bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acompanhamento nutricional associado ao treinamento resistido progressivo sobre a adiposidade em homens com sobrepeso e obesidade
Authors: Pereira Leite Costa Victoria Pereira Leite Costa , Schinaider Eduarda Carolina Balena , Polachini Skzypek Zanardo Vivian , Pegoraro Zemolin Gabriela Pegoraro Zemolin , Baggio Spinelli Roseana , Meneghetti Gisele , Guedes Janesca  Mansur , Sbardelotto Mari Lúcia
Published: July 2021

Sobrepeso e obesidade representam um problema de saúde mundial, sendo definidos como acúmulo anormal ou excessivo de gordura que pode oferecer riscos à saúde, sua etiologia depende de diversos fatores, incluindo consumo alimentar e atividade física. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos da associação entre a dieta e o treinamento resistido progressivo, em homens adultos com excesso de peso. Pesquisa longitudinal, quase-experimental, caráter quantitativo. Completaram o estudo 27 indivíduos, sexo masculino, idade entre 24 e 57 anos, distribuídos em 4 grupos: Intervenção Nutricional (GIN, n=9), Atividade Física (n=6), Intervenção Nutricional e Atividade Física (GINAF, n=6), Controle (n=6). A maioria dos participantes apresentou redução de Índice de Massa Corporal, passando da classificação de obesidade grau I para sobrepeso, e houve redução do risco de doenças associadas à obesidade para Circunferência da Cintura. Observou-se uma diminuição na média do Valor Energético Total para todos os grupos. O consumo de carboidratos mostrou-se inferior ao recomendado, gramas de proteína/kg de peso adequadas, e lipídeos diminuição na ingestão, exceto para grupo controle. As intervenções promoveram melhoras em parâmetros antropométricos e alimentares, principalmente no GIN e GINAF, apresentando adequação do estado nutricional, podendo colaborar para a promoção da saúde, qualidade de vida dos participantes.
Análise do crescimento de Schizolobium parahyba var amazonicum (Huber Ex Ducke) Barneby sob diferentes proporções de pó-de-rocha
Authors: Epifanio Maristela , Gomes de Almeida Sous Hygor , Viana Souza Igor , Aurélio Campos Aguiar Bruno , Braga Campos Duarte Victor , Rayssa Antunes da Silva Oliveira Gabriela , Vinicius de Melo Amorim Marcos , Freire Dias Camila , Bezerra de Souza Flavia , Carneiro Fonseca Ana Clara , Bezerra de Souza Priscila
Published: July 2021

The Cerrado is a biocore biome that occupies about 25% of the Brazilian territory, located mainly in the central region. Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (Huber ex Ducke) Barneby is a species of the Fabaceae family, occurring in primary and secondary terra firme forests of the Amazon region. This paper aims to evaluate the development of the species Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (Huber ex Ducke) Barneby under different proportions of alternative substrate. Four treatments were used, distributed as follows: T1- Prepared Substrate (SP) 100% (Black soil, cattle manure and rice straw), control, T2- 80% SP + 20% Rock Powder (PR), T3- 65% SP + 35% PR, T4-50% SP + 50% PR. The design used was randomized blocks with 5 replications and the parameters used were: height, diameter, chlorophyll content, root dry mass (MSR), shoot dry mass (MSPA), total dry mass (MST), ratio root dry mass and shoot dry mass (MSR / MSPA), and Dickson quality index. The analysis of variance and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability using the Sisvar program. In all variables analyzed there was no significant difference for all treatments tested. The use of rock dust as fertilizer had no significant effects on the development of the studied species.
Tecnologia do abate kosher de frangos de corte
Authors: Knackfuss Fabiana
Published: July 2021

The objective of this work was to describe the stages and products of the technological process of kosher slaughter of broilers, as well as to highlight the specific differences in relation to conventional non-kosher slaughter, based on the specifications of Ordinance No. 210 of 10 November 1998. The flexible markets combined with intense globalization in the current world has influenced companies to adapt to the manufacture of products unusual to traditional ones, aiming to serve a wide audience and, consequently, a greater accumulation of capital. This trend has also taken hold of the food industries, which have to adhere to modernity and dynamics, for the production of specific and differentiated foods, including those of a religious nature, such as kosher products. The present work addressed the modification of the conventional slaughter flowcharts of a chicken slaughterhouse to meet the demand of Jewish consumers in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Degeneração mixomatosa de valva mitral em cães: Revisão
Authors: Oliveira Silva Almeida Caroline
Published: July 2021

