bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of progressive muscle relaxation technique on sleep quality among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Eldefrawy Mohamed M.I. , Khalil Nahla S. , Ibrahim Eman K. , Ali Fatma S.
Published: July 2023

Background

Sleep quality is often poor in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and patients frequently report difficulty in falling asleep, nocturnal awakening, and insomnia.

Aim

The aim was to assess the effect of progressive muscle relaxation technique (PMRT) on sleep quality among patients with COPD.

Research hypothesis

H0: Patients who will receive progressive muscle relaxation exercise will have no change in their sleep quality score as compared with their initial assessment score.

Design

A quasi-experimental single-group pretest/post-test research design was used.

Setting

This study was conducted at one of the selected critical care units affiliated to Cairo University Hospitals.

Sample

A purposive sample consisting of 37 adult patients diagnosed with COPD were recruited throughout a period of 12 months.

Tools

Two tools were used to collect data: first, demographic characteristics and medical data sheet, and second, Pittsburgh sleep quality index.

Results

There were significant statistical differences among the patients regarding all sleep problems (P≤0.05) before and after implementation of PMRT except for high temperature (P=0.25) and seeing bad dreams (P=0.32), so the frequencies of sleep troubles become lesser after implementation of the PMRT. Moreover, there were highly significant statistical differences (P≤0.00) between pretest and post-test regarding sleep quality over all the period of ICU stay.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the application of PMRT has a positive effect on sleep problems among patients with COPD and frequencies of sleep troubles became much lesser after implementation of the PMRT.
Assessment of serum microRNA-21 and miRNA-205 as diagnostic markers for stage I and II breast cancer in Indian population
Authors: Rama Kanchi , Bitla Aparna R , Hulikal Narendra , Yootla Mutheeswaraiah , Yadagiri Lakshmi Amancharla , Asha T , Manickavasagam M , Srinivasa Rao PVLN
Published: July 2023

Background:

Current markers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA] and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 [CA15-3]) lack sensitivity in diagnosis of breast cancer. The aberrantly expressed circulating miRNAs were shown as diagnostic markers in breast cancer. However, there are very few studies from the Indian population. We studied the diagnostic utility of miRNA-21, miRNA-155 and miRNA-205 compared to CEA and CA15-3 in stage I and II breast cancer patients.

Materials and Methods:

Sixty newly diagnosed women with stage I/II breast cancer and 20 healthy controls were recruited. Expression of circulating miRNAs was studied using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, whereas CEA and CA 15-3 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results:

miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 were upregulated, miRNA-205 down-regulated (P < 0.05) and serum CEA and CA15-3 levels increased in breast cancer patients (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed significant area under curve (AUC) for all markers (0.656 to 0.993; P = 0.015 to <0.001) validating their diagnostic potential. Unlike CEA and CA15-3, miRNAs retained their sensitivity even at higher cut-offs (95% CI of mean). Logistic regression analysis showed significant association between disease and marker positivity for miRNA-21 and miRNA-205 but not for miRNA-155. Combining CA15-3 with miRNAs did not improve their diagnostic performance. However, combining CEA with either miRNA-21 (AUC = 0.742; P < 0.001 versus AUC = 0.656; P = 0.018) or miRNA-205 (AUC = 0.733; P < 0.001 versus AUC = 0.700; P < 0.001) increased its diagnostic performance.

Conclusion:

Our study shows miRNA-21 and miRNA-205, are useful as diagnostic markers for breast cancer in the Indian population and combination of these miRNAs with CEA but not with CA 15-3 improved their diagnostic performance.
Efficacy of Hinged Ankle–Foot Orthosis on Gait Improvement of Children with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Literature Review
Authors: Kumar Raj , Prakash Achintya
Published: July 2023

Purpose:

The purpose is to study the effect of hinged ankle–foot orthosis (HAFO) on gait kinematics and temporospatial parameters of children with diplegic cerebral palsy.

Methods:

A literature search has been conducted from 2005 to 2022 to find the studies measuring the effect of HAFO on children with diplegic spastic cerebral palsy (CP) during gait through various bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, O and P Virtual Library and Google Scholar.

Results:

We found 96 pieces of potentially relevant literature from which only six studies met the inclusion criteria were included. One hundred and fifty-three participants, with a mean age of 8.6 years (4–17 years), were investigated, of which 128 were spastic diplegic CP. Among spastic diplegic, 45 individuals were identified as walking with true equinus gait and 34 with jump gait. Gait parameters of participants were evaluated with ankle–foot orthoses (AFO) (hinged, solid and supramalleolar orthosis), and barefoot walking conditions showed improvement in some kinematic and spatial-temporal parameters, making their gait closer to that of typically developing children.

