bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy and run-time performance practices in software engineering
Authors: Γεωργίου Στέφανος
Published: April 2021

Η ενεργειακή απόδοση για συστήματα υπολογιστών είναι ένα ζήτημα που έχει τραβήξει την προσοχή των μηχανικών λογισμικού. Παρόλο που ο σχεδιασμός και η χρήση του υλικού είναι αναμφίβολα οι βασικοί παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την κατανάλωση ενέργειας, υπάρχουν ενδείξεις ότι ο σχεδιασμός λογισμικού μπορεί επίσης να αλλάξει σημαντικά την κατανάλωση ενέργειας των προϊόντων πληροφορικής. Επομένως, ο στόχος αυτής της διατριβής είναι να δείξει τον αντίκτυπο που έχει ο σχεδιασμός λογισμικού στην κατανάλωση ενέργειας ενός συστήματος υπολογιστή. Αρχικά, αναλύσαμε 92 ερευνητικές εργασίας από κορυφαία συνέδρια και τα ταξινομήσαμε κάτω από το Κύκλου Ζωής Ανάπτυξης Λογισμικού. Από αυτήν τη μελέτη, εξάγαμε ορισμένες ερευνητικές προκλήσεις. Μεταξύ αυτών των προκλήσεων, εντοπίσαμε ότι υπάρχει περιορισμένος αριθμός εργασιών στο πλαίσιο των επιπτώσεων της ενέργειας για γλωσσες προγραμματισμού. Για το σκοπό αυτό, κάνεμε μια εμπειρική μελέτη ώστε να βρούμε ποιες γλώσσες προγραμματισμού έχουν την καλύτερη απόδοση ενέργειας και χρόνου εκτέλεσης για συγκεκριμένες εργασίες προγραμματισμού και πλατφόρμες υπολογιστών (π.χ. εξυπηρετητής, φορητός υπολογιστής και ενσωματωμένο σύστημα). Εκτός αυτού, πραγματοποιήσαμε μια επιπλέον μελέτη σε διαφορετικές γλώσσες προγραμματισμού και πλατφόρμες υπολογιστών για να δείξουμε τις επιπτώσεις της ενέργειας και χρόνου εκτέλεσης διαφόρων τεχνολογιών επικοινωνίας μεταξύ διεργασιών (δηλαδή, REST, RPC, gRPC). Από τις παραπάνω μελέτες, ορίσαμε κατευθυντήριες γραμμές για τη μείωση της κατανάλωσης ενέργειας διαφορετικών εφαρμογών, προτείνοντας δείξαμε ποιες γλώσσες προγραμματισμού μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν σε συγκεκριμένες περιπτώσεις. Τέλος, πραγματοποιήσαμε πειράματα για να εξετάσουμε την απόδοση ενέργειας και χρόνο εκτέλεσης που έχουν διαφορετικά μέτρα ασφαλείας σε υπολογιστηκά συστήματα. Συγκεκριμένα ερευνήσαμε μέτρα ασφαλεία για μικροεπεξεργαστές (όπως Meltdown, Specter και MDS), μέτρα ασφαλείας που σχετίζονται με την επικοινωνία (HTTP / HTTPS), προστασία μνήμης (μηδενισμός μνήμης) και προστατευτικά μέτρα μεταγλωττιστή (GCC). Διαπιστώσαμε ότι αυτά τα μέτρα μπορούν επηρεάσουν την απόδοση ενέργειας και χρόνο εκτέλεσης πραγματικών εφαρμογών εώς και 20% (όπως Nginx, Apache, Redis).
UPRAVLJANJE RIZICIMA I INTERNA REVIZIJA
Authors: Jović Zorica
Published: April 2021

People undertake risk management activities to identify, assess, manage, and control all types of events or situations. This can range from a single project or narrowly defined types of risk, for example, market risk, to the threats and opportunities faced by the organization. Organizations are under pressure to identify all business risks they face - social, ethical, and environmental risks as well as financial and operational - and to explain that they are being managed at an acceptable level. Risk management is a basic element of corporate governance. Management is responsible for establishing and operating the risk management framework on behalf of the board. A company's risk management brings many benefits that result from its structured, consistent, and coordinated approach. The key role of internal auditors concerning enterprise risk management should be to assure the effectiveness of risk management to management. When an internal audit extends its activities beyond this key role, it should apply certain security measures, including treating engagements as consulting services and applying all relevant standards. In this way, an internal audit will protect its independence and the objectivity of its assurance services
Perspectivas de Liberdade e Igualdade na “Revolução” Baiana de 1798
Authors: Souza Mendes Ricardo Antonio
Published: April 2021

Um dos movimentos sociais antimetropolitanos de maior pluralidade social ao longo do período colonial, a Conjuração Baiana de 1798, caracterizou-se pela diversidade de concepções em torno das ideias de Liberdade e Igualdade. A abordagem do movimento aponta para a eficácia com que as elites coloniais canalizaram as contradições internas à sociedade baiana na direção de um antagonismo que colocava as causas de todos os males no domínio português. Analisando documentos elaborados ou difundidos pelos participantes –tais como as Décimas à Liberdade e Igualdade e os denominados “Pasquins Sediciosos”–, ou mesmo o material produzido pela repressão metropolitana –fundamentalmente os “Autos de Devassa”–, buscou-se mapear as diferentes concepções de Liberdade e Igualdade apresentadas pelos partícipes da Conjura em fins do século XVIII no espaço colonial.
Itinerarios lúdicos: del juego medieval al ludocapitalismo digital
Authors: Escourido Juan
Published: April 2021

