bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproductive outcome and gynecologic comorbidities in women with endometriosis in a non-IVF setting: a retrospective study
Authors: Al Shukri Maryam Nasser , Al Riyami Al Shimaa Abdullah , Al Ghafri Wadha Mohammed , Gowri Vaidyanathan
Published: July 2023

Background

Endometriosis-related infertility is a disease associated with significant morbidity and distress to the couple and requires timely, multidisciplinary, and often high-cost care involving assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Many health care systems in the Middle East do not provide coverage for ART. This study aims to describe the reproductive outcome in a form of a clinical pregnancy rate in women with endometriosis-related infertility in a health care system that does not provide coverage for ART.

Results

This is a retrospective observational cohort study on women who attended the gynecology clinic in a tertiary center in Oman with the diagnosis of endometriosis from January 2011 to December 2019. Women of reproductive age seeking pregnancy were included in the analysis. Out of total women with endometriosis, (144/262) 55.0% were included in the analysis with a mean age of 31.10 ± 5.73 years. The mean duration of follow-up was 30.18 months and 43/144 (29.9%) of our patients had a follow-up > 60 months. Based on surgical staging, 11.8% had mild disease, 70.1% had moderate to severe disease and 18.1% were not operated. After a thorough assessment, (30.2%) were advised to seek in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a primary treatment for infertility but 23.08% declined the advice. Of the 144, 24.3% achieved a clinical pregnancy. (16/144), 11% conceived spontaneously. 11/144) 7.6% conceived with ovulation induction ± intrauterine insemination (OI ± IUI) and the rest conceived with a self-sponsored IVF. The overall clinical pregnancy rate was not statistically different between those who had surgery and those did not have surgery (P value 0.474). The pregnancy rate based on the management plan were; surgery + IVF (7/25, 28.0%), surgery + OI/IUI (10/47, 21.3%), surgery alone (9/33, 27.3%). The pregnancy rate was not statistically different between the groups (P value 0.782).

In addition to endometriosis, a significant proportion (63/144, 43.8%) of these women have a coexisting gynecologic morbidity including 2.1% non-endometrioma ovarian cyst, 13.9% myomas, 4.2% adenomyosis, 8.3% Mullerian anomalies, 2.1% polycystic ovary syndrome, 6.3% pelvic inflammatory disease or tubo-ovarian abscess and 1.4% biopsy-proven endometritis.

Conclusion

The reproductive outcome of patients with endometriosis in this study population was generally poorer than what is reported in the literature with an overall pregnancy rate of 24.3% and a spontaneous pregnancy rate of 11%. Several causes can be noted for such an outcome, including advanced disease stage, coexisting gynecologic morbidities, and poor access to advance fertility management.
Medical students' perspective of the motivations and limitations of studying medicine: a cross-sectional study from the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Amiri Leena , Al Mugaddam Fadwa , Javaid Syed Fahad
Published: July 2023

Background

Incentives and disincentives to study medicine are complex concepts and may involve a dynamic balancing act between financial, personal, and social reasons. These processes have not been adequately explored in the Middle East. This study explores students' thoughts and feelings about studying medicine at the United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between April and August 2019. An online, self-administered questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was distributed to the students enrolled at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University. The survey questions focused on motivations to study medicine and limitations that prevent choosing medicine as a field of study.

Results

Two hundred and five (33%) of 621 students in the six-year program completed the questionnaire. Forty-three percent of the responders were from the first two years of medical school. The decision to study medicine was reported as their own by 92%. Eighty-eight percent of the students did not consider gender a limitation for studying medicine, and 62% had a defined medical specialty to pursue. One-third considered quitting medicine, mainly during the first two years. Reported difficulties included mental health problems (stress, anxiety, and depression), social isolation ('having no life,' 'being lonely'), curriculum content (overwhelming workload), college condition/rules (poor condition of the hostels, lack of support, scant passion, and strict rules), and rational thinking (inadequate high-school preparation).

Conclusions

These results justify implementing an effective counseling program, especially during the early academic years. The quality of high-school education requires careful thoughtfulness from the department of education with input from our medical schools. Other modifiable factors include the methods of assessment, available supportive resources, and extracurricular activities.
Status quo of operation procedures for soil sampling to analyze microplastics
Authors: Dorau Kristof , Hoppe Martin , Rückamp Daniel , Köser Jan , Scheeder Georg , Scholz Katrin , Fries Elke
Published: July 2023

Since 2015, the determination of microplastics (MPs; < 5 mm) in soil has gained increasing attention. However, usual analytical protocols still render a comparison of results challenging. This structured review integrates an in-depth screening of scientific articles (n = 106; from 1980 to 2022) that focused on determining MPs in soils. The different studies were divided into groups regarding (i) MPs input pathways, (ii) study site information, (iii) sampling design, (iv) sample preparation, and (v) analytical methods for MPs detection. Most of the studies (63%) focused on a defined study site influenced by a known point source, whereas 37% measured MPs background contents related to delocalized MPs emission sources. Even though soil was the target compartment, only 26% classified the soil type, mostly using the World Reference Base (WRB) as a classification system. Additional information on soil properties was supplied within only 20% of the studies. However, this information is mandatory for evaluation of MPs recovery tests and analytical results. In nearly all studies, the mass of the single samples equaled the final mass of the composite sample, with a mean of 1.32 kg ± 1.07 kg. However, other procedures that involve a larger sample mass seem promising but are still seldom applied. Our structured review revealed that a standard operation procedure with harmonized methods is urgently needed with a coherent and comprehensive workflow, including field sampling and sample preparation. Such a procedure would ensure the reproducibility and representativeness of analytical results, which are mandatory for evaluating and restricting MPs pollution in soils in the future.

