bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immigrants resettlement in developing countries: A data-driven decision tool applied to the case of Venezuelan immigrants in Colombia
Authors: Galindo Gina , Navarro Jose , Reales Jhonattan , Castro Jhoan , Romero Daniel , Rodriguez A. Sandra , Rivera-Royero Daniel
Published: January 2022

Immigrants’ choice of settlement in a new country can play a fundamental role in their socio-economic integration. This is especially relevant if there are important gaps among these locations in terms of significant factors such as job opportunities, quality of health service, among others. This research presents a methodology to perform a recommended geographic redistribution of immigrants to improve their chances of socio-economic integration. The proposed methodology adapts a data-driven algorithm developed by the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University to allocate immigrants based on a socio-economic integration outcome across available locations. We extend their approach to study the immigration process between two developing countries. Specifically, we focus on the case of the arrival of immigrants from Venezuela to Colombia. We consider the absorptive capacity of locations in Colombia and include the health and education needs of immigrants in our analysis. From the application in the Venezuelan-Colombian context, we find that the proposed redistribution increases the probability that immigrants access formal employment by more than 50%. Furthermore, we identify variables associated with immigrants’ formal employment and discuss specific strategies to improve the probability of success of vulnerable immigrants.
Growth and the pubertal growth spurt in South African adolescents living with perinatally-acquired HIV infection
Authors: Mwambenu Bilema , Ramoloko Vundli , Laubscher Ria , Feucht Ute
Published: January 2022

Background

The majority children living with HIV infection now survive into adulthood because of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), but few data exist on their growth during adolescent years. This study investigated growth patterns and evaluated factors associated with suboptimal growth in adolescents with perinatally-acquired HIV infection.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included HIV-infected adolescents, aged 13 to 18 years, with at least 5 years of ART follow-up at a large HIV clinic in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. Weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ), height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) and body mass index (BMI)-for-age Z-scores were calculated using World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards. Growth velocity graphs were generated utilising the mean height change calculated at 6-monthly intervals, using all available data after ART initiation, to calculate the annual change. Other collected data included WHO HIV disease staging, CD4%, HIV viral loads (VLs), ART regimens and tuberculosis co-infection.

Results

Included were 288 children with a median age of 6.5 years (IQR 4.2;8.6 years) at ART initiation, and 51.7% were male. At baseline the majority of children had severe disease (92% WHO stages 3&4) and were started on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimens (79.2%). The median CD4% was 13.5% (IQR 7.9;18.9) and median HIV viral load log 5.0 (IQR 4.4;5.5). Baseline stunting (HAZ <-2) was prevalent (55.9%), with a median HAZ of -2.2 (IQR -3.1;-1.3). The median WAZ was -1.5 (IQR -2.5;-0.8), with 29.2% being underweight-for-age (WAZ <-2). The peak height velocity (PHV) in adolescents with baseline stage 3 disease was higher than for those with stage 4 disease. Being older at ART start (p<0.001) and baseline stunting (p<0.001) were associated with poorer growth, resulting in a lower HAZ at study exit, with boys more significantly affected than girls (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Suboptimal growth in adolescents with perinatally-acquired HIV infection is a significant health concern, especially in children who started ART later in terms of age and who had baseline stunting and is more pronounced in boys than in girls.
Characterization of chondroitin sulfate in stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood in rats
Authors: Nakanishi Keiko , Higashi Kyohei , Toida Toshihiko , Asai Masato
Published: January 2022

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and its isomeric variant, dermatan sulfate (DS), are complex glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) which are ubiquitous components of the extracellular matrix in various tissues including the brain. CS and/or DS are known to bind to a variety of growth factors and regulate many cellular events such as proliferation and differentiation. Although the biological activities of CS and/or DS towards neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) have been well investigated, the CS and/or DS of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have not been fully characterized. Here, we analyzed GAGs on mononuclear cells of rat umbilical cord blood cells (UCB-MNCs). CS was detected in vascular intima and media of rat umbilical cord at embryonic day 19 (E19) by immunohistochemistry. The stem-cell-enriched-UCBCs (SCE-UCBCs), which were expanded from rat UCB-MNCs, expressed CS. CS chains are composed of repeating disaccharide units, which are classified into several types such as O-, A-, B-, C-, D-, and E-unit according to the number and positions of sulfation. A disaccharide composition analysis revealed that CS and/or DS were abundant in rat UCB-MNCs as well as in their expanded SCE-UCBCs, while the amount of heparan sulfate (HS) was less. The degree of sulfation of CS/DS was relatively low and the major component in UCB-MNCs and SCE-UCBCs was the A-unit. A colony-forming cell assay revealed that the percentage of colony-forming cells decreased in culture with CS degradation enzyme. The CS and/or DS of UCBCs may be involved in biological activities such as stem cell proliferation and/or differentiation.
Comparative metabolomics analysis of milk components between Italian Mediterranean buffaloes and Chinese Holstein cows based on LC-MS/MS technology
Authors: Yuan Xiang , Shi Wen , Jiang Jianping , Li Zhipeng , Fu Penghui , Yang Chunyan , Rehman Saif ur , Pauciullo Alfredo , Liu Qingyou , Shi Deshun
Published: January 2022

