bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ευφυή σημασιολογικά συστήματα διαχείρισης
Authors: Μερίδου Δέσποινα
Published: August 2021

Οι ραγδαίες τεχνολογικές εξελίξεις στον τομέα διασύνδεσης συσκευών, υπηρεσιών και συστημάτων στα πλαίσια του Διαδικτύου των Πραγμάτων (Internet of Things) έχουν προκαλέσει την ανεξέλεγκτη παραγωγή πληροφορίας. H έλευση του Διαδικτύου των Πάντων (Internet of Everything), το οποίο καθιστά δυνατή τη σύνδεση τόσο άβιων όντων εμπλουτισμένων με ευφυΐα, όσο και έμβιων οντοτήτων, επιβάλει την εφαρμογή εξελιγμένων τεχνικών διαχείρισης, διατήρησης και διαμοιρασμού δεδομένων. Ταυτόχρονα, η βέλτιστη εκμετάλλευση αυτής της πληροφορίας είναι συχνά δύσκολη, λόγω του τεράστιου όγκου των δεδομένων, της ετερογένειάς τους και της κατανεμημένης φύσης τους. Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή πραγματεύεται την ενσωμάτωση ετερογενούς, κατανεμημένης πληροφορίας, η οποία διαμοιράζεται ανάμεσα στις υπηρεσίες μίας πλατφόρμας διαχείρισης στα πλαίσια ενός συνεργατικού σεναρίου για την επίτευξη ενός καλά ορισμένου στόχου. Η προτεινόμενη ευφυής πλατφόρμα διαχείρισης, και κατ’επέκταση η ομογενοποίηση των δεδομένων, αναπτύσσεται στο πλαίσιο δύο ευρύτερων περιπτώσεων χρήσης. Η πρώτη αφορά σε μία ευφυή πλατφόρμα διαχείρισης παραγωγής πολύπλοκων προϊόντων με έμφαση στην ιδιαίτερα εξατομικευμένη παραγωγή μικρής κλίμακας, όπως επίσης και στην περίοδο εκκίνησης της διαδικασίας παραγωγής. Αντίστοιχα, η δεύτερη περίπτωση χρήσης περιλαμβάνει μία ευφυή πλατφόρμα υποστήριξης και εξυπηρέτησης με σκοπό τη διατήρηση της ευημερίας και της υγείας ενός ατόμου. Τη βάση της προτεινόμενης πλατφόρμας αποτελούν οι υπηρεσίες διαχείρισης των υποκείμενων δεδομένων, οι οποίες με τη σειρά τους αξιοποιούν τις τεχνολογίες του Σημασιολογικού Ιστού ώστε να ενισχύσουν την ευφυΐα τους και να εμπλουτίσουν την εσωτερική λογική τους μέσω σημασιολογικών κανόνων. Κάθε λειτουργία της πλατφόρμας βασίζεται σε μία ιεραρχία οντολογικών μοντέλων, τα οποία διαφοροποιούνται με σκοπό την ικανοποίηση των αναγκών της εκάστοτε εφαρμογής. Τα εν λόγω οντολογικά μοντέλα έχουν αναπτυχθεί έτσι, ώστε να χαρακτηρίζονται από ακρίβεια και σαφήνεια, ενώ διατηρούν τη δυνατότητα να διαλειτουργούν με ήδη υπάρχοντα πρότυπα σημασιολογικά μοντέλα. Συνολικά, στόχος της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η παρουσίαση μίας μεθοδολογίας αξιοποίησης του αχανούς συνόλου πληροφορίας που παράγεται στις μέρες μας από μία πληθώρα ετερογενών πηγών δεδομένων με τρόπο τέτοιο, ώστε να ενισχύεται η αποδοτικότητα, η ποιότητα και η λειτουργικότητα των διαδικασιών κάθε τομέα, ξεκινώντας από αυτούς της παραγωγής και της ευημερίας.
Εντοπισμός γενετικών, αγγειακών, βιοχημικών και ορμονικών πρώιμων δεικτών αυξημένου καρδιαγγειακού κινδύνου σε νέες γυναίκες με σύνδρομο πολυκυστικών ωοθηκών (PCOS)
Authors: Καρέλα Αναστασία
Published: August 2021

Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι ο εντοπισμός πιθανής συσχέτισης του πολυμορφισμού UCSNP-43 του γονιδίου Calpain (CAPN 10) με ορμονικά και μεταβολικά χαρακτηριστικά μεταξύ των διαφορετικών φαινοτύπων σε νέες γυναίκες με το Σύνδρομο των Πολυκυστικών Ωοθηκών (ΣΠΩ). Για το λόγο αυτό γυναίκες με το ΣΠΩ γονοτυπήθηκαν για τον πολυμορφισμό UCSNP-43 του γονιδίου CAPN 10 και πραγματοποιήθηκε συγκριτική μελέτη των κλινικών και βιοχημικών χαρακτηριστικών των γυναικών με ΣΠΩ με βάση τα αλληλόμορφα του γονιδίου Calpain 10. Ανθρωπομετρικές, ορμονικές και βιοχημικές μετρήσεις διεξήχθησαν σε 668 γυναίκες με το ΣΠΩ και σε 200 υγιείς μάρτυρες. Η σύγκριση των συχνοτήτων της κατανομής των γονοτύπων πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη δοκιμασία Χ-τετράγωνο. Υπολογίστηκε επίσης η συσχέτιση του πολυμορφισμού με κλινικά και βιοχημικά χαρακτηριστικά του πληθυσμού της μελέτης. Αποτελέσματα: Κανένας συσχετισμός δεν αποδείχθηκε μεταξύ της συχνότητας του πολυμορφισμού UCSNP-43 του γονιδίου CAPN 10 στο ΣΠΩ. Επίσης δεν αποδείχθηκε συσχέτιση του πολυμορφισμού με ανθρωπομετρικά, βιοχημικά και ορμονικά χαρακτηριστικά στις γυναίκες με ΣΠΩ και στις υγιείς μάρτυρες. Ο πολυμορφισμός, ωστόσο, συσχετίζεται με αυξημένα επίπεδα της Δ4 ανδροστενεδιόνης ορού (p=0.018) και της 17-ΟΗ προγεστερόνης ορού (p=0.012) στις γυναίκες με ΣΠΩ με το φαινότυπο Α. Συμπερασματικά, ο πολυμορφισμός UCSNP-43 του γονιδίου CAPN 10 αποστερείται της μεταβολικής συμμετοχής στον καρδιαγγειακό κίνδυνο του ΣΠΩ. Ωστόσο, λόγο του συσχετισμού του με την υπερανδρογοναιμία στο φαινότυπο Α του συνδρόμου, ο πολυμορφισμό UCSNP-43 του γονιδίου CAPN 10 θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως γενετικός δείκτης αυξημένου καρδιαγγειακού κινδύνου σε νέες γυναίκες με το ΣΠΩ.
Ανάπτυξη, βελτιστοποίηση και επικύρωση μεθόδων προσδιορισμού αντιεπιληπτικών φαρμάκων σε βιολογικά υλικά
Authors: Νικολάου Παναγιώτα
Published: August 2021

