bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Concept of cultural values from the Philosophical point of view
Authors:   Sevastopol State University, Grishchuk A.V.
Published: March 2021

The article describes the meaning of the philosophical category of “values”, its integration with culture, the role and significance of cultural values, the formation of a culture of being, examples of interpretations of philosophers of the 19th and 20th centuries are given. The categories of objects that are cultural values are highlighted. Also, the article discusses in detail the axiological approaches in philosophy and highlights several facts that deserve special attention. While working with this article, we come to the conclusion that the “Axiological Turn” describes in great detail the relationship of people, both just one-on-one with each other, and with a group, with society. The key moment in this event is the development of such forms of thinking inherent in culture and man, which will help maintain good relationships with the environment, with nature, with society. The “axiological turn” helps people to understand the importance of feeling a part of society and how important the development of language is as a means of intercultural communication. “Axiological turn” describes culture as an integral composite phenomenon, consisting of independent elements, but related to each other. All these elements are characteristic of any group of people and are one of the main sources of communication, self-identification and also the integration of the individual into the social system.
“The black swan” of globalization and it’s impact of development of communication paradigms
Authors:   Institute of Special Pedagogy and Psychology, Yelagina E.R.
Published: March 2021

Examined are communication paradigms through the prism of the relevance of their classification under conditions of pandemic. Noted is that communication paradigms in their methodological basis tend to change, taking into account the interpenetrating integration through the interpretation of the unpredictability of the “Black Swan”, and an assumption was made about the role of lifelong education as a life value, taking into account the development trends of modern society. Generalized are the most typical factors of influence on a person under conditions of unpredictability, and the problem of influence of globalization on development and integration of communication paradigms has been updated, that, according to the author, requires further analysis and special interdisciplinary study.
O recrudescimento da teoria do capital humano
Authors: Souza José dos Santos
Published: March 2021

O conjunto de transformações ocorridas no estágio atual do desenvolvimento docapital traz consigo o rejuvenescimento da Teoria do Capital Humano. Para compreendermos a forma como vem se dando esta nova ofensiva do capital no campo da teoriae das práticas educacionais, procuraremos pontuar seus elementos fundamentais, para posteriormente tratar das evidências de sua atualização no bojo do discurso neoliberale nas práticas concretas da burguesia pós-fordista. Entretanto, não é nossa pretensão fazer aqui uma abordagem detalhada acerca da Teoria do Capital Humano, tampoucopretendemos ser inéditos em nossa crítica a esta teoria. Esta tarefa já foi suficientemente cumprida por diversos autores.
Creative learning challenge Brazil
Authors: Valente Ann Berger , Burd Leo
Published: March 2021

O “Desafio de Aprendizagem Criativa Brasil” é um programa do grupo Lifelong Kindergarten do MIT Media Lab em parceria com a Fundação Lemann. Todo ano, o programa seleciona em torno de 10 educadores inovadores, os “fellows da aprendizagem criativa”, dedicados a contribuir para uma educação brasileira mais mão na massa, relevante, prazerosa e colaborativa para todos. Baseado na documentação de práticas reflexivas, bem como em materiais produzidos pelo Desafio e seus participantes, este artigo analisa o processo de desenvolvimento dos fellows à luz teórica do Construcionismo de Seymour Papert. Evidenciam práticas baseadas no Construcionismo em vários níveis, desde o processo de seleção, o desenvolvimento dos projetos, até o próprio formato do programa, constituindo uma vivência de aprendizagem e formação de líderes robusta e imersiva.
COVID-19 and Scientific Research Interests and Findings in Epidemiology and Social Sciences: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lokonon Bruno Enagnon , Gbaguidi Alia Marcel , Glèlè Kakaï Romain
Published: March 2021

The emergence of COVID-19 has prompted an unprecedented scientic publication with the aim of better understanding this new disease. This study assessed the scientic impact and disciplinary priorities of the published papers on the pandemic by comparing epidemiological (EP) and social sciences (SS) research interests. Papers were identified via keywords searching using Google Scholar and Scopus databases. From an initial 1720 papers, we identified 597 relevant articles, of which 347 were for EP researches and 250 for SS studies. We extracted information, such as authors' countries, and research thematic related to EP and SS. The results revealed that most papers were authored by Asian (37.5%), European (30.5%) and American (19.6%) scientists. Only 10.1% and 2.3% of authors were aliated with African and Oceanian institutions, respectively, indicating that the regions most affected by the pandemic mainly contributed to the scientic publications. In total, 26 research themes were recorded from both EP and SS studies. There was a high signicant dierence among themes in both research fields (Chi-square = 1204.3, df = 1, p-value < 0.001). EP papers mostly dealt with clinical trials (54.5%) and diagnosis (53.3%). These papers assessed the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of the disease (incubation period, symptomatic period, recovering or death), testing tests developed, drugs and vaccines used. SS papers were mainly concerned with the sociocultural analyses (78%) and economic impact (55.6%) of the pandemic. They mainly focused on behavioral changes induced by the pandemic and strategies developed to mitigate its impacts. This study highlights the difference between regions and gaps between scientific disciplines concerning the proposed responses to control the pandemic. It is important to promote collaborative and interdisciplinary studies for health emergencies.
Efficient Wildlife Monitoring using a Multi-UAV System with Optimal Transport Theory
Authors: Kabir Rabiul Hasan , Lee Kooktae
Published: March 2021

