bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reference intervals for knee functions specific to outpatients with knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ito Hideyuki , Amano Tetsuya , Ichihara Kiyoshi
Published: May 2024

Background

Reference values (RVs) for knee function tests have been reported in perioperative patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA); however, such values for practical use in outpatient setting has yet to be determined. Therefore, we aimed to establish the reference intervals (RIs) for outpatients with mild to moderate KOA.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 202 outpatients with KOA from 8 Japanese orthopedic clinics and measured knee extensor/flexor muscle strength (MS) and knee extension/flexion range of motion (ROM). We used multiple regression analysis to evaluate the sources of variation, including sex, age, body mass index, Kellgren–Lawrence (K-L) classification, bilateral KOA, and exercise habits. Magnitude of between-subgroup differences is expressed as standard deviation ratio (SDR) based on a three-level nested analysis of variance, with SDR ≥ 0.4 as the threshold for requiring RIs specific for subgroups. RIs were calculated parametrically using two-parameter Box-Cox formula if Gaussian transformation of RVs was successful, otherwise calculated nonparametrically.

Results

Partitioning was required by sex for extensor and flexor MS (SDR = 0.65, 0.57, respectively) and by K-L classification for flexion ROM (SDR = 0.54). RIs were determined parametrically for extensor MS as 0.27–2.09 (male) and 0.27–1.54 (female) Nm/kg and for flexor MS 0.18–1.20 (male) and 0.13–0.79 (female) Nm/kg. On the other hand, RIs for extension and flexion ROM were determined nonparametrically due to discrete nature of their RVs. The RIs determined for extension ROM were -15°–0° and for flexion ROM were 105°–150° (for K-L grade I/II) and 95°–140° (for K-L grade III/IV).

Conclusions

The ranges of RIs determined specifically for patients with mild to moderate KOA were in-between those of age-matched healthy controls and pre-surgical KOA patients, both of which we had reported for use in physiotherapeutic management of KOA patients undergone total knee arthroplasty. The newly derived RIs will provide an objective benchmark for physiotherapy targeting outpatients with mild to moderate KOA.
Blood biomarkers of neurodegeneration associate differently with amyloid deposition, medial temporal atrophy, and cerebrovascular changes in APOE ε4-enriched cognitively unimpaired elderly
Authors: Koivumäki Mikko , Ekblad Laura , Lantero-Rodriguez Juan , Ashton Nicholas J. , Karikari Thomas K. , Helin Semi , Parkkola Riitta , Lötjönen Jyrki , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Rinne Juha O. , Snellman Anniina
Published: May 2024

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tau tangles, and neurodegeneration in the brain parenchyma. Here, we aimed to (i) assess differences in blood and imaging biomarkers used to evaluate neurodegeneration among cognitively unimpaired APOE ε4 homozygotes, heterozygotes, and non-carriers with varying risk for sporadic AD, and (ii) to determine how different cerebral pathologies (i.e., Aβ deposition, medial temporal atrophy, and cerebrovascular pathology) contribute to blood biomarker concentrations in this sample.

Methods

Sixty APOE ε4 homozygotes (n = 19), heterozygotes (n = 21), and non-carriers (n = 20) ranging from 60 to 75 years, were recruited in collaboration with Auria biobank (Turku, Finland). Participants underwent Aβ-PET ([11C]PiB), structural brain MRI including T1-weighted and T2-FLAIR sequences, and blood sampling for measuring serum neurofilament light chain (NfL), plasma total tau (t-tau), plasma N-terminal tau fragments (NTA-tau) and plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). [11C]PiB standardized uptake value ratio was calculated for regions typical for Aβ accumulation in AD. MRI images were analysed for regional volumes, atrophy scores, and volumes of white matter hyperintensities. Differences in biomarker levels and associations between blood and imaging biomarkers were tested using uni- and multivariable linear models (unadjusted and adjusted for age and sex).

Results

Serum NfL concentration was increased in APOE ε4 homozygotes compared with non-carriers (mean 21.4 pg/ml (SD 9.5) vs. 15.5 pg/ml (3.8), p = 0.013), whereas other blood biomarkers did not differ between the groups (p > 0.077 for all). From imaging biomarkers, hippocampal volume was significantly decreased in APOE ε4 homozygotes compared with non-carriers (6.71 ml (0.86) vs. 7.2 ml (0.7), p = 0.029). In the whole sample, blood biomarker levels were differently predicted by the three measured cerebral pathologies; serum NfL concentration was associated with cerebrovascular pathology and medial temporal atrophy, while plasma NTA-tau associated with medial temporal atrophy. Plasma GFAP showed significant association with both medial temporal atrophy and Aβ pathology. Plasma t-tau concentration did not associate with any of the measured pathologies.