Ο σκοπός της διατριβής ήταν η ανάπτυξη, βελτιστοποίηση και επικύρωση μεθόδου ταυτόχρονου προσδιορισμού αντιεπιληπτικών φαρμάκων σε δείγματα πλάσματος και ολικού αίματος. Κατά την ανάπτυξη της μεθοδολογίας, προέκυψε η ανάγκη διαχωρισμού των υπό μελέτη φαρμάκων ανάλογα με τη χημική συμπεριφορά τους. Έτσι, αναπτύχθηκαν και επικυρώθηκαν δύο μέθοδοι, μία για τον προσδιορισμό των εννέα αλκαλικών αντιεπιληπτικών φαρμάκων (αιθοσουξιμίδη, καρβαμαζεπίνη, λακοσαμίδη, λαμοτριγίνη, λεβετιρακετάμη, οξυκαρβαζεπίνη, τοπιραμάτη, φαινοβαρβιτάλη και φαινυτοΐνη) και των δύο μεταβολιτών (10,11-εποξειδιο-καρβαμαζεπίνη, 10-υδροξυ-καρβαζεπίνη), και μία για τα φάρμακα με την όξινη (βαλπροϊκό οξύ και τιαγκαμπίνη) ή επαμφοτερίζουσα (βιγκαμπατρίνη, γκαμπαπεντίνη και πρεγκαμπαλίνη) συμπεριφορά. Η κατεργασία των βιολογικών δειγμάτων περιελάμβανε καταβύθιση πρωτεϊνών με ακετονιτρίλιο, εκχύλιση στερεής φάσης και παραγωγοποίηση χρησιμοποιώντας MTBSTFA με 1% TBDMSCl στους 70οC για 30 λεπτά. Στις μεθόδους χρησιμοποιήθηκε η λεβετιρακετάμη-d6 ως εσωτερικό πρότυπο για τον προσδιορισμό των αλκαλικών αντιεπιληπτικών και η γκαμπαπεντίνη-d10 για τον προσδιορισμό των όξινων και επαμφοτεριζόντων αντιεπιληπτικών. Οι παράμετροι επικύρωσης των μεθόδων ήταν: εκλεκτικότητα, ειδικότητα, γραμμικότητα, κατώτατο όριο ανίχνευσης και ποσοτικοποίησης, επαναληψιμότητα, ενδοεργαστηριακή αναπαραγωγιμότητα, ορθότητα εντός της ημέρας και δια των ημερών, απόλυτη ανάκτηση και ανθεκτικότητα των μεθόδων, καθώς και σταθερότητα των αναλυτών σε εμβολιασμένα δείγματα αίματος. Οι αναπτυχθείσες μέθοδοι εφαρμόστηκαν στην παρακολούθηση των θεραπευτικών επιπέδων αντιεπιληπτικών φαρμάκων και στην τοξικολογική διερεύνηση περιστατικών κλινικού και δικαστικού ενδιαφέροντος.
Psychological and clinical-epidemiological profile of poisoning in Nepal: an institutional experience
Authors: Basnet Angela , Shrestha Dhan , Chaulagain Sabin , Thapa Ashok , Khadka Manoj , Regmi Bishal , Khadka Manita , Adhikari Kabita , Thapa Anil Jung , Pokharel Sakar , Singh Kaushal Kumar , Syangtang Prajwal , Adhikari Surakchha
Published: August 2021

Background 

Poisoning has become a major public health problem, with the intent in most cases being self-harm and commit suicide. This study highlights the psychological and clinical-epidemiological profile of patients visiting Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital after poisoning. 

Methods 

This retrospective record-based study was done among poisoning patients of a hospital in Nepal from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2020. Data were analyzed using STATA version-15. 

Results 

Out of 134 total poisoning cases, 71 had consumed organophosphate compounds. The majority of the cases were female (59.2% in organophosphate groups, 69.8% in non-organophosphate groups). The circumstances of poisoning were mostly suicidal (95.8% in organophosphate groups, 90.5% in non-organophosphate groups) and the reasons for this being mostly family disputes. Organophosphate groups had 8.41 times higher odds of having complications when compared to non-organophosphorus compounds.  

