bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preoperative High-Resolution Ultrasound for the Assessment of Macro-Metastatic Central Lymph Nodes Sublevel-By-Sublevel in Unilateral Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma
Authors: Tan Wen , Xiao Lingli , Zhang Shiwen , Zheng Haoming , Li Sheng , Zhang Yu , Yang Ankui , Zhou Jianhua , Liu Longzhong
Published: February 2022

Background To understand the diagnostic efficacy of preoperative high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) in the diagnosis of macro-metastatic central lymph node (macro-CLNM), It will help surgeons decide whether to perform prophylactic lymph nodes (LNs) dissection in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC).Methods This study analyzed the preoperative ultrasound and postoperative pathological results of central lymph nodes sublevel-by-sublevel of 220 patients with unilateral PTMC. These patients all underwent surgery at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from January 2015 to November 2019. Results In the right paratracheal, the left paratracheal, the pretracheal, and the prelaryngeal level, the mean number of lymph nodes are 0.9, 1.9, 3.3, and 4.6, respectively, and the macro-metastasis rate are 0.91%, 6.36%, 6.73%, and 11.21%, respectively. For metastasis central lymph nodes (CLNM), the HRUS diagnostic efficacy in the four sublevels was low, with the AUC of 0.50-0.54. When the diagnosis object was changed from CLNM to macro-CLNM, the AUC of the ipsilateral paratracheal sublevel has been significantly improved, with 0.80 (95% CI 0.71-0.87) on the left and 0.75 (95% CI 0.67-0.83) on the right. Meanwhile, the negative predictive value (NPV) of ultrasound diagnosis of macrometastasis in ipsilateral paratracheal sublevel reached 99% and 95%.Conclusions The number and macro-metastasis rate of lymph nodes in PTMC patients are, from high to low, the right paratracheal, the left paratracheal, the pretracheal, and the prelaryngeal level. Preoperative HRUS has a high diagnostic efficiency for macro-CLNM in the ipsilateral paratracheal area; when the ultrasound diagnosis of the ipsilateral paratracheal area is negative, the probability of macrometastasis is extremely low.
Association between a body shape index and abdominal aortic calcification in the general population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2014
Authors: Wang Zhenwei , Li Min , Xie Jing , Gong Jing , Liu Naifeng
Published: February 2022

Background: The relationship between a body shape index (ABSI) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is still unclear, so we tried to prove the relationship between ABSI and AAC in the general population free from cardiovascular disease. Methods: The present study included 3140 participants aged 40-80 years from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Logistic regression analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to tested the association between ABSI and AAC. Results: Participants with higher ABSI showed significantly higher proportion of AAC. Participants with higher ABSI had an increased risk of developing AAC in the crude model (ABSI as a continuous variable: OR = 2.485, 95% CI: 2.099-2.942, P < 0.001; as a categorical variable: OR = 2.132, 95% CI: 1.826-2.489, P < 0.001), while higher ABSI remained to be an independent risk predictor of AAC with the increase of confounding factors (all adjusted P < 0.05). Further subgroup analyses showed that higher ABSI (regarding lower ABSI as reference) was consistently positively correlated with AAC in eleven subgroups, including sex, age, smoking history, hypertension, diabetes, sleep disorder, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P for interaction > 0.05). However, in the osteoporosis and hemoglobin A1c subgroups, the correlation was no longer synchronized (P for interaction < 0.05). The ROC curves analysis showed that the discriminant ability of ABSI was significantly higher than that of other models. Conclusions: Independent of the related confounding factors, higher ABSI was significantly associated with higher prevalent AAC in the general population free from cardiovascular disease.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis at the Time of Dental Implant Placement: A Cost/Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Zhurakivska Khrystyna , Russo Lucio Lo , Muzio Lorenzo Lo , Caponio Vito Carlo Alberto , Laino Luigi , Arena Claudia , Troiano Giuseppe
Published: February 2022

Background
antibiotic prophylaxis when performing implant placement seems to improve implant short term survival. Nevertheless, use of antibiotics carries risks of adverse effects and increasing antibiotic resistance. The aim of present study is to compare in terms of costs and effectiveness the use of antibiotics in dental implant procedures.
Methods
a decision-tree model with a short time horizon of 1 year was developed using TreeAge Pro Healthcare software. Two strategies were compared: Antibiotics and No Antibiotics in implant placement procedures. The costs were calculated considering direct costs for implant placement, antibiotic costs, and costs for implant replacement in case of failure. Effectiveness was defined in terms of General Oral Health Assessment Index, outcomes were evaluated as Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio. One-way sensitivity analysis and Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis were performed for the most influential variables to test the parameters uncertainty. Patients and societal perspectives were considered.
Results
antibiotic prophylaxis resulted as the dominating strategy, compared with the no use of antibiotics. The cost of antibiotics, cost of implant replacement in case of failure and the probability of adverse effects significantly influence the result.
Conclusions
from single patient's perspective, antibiotic strategy can be considered cost-effective, even if the cost of antibiotic therapy increases. We can conclude that in clinical practice the administration of antibiotics in association with implant placement is recommended, as it increases the success rate and makes the treatment more effective, but attention should be placed when societal impact is considered in terms of antibiotic resistance that may impact the public health.
CRANIUM: A quasi-experimental study to improve metabolic screening and HIV testing in community mental health clinics compared to usual care
Authors: Hwong Alison R , Chagwedera D. Nyasha , Thomas Marilyn , Niu Grace , Quan Judy , Vittinghoff Eric , Schillinger Dean , Newcomer John W. , Gonzalez Ana , Essock Susan , Mangurian Christina
Published: February 2022

