bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels
Authors: Kramer Caroline Kaercher , Leitao Cristiane Bauermann 
Published: May 2023

Objectives
Laughter as an expression of humor has been recognized as good medicine for centuries. The health benefits of humor-induced well-being remain unclear and thus we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies to evaluate the impact of spontaneous laughter on stress response as measured by cortisol levels.

Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources
MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Clinicaltrials.gov.

Eligibility criteria
Interventional studies, which could be either randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental studies, conducted in adults that compared any spontaneous laughter intervention to a controlled setting and reported changes in cortisol levels were selected.

Data extraction and synthesis
We examined the impact of laughter on percentage change in cortisol levels by calculating pooled estimates of the absolute differences between arithmetic means before and after interventions as compared to control using random-effects model.

Results
Eight studies (315 participants; mean age 38.6) met our inclusion criteria; four were RCTs and four were quasi-experiment studies. Five studies evaluated the impact of watching a humor/comedy video, two studies evaluating laughter sessions administered by a trained laughter therapist, and one study evaluating a self-administered laughter program. Pooling these data showed a significant reduction in cortisol levels by 31.9% (95%CI -47.7% to -16.3%) induced by laughter intervention compared to control group with no evidence of publication bias (P = 0.66). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that even a single laughter session induced a significant reduction of 36.7% in cortisol (95%CI -52.5% to -20.8%). In addition, analyses including the four RCTs reinforced these results by demonstrating a significant reduction in cortisol levels promoted by laughter as compared to the placebo arm [-37.2% (95%CI -56.3% to -18.1%)].

Conclusions
Current evidence demonstrates that spontaneous laughter is associated with greater reduction in cortisol levels as compared with usual activities, suggesting laughter as a potential adjunctive medical therapy to improve well-being.

Trial registration
Registration number: CRD42021267972.
SO36: 1978 BIS HEUTE, Sub Opus 36 e.V. (ed.) (2022)
Authors: Bestley Russ 
Published: May 2023

Review of: SO36: 1978 BIS HEUTE, Sub Opus 36 e.V. (ed.) (2022)
Mainz: Ventil Verlag, 480 pp.,
ISBN 978-3-95575-165-4, h/bk, €36.00
Neuromielitis Óptica, en paciente pediatrico
Authors: Cabrera Ávial Rafael Mauricio , González Delgado Manuel José , Perdomo García María Antonia , Hanrryr Murillo María Alejandra , Vargas Sánchez María de los Ángeles 
Published: May 2023

Antecedentes: La neuromielitis óptica se caracteriza principalmente por afectar de forma severa la médula espinal y los nervios ópticos ya sea en un episodio clínico único o en brotes y remisiones, siendo una causa de discapacidad en jóvenes y adultos. Se clasifica como variante óptico-medular de la esclerosis múltiple, pero los estudios sugieren diferencias entre ambas, principalmente por la presencia de un anticuerpo específico en sangre llamado Inmunoglobulina G anti neuromielitis óptica (IgG-NMO) o anti-acuaporina 4 (AQP4) que se une a los canales de agua diseminados en el sistema nervioso central (SNC), y que además se ofrece como prueba diagnóstica. Reporte de caso: se trata de una paciente en edad pediátrica, diagnosticada con neuromielitis óptica, con sintomatología visual y compromiso motor en extremidades inferiores, con tratamiento con azatioprina oral y posteriormente rituximab, con adecuada respuesta al manejo. Conclusión: se debe considerar la NMO en la edad pediátrica, el diagnostico diferencial de esclerosis múltiple e iniciar manejo temprano para evitar complicaciones y recidivas.
Isolated Cecal Necrosis Mimicking a Colonic Mass
Authors: Janike Katherine , Pan Alexander , Kheirkhah Pouyan , Shuja Asim 
Published: May 2023