Conclusions 

The majority of the poisoning cases were suicidal in nature and family disputes being the major reason for the intake of a poisonous substance. This demands that more attention be given to psychological and family counseling to resolve any disputes, as well as psychological management of poisoning cases after medical management. Also, a strong regulatory mechanism should be imposed to control the easy access to poisonous substances.
Comparison of the effect on postoperative pain between instrumentation with and without connected electronic apex locator: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Pham Khoa Van , Hoang Cuong
Published: August 2021

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the postoperative pain between root canal instrumentation with unconnected electronic apex locator and instrumentation with connected electronic apex locator.

Methods: Forty-two patients were randomly divided into two groups (n=21). Group 1 was treated using the traditional endodontic motor with unconnected electronic apex locator (EAL) and group 2 was treated using the endodontic motor with connected EAL. All teeth were treated in single-visit endodontic therapy. Postoperative pain levels at 6, 24, 48, 72 h and 1 week were recorded by patients. The data were collected and analyzed using the χ2, and Mann-Whitney U tests with significance at 0.05.

Results: Postoperative pain levels were significantly reduced by half at 6 hours in both experimental groups; however, no significant differences were found in postoperative pain levels between the two groups at all considered times. The postoperative pain levels using a percussion test were reduced on day 7 in both groups, and there was no significant difference in this variable between two groups.

Conclusions: Both groups have a similar effect on reduction of the postoperative pain for endodontic patients undergoing root canal.
Self-reported disability in rural Malawi: prevalence, incidence, and relationship to chronic conditions
Authors: Prynn Josephine E. , Dube Albert , Mwaiyeghele Elenaus , Mwiba Oddie , Geis Steffen , Koole Olivier , Nyirenda Moffat , Kuper Hannah , Crampin Amelia C.
Published: August 2021

Background: Disability is a complex concept involving physical impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction. The Washington Group developed a set of questions on six functional domains (seeing, hearing, walking, remembering, self-care, and communicating) to allow collection of comparable data on disability. We aimed to improve understanding of prevalence and correlates of disability in this low-income setting in Malawi.

Methods: This study is nested in the Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Malawi; the Washington Group questions were added to the annual survey in 2014. We used cross-sectional data from the 2014 survey to estimate the current prevalence of disability and examine associations of disability with certain chronic conditions. We then reviewed the incidence and resolution of disability over time using panel data from the 2015 survey.

Results: Of 10,863 participants, 9.6% (95% CI 9.0-10.1%) reported disability in at least one domain. Prevalence was higher among women and increased with age. Diabetes and obesity were associated with disability among women, and diabetes was also associated with disability among men. Neither hypertension nor HIV were associated with disability. Participants reporting “no difficulty” or “can’t do at all” for any domain were likely to report the same status one year later, whereas there was considerable movement between people describing “some difficulty” and “a lot of difficulty”.

Conclusions: Disability prevalence is high and likely to increase over time. Further research into the situation of this population is crucial to ensure inclusive policies are created and sustainable development goals are met.
Value Functions and Optimality Conditions for Nonconvex Variational Problems with an Infinite Horizon in Banach Spaces
Authors: Frankowska Hélène , Sagara Nobusumi
Published: August 2021

We investigate the value function of an infinite horizon variational problem in the infinite-dimensional setting. First, we provide an upper estimate of its Dini–Hadamard subdifferential in terms of the Clarke subdifferential of the Lipschitz continuous integrand and the Clarke normal cone to the graph of the set-valued mapping describing dynamics. Second, we derive a necessary condition for optimality in the form of an adjoint inclusion that grasps a connection between the Euler–Lagrange condition and the maximum principle. The main results are applied to the derivation of the necessary optimality condition of the spatial Ramsey growth model.
Equilibria Existence in Bayesian Games: Climbing the Countable Borel Equivalence Relation Hierarchy
Authors: Hellman Ziv , Levy Yehuda John
Published: August 2021

The solution concept of a Bayesian equilibrium of a Bayesian game is inherently an interim concept. The corresponding ex ante solution concept has been termed a Harsányi equilibrium; examples have appeared in the literature showing that there are Bayesian games with uncountable state spaces that have no Bayesian approximate equilibria but do admit a Harsányi approximate equilibrium, thus exhibiting divergent behaviour in the ex ante and interim stages. Smoothness, a concept from descriptive set theory, has been shown in previous works to guarantee the existence of Bayesian equilibria. We show here that higher rungs in the countable Borel equivalence relation hierarchy can also shed light on equilibrium existence. In particular, hyperfiniteness, the next step above smoothness, is a sufficient condition for the existence of Harsányi approximate equilibria in purely atomic Bayesian games.
ECG of the month
Authors: Regan Martin
Published: August 2021

In this issue's ECG of the month, Martin Regan presents a case of a 71-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who presented with a 2-day history of chest pain that had suddenly worsened.
“Saklı Mecmua: Ali Ufkî’nin Bibliothéque Nationale De France’taki [Turc 292] Yazması” üzerine inceleme
Authors: Karakaya Emir Altuğ
Published: August 2021

