bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiologically based metformin pharmacokinetics model of mice and scale-up to humans for the estimation of concentrations in various tissues
Authors: Zake Darta Maija , Kurlovics Janis , Zaharenko Linda , Komasilovs Vitalijs , Klovins Janis , Stalidzans Egils
Published: April 2021

Metformin is the primary drug for type 2 diabetes treatment and a promising candidate for other disease treatment. It has significant deviations between individuals in therapy efficiency and pharmacokinetics, leading to the administration of an unnecessary overdose or an insufficient dose. There is a lack of data regarding the concentration-time profiles in various human tissues that limits the understanding of pharmacokinetics and hinders the development of precision therapies for individual patients. The physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model developed in this study is based on humans’ known physiological parameters (blood flow, tissue volume, and others). The missing tissue-specific pharmacokinetics parameters are estimated by developing a PBPK model of metformin in mice where the concentration time series in various tissues have been measured. Some parameters are adapted from human intestine cell culture experiments. The resulting PBPK model for metformin in humans includes 21 tissues and body fluids compartments and can simulate metformin concentration in the stomach, small intestine, liver, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle adipose, and brain depending on the body weight, dose, and administration regimen. Simulations for humans with a bodyweight of 70kg have been analyzed for doses in the range of 500-1500mg. Most tissues have a half-life (T1/2) similar to plasma (3.7h) except for the liver and intestine with shorter T1/2 and muscle, kidney, and red blood cells that have longer T1/2. The highest maximal concentrations (Cmax) turned out to be in the intestine (absorption process) and kidney (excretion process), followed by the liver. The developed metformin PBPK model for mice does not have a compartment for red blood cells and consists of 20 compartments. The developed human model can be personalized by adapting measurable values (tissue volumes, blood flow) and measuring metformin concentration time-course in blood and urine after a single dose of metformin. The personalized model can be used as a decision support tool for precision therapy development for individuals.
Partisanship, health behavior, and policy attitudes in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Gadarian Shana Kushner , Goodman Sara Wallace , Pepinsky Thomas B.
Published: April 2021

Objective

To study the U.S. public’s health behaviors, attitudes, and policy opinions about COVID-19 in the earliest weeks of the national health crisis (March 20–23, 2020).

Method

We designed and fielded an original representative survey of 3,000 American adults between March 20–23, 2020 to collect data on a battery of 38 health-related behaviors, government policy preferences on COVID-19 response and worries about the pandemic. We test for partisan differences COVID-19 related policy attitudes and behaviors, measured in three different ways: party affiliation, intended 2020 Presidential vote, and self-placed ideological positioning. Our multivariate approach adjusts for a wide range of individual demographic and geographic characteristics that might confound the relationship between partisanship and health behaviors, attitudes, and preferences.

Results

We find that partisanship—measured as party identification, support for President Trump, or left-right ideological positioning—explains differences in Americans across a wide range of health behaviors and policy preferences. We find no consistent evidence that controlling for individual news consumption, the local policy environment, and local pandemic-related deaths erases the observed partisan differences in health behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes. In further analyses, we use a LASSO regression approach to select predictors, and find that a partisanship indicator is the most commonly selected predictor across the 38 dependent variables that we study.

Conclusion

Our analysis of individual self-reported behavior, attitudes, and policy preferences in response to COVID-19 reveals that partisanship played a central role in shaping individual responses in the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results indicate that partisan differences in responding to a national public health emergency were entrenched from the earliest days of the pandemic.
Anticipatory and pre-planned actions: A comparison between young soccer players and swimmers
Authors: Nardello Francesca , Bertucco Matteo , Cesari Paola
Published: April 2021

The present study investigated whether a difference exists in reactive and proactive control for sport considered open or closed skills dominated. Sixteen young (11–12 years) athletes (eight soccer players and eight swimmers) were asked to be engaged into two games competitions that required either a reactive and a proactive type of control. By means of kinematic (i.e. movement time and duration) and dynamic analysis through the force platform (i.e. Anticipatory Postural Adjustments, APAs), we evaluated the level of ability and stability in reacting and anticipating actions. Results indicated that soccer players outperformed swimmers by showing higher stability and a smaller number of falls during the competition where proactive control was mainly required. Soccer players were able to reach that result by anticipating actions through well-modulated APAs. On the contrary, during the competition where reactive control was mainly required, performances were comparable between groups. Therefore, the development of specific action control is already established at 11–12 years of age and is enhanced by the training specificity.
5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA) accumulates in GIST-T1 cells and photodynamic diagnosis using 5-ALA identifies gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in xenograft tumor models
Authors: Sasaki Makiko , Tanaka Mamoru , Ichikawa Hiroshi , Suzuki Taketo , Nishie Hirotada , Ozeki Keiji , Shimura Takaya , Kubota Eiji , Tanida Satoshi , Kataoka Hiromi
Published: April 2021

