bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laser Ablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Thyroid Nodules: 12-Month Results of a Randomized Trial (LARA II Study)
Authors: Cesareo Roberto , Manfrini Silvia , Pasqualini Valerio , Ambrogi Cesare , Sanson Gianfranco , Gallo Andrea , Pozzilli Paolo , Pedone Claudio , Crescenzi Anna , Palermo Andrea
Published: February 2021

Context

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) seems to achieve a significantly larger nodule volume reduction rate (VRR) than laser ablation (LA) in benign nonfunctioning thyroid nodules (BNTNs)

Objective

To compare the efficacy and safety of both treatments at 12-month follow-up in patients with solid or predominantly solid BNTN.

Methods

This was a single-center, 12-month, randomized, superiority, open-label, parallel-group trial conducted in an outpatient clinic. Sixty patients with a solitary BNTN or dominant nodule characterized by pressure symptoms/cosmetic problems were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive either a single session of RFA or LA. Twenty-9 patients per group completed the study. The main outcome measures were VRR and proportion of nodules with more than 50% reduction (technical success rate).

Results

At 12 months, VRR was 70.9 ± 16.9% and 60.0 ± 19.0% in the RFA and LA groups, respectively (P = .024). This effect was confirmed in the linear regression model that was adjusted for age, sex, nodule baseline volume, and proportion of cellular components (RFA treatment: β = .390; P = .009). No significant between-group difference was observed in the technical success rate at 12 months after treatment. A statistically significant improvement was observed from the baseline to the 12-month follow-up for compression (RFA: 4.6 ± 2.6 and 1.3 ± 0.8, P < .001; and LA: 4.6 ± 2.1 and 1.6 ± 0.8, respectively, P < .001) and cosmetic (RFA: 3.4 ± 0.6 and 1.3 ± 0.5, P < .001; and LA: 3.4 ± 0.5 and 1.4 ± 0.6, P < .001) scores although the between-group differences were not significant.

Conclusion

RFA achieved a significantly larger nodule volume reduction at 12 months; however, the technical success rate was similar in the RFA and LA groups.
Actual problems of designing the educational process
Authors: Semenova Elena
Published: February 2021

The textbook is an author's development formed on the basis of actual achievements of several areas of scientific knowledge related to various aspects of intellectual activity and implemented in the practice of professional pedagogical activity of different educational groups and forms of education (both higher and additional professional education). Structure of the study involves theoretical facts, the availability of practical tasks, allowing to assess the level of dynamics of development of the future specialist and workshop, contributing to the expansion of personal pedagogical tools. Compiled in accordance with the requirements of the society for socially oriented professions of the future, presented on the portal of new professions atlas100.ru. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is addressed to students, undergraduates, postgraduates studying in pedagogical directions, teachers of educational organizations.
Fundamentals of the economy of space activities
Authors: Afanas'ev Mihail , Bendikov Mihail , Korunov Stanislav
Published: February 2021

The textbook describes in detail the classification of space goods and services, the segments and sectors of the global space market, the development prospects and the positioning of Russian enterprises in them. The methodological feature of the course consists in new approaches to the segmentation of the market and areas of space activities, identifying their deep relationships with the space industry. The practical side of the course is aimed at studying the methodology and practice of space project management, space pricing, organization of placement and execution of space government orders, and market analytics. The tutorial contains test questions for each chapter, test tasks, and a wide selection of topics for course design. The subject of the course papers is related to the specific activities of the enterprises of the space industry. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is intended for third-year undergraduate and graduate students specializing in the field of training 38.03.01 and 38.04.01 "Economics" in the specialties "Economics of Space activities", "Economics of high-tech industries".
Social ecology
Authors: Strel'nikov Viktor , Franceva Tat'yana
Published: February 2021

Important processes and phenomena occurring in human society in the era of the modern ecological crisis are considered. The evolution of humanity and its relationship with the natural environment, the transformation of its habitat, namely the development of a multi — faceted system "man — society-nature", are also considered. The problems of the emergence of socio-ecological tension between society and its environment, as well as the factors of its regulation, are presented. The material presented in the textbook contributes to the development of bachelor's and master's students ' broad view of various social processes and phenomena. It is intended for students of higher educational institutions studying in the field of "Ecology and nature management".
Building structures. Calculation and design
Authors: SetkovSerbin Evgeniy
Published: February 2021

