bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Postnatal Care Utilization and associated factors among mothers in Kochore District, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Berasso Abraham Alemu , Hibstu Desalegn Tsegaw
Published: April 2024

Background
In less developed countries, a significant number of deaths involving mothers and newborns take place in the first 48 hours following delivery. Despite the fact that early postnatal care is crucial for treating issues that may arise from childbirth for both women and children, Ethiopians did not use this service very often. This study's objective was to assess the use of early postnatal care and related variables by mothers who gave birth in Kochore District, Southern Ethiopia, within the previous 12 months.
Method
A cross-sectional study in the community was conducted from February 15 to August 59, 2018. Five hundred nine research participants were chosen using a multistage sampling procedure, and data were gathered through in-person interviews using a standardised questionnaire. Blogistic regression were used.
Result
The magnitude of early postnatal care utilization (EPNC) was 33.2% (95% CI: 29.1–37.5). Average monthly income of the households (AOR: 7.37; 95% CI: 1.98, 27.48), husbands’ occupation, (AOR: 5.13; 95% CI: 1.78, 14.77), knowledge on at least one use of early postnatal care and postpartum danger-signs (AOR = 5.260; 95% CI: 1.990, 13.903), pregnancy related complication (AOR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.93) and place of delivery (AOR: 18.724; 95% CI: 10.473, 33.474) were found to be predictors of EPNC service utilization.
Conclusion
The proportion of early postnatal care service utilization was very low compared with other studies in Ethiopia. Average monthly income, husbands’ occupation, knowledge on the importance of the service and postpartum danger-signs, pregnancy related complication, and place of delivery were statistically significant for early postnatal care utilization. Working on employment opportunity, strengthening the provision of information and behavioral change communication needs to be emphasized.
Evidence for widespread thermal acclimation of canopy photosynthesis
Authors: Liu Jiangong , Ryu Youngryel , Luo Xiangzhong , Dechant Benjamin , Stocker Benjamin , Keenan Trevor , Gentine Pierre , Li Xing , Li Bolun , Harrison Sandy , Prentice Iain
Published: April 2024

Plants acclimate to temperature by adjusting their photosynthetic capacity over weeks to months. However, most evidence for photosynthetic acclimation derives from leaf-scale experiments. Here, we address the scarcity of evidence for canopy-scale photosynthetic acclimation by examining the correlation between maximum photosynthetic rates (Amax,2000) and growth temperature (\(\stackrel{-}{{T}_{air}}\)) across a range of concurrent temperatures and canopy foliage quantity, using data from over 200 eddy covariance sites. We detect widespread thermal acclimation of canopy-scale photosynthesis, demonstrated by enhanced Amax,2000 under higher \(\stackrel{-}{{T}_{air}}\), across flux sites with adequate water availability. A 14-day period is identified as the most relevant time scale for acclimation across all sites, with a range of 12–25 days for different plant functional types. The mean apparent thermal acclimation rate across all ecosystems is 0.41 (-0.47–1.05 for 5th–95th percentile range) µmol m− 2 s− 1 °C− 1, with croplands showing the largest and grasslands the lowest acclimation rates. Incorporating optimality-based leaf photosynthetic capacity acclimation into a biochemical photosynthesis model is shown to improve the representation of thermal acclimation rates. Our results underscore the critical need for enhanced understanding and modelling of canopy-scale photosynthetic capacity to accurately predict plant responses to warmer growing seasons.
New coasts emerging from the retreat of Northern Hemisphere marine-terminating glaciers in the 21st century
Authors: Kavan Jan , Szczypińska Małgorzata , Kochtitzky William , Farquharson Louise , Bendixen Mette , Strzelecki Mateusz
Published: April 2024

The majority of marine-terminating glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere have retreated significantly during the 21st century, in line with the accelerated climate warming trend in the Arctic. While glacial retreat and changes in glacier mass balance are widely studied at a global scale, how deglaciation influences adjacent coastal geomorphology is often overlooked and as a result poorly understood. We analysed changes in proglacial zones of marine-terminating glaciers to quantify the length of new coastline that has been exposed due to glacial retreat between 2000 and 2020. We identified a total of 2466 ± 65 km (123 km a− 1) of new coastline with most (66%) of the total length appearing in Greenland. These young paraglacial coastlines are highly dynamic and characterized by high sediment fluxes and rapidly evolving landforms. The changes triggered by retreating glaciers and newly exposed coastline can have significant impacts on local ecosystems and communities.
MCAM expression facilitates melanoma-endothelial interactions and promotes metastatic disease progression
Authors: Braun Andreas Dominik , Mengoni Miriam , Tüting Thomas , Gaffal Evelyn
Published: April 2024

