bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-acute care for frail older people decreases 90-day emergency room visits, readmissions and mortality: An interventional study
Authors: Lee Min-Chang , Wu Tai-Yin , Huang Sheng-Jean , Chen Ya-Mei , Hsiao Sheng-Huang , Tsai Ching-Yao
Published: January 2023

Background

To evaluate the effects of post-acute care (PAC) on frail older adults after acute hospitalization in Taiwan.

Methods

This was a multicenter interventional study. Frail patients aged ≥ 75 were recruited and divided into PAC or control group. The PAC group received comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and multifactorial intervention including exercise, nutrition education, and medicinal adjustments for two to four weeks, while the control group received only CGA. Outcome measures included emergency room (ER) visits, readmissions, and mortality within 90 days after PAC.

Results

Among 254 participants, 205 (87.6±6.0 years) were in the PAC and 49 (85.2±6.0 years) in the control group. PAC for more than two weeks significantly decreased 90-day ER visits (odds ratio [OR] 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10–0.43; p = 0.024), readmissions (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.16–0.56; p < 0.001), and mortality (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.04–0.87; p = 0.032). Having problems in self-care was an independent risk factor for 90-day ER visits (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.17–3.78; p = 0.012), and having problems in usual activities was an independent risk factor for 90-day readmissions (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.53–4.72; p = 0.001) and mortality (OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.16–8.63; p = 0.024).

Conclusion

PAC program for more than two weeks could have beneficial effects on decreasing ER visits, readmissions, and mortality after an acute illness in frail older patients. Those who perceived severe problems in self-care and usual activities had a higher risk of subsequent adverse outcomes.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT Identifier: NCT05452395.
I win it’s fair, you win it’s not. Selective heeding of merit in ambiguous settings
Authors: Kandul Serhiy , Nikolaychuk Olexandr
Published: January 2023

One’s willingness to accept an outcome or even to correct it depends on whether the underlying procedure is deemed legitimate. We examine a modified version of the dictator game, where dictatorship is assigned by a fair procedure that is linked to the participant actions but in effect is completely random, to illustrate that this belief is not independent of the outcome and is self-serving in its nature. We also discuss the perceptions of fairness and merit as potential drivers of the observed behavioral phenomenon.
Genome-wide association study of abdominal MRI-measured visceral fat: The multiethnic cohort adiposity phenotype study
Authors: Streicher Samantha A. , Lim Unhee , Park S. Lani , Li Yuqing , Sheng Xin , Hom Victor , Xia Lucy , Pooler Loreall , Shepherd John , Loo Lenora W. M. , Ernst Thomas , Buchthal Steven , Franke Adrian A. , Tiirikainen Maarit , Wilkens Lynne R. , Haiman Christopher A. , Stram Daniel O. , Cheng Iona , Le Marchand Loïc
Published: January 2023

Few studies have explored the genetic underpinnings of intra-abdominal visceral fat deposition, which varies substantially by sex and race/ethnicity. Among 1,787 participants in the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC)-Adiposity Phenotype Study (MEC-APS), we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the percent visceral adiposity tissue (VAT) area out of the overall abdominal area, averaged across L1-L5 (%VAT), measured by abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A genome-wide significant signal was found on chromosome 2q14.3 in the sex-combined GWAS (lead variant rs79837492: Beta per effect allele = -4.76; P = 2.62 × 10−8) and in the male-only GWAS (lead variant rs2968545: (Beta = -6.50; P = 1.09 × 10−9), and one suggestive variant was found at 13q12.11 in the female-only GWAS (rs79926925: Beta = 6.95; P = 8.15 × 10−8). The negatively associated variants were most common in European Americans (T allele of rs79837492; 5%) and African Americans (C allele of rs2968545; 5%) and not observed in Japanese Americans, whereas the positively associated variant was most common in Japanese Americans (C allele of rs79926925, 5%), which was all consistent with the racial/ethnic %VAT differences. In a validation step among UK Biobank participants (N = 23,699 of mainly British and Irish ancestry) with MRI-based VAT volume, both rs79837492 (Beta = -0.026, P = 0.019) and rs2968545 (Beta = -0.028, P = 0.010) were significantly associated in men only (n = 11,524). In the MEC-APS, the association between rs79926925 and plasma sex hormone binding globulin levels reached statistical significance in females, but not in males, with adjustment for total adiposity (Beta = -0.24; P = 0.028), on the log scale. Rs79837492 and rs2968545 are located in intron 5 of CNTNAP5, and rs79926925, in an intergenic region between GJB6 and CRYL1. These novel findings differing by sex and racial/ethnic group warrant replication in additional diverse studies with direct visceral fat measurements.
An optimized GAN method based on the Que-Attn and contrastive learning for underwater image enhancement
Authors: Lan Zeru , Zhou Bin , Zhao Weiwei , Wang Shaoqing
Published: January 2023

