bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Healing of Wounds by use of Spider threads in comparison with healing by Tetracycline ointment, an Experimental Analytical Study
Authors: Nasir Najla Siddig , Hafez Abdelrahman Ranya , Abass Fadul Monzer , Fadul Ali Fatima , Bushara Mohamed Osman Elamin , Siddig Nasir Omer , A. Natto Hatim , M. Badri Hatim , A. Khan Wahaj , A. Osman Ahmed , Mubarek Hassan Nazik , Aldomini Muath 
Published: May 2024

Background: Spiders are distributed worldwide except in Arctic and Antarctica. More than 45,700 species of spiders and 114 families have been identified. Spiders produce silk in order to capture their prey. reported that people of the Carpathian Mountains used spider webs from Atypus spiders as bandages. Experiments showed that silk from spider house is bio-degradable, non-antigenic and non-inflammatory. These are ideal properties for healing wounds. We aimed to identify the effect of spider threads on healing wounds and injuries compared to healing of wounds by application of tetracycline ointment.Methods: This is an experimental analytical study in which we investigated ten participants tested in three groups. Group A participants were treated with tetracycline and group B were treated with spider threads. wooden rulers used to collect spider silk threads along with sterilizer, tissue, paper, bandages, and Tetracycline ointment. Silk was collected from four types of spiders: Cellar Spider, Salticidae Spider, Venatoria Hetropoda, and Galeodes Arabs. These spiders are the mostly distributed in Sudan. Silk was collected by using wooden rulers from cracks and corners of walls at Alzaiem Alazhari University and then placed on clean, soft tissue paper.Results: revealed that spider threads heal surface injuries without leaving scars in 90% of participants. The healing process with spider threads lasts between 8 -24 hours. The comparison between three tests showed that the percentage of wound healing was highest by 70% by using spider threads in comparison with tetracycline and self-healing.Conclusion: It was observed that healing of injuries by using spider threads was 70% faster than healing by using tetracycline ointment. Self-healing was observed to be faster than healing by use of tetracycline ointment.Keywords: Spider threads; Healing; Injuries; Tetracycline
Enhancement of oil biodegradation by using the biosurfactant produced from local Bacillus subtilis isolate
Authors: Mohammed Melad Khalaf , Khudhair Saad Hussein , Jabbar Ahmed Darweesh 
Published: May 2024

Background: Oil contamination poses a significant threat to the global environment and has attracted widespread attention in recent years. Given its significance, further exploration of biodegradation options for this contamination has never been more crucial than it is today. Therefore, the objective of the study was to improve the biodegradation of oil by utilizing local bacterial isolates alongside a biosurfactant produced by a Bacillus subtilis isolate. Twenty-two bacterial isolates were collected from four samples of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. These isolates underwent screening to assess their effectiveness in degrading crude oil using two distinct methods.Methods: Soli samples were collected from two contaminated sites with oil pollutants in Baghdad city. Biodegradation ability was tested on liquid Bushnell Haas medium (BH), pH 7 supplemented with 1% of crude oil and then screened primarily using the 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol method to determine the ability of isolates to degrade the crude oil. All isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically. Biosurfactants was extracted from Bacillus subtilis previously isolated.Results: Isolate SCS1 has appeared the highest ability reaching 52.6% compared with other isolates, also, the results of secondary screening confirmed that isolate SCS1 has given the best biodegradation reaching 53.8%. The isolate SCS1 was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, this isolate was used to study the effect of biosurfactant on crude oil biodegradation. Results exhibited a high biodegradation efficiency reaching 85.1% in culture broths supplemented with 100 mg/100. It was noted that the use of 150 and 200 mg of biosurfactant led to a decrease in the biodegradation of crude oil.Conclusion: The use of biosurfactant led to an increase in the degradation rate by up to 61.7% of crude oil by Pseudomonas aeruginosa when using 25-100 mg of crude biosurfactant that produced by local isolate Bacillus subtilis.Keywords: Biodegradation; Biosurfactant; Bacillus subtilis; Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Geospatial Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Variants during the Fifth Wave of COVID-19 in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Beig Muhammad Mubashar , Ali Muhammad Asad , Javed Hasnain , Yaqub Tahir , Mehmood Asim Khalid , Nawaz Muhammad , Raza Sohail , Ashraf Muhammad Adnan , Shabbir Muhammad Abu Bakar , Mukhtar Nadia , Najeeb Muhammad Imran , Aziz Waqar , Mehmood Adnan , Raza Hamza , Masud Awais , Basharat Rida , Anjum Aftab Ahmad 
Published: May 2024