Conclusions

Only increased serum NfL concentrations and decreased hippocampal volume was observed in cognitively unimpaired APOEε4 homozygotes compared to non-carriers. In the whole population the concentrations of blood biomarkers were affected in distinct ways by different pathologies.
Copper nanoparticles biosynthesis by Stevia rebaudiana extract: biocompatibility and antimicrobial application
Authors: Abdelhai Mostafa Fathi , Shabaan Romisaa H. , Kamal Noha M. , Elemary Esraa A. , Abd-Elhalim Basma T. , Hassan Enas A.
Published: May 2024

The growth of material science and technology places a high importance on the creation of better processes for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles. So that, an easy, ecological, and benign process for producing copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) has been developed using candy leaf (Stevia rebaudiana) leaves aqueous extract for the first time. UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR), and zeta potential were applied to demonstrate strong characterization for the biosynthesized stevia-CuNPs. The UV-visible absorbance at 575 nm of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was 1.2. The particle size mean diameter was recorded as 362.3 nm with − 10.8 mV zeta potential. The HR-TEM scanning revealed 51.46–53.17 nm and spherical-shaped stevia-CuNPs surrounded by coat-shell proteins. The cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility activity assay revealed that stevia-CuNPs was safe in lower concentrations and had a significant cell viability reduction in higher concentrations. The produced stevia-CuNPs were applied as antimicrobial agents against eight pathogenic bacteria and five fungi strains. The inhibitory action of the stevia-CuNPs was more pronounced in bacteria than in fungi, and they likewise demonstrated further inhibition zones in Staphylococcus aureus (50.0 mm) than in Aspergillus flavus (55.0 mm). With inhibition zone sizes of 50.0 mm and 47.0 mm and 50 µg/ml minimum inhibitory concentration, S. aureus and A. flavus were the most inhibited pathogens. The minimum lethal effect (MLC) estimate for S. aureus was 50 µg/ml, whereas 75 µg/ml for A. flavus. The stevia-CuNPs mode of action was characterized as bactericidal/fungicidal as the ratio of MIC to MLC was estimated to be equal to or less than 2. After all, stevia-CuNPs could be used as an alternative to commercial antibiotics to solve the problem of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms.
Disposal of spent oil into soils around auto parts markets impacts heavy metal concentrations and poses a potential ecological risk
Authors: Okebalama Chinyere Blessing , Onwurah Chioma Lucy , Jidere Chika Mike , Okolo Chukwuebuka Christopher
Published: May 2024

Nigeria is facing the problem of soil degradation as a result of continuous deposition of spent oil in the soil. The physiochemical properties, including heavy metals concentrations, of spent oil contaminated soils and adjacent control soils were investigated at 0–15 and 15–30 cm depths at Ladipo and Berger auto-mobile Markets in Lagos, southwest Nigeria. The soils were collected in triplicate and analyzed in a 2 (location) * 2 (study site) * 2 (soil depth) factorial experiment. The results showed a uniform soil texture in both study sites and at both soil depths, with loamy sand at Ladipo and sandy loam at Berger. Bulk density was significantly decreased, while the total porosity (46.44%), organic C (21.79 g kg− 1), available P (16.48 mg kg− 1), Na+ (0.72 cmolc kg− 1) and K+ (0.81 cmolc kg− 1) increased in the contaminated site compared to the control site. Soil pH was higher at Ladipo (8.4) than at Berger (7.4). However, the soil pH and available P concentration decreased in the contaminated soil compared to the control at both locations, resulting in a decrease in available P concentration of more than 300% and 100% at Ladipo and Berger, respectively. At the Ladipo location, the concentration of Ca2+ was higher in the control than in the contaminated counterpart, while the opposite was true at the Berger location. The concentrations of the heavy metals Pb and Zn in the contaminated soils were low, while the Cu concentration was high. Although the concentrations of these heavy metals were below the standards for potential environmental risks, the high Cu concentration at both locations poses a potential ecological risk and may affect soil and human health as Cu accumulates in critical levels in the soil due to the continued irresponsible disposal of spent oil on the ground.
Secondary cardiac lymphoma presenting with cardiac tamponade and cardiac mass: a case report
Authors: Lim Wei Juan , Kaisbain Neerusha , Bakar Rafidah Abu , Hadi Hafidz Abd , Mohamed Yusof Ahmad Khairuddin
Published: May 2024

Background

Cardiac tamponade as the presenting manifestation of systemic lymphoma is relatively uncommon. Pericardium is the commonest site of involvement in secondary malignancies with systemic lymphoma involving the heart in 20% of the cases.

Case presentation

We describe a case of a 78-year-old gentleman, who presented with symptoms of new onset cardiac failure, and hemodynamic compromise. An echocardiography revealed cardiac tamponade, necessitating an emergency pericardiocentesis. With the aid of multimodality imaging, he was found to have a right atrioventricular groove mass, widespread lymph node enlargement with bone and peritoneal involvement. Ultimately, a histopathological evaluation revealed a diagnosis of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).

