bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics and viral load dynamics of COVID-19 in a mildly or moderately symptomatic outpatient sample
Authors: Caplan Amanda , Bates Kelly W. , Brioni Carla , Santos Aileen , Sabatini Linda M. , Kaul Karen L. , Carnethon Mercedes R. , Khandekar Janardan D. , Greenland Philip
Published: October 2021

Background

Studies of outpatients with mild or moderate COVID-19 are uncommon. We studied: 1) association of symptoms with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results; and 2) association of initial RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) in relation to duration of RT-PCR positivity in outpatients with mild or moderate COVID-19.

Methods

This was a cohort study of outpatients with confirmed COVID-19 and at least one symptom. Participants had repeat nasopharyngeal swabs and symptom checklists every 3–5 days until two consecutive RT-PCR tests were negative. RT-PCR tests were used to assess viral load. Antibody tests for COVID-19 were performed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after symptom onset.

Results

Twenty-five patients (nine females) were enrolled, ranging in age from 19–58 (median age 28 years). All patients reported at least one symptom, with a median of six symptoms per patient. Symptoms persisted for 6–67 days (median duration 18 days). In all 25 patients, blood samples collected a median of 13 days after symptom onset were positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 15 (60%). After a median of 28 days following symptom onset, 23/23 patients with available samples tested positive for antibodies. The longest duration of positive RT-PCR test was 49 days from first positive PCR test (Mean = 27.4, SD = 12.5, Median = 24). Initial Ct was significantly associated with longer duration (β = -1.3, SE = 0.3, p<0.01 per 1 cycle higher) of RT-PCR positivity.

Conclusions

In mildly or moderately ill COVID-19 outpatients, RT-PCT tests remained positive for as long as 49 days and test positivity and symptom duration correlated with initial viral load.
Active pulmonary tuberculosis and coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Aggarwal Ashutosh Nath , Agarwal Ritesh , Dhooria Sahajal , Prasad Kuruswamy Thurai , Sehgal Inderpaul Singh , Muthu Valliappan
Published: October 2021

Objective

The proportion of COVID-19 patients having active pulmonary tuberculosis, and its impact on COVID-19 related patient outcomes, is not clear. We conducted this systematic review to evaluate the proportion of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis among COVID-19 patients, and to assess if comorbid pulmonary tuberculosis worsens clinical outcomes in these patients.

Methods

We queried the PubMed and Embase databases for studies providing data on (a) proportion of COVID-19 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis or (b) severe disease, hospitalization, or mortality among COVID-19 patients with and without active pulmonary tuberculosis. We calculated the proportion of tuberculosis patients, and the relative risk (RR) for each reported outcome of interest. We used random-effects models to summarize our data.

Results

We retrieved 3,375 citations, and included 43 studies, in our review. The pooled estimate for proportion of active pulmonary tuberculosis was 1.07% (95% CI 0.81%-1.36%). COVID-19 patients with tuberculosis had a higher risk of mortality (summary RR 1.93, 95% CI 1.56–2.39, from 17 studies) and for severe COVID-19 disease (summary RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.05–2.02, from 20 studies), but not for hospitalization (summary RR 1.86, 95% CI 0.91–3.81, from four studies), as compared to COVID-19 patients without tuberculosis.

Conclusion

Active pulmonary tuberculosis is relatively common among COVID-19 patients and increases the risk of severe COVID-19 and COVID-19-related mortality.
Adults with higher social anxiety show avoidant gaze behaviour in a real-world social setting: A mobile eye tracking study
Authors: Konovalova Irma , Antolin Jastine V. , Bolderston Helen , Gregory Nicola J.
Published: October 2021

Attentional biases are a core characteristic of social anxiety (SA). However, research has yielded conflicting findings and failed to investigate these biases in real, face-to-face social situations. Therefore, this study examined attentional biases in SA by measuring participants’ eye gaze within a novel eye-tracking paradigm during a real-life social situation. Student participants (N = 30) took part in what they thought was a visual search study, when a confederate posing as another participant entered the room. Whilst all participants avoided looking at the confederate, those with higher SA fixated for a shorter duration during their first fixation on him, and executed fewer fixations and saccades overall as well as exhibiting a shorter scanpath. These findings are indicative of additional avoidance in the higher SA participants. In contrast to previous experimental work, we found no evidence of social hypervigilance or hyperscanning in high SA individuals. The results indicate that in unstructured social settings, avoidance rather than vigilance predominates, especially in those with higher SA.
Structure-guided antibody cocktail for prevention and treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Su Shih-Chieh , Yang Tzu-Jing , Yu Pei-Yu , Liang Kang-Hao , Chen Wan-Yu , Yang Chun-Wei , Lin Hsiu-Ting , Wang Mei-Jung , Lu Ruei-Min , Tso Hsien-Cheng , Chung Meng-Jhe , Hsieh Tzung-Yang , Chang Yu-Ling , Lin Shin-Chang , Hsu Fang-Yu , Ke Feng-Yi , Wu Yi-Hsuan , Hwang Yu-Chyi , Liu I-Ju , Liang Jian-Jong , Liao Chun-Che , Ko Hui-Ying , Sun Cheng-Pu , Wu Ping-Yi , Jan Jia-Tsrong , Chang Yuan-Chih , Lin Yi-Ling , Tao Mi-Hua , Hsu Shang-Te Danny , Wu Han-Chung
Published: October 2021