El juego es hoy la forma que explica y hace concebible, entre otros fenómenos, la subjetividad, la economía, la política, el amor, la guerra y el trabajo, reemplazando mediaciones previas como la poesía, el teatro, la fotografía, la novela y el cine. Sin embargo, carecemos de una genealogía. Así como existen historias de juegos particulares y de otras formas artísticas, la historia del juego suele quedar reducida al sumario del libro de Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens, y de sus epígonos. A ello se añade que bajo el marbete game studies se ha desarrollado una disciplina que metonimiza juego y videojuego, obliterando el potencial hermenéutico historicista de lo lúdico. Así, en este texto pretendo dos cosas: argumentar a favor de la necesidad de ampliar el espectro formalista de los game studies y ofrecer una distinción entre las dimensiones designativas de la noción de juego para entender sus concepciones premodernas, modernas y posmodernas. Además, propongo retrotraer a la noción de “juego libre” de Immanuel Kant la noción apodíctica de juego de Huizinga y al período pre-capitalista la aparición de una “cultura del ocio” relevante para entender la superación ludocapitalista de la dicotomía ocio-trabajo
La importancia de los registros de pacientes con Enfermedades Raras de la visión para la investigación en ciencias sociales
Authors: del Álamo Martín Mª Teresa
Published: April 2021

El propósito de este artículo ha sido evidenciar lo que las ciencias sociales pueden aportar para avanzar en el conocimiento y comprensión de los problemas personales y sociales derivados de padecer Enfermedades Raras de la visión. Se concluye que la incorporación de datos, en los Registros Nacionales de Pacientes, es una oportunidad para favorecer la investigación de los problemas existentes en nuestro contexto social y cultural, en la búsqueda de soluciones que redunde en la mejora de los tratamientos, de la atención sanitaria, psico-social, de la educación, en el empleo, etc. y en la evaluación de los resultados. En definitiva, en las condiciones y calidad de vida de los pacientes y sus familiares.
Antropocentrismo y ecocentrismo en la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
Authors: Montalván Zambrano Digno
Published: April 2021

El artículo analiza la presencia del argumento antropocéntrico y ecocéntrico en la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos relacionada con temas ambientales. A tal efecto, en un primer momento, presenta el contenido de estas dos aproximaciones dando cuenta de sus aportes y limitaciones. Con este marco teórico, en un segundo momento, identifica cuatro etapas de la jurisprudencia de la Corte, las cuales muestran el tránsito paulatino del antropocentrismo al ecocentrismo dentro de sus reflexiones sobre los derechos humanos. Finalmente, los resultados del análisis ofrecen luces sobre el posible desarrollo del derecho al ambiente sano como derecho autónomo en el Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos.
Modeling for exponential growth and decay methodology in biometry using SAS syntax
Authors: Wan Ahmad Wan Muhammad Amir Bin , Mohamad Ghazali Farah Muna , Mohd Noor Nor Farid , Aleng Nor Azlida
Published: April 2021

This paper provided an alternative method for exponential growth modeling as a regression analysis technique through the SAS algorithm. This alternative method is a combination technique (using nonlinear model bootstrap and fuzzy regression) for the small data set and gives the researcher an option to start the analysis, even if there is not enough data set. This method enhances the previous methodology with embedded bootstrapping and fuzzy technique to a nonlinear regression model. This principle aims to propose an alternative method of analysis with better results. In our case, we applied this principle to farm data and compared the results obtained by looking at the average width of the predicted interval.
A mathematical model for the spread of oil spills in high seas
Authors: Guswanto Bambang Hendriya , Achfasarty Kiran Nirmala , Wardayani Ari
Published: April 2021

This study aims to model the distribution pattern of oil spills in high seas with the influence of wind movements. The mathematical model is derived from the random walk process of the oil spill particles by using a probability measure on a unit circle with the help of Laplace and Fourier transform . The solution to the model is also obtained by using Laplace and the Fourier transform. Based on the analysis of the solution of the model, the oil spill tends to spread in the direction of wind movement.. The speed and direction of the wind movement affect the speed and direction of the spread of the oil spill particles. The larger the speed of wind movement, the faster the oil particles movement.
Substantiation of the Content of the Regional Educational Program of Professional Development of Educators «Effective Teaching Methods»
Authors:   National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine, Trubavina Iryna , Martyniuk Anna ,   H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University
Published: April 2021

The article reveals the relevance of the program for training pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical employees of secondary and higher education institutions in effective teaching methods. The article defines the scientific basis (approaches) to the development of content programs: competence, activity, system, personality-oriented, androgynous, pragmatic approaches, theories of learning content. Also substantiated on the basis of scientific approaches and a survey of major stakeholders in the Kharkiv region (teachers of secondary schools education, research and teaching staff of higher education institutions, heads of educational institutions) the content of such a program, guidelines for its implementation, to the forms and methods of teaching. The main methods of teaching the program there are active, interactive and independent methods. The main forms of the program are training in a microgroup, training. The article presents the content of the regional educational program through 3 modules: «The concept of effective teaching methods for students of general secondary education», «The essence of teaching methods and conditions of their application», «Features of effective teaching methods in different disciplines». Prospects for further research are experimental testing of the program and its correction for distance, blended, full-time learning.
The burden of multimorbidity
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: April 2021

