bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Fluid Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease: Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid
Authors: Park Jung Eun , Gunasekaran Tamil Iniyan , Cho Yeong Hee , Choi Seong-Min , Song Min-Kyung , Cho Soo Hyun , Kim Jahae , Song Ho-Chun , Choi Kyu Yeong , Lee Jang Jae , Park Zee-Yong , Song Woo Keun , Jeong Han-Seong , Lee Kun Ho , Lee Jung Sup , Kim Byeong C.
Published: August 2021

Background: Potential biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) include amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ 1-42 ), t-Tau, p-Tau 181 , neurofilament light chain (NFL), and neuroimaging, but the feasibility of using these for the diagnosis and monitoring of AD has not been reported. Therefore, further development of these biomarkers is essential. Methods: We measured NFL and Aβ 1-42 concentrations in CSF and plasma samples from 136 participants and performed correlation analysis to evaluate the utility of these biomarkers for early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in AD spectrum. Results: With disease progression, concentrations of NFL increased, and those of Aβ 1-42 were decreases. The plasma and CSF values of NFL/Aβ 1-42 were strongly correlated ( r = 0.558). In addition, the plasma value of NFL/Aβ 1-42 was strong correlated with hippocampal volume/ICV ( r = 0.409). In the early stage of AD, the plasma_NFL/Aβ 1-42 was associated with higher diagnostic accuracy than were the individual biomarkers. Moreover, in preclinical AD, plasma_NFL/Aβ 1-42 changed more rapidly than did either the t-Tau or the p-Tau 181 values measured in the CSF. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings highlight the utility of plasma_NFL/Aβ 1-42 as a biomarker for early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in AD spectrum.
An Analysis of Usability Evaluation Practices And Contexts of Use In Wearable Robotics
Authors: Meyer Jan Thomas , Gassert Roger , Lambercy Olivier
Published: August 2021

Background : User-centered design approaches have gained attention over the past decade, aiming to tackle the technology acceptance issues of wearable robotic devices to assist, support or augment human capabilities. While there is a consensus that usability is key to user-centered design, dedicated usability evaluation studies are scarce and clear evaluation guidelines are missing. However, the careful consideration and integration of user needs appears to be essential to successfully develop an effective, efficient, and satisfactory human-robot interaction. Methods : Through an online survey for developers of wearable robotics, we wanted to understand how the design and evaluation in actual daily practice compares to what is reported in literature. With a total of 31 questions, we analyzed the most common wearable robotic device applications and their technology maturity, and how these influence usability evaluation practices. Results : A total of 158 responses from a heterogeneous population were collected and analyzed. The dataset representing contexts of use for augmentation (16.5%), assistance (38.0%), therapy (39.8%), as well as few other specifc applications (5.7%), allowed for an insightful analysis of the influence of technology maturity on user involvement and usability evaluation. We identifed functionality, ease of use, and performance as the most evaluated usability attributes and could specify which measures are used to assess them. Also, we could underline the frequent use of qualitative measures alongside the expected high prevalence of performance-metrics. In conclusion of the analysis, we derived evaluation recommendations to foster user-centered design and usability evaluation. Conclusion : This analysis might serve as state-of-the-art comparison and recommendation for usability studies in wearable robotics. We believe that by motivating for more balanced, comparable and user-oriented evaluation practices, we may support the wearable robotics field in tackling the technology acceptance limitations.
The Benefits of Guilu Erxian Jiao for Patients With Osteoporosis: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Lai Yuan-Xin , Tseng Chu-Yao , Yang Huang-Yu , Yang Sien-Hung , Lee Pai-Wei , Yang Tsung-Hsien
Published: August 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the Chinese herbal medicine formula Guilu Erxian Jiao can improve the T-score in osteoporosis patients and even decrease the fracture rate.Design: This is a retrospective study.Subjects and Setting: Osteoporosis participants were selected from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) database from 2000 to 2019.Interventions: The patients were administered Guilu Erxian Jiao pills.Outcome measures: We analyzed the change of T-score and the associated cumulative incidence of fracture.Results: Eighty-five patients administered GEJ met the inclusion criteria. After propensity score matching (1:5), 425 patients who were not administered GEJ were included in the control group. There were no significant differences about the baseline characteristics between the study and control groups. In the study group, GEJ improved the osteoporosis of the lumbar vertebrate and osteopenia of the hip joint but did not improve osteoporosis of the femoral neck. The cumulative rate of fracture between these two groups was not significantly different. Patients who took at least 600 GEJ pills over the treatment period had a decreased risk for fracture at fracture-prone sites.Conclusion:The use of Guilu Erxian Jiao may improve osteoporosis of the lumbar vertebrate and osteopenia of the hip joint. In addition, it may help decrease fractures of the lumbar spine. Administering at least 600 GEJ pills over the treatment period might result in a decreased risk for fracture at fracture-prone sites.
Using Soil Erosion as an Indicator for Integrated Water Resources Management: A Case Study of Ruiru Drinking Water Reservoir, Kenya
Authors: Kamamia Ann W. , Vogel Cordula , Mwangi Hosea M. , Feger Karl-heinz , Sang Joseph , Julich Stefan
Published: August 2021

