bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whole-genome comparison of representatives of all variants of SARS-CoV-2, including subvariant BA.2 and the GKA clade
Authors: Suardana Ida Bagus Kade , Mahardika Bayu K. , Pharmawati Made , Sudipa Putu H. , Sari Tri Komala , Mahardika Gusti N.
Published: April 2022

Since its discovery at the end of 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly evolved into many variants, including subvariant BA.2 and the GKA clade. Genomic clarification is needed for better management of the current pandemic as well as the possible re-emergence of novel variants. The sequence of the original strain Wuhan-Hu-1 and approximately 20 representatives of each variant were downloaded from GenBank and GISAID. Two representatives with no track of un-definitive nucleotides were selected. The sequences were aligned using Muscle. The location of insertion/deletion (indel) in the genome was mapped following the open reading frame (ORF) of Wuhan-Hu-1. Amino acid substitutions in all ORFs were analysed separately. Evolutionary analysis was inferred using maximum likelihood. There are two indel sites in ORF1AB, eight in spike, and one each in ORF3A, Matrix (MA), Nucleoprotein (NP), and the 3’-untranslated regions (3’UTR). Some indel sites are not unique, and some are variant specific. There are 10 residues shared by the Omicron, BA2, and GKA lineages. Three deletions in NP are unique to Omicron and BA.2; two substitutions in ORF1AB, four in spike, three in NP, and two in ORF7A and ORF8 were exclusive to the Delta and GPA clades. Delta, Omicron, and BA.2 share the same single residue spike. Three insertions in spike are unique for Omicron and GKA. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the Omicron, BA.2, and GKA clades share a common cluster that emerged from Delta. In conclusion, whole-genome comparison reveals indels and polymorphic amino acids specific to variants or sub-variants. We propose that the GKA clade is an Omicron subvariant. Finally, the higher transmissibility of BA.2 might be attributed to a 48-nucleotide deletion in the 3’UTR.
Characterisation of pineapple cultivars under different storage conditions using infrared thermal imaging coupled with machine learning algorithms
Authors: Ali Maimunah Mohd , Hashim Norhashila , Aziz Samsuzana Abd , Lasekan Ola
Published: April 2022

The non-invasive ability of infrared thermal imaging has gained interest in various food classification and recognition tasks. In this work, infrared thermal imaging was used to distinguish different pineapple cultivars i.e. MD2, Morris, and Josapine which were subjected at different storage temperatures i.e. 5, 10, and 25 °C and a relative humidity of 85 to 90 %. A total of 14 features from the thermal images were obtained to determine the variation in terms of image parameters among different pineapple cultivars. Principal component analysis was applied for feature reduction in order to prevent any effect of significant difference between the selected features. Several types of machine learning algorithms were compared including linear discriminant analysis, quadratic discriminant analysis, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbour, decision tree, and Naïve Bayes to obtain the best performance for the classification of pineapple cultivars. The results showed that support vector machine achieved the best performance from the combination of optimal image parameters with the highest classification rate of 100 %. The ability of infrared thermal imaging coupled with machine learning approaches can be potentially used to distinguish pineapple cultivars which could enhance the grading and sorting processes of the fruit.
Unsupervised Multi-source Domain Adaptation with Graph Convolution Network and Multi-alignment in Mixed Latent Space
Authors: Zhu Hongqing , Chen Dong , Yang Suyi , Dai Yiwen
Published: April 2022

This paper proposes an unspervised Multi-source Domain Adaptation algorithm with Graph convolution network and Multi-alignment in mixed latent space (MDA-GM), which leverages domain labels, data structure, and category labels in a unified network but improve domain-invariant semantic representation by several innovations. Specifically, a novel data structure alignment is proposed to exploit the inherent properties of different domains while using current domain alignment and classification result alignment. Through this design, category consistency can be considered in both latent space, and domain and structure discrepancy between different source domains and the target domain can be eliminated. Moreover, we also use category alignment based on both CNN and GCN features to optimize category decision boundary. Experiment results show that the proposed method brings sufficient improvement especially for adaptation tasks with large shift in data distribution.
Spatial risk assessment of silver fir and Norway spruce dieback driven by climate warming
Authors: Piedallu Christian , Dallery Donatien , Bresson Célia , Legay Myriam , Gégout Jean-Claude , Pierrat Rodolphe
Published: April 2022

