bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical evaluation and red flags of acute low back pain in primary care
Authors: Abdullah Marwah Y. , Bana Reem A. , Aldogil Seham O. , Alsolami Mutlaq A. , Alshihri Reem A. , Alotaibi Mohammed H. , Alharbi Shahd A. , Alqari Hisham H. , Alsaadi Reem M. , Sindi Khulood A. , Alshamase Noor B. , Albouq Abdulrahman F. , Alshaikh Hammad A.
Published: January 2022

Back pain has been reported as a common cause for various patients to present in an emergency or primary care settings. Besides, the management of back pain has been associated with a huge economic burden and remarkably impacts the quality of life of the affected patients. The diagnosis of acute low-back pain can be adequately achieved by conducting proper clinical evaluation and knowing the characteristics of each condition. The present review discusses the clinical evaluation and red flags for diagnosing patients presenting with acute low-back pain. An adequate examination of patients is conducted by obtaining a thorough history and successful physical examination. It should be noted that obtaining an adequate history might not be enough in some cases, and physical examination might not show any diagnostic clues. However, we also reported various red flags for detecting serious conditions, including malignancy, infections, inflammation, and others. These might help establish a further assessment of these patients, including imaging and laboratory studies. Therefore, these cases should be managed as early as possible to enhance the prognosis and intervene against any potential complications.
Noticias del BID: Vol. 9, no. 6, agosto 1982
Authors:   Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
Published: January 2022

Noticias del BID, publicación mensual que tiene por objetivo informar acerca de las actividades del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo.
Noticias del BID: Vol. 9, no. 5, julio 1982
Authors:   Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
Published: January 2022

Noticias del BID, publicación mensual que tiene por objetivo informar acerca de las actividades del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo.
Pedagogical in-Service Courses and Novice Teachers' Professional Development
Authors: Bshoti Mohammad , Murad Tareq , Assadi Nabil
Published: January 2022

Current study aims to investigate the effect of in-service training courses on novice teachers’ professional development. Moreover, the study seeks to examine the types of in-service courses that novice teachers need. The study population is 30 English high school teachers with teaching certificates in the southern district of Israel. The instrument of the study is an online questionnaire with additional open-ended questions. Study findings showed that 47% of the participants prefer courses in social interaction and educational knowledge. However, few participants showed an interest in self-esteem related courses. The researcher advises novice teachers to priorities their needs in social interaction and educational knowledge courses in order to steadily develop professionally. Moreover, further studies need to be explored in order to examine the effect of pedagogical in-service training courses on veteran teachers' professional development and compare the data between two studies.
MODERNIZATION AND GLOBALIZATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE MASS MEDIA
Authors: Usman Sobia , Farooq Usman , Chaudhary Muhammad Umair
Published: January 2022

Purpose of the study: This research is a humble effort to ascertain what constitutes the connection between our prevailing societies, culture, and mass media; it is an effort to delve into the realm of the circumstances and conditions that cause the three of them to be intertwined. Methodology: Qualitative research method has been used to analyze & explore the confusing and increasing connection between predominant societies and mass media. Main Findings: The cultural effervescence, richness, and vibrancy of the globe are at stake and this cannot be further ignored. Because of the unrelenting cultural promotion of the dominant powers by the use of the media in the developing world, the younger generation is blissfully unaware of the rich local cultures, traditions, and values that their predecessors held in these countries. Application of the study: The present study may be applied to understand the consequences of Mass media after its advancement & globalization.
Pesquisa de percepção sobre ensino de ciências: mudanças climáticas e desmatamento estão entre os temas mais relevantes para estudantes secundaristas
Authors: Cunha Rodrigo Bastos
Published: January 2022

Nas últimas décadas, ganharam força, no Brasil, as pesquisas sobre ensino de ciências com propostas de abordagem das relações entre ciência, tecnologia e sociedade, conhecida como ensino CTS. Nessa perspectiva, as aulas de biologia, física e química do ensino médio deveriam abordar os impactos positivos e negativos da ciência para a sociedade e o ambiente. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa de percepção sobre ensino de biologia, física e química com estudantes secundaristas de todo o país. O objetivo da pesquisa é ver o quanto o ensino CTS está consolidado nas salas de aula do ensino médio e seu impacto na percepção dos estudantes. Utilizou-se, como ferramenta, um questionário pela internet com perguntas fechadas, em que o respondente não se identifica. Os resultados apontam que temas como mudanças climáticas e desmatamento têm relevância mais alta para os estudantes do que temas do cânone da ciência.
USO DA FAUNA E FLORA POR COMUNIDADES QUILOMBOLAS DO ARQUIPÉLAGO DO MARAJÓ, PARÁ
Authors: Sena Regian Ferreira , Oliveira Marcela Alvares , Romagnoli Fernanda Carneiro , Costa-Rodrigues Ana Paula Vitoria
Published: January 2022

