bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simple Wireless Impedance Pneumography System for Unobtrusive Sensing of Respiration
Authors: Aqueveque Pablo , Gómez Britam , Monsalve Emyrna , Germany Enrique , Ortega-Bastidas Paulina , Dubo Sebastián , Pino Esteban J.
Published: September 2020

This extended paper presents the development and implementation at a prototype level of a wireless, low-cost system for the measurement of the electrical bioimpedance of the chest with two channels using the AD5933 in a bipolar electrode configuration to measure impedance pneumography. The measurement device works for impedance measurements ranging from 1 Ω to 1800 Ω. Fifteen volunteers were measured with the prototype. We found that the left hemithorax has higher impedance compared to the right hemithorax, and the acquired signal presents the phases of the respiratory cycle with variations between 1 Ω, in normal breathing, to 6 Ω in maximum inhalation events. The system can measure the respiratory cycle variations simultaneously in both hemithorax with a mean error of −0.18 ± 1.42 BPM (breaths per minute) in the right hemithorax and −0.52 ± 1.31 BPM for the left hemithorax, constituting a useful device for the breathing rate calculation and possible screening applications.
Face and Body-Based Human Recognition by GAN-Based Blur Restoration
Authors: Koo Ja Hyung , Cho Se Woon , Baek Na Rae , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: September 2020

The long-distance recognition methods in indoor environments are commonly divided into two categories, namely face recognition and face and body recognition. Cameras are typically installed on ceilings for face recognition. Hence, it is difficult to obtain a front image of an individual. Therefore, in many studies, the face and body information of an individual are combined. However, the distance between the camera and an individual is closer in indoor environments than that in outdoor environments. Therefore, face information is distorted due to motion blur. Several studies have examined deblurring of face images. However, there is a paucity of studies on deblurring of body images. To tackle the blur problem, a recognition method is proposed wherein the blur of body and face images is restored using a generative adversarial network (GAN), and the features of face and body obtained using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) are used to fuse the matching score. The database developed by us, Dongguk face and body dataset version 2 (DFB-DB2) and ChokePoint dataset, which is an open dataset, were used in this study. The equal error rate (EER) of human recognition in DFB-DB2 and ChokePoint dataset was 7.694% and 5.069%, respectively. The proposed method exhibited better results than the state-of-art methods.
Flash Flood Early Warning System in Colima, Mexico
Authors: Ibarreche José , Aquino Raúl , Edwards R. M. , Rangel Víctor , Pérez Ismael , Martínez Miguel , Castellanos Esli , Álvarez Elisa , Jimenez Saul , Rentería Raúl , Edwards Arthur , Álvarez Omar
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a system of sensors used in flash flood prediction that offers critical real-time information used to provide early warnings that can provide the minutes needed for persons to evacuate before imminent events. Flooding is one of the most serious natural disasters humans confront in terms of loss of life and results in long-term effects, which often have severely adverse social consequences. However, flash floods are potentially more dangerous to life because there is often little or no forewarning of the impending disaster. The Emergency Water Information Network (EWIN) offers a solution that integrates an early warning system, notifications, and real-time monitoring of flash flood risks. The platform has been implemented in Colima, Mexico covering the Colima and Villa de Alvarez metropolitan area. This platform consists of eight fixed riverside hydrological monitoring stations, eight meteorological stations, nomadic mobile monitoring stations called “drifters” used in the flow, and a sniffer with data muling capability. The results show that this platform effectively compiles and forwards information to decision-makers, government officials, and the general public, potentially providing valuable minutes for people to evacuate dangerous areas.
Does Curved Walking Sharpen the Assessment of Gait Disorders? An Instrumented Approach Based on Wearable Inertial Sensors
Authors: Belluscio Valeria , Bergamini Elena , Tramontano Marco , Formisano Rita , Buzzi Maria Gabriella , Vannozzi Giuseppe
Published: September 2020

Gait and balance assessment in the clinical context mainly focuses on straight walking. Despite that curved trajectories and turning are commonly faced in our everyday life and represent a challenge for people with gait disorders. The adoption of curvilinear trajectories in the rehabilitation practice could have important implications for the definition of protocols tailored on individual’s needs. The aim of this study was to contribute toward the quantitative characterization of straight versus curved walking using an ecological approach and focusing on healthy and neurological populations. Twenty healthy adults (control group (CG)) and 20 patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (9 severe, sTBI-S, and 11 very severe, sTBI-VS) performed a 10 m and a Figure-of-8 Walk Test while wearing four inertial sensors that were located on both tibiae, sternum and pelvis. Spatiotemporal and gait quality indices that were related to locomotion stability, symmetry, and smoothness were obtained. The results show that spatiotemporal, stability, and symmetry-related gait patterns are challenged by curved walking both in healthy subjects and sTBI-S, whereas no difference was displayed for sTBI-VS. The use of straight walking alone to assess gait disorders is thus discouraged, particularly in patients with good walking abilities, in favor of the adoption of complementary tests that were also based on curved paths.
Highly Sensitive Localized Surface Plasmon Polariton Based D-Type Twin-Hole Photonic Crystal Fiber Microbiosensor: Enhanced Scheme for SERS Reinforcement
Authors: Aruna Gandhi Manthangal Sivanesan , Senthilnathan Krishnamoorthy , Ramesh Babu Padmanabhan , Li Qian
Published: September 2020

