bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness and process evaluation in obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention programs in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Seral-Cortes M. , De Miguel-Etayo P. , Zapata P. , Miguel-Berges M. L. , Moreno L. A.
Published: February 2021

Background

Obesity in children is one of the most severe public health challenges of the current century and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) frequency is also escalating. More so, the importance of process evaluation (PE) in complex interventions is increasingly recognized. The present review, aims to identify the effectiveness in terms of body composition parameters in a generation of articles to prevent obesity and T2DM in children. We hypothesise that those studies reporting PE applying the latest implementation guidelines suggested by the researchers would potentially show positive changes in body composition compared to those not reporting it. Additionally, we will evaluate the implementation degree of PE in those articles considering it and describe the PE subcomponents. Lastly, we aim to assess the intervention target used and its results.

Methods

A literature review was performed in parallel by 2 independent reviewers. A final number of 41 studies were selected for inclusion criteria.

Results

Meta-analysis of BMI and zBMI found non-significant effects of the proposed interventions. Sub-group analysis revealed only a significant effect in studies which performed PE. Moreover, PE was reported in 42% effective studies and 57% non-effective studies. Fidelity and satisfaction were the most implemented PE subcomponents, although there was a generally low grade of PE use (7/41). The highest proportion of effectiveness (83%) was shown in interventions of physical activity alone while the intervention most used was 3-arm target (diet, PA and BS).

Conclusions

Overall, obesity and T2DM prevention studies included in this review are not effective in terms of BMI and zBMI. Those studies performing PE reported to be effective in terms of BMI, while studies not reporting PE did not have positive results in terms of BMI and zBMI. In addition, none of the intervention studies included all PE indicators and most studies, which included PE in their interventions, did not provide full report of the PE components, according to the guidelines used for the present review. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018093667.
Association between multi-component initiatives and physical activity-related behaviors: interim findings from the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative
Authors: Calise Tamara Vehige , Spitzer Natalie , Ruggiero Laura , Ryder Amanda , Wingerter Chloe , Hatcher Ashley
Published: February 2021

Background

Although successful, assessment of multi-component initiatives (MCIs) prove to be very challenging. Further, rigorous evaluations may not be viable, especially when assessing the impact of MCIs on long-term population-level behavior change (e.g., physical activity (PA) and health outcomes (e.g., childhood obesity). The purpose of this study was to use intensity scoring, to assess whether higher intensity MCIs implemented as part of Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) were associated with improved physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviors among youth (dependent variables).

Methods

PA-related interventions were assigned point values based on three characteristics: 1) purpose of initiative; 2) duration; and 3) reach. A MCI intensity score of all strategies was calculated for each school district and its respective community. Multivariate longitudinal regressions were applied, controlling for measurement period, Cohort, and student enrollment size.

Results

Strategy intensity scores ranged from 0.3 to 3.0 with 20% considered “higher-scoring” (score > 2.1) and 47% considered “lower-scoring” (< 1.2). Average MCI intensity scores more than tripled over the evaluation period, rising from 14.8 in the first grant year to 32.1 in year 2, 41.1 in year 3, and 48.1 in year 4. For each additional point increase in average MCI intensity score, the number of days per week that students reported PA for at least 60 min increased by 0.010 days (p < 0.01), and the number of hours per weekday that students reported engaging in screen time strategies decreased by 0.006 h (p < 0.05). An increase of 50 points in MCI intensity score was associated with an average 0.5 day increase in number of weekdays physically active and an increase of 55 points was associated with an average decrease of 20 min of sedentary time per weekday.

Conclusions

We found a correlation between intensity and PA and sedentary time; increased PA and reduced sedentary time was found with higher-intensity MCIs. While additional research is warranted, practitioners implementing MCIs, especially with limited resources (and access to population-level behavior data), may consider intensity scoring as a realistic and cost effective way to assess their initiatives. At a minimum, the use of intensity scoring as an evaluation method can provide justification for, or against, the inclusion of an individual strategy into an MCI, as well as ways to increase the likelihood of the MCI impacting population-health outcomes.
Health care professionals’ perspectives on screening and management of gestational diabetes mellitus in public hospitals of South India – a qualitative study
Authors: Sahu Biswamitra , Babu Giridhara R. , Gurav Kaveri Siddappa , Karthik Maithili , Ravi Deepa , Lobo Eunice , John Daisy Abu , Oakley Laura , Oteng-Ntim Eugene , Nadal Iliatha Papachristou , Kinra Sanjay
Published: February 2021

Background

Women developing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) are subsequently at a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life. Screening and effective management of women with GDM are essential in preventing progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus. We aimed to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers regarding the barriers from the health system context that restrict the timely screening and effective management of GDM.

