bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced treatment of effluent extended aeration process using biological aerated filter (BAF) with natural media: modification in media, design and backwashing process
Authors: Malakootian Mohammad , Toolabi Ali , Hosseini Saeed
Published: July 2021

Biological aerated filters (BAFs) have high filtration efficiency due to their tolerance of hydraulic and organic shocks are suitable for the treatment of complex and sanitary wastewater. In this study, for the first time, natural media of date kernel from Bam city was used as the BAF reactor media, with a meshing sand filter separated by a standard metal grid from the natural filter section used at the end of the reactor. This can be considered an innovation in the media and filtration. Aeration in the related reactor with 160 cm height was performed bilaterally as up-flow and continuously by nozzles throughout the reactor media. In this work, the actual effluent of the hospital wastewater treatment plant was employed as the inflow wastewater to the reactor, and its organic and inorganic parameters were measured before and after the treatment by the BAF reactor. The backwashing process was also studied in three ways: bottom backwashing (TB), top backwashing (BB), and top and bottom backwashing (TBBS), to determine the amount of water consumed and to achieve the desired result. According to the results obtained in this study, the removal efficiencies of inorganic and microbial contaminants, amoxicillin and azithromycin were obtained as follows: BOD5: 98.48%, COD: 92.42%, $${\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

NO

3

-

: 99.4%, P: 93.3%, Coliforms: 97%, Color: 42.8%, Turbidity: 95%, Sulphate: 30%, TSS: 98.9%, Amoxicillin: 20% and azithromycin: 13%. In the backwashing process, the amount of water consumed in these three TB, BB, and TBBS methods were obtained 300, 164, and 118 L, respectively, So, TBBS method was selected as the optimal method. Based on the results obtained in this study, it is concluded that the BAF process with natural date kernel has a high efficiency in removing organic and inorganic contaminants from hospital wastewater, also the concentration of most of the effluent parameters was less or in accordance with EPA standard.
A pilot study on the prevalence of lice in Irish beef cattle and the first Irish report of deltamethrin tolerance in Bovicola bovis
Authors: Mckiernan Fiona , O’Connor Jack , Minchin William , O’Riordan Edward , Dillon Alan , Harrington Martina , Zintl Annetta
Published: July 2021

Background

Pediculosis in cattle causes significant itching, irritation and stress to the animal, often resulting in skin damage and poor coat condition. The control of bovine pediculosis in Ireland is based predominantly on commercial insecticides belonging to one of two chemical classes, the synthetic pyrethroids and the macrocyclic lactones. In recent years, pyrethroid tolerance has been reported in a number of species of livestock lice in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Results

In this pilot survey, lice were detected in 16 (94%) out of 17 herds visited. Two species of lice, Bovicola bovis and Linognathus vituli were identified. In vitro contact bioassays showed evidence of deltamethrin tolerance in Bovicola bovis collected from 4 farms. This was confirmed by repeatedly assessing louse infestations on treated animals on one farm.

Conclusions

To our knowledge this is the first record of insecticide tolerant populations of lice in Irish cattle. The results also provide new data on the species of lice infesting beef cattle in Ireland and the prevalence and control of louse infestations in Irish beef cattle herds.
Levels of physical activity in four domains and affective wellbeing before and during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Engels Eliane S. , Mutz Michael , Demetriou Yolanda , Reimers Anne K.
Published: July 2021

Background

Latest studies indicated that the general mental health level is low during the pandemic. Probably, this deterioration of the mental health situation is partly due to declines in physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in and the association between affective wellbeing and levels of different domains of physical activity at three time points before and during the pandemic.

Method

We used a nationwide online panel with a trend data design encompassing a total sample ofN = 3517, representing the German population (> 14 years). Four different activity domains (sport and exercise, light outdoor activity, housework/gardening, active travel) and affective wellbeing (positive and negative affect) were assessed at three time points before and during the Covid-19 pandemic (October 2019, March 2020, October 2020).

Results

Multivariate analyses of variance(MANOVA) indicate differences regarding affective wellbeing over the three time points with the lowest values at the second time point. Levels of activity in the four domains differed significantly over time with the strongest decrease for sport and exercise from the first to the second time point. Partial correlations indicated that the relationships between sport and exercise and positive affect were most consistent over time.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings suggest that physical activity plays a particularly important role in the pandemic period as a protective factor against poor mental health. Especially sports and exercise seem to be supportive and should be encouraged, e.g. by providing additional support in finding adequate outdoor, home-based or digital substitutes.
Not too close! impact of roommate status on MRSA and VRE colonization and contamination in Nursing Homes
Authors: Cassone Marco , Linder Meghan , Shin Cheon Jee , Mantey Julia , Gibson Kristen , Lansing Bonnie , Mody Lona
Published: July 2021