The emerging development of sensing technology initiates innovative sensors achieving low-cost to facilitate practical realization. An interesting crush of the work is to propose a simple structural sensor and to analyze the different schemes of the metal coating by stimulated emission of Raman scattering (SERS) intensification. For the first time, we propose a simple geometrical photonic crystal fiber refractive index based sensor (PCF-RIBS) with three different Schemes A, B, and C, i.e., gold (A) layer-coated surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based D-type PCF-RIBS; Au with titanium-di-oxide (TiO2) layer-coated SPR D-type PCF-RIBS; and Au + TiO2 grating-coated localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) D-type PCF-RIBS. Characterizing the three different Schemes A, B, and C using finite element method simulation shows, a maximum wavelength sensitivity of 48,000 nm/RIU, 52,000 nm/RIU and 75,000 nm/RIU, respectively, for a wide range of analyte-refractive index from 1.33 to 1.45 and operates in the wavelength range from 500–2000 nm. Of all the Schemes, Scheme C is found to excite a relatively larger number of surface-plasmons. Eventually, it exhibits improved sensing performances compared to SPR based Schemes A and B. Consequently, it would turn out to be an appropriate candidate to detect a broad range of biological and chemical sample detection.
Autonomous Crop Row Guidance Using Adaptive Multi-ROI in Strawberry Fields
Authors: Ponnambalam Vignesh Raja , Bakken Marianne , Moore Richard J. D. , Glenn Omholt Gjevestad Jon , Johan From Pål
Published: September 2020

Automated robotic platforms are an important part of precision agriculture solutions for sustainable food production. Agri-robots require robust and accurate guidance systems in order to navigate between crops and to and from their base station. Onboard sensors such as machine vision cameras offer a flexible guidance alternative to more expensive solutions for structured environments such as scanning lidar or RTK-GNSS. The main challenges for visual crop row guidance are the dramatic differences in appearance of crops between farms and throughout the season and the variations in crop spacing and contours of the crop rows. Here we present a visual guidance pipeline for an agri-robot operating in strawberry fields in Norway that is based on semantic segmentation with a convolution neural network (CNN) to segment input RGB images into crop and not-crop (i.e., drivable terrain) regions. To handle the uneven contours of crop rows in Norway’s hilly agricultural regions, we develop a new adaptive multi-ROI method for fitting trajectories to the drivable regions. We test our approach in open-loop trials with a real agri-robot operating in the field and show that our approach compares favourably to other traditional guidance approaches.
LED Lighting Systems for Horticulture: Business Growth and Global Distribution
Authors: Paucek Ivan , Appolloni Elisa , Pennisi Giuseppina , Quaini Stefania , Gianquinto Giorgio , Orsini Francesco
Published: September 2020

In recent years, research on light emitting diodes (LEDs) has highlighted their great potential as a lighting system for plant growth, development and metabolism control. The suitability of LED devices for plant cultivation has turned the technology into a main component in controlled or closed plant-growing environments, experiencing an extremely fast development of horticulture LED metrics. In this context, the present study aims to provide an insight into the current global horticulture LED industry and the present features and potentialities for LEDs’ applications. An updated review of this industry has been integrated through a database compilation of 301 manufacturers and 1473 LED lighting systems for plant growth. The research identifies Europe (40%) and North America (29%) as the main regions for production. Additionally, the current LED luminaires’ lifespans show 10 and 30% losses of light output after 45,000 and 60,000 working hours on average, respectively, while the vast majority of worldwide LED lighting systems present efficacy values ranging from 2 to 3 μmol J−1 (70%). Thus, an update on the status of the horticultural LED sector, LEDs’ applications and metrics, and the intense innovation are described and discussed.
Examining the Role of Top Management in Corporate Sustainability: Does Supply Chain Position Matter?
Authors: Tacheva Zhasmina , Simpson Natalie , Ivanov Anton
Published: September 2020

A burgeoning stream of sustainability research explores the role of companies’ top management team (TMT) characteristics in corporate sustainability efforts, while another stream investigates the effect of a company’s supply chain position on its likelihood of engaging in sustainability. This study shows the importance of integrating the two research streams by demonstrating that supply chain position moderates the relationship between TMT characteristics and sustainability and thus establishes boundary conditions for this relationship. By matching 758 corporate sustainability initiatives with control observations, our results show that the size of the top executive team and the average age of its members, two well-known predictors of corporate sustainability, are distinctly moderated by supply chain position. While business-to-business (B2B) companies are less likely to report a sustainability initiative compared to business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations, we found that B2B TMT size has a greater positive effect on sustainability initiative likelihood than B2C TMT size. Conversely, average B2C TMT age has greater predictive power in explaining sustainability initiative likelihood than average B2B TMT age. The implications of these findings in advancing corporate sustainability and organizational change are discussed.
Sustainability as a Multi-Criteria Concept: New Developments and Applications
Authors: Diaz-Balteiro Luis , González-Pachón Jacinto , Romero Carlos
Published: September 2020