Graphical Abstract
The relationship between CMV reactivation, anti-cytokine treatment and mortality in critical COVID-19 patients
Authors: Gozukucuk Ramazan , KILIC Hasan Huseyin
Published: July 2023

Objective: To examine the use of anti-cytokine treatment in critical COVID-19 patients and their association with the frequency of CMV cases, viral load level, and mortality in these patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 170 critical and/or intensive care patients with COVID-19 admitted to Hisar Hospital Intercontinental from March 15, 2020, to December 31, 2021 were divided into the use of anti-cytokine treatment group and the no anti-cytokine treatment group. Furthermore, the relationship between CMV reactivation, mortality and anti-cytokine treatment in patients was also examined.

Results: A total of 170 critical COVID-19 patients were included in the study, three of them were excluded. One hundred sixty seven were included in the study of which 38 (22.7%) were found to be CMV DNA positive. As an anti-cytokine treatment, it was observed that tocilizumab was used in 53 patients, anakinra was used in 27 patients, and no anti-cytokine treatment was used in 77 patients. CMV positivity in patients treated with anti-cytokines (31.11%) was found to be significantly higher than in patients who were not treated with it (16.88%) (p:0.033). Furthermore, it was determined that anti-cytokine treatment significantly decreased mortality (p: 0.003) and that there was no significant relationship between CMV reactivation and mortality (p: 0.399).

Conclusion: Even though CMV reactivation was high in critical COVID-19 patients who received anti-cytokine treatment, decrease in mortality were observed with early diagnosis and effective treatment. Therefore, CMV infection should be considered in patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment.

Clinical Trial Registration: HisarIH-101/NCT05419206

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7301

How to cite this: Gozukucuk R, Kilic HH. The relationship between CMV reactivation, anti-cytokine treatment and mortality in critical COVID-19 patients. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7301

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comparison of complete nasal packing with and without integrated airways
Authors: Jamil Afifa , Hameed Hira Abdul , Sidiqqui Atif Hafeez , Farrukh M. Shuja
Published: July 2023

Objective: To compare the effects of nasal packing using a Nasopore nasal packing with and without an airway tube on postoperative pain, SpO2, nasal obstruction, and difficulty in breathing complaints.

Methods: This comparative study was conducted at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), DMC Civil Hospital Karachi between September 18, 2021, to May 19, 2022. A total of 70 patients who underwent septoplasty for septal deviation and chronic hypertrophic rhinitis were equally divided into two groups. Group-A patients received nasal packing using a Nasopore nasal packing with an airway tube, and Group-B patients received nasal packing using a Nasopore nasal packing without an airway tube. Post-operation Nasal pain sensations were measured using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale at 2 and 12 hours. SpO2 was measured at 30 minutes pre-operatively with an O2 saturation monitor and 12 hours post-operatively during sleep.

Results: The postoperative pain at two hours and 12 hours was compared between the two groups, and a significant difference was observed. In Group-A, the average SpO2 decreased > 4% from baseline in 5.7% patients, and 37% in Group-B. A significant difference was observed in the severity of nasal obstruction and difficulty breathing, P-value < 0.05.

Conclusion: It is concluded that septoplasty followed by applying nasal packing with integrated airway reduces postoperative pain and improves oxygen saturation compared to nasal packing without integrated airways.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7478

How to cite this: Jamil A, Hameed HA, Sidiqqui AH, Farrukh M.S. Comparison of complete nasal packing with and without integrated airways. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7478

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Μελέτη της επίδρασης των επιπέδων της βιταμίνης D στη διαδικασία πώρωσης καταγμάτων του περιφερικού άκρου της κερκίδας
Authors: Ράπτης Κωνσταντίνος
Published: July 2023