Myxomatous mitral valve degeneration is a affection that affects several animals, mainly of small breed animals, male and elderly. As it is one of the main cardiopathy that affect these canids, the objective was to compile the most relevant and recent information in the literature on this topic, which was done using databases and books. Although the etiology was not be determined until the conclusion of this work, there is scientific evidence that corroborates the correlation between the activation of cardiac cell proliferation mechanisms in the embryonic phase. The diagnosis of which can be made through anamnesis, physical examination, imaging, biochemicals and electrocardiogram. Based on these and clinical signs, we can stage the disease and evaluate therapeutic options to conduct the treatment properly. Because it is a chronic disorder that results from changes in the structural conformation of cardiac components, clinical treatment is not curative. Therefore, several drugs can be administered in order to inhibit the harmful compensatory mechanisms to the individual's organism as a way to promote greater life expectancy and quality. Surgical treatment can be performed using different techniques, but found several impediments to the performance of this type of procedure in the routine in Veterinary Medicine.
Neonatologia canina: manejo e particularidades fisiológicas
Authors: Vezzali Beatriz
Published: July 2021

Neonatology is that addresses the new-born’s care and its physiological particularities, in addition to the conditions that affect them. In this period, several physiological, metabolic and anatomical changes and adaptions occur in order to establish its life in the extrauterine environment, which will allow the new-born to develop slowly and, for this reason, present immaturity in the organic systems. The negligence, associated with the lack of basic knowledge of canine neonatal physiology by veterinarians might leverage the rising number of neonatal mortalities, together with the poor handling made by these veterinarians, tutors and breeders. Knowing the physiological particularities of canine new-borns is the secret behind not losing any of them, aiming to promote their health through practices of hygiene and delivering everything these animals need in the first phase of their lives, resulting in the decrease of neonatal mortality, keeping in sight that it should not be considered as something normal and expected.
The Effects of Culture on Learning Styles: The Sample of Ondokuz Mayıs University
Authors: Diken Fatih , Ozdemir Nevin
Published: July 2021

This study examines the effect of culture on learning styles. The study sample consisted of undergraduate and graduate students, most of whom are foreign nationals, studying in different departments of Ondokuz Mayıs University in Samsun, Turkey. Based on the experiential learning theory (ELT), Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (KLSI) was used as a data collection tool to define individual learning styles. By examining previous studies such as the Global Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (GLOBE), the study focused on categorizing cultural differences. 193 participants from 35 different nationalities were included in one of three cultural clusters (The Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia). In the first part of the study, the dominant learning styles of each cultural cluster were evaluated based on Kolb's traditional 4 learning styles (diverging, converging, assimilating, and accommodating) and the new 9 learning styles (experiencing, imagining, reflecting, analysing, thinking, deciding, acting, balancing) defined in KLSI 3.2 and KLSI 4. It was analysed whether there was a statistically significant difference in the dominant learning styles among the cultural clusters. The results of the analysis showed that there was no significant difference among the cultural clusters according to 4 learning style classifications, whereas there were significant differences among the cultural clusters according to Kolb’s 9 learning style classifications. In the second part of the study, it was evaluated whether there was a significant difference among the cultural clusters according to the modes of grasping experience – concrete experience (CE) and abstract conceptualization (AC) – and two dialectically related modes of transforming experience—reflective observation defined in the ELT model.

Keywords: learning style, Kolb learning style inventory (KLSI), culture, cultural dimensions, cultural clusters, higher education
Teaching the Big Three: Making Sense of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton
Authors: Raupp Edward R.
Published: July 2021

Arguably, the three most important early writers in the English language – indeed, one might say the founders of the language – are Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), and John Milton (1608-1674).  Yet our experience at the higher level of education is that students have had little exposure to the life and times of these writers or of their work.  Our study shows that, while some Georgian school leavers have been exposed briefly to a bit of Shakespeare, few have chanced to encounter Chaucer and none to Milton.  Moreover, while teaching what we might call “The Big Three” of English language and literature, much the same might be said at the master’s level: a bit of Shakespeare, little of Chaucer, and none of Milton.  To the extent that students of English as a foreign language encounter any literature at all, they tend to be offered little other than literal translation.  “Retell the text.”  They miss the nuances of the English language as they would encounter them through the greatest of writers.  It is, therefore, essential that those who teach any or all of these great writers develop a strategy to fit the needs of the students while meeting the objectives of the course.  The key to making sense of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton is to make connections to what students already know, to their own experiences, to make these greatest of all English writers relevant to the lives of the students in ways they can understand.

Keywords: English literature, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton
Teachers' Views on Music Education Practices in Secondary Education in Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic Process
Authors: Gül Gülnihal
Published: July 2021

In this study, it was aimed to determine the views of music teachers who have worked in secondary education during the COVID-19 Pandemic process regarding the music lessons conducted via distance education. The study group of the research consisted of 11 music teachers who were determined by the convenience sampling method. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview consisting of 6 questions and a demographic information form. In line with the findings obtained from this study, it was determined that the music teachers participating in the research had difficulties in classroom management, parents' approaches, technological equipment, internet problems and students' motivation. Besides, it was determined that the teachers used different technological teaching materials in the course, the achievements in the curriculum were partially achieved and the course evaluation process could not be carried out effectively enough.

