bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization and oncolytic virus targeting of FAP-expressing tumor-associated pericytes in glioblastoma
Authors: Li Ming , Li Guoping , Kiyokawa Juri , Tirmizi Zain , Richardson Leland G. , Ning Jianfang , Das Saumya , Martuza Robert L. , Stemmer-Rachamimov Anat , Rabkin Samuel D. , Wakimoto Hiroaki
Published: December 2020

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated fibroblasts constituting the major stromal components in many types of cancer. CAFs contribute to hallmarks of cancer such as proliferation, invasion and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and are associated with poor prognosis of patients with cancer. However, in glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor, our knowledge about CAFs or CAF-like stromal cells is limited. Here, using commonly accepted CAF markers, we characterized CAF-like cell populations in clinical glioma specimens and datasets along with mouse models of GBM. We found that tumor-associated pericytes marked by co-expression of fibroblast activation protein α (FAP) and PDGFRβ represent major stromal cell subsets in both human GBM and mouse GBM models, while a fraction of mesenchymal neoplastic cells also express FAP in patient tumors. Since oncolytic viruses can kill cancer cells and simultaneously modulate the tumor microenvironment by impacting non-neoplastic populations such as immune cells and tumor vasculature, we further investigated the ability of oncolytic viruses to target GBM-associated stromal cells. An oncolytic adenovirus, ICOVIR15, carrying ∆24-E1A and an RGD-fiber, infects and depletes FAP+ pericytes as well as GBM cells in murine GBM. Our study thus identifies FAP+/PDGFRβ+ pericytes as a major CAF-like stromal cell population in GBM, and highlights the unique property of this oncolytic adenovirus to target both GBM cells and GBM-associated stromal FAP+ cells.
Ensuring competency in focused cardiac ultrasound: a systematic review of training programs
Authors: Gibson Lauren E. , White-Dzuro Gabrielle A. , Lindsay Patrick J. , Berg Sheri M. , Bittner Edward A. , Chang Marvin G.
Published: December 2020

Background

Focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) is a valuable skill for rapid assessment of cardiac function and volume status. Despite recent widespread adoption among physicians, there is limited data on the optimal training methods for teaching FoCUS and metrics for determining competency. We conducted a systematic review to gain insight on the optimal training strategies, including type and duration, that would allow physicians to achieve basic competency in FoCUS.

Methods

Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to June 2020. Included studies described standardized training programs for at least 5 medical students or physicians on adult FoCUS, followed by an assessment of competency relative to an expert. Data were extracted, and bias was assessed for each study.

Results

Data were extracted from 23 studies on 292 learners. Existing FoCUS training programs remain varied in duration and type of training. Learners achieved near perfect agreement (κ > 0.8) with expert echocardiographers on detecting left ventricular systolic dysfunction and pericardial effusion with 6 h each of didactics and hands-on training. Substantial agreement (κ > 0.6) on could be achieved in half this time.

Conclusion

A short training program will allow most learners to achieve competency in detecting left ventricular systolic dysfunction and pericardial effusion by FoCUS. Additional training is necessary to ensure skill retention, improve efficiency in image acquisition, and detect other pathologies.
Increasing levels of Parasutterella in the gut microbiome correlate with improving low-density lipoprotein levels in healthy adults consuming resistant potato starch during a randomised trial
Authors: Bush Jason R. , Alfa Michelle J.
Published: December 2020

Background

Prebiotics, defined as a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit, present a potential option to optimize gut microbiome health. Elucidating the relationship between specific intestinal bacteria, prebiotic intake, and the health of the host remains a primary microbiome research goal.

Objective

To assess the correlations between gut microbiota, serum health parameters, and prebiotic consumption in healthy adults.

Methods

We performed ad hoc exploratory analysis of changes in abundance of genera in the gut microbiome of 75 participants from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effects of resistant potato starch (RPS; MSPrebiotic®,N = 38) intervention versus a fully digestible placebo (N = 37) for which primary and secondary outcomes have previously been published. Pearson correlation analysis was used to identify relationships between health parameters (ie. blood glucose and lipids) and populations of gut bacteria.

Results

Abundance ofParasutterella(phylum Proteobacteria) tended to increase in the gut microbiome of individuals consuming RPS and those increases inParasutterellawere correlated with reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in participants consuming RPS but not placebo. Segregating RPS-consuming individuals whose LDL levels decreased (ie “Responders”) from those who did not (ie. “Non-Responders”) revealed that LDL Responders had significantly higher levels ofParasutterellaboth at baseline and after 12 weeks of consuming RPS.

Conclusion

Our analyses suggest that RPS may help improve LDL levels depending upon the levels ofParasutterellain an individual’s gut microbiome.

Trial registration

This study protocol was reviewed and approved by Health Canada (Submission #188517; “Notice of Authorization” dated 06/05/13) and registered asNCT01977183(10/11/13) listed on NIH website: ClinicalTrials.gov. Data generated in this study have been submitted to NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/381931).