17 ve 18. yüzyıl Osmanlı/Türk müziğinin en önemli aktörlerinden biri olan Ali Ufkî, “Mecmûa-i Saz ve Söz” adlı eserinde geçmiş ve kendi dönemine ait birçok müzikal eseri porteli Batı notasıyla kaydetmiştir. Buradan hareketle, pek çok müzik eserini unutulmaktan kurtardığı için “Mecmûa-i Saz ve Söz” Ali Ufkî’nin müzik alanındaki en önemli çalışması olarak kabul edilmektedir. Cem Behar, birinci baskısı 2008 yılında “Yapı Kredi Yayınları” tarafından çıkarılan “Saklı Mecmua Ali Ufkî’nin Bibliothéque Nationale De France’taki [Turc 292] Yazması”, adlı bu çalışmasında birçok araştırmacı tarafından “Mecmûa-i Saz ve Söz’ün müsveddesi olarak kabul edilen [Turc 292] Yazması’nın içeriğini, eleştirel ve sorgulayıcı bir yaklaşımla incelemektedir. Bu inceleme yazısı, Cem Behar’ın yapmış olduğu “Ali Ufkî’nin Bibliothéque Nationale De France’taki [Turc 292] Yazması” adlı çalışmayı değerlendirmek ve değinilen önemli hususlara dikkat çekmek için kaleme alınmıştır.
Web Service Access Control Based on Browser Fingerprint Detection
Authors: Hui Liu , Xudong He , Fan Gao , KaiLun Wang , Enze Yuan
Published: August 2021

Web services have covered all areas of social life, and various browsers have become necessary software on computers and mobile phones, and they are also the entrances to Web services. All kinds of threats to web data security continue to appear, so web services and browsers have become the focus of security. In response to the requirements of Web service for access entity identification and data access control, this paper proposes a multi-dimensional browser fingerprint detection method based on adversarial learning, and designs a Web service access control framework combined with browser fingerprint detection. Through the joint use of multi-dimensional browser features, adversarial learning is used to improve the accuracy and robustness of browser fingerprint detection; a cross-server and browser-side Web service access control framework is established by creating tags for Web data resources and access entities. Based on the mapping relationship between browser fingerprint detection entities and data resources, fine-grained hierarchical data access control is realized. Through experiments and analysis, the browser fingerprint detection method proposed in this paper is superior to existing machine learning detection methods in terms of accuracy and robustness. Based on the adversarial learning method, good detection results can be obtained in the case of a small number of user samples. At the same time, the open source data set is further used to verify the advantages of the method in this paper. The Web service access control framework can satisfy the requirements of Web data security control, is an effective supplement to user identification technology, and is implementable.
The Collaborative Production Management System of Power Enterprises Based on Online Information Sharing
Authors: Guoji Yu , Jianxu Zhong , Shaofeng Yu , Chongyang Liao , Yining Ma
Published: August 2021

With the development of online information sharing, high-tech equipment for collaborative production management of power enterprises emerges endlessly. Therefore, it is necessary to design the collaborative production management system of power enterprises based on online information sharing to meet the information sharing needs. In terms of the hardware, the B/S structure was built, and the computer was debugged with Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). In terms of the software, Hadoop horizontal architecture technology framework was designed, the physical deployment was carried out, the production management center module was designed, and the production operation chain was monitored and managed to realize the collaborative production management of power enterprises. The experimental results showed that the designed collaborative production management system of power enterprise had high reliability and friendliness, the highest reliability is 97.2%, the highest friendliness is 99.8%, which meets the current demand.
Modulation format recognition based on constellation diagrams and the
Hough transform
Authors: Mohamed Safie El-Din Nasr , Al-Makhlasawy Rasha M. , Khalaf Ashraf A. M. , Dessouky Moawad I. , Abd El-Samie Fathi E.
Published: August 2021

High-speed wireless communication is necessary in our personal lives, in both working and living spaces. This paper presents a scheme for wireless optical modulation format recognition (MFR) based on the Hough transform (HT). The HT is used to project constellation diagrams onto another space for efficient feature extraction. Constellation diagrams are obtained at optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNR) ranging from 5 to 30 dB for eight different modulation formats (2/4/8/16 phase-shift keying and 8/16/32/64 QAM). Different classifiers are used for the task of MFR: AlexNet, VGG16, and VGG19. A study of the effect of varying the number of samples on the accuracy of the classifiers is provided for each modulation format. To evaluate the proposed scheme, the efficiency of the three classifiers is studied at different values of OSNR. The obtained results reveal that the proposed scheme succeeds in identifying the wireless optical modulation format blindly with a classification accuracy up to 100%, even at low OSNR values less than 10 dB.
Structural stability of spiral vortex beams to sector perturbations
Authors: Volyar Alexander , Akimova Yana
Published: August 2021

Conditions of breaking down the structural stability of a spiral vortex beam subject to sector perturbations were considered. Employing methods of computer simulation and processing experimental results, we have shown that the spiral vortex beam has a caustic surface, the intersection of which sharply changes a shape of the Poynting vector streamlines and critical points of the spiral beam. Nevertheless, the beam propagation (scaling and rotation) does not change the perturbed streamline’s shape and phase pattern. We also revealed that strong beam perturbations can cause the conversion of the circulation direction of streamlines in the perturbation region, which entails the appearance of a network of optical vortices with negative topological charges. However, the beam’s orbital angular momentum remains unchanging, despite increasing the information entropy (growing a number of vortex modes), so that the perturbed beam keeps new stable states.
In vivo two-dimensional quantitative imaging of skin and cutaneous microcirculation with perturbative spatial frequency domain imaging (p-SFDI)
Authors: Lin Weihao , Zheng Yang , Li Zhenfang , Jin Xin , Cao Zili , Zeng Bixin , Xu M.
Published: August 2021

We introduce perturbative spatial frequency domain imaging (p-SFDI) for fast two-dimensional (2D) mapping of the optical properties and physiological characteristics of skin and cutaneous microcirculation using spatially modulated visible light. Compared to the traditional methods for recovering 2D maps through a pixel-by-pixel inversion, p-SFDI significantly shortens parameter retrieval time, largely avoids the random fitting errors caused by measurement noise, and enhances the image reconstruction quality. The efficacy of p-SFDI is demonstrated by in vivo imaging forearm of one healthy subject, recovering the 2D spatial distribution of cutaneous hemoglobin concentration, oxygen saturation, scattering properties, the melanin content, and the epidermal thickness over a large field of view. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial variations in physiological parameters under the forearm reactive hyperemia protocol are revealed, showing its applications in monitoring temporal and spatial dynamics.
Detection of anti-M. leprae antibodies in children in leprosy-endemic areas: A systematic review
Authors: Pierneef Louise , van Hooij Anouk , Taal Anneke , Rumbaut Raisa , Nobre Mauricio Lisboa , van Brakel Wim , Geluk Annemieke
Published: August 2021

