bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Let's put standardisation in practice: accessibility services and interaction
Authors: Oncins Estella , Orero Pilar
Published: May 2021

There are many international standardisation agencies working actively on producing technical requirements towards accessibility, both for physical environments and for media. Technology is developing at a fast pace to produce new interactions, which turn into new communication barriers: some avoidable. Taking into consideration accessibility standards from the design and requirement definition --the concept of “born accessible”-- would help towards native accessible technology.  This article looks at existing standards related to accessibility and media communication. The first part of the article will revise the importance of drafting harmonised standards for accessibility in four main agencies producing accessibility standards: IEC, ITU, ISO and W3C. It will then outline how standards are produced and implemented at a European level by the European Standardisation Organisations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI). The second part of the article will be organised by media accessibility services: subtitling, audio description, audio subtitling and sign language. Mention to easy to read as a new emerging accessibility modality, will also be made. The final part of the article will provide conclusions and directions for further research.

Keywords: Media Accessibility, Standards, Accessibility services, Subtitling, Audio description, Audio subtitling, Easy to Read.
Estudio de pérdidas y estrategias de reactivación para el sector turístico por crisis sanitaria COVID-19 en el destino Manta (Ecuador).
Authors: Félix Mendoza Angel Guillermo , García Reinoso Nelson
Published: May 2021

El turismo enfrenta hoy día una de sus mayores crisis de todos los tiempos tras la extensión de la pandemia del COVID-19). Esta difícil situación de supervivencia que atraviesan las empresas y los destinos turísticos debe ser afrontada mediante estudios de diagnóstico turístico que contribuyan a una correcta toma de decisiones por parte de los organismos turísticos competentes. La presente investigación pretende contribuir de forma práctica con una metodología de diagnóstico que permita identificar las problemáticas que conmueven al sector empresarial en un destino ecuatoriano en plena crisis sanitaria mundial. Se emplea para ello un cuestionario para recoger los resultados de una encuesta instrumentada vía online a través de google forms con el objetivo principal de captar impresiones de los empresarios y gestores turísticos del cantón de Manta (Ecuador) en función de los escenarios y proyecciones de evolución del sector turístico en aspectos tales como pérdidas económicas, estabilidad laboral, búsqueda de incentivos y posibles estrategias de reactivación. Respondieron el cuestionario 272  gerentes de establecimientos turísticos, que representan el 48% de la planta turística total registrada en el catastro turístico y la información fue procesada en el programa estadístico SPSS versión 23. Los resultados muestran pérdidas de ingresos importantes por no facturación e incapacidad para solventar los pagos a proveedores de servicios, previéndose como principales estrategias de reactivación la bajada de precios de los servicios turísticos, la promoción en redes sociales y la migración de empresas a la gestión y comercialización mediante modelos on line más efectivos e innovadores.
Desarrollo Turístico y Sostenibilidad en la comunidad de Caibarién (Cuba)
Authors: CRUZ BERMÚDEZ LUIS DANIEL , CONZÁLEZ DAMIÁN ALFONSO
Published: May 2021

El presente artículo surge de la necesidad de desvelar la influencia del desarrollo turístico en las dimensiones del desarrollo sostenible de la comunidad de Caibarién (Cuba). La información se obtuvo mediante revisión documental y entrevistas semi estructuradas. Los fundamentos teóricos y metodológicos que soportan el tratamiento de este trabajo se estructuran a partir de la producción científica relativa a los temas del desarrollo turístico y el turismo sostenible. Los principales resultados mostraron que la estrategia de desarrollo de Gaviota S.A en los Cayos de Villa Clara, influye indirectamente en la sostenibilidad de la comunidad de Caibarién, lo cual coincide con lo que plantea la literatura académica y presenta su pertinencia también para el caso de Cuba, cuya organización socioeconómica y política se distancia del paradigma neoliberal global. Si bien existen algunas pautas que muestran una tendencia hacia el desarrollo sostenible, aún se identifican aspectos negativos en el modelo de desarrollo turístico que habrán de ser considerados tanto en futuras investigaciones como en sus implicaciones prácticas en la industria turística de Cuba y de otras latitudes.

Palabras clave: Desarrollo turístico; Sostenibilidad; Dimensiones social, económica y ambiental; Cuba.
A molecular test based on RT-LAMP for rapid, sensitive and inexpensive colorimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples
Authors: Amaral Catarina , Antunes Wilson , Moe Elin , Duarte Américo G. , Lima Luís M. P. , Santos Cristiana , Gomes Inês L. , Afonso Gonçalo S. , Vieira Ricardo , Teles Helena Sofia S. , Reis Marisa , Silva Manuel A. Ramalho , Henriques Ana Margarida , Fevereiro Miguel , Ventura M. Rita , Serrano Mónica , Pimentel Catarina
Published: May 2021

