bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Self-Identification as a Caregiver on Expectations of Public Stigma of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Stites Shana D. , Largent Emily A. , Johnson Rebecca , Harkins Kristin , Karlawish Jason
Published: December 2020

Background:

As a result of caring for a person with dementia, caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be uniquely aware of public stigma for persons with AD.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to compare self-identified caregivers and non-caregivers’ expectations of public stigma experienced by persons living with dementia.

Methods:

Analysis of data from a survey of 910 adults (median age = 49 years) who read a vignette about a man with mild stage dementia. Multivariable ordered logistic regression was used to examine how AD caregiver status associated with responses on a modified Family Stigma in Alzheimer’s Disease Scale (FS-ADS).

Results:

9%( n = 82) of respondents self-identified as a current or former primary caregiver of a person with AD, about the same as the national estimate of informal caregivers (8.8%). Compared to non-caregivers, AD caregivers were more likely to report stronger reactions on all seven domains of the FS-ADS (all p <  0.05). As compared to AD caregivers with less factual knowledge about caregiving, AD caregivers with more knowledge expected the person with dementia to experience less social distance ( p <  0.05). In addition, female AD caregivers reported fewer negative aesthetic attributions than male AD caregivers ( p <  0.05).

Conclusion:

Compared to non-caregivers, respondents who self-identified as an AD caregiver gave responses that suggest they perceived more stigma of dementia among members of the public. Their reactions were attenuated by AD knowledge and being female. The findings have key implications for interventions to reduce AD stigma.
Efficient Computation of the Large Inductive Dimension Using Order- and Graph-theoretic Means
Authors: Berghammer Rudolf , Schnoor Henning , Winter Michael
Published: December 2020

Finite topological spaces and their dimensions have many applications in computer science, e.g., in digital topology, computer graphics and the analysis and synthesis of digital images. Georgiou et. al. [11] provided a polynomial algorithm for computing the covering dimension dim( X; 𝒯) of a finite topological space (X; 𝒯). In addition, they asked whether algorithms of the same complexity for computing the small inductive dimension ind( X; 𝒯) and the large inductive dimension Ind( X; 𝒯) can be developed. The first problem was solved in a previous paper [4]. Using results of the that paper, we also solve the second problem in this paper. We present a polynomial algorithm for Ind( X; 𝒯), so that there are now efficient algorithms for the three most important notions of a dimension in topology. Our solution reduces the computation of Ind( X; 𝒯), where the specialisation pre-order of ( X; 𝒯) is taken as input, to the computation of the maximal height of a specific class of directed binary trees within the partially ordered set. For the latter an efficient algorithm is presented that is based on order- and graph-theoretic ideas. Also refinements and variants of the algorithm are discussed.
A New Predictor-corrector Infeasible Interior-point Algorithm for Linear Optimization in aWide Neighborhood
Authors: Kheirfam Behrouz
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we propose a Mizuno-Todd-Ye type predictor-corrector infeasible interior-point method for linear optimization based on a wide neighborhood of the central path. According to Ai-Zhang’s original idea, we use two directions of distinct and orthogonal corresponding to the negative and positive parts of the right side vector of the centering equation of the central path. In the predictor stage, the step size along the corresponded infeasible directions to the negative part is chosen. In the corrector stage by modifying the positive directions system a full-Newton step is removed. We show that, in addition to the predictor step, our method reduces the duality gap in the corrector step and this can be a prominent feature of our method. We prove that the iteration complexity of the new algorithm is 𝒪( n log ɛ−1), which coincides with the best known complexity result for infeasible interior-point methods, where ɛ > 0 is the required precision. Due to the positive direction new system, we improve the theoretical complexity bound for this kind of infeasible interior-point method [1] by a factor of [Formula: see text]. Numerical results are also provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.
The Diagnosability of (K4 – {e})-free Graphs under the PMC Diagnosis Model
Authors: Lin Cheng-Kuan , Kung Tzu-Liang , Wang Dajin , Teng Yuan-Hsiang
Published: December 2020

The ability of identifying all the faulty devices in a multiprocessor system is known as diagnosability. The PMC model is the test-based diagnosis with a processor performing the diagnosis by testing the neighboring processors via the links between them. In this paper, we discuss the diagnosability of a ( K4 – { e})-free graph under the PMC model.
The resiliency of employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdown: A retrospective review of employment files
Authors: Schall Carol , Brooke Valerie , Rounds Rachael , Lynch April
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND: While the health and economic impact of COVID-19 is becoming better known among the general population, little is known about the impact of the pandemic and recession on employees with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recession on individuals with IDD. METHODS: The present paper described the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and recession on the employment status, hours worked, and hourly wage of 156 individuals with IDD who work in competitive integrated employment for February to July 2020. These findings are compared with a similar group receiving services from the same agency in February to July 2019. RESULTS: Findings indicate that these employees were not able to work from home and experienced furlough or lay off instead. Further, the number of hours worked monthly was also significantly affected. Wages were not affected by the pandemic and recession. Employees in some industries, notably health care and distribution and supplies, were less affected than employees in other industries like food service, retail, and entertainment. Finally, and surprisingly, black, indigenous, and other people of color worked more hours monthly than their white peers in both 2019 and 2020. CONCLUSION: Implications of these findings are discussed.
Parental perspective: The role of prostheses and prosthetics services in adjusting to a child’s upper limb difference
Authors: Sims Tara , Donovan-Hall Maggie , Metcalf Cheryl
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND:

The impact of paediatric upper limb difference may extend beyond the child themselves to their parents and other family members. Previous research has found that feelings of shock, numbness and loss are common amongst parents and that peer support can be a buffer against stress.

