bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Burden of COVID-19 Infection in a Rural Tamil Nadu Community
Authors: Isaac Rita , Paul Biswajit , Finkel Madelon , Moorthy Mahesh , Venkateswaran Seshasailam , Bachmann Till , Pinnock Hilary , Norrie John , Ramalingam Sandeep , Minz Shantidani , Hansdak Samuel , Blythe Richard , Keller Marketa , Muliyil Jayaprakash , Weller David
Published: March 2021

Background: There are almost 11 million cases of COVID-19 in India. Transmission rates vary from region to region, and are influenced by many factors including population susceptibility, travel and uptake of preventive measures. To date there have been relatively few studies examining the impact of the pandemic in poor, rural regions of India. We report on a study examining COVID-19 burden in a rural community in Tamil Nadu.Methods: The study was undertaken in a population of approximately 130000 people, served by the Rural Unit of Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA), a community health center of CMC, Vellore. We established and evaluated a COVID-19 PCR-testing programme for symptomatic patients – testing was offered to 350 individuals, and household members of test-positive cases were offered antibody testing. We also undertook two COVID-19 seroprevalence surveys in the same community, amongst 701 randomly-selected individuals. Results: There were 182 positive tests in the symptomatic population (52.0%). Factors associated with test-positivity were older age, male gender, higher socioeconomic status (SES, as determined by occupation, education and housing), a history of diabetes, contact with a confirmed/suspected case and attending a gathering (such as a religious ceremony, festival or extended family gathering). Amongst test-positive cases, 3 (1.6%) died and 16 (8.8%) suffered a severe illness. Amongst 129 household contacts 40 (31.0 %) tested positive. The two seroprevalence surveys showed positivity rates of 2.2% (July/Aug 2020) and 22.0% (Nov 2020). 40 tested positive (31.0%, 95% CI: 23.02 -38.98). Our estimated infection-to-case ratio was 31.7.Conclusions: A simple approach using community health workers and a community-based testing clinic can readily identify significant numbers of COVID-19 infections in Indian rural population. There appear, however, to be low rates of death and severe illness, although vulnerable groups may be under-represented in our sample. It’s vital these poor, rural populations aren’t overlooked in ongoing pandemic monitoring and vaccine roll-out in India.
Do ARISCAT Scores Help to Predict the Incidence of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Elderly Patients After Upper Abdominal Surgery? An Observational Study at a Single University Hospital.
Authors: Nithiuthai Jitsupa , Siriussawakul Arunotai , Triyasunant Namtip , Junkai Rangsinee , Horugsa Nutthakorn , Jarungjitaree Sunit
Published: March 2021

BackgroundThe incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) is increasing in line with the rise in the number of surgical procedures performed on geriatric patients. In this study, we determined the incidence of PPCs in elderly Thai patients who underwent upper abdominal procedures, and we investigated whether the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) score helps to predict PPCs in Thais.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on upper abdominal surgical patients aged over 65 years who had been admitted to the surgical ward of Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand, between January 2016 and December 2019. Data were collected on significant PPCs using the European Perioperative Clinical Outcome definitions. To identify risk factors, evaluations were made of the relationships between the PPCs and various preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, including ARISCAT scores.ResultsIn all, 1,100 elderly postoperative patients were analyzed. Their mean age was 73.62 years, and 48.5% were male. The incidence of PPCs was 7.72%, with the most common being pleural effusion, atelectasis, and pneumonia. The average hospital and intensive care unit stays of the PPC patients were significantly longer than those without PPC (25.35 versus 7.30 days, with p < 0.0001; and 8.36 versus 2.84 days, with p 0.010, respectively). Almost 90% of the PPC patients had intermediate-to-high ARISCAT scores, with an average of 43.15 ± 13.58.ConclusionsPPCs are common in elderly patients and are associated with increased levels of postoperative morbidities and extended ICU and hospital stays. Using the ARISCAT score as an assessment tool facilitates the classification of geriatric Thai patients into PPC risk groups. Its usage might help to raise healthcare awareness and improve the perioperative management of elderly Thai patients. Moreover, the ARISCAT scoring system might be able to be similarly applied in other Southeast Asian countries.
New single-electron pump regime with highly controllable plateaus
Authors: Howe Hume , Blumenthal Mark , Beere Harvey , Mitchell Thomas , Ritchie David , Pepper Michael
Published: March 2021

Future quantum based electronic systems will demand robust and highly accurate on-demand sources of current. Generating quantised current has immediate implications for quantum computing, quantum metrology, and electron interferometry. The ultimate limit of quantised current sources is a highly controllable device that manipulates individual electrons. We present a new single-electron pump mechanism, realised in a GaAs two-dimensional electron gas, where electrons are pumped through a one-dimensional split-gate confinement potential rather than more conventionally over a finger-gate potential. This new mechanism yields a new long pumping regime with quantised plateaus that are over two orders of magnitude longer than conventional pumps, and are extremely stable with respect to the applied voltages on the gates. The long plateaus are achieved via the combination of a saddle-point potential profile and enhanced quantum tunnelling, wherein the potential barrier height and shape are modified by the application of a source-drain bias. This new pumping regime cannot be explained by the simple geometrical electrostatic models or back-tunnelling theory that are used to describe conventional single-electron pumps, and we use a simple electrostatic model applied to split-gate confined pumps to explain some of the source-drain bias dependence.
Valorization of cigarette butts for top value-added chemicals: Levulinic Acid
Authors: Laurenza Amelita G. , Losito Onofrio , Casiello Michele , fusco caterina , Nacci Angelo , Pantone Vincenzo , D'Accolti Lucia
Published: March 2021