Funding

MSP Starch Products Inc.
Protective effect of Toxocara vitulorum extract against alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate-induced cholangitis in rat
Authors: Badr Abeer Mahmoud , Farid Mohamed , Biomy Ahmed Abdel Aziz , Mohamed Ayman Saber , Mahana Noha Ahmed , Fahmy Sohair Ramadan
Published: December 2020

Background

Cholestasis is the major cause of bile acid accumulation leading to liver damage. Chronic infection of worms can modulate the immune response towards T helper (Th)2-related cytokines. The present study aims to evaluate the protective impact of an ascarid nematode Toxocara vitulorum extract (TvE) against alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholangitis male wistar rat model compared to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as a standard drug.

Results

Pretreatment with TvE and/or UDCA induced a marked reduction in the levels of liver function tests and malondialdehyde, while antioxidant markers were increased compared to cholestatic rats. Pretreatment with either TvE or combination before cholangitis induction attenuated the predominant Th1-related cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α) to Th2 (IL-13 and IL-10). TvE administration promoted higher expression levels of Bcl-2 protein and lower levels of caspase-3 compared to cholestatic rats.

Conclusions

Treatment with TvE has improved the liver functions and elevated the levels of oxidative stress markers. The upregulation of Th2-related cytokines and suppression of apoptosis through caspase-3 might be considered as a potential mechanism of TvE. Thereby, this natural extract revealed an opportunity for use in treatment of cholangitis disease.
Association between microstructural white matter abnormalities and cognitive functioning in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a diffusion tensor imaging study
Authors: Osama Ahmed , Khalil Tarek Hassan , Negm Mohamed , AbdEl-Razek Reda , AbouElhamd Hend
Published: December 2020

Background

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique is important for exploring more sensitive imaging-based biomarkers in prevention and early treatment of cognitive dysfunction induced by type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Objectives

To predict early cognitive dysfunction and detection of microstructural white matter changes in patients with type 2 DM by diffusion tensor imaging.

Patients and methods

A case-control study included thirty patients aged ≥ 18 years old of both sexes with type 2 DM and 30 controls. All subjects underwent to Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) “Arabic version”: to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and diffusion tensor imaging study (DTI).

Results

Mild cognitive impairment is related to type 2 DM (56.7% of diabetic group), reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) values, and elevated mean diffusivity (MD) values were related to cognitive impairment evaluated through Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with type 2 DM.

Conclusion

The integrity of the white matter measured using DTI vary in MCI diabetics compared with non-MCI diabetics. Such changes have major implications on the cognitive function.
Matrix stiffness regulates α-TAT1-mediated acetylation of α-tubulin and promotes silica-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition via DNA damage
Authors: Li Gengxu , Chen Si , Zhang Yi , Xu Hong , Xu Dingjie , Wei Zhongqiu , Gao Xuemin , Cai Wenchen , Mao Na , Zhang Lijuan , Li Shumin , Yang Fang , Liu Heliang , Li Shifeng
Published: December 2020

Silicosis is characterized by silica exposure-induced lung interstitial fibrosis and formation of silicotic nodules, resulting in lung stiffening. The acetylation of microtubules mediated by α-tubulin N-acetyltransferase 1 (α-TAT1) is a posttranslational modification that promotes microtubule stability in response to mechanical stimulation. α-TAT1 and downstream acetylated α-tubulin (Ac-α-Tub) are decreased in silicosis, promoting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. We found that silica, matrix stiffening or their combination triggered Ac-α-Tub downregulation in alveolar epithelial cells, followed by DNA damage and replication stress. α-TAT1 elevated Ac-α-Tub to limit replication stress and the EMT via trafficking of p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1, also known as TP53BP1). The results provide evidence that α-TAT1 and Ac-α-Tub inhibit the EMT and silicosis fibrosis by preventing 53BP1 mislocalization and relieving DNA damage. This study provides insight into how the cell cycle is regulated during the EMT and why the decrease in α-TAT1 and Ac-α-Tub promotes silicosis fibrosis.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first authors of the paper.
Methods used to meta-analyse results from interrupted time series studies: A methodological systematic review protocol
Authors: Korevaar Elizabeth , Karahalios Amalia , Forbes Andrew B. , Turner Simon L. , McDonald Steve , Taljaard Monica , Grimshaw Jeremy M. , Cheng Allen C. , Bero Lisa , McKenzie Joanne E.
Published: December 2020

Background: Systematic reviews are used to inform healthcare decision making. In reviews that aim to examine the effects of organisational, policy change or public health interventions, or exposures, evidence from interrupted time series (ITS) studies may be included. A core component of many systematic reviews is meta-analysis, which is the statistical synthesis of results across studies. There is currently a lack of guidance informing the choice of meta-analysis methods for combining results from ITS studies, and there have been no studies examining the meta-analysis methods used in practice. This study therefore aims to describe current meta-analysis methods used in a cohort of reviews of ITS studies.