Multiple room occupancy is common in Nursing Homes (NHs), and its role in transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is unclear. We investigated prevalence of patient colonization and environmental contamination with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in NH roommates, compared it with expected prevalence, and determined specific body and environmental sites that may act as sources of roommate colonization. Roommate contamination was associated with index patient’s colonization (relative risk (RR): 2.57 (95% CI 1.04–6.37)) for MRSA, and index patient’s immediate environment contamination for VRE (RR: 3.60 (95% CI 1.59–8.12)). When specific index patient sites associated with roommate colonization were investigated, the side table (Fisher’s p = 0.029 and 0.047 for VRE and MRSA, respectively) and the nurse call button (p = 0.001 and 0.052) stood out, together with patient hands in the case of VRE (p = 0.026). Future studies should be carried out to establish whether these sites should be a specific target of infection prevention campaigns in NHs with multiple occupancy rooms.
The relationship between time to a high COVID-19 response level and timing of peak daily incidence: an analysis of governments’ Stringency Index from 148 countries
Authors: Ma Yan , Mishra Shiva Raj , Han Xi-Kun , Zhu Dong-Shan
Published: July 2021

Background

The transmission dynamics and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is different across countries or regions. Differences in governments’ policy responses may explain some of these differences. We aimed to compare worldwide government responses to the spread of COVID-19, to examine the relationship between response level, response timing and the epidemic trajectory.

Methods

Free publicly-accessible data collected by the Coronavirus Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) were used. Nine sub-indicators reflecting government response from 148 countries were collected systematically from January 1 to May 1, 2020. The sub-indicators were scored and were aggregated into a common Stringency Index (SI, a value between 0 and 100) that reflects the overall stringency of the government’s response in a daily basis. Group-based trajectory modelling method was used to identify trajectories of SI. Multivariable linear regression models were used to analyse the association between time to reach a high-level SI and time to the peak number of daily new cases.

Results

Our results identified four trajectories of response in the spread of COVID-19 based on when the response was initiated: before January 13, from January 13 to February 12, from February 12 to March 11, and the last stage—from March 11 (the day WHO declared a pandemic of COVID-19) on going. Governments’ responses were upgraded with further spread of COVID-19 but varied substantially across countries. After the adjustment of SI level, geographical region and initiation stages, each day earlier to a high SI level (SI > 80) from the start of response was associated with 0.44 (standard error: 0.08, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.65) days earlier to the peak number of daily new case. Also, each day earlier to a high SI level from the date of first reported case was associated with 0.65 (standard error: 0.08, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.42) days earlier to the peak number of daily new case.

Conclusions

Early start of a high-level response to COVID-19 is associated with early arrival of the peak number of daily new cases. This may help to reduce the delays in flattening the epidemic curve to the low spread level.

Graphic abstract
A quantitative description of the spatial–temporal distribution and evolution pattern of world cultural heritage
Authors: Yongqi Liang , Ruixia Yang , Pu Wang , Anlin Yang , Guolong Chen
Published: July 2021

Depicting the temporal and spatial evolution pattern of global world cultural heritage systematically and finely is the basis of heritage recognition and protection. In this study, 869 world cultural heritage inscriptions (through 2019) were selected as the research objects, and the times and types of each World Heritage site were manually annotated from more than 5000 pieces of data. Through time series modelling, the advantages of and changes in heritage declarations in different regions and periods were analysed, and the impact of heritage strategy on the number of heritage sites included in each region was evaluated. The results showed that the implementation of heritage policy greatly impacted each region, especially on the number of heritage sites in Asia and the Pacific region. Using the heritage era to carry out modelling analysis, from the perspective of the integrity of historical heritage cultural types, it is considered that there may be cultural heritage sites in the Caribbean and Latin America that have not been given enough attention. The modelling analysis results of era attributes can support the fairness of heritage determination. By calculating the frequency and peak value of heritage sites at the national scale, the frequency and peak value of each country in the top 10 list are used to characterize the ability of national declarations of cultural heritage and reveal the differences in the ability of each member country to declare heritage sites and the heritage era. By calculating the distribution density of the heritage era, this study finds that the world’s cultural heritage is not concentrated in the Middle Ages (600–1450) but the periods of Reformation and Exploration (1450–1700) and Progress and Empire (1850–1914). The above analysis shows that there are imbalances and strategic adjustment effects concerning regions, countries, eras and types in World Heritage list development. The composition types of heritage are complex, and the combination types have obvious changes in different periods. It is suggested that the strategy of world cultural heritage collection should be further optimized to fully guarantee the balance of regions, countries and types, and the heritage value should be fully considered in heritage protection with more diversity and complexity of types.
Solar evolution and extrema: current state of understanding of long-term solar variability and its planetary impacts
Authors: Nandy Dibyendu , Martens Petrus C. H. , Obridko Vladimir , Dash Soumyaranjan , Georgieva Katya
Published: July 2021

