bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How much poop did Argentinosaurus produce in a day?
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

I got an email a couple of days ago from Maija Karala, asking me a question I’d not come across before (among several other questions): how much poop did  Argentinosaurus  produce in a day? I don’t recall this question having been addressed in the literature, though if anyone knows different please shout. Having thought about it a little, I sent the following really really vague and hand-wavy response.
Tutorial 34: How to document a specimen
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

As noted in the last post, Matt and I are off to spend a week at the Carnegie Museum from 11th-15th March. We expect to see many, many fascinating specimens there: far more than we’ll be able to do proper work on in the five days we have. So our main goal is to exhaustively document the most important specimens that we see, so we can work on them later after we’ve got home.
Wie offen darf es sein? Was man beim Einräumen von CC-Lizenzen wissen sollte
Authors: Fischer Georg
Published: September 2023

Creative Commons-Lizenzen zu verwenden und die eigenen Werke zur Nachnutzung freizugeben, das ist kein Zauberwerk, wenn man einige Grundregeln beachtet. Dieser Text erläutert, welche Module bei CC zur Auswahl stehen (und empfehlenswert für OER sind) und wie man die Lizenzhinweise akkurat angibt. Hilfestellung rund um das Thema Creative Commons bieten auch die rund 130 CC-FAQs in deutscher Sprache.
Plus ça change, Tomistoma edition
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Juvenile  Tomistoma schlegelii  , LACM Herpetology 166483, with me for scale. It wasn’t until I picked up the skull that I realized it was the same specimen I had looked at back when. I was looking at its neck in 2011, and its tail today, for reasons that will be revealed at the dramatically appropriate moment. I was only playing with the skull because it’s cute, an intricate little marvel of natural selection.
Urheberrecht vs. Copyright – Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten
Authors: El-Auwad Maya
Published: September 2023

Bei urheberrechtlichen Themen ist häufig von „Copyright“ die Rede. Doch gibt es zwischen dem Urheberrecht, wie man es in Deutschland kennt, und dem angloamerikanischen Copyright wichtige Unterschiede. Dieser Artikel zeigt einige davon auf, zum Beispiel in Sachen Urheberpersönlichkeitsrecht und Copyright-Vermerken.
Work on the Archbishop begins!
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

I know, I know — you never believed this day would come. And who could blame you? Nearly thirteen years after my 2005 SVPCA talk  Sweet Seventy-Five and Never Been Kissed  , I am finally kicking the Archbishop descriptive work into gear. And I’m doing it in the open!
We’re going to the Carnegie Museum!
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

Hot news! Matt and I will be spending the week of 11th-15th March at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh: the home of the world’s two most definitive sauropods! The Carnegie  Diplodocus  , CM 84, is the original from which all those  Diplodocus  mounts around the globe were taken, and so by far the most-seen sauropod in the world — almost certainly the most-seen dinosaur of any kind.
Apatosaurus is — still — Just Plain Wrong
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

We’ve posted a lot here about how crazy the cervical vertebrae of apatosaurines are (for example: 1, 2, 3), and especially the redonkulosity of their cervical ribs. But I think you will agree with me that this is still an arresting sight: That’s MWC 1946, a mid-cervical from the Mygatt-Moore Quarry that was figured by Foster et al. (2018: fig.
What if Amphicoelias fragillimus was a rebbachisaurid?
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

An important paper is out today: Carpenter (2018) names  Maraapunisaurus  , a new genus to contain the species “  Amphicoelias  “  fragillimus  , on the basis that it’s actually a rebbachisaurid rather than being closely related to the type species  Amphicoelias altus  .  Carpenter 2018: Figure 5.  Comparison of the neural spine of  Maraapunisaurus fragillimus  restored as a rebbachisaurid (A), and
Leistungsschutzrecht: Was ist das eigentlich? Und wem nützt’s?
Authors: Fischer Georg
Published: September 2023

Wenn es ums Urheberrecht geht, sind meist die Rechte von Autor*innen an ihrem Werk gemeint. Doch das ist nicht alles: Leistungsschutzrechte schützen die Darbietung und Aufführung eines Werks sowie die wirtschaftlich-technischen Aufwände von Medienunternehmen. Was heißt das im Einzelnen? Leistungsschutzrechte und Urheberrechte sind nicht identisch.
Vertebral orientation, part 3: Matt weighs in
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

WOW! I knew I was dragging a bit on getting around to this vertebral orientation problem, but I didn’t realize a whole month had passed. Yikes. Thanks to everyone who has commented so far, and thanks to Mike for getting the ball rolling on this. Previous posts in this series are here and here. First up, this may seem like a pointlessly picky thing to even worry about.
Vertebral orientation: Varanus komodoensis would like a word
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

I am still building up to a big post on vertebral orientation, but in the meantime, check out this caudal vertebra of a Komodo dragon,  Varanus komodoensis  . This is right lateral view–the vert is strongly procoelous, and the articular ends of the centrum are  really  tilted relative to the long axis. I find this encouraging, for two reasons.
Haplocanthosaurus goes digital
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