OBJECTIVE:

The current study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with limb difference, and the role of services and prosthetic devices in these experiences.

METHODS:

Nine parents of children with limb difference participated in either a group ([Formula: see text] 2) or individual ([Formula: see text] 7) interview.

RESULTS:

Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed four themes – ‘grief and guilt’, ‘prosthesis as a tool for parental adjustment’, ‘support’ and ‘fun and humour’.

CONCLUSIONS:

Parents may employ coping strategies to help them adjust to their child’s limb difference, including use of a prosthesis, accessing support from statutory services and peers, and use of fun and humour within the family.
Synthesis, physicochemical properties and antigypoxic activity of some S-derivatives of 4-alkyl-5-(((3-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol
Authors: Karpun E. O. , Parchenko V. V.
Published: December 2020

Hypoxia is a discrepancy between the required energy of the cell in the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system. The immediate cause of the deficiency is a decrease in the oxygen concentration in the mitochondria. Today there is a huge demand for the development of new anti-hypoxic drugs. t is known that 1,2,4-triazole compounds can have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypoxic effects. Modification of the 1,2,4-triazole nucleus is a productive way to create original active molecules with a non-planar structure, for their binding to bio-target substrates. Derivatives of bis-1,2,4-triazoles may become potential compounds with anti-hypoxic action.

The aim of our work was to synthesize new S-derivatives of 4-alkyl-5-(((3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1Н-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4Н-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols, to investigate their physicochemical parameters using modern complex physicochemical research methods and to conduct primary pharmacological screening for anti-hypoxic activity in models of acute hypoxia with hypertension.

The object of the study was the S-derivatives of 4-alkyl-5-(((3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1Н-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4Н-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols. The structure of the synthesized compounds was confirmed by elemental analysis (CHNS), 1H NMR, the individuality of the molecules was proved by chromatographic mass spectral analysis. 1H NMR signals for substances are consistent with the proposed structure. The study of the anti-hypoxic activity of the got compounds of the series of S-substituted bis-1,2,4-triazoles was carried out on models of acute hypoxia with hypertension, where Mexidol (5%) 200 mg/kg as a reference drug.

New S-derivatives of 4-methyl-5-(((3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1Н-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4Н-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols (I a) and 4-ethyl-5-(((3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1Н-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4Н-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols (I b) with acyl-aryl, acyl-alkyl and alkyl substituents. We studied their spectral parameters, physicochemical properties in the conditions of GC/MS, elemental analysis, 1H NMR spectroscopy. According to the results of biological studies on the anti-hypoxic effect, it was found that 1-((4-ethyl-5-(((3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl)thio)methyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-yl)thio)propane-2-one is a compound that exceeds the anti-hypoxic activity of Mexidol and increases the lifespan of rats by 1.0% relative to the reference drug.
Hacia un Constitucionalismo Ambiental en la Región Andina: Breve estudio de las Constituciones de Bolivia, Ecuador y del proyecto de nueva Constitución de Chile del 2018
Authors: Cubillos Torres María Constanza
Published: December 2020

Este trabajo aborda la noción ambiental presente en el proyecto de nueva Constitución de 2018 (Boletín 11617-07), así como el diálogo ciudadano previo al proyecto. El objetivo es determinar hasta donde se extiende dicha protección y cuánto del Constitucionalismo Ambiental Andino de Ecuador y Bolivia está presente esa propuesta de reforma para Chile.
KAJIAN PREFERENSI PENGGUNA MODA TRANSPORTASI KERETA API LRT JAKARTA MENUJU STASIUN LRT VELODROME
Authors: Ramadianti Khansa , Widyaningsih Nunung
Published: December 2020

The Government of Jakarta is trying to reduce the traffic volume by launching many new rail-based public transportation modes in this Jakarta Capital Region, one of them is Jakarta LRT. There are so many special things at the LRT Velodrome Station, for example the strategic location of Velodrome, the Jakarta International Velodrome stadium, integrated with Transjakarta transportation mode, etc. Even though the Jakarta LRT is the new transportation mode, but the Jakarta LRT only used by few people, because the route is still too short only 5,6 km (Pengangsaan Dua to Velodrome). So, this research discuss about the preference of passengers in using Jakarta LRT as the option for their daily transportation. The analysis of data obtained in this research by using the “Importance Performance Analysis” method, and analyzed the validity and reliability by using SPSS 24 program. The results of people’s preferences by using Jakarta LRT in this research are located in quadrant II that have a good performance on passengers satisfaction, so the performance must be maintained. And the items that needs to be improved for the efficiency and effectiveness are located in quadrant I that requires the high priority on its performance
Perfil Sociodemográfico e Clínico de Mulheres com Câncer do Colo do Útero Associado ao Estadiamento Inicial
Authors: Mascarello Keila Cristina , Silva Nayara Fazolo , Piske Marieli Thomazini , Viana Kátia Cirlene Gomes , Zandonade Eliana , Amorim Maria Helena Costa
Published: December 2020

