cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Διαφορική διάγνωση οιδημάτων κάτω άκρων
Creators: name: Τανός, Νικόλαος Νικηφόρου
Publisher: name: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Year: 2023
Subjects: Οίδημα
Κλινική εξέταση
Κάτω άκρα
Edema
Lower Extremity
Clinical Examination

description: Το οίδημα αποτελεί μια κατάσταση που προκύπτει από την διαταραχή των ομοιοστατικών μηχανισμών που ευθύνονται για την ισορροπία νερού, αλάτων και άλλων ουσιών εντός και εκτός των αγγείων. Υπάρχουν διάφορες κατηγορίες οιδημάτων, τα οποία μπορεί να εκδηλώνονται τοπικά ή να είναι γενικευμένα, να έχουν διαφορετική αιτιολογία και να εμφανίζονται οξέα ή να είναι χρόνια. Ενδιαφέρον στη διαγνωστική διαδικασία είναι η παρουσία οιδήματος στα κάτω άκρα, όπου ανάλογα με την περίπτωση του κάθε ασθενούς, οι αιτιολογίες μπορεί να ποικίλουν, από λήψη φαρμακευτικής αγωγής μέχρι την προσβολή από σοβαρή συστημική πάθηση. Στην παρούσα εργασία γίνεται αναφορά στη διαφορική διάγνωση των οιδημάτων των κάτω άκρων. Αφού γίνεται μια παρουσίαση των οιδημάτων, της φυσιολογίας και των κατηγοριών τους, γίνεται εστίαση στα οιδήματα των κάτω άκρων και την αιτιολογία που μπορεί να υφίσταται, ενώ στο τέλος γίνεται μια παρουσίαση των ευρημάτων της επιστημονικής κοινότητας σχετικά με τη διαφορική διάγνωση των οιδημάτων των κάτω άκρων και αναφορά στις συστημικές παθήσεις στις οποίες αυτά εκδηλώνονται
description: Edema is a condition resulting from the disturbance of homeostatic mechanisms responsible for the balance of water, salts and of other substances inside and outside the vessels. There are several categories edemas, which may manifest locally or be generalized, to have different etiology and appear acute or chronic. Of interest in the diagnostic process is the presence of edema in the lower extremities, where depending on the case of each patient, the reasons may be vary, from taking medication to having a serious attack systemic disease. In this work, reference is made to the differential diagnosis of the swellings of lower extremities. After a presentation of swellings, physiology and categories, focusing on lower extremity edema and etiology that may exist, while at the end a presentation of its findings is made scientific community regarding the differential diagnosis of lower limb swellings and reference to the systemic diseases in which they manifest.
Statistical implications of centralised care for estimating neonatal unit mortality rates
Creators: name: Santhakumaran, Shalini
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2016

description: Monitoring clinical outcomes across healthcare providers is increasingly important in the UK National Health Service. Neonatal care is no exception, but care is centralised, so is delivered via co-ordinated networks of neonatal units (NNUs), with sicker infants treated in larger centres. This results in frequent transfers, but it is unclear how to attribute outcomes of transferred infants. Hierarchical regression is recommended for assessing performance of healthcare providers, but existing studies have either excluded transferred patients or assigned them to a single provider. In this thesis, hierarchical Bayesian multiple membership (MM) models are used to evaluate NNU mortality of very preterm infants, attributing outcomes to all NNUs providing care. Data for all singleton infants born 2011-2013 below 32 weeks gestation and admitted to neonatal care in England are obtained from the National Neonatal Research Database. Using established methods, a series of Bayesian hierarchical models with two (infants within NNUs) and three levels (infants within NNUs within networks) are developed for non-transferred infants. This approach is extended to include transferred infants using MM models. A variety of weightings, some specified using Beta distributions, are used to allocate outcomes of transferred infants. In contrast to other applications of MM models, results differ across weightings due to transfer patterns. The recommendation is that transferred patients are allocated equally to all providers, regardless of duration or intensity of care, accompanied by sensitivity analyses using alternative weights. Methodologically, this thesis demonstrates a statistically principled way of accounting for transfers when evaluating provider-specific outcomes, and presents a new application of MM models with novel weightings. Clinically, the variation attributable to providers is low, and for each NNU an estimate of risk-adjusted mortality compared with similar NNUs is obtained. Practical implications extend beyond neonatal medicine as centralisation and electronic patient data become integral to improving healthcare.
The influence of exercise on ulcer healing in patients with chronic venous insufficiency
Creators: name: Mutlak, Omar Oubied
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2015