Conclusions

Our case illustrates that a patient with DLBCL may present with cardiac tamponade as a result of metastasis. This diagnosis, although rare, is likely to be missed, which can cause fatal complications, such as cardiac tamponade, fatal arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death.
Complex decision making in a patient with lung cancer with incidentally found fast-growing atrial mass
Authors: Otchere Prince , Pak Stella , Ulloa-Rodriguez Juan , Fierro Maria , Sharma Aditi , Poku Tevonne , Kofi-Obeng Brandon , Yang Eric , Thallapureddy Keerthi
Published: May 2024

Atrial myxomas are typically found in the left atrium and are the most common among overall rare cardiac tumors. Herein, we describe the clinical course of a 72-year-old female with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma found to have an atrial mass during an imaging for evaluation for lung cancer progression. Differentiating between distinct types of masses can pose a challenge to the treatment team especially in the setting of exiting malignancy. This case demonstrates the complex decision making involved in the diagnosis, and timing of intervention to remove atrial mass in patients with frailty and a fast-growing cardiac mass.
A Statewide Mobile Simulation Program For Improving Obstetric Skills in Rural Hospitals
Authors: Thenuwara Kokila , Santillan Donna , Henkle Jill , Forman Jeana , Dunbar Amy , Faro Elissa , Hunter Stephen
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND:

Closure of rural obstetric (OB) units has led to maternal care deserts, causing mothers to travel long distances for maternity care. Emergency departments (EDs) in hospitals where OB units have closed require regular training for personnel to maintain OB skills, as do rural Level-1 OB units with low volumes of maternity cases. We used a federal grant to develop an OB mobile simulation program to bring simulation-based training to rural providers. Our goal was to improve OB skills and standardize care through the framework of the Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) Patient Safety Bundles.

METHODS:

We conducted needs assessments and built a mobile simulation unit. We defined 2 groups of learners: those in Level-1 OB units and those in EDs without OB units. For Level-1 OB units, we created a train-the-trainer curriculum, to create a statewide cohort of simulation experts to implement simulations in their facilities between our visits. We gifted each Level-1 unit an OB task trainer, implemented virtual train-the-trainer simulation and task trainer workshops, and conducted post-workshop assessments. We then traveled to each Level-1 unit and helped the cohort implement in situ simulations for their staff using facility-specific resources. We conducted assessments for the cohort and the hospital staff after the simulations. For EDs, we delivered virtual didactics to improve basic OB knowledge, then traveled to ED units, implemented in situ simulations, and conducted post-simulation assessments. We chose a postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) scenario for our first round of simulations.

RESULTS:

After train-the-trainer simulation workshops, 98% of participants surveyed agreed that workshop goals and objectives were achieved. After the task trainer workshop, 95% surveyed agreed that their knowledge of using the simulator had improved. After implementing in situ simulations in Level-1 OB units, 98.8% of the train-the-trainer cohort found that their ability to implement simulations had improved. The hospital staff participating in the simulations identified a 30% increase in ability to manage PPH. For the ED staff, postdidactic evaluations identified that 95.4% of participants reported moderate improvement in basic OB knowledge and after participation in the simulations >95% reported better skills as an ED team member when caring for pregnant patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results demonstrate improved skills of hospital staff in simulated PPH in Level-1 OB units and simulated OB emergencies in EDs that no longer have OB units. Further studies are warranted to assess improvement in maternal outcomes.
Dynamics of Per-Urban Land Alteration in and Around Siliguri City, India: A Geo-Spatial Study
Authors: Roy Subham , Roy Ranjan
Published: May 2024

Urban studies in more detailed form have emphasized zonal development and spatio-temporal transformation of cities. With the progress of time, the city expands outward, which gives birth to new urban areas. While areas within the administrative boundary of a city often goes through the process of planning, those, outside the administrative jurisdiction of the city often lack proper management and organization of land. This often results in haphazard urban growth and proliferation of semi-formal settlements within the peri-urban setting of developing nations. The present study was conducted for exploring the dynamics of peripheral urban land alterations in and around Siliguri city. For in-depth research, three buffer zones were delineated and supervised classification-based satellite images were incorporated to visualize the usage and coverage of land (LULC) based transformations of over the years. In addition, NDVI and LST were used to trace the changes in vegetation quality and surface temperature at the buffer zone level. The findings show a deterioration in vegetation health and an increase in surface temperature of the land in newly developed built-up and desolate regions. All three buffer zones showed a negative association the temperature of the land surface and the health of the vegetation. Furthermore, spatial extent of built-up land determined by remote sensing data was compared to population growth rates to calculate the Land Conversion Rate-Population Growth Rate (LCRPGR). The study emphasizes that peri-urbanization has accelerated the spread of built-up areas across the three zones, reflecting population constraints on land and yielding an overall LCRPGR value of 3.22. Importantly, the study demonstrated how the change-induced evidence of peri-urban dynamics has led to land transformation in the study area. Importantly, the study highlights how evidence of peri-urban dynamics reveals land changes in the studied area. It demonstrates how the rapid rise of people and development, along with limited available land space, drives the rapid alteration of peri-urban areas inside urban cityscape.
An Experimental Study for Air Temperature Distribution in a Conditioned Room Using Various Vertical Locations of Conditioned Air Ducts
Authors: Mahajan Sunil M , Bartaria Vishvendranath N
Published: May 2024

