bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TAR RNA Mediated Folding of a Single-Arginine-Mutant HIV-1 Tat Protein within HeLa Cells Experiencing Intracellular Crowding
Authors: Kim Jung Min , Chun Honggu
Published: September 2021

The various effects of native protein folding on the stability and folding rate of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) in crowded intracellular environments are important in biomedicine. Although most studies on protein folding have been conducted in vitro, providing valuable insights, studies on protein folding in crowded intracellular environments are scarce. This study aimed to explore the effects of intracellular molecular crowding on the folding of mutant transactivator HIV-1 Tat based on intracellular interactions, including TAR RNA, as proof of the previously reported chaperna-RNA concept. Considering that the Tat–TAR RNA motif binds RNA, we assessed the po tential function of TAR RNA as a chaperna for the refolding of R52Tat, a mutant in which the argi nine (R) residues at R52 have been replaced with alanine (A) by site-directed mutagenesis. We mon itored Tat-EGFP and Tat folding in HeLa cells via time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and biolayer interferometry using EGFP fusion as an indicator for folding status. These results show that the refolding of R52A Tat was stimulated well at a 0.3 μM TAR RNA concentration; wild-type Tat refolding was essentially abolished because of a reduction in the affinity for TAR RNA at that con centration. The folding and refolding of R52Tat were mainly promoted upon stimulation with TAR RNA. Our findings provide novel insights into the therapeutic potential of chaperna-mediated fold ing through the examination of as-yet-unexplored RNA-mediated protein folding as well as viral genetic variants that modulate viral evolutionary linkages for viral diseases inside a crowded intra cellular environment.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Obesity and Atrial Fibrillation: Position Paper of Italian National Association of Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO)
Authors: Mocini David , Di Fusco Stefania Angela , Mocini Edoardo , Donini Lorenzo Maria , Lavalle Carlo , Di Lenarda Andrea , Riccio Carmine , Caldarola Pasquale , De Luca Leonardo , Gulizia Michele Massimo , Oliva Fabrizio , Gabrielli Domenico , Colivicchi Furio
Published: September 2021

The use of the direct oral anticoagulants dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban (DOACs) offers some major advantages over warfarin and other vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). One advantage is the possibility to use a fixed dose in normal-weight patients, overweight patients and patients with obesity. However, the “one size fits all” strategy raised a concern regarding the possibility to undertreat patients with a high body mass index. No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have ever compared VKAs and DOACs in this population. We analyzed data from the literature on DOAC pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, results from the four pivotal phase III trials on non-valvular atrial fibrillation, retrospective observational studies and metanalyses. While we are aware of the limitation imposed by the absence of specific RCTs, we propose the position of the Italian Association of Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO) on the use of DOACs in patients with obesity based on the existing evidence.
Association of Low Serum Albumin Level with Higher Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Pre-S2 Mutant after Curative Surgical Resection
Authors: Jeng Long-Bin , Li Tsai-Chung , Hsu Shih-Chao , Chan Wen-Ling , Teng Chiao-Fang
Published: September 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is, globally, one of the most prevalent and deadly human cancers; despite curative surgical resection, its high recurrence rate after surgery remains a large threat, resulting in poor patient survival. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-S2 mutant that harbors deletions spanning the pre-S2 gene segment has emerged as an important oncoprotein for HCC development and a valuable prognostic biomarker for HCC recurrence; however, its relationship with clinicopathological factors is largely unexplored. In this study, the correlation of the deletion spanning the pre-S2 gene segment with clinicopathological factors and the association of such correlation with HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection were examined in HBV-related HCC patients. Inverse correlation between serum albumin level and the deletion spanning the pre-S2 gene segment was identified. HCC patients with the presence of the deletion spanning the pre-S2 gene segment and a low serum albumin level were associated with higher HCC recurrence than patients with either factor alone or neither factor were. Moreover, a combination of the serum albumin level and the deletion spanning the pre-S2 gene segment exhibited better performance than that of either factor alone in predicting HCC recurrence. Collectively, this study shows an association of low serum albumin level with pre-S2 mutant-positive HCC patients, and validates the prognostic value of this association in identifying patients with higher HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection.
Visual Evoked Potentials as Potential Biomarkers of Visual Function in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Dziadkowiak Edyta , Sebastian Agata , Wieczorek Malgorzata , Pokryszko-Dragan Anna , Madej Marta , Waliszewska-Prosół Marta , Budrewicz Sławomir , Wiland Piotr , Ejma Maria
Published: September 2021