Buffalo and cow milk have a very different composition in terms of fat, protein, and total solids. For a better knowledge of such a difference, the milk metabolic profiles and characteristics of metabolites was investigated in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes and Chinese Holstein cows were investigated by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in this study. Totally, 23 differential metabolites were identified to be significantly different in the milk from the two species of which 15 were up-regulated and 8 down-regulated in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that 4 metabolites (choline, acetylcholine, nicotinamide and uric acid) were significantly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, as well as purine metabolism. The results provided further insights for a deep understanding of the potential metabolic mechanisms responsible for the different performance of Italian Mediterranean buffaloes’ and Chinese Holstein cows’ milk. The findings will offer new tools for the improvement and novel directions for the development of dairy industry.
Association of HIV status and treatment characteristics with VIA screening outcomes in Malawi: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Lewis Samuel , Mphande Misheck , Chibwana Florence , Gumbo Temwa , Banda Ben Allan , Sigauke Hitler , Moses Agnes , Gupta Sundeep , Hoffman Risa M. , Moucheraud Corrina
Published: January 2022

Background

Although evidence from high-resource settings indicates that women with HIV are at higher risk of acquiring high-risk HPV and developing cervical cancer, data from cervical cancer “screen and treat” programs using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) in lower-income countries have found mixed evidence about the association between HIV status and screening outcomes. Moreover, there is limited evidence regarding the effect of HIV-related characteristics (e.g., viral suppression, treatment factors) on screening outcomes in these high HIV burden settings.

Methods

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between HIV status, HIV treatment, and viral suppression with cervical cancer screening outcomes. Data from a “screen and treat” program based at a large, free antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi was retrospectively analyzed to determine rates of abnormal VIA results and suspected cancer, and coverage of same-day treatment. Multivariate logistic regression assessed associations between screening outcomes and HIV status, and among women living with HIV, viremia, ART treatment duration and BMI.

Results

Of 1405 women receiving first-time VIA screening between 2017–2019, 13 (0.9%) had suspected cancer and 68 (4.8%) had pre-cancerous lesions, of whom 50 (73.5%) received same-day lesion treatment. There was no significant association found between HIV status and screening outcomes. Among HIV+ women, abnormal VIA was positively associated with viral load ≥ 1000 copies/mL (aOR 3.02, 95% CI: 1.22, 7.49) and negatively associated with ART treatment duration (aOR 0.88 per additional year, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.98).

Conclusion

In this population of women living with HIV with high rates of ART coverage and viral suppression, HIV status was not significantly associated with abnormal cervical cancer screening results. We hypothesize that ART treatment and viral suppression may mitigate the elevated risk of cervical cancer for women living with HIV, and we encourage further study on this relationship in high HIV burden settings.
“The research assistants kept coming to follow me up; I counted myself as a lucky person”: Social support arising from a longitudinal HIV cohort study in Uganda
Authors: Campbell Jeffrey I. , Musiimenta Angella , Natukunda Sylvia , Eyal Nir , Haberer Jessica E.
Published: January 2022

Background

Participation in longitudinal research studies in resource-limited settings often involves frequent interactions with study staff and other participants, as well as receipt of incentives and transportation reimbursements. Social support—receipt of material and emotional resources from one’s social network—has been linked to antiretroviral adherence in sub-Saharan Africa. The extent to which social support arises from study participation, its range and depth, and its implications for observational study conduct, have not been extensively described.

Methods

We conducted individual open-ended and semi-structured interviews with participants in a longitudinal, observational antiretroviral therapy adherence monitoring study in Mbarara, Uganda. Participants were asked about their experiences in the longitudinal study and their interactions with research staff. We also interviewed study research assistants (RAs). Deductive and inductive coding were used to identify content related to the experience of study participation. Codes were organized into themes, and relationships between themes were used to develop overarching categories.

Results

Sixty longitudinal study participants and 6 RAs were interviewed. Instrumental and emotional social support emerged as pervasive and valued aspects of longitudinal study participation. Instrumental support that participants received consisted of enhanced linkage to medical care, health education, and direct and indirect material benefits. Emotional support consisted of perceptions of feeling “cared for” and social interactions that permitted escape from HIV-related stigma. Both instrumental and emotional support often arose through the close relationships participants formed with research staff and with each other. Study-derived social support motivated some participants to adhere to antiretroviral therapy—an unanticipated effect potentially influencing the longitudinal study’s primary observational outcome.

Conclusions

Longitudinal study participation resulted in instrumental and emotional social support for participants. The depth of support participants experienced has implications for observational study design in resource-limited settings, including need to assess potential effects on study outcomes; consideration of social support during risk/benefit assessment in study ethics review and consent; and vigilance for consequences of social support loss when studies end.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome readmissions: A nationwide cross-sectional analysis of epidemiology and costs of care
Authors: Siuba Matthew T. , Sadana Divyajot , Gadre Shruti , Bruckman David , Duggal Abhijit
Published: January 2022

Background

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome affects approximately 10% of patients admitted to intensive care units internationally, with as many as 40%-52% of patients reporting re-hospitalization within one year.

Research question/aim

To describe the epidemiology of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome who require 30-day readmission, and to describe associated costs.

