bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EVALUAREA NON-INVAZIVĂ A FIBROZEI HEPATICE CU AJUTORUL ELESTOGRAFIEI HEPATICE (FIBROSCAN) LA PACIENŢII CU INFECŢIE CRONICĂ VHB ŞI VHC
Authors:   Centrul de Medicină Internă, Institutul Clinic Fundeni, Bucureşti, România, Rădășan Andreea , Voiculescu Mihai ,   Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Carol Davila“, Bucureşti, România,   Centrul de Medicină Internă, Institutul Clinic Fundeni, Bucureşti, România, Iliescu Laura Elena ,   Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Carol Davila“, Bucureşti, România,   Centrul de Medicină Internă, Institutul Clinic Fundeni, Bucureşti, România
Published: August 2021

Introducere. În ultimii ani, s-au făcut progrese majore în ceea ce priveşte tratamentul şi prevenţia hepatitelor virale, însă această patologie reprezintă încă o problema majoră de sănătate şi socioeconomică. Elementul definitoriu pentru această boală este reprezentat de fibroza hepatică, componentă histologică dosebit de importantă datorită rolului sau în constituirea leziunilor hepatice de ciroză hepatică. Astfel, o etapă esenţială în depistarea şi monitorizarea hepatitei virale, o reprezintă detectarea şi măsurarea fibrozei hepatice. Astăzi dispunem de metode invazive de depistare a fibrozei hepatice, puncţia biopsie hepatică, precum şi de metode non-invazive, care la rândul lor se împart în metode serice şi metode imagistice (2). Scopul studiului. Scopul acestui studiu este de a determina dacă elastografia transcutană (FibroScan), metodă imagistică, non-invazivă de elecţie, este la fel de fiabilă în cazul hepatitei virale B, ca şi în cazul hepatitei virale C. Materiale şi metodă: Au fost luaţi în studiu un număr de 1127 pacienţi, având o afecţiune hepatică de etiologie VHB şi VHC. Aceşti pacienţi au fost examinaţi cu ajutorul FibroScan în perioada Iulie 2009 – Aprilie 2011. Rezultate: Din cei 1127 pacienţi investigaţi cu ajutorul FibroScan-ului, 40 dintre aceştia au efectuat şi Puncţie Biopsie Hepatică. Dintre aceştia, 82% au obţinut aceleasi stadii ale fibrozei hepatice la cele două investigaţii, iar 18% au obţinut grade de fibroză diferite la cele două teste. Comparativ, la pacienţii cu virus hepatitic C, am obţinut o concordanţă de 67,81% a celor două teste non-invazive, FibroScan şi FibroMax şi o concordanţă de 79,16% a FibroScan-ului comparativ cu Biopsia Hepatică. Pentru virusul B, concordanţa este chiar mai bună de 75% (FibroScan – FibroMax), respectiv 80% pentru FibroScan – PBH. Concluzii: FibroScan este una din metodele de evaluare non-invazivă a fibrozei hepatice cu acurateţe diagnostică asemănătoare FibroMax-ului şi apropiată de a Puncţiei Biopsie Hepatică.
EXPERIENŢA NOASTRĂ ÎN TRATAMENTUL INFECŢIILOR ULCERELOR VENOASE
Authors:   Secţia de Chirurgie plastică şi Microchirurgie Reconstructivă,  Spitalul Clinic de Urgenţă „Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu“, Bucureşti, România, Cozma Cristina-Nicoleta , Răducu Laura ,   Secţia de Chirurgie plastică şi Microchirurgie Reconstructivă,  Spitalul Clinic de Urgenţă „Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu“, Bucureşti, România,   Departamentul de Chirurgie plastică şi Microchirurgie Reconstructivă, Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Carol Davila“, Bucureşti, România, Balcangiu-Stroescu Andra Elena ,   Facultatea de Medicină Dentară, Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Carol Davila“,  Bucureşti, România, Bădiţă Daniela Gabriela ,   Facultatea de Medicină Dentară, Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Carol Davila“,  Bucureşti, România, Jecan Cristian Radu ,   Secţia de Chirurgie plastică şi Microchirurgie Reconstructivă,  Spitalul Clinic de Urgenţă „Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu“, Bucureşti, România,   Departamentul de Chirurgie plastică şi Microchirurgie Reconstructivă, Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie „Carol Davila“, Bucureşti, România
Published: August 2021