Conclusion:

HAFO was found very satisfactory, as it improves dynamic stability and ankle range of motion resulting in a more natural gait in children with spastic diplegic CP.
Radiographic Aid of Prosthetic Fitment in Transtibial Amputation
Authors: Pillai Ijaz N.
Published: July 2023

Prosthetic appropriateness plays an important role in the rehabilitation of a lower-limb amputee. Reduced compliance to wearing prosthesis may be due to consequences of the amputation or an ill-fitting prosthesis. Assessment of prosthetic fitment can be tedious, expensive and inaccessible. Here, we discuss a case of transtibial amputee where prosthetic fitment was assessed by the use of plain radiographs, and modifications were made accordingly. The timeline of events is also described in brief. The patient is a 35-year-old woman, who underwent a below-knee amputation after developing necrotising fasciitis, secondary to a snake bite. After being mobilised with a transtibial prosthesis, the patient was noted to have recurrent ulcers at the distal end of the residual limb. On radiological evaluation and comparison with the radiographs taken in the immediate post-operative period, sequestral bone formation was noted at the distal end of the tibia. Fibular end was noted to be unbevelled and at a longer level than of the tibia. Weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing radiographs with the prosthetic limb showed a reduction of distal end clearance due to pistoning action, indicative of improper prosthetic fitting. Through the use of radiographs, we were able to substantiate objectively, the need for surgical revisions as well as prosthetic modification. Plain radiographs may serve as a cost-effective tool to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the fitting of a prosthesis. In the Indian scenario, it becomes relevant in making surgical and prosthetic decisions, especially in a low-resource setting.
Plan de atención al cliente en una empresa de limpieza
Authors: Moreira Ortega Rosa Amelia , Portilla Castell Yoenia , Lema Cachinell Belinda Marta
Published: July 2023

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo general elaborar un plan de mejora en la empresa de limpieza ubicada en Guayaquil Ecuador, con el fin de a fin de proponer estrategias para mejorar la calidad de la atención al cliente que actualmente ha presentado una serie de inconvenientes que ha generado un bajo rendimiento en la empresa. La metodología de la investigación se basó en un enfoque mixto, es decir, se llevaron a cabo encuestas a los clientes de la empresa, conformados por un total de 291 usuarios; por otra parte, se realizó la evaluación cualitativa de aspectos observables mediante una ficha de observación. Como resultado de la investigación ser obtuvo que un 45% indicó estar muy insatisfecho/a con la atención brindada en empresa de limpieza. Por lo que es importante, implementar el plan de mejora para la verificación de las actividades y procesos internos que realizan los trabajadores, de esta forma se tomará acciones correctivas de inmediato.
He was run-over by a bus: Passive – but not pseudo-passive – sentences are rated as more acceptable when the subject is highly affected. New data from Hebrew, and a meta-analytic synthesis across English, Balinese, Hebrew, Indonesian and Mandarin
Authors: Ambridge Ben , Arnon Inbal , Bekman Dani
Published: July 2023

Several recent experimental studies have investigated the hypothesis that the passive construction is associated with the semantics “[B] (mapped onto the surface [passive] subject) is in a state or circumstance characterized by [A] (mapped onto the by-object or an understood argument) having acted upon it”. (Pinker, Lebeaux & Frost, 1987). In the present work, we extend this method to a new language, Hebrew, and conduct a Bayesian mixed-effects meta-analytic synthesis which draws together the findings of similar studies conducted for English, Indonesian, Mandarin and Balinese. For Hebrew, we found that native adult speakers’ (N=60) acceptability ratings for passives with each of 56 different verbs were significantly predicted by verb-semantic-affectedness ratings provided by a separate group of 16 native adult speakers. Both for Hebrew and across languages, we found that (a) these semantic-affectedness ratings predict verbs’ acceptability in both passive and non-passive constructions, but (b) the effect is bigger for passives than non-passives. These findings raise the possibility that a passive construction that denotes undergoer-affectedness may approach the status of a semantic universal. 
Management Of Innovative Basic Education Method For Job Creation In Rivers State
Authors: Nzokurum Dr. (Mrs.) J.C.
Published: July 2023

The study examined management of innovative basic education method for job creation in Rivers State. Two objectives and two research questions in line with two corresponding null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The theoretical framework was anchored on “Resource Based Theory of Entrepreneurship propounded by Barney in (1991). This study adopted a descriptive survey design with a population of the 278 junior public secondary schools across the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State. A stratified random sampling technique was used to draw a sample size of 125 principals from the population. A self-designed questionnaire titled: “Management of Innovative Basic Education Method for Job Creation Questionnaire (MIBEMJCQ)” was used for data collection. Scoring was done on a modified 4 point likert type scale of Strongly Agree (SA) = 4 points, Agree (A) = 3 points, Disagree (D) = 2 points and Strongly Disagree (SD) = 1 point. Test-retest technique was used to determine the reliability of the study. Reliability index of 0.69 was computed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient which is high, reliable and adequate for the study. The mean and rank order were used in answering the research questions while z-test statistics was used in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed amongst others that instructional supervision and team teaching are innovative basic education method for job creation in Rivers State. Based on the findings, the study therefore recommended amongst others that government and other stakeholders in education should through in-service training such as seminars, workshops and conferences enlighten school management on the need for instructional supervision in order to boost the quality of education and teaching staff.
Updates of Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection: Literature Review
Authors: Naser Maged , Nasr Mohamed M. , Shehata Lamia H.
Published: July 2023