Functions and services provided by soils play an important role for numerous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) involving mainly food supply and environmental health. In many regions of the earth, water erosion is a major threat to soil functions and is mostly related to land use change or poor agricultural management. Selecting proper soil management practice, requires site-specific indicators such as water erosion, which follow a spatio-temporal variation. In this study, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation—RUSLE—complemented with the cubist-kriging interpolation method was applied to develop monthly soil erosion risk maps for the data-scarce catchment of the Ruiru drinking water reservoir located in Kenya. An erodibility map created with digital soil mapping methods (R2 = 0.63) revealed that 46% of the soils in the catchment have medium to high erodibility. The monthly erosion rates showed two distinct potential peaks of soil loss over the course of the year, which are consistent with the bimodal rainy season experienced in central Kenya. A higher soil loss of 2.24 t/ha was estimated for long rains (March- May) as compared to 1.68 t/ha for short rains (October- December). Bare land and cropland are the major contributors to soil loss. Furthermore, the spatial maps reveal that areas around the indigenous forest on the western and southern parts of the catchment have the highest erosion risk. In conclusion, erosion risk maps can be decisive for developing spatially explicit, efficient and timely soil management strategies thus allowing continued multi-functional use of land within the soil-water-food nexus.
Reference Site Influences Perceived Species Loss in Shade Coffee, But Assemblages in Fact Depend on Landscape Context
Authors: Bedoya Maria Juliana , Jones Harrison H , Malone Kristen , Branch Lyn C
Published: August 2021

Context: Shade coffee plantations are purported to maintain forest biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Understanding their conservation importance is hindered, however, by the limited taxa studied and failure to account for the landscape context of plantations and quality of reference sites.Objectives/Research questions: (1) how occupancy of mammals and birds changed from continuous forest to fragmented forest and coffee plantations while statistically controlling for landscape context, and (2) whether mammal and bird communities responded differently to shade coffee with regard to richness and composition.Methods: We used camera traps to sample ground-dwelling birds and medium- and large-bodied mammals (31 and 29 species, respectively) in shade coffee plantations and two types of reference forest (fragmented and continuous) in Colombia’s Western Andes. We used a multi-species occupancy model to correct for detection and to estimate occupancy, richness, and community composition.Results Shade coffee lacked ~50% of the species found in continuous forest, primarily forest-specialist insectivorous birds and forest-specialist and large-bodied mammals, resulting in different species composition between coffee and forest assemblages. Coffee plantation birds were generally a unique subset of disturbance-adapted specialists, whereas mammals in coffee were mostly generalists encountered across land uses. Forest fragments had species richness more similar to shade coffee than to continuous forest. Species sensitive to shade coffee responded negatively to isolation and disturbance at the landscape scale.Conclusions: Studies comparing coffee with relictual forest fragments may overestimate the conservation value of shade coffee. Conservation of biodiversity in shade coffee landscapes will be ineffective unless these efforts are linked to larger landscape-level conservation initiatives.
Perceptions and Attitudes of Midwives on Respectful Maternity Care During Childbirth: A Qualitative Study in Three District Hospitals of Kigali City of Rwanda, 2019
Authors: Uwamahoro Valentine , Sengoma Jean Paul Semasaka , Ndagijimana Albert , Humuza James
Published: August 2021

Background: Respectful maternity care (RMC) is “a universal human right for every childbearing woman”. Mistreatment during childbirth is a violation of women’s fundamental rights and affects accessibility to women’s health services. In Rwanda, little is known about health care professionals’ perceptions and attitudes towards RMC during childbirth. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of midwives towards the provision of respectful maternity care during childbirth.Methods: This qualitative study used individual in-depth interviews in Kinyarwanda language. A purposive sampling method was used to reach out to 28 midwives from three district hospitals in Kigali city. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated into English and thematic content analysis was performed using Atlas ti, version 7. The study was ethically approved by the University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences Institutional Review Board, before data collection.Results: Most of participants revealed that they have knowledge on RMC and perceive that they provide maternal health care based on women’s rights. Positive attitudes towards providing RMC were reported by midwives working in maternity. However, a considerable number of participants reported the existence of abusive practices among midwives. Most of the midwives reported facing many challenges which affect their ability to provide respectful maternal care.Conclusion: In general, midwives understand the seven rights of mothers and had a positive attitude towards providing RMC. However, some abusive practices still exist among midwives while providing RMC with considerable reported challenges, including overload and lack of labour monitoring materials. The adjustment of the ratio of midwives to clients and availability of essential materials in labour monitoring is suggested.
Modulation of Rac1/PAK1/connexin43-Mediated ATP Release from Astrocytes Contributes to Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival in Experimental Glaucoma
Authors: Zhao Guo-Li , Zhou Hong , Zhong Shu-Min , Zhou Han , Xu Lin-Jie , Li Fang , Lei Bo , Wang Zhongfeng , Miao Yanying
Published: August 2021