Introdução: O câncer do colo do útero apresenta-se como importante problema de saúde pública mundial, principalmente nas regiões menos desenvolvidas. Objetivo: Descrever os perfis sociodemográfico e clínico das mulheres com câncer do colo do útero atendidas no Hospital Santa Rita de Cássia/Associacao Feminina de Educação e Combate ao Câncer (HSRC /AFECC) entre 2000 e 2005, associados ao estadiamento inicial. Método: Trata-se de um estudo analítico de dados secundários. Foram estudadas 964 mulheres. Resultados: Houve predominância de casos na faixa etária de 40 a 59 anos (49,3%), cor não branca (76,8%), com até primeiro grau incompleto (70,9%), casadas (48.3%), com encaminhamento do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) (84,2%). O estadiamento III esteve presente em 44% dos casos, seguido do II (31,4%). A maioria das pacientes realizou radioterapia exclusiva (52,1%), 133 (28,2%) tiveram recidiva local e 218 (43,4%) metástases a distância. As variáveis significantes com o estadiamento inicial foram faixa etária, escolaridade, tipo histológico, recidiva, presença de metástase, número de metástases e desfecho (p<0,05). Conclusão: Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de novas estratégias na implementação das políticas de saúde no que diz respeito a prevenção primária e secundária, tendo em vista o grande número de mulheres diagnosticadas com a doença. Maiores investimentos em educação também são necessários visando a uma mudança no perfil de morbimortalidade da doença.
International Responsibility of the State and Human Rights: The case of the Maria da Penha Law in Brazil
Authors: Macêdo Karen Vanderlei
Published: December 2020

The central objective of this article is to analyze the International Responsibility of the Brazilian State in the case of violence against women, in particular, to the case that became emblematic in Brazil and outside it, which was the involvement of violence against Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes practiced by, today, her ex-husband. Here the reference is the case 12,051 (Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes v. Brazil), which was opened on August 20, 1998 by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (OAS). From the intersection between domestic violence committed against Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes and the Institute of International Responsibility, it was verified how the application of an international institute, through the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (IACHR-OAS) influenced the creation of legislation that ensures women’s rights in the Brazilian State.
Responsabilidad Internacional del Estado y los Derechos Humanos: El caso de la Ley Maria da Penha en Brasil
Authors: Macêdo Karen Vanderlei
Published: December 2020

El objetivo central de este artículo es analizar la Responsabilidad Internacional del Estado brasileño en el caso de la violencia contra la mujer, en particular, en el caso que se convirtió en emblemático en Brasil y fuera de él, que fue la participación de la violencia contra Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes practicada por, hoy, su ex marido. Aquí la referencia es el caso 12,051 (Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes c. Brasil), que fue inaugurado el 20 de agosto de 1998 por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA). Desde la intersección entre la violencia doméstica cometida contra Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes y el Instituto de Responsabilidad Internacional, se verificó cómo la aplicación de un instituto internacional, a través de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (CIDH-OEA) influyó en la creación de legislación que garantice los derechos de las mujeres en el Estado brasileño.
PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN LEMAK SAPI, MINYAK KELAPA DAN MINYAK KEDELAI DALAM PAKAN TERHADAP PERFORMA PRODUKSI AYAM PEDAGING
Authors: Mardhotillah A. B. A , Darmawan Hariyadi , Djunaidi I. H. , Hsia L. C. , Chen Y. C.
Published: December 2020