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the most well-known congenital viral disease and is the main non-genetic reason for sensorineural hearing loss (SNLH) and a significant reason for neurodevelopmental inabilities. The gamble of intrauterine transmission is most elevated when vertical infection happens during pregnancy, with a higher pace of vertical transmission in mothers with more established gestational age at infection, while the gamble of unfriendly fetal impacts fundamentally increments on the adverse effects that fetal infection happens during the first half of pregnancy. Although, its prevalence and morbidity among the neonatal populace, there isn't yet a standardised diagnostic test and therapeutic methodology for cCMV infection. This review expects to investigate the most recent improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cCMV infection. literature shows that preventive interventions other than behavioural measures during pregnancy are as yet lacking, albeit numerous clinical preliminaries are right now progressing to plan vaccination for women before pregnancy. As of now, we suggest utilizing a PCR measure in blood, urine, and saliva in neonates with suspected cCMV infection. As of now, there is no proof of the advantage of antiviral treatment in asymptomatic infants. On account of symptomatic cCMV, we really suggest treatment with oral valganciclovir for a length of a year. The adequacy and tolerability of this treatment choice have demonstrated successful for hearing and neurodevelopmental long-term results. Valganciclovir is saved for congenitally infected neonates with the symptomatic infection at birth, like microcephaly, intracranial calcifications, unusual cerebrospinal fluid index, chorioretinitis, or sensorineural hearing loss. Treatment with antiviral medications isn't regularly recommended for neonates with the mildly symptomatic infection at birth, for neonates under 32 weeks of gestational age, or for infants over 30 days old due to deficient proof from studies. In any case, since these populaces represent by far most of neonates and infants with cCMV disease and they are in risk of developing late-onset sequelae, a biomarker ready to foresee long-term sequelae ought to likewise be found to justify beginning treatment and decreasing the burden of CMV-related complications.
Effect of Sensorimotor Exercises in Reducing Toe Walking in Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Authors: K Ramya , M Senthilkumar , D S Jeyanthi
Published: July 2023

Autism Spectrum disorder is defined as the global developmental disorder characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication. It is manifested as repetitive patterns of thoughts and behavior. Toe walking is one of the most common initial sign exhibited by autism children and is mostly unilateral. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of Conventional Exercises and Sensorimotor Exercises in reducing the toe-walk in autism children. The study was a randomized control trial that included children of both sex between age group 2 & 5 years with a history of recent toe-walk. The subjects without a history of Tendo Achilles contracture and with a good hip flexibility were included. Subjects with a long time history of toe walking and with TA contracture and associated surgical corrections were excluded. Any subject with a diagnosis of Cerebral palsy and Asperger syndrome were excluded. A total of 40 subjects were included in the study who underwent assessment of Foot alignment through photographs, Plantar Foot Pressure through Foot Posture Index-6 and range of motion at ankle through Goniometer. Group A received Conventional exercises and Group B received Sensorimotor exercises for a period of 4 days a week for 8 weeks. At the end of 8th week a post test was done for all the standard tests used in the study. The result of the study shows that the experimental group (Group B) who received sensorimotor exercises showed significant improvement in Foot Alignment and range of motion of both plantar flexion and dorsiflexion while the Control group (Group A) showed improvement only in passive range of motion of dorsiflexion alone. The study helps to conclude that the group which received Sensorimotor exercises improved well. Hence it can be considered as the best of treatment to inhibit toe-walk in autistic children.

Keywords: Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Toe Walk, Physiotherapy for Toe Walk, Sensorimotor exercises.
Aromaterapia no auxílio do cambate ao estresse
Authors: Sacco Patrine Roman , Ferreira Graziele Cristina Garcia Bernardino , Silva Ana Claudia Calazans da
Published: July 2023

O estresse é um dos fatores que mais alteram a qualidade de vida das pessoas. Ele se caracteriza pelo estado de tensão e alerta permanente, comprometendo nossa saúde física, emocional e mental. As situações ambientais, tais como processos vitais, acontecimentos diários menores e situações crônicas, são classificadas como eventos estressores ou eventos de vida negativos capazes de causar a síndrome do estresse, que é um estado do organismo após ser exposto aos estressores. O termo estresse denota o estado grave gerado pela percepção de estímulos que provocam excitação emocional e, ao perturbarem a homeostasia, disparam um processo de adaptação caracterizado, entre outras alterações, pelo aumento de secreção de adrenalina, o que produz diversas manifestações sistêmicas, com distúrbios fisiológicos e psicológicos. Desse modo, o objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma revisão bibliográfica a partir da seleção e análise de artigos científicos que relatam os efeitos da Aromaterapia, tratamento realizado por meio do uso de óleos essenciais com o objetivo de combater o estresse e, consequentemente, promover bem-estar e qualidade de vida. A metodologia utilizada consistiu no acesso aos bancos de dados da SciELO e biblioteca virtual da FHO|Uniararas, com buscas no período de 2013 a 2015. A partir da leitura do material coletado, constatamos que a Aromaterapia é a arte da ciência que visa promover a saúde e o bem-estar do corpo, da mente e das emoções, por meio do uso terapêutico do aroma natural das plantas e seus óleos essenciais, garantindo, assim, a qualidade de vida, fatores que a conferem reconhecimento como grande alternativa holística para vários agravos da saúde humana, em especial para o mal de nosso século: o estresse.
DESIGN OF NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION PASSIVE ANTENNA FOR CIRCULAR SHAPED WEARABLE ITEMS
Authors: R. Iqbal
Published: July 2023

