bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison between inhalational anesthetics in terms of DNA damage and immunological markers
Authors: Braz Mariana G. , Silva Mariane A. P. , Scorza Carlos E. , Lara Juliana R. , Braz José Reinaldo C. , Braz Leandro G. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis study compared genetic damage and immunological markers between surgical patients who underwent inhalational anesthesia with isoflurane or sevoflurane. Blood samples were collected from surgical patients (n = 18 in the isoflurane group and n = 17 in the sevoflurane group) at baseline (before the anesthesia procedure) and the day after anesthesia. DNA damage was detected using an alkaline comet assay; proinflammatory interleukin (IL)‐6 was detected by flow cytometry, and white blood cells were detected via an automatic hematology analyzer. The characteristics of both groups were similar, and neither of the two anesthetics induced DNA damage. Similarly, mild neutrophilia was observed after anesthesia in both groups. Increased IL‐6 levels were observed 1 day after anesthesia regardless of the type of anesthetic, but this increase was greater in the isoflurane group. Our study suggested that isoflurane and sevoflurane administration may contribute to changes in the immune parameters measured, though no genotoxic hazard was identified, in healthy adult patients who undergo low‐stress surgery.
Adaptive mesh based efficient approximations for Darcy scale precipitation–dissolution models in porous media
Authors: Kumar Shridhar , Das Pratibhamoy , Kumar Kundan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this work, we consider the Darcy scale precipitation–dissolution reactive transport 1D and 2D models in a porous medium and provide the adaptive mesh based numerical approximations for solving them efficiently. These models consist of a convection‐diffusion‐reaction PDE with reactions being described by an ODE having a nonlinear, discontinuous, possibly multi‐valued right hand side describing precipitate concentration. The bulk concentration in the aqueous phase develops fronts and the precipitate concentration is described by a free and time‐dependent moving boundary. The time adaptive moving mesh strategy, based on equidistribution principle in space and governed by a moving mesh PDE, is utilized and modified in the context of present problem for finite difference set up in 1D and finite element set up in 2D. Moreover, we use a predictor corrector based algorithm to solve the nonlinear precipitation–dissolution models. For equidistribution approach, we choose an adaptive monitor function and smooth it based on a diffusive mechanism. Numerical tests are performed to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method by examples through finite difference approach for 1D and finite element approach in 2D. The moving mesh refinement accurately resolves the front location of Darcy scale precipitation–dissolution reactive transport model and reduces the computational cost in comparison to numerical simulations using a fixed mesh.
Improving the efficacy of phenolic extract from Pimpinella affinis in edible oils through nanoencapsulation: Utilizing chitosan and Salvia macrosiphon gum as coating agents
Authors: Abbasi Habib , Tavakoli Javad , Zare Fahimeh , Salmanpour Mohsen 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn the present study, a phenolic extract derived from the Pimpinella affinis plant underwent nanoencapsulation. The nanoencapsulation process employed chitosan, Salvia macrosiphon gum (SMG), and a chitosan–SMG complex (1:1) (CCS) as coating agents. The evaluation of nanoemulsions encompassed measurements of particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), ζ‐potential, encapsulation efficiency, and intensity distribution parameters. The overall results of these assessments indicated that the nanoemulsion coated with CCS exhibited the most favorable characteristics when compared to other treatments. Subsequently, this specific nanoencapsulated sample was utilized to enhance the oxidative stability of canola oil at concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 ppm (parts per million). Oxidative stability tests, assessed through the total oxidation value (TOTOX) index, highlighted the superior performance of the nanoencapsulated extract, particularly at a concentration of 300 ppm. This enhancement can be attributed to the increased release of phenolic compounds from the CCS coating into the canola oil. The findings illustrate that the nanoencapsulation process can significantly enhance the efficacy of P. affinis extract in improving the oxidative stability of canola oil.