Context: A significant forest decline has been noticed these last years in Europe. Managers need tools to better anticipate these massive events.Objectives: We evaluated the efficiency of easily available data about environmental conditions and stand characteristics to determine stand vulnerability and map different levels of risk.Methods: We combined remote sensing images, photo-interpretation, and digital models describing environmental conditions within a modelling approach to achieve spatial risk assessment of stand vulnerability. We focused on silver fir and Norway spruce stands in the Vosges mountains (8.800 km², north-east of France), where severe symptoms of decline are visible.Results: Easily available factors describing environmental conditions were used to design relevant vulnerability maps: using an independent dataset, we predicted two-times (Norway spruce) and ten-times (silver fir) higher mortality rates in the units with a high level of risk compared to the others. Norway spruce were predicted highly vulnerable on 33% of their area versus 7% for silver fir. Mortality was higher where the soils displayed low water availability and had suffered severe drying events these last years; it was lower when the species belonged to uneven-aged stands, in mixture, and in the absence of forest edges. Furthermore, the stands acclimatised to drought conditions were more resilient. Conclusions: Vulnerability maps based on easily available geographic information describing climate, soil, and topography can efficiently discriminate canopy mortality patterns over broad areas, and can be useful tools for managers to mitigate the effects of climate change on forests.
Pilot-Scale Production of Lyophilized Inactivated Rabies Vaccine Candidate in Vero Cells Under Fully Animal Component-Free Conditions Using Microcarrier Technology and Laboratory Animal Trials
Authors: Onen Engin Alp , Bezawada Srinivas
Published: April 2022

The upstream process was carried out in an animal component-free medium on Cytodex 1 microcarriers. Recombinant trypsin is a non-animal derived protease used as an alternative to animal-derived trypsin. To inactivate recombinant trypsin, a soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) should be added to the medium. A protocol was first tested in T-flasks and then passaged to 500 ml and 3 L spinner flasks. Cell detachment was completed in 10–12 min, and 0.4 g/l STI was added to a 3L spinner and cells were transferred into a 30 L stirred tank bioreactor. On day 5, the cell density had reached its maximum (around 1.8 ×106 cells/ml). Cell infection, at an MOI of 0.3 with serum-free medium conditions, yielded a maximal rabies virus titer of 1.82×107 FFU/mL at 5 days. All cell culture conditions and virus growing kinetics in serum-free media were investigated. In conclusion, Vero cells were grown on Cytodex 1 with serum-free media and a high amount of rabies virus was obtained. Immune response to inactivated rabies virus vaccine candidate was determined in mice challenge. Also, we evaluated inactive rabies vaccine candidate safety, and immunogenicity in mice, sheep, horses, and cattle. We found that no horses, sheep, or cattle were given vaccine IM at 3.2 IU/dose exhibited any clinical sign of disease and all developed high VNA titers (up to 10,03 IU/ml) by 3–4 WPI. After the accelerated stability studies, the lyophilized inactivated rabies vaccine candidate showed enough antigenic potency (2.6 IU/ml) in the mouse challenge test. Also, 18-month long-term stability studies showed enough immune response (1.93 IU/ml) on day 14. The activity of the vaccine candidate showed a good immune response and safety criteria that meet WHO requirements. This is the first pilot-scale mammalian cell-based viral rabies vaccine production study using microcarrier technology reported in Turkey.
Long-term postoperative perfusion status in giant retinal tears: a case report
Authors: QUIROZ-REYES MIGUEL A. , QUIROZ-GONZALEZ ERICK A , QUIROZ-GONZALEZ MIGUEL A. , ALSABER AHMADAD R. , LIMA-GOMEZ VIRGILIO
Published: April 2022

Background
Information about long term perfusional status of patients who have undergone successful surgery for giant retinal tear (GRT) macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is limited.
Purpose
To examine long term perfusional, structural, and functional outcomes in normal control eyes and the eyes treated for different degrees of GRT-associated extensions of RRD.
Methods
One emmetropic normal eye (control), one healthy highly myopic eye (control myopic), and three eyes surgically treated for GRT (surgical), were included in the study for a long-term comparison of study outcomes. The surgical eyes were classified based on the degree of GRT-associated RRD extension as follows: One eye with GRT-associated RRD extension < 180°, one eye with GRT-associated RRD extension between 180°–270°; and one eye with GRT-associated RRD extension > 270°. Structural, functional, and perfusional outcomes were compared with those of control eyes.
Results
All three included eyes were phakic and the condition was monocular. The mean age of the patients was 48.67 ± 8.50 years (range, 39–55 years). All three eyes had GRT macula-off RRD. The mean preoperative time for GRT surgery was 1.2 weeks. The mean pre- and postoperative best corrected visual acuities (BCVA) were 1.87 logMAR and 0.46 logMAR, respectively. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 19.67 ± 5.69 months. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) resulted in multiple surgeries in one eye (31.5%). Long-term postoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed abnormal retinal thickness, ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption, and external limiting membrane (ELM) line discontinuities in one eye. OCT angiography yielded abnormal perfusion indices in the surgically treated eyes.
Conclusions
Our data showed multiple structural alterations in spectral-domain OCT biomarkers. One eye that developed secondary epiretinal membrane (ERM) proliferation showed a significantly improved BCVA after proliferation, and the internal limiting membrane (ILM) were removed. Perfusional findings were correlated with final BCVA. Despite a fully reattached retina without ERM proliferation, GRT-associated RRD has a guarded functional prognosis.
An iterative CNN pruning framework incorporating knowledge distillation
Authors: Xiang Renfei , Li Qiang
Published: April 2022