description: Venous leg ulcer (VLU) is a common chronic clinical problem and it is the most serious complication of chronic venous insufficiency. Although venous ulcer has a huge burden on individuals and states, the standard type of treatment for this debilitating condition, compression therapy, has not changed in the last 2000 years. There is growing evidence that exercise could help in venous ulcer management. This study investigated the effect of exercise on 80 VLU patients. These patients were randomised into four groups; a control group, a compression therapy only group, an exercise only group and a compression and exercise group. Non-invasive measurements were performed at the beginning of the 3 month period of regular exercise, and again at the end of the exercise period. This was necessary in order to evaluate the effect of exercise on VLU healing parameters, which include; tcPO2 level, laser Doppler measurements, resting skin flux (RF), range of ankle joint movement (ROM) and ulcer size. The exercise composed of 10 dorsiflexions each hour, while the participant was awake over a period of 3 months. Findings included, an increase in the tcPO2 level and range of ankle joint movement in individuals who had performed the exercise compared to those who did not (p < 0.001). Moreover tcPO2 measurements were higher in the exercise and compression group than those seen in the exercise only group. Ulcer size and RF measurements decreased in patients who had performed exercise compared to those who did not, groups 3 and 4 showed a significant decrease in ulcer size with p values = 0.001 and < 0.001 respectively. With RF measurements, only groups 3 and 4 showed significant decrease, p < 0.001. The findings indicated that there were changes in the VLU parameters in response to the 3 months period of regular exercise. Regular unsupervised exercise may be included as an integral part of the leg ulcer management.
Evaluation of Proposed Speckled Peacock Bass Cichla temensis Introduction to Puerto Rico
Creators: name: J. Wesley Neal
name: Bies, Jason M.
name: Fox, Cynthia N.
name: Lilyestrom, Craig G.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Ecology

description: Speckled Peacock Bass Cichla temensis are being considered for introduction into Puerto Rico to provide sportfishing opportunities and biological control for invasive New World cichlids. The proposed introduction was evaluated by following the American Fisheries Society’s recommended seven-step approach to introducing nonnative fish. This paper documents the evaluation process, which included a rapid risk screening approach using the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) version 2 and a series of controlled experiments on prey selection, agonistic behavior, and competition. The overall FISK score was 6 with a certainty factor of 0.84, placing the introduction in the medium-risk category (0–18) for invasiveness. Many of the attributes elevating this species to the medium-risk designation were the same attributes desired during species selection, including generalist feeding behavior and large body size, which are required for predation on New World cichlids. In controlled experiments, Speckled Peacock Bass consumed all cichlid species offered, suggesting that they may have potential as a biological control agent, although some selectivity in species and size was observed. Speckled Peacock Bass showed aggression toward conspecifics and other species in a mesocosm environment, but aggression generally decreased with time. There was no evidence of negative effects on Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides in terms of growth or condition via aggression or competition in controlled small-pond experiments. Although some downstream movement from receiving reservoirs would be possible, downstream habitats are unsuitable for establishment of this species. The greatest risk may be unauthorized movement by anglers to other reservoirs where this species is not desired. It is the conclusion of this evaluation that Speckled Peacock Bass will consume New World cichlids and that the risks of introduction are acceptably low. Thus, introduction may proceed on a limited scale with proper scientific evaluation and public outreach directed at reducing unauthorized translocation by anglers. Received October 12, 2016; accepted June 19, 2017 Published online August 31, 2017
Integrated analysis of epidemiological and phylogenetic data to elucidate viral transmission dynamics
Creators: name: Li, Lucy Mengqi
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2017