Development of effective therapeutics for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic is a pressing global need. Neutralizing antibodies are known to be effective antivirals, as they can be rapidly deployed to prevent disease progression and can accelerate patient recovery without the need for fully developed host immunity. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a series of chimeric antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein. Some of these antibodies exhibit exceptionally potent neutralization activities in vitro and in vivo, and the most potent of our antibodies target three distinct non-overlapping epitopes within the RBD. Cryo-electron microscopy analyses of two highly potent antibodies in complex with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein suggested they may be particularly useful when combined in a cocktail therapy. The efficacy of this antibody cocktail was confirmed in SARS-CoV-2-infected mouse and hamster models as prophylactic and post-infection treatments. With the emergence of more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2, cocktail antibody therapies hold great promise to control disease and prevent drug resistance.
A short chain fatty acid–centric view of Clostridioides difficile pathogenesis
Authors: Gregory Anna L. , Pensinger Daniel A. , Hryckowian Andrew J.
Published: October 2021

Clostridioides difficileis an opportunistic diarrheal pathogen responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. A disrupted (dysbiotic) gut microbiome, commonly engendered by antibiotic treatment, is the primary risk factor forC.difficileinfection, highlighting thatC.difficile–microbiome interactions are critical for determining the fitness of this pathogen. Here, we review short chain fatty acids (SCFAs): a major class of metabolites present in the gut, their production by the gut microbiome, and their impacts on the biology of the host and ofC.difficile. We use these observations to illustrate a conceptual model wherebyC.difficilesenses and responds to SCFAs as a marker of a healthy gut and tunes its virulence accordingly in order to maintain dysbiosis. Future work to learn the molecular mechanisms and genetic circuitry underlying the relationships betweenC.difficileand SCFAs will help to identify precision approaches, distinct from antibiotics and fecal transplant, for mitigating disease caused byC.difficileand will inform similar investigations into other gastrointestinal pathogens.
Resquícios de epidemias no Minho: os surtos de tifo nos séculos XIX e XX
Authors: Esteves Alexandra , Lobo de Araújo Maria Marta
Published: October 2021

Neste trabalho, analisamos as epidemias de tifo que, à semelhança do que sucedeu noutras partes do país, assolaram diversos lugares do Minho, entre os séculos XIX e os inícios do século XX. Todavia, atendendo à dimensão dos surtos, é dada especial relevância à situação vivida na cidade e no distrito de Braga.Para a realização deste estudo servimo-nos, nomeadamente, da literatura médica coeva, da imprensa e dos registos de entrada de hospitais desta região do norte de Portugal.São objetivos principais deste artigo caracterizar e contextualizar os surtos de tifo que atingiram as terras minhotas; analisar as iniciativas das autoridades administrativas e sanitárias e as dificuldades com que se debateram para os controlar; anotar o impacto que tiveram na vida das populações, designadamente nos domínios económico, social e demográfico; mostrar o modo como foram recebidas algumas das medidas então adotadas com o propósito de conter os seus efeitos.
Intervenções e Mediações com Idosos
Authors: Santos Clara Cruz , Teixeira Mónica
Published: October 2021

O Livro “Intervenções e Mediações com Idosos” encerra um conjunto de abordagens, estratégias e reflexões que se constituem como alternativa ao olhar tradicional sobre o envelhecimento, sobre as políticas e medidas sociais que teimam em manter-se perante uma população que é considerada, erradamente, uma população homogénea. É um contributo para uma nova leitura e para a compreensão das mudanças que têm ocorrido nos últimos cinco anos em Portugal e aponta novas direções para a emergência de outras medidas políticas e outras formas de ação face a uma população crescente, diversificada e com uma força de participação coletiva que deve ser encarada, estimulada e até, mesmo, aproveitada em prol da coesão e do crescimento social. Este livro dirige-se, não só à Academia, mas também a todos os profissionais e instituições, bem como a todos aqueles que querem conhecer a(s) nova(s) realidade(s) do envelhecimento em Portugal.
Experiência, saúde, cronicidade: um olhar socioantropológico
Authors: Barsaglini Reni , Portugal Sílvia , Melo Lucas
Published: October 2021

A obra foca-se na experiência do processo saúde-doença na perspectiva socioantropológica, explorando as suas potencialidades como conceito e como abordagem de fenômenos sociais, privilegiando condições, sofrimentos e adoecimentos que perduram no tempo e caracterizam a cronicidade. Como conceito, toma-se a experiência enquanto construção e sentido de algo que acontece, afeta e marca a existência de uma pessoa, grupo ou comunidade humana. Como abordagem, ocupa-se dos pressupostos e recursos da produção científica para a compreensão da experiência como objeto, compondo um olhar reflexivo que engloba doentes, familiares, cuidadores, profissionais de saúde e investigadores. A obra reúne contributos de um conjunto de autores de áreas disciplinares diversas e de diferentes países formando um caleidoscópio de perspectivas sobre a experiência humana do adoecimento e da cronicidade.
ESCORÇO SOBRE A FIGURA DO ATENTADO COM BASE NO PRINCÍPIO DO APROVEITAMENTO DE MEIOS
Authors: Lamy Eduardo De Avelar , Reis Eduardo Passold
Published: October 2021