The textbook outlines the basics of designing and calculating the simplest and most widely used load-bearing structures in construction practice. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of secondary vocational education of the latest generation. It is intended for students and teachers of construction colleges and technical schools, as well as other secondary vocational educational institutions that train specialists in construction specialties, primarily in the specialty 08.02.01 "Construction and operation of buildings and structures" with all its specializations of the basic level. It may be of interest to students of higher education, where the discipline "Building structures" is included in the curriculum, but is not a profile. It can be useful for construction technicians engaged in production activities or design work in the field of new construction or reconstruction in the housing and communal complex, especially in small businesses.
Basics of C programming
Authors: Dorogova Ekaterina , Gagarina Larisa
Published: February 2021

The textbook is an initial course of programming in the C language. The basics of programming, techniques and methods in the style of modular programming are considered. It can be used as a guide to the C language, contains numerous examples tested on a computer. The laboratory workshop will help readers practically master the programming techniques and technical capabilities of classical C, described in this manual. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is recommended for students studying the disciplines "Fundamentals of Programming", "High-level languages", "Computer Science", as well as for teachers of these courses in higher educational institutions.
Business process management: from theory to practice
Authors: Maslevich Tat'yana
Published: February 2021

The textbook examines the theoretical foundations of business process management of a modern enterprise, presents a practical approach to the identification, classification of processes and implementation of process management, which can be applied in practice in the activities of organizations in the context of innovation and digital transformation of business. At the end of the chapters, there are questions, test and practical tasks for the purpose of self-control on the development of the material. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is recommended for use by teachers, undergraduate and graduate students and students of MBA programs studying in economic disciplines, management and management activities, as well as specialists of economic, consulting, innovation, and planning departments of enterprises.
Transfer, storage and processing of large volumes of scientific data
Authors: Grigor'ev Anatoliy , Isaev Evgeniy , Tarasov Pavel
Published: February 2021

The textbook examines large scientific projects and the amount of data generated by them, and provides an overview of scientific computer networks that allow high-speed transmission of large amounts of data for these projects. The article considers the computing systems offered by the leading manufacturers of computer equipment for processing large amounts of data and providing both the possibilities of storing large amounts of data, including distributed data, and the means of analytics and parallel data processing in real time. Special attention is paid to the security of the transmitted scientific information. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. For students of technical specialties of bachelor's degree, master's degree, specialty, studying in the areas of "Applied Mathematics and Computer Science", "Business Computer Science" and "Computer Science and Computer Engineering".
Optimization models for managing limited resources in logistics
Authors: Mischenko Aleksandr , Ivanova Anastasiya
Published: February 2021

In the proposed monograph, optimization models for managing limited resources in logical systems are considered. Such systems are primarily used by industrial enterprises, transport companies and trade organizations, including those that carry out wholesale activities. As a rule, the efficiency of these objects largely depends on how rational use of limited resources such as: consumer camera business, labor, vehicles, etc. In this paper, various approaches to managing such resources are considered both for deterministic models and for the situation when a number of model parameters are not specified exactly, that is, for stochastic models. In this case, it is proposed to evaluate the stability of models to the occurrence of various types of risk events, both by the structure of the solution and by the functionality. It is addressed to senior students, postgraduates and masters studying in the specialty "Management" and "Logistics", as well as specialists in the field of logistics systems modeling.
Victimological aspects of violent crime in the family and household sphere
Authors: Bochkareva Elena
Published: February 2021

In the monograph, the author reflects the criminological characteristics of violent crime in the family and household sphere, defines the role of the victim in the commission of this category of crimes and gives their victimological characteristics, examines the foreign experience of victimological prevention of domestic violence, and also suggests measures for such prevention in Russia. It is recommended for law enforcement officers, teachers, researchers, graduate students and law students.
Modern technology of teaching a foreign language: design and experience
Authors: Lomakina Tat'yana , Vasil'chenko Nina
Published: February 2021

The monograph deals with the theoretical and practical issues of pedagogical design of the technology of teaching a foreign language in the system of secondary vocational education. Presents an analysis of key concepts "instructional design" and "technology of education" that is meaningful and reveals the basic principles of the system, activity-based and student-centered approaches to the design of learning technologies to address new opportunities and the status of the str system in the modern socio-economic conditions. The author has developed a method of selection of the content of learning English language, based on the modular structure of the course, taking into account international experience in building the content of language education for professional purposes, the requirements of the educational-methodical complex of teaching business English and core competencies stipulated by the Council of Europe, as well as the requirements of the labour market and the needs of employers standardisert, intensificarea language training specialist of middle management by reflection of the status and trends of professional activities in various fields. For use in the system of professional development of teachers of secondary vocational education, additional education and the system of corporate training.
Psychology of regional elections: candidates and voters
Authors: Groshev Igor' , Davydova Yuliya , Gorbenko Anton
Published: February 2021

