bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of live attenuated and inactivated influenza vaccines among children in rural India: A 2-year, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Krishnan Anand , Dar Lalit , Saha Siddhartha , Narayan Venkatesh Vinayak , Kumar Rakesh , Kumar Ramesh , Amarchand Ritvik , Dhakad Shivram , Chokker Reshmi , Choudekar Avinash , Gopal Giridara , Choudhary Aashish , Potdar Varsha , Chadha Mandeep , Lafond Kathryn E. , Lindstrom Stephen , Widdowson Marc-Alain , Jain Seema
Published: April 2021

Background

Influenza is a cause of febrile acute respiratory infection (FARI) in India; however, few influenza vaccine trials have been conducted in India. We assessed absolute and relative efficacy of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) and inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) among children aged 2 to 10 years in rural India through a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted over 2 years.

Methods and findings

In June 2015, children were randomly allocated to LAIV, IIV, intranasal placebo, or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in a 2:2:1:1 ratio. In June 2016, vaccination was repeated per original allocation. Overall, 3,041 children received LAIV (n = 1,015), IIV (n = 1,010), nasal placebo (n = 507), or IPV (n = 509). Mean age of children was 6.5 years with 20% aged 9 to 10 years.

Through weekly home visits, nasal and throat swabs were collected from children with FARI and tested for influenza virus by polymerase chain reaction. The primary outcome was laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated FARI; vaccine efficacy (VE) was calculated using modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis by Cox proportional hazards model (PH) for each year.

In Year 1, VE was 40.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 25.2 to 51.9) for LAIV and 59.0% (95% CI 47.8 to 67.9) for IIV compared with controls; relative efficacy of LAIV compared with IIV was −46.2% (95% CI −88.9 to −13.1). In Year 2, VE was 51.9% (95% CI 42.0 to 60.1) for LAIV and 49.9% (95% CI 39.2 to 58.7) for IIV; relative efficacy of LAIV compared with IIV was 4.2% (95% CI −19.9 to 23.5). No serious adverse vaccine-attributable events were reported. Study limitations include differing dosage requirements for children between nasal and injectable vaccines (single dose of LAIV versus 2 doses of IIV) in Year 1 and the fact that immunogenicity studies were not conducted.

Conclusions

In this study, we found that LAIV and IIV vaccines were safe and moderately efficacious against influenza virus infection among Indian children.

Trial registration

Clinical Trials Registry of India CTRI/2015/06/005902.
Individual and community-level factors influencing optimal breastfeeding: A multilevel analysis from a national survey study of Ethiopia
Authors: Hagos Amanuel , Tsadik Mache , Belachew Abate Bekele , Tesfahunegn Afewerki
Published: April 2021

Background

Optimal breastfeeding is critical for healthy growth of the child. Globally, 820,000 children and 20,000 women lost due to in appropriate breastfeeding each year. In Ethiopia, 50,000 children lost related to malnutrition with 18% were due to poor breastfeeding habit. Little is known on the determinants of breastfeeding with hierarchical level. Therefore, this study aimed to identify factors influencing optimal breastfeeding among children under six month in Ethiopia using a multilevel analysis.

Methods

The data of this study were obtained from Ethiopian Demographic and health survey conducted from January to June 2016. A total 1,087 children aged 0–5 months were selected using two stage stratified sampling technique. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was done to identify significant explanatory variables. Akaike information criteria were used to select the best model fit. Fixed effect was done to estimate the association between the outcome and explanatory variable and also random effect to measure the variation explained by the higher level.

Result

Among the total of 1,087 children, 45.4% were optimally breastfeed. Children from the richest wealth index (AOR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.53–5.43) was positively associated with optimal breastfeeding but, children aged 4–5 months (AOR = 0.19; 95%CI: 0.12–0.27), children born through cesarean section (AOR = 0.18; 955 CI: 0.07–0.51) and residing in Afar region (AOR = 0.13; 95%CI: 0.02–0.92) were found inversely associated with optimal breastfeeding. The random-effects showed that the variation between communities was statistically significant.

Conclusion

Individual and community level factors play a significant role in shaping optimal breastfeeding. Future strategies and health interventions should be strengthen to target individual and community level factors that enhance optimal breastfeeding.
Random forest model for feature-based Alzheimer’s disease conversion prediction from early mild cognitive impairment subjects
Authors: Velazquez Matthew , Lee Yugyung ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: April 2021

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) conversion prediction from the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage has been a difficult challenge. This study focuses on providing an individualized MCI to AD conversion prediction using a balanced random forest model that leverages clinical data. In order to do this, 383 Early Mild Cognitive Impairment (EMCI) patients were gathered from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Of these patients, 49 would eventually convert to AD (EMCI_C), whereas the remaining 334 did not convert (EMCI_NC). All of these patients were split randomly into training and testing data sets with 95 patients reserved for testing. Nine clinical features were selected, comprised of a mix of demographic, brain volume, and cognitive testing variables. Oversampling was then performed in order to balance the initially imbalanced classes prior to training the model with 1000 estimators. Our results showed that a random forest model was effective (93.6% accuracy) at predicting the conversion of EMCI patients to AD based on these clinical features. Additionally, we focus on explainability by assessing the importance of each clinical feature. Our model could impact the clinical environment as a tool to predict the conversion to AD from a prodromal stage or to identify ideal candidates for clinical trials.
Does the grassland ecological compensation policy improve the herders’ breeding technical efficiency in China?—Based on the parallel mediation effect model
Authors: Wang Yun , Han Yaqiong , Han Yijun , Li Wenchao
Published: April 2021