Invasive growth and metastatic dissemination represent the primary cause of death in cancer patients. In order to successfully detach from the primary tumor and establish metastases in distant tissues, cancer cells need to dynamically rewire their cell adhesion machinery. Here we revisit the potential association of MCAM, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that was initially identified as a melanoma antigen, with disease progression. Using immunohistochemical stainings and bioinformatic analyses of published datasets, we find similar MCAM expression levels in primary and metastatic human melanomas. In additional bioinformatic analyses, we show that MCAM is highly expressed in fetal melanocytes and subsequently downregulated during melanocyte maturation. Bioinformatic inference of cellular communication networks reveals that melanoma cells with high MCAM expression more actively engage in signaling crosstalk with endothelial cells. Experimental investigations demonstrate that disruption of MCAM in melanoma cells inhibits their migration on endothelial cell surfaces in vitro and decreases their ability to develop spontaneous lung metastases in vivo. Taken together, our results could not confirm the notion that MCAM expression represents a useful biomarker for disease progression, but provide evidence that MCAM expression might represent part of a reactivated embryonal transcriptional program that facilitates melanoma-endothelial cell interactions during metastatic progression.
Increased incidence of myxedema coma during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the post pandemic era: a single-center case series
Authors: Sokołowski Grzegorz , Studen Katica Bajuk , Opalinska Marta , Wegrzyn Karolina , Motyka Marcin , Gilis-Januszewska Aleksandra , Hubalewska-Dydejczyk Alicja
Published: April 2024

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic was a major challenge for all health care employees, but it was also difficult for patients to gain access to health care services. Myxedema coma (MC) is an exteremely rare but potentially fatal endocrine emergency.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to report an increased incidence of life-threatening myxedema coma that occurred in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and Methods: In this paper, we report a cohort of 11 patients with MC who were treated at the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland, in the period from 2015–2023. Only 1 case of MC was recorded in the period from 2015–2019, and, in the same area, 10 cases of MC were recorded after the start of COVID-19 pandemic until present.
Results: Hypothyroidism was diagnosed de novo in 2 (18%) patients; the remaining patients were severely hypothyroid due to therapy non-compliance. Nine patients had primary hypothyroidism, and 2 had central hypothyroidism. Besides longstanding hypothyroidism, an additional precipitating factor for MC was identified in 4 (36%) of the patients. Due to the inaccessibility of parenteral levothyroxine, patients were treated with oral, mostly liquid, form of levothyroxine. The mortality rate in this cohort was 27.2%.
In conclusion, the increase of the incidence of MC, which is a life-threatening complication of inadequately treated hypothyroidism, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when resources were limited, and in the post-pandemic era, underlines the importance of adequate communication with patients and of long term availability of primary care for patients with thyroid disease.
Two-Dimensional Carbon-Based Nanoporous Membranes for High-Performance Sustainable Desalination: A Simulation Calculation Investigation
Authors: Xing Yubo , Zhao xiaoyang , Dong Peng , Meng Kun
Published: April 2024

Water quality pollution and the shortage of freshwater resources is a serious problem facing society today, and desalination technology based on membrane separation reverse osmosis has received significant attention. Recently, the development of nanoporous materials with homogeneous and customizable pore structures offers substantial potential for substance separation applications. However, conventional polymeric reverse osmosis membranes are still bottlenecked in equilibrating permeability and selectivity due to the constraints of transport resistance and irregular pore structure. Herein, a two-dimensional (2D) nanoporous graphene-like structure (Flme-C) is evaluated to examine its desalination applications and physicochemical properties by molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT). The multiporous structure periodically distributed on the membrane surface endows Flme-C with a large number of salt ion adsorption sites while effectively relieving the stresses exerted by seawater. In addition, the Flme-C desalination membrane exhibited a salt ion selectivity of 98.96% and an ultra-high water permeability of 126.75 L·cm− 2·day− 1·MPa− 1. In particular, Flme-C features the interconnected electronic structures to display intrinsic metallicity, which supports the release of salt ions from the membrane surface for self-cleaning as the reverse voltage is applied. In summary, these results confirm that 2D nanoporous carbon-based materials bear a huge potential to perform in seawater desalination and actively promote the advancement of a sustainable generation for seawater desalination membranes.
Impact of close-up dry period heat stress on performance, fertility, and immunometabolic blood indices of dairy cows – prospective cohort study
Authors: Stefanska Barbara , Pruszynska-Oszmalek Ewa , Fievez Veerle , Purwin Cezary , Nowak Włodzimierz
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to investigate whether heat stress, as defined by the temperature-humidity index (THI) during the close-up period, had any impact on the productive performance, fertility, and immunometabolic blood indices of dairy cows in the subsequent lactation. The THI on the −7 d before the calving day was negatively associated with fertility parameters such as delayed first estrus postpartum, an elongated calving interval by approximately 32 d, a higher number of services per conception by 1.00, and an elongated artificial insemination service period, days open, and inter-calving period by about 20, 52, and 52 d, respectively. Lactation performance was associated with increasing THI values on −21, −14, and −7 d before calving resulting in decreased milk yield by about 2.30, 2.60, and 2.90 kg, respectively. The study found that the immunometabolic blood indices were associated with increasing THI values during the close-up dry period. The study showed that exposing dairy cows to close-up period heat stress had negative consequences on performance, fertility, and immunometabolic blood indices in the subsequent lactation. Therefore, it is recommended that herd management and barn microclimate changes be implemented earlier, starting from the late dry period, to mitigate the negative impact of heat stress occurrences.
How can green finance promote low-carbon transition of Chinese cities: technological innovation or industrial structure adjustment ?
Authors: Wu Xiao-qing , Wen Hong-xing , nie Pu-yan , Gao Jing-xin
Published: April 2024