The Air distribution phenomenon is most useful in thermal environment study and its effectiveness. The main aim of this investigation is to examine and discover the thermal properties of the inside area and its thermal environment. The experimental work for research was studied at the first-floor lab of the government women’s polytechnic, Bhopal. The experiment was conducted in the summer and winter seasons in a closed-conditioned room with the arrangement of a conditioned air discharge duct. The conditioned air was discharged through the circular pipe duct which was set vertically. The duct has arrangements to discharge the air through various vertical positions as the lower duct (L), middle duct (M), and upper duct (U). This experimental work investigates supply air velocity and vertical temperature variation effectiveness inside said test room. The experiment results were collected with lower, middle, and vertical duct opening conditions respectively. The vertical temperature variation and air velocity at the outlet of the duct were noted with considerable points at 1 m from each inside the test room space. The outcome of the results shows the indoor thermal environment and vertical temperature distribution were affected by the discharge air duct position and supply air velocity. The temperature profile vertically impacted when the measuring test point position was near the discharge air duct and it became quite consistent in respective measurements from a large distance.
Natural Science under Partus Sequitur Ventrem
Authors: Polcha Elizabeth
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This article considers entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian's 1705 Suriname illustrated naturalist study, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium , as a text about the brutality of reproductive politics under colonialism and slavery. In the eighteenth-century, the Caribbean was foundational within a global commercial system of knowledge production, in which the exchange of specimens, agricultural commodities, and curiosity collections produced capital, status, and prestige. European conceptions of the natural world were fundamentally shaped by capitalist models in which flora and fauna in the colonies were divested from the conditions of their classification and ordering. Across the sixty engraved plates printed in Metamorphosis , insect husbandry and breeding, the lifecycles of fauna, and ecological relations of heredity serve as a façade for the social and material conditions of slavery. Through close readings of Merian's engraved plates and transcribed narratives of free and enslaved African and Indigenous women, this article argues that the beauty of Merian's Suriname book, as well as its intricate production history, both obscures and furthers the text's underlying violence. Though it has been three hundred years since Merian's Metamorphosis was first published, the obscuring beauty of her illustrated work continues to haunt popular narratives of the history of science.
Soil and Enslaved People: Racial Ecologies of the Plantation Economy, 1627–1764
Authors: Mallipeddi Ramesh
Published: May 2024

Abstract: In his 1729 The Trade and Navigation of Great Britain Considered , the Quaker merchant Joshua Gee observed that "the island of Barbados is very much worn out, and does not afford the quantity of sugar as heretofore." Gee's concern over declining yields was shared by several contemporary Caribbean planters and agricultural reformers. With the expansion of sugar cultivation in older colonies such as Barbados, St. Kitts, and Antigua, the area under woodlands, pasture, and subsistence crops diminished, accelerating soil erosion. Planters recognized that, as fertility declined, additional slave importations and new uncultivated lands would be necessary to produce enough sugar for the world market. This essay examines how the expanding plantation complex transferred risks or uncertainties to its most vulnerable groups: African migrants and Caribbean slaves. Drawing on Samuel Martin's plantation manual, An Essay on Plantership (1762), James Grainger's West-India Georgic The Sugar Cane (1764), and the testimonies before the select committee of the House of Commons, I show how the subjugation of enslaved people and soil, labor and land, and bodies and landscapes was a social and environmental disaster—one with lasting consequences for African Caribbean slaves and their emancipated descendants.
Equiano's Shipwreck: Insurance, Risk and Peril in Plantationocene Oceans
Authors: Nicolazzo Sal
Published: May 2024

Abstract: The 1767 shipwreck of the Nancy occupies a central place in Olaudah Equiano's Interesting Narrative (1789); as many scholars have noted, it is not only the literal centerpiece of the textbut also a foundational rhetorical moment central to Equiano's intertwining political and theological arguments. This essay offers a reading of the shipwreck scene as a politicized redeployment of one of the foundational concepts of maritime insurance law: the "perils of the sea." As maritime insurance emerged as a central institution for eighteenth-century capitalism, legal disputes repeatedly shaped and contested the category of "the perils of the sea": dangers considered to lie outside the scope of human agency, foresight, or fault. Most infamously, the "perils of the sea" lie at the heart of Gregson v. Gilbert , the legal case that resulted from the massacre aboard theslave ship the Zong . Through both his long career as a sailor and his personal involvement with abolitionist campaigns to publicize the Zong murders, Equiano would have been deeply familiar with the contours of maritime insurance law, and this essay reads the shipwreck scene as pivotally and critically engaged with the "perils of the sea" as a category shaping the emergence of financialized risk and its elision of other modes of thinking peril, vulnerability, and the contested border between human agency and environmental threat. While much recent work in the blue humanities has called for literary scholars to attend to the ocean as an irreducible materiality that challenges anthropocentric narrations of agency, this essay argues that the logic of maritime insurance, too, relied on the invocation of "the sea" as the sublime opposite of human agency, prudence, and riskmanagement. By engaging with the "perils of the sea" and its legal construction of "the sea" in opposition to human agency, Equiano detaches racialized distributions of risk, peril, and vulnerability from the naturalizing figuration of them as attributes of "the sea" and insists that risk itself be an object of abolition struggle.
Rheumatic Heart Disease In Chad: Clinical, Paraclinical, Therapeutic And Progressive Aspects
Authors: Temoua Naibe Dangwe , Ahamat Ali Adam , Lucien Allawaye , Narcisse Doune , Amine Adjougoulta Koboy Allah , Abdelmadjib Zakaria , Hybi Langtar Mianroh , Natirngar Madjirangar , Urbain Dallah Houba , Abdoulaye Fatime , Dikoua Binwe , Aboubakar Abdelkerim , Djimadoum Nahodidje , Mbaissouroum Mouanodji , Franco Masini
Published: May 2024

Introduction
Rheumatic heart disease is mostly common in low-income or developing parts of the world, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, with a high morbidity and mortality rate. There are few data that are available in Chad on rheumatic heart disease. Our objective was to study the clinical, echocardiographic, therapeutic, and progressive aspects of rheumatic heart disease at the Renaissance University Hospital Center and the National Reference Teaching Hospital in N’Djamena, Chad.