Until there is an effective implementation of COVID-19 vaccination program, a robust testing strategy, along with prevention measures, will continue to be the most viable way to control disease spread. Such a strategy should rely on disparate diagnostic tests to prevent a slowdown in testing due to lack of materials and reagents imposed by supply chain problems, which happened at the beginning of the pandemic.
In this study, we have established a single-tube test based on RT-LAMP that enables the visual detection of less than 100 viral genome copies of SARS-CoV-2 within 30 minutes. We benchmarked the assay against the gold standard test for COVID-19 diagnosis, qRT-PCR, using 177 nasopharyngeal RNA samples. For Ct ≤ 32, the RT-LAMP assay had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.1%. Additionally, we set up a RNA extraction-free RT-LAMP test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 directly from saliva samples, albeit with lower sensitivity. The saliva was self-collected and the collection tube remained closed until inactivation, thereby ensuring the protection of the testing personnel. As expected, RNA extraction from saliva samples increased the sensitivity of the test. To lower the costs associated with RNA extraction, we performed this step using an alternative protocol that uses plasmid DNA extraction columns. We also produced the enzymes needed for the assay and established an in-house-made RT-LAMP test independent of specific distribution channels. Finally, we developed a new colorimetric method that allowed the detection of LAMP products by the visualization of an evident color shift, regardless of the reaction pH.
Framework for the preservation of ephemeral natural channels through greenswales: Learnings from the case of Chandigarh
Authors: Sood Ankita , Biswas Arindam
Published: May 2021

Ephemeral natural channels in cities are reclaimed to provide land for housings and other functions. This is because of limited knowledge about the crucial role played by natural channels in stormwater management. For long, the cities have been dependent upon grey infrastructure to drain out stormwater away from the city. Therefore, it requires a paradigm shift to see the natural channels as a tool for stormwater management. There is a pressing need for the preservation of natural channels because incidences of pluvial flooding are increasing. The inability of existing grey infrastructure to take up the additional stormwater load has forced the planners to think of sustainable alternatives. In this study, the case of accidental preservation of an ephemeral natural channel in Chandigarh city is discussed and analyzed. The symbiotic relationship between Leisure valley (a green belt) and N-choe (a natural channel) offers many learnings in the preservation of natural channels. From careful observations and brainstorming, contributory factors that paved the way for the preservation of the natural channel, the concept of greenswales is evolved. A framework is developed for the sustainable planning of greenswales. It will guide the city planners and managers to have an alternative approach to preserve the natural channels sustainably and use them as a tool for pluvial flood management. This study's significant finding is that ephemeral natural channels in a city can be safeguarded through the judicious superimposition of green spaces over them.
Last-Mile Drone Delivery Combinatorial Double Auction Model using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms
Authors: Lee Chen-Wei , Wong Wai Peng
Published: May 2021

This study proposes a combinatorial double auction bi-objective winner determination problem for last mile delivery using drone. Prior studies are limited on solving mixed integer model, which are not efficient for large-scale scenario. However, this is not practical in real cases as the computation time to obtain the solution is longer due to number of combinations of packages and participants anticipated in the last mile delivery platform. Four multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) with the decomposed winner determination problem model are experimented. This study is able to yield Pareto optimal solutions from multiple runs of mixed linear integer programming (MILP) using different objectives weights in the model. Unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, has potential to reduce cost and save time for last-mile logistic operations. The result positively shows MOEAs are more efficient than MILP in yielding a set of feasible solutions for undertaking complex winner determination problem models. This is likely an unprecedented research in drone where combinatorial double auction is applied to complex drone delivery services and MOEAs are used to solve the associated winner determination problem model.
Death Toll by Dementia Drug
Authors: Lee Jong-hoon
Published: May 2021

The Dementia Management Act (DMA) came into effect on August 4, 2011, in South Korea. Medical data on the correlation between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and anti-AD drug (AAD) groups were observed from 2010 to 2019. This study investigated the increase and decrease in deaths and AAD used to treat AD. It is known that psychotropic medicines should not be administered for dementia patients because they increase all-cause mortality. This study demonstrated that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists increase the death toll when used to treat dementia.
Differences in brain activity between fast and slow responses on psychomotor vigilance task: an fNIRS study.
Authors: Nogueira Mateus G. , Silvestrin Mateus , Barreto Cândida S. F. , Sato João Ricardo , Mesquita Rickson C. , Biazoli Claudinei , Baptista Abrahão Fontes
Published: May 2021

Attention is a basic human function underlying every other cognitive process. It is demonstrated in the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging literature that frontoparietal networks are involved with attentive performance while default mode networks are involved with inattentive performance. Yet, it is still not clear whether similar results would be found with functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. The goal of our study was to investigate differences in hemodynamic activity measured by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy between fast and slow responses on a simple sustained attention task both before and after stimulus onset. Thirty healthy adults took part in the study. Our results have shown differences between fast and slow responses only on channels over medial frontal cortex and inferior parietal cortex (p < 0,05). These differences were observed both before and after stimulus presentation. It is discussed that functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy is a good tool to investigate the frontoparietal network and its relationship with performance on attention tasks; it could be used to further investigate other approaches on attention, such as the dual network model of cognitive control and brain states views based on complex systems analysis; and finally, it could be used to investigate attention on naturalistic settings.
Impacts of root pruning intensity and direction on the phytoremediation of moderately Cd-polluted soil by Celosia argentea
Authors: Tang Youjun , Gan Tian , Cao Min , Song Jinnuo , Chen Dan , Luo Jie
Published: May 2021