Key words:  COVID-19, pandemic, distance education, secondary education, music education
Pengelolaan Keuangan Pensiun kepada Alumni Bidan
Authors: Wijayanti Murti , Yunita Tyna
Published: July 2021

Pengelolaan keuangan dalam masa pensiun menjadi tantangan sendiri. Kenyamanan sebagai pekerja dengan penghasilan bulanan berubah dan dibutuhkan kemampuan untuk menata diri baik secara psikologis dan materiil. Dalam lingkup keluarga, para ibu dominan berperan sebagai pengelola keuangan rumah tangga. Sebagai bagian dari alumni bidan serta kontinuitas jaringan ikatan silaturahim yang kuat diantara para anggotanya, menjadikan para kelompok ibu pensiunan ini semangat menjemput pengetahuan terkait finansial guna tetap mendukung kesejahteraan dan kestabilan ekonomi keluarga. Permasalahan yang kerap kali muncul sehubungan dengan faktor finansial adalah ketidakcermatan dalam pola mengatur dana pemasukan serta mengalokasikan pengeluarannya ke berbagai tujuan yang direncanakan maupun yang bersifat taktis. Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat merupakan salah satu tanggung jawab Tridharma perguruan tinggi, dengan kegiatan ini selaku tenaga pendidik menjadi nara sumber memberikan sumbangsih kegiatan pelatihan perencanaan dan pengelolaan keuangan pada komunitas ibu-ibu alumni bidan RSUP Palembang yang berada di wilayah Jabodetabek.  Kegiatan ini dapat menambah wawasan bagi para dosen dan pengembangan pengetahuan bagi mahasiswa.
THEORETICAL EXTENSION OF THE NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2020 USING TWITTER MINING
Authors: Singh Kaurav Rahul Pratap , Narula Sumit , Baber Ruturaj , Tiwari Pinaz
Published: July 2021

In 2015, India adopted the UN‟s Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 4 which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. As the existent educational system was inadequate to meet the desired sustainable goal, the Indian government introduced the New Education Policy (NEP) in 2020. Considered as an inclusive education policy that focuses on fostering knowledge and value-based education, this study aims to evaluate the paradigm of NEP in the higher education sector. The study collected data from official policy documents (from the Ministry of Human Resource Development website) and Twitter to explore the critical areas in the NEP. By adopting the qualitative analysis method, the data were analysed using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. After mining the data from tweets and policy documents, sentiment analysis and other forms of graphical representations were conducted. The study identified three themes namely students, language and discipline. The sentiment analysis revealed that the majority of the people were optimistic about the implementation of the NEP in the higher education sector. The study suggests practical implications for the higher educational institutes (HEIs), teachers and researchers.
Computer Tutorials and Drill-Practice Strategies on Senior Science Students' Academic Achievement on Energy Transformation in Nature, Uyo, Nigeria
Authors: Etiubon Rebecca Ufonabasi , Etiubon Andikara Honour , Akpan Idorenyin W.
Published: July 2021

The study used computer tutorial and drill- practice strategies to investigate students' achievement on energy transformation in nature, Uyo, Nigeria. The study was guided by three research questions and three hypotheses. Quasi-experimental design of non-randomized pretest, posttest control group was used for the study. Population was all 2,629 senior secondary two students and sample size was 210 science students selected from three secondary schools in their intact classes using purposive sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was Achievement Test. Three lecturers of test, measurement and evaluation in Science Education did instrument validation. Reliability index was .85 obtained using Kuder-Richardson Formulae-21. Data analysis for research questions used mean and standard deviation and ANCOVA for hypotheses formulated at .05 significant level. Findings revealed that students taught computer tutorial achieved and retained higher than those taught with computer drill-practice and lecture methods. Gender is a non-significant factor in academic achievement of students. The findings concluded that, computer tutorial enhances students' academic achievement in energy transformation in nature. The study recommends that teachers of science embrace computer tutorial and drill-practice strategies in teaching science concepts.
Synthesis, Characterization and Stabilization Analysis of Ferrofluid Based on Amazon Vegetable Copaifera O. L. Oil
Authors: Gomes Ferreira da Silva Laffert , Beleza Tiago Aparício Salgado , Santos Judes Gonçalves dos , Silveira Luciene Batista da
Published: July 2021

The Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology develops several researches using nanostructures with magnetic properties. These nanostructures can have different physical properties depending on their composition and therefore can be used in various applications such as: drug markers and carriers, microelectronics, magnetic separations and environmental applications. Furthermore, the use of natural components in the synthesis of these nanostructures may come to complement these nanomaterials due to their underexplored properties and their renewable origin. This research will aim to carry out a pre-study to analyze the stability of magnetic fluids based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles functionalized with vegetable oil from the Copaifera SPP plant, known as Copaiba. Therefore, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles will be synthesized by the coprecipitation method by hydrolysis in an alkaline solution. Ferrofluid will be prepared by dispersing magnetic nanoparticles, at different concentrations, in the “in natura” oil. For the samples characterization measurements were taken of: UV-vis, FTIR, NIR spectrophotometry, XRD and Magnetic Susceptibility, the temporal analysis was recorded periodically, observing the possible stability of the samples. This work reports that the ferrofluid showed good stability and the magnetic properties associated with the nanoparticles the properties of the Amazon oil used.
Optimization of filament antennas using the Gauss-Newton method
Authors: Farias Valcir João da Cunha , Rocha Marcus Pinto da Costa da , Lima Lucélia M. , Tavares Heliton Ribeiro
Published: July 2021

The project of the Yagi-Uda antenna was optimized using the Gauss-Newton method. The optimization consisted of specifying value interval for directivity, front-to-back ratio and beamwidth and, starting from a pre-defined initial model, the best values for the length and spacing of the elements were determined. For the direct modeling, the method of moments on the integral Pocklington equation was used, which consisted of obtaining the values of directivity, front-to-back ratio and beamwidth from the length and spacing between known elements. The procedure was applied to the synthesis of Yagi-Uda antennas with five and six elements and the results were found to be as good as those obtained in the literature using other optimization methods.
The Effect of Communication, Resources, Disposition And Structure of Bureaucracy on Medical Participation of Men's Operations in City of Bandar Lampung (Study of George Edward III Policy Implementation Model)
Authors: Sormin Rahma Diani
Published: July 2021

The Population and Family Planning Control Office of Bandar Lampung City has implemented a Family Planning Program to reduce birth rates so that population growth in Bandar Lampung is controlled. Since 2009, men and women have had the same rights and position in achieving the success of the Family Planning Program in Bandar Lampung City. But the fact the Family Planning Program in Bandar Lampung City still seems biased to gender, this is evidenced by the achievement of family planning acceptors who are still being majority among women compared to men. KB Male Medical Surgery (MOP) is the male birth control that attains the lowest acceptor and has decreased in five years in the city of Bandar Lampung. Based on the problems obtained in the field, the study wanted to see the influence of communication variables, resources, disposition, and bureaucratic structure on KB MOP participation in Bandar Lampung City. The independent variable used in this study is the implementation model variable proposed by George Edward III. The method used in this study a descriptive and associative method with a quantitative approach.
The results showed that the communication variables obtained the magnitude of influence of 4.4% and the disposition variable obtained the magnitude of influence of 4.3%, these two variables did not have a significant effect on KB MOP participation in Bandar Lampung City. While the resource variable obtained the magnitude of influence of 21.1% and the bureaucratic structure variable obtained the magnitude of influence of 25.6%, these two variables had a significant influence on KB MOP participation in Bandar Lampung City. But simultaneously the communication, resource, disposition and bureaucratic structure variables have a significant influence on KB MOP participation in Bandar Lampung City and the magnitude of the effect obtained is 25.1%.
Strategies and Techniques of Drug Discovery from Natural Products
Authors: Ali Parniya Akbar , Hanif Farah , Nettour Hosna , Rehman Mubashar
Published: July 2021

New drugs are mostly obtained from Natural sources. The traditional and ethic medicines have provided evidence on the therapeutic properties and resulted in some distinguished drug discovery of natural products. The microorganisms and the endogenous active materials from human or animal have also become a significant approach to the discovery of a drug. Bioinformatics and artificial intelligence have facilitated the study and development of products. For discovery of natural products different software have been used. Different computational software needed in the future for the predicting features in new drug development, for instance pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics, in drug development lead positive impact. This review focus on natural product drug discovery and uses innovative strategies and techniques as a part of discovery of drugs from natural products.
Bio-Adhesive Nanomedicine for Targeted Drug Delivery
Authors: Iqbal Ali , Malik Ramsha , Zulfiqar Malik Irfan , Kiani Maria Hassan , Rauf ul Hassan Muhammad
Published: July 2021

The bio/muco-adhesive auxiliary agents are considered as a promising strategy for the administration of various challenging drugs including peptides, proteins and oligosaccharides therapeutics. The delivery of such therapeutics is hampered due to rapid degradation, restricted uptake, short residence time, poor solubility and limited half-life. The recent emergence of nanomedicine based on bio/mucoadhesive auxiliary agents is offering new avenues to overcome these drawbacks. Hence, it is important to understand the mechanism of nanoscale bio/mucoadhesion, protocols for investigating bio/mucoadhesive potential at nanoscale. This chapter is an endeavor to focus on the mechanism of bio adhesion and the bio/mucoadhesive auxiliary agents that are used in the design of the targeted oral, nasal, ocular, vaginal, and buccal nanomedicine with their properties that affect the bio/mucoadhesion.
A Study on Different Conventional Techniques to Withdraw Blood from Experimental Animals
Authors: Rashid Nida , Ahmed Ayesha , Shahid Hafsa , Fatima Syeda Komal , Rehman Mubashir
Published: July 2021

