bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of ferroptosis as a promising candidate for metastatic uveal melanoma treatment and prognostication
Authors: Swords Ellie , Kennedy Breandán N. , Tonelotto Valentina 
Published: October 2024

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumour in adults. Local resection, radiation therapy, and enucleation are the current first-line, primary UM treatments. However, regardless of the treatment received, around 50% of UM patients will develop metastatic disease within five to 7 years. In the largest published series of unselected patients with metastatic UM (mUM), the median survival time after diagnosis of metastasis was 3.6 months, with less than 1% of patients surviving beyond 5 years. Approved drugs for treatment of mUM include systemic treatment with tebentafusp-tebn or isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) with melphalan. However, these drugs are only available to a subset of patients and improve survival by only a few months, highlighting the urgent need for new mUM treatments. Accurately predicting which patients are at high risk for metastases is also crucial. Researchers are developing gene expression signatures in primary UM to create reliable prognostic models aimed at improving patient follow-up and treatment strategies. In this review we discuss the evidence supporting ferroptosis, a non-apoptotic form of cell death, as a potential novel treatment target and prognosticator for UM.
ASC speck serum concentrations, a component of sterile cellular inflammation, are associated with individual cardiopulmonary capacity
Authors: Kogel Alexander , Voßhage Nell , Behzadi Amirhossein , Laufs Ulrich , Fikenzer Sven 
Published: October 2024

AimsExercise-induced cellular stress and sterile inflammation are of increasing interest. ASC specks are a component of the intracellular NLRP3-inflammasome and can be released into the blood. For example, serum ASC specks are increased after marathon running. We therefore tested whether ASC specks are potentially associated with the individual response to physical training and cardiopulmonary capacity.MethodsWe performed a prospective study in 45 healthy athletes. Blood samples were taken before and after cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). ASC speck concentrations were quantitated using flow cytometry.ResultsBaseline ASC speck levels correlated with clinical parameters of body composition (height, weight, BMI) and parameters of cardiopulmonary performance (peak VO2, peak oxygen pulse, heart rate after exercise). Athletes with lowest baseline ASC speck concentrations have a significantly lower BMI (22.0 ± 1.8 vs. 24.9 ± 1.6 kg/m2), higher heart rate at rest (72 ± 10 vs. 58 ± 10 beats/min), lower peak VO2 (2692 ± 629 vs. 3404 ± 747 mL/min) and lower peak oxygen pulse (15.6 ± 3.4 vs. 20.7 ± 3.5 mL/heart rate). Overall, ASC speck concentrations showed no significant change after CPET (7.0 ± 4.5 vs. 8.0 ± 5.4 ASC specks/µL, p = 0.3). However, subgroup analysis revealed a significant increase in circulating ASC specks in athletes with the lowest baseline values (2.37 ± 0.84 vs. 8.43 ± 7.52 ASC specks/µL, p &lt; 0.05). Athletes with an increase in ASC speck concentrations in response to CPET had a lower peak oxygen pulse compared to those with a decrease (17.1 ± 4.2 vs. 19.8 ± 4.1, p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionLow ASC speck baseline values as well as an increase in response to exercise are associated with lower peak oxygen pulse in healthy athletes.
