bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility study of the Home-based Exercises for Responsible Sex (HERS) intervention to promote correct and consistent condom use among young women
Authors: Knights Nicola , Stone Nicole , Nadarzynski Tom , Brown Katherine , Newby Katie , Graham Cynthia A.
Published: July 2021

Background

Male condoms are effective in preventing common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy, if used correctly and consistently. However, condom use errors and problems are common and young people report negative experiences, such as reduced pleasure. The Kinsey Institute Home-Based Exercises for Responsible Sex (KIHERS) is a novel condom promotion intervention for young women, which aims to reduce condom errors and problems, increase self-efficacy and improve attitudes towards condoms, using a pleasure-focussed approach. The study objective was to test the operability, viability and acceptability of an adapted version of the KIHERS intervention with young women aged 16–25 years in the United Kingdom (UK) (Home-Based Exercises for Responsible Sex-UK (HERS-UK).

Methods

A repeated-measures single-arm design was used, with a baseline (T1) and two follow-up assessments (T2 and T3), conducted 4 weeks and 8 weeks post intervention over a 3-month period. Participants were provided a condom kit containing different condoms and lubricants and were asked to experiment with condoms alone using a dildo and/or with a sexual partner. Ten process evaluation interviews were conducted post intervention.

Results

Fifty-five young women received the intervention; 36 (65%) completed T2 and 33 (60%) completed T3. Condom use errors and problems decreased, self-efficacy increased and attitudes towards condoms improved significantly. The proportion of participants who reported using a condom for intercourse in the past 4 weeks increased from T1 (20; 47%) to T2 (27; 87%) and T3 (23; 77%) and using lubricant with a condom for intercourse increased from T1 (6; 30%) to T2 (13; 48%)) and T3 (16; 70%). However, motivation to use condoms did not change. Cronbach’s alpha scores indicated good internal consistency of measures used. Qualitative data provided strong evidence for the acceptability of the intervention.

Conclusions

HERS-UK was implemented as intended and the recruitment strategy was successful within a college/university setting. This feasibility study provided an early indication of the potential effectiveness and acceptability of the intervention, and the benefits of using a pleasure-focussed approach with young women. Measures used captured change in outcome variables and were deemed fit for purpose. Future research should explore cost-effectiveness of this intervention, in a large-scale controlled trial using a diverse sample and targeting young women most at risk of STIs.
Attenuation of negative effects of saline stress in wheat plant by chitosan and calcium carbonate
Authors: Sadak Mervat Sh. , Talaat Iman M.
Published: July 2021

Background

Chitosan and Ca+ are natural signal molecules that can be used in agriculture as biostimulants and elicitors. They enhance different physiological responses and mitigate the negative effects of salinity. So, this investigation was done to study the effect of soaking wheat grains in chitosan and CaCO3 (20 and 40 mg/L) on alleviating the adverse effect of salinity stress (0.0 and 5000 mg/L) on growth, some biochemical and physiological and yields of wheat plant.

Results

Shoot length (cm), leaves no/tiller, shoot dry weight (g), root fresh weight (g) and root dry weight (g) were significantly decreased as a result of salt stress. Soaking wheat grains in Chitosan or CaCO3 significantly promoted plant growth under normal and stressed conditions. Irrigation of wheat plants with saline water significantly decreased photosynthetic pigments (Chlo-a, Chlo-b, carotenoids and total pigments) in addition to Chlo-a/Chlo-b ratio, indole acetic acid content in the plant leaves. Meanwhile, saline water significantly increased phenolics, total soluble sugars (TSS) and proline content. H2O2 and lipid peroxidation expressed by malondialdehyde (MDA) content clearly showed significant increases under salinity stress compared with untreated control. Soaking wheat grains in chitosan or CaCO3 before sawing significantly increased the accumulation of H2O2 and MDA in the leaves of wheat plants. Treatment of wheat grains with chitosan or CaCO3 significantly promoted the activity of various antioxidant enzymes (SOD and POX) as compared to the control. CAT activity was significantly decreased as a result of chitosan or CaCO3 treatments. The highest CAT activity was recorded in plants irrigated with 5000 mg/L saline water followed by control plants which recoded 36.40 and 24.82 U/min/g FW, respectively. On the other hand, irrigation of wheat plants with 5000 mg/L saline water significantly decreased spike length (cm), spikelets no/spike, grains wt/plant (g), 1000-grains wt (g), yield and biomass/plant (g) as well as, carbohydrate % and protein % compared with the control. However, treating wheat plants either with Chitosan or calcium carbonate resulted in obvious significant increases in carbohydrates and protein contents, especially in plants treated with 40 mg/L chitosan followed by 40 mg/L calcium carbonate. Soaking wheat grains in chitosan, especially at 40 mg/L, exhibited the strongest scavenging potential (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate assay (DPPH%) followed by treatment with 40 mg/L CaCO3.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the used treatment enhanced the protective parameters such as antioxidant enzymes, total phenols and free radical scavengers and consequently helped the plants to decrease lipid peroxidation, increased their tolerance and improved yield and spike quality. Application of 40 mg/L chitosan recorded the highest increment in the scavenging ability of the natural antioxidants of the plant extract toward the stable free radical DPPH.
Working with laboratory rodents in Spain: a survey on welfare and wellbeing
Authors: Goñi-Balentziaga Olatz , Ortega-Saez Iván , Vila Sergi , Azkona Garikoitz
Published: July 2021

Background

Replacement, reduction and refinement, the 3R principles, provide a framework to minimize the use and suffering of animals in science. In this context, we aimed to determine the actual perception that individuals working with laboratory rodents in biomedical research have on animal welfare and on their interaction with the animals, as well as how they perceive its impact on their social relations. To this end, we designed an anonymous on-line survey for people working with rodents, at three responsibility levels, in Spain.