Levulinic acid (LA), one of the top value-added intermediates of chemical industry, can be obtained by thermal hydrolysis (at 200 °C) from cigarette butts (as cellulose feedstock) catalysed by phosphoric acidic. The protocol avoids the use of more aggressive H2SO4 and HCl, that are generally employed on several cellulose sources (e.g. sludge paper), thus minimizing corrosion phenomena of plants. Neither chemical pre-treatment of butts nor specific purification procedure of LA are required. Notably, by simply modifying acid catalyst (e.g. using CH3COOH), another top value-added fine chemical such as 5-hydroxymethylfuraldehyde (HMF) is obtained, thus widening the scope of the method.Being cigarette filters a waste available in quantities of megatonnes per year, they represent an unlimited at no cost source of cellulose, thus enabling the up-scale to an industrial level of LA production.
An analysis of the potential global impact of dosing regimen and rollout options for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine
Authors: Aguas Ricardo , Bharath Anouska , White Lisa , Gao Bo , Voysey Merryn , Pollard Andrew , Shretta Rima
Published: March 2021

Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented health and economic burden on countries at all levels of socioeconomic development, emphasizing the need to evaluate the most effective vaccination strategy in multiple, diverse environments. The high reported efficacy, low cost, and long shelf-life of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine positions it well for evaluation in different settings. Methods Using data from the ongoing ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 clinical trials, an individual-based model was constructed to predict the 6-month population-level impact of vaccine deployment. A detailed probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was developed to evaluate the importance of epidemiological, demographic, immunological, and logistical factors in determining vaccine effectiveness. Using representative countries, logistical plans for vaccination rollout at various levels of vaccine availability and delivery speed, conditional on vaccine efficacy profiles (efficacy of the booster dose, time interval between doses, and relative efficacy of the first dose) were explored.Findings and Interpretation Our results highlight how expedient vaccine delivery to high-risk groups is critical in mitigating COVID-19 disease and mortality. In scenarios where the number of vaccine doses available is insufficient for high-risk groups (those aged more than 65 years) to receive two vaccine doses, administration of a single dose of vaccine is optimal. This effect is consistent even when vaccine efficacy after one dose is just 75% of the levels achieved after two doses. These findings offer a nuanced perspective of the critical drivers of COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness and can inform optimal allocation strategies. These are relevant to high-income countries with a large high-risk group population as well as to low-income countries with younger populations, where the cost and logistical challenges of procuring and delivering two doses for each citizen represent a significant challenge.
Enriched gardens improve cognition and independence of nursing home residents with dementia: a controlled trial
Authors: Bourdon Etienne , Belmin Joel
Published: March 2021

Background: Dementia is a major issue worldwide, and considerable efforts were made to design therapeutic mediation tools and evaluate their benefits on the health of patients. Methods:Design: Multi-center cluster-controlled trial. Settings and participants: Four nursing homes that offered separated access to one conventional sensory garden (CSG) and one enriched garden (EG). The participants were residents with dementia, independent for walking and with no severe dementia or behavioural troubles. Eligible residents were distributed into three groups based on the proximity of their rooms to the CSG or EG for the first two groups respectively, and without easy access to either garden for the third (control) group. Interventions: We asked staff members to frequently invite residents to visit the EG or the CSG depending on their group allocation. No invitation to gardens was made to the controls. We installed 12 enrichment modules in the EG that stimulated cognitive and walking/balance functions.Measures: Cognitive function (MMSE), independence for activities of daily living (ADL) and risk of falls (unipodal stance and Timed up and go – (TUG)) were assessed at baseline and after six months.Results: The 120 participants were 81·0 +/- 3·5 years old and comprised of 83 women. Their MMSE score was 17·5 +/- 2·9. Patients characteristics were not significantly different between the three groups. Among the participants invited to visit the EG group, six months changes in MMSE showed improved compared to other groups (+ 0·93 +/- 0·65 vs -0·25 +/- 0·71 and -0·24 +/- 0·73 in the EG vs CSG and control groups, respectively, P < 0·0001). Changes in ADL, TUG and unipodal stance were significantly improved in the group visiting the EG as compared to other groups, which indicates better functioning. Conclusions: EGs offer a new approach to therapeutic mediation for residents of nursing homes with dementia.
Ephrin-A3 Is Required for Tonotopic Map Precision and Auditory Function in the Mouse Auditory Brainstem
Authors: Hoshino Natalia , Altarshan Yazan , Alzein Ahmad , Fernando Amali , Nguyen Hieu , Majewski Emma , Chen Vincent , Rochlin M. William , Yu Wei-Ming
Published: March 2021