On dementia, duties, and daughters. An ethical analysis of healthcare professionals being confronted with conflicts regarding filial duties in informal dementia care
Authors: Dogan Vildan , Taneska Marija , Novotni Gabriela , Iloski Svetlana , Novotni Antoni , Dimitrova Vesna , Milutinović Miloš , Novotni Ljubisha , Weber Anne , Joksimoski Boban , Chorbev Ivan , Hasani Shpresa , Ivanovska Andrea , Grimmer Timo , Fischer Julia 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundExisting literature on moral conflicts that healthcare professionals encounter in dementia care has explored, amongst others, issues related to autonomy, decision-making capacity, privacy, and more. Notably, conflicts related to healthcare professionals who support informal dementia caregiving and who are confronted with family members being overburdened with their care responsibly remains an underexplored topic in the current literature, particularly in the context of Low-and Middle-Income Countries. The present paper introduces such an encounter, presenting an ethical case analysis of a conflict that occurred during a larger research project conducted in North Macedonia.Case to be studiedDue to the absence of formal care services that could have relieved an overburdened family caregiver, healthcare professionals felt compelled to reach out to the uninvolved adult daughters, requesting them to participate in their parents’ care. Wondering about whether their reaching out to the daughters might count as an attempt of pressure and undue interference, professionals conflicted over the appropriateness of their action. This paper follows up on their concern, ethically assessing the professionals’ action. To answer the question on whether the healthcare professionals acted appropriately or not, and to what extent, theories of filial duties are applied, embedding their action in the larger context of dementia care in North Macedonia.Results and conclusionIt is argued that the lack of formal care services in North Macedonia is of utmost relevance to the conflict. Thus, the conclusion is that the ethical inappropriateness of the case is to be located not so much with the action of the healthcare professionals but with the state because of its failure to provide professional care services that allow healthcare professionals to take ethically sound actions to counteract overarching burdens that family members face when providing informal dementia care
Suicide deaths and substance use in Spain between 2010 and 2022
Authors: Flórez Gerardo , Espandian Ashkan , Seoane-Pillado Teresa , Llorens Noelia , Gerpe José Manuel , Saiz Pilar 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundSuicide is a serious public health problem that affects our entire country. The aim of this research was to study the variation in completed suicide rates between 2010 and 2022 in Spain and their relationship with the consumption of addictive substances.MethodsCompleted suicide data from the Spanish Statistical Office (INE) were analyzed with a joinpoint regression model to determine time trends. The relationship between the variation in completed suicide rates with sociodemographic variables, including depression rates, obtained from the Spanish Statistical Office and variables related to the consumption of substances obtained from the survey on alcohol and other drugs in Spain (EDADES) of the Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs (DGPNSD) was also studied using an exploratory analysis and also performing a Generalized Additive Model.ResultsThe joinpoint regression model did reveal a point of significant change in the period studied for Spain showing a trend of increased suicide death rates for the studied period. The following variables correlated positively with the variation in completed suicide rates in the Generalized Additive Model: alcohol use in the past 12 months, alcohol use in the last 30 days, daily alcohol use in the last 30 days, binge drinking in the last 12 months, binge drinking in the last month, positive Alcohol Use Disorder Test for risky alcohol use, benzodiazepine use in the last 12 months, benzodiazepine use in the last month, daily benzodiazepine use in the last month, use of illegal substances in the last 12 months, use of illegal substances in the last month, mean age and depression rates.ConclusionApplying preventive strategies on the risky consumption of alcohol, benzodiazepines and illegal substances would help reduce the rates of completed suicide in Spain.
Epidemiological overlaps in COVID-19 and malaria within healthcare and community settings of Southern Ghana
Authors: Amegatcher Gloria , Acquah Maame E. , Tetteh Deborah K. , Obeng Rachael , Debrah Ethel , Quist Bridget , Acquah-Jackson Priscilla , Boateng Kyerewaa A. , Twieku Gideon , Armoo Samuel , Awandare Gordon A. , Mosi Lydia , Narh Charles A. 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundCOVID-19 disruptions including lockdowns and prioritization of COVID-19 control programs in Africa in 2020–2022 contributed to reductions in malaria control activities including malaria diagnosis, treatment and resistance monitoring. This study investigated the malaria burden and distribution on the background of active transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern Ghana; utilizing community health education and medical screening (CHEMS) approach to determine epidemiological overlaps in COVID-19 and malaria.MethodsBetween October–December 2022, prospective cross-sectional surveys, with CHEMS were conducted in Greater Accra and Central regions, where 994 participants enrolled either at a hospital or community setting provided demographic and clinical data including history of clinical malaria infection and antimalarial treatment in the past 2 weeks. Of this study population, 953 provided nasal/throat swabs for COVID-19 RT-PCR testing, with a subset of 136 participants also providing finger-prick blood for malaria RDT testing.ResultsThe study population comprised of 73.6% adults, with 54.6% COVID-19 vaccination rate. Overall, 18.1% of participants had a history of clinical malaria, which was associated (adjusted odds ratio &gt; 1.50, p-value ≤0.022) with COVID-19 symptoms and positivity, study area and hospital setting, suggestive of overlaps in the epidemiological risk for malaria. On a background of widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections (12–37%), malaria parasitaemia was detected in 6%, with 2% being co-infections with SARS-CoV-2. Among the malaria positives, 9.5% had a history of antimalarial treatment, which suggested that their infections were recrudescent parasitaemia.ConclusionThe epidemiological and clinical overlap between malaria and COVID-19 within the hospital and community settings underscores the need for accurate case diagnosis to inform effective clinical treatments. Innovative surveillance programs, with community engagement are needed to maximize control interventions including treatment of asymptomatic malaria infections.