Background: Connexin43 (Cx43) is one of major gap junction proteins in glial cells. Mutation in the gap junction protein alpha 1 gene of Cx43 has been detected in human glaucomatous retinas, suggestive of involvement of Cx43 in pathogenesis of glaucoma. However, the role of Cx43 in glaucoma has not been clearly elucidated. Methods: A mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension (COH) was produced by injecting magnetic microbeads into the eye anterior chamber. To explore the role of Rac1 in regulating Cx43 function, Rac1 conditional knockout in astrocytes was generated by subretinal injection of AAV-GFAP-Cre in Rac1ﬂox/ﬂox mice. The hemichannel activity was assayed by ethidium bromide uptake. The level and source of ATP were assayed by a commercial ATP assay kit, ATP sensors and removing microglia. Results: In this study, we showed that Cx43 were mainly expressed in retinal astrocytes. Intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation induced astrocyte activation, as evidenced by increased expressions of c-Fos and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which results in downregulation of Cx43 and changes of Cx43 phosphorylation at Ser373 and Ser368 sites. In the optic nerve head of COH mice, Cx43 expression in Gap43 (an activity-dependent plasticity protein) positive astrocytes was reduced. In COH retinas, Rac1, a member of the Rho family, was activated, which was consistent with the decrease of Cx43 expression in a time course. Pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 inhibited the activity of its downstream molecule PAK1, and reversed the reduction of Cx43 expression and astrocyte activation induced by IOP elevation. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments further demonstrated the interactions between Cx43 and active Rac1 or p-PAK1. Inhibition of Rac1 or conditional knockout of Rac1 in macroglial cells increased the ATP release through Cx43 hemichannels in astrocytes of COH retinas. Additionally, Rac1 deletion in astrocytes upregulated the expression of adenosine A3 receptor in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and promoted RGC survival, at least at early stage of IOP elevation through activating adenosine receptors.Conclusions: Our results showed that Rac1 in astrocytes regulated glaucomatous RGC survival through Cx43-mediated ATP release. These findings suggest that modulation of Rac1/PAK1/Cx43 pathway in astrocytes may be a potential strategy of neuroprotection in glaucoma.
Landslide Susceptibility Zonation Using Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches in Northern Lecco, Italy
Authors: Mehrabi Mohammad
Published: August 2021

This study deals with landslide susceptibility mapping in the northern part of Lecco Province, Lombardy Region, Italy. In so doing, a valid landslide inventory map and thirteen conditioning factors (including elevation, slope aspect, slope degree, plan curvature, profile curvature, distance to waterway, distance to road, distance to fault, soil type, land use, lithology, stream power index, and topographic wetness index) form the spatial database within geographic information system (GIS). The used evaluative models comprise a bivariate statistical approach called frequency ratio (FR) and two machine learning tools, namely multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). These models first use landslide and non-landslide records for comprehending the relationship between the landslide occurrence and conditioning factors. Then landslide susceptibility values are predicted for the whole area. The accuracy of the produced susceptibility maps is measured using area under the curve (AUC) index, according to which, the MLPNN (AUC = 0.916) presented the most accurate map, followed by the FR (AUC = 0. 898) and ANFIS (AUC = 0.889). Visual interpretation of the susceptibility maps, FR-based correlation analysis, as well as the importance assessment of conditioning factors, all indicated the significant contribution of the road networks to the crucial susceptibility of landslide. Lastly, an explicit predictive formula is extracted from the implemented MLPNN model for a convenient approximation of landslide susceptibility value.
A Method for Estimating the Risk of Fishery Ports Against Typhoon: A Case Study on Dongsha Fishery Port
Authors: Zhang Yachao , Zhang Xiaojie , qiu jufei , Tao Aifeng , Deng Yanfen , Zhao Jianli , Wang Jianfeng , Huang Wentao
Published: August 2021

After standard seawalls have been built successfully, fishery ports become the structures most easily damaged during a typhoon. Estimating the risk of fishery ports against typhoons would be useful for identifying weaknesses and implementing corrective measures to protect fishing boats from a typhoon. This study describes a versatile methodology for conducting this type of quantitative assessment at fishery ports. The Dongsha fishery port in Zhejiang Province was selected as a case study to test the results derived from a high-precision Hydrodynamic Flexible Mesh model coupled with the Spectral Wave model. First, typhoon characteristics were assessed based on historical typhoons in the study area, and then, the wind, tide, storm surge, and waves were modeled and tide-surge interactions were investigated. Through comparisons of the destructive parameters from the typhoon assessment with the design and structural parameters of the fishery port, the level of the Dongsha fishery port against typhoons was determined to be 12, and the main weaknesses of the port’s defenses were found to be located near feature points T2, T3, T8, and T15. The results obtained demonstrate that the proposed methodology can be used to acquire valuable information on the risk of fishery ports against typhoons.
Basal and Calcium-Stimulated Procalcitonin for the Diagnosis of Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Lights and Shadows
Authors: Censi Simona , Stefano Marta Di , Repaci Andrea , Benvenuti Teresa , Manso Jacopo , Pagotto Uberto , Iacobone Maurizio , Barollo Susi , Bertazza Loris , Galuppini Francesca , Benna Clara , Pennelli Gianmaria , Plebani Mario , Faggian Diego , Colombo Carla , Fugazzola Laura , Mian Caterina
Published: August 2021