Methods: We will identify the 100 most recent reviews (published between 1 January 2000 and 11 October 2019) that include meta-analyses of ITS studies from a search of eight electronic databases covering several disciplines (public health, psychology, education, economics). Study selection will be undertaken independently by two authors. Data extraction will be undertaken by one author, and for a random sample of the reviews, two authors. From eligible reviews we will extract details at the review level including discipline, type of interruption and any tools used to assess the risk of bias / methodological quality of included ITS studies; at the meta-analytic level we will extract type of outcome, effect measure(s), meta-analytic methods, and any methods used to re-analyse the individual ITS studies. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarise the data.

Conclusions: This review will describe the methods used to meta-analyse results from ITS studies. Results from this review will inform future methods research examining how different meta-analysis methods perform, and ultimately, the development of guidance.
Internet Addiction, Locus of Control and Resilience
Authors: Jacob Juslin
Published: December 2020

The study investigates the difference in the Locus of Control and Resilience with respect to different levels of Internet Addiction as well as their impact on Internet Addiction among emerging adults. It assesses Internet Addiction levels, investigates the association between Internet Addiction, Locus of Control and Resilience and analyses gender difference. Internet Addiction Test by Young, Locus of Control (LOC-Scale) Scale developed by Rotter (1966) and The Brief Resilience Scale were used. Pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis was used to evaluate the association between Internet Addiction, Locus of Control and Resilience. An independent t-test was used to test whether there is a statistical difference between gender and internet addiction at different levels. One-way ANOVA was used to investigate the gender difference in Internet Addiction, Locus of Control and Resilience respectively. The research findings show that there is a significant relationship between Internet Addiction, Locus of Control and Resilience as well as significant gender difference in Internet Addiction. A significant difference in Resilience among the different levels of Internet Addiction was also found in the study.
Psychotherapeutic Praxis in India: Incorporation and Application of Indigenous Worldviews
Authors: Ballal Rijul Jayaraj
Published: December 2020

This research aims to gain insight into the incorporation of indigenous worldviews on mental health. Unstructured interviews were used on 16 counsellors who practised in Bangalore following the phenomenological paradigm. The interviews were audio- recorded and transcribed following which it underwent the 4 stages in Giorgi’s method. The revelatory themes obtained from this study were that clients viewed counsellors as authority figures, they experienced shame and guilt, lack of social support, ostracism, isolation, faced language barriers, feared diagnosis and medication and so on. The main conduit of religion and culture, the family, is influenced by class, education, rural or urban origin, joint or nuclear setup and so on. Counsellors developed the skills and sensitivity to respond to these demands.
Plurality in Practice
Authors: Pradeep Kumar Kallolickal S
Published: December 2020

Human beings are distinct from one another in each and every aspect of socio-cultural life. The virtue, colourfulness and beauty of human life is embedded in its diverse socio-cultural features and living circumstances. Languages, ethnic affiliations, beliefs and practices. Natural resources, climatic conditions, etc., contribute a lot in the development of multiple cultures across the world. In fact, plurality is the essence of human species. Nowadays, people belonging to varying affiliations of the nature mentioned above are sharing common resources and are in close contact with each other in their day to day life. Accordingly, a number of social adjustments and mobilizations are evolved to cope up with the changing socio-cultural, political and economic scenario of the society at large. This paper is an attempt to appraise the genesis, growth, nature and impact of group mobilizations as well as the ‘working of plurality’ in a multicultural society such as Kerala, the southern most State of the Indian union.
Declining Bargain Power: Streaming, Production, and Entertainment Labour
Authors: S Shantharaju
Published: December 2020

The fluidity of time and space, diverse collection, and personalized recommendations of streaming (OTT players) would mean a lot to a viewer looking for instant entertainment. On the other hand, such transitions from traditional viewing platforms pose a diverse challenge to everyone involved in entertainment productions. The remote select button is replaced with a scrolling option, but the difference is in the platform's 'thinking' or analytical algorithm, which was not part of traditional TV or Cinema hall. This global shift might be beneficial to a few and yet, lowers the number of personnel involved in productions. This is a conceptual paper looking into the interaction between streaming and the entertainment industry labour.
A History of the State-Media Link in Kashmir
Authors: Boga Dilnaz
Published: December 2020

For decades, the media has been a powerful agency in presenting Kashmir and shaping views in the national and the international imaginations. Recognising the complex multiplexity of the influences on the media that report on Kashmir, this work is an endeavour to examine the history of the media’s relationship with the state through Archival Research. Documents accessed from Srinagar’s Civil Secretariat’s media section of the archives unravel the state’s attempts to establish a relationship with the media in the militarised region since the early 1950s. This research sheds light on the nature of the association between the media and the state, as this understanding is crucial in understanding any conflict region. Hence, it becomes necessary to uncover the trajectory of power, as well as the nuances of histo-political nature of the liaison between the two entities that have contoured the narrative on this region of conflict.
ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF CONSTRUCTION WASTE AS SOIL ACIDITY CORRECTIVE
Authors: Dutra Vítor Moreira , Matos Antonio Teixeira de
Published: December 2020