Background: The study was conducted in the various districts of Punjab, Pakistan, to ascertain the incidence and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the population during the fifth wave of COVID-19.Method: A total of 9603 nasopharyngeal swab samples of suspected patients were collected from the different districts of Punjab from December 2021 to April 2022. In the BSL-3 facility, an auto-extractor (Uni-medica) was used to extract the RNA genome. Viral detection and quantification were performed using real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. Multiplex PCR was used to target different mutations of the spike protein in order to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants.Results: 711 samples were found to be positive from a total of 9603. The Omicron variant of concern (VOC) was the predominant lineage of SARS-CoV-2 circulating at the time of sampling. Ninety-one percent proportion of COVID-19 was caused by the Omicron, followed by the wild variant (3.80%) and Delta (68.11%). Men were found to have a greater Omicron prevalence (47.96%) than women (42.05%). Furthermore, compared to older individuals (32.07%) and younger kids (10.55%), adults had the higher percentage of Omicron (47.39%).Conclusion: This study brought attention to the Omicron variant's circulation in Punjab Province, Pakistan, during the COVID-19 fifth wave.Keywords: Coronavirus; Omicron; Delta; Variant of Concern; Multiplex PCR; Punjab; Pandemic
Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of First Aid Management of Epistaxis among the General Population in Najran Region: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Alshehri Ali Abdullah , Al Sulaiman Ibrahim Nasser , Asiri Shuruq Talea , Aldughar Sarah Saeed , Alqarni Nisreen Oudah , Nour Mohamed Osama 
Published: May 2024

Background: Nasal bleeding, epistaxis, is a common emergency. Few Saudi studies exist on epistaxis awareness and first aid management. We aimed to assess knowledge and attitude of adults in Najran, Saudi Arabia towards epistaxis first aid management, as well as their association with sociodemographic factors.Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was carried out involving general adults of Najran, Saudi Arabia, using a snowball sampling method. A pretested questionnaire was utilized for data collection. Knowledge and attitude scores were categorized as good/positive or poor/negative. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out with odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and logistic regression analysis to investigate factors associated with knowledge and attitude towards epistaxis first aid management using SPSS Software.Results: The study included 518 participants with 58.9% experienced nosebleeds. Common causes were hypertension (24.5%) and nose injuries (23.7%). Factors as nasal dryness, blood thinner use, and tumors/nasal polyps were also identified. Around 60.2% believed first aid was necessary and 59.5% had good knowledge about epistaxis first aid management. Participants with university/higher education, employed in health sector, and with previous experience with nosebleed were more knowledgeable, more likely to have positive attitudes, and showed significantly higher ORs for knowledge and attitude scores compared to others.Conclusion: The study showed fair knowledge and attitude of Najran adults towards epistaxis first aid management with sociodemographic variables showing varying associations. Educational initiatives are needed especially for those with lower education, non-health sectors, and not experienced nosebleeds, to improve public first aid knowledge and attitudes.Keywords: Epistaxis; Knowledge; Attitude; First aid management; Saudi Arabia
Identification of Novel STAT3 Dimerization Inhibitor Through Structure-Based Virtual Screening for Cancer Management
Authors: Aloqbi Akram Ahmed 
Published: May 2024

Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that controls cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and immunological responses. In many human malignancies, abnormal STAT3 activation promotes tumor growth via oncogenic gene expression, resulting in tumor malignancy. Many drugs with clinically authorized analogues that are used as STAT3 inhibitors for cancer therapy have several drawbacks in terms of stability and toxicity.Methods: This study used PyRx 0.8 tool to screen the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) database of about 32,364 commercially available natural compounds in order to identify new STAT3 inhibitors. Physicochemical and ADME properties of selected compounds were estimated using Datawarrior and SwissADME.Result: The top 20 compounds were initially chosen based on their strong binding affinities with STAT3. Lipinski and Vaber tools were used to filter the top 20 compounds, yielding the top 6 compounds. The compounds ZINC85542844, ZINC4098720, ZINC85543599, ZINC85593523, ZINC85593528, and ZINC85593537 were passed through these filters. These compounds were found to interact with active site STAT3 residues and have several amino acid interactions in common with the control compound (STX0119).Conclusion: This study suggests that the compounds ZINC85542844, ZINC4098720, ZINC85543599, ZINC85593523, ZINC85593528, and ZINC85593537 could be used as a lead for the development of novel STAT3 inhibitors. However, further experimental validation is required to optimized them as STAT3 inhibitors.Keywords: STAT3; Transcription factor; Natural compounds; Cancer; Virtual screening
Alleviation of heat stress by ACC Deaminase and Exopolysaccharide Producing Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria in Solanum melongena L.
Authors: Sami Hannachi , Karim Nagmouchi , Angelo Signore 
Published: May 2024

Background: The current study was carried out to assess the alternative role of high temperature tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in alleviation of heat stress adverse effect in eggplant.Methods: PGPR was assessed for PGP potentialities and investigated for1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate (ACC deaminase), and exopolysaccharide under normal and high temperature environment. The impact of PGPR application on plant physiology and biochemistry was investigated under normal and high temperature environments and plant growth regulators were evaluated using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).Results: A significant impediment for morphological and physiological parameters of eggplant cultivars was observed during heat stress in absence of PGPR inoculation. The results showed that ACC‐deaminase produced by PGPR boosted up significantly the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) accumulation, conversion of ACC into α‐ketobutyrate and ammonia, and reduce consequently the impact of high temperature on eggplant development.Conclusion: PGPR inoculation showed an alternative strategy to improve eggplant growth and development under high temperature condition in order to preserve agriculture sustainability and healthy crops.Keywords: ACC‐deaminase; Extracellular polymeric substances; Heat stress; PGPR; Solanum melongena
Current advances on single or multi-omics analysis of esophageal cancer
Authors: Kasimu Kaidirina , Cui Wenwen , Wang Yihan , Li Xin , Wang Hongbo , Yu Xiaotong , Ren Fu 
Published: May 2024

Esophageal cancer is associated with high mortality rates and is one of the cancers with the worst prognosis. Its incidence has significant regional specificity, particularly in China where it is much higher than in other countries. Moreover, effective diagnostic markers, therapeutic targets, and molecular subtyping biomarkers are currently lacking for esophageal cancer. Nevertheless, large-scale omics studies have identified dozens of robust genetic risk loci and prognosis-related loci, drawn genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic maps of esophageal cancer at multiple molecular levels, and described significant differences between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. These studies are of great significance for exploring the occurrence and development mechanism of esophageal cancer, guiding clinical treatment, and improving patient prognosis. This review, from the perspective of multi-omics, discusses the analytical strategies employed in these studies and summarizes their core findings. It emphasizes that the integration and analysis of multi-omics data is a key focus and development trend in the precise medical research of esophageal cancer, and has broad research and application prospects.Keywords: Esophageal cancer; GWAS; Precision medicine; Biomarker
ANGER EXPRESSION AND PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AMONG ADOLESCENTS: MEDIATING ROLE OF SELF ESTEEM
Authors: Babar Aneeza , Saleem Sadia , Ayub Sumaira 
Published: May 2024