Evaluation of a massive open online course for just-in-time training of healthcare workers
Authors: Strehlow Matthew Charles , Johnston Jamie Sewan , Aluri Kelly Zhang , Prober Charles G. , Acker Peter Corrigan , Patil Avinash S. , Mahadevan Aditya , Mahadevan Swaminatha V. 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionCOVID-19 created a global need for healthcare worker (HCW) training. Initially, mass trainings focused on public health workers and physicians working in intensive care units. However, in resource-constrained settings, nurses and general practitioners provide most patient care, typically lacking the training and equipment to manage critically ill patients. We developed a massive open online course (MOOC) for HCWs in resource-constrained settings aimed at training bedside providers caring for COVID-19 patients. We describe the development, implementation and analysis of this MOOC.MethodsFrom May through June 2020, the course was developed by a multi-disciplinary team and launched on two online platforms in July. The 4-hour course comprises 6 video-based modules. Student knowledge was assessed using pre- and post-module quizzes and final exam, while demographics and user experience were evaluated by pre- and post-course surveys and learning platform data.ResultsFrom July 17th to September 24th, 30,859 students enrolled, 18,818 started, and 7,101 completed the course. Most participants worked in healthcare (78%) and resided in lower middle- (38%) or upper middle- (20%) income countries. Learners from upper middle-income and lower middle-income countries had higher completion rates. Knowledge gains were observed from pre-module to post-module quizzes and a final exam. Afterward, participants reported increased self-efficacy regarding course objectives, a 0.63 mean increase on a 4-point scale (95% CI [0.60,0.66]). Most participants (93%) would recommend the course to others.ConclusionThis article demonstrates the potential of MOOCs to rapidly provide access to emerging medical knowledge during a public health crisis, particularly for HCWs in high- and middle-income countries.
Subjective learning gain from a simulation-based health management course: a mixed methods study
Authors: Gu Ren-Ping , Zhao Fang , Bai Jie , Sun Shan-Shan , Zhu Ai-Yong 
Published: October 2024

ObjectivesSimulations are increasingly being offered as part of the educational experience of healthcare students. We used a Health Management Scenario Simulation system to create a course. This study aimed to evaluate learning gains before and after the course.MethodsBased on the learning strategies of framing, simulation, and debriefing, the Health Management Scenario Simulation course lasted 4 weeks and was conducted online. Learning gain was assessed using a comparative self-assessment questionnaire administered electronically at the beginning and end of the course. We organized focus group interviews and collected quantitative data after students completed the simulations and the questionnaire. These data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis and thematic grouping using frequency counting.ResultsThere were 195 health management students enrolled in the course. In total, 265 anonymously completed questionnaires were received, 141 (72.31%) on the pre-simulation and 124 (63.59%) on the post-simulation. All questionnaire item gain values were positive, except the item “I can identify common health risk factors,” which showed no change. The skills domain showed the highest learning gain, ranging from 16 to 22%. Six students participated in the focus-group study. The main themes that emerged from students’ reflections were learner-centeredness, competencies, and career development.ConclusionStudents acquired health management skills through the simulation, which contributed to the development of basic attitudes and skills in their professional careers. Students’ comments highlighted the value of practicing health management skills in a simulated environment.