Research on underwater image processing has increased significantly in the past decade due to the precious resources that exist underwater. However, it is still a challenging problem to restore degraded underwater images. Existing prior-based methods show limited performance in many cases due to their reliance on hand-crafted features. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an effective unsupervised generative adversarial network(GAN) for underwater image restoration. Specifically, we embed the idea of contrastive learning into the model. The method encourages two elements (corresponding patches) to map the similar points in the learned feature space relative to other elements (other patches) in the data set, and maximizes the mutual information between input and output through PatchNCE loss. We design a query attention (Que-Attn) module, which compares feature distances in the source domain, and gives an attention matrix and probability distribution for each row. We then select queries based on their importance measure calculated from the distribution. We also verify its generalization performance on several benchmark datasets. Experiments and comparison with the state-of-the-art methods show that our model outperforms others.
A proteomic perspective and involvement of cytokines in SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Banu Sarena , Nagaraj Ramakrishnan , Idris Mohammed M.
Published: January 2023

Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus results in manifestation of several clinical observations from asymptomatic to multi-organ failure. Biochemically, the serious effects are due to what is described as cytokine storm. The initial infection region for COVID-19 is the nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal region which is the site where samples are taken to examine the presence of virus. We have now carried out detailed proteomic analysis of the nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab samples collected from normal individuals and those tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, in India, during the early days of the pandemic in 2020, by RTPCR, involving high throughput quantitative proteomics analysis. Several proteins like annexins, cytokines and histones were found differentially regulated in the host human cells following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Genes for these proteins were also observed to be differentially regulated when their expression was analyzed. Majority of the cytokine proteins were found to be up regulated in the infected individuals. Cell to Cell signaling interaction, Immune cell trafficking and inflammatory response pathways were found associated with the differentially regulated proteins based on network pathway analysis.
Blood concentrations of mediators released from activated neutrophils are related to the severity of alcohol-induced liver damage
Authors: Kasztelan-Szczerbinska Beata , Zygo Bartosz , Rycyk-Bojarzynska Anna , Surdacka Agata , Rolinski Jacek , Cichoz-Lach Halina
Published: January 2023

Background

Immune dysregulation and neutrophil infiltration are hallmarks of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Our objective was to evaluate the blood profile of neutrophil-derived mediators [neutrophil elastase (NE), myeloperoxidase (MPO), alpha1-antitrypsin (A1AT)], and their potential relevance in ALD.

Methods

62 patients with ALD /47 males, and 15 females, aged 49,2 ± 9,9/ were prospectively recruited and distributed according to their 1/ gender, 2/ severity of liver dysfunction (by Child-Turcotte-Pugh, MELD scores, and mDF) 3/ presence of complications of ALD complications, and followed for 90 days. 24 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers served as the control group. Neutrophil-derived biomarkers were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).

Results

Blood concentrations of MPO and NE were significantly higher in ALD patients in comparison with controls. A1AT levels were not different. There were no gender-related differences in the studied biomarker levels. Both NE and MPO correlated with routine markers of inflammation, while NE with MELD and mDF scores. Patients with a severe ALD course i.e. MELD>20 or mDF>32, presented with significantly higher NE blood concentrations.

Conclusions

Our results point out the critical role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of ALD. NE and MPO correlated with the intensity of inflammation, and NE was related to the severity of liver dysfunction.
CRPGAN: Learning image-to-image translation of two unpaired images by cross-attention mechanism and parallelization strategy
Authors: Feng Long , Geng Guohua , Li Qihang , Jiang Yi , Li Zhan , Li Kang
Published: January 2023

Unsupervised image-to-image translation (UI2I) tasks aim to find a mapping between the source and the target domains from unpaired training data. Previous methods can not effectively capture the differences between the source and the target domain on different scales and often leads to poor quality of the generated images, noise, distortion, and other conditions that do not match human vision perception, and has high time complexity. To address this problem, we propose a multi-scale training structure and a progressive growth generator method to solve UI2I task. Our method refines the generated images from global structures to local details by adding new convolution blocks continuously and shares the network parameters in different scales and also in the same scale of network. Finally, we propose a new Cross-CBAM mechanism (CRCBAM), which uses a multi-layer spatial attention and channel attention cross structure to generate more refined style images. Experiments on our collected Opera Face, and other open datasets Summer↔Winter, Horse↔Zebra, Photo↔Van Gogh, show that the proposed algorithm is superior to other state-of-art algorithms.
Immunochemical characterisation of styrene maleic acid lipid particles prepared from Mycobacterium tuberculosis plasma membrane
Authors: Sinha Sudhir , Kumar Shashikant , Singh Komal , Umam Fareha , Agrawal Vinita , Aggarwal Amita , Imperiali Barbara
Published: January 2023