Objectives: The present study explored the relationship between anger expression, self-esteem, and parent-child relationship among adolescents also the mediating role of self-esteem influencing the relationship between anger expression and parent child relationship among adolescents.
Research design: It was a correlational research design.
Subjects and Methods: The sample comprised 479 adolescents of age range 10 to 18 years with mean age 13.87+ 1.53 years including 239 (50%) boys and 240 (50%) girls. The data was collected from four different government schools of Lahore by employing convenient sampling techniques. The Anger Expression Scale for Adolescents (AESA) (Babar & Saleem, 2012), Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS) (Mahmood, Ijaz & Saleem, 2011), Self Esteem Scale for Children (SESC) (Mahmood & Saleem, 2011) were used for assessment.
Results: The results showed that anger expression is negatively related with self-esteem and closeness in parent child relationship, while positively related with rejection and distant parent child relationships. Results also showed that self-esteem is a positively related closeness aspect of parent child relationship. The results of Mediation through PROCESS macro showed a significant mediating role of self-esteem in determining the relationship between anger expressions and parent-child relationship (closeness, rejection and distant) among adolescents.
Conclusion: The mediating role of self-esteem in anger expression and parent-child relationship highlighted in the present study. This study has a major contribution in the field of counseling psychology specifically focusing on the adolescent’s behavioral problem highlighting the significant role of parental relationship in their lives and resulting behavioral issues.
VALIDATION OF THE URDU VERSION OF EPIDEMIC PANDEMIC IMPACT INVENTORY AMONG PAKISTANI ADULTS
Authors: Rabia Khawar  , Hussain Samavia , Imran Nazish , Haider Imran Ijaz 
Published: May 2024

Background: The current research aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the EPII-Urdu version by analyzing reliability and construct validity among Pakistani population.
Method: A convenient sample of 580 individuals above age 18 (M = 27.38, SD = 9.19) was drawn from different areas of two cities, Lahore and Faisalabad (Pakistan). First of all, written informed consent was given to the participants to follow ethical standards. Translated Urdu versions of The Epidemic Pandemic Impact Inventory, Flourishing Scale, WHO Brief Quality of Life Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), and demographic sheet were applied to the participants.
Results: Results indicated excellent internal consistency of overall EPII Urdu version (α = .92); while all the subscales of EPII showed good alpha reliability coefficients [work (α = .75), Education & Training (α = .73), Home Life (α = .78), Social Activities (α = .78), Economic (α = .70), Emotional Health & Wellbeing (α = .73), Physical Health Problems (α = .71), Physical Distance & Quarantine (α = .81), Infection History (α = .74) and Positive Change (α = .76)]. Findings of test-retest reliability with a gap of three weeks on 31 participants were found to be satisfactory. Positive correlation of EPII Urdu version with subscales of DASS-21 and negative relationship with Flourishing Scale, and WHO BRIEF-QoL provided evidences for convergent and divergent validities respectively for Urdu version of EPII.
Conclusion: Findings indicated that the EPII Urdu version proved to be a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring the impacts of COVID-19 among Pakistani population.
PATHWAY TO CARE: HEALTH BELIEF MODEL AND BARRIERS IN MENTAL HEALTH SETTINGS
Authors: Mansoor Sawera , Mansoor Taskeen 
Published: May 2024

Objective: This study was planned to assess the pathway to mental health care including the health belief model and barriers faced by patients at a private tertiary care psychiatric facility in Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Study Design: Cross sectional research
Place and duration of study: This study was conducted from June to Dec 2016 at Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi.
Subjects and Methods: Through consecutive sampling, 246 patients presenting to the study venue were made part of the sample. A semi structured questionnaire was used to identify the symptom origin according to their health belief model as well as the barriers to care. Study variables were summarized using Descriptive statistics, and Chi square test was applied for association between common barriers to care and relevant socio-demographic variables using SPSS 20.0.
Results: Out of 246 patients (61.4% females and 38.6% males), the majority of patients (39%) believed in a physical origin of their mental health symptoms followed by supernatural (32.9%) and psychological causes (28%). The most commonly reported type of barrier to care was Structural (68%) including Financial constraints and Lack of easy access to specialist resources whereas Attitudinal barriers such as Low perceived need and Perceived side effects of psychiatric medications were found in 22% of the cases. Stigma associated with psychiatric illnesses was reported by 10% cases. The educational status, locality of residence and monthly family income were significantly associated with structural and attitudinal barriers to mental health care.
Conclusion: Patients with low literacy rates, rural based living and socioeconomic disadvantage are more likely to report structural and attitudinal barriers to accessing mental health services.
Islam, Islamic Finance, and Christianity
Authors: Dunn Samuel L. , Galloway Ronald G. 
Published: May 2024