O Brasil apresenta uma das maiores taxas de diversidade biológica e cultural do planeta. O conhecimento e uso de elementos da fauna e da flora por comunidades quilombolas são parte importante desta diversidade e demonstram a relevância social destes povos. Reconhecer e valorizar estes saberes é elemento relevante na luta pelos direitos quilombolas. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se registar as etnoespécies reconhecidas pelas comunidades quilombolas Bacabal, Boa Vista e Pau Furado, localizadas em Salvaterra, Pará, bem como as principais formas de uso destes recursos naturais. A pesquisa foi realizada em três locais: Bacabal, Boa Vista e Pau Furado, comunidades rurais do município de Salvaterra, arquipélago do Marajó, Pará, norte do Brasil. Foram entrevistadas 33 pessoas que mencionaram 141 etnoespécies distribuídas nas categorias medicinal, alimentícia, ornamental, artesanato, construção, ritual/religioso e lenha. As práticas da roça, caça, pesca e a criação de animais fazem parte do cotidiano dessas comunidades e garantem a subsistência das famílias. Essas atividades de manipulação dos recursos naturais são responsáveis por seu papel social, cultural e econômico, revelando a intrínseca relação que estas comunidades mantêm com os recursos locais.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINES AMONGST INDIGENOUS GROUPS IN RORAIMA, BRAZIL: A RETROSPECTIVE
Authors: Milliken William
Published: January 2022

Surveys of medicinal plants and fungi among five indigenous groups in Roraima, Brazil, were identified in the 1990s but not published.  Most of the 52 species reported here were unknown in the literature for the same medicinal purpose when the data were collected, but 25 years later this has changed. Some of the ‘repeated’ data were collected in Roraima, but most were recorded elsewhere. It is likely that some of the traditional knowledge will have been lost by now, with old informants not passing their knowledge to younger generations. More work should be done on recording indigenous knowledge in Roraima, preferably by indigenous people. Efforts to recuperate traditional knowledge will benefit indigenous culture health and livelihoods.
Religar-se à terra para o céu não cair
Authors: Araújo Benjamin Da Costa , Neves Ivânia Dos Santos
Published: January 2022

O presente artigo reflete sobre as possíveis constituições de humanidade a partir de conceitos e concepções fundamentais de ser/sujeito/humano apresentados tanto na perspectiva ameríndia proposta por Viveiros de Castro e outras vozes discursivas quanto no pensamento da ontologia ocidental – ancoradas no antropocentrismo. Atento às diversas narrativas dos pajésYanomami do grupo Parahiteri presentes no livro “O surgimento dos pássaros” procurou-se fazer aqui uma análise do narrar cosmológico de povos originários com um olhar reflexível – e não menos refratário – ao modo inexorável de ser e de estar neste mundo dos napë (homens) estruturado pela razão. A natureza/planeta como espaço de encontro/confronto de ambas as concepções faz emergir de um lado as contradições de uma razão – e seus mecanismos de dominação e controle do mundo natural – que pressupõe o progresso de uma humanidade, e do outro, um levante de vozes e de vidas indígenas e sua ligação com um mundo natural.
O espectro fantasmático da desigualdade social no conto “O outro”, de Rubem Fonseca
Authors: Silva Rafael Lucas Santos da , Silva Marisa Corrêa da
Published: January 2022

O artigo propõe uma hipótese de leitura da narrativa “O Outro”, do escritor Rubem Fonseca (1925-2020), a partir do Materialismo Lacaniano. Com base, especialmente, na noção de “espectro fantasmático”, conforme estudada pelo filósofo Slavoj Žižek (1996a, 2014, 2011a, 2017), focaliza-se o narrador e suas relações com a matéria ficcional da pobreza, buscando esclarecer o significado do artifício narrativo empregado referente à insólita e contraditória formalização das relações de classe dos personagens. Acredita-se que a temática elaborada na narrativa em questão possui lastro histórico com longo percurso de sedimentação no processo histórico-social, especialmente no que tange à figura do “homem livre pobre” (SCHWARZ, 1990, 2000), fazendo ser necessário levar em consideração o binômio exclusão/representação das classes marginalizadas na produção literária brasileira, cuja reflexão estará atrelada à noção do Real lacaniano.
Síndrome de Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich: reporte de caso y revisión de la literatura
Authors: Gutiérrez-Montufar Oscar Octalivar , Zambrano-Moncayo Claudia Patricia , Otálora-Gallego Maria Camila , Meneses-Parra Angy Lorena , Díaz-Yamal Ivonne
Published: January 2022

Objetivo: presentar un reporte de caso de síndrome de Herlyn Werner Wunderlich (SHWW) y hacer una revisión de la literatura para determinar los hallazgos clínicos e imagenológicos en estas pacientes.
Materiales y métodos: se presenta el caso de una mujer de 16 años que consultó, en un hospital de las fuerzas militares en Bogotá, por dolor pélvico recurrente, su diagnostico final fue SHWW. Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura en las diferentes bases de datos, revisiones sistemáticas, cohortes, series de casos y reportes de casos en pacientes con diagnóstico de SHWW en cualquier edad, se obtuvo información sobre las características de presentación clínica, y las tecnologías diagnósticas más frecuentemente utilizadas. Se hace resumen narrativo de los hallazgos.
Resultados: se incluyeron 77 publicaciones, un total de 676 pacientes. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron dismenorrea (63,9 %), seguido de dolor pélvico (35,2%). Las tecnologías diagnósticas más utilizadas fueron el ultrasonido pélvico en un 92,1% y la resonancia magnética nuclear en un 74,6% de los casos. La histeroscopia y laparoscopia son poco utilizados en el diagnóstico.
Conclusión: el SHWW es una entidad poco frecuente, debe hacer parte del estudio complementario de la agenesia renal del paciente pediátrico y del diagnóstico diferencial de la dismenorrea primaria en pacientes en la adolescencia. Se requiere evaluar con estudios de cohorte más grandes la utilidad de la histeroscopia en estas pacientes.
Demoras en atención materna y complicaciones hipertensivas en el Hospital Sabogal, Callao, Perú, 2021. Estudio de casos y controles
Authors: Moran-Relaiza Ruth , López-Obando Fanny Liliana , Pérez-Baldeón Adela
Published: January 2022

Objetivo: evaluar si hay asociación entre demora II en atención materna y complicaciones de la hipertensión inducida por el embrazo (HIE) en el Hospital Alberto Sabogal en el contexto de pandemia por covid-19.

