bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ocular Manifestations and Socio-Demographic Factors among Adults on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in Enugu, Nigeria
Authors: Chime Amalachukwu Amanda , Eze Ugochukwu Anthony , Onwubiko Stella Ngozi , Udeh Nnenma Ndidiamaka , Chime Michael Okwudili , Olaolu Michael O. , Okoye Onochie Ike , Onwasigwe Ernest Nnaemeka , Umeh Rich Enujioke 
Published: October 2022

HIV/AIDS is associated with systemic immune dysfunction which makes the body susceptible to certain opportunistic infections and tumours. The advent of HAART his know to provide some desired improvement leading to altered patterns of clinical finding which includes the ocular manifestations
Objective: To determine the socio-demographic association, frequency and types of ocular manifestations of HIV/AIDS in adult HIV positive patients in Enugu.
Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study. It comprised 331 randomly selected and consenting adult HIV positive patients on Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) at the retroviral disease clinic of UNTH Enugu, Nigeria. They had slit lamp examination of the anterior and posterior segment. Data was obtained using an interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was with SPSS version 21. Their demographic data, frequency and pattern of ocular manifestations were presented in frequency and percentages. A p-value of < 0.05 was used to define statistical significance at 95% confidence interval.
Results: The hospital prevalence of HIV related ocular manifestations was 18.4%. HIV microangiopathy was the commonest (18.8%). Posterior segment ocular manifestations were the commonest (37.7%) observed class of HIV ocular manifestations. Of those with HIV related ocular manifestations, only 33.3% had a previous history of eye problem. There was no statistically significant association between the socio-demographic variables and the ocular findings.
Conclusion: Pharmacotherapy has altered the overall clinical course of HIV/AIDS. However, HIV related ocular manifestations are still common, though no association was found between the demographic variables of the population and the ocular findings. We recommend that all patients on follow up in for HIV/AIDS should continue to adhere strictly to recommended HAART regimen.
Screening for Iron Deficiency in Early Childhood Using Serum Ferritin
Authors: Mahajan Animesh , Gupta Ravinder K. , Sabharwal Rachna , Mahajan Pallavi 
Published: October 2022

Introduction: The iron deficiency is an important public health problem widely prevalent in the early childhood period. Iron is very important for various body processes like monoamine metabolism, synthesis of myelin, and metabolic function of the brain. It has many detrimental effects on the cognition, emotional, social, and motor development.‍ Serum ferritin is an easily available, non invasive, inexpensive with high specificity for iron deficiency.
Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim to estimate the levels of hemoglobin and serum ferritin in young children in the age group of 1-5 years irrespective of their sex.
Materials and Methods: Laboratory data of serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels were prospectively collected of apparently healthy children, 1 to 5 years of age coming to Pediatrics OPD of Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences, Jammu. The ferritin levels were estimated in roche chemiluminescent immunoassay. The haemoglobin levels were estimated. Children with serum ferritin level < 12 µg/L was considered as deficiency. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.
Results: A total of 100 children, 1 to 5 years of age were enrolled in the study. The mean hemoglobin level in children is 12.2gm%. The mean serum ferritin level in children is 29.2µg/L. In our study, it was observed that the mean Hb levels are higher in the reference age group, than decreases in the 2-3 year age group and then again increases in the 3-5 years age group. It was further observed that the serum ferritin levels were higher in the reference age group and then decreases in the 2-3 year age group. The serum ferritin levels further rises in the 3-4 years, 4-5 years age group.
Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that serum ferritin is a more reliable test than hemoglobin for screening iron deficiency in early childhood. The most favorable age group for screening for iron deficiency appears to be 2 to 3 years of age in which maximum number of children with iron deficiency was observed, but other associated conditions should also be kept in mind.
Couples’ Sexual Communication: Results from a Questionnaire and Conclusions For School-Based Sex Education
Authors: Hinz Arnold , Leemhuis Maraike 
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Previous research demonstrated that sexual communication is positively intertwined with sexual satisfaction. The aim of this study was to identify the specific elements (‘sexual languages’, nonverbal behavior, post-sex communication, self-disclosure of sexual fantasies, negotiation of safe sex practices) that contribute to sexual satisfaction, and to derive implications for school-based sex education.
Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was applied based on a questionnaire with open-ended items and two scales measuring sexual communication and sexual satisfaction. A convenience sample of 52 students (16 men, 36 women) recruited from Ludwigsburg University of Education was used. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to analyze qualitative data. Group comparisons and Spearman’s rank-order correlation test were performed to analyze quantitative data.
