The Epilepsy Ontology: a community-based ontology tailored for semantic interoperability and text-mining

Motivation: Epilepsy is a multi-faceted complex disorder that requires a precise understanding of the classification, diagnosis, treatment, and disease mechanism governing it. Although scattered resources are available on epilepsy, comprehensive and structured knowledge is missing. In contemplation to promote multidisciplinary knowledge exchange and facilitate advancement in clinical management, especially in pre-clinical research, a disease-specific ontology is necessary. The presented ontology is designed to enable better interconnection between scientific community members in the epilepsy domain.Results: The Epilepsy Ontology (EPIO) is an assembly of structured knowledge on various aspects of epilepsy, developed according to Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) and Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology (OBO) Foundry principles. Concepts and definitions are collected from the latest International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification, domain-specific ontologies, and scientific literature. This ontology consists of 1,879 classes and 28,151 axioms (2,171 declaration axioms, 2,219 logical axioms) from several aspects of epilepsy. This ontology is intended to be used for data management and text mining purposes.

Endocrinopathies and Male Infertility

Male infertility is approaching a concerning prevalence worldwide, and inflicts various impacts on the affected couple. The hormonal assessment is a vital component of male fertility evaluation as endocrine disorders are markedly reversible causatives of male infertility. Precise hormonal regulations are prerequisites to maintain normal male fertility parameters. The core male reproductive event, spermatogenesis, entails adequate testosterone concentration, which is produced via steroidogenesis in the Leydig cells. Physiological levels of both the gonadotropins are needed to achieve normal testicular functions. The hypothalamus-derived gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is considered the supreme inducer of the gonadotropins and thereby the subsequent endocrine reproductive events. This hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis may be modulated by the thyroidal or adrenal axis and numerous other reproductive and nonreproductive hormones. Disruption of this fine hormonal balance and their crosstalk leads to a spectrum of endocrinopathies, inducing subfertility or infertility in men. This review article will discuss the most essential endocrinopathies associated with male factor infertility to aid precise understanding of the endocrine disruptions-mediated male infertility to encourage further research to reveal the detailed etiology of male infertility and perhaps to develop more customized therapies for endocrinopathy-induced male infertility.

Comparative Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Thalamic Glioarchitectonics of Young and Senile Persons

The aim of the investigation was to establish morphological differences between the human thalamus in young and senile age by using an immunohistochemical marker – glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).Material and methods. The results of the sectional study of both thalami of 94 deceased of both sexes were analyzed. Depending on their age (young and senile), they were divided into two groups. The deceased had no history of diseases and injuries of the central and peripheral nervous system organs as well as alcohol and/or drug addiction, no macroscopic signs of brain tissue pathology were detected when material was taken for microscopic examination. Morphological characterization of thalamic tissue in both hemispheres of the large brain using hematoxylin and eosin staining was given. Immunohistochemical study of the samples used antibodies to GFAP.Results. Histological examination of the thalamus in both young and senile age revealed groups of irregularly arranged neuronal bodies with granular cytoplasm and swollen ectopic nuclei. When the immunohistochemical reaction was performed, the product of the reaction was distributed in the bodies and outgrowths of astrocytes. In young age, single bodies of fibrous astrocytes with a moderate number of poorly visualized outgrowths were found. At senile age, in addition to a statistically significant increase in the numerical density of fibrous astrocyte bodies (p<0.01), there is a clear increase in the number of their outgrowths.Conclusion. The results obtained provide a detailed insight into the morphological characteristics of the thalamic tissue of men and women at young and senile age. The use of antibodies to GFAP is a sensitive marker of age-related changes in thalamic cytoarchitectonics. The increase in the numerical density of astrocytes as well as the outgrowth of their processes allows a more precise understanding of age-related involution of nervous tissue, which will allow to use these data in future prospective basic research.