Green finance (GF) has emerged as a promising tool to promote low-carbon development, while knowledge is rather limited regarding the underlying mechanism. This article aims to address this void by constructing a city-level GF index covering seven dimensions and identifying the main pathways through which GF can facilitate the low-carbon development of cities. Using a balanced panel data covering 277 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2020, the results show that: (1) China’s GF development exhibits an overall spatial differentiation of ‘high in the east and low in the west’, while the distribution of carbon intensity (CI) displays an overall spatial differentiation of ‘high in the north and low in the south’; (2) GF significantly decreases CI of cities, which is robust to employing DID strategies and IV estimations; (3) The role of GF on CI varies with the level of CI whereas not with the level of GF; and (4) GF promotes low-carbon transition of cities through mainly on adjusting industrial structure rather than stimulating technological innovation. Despite we also demonstrate green finance enhances green innovation, due to multi-factors, such technology progress it brings may not always translate into a tangible improvement in green productivity. For most developing countries including China, the future policy objective of green finance should focus on enhancing sustainable technological progress.
JEL Classification: E44, O33, R11
Effect of Local Clinoptilolite Application on Various Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Biochemical Parameters in Gingival Crevicular Fluid and Blood in Periodontal Tissue Inflammation in Dogs
Authors: KURTDEDE Efe , ISPIR Emre Salih , TASKIN Nisa , KAYA Ufuk
Published: April 2024

Background
In this study, the changes caused by local and systemic inflammatory and immunological reactions and oxidative stress in the levels of some biomarkers and parameters in the gingival crevicular fluid and blood in periodontal tissue inflammation in dogs were investigated. Moreover the effects of the treatment protocols applied to the patients on these changes were evaluated. The dogs used in the study were grouped as follows: healthy control group (NC), group in which local clinoptilolite was applied in the treatment (C), group in which amoxicillin- clavulonic acid, clinoptilolite and chlorhexidine were used together in the treatment (ACC), group in which amoxicillin-clavulonic acid and clinoptilolite were applied together in the treatment ( AC) and the group (A) in which amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was applied in the treatment.
Results
According to the analysis results, the increase in the total antioxidant capacity measurement level was found to be significant between days 0 and 7 in all groups except the NC group. The decrease in TOS level between days 0 and 7 was found to be significant in all groups. The decrease in MDA level was significant between days 0 and 7 in all groups except the NC group. It was observed that the IL-1B level between days 0 and 7 showed a substantial decrease in the ACC and AC groups and that the MMP9 and osteocalcin levels decreased significantly between days 0 and 7 in groups C and AC.
Conclusions
Evaluating the treatment protocols applied in the study, observations regarding clinical improvement and changes in the levels of various biomarkers and parameters in the GCF and blood samples were considered. Accordingly, it was concluded that applying amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and clinoptilolite in dogs with periodontal tissue inflammation was more successful than other treatment protocols.
Reminiscence Therapy: The Impact of Recalling Past Athletic Experiences on the Well-being of the Elderly
Authors: Chen Xuguang , Shapie Mohamad Nizam Mohamed , Li Xiaowen
Published: April 2024

In the context of increasing global aging, seeking effective therapeutic methods to treat the mental health of the elderly is crucial for enhancing their sense of well-being and achieving healthy aging.This article, based on reminiscence therapy, employs two field experiments to verify its impact on the well-being of the elderly. The first experiment examines the effects of recalling past athletic experiences on the well-being of the elderly and the internal mechanisms involved. The second experiment further compares the differences in the impact of various recalled contents.The experimental results indicate that recalling past athletic experiences influences the well-being of the elderly through two pathways: emotion and meaning. On one hand, it strengthens momentary well-being by enhancing emotional balance; on the other hand, it enhances reflective well-being by increasing the sense of meaning. The study's conclusions not only explore the positive impacts of athletic experiences on the well-being of the elderly over a broader time scale but also demonstrate the significant value of reminiscence therapy in the field of psychological treatment.
Vagi̇noplasty From a Partner's Perspecti̇ve
Authors: UCAR ELİF , Dogan Ozan
Published: April 2024

Objectives
Sexual harmony between partners and surgical interventions that can be performed in the genital area to improve this harmony have increased social awareness in recent years. In this study, we aimed to show the preoperative and postoperative changes in partner satisfaction in vaginoplasties performed for aesthetic or medical reasons.
Methods
This study was planned retrospectively. Patient information was scanned in the database of our clinic and demographic data of the patients were recorded. The partners of the patients who underwent vaginoplasty were interviewed and the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD), Golombok Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale and New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS) were applied for preoperative and postoperative periods to evaluate sexual functions and the data were recorded.
Results
In this study, preoperative and postoperative MSHQ-EjD ejaculatory function and ejaculatory difficulty levels were not significantly different. In the Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale, relationship quality was evaluated in eight subgroups, and it was found that the levels of Frequency, Communication Touch, Satisfaction, Empotence and Quality of Sexual Relationship were significantly higher in the postoperative period, while Avoidance and Premature ejaculation scores were significantly lower.
Conclusions
In this study, it was found that sexual life satisfaction increased in the partners of women who underwent vaginoplasty for aesthetic or medical reasons.
Mechanistic investigation of methanol-to-olefins conversion catalyzed by H-ZSM-5 zeolite: a DFT study
Authors: Pang Ke , Ren Ruipeng , Lv Yongkang , Wang Gui-Chang
Published: April 2024