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) diagnosis using conventional gastrointestinal endoscopy is difficult because such malignancies cannot be distinguished from other types of submucosal tumors. Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) is based on the preferential uptake of photosensitizers by tumor tissues and its detection by fluorescence emission upon laser excitation. In this study, we investigated whether PDD using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a standard photosensitizer used worldwide, could be used for GIST diagnosis. 5-ALA is metabolized to endogenous fluorescent protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). We examined the accumulation of PpIX in GIST-T1 cells using flow cytometry and immunofluorescent staining. Furthermore, we established GIST-T1 xenograft mouse models and examined PpIX accumulation in the resultant tumors. PpIX accumulated in GIST-T1 cells and was localized mainly to lysosomes. PpIX accumulation was also observed in murine xenograft tumors. Moreover, tumor and normal tissues could be distinctly identified by relative PpIX fluorescence. Thus, our results demonstrated that PDD with 5-ALA has substantial clinical potential for GIST diagnosis.
Special care dentistry perception among dentists in Jakarta: An online survey study
Authors: Mandasari Masita , Rahmayanti Febrina , Derbi Hajer , Wimardhani Yuniardini S.
Published: April 2021

Special Care Dentistry (SCD) or Special Needs Dentistry is a branch of dentistry concerned with the oral health of people with a variety of medical conditions or limitations that require more than routine delivery of care. There were reports on oral status of special care patients and special interest group for SCD dentists in Indonesia has existed. However, there was not perception report on SCD amongst dentists in Jakarta. This paper will describe the perception of dentists in Jakarta towards SCD. A cross-sectional questionnaire, translated and cross adapted to Indonesian, was distributed online through Whatsapp to dentists registered in Jakarta late 2019. Quantitative data was analyzed using statistical software for proportion and correlation using Chi-Square test. The questionnaire explored dentists’ perception towards SCD. A total of 250 dentists participated in this study, of them 173 general practitioners and 77 specialist dentists. Most respondents reported that they did not have SCD component during undergraduate dental school and did not provide treatment to patients with special needs in their clinical practice. Most respondents have poor perception of SCD, however, most of the respondents showed motivation and interest towards SCD training. Dentists in Jakarta involved in this study had poor perception of SCD. More efforts should be performed to improve SCD education and awareness.
Prediction of air traffic delays: An agent-based model introducing refined parameter estimation methods
Authors: Wang Chunzheng , Hu Minghua , Yang Lei , Zhao Zheng
Published: April 2021

We propose an agent-based model for predicting individual flight delays in an entire air traffic network. In contrast to previous work, more detailed parameter estimation methods were incorporated into the agent-based model, acting on the state transitions of agents. Specifically, a conditional probability model was proposed for modifying the expected departure time, which was used to indicate whether a flight had experienced the necessary waiting due to Ground Delay Programs (GDPs) or carrier-related reasons. Additionally, two random forest regression models were presented for estimating the turnaround time and the elapsed time of flight agents in the agent-based delay prediction model. The parameter models were trained and fitted using the flight data for 2017 in the United States. The performance of the delay prediction model was tested for thirty days with three types of delay levels (low, medium, and high), which were randomly selected from 2018. The experimental results showed that the average absolute error in the test days was 6.8 min, and the classification accuracy with a 15 min threshold for a two-hour forecast horizon was 89.5%. The performance of our model outperformed that of existing research. Additionally, the positive effect of introducing parameter models and the negative impact of increasing the prediction horizon on the prediction performance were further studied.
Simulations of scenarios for urban household water and energy consumption
Authors: Casazza Marco , Xue Jingyan , Du Shupan , Liu Gengyuan , Ulgiati Sergio
Published: April 2021

The expansion of cities and their impacts currently constitutes a challenge for the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). In this respect, assessments of resource consumption and the delivery of appropriate policies to support resource conservation are of paramount importance. Previous works in the literature have focused on one specific resource (e.g., water, energy, food) at the household level, while others have analysed the inter-relations among different resources (i.e., the nexus approach) at larger spatial scales (e.g., urban level). Moreover, household behavioural attitudes are generally excluded while assessing resource consumption scenarios. This work overcomes previous limitations by proposing a causal-loop structure derived from the literature, from which simulations of different scenarios can be generated that consider the nexus between food, energy and water at the household level. These simulations can provide alternative scenarios to assess the impacts of monetary policies as well as education and communication actions on the enhancement of resource savings and consider both their current use and household preferences. The metropolitan area of Napoli was chosen as the testbed area for the simulations. The results, in relation to the testbed, proved that communication actions would be most appropriate to increase the level of resource savings. The business-as-usual scenario was especially sensitive to variations in individual preferences towards pro-environmental behaviours and showed their higher impacts on the results. Improvements of this method and its derived scenarios in the context of the urban planning process could support the implementation of informed policies towards the conservation of key resources and promotion of sustainable citizen behaviour.
Clinical utility of targeted SARS-CoV-2 serology testing to aid the diagnosis and management of suspected missed, late or post-COVID-19 infection syndromes: Results from a pilot service implemented during the first pandemic wave
Authors: Sweeney Nicola , Merrick Blair , Pedro Galão Rui , Pickering Suzanne , Botgros Alina , Wilson Harry D. , Signell Adrian W. , Betancor Gilberto , Tan Mark Kia Ik , Ramble John , Kouphou Neophytos , Acors Sam , Graham Carl , Seow Jeffrey , MacMahon Eithne , Neil Stuart J. D. , Malim Michael H. , Doores Katie , Douthwaite Sam , Batra Rahul , Nebbia Gaia , Edgeworth Jonathan D.
Published: April 2021