Auditing the prescription drug consumer price index in a changing marketplace
Authors: Hicks Andrew L. , Berndt Ernst R. , Frank Richard G. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractChanges in the dynamics of prescription drug markets have raised issues regarding whether the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS’) Prescription Drug Consumer Price Index (CPI‐Rx) has adequately kept up with the evolving marketplace. The CPI‐Rx limits its sampling frame to retail outpatient outlets and excludes prescription pharmaceuticals dispensed in non‐retail settings such as hospitals, physician/clinic outpatient facilities, and nursing homes. Thus, the CPI‐Rx overlooks the increasingly important specialty pharmaceuticals dispensed in non‐retail settings, whose transactions are instead captured in the overall hospital and professional services component of the medical care CPI. Specialty drugs now account for about 55% of all U.S. drug spending, double the share of a decade earlier. To the extent specialty drug price growth differs from that of traditional pharmaceuticals, the CPI‐Rx could provide an inaccurate measure of overall drug price inflation. We calculate a chained Laspeyres CPI using data from the Merative™ MarketScan® Databases for the years 2010–2019 and IQVIA‐designated specialty drugs and offer evidence showing that by not sampling specialty drugs in non‐retail settings, the CPI‐Rx has understated overall U.S. prescription drug inflation by just under 75 basis points annually. We discuss implications for health care policy and suggest the BLS examine the feasibility of publishing an overall pharmaceutical price index incorporating both traditional and specialty pharmaceuticals dispensed in retail and non‐retail settings.
A comprehensive review on phytochemicals in the treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer: Focusing on their mechanism of action
Authors: Arnab Md. Kamrul Hasan , Islam Md. Rabiul , Rahman Mohammad Saydur 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsPancreatic cancer develops in the normal tissues of the pancreas from malignant cells. The chance of recovery is not good, and the chance of survival 5 years following diagnosis is quite low. Pancreatic cancer treatment strategies such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy had relatively low success rates. Therefore, the present study aims to explore new therapies for treating pancreatic cancer.MethodsThe present study searched for information about pancreatic cancer pathophysiology, available treatment options; and their comparative benefits and challenges. Aiming to identify potential alternative therapeutics, this comprehensive review analyzed information from renowned databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar.ResultsIn recent years, there has been a rise in interest in the possibility that natural compounds could be used as treatments for cancer. Cannabinoids, curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, and triptolide are some of the anticancer phytochemicals now used to manage pancreatic cancer. The above compounds are utilized by inhibiting or stimulating biological pathways such as apoptosis, autophagy, cell growth inhibition or reduction, oxidative stress, epithelial–mesenchymal transformation, and increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in the management of pancreatic cancer.ConclusionRight now, surgery is the only therapeutic option for patients with pancreatic cancer. However, most people who get sick have been diagnosed too late to benefit from potentially effective surgery. Alternative medications, like natural compounds and herbal medicines, are promising complementary therapies for pancreatic cancer. Therefore, we recommend large‐scale standardized clinical research for the investigation of natural compounds to ensure their consistency and comparability in pancreatic cancer treatment.
Four Milligrams of Phenomenology: An Anthro‐Phenomenological Exploration of Smoking Cigarettes
Authors: Dennis Simone 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTThe commonplace activities of eating and sexual interaction (of some types) have captured and held the attention of anthropologists and phenomenologists. Each of these activities has been routinely considered in terms of pleasure and danger. Each is (or, in the case of sex, may be) penetrative, and involves the circulation of matter inside the body after that matter has breached what we come to identify as the boundaries of the body. Penetration may be considered to be the basis upon which pleasure and danger rest in many anthropological and phenomenological explorations of these aspects of human social life. Another penetrative activity, smoking, might also be considered to be both pleasurable and dangerous. This paper explores the ways in which frameworks of pleasure and danger are contained in pro‐ and anti‐smoking discourse, and how these discourses relate to, and depart from, the smoking experiences of a small number of cigarette smokers.