Study design and methods

A cross-sectional analysis of the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Readmission Database, which is a population-based administrative database which includes discharge data from U.S. hospitals. Inclusion criteria: hospital discharge records for adults age > 17 years old, with a diagnosis of ARDS on index admission, with associated procedure codes for endotracheal intubation and/or invasive mechanical ventilation, who were discharged alive. Primary exposure is adult hospitalization for meeting criteria as described. The primary outcome measure is 30-day readmission rate, as well as patient characteristics and time distribution of readmissions.

Results

Nationally, 25,170 admissions meeting criteria were identified. Index admission mortality rate was 37.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.2–38.8). 15,730 records of those surviving hospitalization had complete discharge information. 30-day readmission rate was 18.4%, with 14% of total readmissions occurring within 2 calendar days of discharge; these early readmissions had higher mortality risk (odds ratio 1.82, 95% CI 1.05–6.56) compared with readmission in subsequent days. For the closest all-cause readmission within 30 days, the mean cost was $26,971, with a total national cost of over $75.6 million.

Interpretation

Thirty-day readmission occurred in 18.4% of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in this sample, and early readmission is strongly associated with increased mortality compared to late readmission. Further research is needed to clarify whether the rehospitalizations or associated mortalities are preventable.
Comparing two identically protocolized, multicentre, randomized controlled trials on caregiver-mediated exercises poststroke: Any differences across countries?
Authors: Mulder Marijn , Nijland Rinske H. M. , Vloothuis Judith D. M. , van den Berg Maayken , Crotty Maria , Kwakkel Gert , van Wegen Erwin E. H.
Published: January 2022

Background

The evidence for rehabilitation interventions poststroke lack sufficient robustness. However, variation in treatment effects across countries have been given little attention.

Objective

To compare two identically protocolized trials conducted in different western countries in order to identify factors that may have caused variation in secondary trial outcomes.

Methods

Comparative study based on individual patient data (N = 129) from two randomized controlled trials, conducted in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities in the Netherlands (N = 66) and Australia (N = 63). Patients with stroke and their caregivers were randomly allocated to an 8-week caregiver-mediated exercises intervention (N = 63; 31 Australian and 32 Dutch) or to a control group (N = 66; 32 Australian and 34 Dutch). Patient characteristics, compliance, usual care and process measures were compared across countries. We examined if study setting significantly moderated the trial outcomes: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale and General Self-Efficacy Scale, measured at 8- and 12 weeks follow-up. In addition, we explored if factors that were significantly different across countries caused variation in these trial outcomes.

Results

Most patients suffered an ischemic stroke, were in the subacute phase and participated with their partner. Dutch patients were younger (P = 0.005) and had a lower functional status (P = 0.001). Australian patients were recruited earlier poststroke (P<0.001), spent less time in exercise therapy (P<0.001) and had a shorter length of stay (P<0.001). The level of contamination was higher (P = 0.040) among Dutch controls. No effect modification was observed and trial outcomes did not change after controlling for cross-country differences.

Conclusions

The present study highlighted important clinical differences across countries whilst using an identical study protocol. The observed differences could result in a different potential for recovery and variation in treatment effects across trials. We argue that we can proceed faster to evaluating interventions within international pragmatic trials.
Identification of genes involved in exoprotein release using a high-throughput exoproteome screening assay in Yersinia entomophaga
Authors: Schoof Marion , O’Callaghan Maureen , Sheen Campbell R. , Glare Travis R. , Hurst Mark R. H.
Published: January 2022

Bacterial protein secretion is crucial to the maintenance of viability and pathogenicity. Although many bacterial secretion systems have been identified, the underlying mechanisms regulating their expression are less well explored. Yersinia entomophaga MH96, an entomopathogenic bacterium, releases an abundance of proteins including the Yen-Tc into the growth medium when cultured in Luria Bertani broth at ≤ 25°C. Through the development of a high-throughput exoproteome screening assay (HESA), genes involved in MH96 exoprotein production were identified. Of 4,080 screened transposon mutants, 34 mutants exhibited a decreased exoprotein release, and one mutation located in the intergenic region of the Yen-Tc operon displayed an elevated exoprotein release relative to the wild-type strain MH96. DNA sequencing revealed several transposon insertions clustered in gene regions associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPSI and LPSII), and N-acyl-homoserine lactone synthesis (quorum sensing). Twelve transposon insertions were located within transcriptional regulators or intergenic regions. The HESA will have broad applicability for identifying genes associated with exoproteome production in a range of microorganisms.
An account of Colletotrichum species associated with anthracnose of Atractylodes ovata in South Korea based on morphology and molecular data
Authors: Hassan Oliul , Kim Ju Sung , Romain Bekale Be Ndong Dimitri , Chang Taehyun
Published: January 2022