Ο ρόλος των επιπέδων της βιταμίνης D ως αιτιολογικός παράγοντας στην εμφάνιση καταγμάτων χαμηλής βίας έχει αποσαφηνιστεί, ωστόσο δεν υπάρχουν επαρκή δεδομένα στη βιβλιογραφία για την επίδρασή της στη διαδικασία πώρωσης των οστεοπορωτικών καταγμάτων. Η παρούσα 10-ετής μελέτη διερεύνησε τη σχέση των επιπέδων της βιταμίνης D στον ορό με τις μεταβολές στη BMD και την οστική γεωμετρία κατά τη διάρκεια των πρώτων εβδομάδων πώρωσης κατάγματος άπω πέρατος κερκίδας σε μετεμμηνοπαυσιακές γυναίκες με τη μέθοδο της περιφερικής ποσοτικής αξονικής τομογραφίας (pQCT). Οι ασθενείς ταξινομήθηκαν σε 2 group ανάλογα με τα αρχικά επίπεδα βιταμίνης D και εξετάστηκαν σε 3 προγραμματισμένες επισκέψεις: στον αρχικό τραυματισμό, την 6η και τη 12η εβδομάδα του κατάγματος. Έλεγχος με pQCT πραγματοποιήθηκε στην 1η επίσκεψη στο πάσχον και υγιές αντιβράχιο, ενώ κατά τη 2η και 3η επίσκεψη μόνο στην περιοχή του κατάγματος. Συνολικά 57 ασθενείς εντάχθηκαν στο πρωτόκολλο και τα μέσα επίπεδα βιταμίνης D ήταν 15.60±7.35 ng/ml (3.5-41.7). Δεν καταγράφηκε αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ των τιμών της βιταμίνης D και της vBMD ή της μικροαρχιτεκτονικής του οστού τόσο στην περιοχή του φλοιώδους, όσο και του σπογγώδους οστού. Επιπλέον, στο φλοιώδες οστό η vBMD και το πάχος του φλοιού παρουσίασαν σημαντική μείωση, πιθανώς σχετιζόμενη με την παρατεταμένη ακινητοποίηση, ενώ στην καταγματική εστία οι τιμές των BMC και vBMD του σπογγώδους οστού ήταν αυξημένες αντικατοπτρίζοντας την πρώιμη φάση της πώρωσης του κατάγματος. Η μελέτη κατέδειξε ότι τα χαμηλά επίπεδα βιταμίνης D δεν επηρεάζουν σημαντικά τις μεταβολές της οστικής γεωμετρίας σε μετεμμηνοπαυσιακούς ασθενείς με κάταγμα κάτω πέρατος κερκίδας κατά την πρώιμη μετατραυματική περίοδο. Τέλος, οι πιο ηλικιωμένοι ασθενείς και όσοι παρουσίαζαν αυξημένους βιοχημικούς δείκτες οστικού μεταβολισμού συσχετίστηκαν με αυξημένη απώλεια φλοιώδους οστού, αλλά ήταν ανεξάρτητη από τα επίπεδα της βιταμίνης D.
Worldwide Index of Serotype-Specific Pneumococcal Antibody Responses (WISSPAR): A curated database of clinical trial data
Authors: Perniciaro Stephanie , Cooper-Wooton Dominic , Knoll Maria , Weinberger Daniel
Published: July 2023

The Worldwide Index of Serotype Specific Pneumococcal Antibody Responses (WISSPAR; https://wisspar.com), is a centralized, online platform housing data on immunogenicity from clinical trials of pneumococcal vaccines. The data on WISSPAR are primarily curated from outcomes tables from clinical trials and are made available in a searchable format that can be readily used for downstream analyses. The WISSPAR database includes trials covering numerous vaccine products, manufacturers, dosing schedules, age groups, immunocompromised groups, and geographic regions. Customizable data visualization tools are embedded within the site, or the data can be exported for further analyses. Users can also browse summary information about the clinical trials and their results. WISSPAR provides a platform for analysts and policy makers to efficiently gather, compare, and collate clinical trial data about pneumococcal vaccines.
Scientific and ethical challenges of brain chimeras converge on an ‘enriched’ approach
Authors: Boyd J. Lomax
Published: July 2023

Transplantation of human brain organoids into nonhuman animals has the potential to advance our molecular understanding of human cognition. Yet hybridized nervous systems raise novel scientific and ethical questions that appear to be oriented toward opposing ends – as models become more sophisticated, ethical concerns become more salient. I posit that scientific and ethical challenges arising from interspecies human brain engraftment may be akin to ‘birds of a feather’ that are more entangled, rather than in tension. The scientific value of engrafted organoids depends on the extent to which they provide insights into human neurobiology, while ethical concerns tend to focus on the wellbeing of engrafted animals. Based on a synthesis of empirical and theoretical evidence from neuroscience and philosophical bioethics, respectively, I argue that scientific and ethical challenges converge on a shared interest in achieving the fullest possible maturation of the host animal. The conditions which are favorable to the wellbeing of animals are also consistent with factors that contribute to the elaboration of neuronal features during development and later behavioral traits. Treating engrafted animals as if they already possess higher moral status may, in fact, be necessary for them to develop the neuronal, cognitive, and behavioral traits that are most relevant to our understanding of the human brain. Studies have shown that enriched environments provide the conditions for neurons to mature, more fully, into neural circuits that contribute to complex behaviors, while supporting the wellbeing and individuation of animals. I conceptualize an ‘enriched’ approach toward research using interspecies brain engraftment and offer a case study examining how enriched environments can be used to study the neurobiology of human speech circuits in grafted animals. The uncertainties posed by interspecies brain engraftment illustrates how joint consideration of scientific and ethical perspectives can reveal convergent pathways for advancing human brain research.
Managing infant and child skincare
Authors: Boddy Bethany
Published: July 2023

From dry skin in the newborn to atopic eczema in the infant and child, health professionals in primary care play a crucial role in supporting families in the care of skin, and the treatment and management of skin conditions in children. The evidence base can be conflicting and guidance changes frequently. With so much information to share with new parents, baby skincare is often seen as a lower priority when imparting health promotion advice than other areas such as safe sleep or infant feeding. It has been argued that, with the rising prevalence of atopic eczema in the UK population, advice to parents about what to be concerned about and when to seek medical advice is imperative. This article explores the evidence on general skincare from the newborn period to the treatment and management of common skin conditions, including atopic eczema and seborrheic dermatitis.
Juno: a Python-based optical system design package
Authors: de Marco Alex , Dierickx Alex , Cleeve Alex , Gorelick Sergey
Published: July 2023