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of various fat sources and their combination (coconut oil and soybean oil) on growth performance of broiler. A total of 80 one-day old female 1-d-old Arbor Acres were randomly assigned into four groups (4 treatment) with 10 replicates (6 birds per pen) within 42 days. The experimental groups consisted of four treatment of diets: 1) a basal-diet containing beef oil (BO),  2) a basal diet containing coconut oil (CO), 3) a basal diet containing soybean oil (SO), and 4) a basal diet containing coconut oil and soybean oil (CO+SO) as were used. Performance data were obtained during the feeding period. The result was shown that using combination of medium chain fatty acid and unsaturated fatty acid (CO+SO) were increased growth performance demonstrated by highest bodyweight (59.62 g) compared with other treatments (P 0.05) throughout the experimental period (0-42 days). The lower group for feed conversion ratio was obtained in the diet containing beef oil (BO) compared with other groups (1.32; P 0.05). Feed consumption and bodyweight have significantly different (P 0.05) but not different for feed conversion ratio (P 0.05). It can be concluded that feeding combination CO+SO in the diet may improve the performance of broiler.Beef oil; broiler; coconut oil; growth performance; soybean oil
Marketing communication objectives through digital content marketing on social media
Authors: Nieves-Casasnovas Janice J. , Lozada-Contreras Frank
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine what type of marketing communication
objectives are present in the digital content marketing developed by
luxury auto brands with social media presence in Puerto Rico, particularly Facebook.
A longitudinal multiple-case study design was used to analyze five luxury
auto brands using content analysis on Facebook posts. This analysis included
identification of marketing communication objectives through social media
content marketing strategies, type of media content and social media metrics.
Our results showed that the most used objectives are brand awareness, brand
personality, and brand salience. Another significant result is that digital content
marketing used by brands in social media are focused towards becoming more
visible and recognized; also, reflecting human-like traits and attitudes in their
social media.
Improving Detection Efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleic Acid Testing
Authors: Zhang Jie , Li Kecheng , Zheng Ling , Zhang Jianbo , Ren Zhilin , Song Tiange , Yu Hua , Yang Zhenglin , Wang Li , Jiang Li
Published: December 2020

Background

SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing (NAT) has been routinely used for COVID-19 diagnosis during this pandemic; however, there have been concerns about its high false negative rate. We dissected its detection efficiency with a large COVID-19 cohort study.

Methods

We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 NAT positive rates of 4,275 specimens from 532 COVID-19 patients in Sichuan Province with different disease severities, statuses, and stages, as well as different types and numbers of specimens.

Results

The total positive rate of the 4,275 specimens was 37.5%. Among seven specimen types, BALF generated a 77.8% positive rate, followed by URT specimens (38.5%), sputum (39.8%), and feces/rectal swabs (34.1%). Specimens from critical cases generated a 43.4% positive rate, which was significantly higher than that of other severities. With specimens from patients at stable status, the SARS-CoV-2 positive rate was 40.6%, which was significantly higher than that of improved status (17.1%), but lower than that of aggravated status (61.5%). Notably, the positive rate of specimens from COVID-19 patients varied significantly from 85 to 95% during 3 days before and after symptom onset, to 20% at around 18 days after symptom onset. In addition, the detection rate increased from 72.1% after testing one throat swab, to 93.2% after testing three consecutive respiratory specimens from each patient.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 NAT detection rates vary with patient disease severity and status, specimen type, number of specimens, and especially disease progression. Sampling as close to symptom onset as possible, and consecutively collecting more than one respiratory specimen could effectively improve SARS-CoV-2 NAT detection efficiency.
Benchmarking the Optimal Time Alignment of Tsunami Waveforms in Nonlinear Joint Inversions for the Mw 8.8 2010 Maule (Chile) Earthquake
Authors: Romano F. , Lorito S. , Lay T. , Piatanesi A. , Volpe M. , Murphy S. , Tonini R.
Published: December 2020

Finite-fault models for the 2010Mw8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake indicate bilateral rupture with large-slip patches located north and south of the epicenter. Previous studies also show that this event features significant slip in the shallow part of the megathrust, which is revealed through correction of the forward tsunami modeling scheme used in tsunami inversions. The presence of shallow slip is consistent with the coseismic seafloor deformation measured off the Maule region adjacent to the trench and confirms that tsunami observations are particularly important for constraining far-offshore slip. Here, we benchmark the method of Optimal Time Alignment (OTA) of the tsunami waveforms in the joint inversion of tsunami (DART and tide-gauges) and geodetic (GPS, InSAR, land-leveling) observations for this event. We test the application of OTA to the tsunami Green’s functions used in a previous inversion. Through a suite of synthetic tests we show that if the bias in the forward model is comprised only of delays in the tsunami signals, the OTA can correct them precisely, independently of the sensors (DART or coastal tide-gauges) and, to the first-order, of the bathymetric model used. The same suite of experiments is repeated for the real case of the 2010 Maule earthquake where, despite the results of the synthetic tests, DARTs are shown to outperform tide-gauges. This gives an indication of the relative weights to be assigned when jointly inverting the two types of data. Moreover, we show that using OTA is preferable to subjectively correcting possible time mismatch of the tsunami waveforms. The results for the source model of the Maule earthquake show that using just the first-order modeling correction introduced by OTA confirms the bilateral rupture pattern around the epicenter, and, most importantly, shifts the inferred northern patch of slip to a shallower position consistent with the slip models obtained by applying more complex physics-based corrections to the tsunami waveforms. This is confirmed by a slip model refined by inverting geodetic and tsunami data complemented with a denser distribution of GPS data nearby the source area. The models obtained with the OTA method are finally benchmarked against the observed seafloor deformation off the Maule region. We find that all of the models using the OTA well predict this offshore coseismic deformation, thus overall, this benchmarking of the OTA method can be considered successful.
Aging of Polyphenylene Sulfide-Glass Composite and Polysulfone in Highly Oxidative and Strong Alkaline Environments
Authors: Zheng X. X. , Böttger A. J. , Jansen K. M. B. , van Turnhout J. , van Kranendonk J.
Published: December 2020

