bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Introducing an Islamic equity-based microfinance models for MSMEs in the State of Libya
Authors: Lawhaishy Zainab Belal , Othman Anwar Hasan Abdullah 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThis study aims to propose and verify the suitability and applicability of Islamic equity-based microfinance models for financing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the State of Libya. The proposed models combine the unique features of social solidarity, cooperation “Ta’awan,” meeting religious requirements and providing financing more fairly and equitably.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach is applied in this study through semi-structured interviews with several Libyan experts, including Islamic bankers,Shariahscholars, MSMEs experts, Islamic microfinance experts and academicians. The data collected from 2019 to 2021 and thematic analysis by computer-based software NVivo is used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results indicate that the proposed Islamic equity-based microfinance models are suitable and applicable in Libya. This study also reveals that the proposed models have numerous potential benefits not only in meeting the financial needs of MSMEs but also in meeting the government objectives in economic divarication and socioeconomic development.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the study proposes the applicability and suitability of Islamic equity-based models in financing MSMEs only, while large firms are excluded from the study. Second, the study only proposes and tests the applicability of Islamic equity-modes of financing contracts, namely,MusharakahandMudarabah, while Islamic debt-based financing models are not included. Finally, as there is no practical evidence of using those models for financing MSMEs in Libya, this study lacks empirical evaluations of equity models’ real benefits on income, employment generation, living standards improvement and business growth and sustainability.Practical implicationsGiven the importance of the MSMEs sector for the State of Libya’s economic growth, it is expected that the findings of this study can be of assistance in formulating guidelines and implementing Islamic equity-based microfinance programs. Besides, it can be a valuable source of information for policymakers for improving the functions of the current microfinance programs in the country. Additionally, as studies concerning Islamic alternative models for financing MSMEs are scarce, the current study can also be a reference point for researchers, academicians, practitioners and other stakeholders.Social implicationsProviding capital support for the underfunded economy segment, attracting small savings, increasing investments and developing entrepreneurial skills could lead to improved economic productivity and growth.Originality/valueThe present study proposes the structure of Islamic equity-based microfinance models for MSMEs in Libya and verifies the suitability of those proposed models among Libyan experts. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has been conducted on uncovering and exploring the potentials of Islamic equity-based microfinance models for financing MSMEs in Libya.
Partnering with Agents: How the Covid‐19 Pandemic changed Relations between the UK Government and Public Service Contractors
Authors: Meggitt‐Smith Benjamin 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe contracting out of public goods and services has become a central feature of the UK's state machinery, with more than £350 billion spent annually on services ranging from rubbish collection to building submarines. In response to the Covid‐19 pandemic, the UK government took the unprecedented step of incorporating private providers at a national scale to deliver emergency services which were previously the purview of the state. To achieve this, the government used emergency legislation temporarily to remove competitive tenders and reduced reporting processes. In doing so, it substantially re‐orientated its relationship with private providers, moving from a position of a principal granting its authority to deliver services to something more akin to a partner organisation leveraging private resources. This shift in power dynamics, coupled with an ongoing government ambition to expand the UK's public service markets, risks a permanent change in government‐provider relations, to the detriment of the UK's contracting out framework.
Caught in the eye of the perfect storm: Lebanese women human resource managers coping with macro‐level turbulence
Authors: Tlaiss Hayfaa A. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThis paper advances research on the nexus between macro‐level turbulence and workers' experience through the empirical analysis of the coping strategies of women human resource managers in the context of Lebanon. Theoretically grounded in the transactional theory of stress and coping, the findings reveal how the multidimensional coping strategies of human resource managers unfold at the juncture of macro‐level turbulence, emotion‐focussed and problem‐solving strategies, doing/re‐doing of gender, and the deployment of various types of silence.