The most complete caudal vertebra of the Snowmass  Haplocanthosaurus  (Foster and Wedel 2014) in right lateral view: specimen photo, CT scout, 3D model, 3D print at 50% scale. The photos of the specimen and the 3D print probably match the worst with the others, because they are subject to perspective distortions that the digital reconstructions are free from.
Sauropod neural canals are weird, part 1c: unfused Giraffatitan dorsal
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Remember this broken  Giraffatitan  dorsal vertebra, which Janensch figured in 1950? It is not only cracked in half, anteroposteriorly, it’s also unfused.
Birds have balance organs in their butts. Why is no-one talking about this?!
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Birds have little blobs of tissue sticking out on either side of the spinal cord in the lumbosacral region (solid black arrow in the image above). These are the accessory lobes of Lachi, and they are made up of mechanosensory neurons and glycogen-rich glial cells (but they are not part of the glycogen body, that’s a different thing that lies elsewhere — see this post). These accessory lobes have been known since at least 1889, when they were
Did dinosaurs have a second brain to run their back ends?
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

In short, no. I discussed this a bit in the first post of the  Clash of the Dinosaurs  saga, but it deserves a more thorough unpacking, so we can put this dumb idea to bed once and for all. As Marco brought up in the comments on the previous post, glycogen bodies are probably to blame for the idea that some dinosaurs had a second brain to run their back ends.
New paper out today: Xenoposeidon is indeed the oldest rebbachisaur
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

I’m delighted to announce the publication today of my new paper “  Xenoposeidon  is the earliest known rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaur”. This is the peer-reviewed version, in my favourite journal  PeerJ  , of the manuscript that became available as a preprint eight months ago — which was in turn a formalisation of a blog-post from 2015.
Diplodocus goes digital
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

No time for a proper post, so here’s a screenshot from Amira of  Diplodocus  caudal MWC 8239 (the one you saw being CT scanned last post) about to be digitally hemisected. Trust me, you’ll want to click through for the big version. Many thanks to Thierra Nalley for the Amira help. Further bulletins as time and opportunity allow.
Did apatosaurs have unusually large neural spines, too?
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

We all know that apatosaurines have big honkin’ cervical ribs (well, most of us know that). But did they also have unusually large neural spines? The question occurred to me the other day when I was driving home from work. I was thinking about C10 of CM 3018, the holotype of  Apatosaurus louisae  , and I thought, “Man, that is a lot of neural spine right there.” Why was I thinking about C10, particularly?
Caelestiventus hanseni, the new Triassic pterosaur from Utah
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

We don’t post on pterosaurs very often, but I’m making an exception for  Caelestiventus  . Mostly because I had the unusual experience of holding a life-size 3D print of its skull a few days before it was published. Brooks Britt and George Engelmann are both attending Flugsaurier 2018 in Los Angeles, and Brooks gave a talk on the new pterosaur on Friday. It’s from the Upper Triassic Saints &
An abstract should be a surrogate for a paper, not an advertisement for it
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

It’s common to come across abstracts like this one, from an interesting paper on how a paper’s revision history influences how often it gets cited (Rigby, Cox and Julian 2018): This tells us that a larger number of revisions leads to (or at least is correlated with) an increased citation-count. Interesting! Immediately, I have two questions, and I bet you do, too: 1. What is the size of the effect?
Lydekker’s (1893) illustration of Xenoposeidon
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

Matt’s drawn my attention to a bizarre fact: despite 17 separate posts about  Xenoposeidon  on this blog (linked from here and here), we’ve never shown a decent scan of Lydekker’s (1893) original illustration of NHMUK PV R2095, the partial mid-to-posterior dorsal vertebra that since Taylor and Naish (2007) has been the holotype specimen of  Xenoposeidon proneneukos  — and since Taylor (2018) has been known to represent a
Back in business
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Many thanks to all of the good folks in the radiology department at the Hemet Valley Medical Center, especially John Yasmer, DO, my partner in crime, and Heather Salzwedel, who did all of the actual work of scanning while the rest of us stood around making oooh and aaah noises. Further bulletins as events warrant.
The Atterholt and Wedel (2018) SVPCA abstract and talk are now available on PeerJ Preprints
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Here’s the story of my fascination with supramedullary airways over the last 20 years, and how Jessie Atterholt and I ended up working on them together, culminating with her talk at SVPCA last week. (Just here for the preprint link? Here you go.) Müller (1908: fig. 12). Upper respiratory tract, trachea, and lungs in pink, air sacs and diverticula in blue.
What does it mean for a vertebra to be “horizontal”?
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

I was lucky enough to have Phil Mannion as one of the peer-reviewers for my recent paper (Taylor 2018) showing that  Xenoposeidon  is a rebbachisaurid. During that process, we got into a collegial disagreement about one of the autapomorphies that I proposed in the revised diagnosis: “Neural arch slopes anteriorly 30°–35° relative to the vertical”. (This same character was also in the original  Xenoposeidon 
Proof that penguins evolved from bears
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

(Matt’s photo, taken in the public gallery of the Carnegie Museum.)
OER nutzen oder selbst erstellen: Wo man geeignete Materialien findet
Authors: El-Auwad Maya
Published: September 2023

Wer offen lizenzierte Materialien in Bildung und Lehre verwenden will, muss sie erstmal finden. Wo es geeignete Materialien gibt, was der Vorteil von OER ist und worauf es bei der Nutzung ankommt, erläutert dieser Text.
Cool things happening elsewhere: three links
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