Methods

We conducted six in-depth interviews of health care providers- four with nurses and two with obstetricians in the public hospitals in India’s major city (Bengaluru). The interviews were conducted in the preferred language of the participants (Kannada for nurses, English for the obstetricians) and audio-recorded. All Kannada interviews were transcribed and translated into English for analysis. The primary data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach by NVivo 12 plus. The findings are put into perspective using the socio-ecological model.

Results

Health care providers identified delayed visits to public hospitals and stress on household-level responsibilities as barriers at the individual level for GDM screening. Also, migration of pregnant women to their natal homes during first pregnancy is a cultural barrier in addition to health system barriers such as unmet nurse training needs, long waiting hours, uneven power dynamics, lack of follow-up, resource scarcity, and lack of supportive oversight. The barriers for GDM management included non-reporting women to follow - up visits, irregular self-monitoring of drug and blood sugar, trained staff shortage, ineffective tracking, and lack of standardized protocol.

Conclusion

There is a pressing need to develop and improve existing GDM Screening and Management services to tackle the growing burden of GDM in public hospitals of India.
Lessons learned from inadequate implementation planning of team-based chronic disease management: implementation evaluation
Authors: Sibbald Shannon L. , Van Asseldonk Rachelle , Cao Peiwen L. , Law Benson
Published: February 2021

Background

This study was a retrospective evaluation of an unsuccessfully implemented team-based, chronic disease management program, with an aim to understand more about implementation barriers. The program, the Chronic Disease Management Initiative (CDMI) was a new collaborative model of care for patients with COPD. It utilized customized health information and interactive tools, mainly smartphones, for ongoing disease management. The program’s goal was to demonstrate that integrated team-based models of care could improve patient care, as well as reduce readmission rates and emergency department visits. The program planning for CDMI began in 2017, followed by the implementation and evaluation period in 2018. After a 10-month implementation period, the program was unable to enroll a sufficient number of patients to examine if there was an improvement in patient outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective case-study design using multiple data sources was used to gather feedback from participants involved in CDMI. Data collection occurred throughout planning and implementation and continued into early 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and transcripts were analyzed using NVivo 10 software. This was followed by content analysis.

Results

Analysis revealed four key themes as barriers to CDMI’s implementation: 1) lack of a needs assessment with key stakeholders; 2) lack of buy-in from medical staff; 3) inadequate patient engagement and; 4) contextual barriers. Planners did not conduct a proper needs assessment, nor include patients in the study design. In addition, there was insufficient consideration for how CDMI should be integrated into the usual COPD care plan, leading to confusion in roles and responsibilities. Poor communication between the implementation team and healthcare providers implementing the program, led to a lack of buy-in and engagement.

Conclusion

The key themes resonate with what is already known in the literature. This study supports the importance of using a theoretically grounded plan for implementation. Using a model only in the planning stages is insufficient even when an intervention is based on evidence to support higher quality care. It is imperative to consider practical and contextual factors of program implementation and their interactions. By detailing the ‘failed implementation’ of this intervention, we hope to share important lessons about the need to plan implementation processes early in program planning.
First isolation of Klebsiella variicola from a horse pleural effusion
Authors: Mondo Elisabetta , Rinnovati Riccardo , Spadari Alessandro , Giacometti Federica , Serraino Andrea , Savini Federica , Piva Silvia
Published: February 2021

Background

Respiratory diseases are the second most common cause of illnesses in horses, their etiology can be viral, bacterial, immune-mediated, or mechanical (Racklyeft and Love DN, Aust Vet J 78:549–59, 2000; Austin et al., J Am Vet Med Assoc 207:325–328, 1995; Arroyo et al., J Vet Intern Med 31:894–900, 2017).Klebsiella variicolais a Gram-negative bacterium that was initially identified as an endophyte in soil and plants such as bananas, rice, sugar cane and maize but recent studies have identified this microorganism as an emerging pathogen in humans (Rodríguez-Medina et al., Emerg Microbes Infect 8:973–988, 2019; Fontana et al., J Clin Microbiol 57:e00825–18, 2019; Rosenblueth et al., Syst Appl Microbiol 27:27–35, 2004).

This paper describes, for the first time to our knowledge, the isolation of K. variicola from pleural effusion in a male adult horse.

Case presentation

17-years Italian Saddle Horse with respiratory distress and fever was admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna. At home, the patient had undergone antibiotic therapy without clinical improvement. Vital signs on admission revealed an increased respiratory rate, tachycardia, pyrexia and weight loss. The animal was submitted for collateral examination including thoracic radiology and ultrasound and thoracoscopy that showed bilateral pleural effusion associated with multifocal pulmonary atelectasis.

During the thoracoscopic examination, that confirmed the presence of a seropurulent pleural effusion, a sample of pleural fluid was collected and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) that allowed the identification ofK. variicola. The isolate was sensitive to amikacin, cefazolin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole;the horse was treated with Oxytetracycline and amikacin. Despite a general health improvement of the subject, the pleural effusion did not resolve after treatment.

