE ENTRE A FICÇÃO DO MANUSCRITO E A FICÇÃO NO LIVRO EM FRONTEIRA (1935), DE CORNÉLIO PENNA
Authors: Faria Talles
Published: July 2024

Este artigo analisa as questões colocadas pelos liames entre a ficção do manuscrito, o romance e o livro em Fronteira (1935), primeiro romance publicado por Cornélio Penna. Nele, Penna se vale do topos do manuscrito encontrado, artifício que põe em curso uma ficção do manuscrito como garante da autenticidade do texto, influindo em seu protocolo de leitura; paradoxalmente, a ficção do manuscrito é acionada não preliminarmente à leitura, mas depois dela, num “Epílogo”, o que coloca em curto-circuito o protocolo da primeira leitura do romance. Nesse sentido, tal como no casarão decadente no qual está ambientado o romance, o livro, de certo modo desestabilizado em sua ortopedia, também se apresenta fechado “como um cofre”, dissimulando as fronteiras entre o suposto manuscrito (um diário) e o romance que o emula, entre o livro que (des)abriga o romance e o edifício que (des)abriga as personagens na ficção corneliana.
AQUI É UM BOM LUGAR PARA SE ABORDAR A MULTIMODALIDADE NARRATIVA
Authors: García Flavio
Published: July 2024

Aqui é um bom lugar, das portuguesas Ana Pessoa (texto verbal) e Joana Estrela (texto imagético), é um caderno de anotações, em que o conteúdo incorpora a temática do diário, cuja narrativa se dá a ler, solidariamente, pelas palavras e imagens. A jovem Teresa Tristeza escreve, desenha, cola, afixa e incorpora a hibridez de diferentes modalidades discursivo-textuais para contar sua novela, com início no outono, impressões sobre si própria e seus planos para o ano letivo, o 12º, na expectativa de “nunca mais pôr os pés naquela escola”. Ao final do livro, surge a possibilidade de uma leitura metadiscursiva, em que dialogam a escrita, como materialidade, e a escritura, enquanto processo. Suas temática e constituição fazem com que Aqui é um bom lugar transite entre diferentes público-leitores, ainda que se possa afirmar que sua destinação originária sejam os jovens, logo, trata-se, nesse sentido, de uma narrativa crossover.
Breaking the offending cycle
Authors: Hayes Derren
Published: July 2024

Expert examines the evidence for specialist staff to support neurodiverse young people in custody
Tree of Life shows young people they can flourish
Authors: Józwiak Gabriella
Published: July 2024

Peer leaders guide pupils of African Caribbean heritage to improve their emotional wellbeing through explorations of their backgrounds and aspirations
Body contouring: a sculptural art
Authors: Glancey Lucy
Published: July 2024

Lucy Glancey discusses the ways in which our aesthetic preferences for the shape of the human body can change over time, and the methods aesthetic practitioners are using to keep up with these ever-evolving preferences
Well-earned awards and new initiatives
Authors: Amrani Clare
Published: July 2024

British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) board member Clare Amrani discusses the latest updates
When is the right time to introduce energy-based treatments into your clinic?
Authors: Colbourne Natalie
Published: July 2024

Should you concentrate on building a strong client base on the foundations of injectable treatments? Or should you leverage an expansive offering early to bring more clients and increase their client value on a multimodal treatment plan?
AMWC Monaco 2025: The leading event for aesthetic innovation
Authors: Cunnington Emilie
Published: July 2024

As the world's leading scientific conference for aesthetics and anti-aging medicine, AMWC Monaco stands unparalleled
Research Roundup
Authors: Mcgloin Claudia
Published: July 2024

In this regular feature, aesthetic nurse Claudia McGloin presents a brief synopsis of a range of recently published articles on medical aesthetics. Research roundup aims to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary and critique, of the papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided at the end of each study summary
Supervision and cosmetic licensing
Authors: Rankin Andrew
Published: July 2024

This article explores the concept of oversight from a professional regulatory perspective with specific reference to the standards expected of its registrants by the Nursing & Midwifery Council
Efficiency in Handling
Authors: Slingsby Dominic
Published: July 2024

Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 it is a legal obligation to minimise manual handling in the workplace where possible. How can this be done?
Electrifying The Future of Aviation
Authors: Fanning Paul
Published: July 2024

In this Q&A with Evolito Marketing Director, Ben Neville, he discusses bringing innovative technology to manufacture and the future of electric flight.
Clues for diagnosing misplaced central venous catheter in the right ascending lumbar vein during right femoral venous access
Authors: Tokumine Joho , Moriyama Kiyoshi , Yorozu Tomoko
Published: July 2024