Blood collection from experimental animals is a common yet crucial procedure that requires immense care and professional experience to ensure propriety and successful trials in the experimental procedure. This article overviews different methods for blood collection, terminal and non-terminal, in different experimental animals, mainly rat, guinea pig, and rabbit. Different sites for the collection of blood have been discussed, along with the pros and cons of administering via these sites. Lastly, it is discussed that the site of selection depends on the sample volume required and the purpose of the experimental procedure; these factors are also discussed in detail in this review article.
A Deep Insight on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Indexes (Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), ESR, CRP, Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), Patient Global Health) and Correlation with the Level of Disease Activity
Authors: Naqvi Syed Faaez Ul Hassan , Shehnaz Gul
Published: July 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis as one of the autoimmune diseases is more prevalent now than ever before. Being more common in women than men, RA has been focused by researchers to invent a therapeutic agent for effective clinical response. Various Diagnostic biomarkers are being used for early diagnosis of RA depending upon their selectivity and specificity. Certain indexes for RA disease activity evaluation are used for assessment of disease on a continuous scale. Disease activity Score combined with laboratory data result and imaging technologies makes the decision of treatment strategies easier than before. Traditionally, TNFi are the most used agents since a decade and first choice of treatment by clinicians, however, combination therapy with DMARD is used in inadequate responders. Despite all the advancements in treatment of RA and proved remission possibility using latest biological agents, studies are needed to ensure quick clinical outcomes and remission probability in larger fraction of people.
A Literature Review of The Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Treatment of Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Javaid Nida , Asghar Sana , Yasmeen Zainab
Published: July 2021

Among the endocrine malignancies, thyroid cancer is the most commonly occurring and increasing around the globe. Inspite of prognosis, about 5-10% people become victim of differentiated thyroid cancer. Cancer is basically uncontrolled division of cells. These rapidly developing cells become toxic for the body of patient once they start travelling from place to another because in such situation the early diagnosis even does not benefit while in case of localized cancer, chances of survival increase. In thyroid cancer, patient becomes aggressive abruptly with developing metastasis. In case of gene mutations, every patient got a different mutated gene from other against which several medicines have been under consideration. This review has been put together to overview the disease, its etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment methods.
A Review on the Continually Occurring Mutations in COVID-19
Authors: Tehzeeb Arfa , Asif Maham , Iqbal Raisa , Kausar Warda Arooj , Rehman Mubashar
Published: July 2021

The emerging pandemic situation has created unease and dismay at every level, from governing bodies to population and from pharmaceutical manufacturers to front-line servers. Everyone is scarified by the death-dealing and ruinous effects of COVID-19. The encouraging and positive news about vaccine development and successful trials of vaccine proved to be remedial, but another dilemma arises in the form of mutation of the deadly virus. Question marks are arising about the lethality of mutated strain, lack of management and protective measures by the governing bodies, and ambiguities are aroused about the effectiveness of vaccines against them. After an all-inclusive and particularized study and genomic examination of the virus, the researchers have put forward the details that Coronavirus Mutation is Worrying but Not Terrifying. The upshot is that it is required to screen, but at present, their mark suggests that the new strain in the UK is more transmissible but neither severe nor resistant.
Lexicalization of the Motion Event Of “Going” in the Holy Quran
Authors: Fattahizadeh Fathyieh , Habibi Fatemeh
Published: July 2021

Motion is basic and universal concept and among the major life experiences of human beings. studies by Talmy marked the beginning of cognitive research into motion; he delineated the systematic relations among surface and deep structures and, based on the representation of the motion event, classified languages into two groups of satellite-framed and verb-framed. The present study examined the representation of the motion event in the verb “to go” via corpus-based analysis. The corpus comprised texts from the Holy Quran, consisting of 88 verbs extracted from114 Quranic verbs meaning “to go” after evaluating the surface structures used for concepts related to this verb of motion. In collecting said corpus, the verbs were extracted from Al-Maány website and, based on the author’s linguistic intuition with regard to the motion concept of going in the Quran, the relevant sample was collected and analyzed. This study aimed to examine manner- and path-lexicalization verbs, and the representation of information on manner and path based on the lexicalization patterns of Talmy, and eventually investigate the consistency between the results and Talmy’s theory about the classification of language in terms of motion representation. The results showed that, in the Quran, of 88 verbs of motion with the deep structure of “to go”, 22 cases lexicalized the path such as Zahaba (going), Araja (ascending),40 cases the manner such as Haraba (escaping) and Farra (running away), and 26 cases a combination of the two such as Jaraya (flowing down) and Jarra (pulling on the ground) representing both elements of manner and path in the verb stem. Of these, the highest frequency in the manner of motion belonged to transition motion (80 cases), while only 8 cases were of the rotatory type. Another result was the inconclusiveness of Talmy’s theory about the classifications of languages in terms of the motion concept of going.
Fitonimi zdravilnih rastlin v severnem Prekmurju
Authors: Koletnik Mihaela , Kučiš Vlasta
Published: July 2021