This paper addresses a wildlife monitoring problem using a team of UAVs for efficient monitoring of wildlife. The state-of-the-art technology using UAVs has been an increasingly popular tool to monitor wildlife compared to the traditional methods such as satellite imagery-based sensing or GPS trackers. However, there still exist unsolved problems as to how the UAVs need to cover a spacious domain to detect animals as many as possible. In this paper, we propose the optimal transport-based wildlife monitoring strategy for a multi-UAV system, to prioritize monitoring areas while incorporating complementary information such as GPS trackers and satellite-based sensing. Through the proposed scheme, the UAVs can explore the large-size domain effectively and collaboratively with a given priority. The time-varying nature of wildlife due to their movements is modeled as a stochastic process, which is included in the proposed work to reflect the spatio-temporal evolution of their position estimation. In this way, the proposed monitoring plan can lead to efficient wildlife monitoring with a high detection rate. Various simulation results including statistical data are provided to validate the proposed work.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Structural and Functional Biomimetic Models of Oxidase-Type Metalloenzymes Based on Polynuclear Compounds with Copper (II) and Manganese (II) Ions
Authors: Ávila - Torres Yenny , Gómez Didier , Acosta Jorge , Serna- Galvis Efraim , Torres-Palma Ricardo A. , Barba-Behrens Norah , Lopez Sandoval Horacio , Toscano Ruben A
Published: March 2021

Biomimetic compounds are an alternative for to the limited action and fragile nature of enzymes. This work deals with the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of catalytic activity of two new biomimetic models for the active centers of ascorbate oxidase and catalase. [Cu3(S,S(+)cpse)3(H2O)3][Cu3(R,R(-)cpse)3(H2O)3]·17H2O (model for ascorbate oxidase, 1), and [Mn2(S,S(+)Hcpse)4(NaClO4)2(NaOH)(CH4O)]n·[(C2H6O)2]n·[(CH4O)2]n (model for catalase, 2) were prepared through the synchronic method (yields > 78%). The compound 1 has electronic and optical characteristics for racemic compound. The magnetic properties and electrochemical behavior evidence electronic transfer between metal centers. Meanwhile, the compound 2 showed polymeric properties in solid state and dimeric behavior in solution. Compound 1 was able to effectively catalyze the oxidation of ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid (65.6% and 78.24% for racemic and enantiomeric pure compounds) showing structural and functional similarity to the natural enzyme. Besides, Compound 2 catalyzed the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide toward oxygen and water molecules (45%), evidencing that the prepared complex mimics the action of catalases. These two biomimetic models are relationship between them for the structural ligands, the coordination form to metal center and the catalytic activity as oxidase. This research shows the relationship with the design, evaluation, and comprehension of fundamentals aspects for the biomimetic models of active center of metalloenzymes that have importance for biological and industrial processes.
Periprosthetic Joint Infection Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Venous Thromboembolism Following Revision Total Knee Replacement
Authors: Bass Anne R. , Zhang Yi , Mehta Bella , Do Huong T. , Russell Linda A. , Sculco Peter K. , Goodman Susan M.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Little is known about the relationship between infection and the risk of risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following orthopaedic surgery. We assessed the 90-day risk of VTE following revision total knee replacement to measure the association between periprosthetic joint infection and the risk of postoperative VTE.

Methods:

We used New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System data to identify all New York State residents undergoing revision total knee replacement from 1998 to 2014. ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification) codes were used to identify comorbidities and to classify the indication for revision total knee replacement as aseptic, infection, or fracture. The primary outcome was any diagnosis code for VTE recorded for the revision surgery and/or subsequent admissions within 90 days. A multivariable logistic regression model that included demographic characteristics and comorbidities was used to estimate the risk of VTE after revision for infection or fracture, with aseptic revision as the reference group.

Results:

The present study included 25,441 patients who were managed with revision total knee replacement; the indication for revision was aseptic for 17,563 patients (69%), infection for 7,075 (28%), and fracture for 803 (3%). The mean age (and standard deviation) was 66 ± 12 years, 15,592 (61%) of the patients were female, 3,198 (13%) were Black, 1,192 (5%) were smokers, and 4,222 (17%) were obese. Seven hundred and nineteen patients (2.8%) had VTE within the 90 days after revision total knee replacement, including 387 (1.5%) during the admission for the revision procedure. The 90-day incidence of VTE was 2.1% after aseptic revision, 4.3% after revision for infection, and 5.9% after revision for fracture. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for VTE relative to aseptic revision was 2.01 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72 to 2.35) for septic revision total knee replacement and 2.62 (95% CI, 1.91 to 3.6) for fracture. A history of VTE was also a strong risk factor for VTE following revision total knee replacement (aOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.48 to 2.71).