Convolutional neural network(CNN) with a complex architecture and a large number of layers has high accuracy. However, in some occasions that require high real-time detection, it is not suitable for direct application of these complex neural networks. Thus, some researchers propose pruning to get a sparse model. Current pruning methods mainly focus on static pruning with fixed pruning rate. In this paper we propose an iterative pruning framework to compress model dynamically. To maintain the performance of model, we incorporate knowledge distillation into the whole process. Experimental results prove that our framework can effectively compress the number of parameters of the model with the accuracy not greatly reduced, and the framework has a certain degree of robustness to structural pruning method.
Simulating the behaviour of Glioblastoma Multiforme based on patient MRI during treatments
Authors: Alonzo Flavien , Saad Mazen , Serandour Aurelien
Published: April 2022

Glioblastoma Multiforme is a brain cancer that still shows poor prognosis for patients despite the active research for new treatments. In this work, the goal is to model and simulate the evolution of tumour associated angiogenesis and the therapeutic response to Glioblastoma Multiforme. Multiple phenomena are modelled in order to fit different biological pathways, such as the cellular cycle, apoptosis, hypoxia or angiogenesis.This leads to in a nonlinear system with 4 equations and 4 unknowns: the density of tumour cells, the O2 concentration, the density of endothelial cells and the vascular endothelial growth factor concentration.This system is solved numerically on a mesh fitting the geometry of the brain and the tumour of a patient based on a 2D slice of MRI.We show that our numerical scheme is positive, and we give the energy estimates on the discrete solution to ensure its existence.The numerical scheme uses nonlinear control volume finite elements in space and is implicit in time.Numerical simulations have been done using the different standard treatments: surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in order to conform to the behaviour of a tumour in response to treatments according to empirical clinical knowledge. We find that our theoretical model exhibits realistic behaviours.
O ESTRESSE OCUPACIONAL DOCENTE E SUAS CONSEQUÊNCIAS À SAÚDE
Authors: Fritz Marina , Cassia De Oliveira Peixoto Maristela
Published: April 2022

Os docentes têm importante essencial dentro do contexto social. A vocação do professor, porém, modifica-se na contemporaneidade, com atribuições exageradas e tarefas não próprias de sua profissão. O presente estudo traz como objetivo conhecer a percepção dos docentes atuantes em escolas públicas e privadas acerca do estresse ocupacional e suas consequências à saúde. A pesquisa apresenta caráter exploratório-descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa. No estudo, participaram dez docentes, de instituições públicas e privadas, de um município do Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil. A seleção foi informal, conforme critérios de inclusão e exclusão, utilizando-se da técnica snowball. A coleta de dados ocorreu no mês de março de 2020. As respostas foram transcritas integralmente e analisadas através da temática de Minayo. Os relatos foram divididos em uma categoria, denominada “O Estresse Ocupacional na Docência”, e em quatro subcategorias: Alto Nível de Desempenho Profissional; Relação Pais-Escola-Alunos; Trabalho entre Docentes; Agravos à Saúde. Com as respostas dos participantes do estudo, evidencia-se a relevância da prevenção dentro do ambiente escolar, como forma redutora dos agravos à saúde. Faz-se necessário, por conseguinte, mais estudos acerca dos aspectos preventivos à saúde do trabalhador docente, focadas em estratégias dentro do ambiente escolar.
FILMES, SAÚDE E ENSINO DE CIÊNCIAS: CONCEPÇÕES DOS ALUNOS A PARTIR DO FILME “OSMOSE JONES”
Authors: Eckert Giovana Laís , Baumgratz Cleiton Edmundo , Do Espirito Santo Hermel Erica
Published: April 2022

O cinema, como recurso didático, apresenta inúmeras possibilidades, aliando o aspecto cultural a conceitos escolares, tornando-se uma poderosa ferramenta de reflexão, contextualização e aprendizado. Nesse contexto, relata-se uma atividade realizada em uma turma do Ensino Fundamental, possuindo como foco a recorrência dos conteúdos relacionados ao corpo humano, saúde e higiene pessoal a partir da exibição do filme “Osmose Jones - Uma Aventura Radical pelo Corpo Humano”, conjuntamente a resolução de questões e discussão de pontos relevantes no filme, enfatizando-se a retificação de erros conceituais. Ainda, os alunos responderam a um questionário acerca da utilização de filmes em sua realidade escolar e das suas concepções sobre o assunto: esta metodologia é escassamente aproveitada como recurso didático, apesar dos alunos considerarem o uso do cinema em aulas importantes e apontarem que auxilia no processo de aprendizagem. Além disso, foi perceptível a facilidade em associar os conteúdos às analogias presentes no filme e a compreensão dos conceitos apresentados. Portanto, essa metodologia auxiliou na constituição da capacidade imaginativa e de associação da linguagem fílmíca cotidiana com os conhecimentos provenientes do ensino de Ciências e promoveu a conscientização acerca da problemática saúde, levando a constituição de um cidadão crítico e pensante.
Mercury Concentration in Liver Tissues of South American Fur Seals (Arctocephalus australis) from Southwestern Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Lima Guilherme , Menegario Amauri , Sulato Everton , Pedrobom Jorge , Torres-Florez Juan , de Araújo Júnior Marcus , Barreto André
Published: April 2022

