bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased Construct Stiffness With Meniscal Repair Sutures and Devices Increases the Risk of Cheese-Wiring During Biomechanical Load-to-Failure Testing
Authors: Müller Sebastian , Schwenk Tanja , de Wild Michael , Dimitriou Dimitris , Rosso Claudio
Published: June 2021

Background:

Cheese-wiring, the suture that cuts through the meniscus, is a well-known issue in meniscal repair. So far, contributing factors are neither fully understood nor sufficiently studied.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

To investigate whether the construct stiffness of repair sutures and devices correlates with suture cut-through (cheese-wiring) during load-to-failure testing.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

In 131 porcine menisci, longitudinal bucket-handle tears were repaired using either inside-out sutures (n = 66; No. 0 Ultrabraid, 2-0 Orthocord, 2-0 FiberWire, and 2-0 Ethibond) or all-inside devices (n = 65; FastFix360, Omnispan, and Meniscal Cinch). After cyclic loading, load-to-failure testing was performed. The mode of failure and construct stiffness were recorded. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to define the optimal stiffness threshold for predicting meniscal repair failure by cheese-wiring. The 2-tailed t test and analysis of variance were used to test significance.

Results:

Loss of suture fixation was the most common mode of failure in all specimens (58%), except for the Omnispan, which failed most commonly because of anchor pull-through. The Omnispan demonstrated the highest construct stiffness (30.8 ± 3.5 N/mm), whereas the Meniscal Cinch (18.0 ± 8.8 N/mm) and Ethibond (19.4 ± 7.8 N/mm) demonstrated the lowest construct stiffness. The Omnispan showed significantly higher stiffness compared with the Meniscal Cinch ( P < .001) and Ethibond ( P = .02), whereas the stiffness of the Meniscal Cinch was significantly lower compared with that of the FiberWire ( P = .01), Ultrabraid ( P = .04), and FastFix360 ( P = .03). While meniscal repair with a high construct stiffness more often failed by cheese-wiring, meniscal repair with a lower stiffness failed by loss of suture fixation, knot slippage, or anchor pull-through. Meniscal repair with a stiffness >26.5 N/mm had a 3.6 times higher risk of failure due to cheese-wiring during load-to-failure testing (95% CI, 1.4-8.2; P < .0001).

Conclusion:

Meniscal repair using inside-out sutures and all-inside devices with a higher construct stiffness (>26.5 N/mm) was more likely to fail through suture cut-through (cheese-wiring) than that with a lower stiffness (≤26.5 N/mm).

Clinical Relevance:

This is the first study investigating the impact of construct stiffness on meniscal repair failure by suture cut-through (cheese-wiring).
Sociology’s Role in Responding to Inequality: Introduction to the Special Collection
Authors: Gamoran Adam
Published: June 2021

Inequality has long been a central focus of sociological research, but some argue that sociology as a discipline has actually done little to reduce inequality in society. This special collection asks whether sociology, and the social sciences generally, have more to offer. Two main articles make the case, the first by exploring the potential of sociology to move from framing inequality to examining responses to inequality and the second by laying out six pathways through which social science research can contribute to inequality reduction. These articles will be followed by a series of commentaries.
Multi-labelled proteins recognition for high-throughput microscopy images using deep convolutional neural networks
Authors: Zhang Enze , Zhang Boheng , Hu Shaohan , Zhang Fa , Liu Zhiyong , Wan Xiaohua
Published: June 2021

Background

Proteins are of extremely vital importance in the human body, and no movement or activity can be performed without proteins. Currently, microscopy imaging technologies developed rapidly are employed to observe proteins in various cells and tissues. In addition, due to the complex and crowded cellular environments as well as various types and sizes of proteins, a considerable number of protein images are generated every day and cannot be classified manually. Therefore, an automatic and accurate method should be designed to properly solve and analyse protein images with mixed patterns.

Results

In this paper, we first propose a novel customized architecture with adaptive concatenate pooling and “buffering” layers in the classifier part, which could make the networks more adaptive to training and testing datasets, and develop a novel hard sampler at the end of our network to effectively mine the samples from small classes. Furthermore, a new loss is presented to handle the label imbalance based on the effectiveness of samples. In addition, in our method, several novel and effective optimization strategies are adopted to solve the difficult training-time optimization problem and further increase the accuracy by post-processing.

Conclusion

Our methods outperformed the SOTA method of multi-labelled protein classification on the HPA dataset, GapNet-PL, by above 2% in the F1 score. Therefore, experimental results based on the test set split from the Human Protein Atlas dataset show that our methods have good performance in automatically classifying multi-class and multi-labelled high-throughput microscopy protein images.
Transcriptomic responses to drought stress among natural populations provide insights into local adaptation of weeping forsythia
Authors: Li Yong , Shi Long-Chen , Pei Nan-Cai , Cushman Samuel A. , Si Yu-Tao
Published: June 2021

Background

Understanding the genetic mechanisms of local adaptation is an important emerging topic in molecular ecology and evolutionary biology.

