bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Involvement in Training And Volunteering with Families of People With Dementia on The Knowledge and Attitudes of Volunteers Towards Dementia
Authors: Cheung Daphne Sze Ki , Ho Lily Yuen Wah , Kwok Robin Ka Ho , Lai Daniel Lok Lam , Lai Claudia Kam Yuk
Published: May 2021

Background: Volunteers have been a valuable resource in supporting people with dementia and their caregivers in the community. However, factors such as misconceptions, negative attitudes towards dementia, and a lack of motivation might impact the quality of volunteer care. The aim of the present paper is to examine the effect of training and service provision on the knowledge and attitudes of volunteers towards dementia, as well as the association between such knowledge and attitudes and the motivation to volunteer. Methods: The present study is part of an effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized clinical hybrid trial using a music-with-movement intervention to promote the well-being of people with dementia and their informal caregivers. Volunteers were recruited to receive training to support the delivery of the intervention. Training and enrichment workshops were offered to volunteers during the one-year project. Before and after their volunteer training and service, the recruited volunteers were asked to complete the following assessments: The Volunteer Functions Inventory, Dementia Attitudes Scale, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and multiple regression test were applied for statistical analyses. Results: A total of 127 volunteers were recruited and 81 of them completed a mean period of 47.32 weeks of training and service. Significant improvements in their total score on the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (p=.009) and Dementia Attitudes Scale (p<.001) were found. Dementia knowledge (β=.57, p<.001) and attitudes (β=-.18, p=.038) were found to have the most significant association with the motivation to be a volunteer at baseline. Conclusions: The present study illustrated the importance of quality volunteer training and voluntary service in improving the dementia knowledge and attitudes of volunteers. It also shed light on the association between knowledge and attitudes with the motivation to volunteer. Accordingly, future research and public health policymakers should address more efforts to amplify the advantage of volunteers as a vital asset in dementia care.Trial Registration: NCT03575026 (ClinicalTrials.gov), First registeration on 02/07/2018.
Accelerated First-in-Human Clinical Trial of EIDD-2801/MK-4482 (molnupiravir), a Ribonucleoside Analogue with Potent Antiviral Activity Against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Cohen Oren , Holman Wendy , Holman Wayne , Painter Wendy , McIntosh Stacy , Painter George , Bush Jim
Published: May 2021

A recently published article described the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of molnupiravir, a novel antiviral agent with potent activity against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Here, we report an unprecedented collaboration between sponsor, contract research organization (CRO) and regulatory authorities that enabled accelerated generation of these phase I data, including administration of the first-in-human (FIH) dose of molnupiravir within 5 days of receiving approval from the Research Ethics Committee (REC) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom (UK). Frequent, direct communication with regulatory authorities and parallel, streamlined sponsor-CRO working groups facilitated this accelerated timeline. Dosing in healthy volunteers was completed for eight single ascending dose (SAD) cohorts, seven multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohorts, and one food-effect (FE) cohort within approximately 16 weeks of initial protocol submission to the REC and MHRA. Working to standard industry timelines, the FIH study would have normally taken approximately 46 weeks to complete and 33 weeks to enable Phase 2 dosing. Data from this study supported submission of a Phase 2/3 clinical trial protocol to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within eight weeks of initial protocol submission, with FDA comments permitting phase 2 study initiation within two additional weeks. In the setting of a global pandemic, this model of collaboration allows for accelerated generation of clinical data compared to standard processes, without compromising safety.
Automatic Generation of Traditional Patterns and Aesthetic Quality Evaluation Technology
Authors: Wu Yi , Kymn Kyungsun
Published: May 2021

As an important element for the continuation and development of modern design, traditional Chinese decorative patterns are to satisfy people's emotional dependence on nationality and tradition. At present, traditional patterns are mostly completed by professional designers. Due to the high dependence of the entire design process on labor, the design efficiency is difficult to quickly improve to meet the explosive growth of business needs. However, the large amount of material data on the Internet and the development of artificial intelligence technology provide an opportunity to solve this development bottleneck. This paper mainly studies the design and implementation of the automatic generation of traditional pattern image layout based on the generation of confrontation network and the use of aesthetic evaluation to score the quality of the generated traditional pattern image. And the scoring results are fed back to the traditional pattern layout generation network, so as to improve the quality of the generated traditional pattern layout pictures, so that the entire network structure can adapt to different scene requirements. The results show that the SSIM value of the structure similarity obtained by the image of the traditional pattern automatically generated by the model in this paper is larger and closer to 1 than the value of the SSIM obtained by other methods, indicating that the image of the traditional pattern automatically generated by the model has the highest aesthetic quality.
Vascular effects and dose-effect relationship of higher-dose oxytocin on adenomyosis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Li Junshu , Wang Yong , Hu Liang , Zhang Rong , Chen Jinyun , Chen Wenzhi
Published: May 2021

Objective

To assess the changes of blood flow in adenomyosis after higher-dose oxytocin(OT) in different doses,and to evaluate the safety for patients.
Methods