This report introduces Juno, a modular Python package for optical design and simulation. Juno consists of a complete library that includes a graphical user interface to design and visualise arbitrary optical elements, set up wave propagation simulations and visualise their results. To ensure an efficient visualisation of the results, all simulation data are stored in a structured database that can filter and sort the output. Finally, we present a practical use case for Juno, where optical design and fabrication are interlaced in a feedback cycle. The presented data show how to compare the simulated and the measured propagation; if a difference or unexpected behaviour is found, we show how to convert and import the optical element profile from a profilometer measurement. The propagation through the profile can provide immediate feedback about the quality of the element and a measure of the effects brought by differences between the idealised and the fabricated profile.
DeepChIA-PET: Accurately predicting ChIA-PET from Hi-C and ChIP-seq with deep dilated networks
Authors: Liu Tong , Wang Zheng
Published: July 2023

Chromatin interaction analysis by paired-end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET) can capture genome-wide chromatin interactions mediated by a specific DNA-associated protein. The ChIA-PET experiments have been applied to explore the key roles of different protein factors in chromatin folding and transcription regulation. However, compared with widely available Hi-C and ChIP-seq data, there are not many ChIA-PET datasets available in the literature. A computational method for accurately predicting ChIA-PET interactions from Hi-C and ChIP-seq data is needed that can save the efforts of performing wet-lab experiments. Here we present DeepChIA-PET, a supervised deep learning approach that can accurately predict ChIA-PET interactions by learning the latent relationships between ChIA-PET and two widely used data types: Hi-C and ChIP-seq. We trained our deep models with CTCF-mediated ChIA-PET of GM12878 as ground truth, and the deep network contains 40 dilated residual convolutional blocks. We first showed that DeepChIA-PET with only Hi-C as input significantly outperforms Peakachu, another computational method for predicting ChIA-PET from Hi-C but using random forests. We next proved that adding ChIP-seq as one extra input does improve the classification performance of DeepChIA-PET, but Hi-C plays a more prominent role in DeepChIA-PET than ChIP-seq. Our evaluation results indicate that our learned models can accurately predict not only CTCF-mediated ChIA-ET in GM12878 and HeLa but also non-CTCF ChIA-PET interactions, including RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) ChIA-PET of GM12878, RAD21 ChIA-PET of GM12878, and RAD21 ChIA-PET of K562. In total, DeepChIA-PET is an accurate tool for predicting the ChIA-PET interactions mediated by various chromatin-associated proteins from different cell types.
Impact of micro- and macronutrient status on the incidence of tuberculosis: An examination of an African cohort initiating antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Schwalb Alvaro , Bergstrom Malin , Woodd Susannah , Rehman Andrea M. , PrayGod George , Kasonka Lackson , Koethe John R. , Filteau Suzanne , Houben Rein M. G. J.
Published: July 2023

Macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies are associated with tuberculosis (TB) incidence. However, evidence is limited on the impact of micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) supplementation among underweight individuals. We conducted a secondary data analysis of a randomised controlled trial of lipid nutritional supplements with and without high-dose vitamin and mineral supplementation (LNS-VM vs LNS) for underweight (Body Mass Index [BMI] <18.5 kg/m2) adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Tanzania and Zambia (2011–2013). Incident TB disease diagnoses were extracted from trial records. We used multivariable Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for the impact of receiving LNS-VM on TB incidence, and the dose-response relationship between baseline BMI and TB incidence. Overall, 263 (17%) of 1506 participants developed TB disease. After adjusting for age, sex, CD4 count, haemoglobin, and C-reactive protein, receiving LNS-VM was not associated with TB incidence (aHR [95%CI] = 0.93 [0.72–1.20]; p = 0.57) compared to LNS alone. There was strong evidence for an association between lower BMI and incident TB (aHR [95%CI]: 16–16.9kg/m2 = 1.15 [0.82–1.62] and <16kg/m2 = 1.70 [1.26–2.30] compared to 17–18.5kg/m2; linear trend p<0.01). There was strong evidence that the rate of developing TB was lower after initiating ART (p<0.01). In conclusion, the addition of micronutrient supplementation to LNS was not associated with lower TB incidence in this underweight ART-naive population.
Constitutive ALS3 expression in Candida albicans enhances adhesion and biofilm formation of efg1, but not cph1 mutant strains
Authors: Schena Nicholas C. , Baker Kassandra M. , Stark Anna A. , Thomas Derek P. , Cleary Ian A.
Published: July 2023

Adhesion to living and non-living surfaces is an important virulence trait of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Biofilm formation in this organism depends on the expression of a number of cell surface proteins including the hypha-specific protein Als3p. Loss of ALS3 impairs biofilm formation and decreases cell-cell adhesion. We wanted to test whether constitutively expressing ALS3 could compensate for defects in adhesion and biofilm formation observed in mutant strains that lack key transcriptional regulators of biofilm formation Efg1p and Cph1p. We found that ALS3 improved adhesion and biofilm formation in the efg1Δ and efg1Δ cph1Δ mutant strains, but had less effect on the cph1Δ strain.
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) modify plant-pollinator network structure, but do not alter wild species’ interactions
Authors: Worthy Sydney H. , Acorn John H. , Frost Carol M.
Published: July 2023