Obiective. Plăgile cronice au o perioadă îndelungată de vindecare, care este influenţată de numeroşi factori, printre care şi infecţiile. Ulcerele venoase reprezintă 80% din ulceraţiile de la nivelul membrului inferior, având un impact major asupra calităţii vieţii pacientului. Scopul acestui studiu a fost de a evalua prezenţa bacteriilor şi de a institui un tratament corespunzător în ulcerele venoase. Material şi metodă. Studiul a înrolat zece pacienţi cu ulcere venoase cronice prezenţi în secţia de Chirurgie plastică a Spitalului Clinic de Urgenţă „Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu“ pe o perioadă de şase luni. Am evaluat cultura plăgilor şi am instituit un tratament corespunzător fiecărui caz în funcţie de antibiogramă. Rezultate. Ulcerele venoase ale membrului inferior au avut o evoluţie favorabilă după administrarea tratamentului antibiotic şi eliminarea infecţiei. S-a realizat, de asemenea, şi debridarea chirurgicală şi acoperirea plăgii cu o grefă de piele. Concluzii. Ulcerele venoase pot evolua pe o perioadă îndelungată (săptămâni sau chiar ani), fiind, de asemenea, asociate cu complicaţii severe precum celulită sau transformare malignă. Unul dintre principalii factori care împiedică vindecarea este infecţia, debridarea chirurgicală asociată cu administrarea sistemică de antibiotice având un rezultat favorabil în epitelizarea ulcerelor venoase.
EVALUAREA A PATRU TESTE FENOTIPICE PENTRU DETECTAREA CARBAPENEMAZELOR DE TIP OXA-48 LA ENTEROBACTERIACEAE
Authors:   Institutul Național de Boli Infecțioase “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, Bucureşti, Tălăpan Daniela ,   Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie “Carol Davila”, Bucureşti, Dorobăț Olga Mihaela ,   Institutul Național de Boli Infecțioase “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, Bucureşti, Bleotu Coralia ,   Institutul de Virusologie Ștefan S. Nicolau, Romanian Academy, Bucureşti, Aldea Ioana ,   Institutul de Virusologie Ștefan S. Nicolau, Romanian Academy, Bucureşti, Necula Laura ,   Institutul de Virusologie Ștefan S. Nicolau, Romanian Academy, Bucureşti, Florea Dragoş ,   Institutul Național de Boli Infecțioase “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, Bucureşti,   Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie “Carol Davila”, Bucureşti, Popescu Gabriel Adrian ,   Institutul Național de Boli Infecțioase “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, Bucureşti,   Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie “Carol Davila”, Bucureşti, Streinu-Cercel Adrian ,   Institutul Național de Boli Infecțioase “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, Bucureşti,   Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie “Carol Davila”, Bucureşti, Rafila Alexandru ,   Institutul Național de Boli Infecțioase “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, Bucureşti,   Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie “Carol Davila”, Bucureşti
Published: August 2021

Enterobacteriaceaele producătoare de carbapenemază au potenţialul de a se răspândi rapid in spitale şi în instituţiile de îngrijire a persoanelor cu dizabilităţi, devenind o problemă majoră de sănătate publică şi pentru controlul infecţiilor. PCR rămâne metoda de referinţă pentru identificarea acestor tulpini, dar este încă scumpă. În acest studiu am evaluat performanţa a patru teste fenotipice pentru identificarea Enterobacteriaceaelor producătoare de carbapenemază tip OXA-48 (Oxacilinază-48). Aceste teste au fost: testul Hodge modificat (MHT), un test care conţine discuri cu meropenem singur sau în combinaţie cu diferiţi inhibitori şi temocilina, un test enzimatic şi unul imunocromatografic. Testele s-au efectuat şi interpretat conform ghidurilor sau recomandărilor producătorilor. Cel mai frecvent microorganism inclus în studiu a fost Klebsiella pneumoniae. Cu o singură excepţie (MHT 87,5%), toate testele au avut o specificitate de 100%. Sensibilitatea a fost de 91,25% pentru MHT, 90% pentru combinaţia de discuri, 95% pentru testul enzimatic şi 82,5% pentru testul imunocromatografic.
INFECTIONS AND PREMATURITY, IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS FOR NEONATAL MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY
Authors:   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Tarca Elena , Gavrilescu Simona ,   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Florescu Laura ,   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Infantcare, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Murgu Alina Mariela ,   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Ungureanu Monica ,   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Preventive Medicine and Interdisciplinarity, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Lupu Vasile Valeriu ,   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Mindru Dana Elena ,   “Grigore T. Popa” Department of Infantcare, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi
Published: August 2021

Infant mortality is a major problem in developing countries and, unfortunately, this is the case of our country as well, given that Romania ranks first in the European Union in this respect, with an infant mortality rate of 9 ‰, compared to an average of roughly 4 ‰. Worldwide, over 15 million babies are born prematurely each year and, out of these, more than a million die due to prematurity and infections, which are the main risk factors for neonatal mortality. The risk of infection is several times higher in preterm newborns than in full-term newborns – about 80% of neonatal infections occur in premature infants. A significant proportion of the survivors of prematurity will have important neurological sequelae because of neonatal infections as well as of intracerebral bleeding or hypoxia at birth. Continuing medical education in both the general population and the medical sector is crucial in preventing premature births and neonatal infections and, consequently, in decreasing infant morbidity and mortality rates in our country.
INFECTIONS MANAGEMENT IN VENOUS LEG ULCERS: A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE
Authors:   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, “Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, Cozma Cristina-Nicoleta , Raducu Laura ,   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, “Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania,   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, Balcangiu-Stroescu Andra-Elena ,   Dentistry Faculty, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, Badita Daniela-Gabriela ,   Dentistry Faculty, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, Jecan Cristian Radu ,   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, “Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania,   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
Published: August 2021