ABSTRACT
Isolated cecal necrosis (ICN) is a rare form of ischemic colitis that can mimic conditions such as appendicitis, malignancy, or diverticulitis. Most cases of ICN have been identified in patients with significant comorbidities that increase risk of vascular disease. We present a case of ICN mimicking a mass lesion in an elderly patient with few comorbid conditions. Although computed tomography was concerning for colonic mass, diagnostic colonoscopy revealed ischemic colon. The patient underwent right hemicolectomy, and pathology confirmed ICN. It is important to recognize conditions ICN can mimic, understand ICN can present without acute abdomen, and consider ICN in the differential diagnosis even in relatively healthy patients without a history of vascular disease.
Application of the OpenCV Library in Indoor Hydroponic Plantations for Automatic Height Assessment of Plants
Authors: Pietrzykowski Sławomir , Wymysłowski Artur 
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a method for automatic plants’ height measurements in indoor hydroponic plantations by using the OpenCV library and the Python programming language. Using the elaborated algorithm and Raspberry Pi driven system with an external camera, the growth process of multiple pak choi cabbages (Brassica rapa L. subsp. Chinensis) was observed. The main aim and novelty of the presented algorithm was to observe the plants’ height in hydroponic stations, where the reflective foil is used, to extract the plants’ growth rate as a parameter. Basing on the pictures of the hydroponic plantation, the bases of the plants, reflections, and plants themselves were separated. Finally, the algorithm was used for plants’ height estimation. The achieved results were then compared to the results obtained manually. The algorithm will be used in future research for plants’ growth optimization.
Exopolysaccharides from Pseudomonas tolaasii inhibit the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelia
Authors: Xu Yanyan , Yao Taimei , Yan Haiyan , Xin Longzuo 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
In the present study, the effect of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) extracted from Pseudomonas tolaasii on the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelia was determined. P. ostreatus mycelia was cultivated with different concentrations of P. tolaasii EPSs, and their mycelial growth rate, protein content, and enzyme activity were measured and compared. The results showed that EPSs inhibited the growth of P. ostreatus. The proline and vitamin C contents of P. ostreatus increased at an EPS concentration of 40%. The cellulase, α-amylase, protein, and glucose utilisation rates of P. ostreatus gradually decreased with the increase in EPS concentration. Altogether, P. tolaasii EPSs had a significant inhibitory effect on mycelial growth. Therefore, we concluded that in addition to tolaasin, EPSs may also be the virulence factors responsible for the pathogenesis of P. tolaasii.
A phytoconstituent 6-aminoflavone ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress mediated synapse and memory dysfunction via p-Akt/NF-kB pathway in albino mice
Authors: Ahmad Shakeel , Shah Shahid Ali , Khan Naeem , Nishan Umar , Jamila Nargis , Alotaibi Amal 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
The current work examined the therapeutic potential of 6-aminoflavone (6AF) against mouse model-based oxidative stress-driven synaptic and memory impairment caused by lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). In the brains of the experimental mice, LPS administration for 3 weeks significantly increased oxidative stress by inhibiting antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, glutathione, and upregulating lipid peroxidase. Male albino mice were arbitrarily divided into four groups including (1) Control, (2) LPS treated (250 µg/kg, for 3 weeks), (3) LPS plus 6AF treated (30 mg/kg for 2 weeks), and (4) 6AF treated (30 mg/kg for 2 weeks). Different antioxidant enzyme assays, behavior tasks, and the western blotting technique were used to test the therapeutic potentials of this 6AF. Remarkably, the dosage of 6AF significantly reversed the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduced neuroinflammation in adult albino mice. Additionally, 6HF also improved the synapse (both pre- and post-proteins) and restored the impaired memory against LPS. In short, these findings propose that 6AF is a natural, non-toxic, and potent therapeutic agent to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Research on image acquisition and contour extraction algorithm of partial discharge in oil
Authors: Li Longfei , Han Xuefeng , Liu Lei , Zhang Fei , Ge Zhijie , Du Zhaoguang , Wang Yifan , Zhang Ziyue , Liu Hongshun 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Partial discharge in oil paper insulation is an important reason for insulation breakdown. The study of partial discharge in transformer oil is of great significance for ensuring the reliability of transformers. In this paper, a comprehensive observation platform of partial discharge with needle plate electrode and oil-paper insulation is built, and the original shape image set of partial discharge is collected and established. Through multi-channel convolution processing of the true color image, gray level equivalent distribution of 3D section, segmentation stretching of threshold interval and binary neighborhood search, a general technical method suitable for processing a series of low brightness discharge images with background interference is finally obtained.
Effect of polymer blending on the electrochemical properties of porous PVDF/PMMA membrane immobilized with organic solvent based liquid electrolyte
Authors: Harshlata  , Mishra Kuldeep , Rai Devendra K. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
In this paper, experimental studies on blend gel polymer electrolyte membranes comprising of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) saturated with 0.1 M liquid electrolyte of sodium tetrafluoroborate (NaBF4) in the mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and diethyl carbonate (DEC) are presented. Membranes are prepared by phase inversion technique. The effect of blending on the ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability window, ionic transference number, and cation transport number has been investigated using complex impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry and DC polarization technique. Ion dynamics in the electrolyte membranes has also been investigated using dielectric studies. The optimized electrolyte membrane with composition PVDF:PMMA (95:5) + 0.1 M NaBF4 + EC + DEC shows highest ionic conductivity of 0.6 mS cm−1 which follows Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher (VTF) behavior with temperature. The membrane shows an electrochemical stability window of 3.5 V and sodium ion transport number as ∼0.33.
Hydrogen resistance and trapping behaviour of a cold-drawn ferritic–pearlitic steel wire
Authors: Truschner Mathias , Pengg Johann , Loder Bernd , Köberl Hubert , Gruber Peter , Moshtaghi Masoud , Mori Gregor 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
The present work investigates the resistance of a progressively cold-drawn carbon steel wire against hydrogen embrittlement. In this study, analytical and numerical methods are used to determine the critical hydrogen content, the critical hydrogen ratio and the embrittlement indices of the different material conditions. The wire with the highest degree of cold deformation shows the highest critical hydrogen content and improved resistance against hydrogen embrittlement. At higher degrees of deformation, the material shows stronger hydrogen trapping, which improves in combination with a change in the lamellar spacing and orientation of the pearlite the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement.
Evaluation and management of pediatric thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer at a single institution after adoption of the American Thyroid Association 2015 guidelines
Authors: Matalka Leen , Rahman AKM Fazlur , Sparks Sarah , Lindeman Brenessa , Iyer Pallavi 
Published: May 2023

