bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motives for using new psychoactive substances in three groups of Polish users: nightlife, marginalised and active on the In
Authors: Wieczorek Łukasz , Dąbrowska Katarzyna , Bujalski Michał
Published: July 2022

Cel pracy

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie motywów używania nowych substancji psychoaktywnych (NSP) przez użytkowników w Polsce oraz ocena związków między motywami a konsumpcją różnych typów NSP.

Metoda

Badania prowadzono w 4 lokalizacjach: Warszawie, Krakowie, Poznaniu i Trójmieście. Wzięło w nich udział łącznie 596 użytkowników nowych substancji psychoaktywnych. Wśród nich znaleźli się uczestnicy imprez używający NSP rekreacyjnie (N=172), użytkownicy zmarginalizowani (N=86) oraz użytkownicy aktywni w internecie (N=338). Techniką wykorzystaną w badaniu była ankieta do samodzielnego wypełnienia.

Wyniki

W ocenie ogółu respondentów, chęć poprawy samopoczucia była najczęściej wskazywanym motywem używania NSP. Wśród uczestników imprez NSP były najczęściej używane w celu lepszej zabawy. Wśród użytkowników zmarginalizowanych najczęstszym motywem używania nowych substancji psychoaktywnych była chęć odurzenia się, należąca do grupy motywów związanych z poprawą samopoczucia. W grupie osób aktywnych w internecie najczęstszym motywem ich używania były te z związane z rozwojem.

Wnioski

Identyfikacja motywów używania nowych substancji psychoaktywnych, którymi kierują się użytkownicy może przyczynić się do ograniczenia używania NSP. Użytkownicy rekreacyjni i zmarginalizowani kierują się innymi motywami przy używaniu substancji. Podobnie w przypadku używania poszczególnych NSP. Motywy ich używania są niejednorodne. Tym samym działania profilaktyczne, edukacyjne i lecznicze, powinny być odpowiednio dostosowane do grupy użytkowników oraz do substancji, których używają.
Adaptation and validation of Polish Version of Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL-48) by M.M. Linehan et al.
Authors: Siewierska Joanna , Chodkiewicz Jan
Published: July 2022

Cel pracy

Celem pracy było opracowanie polskiej wersji Skali Powodów do Życia (Reasons for Living Inventory, RFL-48) M.Linehan i wsp. Kwestionariusz jest narzędziem samoopisowym, przeznaczonym do pomiaru czynników chroniących przed popełnieniem samobójstwa. Wyróżniono w nim czynniki: przekonanie o umiejętności radzenia sobie, poczucie odpowiedzialności wobec rodziny, lęk przed samobójstwem, wątpliwości moralne, lęk przed dezaprobatą społeczną, obawy związane z dziećmi.

Metoda

Badania przeprowadzono z udziałem osób z grupy nieklinicznej, do której zakwalifikowano 431 osób dorosłych (236 kobiet i 195 mężczyzn) z różnych regionów Polski, w wieku 18-65 lat (średni wiek 33 lata). W badaniu wykorzystano również Inwentarz Depresji Becka (BDI), Zrewidowany Kwestionariusz Zachowań Samobójczych (SBQ-R) oraz Skalę Orientacji Pozytywnej (Skala P).

Wyniki

Eksploracyjna i konfirmacyjna analiza czynnikowa potwierdziły założoną, sześciowymiarową strukturę kwestionariusza. Współczynnik alfa Cronbacha wahał się od 0,70 (lęk przed samobójstwem) do 0,95 (przekonanie o umiejętności radzenia sobie). Wielkość współczynnika alfa dla całej skali wyniosła 0,92.

Wnioski

Wyniki wskazują, że polska wersja Kwestionariusza RFL-48 Linehan i wsp. ma zadawalające właściwości psychometryczne. Kwestionariusz może być stosowany zarówno w badaniach naukowych, jak i w praktyce klinicznej.
Horserace Betting Levy Board: codes of practice update
Authors: Coman Denis
Published: July 2022

This article summarises the main updates to the Horserace Betting Levy Board codes of practice for 2022. The main points discussed include: the addition of a section on preparation of mares for covering in response to mares being presented with polymerase chain reaction tests for contagious equine metritis only, without appropriate gynaecological preparation and bacteriology; a clarification regarding the swabbing of at-risk or suspected horses for contagious equine metritis; a revision to the guidelines for strangles, highlighting the fact that negative serology tests do not always guarantee absence of the carrier state of strangles; new guidelines on piroplasmosis and the significance of the disease in the UK; an update to the equine influenza vaccine requirements; and the clarification regarding the diagnosis of West Nile fever and the potential significance of the disease to the UK. The importance of constant vigilance regarding infectious diseases and adherence to strict biosecurity protocols is highlighted and the threat of exotic diseases, which could potentially emerge in the UK, is briefly discussed.
Virome against Enteropathogens Present in Ganges Water
Authors: Giri Nabanita
Published: July 2022