Where Have All the Vampires Gone? An Examination of Gothic Horror in BBC's Luther
Authors: Logsdon Richard 
Published: April 2024

Abstract:Gothic horror has found a home in several recent European crime dramas. One of these dramas is BBC's four‐season series Luther. Episode after episode, London “copper” John Luther tracks down a sociopathic killer whose monstrous actions are easily the equivalent of those committed by the creatures of traditional Gothic horror. Just as significantly, Luther's encounters with the evil represented by these killers taps into those anxieties that currently grip a European continent that has experienced mass shootings, mass stabbings, suicide bombings, baby trafficking, sex trafficking, and killings related to the smuggling of drugs and diamonds. This essay thus represents a unique contribution to the existing body of scholarship devoted to the study of the merging of Gothic horror and contemporary European crime drama.
“A Man Must Have a Code”: A Contrast of Black and White Masculinity in The Wire
Authors: Wilson Graeme 
Published: April 2024

Abstract:The Wire, which aired on premium channel cable HBO from 2002 to 2008, is one of the most acclaimed series ever produced for the medium of television. Set in Baltimore, The Wire examines American bureaucracy and ruminates on the shortcomings of public institutions. Notably, more than half of The Wire's ensemble is African American, and while this accurately reflects Baltimore's racial demographics, such diversity remains a rarity in American dramatic television. Thus, The Wire provides a unique opportunity for scholarly research on cultural representations of race and gender in popular media, particularly regarding how they intersect. The goal of this critical studies essay is to determine if The Wire perpetuates or challenges popular notions of hegemonic masculinity, and how they differ across racial representations. This is especially important given the prominent role that popular media plays in influencing expectations amongst male viewers towards idealized masculinity in society.
Space Race
Authors: Steeves H. Peter 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTThrough an investigation of popular culture sources focused on our relationship with space exploration, this essay asks if and how we might go about traveling off‐planet in an ethical way. Moving from a reading of Georges Méliès' silent film, A Trip to the Moon (1902), to the history of the Soviet space program, to contemporary plans to colonize the moon and Mars, questions of the value of science and discovery are juxtaposed with questions of racism, speciesism, environmentalism, and social justice.
“Here You Are at Last, in a Ruined and Drowning World”: The Dishonored Series as Environmental and Social Commentary
Authors: Green Amy 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT“‘Here You Are at Last, in a Ruined and Drowning World‘”: The Dishonored Series as Environmental and Social Commentary“ explores at depth the intersection of environmental destruction, social stratification, and the exploitation of the poor. What emerges from the narrative is a compelling ecological warning, as the player embodying Corvo first witnesses the ruined city of Dunwall and the casual slaughter of whales, then becomes a subject of The Outsider's interest. This warning carries through Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: The Death of The Outsider as these sequels continue to explore the exploitation and oppression of the poor and to follow The Outsider, who is at once a ringmaster, observer of what those who bear his mark enact on the world, and beleaguered victim, enduring fetishization by those who worship him as well as his own history as the subject of terrible violence. The narrative that emerges across all three games provides a stark warning about the consequences of those with power and wealth ravaging the environment and the vulnerable.
Written Text to Oral Presentation
Authors: Guglieimi Luc 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTIn Belgium, as it is the case in other parts of the world, people have always told stories. However, since 1975, in the French part of Belgium, a resurgence of oral storytellers, telling legends in a variety of environments, from the jail to boy scout meetings, has occurred. The oral tradition is no longer limited to the family circle and has been freed from spontaneity. Instead, these events are planned and, for a fee, anyone can come and listen to the storytellers, sometimes professionals, sometimes amateurs. This article will examine the classifications of these stories being told as well as the various functions these stories have in the French speaking part of Belgium.