The importance of understanding and making sense of Zulu traditional hymns as a symbol of expressing worship: Cognitive hermeneutics and hermeneutics of hymnody theories

Singing and understanding Zulu traditional hymns among charismatic churches and gospel groups have become a fundamental worship tool. Zulu traditional hymns are at the centre of Christian lives in South Africa. Singing Zulu traditional hymns (iCilongo Levangeli) is predominant for many South African musicians and gospel groups using modern musical styles. However, contemporary churches, musicians and gospel groups tend not to understand the authenticity of these hymns. The issue of Zulu traditional hymns in the modern gospel industry is a matter of great concern. Therefore, this article addresses and discusses the importance of understanding and making sense of Zulu traditional hymns as a symbol of expressing worship. Data were collected for a research practice using a hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm to obtain a precise understanding and the original meaning of the prominent Zulu traditional hymns. The study reveals that there are Zulu traditional hymns that were misinterpreted and misunderstood. The misinterpretation of Zulu traditional hymns is partly attributable to the ignorance of the underlying true meaning, emotions, state and purpose of the original composer.Contribution: This study recommends that contemporary gospel musicians sing Zulu traditional hymns in the original text to ensure that they do not misinterpret the hymns.

A Review on Meshing Techniques in Biomedicine

Engineering has a wide range of applications where more detailed and reliable data are needed, one of which is biomedicine. One of the aims of meshing is to use the Finite Element Approach to solve the problem. By analysing and segmenting raw medical imaging data, meshing aids in a better and more precise understanding of the organs and structures of human body. The main goal of this paper is to collect and review the various available methods in meshing. Also, a comparison study of different meshing techniques that are available in biomedicine is performed.

Direct Care Workers Employed as Medical Aides: Home Health Aides, Nursing Assistants, and Orderlies

Purpose This study describes the differences among direct workers (DCWs) employed as medical aides in three occupations: home health aides, nursing assistants, and orderlies. Design and Methods Data were from the 1% Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS). Logistic regression was used to compare demographic and employment characteristics of DCWs employed as medical aides in three occupations: home health aides, nursing assistants and orderlies. Results Compared to orderlies and psychiatric aides, home health aides are more likely to be foreign born, more likely to be female, less likely to work in institutional settings, less likely to be under age 25, less likely to work year-round full-time, less likely to have more education, and less likely to receive insurance from their employers. Implications: Since 2018, the PUMS of the ACS separates nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides (previously one occupational category) into three: home health aides, nursing assistants, and orderlies. This affords researchers a more precise understanding of this part of the direct care workforce. Home health aides represented more than 2/3 of DCWs employed as medical aides in 2019. Further, these workers are distinct among medical aides. More than nursing assistants and orderlies, home health aides are older, female, underinsured, foreign-born, and with limited education. This reflects both the barriers home health aides face to other occupations and also the preferences of their employers (which include private households). These findings have implications for the recruitment and retention of medical aides across all three occupations.

Application of SARS-CoV-2 Serology to Address Public Health Priorities

Background: Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can be detected by various testing platforms, but a detailed understanding of assay performance is critical.Methods: We developed and validated a simple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect IgG binding to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, which was then applied for surveillance. ELISA results were compared to a set of complimentary serologic assays using a large panel of clinical research samples.Results: The RBD ELISA exhibited robust performance in ROC curve analysis (AUC&gt; 0.99; Se = 89%, Sp = 99.3%). Antibodies were detected in 23/353 (6.5%) healthcare workers, 6/9 RT-PCR-confirmed mild COVID-19 cases, and 0/30 non-COVID-19 cases from an ambulatory site. RBD ELISA showed a positive correlation with neutralizing activity (p = &lt;0.0001, R2 = 0.26).Conclusions: We applied a validated SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG ELISA in multiple contexts and performed orthogonal testing on samples. This study demonstrates the utility of a simple serologic assay for detecting prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly as a tool for efficiently testing large numbers of samples as in population surveillance. Our work also highlights that precise understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity at the individual level, particularly with wide availability of vaccination, may be improved by orthogonal testing and/or more complex assays such as multiplex bead assays.