The activity of stars such as the Sun varies over timescales ranging from the very short to the very long—stellar and planetary evolutionary timescales. Experience from our solar system indicates that short-term, transient events such as stellar flares and coronal mass ejections create hazardous space environmental conditions that impact Earth-orbiting satellites and planetary atmospheres. Extreme events such as stellar superflares may play a role in atmospheric mass loss and create conditions unsuitable for life. Slower, long-term evolutions of the activity of Sun-like stars over millennia to billions of years result in variations in stellar wind properties, radiation flux, cosmic ray flux, and frequency of magnetic storms. This coupled evolution of star-planet systems eventually determines planetary and exoplanetary habitability. The Solar Evolution and Extrema (SEE) initiative of the Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact (VarSITI) program of the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP) aimed to facilitate and build capacity in this interdisciplinary subject of broad interest in astronomy and astrophysics. In this review, we highlight progress in the major themes that were the focus of this interdisciplinary program, namely, reconstructing and understanding past solar activity including grand minima and maxima, facilitating physical dynamo-model-based predictions of future solar activity, understanding the evolution of solar activity over Earth’s history including the faint young Sun paradox, and exploring solar-stellar connections with the goal of illuminating the extreme range of activity that our parent star—the Sun—may have displayed in the past, or may be capable of unleashing in the future.
Automatic delineation and quantification of pulmonary vascular obstruction index in patients with pulmonary embolism using Perfusion SPECT-CT: a simulation study
Authors: Bourhis David , Wagner Laura , Rioult Julien , Robin Philippe , Le Pennec Romain , Tromeur Cécile , Salaün Pierre Yves , Le Roux Pierre Yves
Published: July 2021

Background

In patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), there is a growing interest in quantifying the pulmonary vascular obtruction index (PVOI), which may be an independent risk factor for PE recurrence. Perfusion SPECT/CT is a very attractive tool to provide an accurate quantification of the PVOI. However, there is currently no reliable method to automatically delineate and quantify it. The aim of this phantom study was to assess and compare 3 segmentation methods for PVOI quantification with perfusion SPECT/CT imaging.

Methods

Three hundred ninety-six SPECT/CT scans, with various PE scenarios (n = 44), anterior to posterior perfusion gradients (n = 3), and lung volumes (n = 3) were simulated using Simind software. Three segmentation methods were assesssed: (1) using an intensity threshold expressed as a percentage of the maximal voxel value (MaxTh), (2) using a Z-score threshold (ZTh) after building a Z-score parametric lung map, and (3) using a relative difference threshold (RelDiffTh) after building a relative difference parametric map. Ninety randomly selected simulations were used to define the optimal threshold, and 306 simulations were used for the complete analysis. Spacial correlation between PE volumes from the phantom data and the delineated PE volumes was assessed by computing DICEPE indices. Bland-Altman statistics were used to calculate agreement for PVOI between the phantom data and the segmentation methods.

Results

Mean DICEPE index was higher with the RelDiffTh method (0.85 ± 0.08), as compared with the MaxTh method (0.78 ± 0.16) and the ZTh method (0.67 ± 0.15). Using the RelDiffTh method, mean DICEPE index remained high (> 0.81) regardless of the perfusion gradient and the lung volumes. Using the RelDiffTh method, mean relative difference in PVOI was − 12%, and the limits of agreement were − 40% to 16%. Values were 3% (− 75% to 81%) for MaxTh method and 0% (− 120% to 120%) for ZTh method. Graphycal analysis of the Bland-Altman graph for the RelDiffTh method showed very close estimation of the PVOI for small and medium PE, and a trend toward an underestimation of large PE.

Conclusion

In this phantom study, a delineation method based on a relative difference parametric map provided a good estimation of the PVOI, regardless of the extent of PE, the intensity of the anterior to posterior gradient, and the whole lung volumes.
Quantified assessment of deep brain stimulation on Parkinson’s patients with task fNIRS measurements and functional connectivity analysis: a pilot study
Authors: Yu Ningbo , Liang Siquan , Lu Jiewei , Shu Zhilin , Li Haitao , Yu Yang , Wu Jialing , Han Jianda
Published: July 2021

Background

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proved effective for Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the identification of stimulation parameters relies on doctors’ subjective judgment on patient behavior.

Methods

Five PD patients performed 10-meter walking tasks under different brain stimulation frequencies. During walking tests, a wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system was used to measure the concentration change of oxygenated hemoglobin (△HbO2) in prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe and occipital lobe. Brain functional connectivity and global efficiency were calculated to quantify the brain activities.

Results

We discovered that both the global and regional brain efficiency of all patients varied with stimulation parameters, and the DBS pattern enabling the highest brain efficiency was optimal for each patient, in accordance with the clinical assessments and DBS treatment decision made by the doctors.

Conclusions

Task fNIRS assessments and brain functional connectivity analysis promise a quantified and objective solution for patient-specific optimization of DBS treatment.