Background

Leprosy elimination primarily targets transmission of Mycobacterium leprae which is not restricted to patients’ households. As interruption of transmission is imminent in many countries, a test to detect infected asymptomatic individuals who can perpetuate transmission is required. Antibodies directed against M. leprae antigens are indicative of M. leprae infection but cannot discriminate between active and past infection. Seroprevalence in young children, however, reflects recent M. leprae infection and may thus be used to monitor transmission in an area. Therefore, this literature review aimed to evaluate what has been reported on serological tests measuring anti-M. leprae antibodies in children without leprosy below the age of 15 in leprosy-endemic areas.

Methods and findings

A literature search was performed in the databases Pubmed, Infolep, Web of Science and The Virtual Health Library. From the 724 articles identified through the search criteria, 28 full-text articles fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Two additional papers were identified through snowballing, resulting in a total of 30 articles reporting data from ten countries. All serological tests measured antibodies against phenolic glycolipid-I or synthetic derivatives thereof, either quantitatively (ELISA or UCP-LFA) or qualitatively (ML-flow or NDO-LID rapid test). The median seroprevalence in children in endemic areas was 14.9% and was stable over time if disease incidence remained unchanged. Importantly, seroprevalence decreased with age, indicating that children are a suitable group for sensitive assessment of recent M. leprae infection. However, direct comparison between areas, solely based on the data reported in these studies, was impeded by the use of different tests and variable cut-off levels.

Conclusions

Quantitative anti-PGL-I serology in young children holds promise as a screening test to assess M. leprae infection and may be applied as a proxy for transmission and thereby as a means to monitor the effect of (prophylactic) interventions on the route to leprosy elimination.
Feasibility and acceptability of SARS-CoV-2 testing and surveillance in primary school children in England: Prospective, cross-sectional study
Authors: Aiano Felicity , Jones Samuel E. I. , Amin-Chowdhury Zahin , Flood Jessica , Okike Ifeanyichukwu , Brent Andrew , Brent Bernadette , Beckmann Joanne , Garstang Joanna , Ahmad Shazaad , Baawuah Frances , Ramsay Mary E. , Ladhani Shamez N.
Published: August 2021

Background

The reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about widespread infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in educational settings. In June 2020, Public Health England (PHE) initiated prospective national surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in primary schools across England (sKIDs). We used this opportunity to assess the feasibility and agreeability of large-scale surveillance and testing for SARS-CoV-2 infections in school among staff, parents and students.

Methods

Staff and students in 131 primary schools were asked to complete a questionnaire at recruitment and provide weekly nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing (n = 86) or swabs with blood samples for antibody testing (n = 45) at the beginning and end the summer half-term. In six blood sampling schools, students were asked to complete a pictorial questionnaire before and after their investigations.

Results

In total, 135 children aged 4–7 years (n = 40) or 8–11 years (n = 95) completed the pictorial questionnaire fully or partially. Prior to sampling, oral fluid sampling was the most acceptable test (107/132, 81%) followed by throat swabs (80/134, 59%), nose swabs (77/132, 58%), and blood tests (48/130, 37%). Younger students were more nervous about all tests than older students but, after completing their tests, most children reported a “better than expected” experience with all the investigations. Students were more likely to agree to additional testing for nose swabs (93/113, 82%) and oral fluid (93/114, 82%), followed by throat swabs (85/113, 75%) and blood tests (72/108, 67%). Parents (n = 3,994) and staff (n = 2,580) selected a preference for weekly testing with nose swabs, throat swabs or oral fluid sampling, although staff were more flexible about testing frequency.

Conclusions

Primary school staff and parents were supportive of regular tests for SARS-CoV-2 and selected a preference for weekly testing. Children preferred nose swabs and oral fluids over throat swabs or blood sampling.
Is there an association between ABO blood types and depressive symptoms among Japanese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Hoang Dong Van , Yamamoto Shohei , Miki Takako , Fukunaga Ami , Islam Zobida , Konishi Maki , Mizoue Tetsuya
Published: August 2021

ABO blood types could be a biological predisposition for depression. The present cross-sectional analysis was conducted amid the second wave of COVID-19 in Japan during July 2020. We wanted to investigate the association between ABO blood types and depressive symptoms among workers (352 men and 864 women, aged 21–73 years) of a medical institution in Tokyo, Japan, which took a leading role in the response to COVID-19 in the country. A Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimator was used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for depressive symptoms associated with ABO blood types. Overall, the prevalence of depressive symptoms (using two questions employed from a Two-question case-finding instrument) was 22.0%. The adjusted PRs (95% CI) for depressive symptoms, comparing the carriers of blood type O, A, and AB with those of type B, were 0.88 (0.66, 1.18), 0.81 (0.62, 1.07), and 1.07 (0.74, 1.53), respectively. There was no difference in the prevalence of depressive symptoms between non-B and B carriers. The present study did not support the association of ABO blood types with depressive symptoms.
Colombia’s bioregions as a source of useful plants
Authors: Bystriakova Nadia , Tovar Carolina , Monro Alexandre , Moat Justin , Hendrigo Pablo , Carretero Julia , Torres-Morales Germán , Diazgranados Mauricio
Published: August 2021