The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (abbreviated as GECP), which aims to realize the ecological protection by reducing the stock-carrying capacity of pastures and promote the transformation of pasture animal husbandry by improving the herders’ breeding methods, has been a major project in China’s grassland pastoral areas and grassland ecological construction. This study, thus, sought to measure the breeding efficiency of herders before and after the implementation of GECP. Moreover, the study also thought to analyze the effect and the effecting path of the implementation of GECP on the efficiency of herders’ livestock breeding. GECP enables herders to obtain financial subsidies while minimizing the utilization of grassland, which brings challenges and opportunities to herders’ traditional livestock production. This study used the two-stage data obtained from a randomly selected sample of 449 herders in the Inner Mongolia grassland area of China in 2018. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and parallel mediating effect (PME) models were used to analyze the data. The results show that the general effect of GECP on the breeding efficiency of herders in the Inner Mongolia is positive (P < 0.01), and the change of breeding methods (direct effect) is the main influence path. Specifically, the grassland circulation behavior (P < 0.01) and the scale of breeding (P < 0.01) are part of the mediating effect. While the mediating effect of the breeding structure is not significant (P > 0.1). This study also shows that the non-agricultural and animal husbandry income of herders has a negative impact on the breeding efficiency (P < 0.01), and herders’ age and breeding scale have a positive effect on the breeding efficiency (P<0.01). This study has not only answered the question whether the GECP can improve the efficiency of husbandry, but also focused on the analysis of the impacting mechanism of policies on efficiency. It is of great significance to further improve GECP and the related supporting policies and promote the transformation of China’s grassland animal husbandry.
Exploring the genomic resources of seven domestic Bactrian camel populations in China through restriction site-associated DNA sequencing
Authors: Liu Chenmiao , Chen Huiling , Yang Xuejiao , Zhang Chengdong , Ren Zhanjun
Published: April 2021

The domestic Bactrian camel is a valuable livestock resource in arid desert areas. Therefore, it is essential to understand the roles of important genes responsible for its characteristics. We used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to detect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in seven domestic Bactrian camel populations. In total, 482,786 SNPs were genotyped. The pool of all remaining others were selected as the reference population, and the Nanjiang, Sunite, Alashan, Dongjiang, Beijiang, Qinghai, and Hexi camels were the target populations for selection signature analysis. We obtained 603, 494, 622, 624, 444, 588, and 762 selected genes, respectively, from members of the seven target populations. Gene Ontology classifications and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed, and the functions of these genes were further studied using Genecards to identify genes potentially related to the unique characteristics of the camel population, such as heat resistance and stress resistance. Across all populations, cellular process, single-organism process, and metabolic process were the most abundant biological process subcategories, whereas cell, cell part, and organelle were the most abundant cellular component subcategories. Binding and catalytic activity represented the main molecular functions. The selected genes in Alashan camels were mainly enriched in ubiquitin mediated proteolysis pathways, the selected genes in Beijiang camels were mainly enriched in MAPK signaling pathways, the selected genes in Dongjiang camels were mainly enriched in RNA transport pathways, the selected genes in Hexi camels were mainly enriched in endocytosis pathways, the selected genes in Nanjiang camels were mainly enriched in insulin signaling pathways, while the selected genes in Qinghai camels were mainly enriched in focal adhesion pathways; these selected genes in Sunite camels were mainly enriched in ribosome pathways. We also found that Nanjiang (HSPA4L and INTU), and Alashan camels (INO80E) harbored genes related to the environment and characteristics. These findings provide useful insights into the genes related to the unique characteristics of domestic Bactrian camels in China, and a basis for genomic resource development in this species.
Biologically transparent illumination is a safe, fast, and simple technique for detecting the correct position of the nasogastric tube in surgical patients under general anesthesia
Authors: Hirano Hirofumi , Masaki Hanayo , Kamada Teppei , Taniguchi Yoshie , Masaki Eiji
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using biologically transparent illumination to detect the correct position of the nasogastric tube in surgical patients. This prospective observational study enrolled 102 patients undergoing general surgeries. In all cases, a nasogastric tube equipped with a biologically transparent illumination catheter was inserted after general anesthesia. The identification of biologically transparent light in the epigastric area either with or without finger pressure indicated that the tube had been successfully inserted into the stomach. X-ray examination was performed to ascertain the tube position and was compared with the findings of the biologically transparent illumination technique. Biologically transparent light was detected in 72 of the 102 patients. In all of these 72 patients, the position of the nasogastric tube in the stomach was confirmed by X-ray examination. The light was not detected in the other 30 patients; X-ray examination showed that the nasogastric tube was positioned in the stomach in 21 of these 30 patients but not in the other 9. The sensitivity and specificity of the illumination were 77.4% and 100%, respectively. The results suggest that biologically transparent illumination is a useful and safe technique for detecting the correct position of the nasogastric tube in surgical patients under general anesthesia. When the BT light cannot be identified, X-ray examination is mandatory to confirm the position of the nasogastric tube.
Fast and efficient purification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase complex expressed in Escherichia coli
Authors: Madru Clément , Tekpinar Ayten Dizkirici , Rosario Sandrine , Czernecki Dariusz , Brûlé Sébastien , Sauguet Ludovic , Delarue Marc
Published: April 2021