Islam now claims 1.5 billion adherents around the world and up to 3 million Muslims in the United States. As Islam grows social institutions are developing that conform to Shariah law and principles. Among them are Islamic banks and Islamic financial products which are becoming recognized as legitimate options to conventional banks. Since economic and business systems around the world are increasingly integrated and businesspersons from the United States will most likely be interacting at some level with Muslims, it is important that U.S. businesspersons understand Islam and Islamic finance. To be salt and light and to interact in Christlike ways with Muslims, Christians need to know what Muslims believe, and especially what Muslims believe about Jesus. In this paper the authors first describe Islam by giving its history and principal theological doctrines. Then several important features of Islamic finance and various financial products are described. Finally, there is a description of Christian missions to Muslims.
Quadriceps muscle weakness after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A risk factor for knee osteoarthritis?
Authors: ØIestad Britt Elin , Holm Inger , Gunderson Ragnhild , Myklebust Grethe , Risberg May Arna 
Published: July 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo identify risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA) 10–15 years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. We hypothesized that quadriceps muscle weakness after ACL reconstruction would be a risk factor for radiographic and symptomatic radiographic knee OA 10–15 years later.MethodsSubjects with ACL reconstruction (n = 258) were followed for 10–15 years. Subjects with unilateral injury at the 10–15‐year followup were included in the present study. Outcomes included the Cincinnati knee score, knee joint laxity, hop performance, and isokinetic muscle strength tests at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. At the 10–15‐year followup, radiographs were taken and graded according to the Kellgren/Lawrence classification (range 0–4).ResultsOf the 212 subjects (82%) assessed at the 10–15‐year followup, 164 subjects had unilateral injury. The mean ± SD age at ACL reconstruction was 27.4 ± 8.5 years. Increased age (odds ratio [OR] 1.06, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.01–1.11) and meniscal injury and/or chondral lesion (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.00–4.20) showed significantly higher odds for radiographic knee OA. Low self‐reported knee function 2 years postoperatively (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.98) and loss of quadriceps strength between the 2‐year and the 10–15‐year followup (OR 1.00, 95% CI 1.00–1.01) showed significantly higher odds for symptomatic radiographic knee OA. Quadriceps muscle weakness after ACL reconstruction was not significantly associated with knee OA.ConclusionThis study detected no association between quadriceps weakness after ACL reconstruction and knee OA as measured 10–15 years later.
Different disparities of gender and race among the thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic‐uremic syndromes
Authors: Terrell Deirdra R. , Vesely Sara K. , Hovinga Johanna A. Kremer , Lämmle Bernhard , George James N. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and hemolytic‐uremic syndrome (HUS) represent multiple disorders with diverse etiologies. We compared the gender and race of 335 patients enrolled in the Oklahoma TTP‐HUS Registry across 21 years for their first episode of TTP or HUS to appropriate control groups. The relative frequency of women and white race among patients with TTP‐HUS‐associated with a bloody diarrhea prodrome and the relative frequency of women with quinine‐associated TTP‐HUS were significantly greater than their control populations. The relative frequency of women and black race among patients with idiopathic TTP and TTP‐associated with severe ADAMTS13 deficiency was significantly greater than their control populations. The relative frequency of black race among patients who had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) preceding TTP was significantly greater than among a population of patients with SLE, and the relative frequency of black race among patients with other autoimmune disorders preceding TTP was significantly greater than their control population. No significant gender or race disparities were present among patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy, TTP associated with pregnancy, or TTP associated with drugs other than quinine. The validity of these observations is supported by the enrollment of all consecutive patients across 21 years from a defined geographic region, without selection or referral bias. These observations of different gender and race disparities among the TTP‐HUS syndromes suggest the presence of different risk factors and may serve as starting points for novel investigations of pathogenesis. Am. J. Hematol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.