During the first wave of the global COVID-19 pandemic the clinical utility and indications for SARS-CoV-2 serological testing were not clearly defined. The urgency to deploy serological assays required rapid evaluation of their performance characteristics. We undertook an internal validation of a CE marked lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) (SureScreen Diagnostics) using serum from SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive individuals and pre-pandemic samples. This was followed by the delivery of a same-day named patient SARS-CoV-2 serology service using LFIA on vetted referrals at central London teaching hospital with clinical interpretation of result provided to the direct care team. Assay performance, source and nature of referrals, feasibility and clinical utility of the service, particularly benefit in clinical decision-making, were recorded. Sensitivity and specificity of LFIA were 96.1% and 99.3% respectively. 113 tests were performed on 108 participants during three-week pilot. 44% participants (n = 48) had detectable antibodies. Three main indications were identified for serological testing; new acute presentations potentially triggered by recent COVID-19 e.g. pulmonary embolism (n = 5), potential missed diagnoses in context of a recent COVID-19 compatible illness (n = 40), and making infection control or immunosuppression management decisions in persistently SARS-CoV-2 RNA PCR positive individuals (n = 6). We demonstrate acceptable performance characteristics, feasibility and clinical utility of using a LFIA that detects anti-spike antibodies to deliver SARS-CoV-2 serology service in adults and children. Greatest benefit was seen where there is reasonable pre-test probability and results can be linked with clinical advice or intervention. Experience from this pilot can help inform practicalities and benefits of rapidly implementing new tests such as LFIAs into clinical service as the pandemic evolves.
DNA damage and oxidative stress in human cells infected by Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Florentino Pilar T. V. , Mendes Davi , Vitorino Francisca Nathalia L. , Martins Davi J. , Cunha Julia P. C. , Mortara Renato A. , Menck Carlos F. M.
Published: April 2021

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas’ disease. Infected cells with T. cruzi activate several responses that promote unbalance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may cause DNA damage that activate cellular responses including DNA repair processes. In this work, HeLa cells and AC16 human cardiomyocyte cell line were infected with T. cruzi to investigate host cell responses at genome level during parasites intracellular life cycle. In fact, alkaline sensitive sites and oxidized DNA bases were detected in the host cell genetic material particularly in early stages of infection. These DNA lesions were accompanied by phosphorylation of the histone H2Ax, inducing γH2Ax, a marker of genotoxic stress. Moreover, Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase-1 (PARP1) and 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1) are recruited to host cell nuclei, indicating activation of the DNA repair process. In infected cells, chromatin-associated proteins are carbonylated, as a possible consequence of oxidative stress and the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2) is induced early after infection, suggesting that the host cell antioxidant defenses are activated. However, at late stages of infection, NRF2 is downregulated. Interestingly, host cells treated with glutathione precursor, N-acetyl cysteine, NRF2 activator (Sulforaphane), and also Benznidonazol (BNZ) reduce parasite burst significantly, and DNA damage. These data indicate that the balance of oxidative stress and DNA damage induction in host cells may play a role during the process of infection itself, and interference in these processes may hamper T. cruzi infection, revealing potential target pathways for the therapy support.
The applicability of Big Five facets and Dark Tetrad traits on Yukio Mishima’s novel protagonists
Authors: Boman Bjorn
Published: April 2021

Psychological accounts of literature research are chiefly associated with a psychoanalytical nomenclature, while research on personality psychology like the Five Factor Model and the Dark Tetrad has mostly been investigated using questionnaires and quantitative statistics. However, building upon a lexical understanding of the 30 Big Five personality facets, in tandem with the application of Dark Tetrad traits on popular culture analysis initiated by ., this study analyses the personality profiles of five fictional protagonists, specifically five well-known novels of the renowned Japanese author Yukio Mishima.
Editorial
Authors: Do Céu Salvador Maria , Pereira Marco
Published: April 2021