This will be a short and mostly navel-gaze-y collection of links. Back in November, 2016, I posted here about my “Twelve Steps to Infinity” article in  Sky & Telescope  magazine. That one covered 12 objects in the winter sky and corresponding events in Earth history when the light we see now left those objects.
Neuerscheinung: Leitfaden „Open Access Policy“ für Kulturerbe-Einrichtungen
Authors: Fischer Georg
Published: September 2023

Eine neue Handreichung unterstützt Einrichtungen des kulturellen Erbes dabei, ihre Schätze digital zugänglich(er) zu machen. Die Broschüre enthält zahlreiche Hilfestellungen in rechtlichen und praktischen Fragen. Paul Klimpel von iRights.info hat bei der Erstellung mitgewirkt. „So offen wie möglich“: Mit diesem programmatischen wie prominent platzierten Merksatz eröffnet das erste Kapitel einer neu erschienenen Broschüre zum kulturellen Erbe.
Down in flames
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

I first encountered Larry Niven’s story/essay “Down in Flames” in the collection  N-Space  in high school. This was after I’d read  Ringworld  and most of Niven’s Known Space stories, so by the time I got to “Down in Flames” I had the context to get it. (You can read the whole thing for free here.) Here’s the idea, from near the start: The rest of the piece is just working out the details.
„Immaterialgüterrecht“: Passende Alternative zum Begriff „geistiges Eigentum“
Authors: Fischer Georg
Published: September 2023

Die Bezeichnung „geistiges Eigentum“ ist nicht grundsätzlich falsch, wenn es ums Urheber- oder Patentrecht geht. Aber sie ist einseitig und verdeckt die besonderen Eigenschaften von immateriellen Gütern. Besser ist es daher, von „Immaterialgüterrecht“ zu sprechen, meint Georg Fischer. In der Diskussion um den Schutz immaterieller Güter hat sich der Oberbegriff „geistiges Eigentum“ eingebürgert.
Two navel-gazey announcements: book signing in Pittsburgh this Sunday, and Medlife Crisis video
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

This one. No time for a long post today, but there are a couple of cool developments I wanted to let you know about. The folks at the Barnes & Noble Settlers Ridge store in Pittsburgh got in touch and asked if I’d give a short talk and do a book signing while I’m in town. That will be this coming Sunday, March 10, at 1:00 PM, in the children’s section at that store, which is located at 800 Settlers Ridge Center Drive.
E-Mail-Apps im mobilsicher.de-Check: Welche Apps persönliche Daten absaugen
Authors: El-Auwad Maya
Published: September 2023

Zum Weltverbrauchertag am 15. März zieht mobilsicher.de, die Verbraucherplattform für sichere Handynutzung, Bilanz: Nach mehr als 5 Jahren Verbraucherjournalismus bleiben die Themen Privatsphäre, Datenschutz und Sicherheit bei Mobilgeräten hochaktuell. Und der neue, nunmehr vierte „AppChecker“ zeigt: Auch über E-Mail-Apps können sensible Daten ungewollt abfließen.
Museum of Osteology, June 2018 visit
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Click to embiggen. Trust me. Last year about this time I wrote: The museum I was thinking about more than any other when I wrote that is the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City. I don’t get there every year, but I stop in as often as possible, and I make it more years than not. And yet, looking back through the archives I see that almost all of my posts about the Museum of Osteology came in a brief flurry five years ago. Shameful!
When is a vertebra “horizontal”, part 2
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

Thanks to everyone who’s engaged with yesterday’s apparently trivial question: what does it mean for a vertebra to be “horizontal”? I know Matt has plenty of thoughts to share on this, but before he does I want to clear up a couple of things.  This is not about life posture  First, and I really should have led with this: the present question has nothing to do with life posture.
„GLAM on Tour“: Wenn Wikipedianer*innen und Gedächtniseinrichtungen zusammenarbeiten
Authors: El-Auwad Maya
Published: September 2023

Mit dem Wikimedia-Projekt „GLAM on Tour“ öffnen sich lokale Kulturinstitutionen der Wikipedia: Freiwillige Autor*innen sorgen dafür, das dort bewahrte Wissen in der Online-Enzyklopädie für alle zugänglich zu machen. Wir stellen die Initiative vor. Schon mal im Bauhaus-Museum in Weimar gewesen? Oder in der Schweizerischen Nationalphonothek?
The proximal caudals of Brachiosaurus altithorax, FMNH P25107
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Left lateral view Have we ever posted decent photos of the  Brachiosaurus altithorax  caudals? Has anyone? I can’t remember either thing ever happening. When I need images of brachiosaur bits, including caudals, I usually go to Taylor (2009). Taylor (2009: fig.
Obesity and Gastrointestinal Regulation of Food Intake
Authors: Demirtaş Öznur , Sümer Ayşegül
Published: September 2023

The aim in this review is to explain the role of the gastrointestinal system in obesity and related complications by focusing on the biological mechanisms between obesity and the gastrointestinal system, based on the latest evidence in the literature. A systematic search of the literatures in the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases was conducted. Factors such as inflammation, mechanical space-occupying effect, microbiota, and adipocyte peptides are involved the development of obesity-related gastrointestinal system comorbidities. However, obesity occurs when the connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain changes. Signaling dysfunction disrupts the brain-gut axis, leading to increased frequency of food intake and excessive fat accumulation. Obesity increases the risk of developing gastrointestinal system disorders. However, the gastrointestinal tract and its pathophysiology play a key role the regulation of food intake and subsequent progression to obesity.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE AS INTERBEHAVIOR
Authors:   University of Nevada, Reno, Hayes Linda J , Fryling Mitch J ,   California State University, Los Angeles
Published: September 2023