A huge Ewing's sarcoma of the rib presenting with superior vena cava syndrome and dysphagia
Authors: Lin Dan , Zhu Xiaomu , Tian Long , Qin Changlong , Dong Jingsi , Zhou Qinghua 
Published: April 2022

AbstractA 24‐year‐old male patient was admitted to our center complaining of dizziness (superior vena cava syndrome [SVCS]), dysphagia and pain in the right chest wall. At the initial diagnosis, the patient had been found to have an irregular shaped 35 × 30 × 27 cm mass in the right side of his chest. On November 12, 2019, this patient received surgery in our center. The right sixth rib and the tumor were completely removed (R0), while preserving all the lung tissue and other organs in the chest. The patient recovered well after surgery, and his right lung was fully expanded.
Acute echocardiographic and hemodynamic response to his‐bundle pacing in patients with first‐degree atrioventricular block
Authors: Loring Zak , Holmqvist Fredrik , Sze Edward , Alenezi Fawaz , Campbell Kristen , Koontz Jason I. , Velazquez Eric J. , Atwater Brett D. , Bahnson Tristram D. , Daubert James P. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundAtrial pacing and right ventricular (RV) pacing are both associated with adverse outcomes among patients with first‐degree atrioventricular block (1°AVB). His‐bundle pacing (HBP) provides physiological activation of the ventricle and may be able to improve both atrioventricular (AV) and inter‐ventricular synchrony in 1°AVB patients. This study evaluates the acute echocardiographic and hemodynamic effects of atrial, atrial‐His‐bundle sequential (AH), and atrial‐ventricular (AV) sequential pacing in 1°AVB patients.MethodsPatients with 1°AVB undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation were included. Following left atrial (LA) catheterization, patients underwent atrial, AH‐ and AV‐sequential pacing. LA/left ventricular (LV) pressure and echocardiographic measurements during the pacing protocols were compared.ResultsThirteen patients with 1°AVB (mean PR 221 ± 26 ms) were included. The PR interval was prolonged with atrial pacing compared to baseline (275 ± 73 ms, p = .005). LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was highest during atrial pacing (62 ± 11%), intermediate with AH‐sequential pacing (59 ± 7%), and lowest with AV‐sequential pacing (57 ± 12%) though these differences were not statistically significant. No significant differences were found in LA or LV mean pressures or LV dP/dT. LA and LV volumes, isovolumetric times, electromechanical delays, and global longitudinal strains were similar across pacing protocols.ConclusionDespite pronounced PR prolongation, the acute effects of atrial pacing were not significantly different than AH‐ or AV‐sequential pacing. Normalizing atrioventricular and/or inter‐ventricular dyssynchrony did not result in acute improvements in cardiac output or loading conditions.
Combined T4 + T3 therapy versus T4 monotherapy effect on psychological health in hypothyroidism: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lan Huiyu , Wen Junping , Mao Yaqian , Huang Huibin , Chen Gang , Lin Wei 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate whether T4 + T3 combination therapy had advantages in improving psychological health compared with T4 monotherapy.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from January 2000 to March 2021, and updated in September 2021. The inclusion criteria (prospective study, published in English, had a T4 + T3 combination therapy test group and a T4 monotherapy control group, patients aged ≥18 years and with overt primary hypothyroidism, and published after January 2000) were applied by two reviewers; any disagreement was resolved by a third reviewer. The two reviewers independently extracted data using a standard data form and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Coprimary outcomes included the psychological health measures of depression, fatigue, pain, anxiety and anger, measured using validated and reliable instruments.ResultsEighteen of 2029 studies (883 patients) were included in the meta‐analysis. No significant difference was found between T4 + T3 combination therapy and T4 monotherapy with regard to depression (standardized mean difference [SMD]: −0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.18; 0.07), fatigue (SMD: 0.06, 95% CI: −0.13; 0.26), pain (SMD: −0.01, 95% CI: −0.24; 0.22), anxiety (SMD: 0.01, 95% CI: −0.15; 0.17) and anger (SMD: 0.05, 95% CI: −0.15; 0.24). Methodological heterogeneity had no influence on the results. The patients preferred combination therapy significantly.ConclusionsCompared with T4 monotherapy, T4 + T3 combination therapy had no significant advantage in improving psychological health. For patients who are unsatisfied with LT4 monotherapy, the patient and the physician should make a joint decision concerning therapy.