Background: procalcitonin (proCt) was recently proposed as an alternative or in addition to calcitonin (Ct) in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) diagnostics. Methods: serum basal Ct (bCt) and proCt (bproCt) levels were measured before surgery from a consecutive series of patients with (n=43) and without (n=75) MTC, retrospectively collected in Padua. Serum bproCt, bCt and stimulated proCt and Ct (sproCt and sCt) were measured in another consecutive series of 33 patients seen at three tertiary-level institutions underwent a calcium stimulation test prior to surgery, 20 of them with a final diagnosis of MTC, and 13 with non-MTC nodular disease. Results: median bproCt levels were higher in MTC than in non-MTC. A positive correlation was found for bproCt with bCt (P<0.01, R2=0.75), and with tumor size (P<0.01, R2=0.39). The cut-off for bproCt differentiating between MTC and non-MTC patients was >0.07 ng/ml (sensitivity: 85.7%, specificity: 98.9%, positive predictive value [PPV]: 98.2%, negative predictive value [NPV]: 90.6%, P<0.01). While bproCt was >0.07 ng/ml in 38/39 (97.4%) patients with MTC >10 mm, it was only above said cut-off in 15/23 (65.2%) patients with tumors ≤10 mm. A sproCt >0.19 ng/ml was able to identify MTC (sensitivity: 90.0%, specificity:100.0%, PPV: 100.0%, NPV: 86.7% [P<0.01]). Conclusions: proCt cannot replace Ct as the standard of care in the MTC diagnosis, because it often fails to identify a small MTC. That said, it has a very high specificity and can be used in combination with Ct in MTC diagnostics, particularly in the case of mildly elevated basal Ct levels.
Mask Wearing Behavior and COVID-19: Synthetic Effects of Individualism and Collectivism in Korea
Authors: Chung Ji-Bum , Kim Byeong-Je , Kim Eun-Sung
Published: August 2021

The behavior of the general public has largely been critical to the effective COVID-19 response. Republic of Korea has shown a better response performance than many other countries around the world. Based on the theories of individualism-collectivism, this study analyzes how the Korean culture influences the mask-wearing behavior of people in Korea. Two online surveys were conducted after the first wave and in the middle of third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. The results of regression analysis demonstrate that, when demographic variables are controlled, concerns around infecting others and respondents’ horizontal individualistic tendency have significant positive effects on mask wearing behavior. Meanwhile, horizontal collectivism also positively affects the respondents’ mask-wearing behavior as expected in collectivistic culture of Korean people. We conclude that the general collectivism of Korean people is mutually synergetic with the horizontal individualism in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea.
Network Security Situation Prediction Model Based on EMD and ELPSO Optimized BiGRU Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Biao , Ji Shaopei , Xu Jiazhong , Jia Mingqi , Deng Liwei
Published: August 2021

The traditional network security situation prediction method depends on the accuracy of historical situation values, and there are correlations and differences in importance among various network security factors. To solve the above problems, a combined forecasting model based on Empirical Mode Decomposition and improved Particle Swarm Optimization (ELPSO) to optimize BiGRU neural network (EMD-ELPSO-BiGRU) is proposed. Firstly, the model decomposes the network security situation data sequence into a series of intrinsic modal components by empirical mode decomposition; Then, the prediction model of the BiGRU neural network is established for each modal component, and an improved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (ELPSO) is proposed to optimize the super parameters of BiGRU neural network. Finally, the prediction results of each modal component are superimposed to obtain the final prediction value of the network security situation. In the experiment, on the one hand, ELPSO is compared with other particle swarm optimization algorithms, and the results show that ELPSO has better optimization performance; On the other hand, through simulation test and comparison between EMD-ELPSO-BiGRU and other traditional forecasting methods, the results show that the established combined forecasting model has higher forecasting accuracy.
Photoclick Reaction Programming Glutathione-Responsive System for Granuloma-Tracking and Anti-Tuberculosis
Authors: Zheng Judun , Long Xun , Chen Hao , Ji Zhisheng , Shu Bowen , Yue Rui , Liao Yechun , Qiao Kun , Liu Ying , Liao Yuhui
Published: August 2021

