bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of haulm killing on yield and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Authors: Karan Yasin Bedrettin
Published: August 2021

Disease-free and superior quality seed tubers could be obtained by haulm (vine) killing, which also reduces weight loss during storage. Higher resistance during storage ensures that seed tubers will be at the desired physiological age at the time of planting. The use of healthy seed tubers of appropriate physiological age will have positive impact on yield and quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of haulm killing on seed potato yield and yield components (total tuber yield, average tuber yield/plant, number of tubers and average tuber weight) under semi-arid climate of Artova district in Tokat province, Turkey. The field studies were carried out during potato growing seasons of 2017 and 2018. The experiment consisted of two factors, i.e., potato cultivars and haulm killing. Five different potato cultivars, i.e., ‘Agria’, ‘Marabel’, ‘Hermes’, ‘Marfona’ and Madeleine were included in the study. The haulm killing treatments were ‘haulm killing’ and ‘no haulm killing’. Haulm killing positively affected the number of tubers per plant and average tuber weight, which are directly related to the tuber yield. Tuber seed yield in the first and second year with haulm killing treatment was 40.78 and 44.05 tons/ha, respectively. The yield without haulm killing in the first and second years was 37.78 and 38.76 tons/ha, respectively. The dry matter ratio of tubers with haulm killing was 21.89% in 2017 and 22.35% during 2018. The dry matter ratio of tubers without haulm killing was 20.57% in 2016 and 21.03% during 2017. The results revealed haulm killing had positive impact on yield, yield-related parameters and dry matter content of seed tubers. Therefore, haulm killing is recommended for higher yield and better quality of seed tubers.
Early loss of T lymphocyte 4-1BB receptor expression is associated with higher short-term mortality in alcoholic hepatitis
Authors: Eriksen Lotte Lindgreen , Nielsen Morten Aagaard , Laursen Tea Lund , Deleuran Bent , Vilstrup Hendrik , Støy Sidsel
Published: August 2021

Objectives

In alcoholic hepatitis (AH), dysfunctional T lymphocytes may contribute to the high mortality from infections. T lymphocyte activation is governed by the expression of co-stimulatory receptors such as 4-1BB balanced by inhibitory receptors such as Programmed Death receptor 1 (PD-1). 4-1BB expression is unaccounted for in AH, while PD-1 is elevated. We characterized expression of 4-1BB and PD-1 and the associated T lymphocyte functional status in AH and investigated whether these were associated with short-term mortality.

Methods

Thirty-five patients with AH (at diagnosis and days 7 and 90) were compared with healthy controls (HC). Spontaneous andin vitrostimulated receptor expression were quantified by flow cytometry, and plasma proteins by ELISA.

Results

At diagnosis, the patients showed increased stimulated 4-1BB responses of CD4+T lymphocytes. Also, the frequencies of PD-1+T lymphocytes both with and without co-expressed 4-1BB were increased. Further, interferon-gamma was predominantly produced in T lymphocytes co-expressing 4-1BB. A decrease in the frequency of spontaneous 4-1BB+T lymphocytes and an increase in soluble 4-1BB during the first week after diagnosis were associated with higher mortality at day 90 in AH. PD-1 expression showed no systematic dynamics related to mortality.

Conclusions

We found an increased stimulated 4-1BB response of T lymphocytes in AH and early loss of these lymphocytes was associated with a higher short-term mortality. This suggests a role of T lymphocyte 4-1BB expression in the progression of AH.
A critical evaluation for validation of composite and unidimensional postoperative pain scales in horses
Authors: Barreto da Rocha Paula , Driessen Bernd , McDonnell Sue M. , Hopster Klaus , Zarucco Laura , Gozalo-Marcilla Miguel , Hopster-Iversen Charlotte , Esteves Trindade Pedro Henrique , Gonzaga da Rocha Thamiris Kristine , Taffarel Marilda Onghero , Alonso Bruna Bodini , Schauvliege Stijn , Luna Stelio Pacca Loureiro
Published: August 2021

Proper pain therapy requires adequate pain assessment. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Unesp-Botucatu horse acute pain scale (UHAPS), the Orthopedic Composite Pain Scale (CPS) and unidimensional scales in horses admitted for orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. Forty-two horses were assessed and videotaped before surgery, up to 4 hours postoperatively, up to 3 hours after analgesic treatment, and 24 hours postoperatively (168 video clips). After six evaluators viewing each edited video clip twice in random order at a 20-day interval, they chose whether analgesia would be indicated and applied the Simple Descriptive, Numeric and Visual Analog scales, CPS, and UHAPS. For all evaluators, intra-observer reliability of UHAPS and CPS ranged from 0.70 to 0.97. Reproducibility was variable among the evaluators and ranged from poor to very good for all scales. Principal component analysis showed a weak association among 50% and 62% of the UHAPS and CPS items, respectively. Criterion validity based on Spearman correlation among all scales was above 0.67. Internal consistency was minimally acceptable (0.51–0.64). Item-total correlation was acceptable (0.3–0.7) for 50% and 38% of UHAPS and CPS items, respectively. UHAPS and CPS were specific (90% and 79% respectively), but both were not sensitive (43 and 38%, respectively). Construct validity (responsiveness) was confirmed for all scales because pain scores increased after surgery. The cut-off point for rescue analgesia was ≥ 5 and ≥ 7 for the UHAPS and CPS, respectively. All scales presented adequate repeatability, criterion validity, and partial responsiveness. Both composite scales showed poor association among items, minimally acceptable internal consistency, and weak sensitivity, indicating that they are suboptimal instruments for assessing postoperative pain. Both composite scales require further refinement with the exclusion of redundant or needless items and reduction of their maximum score applied to each item or should be replaced by other tools.
Identifying critical features of type two diabetes prevention interventions: A Delphi study with key stakeholders
Authors: Ryan Jillian C. , Wiggins Bonnie , Edney Sarah , Brinkworth Grant D. , Luscombe-March Natalie D. , Carson-Chahhoud Kristin V. , Taylor Pennie J. , Haveman-Nies Annemien A. , Cox David N.
Published: August 2021