Results

Of the 356 participants, 239 were women (67 %); 263 were researchers (74 %), and 93 animal facility staff (26 %), of which 55 were caretakers/technicians (15 %), and 38 welfare officer/veterinarians (11 %). Animal facility staff indicated environmental enrichment to be a universal practice. About half of the participants reported that, in their opinion, animals suffer “little to none” or “minor” stress and pain. Animal caretakers/technicians and researchers perceived higher levels of stress and pain than welfare officers/veterinarians. Participants judged decapitation the most unpleasant method to kill rodents, whereas anaesthetic overdose was the least one. A sizable proportion − 21 % of animal caretakers/technicians and 11.4 % of researchers - stated that they were never given the choice not to euthanize the rodents they work with. Overall, women reported higher interactions with animals than men. Nevertheless, we could detect a significant correlation between time spent with the animals and interaction scores. Notably, 80 % of animal facility staff and 92 % of researchers rarely talked about their work with laboratory rodents with people outside their inner social circle.

Conclusions

Overall, the participants showed high awareness and sensitivity to rodent wellbeing; animal facility staff reported a similar perception on welfare questions, independently of their category, while researchers, who spent less time with the animals, showed less awareness and manifested lower human-animal interaction and less social support. Regarding the perception on social acceptance of laboratory animal work, all groups were cautious and rarely talked about their job, suggesting that it is considered a sensitive issue in Spain.
Added value of diffusion-weighted MRI in assessment of pleural lesions
Authors: Sabri Youssriah Yahia , Mahmoud Ikram Hamed , El-Gendy Lamis Tarek , Abd El-Mageed Mohamed Raafat , Tadros Sally Fouad
Published: July 2021

Background

There are many causes of pleural disease including variable benign and malignant etiologies. DWI is a non-enhanced functional MRI technique that allows qualitative and quantitative characterization of tissues based on their water molecules diffusivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of DWI-MRI in detection and characterization of pleural diseases and its capability in differentiating benign from malignant pleural lesions.

Results

Conventional MRI was able to discriminate benign from malignant lesions by using morphological features (contour and thickness) with sensitivity 89.29%, specificity 76%, positive predictive value 89%, negative predictive value 76.92%, and accuracy 85.37%. ADC value as a quantitative parameter of DWI found that ADC values of malignant pleural diseases were significantly lower than that of benign lesions (P < 0.001). Hence, we discovered that using ADC mean value of 1.68 × 10-3 mm2/s as a cutoff value can differentiate malignant from benign pleural diseases with sensitivity 89.3%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 81.2%, and accuracy 92.68% (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Although DWI-MRI is unable to differentiate between malignant and benign pleural effusion, its combined morphological and functional information provide valid non-invasive method to accurately characterize pleural soft tissue diseases differentiating benign from malignant lesions with higher specificity and accuracy than conventional MRI.
Marginal mandibular nerve — a wandering enigma and ways to tackle it
Authors: Kudva Adarsh , Babu Kiruthika , Saha Mehul , Puri Smriti , Pandey Lakshmi , Gunashekhar Shruti
Published: July 2021

Background

This study aims to propose surgical approaches intended to localize and preserve the marginal mandibular nerve (MMN) during routinely performed head and neck surgical procedures.

Main body of abstract

Preservation of the functional integrity of the MMN is a critical measure in the success of orofacial surgeries involving the submandibular triangle. This study systematically reviews the anatomical description of the nerve including origin, course relative to fascial planes, relation to the parotid gland and facial pedicle, branching pattern and anastomosis of nerve and consolidate the findings of several significant studies to determine the “surgically safe” approaches to avoid iatrogenic injury to MMN.

Short conclusion

The systematic approaches described in this study have helped the authors precisely determine which particular MMN preserving approach to be adopted for each aspect of head and neck surgery. This has definitely enhanced the quality of surgery performed and the postoperative satisfaction of the patients.
Endoscopic endonasal cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair: a cohort study in Iraq
Authors: Hasan Ammar Abdulkadhim , Al-Saedi Saad Farhan , Saleh Mukhallad Mahdi , Al-Akbi Hani Musa
Published: July 2021

Background

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a condition where the protective fluid that surrounds the brain finds its way into the nose and sinuses, often appearing as a very watery runny nose. The main surgical approaches for the surgical repair of CSF leaks are intracranial and extracranial. Over the last decade, endoscopic surgery has established itself as the most widely used technique for the repair of CSF fistula. The current study aimed to describe the use of nasal endoscopic technique in the management of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair.