Mercury (Hg) contamination of oceans is rapidly increasing, however Hg bioaccumulation in pinnipeds has been understudied. Here, we report for the first time Hg concentration in liver tissues of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in South and Southeast Brazil. Hg concentration was determined in twenty-five fur seals’ specimens found stranded along the coast of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Samples were digested using the microwave technique and quantified by cold vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry technique. The average Hg concentration was 6.37 mg kg-1 (wet weight), with a minimum concentration of 0.09 mg kg-1 and the highest concentration of 15.58 mg kg-1. No correlation between biological variables (sex, total length and weight) and Hg concentration in A. australis liver were found. The results presented here are of great importance to establish baselines for future evaluations of Hg contamination in marine mammals and the effects of this environmental problem in animal health.
Chunks aditivos de extensão: uma análise funcional centrada no uso
Authors: Da Costa do Rosário Ivo , Silva dos Santos Milena
Published: April 2022

Com base nos pressupostos teóricos da Linguística Funcional Centrada no Uso, este trabalho tem como objetivo propor uma análise de quatro chunks aditivos de extensão atestados em língua portuguesa: além de tudo, além do mais, além da conta e além do que. Esses chunks, derivados da rede esquemática [Além de X,Y], são investigados em termos de composicionalidade e de analisabilidade (cf. BYBEE, 2016). A análise dos dados pauta-se em uma perspectiva sincrônica, de caráter qualiquantitativo, com base em postagens da rede social Twitter. Os resultados demonstram que os quatro chunks citados dispõem-se em uma escala de gradiência que reflete diferentes níveis de integração sintático-semântica. Além disso, cada chunk tem suas especificidades de uso e é recrutado para fins comunicativos diversos.
A emergência dos marcadores discursivos note que e vá lá: uma análise funcional centrada no uso
Authors: Machado Teixeira Ana Cláudia
Published: April 2022

Neste artigo analisamos a emergência dos marcadores discursivos note que e vá lá em contextos específicos cuja vinculação de sentido e forma entre as subpartes constitui uma unidade – uma microconstrução - sob a perspectiva de Traugott e Troudale (2013). A partir do suporte teórico da Linguística Funcional Centrada no Uso, interessa-nos examinar os padrões de uso dessas microconstruções, objetivando detectar os níveis de integração semântico-sintática relacionando-os aos contextos em que estão inseridas. Interessa-nos também  examinar os contextos que motivam a emergência de novos usos que passam a articulam crenças e posicionamentos dos produtores textuais. Por fim, nas análises, identificamos  a contribuição da abordagem construcional da gramática ao dar tratamento holístico aos dados.
Steroidal Antiandrogens and 5α-Reductase Inhibitors
Authors: Bratoeff Eugene , Ramfrez Elena , Murillo Eugenia , Flores Gregoria , Cabeza Marisa
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this work is to synthesize a pregnane derivative with a high antiandrogenic effect or a high inhibitory activity for the enzyme
5α-reductase type 2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer are androgen dependent diseases which afflict a large percentage of the male population. Dihydrotestosterone 3, a 5α-reductase metabolite of testosterone 2 has been implicated as a causative factor in the progression of these diseases, largely through the clinical evaluation of males who are genetically deficient of steroid 5α-reductase enzyme. As a result of this study, the inhibition of this enzyme has become a pharmacological strategy for the design and synthesis of new drugs. The advent of finasteride 22 "figure 5" a 5α-reductase inhibitor, has greatly alleviated the symptons associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. On the other hand, the discovery of cyproterone acetate 4 "figure 2" alone ·or in combination with the antiandrogens flutamide 14 "figure 3" or bicalutamide 21 has greatly reduced the misery of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer kills about 40,000 men in the USA and aproximately 400,000 prostatectomies are performed each year.

In our laboratory we have recently synthesized ten new progesterone derivatives 17α­acyloyloxy-6-halo (chloro, bromo) 16 β-methyl-4, 6-pregnadiene-3, 20-diones (54a-54e and
55a-55e), "figure 10". These steroids were evaluated as antiandrogens and exhibited a much higher activity than the commercially available cyproterone acetate 4. The same compounds were also evaluated as 5α-reductase inhibitors and showed a slightly higher inhibitory activity than that of finasteride 22, the drug of choice today for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperlasia.