The monograph is devoted to the study of the socio-psychological features of regional elections that influence the socio-political behavior of the electorate. The authors propose a new understanding of the psychological nature of the processes of forming the voting choice, which brings us closer to a more correct understanding of the complex political and psychological mechanisms of the strategy and tactics of regional election campaigns. The identified individual and personal indicators of the influence of the electoral characteristics of candidates on the voting of various categories of voters were developed and tested at the regional level. A number of practical recommendations on the organization of election campaigns, designed to take into account the psychological specifics of the behavior of the electorate in the framework of regional elections (elections with weak content), are empirically proved. It is intended for managers and specialists of regional election commissions, political scientists and psychologists who study issues related to the patterns of electoral behavior, graduate students and undergraduates engaged in research in the field of political psychology, as well as political strategists who ensure the effectiveness of election campaigns.
Problems of standardization in the implementation of the provisions of the Technical regulations of the Russian Federation
Authors: Ikryannikov Valentin , Barykin Aleksey
Published: February 2021

The book provides the results of a study of standardization in the implementation of national technical regulations of the Russian Federation "About fire safety", "On safety of buildings and structures", "On safety of gas distribution networks and gas consumption, On the safety of marine transport", "On safety of inland water transport" and the Technical regulations on tobacco products. The study was the analysis and correlation of the objects and requirements of technical regulations, the approved lists of documents for standardization adopted in 2016-2020 codes of practice, national, intergovernmental, international and regional standards, codes, national standards, the collection of information on enforcement practices and suggestions from industry stakeholders and generalization of the obtained data. According to the results of the study, the key and organizational and methodological problems of standardization in the field of technical regulation are identified, and current directions for improving standardization and national technical regulations are identified. It is of interest to a wide range of specialists in the field of standardization, technical regulation and public administration, and can be used in the preparation of training programs and manuals for bachelor's, master's, additional professional education and MBA programs.
Beware of chicken bones: An uncommon presentation of a foreign body in the palate
Authors: Martin Dinesh , Naraynsingh Candy
Published: February 2021

This paper describes a case of an intra-osseous foreign body impaction in the hard palate, a chicken bone fragment, in an adult male. The presentation mimicked that of an odontogenic lesion. Though palatal soft tissue foreign bodies in toddlers are well reported, the literature is sparse on cases involving adults. The location of the foreign body, and radiographic presentation, resulted in a diagnostic challenge to the attending clinician. This appears to be the first reported case of an animal bone presenting in this way in an adult.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: The case highlights the importance of credible history reporting, 3D imaging and developing accurate differentials in the diagnostic pathway when faced with an atypical clinical presentation.
Redeployment of dental teams during the covid-19 pandemic: A review of experiences and lessons learned
Authors: Platais Christopher , Siodlak Francesca , Toor Ishpinder , Ormondroyd Louise
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe, causing millions of cases and disrupting the lives of people worldwide. The increase in the number of critically unwell patients has put healthcare systems under immense strain, requiring them to adapt their service provision to cope with increased demand. At Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTFT) in London, redeployment of healthcare staff has been used to relieve pressure on the most overburdened hospital sectors, and this saw clinical dental teams involved in auxiliary medical roles throughout much of 2020. On the cusp of the New Year, COVID-19 cases continued to soar and GSTFT opted to cancel routine care and re-implement a second round of clinical redeployment. Here, we discuss our experiences and present positive feedback of early-career dentists being redeployed to medical wards during the UK's greatest health crisis of recent years.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Clinical dental teams can positively contribute to the national COVID-19 response through the provision of urgent dental care, inpatient mouthcare services and auxiliary medical roles.
Cervical margin relocation and indirect restorations: Case report and literature review
Authors: Butt Aftab
Published: February 2021

Coronal margin relocation (CMR) is a technique that is being increasingly used to manage subgingival defects in cavities in posterior teeth. The aim of this case report and literature review is to arm the dental practitioner with up-to-date scientific literature on this topic, such that they can appropriately incorporate CMR into their practice. Inclusion criteria for the literature review were the use of composite as the material used for CMR and a subsequent indirect restoration. Medline was searched and manual search of bibliographies was carried out. This yielded nine in vitro studies and 12 clinical reports that were considered in this review.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: The CMR technique is being used more widely in dental practice and it is important for dental practitioners to be aware of the evidence base on which to guide their practice.
Review: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish and other aquatic organisms from Karachi Coast, Pakistan
Authors: Yousif Ramzy , CHOUDHARY MUHAMMAD IQBAL , AHMED SHAKEL , AHMED QURATULAN
Published: February 2021