A total of 124 patients with adenomyosis were randomly divided into four groups with continuous intravenous infusion of oxytocin as 0.06U/min, 0.12U/min, 0.24U/min and 0.36U/min, respectively. The changes of arteries of adenomyosis before and after intravenous infusion of OT were observed by color Doppler ultrasound. The changes of blood flow volume of artery of adenomyosis before and after intravenous infusion of OT were compared among the four groups, and the vital signs and adverse drug reactions were monitored during intravenous drip.
Results

During the trial, no severe adverse reactions occurred and the vital signs of all the patients were stable. In the four groups of patients, compared with those before intravenous infusion of OT, except that there was no significant difference in the diameter of vessels around the lesion and the peak blood flow velocity within the lesion in the 0.06 U/min OT intravenous drip group (P༞0.05), the peak blood flow velocity, mean blood flow velocity, vascular diameter and blood flow volume decreased after intravenous drip of OT, while the resistance index increased, and the difference was statistically significant (P༜0.05). Among the four groups, it was found that there was significant difference in the change of blood flow volume of blood artery in adenomyosis lesions between 0.06 U/min OT group and the other three groups after intravenous drip of OT(P༜0.05), but there were no significant difference in blood flow volume among the three groups(P༞0.05), and the difference of adverse drug reactions was statistically significant with the increase of OT dose (P༜0.05).
Conclusion

Oxytocin can effectively reduce the blood flow volume of adenomyosis lesions, and continuous intravenous infusion of 0.12 U/min OT is an appropriate dose that can not only minimize the blood flow volume but also reduce the incidence of adverse drugreactions.
Trial registration

: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (NO.ChiCTR1800017048).
A novel method for Causal Structure Discovery from EHR data: A demonstration on type-2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Shen Xinpeng , Ma Sisi , Vemuri Prashanthi , Castro M. Regina , Caraballo Pedro J. , Simon Gyorgy J.
Published: May 2021

Modern AI-based clinical decision support models owe their success in part to the very large number of predictors they use. Safe and robust decision support, especially for intervention planning, requires causal, not associative, relationships. Traditional methods of causal discovery, clinical trials and extracting biochemical pathways, are resource intensive and may not scale up to the number and complexity of relationships sufficient for precision treatment planning. Computational causal structure discovery (CSD) from electronic health records (EHR) data can represent a solution, however, current CSD methods fall short on EHR data. This paper presents a CSD method tailored to the EHR data. The application of the proposed methodology was demonstrated on type-2 diabetes mellitus. A large EHR dataset from Mayo Clinic was used as development cohort, and another large dataset from an independent health system, M Health Fairview, as external validation cohort. The proposed method achieved very high recall (.95) and substantially higher precision than the general-purpose methods (.84 versus .29, and .55). The causal relationships extracted from the development and external validation cohorts had a high (81%) overlap. Due to the adaptations to EHR data, the proposed method is more suitable for use in clinical decision support than the general-purpose methods.
Logistical and Medical Aspects of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Influencing Swiss Pediatric Intensive Care Units
Authors: Soomann Maarja , Wendel-Garcia Pedro David , Kaufmann Mark , Grazioli Serge , Perez Marie-Helene , Hilty Matthias , André Maya , Brotschi Barbara
Published: May 2021

The impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) is difficult to quantify. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in all eight Swiss PICUs between 02-24-2020 and 06-15-2020 to characterize the logistical and medical aspects of the pandemic and their impact on Swiss PICUs. Out of the 1113 patients under the age of 20, who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Switzerland during the study period, 6% (63/1113) had to be hospitalized. All nine patients requiring intensive care had pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) and constituted 14% (9/63) of all hospitalized patients. The patients presented with multiple organ dysfunction, needed longer stays in PICUs (p < 0.0001) and longer positive pressure ventilation (p = 0.025) than the regular PICU patients. They caused a higher workload (total Nine Equivalents of nursing Manpower use Score (NEMS) points, p = 0.0008) and were classified to higher workload categories (p < 0.0001) than regular PICU patients (n = 4881) in 2019. PICU burden was also influenced by different logistical factors such as cancellation of planned surgeries and staff recruitment to adult wards.Conclusions The different logistical and medical factors associated with the pandemic influenced the workload of the individual PICUs differently, depending on the presence of the single factors and their temporal relationship. The experiences of the study period help further to organize Swiss PICUs during the current pandemic to reduce the workload and optimize occupancy.
A Week Long “PEP” Talk – Initial and 2-3 Year Longitudinal Data on the Ottawa Psychiatry Enrichment Program (OPEP)
Authors: Lee Elliott Kyung , Morra Alexandra , Bazaid Khalid , Bezzahou Abdellah , Simas Kevin , Taplin Christopher , Chun Soojin , Fiedorowicz Jess , Douglass Alan Bruce
Published: May 2021