description: While infectious disease outbreaks are often summarised by population averages such as the reproductive number, variation between individuals in terms of onwards transmissions modulates the degree of unpredictability of an epidemic, and it needs to be accounted for in models of infection control. This heterogeneity among individuals can be quantified by the dispersion parameter k of the offspring distribution, a distribution that defines the number of secondary infections per infected individual. I have developed an inference framework to estimate k and other epidemiological parameters by fitting stochastic transmission models to both incidence time series and the pathogen phylogeny. Applying the framework to simulated data, I found that more accurate, less biased and more precise estimates of the reproductive number and k were obtained by combining epidemiologic and phylogenetic analyses. Accurately estimating k was necessary for unbiased estimates of the reproductive number, but it did not affect the accurate estimation of epidemic start date and the probability of sampling an infection. I further demonstrated that inference was possible in the presence of phylogenetic uncertainty by sampling from the posterior distribution of phylogenies. In addition to methodological contributions, I found that the inclusion of sequences in statistical inference for polio improved the precision of parameter estimates. Based on sequences collected from patients during a poliovirus outbreak, the estimated values of k were high regardless of the data used. On the other hand, the k estimates were low when a transmission model was fit to environmental sequences collected in Pakistan, which is still endemic for wild poliovirus. Furthermore, analysis of environmental sequences was informative of seasonality parameters whereas inference from incidence time series alone was not. This type of analysis using environmental sequences would be useful as polio eradication draws to a close as the number of symptomatic cases approaches zero.
Πρώιμη επαγωγή οστεογένεσης σε βλαστικά κύτταρα οδοντικού πολφού με τη χρήση πιπερίνης, κουρκουμίνης και χρυσίνης
Creators: name: Τάση, Παυλίνα Βασιλείου
Publisher: name: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Year: 2023
Subjects: Βλαστοκύτταρα
Οστεογένεση
Φυσικές ουσίες
Stem cells
Osteogenesis
Natural substances

description: Η οστεογένεση, η διαδικασία σχηματισμού των οστών, κατέχει καθοριστικό ρόλο στη διατήρηση της σκελετικής ακεραιότητας και της συνολικής υγείας. Τα τελευταία χρόνια έχει αυξηθεί το ενδιαφέρον για τη διερεύνηση φυσικών ενώσεων ως πιθανών ενισχυτών της πρώιμης οστεογένεσης. Αρχικά η παρούσα μελέτη παρέχει μια επισκόπηση της τρέχουσας κατάστασης της έρευνας σχετικά με τη χρήση της πιπερίνης, της κουρκουμίνης και της χρυσίνης, τριών βιοδραστικών φυτοχημικών ουσιών που προέρχονται από φυτά, στην προώθηση της πρώιμης οστεογένεσης. Επιπλέον αναφέρονται ήδη υπάρχουσες θεραπείες και τεχνικές αποκατάστασης ελλειμμάτων των οστών, καθώς και τρόποι ενίσχυσης της οστεογένεσης. Στη συνέχεια παρουσιάζονται ο σκοπός, οι μέθοδοι, οι τεχνικές και τα υλικά που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για την διεξαγωγή του πειραματικού μέρους της έρευνας. Έπειτα γίνεται παράθεση των αποτελεσμάτων, καθώς και συζήτηση που περιλαμβάνει τον σχολιασμό των αποτελεσμάτων, σε σύγκριση με υπάρχουσα σχετική βιβλιογραφία. Τέλος παρατίθενται τα τελικά συμπεράσματα της μελέτης, όπου αναφέρεται εάν οι τρείς αυτές ουσίες έχουν οστεοεπαγωγική ικανότητα όταν χρησιμοποιηθούν σε καλλιέργειες βλαστοκυττάρων οδοντικού πολφού, με βάση τα οποία γίνονται και ορισμένες προτάσεις για μελλοντική έρευνα. Η αξιοποίηση του οστεογενετικού δυναμικού αυτών των φυσικών ενώσεων θα μπορούσε να προσφέρει νέους δρόμους για την ανάπτυξη θεραπειών με στόχο τη βελτίωση της υγείας των οστών και την αντιμετώπιση καταστάσεων όπως η οστεοπόρωση και τα οστικά κατάγματα.
description: Osteogenesis, the process of bone formation, plays a key role in maintaining skeletal integrity and overall health. In recent years there has been increasing interest in investigating natural compounds as potential enhancers of early osteogenesis. Initially, this study provides an overview of the current state of research on the use of piperine, curcumin and chrysin, three bioactive phytochemicals derived from plants, in promoting early osteogenesis. In addition, existing treatments and techniques for the repair of bone deficiencies and ways of enhancing osteogenesis are reported. The aim, methods, techniques and materials used to carry out the experimental part of the research are presented below. The results are then presented, followed by a discussion including a commentary of the results, compared to existing relevant literature. Finally, the final conclusions of the study are presented, stating whether these three substances have osteoinductive potential when used in dental pulp stem cell cultures, based on which some suggestions for future research are made. Exploiting the osteogenic potential of these natural compounds could offer new avenues for the development of treatments aimed at improving bone health and treating conditions such as osteoporosis and bone fractures.
Ιατρικός τουρισμός στην Ελλάδα και παράγοντες ανάπτυξης του
Creators: name: Θεοδωροπούλου, Αικατερίνη Σπυρίδωνα
Publisher: name: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Year: 2023
Subjects: Ιατρικός τουρισμός
Ελλάδα
Παράγοντες ανάπτυξης
Medical tourism
Greece
Development factors