Clinical, imaging and biochemical presentation of cystic pheochromocytomas
Authors: Dogra Prerna , Navin Patrick J. , McKenzie Travis J. , Foster Trenton , Dy Benzon , Lyden Melanie , Young William F. , Bancos Irina 
Published: April 2022

AbstractObjectiveCystic adrenal mass is a rare imaging presentation of pheochromocytoma. We aimed to describe the clinical, biochemical and imaging characteristics of patients with cystic pheochromocytoma.DesignSingle‐centre, retrospective study, 2000−2020.PatientsConsecutive patients with cystic pheochromocytoma were identified from our institutional pathology and adrenal tumour database.ResultsOf the 638 patients with pheochromocytomas, 21 (3.2%) had cystic pheochromocytomas (median age: 57 years, 57% women). Most pheochromocytomas were discovered incidentally (57%) or due to symptoms of catecholamine excess (24%). The median tumour size was 6.4 cm. On imaging, cystic pheochromocytomas were round or oval (90%), heterogeneous lesions (86%) with a thick solid rim (median rim thickness 13.9 mm, unenhanced computed tomography (CT) attenuation 40 Hounsfield units (HU), venous‐phase CT attenuation 83 HU), and a median cystic component of 40% (unenhanced CT attenuation 17.6 HU, venous‐phase CT attenuation 20.4 HU), and rarely with calcifications (15%). All 20 patients with biochemical testing had functioning tumours (adrenergic in 80%, noradrenergic in 20%). Total urinary metanephrine excretion correlated with the volume of the solid component (R2 = .75, p < .0001) but not the cystic component (R2 = .04, p = .4386). All patients underwent adrenalectomy (48% laparoscopic, 52% open), and the median duration of hospital stay was 4 days.ConclusionsCystic pheochromocytomas are rare, large tumours with a phenotypic appearance that can masquerade as other adrenal cystic lesions. The degree of biochemical abnormality in cystic pheochromocytomas is associated with the volume of the solid component. All patients with adrenal cysts that have a solid component or an unenhanced attenuation >10 HU should undergo biochemical testing for pheochromocytoma.
The attenuation effect of potassium 2‐(1‐hydroxypentyl)‐benzoate in a mouse model of diabetes‐associated cognitive decline: The protein expression in the brain
Authors: Yu Wenwen , Yin Huajing , Sun Yingni , Shi Si , Li Jiang , Wang Xiaoliang 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAimsdl‐PHPB (potassium 2‐(1‐hydroxypentyl)‐benzoate) has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against acute cerebral ischemia, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dl‐PHPB on memory deficits and preliminarily explore the underlying molecular mechanism.MethodsBlood glucose and behavioral performance were evaluated in the KK‐Ay diabetic mouse model before and after dl‐PHPB administration. Two‐dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D‐DIGE)‐based proteomics was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in brain tissue. Western blotting was used to study the molecular mechanism of the related signaling pathways.ResultsThree‐month‐old KK‐Ay mice were given 150 mg/kg dl‐PHPB by oral gavage for 2 months, which produced no effect on the level of serum glucose. In the Morris water maze test, KK‐Ay mice treated with dl‐PHPB showed significant improvements in spatial learning and memory deficits compared with vehicle‐treated KK‐Ay mice. Additionally, we performed 2D‐DIGE to compare brain proteomes of 5‐month KK‐Ay mice treated with and without dl‐PHPB. We found 14 altered proteins in the cortex and 11 in the hippocampus; two of the 25 altered proteins and another four proteins that were identified in a previous study on KK‐Ay mice were then validated by western blot to further confirm whether dl‐PHPB can reverse the expression levels of these proteins. The phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3β) signaling pathway was also changed in KK‐Ay mice and dl‐PHPB treatment could reverse it.ConclusionsThese results indicate that dl‐PHPB may play a potential role in diabetes‐associated cognitive impairment through PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3β signaling pathway and the differentially expressed proteins may become putative therapeutic targets.
