bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Moringa oleifera leaf extract suppresses TIMM23 and NDUFS3 expression and alleviates oxidative stress induced by Aβ1-42 in neuronal cells via activation of Akt
Authors: Balit Tatcha , Thonabulsombat Charoensri , Dharmasaroja Permphan 
Published: January 2024

Background and purpose:
Oxidative stress plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) extract has been shown to have antioxidant activities. Here, we studied the antioxidative and anti-apoptotic effects of water-soluble MOL extract in an amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced oxidative stress model of AD.

Experimental approach:
The effect of amyloid beta (Aβ)1-42 and MOL extract on differentiated SH-SY5Y cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. Cells were treated with Aβ1-42, MOL extract, or MOL extract followed by Aβ1-42. The mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated by flow cytometry and dihydroethidium (DHE) assay, respectively. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of mitochondrial proteins TIMM23 and NDUFS3, apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase-3 along with fluorescence analysis of caspase-3/7, and Akt phosphorylation.

Findings/Results:
MOL extract pretreatment at 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL prevented ΔΨm reduction. At 100-μg/mL, MOL extract decreased TIMM23 and NDUFS3 proteins and DHE signals in Aβ1-42-treated cells. MOL extract pretreatment (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) also alleviated the apoptosis indicators, including Bax, caspase-3/7 intensity, and cleaved caspase-3, and increased Bcl-2 levels in Aβ1-42-treated cells, consistent with a reduction in the number of apoptotic cells. The protective effects of MOL extract were possibly mediated through Akt activation, evidenced by increased Akt phosphorylation.

Conclusion and implications:
The neuroprotective effect of MOL extract could be mediated via the activation of Akt, leading to the suppression of oxidative stress and apoptosis in an Aβ1-42 model of AD.
Coumarin and eugenol ameliorate LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells via modulating the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway
Authors: Bakshi Jyotsana , Singh Somnath , Mishra KP 
Published: January 2024

Objective:
To investigate the underlying mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of coumarin and eugenol in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

Methods:
RAW 264.7 cells were treated with 2.5 μg/mL of LPS, 50 μM of coumarin, and 50 μM eugenol for 24 h. The viability of the cells was assessed using MTT assay. The production of nitric oxide was determined using Griess reagent and DCFH-DA was used to measure the production of reactive oxygen species. The protein expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, NF-κB, and cyclooxygenase 2 was assessed using Western blot analysis.

Results:
Coumarin and eugenol showed anti-inflammatory effects against LPS-induced inflammatory response by ameliorating the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB, which further led to a subsequent reduction in IL-1β, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species.

Conclusions:
Coumarin and eugenol exert their anti-inflammatory activities by modulating the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and NF-κB. These compounds may have promising therapeutic applications for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.
Efficacy of Benzocaine and Lidocaine Bioadhesive Patches in Various Minor Oral Surgical Procedures in Children - An Evaluative Study
Authors: John Nisha E. , Erakkodan Ramakrishnan , Sreelakshmi Natta 
Published: January 2024

Context:
The key to successful management of a child in the dental clinic depends greatly on providing painless anaesthesia. Topical anaesthesia using bioadhesive patches may be a breakthrough in this field.

Aims:
The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy of Benzocaine and Lidocaine bioadhesive patches in reducing pain associated with various minor oral surgical procedures in children.

Methods and Materials:
Hundred subjects, aged 6–9 years, requiring various minor oral surgical procedures such as extractions of primary teeth, nerve blocks, mucocele excision or drainage of abscesses were divided equally into Groups 1 and 2. In Group 1, custom fabricated Benzocaine patches were placed for 5 minutes at the target site prior to the procedure, and in Group 2, Lidocaine patches were used in the same manner. Each subject completed a visual analogue scale (VAS) and Wong-Baker Faces pain scale (FPS) after each procedure. Pulse rate and saturation of peripheral oxygen were assessed using pulse oximeter. The duration of the study was from September 2014 to September 2015.