Mental disorders both in adults as well as in children and adolescents are highly prevalent (e.g., Merikangas et al., 2010; The WHO World Mental Health Survey Consortium, 2004). Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is recommended as first-line treatment in an array of emotional and behaviour disorders, due to its vast empirical support (e.g., National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2020; Tollin, 2010; Walter et al., 2020). More recent third-wave approaches, namely Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), are also showing their effectiveness across disorders and age ranges (Fang & Ding, 2020; Gloster et al., 2020). Nevertheless, like every other scientific discipline, CBT is in constant evolution, awaiting new and innovative developments. Humans are so complex, and suffering in its multiple shapes is so prevalent that there is always room to develop new theories, to refine already existent theories, to improve practices and to increase dissemination.
In this special issue of the journal Psychologica, several researchers and clinicians made valuable contributions, aiming at different populations (children, adolescents and adults), different phases of the life course (preschool, secondary school, expecting a first child), different approaches of CBT (second or third wave therapies), and different levels of action (developing assessment instruments, refining conceptualizations, building programs, developing new delivery formats, and disseminating knowledge). Let us give you a short-guided tour through the headlines of this special issue.
A magyar vállalatok fejlődési fázisai
Authors: Szabó József
Published: April 2021

A cikk, egy kutatási ciklus és egy cikksorozat lezárásaként, a magyar vállalatok általánosítható fejlődési fázisait határozza meg 1982 és 2007 között. Magyarországon ezeket a fázisokat a vállalati fejlődés életciklusai mellett jelentősen befolyásolta a gyökeres politikai-gazdasági átalakulási folyamat is. A cikk, vállalati méretkategóriák szerint vizsgálva, a vállalatok száma, a foglalkoztatáshoz és a gazdasági teljesítményhez való hozzájárulásuk arányai alapján, öt-tíz éves fázisokat állapít meg. A szerző külön ábrába foglalta a kisvállalkozások, a középvállalatok és a nagyvállalatok fejlődési fázisait, majd kísérletet tett egy összefoglaló fejlődési pálya megrajzolására is.
Ok és okozat a munkatársi elégedettséghez kapcsolódó kognitív folyamatok esetében
Authors: Jánosi Gergely , Kersch Gabriella
Published: April 2021

A munkatársi elégedettséggel kapcsolatos uralkodó felfogás szerint az emberek munkával kapcsolatos attitűdjeiket annak lényeges jellemzőiből kiindulva alakítják ki. Míg ez az okozati irány természetesen nem hanyagolható el, ez a cikk megmutatja, hogy az általános munkavállalói elégedettség is jelentős hatást gyakorol a munkával kapcsolatos hiedelmek érzékelésére és kifejezésére. A cikk először a munkavállalói elégedettséggel kapcsolatos uralkodó felfogást tárgyalja, alapot teremtve ezzel a további elemzésekhez. Az ezt követő fejezetek egyrészt a fordított ok-okozati viszonyok elméleti hátterét tárgyalják, másrészt empirikus adatokat mutatnak be. Végül a felmérési módszertanokra vonatkozó következtetések és lehetséges további kutatási irányok tárgyalására kerül sor.
Definition of the Main Features of Material Assemblies for Thermal Protective Clothing During External High-temperature Effect Modelling
Authors: Ostapenko Nataliia , Kolosnichenko Marina , Tretiakova Larysa , Lutsker Tatyana , Pashkevich Kalina , Rubanka Alla , Tokar Halyna
Published: April 2021

A computational-experimental method of material selection for thermal protective clothing design is proposed in this article. The intended operating temperature of the garment lies within the range of 40−170 °С. The prerequisite for the research was the lack of information regarding changes in the physical-mechanical and ergonomic characteristics of material assemblies during their use under high-temperature conditions. During the initial stage of research, there was a problem associated with the selection of the most important and the exclusion of the least significant indicators, in order to further reduce the number of experimental tests in laboratory and industrial conditions. The authors used the method of expert evaluations to solve the problems related to the selection of the most significant indicators for material assemblies. Material assemblies were formed by varying the combinations of heat-resistant, heat-insulation and lining layers of materials. Initial information for the proposed method was obtained from the experimental tests of sixteen material assemblies. According to the results of the ranking, the main parameters of material assemblies were identified as follows: the temperature range for which the use of clothing is intended, thickness, mass per unit density, rupture resistance, relative tearing elongation, change in linear dimensions during mechanical loads, air permeability and change in assembly thickness during cyclic loads. It was established that the assembly that includes heat-resistant material of the Nomex comfort N.307 220 top, Nomex Serie 100 heat-insulation lining and Nomex TER 135 lining provides the necessary level of protection, reliability and ergonomics, and meets cost requirements.
3D design and prototyping in surgical treatment of congenital spine deformities in children: the first experience
Authors: Gerasimenko M. A. , Tesakov D. K. , Makarevich S. V. , Tesakova D. D. , Bobrik P. A. , Krivorot K. A. , Satskevich D. G. , Pustavoitau K. V.
Published: April 2021