Materiales y métodos: estudio de casos y controles llevado a cabo en un hospital de referencia en la región de Callao, Perú. En el estudio se incluyeron mujeres de 19 años o más, atendidas por cesárea de urgencia debida a distocias fetales, sospecha de feto grande o cesáreas iterativas, y aquellas que tuvieron cesárea por emergencia atendidas en las áreas de obstetricia covid-19 y no covid-19 en los meses de enero a abril de 2021. Se excluyeron gestantes con enfermedades preexistentes, así como a quienes presentaban otras complicaciones obstétricas. Como casos se incluyeron pacientes con complicaciones de la hipertensión inducida por el embrazo (HIE) y como controles las que no tuvieron estas complicaciones. Se midió la edad, la procedencia, la ocupación, y el tipo de demora. Se usó un cuestionario según modelo de Thadeus y Maine, y revisión documentaria. Se evaluó la asociación entre demora II y complicaciones de la HIE a través de la odds ratio (OR).

Resultados: se encontró que los casos tuvieron un mayor riesgo de haber estado expuestos a demoras tipo II que los controles (OR: 7,72; IC 95 %: 3,44-17,35). Se identificó que la demora II se asoció con la procedencia de la paciente.

Conclusión: en el periodo de la pandemia por covid-19 las mujeres que tuvieron complicaciones de la HIE estuvieron más expuestas a demoras tipo II que los controles en el Hospital Sabogal en Callao, Perú. Se requieren estudios prospectivos que confirmen esta asociación y los efectos de la congestión de los servicios hospitalarios por pacientes con covid-19 en otros desenlaces maternoperinatales en la región.
Psychological climate and its relationship with achievement motivation among wheelchairs basketball players
Authors: Mohamed Mohamed Ibrahim , Kader Amr Abdellah Abdel
Published: January 2022

Psychological climate is a mental phenomenon. In studying sports psychology, during the training phase athletes try to take advantage of the positive factors associated with the win and to avoid negative factors causing defeat. The study aimed to identify the relationship of psychological climate and achievement motivation among basketball wheelchairs players, using descriptive method on a random sample including 50-players. The study used the psychological climate scale of Sport Team preparation by Mohamed Hassan Allawi, and the measure of achievement motivation preparation by Mona Mokhtar el Morse. There is statistically significant positive correlation between achievement motivation and psychological climate. The study recommends that close attention should be paid to the psychological climate for players in general and wheelchairs basketball players, especially moving to raise the level of achievement motivation.
Keywords: achievement motivation; basketball player; handicapped; Psychological climate; wheelchairs .
Post Traumatic Growth During COVID-19 Outbreak and the Affecting Factors: Results of a Cross‐Sectional Study among Turkish Nursing Students
Authors: CERİT Esin , KAPLAN Veysel
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study is to determine posttraumatic growth of nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic and the affecting factors. This study is a descriptive and cross‐sectional study. The sample of the study consisted of 402 nursing students. The data were collected using a self-report questionnaire and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory. The analyses showed that there was a significant difference between PTG scores of the students by variables such as gender, economic situation, smoking/alcohol use, having a chronic disease, things enjoyed during the pandemic and the situations in which individuals were most affected during the pandemic. This determination indicates that activities should be included in nursing programs to encourage the students to have more positive developments in their lives.
Using Machine Learning to support health system planning during the Covid-19 pandemic: a case study using data from São José dos Campos (Brazil)
Authors: Abuabara Leila , Valeriano Maria Gabriela , Veiga Kiffer Carlos Roberto , Hideki Yanasse Horácio , Lorena Ana Carolina
Published: January 2022

Many efforts were made by the scientific community during the Covid-19 pandemic to understand the disease and better manage health systems' resources. Believing that city and population characteristics influence how the disease spreads and develops, we used Machine Learning techniques to provide insights to support decision-making in the city of São José dos Campos (SP), Brazil. Using a database with information from people who undergo the Covid-19 test in this city, we generate and evaluate predictive models related to severity, need for hospitalization and period of hospitalization. Additionally, we used the SHAP value for models' interpretation of the most decisive attributes influencing the predictions. We can conclude that patient age linked to symptoms such as saturation and respiratory distress and comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the most important factors to consider when one wants to predict severity and need for hospitalization in this city. We also stress the need of a greater attention to the proper collection of this information from citizens who undergo the Covid-19 diagnosis test.
The Study of The Electrical Conductivity and Activation Energy on Conductive Polymer Materials
Authors: Azari Balqyz Lovelila Hermansyah , Wicaksono Totok , Damayanti Jihan Febryan , Azari Dheananda Fyora Hermansyah
Published: January 2022