Com o Código de Processo Civil de 2015, o atentado deixou de ser tratado como procedimento cautelar. A opção legislativa prestigia respeito ao diálogo processual participativo e atribui ao instituto o caráter expresso de dever processual de conteúdo negativo. Contudo, com o fim das cautelares típicas, perdeu-se meio processual para denúncia do atentado e lócus específico para sua análise. Urge pensar em formas de sistematizar meios processuais para tratamento do tema. O princípio do aproveitamento de meios pode apontar caminhos para cuidar da questão.
“PUXADINHOS PERIFÉRICOS”: ANÁLISE URBANA SENSÍVEL DO DIREITO REAL DE LAJE COMO ALTERNATIVA DE ACESSO À MORADIA EM NOVA IGUAÇU (RJ)
Authors: Souza Flávia da Silva , Ricardo Peixoto André
Published: October 2021

As reconhecidas tensões habitacionais dos espaços considerados periféricos tornam perceptível a grande problemática de acesso à moradia e à terra. Partindo destes pressupostos, buscar-se-á estudar o Direito de Laje como uma alternativa do morar nas cidades, frente ao contexto de implementação do programa “Minha Casa Minha Vida”. Por indagação maior, tem-se a compreensão do Direito de Laje como opção viável nos espaços periféricos sob a ótica de uma análise urbana sensível. Por primeiro objetivo específico, entender a problemática de acesso à moradia enfrentado pelos pobres; por segundo, compreender as implicações jurídicas do Direito de Laje; e, por terceiro, elucidar as possibilidades da efetivação do Direito de Laje no Município de Nova Iguaçu. Tudo será pautado por uma interlocução interdisciplinar entre Direito e Geografia através de autores como Loureiro (2017) e Farias, El Debs e Dias (2019) no campo jurídico; na temática da moradia e suas problemáticas, autores como Maricato (2003a e 2003b) e Santos (1993), utilizando-se de levantamento teórico sobre o assunto e dados empíricos acerca da realidade. Com isso, ressaltar-se-á o Direito de Laje como uma alternativa para a resolução da questão da moradia para a população pobre nos espaços periféricos e será prestada uma contribuição ao debate social.
О месте звуковых точек в критическом течении
Authors: Беспорточный Александр Иванович , Besportochny Aleksandr Ivanovich , Бурмистров Александр Николаевич , Burmistrov Aleksandr Nikolaevich
Published: October 2021

На основе анализа трехмерных уравнений Эйлера исследуются стационарные безвихревые баротропные течения газа. Критическими в статье называются течения, в которых число Маха всюду меньше или равно единице, и при этом хотя бы в одной точке число Маха достигает единицы. В 1954 году Гилбарг и Шифман показали, что если в критическом течении существует внутренняя (не лежащая на обтекаемой поверхности) звуковая точка, то она лежит на плоской звуковой поверхности, которая во всех своих точках перпендикулярна вектору скорости газа и не может заканчиваться внутри потока (теорема о звуковой точке).
На основе этой теоремы Гилбарг и Шифман получили важный для задач максимизации критического числа Маха вывод.
Он состоит в том, что при критическом обтекании для широкого класса обтекаемых тел звуковые точки могут располагаться только на его поверхности. Этот вывод существенным образом используется при построении форм обтекаемых тел с максимальным значением критического числа Маха (при заданных изопериметрических условиях).
В представляемой статье рассматривается вопрос о кривизне линий тока во внутренних звуковых точках критических течений. Показывается, что эта кривизна равна нулю. В результате получается новое необходимое условие существования внутренней звуковой точки (и звуковой поверхности). Оно состоит в том, что в точке пересечения со звуковой поверхностью нормальная кривизна обтекаемой поверхности в направлении нормали к звуковой поверхности должна равняться нулю. Приводятся примеры обтекаемых тел, для которых теорема Гилбарга и Шифмана (о звуковой точке) не дает ответа на вопрос о месте расположения звуковых точек. При этом новое необходимое условие позволяет доказать, что существование внутренних звуковых точек при критическом обтекании этих тел невозможно.
Transformative Klimakommunikation: Veränderungsprozesse in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft anstoßen
Authors: Trümper Stefanie , Beck Marie-Luise
Published: October 2021

Bisher war die Kommunikation über den Klimawandel von der Idee geleitet, vom Wissen zum Handeln zu kommen. Doch der nötige gesellschaftliche Richtungswechsel, mit dem die Klimakatastrophe verhindert werden könnte, bleibt bislang aus. Klimakommunikation steht demnach vor der Herausforderung, neue Wege zu gehen. Es gilt, kommunikatives Handeln kreativ zu gestalten, positive Zukunftsbilder zu entwickeln und Kontakte mit Akteuren jenseits des Wissenschaftssystems zu knüpfen, um transformativ wirken zu können und uns zu einem verantwortungsvollen Handeln zu befähigen.
CGPTuner
Authors: Cereda Stefano , Valladares Stefano , Cremonesi Paolo , Doni Stefano
Published: October 2021