Patient and methods
This was a prospective, multicenter and observational cohort study, covering a consecutive series of patients consulted and/or hospitalized for rheumatic heart disease, documented by an echocardiogram from January 2015 to January 2021.

Results
Among the 4456 patients consulted and/or hospitalized, 398 cases of rheumatic heart disease (8.9%) were collected, and 364 patients had met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 31.2 ± 14.4 years, and 193 patients (53%) were female. On admission, heart failure was present in 214 patients (58.8%), ischemic stroke in 10 patients (2.7%) and supraventricular arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation in 94 patients (25.8%) and atrial flutter in 6 patients (1.6%). Mitral regurgitation was observed in 49.7% (n=181) of cases, aortic regurgitation in 33.2% (n=121), mitral stenosis in 31.3% (n=114), and aortic stenosis in 7.7% (n=28). At least two valvular disorders were combined in 48.4% of cases. A surgical intervention such as a heart valve replacement and/or valvuloplasty was performed in 80 patients (22.2%). At least one rehospitalization was noted in 56.9% of patients. Forty-two of the 150 patients free of heart failure at inclusion (28%) had experienced the first episode of decompensated heart failure during follow-up. On the other hand, in 119 patients (55.6%), it was the second episode of decompensated heart failure. Other progressive complications included atrial fibrillation (13.8%), thromboembolic complications (6.3%), infective endocarditis (6.0%) and prosthetic valve dysfunction (1.4%). Altogether, the mortality rate was 10.4%. It was 9.9% in non-operated patients compared to 12.5% in operated patients (p=0.49).

Conclusion
The present study shows that morbidity and mortality of rheumatic heart disease remain high in our context and often affect children, young adults, and women. Treatment is essentially based on cardiac surgery which is not available in Chad.
Stereoselective Synthesis of N-Glycosyl Oxazolines and Evaluation of Their Antiproliferative Activity
Authors: Sivets Grigorii G. , Sivets Aleksey V. , Khancheuski Maksim A.
Published: May 2024

A stereoselective synthesis of protected N-glycosyl oxazolines has been developed from available acylated sugar 1,2-O-acetonides using intramolecular Ritter-like reactions. New N-α- and β-D-pentofuranosyl, α-D-hexofuranosyl oxazolines as valuable intermediates for preparation of diverse N-glycosides were obtained by BF3.OEt2-KHF2 or BF3.OEt2-promoted reactions of pentofuranose and hexafuranose acetonide derivatives with nitriles. When selectively acylated D-xylo- or ribofuranoses were employed in the reactions, N-α-pentofuranosyl oxazolines were prepared in good yields. A mechanism for the formation of glycosyl oxazolines was proposed. A series of oxazoline derivatives were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity on three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, Hela and K562).
Changes in Cellular Morphology in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Children with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia
Authors: Ma Kun , Li Shujun
Published: May 2024

Objective
To study changes of cell morphology in BALF in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP).

Methods
From December 2021 to May 2022, a group of 32 children diagnosed with Acute MPP and admitted for treatment in the Pediatrics Department and PICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University were selected for our study. These patients underwent bronchoalveolar lavage as part of their clinical assessment. For comparison, we included a control group comprising 10 children who were not infected but had bronchial foreign bodies. We investigated the cellular composition in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) using Wright-Giemsa staining and microscopic evaluation, aiming to understand the relationship between shifts in cell proportions and extra-pulmonary symptoms associated with MPP.

Results
In this study, a total of 42 cases were enrolled, with 32 cases in the study group and 10 cases in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, height, weight, and BMI between the two groups (p > 0.05). The study group exhibited significantly higher levels of neutrophil percentage (GRA%), CRP, D-dimer, and LDH in blood routine tests compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the proportions of neutrophils (%) and macrophages (%) in BALF were significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (p< 0.05), while the proportion of lymphocytes (%) in BALF showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p> 0.05).

Conclusion
In the acute phase of MPP in children, BALF is predominantly composed of neutrophils. A lower proportion of lymphocytes in BALF is associated with a higher incidence of extra-pulmonary manifestations and longer hospitalization duration.
A Severe and Fatal Type A Aortic Dissection in an Adult with a Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Montatore Manuela , Masino Federica , Signorile Vincenzo , Balbino Marina , Tupputi Ruggiero , Guglielmi Giuseppe
Published: May 2024

