bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipid Annotator: Towards Accurate Annotation in Non-Targeted Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS) Lipidomics Using a Rapid and User-Friendly Software
Authors: Koelmel Jeremy P. , Li Xiangdong , Stow Sarah M. , Sartain Mark J. , Murali Adithya , Kemperman Robin , Tsugawa Hiroshi , Takahashi Mikiko , Vasiliou Vasilis , Bowden John A. , Yost Richard A. , Garrett Timothy J. , Kitagawa Norton
Published: March 2020

Lipidomics has great promise in various applications; however, a major bottleneck in lipidomics is the accurate and comprehensive annotation of high-resolution tandem mass spectral data. While the number of available lipidomics software has drastically increased over the past five years, the reduction of false positives and the realization of obtaining structurally accurate annotations remains a significant challenge. We introduce Lipid Annotator, which is a user-friendly software for lipidomic analysis of data collected by liquid chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). We validate annotation accuracy against lipid standards and other lipidomics software. Lipid Annotator was integrated into a workflow applying an iterative exclusion MS/MS acquisition strategy to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SRM 1950 Metabolites in Frozen Human Plasma using reverse phase LC-HRMS/MS. Lipid Annotator, LipidMatch, and MS-DIAL produced consensus annotations at the level of lipid class for 98% and 96% of features detected in positive and negative mode, respectively. Lipid Annotator provides percentages of fatty acyl constituent species and employs scoring algorithms based on probability theory, which is less subjective than the tolerance and weighted match scores commonly used by available software. Lipid Annotator enables analysis of large sample cohorts and improves data-processing throughput as compared to previous lipidomics software.
Galleria mellonella for the Evaluation of Antifungal Efficacy against Medically Important Fungi, a Narrative Review
Authors: Jemel Sana , Guillot Jacques , Kallel Kalthoum , Botterel Françoise , Dannaoui Eric
Published: March 2020

The treatment of invasive fungal infections remains challenging and the emergence of new fungal pathogens as well as the development of resistance to the main antifungal drugs highlight the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Although in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing has come of age, the proper evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of current or new antifungals is dependent on the use of animal models. Mammalian models, particularly using rodents, are the cornerstone for evaluation of antifungal efficacy, but are limited by increased costs and ethical considerations. To circumvent these limitations, alternative invertebrate models, such as Galleria mellonella, have been developed. Larvae of G. mellonella have been widely used for testing virulence of fungi and more recently have proven useful for evaluation of antifungal efficacy. This model is suitable for infection by different fungal pathogens including yeasts (Candida, Cryptococcus, Trichosporon) and filamentous fungi (Aspergillus, Mucorales). Antifungal efficacy may be easily estimated by fungal burden or mortality rate in infected and treated larvae. The aim of the present review is to summarize the actual data about the use of G. mellonella for testing the in vivo efficacy of licensed antifungal drugs, new drugs, and combination therapies.
Egyptian Mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) Gut Microbiota: Taxonomical and Functional Differences across Sex and Age Classes
Authors: Pereira André C. , Bandeira Victor , Fonseca Carlos , Cunha Mónica V.
Published: March 2020

The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is a medium-size carnivore that, in Europe, is restricted to Iberia. The bio-ecology of this species remains to be elucidated in several dimensions, including gut microbiota that is nowadays recognized as a fundamental component of mammals. In this work, we investigated the gut microbiota of this herpestid by single-molecule real-time sequencing of twenty paired male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) intestinal samples. This culture-independent approach enabled microbial profiling based on 16S rDNA and investigation of taxonomical and functional features. The core gut microbiome of the adult subpopulation was dominated by Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Eight genera were uniquely found in adults and five in non-adults. When comparing gut bacterial communities across sex, four genera were exclusive of females and six uniquely found in males. Despite these compositional distinctions, alpha- and beta-diversity analyses showed no statistically significant differences across sex or between adult and non-adult specimens. However, when function was inferred, males presented a significantly higher abundance of amino acid and citrate cycle metabolic pathways, compared to the significant overrepresentation in females of galactose metabolic pathways. Additionally, adults exhibited a significantly higher abundance of cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance pathways, while non-adults bared a significant overrepresentation of two-component systems associated with antibiotic synthesis, flagellin and biofilm production, and chemotaxis control. This study adds new insights into the mongoose bio-ecology palette, highlighting taxonomical and functional microbiome dissimilarities across sex and age classes, possibly related to primary production resources and life-history traits that impact on behavior and diet.
Long-Term Surveillance of Antibiotic Prescriptions and the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli
Authors: Chou Chia-Huei , Lai Yi-Ru , Chi Chih-Yu , Ho Mao-Wang , Chen Chao-Ling , Liao Wei-Chih , Ho Cheng-Mao , Chen Yu-An , Chen Chih-Yu , Lin Yu-Tzu , Lin Chia-Der , Lai Chih-Ho
Published: March 2020

