bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence that TNF-induced respiratory burst of adherent PMN is mediated by integrin αLβ2
Authors: Decleva Eva , Dri Pietro , Menegazzi Renzo , Busetto Sara , Cramer Rita
Published: September 2022

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) respond to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) with a respiratory burst (RB) only after adherence to surfaces coated with extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin and fibrinogen (permissive substrates) but not with others such as laminin or collagen (nonpermissive substrates). As PMN adherence to both types of surfaces is dependent on β2 integrins, we investigated the molecular basis of the different metabolic response to TNF. In particular, we evaluated the relative role of each β2 integrin (αLβ2, αMβ2, and αXβ2) in adherence and O2− production of PMN residing on fibronectin- and laminin-coated surfaces, which were considered as models of permissive and nonpermissive surfaces, respectively. By using α chain-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb), we show that αMβ2 and αXβ2 mediate adherence to fibronectin and laminin; αLβ2 is not involved in adherence to laminin and has only a minimal contribution in adherence to fibronectin. Furthermore, production of O2− in response to TNF was induced by immobilized anti-αLβ2 but not anti-αMβ2 or anti-αXβ2 mAb. A strong correlation was also found between expression of αLβ2 and TNF-induced RB on fibronectin. Lastly, PMN responded to TNF on laminin with a RB after the inclusion of αL-specific mAb in the laminin coat. Thus, we conclude that TNF-induced RB by PMN residing on fibronectin is mediated by αLβ2 and that αMβ2 and αXβ2 are likely to play an ancillary role to the signaling activity of αLβ2 by facilitating its recruitment to sites of adherence. The nonpermissiveness of laminin appears to be a consequence of its inability to act as a ligand for αLβ2.
IL-12-dependent nuclear factor-κB activation leads to de novo synthesis and release of IL-8 and TNF-α in human neutrophils
Authors: Al-Mohanna Futwan , Saleh Soad , Parhar Ranjit S , Collison Kate
Published: September 2022

The cytokine interleukin (IL)-12 plays a bridging role between innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we demonstrate that treatment of neutrophils with IL-12 leads to a transient increase in intracellular-free calcium [Ca++]i levels, which is necessary for the production of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM). This production is associated with the activation and nuclear translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-κB and is inhibited in the presence of the intracellular calcium chelator 1,2-bis(O-amminophenoxy) ethane-N,N-N′,N′-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl ester and the ROM production inhibitor diphenyl iodonium. We show that IL-12 causes a significant increase in total mRNA levels, which appear dependent on the generated ROM. In addition IL-12 induces the de novo synthesis and production of IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in a calcium- and ROM-dependent manner. Our data demonstrate a direct role for IL-12 in the activation of human neutrophils and suggest a ROM-dependent interplay between IL-12-induced [Ca++]i transient and the release of IL-8 and TNF-α through NF-κB activation.
Ethanol-induced inhibition of cytokine release and protein degranulation in human neutrophils
Authors: Taïeb Julien , Delarche Charlotte , Ethuin Fréderic , Selloum Saphia , Poynard Thierry , Gougerot-Pocidalo Marie-Anne , Chollet-Martin Sylvie
Published: September 2022

Ethanol impairs immune responses in humans and animal models, in vivo and in vitro. In particular, ethanol inhibits some key functions of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). We investigated the impact of ethanol on cytokine production by highly purified PMN. In a time- and concentration-dependent manner, ethanol inhibited the production of interleukin (IL)-8 protein and mRNA and also hindered tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) release by modulating the expression of the TNF-α-converting enzyme involved in TNF-α shedding. This disruption of PMN cytokine release by ethanol may contribute to the increased risk of infection in alcoholic patients. Degranulation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was also impaired by a clinically relevant ethanol concentration (0.8%), an action that may delay the repair of alcoholic liver damage. These findings suggest that ethanol may modulate three major cytokines involved in alcoholic liver diseases, IL-8, TNF-α, and HGF, via three different mechanisms.
Frontline Therapy in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: When Clinical Trial and Real-World Data Collide
Authors: Fenske Timothy S.
Published: September 2022

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors’ suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology , to patients seen in their own clinical practice.

A large number of frontline treatment options exist for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), making selection of therapy a challenge for the clinician. In this Oncology Grand Rounds article, the case of a 73-year-old woman with MCL who attained remission with bendamustine and rituximab is presented. The relevant literature regarding frontline therapy is then reviewed, with particular focus on selection of induction regimen and the potential roles for autologous transplantation and/or rituximab maintenance. This literature primarily consists of prospective phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials; however, added to this literature now is a growing body of large retrospective real-world cohorts, such as the new analysis by Martin et al,35the manuscript that accompanies this Oncology Grand Rounds article. In some cases, the real-world evidence is at odds with data from prospective clinical trials, such as regarding the role of rituximab maintenance after bendamustine plus rituximab induction. These important new real-world data are put into context of an ever-changing treatment landscape, in hopes of aiding clinicians in frontline treatment selection for patients with MCL.
Transfiguration as a World-Making Practice: From Norman O. Brown to Bob Dylan
Authors: Wilson Rob
Published: September 2022