Conclusions

This paper describes, for the first time, the isolation ofK. variicolain a horse with respiratory disease. The misidentification betweenK. variicolaandK. pneumoniaehas caused unawareness about significant aspects of this bacterial species. In fact, even though in animals the role of this bacterium is not clear, in humans it has been recognized as an emerging pathogen. The use of new methods for bacterial identification will probably lead to the isolation of a greater number of strains which will have to be studied to acquire knowledge that will be useful to clarify the clinical importance and relevance ofK. variicolaalso in animals.
Inducing secondary metabolite production of Aspergillus sydowii through microbial co-culture with Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Sun Yu , Liu Wen-Cai , Shi Xuan , Zheng Hai-Zhou , Zheng Zhi-Hui , Lu Xin-Hua , Xing Yan , Ji Kai , Liu Mei , Dong Yue-Sheng
Published: February 2021

Background

The co-culture strategy which mimics natural ecology by constructing an artificial microbial community is a useful tool to activate the biosynthetic gene clusters to generate new metabolites. However, the conventional method to study the co-culture is to isolate and purify compounds separated by HPLC, which is inefficient and time-consuming. Furthermore, the overall changes in the metabolite profile cannot be well characterized.

Results

A new approach which integrates computational programs, MS-DIAL, MS-FINDER and web-based tools including GNPS and MetaboAnalyst, was developed to analyze and identify the metabolites of the co-culture of Aspergillus sydowii and Bacillus subtilis. A total of 25 newly biosynthesized metabolites were detected only in co-culture. The structures of the newly synthesized metabolites were elucidated, four of which were identified as novel compounds by the new approach. The accuracy of the new approach was confirmed by purification and NMR data analysis of 7 newly biosynthesized metabolites. The bioassay of newly synthesized metabolites showed that four of the compounds exhibited different degrees of PTP1b inhibitory activity, and compound N2 had the strongest inhibition activity with an IC50 value of 7.967 μM.

Conclusions

Co-culture led to global changes of the metabolite profile and is an effective way to induce the biosynthesis of novel natural products. The new approach in this study is one of the effective and relatively accurate methods to characterize the changes of metabolite profiles and to identify novel compounds in co-culture systems.
Identification and development of a novel invasion-related gene signature for prognosis prediction in colon adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Jiahua , Jiang Chunhui , Xu Chunjie , Wang Dongyang , Shen Yuguang , Liu Ye , Gu Lei
Published: February 2021

The overall survival of metastatic colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remains poor, so it is important to explore the mechanisms of metastasis and invasion. This study aimed to identify invasion-related genetic markers for prognosis prediction in patients with COAD. Three molecular subtypes (C1, C2, and C3) were obtained based on 97 metastasis-related genes in 365 COAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). A total of 983 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among the different subtypes by using the limma package. A 6-gene signature (ITLN1, HOXD9, TSPAN11, GPRC5B, TIMP1, and CXCL13) was constructed via Lasso-Cox analysis. The signature showed strong robustness and could be used in the training, testing, and external validation (GSE17537) cohorts with stable predictive efficiency. Compared with other published signatures, our model showed better performance in predicting outcomes. Pan-cancer expression analysis results showed that ITLN1, TSPAN11, CXCL13, and GPRC5B were downregulated and TIMP1 was upregulated in most tumor samples, including COAD, which was consistent with the results of the TCGA and GEO cohorts. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to validate protein expression. Tumor immune infiltration analysis results showed that TSPAN11, GPRC5B, TIMP1, and CXCL13 protein levels were significantly positively correlated with CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. Further, the TIMP1 and CXCL13 proteins were significantly related to the tumor immune infiltration of CD8+ T cells. We recommend using our signature as a molecular prognostic classifier to assess the prognostic risk of patients with COAD.
MSN, MWCNT and ZnO nanoparticle-induced CHO-K1 cell polarisation is linked to cytoskeleton ablation
Authors: Yadav Karmveer , Ali Syed Azmal , Mohanty Ashok Kumar , Muthusamy Eshwarmoorthy , Subaharan Kesavan , Kaul Gautam
Published: February 2021

Background

The cellular response to nanoparticles (NPs) for the mechanical clue and biochemical changes are unexplored. Here, we provide the comprehensive analysis of the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K1) cell line to study cell behaviour following the exposure of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs.

Results

Through the high-throughput proteomic study, we observed that the effect of NPs is alone not restricted to cell viability but also on cell polarisation. In the case of MSN, no drastic changes were observed in cellular morphology, but it upregulated chaperons that might prevent protein aggregation. However, MWCNT showed elongated cell appearance with numerous cytoplasmic vacuoles, and induce lamellipodia formation through actin polymerisation. The cytoskeleton remodelling was accompanied by the increased expression of Dlc-1, cofilin and Rac1 proteins. While ZnO NPs resulted in the rounded cell morphology along with nuclear abnormalities. The proteome analysis revealed that UBXN11 control cell roundness and DOCK3 leads to actin stress fibre formation and finally, loss of cell adhesion. It enhances the expression of catastrophic DNA damage and apoptotic proteins, which was unrecoverable even after 72 h, as confirmed by the colony formation assay. All three NPs trigger over-expression of the endocytic pathway, ubiquitination, and proteasomal complex proteins. The data indicate that ZnO and MSN entered into the cells through clathrin-mediated pathways; whereas, MWCNT invades through ER-mediated phagocytosis.