The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria has been recognized as a public health threat worldwide. Hospitalized patients and outpatients are commonly infected by non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB), particularly the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex (ACB) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial agents are critical for treating the nosocomial infections caused by NFGNB. The aim of this study was to assess antimicrobial resistance and the use of antimicrobial agents. The bacterial isolates of 638,152 specimens from both inpatients and outpatients, retrieved from 2001 to 2008 at a medical center in central Taiwan, were examined for their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents, including cefepime, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, amikacin, meropenem, and levofloxacin. Administrated prescriptions of the monitored antibiotics were analyzed using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Our results show that the defined daily doses (DDDs) for cefepime, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin increased with time, and a trend toward reduced antimicrobial sensitivities of both ACB and P. aeruginosa was noticeable. In conclusion, the antimicrobial sensitivities of ACB and P. aeruginosa were reduced with the increased use of antibiotics. Continuous surveillance of antibiotic prescriptions and the prevalence of emerging resistance in nosocomial infections is warranted.
Addendum: Camic, B. T. et al. Preparation of Transparent Conductive Electrode via Layer-By-Layer Deposition of Silver Nanowires and Its Application in Organic Photovoltaic Device. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 46
Authors: Camic B. Tugba , Jeong Hong In , Aslan M. Hasan , Kosemen Arif , Kim Seongbeom , Choi Hyosung , Basarir Fevzihan , Lee Bo Ram
Published: March 2020

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Bacteriophage Based Biosensors: Trends, Outcomes and Challenges
Authors: Aliakbar Ahovan Zahra , Hashemi Ali , De Plano Laura Maria , Gholipourmalekabadi Mazaher , Seifalian Alexander
Published: March 2020

Foodborne pathogens are one of the main concerns in public health, which can have a serious impact on community health and health care systems. Contamination of foods by bacterial pathogens (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococci, Legionella pneumophila, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella typhimurium) results in human infection. A typical example is the current issue with Coronavirus, which has the potential for foodborne transmission and ruling out such concerns is often difficult. Although, the possible dissemination of such viruses via the food chain has been raised. Standard bacterial detection methods require several hours or even days to obtain the results, and the delay may result in food poisoning to eventuate. Conventional biochemical and microbiological tests are expensive, complex, time-consuming and not always reliable. Therefore, there are urgent demands to develop simple, cheap, quick, sensitive, specific and reliable tests for the detection of these pathogens in foods. Recent advances in smart materials, nanomaterials and biomolecular modeling have been a quantum leap in the development of biosensors in overcoming the limitations of a conventional standard laboratory assay. This research aimed to critically review bacteriophage-based biosensors, used for the detection of foodborne pathogens, as well as their trends, outcomes and challenges are discussed. The future perspective in the use of simple and cheap biosensors is in the development of lab-on-chips, and its availability in every household to test the quality of their food.
Hydrogen Gas Sensing Performances of p-Type Mn3O4 Nanosystems: The Role of Built-in Mn3O4/Ag and Mn3O4/SnO2 Junctions
Authors: Bigiani Lorenzo , Zappa Dario , Maccato Chiara , Gasparotto Alberto , Sada Cinzia , Comini Elisabetta , Barreca Davide
Published: March 2020

Among oxide semiconductors, p-type Mn3O4 systems have been exploited in chemo-resistive sensors for various analytes, but their use in the detection of H2, an important, though flammable, energy vector, has been scarcely investigated. Herein, we report for the first time on the plasma assisted-chemical vapor deposition (PA-CVD) of Mn3O4 nanomaterials, and on their on-top functionalization with Ag and SnO2 by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering, followed by air annealing. The obtained Mn3O4-Ag and Mn3O4-SnO2 nanocomposites were characterized by the occurrence of phase-pure tetragonal α-Mn3O4 (hausmannite) and a controlled Ag and SnO2 dispersion. The system functional properties were tested towards H2 sensing, yielding detection limits of 18 and 11 ppm for Mn3O4-Ag and Mn3O4-SnO2 specimens, three orders of magnitude lower than the H2 explosion threshold. These performances were accompanied by responses up to 25% to 500 ppm H2 at 200 °C, superior to bare Mn3O4, and good selectivity against CH4 and CO2 as potential interferents. A rationale for the observed behavior, based upon the concurrence of built-in Schottky (Mn3O4/Ag) and p-n junctions (Mn3O4/SnO2), and of a direct chemical interplay between the system components, is proposed to discuss the observed activity enhancement, which paves the way to the development of gas monitoring equipments for safety end-uses.
0D-1D Hybrid Silicon Nanocomposite as Lithium-Ion Batteries Anodes
Authors: Pinilla Sergio , Park Sang-Hoon , Fontanez Kenneth , Márquez Francisco , Nicolosi Valeria , Morant Carmen
Published: March 2020

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the enabling technology for many of the societal changes that are expected to happen in the following years. Among all the challenges for which LIBs are the key, vehicle electrification is one of the most crucial. Current battery materials cannot provide the required power densities for such applications and therefore, it makes necessary to develop new materials. Silicon is one of the proposed as next generation battery materials, but still there are challenges to overcome. Poor capacity retention is one of those drawbacks, and because it is tightly related with its high capacity, it is a problem rather difficult to address with common and scalable fabrication processes. Here we show that combining 0D and 1D silicon nanostructures, high capacity and stability can be achieved even using standard electrode fabrication processes. Capacities as high as 1200 mAh/g for more than 500 cycles at high current densities (2 A/g) were achieved with the produced hybrid 0D/1D electrodes. In this research, it was shown that while 0D nanostructures provide good strain relaxation capabilities, 1D nanomaterials contribute with enhanced cohesion and conductive matrix integrity.
Comparison of Macrophage Responses to African Swine Fever Viruses Reveals that the NH/P68 Strain is Associated with Enhanced Sensitivity to Type I IFN and Cytokine Responses from Classically Activated Macrophages
Authors: Franzoni Giulia , Razzuoli Elisabetta , Dei Giudici Silvia , Carta Tania , Galleri Grazia , Zinellu Susanna , Ledda Mauro , Angioi Pierpaolo , Modesto Paola , Graham Simon P. , Oggiano Annalisa
Published: March 2020