By a transfigurative recoding of selfhood and quasi-biblical analogizing of historical events across space and time, Bob Dylan enacted in his poetic name change from Zimmerman to Dylan (as he would writing across the larger body of his song-poetry) what Norman O. Brown had embraced, in Love's Body and Apocalypse and/or Metamorphosis if not throughout his works early and late, as tactics of “figural interpretation, [that] discovered world-historical significance in any [everyday trivial] event—an event which remains trivial for those who do not have eyes to see.” Transfiguration for Brown was not merely a figural, intertextual, or rhetorical shift of tropes, as will be elaborated; it also implies more strongly a biomorphic metamorphosis of self and world, soul and matter, bios and logos, via the morphological and linguistic transformation of terms and forms. Such metaphoric twists and troping turns of metamorphosis aim to remake the world into fluid, multiple forms of becoming befitting what a flourishing Romantic imagination longs for (via transubstantiation) and what Brown defines (and Dylan performs as) feats of transfigurative metamorphosis: “Metamorphosis, or transubstantiation.” “Transubstantiate my form, says Daphne [as muse to Apollo, archetypal Greco-Roman poet].” In this essay, Brown will play Daphne provoking and inspiring in figures like Apollo what he terms as the “be leafing” (believing) patterns in a world-transforming visionary poet like Bob Dylan.
Pedagogy: An Introduction to the Book of Ours
Authors: Hall Nor
Published: September 2022

This introduction to the Book of Ours tells stories of the processes of its production and the efforts made regarding its publication. The Book of Ours, a handwritten and hand-drawn workbook, was designed by Norman O. Brown and Nor Hall to accompany eight labyrinthine lectures on Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns that Brown gave for his “To Greet the Return of the Gods” class of 1970 and 1971. The workbook introduced undergraduates to the Greek alphabet, gave references for lecture material written on the blackboard, and provided a bibliography. Intended as a pedagogical tool, each page lent annotated white space for notes, musings, and poetic utterance.
Hymn to the Muses: To Greet the Return of the Gods, Part 1 (Lecture 2, Book of Ours)
Authors: Brown Norman O.
Published: September 2022

This lecture, a tribute to the Muses, was delivered by Norman O. Brown for his class of 1971, “To Greet the Return of the Gods.” It is spoken with the preacher's rhythmic diction and charmed hieratic voice, and is transcribed here to include Brown's intentional pauses, halting rhythms, repetitions, asides, and idiosyncratic quotes. As in the Orphic tradition, the professor becomes what he's professing: Brown teaches us to sing a love song according to the Muses, finding the meaning in the singing and in the etymology of the names of the divine sisters. Brown's nearly liturgical list of names is propelled by devotion to the feminine and to language, above all to Kalliopê, chiefest of Muses. The gift of the Muses to mortals, Brown argues, is a poetical politics essential in the ongoing iron age described by Hesiod. Poetry as prayer—yet the Muses make it new, “so everything can shine again.”
The Knosp Criteria Revisited: 3-Dimensional Volumetric Analysis as a Predictive Tool for Extent of Resection in Complex Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery
Authors: DiRisio Aislyn C. , Feng Rui , Shuman William H. , Platt Samantha , Price Gabrielle , Dullea Jonathan T. , Gilja Shivee , D'Andrea Megan R. , Delman Bradley N. , Bederson Joshua B. , Shrivastava Raj K.
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND:

The Knosp criteria have been the historical standard for predicting cavernous sinus invasion, and therefore extent of surgical resection, of pituitary macroadenomas. Few studies have sought to reappraise the utility of this tool after recent advances in visualization and modeling of tumors in complex endoscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate our proposed alternative method, using 3-dimensional (3D) volumetric imaging, and whether it can better predict extent of resection in nonfunctional pituitary adenomas.

METHODS:

Patients who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of pituitary macroadenomas at our institution were reviewed. Information was collected on neurological, endocrine, and visual function. Volumetric segmentation was performed using 3D Slicer software. Relationship of tumor volume, clinical features, and Knosp grade on extent of resection was examined.

RESULTS:

One hundred forty patients were identified who had transsphenoidal resection of nonfunctional pituitary adenomas. Macroadenomas had a median volume of 6 cm3 (IQR 3.4-8.7), and 17% had a unilateral Knosp grade of at least 3B. On multiple logistic regression, only smaller log-transformed preoperative tumor volume was independently associated with increased odds of gross total resection (GTR; odds ratio: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.07-0.89, P < .05) when controlling for tumor proliferative status, age, and sex (area under the curve 0.67). The Knosp criteria did not independently predict GTR in this cohort (P > .05, area under the curve 0.46).

CONCLUSION:

Increasing use of volumetric 3D imaging may better anticipate extent of resection compared with the Knosp grade metric and may have a greater positive predictive value for GTR. More research is needed to validate these findings and implement them using automated methods.
The Muscle Morphology of Elite Female Sprint Running
Authors: MILLER ROBERT , BALSHAW THOMAS G. , MASSEY GARRY J. , MAEO SUMIAKI , LANZA MARCEL B. , HAUG BILL , JOHNSTON MICHAEL , ALLEN SAM J. , FOLLAND JONATHAN P.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

A paucity of research exists examining the importance of muscle morphological and functional characteristics for elite female sprint performance.