Behavior analysts have said relatively little about the topic of self-knowledge. In this paper we describe an interbehavioral conceptualization of knowledge, including self-knowledge. In providing our analysis we first describe foundational aspects of the interbehavioral position which are pertinent to our approach. We then describe knowing as a psychological event, and finally self-knowing. It is argued that the interbehavioral position offers a comprehensive and coherent alternative to radical behaviorism, and is especially useful in the analysis of complex behavior.
ANÁLISIS FUNCIONAL DE LA INTERACCIÓN TERAPÉUTICA
Authors:   Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (España), Froján-Parga M. X. , Ruiz-Sancho E. M.
Published: September 2023

El objetivo de este estudio es mostrar el desarrollo de una estrategia para el análisis funcional de la interacción terapéutica que, en último término, pudiese llegar a explicar el cambio que tiene lugar durante la intervención psicológica en un contexto clínico. El análisis funcional de la conducta en contextos naturales en general y en la psicoterapia en particular presenta una serie de dificultades que hacen necesaria la búsqueda de metodologías descriptivas de evaluación que complementen el análisis experimental. En este estudio, nosotros desarrollamos una metodología de observación para analizar en 92 sesiones de tratamiento los diálogos que tuvieron lugar entre el profesional y el cliente durante la intervención terapéutica. La muestra estaba formada por 19 casos de adultos con problemas psicológicos diversos que fueron tratados por 9 terapeutas conductuales. Se desarrolló un sistema para la codificación de la conducta vocal del terapeuta y del cliente y se utilizó el programa informático The Observer XT para el registro de los datos. Las interacciones terapéuticas fueron estudiadas mediante una estrategia de análisis secuencial que permitió identificar numerosas relaciones entre las verbalizaciones del terapeuta y del cliente. Los resultados presentados en este trabajo pueden ser el punto de partida para el estudio de las secuencias funcionales que constituirían la base del cambio terapéutico.
FORMULAR PREGUNTAS Y APRENDIZAJE DE LA CIENCIA
Authors:   UNAM FES Iztacala, Pacheco Chávez Virginia , Cruz Alcalá Nadia , Ortega González Mauricio
Published: September 2023

Preguntar es una práctica consustancial del trabajo científico, es decir de la generación de conocimiento. Sin embargo, el aprendizaje de las habilidades necesarias para formular preguntas de investigación fundamentadas, es azaroso y fragmentado en los estudiantes universitarios, razón por la cual ha sido objeto de estudio desde diferentes disciplinas. Bajo el modelo de campo interconductual, en el presente trabajo se analiza el preguntar como comportamiento sustitutivo referencial y no referencial. Asimismo, exponemos la literatura empírica dirigida a auspiciar que los estudiantes formulen preguntas de investigación pertinentes y proponemos algunas condiciones que pueden promover las habilidades que lo posibiliten.
Pengaruh Citra Merek dan Kualitas Produk Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian (Survey Pada Konsumen Wardah di Kota Bekasi)
Authors: Turnip Sarah Debora , Setyanto Eddy , Hidayat R. Taufik
Published: September 2023

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh citra merek dan kualitas produk terhadap keputusan pembelian produk kosmetik Wardah. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian kuantitatif. Populasi penelitian ini adalah konsumen Wardah, khususnya masyarakat Kota Bekasi. Jumlah sampel sebanyak 150 responden. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan purposive sampling dengan menggunakan kriteria responden yaitu usia responden minimal 17 tahun dan berdomisili di Kota Bekasi. Selain itu responden pernah dan melakukan pembelian produk Wardah Beauty minimal 1 kali dalam kurun waktu 6 bulan terakhir. Hasil penelitian uji parsial (uji t) dengan taraf signifikan 5% menunjukkan hasil signifikansi 0,000 yang artinya variabel citra merek dan kualitas produk berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembellian. Pada hasil uj f hasil signifikan sebesar 0,000, yang menyatakan bahwa variabel citra merek dan kualitas produk bersama – sama berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian Wardah di Kota Bekasi.
A Picture of Family Resilience From the Perspective of Late Teenagers
Authors: Widari Ni Nyoman Tri Puspa , Wulanyani Ni Made Swasti
Published: September 2023

Family resilience is a very important thing in defending a family. Therefore, this research was conducted in order to be able to understand the picture of family resilience from the point of view of late teenagers. This research used 42 young respondents in Bali who were 20-23 years old with a data collection technique using a questionnaire instrument with an open question type. The result of this research is that there are six characteristics of a resilient family expressed by the respondents, namely a family that is able to survive in any situation as many as 17 respondents (40.40%), a family that is resilient and able to rise up as many as 9 respondents (21.40%), strengthen each other as many as 6 respondents (14.30%), always maintain togetherness as many as 6 respondents (14.30%), maintain and develop intimacy as many as 2 respondents (4.80%), and work together in finding solutions as many as 2 respondents (4.80%).
Reasons for Women to Stay in Violent Dating Relationships: Literature Review
Authors: Swasti Ni Kadek Candra , Swandi Ni Luh Indah Desira , Wulanyani Ni Made Swasti , Al Omari Omar
Published: September 2023