Visual evoked potentials (VEP) are changes in potentials that arise in the central nervous system. In the interpretation of the VEP test results, it is assumed that the elongation of the latency time is caused by the demyelination of the nerve fibers, and the axon damage is responsible for the decrease in the amplitude. The observed VEP deviations are not specific for specific diseases, but indicate disturbances in visual conductivity. VEP may play a diagnostic role in the early detection of visual involvement. The aim of the study was the functioning of visual pathway assessment on the basis of visual evoked potentials (VEP) examination, in patients with primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS), without focal symptoms of central nervous system disorder. The effect of disease activity, as assessed by clinical parameters and antibody levels (anti-Ro52, SSA, and SSB), on the central nervous system was also evaluated. Thirty-two consecutive patient with pSS (31 females, 1 male) were included in the study. VEP was performed at baseline, and after 6 (T6) years. Their results were compared longitudinally between the baseline and T6, depending on the duration of the disease and treatment. The immunological activity of pSS was also analyzed. The group of patients showed a significant prolongation of the P100 implicit time (105.5 ± 5.1 vs. 100.6 ± 3.9; p = 0.000) and a significant higher the P100-N145 amplitude (12.3 ± 4.1 vs. 9.4 ± 3.0; p = 0.000). Abnormalities in electrophysiological parameters of VEP at baseline correlated with presentation of anti-Ro52 antibodies and aching joints. At baseline, the P100 implicit time was shorter for the patients with pSS than for those at T6 (105.50 ± 5.1 vs. 109.37 ± 5.67; p = 0.002). pSS patients without CNS involvement presented with dysfunction of visual pathway, as revealed by VEP abnormalities. Relationships were found between VEP parameters and with present of anti-Ro52 antibodies and aching joints. VEP may be a useful method for assessment and monitoring of subclinical visual deficit in the course of pSS.
Different Effects of Aging on Intraocular Pressures Measured by Three Different Tonometers
Authors: Sugihara Kazunobu , Tanito Masaki
Published: September 2021

This study aimed to compare intraocular pressures (IOP) using different tonometers, Goldmann applanation (IOPGAT), non-contact (IOPNCT), and rebound (IOPRBT), and to assess the effects of aging and central corneal thickness (CCT) on the measurements. The IOPGAT, IOPNCT, IOPRBT, mean patient age (65.1 ± 16.2 years), and CCT (521.7 ± 39.2 µm) were collected retrospectively from 1054 eyes. The differences among IOPs were compared by the paired t-test. Possible correlations between devices, age, and CCT were assessed by linear regression analyses. The effects of age and CCT on the IOP reading were assessed by mixed-effects regression models. The IOPGAT values were 2.4 and 1.4 mmHg higher than IOPNCT and IOPRBT, respectively; the IOPNCT was 1.0 mmHg lower than IOPRBT (p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). The IOPs measured by each tonometer were highly correlated with each other (r = 0.81–0.90, t = 45.2–65.5). The linear regression analyses showed that age was negatively correlated with IOPNCT (r = −0.12, t = −4.0) and IOPRBT (r = −0.14, t = −4.5) but not IOPGAT (r = 0.00, t = −0.2); the CCT was positively correlated with IOPGAT (r = 0.13, t = 4.3), IOPNCT (r = 0.29, t = 9.8), and IOPRBT (r = 0.22, t = 7.2). The mixed-effect regression models showed significant negative correlations between age and IOPNCT (t = −2.6) and IOPRBT (t = −3.4), no correlation between age and IOPGAT (t = 0.2), and a significant positive correlation between CCT and the tonometers (t = 3.4–7.3). No differences between IOPGAT and IOPRBT were seen at the age of 38.8 years. CCT affects IOPs from all tonometers; age affects IOPNCT and IOPRBT in different degrees. IOPRBT tended to be higher than IOPGAT in young subjects, but this stabilized in middle age and became higher in older subjects.
RETRACTED: Canine Morbillivirus from Colombian Lineage Exhibits In Silico and In Vitro Potential to Infect Human Cells
Authors: Rendon-Marin Santiago , Quintero-Gil Carolina , Guerra Diego , Muskus Carlos , Ruiz-Saenz Julian
Published: September 2021

Canine morbillivirus (CDV) is a viral agent that infects domestic dogs and a vast array of wildlife species. It belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, genus Morbillivirus, which is shared with the Measles virus (MeV). Both viruses employ orthologous cellular receptors, SLAM in mononuclear cells and Nectin-4 in epithelial cells, to enter the cells. Although CDV and MeV hemagglutinin (H) have similar functions in viral pathogenesis and cell tropism, the potential interaction of CDV-H protein with human cellular receptors is still uncertain. Considering that CDV is classified as a multi-host pathogen, the potential risk of CDV transmission to humans has not been fully discarded. In this study, we aimed to evaluate both in silico and in vitro, whether there is a cross-species transmission potential from CDV to humans. To accomplish this, the CDV-H protein belonging to the Colombian lineage was modelled. After model validations, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out between Colombian CDV-H protein and canine and human cellular receptors to determine different aspects of the protein–protein interactions. Moreover, cell lines expressing orthologous cellular receptors, with both reference and wild-type CDV strains, were conducted to determine the CDV cross-species transmission potential from an in vitro model. This in silico and in vitro approach suggests the possibility that CDV interacts with ortholog human SLAM (hSLAM) and human Nectin-4 receptors to infect human cell lines, which could imply a potential cross-species transmission of CDV from dogs to humans.
Differences in Contrast Reproduction between Electronic Devices for Visual Assessment: Clinical Implications
Authors: Molina-Martín Ainhoa , Piñero David P. , Coco-Martín María B. , Leal-Vega Luis , de Fez Dolores
Published: September 2021