Statistical Analysis Used:
The statistical analysis was done using paired t test, ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analysis. P value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant.

Results:
A significant difference in pain scores was observed favouring the use of Benzocaine over Lidocaine patches (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences in pulse oximeter readings were observed.

Conclusions:
A statistically significant reduction in pain rating scores was observed in the Benzocaine group after a five-minute application of the patch.
Assessment of Brush Biopsy Findings and Salivary LDH Levels in Oral Mucosal Lesions of Tobacco Users
Authors: Davidson Sam P. , Kumar Senthil , Somasundaram Elangovan , Jaishankar Suman 
Published: January 2024

Introduction:
The oral brush cytology is an alternative method developed to improve the efficacy of conventional cytology in oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD), and salivary lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) which is a cytoplasmic enzyme has been widely used as a marker for diagnosing various diseases. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the brush biopsy findings and salivary LDH levels for the early diagnosis of premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity.

Materials and Methods:
Patients with deleterious habits including tobacco-related lesions such as leukoplakia, tobacco pouch keratosis, and oral cancer were included in the study. For each patient, saliva sample was collected, brush biopsy was done and smears were prepared. Collected saliva samples were analysed for salivary LDH levels and prepared smears were analysed for dysplastic changes and statistical analysis was performed.

Results:
Out of 80 samples, 30 were leukoplakia, 45 were tobacco pouch keratosis and 5 were oral cancer, and 13 samples showed positive dysplastic changes, 26 samples showed atypical dysplastic changes and 41 samples showed no signs of dysplastic changes and concluded as negative. On comparing the results of brush biopsy findings and salivary LDH levels, the mean salivary LDH value for positive dysplasia was elevated and the P value was statistically significant (P value: 0.00).

Conclusion:
Brush biopsy showed good potential in detecting premalignant lesions and salivary LDH levels showed a marked increase which can be used as a diagnostic biomarker and serve as a potent diagnostic aid for early detection of malignancy.
Palatal Rugae as an Unique and Stable Marker in Personal identification—An Interracial Pilot Study
Authors: Kumar Nishant , Sarvathikari Ramasamy , Jayaraman Venkatesh , Mathew Philips , Jyotsana Kumari 
Published: January 2024

Background:
In post-mortem scenarios, often it is a very difficult process to establish a person's identity. Rugae are unique in that they are protected from trauma as they are insulated from heat by tongue and buccal pad of fat unlike fingerprint or lip print that is prone to destruction.

Aim and Objectives:
This study was aimed to compare the palatal rugae among people of different races. The sole objectives of the study were to assess the predominant pattern in the selected groups, reliability of rugae pattern in personal identification, to evaluate reliability of sex determination and to compare the total number of rugae on right and left sides of the palate among the males and females.

Study Design:
A total of 90 subjects were enrolled into the study and divided into three groups that are African, Dravidian and Mongoloid population. Shapes of rugae present were analyzed according to the classification given by Kapali et al. (1997) and Thomas & Kotze (1983).

Result:
The predominant rugae shape in African and Dravidian population was wavy pattern, whereas Mongoloid race was predominant in curve pattern. African and Dravidian males were predominant in wavy pattern when compared to Mongoloid males where unification type was more predominant.

Conclusion:
A statistically significant association between the rugae shape in three populations exists, although subtle yet definite.
Characteristics of migrant workers admitted from the emergency department
Authors: Soo Jie Er Janice , Chan Joanna Shi-En , Kadir Hanis Abdul , Chia Dennis Wen Jie , Lai Shieh Mei , Sheth Sujata , Ong Marcus Eng Hock , Chua Mui Teng 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Introduction:
Emergency department (ED) admissions for non-work-related injuries and illnesses in the migrant worker (MW) population in Singapore are not well studied. We aimed to examine ED triage acuity and bills associated with admissions among MW for non-trauma, workplace injury (WI) trauma, and non-workplace injury (NWI) trauma.