Abstract. Yousif RA, Choudhary MI, Ahmed S, Ahmed Q. 2020. Review: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish and other aquatic organisms from Karachi Coast, Pakistan. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 74-85. Heavy metals are being utilized in a variety of ways in industries, agriculture, food processing and household in many forms. Metals are unique environmental and industrial pollutants in the sense that they are neither created nor destroyed by human beings but are only transported and transformed into various products. The present study deals with the findings of various investigators on the effect of heavy metals on fish and other aquatic organisms on Karachi coasts of Pakistan. The polluted areas (Rivers and Karachi coasts) receiving effluents from industrial, agricultural, municipal and domestic wastes. The order of abundance of the metals were as fellow; Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cd > Pb > Cr > Ni > Hg > As. Most studies showed that essential metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) in aquatic organisms are much high, but the quantities of non-essential metals are found to be less. This review has shown that fish and other aquatic organisms are used as bio-monitoring species in heavy metal pollution. It is suggested that such investigations should be continuous in terms of both human health and determination of metal pollution in aquatic environment.
Polarization holographic recording of vortex diffractive optical elements on azopolymer thin films and 3D analysis via phase-shifting digital holographic microscopy
Authors: Cazac Veronica , Achimova Elena , Abashkin Vladimir , Prisacar Alexandr , Loshmanschii Constantin , Meshalkin Alexei , Egiazarian Karen
Published: February 2021

Direct fabrication of complex diffractive optical elements (DOEs) on photosensitive thin films is of critical importance for the development of advanced optical instruments. In this paper, we design and investigate DOEs capable of generating optical vortices. Analog and digital approaches for one-step polarization holographic recording of vortex DOEs on new carbazole-based azopolymer thin films are described. First configuration involves analog polarization holographic recording using a vortex phase retarder and has as a result the DOE producing a diffraction pattern with phase singularities aligned in a single line. Similar diffraction picture is achieved by the single-beam digital holographic recording setup with an integrated spatial light modulator. In the third system, the implemented double-beam digital polarization holographic recording setup yields simultaneously a spatial multiplexed vortex pattern. Diffraction efficiency evolution of these three types of DOEs are monitored and compared. The phase-shifting digital holographic microscope with an electrically controlled liquid crystal variable retarder is applied to investigate the phase and surface topography of the inscribed diffractive optical elements. The comparison between the digital and analog micro-patterning techniques contributes new evidence to limited data on the influence of the analog and digital generation of the spiral wavefront on the performance of vortex DOEs.
Thermally switching between perfect absorber and asymmetric transmission in vanadium dioxide-assisted metamaterials
Authors: Ren Yi , Zhou Tianle , Jiang Chun , Tang Bin
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we propose a switchable bi-functional metamaterial device based on a hybrid gold-vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanostructure. Utilizing the property of a metal-to-insulator transition in VO2, perfect absorption and asymmetric transmission (AT) can be thermally switched for circularly polarized light in the near-infrared region. When VO2 is in the metallic state, the designed metamaterial device behaves as a chiral-selective plasmonic perfect absorber, which can result in an optical circular dichroism (CD) response with a maximum value ∼ 0.7. When VO2 is in the insulating state, the proposed metamaterial device exhibits a dual-band AT effect. The combined hybridization model and electromagnetic field distributions are presented to explain the physical mechanisms of chiral-selective perfect absorption and AT effect, respectively. The influences of structure parameters on CD response and AT effect are also discussed. Moreover, the proposed switchable bi-functional device is robust against the incident angle for obtaining perfect absorption and strong CD response as well as the AT effect. Our work may provide a promising path for the development of multifunctional optoelectronic devices, such as thermal emitters, optical modulators, CD spectroscopy, optical isolator, etc.
Time delay estimation from the time series for optical chaos systems using deep learning
Authors: Gao Xiaojing , Zhu Wei , Yang Qi , Zeng Deze , Deng Lei , Chen Qing , Cheng Mengfan
Published: February 2021