In reality, dating relationships are not always fill up by positive romantic relationships. There are many deviant dating behaviors that lead to cases of violence. Interestingly, although dating violence clearly has many negative impacts on various aspects, some women decide to stay in the relationship. This article aims to analyze and summarize research findings regarding the reasons for why women persist in violent dating relationships. This  research  uses  literature study  methods. Article searches were conducted through Google Scholar and Garuda with the keywords "kekerasan dalam pacaran", "dating violence", and "abusive relationships". The results of the study raised ten main themes about the reason why women stay in abusive dating relationships, namely: pessimistic feelings about new relationships, feeling trapped in dating violence, fulfilling affection needs, dependence on partners, positive expectations in relationships, positive views of partners, considering conflict in relationships to be normal, social influences, scared to talk about dating violence, and other factors such as religion, duration of relationship, and individual age.
Mobile Nine-Hole Peg Test Application in Healthy Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Authors:   Pamukkale University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Denizli, TÜRKİYE, bessura@gmail.com, Cataltas Busra , ETISLI-KORKMAZ Nilufer ,   Pamukkale University, Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Denizli, TÜRKİYE, CATALTAS Zahid ,   Dakik TECH, Denizli, TÜRKİYE
Published: September 2023

"Hand functions slow down with aging. Hand functionality evaluation is important in defining the skill level in daily life activities and revealing the effectiveness of rehabilitation and role skills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hand functionality of healthy older people by using the Mobile Nine-Hole Peg Test (M- NHPT). Methods: Dominant and non-dominant hand functionality of 15 participants were evaluated with M-NHPT. The Standardized Mini-Mental Test was used to determine their cognitive levels and participants’ functionality levels were examined by Duruöz Hand Index. Results: M-NHPT dominant and non-dominant sides were moderately correlated with NHPT (p<0.05) and non-dominant side with the Duruöz Hand Index (p<0.05). Discussions: M-NHPT is a valid and reliable method used to evaluate hand functions and fine motor skills. It was obtained that there was a significant relationship between M-NHPT and functionality. Using mobile applications could be an easy, cheap and accessible assessment method for the hand functionality evaluation in older adults. Conclusions: Future studies involving more elderly adults could clarify the effectiveness and reliability of M-NHPT with programs focused on examining the dexterity and functionality of older adults"
Paramedics Recognizing Extended Trauma Ultrasonography Images after Short Training Module
Authors: YAŞAR Ali , ERMETE GÜLER Ecem , KAYALI Ahmet , EFGAN Mehmet Göktuğ , ÇINAROĞLU Osman Sezer , TOPAL Fatih Esad
Published: September 2023

Objective: Our study aimed to test whether a one-hour short training model for Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) training would increase the visual skills of paramedics who had no previous training in this field.

Material and Method: Our study was planned as a prospective, uncontrolled experimental study. A short training module was applied to 27 paramedics who were inexperienced in E-FAST Ultrasonography (USG). The first test was applied and the final test was applied after the training and their success in distinguishing normal and pathological case images was evaluated.

Results: 55.6% of the participants were women, 74.1% were new graduates, and their average age was 21.58 ± 9.60 years. When the answers given by the participants to the first test and the last test were evaluated; While 31.9% of the participants answered "I did not understand" to many questions in the first test, after the training, it was seen that 82.9% could form ideas for all tests. When the correct response rates of the participants to the first test and the last test were examined, a statistically significant increase was observed (p
Mean platelet volume as a risk factor in pregnant diabetic women
Authors: Abel-Rahman Sayed M. , Badawy Essam S. , Amer Ahmad A. , Fekry Dalal
Published: September 2023

Background

Diabetes is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD); therefore, the subset of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who develop type 2 diabetes mellitus is at an increased risk for developing CVD in the future.

Objectives

To assess the platelet count and mean platelet volume (MPV) of pregnant women with GDM and gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT) to determine whether GDM and GIGT are risk factors for future development of CVD.

Patients and methods

A 50 g oral glucose load (OGL) was administered to all participants (400 pregnant women), and routine hematologic parameters and MPV were studied at 24–28 gestational weeks using a Beckman/Coulter MAXM Hematology Analyzer. When a plasma glucose level of at least 140 mg/dl was measured after administering OGL, a 100 g 3-h oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Of these women, 296 (74%) had normal oral glucose tolerance, 48 (12%) had GIGT, and 65 (14%) had GDM. The mean platelet counts were higher in the normal OGL group than in the GIGT group, and higher in the GIGT group than in the GDM group, with no statistically significant differences among the three groups. However, MPV was significantly higher in the GDM group than in the normal glucose level group (Po0.05). Also, women with high MPV values had lower platelet counts.

Results

A significant difference was observed for MPV values between the GDM and normal OGL groups.