The mechanisms for the formation of the first C−C bond and lower olefins on methanol to oleﬁns (MTO) conversion on H-ZSM-5 had been focused in dispute. In this paper, density functional theory has been used to study the reaction mechanisms of methanol to olefins on ZSM-5. The configurations of reactants, intermediates, products and transition state of the numerous reactions involved in such a process have been optimized, as well as the elementary reactions related these configurations were determined by the calculation of corresponding activation energy barriers and reaction heats. Here, two different kinds of the mechanisms were proposed for the formation of dimethyl ether (DME), one involving an associative interaction of two methanol molecules with the zeolite Brønsted acid sites and the other occurring via a surface methoxy species and a methanol molecule. A critical intermediate of the methoxy methyl cation was theoretically verified by the reaction of the methoxy species and dimethyl ether. Besides, it was found that the first intermediates containing a C−C bond were 1,2-dimethoxyethane and 2-methoxy-ethanolare, which the former was formed from methoxy species with dimethyl ether and the latter was formed from methanol by onium ions((CH3)2O+CH2CH2OCH3), respectively. For the whole reaction mechanism, the results in this paper indicated that the ethene formation is more favorable than propylene formation due to the low activation energy barrier for ethene formation (123.49 vs. 162.09 kJ.mol-1). From these calculations, it would be concluded that ethene is the first alkene product that induces the occurrence of the hydrocarbon pool mechanism.
Methods All the periodic density function theory (DFT) calculations were performed by the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation package (VASP). The interaction between nucleus and valence electron was described using the pseudopotentials found in the projector augmented wave (PAW) method. BPE-D3 was used in the whole DFT calculations and CI-NEB was used to locate transition state.
Multi-gene identification and pathogenicity analysis of sugarcane pokkah boeng in Yunnan Province
Authors: Wang Changmi , Yin Jiong , Li Yinhu , Li Jie , Zhang Rongyue , Wang Xiaoyan , Shan Hongli , Luo Zhiming
Published: April 2024

Sugarcane pokkah boeng disease is a fungal disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Eighty-seven samples of sugarcane pokkah boeng disease were isolated from Kaiyuan, Jinggu, Menglian, Yongde and Zhenkang sugarcane districts in Yunnan, and PCR amplification of the isolated Fusarium species was carried out by utilizing the sequences of the TEF, RPB2 and TUB2genes, and the results showed clear and bright bands consistent with the size of the target bands. The products were sequenced and analyzed by BLAST on NCBI website, and the sequences of strains with high homology were obtained to construct a phylogenetic tree with them. Combined with field symptom diagnosis, molecular characterization and morphological observation, five pathogenic bacteria causing sugarcane pokkah boeng were identified, namely Fusarium incarnatum、Fusarium andiyazi、Fusarium sacchari、Fusariumproliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides. F. incarnatum、 F. andiyazi and F. sacchari are reported for the first time in Yunnan sugarcane area. The mycelial morphology and conidial size of the five pathogenic bacteria did not differ much, and it was difficult to identify the causal agent of sugarcane tip rot by the difference in conidial size.
The results of pathogenicity analysis by isolated inoculation showed that all five pathogens were able to infect and cause Sugarcane pokkah boengsymptoms in sugarcane, among which F. proliferatum was the most pathogenic, and the length and expansion of the spots were significantly higher than the others; on the contrary, F. verticillioides was the weakest pathogen. This study further clarified the types of F. verticillioides pathogens and their pathogenicity in Yunnan cane area, which provides scientific basis for the prevention and control of sugarcane pokkah boeng.
Identification of Key Candidate Genes Related to Cartilage development during Murine embryonic limb development by single cell RNA-sequencing and Experimental Confirmation
Authors: Xiong Fei , Chen Wenxuan , Tan Jiyang , Wang Xunhao , Qiu Yang
Published: April 2024

Background Cartilage, characterized by its limited self-repair capacity due to avascularity and low metabolic activity of chondrocytes, poses a significant challenge for regenerative medicine. Osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent cartilage disorder, highlights the urgent need for effective cartilage regenerative therapies. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cartilage development during embryonic stages is crucial for advancing regenerative strategies and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Methods This study employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to explore the transcriptional landscape of mouse embryonic limb development at various stages, focusing on identifying genes pivotal for cartilage differentiation. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) specific to cartilage development were pinpointed through comparative analysis. Functional validation of these marker genes was conducted using immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR to confirm their roles in chondrocyte maturation and differentiation. Results Our scRNA-seq analysis identified a set of novel marker genes, including Bgn, Ucma, Fmod, Msmp, and 1500015O10Rik, as specific indicators of cartilage development. Functional experiments supported the crucial roles of these markers in the differentiation and maturation of chondrocytes. Additionally, our findings revealed the dynamic transcriptomic alterations during cartilage development, emphasizing the significance of specific regulatory factors in guiding mesenchymal stem cells towards chondrogenesis. Conclusions The study elucidates the complex transcriptomic landscape governing cartilage development in embryonic mice, highlighting the discovery of novel marker genes crucial for chondrocyte differentiation. These insights into the molecular mechanisms of cartilage formation lay the groundwork for developing targeted regenerative therapies for OA and related musculoskeletal disorders. Our research underscores the importance of identifying reliable regulatory factors that enhance the effectiveness of regenerative treatments, providing a valuable reference for future studies on cartilage repair and regeneration.
Kidney function in newly diagnosed myeloma patients: factors associated with kidney impairment and recovery
Authors: Cesar Bruno Nogueira , Braga Walter Moises Tobias , Hamerschlak Nelson , Durao Marcelino de Souza
Published: April 2024