The Ganges is home to a high variety of microorganisms, both beneficial and harmful. Anthropogenic activities cause depletion in microbial communities at urban sites of river Ganga. From the ancient period, it is believed that purification of Ganges Water does not possible after long storage and so it can be used frequently for cooking, drinking, or bathing purposes. About 200 years ago, British colonial scientists suggested that Ganga may contain unique microbial life, which makes it relatively more resilient to putrefaction. That unique microbial life is the virome. The presence of various kinds of viruses gives Ganga its self-purificatory property.
Gene-Specific Drug Delivery System: An Art of War
Authors: Saudagar Neetu R. , Boraste Sahebrao S. , Shinkar Dattatray M. , Pingale Prashant L. , Amrutkar Sunil V.
Published: July 2022

Drug delivery key research aim is to support patients by designing clinically effective formulations. Drug delivery systems can enhance the treatment of a variety of diseases, including microbes’ infections, and cancers. Drug delivery systems preparation methods, on the other hand, remain difficult, particularly at the microscale. Some of the necessary criteria for speeding the transformation of drug delivery systems from a limited scale to an enormous scale include reducing batch-to-batch variance and increasing production volume. Gene-specific drug delivery system has a bright future as a preventive solution to severe diseases and has developed as an influential tool in recent years as a unique technology for disease management. Gene silencing, protein expression, or gene repair may be used to cure perhaps every illness with a gene-specific delivery system. The genetic material must be paired with a delivery additive to successfully transfer the nucleic acid payload to its target tissue. There are various non-viral and viral vectors involved along with the different mechanisms of gene entry into a cell which is discussed in this article. This review highlights that the gene-specific drug delivery system has vast scope in therapy and can prove advantageous over other therapies, because it includes several carriers and different methods of plasma membrane permeation. Very interestingly, it also includes various applications of the gene-specific drug delivery system in several diseases and recent trends in the Coronavirus vaccine.
Electrospun Collagen Based Nanofibrous Mats for Wound Healing: An Integrative Review
Authors: Kulkarni Mugdha A. , R. Gangal Anoushka , Khare Sameeha S. , Mundada Harshal G. , Gawade Ashwini R. , R. Pujari Rohini
Published: July 2022

Wound healing has always been an important issue that needs to be addressed, especially where second-and third-degree burns are considered. These types of burns extend to the dermis in second-degree burns and the tissues in third-degree burns and this process is extremely slow. Hypertrophic scarring and infection which are caused due to decreased immunity are some of the obstacles that need to be tackled. Recent studies show that fish collagen is useful in preventing infections due to its natural antimicrobial properties. Increased cellular respiration, exudate removal and retention of moisture are a few events that promote wound healing and these are aided by electrospun nanofibrous mats. Combining the properties of collagen into the nanofibrous mats in order to facilitate wound healing can potentially serve as an alternative to the current wound healing therapies. This article covers the various types of collagen that can be used with a focus on the synthetic polymeric blending into the collagen structures and its electrospinning process.
Acción colectiva feminista y sus repertorios: de calles y hashtags.
Authors: Moreno Cecilia , Villarroya Planas Anna , Vergés Bosch Nuria
Published: July 2022

Este artículo presenta una revisión de la literatura en torno a las acciones colectivas y los repertorios de acción de movimientos feministas. El objetivo es conocer el estado del arte y reflexionar sobre las potencialidades que estas categorías analíticas aportan al estudio de las distintas expresiones del movimiento feminista en el contexto actual. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una revisión sistematizada de la literatura publicada entre 1994 y 2020 en torno a los repertorios de acción colectiva feminista en la base de datos Web of Science. A partir de una selección final de 63 artículos, los principales resultados de la investigación revelan el fenómeno de la transnacionalización y las alianzas transfronterizas entre activistas feministas; la relevancia de los feminismos del Sur Global; la relación bidireccional que se produce entre el activismo feminista y el activismo en espacios digitales, así como la incorporación de la epistemología feminista en el estudio de este fenómeno.
Conocimiento y comportamiento de progenitores españoles en Redes Sociales en relación a los menores. Diseño y aplicación de un cuestionario
Authors: Salcines-Talledo Irina , Ramírez-García Antonia , González-Fernández Natalia
Published: July 2022

Las Redes Sociales han impactado como plataformas para la comunicación y el intercambio de información, afectando a todas las personas e instituciones, como la familia.  Los jóvenes son los más activos en las citadas redes asumiendo mayores riesgos. No obstante, en ocasiones, son los progenitores los que realizan una sobre-exposición en RRSS de los menores, sin su consentimiento, poniendo en riesgo su privacidad. Este artículo presenta una investigación cuantitativa de carácter descriptivo y correlacional que recoge el proceso de validación de un cuestionario inédito destinado a recabar información sobre el conocimiento y el comportamiento de los progenitores en YouTube e Instagram en relación a los menores e, igualmente, se analizan los primeros resultados de la aplicación piloto de la herramienta. El cuestionario presenta una buena validez y fiabilidad. Los principales resultados señalan que los progenitores tienen conocimiento sobre la normativa legal y no publican frecuentemente contenidos de los menores en las RRSS y, cuando lo hacen, tratan de evitar la presentación de datos identificativos, sin embargo, sí permiten que se les vea la cara. Se confirma la necesidad de continuar investigando y emprendiendo acciones formativas dirigidas a familias sobre la necesidad de protección de los menores en las redes.
Addressing Digital Divide through Digital Literacy Training Programs: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Choudhary Heena , Bansal Nidhi
Published: July 2022