Methods:
In this retrospective observational study, we included all work permit holders admitted to hospital via the ED of three public hospitals from 1 May 2016 to 31 October 2016. Data obtained from medical records included demographics, triage acuity and bill information.

Results:
There were 1,750 unique patients accounting for 1,788 admissions. The median age was 33 (interquartile range 27–40) years, with a male predominance of 67%. Trauma accounted for 33% (n = 595) of admissions, and of these, 73% (n = 433) were due to WI. Admissions for NWI, as compared to WI, were more likely to present as high acuity P1 cases (43% vs 24%, P < 0.001), be conveyed by ambulance (49% vs 24%, P < 0.001) and result in trauma team activations (29% vs 7%, P < 0.001). More NWI admissions (22%, 36/162) exceeded the insurance claim limit under prevailing healthcare policies, as compared to WI admissions (3%, 13/433).

Conclusion:
Migrant workers are admitted to hospital for non-trauma conditions more frequently than for trauma. Non-workplace injury trauma may be severe. Non-trauma and NWI admissions can result in large bills that exceed mandatory insurance coverage. Recent changes to healthcare policy governing MW to allow copayment of large bills and better access to primary care are timely.
Effect of dissolved oxygen concentration on biomass production in wastewater
Authors: Povis Arlitt Amy Lozano , Pérez Elías Adrián Sanabria , Quispe Kevin Abner Ortega , Yanqui Pascual Victor Guevara 
Published: January 2024

Biological wastewater treatment is a process that removes pollution caused by carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. For this purpose, aerobic microorganisms must have an adequate amount of oxygen to avoid slowing down this process. This research therefore evaluated the influence of dissolved oxygen concentration and time on the rate of microbial growth in wastewater samples. To do so, a mixed culture of aerobic microorganisms was used with an equivalent concentration of SSV=150 mg/L, dissolved oxygen levels of 2, 3, 4 ppm, observation time of 5 days and concentration of pollutants equal to 800 ppm. It was determined that the growth of microorganisms responded to the cell synthesis phase, and it increased from 150 mg/L of SSV to 386.9, 412.07 and 423.7 mg/L, depending on the level of dissolved oxygen (2, 3 and 4 ppm). On the other hand, as the treatment time elapsed, the rate of microbial growth decreased, despite the fact that the significance of the effect of dissolved oxygen concentration was negligible. Finally, time and the interaction of both variables were relevant.
Keywords: batch reactor, bioremediation, microbial growth, oxygenation, wastewater.
Development and validation of a method to determine pesticides in river water using QuEChERS combined with UHPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Ramos Vanessa Carvalho Pereira , Quináia Sueli Pércio , Torres Yohandra Reyes , Lima Liliane Schier de , Machado Christiane Schineider 
Published: January 2024

The continuous increase in the use and release of pesticides is worrisome because water contamination can affect health and the environment. This study optimized and validated a multi-residue method in water. The method was developed using the QuEChERS method (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) followed by ultrahigh- performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The validation was performed on the matrix (river water) regarding accuracy, precision, linearity, limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs). LODs were below 3.03 µg L-1and LOQs were from 6.25 to 9.18 µg L-1. The accuracy (recoveries in the range of 80-117%) and for Inter-day precision, the coefficients of variation ranged from 0.35 to 15.71%, and for Intra-day precision were in the range of 0.48 to 7.02%.
Keywords: multi-residue analysis, pesticide, QuEChERS, water.
Tracial oscillation zero and stable rank one
Authors: Fu Xuanlong , Lin Huaxin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Let A be a separable (not necessarily unital) simple

$C^*$

-algebra with strict comparison. We show that if A has tracial approximate oscillation zero, then A has stable rank one and the canonical map

$\Gamma $

from the Cuntz semigroup of A to the corresponding lower-semicontinuous affine function space is surjective. The converse also holds. As a by-product, we find that a separable simple