The paper discusses proposed Near Field Communication (NFC) passive antenna design for circular and round shaped wearable items like rings, watches and wristbands. Several NFC passive tags were available in the market, which had different shaped antennas, incorporated into them. However, these tags were designed with specific shape and diameter and could not fit for most of the wearable items like rings, watches and wristbands etc. In order to overcome this problem, a customized NFC antenna for passive tags was designed, which could be suitable for circular shaped wearable items. Moreover, comparative analysis of proposed antenna with vendor made antenna had been performed to show how proposed customized antenna was much more efficient in performance.
ADAPTATION OF FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE VIRUS SUBTYPES PAN ASIA-II, TUR-06 AND SINDH-08 TOWARDS THE VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AND SEROLOGICAL FINDINGS BY SPC ELISA AND SERUM NEUTRALIZATION TEST
Authors: Rafique
Published: July 2023

FMD serotype “O” with subtype PAN Asia-II, serotype “A” with subtype Tur-06 and serotype “Asia-1” with subtype Sindh-08 were adapted on the LFBK cell line and subsequently on BHK-21. After inactivation these subtypes were introduced for the development of oil based trivalent vaccine against FMD. The study was conducted on the experimental animals (cow calves) at Livestock Production Research Institute (LPRI), Okara. Twenty one unvaccinated cattle calves of age group 4-6 month were used in the study, 16 were injected with experimentally prepared oil based FMD vaccine at the dose rate of 2cc per cow calf at day 0 and 28 post priming while five cattle calves were kept as control. The FMD oil based vaccine containing subtypes PAN ASIA-II, TUR-06 and SINDH-08 showed satisfactory immune response on ELISA and Serum Neutralization Test (SNT) at day 28 post priming and day 28 post booster. The study aimed to strengthen the national control strategy against FMD by the incorporation of prevalent field strains of FMD virus for the vaccine development.
EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE OF MINIMAL INVASIVE DENTISTRY AMONG DENTISTS
Authors: S. A. Haider
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to explore the evidence based practice of minimally invasive dentistry among the dentists in Lahore. This quantitative research study was a cross-sectional survey research conducted on general dentists working in posh areas of Lahore using convenient sampling. 70 dentists were recruited in the study. Majority of the participants (42.90%) reported that caries assessment should be carried out for all patients whereas 15.70% dentists disagree with the statement. 47.10% participants reported that fluoride is an effective way of preventing dental caries. 30% of the dentists always repair defective restorations instead of replacement. In conclusion, the dentists are quite familiar with the evidence based practice of minimal invasive dentistry in Lahore city.
Gender, Ethnicity and Violence and Their Effects on Livelihoods in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria: The Case of Keegbara-Dere (Ogoni) and Bolo (Okrika) in Rivers State
Authors: Yomi Oruwari  , Opuenebo Owei  , Margaret Jev
Published: July 2023

The Niger Delta Region in Nigeria considered the oil mineral producing area in the country has become a breeding ground for various forms of violence. The inability of residents in these areas to directly gain appreciably from the resources generated by the exploration and exploitation of this natural resource has contributed to this problem. Although it is now recognized that violence severely undermines broader development goals of growth and sustainability, a lot of policy research is dominated by quantitative methodologies. While obviously important, such highly quantitative methodologies fail to capture how people actually experience violence and also how it had impeded their livelihoods. Thisstudy, while placing a lot of emphasis on qualitative methodology looks at the interrelationship between ethnicity and violence and their effect on livelihood (on gender basis) in oil mineral producing areas in Nigeria.
Médias, pluralisme et organes de régulation en Afrique de l’Ouest
Authors: Moustapha Samb
Published: July 2023

La crise du monopole de l’État sur les moyens de communication et son corollaire,notamment l’instauration des régimes de démocratie pluraliste imposent lacréation d’organes de régulation des médias dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique del’Ouest. Dès lors, se pose la double question de la distribution de cet espaceaudiovisuel et celle de son encadrement. Autrement dit, comment gérer l’accèséquitable des partis politiques et même des autres forces en présence au niveaudes médias d’État et surtout organiser la libéralisation du nouvel espaceaudiovisuel en Afrique ?
‘Ndezve Varume Izvi’1: Hegemonic Masculinities and Misogyny in Popular Music in Zimbabwe
Authors: Manase Kudzai Chiweshe  , Sandra Bhatasara
Published: July 2023