African swine fever (ASF) poses a severe threat to the global pig industry for which currently there is no available vaccine. The aetiological ASF virus (ASFV) has a predilection for cells of the myeloid lineage, however little is known about its interaction with polarised macrophages. This study focused on the in vitro interactions of porcine monocyte-derived un-activated (moMΦ), classically (moM1), alternatively (moM2), and IFN-α-activated macrophages with two genotype I ASFV strains: virulent 22653/14 and attenuated NH/P68. At a high multiplicity of infection, NH/P68, but not 22653/14, presented a reduced ability to infect moM1 and IFN−α-activated moMΦ compared to moMΦ. IFN-α activation resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the proportion of ASFV-infected cells. Both strains replicated efficiently in all the subsets. While higher levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-18 were secreted by NH/P68-infected moM1 compared to 22653/14, both strains negatively affected moMΦ ability to release IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α in response to classical activation or stimulation with a TLR2 agonist. Our results suggest that ASFV 22653/14 covertly replicates in macrophages, compromising the development of effective immune responses. Attenuated NH/P68 has partially lost these mechanisms, which may enhance immune surveillance. A better understating of these mechanisms should aid the rational design of live attenuated ASFV vaccines.
Listeria monocytogenes Response to Anaerobic Environments
Authors: Roberts Brandy N. , Chakravarty Damayanti , Gardner J.C. , Ricke Steven C. , Donaldson Janet R.
Published: March 2020

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium that is responsible for the disease, listeriosis. It is particularly lethal in pregnant women, the fetus, the elderly and the immunocompromised. The pathogen survives and replicates over a wide range of temperatures (4 to 42 °C), pH, salt and oxygen concentrations. Because it can withstand various environments, L. monocytogenes is a major concern in food processing industries, especially in dairy products and ready-to-eat fruits, vegetables and deli meats. The environment in which the pathogen is exposed can influence the expression of virulence genes. For instance, studies have shown that variations in oxygen availability can impact resistance to stressors. Further investigation is needed to understand the essential genes required for the growth of L. monocytogenes in anaerobic conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to highlight the data on L. monocytogenes under known environmental stresses in anaerobic environments and to focus on gaps in knowledge that may be advantageous to study in order to better understand the pathogenicity of the bacterium.
The Connection between a Suspended Sediments and Reservoir Siltation: Empirical Analysis in the Maziarnia Reservoir, Poland
Authors: Cieśla Maksymilian , Gruca-Rokosz Renata , Bartoszek Lilianna
Published: March 2020

This paper presents research on the influence of suspended sediments on selected aspects of a reservoir’s functioning. As the amount of sediment suspended in water (SS) there was found to correlate significantly with sedimentation rate (Us), it was possible to develop a function allowing the rate of accumulation of sediments to be predicted by reference to known amounts of suspended sediment. The latter factor was also shown to correlate significantly with the content of organic matter in suspension (OMSS), in sediment captured in a sediment trap (OMS), and of bottom sediment (OMSB). Analysis of amounts of suspended sediment can provide for estimates of total loads of organic pollutants deposited in the sediments of a reservoir. A further significant correlation with SS was noted for the concentration of total phosphorus in water (TPW), confirming the importance of internal production where the circulation of this biogenic substance in a reservoir ecosystem is concerned. Analysis of stable carbon isotopes in turn showed that entrapped sediments were depleted of—or enriched in—13C, in line with whether concentrations of total P in those sediments (TPS) were at their highest or lowest levels. This dependent relationship may thus be of key importance in assessing sources of phosphorus, as well as in forecasting concentrations present in reservoir sediments. The results obtained make it clear that sediments suspended in the water of a reservoir unify phenomena and processes ongoing there, between elements of the water-sediment system.
An IoT Platform towards the Enhancement of Poultry Production Chains
Authors: Esnaola-Gonzalez Iker , Gómez-Omella Meritxell , Ferreiro Susana , Fernandez Izaskun , Lázaro Ignacio , García Elena
Published: March 2020

As a consequence of the projected world population growth, world meat consumption is expected to grow. Therefore, meat production needs to be improved, although it cannot be done at any cost. Maintaining the health and welfare status of animals at optimal levels has traditionally been a main concern of farmers, and more recently, consumers. In this article the Poultry Chain Management (PCM) platform is presented. It aims at collecting data across the different phases of the poultry production chain. The collection of this data not only contributes to determine the quality of each phase and the poultry production chain as a whole, but more importantly, to identify critical issues causing process inefficiencies and to support decision-making towards the holistic improvement of the production chain. Results showed that the information gathered can be exploited to make different suggestions to guarantee poultry welfare, and ultimately, improve the quality of the meat.
Influence of Different Hardness Custom Foot Insoles in the Electromyography Activity Patterns of the Thigh and Hip Muscles during Motorcycling Sport: A Crossover Study
Authors: Casado-Hernández Israel , Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Ricardo , Losa-Iglesias Marta Elena , Martínez-Jiménez Eva María , López-López Daniel , Mazoteras-Pardo Victoria , Romero-Morales Carlos , Calvo-Lobo César
Published: March 2020