Conclusion

Presence of a high MPV in cases of GDM could indicate an increased risk for current and future thrombotic complications.
HbA1c reliability in patients with diabetes on regular hemodialysis before and after erythropoietin therapy
Authors: Abdel-Aziz Mohamed M. , Shaltout Inas F. , Al-Jarhi Ula M. , Alshewi Yasmine T. , Elalfy Mahmoud M.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment on HbA1c levels in diabetic patients on regular hemodialysis and to assess the reliability of HbA1c as a marker for glycemic control in such patients.

Methods

The study included 41 patients on regular hemodialysis who were EPO naive: 31 with diabetes mellitus and 10 nondiabetic controls. Baseline HBA1c and fasting blood glucose levels were measured and repeated after a 3-month course of EPO.

Results

HbA1c decreased significantly after EPO therapy (P =0.01) and was associated with a significant decline in fasting blood glucose levels (P = 0.001), with a significant negative correlation with hemoglobin (r = −0.185, P =0.03). HbA1c showed significant correlation with fasting blood glucose in diabetic patients before EPO therapy (r =0.82, P < 0.0001). This correlation was found to be independent of other laboratory parameters. No correlation was found between HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels after 3 months of EPO treatment.

Conclusion

HbA1c is not a reliable marker for glycemic control in hemodialysis patients, especially for those on EPO therapy.
Celiac disease
Authors: Shehab Dina I.
Published: September 2023

Purpose of review

The aim of this review was to summarize recent advances in celiac disease (CD) published between 2006 and 2012.

Recent findings

CD affects ~ 1% of most populations but remains largely unrecognized. During the past year, research has shown that the prevalence of CD has increased dramatically and not merely because of increased detection. Moreover, undiagnosed CD may be associated with increased mortality. Significant progress has been made in understanding how gliadin peptides can cross the intestinal border and access the immune system. New deamidated gliadin peptide antibodies have better diagnostic accuracy over other tests. The inclusion of duodenal bulb biopsy specimens may increase the rate of CD detection. Finally, refractory CD, although rare, is associated with a poor prognosis. The use of novel highly efficient exogenous prolyl endoproteases enzymes may help patients deal with occasional lapses in their diet or may protect highly sensitive individuals from inadvertent presence of gluten in food products. Nevertheless, the efficiency of this approach still needs precise assessment.

Conclusion

Mortality rates among patients with untreated CD increase two-fold every year as they age (gastrointestinal malignancies) and most can be prevented/reversed with early diagnosis and initiation of a gluten-free diet. CD is a global health problem that requires a multidisciplinary and increasingly cooperative multinational research effort.
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour of the paranasal sinuses and the anterior skull base
Authors: Hegab Amr , Kenawy Mohammed , El-Amir Martha
Published: September 2023

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour represents 10% of all soft tissue sarcomas, only 10% of which occur in the head and neck, which makes it a rare entity.
Magnetic resonance imaging criteria in vascular compression syndrome
Authors: Elaini Sherif , Magnan Jaques , Deveze Arnaud , Girard Nadine
Published: September 2023

En

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this work is to show the imaging criteria of the offending vessel in neurovascular compression syndrome in the cerebellopontine angle using MRI. This will increase the acceptance of the concept of vascular compression syndrome of the cranial nerves as an etiology of trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and some cases of disabling vertigo and tinnitus.

Materials and methods

Between 1994 and 2008, MRI radiographs of 782 cases of vasculoneural compression were reviewed to analyze the imaging criteria of the offending vascular loop and were correlated with intraoperative vascular decompression findings in various pathologies such as hemifacial spasm, trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, vertigo, and tinnitus.

Results

The specificity and high sensitivity of the T2 constructive interference in steady state or fast spin eco sequence MRI allowed us to precisely define the vasculoneural conflict in almost all cases and to highlight certain radiological criteria required for a vasculoneural conflict diagnosis in general. These criteria are mainly the presence of a vascular loop that is perpendicular to the course of the nerve and the presence of distortion of the neural structures.

Conclusion

MRI in the T2 sequence is the key assessment in neurovascular compression syndrome.
Proposition d’une révision du 3e niveau de la CIDIH : Le Handicap – Réseau international CIDIH
Authors: Battani-Dragoni Gabriella , Fougeyrollas Patrick , St-Michel Ginette , Blouin Maurice
Published: September 2023

En 1989 la revue du Réseau International de la CIDIH a publié le Volume 2, numéro 1 intitulé « Consultation : Proposition d'une révision du 3e niveau de la CIDIH : Le handicap ». Il nous fait plaisir de republier ce volume complet dans cet article qui regroupe : Les activités du Conseil de l’Europe écrit initialement par Mme Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni et Les propositions de révision du 3e niveau de la CIDIH écrit par M Fougeyrollas, Mme St-Michel, Mme Blouin et leurs collaborateurs.
Le processus de production des handicaps
Authors: Fougeyrollas Patrick , St-Michel Ginette , Bergeron Hélène , Cloutier René
Published: September 2023

En 1991 la revue du Réseau International de la CIDIH a publié le Volume 4, numéros 1-2 intitulé « Le Processus de production des handicaps ». Il nous fait plaisir de republier ce volume complet dans cet article qui regroupe donc : La présentation du plan de communication de la SCCIDIH (Société canadienne et Comité québécois sur la Classification internationale des déficiences, incapacités et handicaps) et du CQCIDIH (Comité Québécois sur la Classification internationale des déficiences, incapacités et handicaps) ; L’analyse des commentaires reçus sur la révision du troisième niveau: le handicap ; La proposition d’une nomenclature des habitudes de vie révisée ; La proposition d’une nomenclature des facteurs environnementaux révisée ; L’impact du modèle proposé sur les incapacités.
Don’t face writer’s block alone
Authors: Martins Garcia Bruna
Published: September 2023