Background:Tuberculosis (TB) is a virulent form of infectious disease that causes a global burden due to its high infectivity and fatality rate, especially the irrepressible threats of the latent infection. Constructing an efficient strategy for the prevention and control of TB is of great significance. Fortunately, we found that granulomas are endowed with higher reducibility levels possibly caused by internal inflammation and a relatively enclosed microenvironment. Results:Therefore, we developed the first targeted glutathione (GSH)-responsive theranostic system (RIF@Cy5.5-HA-NG) for tuberculosis with a rifampicin (RIF)-loaded near-infrared emission carrier, which was constructed by photoclick reaction-actuated hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction, enabling the early diagnosis of tuberculosis through granulomas-tracking. Furthermore, the loaded rifampicin was released through the dissociation of disulfide bond by the localized GSH in granulomas, realizing the targeted tuberculosis therapy and providing an especially accurate treatment mapping for tuberculosis. Conclusions:Thus, this targeted theranostic strategy for tuberculosis exhibits the potential to realize both granulomas-tracking and anti-infection of tuberculosis.
Positive Impact of Perioperative Oral Management on the Risk of Surgical Site Infections after Abdominal Surgery: A Analysis of Real-World Data from 16 University Hospitals in Japan
Authors: SHIMANE Tetsu , Koike Kazuyuki , Fujita Shigeyuki , Kurita Hiroshi , Isomura Emiko Tanaka , Chikazu Daichi , Kanno Naomi , Sasaki Keiichi , Hino Satoshi , Hibi Hideharu , Koyama Takahiro , Nakamura Seiji , Nomura Takeshi , Mori Yoshiyuki , Tojyo Itaru , Yamamoto Toshiro , Yamamori Iku , Aota Keiko , Tanzawa Hideki
Published: August 2021

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of perioperative oral management (POM) to reduce the risk of SSI in abdominal surgery. Real-world data collected from 16 Japanese university hospital was reviewed. Methods: The medical records of consecutive 2,782 patients (1,750 men and 1,032 women) who underwent abdominal surgery under general anesthesia in 16 university hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. Detailed information about SSI was assessed and compared between patients with and without POM in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: SSI were observed in 275 patients (incidence rate: 9.9%) and POM was delivered in 778 patients (28.0%). Univariate analyses revealed that diabetes mellitus, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, the surgical site, the preoperative Prognostic Nutritional Index score, POM, the extent of surgery, the operation time, and the amount of intraoperative blood loss were significantly associated with postoperative SSI (Chi-square or Mann-Whitney U-test, p <0.01). The multivariate analysis revealed that POM had significant preventative effects against postoperative SSI (estimate: -0.245, standard error: 0.080, p <0.01). The surgical site, the ASA classification, and the operation time were also significant and independent clinical predictors of SSI.Conclusion: The analysis of real-world data from 16 university hospitals revealed that, regardless of the content and degree of the problem, addition of POM has significant beneficial effects in reducing the risk of SSI in patients who undergo abdominal surgery.
The GoogLeNet-assisted Phase Transition Detectors
Authors: Wong C. H. , Wu Raymond P. H. , Lei X. , Zatsepin A. F.
Published: August 2021

The GoogLeNet model can completely split the overlapped phase transitions in the superconducting nanowire arrays under Josephson interaction. In the presence of the phase fluctuations in superconducting nanowires array, the electrical resistance of the superconducting nanowires is always non-zero unless the system undergoes Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition where the superconducting vortices and anti-vortices form pairs. The two-dimensional XY model can mimic the superconducting transition temperature Tc and the BKT transition temperature TBKT by observing the heat capacity anomalies upon cooling. If the Josephson coupling across the nanowires is strong, the heat capacity anomalies almost overlap with each other so that the traditional curve-fitting techniques are difficult to completely distinguish between the Tc and the TBKT. To solve this issue, we apply an artificial-intelligence technique to completely split the overlapped heat capacity anomalies. After the GoogLeNet-assisted phase transition detector is built, the GoogLeNet model can learn from the features of the phase transitions and then interpret the Tc and TBKT in the ‘unseen’ system precisely. Our work opens a path for the GoogLeNet model to enter the world of superconductivity.
Corneal Ectasia in Mothers of Down Syndrome Children
Authors: Hashemi Hassan , Asgari Soheila , Panahi Parsa , Mehravaran Shiva , Fotouhi Akbar , Ambrósio Renato
Published: August 2021

In this study, corneal findings regarding keratoconus (KC) and early KC among mothers with Down syndrome children (MDS) and a group of age-at-delivery-matched mothers with normal children (MNC) were compared. KC was diagnosed based on the presence of a clinical sign and at least one abnormal tomographic or biomechanical criterion. Early KC was defined as having no clinical sign in the presence of at least one abnormal tomographic or biomechanical criterion. The normal subgroups in each group were compared in terms tomographic and biomechanical parameters. In MDS and MNC, the prevalence rates were 6.5% and 1.6% for KC (P = 0.047), and 30.9% and 14.3% for early KC (P = 0.014), respectively. Comparison between the two normal subgroups showed significant differences in mean index of height asymmetry, irregularity index, anterior asphericity, pentacam random forest index, corneal stiffness parameters at first applanation, deformation amplitude ratios, integrated radius-1mm, highest concavity deflection amplitude, biomechanical corrected IOP, peak distance, and radius (all P < 0.05). This study showed that MDS are more likely to have KC and also to have thinner, steeper and softer corneas compared to MNC. This results support the need for further work for determining the risk of delivering a child with DS.
Prediction and applications of lymph nodes posterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Tan Hai-Long , Khushbu Rooh-Afza , Yuan Zheng-Tai , Feng Chen-Zhe , Zhao Ya-Xin , Chen Pei , Hu Hui-Yu , Liu Mian , Ou-Yang Deng-Jie , Qin Zi-en , Huang Peng , Chang Shi
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Residues from the LN-prRLN are one of the main reasons for persistence or recurrence in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the methods for preoperative assessment of LN-prRLN status, as well as the correlation with other clinicopathological features remains unclear.
Methods