Mark Greener summarises the latest research on how long-term conditions cluster together
Childhood obesity and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Cremonesini Louise
Published: April 2021

Louise Cremonesini details how the rise of COVID-19 has affected the health of the UK's young people
Lower urinary tract infection in non-pregnant women under 65
Authors: Nazarko Linda
Published: April 2021

Linda Nazarko details the management of these common infections in primary care settings
Evaluación online en Educación Superior en tiempos de Coronavirus ¿Qué piensan los estudiantes?
Authors: Diez-Gutiérrez Enrique Javier , Gajardo Espinoza Katherine
Published: April 2021

INTRODUCCIÓN. Este estudio busca describir la valoración que los estudiantes universitarios hacen respecto a los sistemas y estrategias de evaluación que se han propuesto utilizar en la Educación Superior, durante el periodo de confinamiento y docencia online, consecuencia de la crisis del coronavirus en España. MÉTODO. Se ha elaborado un estudio descriptivo mediante un cuestionario on-line diseñado ad hoc a partir de las propuestas de evaluación y calificación planteadas por la REACU, la ANECA, la UNESCO y el Ministerio de Universidades. RESULTADOS. Los resultados obtenidos, tras su aplicación a una muestra de 1.008 estudiantes de diferentes universidades de España, y que abarcan la mayoría de las Comunidades Autónomas, indican que los estudiantes demandan flexibilidad en la evaluación online en una situación de crisis como la actual, así como la introducción de algunas de las prácticas de evaluación orientada al aprendizaje, dentro de un modelo de evaluación formativa y continua que utilice estrategias e instrumentos variados. Sin embargo, se muestran reticentes a introducir herramientas de coevaluación entre iguales. DISCUSIÓN. Evaluar online en las universidades se ha convertido en un reto y una necesidad, máxime en estas circunstancias. Por eso es crucial indagar la visión de los estudiantes y utilizar las lecciones aprendidas durante esta crisis para reforzar una evaluación en la Enseñanza Superior que garantice la inclusión y la equidad.
Aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis-associated lesion in a well-fixed total knee arthroplasty: a case report
Authors: Trowbridge S , Earnshaw P , Back D , Pastides P
Published: April 2021

Adverse reactions to metal debris in relation to metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty has been heavily discussed in the literature. In contrast, few cases have been reported in the context of total knee arthroplasty. A 77-year-old woman presented with a painful total knee arthroplasty. At the time of revision surgery, intra-articular cream-coloured fluid and material was found in association with a well-fixed prosthesis. Synovial and capsular samples were obtained for histological assessment and a diagnosis of aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis associated lesion was confirmed. The patient went on to have an uncomplicated recovery following a two-stage revision to a constrained knee prosthesis.
Edició de llibres infantils i juvenills a Catalunya (2018-2019): la poesia
Authors: Prats Ripoll Margarida
Published: April 2021

Els trets més rellevants de l’edició de llibres infantils i juvenils de poesia durant el bienni 2018-2019 són un lleuger augment d’obres publicades, algunes de les quals contenen imatges poètiques que contribueixen a projectar una mirada estètica sobre el món; el manteniment dels creadors del període anterior i alguna nova incorporació, sobretot en el camp de les versions d’altres cultures; la recuperació de dues obres cabdals de la nostra tradició literària; la vitalitat de les col·leccions «Vagó de versos» i «Olívia» de les editorials Andana i El Cep i la Nansa, respectivament, i l’aparició de «Poesia», nova col·lecció de l’editorial Kalandraka. Amb relació a les publicacions per a diverses d’edats lectores, hi ha un augment de llibres adreçats als més petits, i es mantenen les obres per a la resta de lectors i la d’obres interdisciplinàries.
Los gusanos de seda (Bombyx mori) como recurso idóneo para el aprendizaje por indagación en el grado de Educación Infantil
Authors: Torres-Porras Jerónimo
Published: April 2021

Es necesario fomentar la ciencia en la sociedad actual y para ello se puede y debe comenzar en las primeras etapas educativas. Sin embargo, para que docentes de educación infantil sean capaces de enseñar ciencia haciendo ciencia, deben haberla experimentado en su etapa formativa en la universidad. En este artículo se analiza la idoneidad de utilizar los gusanos de seda como recurso para fomentar la indagación en el grado de Educación Infantil. Se muestra una experiencia en la que el alumnado ha tenido que realizar un estudio científico del ciclo de los gusanos de seda y proponer su aplicación a las aulas de Educación Infantil. Los resultados son muy positivos: el alumnado realizó distintas propuestas de investigación sobre la especie y argumentó que la indagación ha sido muy interesante, que ha aumentado su interés por la ciencia y que utilizaría esta metodología en su futura labor docente.
Representación social de los problemas medioambientales del profesorado en formación. Aportaciones para la educación geográfica
Authors: López Fernández José Antonio
Published: April 2021