Results

Here, we identify the physiological changes and differential expression of genes among different weeping forsythia populations under drought stress in common garden experiments. Physiological results showed that HBWZ might have higher drought tolerance among four populations. RNA-seq results showed that significant differential expression in the genes responding to the synthesis of flavonoids, aromatic substances, aromatic amino acids, oxidation–reduction process, and transmembrane transport occured among four populations. By further reanalysis of results of previous studies, sequence differentiation was found in the genes related to the synthesis of aromatic substances among different weeping forsythia populations.

Conclusions

Overall, our study supports the hypothesis that the dual differentiation in gene efficiency and expression increases among populations in response to heterogeneous environments and is an important evolutionary process of local adaptation. Here, we proposed a new working model of local adaptation of weeping forsythia populations under different intensities of drought stress, which provides new insights for understanding the genetic mechanisms of local adaptation for non-model species.
Evaluation of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance indicators in Sokoto state, Nigeria, 2012–2019: a secondary data analysis
Authors: Raji Ismail Abdullateef , Abubakar Auwal Usman , Ahmad Abdulrahman , Gidado Saheed , Olorukooba Abdulhakeem Abayomi , Lawal Bola Biliaminu , Umeokonkwo Chukwuma David , Balogun Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Background

Nigeria, the last endemic country in the WHO African Region, was certified free of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in 2020. However, due to low immunity in some communities in Sokoto, outbreaks of the circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (cVDPV) occur. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance indicators in Sokoto state, Nigeria.

Methods

This retrospective study was an analysis of routinely collected AFP surveillance data between 2012 and 2019 by the Sokoto state surveillance network. We assessed the Sokoto state AFP surveillance system using the AFP surveillance performance indicators. We performed all analyses using Microsoft Excel 2019.

Results

Cumulatively, 3001 Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases were reported over the evaluation period, out of which 1692 (56.4%) were males, and 2478 (82.4%) were below five years. More than half, 1773 (59.1%), had a fever at the beginning of the disease, and 1911 (63.7%) had asymmetric paralysis. The non-polio AFP rate (9.1 to 23.5% per 100,000 children < 15 years old) and stool adequacy rate (92.5 to 100%) indicate high sensitivity. The proportion of cases that had stool samples collected early, timely transported to the laboratory and arrived at the laboratory in optimal condition were all above the World Health Organization (WHO) minimum standard of 80%. There was inadequate profile documentation of some suspected cases.

Conclusions

Sokoto State has exceeded the WHO minimum standards in most of the AFP surveillance indicators. The performance of the system is sufficient enough to detect any reintroduction of WPV into the state. However, there is a need for improvement in data quality.
Record linkage under suboptimal conditions for data-intensive evaluation of primary care in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Coeli Claudia Medina , Saraceni Valeria , Medeiros Paulo Mota , da Silva Santos Helena Pereira , Guillen Luis Carlos Torres , Alves Luís Guilherme Santos Buteri , Hone Thomas , Millett Christopher , Trajman Anete , Durovni Betina
Published: June 2021

Background

Linking Brazilian databases demands the development of algorithms and processes to deal with various challenges including the large size of the databases, the low number and poor quality of personal identifiers available to be compared (national security number not mandatory), and some characteristics of Brazilian names that make the linkage process prone to errors. This study aims to describe and evaluate the quality of the processes used to create an individual-linked database for data-intensive research on the impacts on health indicators of the expansion of primary care in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil.

Methods

We created an individual-level dataset linking social benefits recipients, primary health care, hospital admission and mortality data. The databases were pre-processed, and we adopted a multiple approach strategy combining deterministic and probabilistic record linkage techniques, and an extensive clerical review of the potential matches. Relying on manual review as the gold standard, we estimated the false match (false-positive) proportion of each approach (deterministic, probabilistic, clerical review) and the missed match proportion (false-negative) of the clerical review approach. To assess the sensitivity (recall) to identifying social benefits recipients’ deaths, we used their vital status registered on the primary care database as the gold standard.

Results

In all linkage processes, the deterministic approach identified most of the matches. However, the proportion of matches identified in each approach varied. The false match proportion was around 1% or less in almost all approaches. The missed match proportion in the clerical review approach of all linkage processes were under 3%. We estimated a recall of 93.6% (95% CI 92.8–94.3) for the linkage between social benefits recipients and mortality data.

Conclusion

The adoption of a linkage strategy combining pre-processing routines, deterministic, and probabilistic strategies, as well as an extensive clerical review approach minimized linkage errors in the context of suboptimal data quality.
Developing automated methods for disease subtyping in UK Biobank: an exemplar study on stroke
Authors: Rannikmäe Kristiina , Wu Honghan , Tominey Steven , Whiteley William , Allen Naomi , Sudlow Cathie ,   the UK Biobank
Published: June 2021

Background

Better phenotyping of routinely collected coded data would be useful for research and health improvement. For example, the precision of coded data for hemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH] and subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH]) may be as poor as < 50%. This work aimed to investigate the feasibility and added value of automated methods applied to clinical radiology reports to improve stroke subtyping.

Methods

From a sub-population of 17,249 Scottish UK Biobank participants, we ascertained those with an incident stroke code in hospital, death record or primary care administrative data by September 2015, and ≥ 1 clinical brain scan report. We used a combination of natural language processing and clinical knowledge inference on brain scan reports to assign a stroke subtype (ischemic vs ICH vs SAH) for each participant and assessed performance by precision and recall at entity and patient levels.