The experience of using the method of 3D design and prototyping is examplified in a clinical case of surgical treatment of a six-year-old patient with kyphoscoliotic deformity of the spine due to congenital malformation of the L1 vertebra. At the stage of diagnostics and preoperative preparation, a created model of the deformed spine was used in the form of a breadboard variant made according to the data of spiral X-ray CT on a 3D printer from a plastic polymer material. The use of the created model of the deformed spine made it possible to additionally visualize and touch the pathological object in full size, to really assess the anatomical features and parameters of the interested vertebral segments and the altered spinal canal, which provided significant constructive assistance in planning surgical intervention and its immediate technical implementation.
Pathogenetic aspects and risk factors for recurrent lumbar disc herniation: literature review
Authors: Dreval O. N. , Kuznetsov A. V. , Chekhonatsky V. A. , Baskov A. V. , Chekhonatsky A. A. , Gorozhanin A. V.
Published: April 2021

One of the main causes of the development of debilitating pain syndrome after surgical treatment of a herniated disc is herniation recurrence. This pathology dictates the need to perform reoperation on an already operated segment of the spinal column, which complicates the technique of surgical intervention and negatively affects the relief of pain syndrome. In the presented review of scientific publications selected from the medical literature databases PubMed, E-library and Cochrane, the current problems of the pathogenesis of recurrent herniated discs in the lumbar spine are considered. The concept of risk factors for the development of recurrent disc herniation is highlighted, their characteristics are given, and the significance of each of them in the development of recurrent disc herniation is analyzed.
Open vertebroplasty for cervical spine aggressive hemangioma
Authors: Arsenievich V. B. , Likhachev S. V. , Zaretskov V. V. , Ostrovskij V. V. , Bazhanov S. P. , Mizyurov S. A. , Stepukhovich S. V.
Published: April 2021

Objective.To analyze results of open vertebroplasty for aggressive hemangioma of the cervical spine.

Material and Methods. Surgical treatment was performed in 12 patients with aggressive hemangioma of the cervical spine. Vertebroplasty was performed through an open anterolateral approach under the control of an image intensifier.

Results. Pain intensity was 7.0 ± 1.0 on VAS before surgery and 1.8 ± 1.2 immediately after surgery. Neck disability index (NDI) was 17.5 ± 6.5 before surgery and 4.3 ± 1.7 after surgery. One month after surgery VAS and NDI scores were 0. There were no complications in the postoperative period. A control study visualized from 82 % to 98 % completeness of filling the bone defect with polymethyl methacrylate. Bone composite migration outside the vertebral body was not detected in any of the operated patients. Control images taken 6 and 12 months after surgical treatment did not reveal continued tumor growth and signs of any osteonecrotic processes in bone tissue as a response to PMMA bone cement in any case.

Conclusion. Despite the widespread and rather long period of using vertebroplasty, the issues of the choice of approaches when performing it on the cervical spine are still debatable. In order to reduce the risk of iatrogenic complications in cervical vertebroplasty, the open approach can be used which increases the treatment effectiveness.
Staged surgical treatment of brachioplexopathy in an adolescent with Klippel-Feil syndrome: a rare clinical case and literature review
Authors: Petrova E. V. , Agranovich O. E. , Savina M. V. , Gabbasova E. L. , Snishchuk V. P. , Mushkin A. Yu.
Published: April 2021

Klippel-Feil syndrome is a congenital malformation, the leading component of which is a violation of segmentation of the cervical vertebral bodies. The syndrome can be combined with other skeletal anomalies: skull asymmetry, scoliosis, high shoulder blades, and cervical ribs. Treatment of the syndrome is usually symptomatic; indications for surgical treatment are progressive neurological disorders and persistent pain syndrome, which usually develop due to instability of unblocked segments, or neurogenic pain. A clinical case of treatment of a 17-year-old patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome who developed a picture of severe upper limb monoparesis during three years due to compression of the brachial plexus associated with cervical ribs is presented. Decompression of the brachial plexus was performed, which led to rapid relief of pain syndrome and gradual partial regression of motor disorders. Due to incomplete restoration of the gripping function, tendon-muscle plasty of the right hand was performed, which significantly improved the possibility of self-care. The results of radiation and staged neurophysiological studies are described, as well as a review of the literature on the Klippel-Feil syndrome.
Historical aspects of video endoscopic surgery of the lumbar spine
Authors: Kravtsov M. N.
Published: April 2021

The literature review is devoted to the history of the development of endoscopic surgery of the lumbar spine: from open surgical interventions and puncture procedures – to percutaneous intracanal endoscopic operations, combining interventional and video endoscopic technologies and referred to in the English literature as “full-endoscopy”. The article also touches upon the historical aspects of fibroendoscopic and laparoscopic interventions on the lumbar spine. In conclusion, the principle of classification of endoscopic techniques is proposed.
Contemporary housing trends in Sarajevo
Authors: Mehić Emina
Published: April 2021