Desde un enfoque interpretativo, presentamos una investigación de las representaciones sociales del profesorado en formación de educación primaria sobre los problemas medioambientales en la Universidad de Córdoba (España). Se obtuvo la información a través de un cuestionario, que permitió la obtención de datos de tipo cuantitativo y cualitativo. A través de la representación social de las y los participantes en este estudio, se puede señalar la elevada inquietud que estos presentan respecto al estado del medioambiente. Sin embargo, son preocupantes los sesgos e imprecisiones conceptuales y la reducción del medioambiente a los hechos y sucesos naturales, resultados coincidentes con los obtenidos por otros autores en sus investigaciones. Ante esta situación, cabe reflexionar sobre las finalidades, enfoques y contenidos que se están desarrollando en la formación de los grados de magisterio de educación primaria.
Ultrawideband bandstop filter based on Fano resonance and rectangular resonators
Authors: Pooretemad Siavash , Malekijavan Alireza , Aslinezhad Mehdi
Published: April 2021

In this study, the effect of length of the stub on the formation of the Fano resonance in structures which possess a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide coupled to rectangular cavities by the stub is investigated theoretically and numerically. The resulting Fano resonance is used to design an ultrawideband bandstop filter that can filter all wavelengths between two telecommunication windows of

λ
=
850

n
m

and

λ
=
1310

n
m

. The structure is based on two rectangular cavities coupled to the MIM waveguide by stubs that are located at an adjusted distance from each other; the interference superposition of reflected and transmitted waves from each other will make this filtering phenomenon. The center wavelength of the bandstop of the structure is highly adjustable by changing the dimensions of the structure. The theoretical and the numerical results are, respectively, based on the transmission line model and the finite-difference time-domain method. The theoretical results comply well with the numerical ones. To analyze the Fano resonance, temporal coupled mode theory is also exploited. The proposed structure has significant applications in highly integrated optical circuits.
Membranous nephropathy classification using microscopic hyperspectral imaging and tensor patch-based discriminative linear regression
Authors: Lv Meng , Chen Tianhong , Yang Yue , Tu Tianqi , Zhang Nianrong , Li Wenge , Li Wei
Published: April 2021

Optical kidney biopsy, serological examination, and clinical symptoms are the main methods for membranous nephropathy (MN) diagnosis. However, false positives and undetectable biochemical components in the results of optical inspections lead to unsatisfactory diagnostic sensitivity and pose obstacles to pathogenic mechanism analysis. In order to reveal detailed component information of immune complexes of MN, microscopic hyperspectral imaging technology is employed to establish a hyperspectral database of 68 patients with two types of MN. Based on the characteristic of the medical HSI, a novel framework of tensor patch-based discriminative linear regression (TDLR) is proposed for MN classification. Experimental results show that the classification accuracy of the proposed model for MN identification is 98.77%. The combination of tensor-based classifiers and hyperspectral data analysis provides new ideas for the research of kidney pathology, which has potential clinical value for the automatic diagnosis of MN.
No fruits without color: Cross-modal priming and EEG reveal different roles for different features across semantic categories
Authors: Argiris Georgette , Rumiati Raffaella I. , Crepaldi Davide
Published: April 2021

Category-specific impairments witnessed in patients with semantic deficits have broadly dissociated into natural and artificial kinds. However, how the category of food (more specifically, fruits and vegetables) fits into this distinction has been difficult to interpret, given a pattern of deficit that has inconsistently mapped onto either kind, despite its intuitive membership to the natural domain. The present study explores the effects of a manipulation of a visual sensory (i.e., color) or functional (i.e., orientation) feature on the consequential semantic processing of fruits and vegetables (and tools, by comparison), first at the behavioral and then at the neural level. The categorization of natural (i.e., fruits/vegetables) and artificial (i.e., utensils) entities was investigated via cross–modal priming. Reaction time analysis indicated a reduction in priming for color-modified natural entities and orientation-modified artificial entities. Standard event-related potentials (ERP) analysis was performed, in addition to linear classification. For natural entities, a N400 effect at central channel sites was observed for the color-modified condition compared relative to normal and orientation conditions, with this difference confirmed by classification analysis. Conversely, there was no significant difference between conditions for the artificial category in either analysis. These findings provide strong evidence that color is an integral property to the categorization of fruits/vegetables, thus substantiating the claim that feature-based processing guides as a function of semantic category.
AlnC: An extensive database of long non-coding RNAs in angiosperms
Authors: Singh Ajeet , Vivek A. T. , Kumar Shailesh
Published: April 2021

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are defined as transcripts of greater than 200 nucleotides that play a crucial role in various cellular processes such as the development, differentiation and gene regulation across all eukaryotes, including plant cells. Since the last decade, there has been a significant rise in our understanding of lncRNA molecular functions in plants, resulting in an exponential increase in lncRNA transcripts, while these went unannounced from the major Angiosperm plant species despite the availability of large-scale high throughput sequencing data in public repositories. We, therefore, developed a user-friendly, open-access web interface, AlnC (Angiosperm lncRNA Catalogue) for the exploration of lncRNAs in diverse Angiosperm plant species using recent 1000 plant (1KP) trancriptomes data. The current version of AlnC offers 10,855,598 annotated lncRNA transcripts across 682 Angiosperm plant species encompassing 809 tissues. To improve the user interface, we added features for browsing, searching, and downloading lncRNA data, interactive graphs, and an online BLAST service. Additionally, each lncRNA record is annotated with possible small open reading frames (sORFs) to facilitate the study of peptides encoded within lncRNAs. With this user-friendly interface, we anticipate that AlnC will provide a rich source of lncRNAs for small-and large-scale studies in a variety of flowering plants, as well as aid in the improvement of key characteristics in relevance to their economic importance. Database URL: http://www.nipgr.ac.in/AlnC
SA-Net: A scale-attention network for medical image segmentation
Authors: Hu Jingfei , Wang Hua , Wang Jie , Wang Yunqi , He Fang , Zhang Jicong
Published: April 2021