Ovate-leaf atractylodes (OLA) (Atractylodes ovata) is a well-known medicinal plant in Korea; its dried rhizome and root extracts are used in herbal medicine. However, anthracnose is a great challenge to the OLA cultivation in South Korea.Colletotrichumspp. is a major group of plant pathogens responsible for anthracnose on a range of economically important hosts. Its occurrence on OLA remains unresolved. To investigate the diversity, morphology, phylogeny, and biology ofColletotrichumspp., 32 fungal isolates were obtained from 30 OLA-affected leaves collected from five different farms, in two regions in South Korea, Mungyeong and Sangju. The phylogenetic analysis with four or five gene loci (ITS,TUB2,ACT,GAPDH, andCHS-1) along with morphology of 26 representative isolates delineated six previously knownColletotrichumspecies includingC.fructicola,C.gloeosporioidessensu stricto (s.s),C.cigarro,C.plurivorum,C.siamenseandC.sojae, and one new species, described here asC.ovataense. Amongst these species,C.gloeosporioidess.s. andC.plurivorumwere the most prevalent species. A pathogenicity test on the detached leaves revealed that differentColletotrichumspecies presented a distinct degree of virulence, confirming Koch’s postulates. In this study,C.fructicola,C.cigarro,C.plurivorum,C.siamense, andC.sojaewere reported fromA.ovatafor the first time, as the causal agent of ovate-leaf atractylodes anthracnose. Understanding the diversity and biology of theColletotrichumspecies population will help in managing this disease.
Supplementing cultured human myotubes with hibernating bear serum results in increased protein content by modulating Akt/FOXO3a signaling
Authors: Miyazaki Mitsunori , Shimozuru Michito , Tsubota Toshio
Published: January 2022

Hibernating bears remain in their dens for 5–7 months during winter and survive without eating or drinking while staying inactive. However, they maintain their physical functions with minimal skeletal muscle atrophy and metabolic dysfunction. In bears, resistance to skeletal muscle atrophy during hibernation is likely mediated by seasonally altered systemic factors that are independent of neuromuscular activity. To determine whether there are components in bear serum that regulate protein and energy metabolism, differentiated human skeletal muscle cells were treated with bear serum (5% in DMEM/Ham’s F-12, 24 h) collected during active summer (July) and hibernating winter (February) periods. The serum samples were collected from the same individual bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus, n = 7 in each season). Total protein content in cultured skeletal muscle cells was significantly increased following a 24 h treatment with hibernating bear serum. Although the protein synthesis rate was not altered, the expression of MuRF1 protein, a muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase was significantly decreased along with a concomitant activation of Akt/FOXO3a signaling. Increased levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were also observed in hibernating bear serum. These observations suggest that protein metabolism in cultured human myotubes may be altered when incubated with hibernating bear serum, with a significant increase in serum IGF-1 and diminished MuRF1 expression, a potential target of Akt/FOXO3a signaling. A protein sparing phenotype in cultured muscle cells by treatment with hibernating bear serum holds potential for the development of methods to prevent human muscle atrophy and related disorders.
Placental malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum in Colombia: Histopathology and mediators in placental processes
Authors: Carmona-Fonseca Jaime , Cardona-Arias Jaiberth Antonio
Published: January 2022

Knowledge about the relation of histopathological characteristics and mediators of physiological processes in the placenta malaria (PM) is poor, and that PM caused byPlasmodium vivaxis almost null. The objective was to compare histopathological characteristics, cytokines and mediators of physiological processes in PM depending on the parasitic species, through a cross-sectional study in three groups: negative-PM,vivax-PM,falciparum-PM from Northwestern Colombia. The diagnosis of PM was made with thick blood smear, qPCR, and histopathology. Immuno-histochemical was made with EnVision system (Dako) and Zeiss Axio Imager M2 with light microscope. Cells in apoptosis were studied with the TUNEL technique. To measure the expression level of cytokines and mediators qRT-PCR was used. We included 179 placentas without PM and 87 with PM (53%P.vivaxand 47%P.falciparum). At delivery, anemia was 25% in negative-PM, 60% invivax-PM, and 44% infalciparum-PM group. The neonatal weight had an intense difference between groups with 3292±394g in negative-PM, 2,841±239 invivax-PM, and 2,957±352 infalciparum-PM. The histopathological characteristics and CD+ cells in placenta with statistical differences (Dunn´s test) between negative-PM vsvivax-PM (P.falciparumwas similar toP.vivax) were infarction, fibrinoid deposits, calcification, cells in apoptosis, immune infiltrates in decidua and intervillous space, CD4+, CD8+, CD14+, CD56+, CD68+. The expression levels of mediators in the placenta with statistical differences (Dunn´s test) between negative-PM vsvivax-PM (P.falciparumwas similar toP.vivax) were Fas, FasL, HIF1α, Cox1, Cox2, VEGF, IL4, IL10, IFNγ, TNF, TGFβ, FOXP3, and CTLA4. PM withP.falciparumandP.vivax, damages this organ and causes significant alteration of various physiological processes, which cause maternal anemia and a reduction in neonatal weight in degrees that are statistically and clinically significant. It is necessary that the search for plasmodial infection in pregnant and placenta goes from passive to active surveillance with adequate diagnostic capacity.
Development of multi-frequency impedance scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Ogura Toshihiko
Published: January 2022