Purpose

This study aimed to compare lower body muscle volumes and vertical jumping power between elite and subelite female sprinters and assess the relationships of these characteristics with sprint race and acceleration performance.

Methods

Five elite (100 m seasons best [SBE100], 11.16 ± 0.06 s) and 17 subelite (SBE100, 11.84 ± 0.42 s) female sprinters underwent: 3T magnetic resonance imaging to determine the volume of 23 individual leg muscles/compartments and five functional muscle groups; countermovement jump and 30 m acceleration tests.

Results

Total absolute lower body muscle volume was higher in elite versus subelite sprinters (+15%). Elite females exhibited greater muscle volume of the hip flexors (absolute, +28%; relative [to body mass], +19%), hip extensors (absolute, +22%; relative, +14%), and knee extensors (absolute, +21%), demonstrating pronounced anatomically specific muscularity, with relative hip flexor volume alone explaining 48% of sprint performance variability. The relative volume of five individual muscles (sartorius, gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, vastus lateralis, illiopsoas) were both distinct between groups (elite > subelite) and related to SBE100 (r = 0.553–0.639), with the combination of the sartorius (41%) and the adductor magnus (17%) explaining 58% of the variance in SBE100. Elite female sprinters demonstrated greater absolute countermovement jump power versus subelite, and absolute and relative power were related to both SBE100 (r = −0.520 to −0.741) and acceleration performance (r = 0.569 to 0.808).

Conclusions

This investigation illustrates the distinctive, anatomically specific muscle volume distribution that facilitates elite sprint running in females, and emphasizes the importance of hip flexor and extensor relative muscle volume.
Effects of Endurance Training on Metabolic Enzyme Activity and Transporter Proteins in Skeletal Muscle of Ovariectomized Mice
Authors: TAKAHASHI KENYA , KITAOKA YU , MATSUNAGA YUTAKA , HATTA HIDEO
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Estrogen deficiency or insufficiency can occur under several conditions, leading to negative health outcomes. To establish an effective countermeasure against estrogen loss, we investigated the effects of endurance training on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced metabolic disturbances.

Methods

Female Institute of Cancer Research mice underwent OVX or sham operations. On day 7 of recovery, the mice were randomized to remain either sedentary or undergo 5 wk of treadmill running (15–20 m·min−1, 60 min, 5 d·wk−1). During week 5 of the training, all animals performed a treadmill running test (15 m·min−1, 60 min).

Results

After the experimental period, OVX resulted in greater gains in body mass, fat mass, and triglyceride content in the gastrocnemius muscle. OVX enhanced phosphofructokinase activity in the plantaris muscle and decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity in the plantaris and soleus muscles. OVX decreased the protein content of NDUFB8, a mitochondrial respiratory chain subunit, but did not decrease other mitochondrial proteins or enzyme activities. Endurance training significantly enhanced mitochondrial enzyme activity and protein content in the skeletal muscles. Although OVX increased the respiratory exchange ratio during the treadmill running test, and postexercise blood lactate levels, endurance training normalized these parameters.

Conclusions

The present findings suggest that endurance training is a viable strategy to counteract the negative metabolic consequences in hypoestrogenism.
Patterns of Daily Physical Movement, Chronic Inflammation, and Frailty Incidence
Authors: WANIGATUNGA AMAL A. , CHIU VENUS , CAI YURUN , URBANEK JACEK K. , MITCHELL CHRISTINE M. , MILLER EDGAR R. , CHRISTENSON ROBERT H. , REBUCK HEATHER , MICHOS ERIN D. , JURASCHEK STEPHEN P. , WALSTON JEREMY , XUE QIAN-LI , BANDEEN-ROCHE KAREN , APPEL LAWRENCE J. , SCHRACK JENNIFER A.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Low physical activity is a criterion of phenotypic frailty defined as an increased state of vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. Whether disengagement from daily all-purpose physical activity is prospectively associated with frailty and possibly modified by chronic inflammation—a pathway often underlying frailty—remains unexplored.

Methods

Using the Study to Understand Fall Reduction and Vitamin D in You data from 477 robust/prefrail adults (mean age = 76 ± 5 yr; 42% women), we examined whether accelerometer patterns (activity counts per day, active minutes per day, and activity fragmentation [broken accumulation]) were associated with incident frailty using Cox proportional hazard regression. Baseline interactions between each accelerometer metric and markers of inflammation that include interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 1 were also examined.

Results

Over an average of 1.3 yr, 42 participants (9%) developed frailty. In Cox regression models adjusted for demographics, medical conditions, and device wear days, every 30 min·d−1 higher baseline active time, 100,000 more activity counts per day, and 1% lower activity fragmentation was associated with a 16% (P = 0.003), 13% (P = 0.001), and 8% (P < 0.001) lower risk of frailty, respectively. No interactions between accelerometer metrics and baseline interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, or tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 1 were detected (interaction P > 0.06 for all).