Semantic segmentation of medical images provides an important cornerstone for subsequent tasks of image analysis and understanding. With rapid advancements in deep learning methods, conventional U-Net segmentation networks have been applied in many fields. Based on exploratory experiments, features at multiple scales have been found to be of great importance for the segmentation of medical images. In this paper, we propose a scale-attention deep learning network (SA-Net), which extracts features of different scales in a residual module and uses an attention module to enforce the scale-attention capability. SA-Net can better learn the multi-scale features and achieve more accurate segmentation for different medical image. In addition, this work validates the proposed method across multiple datasets. The experiment results show SA-Net achieves excellent performances in the applications of vessel detection in retinal images, lung segmentation, artery/vein(A/V) classification in retinal images and blastocyst segmentation. To facilitate SA-Net utilization by the scientific community, the code implementation will be made publicly available.
Dog Owners’ Survey reveals Medical Alert Dogs can alert to multiple conditions and multiple people
Authors: Reeve Catherine , Wilson Clara , Hanna Donncha , Gadbois Simon
Published: April 2021

Medical Alert Dogs (MADs) are a promising support system for a variety of medical conditions. Emerging anecdotal reports suggest that dogs may alert to additional health conditions and different people other than those that they were trained for or initially began alerting. As the use of medical alert dogs increases, it is imperative that such claims are documented empirically. The overall aims of this study were to record the proportion of MAD owners who have a dog that alerts to multiple health conditions or to people other than the target person and to determine whether any sociodemographic variables were associated with dogs alerting to multiple conditions, multiple people, or both. MAD owners completed an online survey that contained a series of forced choice questions. Sixty-one participants reported a total of 33 different conditions to which dogs alerted. Eighty-four percent of participants reported that their dog alerted to multiple conditions and 54% reported that their dog alerted to multiple people. This is the first study to document that a large percentage of people report that their MAD alerts to multiple conditions and/or to multiple people. We present a discussion of how these alerting abilities could develop, but questions about the underlying mechanisms remain.
Determination of reference intervals for knee motor functions specific to patients undergoing knee arthroplasty
Authors: Ito Hideyuki , Ichihara Kiyoshi , Tamari Kotaro , Amano Tetsuya , Tanaka Shigeharu , Uchida Shigehiro , Morikawa Shinya
Published: April 2021

Background

In patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) undergoing knee arthroplasty (KA), lower-limb motor function tests are commonly measured during peri-surgical rehabilitation. To clarify their sources of variation and determine reference intervals (RIs), a multicenter study was performed in Japan.

Methods

We enrolled 545 KOA patients (127 men; 418 women; mean age 74.2 years) who underwent KA and followed a normal recovery course. The surgical modes included total KA (TKA), minimally invasive TKA (MIS-TKA), and unicompartmental KA (UKA). Motor functions measured twice before and two weeks after surgery included timed up-and-go (TUG), maximum walking speed (MWS), extensor and flexor muscle strength (MS), and knee range of motion (ROM). Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate their sources of variation including sex, age, BMI, and surgical mode. Magnitude of between-subgroup differences was expressed as SD ratio (SDR) based on 3-level nested ANOVA. SDR≥0.4 was set as the threshold for requiring RIs specific for each subgroup.

Results

Before surgery, age-related changes exceeding the threshold were observed for TUG and MWS. Between-sex difference was noted for extensor and flexor MS, but extension and flexion ROMs were not influenced by sex or age. After surgery, in addition to similar influences of sex and age on test results, surgical modes of UKA and MIS-TKA generally had a favorable influence on MWS, extensor MS, and flexion ROM. All motor function test results showed a variable degree of skewness in distribution, and thus RIs were basically derived by the parametric method after Gaussian transformation of test results.

Conclusions

This is the first study to determine RIs for knee motor functions specific to KOA patients after careful consideration of their sources of variation and distribution shapes. These RIs facilitate objective implementation of peri-surgical rehabilitation and allow detection of patients who deviate from the normal course of recovery.
Surgical outcome and prognostic factors in epilepsy patients with MR-negative focal cortical dysplasia
Authors: Seong Min Jae , Choi Su Jung , Joo Eun Yeon , Shon Young-Min , Seo Dae-Won , Hong Seung Bong , Hong Seung Chyul
Published: April 2021

Objective

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) represents a heterogeneous group of disorders of the cortical formation and is one of the most common causes of epilepsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for detecting structural lesions, and the surgical prognosis in patients with MR lesions is favorable. However, the surgical prognosis of patients with MR-negative FCD is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the long-term surgical outcomes and prognostic factors in MR-negative FCD patients through comprehensive presurgical data.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data from 719 drug-resistant epilepsy patients who underwent resective surgery and selected cases in which surgical specimens were pathologically confirmed as FCD Type I or II. If the epileptogenic focus and surgical specimens were obtained from brain areas with a normal MRI appearance, they were classified as MR-negative FCD. Surgical outcomes were evaluated at 2 and 5 years, and clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging data of MR-negative FCD were compared to those of MR-positive FCD.