Conductive Polymers are one of the interesting topics to be developed in recent years. Conductive polymers can combine the properties of polymers and the electrical properties of metals. Research related to the electrical properties of conductive polymers, including electrical conductivity measurements and determination of activation energy has been carried out. This study aims to determine the effect of addition mass fraction of activated carbon into the nylon polymer on the conductive polymer material based on the electrical conductivity and activation energy. The variations of activated carbon used are 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10% (wt/V). The conductive polymer from nylon polymer and activated carbon is made by casting solution method. The electrical conductivity measurement of the conductive polymer and the activation energy was carried out using the parallel plate method. The value of electrical conductivity increased from 5.62×10-9 ± 1.89×10-10 S/cm for the pure nylon to 2.51×10-8 ± 2.87×10-10 S/cm for the addition of mass fraction of activated carbon 8% wt/V. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in the addition of 9% wt/V and 10% wt/V of mass fraction of activated carbon, which were 2.36×10-8 ± 3.47×10-10 S/cm and 2.28×10-8 ± 4.01×10-10 S/cm. The activation energy of conductive polymer obtained decreased with increasing in the mass fraction of the activated carbon into the nylon polymer. The activation energy for the pure nylon was 0.0189 eV and 0.0127 eV for the addition of 8% wt/V mass fraction of activated carbon. Meanwhile, there was an increase in the addition of 9% wt/V and 10% wt/V mass fractions of activated carbon of 0.0145 eV and 0.0150 eV, respectively.
Growing up in the digital age
Authors: Ackermann Edith K.
Published: January 2022

Many new tools and mediations are at today’s children’s avail that we couldn’t dream of when we were growing up. And yet, the millennium generation is also facing new challenges, which call for creative solutions. Today’s youngsters are growing up in a world increasingly shielded from nature; of ever more busy work and entertainment schedules; longer commutes; disappearing or reorganizing neighborhoods; and recomposed families. And yet the children are extraordinarily resourceful. They invent their own surprising ways of navigating rough seas and seizing opportunities. Much can be learned from their interests and genres of engagement. This chapter identifies six areas of change that seem to inform how today’s kids play and learn.
O projeto UCA em Rondônia e o desenvolvimento profissional de professores
Authors: Martines Elizabeth , Sousa Aparecida Gasquez de , Souza Leonir Santos de
Published: January 2022

Este ensaio se insere no campo da formação de professores com/para o uso de tecnologias digitais e tem como objetivo analisar o processo de investigação-formação desenvolvido com professores e gestores (Projeto UCA- Fase II) em escolas públicas do estado de Rondônia. O problema se refere ao desafio da implantação de inovações educacionais em larga escala, a qual demanda ampla formação de profissionais em pouco tempo. Utilizou-se o método de estudo sobre um caso de inovação tecnológica aplicada à educação no qual se aliou uma pesquisa-ação com a Formação Brasil. A pesquisa evidencia a relevância da pesquisa-ação colaborativa envolvendo diferentes instituições, a qual contribui para o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores, aperfeiçoamento do currículo e das instituições envolvidas no processo.
Modulating the lithiophilicity at electrode/electrolyte interface for high-energy Li-metal batteries
Authors: Li Cai-Cai , Zhang Xu-Sheng , Zhu Yu-Hui , Zhang Ying , Xin Sen , Wan Li-Jun , Guo Yu-Guo
Published: January 2022

Lithium-metal anodes show significant promise for the construction of high-energy rechargeable batteries due to their high theoretical capacity (3860 mAh g-1) and low redox potential (-3.04 V vs. a standard hydrogen electrode). When Li metal is used with conventional liquid and solid electrolytes, the poor lithiophilicity of the electrolyte results in an unfavorable parasitic reaction and uneven distribution of Li+ flux at the electrode/electrolyte interface. These issues result in limited cycle life and dendrite problems associated with the Li-metal anode that can lead to rapid performance fade, failure and even safety risks of the battery. The lithiophilicity at the anode/electrolyte interface is important for the stable and safe operation of rechargeable Li-metal batteries. In this review, several factors that affect the lithiophilicity of electrolytes are discussed, including surface energy, roughness and chemical interactions. The existing problems and the strategies for improving the lithiophilicity of different electrolytes are also discussed. This review helps to shed light on the understanding of interfacial chemistry vs. Li metal of various electrolytes and guide interfacial engineering towards the practical realization of high-energy rechargeable batteries.
Boosting for concept design of casting aluminum alloys driven by combining computational thermodynamics and machine learning techniques
Authors: Yi Wang , Liu Guangchen , Gao Jianbao , Zhang Lijun
Published: January 2022