Conclusions:

We found that the odds of VTE after revision total knee replacement for infection were double those after aseptic revision total knee replacement. Although fracture accounts for a small percentage of revision total knee replacements, the risk of VTE was 2.6-fold higher after these procedures. The indication for revision total knee replacement should be considered when choosing postoperative VTE prophylaxis.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Macrostructural and Microstructural Properties of Residual Soils as Engineered Landfill Liner Materials
Authors: Yong Lee Li , Anggraini Vivi , Raghunandan Mavinakere Eshwaraiah , Taha Mohd Raihan
Published: March 2021

This study assessed the performance of residual soils with regard to their macrostructural and microstructural properties and compatibility with leachate in pursuit of exploring alternative cost-effective and efficient landfill liner materials. A series of laboratory investigations was conducted on three residual soil samples by using tap water and leachate as permeation fluid to achieve the objectives of the study. The zeta potential measurements revealed that the presence of multivalent cations in the leachate decreased the diffuse double layer (DDL) thickness around the soil particles. The reduced DDL thickness caused a decrease in Atterberg limits of soil-leachate samples and changes in the classification of fine fractions. Additionally, the effects of pore clogging attributed to chemical precipitation and bioclogging were responsible for the reduction in measured hydraulic conductivities of soil-leachate samples. These effects can be clearly observed from the field-emission scanning electron microscopy images of soil-leachate samples with the appearance of less visible voids that led to a more compact and dense structure. The formation of new non-clay minerals and associated changes in the Al and Si ratio as reflected in the x-ray diffraction diffractograms and energy-dispersive x-ray analyses, respectively, were attributed to the effects of chemical precipitation. This study concluded that S1 and S2 residual soil samples are potential landfill liner materials because they possess adequate grading characteristics, adequate unconfined compressive strength, low hydraulic conductivity, and good compatibility with leachate. In contrast, the S3 sample requires further treatment to enhance its properties in order to comply with the requirements of landfill liner materials.
Fault Mesh Petroleum Plays in the Donghetang Area, Tabei Uplift, Tarim Basin, Northwestern China, and Its Significance for Hydrocarbon Exploration
Authors: Liu Q. , Xu H. , Lei Z. , Li Z. , Xiong Y. , Li S. , Luo B. , Chen D.
Published: March 2021

—The hydrocarbon formation mechanism and potential targets in clastic strata from the Tabei Uplift, Tarim Basin, are documented using the fault mesh petroleum plays theory, based on integrating seismic, well log, well core, and geochemical data. The reservoirs in the Donghetang area are typical allochthonous and far-source fault mesh petroleum plays. There are two sets of fault meshes in the study area: (1) the combination of the Donghe sandstone and Permian–Triassic strata and (2) the combination of the fourth and third formations in the Jurassic strata. The fault mesh petroleum play in the Jurassic is a secondary reservoir that originates from the Carboniferous Donghe sandstone reservoir adjustment based on source correlation. The fault mesh carrier systems show the fully connected, fault–unconformity–transient storage relay, fault–transient storage–unconformity relay, and transient storage–fault relay styles, according to the architecture of the fault mesh. Based on the characteristics of the fault mesh petroleum plays, the reservoirs are divided into three categories (upper-, inner-, and margin-transient storage styles) and 15 styles. Integrated analysis of the hydrocarbon generation and faulting time periods reveals that there were four periods of hydrocarbon charging, with the first three stages charging the reservoirs with oil and the last stage charging the reservoirs with gas. There are multiple stages of reservoir accumulation and adjustment in the fault mesh in the study area. These stages of fault mesh accumulation and adjustment are the main reason why the reservoir distribution multiple vertical units have different hydrocarbon properties. Fault-block and lithologic reservoirs related to the inner- and upper-transient storage styles are the main exploration targets in the clastic strata in the study area.
Study of Geostatistical Inversion in the Lithologic Distribution and Velocity Modeling of Thick Igneous Rock in the FY Area, Northern Tarim Basin, China
Authors: Xu Y. , Yang H. , Peng G. , Deng X. , Miao Q. , Ma Y. , Liu J.
Published: March 2021

—In the northern Tarim Basin, a large number of thick igneous rocks are encountered in the drilling process in the Permian. Their lithology and velocity are very strongly, which has a great influence on migration imaging of the “beaded” areas. It is very important to conduct the fine lithology identification and high-precision velocity modeling of the igneous rocks for the exploration and development of the reservoirs. A geostatistical inversion method to obtain the igneous-rock lithologic distribution pattern and velocity modeling in the FY area of the northern Tarim Basin is introduced in this paper. The results show that the application of the geostatistical inversion method greatly improves the resolution of lithology identification. This helps us further understand the Permian igneous rocks distribution in the FY area. Comparison between the seismic facies classification maps of the FY study area shows that the obtained velocity model can reflect the lateral distribution of igneous rocks well. At the same time, the velocity model can reflect the variation of igneous rocks velocity in detail and has a high precision. The average velocity error of the wells participating in the inversion is less than 2%, and the minimum average velocity error is 0.23%. Finally, the velocity model is applied to seismic data processing, and the processing results indicate that it can help to improve seismic migration imaging. The study demonstrates that the geostatistical inversion method can provide a high-precision velocity model for formation pressure prediction and seismic data processing and interpretation, ultimately guiding the exploration and development of oil.
The Female Video Game Player-character Persona and Emotional Attachment
Authors: Burgess Jacqueline , Jones Christian
Published: March 2021