$C^*$

-algebra which has almost stable rank one must have stable rank one, provided it has strict comparison and the canonical map

$\Gamma $

is surjective.
Case Report: Borderline Lepromatous Leprosy Therapy Complicated by Type 1 Leprosy Reaction and Adverse Reactions with Dapsone and Clofazimine
Authors: Matono Takashi , Suzuki Shotaro , Mori Shuichi , Ato Manabu 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT.
Leprosy is a global health issue, causing long-term functional morbidity and stigma. Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important; however, early diagnosis is often challenging, especially in nonendemic areas. Here, we report a case of borderline lepromatous leprosy accompanied by dapsone-induced (neutropenia, anemia, and methemoglobinemia) and clofazimine-induced (skin discoloration and ichthyosis) side effects and type 1 leprosy reactions during administration of the multidrug therapy. The patient completely recovered without developing any deformities or visual impairment. To ensure early diagnosis and a favorable outcome, clinicians should be aware of the diminished sensation of skin lesions as a key physical finding and manage the drug toxicities and leprosy reactions appropriately in patients on multidrug therapy.
Use of Household Insecticides against Mosquitoes in Dengue-Endemic Areas in Sri Lanka
Authors: Sānu M. Nowmaan S. , Fernando Sachini D. , De Silva B. G. D. Nissanka K. 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT.
The use of household insecticides in the formulation of mosquito coils and vaporizers is common among the public to protect against mosquito-borne diseases. However, information regarding the use of these commonly practiced household insecticides is scarce in Sri Lanka. A questionnaire-based survey was directed to 600 households in Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Kalutara, Jaffna, and Galle districts in Sri Lanka. Household insecticides were used by the majority of the respondents (57.0%), and electric liquid vaporizers (46.7%) and mosquito coils (45.7%) were the commonly used forms. The active ingredients in mosquito coils were d-trans-allethrin (w/w 0.12%), metofluthrin (w/w 0.005%), and dimefluthrin (w/w 0.01%); in liquid vaporizers, they were prallethrin (w/v 1.24% and w/v 1.26%) and transfluthrin (w/v 0.9%). The majority of the household insecticide consumers were moderately satisfied with the effectiveness of the products (68.6%), and most of the participants used household insecticides daily (35.5%), especially during the evening (41.6%). Most of the consumers were unaware of the chemicals included in household insecticides (62.8%). Mosquito coils were abundantly used by rural area participants (75.8%), whereas liquid vaporizers were the most common among the urban participants (56.4%). The findings indicate that demographic and socioeconomic factors influence household insecticide practices. To our knowledge, this study reveals the use of household insecticides to control mosquitoes for the first time in Sri Lanka and highlights the importance of awareness programs and the proper utilization of these products.
Bowel and Bladder Dysfunction after SCI: A Comparison between India and Canada
Authors: Hirsch Aliza , Tyagi Nishu , Goel Shakti , Chhabra Harvinder Singh , Fallah Nader , Noonan Vanessa K. , Sehrawat Shikha , Saini Aditya , Barnwal Aniket , Krassioukov Andrei V. 
Published: January 2024

Background:
The inclusion of people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in research has allowed for an informed understanding of priorities of recovery of which bowel dysfunction and bladder dysfunction have been continuously identified. Research has also demonstrated the global disparities in SCI outcomes particularly when comparing high- and low-income countries. Currently, there is a lack of direct comparison between countries when assessing SCI outcomes.

Objectives:
This is an exploratory study to better understand bowel and bladder dysfunction amongst individuals with SCI in India and Canada.

Methods:
Data from 33 participants were analyzed. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic information and the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction (NBD) score, Wexner score, Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score (NBSS), and the Incontinence Quality of Life Instrument (I-QOL). Continuous data were compared using t tests. For not normally distributed data, the independent Mann-Whitney U test was used. Categorical variables were evaluated for association using Fisher’s exact or chi-square test, depending on the sample size.