We propose a model-free time delay signature (TDS) extraction method for optical chaos systems. The TDS can be identified from time series without prior knowledge of the actual physical processes. In optical chaos secure communication systems, the chaos carrier is usually generated by a laser diode subject to opto-electronic/all-optical time delayed feedback. One of the most important factors to security considerations is the concealment of the TDS. So far, statistical analysis methods such as autocorrelation function (ACF) and delayed mutual information (DMI) are usually used to unveil the TDS. However, the effectiveness of these methods will be reduced when increasing the nonlinearity of chaos systems. Meanwhile, certain TDS concealment strategies have been designed against statistical analysis. In our previous work, convolutional neural network shows its effectiveness on TDS extraction of chaos systems with high loop nonlinearity. However, this method relies on the knowledge of detailed structure of the chaos systems. In this work, we formulate a blind identification method based on long short-term memory neural network (LSTM-NN) model. The method is validated against the two major types of optical chaos systems, i.e. opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) chaos system and laser chaos system based on internal nonlinearity. Moreover, some security enhanced chaotic systems are also studied. The results show that the proposed method has high tolerance to additive noise. Meanwhile, the data amount needed is less than existing methods.
Imeglimin amplifies glucose-stimulated insulin release from diabetic islets via a distinct mechanism of action
Authors: Hallakou-Bozec Sophie , Kergoat Micheline , Fouqueray Pascale , Bolze Sébastien , Moller David E.
Published: February 2021

Pancreatic islet β-cell dysfunction is characterized by defective glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and is a predominant component of the pathophysiology of diabetes. Imeglimin, a novel first-in-class small molecule tetrahydrotriazine drug candidate, improves glycemia and GSIS in preclinical models and clinical trials in patients with Type 2 diabetes; however, the mechanism by which it restores β-cell function is unknown. Here, we show that imeglimin acutely and directly amplifies GSIS in islets isolated from rodents with Type 2 diabetes via a mode of action that is distinct from other known therapeutic approaches. The underlying mechanism involves increases in the cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) pool—potentially via the salvage pathway and induction of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) along with augmentation of glucose-induced ATP levels. Further, additional results suggest that NAD+ conversion to a second messenger, cyclic ADP ribose (cADPR), via ADP ribosyl cyclase/cADPR hydrolase (CD38) is required for imeglimin’s effects in islets, thus representing a potential link between increased NAD+ and enhanced glucose-induced Ca2+ mobilization which—in turn—is known to drive insulin granule exocytosis. Collectively, these findings implicate a novel mode of action for imeglimin that explains its ability to effectively restore—β-cell function and provides for a new approach to treat patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
Epidemiological model for the inhomogeneous spatial spreading of COVID-19 and other diseases
Authors: Tsori Yoav , Granek Rony
Published: February 2021

We suggest a novel mathematical framework for the in-homogeneous spatial spreading of an infectious disease in human population, with particular attention to COVID-19. Common epidemiological models, e.g., the well-known susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model, implicitly assume uniform (random) encounters between the infectious and susceptible sub-populations, resulting in homogeneous spatial distributions. However, in human population, especially under different levels of mobility restrictions, this assumption is likely to fail. Splitting the geographic region under study into areal nodes, and assuming infection kinetics within nodes and between nearest-neighbor nodes, we arrive into a continuous, “reaction-diffusion”, spatial model. To account for COVID-19, the model includes five different sub-populations, in which the infectious sub-population is split into pre-symptomatic and symptomatic. Our model accounts for the spreading evolution of infectious population domains from initial epicenters, leading to different regimes of sub-exponential (e.g., power-law) growth. Importantly, we also account for the variable geographic density of the population, that can strongly enhance or suppress infection spreading. For instance, we show how weakly infected regions surrounding a densely populated area can cause rapid migration of the infection towards the populated area. Predicted infection “heat-maps” show remarkable similarity to publicly available heat-maps, e.g., from South Carolina. We further demonstrate how localized lockdown/quarantine conditions can slow down the spreading of disease from epicenters. Application of our model in different countries can provide a useful predictive tool for the authorities, in particular, for planning strong lockdown measures in localized areas—such as those underway in a few countries.
Predictors of skilled maternal health services utilizations: A case of rural women in Ethiopia
Authors: Tsegaye Berhan , Shudura Elsabet , Yoseph Amanuel , Tamiso Alemu
Published: February 2021

Background

Maternal health services are affected by complex factors from one setting to another. Consequently, health planners should prioritize different interventions and design appropriate programs to enhance maternal health services utilization. Results of prior studies are conflicting. Furthermore, only few studies were done from antenatal to postnatal continuum of care in Ethiopia.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess prevalence and predictors of skilled maternal health services utilization at Dale-Wonsho health and demographic surveillance site of the Hawassa University, South Ethiopia, in 2019.

Methods

A community based cross sectional study was conducted from January 1–30; 2019. A total of 682 women who gave birth in the last twelve months were selected by using a two stage sampling technique. Data were collected through face to face interview. Data were entered into Epidata version 3.1. Then, they were exported and analyzed by SPSS version 22. Bi-variable logistic regression analysis was done and variables with p-value less than 0.05 were considered as candidate for multivariable logistic regression analysis. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) with 95% CI were computed, and p-value less than 0.01 was computed to determine the level of significance.