Aims

This study aims to identify critically important features of digital type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevention interventions.

Methods

A stakeholder mapping exercise was undertaken to identify key end-user and professional stakeholders, followed by a three-round Delphi procedure to generate and evaluate evidence statements related to the critical elements of digital T2DM prevention interventions in terms of product (intervention), price (funding models/financial cost), place (distribution/delivery channels), and promotion (target audiences).

Results

End-user (n = 38) and professional (n = 38) stakeholders including patients, dietitians, credentialed diabetes educators, nurses, medical doctors, research scientists, and exercise physiologists participated in the Delphi study. Fifty-two critical intervention characteristics were identified. Future interventions should address diet, physical activity, mental health (e.g. stress, diabetes-related distress), and functional health literacy, while advancing behaviour change support. Programs should be delivered digitally or used multiple delivery modes, target a range of population subgroups including children, and be based on collaborative efforts between national and local and government and non-government funded organisations.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight strong support for digital health to address T2DM in Australia and identify future directions for T2DM prevention interventions. The study also demonstrates the feasibility and value of stakeholder-led intervention development processes.
Non-microbial methane emissions from tropical rainforest soils under different conditions
Authors: Jia Gaohui , Yang Qiu , Yang Huai , Jiang Yamin , Liu Wenjie , Wu Tingting , Mao Han , Su Tianyan , Tan Zhenghong , Wang Xu , Li Juelei
Published: August 2021

Non-microbial methane (NM-CH4), emissions from soil might play a significant role in carbon cycling and global climate change. However, the production mechanisms and emission potential of soil NM-CH4 from tropical rainforest remain highly uncertain. In order to explore the laws and characteristics of NM-CH4 emission from tropical rainforest soils. Incubation experiments at different environmental conditions (temperatures, soil water contents, hydrogen peroxide) and for soils with different soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were conducted to investigate the NM-CH4 emission characteristics and its influence factors of soils (0-10cm) that collected from a tropical rainforest in Hainan, China. Incubation results illustrated that soil NM-CH4 release showed a linear increase with the incubation time in the first 24 hours at 70 °C, whereas the logarithmic curve increase was found in 192 h incubation. Soil NM-CH4 emission rates under aerobic condition were significantly higher than that of under anaerobic condition at first 24 h incubation. The increasing of temperature, suitable soil water contents (0–100%), and hydrogen peroxide significantly promoted soil NM-CH4 emission rates at the first 24 h incubation. However, excessive soil water contents (200%) inhibited soil NM-CH4 emissions. According to the curve simulated from the NM-CH4 emission rates and incubation time at 70 °C of aerobic condition, soil would no longer release NM-CH4 after 229 h incubation. The NM-CH4 emissions were positively corelated with SOC contents, and the average soil NM-CH4 emission potential was about 6.91 ug per gram organic carbon in the tropical mountain rainforest. This study revealed that soils in the tropical rainforest could produce NM-CH4 under certain environment conditions and it supported production mechanisms of thermal degradation and reactive oxygen species oxidation. Those results could provide a basic data for understanding the soil NM-CH4 production mechanisms and its potential in the tropical rainforest.
Acupuncture for glucose and lipid metabolic disorders of polycystic ovarian syndrome: A systematic review protocol
Authors: Wu Yang , Peng Tao , Chen Yu , Huang Li , He Bisong , Wei Shaobin
Published: August 2021

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological disease that is often accompanied by some metabolic abnormality such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. As a non-pharmacological therapy, acupuncture is widely used for the treatment of PCOS, but the effectiveness for insulin resistance and lipid metabolic disorder remains controversial.

Objectives

To assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for insulin resistance and lipid metabolic disorder of women with PCOS.

Search methods

Eight databases will be searched from inception to June 2021, three clinical trial registration platforms will be searched for relevant trials.

Selection criteria

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture therapy for insulin resistance and lipid metabolic of PCOS will be included.

Data collection and analysis

Study screening, data collection, and analysis will be performed by two or more reviewers independently. We will calculate mean difference (MD), standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Data synthesis will be performed with RevMan V.5.3 software and with Stata V.15.0 software when necessary.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020177846
Association of sociodemographic factors with the prescription pattern of opioids for dental patients: A systematic review protocol
Authors: Cruz Alex Junio Silva , Abreu Lucas Guimarães , Mendes Suellen da Rocha , Castilho Lia Silva de , Abreu Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Oral health practitioners are responsible for a significant share of opioid prescriptions that seem to be influenced by many aspects, including sociodemographic factors. However, there is no consensus on the factors associated with opioid prescription in Dentistry.