description: Ο ιατρικός τουρισμός αποτελεί ένα από τα παλαιότερα είδη τουρισμού, καθώς έλκει την καταγωγή του από την αρχαία Ελλάδα. Ωστόσο, τα τελευταία χρόνια γνωρίζει όλο και μεγαλύτερη άνθηση σε περίπου εξήντα χώρες στον κόσμο. Η Ελλάδα κατατάσσεται στην τριακοστή τέταρτη (34η ) θέση παγκοσμίως και (9η) στην Ευρώπη, διεκδικώντας σημαντικό μερίδιο στην εν λόγω αγορά. Η παρούσα εργασία μέσα από βιβλιογραφική επισκόπηση αποσαφηνίζει έννοιες και ορισμούς που αφορούν τον κλάδο. Ειδικότερα, εστιάζει στους παράγοντες που ωθούν τους ασθενείς να ταξιδέψουν για παροχή ιατρικής φροντίδας εκτός συνόρων της χώρας τους, καθώς και στους παράγοντες που τους ελκύουν και επηρεάζουν την τελική τους απόφαση ως προς τον προορισμό που θα επιλέξουν. Κατόπιν αποτύπωσης της εικόνας του ιατρικού τουρισμού στην Ελλάδα σήμερα και διενέργειας SWOT ανάλυσης καταγράφονται, αναλύονται και αξιολογούνται ευρήματα και διαπιστώσεις. Τα εν λόγω ευρήματα προέκυψαν από δευτερογενή βιβλιογραφική έρευνα στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας εργασίας.
description: Medical Tourism is one of the oldest types of tourism, as it originates from ancient Greece. However, in recent years it has been growing more and more in about sixty countries in the world. Ranking Greece in the forty third (43th) place worldwide and ninth (9th) in Europe, claiming a significant share in this market. Based on a bibliographic review, the current research classifies concepts and definitions concerning the industry of medical tourism. More specifically, it focuses on the factors that motivate international patients to travel for medical care outside the borders of their country, as well as the factors that attract them and influence their final decision as to the destination of their choice. The picture of medical tourism in Greece today has been captured, and a SWOT analysis has been performed. Results have been documented, examined, and appraised. In the context of this investigation, the aforementioned conclusions were drawn from secondary literature research.
description: Σε συνεργασία με: Κοινωνικής Διοίκησης και Πολιτικής Επιστήμης (Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης)
Αγιορείτες αλείπτες, τρόποι μαρτυρίου, τάφοι και λείψανα των Αγιορειτών οσιομαρτύρων. Ιστορική και αγιολογική προσέγγιση
Creators: name: Τοπολίγκα, Άννα Αντωνίου
Publisher: name: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Year: 2023
Subjects: Αγιορείτες Οσιομάρτυρες
Ιστορική προσέγγιση
Αγιολογική προσέγγιση
Athonite Martyrs
Historical approach
Hagiological approach