Results

Results of our study showed that in addition to CSF leak, 40% of the patients had headache and 17.5% had repeated meningitis. Half of the etiologies for the CSF leak were spontaneous, 35% were congenital, and 15% were traumatic. The more frequent site of leak was left cribriform plate (37.5%). In the majority of patients, 37/40 (92.5%), the type of graft was tensor fascia lata and fat, while in the remaining 3 patients, type of graft was tensor fascia lata and bone, bone and fat, and tensor fascia lata. The repair succeeded in 35 patients giving a success rate of 87.5%.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that wide range of age groups from 2–62 years presented as CSF rhinorrhea with female predominance, and there was high success rate of endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea repair with low morbidity.
Lenvatinib Targets PDGFR-β Pericytes and Inhibits Synergy With Thyroid Carcinoma Cells: Novel Translational Insights
Authors: Iesato Asumi , Li Stephanie , Roti Giovanni , Hacker Michele R , Fischer Andrew H , Nucera Carmelo
Published: July 2021

Context

Pericyte populations abundantly express tyrosine kinases (eg, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β [PDGFR-β]) and impact therapeutic response. Lenvatinib is a clinically available tyrosine kinase inhibitor that also targets PDGFR-β. Duration of therapeutic response was shorter in patients with greater disease burden and metastasis. Patients may develop drug resistance and tumor progression.

Objectives

Develop a gene signature of pericyte abundance to assess with tumor aggressiveness and determine both the response of thyroid-derived pericytes to lenvatinib and their synergies with thyroid carcinoma-derived cells.

Design

Using a new gene signature, we estimated the relative abundance of pericytes in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and normal thyroid (NT) TCGA samples. We also cocultured CD90+;PAX8- thyroid-derived pericytes and BRAFWT/V600E-PTC-derived cells to determine effects of coculture on paracrine communications and lenvatinib response.

Results

Pericyte abundance is significantly higher in BRAFV600E-PTC with hTERT mutations and copy number alterations compared with NT or BRAFWT-PTC samples, even when data are corrected for clinical-pathologic confounders. We have identified upregulated pathways important for tumor survival, immunomodulation, RNA transcription, cell-cycle regulation, and cholesterol metabolism. Pericyte growth is significantly increased by platelet-derived growth factor-BB, which activates phospho(p)-PDGFR-β, pERK1/2, and pAKT. Lenvatinib strongly inhibits pericyte viability by down-regulating MAPK, pAKT, and p-p70S6-kinase downstream PDGFR-β. Critically, lenvatinib significantly induces higher BRAFWT/V600E-PTC cell death when cocultured with pericytes, as a result of pericyte targeting via PDGFR-β.

Conclusions

This is the first thyroid-specific model of lenvatinib therapeutic efficacy against pericyte viability, which disadvantages BRAFWT/V600E-PTC growth. Assessing pericyte abundance in patients with PTC could be essential to selection rationales for appropriate targeted therapy with lenvatinib.
Η επικαιρότητα της κριτικής θεωρίας: υπάρχουν επιχειρήματα επιστημολογικής καινοτομίας;
Authors: Marinopoulou Anastasia
Published: July 2021

Σκοπός του άρθρου είναι να μελετήσει το πώς η κριτική θεωρία υιοθετεί τη μεθοδολογία της διεπιστημονικότητας ως τον καινοτόμο τρόπο ανταλλαγής επιχειρημάτων ανάμεσα στις επιστήμες και να ερευνήσει εάν υπάρχουν καινοτόμα επιχειρήματα στην επιστημολογία της κριτικής θεωρίας κατά τον εικοστό πρώτο αιώνα. Η κριτική την οποία αναπτύσσει το άρθρο επί των επιστημολογικών τάσεων της ύστερης νεωτερικότητας υποστηρίζει πως η κύρια διάκριση ανάμεσα στη σύγχρονη επιστημολογία και την κριτική θεωρία έγκειται στην κατανόηση της κανονιστικότητας και του ορθολογισμού. Η εν λόγω διάκριση μπορεί να χαρακτηρισθεί ως η «μάχη» της νεωτερικής επιστημολογίας υπέρ ή κατά του επιστημονικού και πολιτικού ορθολογισμού.
Parameter-Independent Symmetries in Nuclear Structure
Authors: Bonatsos D. , Lenis D. , Minkov N. , Raychev P. P. , Terziev P. A.
Published: July 2021

The E(5) symmetry describes nuclei related to the U(5)--SO(6) phase transition, while the X(5) symmetry is related to the U(5)--SU(3) phase transition. A chain of potentials interpolating between the U(5) symmetry of the 5-dimensional harmonic oscillator and the E(5) symmetry is considered. Parameter independent predictions for the spectra and B(E2) values of nuclei with $R_4= E(4)/E(2)$ ratios 2.093, 2.135, and 2.157 (compared to the ratio 2.00 of the U(5) case and the ratio 2.20 of the E(5) case) are derived numerically and compared to existing experimental data, suggesting several new experiments. Furthermore, an exactly soluble model with $R_4 = 2.646$ is constructed and a chain of potentials interpolating between this new model and the X(5) symmetry is considered. Parameter independent predictions for the spectra and B(E2) values of nuclei with $R_4$ ratios 2.769, 2.824 and 2.852 (compared to the ratio 2.904 of the X(5) case) are derived numerically and compared to existing experimental data, suggesting several new experiments.
Development of a Monte-Carlo Evaporation Code for Multiple-Fragment Emission
Authors: Nicolis N. G.
Published: July 2021