Application of the current diagnostic algorithm for early mycosis fungoides to a single center cohort: Identification of challenges and suggestions for modification
Authors: Krishnasamy Shalini , Correia Emily , Kartan Saritha , Wang Xuejun , Porcu Pierluigi , Cha Jisun , Nikbakht Neda 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundDiagnosing early‐stage mycosis fungoides (MF) remains a significant challenge. The International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas (ISCL) proposed an algorithm for diagnosing early MF incorporating clinical and histopathologic characteristics, as well as immunohistochemistry and molecular studies. Here we aim to examine the diagnostic utility of the ISCL algorithm.MethodsIn this single‐center retrospective review, the ISCL algorithm was applied to 28 patients diagnosed with early‐stage MF. Immunohistochemistry and molecular studies were not performed for all patients, so a subgroup analysis was conducted including 18 patients in whom both studies had been performed. We calculated the diagnostic sensitivity of the algorithm. Subsequently, we examined how modifying the algorithm's histopathologic criterion from epidermotropism without spongiosis to epidermotropism influenced its sensitivity.ResultsForty‐three percent (12/28) of the cohort and 50% (9/18) of the subgroup met the algorithm's diagnostic threshold. When the algorithm was modified, 71% of the cohort and 89% of the subgroup met the algorithm's threshold.ConclusionWhile the ISCL algorithm is useful in diagnosing early‐stage MF, its sensitivity remains suboptimal. Further refinement of the algorithm to capture spongiotic subtypes of MF may improve its diagnostic value.
Kutane Angiosarkome: molekulare Pathogenese und neue therapeutische Ansätze
Authors: Goerdt Lea V. , Schneider Stefan W. , Booken Nina 
Published: April 2022

ZusammenfassungDas kutane Angiosarkom (CAS) ist ein hochaggressiver maligner Tumor mit schlechter Prognose. Das primäre, spontane CAS (pCAS) und das sekundäre, mit einer Bestrahlung oder einem Lymphödem assoziierte CAS (sCAS) unterscheiden sich klinisch sowie molekular. Die Amplifikation/Überexpression von Myc ist ein charakteristisches, wenn auch nicht ausschließliches Merkmal von sCAS, während der Verlust von TP53 selektiv bei pCAS vorkommt. Detaillierte molekulare Analysen mit modernen Multi‐Omics‐Ansätzen haben gezeigt, dass sowohl pCAS als auch sCAS eine erhebliche molekulare Heterogenität aufweisen. Die betroffenen Gene und ihre molekularen Regulatoren sind mögliche therapeutische Zielstrukturen. Darüber hinaus kann das pCAS in Cluster mit hoher Mutationsrate und/oder ausgeprägten Entzündungssignaturen eingeteilt werden, die als Grundlage für die künftige Stratifizierung von pCAS‐Patienten in immuntherapeutischen klinischen Studien dienen können. Während die Aufklärung der der Erkrankung zugrunde liegenden molekularen Veränderungen zügig voranschreitet, verläuft die Entwicklung daraus abgeleiteter neuer Therapien für das CAS jedoch bisher eher langsam. Dennoch wurden einige über die Standardtherapien wie Operation und Radiochemotherapie hinausgehende klinische Studien zu neuen Behandlungsmöglichkeiten initiiert. Dazu gehören zielgerichtete Therapien gegen VEGF und VEGFR1–3 wie Bevacizumab und Pazopanib, sowie β‐Adrenozeptorenblocker wie Propranolol. Derzeit werden auch Immuntherapien entwickelt, unter anderem unter Verwendung der Immuncheckpoint‐Inhibitoren Pembrolizumab und Nivolumab sowie des Anti‐RANKL‐Antikörper Denosumab.