To stop the COVID-19 pandemic due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused more than 2.5 million deaths to date, new antiviral molecules are urgently needed. The replication of SARS-CoV-2 requires the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), making RdRp an excellent target for antiviral agents. RdRp is a multi-subunit complex composed of 3 viral proteins named nsp7, nsp8 and nsp12 that ensure the ~30 kb RNA genome’s transcription and replication. The main strategies employed so far for the overproduction of RdRp consist of expressing and purifying the three subunits separately before assembling the complex in vitro. However, nsp12 shows limited solubility in bacterial expression systems and is often produced in insect cells. Here, we describe an alternative strategy to co-express the full SARS-CoV-2 RdRp in E. coli, using a single plasmid. Characterization of the purified recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RdRp shows that it forms a complex with the expected (nsp7)(nsp8)2(nsp12) stoichiometry. RNA polymerization activity was measured using primer-extension assays showing that the purified enzyme is functional. The purification protocol can be achieved in one single day, surpassing in speed all other published protocols. Our construct is ideally suited for screening RdRp and its variants against very large chemical compounds libraries and has been made available to the scientific community through the Addgene plasmid depository (Addgene ID: 165451).
Clinicopathological features of 70 desmoid-type fibromatoses confirmed by β-catenin immunohistochemical staining and CTNNB1 mutation analysis
Authors: An Jiyeon , Woo Ha Young , Lee Younghan , Kim Hyo Song , Jeong Juhyeon , Kim Sang Kyum
Published: April 2021

Desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) is a locally aggressive neoplasm characterized by mutations in the CTNNB1 gene, which encodes the β-catenin protein. We reviewed 85 cases of DF and performed Sanger sequencing for detecting mutations in CTNNB1 and immunostaining for detecting β-catenin localization. We included 70 DF samples, of which 56 cases demonstrated nuclear β-catenin localization and 43 cases harboured CTNNB1 mutations. CTNNB1-mutant DF samples consistently displayed nuclear β-catenin expression and were derived from larger-sized tumours compared to samples with wild-type CTNNB1. When we further classified DF cases into 2 subgroups based on the type of specimen, excised specimens with nuclear β-catenin expression frequently displayed CTNNB1 mutation and no statistical correlation between nuclear β-catenin expression and CTNNB1 mutation was observed in biopsies. When we classified CTNNB1 mutation cases into 2 subgroups (DF with T41A or T41I, and DF with S45F or S45P), T41A or T41I mutations were observed more frequently in males than in females. Additionally, DF tumours harbouring S45F or S45P mutations were located more frequently in the abdominal wall than tumours with T41A or T41I mutations. In conclusion, CTNNB1 mutation correlates with nuclear β-catenin expression in larger or excised DF tumours, and DF harbouring CTNNB1 mutations manifest variable clinical presentations.
A computational method for drug sensitivity prediction of cancer cell lines based on various molecular information
Authors: Ahmadi Moughari Fatemeh , Eslahchi Changiz
Published: April 2021

Determining sensitive drugs for a patient is one of the most critical problems in precision medicine. Using genomic profiles of the tumor and drug information can help in tailoring the most efficient treatment for a patient. In this paper, we proposed a classification machine learning approach that predicts the sensitive/resistant drugs for a cell line. It can be performed by using both drug and cell line similarities, one of the cell line or drug similarities, or even not using any similarity information. This paper investigates the influence of using previously defined as well as two newly introduced similarities on predicting anti-cancer drug sensitivity. The proposed method uses max concentration thresholds for assigning drug responses to class labels. Its performance was evaluated using stratified five-fold cross-validation on cell line-drug pairs in two datasets. Assessing the predictive powers of the proposed model and three sets of methods, including state-of-the-art classification methods, state-of-the-art regression methods, and off-the-shelf classification machine learning approaches shows that the proposed method outperforms other methods. Moreover, The efficiency of the model is evaluated in tissue-specific conditions. Besides, the novel sensitive associations predicted by this model were verified by several supportive evidence in the literature and reliable database. Therefore, the proposed model can efficiently be used in predicting anti-cancer drug sensitivity. Material and implementation are available athttps://github.com/fahmadimoughari/CDSML.
Genome-wide association analysis of bean fly resistance and agro-morphological traits in common bean
Authors: Nkhata Wilson , Shimelis Hussein , Melis Rob , Chirwa Rowland , Mzengeza Tenyson , Mathew Isack , Shayanowako Admire
Published: April 2021