Objective

To identify whether patients’ sociodemographic factors are associated with the prescription pattern of opioids in Dentistry.

Materials and methods

This systematic review will include observational studies (cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort). Electronic searches will be conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Scopus, Web of science, LILACS, SciELO, and Google Scholar. Grey literature will also be consulted. Two independent reviewers will screen all retrieved articles for eligibility, extract data, and assess the methodological quality of the included studies. The results will be presented as a narrative synthesis and, where possible, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Certainty of the evidence will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.

Systematic review registration number

PROSPERO CRD42020211226.
Quarantine supervision of Wood Packaging Materials (WPM) at Chinese ports of entry from 2003 to 2016
Authors: Zhao Jiaqiang , Hu Ke , Chen Ke , Shi Juan
Published: August 2021

Exotic pests have caused huge losses to agriculture, forestry, and human health. Analyzing information on all concerned pest species and their origin will help to improve the inspection procedures and will help to clarify the relative risks of imported cargo and formulate international trade policies. Records of intercepted pests from wood packaging materials (WPM) from 2003 to 2016 in the China Port Information Network (CPIN) database were analyzed. Results showed that the number of intercepted pests from WPM was lowest in the first quarter and highest in the fourth one. The total number of interceptions increased each year, with 53.33% of intercepted insects followed by nematodes (31.54%). The original continent of most intercepted pests was Asia (49.29%). Xylophagous insects were primarily intercepted from Southeast Asian countries, whereas nematodes were primarily intercepted from Korea, Australia, Mexico, and other countries. WPM interception records were mainly concentrated in China’s coastal inspection stations (98.7%), with the largest number of interceptions documented in Shanghai, followed by the inspection stations of Jiangsu Province. The proportion of pest taxa intercepted by the Chinese provinces’ stations each year is becoming increasingly balanced. The number of pest disposal treatment measures for intercepted cargoes with dead non-quarantine pests increased significantly from 2012 to 2016. This reflects the fact that Chinese customs inspection stations are becoming increasingly scientific and standardizing the interception and treatment of WPM pests. The issues reflected in the database, with a view to providing a reference for future work by customs officers and researchers.
Dealing with false positive risk as an indicator of misperceived effectiveness of conservation interventions
Authors: Khorozyan Igor
Published: August 2021

As human pressures on the environment continue to spread and intensify, effective conservation interventions are direly needed to prevent threats, reduce conflicts, and recover populations and landscapes in a liaison between science and conservation. It is practically important to discriminate between true and false (or misperceived) effectiveness of interventions as false perceptions may shape a wrong conservation agenda and lead to inappropriate decisions and management actions. This study used the false positive risk (FPR) to estimate the rates of misperceived effectiveness of electric fences (overstated if reported as effective but actually ineffective based on FPR; understated otherwise), explain their causes and propose recommendations on how to improve the representation of true effectiveness. Electric fences are widely applied to reduce damage to fenced assets, such as livestock and beehives, or increase survival of fenced populations. The analysis of 109 cases from 50 publications has shown that the effectiveness of electric fences was overstated in at least one-third of cases, from 31.8% at FPR = 0.2 (20% risk) to 51.1% at FPR = 0.05 (5% risk, true effectiveness). In contrast, understatement reduced from 23.8% to 9.5% at these thresholds of FPR. This means that truly effective applications of electric fences were only 48.9% of all cases reported as effective, but truly ineffective cases were 90.5%, implying that the effectiveness of electric fences was heavily overstated. The main reasons of this bias were the lack of statistical testing or improper reporting of test results (63.3% of cases) and interpretation of marginally significant results (p < 0.05, p < 0.1 and p around 0.05) as indicators of effectiveness (10.1%). In conclusion, FPR is an important tool for estimating true effectiveness of conservation interventions and its application is highly recommended to disentangle true and false effectiveness for planning appropriate conservation actions. Researchers are encouraged to calculate FPR, publish its constituent statistics (especially treatment and control sample sizes) and explicitly provide test results with p values. It is suggested to call the effectiveness “true” if FPR < 0.05, “suggestive” if 0.05 ≤ FPR < 0.2 and “false” if FPR ≥ 0.2.
Did inter-hospital transfer reduce mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction in the real world? A nationwide patient cohort study
Authors: Kim Mi-Sook , Choi Seong Huan , Bae Jang-Whan , Lee Joongyub , Kim Hyeongsu , Lee Won Kyung
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Inter-hospital transfer (IHT) and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are preferred over onsite thrombolysis when provided expeditiously. On the other hand, its benefit has not been evaluated in a real-world situation. This study examined the effects of IHT on the short- and long-term mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and compared the reperfusion treatments and resources between the referring and receiving hospitals.

Methods

Patients newly diagnosed with AMI and admitted to hospital were selected from the national health insurance database from 2004 to 2018. The 30-day and one-year mortality in the transferred and non-transferred patients were estimated and compared using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting to account for confounding bias.