Properly selecting the configuration of a database management system (DBMS) is essential to increase performance and reduce costs. However, the task is astonishingly tricky due to a large number of tunable configuration parameters and their inter-dependencies. Also, the optimal configuration depends upon the workload to which the DBMS is exposed. To extract the full potential of a DBMS, we must also consider the entire IT stack on which the DBMS is running, comprising layers like the Java virtual machine, the operating system and the physical machine. Each layer offers a multitude of parameters that we should take into account. The available parameters vary as new software versions are released, making it impractical to rely on historical knowledge bases. We present a novel tuning approach for the DBMS configuration auto-tuning that quickly finds a well-performing configuration of an IT stack and adapts it to workload variations, without having to rely on a knowledge base. We evaluate the proposed approach using the Cassandra and MongoDB DBMSs, showing that it adjusts the suggested configuration to the observed workload and is portable across different IT applications. We try to minimise the memory consumption without increasing the response time, showing that the proposed approach reduces the response time and increases the memory requirements only under heavy-load conditions, reducing it again when the load decreases.
Employing marine invertebrate cell culture media for isolation and cultivation of thraustochytrids
Authors: Qarri Andy , Rinkevich Yuval , Rinkevich Baruch
Published: October 2021

Thraustochytrids, a common group of marine eukaryotic protists, have drawn considerable scientific and industrial interest due to their ability to synthesize high levels of bioactive compounds, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, squalene and carotenoids, and their new applications for biofuels. The pharmaceutical and industrial potential of thraustochytrids necessitate effective isolation of new strains and establishment of axenic cultures. To date, existing isolation protocols have used baiting and direct plating methods to generate axenic cultures with varied media compositions that contain peptone and yeast extracts as nitrogen sources, glucose as carbon source, seawater and antibiotics. Here we reveal a new approach for the isolation of thraustochytrids from tissues of marine invertebrates using (a) primary cell cultures in a liquid medium containing basal medium, 50% artificial seawater, vitamins, proteins and antibiotics, and (b) cultivation in the same cell culture medium. Using the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri as a model system, thraustochytrid cells thrived in the medium from the day of extraction, grew and proliferated for the next five weeks (five-passages, up to 1.9 × 106 cells ml−1 in passage 5; 1.45-fold multiplication week−1). This new approach for isolation and cultivation of axenic thraustochytrid cultures enables the isolation of new species with promising bioactive compounds.
Individual differences in word senses
Authors: Ramsey Rachel E.
Published: October 2021

Individual differences and polysemy have rich literatures in cognitive linguistics, but little is said about the prospect of individual differences in polysemy. This article reports an investigation that sought to establish whether people vary in the senses of a polysemous word that they find meaningful, and to develop a novel methodology to study polysemy. The methodology combined established tools: sentence-sorting tasks, a rarely used statistical model of inter-participant agreement, and network visualisation. Two hundred and five English-speaking participants completed one of twelve sentence-sorting tasks on two occasions, separated by a delay of two months. Participants varied in how similarly they sorted the sentences as compared to other participants, and mean agreement across all 24 tasks did not meet an established threshold of acceptable agreement. Between the two test phases, inter-participant agreement varied to a significant but trivial degree. Networks generated for each dataset varied in the degree to which they captured all participants’ responses. This variation correlated with inter-participant agreement. The data collectively suggest that word senses may be subject to individual differences, as is the case in other linguistic phenomena. The methodology proved replicable and has a promise as a useful tool for studying polysemy.
Sklar’s theorem, copula products, and ordering results in factor models
Authors: Ansari Jonathan , Rüschendorf Ludger
Published: October 2021

We consider a completely specified factor model for a risk vector X = (X
1, . . ., Xd
), where the joint distributions of the components of X with a risk factor Z and the conditional distributions of X given Z are specified. We extend the notion of *-product of d-copulas as introduced for d = 2 and continuous factor distribution in Darsow et al. [6] and Durante et al. [8] to the multivariate and discontinuous case. We give a Sklar-type representation theorem for factor models showing that these *-products determine the copula of a completely specified factor model. We investigate in detail approximation, transformation, and ordering properties of *-products and, based on them, derive general orthant ordering results for completely specified factor models in dependence on their specifications. The paper generalizes previously known ordering results for the worst case partially specified risk factor models to some general classes of positive or negative dependent risk factor models. In particular, it develops some tools to derive sharp worst case dependence bounds in subclasses of completely specified factor models.
C-minimal topological groups
Authors: Xi Wenfei , Shlossberg Menachem
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we study topological groups having all closed subgroups (totally) minimal and we call such groups c-(totally) minimal. We show that a locally compact c-minimal connected group is compact. Using a well-known theorem of [P. Hall and C. R. Kulatilaka,
A property of locally finite groups,
J. Lond. Math. Soc. 39 1964, 235–239] and a characterization of a certain class of Lie groups, due to [S. K. Grosser and W. N. Herfort,
Abelian subgroups of topological groups,
Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 283 1984, 1, 211–223], we prove that a c-minimal locally solvable Lie group is compact.