Creating a writing club allowed a Brazilian PhD student to confront her fears, improve her English and, ultimately, change the way she sees research.
Numbers of fish species, higher taxa, and phylogenetic similarity decrease with latitude and depth, and deep-sea assemblages are unique
Authors: Lin Han-Yang , Wright Shane , Costello Mark John
Published: September 2023

Species richness has been found to increase from the poles to the tropics but with a small dip near the equator over all marine fishes. Phylogenetic diversity measures offer an alternative perspective on biodiversity linked to evolutionary history. If phylogenetic diversity is standardized for species richness, then it may indicate places with relatively high genetic diversity. Latitudes and depths with both high species and phylogenetic diversity would be a priority for conservation. We compared latitudinal and depth gradients of species richness, and three measures of phylogenetic diversity, namely average phylogenetic diversity (AvPD), the sum of the higher taxonomic levels (STL) and the sum of the higher taxonomic levels divided by the number of species (STL/spp) for modelled ranges of 5,619 marine fish species. We distinguished all, bony and cartilaginous fish groups and four depth zones namely: whole water column; 0 –200 m; 201–1,000 m; and 1,001–6,000 m; at 5°  latitudinal intervals from 75°S to 75°N, and at 100 m depth intervals from 0 m to 3,500 m. Species richness and higher taxonomic richness (STL) were higher in the tropics and subtropics with a small dip at the equator, and were significantly correlated among fish groups and depth zones. Species assemblages had closer phylogenetic relationships (lower AvPD and STL/spp) in warmer (low latitudes and shallow water) than colder environments (high latitudes and deep sea). This supports the hypothesis that warmer shallow latitudes and depths have had higher rates of evolution across a range of higher taxa. We also found distinct assemblages of species in different depth zones such that deeper sea species are not simply a subset of shallow assemblages. Thus, conservation needs to be representative of all latitudes and depth zones to encompass global biodiversity.
Innovative Soilless Culture Techniques for Horticultural Crops: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Bihari Chhail , Ahamad Sajeel , Kumar Maneesh , Kumar Amit , Kamboj Aakash Deep , Singh Satvaan , Srivastava Vishal , Gautam Prashant
Published: September 2023

Soilless culture, a modern greenhouse cultivation technology, has rapidly developed in the past 30-40 years and offers a closed-loop system with several benefits, including the recycling of 85-90 percent of irrigation water. As the world population continues to grow at a rate of over 1%, the reduction in land availability per capita for soil-based agriculture has become a major problem, particularly in countries like India with a high population density. Soilless farming offers a viable alternative for growing high-quality vegetables, fruits, and flowers year-round on a variety of substrates, requiring limited space. This approach also aims to eradicate greenhouse soil-related problems such as soil-borne infections, poor soil fertility, and salinity. With several advantages over traditional soil crops, including shorter growth times, year-round production, and fewer diseases and pests, soilless farming comprises various methods such as hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. The technique has the potential to improve people's lives and boost economic growth by encouraging innovative businesses to engage in agriculture. Therefore, soilless farming has gained traction as an innovative solution to address land scarcity issues while producing high-quality crops sustainably.
Modelling the Effects of Temperature and Pressure on Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD) During Drilling Operations Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Okonkwo Stanley Ifeanyi Fredrick , Joel Ogbonna Friday
Published: September 2023