Results:
Independent Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated that the Canadian participants had poorer bowel function with higher total NBD scores (p = .007) and less frequent bowel movements (p = .036), and they were more likely to experience uneasiness, headaches, and perspiration during bowel movements (p &lt; .001). NBSS results indicated a small but significantly higher proportion of the Indian participants were unsatisfied or unhappy with their bladder function (p = .049). The distribution of Wexner and I-QOL scores were the same across countries.

Conclusion:
Potential explanations for differences include lifestyle, management, financial resources, patient and caregiver education, and societal pressures, which are all heavily influenced by cultural, geographical, and economic circumstances.
István Szabó
Authors: Suleiman Susan Rubin 
Published: January 2024

István Szabó is one of the few Hungarian filmmakers to have earned a major international reputation over the past half century. His 1981 film, Mephisto, was the first film by a Hungarian director to be awarded the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and he has directed more than 15 feature films, in Hungarian, German, and English starring actors like Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Annette Benning and Helen Mirren,
Yet Szabó’s importance as a filmmaker lies not so much in his attention to film’s formal elements, but for his deep and ongoing engagement with some of the most urgent ethical and existential questions of our time. He is not a philosopher in the technical sense of the word, but his films are undoubtedly philosophical through the questions they ask. How do individuals attempt, and often fail, to create a viable self and a life in extreme historical situations over which they have no control? This is probably the single most profound philosophical question that haunts Szabó’s work, as indeed it does that of many other Central European intellectuals and filmmakers of the 20th century.
Israel and the Holocaust
Authors: Patt Avinoam 
Published: January 2024

Avinoam J. Patt examines the relationship between the two most significant events in modern Jewish history. Is there a causal relationship between these two events, separated by only three years? Was the creation of the state of Israel made more or less likely by the Holocaust? This book carefully considers this question, not just from the perspective of historical causality, but also with regard to its major political implications. How did Zionist political leadership respond to the threat of Nazism in the years leading up to World War II? What efforts did leaders of the Yishuv make to rescue European Jews during World War II? And in what ways did the aftermath of the Holocaust help or hinder the Zionist effort to create a Jewish State after World War II?
Avinoam J. Patt argues that the State of Israel has always existed in an uneasy relationship with the Shoah. On the one hand, Israel was faced with the challenge of taking in hundreds of thousands of Holocaust survivors as new citizens of the state, many of whom were discouraged from sharing their traumatic wartime experiences with their fellow citizens. On the other hand, the destruction of European Jewry and the failure of Western democracy to protect the Jewish minority in Europe seemed to vindicate the Zionist worldview. Israel and the Holocaust documents this tension and analyses the changing nature of Israel’s relationship to the Shoah, revealing that it only seems to strengthen with the passage of time.
Death and Burial in Socialist Yugoslavia
Authors: Lilly Carol S. 
Published: January 2024

Across the globe, memorial and grave sites are being increasingly weaponized in conflicts and politicized by parties to advance agendas. Here, Carol S. Lilly examines ideas of death, politics, memory, ideology and nationalism in the former Yugoslav republics of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, and Serbia to shine fresh light on cemetery culture in 20th-century Europe.
More specifically, Death and Burial in Socialist Yugoslavia investigates how the Communist Party of Yugoslavia created its own communities of the dead by implementing cemetery policies which reinforced their ideals of secularism, pluralism, brotherhood, and unity. However, in doing so the communist regime left the previous system of ethno-religious segregation in place and further isolated Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims and Jews who continued to be buried in separate locations. This in turn further politicized burial rites and exacerbated tensions between different ethno-religious communities. As a result, by the time Yugoslavia disintegrated in the early 1990s, dead bodies and cemeteries had become a concerted weapon of war in the ongoing ethnic conflict. Ultimately, then, this timely study reveals for the first time the extent to which the communist regime not only failed to created their own communities of the dead but also further divided and alienated living communities in Yugoslavia.