Conclusions

Based on the incubation and concentration of NPs, our work provides evidence for the activation of Rac-Rho signalling pathway to alter cytoskeleton dynamics. Our results assist as a sensitive early molecular readout for nanosafety assessment.
Novel fusion peptide‐mediated siRNA delivery using self‐assembled nanocomplex
Authors: Ryu Yeong Chae , Kim Kyung Ah , Kim Byoung Choul , Wang Hui-Min David , Hwang Byeong Hee
Published: February 2021

Background

Gene silencing using siRNA can be a new potent strategy to treat many incurable diseases at the genetic level, including cancer and viral infections. Treatments using siRNA essentially requires an efficient and safe method of delivering siRNA into cells while maintaining its stability. Thus, we designed novel synergistic fusion peptides, i.e., SPACE and oligoarginine.

Results

Among the novel fusion peptides and siRNAs, nanocomplexes have enhanced cellular uptake and gene silencing effect in vitro and improved retention and gene silencing effects of siRNAs in vivo. Oligoarginine could attract siRNAs electrostatically to form stable and self-assembled nanocomplexes, and the SPACE peptide could interact with the cellular membrane via hydrogen bonding. Therefore, nanocomplexes using fusion peptides showed improved and evident cellular uptake and gene silencing of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) via the lipid raft-mediated endocytosis pathway, especially to the HDFn cells of the skin, and all of the fusion peptides were biocompatible. Also, intratumorally injected nanocomplexes had increased retention time of siRNAs at the site of the tumor. Finally, nanocomplexes demonstrated significant in vivo gene silencing effect without overt tissue damage and immune cell infiltration.

Conclusions

The new nanocomplex strategy could become a safe and efficient platform for the delivery of siRNAs into cells and tissues to treat various target diseases through gene silencing.
MDAKRLS: Predicting human microbe-disease association based on Kronecker regularized least squares and similarities
Authors: Xu Da , Xu Hanxiao , Zhang Yusen , Wang Mingyi , Chen Wei , Gao Rui
Published: February 2021

Background

Microbes are closely related to human health and diseases. Identification of disease-related microbes is of great significance for revealing the pathological mechanism of human diseases and understanding the interaction mechanisms between microbes and humans, which is also useful for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Considering the known disease-related microbes are still insufficient, it is necessary to develop effective computational methods and reduce the time and cost of biological experiments.

Methods

In this work, we developed a novel computational method called MDAKRLS to discover potential microbe-disease associations (MDAs) based on the Kronecker regularized least squares. Specifically, we introduced the Hamming interaction profile similarity to measure the similarities of microbes and diseases besides Gaussian interaction profile kernel similarity. In addition, we introduced the Kronecker product to construct two kinds of Kronecker similarities between microbe-disease pairs. Then, we designed the Kronecker regularized least squares with different Kronecker similarities to obtain prediction scores, respectively, and calculated the final prediction scores by integrating the contributions of different similarities.

Results

The AUCs value of global leave-one-out cross-validation and 5-fold cross-validation achieved by MDAKRLS were 0.9327 and 0.9023 ± 0.0015, which were significantly higher than five state-of-the-art methods used for comparison. Comparison results demonstrate that MDAKRLS has faster computing speed under two kinds of frameworks. In addition, case studies of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma further showed 19 (IBD), 19 (asthma) of the top 20 prediction disease-related microbes could be verified by previously published biological or medical literature.

Conclusions

All the evaluation results adequately demonstrated that MDAKRLS has an effective and reliable prediction performance. It may be a useful tool to seek disease-related new microbes and help biomedical researchers to carry out follow-up studies.
Laparoscopic repair of hepatic herniation through a ventral incisional hernia: a case report
Authors: Misumi Toshihiro , Nishihara Masahiro , Sugino Keizo , Kawasaki Yukari
Published: February 2021

Background

Ventral incisional hernia is a common problem after abdominal surgery. Most patients with these hernias present with greater omentum and gastrointestinal prolapse. However, hepatic herniation through a ventral incisional hernia is a rare phenomenon that has been seldom reported in the literature. We report the case of a ventral incisional hernia with hepatic herniation treated with laparoscopic repair.