Membrane proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) can be targeted for the development of therapeutic and prophylactic interventions against tuberculosis. We have utilized the unique membrane-solubilising properties of the styrene maleic acid copolymer  (SMA) to prepare and characterise ‘styrene maleic acid lipid particles’ from the native membrane of Mtb (MtM-SMALPs). When resolved by SDS-PAGE and visualised with coomassie blue, the molecular weights of Mtb membrane (MtM) proteins solubilised by SMA were mostly in the range of 40–70 kDa. When visualised by transmission electron microscopy, MtM-SMALPs appeared as nanoparticles of discrete shapes and sizes. The discoid nanoparticles exhibited a range of diameters of ~10–90 nm, with largest portion (~61%) ranging from 20–40 nm. MtM proteins of a molecular weight-range overlapping with that of MtM-SMALPs were also amenable to chemical cross-linking, revealing protein complex formation. Characterisation using monoclonal antibodies against seven MtM-associated antigens confirmed the incorporation of the inner membrane protein PRA, membrane-associated proteins PstS1, LpqH and Ag85, and the lipoglycan LAM into MtM-SMALPs. Conversely, the peripheral membrane proteins Acr and PspA were nearly completely excluded. Furthermore, although MtM showed an abundance of Con A-binding glycoproteins, MtM-SMALPs appeared devoid of these species. Immune responses of healthcare workers harbouring ‘latent TB infection’ provided additional insights. While MtM-SMALPs and MtM induced comparable levels of the cytokine IFN-γ, only MtM-SMALPs could induce the production of TNF-α. Antibodies present in the donor sera showed significantly higher binding to MtM than to MtM-SMALPs. These results have implications for the development of MtM-based immunoprophylaxis against tuberculosis.
A study of a diauxic growth experiment using an expanded dynamic flux balance framework
Authors: Karlsen Emil , Gylseth Marianne , Schulz Christian , Almaas Eivind
Published: January 2023

Flux balance analysis (FBA) remains one of the most used methods for modeling the entirety of cellular metabolism, and a range of applications and extensions based on the FBA framework have been generated. Dynamic flux balance analysis (dFBA), the expansion of FBA into the time domain, still has issues regarding accessibility limiting its widespread adoption and application, such as a lack of a consistently rigid formalism and tools that can be applied without expert knowledge. Recent work has combined dFBA with enzyme-constrained flux balance analysis (decFBA), which has been shown to greatly improve accuracy in the comparison of computational simulations and experimental data, but such approaches generally do not take into account the fact that altering the enzyme composition of a cell is not an instantaneous process. Here, we have developed a decFBA method that explicitly takes enzyme change constraints (ecc) into account, decFBAecc. The resulting software is a simple yet flexible framework for using genome-scale metabolic modeling for simulations in the time domain that has full interoperability with the COBRA Toolbox 3.0. To assess the quality of the computational predictions of decFBAecc, we conducted a diauxic growth fermentation experiment with Escherichia coli BW25113 in glucose minimal M9 medium. The comparison of experimental data with dFBA, decFBA and decFBAecc predictions demonstrates how systematic analyses within a fixed constraint-based framework can aid the study of model parameters. Finally, in explaining experimentally observed phenotypes, our computational analysis demonstrates the importance of non-linear dependence of exchange fluxes on medium metabolite concentrations and the non-instantaneous change in enzyme composition, effects of which have not previously been accounted for in constraint-based analysis.
A single-center, nonblinded, clinical trial comparing blood pressures before and after tourniquet application in healthy humans: A study protocol
Authors: Seigler Samuel W. , Quinn Kristen M. , Holman Heather L. , Kim Joshua Y. , Rajab Taufiek K.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of natural death in the United States, and most surviving patients suffer from neurological dysfunction. Although this is recognized as a problem, there have been very few changes to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure. Tourniquets have been recognized for their ability to increase truncal blood pressure and have been shown to improve CPR outcomes in animal models. However, the relationship between tourniquet application and blood pressure elevation has not been adequately explored in healthy human adults.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to demonstrate that bilateral, non-invasive, peripheral vascular occlusion in the thighs results in an increased proximal systolic blood pressure ≥ 10 mmHg.

Methods

This is a single-center, non-blinded clinical trial. Volunteers will be screened for eligibility at least 24 hours before the day of the trial. On the day of the trial, volunteers will undergo an informed consent process. If they choose to participate in the trial after informed consent, their baseline blood pressure will be measured. Volunteers will then have a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) applied to each thigh, and the windlasses will be tightened by IRB-approved personnel. Once no pulse can be felt in the lower extremity, blood pressure will be measured in the arm. This will be replicated three times, and the tourniquets will be loosened between trials to allow the volunteers to rest. Any complications that arise during the trial will be handled by the physician that is present.

Analysis

Changes in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure will be analyzed using a Shapiro-Wilk test. Then, a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be performed with a Holm-Sidak post-hoc test to determine the mean differences. The significance level will be set to 5% for statistical significance.

Registry and registration number

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05324306.
Sex differences in left ventricular stroke work and cardiac power output per unit myocardium relate to blood pressure in apparently healthy adults
Authors: Lu Jing , Yin Lixue
Published: January 2023

Background

Left ventricular stroke work per unit myocardium (LVSWM) and cardiac power output per unit myocardium (CPOM) are important measures of myocardial workload. The sex differences in the myocardial workload and its correlation with blood pressure remain largely unclear.

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to investigate the sex differences in LVSWM and CPOM, and to relate them to blood pressure in a cohort of apparently healthy adults.

Methods

The LVSWM and CPOM were estimated in 596 age- and heart rate-matched apparently healthy adults (298 men) using transthoracic echocardiography combined with cuff-measured brachial blood pressure. The data were compared between sexes, and the sex differences in LVSWM and CPOM were related to blood pressure.