Results

Of 225 participants with an incident stroke code, 207 had a relevant brain scan report and were included in this study. Entity level precision and recall ranged from 78 to 100%. Automated methods showed precision and recall at patient level that were very good for ICH (both 89%), good for SAH (both 82%), but, as expected, lower for ischemic stroke (73%, and 64%, respectively), suggesting coded data remains the preferred method for identifying the latter stroke subtype.

Conclusions

Our automated method applied to radiology reports provides a feasible, scalable and accurate solution to improve disease subtyping when used in conjunction with administrative coded health data. Future research should validate these findings in a different population setting.
Evidence-based narratives in European research programming
Authors: Schepelmann Philipp , Fischer Susanne , Drews Martin , Bastein Ton , Kropp Jürgen , Krummenauer Linda , Augenstein Karoline
Published: June 2021

The article introduces and exemplifies the approach of evidence-based narratives (EBN). The methodology is a product of co-design between policy-making and science, generating robust intelligence for evidence-based policy-making in the Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (DG RTD) under the condition of high uncertainty and fragmented evidence. The EBN transdisciplinary approach tackles practical problems of future-oriented policy-making, in this case in the area of programming for research and innovation addressing the Grand Societal Challenge related to climate change and natural resources. Between 2013 and 2018, the EU-funded RECREATE project developed 20 EBNs in a co-development process between scientists and policy-makers. All EBNs are supported with evidence about the underlying innovation system applying the technological innovation systems (TIS) framework. Each TIS analysis features the innovation, its current state of market diffusion and a description of the innovation investment case. Indicators include potential future market sizes, effects on employment and environmental and social benefits. Based on the innovation and TIS function analyses, the EBNs offer policy recommendations. The article ends with a critical discussion of the EBN approach.
Investigating the associations of early numeracy activities and skills with mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement among fourth graders in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Balala Maha Mohamed Abdulla , Areepattamannil Shaljan , Cairns Dean
Published: June 2021

The present study aimed to examine the relations of early numeracy activities and skills to mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement among 26,859 fourth graders in the United Arab Emirates who took part in the sixth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2015. The study also explored the mediating effects of mathematics dispositions and engagement on the relations between early numeracy activities and skills and mathematics achievement among these fourth graders. Results of path analyses, after controlling for participants’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, indicated that early numeracy activities and skills were significantly and positively related to mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement. Further, results of mediational analyses suggested that confidence in mathematics had a significant mediating effect on the relations between early numeracy activities and skills and mathematics achievement. The findings of the study highlight the crucial role that early numeracy activities and skills play in enhancing fourth graders’ mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement in the United Arab Emirates.
Imaging ground surface deformations in post-disaster settings via small UAVs
Authors: Ybañez Richard L. , Ybañez Audrei Anne B. , Lagmay Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. , Aurelio Mario A.
Published: June 2021

Small unmanned aerial vehicles have been seeing increased deployment in field surveys in recent years. Their portability, maneuverability, and high-resolution imaging are useful in mapping surface features that satellite- and plane-mounted imaging systems could not access. In this study, we develop and apply a workplan for implementing UAV surveys in post-disaster settings to optimize the flights for the needs of the scientific team and first responders. Three disasters caused by geophysical hazards and their associated surface deformation impacts were studied implementing this workplan and was optimized based on the target features and environmental conditions. An earthquake that caused lateral spreading and damaged houses and roads near riverine areas were observed in drone images to have lengths of up to 40 m and vertical displacements of 60 cm. Drone surveys captured 2D aerial raster images and 3D point clouds leading to the preservation of these features in soft-sedimentary ground which were found to be tilled over after only 3 months. The point cloud provided a stored 3D environment where further analysis of the mechanisms leading to these fissures is possible. In another earthquake-devastated locale, areas hypothesized to contain the suspected source fault zone necessitated low-altitude UAV imaging below the treeline capturing Riedel shears with centimetric accuracy that supported the existence of extensional surface deformation due to fault movement. In the aftermath of a phreatomagmatic eruption and the formation of sub-metric fissures in nearby towns, high-altitude flights allowed for the identification of the location and dominant NE–SW trend of these fissures suggesting horst-and-graben structures. The workplan implemented and refined during these deployments will prove useful in surveying other post-disaster settings around the world, optimizing data collection while minimizing risk to the drone and the drone operators.
Isolated systolic hypertension in young males: a scoping review
Authors: Scott Holly , Barton Matthew J. , Johnston Amy N. B.
Published: June 2021