– Within the last 20 years, there has been witnessed a significant increase of the urban population of Sarajevo, as a result of economic and social migrations. Consequently, this has caused an increasing demand for new housing which is mainly profit-oriented without any beneficial social, environmental or cultural implication. Primary objective of this research is to analyze the current situation and to assess the quality of the buildings not only as a housing solution, but as a complex that unites the community who inhabits it. This research will be conducted in a qualitative manner in analysis and statistical approach over the data related to the urbanization, building standards and positive effects of the building. Newly built parts of settlements Otoka and Stup will be used as case studies, since these parts of the city are most influenced by the mass production of the new housing solutions. This paper stresses out the correlation between high demand for the new housing and decreased quality of the housing without respecting minimum spatial and environmental standards, without basic amenities, social infrastructure and recreational and cultural activities. There is a need for improvements in contemporary housing design that will reflect with positive impacts on social, environmental, economic and cultural aspects of urban living.
Effect of metals on antibiotic sensitivity, growth, and biofilm-forming capacity of B. subtilis subsp. spizizenii
Authors: Cifrić Selma
Published: April 2021

B. subtilis is normally considered a soil organism, it can be also found in the animal and human gastrointestinal tract. Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii is a type of Bacillus subtilis complex. It shares up to 99% of homology with B. subtilis CU1, which can be represented as a probiotic strain. Metal compounds found in soil or used in agriculture can easily enter the food chain and end up in our gut. Gram-positive bacteria (e.g. Bacillus spp.) have good adsorptive capacity for metals due to high peptidoglycan and teichoic acid content in cell walls. There is some evidence that certain metals inside the intestine play an important role in influencing growth and functionality of specific probiotic strains. Some of them have inhibitory, while others have an activating effect on bacteria. This study revealed that metal compounds increased antibiotic susceptibility of B. subtilis subsp. spizizenii. Higher concentrations of metal solutions inhibited growth of tested bacteria. Culture did not show affinity to form biofilms before or after addition of metal solutions.
There’s a Double Tongue in Cheek: On the Un(Translatability) of Shakespeare’s Bawdy Puns into Romanian
Authors: Martin Anca-Simina
Published: April 2021

The translatability of William Shakespeare’s titillating puns has been a topic of recurrent debate in the field of translation studies, with some scholars arguing that they are untranslatable and others maintaining that such an endeavour implies a divorce from formal equivalence. Romanian translators have not troubled themselves with settling this dispute, focusing instead on recreating them as bawdily and punningly as possible in their first language. At least, this is the conclusion to which George Volceanov has come after analysing a sample of Shakespearean ribald puns and their Romanian equivalents. By drawing parallels between such instances of the Bard’s rhetoric and three of their Romanian translations, my article aims to reinforce the view according to which Romanian translators have succeeded, by and large, in translating Shakespeare’s bawdy puns into their mother tongue.
A novel signal to image transformation and feature level fusion for multimodal emotion recognition
Authors: Hatipoglu Yilmaz Bahar , Kose Cemal
Published: April 2021

Emotion is one of the most complex and difficult expression to be predicted. Nowadays, many recognition systems that use classification methods have focused on different types of emotion recognition problems. In this paper, we aimed to propose a multimodal fusion method between electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG) signals for emotion recognition. Therefore, before the feature extraction stage, we applied different angle-amplitude transformations to EEG–EOG signals. These transformations take arbitrary time domain signals and convert them two-dimensional images named as Angle-Amplitude Graph (AAG). Then, we extracted image-based features using a scale invariant feature transform method, fused these features originates basically from EEG–EOG and lastly classified with support vector machines. To verify the validity of these proposed methods, we performed experiments on the multimodal DEAP dataset which is a benchmark dataset widely used for emotion analysis with physiological signals. In the experiments, we applied the proposed emotion recognition procedures on the arousal-valence dimensions. We achieved (91.53%) accuracy for the arousal space and (90.31%) for the valence space after fusion. Experimental results showed that the combination of AAG image features belonging to EEG–EOG signals in the baseline angle amplitude transformation approaches enhanced the classification performance on the DEAP dataset.
Lumipulse G SARS-CoV-2 Ag assay evaluation using clinical samples from different testing groups
Authors: Menchinelli Giulia , Bordi Licia , Liotti Flora Marzia , Palucci Ivana , Capobianchi Maria Rosaria , Sberna Giuseppe , Lalle Eleonora , Romano Lucio , De Angelis Giulia , Marchetti Simona , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Cattani Paola , Posteraro Brunella
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Compared to RT-PCR, lower performance of antigen detection assays, including the Lumipulse G SARS-CoV-2 Ag assay, may depend on specific testing scenarios.

Methods

We tested 594 nasopharyngeal swab samples from individuals with COVID-19 (RT-PCR cycle threshold [Ct] values ≤ 40) or non-COVID-19 (Ct values >40) diagnoses. RT-PCR positive samples were assigned to diagnostic, screening, or monitoring groups of testing.