Results

After adjustment for the blood pressure, the LVSWM and CPOM were higher in women than in men [75.0 (73.7–76.4) vs 64.9 (63.5–66.2) cJ/100g for LVSWM, and 912.4 (894.1–930.6) vs 780.2 (762.0–798.5) milliwatt/100g for CPOM, respectively; all P<0.001]. After adjustment for the LVSWM and CPOM, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 7.4 mm Hg and 5.2 mm Hg higher in men than in women, respectively (all P<0.001).

Conclusions

For any given blood pressure, the workload per unit myocardium is higher in apparently healthy women than in their male counterparts. A sex-specific definition of normal blood pressure with a relatively lower threshold for women can minimize the sex differences in the myocardial workload, which might reduce the potentially comparatively higher risk of heart failure in women.
Auditory interaction between runners: Does footstep sound affect step frequency of neighboring runners?
Authors: Furukawa Hiroaki , Kudo Kazutoshi , Kubo Kota , Ding Jingwei , Saito Atsushi
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effect of footsteps of a neighboring runner (NR) on the main runner’s step frequency (SF), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). The participants were male long-distance runners belonging to a university track and field team. Two experiments were conducted in which the main runner (participant) and NR (examiner) ran with the same running speed on two adjacent treadmills separated by a thin wall. The participants were instructed that the experimental purpose was to investigate the HR when running with others and running alone. In Experiment 1, NR performed three trials of changing the footstep tempo in 5 bpm (beat per minute) faster (+5bpmFS), 5 bpm slower (-5bpmFS), or no footsteps (NF) conditions. The results showed that the footstep condition affected the variability of the SF but not the mean SF. Next, Experiment 2 was conducted by increasing the footstep tempo condition. NR performed seven trials of changing the footstep tempo by ±3 bpm, ±5 bpm, ±10 bpm, or no footstep. The results showed that the footstep condition affected the mean SF and the SF decreased at -10bpmFS compared to NF. There were no differences in the HR and RPE between conditions. These results indicated that the footsteps of NR could influence the SF, although it was unclear whether footsteps were involved in the synchronization between runners. Overall, our findings emphasize the environmental factors that influence running behavior, including the NR’s footsteps.
Face, content, criterion and construct validity assessment of a newly developed tool to assess and classify work–related stress (TAWS– 16)
Authors: Roy Runalika , Sukumar Gautham Melur , Philip Mariamma , Gopalakrishna Gururaj
Published: January 2023

Introduction

As work-stress, is associated with Non Communicable Diseases, and decreased work productivity, health and economic benefits are expected from periodic work-stress screening among employees using valid and reliable tools. Tool to Assess and classify Work Stress (TAWS– 16) was developed to overcome limitations in existing work-stress assessment tools in India. This study aims to test face, content, criterion and construct validity of TAWS– 16 in a sample of managerial-supervisory employees.

Methods

Nine domain experts rated face and content validity of TAWS– 16. Content validity was measured by Content Validity Indices (I-CVI, S-CVI) and Modified Kappa statistics. Empirical validity was tested by analysing data reported from 356 Information Technology (IT) professionals wherein Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted for the assessment of Construct Validity. Self-reported data was collected in an unlinked and anonymous manner using a web-link, which was emailed to the study subjects, after initial introductory telephone or personal conversation. Criterion Validity was tested against stress sub-scale of DASS– 21. This study was approved by NIMHANS ethics committee.

Results

Findings revealed that TAWS– 16 has good face validity. The content validity is acceptable (CVI = 0.829). Construct Validity is appropriate as 60.8% of the total variance was explained by the factors identified in our study. Criterion Validity was moderate (Kappa Value 0.208) due to inappropriate work-stress instrument for comparison with TAWS– 16.

Conclusions

Overall, TAWS– 16 demonstrated good face, content and construct validity. It measures work-stressors, coping abilities and psycho-somatic symptoms associated with work-stress. We recommend use of TAWS– 16 for periodic screening and classification of work-stress among employees.
Short-term carcinogenicity study of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea in FVB-Trp53 heterozygous mice
Authors: Kim Na-Won , Seo Sun-Min , Yoo Eun-Seon , Kang Ah-Reum , Lee Ji-Hun , Lee Jae-Hoon , Kang Byeong-Cheol , Lee Han-Woong , Choi Yang-Kyu
Published: January 2023