An extended Hauser-Feshbach approach has been employed in a multi-step Monte-Carlo evaporation code designed to study the de-excitation of highly excited compound nuclei. The code is intended to account for emission of light particles ($\gamma$, n, $^{1,2,3}$H, $^{3-6}$He) and intermediate mass fragments in their ground and excited states (particle-bound or unbound). As a study case, we consider the decay of the compound nucleus $^{120}$Te$^*$ at excitation energy 100, 200 and 300 MeV. First chance decay widths are compared with treatments based on the Weisskopf and the s-wave approximation. Preliminary calculations are compared with experimental isotopic yields of intermediate mass fragments emitted in E/A = 50 MeV $^{4}$He + $^{116,124}$Sn $\rightarrow$ $^{120,128}$Te$^*$ reactions.
Basilia - das spätantike Basel (Katalog)
Authors: Asal Markus
Published: July 2021

Katalogteil mit Befundkatalog, Tafeln, Münzzusammenstellung und Literaturverzeichnis
Band A: Text
Band B: Katalog
Students’ Assessment of the Learning Conditions During the Period of Restrictive Measures Related to Preventing the Spread of the New Coronavirus Infection COVID-19
Authors: Bulaeva N. , Ganeev A.
Published: July 2021

The article presents the key results of assessing the satisfaction of students of higher educational institutions with the conditions of study during the period of restrictive measures related to preventing the spread of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19. The survey of students was carried out by order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation as part of a study on an independent assessment of the quality of conditions for the implementation of educational activities by organizations carrying out educational activities in basic general education programs, educational programs of secondary vocational education, basic vocational training programs, additional general education programs.
Formation of Ideas about the Rules of the Road in Older Preschool Children by Means of Multimedia Technologies
Authors: Dmitriev Yu. , Astashkin A. , Zyuzina T.
Published: July 2021

The article substantiates the effectiveness of the use of multimedia technologies for the formation of ideas of older preschool children about the rules of the road. The role and significance of the participants of the educational process: teachers and parents in familiarizing children with the rules of the road is revealed. The corresponding traditional and innovative forms and methods of work with preschool children are considered. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the possibilities of information tools and software in enriching children's ideas about traffic rules. The topic of the NOD for expanding the horizons of older preschoolers about traffic rules is presented. The results of an online survey and questionnaire survey of teachers of preschool educational institutions about their use of multimedia tools in educational activities are presented. The conditions that contribute to the formation of older preschoolers ' ideas about the rules of behavior on the street are formulated.
Natione Hispanus. Sobre la identificación de los hispanos en el Imperio Romano
Authors: Ozcáriz Gil Pablo
Published: July 2021

El objetivo de este artículo es poner de relieve que fue Roma la responsable de denominar Hispania al espacio geográfico que cuenta con los Pirineos y las costas mediterránea, atlántica y cantábrica como fronteras naturales. También de dotar a la palabra de una identidad propia. Este es el mismo término que a lo largo del tiempo evolucionó en tantos y tantos contextos históricos, administrativos, políticos y culturales y que terminó denominando a la España actual. El término fue asimilado por sus habitantes ya desde cronología republicana, independientemente de si eran nacidos en Corduba, en Emerita Augusta, en Lucus Augusti, en Tarraco, o cualquier otra pequeña localidad de sus respectivas provincias. Esta asimilación no fue idéntica en todas las escalas sociales, y evolucionó a lo largo del tiempo. Finalmente, se entra en detalle en la utilización de la fórmula natione Hispanus/a presente en la epigrafía romana.
La desvinculación de la izquierda española del concepto de Nación
Authors: Ramírez Ruiz Raúl
Published: July 2021

En los momentos actuales la propia definición de España como ente nacional, histórico y soberano se encuentra en crisis. A dicha situación no se habría llegado si la izquierda española no hubiera asumido como propias muchas de las ideas, procedentes de los nacionalismos periféricos, sobre el concepto de nación española. En el presente artículo tratamos de descubrir las causas de dicha identificación a través del estudio de los textos propagandísticos que sobre el concepto nacional tenía la oposición al franquismo rescatados en las sentencias del Tribunal de Orden Público. En ellos observaremos como la oposición al franquismo en el País Vasco, Cataluña, Galicia y Canarias mezclaba en sus mensajes las ideologías marxistas y nacionalistas, pero con grandes diferencias de fondo en cada una de esas regiones. Además, certificamos que el “Proceso de Burgos” fue el punto de inflexión que cimentó la identificación de la izquierda española de todo el país con los movimientos nacionalistas.
¿Somos tan diferentes? El intervencionismo militar en España, en Reino Unido y Estados Unidos
Authors: Muñoz Bolaños Roberto
Published: July 2021