Results

With a limit of detection of 1.2 × 104 SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies/mL, Lumipulse showed positive percent agreement (PPA) of 79.9% (155/194) and negative percent agreement of 99.3% (397/400), whereas PPAs were 100% for samples with Ct values of <18 or 18–<25 and 92.5% for samples with Ct values of 25–<30. By three groups, Lumipulse showed PPA of 87.0% (60/69), 81.1% (43/53), or 72.2% (52/72), respectively, whereas PPA was 100% for samples with Ct values of <18 or 18–<25, and was 94.4, 80.0, or 100% for samples with Ct values of 25–<30, respectively. Additional testing of RT-PCR positive samples for SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA showed that, by three groups, PPA was 63.8% (44/69), 62.3% (33/53), or 33.3% (24/72), respectively. PPAs dropped to 55.6, 20.0, or 41.7% for samples with Ct values of 25–<30, respectively. All 101 samples with a subgenomic RNA positive result had a Lumipulse assay’s antigen positive result, whereas only 54 (58.1%) of remaining 93 samples had a Lumipulse assay’s antigen positive result.

Conclusions

Lumipulse assay was highly sensitive in samples with low RT-PCR Ct values, implying repeated testing to reduce consequences of false-negative results.
Pituitary hypoplasia is the best MRI predictor of the severity and type of growth hormone deficiency in children with congenital growth hormone deficiency
Authors: Sharma Himanshu , Purwar Naincy , Kumar Anshul , Sahlot Rahul , Garg Umesh , Sharma Balram , Mathur Sandeep Kumar
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Congenital idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is associated with various MRI abnormalities, including sellar and extrasellar abnormalities. However, it remains contentious whether MRI brain findings could provide an additional avenue for precisely predicting the differentiation of GHD based on severity and type {isolated GHD or multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD)}. This study aimed to ascertain the abnormality that is the best predictor of severity and type of GHD amongst the different MRI findings.

Methods

We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study, including 100 subjects diagnosed with idiopathic GHD. Patients were grouped into severe GHD, partial GHD, and MPHD and into groups based on the presence of pituitary hypoplasia, extrasellar brain abnormalities (EBA), and presence of ectopic posterior pituitary or pituitary stalk abnormalities (EPP/PSA) or both.

Results

Sixty six percentage of subjects had isolated GHD, 34% had MPHD, 71% had severe GHD, and 29% had partial GHD. Pituitary hypoplasia was the most common finding, observed in 53% of patients, while 23% had EBA, and 25% had EPP/PSA. Pituitary hypoplasia was observed to be the best predictor of severity of GHD with an odds ratio (OR) of 10.8, followed by EPP/PSA (OR=2.8), and EBA was the weakest predictor (OR=1.8). Pituitary hypoplasia was the only finding to predict MPHD (OR=9.2) significantly. On ROC analysis, a Pituitary height SDS of −2.03 had the best detection threshold for both severe GHD and MPHD.

Conclusions

We observed Pituitary hypoplasia to be not only the most frequent MRI abnormality but also the best predictor of severe GHD and MPHD amongst various sellar and extrasellar abnormalities.
Organizational Resilience: How does it Fit with the Principles of a Learning Organization?
Authors: Gečienė Jolita , Raišienė Agota Giedrė , Rapuano Violeta
Published: April 2021

The article discusses the possibilities of the resilience of organizations in the context of a learning organization and presents the results of a survey of the leaders of regional public organizations, on the basis of which the factors of the resilience of organizations are ranked according to importance. The study results have revealed that NGOs further away from regional centres tend to focus on routine management aspects, enabling the members of the organization to communicate and collaborate effectively, meanwhile the development of the members, an essential resilience factor, was not considered as highly important.
An analytical review on the quantitative techniques for estimation of cilostazol in pharmaceutical preparations and biological samples
Authors: Afreen Afnaan , Nalini C.N.
Published: April 2021

Cilostazol (CLZ) is a quinolinone derivative possessing anti platelet and vasodilating properties and it is used in the treatment of intermittent claudication. It operates by inhibiting the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) dependent phosphodiesterase III which leads to availability of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in blood vessels and platelets owing to vasodilation and reduced calcium-induced contractions. This article illustrates the various reported quantitative methods which can be used to determine cilostazol and its metabolites either alone or in combination forms in pharmaceutical preparation or biological matrices like plasma, serum, and urine. The review covers analytical methods like ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, electrometric methods, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography, high performance thin layer chromatography, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, and tandem mass spectroscopy from the year 1985 to 2019 with a brief explanation on every analytical method. Among the methods, it was found that most researchers opted for UV and HPLC analytical methods for the estimation of cilostazol.
Analysis of short – term heavy rains in eastern Slovakia in the period 2003 - 2018
Authors: Repel Adam , Zeleňáková Martina , Jothiprakash Vinayakam , Hlavatá Helena , Gałaś Slávka , Portela Maria Manuela
Published: April 2021