The easy access to electronic devices for users has resulted in the development of a vast range of programs and applications for visual evaluation and diagnosis that can be downloaded to any device. Some of them are based on tasks and stimuli that depend on luminance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate differences in luminance reproduction between electronic devices and their implications for contrast reproduction. A total of 20 Galaxy Tab A devices with 8-bit graphics processing units were evaluated. Characterization of every screen was performed obtaining the response curve for the achromatic stimulus. Mean, maximum and minimum luminance, standard deviation and coefficient of variation were obtained to assess differences between devices. Variation of luminance with increasing digital level was observed in all devices following a gamma distribution. Comparison between devices for mean results showed that some of them differed by as much as 45 cd/m2. The coefficient of variation varied from ~5 to 9%. Mean percentage of differences in luminance between devices reached 30%. In conclusion, differences in luminance reproduction between devices were present, even considering devices from the same manufacturing batch. It cannot be assumed that the characterization of one device can be extrapolated to other devices. Every device used for research purposes should be individually characterized to ensure the correct reproduction. For clinical purposes, limitations should be considered by visual specialists.
Phylogenomic Characterization of Lopma Virus and Praja Virus, Two Novel Rodent-Borne Arteriviruses
Authors: Vanmechelen Bert , Zisi Zafeiro , Gryseels Sophie , Goüy de Bellocq Joëlle , Vrancken Bram , Lemey Philippe , Maes Piet , Bletsa Magda
Published: September 2021

Recent years have witnessed the discovery of several new viruses belonging to the family Arteriviridae, expanding the known diversity and host range of this group of complex RNA viruses. Although the pathological relevance of these new viruses is not always clear, several well-studied members of the family Arteriviridae are known to be important animal pathogens. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of four new arterivirus variants, belonging to two putative novel species. These new arteriviruses were discovered in African rodents and were given the names Lopma virus and Praja virus. Their genomes follow the characteristic genome organization of all known arteriviruses, even though they are only distantly related to currently known rodent-borne arteriviruses. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Lopma virus clusters in the subfamily Variarterivirinae, while Praja virus clusters near members of the subfamily Heroarterivirinae: the yet undescribed forest pouched giant rat arterivirus and hedgehog arterivirus 1. A co-divergence analysis of rodent-borne arteriviruses confirms that they share similar phylogenetic patterns with their hosts, with only very few cases of host shifting events throughout their evolutionary history. Overall, the genomes described here and their unique clustering with other arteriviruses further illustrate the existence of multiple rodent-borne arterivirus lineages, expanding our knowledge of the evolutionary origin of these viruses.
Nonstructural Protein NS1 of Influenza Virus Disrupts Mitochondrial Dynamics and Enhances Mitophagy via ULK1 and BNIP3
Authors: Lee Jae-Hwan , Oh Soo-Jin , Yun Jeanho , Shin Ok Sarah
Published: September 2021

Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza virus (IFV) is essential for evading interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral responses, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of influenza. Mitophagy is a type of autophagy that selectively removes damaged mitochondria. The role of NS1 in IFV-mediated mitophagy is currently unknown. Herein, we showed that overexpression of NS1 protein led to enhancement of mitophagy. Mitophagy induction via carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone treatment in IFV-infected A549 cells led to increased viral replication efficiency, whereas the knockdown of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) led to the opposite effect on viral replication. Overexpression of NS1 protein led to changes in mitochondrial dynamics, including depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. In contrast, infection with NS1-deficient virus resulted in impaired mitochondrial fragmentation, subsequent mitolysosomal formation, and mitophagy induction, suggesting an important role of NS1 in mitophagy. Meanwhile, NS1 protein increased the phosphorylation of Unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1) and the mitochondrial expression of BCL2- interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), both of which were found to be important for IFV-mediated mitophagy. Overall, these data highlight the importance of IFV NS1, ULK1, and BNIP3 during mitophagy activation.
High-Accuracy Gaze Estimation for Interpolation-Based Eye-Tracking Methods
Authors: Narcizo Fabricio Batista , dos Santos Fernando Eustáquio Dantas , Hansen Dan Witzner
Published: September 2021