The aim of our study was to assess the importance of different Colombian bioregions in terms of the supply of useful plant species and the quality of the available distribution data. We assembled a dataset of georeferenced collection localities of all vascular plants of Colombia available from global and local online databases. We then assembled a list of species, subspecies and varieties of Colombia’s useful plants and retrieved all point locality information associated with these taxa. We overlaid both datasets with a map of Colombia’s bioregions to retrieve all species and useful species distribution records in each bioregion. To assess the reliability of our estimates of species numbers, we identified information gaps, in geographic and environmental space, by estimating their completeness and coverage. Our results confirmed that Colombia’s third largest bioregion, the Andean moist forest followed by the Amazon, Pacific, Llanos and Caribbean moist forests contained the largest numbers of useful plant species. Medicinal use was the most common useful attribute across all bioregions, followed by Materials, Environmental uses, and Human Food. In all bioregions, except for the Andean páramo, the proportion of well-surveyed 10×10 km grid cells (with ≥ 25 observation records of useful plants) was below 50% of the total number of surveyed cells. Poor survey coverage was observed in the three dry bioregions: Caribbean deserts and xeric shrublands, and Llanos and Caribbean dry forests. This suggests that additional primary data is needed. We document knowledge gaps that will hinder the incorporation of useful plants into Colombia’s stated plans for a bioeconomy and their sustainable management. In particular, future research should focus on the generation of additional primary data on the distribution of useful plants in the Amazon and Llanos (Orinoquia) regions where both survey completeness and coverage appeared to be less adequate compared with other regions.
Phylogeography of Baryancistrus xanthellus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), a rheophilic catfish endemic to the Xingu River basin in eastern Amazonia
Authors: Magalhães Keila Xavier , Silva Raimundo Darley Figueiredo da , Sawakuchi André Oliveira , Gonçalves Alany Pedrosa , Gomes Grazielle Fernanda Evangelista , Muriel-Cunha Janice , Sabaj Mark H. , Sousa Leandro Melo de
Published: August 2021

Baryancistrus xanthellus (Loricariidae) is an endemic fish species from the Xingu River basin with its life history in the shallow rapid waters flowing over bedrock substrates. In order to investigate the genetic diversity and demographic history of B. xanthellus we analyzed sequence data for one mitochondrial gene (Cyt b) and introns 1 and 5 of nuclear genes Prolactin (Prl) and Ribosomal Protein L3 (RPL3). The analyses contain 358 specimens of B. xanthellus from 39 localities distributed throughout its range. The number of genetically diverged groups was estimated using Bayesian inference on Cyt b haplotypes. Haplotype networks, AMOVA and pairwise fixation index was used to evaluate population structure and gene flow. Historical demography was inferred through neutrality tests and the Extended Bayesian Skyline Plot (EBSP) method. Five longitudinally distributed Cyt b haplogroups for B. xanthellus were identified in the Xingu River and its major tributaries, the Bacajá and Iriri. The demographic analysis suggests that rapids habitats have expanded in the Iriri and Lower Xingu rivers since 200 ka (thousand years) ago. This expansion is possibly related to an increase in water discharge as a consequence of higher rainfall across eastern Amazonia. Conversely, this climate shift also would have promoted zones of sediment trapping and reduction of rocky habitats in the Xingu River channel upstream of the Iriri River mouth. Populations of B. xanthellus showed strong genetic structure along the free-flowing river channels of the Xingu and its major tributaries, the Bacajá and Iriri. The recent impoundment of the Middle Xingu channel for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam may isolate populations at the downstream limit of the species distribution. Therefore, future conservation plans must consider the genetic diversity of B. xanthellus throughout its range.
Characterization of linear epitope specificity of antibodies potentially contributing to spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus
Authors: Ahsan Asma , Dar Saira , Hassan Fareeha , Ghafoor Farkhanda , Yousuf Muhammad Haroon , Shahzad-ul-Hussan Syed
Published: August 2021

Background

Around 30% of the HCV infected patients can spontaneously clear the virus. Cumulative evidence suggests the role of neutralizing antibodies in such spontaneous resolution. Understanding the epitope specificity of such antibodies will inform the rational vaccine design as such information is limited to date. In addition to conformational epitope targeted antibodies, linear epitope specific antibodies have been identified that are broadly cross reactive against diverse HCV strains. In this study, we have characterized the potential role of three conserved linear epitopes in the spontaneous clearance of HCV.

Methods

We tested the reactivity of sera from chronic patients (CP) and spontaneous resolvers (SR) with linear peptides corresponding to three conserved regions of HCV envelope protein E2 spanning amino acids 412–423, 523–532 and 432–443 using ELISA. Subsequently, we characterized the dependency of HCV neutralization by the reactive serum samples on the antibodies specific for these epitopes using pseudoparticle-based neutralization assay.

In ELISA most of the CP sera showed reactivity to multiple peptides while most of the SR samples were reactive to a single peptide suggesting presence of more specific antibodies in the SR sera. In most of the HCVpp neutralizing sera of particular peptide reactivity the neutralization was significantly affected by the presence of respective peptide. HCV neutralization by CP sera was affected by multiple peptides while 75% of the HCVpp neutralizing SR sera were competed by the 432 epitope.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that individuals who spontaneously resolve HCV infection at the acute phase, can produce antibodies specific for conserved linear epitopes, and those antibodies can potentially play a role in the spontaneous viral clearance. The epitope present in the 432–443 region of E2 was identified as the primary neutralizing epitope with potential role in spontaneous viral clearance and this epitope potentiates for the design of immunogen for prophylactic vaccine.
Increased homeostatic cytokines and stability of HIV-infected memory CD4 T-cells identify individuals with suboptimal CD4 T-cell recovery on-ART
Authors: Pino Maria , Pereira Ribeiro Susan , Pagliuzza Amélie , Ghneim Khader , Khan Anum , Ryan Emily , Harper Justin L. , King Colin T. , Welbourn Sarah , Micci Luca , Aldrete Sol , Delman Keith A. , Stuart Theron , Lowe Michael , Brenchley Jason M. , Derdeyn Cynthia A. , Easley Kirk , Sekaly Rafick P. , Chomont Nicolas , Paiardini Mirko , Marconi Vincent C.
Published: August 2021