Background
Individuals with serious mental illness often do not receive guideline-concordant metabolic screening and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, contributing to increased morbidity and premature mortality. This study evaluates the effectiveness of CRANIUM (Cardiometabolic Risk Assessment and treatment through a Novel Integration model for Underserved populations with Mental illness), an intervention to increase metabolic screening and HIV testing among patients with serious mental illness in a community mental health clinic compared to usual care.
Methods
The study used a quasi-experimental design, implementing the intervention at one community mental health clinic (n = 536 patients) compared to usual care (n = 4,847 patients) in a large urban behavioural health system. Psychiatrists received training in preventive health screening and had access to a primary care consultant, screening and treatment algorithms, patient registries, and a peer support specialist. Outcomes were screening rates of A1c, lipid, and HIV testing post-intervention compared to baseline.
Results
In the intervention group, there was a statistically significant increase in lipid screening rates from 19.2–25.6% (P = .001) and increase in HIV testing rates from 1.3–15.9% (P < .001). The A1c testing rate increase in the intervention group from 23.7–28.9% was not statistically significant (P = .09). There were no significant changes in screening rates for A1c, lipid, or HIV testing in the usual care group.
Conclusions
This low-cost, reverse integrated care model targeting community psychiatrist practices had modest effects on increasing preventive care screenings, with the biggest effect seen for HIV testing rates. Additional incentives and structural supports may be needed to further promote screening practices for individuals with serious mental illness.
Increasing Children's Physical Activity by Policy (CAP) in Preschools Within the Stockholm Region: Study Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Chen Chu , Ahlqvist Viktor H , Henriksson Pontus , Migueles Jairo H. , Christiansen Filip , Galanti Maria Rosaria , Berglind Daniel
Published: February 2022

Background: Systematic reviews suggest that preschool environmental/organizational changes may be effective in increasing physical activity (PA) levels of preschool children, but evidence is scarce regarding feasible, effective and equitable interventions that can be scaled up. Specifically, it is essential to understand whether introducing a multicomponent organizational change in terms of policy in the preschool context may be beneficial for children’s PA levels and concomitant health outcomes. To bridge this knowledge gap, our main aim is to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a policy package in increasing PA levels in preschool children, using a large scale pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.Methods:Ths proposed studyis a cluster-randomized trial with two conditions (intervention and control with a 1:1 ratio) with preschools as clusters and the unit of randomization. We aim to recruit approximately 4,000 3-5 years old children from 90 preschools and retain more than 2,800 chidlren from 85 preschools to provide adequate statistical power for the analyses. The intervention to implement is a co-created, multicomponent policy package running for 6 months in preschools randomized to intervention. Change in accelerometer measured PA levels in children between intervention and control from pre- and post intervention will be the primary outcome of the study, while secondary outcomes include health outcomes such as musculoskeletal fitness, psychosocial functioning and sick leave among others. Implementation will be studied carefully using both quantitative (dose, fidelity) and qualitative (interview) methodologies. The change in primary and and secondary outcomes, from pre- to post-intervention, will be analyzed with linear mixed-effect models (to allow both fixed and random effects) nested on preschool-level. Discussion:This is a large scale co-creation project involving the City of Stockholm, childcare stakeholders, preschool staff and the research group with the potential to influence more than 30,000 preschool children within the Stockholm area. The study will add reliable evidence for the implementation of PA policies at the organizational level of preschools, and clarify its potential effect on objectively measured PA and health markers in children.Trial Registration: This trial has been prostectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov with reference number NCT04569578 on September 20, 2020.
Teaching verb spelling through explicit direct instruction
Authors: Chamalaun Robert , Bosman Anna , Ernestus Mirjam
Published: February 2022

Homophonous verb forms are notoriously difficult to spell. Two intervention studies - one with secondary-school students and one with university students - compared the effectiveness of an Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) teaching approach that was very interactive with traditional instruction (TI) on Dutch homophonous verb spelling. The two approaches differ in the attention dedicated to the identification of the grammatical functions of verb forms and in the teacher’s guidance of the students, which affects the interactivity during the classes. Students were pre-tested and post-tested on their knowledge of grammar and spelling of homophonous verb forms embedded in sentences. Both the EDI and the TI courses consisted of 4.5 hours of training. Secondary-school students’ verb-spelling performance improved, irrespective of the type of instruction. University students’ verb-spelling performance increased after both interventions, probably resulting from their improved grammatical knowledge. Importantly, the EDI students’ performance increased more than the TI students’ performance because the EDI students had learnt to rely more on their grammatical knowledge or make better use of their increased grammatical mastery. These results are in line with our hypothesis that the explicit interactivity that is inherent to EDI is beneficial for teaching verb spelling to students beyond primary-school level, who already possess some grammatical knowledge.
The making of the Gypsies: invention of traditions
Authors: Čvorović Jelena
Published: February 2022

This pa­per at­tempts to as­sess the di­lem­ma ra­i­sed by anthro­po­lo­gi­cal di­sco­ur­se abo­ut the in­ven­tion of tra­di­ti­ons. In­ven­ted tra­di­ti­ons are im­por­tant symptoms and hen­ce in­di­ca­tors of pro­blems which might not ot­her­wi­se be re­cog­ni­zed, and cer­tain de­ve­lop­ments which are dif­fi­cult to iden­tify and da­te. The Ser­bian Ro­ma are se­lec­ted to il­lu­stra­te this phe­no­me­non.
United Europe: Economic, educational, and political integrations
Authors: Ribić Vladimir
Published: February 2022