Background: Recruitment to psychiatry has been challenging in Canada and abroad. Historically 4-6% of medical students match to psychiatry in Canada. Novel and innovative measures to increase interest in psychiatry among medical students are needed to meet the increasing demand for psychiatrists given the increasing burden of mental health issues globally. Common barriers include negative attitudes and stigma towards psychiatry and a paucity of knowledge about the field. The study goal was to evaluate the efficacy of the Ottawa Psychiatry Enrichment Program (OPEP), a one-week extracurricular program about psychiatry as a career, developed for 1st and 2nd year medical students to improve medical students’ attitudes towards psychiatry, and increase recruitment.Methods: 1st and 2nd year medical students from Canada applied to OPEP. Attendees completed the Attitudes Towards Psychiatry Questionnaire (ATP-30) before OPEP (PreOPEP), after OPEP (PostOPEP) and after their Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMs) match 2-3 years later. OPEP ATP-30 scores were compared to third-year student ATP-30 scores before and after their psychiatry rotation. Data were analysed using Friedman non-parametric ANOVA and post hoc testing by either Wilcoxon rank sum test, Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test, or parametric Welch independent t-test as appropriate. Effect sizes of group mean differences were calculated using Cohen’s “d”. Results: 29 students were selected for OPEP from 2017-2018 from across Canada. 100%, 93.1% and 75.8% of students completed the PreOPEP, PostOPEP, and CaRMs ATP-30 surveys respectively. 43% of OPEP attendees matched to psychiatry. PostOPEP ATP-30 scores (mean=133, median=137, SD=10.6) were significantly higher than PreOPEP ATP-30 (mean score=121, median=122, SD=9.3, p < 0.001) and CaRMS ATP-30 (mean=126, median=127, SD=12.3, p < 0.02) scores. OPEP effect size on ATP-30 scores was large (d=1.2) but decreased 2-3 years later (p=0.078, d=0.44). 97/202 students completed the ATP-30 before and after their psychiatry rotation (clerkship). Clerkship effect size on improvement in ATP-30 was moderate (d=0.39). There was a non significant difference between OPEP CaRMS ATP-30 and post clerkship ATP-30 scores (median 127 vs 121, p=0.056). Conclusions: OPEP ameliorated attitudes toward Psychiatry, but improvement deteriorated longitudinally. Additional strategies to boost/retain these improvements during clerkship years may be beneficial.
Genomic insights into the recent chromosome reduction and polyploidization of complex autopolyploid sugarcane S. spontaneum
Authors: Zhang Jisen , Zhang Qing , Qi Yiying , Pan Haoran , Wang Gang , Hua Xiuting , Wang Yongjun , Lin Lianyu , Li Zhen , Li Yihan , Ma Panpan , Dou Meijie , Wang Yibin , Wang Hengbo , Zhang Xingtan , Yao Wei , Wang Yuntong , Liu Xinlong , Wang Maojun , Wang Jianping , Deng Zuhu , Yang Qinghui , Chen Baoshan , Zhang Muqing , Tang Haibao , Ming Ray
Published: May 2021

S. spontaneum is a founding Saccharum species that contributes stress resistance to the genetic background of modern sugarcane cultivars. Here, we have assembled the autopolyploid S. spontaneum Np-X genome with ancestral form into 40 pseudo-chromosomes in 10 homologous groups, revealing the recent chromosome reduction and polyploidization that occurred in Saccharum. The paleo-duplicated chromosomal pairs exhibit functional redundancy in Saccharum and underwent fission followed by fusion accompanied by centromeric spreading around 0.80 million years ago (Mya) before evolving into their current forms with basic chromosome numbers x = 9 and x = 8 in S. spontaneum, likely in a stepwise manner. WGDs occurred independently in Saccharum species around 1.5 Mya. Highly diverse chromatin structures exist among homologous chromosomes despite their high collinearity, and the re-structuring of NpChr5 and NpChr8 might have suppressed switching of chromatin structure from inactive to active. Resequencing of 116 sugarcane accessions elucidated that the S. spontaneum originated from North India and that the basic chromosome numbers x = 8, x = 9, and x = 10 originated independently, indicating that recent chromosome reduction rather than polyploidization has driven the adaptive evolution of Saccharum. Our study provides genomic resources and suggests new directions for accelerating sugarcane improvement and advances our knowledge of the evolution of auto-polyploids.
Evaluation of Emerging Antimicrobials Resistance in nosocomial infections caused by E. coli: The comparison results of observed cases and compartmental model
Authors: kogani mohammad , eshrati babak , baradaran hamid reza , janani leila , nasehii mahshid
Published: May 2021