Trial registration

Name: Accurate treatment under the multidisciplinary cooperative diagnosis and treatment model of Parkinson’s disease. Registration number is ChiCTR1900022715. Date of registration is April 23, 2019.
Locating hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands using 11C-Choline PET/CT: an inter- and intra-observer variation study
Authors: Christensen Julie Wulf , Jensen Lars Thorbjørn , Søndergaard Susanne Bonnichsen , Broholm Rikke , Haarmark Christian , Krakauer Martin , Bennedbæk Finn Noe , Zerahn Bo , Trolle Waldemar , Hahn Christoffer Holst , Kristensen Bent
Published: July 2021

Background

Use of 11C-Choline PET/CT is gaining ground in detecting hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the robustness of 11C-Choline PET/CT by assessing intra- and inter-observer agreement to determine whether the method was reader sensitive and therefore should only be performed at highly specialised sites with a high number of cases.

PET/CT images of 40 patients diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism were anonymised and evaluated three times by three readers: an expert reader and two non-experts (non-experts were experienced in PET/CT imaging, but not in 11C-Choline PET/CT in the setting of primary hyperparathyroidism). Number of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands, location relative to the thyroid gland and confidence of each assessment (low, moderate or high) were noted, and intra- and inter-observer agreement calculated using Fleiss’ kappa method. Sensitivities and specificities of the non-experts were calculated using the expert reader as gold standard.

Results

Intra-observer agreement was ‘good’ to ‘near perfect’ for all readers. Inter-observer agreement was good between non-experts and the expert, with kappa values ≥ 0.74. Sensitivities between non-experts and the expert were high, > 81%, when assessing which side and 75% when assessing thyroid quadrant. All specificities were > 94%. Reader certainties were ‘high’ in > 80% of cases for the expert and > 70% and > 65%, respectively for the two non-experts.

Conclusion

11C-Choline PET/CT is not reader sensitive for the localisation of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands and may therefore be safely implemented at sites that have a moderate number of cases. Access to a cyclotron laboratory is, however, a necessity for the production of 11C-Choline.

The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki 2 declaration and The International Council for Harmonisation Guideline for Good Clinical Practice (ICH_GCP) clinical trial, approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (Journal-nr.:H-18012490, date of approval: 18 June 2018) and the Danish Medicines Agency (EudraCT no. 2018-000726-63, date of approval: 6 June 2018). The GCP unit in Eastern Denmark has carried out regular monitoring of the trial according to GCP (ID: 2018-1050).
High YKL-40 serum levels and its expression in the muscle tissues of patients with antisynthetase syndrome
Authors: Carboni Renata Casseb de Souza , Behrens Pinto Gustavo Luiz , Shinjo Samuel Katsuyuki
Published: July 2021

Background

The protein chitinase-3-like-1 (YKL-40) is rarely analyzed in patients with myositis. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate YKL-40 serum levels; correlate them with laboratory and clinical parameters, disease status, and treatment schemes; and analyze the YKL-40 expression in the muscle tissues of patients with antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD).

Methods

This cross-sectional single-center study included 64 adult patients with ASSD who were age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched to 64 healthy control individuals. Their YKL-40 serum levels were analyzed using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit method, while YKL-40 expression in muscle tissues was analyzed using an immunohistochemical technique. Disease status was assessed using the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) set scores.

Results

The patients’ mean age was 44.8 ± 11.8 years, and median disease duration was 1.5 (0.0–4.0) years. These patients were predominantly female (82.8%) and Caucasian (73.4%). Most patients had stable disease. The median YKL-40 serum level was significantly higher in patients with ASSD when compared to the healthy individuals: 538.4 (363.4–853.1) pg/mL versus 270.0 (201.8–451.9) pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001. However, YKL-40 serum levels did not correlate with any clinical, laboratory, disease status, or therapeutic parameters (P > 0.050), except tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) serum levels (Spearman’s correlation, rho = 0.382; P = 0.007). YKL-40 was highly expressed by inflammatory cells found in muscle biopsy specimens.

Conclusions

High YKL-40 serum levels were observed in patients with ASSD and correlated positively with TNF-α serum levels. Moreover, YKL-40 was expressed by the inflammatory cells of the muscle tissue.
Coronary computed tomography versus coronary angiography for preoperative coronary assessment before valve surgery
Authors: Elagha Abdalla , Khaled Waleed , Gamal Sahar , Helmy Mohamed , Kaddah Ayman
Published: July 2021

Background

Conventional coronary angiography (CAG) is currently the gold standard technique for the assessment of coronary arteries prior to cardiac valve surgery. Although CAG is a relatively safe procedure, however, it is still an invasive procedure, and it has potential hazards and complications. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a non-invasive technique that has emerged robustly as an excellent and attractive tool for delineating coronary anatomy. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the accuracy of CCTA when compared with the gold standard CAG in the evaluation of coronary arteries before valve surgery. We screened 111 consecutive patients with VHD undergoing a routine cardiac catheterization for preoperative evaluation of CAD. Fifty patients were eligible and underwent both CAG and CCTA. Significant coronary stenosis was defined as a luminal diameter decrease of ≥ 50%. Additionally, ectasia, calcifications, and congenital coronary anomalies were analyzed. Also, we compared both techniques regarding radiation dose, contrast volume, and complications. Non-evaluable segments were excluded from all levels of analysis. Sixty-one patients were excluded from the study due to various reasons.