Casting aluminum alloys are commonly used in industries due to their excellent comprehensive performance. Alloying/microalloying and post-solidification heat treatments are the most common measures to tune the microstructure for enhancing their mechanical properties. However, it is very challenging to achieve accurate and efficient development of novel casting aluminum alloys using the traditional trial-and-error method. With the rapid development of computer technology, the computational thermodynamics (CT) in the framework of the CALculation of PHAse Diagram approach, the data-driven machine learning (ML) technique, and also their combinations have been proved to be effective approaches for the design of casting aluminum alloys. In this review, the state-of-the-art computational alloy design approaches driven by CT and ML techniques, as well as their combinations, were comprehensively summarized. The current status of the thermodynamic database for aluminum alloys, as the core for CT, was also briefly introduced. After that, a variety of successful case studies on the design of different casting aluminum alloys driven by CT, ML, and their combinations were demonstrated, including common applications, CT-driven design of Sc-additional Al-Si-Mg series casting alloys, and design of Srmodified A356 alloys driven by combing CT and ML. Finally, the conclusions of this review were drawn, and perspectives for boosting the computational design approach driven by combining CT and ML techniques were pointed out.
Control de gastos en el departamento: Viáticos y comisiones de la SNR
Authors:   Corporación Universitaria Republicana, GOMEZ LUIS , VIVAS JHOAN
Published: January 2022

By maintaining adequate management in the Superintendence of Notary and Registry SNR, where there are departments in its organi- zational structure that maintain a level of priority, so that most of the money enters or leaves for any of the operations that are recorded in the base of data within the department of per diem and commissions having a control of the money that enters and leaves in an orderly manner and with truthful information that allows us to demonstrate the proper functioning and con- trol of the expenses that are generated by the trips made by the officials. According to the research carried out, the Viaticals and Commissions area is taken into account, since the change of the year from 2017 to 2018 by order of the board diminished the money allocated to this department, evidencing an unjustifiable increase related to the previous years, generating in this way an alert to be entered to review the disbursements that are made and maintain an effective con- trol avoiding the additional charges not just by the officials where unnecessary trips are evidenced generating in this way a increase in the budget.
A Novel Analytical Model of Solute Transport in an Aquifer-Aquitard System with Mixing Processes in the Reservoirs
Authors: Shi Wenguang , Quanrong Wang
Published: January 2022

Analytical models have been widely used to aid understanding the physical and chemical processes of tracer (or chemicals) in an aquifer-aquitard system in the laboratory-controlled experiment, when the observation data is few or not available during the experiment. When injecting tracer into (or extracting them from) the aquifer-aquitard system during experiments, the pre-inlet and after-outlet reservoirs are indispensable. However, the concentration variation in the reservoirs was not treated properly in previous analytical models, resulting in poor performance in interpreting experimental data. In this study, new mathematical models describing the concentration variation in the pre-inlet and the after-outlet reservoirs are proposed, and they are integrated into the novel analytical model. The novel analytical model is developed under the mobile-immobile (MIM) framework in the aquifer-aquitard system, considering the longitudinal and vertical dispersion, the advection, and the first-order chemical reaction in both aquifer and aquitard. A finite-difference solution is developed and the experimental data are employed to test the new analytical model. Results indicate that the concentration variation in the reservoirs is important to solute transport in the aquifer-aquitard system in the laboratory-controlled experiment, and the new analytical model outperforms the previous models in interpreting experimental data. The global sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the output concentration of solute transport in the aquifer-aquitard system is most sensitive to the volume of water in the pre-inlet reservoir. The contribution of the diffusion effect to the total mass flux of tracer crossing the aquifer-aquitard interface is much smaller than the contribution of the dispersive and advective effects.
Bioavailability of Inhaled Or Ingested PFOA Adsorbed To House Dust
Authors: Gustafsson Åsa Maria , Wang Bei , Gerde Per , Bergman Åke , Yeung Leo W. Y.
Published: January 2022

Indoor environments may impact human health due to chemical pollutants in the indoor air and house dust. This study aimed at comparing the bioavailability and distribution of PFOA following both an inhalation and an oral exposure to PFOA coated house dust in rats. In addition, extractable organofluorine (EOF) was measured in different tissue samples to assess any potential influence of other organofluorine compounds in the experimental house dust. Blood samples were collected at sequential time points after exposure and at the time of termination; lung, liver and kidney were collected for quantification of PFOA and EOF. The concentration of PFOA in plasma increased rapidly in both exposure groups attaining a Cmax at 3 h post exposure. The Cmax following inhalation was four times higher compared to oral exposures. At 48 h post exposure, the levels of PFOA in plasma, liver and kidney were twice as high from inhalation exposures. This shows that PFOA is readily bioavailable and has a rapid systemic distribution following an inhalation- or oral exposure to house dust coated with PFOA. The proportion of PFOA to EOF corresponded to approximately 54-68% and >80% in plasma and tissues, respectively. The mass balance between EOF and target PFOA indicate that there might be other unknown PFAS precursor and/or fluorinated compounds that co-existed in the house dust sample that might have accumulated in rats.
Bringing Chemical Structures to Life with Augmented Reality, Machine Learning and Quantum Chemistry
Authors: Sakshuwong Sukolsak , Weir Hayley , Raucci Umberto , Martinez Todd
Published: January 2022

Visualizing 3D molecular structures is crucial to understanding and predicting their chemical behavior. However, static 2D hand-drawn skeletal structures remain the preferred method of chemical communication. Here, we combine cutting-edge technologies in augmented reality (AR), machine learning, and computational chemistry to develop MolAR, a mobile application for visualizing molecules in AR directly from their hand-drawn chemical structures. Users can also visualize any molecule or protein directly from its name or PDB ID, and compute chemical properties in real time via quantum chemistry cloud computing. MolAR provides an easily accessible platform for the scientific community to visualize and interact with 3D molecular structures in an immersive and engaging way.
Effect of Dietary Marula Nut Meal on Liver Lipid Content and Surrogate Markers of Liver and Kidney Function of Broiler and Layer Japanese Quail
Authors: Mazizi Bulelani Elvis , Erlwanger Kennedy Honey , Chivandi Eliton
Published: January 2022