Background
Early detection of Antimicrobials Resistance outbreaks is one of the most important goals of the World Health Organization. In this study, by comparing the observed cases of resistance with its expected cases, the outbreak of these resistances was investigated. It should be noted that this subject was not done in the country until the time of the study.
Methods
This study is a hospital-based study. Data related to all the university general of Iran (57 hospitals) were used. In these hospitals, all the patients who were infected by E.coli in time period of March 21 2017 to March 20 2018 were enrolled in the study. Then, using an index called the SIR; the observed cases of resistant E.coli were compared with the expected ones. This index is achieved from dividing the observed cases by its expected cases. If the obtained number is greater than one, it indicates the greater observed cases rather than the expected cases, which can represent Emerging. In order to compute SIR index, we divided the number of observed cases of Antimicrobials Resistance E.coli by the number of expected cases of each Antimicrobials Resistance E coli. To predict the expected cases of each Antimicrobials Resistance E coli, we developed one compartmental model. In this model, the number of patients is estimated using equations. Berkeley Madonna version 8.3.23 software was used to manipulate these equations.
Results
The SIR index for E.coli resistant to Ampicillin, Ceftazidime and Colistin were 1.2(1.1–1.3), 1.1(1.02–1.2) and 1.7(1.02–2.3) respectively. This index for E.coli resistant to Meropenem was .8 (.6-.9). In other cases, the calculated index was not statistically significant.
Conclusions
Ampicillin-resistant E.coli and Ceftazidime-resistant E.coli observed cases among nosocomial infections were greater than the expected cases. Hence it is necessary to reconsider using such type of antibiotics in treatment of nosocomial infections caused by E.coli. The results of this study could be important for health policy makers. In the future, outbreaks of this type of infection can be investigated with the help of the results of this study.
Adaptive Disassembly Sequence Planning for VR Maintenance Training via Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Mao Haoyang , Liu Zhenyu , Qiu Chan
Published: May 2021

Given the great inconvenience caused by the randomness of the fault to the maintenance work, it is necessary to perform on-site and efficient disassembly planning for the faulty parts and present them in combination with virtual reality (VR) technology to achieve rapid repair. As a promising method in solving dynamistic and stochastic problems, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is adopted in this paper for the solution of adaptive disassembly sequence planning (DSP) in the VR maintenance training system, in which sequences can be generated dynamically based on user inputs. Disassembly Petri net is established to describe and model the disassembly process, and then the DSP problem is defined as a Markov decision process (MDP) that can be solved by the deep Q-network (DQN). For handling the temporal credit assignment with sparse rewards, the long-term return in DQN is replaced with the fitness function of the genetic algorithm (GA). Meanwhile, the update method of gradient descent in DQN is adopted to speed up the iteration of the population in GA. A case study has been conducted to prove that the proposed method can provide better solutions for DSP problems in terms of VR maintenance training.
Validation of the Regret Coping Scale for Healthcare Professionals (RCS-HCP) in Portuguese for Brazil
Authors: Smiderle Fabiana Rosa Neves , Ramos-Silva Valmin , Castro Stela Maris de Jezus , Courvoisier Delphine Sophie , Mattiello Rita
Published: May 2021

Background: Assessment of the ability to cope with regret can contribute to support strategies for health professionals. However, in Brazil, there are few instruments that evaluate this ability in the general context. The aim of the study was to adapt and validate the Regret Coping Scale for Healthcare Professionals (RCS-HCP) for Brazilian health professionals. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with professionals linked to tertiary care hospital institutions. In the validation, the instruments were translated, and the psychometric properties were evaluated for validity and reliability. Validity was assessed using the following validities: content (judges' evaluation), criterion (correlation with Satisfaction With Life Scale – SWLS and Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 – SRQ-20) and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis using the method of Promax rotation, based on the slope graph and Kaiser criterion and confirmatory using the structural equation model). Reliability was measured using Cronbach's α coefficient and the test retested in a maximum period of 30 days. Reproducibility was calculated by intraclass correlation.Results: Three-hundred-forty-one professionals participated, with an average age of 38.6 ± 9.2 years, and 87 participated in a retest survey 30 days later. Exploratory factor analysis showed adequacy of the structure (KMO = 0.786) composed of three factors. In the confirmation, the performance was close to acceptable. Reliability was good for the maladaptive strategies (α = 0.834) and adequate for the problem-focused strategies (α = 0.717), but slightly too low for adaptive strategies (α = 0.595). Test-retest showed lower than expected values, with a Spearman-Brown coefficient of 0.703. Conclusions: The RCS-HCP scale showed satisfactory performance in relation to the properties evaluated.
Antimicrobial resistance and population genomics of extensively drug resistant Escherichia coli in pig farms in mainland China: a national wide epidemiological and microbiological study
Authors: Peng Zhong , Hu Zizhe , Li Zugang , Zhang Xiaoxue , Jia Chaoying , Li Tianzhi , Dai Menghong , Tan Chen , Xu Zhuofei , Wu Bin , Chen Huanchun , Wang Xiangru
Published: May 2021