Kidney disease is a common complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and a risk factor for increased morbimortality. In this retrospective cohort study based on medical records, we analyzed the kidney function of patients with renal disease related to MM during the first year of treatment. All patients included were consecutively admitted to the outpatient services of two hospitals between January 2009 and January 2019 and met the diagnostic criteria for MM regardless of the reason for seeking medical help. We excluded patients who had kidney disease or who were on dialysis before MM diagnosis. We investigated the factors associated with renal function recovery using multivariate analysis. We evaluated 167 patients (median age of 66 ± 11.49 years). Almost half of the patients had arterial hypertension (76; 45.5%). The majority had International Staging System (ISS) grades 3 (73; 43.7%) or 2 (60; 35.9%). Seventy-four (44%) patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m² at the time of MM diagnosis. Fifty-two patients (31%) underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). After 12 months, 4 (2.3%) patients needed dialysis, and 18 (10.7%) died. The factors associated with an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m² were anemia, hyperuricemia, 24-hour proteinuria > 1.0 g, and extramedullary plasmacytoma. However, only baseline renal function (eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) and HSCT were associated with greater recovery of renal function at 12 months of follow-up.
Assessing the effects of Guiera senegalensis, Pluchea odorata, and Piliostigma reticulatum leaf powder supplementation on growth, immune response, digestive histology, and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) juveniles before and after Aeromonas hydrophila infection
Authors: Ndour Paul Mamadou , Fall Jean , Darias Maria J. , Caruso Domenico , Canonne Marc , Pepey Elodie , Hermet Sophie , Fall Sokhna Khady Lo , Diouf Malick , Sarter Samira
Published: April 2024

This study investigated the effects of including leaf powder from three medicinal plants collected in Senegal in the feeds of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) on growth, survival, immunity, and digestive histology. Four experiments were conducted in triplicate, testing each plant alone or in combination at different inclusion levels: A) Guiera senegalensis at 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8%; B) Pluchea odorata at 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4%; C) Piliostigma reticulatum at 0, 1 and 2%; and D) a mixture of the three plants at 0, 1 and 2% per plant. After 28 days of feeding, fish underwent an experimental infection with Aeromonas hydrophila for 12 days. Immunological (bactericidal, lysozyme, and respiratory burst activities) and digestive histology analyses were performed following both feeding and infection trials. Except for G. senegalensis, the inclusion of medicinal plants, either alone or in combination, positively influenced the immune response at all inclusion levels. The diet containing 4% P. odorata increased plasma lysozyme and bactericidal activities without compromising feed conversion efficiency or growth. Despite the observed improvements in immunity, none of the dietary treatments enhanced survival following the infection. However, fish fed the 1% mixture diet exhibited healthier livers and intestines, characterized by reduced cell swelling and normal lipid deposits appearance, followed by the 2% mixture and the control groups. These results highlight the potential benefits of incorporating P. odorata and the plant mixture in the diets of Nile tilapia juveniles for enhancing their immune response and defense against A. hydrophila infections.
Trends in traffic accidents mortality and social inequalities in Ecuador from 2011 to 2022
Authors: Holguín-Carvajal Juan Pablo , Otzen Tamara , Sanhueza Antonio , Castillo Álvaro , Manterola Carlos , Muñoz Georgina , García-Aguilera Fernanda , Salgado-Castillo Fernanda
Published: April 2024

Background
According to WHO data, traffic accidents caused 1,282,150 deaths globally in 2019, with a projection to become the fifth leading cause of mortality by 2030, highlighting significant public and economic health impacts. This study aimed to describe the trends in traffic accidents mortality in Ecuador between 2011 and 2022, by year, gender, age group, geographic location, type of accident and social inequalities.
Methods
A population-based study was conducted using national statistics on mortality due to traffic accidents in Ecuador, between 2011 and 2022, obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Census. Crude mortality rates, adjusted per region per 100,000 inhabitants, were calculated by region, province, gender, and age group. The annual percentage change of the traffic accidents mortality rate and the Absolute Risks were calculated, as well as rate ratios between the groups. Inequalities by per capita income and by illiteracy rate were also calculated.
Results
The average mortality rate due to traffic accidents in Ecuador (2011–2022) was 19.1. The rates were higher in men (31.3) than in women (7.2), with a rate ratio of 4.3. The rates were higher in the Amazon region (24.0), decreasing in recent years, with a statistically significant negative annual percentage variation of -1.2%, as in the Sierra region and Coast. Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas presented the highest rate (30.6), while, the highest rate related to age, (27.4) was identified in the 17 to 24 years group. In 2011, the highest rate (22.0) was recorded. The most frequent type of accident was "unspecified" followed by pedestrians.
Conclusions
There was evidence of an increase (247.7%) of traffic accidents mortality inequalities stratified by per capita income between 2011 and 2019 and a decrease (18.9%) of traffic accidents mortality inequalities stratified by the illiteracy rate between 2014 and 2019. In Ecuador, between 2011 and 2020, transport accident mortality rates are decreasing significantly, showing important disparities by gender, age group, and province. The high frequency of “unspecified” causes denotes the necessity to improve the registration and/or coding system of the causes of death due to traffic accidents in Ecuador.
Engineering inducible signaling receptors to enable erythropoietin-free erythropoiesis
Authors: Cromer M. , Shah Aadit , Majeti Kiran , Ekman Freja , Selvaraj Sridhar , Soupene Eric , Chati Prathamesh , Sinha Roshani , Luna Sofia , Charlesworth Carsten , McCreary Travis , Lesch Benjamin , Sharma Devesh , Chu Simon , Porteus Matthew
Published: April 2024