Tonotopy is a prominent feature of the vertebrate auditory system and forms the basis for sound discrimination, but the molecular mechanism underlying its formation remain largely elusive. Ephrin/Eph signaling is known to play important roles in axon guidance during topographic mapping in other sensory systems. Here, we determined that ephrin-A3 molecules are expressed in a ventral to dorsal descending gradient along the tonotopic axis in developing mouse cochlear nucleus. During cochlear nucleus innervation by auditory nerve fibers, ephrin-A3 forward signaling can repel these fibers in a stage-dependent manner. In ephrin-A3 mutant animals, the tonotopic map is degraded and isofrequency bands of neuronal activation become imprecise in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus. Ephrin-A3 mutants also exhibit a delayed second wave in auditory brainstem responses and impaired detection sound frequency changes. Our findings establish an essential role for ephrin-A3 in forming precise tonotopy in the auditory brainstem to ensure accurate sound discrimination.
Research on geometric error modelling and decoupling of machine tool based on NURBS projection curve
Authors: LI WEI , Feng Yanyan , Zhang Shihui , Zuo Wei
Published: March 2021

As a geometric measuring instrument of machine tool, double ball bar (DBB) instrument can effectively identify the geometric error of machine tool. In the existing literature, DBB mostly uses the two-dimensional circle as the identification trajectory to identify the geometric error continuously, and the most efficient way of single recognition is still in two-dimensional plane. Aiming at the low efficiency of DBB spatial geometric error recognition, the recognition range of DBB is extended from two-dimensional plane to spatial hemisphere. A method of space recognition and decoupling based on NURBS projection curve is proposed in this paper. The error decoupling of feed axis and rotation axis is realized in an experiment. The identification method has the characteristics of high efficiency, no secondary assembly and avoiding interference. It can decouple all the five axes in hemispherical space at one time and get the effective solution.
Satisfaction among patients and caregivers receiving value-added services during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in a tertiary hospital in the Perak state of Malaysia
Authors: CHEW Lan-Sim , YEO Yee-Ling , CHANG Chee-Tao , CHEW Chii-Chii , GEORGE Doris , RAJAN Philip
Published: March 2021

BackgroundPatient satisfaction was used as an indicator of service quality in the public hospitals. The pharmacy value-added services was intensified after the COVID-19 outbreak, and evaluation of user’s satisfaction was important for service improvement. MethodsThis was a single-center, cross-sectional, web-based study in the outpatient pharmacy in a tertiary hospital in the Perak state of Malaysia. Patients and caregivers aged 18 years and above, received at least one prescription refill using the pharmacy VAS services from April to September 2020 were included. The questionnaire was adapted from a validated tool, underwent face and content validation before dissemination. The link was disseminated to the targeted population through short messages service (SMS).Results Out of 333 invited people, 303 agreed to participate. Majority of the respondents were male (160, 52.8%), Chinese (156, 51.5%), with tertiary education (201, 66.3%) and retiree (112, 37.0%). Out of a maximum score of 5, the overall mean satisfaction score was 4.42 (SD: 0.55). The respondents were most agreeable to time saving benefits of the pharmacy VAS (4.56±0.63). Majority of the respondents felt that pharmacy VAS had made their life easier (290, 95.7%) and planned to recommend the pharmacy VAS to others (292, 96.4%) Respondents aged more than 60 (vs. age 18-35, β=2.375, p<0.001) and those who used drive-through service (vs. SPUB, β=2.272, p=0.001) reported higher satisfaction scores. Several suggestions were made for service improvement, including longer operating hours (18, 6.0%), upgraded communication system (9, 3.0%), smoother registration process (9, 3.0%), more polite staff (9, 3.0%), selection of preferred postage delivery time (6, 2.0%) and promotion of value-added services (4, 1.3%)Conclusion Majority of the respondents were highly satisfied towards the pharmacy VAS. Future studies should compare the satisfaction of VAS with traditional counter service to compare the level and factors contributed to the users’ satisfaction.
Estimation of invasive Group B Streptococcus disease risk in young infants from case-control serological studies
Authors: Izu Alane , Kwatra Gaurav , Madhi Shabir A , Rigat Fabio
Published: March 2021

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections are a major cause of invasive disease (IGbsD) in young infants and cause miscarriage and stillbirths. Immunization of pregnant women against GBS in addition to intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis could prevent disease. Establishing accurate serological markers of protection against IGbsD could enable use of efficient clinical trial designs for vaccine development and licensure, without needing to undertake efficacy trials in prohibitively large number of mother-infant dyads. The association of maternal naturally acquired serotype-specific anti-capsular antibodies (IgG) against serotype-specific IGbsD in their infants has been studied in case-control studies. The statistical models used so far to estimate IGbsD risk from these case-control studies assumed that the antibody concentrations measured sharing the same disease status are sampled from the same population, not allowing for differences between mothers colonised by GBS and mothers also potentially infected (e.g urinary tract infection or chorioamnionitis) by GBS during pregnancy. This distinction is relevant as infants born from infected mothers with occult medical illness may be exposed to GBS prior to the mother developing antibodies measured in maternal or infant sera. Methods: Unsupervised mixture model averaging (MMA) is proposed and applied here to accurately estimate infant IGbsD risk from case-control study data in presence or absence of antibody concentration subgroups potentially associated to maternal GBS carriage or infection. MMA estimators are compared to non-parametric disease risk estimators in simulation studies and by analysis of two published GBS case-control studies. Results: MMA provides more accurate relative risk estimates under a broad range of data simulation scenarios and more accurate absolute disease risk estimates when the proportion of IGbsD cases with high antibody levels is not ignorable. MMA estimates of the relative and absolute disease risk curves are more amenable to clinical interpretation compared to non-parametric estimates with no detectable overfitting of the data. Antibody concentration thresholds predictive of protection from infant IGbsD estimated by MMA from maternal and infant sera are consistent with non-parametric estimates. Conclusions: MMA is a flexible and robust method for design, accurate analysis and clinical interpretation of case-control studies estimating relative and absolute IGbsD risk from antibody concentrations measured at or after birth.
Effects of different plasma target concentrations of remifentanil on the MACBAR of sevoflurane in children with laparoscopic surgery
Authors: Yang Xiao-lin , Wang Dan , Xu Juan , Guy YanXia , Jiang Ping-Ping , Zhang Guoyuan
Published: March 2021