Conclusions

Among older adults who are either robust or prefrail, constricted patterns of daily physical activity (i.e., lower total activity minutes and counts, and higher activity fragmentation) were prospectively associated with higher risk of frailty but not modified by frailty-related chronic inflammation. Additional studies, particularly trials, are needed to understand if this association is causal.
Money and Politics: The Effects of Campaign Spending Limits on Political Entry and Competition
Authors: Avis Eric , Ferraz Claudio , Finan Frederico , Varjão Carlos
Published: September 2022

This paper studies the effects of campaign spending limits on the political entry, selection, and behavior of local politicians in Brazil. We analyze a reform that limits campaign spending for mayoral elections. The limits were implemented with a discontinuity that we exploit for causal identification. We find that stricter limits reduce reelection rates and increase political competition by attracting more candidates who are also less wealthy and rely less on self-financing. Despite their effects on electoral outcomes, stricter limits did not lead to significant short-run improvements in policy outcomes, such as in education and health. (JEL D72, O17)
The Impact of Presidential Appointment of Judges: Montesquieu or the Federalists?
Authors: Mehmood Sultan
Published: September 2022

A central question in development economics is whether there are adequate checks and balances on the executive. This paper provides causal evidence of how increasing constraints on the executive—via removal of presidential discretion in judicial appointments—promotes the rule of law. The age structure of judges at the time of the reform and the mandatory retirement age law provide us with an exogenous source of variation in the termination of presidential discretion in judicial appointments. Overall, the results indicate that presidential appointment of judges deteriorates the rule of law. Even one degree of separation between the judiciary and the president matters. (JEL D72, K40, O17)
Modelling the potential distribution of the endemic oak Quercus vulcanica Boiss. & Heldr. ex Kotschy in Turkey from the last interglacial to the future: From near threatened to endangered
Authors: Sarıkaya Ayşe Gül , Örücü Ömer Kamil , Şen İsmail , Sarıkaya Oğuzhan
Published: September 2022

The aims of this study are to model past (LIG, LGM and Mid-Holocene), present and future (2050 and 2070) distributions of the Quercus vulcanica Boiss. & Heldr. ex Kotschy by using Maximum Entropy, and to predict suitable areas for the conservation of the species for future planning. MaxEnt dis¬tribution modeling was used to model distributions. Results for past bioclimatic conditions show that the distribution area of the species expanded and then contracted (LIG to LGM and LGM to HOL). The modelling shows that the distribution range of the species will be narrower in the future. The species will be facing extinction towards 2070. Therefore, the conservation status of the species should be evaluated according to the present findings. Although the largest population of the Q. vulcanica is found in Isparta and Afyonkarahisar Provinces located in Southwestern Turkey, this area will not be suitable for the growth and survival of the species in the future. For this reason, a new nature reserve area should be established in a more suitable climate.
Balancing economic, social and environmental value in transport infrastructure business models
Authors: Καλυβιώτης Νικόλαος
Published: September 2022

Η παρούσα έρευνα αφορά την αξία των συστημάτων υποδομής των συγκοινωνιών, της ενέργειας, του νερού, των αποβλήτων και των επικοινωνιών. Εξετάζει επίσης σε ποιο τμήμα των υποδομών να δοθεί προτεραιότητα ώστε να αυξηθεί η κοινωνική, οικονομική και περιβαλλοντική αξία. Τα σύστημα υποδομής χαρακτηρίζονται από μια σειρά από αλληλεξαρτήσεις. Τα συστήματα υποδομής που λειτουργούν σε διάφορες χώρες και πόλεις είναι αλληλένδετα με διαφορετικούς τρόπους, αλλά όλα έχουν μια ισχυρή σχέση με τις «μεταφορές» – υπάρχει ένα κόστος και μια χρησιμότητα που συνδέεται με τη μετακίνηση. Οι χρήστες αυτών των συστημάτων αποδίδουν μια αξία σε αυτά τα συστήματα. Προκειμένου να διερευνηθούν όλες οι μορφές αξίας – η οποία αποτελεί τη βάση των επιχειρηματικών μοντέλων – πρέπει να καθοριστεί η σχέση μεταξύ του ατόμου και του συστήματος μεταφορών. Η υπόθεση που ελέγχθηκε στη διατριβή είναι το να προσδιοριστεί τόσο το πλήρες φάσμα της αξίας όσο και οι αλληλεξαρτήσεις που προκύπτουν, και ως εκ τούτου να δημιουργηθούν ισχυρά εναλλακτικά επιχειρηματικά μοντέλα για τη διαχείριση των αλληλεξαρτήσεων αυτών. Αυτά τα επιχειρηματικά μοντέλα ενσωματώνουν εκτιμήσεις κοινωνικής, οικονομικής και περιβαλλοντικής ευημερίας. Το νέο επιχειρηματικό μοντέλο που αναπτύχτηκε στη διδακτορική διατριβή αποτυπώνει ένα ευρύ φάσμα των αξιών των κοινωνικών, οικονομικών και περιβαλλοντικών εκτιμήσεων στα συστήματα υποδομής. Το νέο επιχειρηματικό μοντέλο επιτρέπει την καλύτερη κατανόηση του τρόπου με τον οποίο λειτουργεί το συνολικό σύστημα από τους υπεύθυνους χάραξης πολιτικής. Ως εκ τούτου, συμβάλει στο να παρθούν καλύτερες αποφάσεις για το είδος της υποδομής που θα πρέπει να δοθεί βάρος προκειμένου να προστεθεί αξία στην κοινωνία.
The validity and reliability test of the leprosy life quality questionnaire in leprosy patients
Authors: Widasmara Dhelya , Ekasari Dhany Prafita , Basuki Santosa , Atif Muhammad Mazaya , Bhat M Ramesh
Published: September 2022

Background: Leprosy is a public health problem because it potentially affects social life. In 2018, World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Indonesia ranks third of new cases leprosy. Leprosy significantly influences patients' quality of life. Until now, there is still no specific questionnaire to assess the quality of life for leprosy patients. Leprosy Quality of Life Questionnaire (KUKUH) is a questionnaire to assess leprosy patients' quality of life, which includes questions about psychology, physical health, social environment, and treatment. The study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Leprosy Quality of Life Questionnaire (KUKUH) as a tool to assess the quality of life of leprosy patients in Indonesia. 