Nanometre-scale observation of specimens in water is indispensable in many scientific fields like biology, chemistry, material science and nanotechnology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allows high-resolution images of biological samples to be obtained under high vacuum conditions but requires specific sample-preparation protocols. Therefore, there is a need for convenient and minimally invasive methods of observing samples in solution. We have developed a new type of impedance microscopy, namely multi-frequency impedance SEM (IP-SEM), which allows nanoscale imaging of various specimens in water while minimising radiation damage. By varying the frequency of the input voltage signal of the sine wave, the present system can detect dielectric properties of the sample’s composition at nanometre resolution. It also enables examination of unstained biological specimens and material samples in water. Furthermore, it can be used for diverse samples in liquids across a broad range of scientific subjects such as nanoparticles, nanotubes and organic and catalytic materials.
Influence of body visualization in VR during the execution of motoric tasks in different age groups
Authors: Pastel Stefan , Petri Katharina , Bürger Dan , Marschal Hendrik , Chen Chien-Hsi , Witte Kerstin
Published: January 2022

Virtual reality (VR) has become a common tool and is often considered for sport-specific purposes. Despite the increased usage, the transfer of VR-adapted skills into the real-world (RW) has not yet been sufficiently studied, and it is still unknown how much of the own body must be visible to complete motoric tasks within VR. In addition, it should be clarified whether older adults also need to perceive their body within VR scenarios to the same extent as younger people extending the usability. Therefore, younger (18–30 years old) and elderly adults (55 years and older) were tested (n = 42) performing a balance-, grasping- and throwing task in VR (HMD based) accompanied with different body visualization types in VR and in the RW having the regular visual input of body’s components. Comparing the performances between the age groups, the time for completion, the number of steps (balance task), the subjective estimation of difficulty, the number of errors, and a rating system revealing movements’ quality were considered as examined parameters. A one-way ANOVA/Friedmann with repeated measurements with factor [body visualization] was conducted to test the influence of varying body visualizations during task completion. Comparisons between the conditions [RW, VR] were performed using the t-Tests/Wilcoxon tests, and to compare both age groups [young, old], t-Tests for independent samples/Mann-Whitney-U-Test were used. The analyses of the effect of body visualization on performances showed a significant loss in movement’s quality when no body part was visualized (p < .05). This did not occur for the elderly adults, for which no influence of the body visualization on their performance could be proven. Comparing both age groups, the elderly adults performed significantly worse than the young age group in both conditions (p < .05). In VR, both groups showed longer times for completion, a higher rating of tasks’ difficulty in the balance and throwing task, and less performance quality in the grasping task. Overall, the results suggest using VR for the elderly with caution to the task demands, and the visualization of the body seemed less crucial for generating task completion. In summary, the actual task demands in VR could be successfully performed by elderly adults, even once one has to reckon with losses within movement’s quality. Although more different movements should be tested, basic elements are also realizable for elderly adults expanding possible areas of VR applications.
Impaired pulmonary ventilation beyond pneumonia in COVID-19: A preliminary observation
Authors: Inui Shohei , Yoon Soon Ho , Doganay Ozkan , Gleeson Fergus V. , Kim Minsuok
Published: January 2022

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may severely impair pulmonary function and cause hypoxia. However, the association of COVID-19 pneumonia on CT with impaired ventilation remains unexplained. This pilot study aims to demonstrate the relationship between the radiological findings on COVID-19 CT images and ventilation abnormalities simulated in a computational model linked to the patients’ symptoms.

Methods

Twenty-five patients with COVID-19 and four test-negative healthy controls who underwent a baseline non-enhanced CT scan: 7 dyspneic patients, 9 symptomatic patients without dyspnea, and 9 asymptomatic patients were included. A 2D U-Net-based CT segmentation software was used to quantify radiological futures of COVID-19 pneumonia. The CT image-based full-scale airway network (FAN) flow model was employed to assess regional lung ventilation. Functional and radiological features were compared across groups and correlated with the clinical symptoms. Heterogeneity in ventilation distribution and ventilation defects associated with the pneumonia and the patients’ symptoms were assessed.

Results

Median percentage ventilation defects were 0.2% for healthy controls, 0.7% for asymptomatic patients, 1.2% for symptomatic patients without dyspnea, and 11.3% for dyspneic patients. The median of percentage pneumonia was 13.2% for dyspneic patients and 0% for the other groups. Ventilation defects preferentially affected the posterior lung and worsened with increasing pneumonia linearly (y = 0.91x + 0.99, R2 = 0.73) except for one of the nine dyspneic patients who had disproportionally large ventilation defects (7.8% of the entire lung) despite mild pneumonia (1.2%). The symptomatic and dyspneic patients showed significantly right-skewed ventilation distributions (symptomatic without dyspnea: 0.86 ± 0.61, dyspnea 0.91 ± 0.79) compared to the patients without symptom (0.45 ± 0.35). The ventilation defect analysis with the FAN model provided a comparable diagnostic accuracy to the percentage pneumonia in identifying dyspneic patients (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.94 versus 0.96).