Ini­tial po­li­ti­cal steps to­wards uni­fi­ca­tion of Euro­pean na­ti­ons on le­vel terms, i.e. on non-he­ge­mony terms, we­re ma­de wit­hin the pe­riod bet­we­en the two World Wars. The­se en­de­a­vo­urs cul­mi­na­ted with The Tre­aty esta­blis­hing the Euro­pean Coal and Steel Com­mu­nity (ECSC), which was sig­ned on 18 April 1951 in Pa­ris by Fran­ce, West Ger­many, Italy, Bel­gi­um, Net­her­lands, and Lu­xem­burg. The Tre­aty of Ro­me, esta­blis­hing the Euro­pean Eco­no­mic Com­mu­nity (EEC) and the Euro­pean Ato­mic Energy Com­mu­nity (Eura­tom), sig­ned in Ro­me on 25 March 1957 bro­a­de­ned the eco­no­mic in­te­gra­ti­ons, and fi­nally the Ma­a­stricht Tre­aty sig­ned on De­cem­ber 1992 en­vi­sa­ged the esta­blis­hment of eco­no­mi­cal and mo­ne­tary union. Eco­no­mi­cal uni­fi­ca­tion was fol­lo­wed by in­te­gra­tion pro­ces­ses in the fi­eld of edu­ca­tion that we­re ma­ni­fe­sted in jo­int in­sti­tu­ti­ons and pro­jects for im­pro­ving the ex­per­ti­se and mo­bi­lity of stu­dents, te­ac­hers and re­se­ar­chers. As far as the po­li­ti­cal in­te­gra­tion of Euro­pe is con­cer­ned, di­ver­gent di­rec­ti­ons oc­cur­red af­ter the World War II: the first, stre­a­ming to­wards the esta­blis­hment of the union of Euro­pean na­ti­ons, whi­le the se­cond was re­flec­ted in fo­un­ding of Atlan­tic, na­mely Euro-Atlan­tic or­ga­ni­za­ti­ons. Furt­her­mo­re, the­re has been a con­stant strug­gle ever sin­ce bet­we­en tho­se advo­ca­ting a tig­hter fe­de­ra­tion and tho­se wis­hing a lo­o­ser union of Euro­pean sta­tes. Po­li­ti­cal in­te­gra­tion is fol­lo­wed by at­tempts to cre­a­te a fun­da­men­tally jo­int Euro­pean iden­tity ba­sed on mu­tual cul­tu­ral he­ri­ta­ge. Eco­no­mic, edu­ca­ti­o­nal, and po­li­ti­cal in­te­gra­ti­ons wit­hin the fra­me­work of Euro­pean Union are an ex­pres­si­on of pan-na­ti­o­nal aspi­ra­ti­ons, which co­uld – if suc­cessful – re­sult in es­ta­blis­hment of a s­in­­gle Eu­ro­­p­ean na­t­io­n,­ f­o­u­n­ded on­ t­he­ ci­vil-ter­ri­t­o­­rial pr­in­­c­i­ple.

 

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The second coming of Van Gennep among the Serbs
Authors: Kovačević Ivan
Published: February 2022

­Emer­gen­ce of the Ser­bian tran­sla­tion of Van Gen­nep’s ma­jor work "The Ri­tes of Pas­sa­ge" ini­ti­a­tes re­ca­pi­ta­li­za­tion of the in­flu­en­ce the­ory of ri­tes of pas­sa­ge had on stu­di­es of cu­stoms in Ser­bian scho­lar­ship. It is ne­ces­sary to ma­ke such a re­vi­ew sin­ce the Ser­bian re­a­der of Van Gen­nep’s bo­ok is una­wa­re of that fact.

Bi­bli­o­graphy of works in­spi­red by Van Gen­nep in Ser­bian ethn­ology/anth­ro­po­log­y i­n the past ­th­ree de­ca­de­s t­ot­al­s at over ­25 bo­ok­s.

In­flu­en­ce of Van Gen­nep’s the­ory of ri­tes on Ser­bian et­hno­logy/anthro­po­logy is in­ter­me­di­ary; it ca­me thro­ugh Bri­tish struc­tu­ral anthro­po­logy, espe­ci­ally the works of Ed­mund Lеаch. The in­ter­pre­ta­tion of Ser­bian et­hno­grap­hi­cal ma­te­ri­als be­gan in the la­te 1970s and bla­zed up in the fol­lo­wing de­ca­de. From then on and un­til the emer­gen­ce of Ser­bian tran­sla­tion in 2005, along with a bit less nu­me­ro­us works of in­ter­pre­ta­ti­ve na­tu­re, the­o­re­ti­cal vo­lu­mes al­so ap­pe­ar tran­sfor­ming and cor­rec­ting Van Gen­nep’s the­ory ma­king it an advan­ced in­ter­pre­ta­ti­ve me­ans.