This research, using online qualitative survey questions, explored how players of the PlayStation 4 console game, Horizon Zero Dawn, formed emotional attachments to characters while playing as, and assuming the persona of the female player-character, Aloy. It was found that the respondents (approximately 71% male) formed emotional attachments to the female player-character (PC) and non-player characters. Players found the characters to be realistic and well developed and they also found engaging with the storyworld via the female PC a profound experience. This research advances knowledge about video games in general and video game character attachment specifically, as well as the emerging but under-researched areas of Persona Studies and Game Studies.
Dispositivo Prático e de Baixo Custo, com Tecnologia 100% Nacional, para Avaliação da Temperabilidade de Aços
Authors: ZIMMERMANN Hantony Matheus , TURRA Cristiano José , WOLFART JR. Mario
Published: March 2021

A Extensão Tecnológica adquire destaque no Brasil a partir de 2008 com a organização da Rede Federal de Educação Tecnológica integrando cerca de 600 campi dos Institutos Federais. Além dos programas de extensão ‘clássicos’ que integram saberes tradicionais da comunidade e conhecimentos especializados da academia, a Extensão Tecnológica também contribui para o desenvolvimento tecnológico em setores específicos através da parceria com indústrias. Este trabalho exemplifica os frutos dessa parceria ao apresentar o desenvolvimento de dispositivo voltado à determinação da temperabilidade de aços através do ensaio Jominy, idealizado e construído por professores e estudantes do Laboratório de Ensaios Metalúrgicos e Metalográficos do Campus Luzerna do Instituto Federal Catarinense, em parceria efetuada com 11 empresas integrantes do Arranjo Produtivo Eletrometalomecânico de Luzerna. Como resultado, o dispositivo foi eficiente na determinação da temperabilidade do aço SAE 1045 em ensaio Jominy, apresentando resultados condizentes com a literatura.
Trade-off relationship of leaf functional traits of desert halophyte Lycium ruthenicum in the lower reaches of Heihe River, Northwest China: response to soil moisture and salinity
Authors: Li Shanjia , Gou Wei , Wang Hui , Wu Guoqiang , Su Peixi
Published: March 2021

Background: Soil salinization affects plant growth and causes changes in leaf traits. Lycium ruthenicum Murr. is one of the dominant shrubs and halophytes in the lower reaches of the Heihe River in Northwest China. We analyzed the trade-off relationship of fourteen leaf functional traits of eight L.ruthenicum populations growing at varying distances from the Heihe River, and discussed the effects that soil moisture and salinity have on leaf functional traits. Results: Lower nitrogen (N) contents indicated that L.ruthenicum was located at the slow investment-return axis of the species resource utilization graph. Compared with non-saline and very slightly saline sites, populations of slightly saline sites showed higher carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N). Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed a relatively strong relationship between leaf functional traits and soil properties, the first RDA axis accounted for 70.99 % and 71.09 % of the variation in 0-40 cm and 40-80 cm of soil moisture and salinity. Populations in non-saline and very slightly saline habitats tended to have higher leaf C content, whereas populations in slightly saline habitats tended to have lower leaf C content, and the discrepancy was evident. Relative importance analysis found that in the 0-40 cm soil layer, leaf traits variations were mainly influenced by soil moisture (SWC), HCO3- and CO32- ions content, while leaf trait variations in the 40-80 cm soil layer were mainly influenced by HCO3- and SO42-. Conclusions: The leaf functional traits of L. ruthenicum in this region are mainly restricted by soil N content. The L.ruthenicum populations formed a pattern of increased C:N ratios and C content, reduced nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (N:P) and N content from very slightly saline soil to slightly saline. L.ruthenicum has a foliar resource acquisition method and a resource conservation trade-off with a flexible life history strategy in habitats with drought and salinity stress. In the shallow soil layers, water affects greater than salt on leaf traits variation; in both shallow and deep soil layers, HCO3- plays a dominant role on leaf traits. We believe that these findings will provide some baseline information to facilitate the management and restoration of arid-saline desert ecosystems.
Global Challenges of Digital Transformation of Markets: Collaboration and Digital Assets
Authors: Yadikin Vladimir , Barykin Sergey , Badenko Vladimir , Bolshakov Nikolai , Poza Elena de la , Fedotov Alexander
Published: March 2021

The objective of this study is an ontological analysis of the digital object (DO), of a relatively recent phenomenon that has emerged in relation to the performance of production enterprises. We analyzed the additional benefits that economic actors can gain from using the DO. This object is fairly well-understood from a technical point of view; although there are many options for its definition, its basic composition and functionality are defined clearly, but currently in the economic science DO has not yet been enough considered. The DO, which first appeared as a digital twin has not been properly explored by economic science. The ontological analysis of the DO within the existing conceptual framework of economic science are presented. The DO is comprehensively examined to determine whether all the properties and characteristics of the DO are described by modern economic language or whether there is a need to introduce new concepts and categories to describe such objects. We propose to analyze the DO in terms of such economic categories as goods, innovation process, the system of division of labor, the role of market participants in the creation and use of the DO, intellectual property, etc.
Outbreak of Foodborne Botulism in Alexandria, Egypt: Modulating Indications for Administration of Heptavalent Botulinum Antitoxin
Authors: Ghitani Sara A , Ghanem Maha A , Sultan Eman A , Atef Maram , Henaidy Maii F
Published: March 2021