Prispevek obravnava narečna imena zdravilnih rastlin v Prekmurju, pokrajini na skrajnem SV Slovenije ob meji z Avstrijo, Madžarsko in Hrvaško. Narečni fitonimi so predstavljeni z jezikoslovnega (etimološki, besedotvorni) in kulturološkega (etnološki, simbolni) vidika. Skozi rastlinska poimenovanja se namreč odkriva narava jezikovnega delovanja in vzvodi terminologizacije, v njih pa je ohranjena tudi bogata slovenska (jezikovna) kulturna dediščina.
Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men and injecting drug users and validation of audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI) technique in Abuja, Lagos, and Ibadan, Nigeria: Technical report
Authors:   Enhancing Nigeria's HIV/AIDS Response (ENR) Programme
Published: July 2021

Most-at-risk populations (MARPS), including men who have sex with men (MSM) and injecting drug users (IDUs), represent 1 percent of Nigeria’s population yet account for 38 percent of new HIV infections. Despite their elevated risk, MSM and IDUs are less likely than the general population to access HIV prevention and sexual health services because of stigmatization. There is a dearth of data on prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among MSM and IDUs because their behaviors make them difficult to be reached programmatically and engaged in research. While the need for HIV and STI prevalence data is clear, there is also a need to improve the quality and reliability of behavioral data collected for national surveillance, where these stigmatized subpopulations may underreport sensitive behaviors that put them most at risk. This technical report provides details of a study that sought to determine the prevalence of HIV and STIs and sexual and injecting risk behaviors in MSM and male IDUs, and determine if Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interviews provide more accurate reporting of risk behaviors than face-to-face interviewing.
Alzheimer’s Disease Progressively Reduces Visual Functional Network Connectivity
Authors: Huang Jie , Beach Paul , Bozoki Andrea , Zhu David C.
Published: July 2021

Background:

Postmortem studies of brains with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) not only find amyloid-beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the visual cortex, but also reveal temporally sequential changes in AD pathology from higher-order association areas to lower-order areas and then primary visual area (V1) with disease progression.

Objective:

This study investigated the effect of AD severity on visual functional network.

Methods:

Eight severe AD (SAD) patients, 11 mild/moderate AD (MAD), and 26 healthy senior (HS) controls undertook a resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) and a task fMRI of viewing face photos. A resting-state visual functional connectivity (FC) network and a face-evoked visual-processing network were identified for each group.

Results:

For the HS, the identified group-mean face-evoked visual-processing network in the ventral pathway started from V1 and ended within the fusiform gyrus. In contrast, the resting-state visual FC network was mainly confined within the visual cortex. AD disrupted these two functional networks in a similar severity dependent manner: the more severe the cognitive impairment, the greater reduction in network connectivity. For the face-evoked visual-processing network, MAD disrupted and reduced activation mainly in the higher-order visual association areas, with SAD further disrupting and reducing activation in the lower-order areas.

Conclusion:

These findings provide a functional corollary to the canonical view of the temporally sequential advancement of AD pathology through visual cortical areas. The association of the disruption of functional networks, especially the face-evoked visual-processing network, with AD severity suggests a potential predictor or biomarker of AD progression.
The substantial clinical benefit of comprehensively considering low back pain and radiating pain caused by lumbar intervertebral disc herniation
Authors: Jeon Se Hwan , Yang Young-Mo , Lee Yoon Jae , Kim Me-Riong , Kim Eun-Jung , Ha In-Hyuk
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND: Patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) may experience low back pain (LBP) and radiating pain (RP). Currently, there is no substantial clinical benefit (SCB) of assessing both LBP and RP due to LDH. OBJECTIVE: To determine enhanced SCB values by simultaneously assessing LBP and RP. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated hospitalized LDH patients with concomitant LBP and RP between June 1, 2012, and May 31, 2013, and determined the numeric rating scale (NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores at admission and discharge. Furthermore, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was computed to assess diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: SCB as per NRS for both LBP and RP was -2.50 in the 186 enrolled patients (AUC: 0.699 and 0.704, respectively). SCB as per ODI was -18.78 (AUC: 0.771). SCB for the mean of the two NRS scores for LBP and RP was -2.75 (AUC: 0.757). SCB for NRS score with a larger change in LBP and RP was -3.50 (AUC: 0.767). CONCLUSIONS: SCB may be determined by comprehensively considering LBP and RP and choosing the mean NRS or NRS score with a large change.
The effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in treating chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gao Pincao , Tang Fang , Liu Weiguo , Mo Yu
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) has been widely used in the clinical treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP) in recent years. However, its role remains controversial and it is unclear whether PNF offers more advantages for patients with chronic LBP. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence on the effect of PNF on pain, waist function, pulmonary function and dynamic balance in patients with chronic LBP. METHODS: Seven English and Chinese electronic databases were searched to identify articles published from 1970 to February 2020. Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected by two independent reviewers to investigate PNF in treatment of chronic LBP. Data extraction was performed by the same reviewers. RESULTS: Twelve eligible trials involving 410 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the aggregated results suggested that PNF showed beneficial effects in relieving pain (SMD =-1.17; 95% CI: -1.50 to -0.84; p< 0.00001) and improving waist functional disability (MD =-1.63; 95% CI: -1.89 to -1.37; p< 0.00001). In addition, PNF was shown to have a significant effect on pulmonary function (MD = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.26 to 1.03; p= 0.001). However, the results of the study show that PNF could not significantly improve dynamic balance in patients with chronic LBP compared with the control group (MD =-0.04; 95% CI: -2.16 to 2.08; p= 0.97). A high risk of bias occurred in the areas of blinding (i.e., participants/personnel and outcome assessment). CONCLUSIONS: PNF showed more beneficial effects in pain relief and waist function improvement in patients with chronic LBP in the short term (4 to 8 weeks of intervention) or at 12-week follow-up and also played a positive role in pulmonary function. However, no significant effect of PNF on dynamic balance was found compared with the control group. However, these results have certain limitations, and these conclusions were supported by low-quality data. Therefore, articles that are methodologically reasonable and more authoritative are required to verify the effects. In addition, articles with long-term follow-up and other outcomes are needed to confirm additional findings.
Women and digital government in rural India: Extending TAM with user assisted service
Authors: Soni Suparna , Mitchell Austin M.
Published: July 2021