Ap­pli­ca­tion of Van Gen­nep’s the­ory of ri­tes of pas­sa­ge to Ser­bian scho­lar­ship was a way of fa­mi­li­a­ri­zing with the struc­tu­ral anthro­po­logy that was one of the ma­jor chan­nels of mo­der­ni­za­tion in the set­ting of cen­ten­nial the­o­re­ti­cal\­met­ho­do­lo­gi­cal bac­kward­ness. This mo­der­ni­za­tion was two­fold sa­lu­tary – it pre­ven­ted the con­struc­tion of mytho­logy of na­ti­o­na­lism at the end of the last cen­tury and cre­a­ted an im­mu­nity to post­mo­dern mind swamp.
On the heaviness of feathers, or what has culture got to do with the failure to establish an organic poultry production business in contemporary Serbia?
Authors: Naumović Slobodan
Published: February 2022

This ca­se study starts from the the­sis that the analysis of li­fe hi­sto­ri­es, co­u­pled by ob­ser­va­tion of ac­tual be­ha­vi­o­ur, can con­tri­bu­te to a mo­re nu­an­ced un­der­stan­ding of the ways in which over-ar­ching ca­te­go­ri­es li­ke "so­cio-eco­no­mic cul­tu­res" ac­tu­ally fun­ction in the lo­cal and na­ti­o­nal set­tings. It is ba­sed on in-depth in­ter­vi­ews with a for­mer top ma­na­ger in the agro-ve­te­ri­nary sec­tion of a Ser­bian ex­port-im­port firm. The in­for­mant pre­sents the re­a­sons that ha­ve in­flu­en­ced him to le­a­ve his job and at­tempt to esta­blish an or­ga­nic agro-bu­si­ness, of­fers a per­so­nal vi­ew of po­li­ti­cal and cul­tu­ral fac­tors that ha­ve ca­u­sed the dec­li­ne of Yugo­slav and Ser­bian eco­no­mi­es, and ex­pla­ins how the­se fac­tors ha­ve in­flu­en­ced his bu­si­ness and fa­mily sur­vi­val stra­te­gi­es, among which ex­plo­i­ta­ti­on of fa­mily work and in­stru­men­ta­li­sa­tion of kin­ship and ne­ig­hbo­ur­hood net­works we­re most pro­mi­nent. The ca­se study thus re­ve­als the ac­tual "cul­tu­ral re­so­ur­ces" that the in­for­mant was ready to turn to in or­der to su­stain his en­tre­pre­ne­u­rial ef­forts. Next, the ca­se study sug­gests that "nar­row" pro­fes­si­o­nal cul­tu­res, li­ke ma­na­ge­rial or en­tre­pre­ne­u­rial cul­tu­res, can ha­ve mo­re im­pact on in­di­vi­dual be­ha­vi­o­ur than "bro­a­der" na­ti­o­nal or re­gi­o­nal cul­tu­res. In that sen­se, when the fun­cti­o­ning of na­ti­o­nal "so­cio-eco­no­mic cul­tu­re(s)" is pro­perly con­tex­tu­a­li­zed, then it has to be seen as ne­it­her the only, nor the prin­ci­pal fac­tor that can ex­pla­in ob­ser­va­ble be­ha­vi­o­ur, par­ti­cu­larly in ra­pidly chan­ging po­li­ti­cal, eco­no­mic, in­sti­tu­ti­o­nal, and le­gal set­tings, cha­rac­te­ri­sed by lin­ge­ring sta­te ca­pi­ta­lism, con­qu­e­ring pre­da­tory ca­pi­tal ac­cu­mu­la­tion, se­mi-fun­cti­o­nal le­gal system, agri­cul­tu­ral po­licy bre­ak­down, and ram­pant cor­rup­tion.
Subjective vitality of night workers: Association with physical and mental health
Authors: Camilo Lesmez-Peralta Juan , E. Contreras-Pacheco Orlando , Felipe Reyes-Rodríguez Juan
Published: February 2022

Night work is one of the most recognized responsibilities of security personnel. Feeling vital is a necessary condition for assuring proper development of this function. Thus, the analysis of its effects on physical and mental conditions is a relevant resource for achieving adequate results at individual and organizational levels. Based on a questionnaire applied to 184 private security guards in Colombia, this study examines the subjective vitality of the personnel working during night shifts and its association with self-perceptions regarding their physical and mental health. Additionally, it analyzes the interference that various demographic variables exert on these relationships. By using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the study found that subjective vitality significantly affects night workers’ mental health more than their physical health. That is, subjective vitality among respondents explains 51% of the variability of mental health and 36% of the variability of physical health. A further significant effect of physical health on mental health was also evidenced, in which the former explains the 25% of the latter variability. When comparing results between genders, the study shows that the variability of mental health explained by subjective vitality among women is larger than among men (75% vs. 28%). These results are discussed in light of the theoretical aspects of organizational behavior and are grounded around their potential to address the phenomenon of human resource management in practice. Practical implications include the need for organizational schemes that balance physical and mental health among night workers.
AcknowledgmentsThe authors want to acknowledge the 184 Colombian security guards who provided their time to complete the questionnaire for this study.
Work Life Balance: A Challenge for Employees in Indian IT and ITES Industry
Authors:   Srinivas Subbarao Pasumarti, Pasumarti Srinivas Subbarao
Published: February 2022