Objectives. Chronic wounds have a prolonged period of healing due to numerous factors, including infections. Venous ulcers represent almost 80% of the lower extremity ulcerations, having a great impact on the patient's quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of bacteria and the proper management in treating venous leg ulcers. Material and methods. The study enrolled ten patients with chronic venous leg ulcers hospitalized in the Plastic Surgery Department of the Emergency Clinical Hospital “Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu”, during a period of six months. For each patient included in the study, we assessed the wounds culture and we started an antibiotic treatment, according to the antibiogram, which was completed by the surgical treatment of the wound. Outcomes. Venous leg ulcers had a favorable outcome after the administration of antibiotic therapy, surgical debridement of the wound and coverage with a skin graft. Conclusions. Venous ulcers may evolve over an extended period of time (weeks or years) and may also be associated with severe complications, such as cellulites or malignant transformation. Infections affect the healing process. Surgical debridement associated with systemic administration of antibiotics has a favorable outcome in the epithelialization of venous ulcers.
A CHALLENGING NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATION IN A YOUNG HIV-INFECTED WOMAN
Authors:   “Victor Babes” Clinical Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Bucharest, Ianache Irina , Oprea Cristiana ,   “Victor Babes” Clinical Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Bucharest,   “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest
Published: August 2021

Background: The management of HIV infected patients with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) represents a challenge, especially in those with cerebral opportunistic infections. Case description: We present a 26 year-old woman, diagnosed with HIV infection and admitted in our hospital with severe anemia, depression and anxiety. Lab screens showed severe anemia and immunosuppression (CD4 cell count 63 cells/mm3 ) and high plasma HIV-RNA (6.25 log10 copies/mL). After one month treatment with lamivudine 3TC, tenofovir (TDF) and raltegravir RAL and important immune recovery (CD4 192 cells/mm3 ) and significant decay in HIV viral load to 1.5 log10 copies/mL were noticed. The initial clinical evolution was unfavorable with the appearance of generalized seizures, movement disturbances, auditory hallucinations and right hemiparesis. CSF exam was normal with negative bacterial and fungal cultures but with detectable HIV-RNA – 82 copies/mL (1.90 log10 copies/mL). Brain MRI showed hyperintense lesions on T2 and FLAIR sequences and hypointense on T1 sequences, localized in fronto-temporal areas, right cerebellum and pons. In evolution, there was a continuing worsening of psychiatric and neurological symptoms with severe tremor, axial hypotonia, generalized weakness and severe sleep disturbances. Atypical brain MRI lesions in the presence of severe psychiatric symptoms raised difficulties in establishing the cause of the neurological complication. The important progression of the lesion in the white matter, the appearance of contrast enhancement and the presence of JC – DNA in CSF suggested the diagnosis of PML IRIS. The patient was treated with high doses of cortisone, antipsychotic drugs and continued cART, with a slow clinical recovery and brain MRI improvement starting with 4 months of treatment. Conclusion: The diagnosis of the neurological complication was difficult due to the atypical onset, the presence of concomitant psychiatric symptoms and the atypical initial brain imaging.
TRATAMENTUL CIROZEI HEPATICE CU VIRUS HEPATITIC C, CU INTERFERON PEGYLAT-RIBAVIRINĂ ŞI INTERFERON FREE – STUDIU COMPARATIV
Authors:   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011, Florescu S.A. , Lazăr S. ,   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011, Oprea C. ,   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011, Moţoc A. ,   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011, Codreanu D. ,   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011, Kosa A.G. ,   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011, Ceauşu E. ,   Grupul de lucru proiect PN II PT PCCA 88/2011
Published: August 2021

Articolul descrie comparativ efectele adverse şi eficienţa tratamentelor disponibile prin Casa Naţională de Asigurări de Sănătate (CNAS) pentru hepatita cronică de tip C, pe o populaţie de pacienţi monitorizată în Spitalul Clinic de Boli Infecţioase şi Tropicale „Dr.V. Babeş“, în perioada 2012-2016. Populaţia a fost împărţită în două loturi pentru care s-a realizat înregistrarea caracteristicilor demografice şi clinico-paraclinice în baza de date, precum şi o analiză comparativă. S-a constatat un succes evident în privinţa atingerii indicatorului clinic SVR pentru terapia de tip DAA, 87% în lotul B comparativ cu 2% pentru vechiul standard PegInterferon + Ribavirin, în lotul A. De asemenea, ponderea efectelor adverse este mult scăzută la lotul B faţă de lotul A. Rămân anumite efecte adverse – specifice tratamentului CNAS actual pentru pacienţii cu ciroză, care trebuiesc monitorizate cu atenţie.
Diagnosis of the problems in Korean military force development systems
Authors: Kang Chunsoo , Kim Juchan
Published: August 2021