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are widely used for honey production and crop pollination, raising concern for wild pollinators, as honey bees may compete with wild pollinators for floral resources. The first sign of competition, before changes appear in wild pollinator abundance or diversity, may be changes to wild pollinator interactions with plants. Such changes for a community can be measured by looking at changes to metrics of resource use overlap in plant-pollinator interaction networks. Studies of honey bee effects on plant-pollinator networks have usually not distinguished whether honey bees alter wild pollinator interactions, or if they merely alter total network structure by adding their own interactions. To test this question, we experimentally introduced honey bees to a Canadian grassland and measured plant-pollinator interactions at varying distances from the introduced hives. We found that honey bees increased the network metrics of pollinator and plant functional complementarity and decreased interaction evenness. However, in networks constructed from just wild pollinator interactions, honey bee abundance did not affect any of the metrics calculated. Thus, all network structural changes to the full network (including honey bee interactions) were due only to honey bee-plant interactions, and not to honey bees causing changes in wild pollinator-plant interactions. Given widespread and increasing use of honey bees, it is important to establish whether they affect wild pollinator communities. Our results suggest that honey bees did not alter wild pollinator foraging patterns in this system, even in a year that was drier than the 20-year average.
Quantification of the capacity of vibrio fischeri to establish symbiosis with Euprymna scolopes
Authors: Donnelly Aidan R. , Giacobe Elizabeth J. , Cook Rachel A. , Francis Gareth M. , Buddle Grace K. , Beaubrun Christina L. , Cecere Andrew G. , Miyashiro Tim I.
Published: July 2023

Most animals establish long-term symbiotic associations with bacteria that are critical for normal host physiology. The symbiosis that forms between the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes and the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri serves as an important model system for investigating the molecular mechanisms that promote animal-bacterial symbioses. E. scolopes hatch from their eggs uncolonized, which has led to the development of squid-colonization assays that are based on introducing culture-grown V. fischeri cells to freshly hatched juvenile squid. Recent studies have revealed that strains often exhibit large differences in how they establish symbiosis. Therefore, we sought to develop a simplified and reproducible protocol that permits researchers to determine appropriate inoculum levels and provides a platform to standardize the assay across different laboratories. In our protocol, we adapt a method commonly used for evaluating the infectivity of pathogens to quantify the symbiotic capacity of V. fischeri strains. The resulting metric, the symbiotic dose-50 (SD50), estimates the inoculum level that is necessary for a specific V. fischeri strain to establish a light-emitting symbiosis. Relative to other protocols, our method requires 2–5-fold fewer animals. Furthermore, the power analysis presented here suggests that the protocol can detect up to a 3-fold change in the SD50 between different strains.
Electrochemotherapy vs radiotherapy in the treatment of primary cutaneous malignancies or cutaneous metastases from primary solid organ malignancies: A systematic review and narrative synthesis
Authors: McMillan Angus Torry , McElroy Luke , O’Toole Lorcan , Matteucci Paolo , Totty Joshua Philip
Published: July 2023

Background

Electrochemotherapy has gained international traction and commendation in national guidelines as an effective tool in the management of cutaneous malignancies not amenable to surgical resection. Despite this, no level 5 evidence exists comparing it to radiotherapy in the treatment of cutaneous malignancies. This systematic review aimed to examine the literature directly and indirectly comparing electrochemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of primary cutaneous malignancies or cutaneous metastases from primary solid organ malignancies.

Materials & methods

The protocol for this review was registered on the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews with the protocol ID CRD42021285415. Searches of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were undertaken from database inception to 28 December 2021. Studies in humans comparing treatment with electrochemotherapy to radiotherapy and reporting tumour response with a minimum four week follow-up were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool. Results are provided as a narrative synthesis.

Results

Two case series with a total of 92 patients were identified as relevant to this study. Both case series examined patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. One case series examined elderly patients with predominantly head/neck lesions. The other examined younger patients with predominantly limb lesions who had cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma directly attributable to a rare skin condition.

Conclusion

There is little literature presenting comparative data for electrochemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of primary cutaneous malignancies or cutaneous metastases. Included studies were marred by serious risk of bias particularly due to confounding. The inherent bias and heterogeneity of the included studies precluded synthesis of a consolidated comparison of clinical outcomes between the two therapies. Further research is required in this domain in the form of clinical trials and observational studies to inform guidelines for electrochemotherapy treatment.
Crowd-sourced observations of a polyphagous moth reveal evidence of allochronic speciation varying along a latitudinal gradient
Authors: Black Emily N. , Blair Jarrett D. , van der Burg Karin R. L. , Marshall Katie E.
Published: July 2023