The construction and demolition waste (CDW) can be used as soil acidity corrective, which allow its final destination as an input of agricultural and environmental interest, beyond pollution control. This alternative of final destination makes possible the reduction on the amount of solid waste disposed in landfills, which will reduce the environmental impact and increase the useful life of the landfills. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of the construction waste to correct the pH of an acidic soil, typical of the southeastern region of Brazil. The CDWs used were collected in static buckets positioned next to building sites in Belo Horizonte, MG; sifted at less than 0.297 mm diameter and incorporated into an oxisol (red yellow latosol) collected on an exposed slope at Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Then, an incubation curve (after 21 days of incorporation of the waste to the soil) was performed varying the dose of the construction waste to the soil, aiming to obtain a pH x dose curve. Using logarithmic regression, the equation pH = 0.5454 ln(Dose) + 6.9646 was defined as ideal to describe this relationship. Thus, for the agricultural use it will be necessary a dose of 1,71 t ha-1, while, for pollution control, it will be necessary a dose of 46,28 t ha-1.
Implications of polarized pupil degradation due to focal shifts in dynamically ranged Rayleigh beacons
Authors: Zuraski Steven M. , VanTilburg Ethan , Wilson Matthew , McCrae Jack E. , Fiorino Steven T.
Published: December 2020

A dynamically ranged pulsed Rayleigh beacon using sensed wavefronts across a system’s pupil plane is proposed for tomographic quantification of the atmospheric turbulence strength. This method relies on relaying light from a telescope system’s pupil plane to a wavefront sensor and having precise control of the light-blocking mechanisms to filter out scattered light from the unwanted scattering regions along the propagation path. To accomplish this, we tested and incorporated design features into the sensing system that we believe, to the best of our knowledge, are unique. Dynamically changing the range of the beacon source created focal shifts along the optical axis in the telescope sensing system. This effect induced polarization degradation in the optical pupil. As a result, polarization nonuniformity within the Pockels cell resulted in light leakages that corrupted the sensed data signals. To mitigate this unwanted effect, an analysis of the polarization pupil had to be completed for the range of possible Rayleigh beacon source distances, relating the change in polarization to the ability of a Pockels cell to function as an optical shutter. Based on the resultant polarization pupil analysis, careful design of the light relay architecture of the sensing system was necessary to properly capture sensed wavefront data from a series of intended ranges. Results are presented for the engineering design of the Turbulence and Aerosol Research Dynamic Interrogation System sensing system showing the choices made within the trade space and how those choices were made based on an analysis of the polarization pupil. Based on what we learned, recommendations are made to effectively implement a polarization-based Pockels cell shutter system as part of a dynamically ranged Rayleigh beacon system.
Nonlinear polarization transfer and control of two laser beams overlapping in a uniform nonlinear medium
Authors: Kur Eugene , Lazarow Malcolm , Wurtele Jonathan S. , Michel Pierre
Published: December 2020

A scheme for polarization control using two laser beams in a non-linear optical medium is studied using both co- and counter-propagating beam geometries. In particular, we show that under certain conditions it is possible for two laser beams to exchange their polarization states. A model accounting for a more realistic, 2D propagation geometry is presented. The 2D model produces drastically different results (compared to the 1D propagation geometry), creating difficulties for implementing polarization control in a realistic setting. A proposal for overcoming these difficulties by reducing the non-linear optical medium to a thin slab is presented.
All-polymeric high-Q optofluidic Fabry–Perot resonator
Authors: Testa Genni , Persichetti Gianluca , Bernini Romeo
Published: December 2020

A full polymeric optofluidic Fabry–Perot (FP) resonator with a high quality factor (Q) is proposed and tested. The device is based on multilayer optical polymeric films that act as high reflectivity interference mirrors. The all-polymeric laminated structure avoids any deposition or etching process, simplifying the fabrication procedure while retaining a high quality optical surface. The measured quality factor of the FP resonator is

3.03

×

10

4

, and the finesse is 91 around 700 nm. The refractometric sensing properties have been measured, and a sensitivity of 314 nm/RIU with a limit of detection of

2.55

×

10

−
5

R
I
U

could be achieved. The device exhibits a very high figure of merit of

1.36

×

10

4

R
I
U

−
1

that is comparable with the performance attainable with sensors based on photonic crystal and whispering gallery mode resonators.
Low-power and high-speed 2 × 2 thermo-optic MMI-MZI switch with suspended phase arms and heater-on-slab structure
Authors: Duan Fei , Chen Kai , Chen Da , Yu Yonglin
Published: December 2020

We propose a

thermo-optic switch with high switching performance. The switch is based on multimode interferometer (MMI) couplers and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) structure, where the phase arms are designed as laterally supported suspended ridge waveguides (LSSRWs) with a metallic heater placed on the slab. It is experimentally demonstrated that this switch has a power consumption of 1.07 mW, a thermal time constant

, an extinction ratio

, and an insertion loss

. Particularly, the corresponding figure of merit (FOM) has been improved by 1 order magnitude compared with general thermo-optic switches. This

thermo-optic MMI-MZI switch may find potential application for network reconfiguration and on-chip optical information processing.
Autocrine insulin pathway signaling regulates actin dynamics in cell wound repair
Authors: Nakamura Mitsutoshi , Verboon Jeffrey M. , Allen Tessa E. , Abreu-Blanco Maria Teresa , Liu Raymond , Dominguez Andrew N. M. , Delrow Jeffrey J. , Parkhurst Susan M.
Published: December 2020