Blood transfusion plays a vital role in modern medicine. However, availability is contingent on donated blood, and frequent shortages pose a significant healthcare challenge. Ex vivo manufacturing of red blood cells (RBCs) derived from universal donor O-negative pluripotent stem cells emerges as a solution, yet the high cost of recombinant cytokines required for ex vivo erythroid differentiation remains a major barrier. Erythropoietin (EPO) signaling through the EPO receptor is indispensable to RBC development, and EPO is one of the most expensive components in erythroid-promoting media. Here, we used design-build-test cycles to develop highly optimized small molecule-inducible EPO receptors (iEPORs) which were integrated at a variety of genomic loci using homology-directed repair genome editing. We found that integration of iEPOR at the endogenous EPOR locus in an induced pluripotent stem cell producer line enabled culture with small molecule to yield equivalent erythroid differentiation, transcriptomic changes, and hemoglobin production compared to cells cultured with EPO. Due to the dramatically lower cost of small molecules vs. recombinant cytokines, these efforts eliminate one of the most expensive elements of ex vivo culture media—EPO cytokine. Because dependence on cytokines is a common barrier to ex vivo cell production, these strategies could improve scalable manufacturing of a wide variety of clinically relevant cell types. More broadly, this work showcases how synthetic biology and genome editing may be combined to introduce precisely regulated and tunable behavior into cells, an advancement which will pave the way for increasingly sophisticated cell engineering strategies.
Exploring Motor Imagery and Execution of Lower Limb Tasks: EEG Analysis during Transitions from Sitting to Standing
Authors: Triana-Guzman Nayid , Guerrero-Mendez Cristian D. , Moreno-Arevalo Brayan S. , Orjuela-Cañon Alvaro D. , Jutinico-Alarcon Andres L.
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Motor Imagery (MI) and Motor Execution (ME) of the upper limbs have been extensively studied in the literature, whereas research on MI and ME of lower limb movements remains comparatively scarce, especially in tasks related to those involved in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as standing and sitting. Therefore, in this study, the temporal and frequency features of EEG signals recorded by healthy subjects with no previous experience in recording Electroencephalography (EEG) signals were analyzed.
Methods: The roles of MI and ME were investigated in a paradigm based on standing and sitting transitions tasks guided by visual cues presented on a screen, by randomizing MI and ME. Sensorimotor Rhythms (SMR) were analyzed using power spectral modulation and Event Related Synchronization/Desynchronization (ERDS) features.
Results: As a result, Alpha waves (7-13 Hz) are more discriminant between MI and ME than Beta waves (14-35 Hz). Significant differences were observed between the standing and sitting MI and ME groups. In addition, the sitting task was found to have higher power spectral than the standing task.
Conclusion: EEG analyses during the evaluation of complex and natural tasks, such as standing and sitting in inexperienced subjects, could serve as a basis for more effective interventions. In addition, novel strategies for motor rehabilitation could be applied, as well as increasing the understanding of the Central Nervous System (CNS) related to standing and sitting transitions tasks.
Barriers and facilitators for strengthening physiotherapy services in Nepal: perspectives from physiotherapists and health providers
Authors: Shakya Nishchal Ratna , Emén Amanda , Webb Gillian , Myezwa Hellen , Karmacharya Biraj Man , Stensdotter Ann-Katrin
Published: April 2024

Background: Physiotherapy provides non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical intervention for curative, rehabilitation and preventative purposes. Physiotherapy is also a central provider of health promotion. As the global burden of non-communicable diseases and chronic health conditions is rising, the importance of physiotherapy services increases. Unfortunately, physiotherapy services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are generally unsatisfactory. In Nepal, the earthquake in 2015 and the COVID pandemic have clearly illuminated the importance of physiotherapy.
Objective: This qualitative study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators at different system levels for strengthening physiotherapy services in Nepal.
Methods: Forty semi-structured individual interviews were performed with different health providers. Transcribed interviews were assessed with thematic analysis. A five-level socioecological framework conceptualised multilevel determinants of barriers and facilitators.
Results: The study revealed various factors that were potential barriers and facilitators across five different levels, namely individual (taking the lead, need for advocacy), interpersonal (lack of recognition and autonomy, networking for referrals and coordination), community (lack of knowledge and awareness, social and family support), organisational (accessibility, workplace and clinical practice, educational opportunities, role of organisations and rehabilitation centres), and public policy level (planning and implementation of policies and programs, medical hegemony, priorities). Government officials, local leaders, and clinicians, half of whom were physiotherapists, agreed on many of the same issues, where a lack of awareness of what physiotherapy is and knowledge about what physiotherapists do was central.
Conclusions: The results provide information for the development of physiotherapy by pointing out key elements that need attention, which are applicable to the situation in most LMIC countries where special focus needs to be directed towards rural and remote areas.
[Rezension] Eine Sprachreise durch den Filmwortschatz
Authors: Ahlborn Svetlana
Published: April 2024