Allochronic speciation, where reproductive isolation between populations of a species is facilitated by a difference in reproductive timing, depends on abiotic factors such as seasonality and biotic factors such as diapause intensity. These factors are strongly influenced by latitudinal trends in climate, so we hypothesized that there is a relationship between latitude and divergence among populations separated by life history timing. Hyphantria cunea (the fall webworm), a lepidopteran defoliator with red and black colour morphs, is hypothesized to be experiencing an incipient allochronic speciation. However, given their broad geographic range, the strength of allochronic speciation may vary across latitude. We annotated >11,000 crowd-sourced observations of fall webworm to model geographic distribution, phenology, and differences in colour phenotype between morphs across North America. We found that red and black morph life history timing differs across North America, and the phenology of morphs diverges more in warmer climates at lower latitudes. We also found some evidence that the colour phenotype of morphs also diverges at lower latitudes, suggesting reduced gene flow between colour morphs. Our results demonstrate that seasonality in lower latitudes may increase the strength of allochronic speciation in insects, and that the strength of sympatric speciation can vary along a latitudinal gradient. This has implications for our understanding of broad-scale speciation events and trends in global biodiversity.
Development of a neural network model to predict the presence of fentanyl in community drug samples
Authors: Ti Lianping , Grant Cameron J. , Tobias Samuel , Hore Dennis K. , Laing Richard , Marshall Brandon D. L.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Increasingly, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is being used as a harm reduction tool to provide people who use drugs real-time information about the contents of their substances. However, FTIR spectroscopy has been shown to have a high detection limit for fentanyl and interpretation of results by a technician can be subjective. This poses concern, given that some synthetic opioids can produce serious toxicity at sub-detectable levels. The objective of this study was to develop a neural network model to identify fentanyl and related analogues more accurately in drug samples compared to traditional analysis by technicians.

Methods

Data were drawn from samples analyzed point-of-care using combination FTIR spectroscopy and fentanyl immunoassay strips in British Columbia between August 2018 and January 2021. We developed neural network models to predict the presence of fentanyl based on FTIR data. The final model was validated against the results from immunoassay strips. Prediction performance was assessed using F1 score, accuracy, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and was compared to results obtained from analysis by technicians.

Results

A total of 12,684 samples were included. The neural network model outperformed results from those analyzed by technicians, with an F1 score of 96.4% and an accuracy of 96.4%, compared to 78.4% and 82.4% with a technician, respectively. The AUROC of the model was 99.0%. Fentanyl positive samples correctly detected by the model but not by the technician were typically those with low fentanyl concentrations (median: 2.3% quantity by weight; quartile 1–3: 0.0%-4.6%).

Discussion

Neural network models can accurately predict the presence of fentanyl and related analogues using FTIR data, including samples with low fentanyl concentrations. Integrating this tool within drug checking services utilizing FTIR spectroscopy has the potential to improve decision making to reduce the risk of overdose and other negative health outcomes.
Methodological approach for the evaluation and mapping of the agronomic suitability of soils in tropical zones: Case study of the Bambouto volcanic massif (Western Cameroon) and the Bokito district (Central Cameroon)
Authors: Olivier Leumbe , Ouafo Marie Roumy , Ndjigui Paul , Bitom Dieudonné , Mfoumbeng Marie Paule
Published: July 2023

The main pillar of agriculture is the soil because it is both the support and the reservoir of essential nutrients for the plant. The food function it provides for humanity can only be fully fulfilled if it is balanced. Therefore, the development of sustainable agriculture in the world necessarily requires knowledge of the soil. The evaluation of agronomic suitability consists in determining its intrinsic capacity to sustain agricultural productivity over time. Many studies have been conducted in the domain of agricultural land assessment, but the applicability of the methods used in the tropical context requires adaptations that are not always obvious. The new methodological approach we propose for agronomic suitability assessment(AA) was designed and tested in Cameroon (Central Africa) in two pilot sites chosen in two different agro-ecological zones. The sites were the bimodal forest in Bokito which developed on yellow ferralitic soils, and the highland in the Bambouto volcanic massif which had a great pedological variability ranging from red ferralitic soils to andic ferralitic soils and andosols. The approach is inexpensive and based on the combination of four intrinsic soil parameters, namely acidity (pH), useful water reserve (RU), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and erodibility (K); according to the formula: AA = pH × RU × CEC × K. The unit of measurement is the « equivalent hour per mega joule per millimeter (eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1) ». The results showed that the agronomic suitability of the yellow ferralitic soils of Bokito varies from 0.00 to10.53 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1. On the volcanic massif of Bambouto, the agronomic aptitude varies from 0.00 to 15.70 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1 on the red ferralitic soils of the lower part of the massif, from 15.70 to 41.84 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1 on andic ferralitic soils of the middle part of the massif and reaches 108.85 eq.hr. MJ-1mm-1 on the andosols of the summit part of the massif. This work could allow, on the one hand, a better allocation of agricultural land and thus participate in the development of second generation agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa; and on the other hand, contribute to determine more precisely the quality and quantity of fertilizer needed to maintain soil balance. Controlling the use of fertilizers will help to significantly reduce the quantities of chemical elements contained in agricultural products, limit water and soil pollution and thus better preserve human health.
Dispositivo identitário e bandeira nacional
Authors: Dantas de Sousa Jacyane
Published: July 2023