Cells are exposed to frequent mechanical and/or chemical stressors that can compromise the integrity of the plasma membrane and underlying cortical cytoskeleton. The molecular mechanisms driving the immediate repair response launched to restore the cell cortex and circumvent cell death are largely unknown. Using microarrays and drug-inhibition studies to assess gene expression, we find that initiation of cell wound repair in theDrosophilamodel is dependent on translation, whereas transcription is required for subsequent steps. We identified 253 genes whose expression is up-regulated (80) or down-regulated (173) in response to laser wounding. A subset of these genes were validated using RNAi knockdowns and exhibit aberrant actomyosin ring assembly and/or actin remodeling defects. Strikingly, we find that the canonical insulin signaling pathway controls actin dynamics through the actin regulators Girdin and Chickadee (profilin), and its disruption leads to abnormal wound repair. Our results provide new insight for understanding how cell wound repair proceeds in healthy individuals and those with diseases involving wound healing deficiencies.
Ancestry of the AUTS2 family–A novel group of polycomb-complex proteins involved in human neurological disease
Authors: Sellers Robert A. , Robertson David L. , Tassabehji May
Published: December 2020

Autism susceptibility candidate 2 (AUTS2) is a neurodevelopmental regulator associated with an autosomal dominant intellectual disability syndrome, AUTS2 syndrome, and is implicated as an important gene in human-specific evolution. AUTS2 exists as part of a tripartite gene family, the AUTS2 family, which includes two relatively undefined proteins, Fibrosin (FBRS) and Fibrosin-like protein 1 (FBRSL1). Evolutionary ancestors of AUTS2 have not been formally identified outside of the Animalia clade. A Drosophila melanogaster protein, Tay bridge, with a role in neurodevelopment, has been shown to display limited similarity to the C-terminal of AUTS2, suggesting that evolutionary ancestors of the AUTS2 family may exist within other Protostome lineages. Here we present an evolutionary analysis of the AUTS2 family, which highlights ancestral homologs of AUTS2 in multiple Protostome species, implicates AUTS2 as the closest human relative to the progenitor of the AUTS2 family, and demonstrates that Tay bridge is a divergent ortholog of the ancestral AUTS2 progenitor gene. We also define regions of high relative sequence identity, with potential functional significance, shared by the extended AUTS2 protein family. Using structural predictions coupled with sequence conservation and human variant data from 15,708 individuals, a putative domain structure for AUTS2 was produced that can be used to aid interpretation of the consequences of nucleotide variation on protein structure and function in human disease. To assess the role of AUTS2 in human-specific evolution, we recalculated allele frequencies at previously identified human derived sites using large population genome data, and show a high prevalence of ancestral alleles, suggesting that AUTS2 may not be a rapidly evolving gene, as previously thought.
Factors associated with chronic energy malnutrition among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia: An analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey data
Authors: Dagnew Gizachew Worku , Asresie Melash Belachew
Published: December 2020

Background

Women with chronic-energy malnutrition persists in many developing countries, including Ethiopia. To avert this problem identifying the predictor variables for a high magnitude of underweight is paramount. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the factors associated with chronic energy malnutrition among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia.

Methods

We used the 2016 Ethiopia demographic health survey data. The survey was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted from January 18 to June 27, 2016. A two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique was employed to select Participants. A total of 13,451 reproductive-age group women (age 15–49 years and who were not pregnant and < 2 months of postpartum) were included in the analysis. Both descriptive and analytical analyses were performed. A P-value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.

Results

About 22.6% (95%CI: 21.5%-23.6%) of reproductive-age women were underweight. The magnitude of underweight is highest in the Afar region (39.6%) and lowest in Addis Ababa city administration (13.5%). Women who lived in the rural area (AOR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.19–2.12), those who did not attend formal education (AOR = 1.23; 95%CI: 1.01–1.50), unemployed women (AOR = 1.28; 95%CI:1.13–1.44), women who belong to the poorest household wealth index (AOR = 1.42; 95%CI:1.04–1.94), women who were not married (AOR = 1.41; 95%CI: 1.18–2.69), women who lived in Tigray and the pastoral regions have higher odds of underweight. On the other hand, women who lived in southern nations nationalities and people’s region, and women whose age group 25–34 years had lower odds of underweight.

Conclusions

Chronic-energy malnutrition among reproductive-age women is high in Ethiopia. Improving the food security of rural, never married, and unemployed women would reduce the magnitude of underweight. Moreover, strengthening girls’ education, creating employment opportunities for women, and enhancing household income can further reduce the problem of chronic energy malnutrition.
Health, educational and employment outcomes among children treated for a skin disorder: Scotland-wide retrospective record linkage cohort study of 766,244 children
Authors: Fleming Michael , McLay James S. , Clark David , King Albert , Mackay Daniel F. , Pell Jill P.
Published: December 2020

Background

To compare health, educational and employment outcomes of schoolchildren receiving medication for a skin disorder with peers.