The sustainable management of the environment and its embedded resources is one of the most important, if not the major challenge of the 21st century, which demands from current science and technology the development of a scientifically sound conceptual framework that is implementable from an operational point of view for properly tackling this important and complex topic [...]
Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Options for Farm Performance Using Bio-Economic Models in Southwestern France
Authors: Schuler Johannes , Adelhart Toorop Roos , Willaume Magali , Vermue Anthony , Schläfke Nicole , Uthes Sandra , Zander Peter , Rossing Walter
Published: September 2020

Regional impact studies are needed to explore possible adaptation options to climate change. We estimated impacts and adaptation options for future scenarios that feature different assumptions regarding climate, cropping pattern and access to irrigation with two bio-economic farm models. Farm profit, soil organic matter balance and labor input are used as indicators of farm performance. The difference between the baseline and the alternative configurations computed by models is referred as adaptation potential, indicative of the adaptation options including the corresponding changes in cropping patterns. Our results show that as long as there is sufficient access to irrigation water, there is little incentive to change current practices, as farming is at the economic optimum, has a positive soil organic matter balance and labor requirements can be met. Conversely, if irrigation is no longer possible, drastic impacts occur, causing a need to sustainably adjust on-going farm practices. Adaptation through changed crop selection reduced losses to some extent. We conclude that the use of bio-economic models can assist in evaluating the qualitative findings of participatory studies by quantitatively assessing possible climate change impacts and adaptation measures. Strong impacts of climate change, however, cannot be offset by changes in cropping patterns and need further adaptation measures.
A Derivation of Factors Influencing the Diffusion and Adoption of an Open Source Learning Platform
Authors: Huang Chi-Yo , Wang Hui-Ya , Yang Chia-Lee , Shiau Steven J. H.
Published: September 2020

During the past two decades, open source learning platforms (OSLPs) have become a dominant part of modern education. OSLPs are free for usage and customization—unlike proprietary software restricted by copyright licenses. By utilizing OSLPs, users can download and use the source code, write new features, fix bugs, improve performances, or learn from others how specific problems can be solved. Albeit dominant, the frequency of usage and motivation of OSLPs by students is not high; however, there has been very little research about this, and the problem is significant. Therefore, this research aimed to derive the factors that affect the adoption and diffusion of OSLPs. The factors on the diffusion and adoption were defined based on the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) and the technology acceptance model (TAM), where the integrated theoretical framework is called the IDT-TAM. Partial Least Square structural equation modeling was used to confirm the hypothesized IDT-TAM. An empirical study was based on the sample data collected from 340 Taiwanese technical university students to demonstrate the feasibility of the analytical framework and derive the factors related to the adoption and diffusion of the OSLP for students. Based on the results of the empirical study, through the mediation of perceived attitude (PA) and perceived usefulness (PU), trialability (TL), observability (OS), ease of use (EU), and relative advantage (RA) are the factors most related to the diffusion and acceptance of the OSLP innovations. The analytical results can serve as the basis for the design, development, and enhancement of acceptance and diffusion of OSLP.
Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Firm Performance: Does Customer Satisfaction Matter?
Authors: Wei An-Pin , Peng Chi-Lu , Huang Hao-Chen , Yeh Shang-Pao
Published: September 2020

Academic research has shed light on the empirical relationships among a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR) and firm performance and on the firm’s customer satisfaction–firm performance relationship in different markets. However, little notice has been taken of whether the coexistence of corporate social responsibility, corporate social irresponsibility and customer satisfaction has an interactive effect on firm performance. This study aims to examine the effects of their interaction on firm performance from an investment perspective. Using unbalanced panel regression to test a sample of publicly traded firms from the United States, this study finds that, in general, firms with higher customer satisfaction earn positive changes in abnormal stock returns. For firms that engage in CSR, CSR positively affects corporate performance, whereas firms’ social irresponsibility activities reduce firms’ financial performance. All else equal, a positive interactive effect of CSiR and customer satisfaction on stock return was observed. The results reveal that high customer satisfaction can alleviate the negative effect of corporate social irresponsibility on firms’ financial performance. Our findings will help management executives and investors to understand that the negative effect of a firm’s unforeseen events on firm performance can be weakened by increasing customer satisfaction.
Systemic Design for Food Self-Sufficiency in Urban Areas
Authors: Núñez-Ríos Juan E. , Aguilar-Gallegos Norman , Sánchez-García Jacqueline Y. , Cardoso-Castro Pedro Pablo
Published: September 2020