Isolated systolic hypertension typically occurs in young males; however, its clinical significance is unknown. Given the prevalence of the hypertension and its contribution to global morbidity and mortality, a synthesis of the most recent available evidence around isolated systolic hypertension is warranted. This review aims firstly to review the haemodynamic and physical characteristics indicative of cardiovascular risk in young males (aged 18 to 30 years) with isolated systolic hypertension, and secondly to synthesize the associated clinical management recommendations reported in the literature. Six databases were systematically searched for all relevant peer-reviewed literature examining isolated systolic hypertension in young males. Search results were screened and examined for validity, those that did not meet the inclusion criteria were removed. A total of 20 articles were appropriate for inclusion. Key factors indicative of cardiovascular risk in isolated systolic hypertension were characterized by several distinctive haemodynamic parameters and physical characteristics. After the literature was synthesized based around these key factors, two distinct cohorts (healthy and unhealthy) were highlighted. The healthy cohort of younger males with isolated systolic hypertension was associated with a decreased cardiovascular risk and therefore no medical interventions were recommended. The second (unhealthy) cohort was, however, associated with an increased cardiovascular risk and may therefore, benefit from antihypertensive therapy.
An application of the Marchenko internal multiple elimination scheme formulated as a least-squares problem
Authors: Santos Rodrigo S. , Revelo Daniel E. , Pestana Reynam C. , Koehne Victor , Barrera Diego F. , Souza Marcelo S. , Silva Anderson
Published: June 2021

Images produced by migration of seismic data related to complex geology are often contaminated by artifacts due to the presence of internal multiple reflections. These reflections are created when the seismic wave is reflected more than once in a source-receiver path and can be interpreted as the main coherent noise in seismic data. Several schemes have been developed to predict and subtract internal multiple reflections from measured data, such as the Marchenko multiple elimination (MME) scheme that eliminates the referred events without requiring a subsurface model or an adaptive subtraction approach. The MME scheme is data-driven, can remove or attenuate most of these internal multiples, and was originally based on the Neumann series solution of Marchenko’s projected equations. However, the Neumann series approximate solution is conditioned to a convergence criterion. We reformulate the MME as a least-squares problem (LSMME) in such a way that it can provide an alternative that avoids a convergence condition as required in the Neumann series approach. To demonstrate the LSMME scheme performance, we apply it to 2D numerical examples and compare the results with those obtained by the conventional MME scheme. In addition, we evaluate the successful application of our method through the generation of in-depth seismic images, by applying reverse time migration (RTM) to the original data set and to those obtained through MME and LSMME schemes. From the RTM results, we found that the application of both schemes on seismic data allows the construction of seismic images free of artifacts related to internal multiple events.
Cantil: a previously unreported organ in wild-type Arabidopsis regulated by FT, ERECTA and heterotrimeric G proteins
Authors: Gookin Timothy E. , Assmann Sarah M.
Published: June 2021

We describe a previously unreported macroscopic Arabidopsis organ, the cantil, named for its ‘cantilever’ function of holding the pedicel at a distance from the stem. Cantil development is strongest at the first nodes after the vegetative to reproductive inflorescence transition; cantil magnitude and frequency decrease acropetally. Cantils develop in wild-type Arabidopsis accessions (e.g. Col-0, Ws and Di-G) as a consequence of delayed flowering in short days; cantil formation is observed in long days when flowering is delayed by null mutation of the floral regulator FLOWERING LOCUS T. The receptor-like kinase ERECTA is a global positive regulator of cantil formation; therefore, cantils never form in the Arabidopsis strain Ler. ERECTA functions genetically upstream of heterotrimeric G proteins. Cantil expressivity is repressed by the specific heterotrimeric complex subunits GPA1, AGB1 and AGG3, which also play independent roles: GPA1 suppresses distal spurs at cantil termini, while AGB1 and AGG3 suppress ectopic epidermal rippling. These G protein mutant traits are recapitulated in long-day flowering gpa1-3 ft-10 plants, demonstrating that cantils, spurs and ectopic rippling occur as a function of delayed phase transition, rather than as a function of photoperiod per se.
Paternal MTHFR deficiency leads to hypomethylation of young retrotransposons and reproductive decline across two successive generations
Authors: Karahan Gurbet , Chan Donovan , Shirane Kenjiro , McClatchie Taylor , Janssen Sanne , Baltz Jay M. , Lorincz Matthew , Trasler Jacquetta
Published: June 2021

5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a crucial enzyme in the folate metabolic pathway with a key role in generating methyl groups. As MTHFR deficiency impacts male fertility and sperm DNA methylation, there is the potential for epimutations to be passed to the next generation. Here, we assessed whether the impact of MTHFR deficiency on testis morphology and sperm DNA methylation is exacerbated across generations in mouse. Although MTHFR deficiency in F1 fathers has only minor effects on sperm counts and testis weights and histology, F2 generation sons show further deterioration in reproductive parameters. Extensive loss of DNA methylation is observed in both F1 and F2 sperm, with >80% of sites shared between generations, suggestive of regions consistently susceptible to MTHFR deficiency. These regions are generally methylated during late embryonic germ cell development and are enriched in young retrotransposons. As retrotransposons are resistant to reprogramming of DNA methylation in embryonic germ cells, their hypomethylated state in the sperm of F1 males could contribute to the worsening reproductive phenotype observed in F2 MTHFR-deficient males, compatible with the intergenerational passage of epimutations.
The hammerhead self-cleaving motif as a precursor to complex endonucleolytic ribozymes
Authors: DasGupta Saurja , Nykiel Kamila , Piccirilli Joseph A.
Published: June 2021