Case presentation

A 68-year-old Japanese women with a history of myocardial resection for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 1 year earlier was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of vomiting and epigastric pain. Physical examination showed a 4-cm epigastric mass. Abdominal computed tomography revealed left hepatic lobe herniation through the lower edge of a mid-sternal incision. We diagnosed the patient with a ventral incisional hernia with hepatic herniation. The patient underwent laparoscopic hernia repair. During an 18-month follow-up, no recurrence or symptoms have been observed.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of laparoscopic repair of ventral incisional hernias with hepatic herniation. Laparoscopic repair was useful and suitable for this rare herniation due to its minimally invasive nature and ability to achieve sufficient visibility of the surgical field. Laparoscopic repair could be a potential treatment option for elective surgery for this disease, which is often treated conservatively.
UL28 and UL33 homologs of Marek’s disease virus terminase complex involved in the regulation of cleavage and packaging of viral DNA are indispensable for replication in cultured cells
Authors: Sun Aijun , Yang Shuaikang , Luo Jun , Teng Man , Xu Yijie , Wang Rui , Zhu Xiaojing , Zheng Luping , Wu Yanan , Yao Yongxiu , Nair Venugopal , Zhang Gaiping , Zhuang Guoqing
Published: February 2021

Processing and packaging of herpesvirus genomic DNA is regulated by a packaging-associated terminase complex comprising of viral proteins pUL15, pUL28 and pUL33. Marek’s disease virus (MDV) homologs UL28 and UL33 showed conserved functional features with high sequence identity with the corresponding Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) homologs. As part of the investigations into the role of the UL28 and UL33 homologs of oncogenic MDV for DNA packaging and replication in cultured cells, we generated MDV mutant clones deficient in UL28 or UL33 of full-length MDV genomes. Transfection of UL28- or UL33-deleted BAC DNA into chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) did not result either in the production of visible virus plaques, or detectable single cell infection after passaging onto fresh CEF cells. However, typical MDV plaques were detectable in CEF transfected with the DNA of revertant mutants where the deleted genes were precisely reinserted. Moreover, the replication defect of the UL28-deficient mutant was completely restored when fragment encoding the fullUL28gene was co-transfected into CEF cells. Viruses recovered from the revertant construct, as well as by theUL28co-transfection, showed replication ability comparable with parental virus. Furthermore, the transmission electron microscopy study indicated that immature capsids were assembled without the UL28 expression, but with the loss of infectivity. Importantly, predicted three-dimensional structures of UL28 between MDV and HSV-1 suggests conserved function in virus replication. For the first time, these results revealed that both UL28 and UL33 are essential for MDV replication through regulating DNA cleavage and packaging.
Transcriptional profiling of fission yeast RNA polymerase II CTD mutants
Authors: Garg Angad , Sanchez Ana M. , Schwer Beate , Shuman Stewart
Published: February 2021

The carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II consists of tandem repeats of heptapeptide Y1S2P3T4S5P6S7. The CTD recruits proteins that drive or regulate gene expression. The trafficking of CTD-interacting proteins is orchestrated by remodeling CTD primary structure via Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphorylation and proline cis-trans isomerization, which collectively inscribe a CTD code. The fission yeast CTD consists of 29 repeats. To decipher the output of the fission yeast CTD code, we manipulated CTD length and amino acid content and gauged effects of these changes on gene expression. Whereas deleting 11 heptads has no effect on yeast growth, RNA-seq revealed that 25% of protein-coding transcripts were dysregulated. We profiled the transcriptomes of full-length CTD mutants, in which: all Tyr1 residues were replaced by Phe; all Ser2, Thr4, or Ser7 positions were changed to Ala; and half of the essential CTD code “letters” Pro3, Ser5, and Pro6 were mutated to Ala. Overlapping RNA-seq profiles suggested that a quarter of the up-regulated mRNAs and half of the down-regulated mRNAs seen in full-length CTD mutants might be attributable to a decrement in wild-type heptad number. Concordant mutant-specific profiles were observed for Y1F, S2A, and T4A cells, and for P6•P6A and S5•S5A cells, suggesting that Tyr1–Ser2–Thr4 and Ser5–Pro6 comprise distinct “words” in the CTD code. The phosphate regulon, which is repressed by lncRNA-mediated transcription interference, is de-repressed by CTD mutations P6•P6A and S5•S5A. De-repression of pho1 in P6•P6A and S5•S5A cells depends on cleavage and polyadenylation factor subunits Swd22 and Ppn1 and termination factor Rhn1, signifying that Pro6 and Ser5 mutations elicit precocious lncRNA 3′-processing/termination.
POLITIZACIÓN DEL HABITAR EN LA CIUDAD DE BARCELONA: PRÁCTICAS COTIDIANAS MIGRANTES FRENTE AL COVID-19.
Authors: Márquez Pulido Ulises Bernardino
Published: February 2021