It is shown that a topological group G is c-(totally) minimal if and only if G has a compact normal subgroup N such that

G
/
N

G/N

is c-(totally) minimal.
Applying this result, we prove that a locally compact group G is c-totally minimal if and only if its connected component

c
⁢

(
G
)

c(G)

is compact and

G
/
c

⁢

(
G
)

G/c(G)

is c-totally minimal.

Moreover, a c-totally minimal group that is either complete solvable or strongly compactly covered must be compact. Negatively answering [D. Dikranjan and M. Megrelishvili,
Minimality conditions in topological groups,
Recent Progress in General Topology. III,
Atlantis Press, Paris 2014, 229–327, Question 3.10 (b)], we find, in contrast, a totally minimal solvable (even metabelian) Lie group that is not compact.
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner student perceptions of integrated collaborative care
Authors: Brown Amanda Sue , Traynor Judy L , Carkey Bambi A.
Published: October 2021

Objectives

To explore the outcomes of threading the Patient-Centered Integrated Behavioral Health Care Principles and Tasks Checklist (AIMS Checklist) into the curricula and experiential setting.

Methods

A qualitative exploratory descriptive method with a constructivist epistemology was used to obtain in-depth student perspectives about their understanding, experiences, and process of applying Integrated Collaborative Care within the clinical setting.

Results

24 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Students (PMHNP) were divided into focus groups that yielded seven main themes and seven subthemes. Three of the identified themes emerged as opportunities for curriculum enhancement.

Conclusions

The checklist was found to be a valuable tool in not only evaluating collaborative care but in closing the gap between didactic and clinical education in fostering student-preceptor discussion.
Utilizing the Four Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine as an intersectional framework for approaching sexual orientation and gender identity disclosure as a provider
Authors: Counce Timothy L. , Ko Amy , Martinez Anthony D. , Rivera Jenna M. , Browne Carol , Solis Linda
Published: October 2021

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and other (LGBTQI+) community continues to experience health inequity and unmet needs. This manuscript examines the application of the Four Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine (FTOM) during a patient’s self-disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity to the provider, also known as coming out. Tenet One discusses the interplay between intersectionality and coming out. Tenet Two elucidates how coming out moves toward a balance of homeostasis and self-healing. Tenet Three examines how structure and function can be understood on a personal level and how society influences coming out. Tenet Four explains the resources available to facilitate the previously forementioned changes. By applying the Four Tenets, the provider may more readily understand what “coming out” means on personal and social levels and what implications they may have on their patients’ health.
General decay rate for a viscoelastic wave equation with distributed delay and Balakrishnan-Taylor damping
Authors: Choucha Abdelbaki , Boulaaras Salah , Ouchenane Djamel
Published: October 2021

A nonlinear viscoelastic wave equation with Balakrishnan-Taylor damping and distributed delay is studied. By the energy method we establish the general decay rate under suitable hypothesis.
β-Cell function is associated with osteosarcopenia in middle-aged and older nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Jidong , Yu Dongqing , Xu Mingyue , Feng Ruiying , Sun Yujing , Yin Xiaofei , Lai Hong , Wang Chuan , Liu Jinbo
Published: October 2021

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a strong risk tfactor for osteosarcopenia. The relationship between musculoskeletal index and β-cell function remains controversial. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of osteosarcopenia and to explore the association between osteosarcopenia and β-cell function, as well as insulin resistance in patients with T2DM. A total of 150 middle-aged and older nonobese patients with T2DM were recruited. Bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition were measured by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and Matsuda index were used to evaluate insulin resistance status. β-Cell function was estimated by the area under the curve insulin/glucose (AUC-Ins/Glu) and the area under the curve C-peptide/glucose (AUC-CP/Glu). T2DM patients with osteosarcopenia had lower body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, AUC-Ins/Glu, and AUC-CP/Glu. Both AUC-Ins/Glu (OR = 0.634, P = 0.008) and AUC-CP/Glu (OR = 0.491, P = 0.009) were negatively associated with the presence of osteosarcopenia. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that β-cell function was positively associated with the skeletal muscle mass index, whereas it showed no correlation with lumbar or hip BMD. β-Cell function is associated with osteosarcopenia in middle-aged and older nonobese patients with T2DM. These findings suggest that β-cell function might be a protective factor against osteosarcopenia.
State-of-art of silver and gold nanoparticles synthesis routes, characterization and applications: a review
Authors: Ali Faisal , Hamza Muhammad , Iqbal Munawar , Basha Beriham , Alwadai Norah , Nazir Arif
Published: October 2021