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most urgent threats to the global public health, and the expanding use of antimicrobials in food animals is considered as a main reason for the worldwide rapid increasing of AMR. However, AMR in animals in many regions are poorly documented. China is the largest pig-rearing and pork consumption country in the world. In the present study, we identified AMR in pig farms from all provinces (including Tibet and Qinghai) of mainland China by investigation of a common indicator bacterium Escherichia coli from both pigs and the breeding environmental samples. A total of 2693 samples from pigs and environments in 67 pig farms in all 31 provinces of mainland China were collected between 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019, and a total of 1871 E. coli strains were isolated. By testing the susceptibility of these 1871 E. coli isolates on 28 types of antibiotics that commonly used in both human and veterinary medicine, we found that resistance to tetracycline (96.26%), chloramphenicol (82.04%), moxifloxacin (81.56%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (80.38%) were the broad phenotypes among these E. coli isolates from pig farms in China. A proportion of E. coli isolates were resistant to colistin (3.79%), carbapenems (imipenem [2.62%], meropenem [2.30%], ertapenem [2.46%]), and broad-spectrum-cephalosporins (ceftriaxone [29.56%], cefepime [14.00%]). More than 70% of the isolates displayed multidrug-resistant (MDR), and/or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotypes, and MDR/XDR-E. coli was observed in pig farms in all provinces of mainland China. We also systematically revealed the distribution of O-serogroups, sequence types, resistance genes, virulence factors encoding genes, and putative plasmids of MDR/XDR-E. coli in pig farms from different provinces of China, and partially characterized the pathotypes of certain MDR/XDR-E. coli strains. In addition, the genetic transmission basis of the blaNDM, mcr, ESBL-encoding, fluoroquinolone-resistance, and tetX genes were addressed in this study. Most importantly, we suggested a very high genetic propensity of the pig farm-sourced MDR/XDR-E. coli in spreading into humans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on a national scale that the resistance phenotypes and population genomics of E. coli in pig farms in China are revealed. Our data presented herein will help understand the current profile of AMR in pigs and also provide reference for policy formulation of AMR control action in livestock in China.
A Shape-Variable, Aqueous, Low-Temperature Liquid Metal–Conductive Polymer Secondary Battery
Authors: Fu Hao , Liu Guicheng , Xiong Lingyun , Wang Manxiang , Lee Jeongwoo , Ren Ren , Yang Woochul , Lee Joong Kee
Published: May 2021

A shape-variable aqueous secondary battery operating at low temperature is developed using Ga68In22Sn10 in wt% liquid metal anode and conductive polymer (polyaniline (PANI)) cathode. While in the GaInSn alloy anode, Ga is the active constituent; Sn and In increase the acid resistance and decrease the eutectic point to -19°C. This enables the use of strongly acidic aqueous electrolytes (here, pH 0.9), thereby improving the activity and stability of the PANI cathode. Consequently, the battery exhibits remarkable excellent electrochemical performance and mechanical stability. The GaInSn–PANI battery operates via a hybrid mechanism of Ga3+ stripping/plating and Cl− insertion/extraction and delivers a high initial capacity of over 324.6 mAh g− 1 and a 52.4% retention rate at 0.2 A g− 1 after 500 cycles, and outstanding power and energy densities of 4300 mW g− 1 and 98.7 mWh g− 1, respectively. Because of the liquid anode, the battery without packaging can be deformed with a small force of several millinewtons without any capacity loss. Moreover, at approximately − 5°C, the battery delivers a capacity of 67.8 mAh g− 1 at 0.2 A g− 1 with 100% elasticity. Thus, the battery is promising as a deformable energy device at low temperatures and in demanding environments.
Novel Markers to Map and Quantify Degradation on Cellulose Nitrate-Based Heritage: at the Submicrometer Level Using Synchrotron UV-Visible Multispectral Luminescence
Authors: Neves Artur , Melo Maria João , Ramos Ana Maria , Callapez Maria Elvira , Friedel Robert , Réfrégiers Matthieu , Thoury Mathieu
Published: May 2021

Cellulose nitrate (CN) is an intrinsically unstable material that puts at risk the preservation of a great variety of objects in heritage collections, also posing threats to human health. For this reason, a detailed investigation of its degradation mechanisms is necessary to develop sustainable conservation strategies. To investigate novel probes of degradation, we implemented deep UV photoluminescence micro spectral-imaging, for the first time, to characterize a corpus of historical systems composed of cellulose nitrate. The analysis of cinematographic films and everyday objects dated from the 19th c. / early 20th c. (Perlov's collection), as well as of photo-aged CN and celluloid references allowed the identification of novel markers that correlate with different phases of CN degradation in artworks, providing insight into the role played by plasticizers, fillers, and other additives instability. By comparison with photoaged references of CN and celluloid (70% CN and 30% camphor), it was possible to correlate camphor concentration with a higher rate of degradation of the cinematographic films. Furthermore, the present study investigates, at the sub-microscale, materials heterogeneity that correlates to the artworks' history, associating the different emission profiles of zinc oxide to specific color formulations used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Clinical course and seroprevalence of COVID-19 in children with rheumatic diseases. Cross-sectional study from a reference centre in Spain.
Authors: Udaondo Clara , Millan-Longo Claudia , Permuy Celia , Valladares Laura , Falces-Romero Iker , Muñoz Celia , Morales-Higuera Monica , Alcobendas Rosa , Remesal Agustin , Murias Sara , Calvo Cristina
Published: May 2021