description: Στόχος της εργασίας ήταν η παρουσίαση και η από ιστορικής και αγιολογικής σκοπιάς προσέγγιση επιμέρους ζητημάτων που άπτονται του μαρτυρίου των αγιορειτών οσιομαρτύρων του 19ου αιώνα επί τη βάσει των αγιολογικών και υμνογραφικών πηγών. Ειδικότερα, μετά από μία σύντομη παρουσίαση των βιογραφικών στοιχείων των αγιορειτών οσιομαρτύρων του 19ου αιώνα και των σχετικών νεομαρτυρολογικών κειμένων/συλλογών, μελετήθηκε το ιστορικό και θεολογικό πλαίσιο εμφάνισης του φαινομένου των αγιορειτών αλειπτών, των νεομαρτύρων και έγινε καταγραφή και ομαδοποιημένη παρουσίαση των τρόπων μαρτυρίου των συγκεκριμένων αγίων. Εξετάστηκαν ζητήματα που αφορούν στους τάφους και τα λείψανά τους καθώς και όλες οι μαρτυρίες που περιλαμβάνονται στις πηγές για την λειτουργική τους τιμή.
description: The aim of the thesis was to present and approach from a historical and hagiological point of view individual issues related to the martyrdom of the holy martyrs of the 19th century on the basis of hagiological and hymnographic sources. In particular, after a brief presentation of the biographical details of the holy martyrs of the 19th century and the relevant neomartyrological texts/collections, the historical and theological context of the appearance of the phenomenon of the Athonite teachers, the neomartyrs, was studied and a recording and grouped presentation of the ways of martyrdom of the specific saints. Issues related to the tombs and their remains were examined as well as all the testimonies included in the sources for their liturgical value.
CCWI2017: F118 'Pumping Cost Optimization in Looped Water Networks with Storage Capacity through the Searching of the Setpoint Curve'
Creators: name: Christian-F. León-Celi
name: Iglesias-Rey, Pedro
name: F. Javier Martinez-Solano
name: D. A. Savic
name: L. S. Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia
Publisher: name: The University of Sheffield
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 90599 Civil Engineering not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Civil engineering

description: The pumping cost optimization still being a priority to minimize the operating costs in a water network due to the high cost of energy. In that context before to optimize the operation of installed pumps, it is required to find out the optimal operational points of each pump station independently of its associated features of flow rate and pumping head that are limited and limit the optimal solution. Thus, the aim of this work is to find the minimum energy curve (i.e. flow rate and pumping head) with the minimum cost that should be follow by each pump station to keep the minimum nodal pressure required by the network within a specific storage range in the tanks. This concept is known as setpoint curve. The objective function to be minimized considers the pumping cost with a diary structure of the energy fare, the water treatment costs and penalty costs related to the nodal pressure and the storage capacity of the network. To carry out the optimization the Differential Evolution algorithm has been applied. The proposed methodology has been tested in the water network D-town BWN II which has five pumping stations and seven tanks. Results show the maximum savings that it is possible to achieve in pump stations and gives important information to select a suitable pumping system that fit with the optimal operation of the network.
Traceability in food supply chains: a systematic literature review and future research directions
Creators: name: Zhou, Xiongyong
name: Xu, Zhiduan
name: Zhou, Xiongyong
name: Xu, Zhiduan
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety
subject: food supply chain
subject: traceability
subject: tracking
subject: systematic literature review

description: The food traceability system (TS) provides visual services for consumers by recording every operation procedure of food supply, processing, marketing as well as distribution throughout the supply chain. This study aims to review the academic papers which are related to food supply chain traceability (FSCT) and proposes a framework for future research. To do this, we carry out a systematic literature review of 278 peer-reviewed scientific literature published between 1994 and September 2019. By classifying the FSCT into pre-study and post-study of TS implementation, this study reveals a number of future research directions of FSCT based on thematic findings and points out that the focus on such issues has shifted to the post-adoption study of TSs. This study further categorizes nine specific research topics from past literature and identifies specific opportunities of each theme for future research.
Nutrient profiling and nutritional genomic influence on metabolic risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: The Airwave Health Monitoring Study
Creators: name: Eriksen, Rebeca
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2017