Public service delivery is an essential component of e-governance initiatives but the digital divide limits citizens’ access to e-government services, especially in rural communities. The Digital India initiative launched Common Service Centers (CSCs) to mitigate the physical-digital divide issue. The privately operated local kiosks are meant to ensure easy access to digital government services in India’s remote pockets. Although the literature indicates that females generally have lower perceptions and adoption rates of digital government, existing studies commonly assume women directly interact with government websites. We know little about gender-specific experiences of digital government through the user assisted and privately operated local kiosks. This survey study utilizes the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore the gender-specific acceptance of public service through local kiosks in rural India. This paper argues that user-assisted kiosks help mitigate the gender digital divide by increasing the usefulness and ease of use of e-government, which improves rural women’s acceptance and use of digital government services. This field research brings insights from the developing world while recording women’s voices from underserved communities.
Organizational models for social media institutionalization: An exploratory analysis of Dutch local governments
Authors: Villodre Julián , Criado J. Ignacio , Meijer Albert , Liarte Irene
Published: July 2021

Social media institutionalization in public administrations has been conceptualized as the final stage of the adoption process. However, an understanding of organizational models for social media institutionalization in public administration is lacking. This exploratory study of Dutch local governments contributes to the literature by identifying how governments organize social media institutionalization. Drawing on an original questionnaire on social media adoption, two advanced cases were selected based on their high level of social media institutionalization: Utrecht and Eindhoven. For each case, in-depth semi structured interviews were carried out aiming at detecting institutionalization patterns. Our study highlights that, in contrast with the literature on stages of technological maturity, social media institutionalization shows two different organizational models: a centralized model, based on trust, with highly structured and formalized policy guides, low experimentation, formal training and evaluation supported by standardized reports; and a distributed model, based on control, with simple guiding principles, higher levels of experimentation, training build on a “learn by doing” basis, and individual evaluation mechanisms. These results enrich current academic understanding of social media institutionalization and may guide public officials involved in social media institutionalization practices.
Effect of Advanced Glycation End Products on Cognition in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Results from a Pilot Clinical Trial
Authors: Lotan Roni , Ganmore Ithamar , Livny Abigail , Itzhaki Nofar , Waserman Mark , Shelly Shahar , Zacharia Moran , Moshier Erin , Uribarri Jaime , Beisswenger Paul , Cai Weijing , Troen Aron M. , Beeri Michal Schnaider
Published: July 2021

Background: Dietary advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are linked to cognitive decline. However, clinical trials have not tested the effect of AGEs on cognition in older adults. Objective: The aim of the current pilot trial was to examine the feasibility of an intervention to reduce dietary AGEs on cognition and on cerebral blood flow (CBF). Methods: The design is a pilot randomized controlled trial of dietary AGEs reduction in older adults with type 2 diabetes. Seventy-five participants were randomized to two arms. The control arm received standard of care (SOC) guidelines for good glycemic control; the intervention arm, in addition to SOC guidelines, were instructed to reduce their dietary AGEs intake. Global cognition and CBF were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of intervention. Results: At baseline, we found a reverse association between AGEs and cognitive functioning, possibly reflecting the long-term toxicity of AGEs on the brain. There was a significant improvement in global cognition at 6 months in both the intervention and SOC groups which was more prominent in participants with mild cognitive impairment. We also found that at baseline, higher AGEs were associated with increased CBF in the left inferior parietal cortex; however, 6 months of the AGEs lowering intervention did not affect CBF levels, despite lowering AGEs exposure in blood. Conclusion: The current pilot trial focused on the feasibility and methodology of intervening through diet to reduce AGEs in older adults with type 2 diabetes. Our results suggest that participants with mild cognitive impairment may benefit from an intensive dietary intervention.
Antemortem Visit-To-Visit Blood Pressure Variability Predicts Cerebrovascular Lesion Burden in Autopsy-Confirmed Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Sible Isabel J. , Bangen Katherine J. , Blanken Anna E. , Ho Jean K. , Nation Daniel A.
Published: July 2021