Popular music has proved a fertile ground for the display of masculine identities, and songs have proved a ready-made arena for the playing out of these identities. This paper endeavours to offer an analysis of popular music in Zimbabwe, showing how hegemonic masculinities and misogyny are celebrated and venerated. The study uses discourse and content analysis on popular songs released in the last five years to highlight how music is a medium for normalising and transmitting masculinities and femininities from one generation to another. It highlights how popular music recreates and reinforces the perceived inferiority of women and how messages portrayed in songs mirror the dominant and hegemonic ideas about social life and sexuality. Young males and females listening to such music grow up believing that these sexual stereotypes are true. The paper concludes that, ultimately, popular culture mirrors real life and as such the masculine nature of music is one way in which sexual domination of women is celebrated and reinforced.
MEMPERKUAT CITRA BRAND MELALUI INTERIOR : GERAI TANAMERA, SUNSET ROAD, BALI
Authors: Darmastuti Putu Ari , Noorwatha I Kadek Dwi
Published: July 2023

Identitas sebuah brand merupakan hal mendasar dalam proses pengembangan bisnis dan memperkuat brand itu sendiri. Brand yang dibangun cukup lama harus tetap menjaga kekuatan brand seiring pergerakan era, begitu juga brand baru harus memiliki identitas yang original dan kuat. Pengalaman Tanamera selama 10 tahun di industri maknan dan minuman khusunya kopi berhasil mengembangkan gerai mereka tidak hanya di Indonesia. Dengan identitas brand yang kuat Tanamera juga menghadirkan gerai-gerai yang orisinal dan berciri khas. Salah satu gerai Tanamera yang akan diulas adalah gerai Tanamera di Jalan Sunset Road, Bali. Bagaimana Tanamera menghadirkan eksistensi brand melalui visualisasi dan pengalaman yang dapat dirasakan melalui interior dari gerai tersebut. Membentuk dasar dari proses desain; memahami merek adalah salah satu aspek yang paling penting dari peran desainer ritel. Menggunakan teori Konsepsi Branding dan Brand Touchpoints, Lingkungan Branding, Experimental Marketing yang menggunakan Analisa branding untuk membahas pengaruh branding pada interior gerai. Tanamera merupakan gerai kopi asal Indonesia yang berkembang mulai dari tahun 2013. Dilihat dari portofolio pada website Tanamera, memiliki gerai tidak hanya di Indonesia tapi juga mulai mencakup Asia. Kelebihan kopi Tanamera adalah menyajikan kopi khas Indonesia yang dibudidayakan khusus dan disajikan kepada konsumen melalui tahapan yang yang diolah sendiri oleh Tanamera. Selama 10 tahun di industry makanan dan minuman brand kopi Tanamera selalu menghadirkan gerai yang orisinal dan identic dengan brand itu sendiri. Tanamera menghadirkan pengalaman minum kopi yang autentik khas Indonesia yang berbeda dari brand lainnya, menghadirkan interior dan arsitektural yang mencolok dan kontras menjadikan gerai Tanamera vocal point dan mudah dikenali seperti gerai yang berlokasi di Sunset Road Bali.
Guru Agama Katolik Milenial Di Pusaran Penetrasi Digital Dan Urgensi Pendidikan Kritis
Authors: Tapung Marianus Mantovanny
Published: July 2023

Catholic religion teachers have important duties and responsibilities in building the nation’s civilazation. These tasks and responsibilities are becoming increasingly heavy and require information technology that is continously being developed rapidly. To challenge this, Catholic religion teachers need to equip themselves with variety oh knowledge and skills, including digital knowledge and skills also to apply in the world of Catholic religious learning in schools. Catholic learning is more fun, contextual and actual can be harmonized with various digital updates. In addition to making students increasingly understand the material of Catholic religion , but more than that, students are also able to avoid teaching materials with digital development. Catholic teachers can use a variety of digital media to help students live religious life in daily life, and instill these values in the era of digital development.
MEMBANGUN AGEN PASTORAL YANG MEMPUNYAI SIKAP DAN MENTALITAS KEBERPIHAKAN KEPADA KAUM MISKIN [Sebuah Studi Teologis Praktis]
Authors: Jebagu Valentinus Vitalis
Published: July 2023

Almost all bishops'conferences,chatechetical congresses and religious conggregations have made “preferential option for the pocr” on of the priorities of their resolutions.This option includes the issues of justice,liberation,peace and ecology.The question remains, however, as to how deeply this option really affected the life and spirituality of the committed Christian and of the ecclesial group like pastoral agents?The implementation of this option, according to Mr.Valens Jebagu, will be one of the acid tests of whether the christian faith willbe relevant and whether traditional churches and their institutions will survive.Option for the poor is for the Church not only realized as a political strategy but more than that an existensial choice, A.Schweitzer states it this way:"As for humankind todaythe realiztion ofthe Kingdom of God here on earth byoptioning the poor, has become a matter of survival or extinction.Option for the poor is the most powerful symbol of hope in the religious and socail histiry ofhumankind.
Gas‐Liquid Flow‐Induced Characteristics of Dispersed Liposome‐Based Particles
Authors: Yoshimoto Makoto
Published: July 2023