The right ascending lumbar vein is difficult to detect on anteroposterior abdominal radiographs because it overlaps with the inferior vena cava on anteroposterior radiographs. Intensive observation by medical providers may be a cue for diagnosis. However, knowledge of catheter misplacement of the right ascending lumbar vein is also necessary, because misplacement cannot be suspected without that awareness.
Effectiveness of the A3 robot on lower extremity motor function in stroke patients: A prospective, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Lin-Jian , Wen Xin , Peng Yang , Hu Wei , Liao Hui , Liu Zi-Cai , Liu Hui-Yu
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

The results of existing lower extremity robotics studies are conflicting, and few relevant clinical trials have examined short-term efficacy. In addition, most of the outcome indicators in existing studies are scales, which are not objective enough. We used the combination of objective instrument measurement and scale to explore the short-term efficacy of the lower limb A3 robot, to provide a clinical reference.

AIM

To investigate the improvement of lower limb walking ability and balance in stroke treated by A3 lower limb robot.

METHODS

Sixty stroke patients were recruited prospectively in a hospital and randomized into the A3 group and the control group. They received 30 min of A3 robotics training and 30 min of floor walking training in addition to 30 min of regular rehabilitation training. The training was performed five times a week, once a day, for 2 wk. The t -test or non-parametric test was used to compare the three-dimensional gait parameters and balance between the two groups before and after treatment.

RESULTS

The scores of basic activities of daily living, Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale, FM balance meter, Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores, Rivermead Mobility Index, Stride speed, Stride length, and Time Up and Go test in the two groups were significantly better than before treatment (19.29 ± 12.15 vs 3.52 ± 4.34; 22.57 ± 17.99 vs 4.07 ± 2.51; 1.21 ± 0.83 vs 0.18 ± 0.40; 3.50 ± 3.80 vs 0.96 ± 2.08; 2.07 ± 1.21 vs 0.41 ± 0.57; 0.89 ± 0.63 vs 0.11 ± 0.32; 12.38 ± 9.00 vs 2.80 ± 3.43; 18.84 ± 11.24 vs 3.80 ± 10.83; 45.12 ± 69.41 vs 8.41 ± 10.20; 29.45 ± 16.62 vs 8.68 ± 10.74; P < 0.05). All outcome indicators were significantly better in the A3 group than in the control group, except the area of the balance parameter.

CONCLUSION

For the short-term treatment of patients with subacute stroke, the addition of A3 robotic walking training to conventional physiotherapy appears to be more effective than the addition of ground-based walking training.
Seven-years post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation pure red cell aplastic anemia cured with daratumumab: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Deng Bo , Gao Rui , Yang Bing , Lei Wen-Bing , Xue Ming-Fang , Wang Ji-Shi , Zhao Peng
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) is currently the only viable method of curing patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. In 30% to 50% of patients, donors and recipients have some level of ABO blood group incompatibility. ABO blood group incompatibility can cause antibodies against the donor's red blood cells to persist in the recipient's body, resulting in a delay of several months in the recovery of red blood cells. A number of different treatments have been reported for post-transplant pure red cell aplastic anaemia (PRCA), such as plasmapheresis, donor lymphocyte infusions, anti-thymocyte globulin, rituximab and steroids.

CASE SUMMARY

A 41-year-old female diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia underwent peripheral blood allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in November 2013 from an HLA matched unrelated donor. The donor was AB-positive and the recipient was O-positive. The patient was diagnosed with PRCA three months after receiving the donor stem cell transplant. After failing multiple lines of therapy, the patient applied for daratumumab. After receiving three doses of daratumumab, the patient developed a reticulocyte response and no longer required blood transfusions.

CONCLUSION

The use of daratumumab anti-CD38 for the remove of plasma cells is safe and effective and may be tried for refractory patients with PRCA after undergoing allo-HSCT for ABO incompatibility.
Splenic subcapsular hematoma following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Guo Chen-Yu , Wei Yu-Xia
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

Splenic injury following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a rare complication. The literature contains around 30 articles reporting various degrees of splenic injuries resulting from ERCP since the first report of splenic rupture after ERCP in 1989.

CASE SUMMARY

This report describes a case of splenic hematoma and stent displacement in a 69-year-old male patient who developed these conditions 7 days after undergoing ERCP and stenting. The patient had bile duct stenosis caused by a malignant tumor that was obstructing the bile duct. The diagnosis was confirmed by epigastric computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. The patient was successfully treated with percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage, endoscopic pyloric stent placement, and conservative management. The causes of splenic injury following ERCP are discussed.