Background Patients with rheumatic diseases have been considered at risk of COVID-19. A significant percentage of infections in children are asymptomatic or mild and can go unnoticed. This study aims to describe the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of children with rheumatic diseases and assess possible risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in a pediatric rheumatology unit from a reference hospital in Madrid, from September 2020 to February 2021. Serology of SARS-CoV-2 was performed at the same time as their routine laboratory tests, and a specific questionnaire was completed by parents. Demographics, treatment and disease activity from laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were compared to the data of patients without laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.Findings A total of 105 children were included. SARS-CoV-2 infection was demonstrated in 27 patients (25.7%): 6 PCR and 21 positive IgG serology. The mean age was 11.8 years , and the majority of the patients were females (72.4%). Most of the children were diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) (70.3%; 19/27), followed by PFAPA (11.1%; 3/27). Immunosuppresive treatment was given in 88% of cases (24/27). Overall, 44.4% (12/27) of infected patients were asymptomatic. Three patients required hospital admission because of COVID-19, however none of them required oxygen supplementation. A total of 66.7% (18/27) of patients did not require any treatment or medical assistance. The seroprevalence in our cohort was 20% in contrast to the 7.7% population seroprevalence observed during the same study period in Spanish children. SARS-CoV-2 confirmed children with positive IgG or PCR were less frequently in remission (52% vs 72%; p 0.014). Moderate disease activity and treatment with oral corticosteroids were associated with higher risk for COVID-19 (OR 5.05; CI 95%: 1.56 - 16.3 and OR 4.2; CI 95%: 1.26 - 13.9 respectively). Conclusions In a cohort of pediatric patients with rheumatic disease and immunosuppressive therapy, moderate disease activity and oral corticosteroids were associated with COVID-19 positive patients. Seroprevalence was significantly higher compared to the same age healthy population. The clinical manifestations were mild and there were no severe infections among the patients.
Impact of COVID-19 on the health of the general and more vulnerable population and its determinants: Health care and social survey-ESSOC, study protocol
Authors: Sánchez-Cantalejo Carmen , Rueda Mª del Mar , Saez Marc , Enrique Iria , Ferri-García Ramón , Fuente Miguel De la , Villegas Román , Castro Luis , Barceló Maria Antònia , Daponte-Codina Antonio , Lorusso Nicola , Cabrera-León Andrés
Published: May 2021

Background: This manuscript describes the rationale and protocol of a real-world data (RWD) study entitled Health Care and Social Survey (ESSOC, Encuesta Sanitaria y Social). The study’s objective is to determine the magnitude, characteristics, and evolution of the COVID-19 impact on overall health as well as the socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioural, occupational, environmental, and clinical determinants of both the general and more vulnerable population. Methods: The study integrates observational data collected through a survey using a probabilistic, overlapping panel design, and data from clinical, epidemiological, demographic, and environmental registries. The data will be analysed using advanced statistical, sampling, and machine learning techniques. The study is based on several measurements obtained from three random samples of the Andalusian (Spain) population: general population aged 16 years and over, residents of disadvantaged areas, and people over the age of 55. Discussion: Given the current characteristics of this pandemic and its future repercussions, this project will generate relevant information on a regular basis, commencing from the beginning of the State of Alarm. It will also establish institutional alliances of great social value, explore and apply powerful and novel methodologies, and produce large, integrated, high-quality and open-access databases. The information described here will be vital for health systems in order to design tailor-made interventions aimed at improving the health care, health, and quality of life of the populations most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learning Loss During COVID-19: An Early Systematic Review
Authors: Patrinos Harry , Donnelly Robin
Published: May 2021

With COVID-19 having caused significant disruption to the global education system, researchers are beginning to become concerned with the impact that this has had on student learning progress and, in particular, if learning loss has been experienced. To evaluate this, we conduct a thorough analysis of recorded learning loss evidence documented between March 2020 and March 2021. This systematic review aims to consolidate available data and document what has currently been reported in the literature. Given the novelty of the subject, eight studies were identified; seven of these found evidence of student learning loss amongst at least some of the participants, while one of the seven also found instances of learning gains in a particular subgroup. The remaining study found increased learning gains in their participants. Additionally, four of the studies observed increases in inequality where certain demographics of students experienced learning losses more significant than others. It is determined that further research is needed to increase the quantity of studies produced, their geographical focus, and the numbers of students they observe.
Recruitment strategies to promote uptake of cervical cancer screening in West Cameroon
Authors: Pham Marie-Anne , Benkortbi Khadidja , Kenfack Bruno , Tincho Evelyn , Sormani Jessica , Wisniak Ania , Lemoupa Sophie , Manga Engelbert , Vassilakos Pierre , Petignat Patrick
Published: May 2021

Objectives

World Health Organization’s (WHO) global strategy for cervical cancer elimination has set for 2030 that all countries reach the target of 70% coverage screening rate. Communities’ sensitization through media is often used but community health workers’ (CHW) involvement may contribute to improve screening coverage. We aimed to assess effectiveness and costs of two cervical cancer screening recruitment strategies conducted in a low resource setting.
Methods

The study was conducted in West region of Cameroon precisely in Dschang Health District, a community of 300’000 people. From September 2018 to February 2020, we recruited and screened women in a cervical cancer single-visit prevention campaign at Dschang District Hospital. For the first nine months, recruitment was only based on Community Information Channels (CIC) (i.e. street banners). Since the tenth month, participation of CHW was added for recruitment in the community after training for cervical cancer counselling. Population recruitment was compared between the two strategies by assessing the number of recruited women, and direct costs (CHW costs include recruitment, teaching, certification, identification badge, flyers, transport, and salary). Interventions’ cost-effectiveness is expressed using an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).
Results and discussion