Background: In October 2019, 94 patients were admitted into Alexandria Poison Center (APC) with a history of ingestion of Feseekh (salted fish). As a trial to allocate the resources, not all patients were given Heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT) immediately.The current study aimed to portray the clinical characteristics of the cases, explore the possible relation between these characteristics and necessity of HBAT administration, explore the reliability of MLT, and to establish a clinical guide for management with preservation of resources.Subject and Method: the current prospective study included 94 patients who were admitted to Alexandria Poison Center (APC) in the period from 29 th September to 27 th October 2019. The patients' data was recorded using a checklist that includes: personal data, past medical history, clinical assessment, investigations, treatment and the outcome. The checklist was carried out to assess and follow up each patient. Hospitalized patients were categorized according to symptoms consistent with botulism. The equine HBAT, made by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc. (formerly Can gene Corporation) was used in the treatment.Results: HBAT was given to (36.2%) patients only out of the total admission. However, 87.2% of patients were completely cured, whereas 10.6% of patients were discharged with mild neurological sequelea and death occurred only in two cases (2.2%).Conclusion: 63.8% of cases with suspected foodborne botulism toxicity could be managed by supportive treatment only with no need for HBAT.
Novel Pediatric Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis With a Marked Bloody Pericardial Effusion and Bloody Stool: A Case Report
Authors: Kato Memi , Jimbo Keisuke , Nagata Masumi , Endo Yoshiko , Kashiwagi Kosuke , Maruyama Kimiko , Ito Natsuki , Tokushima Kaori , Arai Nobuyasu , Kyodo Reiko , Sato Masamichi , Miyata Eri , Hosoi Kenji , Ikuse Tamaki , Fukunaga Hideo , Kudo Takahiro , Shimizu Toshiaki
Published: March 2021

Background
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a syndrome of refractory vasculitis in the upper respiratory tract, lungs, kidneys, and systemic small and medium-sized arteries; adults and children have similar courses. A pediatric GPA case with a preceding bloody pericardial effusion, which caused cardiac tamponade, and bloody stool has not been reported.
Case presentation:
A 14-year-old boy was referred for the evaluation of prolonged fever. He had chest pain and bloody stools, and diagnostic imaging showed a pericardial effusion. Immediately after admission, his systolic blood pressure decreased (85/70 mmHg), and pericardiocentesis was performed, with aspiration of approximately 500 mL of bloody pericardial fluid. Because pericardiocentesis increased the blood pressure (115/65 mmHg), the cause of the blood pressure decrease was diagnosed as cardiac tamponade. Because the pericardial fluid cytology was negative for malignant disease, as were chest MRI and gallium scintigraphy, colonoscopy was performed and showed multiple irregular-shaped aphthae from the right transverse colon to the cecum on the contralateral side of the mesenteric attachments, and a biopsy of the aphthous region showed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. The patient also had an elevated serine proteinase 3-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) level (141 IU/mL) on serological examination. Head MRI showed thickening of nasal and sinus mucosa and a cystic mass in the left sphenoid sinus. Therefore, GPA was diagnosed based on these findings, and treatment with oral prednisolone (PSL) and azathioprine was started. After the treatment, the bloody stool disappeared, and there was no recurrence of pericardial effusion even after completing PSL tapering, and the PR3-ANCA level was maintained in the normal range.
Conclusions
Although pericarditis is a common cardiac complication of GPA, there have been no previous reports of cardiac tamponade due to pericarditis. This is the first case of a pediatric patient with cardiac and gastrointestinal complications preceding the main symptoms, including upper and lower respiratory tract and renal symptoms, although cases of GPA with bloody stools are extremely rare. In conclusion, the sequencing of measuring ANCA levels appears important assuming the vasculitic syndrome as one of differential diseases causing persistent fever and bloody stool including such as the inflammatory bowel disease.
Hybrid Error Control and Security Framework for Reliable Cornea and Infrared Video Communication in IoT Applications
Authors: El-Shafai Walid , Daosh Amany , Haggag Nehad , Gamal Aya , Sadik Nevien , Mahrous Yasser , Ibrahim Fatma , Soliman Naglaa , Algarni Abeer , Banby Ghada El , Abdelrahman Mohamad R. , Eldosary Said , Hassan Emad S. , Ashiba Huda , Soltan Eman , Alhanafy Waleed , Saleeb Adel , El-Fishawy Adel , El-Rabaie S. , El-Halawany M. M. , Desouky Moawad I. , El-Dolil Sami , Ismail Nabil , El-Dokany Ibrahim M. , El-Samie Fathi E. Abd
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we present hybrid watermarking and error control techniques for reliable cornea and infrared frame communication through wireless networks in Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In the proposed watermarking technique, two stages of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) watermarking are used. In the embedding stage, two watermark images are embedded in either the cornea or infrared frames using Block-based SVD (B-SVD) and SVD schemes, respectively. Then, the resulting watermarked cornea or infrared frames are transmitted through an erroneous wireless channel. At the receiver, the received corrupted cornea or infrared frames are recovered using a proposed hybrid post-processing error control technique. This technique comprises a Circular Spatial-scan Order Interpolation Algorithm (CSOIA) and a temporal Partitioning Motion Compensation Algorithm (PMCA) to reconstruct the erroneous cornea or infrared frames. Then, the Bayesian Kalman Filter (BKF) is utilized in the amelioration process due to its efficiency to smooth the remanent inherent corruptions in the formerly reconstructed frames to obtain high cornea or infrared video quality. After that, the watermark extraction stage is implemented to extract the watermark images from the watermarked frames. Simulation results on several cornea and infrared frames show that the suggested hybrid watermarking, and error control techniques reveal adequate subjective and objective video quality compared to those obtained with the traditional methods. In addition, the watermark detectability, robustness, and security are enhanced. Moreover, the experimental results show that the proposed watermarking technique is superior and more secure than the other previous techniques for embedding and extraction of watermarks, efficiently, in the presence of attacks.
Follicular T helper and Breg cell balance in severe allergic asthma before and after omalizumab therapy
Authors: Bergantini Laura , d’Alessandro M , Cameli P , Pianigiani T , Fanetti M , Sestini P , Bargagli E
Published: March 2021