Nowadays, the use of insoles in sport practice have been recognized to decrease the foot and lower limb injury patterns. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of four types of hardness insoles (HI) in the activity patterns of the hip and thigh muscles (HTM) in motoriders during motorcycling sport. The study was a crossover trial. Subjects were elite motoriders. The mean age was 33 ± 5.14 years. Electromyography (EMG) of hip and thigh muscles (HTM) data was registered via surface while subjects were riding on an elite motorcycle simulator. Subjects had to complete different tests with randomly hardest insoles (HI): 1: only polypropylene (58° D Shore); 2: Polypropylene (58° D Shore) with selective aluminium in hallux and metatarsal heads (60 HB Brinell hardness); 3: Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) (52° A Shore); and finally, 4: Ordinary EVA (25° A Shore) as the control. EMG patterns of the HTM, riding on an elite motorcycle simulator, showed the lowest peak amplitude with the insoles with polypropylene and selective aluminium. Using the hardest insoles in our study (selective aluminium) the EMG amplitude peaks decreased in all HTM.
Cutting Pose Prediction from Point Clouds
Authors: Philipsen Mark P. , Moeslund Thomas B.
Published: March 2020

The challenge of getting machines to understand and interact with natural objects is encountered in important areas such as medicine, agriculture, and, in our case, slaughterhouse automation. Recent breakthroughs have enabled the application of Deep Neural Networks (DNN) directly to point clouds, an efficient and natural representation of 3D objects. The potential of these methods has mostly been demonstrated for classification and segmentation tasks involving rigid man-made objects. We present a method, based on the successful PointNet architecture, for learning to regress correct tool placement from human demonstrations, using virtual reality. Our method is applied to a challenging slaughterhouse cutting task, which requires an understanding of the local geometry including the shape, size, and orientation. We propose an intermediate five-Degree of Freedom (DoF) cutting plane representation, a point and a normal vector, which eases the demonstration and learning process. A live experiment is conducted in order to unveil issues and begin to understand the required accuracy. Eleven cuts are rated by an expert, with 8 / 11 being rated as acceptable. The error on the test set is subsequently reduced through the addition of more training data and improvements to the DNN. The result is a reduction in the average translation from 1.5 cm to 0.8 cm and the orientation error from 4.59° to 4.48°. The method’s generalization capacity is assessed on a similar task from the slaughterhouse and on the very different public LINEMOD dataset for object pose estimation across view points. In both cases, the method shows promising results. Code, datasets, and other materials are available in Supplementary Materials.
PLIN: A Network for Pseudo-LiDAR Point Cloud Interpolation
Authors: Liu Haojie , Liao Kang , Lin Chunyu , Zhao Yao , Liu Meiqin
Published: March 2020

LiDAR sensors can provide dependable 3D spatial information at a low frequency (around 10 Hz) and have been widely applied in the field of autonomous driving and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). However, the camera with a higher frequency (around 20 Hz) has to be decreased so as to match with LiDAR in a multi-sensor system. In this paper, we propose a novel Pseudo-LiDAR interpolation network (PLIN) to increase the frequency of LiDAR sensor data. PLIN can generate temporally and spatially high-quality point cloud sequences to match the high frequency of cameras. To achieve this goal, we design a coarse interpolation stage guided by consecutive sparse depth maps and motion relationship. We also propose a refined interpolation stage guided by the realistic scene. Using this coarse-to-fine cascade structure, our method can progressively perceive multi-modal information and generate accurate intermediate point clouds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first deep framework for Pseudo-LiDAR point cloud interpolation, which shows appealing applications in navigation systems equipped with LiDAR and cameras. Experimental results demonstrate that PLIN achieves promising performance on the KITTI dataset, significantly outperforming the traditional interpolation method and the state-of-the-art video interpolation technique.
Estimating Urban Road GPS Environment Friendliness with Bus Trajectories: A City-Scale Approach
Authors: Ma Liantao , Zhang Chaohe , Wang Yasha , Peng Guangju , Chen Chao , Zhao Junfeng , Wang Jiangtao
Published: March 2020

GPS is taken as the most prevalent positioning system in practice. However, in urban areas, as the GPS satellite signal could be blocked by buildings, the GPS positioning is not accurate due to multi-path errors. Estimating the negative impact of urban environments on GPS accuracy, that is the GPS environment friendliness (GEF) in this paper, will help to predict the GPS errors in different road segments. It enhances user experiences of location-based services and helps to determine where to deploy auxiliary assistant positioning devices. In this paper, we propose a method of processing and analysing massive historical bus GPS trajectory data to estimate the urban road GEF integrated with the contextual information of roads. First, our approach takes full advantage of the particular feature that bus routes are fixed to improve the performance of map matching. In order to estimate the GEF of all roads fairly and reasonably, the method estimates the GPS positioning error of each bus on the roads that are not covered by its route, by taking POIinformation, tag information of roads, and building layout information into account. Finally, we utilize a weighted estimation strategy to calculate the GEF of each road based on the GPS positioning performance of all buses. Based on one month of GPS trajectory data of 4835 buses within the second ring road in Chengdu, China, we estimate the GEF of 8831 different road segments and verify the rationality of the results by satellite maps, street views, and field tests.
The Single-Shore-Station-Based Position Estimation Method of an Automatic Identification System
Authors: Jiang Yi , Zheng Kai
Published: March 2020