Results

Of the 258,291 participants, 10,158 were transferred to one or more hospitals. IHT was more likely to occur to older or more comorbid people, patients in rural areas, and those whose insurance was medical aid. The 30-day and one-year mortality of the non-IHT group was 9.7% and 15.8%, respectively, whereas the figure was 11.4% and 20.5% in the IHT group. After balancing the baseline characteristics, the transferred patients were 1.12 (95% CI: 1.06–1.20) and 1.25 (95% CI: 1.20–1.31) times more likely to die during the subsequent 30 days and one year, respectively, than those treated solely at the presenting hospital. In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the hazard ratios of the 30-day and 1-year mortality were 1.14 (95% CI: 0.97–1.35) and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.15–1.49) in the transferred patients after balancing cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. On-site thrombolysis was rarely performed in the referring hospitals.

Conclusion

Patients transferred for the treatment of AMI experienced higher short- and long-term mortality. Therefore, onsite thrombolysis and the estimated time delay to PCI should be considered in regional hospitals to reduce mortality with the organization of STEMI treatment networks.
Can alcohol consumption in Germany be reduced by alcohol screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment in primary health care? Results of a simulation study
Authors: Manthey Jakob , Solovei Adriana , Anderson Peter , Carr Sinclair , Rehm Jürgen
Published: August 2021

Background

Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a programme to reduce alcohol consumption for drinkers with high alcohol consumption levels. Only 2.9% of patients in primary health care (PHC) are screened for their alcohol use in Germany, despite high levels of alcohol consumption and attributable harm. We developed an open-access simulation model to estimate the impact of higher SBIRT delivery rates in German PHC settings on population-level alcohol consumption.

Methods and findings

A hypothetical population of drinkers and non-drinkers was simulated by sex, age, and educational status for the year 2009 based on survey and sales data. Risky drinking persons receiving BI or RT were sampled from this population based on screening coverage and other parameters. Running the simulation model for a ten-year period, drinking levels and heavy episodic drinking (HED) status were changed based on effect sizes from meta-analyses.

In the baseline scenario of 2.9% screening coverage, 2.4% of the adult German population received a subsequent intervention between 2009 and 2018. If every second PHC patient would have been screened for alcohol use, 21% of adult residents in Germany would have received BI or RT by the end of the ten-year simulation period. In this scenario, population-level alcohol consumption would be 11% lower than it was in 2018, without any impact on HED prevalence. Screening coverage rates below 10% were not found to have a measurable effect on drinking levels.

Conclusions

Large-scale implementation of SBIRT in PHC settings can yield substantial reductions of alcohol consumption in Germany. As high screening coverage rates may only be achievable in the long run, other effective alcohol policies are required to achieve short-term reduction of alcohol use and attributable harm in Germany. There is large potential to apply this open-access simulation model to other settings and for other alcohol interventions.
Sympatric threatened Iberian leuciscids exhibit differences in Aeromonas diversity and skin lesions’ prevalence
Authors: Grilo Miguel L. , Chambel Lélia , Marques Tiago A. , Sousa-Santos Carla , Robalo Joana I. , Oliveira Manuela
Published: August 2021

Assessments regarding health aspects of Iberian leuciscids are limited. There is currently an information gap regarding effects of infectious diseases on these populations and their role as a possible conservation threat. Moreover, differences in susceptibility to particular agents, such as Aeromonas spp., by different species/populations is not clear. To understand potential differences in Aeromonas diversity and load, as well as in the prevalence and proportion of skin lesions, in fishes exposed to similar environmental conditions, an observational study was implemented. Using a set of 12 individuals belonging to two sympatric Iberian leuciscid species (Squalius pyrenaicus and Iberochondrostoma lusitanicum), the skin lesion score in each individual was analyzed. Furthermore, a bacterial collection of Aeromonas spp. isolated from each individual was created and isolates’ load was quantified by plate counting, identified at species level using a multiplex-PCR assay and virulence profiles established using classical phenotypic methods. The similarity relationships of the isolates were evaluated using a RAPD analysis. The skin lesion score was significantly higher in S. pyrenaicus, while the Aeromonas spp. load did not differ between species. When analyzing Aeromonas species diversity between fishes, different patterns were observed. A predominance of A. hydrophila was detected in S. pyrenaicus individuals, while I. lusitanicum individuals displayed a more diverse structure. Similarly, the virulence index of isolates from S. pyrenaicus was higher, mostly due to the isolated Aeromonas species. Genomic typing clustered the isolates mainly by fish species and skin lesion score. Specific Aeromonas clusters were associated with higher virulence indexes. Current results suggest potential differences in susceptibility to Aeromonas spp. at the fish species/individual level, and constitute important knowledge for proper wildlife management through the signalization of at-risk fish populations and hierarchization of conservation measures.
Reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy in obese gastric cancer patients
Authors: Kang Dong Yeon , Kim Ho Goon , Kim Dong Yi
Published: August 2021

Background

Reduced-port laparoscopic gastrectomy is currently widely performed for patients with gastric cancer. However, its safety in obese patients has not yet been verified. This is the first study on reduced-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (RpLDG) in obese patients with gastric cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term surgical outcomes and investigate the feasibility and safety of RpLDG in obese patients with gastric carcinoma.

Material and methods

A total of 271 gastric cancer patients who underwent RpLDG at our institution were divided into two groups: non-obese [body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2, n = 251; NOG] and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n = 20; OG). The mean age of the enrolled patients was 64.8 ± 11.4 years, with 72.0% being men and 28.0% women. Operative details and short-term surgical outcomes, including hospital course and postoperative complications, were compared by retrospectively reviewing the medical records.