Clinicopathological feature of 493 patients with PTC were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors of LN-prRLN metastasis. The implications of positive LN-prRLN on right lateral lymph node and contralateral central lymph node metastasis were also investigated.
Results

Among the 493 patients, 343 (69.6%) was women and the average age was 39.06 ± 10.63 years old. Male sex, tumor size > 10 mm, extrathyroidal extension, the number of lymph nodes anterior to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve (LN-arRLN) metastasis ≥ 1, and right lateral lymph node metastasis (right-LLNM) were found as the independent risk factors of LN-prRLN metastasis in PTC. The prediction model based on those five factors performed better than the other forecast models. Moreover, positive LN-prRLN, male sex, microcalcifications, and tumor size > 10 mm significantly increases the risk of right-LLNM. Meanwhile, positive LN-prRLNand male sex will significantly increase the risk of con-CLNM.
Conclusions

LN-prRLN dissection should be recommended in patients with male sex, tumor size > 10 mm, extrathyroidal extension, the number of LN-arRLN metastasis ≥ 1, and present right-LLNM. Furthermore, when LN-arRLN metastasis has occurred, surgeons should be more alert to the possibility of right lateral lymph node and contralateral central lymph node metastasis.
Socio-Demographic, Behavioural and Biomedical Factors Contributing to HIV Spread among Adults in Ghana - A Case-Control Study
Authors: Sevugu Justice Thomas
Published: August 2021

HIV/AIDS prevalence remains a major global public health and development challenge despite key interventions to curb its spread. Ghana, in particular, for a decade now, has experienced a persistent increase in the number of HIV new infections among adults, with the new infection rates varying across the administrative regions. The study examines socio-demographic, health, social, behavioural, and biomedical factors contributing to the spread of HIV among adults in Ghana and how these factors vary across administrative regions. A case-control study was carried on involving 362 respondents made of 181 HIV cases and controls, each from the Ahafo and Northern regions of Ghana. Structured questionnaires were administered. Socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, their health status, social behavioural, and biomedical factors that have potential influence on the spread of HIV was collected. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the degree to which each of the risk factors collected were associated with the spread of HIV in Ghana and across regions. Out of 21 risk factors identified, 13 accounted for the spread of HIV in the Ahafo region compared to only 6 in the Northern region. The study concludes that factors for HIV spread in Ghana are many but vary across administrative regions in the country. It, therefore, suggests the need to create job opportunities, have HIV awareness campaign programmes, regulate the sale of alcoholic and other related drugs, discourage sex trade, promote condom use throughout the country for those who cannot abstain, and tailored to regions. Keywords: Adults, Biomedical Factors, HIV Spread, Socio-Behavioural.
Grounds of socially dangerous acts criminalisation on the example of vandalism
Authors: Salaieva Karyna Anatoliivna
Published: August 2021

The article defines the concept and grounds of criminalisation on the example of vandalism as a negative social phenomenon. The author proves that the scale of vandalism and the consequences of its commission increase due to the ignoring of this problem by the legislator.
 The main criterion for criminalisation is the need to use it to combat a particular type of action. This need is due to the impossibility of preventing certain types of anti-social behaviour by non-criminal means. This aims at the legislator to refrain from criminal liability in all cases without exception, when it is unable to serve the purpose of reducing the crime rate of the type.
 Issues of criminalisation of socially dangerous acts are developed by modern criminal law science, but are not always taken into account in the development and adoption of certain laws on criminal liability, which may create imperfections in these laws and inconsistencies in law enforcement practice. Science has proposed many variants of the principles of criminalisation, which often differ significantly from each other. However, all of them can be grouped into 3 major groups: legal-criminological, socio-economic and socio-psychological. We proton to consider compliance with the grounds for criminalisation on the example of committing acts of vandalism, which we propose to supplement with aggravating circumstances.
         The listed grounds for criminalisation of vandalism confirm the possibility to include it in the list of socially dangerous criminally illegal acts. It is clear that the list of these grounds is somewhat larger, and the proposed study lists only those that correspond to vandalism. In addition, it is not necessary for criminalisation to have all of these grounds at the same time and in combination, as any one or some of these grounds may be sufficient.
Modern trends in Ukrainian criminal law doctrine in the trials of representatives of the Association of Criminal Law
Authors: Kozachenko Oleksandr Vasylovych
Published: August 2021

The article made an overview analysis of selected scientific publications placed in the published in 2021 a collection of scientific papers " Latest Criminal Law Research - 2021", which had been prepared in connection with the formation and further discussion of the draft Criminal Code of Ukraine. Researchers raise a wide range of issues related to the formation of the fundamental foundations of a new in content and form of criminal law, and of its individual institutions in order to find effective forms and measures to counter the challenges that have emerged in the context of widespread criminalization of various spheres of human life.