Result

Prevalence of antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal care utilizations were 69.1%, 52.1% and 32.7% respectively. Educated women (AOR = 4.72, 95%CI,2.82,7.9), household training (AOR = 8.52,95%CI = 5.5,13.1), middle wealth quantile(AOR = 0.8,95%CI,0.4–0.7), being richest wealth quantile (AOR = 0.16;95%CI = 0.06,0.41) and pregnancy plan (AOR = 3.65,95%CI,1.67–8.0) were factors positively associated with antenatal care utilization. Husband education (AOR = 4.96,95CI,3.08–8.0), and antenatal care (AOR = 5.9; 95%CI,3.87,9.1) were factors associated with institutional delivery. Maternal education (AOR = 2.5,95CI,1.4–4.4), information about postnatal care service utilization (AOR = 3.6,95CI,2.1,6.2) and women autonomy(AOR = 6.1,95CI,3.8,9.7) were positively associated with postnatal care service.

Conclusion

Prevalence of antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal care services were lower than the targeted plan. Policy makers should focus on capacity building of women both economically and academically. So, women should be more autonomous to utilize health services effectively. Moreover, awareness creation among women should be enhanced about maternal health service.
The association between depressive symptoms and self-reported sleep difficulties among college students: Truth or reporting bias?
Authors: Huang Zhiyong , Kämpfen Fabrice
Published: February 2021

The strong association between self-reported sleep difficulties and depressive symptoms is well documented. However, individuals who suffer from depressive symptoms could potentially interpret the values attached to a subjective scale differently from others, making comparisons of sleep difficulties across individuals with different depressive symptoms problematic. The objective of this study is to determine the existence and magnitude of reporting heterogeneity in subjective assessment of sleep difficulties by those who have depressive symptoms. We implement an online survey using Visual Analogue Scales and anchoring vignettes to study the comparability of subjective assessments of sleep difficulties among college students in Switzerland (N = 1, 813). Using multivariate linear regressions and double-index models, our analysis shows that reporting heterogeneity plays only a marginal role in moderating the association between sleep difficulties and depression, irrespective of the severity of the depressive symptoms of the individuals. This suggests that unadjusted comparisons of self-reported sleep difficulties between college students are meaningful, even among individuals with depressive symptoms.
Fetal, neonatal, and infant outcomes associated with maternal Zika virus infection during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Martins Marlos Melo , Alves da Cunha Antonio José Ledo , Robaina Jaqueline Rodrigues , Raymundo Carlos Eduardo , Barbosa Arnaldo Prata , Medronho Roberto de Andrade
Published: February 2021

The occurrence of fetal and neonatal disorders in pregnant women with Zika virus infection in the literature is not consistent. This study aims to estimate the prevalence rate of these disorders in fetuses/neonates of pregnant women with confirmed or probable infection by Zika virus. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted in November 2020. Cohort studies that contained primary data on the prevalence of unfavorable outcomes in fetuses or neonates of women with confirmed or probable Zika virus infection during pregnancy were included. A total of 21 cohort studies were included, with a total of 35,568 pregnant women. The meta-analysis showed that central nervous system abnormalities had the highest prevalence ratio of 0.06 (95% CI 0.03–0.09). Intracranial calcifications had a prevalence ratio of 0.01 (95% CI 0.01–0.02), and ventriculomegaly 0.01 (95% CI 0.01–0.02). The prevalence ratio of microcephaly was 0.03 (95% CI 0.02–0.05), fetal loss (miscarriage and stillbirth) was 0.04 (95% CI 0.02–0.06), Small for Gestational Age was 0.04 (95% CI 0.00–0,09), Low Birth Weight was 0.05 (95% CI 0.03–0.08) and Prematurity was 0.07 (95% CI 0.04–0.10). The positivity in RT-PCR for ZIKV performed in neonates born to infected mothers during pregnancy was 0.25 (95% CI 0.06–0.44). We also performed the meta-analysis of meta-analysis for microcephaly with the prevalence ratios from other two previously systematic reviews: 0.03 (95% CI 0.00–0.25). Our results contribute to measuring the impact of Zika virus infection during pregnancy on children’s health. The continuous knowledge of this magnitude is essential for the implementation development of health initiatives and programs, in addition to promoting disease prevention, especially in the development of a vaccine for Zika virus. PROSPERO protocol registration:http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019125543.
Genetic analysis indicates spatial-dependent patterns of sex-biased dispersal in Eurasian lynx in Finland
Authors: Herrero Annika , Klütsch Cornelya F. C. , Holmala Katja , Maduna Simo N. , Kopatz Alexander , Eiken Hans Geir , Hagen Snorre B.
Published: February 2021