Abstract

Objectives
The study purpose is to correlate clinical findings with rates of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in a cohort of children presenting with thyroid nodules at a single institution since the adoption of the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines Task Force on Pediatric Thyroid Cancer.

Methods
Clinical, radiographic, and cytopathologic findings were retrospectively analyzed in a pediatric cohort (≤19 years) identified with ICD-10 codes for thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer from January 2017 until May 2021.

Results
We analyzed 183 patients with thyroid nodules. The mean patient age was 14 years (interquartile range 11–16) with a female (79.2 %) and white Caucasian (78.1 %) predominance. The overall DTC in our pediatric patient cohort was 12.6 % (23 out of 183). Most of the malignant nodules measured from 1–4 cm (65.2 %) with TI-RADS score of ≥4 (69.6 %). Among the fine-needle aspiration results (n=49), the highest frequency of DTC was within the malignant category (16.33 %), followed by suspicious for malignancy (6.12 %), then atypia or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (8.16 %), and lastly follicular lesion or neoplasm and benign with 4.08 % and 2.04 % respectively. Of the forty-four thyroid nodules that underwent surgical intervention, pathology was remarkable for 19 papillary thyroid carcinoma (43.18 %) and 4 follicular thyroid carcinoma (9.09 %).

Conclusions
Based on the analysis of our pediatric cohort in the southeast region at a single institution, adoption of the 2015 ATA guidelines could lead to an increased accuracy in detecting DTC while reducing the number of patients requiring interventions, such as FNA biopsy and/or surgeries. Further, based on our small cohort, it would be reasonable for thyroid nodules 1 cm or less to be monitored clinically with physical exam and ultrasonography, with further therapeutic or diagnostic intervention considered based on concerning features or parental shared decision making.
Testing styles of play using triad census distribution: an application to men’s football
Authors: Palazzo Lucio , Ievoli Riccardo , Ragozini Giancarlo 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Summary statistics of football matches such as final score, possession and percentage of completed passes are not satisfyingly informative about style of play seen on the pitch. In this sense, networks and graphs are able to quantify how teams play differently from each others. We study the distribution of triad census, i.e., the distribution of local structures in networks and we show how it is possible to characterize passing networks of football teams. We describe the triadic structure and analyse its distribution under some specific probabilistic assumptions, introducing, in this context, some tests to verify the presence of specific triadic patterns in football data. We firstly run an omnibus test against random structure to asses whether observed triadic distribution deviates from randomness. Then, we redesign the Dirichlet-Multinomial test to recognize different triadic behaviours after choosing some reference patterns. The proposed tests are applied to a real dataset regarding 288 matches in the Group Stage of UEFA Champions League among three consecutive seasons.
Measurement Uncertainty of Bullet Velocities That Are Acquired with Light Screens and a Waveform Recorder
Authors: Paulter Nicholas G. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Bullet velocity measurements are critical to the understanding of the performance of firearms and their ammunition, as well as the ballistic protection of armor materials and systems. This information is essential to the improvement and advancement of firearms, ammunition, and armor. The bullet velocity measurement uncertainty supports the rigorous application of these functions by providing a means for accurate comparison between different laboratories, manufacturers, and users; tracking and assessing the performance history of a product; accurately assessing external effects (such as environmental) on performance; ensuring performance is within acceptable tolerances; and comparing the performance of products.
Brain Activation and Functional Connectivity of Reappraisal and Acceptance for Anxious Events
Authors: Tsujimoto Masayuki , Matsuzaki Yutaka , Yamaya Noriki , Kawashima Ryuta 
Published: May 2023