Modern Ukrainian criminal law is in a state of comprehensive transformation caused by socio-economic, political, ideological and other changes in society and the state. Building a legal and social state, transforming society in order to give it the content of a civil society is impossible without a fundamental change in law. This is what determines the schedule of most scientific events of various formats and requires Ukrainian researchers, both theorists and practitioners, to participate in the discussion of a large number of debatable issues of the normative definition and practice of applying legal norms in various branches of law.

It should be noted that representatives of the Ukrainian criminal law doctrine are at the forefront of the formation of a modern, both in form and in content, branch of criminal law. Naturally, most of the well-known representatives of the Ukrainian criminal law elite are members of the Public Organization "All-Ukrainian Association of Criminal Law" and provide real support to the activities of the Working Group on the Development of Criminal Law, which functions as a structural unit of the Commission on Legal Reform, created by the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated August 7, 2019 No. 584/2019.

The pages of the annual publication of scientific papers "Latest Criminal Law Research - 2021" have become the traditional venue for discussions on topical issues of Ukrainian criminal law.

The general purpose of this survey study is to conduct an analysis of thematic publications, which includes: a) the topic under study; c) the relevance of its consideration, taking into account modern needs; c) contribution to the development of criminal law science; e) sources used and links to scientific publications.

From a methodological point of view, this study is close to hermeneutics, obtained as a result of deep understanding and interpretation of 10 scientific articles.

Among the most significant conclusions, it stands out that the core of modern criminal law is a person to whom this place has been replaced by the state. In addition, the studies of Ukrainian scientists are consonant with the current problems and trends of the world criminal law science, which cannot but affect the formation of modern Ukrainian criminal law.
Crack identification for bridge condition monitoring using deep convolutional networks trained with a feedback-update strategy
Authors: Tong Tong , Lin Jing , Hua Jiadong , Gao Fei , Zhang Han
Published: August 2021

Orthotropic steel bridge decks and steel box girders are key structures of long-span bridges. Fatigue cracks often occur in these structures due to coupled factors of initial material flaws and dynamic vehicle loads, which drives the need for automating crack identification for bridge condition monitoring. With the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the acquirement of bridge surface pictures is convenient, which facilitates the development of vision-based bridge condition monitoring. In this study, a combination of convolutional neural network (CNN) with fully convolutional network (FCN) is designed for crack identification and bridge condition monitoring. Firstly, 120 images are cropped into small patches to create a basic dataset. Subsequently, CNN and FCN models are trained for patch classification and pixel-level crack segmentation, respectively. In patch classification, some non-crack patches that contain complicated disturbance information, such as handwriting and shadow, are often mistakenly identified as cracks by directly using the CNN model. To address this problem, we propose a feedback-update strategy for CNN training, in which mistaken classification results of non-crack data are selected to update the training set to generate a new CNN model. By that analogy, several different CNN models are obtained and the accuracy of patch classification could be improved by using all models together. Finally, 80 test images are processed by the feedback-update CNN models and FCN model with a sliding window technique to generate crack identification results. Intersection over union (IoU) is calculated as an index to quantificationally evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method.
Investigating use of chlorine dioxide for pre-treatment of raw water from polluted sources at Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Works, Harare, Zimbabwe
Authors: Hoko Zvikomborero , Toto Tariro N. , Mapenzauswa Clarence Farai , Nhiwatiwa Tamuka , Chipfunde Lisben , Hunguru Sylvester
Published: August 2021

Raw water quality deterioration has affected capabilities of Conventional Water Treatment Processes (CWTP) in many countries. CWTP used at Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Works (MJWTW) in Harare have proven ineffective due to pollution. The study investigated the use of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as an alternative pre-treatment chemical. Its effectiveness was compared to that of calcium hypochlorite (Ca(CIO)2) used at MJWTW. Grab raw water samples from MJWTW were collected between January and March 2020 and pre-treated with ClO2 and Ca(CIO)2 followed by jar tests with alum to determine pre-treatment effectiveness. Parameters analyzed included electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total solids (TS), turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH and total algae counts (TAC). The raw water had mean TDS (264 mg/L), TS (440 mg/L), turbidity (7.1 NTU), COD (85 mg/L), pH (7.9) and TAC (28.4 × 106 cells/mL). The optimum alum dosage without pre-oxidation was 80 mg/L. Pre-oxidation with 0.075 mg/L ClO2 reduced alum dosage to 60 mg/L. This ClO2 dosage was compared to a Ca(CIO)2 dosage of the same concentration and strength at 5 and 15-minutes contact time before alum dosage at 60 mg/L. The treated water quality parameter levels proved better performance for ClO2 compared to calcium hypochlorite.
Hacia una integración de la antropología urbana, del trabajo y las organizaciones. Reflexiones entre empresa y ciudad en Cali, Colombia
Authors: Varón Rojas Diego
Published: August 2021