Methods: The study was conducted at Saiful Anwar General Hospital in Malang, East Java. The validity analysis using construct validity with a minimum correlation coefficient value considered valid by 0.3. Internal consistency assessment for the questionnaire utilized the Cronbach α value where a value greater than or equal to 0.60 is acceptable, and a value greater than or equal to 0.80 is considered good. 

Results: Based on the result of variable validity test, all items measuring each aspect have item correlation coefficient values with a total score (riT) > table correlation value (0.361). The results of reliability testing, the items that measure each aspect of the quality-of-life variable for leprosy patients have Cronbach's Alpha values greater than 0.6.  

Conclusion: The validity test results of KUKUH Questionnaire are considered quite good, with a total score of 0.361 for the correlation coefficient for each question in KUKUH. The reliability test results were deemed satisfactory, with Cronbach's alpha > 0.6. The KUKUH questionnaire can be used to evaluate the quality of life of leprosy patients in Indonesia.
Therapeutic effect of herbal infusion on abnormal uterine bleeding: interventional non-randomized pilot study
Authors: Selmi Mejda , Lassoued Latifa , Bannour Badra , Chbili Chahra , Ben Fredj Maha , Charfeddin Ridha , Khairi Hedi
Published: September 2022

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding-menometrorrhagia due to uterine myomas is a health problem affecting women’s quality of life and it is considered a frequent cause of emergency visits for women. If first line medication fails to treat symptoms, surgical procedures, such as hysterectomy could be indicated, which could interfere with women's physical, social, emotional, and material quality of life. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of two medicinal plants, Mentha pulegium L and Artemisia abrotanum L, on 13 women with menometrorrhagia, who were candidates for hysterectomy.

Methods: The herbs were taken as a tea infusion by the oral route. A total of 5 g of the dried aerial parts of the mixture were added to 100 ml of boiling water and the tea infusion was taken three times a day starting from the onset of menstruation for three consecutive days, and it was repeated for three consecutive months.

Results: The study results showed that 10 out of the 13 women involved avoided the surgical procedures. The mean number of bleeding days declined from 11.50 (±3.77) at baseline to 7.60 (±2.11) (p=0.01). Participants confirmed a change in the bleeding intensity, regularization of their menstrual cycle, and improvement in their quality of life.

Conclusions: This preliminary study explores a new approach to treat abnormal uterine bleeding- menometrorrhagia, based on tea infusion consumption of a mixture of two medicinal herbs, and it paves the way for future studies.

Trial registration: This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05406960 (07/06/2022).
Crude oil hydrocarbons' effect on soil microbial metagenome from Niger Delta polluted soils
Authors: Okafor Chidinma Peace , Chikere Chioma Blaise , Akaranta Onyewuchi , Ntushelo Khayalethu
Published: September 2022

Crude oil pollution is an endemic environmental problem in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with background pollution levels greater than the regulatory intervention limit of 5000mg/kg of soil as stipulated in the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for Petroleum Industry in Nigeria (EGASPIN) in most polluted sites. Hence, the essence of this study was to evaluate the extent of damage caused by the pollutant (crude oil hydrocarbons) on the soil physicochemical parameters and microbial communities as well as to determine pollution effects on soil microbial ecosystem services. The soil microbial community composition, diversity, functional genes, and metabolic pathways were studied to evaluate the pollutant effect on soil microbiomes and their ability to utilize petroleum hydrocarbons as carbon and energy sources. Two sites Bodo (N4.620134, 7.282998E) and Ngia-Ama Tombia (N4.9816667; 7.0608333E) were chosen for the study. The America standard testing methods (ASTM International) were used in measuring physicochemical parameters of the soil influencing microbial response and pollutant behavior in the soil environment. Soil pH was measured using a pH meter, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) using gas chromatography with a mass spectrophotometer (GC-MS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (ASTM D5412-93(2017) e1), Heavy metals analysis (ASTM D8404-21), soil texture (ASTM D6913/D6913M-17). Shotgun metagenomic analysis was used to determine microbial community composition, following “DNA extraction”, library preparation (Nextera® DNA Flex Library Prep Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA), and sequencing using Illuminana NovaSeq® 6000. The results were analyzed using bioinformatics pipelines. The sequences generated were deposited in the European nucleotide Archive (ENA) with project accession number PRJEB53529.
Identification of selected primary bloodstream infection pathogens in patients attending Kisii level five and Homa Bay county hospitals
Authors: Kirera Ronald , Kipkirui Erick , Koech Margaret , Ombogo Abigael , Ndonye Janet , Kirui Mary , Philip Cliff Odhiambo , Kipkemoi Nancy , Odundo Elizabeth , Flynn Alexander F. , Hulseberg Christine , Walson Judd , Nganga Joseph , Kariuki Daniel
Published: September 2022

Background: Bloodstream infection (BSI) contributes to a substantial proportion of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and is marked by the presence of bacterial and/or fungal microorganisms in the blood. Because BSI can be life threatening, it requires a timely, reliable and accurate diagnosis. This study retrospectively analyzed data of identified BSI pathogens and compared the performance of the different diagnostic technologies used in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, turnaround time (TAT) and cost.