The aim of this research is to carry out a comparative study of military interventionism in Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The thesis on which it is based is that armies intervene when the conditions are created for them to do so. There is no such thing as a dichotomy between interventionist and non-interventionist armies in the political decision-making process.
Temperaturas mínimas estivales en el sureste de la península ibérica a partir de termografías satelitales.
Authors: Espín-Sánchez David
Published: July 2021

La posición latitudinal del sureste de la península ibérica genera temperaturas medias elevadas (entre 25 y 30oC) durante la época estival, si bien, su compleja orografía y el importante gradiente altitudinal, genera importantes diferencias en las temperaturas mínimas, influenciadas especialmente por intensos procesos de inversiones térmicas nocturnas (ITN) en valles de interior. El incremento de nuevas estaciones meteorológicas y el aumento de la densidad de las redes de observación, unida a la implantación de una red propia de termómetros registradores en polos fríos (CAP) de las provincias de Murcia, Albacete o Jaén, lleva a un mayor conocimiento de la distribución de temperaturas nocturnas superficiales. El principal objetivo de la investigación es la generación de cartografía (termografías) que refleje la distribución de las temperaturas nocturnas en el sureste de la Península Ibérica, realizada a través del tratamiento de productos satelitales (VIIRS LST Band I5 del satélite SUOMI-NPP. Unido al uso de las imágenes satelitales (termografías) es posible analizar detalladamente los contrastes térmicos existentes durante el periodo canicular a través de 147 estaciones meteorológicas y termómetros registradores (15 de julio al 15 de agosto) de los años 2017 a 2020. La verificación de las termografías utilizadas (producto Band I5) muestra un notable ajuste estadístico (R2 de 0,87), con un Bias y RMSE de -0,2 y 1,83oC respectivamente. La cartografía es realizada para las diferencias provincias que integran el sureste de la península ibérica (Alicante, Albacete, Murcia, Jaén, Granada y Almería). Las diferencias térmicas diarias aportadas por las estaciones meteorológicas superficiales arrojan contrastes de temperaturas mínimas de hasta 23,4oC entre valles elevados de interior y ámbitos litorales.
An alternative sedation option for special care patients: combined inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide and oxygen and intravenous sedation with midazolam
Authors: Fenesan Stephanie , Hughes Sadie , Patel Neha
Published: July 2021

This article highlights an alternative sedation technique by providing inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide and oxygen alongside intravenous sedation with midazolam as an additional option for patients within special care dentistry. Two case reports are described, as well as a short overview of the available literature on this technique and the indications, advantages and disadvantages. This technique should be considered alongside other sedation techniques. As with all treatment for which sedation is provided, each case needs to be considered on an individual basis and the most appropriate option selected following discussion with the patient.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Although single sedation techniques provide a good level of sedation to facilitate dental treatment for the majority of patients, it is desirable to have an awareness of alternative sedation options that may be available for patients.
To award but not to reward
Authors: Hanley Jane
Published: July 2021

The George Cross has been bestowed upon the National Health Services of the UK by Her Majesty The Queen. The recognition of hard work during the pandemic is welcome, but it should not be a substitute for a pay rise for staff, says Jane Hanley
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) exposure in dogs
Authors: Bates Nicola
Published: July 2021

Blue-green algae are cyanobacteria that grow in fresh, brackish or sea water. Under certain environmental conditions they form blooms in water bodies and these often colour the water blue-green (or brown, black or red). These blooms have long been known to be associated with animal deaths, occasionally resulting in mass mortality events of wildlife. Cyanotoxins produced by these organisms are neurotoxic, hepatotoxic or, less commonly, dermatotoxic. Gastrointestinal effects may also occur. Signs can be very rapid in onset, particularly with neurotoxic compounds, with death following soon after. Hepatic effects generally occur within 24 hours. Aggressive and rapid treatment is essential with decontamination, liver protectants and supportive care. Survival is rare in animals with significant clinical signs. Not all algal blooms are toxic, however, and confirmation of exposure is rarely available and not within a clinically relevant time frame. Illness and deaths in dogs associated with suspected blue-green algae exposure are signal events and should be reported to the relevant environmental authority to safeguard public and animal health.
Diseño y validación de un instrumento de evaluación de TFG
Authors: García Tamarit Consuelo , Perochena González Paola , Orcos Palma Lara
Published: July 2021