Conservation and management of large carnivores requires knowledge of female and male dispersal. Such information is crucial to evaluate the population’s status and thus management actions. This knowledge is challenging to obtain, often incomplete and contradictory at times. The size of the target population and the methods applied can bias the results. Also, population history and biological or environmental influences can affect dispersal on different scales within a study area. We have genotyped Eurasian lynx (180 males and 102 females, collected 2003–2017) continuously distributed in southern Finland (~23,000 km2) using 21 short tandem repeats (STR) loci and compared statistical genetic tests to infer local and sex-specific dispersal patterns within and across genetic clusters as well as geographic regions. We tested for sex-specific substructure with individual-based Bayesian assignment tests and spatial autocorrelation analyses. Differences between the sexes in genetic differentiation, relatedness, inbreeding, and diversity were analysed using population-based AMOVA, F-statistics, and assignment indices. Our results showed two different genetic clusters that were spatially structured for females but admixed for males. Similarly, spatial autocorrelation and relatedness was significantly higher in females than males. However, we found weaker sex-specific patterns for the Eurasian lynx when the data were separated in three geographical regions than when divided in the two genetic clusters. Overall, our results suggest male-biased dispersal and female philopatry for the Eurasian lynx in Southern Finland. The female genetic structuring increased from west to east within our study area. In addition, detection of male-biased dispersal was dependent on analytical methods utilized, on whether subtle underlying genetic structuring was considered or not, and the choice of population delineation. Conclusively, we suggest using multiple genetic approaches to study sex-biased dispersal in a continuously distributed species in which population delineation is difficult.
Scaling laws in natural conversations among elderly people
Authors: Abe Masato S. , Otake-Matsuura Mihoko
Published: February 2021

Language is a result of brain function; thus, impairment in cognitive function can result in language disorders. Understanding the aging of brain functions in terms of language processing is crucial for modern aging societies. Previous studies have shown that language characteristics, such as verbal fluency, are associated with cognitive functions. However, the scaling laws in language in elderly people remain poorly understood. In the current study, we recorded large-scale data of one million words from group conversations among healthy elderly people and analyzed the relationship between spoken language and cognitive functions in terms of scaling laws, namely, Zipf’s law and Heaps’ law. We found that word patterns followed these scaling laws irrespective of cognitive function, and that the variations in Heaps’ exponents were associated with cognitive function. Moreover, variations in Heaps’ exponents were associated with the ratio of new words taken from the other participants’ speech. These results indicate that the exponents of scaling laws in language are related to cognitive processes.
Comparative phenotypic, genotypic and genomic analyses of Bacillus thuringiensis associated with foodborne outbreaks in France
Authors: Bonis Mathilde , Felten Arnaud , Pairaud Sylvie , Dijoux Angélie , Maladen Véronique , Mallet Ludovic , Radomski Nicolas , Duboisset Arnaud , Arar Chantal , Sarda Xavier , Vial Gaelle , Mistou Michel-Yves , Firmesse Olivier , Hennekinne Jacques-Antoine , Herbin Sabine
Published: February 2021

Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) belongs to theBacillus cereus(Bc) group, well known as an etiological agent of foodborne outbreaks (FBOs). Bt distinguishes itself from other Bc by its ability to synthesize insecticidal crystals. However, the search for these crystals is not routinely performed in food safety or clinical investigation, and the actual involvement of Bt in the occurrence of FBOs is not known. In the present study, we reveal that Bt was detected in the context of 49 FBOs declared in France between 2007 and 2017. In 19 of these FBOs, Bt was the only microorganism detected, making it the most likely causal agent. Searching for its putative origin of contamination, we noticed that more than 50% of Bt isolates were collected from dishes containing raw vegetables, in particular tomatoes (48%). Moreover, the genomic characterization of isolates showed that most FBO-associated Bt isolates exhibited a quantified genomic proximity to Bt strains, used as biopesticides, especially those from subspeciesaizawaiandkurstaki. Taken together, these results strengthen the hypothesis of an agricultural origin for the Bt contamination and call for further investigations on Bt pesticides.
Parent–adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health and the utilization of adolescent-friendly health services in Kailali, Nepal
Authors: Bhatta Bharat Raj , Kiriya Junko , Shibanuma Akira , Jimba Masamine
Published: February 2021

Background

Adolescents are vulnerable to various sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems such as unintended pregnancy, HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unsafe abortion. Adolescent-friendly health services offer SRH services such as SRH counseling, contraceptive services, STI and HIV services, and abortion-related services, which may help prevent these risks. Parent–adolescent communication about SRH prevents adolescents from adopting unhealthy SRH practices. However, its association with the utilization of SRH services is less known. Therefore, this study examined the association between parent–adolescent communication on SRH issues and the utilization of adolescent-friendly health services in Nepal.