In order to overcome the vulnerability of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) initiated the ranging mode (R-Mode) of the automatic identification system (AIS) to provide resilient position data. As the existing AIS is a communication system, the number of shore stations as reference stations cannot satisfy positioning requirements. Especially in the area near a shore station, it is very common that a vessel can only receive signals from one shore station, where the traditional positioning method cannot be used. A novel position estimation method using multiple antennas on shipborne equipment is proposed here, which provides a vessel’s position even though the vessel can only receive signals from a single shore station. It is beneficial for solving positioning issues in proximity to the coast. Further, as the distances between different antennas to the shore station are not sufficiently independent, the positioning matrix can easily be near singularity or ill-conditioned; thus, an effective position solving method is derived. Furthermore, the proposed method is verified and evaluated in different scenarios by numerical simulation. We assessed the influencing factors of positioning performance, such as the vessel’s heading angle, the relative position, and the distances between the shore station and the vessel. The proposed method widely expands the application scope of the AIS R-Mode positioning system.
A Study of the Green Building Benefits in Apartment Buildings According to Real Estate Prices: Case of Non-Capital Areas in South Korea
Authors: Kim Kee Han , Jeon Sang-Sub , Irakoze Amina , Son Ki-young
Published: March 2020

Recently, the importance of green building certification in consideration of environmentally friendly factors is being emphasized more when constructing buildings in South Korea. The Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED) is one of the strategies used by the Korean government to effectively reduce building environmental loads. However, due to the large investment needed to acquire green building certification, building owners, stakeholders, and designers often contemplate how to balance G-SEED certification benefits and the additional costs they involve. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the benefits of G-SEED certification in terms of post-occupancy financial advantages through a comparative analysis of real estate prices of apartments in the Yeongnam area. All of the major factors affecting apartment real estate prices in South Korea were considered, and the real estate price difference between G-SEED certified and non-certified apartments was determined through a one-sample t-test. The results demonstrated that G-SEED certified apartment real estate prices were 9.52% higher than non-certified apartments. This study concluded that G-SEED certification–related investment is worth the additional cost as it increases the real estate value of a building.
Impulse Conditioner for Verification (Calibration) of Digital Electronic Stopwatch-Timers
Authors: Grudzinsky S. O. , Odnoralov V. N.
Published: March 2020

New upgraded device for digital electronic stopwatch-timers calibration has been developed and researched. Real value of quartz resonator frequency has been measured. New device provides the stopwatch-timers calibration of various models for any frequency spectrum. The device enables to shorten the time for calibration and to reduce the calibration uncertainty.
Control procedure for main digital stopwatch-timers characteristics has been described. The procedure doesn’t contain any handmade operations depended on operator reaction. Already there are no necessity to use any mechanic device for start/stop of stopwatch-timers.
Features of the Functioning of the National Metrological System in the Health Sector
Authors: Glebov A. B. , Chizhik I. V. , Parkhomenko N. M. , Dengub O. V.
Published: March 2020

The legislative requirements for metrological support in the healthcare sector, the issues of ensuring metrological traceability and the hierarchical scheme of calibrations and measurements in laboratory medicine according to the recommendations of JCTLM and their adaptation at the national level are considered. The features of the provided metrological control of measuring instruments for medical purposes, including when conducting their compliance assessment with the requirements of technical regulations. The current state of affairs in the confirmation of the technical competence of medical laboratories, including the need for their participation in proficiency testing schemes through inter-laboratory comparisons, in the transition from certification to accreditation is considered.
The analysis of the used methods and means of calibration and reference measurements proposed by JCTLM and other leading orga­nizations in the field of laboratory medicine is observed. Information is provided on the work carried out by the SE «Ukrmetrteststandart» for metrological support of medical measuring instruments. The necessity of legal improvement, the regulatory and methodological base of the metrological system in the field of healthcare is substantiated. As a result of the work performed, the authors consider:

the legislative base of metrological support in the field of healthcare is not perfect and in need of refinement of the profile of the central executive authorities in order to build technically sound organizational and regulatory frameworks for metrological support in this area;
proficiency testing through interlaboratory comparisons in the field of laboratory medicine is an effective tool for confirming the technical competence of the laboratory. Laboratories should parti­cipate in proficiency testing schemes on a regular basis. Proficiency testing providers should pay particular attention to the method of determining reference values of indicators in proficiency testing samples, using predominantly metrologically sound procedures based on the use of standards, certified reference materials and/or reference measurement methods;
the heads of medical laboratories should be careful about the choice of suppliers of legal acts in the metrology.
APPLIED GEOMETRY MATH FOR TECHNICAL TO PUNCTURE THE NEEDLE INTO THE RENAL CALYCES IN PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMIES
Authors: Truong Van Can , Le Dinh khanh , Nguyen Van Thuan , Pham Ngoc Hung , Võ Dai Hong Phuc , Phan Duy An , Nguyen Du Vinh
Published: March 2020