The bean fly (Ophiomyia spp) is a key insect pest causing significant crop damage and yield loss in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., 2n = 2x = 22). Development and deployment of agronomic superior and bean fly resistant common bean varieties aredependent on genetic variation and the identification of genes and genomic regions controlling economic traits. This study’s objective was to determine the population structure of a diverse panel of common bean genotypes and deduce associations between bean fly resistance and agronomic traits based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Ninety-nine common bean genotypes were phenotyped in two seasons at two locations and genotyped with 16 565 SNP markers. The genotypes exhibited significant variation for bean fly damage severity (BDS), plant mortality rate (PMR), and pupa count (PC). Likewise, the genotypes showed significant variation for agro-morphological traits such as days to flowering (DTF), days to maturity (DTM), number of pods per plant (NPP), number of seeds per pod (NSP), and grain yield (GYD). The genotypes were delineated into two populations, which were based on the Andean and Mesoamerican gene pools. The genotypes exhibited a minimum membership coefficient of 0.60 to their respective populations. Eighty-three significant (P<0.01) markers were identified with an average linkage disequilibrium of 0.20 at 12Mb across the 11 chromosomes. Three markers were identified, each having pleiotropic effects on two traits: M100049197 (BDS and NPP), M3379537 (DTF and PC), and M13122571 (NPP and GYD). The identified markers are useful for marker-assisted selection in the breeding program to develop common bean genotypes with resistance to bean fly damage.
Geographical variation and factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal in Ethiopia: A spatial and multilevel analysis
Authors: Sahiledengle Biniyam , Teferu Zinash , Tekalegn Yohannes , Awoke Tadesse , Zenbaba Demisu , Bekele Kebebe , Tesemma Abdi , Seyoum Fikadu , Woldeyohannes Demelash
Published: April 2021

Background

Unsafe disposal of children’s stool makes children susceptible to fecal-oral diseases and children remain vulnerable till the stools of all children are disposed of safely. There is a paucity of data on spatial distribution and factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal in Ethiopia. Previous estimates, however, do not include information regarding individual and community-level factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal. Hence, the current study aimed (i) to explore the spatial distribution and (ii) to identify factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal in Ethiopia.

Methods

A secondary data analysis was conducted using the recent 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey data. A total of 4145 children aged 0–23 months with their mother were included in this analysis. The Getis-Ord spatial statistical tool was used to identify high and low hotspots areas of unsafe child stool disposal. The Bernoulli model was applied using Kilduff SaTScan version 9.6 software to identify significant spatial clusters. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with unsafe child stool disposal.

Results

Unsafe child stool disposal was spatially clustered in Ethiopia (Moran’s Index = 0.211, p-value< 0.0001), and significant spatial SaTScan clusters of areas with a high rate of unsafe child stool disposal were detected. The most likely primary SaTScan cluster was detected in Tigray, Amhara, Afar (north), and Benishangul-Gumuz (north) regions (LLR: 41.62, p<0.0001). Unsafe child stool disposal is more prevalent among households that had unimproved toilet facility (AOR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.17–2.02) and those with high community poorer level (AOR: 1.74, 95%CI: 1.23–2.46). Higher prevalence of unsafe child stool disposal was also found in households with poor wealth quintiles. Children belong to agrarian regions (AOR: 0.62, 95%CI 0.42–0.91), children 6–11 months of age (AOR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.52–0.83), 12–17 months of age (AOR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.54–0.86), and 18–23 months of age (AOR: 0.58, 95%CI: 0.45–0.75) had lower odds of unsafe child stool disposal.

Conclusions

Unsafe child stool disposal was spatially clustered. Higher odds of unsafe child stool disposal were found in households with high community poverty level, poor, unimproved toilet facility, and with the youngest children. Hence, the health authorities could tailor effective child stool management programs to mitigate the inequalities identified in this study. It is also better to consider child stool management intervention in existing sanitation activities considering the identified factors.
Risk communication during COVID-19: A descriptive study on familiarity with, adherence to and trust in the WHO preventive measures
Authors: Varghese Nirosha Elsem , Sabat Iryna , Neumann-Böhme Sebastian , Schreyögg Jonas , Stargardt Tom , Torbica Aleksandra , van Exel Job , Barros Pedro Pita , Brouwer Werner
Published: April 2021

Background

Risk communication is a key component of public health interventions during an outbreak. As the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in late 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was at the forefront in the development of risk communication strategies. The WHO introduced a range of activities with the purpose of enabling the public to avail verified and timely information on COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Given the various WHO activities to protect the public health during COVID-19, it is important to investigate the extent of familiarity and uptake of the WHO recommendations among the public during the first wave of the pandemic.

Methods

To do this, we conducted a large-scale Pan-European survey covering around 7500 individuals that are representative of populations from seven European countries, collected online during April 2-April 15, 2020. We use descriptive statistics including proportions and correlations and graphical representations such as bar charts to analyze and display the data.

Results

Our findings suggest that information from the WHO in the context of COVID-19 is well trusted and acted upon by the public. Overall familiarity and adherence were quite high in most countries. Adherence was higher for social distancing recommendations compared to hygiene measures. Familiarity and adherence were higher among older, female, and highly educated respondents. However, country level heterogeneities were observed in the level of trust in information from the WHO, with countries severely affected by the pandemic reporting lower levels of trust.