This study investigates the influence of the eye-camera location associated with the accuracy and precision of interpolation-based eye-tracking methods. Several factors can negatively influence gaze estimation methods when building a commercial or off-the-shelf eye tracker device, including the eye-camera location in uncalibrated setups. Our experiments show that the eye-camera location combined with the non-coplanarity of the eye plane deforms the eye feature distribution when the eye-camera is far from the eye’s optical axis. This paper proposes geometric transformation methods to reshape the eye feature distribution based on the virtual alignment of the eye-camera in the center of the eye’s optical axis. The data analysis uses eye-tracking data from a simulated environment and an experiment with 83 volunteer participants (55 males and 28 females). We evaluate the improvements achieved with the proposed methods using Gaussian analysis, which defines a range for high-accuracy gaze estimation between −0.5∘ and 0.5∘. Compared to traditional polynomial-based and homography-based gaze estimation methods, the proposed methods increase the number of gaze estimations in the high-accuracy range.
Geophysical Delineation of Freshwater–Saline Water Interfaces in Coastal Area of Southwest Bangladesh
Authors: Sarker Md. Mizanur Rahman , Van Camp Marc , Hermans Thomas , Hossain Delwar , Islam Mazeda , Uddin Mohammad Zohir , Ahmed Nasir , Bhuiyan Md. Abdul Quaiyum , Karim Md. Masud , Walraevens Kristine
Published: September 2021

Insufficiency of potable water is acute in southwest (SW) coastal areas of Bangladesh. The local population ignores the depth to saltwater/freshwater interface causing many unsuccessful waters wells drilling. In this context, a combined use of borehole logs, geophysical well logs, vertical electrical soundings (VES), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and electrical conductivity (EC) of sampled waters was performed to identify saltwater/freshwater interface depths in this coastal part. The study shows that the depth to freshwater/saltwater interface varies from place to place occurring commonly between 190 to 285 m, and locally as shallow as 146 m. The shallow freshwater/saltwater interface depth is greatly influenced by the upconing of fresh water from the deep aquifer (DA) near the major rivers and coast compared to the landward part and is mixed with more saline waters above. Vertically infiltrated saltwater is the main cause of brackish water in the upper shallow aquifer (USA), which is hydraulically connected with the lower shallow aquifer (LSA), and not directly recharged from the Bay of Bengal in the south. The study will contribute to find out the depth of the potential freshwater aquifer and assess the aquifer vulnerability in the coastal area of SW Bangladesh.
Characterization of Bias during Meteorological Drought Calculation in Time Series Out-of-Sample Validation
Authors: Mammas Konstantinos , Lekkas Demetris F.
Published: September 2021

The standardized precipitation index (SPI) is used for characterizing and predicting meteorological droughts on a range of time scales. However, in forecasting applications, when SPI is computed on the entire available dataset, prior to model-validation, significant biases are introduced, especially under changing climatic conditions. In this paper, we investigate the theoretical and numerical implications that arise when SPI is computed under stationary and non-stationary probability distributions. We demonstrate that both the stationary SPI and non-stationary SPI (NSPI) lead to increased information leakage to the training set with increased scales, which significantly affects the characterization of drought severity. The analysis is performed across about 36,500 basins in Sweden, and indicates that the stationary SPI is unable to capture the increased rainfall trend during the last decades and leads to systematic underestimation of wet events in the training set, affecting up to 22% of the drought events. NSPI captures the non-stationary characteristics of accumulated rainfall; however, it introduces biases to the training data affecting 19% of the drought events. The variability of NSPI bias has also been observed along the country’s climatic gradient with regions in snow climates strongly being affected. The findings propose that drought assessments under changing climatic conditions can be significantly influenced by the potential misuse of both SPI and NSPI, inducing bias in the characterization of drought events in the training data.
Characterization of Regional Groundwater System Based on Aquifer Response to Recharge–Discharge Phenomenon and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis
Authors: Wu Ray-Shyan , Hussain Fiaz , Lin Yuan-Chien , Yeh Tzu-Yu , Yu Kai-Chun
Published: September 2021

The investigations of groundwater hydrograph reasonably reflect the aquifer response to recharge–discharge phenomenon and its characteristics. A better understanding of aquifer characteristics such as regional aquifer classification, recharge and discharge patterns, aquifer geology and flow patterns are the surface indicators that may be more effective and less costly for interpreting basic regional hydrogeological conditions and assessments. This study deals with the application of Hierarchical Clustering Analysis to understand the groundwater spatio-temporal patterns and to visualize/classify the nature of the aquifer in the regional area of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Groundwater level fluctuation patterns and slopes of rising and recession limbs are used to identify the pumping effects and classify aquifers. The results of clustering analysis show that the groundwater observation wells in the study area can be divided into five major characteristics along with the upstream to downstream of Kaoping River. The clusters are consistent with basic lithology distribution and age of sedimentary, which represents the characteristics of groundwater level fluctuation. The identified groundwater hydrographs patterns provide newer insights related to aquifer response to recharge–discharge phenomenon, types of aquifers and their behaviors. The knowledge of water level fluctuations in the observation wells provides a piece of prior information about the abstraction of groundwater. The proposed aquifer classification and pumping effect have great potential for applied use in groundwater management e.g., save drilling cost.
IEC 61850-Based Communication Networks of Distribution System against Cyber and Physical Failures
Authors: Fawzy Nevin , Habib Hany F. , Mohammed Osama
Published: September 2021