Digital literacy training programs (DLTPs) are influential in developing digital skills to help build a more inclusive and participatory ecosystem. This study presents a review of 86 studies related to DLTPs for marginalised populations in developed and developing countries. It aims to understand (a) the profile of DLTPs, (b) the digital competences incorporated in the training curriculum and (c) tangible outcomes of Internet use post-training. The review indicated that developed countries focus more upon developing digital literacy in elderly populations. In contrast, the focus still lies in developing digital literacy among people with low skills and education levels in developing countries. The training curriculums focus mainly on developing information-seeking and communication competencies, besides the basic operations of digital devices. Most of the studies reported an increase in the personal-level outcomes around health, leisure and self-actualisation achieved post-training. This study can help policymakers, practitioners, and educational researchers improve the scope and quality of educational programs and contribute to people's digital empowerment and well-being.
Entrenamiento Basado en Realidad Aumentada para Mejorar las Habilidades Espaciales y la Consiguiente Mejora del Rendimiento Académico en Estudiantes de Ingeniería
Authors: Gómez Tone Hugo , Martin-Gutierrez Jorge , Valencia-Anci Betty
Published: July 2022

Se ha demostrado que la Habilidad Espacial es un atributo y característica importante que toda persona interesada en la Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas (STEM) debe tener, pero además que tiene una relación directa con la tasa de éxito de los estudiantes universitarios en el primer año de ingeniería. El propósito de esta investigación es analizar los niveles de Habilidad Espacial que tienen los estudiantes de primer año de Ingeniería Civil de una universidad peruana y determinar la mejora de estos niveles a través de un entrenamiento corto basado en Realidad Aumentada (RA) y compararlo con el rendimiento académico. Se reclutaron 62 estudiantes de un total de 134 y el grupo experimental y el de control tuvieron 31 estudiantes cada uno. Se consideraron los componentes de Relaciones Espaciales y Visualización Espacial para ser medidos con el Test de Rotación Mental y el Test de Aptitud Diferencial. Para medir el rendimiento académico, se utilizó los datos de las calificaciones de cuatro asignaturas. Tras el entrenamiento, se evidenció una mejora estadísticamente significativa en los niveles de Habilidad Espacial del grupo experimental y en el rendimiento académico. La conclusión es que un entrenamiento corto y específico basado en RA no sólo mejora las Habilidades Espaciales, sino que también mejora el rendimiento académico
Los recursos educativos digitales en educación infantil.
Authors: Marín Suelves Diana , Becerra Brito Cecilia Verónica , Rego Agraso Laura
Published: July 2022

El impacto de las tecnologías en la población infantil de 3 a 6 años es evidente tanto en el contexto familiar como el educativo, donde los docentes asumen un rol fundamental en la selección, uso y creación de recursos didácticos digitales. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar las visiones del profesorado sobre los usos didácticos y organizativos de la tecnología en general y de los Recursos Educativos Digitales en particular, y la valoración tras su introducción y puesta en práctica en la etapa de Educación Infantil. En este estudio de corte cualitativo se empleó como instrumento de recogida de la información una entrevista semiestructurada a un total de 15 docentes que desempeñan su labor en el segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil en la Comunidad de Valencia, Canarias y Galicia. Los resultados muestran desacuerdos y acuerdos entre el profesorado, independientemente de la Comunidad, en cuanto a las diferencias percibidas en el uso de tecnologías por los más pequeños en los dos contextos de socialización primaria, escuela y hogar; la identificación de los factores que limitan o impulsan la integración de las tecnologías en el aula y la valoración de los recursos educativos digitales como elemento motivador en el proceso de enseñanza/aprendizaje, pero que conviven con recursos manipulativos  en entornos híbridos. En definitiva, el proceso de transformación digital de las escuelas parece ir por detrás de la realidad social y depende en gran medida de las características de cada centro, así como de la formación y las actitudes de los docentes frente al uso de tecnologías en la primera infancia.
La variabilidad neuronal y el diseño universal para el aprendizaje (DUA)
Authors: Ferrer Escartín Esther
Published: July 2022