Rezension zum Lehrwerk: Кабяк Н.В. (2022) Любимые советские фильмы на уроке РКИ: учебное пособие. Флинта. 392 S. (Kabiak N.W. (2002) Lieblingsfilme aus der Sowjetzeit im Unterricht Russisch als Fremdsprache. Flinta-Verlag. 392 S.)
Mild Form of Guillain Barre Syndrome, Clinical Characteristics and Outcome with or Without Plasmapheresis: A Local Experience
Authors: Adnan Tariq  , Bano Safia , Ayesha Aslam  , Syed Arsalan Haider  , Rashid Imran  , Ahsan Numan
Published: April 2024

Background: Guillain-Barre syndrome is an immune mediated poly-radiculo-neuropathy with a variable clinical presentation and prognosis. Plasma exchange and Intravenous immunoglobulin are treatment options with proven efficacy by various clinical trials. But these trials demonstrate improvement in a classical and moderate to severe GBS. In clinical setting, problem may occur in treatment of those patients who present with mild symptoms & signs, clinical variants of GBS, or when the duration of weakness is > 2 weeks from onset of symptoms.
Objective:  To determine the frequency of mild GBS, its clinical characteristics & to compare clinical outcome of patients treated with or without plasmapheresis.
 Methods: Prospective, Quasi experimental study was done in Neurology, MHL from June, 2020 to June, 2022. Diagnosis of mild GBS was made on basis of patient ability to walk without support/ GBS disability score is ≤ 2. Outcome in these patients was assessed by using MRC sum score at presentation one and 3month post treatment.
Results: Patients with diagnosis of GBS (n=154) were admitted and treated during 2years.out of these patients, 22(14.28%) were diagnosed as mild GBS, 18 males and 4 females. MRC Sum score at presentation 18.5, at 1-month 19.7 and at 3 month it was 19.5 on average. MRC sum score improvement noted in patients treated with plasma-pheresis at one and three months with p value less than 0.01. There was no difference in recovery with increased number of sessions of plasma-pheresis 3 versus 5 sessions at one month and 3months with p value 0.18 &0.32 respectively.
Conclusion:  Mild GBS is not uncommon, remained under-reported in clinical scenario. Plasma-pheresis seems to have a beneficial role in mild form of GBS
Przesłanie społeczne kardynała Józefa Glempa, prymasa Polski. Zarys problematyki
Authors: Dziuba Andrzej
Published: April 2024

Nauczanie społeczne kard. Józefa Glempa wpisało się znacząco w dzieje Kościoła i Polski na przełomie XX i XXI wieku. To czasy głębokich przemian społeczno-politycznych, kulturowych, a także religijnych. Jego posługa prymasowska i przepowiadanie pasterskie stano- wiły konkretny, twórczy wkład w bieg wydarzeń, w których uczestniczył. Fundamentalnym zagadnieniem była dla niego wizja człowieka jako osoby obdarzonej szczególną godnością i pochodzącymi stąd prawami. Zajmował jednoznaczne stanowisko w obronie życia oraz wskazywał na konieczność niesienia pomocy innym ludziom. Dla kard. Glempa szczególną rolę w życiu społecznym pełni rodzina z zadaniem zrodzenia, wychowania i kształtowania potomstwa. Nie zapominał o potrzebie takiego wychowania dzieci, aby w przyszłości to one objęły troską swoich rodziców. Ksiądz prymas naród postrzegał jako naturalne zjednoczenie osób i rodzin. Na tym polu niezbędne jest tutaj także poprawne zdefiniowanie dobra wspólnego oraz właściwa troska o nie. Dużo uwagi poświęcał patriotyzmowi oraz postawie miłości ojczyzny. Podkreślał znaczenie wolności, suwerenności i pluralizmu jako fundamentów ustroju politycznego w państwie demokratycznym. Wydaje się, że ta koncepcja życia społecznego stanowi dość zwarty projekt zasługujący na dalsze badania.
Potencjał małżeństwa i rodziny w świetle nauczania błogosławionego kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego
Authors: Rynio Alina
Published: April 2024

Publikacja przybliża i uszczegóławia kwestie związane z potencjałem i małżeństwa i rodziny w świetle nauczania bł. kard. Stefana Wyszyńskiego. Autorkę interesuje, jak kard. Wyszyński rozumiał małżeństwo i rodzinę; w czym upatrywał ich potencjał i możliwości jego realizacji; co według niego uniemożliwiało realizację potencjału małżeństwa i rodziny; co warunkowało skuteczność wychowawczych oddziaływań rodziny; w czym wyraża się uniwersalny wymiar prymasowskiego nauczania o małżeństwie i rodzinie. W rozumieniu prymasa małżeństwo i rodzina są środowiskiem życia i urzeczywistniania się człowieka jako osoby. Wśród celów małżeństwa, priorytetowe są: wzajemna pomoc małżonków i zaspokojenie popędów przyrodzonych, prokreacja i dobre wychowanie potomstwa. Z kolei rodzina, będąc trudnym, ale zarazem pięknym sposobem realizacji powołania, pozwala żyć w miłości i pokoju, prze- kazać życie, przygotować dzieci do zadań społecznych i obywatelskich, odpowiednio ukształtować charakter, dać „szkołę pracy i oszczędności”, wychować po chrześcijańsku, zachowując element integralności. Nie dziwi zatem, że małżeństwo i rodzina, będąc podstawową społecznością naturalną ustanowioną przez Boga i przez Niego chronioną, a zarazem miejscem przekazywania życia i najważniejszym środowiskiem międzypokoleniowej transmisji tradycji, opieki, stabilizacji emocjonalnej, socjalizacji i inkluzji – stoją w centrum pasterskiej troski, miłości i nauczania Stefana Wyszyńskiego. 