Objectives: To evaluate the technique to puncture the needle into the renal calyces based on the CT-Scanner images and only used the C-arm on the principles of geometry in PCNL.
Materials and Methods: 86 cases of percutaneous nephrolithotomies have been performed at Department of Urology of Hue Central Hospital from June 2014 to May 2017.
Results: Mean age 47.3 ± 12.7 years (23 - 71). Renal pelvis stones: 15 cases (17.4%), renal calyx stones: 9 cases (10.5%), staghorn stones: 24 cases (27.9%) and renal pelvico-calyx stones: 38 cases (44.2%). Grade of hydronephrosis: grade I: 27 cases (31.4%), grade II: 31 cases (36.0%), grade III: 9 cases (10.5%), no hydronephosis 19 cases (22.1%). For making dilatation, we puncture into inferior posterior of the kidney in 41 cases (47.7%), middle calyx 37 cases (43.0%) and superior calyx 8 cases (9.3%). Average time to puncture 17 ± 18 seconds (fastest 3 seconds and slowest 156 seconds). Not used urinary contrastion: 14 cases (16.3%), and used it for 72 cases (83.7%). PCNL was successful 100%.
Conclusions: The technique to puncture the needle into the renal calyces based on the CT-Scanner images and only used the C-arm fluoroscopic on the principles of geometry in PCNL is good technique with fastly and exactly result.

Key words: : percutaneous nephrolithotomies (PCNL), Hue Central Hospital, renal calyces
EVALUATION OUTCOMES OF THE LAPAROSCOPIC RETROPERITONEAL NEPHRECTOMY FOR BENIGN NONFUNCTIONING KIDNEYS
Authors: Hoang Duc Minh , Nguyen khoa Hung , Truong Vinh Quy , Nguyen Van Binh , Nguyen Hong Duong , Truong Xuan Nhuan , Tran Quoc Tuan
Published: March 2020

Purpose: To assess results of retroperitoneoscopy nephrectomy for benign non-function kidneys from June 2013 to June 2017 at Quang Tri General Hospital.
Materials and Methods: The study comprised 43 patients who underwent retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy during a 4 years period beginning from June 2013.
Results: Mean age of surgery was 52.6 years (28-72 years). 23 males and 20 females. 25 patients underwent left nephrectomy; 18 underwent right nephrectomy. Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy were completed successfully in 38 patients (88.4%). There was 5 patients required conversion to open surgery (11.6%), all cases by poor progression. The mean operating time was 112.7 minutes (range 70 to 210), mean blood loss was 45.7 ml (range 15 to 170 ml), and mean post-operation hospital stay was 4.3 days (range 3 to 9). A total of 21.1% complications (8/38 cases), no severe complications occurred. No re-intervention was needed. No case was mortality. The indications for surgery included hydronephrosis in 19/38 cases (50.0%), atrophic kidney in 13/38 cases (34.2%) and multicystic kidney in 6/38 cases (15.8%).
Conclusions: Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy can be performed safely and successfully with obvious advantages for benign nonfunctioning kidneys regardless of the etiology or pathogenesis.

Key words: nephrectomy, kidney, benign, retroperitoneoscopy
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF MELD SCORE IN CHILD PUGH C CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS
Authors: Vo Thi Minh Duc , Tran Van Huy , Hoang Trong Thang
Published: March 2020

Background and aims: Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is a scoring system used for prioritization of patients waiting liver transplantation. Patients with decompensated cirrhosisoftenshave serious complications. The aims of this study was to evaluate prognostic value of MELD score for complications (mortality, acute variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacteremia peritonitis, hepatoencephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome) of Child Pugh C cirrhotic patients in 6 months after hospitalizing.
Methods: This prospective study included 102 consecutive Child Pugh C cirrhotic patients who were admitted in the period april 2016 to February 2017 in the Gastrointestinal Department, Hue Central Hospital and the General Internal Medicine Department, Hue University Hospital. At admission the MELD score of each patient was calculated. All patients were followed up for 6 months to assess the events: mortality, acute variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacteremia peritonitis, hepatoencephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome.
Results: Mean MELD score of all patients was 19.5 ± 7.1; of male patients was 19.7 ± 7.4; of female ones was 18.43 ± 4.4; of alcoholic ones was19.5 ±7.5; of non - alcoholic ones was 19.6 ± 5.9. MELD score is available to predict mortality for 6 months after hospitalizating (with cut – off 20; AUC 0.69; sensitivity and specificity are 56.0% and 76.6%) and to predict hepatorenal syndrome (with cut – off 25; AUC 0.90; sensitivity and specificity are 83.3% and 85.4%). In this study, prognostic value of MELD score for acute variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacteremia peritonitis, hepatoencephalopathyfor 6 months after hospitalizating have not been found.
Conclusions: MELD score is valuable prognostic system for mortality and hepatorenal syndrome in Child Pugh C cirrhotic patients in 6 months after hospitalizing.