La diversidad en el aula se explica por la singularidad de cada individuo. Cada cerebro es singular y eso genera diferencias en cuanto a ritmos, procesos, necesidades, motivaciones, capacidades, etc. La singularidad del cerebro es uno de los siete principios del aprendizaje de la OCDE (1) y uno de los temas abordados por la neurociencia. Tokuhama (2), profesora de la Universidad de Harvard, explica que “los cerebros humanos son tan únicos como las caras humanas. Mientras que la estructura básica de la mayoría de los cerebros humanos es la misma (partes similares en regiones similares), no hay dos cerebros idénticos. El genotipo único de cada persona se combina con experiencias de vida para dar forma a los caminos neuronales”. Otro de los principios universales aceptados sobre el cerebro es su plasticidad. La neurociencia ha demostrado que el cerebro es tremendamente adaptable. En consecuencia, puede reorganizarse funcional y estructuralmente, así como crear nuevas conexiones a través de los aprendizajes. “Situar al alumno en el centro del proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje como eje vehicular, partiendo de sus conocimientos previos, utilizando, además, actividades atractivas para sus intereses ayudará a que sus aprendizajes sean potencialmente significativos y se logre una mayor implicación en el proceso.” (3) El conocimiento de las diferencias que existen entre los cerebros de un grupo-clase nos permite utilizar los mejores recursos en cada caso para potenciar la neuroplasticidad y mejorar sus procesos de aprendizaje. En general, nuestro sistema educativo parte de la idea de grupos homogéneos, considerando la diversidad como la excepción dentro de la normalidad. Sin embargo, si partimos de la existencia de cerebros diferentes y diseñamos el contexto, eliminando las barreras que el alumnado puede encontrar, por su diversidad, el proceso se facilita y resulta accesible a todas las personas.
Diseño universal para el aprendizaje y neuroeducación
Authors: Elizondo Carmona Coral
Published: July 2022

El diseño universal para el aprendizaje es un marco educativo que guía el diseño de métodos, materiales y entornos flexibles que minimizan las barreras al aprendizaje. Está formado por pautas y puntos de verificación que ofrecen propuestas para un diseño universal que logre el aprendizaje experto para todos. Estas pautas y puntos de verificación se organizan en torno a la neurociencia y la psicología cognitiva, lo cual permite aportaciones a la educación desde un estudio transdisciplinar.
Repensar la relación entre consenso y disenso ante el «momento populista». Un reto democrático
Authors: Sierra Zapirain Galder
Published: July 2022

Las democracias se han definido como los sistemas políticos que mejor han sabido conjugar un nivel de consenso sobre un orden social determinado, con una capacidad de disenso que garantizase el pluralismo de las mismas. En este artículo se hará una relectura crítica de algunas de las principales corrientes democráticas ante este complicado equilibrio: desde los postulados clásicos de liberales y republicanos, a las teorías antagonistas de segunda mitad del siglo XX. Esta discusión se encuentra hoy frente a un nuevo reto por la emergencia del llamado «momento populista», y la posibilidad de que el disenso asociado a él desborde los consensos democráticos vigentes. En este sentido, se realizará una aproximación a la relación entre democracia y populismo desde enfoques postestructuralistas como el de Benjamin Arditi, para intentar repensar la relación entre ambas, entendiendo el populismo como periferia difusa de la democracia.
Ética de las migraciones, fronteras y movilidad humana
Authors: Niño Arnaiz Borja
Published: July 2022

Las nuevas dinámicas fronterizas y los diversos patrones de movilidad humana cuestionan algunos de los presupuestos básicos de la filosofía política. Estos cambios obligan a replantearnos las bases de la ética de las migraciones, superando la concepción estática y territorial clásica propias del nacionalismo metodológico e incorporando las aportaciones de otras disciplinas como los border studies. A partir de un análisis crítico del régimen fronterizo contemporáneo, el artículo identifica los principales desafíos y limitaciones a los que se enfrenta la ética de las migraciones. Por último, se reivindica la necesidad de trascender el plano teórico para centrarse en situaciones concretas no ideales, ya que sólo así podremos dar respuesta a algunos de los desafíos éticos más apremiantes que nos plantea la gobernanza de las migraciones.
Hierarchical photoelectric hybrid packet switching network for high-performance computing
Authors: Pei Bing-Xi , Xu Shi , Luo Zhang , Wang Qin , Lai Ming-Che , He Wei-Feng
Published: July 2022

This paper proposes a hierarchical photoelectric network with an electrical and optical interleaved packet switching scheme for low latency as well as high throughput in high-performance computing systems. To reduce the overhead of electrical plane or preconfiguration structure adopted in conventional optical networks, what we believe to be a novel electrical switch architecture is proposed to perform route computation for both electrical and optical switches simultaneously. Moreover, a fine-grained flow control mechanism is presented to prevent packet drop and improve link utilization. Based on the developed discrete-event simulator with non-permutation, bit permutation, and digit permutation traffic patterns, experimental results show that the proposed network achieves latency and throughput improvements from 2.3% to 17.3% and

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0.01
%

to 4.7%, respectively. Furthermore, we extend the proposed network with a multilayer electrical and optical interleaved scheme. The multilayer interleaved scheme achieves up to 32.5% latency reduction and 9.6% throughput improvement.
Slow optical vortices in multicoil fiber resonators
Authors: Alexeyev C. N. , Aliyeva S. S. , Barshak E. V. , Lapin B. P. , Yavorsky M. A.
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we theoretically study the transmission of optical vortices (OVs) through a uniform N-turn coil of a multimode fiber. We suggest a scalar-approximation treatment based on coupled mode equations in slow amplitudes and study transformations of OVs and their orbital angular momentum (OAM) in such fiber resonators. We show that such resonators may exert super-efficient parametric control over the topological charge and OAM of the outcoming optical field. We study group delay time for transmitted OVs and show the possibility to implement on the basis of such coil resonators the delay lines for OAM light beams. This property is potentially important for optical fiber OAM communications.
Ultrasound-guided adaptive photoacoustic tomography
Authors: Zhao Yiwu , Zhang Chenxi , Liu Songde , Tian Chao
Published: July 2022