In another study we synthesized several new 4-halo (bromo and chloro) 17α-benzoyloxy and also 4-halo-17α-acetoxy progesterone derivatives (58-63) "figure 13". These compounds were prepared from the commercially available 17a-acetoxy progesterone 56. The pharmacological evaluation of these steroids "figure 14" indicated that the 17a-benzoyloxy derivatives (4-chloro and bromo) 62 and 63 were very potent antiandrogens. On the other hand, the 4-halo (bromo and chloro) 17α-acetoxy (58, 59) and the 17α-benzoyloxy-4-chloro analog 63 showed a very high inhibitory activity for the enzyme 5α-reductase type 2 "figure 15".
Pengaruh Lingkungan Las terhadap Kekuatan Impak Sambungan Las Aluminum AA1100
Authors:   Universitas Muhammadiyah Magelang, Habibi Ilham , Muhayat Nurul ,   Universitas Sebelas Maret, Triyono Triyono
Published: April 2022

Due to lightweight and strong, aluminum is often applied to the car bodies of an automotive and high-speed train. Welding is the main manufacturing process for these structures. Environmental conditions in welding, especially airflow velocity, humidity, and temperature, significantly affect the impact property of aluminum alloy weld joints. In this work, the welding environment is controlled by creating an insulating welding room where the airflow velocity, humidity, and temperature of the welding environment can be adjusted to obtain an ideal welding environment. The variation of welding environment conditions used was the temperature of 17°C, 22°C, and 27°C; relative humidity of 64%, 68%, and 72% and airflow velocity of 1.1m/s, 1.6m/s, and 2.1m/s. The results showed that the lower the welding environment temperature, the more toughness decreased. The lower the flow rate and the relative humidity of the surrounding air, the tougher it is. Air humidity contains a lot of water vapor (hydrogen) which can cause porosity. The low temperature of the welding chamber results in a shorter freezing time of the weld metal, resulting in cracking and porosity in the weld metal. The ambient airflow velocity interferes with the shielding gas function so that the outside air can be contaminated in the weld metal. The best welding environmental conditions will be achieved if the airflow velocity is below 1.1 m / s, the relative humidity is below 64% and the ambient temperature is 27°C.
Pemanfaatan Karbon Aktif dari Limbah Kulit Pisang untuk Catalytic Converter pada Mesin Diesel
Authors:   Politeknik Negeri Madura, Hamid Abdul , Abdullah Mohammad , Febriana Ike Dayi , Kurniawan Heru Ediyanta , Wilujeng Auliana Diah , Wijaya Septian Dwi , Fatah Misbakhul
Published: April 2022

The phenomenon of environmental pollution in the machinery system is problem that often occurs. One of them is the emission from burning fossil fuels of diesel engines. Therefore, it is necessary to do proper handling to reduce the emission content of diesel engines, one of which is by using catalytic converter engineering technology. In this study, the catalytic converter was made using an activated carbon filter from banana peel waste with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) activator. The activated carbon formed is then mixed with nickel oxide powder to be used as catalyst and white cement as binder. Diesel engine emission testing is carried out with time variations from 3 to 12 minutes. The results show that there is decrease in the content of carbon monoxide (CO) obtained by 57% when testing emissions at minute 12. While for the content of NOx and NO there is decrease of 43%. This indicates that the mixture of activated carbon from banana peel waste and nickel oxide powder is very effective in reducing the content of diesel engine exhaust emissions.
Pengaruh Variasi Media Pendingin dan Variasi Holding Time pada Proses Perlakuan Panas terhadap Sifat Mekanik dan Struktur Mikro pada Baja Mangan Fe-10.5Mn-1.3Mo-2.5Ni
Authors:   Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, Paristiawan Permana Andi , Ridlo Faried Miftahur , Prasetyo Muklis Agung , Chandra Septian Adi
Published: April 2022

The characteristics of the Fe-10.5Mn-1.3Mo-2.5Ni steel alloy results of casting were further investigated after a heat treatment process was carried out through 2 stages, namely heating from room temperature to 700 ° C with a holding time of 3 hours, then raising it again to a temperature of 1000 ° C. with variations in holding time for 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours followed by quenchant in water and 1.5% NaCl Â solution. The results showed that heat treatment followed by water quenching has produced higher hardness up to 2 hours holding time and subsequently decreased at longer holding time.. Meanwhile, the hardness value gradually increased with a longer holding time in 1.5% NaCl solution cooling process. The highest hardness value reached 235 BHN at the 2 hours holding time followed by water cooling. The results of the impact value of water and NaCl 1.5% varied. In water, the holding time of 1 hour increased at the holding time of 2 hours and decreased at the holding time of 3 hours. Meanwhile, in 1.5% NaCl, the highest value of holding time is 1 hour, then it decreases at 2 hours holding time and increases in 3 hours holding time. The highest impact value of 101 Joule was resulted in heat treatment with 1 hour holding time followed by 1.5 NaCl solution rapid cooling. The microstructure showed that undissolved carbides which dispersed at the grain boundaries and within the grains affecting on high hardness value.
The phenomenon of female terrorism in Russia
Authors:   E.A. Kurdyukova Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, Kurdyukova E.A. , Sherkhov R.R. ,   R.R. Sherkhov Research Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia
Published: April 2022

The article examines the reasons for the emergence of female terrorism, the role of women in terrorist organizations of the Russian Empire and modern Russia, provides statistical data on the dynamics of terrorist acts committed by women suicide bombers, analyzes the motivational attitudes of the criminal activities of women in the world terrorist movement, reveals the criminological portrait of female terrorists
Destruction of family relations as one of the main motives for suicide in persons in institutions of the penal system
Authors:   A.V. Sokolova Vladimir Law Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, Sokolova A.V.
Published: April 2022