The Republic of Korea (ROK) military has pursued development with a focus on the defense force development system since the Yulgok project, which began in the 1970s for the purpose of self-defense. Currently, the ROK defense force development system seems to be very methodical, and it determines requirements by using the joint combat development system, reflects the budget in the defense planning and management system, and manages the acquisition project in the defense acquisition system; however; it has many problems.
These problems include fierce competition among the services, limited verification, ambiguous standards and references for requirements, complicated procedures and regulations, and failure to reflect the rapid changes in the security environment and science and technology in military force development. The most important issue is that the Joint Chiefs of Staff should lead the development of the forces based on the concept of joint operations; however, they are focused on only the current operation and neglect their main goals as the top military organization, such as mid- to long-term force development and military strategy. The Joint Chiefs of Staff should revise the organization, mission performance system, and regulations to properly perform the core functions of the defense organization that establishes long-term response strategies and builds response capabilities according to the changes in the security and strategic environment.
Perspectives of resilience components for improvement of 5G network system in the defense sector
Authors: Lee Keumseong , Baek Seungnyung , Choi Kyunghwan
Published: August 2021

Future battlefield situations in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are expected to increase the dependence on network systems. In these situations, the impact of the system could lead to a defeat on the battlefield. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to recognize the importance of the resilience of network systems, identify the factors that can increase the resilience of the system, and present improvements.
Unlike in previous studies that were focused on technology improvement and development for applying the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the defense sector in the future, in this study, resilience is considered. Four components of resilience, depending on the specificity of the defense sector, are proposed for the introduction/design phase of the network system, serving as a starting point for implementing a high-quality system by specifically considering problems and improvements.
FINANCING CONSTRAINTS, INTERNAL CONTROL QUALITY AND COST STICKINESS
Authors: Chen Yufeng , Ma Yanbai
Published: August 2021

Managers think that retaining resources is more effective than rebuilding resources after exhausting them. However, financing constraints have brought great uncertainty to this resource decision-making implemented by managers. Data of manufacturing listed firms in China from 2009 to 2017 are used here to explore the impact of financing constraints on cost stickiness. This paper finds that internal financing constraints have a significant promoting effect on cost stickiness, while debt financing constraints and equity financing constraints have a significant restraining effect on cost stickiness. The internal control quality has a moderation effect on this relationship. In a firm with low quality of internal control, internal financing constraints can enhance cost stickiness, but the weakening effect of external financing on cost stickiness is not affected by internal control quality.
Elemental Abundances of the Hot Atmosphere of Luminous Infrared Galaxy Arp 299
Authors: Mao Junjie , Zhou Ping , Simionescu Aurora , Su Yuanyuan , Fukazawa Yasushi , Gu Liyi , Akamatsu Hiroki , Zhu Zhenlin , de Plaa Jelle , Mernier François , Kaastra Jelle S.
Published: August 2021

Hot atmospheres of massive galaxies are enriched with metals. Elemental abundances measured in the X-ray band have been used to study the chemical enrichment of supernova remnants, elliptical galaxies, groups, and clusters of galaxies. Here we measure the elemental abundances of the hot atmosphere of luminous infrared galaxy Arp 299 observed with XMM-Newton. To measure the abundances in the hot atmosphere, we use a multi-temperature thermal plasma model, which provides a better fit to the Reflection Grating Spectrometer data. The observed Fe/O abundance ratio is subsolar, while those of Ne/O and Mg/O are slightly above solar. Core-collapse supernovae (SNcc) are the dominant metal factory of elements like O, Ne, and Mg. We find some deviations between the observed abundance patterns and theoretical ones from a simple chemical enrichment model. One possible explanation is that massive stars with M
⋆ ≳ 23–27 M
⊙ might not explode as SNcc and enrich the hot atmosphere. This is in accordance with the missing massive SNcc progenitors problem, where very massive progenitors M
⋆ ≳ 18 M
⊙ of SNcc have not been clearly detected. It is also possible that theoretical SNcc nucleosynthesis yields of Mg/O yields are underestimated.
Treatment of Gingival Recession Class II Defect using Buccal Fat Pad versus Platelet Rich Fibrin using Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access Technique
Authors: Kamal Aya , Abdel Meguid Moustafa Ahmed , Abdallah Khalil Ahmed
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTAim of study: The aim of this study was to Compare the effectiveness of Non-pedicled buccal fat pad versus Platelet rich fibrin in treatment of Miller class II gingival recession using vistubular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access TechniquePatients and methods:This study was conducted on 40 patients with class II gingival recession in anterior or premolar segment. The entire patients were selected from the out patient clinic of the Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, and Periodontology Department. Faculty of Dentistry, Minya University.Forty patients with gingival recession class II were divided randomly into two groups:Group I: (20 defect) using VISTA technique with Non- pedicled buccal fat pad (NPBFP), Group II: (20 defect) using VISTA technique with platelet rich fibrin (PRF).Results: In both groups all clinical parameters were statistically significant from pre-operative period till 6 months follow up period. In the comparison between the two groups after 6 months follow up period, there were no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding all clinical parameters except percentage of root coverage; there was significant increase in percentage of root coverage after 3 and 6 months follow up period in group II with p value was less than 0.05.Conclusion: Both PRF membrane and NPBFP are effective in the management of Class II gingival recession defects using VISTA technique. PRF group has better results regarding percentage of root coverage than NPBPF group after 3 and 6 months follow up.
Red wood ants in Bulgaria: distribution and density related to habitat characteristics
Authors: Antonova Vera , Marinov Martin P.
Published: August 2021