Liposomes are closed bilayers of phospholipids formed in aqueous media. The hydrodynamic property of colloidal dispersions of liposomes is one of the factors which alter the structure of liposomes. The present review article discusses the mechanistic aspects of the deformation, breakage, and fusion of liposomes in different liquid shear flows. Then, characteristic features reported with respect to the particles consisting of liposomes and bubbles are discussed to explore the role of shear flows induced by the acoustically active bubbles. Furthermore, the gas‐liquid flow‐induced characteristics of liposomes are described for their application to kinetically controllable enzymatic reactions in bubble‐column bioreactors.
Culinary spices and herbs in managing early and long‐COVID‐19 complications: A comprehensive review
Authors: Maurya Dharmendra Kumar , Sharma Deepak
Published: July 2023

Human race is preparing for the upsurge and aftermath of COVID‐19 pandemic complicated by novel variants, new waves, variable mortality rate, and post‐COVID complications. Despite use of repurposed drugs, symptomatic treatments and licensing of multiple vaccines, the daily number of cases and rate of transmission are significant. Culinary spices and herbs have been historically used in pandemic and non‐pandemic times to reduce respiratory viral burden. Specific food items and culinary spices can boost the levels of protective immunity and also offer therapeutic benefits against impervious bugs via well‐known as well as less‐known but scientifically testable mechanisms. Here, we analyzed the phytochemicals profile of Ayurvedic herbs and inferred from the clinical trials/observational studies to provide a focused and succinct perspective on the relevance of “food‐based” traditional decoction to moderate COVID‐19 disease and long‐COVID via modulation of immunity and reinstatement of homeostasis. We also underscore the druggable targets in pathogenesis of COVID‐19 which are relevant to the ongoing clinical trials using spices and herbs. This information will provide a strong scientific rationale for standardization of the traditional herbs‐based therapies and adopting the use of herbs, spices, and their formulations for reducing SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission, long‐COVID symptoms, and COVID‐19 disease progression.
Molecular Imaging Assessment of Immunotherapy Treatment Response
Authors: Varney Elliot T. , Howard Candance M.
Published: July 2023

Immunotherapy has evolved and has revolutionized clinical oncology in recent years, achieving unprecedented clinical responses and outcomes. Precision medicine has the specific goal to treat the disease while limiting the damages derived from treatments. For that reason, it is important for radiologists to understand treatment response to immunotherapy, as development and approval of immunotherapeutics is increasing steadily. This article aims to educate radiologists on the mechanisms, benefits, and pitfalls of assessing immunotherapy response with molecular imaging.
Prenatal Exposure to Cannabis and Risk of Major Structural Birth Defects
Authors: Delker Erin , Hayes Shana , Kelly Ann E. , Jones Kenneth L. , Chambers Christina , Bandoli Gretchen
Published: July 2023

OBJECTIVE:

To review and perform a meta-analysis of observational studies that examined associations between prenatal cannabis exposure and major structural birth defects.

DATA SOURCES:

Information sources included Google Scholar, BIOSIS, PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:

Study titles and abstracts were reviewed with Abstrackr software. We included observational studies that examined the risk of major structural birth defects in people who used cannabis during pregnancy compared with those who had not used cannabis. We excluded case reports, ecologic studies, conference abstracts, manuscript preprints, studies designed to examine effects of cannabis used concurrently with other drugs, and studies that included synthetic cannabinoids. This process yielded 23 studies that analyzed data from birth years 1968–2021.

TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS:

We clustered and meta-analyzed measures of association for birth defects by anatomic group. Eleven articles reported an association between cannabis use and the risk of a nonspecific outcome (eg, congenital anomaly). We estimated a pooled odds ratio of 1.33 (95% CI 1.14–1.56) and a pooled adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.22 (95% CI 1.00–1.50). Anatomic groups examined were cardiac (nine studies), oral cleft (three studies), digestive (four studies), genitourinary (three studies), musculoskeletal (seven studies), and nervous system (five studies). Across most outcomes, we reported positive pooled unadjusted associations that were usually attenuated after the inclusion of only adjusted estimates. Two specific anomalies, with limited data, had pooled effect estimates that did not attenuate to the null after adjustment: Ebstein anomaly (two studies, aOR 2.19, 95% CI 1.25–3.82) and gastroschisis (five studies, aOR 2.50, 95% CI 1.09–5.740).

CONCLUSION:

Studies examining associations between prenatal exposure to cannabis and major structural birth defects were heterogeneous. Most published effect estimates were unadjusted and scored low on our risk-of-bias assessment. Overall, we found inconsistent evidence to suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with birth defects. However, findings related to specific anomalies should be considered in further research.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:

PROSPERO, CRD42022319041.
Number of segments with motion abnormalities is better correlated with infarct size in acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Yu Fan , Tang Ge , Chen Yun-An , Zhang Peng-Ying , Ren Fei , Zhang Jie , Zheng Xiao-Zhi
Published: July 2023

Background

The relationship between the number of segments with motion abnormalities (SMA) on the bull’s-eye plots of speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) and myocardial infarct size (MIS) on late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac MRI (LGE-cMRI) has not been well characterized. This study aimed to determine MIS using the number of SMA in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

Left ventricular two-dimensional STE and LGE-cMRI were performed in 380 patients with ST-segment elevation MI within 48 h and 5–6 days after primary percutaneous intervention, respectively.