Connections between distinct catalytic RNA motifs through networks of mutations that retain catalytic function (neutral networks) were likely central to the evolution of biocatalysis. Despite suggestions that functional RNAs collectively form an interconnected web of neutral networks, little evidence has emerged to demonstrate the existence of such intersecting networks in naturally occurring RNAs. Here we show that neutral networks of two naturally occurring, seemingly unrelated endonucleolytic ribozymes, the hammerhead (HH) and hairpin (HP), intersect. Sequences at the intersection of these networks exhibit catalytic functions corresponding to both ribozymes by potentially populating both catalytic folds and enable a smooth crossover between the two. Small and structurally simple endonucleolytic motifs like the HH ribozyme could, through mutational walks along their neutral networks, encounter novel catalytic phenotypes, and structurally flexible, bifunctional sequences at the intersection of these networks could have acted as nodes for evolutionary diversification in an RNA world. Considering the simplicity and small size of the HH ribozyme, we propose that this self-cleaving motif could have been a precursor to other more complex endonucleolytic ribozymes. More generally, our results suggest that RNAs that possess distinct sequences, structures, and catalytic functions, can potentially share evolutionary history through mutational connections in sequence space.
Η αστική ευθύνη των πυλωρών (“gatekeepers”) της κεφαλαιαγοράς έναντι των επενδυτών
Authors: Λερίου Ευάγγελος-Ευστάθιος
Published: June 2021

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή πραγματεύεται το ζήτημα της αστικής ευθύνης των πυλωρών της κεφαλαιαγοράς έναντι των επενδυτών. Η μελέτη περιλαμβάνει εισαγωγικό μέρος, στο οποίο περιγράφεται το γενικό πλαίσιο της κεφαλαιαγοράς και αναπτύσσεται η μεθοδολογία της διατριβής. Ακολουθούν πέντε κεφάλαια. Το πρώτο κεφάλαιο έχει ως αντικείμενο τον προσδιορισμό της έννοιας και των χαρακτηριστικών του πυλωρού. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο εξετάζονται συγκριτικά οι νομικές βάσεις της αστικής ευθύνης των πυλωρών. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο περιγράφεται το καθήκον επιμέλειας. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο αναλύονται ουσιαστικά και δικονομικά ζητήματα της ευθύνης των πυλωρών έναντι των επενδυτών, ενώ στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο εξετάζεται η αλληλεξάρτηση και η αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ περισσότερων πυλωρών. Η διατριβή ολοκληρώνεται με τη διατύπωση των τελικών παρατηρήσεων.
Θεραπευτική σχέση: δυναμικές αλληλεπιδράσεις και ο ρόλος του φύλου
Authors: Athanasiades Christina
Published: June 2021

The article emphasizes, first of all, the importance of various aspects of the psychotherapeutic relationship -such as the therapeutic alliance, the cooperation, the empathy, the goal agreement-, which have been proven to influence the therapeutic outcome and are consistently linked with the mental health improvement of the patient, regardless of the different theoretical conditions and principles of the psychotherapeutic approaches. On the other hand, it is recognized that identifying the quality characteristics that contribute to and influence the psychotherapeutic relationship and process is a difficult task, as it depends on the therapeutic boundaries of this relationship, the characteristics of the therapist, but also on factors related with the patient, such as his/her attitudes, expectations, motivations and commitment to a process of change. One element that seems to characterize the identity of each member individually, but also the dynamic processes of interaction between the therapeutic dyad, is gender. For this reason, the article underlines the importance of gender in shaping the communication and cooperation between therapists and patients, while stating also that awareness of the gender dynamics, in combination with other identity characteristics, is a prerequisite for an effective and ethical practice.
Η θεραπευτική σχέση στην κλινική και συμβουλευτική ψυχολογία
Authors: Kalantzi-Azizi Anastasia , Malikiosi-Loizos Maria
Published: June 2021

The introductory article of this special issue presents the therapeutic relationship in clinical and counseling psychology in order to highlight their similarities and their differences.  Initially, reference is made to the particular characteristics of the therapeutic relationship from the point of view of clinical psychology  followed by the specific characteristics of the therapeutic relationship as supported  by  counseling psychology. As can be seen from the position taken by both  authors,  recent developments in both applied fields show a gradual  convergence in terms of the psychotherapy followed. Although at the beginning their differences seemed very obvious, through the years and  their historical development, they have gradually faded away, allowing their similarities to stand out based on the philosophical movements, their theoretical views and their scientific interventions. The convergence of clinical and counseling psychology, in terms of the factors building the therapeutic relationship, emphasize their mutual acceptance of concepts, goals and processes.
Θεραπευτική σχέση και μακρόχρονη ομαδική συστημική ψυχοθεραπεία: μια ποιοτική προσέγγιση
Authors: Bafiti Tsabika
Published: June 2021

The therapeutic relationship has been highlighted as a major mechanism of therapeutic change in current literature. Existing research has focused on certain qualities of the therapist, such as empathy, acceptance and authenticity, as well as of the client, such as the quality of their interpersonal relationships and their expectations, which enhance the therapeutic alliance. Less is known about the importance of the therapeutic relationship in long-term systemic group therapy. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with clients who had completed long-term group therapy following an enriched systemic approach SANE - System Attachment Narrative Encephalon®. Participants were invited to talk about their personal experience of group therapy 2-8 years after its completion. Three higher order themes and six subthemes emerged related to the therapeutic relationship. The higher order themes are: (1) the role of the therapist; (2) the function of the therapist; (3) the qualities of the therapist. The subthemes are: 1.a) the therapist as a source of safety; 1.b) the therapist as a parental role model; 2.a) the expression of the therapist’s feelings; 2.b) the client’s transition from dependency to autonomy; 3.a) the therapist’s personality traits; 3.b) the therapist’s professional role fulfillment. The study aims to contribute to the bibliography of process research of long term group therapy from the clients’ perspective, in order to clarify the parameters of the therapeutic relationship the clients consider more important and helpful.
Usefulness of presepsin in predicting the prognosis of patients with sepsis or septic shock: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Koh Jeong Suk , Kim Yoon Joo , Kang Da Hyun , Lee Jeong Eun , Lee Song-I
Published: June 2021