Marula nut meal (MNM) can substitute soyabean meal (SBM) as a dietary protein source in Japanese quail diets without compromising growth performance and egg production. However, MNM has a high residual oil content which may impact metabolic health. The effects of MNM on hepatic lipid content and general, liver and kidney health have not been determined in both broilers and layers. Accordingly, two studies were run. In the broiler study two hundred 9-days old Japanese quail were randomly allocated to five diets wherein MNM replaced SBM on a crude protein (CP) basis at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, respectively, in both grower and finisher diets. In the layer study, sixty 5-weeks old Japanese maiden hens, individually housed, were randomly allocated to five-layer diets where MNM replaced SBM on a graded CP basis as for the broilers and fed for 8 weeks. At study termination the birds were slaughtered, blood collected and plasma harvested. Livers were excised, weighed and liver lipid content determined. Plasma surrogate markers of general health, liver and kidney function were determined. Dietary MNM had no effect (P > 0.05) on liver lipid content as well plasma surrogate markers of general health, liver and kidney function of the broiler quail. Dietary MNM at 75% of SBM CP significantly increased plasma phosphorus concentration of quail hens compared to that of counterparts fed control. Dietary MNM can be used in broiler and layer Japanese quail diets without risking development of fatty livers and compromising liver and kidney function.
Predictors of Venous Thromboembolism in COVID-19 Patients: Results of the COVID-19 Brazilian Registry
Authors: SILVEIRA Warley Cezar da
Published: January 2022

Background

Previous studies that assessed risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in COVID-19 patients have shown inconsistent results. Our aim was to investigate VTE predictors by both logistic regression (LR) and machine learning (ML) approaches, due to their potential complementarity.
Methods

This substudy of a large Brazilian COVID-19 Registry included COVID-19 adult patients from 16 hospitals. Symptomatic VTE was confirmed by objective imaging. LR analysis, tree-based boosting and bagging were used to investigate the association of variables upon hospital presentation with VTE.
Results

Among 4,120 patients (55·5% men, 39·3% critical patients), VTE was confirmed in 6·7%. In multivariate LR analysis, obesity (OR 1·50, 95%CI 1·11-2·02); being an ex-smoker (OR 1·44, 95%CI 1·03-2·01); surgery ≤ 90 days (OR 2·20, 95%CI 1·14-4·23); axillary temperature (OR 1·41, 95%CI 1·22-1·63); D-dimer ≥ 4 times above the upper limit of reference value (OR 2·16, 95%CI 1·26-3·67), lactate (OR 1·10, 95%CI 1·02-1·19), C-reactive protein levels (CRP, OR 1·09, 95% CI 1·01-1·18); and neutrophil count (OR 1·04, 95%CI 1·005-1·075) were independent predictors of VTE. Atrial fibrillation, peripheral oxygen saturation/inspired oxygen fraction (SF) ratio and prophylactic use of anticoagulants were protective. Temperature at admission, SF ratio, neutrophil count, D-dimer, CRP and lactate levels were also identified as predictors by ML methods.
Conclusion

By using ML and LR analyse, we showed that D-dimer, axillary temperature, neutrophil count, CRP and lactate levels are risk factors for VTE in COVID-19 patients.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Lockdown Measures on the Management, Health and Behaviour of the Cystic Fibrosis Population in France During 2020 (MUCONFIN)
Authors: Oubaya Nadia , Pombet Thibaut , Delestrain Celine , Remus Natascha , Douvry Benoit , Grenet Dominique , Corvol Harriet , Thouvenin Guillaume , Prulière-Escabasse Virginie , Mounir Hakima , Argoud Dominique , Fretigne Cédric , Costes Laurence , Mackiewicz Marie-Pierre , Jung Camille , Ahamada Laitissia , Lanone Sophie , Maitre Bernard , Bégot Anne-Cécile , Epaud Ralph
Published: January 2022

BackgroundMost of the studies on cystic fibrosis (CF) focused on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and suggested a low incidence of infection in this population We aimed to assess in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients the impact on healthcare access, health, and behaviour of the pandemic and associated lockdown measures implemented in May 2020 in response to the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsA national questionnaire opened online from May 10th, 2020 to June 11th, 2020 was completed by 751 CF-patients, aged 14 years and over. It comprised questions about access to healthcare, anxiety and depression, smoking, alcohol, drug and psychotropic drug consumption, adherence to CF treatment, and constraints. A semi-structured comprehensive interview was performed no later than one month after the end of the lockdown in 15 CF-patients.ResultsThe mean age of the population was 28 [IQR 20-37] years old. More than 75% of in-person consultations scheduled during the lockdown were cancelled and 27% were postponed, but telehealth consultations were proposed and accepted in almost 40% of cases. More than 75% of the scheduled physiotherapy sessions were cancelled and replaced mainly by self-drainage. Annual follow-up clinic visits were consistently postponed whereas required hospitalizations at CF centres for exacerbation were maintained in most cases. While 43% CF-patients had signs of anxiety, 51% presented symptoms of depression, both associated with increased use of psychotic medications and inversely correlated to COVID-19 prevalence. Among the lower and lower middle classes, very little medical information was obtained or requested by the patient, participation to sports or other activities was low, while excessive home confinement and isolation were more frequent. In contrast, in the upper middle and upper classes, individuals solicitated help to their CF centre, had more physical activities, and maintained contact with friends or families.ConclusionThe first lockdown in France had only minimal impact on the management care of CF-patients but was associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, together with behavioural changes that varied with social class
Bringing to Life a Newly Discovered Signature of Fatigue Crack Initiation via Multimodal Characterizations
Authors: Shadle Dalton , Nygren Kelly , Stinville Jean , Charpagne Marie , Long Timothy , Echlin McLean , Budrow Christopher , Polonsky Andrew , Pollock Tresa , Miller Matthew
Published: January 2022

