Understanding of administrative prejudice in criminal law (legislation): main doctrinal approaches

A consistent increase in the number of criminal-law norms with administrative prejudice requires an adequate doctrinal understanding of this legal phenomenon. This circumstance becomes relevant due to the lack of a legal definition of an administrative prejudice. The author comes to the conclusion that there are four main conceptual approaches in understanding the administrative prejudice in criminal law (legislation): formal-legal, socio-legal, intersectional and criminological. The article notes that none of these concepts can be considered as dominant.

Duration of respiratory sample stability at -80ºC for SARS-CoV-2 PCR

Objective: To determine the stability of respiratory samples for SARS-CoV-2 PCR at standard laboratory ultra-freezer temperatures (-80°C). Methods: Five hundred and sixty-five archived, SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patient specimens received at the Pathology Department of the Indus Hospital & Health Network between January 2021 and June 2021 were retested in June 2021. Samples had been stored at -70°C or below throughout this duration. Sample integrity following storage was assessed as the percentage of samples with reproducible results, and as consistency of cycle threshold (Ct) values between the original testing and the repeat testing. Results: Of the 565 samples evaluated in this study, 86% gave reproducible results upon retesting. However, there was no correlation between the duration of storage and result reproducibility, though the majority (69% for PCR Target-I and 78% for PCR Target-II respectively) of non-reproducible results had Ct values above 30. Similarly, there was a consistent increase of Ct values upon storage at ultra-freezer temperatures, though the effect again was more contingent upon freezing the sample in the ultra-freezer rather than the duration of storage. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 positive respiratory specimens for PCR can be stored for up to six months at -70°C or below without loss of sample integrity, though there is some loss of PCR-detected viral targets as evidenced by an immediate increased in the PCR-generated Ct values. In addition, samples with initial Ct values above 30 are more likely to give non-reproducible results. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.ICON-2022.5777 How to cite this:Aijaz J, Naseer F, Dojki M, Jamal S. Duration of respiratory sample stability at -80ºC for SARS-CoV-2 PCR. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(2):393-398. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.ICON-2022.5777 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Plasma Proteome Fingerprints Reveal Distinctiveness and Clinical Outcome of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Background: We evaluated how plasma proteomic signatures in patients with suspected COVID-19 can unravel the pathophysiology, and determine kinetics and clinical outcome of the infection. Methods: Plasma samples from patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of COVID-19 were stratified into: (1) patients with suspected COVID-19 that was not confirmed (n = 44); (2) non-hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 (n = 44); (3) hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 (n = 53) with variable outcome; and (4) patients presenting to the ED with minor diseases unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 20). Besides standard of care diagnostics, 177 circulating proteins related to inflammation and cardiovascular disease were analyzed using proximity extension assay (PEA, Olink) technology. Results: Comparative proteome analysis revealed 14 distinct proteins as highly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 12 proteins with subsequent hospitalization (p < 0.001). ADM, IL-6, MCP-3, TRAIL-R2, and PD-L1 were each predictive for death (AUROC curve 0.80–0.87). The consistent increase of these markers, from hospital admission to intensive care and fatality, supported the concept that these proteins are of major clinical relevance. Conclusions: We identified distinct plasma proteins linked to the presence and course of COVID-19. These plasma proteomic findings may translate to a protein fingerprint, helping to assist clinical management decisions.

Investigating Increased CO2 concentration on the pH of various plant species

The concept of bioremediation is quickly becoming the norm in the resolution of environmental issues. The steady increase in carbon dioxide levels, as documented by NASA, inspired scientists to engineer plants to absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Here, we have explored the consequences of the uptake of excess carbon dioxide by select plants. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to produce carbonic acid, which dissociates to yield H+ ions. We hypothesized that increased carbon dioxide absorption results in decrease in pH of plant sap. Three plants (Byophyllum pinnatum, Romaine Lettuce and Nevada Lettuce), exposed to increased carbon dioxide concentrations (15%), demonstrated a consistent increase in pH towards alkalinity compared to control plants. Based on the outcome being opposite of what we have hypothesized, our results suggest Byophyllum pinnatum, Romaine lettuce and Nevada lettuce, all have a unique homeostatic system to prevent over-absorption of carbon dioxide in a carbon dioxide-rich environment.

Epidemiology of surgery in a protracted humanitarian setting: a 20-year retrospective study of Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, Kigoma, Western Tanzania

Background There are 80 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide, 26.3 million of whom are refugees. Many refugees live in camps and have complex health needs, including a high burden of non-communicable disease. It is estimated that 3 million procedures are needed for refugees worldwide, yet very few studies exist on surgery in refugee camps, particularly protracted refugee settings. This study utilizes a 20-year dataset, the longest dataset of surgery in a refugee setting to be published to date, to assess surgical output in a setting of protracted displacement. Methods A retrospective review of surgeries performed in Nyarugusu Camp was conducted using paper logbooks containing entries between November 2000 and September 2020 inclusive. Abstracted data were digitized into standard electronic form and included date, patient nationality, sex, age, indication, procedure performed, and anesthesia used. A second reviewer checked 10% of entries for accuracy. Entries illegible to both reviewers were excluded. Demographics, indication for surgery, procedures performed, and type of anesthesia were standardized for descriptive analysis, which was performed in STATA. Results There were 10,799 operations performed over the 20-year period. Tanzanians underwent a quarter of the operations while refugees underwent the remaining 75%. Ninety percent of patients were female and 88% were 18 years of age or older. Caesarean sections were the most common performed procedure followed by herniorrhaphies, tubal ligations, exploratory laparotomies, hysterectomies, appendectomies, and repairs. The most common indications for laparotomy procedures were ectopic pregnancy, uterine rupture, and acute abdomen. Spinal anesthesia was the most common anesthesia type used. Although there was a consistent increase in procedural volume over the study period, this is largely explained by an increase in overall camp population and an increase in caesarean sections rather than increases in other, specific surgical procedures. Conclusion There is significant surgical volume in Nyarugusu Camp, performed by staff physicians and visiting surgeons. Both refugees and the host population utilize these surgical services. This work provides context to the surgical training these settings require, but further study is needed to assess the burden of surgical disease and the extent to which it is met in this setting and others.