Results

Among the 50 patients of the study population, 27 (54%) were males. The prevalence of significant CAD in the study population was 19.6% according to the patient-based analysis, and CAG could have been avoided in 80.4% of patients with a true-negative CCTA result. Diagnostic accuracy of CCTA for detection of significant stenosis was evaluated regarding sensitivity and specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy of CCTA, which was 87.5%, 99.6%,87.5%, 99.6%, and 99.2%, respectively, for segmental-based analysis; 86%, 100%, 100%, 99%, and 99%, respectively, for vessel-based analysis; and 77.8%,100%,100%, 94.9%, and 95.7%, respectively, for patient-based analysis. Fewer rates of complications were encountered with CCTA. Additional information obtained like calcifications and congenital anomalies was diagnosed better with CCTA than CAG.

Conclusion

Owing mainly to its high negative predictive value, a well-performed CCTA exam is an excellent method to rule out coronary artery disease, specially in patients who are not at high risk of atherosclerosis.
A case report: percutaneous management of high-output heart failure from iatrogenic aortocoronary venous grafting to the coronary sinus
Authors: Parekh Akarsh , Sengupta Vivek , Malek Ryan , Zainea Mark
Published: July 2021

Background

Aortocoronary arteriovenous fistula (ACAVF) due to iatrogenic bypass grafting to a cardiac vein is an exceedingly rare complication resulting from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. If not identified in a timely fashion, ACAVF has known significant clinical consequences related to left to right shunting and possible residual myocardial ischemia.

Case presentation

An 82-year-old male with a history of CABG, presented with dyspnea. Over the span of 2 years following CABG, the patient experienced progressive exertional dyspnea and peripheral edema. The patient was found to have a new cardiomyopathy with a severely reduced ejection fraction at 30–35%. The patient underwent diagnostic left heart catheterization, and an ACAVF was discovered between a saphenous vein graft and the coronary sinus. The patient underwent successful percutaneous coiling of the ACAVF with no residual flow. Follow-up echocardiography at 3 months revealed restoration of left ventricular systolic function to 50% and significant improvement in heart failure symptoms.

Conclusions

ACAVF is an exceedingly rare iatrogenic complication of CABG that may result in residual ischemia from the non-grafted myocardial territory and other sequelae relating to left to right shunting and a high-output state. Management for this pathology includes but is not limited to the use of percutaneous coiling, implantation of covered stents, graft removal and regrafting, and ligation.
Adipocyte Heterogeneity Underlying Adipose Tissue Functions
Authors: Yang Loureiro Zinger , Solivan-Rivera Javier , Corvera Silvia
Published: July 2021

Adipose tissue distribution in the human body is highly heterogeneous, and the relative mass of different depots is differentially associated with metabolic disease risk. Distinct functions of adipose depots are mediated by their content of specialized adipocyte subtypes, best exemplified by thermogenic adipocytes found in specific depots. Single-cell transcriptome profiling has been used to define the cellular composition of many tissues and organs, but the large size, buoyancy, and fragility of adipocytes have rendered it challenging to apply these techniques to understand the full complexity of adipocyte subtypes in different depots. Discussed here are strategies that have been recently developed for investigating adipocyte heterogeneity, including single-cell RNA-sequencing profiling of the stromal vascular fraction to identify diverse adipocyte progenitors, and single-nuclei profiling to characterize mature adipocytes. These efforts are yielding a more complete characterization of adipocyte subtypes in different depots, insights into the mechanisms of their development, and perturbations associated with different physiological states such as obesity. A better understanding of the adipocyte subtypes that compose different depots will help explain metabolic disease phenotypes associated with adipose tissue distribution and suggest new strategies for improving metabolic health.
Prenatal Exercise and Cardiovascular Health (PEACH) Study: Impact on the Vascular System
Authors: SKOW RACHEL J. , STEINBACK CRAIG D. , DAVENPORT MARGIE H.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Healthy pregnancy is typically associated with favorable vascular adaptations to both structure and function of the peripheral arteries. Exercise is independently associated with improvements in peripheral vascular health; however, the impact of exercise on prenatal adaptations is unclear. Therefore, we hypothesized that a structured aerobic exercise intervention between the second and third trimesters (TM2 and TM3, respectively) of pregnancy would augment the already-positive changes in vascular outcomes.

Methods

We recruited 59 inactive pregnant women (<20 wk of gestation) and randomized them into control (standard care; n = 28) or exercise (moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, 3–4 d·wk−1, 25–40 min, 14 ± 1 wk; n = 31) conditions. Before and after the intervention, all women completed the comprehensive peripheral vascular assessment, which included blood markers of vascular health, carotid distensibility metrics, measures of arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity), and [superficial] femoral artery reactivity during cold pressor test.