Research on dead human bodies: African perspectives on moral status
Authors: Matisonn Heidi , Muade Ndivhoniswani Elphus 
Published: April 2022

AbstractA useful concept that can be invoked to resolve complex bioethical issues is that of moral status (or, human dignity). In this article, we apply this concept to dead human bodies in order to support our view that research on such bodies is permissible. Instead of drawing from salient Western theories of human dignity that account for it by appeals to autonomy or rationality, we will base our investigation on emerging conceptions in African theories of moral status as articulated by Thaddeus Metz and Munamato Chemhuru. Our conclusion is that neither of these theories of moral status, one secular, and the other religious, can accommodate the intuition that we have direct duties of respect towards such bodies because, in relation to Metz's conception, they lack the capacity to enter into social relationships while on Chemhuru's conception, dead bodies appear not to have any meaningful purpose within the hierarchy that captures the ontological systems that determine such status. Consequently, we argue that our analysis provides support for the use of unclaimed cadavers in training and research in medical institutions.
Robustness of individualized inferences from longitudinal resting state EEG dynamics
Authors: Hommelsen Maximilian , Viswanathan Shivakumar , Daun Silvia 
Published: April 2022

AbstractTracking how individual human brains change over extended timescales is crucial to clinical scenarios ranging from stroke recovery to healthy aging. The use of resting state (RS) activity for tracking is a promising possibility. However, it is unresolved how a person's RS activity over time can be decoded to distinguish neurophysiological changes from confounding cognitive variability. Here, we develop a method to screen RS activity changes for these confounding effects by formulating it as a problem of change classification. We demonstrate a novel solution to change classification by linking individual‐specific change to inter‐individual differences. Individual RS‐electroencephalography (EEG) was acquired over 5 consecutive days including task states devised to simulate the effects of inter‐day cognitive variation. As inter‐individual differences are shaped by neurophysiological differences, the inter‐individual differences in RS activity on 1 day were analysed (using machine learning) to identify distinctive configurations in each individual's RS activity. Using this configuration as a decision rule, an individual could be re‐identified from 2‐s samples of the instantaneous oscillatory power spectrum acquired on a different day both from RS and confounded RS with a limited loss in accuracy. Importantly, the low loss in accuracy in cross‐day versus same‐day classification was achieved with classifiers that combined information from multiple frequency bands at channels across the scalp (with a concentration at characteristic fronto‐central and occipital zones). Taken together, these findings support the technical feasibility of screening RS activity for confounding effects and the suitability of longitudinal RS for robust individualized inferences about neurophysiological change in health and disease.
Role of uroguanylin's signalling pathway in the development of ischaemic stroke
Authors: Ratko Martina , Habek Nikola , Dobrivojević Radmilović Marina , Škokić Siniša , Justić Helena , Barić Anja , Dugandžić Aleksandra 
Published: April 2022

AbstractStroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. By affecting bradykinin function, activation of guanylate cyclase (GC)‐A has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect after ischaemic stroke, whereas the same has not been confirmed for GC‐B; therefore, we aimed to determine the possible role of GC‐C and its agonist, uroguanylin (UGN), in the development of stroke. In this study, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was performed on wild‐type (WT), GC‐C KO and UGN KO mice. MR images were acquired before and 24 h after MCAO. On brain slices 48 h after MCAO, the Ca2+ response to UGN stimulation was recorded. Our results showed that the absence of GC‐C in GC‐C KO mice resulted in the development of smaller ischaemic lesions compared with WT littermates, which is an opposite effect compared with the effects of GC‐A agonists on brain lesions. WT and UGN KO animals showed a stronger Ca2+ response upon UGN stimulation in astrocytes of the peri‐ischaemic cerebral cortex compared with the same cortical region of the unaffected contralateral hemisphere. This stronger activation was not observed in GC‐C KO animals, which may be the reason for smaller lesion development in GC‐C KO mice. The reason why GC‐C might affect Ca2+ signalling in peri‐ischaemic astrocytes is that GC‐C is expressed in these cells after MCAO, whereas under normoxic conditions, it is expressed mainly in cortical neurons. Stronger activation of the Ca2+‐dependent signalling pathway could lead to the stronger activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger, tissue acidification and neuronal death.