During the period under study, 1940 women were recruited, HPV positive rate was 18.6% (n = 361) and 39 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) (10,8% of HPV-positive women) were diagnosed. Among participants, 69.9% (n = 1356) of women were recruited through CIC as compared to 30.1% (n = 584) by CHW. The cost per screened woman and CIN2 + diagnosed was higher in the CHW group as compared to the CIC group. The ICER was 6.45 USD or 16.61 2021Int’l$ per screened woman recruited by CHW. In rural areas, recruitment increased from 12.1–61.4% between CIC-led and CHW-led intervention. These outcomes highlight the importance of training, preparing, and deploying CHWs to screen hard-to-reach women, considering that up to 45% of the Cameroon population lives in a rural area.
Conclusion

CHW offer an important complement to CIC for expanding coverage in a rural sub-Saharan Africa setting like West Cameroon. CHW have a central role in building awareness and motivation for improving cervical cancer screening participation.
Policy and weather influences on mobility during the early U.S. COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wu Yihan , Mooring Todd , Linz Marianna
Published: May 2021

As the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 24 continues to proliferate across the globe, it is a struggle to predict and prevent its spread. The 25 successes of mobility interventions demonstrate how policies can help limit the person-to-person 26 interactions that are essential to infection. With significant community spread, experts predict this 27 virus will continue to be a threat until safe and effective vaccines have been developed and 28 widely deployed. We aim to understand mobility changes during the first major quarantine period 29 in the United States, measured via mobile device tracking, by assessing how people changed their 30 behavior in response to policies and to weather. Here, we show that consistent national messaging 31 was associated with consistent national behavioral change, regardless of local policy. 32 Furthermore, although human behavior did vary with outdoor air temperature, these variations 33 were not associated with variations in a proxy for the rate of encounters between people. The 34 independence of encounters and temperatures suggests that weather-related behavioral changes 35 will, in many cases, be of limited relevance for SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics. Both of 36 these results are encouraging for the potential of clear national messaging to help contain any 37 future pandemics, and possibly to help contain COVID-19.Published in PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/content/118/22/e2018185118
SCENARIO PLANNING OF PERSPECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOMESTIC PATTERN OF DUAL STUDIES MANAGEMENT
Authors: Vasilieva T. , Davlikanova O.
Published: May 2021

In a market economy a higher education estanlishments (HEEs) is viewed as a provider of educational services in the environment of tough competition for funding. Thus, the nature of HEE management processes to a great extent resembles business processes of an enterprise. Recent amendments to the Ukrainian legislation introduce KPI for assessing University efficiency, which has been included into the formula for state funding distribution. All that changes motivate educational institutions to introduce innovations, such as dual studies. Private higher education establishments should have been more interested in such innovations, which may help increase revenues by attracting more applicants, as well as investments from the private sector. However, it should be noted that only one private higher education institution is currently participating in an experiment (Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine №1296 as of 15.10.2019) aimed at an introduction of the dual form of education in Ukraine, in contrast to the situation in Germany, where a significant share of dual HEEs are private and their establishment is viewed as a business project and a response to a market demand. This article presents an updated forecast of the spread of dual studies management in Ukraine based on the Bass innovation diffusion model, which takes into account a range of variables (factors of influence). In the absence of public financial or tax instruments to stimulate partnerships of companies and HEEs in a market economy of a developing country, economic actors are very careful when it comes to investing in education. This reduces the number of partners of HEEs needed for dual studies introduction. In addition, HEEs and employers, unlike students, are not ready to introduce such an innovation on a large scale, as it requires the introduction of new management system. According to Bass's diffusion of innovation, there are three possible scenarios of dual studies spread as an innovation accepted by HEEs. The most likely scenario is a pessimistic one, which envisages the introduction of dual studies management in 55 higher education institutions over the next 15 years, which together with 17 HEEs-innovators makes 25% of the total market volume.
Validación de un dispositivo Wireless para el control de variables cinemáticas en el rendimiento deportivo
Authors: Gaviria Samuel Jose , Ramirez Andrés Felipe , Rivera Leon Mauricio
Published: May 2021

Validar un dispositivo Wireless para el censo de la aceleración en actividades deportivas. Para la validación se usó un transductor lineal (T-Force System Ergotech) y análisis de videografía (SkillSpector ). Participantes desarrollaron el press de banca plana en una maquina SMITH. El protocolo consistió en realizar una repetición de press de banca plana con una carga constante (18 kg). La recuperación entre cada repetición fue de 15 segundos. En total 5 sujetos desarrollaron 84 repeticiones.  Los datos estuvieron caracterizados por una diferencia menor entre los valores de la media del dispositivo Wireless vs T-Force (0,18) en contraste con Wireless vs Videografía (0,46). Los resultados muestran que no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la aceleración de desplazamiento entre el dispositivo Wireless, transductor lineal y análisis de videografía; sin embargo, los niveles de correlación de Pearson que se reportaron manifestaron una asociación moderada (p<0,05) para las dos pruebas. El supuesto de independencia de los errores fue contrastado mediante la prueba de Durbin-Watson. Los resultados sugieren que, si bien no se presentaron altas asociaciones entre los dispositivos, el factor económico de la producción del dispositivo Wireless, lo hace una alternativa viable para el control y medición de la aceleración en la práctica deportiva.
Solución de la ecuación de Navier para el cálculo de elasticidad lineal en materiales nanoreforzados utilizando el método de elementos de frontera.
Authors: Hernández Marulanda Andrés Felipe , Gaviria Leidy Johana
Published: May 2021