Root pruning can impact the nutrient uptake capacity, photosynthetic efficiency, transpiration rate, root pressure, and biomass yield of various plants, which influence phytoremediation. A series of root pruning treatments with different combinations of direction (two-side pruning and four-side pruning) and intensity (10%, 25%, and 33% pruning) were performed on Celosia argentea. All two-side pruning treatments, regardless of intensity, decreased the dry biomass of the C. argentea roots at the end of the experiment relative to that of the control, and the lowest value occurred in the two-side-33% pruning treatment. However, the two-side-10% and two-side-25% pruning treatments stimulated the growth rate of the plant leaves significantly by 58.6% and 41.4%, respectively, relative to that of the control, and even offset the weight loss of the plant roots. Contrastingly, the two-side-33% pruning treatment reduced the biomass yield of leaves by 24.1%. For the four-side pruning treatments, low intensity increased the dry weight of both the plant roots and leaves, while both decreased under high intensity root pruning. The dry weight, Cd content, pigment level, and photosynthetic efficiency in the four-side-10% treatment were higher than those in the other treatments during the experiment, thereby corresponding to the best phytoremediation effect. Except for the two-side-33% pruning treatment, all the treatments increased the phytoremediation efficiency of C. argentea, thereby indicating that root pruning with a suitable combination of direction and intensity can positively influence the Cd removal ability of C. argentea.
Primary Immune Deficiency: Patients’ Preferences for Replacement Immunoglobulin Therapy
Authors: Gonzalez Juan Marcos , Ballow Mark , Fairchild Angelyn , Runken M. Chris
Published: May 2021

Purpose: Immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy is an important life-saving treatment modality for patients with primary antibody immune deficiency disorders (PAD). IVIG and SCIg are suitable alternatives to treat patients with PAD but vary in key ways. Existing evidence on patient preferences for Ig treatments given the complexities associated with IVIG and SCIg treatment is limited and fails to account for variations in preferences across patients. For this reason, we sought to evaluate PAD patient preferences for features of IVIG and SCIg across different patient characteristics.Methods: 119 PAD patients completed a discrete-choice experiment (DCE) survey. The DCE asked respondents to make choices between carefully constructed treatment alternatives described in terms of generic treatment features. Choices from the DCE were analyzed to determine the relative influence of attribute changes on treatment preferences. We used subgroup analysis to evaluate systematic variations in preferences by patients’ age, gender, time since diagnosis, and treatment experience. Results: Patients were primarily concerned about the duration of treatment side effects, but preferences were heterogeneous. This was particularly true around administration features. Time since diagnosis was associated with an increase in patients’ concerns with the number of needles required per infusion. Also, patients appear to prefer the kind of therapy they are currently using which could be the result of properly aligned patient preferences or evidence of patient adaptive behavior. Conclusions: Heterogeneity in preferences for Ig replacement treatments suggests that a formal shared decision making process could have an important role in improving patient care.
Effect of AgNPs distribution on the cotton fiber to the durability of antibacterial cotton fabrics
Authors: Zhang Song , Zhang Tingting , He Jinxin , Dong Xia
Published: May 2021

Abstract:
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) loaded on the cotton fiber can endow the fiber with good antibacterial activity, but the AgNPs on the surface of cotton fiber will leach out with the increase of washing times, which will not only greatly reduce the antibacterial properties of cotton fiber, but also cause pollution to the environment. In this paper, carboxyl groups were introduced into cotton fiber by three methods, namely selective oxidation, butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) grafting and polyacrylic acid (PAA) adsorption. The silver ions (Ag+) were adsorbed on the cotton fibers through electrostatic attraction, and after reduction, the AgNPs were loaded onto the cotton fibers, and the AgNPs distribution on the fiber and its effect to the washing resistance of AgNPs were studied. The results showed that the selective oxidation and the BTCA grafting can introduce carboxylic groups into the interior of cotton fibers while the PAA adsorption only imports carboxyl groups on the surface of the fiber. As a consequence, AgNPs were formed inside of the cotton fiber when the selective oxidation and the BTCA grafting were employed, while AgNPs can only be loaded on the surface of the fiber by the PAA adsorption method. AgNPs inside of the fiber have high energetic adherence, resulting in silver-cotton fabric nanocomposites with strong slow-release property and long-term antibacterial ability. The fabric nanocomposites prepared by selective oxidation and BTCA grafting exhibited high AgNPs retention rate and excellent antibacterial activity even after 80 washing cycles.
Hemophagocytic syndrome after recovery from SARS-Cov-2 infection: a Case Report
Authors: Prina Marco Meazza , Martini Francesca , Bracchi Federico , Mauro Daniela Di , Fargnoli Anna , Motta Marco , Giussani Cristina , Gobbin Giovanni , Taverna Monica , D'Alessio Andrea
Published: May 2021