Image formation in photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is generally based on the assumption that biological tissues are acoustically homogeneous. However, this does not hold, especially when strongly heterogeneous tissues, such as bones and air cavities, are present. Tissue heterogeneity can cause acoustic reflection, refraction, and scattering at interfaces, which may create distortions and artifacts in final images. To mitigate this problem, we propose an adaptive photoacoustic (PA) image reconstruction method based on prior structural information of an acoustically heterogeneous region extracted from ultrasound images. The method works in three steps: acoustic heterogeneity identification via ultrasound imaging; acoustically heterogeneous region segmentation; and adaptive time-domain raw data truncation and image reconstruction. The data truncation is based on a variable cutoff time, which can be adaptively determined according to the relative position of a transducer and an acoustically heterogeneous region. Numerical and in vivo experimental imaging results of human fingers demonstrate that the proposed ultrasound-guided adaptive image reconstruction method can effectively suppress acoustic heterogeneity-induced artifacts and substantially improve image quality. This work provides a practical way to mitigate the influence of acoustic heterogeneity in PAT.
What are housekeeping genes?
Authors: Joshi Chintan J. , Ke Wenfan , Drangowska-Way Anna , O’Rourke Eyleen J. , Lewis Nathan E.
Published: July 2022

The concept of “housekeeping gene” has been used for four decades but remains loosely defined. Housekeeping genes are commonly described as “essential for cellular existence regardless of their specific function in the tissue or organism”, and “stably expressed irrespective of tissue type, developmental stage, cell cycle state, or external signal”. However, experimental support for the tenet that gene essentiality is linked to stable expression across cell types, conditions, and organisms has been limited. Here we use genome-scale functional genomic screens together with bulk and single-cell sequencing technologies to test this link and optimize a quantitative and experimentally validated definition of housekeeping gene. Using the optimized definition, we identify, characterize, and provide as resources, housekeeping gene lists extracted from several human datasets, and 10 other animal species that include primates, chicken, and C. elegans. We find that stably expressed genes are not necessarily essential, and that the individual genes that are essential and stably expressed can considerably differ across organisms; yet the pathways enriched among these genes are conserved. Further, the level of conservation of housekeeping genes across the analyzed organisms captures their taxonomic groups, showing evolutionary relevance for our definition. Therefore, we present a quantitative and experimentally supported definition of housekeeping genes that can contribute to better understanding of their unique biological and evolutionary characteristics.
Immune and endothelial activation markers and risk stratification of childhood pneumonia in Uganda: A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study
Authors: McDonald Chloe R. , Leligdowicz Aleksandra , Conroy Andrea L. , Weckman Andrea M. , Richard-Greenblatt Melissa , Ngai Michelle , Erice Clara , Zhong Kathleen , Namasopo Sophie , Opoka Robert O. , Hawkes Michael T. , Kain Kevin C.
Published: July 2022

Background

Despite the global burden of pneumonia, reliable triage tools to identify children in low-resource settings at risk of severe and fatal respiratory tract infection are lacking. This study assessed the ability of circulating host markers of immune and endothelial activation quantified at presentation, relative to currently used clinical measures of disease severity, to identify children with pneumonia who are at risk of death.

Methods and findings

We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of children aged 2 to 59 months presenting to the Jinja Regional Hospital in Jinja, Uganda between February 2012 and August 2013, who met the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) diagnostic criteria for pneumonia. Circulating plasma markers of immune (IL-6, IL-8, CXCL-10/IP-10, CHI3L1, sTNFR1, and sTREM-1) and endothelial (sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, Angpt-1, Angpt-2, and sFlt-1) activation measured at hospital presentation were compared to lactate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) with a primary outcome of predicting 48-hour mortality. Of 805 children with IMCI pneumonia, 616 had severe pneumonia. Compared to 10 other immune and endothelial activation markers, sTREM-1 levels at presentation had the best predictive accuracy in identifying 48-hour mortality for children with pneumonia (AUROC 0.885, 95% CI 0.841 to 0.928; p = 0.03 to p < 0.001) and severe pneumonia (AUROC 0.870, 95% CI 0.824 to 0.916; p = 0.04 to p < 0.001). sTREM-1 was more strongly associated with 48-hour mortality than lactate (AUROC 0.745, 95% CI 0.664 to 0.826; p < 0.001), respiratory rate (AUROC 0.615, 95% CI 0.528 to 0.702; p < 0.001), oxygen saturation (AUROC 0.685, 95% CI 0.594 to 0.776; p = 0.002), PCT (AUROC 0.650, 95% CI 0.566 to 0.734; p < 0.001), and CRP (AUROC 0.562, 95% CI 0.472 to 0.653; p < 0.001) in cases of pneumonia and severe pneumonia. The main limitation of this study was the unavailability of radiographic imaging.