Background Severe allergic asthma (SAA) is based on type 2 (T2-high) immune responses to allergens promoting type 2 T helper (Th2) cell cytokine responses and production of IgE antibodies. Omalizumab was the first biological drug licensed for clinical use in the management of IgE-mediated SAA. Despite, emerging evidence supporting the prominent role of follicular T cells (Tfh), Breg and Treg subsets, in the development and progression of SAA, no data is available on the impact omalizumab therapy. Methods Ten SAA patients monitored at the Respiratory Diseases Unit of Siena University Hospital and 10 healthy sex- and age-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Clinical and functional parameters were collected at baseline (T0) and after 6 months of therapy (T6). Cellular population analysis were determined through multi-color flow cytometry. Results SAA patients showed higher percentages of Th17.1, Tfh and Tfh2 while CD24 hi CD27 hi Breg cell, Treg and Tfr percentages were significantly lower than controls. Higher percentages of Tfh2 in patients with nasal polyps than in those without and in controls were observed. At T6, significant decreases of Tfh and Tfh2 than T0 were observed. A slightly significant increase in Teff was reported at T6 with respect to T0. ΔIgE levels in serum were correlated with ΔCD19 + CD24 + CD27 + Breg cell percentages (r=-0.86, p=0.0022). Conclusions Our data explored the changes of Tfh cells, Tregs and Bregs in severe asthma. The restoration of immunological imbalance in SAA patients after omalizumab is surely intriguing and represents a glimpse of light in the comprehension of immunological effects of treatment.
Spinal Cord Injury and Spinal Fracture in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Tu Po-Hsun , Liu Zhuo-Hao , Yeap Mun-Chun , Liu Yu-Tse , Li Ying-Ching , Huang Yin-Cheng , Lin Tzu-Min , Chen Ching-Chang
Published: March 2021

Background

Spinal cord injury (SCI) and spinal fracture are major complications in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who sustain spinal trauma. The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence, predictors, and sequelae of spinal trauma in patients with AS.
Methods

This study evaluated our AS patients who had spinal traumas between January 1, 2006, and June 30, 2016 and a comparison of those patients with SCI alone, fracture alone and both SCI and spinal fracture.
Results

105 patients were enrolled. Of these patients, 89.5% had spinal fractures, and 57.1% had SCI. Among the patients with spinal fractures, 52.1% had SCI. The existence of bamboo spine was significantly more frequent in the fracture group (78.7% vs. 36.4%; P = 0.006) than in the non-fracture group. The SCI patients had more subluxation or dislocation (48.3% vs. 8.9%; P < 0.001), and more cases of spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) (21.7% vs. 2.2%; P = 0.003) than the non-SCI patients. The rate of delayed diagnosis for spinal fracture was 31.4%, where 1/3 of these patients developed delayed SCI. Among the incomplete SCI patients, 58.3% had neurological improvement after treatment (P = 0.004).
Conclusions

The patients with existing bamboo spine at X-ray had a higher spinal fracture rate. Spinal fractures involving the C3-C7 region, subluxation or dislocation, spinal fracture severity, and a SEH were found to be predictive of SCI. SCI in AS patients resulted in a high mortality and complication rates.
Suicide Among Older Adults with Dementia: Effect of Korea’s Long- Term Care Insurance System
Authors: Moon Sungje , Choi Mankyu , Sohn Minsung
Published: March 2021