Alkaline water electrolysis becomes increasingly important for the supply of renewable energy, and of raw material for the chemical industry. An attractive choice for the encapsulation of the electrolyte cell is an (advanced) engineering polymer. The objective of this paper is to find a suitable one that can withstand for many years: 30 wt% KOH solution and pure oxygen at a high pressure of 50 bar and at an elevated temperature of 90°C. Using CES EduPack, 12 possible thermoplastic polymers were selected, of which polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and polysulfone (PSU) were further investigated using accelerated testing. The polymers have been exposed to three KOH concentrations (15, 30 and 45 wt%), two oxygen pressures (pure O2at 5 bar and air with pO2= 20%), and three temperatures (90°C, 120°C, and 170°C). Extensive characterization of the exposed samples has been carried out using various techniques, including weight, tensile, DMA, and creep-recovery measurements, as well as DSC, FTIR, XRD and SEM. After 12 weeks of aging, glass fiber reinforced PPS failed in a strong alkaline solution at high temperatures, due to the dissolution of the glass fibers. The PPS matrix itself and PSU turned out to be resistant to thermo-oxidative and chemical degradation under the conditions tested. Only marginal changes in mechanical, visco-elastic and thermal behavior were observed, which can be ascribed to physical rather than chemical aging. In view of the brittle nature of PPS, it could be concluded that PSU is the most promising candidate for the long-term application in alkaline electrolysis. Extrapolating the data using time-temperature superposition, it is predicted that PSU will retain its integrity and mechanical properties for a period of 20 years of operation.
Mathematical Modeling of Blood Flow With the Suspension of Nanoparticles Through a Tapered Artery With a Blood Clot
Authors: Shah Sapna Ratan , Kumar Rohit
Published: December 2020

In this study, some key new developments in nanoscience which highlight the problem of nanoparticles in blood flow through mild stenosis in the presence of a blood clot have been presented. The blood flow behavior through the stenosed artery is considered using the Prandlt fluid model and the flow of blood is considered as suspension of nanoparticles. An appropriate non-linear system of equations governing blood flow is represented in a cylindrical coordinate system and solved exactly under mild stenotic conditions using the geometry of the stenotic artery in the presence of a clot. Heat transfer phenomena have been examined for the physical features of the flow of blood through a stenosed artery, which is tapered in shape and with the presence of a clot. The temperature profile has been discussed with graphs for several different parameters of clot size, stenosis height, heat source, and sink parameter. Tapering phenomena has been analyzed for temperature profile. It is examined that in converging tapering the temperature provides greater values as estimated together with the non-tapered arteries and diverging tapering arteries. In this work, it is also analyzed that with a rise in the clot size (σ) the temperature (θ) increases, whereas the radius of the artery with stenosis h(z) decreases and heat source and sink parameter (D) increases.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Application to Explore Inhibitors of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Deng Leping , Zhong Weihe , Zhao Lu , He Xuedong , Lian Zongkai , Jiang Shancheng , Chen Calvin Yu-Chian
Published: December 2020

Neuroinflammation is a common factor in neurodegenerative diseases, and it has been demonstrated that galectin-3 activates microglia and astrocytes, leading to inflammation. This means that inhibition of galectin-3 may become a new strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on this motivation, the objective of this study is to explore an integrated new approach for finding lead compounds that inhibit galectin-3, by combining universal artificial intelligence algorithms with traditional drug screening methods. Based on molecular docking method, potential compounds with high binding affinity were screened out from Chinese medicine database. Manifold artificial intelligence algorithms were performed to validate the docking results and further screen compounds. Among all involved predictive methods, the deep learning-based algorithm made 500 modeling attempts, and the square correlation coefficient of the best trained model on the test sets was 0.9. The XGBoost model reached a square correlation coefficient of 0.97 and a mean square error of only 0.01. We switched to the ZINC database and performed the same experiment, the results showed that the compounds in the former database showed stronger affinity. Finally, we further verified through molecular dynamics simulation that the complex composed of the candidate ligand and the target protein showed stable binding within 100 ns of simulation time. In summary, combined with the application based on artificial intelligence algorithms, we unearthed the active ingredients 1,2-Dimethylbenzene and Typhic acid contained in Crataegus pinnatifida and Typha angustata might be the effective inhibitors of neurodegenerative diseases. The high prediction accuracy of the models shows that it has practical application value on small sample data sets such as drug screening.
Acute Ischemic Stroke in SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2: Neurorehabilitation Implications of Inflammation Induced Immunological Responses Affecting Vascular Systems
Authors: Karimi Leila , Sales Carmela , Crewther Sheila Gillard , Wijeratne Tissa
Published: December 2020