description: Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, driven by various metabolic risk factors and diabetes. Diet is a key modifiable component in the development of these risk factors. This study aimed to investigate cardio-metabolic risk factors associated with diet. Secondly, dietary interaction with genetic risk of diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 5,864 participants’ baseline data from the Airwave Health Monitoring Study. Participants completed a 7-day food diary and a health screening including blood sample, blood pressure and anthropometrics. Diet quality was assessed according to UK Dietary Reference Values (DRV) using the novel DRV index and the established UK nutrient profile model. The nutritional genomic association with diabetes and HbA1c% was studied using a polygenetic risk score (GRS). Results: A higher DRV score was associated with a lower waist circumference ( -0.56 p<0.0001), total cholesterol ( -0.06, p<0.0001) and glycated haemoglobin A1c ( -0.02, p=0.003). Individuals with a higher DRV score (top quartile vs bottom quartile) were less likely to have diabetes (OR 0.75, p=0.04), elevated blood sugar (OR 0.80, p=0.01) and abdominal obesity (OR 0.64, p<0.0001). GRS was associated with a higher HbA1c ( 0.03, p<0.0001) and higher risk of diabetes (OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.04-1.24). Interactions between GRS and higher diet quality modified the genetic effect on HbA1c (-0.017, pinteraction=0.02) in high-risk individuals. High alcohol intake (>16g/day) modified the genetic effect on HbA1c ( 1.22, p=0.002). Obesity (BMI >30kg/m2) increased the effect on HbA1c by =1.90 pinteraction =0.0006. Conclusion: Individuals consuming a high quality diet (high in complex carbohydrates, fibre, fruit and vegetables and wholegrain) aligned with the UK guidelines were associated with fewer metabolic risk factors for CVD and diabetes. A high quality diet also reduced the genetic effect on HbA1c and diabetes in high-risk individuals. These findings support the importance of encouraging a healthy diet, along with moderate alcohol consumption, as part of public health advice for a lower risk of CVD and diabetes, especially in high genetic risk groups.
Ion-pairs of structurally related polyoxotantalate clusters and divalent metal cations
Creators: name: Chen, Jiahui
name: Ma, Yachun
name: Zhang, Dongdi
name: Yang, Yuqing
name: Bera, Mrinal K.
name: Luo, Jiancheng
name: Raee, Ehsan
name: Liu, Tianbo
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: We report cation-binding behaviors of two {P4Ta6}-type polyoxometalate (POM) clusters with cis- and trans- subunit geometry in aqueous solution. Two types of divalent cations, Sr2+ and Pb2+, possess different binding affinities and sites when interacting with {P4Ta6}. Sr2+ ions only form solvent-share ion-pairs with {P4Ta6}, whereas Pb2+ ions form contact-ion pairs, selectively interacting with the phosphate groups at different locations and subsequently induce the aggregation of {P4Ta6}, confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques. Despite Sr2+ and Pb2+ possessing similar ionic sizes and hydration energies, Pb2+ ions with stronger coordination capability result in a closer association with the clusters, eventually to selective interaction that depends on the chelating effect, charge density, and the acidity of phosphate groups at specific sites.
Investigating the role of TGFB signalling in preantral follicle development
Creators: name: Oliver, Elizabeth Mary
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2016

description: The neonatal ovary encompasses a finite pool of primordial follicles which serve the need of the entire reproductive lifespan. Follicle activation is therefore a tightly controlled process, the rate of which has a profound influence on fertility. Despite this the exact mechanisms responsible for maintaining the primordial follicle pool or, conversely, for activating the initiation of follicle recruitment remain unknown. Many of the extracellular signalling molecules implicated in early preantral follicle development are members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) superfamily. The aim of this thesis was to examine the role of TGFB signalling in primordial follicle activation and subsequent early preantral follicle development. TGFB signalling is classically facilitated by the SMAD intracellular transcription factors. The SMAD2/3 cascade is the major TGFB signalling pathway expressed in the early preantral follicle. Pharmacological inhibition of the upstream receptors of the SMAD2/3 signalling cascade ALK4/5/7 with small molecule inhibitor SB505124 accelerated primordial follicle activation in a neonatal ovary culture while in a paradoxical manner inhibited development of the small multilayered preantral follicle in an isolated follicle culture. A screen of ligands that converge preferentially to the SMAD2/3 pathway highlighted TGFB2 as the most abundantly expressed in the early preantral follicle. TGFB2 inhibited primordial follicle activation in the neonatal ovary culture while in a differential manner promoted the growth of isolated small multilayered preantral follicles suggesting the action of TGFB2 is dependent on the developmental stage of the follicle. Pharmacological inhibition of ALK4/5/7 (SB505124) and the MAPK/ERK (U0126) signalling cascade ablated TGFB2 induced preantral follicle growth suggesting the coordinated action of SMAD and non-SMAD signalling underlies the context dependent action of TGFB2 in preantral follicle development. In conclusion these novel data suggest that TGFB signalling plays an important role in both maintenance of the primordial follicle pool and early stage preantral follicle development.
Diet and blood pressure: The INTERMAP and INTERMAP China Prospective Studies
Creators: name: Yan, Li
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2016