Results: Nearly all participants perceived their sexual satisfaction as high, while they rated their sexual communication as mediocre to high. Sexual communication correlated strongly (ρ = 0.51, P < .001) with overall sexual satisfaction. Respondents’ sexual satisfaction did not depend on whether their sexual communication was verbal or non-verbal. Participants with undisclosed sexual fantasies (which they would love to turn into reality) had lower sexual satisfaction rates. Around a quarter of participants described concrete teaching methods to facilitate communication skills in school-based sex education.
Discussion: The present results confirm, in line with previous research, that sexual satisfaction is highly predictable with sexual communication.
Conclusion: One of the challenges of sex education is the cultural lack of modeling on how to communicate effectively about sex. A central goal must be that girls and boys can perceive their sexual turn-ons and -offs and disclose them to a partner. This self-disclosure is a crucial factor in developing a positive intimate relationship. As suggested by one of six of the participants, role-play scenarios (behavioral skill training) seem to be well suited to learn how to communicate about safe sex practices, sexual wants, and turn-offs.
Accessible ecophysiological tools for seabird conservation
Authors: Whitehead Edin A. , Dunphy Brendon J. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractSeabirds are the most endangered avian taxa on Earth, with over a third of species globally threatened. To help slow their decline, conservation physiology seeks to determine how seabird responses to climatic and anthropogenic threats influence demographic processes, but it is not widely utilized in monitoring.A wide variety of metrics and methods are available to the conservation practitioner; thus, the correct method selection is paramount. This is a review of physiological tools to assess both individual and population health in seabirds, outlining which tools could be accessible enough to incorporate into conservation management strategies to increase the efficacy and range of population monitoring.Ultimately, the cost and expertise required limits the use of some tools in a community‐based management context, but they are useful in academic research in collaboration with conservation projects to generate data to inform management strategies for threatened species.The value of the data available from particular tools is weighed against the invasiveness of the methodology to assess the practicality of incorporating physiological tools into routine seabird monitoring programmes.A broader application of conservation physiology tools in a monitoring context could help manage threatened species; this paper summarizes a set of physiological variables from minimally invasive samples that have potential to assist in monitoring population health for seabird conservation. The full potential of these physiological tools is yet to be realized in seabirds.
Effect of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on myelosuppression in mice induced by cytoxan
Authors: Han Jiahong , Fei Xuan , Sun Nian , Xing Junjia , Cai Enbo , Yang Limin 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on chemotherapy‐induced myelosuppression and elucidate its mechanism. A pharmacological study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of the inhibiting effects of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on cyclophosphamide‐induced bone marrow suppression in mice. HPLC was used to measure the chemical components. We demonstrated that medium and high doses of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus increased the amount of white blood cells and bone marrow nucleated cells (p < 0.05) in the cyclophosphamian‐induced mouse model, and at the same time reduced granulocyte–macrophage–colony stimulating factor and thrombopoietin in the serum of myelosuppression mice (p < 0.01). Medium and high doses of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus can also adjust the thymus index and spleen index(p < 0.05). Ligustri Lucidi Fructus regulates the balance of bcl‐2/bax, inhibits the expression of Caspase‐3 and meanwhile stimulates the expression of mitogen‐activated protein (MEK) and phospho extracellular regulated protein kinases (p‐ERK) on the MAPK pathway. Five chemical constituents of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, which may be related to myelosuppression, were analyzed. The content of specnuezhenide was 0.281%, that of ligustroflavone was 0.004%, that of salidroside was 0.094%, that of hydroxytyrosol was 0.060% and that of tyrosol was 0.069%. The effect of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on myelosuppression after chemotherapy may be related to its multicomponent and multitarget nature. Ligustri Lucidi Fructus may be a promising potential drug for treatment after chemotherapy.
Effects of voriconazole and fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics of almonertinib in rats by UPLC–MS/MS
Authors: Fu Yuhao , Li Ying , Ma Yinling , He Xueru , Xun Xuejiao , Cui Yanjun , Fan Liju , Dong Zhanjun 
Published: October 2022

AbstractAlmonertinib was included in the first‐line treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer with EGFR T790M mutations by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology in 2021. Considering that immunocompromised lung cancer patients are prone to opportunistic fungal infections, and most triazole antifungal drugs are moderate or strong inhibitors of CYP3A4, this study was conducted to develop and validate an accurate and rapid ultra‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for quantifying almonertinib in plasma and for investigating the pharmacokinetic changes of almonertinib caused by voriconazole and fluconazole in rats. After liquid–liquid extraction with tert‐butyl methyl ether, an XSelect HSS T3 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 2.5 μm, Waters) was used for the chromatographic separation of almonertinib and sorafenib‐D3 (internal standard). The analytes were detected using an AB Sciex Triple Quad 5,500 mass spectrometer in the positive ionization mode. The method exhibited great linearity (0.5–200 ng/ml, r > 0.997) and stability under the established experimental conditions. All validation experiments were in accordance with the guidelines, and the results were all within the acceptable limits. This method was successfully applied to the researches of pharmacokinetics and drug interactions for almonertinib in rats. Voriconazole and fluconazole significantly altered the pharmacokinetic profiles of almonertinib and increased the systemic exposure of almonertinib in rats to different degrees, but further human trials should be conducted to validate the results.