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped RNA viruses and have been shown to cause mild to severe respiratory infections in humans, with some severe cases inducing neurological manifestations. The lethality and Neurological effects of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), and recently the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been well documented though currently there is little literature regarding long term effects and the implications for neurorehabilitation. SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV have been linked to the infection associated inflammatory cytokine storms and induced hypercoagulopathic states that affect the entire vascular system including that of the brain. This mini-review provides an overview of the commonalities among studies published on all three types of the coronavirus related to acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim was to elucidate the physiological mechanisms underpinning COVID-2 and to reflect the similarities with the chronic inflammation induced symptoms of AIS that are likely to prove a further challenge for neurorehabilitation clinicians post COVID. In terms of increased incidence of COVID and AIS, it is likely that in depth knowledge of increased thrombotic risk in this population will require appropriate anticoagulation treatment, and other therapeutic interventions as well as neurorehabilitation interventions. Lastly the risk of spreading the virus requires further balancing of the provision of neurorehabiliatation services useful to the patient.
Oligometastatic Disease Management: Finding the Sweet Spot
Authors: Szturz Petr , Nevens Daan , Vermorken Jan B.
Published: December 2020

Hematogenous dissemination represents a common manifestation of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and the recommended therapeutic options usually consist of systemically administered drugs with palliative intent. However, mounting evidence suggests that patients with few and slowly progressive distant lesions of small size may benefit from various local ablation techniques, which have already been established as standard-of-care modalities for example in colorectal and renal cell carcinomas and in sarcomas. In principle, serving as radical approaches to eradicate cancer, these interventions can be curative. Their impact on local control and overall survival has been shown in numerous retrospective and prospective studies. The term oligometastatic refers to the number of distant lesions which should generally not surpass five in total, ideally in one organ. Currently, surgical resection remains the method of choice supported by the majority of published data. More recently, stereotactic (ablative) body radiotherapy (SABR/SBRT) has emerged as a viable alternative. In cases technically amenable to such local interventions, several other clinical variables need to be taken into account also, including patient-related factors (general health status, patient preferences, socioeconomic background) and disease-related factors (primary tumor site, growth kinetics, synchronous or metachronous metastases). In head and neck cancer, patients presenting with late development of slowly progressive oligometastatic lesions in the lungs secondary to human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer are the ideal candidates for metastasectomy or other local therapies. However, literature data are still limited to say whether there are other subgroups benefiting from this approach. One of the plausible explanations is that radiological follow-up after primary curative therapy is usually not recommended because its impact on survival has not been unequivocal, which is also due to the rarity of oligometastatic manifestations in this disease. At the same time, aggressive treatment of synchronous metastases early in the disease course should be weighed against the risk of futile interventions in a disease with already multimetastatic microscopic dissemination. Therefore, attentive treatment sequencing, meticulous appraisal of cancer extension, refinement of post-treatment surveillance, and understanding of tumor biology and kinetics are crucial in the management of oligometastases.
Fine-Grained Image Classification for Crop Disease Based on Attention Mechanism
Authors: Yang Guofeng , He Yong , Yang Yong , Xu Beibei
Published: December 2020

Fine-grained image classification is a challenging task because of the difficulty in identifying discriminant features, it is not easy to find the subtle features that fully represent the object. In the fine-grained classification of crop disease, visual disturbances such as light, fog, overlap, and jitter are frequently encountered. To explore the influence of the features of crop leaf images on the classification results, a classification model should focus on the more discriminative regions of the image while improving the classification accuracy of the model in complex scenes. This paper proposes a novel attention mechanism that effectively utilizes the informative regions of an image, and describes the use of transfer learning to quickly construct several fine-grained image classification models of crop disease based on this attention mechanism. This study uses 58,200 crop leaf images as a dataset, including 14 different crops and 37 different categories of healthy/diseased crops. Among them, different diseases of the same crop have strong similarities. The NASNetLarge fine-grained classification model based on the proposed attention mechanism achieves the best classification effect, with an F1 score of up to 93.05%. The results show that the proposed attention mechanism effectively improves the fine-grained classification of crop disease images.
Psychological Determinants of Investor Motivation in Social Media-Based Crowdfunding Projects: A Systematic Review
Authors: Popescul Daniela , Radu Laura Diana , Păvăloaia Vasile Daniel , Georgescu Mircea Radu
Published: December 2020

Background: Using the power of Internet, crowdfunding platforms are currently changing the traditional landscape of fundraising. Social media-based IT platforms in particular are bringing the creators of crowdfunding projects closer than ever to potential investors. A large variety of factors function as determinants of individuals' intention to participate in crowdfunding and have an intertwined impact on funding as the ultimate project goal.

Objectives: For a better understanding of investor behavior in social media-based crowdfunding projects, this paper covers identifying, analyzing, and classifying general and specific factors of investor motivation, based on the literature in the field.The main focus is the relationship between the affordances provided by social media-based crowdfunding platforms and the psychological determinants of investor motivation in innovative start-up projects.

Methods: Using IEEE Explore, Clarivate Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, we conducted a systematic review of the existing research on the emerging role of crowdfunding as a disruptive technology in financing the start-up innovative projects. The paper explores the main determinants of investor motivation and aims to streamline the success factors in crowdfunding campaigns.