description: Dietary factors are important modifiable risk factors for adverse blood pressure (BP). Previous literature on relationships of dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) to BP were not consistent and research was limited in East Asian populations. The International Collaborative Study of Macro-/Micro-nutrients and BP (INTERMAP) is a cross-sectional epidemiological study to investigate the role of multiple dietary factors in the aetiology of unfavourable BP levels, including 7 population samples from China and Japan. Eight BP, four anthropometric measures, four 24-hour dietary recalls, and two 24-hour urine samples were collected in four visits. GI values of food codes were assigned using existing national and international database of GI values following developed algorithm, and the relationships of dietary GI/GL to BP were explored. The INTERMAP China Prospective (ICP) Study is the follow-up of three INTERMAP Chinese populations with extensive data collection aiming to investigate the dietary exposure and its relation to BP changes. A BP calibration study was conducted and calibration equations were generated to make BP data comparable with different devices between the baseline and the follow-up. Findings showed that dietary GI and GL were not directly associated with BP in Chinese and Japanese populations. Among the baseline participants in the ICP Study, higher intake of dietary total protein and glutamic acid at baseline tended to be associated with smaller BP increase; higher intake of vegetable protein and glutamic acid at baseline tended to be associated with lower risk of incident hypertension (HTN). Results suggested protein intake, especially glutamic acid (the predominant dietary amino acid, especially in vegetable protein), may be associated with less BP increase with age and lower risk of incident HTN in long-term, and this may have implications for nutritional approaches to control high BP levels and slow down BP increase with age in populations.
Additional file 5: of Genome-wide identification and characterization of long non-coding RNAs involved in the early somatic embryogenesis in Dimocarpus longan Lour
Creators: name: Chen, Yan
name: Li, Xue
name: Su, Liyao
name: Chen, Xu
name: Zhang, Shuting
name: Xu, Xiaoping
name: Zhang, Zihao
name: Chen, Yukun
name: XuHan, Xu
name: Lin, Yuling
name: Lai, Zhongxiong
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Ecology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Information Systems not elsewhere classified

description: KEGG annotation analysis of potential target genes of lncRNAs. Functional categorization of potential target genes of lncRNAs based on the biological process category of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). (PDF 204 kb)
Assessing the impact of mass deworming: changes in soil-transmitted helminth burden and characteristics, co-infections and the gut microbiome
Creators: name: Easton, Alice Van Antwerp
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2016