Short-term heavy rains are one the most important rains from a meteorological, hydrological, and also technical point of view. When designing rainwater drainage systems or rainwater management systems, the intensity of short-term rains is used as a design parameter, because of short-term rains usually reach the highest intensity. This paper is focused on analysis of short-term heavy rains occurrence in the last 15 years in 3 rainfall stations in eastern Slovakia. The data used in analysis are automatically collected 10-minute precipitation totals at rainfall stations Poprad, Kamenica nad Cirochou and Košice.
Effect of the Roof Slope on the Cost Variation of Residential Houses
Authors: Mbereyaho Leopold , Minani Doris Daniella Dusabe , Niyonshuti Alain , Nsenga Yvan Coppens
Published: April 2021

The building industry has been one of the fast-growing sectors in Rwanda, and multiple residential houses with amazing pitched roofs are being implemented in different cities. As the country is very hilly, the influence of wind loads on the buildings is high and therefore the selection step of roof slopes needs to be carefully undertaken, in order to ensure not only the structure safety, but also the economy. Available international and national guidelines give details about safety and functionality requirements, but don’t talk much about economic aspect, and this was the purpose of the given study. Using a well elaborated methodology, the influence of the roof slope on its cost was checked, and it was established that the slope’s increase of one degree would raise the roof cost by 3.6%. Therefore, during the roof slope selection and design process, economic requirements need more attention.
The Relationship between Abnormal Circadian Blood Pressure Rhythm and Risk of Readmission in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Wang Diqing , He Zhengfei , Chen Sihua , Du Jianlin
Published: April 2021

Objective: Abnormal circadian blood pressure rhythm has been revealed to be associated with hypertensive target organ damage and cardiovascular events, but its association with readmission risk in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains unknown. We conducted a retrospective study to explore the relationship between circadian blood pressure rhythm and readmission risk in HFpEF patients.

Methods: We retrospectively collected baseline and follow-up data on HFpEF patients who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) from May 2015 to October 2019. Patient circadian blood pressure rhythms defined by ABPM were grouped as dipper, nondipper, or riser patterns. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between circadian blood pressure rhythm and readmission risk.

Results: A total of 122 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age and ejection fraction were 69.87 years and 61.44%, respectively, with mean the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level being 1048.15 pg/mL. There were significant differences in the 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP), sleep SBP, and sleep diastolic blood pressure (DBP) among the three groups, where the 24-hour SBP, sleep SBP, and sleep DBP in the riser pattern group were markedly higher than in the dipper pattern group. Notably, serum NT-proBNP levels, the proportion of patients readmitted for heart failure and the mean number of admissions differed markedly among three groups. Instructively, multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the riser pattern was a significant and independent risk factor for increased serum NT-proBNP level (β = 929.16, 95% confidence interval 178.79–1679.53, P = 0.016). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the riser pattern was demonstrated to be a significant risk factor for readmission (odds ratio 11.23, 95% confidence interval 2.01–62.67, P = 0.006) in HFpEF patients.

Conclusion: The riser blood pressure pattern is a potential risk factor for elevated serum NT-proBNP level and readmission in HFpEF patients.
Cross‐regulation between CDK and MAPK control cellular fate
Authors: Durandau Eric , Pelet Serge
Published: April 2021

Background

Commitment to a new cell cycle is controlled by a number of cellular signals. Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which transduce multiple extracellular cues, have been shown to be interconnected with the cell cycle and can modulate its progression.

Methods

In budding yeast, we have introduced fluorescent biosensors that monitor in real time the signaling activity of the MAPKs Fus3 and Kss1 and the cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) in individual cells. We have quantified in hundreds of live single cells the interplay between the MAPKs regulating the mating response and the CDK controlling cell cycle progression.

Results

Different patterns of MAPK activity dynamics could be identified by clustering cells based on their CDK activity, denoting the tight relationship between these two cellular signals. Our data suggest that beyond the already well‐established mechanisms of regulation between the MAPK and the CDK, additional mechanisms remain to be identified.

Conclusion

A tight interplay between MAPK pathways and the cell cycle is essential to control cellular proliferation and cell fate decisions.
Spatial Analytics Dashboards: Assisting Researchers to Select the Appropriate Tool
Authors: Miller Meg
Published: April 2021

This review provides an overview of the following popular spatial analytics dashboard software: Tableau, PowerBI, ArcGIS Insights, ArcGIS Operations Dashboard and covers optimal use cases for each. Also included is a curriculum for an introductory one-shot instructional session on data literacy and research visualization using Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS in an academic library context.
Research on Echinoderms in Latin America V
Authors: Granja-Fernández Rebeca , Herrero-Pérezrul María-Dinorah , Alvarado Juan-José
Published: April 2021

It is a pleasure for us to present this compendium that represents the sixth product of publications of the Iberoamerican Echinoderm Network (RIE), corresponding to 40 scientific papers presented at the Fourth Latin American Conference of Echinoderms, held from November 10th to 15th 2019 in the city of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. These works encompass aspects of echinoderms such as descriptions of new species, taxonomy, lists of species, new distribution records, paleontology, ecology, reproduction, physiology and aquaculture.