BackgroundTo investigate the effects of different plasma target concentrations of remifentanil on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) for blocking adrenergic response (BAR) of sevoflurane in children with laparoscopic herniorrhaphy.MethodsSeventy five children with 3–7 years old scheduled for laparoscopic herniorrhaphy were randomly divided into group R0, group R1, and group R2 according to different remifentanil plasma target concentration (0, 1, and 2 ng/ml), respectively. The MACBAR of sevoflurane was determined by the up-and-down and sequential method in each group. The concentrations of epinephrine and noradrenaline were also determined at corresponding time points.ResultsIn groups R0, R1, and R2, the MACBAR of sevoflurane was (3.29 ± 0.17)%, (2.12 ± 0.10)% and (1.29 ± 0.11)%, respectively, and a significant difference was found among the three groups (P < 0.05). The changes of epinephrine and noradrenaline concentrations in each group before and after insufflation of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum showed no significant differences.ConclusionRemifentanil by target-controlled infusion can effectively reduce the MACBAR of sevoflurane during laparoscopic surgery in children. At a similar effect of MACBAR, both the changes of epinephrine and noradrenaline concentrations are not affected by the infusion of different remifentanil target concentrations.Trial registrationThe trial was registered in the China Clinical Trial Center(http://www.chictr.org.cn) in advance (the registry number is ChiCTR1800019393.).
Chiroptical activity of hydroxycarboxylic acids: implications for the origin of biological homochirality
Authors: Bocková Jana , Jones Nykola , Meierhenrich Uwe , Hoffmann Søren , Meinert Cornelia
Published: March 2021

Circularly polarised light (CPL) interacting with interstellar organic molecules might have imparted chiral bias and hence preluded prebiotic evolution of biomolecular homochirality. The l-enrichment of extra-terrestrial amino acids in meteorites, as opposed to no detectable excess in monocarboxylic acids and amines, has previously been attributed to their intrinsic interaction with stellar CPL revealed by substantial differences in their chiroptical signals. Recent analyses of meteoritic hydroxycarboxylic acids (HCAs) – potential co-building blocks of ancestral proto-peptides – showed an enantiomeric excess in l-lactic acid. Here we report on novel anisotropy spectra of several HCAs using a synchrotron radiation electronic circular dichroism spectrophotometer to support the re-evaluation of chiral biomarkers of extra-terrestrial origin in the context of absolute photochirogenesis. We found that irradiation by CPL which would yield l-excess in amino acids would also yield lexcess in aliphatic chain HCAs including lactic acid as well as mandelic acid in the examined conditions. Only tartaric acid would show “unnatural” d-enrichment, which makes it a suitable target compound for further assessing the relevance of the CPL scenario.
Spontaneous and cooperative mechanical work by cardiomyocyte aggregates under mechanical compression
Authors: Nakano Ken , Nanri Naoya , Tsukamoto Yoshinari , Akashi Mitsuru
Published: March 2021

Since the discovery of synchronous pulsations in cardiomyocytes (CMs), electrical communication between CMs has been emphasized; however, recent studies suggest the possibility of mechanical communication. Here, we demonstrate that spherical self-beating CM aggregates, termed cardiac spheroids (CSs), produce enhanced mechanical energy under mechanical compression and work cooperatively via mechanical communication. For single CSs between parallel plates, compression increased both beating frequency and beating energy. Contact mechanics revealed a scaling law on the beating energy, indicating that the most intensively stressed cells in the compressed CSs predominantly contributed to the performance of mechanical work against mechanical compression. For pairs of CSs between parallel plates, compression immediately caused synchronous beating with mechanical coupling. Compression tended to strengthen and stabilize the synchronous beating, although some irregularity and temporary arrest were observed. These results suggest that mechanical compression is an indispensable environmental variable for evaluating the activities of CMs and their aggregates.
Physical examination performed by general practitioners in 5 community health service institutions in Beijing: an observational study
Authors: Wei Yun , Wang Feiyue , Pan Zhaolu , Wang Meirong , Jin Guanghui , Lu Xiaoqin
Published: March 2021