Seven-tesla magnetic resonance imaging of the nervus terminalis, olfactory tracts, and olfactory bulbs in COVID-19 patients with anosmia and hypogeusia
Authors: Kirsch Claudia F. E. , Khurram Syed Ali , Lambert Daniel , Belani Puneet , Pawha Puneet S. , Alipour Akbar , Rashid Shams , Herb Mackenzie T. , Saju Sera , Zhu Yijuan , Delman Bradley N. , Lin Hung-Mo , Balchandani Priti 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionLinking olfactory epithelium to the central nervous system are cranial nerve 1, the olfactory nerve, and cranial nerve “0,” and the nervus terminalis (NT). Since there is minimal expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) in the olfactory nerve, it is unclear how SARS-CoV-2 causes anosmia (loss of smell) and hypogeusia (reduction of taste). In animal models, NT expresses ACE-2 receptors, suggesting a possible SARS-CoV-2 viral entry site in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ultra-high-field 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could visualize the NT, olfactory bulbs (OB), and olfactory tract (OT) in healthy controls and COVID-19 anosmia or hypogeusia and to qualitatively assess for volume loss and T2 alterations.MethodsIn this study, 7 T MRI was used to evaluate the brain and olfactory regions in 45 COVID-19 patients and 29 healthy controls. Neuroimaging was qualitatively assessed by four board-certified neuroradiologists who were blinded to outcome assignments: for the presence or absence of NT; for OB, OT, and brain volume loss; and altered T2 signal, white matter T2 hyperintensities, microhemorrhages, enlarged perivascular spaces, and brainstem involvement.ResultsNT was identifiable in all COVID-19 patients and controls. T2 hyperintensity in the NT, OB, and OT in COVID-19 patients with anosmia or hypogeusia was statistically significant compared to controls and COVID-19 patients without anosmia or hypogeusia.DiscussionOn 7 T MRI, NT was radiographically identifiable, adjacent to OB and OT. In COVID-19 anosmia and hypogeusia, T2 hyperintensity of NT, OB, and OT was statistically significant compared to COVID-19 patients without anosmia or hypogeusia and controls. The NT may be a potential entry site for SARs-CoV-2 and may play a role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 anosmia.
Workflow for predictive risk assessments of UVCBs: cheminformatics library design, QSAR, and read-across approaches applied to complex mixtures of metal naphthenates
Authors: Prussia A. J. , Welsh C. , Somers T. S. , Ruiz P. 
Published: October 2024

Substances of unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products, and biological materials (UVCBs) are commonly found in the environment. However, assessing their human toxicological risk is challenging due to their variable composition and many constituents. Metal naphthenate salts are one such category of UVCBs that are the reaction products of naphthenic acids with metals to form complex mixtures. Metal naphthenates are often found or used in household and industrial materials with potential for human exposure, but very few of these materials have been evaluated for causing human health hazards. Herein, we evaluate metal naphthenates using predictions derived from read-across and quantitative structure–activity/property relationship (QSAR/QSPR) models. Accordingly, we first built a computational chemistry library by enumerating the structures of naphthenic acids and derived 11,850 QSAR-acceptable structures; then, we used open and commercial in silico tools on these structures to predict a set of physicochemical properties and toxicity endpoints. We then compared the QSAR/QSPR predictions with available experimental data on naphthenic acids to provide a more complete picture of the contributions of the components to the toxicity profiles of metal naphthenate mixtures. The available systematic acute oral toxicity values (LD50) and QSAR LD50 predictions of all the naphthenic acid components indicated low concern for toxicity. The point of departure predictions for chronic repeated dose toxicity for the naphthenic acid components using QSAR models developed from studies on rats ranged from 25 to 50 mg/kg/day. These values are in good agreement with findings from studies on copper and zinc naphthenates, which had no observed adverse effect levels of 30 and 118 mg/kg/day, respectively. Hence, this study demonstrates how published in silico approaches can be used to identify the potential components of metal naphthenates for further testing, inform groupings of UVCBs such as naphthenates, as well as fill the data gaps using read-across and QSAR models to inform risk assessment.
METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF H. SKOVORODA’S PHILOSOPHY IN THE MODERN CONTEXT
Authors: Kravchenko P. 
Published: October 2024

The hostilities that have been taking place in Ukraine since 2014 have made socio-political transformations related to the fateful issues of the future of the Ukrainian people and nation and their state-building processes particularly acute. In such circumstances, classical socio-philosophical issues come to the fore, as they allow us to comprehensively understand human social activity, its potential, and internal and external forces, and to assess the importance of the individual as a cultural and creative being. This issue is closely related to the anthropological one in the training of philosophers since future specialists must realize that man is the center of social and socio-political processes, that he is a microcosm in which the entire macrocosm is concentrated, as H. Skovoroda argued. The philosophical symbolism of the thinker’s work is directly related to wisdom, akin to work, seeing the great in the small, revealing the mystery through the symbolic world. This is the way to a happy life. To be a human being is to be a philosopher, says Hryhorii Savych and the fate of each person is inseparable from the fate of the nation, and this unity lies in the world of freedom, which many do not understand, because it requires fighting the whole world on the principles of love, not hatred. This is the classical Ukrainian philosophy founded by H. Skovoroda. Its task is to awaken the main slogans of the Enlightenment (honor and dignity, freedom, justice, solidarity, morality) and to practically direct them to achieve both one’s freedom and the freedom of an open society. The development of such a society in Ukraine is the goal of the modern national state-building process, and the realization of the value principles is the goal of philosophical education.
Future philosophers, studying H. Skovoroda’s creative heritage, can trace the evolution of the human spirit: internally devastated, without certain life guidelines, a person gradually adapts to life in society; overcomes contradictions between the individual and the general, finds a compromise in relations with the environment. Of course, not everyone will be able to successfully go through the path of their spiritual formation, since this process requires a significant strain of internal and external forces, unity and struggle of mind and feelings, worldly wisdom, and a desire to join in finding out the causes of human cruelty and arbitrariness, identifying the sources of humanity in man and society.
Deposition of palladium hexafluoroacetylacetonate on porous matrices by adsorption in a supercritical CO2
Authors: Костенко М.О. , Зуев Я.И. , Новиков К.С. , Паренаго О.О. 
Published: October 2024

В работе рассматривается адсорбционное нанесение гексафторацетилацетоната палладия Pd(hfa)2 на пористые носители (γ-Al2O3 и сверхсшитый полистирол) в среде сверхкритического СО2. Изучены условия перехода системы Pd(hfa)2/ СО2 в однофазную область. Показано, что благодаря достаточно высокой растворимости выбранного соединения палладия в СО2, его нанесение возможно проводить при относительно невысоких давлениях (- 8,5 МПа) в системе. Адсорбция Pd(hfa)2 на выбранных носителях хорошо описывается уравнением Ленгмюра. Повышение давления в системе в изотермических условиях негативно влияет на количество адсорбированного прекурсора, за счет адсорбции СО2 и смещения распределения в системе. Рост температуры в системе в изохорных условиях приводит к увеличению предельной адсорбции.
The paper discusses the adsorption of palladium hexafluoroacetylacetonate (Pd(hfa)2) onto porous carriers (γ-Al2O3 and hypercrosslinked polystyrene) in supercritical CO2 to obtain supported palladium catalysts. The transition conditions of the Pd(hfa 2/CO2 system into the single-phase region have been studied. It is shown that due to the sufficiently high solubility of the palladium precursor in CO2, its deposition can be carried out at relatively low pressures in the system (- 8,5 MPa). The adsorption of Pd(hfa)2 on chosen carriers can be well characterized by the Langmuir equation. The system pressure increase under isothermal conditions negatively affects the amount of adsorbed precursor, due to the competitive CO2 adsorption and the distribution shift in the system. The system temperature increase under isochoric conditions leads to an increase in the adsorption limit.