Conclusions

COVID-19 pneumonia segmentations from CT scans are accompanied by impaired pulmonary ventilation preferentially in dyspneic patients. Ventilation analysis with CT image-based computational modelling shows it is able to assess functional impairment in COVID-19 and potentially identify one of the aetiologies of hypoxia in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Creative space for navigating complex times: Using art-based inquiry to respond to uncertainty during COVID-19
Authors: Becker Kelly Mancini , Clark/Keefe Kelly , White Erika
Published: January 2022

This article shares the outcomes of a participatory art-based inquiry conducted during stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 and the impact on the mental health and well-being of college-age students (age 18–21) in the United States. Participants engaged in artmaking sessions alongside researchers to respond to prompts geared to help them process their experiences. Findings that emerged from the project suggest that art-based practices in a community setting may support students in navigating times of great uncertainty by offering participants a chance to express themselves and process complicated feelings. Based on our findings, we offer art-based practices as a way to support young adults as they process the negative impact of the pandemic, transition back to campus, and navigate the college experience.
Scientific Evolution of Philosophical Concepts of the Origins of Universe and Life
Authors: Agostini Cristina de Souza , Silveira Isabel Porto da , Polla Cauê Cardoso
Published: January 2022

In order to demonstrate the great importance of Philosophy in the elaboration of current scientific theories, a parallel was drawn between concepts of pre-Socratic Philosophy and current modern theories. Thus, throughout this essay, the convergences between some elaborations developed by philosophers and their reinterpretation from a scientific point of view, supported by the scientific method and the present technological apparatuses, were exposed. In this sense, having as its core the reflection about the atomic theory of Leucippus and Democritus, we investigate the way in which atomism dialogues with the modern Atomic Theory to the Quantum Theory, through concepts of  Kosmos and Cosmology. In a second moment, origin of life theories were revisited from the pre-Socratic concepts of Psykhe. Finally, Philosophy and Science are brought together as possible and complementary tools for the restoration of the amplification of thought and investigative processes.
Resenha de Torrano, J. Mito e imagens míticas. Hesíodo, homéricos, tragédia e Platão (2019)
Authors: De Oliveira Silva Maria Aparecida
Published: January 2022

Resenha de Jaa Torrano. (2019) Mito e imagens míticas. Hesíodo, homéricos, tragédia e Platão.São Paulo, Córrego.
What is Gorgias’ ‘not being’? A brief journey through the Treatise, the Apology of Palamedes and the Encomium of Helen
Authors: Di Iulio Erminia
Published: January 2022

Assuming that a nihilist reading of Gorgias’ thought is to be ruled out, the issue of ‘not being’ remains one of the thorniest in his philosophy; indeed, it is fair to conclude that Gorgias is deeply concerned with ‘not being’. But what, after all, is Gorgias’ ‘not being’? This paper aims to answer this crucial question, by taking into consideration Gorgias’ main texts (i.e. the Treatise, the Apology of Palamedes and the Encomium of Helen). Each of them provides a serious – although not always explicit – account of ‘not being’. Overall, the aim is to show that Gorgias’ account of ‘not being’ is not concerned with ‘non-existence’ at all. It is deeply concerned, however, with falsehood and language. The paper will, therefore, be structured as follows: in part 1, the Treatise and specifically the the first section of the Particular Proof will be addressed and its ‘linguistic’ conception of ‘not-being’ fully exploited; in part 2, the Apology of Palamedes will be taken into account, in order to enucleate its ‘not-being-as-falsehood’ argument; the results from part 1 and part 2 will allow us, in part 3, to provide an analysis of the Encomium of Helen which points at its underlying conception of ‘not-being’.
Gorgias' Revising of Ancient Epistemology: on Non-Being by Gorgias and its Paraphrases
Authors: Volf Marina
Published: January 2022

The philosophical nature of the two versions of paraphrasing the Gorgias’ treatise On Non-Being — the skeptical version by Sextus Empiricus and the peripatetic version by an anonymous author — are discussed. The paper gives a comparative analysis of the arguments upheld by the informants enunciating Gorgias’ thoughts, demonstrates the range of philosophical problems, which Gorgias considered, judging by the reports of his speech, and shows how both versions add to and clarify each other in terms of philosophical issues. The work provides insights as to how Gorgias modernizes and transforms the initial attitudes of Parmenides, shifting the reasoning plan: from how thought can be directed to an object and the qualities of this object to how thought can be directed to the non-existent. Accordingly, the problems of intentionality in the Gorgias’ teaching are considered as well as the privileged status of any of mental states, the nature of word or speech as an autonomous way to develop knowledge about external objects, the issue of meaning as a reference, and inter-subjectivity in cognition. A conclusion is reached that giving preference to one of the paraphrasing versions impoverishes our understanding of the Gorgias’ teaching considerably, while the joint analysis of both versions demonstrates the engagement of the sophistic issues raised by Gorgias, in the philosophical and, particularly, the epistemological paradigm of the ancient as well as modern philosophy.
Unidade e Multiplicidade na dialética platônica
Authors: Helena de Oliveira Santos Bárbara
Published: January 2022

Ao colocar a diairesis em comunhão com a dialética, Platão rompe com a estrutura dicotômica-unívoca parmenídica; no Fragmento 2 do Poema Da Natureza, a deusa estabelece que há apenas dois caminhos para a verdade, um que é e outro que não é. Desses dois caminhos, Parmênides nega o segundo, afirmando que é impossível conhecer o que não é: para o filósofo préssocrático conhecer algo está relacionado ao é, logo, para ele, é impossível conhecer o que não é. De maneira que há, em Parmênides, uma cisão entre “ser” e “não-ser”. O desafio, ao qual nos propomos neste artigo, é explorar as implicações, para a diairesis no Sofista de Platão, quanto à afirmação parmenídica sobre a impossibilidade cognoscível a respeito do não-ser.
Maré invisível e as mulheres na pesca artesanal
Authors: Nogueira Antunes Neto José , De Oliveira Silva Raphael , Campos de Souza Amaral Shirlena
Published: January 2022