Gains from trade: Demand, supply, and idiosyncratic shocks
Authors: Dewitte Ruben , Merlevede Bruno , Rayp Glenn 
Published: April 2024

SummaryFirm‐level sales are often used as a proxy for productivity to quantify welfare gains from trade (GFT) using firm‐level data. This approach ignores the fact that heterogeneity in firm‐level sales is driven by factors other than productivity. Our theoretical and empirical analysis reveals that using sales as a proxy conflates persistent productivity with transitory demand and supply shocks, resulting in an over‐dispersed productivity distribution. Assigning this shock‐inflated productivity to a modeled economy's supply‐side results in overestimated GFT. We show how to obtain unbiased productivity estimates, aggregate trade elasticities, and GFT estimates by exploiting the revenue production function from a single‐source country.
Short‐term outcomes after liver resection with vascular reconstruction: Results from a study with the National Clinical Database of Japan
Authors: Soyama Akihiko , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Eguchi Susumu , Nanashima Atsushi , Kakeji Yoshihiro , Kitagawa Yuko , Nakamura Masafumi , Endo Itaru 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundAlthough curative resection with vascular reconstruction improves the prognosis of blood‐invading locally advanced hepatobiliary tumors, the mortality and morbidity of the procedure remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors associated with mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing liver resection with vascular reconstruction.MethodsThis retrospective observational study included 1215 patients undergoing hepatectomy of more than one section with vascular reconstruction, except for left lateral sectionectomy registered in the National Clinical Database (NCD) between 2015 and 2019. The rates of surgical mortality and relevant clinical factors were evaluated.ResultsAmong the four types of vascular reconstruction, portal venous reconstruction was frequently performed in 724 patients (59.6% of the enrolled patients). Surgical mortality was 8.1%. Patients with hepatic artery reconstruction had the highest surgical mortality rate of 15.8%. In other types of reconstruction, surgical mortality was 9.1% in the portal vein, 5.2% in inferior vena cava, and 4.9% in hepatic vein. Factors significantly associated with surgical mortality include age, sex (male), preoperative comorbidity (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade >3, respiratory distress, diabetes, preoperative pneumonia, weight loss, and obstructive jaundice), poorer liver functional reserve (indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min and prothrombin time/international normalized ratio >1.1) and accompanying biliary reconstruction.ConclusionsThe NCD revealed the detailed status of liver resection combined with vascular reconstruction in Japan. Based on the results of this analysis, understanding the factors that influence the outcome and postoperative course of each procedure will provide patients with accurate information and opportunities to improve future outcomes.
Elevated homocysteine is negatively correlated with plasma cystathionine β‐synthase activity in givosiran‐treated patients
Authors: Keibler Mark A. , Sridharan Gautham V. , Sweetser Marianne T. , Ticau Simina 
Published: April 2024

AbstractGivosiran is a subcutaneously administered, liver‐targeted RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic that has been approved for treating acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). Elevation in plasma homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) has been reported in AHP patients, and treatment with givosiran has been reported to further increase homocysteine levels in some patients. The mechanism of homocysteine elevation during givosiran treatment is unknown, but has been hypothesized to be mediated by a reduction in activity of cystathionine β‐synthase (CBS), which uses homocysteine as a substrate. A liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry‐based assay was adapted to measure circulating CBS activity. Using plasma collected from the Phase III ENVISION study, CBS activity was measured to directly evaluate whether it is associated with elevated homocysteine levels in givosiran‐treated patients. CBS activity was reduced following givosiran treatment and both homocysteine and methionine levels were inversely correlated with CBS activity. Following administration of a supplement containing vitamin B6, a cofactor for CBS, in four patients during the trial, plasma CBS activity was found to increase, mirroring a corresponding decrease in homocysteine levels. These results support the hypothesis that elevated homocysteine levels following givosiran treatment result from a reduction of CBS activity and that vitamin B6 supplementation lowers homocysteine levels by increasing CBS activity.