Methods

This was a school-based, cross-sectional study conducted in Kailali district, Nepal, among students aged 15–19 years in Grade 11 and 12 from seven schools. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the association between parent–adolescent communication and service utilization.

Results

We analyzed the data from 594 students. Students with a higher score of parent–adolescent communication on SRH were significantly more likely to use adolescent-friendly health services (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.70, 95% Confidence Interval, CI: 1.29–2.23, p<0.001). Those who reported having engaged in sexual intercourse in the past year were more likely to use services than those who did not (AOR: 29.11, 95% CI: 13.65–62.08, p<0.001). Those who belonged to the Janajati ethnic group were more likely to use these services than those from the Brahmin/Chhetri ethnic group (AOR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.28–6.42, p = 0.01). Those living alone were less likely to use services than those living with both parents (AOR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02–0.66, p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Students with a higher score on parent–adolescent communication on SRH were more likely to use adolescent-friendly health services. Thus, parental involvement in SRH communication could contribute to the use of adolescent-friendly health services and ultimately prevent negative SRH outcomes among students in late adolescence.
Effects of dietary phosphates from organic and inorganic sources on parameters of phosphorus homeostasis in healthy adult dogs
Authors: Dobenecker Britta , Reese Sven , Herbst Sarah
Published: February 2021

Background

The impact of dietary phosphorus (P) excess, especially on renal and cardiovascular health, has been investigated in several species, but little is known in dogs.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine effects of different P sources on concentration and postprandial kinetics of selected parameters of P homeostasis in dogs.

Methods

Eight beagles received one control diet (P 0.5% dry matter [DM]) and three high P diets (poultry meal, NaH2PO4,and KH2PO4; P 1.7% DM) for 18d. Urine samples were collected pre- and postprandially while faeces were collected quantitatively for 5d and analysed for minerals. On day 18, blood was sampled 1h pre- and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5 and 7h postprandially.

Results

Pi (KH2PO4, NaH2PO4) but not organic P caused an increased apparent P digestibility and significantly influenced kinetics of serum FGF23, parathyroid hormone, P, CrossLaps and bonespecific alkaline phosphatase, demonstrating a disrupted calcium (Ca) and P homeostasis with potential harm for renal, cardiovascular and skeletal health.

Conclusions

Results of feeding Pi to dogs indicate distinct disturbances of Ca and P metabolism, in contrast to organic sources. The use of Pi in food can therefore not be considered as safe. Further research, especially on dose and long-term effects, is warranted.
Perceived discrimination and contextual problems among children and adolescents in northern Chile
Authors: Flores Jerome , Caqueo-Urízar Alejandra , Quintana Lirna , Urzúa Alfonso , Irarrázaval Matías
Published: February 2021

Discriminatory behaviors among inter-ethnic relations in schools have long been noted and studied, but there are several correlations between discriminatory behaviors and other constructs that need further investigation. As an example, the relation between perceived discrimination and contextual problems—which include family, school and peer problems—among children and adolescents in Latin America has received little attention from previous studies. Further, the mediating role of ethnic identification and collective self-esteem in this relation also needs to be considered as they could be proven as protective factors for discriminatory behavior and its outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to, first, establish the relationship between perceived discrimination and contextual problems in inter-ethnic students aged 8–19 years living in Arica, Chile; and second, to identify the role that ethnic identification and collective self-esteem play within this relation. In order to investigate this matter, a cross-sectional study was carried out with 3700 students in 29 schools between the fourth year of primary education and the last year of secondary education, aged between 9–18 years, with 48.4% men and 51.6% women. The sample was divided into primary and secondary school groups. The scales utilized were the Everyday Discrimination Scale, Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised Scale, Collective Self-Esteem Scale and the dimensions of contextual family, school and peer problems, as well as the general index of contextual problems of the Child and Adolescent Assessment System. For data analysis, we tested a path analytic model at both the within and between levels to account for the relations between variables. In each group the models obtained an optimal fit. We found that perceived discrimination and ethnic identification were directly related to contextual problems (.23-.39), and collective self-esteem had only a mediating role. This study showed that strategized interventions focusing on ethnic identification and perceived discrimination should be utilized by schools to create a better developing environment.