CONCLUSION

ERCP has the potential to cause splenic injury. If a patient experiences symptoms such as abdominal pain, decreased blood pressure, and altered hematology after the procedure, it's important to be thoroughly investigated for postoperative bleeding and splenic injury.
Politics in Times of Pandemic
Authors: Jafarova Lala
Published: July 2024

This paper examines how political institutions influence global health governance concept, which is shaped by the political determinants of health. It focuses on the role of political institutions in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which revealed the importance of politics in international health processes. The paper shows that political contradictions emerged between countries, and sometimes even among traditional allies, as national interests often prevailed global problems. It also discusses how the political leadership of each country, as the central political institution, had to address various domestic and foreign policy challenges and explores the potential implications of the WHO Pandemic Treaty, which was proposed in response to the pandemic, for increasing the involvement and participation of political institutions in global health issues.
“Surely There Is God in This Place”: Ugaritic ỉṯt and Hebrew [inline-graphic 01i] Reconsidered in Light of Kirta’s Vow ( KTU 1.14 IV 38)
Authors: Feder Yitzhaq , Notarius Tania
Published: July 2024

Abstract: In this article we examine the meaning of the Ugaritic term ỉṯt and its implications for Ugaritic and biblical lexicography in light of ancient Near Eastern vowing practices. We reevaluate the association of ỉṯt with vows and its influential translation as “gift,” which has served as the basis for viewing it as etymologically related to the biblical offering term ʾ iššeh. Our analysis reveals that all of the nonfragmentary attestations of ỉṯt can be convincingly understood as conjugated forms of the verb of existence ỉṯ . This understanding sets the stage for a new interpretation of its appearance in Kirta’s vow ( KTU 3 1.14 IV 38) as a reference to the divine presence at the moment of vow making, a reading that is corroborated by a wide body of ancient Near Eastern votive inscriptions and literary texts in which statements of divine presence are explicit. Based on this analysis, it becomes clear that the Ugaritic data are not relevant to understanding the biblical term [inline-graphic 02i] (ʾ iššeh ), which can only be elucidated based on its contextual evidence. In the final part of the article, we address challenges to the traditional interpretation of [inline-graphic 03i] as a “fire-offering” and show how this has led to a widespread misunderstanding of this term.
The Riddle of Mark 7:15
Authors: Robinson Will
Published: July 2024

Abstract: Analyses of Mark 7:15 are absent from sustained discussion in studies of Jesus’s use of figurative language, despite its description as a παραβολή (“parable,” 7:17). Studies typically label this text a “riddle,” but this is generally undefined and its relationship to other figurative devices in language is mysterious. Accordingly, I discuss some modern categories of figurative language, like metaphor, riddle, and metaphorical riddle and consider how they are related to the topic of this article. I then analyze Mark 7:15 in the light of these discussions, concluding that the category of metaphorical riddle could be helpful in interpreting the Marcan text. In the context of the metaphorical riddle, Jesus, without providing a source domain, misleads the audience into thinking that the subject of 7:15b is something physical (probably excrement), when the true meaning relates to something abstract (sin). On this reading, Jesus’s metaphorical riddle implies something like, “excrement is to the body as sin is to the heart.” Regardless of one’s interpretation, I argue that greater clarity regarding definitions and methods would be beneficial to this conversation, which can be ad hoc and idiosyncratic. In my view, the interpretation can be improved by utilizing approaches of modern literary criticism concerning figurative language, which offers relatively coherent and stable terms by which we might continue this discussion.
Pope, Spinoza, and the Limits of Thought: (Re)Thinking An Essay on Man
Authors: Hewitt Ben
Published: July 2024

Abstract: In this article I (re)think An Essay on Man with respect to the history of philosophy, by reading Pope's poem comparatively with Spinoza's Ethics , a method suggested by Jean-Pierre de Crousaz's contemporary critiques of the Essay , which accused Pope of Spinozism. I also consider the Essay in the light of Fredric Jameson's assertion that there exist perennial problems that "philosophy," "theory," indeed "thinking" itself cannot solve, but which must continue to be posed anyway, not set aside or abandoned. I thus suggest a new approach to the Essay , focused on several such problems, which have often vexed previous criticism.
Salamander Brigade
Authors: Reed Elodie
Published: July 2024