Carcinogenicity tests predict the tumorigenic potential of various substances in the human body by studying tumor induction in experimental animals. There is a need for studies that explore the use of FVB/N-Trp53em2Hwl/Korl (FVB-Trp53+/-) mice, created by TALEN-mediated gene targeting in Korea, in carcinogenicity tests. This study was performed to determine whether FVB-Trp53+/- mice are a suitable model for short-term carcinogenicity studies. To compare the carcinogenicity at different concentrations, 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), a known carcinogen, were administered intraperitoneally to FVB-Trp53+/- and wild-type male mice. After 26 weeks, the survival rate was significantly reduced in FVB-Trp53+/- mice compared to the wild-type mice in the 50 and 75 mg/kg groups. The incidence of thymic malignant lymphoma (TML) in the 50 and 75 mg/kg groups was 54.2 and 59.1% in FVB-Trp53+/- male mice, respectively. TML metastasized to the lungs, spleen, lymph nodes, liver, kidney, and heart in FVB-Trp53+/- male mice. Furthermore, the incidence of primary lung tumors, such as adenomas and adenocarcinomas, was 65.4, 62.5, and 45.4% in the FVB-Trp53+/- mice of the 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg groups, respectively. The main tumor types in FVB-Trp53+/- mice were TML and primary lung tumors, regardless of the dose of MNU administered. These results suggest that systemic tumors may result from malfunctions in the p53 gene and pathway, which is an important factor in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Therefore, FVB-Trp53 heterozygous mice are suitable for short-term carcinogenicity tests using positive carcinogens, and that the best result using MNU, a positive carcinogen, might have a single dose of 50 mg/kg.
A comparison of two types of contrast media used in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: A retrospective study
Authors: Matsuura Tomoharu , Hamaya Yasushi , Onoue Shunya , Tamura Satoshi , Ishida Natsuki , Yamade Mihoko , Tani Shinya , Iwaizumi Moriya , Osawa Satoshi , Furuta Takahisa , Sugimoto Ken
Published: January 2023

Background

Post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) is one of the most serious complications of ERCP. Various procedures can reduce the incidence of PEP, such as wire-guided cannulation, prophylactic pancreatic stent placement, and pretreatment anal insertion of NSAIDs. Recently, iso-osmolar contrast media (IOCM) have been used for ERCP in several hospitals to reduce the risk of PEP in Japan. However, the effect of IOCM is uncertain because few reports have examined IOCM in relation to PEP.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between contrast media used and the incidence of PEP.

Methods

This retrospective study included all qualifying patients who had undergone ERCP at Hamamatsu University Hospital between January 2012 and January 2020. This study examined whether there was a difference in the onset of PEP between patients administered IOCM and high osmolar contrast medium (HOCM). Propensity score matching was used to analyze patient characteristics and ERCP procedures. Amidotrizoic acid was used as HOCM and iodixanol as IOCM.

Results

ERCP was performed on 458 patients, and 830 procedures were conducted. After propensity score matching, 162 patients from the amidotrizoic acid group and 162 patients from the iodixanol group were selected. The incidence of PEP was 10.5% (17) in the amidotrizoic acid group and 9.3% (15) in the iodixanol group (P = 0.71). Changes in serum amylase levels post- and pre-ERCP were 240.6 ± 573.8 U/L and 142.7 ± 382.1 U/L in the amidotrizoic acid and iodixanol groups, respectively (P = 0.072).

Conclusion

Iodixanol had no prophylactic effect on PEP and clinical outcomes.
Factors Affecting Online Banking Usage in Kuwait: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: E. Bekhit Khaled , El Leithy Walid , El-Sayyar Anfal
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to examine factors that affecting the usage of online banking users in Kuwait. Five factors were included in the analysis, namely performance expectancy, social influence, trust, perceived risk as well as demographic variables as moderating variable of the study. The research used a quantitative approach based on primary data collected through the administration of an online structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using regression analysis and descriptive statistics.
Library Services During COVID 19
Authors: Verma Nitesh Kumar , Deori Maya , Verma Manoj Kumar
Published: January 2023

Academic library websites are considered an integral tool for disseminating libraries’ information, resources, and services. It also encourages users to interact and use library resources and services remotely. The spread of COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdown shifted the education system to an online mode of teaching and learning. The present study aims to analyse the usability criteria of the Central Universities’ library websites, the availability of various facilities & services provided during the pandemic, to know the mode of information dissemination during the pandemic, andthe preventive measures undertaken by the Central University library websites to combat the Corona Virus.The study reveals that Aligarh Muslim University and the Central University of Orissa have adopted all possible means and modes to provide information to its users to combat the struggles during the pandemic through their library websites. However, certain Central University websites like the Central University of South Bihar have provided the least services for their users during the pandemic. The study also highlighted the essential steps initiated by the selected libraries to fulfill the information needs of their users, and those services may be opted by others to meet the post-lockdown needs.
A Bibliometric Analysis of DevOps Metrics
Authors: Angarita Leonardo Bermon , Carpio Alvaro Fernández Del , Osorio Londoño Andrés Alberto
Published: January 2023

DevOps has become an important set of organisational and technical practices in software development under the agile umbrella. Many efforts are still being made in this field, mainly focused on the inclusion of metrics for monitoring progress. Gathering metrics is a difficult task, but it can provide insight into the performance of the software delivery process. The current status of the definition, application and implementation of metrics in DevOps projects and processes is of interest to software practitioners. Thus, the objective of this article is to analyze documents regarding the impact of metrics in DevOps projects. 103 documents were obtained from the Scopus database to analyze them through the bibliometric method considering several aspects. The bibliometric analysis performed included author analysis, author affiliation, authors’ countries, keyword analysis, citation analysis, and network analysis. The results indicate that DevOps research is not centralized in a specific group of researchers. Moreover, the most significant contributions of DevOps are related to continuous integration, software design, and software testing. The bibliometric analysis presented in this article helps to identify the current state of the DevOps literature and provides an insightful discussion of future research trends.
Use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Library and Information Science Education and Research
Authors: Lata Neha , Sonkar Sharad Kumar
Published: January 2023