Results: A total of 1,216 publications were identified after searching the aforementioned databases and, upon refining the results, 515 articles were considered for the final sample. After reading the titles and abstracts, the sample was reduced to 78 articles that were read in-depth and synthesized in accordance with the defined research questions. The selected articles were clustered into three main categories: general studies, determinants of investor behavior, and success factors.

Conclusions: In the new global economy, crowdfunding platforms have become the nexus between the emerging creators of innovative products and services and the necessary funding sources. This connection is possible via a cumulative collection of contributions from multiple investors recruited from the audience of the selected platform, without time or space constraints. However, the determinants of the investment decision are very different in the case of social media-based crowdfunding platforms compared to determinants in the mainstream environment. This paper surveys these motivators and reveals how platform features can be used to persuade individuals to make a financial contribution toward the success of a project.
Microencapsulation of Cannabidiol in Liposomes as Coating for Cellulose for Potential Advanced Sanitary Material
Authors: Volmajer Valh Julija , Peršin Zdenka , Vončina Bojana , Vrezner Kaja , Tušek Lidija , Fras Zemljič Lidija
Published: December 2020

The microencapsulation of the cannabidiol and its integration into the tampon can eliminate vaginal inflammation, which at the same time lead to relaxation of the abdominal muscles. The tampon, which contains the active substance cannabidiol (CBD), was developed as an advanced fibrous composite for sanitary application. The active substances were microencapsulated, and, as a carrier, liposomes micro/nano capsules were used. The CBD liposome formulation was analyzed by particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency. Particle size of the CBD liposome liquid formulation was increased by 19%, compared to the liposome liquid formulation and the encapsulation efficiency of CBD in liposome particles, which was 90%. The CBD liposome formulation was applied to cellulose material. The composition of the fibrous composite material was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the fiber morphology was analyzed by scanning electron spectroscopy, while the bioactive properties were assessed by antioxidant efficiency, antimicrobial properties, and desorption kinetics. CBD liposome functionalized tampons have both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobial properties were more pronounced against Gram-positive bacteria. The desorption kinetics of the CBD liposome immobilized on the surface of the composite material was studied using antioxidant activity in the desorption bath. The prepared CBD liposome functionalized tampon additionally shows higher biodegradability compared to references. This high-quality, biodegradable sanitary material based on microencapsulated CBD components as a functional coating provides a platform for many different applications besides medical textiles, also for packaging, pharmaceuticals, paper and wood-based materials, etc.
GPs’ mindlines on deprescribing antihypertensives in older patients with multimorbidity: a qualitative study in English general practice
Authors: Kuberska Karolina , Scheibl Fiona , Sinnott Carol , Sheppard James P , Lown Mark , Williams Marney , Payne Rupert A , Mant Jonathan , McManus Richard J , Burt Jenni
Published: December 2020

Background

Optimal management of hypertension in older patients with multimorbidity is a cornerstone of primary care practice. Despite emphasis on personalised approaches to treatment in older patients, there is little guidance on how to achieve medication reduction when GPs are concerned that possible risks outweigh potential benefits of treatment. Mindlines — tacit, internalised guidelines developed over time from multiple sources — may be of particular importance in such situations.

Aim

To explore GPs’ decision-making on deprescribing antihypertensives in patients with multimorbidity aged ≥80 years, drawing on the concept of mindlines.

Design and setting

Qualitative interview study set in English general practice.

Method

Thematic analysis of face-to-face interviews with a sample of 15 GPs from seven practices in the East of England, using a chart-stimulated recall approach to explore approaches to treatment for older patients with multimorbidity with hypertension.

Results

GPs are typically confident making decisions to deprescribe antihypertensive medication in older patients with multimorbidity when prompted by a trigger, such as a fall or adverse drug event. GPs are less confident to attempt deprescribing in response to generalised concerns about polypharmacy, and work hard to make sense of multiple sources (including available evidence, shared experiential knowledge, and non-clinical factors) to guide decision-making.

Conclusion

In the absence of a clear evidence base on when and how to attempt medication reduction in response to concerns about polypharmacy, GPs develop ‘mindlines’ over time through practicebased experience. These tacit approaches to making complex decisions are critical to developing confidence to attempt deprescribing and may be strengthened through reflective practice.
Automatic Olive Peacock Spot Disease Recognition System Development by Using Single Shot Detector
Authors: UĞUZ Sinan
Published: December 2020