More and more staff are going through the disputes between their private and professional positions in an age of globalization. They have job obligations on the one hand and family obligations on the other. This generates a confrontation between their commitments to work and to live, which leads to increased stress. Not only does a bad “Work-life balance” affect staff, it also affects employers. Chronic stress level leads to low efficiency. The operating habits have also altered with the development of technology. Employees now use their smartphones, tablets and laptops from a distant place. Although this has significantly contributed to the flexibility of job, the lines of private and work life are blurred. In India, the IT & ITES sector has long been liberated from labor regulations to accelerate its rapid development and worldwide market capability. Although this is a thorough argument for sustaining and expanding economic growth in the aftermath of our developing economy, it still requires to be checked if the pressure is not carried by the workforce of the industry. Keeping in view of the challenges faced by the employees of in IT & ITES industry the researcher has taken Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh as a sample to study the work life balance, where more than 10,000 employees are working.
Development of Metalanguage Competence through Content and Branch Training
Authors:   PhD Student, Kazakh Ablai khan University of International Relations and World Languages, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Akhmetova Madeniyet , Kunanbayeva Salima S. ,   Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, Academician, Kazakh Ablai khan University of International Relations and World Languages, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Kassymbekova Markhabat ,   Kazakh Ablai khan University of International Relations and World Languages, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Published: February 2022

This article considers methods for developing metalanguage competence through content and branch training. Metalanguage competence is among the most important professional competences for the specialist’s formation in the sphere of foreign-language education within the framework of content and branch training. Metalanguage competence implies the accumulation of terminological knowledge and the ability to properly use foreign terms. For content and branch training, it is very important to have metalanguage competence since any sphere and field are characterized by their own specific terminology, which can be understood in a foreign language by learning the metalanguage of an industry through primary consciousness constructs in one’s native language. As a result, one can operate a specialized terminology in a foreign language. In the framework of foreign-language education, specialists in natural sciences should master a specific terminology for intercultural communication at a professional level since terms reflect main provisions in any field of knowledge and contain basic professional information. This article describes the experiment and its results achieved in the work with students at the Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages in order to determine the current development of metalanguage competence in content and branch training.
Improving BP artificial neural network model to predict the SPI in arid regions: a case study in Northern Shaanxi, China
Authors: Shaoxuan Li , Jiancang Xie , Xue Yang , Ruihua Xue , Peiyuan Zhao
Published: February 2022

Drought prediction plays an important guiding role in drought risk management. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) is a popular meteorological drought indicator to measure the degree of drought. The SPI time series is non-stationary, whereas the conventional artificial neural network (ANN) model has limitations to predict non-stationary time series. To overcome this limitation, it is essential to investigate input data preprocessing to improve the ANN model. In this paper, a hybrid model coupled with singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and backpropagation ANN is proposed (SSA-BP-ANN). The advantage of this model is that the SSA of finite-length SPI sequences does not require the adoption of boundary extensions to suppress boundary effects, while the most predictable components of the SPI can be efficiently extracted and incorporated into the model. The proposed SSA-BP-ANN model is tested in case studies at three meteorological stations in Northern Shannxi Province, China. The results show that the SSA-BP-ANN model can produce more accurate predictions than the BP-ANN model. In addition, the performance improvement of SSA on the BP-ANN model is slightly better than wavelet decomposition and empirical mode decomposition. This new hybrid prediction model has great potential for promoting drought early warning in arid regions.
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) adsorption on superfine activated carbon
Authors: Fonseca C. G. M. , Sartoratto A. , Ponezi A. N. , Morita D. M. , Isaac R. de L.
Published: February 2022

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) adsorption on superfine powdered activated carbon (S-PAC) (0.6 μm mean size) at conventional water treatment plants (WTP), where feasible contact time is usually shorter than 2 hours, was analyzed. Laboratory-scale experiments were carried out having deionized water (DW) and raw water (RW) samples fortified for atrazine (ATZ), 17β-estradiol (E2), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). Adsorption diminished due to natural organic matter, but in a smaller extension for S-PAC. Multi-solute removal efficiencies kept the same ranking for DW and RW, i.e., E2 > EE2 > ATZ, following compounds' hydrophobicity and molecular size. Hydrophobic and H-bonding interactions were the main adsorption mechanisms. For all target compounds the adsorption process was controlled by film diffusion. S-PAC presented higher adsorption as well as lower desorption as compared to powdered activated carbon, achieving similar efficiencies for half dosage and same contact time or at half contact time and same dosage. Physicochemical processes at WTP are capable to remove contaminated S-PAC particles.
Quantification and qualification of the urban domestic pollution discharged per household and per resident
Authors: Dubois Vivien , Falipou Eva , Boutin Catherine
Published: February 2022

The research study aims to analyze the discharges of solely domestic wastewater from 15 single-family dwellings. This sizable dataset, containing over 300 unique and insightful data points, makes it possible to accurately qualify the raw wastewater in terms of concentrations, volumes and pollutant loads. Findings quantify the extremely wide data variability. As such, for single-family households of fewer than six residents, it is suggested not to use the standard P.E. pollution value as the design load, but rather a load range defined by the interval [10th percentile, 90th percentile] of the data distribution, i.e. [123; 568 L·d− 1] and [30; 281 g BOD5·d−1], respectively, for the daily hydraulic and organic loads. Also, an analysis of the hydraulic peak factor would tend to lobby in favor of a collective sewer solution. For subdivisions and residential zones with little economic activity and similar French lifestyle, the daily domestic pollution per resident is now determined with the values: 40 g suspended solids, 94 g carbon oxygen demand, 40 g five-day biochemical oxygen demand, 6.7 g NH4+-N, 10.4 g Kjeldhal nitrogen, and 1.2 g total phosphorus for a volume of 83 L. Those data could be used to optimize design and operation of decentralized or small-scale wastewater treatment plant.
Non-Peptide Ligands for Membrane-Bound Peptide Receptors
Authors: Rees D.C.
Published: February 2022