INTRODUCCIÓN. El trabajo final de grado (TFG) supone la culminación de los estudios universitarios en los que el alumno demuestra el dominio y la integración de los contenidos y las competencias desarrolladas. Por ello, su evaluación requiere de instrumentos completos y complejos. El objetivo de esta investigación es diseñar y validar una herramienta de evaluación de los TFG de los Grados de Maestro en Educación, a fin de soslayar las deficiencias y problemas observados en las rúbricas al uso. MÉTODO. Se formó un grupo de siete expertos, tanto del ámbito escolar como universitario, para la elaboración de este instrumento. Se analizaron diferentes herramientas de evaluación y trabajos para su elaboración. Posteriormente, se estudió la fiabilidad del instrumento resultante aplicando el coeficiente de correlación intraclase (ICC) a veinte trabajos por parte de seis expertos independientes. RESULTADOS. El resultado es un instrumento que combina las mejores propiedades de la rúbrica y de la lista de verificación, con un desglose concreto y preciso de todos los indicadores que configuran la parte escrita de un trabajo final de grado, y que valora sus elementos considerados centrales: los contenidos y su calidad, los aspectos de formato y de expresión. El análisis de correlación intraclase ofreció unos resultados excelentes en las escalas medidas, siendo todas >.90, lo que muestra su alta consistencia. DISCUSIÓN. Estos resultados permiten confiar en la fiabilidad de la herramienta. El instrumento puede ser un claro apoyo para directores de TFG y para miembros de tribunales de evaluación, por su claridad, objetividad y facilidad de uso. E, igualmente, puede ser una herramienta útil para el aprendizaje de los estudiantes y favorecer su autorregulación y autoevaluación, dado que comprende con detalle todos los indicadores por los que serán evaluados.
Multimodal microscopy for the simultaneous visualization of five different imaging modalities using a single light source
Authors: Ryu Jiheun , Kang Ungyo , Song Joon Woo , Kim Junyoung , Kim Jin Won , Yoo Hongki , Gweon Bomi
Published: July 2021

Optical microscopy has been widely used in biomedical research as it provides photophysical and photochemical information of the target in subcellular spatial resolution without requiring physical contact with the specimen. To obtain a deeper understanding of biological phenomena, several efforts have been expended to combine such optical imaging modalities into a single microscope system. However, the use of multiple light sources and detectors through separated beam paths renders previous systems extremely complicated or slow for in vivo imaging. Herein, we propose a novel high-speed multimodal optical microscope system that simultaneously visualizes five different microscopic contrasts, i.e., two-photon excitation, second-harmonic generation, backscattered light, near-infrared fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetime, using a single femtosecond pulsed laser. Our proposed system can visualize five modal images with a frame rate of 3.7 fps in real-time, thereby providing complementary optical information that enhances both structural and functional contrasts. This highly photon-efficient multimodal microscope system enables various properties of biological tissues to be assessed.
Moisture adsorption by decellularized bovine pericardium collagen matrices studied by terahertz pulsed spectroscopy and solid immersion microscopy
Authors: Musina G. R. , Chernomyrdin N. V. , Gafarova E. R. , Gavdush A. A. , Shpichka A. J. , Komandin G. A. , Anzin V. B. , Grebenik E. A. , Kravchik M. V. , Istranova E. V. , Dolganova I. N. , Zaytsev K. I. , Timashev P. S.
Published: July 2021

In this paper, terahertz (THz) pulsed spectroscopy and solid immersion microscopy were applied to study interactions between water vapor and tissue scaffolds–the decellularized bovine pericardium (DBP) collagen matrices, in intact form, cross-linked with the glutaraldehyde or treated by plasma. The water-absorbing properties of biomaterials are prognostic for future cell-mediated reactions of the recipient tissue with the scaffold. Complex dielectric permittivity of DBPs was measured in the 0.4–2.0 THz frequency range, while the samples were first dehydrated and then exposed to water vapor atmosphere with 80.0 ± 5.0% relative humidity. These THz dielectric measurements of DBPs and the results of their weighting allowed to estimate the adsorption time constants, an increase of tissue mass, as well as dispersion of these parameters. During the adsorption process, changes in the DBPs’ dielectric permittivity feature an exponential character, with the typical time constant of =8–10 min, the transient process saturation at =30 min, and the tissue mass improvement by =1–3%. No statistically-relevant differences between the measured properties of the intact and treated DBPs were observed. Then, contact angles of wettability were measured for the considered DBPs using a recumbent drop method, while the observed results showed that treatments of DBP somewhat affects their surface energies, polarity, and hydrophilicity. Thus, our studies revealed that glutaraldehyde and plasma treatment overall impact the DBP–water interactions, but the resultant effects appear to be quite complex and comparable to the natural variability of the tissue properties. Such a variability was attributed to the natural heterogeneity of tissues, which was confirmed by the THz microscopy data. Our findings are important for further optimization of the scaffolds’ preparation and treatment technologies. They pave the way for THz technology use as a non-invasive diagnosis tool in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Terahertz complex refractive index properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene with rice husk ash and its possible applications in 3D printing techniques
Authors: Peng Hsin-Yi , Yang Chan-Shan , Wei Yi-An , Ruan Yun-Chi , Hsu Young-Chou , Hsieh Cho-Fan , Cheng Chin-Pao
Published: July 2021