Conclusions

In this cohort of Ugandan children, sTREM-1 measured at hospital presentation was a significantly better indicator of 48-hour mortality risk than other common approaches to risk stratify children with pneumonia. Measuring sTREM-1 at clinical presentation may improve the early triage, management, and outcome of children with pneumonia at risk of death.

Trial registration

The trial was registered at clinicaltrial.gov (NCT 04726826).
Characteristics of mental health stability during COVID-19: An online survey with people residing in a city region of the North West of England
Authors: Ujhelyi Gomez Katalin , Corcoran Rhiannon , Ring Adele , Hassan Shaima , Abba Katherine , Downing Jennifer , Goodall Mark , Gabbay Mark , Clarke Pam , Moran Paul , OBE Dorcas Akeju , Bennett Kate M.
Published: July 2022

Background and aim

Despite the significant mental health challenges the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated government measures have presented, research has shown that the majority of people have adapted and coped well. The aim of this study was i) to determine the proportion of people with mental stability and volatility during the pandemic in a North West England city region sample and ii) to establish group differences in psychosocial variables. Mental stability and volatility refer to the extent to which individuals reported change in levels of common mental health symptoms over the course of 12 weeks. No change in mental health over the 12 weeks reflected mental stability whilst change in mental health reflected mental volatility.

Method

A two-wave-online survey (N = 163) was used to explore the psychological and social impact of the pandemic on relatively disadvantaged neighbourhoods within the region. The data collected represents 12 weeks of individual pandemic experience between mid-June and mid-December 2020. A three-level composite common mental health change variable was created combining self-reported anxiety and depression to group stable, volatile, and very volatile individuals in terms of the changeability of their mental health. Kruskal-Wallis with post-hoc tests were used to determine how people with mental stability and volatility differed on factors categorised within an ecological framework of resilience (individual, community, societal, and COVID-19 specific).

Results

Individuals categorised as ‘stable’ in terms of mental health symptoms (63.6%) had better mental and physical health; were more tolerant of uncertainty; and reported higher levels of resilience and wellbeing compared to ‘very volatile’ people (19.8%). These individuals also reported feeling less socially isolated, experienced a greater sense of belonging to their community which was more likely to fulfil their needs, and were more likely to have access to green space nearby for their recommended daily exercise. ‘Stable’ individuals did not report worrying any more during the pandemic than usual and tolerated uncertainty better compared to those in the ‘volatile’ group.

Implications

The majority of participants in this sample were mentally stable and coping well with the challenges presented by the pandemic. The resilience of these individuals was related to key place-based factors such as a strong sense of community and useable local assets. The data showcase the role of place-based social determinants in supporting resilience and thereby highlight key preventative measures for public mental health during times of international crisis.
Clinical validation and utility of Percepta GSC for the evaluation of lung cancer
Authors: Mazzone Peter , Dotson Travis , Wahidi Momen M. , Bernstein Michael , Lee Hans J. , Feller Kopman David , Yarmus Lonny , Whitney Duncan , Stevenson Christopher , Qu Jianghan , Johnson Marla , Walsh P. Sean , Huang Jing , Lofaro Lori R. , Bhorade Sangeeta M. , Kennedy Giulia C. , Spira Avrum , Rivera M. Patricia ,   The AEGIS Study Team,   The Percepta Registry Investigators
Published: July 2022

The Percepta Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) was developed to up-classify as well as down-classify the risk of malignancy for lung lesions when bronchoscopy is non-diagnostic. We evaluated the performance of Percepta GSC in risk re-classification of indeterminate lung lesions. This multicenter study included individuals who currently or formerly smoked undergoing bronchoscopy for suspected lung cancer from the AEGIS I/ II cohorts and the Percepta Registry. The classifier was measured in normal-appearing bronchial epithelium from bronchial brushings. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated using predefined thresholds. The ability of the classifier to decrease unnecessary invasive procedures was estimated. A set of 412 patients were included in the validation (prevalence of malignancy was 39.6%). Overall, 29% of intermediate-risk lung lesions were down-classified to low-risk with a 91.0% negative predictive value (NPV) and 12.2% of intermediate-risk lesions were up-classified to high-risk with a 65.4% positive predictive value (PPV). In addition, 54.5% of low-risk lesions were down-classified to very low risk with >99% NPV and 27.3% of high-risk lesions were up-classified to very high risk with a 91.5% PPV. If the classifier results were used in nodule management, 50% of patients with benign lesions and 29% of patients with malignant lesions undergoing additional invasive procedures could have avoided these procedures. The Percepta GSC is highly accurate as both a rule-out and rule-in test. This high accuracy of risk re-classification may lead to improved management of lung lesions.
Darwin’s tales–A content analysis of how evolution is presented in children’s books
Authors: Adler Isabell K. , Fiedler Daniela , Harms Ute
Published: July 2022