El oficio antropológico en organizaciones empresariales y en la ciudad ocasiona un sinnúmero de retos, los cuales inciden en el ámbito académico al propiciar reflexiones en torno a la investigación y la formación académica. Este artículo incluye un itinerario de tres recorridos por una empresa y su impacto en el desarrollo de la ciudad de Cali - Colombia. Fueron tres los objetivos propuestos. Analizar las interrelaciones entre la antropología urbana y de las organizaciones empresariales y del trabajo, desde una orientación sociohistórica; desarrollar reflexiones a partir de estas relaciones y los datos cualitativos recogidos entre los años 2013 y 2017 en una empresa que presta servicios públicos, ubicada en el sur occidente colombiano; y, finalmente, comparar el comportamiento de los trabajadores antes y después de la intervención por parte de la Superintendencia de Servicios Públicos. A nivel metodológico, esta investigación se apoyó en técnicas como la revisión documental, entrevistas en profundidad y la observación participante. Algunos de los resultados permiten reconocer a las Empresas Municipales de Cali EICE ESP con una trayectoria de nueve décadas. El endeudamiento de Emcali alcanzó cifras récord en el período 1998-1999, hacia los trabajadores, entidades financieras y empresas del sector. Durante la etapa de intervención aumentaron los conflictos e hizo su aparición la desindicalización, propios de la flexibilidad laboral. La idea de que Emcali era el principal “patrimonio de los caleños” empezó a ser interrogada. A partir de los datos de investigación presentados aquí, se sostiene que los antropólogos deben aumentar la preocupación por entender los vínculos entre empresas y ciudades.
Creación de empresas en Colombia: un análisis del perfil del emprendedor moderno
Authors: Pitre-Redondo Remedios Catalina , Hernández-Palma Hugo Gaspar , Sierra-Parodi Angela
Published: August 2021

En la actualidad, las actividades de emprendimiento representan una de las principales fuentes de crecimiento económico y de generación de empleo. De ahí que resulte de gran transcendencia la revisión de los principales factores que influyen en su éxito o fracaso, y la manera como las herramientas del direccionamiento estratégico pueden impactar en sus beneficios. Con base en lo anterior, se desarrolló un estudio basado en la revisión documental de artículos relacionados con el tema de investigación, soportados en bases de datos científicas de alto reconocimiento. Los resultados arrojaron un panorama del fenómeno de creación y cierre de empresas en Colombia, que incluyen avances relacionados con el sector de la economía naranja, recientemente impulsado por el gobierno nacional. Se concluye que los nuevos emprendedores cuentan con características muy particulares que generan un factor diferenciador frente a otros, tales como su edad, su iniciativa frente a la innovación, el uso de nuevas tecnologías, la interdisciplinariedad de sus conocimientos, entre otros.
Boosting Auto-Induction of Recombinant Proteins in Escherichia coli with Glucose and Lactose Additives
Authors: Tahara Nariyasu , Tachibana Itaru , Takeo Kazuyo , Yamashita Shinji , Shimada Atsuhiro , Hashimoto Misuzu , Ohno Satoshi , Yokogawa Takashi , Nakagawa Tsutomu , Suzuki Fumiaki , Ebihara Akio
Published: August 2021

Background:

Auto-induction is a convenient way to produce recombinant proteins without
inducer addition using lac operon-controlled Escherichia coli expression systems. Auto-induction
can occur unintentionally using a complex culture medium prepared by mixing culture substrates.
The differences in culture substrates sometimes lead to variations in the induction level.

Objectives:

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using glucose and lactose as boosters of
auto-induction with a complex culture medium.

Methods:

First, auto-induction levels were assessed by quantifying recombinant GFPuv expression
under the control of the T7 lac promoter. Effectiveness of the additive-containing medium was examined
using ovine angiotensinogen (tac promoter-based expression) and Thermus thermophilus
manganese-catalase (T7 lac promoter-based expression).

Results:

Auto-induced GFPuv expression was observed with the enzymatic protein digest Polypepton,
but not with another digest tryptone. Regardless of the type of protein digest, supplementing
Terrific Broth medium with glucose (at a final concentration of 2.9 g/L) and lactose (at a final concentration
of 7.6 g/L) was successful in obtaining an induction level similar to that achieved with a
commercially available auto-induction medium. The two recombinant proteins were produced in
milligram quantity of purified protein per liter of culture.

Conclusion:

The medium composition shown in this study would be practically useful for attaining
reliable auto-induction for E. coli-based recombinant protein production.
Dengue Virus Entry/Fusion Inhibition By Small Bioactive Molecules: A
Critical Review
Authors: Jubie Selvaraj , Naresh Podila , Pottabatula Shyam Sunder
Published: August 2021

:

Many flaviviruses are remarkable human pathogens that can be transmitted by mosquitoes
and ticks. Despite the availability of vaccines for viral infections such as yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis,
and tick-borne encephalitis, flavivirus-like dengue is still a significant life-threatening illness
worldwide. To date, there is no antiviral treatment for dengue therapy. Industry and the research
community have been taking ongoing steps to improve anti-flavivirus treatment to meet this clinical
need. The successful activity has been involved in the inhibition of the virus entry fusion process in
the last two decades. In this study, the latest understanding of the use of small molecules used as fusion
inhibitors has been comprehensively presented. We summarized the structure, the process of fusion
of dengue virus E protein (DENV E), and the amino acids involved in the fusion process. Special
attention has been given to small molecules that allow conformational changes to DENV E protein,
viz. blocking the pocket of βOG, which is important for fusion.