This paper proposes a decentralized control approach using a co-simulation platform to monitor protective elements and provide complete protection scheme for distribution systems. Real time measurements are obtained by interfacing the system model in RSCAD/RTDS with SEL 421 protective relays and publish/subscribe the voltage and current signals of the buses and transmission lines based on IEC 61850 communication protocol to isolate the fault correctly. The proposed technique helps to identify the location of the fault and introduces primary and buck protection for the system. The communication networks assists in facing cyber and physical threats and finding a new path for healthy relays to remove faults from the system. This technique is investigated on an IEEE 14 bus system for all possible fault locations. The proposed scheme can clear the fault by isolating the minimum part of the system and improving the endurance of the power in it. The system shows the smooth information flow between the cyber and physical parts to isolate faults in it in different cases.
The trends and problems of land use and territorial development of the Perm urban agglomeration
Authors: Ponosov A.N. , Drašković B. , Zhernakova N.N.
Published: September 2021

The article discusses the key changes that occurred from 2006 to 2018 in the land fund, demography, housing and road construction within the territorial development of municipal districts and regions of the Perm urban agglomeration. The tendencies of suburban land use under the influence of agglomeration development are reflected in this work. The authors underline the main reasons causing the development problems of suburban areas and propose a conceptual approach to the regulation of land use.
LAS POLÍTICAS CURRICULARES EN EL ÁREA DE LENGUAJE Y LA EVALUACIÓN DE LA ESCRITURA EN EL MARCO DE UN CONCURSO
Authors: Castrillón Carlos A. , Uribe-Álvarez Graciela , Caro-Lopera Miguel Ángel
Published: September 2021

En este artículo se contrastan los resultados del proyecto de investigación, “Análisis de una muestra representativa de los relatos presentados al Concurso Nacional de Cuento Gabriel García Márquez (2007)”, con tres referentes importantes: La Revolución Educativa, que prevé las metas de desarrollo de la educación colombiana; los Lineamientos y Estándares del área de Lenguaje, que proporcionan el marco de trabajo para los docentes, y la evaluación masiva por competencias (pruebas SABER). Este ejercicio permite comprobar la distancia que existe entre lo deseable y el desempeño real de los estudiantes en la producción de textos escritos.
PENSAMIENTO AMBIENTAL DEL MAESTRO: Ethos-Cuerpo en clave de Bio-Geo-Poéticas del Habitar
Authors: Chacón-Ramírez Carlos Alberto
Published: September 2021

El presente escrito, es emergencia de investigación doctoral en educación, y muestra el trayecto  investigativo,  de carácter cualitativo, de corte filosófico, epistémico, estético-bio-poético y educativo ambiental, el cual se construye desde un método particular de indagación,  a través de lograr la inmersión en instituciones educativas y su itinerancia por ellas, para encontrar anuncios, indicios, rasgos del pensamiento ambiental del maestro, como viáticos, los cuales, se conjugan, se hacen vecinos, en una meseta de pensamiento llamada  tendencias de pensamiento ambiental, que en clave filosófica ambiental, se constituye en hallazgo crucial de la tesis. Tesis que además tributa a  la transformación del pensamiento ambiental del maestro, a través de una meseta de pensamiento en las claves de modos del habitar la tierra y el pensamiento del mundo de la vida, enunciada como Ethos-Cuerpo en clave de Bio-Geo-Poéticas del Habitar.  Finalmente, muestra emergencias investigativas, que anuncian potencias del pensamiento ambiental del maestro, y promueven la incorporación de la filosofía ambiental en su pensamiento ambiental, y de manera decisiva,  para la transformación de la educación ambiental.
REPRESENTACIONES SOCIALES DE LA MUJER, EN GÉNOVA Y CALARCÁ, QUINDÍO, DESDE LOS ROLES OCUPACIONALES QUE OCUPAN EN LAS LABORES AGRÍCOLAS Y EN LAS ACTIVIDADES CULTURALES RELACIONADAS CON EL CAFÉ.
Authors: Leal-Larrarte Sandra
Published: September 2021

En el presente artículo se aborda un análisis de  las representaciones sociales que tienen las mujeres de los municipios de Génova y Calarcá, en el Quindío, sobre los roles ocupacionales que ellas ocupan en las labores agrícolas y las actividades culturales relacionadas con el café, considerado este un elemento que ha centralizado la cultura del departamento y ha conformado su funcionamiento económico, proponiendo modos de acción de acuerdo al género pero que han cambiado a partir del concepto que se tiene de la mujer en el siglo XXI. Para lograr dicho objetivo se apelan a los formatos de análisis propuestos por Tania Rodríguez basados en la teoría del núcleo central de Jean Paul Abric (2001), igualmente se relaciona la noción de género como una base conceptual manejada desde la cultura común para la construcción de las representaciones sociales.
EVOLUTION OF GUITAR ART PERFORMANCE TRADITIONS IN THE NATIONAL CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL DIMENSION
Authors: Blazhevych Vasyl
Published: September 2021