Background: The diagnosis and prediction of prognosis are important in patients with sepsis, and presepsin is helpful. In this study, we aimed to examine the usefulness of presepsin in predicting the prognosis of sepsis in Korea.Methods: Patients diagnosed with sepsis according to the sepsis-3 criteria were recruited into the study and classified into surviving and non-surviving groups based on in-hospital mortality. A total of 153 patients (33 and 121 patients with sepsis and septic shock, respectively) were included from July 2019 to August 2020.Results: Among the 153 patients with sepsis, 91 and 62 were in the survivor and non-survivor groups, respectively. Presepsin (p=0.004) and lactate (p=0.003) levels and the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores (p<0.001) were higher in the non-survivor group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed poor performances of presepsin and lactate in predicting the prognosis of sepsis (presepsin: area under the curve [AUC]=0.656, p=0.001; lactate: AUC=0.646, p=0.003). The SOFA score showed the best performance, with the highest AUC value (AUC=0.751, p<0.001). The prognostic cutoff point for presepsin was 1,176 pg/mL. Presepsin levels of >1,176 pg/mL (odds ratio [OR], 3.352; p<0.001), lactate levels (OR, 1.203; p=0.003), and SOFA score (OR, 1.249; p<0.001) were risk factors for in-hospital mortality.Conclusion: Presepsin levels were higher in non-survivors than in survivors. Thus, presepsin may be a valuable biomarker in predicting the prognosis of sepsis.
La peau de Chagrin de Honoré de Balzac. Valores ideológico- culturales prototípicos del culturema literario. Estudio multilingüístico.
Authors: Luque Nadal Lucía
Published: June 2021

This paper describes how both idioms and culturemes can be used to describe ideological and prototypical schemes of a language and a culture. The use of idioms and culturemes also involves the assumption of pragmatic and semantic elements embedded in them. It is therefore necessary to explain how these elements behave in the creation of discourse. We analyze the ideological and cultural meanings of the expression “the wild ass’s skin” in several languages.
Historiografía y discurso verbo-visual en la Primer nueua corónica i buen gobierno de Guamán Poma de Ayala (1515-1516): la 1 Resumen: En el presente trabajo analizamos las correspondencias y disidencias entre el modelo historiográfico europeo y, concretam
Authors: Ortega Sánchez Delfín
Published: June 2021

En el presente trabajo analizamos las correspondencias y disidencias entre el modelo historiográfico europeo y, concretamente, el narrativo de la crónica de Indias, con el propuesto por Guamán Poma de Ayala en su Primer nueua corónica i buen gobierno. Concebida como discurso verbo-visual, la historia, hermanada con la retórica, absorbe la tradición historiográfica y la emblemática política del Viejo Mundo para configurar un discurso final desde la topología andina.
Blasting the continuum of history: Walter Benjamin’s “now-time” and the recovery of experience.
Authors: Torbidoni Juan Manuel
Published: June 2021

This paper analyses the concept of “nowtime” (Jetztzeit) in Walter Benjamin’s “On the concept of history.” It shows its centrality in Benjamin’s philosophy of history, by defining it in opposition to two elements of Kantian philosophy: on the one hand, “empty, homogeneous time,” on the other, the faith in the infinite, inevitable progress of a generic “mankind.” It argues that the notions of now-time and truth as flitting hark back to Benjamin’s early concern about the devaluation of experience in modern philosophy and the need to rescue the ephemeral as a decisive element in metaphysics. Rather than a historical category, now-time denotes an instance of redemption
El tartamudeo heideggeriano. Estrategias discursivas en “¿Qué es metafísica?” a la luz de la filosofía de Gilles Deleuze.
Authors: Belgrano Mateo
Published: June 2021

En este trabajo me propongo analizar las estrategias discursivas que Martin Heidegger lleva a cabo en sus conferencias, específicamente analizando frases oscuras y crípticas como “la nada nadea”. Se buscará demostrar que este tipo de sentencias herméticas no son un mero juego de palabras, sino que se originan en una estrategia discursiva: la de generar un espacio de pensamiento. Para demostrar esta hipótesis me concentraré, a modo de estudio de caso, en la conferencia “¿Qué es metafísica?” (1929). Ahora bien, Heidegger no explícita ni teoriza esta estrategia discursiva, por lo cual me serviré de las reflexiones de Gilles Deleuze sobre la escritura como marco interpretativo para analizar el proceder del filósofo alemán en sus conferencias.
Covid-19 in end-stage renal disease patients with renal replacement therapies: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Nopsopon Tanawin , Kittrakulrat Jathurong , Takkavatakarn Kullaya , Eiamsitrakoon Thanee , Kanjanabuch Talerngsak , Pongpirul Krit
Published: June 2021

Background

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, showed various prevalence and case-fatality rates (CFR) among patients with different pre-existing chronic conditions. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with renal replacement therapy (RRT) might have a higher prevalence and CFR due to reduced immune function from uremia and kidney tropism of SARS-CoV-2, but there was a lack of systematic study on the infection and mortality of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in ESRD patients with various RRT.