Conclusion

Our findings call for efforts from health authorities to get regular feedback from the public on their familiarity and compliance with recommendations for preventive measures at all stages of the pandemic, to further develop and adapt risk communication as the pandemic evolves.
Morphological features of the nasal cavities of hawksbill, olive ridley, and black sea turtles: Comparative studies with green, loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles
Authors: Kitayama Chiyo , Ueda Keiichi , Omata Mariko , Tomita Taketeru , Fukada Shingo , Murakami Shogo , Tanaka Yoshiaki , Kaji Akihiro , Kondo Satomi , Suganuma Hiroyuki , Aiko Yuki , Fujimoto Atsuru , Kawai Yusuke K. , Yanagawa Masashi , Kondoh Daisuke
Published: April 2021

We analyzed the internal structure of the nasal cavities of hawksbill, olive ridley and black sea turtles from computed tomography images. The nasal cavities of all three species consisted of a vestibule, nasopharyngeal duct and cavum nasi proprium that included anterodorsal, posterodorsal and anteroventral diverticula, and a small posteroventral salience formed by a fossa of the wall. These findings were similar to those of green and loggerhead sea turtles (Cheloniidae), but differed from those of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelyidae). Compared to the Cheloniidae species, the nasal cavity in leatherback sea turtles was relatively shorter, wider and larger in volume. Those structural features of the nasal cavity of leatherback sea turtles might help to suppress heat dissipation and reduce water pressure within the nasal cavity in cold and deep waters.
RhoGTPases and inflammasomes: Guardians of effector-triggered immunity
Authors: Dufies Océane , Boyer Laurent
Published: April 2021

Pathogens have evolved smart strategies to invade hosts and hijack their immune responses. One such strategy is the targeting of the host RhoGTPases by toxins or virulence factors to hijack the cytoskeleton dynamic and immune processes. In response to this microbial attack, the host has evolved an elegant strategy to monitor the function of virulence factors and toxins by sensing the abnormal activity of RhoGTPases. This innate immune strategy of sensing bacterial effector targeting RhoGTPase appears to be a bona fide example of effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Here, we review recently discovered mechanisms by which the host can sense the activity of these toxins through NOD and NOD-like receptors (NLRs).
RNA thermosensors facilitate Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae immune evasion
Authors: Eichner Hannes , Karlsson Jens , Spelmink Laura , Pathak Anuj , Sham Lok-To , Henriques-Normark Birgitta , Loh Edmund
Published: April 2021

Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of death and disability in children worldwide. Two human restricted respiratory pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, are the major causative agents of bacterial meningitis, attributing to 200,000 deaths annually. These pathogens are often part of the nasopharyngeal microflora of healthy carriers. However, what factors elicit them to disseminate and cause invasive diseases, remain unknown. Elevated temperature and fever are hallmarks of inflammation triggered by infections and can act as warning signals to pathogens. Here, we investigate whether these respiratory pathogens can sense environmental temperature to evade host complement-mediated killing. We show that productions of two vital virulence factors and vaccine components, the polysaccharide capsules and factor H binding proteins, are temperature dependent, thus influencing serum/opsonophagocytic killing of the bacteria. We identify and characterise four novel RNA thermosensors in S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae, responsible for capsular biosynthesis and production of factor H binding proteins. Our data suggest that these bacteria might have independently co-evolved thermosensing abilities with different RNA sequences but distinct secondary structures to evade the immune system.
Putting Childhood in Its Place: Rethinking popular discourses on the conceptualisation of child trafficking in Ghana
Authors: Koomson Bernard , Abdulai Dawuda
Published: April 2021

Popular discourses on child trafficking are generally characterised by unverifiable statistics, melodramatic representations, and emotional reactions. More so, notions of poverty, exploitation, and the protection of children from harm have driven educational and sensitisation campaigns that seek to address trafficking in children. The ensuing status quo blurs diverse cultural conceptions of childhood and its moral representations of acceptable and unacceptable labour. Drawing on qualitative data from a Ghanaian fishing community, this paper reviews the impoverished and hazardous representation of children’s transportation to other fishing communities for work. It contends that the prevailing conceptualisation of child trafficking fails to account for the socio-cultural underpinnings of children’s movement to other fishing communities for work. Consequently, this paper argues that it is important to situate popular discourses of child trafficking within fishing community’s conceptualisation of childhood in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon within those communities.
Perbedaan Lama Rawat dan Luaran Pemberian Nutrisi Enteral Dini dan Lambat pada Anak Sakit Kritis di Rumah Sakit dr. Kariadi Semarang
Authors: Dewi Yuni Sartika , Supriatna Mohamad
Published: April 2021