Results

Finally, 47 MR-negative and 34 MR-positive FCD patients were enrolled in the study. The seizure-free rate after surgery (Engel classification I) at postoperative 2 year was 59.5% and 64.7% in the MR-negative and positive FCD groups, respectively (p = 0.81). This rate decreased to 57.5% and 44.4% in the MR-negative and positive FCD groups (p = 0.43) at postoperative 5 years. MR-negative FCD showed a higher proportion of FCD type I (87.2% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.001) than MR-positive FCD. Unilobar cerebral perfusion distribution (odds ratio, OR 5.41) and concordance of interictal epileptiform discharges (OR 5.10) were significantly associated with good surgical outcomes in MR-negative FCD.

Conclusion

In this study, MR-negative and positive FCD patients had a comparable surgical prognosis, suggesting that comprehensive presurgical evaluations, including multimodal neuroimaging studies, are crucial for obtaining excellent surgical outcomes even in epilepsy patients with MR-negative FCD.
Reliability of left atrial strain reference values: A 3D echocardiographic study
Authors: Nabeshima Yosuke , Kitano Tetsuji , Takeuchi Masaaki
Published: April 2021

Background

Standard apical four-chamber and two-chamber views often maximize the long-axis of the left ventricle, resulting in artifactitious foreshortening of the left atrium (LA), which may overestimate LA longitudinal reservoir strain (LALS). We compared LALS values between 2D echocardiography (2DE) and 3D echocardiography (3DE) in healthy subjects to determine whether 2DE speckle tracking analysis overestimates the reference value of LALS.

Methods and results

In this study, 4 types of cohorts were included: 1. 105 normal subjects (retrospectively), 2. 53 patients with cardiovascular diseases (retrospectively), 3. 15 patients who received cardiac magnetic resonance (prospectively), and 4. 20 normal subjects (prospectively). LALS and LA length were measured using both 2DE and 3DE in 105 healthy subjects (median age: 42 years). Biplane LALS was measured in apical four- and two-chamber views using 2DE speckle tracking software, and 3DE LALS was measured using new 3DE LA strain software. To determine sensitivity, we also performed the same analysis in 53 patients with cardiovascular disease. The mean value of biplane LALS was 39.6%. LA length at both end-diastole (r = -0.43) and end-systole (r = -0.54) was negatively correlated with biplane LALS. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that both end-diastolic and end-systolic LA length had significant negative relationships with biplane LALS after adjusting for anthropometric and echocardiographic image quality parameters. 3DE LALS (23.7±7.6%) gave significantly lower values than 2DE LALS (39.5±12.0%, p<0.001) with a weak correlation (r = 0.33). LA length measured by 2DE was significantly shorter than that measured by 3DE. The same trend was observed in diseased patients.

Conclusions

Our results revealed that in 2DE, the LA cavity consistently appears longitudinally foreshortened in apical views, potentially overestimating LALS. 3DE may overcome this limitation.
Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii infection in aborted samples of domestic ruminants in Iran
Authors: Mohabati Mobarez Ashraf , Khalili Mohammad , Mostafavi Ehsan , Esmaeili Saber
Published: April 2021

Background

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever which is a highly infectious zoonotic disease. C. burnetii has become one of the most important causes of abortion in livestock, which can lead to widespread abortions in these animals. There are very limited studies on the prevalence of C. burnetii infection in cases of animal abortion in Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of C. burnetii in ruminant abortion samples in Iran.

Methods

Abortion samples from cattle, sheep and goats were collected from different parts of Iran and were tested using Real-time PCR targeting the IS1111 element of C. burnetii.

Results

In this study, 36 samples (24.7%) of the 146 collected samples were positive for C. burnetii. The prevalence of C. burnetii was 21.3% (20 of 94 samples) in sheep samples. Also, 10 of 46 cattle samples (21.7%) were positive. All six goat abortion samples were positive for C. burnetii.

Conclusions

The findings of the study demonstrate that C. burnetii plays an important role in domestic ruminant abortions in Iran, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the role of C. burnetii in domestic animal abortions by veterinary organizations. The risk of transmitting the infection to humans due to abortion of animals should also be considered.
Individual tailored entrepreneurial orientation:
Authors: Garçon Márcia Maria , Nassif Vânia Maria Jorge
Published: April 2021