Results

Carotid artery diameter increased from 6.5 to 6.9 mm (P < 0.001), and strain (%) decreased from 9.9% to 8.4% (P < 0.001). Carotid artery blood flow, compliance and distensibility coefficients, stiffness (β), distensibility (1/β), and elastic modulus were not different across gestation. Pulse wave velocity was not different across gestation. Superficial femoral artery diameter was increased from 5.4 to 5.6 mm (P = 0.004), whereas blood flow, conductance, and resistance at rest and during the cold pressor test were not different across gestation. None of our measures of vascular health were impacted by exercise.

Conclusions

We did not observe an impact of aerobic exercise on altering the changes across pregnancy in blood vessel health. However, the present study was conducted in women who were overall at low risk for developing gestational hypertension and should be interpreted with caution. Future work in high-risk women is needed.
Isolation and characterization of a heavy metal- and antibiotic-tolerant novel bacterial strain from a contaminated culture plate of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a green micro-alga.
Authors: Mitra Mautusi , Nguyen Kevin Manoap-Anh-Khoa , Box Taylor Wayland , Berry Taylor Lynne , Fujita Megumi
Published: July 2021

Background: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a green micro-alga, is normally cultured in laboratories in Tris-Acetate Phosphate (TAP), a medium which contains acetate as the sole carbon source. Acetate in TAP can lead to occasional bacterial and fungal contamination. We isolated a yellow-pigmented bacterium from a Chlamydomonas TAP plate. It was named Clip185 based on the Chlamydomonas strain plate it was isolated from. In this article we present our work on the isolation, taxonomic identification and physiological and biochemical characterizations of Clip185.

Methods: We measured sensitivities of Clip185 to five antibiotics and performed standard microbiological tests to characterize it. We partially sequenced the 16S rRNA gene of Clip185. We identified the yellow pigment of Clip185 by spectrophotometric analyses. We tested tolerance of Clip185 to six heavy metals by monitoring its growth on Lysogeny Broth (LB) media plates containing 0.5 mM -10 mM concentrations of six different heavy metals.

Results: Clip185 is an aerobic, gram-positive rod, oxidase-negative, mesophilic, alpha-hemolytic bacterium. It can ferment glucose, sucrose and mannitol. It is starch hydrolysis-positive. It is very sensitive to vancomycin but resistant to penicillin and other bacterial cell membrane- and protein synthesis-disrupting antibiotics. Clip185 produces a C50 carotenoid, decaprenoxanthin, which is a powerful anti-oxidant with a commercial demand. Decaprenoxanthin production is induced in Clip185 under light. NCBI-BLAST analyses of the partial 16S rRNA gene sequence of Clip185 revealed a 99% sequence identity to that of Microbacterium binotii strain PK1-12M and Microbacterium sp. strain MDP6. Clip185 is able to tolerate toxic concentrations of six heavy metals.

Conclusions: Our results show that Clip185 belongs to the genus Microbacterium. In the future, whole genome sequencing of Clip185 will clarify if Clip185 is a new Microbacterium species or a novel strain of Microbacterium binotii, and will reveal its genes involved in antibiotic-resistance, heavy-metal tolerance and regulation of decaprenoxanthin biosynthesis.
FACTORS AFFECTING HEALTH AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OF TEACHERS IN SPHERE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Authors:   Surgut state pedagogical University, research laboratory “Healthy lifestyle and health protection”, Popova Marina , Chistova Victoria ,   Surgut state pedagogical University, research laboratory “Healthy lifestyle and health protection”, Sherbakova Alexandra ,   Surgut state pedagogical University, research laboratory “Healthy lifestyle and health protection”
Published: July 2021

The article is devoted to the health problem of teachers in the sphere of higher education. Professional factors which adversely affect the health of the teachers are discussed. It is concluded that it is necessary, from the position of an integrated approach, to study the health state of teachers in higher educational institutions and to develop measures to optimize it under current conditions.
Comunicación digital de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones: de la presencia a la colaboración
Authors: Arévalo-Martínez Rebeca-Illiana , Del Prado Flores Rogelio
Published: July 2021

La comunicación digital de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (oim), organismo intergubernamental que promueve la migración humana, busca la cooperación internacional para encontrar soluciones y ofrece asistencia humanitaria a los migrantes. Esta investigación analizó la comunicación digital en 2019 y 2020 de la oim en Facebook y Twitter, a partir de la medición cuantitativa de la presencia, relevancia y reacción, en relación con el análisis de contenido de la interacción (proximidad, monitoreo, conexión y colaboración) respecto a los objetivos de la oim. Entre los principales hallazgos se encontró que la relevancia del contenido en 2020 en ambas redes sociales estuvo más enfocada en intereses de usuarios que en 2019; mientras que la interacción en 2020 fue mayor en Facebook que en Twitter. Sin embargo, no se observó un objetivo de la oim en ambas redes sociales que concentrara ni el mayor número de comentarios en 2020 ni de reacciones en 2019 y 2020. Los hallazgos permitieron identificar el impacto que tiene la comunicación digital de la oim entre sus seguidores y la falta de una verdadera colaboración que permita, más allá de informar, generar diálogo y crear una comunidad de apoyo al migrante.
School counselling: The evidence for what works
Authors: Cooper Mick
Published: July 2021