Latar belakang. Mortalitas dan lama rawat anak sakit kritis dipengaruhi oleh beberapa variabel faktor risiko. Dukungan nutrisi enteral sejak dini disebutkan memperbaiki luaran klinis anak sakit kritis. Tujuan. Membuktikan perbedaan lama rawat dan luaran pada anak sakit kritis yang mendapatkan nutrisi enteral dini dan lambat.Metode. Desain kohort prospektif pada anak sakit kritis di ruang rawat intensif anak RS dr.Kariadi periode Januari hingga Maret 2020. Subyek yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi diambil secara consecutive sampling. Data yang diambil adalah berat badan dan tinggi badan untuk mengetahui status gizi, diagnosis, komorbid, penggunaan ventilator mekanik, lama rawat dan luaran pasien.Hasil. Dari 67 anak, terdiri dari 37 anak mendapatkan nutrisi enteral dini dan 30 anak mendapatkan nutrisi enteral lambat. Median lama rawat anak dengan nutrisi enteral dini adalah 4 hari (2-11 hari) dan anak dengan nutrisi enteral lambat adalah 9 hari (3-20 hari). Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa anak yang mendapat nutrisi enteral dini memiliki lama rawat <7 hari lebih tinggi (RR 4,1; IK 95% 1,4-11,5; p=0,007) dan memiliki luaran lebih baik (p<0,001) dibandingkan anak yang mendapat nutrisi enteral lambat. Kesimpulan. Terdapat perbedaan signifikan lama rawat dan luaran pada anak sakit kritis yang mendapat nutrisi enteral dini dan lambat.
Peran Bifidobakteria dalam Pencegahan dan Pengobatan Alergi serta Gangguan Sistem Imun pada Anak
Authors: Wati Ketut Dewi Kumara , Setiabudiawan Budi
Published: April 2021

Bifidobakteria berperan dalam dinamika maturasi sistem imun dan memiliki timeline yang terhubung dengan timelinesistem imun. Bifidobakteria membantu pembentukan sistem imun nonspesifik maupun spesifik sedangkan sistem imun membantu pembentukan komposisi bifidobakteria. Bifidobakteria dapat berperan dalam sistem imun karena memiliki banyak enzim yang menunjang kolonisasi, mampu memelihara homeostasis mukosa intestinal, bekerjasama dengan mukus dan SIgA memerangkap patogen, membantu pembentukan SIgA dan IgM, serta meningkatkan survival koloni Treg. Secara klinis, penggunaan bifidobakterium tunggal maupun kombinasi bermanfaat untuk pencegahan dan pengobatan kasus alergi dan gangguan sistem imun. Pemberian bifidobakteria pada dosis 109 colony forming unit satu hingga dua bulan sebelum kelahiran dilanjutkan pemberian pada bayi selama 6 bulan menurunkan kejadian dermatitis atopik. Pemberian bifidobakteria pada bayi prematur memperbaiki profil kolonisasi bifidobakteria, menurunkan kejadian,dan keparahan nerotizing enterocolitis. Pemberian bifidobakteria memperbaiki kualitas hidup rinitis alergi musiman dan asma intermiten, menurunkan skor dermatitis (SCORAD) dan penggunaan steroid pada dermatitis atopik, serta membantu menurunkan berulangnya infeksi saluran nafas pada anak.
Helyzetkép a hazai középvállalatok stratégiai szövetségeiről
Authors: Buzády Zoltán
Published: April 2021

A tanulmány a hazai középvállalatok által kötött stratégiai szövetségeket elemzi. A stratégiai szövetségek elterjedése 1994-tôl gyorsult fel Magyarországon. A folyamat jellegzetessége, hogy – a nyugati tapasztalatokkal ellentétben – elsősorban nem konkurens cégek, hanem beszállítói-felhasználói kapcsolatban álló vállalatok alakítottak ki tartós, részben integratív jellegű együttműködési viszonylatokat. A stratégiai szövetségekben főként a marketing-értékesítési és a termelési funkciókra irányult az együttműködés, míg a kutatás-fejlesztési megállapodások aránya csekély. A stratégiai szövetségek jogi kereteit tekintve a meghatározatlan időtávra szóló, írásos szerződéses megállapodás a legelterjedtebb megoldás. A hazai középvállalatok döntően magyar tulajdoni érdekeltségű cégekkel létesítettek szövetségesi kapcsolatokat.
Mire is lövünk? – A vállalati innováció állami ösztönzése
Authors: Némethné Pál Katalin
Published: April 2021

A szerző az innováció, a kutatás-fejlesztés hazai vállalati gyakorlatára volt kíváncsi. Dolgozatában bemutatja azokat a tapasztalatokat, amelyekkel szembesült a kutatás során, de megmaradt benne a fő kérdés: hogyan lehetne rávenni a kutatóhelyeket arra, hogy szükséges és hasznosítható tudást kínáljanak a vállalkozások számára.
A vállalati K+F támogatása controllingeszközökkel
Authors: Deák István , Lukovics Miklós
Published: April 2021

Jelen tanulmány célja annak bemutatása, hogy a controlling tudományos megközelítése hogyan reagál az új kihívásokra. A szerzők érzékeltetni kívánják azt, hogy a controllingrendszer számára potenciális input adatokat szolgáltató pénzügyi számvitel hogyan kezeli a kutatás-fejlesztést, és mindez milyen problémákat vet fel, továbbá fel kívánják hívni a figyelmet arra, hogy a vállalat értéke jelentősen függ a szellemi tôke értékelésétől és bemutatásától!
Dominação e subordinação nas relações trabalho nos canaviais de Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Authors: Araújo Daniel Féo Castro de , Sobrinho Fernando Luiz Araújo
Published: April 2021