The only National Inventory of red wood ants in Bulgaria was carried out about 50 years ago (1970–1973). Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761, F. pratensis Retzius, 1783, F. lugubris Zetterstedt, 1838 and F. polyctena (as F. polyctena x rufa hybrid) were found in a current monitoring programme. This study presents data on their current distribution and nest density, and provides more details about the habitat requirements for conservation purposes. Field studies were carried out by the transect method along the main mountainous areas in Bulgaria. We found 256 nests of red wood ants along 172 transects. The most abundant species was F. lugubris, followed by F. rufa and F. pratensis. Among the environmental variables, the elevation, exposure, ecological groups of plants, stone cover, grass cover, canopy cover and forest age appeared as significantly related to the presence and nest density of red wood ants.
Update on the invasion status of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868), in Madrid, a large city in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: López-Collar Diego , Cabrero-Sañudo Francisco J.
Published: August 2021

New geolocated records of the invasive ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) are added to the previous references for the city of Madrid and its surroundings, and the possible causes of the occurrence and permanence of this species in urban areas are discussed. The data collection corresponds to a series of samplings carried out for the last three years in green areas of the city, bibliographic searches, citizen science platforms and personal communications. To date, eleven locations in the urban area of Madrid and four points outside the city have been registered. The city of Madrid is undergoing a colonisation by the Argentine ant, although it is not widespread yet, since observations over time and space are isolated and apparently unrelated. However, this species has a great capacity to disperse and establish new colonies, mainly human-mediated through the transport of goods, plants, gardening tools, etc. Considering the numerous colonizable urban green areas in the city that can provide the necessary conditions for its expansion, the Argentine ant should not be underestimated, and immediate action is strongly recommended.
Insect feeds in salmon aquaculture: sociotechnical imagination and responsible story-telling
Authors: Strand R. , Gamboa G. , Dankel D.J. , Giampietro M.
Published: August 2021

Salmon aquaculture is a growing industry with increasing challenges of feed sustainability and availability. This global sustainability issue has led to calls for novel feeds. Aquafly, a Norwegian research project, has performed small-scale tests using the black soldier fly as an ingredient in salmon diet. However, in order for insect feeds to become a reality on the industrial scale, workable scientific, technical and political solutions have to be envisioned in tandem. In this study, we studied, elicited and assessed sociotechnical imaginaries in the Aquafly research consortium, using the approaches of concomitant ELSA research, the Ethical Matrix and Quantitative Story-Telling. We show how the sociotechnical imaginaries develop together with the scientific trajectory of the project, and how this also affects the assessment of the ethical and environmental impacts of the technology, including issues of food and feed safety and security, fish health and welfare, pollution and efficient use of waste streams. We show how there are intrinsic challenges when dealing with global sustainability issues in the research project. For instance, overcoming the problem of salmon feed scarcity may aggravate the challenges caused by intensive aquaculture. We report the results of a Quantitative Story-Telling exercise that indicates that Aquafly can be seen as part of a larger economy of technological promise, and discuss if and how this critique can be employed and integrated into scientific and technical imagination in a research project, contributing to Responsible Research and Innovation.
Resource-efficient and eco-friendly model for fruit processing industry waste valorisation using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae under tropical conditions
Authors: Perera K.S.L. , Liyanage C.J. , Jinadasa H.R.N. , Gedara P.M. Korale , Karunaratne W.A.I.P.
Published: August 2021

A pilot facility was developed to evaluate the digestion efficiency of mixed fruit peel waste by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae); BSF) larvae in Sri Lanka. Larval biomass was characterised by proximate analysis and the techno-functional properties of BSF larvae flour protein were determined. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of operating an onsite BSF digestion facility for a medium scale fruit juice manufacturer. The observed optimum feeding rate was 1.5 g/larva. A bioconversion rate of 15.41 was achieved. The waste reduction index was 1.73. The feed conversion rate was 3.85. The efficiency of conversion of digested food was 0.29. The highest wet and dry weight reductions were 61.72 and 55.10% respectively, indicating very efficient digestion. The crude protein content of BSF larvae was 40.87% while the crude fat content was 26.67%, proving it is a potential protein source as a feed ingredient. The protein fraction also had highly desirable techno-functional properties (water-binding capacity 3.00 g/gDM, oil binding capacity 5.22 g/gDM, emulsifying capacity 36.00 ml/g, foaming capacity 0.48, and foaming stability 0.15). The waste is currently being dumped in a non-sustainable manner at US$ 10.00 per one metric ton. The cost-benefit analysis showed a net benefit of US$ 3,963.76 per month from this valorisation, suggesting it is a highly viable, eco-friendly option for processing fruit processing industry or similar organic waste under tropical conditions in middle income countries.
Economic and ecological values of frass fertiliser from black soldier fly agro-industrial waste processing
Authors: Beesigamukama D. , Mochoge B. , Korir N. , Menale K. , Muriithi B. , Kidoido M. , Kirscht H. , Diiro G. , Ghemoh C.J. , Sevgan S. , Nakimbugwe D. , Musyoka M.W. , Ekesi S. , Tanga C.M.
Published: August 2021