Key words: cirrhosis, MELD score
RESEARCH IN SERUM COPEPTIN CONCENTRATION IN THE ACUTE STROKE PATIENTS
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Cong , Le Thi Bich Thuan , Le Chuyen , Phan Thi Minh Phuong
Published: March 2020

Objectives: To determine serum Copeptin concentration and correlation between serum Copeptin concentration with some major predictors of acute stroke patients (ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage).
Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study with 72 patients (40 acute ischemic stroke patients and 32 intracerebral hemorrhage patients at Hue University Hospital. Data processing method is according to usual medical statistics and SPSS 20.0.
Results: 1. The serum Copeptin concentration in the patients with acute stroke: - The serum Copeptin concentration in the patients with acute ischemic stroke was 11.28 ± 5.2 pmol/L (admission) and 8.81 ± 4.94 pmol/L (after 7 days). - The serum Copeptin concentration in the patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage was 9.17 ± 7.97 pmol/L (admission) and 7.14 ± 6.62 pmol/L (after 7 days). - The serum Copeptin concentration in the patients with acute stroke at admission and after 7 days there was not statistically significant difference between female and male (p > 0.05). 2. The correlation between serum Copeptin concentration and severity of acute stroke patients: - The serum Copeptin concentration correlated positively with size of injury (ischemic stroke: r = 0.743; p< 0.001 and intracerebral hemorrhage: r = 0.502; p= 0.003). - The serum Copeptin concentration in the acute stroke patients correlated positively with NIHSS score at admission (ischemic stroke: r = 0.657, p < 0.001 and intracerebral hemorrhage: r = 0.408, p = 0.021). - The serum Copeptin concentration in the acute stroke patients correlated positively with NIHSS score after 7 days (ischemic stroke: r = 0.486, p < 0.001 and intracerebral hemorrhage: r = 0.359, p = 0.044). - The serum Copeptin concentration in the acute stroke patients correlated negatively with Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission (ischemic stroke: r = - 0.564, p < 0.001 and intracerebral hemorrhage: r = - 0.466, p = 0.007).The serum Copeptin concentration in the acute stroke patients correlated negatively with Glasgow Coma Scale score after 7 days (ischemic stroke: r = - 0.499, p < 0.001 and intracerebral hemorrhage: r = - 0.38, p = 0.032).
Conclusions: There was correlation between serum Copeptin concentration with severity of acute stroke patients.

Key words: Copeptin, acute stroke, ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage
CORRELATION BETWEEN SERUM CYSTATIN C LEVEL AND RENAL FUNCTION IN PREDIABETES, TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS
Authors: Dang Anh Dao , Tran Huu Dang
Published: March 2020

Objectives: To investigate serum Cystatin C level, percentage of elevated serum cystatin C in prediabetic, type 2 diabetic patients. Relationship between serum Cystatin C levels and albuminuria in prediabetes. Correlation between serum Cystatin C levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), renal radiography in type 2 diabetic patients.
Materials and methods: 90 healthy subjects, 60 patients with prediabetes, and 124 type 2 diabetic patients were inrolled into this study. We excluded patients with thyroid dysfunction and those taking glucocorticoids that affect the serum Cystatin level. The serum Cystatin C and Creatinine, renal radiography, albuminuria, and eGFR using CKD.EPI, MDRD formular were calculated. Descriptive and cross-sectional study. Analyzed correlation, Receiver operating characteristics (ROC), calculated the area under the curve (AUC) for serum Cystatin C.
Results: The level of serum Cystatin C gradually significantly increased in healthy subjects, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetic patients (0.848±0.097; 0.894±0.113; 1.410±0.900 mg/L, p<0.05, respectively). Percentage of elevated serum cystatin C in prediabetic and type 2 diabetic patients were 13%, 47.6%, p<0.05, respectively. There was a positive correlation of serum cystatin C with albuminuria, a negatively correlation between serum Cystatin C level and eGFR in prediabetic subjects.There was a strong positively correlation of eGFR according to CKD.EPI equation based on serum Cystatin C (r=0.804, p < 0.001) and renal radiography (r=0.767, p<0.001). The strong positively correlation between eGFR based on serum Creatinine-Cystatin C and renal radiography (r=0.804, p<0.001). Serum Cystatin C level was significantly negatively correlation with eGFR based on cystatin C serum (r=-0.861, p<0.001) and renal radiography (r=0.739 p<0.001). The cut off value for the identification of GFR < 60ml/min/1.73m2 was 1.53mg/l with a sensitivity of 93.6 (95%CI: 78.3- 96.3) and specificity of 97.4 (95%CI: 88.0- 98.2), AUC was 0.96 according to renal radiography.The cutoff value for the identification of GFR < 60ml/min/1.73m2 was 1.3mg/l with a sensitivity of 100,0 (95%CI: 91.3- 100.0) and specificity of 94.0 (95%CI: 86.5- 98,0), AUC was 0,989 according to CKD.EPI formular based on Cystatin C.
Conclusions: The level of serum Cystatin C gradually significantly increased in healthy subjects, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetic patients. There was a correlation of serum cystatin C with albuminuria, eGFR in prediabetic subjects. There was a positive correlation between eGFR based on Cystatin C and renal radiography. A negativelysignificantly correlation between serum Cystatin C level and eGFR,renal radiography. Serum Cystatin C had strong sensitivityand specificity for detecting reduced GFR.

Key words: prediabetes, diabetes mellitus, glomerular filtration rate, Cystatin C, albuminuria
EVALUATION THE RESULTS OF LAPAROSCOPIC LOW ANTERIOR RESECTION FOR TREATMENT UPPER AND MIDDLE RECTAL CANCER
Authors: Tran Ngoc Thang , Dang Ngoc Hung , Le Manh Ha , Pham Anh Vu , Pham Nhu Hiep , Le Loc
Published: March 2020

Introduction: To evaluate the feasibility and benefits of laparoscopic low anterior resection for upper and middle rectal cancer treatment.
Material and method: Prospective study from 8/2013 to 8/2017 at Hue Central Hospital, a laparoscopic low anterior resection was performed in 45 patients with upper and mid rectal cancer.
Result: There were 29 males and 16 females with the mean age of 60.3 ± 11.5 (range 38 – 75), no conversion, have three cases anastomotic leakage, the mortaliy rate was 0%. Mean follow-up duration 36 months: have tow cases local recurrence (4.4%), the overall survival rate was 100%.
Conclusion: Laparoscopic low anterior resection for treatment upper and mid rectal cancer is safe and effective, initial results is good.