Incorrect evaluation of equivalent circulating density (ECD) while drilling oil and gas wells may result in drilling problems such as lost circulation, kicks, differential pipe sticking etc especially in narrow drilling margins. Due to the incompressible nature of liquids, increase in wellbore pressure will only have appreciable effect on the fluid rheology at higher pressures, whereas a small increase in temperature may cause a decrease in the rheology. One thousand and eleven (1,011) field data obtained from high pressure; high temperature (HPHT) wells were used to develop artificial neural networks (ANNs) for this study. Training data were used to train the network while validation data were used to guarantee that the network generalizes at the training stage. Test data were used to evaluate the prediction capability of the developed model. Four error metrics, namely R-square (R2), mean square error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE) and average absolute percentage error (AAPE) were used to assess the performance of the developed networks. Forecasts from the testing data indicate the optimized ECD model produced a prediction accuracy; R2 of 0.9993, MSE of 0.000265, RMSE of 0.01628 and AAPE of 0.337. The optimized ECD model performed better than existing ECD models in terms of the prediction accuracy and the calculated errors. The developed ECD model will help in improving the ECD prediction during the pre-drill design phase, which is quite critical in narrow drilling margin wells.
Unravelling the Multifaceted Dynamics of Healthcare Expenditure: Exploring the Interplay of Individual Health Status, Lifestyle Choices, and Socio-Economic Factors
Authors: Saleel Ahammed A. K.  , Cholakkal Ibrahim
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the relationships between demographic factors and health expenditure based on 387 households in Malappuram district between September 2021 and April 2022. Rigorous statistical methodologies, including ANOVA and t-tests, were applied to scrutinize and quantify these relationships. The findings indicate that health status variations across religious affiliations were present but not statistically significant. Similarly, the regression analysis showed limited predictive power of lifestyle factors (low R-squared, non-significant F-statistics) in explaining health expenditure variations. However, it did reveal a significant correlation between intoxicant use and increased healthcare costs, emphasizing the influence of specific behaviors on healthcare expenses. furthermore, the analysis emphasized the multifaceted nature of healthcare spending, influenced by socio-economic factors, healthcare accessibility, and unobservable variables, extending beyond individual lifestyle choices. With a Gini Coefficient of 0.92 indicating pronounced inequality in healthcare expenditure allocation, policymakers should prioritize equitable healthcare provision, address the complexity of healthcare spending, target interventions as necessary, reduce disparities, and continue relying on data-driven decision-making to enhance the healthcare system in the Malappuram district.
Direct Laser Interference Patterning of Zirconia Using Infra‐Red Picosecond Pulsed Laser: Effect of Laser Processing Parameters on the Surface Topography and Microstructure
Authors: Henriques Bruno , Fabris Douglas , Voisiat Bogdan , Boccaccini Aldo R. , Lasagni Andrés Fabián
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the influence of processing parameters when applying direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) on the morphology and microstructure of zirconia surfaces using a 10 ps‐pulsed laser source with 1064 nm wavelength. An experimental testing matrix is built with different values of laser fluence (5.7–18.2 J cm−2) and pulse overlap (66–98%). Surface morphology and microstructure are characterized by confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Homogeneous line‐like patterns with periodic spatial repetition of 5.0 µm, with varying depths, widths, and aspect ratio, are fabricated using proper processing parameters (5.7–7.6 J cm−2 and 92–96%). Structures with maximum depth of 1.5 µm and sharp edges are obtained (7.6 J cm−2 and 96% overlap). Ablated regions presented a morphology typical of photophysical ablation mechanism, with signs of molten material at the surface. Sub‐micrometric pores and nanodroplets are registered for all conditions, while sub‐micrometric cracks developed only for higher fluences. A processing window conducing to homogenous DLIP structures is set based on experimental data. Periodic structures with multiscale topographic features are successfully obtained on zirconia surfaces using DLIP technology in this study. These outcomes open new perspectives for fabrication of multifunctional zirconia surfaces for advanced biomedical and engineering applications.
A Bioresorbable and Conductive Scaffold Integrating Silicon Membranes for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Authors: Sun Pengcheng , Guan Yanjun , Yang Can , Hou Hanqing , Liu Shuang , Yang Boyao , Li Xiangling , Chen Shengfeng , Wang Liu , Wang Huachun , Huang Yunxiang , Sheng Xing , Peng Jiang , Xiong Wei , Wang Yu , Yin Lan
Published: September 2023

Peripheral nerve injury represents one of the most common types of traumatic damage, severely impairing motor and sensory functions, and posttraumatic nerve regeneration remains a major challenge. Electrical cues are critical bioactive factors that promote nerve regrowth, and bioartificial scaffolds incorporating conductive materials to enhance the endogenous electrical field have been demonstrated to be effective. The utilization of fully biodegradable scaffolds can eliminate material residues, and circumvent the need for secondary retrieval procedures. Here, a fully bioresorbable and conductive nerve scaffold integrating N‐type silicon (Si) membranes is proposed, which can deliver both structural guidance and electrical cues for the repair of nerve defects. The entire scaffold is fully biodegradable, and the introduction of N‐type Si can significantly promote the proliferation and production of neurotrophic factors of Schwann cells and enhance the calcium activity of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The conductive scaffolds enable accelerated nerve regeneration and motor functional recovery in rodents with sciatic nerve transection injuries. This work sheds light on the advancement of bioresorbable and electrically active materials to achieve desirable neural interfaces and improved therapeutic outcomes, offering essential strategies for regenerative medicine.
Perspectives on the Novel Multifunctional Nerve Guidance Conduits: From Specific Regenerative Procedures to Motor Function Rebuilding
Authors: Zhou Weixian , Rahman Muhammad Saif Ur , Sun Chengmei , Li Shilin , Zhang Nuozi , Chen Hao , Han Charles C. , Xu Shanshan , Liu Ying
Published: September 2023

Peripheral nerve injury potentially destroys the quality of life by inducing functional movement disorders and sensory capacity loss, which results in severe disability and substantial psychological, social, and financial burdens. Autologous nerve grafting has been commonly used as treatment in the clinic; however, its rare donor availability limits its application. A series of artificial nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) with advanced architectures are also proposed to promote injured peripheral nerve regeneration, which is a complicated process from axon sprouting to targeted muscle reinnervation. Therefore, exploring the interactions between sophisticated NGC complexes and versatile cells during each process including axon sprouting, Schwann cell dedifferentiation, nerve myelination, and muscle reinnervation is necessary. This review highlights the contribution of functional NGCs and the influence of microscale biomaterial architecture on biological processes of nerve repair. Progressive NGCs with chemical molecule induction, heterogenous topographical morphology, electroactive, anisotropic assembly microstructure, and self‐powered electroactive and magnetic‐sensitive NGCs are also collected, and they are expected to be pioneering features in future multifunctional and effective NGCs.