Background Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe hyperinflammatory disease, whose diagnosis is based on the HLH-2004 criteria. In secondary forms of HLH (sHLH), the primary goal is treating the triggering factors such as SARS-CoV-2-19 infection. The link between the cytokine storm related to SARS-CoV-2-19infection and development of sHLH has already been reported since the onset of pandemic (1), but little is known about clinical manifestations of HLH which develop after patient’s recovery from SARS-CoV-2-19 infection. Case presentation A 56-year-old caucasian female was diagnosed with sHLH according to HLH-2004 criteria, after recovery from a mild symptomatic SARS-CoV-2-19 infection and received immunosuppressive treatment (high-dose steroids, IVIG, low dose Ruxolitinib and Etoposide. Antiviral (acyclovir), antibiotic (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim) and heparin prophylaxes were administered. Colchicine therapy was added considering the pericarditis. Improvement in patient symptoms and normalization of blood count as well as fibrinogen and ferritin values was observed.Conclusion Our report suggests that HLH-like syndrome might be secondary to SARS CoV-2-19 infection, even after the patient completely recovered from the mildly symptomatic viral infection. In addition, we underline the treatment with low dose ruxolitinib plus etoposide as a potential choice for SARS-CoV-2-19 related HLH.
Protection From Contamination by 211At, an Enigmatic but Promising Alpha Emitter
Authors: Ohnuki Kazunobu , Yoshimoto Mitsuyoshi , Haba Hiromitsu , Manabe Shino , Takashima Hiroki , Yasunaga Masahiro , FUJII HIROFUMI
Published: May 2021

Purpose
211At, a promising alpha emitter, can easily volatilize and contaminate the environment. To safely manage this unique alpha emitter, we investigated the permeability of four types of plastic films and gloves against 211At and identified suitable materials to avoid contamination by 211At.
Methods
Four types of plastic films, polyethylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride, and a laminated film, and two types of rubber gloves, latex and nitrile, were examined. Small pieces of filter paper were covered with these materials, and a drop containing 100 kBq of 211At was placed on them. The radioactivity of pieces of filter paper under the materials was evaluated by measuring counts using a gamma counter and obtaining autoradiograms 3.5 h later. These experiments were also performed using 225Ac, 125I, 111In, 201Tl, and 99mTc.
Results
211At solution easily penetrated polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and latex rubber. Similar results were obtained for 125I, while other radionuclides did not penetrate films or gloves. These results suggest that halogenic radionuclides under anionic conditions are likely to penetrate plastic films and rubber gloves.
Conclusion
Our evaluation revealed that, when 211At solution is used, the protection by polyvinylidene chloride, a laminated film, or nitrile rubber would be more effective than that by polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, or latex rubber.
A Four Ingredients Chinese Herbal Formula, Decreases the Metastatic Recurrence of Postoperative Patients With Stage II- III Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Shi Qi , Le Qiqi , Wu Xing , Wang Xiyu , Zhang Minguang , Hou Fenggang
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVETo identify the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on postoperative patients with stage II-III colorectal cancer (CRC) and to explore the core herb combination and its mechanism.METHODSFor this observational cohort study, patients diagnosed between January 2006 and September 2016 were enrolled from two hospitals, data was followed up from January 2019 to November 2020 and was analyzed in December 2020. The primary outcome, disease-free survival (DFS), was compared for those patients who received or did not receive TCM, and the secondary outcome was the hazard ratio (HR). The relevance principle was used to obtain the candidate herb combinations, and the core combination was evaluated through assessment of efficacy and representativeness. Then, the interactions among herbs and CRC were visualized by Cytoscape. Furthermore, related biological processes and signalling pathways were obtained by enrichment and KEGG analyses.RESULTSA total of 707 patients were finally included. In general, TCM decreased the metastatic recurrence associated with stage II-III CRC (HR: 0.61, log-rank P＜0.05). Among those patients in the TCM group, the core combination was Baizhu → Yinchen, Chenpi, and Fuling (C), and its antitumor mechanism was most likely related to 30 core targets, which were associated with 327 biological processes and 111 KEGG pathways. The most closely associated pathways were the PI3K-Akt, MAPK and HIF-1 pathways.CONCLUSIONSOn the whole, a combination of four herbs, Baizhu → Yinchen, Chenpi, and Fuling, could reduce metastatic recurrence in postoperative patients with stage II-III CRC, and the mechanism might be related to the PI3K-Akt, MAPK and HIF-1 pathways.
Low Efficiency of Leucocyte Plugging-Based Drug Delivery To Cancer In Mice
Authors: Qian Baifeng , Termer Andreas , Sommer Christof M. , Mehrabi Arianeb , Ryschich Eduard
Published: May 2021

BackgroundCells of immune system were proposed for use as Trojan horse for tumor-specific drug delivery. The efficacy of such cell-based drug delivery depends on the site-specific cell homing. This present study was aimed to investigate the potential of leucocytes for intratumoral site-specific enrichment using locoregional application route in experimental liver tumors.MethodsHuman neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood and directly labeled with calcein AM or loaded with doxorubicin. The neutrophil loading and release of doxorubicin, migration and adhesion to ICAM-1 were analyzed in vitro. Macrophages were isolated and activated in vitro. Leucocyte plugging and distribution pattern in the liver microvasculature were studied ex vivo and the efficacy of leucocyte plugging in tumor blood vessels were analyzed in vivo after superselective intra-arterial injection in mouse liver tumor models.ResultsNeutrophils were characterized by the high dose-dependent uptake and rapid release of doxorubicin. Doxorubicin loading did not affect neutrophil migration function. Neutrophil plugging in liver microvasculature was very high (>90%), both after ex vivo perfusion and after injection in vivo. However, neutrophils as well as activated macrophages plugged insufficiently in tumor blood vessels and passed through the tumor microvasculture with a very low sequestration rate in vivo.ConclusionsNeutrophils possess several properties to function as potentially effective drug carriers; however, the tumour site-specific drug delivery after selective locoregional injection was observed to be insufficient owing to low intratumoural microvascular plugging.
Spindle-related brain activation in patients with insomnia disorder: An EEG-fMRI study
Authors: Shao Yan , Zou Guangyuan , Tabarak Serik , Chen Jie , Gao Xuejiao , Yao Ping , Liu Jiayi , Li Yuezhen , Xiong Nana , Pan Wen , Ma Mengying , Zhou Shuqin , Xu Jing , Ma Yundong , Deng Jiahui , Sun Qiqing , Bao Yanping , Sun Wei , Shi Jie , Zou Qihong , Gao Jia-Hong , Sun Hongqiang
Published: May 2021