Results

Patients with impaired global and regional myocardial strain, work and greater number of SMA had significantly larger infarcts (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis that included myocardial strain, work, and number of SMA showed that total number of SMA [odds ratio (OR) = 1.976; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.539–2.538, P < 0.0001], the number of segments with paradoxalic systolic movements (SPSM, OR = 3.703; 95% CI: 2.112–6.493, P < 0.0001) were independent risk factors of large MIS (>19%). The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.904 (0.866~0.942) for total number of SMA was superior to that for global longitudinal strain (GLS, AUC = 0.813, 0.761~0.865), global work efficiency (GWE, AUC = 0.794, 0.730~0.857) and number of SPSM (AUC = 0.851, 0.804–0.899) to predict a large MIS (P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff value of total number of SMA was 7, with a sensitivity of 85.31%, a specificity of 81.48%, and an accuracy of 83.27%.

Conclusion

Total number of SMA is better associated with infarct size, which provided an incremental prognostic value above established prognostic parameters such as GLS and GWE.
A survey of therapists’ experience of ending therapy with people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Dunn Yasmine , Summers S.J. (Ash) , Dagnan Dave
Published: July 2023

Purpose

A range of adaptations and therapy processes have been explored in relation to therapy with people with intellectual disabilities; however, there remain a few areas of therapy practice that have not yet been considered in depth. This study aims to report the results of an online survey of the practice of therapists working with people with intellectual disabilities in managing endings in therapy.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty-one therapists working with people with intellectual disabilities responded to an online survey. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings

Three superordinate themes were identified: Theme 1 was “preparing for a therapeutic ending” with subordinate themes of “planning early”, “providing boundaries” and “validating feelings”; Theme 2 was “providing a therapeutic ending”, with subordinate themes of “a collaborative decision” and “fostering growth”; and the third theme was “post-ending issues” in which participants acknowledged a “spectrum of emotion”, and, in the case of difficult endings, a sense of “unfinished business”.

Originality/value

This is the first systematic exploration of therapy endings as described by therapists working with people with intellectual disabilities. The authors discuss implications for practice and further areas of research.
‘What a waste of time’: An examination of cybersecurity legitimacy
Authors: Cram W. Alec , D'Arcy John
Published: July 2023

Managers who oversee cybersecurity policies commonly rely on managerial encouragement (e.g., rewards) and employee characteristics (e.g., attitude) to drive compliant behaviour. However, whereas some cybersecurity initiatives are perceived as reasonable by employees, others are viewed as a ‘waste of time’. This research introduces employee judgements of cybersecurity legitimacy as a new angle for understanding employee compliance with cybersecurity policies over time. Drawing on theory from the organisational legitimacy and cybersecurity literature, we conduct a three‐wave survey of 529 employees and find that, for each separate wave, negative legitimacy judgements mediate the relationship between management support and compliance, as well as between cybersecurity inconvenience and compliance. Our results provide support for cybersecurity legitimacy as an important influence on employee compliance with cybersecurity initiatives. This is significant because it highlights to managers the importance of not simply expecting compliant employee behaviour to follow from the introduction of cybersecurity initiatives, but that employees need to be convinced that the initiatives are fair and reasonable. Interestingly, we did not find sufficient support for our expectation that the increased likelihood of a cybersecurity incident will moderate the legitimacy‐policy compliance relationship. This result suggests that the legitimacy perceptions of employees are unyielding to differences in the risk characteristics of the cybersecurity incidents facing organisations.
Social network, Biden approval, and pediatric COVID‐19 vaccine uptake
Authors: Hao Feng
Published: July 2023

This study aims to estimate the pediatric COVID‐19 vaccine uptake and the impact of social network and Biden approval. A national survey was conducted by Qualtrics from September 26 to 19 October 2022, and respondents who identified as primary guardians of children under 18 are included in this study. Findings show that parents are more likely to vaccinate children between 12 and 17 than children between 5 and 11 or below 5. The means of measures for social network and Biden approval for parents who have vaccinated children across different age groups are significantly higher than the corresponding means for parents whose children remain unvaccinated. Structural equation modeling results suggest the social network and Biden approval positively affect parents' decision to vaccinate children. The former predictor also mediates the latter on the outcome measure. The findings are significant when analyzing the sample of parents with children over five. These findings contribute to the literature and have policy implications for leveraging interventions and optimizing vaccination for children.
Modeling and Optimal Control Analysis Applied to Real Cases of COVID-19 Pandemic with Double Dose Vaccination in Ethiopia
Authors: Legesse Fekadu Mosisa , Rao Koya Purnachandra , Keno Temesgen Duressa
Published: July 2023