This article reviews some of the successful approaches made by medicinal chemists to discover non-peptide structures (peptide mimetics, peptidomimetics, peptoids) which act as agonists or antagonists at some of the membrane-bound receptors for endogenous peptides. Three fundamentally different strategies for the discovery of such ligands are discussed. Firstly, broad screening of as many compounds as possible from chemical databases to furnish an initial chemical lead which is subsequently modified to optimise biological activity. Secondly, a design strategy starting with the chemical structure of a known peptide
antagonist or an endogenous agonist and modifying this into a non-peptide which incorporates elements of the peptide structure. Thirdly, a strategy of modifying the chemical structure of a previously reported non-peptide lead. These strategies are illustrated with examples of non­ peptide ligands for receptor subtypes of cholecystokinin (CCK), the neurokinins, the opioids, vasopressin, oxytocin, endothelin, angiotensin, neurotensin and bombesin.
Progress Towards Selective Inhibition of Protein Kinase C
Authors: Dow Robert L.
Published: February 2022

Protein kinase C (PKC), a member of the serine/threonine family of protein kinases, is an integral part of cellular signal transduction. There is mounting evidence that inappropriate activation of PKC may be responsible for a number of disease states. Potent, selective inhibitors of PKC could serve as valuable tools for def,lning these signaling pathways, as well as, for the treatment of diseases mediated through aberrant PKC activity. Several mechanistically-distinct classes of inhibitors have been identified which potently and selectively suppress PKC activity. The most advanced and promising of these agents are Go-6976 and Ro-32-0432,
which arose from optimization studies on staurosporine, an indolecarbazole-based natural product. Though these compounds inhibit PKC competitively with respect to nucleotide cofactor, they exhibit little inhibitory activity against a range of other nucleotide-dependent enzymes. More modest advances have begun to be made with respect to selective inhibition of the various PKC isozymes. This review will update efforts directed towards the discovery of inhibitors of PKC, with a focus on the associated selectivity parameters.
The Chemistry and Pharmacology of GABAA and GABAs Ligands
Authors: Tulinsky John , Gammill Ronald B.
Published: February 2022

The inhibitory neurotransmitter y-aminobutyrate (GA8A) elicits its physiological effects through interactions with two distinct classes of cell­ surface receptors in the central nervous system. The GA8AA receptor is a
member of the superfamily of ligand-gate8 ion channels and is regulated allosterically at a number of distinct sites. The complex is a heterooligomeric
integral membrane protein made up of a, p and y subunits. In addition to the
site at which GA8A itself binds, radioligand binding studies have defined at
least three other high-affinity binding sites on the receptor complex, the
benzodiazepine receptor site, the picrotoxin site (which also recognizes cage-convulsants) and
the barbiturate site. There is also evidence for an avermectin 81a site and a steroid site. The ligands which bind at the various sites on this complex are chemically quite diverse and mediate a wide variety of pharmacological actions and have a continuum of intrinsic activity ranging from full agonist (anxiolytic, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant agents) through antagonist to inverse agonists (proconvulsants and anxiogenic agents). The GA8A 8 receptor displays a neuronal distribution and pharmacology distinct from that of the GA8AA receptor. The GA8A 8 receptor is a metabotropic receptor which is associated with an inhibitor GTP-binding protein regulating adenylate cyclase, calcium and potassium channels. 8aclofen and phaclofen are selective agonist and antagonist for GA8A8. In this review we will present the most current thinking regarding the importance of the various receptor subtypes, the syntheses of the various ligands that modulate GA8AA and GA8A 8 receptors and their pharmacology
The Potential Use of Hydroxyurea as Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Lamba S. S. , Such K. Y. , Lewis Ill H.
Published: February 2022

Recent biochemical and biophysical studies of sickle cell hemoglobin have provided valuable insight into the molecular basis of the sickling phenomenon in sickle cell disease. A large number of compounds have been examined for antisickling potential. These can be characterized as noncovalent or covalent in their mechanism of action. Examples of noncovalent agents include: alkylureas, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylforma­ mide, small peptides, etc. Examples of covalent agents include: nitrogen mustard, glyceraldehyde, aldehydic pyridoxal derivatives, dimethyladipimi­date, etc. Also, acylating agents such as acylsalicylates have been investigated. lnspite of such advances and attempts, a useful agent has not been successfully produced. Thus, sickle cell disease continues to be a serious health problem for which there is no cure, and the treatment remains to be symptomatic.

Sickle cell disease includes a group of hereditary hemoglobin disorders characterized by red cells which undergo sickle shape transformation under hypoxic conditions. Due to the substitution of valine for glutamic acid in position 6 of the beta chain, sickle hemoglobin polymerizes when it is deoxygenated. The most clinically significant of these diseases is sickle cell anemia. Symptoms include dactylitis, painful crisis, splenic sequestration and the development of multi-organ damage and failure. Different clinical presentations of sickle cell anemia call for individualized management. The reason for such clinical variability is not known; although the patient's hemoglobin level as well as fetal hemoglobin (HbF) concentrations are important. New therapeutic approaches include the use of hydroxyurea which is reported to increase the level of fetal hemoglobin which interferes with polymer formation. Because fetal hemoglobin contains gammaglobin chains instead of beta chains, it is not affected by the genetic defect that causes sickle cell disease. Increased levels of fetal hemoglobin decrease the tendency toward intracellular polymerization of sickle hemoglobin that characterizes the disease.