The essence and the content of “performing tradition” and “cultural and educational dimension” have been explained in the article. The author examines the history of the emergence and development guitar art in Ukraine as a whole, and specifically performance traditions of the guitarists. Practical educational and performing experience of a lot of prominent guitarists of national cultural and educational dimension, their performing concepts, techniques and methods, has been described; the author gives a complete description of the evolution of guitar art in Ukraine.An objective study of the historical development of national musical culture in today's extremely topical issue in the context of scientific understanding, particularly by disclosing distinctive features of the national musical performance and in particular instrument. Currently growing interest in issues of history, theory and techniques of instrumental performance has been considered, and study of the evolution of performance traditions due to the diversity of the world's musical instruments has been conducted.The XX century has started a process of recognition of the guitar as a professional instrument and it has integrated into the system of specialized music education. As a result of significantly increased quality guitar performance is becoming more popular palette of guitar music; multidisciplinary academic chamber and instrumental direction began to be classical and jazz guitar techniques.Principles and methods of forming performance skills that have  been elaborated by practice of Ukrainian and foreign guitarists can be used for further development of musical training and education of talented youth.
DIALOGUE AND MEETING AND COMMUNION AND COMMUNITY
Authors: Franc M.
Published: September 2021

Upbringing leads to the necessity of establishment a dialogue in a pedagogical environment. At the present stage of the education development this aspect is considered as a modern tendency of humane pedagogy, which is connected with the philosophical principles of dialogue or intersubjectivity among educators. The pedagogical dialogue is defined as an open system of knowledge about the possibilities and consequences of communication between teachers, a teacher and a student, and students. The author points out the role and possibilities of modern dialogue in the process of interpersonal communication and educational partnership, which significantly affect the quality of the process of socialization and create new ways of professional development of teachers.
Kentucky Equestrians: Defining Socioeconomic Contexts for Extension Programming
Authors: Tumlin Kimberly , Pekarchik Karin , Claas Steven
Published: September 2021

Understanding relationships between demographic and economic factors and equestrian participation could improve horse program design. We implemented an online survey that characterized associations of participation in equine activities, socioeconomic factors, and economic factors with age. Seventy-five percent of respondents ride, and 34% are recreational, non-competitive participants. Respondents were mostly female, and many participate in the sport throughout life. Many respondents indicated they overspent on equestrian activities. Horse programs should incorporate information and activities that address issues unique to females, should develop skills required by amateur or recreational riders, and should incorporate information on financial wellness.
STUDY OF THE BILATERAL ASYMMETRY OF PLANTAR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AS A BIOMARKER FOR THE DIFFERENTIATION OF DIABETIC CONDITION
Authors:   Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India, Banerjee Shib Sundar , Ananthan Srivasta ,   Sree Clinic and Diabetic Centre, Chennai, India
Published: September 2021

Diabetes mellitus is a globally prevalent metabolic disease which results in altered plantar mechanical properties and foot ulcer. In this study, the bilateral asymmetry of mechanical properties for plantar soft tissue is investigated in healthy and diabetic conditions. Myotonometric signals are acquired from sub-metatarsal region of the plantar faces of healthy subjects and patients with varied diabetic age. Mechanical parameters such as dynamic stiffness and logarithmic decrement are extracted from the recorded signal. The asymmetry indices between right and left feet are computed. Statistical analysis shows that the spatial pattern of dynamic stiffness and logarithmic decrement varies significantly between healthy and diabetic subjects. The asymmetry index of dynamic stiffness in the fifth sub-metatarsal head can differentiate between healthy subjects and patients with both high and low diabetic age (p<0.05). The asymmetry index of logarithmic decrement is found to vary significantly between the healthy subjects and patients with higher diabetic age (p<0.05). These results indicate that bilateral asymmetry of myotonometric parameters can be exploited as a possible biomarker to differentiate diabetic patients from healthy subjects and can aid in the early detection of foot ulcer.
ANALYSIS OF TRUNK POWER AND JOINT STRESSES BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL AND COLLEGIATE PITCHERS
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, Albiero Maxwell L. , Dziuk Cody , Cross Janelle A.
Published: September 2021