Background: South Korea recently expanded its coverage rate of long-term care insurance (LTCI) by adding a “dementia special grade” in 2014 to improve care service accessibility and extend health life for older adults with dementia. This study proposed a multifaceted policy to reduce the suicide risk among older adults with dementia by evaluating the effectiveness of the using the long-term care services (LTCS) and of the expanded LTCI coverage.Methods: A sample of 62,282 older adults was selected from the “Older Adults Cohort DB” of the National Health Insurance Service. First, we selected older adults diagnosed with dementia at least once from 2002 to 2015. Second, all causes of death excepted for suicide are deleted. Third, older adults got the LTCS grading is selected after the introduction of the LTCI in 2008. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, Cox regression to represent the yearly survival curve from 2002 to 2015 according to individuals’ risk factors. Also, difference-in-differences estimation was conducted to analyze the effect of LTCS on suicide rates by comparing statuses before and after 2014.Results: There were statistically significant differences in suicide rate by sex, daily living activities, cognitive ability, caregiver type and use of LTCS (Log-rank test p<0.001). The suicide risk of older adults using LTCS was about 0.256 times lower than those who did not use it (p<.001), after adjusting controls. Regarding the policy effect of LTCS, the suicide rate increased after the expansion of the dementia grading (OR=2.131, 95% CI=1.061-4.280) but was still lower among LTCS users than non-users (OR=0.296, 95% CI=0.183-0.478). Conclusions: This study not only identified the parameters affecting suicide rates depending on the sex, ADL, and type of caregiver at the individual level, but also confirmed that access to LTCS could minimize suicide risk. It highlights the importance of national system management to prevent suicide among older adults with dementia and offers effective policy suggestions.
Intrusive Seismic Swarms as Possible Precursors of Destructive Earthquakes on Mt. Etna’s Eastern Flank
Authors: Gambino Salvatore , Distefano Giovanni
Published: March 2021

The Timpe Fault System (TFS) represents the source of shallow earthquakes that strike numerous towns and villages on Mt. Etna eastern flank. In the last 40 years, three destructive seismic events reached I0 = VIII EMS (heavily damaging) - in 1984 (October 25), 2002 (October 29) and 2018 (December 26). These events followed a few days after the occurrence of strong seismic swarms and the sudden acceleration of the eastern flank seaward. However, if the 2002 and 2018 events were caused by stress induced by eruptive dike propagation, in October 1984 no eruption occurred. In this work, parameters such as localization, cumulative seismic moment and hourly occurrence frequency of the 1984 seismic swarm, have been analyzed and shown to have typical values of Mt. Etna intrusive seismic swarms. This suggests that the 1984 episode may have been an aborted intrusive magma episode that triggered similar processes (long and powerful intrusions with acceleration of the eastern flank movement and destructive earthquakes), as in 2002 and 2018. These three episodes suggest that an evaluation of some seismic parameters during future intrusive swarms may furnish indications of a possible re-activation of the TFS.
Evaluation of High Resolution Computed Tomography Findings and its Relationship with the Clinical Course of Patients with Covid-19 
Authors: Emir-Alavi Cyrus , Jafaryparvar Zakiyeh , Gaskarei Mohammad Amin Khajavi , Hemmati Hossein , Kalurazi Tofigh Yaghubi , Foumani Ali Alavi , Rimaz Siamak , Sedighi-Nejad Abbas , Sabati Hoda , Ghanbar-Moghaddam Behnaz , Khoshrang Hossein , Ahmadpour Maryam , Mousavi Seyedeh Maral , Ebrahim-Saraie Hadi Sedigh , Garfami Zahra Golamalipour , Souri Zobin , Farzin Mohaya
Published: March 2021

Background: Due to the Covid 19 pandemic and the lack of useful information, in this study, we evaluated the hrct of patients with Covid 19Method: 92 patients confirmed by RT_PCR in Razi Hospital in Rasht were included in the study. In addition to their demographic and clinical information, their hrct findings were collected for evaluation. Among 92 patients (47 men, 45 women), the earliest symptoms included cough (81.5%), fever (67.4%), and muscle pain (58.7%) And Six patients required intubation and mechanical ventilation at some point during their hospital stay.Results: The most common hrct findings in our study were grade 4, peripheral lesion 87%, bilateral 95.7%, mixed 76.08%, ggos 75%, left lower lobe 94.56%. Among 92 patients, we had some inconsistent findings including two patients with cardiomegaly, three patients with pleural effusion, and bilateral pleural effusion in only one patient Conclusion: Compared to other studies, it can be concluded that peripheral, bilateral, mixed, ggos, left lower lobe involvement are important findings in most patients with covid 19. We suspect that the disease has more severe lung involvement in men and less involvement in women, which needs further investigation.
Methods and Implementation of a Hospital-Based Cancer Registry in a Major City in a Low-to Middle-Income Country: The Case of Cali, Colombia
Authors: Lara Luis Gabriel Parra , Mendoza-Urbano Diana M , Zambrano Ángela R , Valencia-Orozco Andrea , Bravo-Ocaña Juan C , Bravo-Ocaña Luis E , Rosso Fernando
Published: March 2021

Purpose

To describe our experience upon developing and implementing a hospital-based cancer registry (HBCR) in a quaternary-level of care private non-profit academic medical center in Cali, Colombia.
Methods

HBCRs capture, in a given institution, every single patient with a confirmed malignancy. In this study, all cases evaluated between 2014 and 2018 were included in the HBCR. In compliance with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recommendations, cases were classified as analytic or non-analytic. Data derived from an exhaustive selection of patients was stored in a computing platform owned by the institution, meeting the 2016 Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS) recommendations. Quality control was performed by evaluating comparability, timeliness, validity, and completeness.
Results

A total of 24,405 new cases were registered between 2014 and 2018, from which 4,253 (17.4%) died. Among all cases, based on the anatomic location, most common malignancies were breast (n = 1,554), thyroid (n = 1,346), hematolymphoid (n = 1,251), prostatic (n = 805), and colorectal (n = 624). The behavior of the incidence was consistent with an incremental trend.
Conclusion