To date, the noble metal-based nanoparticles have been used in every field of life. The Au and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) have been fabricated employing different techniques to tune the properties. In this study, the methodologies developed and adopted for the fabrication of Au and Ag have been discussed, which include physical, chemical and biological routes. The Au and Ag characteristics (morphology, size, shape) along with advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The Au and Ag NPs catalytic and biomedical applications are discussed. For the Ag and Au NPs characterization, SEM (scanning electron microscope), TEM (transmission electron microscope), FTIR (Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy), XRD (X-rays diffraction) and DLS (dynamic light scattering) techniques are employed. The properties of Au and Ag NPs found dependent to synthesis approach, i.e., the size, shape and morphologies, which showed a promising Catalytic, drug delivery and antimicrobial agent applications. The review is a comprehensive study for the comparison of Au and Ag NPs synthesis, properties and applications in different fields.
A Precuneal Causal Loop Mediates External and Internal Information Integration in the Human Brain
Authors: Lyu Dian , Pappas Ioannis , Menon David K. , Stamatakis Emmanuel A.
Published: October 2021

Human brains interpret external stimuli based on internal representations. One untested hypothesis is that the default-mode network (DMN), widely considered responsible for internally oriented cognition, can decode external information. Here, we posit that the unique structural and functional fingerprint of the precuneus (PCu) supports a prominent role for the posterior part of the DMN in this process. By analyzing the imaging data of 100 participants performing two attention-demanding tasks, we found that the PCu is functionally divided into dorsal and ventral subdivisions. We then conducted a comprehensive examination of their connectivity profiles and found that at rest, both the ventral PCu (vPCu) and dorsal PCu (dPCu) are mainly connected with the DMN but also are differentially connected with internally oriented networks (IoN) and externally oriented networks (EoN). During tasks, the double associations between the v/dPCu and the IoN/EoN are correlated with task performance and can switch depending on cognitive demand. Furthermore, dynamic causal modeling (DCM) revealed that the strength and direction of the effective connectivity (EC) between v/dPCu is modulated by task difficulty in a manner potentially dictated by the balance of internal versus external cognitive demands. Our study provides evidence that the posterior medial part of the DMN may drive interactions between large-scale networks, potentially allowing access to stored representations for moment-to-moment interpretation of an ever-changing environment.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe default-mode network (DMN) is widely known for its association with internalized thinking processes, e.g., spontaneous thoughts, which is the most interesting but least understood component in human consciousness. The precuneus (PCu), a posteromedial DMN hub, is thought to play a role in this, but a mechanistic explanation has not yet been established. In this study we found that the associations between ventral PCu (vPCu)/dorsal PCu (dPCu) subdivisions and internally oriented network (IoN)/externally oriented network (EoN) are flexibly modulated by cognitive demand and correlate with task performance. We further propose that the recurrent causal connectivity between the ventral and dorsal PCu supports conscious processing by constantly interpreting external information based on an internal model, meanwhile updating the internal model with the incoming information.
Cardiolipin remodeling enables protein crowding in the inner mitochondrial membrane
Authors: Xu Yang , Erdjument‐Bromage Hediye , Phoon Colin K L , Neubert Thomas A , Ren Mindong , Schlame Michael
Published: October 2021

Mitochondrial cristae are extraordinarily crowded with proteins, which puts stress on the bilayer organization of lipids. We tested the hypothesis that the high concentration of proteins drives the tafazzin‐catalyzed remodeling of fatty acids in cardiolipin, thereby reducing bilayer stress in the membrane. Specifically, we tested whether protein crowding induces cardiolipin remodeling and whether the lack of cardiolipin remodeling prevents the membrane from accumulating proteins. In vitro, the incorporation of large amounts of proteins into liposomes altered the outcome of the remodeling reaction. In yeast, the concentration of proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) correlated with the cardiolipin composition. Genetic ablation of either remodeling or biosynthesis of cardiolipin caused a substantial drop in the surface density of OXPHOS proteins in the inner membrane of the mouse heart and Drosophila flight muscle mitochondria. Our data suggest that OXPHOS protein crowding induces cardiolipin remodelling and that remodeled cardiolipin supports the high concentration of these proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Terapia fotodinámica en el tratamiento de la osteonecrosis inducida por fármacos: reporte de un caso
Authors: Araújo Santos Rodrigo , Luz Sampaio Norma Lúcia , Fonseca Azoubel Maria Cecilia
Published: October 2021

El objetivo del presente caso fue investigar los beneficios de la terapia fotodinámica (TFD) en ciclos de aplicación como método de tratamiento de la osteonecrosis inducida por fármacos (ONMRM), reportando el caso de un paciente masculino de 75 años, blanco, con diagnóstico de neoplasia maligna renal con metástasis pulmonares y óseas en tratamiento con malato de sunitinib y denosumab. El paciente fue derivado para evaluación dental en un consultorio habilitado para atender pacientes con necesidades especiales, en la ciudad de Salvador-Ba. En el examen intraoral se observaron áreas de tejido óseo expuesto y necrótico en la mandíbula (cara medial) a ambos lados, próximas a la región molar, con aspecto ulcerativo, de tres milímetros de diámetro, y la hipótesis diagnóstica fue de ONMRM en estadio 2. Se inició el protocolo de aplicación de 20 ciclos de TFD, como única forma de tratamiento, en dos sesiones semanales con terapia láser preventiva para la mucositis oral. Durante y al final del tratamiento fue posible el secuestro óseo necrótico, promoviendo la bioestimulación y la curación locorregional, sin manifestación clínica de la patología durante el mantenimiento. Con base en este informe y la evidencia en la literatura científica, se cree que se deben promover los ensayos clínicos, debido a los registros prometedores y efectivos del tratamiento que la terapia hace posible.
Strategy Implementation: Does Hierarchy Culture Matter in Licensed Professional Societies in East Africa
Authors: Njagi Anne
Published: October 2021

Purpose: This study is aimed at establishing hierarchy and strategy relationship in registered professional bodies in Kenya.