The article is devoted to the consideration of the peculiarities of the influence of the deformation of family relations and the severance of family ties on the motivation of persons in institutions of the penal system, to commit suicide. The article analyses the statistical data of the penal system on suicides of suspects, accused and convicted for 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. The author concluded that the fact that effective prevention of suicides in institutions of the penal system implies the need to establish their determinants, and a number of causes and conditions are associated with the peculiarities of socio-demographic characteristics, including family, of persons prone to suicide. On the basis of the study, the author argues that the serving of the sentence, including outside the region of their residence, leads to the deformation of family relations, the severance of family ties, which often causes suicide.
Problems of formation and activity of the jury court in district (city) courts of the Republic of Dagestan
Authors:   P.K. Gadzhiramazanova Dagestan State University, Gadzhiramazanova P.K.
Published: April 2022

Currently, a court with the participation of a jury is one of the most important institutions of our society, which allows citizens to exercise their right to the administration of justice on an equal basis with professional judges. The main value and task of the jury trial is participation in legal proceedings and the administration of power by the people, as well as control over the implementation of legal proceedings. The study is devoted to the changes made to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation in connection with the expansion of the use of the institute of jurors, which significantly expanded the competence of the court with the participation of jurors by extending this form of legal proceedings to the level of district courts, and also reduced the quantitative composition of the collegium. The relevance of the topic of this study was predetermined by numerous issues arising in the process of law enforcement, including the one that concerns the specifics of proceedings in court with the participation of a jury. The study of the results of the work of the jury at the level of district courts of general jurisdiction for the period from the date of entry into force of these changes to the present, has revealed a number of shortcomings and problems in the proceedings of this court, which, of course, need practical and theoretical understanding and measures to eliminate them. The solution of the problematic aspects of the institution identified in the course of the study is necessary to improve the judicial system, which, in turn, will contribute to increasing the level of public confidence in it.
The ratio of institutional and socio-cultural aspects of the effectiveness of law
Authors:   L.V. Karnaushenko Krasnodar University of the Russian MIA, Karnaushenko L.V.
Published: April 2022

Law is the object of studying many different disciplines. There are specialized legal studies, philosophical understanding of legal issues, sociological consideration of law as a social institution. However, regardless of whether the study has a theoretical or applied aspect, it ultimately affects the practice of legal relations. Law as a regulator of public relations exists as a continuously developing practice. This determines the pronounced applied nature of legal knowledge, and at the same time updates the question of the effectiveness of law, its degree of conformity with the function laid down in the legal system. This question has traditionally been attributed to the paradigm of positive law, but this approach is incorrect. In fact, even at the level of natural law theory, we see a desire to improve the current regulatory system. On this basis, the issue of improving the legal system, improving its effectiveness, is one of the central ones for legal knowledge. Accordingly, at the level of various disciplines, there are developments that reveal this issue. In this article, the question of the effectiveness of law is consistently raised, which is resolved in the framework of an analysis of its two most important factors - the legal consciousness and the state of social institutions. The article details the impact of the state of social institutions on the level of law and order in society. The importance of legal awareness as a factor in the effectiveness of legal regulation is also considered. Mechanisms of influence of legal consciousness on social processes, as well as factors of formation of different types of attitude to law are analyzed. It is proved that the legal well-being of society depends on a combination of institutional and worldview factors.
The right of development as a real right: problems of legal regulation
Authors:   O.A. Osmanov Daghestan State University, Osmanov O.A.
Published: April 2022

This article is devoted to the analysis of the history of legal regulation, legislation and the scientific doctrine of the right of building as a real right. The main methods for achieving results are historical and legal, formal and legal, systemic, comparative legal, individual logical techniques, methods of interpreting regulatory documents. The article is of a scientific and practical nature and explores certain aspects of the right to build someone else's land.This right, also referred to as a superficiency, has a special proprietary nature, and the history of its origin and development as a legal institution is also specific. The author made an attempt to investigate the history of formation, the concept and features of the right to build as a real right, the peculiarities of its legal regulation in certain foreign countries and in modern Russia. The specifics of consolidating this institution in the Concept of reforming civil legislation and in the Draft Federal Law on amendments to section 2 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation are considered.The main conclusions were the characteristics of the signs of the right to build, the content of the rights and obligations of the owner of this right, the formulation of the main shortcomings of its legal regulation in the current legislation and in regulatory acts planned for adoption
Analysis of the practice of exercising the right to a survivor's pension for some categories of citizens
Authors:   K.E. Dovgan Altai State University, Dovgan K.E. , Koroleva I.V. ,   I.V. Koroleva Altai State University, Kovalenko N.E. ,   N.E. Kovalenko Altai State University
Published: April 2022