BackgroundPhysical examination is a central part of consultation. Evidence showed that clinical use of physical examination in hospital has decreased, but little is known about physical examination performed by general practitioners in community health service institutions.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate general practitioners’ performance of physical examination in community health service institutions in Beijing.MethodsAn observational study was conducted in 5 community health service institutions in Beijing, China between November 2019 and January 2020. And 11 participated general practitioners were observed for one workday. Information was recorded including patient characteristics, patient reasons for encounter, physical examinations provided by general practitioners, the length of consultation and time spent on specific activities in consultations.ResultsA total of 682 consultations were recorded from 11 general practitioners. Physical examination occurred in 15.8% of the consultations. Among the recorded 126 examinations, most were distributed in “Head, face, and neck examination” (n = 54, 42.9%) and “Cardiovascular examination” (n = 55, 43.7%), and no physical examination was performed on skin, male genitalia, female breasts and genitalia, and neurological systems. A total of 2823 minutes of activities were recorded. general practitioners only spent 3.1% of their time on physical examination, less than the time spent on taking history (18.2%), test (4.9%), diagnosis (22.7%), therapy (38.4%), and health education (8.6%). The mean length of time spent on physical examination portions was 0.8 ± 0.4 minutes.ConclusionPhysical examination was infrequently performed by general practitioners in community health service institutions in Beijing. More time and attention were needed for general practitioners performing a careful and appropriate physical examination in primary care.
Analgesic Interaction Between Morphine with Fentanyl In Experimental Murine Pain
Authors: Miranda Hugo F , Noriega Viviana , Sierralta Fernando , Sotomayor-Zarate Ramon , Prieto Juan Carlos
Published: March 2021

Opioids are among the most effective pain relievers available, however multimodal antinociception between opioids, has not been extensively studied in diverse animal pain models.In this study the pharmacological interaction of morphine with fentanyl was evaluated in different murine pain models by means of isobolographic analysis. In control animals, morphine and fentanyl produced a dose-related antinociceptive action in the murine assays and the rank of potency was: formalin hind paw phase I > formalin phase II > tail flick. Coadministration of morphine with fentanyl, in a fixed relation 1:1 of their ED50, produces a dose response in all tests and the isobologram resulted in synergism. Fentanyl was more effective than morphine which could be explained according the suggestion that opioids could be acting through other targets, with different binding capacity thru the regulation or activation of non-opioid receptors. Co-administration of morphine with fentanyl induces synergism in all murine trials, confirming the antinociceptive capacity of both opioids which would constitute a promisory idea to multimodal treatment of pain.
Research on Scale Demonstration Technology of Inter Basin Water Transfer Project in Agricultural Irrigation
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Hou Baodeng , Zhao Yong , Xiao Weihua , Lu Fan
Published: March 2021

Inter-basin water transfer projects are powerful measures for resolving the uneven distribution of water resources, but their scale directly affects the associated investment and income. Therefore, determining the scale of an inter-basin water transfer project is essential. Based on the inter-basin agricultural water transfer project in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China, combined with the suitable development scale of the irrigation area with the joint allocation of existing water sources, this research proposes a technique to demonstrate the scale of an inter-basin water transfer project based on dynamic trial feedback under the condition of the optimization method of despiking of the groundwater allocation; the water transfer project scale is demonstrated for each section in reverse order. According to the water demand prediction results in the study area, the scale of water transfer project BC is demonstrated, and the scale of water transfer project AB is demonstrated on the basis of the BC scale. The final AB and BC water transfer scales decrease by 15% and 13%, respectively, compared with the conventional method under the premise that the water supply guarantee rate is 75%. When the water is transferred, the process is stable, and the utilization rate of the canal is high, thereby saving investment funds and facilitating project scheduling and management.
The N501Y spike substitution enhances SARS-CoV-2 transmission
Authors: Weaver Scott , Liu Yang , Liu Jianying , Plante Kenneth , Plante Jessica , Xie Xuping , Zhang Xianwen , Ku Zhiqiang , An Zhiqiang , Scharton Dionna , Schindewolf Craig , Menachery Vineet , Shi Pei-Yong
Published: March 2021

Beginning in the summer of 2020, a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerged in the United Kingdom (UK). This B.1.1.7 variant increased rapidly in prevalence among sequenced strains, attributed to an increase in infection and/or transmission efficiency. The UK variant has 19 nonsynonymous mutations across its viral genome including 8 substitutions or deletions in the spike protein, which interacts with cellular receptors to mediate infection and tropism. Here, using a reverse genetics approach, we show that, of the 8 individual spike protein substitutions, only N501Y exhibited consistent fitness gains for replication in the upper airway in the hamster model as well as primary human airway epithelial cells. The N501Y substitution recapitulated the phenotype of enhanced viral transmission seen with the combined 8 UK spike mutations, suggesting it is a major determinant responsible for increased transmission of this variant. Mechanistically, the N501Y substitution improved the affinity of the viral spike protein for cellular receptors. As suggested by its convergent evolution in Brazil and South Africa, our results indicate that N501Y substitution is a major adaptive spike mutation of major concern.
The association of online search interest with polio cases and vaccine coverage: an infodemiological and ecological study
Authors: Layug Elbert John V. , Espiritu Adrian I. , Calotes–Castillo Loudella V. , Jamora Roland Dominic G
Published: March 2021