This article examines the “everyday practices” of the immigrant population of Barcelona in relation to the Covid-19 context during the first few months after the Spanish government declared a State of Emergency (Real Decreto 463/2020, March 14). The first section sets out the theoretical and methodological approach followed along with statistical information about the study population. It then goes on to investigate the “cultural practices” of the Red de Cuidados Antirracista, a network set up to help and support vulnerable migrants who live in Barcelona, also offering a brief discussion of other cases. Finally, it emphasizes the special relevance of everyday life in the social organization processes activated by migrants to cope with the pandemic, in particular how everyday life is expressed within specific practices in the city and the urban space, configuring a particular politicization of habitation.
A Branch-and-Bound Algorithm for Building Optimal Data Gathering Tree in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhu Xiaojun , Tang Shaojie
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we consider the maximum lifetime data gathering tree (MLDT) problem in sensor networks. A data gathering tree is a spanning tree rooted at a specified sink so that every node can send its messages to the sink along the tree. The lifetime of a tree is defined as the minimum lifetime among nodes where each node’s lifetime is determined by its initial energy and transmission load. The MLDT problem is NP-hard, and the state-of-the-art solution formulates a decision version of the problem as an integer linear program (ILP) and then solves it by conducting binary search over all possible lifetimes. In this paper, we first give an ILP for the optimization problem rather than its decision version, and then show that using ILP solvers to solve these programs could be highly inefficient. We then propose a branch-and-bound algorithm that incorporates two novel features. First, the bounding method takes into account integer flows, and contains a new set of constraints. Second, a special set of edges are deleted to reduce the number of subproblems generated by the branching process. Numerical simulations on randomly generated networks show that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in terms of the number of solved problem instances in a fixed amount of time.

Summary of Contribution: We study the maximum lifetime data gathering tree (MLDT) problem in the context of wireless sensor network. MLDT is a fundamental problem in both computer science and operations research. Since sensor nodes are often resource limited, the data gathering tree must be carefully constructed to prolong the network lifetime. In this paper, we first give an integer linear program for the optimization problem rather than its decision version, and then show that using ILP solvers to solve these programs could be highly inefficient. We then propose a branch and bound algorithm that incorporates two novel features.
Watch yourself
Authors: Caswell Jo
Published: February 2021

Making observations of practice ‘the norm’ in your setting is the best way to ensure that when inspection day arrives all staff will feel less intimidated and able to shine, says Jo Caswell.
Cool place to be
Authors: Hart Karen
Published: February 2021

Welcome to the Greysbrooke Beach Hut – an inner sanctuary of calm where children can enjoy one-to-one time with teachers or enjoy small group activities which enable them to combat sensory overload. Karen Hart steps inside for a relaxing experience.
Take a moment
Authors: Harries Judith
Published: February 2021

Following on from last month's article on breathing techniques, now is the time to move on to basic meditation skills. Observe how quickly children find their focus, using natural materials as props to articulate their thoughts and feelings.
Efficacy and safety of a porcine peritoneum-derived matrix in diabetic foot ulcer treatment: a pilot study
Authors: Al-Jalodi Omar , Sabo Matthew , Patel Keyur , Bullock Neal , Serena Laura , Breisinger Kristy , Serena Thomas E
Published: February 2021

Objective:

A third of people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer during their lifetime. The absence of pain secondary to neuropathy often leads to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) complications, such as infection and amputation, increase mortality and strain the financial resources of health systems across the world. Cellular and/or tissue products (CTPs) have played an important role in the closure of DFUs. Investigators continue to search for new CTPs that facilitate healing. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a porcine peritoneum-derived matrix in DFU treatment.

Method:

Patients with longstanding DFUs participated in this institutional review board-approved, multicentre, prospective pilot study evaluating the time to healing over 12 weeks. In addition to weekly assessments for wound size, investigators analysed bacterial burden using the MolecuLight procedure (MLiX) and bacterial protease (BPA) testing. Participants received a weekly application of Meso Wound Matrix Scaffold (MWM), a lyophilised porcine peritoneum-derived matrix (DSM Biomedical Inc., Exton, PA, US) for up to eight weeks. Descriptive statistics were chosen for this analysis.

Results:

A total of 12 male patients and three female patients with an average age of 57 years were enrolled over a two-month period. The average wound duration was 30 weeks. Due to unrelated health issues, four participants were withdrawn. For the study endpoint of complete wound closure at 12 weeks, six (55%) of the remaining 11 patients achieved complete closure, and four (36%) patients healed during the 8-week treatment period. The average number of CTP applications was six. Patients who healed all had negative BPA by nine weeks and no fluorescence on MLiX, indicating low bacterial load.