A literatura tem posto em pauta a questão da (in)visibilidade da mulher na atividade pesqueira, discutindo, principalmente, a origem dos preconceitos de gênero encrustados na atividade, bem como avanços e entraves no reconhecimento do trabalho feminino. O presente estudo se insere nesse debate, tendo como objetivo explicitar as diferenças de gênero a partir do perfil laboral na pesca brasileira, bem como examinar as principais situações sujeitam essas mulheres a condições de trabalho de mais agrave que a dos homens. Deste modo, a abordagem do estudo fundamenta-se na revisão bibliográfica referente à inserção da mulher na pesca, assim como no uso do método analítico, descritivo e estatístico de microdados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua (PNADC) anual de 2019. Concluiu-se que o trabalho das pescadoras carece de visibilidade, uma vez que, recorrentemente, ele está mesclado com os afazeres domésticos, bem como estão inseridas em condições de trabalho mais vulnerável, necessitando assim de políticas públicas que subsidiem essas mulheres, considerando a multiplicidade de atividades pesqueiras que exercem e, por vez, não são reconhecidas.
Ensino de pensamento computacional para alunos do ensino básico usando Computação Desplugada e Scratch
Authors: Rodrigues Amanda Karollyne Monteiro , Silva Ana Paula Mundim , Carneiro Murillo Guimarães
Published: January 2022

A tecnologia está cada vez mais presente no cotidiano das pessoas, portanto, torna- se um importante recurso no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, com possibilidade de adoção não apenas em contextos específicos de cunho tecnológico, mas também em diversas outras áreas. Mais do que isso, ela tem se consolidado como um forte instrumento de transformação social, capaz de assegurar oportunidades de reflexão, atuação e desenvolvimento em vários aspectos. O ensino do Pensamento Computacional (PC) apresenta-se como um valioso artifício no desenvolvimento de várias habilidades cognitivas cruciais para lidar com a tecnologia, tais como raciocínio lógico, criatividade, inovação, resolução de problemas de forma rápida e diversificada, entre outros. Com o objetivo de levar o PC aos estudantes do ensino fundamental de Monte Carmelo-MG, foram desenvolvidas duas oficinas sobre os conceitos da Computação Desplugada e do Scratch, as quais foram ministradas aos alunos do quinto ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola da rede pública. Como resultado, conseguimos promover um engajamento dos discentes acerca do funcionamento e da construção de tecnologias computacionais e também contribuir para uma melhoria das relações interpessoais dos envolvidos.
Analisis Topik Tagar Covidindonesia pada Instagram Menggunakan Latent Dirichlet Allocation
Authors: Santoso Kevin Rafi Adjie Putra , Husna Asmaul , Putri Nadia Widyawati , Rakhmawati Nur Aini
Published: January 2022

In this era, technology is increasingly sophisticated, this is evidenced by the number of people using the internet via cell phones, laptops, and other communication tools. One of the developments of this technology is social media such as Instagram. Along with technological developments, Instagram users can upload and share photos and videos using hashtags (#) so that other users can find the results of their posts. Instagram has now become one of the social media used by more than 1 billion people in the world. In this study, the authors wanted to know the dominant topics discussed through the hashtag covidindonesia. This research was conducted using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) method. The analysis was carried out after doing text mining on 84 captions from various users on Instagram. To determine the optimal number of topics, by looking at the value of perplexity and topic coherence. The results obtained are the top 5 topics that are the content material in the uploaded video. These topics include covidindonesia, covid_19, pandemics in Indonesia, and discussion of covid-19 virus mutations.
O cesarzowych Cesarstwa Łacińskiego (1204-1261) (2). Agnieszka z Montferrat i (Maria?) nieznana córka cara Kałojana
Authors: Pentek Zdzisław
Published: January 2022

Artykuł jest drugą częścią cyklu ‘O cesarzowych Cesarstwa Łacińskiego (1204–1261)’. Ten jest poświęcony Agnieszce z Montferrat i drugiej żonie (prawdopodobnie Marii) cesarza Henryka z Flandrii, a córce cara Kołojana. W tekście przybliżono ich losy oraz polityczne znaczenie małżeństw Henryka. Analizy poświęcone obu żonom Henryka pokazują, jak znikomym materiałem źródłowym dysponuje historyk usiłujący cokolwiek o nich napisać. Bezpotomność Henryka z Flandrii wywarła wpływ na losy Cesarstwa Łacińskiego. Zwracam też uwagę, że Henryk wyszedł poza dotychczasowy schemat poślubiania kobiet z własnego kręgu kulturowego.
Czy naprawdę były to awantury? Interwencje polskie w Mołdawii w latach 1595-1616
Authors: Czamańska Ilona
Published: January 2022