Methods: Currently, culture followed by analytical profile index biochemical strips (API), (BioMerieux) are used as the conventional standard diagnostics in Kenyan public hospitals and labs. We compared the results of this standard to that of the BioFire FilmArray (FA) (BioFire Diagnostics) and MicroScan WalkAway-40 plus System (MS) (Beckman Coulter) used in diagnosis of BSI. The FA technology was able to identify 150/152 bacterial and yeast isolates with an overall accuracy of 99.04% (95% CI: 96.59-99.88%), sensitivity of 98.68% (95% CI: 95.33-99.84%), mean TAT of 8 hours 40 minutes per eight samples and running cost per sample of USD 140.11. The MS identified 150/152 isolates with an overall accuracy of 98.56% (95% CI: 95.86-99.70%), sensitivity of 98.68% (95% CI: 95.30-99.84%), mean TAT per sample was 42 hours and running cost per sample of USD 28.05. API detected 150/152 isolates, with an overall accuracy of 99.04% (95% CI: 96.59-99.88%), sensitivity of 98.68% (95% CI: 95.33-99.84%) and the mean TAT per sample was 53 and 103 hours for bacterial and yeast samples, respectively, with a running cost per sample of USD 28.05.Conclusions: The findings in this paper suggest that the FA and MS platforms should be able to perform adequately in Kenya referral hospitals and medical clinics as a rapid diagnostic tool.
A new species of Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Paratropididae) from Guyana
Authors: Almeida Marlus Queiroz , Morais José Wellington de
Published: September 2022

A new species of Paratropis is herein described and illustrated, namely: Paratropis minusculus n. sp. based on males, females and immatures from Potaro-Siparuni, Guyana. Male e female of P. minusculus differ from those of all other species of the genus by having six eyes and by spinneret apical segment domed. In addition, we presented the first record of paratropidid species from Guyana, contribute to the knowledge of local biodiversity.
Results of histological examination of experimental diabetic retinopathy and its correction with metformin, aflibercept, L-arginine solution and cyticolin
Authors: Sirman Y. , Savytskyi I. , Preys N. , Blavatska O.
Published: September 2022

The purpose of the study was to analyze the histological changes in the structures of the eyeball in experimental diabetic retinopathy and its correction with metformin, aflibercept, L-arginine solution and citicoline.
The obtained results indicate about the development of pathological changes in the retina against the background of the progression of experimental diabetes when streptozotocin is administered at dose 55 mg/kg of animal weight against the background of a high-fat diet. The development of simulated streptozotocin diabetes is accompanied by disturbance in the retina in the form of edematous shifts of fibers and swelling of the cells forming it, uneven distribution of cells of the ganglion layer and vacuolization of the cytoplasm some of them. The using of corrective drugs complex for metabolic disorders and angiopathy, which are characteristic of diabetes mellitus, affects on the retina condition. Under the influence of aflibercept, solution of L-arginine, citicoline, and metformin administration was established that edematous changes in its structural elements are significantly reduced, the number of vessels on the border with the retina visually increases, and the staining of the cells of the ganglion layer becomes more freshly.
Modrzejewska i (nie)przyjaciele. W sidłach środowiskowej plotki
Authors: Jarząbek-Wasyl Dorota
Published: September 2022

The article presents the phenomenon of theater gossiping and the circulation of rumors behind the scenes as potential material both for biographic studies and reconstruction of the socio-moral context of an actress’s working life in the 19th century. The author explores two documents: Kazimierz Chłędowski’s Pamiętniki (Memoires) and Michał Chomiński’s Notaty (Notes) insofar as they concern personal life of Helena Modjeska, an eminent member and guest star of Kraków and Warsaw theaters in 1865-85. Referring to Klaus Thiele- -Dormann’s ‘psychology of rumor,’ the author looks for motives and functions offered by the ritual of gossiping in theater.
Joanna Tucholska. Walka Modjeskiej o wstąpienie na scenę
Authors: Kędziora Alicja
Published: September 2022

This is a retrospective article about Helena Modjeska written by her American friend, Jo Tucholska, originally published in “San Francisco Call” in 1902 and presented here for the first time in Polish. It deals mostly with the American period of Modjeska’s artistic life, in particular her American debut, which was enabled in a great measure by Tucholska herself.
Las Ardeński Modjeskiej
Authors: Kędziora Alicja
Published: September 2022