In science, certain theories led to a paradigm shift in human being’s approach to explain nature, such as the theory of relativity, the quantum theory, and the theory of evolution. The latter explains the emergence of biodiversity on Earth and all living beings’ relatedness, including humans. Accordingly, evolutionary theory is a central part of scientific literacy. However, scholars have demonstrated that misconceptions emerging in childhood hinder learners from grasping evolutionary processes. Implementing evolution in early science education could enhance scientific ideas as a basis for subsequent learning at school. Currently, children’s literature that deals with evolution is increasing and may enable more children to encounter evolutionary theory before entering school. This explorative study aimed to analyze how children’s books about evolution approach explaining this complex topic to young children in terms of covered contents, underlying concepts and use of language. We conducted (1) a text-based qualitative content analysis of 31 children’s books in the categories of organismal context, evolutionary principles, and misconceptions, and (2) a computer-supported content analysis of 33 word labels concerning (a) scientific terms and (b) verbs expressing evolutionary change. Although evolution is a universal concept, children’s books seem to promote specific contexts such as animal and human evolution. Even though the principle of selection requires an understanding of complex interactions between individuals and environmental factors, this principle was more frequent than the principles variation and inheritance. Phylogenetic history was covered more often than basic evolutionary processes, and evolutionary change was mainly mentioned at the species level over long periods. Besides, most books conveyed misconceptions such as transformationist, teleological or anthropomorphic reasoning. Consequently, books covering evolution may bias children’s first ideas concerning this topic or introduce unscientific ideas. Based on our results, we propose implications for early evolution educators and education researchers.
Bronze age stone flaking at Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, southeastern Arabia
Authors: Moore Mark W. , Weeks Lloyd , Cable Charlotte , Al-Ali Yaaqoub , Boraik Mansour , Zein Hassan
Published: July 2022

Excavations at Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, UAE, discovered a stone tool technology with backed microliths dating to the Wadi Suq period and Late Bronze Age (ca. 1750–1300 BCE). The stone technology is a contemporary with metal production in the region, and the assemblage was recovered from a thick bone midden deposit at this multi-period site on the edge of the Rub’ al-Khali Desert. Small cobbles of chert were imported to the site and were reduced into flakes by hard-hammer percussion. Cores were frequently rotated during knapping and the reduction strategy was ad hoc, lacking hierarchical reduction stages. Flake tools were used as-is or modified by retouching. Some flakes were selected for backing into geometric microliths, and backing techniques often reflected high levels of stoneworking skill to produce stylised scalene shapes. A review of contemporary archaeological evidence, and the context of the Saruq al-Hadid assemblage, suggest that microliths may have been made as stone armatures for arrows despite the contemporary use of copper-based arrowheads.
Synergistic activities of colistin combined with other antimicrobial agents against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates
Authors: Almutairi Mashal M.
Published: July 2022

Emerging resistance to colistin in Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains is concerning because of the limited therapeutic choices for these important clinical pathogens. We studied the in vitro activities of different colistin-based antimicrobial agent combinations against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Fourteen clinical isolates of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii were obtained between 2015 and 2016. To identify colistin-based combinations with synergistic activities, multiple two antimicrobial combinations based on 8 commercially available drugs were evaluated by the checkerboard method. The most effective colistin-based combinations were vancomycin, aztreonam, ceftazidime and imipenem which showed synergistic activities against all examined strains. Colistin-rifampin showed synergy against four strains. Colistin-tigecycline and colistin-amikacin mostly showed indifferent results. By using the checkerboard tests, we were able to find the most promising colistin-based combinations that may provide more therapeutic options against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) attenuates severe acute respiratory coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection by blocking the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2
Authors: Ohishi Tomokazu , Hishiki Takayuki , Baig Mirza S. , Rajpoot Sajjan , Saqib Uzma , Takasaki Tomohiko , Hara Yukihiko
Published: July 2022

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 triggered a global pandemic where control is needed through therapeutic and preventive interventions. This study aims to identify natural compounds that could affect the fusion between the viral membrane (receptor-binding domain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein) and the human cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Accordingly, we performed the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based screening of 10 phytochemicals that already showed numerous positive effects on human health in several epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Among these phytochemicals, epigallocatechin gallate, a polyphenol and a major component of green tea, could effectively inhibit the interaction between the receptor-binding domain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein and the human cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Alternately,in silicomolecular docking studies of epigallocatechin gallate and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 indicated a binding score of −7.8 kcal/mol and identified a hydrogen bond between R393 and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, which is considered as a key interacting residue involved in binding with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein receptor-binding domain, suggesting the possible blocking of interaction between receptor-binding domain and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Furthermore, epigallocatechin gallate could attenuate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and replication in Caco-2 cells. These results shed insight into identification and validation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 entry inhibitors.
Fear of COVID-19 infection and related factors in Japan: A comparison of college students, pregnant women, hospital nurses and the general public
Authors: Koiwa Kohei , Wakashima Koubun , Ikuta Michiko , Asai Keigo , Takagi Gen
Published: July 2022