Results

No significant difference in operation time was found between the NOG and OG (205.9 ± 40.0 vs. 211.3 ± 37.3 minutes, P = 0.563). Other operative outcomes in the OG, including estimated blood loss (54.1 ± 86.1 vs. 54.0 ± 39.0 mL, P = 0.995) and retrieved lymph nodes (36.2 ± 16.4 vs. 35.5 ± 18.2, P = 0.875), were not inferior to those in the NOG. There were also no statistical differences in short-term surgical outcomes, including the incidence of surgical complications (13.9% vs. 10.0%, P = 1).

Conclusion

RpLDG can be performed safely in obese gastric cancer patients by an experienced surgeon. It should be considered a feasible alternative to conventional port distal gastrectomy.
Multimorbidity in the elderly in China based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
Authors: Guo Xiaorong , Zhao Benhua , Chen Tianmu , Hao Bin , Yang Tao , Xu Huimin
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and patterns of multimorbidity among the elderly in China. Data on the occurrence of 14 chronic diseases were collected for 9710 elderly participants in the 2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Web graph, Apriori algorithm, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (AAC), and Spatial autocorrelation were used to perform the multimorbidity analysis. The multimorbidity prevalence rate was estimated as 49.64% in the elderly in China. Three major multimorbidity patterns were identified: [Asthma/Chronic lungs diseases]: (Support (S) = 6.17%, Confidence (C) = 63.77%, Lift (L) = 5.15); [Asthma, Arthritis, or rheumatism/ Chronic lungs diseases]: (S = 3.12%, C = 64.03%, L = 5.17); [Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, Arthritis or rheumatism/Heart attack]: (S = 3.96%, C = 51.56, L = 2.69). Results of the AAC analysis showed that the more chronic diseases an elderly has, the lower is the 10-year survival rate (P < 0.001). Global spatial autocorrelation showed a positive spatial correlation distribution for the prevalence of the third multimorbidity pattern in China (P = 0.032). The status of chronic diseases and multimorbidity among the elderly with a spatial correlation is a significant health issue in China.
Fasting increases microbiome-based colonization resistance and reduces host inflammatory responses during an enteric bacterial infection
Authors: Graef Franziska A. , Celiberto Larissa S. , Allaire Joannie M. , Kuan Mimi T. Y. , Bosman Else S. , Crowley Shauna M. , Yang Hyungjun , Chan Justin H. , Stahl Martin , Yu Hongbing , Quin Candice , Gibson Deanna L. , Verdu Elena F. , Jacobson Kevan , Vallance Bruce A.
Published: August 2021

Reducing food intake is a common host response to infection, yet it remains unclear whether fasting is detrimental or beneficial to an infected host. Despite the gastrointestinal tract being the primary site of nutrient uptake and a common route for infection, studies have yet to examine how fasting alters the host’s response to an enteric infection. To test this, mice were fasted before and during oral infection with the invasive bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Fasting dramatically interrupted infection and subsequent gastroenteritis by suppressing Salmonella’s SPI-1 virulence program, preventing invasion of the gut epithelium. Virulence suppression depended on the gut microbiota, as Salmonella’s invasion of the epithelium proceeded in fasting gnotobiotic mice. Despite Salmonella’s restored virulence within the intestines of gnotobiotic mice, fasting downregulated pro-inflammatory signaling, greatly reducing intestinal pathology. Our study highlights how food intake controls the complex relationship between host, pathogen and gut microbiota during an enteric infection.
The effect of activated silicon dioxide and betaine supplementation on quails' growth and productivity
Authors: Ratriyanto Adi , Prastowo Sigit , Widyas Nuzul
Published: August 2021

Background and Aim: Silicon dioxide and betaine supplements are essential in the poultry diet to improve growth and laying performance. This study aimed to determine the effect of activated silicon dioxide (ASD) and betaine supplementation on quails' growth performance during the starter period and on follicular development and productive parameters at the onset of the laying period. Materials and Methods: The research used 1064 quails, aged 7 days. Four treatments were employed: A basal diet (control), a diet supplemented with 200 ppm ASD, a diet supplemented with 0.12% betaine, and a diet supplemented with a combination of 200 ppm ASD and 0.12% betaine (ASD+Betaine). Each diet group included seven replicates of 38 quails. The observed parameters were the quails' growth performance during the starter period and follicular development and egg production during the onset of the laying period. Results: The results showed that combined supplementation with ASD+Betaine improved the quails' growth performance during the starter period (p<0.05). However, these supplements, either as single feed additives or in combination, did not affect ovarian and follicular characteristics during the onset of the laying period. Still, ASD and betaine enhanced egg production and weight. The highest magnitude of change resulted from combined supplementation with ASD+Betaine (p<0.05). Conclusion: The ASD+Betaine could be productively applied to quails' diets during the starter period and at the onset of the laying period.
A Parallel Event System for Large-Scale Cloud Simulations in DISSECT-CF
Authors: Sallo Dilshad Hassan , Gabor Kecskemeti
Published: August 2021