The article analyzes the issues at the junction of social security law and labor law in terms of regulating labor relations with persons receiving a survivor's pension. In the course of the study of judicial practice, conclusions were drawn about the need to exempt such persons from proving the fact of being dependent on the deceased breadwinner. It was also noted that there is a legal vacuum among students entitled to a survivor's pension in the field of pension provision. The transition to a two-tier education system in 2007 gave rise to many questions among citizens, including in the field of pension relations. In practice, persons entitled to a survivor's pension who have graduated from undergraduate programs are not aware of the fact that they retain the right to receive a pension if they enroll in a graduate program. The initiative proposes to organize thematic seminars and lectures on the basis of secondary vocational and higher educational institutions on the elimination of legal illiteracy of students in the field of pensions.
Human Support in App-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Emotional Disorders: Scoping Review
Authors: Bernstein Emily E , Weingarden Hilary , Wolfe Emma C , Hall Margaret D , Snorrason Ivar , Wilhelm Sabine
Published: April 2022

Background

Smartphone app–based therapies offer clear promise for reducing the gap in available mental health care for people at risk for or people with mental illness. To this end, as smartphone ownership has become widespread, app-based therapies have become increasingly common. However, the research on app-based therapies is lagging behind. In particular, although experts suggest that human support may be critical for increasing engagement and effectiveness, we have little systematic knowledge about the role that human support plays in app-based therapy. It is critical to address these open questions to optimally design and scale these interventions.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to provide a scoping review of the use of human support or coaching in app-based cognitive behavioral therapy for emotional disorders, identify critical knowledge gaps, and offer recommendations for future research. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most well-researched treatment for a wide range of concerns and is understood to be particularly well suited to digital implementations, given its structured, skill-based approach.

Methods

We conducted systematic searches of 3 databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase). Broadly, eligible articles described a cognitive behavioral intervention delivered via smartphone app whose primary target was an emotional disorder or problem and included some level of human involvement or support (coaching). All records were reviewed by 2 authors. Information regarding the qualifications and training of coaches, stated purpose and content of the coaching, method and frequency of communication with users, and relationship between coaching and outcomes was recorded.

Results

Of the 2940 titles returned by the searches, 64 (2.18%) were eligible for inclusion. This review found significant heterogeneity across all of the dimensions of coaching considered as well as considerable missing information in the published articles. Moreover, few studies had qualitatively or quantitatively evaluated how the level of coaching impacts treatment engagement or outcomes. Although users tend to self-report that coaching improves their engagement and outcomes, there is limited and mixed supporting quantitative evidence at present.

Conclusions

Digital mental health is a young but rapidly expanding field with great potential to improve the reach of evidence-based care. Researchers across the reviewed articles offered numerous approaches to encouraging and guiding users. However, with the relative infancy of these treatment approaches, this review found that the field has yet to develop standards or consensus for implementing coaching protocols, let alone those for measuring and reporting on the impact. We conclude that coaching remains a significant hole in the growing digital mental health literature and lay out recommendations for future data collection, reporting, experimentation, and analysis.
The Effectiveness of Wearable Devices as Physical Activity Interventions for Preventing and Treating Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Wang Wentao , Cheng Jing , Song Weijun , Shen Yi
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents remains a global public health issue. Wearable devices may offer new opportunities for prevention and intervention in obesity. Previous systematic reviews have only examined the effect of the wearable device interventions on preventing and treating obesity in adults. However, no systematic review has provided an evaluation of wearable devices as physical activity interventions for preventing and treating obesity in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of wearable devices as physical activity interventions on obesity-related anthropometric outcomes in children and adolescents.

METHODS

Research articles retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and EBSCO from inception to February 1, 2021, were reviewed. The search was designed to identify studies utilizing wearable devices for preventing and treating obesity in children and adolescents. The included studies were evaluated for risk of bias following the Cochrane recommendation. Meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of wearable devices as physical activity interventions on body weight, body fat, BMI z-score (BMI-Z), BMI, and waist circumference. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether the characteristics of the interventions had an impact on the effect size.