Sleep spindles have been implicated in sleep protection, depression and anxiety. However, spindle-related brain imaging mechanism underpinning the deficient sleep protection and emotional regulation in insomnia disorder (ID) remains elusive. The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between spindle-related brain activations and sleep quality, symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with ID. Participants (n = 46, 29 females, 18–60 years) were recruited through advertisements including 16 with ID, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and 30 matched controls. Group differences in spindle-related brain activations were analyzed using multimodality data acquired with simultaneous electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging during sleep. Compared with controls, patients with ID showed significantly decreased bilateral spindle-related brain activations in the cingulate gyrus (familywise error corrected p ˂ 0.05, cluster size 3834 mm3). Activations in the cingulate gyrus were negatively correlated with Self-Rating Depression Scale scores (r = -0.454, p = 0.002), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores (r = -0.362, p = 0.014) and subjective sleep onset latency (r = -0.374, p = 0.010), while positively correlated with subjective total sleep time (r = 0.343, p = 0.020), in the pooled sample. Besides, activations in the cingulate gyrus were negatively correlated with scores on the Self-Rating Depression Scale (r = -0.650, p = 0.006), in the ID group. These findings underscore the key role of spindle-related brain activations in the cingulate gyrus in subjective sleep quality and emotional regulation in ID.
The Effect of Plasmonic Nanoparticles and the Thickness of Anode Interface Layer on the Efficiency Enhancement of Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Ahmadi Neda
Published: May 2021

We investigate the effect of nanoparticles (NPs) position on the optical parameters of organic solar cells (OSCs). We change the position of NPs inside the anode interface layer (AIL) and active layer and study the role of NPs position in light transmission, power absorption, short-circuit current density (Jsc), and maximum generation rate. We also use silver (Ag) nanoparticles inside the anode interface layer and investigate the optical parameters. Moreover, we study the role of AIL thickness in light transmission and power absorption. We use finite-different timedomain (FDTD) method for all simulations. This study can be useful for new perspectives and light management in organic solar cells.
Consideration of A Robust Watermarking Algorithm for Color Image Using Improved QR Decomposition
Authors: Nha Phuong Thi , Thanh Ta Minh , Phong Nguyen Tua
Published: May 2021

In order to protect the color image copyright protection of the digital multimedia, it is necessary to design a color image watermarking algorithm. To achieve this purpose, an improved color image watermarking scheme based on QR decomposition for color image matrix is proposed in this paper. The proposed method gives a new algorithm to find elements of Q and R matrices instead of using Gram-Schmidt algorithm for QR factorization. First, R matrix is performed by solving a set of linear equations where diagonal elements of R are checked and modified if they are zero or negative. After that, Q matrix is computed based on R matrix. In addition, a novel formula is proposed to improve extracting time where the first element R(1,1) of R matrix is found instead of computing QR decomposition as the previous proposals. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms other methods considered in this paper in term of the quality of the watermarked images and the robustness of embedding method. Furthermore, the execution time is significantly improved and the watermark image is more robust under some tested attacks.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Community Structure in Rhizosphere Soil and Colonization in Root of BADH Transgenic Maize BZ-136 and Receptor Parental Maize
Authors: Li Rui , Zeng Xing , Bai Xin , QU JUANJUAN , Wang Zhenhua
Published: May 2021

Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) transgenic maize has a capability to grow under drought and salt stress, yet problems remain about the risk of cropping BADH on symbiotic microbes. A pot experiment was carried out to assess the impact of BADH transgenic maize BZ-136 on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization in plant and community structure in rhizosphere soil compared with that of parental maize Zheng58 in neutral and saline-alkaline soil. Microscope observation found that BZ-136 only had a significant effect on AMF colonization at elongation stage. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the AMF taxonomic composition kept consistency at the genus level between transgenic BZ-136 and non-transgenic parental Zheng58. NMDS analysis verified the slight difference in community structure between BZ-136 and Zheng58 presented a agrotype-dependent pattern. AMF community indices showed that BZ-136 had a higher richness at flowering stage in saline-alkaline soil and had a higher diversity at mature stage in neutral soil. Heatmap analysis also illuminated AMF community structure of transgenic maize at species level was similar to that of non-transgenic maize. In summary, cropping transgenic BADH maize has minor or transient effects on AMF colonization and soil AMF community structure, while agrotype have a stronger effect on AMF community structure.
Precisione Treatment for Parvovirus B19 Infection After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: a Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Zhou Xiaohui , Xiaodong Wang , Uet Yu , Xiaoling Zhang , Chunjing Wang , Yu Zhang , Chunlan Yang , Mingjing Luo , Yue Li , Qian Zhang , Zhenhu Lin , Xianping Jiang , Sixi Liu
Published: May 2021