Discrete Event Simulation (DES) frameworks gained significant popularity to support and evaluate cloud computing environments. They support decision-making for complex scenarios, saving time and effort. The majority of these frameworks lack parallel execution. In spite being a sequential framework, DISSECT-CF introduced significant performance improvements when simulating Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds. Even with these improvements over the state of the art sequential simulators, there are several scenarios (e.g., large scale Internet of Things or serverless computing systems) which DISSECT-CF would not simulate in a timely fashion. To remedy such scenarios this paper introduces parallel execution to its most abstract subsystem: the event system. The new event subsystem detects when multiple events occur at a specific time instance of the simulation and decides to execute them either on a parallel or a sequential fashion. This decision is mainly based on the number of independent events and the expected workload of a particular event. In our evaluation, we focused exclusively on time management scenarios. While we did so, we ensured the behaviour of the events should be equivalent to realistic, larger-scale simulation scenarios. This allowed us to understand the effects of parallelism on the whole framework, while we also shown the gains of the new system compared to the old sequential one. With regards to scaling, we observed it to be proportional to the number of cores in the utilised SMP host.
Distance-Based Skeletonization on the BCC Grid
Authors: Karai Gábor , Kardos Péter
Published: August 2021

Strand proposed a distance-based thinning algorithm for computing surface skeletons on the body-centered cubic (BCC) grid. In this paper, we present two modified versions of this algorithm that are faster than the original one, and less sensitive to the visiting order of points in the sequential thinning phase. In addition, a novel algorithm capable of producing curve skeletons is also reported.
Preface
Authors: Kertész Attila
Published: August 2021

The 12th Conference of PhD Students in Computer Science (CSCS) was organized by the Institute of Informatics of the University of Szeged (SZTE) and held in Szeged, Hungary, between June 24–26, 2020.

The members of the Scientific Committee were the following representatives of the Hungarian doctoral schools in Computer Science: János Csirik (Co-Chair, SZTE), Lajos Rónyai (Co-Chair, SZTAKI, BME), Péter Baranyi (SZE), András Benczúr (ELTE), András Benczúr (SZTAKI), Hassan Charaf (BME), Tibor Csendes (SZTE), László Cser (BCE), Erzsébet Csuhaj-Varjú (ELTE), József Dombi (SZTE), István Fazekas (DE), Zoltán Fülöp (SZTE), Aurél Galántai (OE), Zoltán Gingl (SZTE), Tibor Gyimóthy (SZTE), Katalin Hangos (PE), Zoltán Horváth (ELTE), Márk Jelasity (SZTE), Zoltán Kása (Sapientia EMTE), László Kóczy (SZE), János Levendovszki (BME), Gyöngyvér Márton (Sapientia EMTE), Branko Milosavljevic (UNS), Valerie Novitzka (TUKE), László Nyúl (SZTE), Marius Otesteanu (UPT), Attila Pethő (DE), Vlado Stankovski (UNILJ), Tamás Szirányi (SZTAKI), Péter Szolgay (PPKE), János Sztrik (DE), János Tapolcai (BME), János Végh (ME), and Daniela Zaharie (UVT).

The members of the Organizing Committee were: Attila Kertész, Balázs Bánhelyi, Tamás Gergely, Judit Jász, and Zoltán Kincses.

There were more than 50 participants and 43 talks in several fields of computer science and its applications (11 sessions). The talks were going in sections in Graphs, Machine Learning, Security, Program Analysis, Healthcare, Simulation, Privacy, Computer Graphics I., Bugs, Computer Graphics II., and Distributed systems.

The talks of the students were completed by 2 plenary talks of leading scientists: Tibor Gyimóthy (University of Szeged, Hungary), and Gábor Tardos (Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungary).

The open-access scientific journal Acta Cybernetica offered PhD students to publish the paper version of their presentations after a careful selection and review process. Altogether 29 manuscripts were submitted for review, out of which 22 were accepted for publication in the present special issue of Acta Cybernetica.

The full program of the conference, the collection of the abstracts and furtherinformation can be found at https://www.inf.u-szeged.hu/~cscs/.

On the basis of our repeated positive experiences, the conference will be organized in the future, too. According to the present plans, the next meeting will be held around the end of June 2022 in Szeged.
ETHNOCULTURAL FEATURES OF THE GENDER IDENTITY OF CHINESE WOMEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AMERICAN MULTICULTURAL PARADIGM (USING AMY TAN AS AN EXAMPLE)
Authors: Belikova Marina V. , Klochkova Olga I.
Published: August 2021

Modern culture puts a person in difficult conditions: it requires his readiness for a constant change, to the assimilation of a very rapidly changing paradigm of the development of society and personality in it, but at the same time makes it be kept and respecting the meanings and values significant for many generations of the ethnic community. Chinese civilization is able to conduct a dialogue with other "cultural codes" and even exercise it according to its own rules, while maintaining its ethnocultural features, its identity. The identity of ethnocultural features is an integral part of the socialization process, including gender identity. The American writer of Chinese origin, Amy Tan his work, argues that through the acquisition of the "genetic homeland" within itself and designing a new gender identity, a woman in the conditions of a multicultural society gets the opportunity to find answers to the most important issues that explain the meaning of its existence.
APPROPRIATE PRESCRIBING FOR OLDER PEOPLE: A NEW TOOL FOR THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER
Authors: LENAERTS E. , DE KNIJF F. , SCHOENMAKERS B.
Published: August 2021