Clinical outcomes are inferior for individuals with HIV having suboptimal CD4 T-cell recovery during antiretroviral therapy (ART). We investigated if the levels of infection and the response to homeostatic cytokines of CD4 T-cell subsets contributed to divergent CD4 T-cell recovery and HIV reservoir during ART by studying virologically-suppressed immunologic responders (IR, achieving a CD4 cell count >500 cells/μL on or before two years after ART initiation), and virologically-suppressed suboptimal responders (ISR, did not achieve a CD4 cell count >500 cells/μL in the first two years after ART initiation). Compared to IR, ISR demonstrated higher levels of HIV-DNA in naïve, central (CM), transitional (TM), and effector (EM) memory CD4 T-cells in blood, both pre- and on-ART, and specifically in CM CD4 T-cells in LN on-ART. Furthermore, ISR had higher pre-ART plasma levels of IL-7 and IL-15, cytokines regulating T-cell homeostasis. Notably, pre-ART PD-1 and TIGIT expression levels were higher in blood CM and TM CD4 T-cells for ISR; this was associated with a significantly lower fold-changes in HIV-DNA levels between pre- and on-ART time points exclusively on CM and TM T-cell subsets, but not naïve or EM T-cells. Finally, the frequency of CM CD4 T-cells expressing PD-1 or TIGIT pre-ART as well as plasma levels of IL-7 and IL-15 predicted HIV-DNA content on-ART. Our results establish the association between infection, T-cell homeostasis, and expression of PD-1 and TIGIT in long-lived CD4 T-cell subsets prior to ART with CD4 T-cell recovery and HIV persistence on-ART.
La geografía del lacus Ligustinus en Estrabón 3.1.9
Authors: Iguácel de la Cuz Pilar , Castillo Pascual Pepa
Published: August 2021

Este artículo analiza un parágrafo de la Geografía de Estrabón que recoge el derrotero desde Gadeira hasta el Promontorio Sagrado (3.1.9). Gracias a la información que proporciona este texto, combinada con la de los estudios arqueológicos, ofrecemos algunas puntualizaciones sobre el lacus Ligustinus entre la conquista romana y el cambio de era, que no habían sido contempladas hasta ahora, y que permiten reconstruir la trayectoria de la navegación en este entorno.
Presença Demoníaca
Authors: Pantoja Monteiro Flavio
Published: August 2021

Os pentecostais e neopentecostais estão se afirmando como uma camada relevante politicamente no Brasil, com uma tendencia maior de crescimento nos próximos anos. Devido a relevância de tais indivíduos no país atual, se faz necessário entender como a sua fé se manifesta e se mantem, e isso deve ser feito a partir da compreensão das bases dessa fé. O presente artigo analisa uma das bases da crença pentecostal e neopentecostal: A controversa presença demoníaca, e busca perceber de que forma a mesma influencia nas práticas oficiais e na teologia de tais igrejas.
A cegueira de Saramago para além da literatura em sala de aula
Authors: Vieira Cássia Stefanini
Published: August 2021

A primeira reação que temos ao nos depararmos com uma situação atípica é a negação. Estar completamente vulnerável e fora da nossa zona de conforto pode ser uma oportunidade de aprendermos a lidar com nós mesmos, embora este não seja o pensamento à priori. Ressignificar nosso lugar no mundo é uma tarefa árdua, mas quando se está disposto a tirar as amarras da cegueira, o processo pode ser menos angustiante do que se imagina. Por isso, o propósito deste trabalho é promover o desenvolvimento das competências socioemocionais a partir da obra Ensaio sobre a cegueira, do escritor português José Saramago. A Experiência aqui desenvolvida com os alunos do ensino médio da Etec de Cotia, no Estado de São Paulo, conduz a um novo olhar sobre o papel da literatura em sala de aula, além de seu poder transformador em cada um de nós.

Palavras-chave: José Saramago; Competências Socioemocionais; Literatura.
Retórica e romance histórico
Authors: Lavinia Silvares
Published: August 2021

Este artigo discute alguns aspectos da incorporação do âmbito histórico no romance a partir de um breve exame da obra The Antiquary (1816), de Walter Scott. Para isso, propõe-se um recorte histórico-temático que assume, por um lado, a permanência fragmentada da Retórica na Europa do século XVIII e de toda uma tradição de subgêneros narrativos vinculados a ela; e, por outro, um crescente mercado de bens culturais a que se vinculam noções como “originalidade”, “propriedade intelectual”, “autoria/autoridade”, entre outras (Cf. WATT, 2007, p. 15; HANSEN, 2008, p. 213). Relendo a clássica noção lukacsiana da “natureza descontínuo-heterogênea” do romance (LUKÁCS, 2000, p. 101), propõe-se aqui que o protagonismo do antiquário na obra de Scott logra articular passado e presente por um viés intencionalmente paradoxal, figurando o perspectivismo histórico que é a base do romance moderno.