Objective: To present the content validation of a scale to evaluate and measure the Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation aimed at social entrepreneurship (IEO Social). Method: Supported by an integrative approach to the theories that address the affective and cognitive in entrepreneurial behavior, this exploratory study follows the methodology proposed by Churchill (1979), DeVellis (2003), and Johnson and Morgan (2016). Main results: 18 statements validated the scale, distributed into three dimensions: social proactivity, social innovation, and social risk taking. The study also proposes the adoption of a fourth dimension to the final instrument: social change, adapted from Oceja and Salgado (2013), to account for measuring the pro-social behavior of entrepreneurs. Theoretical/methodological contributions: The availability of a theoretically constructed and solidly validated measurement instrument, specifically for social entrepreneurship, contributes to the quality of empirical research in the field, as it ensures the limits of studies, avoiding the derivation of analyses for unwanted fields. Social contributions: The proper evaluation of OEI Social has the potential to contribute to entrepreneurial training programs in the creation and development of mechanisms to awaken interest and intention to undertake in the social. Relevance/originality: This study is unprecedented for understanding, in depth, the individual entrepreneurial characteristics that comprise the Social IEO; and, from the delimitation of an exclusive concept, for constructing and validating a theoretically solid and empirically reliable scale to measure the construct.
Anti-Arthritic Potential of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Stereospermum colais in Animal Model
Authors: Suseela Prema , Krishnan Chitra
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND Stereospermum colais also known as yellow snake tree is widely utilised to alleviate rheumatic pain and inflammation in the conventional medicinal system. Lapachol has been reported to be anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the production of nitric oxide (NO) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha by means of modulating the metabolism of arachidonic acid, activation of NF-aB, suppression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). It has also been analysed for anticancer and antioxidant activity, renal disorders, endometriosis and cardiac dysfunction. The present study investigates the anti– arthritic activity of the ethyl acetate extracts of Stereospermum colais. METHODS The fruit rind of Garcinia indica was used to prepare extract and was quantified using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) / MS. Ethyl acetate extract showed increased content of the phytochemical constituent necessary for the treatment of arthritic pain. So, the ethyl acetate extract of bark of S. colais was evaluated for anti-arthritic activity by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Arthritis index, body weight changes, and the biochemical analysis parameters were measured. Histopathological evaluation along with TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 assays were also studied. RESULTS The ethyl acetate extract showed significant reduction in arthritis index (P < 0.01), paw swelling (P < 0.01) and arthritic score (P < 0.01), thereby demonstrating antiinflammatory potential. A good improvement in the biochemical parameters in extract treated animals indicates good protection against the inflammation. CONCLUSIONS The results show that Stereospermum colais can be used as a potential anti arthritic drug. KEY WORDS Rheumatoid Arthritis, Complete Freund’s Adjuvant, Stereospermum colais, Ethyl Acetate, Anti-Arthritis, Meloxicam
Solid Lipid Microparticles Loaded Hydrogel Formulation for Transdermal Delivery of Glucosamine Sulphate
Authors: Chellaswamy Sundareswara Kumar , Natrajan Satheesh Babu
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a common, age-related, chronic and slowly progressive joint disorder which ultimately leads to joint failure. To achieve sustained release drug delivery and ease of administration, the present study was carried out to formulate a glucosamine solid lipid microparticle-based hydrogel. METHODS 20 batches of glucosamine solid lipid microparticle were prepared by melt dispersion technique. They were then evaluated with regard to various parameters such as physical appearance, pH analysis, spreadability, viscosity, drug content, in vitro drug release and accelerated stability studies. Then the glucosamine solid lipid microparticle-based hydrogel was compared with the glucosamine loaded hydrogel. RESULTS Of these batches, batches 18, 19 and 20 of increasing homogenizing speed of 1000, 1500 and 2000 rpm were found be efficient but the batch 18 showed better encapsulation efficiency. Batch 18 showed particle size of 86 ± 5 µm, encapsulation efficiency of 81.74 ± 4.5 and the zeta potential value of - 29 ± 1. So, batch 18 was found to be the optimised formulation which was further taken for incorporating the Carbopol. The efficient encapsulated glucosamine solid lipid microparticle-based hydrogel was formulated. There were no significant changes in physicochemical properties on stability studies. CONCLUSIONS Glucosamine solid lipid microparticle-based hydrogel had good particle size, high encapsulation efficiency and high zeta potential value and showed high percentage drug release which was better than the glucosamine loaded hydrogel. KEY WORDS Glucosamine Solid Lipid Microparticle Based Hydrogel, Osteoarthritis, Encapsulation Efficiency, Zeta Potential, Melt Dispersion Technique
Thyroid Disease–Induced Hepatic Dysfunction: A Clinical Puzzle
Authors: Anugwom Chimaobi M. , Leventhal Thomas M.
Published: April 2021

The diagnostic evaluation of an individual with clinical and laboratory evidence of thyroid dysfunction in the setting of acute liver injury is crucial. There is a complex relationship between the thyroid and the liver, and so, it requires a careful elucidation of the inciting disease process before instituting a treatment plan. We discuss a patient who had presented with coagulopathy, encephalopathy, and laboratory evidence of acute liver injury, hence adjudged to have developed drug-induced acute liver failure and transferred for liver transplant evaluation. She was found to have liver dysfunction from uncontrolled thyroid disease, with immediate and rapid improvement after controlling severe hyperthyroidism.
Diagnostic Performance of FibroTouch Ultrasound Attenuation Parameter and Liver Stiffness Measurement in Assessing Hepatic Steatosis and Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Qu Ying , Song Yan-Yan , Chen Cheng-Wei , Fu Qing-Chun , Shi Jun-Ping , Xu Yun , Xie Qing , Yang Yong-Feng , Zhou Yong-Jian , Li Liang-Ping , Xu Ming-Yi , Cai Xiao-Bo , Zhang Qi-Di , Yu Hao , Fan Jian-Gao , Lu Lun-Gen
Published: April 2021

INTRODUCTION:

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by FibroTouch for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS:

We recruited 237 patients undergoing FibroTouch and liver biopsy within 2 weeks. The pathological findings of liver biopsy were scored by Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network, and the diagnostic accuracy of UAP for steatosis and LSM for fibrosis was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The impacts of histological parameters on UAP and LSM were analyzed, and diagnostic performance of FibroTouch UAP and LSM was compared with other noninvasive biomarkers.