We report a case of a 44-year-old woman surgically treated for tetralogy of Fallot who experienced an acute and extensive Stanford A type aortic dissection despite the meticulous follow-up. While aortic dilatation is prevalent in individuals with repaired tetralogy of Fallot, aortic dissection represents a rare consequence, that when it appears, is progressive and usually detected during the check-up visits. In the case reported, the dissection was unexpected and severe, and the patient’s clinical state worsened suddenly, leading to death after a few days. Constant awareness for aortic aneurysms is essential in the Fallot tetralogy population, nevertheless, several causes may contribute to the acute worsening of the clinical condition until the patient’s death.
Central Pleomorphic Adenoma of Mandible Mimicking Ameloblastoma – A Rare Case Report
Authors: Manerikar Ravindra , Mani Amit , Bajpai Manas , Karakalla Shyam Reddy
Published: May 2024

Salivary gland neoplasms account for 3% of all head and neck tumours. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common salivary gland tumour that mainly occurs in the parotid gland, followed by minor salivary glands of the oral cavity, however, the occurrence of PA inside the jaw bones is exceedingly rare and very few cases have been reported in the literature. Inside jaw bones these lesions tend to imitate large osteolytic lesions encompass a diagnostic challenge. An exhaustive review of the literature revealed only 10 cases of central pleomorphic adenoma. We present a rare case of primary PA that occurred inside the mandible and was provisionally diagnosed as ameloblastoma.
Coracoclavicular Joint Arthrosis – An Uncommon Cause of Shoulder Pain
Authors: Graça Natã Nascimento de Jesus , Duarte Márcio Luís
Published: May 2024

The coracoclavicular joint is a diarthrodial synovial joint that is eventually located between the upper surface of the horizontal part of the coracoid process and the conoid tubercle of the clavicle, and is considered an unusual anatomical alteration. The coracoclavicular joint has a low prevalence and can be diagnosed by imaging tests – radiography and computed tomography. Treatment can be performed both conservatively and surgically. We report a case of an 81-year-old female patient presenting of pain in her left shoulder due to coracoclavicular joint arthrosis. A radiograph of the left shoulder was performed, which detected a deformity in the lower portion of the middle third of the clavicle and the upper portion of the coracoid process, corresponding to the coracoclavicular joint, a finding confirmed by computed tomography. The patient was treated conservatively with analgesics (Dipyrone) and anti-inflammatories (Ibuprofen) with improvement in symptoms.
A Comparison of Three Asian English Textbooks by Correspondence Analysis
Authors: Uenishi Koji
Published: May 2024

This paper explores the differences of the English textbooks for the fifth graders in China, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka in Asia.  Specifically, the fifth graders’ textbooks were analyzed using a readability tool and Correspondence Analysis (hereafter, CA). An analysis of the data suggests that, in terms of readability and content, there were both similarities and differences between the three textbooks.  More precisely, regarding readability, the English textbook of China is closer to the level of English textbook of Myanmar, and the level of textbook of Myanmar is higher than the other two textbooks.  Also, concerning the content including vocabulary, CA shows that basically the three textbooks are different from each other.
Climate Resilience, Vulnerability, Differential Impacts and Adaptive Capacity in Nigeria
Authors: Folorunso Joy
Published: May 2024

This research investigates and promotes climate resilience in Nigeria’s vulnerable communities, which are disproportionately affected by climate change. How climate change worsens existing problems such as food insecurity, poverty, and conflict in Nigeria serve as the rationale to this study. Hence, defining climate resilience, reviewing relevant literature, and conducting a case study to generate evidence-based recommendations give insight into the objectives of this study. Therefore, reviewed literature shows the diverse impacts of climate change on disadvantaged groups, such as small-scale farmers and urban coastal dwellers. Vulnerability assessments highlight the need for adaptive capacity, integrating local knowledge in solutions. Case studies illustrate vulnerabilities in poor urban coastal areas, rural regions, and the Niger Delta. Differential impacts are examined, such as the gendered effects of climate change on women and the challenges faced by indigenous communities and urban slums. Adaptive capacity is discussed, stressing social capital, collective action, and the interrelation of adaptation, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability. Adaptive capacity assessment in Nigeria indicates difficulties in rural farming households and urban coastal communities, requiring enhanced capacities. Indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in adaptive measures, fostering resilience. Resilience enhancement strategies emphasize social justice, inclusive governance, and community-based adaptation, acknowledging the significance of local empowerment and participation. Technology and innovation provide possibilities but need context-specific methods. These strategies can help build climate resilience in Nigeria’s vulnerable communities, offering a basis for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to tackle the complex challenges of climate change.
Assessment of Living Room Furniture Arrangement on Wellbeing Case Study Jeddah Residents, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Makkawi Fattwo Abdul Rahman , Md. Yusoff Irwan Syah , Che Me Rosalam
Published: May 2024

This review explores the impact of living room furniture arrangement on the wellbeing of residents in Jeddah, integrating cultural, environmental, and psychological perspectives. It synthesizes findings from various qualitative studies, highlighting the significant role of cultural and traditional elements in living space design. The review emphasizes the importance of biophilic design, adaptability, and flexibility in modern living spaces, particularly in the context of post-COVID-19 lifestyle changes. It also examines the influence of urban planning and socio-economic factors on residential space design and its impact on resident wellbeing. Key conclusions suggest that living room arrangements in Jeddah should resonate with cultural values, incorporate biophilic elements, and be adaptable to multifunctional use. Future research directions include further exploration of cultural aspects in living space design, innovations in biophilic integration, adaptive design solutions, and the establishment of wellbeing metrics for evidence-based design. The review acknowledges limitations in scope, potential biases, and the dynamic nature of urban living, underscoring the need for ongoing research.
Leaps of Knowledge
Authors: Teixeira Antonio R. L.
Published: May 2024