The article Modjeska’s Forest of Arden, which describes the estate and house of the Chłapowskis, has multiple versions. The translation is based mainly on Omaha Daily Bee (March 14, 1896) and San Francisco Call (December 2, 1902). The text presents the impressions of its author from his trip to and stay in Arden, CA, the estate named so after the favorite part of Modjeska: Rosalind from As You Like It. The article also includes the comments of the actress about the reasons of her settling down in California as well as her leisure activities, artistic endeavors, and literary interests.
Intermediate-Scale Laboratory Method to Qualify Heat-Delaminating Adhesives for Use in Cross-Laminated Timber
Authors: Zelinka Samuel L. , Bourne Keith J.
Published: September 2022

The goal of this research was to develop a simple laboratory test for examining heat delamination in cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The laboratory test was designed to mimic the fire tests described in Annex B of the ANSI/APA PRG-320 standard, which is required for CLT product qualification in North America. The Annex B test requires a full-sized room (2.4 by 4.9 by 2.7 m) to be constructed and exposed to a design fire scenario. In this article, we scaled the mechanical and fire loads so that they could be conducted in an intermediate-scale furnace with 1.1 m2 of exposed CLT panels. The mechanical loads were scaled to match the bending moment prescribed in the standard. The fire loads were scaled by matching the temperature profiles when an inert furnace lid was run and then matching the gas flow on all subsequent tests. Panels made from adhesives that passed the Annex B test passed the laboratory-scale test; panels that failed the Annex B test failed the laboratory test with the exception of one replicate. Correlations were found not only for CLT but also for a veneer-based mass timber panel. Measured temperature profiles within the furnace were similar to those measured near the compartment ceiling in the Annex B test. The scaled-down test in this article can be used to screen which adhesives are likely to pass the full-scale Annex B test.
Carbon Nanotube Composites to Enhance Thermal and Electrical Properties for Space Applications - A Review
Authors: Dhaval A. Vartak  , Yogesh Ghotekar  , Pina M. Bhatt  , Bharat Makwana  , Hetalkumar Shah  , J. A. Vadher  , B. S. Munjal
Published: September 2022

High specific stiffness materials are used to design the space payload components. These components should sustain the extreme environmental conditions throughout their life cycle, without failure. Space missions need lightweight materials which are mechanically strong with high thermal and electric conductivities. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) offers considerable mass saving and high strength, which is widely used for space payload components. However, it has limitations to replace the traditional space-qualified materials due to its low conductivity. Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are efficient with greater electrical and thermal conductivities. For CNTs to be seen as effective reinforcements for attaining high strength and conductivity of polymer composites, they need to meet the criteria of being well-dispersed by the solution mixing method. The quality of the CNT nanocomposite relies upon several parameters like the type of CNTs, purity, aspect ratio, amount of loading, alignment and interfacial adhesion between the nanotube and polymer. The performance of the CNT-CFRP composite depends on the successful execution of the processing technique. It has been intended in this review paper to highlight the enhancement of the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the composite, and the challenges in achieving it.  An attempt has been made to optimize the process parameters to fabricate space payload components which can be excellent alternatives to the existing high-density materials. Moreover, this review research is the need of the hour for prominent space agencies such as ISRO and NASA for their future inter-planetary missions, where payload weight needs to be kept light without making any compromise on the performance index.
Eco-friendly Synthesis of Ferric Oxide Nanoparticles - Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: M. Vishalatchi  , V. Kalaiselvi  , P. Yasotha  , B. Blessymol
Published: September 2022

Ferric oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by eco-friendly green synthesis and chemical synthesis methods.  FeO nanoparticles were synthesized by Chemical co-precipitation method associated with microwave irradiation method and were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDAX and Antibacterial Activity. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern analysis has revealed the crystal structure of FeO. The FTIR pattern has represented the functional groups of the prepared sample. The morphology and purity of the samples were analyzed by using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersion X-ray Diffraction analysis. The Antibacterial activity of the FeO nanoparticles were tested with gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, gram negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results matched well with the standard values.
Shoulder Injury Following Overzealous Manipulation in Adhesive Capsulitis by Untrained Professional Managed with Shoulder Arthroscopy
Authors: Kembhavi Raghavendra S , Basavaraj M K , Reddy Rajesh
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Adhesive capsulitis of shoulder is a commoner condition in middle aged population and is classified into primary and secondary types based on etiology. Treatment options depend on stages of disease which ranges from physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, intra-articular steroid injection, hydro-dilatation therapy, manipulation under anesthesia, and arthroscopic capsular release. However, the condition is generally mismanaged by untrained professionals in the periphery center leading to complications. We report one such case, which was then managed arthroscopically. Case Report: A 58-year-old female patient presented to our outpatient department with a severe painful left shoulder following overzealous manipulation by untrained professional and she was diagnosed with severe traumatic capsulosynovitis with a subscapularis tear, biceps tendon subluxation, and shoulder subluxation. We managed patient arthroscopically with extensive capsulosynovectomy, biceps tenotomy, and upper subscapularis repair. Postoperatively, she was immobilized for 6 weeks and was put on proper rehabilitation program. At the 2-year follow-up, the patient had an excellent outcome and had complete pain-free movements at the left shoulder with significant increase in pre-operative constant shoulder score of 12–82. Conclusion: Overzealous manipulation shoulder in frozen shoulder patients has: serious complications and has to be avoided and therefore has to be done by trained professional gently under anesthesia. Shoulder arthroscopy plays a pivotal role in managing such complications successfully.
From anxiety to fear: how metaphysical concerns arise in prison life
Authors: Ducloux Thibault
Published: September 2022