With the advent of advanced technology, ICT has revolutionised the way academics perform their work, helping them to deal with larger datasets and improve the outcomes of their investigations. The main objective of this study article is to obtain a better understanding of how ICT can be used in LIS education and research. For the study, a survey design was used. Out of 303 students and research scholars from BBAU, BHU, and AMU, 179 respondents were chosen using Raosoft (Sample size calculator). The questionnaire was the only data collection tool used in both online and offline modes. Microsoft Excel was used to analyse the responses. The study’s findings showed that most students and research scholars use ICT tools in their education and research work. This study also focuses on integration regarding the use of information and communication technology, as well as what may improve the status of the education and research sectors by using ICT and how ICT can help in stress reduction in various aspects among students and research scholars. Students and research scholars would benefit from the study because it would contribute to scholarly research and fill a gap in the literature on the use of information and communication technologies.
Is Functional Connectivity after a First Unprovoked Seizure Different Based on Subsequent Seizures and Future Diagnosis of Epilepsy?
Authors: Koo Ga Eun , Jeong Ho Tae , Youn Young Chul , Han Su-Hyun
Published: January 2023

Background and Purpose: There are no highly sensitive biomarkers for epilepsy to date. Recently, promising results regarding functional connectivity analysis have been obtained, which may improve epilepsy diagnosis even in the absence of visible abnormality in electroencephalography. We aimed to investigate the differences in functional connectivity after a first unprovoked seizure between patients diagnosed with epilepsy within 1 year due to subsequent seizures and those who were not.Methods: We compared quantitative electroencephalography power spectra and functional connectivity between 12 patients who were diagnosed with epilepsy (two or more unprovoked seizures) within 1 year and 17 controls (those not diagnosed within 1 year) using iSyncBrain® (iMediSync Inc., Suwon, Korea; https://isyncbrain.com/). In the source-level analysis, the current distribution across the brain was assessed using the standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography technique, to compare relative power values in 68 regions of interest and connectivity (the imaginary part of coherency) between regions of interest.Results: In the epilepsy group, quantitative electroencephalography showed lower alpha2 band power in left frontal, central, superior temporal, and parietal regions and higher beta2 power in both frontal, central, temporal, occipital, and left parietal regions compared with the control group. Additionally, epilepsy patients had significantly lower connectivity in alpha2 and beta2 bands than the controls.Conclusions: Patients experiencing their first unprovoked seizure presented different brain function according to whether they have subsequent seizures and future epilepsy. Our results propose the potential clinical ability to diagnose epilepsy after the first unprovoked seizure in the absence of interictal epileptiform discharges.
Cerebral Salt Wasting Syndrome Associated with Status Epilepticus
Authors: Lee Jung-Ju
Published: January 2023

Cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS) is defined as a renal loss of sodium in cerebral disorders causing hyponatremia and loss of extracellular fluid volume. Similar laboratory findings may be seen in other conditions such as syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). A 58-year-old male visited our emergency department because of the sudden development of seizures during sleep. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed subtle high signal intensity in the right hippocampus on diffusion-weighted imaging. Ictal rhythmic discharges were observed in the concordant area. Altered metal status, polyuria and laboratory test findings including hyponatremia were compatible with CSWS. After hydration and salt replacement, his mental state and hyponatremia gradually recovered. For diagnosing CSWS, meticulous physical examinations including analysis of fluid balance are essential. CSWS should be considered in patients with hyponatremia and polyuria. Accurate diagnosis of CSWS and SIADH is crucial as the treatment plans for these two conditions are completely different.
Investigation of Resilience in According Exposure to Cyberbullying in Adolescents
Authors: GÜÇLÜ Gökhan , ÇAM Sabahattin
Published: January 2023

This research aims to examine the resilience of adolescents according to their exposure to cyberbullying, gender, grade level, parental education level, school type and time spent on social media. Participants consisted of 1040 high school students between the ages of 14-19. Data were collected using the APRS, CVS and PIF, and analyzed with the two-factor ANOVA technique. Data analysis shows that the resilience of the adolescents not exposed to cyberbullying was found to be higher than the adolescents exposed to cyberbullying. It is seen that the resilience of girls is higher than that of boys. It is observed that the resilience of the students decreases as the time they spend daily on social media increases. In addition, it is seen that the education level of the mother had a significant effect on the resilience of the students. It is determined that the variables of father's education level, high school type and grade level do not differ significantly on the resilience of the students. It is found that the joint effect of exposure to cyberbullying and mother's education level has a significant effect on resilience, while the interactions of other variables do not have a significant effect on resilience.
A European Credit Council for Consistent and Informed Policymaking
Authors: Smoleńska Agnieszka
Published: January 2023