This article adopts a systemic approach to address the problem of the operationalization of relationships between actors conducive to food self-sufficiency in urban areas. Through the use of Social Network Analysis (SNA), the literature on urban agriculture was analyzed, detecting eight key trends and topic areas. This information was used to design a generic recursive organizational structure with the identification of the key roles and functions for management and governance in the multi-level and multi-stakeholder relationships of a sustainable urban self-sufficient food production system, inspired by the principles of complexity management and organizational cybernetics. Methodologically, this is the first application that combines the exploratory capability of SNA and the recursive structure of the Viable System Model (VSM) to propose applicable organizational structures in any urban area, suggesting a new route for the study and application of systemic thinking in the development of urban agriculture schemes. However, due to the conceptual nature of this work, this study opens a discussion on how we can rethink interactions to seek continuous adaptation in food self-sufficiency, provide tools that foster inclusion, and adapt to every context to support the relevant actors and academics in urban agriculture.
The External Workload of Thoroughbred Horse Racing Jockeys
Authors: Legg Kylie , Cochrane Darryl , Gee Erica , Rogers Chris
Published: September 2020

The objectives of this study were to quantify the external workload of thoroughbred racing jockeys in relation to their experience and racing performance. The number of rides of 786 jockeys and apprentices who rode in 407,948 flat and 13,648 jumps racing starts over 14 seasons were examined. Jockey work (ride numbers, seasons riding) and performance characteristics (race falls or wins) between cohorts with low (1–10), middle (10–200) and high (>200) numbers of rides per season were compared. Flat racing apprentices had more rides per season (25, interquartile range [IQR] 7–97 vs. 14, IQR 3–222, p < 0.001) but fewer rides per race day (2, IQR 1–4 vs. 4, IQR 2–6, p < 0.001) than flat racing jockeys. Flat racing jockeys in the high workload cohort (23%) were responsible for 83% of the race-day rides, riding in a median of 375 (IQR 283–520) races per season. These jockeys had half the fall rate (Incidence rate [IR] 1.0, 95% CI 0.9–1.1) and 1.4 times the success rates per 1000 rides (IR 98, 95% CI 97–99) than jockeys in the low and middle workload cohorts (p < 0.05). Most jockeys had light workloads, greater risk of injury and lower winning rates than the smaller cohort of jockeys with heavier workloads. This disparity in opportunity and success between cohorts indicates inefficiencies within the industry in recruitment and retention of jockeys. These data provide a foundation to further studies investigating jockey competition-specific fitness and its effect on both riding success and reducing injury risk.
Biomonitoring of Aflatoxin B1 and Deoxynivalenol in a Rural Pakistan Population Using Ultra-Sensitive LC-MS/MS Method
Authors: Xia Lei , Routledge Michael N. , Rasheed Hifza , Ismail Amir , Dong Yao , Jiang Tao , Gong Yun Yun
Published: September 2020

There are limited data on exposure to mycotoxins in Pakistan. Here, we measured exposure to deoxynivalenol (DON), a common contaminant of wheat, and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a known contaminant of rice, using biomarkers of exposure. Wheat (n = 195) and rice (n = 62) samples were analyzed for AFB1 and DON levels, and the corresponding urinary biomarkers were analyzed in urine samples from a rural population (n = 264, aged 4–80 years, male 58%) using ultra-sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. AFB1 was detected in 66% of rice (5.04 ± 11.94 µg/kg) and 3% of wheat samples. AFM1 (hydroxylated form of AFB1) was detected in 69% of urine samples, mean 0.023 ± 0.048 ng/mL and DON was detected in 20% of urine samples, mean 0.170 ± 0.129 ng/mL. The maximum probable daily intake for DON derived from the urinary biomarker was 59.8 ng/kg b.w./day, which is below the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives’ tolerable daily intake (1000 ng/kg b.w./day). However, for aflatoxin, the derived margin of exposure (MoE) of (13.2) was well below the safe MoE (10,000) suggested by the European Food Safety Authority. The calculated aflatoxin-associated cancer risk of 0.514/105 individuals/year suggests that measures should be taken to reduce the AFB1 contamination in food, particularly rice, in Pakistan.
Structural Modeling of Cell Wall Peptidase CwpFM (EntFM) Reveals Distinct Intrinsically Disordered Extensions Specific to Pathogenic Bacillus cereus Strains
Authors: Tran Seav-Ly , Cormontagne Delphine , Vidic Jasmina , André-Leroux Gwenaëlle , Ramarao Nalini
Published: September 2020

The emergence of B. cereus as an opportunistic food-borne pathogen has intensified the need to distinguish strains of public health concern. The heterogeneity of the diseases associated with B. cereus infections emphasizes the versatility of these bacteria strains to colonize their host. Nevertheless, the molecular basis of these differences remains unclear. Several toxins are involved in virulence, particularly in gastrointestinal disorders, but there are currently no biological markers able to differentiate pathogenic from harmless strains. We have previously shown that CwpFM is a cell wall peptidase involved in B. cereus virulence. Here, we report a sequence/structure/function characterization of 39 CwpFM sequences, chosen from a collection of B. cereus with diverse virulence phenotypes, from harmless to highly pathogenic strains. CwpFM is homology-modeled in silico as an exported papain-like endopeptidase, with an N-terminal end composed of three successive bacterial Src Homology 3 domains (SH3b1–3) likely to control protein–protein interactions in signaling pathways, and a C-terminal end that contains a catalytic NLPC_P60 domain primed to form a competent active site. We confirmed in vitro that CwpFM is an endopeptidase with a moderate peptidoglycan hydrolase activity. Remarkably, CwpFMs from pathogenic strains harbor a specific stretch of twenty residues intrinsically disordered, inserted between the SH3b3 and the catalytic NLPC_P60 domain. This strongly suggests this linker as a marker of differentiation between B. cereus strains. We believe that our findings improve our understanding of the pathogenicity of B. cereus while advancing both clinical diagnosis and food safety.
Stealing the Show: KSHV Hijacks Host RNA Regulatory Pathways to Promote Infection
Authors: Macveigh-Fierro Daniel , Rodriguez William , Miles Jacob , Muller Mandy
Published: September 2020