Background: Achievement of universal eradication of paralytic poliomyelitis has remained a challenge. Despite the general decline in cases, multiple outbreaks attributed to poor vaccination still occur. Noncompliance from vaccination can be improved through education on various media platforms. In the internet age, online health-seeking behavior plays a significant role in this regard. Hence, our study investigated the association between global online search interest in polio with the number of polio cases and vaccination coverage.Methods: This infodemiological and ecological study utilized Google Trends’ search volume index (SVI) for “polio” and the World Health Organization data on the number of polio cases (PC) and vaccine coverage rate (VCR) per country between 2006 to 2019. Associations between SVI for “polio” with PC and with VCR were evaluated.Results: From the years 2006 to 2019, the global inquiry for this term was highest (i.e., SVI at 100) last October 2018. There is a direct correlation between the SVI for “polio” and PC while there is an inverse relationship between SVI and VCR per country per year. Both relationships have weak- to moderate strength of associations. Based on our models, a one-unit increase in the SVI leads to a 3.8% increase in the number of polio cases. On the other hand, a one-unit increase in the SVI leads to a 0.01% decrease in the VCR. Conclusions: Dynamic changes in global SVIs for polio may reflect fluctuations in the number of polio cases and rates of vaccine coverage. Our study brings into light the largely untapped and potential use of online search behavior for polio to anticipate changes in PC and VCR in real-time.
Effects of various nitrogen regimes on the ability of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) to suppress littleseed canarygrass (Phalaris minor Retz.)
Authors: Xu Gaofeng , Shen Shicai , Zhang Yun , Clements David Roy , Yang Shaosong , Dong Liyao , Zhang Fudou
Published: March 2021

Background: Littleseed canarygrass (Phalaris minor Retz.) is one of the most troublesome invasive weeds infesting winter crops in Yunnan Province, China. Our previous study found that rapeseed (Bassica napus L.) was a logical candidate crop to control littleseed canarygrass in agroecosystems. Nitrogen (N) could impact plant community composition by altering competitive interactions, however, the effects of different N regimes on weed control efficacy of rapeseed were unknown. Here, we report the effects of different N regimes on the competitiveness of rapeseed with littleseed canarygrass and accompanying differences in photosynthetic characteristics. Results: The results showed that the rapeseed yield and its control efficacy on littleseed canarygrass were significantly affected (P<0.05) under different N regimes, and the control efficacy of littleseed canarygrass by rapeseed increased first and then decreased with the increase of basal nitrogen rates, while increasing topdressing N rates increased control efficacy of littleseed canarygrass by rapeseed. In fact, yield and weed control efficacy of rapeseed was most ideal when both basal and top-dressing N was 90 kg·ha-1. We also found that N significantly impacted the competitive ability of rapeseed to littleseed canarygrass and rapeseed had the highest competitive ability when both basal and top-dressing N was 90 kg·ha-1. With the increase of basal nitrogen rates, competitive balance index (CB) of rapeseed increased initially but decreased beyond an optimal level. CB continually increased with increasing of topdressing N rates. Our research also showed level and period of N application had a significant effect (P<0.01) on the photosynthetic rate (Pn) and chlorophyll content (Chl) of both rapeseed and littleseed canarygrass. Under the same N application regime, the Pn and Chl of littleseed canarygrass were higher than that of rapeseed in December, while the Pn and Chl of rapeseed was higher than that of littleseed canarygrass in February. Our study indicated that photosynthetic characteristics of rapeseed and littleseed canarygrass in different growth stages differ in their sensitivity to N regimes, creating a dynamic competitive relationship. Conclusions: Together, our results demonstrated that optimal application of fertilizer N could help rapeseed produce higher yields and greater weed control efficacy, suggesting that future modeling or experimental studies on utilizing crops to control invasive weeds should carefully consider both timing and placement of N.
Application of Virtual Reality on Non-drug Behavioral Management of Short-term Dental Procedure in Children
Authors: Ran Longkuan , Zhao Nan , Fan Lin , Zhou Pinping , Zhang Chao , Yu Cong
Published: March 2021

Backgroud: The inherent characteristics of immersion, imagination, and interactivity in Virtual Reality,it may be suitable for non-drug behavior management of children in dental clinics.The purpose of this trial was to measure the role of virtual reality distraction on the behavior management of short-term dental procedure in Children.Methods: A randomized clinical trial design carried out on 120 children aged between 4 and 8 years to make clear the comparative efficacy of virtual reality and Tell-Show-Do in improve behavioral management of dental procedure.The levels of operative anxiety and pain were assessed using, respectively, Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale, Visual Analogue Score. Frankl Behavior Rating Scale was tested before and during dental procedure.The length of dental procedure was compared between the two groups after treatment.Results: The average anxiety and behavioral score of virtual reality group were significant reduced than that of control. The decrease score of anxiety score of virtual reality group and control group were IQR 8(7,11) and 5(5,7),p <0.05. The compliance scores of control group in the treatment time were 3(2,3),the same in virtual reality intervention were 3(3,4), p =0.02. We observed a significant reduction in pain by using Virtual Reality distraction(p<0.05). Comparing the length of dental procedure, we found that VR group(19.02±5.32) had shorter treatment time than the control group(27.80±10.40)Conclusion: The use of virtual reality could significantly reduce the anxiety and pain of children , length of dental procedure and improve the compliance of children undergoing short-term dental procedure without adverse reaction.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry :ChiCTR2000029802. Registered on 14th Feb, 2020.
Dynamics based on analysis of public data for spreading of disease
Authors: Lima Leonardo S.
Published: March 2021