The sustainable utilisation of black soldier fly (BSF) for recycling organic waste into high-quality protein feed and organic fertiliser with a low environmental footprint is gaining momentum worldwide. Although BSF farming is becoming a rapidly growing agribusiness, studies on the BSF farming’s economic aspects are limited. This study analysed the economic benefits of farming BSF for animal feeds and composted frass, called frass fertiliser (FF) production using experimental data. The BSF larvae were fed on brewery spent grain amended with sawdust, biochar, and gypsum to determine the cost-effective feed and other by-products production. The agronomic performance of FF on the maize crop was assessed using field experiments. Our results demonstrated that sourcing and preparing the waste substrate for rearing the BSF larvae accounts for 81-90% of the total BSF production cost. The utilisation of FF as an additional value-added product would increase farmer’s net income by 5-15 folds compared to BSF farming alone. Feedstock amended with 20% biochar increased net income by 10-64% for BSF larvae and FF production than other feedstocks. Production of one megagram (Mg) of dried BSF larvae (USD 900) would generate 10-34 Mg of FF worth USD 3,000-10,200. Maize grown on plots treated with FF yielded 29-44% higher net income than maize harvested from plots amended with commercial organic fertiliser. Furthermore, smallholder insect farmers’ direct use of FF for maize production would generate 30-232% higher net income than farmers purchasing similar FF. Our results demonstrate for the first time the role of insect farming in circular economy and justify the opportunities for future investments that would lead to enhanced sustainability for agricultural and food systems, especially for smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries.
Performance of the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) on by-product diets in small-scale production
Authors: Sorjonen J.M. , Karhapää M. , Holm S. , Valtonen A. , Roininen H.
Published: August 2021

As insect farming is becoming more popular in Europe and in the US, the use of food industry by-products in insects’ feed is drawing more attention. However, it is still unclear how to maximise the use of by-products in the feeds while meeting the nutritional requirements and maintaining profitable rearing yields with the current production technology. In this study, we conducted an experiment in Finnish small-scale cricket farming and laboratory conditions to determine whether five diet treatments, including by-product diets with barley mash and turnip rape, modify the overall fresh yield (kg), development time and feed conversion rate of the house crickets (Acheta domesticus). We discovered that the diets differed in the overall fresh cricket yield (kg) but not in the development time or the feed conversion rate of the crickets. The diets with a high proportion of by-product decreased the price of the feed but at the same time reduced the yield. Based on our results, complex by-product diets with the by-product proportion of 20-41% are the most suitable for house cricket rearing.
Traditional rearing techniques of the edible Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia Smith) and its socio-economic perspective in Nagaland, India
Authors: Kiewhuo P. , Mozhui L. , Kakati L.N. , Lirikum  , Meyer-Rochow V.B.
Published: August 2021

The larvae, pupae and adult of the world’s largest hornet Vespa mandarinia are a nutritious food popular among the different ethnic communities of Nagaland. The traditional method of collecting, rearing and consuming V. mandarinia still persists among the tribal people. Semi-domestication of V. mandarinia practiced in the region has been found to facilitate the production of hornets for socio-economic purposes; thereby contributing to conservation and a sustainable utilisation of the hornets. Eight to nine combs measuring 30-45 cm in diameter are usually harvested, each of which fetching an amount of Rs. 10,000-50,000. The present investigation provides data on the crude protein content of the larvae and pupae which amounts to 52.82 and 60.99%, respectively, suggesting that hornet grubs represent an important source of nutrition. While V. mandarinia are considered as pest in western countries and most of East Asia, the present study suggests hornets as a promising alternative food item rich in protein and that hornet rearing can improve the state of health and economic situation of Nagaland’s poorer section of the society.
Heat-induced reduction of deoxynivalenol and its modified forms during flaking and cooking of oat
Authors: Hole A.S. , Rud I. , Sahlstrøm S. , Ivanova L. , Eriksen G.S. , Divon H.H.
Published: August 2021

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its modified forms deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G) and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON) are common contaminants in Norwegian oats. In order to provide more information about the fate of these mycotoxins during oat processing, the levels of DON, DON-3G, 3-ADON and the sum of them (total DON) were determined using LC-HRMS/MS at different processing steps. Oat groat was softened by either steaming or conditioning, rolled into flakes of two thicknesses, and subsequently cooked to produce flake porridges. Flour of oat groat (untreated or kilned) was cooked to flour porridges. The flaking process had major effect on the mycotoxin levels in resulting flakes, with significant impact for type of softening regime, but not for flake size. Steam-softening caused the largest reduction of DON, DON-3G and total DON in flakes, retaining 41, 60 and 46%, respectively, compared to oat groat. In contrast, 3-ADON in flakes was most reduced by conditioning, to 29% of the levels in oat groat. Cooking to porridge from flakes did not result in any additional mycotoxin reduction, though significant impact of flake size was shown in the final porridges, with highest reduction of total DON in the porridges originating from steamed thick flakes. Cooking porridge from untreated oat flour gave significant reduction in mycotoxin levels, however not for kilned oat flour which had already undergone reduction during kilning. In conclusion, the study shows that processes involving heat-treatment, i.e. kilning, steaming or cooking, efficiently reduced total DON in oats during flaking and porridge cooking, and reduction is dependent on previous processing steps.
Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in bovine milk and associated risk factors among dairy farms of Punjab, India
Authors: Thukral H. , Dhaka P. , Bedi J. Singh , Aulakh R. Singh
Published: August 2021