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) induces life-long infections and has evolved many ways to exert extensive control over its host’s transcriptional and post-transcriptional machinery to gain better access to resources and dampened immune sensing. The hallmark of this takeover is how KSHV reshapes RNA fate both to control expression of its own gene but also that of its host. From the nucleus to the cytoplasm, control of RNA expression, localization, and decay is a process that is carefully tuned by a multitude of factors and that can adapt or react to rapid changes in the environment. Intriguingly, it appears that KSHV has found ways to co-opt each of these pathways for its own benefit. Here we provide a comprehensive review of recent work in this area and in particular recent advances on the post-transcriptional modifications front. Overall, this review highlights the myriad of ways KSHV uses to control RNA fate and gathers novel insights gained from the past decade of research at the interface of RNA biology and the field of KSHV research.
Spatio-Temporal Mutational Profile Appearances of Swedish SARS-CoV-2 during the Early Pandemic
Authors: Ling Jiaxin , Hickman Rachel A. , Li Jinlin , Lu Xi , Lindahl Johanna F. , Lundkvist Åke , Järhult Josef D.
Published: September 2020

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus evolved, and we therefore aimed to provide an insight into which genetic variants were enriched, and how they spread in Sweden. Methods: We analyzed 348 Swedish SARS-CoV-2 sequences freely available from GISAID obtained from 7 February 2020 until 14 May 2020. Results: We identified 14 variant sites ≥5% frequency in the population. Among those sites, the D936Y substitution in the viral Spike protein was under positive selection. The variant sites can distinguish 11 mutational profiles in Sweden. Nine of the profiles appeared in Stockholm in March 2020. Mutational profiles 3 (B.1.1) and 6 (B.1), which contain the D936Y mutation, became the predominant profiles over time, spreading from Stockholm to other Swedish regions during April and the beginning of May. Furthermore, Bayesian phylogenetic analysis indicated that SARS-CoV-2 could have emerged in Sweden on 27 December 2019, and community transmission started on February 1st with an evolutionary rate of 1.5425 × 10−3 substitutions per year. Conclusions: Our study provides novel knowledge on the spatio-temporal dynamics of Swedish SARS-CoV-2 variants during the early pandemic. Characterization of these viral variants can provide precious insights on viral pathogenesis and can be valuable for diagnostic and drug development approaches.
Characteristics of the chemical composition of wet flattened corn grain and use of IT in the feeding of cows
Authors: Kireeva K. , Kostomakhin N. , Pushkaryev I. , Litvintseva T. , Kuzikeeva A.
Published: September 2020

In all types of cereals corn has the highest energy content; the chemical composition of corn is distinguished by high starch content up to 70 %. Cows are able to give high productivity when the rational use of this feed as part of the ration. The purpose of the work was to compare the nutritional content of wet flattened corn grain and the influence of feeding it as an additive to the main ration on the dairy productivity of cows. Two groups of dry cows-analogues have been formed for the experiment. Wet flattened corn grain has been fed to mature cows for 110 days, starting from the dry period (30 days before the expected calving) and during the beginning of lactation (starting from 15 days and for 60 days). High starch content has been found in the wet flattened corn grain – 58,5 %. The results of control milking after calving at the period of increasing the milk have been shown a sharp increase in daily milk yield in both groups: in the control group up to 21,97 and in the experimental group up to 29,37 kg of milk. The difference was 7,4 kg and was significant at P ≤ 0,001. After a month of productivity control, there was the increase in the average daily milk yield compared to the previous month by 2,33 kg in the control group and by 1,75 kg in the experimental group, amounting to 24,3 and 31,12 kg, respectively. The difference between the groups was 6,82 kg of milk and was significant at P ≤ 0,05. According to the results of feeding wet flattened corn grain as part of the ration to cows during the dry period and at the period of increasing the milk yield (for 60 days), then average of 1897,9 kg of milk per head has been obtained from cows of the experimental group, which was by 268,0 kg more than from analogues of the control group.
Influence of adaptogens on some physiological indicators of bee colonies
Authors: Mannapov A. , Moskovskaya N.
Published: September 2020