School counselling services are a common response to mental health and wellbeing challenges, not least those caused by COVID-19 and lockdown. New research findings have shown us exactly when and how counselling can be most effective, Professor Mick Cooper explains.
Writing and nursing: An unlikely Nightingale
Authors: Streeting Jessica
Published: July 2021

Writing about nursing can help draw attention to the profession and Jessica Streeting urges fellow nurses to put pen to paper.
Fostering resilience
Authors: Thornton Stephanie
Published: July 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound effect on children and young people's mental health. Stephanie Thornton discusses how child health professionals can encourage resilience in young people, to help them recover from the emotional distress of the pandemic
Management of surgical site infection post-open reduction and internal fixation for tibial plateau fractures
Authors: Shen Jie , Sun Dong , Fu Jingshu , Wang Shulin , Wang Xiaohua , Xie Zhao
Published: July 2021

Aims

In contrast to operations performed for other fractures, there is a high incidence rate of surgical site infection (SSI) post-open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) done for tibial plateau fractures (TPFs). This study investigates the effect of induced membrane technique combined with internal fixation for managing SSI in TPF patients who underwent ORIF.

Methods

From April 2013 to May 2017, 46 consecutive patients with SSI post-ORIF for TPFs were managed in our centre with an induced membrane technique. Of these, 35 patients were included for this study, with data analyzed in a retrospective manner.

Results

All participants were monitored for a mean of 36 months (24 to 62). None were subjected to amputations. A total of 21 patients underwent two-stage surgeries (Group A), with 14 patients who did not receive second-stage surgery (Group B). Group A did not experience infection recurrence, and no implant or cement spacer loosening was noted in Group B for at least 24 months of follow-up. No significant difference was noted in the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS) between the two groups. The clinical healing time was significantly shorter in Group B (p＜0.001). Those with longer duration of infection had poorer functional status (p＜0.001).

Conclusion

Management of SSI post-ORIF for TPF with induced membrane technique combined with internal fixation represents a feasible mode of treatment with satisfactory outcomes in terms of infection control and functional recovery. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(7):380–387.
Racial Undertones on Violence and Human Bodies: White Migrants' Online Epistemologies of Insecurity and Discomfort in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Authors: Tazanu Primus
Published: July 2021

Violence and insecurity in post-apartheid South Africa are recurrent themes in online messages by white South Africans who have either migrated or wish to leave the country. These online authors position white people as victims or potential victims of crime committed by black people. It is a narrative which references apartheid as a period of safety and security, presupposing life is no longer what it used to be for white people. Through comparing the pre-1994 with the post-apartheid period and particularly emphasising that the black leadership is failing the country, the white migrants construct an epistemology – with racist undertones – of an unliveable South Africa. Narratives of black violence enacted upon white people, as well as white innocence and benevolence, are central features of the migrants' online complaints of an unliveable South Africa which I take up as a point of focus in this article.
Migrant-led organisations as caring communities: towards a re-appreciation of the reciprocal dimension of care
Authors: Turcatti Domiziana
Published: July 2021

This article examines care in the context of a migrant-led non-governmental organisation run by and supporting London’s Latin American migrants. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this article suggests that the non-governmental organisation can be best described as a ‘caring community’: it cares for migrants by helping them access their entitlements, information and care, while also fostering spaces where reciprocal caring relationships develop. This article concludes by arguing that examining care in the contexts of migrant-led non-governmental organisations can help us move beyond the tendency to confine care to the dyadic, unequal relationships dominating migration and care studies.
Drift correction in localization microscopy using entropy minimization
Authors: Cnossen Jelmer , Cui Tao Ju , Joo Chirlmin , Smith Carlas
Published: July 2021

Localization microscopy offers resolutions down to a single nanometer but currently requires additional dedicated hardware or fiducial markers to reduce resolution loss from the drift of the sample. Drift estimation without fiducial markers is typically implemented using redundant cross correlation (RCC). We show that RCC has sub-optimal precision and bias, which leaves room for improvement. Here, we minimize a bound on the entropy of the obtained localizations to efficiently compute a precise drift estimate. Within practical compute-time constraints, simulations show a 5x improvement in drift estimation precision over the widely used RCC algorithm. The algorithm operates directly on fluorophore localizations and is tested on simulated and experimental datasets in 2D and 3D. An open source implementation is provided, implemented in Python and C++, and can utilize a GPU if available.
A shimmering movement: Ali Abbasi’s Border as a trans* posthumanist post-celluloid adaptation
Authors: Mrozewicz Anna Estera
Published: July 2021