Chagas Disease is the main cause of heart failure in the Western Hemisphere. Initially restricted to the American continent, the people's migration to the Northern Hemisphere caused the disease to become present in the five continents. A scientific revolution occurs when an important discovery removes an obstacle to the serial production of new scientific knowledge of social interest. Such a revolution creates a paradigm accepted after experimental analysis and verification by scientists investigating the subject. An example of a leap in knowledge was the discovery of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, its invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, an agent of a new human disease recognized by Dr. Carlos Chagas at the beginning of the twentieth century. Certainly, the seminal work of Carlos Chagas inseminates enthusiasm that is essential to disturb the minds of scientists who produce leaps of knowledge about recondite aspects of Chagas disease at the University of Brasilia.
Agronomic potential of nine strawberry cultivars for two consecutive cycles in a greenhouse
Authors: Dornelles Alana Grando , Trentin Thomas dos Santos , Petry Claudia , Chiomento José Luís Trevizan
Published: May 2024

The lack of information about strawberry cultivation for more than one production cycle ends up generating high costs for producers to acquire daughter plants to reestablish their crops. Therefore, aiming at technical alternatives for a transition to more sustainable crops, the objective of this work was to investigate whether strawberry cultivars grown in a greenhouse for two cycles differ in terms of yield potential and fruit chemical quality. The treatments were nine strawberry cultivars (‘Albion’, ‘Aromas’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Camino Real’, ‘Fronteras’, ‘Merced’, ‘Monterey’, ‘Portola’, and ‘San Andreas’) and two production cycles (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), arranged in a randomized block design with six replications. The results showed that in the second cycle the ‘Aromas’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Camino Real’, ‘Merced’, and ‘Monterey’ cultivars stood out in terms of the highest number of fruits produced. ‘Fronteras’ and ‘Merced’ had the highest total production of strawberries in the second cycle. ‘Merced’ and ‘Monterey’ produced the highest fruits in the first cycle and ‘Fronteras’ produced strawberries with the highest average fresh fruit mass in the second cycle. ‘Albion’ and ‘Camarosa’ stood out for the higher sugar content in the fruits produced. The least acidic and most flavorful strawberries were produced in the first cycle. In conclusion, strawberry cultivars grown in greenhouses for two cycles differ in terms of yield potential and chemical fruit quality. This study indicates that the nine cultivars can be grown for two consecutive cycles without compromising berry production.
A novel compounded cyproheptadine hydrochloride oral solution: Accelerated stability study and effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in Wistar rats
Authors: Ferreira da Costa Karine , Silveira Cunha Letícia Isabeli , Gordilho Lucas Aparecido , Salerno Costa Gabriel , Oliveira do Couto Renê , Chaves Valéria Ernestânia , Gomes Ana Julia Pereira Santinho
Published: May 2024

The present study developed a compounded oral solution (COS) containing an active component cyproheptadine hydrochloride (CY) in association with pharmaceutical adjuvants. The main objective is to demonstrate the stability of this solution and the in vivo effects on serum and liver parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism. After 180 days of analysis the COS showed physicochemical stability (pH and specific gravity) when submitted to different temperatures (24 °C and 40 °C), but the chemical stability, presented by the content of CY (%) in the formulation, showed that the degradation rate of CY increased 20x when submitted to a stress condition (40 °C). Male Wistar rats were treated with IOS 1.5 (industrial oral solution 1.5 mg.kg-1) or saline for 21 days and IOS 5.0 or COS (5 mg.kg-1) or placebo by gavage for 23 days. Treatment with IOS 1.5 increased liver cholesterol by 30 % without changing liver and body weight in this group. In contrast, treatment with IOS and COS (5 mg.kg-1) increased final body weight by 8 % compared to placebo. Interestingly, the COS group had increased liver glycogen accompanied by reduced food intake compared to IOS. However, COS and IOS 5.0 did not induce changes in adipose tissue weight, liver weight, as well as serum glucose, triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels. This work provides us with data that prove the stability of the compound solution at room temperature, as well as inducing an increase in the final body weight of rats with no alteration in glucose and lipid metabolism.
Biologia de nidificação de Euglossa cordata (Apidae: Euglossini) em áreas abertas no Extremo Sul Baiano
Authors: Silva de Souza Filho Flávio , Costa Prates Matheus , Da Costa Pina Welber
Published: May 2024