In Banque Providence Eric Monnet draws on the history of central banking to investigate the problem of insufficient democratic anchoring of monetary policy. It is a very timely contribution, especially as the choices that the central bankers will face in the near future are bound to get ever more political. This article discusses Monnet’s proposals to increase central bank legitimacy through common deliberation of monetary policy authorities and economic policymakers, in particular in relation to EU’s credit policy. I draw on the rich literature on interinstitutional accountability to identify conditions for such an EU Credit Council to be fit for purpose. I further identify two specific EU contexts where further deliberation would be particularly called for: the differentiated monetary and internal market (credit) policies and the Green Deal. With regard to the first, I show how an EU Credit Council could help deepen our understanding of the mutual impact of advancing EU banking integration and continued existence of multiple currency regimes. With regard to the second, I discuss clarifications and adjustments needed in the EU legal framework to ensure that further policy coordination on financing the transition within such a Credit Council would facilitate the achievement of EU’s sustainability goals.
Sexual precocity in the setting of parental use of a compounded testosterone cream: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Georges Elena , Cedarbaum Vanessa , Bisno Daniel Isaac , Marshall Ian
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Person-to-person transmission of transdermal testosterone – termed secondary exposure – is a rare but important cause of precocious puberty.

Case presentation

A 3.5-year-old male was evaluated for precocious puberty based on a 6 month history of penile growth, development of secondary sexual characteristics, and growth spurt. Total testosterone level was significantly elevated at 1,460 ng/dL with normal prepubertal gonadotropin levels. Further history revealed that the father had been using transdermal testosterone for about 1 year. Within 2 months of discontinuation, total testosterone level was 20 ng/dL.

Conclusions

Given the recent increase in transdermal testosterone prescriptions, clinicians must consider exogenous hormonal exposure as an etiology for precocious puberty. Prescribers should counsel their patients about the significant risk of secondary exposure.
Lathosterolosis: a rare cholesterol metabolism disorder with a wide range of clinical variability
Authors: Söbü Elif , Kaya Özçora Gül Demet , Görükmez Özlem , Şahinoğlu Bahtiyar
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Lathosterolosis is a rare autosomal recessive congenital disease that occurs due to homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the sterol C5-desaturase (SC5D) gene. We report a male patient with biallelic missense variant detected in the SC5D gene.

Case presentation

An eight-month-old male patient was referred to the department of paediatric neurology for status epilepticus. He had no remarkable dysmorphic features except micrognathia, ptotic ear and thin-stranded hair. Laboratory tests revealed an alanine aminotransferase level of 502 IU/L and an aspartate aminotransferase level of 279 IU/L; other biochemical test results were normal. The brain MRI revealed atrophic changes in both hemispheres. A decrease in the volume of brain stem and thin corpus callosum were noticeable. Whole exome sequencing was performed because of consanguineous marriage and sibling death in his medical history, and the encountered features were consistent with suspected neurometabolic disease in the cranial imaging and the presence of borderline psychomotor retardation. A biallelic missense variant, c.656T>C p.(Leu219Ser), was identified in the SC5D gene.

Conclusions

Lathosterolosis is a rare cholesterol metabolism disorder and can be presented with a wide range of clinical features by newly reported cases. Lathosterolosis should be considered in cases with cataracts, delayed neuromotor developmental milestones and high levels of liver enzymes.
Influence of heat input on hot cracking sensitivity of the EA395-9 filler metal
Authors: Yang Xingwang , Liu Fuguang , Shi Chunfeng , Liu Gang , Li Yong
Published: January 2023

Microcracks are always present in the deposited metal of 10MnNi2MoVA steel weld seam, which affects the safety of the power plant steam pipeline. It is important to investigate the effect of heat input on the hot cracking sensitivity of the EA395-9 weld metal. In this work, the deposition of the weld metal of EA395-9 was prepared, then the hot cracking tendency of the weld with the different heat input was analyzed and observed. The results show that the moderate welding heat input can help to avoid hot cracking.
Effects of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)–Mucuna pruriens intercropping pattern on the agronomic performances of potato and the soil physicochemical properties of the western highlands of Cameroon
Authors: Tchapga Franck Junior Ngandjui , Chotangui Asafor Henry , Fouegag Maryline Temgoua , Mubeteneh Tankou Christopher
Published: January 2023

A field experiment was conducted at the teaching and research farm of the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Dschang to investigate the effects of potato–Mucuna intercropping pattern on the agronomic performances of potatoes and the soil physicochemical properties in western highlands of Cameroon. The experiment design was a randomized complete block with three replications. The treatments included a pure potato stand (T1), pure Mucuna stand (T2), 1:1 (T3), 1:2 (T4), and 2:1 (T5) potato–Mucuna intercropping patterns. The results revealed that potato–Mucuna intercropping patterns had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on potato growth variables, soil physical properties, and the relative crowding coefficient. The highest potato yield (24,913 kg ha−1) and potato equivalent yield (81,513 kg ha−1) were obtained from the 1:1 intercropping pattern. The highest total LER (2.17) and the lowest (1.38) were obtained with 1:1 and 1:2 intercropping patterns, respectively. Area time equivalent ratio values were greater than 1 in 1:1 (1.46) and 2:1 (1.29) intercropping patterns. Mucuna proved to be the most aggressive and competitive species according to Ap and competitive ratio values except for the 1:2 intercropping pattern with K indicating a yield advantage in all intercropping patterns. 1:1 and 2:1 intercropping patterns gave the best C/N (13.94) and cation exchange capacity (36.12 meq 100 g−1), respectively. Late blight incidence was highest (16.88%) on potato sole crop stand and lowest (8.05%) on 1:2 intercropping pattern. Therefore, based on the findings of this experiment, 1:1 or 1:2 intercropping pattern could be recommended in potato–Mucuna intercropping system.
Contribution of Stable Crack Extension to Variable Amplitude Fatigue Crack Growth
Authors: Sunder R.
Published: January 2023