The ability of the body to resist the impact of negative environmental factors, the impact of pathogens that bear the signs of someone else’s genetic information have been proven by many researchers. The main task of the body is to maintain homeostasis of the internal environment. In honeybees protective reactions include cellular and humoral immunity. The difference between insect immunity is the absence of a specific reaction characteristic of vertebrates, an antigen-antibody. The covers of the body wall, intestines and trachea are mechanical protection against the penetration of foreign organisms from the environment into the body cavity of the bee. If foreign objects get into the hemolymph they will become a target for cellular and humoral factors of the body’s defense system. It has been shown by studies that the inclusion of sugar syrup with Apinic drug in the composition of stimulating top dressing allows to increase the flight activity of bees, while increasing the amount of pollen brought by bees, increasing the load of nectar goiter, and improving hemolymph indicators, which in turn provide non-specific cellular immunity. At the same time, the indicators of flight activity and honey crop loads that provide economically useful traits were 2,2 and 2,5 times higher compared to the control group. The level of fl ight activity at the main honey collection was higher, compared to the same indicator recorded at the supporting honey collection. In accordance with the type of honey collection, the levels of load by the nectar honey goiter in worker bees arriving in the hive diff er. Thus, the maximum level of filling of the honey goiter with nectar has been registered on both types of honey collection in honeybees from the 3rd experimental group, where propolis extract has been used as an immunomodulator as part of the honey additive. Worker bees from the 3rd experimental group have been characterized by higher levels of both the volume of circulating hemolymph and the content of hemocytes and the amino acid proline in it.
An Analysis of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Children and Adolescents in Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals and Units in Pennsylvania
Authors: Kukielka Elizabeth
Published: September 2020

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the direct, deliberate destruction of one’s own body tissue to inflict harm or pain without an underlying suicidal intent. NSSI may include such behaviors as cutting, scratching, biting, hitting, and head banging, and excludes suicidal gestures, accidental injuries, indirect self-harm behaviors (e.g., eating disorders or drug abuse), and socially accepted forms of body modification (e.g., piercing or tattooing). NSSI typically begins in adolescents around 13 or 14 years of age, and lifetime prevalence in the adolescent and young adult population is estimated to be 15% to 20%. Although NSSI does not always progress to or predict future suicidal behaviors, there is believed to be a link between the two, which makes this an important patient safety concern.

NSSI has been observed in both the community and the clinical setting, although rates of NSSI are higher within the psychiatric population. NSSI may present as a symptom
of numerous psychiatric conditions, including anxiety disorders; mood disorders; substance abuse; eating disorders; and personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD).5 Although clinicians once considered NSSI primarily in the context of BPD, NSSI was added as a distinct condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) in 2013.

In 2019, analysts at the Patient Safety Authority (PSA) conducted and published a study of events submitted to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) involving patient self-harm in the nonpsychiatric setting.8 However, an analysis of events in PA-PSRS involving selfharm, and more specifically NSSI, in the psychiatric setting had yet to be undertaken. In this study, we conducted an indepth review and analysis of patient safety events involving NSSI among children and adolescents in the inpatient psychiatric setting that took place in 2019. The purpose of this study was to examine patient-specific factors, such as age and gender, as well as other contributing circumstances, such as interpersonal interactions, that may precipitate NSSI in this patient population.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 16 WAYS: Searching Internationally for Fall Prevention Strategies
Authors: Allen Caitlyn , Wallace Susan
Published: September 2020

Pennsylvania fall rates have remained relatively steady over the past six years, ranging from 3.09–3.33 falls per 1,000 patient days. Other studies estimate that hospital falls occur at a rate of 3.56 per 1,000 patient days1 and 700,000 to one million patients fall each year.2
Falls in Pennsylvania continue to be one of the biggest contributors to patient harm and the fourth most frequently reported adverse event. Looking more broadly, falls are also a frequent cause of patient harm across the United States and globally. A review of international fall prevention strategies revealed that while no single country has been able to eradicate patient falls, several had implemented measures showing moderate levels of success. Those struggling with a high incidence of falls may benefit from reviewing and adopting one or more of these innovative techniques.
Drafting Success: Creating a National Action Plan for Patient Safety
Authors: Allen Caitlyn
Published: September 2020

An informal conversation with Dr. Tejal Gandhi and Dr. Jeffrey Brady about their work as co-chairs of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety and how the committee’s new action plan, Safer Together: A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety, aims to change the patient safety landscape. The plan, released September 14, focuses on four foundational areas: culture, leadership, and governance; patient and family engagement; workforce safety; and learning systems.
Intimate Partner Violence and a Pandemic: What Healthcare Workers Need to Know
Authors: Davis Bethany
Published: September 2020

Our nation and the entire world have been experiencing the impact of quarantine due to COVID-19. Patients and families of Virginia Mason have limited their travel to and from procedures and appointments due to restrictions and precautionary measures. COVID has the dual risk of both increasing domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV), as well as preventing victims from receiving help due to quarantine.
Clinical and Nonclinical Implications of Misplaced Nasogastric Tubes: Tools for Implementation of Standardized Best Practices
Authors: Lounsbury Olivia , Tatro Jennifer , Lyman Beth , Prosser Donna , Coffey Haylie
Published: September 2020