Abstract: “A former Christian Scientist grappling with her faith rescues amphibians to heal herself.”
Re-membering Blackness: Digital Archives, Collective Memory, and a University’s Black History
Authors: Farry Colleen
Published: July 2024

abstract: The Re-membering Blackness Digital Archive at the University of Scranton shares the university’s racial story as part of a campus-wide initiative devoted to reconciliation and collective memory. By bringing together archival records on Black history in a thematic digital collection, the project presents a corrective lens through which the university community transformed its understanding of the historical Black experience on campus and considered how this history reverberates in the present. The initiative contributes to a growing collection of institutional research projects on African American history and the legacies of slavery and racism in higher education. This article considers the metaphor of archives as memory within critical archival literature, and it examines the relationship between archives and collective memory in the context of the University of Scranton’s initiative to recover Black memory.
Reterritorialize, Baby
Authors: Hammes Aaron
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: “Reterritorialize, Baby,” is an investigation of Torrey Peters’s recent novel, arguably the most popular novel written in the English language by and about a transgender person. This inquiry breaks down the novel according to a new conception of minor literature, borrowing some of the basic structure of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s original design, while considering the specific ways in which trans minor literature challenges not only heteronormative conceptions of identity, epistemology, and labor, but also the ways in which each of these is built into the tradition of the Western novel in modes that reflect phobic public conceptions of family, community, progress, and work. The article works through a series of deterritorializations and ultimately proposes that some of the work Detransition, Baby does is actually that of reterritorialization: remapping, extracting, and subsequently proposing new and disidentifying contexts and frames for subjects. Whether these reterritorializations represent a “new frontier” for fiction or an alternative manner of subject formation and narrative construction, trans minor literature is at a tipping point, presenting some of the most varied and incisive literature being generated on this continent today. This inquiry offers a hermeneutic for considering both one of its landmark works and its future prospects.
Intersections of Maternity, Eugenics, and Violence in Edith Summers Kelley’s Weeds
Authors: Jordan Jerrica
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: This article explores the push for family-oriented eugenics and pronatalism within the United States, chronicling social and political movements and their impact on the American mother. The essay illustrates this problem through Edith Summer Kelley’s Weeds (1923), a novel that utilizes eugenic rhetoric of the American Progressive Era to expose problems in American maternity and parturition. Kelley’s female protagonists present not only a crisis of motherhood but also a crisis for American families, as unhappy mothers symbolized issues of dysfunction. This reading positions itself alongside historical examples of pronatalism and eugenics, and utilizes American media to argue that women felt compelled to reproduce in order to meet national standards of progress during the post-World War I era.
Monuments and Moral Memory: Contemporary Black Women’s Experimental Poetics of Reproductive Justice
Authors: Vrana Laura
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: This article examines three contemporary poetry collections by Black women that center as their shared, vital topic the enslaved subjects of J. Marion Sims’s unethical nineteenth-century gynecological experiments: Dominique Christina’s Anarcha Speaks: A History in Poems (2018), Kwoya Fagin Maples’s Mend (2018), and Bettina Judd’s patient.: poems (2014). All three texts inhabit these historical figures through persona and deploy extremely formal experimental syntax and grammar. Drawing on Black feminist thinking about critical fabulation, historical revision, and poetics, this article argues that these works are effective, moral counter-monuments to these women not just in content but in formal architecture—because these poets use formal innovation to critique the biased, hegemonic institutions of medicine and history-writing and to urge readers to fight for reparative and reproductive justice.
Paths of Honey: Jonathan Son of Saul in Hebrew Women’s Queer Poetics
Authors: Zakai Orian
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: This article charts a poetic conversation between three Hebrew women poets, Rachel Bluwstein, Yona Wallach and Sivan Beskin, surrounding the biblical figure of Jonathan, son of Saul. It traces the way in which the women poets reclaim and revise the figure of Jonathan against the grain of an androcentric intertextual tradition, in which the male-bond appears as a metonym of male superiority. The three poets’ shared fascination with Jonathan transposes the biblical intertext from the realm of male-exclusivity into a much more open field of meaning featuring gender-fluidity, pleasure, trauma, and queer temporality. The article reads the poetic conversation surrounding the queer figure of Jonathan as a cross-generational collaborative endeavor of queer appropriation and reconstruction. Sustaining this collaboration is an intertextual network that spans beyond the three poets and the biblical text, encompassing a wide range of multilingual classic and modern cultural intertexts, through which various queer cultural contents interact with each other ultimately confounding national and heteronormative time and space.
Next-Generation Optical Devices for Future Network
Authors: Oohashi Hiromi
Published: July 2024