Background: Blood pressure variability is linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk and MRI-based markers of cerebrovascular disease. Less is known about the role of blood pressure variability in postmortem evaluation of cerebrovascular disease and AD. Objective: To determine whether antemortem blood pressure variability predicts cerebrovascular and AD pathology and follow-up cognitive change in autopsy-confirmed AD. Methods: National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center participants (n = 513) underwent 3-4 approximately annual blood pressure measurements and were confirmed to have AD at postmortem evaluation. A subset (n = 493) underwent neuropsychological evaluation at follow-up. Regression models examined relationships between blood pressure variability and cerebrovascular and AD pathological features and follow-up cognitive change. Results: Elevated blood pressure variability predicted increased postmortem cerebrovascular lesion burden (ß = 0.26 [0.10, 0.42]; p = 0.001; R2 = 0.12). Increased blood pressure variability predicted specific cerebrovascular lesion severity, including atherosclerosis in the Circle of Willis (OR = 1.22 [1.03, 1.44]; p = 0.02) and cerebral arteriolosclerosis (OR = 1.32 [1.04, 1.69]; p = 0.03). No significant relationships were observed between blood pressure variability and AD pathological findings, including Braak & Braak stage, neuritic plaques or diffuse plaques, or cerebral amyloid angiopathy, or follow-up cognitive decline. Conclusion: Findings suggest that elevated blood pressure variability is related to postmortem cerebrovascular lesion burden in autopsy-confirmed AD, independent of average blood pressure and AD neuropathology. Blood pressure fluctuation may selectively promote atherosclerotic and arteriolosclerotic brain lesions with potential implications for cognitive impairment and dementia.
Trust aware routing using sunflower sine cosine-based stacked autoencoder approach for EEG signal classification in WSN
Authors: Kumaraguru Shanthi , Jebarani M.R. Ebenezar
Published: July 2021

Trust-aware routing is the significant direction for designing the secure routing protocol in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). However, the trust-aware routing mechanism is implemented to evaluate the trustworthiness of the neighboring nodes based on the set of trust factors. Various trust-aware routing protocols are developed to route the data with minimum delay, but detecting the route with good quality poses a challenging issue in the research community. Therefore, an effective method named Sunflower Sine Cosine (SFSC)-based stacked autoencoder is designed to perform Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal classification using trust-aware routing in WSN. Moreover, the proposed SFSC algorithm incorporates Sunflower Optimization (SFO) and Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) that reveals an optimal solution, which is the optimal route used to transmit the EEG signal. Initially, the trust factors are computed from the nodes simulated in the network environment, and thereby, the trust-based routing is performed to achieve EEG signal classification. The proposed SFSC-based stacked autoencoder attained better performance by selecting the optimal path based on the fitness parameters, like energy, trust, and distance. The performance of the proposed approach is analyzed using the metrics, such as sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity. The proposed approach acquires 94.708%, 94.431%, and 95.780% sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity, respectively, with 150 nodes.
GA-based multi-objective optimization technique for medical image denoising in wavelet domain
Authors: Vaiyapuri Thavavel , Alaskar Haya , Sbai Zohra , Devi Shri
Published: July 2021

Medical images that are acquired with reduced radiation exposure or following the administration of imaging agents with a low dose, are often known to experience problems by the noise stemming from acquisition hardware as well as psychological sources. This noise can adversely affect the quality of diagnosis, but also prevent practitioners from computing quantitative functional information. With a view to overcoming these challenges, the current paper puts forward optimization of multi-objective for denoising medical images within the wavelet domain. This proposed technique entails the use of genetic algorithm (GA) to get the threshold optimized within the denoising framework of wavelets. Two purposes are associated with this technique: First, its ability to adapt with different noise types of noise in the image without requiring prior information about the imaging process per se. In addition, it balances relevant diagnostic details’ preservation against the reduction of noise by considering the optimization of the error factor of Liu and SNR as the foundation of objective function. According to the implementation of this method on magnetic resonance (MR) and ultrasound (US) images of the brain, a better performance has been observed as compared to the existing wavelet-based denoising methods with regard to quantitative and qualitative metrics.