Methodology/Principal findings

We searched five electronic databases and performed a systematic review and meta-analysis up to June 30, 2020, to evaluate the prevalence and case fatality rate (CFR) of the COVID-19 infection among ESRD patients with RRT. The global COVID-19 data were retrieved from the international database on June 30, 2020, for estimating the prevalence and CFR of the general population as referencing points. Of 3,272 potential studies, 34 were eligible studies consisted of 1,944 COVID-19 confirmed cases in 21,873 ESRD patients with RRT from 12 countries in four WHO regions. The overall pooled prevalence in ESRD patients with RRT was 3.10% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–5.72] which was higher than referencing 0.14% global average prevalence. The overall estimated CFR of COVID-19 in ESRD patients with RRT was 18.06% (95% CI 14.09–22.32) which was higher than the global average at 4.98%.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggested high COVID-19 prevalence and CFR in ESRD patients with RRT. ESRD patients with RRT should have their specific protocol of COVID-19 prevention and treatment to mitigate excess cases and deaths.
El origen de las pirámides en el Protodinástico (C. 3200-3000 A. C.)
Authors: Sevilla Lara Dolores
Published: June 2021

La evolución del poder de la realeza del Egipcio Arcaico, ha sido reflejado en la construcción funeraria, pasando de simples hoyos revestidos de adobe, momentos en el que el Estado se está formando, hasta la culminación de los grandes complejos piramidales de piedra de la Dinastía III, como símbolo de estabilidad política. La tumba tinita real en forma de mastaba se va a desarrollar en las necrópolis de Abidos y Saqqara, yacimientos en los que se centra el artículo, donde pretendo desarrollar la evolución de las diferentes tumbas y recintos funerarios y concluir con su evolución hacia las construcciones de los primeros complejos piramidales en las que se van a ir desencadenando.
La interacción entre egipcios y nubios a finales del Reino Medio: del topos a la vida cotidiana
Authors: González-Tablas Nieto Javier
Published: June 2021

Una de las constantes en la iconografía egipcia de todos los periodos es la visión que los egipcios tenían del mundo que les rodeaba, y, sobre todo, de las gentes que lo habitaban. Dentro de esta visión, hay dos versiones radicalmente distintas. Por un lado, están los textos e imágenes oficiales, cargados de agresividad, y que niegan a los pueblos extranjeros su propia soberanía, ya que sus tierras pertenecían legítimamente al faraón. Pero, por otra parte, gracias a los hallazgos de algunos textos cotidianos y a los datos aportados por la arqueología, se puede vislumbrar lo que en realidad sucedía en las zonas de interacción pese a esta visión oficial. Un buen ejemplo de esta contradicción es el que se analizará en este artículo, la Baja Nubia, donde coincidieron en el espacio y el tiempo tres culturas: egipcios, el denominado como Grupo C y los medyaiu. A esto se le añade la frontera con Kerma, en la Alta Nubia, cultura en ascenso que en el II Periodo Intermedio llegó a dominar el sur de Egipto.
FRAILTY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC HIV-INFECTED WOMEN
Authors: YOUNG P. , SHAH J. , ZHANG C. , FERRIS D.C. , COLON I. , BUCOVSKY M. , PUNYANITYA M. , MCMAHON D.J. , SHANE E. , YIN M.T.
Published: June 2021

Studies suggest frailty occurs earlier in HIV-infected individuals, but data in postmenopausal HIV-infected women are lacking. We assessed the prevalence of frailty and association with anthropometric measures in HIV-infected and uninfected postmenopausal women. Fried’s frailty phenotype was measured in HIV-infected and uninfected Hispanic and African American postmenopausal women participating in a study of bone metabolism; fat and lean mass were measured by whole body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Multivariable logistic regression evaluated frailty risk factors. The study was conducted at Columbia University Medical Center between 2002 and 2007. The participants were 61 HIV-infected and 27 uninfected Hispanic and African American postmenopausal women. The study compared prevalence and predictors of frailty in HIV-infected and uninfected postmenopausal women. Prevalence of frailty tended to be higher among HIV-infected than uninfected controls (11.5% vs 0% p=0.07). Surprisingly, among HIV-infected women, total body fat, not lean mass, was associated with frailty in multivariate analysis. Higher prevalence of frailty in African American and Hispanic HIV-infected postmenopausal women (11.5%) was similar to the 11% prevalence reported in minority women who were 10 years older in the general population. Our data suggest that frailty occurs earlier in HIV-infected postmenopausal women, but larger longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm whether musculoskeletal aging is accelerated by HIV infection.
Ethnoarchaeological research on earthen buildings in Abruzzo
Authors: Shaffer Gary
Published: June 2021