Design/Method/Approach: The dependent variable was measured through policy implementation, resource assessment and motivation. Hierarchy culture as an independent variable was measured through dominant characteristic and management of employees. Using a descriptive design approach, the study collected a return of 132 responses from a target of 168 in professional bodies of Kenya.  The study set up a null hypothesis to be tested using a linear regression model to establish the relationship between dependent and independent variables.

Findings: For hierarchy constructs, it was established that there was a significant correlation between strategy implementation and dominant characteristics r = .316, p < .05 with the management of employees r = .288, p < .05.

Theoretical Implications: This paper expanded the body of research on organizational culture by showing that there is a significant relationship between the hierarchy culture and strategy implementation with both dominant characteristics and management of employees showing positive effects for the relationship.

Originality/Value: This research shows that the organizations that are most successful in the market have a strong hierarchy culture within their environment. Therefore, professional bodies must at least have a mechanism of ensuring hierarchy culture within the organization.

Research Limitations/Future Research: The study only looked at the association between hierarchy culture and strategy implementation. Future studies should investigate the relationship between strategy implementation and other dimensions of an organizational culture.

 

Paper type: Empirical
Research on the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria
Authors: Blench Roger
Published: October 2021

The paper is an overview of scholarship on the Plateau language group of Central Nigeria to November 2020. It reviews the existing published and manuscript sources and describes modern scholarship. It provides an overview of the literature on the internal and external classification of these languages and the issue of endangerment, which is severe for some languages. It summarises the use of Plateau languages in education and the media, which has undergone a major revival after 2010. There is now a concerted push for the use of Plateau languages in education. The paper then reviews each subgroup, presenting an internal classification and references to publications. Based on the existing evidence, a fresh classification of Plateau is presented.
„Long live our tribal jujus“- Das Bedeutungsspektrum des Begriffs juju im kamerunischen Englisch
Authors: Kempf Viktoria
Published: October 2021

Im Folgenden wird das Bedeutungsspektrum des generischen Begriffes juju im Kamerunischen Englisch auf der Grundlage von Aufsätzen, die 1968 von Studierenden aus verschiedenen südwestkamerunischen Gemeinschaften über jujus verfasst wurden, untersucht. Die Analyse zeigt, dass der Begriff juju ein sehr weites Bedeutungsspektrum hat. Er kann folgende semantisch miteinander verbundene Phänomene beschreiben: 1. einen Geheimbund, 2. eine übersinnliche Kraft, 3. eine Maske, die eine Gottheit personifiziert, 4. eine Darbietung, in der eine Gottheit (als Maske) auftritt, oder in der einer Gottheit gehuldigt wird, 5. ein Objekt, das mit Kräften einer Gottheit ausgestattet ist.
Action Research in Social Science
Authors: Kaur Loveleen , Kaur Kanwaljit , Kaur Sukhdeep
Published: October 2021