The dynamic motion of a baseball pitch generates high elbow and shoulder torques that can result in injury. Previous research has noted the importance of properly transferring energy from the lower extremities through the throwing arm to decrease joint stress. The goal of this study was to compare segmental powers between two levels of pitchers at various moments throughout the pitching cycle and observe their influence on upper extremity torques. Thirteen professional and thirteen collegiate pitchers participated in this study. Forty-seven reflective markers were attached to the subjects at specific landmarks. An 8-camera motion analysis system was set up surrounding an artificial pitching mound, where participants threw 10 fastballs. Data were exported and processed using Visual 3D software. Welch’s T-tests compared the means between groups with a significance set at p < 0.05. Professional pitchers were found to have significantly greater torso power at foot contact, maximum shoulder external rotation, ball release, and overall peak torso power. They also demonstrated significantly greater pitch velocity. Professional pitchers generated similar elbow varus torque and shoulder internal rotation torque compared to collegiate pitchers. These findings suggest professional pitchers more effectively use torso power to help increase pitch speed without increasing overall joint torques.
MOTORCYCLE HELMET USE AND FATALITIES IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF THE USA
Authors:   Global Training Institute, Flowood, MS USA, Benghuzzi Ham , Powe Christopher ,   Global Training Institute, Flowood, MS USA, Watts Dennis ,   Global Training Institute, Flowood, MS USA, Barrett Todd ,   Global Training Institute, Flowood, MS USA, Tucci Michelle ,   The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Published: September 2021

Introduction: The federal government estimates that per mile traveled in 2018, the number of deaths on motorcycles was nearly 27 times the number in cars. In the United States there is no universal helmet law. In twenty-two states, motorcycle helmets are entirely optional, while in nineteen states and the District of Columbia universal motorcycle helmets laws requiring helmets for all riders regardless of age are implemented and nine states only require younger motorcycle riders to wear a helmet, with varying age limits. Objectives: The overall objectives of this study were to evaluate the following: (1) number of fatalities (with and without helmet use), (2) fatality rate per motorcycle registration, (3) fatality percentage with age, (4) percent fatality due to alcohol impairment, and (5) location of collision impact to the rider in two southern states (Mississippi and Alabama) where helmet laws are established compared with a southern state (Florida) that only requires riders less than 20 years of age to be helmeted. Methods: Data from 2015-2018 were obtained from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Reporting System (FARS) and supplemented with state related and CDC data. Results: In all three states, the most common collision was a front-end impact. Mississippi had the highest percentage of motorcycle fatalities even with >80% of riders helmeted when the fatal accident occurred, followed by Florida motorcyclist who are only 50% of the time helmeted. In all three southern states similar percentage of fatalities were seen in each age group with higher fatalities associated with age range of 30-39 years. Conclusions: Variables such as helmet type, distance from a level 1 trauma center, poor roads, weather conditions, and visibility of the rider may also be factors that contribute to a higher incidence of fatality and need to be further investigated to improve motorcycle safety.
LATERAL VENTRICLE TEXTURE ANALYSIS IN ALZHEIMER BRAIN MR IMAGES USING KERNEL DENSITY ESTIMATION
Authors:   Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India, Saddhukhan Deboleena , Veluppal Amrutha ,   Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India, Ramaniharan Anandh Kilpattu ,   Neuroimaging Lab, Division of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, Civitan International Research Centre, Swaminathan Ramakrishnan ,   Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Published: September 2021

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting a large population worldwide. Automated diagnosis of AD using Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging-based biomarkers plays a crucial role in disease management. Compositional changes in cerebrospinal fluid due to AD might induce textural variations in Lateral Ventricles (LV) of the brain. In this work, an attempt has been made to differentiate Alzheimer's condition by quantifying the textural changes in LV using Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) technique. Reaction-Diffusion level set method is used to segment the LV from T1-weighted trans-axial brain MR images obtained from a publicly available database. Spatial KDE is used to analyze the local intensity variations within the segmented LV. The optimal kernel function and bandwidth are selected for KDE. The statistical features such as mean, median, standard deviation, variance, kurtosis, skewness and entropy, representing the distribution of KDE values within LV, are evaluated. The extracted KDE-based statistical features show significant discrimination between normal and AD subjects (p<0.01). An accuracy of 86.20% and sensitivity of 96% are obtained using SVM classifier. The results indicate that KDE seems to be a potential tool for analyzing the textural changes in brain, and thus can be clinically relevant for diagnosis of AD.
HUMAN FACTORS LEARNING CURVE FOR THUMB-OPERATED TRIGGER RIFLE USING GYROSCOPIC FEEDBACK INSTRUMENTATION
Authors:   Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Paulus David C.
Published: September 2021