Interrelationship between international trade and environmental performance: Theoretical approaches and indicators for sustainable development
Authors: Sorroche‐del‐Rey Yolanda , Piedra‐Muñoz Laura , Galdeano‐Gómez Emilio 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIn recent years, a great deal of research has analyzed the impact of trade openness on the environment, with the aim of determining whether internationalization contributes to the improvement of environmental performance (EP) or, on the contrary, hinders the achievement of sustainable development. The objective of the present work is to conduct a systematic literature review on the interrelationship between international trade and EP at the micro‐ and macroeconomic levels, analyzing the existent theoretical approaches and the EP indicators utilized in practice. The most prominent theories found are firm heterogeneity, at a microeconomic level, and the pollution haven/halo hypotheses, at a macroeconomic level. Also, the EP indicators have been classified according to five dimensions: energy consumption, resource consumption, emissions, risk potential, and toxic potential, of which pollutant gas emissions and energy consumption are the most used. The results obtained show evidence of the interrelationship mentioned from the perspective of the different theories. In addition, this analysis helps to identify several gaps in this line of study.
Disparities in melanoma incidence and mortality in rural versus urban Michigan
Authors: Shellenberger Richard A. , Johnson Timothy M. , Fayyaz Fatima , Swamy Bhanu , Albright Jeremy , Geller Alan C. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIntroductionWe sought to identifying the possible existence of disparities between rural and urban residents of Michigan for the incidence by stage of disease and disease‐specific mortality for cutaneous melanoma (CM).MethodsIncidence rates for stage of disease and disease‐specific mortality of cutaneous melanoma were calculated and controlled for gender, age, and area of residence from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2018, from data collected form the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.ResultsThe incidence rates for CM were significantly higher in rural Michigan counties, from 2014–2018, for all patients, both age groups, both genders and all stages. Melanoma‐specific mortality rates were also significantly higher for all patients, both age groups and both genders in rural Michigan counties. Using logistic regression analysis, while controlling for age and gender, rural Michigan counties continued to have a higher melanoma‐specific morality rate during our study period (OR = 1.491; 95% CI, 1.27–1.74; p = <.001).ConclusionWe found significant disparities in the incidence rates and disease specific mortality for cutaneous melanoma in rural compared to urban Michigan from 2014–2018.
Parallel detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 epitopes reveals dynamic immunodominance profiles of CD8+ T memory cells in convalescent COVID‐19 donors
Authors: van den Dijssel Jet , Hagen Ruth R , de Jongh Rivka , Steenhuis Maurice , Rispens Theo , Geerdes Dionne M , Mok Juk Yee , Kragten Angela HM , Duurland Mariël C , Verstegen Niels JM , van Ham S Marieke , van Esch Wim JE , van Gisbergen Klaas PJM , Hombrink Pleun , ten Brinke Anja , van de Sandt Carolien E 
Published: October 2022

AbstractObjectivesHigh‐magnitude CD8+ T cell responses are associated with mild COVID‐19 disease; however, the underlying characteristics that define CD8+ T cell‐mediated protection are not well understood. The antigenic breadth and the immunodominance hierarchies of epitope‐specific CD8+ T cells remain largely unexplored and are essential for the development of next‐generation broad‐protective vaccines. This study identified a broad spectrum of conserved SARS‐CoV‐2 CD8+ T cell epitopes and defined their respective immunodominance and phenotypic profiles following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.MethodsCD8+ T cells from 51 convalescent COVID‐19 donors were analysed for their ability to recognise 133 predicted and previously described SARS‐CoV‐2‐derived peptides restricted by 11 common HLA class I allotypes using heterotetramer combinatorial coding, which combined with phenotypic markers allowed in‐depth ex vivo profiling of CD8+ T cell responses at quantitative and phenotypic levels.ResultsA comprehensive panel of 49 mostly conserved SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific CD8+ T cell epitopes, including five newly identified low‐magnitude epitopes, was established. We confirmed the immunodominance of HLA‐A*01:01/ORF1ab1637–1646 and B*07:02/N105–113 and identified B*35:01/N325–333 as a third epitope with immunodominant features. The magnitude of subdominant epitope responses, including A*03:01/N361–369 and A*02:01/S269–277, depended on the donors' HLA‐I context. All epitopes expressed prevalent memory phenotypes, with the highest memory frequencies in severe COVID‐19 donors.ConclusionSARS‐CoV‐2 infection induces a predominant CD8+ T memory response directed against a broad spectrum of conserved SARS‐CoV‐2 epitopes, which likely contributes to long‐term protection against severe disease. The observed immunodominance hierarchy emphasises the importance of T cell epitopes derived from nonspike proteins to the overall protective and cross‐reactive immune response, which could aid future vaccine strategies.