Conclusion:

This small pilot study indicates that patients with longstanding DFUs may respond to a porcine peritoneal-derived CTP. In this study, the CTP appears to have inhibited bacterial growth in the wound; however, further research is needed.
The diversity of puring (Codiaeum variegatum (Linn.) Blume) in Yogyakarta
Authors: MUZAYYINAH MUZAYYINAH
Published: February 2021

Puring (Codiaeum variegatum (Linn.) Blume) which is native to Ambon has shape and colourful leaves, and people likethem much. This research was aimed to study: (i) the diversity of forma in Codiaeum variegatum, and (ii) number of those forma in Yogyakarta. There are thirteen forma in Yogyakarta, namely: C. verieqstum picturn 'Graigi', C. variegatum Golfinger, C. variegatum pictum, C. variegatum pictum Yoseph's coat, C. variegatum Mortii, C. variegatum Gold, C. variegatum Eggs, C. variegatum Tendril, C. variegatum pictum Princess Mary, C. variegatum pictum Princess, C. variegatum pictum Caudatum, C. variegatum Caudatum, and C. variegatum Sulcal. The two forma special form called kidang emas and lancuran planted in cemetery by Javanese due to its ritual value of yellow colour. The other forma its outdoor garden plants. The leaves of forma have degradation on colours and variation on shapes.Â© 2003 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS SurakartaKey word: puring (Codiaeum variegatum), keragaman, forma, magis
Irradiation on teak and pine agroforestry system and the effect on growth of soybean
Authors: PURNOMO DJOKO , SITOMPUL SYUKUR MAKMUR
Published: February 2021

Teak and pines are the largest tree forests in Central of Java so that they are very potential to be developed as an argoforestry system. The average Relative Irradiation Fraction (RIF)â€™s in the teak and pines trees are 50% and 14% respectively. Meanwhile, soybean is sunloving crop potentially to be cultivated in the agroforestry system. The aim of the research was to study the response of the soybean (Glyicine soya) varieties to the tree canopy pruning. The experiment was conducted at teak and pines forest area (vertisol and ultisol soil type respectively) arranged in split plot design. The main plot factor was pruning (no pruning and pruning) and the sub plot factor was variety (Wilis, Pangrango and Brawijaya). The teak and pines canopy pruning (50% lower part of canopy) increases the incident irradiation among the trees by 70%-89% or equal to 600-1000 Î¼ mol m-2 s-1 and 80% or 840 Î¼ mol m-2 s-1 respectively. The increase in the irradiation among the trees enhances the photosynthetic rate of soybean. The response of the soybean to the enhancing irradiation is higher in specific leaf area (SLA). Biomass production and seed yield of the soybean increases due to the canopy pruning. The seed yield of soybean increase respectively from 0.12 to 0.57 tons ha-1 and from 0.78 to 1.74 tons ha-1 in no pruning and pruning teak and pines agroforest. The Pangrango variety produces the highest yields of seed, thus it is potential to be cultivated as intercrops in a teak and pines agroforestry system.Â© 2006 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS SurakartaKey words: soybean, teak, pines, agroforestry
HUBUNGAN PENERIMAAN DIRI PADA ORANGTUA TERHADAP KREATIVITAS INDIVIDU DENGAN ASD DENGAN MODERATOR DUKUNGAN SOSIAL PADA ORANGTUA
Authors: Nino Adika El
Published: February 2021

Abstract. Everyone is born with different conditions. On such condition is that individuals are born with ASD conditions. Even with the different conditions, but individuals still have the potential that can be developed. One of these potentials is related to creativity. With the self-acceptance and perceived social support by parents, parents are expected to be able to practice parenting that is suitable for individuals with ASD to develop their potential. The study involved 34 students with autistic and parents in three districts and one municipality in the Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. There instruments used were the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking-Figural, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Scale of Self-acceptance. Findings from this study indicate that self-acceptance in parents can not predict of individuals with ASD. Then, the social support felt by parents can predict the creativity of individuals with ASD. In addition, social support for parents does not act as a moderator in the relationship between self-acceptance in parents and the creativity of individuals with ASD. This is not in line with previous findings.
State-dependent protein-lipid interactions of a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel in a neuronal membrane
Authors: Dämgen Marc A. , Biggin Philip C.
Published: February 2021

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) are receptor proteins that are sensitive to their membrane environment, but the mechanism for how lipids modulate function under physiological conditions in a state dependent manner is not known. The glycine receptor is a pLGIC whose structure has been resolved in different functional states. Using a realistic model of a neuronal membrane coupled with coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that some key lipid-protein interactions are dependent on the receptor state, suggesting that lipids may regulate the receptor’s conformational dynamics. Comparison with existing structural data confirms known lipid binding sites, but we also predict further protein-lipid interactions including a site at the communication interface between the extracellular and transmembrane domain. Moreover, in the active state, cholesterol can bind to the binding site of the positive allosteric modulator ivermectin. These protein-lipid interaction sites could in future be exploited for the rational design of lipid-like allosteric drugs.
Impact of seven years of mass drug administration and recrudescence of Schistosoma haematobium infections after one year of treatment gap in Zanzibar: Repeated cross-sectional studies
Authors: Trippler Lydia , Ame Shaali Makame , Hattendorf Jan , Juma Saleh , Abubakar Salum , Ali Said Mohammed , Kabole Fatma , Rollinson David , Knopp Stefanie
Published: February 2021

Background

Considerable progress towards the elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis was made by the Zanzibar Elimination of Schistosomiasis Transmission project from 2012 till 2016, when biannual praziquantel mass drug administration (MDA) alone or with additional snail control or behaviour change interventions were implemented. Annual MDA was continued in 2017 and 2018, but not in 2019, imposing a 16-month treatment gap. We monitored the Schistosoma haematobium prevalence from 2012 till 2020 and assessed recrudescence patterns with focus on 2020.