Variable-amplitude fatigue is invariably associated with periodic tensile overloads that can induce static crack extension component in addition to fatigue crack growth. A simple equation is proposed to account for the static crack growth component. The procedure is validated against fractographic evidence from a programmed load sequence. Accounting for static crack extension is likely to improve cycle-by-cycle crack growth modeling and may also explain scale effects.
Neonatal Deafening Selectively Degrades the Sensitivity to Interaural Time Differences of Electrical Stimuli in Low-Frequency Pathways in Rats
Authors: Sunwoo Woongsang
Published: January 2023

We examined the effect of neonatal deafening on frequency-specific pathways for processing of interaural time differences (ITDs) in cochlear-implant stimuli. Animal studies have demonstrated differences in neural ITD sensitivity in the inferior colliculus (IC) depending on the intracochlear location of intracochlear stimulating electrodes. We used neonatally deafened (ND) rats of both sexes and recorded the responses of single neurons in the IC to electrical stimuli with ITDs delivered to the apical or basal cochlea and compared them with acutely deafened (AD) rats of both sexes with normal hearing (NH) during development. We found that neonatal deafness significantly impacted the ITD sensitivity and the ITD tuning patterns restricted to apically driven IC neurons. In ND rats, the ITD sensitivity of apically driven neurons is reduced to values similar to basally driven neurons. The prevalence of ITD-sensitive apical neurons with a peak-shaped ITD tuning curve, which may reflect predominant input from the medial superior olivary (MSO) complex, in ND rats was diminished compared with that in AD rats (67%, AD vs 40%, ND). Conversely, monotonic-type responses rarely occurred in AD rats (14%) but were approximately equally as prevalent as peak-type tuning curves in ND rats (42%). Nevertheless, in ND rats, the ITD at the maximum slope of the ITD tuning curve was still more concentrated within the physiological ITD range in apically driven than in basally driven neurons. These results indicate that the development of high ITD sensitivity processed by low-frequency pathways depends on normal auditory experience and associated biases in ITD tuning strategies.
Parathyroid carcinoma with pancreatitis causing hypercalcaemic emergency treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-assisted parathyroid resection
Authors: Toyoda Madoka , Suganuma Nobuyasu , Takahashi Akari , Masuda Taku , Goda Masami , Yoshida Tatsuya , Yukawa Norio , Yamanaka Shoji , Rino Yasushi , Masuda Munetaka
Published: January 2023

Emergencies due to malignancies usually have a severe clinical course and require urgent treatment. These scenarios are dubbed ‘oncologic emergencies’. Parathyroid tumours often cause hypercalcaemia but not oncologic emergencies. We present a case of parathyroid carcinoma with severe hypercalcaemia and pancreatitis, resolved by surgical resection of the tumour assisted by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A 66-year-old woman presented to our hospital because of haematuria. Laboratory findings were as follows: white blood cell count: 30 000, C-reactive protein: 17.7, calcium: 21.9, creatine kinase: 316, creatine kinase-myoglobin binding: 20, troponin I: 1415.8, amylase: 1046, lipase: 499, blood urea nitrogen: 57, and creatinine: 2.42. ECG was unremarkable. CT revealed a 4-cm low-density irregular tumour in the left lobe of the thyroid gland and severe pancreatitis. We diagnosed hypercalcaemia and pancreatitis due to parathyroid carcinoma. Volume expansion with isotonic saline was started immediately. Calcitonin, followed by denosumab, calcimimetic agents, and continuous hemodiafiltration were administered. The patient’s general condition worsened due to uncontrolled hypercalcaemia. Urgent tumour resection was planned, assisted with ECMO for cardiopulmonary support and surgical field venous pressure reduction. Tumour histology was suggestive of parathyroid carcinoma. Hypercalcaemia and the patient’s general condition improved gradually postoperatively. Hypercalcaemia is one of the oncologic emergency symptoms, commonly occurring because of lytic bone metastasis. However, reports about parathyroid carcinoma-causing life-threatening hypercalcaemia and pancreatitis are scarce; the fatality of this condition is estimated to be 30–70%. We report a case of survival of hypercalcaemia of malignancy.

Learning points

Parathyroid carcinoma is relatively rare and sometimes causes emergent conditions such as hypercalcaemia and severe pancreatitis.

General therapy for hypercalcaemia including aggressive saline dehydration, administration of furosemide, calcitonin, zoledronic acid, and evocalcet, and dialysis is sometimes ineffective for parathyroid carcinoma. Therefore, careful planning of therapy in case of exacerbation is important.

During an emergency, rapid surgical treatment despite high calcium level is the best potential therapeutic strategy.