Palavras-chave: Romance histórico; Retórica; Walter Scott.
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT IN CONTEXT OF ANALYSING THE PHARMACISTS’ PERSONALITY TYPES
Authors: Razdorskaya I. M.
Published: August 2021

Studies have been conducted to optimize the processes of personnel management in pharmacies, to determine the relationship between the type of a pharmacist’s personality and the availability of organizational and career competencies. In order to determine the competencies necessary for the work performed, the analysis of the specifics of the pharmacists’ work (at the examples of a manager, a pharmacist with higher education, and a pharmacist with secondary professional education) has been carried out. An expert assessment of the questionnaire has been made to assess the significance of five clusters of competencies (will and leadership, interpersonal communication, organizational and strategic skills, self-positioning) in relation to the specifics of the activities at the pharmacy. The relationship between the positions of specialists and the level of development of their competencies has been determined and expressed quantitatively (from 1 to 5 points). There is a low correlation between the indicators of the competencies of the managers and pharmacists. It confirms the need for differentiation in the formation of sets of competencies for training the specialists.
Based on the Lominger competencies model and the results of expert research, the ‘Personality type – position’ matrix for a pharmacy’s manager has been constructed. A personality type was determined by means of the questionnaire of Myers & Briggs test. An algorithm for determining the optimal personality type of a candidate for the position of manager has been presented. Similar calculations can be made for pharmacists with higher education and pharmacists with secondary professional education. The data obtained make it possible to use them in the determination of a working place, hiring, and rotation of specialists.
THE CONCENTRATION OF INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INTERLEUKIN-8 IN HUMAN SEMEN WITH HIGH VISCOSITY
Authors: Sosnin D. Y. , Gal'kovich K. R. , Krivtsov A. V.
Published: August 2021

Objective: to estimate the effect of ejaculate consistency on the levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in human seminal plasma.
Material and methods. The concentration of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 was determined by ELISA using the kit manufactured by «Vector-Best» (Russia). The study included 64 men: the main group (n = 30) presents patients with high semen viscosity, the comparison group (n = 34) presents men with normal semen viscosity.
Results. In average, interleukin-6 level in the semen was 13.45 pg/ml, the median was 13.79 pg/ml; the data ranged from 8.24 pg/ml to 19.34 pg/ml. In average, level of interleukin-8 was 28.9 pg/ml, the median – 13.96 pg/ml; there is a large range of values from 0.202 pg/ml to 174.5 pg/ml. There are no significant differences in the values of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 of the main group from the comparison group: for interleukin-6, U = 377.0 (p = 0.074655); for interleukin-8, U = 407.0 (p = 0.863852). The data obtained did not correlate neither between groups nor with the fertility markers of the human semen.
Conclusion. Interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels in the human seminal plasma do not depend on semen viscosity.
Analysis of Embankment Supported by Rigid Inclusions Using Plaxis 3D
Authors: Alsirawan Rashad
Published: August 2021

A rigid inclusion-supported embankment is used to overcome the problems of soft soils. This system is considered complex due to the various interactions between its elements, namely the embankment body, load transfer platform, geogrid layers, piles, and soft soils. The load transfer mechanism is based on the phenomenon of soil arching, the tension in the geogrid layers, support of the soft soils, and friction between piles and soft soil. In this paper, the first part highlights the behaviour of a rigid inclusion-supported embankment validated by field measurements, and the contribution of rigid inclusions technology to the reduction of settlement and creep settlement. In addition, the effect of geogrid in improving the load efficiency and reducing the settlements is presented. In the second part, a comparison is made between many analytical design methods and a three-dimensional finite element analysis method. The results show the inconsistencies between the analytical methods in calculating the load efficiency and the tension in the geogrid.
Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Kejadian Anemia pada Ibu Hamil di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Mpunda Kota Bima
Authors: Nurhaidah Nurhaidah , Rostinah Rostinah
Published: August 2021

The results of the Indonesian Health Demographic Survey in 2017 show that the maternal mortality rate that occurs in Indonesia is 305 / 100.000 live births. This figure is still high and quite far from the target of the Sustainable Development Goals program. One of the factors contributing to the high maternal mortality in Indonesia is due to bleeding caused by anemia during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with anemia in pregnant women. The population in this study were all pregnant women who performed pregnancy examinations at the Mpunda Public Health Center in Bima City for the period of April-May 2020. The number of sample data was 121 using purposive collection techniques. Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test and logistic regression. The results showed that there was a relationship between knowledge and Antenatal Care (ANC) visits with a p value of 0.028 and 0.022. Meanwhile, age, parity and consumption pattern of Fe tablets did not correlate with the incidence of anemia in pregnant women with p value > 0.05. The logistic regression test results show that the knowledge variable has the greatest influence on the incidence of anemia in pregnant women with an OR value of 2.385. It is hoped that health workers will provide information about the importance of conducting regular antenatal care and intensify the provision of information counseling and education about anemia, so that pregnant women are expected to be able to prevent, detect and manage anemia independently.
Personality Traits dan Dukungan Sosial sebagai Prediktor Service Orientation Tenaga Kesehatan
Authors: Qaniah Fadhilah Ahmad , Nurwianti Vifi
Published: August 2021

Personality traits are one of the intrapersonal factors that makes health workers differently doing quality of service orientation. As well as social support from family, friends, and significant others are one of interpersonal factor that assumedly can increase the desire of health workers to serve people better. This research aims to see the influence of personality traits and social support for service orientation of health worker during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research uses quantitative methods with linear regression analysis. Participants were 218 health workers who are active with various professions/jobs according definition of health workers in UU number 36 of 2014. The results show that the effectiveness of personality traits model (R2 adjusted = 0,309) and also the quality of social support (R2 adjusted = 0,166) can significantly predict (p < 0,01) service orientation. Personality traits especially agreeableness traits and conscientiousness traits were shown to be predictors. As well social support, especially from the significant other dimension has been proven to be a predictor. Thus, to improve service orientation, it is necessary to improve the quality of personality traits and social support received.