Methodology

Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted from 2011/12 till 2020 in 90 communities and 90 schools in Zanzibar. Annually, around 4,500 adults and up to 20,000 schoolchildren were surveyed. The S. haematobium prevalence was detected by urine filtration and reagent strips. In 2020, risk factors for infection were investigated using generalized estimated equation models.

Principal findings

In adults, the apparent S. haematobium prevalence was 3.9% in 2011 and 0.4% in 2020. In schoolchildren, the prevalence decreased from 6.6% in 2012 to 1.2% in 2019 with vicissitudes over the years. Prominent recrudescence of infection from 2.8% in 2019 to 9.1% (+225%) in 2020 was observed in 29 schools with historically moderate prevalences (≥10%). Compared with 2019, reinfection in 2020 was particularly striking in boys aged 9–16 years. Being male was a risk factor for infection in 2020 (adults: odds ratio (OR): 6.24, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.96–19.60; schoolchildren: OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.52–2.78). Living near to a natural freshwater body significantly increased the odds of infection in adults (OR: 2.90, CI: 1.12–7.54).

Conclusions/Significance

After 11 rounds of MDA over 7 years and a 16-month treatment gap, the urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence considerably rebounded in hotspot areas. Future elimination efforts in Zanzibar should focus on re-intensifying MDA plus additional interventions in hotspot areas. In low-prevalence areas, the strategy might be adapted from MDA to targeted surveillance-response.
Advancing science or advancing careers? Researchers’ opinions on success indicators
Authors: Aubert Bonn Noémie , Pinxten Wim
Published: February 2021

The way in which we assess researchers has been under the radar in the past few years. Critics argue that current research assessments focus on productivity and that they increase unhealthy pressures on scientists. Yet, the precise ways in which assessments should change is still open for debate. We circulated a survey with Flemish researchers to understand how they work, and how they would rate the relevance of specific indicators used in research assessments. We found that most researchers worked far beyond their expected working schedule. We also found that, although they spent most of their time doing research, respondents wished they could dedicate more time to it and spend less time writing grants and performing other activities such as administrative duties and meetings. When looking at success indicators, we found that indicators related to openness, transparency, quality, and innovation were perceived as highly important in advancing science, but as relatively overlooked in career advancement. Conversely, indicators which denoted of prestige and competition were generally rated as important to career advancement, but irrelevant or even detrimental in advancing science. Open comments from respondents further revealed that, although indicators which indicate openness, transparency, and quality (e.g., publishing open access, publishing negative findings, sharing data, etc.) should ultimately be valued more in research assessments, the resources and support currently in place were insufficient to allow researchers to endorse such practices. In other words, current research assessments are inadequate and ignore practices which are essential in contributing to the advancement of science. Yet, before we change the way in which researchers are being assessed, supporting infrastructures must be put in place to ensure that researchers are able to commit to the activities that may benefit the advancement of science.
A systems map of the determinants of child health inequalities in England at the local level
Authors: Jessiman Patricia E. , Powell Katie , Williams Philippa , Fairbrother Hannah , Crowder Mary , Williams Joanna G. , Kipping Ruth
Published: February 2021

Children and young people in the UK have worse health outcomes than in many similar western countries and child health inequalities are persistent and increasing. Systems thinking has emerged as a promising approach to addressing complex public health issues. We report on a systems approach to mapping the determinants of child health inequalities at the local level in England for young people aged 0–25, and describe the resulting map. Qualitative group concept mapping workshops were held in two contrasting English local authorities with a range of stakeholders: professionals (N = 35); children and young people (N = 33) and carers (N = 5). Initial area maps were developed, and augmented using data from qualitative interviews with professionals (N = 16). The resulting local maps were reviewed and validated by expert stakeholders in each area (N = 9; N = 35). Commonalities between two area-specific system maps (and removal of locality-specific factors) were used to develop a map that could be applied in any English local area. Two rounds of online survey (N = 21; N = 8) experts in public health, local governance and systems science refined the final system map displaying the determinants of child health inequalities. The process created a map of over 150 factors influencing inequalities in health outcomes for children aged 0–25 years at the local area level. The system map has six domains; physical environment, governance, economic, social, service, and personal. To our knowledge this is the first study taking a systems approach to addressing inequalities across all aspects of child health. The study shows how group concept mapping can support systems thinking at the local level. The resulting system map illustrates the complexity of factors influencing child health inequalities, and it may be a useful tool in demonstrating to stakeholders the importance of policies that tackle the systemic drivers of child health inequalities beyond those traditionally associated with public health.