Methods

This retrospective population cohort study linked eight Scotland-wide databases, covering dispensed prescriptions, hospital admissions, maternity records, death certificates, annual pupil census, school examinations, school absences/exclusions and unemployment to investigate educational (absence, exclusion, special educational need, academic attainment), employment, and health (admissions and mortality) outcomes of 766,244 children attending local authority run primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland between 2009 and 2013.

Results

After adjusting for sociodemographic and maternity confounders the 130,087 (17.0%) children treated for a skin disorder had increased hospitalisation, particularly within one year of commencing treatment (IRR 1.38, 95% CI 1.35–1.41, p<0.001) and mortality (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.18–1.90, p<0.001). They had greater special educational need (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.17–1.21, p<0.001) and more frequent absences from school (IRR 1.07, 95% CI 1.06–1.08, p<0.001) but did not exhibit poorer exam attainment or increased post-school unemployment. The associations remained after further adjustment for comorbid chronic conditions.

Conclusions

Despite increased hospitalisation, school absenteeism, and special educational need, children treated for a skin disorder did not have poorer exam attainment or employment outcomes. Whilst findings relating to educational and employment outcomes are reassuring, the association with increased risk of mortality is alarming and merits further investigation.
A comprehensive assessment of multi-system responses to a renal inoculation of uropathogenic E. coli in swine
Authors: Tiba Mohamad Hakam , McCracken Brendan M. , Dickson Robert P. , Nemzek Jean A. , Colmenero Carmen I. , Leander Danielle C. , Flott Thomas L. , Daniels Rodney C. , Konopka Kristine E. , VanEpps J. Scott , Stringer Kathleen A. , Ward Kevin R.
Published: December 2020

Background

The systemic responses to infection and its progression to sepsis remains poorly understood. Progress in the field has been stifled by the shortcomings of experimental models which include poor replication of the human condition. To address these challenges, we developed and piloted a novel large animal model of severe infection that is capable of generating multi-system clinically relevant data.

Methods

Male swine (n = 5) were anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and surgically instrumented for continuous hemodynamic monitoring and serial blood sampling. Animals were inoculated with uropathogenic E. coli by direct injection into the renal parenchyma and were maintained until a priori endpoints were met. The natural history of the infection was studied. Animals were not resuscitated. Multi-system data were collected hourly to 6 hours; all animals were euthanized at predetermined physiologic endpoints.

Results

Core body temperature progressively increased from mean (SD) 37.9(0.8)°C at baseline to 43.0(1.2)°C at experiment termination (p = 0.006). Mean arterial pressure did not begin to decline until 6h post inoculation, dropping from 86(9) mmHg at baseline to 28(5) mmHg (p = 0.005) at termination. Blood glucose progressively declined but lactate levels did not elevate until the last hours of the experiment. There were also temporal changes in whole blood concentrations of a number of metabolites including increases in the catecholamine precursors, tyrosine (p = 0.005) and phenylalanine (p = 0.005). Lung, liver, and kidney function parameters worsened as infection progressed and at study termination there was histopathological evidence of injury in these end-organs.

Conclusion

We demonstrate a versatile, multi-system, longitudinal, swine model of infection that could be used to further our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie infection-induced multi-organ dysfunction and failure, optimize resuscitation protocols and test therapeutic interventions. Such a model could improve translation of findings from the bench to the bedside, circumventing a significant obstacle in sepsis research.
Microfluidics and organ-on-a-chip technologies: A systematic review of the methods used to mimic bone marrow
Authors: Santos Rosalem Gabriel , Gonzáles Torres Libardo Andrés , de Las Casas Estevam Barbosa , Mathias Fernando Augusto Siqueira , Ruiz Jeronimo Conceição , Carvalho Maria Gabriela Reis
Published: December 2020

Bone marrow (BM) is an organ responsible for crucial processes in living organs, e. g., hematopoiesis. In recent years, Organ-on-a-Chip (OoC) devices have been used to satisfy the need for in vitro systems that better mimic the phenomena occurring in the BM microenvironment. Given the growing interest in these systems and the diversity of developed devices, an integrative systematic literature review is required. We have performed this review, following the PRISMA method aiming to identify the main characteristics and assess the effectiveness of the devices that were developed to represent the BM. A search was performed in the Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct databases using the keywords ((“bone marrow” OR “hematopoietic stem cells” OR “haematopoietic stem cells”) AND (“organ in a” OR “lab on a chip” OR “microfluidic” OR “microfluidic*” OR (“bioreactor” AND “microfluidic*”))). Original research articles published between 2009 and 2020 were included in the review, giving a total of 21 papers. The analysis of these papers showed that their main purpose was to study BM cells biology, mimic BM niches, model pathological BM, and run drug assays. Regarding the fabrication protocols, we have observed that polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material and soft lithography method were the most commonly used. To reproduce the microenvironment of BM, most devices used the type I collagen and alginate. Peristaltic and syringe pumps were mostly used for device perfusion. Regarding the advantages compared to conventional methods, there were identified three groups of OoC devices: perfused 3D BM; co-cultured 3D BM; and perfused co-cultured 3D BM. Cellular behavior and mimicking their processes and responses were the mostly commonly studied parameters. The results have demonstrated the effectiveness of OoC devices for research purposes compared to conventional cell cultures. Furthermore, the devices have a wide range of applicability and the potential to be explored.
Online biology degree program broadens access for women, first-generation to college, and low-income students, but grade disparities remain
Authors: Mead Chris , Supriya K. , Zheng Yi , Anbar Ariel D. , Collins James P. , LePore Paul , Brownell Sara E.
Published: December 2020