The consequences of misplaced nasogastric tubes extend far beyond the clinical setting and have implications for the hospital’s reputation and economic stability. A systematic approach for nasogastric tube insertion and verification is necessary in order to prevent misplaced nasogastric tubes which are, indeed, “never events.” The Actionable Patient Safety Solutions (APSS) from the Patient Safety Movement Foundation outline best practices for implementation of nasogastric tube placement protocols in hospitals to ensure consistency across the organization and preserve patient safety at the forefront of all clinical endeavors.
Crack Growth Simulation in Corrugated Plate Using XFEM
Authors: Laftah Rafil , Abdulwahab Qusai
Published: September 2020

Corrugated plates play an important role in manymodern constructions applications. Being the main componentslike piles or stiffeners means they quite often subjected to highlevels of stresses. The presence of flaw or crack in the structureof loaded corrugated plate may lead to the situation of crackgrowth and then catastrophic failure. Extended Finite ElementMethod is used to avoid remeshing during crack growthsimulation. In order to characterize crack growth in a corrugated plate, two methods were used which are virtualcrack closure method and cohesive segments method. Two casestudies were investigated in this study. In the first case, thematerial behavior is assumed to be linear elastic, while in thesecond one the material behavior is assumed to be elastic-plastic.The results obtained using the two methods showed a verygood agreement both in linear elastic and elastic-plastic cases.
Neuro-Fuzzy Network Based Adaptive Tracking Controller for a Nonlinear System
Authors: Al-Hussein Abdul-Basset
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a neuro-fuzzy network-based adaptivetracking controller is suggested for controlling a type ofnonlinear system. Where two neuro-fuzzy networks have beenused to learn the system dynamics uncertainty bounds by usingLyapunov method. Then the output of these two networks isused to build a sliding mode controller. The stability of thecontrol system is proved and stable neuro-fuzzy controllerparameters adjustment laws are selected using Lyapunovtheory. The simulation case study shows that the controlled systemtracking the reference model effectively with smooth controleffort and robust performance has been achieved.
Predictors of Arteriovenous Fistula Failure: A Post Hoc Analysis of the FAVOURED Study
Authors: See Yong Pey , Cho Yeoungjee , Pascoe Elaine M. , Cass Alan , Irish Ashley , Voss David , Polkinghorne Kevan R. , Hooi Lai Seong , Ong Loke-Meng , Paul-Brent Peta-Anne , Kerr Peter G. , Mori Trevor A. , Hawley Carmel M. , Johnson David W. , Viecelli Andrea K.
Published: September 2020

Background

An autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred hemodialysis vascular access, but successful creation is hampered by high rates of AVF failure. This study aimed to evaluate patient and surgical factors associated with AVF failure to improve vascular access selection and outcomes.

Methods

This is apost hocanalysis of all participants of FAVOURED, a multicenter, double-blind, multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effect of fish oil and/or aspirin in preventing AVF failure in patients receiving hemodialysis. The primary outcome of AVF failure was a composite of fistula thrombosis and/or abandonment and/or cannulation failure at 12 months post-AVF creation, and secondary outcomes included individual outcome components. Patient data (demographics, comorbidities, medications, and laboratory data) and surgical factors (surgical expertise, anesthetic, intraoperative heparin use) were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate associations with AVF failure.

Results

Of 536 participants, 253 patients (47%) experienced AVF failure during the study period. The mean age was 55±14.4 years, 64% were male, 45% were diabetic, and 4% had peripheral vascular disease. Factors associated with AVF failure included female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 2.68), lower diastolic BP (OR for higher DBP, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.99), presence of central venous catheter (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.20;P=0.04), and aspirin requirement (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.56).

Conclusions

Female sex, requirement for aspirin therapy, requiring hemodialysisviaa central venous catheter, and lower diastolic BP were factors associated with higher odds of AVF failure. These associations have potential implications for vascular access planning and warrant further studies.
Endoscopic ultrasound to support the diagnosis of submucosal tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Long , Tran Van Huy
Published: September 2020

Background and Objectives: Submucosal tumors are generally discovered accidentally. Endoscopic ultrasound is a valuable technique in the diagonsis and management of submucosal tumors, however, there is still little research about the role of endoscopic ultrasound in diagnosing this pathology in Viet Nam. The purpose of this study was to research about endoscopic ultrasound to support the diagnosis of submucosal tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Subjects and methods: This is a cross sectional study on 76 patients were diagnosed submucosal tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract by endoscopic ultrasound at the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital from May 2017 to July 2019.

Results: In 76 patients, epigastric pain was most common (57.9%), followed by nausea or vomiting (15.8%); and asymptomatic (39.5%). Submucosal tumors located in the stomach (44.7%), esophagus (40.8%) and duodenum (14.5%). The overlying mucosa: 88.2% with the smooth mucosa, 9.2% with the umbilication (9.2%) and 2.6% with the mucosal ulceration. Mean size was 14.6 ± 9.1 mm. The muscularis mucosa was 47.4%, the submucosa was 13.2%, the muscularis propria was 32.9%. 61.8% with hypoechoic; 5.3% with hyperechoic; 22.4% with anechoic and 10.5% with mixed echoic. 82.9% with homogeneous tumor and 17.1% with heterogeneous tumor. All tumors have a smooth margin. 5.3% with positive Doppler signal and 94.7% with negative Doppler signal.