White Matter Alterations of Visual Pathway in Thyroid Eye Disease: A Fixel‐Based Analysis
Authors: Jiang Mengda , Zhang Haiyang , Liu Yuting , Song Xuefei , Song Yang , Sun Jing , Tang Yan , Zhu Ling , Zhou Huifang , Li Yinwei , Tao Xiaofeng 
Published: April 2024

BackgroundThyroid eye disease (TED), particularly its sight‐threatening complication, dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON), profoundly impacts patients' visual health. The pathological changes in the white matter (WM) fibers within the intracranial visual pathway in TED have been infrequently studied. Understanding these changes holds crucial importance for exploring the pathogenesis and prognosis of TED.PurposeTo utilize fixel‐based analysis (FBA) to clarify the type of microstructural damage occurring in the visual pathway in TED.Study TypeProspective.Subjects28 TED with DON patients (11 males and 17 females), 28 TED without DON (non‐DON) patients (12 males and 16 females), and 28 healthy controls (HCs) (12 males and 16 females).Field Strength/Sequence3 T; multishell diffusion MRI using echo planar imaging.AssessmentFiber density (FD) and fiber‐bundle cross‐section (FC) were calculated to characterize WM microstructural alteration in TED visual pathway. The correlations between FBA metrics and visual field index and mean deviation were examined.Statistical TestsOne‐way analysis of variance, Kruskal–Wallis, t‐tests, Mann–Whitney U, Chi‐square, and Pearson correlation, were conducted with false discovery rate and family wise error corrections. Significance was set at P < 0.05.ResultsBoth DON and non‐DON groups showed significant FD loss in the right optic tract compared with HCs, with DON patients experiencing more severe FD loss. Only DON patients had FD loss in the right optic radiation (OR) compared with the non‐DON patients and HCs, with no FC difference across groups. FD in DON patients' ORs significantly correlated with visual field index (r = 0.857) and mean deviation (r = 0.751).Data ConclusionBoth DON and non‐DON affect the WM microstructure of the visual pathway to varying extents. Visual field metrics can reflect the severity of FD damage to the OR in the visual pathway of DON patients.Evidence Level2.Technical EfficacyStage 3.
Biodegradable maleic–itaconic polymer‐coated phosphatic fertilizer improved phosphorous recovery in calcareous soil
Authors: Khalid Mairaj , Niazi Muhammad Bilal Khan , Haider Ghulam , Jahan Zaib , Zia Munir , Ahmad Rafiq , Hayat Asim , Shah Tariq 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe poor nutrient recovery of phosphatic (P) fertilizers in calcareous soils is a serious worldwide problem resulting in sub‐optimal P use efficiency. This is mainly attributed to P fixation with calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) ions in the soil solution. As a result, most of the applied P (in the form of fertilizer) becomes insoluble or immobilized in soil due to complex edaphic processes, making it unavailable to plants. Polymer‐coated fertilizers are relatively new approaches to minimizing P‐fixation. However, concerns have been recently raised on the environmental effects of synthetic polymers and microplastic loads in agroecosystems.AimHere we developed and investigated the effectiveness of biodegradable polymer‐coating on commercial diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer to improve P availability in the soil, hence making P more accessible for plant uptake.MethodsThe polymers were coated on DAP fertilizer granules, and two products based on increasing polymer concentration (namely, C‐1 and C‐2, respectively) were achieved. The coated and uncoated DAP granules were characterized for surface properties to confirm the appropriate coating of polymers using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and crushing strength by a universal telson machine. The biodegradable polymer‐coated C‐1 and C‐2 fertilizers were tested for P availability compared to commercial DAP using spinach as a test plant.ResultsThe SEM micrographs indicated a uniform coating of biodegradable polymers on DAP granules. Application of C‐1 increased the plant's fresh and dry biomass (+10.71% and +18.09%) over commercial DAP, respectively. The C‐1 application increased the N, P, and K uptake by +24.9%, +66.7%, and +11% over commercial DAP. In contrast, C‐2 produced less biomass than C‐1 due to relatively less nutrient uptake and different concentrations of ingredients in C‐2.ConclusionTogether, our results showed that the novel biodegradable polymer approach has demonstrated the potential to improve P recovery and agronomic yield in alkaline soils.