Terahertz (THz) plays a pivotal part in numerous technology fields in modern times, including the system of the 6th generation wireless communication, imaging and elemental analysis. In addition to light sources and detectors, THz applications require quasi optics as lenses, waveguides, and reflectors for the design of a THz system. Three-dimensional (3D) printing has many advantages. However, 3D printing materials always have higher THz-wave absorption rates. In this study, we attempted to discover the optimum process parameters of the combustion temperature of rice husk ash (RHA) and mix RHA with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). According to the THz spectrum, the mixture powder would be very useful in applications of 3D printing to increase the refractive index and decrease the absorption coefficient with RHA added into ABS. This improvement will benefit 3D printing technique applications in the far-infrared and THz range.
An autoimmune disease risk variant: A trans master regulatory effect mediated by IRF1 under immune stimulation?
Authors: Brandt Margot , Kim-Hellmuth Sarah , Ziosi Marcello , Gokden Alper , Wolman Aaron , Lam Nora , Recinos Yocelyn , Daniloski Zharko , Morris John A. , Hornung Veit , Schumacher Johannes , Lappalainen Tuuli
Published: July 2021

Functional mechanisms remain unknown for most genetic loci associated to complex human traits and diseases. In this study, we first mappedtrans-eQTLs in a data set of primary monocytes stimulated with LPS, and discovered that a risk variant for autoimmune disease, rs17622517 in an intron ofC5ORF56, affects the expression of the transcription factorIRF120 kb away. The cis-regulatory effect specific toIRF1is active under early immune stimulus, with a large number oftrans-eQTL effects across the genome under late LPS response. Using CRISPRi silencing, we showed that perturbation of the SNP locus downregulatesIRF1and causes widespread transcriptional effects. Genome editing by CRISPR had suggestive recapitulation of the LPS-specifictrans-eQTL signal and lent support for the rs17622517 site being functional. Our results suggest that this common genetic variant affects inter-individual response to immune stimuli via regulation ofIRF1. For this autoimmune GWAS locus, our work provides evidence of the functional variant, demonstrates a condition-specific enhancer effect, identifiesIRF1as the likely causal gene incis, and indicates that overactivation of the downstream immune-related pathway may be the cellular mechanism increasing disease risk. This work not only provides rare experimental validation of a master-regulatorytrans-eQTL, but also demonstrates the power of eQTL mapping to build mechanistic hypotheses amenable for experimental follow-up using the CRISPR toolkit.
Ras/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling differentially regulate oncogenic ERG mediated transcription in prostate cells
Authors: Strittmatter Brady G. , Jerde Travis J. , Hollenhorst Peter C.
Published: July 2021

The TMPRSS2/ERG gene rearrangement occurs in 50% of prostate tumors and results in expression of the transcription factor ERG, which is normally silent in prostate cells. ERG expression promotes prostate tumor formation and luminal epithelial cell fates when combined with PI3K/AKT pathway activation, however the mechanism of synergy is not known. In contrast to luminal fates, expression of ERG alone in immortalized normal prostate epithelial cells promotes cell migration and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Migration requires ERG serine 96 phosphorylation via endogenous Ras/ERK signaling. We found that a phosphomimetic mutant, S96E ERG, drove tumor formation and clonogenic survival without activated AKT. S96 was only phosphorylated on nuclear ERG, and differential recruitment of ERK to a subset of ERG-bound chromatin associated with ERG-activated, but not ERG-repressed genes. S96E did not alter ERG genomic binding, but caused a loss of ERG-mediated repression, EZH2 binding and H3K27 methylation. In contrast, AKT activation altered the ERG cistrome and promoted expression of luminal cell fate genes. These data suggest that, depending on AKT status, ERG can promote either luminal or EMT transcription programs, but ERG can promote tumorigenesis independent of these cell fates and tumorigenesis requires only the transcriptional activation function.
Enhanced attraction of sand fly vectors of Leishmania infantum to dogs infected with zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis
Authors: Chelbi Ifhem , Maghraoui Khouloud , Zhioua Sami , Cherni Saifedine , Labidi Imen , Satoskar Abhay , Hamilton James G. C. , Zhioua Elyes
Published: July 2021

Background

The sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus is the main vector of Leishmania infantum, etiological agent of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in the Western Mediterranean basin. Dogs are the main reservoir host of this disease. The main objective of this study was to determine, under both laboratory and field conditions, if dogs infected with L. infantum, were more attractive to female P. perniciosus than uninfected dogs.

Methodology/Principal findings

We carried out a series of host choice experiments and found that infected dogs were significantly more attractive to P. perniciosus than uninfected dogs in the laboratory as well as in the field. Significantly more P. perniciosus fed on infected dogs than on uninfected dogs. However, the fecundity of P. perniciosus fed on infected dogs was adversely impacted compared to uninfected dogs by lowering the number of laid eggs. Phlebotomus perfiliewi, the second most abundant sand fly species in the field site and a competent vector of L. infantum had similar trends of attractivity as P. perniciosus toward infected dogs under field conditions.