Background: Cytopenia due to parvovirus B19 (PVB19) infection has rarely been reported in recipients of thalassemia major after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Most of the reported cases were patients undergone solid organ transplantation, especially renal transplant. However, cases of pediatric patients in thalassemia major have rarely been reported. Case presentation: Here we report a girl that had PVB19-induced anemia while undergoing immunosuppressive therapy after transplant. The patient presented with progressive anemia and had a lowest hemoglobin level of 58 g/L. Bone marrow biopsy showed suppress inhibited erythropoiesis with giant pronormoblasts. Next-generation sequencing of peripheral blood suggested the infection of PVB19.The detection of serum PVB19-DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed a viral load of over 1×108 copies/ml. The hemoglobin level increased to 113 g/L after six courses of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. Monitoring of viral load showed PVB19-DNA level remained at a low level for six months before clearance. Pure red cell aplasia was not observed during the treatment period. Conclusions: Our case suggests that timely and adequately diagnosis and treatment against PVB19 with IVIG is effective and may prevent sequential complications in pediatric HSCT recipients.
The Role of Gender-Specific Factors in the Choice of Specialty Training in Obstetrics and Gynecology – Results from a Survey Among Medical Students in Germany
Authors: Riedel Maximilian , Hennigs Andre , Dobberkau Anna Maria , Riedel Caroline , Bugaj Till Johannes , Nikendei Christoph , Amann Niklas , Karge Anne , Eisenkolb Gabriel , Tensil Maria , Recker Florian , Riedel Fabian
Published: May 2021

Purpose The field of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) is facing growing competition for young professionals in Germany, with high interest rates among female graduates and a declining proportion of male students who choose residency training in the field. The aim of this study is to analyze general and gender-dependent factors that influence the decision for or against specialty training in OB/GYN among medical students in Germany. Methods Between February and November 2019, n = 346 medical students in their 5th and 6th year of undergraduate training at Heidelberg University received a questionnaire with 44 items. Results N = 286 students (61.3 female; 38.7% male) participated in the study. 28% of the female students and 9% of the male students had considered OB/GYN for their specialty training. The students reported different general and gender-specific influencing factors in their choice of a specialty. In comparison with their female colleagues, male students had heavily weighted factors related to their later careers and professional success, including competition among colleagues. Male students had gained little practical experience during compulsory internships (26.9% for females vs. 8.8% for males) or had chosen their final-year elective in OB/GYN (15.9% for females vs. 5.5% for males). Female students had worried about the negative effects of their sex on their career (35.4% for females vs. 5.9% for males). Conclusion OB/GYN must become more appealing and attractive to young female and male professionals alike. Better support for female clinicians in leadership positions should go hand in hand with the implementation of differentiated, (extra)curricular teaching approaches that take the different preferences of female and male students into account.
Long-term cognitive deficits after traumatic brain injury associated with microglia activation.
Authors: Saba Esber , Karout Mona , Nasralla Leila , Kobeissy Firas , Darwish Hala , Khoury Samia J
Published: May 2021

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the most prevalent of all head injuries, and based on the severity of the injury, it may result in chronic neurologic and cognitive deficits. Microglia play an essential role in homeostasis and diseases of the central nervous system. We hypothesize that microglia may play a beneficial or detrimental role in TBI depending on their state of activation and duration.Methods: In the present study, we evaluated whether TBI results in a spatiotemporal change in microglia phenotype and whether it affects sensory-motor or learning and memory functions in male C57BL/6 mice. We used a panel of neurological and behavioral tests and a multi-color flow cytometry-based data analysis followed by unsupervised clustering to evaluate isolated microglia from injured brain tissue. Results: We characterized several microglial phenotypes and their association with cognitive deficits. TBI results in a spatiotemporal increase in highly activated microglia that correlated negatively with spatial learning and memory at 35 days post-injury.Conclusions: These observations could define therapeutic windows and accelerate translational research to improve patient outcomes.
Molecular Detection of Some Toxigenic Cyanobacteria in Tigris River in Baghdad–Iraq
Authors: Gummaa Noor Redha , Dwaish Ahmed Sahi , Hamzah Israa Hussein
Published: May 2021