Online education has grown rapidly in recent years with many universities now offering fully online degree programs even in STEM disciplines. These programs have the potential to broaden access to STEM degrees for people with social identities currently underrepresented in STEM. Here, we ask to what extent is that potential realized in terms of student enrollment and grades for a fully online degree program. Our analysis of data from more than 10,000 course-enrollments compares student demographics and course grades in a fully online biology degree program to demographics and grades in an equivalent in-person biology degree program at the same university. We find that women, first-generation to college students and students eligible for federal Pell grants constitute a larger proportion of students in the online program compared to the in-person mode. However, the online mode of instruction is associated with lower course grades relative to the in-person mode. Moreover, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, and Pacific Islander students as well as federal Pell grant eligible students earned lower grades than white students and non-Pell grant eligible students, respectively, but the grade disparities were similar among both in-person and online student groups. Finally, we find that grade disparities between men and women are larger online compared to in-person, but that for first-generation to college women, the online mode of instruction is associated with little to no grade gap compared to continuing generation women. Our findings indicate that although this online degree program broadens access for some student populations, inequities in the experience remain and need to be addressed in order for online education to achieve its inclusive mission.
Analysis of the lateral slope’s impact on the calculation of water-filled rut depth
Authors: Yan Jiao , Zhang Hongwei , Hui Bing
Published: December 2020

Accurate calculation of the water-filled rut depth is critical for assessing hydroplaning potential. Nevertheless, due to the difficulty in collecting and calculating the water-filled rut depth, most transportation agencies do not use i, especially in the case of lateral slopes, although water-filled rut depth is a key parameter that impacts driving safety. Contributions of this paper are development of a methodology to reliably compute the water-filled rut depth and quantitatively evaluate the influence of lateral slope on the water-filled rut depth. The proposed method include: 1) acquisition of the high-resolution 3D point cloud data of rut, 2) smooth processing of rut profile through moving average method with Matlab programming, 3) water-filled rut depth computation at different lateral slopes with the assistance of key points based on rut sections. With the variation of water-filled rut depth (ΔWD), its change rate (δWD), and the calculation error between the rut depth and the water-filled rut depth (Δn) as evaluation indexes, the variation law of water-filled rut depth under different lateral slopes is analyzed when considering the severity level and rut shape of the rut profile. Results show that: 1) the increase in lateral slope leads to the reduction of water-filled rut depth; 2) the water-filled rut depth is affected by the rut shape, including rut side wall’s slope and the key points’ elevation. The accurate calculation of the water-filled rut depth can provide reliable suggestions for safe driving.
Optimal Taxation and Investment‑ Specific Technological Change
Authors: Nóbrega Valter
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we look at the relationship between Investment Specific Technological Change (ISTC) and optimal level of labor income progressivity. We develop an incomplete markets overlapping generations model that matches relevant features of the US economy and find that the observed drop in the relative price of investment since the 1980’s leads optimal progressivity to increase. This result hinges on ISTC increasing the wage premium through an increase in the variance of the permanent component of labor income. This result is supported by recent findings in the literature that highlight the increasing role of the permanent component of labor income in the observed increase in income inequality.
ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF RESAMPLING METHOD FOR IMBALANCED DATA TEXT IN INDONESIAN SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES CATEGORIZATION
Authors: Indrawati Ariani , Subagyo Hendro , Sihombing Andre , Wagiyah Wagiyah , Afandi Sjaeful
Published: December 2020

The extremely skewed data in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data mining cases are often given misleading results. It is caused because machine learning algorithms are designated to work best with balanced data. However, we often meet with imbalanced data in the real situation. To handling imbalanced data issues, the most popular technique is resampling the dataset to modify the number of instances in the majority and minority classes into a standard balanced data. Many resampling techniques, oversampling, undersampling, or combined both of them, have been proposed and continue until now. Resampling techniques may increase or decrease the classifier performance. Comparative research on resampling methods in structured data has been widely carried out, but studies that compare resampling methods with unstructured data are very rarely conducted. That raises many questions, one of which is whether this method is applied to unstructured data such as text that has large dimensions and very diverse characters. To understand how different resampling techniques will affect the learning of classifiers for imbalanced data text, we perform an experimental analysis using various resampling methods with several classification algorithms to classify articles at the Indonesian Scientific Journal Database (ISJD). From this experiment, it is known resampling techniques on imbalanced data text generally to improve the classifier performance but they are doesn’t give significant result because data text has very diverse and large dimensions.
A lean szemlélet eredményes alkalmazása irodai környezetben
Authors: Kelemen Tamás , Kalló Noémi
Published: December 2020