Conclusions

The results strongly suggest that L. infantum causes physiological changes in the reservoir host which lead to the host becoming more attractive to both male and female P. perniciosus. These changes are likely to improve the chance of successful transmission because of increased contact with infected hosts and therefore, infected dogs should be particularly targeted in the control of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in North Africa.
High sedation needs of critically ill COVID-19 ARDS patients—A monocentric observational study
Authors: Flinspach Armin Niklas , Booke Hendrik , Zacharowski Kai , Balaban Ümniye , Herrmann Eva , Adam Elisabeth Hannah
Published: July 2021

Background

Therapy of severely affected coronavirus patient, requiring intubation and sedation is still challenging. Recently, difficulties in sedating these patients have been discussed. This study aims to describe sedation practices in patients with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods

We performed a retrospective monocentric analysis of sedation regimens in critically ill intubated patients with respiratory failure who required sedation in our mixed 32-bed university intensive care unit. All mechanically ventilated adults with COVID-19-induced ARDS requiring continuously infused sedative therapy admitted between April 4, 2020, and June 30, 2020 were included. We recorded demographic data, sedative dosages, prone positioning, sedation levels and duration. Descriptive data analysis was performed; for additional analysis, a logistic regression with mixed effect was used.

Results

In total, 56 patients (mean age 67 (±14) years) were included. The mean observed sedation period was 224 (±139) hours. To achieve the prescribed sedation level, we observed the need for two or three sedatives in 48.7% and 12.8% of the cases, respectively. In cases with a triple sedation regimen, the combination of clonidine, esketamine and midazolam was observed in most cases (75.7%). Analgesia was achieved using sufentanil in 98.6% of the cases. The analysis showed that the majority of COVID-19 patients required an unusually high sedation dose compared to those available in the literature.

Conclusion

The global pandemic continues to affect patients severely requiring ventilation and sedation, but optimal sedation strategies are still lacking. The findings of our observation suggest unusual high dosages of sedatives in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. Prescribed sedation levels appear to be achievable only with several combinations of sedatives in most critically ill patients suffering from COVID-19-induced ARDS and a potential association to the often required sophisticated critical care including prone positioning and ECMO treatment seems conceivable.
Effect of sugar metabolite methylglyoxal on equine lamellar explants: An ex vivo model of laminitis
Authors: Vercelli Cristina , Tursi Massimiliano , Miretti Silvia , Giusto Gessica , Gandini Marco , Re Giovanni , Valle Emanuela
Published: July 2021

Laminitis is one of the most devastating diseases in equine medicine, and although several etiopathogenetic mechanisms have been proposed, few clear answers have been identified to date. Several lines of evidence point towards its underlying pathology as being metabolism-related. In the carbonyl stress pathway, sugars are converted to methylglyoxal (MG)—a highly reactive α-oxoaldehyde, mainly derived during glycolysis in eukaryotic cells from the triose phosphates: D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. One common hypothesis is that MG could be synthesized during the digestive process in horses, and excessive levels absorbed into peripheral blood could be delivered to the foot and lead to alterations in the hoof lamellar structure. In the present study, employing anex vivoexperimental design, different concentrations of MG were applied to hoof explants (HE), which were then incubated and maintained in a specific medium for 24 and 48 h. Macroscopic and histological analyses and a separation force test were performed at 24 and 48 h post-MG application. Gene expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -14 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 were also measured at each time point for all experimental conditions. High concentrations of MG induced macroscopic and histological changes mimicking laminitis. The separation force test revealed that hoof tissue samples incubated for 24 h in a high concentration of MG, or with lower doses but for a longer period (48 h), demonstrated significant weaknesses, and samples were easily separated. All results support that high levels of MG could induce irreversible damage in HEs, mimicking laminitis in anex vivomodel.
Diagnosis of retinal disorders from Optical Coherence Tomography images using CNN
Authors: Rajagopalan Nithya , N. Venkateswaran , Josephraj Alex Noel , E. Srithaladevi
Published: July 2021

An efficient automatic decision support system for detection of retinal disorders is important and is the need of the hour. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is the current imaging modality for the early detection of retinal disorders non-invasively. In this work, a Convolution Neural Network (CNN) model is proposed to classify three types of retinal disorders namely: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV), Drusen macular degeneration (DMD) and Diabetic macular edema (DME). The hyperparameters of the model like batch size, number of epochs, dropout rate, and the type of optimizer are tuned using random search optimization method for better performance to classify different retinal disorders. The proposed architecture provides an accuracy of 97.01%, sensitivity of 93.43%, and 98.07% specificity and it outperformed other existing models, when compared. The proposed model can be used for the large-scale screening of retinal disorders effectively.
Word synonym relationships for text analysis: A graph-based approach
Authors: Alrasheed Hend
Published: July 2021

Keyword extraction refers to the process of detecting the most relevant terms and expressions in a given text in a timely manner. In the information explosion era, keyword extraction has attracted increasing attention. The importance of keyword extraction in text summarization, text comparisons, and document categorization has led to an emphasis on graph-based keyword extraction techniques because they can capture more structural information compared to other classic text analysis methods. In this paper, we propose a simple unsupervised text mining approach that aims to extract a set of keywords from a given text and analyze its topic diversity using graph analysis tools. Initially, the text is represented as a directed graph using synonym relationships. Then, community detection and other measures are used to identify keywords in the text. The set of extracted keywords is used to assess topic diversity within the text and analyze its sentiment. The proposed approach relies on grouping semantically similar candidate words. This approach ensures that the set of extracted keywords is comprehensive. Differing from other graph-based keyword extraction approaches, the proposed method does not require user parameters during graph construction and word scoring. The proposed approach achieved significant results compared to other keyword extraction techniques.