RESULTS:

The success rate of FibroTouch examination was 96.51%. The AUROC of UAP for diagnosis of steatosis ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 was 0.88, 0.93, and 0.88, and the cutoff values were 244, 269, and 296 dB/m, respectively. The AUROC of LSM for the diagnosis of fibrosis stages ≥F2, ≥F3, and F4 was 0.71, 0.71, and 0.77, and the cutoff values were 9.4, 9.4, and 11 kPa, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that LSM was positively correlated with degree of fibrosis and NAFLD activity score. UAP was positively correlated with liver steatosis. The diagnostic performance of UAP for steatosis was significantly superior to that of the hepatic steatosis index.

DISCUSSION:

FibroTouch has a low failure rate with moderate to high diagnostic performance for discriminating the steatosis degree and fibrosis stage and is suitable for clinical evaluation and monitoring of patients with NAFLD.
Ileal Crohn's Disease Exhibits Similar Transmural Fibrosis Irrespective of Phenotype
Authors: Tavares de Sousa Helena , Gullo Irene , Castelli Claudia , Dias Cláudia Camila , Rieder Florian , Carneiro Fátima , Magro Fernando
Published: April 2021

INTRODUCTION:

In Crohn's disease (CD), the assessment of transmural inflammation and fibrosis is of utmost importance. This study aimed to quantify these parameters in CD ileal specimens and correlate them with disease progression.

METHODS:

This is a retrospective unicentric study based on the analysis of archived specimens (n = 103) of primary ileal resection. Data were retrieved from a prospective national inflammatory bowel disease registry. Two pathologists, blinded for CD phenotype and clinical indications for surgery, examined 3 sections per patient and graded inflammation and fibrosis, based on a histopathological score.

RESULTS:

Penetrating (B3, n = 74) CD exhibited significantly higher inflammation in diseased areas, compared with stricturing (B2, n = 29) disease (score 3: 96% vs 76%, P = 0.005 in inflamed areas; 78% vs 55%, P = 0.019 in most affected areas). This was also observed for the comparison of B2 CD with B3 CD with (B3s, n = 54) and without associated stricture (B3o, n = 20): B3s vs B2: 81% vs 55%, P = 0.033 in most affected areas; B3o vs B2: 100% vs 76%, P = 0.006 in inflamed areas; 70% vs 55%, P = 0.039 in most affected areas. We could not show differences in fibrosis scores between the subphenotypes. Postoperative new penetrating events occurred only in B3s (n = 6, 11%, P = 0.043) patients. The changing of biologic therapy after surgery correlated with severe inflammation at the proximal ileal margin (55% changed vs 25% not changed, P = 0.035).

DISCUSSION:

In our cohort, fibrosis scores and fibromuscular changes were comparable, irrespective of CD phenotype. Inflammation severity was the major differentiator between penetrating and stricturing disease.

JOURNAL/cltg/04.03/01720094-202104000-00012/inline-graphic1/v/2023-10-30T212642Z/r/image-tiff
A Digital Terrain Modeling Method in Urban Areas by the ICESat-2 (Generating precise terrain surface profiles from photon-counting technology)
Authors: Osama Nahed , Yang Bisheng , Ma Yue , Freeshah Mohamed
Published: April 2021

The ICE, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICES at-2) can provide new measurements of the Earth's elevations through photon-counting technology. Most research has focused on extracting the ground and the canopy photons in vegetated areas. Yet the extraction of the ground photons
from urban areas, where the vegetation is mixed with artificial constructions, has not been fully investigated. This article proposes a new method to estimate the ground surface elevations in urban areas. The ICES at-2 signal photons were detected by the improved Density-Based Spatial Clustering
of Applications with Noise algorithm and the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System algorithm. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-1 PALSAR –derived digital surface model has been utilized to separate the terrain surface from the ICES at-2 data. A set of ground-truth data was
used to evaluate the accuracy of these two methods, and the achieved accuracy was up to 2.7 cm, which makes our method effective and accurate in determining the ground elevation in urban scenes.
Error Analysis and Optimization of a Sky Full-Polarization Imaging Detection System
Authors: Chen Yongtai , Tang William C. , Chu Jinkui , Zhang Ran , Li Song
Published: April 2021

An accurate sky polarization field map is a prerequisite for polarization navigation applications. In this article, a detector for sky full-polarization imaging detection is described, the major error-influencing factors (MEIFS ) are obtained, and the error propagation is modeled and
analyzed. We reveal the relationship between the error of the inversed Stokes vector and the condition number of the detector matrix, which shows that the error of the inversed Stokes vector is affected by the Stokes vector of the incident light itself and the MEIFS together, with the MEIFS
playing a decisive role. With the MEIFS optimized, the impact of detector error on the inversed Stokes vector is attenuated. A control equation for system calibration is also deduced which can establish the connection between the detector matrix design and calibration process. The work in
this article provides a reference for optimization and calibration of sky full-polarization imaging detectors.
Hacia una legislación regional de contrataciones administrativas en el marco de la integración centroamericana
Authors: Arríen Somarriba Juan Bautista
Published: April 2021

La integración centroamericana representa una oportunidad para la armonización de las legislaciones de adquisiciones públicas de cada país en una sola norma, propia del Derecho Comunitario, con la finalidad de homogenizar los principios contractuales, las estructuras orgánicas, procedimientos, trámites y cláusulas de los contratos públicos en pro de la celebración de licitaciones y contratos de índole regional, con la visión conjunta de construir obras, gestionar servicios y adquirir bienes de uso común, que puedan satisfacer intereses generales en pro del desarrollo sostenible de la región centroamericana.