Background:Appropriate prescribing for older people is a challenge. General practitioners (GPs) areaware of their key position in relation to prescribing practice in the elderly. However, they often feel powerlessand report a need for simple GP friendly tools to assess and support their prescribing practice. Objectives: In thisstudy such a tool is developed: the Appropriate Medication for Older people-tool (AMO-tool). The purpose of thestudy is to investigate whether GPs consider the use of the AMO-tool to be practically feasible and resulting inmore appropriate prescribing. Design:This pilot study with an interventional design was conducted over a periodof six months. Setting:The study was conducted in nursing homes visited by GPs. Participants:The studiedpopulation consisted of nine GPs and 67 nursing home residents. Intervention:The intervention consisted of theuse of the AMO-tool. Measurements:The Short Form (SF)-12 questionnaire was administered to the patients.Patients' medication lists were recorded. The GPs completed a semi-quantitative questionnaire on theirexperiences with the AMO-tool. A descriptive qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis was carried out on theGP questionnaire. The results of the SF-12 questionnaires and medication lists were analysed quantitatively. Amultivariate analysis was carried out. Results: In the perception of GPs, applying the AMO-tool to medicationlists of nursing home residents was feasible and resulted in more appropriate prescribing. A slight reduction wasrecorded in the number of medications prescribed. Self-reported well-being improved and rose in parallel withthe number of medication changes. Conclusion:According to GPs, the AMO-tool offers GPs the support in theirprescribing practice. Changes are made to medication lists and improvements occur in patients' self-reportedwell-being. Future research should objectify the appropriateness of prescriptions before and after using the tool.Furthermore, it should investigate the possible causal relationship between the use of the AMO-tool, an increasein appropriateness of medication lists and an improvement of general well-being.
NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING FOR OLDER ADULTS RECEIVING HOME CARE - A PILOT STUDY
Authors: PURANEN T. , FINNE-SOVERI H. , AURANNE K. , LEHTINEN-FRASER M. , SUOMINEN M.H.
Published: August 2021

Background:Malnutrition is common in aged home care clients and that affects negatively the healthof aged people. Nutritional screening is recommended for early detection of malnutrition. Objectives:The aimwas to assess the nutritional status and food intake of home care receivers and improve their nutrient intake withtailored nutritional advice administered via videoconferencing. Design:Intervention with follow-up. Setting:Home care in the city of Helsinki. Participants:25 older (>65 years) adults receiving home care. Intervention:After an initial assessment determining their needs, participants received tailored nutritional advice viavideoconferencing over a six-month follow-up period. Measurements: Participants nutritional status was assessedwith a Mini Nutritional Assessment –test (MNA). Nutrient intake was calculated based on a detailed three-dayfood diary compiled twice during the six-month follow-up period. Results: Altogether 25 persons participated inthe study (mean age 78.5 years, 88 % females). According to the MNA test 80 % were at risk of malnutrition atthe outset. Energy (1329 kcal) and mean nutrient intakes of protein (54 g) and folic acid (210 μg), for example,were inadequate. After six months of intervention, the mean energy intake had increased to 1450 (SD 319) kcal,protein to 65 (SD 20) g, and folic acid to 231 (SD 105) μg per day. Conclusions:The energy, protein and othernutrient intake of the study participants increased during the six-month intervention. Videoconferencing seemedto be a well-accepted and feasible method for providing nutritional advice to older home care clients.
SARCOPENIA: THE TARGET POPULATION
Authors: MALMSTROM T.K. , MORLEY J.E.
Published: August 2021

Sarcopenia represents one of the major causes of frailty (1-3). Therefore, it seems to make sense that the population to berecruited should be frail, either by the simple rapid IANAFRAIL screen, or by one of the more complex screens, e.g.,Cardiovascular Health Screen (Fried) or Study of OsteoporoticFractures (4-7). Another simple screen which is more directlyrelated to muscle function is the SARC-F:
AS REPRESENTAÇÕES DAS MASCULINIDADES NA FRANQUIA AMERICAN PIE
Authors: Freitas Gleissiano Ruan de , Maio Eliane Rose
Published: August 2021

No presente artigo, analisamos as representações de masculinidade nos filmes da franquia American Pie, desconsiderando os spin-offs. Para tal, dissertamos sobre a personalidade dos cinco principais personagens, e logo após, selecionamos três cenas de cada filme, sendo, quatro filmes, totalizando doze cenas, às quais descrevemos, de uma maneira breve, ao mesmo tempo que analisamos tais cenas, amparados por uma bibliografia, deste modo, objetivamos, estudar como os roteiros dos filmes American Pie disseminam uma ideia do que é ser, o chamado, “homem de verdade”, tanto para os seus personagens, quanto para o público, chegamos à conclusão que, American Pie reforça padrões do agir masculino que tornam ou excluem, sujeitos masculinos ao papel de “macho”, dependendo de suas atitudes e assim os filmes ditam o que é ser o “homem de verdade”.
“HOMENS?”:
Authors: Thürler Djalma
Published: August 2021

O texto demonstra como a masculinidade, suas mudanças e transformações ocorridas na contemporaneidade, são revistas, repensadas e reencenadas a partir da série cômica brasileira “Homens?” (Amazon Prime Video/2019). Nesse caminho, a Teoria Queer fortalece e contesta os regimes de poder dinamitando os modelos hegemônicos de representação que produzem a identidade e a diferença.
FEMINILIDADE E TRAVESTISMO EM UM FILME HOLLYWOODIANO DA DÉCADA DE 1950
Authors: Friederichs Marta
Published: August 2021