Upon implementing the HBCR, major challenges were identified (i.e. a precise definition of cases, the development of processes for capturing new cases, a standardized data collection strategy, and carrying-out an appropriate patient follow-up). Based on our experience, the success of an HBCR largely relies on the interest from the institution, the engagement of stakeholders and financial support, that is, it depends on the adequate access over time to funding, technological, and staffing resources.
Nobel Ag-Cu Ion-Exchange Bimetallic Nanoclusters Formation by Tailored Gold Ion (Au2+) Implanted Materials RBS and Optical Study
Authors: Ferdinand A. C. , Manikandan D. , Manikandan P. , Gaur R. , Raman P. S. , E Manikandnan , Maaza M.
Published: March 2021

Technologically driven some glass materials are containing metal clusters have attracted quite attention both in cluster research and in possible futuristic applications of such nanoclusters for magnetic or optoelectronic purposes. In this regard, formation of bimetallic alloys and core–shell nanostructures inside a soda-lime glass were prepared by simple ion-exchange methods and further studied by the optical absorption (OA) properties. Further, we made an attempt for the first time the novel route for the synthesis of bimetallic nanoclusters, gold in various doses was directly implanted in a plain soda-lime glass as well as in a copper and silver ion-exchanged soda-lime glass using the tandem accelerator anticipating the core–shell or alloys phase between the metal species. Also, the post implanted gold (Au+) metal ions were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) analysis performed on the Cu and Ag ion-exchanged samples to confirm the presence of bimetallic clusters formed by ion-exchange during implantation.
Prognosis classification of breast cancer with distant lymph node metastasis IIIc or M1 category
Authors: Wang Shu , Wu Jinbo , Hu Taobo
Published: March 2021

Background: In the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) staging manual, ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node metastases (ISLM) were defined as N3c, while contralateral supraclavicular and subclavian lymph node, contralateral internal mammary lymph node, contralateral axillary lymph node, and cervical lymph node as distant lymph nodes metastasis (DLM) were classified as M1, stage IV. Herein, we used the information recorded in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to compare patients' overall survival with DLM, ISLM, and distant organ metastasis. Methods: A total of 376 patients with ISLM, 562 patients with DLM, 5,069 patients with IIIc stage breast cancer, and 7,540 patients with distant organ metastasis from the SEER database (2004-2016) were included in the present study. R package was used to perform the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis among these four groups, and propensity score weighting (PSW) was used to minimize the differences in clinicopathological characteristics among groupsResults: After PSW, the median survival of ISLM, DLM, IIIc stage, and distant organ metastasis was 42 months, 50 months, 55 months, and 31months, respectively. DLM achieved significantly better overall survival than distant organ metastasis (p<0.001, HR=0.646, 95%CI:0.561-0.737), while there was no significant difference in long-term survival between DLM and ISLM (p=0.467, HR=0.915, 95%CI:0.719-1.163) or DLM and IIIc stage (p=0.959, HR=0.995, 95%CI:0.837-1.183). Surgery (p<0.001, HR=0.502, 95%CI:0.375-0.674) and chemotherapy (p=0.007, HR=0.701, 95%CI:0.527-0.932) could significantly improve the OS for patients with DLM. When compared with chemotherapy alone, a combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy could achieve better survival, with the increased median survival from 26 months to 82 months (p<0.001, HR=0.366, 95%CI:0.253-0.529).Conclusion: The prognosis of breast cancer patients with DLM was similar to ISLM and IIIc stage, but much better than that of patients with distant organ metastasis. Also, combined-modality therapy significantly improved long-term survival. Consequently, it seems more reasonable to classify DLM as IIIc category instead of M1.
High dose aerosol challenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis fails to overcome BCG vaccination-induced protection in cynomolgus macaques of Chinese origin: implications of natural resistance for TB vaccine evaluation.
Authors: Sibley Laura , White Andrew D , Gooch Karen E , Stevens Lisa M , Tanner Rachel , Jacobs Ashley , Daykin-Pont Owen , Gleeson Fergus , McIntyre Anthony , Basaraba Randall , Clark Simon , Hall Graham , Pearson Geoff , Rayner Emma , McShane Helen , Williams Ann , Dennis Mike , Marsh Philip D , Sharpe Sally
Published: March 2021

This study describes the use of cynomolgus macaques of Chinese origin (CCM) to evaluate the efficacy and immunogenicity of the BCG vaccine against high dose aerosol Mycobacterium tuberculosis challenge. Progressive disease developed in three of the unvaccinated animals within ten weeks of challenge, whereas all six vaccinated animals controlled disease for 26 weeks. Three unvaccinated animals limited disease progression, highlighting the intrinsic ability of this macaque species to control disease in comparison to macaques of other species and genotypes. Low levels of IFNγ were induced by BCG vaccination in CCM suggesting that IFNγ alone does not provide a sufficiently sensitive biomarker of vaccination in this model. An early response after challenge, together with the natural bias towards terminal effector memory T-cell populations and the contribution of monocytes appears to enhance the ability of CCM to naturally control infection. The high dose aerosol challenge model of CCM has value for examination of the host immune system to characterise control of infection which would influence future vaccine design. Although it may not be the preferred platform for the assessment of prophylactic vaccine candidates, the model could be well suited for testing post-exposure vaccination strategies and drug evaluation studies.