Gräns (Border) (2018) is an adaptation of a short story by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist (2006). The film retains large parts of the literary plot as well as its focalization through the troll-protagonist Tina/Reva. At the same time, Border introduces significant modifications. I argue that by expanding the plot to include a number of new elements and amplifying Lindqvist’s strategy of ‘a shimmering movement’, including the experience of transness and identity as change, Abbasi’s film disrupts more forcefully our ideas about the human/nonhuman divide, sex and gender dualism, aesthetics, ethics and other normative regimes regulating our social and human lives. By examining the film as a post-celluloid adaptation, I show how Border incorporates Lindqvist’s critique of technology while also embracing the imaginative and affective possibilities of digital cinema to interrogate the responsibilities of humanity from a posthumanist perspective.
In-between Baby Janes: From book to film to book to film
Authors: Kurikka Kaisa
Published: July 2021

This article is concerned with adaptation as a ‘process of in-betweenness’, a movement of connections, in which the ‘original’ work and adaptations are thought of through analogy, i.e. as similarities born from difference. The connections between two American versions of the story of Baby Jane – Henry Farrell’s novel, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1960) and Robert Aldrich’s film of the same title () – and two Finnish versions – a novel by internationally acclaimed author Sofi and a film directed by Katja , both titled Baby Jane – are discussed emphasizing their narratological and thematic analogies. While the American versions focus on the relationship between two ageing sisters, the Finnish versions tell the lesbian love story of two young women living in contemporary Helsinki. In addition, the article comments on some conceptual questions, such as the relationship between appropriation, adaptation, intertextuality and transfictionality.
Historical overview of the System of National Accounts
Authors: Weerasekara Sajeevani
Published: July 2021

The main objective of this article is to present a brief overview of national accounts. Section 1.1 illustrates the historical overview of the system of national accounts (SNA). Section 1.2 presents the development of the SNA. Section 1.3 focuses on the Framework of SNA, classifications, and measurements of economic activities and finally, section 1.4 presents a brief overview of the government expenditure within the SNA framework.
Aportes para el monitoreo participativo de la calidad del agua del río Tacuarembó en el noreste uruguayo
Authors: Iribarne Patricia , Lavaggi María Laura
Published: July 2021

Implementar procesos participativos para involucrar a diferentes actores sociales vinculados a problemas ambientales locales puede contribuir a mejorar la comprensión de las causas de estos y empoderar a los ciudadanos frente a la toma de decisiones colectivas. La importancia de esta participación ciudadana se refleja en la experiencia llevada a cabo en Tranqueras (Rivera, Uruguay), donde se convocó a distintos actores para efectuar un monitoreo participativo de la calidad de agua del río Tacuarembó. El proceso implicó la realización de talleres para la visualización de problemáticas ambientales y el diseño de un muestreo, colecta participativa y análisis de la calidad del agua. Esta experiencia generó un espacio de intercambio de saberes entre la comunidad y la Universidad que conduce a la reflexión sobre la relevancia de la dimensión epistemológica de los problemas ambientales, la forma en que se llega a su conocimiento y las distintas perspectivas con las que se abordan.
Desirability of Tribo-Performance of Natural Based Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composites: A Concise Review
Authors: Dhandapani Aravind , Krishnasamy Senthilkumar , Ungtrakul Thitinun , Kumar Thiagamani Senthil Muthu , Nagarajan Rajini , Muthukumar Chandrasekar , Chinnachamy Ganesan
Published: July 2021

Tribology, which may be defined as an interdisciplinary subject, deals with relative motion between two or more bodies, i.e., surfaces that are interacting relatively. Thus, tribology is a science covering three vital classes, namely, 1) wear, 2) friction, and 3) lubrication. The focus of this article is to bring out the elements that are influencing the wear-resisting behavior of thermosetting and thermoplastic composites with natural-based constituents. It was also identified from the literature sources that 1) the treatments on the natural fibers acting as reinforcement and 2) the addition of fillers in resin acting as matrix could improve the wear-resisting behavior of the composites. Additionally, other conditions such as 1) sliding speed, 2) sliding velocity, 3) sliding distance, and 4) operating temperature could also influence the friction coefficient and specific wear rate of the natural-based composites.
PERILAKU PENCARIAN INFORMASI MAHASISWA DALAM MEMENUHI KEBUTUHAN INFORMASI SEBELUM DAN SAAT PANDEMI COVID-19
Authors: Nurfadillah Muhammmad , Ardiansah Ardiansah
Published: July 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought changes to every aspect of life, one of which is education. Due to these circumstances, conventional learning has turned into online learning to avoid potential virus-spreading in university clusters, and UPI Library and Information Science 2019 students must follow the policy. The study aims to determine the information-seeking behavior of university students in meeting their information needs and differences in information-seeking behavior before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study method uses a descriptive quantitative research method. The sample of this research is students who experience two types of learning, conventional learning (in the classroom) and long-distance learning (online class). The results of this study indicate that there are differences in information-seeking behavior of UPI Library and Information Science 2019 students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic both in terms of motivation, place, sources, strategies, and obstacles in finding information. This is shown from the percentages of respondents' answers that show a decrease in physical activity such as visiting the library and a decrease in the use of printed media in finding information during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the use of electronic and online-based media to search for information such as e-journal catalogs is increasing, and the use of electronic information sources has also increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.