RESULTS

A total of 12 randomized controlled trials (3227 participants) were selected for meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, wearable device interventions had statistically significant beneficial effects on BMI (mean difference [MD] –0.23; 95% CI –0.43 to –0.03; P=.03; I2=2%), BMI-Z (MD –0.07; 95% CI –0.13 to –0.01; P=.01; I2=81%), body weight (MD –1.08; 95% CI –2.16 to –0.00; P=.05; I2=58%), and body fat (MD –0.72; 95% CI –1.19 to –0.25; P=.003; I2=5%). However, no statistically significant effect was found on waist circumference (MD 0.55; 95% CI –0.21 to 1.32; P=.16; I2=0%). The subgroup analysis showed that for participants with overweight or obesity (MD –0.75; 95% CI –1.18 to –0.31; P<.01; I2=0%), in the short-term (MD –0.62; 95% CI –1.03 to –0.21; P<.01; I2=0%), wearable-based interventions (MD –0.56; 95% CI –0.95 to –0.18; P<.01; I2=0%) generally resulted in greater intervention effect size on BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence from this meta-analysis shows that wearable devices as physical activity interventions may be useful for preventing and treating obesity in children and adolescents. Future research is needed to identify the most effective physical activity indicators of wearable devices to prevent and treat obesity in children and adolescents.
Virtual Reality as a Therapy Tool for Walking Activities in Pediatric Neurorehabilitation: Usability and User Experience Evaluation (Preprint)
Authors: Ammann-Reiffer Corinne , Kläy Andrina , Keller Urs
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Many essential walking activities in daily life, such as crossing a street, are challenging to practice in conventional therapeutic settings. Virtual environments (VEs) delivered through a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) would allow training such activities in a safe and attractive environment. Furthermore, the game-like character and high degree of immersion in these applications might help maintain or increase children’s motivation and active participation during the rehabilitation process.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the usability, user experience, and acceptability of an immersive VE experienced through a VR HMD to train everyday life walking activities in pediatric neurorehabilitation.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 21 youths (median age 12.1 years; range 6.8-17.7 years) with a neuromotor impairment undergoing inpatient or outpatient neurorehabilitation tested a VE experienced through the VR HMD Oculus Quest. The participants, accompanied by their physiotherapists, moved freely around a 4.4 by 10-meter VE, displaying a magical forest and featuring various gamified everyday activities in different game designs. Using their hands, represented in the VE, the participants could interact with the virtual objects placed throughout the VE and trigger visual and auditory feedback. Symptoms of cybersickness were checked, and usability, user experience, and acceptability were evaluated using customized questionnaires with a visual analog scale for youths and a 5-point Likert scale for their therapists.

RESULTS

None of the participants reported any signs of cybersickness after 20 minutes of VR HMD exposure time. They rated comfort (median 10/10) and movement ability (median 10/10) with the VR HMD as high. The VE was perceived as being really there by the majority (median 8/10), and the participants had a strong feeling of spatial presence in the VE (median 9.5/10). They enjoyed exploring the virtual world (median 10/10) and liked this new therapy approach (median 10/10). Therapists’ acceptance of the VR HMD was high (4/5). There were 5 patients that needed more support than usual, mainly for supervision, when moving around with the VR HMD. Otherwise, therapists felt that the VR HMD hardly affected their patients’ movement behavior (median 4.75/5), whereas it seemed to increase their level of therapy engagement (median 4/5) compared to conventional physiotherapy sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the usability of an immersive VE delivered through a VR HMD to engage youths in the training of everyday walking activities.
The participants’ and therapists’ positive ratings on user experience and acceptance further support the promising application of this technology as a future therapeutic tool in pediatric neurorehabilitation.
A Digital Health Intervention for Stress and Anxiety Relief in Perioperative Care: Protocol for a Feasibility Trial. (Preprint)
Authors: Kondylakis Haridimos , Chicchi Giglioli Irene Alice , Katehakis Dimitrios G. , Aldemir Hatice , Zikas Paul , Papagiannakis George , Hors-Fraile Santiago , González-Sanz Pedro L. , Apostolakis Konstantinos C. , Stephanidis Constantine , Núñez-Benjumea Francisco J. , Baños-Rivera Rosa M. , Fernandez-Luque Luis , Kouroubali Angelina
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Stress and anxiety are psychophysiological responses commonly experienced by patients during a perioperative process that can increase pre- and post-surgical complications to a comprehensive and positive recovery. Preventing and intervening stress and anxiety can help patients achieve positive outcomes on health and wellbeing. Similarly, provision of education about the surgery can be a crucial component and it is inversely correlated to preoperative anxiety levels. However, few patients receive stress and anxiety relief support prior to a surgery and, resource constraints make face-to-face education sessions untenable. Digital health (DH) interventions can be helpful in empowering patients and enhancing a more positive experience. DH interventions are showing to help patients feel informed about possible benefits and risks of available treatment options. However, currently they focus only on providing informative content, neglecting the importance of personalization and patient empowerment.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the feasibility of a DH intervention called CARINAE designed to provide personalized stress- and anxiety-management evidence-based methods enabled by a comprehensive digital ecosystem that incorporates wearable, mobile and virtual reality technologies. CARINAE includes the use of advanced data-driven techniques for tailored patient education and lifestyle support.

METHODS

The trial will include 5 hospitals across 3 European countries, and will use a randomized-controlled design including 30 intervention participants and 30 control group participants. The involved surgeries are cardiopulmonary and coronary artery bypass surgeries, cardiac valve replacement, prostate or bladder cancer surgeries, hip and knee replacement, maxillofacial surgery, or scoliosis. The control group will receive the standard care and the intervention group will additionally be exposed to the CARINAE intervention.

RESULTS

The recruitment process starts by January 2022, and the primary impact analysis is expected to be conducted by May 2022.

CONCLUSIONS

This manuscript details a comprehensive protocol for a study that will provide valuable information about the CARINAE intervention such as the measurement of comparative intervention effects on stress, anxiety and pain management and usability by patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. This will contribute to the evidence planning process for the future adoption of diverse DH solutions in the surgery field.

CLINICALTRIAL

Trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05184725.