Among the artificial intelligence based studies conducted in the field of agriculture, disease recognition methods founded on deep learning are observed to become widespread. Due to the diversity and regional specificity of many plant species, studies performed in this field are not at the desired level. Olive peacock spot disease of the olive plant which grows only in certain regions in the world is a widely encountered disease particularly in Turkey. The aim of this research is to develop an olive peacock spot disease detection system using a Single Shot Detector (SSD) which is one the popular deep learning architectures to support olive farmers. This study presents a data set consisting of 1460 olive leaves samples for the detection of olive peacock spot disease. All of the images of the olive leaves which produced under controlled conditions were collected from Aegean region of Turkey during spring and summer. The data set was trained with different intersection over union (IoU) threshold values using SSD architecture. A 96 % average precision (AP) value was obtained with IoU=0.5. As IOU value goes up from 0.5, erroneously classified olive peacock spot disease symptoms growed larger as well. The AP curve becomes flat when between 0.1 and 0.5, and it decreases when greater than 0.5. This analysis showed that the IoU significantly influenced the performance of SSD based model in detection of olive peacock spot disease. In addition to, trainings were performed by employing Pytorch library and a GUI was developed for the SSD based application using PyQt5 which is one of Pyhton's libraries. Results showed that the SSD was a robust tool for recognizing the olive peacock spot disease.
The Financial System’s Resilience is Everything, But at what Cost?
Authors: Friesz Melinda
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study is to introduce the role of CCP in the market, the importance of the risk management framework, including the tools used in the case of insufficient guarantee funds. The study is descriptive, and besides detailing the EU-level regulatory framework, it also illustrates its possible setbacks from the perspective of the market participants and professionals. It points out that the common goal and interest of all actors are to ensure the viability of the CCP, but the poorly designed capital management and strategy can hinder this. Although the regulatory framework has been applied across Europe and its fine-tuning can be said to be constant, its effectiveness and resilience to shocks will be supported or refuted by an adverse event in the market.
Pénzügyi kultúra. Kik, kiket és mire képeznek? Összehasonlító elemzés 2016–2020
Authors: Németh Erzsébet , Vargha Bálint Tamás , Domokos Kinga
Published: December 2020

A kutatás azt értékelte, hogy történt-e előrelépés a pénzügyi tudatosság oktatásában és fejlesztésében Magyarországon 2016 óta. Áttekintettük a pénzügyi kultúra fejlesztésével kapcsolatos állami szerepvállalás változásait, illetve egy kérdőíves felmérésben azt vizsgáltuk, hogy a közoktatáson kívüli képzéseken milyen szervezetek, kiket és milyen tematika alapján képeznek. 2016 és 2020 között egyre fokozódó figyelem irányult a pénzügyi kultúra fejlesztésére, miközben a képzések túlnyomó többsége továbbra is a legkönnyebben elérhető iskolás korosztályt érinti. A Nemzeti alaptanterv a célok között megjelölte a gazdasági és pénzügyi nevelést. A szakgimnáziumokon kívül azonban kötelező tantárgyként nem oktatnak ilyen ismereteket. A kormány 2017-ben elfogadta a lakosság pénzügyi tudatosságát fejlesztő stratégiát, illetve megjelentek az első akkreditált pénzügyikultúra-tankönyvek. A közoktatáson kívüli szervezetek eredményei azt mutatják, hogy a képzési programok és az azokon résztvevők száma mintegy háromszorosára nőtt. A képzések átlagos időtartama hosszabb lett, megjelentek a főleg felnőtteknek szóló többnapos képzések. A tudásátadás fókuszában továbbra is az egyéni takarékoskodás és pénzügyi tudatosság, a pénzügyi önismeret, attitűd és viselkedés állt. A befektetési és vállalkozási ismeretek oktatása továbbra sem prioritás. A nyugdíjaskori tartalékolási stratégiák oktatásának elterjedtsége azt mutatja, hogy a képzéseket folytató szervezetek felismerték, hogy ez a demográfiai folyamatok miatt fontos. A képzések java része nem veszi figyelembe a célcsoportok jövedelmi helyzetét, társadalmi hátterét, és nem szentel figyelmet a pénzügyileg sérülékeny csoportok fejlesztésére.
La filosofía del lenguaje y el poema argumentativo en cuatro poemas de El otro, el mismo (1964) de Jorge Luis Borges
Authors: Medina Cabrera Shéridan
Published: December 2020

Este trabajo analiza parte de la última etapa de la producción poética de Jorge Luis Borges, particularmente del libro El otro, el mismo (1964). Se propone que, en este poemario, Jorge Luis Borges presenta como problema fundamental la imposibilidad del lenguaje, en tanto tecnología comunicativa, para representar lo real o lo trascendente. Esta investigación se desarrolla principalmente en tres apartados. Después de la introducción, en el segundo apartado se desarrollan cuestiones previas al análisis de los poemas seleccionados. Aquí, se ubican precisiones del marco teórico, parte de la crítica en torno a la poesía de Jorge Luis Borges y, por último, una de las vertientes artísticas identificables en su obra. El tercer apartado está dedicado al análisis de los poemas “Composición escrita en un ejemplar de la Gesta de Beowulf ” y “El mar”, a partir de la Retórica General Textual de Stefano Arduini y la Retórica argumentativa de Chaïn Perelman. Luego, en el cuarto apartado, se analizarán “Un poeta del siglo XIII” y “Una rosa y Milton”, empleando el modelo metafórico de Lakoff y Johnson.