Evaluation of endogenous intoxication indicators in the dynamics of experimental periodontitis and immobilization stress

The aim of our work was to investigate the peculiarities of changes in endogenous intoxication rates: medium mass molecules (MMM) and erythrocyte intoxication index (EII) in the blood of guinea pigs in the formation of combined pathology - experimental periodontitis (EP) and immobilization stress (IS).The results of biochemical studies showed that at all stages of development of combined pathology - experimental periodontitis and immobilization stress there is a consistent increase in the degree of endogenous intoxication, which dominated on the 15th day of the experiment, namely increased content of medium mass molecules (МMМ254 , MMM280) and EII in the blood by 58.5% (p≤0.05), 80.3% (p≤0.05) and 95.7% (p≤0.05), respectively, compared with the first group of animals is a clear manifestation of the formation of endogenous intoxication. These changes are obviously the result of insufficient elimination of toxic products on the background of the inflammatory process in periodontal tissues and stress.

About right: references in open-access EGU (European Geosciences Union) journals

We investigated the number of references per page for different European Geosciences Union journals, which share the same text formatting. Although the journals formally all focus on geoscience, different disciplines are covered, from ocean science and biogeosciences to the technical description of numerical model development. In this study, we show that the number of references per page is remarkably constant across these journals. In addition, this value has remained constant in the last decade, despite the consistent increase in the number of pages and in the number of references in almost all journals considered. Independently of the quality of the references used in an article, we show that for the EGU (European Geosciences Union) journals the average number of references per page is 3.82 (1.87–6.18 at 90 % confidence level). This reveals that there is a consensus regarding optimum reference density, which depends on the journal's layout and not on the journal's discipline.

Gender and age characteristics of resilience of adolescents with sustainable illegal behavior

The article presents the results of an empirical study aimed at analyzing hardiness of 14–17 year-olds with persistent illegal behavior (n = 118) in comparison with their peers who demonstrate conditionally normal behavior (n = 117). The assessment of hardiness was carried out with the use of the short version of the Hardiness Test by E. I. Rasskazova and E. N. Osin. The results show that adolescents with persistent illegal behavior are characterized by lower indicators of hardiness, in comparison with adolescents with conditionally normative behavior, and this trend is manifested both in the analysis of the total indicator and particular indicators of hardiness. The analysis of changes in the total and particular indicators of hardiness (performed with the cross-section method) identifies a trend associated with consistent increase in hardiness indicators among adolescents with persistent illegal behavior, while in adolescents form comparison group these indicators decrease. The analysis of gender differences allows us to establish that the trend to increasing hardiness in the group of adolescents with persistent illegal behavior is characteristic of girls, while the hardiness of boys who make up this group decreases as they grow up, as well as in their peers with conditionally normative behavior. The necessity of a differentiated approach to the psychological support of the personal development of boys and girls with persistent illegal behavior is discussed.

Chitin Glucan Shifts Luminal and Mucosal Microbial Communities, Improve Epithelial Barrier and Modulates Cytokine Production In Vitro

The human gut microbiota has been linked to the health status of the host. Modulation of human gut microbiota through pro- and prebiotic interventions has yielded promising results; however, the effect of novel prebiotics, such as chitin–glucan, on gut microbiota–host interplay is still not fully characterized. We assessed the effect of chitin–glucan (CG) and chitin–glucan plus Bifidobacterium breve (CGB) on human gut microbiota from the luminal and mucosal environments in vitro. Further, we tested the effect of filter-sterilized fecal supernatants from CG and CGB fermentation for protective effects on inflammation-induced barrier disruption and cytokine production using a co-culture of enterocytes and macrophage-like cells. Overall, CG and CGB promote health-beneficial short-chain fatty acid production and shift human gut microbiota composition, with a consistent effect increasing Roseburia spp. and butyrate producing-bacteria. In two of three donors, CG and CGB also stimulated Faecalibacterium prausniitzi. Specific colonization of B. breve was observed in the lumen and mucosal compartment; however, no synergy was detected for different endpoints when comparing CGB and CG. Both treatments included a significant improvement of inflammation-disrupted epithelial barrier and shifts on cytokine production, especially by consistent increase in the immunomodulatory cytokines IL10 and IL6.

The Interaction Between the Microbiome and Tumors

Cancer is a significant global health problem and is characterized by a consistent increase in incidence and mortality rate. Deciphering the etiology and risk factors are essential parts of cancer research. Recently, the altered microbiome has been identified within the tumor microenvironment, tumor tissue, and even nonadjacent environments, which indicates a strong correlation between the microbiome and tumor development. However, the causation and mechanisms of this correlation remain unclear. Herein, we summarized and discussed the interaction between the microbiome and tumor progression. Firstly, the microbiome, which can be located in the tumor microenvironment, inside tumor tissues and in the nonadjacent environment, is different between cancer patients and healthy individuals. Secondly, the tumor can remodel microbial profiles by creating a more beneficial condition for the shifted microbiome. Third, the microbiome can promote tumorigenesis through a direct pathogenic process, including the establishment of an inflammatory environment and its effect on host immunity. The interactions between the microbiome and tumors can promote an understanding of the carcinogenesis and provide novel therapeutic strategies for cancers.