The genus Euglossa comprises a group of approximately 110 cataloged bee species found throughout the Neotropical region. Among these species, Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758) has a wide distribution in different environments. This research aimed to analyze aspects of the nesting biology of E. cordata in open areas near Atlantic Forest fragments in the Extreme South of Bahia, Brazil. Collections were carried out using PET bottle traps, a methodology commonly employed for capturing Meliponini but adapted for the first time in this study, presenting a low cost and good applicability for studies on Euglossa bees. Ten traps were randomly distributed in open environments at the Federal Institute of Bahia. Three nests of E. cordata were found, with a total of thirteen brood cells and six female emergences in traps 2 and 3. In all nests, the cells were constructed in a circular manner and arranged close to each other. The cells were built with resin and had a scalene trapezoid shape with variations in diameter and length. Studies on bees of the Euglossini tribe, popularly known as orchid bees, often focus on males collected using odor baits. Conversely, studies on females and nesting biology are scarce. Thus, methodologies that facilitate the capture of females and Euglossini nests are extremely relevant for enhancing our understanding of the group.
Global Education and Critical Thinking: A Necessary Symbiosis to Educate for Critical Global Citizenship
Authors: Santamaría-Cárdaba Noelia , Gajardo Katherine , Iglesias Judith Cáceres , Ortega-Quevedo Vanessa
Published: May 2024

Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is a topic of relevance in current international educational debates, which increasingly focus on the formation of critical citizenship. This makes it necessary to discover from a critical pedagogical perspective the relationships between this pedagogical approach, Critical Thinking (CT), and GCE. Throughout this study, through an extensive theoretical review of the literature, we try to show the characteristics in which critical pedagogy, GCE, and CT converge, giving rise to the Critical GCE towards which we must move today. Therefore, this study is revealing for discovering the path towards which GCE is currently heading by clearly showing the symbiosis between CT and GCE. In conclusion, if we want to educate global citizens, it is necessary not only to have a strong background in GCE but also to develop CT to understand global society critically and the need to act to try to transform the world into one free from oppression and injustice.
Characterization of low-damage cutting of alfalfa stalks by self-sharpening cutters made of gradient materials
Authors: Ma Jingyi , Fu Rongbin , Wu Kun , Bai Chunhao , Song Yuepeng , Ren Longlong
Published: May 2024

The use of self-sharpening cutters can increase crop survival and regrowth by reducing the extent of stem damage incurred during the mowing stage and reducing the healing time at the harvest site. In this study, a self-sharpening cutter was prepared using a two-stage rare earth catalytic carbon–nitrogen–boron co-infiltration process, and the self-sharpening and wear-resistant properties of the cutter were verified by using metallographic organization testing, hardness testing, friction and wear performance testing, and the homemade tool wear test bench, and the low-damage cutting characteristics of the cutter were examined through field tests on alfalfa. The results show that the thickness of the penetration layer on the back face of a self-sharpening cutter made of gradient material is about 800 μm, with a maximum hardness of 1,800 HV. The coefficient of friction of the gradient material self-sharpening cutter is 67% lower than that of the commercially available 65Mn cutter. Gradient material self-sharpening cutter wear resistance is 2.15 times more than that of commercially available 65Mn cutter. The gradient material self-sharpening cutter reduces cutting damage by 11.42% compared to the commercially available 65Mn cutter. The application and promotion of self-sharpening cutting blades with gradient materials reduce alfalfa cutting damage, thereby improving reproductive yield.
Investigating advection–dispersion behavior for simulation of HTO and 238Pu transport in argillaceous shale with different varying degrees of weathering
Authors: Yunfeng Shi  , Yang Song , Wang Longjiang , Chen Wenjie , Tan Jun , Gao Kai , Xiong Weijia , Zhang Aiming , Lian Bing
Published: May 2024

Exploring the migration behavior of radioactive nuclides in the surrounding rock media of the disposal site is the basis for the safety evaluation of radioactive waste disposal sites. In this study, the column experiment was employed to evaluate the nuclide migration behavior in the surrounding rock medium of a near-surface disposal site in China and to investigate the advection–dispersion behavior of tritium (HTO) and plutonium-238 (238Pu) in highly weathered argillaceous shale with different degree of weathering. A reasonable numerical model was selected to fit the experimental breakthrough curves (BTCs) and obtain relevant migration parameters. The results showed that: (1) the breakthrough curves of HTO and 238Pu in fractured media with varying degrees of weathering exhibited clear “peak forward” and “tail dragging” phenomena; (2) the stream tube model can better fit the BTCs of the nuclides in the highly weathered fractures and obtain the average dispersion coefficient , average distribution coefficient <K
d>, and other parameters; (3) the two-region non-equilibrium model can better fit the BTCs of the nuclides in the penetrating fractures and weak weathering fractures and obtain the volumetric water content of the mobile liquid region (θ
m), distribution coefficient (K
d), and other parameters.
Autonome Modellierung von Maschinenverhalten
Authors: Oexle Florian , Netzer Markus , Deiters Laurence , Puchta Alexander , Fleischer Jürgen
Published: May 2024

The shortage of skilled workers is a major challenge facing companies in Germany today. To address this issue, intelligent machines will need to support employees in the future, with a particular focus on self-optimization. For that an approach that enables a milling machine to autonomously model its own dynamic behavior is presented in this article. In addition, a well-known company demonstrates how important the industrial implementation of such approaches is.
Zielgerichteter Einsatz von Traceability-Systemen
Authors: Herrmann Julian , Metternich Joachim
Published: May 2024

Traceability systems record information like component ID, processing station and processing time in production. This allows for example to verify the product origin, to limit recalls and to dynamically control production processes. In small and medium-sized companies, Traceability systems are not comprehensively used. This article describes a maturity model that supports demand-oriented system launches and further developments.