This review provides information regarding the role of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and sickling; methodology for an accurate quantitation of HbF; recent pharmacological interventions; and includes results of selected clinical trials reported in recent years.
Carbohydrates as Drugs and Potential Therapeutics
Authors: Witczak Zbigniew J.
Published: February 2022

New developments in the medidnal chemistry of carbohydrate based drugs is presented. Classificatio!"J,_ as well as therapeutic effects and potential applications are discussed. The main objective of this review is to compile literature data on known carbohydrate therapeutics and address a new developments in particularly promising areas of medicinal chemistry utilizing carbohydrates as new potential drugs.
β-Lactam Compounds. Inhibitors of Transpeptidases, β-Lactamases and Elastases: A Review
Authors: Mascaretti O.A. , Boschetti C.E. , Danelon G.O. , Mata E.G. , Roveri O.A.
Published: February 2022

There are three classes of serine proteases that specifically recognise and cleave the cyclic amide bond of the four membered P­ lactam ring. One class is the bacterial D-alanyi-D-alanine transpeptidases/ carboxypeptidases or D,D-peptidase enzymes, which are the inhibitory targets for p-lactam antibiotics. The second group are the bacterial P­ lactamases, which catalyse the hydrolysis of the P-lactam antibiotics, yielding
biologically inactive products.The third group are elastases, particularly the mammalian human leukocyte elastase which is a serine protease that uses the catalytic triad of Ser-195, His-57 and Asp-102, to catalyse the cleavage of the amide bonds of peptides and various proteins, including elastin, the connective tissue of the lung.

The mechanism by which the three classes of enzymes cleave amide bond involves the nucleophilic addition of the hydroxyl group of an active site serine to the carbonyl carbon of the cleavable P-lactam bond and formation of a tetrahedral intermediate that collapses to an acyl­ enzyme intermediate. P-Lactamases differ from D,D-peptidases in that they catalyse the dea­ cylation step very efficiently. Although P-lactamases resemble elastases in the formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate via the enzyme active-site serine, they differ in that the cooperating residues are lysine and glutamic acid for class A P-lactamases, and histidine and aspartic acid for elastases.

The mechanism of action of these three types of enzymes has been supported by X-ray crystallographic determination and/or by electrospray ionization mass-spectrometry. Kinetic studies were used to decide whether a postulated intermediate lies on the reaction pathway. Application of site-directed mutagenesis has led to new insights into the mechanism of catalysis by P-lactamases.

This review takes examples, mostly from P-lactam compounds developed as elastase inhibitors, to illustrate how an understanding of physico-chemical properties and an appreciation of the molecular shape and electronic properties can lead to a better insight into molecular recognition processes. The synthetic methods employed in the synthesis of lead P-lactam compounds as elastase inhibitors are also discussed.
Preparation and Chemical/Physical Characterization of Individual Nanoscaled Fibrils
Authors: Subramani Ramesh , Senthilkumar Praveetha , Chandran Sharmila , Kartsev Alexey , Shavrov Vladimir , Lega Petr
Published: February 2022

Polymer-based nanofibril finds its application in various fields including tissue engineering, environmental monitoring, food packaging, and micro/nanoelectromechanical systems. These nanofibrils are subjected to chemical treatment and constant stress, which may cause permanent deformation to the fibrils when it is used. Therefore, the synthesis of well-defined nanofibrils and characterization techniques are key elements in identifying desired chemical and physical properties for suitable applications. Many methods have been developed to prepare individual nanofibrils, including electrospinning, phase separation, template synthesis, and self-assembly. Among all, self-assembly offers simple, efficient, and lowcost strategies that produce high-ordered nanofibrils using noncovalent interactions including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, π-π interactions, and hydrophobic interactions. The first part of the review provides detailed molecular interactions and simulations that can be controlled to achieve the formation of well-defined individual nanofibrils. The second part of the review describes the various existing tools to characterize the chemical and physical properties of single nanofibrils including atomic force microscopy. In the final part of the review, recently developed novel nanotools that measure the mechanical properties of nanofibrils are described. By bridging the gap between molecular interactions and resulting nanoscale fibirls, physical and chemical properties may lead to the construction of novel nanomaterials in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Nanoplatforms for Promoting Osteogenesis in Ovariectomy-Induced
Osteoporosis in the Experimental Model
Authors: Aglan Hadeer A. , Fouad-Elhady Enas A. , Hassan Rasha E. , Sabry Gilane M. , Ahmed Hanaa H.
Published: February 2022

Background:

Osteoporosis is a debilitating bone ailment characterized by the obvious loss of bone mass and bone microarchitecture impairment.

Objective:

This study aimed to illuminate the in vivo usefulness of nanotechnology as a treatment for osteoporosis via analyzing the effectiveness of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHa), nano-hydroxy- apatite/chitosan (nHa/C), and nano-hydroxyapatite/silver (nHa/S) in mitigation of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.

Method:

The characterization of the nHa, nHa/C, and nHa/S was carried out using TEM, SEM, FTIR, and Zeta potential measurements. This in vivo study included 48 adult female rats that were randomized into six groups (8 rats/group): (1) Sham-operated control, (2) osteoporotic, (3) nHa, (4) nHa/C, (5) nHa/S, and (6) Fosamax®. Serum osterix level was quantified using ELISA. Femur bone morphogenetic protein 2 and SMAD1 mRNA levels were evaluated by qPCR. The femur bones were scanned by DEXA for measurement of bone mineral density and bone mineral content. In ad-dition, a histopathological examination of femur bones was performed.

Results:

The present approach denoted that the treatment with nHa, nHa/C, or nHa/S yields a signif-icant rise in serum level of osterix and mRNA levels of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and SMAD1 as well as significant enhancements of bone tissue minerals.