En este paper se plantea el estudio de elasticidad lineal en un material compuesto nano reforzado sometido a una fuerza externa constante con el fin de ser utilizado en la fabricación de prótesis de miembro inferior, para lo cual se desarrolló un algoritmo computacional que resuelve la ecuación de elasticidad lineal (ecuación de Navier), utilizando el método de elementos de frontera y funciones de base radial.

Se determinó si el uso de un algoritmo puede predecir el cambio en una geometría bidimensional a nivel de deformaciones, desplazamientos y esfuerzos en un material compuesto reforzado con nanotubos de carbono; utilizado en la fabricación de prótesis de miembro inferior y evidenciar el cumplimiento de los requerimientos deseados al ser sometido a una fuerza constante. Por lo anterior   el análisis de la información obtenida, se apoya el proceso de selección de un material compuesto nanoreforzado para uso en el desarrollo de prótesis de miembro inferior al ser sometido a una fuerza constante. Según el algoritmo desarrollado y los resultados encontrados, el método de elementos de frontera permite la simulación del comportamiento mecánico de un material compuesto (acero A36, a concentraciones de nanotubos de carbono de 1%, 2%, 3%)
Construction and operation of the MIDES plant
Authors: Hernández-Ibáñez Naiara , Arévalo Juan , Mena Vicente F. , Monsalvo-Garcia Victor , Rogalla Frank
Published: May 2021

This chapter presents the construction, operation, and validation of all the MIDES systems, including water pre-treatment, wastewater pre-treatment, the microbial desalination cell (MDC), low-pressure reverse osmosis (RO), and post-treatment (remineralization and disinfection). MIDES technology has been validated with different water sources: brackish water from Demo Site 1, (Racons Brackish Water Desalination Plant (BWDP), located in Denia, Spain) and seawater from Demo Site 2 (Fonsalía Seawater Desalination Plant (SWDP), located in Guía de Isora, Spain). In this chapter, the preparation of both demo sites for the reception and installation of the pilot plants is also presented.
Microbial characterizations of water using tea polyphenols as a disinfectant for effluent treatment after the ultrafiltration process
Authors: Wei Tong , Qing Shan , Feng Cuimin , Yao Renda , Zhu Na , Xu Zhen , Wang Yongkang
Published: May 2021

The microbial characteristics of water treated by tea polyphenols after the ultrafiltration process were studied based on the continuous disinfection performance of tea polyphenols. Metagenomics was carried out to investigate the microbial community distribution, functional characteristics, and variations after disinfection, to reveal the disinfection principle of tea polyphenols, and to provide the theoretical basis for using tea polyphenols as a disinfectant to better control the growth of microorganisms. The analysis of microbial diversity and community structure showed that the microbial diversity in water was significantly reduced after disinfection with tea polyphenols. The results of hierarchical clustering analysis showed that microbial metabolism, environmental information processing, and functional modules in genetic information processing were significantly inhibited after disinfection treatment using tea polyphenols. The tea polyphenols inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms by selection on the microorganisms in the water, thus achieving the effect of bacterial inhibition.
Numerical investigation of alternating skimming flow over a stepped spillway
Authors: Kaouachi Anouar , Carvalho Rita F. , Lopes Pedro , Benmamar Saâdia , Gafsi Moustefa
Published: May 2021

This study aims to illustrate the influence of stepped spillway width on alternating skimming flow development. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in Ansys Fluent® was established to simulate the flow over stepped spillways, using a volume of fluid model (VOF) and Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence model (SST k-ω). The model was first validated by comparisons of velocity profiles at step niches and water depth at step edges with existing measurements acquired by the bubble image velocimetry (BIV) technique and an ultrasonic sensor, in a 0.5-m wide stepped spillway physical model. The SST k-ω model gave good results for velocity and water depth, and the numerical predictions of the vorticity in the skimming and recirculating flows were qualitatively adequate. The model was used to analyse the flow regime for six different stepped spillway widths. The careful examination of flow patterns at the different stepped spillway widths showed that the alternating skimming flow appears for the stepped spillways wider than 0.35 m due to the asymmetrical distribution of vorticity patches that are generated in the step cavity. These vorticity patches are of uniform size and shape when the spillway width is less than 0.35 m, which does not produce an alternating skimming flow. However, for wider stepped spillways, the vorticity increases, and an alternating skimming flow appears closer to the crest.