The fear of COVID-19 has become a social problem during the pandemic. The present study compares the fear of COVID-19 among members of the general public, college students, pregnant women, and hospital nurses. It also examines various factors associated with the fear of COVID-19. In this study, we conducted a survey of the general public on fear of infection and related factors and compared from previous studies of college students, pregnant women, and hospital nurses. A crowdsourced survey was administered to 450 members of the general public, who were asked about their fear of COVID-19 infection. Data from college students, nurses, and pregnant women were recruited from a May-June 2020 survey on fear of COVID-19. An analysis of variance was used to compare the fear of infection among different attribution. The results showed that more pregnant women and fewer college students feared infection, as did equal numbers of hospital nurses and members of the general public. The multiple regression analysis revealed that college students and pregnant women associated the fear of infection with their key source of information, while hospital nurses associated the fear of infection with living with an older person. These results suggest that pregnant women have a significant fear of infection, which is further defined by the risk of serious illness in cases of infection. Although the fear of infection is relatively low among hospital nurses, they fear becoming a source of infection. These results reveal the groups in Japan that fear infection and the reasons for their concern. The present study may help to provide psychological support to counteract the fear of infection in vulnerable groups.
A repeated shuttle sprint test with female and male international field hockey players is reliable and associated with single sprint but not intermittent endurance performance
Authors: Goods Paul S. R. , McKay Alannah K. , Appleby Brendyn , Veli David , Peeling Peter , Jennings Denise
Published: July 2022

Field hockey is a high-intensity intermittent team sport that has recently undergone a series of rule changes that have resulted in a greater demand for repeated high-intensity movements. Coaches and practitioners now require a reliable assessment of repeated accelerations, decelerations and changes of direction to assess these important match qualities. This investigation assessed the test-retest reliability of a novel 6x40m repeated shuttle sprint test (20m + 20m with a 180° turn) and its association with 40m straight line sprint and YoYo Intermittent Recovery Test performance in 28 International field hockey players (n = 14 females and n = 14 males). The sum of 6 sprint times (SUM) demonstrated ‘excellent’ (ICC = 0.94 and CV = 0.59%) and ‘good’ (ICC = 0.84 and CV = 0.75%) reliability in females and males, respectively. Best sprint time during the repeated shuttle sprint test also demonstrated suitable reliability to evaluate field hockey physical performance (ICC = 0.92 & 0.76, CV = 0.76% & 1.00% in females and males, respectively). SUM was significantly associated with 40 m straight line sprint performance in females (r = 0.90; p<0.001) and males (r = 0.92; p<0.001), but only a weak association was found with YoYo Intermittent Recovery Test performance for either group (r = 0.20; p = 0.495 & r = -0.19; p = 0.525 in females and males, respectively). In summary, field hockey testing batteries that include a repeated shuttle sprint test should consider including a test of intermittent endurance. Further, changes in SUM greater than 1.0% can be confidently interpreted by coaches and practitioners as a real change for both female and male elite field hockey players.
Loss of RNase J leads to multi-drug tolerance and accumulation of highly structured mRNA fragments in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Martini Maria Carla , Hicks Nathan D. , Xiao Junpei , Alonso Maria Natalia , Barbier Thibault , Sixsmith Jaimie , Fortune Sarah M. , Shell Scarlet S.
Published: July 2022

Despite the existence of well-characterized, canonical mutations that confer high-level drug resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), there is evidence that drug resistance mechanisms are more complex than simple acquisition of such mutations. Recent studies have shown that Mtb can acquire non-canonical resistance-associated mutations that confer survival advantages in the presence of certain drugs, likely acting as stepping-stones for acquisition of high-level resistance. Rv2752c/rnj, encoding RNase J, is disproportionately mutated in drug-resistant clinical Mtb isolates. Here we show that deletion of rnj confers increased tolerance to lethal concentrations of several drugs. RNAseq revealed that RNase J affects expression of a subset of genes enriched for PE/PPE genes and stable RNAs and is key for proper 23S rRNA maturation. Gene expression differences implicated two sRNAs and ppe50-ppe51 as important contributors to the drug tolerance phenotype. In addition, we found that in the absence of RNase J, many short RNA fragments accumulate because they are degraded at slower rates. We show that the accumulated transcript fragments are targets of RNase J and are characterized by strong secondary structure and high G+C content, indicating that RNase J has a rate-limiting role in degradation of highly structured RNAs. Taken together, our results demonstrate that RNase J indirectly affects drug tolerance, as well as reveal the endogenous roles of RNase J in mycobacterial RNA metabolism.
Great Russian Scientists in the Narodnik Movement
Authors: Колокольцев Максим Геннадьевич , Kolokoltseva N.Yu.
Published: July 2022

In the 1860s Russian society was at a bifurcation point. Changes were overdue in the country, but their implementation depended not only on the willingness of the authorities to act, but also on the ability of society to accept the upcoming changes. Political, socioeconomic achievements are a consequence of changes in public consciousness, which is formed under the influence of intellectuals and scientists. An indicator of the development of society is scientific thought.

The ideology of populism was the result of a synthesis of the ideas of socialism and Russian ideas about social development. Representatives of science have made a significant contribution to the process of forming the ideology of populism. The Narodniks sought to substantiate the natural development of society by natural scientific methods, to explain scientifically the necessity of the existence of individual freedom. The heterogeneity of populism, the presence of supporters of the ideas of terror, is explained, among other things, by the inability to realize and accept the scientific justification of practical activities, an acute desire to get results in the shortest possible time. Populist scientists were involved in the activities of the first populist associations in order to promote and organize political interaction on the basis of evolutionary development.