O artigo tem por objetivo problematizar o funcionamento da bandeira brasileira enquanto símbolo nacional e elemento do dispositivo identitário durante períodos autoritários, para posteriormente evidenciar os lugares de resistência construídos por meio de sua reativação. Para tanto, discute-se aquilo que se entende por dispositivo identitário, bem como sua operação por meio de diferentes elementos, para, na sequência, analisar o funcionamento discursivo da bandeira brasileira durante o Estado Novo, a Ditadura Militar, e mais recentemente, durante a convulsão social que culmina com a eleição de Jair Bolsonaro, em 2018. Para concluir, demonstram-se as formas de reativação desse símbolo, que possibilitam a resistência de grupos minorizados. Como perspectiva teórico-metodológica, este artigo ancora-se nos Estudos Culturais, a fim de discutir a construção das identidades e dos símbolos nacionais, em diálogo com os Estudos Discursivos Foucaultianos, a partir dos quais se adota o método arqueogenealógico para análise dos discursos.
Quem são os “moleques” e os “pivetes” nos dicionários de língua portuguesa?
Authors: Dracoulakis Midlej Ramos Samille Jarallah , Das Mercês Carvalho Pedro Arão , Modesto dos Santos Rogério Luid
Published: July 2023

Este trabalho é uma análise discursiva do funcionamento dos discursos racializados a partir de entradas dos verbetes "moleque" e “pivete” em dicionários de língua portuguesa produzidos entre o séc. XVIII e o séc. XXI. O embasamento teórico está sustentado nos pressupostos da Análise do Discurso de perspectiva materialista e da História das Ideias Linguísticas. Nesse sentido, pretendeu-se analisar os deslizamentos de sentido dos verbetes tendo em vista os desdobramentos históricos da sociedade brasileira no tempo. O trabalho foi feito ao considerar dicionários como instrumentos linguísticos hegemônicos da colonização, e o racismo como componente estrutural da sociedade brasileira na história. Por fim, concluiu-se que a memória discursiva que atravessa os verbetes em questão permite a associação, ainda hoje, de discursos racializados e efeitos de sentido pejorativos associados às designações “moleque” e “pivete”.
No entremeio dos sentidos de gênero, raça e sexualidade
Authors: Borges de Oliveira Pedro Henrique , Lins Rodrigues Anderson
Published: July 2023

Neste artigo, buscamos compreender a intersecção dos sentidos de gênero, raça e sexualidade e seu funcionamento discursivo no processo de forja da masculinidade negra gay na obra cinematográfica Madame Satã (2002). Para tanto, apoiamo-nos, como suporte teórico-analítico, na Análise de Discurso de filiação materialista, tomando como premissa as ideias de Pêcheux ([1975] 2014) e Orlandi (2020), nas teorias de gênero e sexualidade, a partir das considerações de Lins (2021), Butler (2020) e Foucault ([1976] 2014) e nas reflexões de Fanon (2008) e Modesto (2018, 2021) sobre discursos racializados, atentando-nos para o caráter interseccional dos objetos de pesquisa. Como desenvolvimento desta pesquisa, analisamos que a masculinidade negra gay é forjada pela subversão dos sentidos hegemônicos de gênero e sexualidade alinhados aos de raça. Através da materialização dos sentidos de gênero e sexualidade em não conformidade com as expectativas da concepção biologizante de corpo-gênero, numa formação social branco-cêntrica, nas corporeidades de masculinidades pretas-e-gays, surgiram os gritos de autoafirmação e autodeterminação que constitui essa subjetividade.
Promovendo segurança digital
Authors: Viegas Mayra Varginha , Antunes Jeferson Miguel Melo , Faria Ana Flávia Gomes de , Cotta Iza Costa , Viana Maria Eduarda Mendes , Andrade Elisabeth Campos de
Published: July 2023

O uso de mídias digitais na infância de forma precoce, prolongada e não supervisionada prejudica o desenvolvimento saudável das crianças. É importante realizar orientações adequadas e acessíveis sobre os riscos dessa exposição. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo relatar as experiências de um projeto de extensão voltado à criação de um livro infantil sobre a segurança das crianças no meio digital. O trabalho é desenvolvido de forma multidisciplinar e tem como objetivo construir um livro infantil que seja capaz de promover segurança digital por meio de orientações para os pais e de ensino para as crianças, de forma lúdica. Para isso, os participantes pesquisaram, discutiram e adaptaram o conteúdo científico para uma forma acessível ao público-alvo. Percebemos que o trabalho multidisciplinar trouxe resultados positivos, pois maximizou a acessibilidade do conteúdo técnico e o seu potencial interativo ao utilizar recursos visuais. Os discentes puderam desenvolver habilidades de pesquisa, de escrita, de trabalho multidisciplinar e de conhecimentos específicos relacionados ao tema. Esperamos que a distribuição do livro promova conscientização sobre os riscos da exposição infantil às mídias digitais e sirva de ferramenta para a educação e a interação familiar.
Desenvolvimento de podcasts educativos para a educação de jovens e adultos
Authors: Roselino Fernanda Colombari de Salles , Tenani Luciani Ester , Villela Fabio Fernandes
Published: July 2023