In Western prisons, inmates’ religious conversions are a social fact in which fear plays a predominant role. Based on a qualitative and longitudinal survey conducted over two years in a French prison, this article aims to show how religious fears emerge in the consciousness of non-religious prisoners. Phenomenologically, the empirical data show that these fears arise because of an incapacitating state of anxiety. Over time, life in prison affects the social identity of individuals, their structuring markers and their biographical continuity. But the social mechanisms of anxiety are not those of fear. It is diffuse anxiety that allows the appearance of a new and identified fear. This enigma is interesting for the sociology of knowledge and therefore of socialisation: individuals are not afraid of what they do not know. The survey highlights that the emergence of these fears of God, sin, hell and so on reveals a process of regression of the habitus of the inmates to their primary socialisations. As irrational as they may seem for the frightened themselves, these fears show a structuring potential by interpreting and organising the disconcerting distress of which they are the product. Fear – religious or not – integrates and synthesises anxiety. From that moment, the appearance of fear augurs a gain of psychic, intellectual and finally practical mastery of a situation without which it would have remained unmanageable. This is how intramural trajectories become conversion paths.
Concealed information under stress: A test of the orienting theory in real‐life police interrogations
Authors: Verschuere Bruno , Meijer Ewout , De Clercq Armand
Published: September 2022

Purpose. The concealed information test (CIT) is a polygraph test that assesses recognition of critical (e.g., crime) information. Laboratory studies showing stronger heart rate deceleration to concealed compared to control information indicate that the orienting response (OR) accounts for responding in the CIT. An important restriction to these findings is that laboratory circumstances impose little or no stress on the examinees, and that under real‐life stress defensive responding may occur.

Method. To examine the validity of the CIT under realistic stress, we analysed the data from 65 card tests conducted during real‐life police polygraph interrogations.

Results. Baseline heart rate was higher than that observed in the laboratory, confirming that the situation was stress inducing. As in the laboratory, the concealed cards elicited greater heart rate deceleration compared to the control cards.

Conclusions. The data support the OR theory of the CIT under real‐life stress.
Known-plaintext attack-based analysis of double random phase encoding using multiple known plaintext–ciphertext pairs
Authors: Nakano Kazuya , Suzuki Hiroyuki
Published: September 2022

Double random phase encoding (DRPE) is vulnerable to known-plaintext attacks (KPAs) based on phase retrieval algorithms. We previously analyzed DRPE resistance to KPA cryptanalysis with multiple known plaintext–ciphertext image pairs and obtained secret keys at a higher probability rate than when performing KPA cryptanalysis using one known image pair. However, the robustness of KPA in the presence of noise or occlusion in DRPE is unclear. We analyzed KPA properties in relation to DRPE when white Gaussian noise was gradually added to the Fourier amplitude or phase of a known ciphertext complex amplitude image. Additionally, we analyzed KPA properties when the Fourier phase of the known ciphertext image was gradually occluded by zero-valued pixels. The results showed that KPAs performed using multiple known plaintext–ciphertext image pairs were largely affected by noise added to the Fourier phase and thus are not always a strong tool for DRPE cryptanalysis.
Mode characteristics of a graphene-coated cylindrical dielectric waveguide with a nested eccentric hollow elliptical cylinder
Authors: Li Huihui , Xue Wenrui , Li Ning , Du Yida , Li Changyong
Published: September 2022

A cylindrical dielectric nanowire waveguide embedded with an eccentric hollow elliptical cylinder is designed. The mode characteristics of the first three modes supported by the waveguide are studied by the multipole method and verified by the finite element method. Results show that the waveguide has the best transmission performance when the symmetric center of the hollow elliptical cylinder is located on the

y

axis of the cylindrical dielectric nanowire. The influence of the working wavelength, the Fermi energy, and the dielectric constant of region II on the transmission performance of the waveguide is great, while the influence of the semi-long axis, the semi-short axis of the elliptic cylinder, the radius of the cylinder, and the minimum distance between two rods on the transmission performance of the waveguide is less. Compared with the other waveguide structures, the waveguide introduced in this paper has a better overall transmission performance. This kind of waveguide can provide a theoretical basis for the design, fabrication, and application of graphene-coated nested nanowire waveguides.
Cooling of mechanical resonator in a hybrid intracavity squeezing optomechanical system
Authors: Liao Qinghong , Zhou Liangtao , Wang Xiaoqian , Liu Yongchun
Published: September 2022

A hybrid intracavity squeezing optomechanical cooling system, in which an auxiliary cavity couples to an optomechanical cavity with a nonlinear medium inside it, is proposed to realize the ground state cooling of the mechanical resonator in the highly unresolved sideband regime. We demonstrate that the quantum backaction heating can be suppressed perfectly by the intracavity squeezing, and the cooling process can be further promoted by adjusting the tunnel coupling between the coupled cavities. The scheme has good performance in resisting the environmental thermal noise and better tolerance for the auxiliary cavity quality factor and provides the possibility for the quantum manipulation of the mechanical resonator with large mass and low frequency.