AbstractDespite the significant health consequences of anxiety, the neural basis of regulation for personal anxious events is not well understood. We examined brain activity and functional connectivity during cognitive emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal and acceptance) for personal anxious events. Functional MRI (fMRI) data were obtained while 35 college students were thinking about (the control condition), reappraising, or accepting their own anxiety-provoking situations. Although reappraisal and acceptance decreased anxiety, no statistically significant differences were observed in the brain activation levels between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and the control condition. However, acceptance decreased activation in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus more than reappraisal. Moreover, functional connectivity with the amygdala and ventral anterior insula distinguished the emotion regulation strategies for anxiety. Reappraisal showed stronger negative functional connectivity with the amygdala and cognitive control regions than other strategies. In addition, reappraisal had negative functional coupling between the ventral anterior insula and temporal pole compared with acceptance. In contrast, acceptance showed stronger positive functional coupling between the ventral anterior insula and precentral and postcentral gyrus compared with the control condition. Our findings contribute to the understanding of emotion regulation processes by revealing the brain activity and functional connectivity patterns in reappraisal and acceptance for personal anxious events.
Impaired Speaking-Induced Suppression in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kim Kyunghee X. , Dale Corby L. , Ranasinghe Kamalini G. , Kothare Hardik , Beagle Alexander J. , Lerner Hannah , Mizuiri Danielle , Gorno-Tempini Maria Luisa , Vossel Keith , Nagarajan Srikantan S. , Houde John F. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease involving cognitive impairment and abnormalities in speech and language. Here, we examine how AD affects the fidelity of auditory feedback predictions during speaking. We focus on the phenomenon of speaking-induced suppression (SIS), the auditory cortical responses’ suppression during auditory feedback processing. SIS is determined by subtracting the magnitude of auditory cortical responses during speaking from listening to playback of the same speech. Our state feedback control (SFC) model of speech motor control explains SIS as arising from the onset of auditory feedback matching a prediction of that feedback onset during speaking, a prediction that is absent during passive listening to playback of the auditory feedback. Our model hypothesizes that the auditory cortical response to auditory feedback reflects the mismatch with the prediction: small during speaking, large during listening, with the difference being SIS. Normally, during speaking, auditory feedback matches its predictions, then SIS will be large. Any reductions in SIS will indicate inaccuracy in auditory feedback prediction not matching the actual feedback. We investigated SIS in AD patients [n = 20; mean (SD) age, 60.77 (10.04); female (%), 55.00] and healthy controls [n = 12; mean (SD) age, 63.68 (6.07); female (%), 83.33] through magnetoencephalography (MEG)-based functional imaging. We found a significant reduction in SIS at ∼100 ms in AD patients compared with healthy controls (linear mixed effects model,F(1,57.5) = 6.849,p = 0.011). The results suggest that AD patients generate inaccurate auditory feedback predictions, contributing to abnormalities in AD speech.
Delta-Band Neural Responses to Individual Words Are Modulated by Sentence Processing
Authors: Slaats Sophie , Weissbart Hugo , Schoffelen Jan-Mathijs , Meyer Antje S. , Martin Andrea E. 
Published: May 2023

To understand language, we need to recognize words and combine them into phrases and sentences. During this process, responses to the words themselves are changed. In a step toward understanding how the brain builds sentence structure, the present study concerns the neural readout of this adaptation. We ask whether low-frequency neural readouts associated with words change as a function of being in a sentence. To this end, we analyzed an MEG dataset by Schoffelen et al. (2019) of 102 human participants (51 women) listening to sentences and word lists, the latter lacking any syntactic structure and combinatorial meaning. Using temporal response functions and a cumulative model-fitting approach, we disentangled delta- and theta-band responses to lexical information (word frequency), from responses to sensory and distributional variables. The results suggest that delta-band responses to words are affected by sentence context in time and space, over and above entropy and surprisal. In both conditions, the word frequency response spanned left temporal and posterior frontal areas; however, the response appeared later in word lists than in sentences. In addition, sentence context determined whether inferior frontal areas were responsive to lexical information. In the theta band, the amplitude was larger in the word list condition ∼100 milliseconds in right frontal areas. We conclude that low-frequency responses to words are changed by sentential context. The results of this study show how the neural representation of words is affected by structural context and as such provide insight into how the brain instantiates compositionality in language.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHuman language is unprecedented in its combinatorial capacity: we are capable of producing and understanding sentences we have never heard before. Although the mechanisms underlying this capacity have been described in formal linguistics and cognitive science, how they are implemented in the brain remains to a large extent unknown. A large body of earlier work from the cognitive neuroscientific literature implies a role for delta-band neural activity in the representation of linguistic structure and meaning. In this work, we combine these insights and techniques with findings from psycholinguistics to show that meaning is more than the sum of its parts; the delta-band MEG signal differentially reflects lexical information inside and outside sentence structures.