Fatigue is the most prevalent failure mode in structural materials, yet remains challenging to study due to the seemingly unpredictable nature of crack initiation. To elucidate the driving forces of crack initiation in ductile polycrystalline metals, we employ a multimodal approach to identify and track grains with a suspected potential to initiate fatigue cracks via a newly founded signature. We discover this crack initiation potential (CIP) signature under the hypothesis that slip localization, a well-known precursor to crack initiation, is linked to intragrain misorientation, which can be quantified through single grain orientation distributions. We verify the CIP signature in an Inconel-718 material via static two-dimensional and three-dimensional electron microscopy and “bring to life” the dynamics of the CIP signature via in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. With this CIP signature, we move to better focus studies of fatigue crack initiation on the individual grains and processes that drive fatigue failure.
Multiterminal Pathfinding in Practical VLSI Systems with Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Utyamishev Dmitry , Partin-Vaisband Inna
Published: January 2022

A multiterminal obstacle-avoiding pathfinding approach is proposed. The approach is inspired by deep image learning. The key idea is based on training a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN) to interpret a pathfinding task as a graphical bitmap and consequently map a pathfinding task onto a pathfinding solution represented by another bitmap. To enable the proposed cGAN pathfinding, a methodology for generating synthetic dataset is also proposed. The cGAN model is implemented in Python/Keras, trained on synthetically generated data, evaluated on practical VLSI benchmarks, and compared with state-of-the-art. Due to effective parallelization on GPU hardware, the proposed approach yields a state-of-the-art like wirelength and a better runtime and throughput for moderately complex pathfinding tasks. However, the runtime and throughput with the proposed approach remain constant with an increasing task complexity, promising orders of magnitude improvement over state-of-the-art in complex pathfinding tasks. The cGAN pathfinder can be exploited in numerous high throughput applications, such as, navigation, tracking, and routing in complex VLSI systems. The last is of particular interest to this work.
Performance of Nomogram Prediction Combining MiRNAs in Cervical Mucus, HPV Genotype and Age for Cervical Cancer and its Precursor Lesions
Authors: Kotani Kiriko , Iwata Aya , Kukimoto Iwao , Nishio Eiji , Mitani Takeji , Tsukamoto Tetsuya , Ichikawa Ryoko , Nomura Hiroyuki , Fujii Takuma
Published: January 2022

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. Although cytology or HPV testing is available for screening, these techniques have their drawbacks and optimal screening methods are still being developed. Here, we sought to determine whether aberrant expression of miRNAs in cervical mucus could be an ancillary test for cervical neoplasms. The presence of miRNAs in 583 and 126 patients (validation and external cohorts) was determined by real-time RT-PCR. Performance of a combination with five miRNAs (miR-126-3p, -451a -144-3p, -20b-5p and -155-5p) was estimated by ROC curve analysis. Predicted probability (PP) was estimated by nomograms comprising -ΔCt values of the miRNAs, HPV genotype and age. A combination of five miRNAs showed a maximum AUC of 0.956 (95%CI: 0.933-0.980) for discriminating cancer. Low PP scores were associated with good prognosis over the 2-year observation period (p<0.05). Accuracy for identifying cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)3+ by nomogram was 0.983 and 0.966, respectively. PP was constant with different storage conditions of materials. We conclude that nomograms using miRNAs in mucus, HPV genotype and age could be useful as ancillary screening tests for cervical neoplasia.
In Vitro Amphidiploid Induction of A Distant Hybrid Populus Simonii × P. Euphratica Cv. ‘Xiaohuyang-2’ and its Effect on Plant Morphology and Anatomy
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Xiao , Zhang Ying , Cui Xiao-Tong , Li Dai-Li , Zhang Heng-Yue , Duan Wula , Wang Jun
Published: January 2022