A pandemia de COVID-19 evidenciou a necessidade de ampliação de práticas letradas digitais no país, sobretudo para a população idosa que ficou isolada por longo período. O presente relato tem como objetivo descrever as atividades desenvolvidas para mitigar os efeitos da ausência de contato presencial em aulas oferecidas à população idosa atendida pelo Programa de Educação de Jovens e Adultos (PEJA) promovido pela Universidade Estadual Paulista de São José do Rio Preto. As atividades foram desenvolvidas por meio de videoaulas e podcasts criados para veicular conteúdos sobre Matemática básica e Língua Portuguesa voltados à alfabetização digital. Foram criados nove episódios de videoaulas e dez episódios de podcasts e enviadas instruções aos alunos sobre como acessar essas mídias na internet. O desenvolvimento desse material foi articulado ao Objetivo de Desenvolvimento Sustentável 4 – Educação de Qualidade – da Organização das Nações Unidas. O desenvolvimento do material didático beneficiou diretamente a licencianda bolsista do projeto, pois ela adquiriu habilidades para sua futura prática docente, e, principalmente, a população atendida pelo PEJA-Rio Preto, além da comunidade local, que ampliou suas práticas letradas digitais e tiveram acesso gratuito a conteúdos da educação básica durante o período de isolamento social.
Retrospective analysis of cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 infection in children in the Republic of Komi
Authors: Korableva N. N. , Payusova O. R. , Berestnev E. V. , Tarbeyeva O. N. , Mezentseva A. S. , Bezuglaya T. V.
Published: July 2023

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new and relatively rare nosology in children associated with COVID-19 infection, which is characterized by severe multiple organ involvement and poses an immediate life threat.

Objective: to analyze the clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination data of patients with MIS-C associated with COVID-19 infection, hospitalized in the Republican Infectious Diseases Hospital of the Komi Republic and the Republican Children's Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Komi Republic from April 2020 to April 2022.

Material and methods. The retrospective study included 15 patients. The diagnosis was verified according to the Guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Health (version dated July 3, 2020). The results of clinical, instrumental and laboratory examination of patients were evaluated in comparison with literature data.

Results and discussion. The prevalence of MIS-C in the Komi Republic was 5.5 per 100,000 persons under 18 years of age. The majority of the study cohort were males (66.7%), the median age was 3 years. 46.7% of cases were between the ages of 8 and 14 years. At the onset of clinical manifestations, all patients had fever and gastrointestinal symptoms. In 80% of children, pathological changes of skin and mucous membranes, as well as respiratory disorders were revealed. Involvement of the cardiovascular system in the pathological process was noted in 66.7% of cases. Less frequently, the urinary tract was affected. When analyzing laboratory data, an increase in the level of inflammatory markers, as well as lymphopenia and neutrophilia, were noted. Most patients received therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin and systemic glucocorticoids, as well as anticoagulants and acetylsalicylic acid. The outcomes of the disease in most cases were favorable, in 6.7% of patients a lethal outcome was recorded.

Conclusion. The analysis of cases of MIS-C illustrates the high frequency of seroconversion to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the predominance of males compared to females (2:1 ratio), the prevalence of the age group under 4 years, the heterogeneity of clinical manifestations and generally favorable prognosis. The diversity of clinical features of COVID-19 warrants a high degree of suspicion for MIS-C, as well as the development of a predictive tool, the "MIS-C Suspicion Index".
Tourism Vulnerability to Disaster: Impact of Epidemic, Natural Disaster, and Terrorism (Evidence from Indonesia)
Authors: Sapta Ahmad Rifai , Hanri Muhammad
Published: July 2023

This study aims to explore the impact of multiple disasters, such as pandemics, natural disasters, and terrorism, on inbound tourists in Indonesia. Using a panel data approach, we studied the impact of these disasters by analyzing data regarding international tourist flow from 19 countries and nine ports of entry from 2008 to 2020. The results showed that different types of disasters affected inbound tourists differently in terms of magnitude and significance. In addition, some disasters had a longer-lasting impact, which can be seen from the significant negative impact in the year following the disaster. We also uncovered an impact that varied among tourist origin countries according to their responsiveness to the disaster. The findings imply that sustainable tourism development can not be achieved without understanding how disasters affect tourism.
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry assessment of essential and toxic trace elements in traditional spices consumed by the population of the Middle Eastern region in their recipes
Authors: Syed Saeed Ali , Bari Ahmed , Kaimkhani Zahid A. , Ali Essam A.
Published: July 2023

Inductively coupled plasma and microwave digestion are used in this article to analyze various food matrices. Different natural herbs are used in the recipes for the food items that the people of the Middle Eastern part of the world eat; they use these herbs as spices in different proportions. The study examines the potential effects on human health associated with consuming trace and toxic elements, such as Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, K, and Na. The targeted spices include sumac, za’atar, black lemon, cumin seed, and kabsa powder; these were used in a variety of recipes for the food items the people of Saudi Arabia eat but not limited to fattier, kabsa, tabbouleh, humus, haysa Al tumreya, and other traditional foods. The herbs were collected from the Saudi Arabian market. For microwave digestion, Merck's ultra-pure nitric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide were used. For elemental analysis, a highly sophisticated technique of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was applied. The average potassium values in black lemon (Loomi), kabsa powder, cumin seed, za’atar, and sumac were 1,283, 1,248, 1,739, 500, and 500 mg/100 g, respectively. These spices help fulfill the human body’s daily requirements of elemental content.