Researchers interested in evaluating the biomechanics and human factors associated with using a new product recognize that skill development with the novel design is time-dependent. A learning curve is a plot that shows the time to complete a task using the product decreases as the number of training repetitions increases. A novel thumb-operated trigger system (Iron Horse, Blackwater Worldwide™) has been developed for the AR-15 style rifle with the intent to shorten the learning curve. The purpose of this research effort is to quantify the learning curve for the new device and to compare it to that of a standard mil-spec AR-15 trigger system. A previously-trained shooter dry-fire trained with both rifle systems for twenty consecutive days alternating lower receivers each day. The rifles were equipped with a gyroscopic instrument (Mantis X™) that tracked the movement of the firearm during the trigger pull process. The instrument has a timer to record the reaction time to an auditory signal for each shot, records the magnitude and direction of movement of the firearm, and calculates an accuracy score. There was not a significant difference (p>0.05) between the thumb operated and mil-spec triggers’ cycle times. However, the accuracy scores with the thumb operated trigger were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those with the mil-spec trigger.
EMOTION ANALYSIS USING SIGNAL AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPROACH BY IMPLEMENTING DEEP NEURAL NETWORK
Authors:   Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Shuma S , Bobby T. Christy ,   Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering,  Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Malathi S. ,   Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Published: September 2021

Emotion recognition is important in human communication and to achieve a complete interaction between humans and machines. In medical applications, emotion recognition is used to assist the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD to improve their socio-emotional communication, helps doctors with diagnosis of diseases such as depression and dementia and also helps the caretakers of older patients to monitor their well-being. This paper discusses the application of feature level fusion of speech and facial expressions of different emotions such as neutral, happy, sad, angry, surprise, fearful and disgust. Also, to explore how best to build the deep learning networks to classify the emotions independently and jointly from these two modalities. VGG-model is utilized to extract features from facial images, and spectral features are extracted from speech signals. Further, feature level fusion technique is adopted to fuse the features extracted from the two modalities. Principal Component Analysis (PCA is implemented to choose the significant features. The proposed method achieved a maximum score of 90% on training set and 82% on validation set. The recognition rate in case of multimodal data improved greatly when compared to unimodal system. The multimodal system gave an improvement of 9% compared to the performance of the system based on speech. Thus, result shows that the proposed Multimodal Emotion Recognition (MER outperform the unimodal emotion recognition system.
USING NECK DISABILITY INDEX, NUMERICAL PAIN RATING SCALE AND COMPUTERIZED DYNAMIC POSTUROGRAPHY TO ASSESS CORTICAL INTEGRATIVE THERAPY IN PRACTICE BASED CLINICAL RESEARCH
Authors:   iBrain - International Institute for the Brain, New York, NY, Pedro Victor M. , Lyon Richard L. ,   Director of Rhode Island Integrated Medicine, Cranston, RI, Oggero Elena ,   Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY,   Vestibular Technologies, LLC, Cheyenne, WY
Published: September 2021

In this retrospective study of adult patient’s charts from an outpatient clinical practice, three tools, Neck Disability Index (NDI), Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP), were investigated to evaluate how they are affected by demographics, anthropometry and clinical status, and if they are can detect the effects of Cortical Integrative Therapy (PedroCIT®) received by these patients all affected by neck pain. The results show that they are robust metrics not affected by sex, age, payee’s type, treatment duration, or comorbidities number. CDP is affected by the primary diagnosis (traumatic brain injury/concussion, vertigo/dizziness, migraine/headaches, or other), NDI and NPRS are not. Whereas NDI and NPRS could be used interchangeably as an overall measure of the pain the patient is experiencing, their results do not correlate in general with CDP, indicating the need to use both a subjective (NDI or NPRS) and an objective tool (CDP) as they capture different aspects: how the subject rates its ability to perform daily activities and how much pain it feels, and how the postural control system maintains balance. When considering the time constraint physicians often face when dealing with patients, this chart review points toward the possibility of using the simple NPRS as subjective measure of pain, and only one instead of several CDP tests to determine the pre-post effect of a therapy. Future studies evaluating PedroCIT® outcomes for specific diagnoses in larger populations, multiple location settings, and observation for longitudinal cohesion are needed before these metrics can be fully endorsed.
Design of Leather Footwear for Diabetics Containing Chlohexidine Digluconate Microparticles
Authors: Yalcin Fatih , Ata Karavana Huseyin , Rencber Seda , Yaprak Karavana Sinem
Published: September 2021

ChlorHexidine Digluconate [CHD] was encapsulated inside an ethylcellulose shell material [Aquacoat ECD], and then spray dried to produce mixed microparticles (MPs). The validity and functional quality of the resultant [CHD-MPs] were analyzed on vamp and lining leather which are used to manufacture shoes for diabetics. The morphology, efficiency of encapsulation and in vitro release characteristics of the [CHD-MPs] were optimized in order to impregnate [CHD-MPs] onto leather footwear for diabetics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the [CHD-MPs] and the leathers treated with it. SEM images illustrated that the [CHD-MPs] were spherical, smooth in shape and adhered well to leather. In vitro CHD-release studies from its MPs, and for leather treated with it were performed in phosphate buffer saline at pH =7.2. There was an inherently controlled release behaviour of CHD for all the formulations on leather. Finally, microbiologic studies on leather treated with [CHD-MPs] were done. This study suggested that footwear containing [CHD- MPs] is/will improve the quality of daily life for diabetics.