Action research is the philosophy and methodology of research generally applied in social science. As people are the central concern in social sciences and it becomes the duty of the social scientist to involve oneself with contemporary problems of people for improving their situation. Action research is a type of social science research that that aimsat creating a desirable change in the situation as a result of planned action intervention. It is carried out to identify areas of concern, develop and test alternatives, and experiment with new approaches.By conducting action research, researchers are able to make changes in order to improve the settings in which they conducted research, rather than just gathering data and formulating theories, as in conventional research. Considering the significance of action research in social science, it becomes important to have a comprehensive knowledge of it. Thus, the present paper has been prepared with the objective to review and explain the concept of action research in social sciences.
Serum YKL-40 levels in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Dönder Ahmet , Özdemir Hasan Hüseyin
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system. The YKL-40 protein, which is secreted from various cells that contribute to inflammation and infection, plays a role in immune regulation. Objective: This study investigated the serum YKL-40 levels of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and MS. Methods: The participants was divided into three groups: 1) patients with CIS (n = 20); 2) patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS; n = 39); and 3) healthy individuals (n = 35). The YKL-40 levels in serum samples obtained from the participants were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassays. Results: The median serum YKL-40 level was 20.2 ng/mL (range 9.8-75.9 ng/mL) in the patients with CIS, 22.7 ng/mL (range 13.4-57.9 ng/mL) in the patients with RRMS and 11.0 ng/mL (range 10.0-17.3 ng/mL) in the control group (p < 0.001). The serum YKL-40 levels in the patients with RRMS were correlated with the patients’ expanded disability status scale scores and ages (p < 0.05). No relationships were determined between the serum YKL-40 levels and the other variables (p > 0.05). The serum YKL-40 levels were higher in the CIS group than in the MS group. These findings show that the serum YKL-40 levels were high even at the beginning of the disease. The serum YKL-40 levels were also not involved in the progression to clinically definite MS. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggested that YKL-40 may be a useful marker for the inflammatory process of MS.
Predictive factors of quality of life in temporal and extratemporal lobe epilepsy: association with affective temperament profiles and psychiatric comorbidities
Authors: Basaran Sehnaz , Tas Halil İbrahim
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT Background: Investigating predictive factors of reduced quality of life (QOL) of patients and their association with focal epilepsy can improve management and treatment strategies. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between affective temperaments, depression, anxiety, disease characteristics, and QOL and to explore the predictors of QOL in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and extratemporal lobe epilepsy (ETLE). Methods: A total of 50 patients with TLE, 51 patients with ETLE, and 70 controls were enrolled. Affective temperaments were evaluated using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). QOL was assessed by the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to explore depression and anxiety severity, respectively. Results: Compared with the controls, patients with TLE and ETLE had significantly higher scores on all TEMPS-A scales, except on hyperthymic temperament. All the SF-36 subscale scores were lower in the TLE and ETLE groups. Linear regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms, anxiety, depressive and irritable temperament, and seizure frequency were significant predictors of QOL in TLE. Patients with ETLE with temperamental disturbances, depressive symptoms, and polytherapy had a poorer QOL. Conclusions: Affective temperaments, psychiatric disorders, and clinical factors may predict impaired QOL in patients with TLE and ETLE. Further studies are needed to identify predictors of QOL in various epilepsy subtypes.
A new approach for leptomeningeal metastases: chemotherapy administered through lumbar intrathecal port
Authors: Comlek Savas , Saglam Sezer
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT Background: Intrathecal chemotherapy is a local therapeutic modality used for treatment of leptomeningeal metastases. However, the techniques currently used, i.e. repeated lumbar puncture and Ommaya reservoir, have certain disadvantages. Lumbar intrathecal port (LIP) placement is a relatively novel technique, which has been used for pain management in cancer patients. Objective: To investigate the use of LIP for intrathecal administration of chemotherapeutic agents in patients with leptomeningeal metastases. Methods: Retrospective study of 13 patients treated with intrathecal chemotherapy for secondary leptomeningeal involvement of a primary solid tumor were included in this retrospective study. The patients received intrathecal chemotherapy through a LIP. Results: The patients received a total of 123 intrathecal chemotherapy doses. No grade 3-4 toxicity, technical problem or severe complication developed. During a median of 136 days of follow-up (range, 67-376 days), 12 patients died (92.3%). The treatment resulted in symptom improvement in all patients and self-rated overall health and quality of life improved, compared with baseline. Conclusions: The LIP system, which has been used for intrathecal pain management for decades, appears to offer a safe alternative for intrathecal chemotherapy in patients with leptomeningeal metastases. Further studies are warranted to clarify its potential use in this setting.
IS THERE NEURAL AND FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER CLIP REMOVAL IN CERVICAL EXPERIMENTAL SYMPATHECTOMY?
Authors: MARINHO-JUNIOR Carlos Hespanha , CZECZKO Nicolau Gregori , CECHIN Victoria Langer , ZENI Joao Otavio Varaschin , RIBAS-FILHO Jurandir Marcondes
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT Background: The surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis by thoracic sympathectomy has brought, in addition to symptomatic relief for many, its main adverse effect: compensatory or reflex sweating. The clipping technique in place of the sympathetic nerve section gave rise to the hope of reversibility, but the positive results showed to be quite divergent, evidencing the academic deficiency regarding the study of this phenomenon. Aim: To observe micro and macroscopic damage caused by the polymer clip on sympathetic nerve of rabbits seven days after their clipping and the findings after three weeks of clip removal. Method: In this experimental study, 20 rabbits were divided into two groups of 10, group 1 (clipping) and group 2 (de-clipping). The right cervical sympathetic nerve of all animals was clamped with polymeric clip, and in group 2 the nerve was unclipped seven days later. Group 1 rabbits were induced to death on the 7th postoperative day, and group 2 on the 21st after removal of the polymer clip. Macroscopic variables were: clip appearance, presence of discontinuity lesion, infection and adhesions around the nerve. H&E was used in the evaluation of the phases and degree of the inflammatory process and presence of necrosis, and picrosirius red F3BA for quantification of collagen. Results: The cervical sympathetic nerve was intact, without necrosis or infection in all animals of the experiment; there were adhesions in both groups, being minimal in eight animals of each group and moderate or intense in two; the clip was completely closed in all animals at the 7th postoperative day; the inflammatory process shown was chronic, with monomorphonuclear predominance. There was no significant difference between groups regarding the intensity the inflammatory process, but the amount of collagen type I and type III was significantly higher in group 2. Conclusions: The injury caused by the polymer clip on the sympathetic nerve may be reversible, allowing functional return in the areas involved in the simulated cervical sympathectomy. Clipping of the cervical sympathetic nerve using a polymer clip does not cause discontinuity injury.