Disruption of Alternative Splicing in the Amygdala of Pigs Exposed to Maternal Immune Activation

The inflammatory response of gestating females to infection or stress can disrupt gene expression in the offspring’s amygdala, resulting in lasting neurodevelopmental, physiological, and behavioral disorders. The effects of maternal immune activation (MIA) can be impacted by the offspring’s sex and exposure to additional stressors later in life. The objectives of this study were to investigate the disruption of alternative splicing patterns associated with MIA in the offspring’s amygdala and characterize this disruption in the context of the second stress of weaning and sex. Differential alternative splicing was tested on the RNA-seq profiles of a pig model of viral-induced MIA. Compared to controls, MIA was associated with the differential alternative splicing (FDR-adjusted p-value < 0.1) of 292 and 240 genes in weaned females and males, respectively, whereas 132 and 176 genes were differentially spliced in control nursed female and male, respectively. The majority of the differentially spliced (FDR-adjusted p-value < 0.001) genes (e.g., SHANK1, ZNF672, KCNA6) and many associated enriched pathways (e.g., Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cGMP-PKG signaling) have been reported in MIA-related disorders including autism and schizophrenia in humans. Differential alternative splicing associated with MIA was detected in the gene MAG across all sex-stress groups except for unstressed males and SLC2A11 across all groups except unstressed females. Precise understanding of the effect of MIA across second stressors and sexes necessitates the consideration of splicing isoform profiles.

Defining gut mycobiota for wild animals: a need for caution in assigning authentic resident fungal taxa

Animal gut mycobiota, the community of fungi that reside within the gastrointestinal tract, make an important contribution to host health. Accordingly, there is an emerging interest to quantify the gut mycobiota of wild animals. However, many studies of wild animal gut mycobiota do not distinguish between the fungi that likely can reside within animal gastrointestinal tracts from the fungal taxa that are non-residents, such as macrofungi, lichens or plant symbionts/pathogens that can be ingested as part of the host’s diet. Confounding the non-resident and resident gut fungi may obscure attempts to identify processes associated with the authentic, resident gut mycobiota per se. To redress this problem, we propose some strategies to filter the taxa identified within an apparent gut mycobiota based on an assessment of host ecology and fungal traits. Consideration of the different sources and roles of fungi present within the gastrointestinal tract should facilitate a more precise understanding of the causes and consequences of variation in wild animal gut mycobiota composition.

Features of artistic bilingualism in modern Udmurt literature (based on the poetry by B. Anfinogenov)

Introduction. The article deals with artistic bilingualism which is interpreted as the creative use of two languages in creating works of literature based on precise understanding of the specific features of semantic and pragmatic potential of these languages. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of artistic bilingualism in the work of the modern Udmurt poet B. Anfinogenov. Materials and Methods. The main source of research is the collection of B. Anfinogenov’s poetry “Aishet of the future”. The methodological framework includes linguistic analysis of poetic texts, synthesis and generalization of the achievements in literary studies, structural analysis, etc. The research is based on the use of the descriptive method as well as the method of full coverage and methods of contextual and situational-contextual analysis. Results and Discussion. Based on the analysis of the poetry of the young Udmurt author Bogdan Anfinogenov, it was revealed that one of the techniques inherent in the bilingual communication strategy is the use of code switching, which performs various functions. In addition to the traditional thematic function, emotional, decorative, recipient, factual and emphatic functions of code switching, artistic bilingualism in the work of this author draws the reader’s attention to the Udmurt language and culture. Also, the Udmurt poet deliberately emphasizes changes in the social environment and orientation towards Western culture. In other words, the use of code switching introduces additional semantic nuances into the literary text, a certain system of values, a certain type of modal-emotional meanings. Conclusion. The main constituent elements of code switching are language units representing all language levels: phonetic, morphological, syntactic. Special attention is paid to the phenomenon of code switching, represented at the level of the graphic system of the Udmurt language.