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in milk and milk products may pose a major public health concern. The present cross-sectional study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of AFM1 in bovine milk across all districts of Punjab, India and to identify the associated animal and farm level risk factors. A total of 402 milk samples (266 cow milk and 136 buffalo milk) were analysed using commercial ELISA and representative samples were confirmed using HPLC-FLD. The results revealed that 56.2 and 13.4% of the milk samples exceeded the maximum levels of the European Union, i.e. 0.05 μg/l and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), i.e. 0.5 μg/l for AFM1 in milk, respectively. On analysis of species variation, buffalo milk (prevalence: 56.6%; mean concentration: 0.42±0.9 μg/l) was found to have higher AFM1 levels than cow milk (prevalence: 56.0%; mean concentration: 0.19±0.3 μg/l), with statistically significant difference between mean concentrations (P<0.01) and non-significant difference between AFM1 prevalence (P=0.91). Furthermore, milk from commercial dairy farms (prevalence: 64.7%; mean concentration: 0.34±0.65 μg/l) was found to be more contaminated than from household dairy establishments (prevalence: 47.8%; mean concentration: 0.19±0.65 μg/l). The risk factors ‘above average milk yield/day’ (odds ratio (OR): 2.4) and ‘poor animal hygiene’ (OR: 1.9) were identified at animal level, and ‘intensive dairy farming’ (OR: 3.1) and ‘animal feed without aflatoxin binder’ (OR: 4.7) as farm level risk factors for AFM1 excretion above maximum levels of European Union in milk. Among cow breeds, the milk from ‘non-descript’ breed (OR: 11.5) was found to be most contaminated with AFM1 and the least from Jersey breed (OR: 1.0). The present study highlighted the presence of AFM1 in milk samples; therefore, regular monitoring of AFM1 in milk is required so that high risk regions and associated risk factors can be addressed appropriately.
The impact of time-varying risk on stock returns: an experiment of cubic piecewise polynomial function model and the Fourier Flexible Form model
Authors: Huang Fangzhou ,   School of Management, Swansea University, Swansea, UK, Song Jiao , Taylor Nick J. ,   Research and Evaluation Division, Knowledge Directorate, Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK,   School of Accounting and Finance, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Published: August 2021

With fast evolving econometric techniques being adopted in asset pricing, traditional linear asset pricing models have been criticized by their limited function on capturing the time-varying nature of data and risk, especially the absence of data smoothing is of concern. In this paper, the impact of data smoothing is explored by applying two asset pricing models with non-linear feature: cubic piecewise polynomial function (CPPF) model and the Fourier Flexible Form (FFF) model are performed on US stock returns as an experiment. The traditional beta coefficient is treated asymmetrically as downside beta and upside beta in order to capture corresponding risk, and further, to explore the risk premia attached in a cross-sectional context. It is found that both models show better goodness of fit comparing to classic linear asset pricing model cross-sectionally. When appropriate knots and orders are determined by Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), the goodness of fit is further improved, and the model with both CPPF and FFF betas employed showed the best fit among other models. The findings fill the gap in literature, specifically on both investigating and pricing the time variation and asymmetric nature of systematic risk. The methods and models proposed in this paper embed advanced mathematical techniques of data smoothing and widen the options of asset pricing models. The application of proposed models is proven to superiorly provide high degree of explanatory power to capture and price time-varying risk in stock market.
Sums of finite products of Chebyshev polynomials of two different types
Authors: Kim Taekyun ,   Department of Mathematics, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 139-701, Korea, Kim Dae San , Dolgy Dmitry V. , Kwon Jongkyum ,   Department of Mathematics, Sogang University, Seoul 121-742, Korea,   Kwangwoon Glocal Education Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 139-701, Korea,   Department of Mathematics Education, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we consider sums of finite products of the second and third type Chebyshev polynomials, those of the second and fourth type Chebyshev polynomials and those of the third and fourth type Chebyshev polynomials, and represent each of them as linear combinations of Chebyshev polynomials of all types. Here the coefficients involve some terminating hypergeometric functions $ {}_{2}F_{1} $. This problem can be viewed as a generalization of the classical linearization problems and is done by explicit computations.
Local geometric properties of the lightlike Killing magnetic curves in de Sitter 3-space
Authors: Jiang Xiaoyan ,   School of Science, China University of Petroleum (east China), Qingdao, 266555, China, Sun Jianguo
Published: August 2021