Conclusion: Endoscopic ultrasound can provide information about size, location, structure, margin, Doppler signal and this is a highly valuable technique in the diagnosis of submucosal tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Key words: Submucosal Tumor (SMT), Endoscopic Ultrasound, GastroIntestinal Stromal Tumor
The initial evaluation of the retroperitoneoscopic pyelolithotomy for the partial staghorn renal stone
Authors: Hoang Duc Minh , Nguyen Van Binh , Truong Vinh Quy
Published: September 2020

Purpose: To evaluate initial outcomes of retroperitoneoscopic pyelolithotomy for treating partial staghorn renal stones.

Materials and Methods: 9 patients with partial staghorn renal stones were treated by retroperitoneal laparoscopic pyelolithotomy from June 2014 to June 2018. The mean age was 51.2 years (range 31-65); 5 males (55.6%) and 4 females (44.4%). The mean stone size was 5.1 cm (3.2 - 6.8 cm).

Results: The retroperitoneoscopic pyelolithotomy procedures for treatment of staghorn renal stones were completely successful in 8/9 cases (88.9%), 1 case (11.1%) required conversion to open surgery by heavy bleed. The estimated blood lost was 20-50ml. The mean duration of the procedure is 95.3 mins (70-165 mins). All of cases (100%) was put the residual stent into the ureter. The mean post-operation hospital stay was 5.2 days (4 - 7 days). About complications: 1 cases (12.5%) of urinary infection; 3 cases (37.5%) of postoperative hematuria.

Conclusions: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic pyelolithotomy could be indicated to remove the partial staghorn renal stones up to 6.8 cm in size. Success depends on the experience of surgeons and judicious selection of cases.

Key words: Retroperitoneoscopic pyelolithotomy, Staghorn renal stones, Treatment
Research appling arthroscopy in treatment of some shoulder’s diseases
Authors: Nguyen Dinh Khoa , Nguyen Van Hy
Published: September 2020

Background: Shoulder athroscopy is a difficult procedure and have been appling in Hue Central Hospital in recent years. There was not any general research for this yet.

Objective: To research symptoms and evaluate the result of shoulder arthroscopy.

Subject and methods: Following research 38 patients who underwent shoulder arthroscopy in Hue Central Hospital from 6/2016 to 3/2019, assess after 6 months.

Results: Instability shoulder was 61.5%, rotator cuff tear was 30.8% and impingement was 7.7%. Mean age was 43.8 and male was higher than female (p<0.05). Pain symtom is 100% in rotator cuff disease and 30.4% in instability, MRI found out injury 30.4 and 100% in instability and rotator cuff group, respectively. Anterior labral tear was 95.7% in instability group and supraspinatus tendon tear was 91.7% in rotator cuff tear group. Good and excelent result were 85% and 91.3% after 6 month in instability and rotator cuff group, respectively.

Conclusion: Result of shoulder arthroscopy was good in Hue Central hospital.

Key words: arthroscopy, instability, rotator cuff tear
Protective Effects of Vitamin E against Methotrexate-Induced Testicular Damage in Rats: Histopathologic and flow cytometric study
Authors: KURT Şeyma , ERİŞGİN Züleyha , TEKELİOĞLU Yavuz , AKMAN Ahmet , TÜREDİ Sibel
Published: September 2020

Background: Methotrexate (MTX) can cause oxidative stress-related tissue damage.Vitamin E neutralizes lipid peroxidation arising from the effect of free oxygen radicals.In this study, the protective effect of vitamin E against possible MTX-related testicular damage was analyzed.

Method: Thirty two mature male Spraque dawley rats were grouped as MTX, Vitamin E, MTX+Vitamin, Control groups. 20 mg/kg MTX intraperitoneal (i.p.) was applied to MTX Group in the first day; 100mg/kg i.p. vitamin E was applied to Vitamin E Group for 5 days; 20 mg/kg i.p. MTX in the first day and 100 mg/kg i.p. vitamin E for 5 days were applied to MTX+Vitamin E Group;2 ml physiological saline solution (i.p.) was applied to Control Group for 5 days. Histopathology, flow cytometry and apoptosis were evaluated on testicular tissue.

Result: Apoptotic Index (%) and testicular damage were highest for MTX Group, and significant decrease was observed for MTX+Vitamin E Group compared to MTX Group.Seminiferous tubule size significant decreased in MTX Group and it increased in MTX+Vitamin E Group compared to MTX Group. No significant difference was found between MTX and MTX+Vitamin E Groups regarding germinal epithelium thickness and testicle weights.

Conclusion: The results show that MTX can cause structural disruptions in testicles and vitamin E can rehabilitate MTX-related testicular damage.