O artigo tem como objetivo caracterizar o perfil dos trabalhadores envolvidos na cultura agrícola da cana-de-açúcar e investigar as suas condições de trabalho no corte da cana na microrregião de Ituiutaba, MG. O recorte territorial justifica-se pelo fato da microrregião de Ituiutaba enfrentar nas últimas décadas um intenso movimento modernizador de seus territórios rurais por conta dos investimentos do agronegócio canavieiro direcionado à produção de commodities agrícolas para exportação, pautado na superexploração da força de trabalho e dos recursos naturais. A metodologia utilizada para desenvolvimento da pesquisa parte da revisão bibliográfica para o entendimento da dinâmica do fenômeno a ser estudado e, também, para construção de referencial teórico. Outra etapa da metodologia refere-se ao levantamento de dados de fonte primária, feito através da realização de trabalho de campo cujo objetivo era identificar os sujeitos sociais envolvidos no corte da cana. Nesse momento, pautamos em entrevistas junto aos trabalhadores migrantes, principalmente, nos finais de semanas e feriados, períodos onde os mesmos tinham tempo livre para participação nas entrevistas. Destaca-se que as entrevistas bem como a identificação dos sujeitos e o uso de suas falas foi autorizado através de assinatura de termo de consentimento. Consideramos que, através dos dados obtidos, os trabalhadores, em sua maioria migrante, para serem contratados são avaliados segundo sua capacidade de produção, sua resistência física e sua subordinação aos superiores. O salário por produção implica a superexploração da força de trabalho que repercute nas condições laborais e de saúde dos trabalhadores, bem como em relações de trabalho nem sempre de longa duração e que reforçam estereótipos locais e as migrações sazonais no Brasil.
Campesinato amazônico
Authors: Coelho Alex Almeida , De Almeida Silva Adnilson , Peralta Nelissa
Published: April 2021

Este estudo realiza uma comparação histórica das estratégias produtivas de famílias camponesas do médio rio Solimões. Tenta estabelecer um quadro de mudanças na percepção dos produtores em relação ao valor da produção, reflete assim, sobre uma “racionalidade econômica ribeirinha”, o que evidencia possíveis transformações nos padrões de desenvolvimento e empenho dos domicílios em suas atividades econômicas resultantes das mudanças no sistema de produção da agricultura e da atividade pesqueira. São considerados para isso, as estratégias de produção de pescado e agrícola em cinco comunidades na região de Fonte Boa, no estado do Amazonas, localizadas em área de várzea e dentro dos limites territoriais da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (RDSM). Os dados foram coletados no ano de 2013 em 23 domicílios nas comunidades de Araçari, Terra Nova, Monte Cristo, Batalha de Baixo e Bela Vista do Batalha. Os dados apontam que a motivação na escolha por uma atividade em relação à outra não é o preço da produção no mercado, mas também o esforço empregado pelo grupo para garantir a produção e a disponibilidade de força de trabalho e de recursos naturais, indicam ainda que as estratégias econômicas estão ligadas diretamente a necessidade de garantir o sustento do grupo doméstico.
Desafios e estratégias da agricultura familiar nos assentamentos rurais na fronteira agrícola
Authors: Lourenço Taiana Ciscotto Martins
Published: April 2021

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar as repercussões territoriais do avanço da fronteira agrícola sobre os assentamentos rurais do Xingu-Araguaia (Mato Grosso) e sobre a agricultura familiar. Para tanto, enfatiza-se o município de Querência por ser nele onde a cadeia produtiva de grãos encontra-se mais consolidada nessa região. Além disto, neste município existem cinco assentamentos com aproximadamente 1219 famílias onde têm se constatado nos últimos anos uma rápida conversão de pastagens pelo cultivo de grãos, sobretudo a soja. A metodologia do artigo é composta por revisão bibliográfica, levantamento de dados secundários e realização de pesquisa empírica para obtenção de dados primários. O trabalho permitiu constatar que ao contrário do que ocorre entre os assentados que optam pela produção de commodities, os assentados que se mantêm vinculados à prática da agricultura familiar buscam parcerias locais visando a troca de saberes, fortalecendo a coesão territorial entre essas famílias e marcando a conturbada coexistência de distintos interesses e atores na fronteira agrícola.
Trabalho tradicional em comunidade quilombola
Authors: De Moraes Correia Alves Diórgenes , Bernartt Maria de Lourdes
Published: April 2021

O artigo tem por finalidade analisar o trabalho tradicional em comunidade quilombola na localidade de Palmas-PR. Assim, em primeiro momento por meio de  pesquisa bibliográfica, documental e de campo exploratória,   com abordagem qualitativa, buscou-se compreender quilombola na história social brasileira e sua evolução conceitual. Após a aproximação com a  comunidade quilombola em estudo, realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com os dirigentes quilombolas para compreender o trabalho tradicional, sua importância e possibilidades. A conclusão encontrada foi que o trabalho tradicional quilombola é uma opção de trabalho não alienado que possibilita meios concretos de preservar a cultura e a identidade quilombola na localidade.
Economic Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Indonesian Instagram Users Behaviour
Authors: Soekiman J.FX. Susanto , Putranto Teguh Dwi , Susilo Daniel , Garcia Erica Monica A.
Published: April 2021