Z przesłania prymasa wynika, że jeśli rodzina żyje zgodnie z zasadami chrześcijańskimi, może skutecznie się oprzeć wszelkim masowym wstrząsom tak od wewnątrz, jak i z zewnątrz. Optymalne, skuteczne wychowanie odbywa się w pełnej rodzinie, jest ojcowskie i macierzyńskie; rodzice akceptują, że dziecko jest darem Boga i zostało im powierzone, dlatego czują respekt, szacunek i drżenie wobec tajemnicy zawartej w dziecku. Wychowanie jest skuteczne, gdy przygotowuje do zadań społecznych i obywatelskich, służy temu, aby „Bóg był uwielbiony, człowiek uszanowany, a ziemia odsłużona”. Uniwersalność prymasowskie- go przesłania pedagogicznego zdaje się tkwić w tym, że wychowując człowieka, obywatela i świętego, prymas zabiega o zachowanie zasad ewangelicznych w życiu społecznym. Jest przekonany, że wychowanie odbywa się przez przynależność i uczestnictwo w życiu rodziny, narodu, państwa i Kościoła.
Repercussões da pandemia da covid-19 no processo de ensino
Authors: Oliveira Etyelle Silva de , Salvati Pedros Oscar , Guedes Miriam Maria Ferreira , Ribeiro Wanderson Alves , Fassarella Bruna Porath Azevedo , Neves Keila do Carmo
Published: April 2024

No cenário mundial emerge uma doença de grande proporção, um novo vírus que causa doença respiratória aguda grave, chamado de (SARS-CoV-2) sendo conhecido por Coronavírus ou COVID-19. Dentre as inúmeras estratégias preventivas, o ministério da saúde, se pronunciou autorizando substituição das aulas presenciais por aulas que utilizem instrumentos tecnológicos de comunicação, suspendendo as aulas durante o período pandêmico e assim, forçando os governantes a desenvolver táticas para que os graduandos continuassem em sua formação através de acesso por meio dos computadores e celulares. O impacto ao discente carece de uma reformulação das práticas de ensino em práticas inovadoras tanto das instituições quanto dos docentes, de modo a fornecer uma autonomia ao estudante visando uma transformação não apenas ao conhecimento teórico, mas na construção de diálogos, de vínculos, de interação com elementos relevantes a sua formação mesmo não sendo em formato presencial. Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto da pandemia da COVID-19 no processo de ensino-aprendizagem do graduando de enfermagem. Metodologia: Tratou-se de um estudo exploratório descritivo, de abordagem mista (QUAN + QUAL) tendo como fonte de informação a pesquisa de campo, sobre impacto da pandemia de covid-19 no processo de ensino-aprendizagem do graduando de enfermagem e ainda, captar diferentes experiências relacionadas ao tema proposto. Conclusão: Foi descrito as repercussões e impactos dos acadêmicos e identificado as estratégias utilizadas pelos graduandos de enfermagem no processo ensino-aprendizagem na pandemia da COVID-19. Alcançando assim, os objetivos propostos pelo projeto.
Palavras-chave: Covid-19; Educação Superior-Enfermagem; Pandemia.
Mapeamento de eventos adversos relacionados a vacina contra covid em pacientes oncológicos
Authors: Oliveira Renata Martins Mendes de , Fialho Isabelle Cristine Tavares Silva , Monteiro Debora Esteves , Campos Jessica Dias Leite , Fuly Patrícia dos Santos Claro , Lima Vivian Cristina Gama Souza
Published: April 2024

A doença respiratória causada pelo agente SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) tem afetado mundialmente a vida de bilhões de pessoas. Pacientes com câncer compõe um dos grupos de alto risco na pandemia da COVID-19 sendo a vacina contra a COVID-19 fortemente recomendadas para essa população. O presente protocolo tem como objeto de estudo as reações adversas relacionadas à imunização da COVID-19 no paciente oncológico em vigência de tratamento antineoplásico e objetivos específicos mapear as reações adversas relacionada a imunização da COVID-19 reportadas em pacientes oncológicos em vigência de tratamento antineoplásico. Orienta-se no Manual de Sínteses de Evidências do Instituto Joanna Briggs sobre Revisão de escopo em sua versão original valendo-se do guideline PRISMA em sua extensão. Para este protocolo foi validado o seguinte mnemônico: PCC – do quais P de população: pacientes oncológicos vacinados contra COVID, C de conceito: as reações adversas a imunização da COVID-19 e, C de contexto: cenário de pandemia e pós pandemia em ambulatórios oncológicos. e as estratégias de pesquisa nas bases de dados Embase, Cinahl e Pubmed. As etapas seguidas foram: 1) Identificação da questão do estudo; 2) Definição dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão; 3) Realização estratégia de busca em 3 etapas – 1ª etapa uma busca inicial em forma de ensaio piloto em pelo menos três bases de dados selecionadas, e, 3ª busca nas referências dos artigos selecionados bem como a busca em literatura cinzenta; 4) Identificação dos estudos relevantes; 5) Seleção dos estudos; 6) Extração dos dados e mapeamento. 7) Agrupamento dos resultados e apresentação dos resultados.
Palavras-Chave: Vacina; Sars-Cov-2; Oncologia; Evento Adverso.