The stochastic model for epidemic spreading of the novel coronavirus disease based on the data set supported by the public health agencies in countries as Brazil, EUA and India is investigated. We perform the numerical analysis using the stochastic differential equation in Itô’s calculus (SDE) for the estimating of novel cases daily as well as analytical calculations solving the correspondent Fokker-Planck equation for the density probability distribution of novel cases, P(N(t); t). Our results display that the model based in the Itô diffusion fits well to the results due to uncertain in the official data and to the number of tests realized in the populations of each country.
Linguistic and pragmatic parameters of the phenomenon of patriotism in the formation of a national brand (a case study of the language of contemporary media)
Authors: Ushchapovska Iryna , Markova Olga
Published: March 2021

The message of national identity is delivered in different types of discourse - political, economic, the discourse of show business and sport, advertising, tourism discourse, and more. The article describes the way the linguistic and pragmatic parameters of the phenomenon of patriotism form messages of national identity in the newspaper discourse, since with the increasing globalization of the communicative space, the types of communication aimed at manifesting national identity, namely, national branding, gain special significance. Providing conditions for the development of a national brand of any country is extremely relevant in view of integration and civilization processes, social, economic and geopolitical situation, and mass media propaganda. Cultural symbols, which are mental-cognitive units focused on a certain idea of ​​the country and represent the typical reality, a typical phenomenon or a characteristic feature of civil life, play an important role in messaging the national identity. A cultural symbol may be expressed by a keyword denoting a cultural-labeled concept, stereotype, or a precedent. The phenomenon of patriotism, which is formed upon the higher feelings, is the basic axiological dominance of society, although the modern rethinking of value associations has led to the formation of changes in the concept of patriotism: noticeable tangible adjustments have been made by historical and social conditions over time. Patriotism is based on the emotional aspect of the nation-state outlook. Linguistic and pragmatic aspects of the phenomenon of patriotism in English-language newspaper texts reveal informative, evaluative, and instructive functions. Being formed under the influence of traditions, life experience, the system of values ​​of the country they create prerequisites for the attitude of a person to his compatriots, the country, and the whole world.
A new disenfranchised type of person in Ukrainian and Russian small prose of the literary emigration of 1919–1939
Authors: Zhylenko Iryna
Published: March 2021

This article deals with the evolution of a disenfranchised type of person in the works of small prose of Ukrainian and Russian emigration writers in the period between 1919 and 1939. In the stories by V. Leontovych and V. Fedorov the type of disenfranchised person is presented and formed under the conditions of the Bolshevik Regime. Thus, the characters of the works find themselves in situations of alienation or conflict with the Bolshevik authorities: among these we encounter Sarah Solomonivna, a professor, the nationalist Kost, Olexander Levenets (stories by V. Leontovych «Sarah Solomonivna», «Hynut Mriyi», «Vyhnantsi»), and the peasant Varenyk (stories by V. Fedorov «Sud Varenyka»). These disenfranchised individuals have no place in the new society. The stories show how these individuals perceive hostility of the new order, the last one catching them all up gradually, and how each of these characters is being subjected to tests and trials by the new government. The attitude towards the protagonists from their neighbours and colleagues changes, giving place to arising suspicion and distrust. The main characteristics of the new type of disenfranchised person of the 20–40s are alienation from both the politics of the new government and from the native environment, accompanied by a deep mental fatigue caused by the painful loss of the motherland, the last one developing into existential loneliness.
EKPHRASIS IN ARTS AND WONDERS BY GREGORY NORMINTON: GIUSEPPE ARCIMBOIDO AND TOMMASO GRILLI
Authors: Harmash Liudmyla
Published: March 2021

The article reveals some features of postmodern aesthetics that were borrowed by modern literature from romantics, and are now undergoing a period of criticism. It is shown how a fiction reflects the continuity between contemporary literature and previous literary phenomena, which consists in the perception, transformation, and critical rethinking of aesthetic ideas and concepts. For this purpose, the genesis of Norminton’s novel Arts and Wonders was traced and a literary technique such as ekphrasis, that means a verbal description of a painting, was researched. An analysis of the two most significant ekphrasises – Vertumn and The Librarian – showed that the author of the novel raises the problem of copy or plagiarism, which today has gained particular relevance both in the world of art and in the academic environment. It was showed that Norminton solves this issue by referring to the traditional concept of mimesis. Despite the declaration of the need to imitate nature, Arts and Wonders demonstrates that the contemporary author asserts his right to free creative imagination, including the interpretation of historical facts and figures. The literary text refers to the artifacts which are presented in the arsenal of culture that are freely combined according to a kaleidoscope principle.
Raising the question of the dialectical unity of such aesthetic categories as “beauty” and “ugliness”, Norminton enters into a polemic with the forerunner of postmodernism – romanticism. At the same time, the writer also poses questions about the correlation in the artist’s work of parts and the whole, about the need to achieve a balance of proportions between the elements that make up a work of art.
Determining the genre originality of the novel, the author of the article concludes that it is a complex synthetic form that combines the features of picaresque novel, a biographical novel, a travel book, a historical novel, an artist's novel, and a Bildungsroman, which as a result forms a new genre variety – an adventure novel about the artist.
The Ukrainian theme in the Spanish language literary studies of the diaspora
Authors: Pronkevich Oleksandr
Published: March 2021