In this article, we mainly discuss the local differential geometrical properties of the lightlike Killing magnetic curve $ \mathit{\boldsymbol{\gamma }}(s) $ in $ \mathbb{S}^{3}_{1} $ with a magnetic field $ \boldsymbol{ V} $. Here, a new Frenet frame $ \{\mathit{\boldsymbol{\gamma }}, \boldsymbol{ T}, \boldsymbol{ N}, \boldsymbol{ B}\} $ is established, and we obtain the local structure of $ \mathit{\boldsymbol{\gamma }}(s) $. Moreover, the singular properties of the binormal lightlike surface of the $ \mathit{\boldsymbol{\gamma }}(s) $ are given. Finally, an example is used to understand the main results of the paper.
Cost-efficient service selection and execution and blockchain-enabled serverless network for internet of medical things
Authors: Lakhan Abdullah ,   Research Lab of AI and Information Security, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari, Karachi, Sindh Pakistan, Dootio Mazhar Ali , Sodhro Ali Hassan , Pirbhulal Sandeep , Groenli Tor Morten , Khokhar Muhammad Saddam , Wang Lei ,   Department of Computer and System Science, Mid Sweden University, Ostersund, Sweden,   Department of Computer Science, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden,   Department of Information Security and Communication Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjovik 2815, Norway,   Norwegian Computing Center, P.O. Box 114, Blindern, Oslo 0314, Norway,   Kristiania University College, Department of Technology, Mobile Technology Lab,   Shenzhen Institues of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China,   College of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Wenzhou University, 325035, China
Published: August 2021

These days, healthcare applications on the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) network have been growing to deal with different diseases via different sensors. These healthcare sensors are connecting to the various healthcare fog servers. The hospitals are geographically distributed and offer different services to the patients from any ubiquitous network. However, due to the full offloading of data to the insecure servers, two main challenges exist in the IoMT network. (i) Data security of workflows healthcare applications between different fog healthcare nodes. (ii) The cost-efficient and QoS efficient scheduling of healthcare applications in the IoMT system. This paper devises the Cost-Efficient Service Selection and Execution and Blockchain-Enabled Serverless Network for Internet of Medical Things system. The goal is to choose cost-efficient services and schedule all tasks based on their QoS and minimum execution cost. Simulation results show that the proposed outperform all existing schemes regarding data security, validation by 10%, and cost of application execution by 33% in IoMT.
Differences in the prevalence of physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors between people living at low (<1,001 m) compared to moderate (1,001–2,000 m) altitude
Authors: Burtscher Martin ,   University of Innsbruck, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria, Millet Grégoire P , Klimont Jeannette , Burtscher Johannes ,   Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland,   Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland,   Unit Demography and Health, Directorate Social Statistics, Statistics Austria, 1110 Vienna, Austria
Published: August 2021

Living at moderate altitude (up to about 2,000 m) was shown to be associated with distinct health benefits, including lower mortality from cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. However, it remains unclear, whether those benefits are mainly due to environmental conditions (e.g., hypoxia, temperature, solar ultra-violet radiation) or differences in lifestyle behavior, including regular physical activity levels. This study aims to compare altitude-related differences in levels of physical activity and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes in an Alpine country. We interrogated the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS) 2019, a nationally representative study of persons aged over 15 years living in private Austrian households. The results confirm a higher prevalence of hypertension (24.2% vs. 16.8%) in men living at low (<1,001 m) compared to those at moderate (1,001 to 2,000 m) altitude. Women living above 1,000 m tend to have a lower prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (14.8% vs. 18.8%) and diabetes (3.2% vs. 5.6%) than their lower living peers. Both sexes have lower average body mass index (BMI) when residing at moderate altitude (men: 25.7, women: 23.9) compared to those living lower (26.6 and 25.2). Severe obesity (BMI > 40) is almost exclusively restricted to low altitude dwellers. Only men report to be more physically active on average when living higher (1,453 vs. 1,113 weekly MET minutes). These novel findings confirm some distinct benefits of moderate altitude residence on heath. Beside climate conditions, differences in lifestyle behavior, i.e., physical activity, have to be considered when interpreting those health-related divergences, and consequently also mortality data, between people residing at low and moderate altitudes.
Social Entrepreneurship Typologies
Authors: Pérez Andrea , López-Gutiérrez Carlos , Fernández-Laviada Ana
Published: August 2021

Despite the increasing research in the field of social entrepreneurship (SE), unfortunately there is not yet consensus on its conceptualization. The main points of disagreement are related to the business mission and to the source of income. Based on these two dimensions and a bottom-up approach, this chapter contributes to previous literature by proposing and empirically exploring a categorization of three types of social entrepreneurs—socially responsible entrepreneur (SRE), social enterprise entrepreneur (SEE), and social initiative entrepreneur (SIE)—which is applied empirically to explore the social entrepreneurs' personal characteristics (gender, age, and education), similarities, and differences. Multinomial logistic regressions are applied on an international sample of GEM data that includes 11,280 commercial entrepreneurs and 3,373 social entrepreneurs. The findings of the study will permit researchers and practitioners to understand previous empirical findings on social entrepreneurship more clearly and to advance in the study of this evolving phenomenon.