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a “major disaster” for Indonesia. Communities became confused after the Government instructed people to “Stay at Home” and “Work from Home” in order to end the spread of the coronavirus. Many people feel that the Government's decision is detrimental because not everybody can work from home. There were many employee reductions in several companies and did not have a steady income. This study attempted to find out the use of Instagram as one of the popular media during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia on economic impact. This study employed the semiotics method to analyse the #stayathomeindonesia hashtag on Instagram from 20 March 2020 to 5 April 2020. It was revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesian Instagram users used the platform to post their activity at home. Indonesian behaviours on Instagram amid the COVID-19 pandemic include posting homemade food, children’s drawings or colourings at home, and food order through online applications. So that the online-based economy more benefited than the offline-based because of limited activities outside the home due to appeals for staying at home.
Virtual World Solidarity: How Social Solidarity is Built on the Crowdfunding Platform Kitabisa.com
Authors: Sidiq Rd. Siti Sofro , Jalil Ashaluddin , Achmad W R. Willya
Published: April 2021

This research examines how social solidarity is formed in cyberspace virtually through the crowdfunding platform Kitabisa.com. This research was conducted using qualitative descriptive methods. The research was carried out through two stages, namely analyzing web content, and after that, a phenomenological stage was carried out to discover how the social solidarity of funders was formed in the crowdfunding of Kitabisa.com. The results of the study found that the development of the crowdfunding movement in Indonesia was on a good track in accordance with the values of social solidarity which involved the community to help each other in the form of social participation based on information and communication technology innovation that was linked through social networking and interactivity in cyberspace. Social solidarity formed through crowdfunding platforms is organic social solidarity. The more modern society is, the more the form of social solidarity produced will be more organic and tend to leave mechanical solidarity.
Human Resource Digital Transformation of IT Sector in India
Authors: Sankar Jayendira P , Yoganandham G. , Kalaichelvi R. , John Jeena Ann , Kumar Badella Uday
Published: April 2021

Information technology sector plays a vital role in the economy of the country. So the present study focused on the information technology sector of India to determine the effectiveness of human resource digital transformation. The administrative activities include personal record, updating details and benefits information, employee experience comprise cultural environment, technological environment and physical environment, and work-family balance encompass personal relationship, physical & mental health and overall happiness as independent variables. A total of 336 sample data collected from the employees of the information technology sector from Chennai. The goodness of model fit, composite reliability, discriminant validity between constructs, PLS path modelling utilized in full-fledged structural equation modelling by adopting SmartPLS to test the hypothesis. Employee experience has a positive influence; administrative tasks and work-family balance do not have a positive influence on human resource digital transformation. The results of the effectiveness of human resource digital transformation help the organization in decision-making and emphasize their action.
The Sentiments Analysis of Donald Trump and Jokowi’s Twitters on Covid-19 Policy Dissemination
Authors: Dwianto Rahmad Agus , Nurmandi Achmad , Salahudin Salahudin
Published: April 2021

As Covid-19 spreads to other nations and governments attempt to minimize its effect by introducing countermeasures, individuals have often used social media outlets to share their opinions on the measures themselves, the leaders implementing them, and the ways in which their lives are shifting. Sentiment analysis refers to the application in source materials of natural language processing, computational linguistics, and text analytics to identify and classify subjective opinions. The reason why this research uses a sentiment case study towards Trump and Jokowi's policies is because Jokowi and Trump have similarities in handling Covid-19. Indonesia and the US are still low in the discipline in implementing health protocols. The data collection period was chosen on September 21 - October 21 2020 because during that period, the top 5 trending on Twitter included # covid19, #jokowi, #miglobal, #trump, and #donaldtrump. So, this period is most appropriate for taking data and discussing the handling of Covid-19 by Jokowi and Trump. The result shows both Jokowi and Trump have higher negative sentiments than positive sentiments during the period. Trump had issued a controversial statement regarding the handling of Covid-19. This research is limited to the sentiment generated by the policies conveyed by the US and Indonesian Governments via @jokowi and @realDonaldTrump Twitter Account. The dataset presented in this research is being collected and analyzed using the Brand24, a software-automated sentiment analysis. Further research can increase the scope of the data and increase the timeframe for data collection and develop tools for analyzing sentiment.
Intelligent Secure Storage Mechanism for Big Data
Authors: Babu K.R. Remesh , Madhu K.P.
Published: April 2021

The management of big data became more important due to the wide spread adoption of internet of things in various fields. The developments in technology, science, human habits, etc., generates massive amount of data, so it is increasingly important to store and protect these data from attacks. Big data analytics is now a hot topic. The data storage facility provided by the cloud computing enabled business organizations to overcome the burden of huge data storage and maintenance. Also, several distributed cloud applications supports them to analyze this data for taking appropriate decisions. The dynamic growth of data and data intensive applications demands an efficient intelligent storage mechanism for big data. The proposed system analyzes IP packets for vulnerabilities and classifies data nodes as reliable and unreliable nodes for the efficient data storage. The proposed Apriori algorithm based method automatically classifies the nodes for intelligent secure storage mechanism for the distributed big data storage.