The paper recounts about the first and still the only attempt to present Ukrainian literature in the Spanish language which was undertaken by Dmytro Buchynskyi, Petro Kluk, Dmytro Chyzhevskyi, and Yuriy Shevelov. They tell their Spanish readers about the key phenomena and names of Ukrainian literature and interpret the latter as reflection of the Ukrainian identity produced by combination of national spirit and European values. D. Buchynskyi and P. Kluk, who lived in Spain and wrote Spanish, focused on analysis of Spanish imagery in the works of Ivan Franko, Lesia Ukrainka, Spyrydon Cherkasenko, and Natalena Koroleva. The hermeneutics of D. Chyzhevskyi and Y. Shevelov, whose essays were translated into Spanish for the special issue of the journal Oriente Europeo dedicated to Ukraine (1957), reflect a broader European perspective. All Ukrainian emigrant intellectuals, whose essays are studied in the paper, reject models of understanding Ukrainian literature which were imposed by the official Soviet literary studies. D. Buchynskyi and P. Kluk embody this trend by emphasizing religious and humanistic values in the works of Ivan Franko and Lesia Ukrainka. D. Chyzhevskyi argues that the baroque Ukrainian literature, which was prohibited in the USSR, was a mediator in exchange of ideas, including theology, between West and East. Y. Shevelov plays a special role in undermining the Soviet version of the Ukrainian literary canon of the first half of the 20th century. He declares the Soviet regime a mortal threat to literary imagination. The researcher restores the list of writers deleted from the Ukrainian cultural memory by the Stalinist terror and provides examples of original reading of the works of Pavlo Tychyna, Mykhail Semenko, Mykola Kvyliovyi, Mykola Kulish and others. The essays about Ukrainian literature published in Spain is a dramatic episode of the cultural war of the Ukrainian diaspora against the Soviet version of the Ukrainian literary canon.
YÜRÜRLÜKTEN KALDIRILMASI GEREKEN BİR HÜKÜM OLARAK OLAĞANÜSTÜ DURUMLARDA VE PEK ÖNEMLİ BİR SEBEPLE EVLENMEYE İZİN VERİLMESİ (TMK m. 124/II)
Authors: VARDAR HAMAMCIOĞLU Gülşah
Published: March 2021

Evlenme yaşının düzenlendiği TMK m.124 uyarınca “Erkek ve kadın onyedi yaşını doldurmadıkça evlenemez./ Ancak hâkim olağanüstü durumlarda ve pek önemli bir sebeple onaltı yaşını doldurmuş olan erkek veya kadının evlenmesine izin verebilir. Olanak bulundukça karardan önce ana ve baba veya vasi dinlenir.” Bu hüküm uyarınca kadın ve erkek arasında bir ayrım söz konusu olmaksızın kişinin olağan evlenme yaşı onyedi olarak belirlenmiştir. Ancak TMK m.11 uyarınca erginlik yaşı onsekiz olarak belirlenmiş olduğundan henüz ergin olmayan küçüğün TMK m.126 uyarınca ancak yasal temsilcisinin izni ile evlenmesi mümkündür. Erginlik yaşı ile evlenme yaşının Kanun’da farklı düzenlenmesi isabetli olmayıp evlenme yaşının da erginlik yaşı olarak belirlenmesi, bu yolla evlenmeyle kazanılan erginlik kurumunun ortadan kaldırılması kanımızca en doğru yoldur. Çalışma konumuzu oluşturan hüküm ise TMK m.124/II’dir. Bu hükümde olağanüstü bir durum veya pek önemli sebebin varlığı halinde hâkimin onaltı yaşını tamamlamış küçüğün evlenmesine izin verilebileceği düzenlenmiştir. Hüküm, hem erginlik yaşı ile uyumlu olmaması hem de onaltı yaşını dolduran küçüğün evlenmesi noktasında hâkime geniş bir takdir yetkisi vermesi bakımından üzerine düşünülmesi gereken bir hükümdür. Zira yargı kararlarına bakıldığında evlenmesine izin verilmesi istenen küçük, birçok ihtimalde onaltı yaşını doldurma şartını sağlamamaktadır. Bu bağlamda hükmün, Anayasa’ya, ülkemizce de onaylanan Kadına Karşı Şiddetin Önlenmesi Sözleşmesine (CEDAW) ve Çocuk Hakları Sözleşmesine aykırı olduğu bir gerçektir. Bu çalışmada da TMK m.124/II hükmünün şartları, sonuçları ve yürürlükten kaldırılması gereği irdelenecek, karşılaştırmalı hukuk verilerinden de yararlanarak çocuğun üstün menfaati kavramı temelinde sonuca varılacaktır.