Conclusion:

The findings affirmed the potency of nHa, nHa/C, and nHa/S as auspicious nanoplat-forms for repairing bone defects in the osteoporotic rat model. The positive effect of the inspected nanoformulations arose from bone formation indicators in serum and tissue, and additionally, the reinforcement of bone density and content, which were verified by the histopathological description of bone tissue sections.
impact of knowledge management, data culture and the development of data innovation on the quality of the business insights framework
Authors: Fatah Lalu Abdul , Mardiputra Hamzah M. , Dewanto Joko
Published: February 2022

This study examines how much the influence of Knowledge Management Process, Information Culture and Information Technology Maturity on the Business Intelligence System Quality. This study uses descriptive analytic research method and SEM-PLS statistic method. Data is collected from questionnaires distributed and returned from the employees of Finance & Accounting Department and Information Technology Department on private higher education at Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia as respondents. The result indicates a positive influence of Knowledge Management Process, Information Culture and Information Technology Maturity partially To the Business Intelligence System Quality.
Renata Aleksandrowicz, Książka w życiu seniorów na początku XXI wieku, Warszawa 2020, Wydawnictwo SBP
Authors: Lewandowska Martyna
Published: February 2022

Recenzja monografii Renaty Aleksandrowicz pt. Książka w życiu seniorów na początku XXI wieku, Warszawa 2020, Wydawnictwo SBP.
Don’t Ever Think You’ve Cracked It!
Authors: Hopkins Ian
Published: February 2022

On November 25, 2021, Mr. Ian Hopkins, former Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police, presented Don’t Ever Think You’ve Cracked It! at the 2021 CASIS West Coast Security Conference. The presentation was followed by a question and answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives. The main discussion topics included effective training and debriefing, diversity and inclusion, politicization, and personal resilience.
From Liberal to Liberal Global Order
Authors: Sanchez Ortega Antonio
Published: February 2022

On November 26, 2021, Dr. Antonio Sanchez Ortega, Assistant Professor at the University of Granada in Spain, presented From Liberal to Liberal Global Order: Implications for Western Security at the 2021 CASIS Vancouver West Coast Security Conference. The key points of discussion were the changes that the great powers have made on the understanding of basic rules in the international arena and the Liberal Global Order is seeing its relative decline. The presentation was followed by a question and answer period with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives.
Predicting the Escalation to Violence of Online Hate Groups
Authors: Archutowski Natalie
Published: February 2022

On November 24, 2021, Natalie Archutowski presented on the topic of Predicting the Escalation to Violence of Online Hate Groups at the 2021 CASIS West Coast Security Conference. Primary topics of discussion included influencers on right wing websites, the effects of algorithms using traditional hate speech terms, the correlation between softly violent culturally nuanced hate speech and kinetic violence, and models used to help determine the presence of soft violence and the likelihood of escalation. The presentation was followed by a question and answer period and a breakout room session with questions from the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives.
Discord como herramienta de enseñanza en línea durante la pandemia de COVID-19
Authors: Contreras-Espinosa Ruth Sofia , Eguia-Gomez Jose Luis
Published: February 2022

La pandemia de COVID-19 obligó a las autoridades españolas a declarar el estado de alarma y suspender la enseñanza presencial, por lo que fueron necesarias nuevas iniciativas para atender la demanda educativa. Este estudio describe la experiencia de 20 profesores de la Escuela de Nuevas Tecnologías Interactivas de la Universidad de Barcelona durante los primeros meses de docencia digital con la plataforma Discord. Discord permite crear múltiples secuencias de clases, reducir la carga del sistema y puede usarse en diversas plataformas y dispositivos con pocos recursos. Mediante la observación de clases, entrevistas y una revisión bibliográfica, estudiamos (1) las competencias de enseñanza en línea del profesorado antes de la pandemia; (2) el uso de Discord y técnicas pedagógicas; (3) los problemas detectados y (4) sus recomendaciones. Los resultados pueden ayudar a otros docentes a organizar la enseñanza en línea en contextos críticos con Discord como plataforma de enseñanza virtual.

Palabras clave: enseñanza en línea, aprendizaje, pandemia, COVID-19.
Ensino de História em tempos de ensino remoto emergencial:
Authors: Nobre Thiago da Silva
Published: February 2022

Este artigo pretende compreender as relações entre educação e tecnologia, assim como entender também as singularidades e as particularidades para tentar esboçar tendências mais gerais, a partir do contexto de pandemia mundial de Covid-19. Utilizamos para o nosso estudo de caso os planejamentos de aula e as avaliações de três professores da cidade de Fortaleza (Ceará), do 9ª ano do Ensino Fundamental ao 3º do Ensino Médio durante maio a dezembro de 2020, de IES particulares e públicas. O que percebemos de antemão, nessas relações entre educação e tecnologia, foi que “da noite para o dia” milhões de professores e estudantes pelo mundo tiveram que se adaptar rapidamente à nova realidade de aulas remotas e uso massivo de Tecnologias da Comunicação e da Informação (TIC’s), Tecnologias Educacionais, objetos educacionais, aplicativos, ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVA’s) etc. E muitas vezes, tendo que dispor de seus próprios meios para utilizarem essas tecnologias. O que percebemos, também, foi que as mudanças na relação entre educação e tecnologia se deram principalmente nas formas e maneiras de ensinar mediada por tecnologias, em detrimento de modificações nos conteúdos ensinados.