A lean menedzsment alkalmazása a vállalati versenyképesség növelésének egyik szinonimájává vált. Ennek megfelelően nem csoda, hogy a lean elvek alkalmazása a közvetlen termelőfolyamatokról áthelyeződött más vállalati tevékenységekre is. A lean átalakulások azonban sokszor fulladnak kudarcba, ami tovább nehezíti a szemlélettől – első látásra – idegen helyen történő alkalmazásra való vállalkozást. Mindez azonban nem jelenti azt, hogy nem találni szép számmal példát arra, hogy a támogató tevékenységek, vagy éppen a szolgáltatási folyamatok ne lennének eredményesen karcsúsíthatók. A cikkben bemutatott vizsgálataikban a szerzők a lean elvek irodai környezetben való alkalmazásának lehetőségét és szükségességét elemzik. Négy veszteségtípuson keresztül bemutatják, hogy a lean szemlélet hiányos alkalmazása nem annak alkalmatlanságában, vagy a lean elveket megvalósító eszközök nehéz adaptálhatóságában rejlik, hanem sokkal inkább a szemlélet hiányában. Vizsgálataik rámutatnak arra, hogy a veszteségkutató szemlélet, a megfelelő adatgyűjtés és a veszteségek megszüntetését célzó eszközök – sokszor kreatív alkalmazása – a vevői érték növelésének hatékony és eredményes eszközei irodai környezetben is, sokszor a várakozásokat meghaladó mértékben.
A relatív hatékonyságvizsgálat (DEA) alkalmazása üzleti szimulációs játékban nyújtott teljesítmény értékelésére
Authors: Tamás Alexandra , Koltai Tamás
Published: December 2020

Az üzleti szimulációs játékokban résztvevők teljesítményének értékelése nehéz feladat a szubjektív értékelési szempontok és a nehezen aggregálható kvantitatív információk miatt. A cikk célja annak bemutatása, hogyan alkalmazható a relatív hatékonyságvizsgálat (DEA) a szimulációs játékokban résztvevők teljesítményének átfogó értékelésére. A cikk áttekinti a szimulációs játékok jelentőségét az oktatásban, valamint az eredmények kiértékelésének problémáit és gyakorlatát. A tanulmányban állandó skálahatékonyságú, inputorientált, radiális DEA-modell segítségével elemzik a szerzők egy termelésszimulációs játékban részt vevő hallgatók teljesítményét. Az értékelés sajátos szempontjait figyelembe véve súlyszámkorlátok alkalmazásával oldják meg, hogy valamennyi fontos értékelési kritérium szerepeljen a vizsgálatban. Az ismertetett módszer egyrészt új utat nyithat a szimulációs játékok résztvevőinek teljesítményértékeléséhez, továbbá a DEA egy eddig fel nem tárt új alkalmazási lehetőségére is rámutat. A teljesítményt átfogóan jellemző hatékonysági mutatón túl, a nem hatékony működés okai, és a mintaként szolgáló döntési stratégiák is azonosíthatók, továbbá a teljesítményjavítás útjai feltárhatók.
Os processos de escolarização na escola normal de Sapiranga/RS (1963-1966)
Authors: Souza José Edimar de
Published: December 2020

O artigo busca compreender como se desenvolveu o processo de escolarização na escola Normal de Sapiranga, entre os anos de 1963-1966, primeiros anos de instalação do curso no município. A pesquisa analisa memórias orais e arquivadas, sob a perspectiva da história cultural e valendo-se da metodologia da história oral e análise documental. O corpus empírico origina-se de documentos produzidos pela metodologia da história oral e excertos de jornais. A memória é analisada como documento e contribui para construção narrativa sobre o processo de implantação e primeiros tempos dessa instituição escolar. A implantação da instituição contribuiu não apenas para formar professores para a cidade, percebe-se a constituição de uma possibilidade de escolarização que modificou culturalmente esse lugar.
Cem anos de solidão:
Authors: Martins Maria Cristina Bohn , Masseroni Vinícius de Oliveira
Published: December 2020

O artigo que apresentamos busca mostrar as possibilidades de intersecção entre a História e Literatura, por meio do romance, de autoria de Gabriel García Márquez, Cem anos de solidão. Sem aderirmos aos pressupostos da não diferenciação entre discurso historiográfico e discurso literário, valemo-nos das contribuições da História Cultural (Roger Chartier), em especial o conceito de representação. Dentro dessa perspectiva realizamos uma análise de algumas passagens do texto de García Márquez, com o intento de mostrar como, por meio de sua obra, Gabo tentou retratar a história da América Latina e quem eram os latino-americanos. Não foi possível realizar tal objetivo sem inserir o escritor colombiano dentro de seu contexto histórico e literário, ou seja, na década de 1960 – e a influência da Revolução Cubana – e, também, inseri-lo dentro da estética do realismo mágico. Por óbvio o texto não procura exaurir as possibilidades de análises continuando, o texto de García Márquez, uma obra aberta a novas problematizações e interpretações.