In 2015 an ethnoarchaeological survey of standing earthen buildings took place near the city of Celano in central Italy's Abruzzo region. The study provided observations relevant to archaeologists interpreting earthen architectural remains in many areas of the world: insights on structural function and the longevity of such buildings.
Integrative Neuromuscular Training Enhances Physical Fitness in 6- to 14-Year-Old Rugby Players
Authors: Alonso-Aubin Diego A. , Picón-Martínez Moisés , Rebullido Tamara R. , Faigenbaum Avery D. , Cortell-Tormo Juan M. , Chulvi-Medrano Iván
Published: June 2021

Alonso-Aubin, DA, Picón-Martínez, M, Rebullido, TR, Faigenbaum, AD, Cortell-Tormo, JM, and Chulvi-Medrano, I. Integrative neuromuscular training enhances physical fitness in 6- to 14-year-old rugby players. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2263–2271, 2021—The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an 8-week integrative neuromuscular training (INT) program on physical fitness measures in young rugby players. A sample of 138 male rugby players (age range, 6–14 years) was divided into 5 age-related groups: group 1 (G1) (n = 20; age, 7.05 ± 0.58), group 2 (G2) (n = 27; age, 8.57 ± 0.49), group 3 (G3) (n = 31; age, 11.02 ± 0.56), group 4 (G4) (n = 33; age, 13.12 ± 0.58, and group 5 (G5) (n = 27; age, 14.85 ± 1.53 and additionally into 2 game position groups: forwards (FOR) (n = 69) and backs (BAC) (n = 69). Physical fitness measures included the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), dominant and nondominant hand-to-eye coordination, sprint capacity, core muscular endurance, and lower- and upper-body power. Integrative neuromuscular training (INT) included progressive strength, coordination, and speed exercises performed twice per week for 20 minutes. Following INT, significant improvements in selected age-related groups (p < 0.01) were found in total FMS score G3 (effect size [ES] = 0.47), G4 (ES = 0.88), and G5 (ES = 0.58); dominant hand-to-eye coordination G1 (ES = 1.48), G2 (ES = 0.71), G3 (ES = 0.55), G4 (ES = 1.47), and G5 (ES = 1.15), nondominant hand-to-eye coordination G2 (ES = 0.74), G4 (ES = 1.34), and G5 (ES = 1.09); lower-body power G2 (ES = 0.44), G4 (ES = 0.39), and G5 (ES = 0.43); core muscular endurance G1 (ES = 0.82), G3 (ES = 0.68), and G4 (ES = 1.04); upper-body power G2 (ES = 0.53); and sprint capacity G4 (ES = 0.69). Significant improvements were also found between player's positions for all tests. These findings indicate that a progressive INT program can enhance functional movement abilities and selected physical fitness measures in young rugby players regardless of game position and age.
Accelerated UV Aging of a Wax-Based Binder Used in Synthetic Granular Composite Equine Sports Surfaces
Authors: Bridge John W. , Yeung Cham Hang , Dempsey Kaleb M. , Yoshizumi Devin A. , Weisshaupt Kristofer S.
Published: June 2021

A series of controlled ultraviolet (UV) exposure tests were conducted on a virgin high-oil content, paraffin-based wax binder used in an operational US Thoroughbred horse racetrack to simulate multiyear outside exposure. This type of hydrocarbon binder is commonly used in synthetic granular composite surfaces used in North American Thoroughbred horse racetracks and other equine sports surfaces. The binder coats the sand, fiber, and rubber particulate that make up the surface. Previous research on this binder, extracted yearly from the same racetrack over a six-year period, showed that environmental oxidation increased steadily (no material was added to the surface during this period). Chemical and compositional changes to the binder have been shown to affect the mechanical performance of the overall surface, which may impact the safety of both horse and jockey/rider. The results of this study demonstrate that two days of accelerated aging in the laboratory using a UV-modified convective furnace generates binder oxidation consistent with six years of natural environmental exposure. The increase in oxidation over time, determined using the 1,700 cm−1 carbonyl absorption peak in the infrared absorption spectrum, was found to be linear in nature, thus giving a practical method to correlate aging over time with other synthetic racetrack surfaces and associated wax-based binders. Results were substantiated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, with supporting data from differential scanning calorimetry, and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection.
The Technology of Differentiated Instruction in Text Programming in Elementary School Based on the Website dl.gsu.by
Authors: DOLINSKY Michael , DOLINSKAYA Mariya
Published: June 2021

The technology of teaching text-based programming on the basis of the website DL.GSU.BY is described. The main advantages of the technology include: “zero entry threshold”, training adapted to the pupil, many years of practical experience, effectiveness and scalability
Consensus Algorithms for Highly Efficient, Decentralized, and Secure Blockchains
Authors: ESTEVEZ Diego I.
Published: June 2021

This paper about blockchain technology introduces its theory, implementation, and applications while focusing on the types of consensus algorithms. The methodology is linguistic and consists of a comparative analysis of the most popular algorithms. This paper is part of a broader effort to make these concepts more accessible and help develop an environment where students can grow and be part of this technological revolution.
Students with a background in algorithmic programming are uniquely suited to tackle highly impactful questions about the algorithms underpinning blockchains. After reading this paper, students should be able to build their own implementation of a blockchain and start doing research into this technology.