Niniejszy artykuł powstał w związku z ciągle obecną i powtarzaną przez badaczy tezą, że polskie interwencje w Mołdawii prowadzone w latach 1595–1616 były rezultatem prywatnej polityki najpierw Jana Zamoyskiego, a później magnatów ‒ zięciów Jeremiego Mohyły. Poprzez analizę sytuacji polityczno-prawnej hospodarów Mołdawii z dynastii Mohyłów wobec króla Polski i jej interpretacji staram się udowodnić, że wszystkie interwencje albo w zupełny, albo w nieoficjalny sposób były powiązane z polityką państwową Rzeczypospolitej. Najbardziej kontrowersyjna była ostatnia interwencja z lat 1615–1616, jednak brak poparcia dla niej nie wynikał z przyczyn politycznych, lecz personalnych.
Bośniacy przeciwko Imperium Osmańskiemu – bunty ludności muzułmańskiej w Bośni w pierwszej połowie XIX wieku
Authors: Lis Tomasz Jacek
Published: January 2022

Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu zaprezentowanie historii antyosmańskich powstań do jakich doszło w Bośni w pierwszej połowie XIX w. Głównymi inicjatorami wypowiedzenia posłuszeństwa Porty nie byli jednak chrześcijanie, tak jak to miało miejsce w sąsiedniej Serbii, a wyznający islam mieszkańcy tego kraju, którym nie odpowiadała polityka Stambułu względem europejskich prowincji. W artykule chciałbym zwrócić uwagę na kilka najważniejszych wydarzeń takich jak powstanie Husejn kapetana Gradaščevicia, jak również niepokoje z lat 30 i 40, aż wreszcie walkę jaką stoczył Rizvanbegović – wezyr Hercegowiny przeciwko wojskom Omera-paszy Latasa, który w połowie XIX w. został przysłany ze Stambułu by doprowadzić do pacyfikacji Bośni i Hercegowiny. Artykuł oparty jest w głównej mierze na literaturze przedmiotu, jak również materiałach źródłowych – pamiętnikach, dziennikach, które stanowią materiał uzupełniający.
Obchody Dnia Sandżaku a konstruowanie współczesnego boszniackiego dyskursu pamięci
Authors: Czachowska-Aleksić Nadia
Published: January 2022

Artykuł jest krytyczną analizą przebiegu obchodów Dnia Sandżaku w Serbii. Poddane namysłowi zostały czynności rytualne mające miejsce podczas uroczystych ceremonii, jak i narracja historyczna, którą prezentuje boszniacka elita. Za pomocą takich kategorii badawczych jak pamięć kulturowa, tradycja wynaleziona, rytuał oraz mit historiograficzny, scharakteryzowane zostały elementy, które są częścią składową sandżacko-boszniackiej tożsamości. Ich analiza pozwoliła na zdefiniowanie mechanizmów konstrukcji współczesnego boszniackiego dyskursu pamięci na terenie Sandżaku oraz umożliwiła określenie widocznych tendencji tej narracji.
Kawalerowie Orderu Uśmiechu spadkobiercami myśli „prawodzieckowej” Janusza Korczaka
Authors: Michalak Marek
Published: January 2022

The aim of the article is to discuss the issues related to the development and continuation of Janusz Korczak’s ideas of the child and its due place in society, which were revolutionary at his time, based on the implementation of a project focused on children’s evaluation of adult’s positive work. In particular, the biographical statements of adults awarded the Order of the Smile were analyzed. The basic ques- tions, which guide the considerations undertaken here, relate to the analysis of the practical dimension of the Order of the Smile within Janusz Korczak’s pedagogy. The analysis of the biographies of the chosen Knights of the Order of the Smile was made according to Fritz Schütze’s theory, with the use of biographical process structures: action plans, institutional patterns of life course, trajectories and biographical metamorphoses.
Research on Kolegiacki Square in Poznań (St. Mary Magdalene Parish Collegiate Church)
Authors: Ignaczak Marcin , Sikorski Andrzej , Dębski Artur , Sikora Mateusz
Published: January 2022

An interdisciplinary archaeological study of St. Mary Magdalene parish collegiate church, the largest in the city of Poznań, the adjacent cemetery, and the building development after these were decommissioned (the New Market, the municipal bathhouse, the fire basin from World War II, the lawn (with flower beds), and the car park) was carried out between 2016 and 2021 in Kolegiacki Square. This was the largest archaeological project carried out to date in the Old Town. In addition to architectural foundations, the result of this project is thousands of graves with enormous significance for not only the history of the former church, but also for Poznań and Poland. To some extent, this is confirmed by the European character of some funerary findings, including the so-called pearl mob cap and devotional items in graves, crypts, and ossuaries. In the temple walls and chapels, representatives of distinguished families and members of guilds found their resting place; epitaph stones and ceremonial tombstones were placed here.
Downstream
Authors: Smith Jesse
Published: January 2022

In the 1940s, the Delaware River at Philadelphia was so dirty that pilots could smell it from the air. The water was so harsh it corroded metal and discolored paint. Fish killed by pollution washed up on the Delaware’s banks. The lack of oxygen in parts of the river blocked the critical migration of others.
Key points to succeed in Artificial Intelligence drug discovery projects
Authors: Perron Quentin , da Silva Vinicius Barros Ribeiro , Atwood Brian , Gaston-Mathé Yann
Published: January 2022

Drug discovery and development is an expensive, complex, and time-consuming task [5]. Recently, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to drug discovery, specifically de novo drug design through the use of deep generative models, has triggered a lot of interest in the drug hunter community, especially as an important tool to speed up the process [6].