The Standardized Growth Expectation: Implications for Education Evaluation
Authors: Stenner A. Jackson , Bland June D. , Hunter Earl L. , Cooper Mildred L. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to review some assumptions underlying the use of norm-referenced tests in educational evaluations and to provide a prospectus for research on these assumptions as well as other questions related to norm-referenced tests. Specifically, the assumptions which will be examined are (1) expressing treatment effects in a standard score metric permits aggregation of effects across grades, (2) commonly used standardized tests are sufficiently comparable to permit aggregation of results across tests, and (3) the summer loss observed in Title I projects is due to an actual loss in achievement skills and knowledge. We wish to emphasize at the outset that our intent in this paper is to raise questions and not to present a coherent set of answers.
Generally Objective Measurement of Human Temperature and Reading Ability: Some Corollaries
Authors: Stenner A. Jackson , Stone Mark 
Published: October 2022

AbstractWe argue that a goal of measurement is general objectivity: point estimates of a person’s measure (height, temperature, and reader ability) should be independent of the instrument and independent of the sample in which the person happens to find herself. In contrast, Rasch’s concept of specific objectivity requires only differences (i.e., comparisons) between person measures to be independent of the instrument. We present a canonical case in which there is no overlap between instruments and persons: each person is measured by a unique instrument. We then show what is required to estimate measures in this degenerate case. The canonical case encourages a simplification and reconceptualization of validity and reliability. Not surprisingly, this reconceptualization looks a lot like the way physicists and chemometricians think about validity and measurement error. We animate this presentation with a technology that blurs the distinction between instruction, assessment, and generally objective measurement of reader ability. We encourage adaptation of this model to health outcomes measurement.
A Technology Roadmap for Intangible Assets Metrology
Authors: Fisher William P. , Stenner A. Jackson 
Published: October 2022

AbstractMeasurement plays a vital role in the creation of markets, one that hinges on efficiencies gained via universal availability of precise and accurate information on product quantity and quality. Fulfilling the potential of these ideals requires close attention to measurement and the role of technology in science and the economy. The practical value of a strong theory of instrument calibration and metrological traceability stems from the capacity to mediate relationships in ways that align, coordinate, and integrate different firms’ expectations, investments, and capital budgeting decisions over the long term. Improvements in the measurement of reading ability exhibit patterns analogous to Moore’s Law, which has guided expectations in the micro-processor industry for almost 50 years. The state of the art in reading measurement serves as a model for generalizing the mediating role of instruments in making markets for other forms of intangible assets. These remarks provide only a preliminary sketch of the kinds of information that are both available and needed for making more efficient markets for human, social, and natural capital. Nevertheless, these initial steps project new horizons in the arts and sciences of measuring and managing intangible assets.
Can Psychometricians Learn to Think Like Physicists?
Authors: Stenner A. Jackson , Burdick Donald S. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe last 50 years of human and social science measurement theory and practice have witnessed a steady retreat from physical science as the canonical model. Humphry (2011) unapologetically draws on metrology and physical science analogies to reformulate the relationship between discrimination and the unit. This brief note focuses on why this reformulation is important and on how these ideas can improve measurement theory and practice.
Testing Construct Theories
Authors: Stenner A. Jackson , Smith Malbert 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis paper presents and illustrates a novel methodology, construct-specification equations, for examining the construct validity of a psychological instrument. Whereas traditional approaches have focused on the study of between-person variation on the construct, the suggested methodology emphasizes study of the relationships between item characteristics and item scores. The major thesis of the construct-specification-equation approach is that until developers of a psychological instrument understand what item characteristics are determining the item difficulties, the understanding of what is being measured is unsatisfyingly primitive. This method is illustrated with data from the Knox Cube Test which purports to be a measure of visual attention and short-term memory.
Mapping Variables
Authors: Stone Mark H. , Wright Benjamin D. , Stenner A. Jackson 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis paper describes Mapping Variables, the principal technique for planning and constructing a test or rating instrument. A variable map is also useful for interpreting results. Modest reference is made to the history of mapping leading to its importance in psychometrics. Several maps are given to show the importance and value of mapping a variable by person and item data. The need for critical appraisal of maps is also stressed.