Cyanobacteria and their emissions are becoming more widely reported around the world, posing a serious threat to both the environment and human health. Several orders of cyanobacteria have been identified to make cyanotoxin, the most common algal toxin. The aim of this research was to develop a method for detecting cylindrosprmopsin and saxitoxin biosynthesis genes in rivers .In November, December 2019 and January2020. Cyanobacteria were isolated from Tigris River freshwater and detected using a compound microscope as well as traditional PCR .All cyanobacteria isolates contained phycocyanin gene fragment. Five isolates of cyanobacteria in these study was successfully amplified a phycocyanin gene (Microcystis flosaquae, Microcystis sp, anabaena circinalis ,nostoc commune and westiellopsis prolifica) and all isolates successfully amplified aoaC gene to detecting the cylidrospemopsin and the saxitoxin. Our findings show that a PCR assay can be used to detect cylidrospemopsin and saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria in river water, which is useful for stations that prepare drinking water for the public.
Dissemination and Implementation of a Community Wide Campaign Model to Improve Fruit & Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity Among Mexican Americans in the Texas-Mexico Border Region
Authors: Reininger Belinda M. , Mitchell-Bennett Lisa A. , Lee Minjae , Yeh Paul Gerardo , Xu Tianlin , Davé Amanda C. , Park Soo Kyung , Toro Alma G. Ochoa Del
Published: May 2021

Background

Evidence-based programs are slow to disseminate to create public health impact. Mexican Americans have low uptake of the modifiable healthy behaviors of fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption and physical activity (PA). This study analyzed the dissemination and implementation of an evidence-based community-wide campaign (CWC), Tu Salud ¡Si Cuenta! (TSSC), in augmenting these behaviors among Mexican Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Methods

We examined reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) of the program. For effectiveness, participants were classified into “low exposure” and “high exposure” groups based on home visits by a community health worker (CHW). A dietary questionnaire and the Godin-Shepherd Exercise Questionnaire were used to quantify mean FV consumption and weekly PA level, respectively. Mean differences in change from baseline to follow-up was compared between the groups based on multivariable linear regression analysis, adjusting for age, gender, insurance and poverty status, and program components received. Odds of newly meeting FV and PA guidelines at follow-up were estimated with multivariable logistic regression analysis. All analyses were repeated for each location separately.
Results

Low-income Mexican-Americans (N = 8225) across twelve locations along the U.S.-Mexico border were analyzed. The program reached 2.2% of the total population of the lower Rio Grande Valley region (Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, Texas). The high exposure group had significantly greater FV intake (adjusted mean difference = + 0.65 FV servings, 95% CI: 0.53–0.77) and PA (adjusted mean difference = + 185.6 MET-minutes, 95% CI: 105.9-265.4) than the low exposure group. The high exposure group was significantly more likely to meet FV guidelines (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.65–2.47) and PA guidelines (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10–1.68) at follow-up. In location-specific analysis, the association of increasing program exposure to degree of improvement in FV consumption and PA was replicated. 92.3% (12/13) of locations offered the program adopted it. 58.3% (7/12) of program locations implemented with fidelity, and 91.7% (11/12) maintained the program.
Conclusions

The results indicate this CWC intervention shows promise for improving health outcomes among low-income Mexican Americans in a scaled-up implementation effort. The adoption and maintenance of the program was strong, but staff capacity and turnover adversely impacted implementation fidelity.
Trial registration:
NCT03199365. Date: June 26, 2017
Differential Circular RNA Expression Analysis for Screening the Potential Biomarkers in Atrial Fibrillation Patients
Authors: Sun Shenjie , Lv Tingting , Li Siyuan , Liu Peng , Yang Ying , Liu Yuanwei , She Fei , He Rong , Zhang Ping
Published: May 2021

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide. Accumulating evidence indicated circular RNA (circRNA) as an epigenetic regulator play a critical role in the development of various of cardiovascular diseases. However, the regulatory network of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA involved in AF was still little investigated.Methods: In the present study, AF-related differentially expressed circRNAs (DE circRNAs) were derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets GSE97455 by bioinformatic analysis. Then, miRNAs targeted by these circRNAs were predicted using the Circular RNA Interactome. These putative miRNAs were next used to predict mRNAs using three databases including miRDB, miRTarBase, and TargetScan. The targeted mRNAs were the intersection of the above-mentioned predicted mRNAs overlapping with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified from GEO datasets GSE79768.Results: We firstly screened 46 DE circRNAs, 90 putative miRNAs, and 32 overlapping genes in the network of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA constructed by Cytoscape. Further, the top 7 DE circRNAs (hsa_circ_0000367, hsa_circ_0000691, hsa_circ_0000288, hsa_circ_0006168, hsa_circ_0001666, hsa_circ_0021652, and hsa_circ_0030162) were screened in the constructed circRNA/miRNA/mRNA regulatory network consisting of 7 circRNAs, 42 miRNAs, and 25 mRNAs, including 53 circRNA–miRNA pairs and 64 miRNA–mRNA pairs, which were closely related to AF.Conclusion: Our findings revealed that 7 DE circRNAs were involved in a circRNA/miRNA/mRNA regulatory network in AF and may be potential novel biomarkers in AF.
Prevalence of Arbovirus Antibodies in Young Healthy Adult Population in Brazil
Authors: Salgado Bárbara Batista , Maués Fábio Carmona de Jesus , Pereira Renato Lemos , Chiang Jennifer Oliveira , Freitas Maria Nazaré de Oliveira , Ferreira Milene Silveira , Martins Livia Caricio , Vasconcelos Pedro Fernando da Costa , Ganoza Christian , Lalwani Pritesh
Published: May 2021