The novel coronavirus is a recently discovered member of one of the largest families of viruses with symptoms ranging from a simple cold to excruciating respiratory agony. In the present paper, a deterministic mathematical model is formulated to estimate the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 with the inclusion of control strategies like (i) double-dose vaccination, (ii) prevention, and (iii) treatment. In addition, instead of considering all infectious humans as one unit, we separate them into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups, and the impact is analyzed. This separation is meaningful because various reports indicate that the asymptomatic cases will spread the disease more than the symptomatic cases. The model is proved to be mathematically well-posed and biologically meaningful by showing positivity and boundedness of the solution using the appropriate initial conditions. For the reproduction number, a parametric formula is constructed, and also the associated numerical value is calculated from the reported real data in Ethiopia. Moreover, disease-free and endemic equilibria are determined, and their local and global stabilities are discussed using the Lyapunov function technique. These equilibria are found to be locally asymptotically stable if

R

0

<
1

and

R

0

>
1

, respectively. Following the model fitting and estimation of the parameter values, sensitivity analysis was performed in order to analyze the impact of each parameter on transmission dynamics. In other words, this study can be used to evaluate how major model parameters affect transmission dynamics and control. Utilizing Pontryagin’s maximal principle, the best control measures are implemented with the aim of lowering the burdens associated with infection, prevention, and treatment. To comprehend and visualize the impact of control techniques on the development of the disease and to illustrate the analytical findings generated in this study, numerical simulation studies are conducted. Finally, the output of the study illustrates that adhering to all the control strategies has a big impact on minimizing the transmission of the disease in society. Which means that if the control strategies are well managed by the concerned body, then the burden of the disease is reduced quickly in the Ethiopian population.
Dialysis in Pregnancy: An Update Review
Authors: Copur Sidar , Berkkan Metehan , Basile Carlo , Cozzolino Mario , Kanbay Mehmet
Published: July 2023

Chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are important public health problems with increased rates of morbidity, mortality, and social costs. Pregnancy is rare in patients with ESKD, with reduced fertility rates in women undergoing dialysis. Although current advances have led to an increase in live births in pregnant dialysis patients, this modality still has an increased risk of multiple adverse events in pregnant women. Despite these existing risks, large-scale studies investigating the management of pregnant women on dialysis are lacking, resulting in the absence of consensus guidelines for this patient group. In this review, we aimed to present the effects of dialysis during pregnancy. We first discuss pregnancy outcomes in dialysis patients and the development of acute kidney injury during pregnancy. Then, we discuss our recommendations for the management of pregnant dialysis patients, including the maintenance of pre-dialysis blood urea nitrogen levels, the ideal frequency and duration of hemodialysis sessions, as well as the modality of renal replacement therapies, the difficulty of maintaining peritoneal dialysis in the third trimester of pregnancy, and optimization of prepregnancy modifiable risk factors. Finally, we present our recommendations for future studies investigating dialysis among pregnant patients.
From Primary Cilia and Planar Cell Polarity to Kidney Injury and Repair
Authors: Wang Shixuan , Hu Jinghua , Dong Zheng
Published: July 2023

Almost every cell in the kidney, including renal tubular epithelial cells, has a primary cilium, which is a membrane-bound, hair-like structure protruding from the cellular surface. Dysfunction of primary cilia has been linked to a wide spectrum of human genetic diseases, termed ciliopathies. Planar cell polarity (PCP) refers to the coordinated alignment of cells along the cell sheet or tissue plane, a fundamental process in embryo development and organogenesis. Interestingly, there is evidence that primary cilium and PCP are interconnected. However, very limited is known about the involvement of cilia and PCP in kidney injury and repair. By using cell and mouse models, we have demonstrated a protective role of primary cilia in acute kidney injury. Mechanistically, we unveiled a reciprocal promoting relationship between cilia and autophagy in kidney tubular cells, and, accordingly, cilia may protect tubular cells by enhancing autophagy. Our recent studies further demonstrated that PCP dysfunction exaggerates acute kidney injury and may also contribute to maladaptive kidney repair after acute kidney injury. These findings provide a novel dimension to further understanding kidney injury and repair from the standpoint of cell biology.
Lactose to naturalize textile dyes
Authors: Bianchini Roberto , Catelani Giorgio , Frino Elena , Isaad Jalal , Rolla Massimo
Published: July 2023

Many natural dyes, for example carminic acid, are soluble in water. We present a simple strategy to naturalize synthetic azadyes through their linkage with lactose to induce their water solubility. The dyeing process of textile fibres then becomes possible in water without additives such as surfactants and mordants, which result in products that are difficult to eliminate. Glyco-azadyes (GADs) we are presenting here are obtained through a diether linker to bond the azadye and the sugar. Tinctorial tests were carried out with fabrics containing wool, polyester, cotton, nylon, and acetate. GADs were found to be multipurpose and capable of dyeing many fabrics efficiently under mild conditions.