To achieve the next-generation network architecture, we'll introduce the development of some key optical components, especially light sources and transmission fibers, to expand the possibility of increasing transmission capacity and reducing power consumption.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
More Fiber, Less Equipment
Authors: Wellbrock Glenn , Xia Tiejun
Published: July 2024

Fiber will go even deeper into the network, but fewer and smaller boxes will be used as we continue to integrate connectivity with processing. This paper will provide examples at all layers of next gen networks.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
Optical Interconnects: Path to High Volume Manufacturing
Authors: Tadayon Pooya
Published: July 2024

A fundamental challenge to be solved for widespread adoption of co-package photonics is a high-yielding and low-cost assembly process. In this talk, we will explore recent advances in this area, including Intel’s glass-based optical bridge technology.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
O-Band Coherent Links for Intra-Data Center Applications
Authors: Maharry Aaron
Published: July 2024

We present recent advances in O-band coherent links for intra-data center applications. Offloading functions traditionally performed by coherent digital signal processing (DSP) into the optical domain is the path to low-power and low-cost coherent links.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
Progress Towards Low Loss Waveguides in Si/SiN Integrated Photonics Platforms
Authors: Fahrenkopf Nicholas , Binti Siti , Tran Cung , Timalsina Yukta , Carpenter Lewis , Zylstra Michael , Yang Hao , Baiocco Christopher , Leake Jr Gerald , Poulton Christopher , Harame David
Published: July 2024

We present low-loss waveguide development on an active silicon photonics platform. Supported by AIM Photonics, the APSUNY component library provides seamless access to a full suite of devices compatible with this new process technology.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
In-Package Optical I/O: Bridging the Gap Between Moore's Law and Amdahl's Law in Modern Compute Systems
Authors: Stojanovic Vladimir
Published: July 2024

The growing gap between the performance of processing silicon and the modern application needs can only be bridged by large-scale distributed computation. Low latency, high-bandwidth density and high-radix of in-package optical I/O enables new fabrics and highly performant distributed system architectures.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
The Path for Scaling Photonic Integrated Circuits
Authors: Tauke-Pedretti Anna
Published: July 2024

Computing, sensing and data transmission architectures all benefit from larger and more complex photonic circuits. A perspective on how these circuits could scale by overcoming unique technological challenges of photonics will be presented.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
High-Density Optical I/O for ML/AI Applications
Authors: Winzer Peter
Published: July 2024

We discuss optical interconnect solutions optimized for machine-learning clusters. Key performance criteria include ultra-high I/O density, low-power, low-latency, and linear-drive operation to natively replace copper interconnects.

Full-text article not available; see video presentation
Jointly efficient encoding and decoding in neural populations
Authors: Blanco Malerba Simone , Micheli Aurora , Woodford Michael , Azeredo da Silveira Rava
Published: July 2024

The efficient coding approach proposes that neural systems represent as much sensory information as biological constraints allow. It aims at formalizing encoding as a constrained optimal process. A different approach, that aims at formalizing decoding, proposes that neural systems instantiate a generative model of the sensory world. Here, we put forth a normative framework that characterizes neural systems as jointly optimizing encoding and decoding. It takes the form of a variational autoencoder: sensory stimuli are encoded in the noisy activity of neurons to be interpreted by a flexible decoder; encoding must allow for an accurate stimulus reconstruction from neural activity. Jointly, neural activity is required to represent the statistics of latent features which are mapped by the decoder into distributions over sensory stimuli; decoding correspondingly optimizes the accuracy of the generative model. This framework yields in a family of encoding-decoding models, which result in equally accurate generative models, indexed by a measure of the stimulus-induced deviation of neural activity from the marginal distribution over neural activity. Each member of this family predicts a specific relation between properties of the sensory neurons—such as the arrangement of the tuning curve means (preferred stimuli) and widths (degrees of selectivity) in the population—as a function of the statistics of the sensory world. Our approach thus generalizes the efficient coding approach. Notably, here, the form of the constraint on the optimization derives from the requirement of an accurate generative model, while it is arbitrary in efficient coding models. Moreover, solutions do not require the knowledge of the stimulus distribution, but are learned on the basis of data samples; the constraint further acts as regularizer, allowing the model to generalize beyond the training data. Finally, we characterize the family of models we obtain through alternate measures of performance, such as the error in stimulus reconstruction. We find that a range of models admits comparable performance; in particular, a population of sensory neurons with broad tuning curves as observed experimentally yields both low reconstruction stimulus error and an accurate generative model that generalizes robustly to unseen data.