Nesse artigo, interessa pensar o cinema hollywoodiano da década de 1950 como capaz de ensinar modos de ser e estar no mundo, de produzir e significar o corpo como feminino. Para tal propósito, a partir da análise de duas cenas recortadas da comédia Quanto mais quente melhor, produzida e dirigida por Billy Wilder, em 1959, aproximo-me do pensamento de Michel Foucault e Judith Butler. Ao tomar o cinema como uma potente tecnologia para veicular discursos, com efeitos de verdades, que expressam e ensinam modos de ser e estar feminina, opero com a feminilidade como uma performatividade de gênero. Assim, procuro também discutir como sujeitos que escapam das normas de gênero e sexualidade apareciam nas telas do cinema dessa época, bem como, pensar algumas possibilidades do cinema para alavancar discussões sobre relações de gênero e sexualidade no campo da Educação.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Educação. Cinema. Relações de gênero. Sexualidade.
O conceito Ecopedagogia
Authors: Oliveira Mirelle Silva , Pereira Fernando Lourenço , Teixeira Catarina
Published: August 2021

O presente trabalho buscou analisar as abordagens sobre o conceito de ecopedagogia em artigos publicados nas revistas de Educação Ambiental do Brasil, como também mapear os artigos publicados e identificar os fundamentos e práticas ecopedagógicas descritas. Através de um levantamento online a partir da palavra-chave ecopedagogia foram selecionados 22 artigos, que em seguida foram organizados por título, autor, distribuição geográfica, abordagens da ecopedagogia e ano de publicação. Após a leitura dos artigos foi possível traçar algumas categorizações sobre o conceito ecopedagogia apresentado nos artigos, como: sensibilização e afetividade na relação integral homem e natureza; crítica do currículo e/ou proposição de currículos alternativos para a ecopedagogia e concepções epistemológicas. A ecopedagogia está no início de um processo de consolidação, seja no âmbito investigativo das produções acadêmicas, seja no campo social ou educativo.
Educação Ambiental e Sustentabilidade
Authors: Ferreira Letícia , Pires Pedro Gabriel , Nápolis Patrícia
Published: August 2021

Este artigo objetivou investigar mudanças conceituais de futuros professores de Ciências sobre Educação Ambiental e sua interrelação com a sustentabilidade e o meio ambiente. Para isso, aplicamos questionários antes e após um curso de extensão que contou com a participação de 22 discentes do curso de Licenciatura em Ciências da Natureza, da Universidade Federal do Piauí. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados conforme a corrente de Educação Ambiental pautada no desenvolvimento sustentável ou corrente da sustentabilidade estabelecida por Sauvé (2005). Os registros iniciais sugerem que 68,18% dos discentes apresentam um olhar simplista acerca da temática em geral. Com o término do curso, verificamos conceitos mais condizentes com a corrente citada. Este estudo favoreceu mudanças nas concepções dos futuros professores em relação aos problemas socioambientais e, provavelmente, a conservação do meio ambiente.
O perfil institucional da educação ambiental no ensino médio profissional do município de Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará
Authors: Souza Janiele de Brito de , Martins de Moura-Fé Marcelo , De Oliveira Brasil Marcus Vinicius de Oliveira
Published: August 2021

A legislação nacional defende uma Educação Ambiental (EA) curricular integrada e transversal em todos os níveis e modalidades de ensino; sendo essas ações um pressuposto para a construção de sociedades sustentáveis. Por isso, o objetivo central desse trabalho é verificar o perfil institucional da EA no ensino médio profissional do município de Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará. Metodologicamente, foi realizada uma criteriosa revisão de literatura e documental; assentando-se no método dedutivo e qualitativo, com objetivo exploratório e descritivo; foi realizada ainda uma “entrevista por pauta” com a gestão da escola, objeto do estudo de caso. Como resultado, a pesquisa aponta para a inserção multi e interdisciplinar da EA na Educação Profissional Técnica (EPT) de nível médio do município, em confluência com as dimensões da sustentabilidade de Sachs (2002).
Educação Ambiental em contextos de Bacias Hidrográficas
Authors: Lopes Laura Patricia , Campos Marília Andrade Torales , Nogueira Valdir
Published: August 2021

Neste artigo objetivou realizar uma revisão integrativa das pesquisas sobre a Educação Ambiental em contextos de Bacias Hidrográficas. A coleta de dados ocorreu a partir da leitura dos resumos das 46 produções científicas publicadas entre 1996 e 2020, nas seguintes plataformas digitais: REMEA, REDIB e BDTD. A metodologia tomou como base a pesquisa quantitativa e qualitativa. Para categorizar e analisar as produções, foram utilizadas as categorias de análise propostas por Reigota (2007). Como resultado, constatou-se a interdisciplinaridade imanente à temática. As pesquisas apontam que as temáticas que envolvem os descritores foram desenvolvidas de forma pontual, fragmentada, naturalista e conservadora. Destacam que é fundamental a potencialização do tema nas escolas, nas universidades e nos comitês de bacias, a fim de superar os problemas socioambientais emergentes nessas realidades.