In plants, highly gametic sterility of distant hybrids usually restricts their utilization in breeding programs. Amphidiploid induction produced by somatic chromosome doubling of distant hybrids can effectively restore their gametic fertility. In this study, nodal-segment and leaf explants of a distant hybrid Populus simonii × P. euphratica cv. ‘Xiaohuyang-2’ were used to induce chromosome doubling with colchicine in vitro. Although chromosome doubling of the nodal-segment explants only produced mixoploids, the treatments of leaf explants on adventitious bud regeneration medium successfully produced 4 amphidiploids, which might be attributed to the direct organogenesis of the adventitious buds on the leaf explants. The highest amphidiploid induction frequency was 16.7%. Both the explant survival rate and polyploidization frequency were significantly affected by colchicine concentration and exposure time. The amphidiploid plants were significantly differed from the diploid and mixoploid plants on morphological and anatomical characteristics. They had larger, thicker, and greener leaves than the diploids and mixoploids. The changes of stomatal features also accompanied with increase of ploidy level. The induced amphidiploid plants of the distant hybrid ‘Xiaohuyang-2’ are expected to play important roles in breeding programs of Populus in future, which can be used as a bridge parent with ability of unreduced gamete formation to cross with fast-growth germplasms to produce triploids pyramiding desirable traits of fast growth, easy cutting propagation, and salt and drought tolerances.
Discovery of a Cryptic Species, Erysiphe Salicina Sp. Nov., and Reconstruction of The Phylogeny of Powdery Mildews On Populus and Salix Spp.
Authors: Feng Jing , Liu Shu-Yan , Braun Uwe , Takamatsu Susumu , Bradshaw Michael , Khodaparast Seyed Akbar , Bulgakov Timur S. , Guan Guan-Xiu , Zhao Feng-Yun , Tang Shu-Rong
Published: January 2022

Recently performed phylogenetic-taxonomic analyses of species belonging to Erysiphe sect. Uncinula on willows (Salix spp.) demonstrated a much higher diversity than previously assumed. Phylogenetic analyses and morphological examinations of Chinese Erysiphe collections on Salix abscondita (= S. raddeana), S. sinica and S. taraikensis, all belonging to Salix subgen. Vetrix sect. Vetrix, revealed an additional cryptic species in sister position to the E. salicis clade, which is described as Erysiphe salicina. The new species clearly distinguished from all allied species in morphological and genetical results. The phylogeny of the new species and closely related species on Populus and Salix spp. (Salicaceae) was reconstructed and discussed using a combined alignment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and 28S rDNA sequences. The present phylogenetic analyses suggest that the recently described E. salicicola (on Salix gracilistyla in South Korea) has to be reduced to synonymy with E. salicis var. salicis-gracilistylae (º Uncinula salicis-gracilistylae).
The Clinical Significance of Forkhead Box M1 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Tissues: A Study Based on In-house Immunohistochemistry, RNA-sequencing, and Data Mining
Authors: Huang Wan-Ying , Li Jing-Xiao , Huang Zhi-Guang , He Rong-Quan , Chen Shang-Wei , Li Guo-Sheng , Li Dong-Ming , Tang Yu-Lu , Tang Deng , Zeng Jiang-Hui , Zhou Hua-Fu , Liu Jun , Fu Zong-Wang , Chen Gang
Published: January 2022

BackgroundEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) ranks the sixth in mortality rates in cancers due to a lack of a specific target of diagnosis and treatment in the early stages. Although Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) has been reported to be differentially expressed in ESCC, its clinical role and function in ESCC remained unclarified.MethodsData from our hospital and public databases (n = 1906) were combined to estimate how FOXM1 overexpression showed its discriminatory ability between ESCC and non-ESCC esophageal tissues. Downstream targets of FOXM1 were predicted by using Cistrome database. Functional enrichment analyses were performed to explore the potential signaling pathways related to FOXM1 in ESCC. Based on the available clinical parameters, we investigated the prognosis potential of FOXM1 and its targets.ResultsThe pooled standard mean difference (SMD) for FOXM1 is 2.62 (95% CI: 2.08–3.16), indicating that FOXM1 is upregulated in ESCC. FOXM1 has an extremely high discrimination potential in ESCC because the area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (sROC) is 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97–0.99). A total of 168 downstream targets were identified, and nine hub genes were screened from them. We found that FOXM1 and its targets were significantly enriched in the cell cycle. Additionally, the correlation between FOXM1 and clinical parameters had not been observed, except for age.Conclusions﻿FOXM1 is upregulated in ESCC and has an extremely high discrimination potential in ESCC.
Global Research On Cognitive Frailty: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Papers Published During 2013 – 2021
Authors: Hui Zhaozhao , Wang Xiaoqin , Zhou Ying , Li Yajing , Ren Xiaohan , Wang Mingxu
Published: January 2022

Background: Cognitive frailty relates to various adverse health outcomes of older adults and is proposed as a new target of healthy ageing. This study aimed to analyze the status, hotspots, and emerging trends / frontiers of global research on cognitive frailty.Methods: Articles and reviews related to cognitive frailty of older people published from 2013 to 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database on 26 November 2021. CiteSpace 5.8.R3 was used to conduct the collaboration analysis, document co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis.Results: A total of 2,077 publications were included. There has been a rapid growth of publications on cognitive research since 2016. The United States, Italy, England, and Australia were the leading research centers of cognitive frailty; however, China has recently focused on this topic. The National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and Shimada H. were found to be the most prolific institution and author, respectively. Co-citation analysis identified 16 clusters, of which the largest was cognitive frailty. The most frequently occurred keyword was older adult, followed by cognitive impairment, frailty, risk, dementia, prevalence, mortality, health, and Alzheimer’s disease. Burst keyword detection revealed a rising interest in cognitive frailty models.Conclusions: By analyzing the publications over the past years, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of cognitive frailty research. A variety of visualized networks oﬀer an in-depth understanding of the countries / regions, institutions, authors, hotspots, and research frontiers.