The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases are a cause for worldwide concern. The introduction of Zika and Chikungunya disease in the Americas has exposed unforeseen medical and logistical challenges for public health systems. Moreover, the lack of preventive measures and vaccination against known and emerging mosquito-transmitted pathogens, and the occurrence of unanticipated clinical complications, has produced an enormous social and economic impact in the affected populations. In this study, we aimed to measure the seroprevalence of endemic and emerging viral pathogens in military personnel stationed in Manaus, Amazonas state. We measured the seroprevalence of antibodies against nineteen endemic and emerging viruses in a healthy military personnel cohort using a Hemagglutination Inhibition Assay (HIA). Overall, DENV seroprevalence was 60.4%, and 30.9% of the individuals reacted against ZIKV. Also, 46.6%, 54.7%, 51.3% and 48.7% individuals reacted against West Nile virus (WNV), Saint Louis Encephalitis virus (SLEV), Ilheus virus (ILHV) and Rocio virus (ROCV), respectively. Individuals with high DENV HIA titre reacted more frequently with ZIKV or WNV compared to those with low HIA titres. Observed cross-reactivity between Flaviviruses varied depending on the virus serogroup. Additionally, 0.6% and 0.3% individuals were seropositive for Oropouche virus (OROV) and Catu virus (CATUV) from the family Peribunyaviridae, respectively. All samples were negative for Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis virus (WEEV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), Mucambo virus (MUCV) and CHIKV from the family Togaviridae. In conclusion, a high proportion of individuals in our high-risk population (~ 60%) lacked antibodies against major endemic and emerging viruses, which makes them susceptible for further infections. Military personnel serving in the Amazon region could serve as sentinels to strengthen global infectious disease surveillance, particularly in remote areas.
Nitrilotriacetic acid enhanced lead accumulation in Athyrium wardii (Hook.) Makino by modifying rhizosphere characteristics
Authors: Zhang Yunhong , Huang Huagang , Yu Haiying , Zhan Juan , Ye Daihua , Zheng Zicheng , Zhang Xizhou , Wang Yongdong , Li Tingxuan
Published: May 2021

Chelant-assisted phytoremediation may modify plant rhizosphere, which is closely relevant to heavy metal (HM) accumulation in plants. This work focused on the effects of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) on rhizosphere characteristics to investigate the mechanism of lead (Pb) accumulation in Athyrium wardii (Hook.) Makino with exposure to 800 mg kg− 1 Pb. After NTA application, Pb accumulation in the underground part of A. wardii increased by 14.3%, accompanying with some changes for the rhizosphere soils. Soil pH decreased by 0.37 and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content in the rhizosphere soils significantly increased by 7.6%. The urease, acid phosphatase and catalase activities in the rhizophere soils significantly increased by 104.8%, 19.7% and 27.1%, respectively. However, a slight inhibition on microbial activities was observed in the rhizosphere of A. wardii after NTA application. Soil respiration decreased by 8.9% and microbial biomass carbon decreased by 8.9% in the rhizosphere soils, indicating that NTA addition recruited some microorganisms to maintain rhizosphere functions in Pb-contaminated soils, while inhibited others with low tolerance to Pb. Results suggest that lower pH, more DOC exudation and higher soil enzyme activities after NTA application contributed to the increase of Pb accumulation in A. wardii. This study gave some preliminary evidence for NTA-assisted Pb remediation by A. wardii by modifying rhizosphere characteristics.
A Comparison of Pharmacotherapy and Combined Pharmacotherapy with Transcranial Direct Current Stimuli action (tDCS) in Reduction of Impulsivity in Patients with Bipolar Disorder Type I: A Randomized and Parallel Clinical Trial
Authors: Mardani Parnaz , Dadashi Mohsen , Javdani Hossein , Zolghadriha Ahmad , Mousavi Elnaz
Published: May 2021

ObjectiveBipolar disorder is one of the most destructive psychiatric disorders that leads to many psycho-social problems in patients, besides, the presence of impulsivity doubles this dysfunction and imposes irreparable consequences on the patient. So, in this study we aimed to comparison of pharmacotherapy and combined pharmacotherapy with Transcranial Direct Current Stimuli action (tDCS) in reduction of impulsivity in patients with bipolar disorder type I.MethodThe present study was a clinical trial with pre-test, post-test and a 3-month follow-up period. A sample of 30 patients with bipolar disorder type I was selected by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two groups (pharmacotherapy and combined pharmacotherapy with tDCS). The tDCS protocol was performed for 10 sessions of 20 minutes for the combined group [F3 F4]. Barret Impulsivity Scale (BIS) was presented in three stages of pre-test, post-test and follow-up stages. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software. Analysis of covariance tests were used to analyze the data.ResultsThe results showed that the effect of the between-subject factor was significant for the total score (partial ƞ2 = 0.32, p<0.05) cognitive impulsivity (partial ƞ2 = 0.31, p<0.05), motor impulsivity (partial ƞ2 = 0.18, p<0.05), nonplanning (partial ƞ2 = 0.16, p<0.05), Also, the investigation of impulsivity components also shows that there is a significant difference between combined and pharmacotherapy groups.ConclusionCombined treatment proved to be more effective in the treatment of patients suffering from bipolar disorder type I than separate medication. It can probably be used as a supplementary psychiatric medication, but this improvement but this improvement is not synonymous with stopping the use of psychiatric drugs.