Key words: upper and middle rectal cancer, Laparoscopic low anterior resection
EFFECTS OF VEGETARIAN DIET ON LIPID PROFILE AND SERUM LEPTIN CONCENTRATION IN MALE SUBJECTS
Authors: Nguyen Thi kim Anh , Le Van Chi , Nguyen Hai Thuy , Nguyen Hai Quy Tram , Nguyen Hai Ngoc Minh
Published: March 2020

Objectives: To investigate the influence of vegetarian diet on lipid profile and serum levels of leptin among vegetarian males.
Methods: 93 males (age 16-78 years) with duration of vegetarian diet ranged 5-65 years, were screened for lipid profile and serum Leptin concentration and 86 non-vegetarian men (age 17-72 years) were control group.
Results: The vegetarian group had lower serum total cholestrol (4.05 ± 0.92 vs 5.21 ± 1.21 mmol/l, p<0.01), lower LDL.C (2.07 ± 0.72 vs 3.39 ± 1.09 mmol/l, p<0.01), lower non-HDL.C (2.88 ± 0.96 vs 4.04 ±118 mmol/l, p<0.01), lower TC/HDL.C ratio (3.62 ± 1.18 vs 4.67 ± 1.33, p<0.01), and lower LDL.C/ HDL.C ratio (1.86 ± 0.81 vs 3.06 ± 1.15, p<0.05), respectively. Between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian men, there were no differences in TG (1.81 ± 1.04 vs 2.03 ± 1.16 mmol/l, p >0.05), in HDL.C (1.17 ± 0.25 vs 1.17 ± 0.31 mmol/l, p >0.05), and in TG/HDL.C (1.71 ± 1.26 vs 1.88 ± 1.25, p >0.05), respectively. Compared to male non-vegetarian group, the male vegetarian group had lower serum concentration of leptin (1.46± 1.48 vs 3.16 ±2.95 ng/ml, p < 0.01).
Conclusions: A decrease in lipid profile was associated with vegetarian diet. However, long-term vegetarian diet could cause hypoleptinemia in male veretarians.

Key words: vegetarian diet, serum leptin concentration, lipid profile
Culturas de tradición oral y escritura
Authors: Bigot Margot
Published: March 2020

En este trabajo se confrontan las características de las culturas basadas en la oralidad y las basadas en la escritura, a fin de aproximarnos a la problemática de la escritura de lenguas de tradición oral y puntualmente a la de la escritura de la lengua qom (toba) y su instrumentalización .Se hará referencia a los efectos de la escritura en las sociedades que
El debate por la emergencia en clave antropológica:
Authors: Hindi Guadalupe
Published: March 2020

El presente artículo se propone debatir en torno a los sentidos contrapuestos que aparecen en las discusiones previas al tratamiento parlamentario de la Ley de Emergencia Social en el año 2016. Se busca, a partir del registro etnográfico de una jornada de debate entre académicos en el Senado de la Nación, reconstruir la trama que constituye el campo de límites y posibilidades de un proceso que proponemos como de institucionalización de la economía popular en la argentina actual.
Representaciones sobre la unidad social y la igualdad en la Argentina contemporánea. un análisis a partir de los asalariados del Area Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA)
Authors: Castro Rubel Jorge
Published: March 2020

En el presente trabajo, presentamos los resultados de una investigación exploratoria acerca de las representaciones de trabajadores asalariados del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires sobre algunas dimensiones relativas a la unidad y la igualdad social en la Argentina contemporánea. En esta dirección, se analizan las representaciones sobre: la existencia de unidad o división entre los argentinos, la existencia de igualdad o desigualdad social en el país, las causas de las divisiones entre los argentinos, los grados de unidad/división observadas, el origen temporal de las divisiones, la unión de los argentinos en el futuro, las desigualdades que se observan, el porqué de las mismas, la responsabilidad que se le atribuye al Estado en cuanto a las desigualdades y cuáles serían estas. El presente artículo se basa en el análisis de un conjunto de entrevistas realizadas a 15 trabajadores asalariados del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA). Dichas entrevistas se realizaron entre mayo y junio de 2018. La selección de los trabajadores entrevistados se realizó mediante un muestreo en cadena
Desde qué lugar se para el investigador a la hora de llevar a cabo un estudio social
Authors: Cherñavsky Sasha
Published: March 2020

Este trabajo se llevó a cabo en el marco de interrogantes que se presentaron en el desarrollo de una beca Ubacyt estímulo sobre la comunidad Lma Iacia Qom de San Pedro. Por un lado las dificultades a la hora de comprender las voces silenciadas en dos niveles: la necesaria postura reflexiva del investigador y los dilemas de la representación de los subalternos. Asimismo desde qué lugar nos paramos en el rol de investigador y con qué herramientas. Observando el desplazamiento de ciertos métodos de investigación como la investigación de acción participativa