description: Approximately two billion people worldwide are infected with a soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and could benefit from anthelmintic treatment. Evaluating the impact of mass drug administration (MDA) for STH infection, however, is highly challenging, due in part to the absence of a gold-standard diagnostic. This thesis examines the impact of MDA using both standard parasitological and novel molecular methods. Kato Katz (KK) provides false negative results in approximately 68% of Necator americanus infections detectable by quantitative PCR (qPCR). KK also fails to detect many low-intensity infections caused by Ascaris lumbricoides and other gastrointestinal parasites. Both qPCR and KK are equally good predictors of A. lumbricoides worm burden (as measured by chemo-expulsion), and approximately equally precise in their quantitation of infection intensity. For both qPCR and KK, methodological sources of error were identified by regression, but were sufficiently small as to be irrelevant relative to the person-to-person differences in infection intensity measured. Chemo-expulsion provided useful information about the life cycle and population ecology of A. lumbricoides. Sequencing of these worms showed that the populations of worms found in different villages and at different time-points were significantly different, suggesting that villages may be an appropriate unit to target for MDA. Finally, it is important to understand the impact of MDA on the total sum of measurable changes to the body’s ecosystem, of which the gut microbiome is a key part. The host microbiome appears to be influenced both by STH infection and anthelmintic treatment. Although there is much we can learn from molecular tools, one of the greatest lessons of this thesis is just how much we still do not know. Overconfidence in our ability to understand, model and predict the response of STH infection in a community to MDA could lead to well-intentioned interventions that ultimately result in unsustainable outcomes.
Consumers’ perceptions and behavior toward food waste across countries
Creators: name: Heng, Yan
name: House, Lisa
name: Heng, Yan
name: House, Lisa
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Consumer/Household Economics
subject: Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety
subject: culture
subject: food consumption
subject: food waste
subject: fruit and vegetables waste

description: Food waste has become a global issue that has received increased attention. Food waste at the household level is a major source of food loss in developed countries. While culture is an important factor shaping people’s behavior, comparison of food waste behaviors across countries and regions are still limited. This study uses primary data covering the US, Canada, the UK, and France to understand and compare consumers’ food waste behaviors. While we found some common drivers for food waste behavior appliable to all countries, such as age, eating away from home, and using expiration dates, we confirmed that consumers behave significantly different across countries. For example, personal factors such as employment status, household size, and environmental concerns are only found significant in certain countries. Similarly, while convenience-driven consumers tend to waste more across countries, only European consumers who are price and advertising conscious tend to increase their food waste frequency. Moreover, many well-known food waste prevention actions, such as making a shopping list, preserving and freezing food, and being willing to consume leftovers, only appear to work in certain countries.
CCWI2017: F120 'Costs Functions Proficiency over the Urban Drainage Networks Optimal Design'
Creators: name: Duque, Natalia
name: Aguilar, Andrés
name: Saldarriaga, Juan
Publisher: name: The University of Sheffield
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 90599 Civil Engineering not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Civil engineering

description: The urban drainage networks optimal design objective function must represent accurately the real construction costs of these systems. This design problem involves two sub problems which require a specific cost function. For the layout selection problem, a cost function in terms of the flow rate and direction is needed, since there is no information about the diameter, depth, and slope of the pipes. A good estimation of the layout cost function is needed to find the minimum-cost urban drainage network design. The optimal hydraulic design of the network requires the best layout selection. In this paper some cost functions are tested using the urban drainage network optimal design methodology proposed by Duque N. et al. (2015) [1], on part of a real network located in Bogota, Colombia. Afterwards, a sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the effect of each cost function over the layout selection and hydraulic design of the network. Moreover, this analysis aims to evaluate the cost functions proficiency and robustness, when changing parameters such as the filling ratio and the pipes material.
The metacognitive enhancement of surgical technical skills training
Creators: name: Cocker, Daniel Madoc
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2016

description: Background and Aim Surgical education has become an area of increasing importance, debate and research over the last couple of decades as training opportunities have diminished despite increasing expectations. Simulation offers a safe, structured, and reproducible environment for learning complex motor skills. Educationalists are exploring ways of enhancing trainee simulation experience, and this thesis addresses this goal. This work aims to determine whether surgical trainees use metacognitive learning strategies to learn complex motor skills, whether such strategies can be used to augment this learning, and to investigate the feasibility and effect of application of these learning strategies. Methods Two literature searches were undertaken to assess current literature regarding surgical simulation training and metacognition. Interviews were carried out with ten senior surgical trainers to better understand surgical trainees’ use of metacognitive learning strategies to learn, and which might be applicable to simulation surgical training. Two experimental studies were subsequently performed using surgical trainees, one a feasibility study and the other a blinded cohort study, assessing trainees’ performance during repeated simulated operations. Results Senior surgical trainers demonstrated little knowledge of the construct of metacognition, but suggested metacognitive learning strategies are used to learn motor skills. Furthermore, expert demonstration/instruction, mental imagery, detailed constructive reflection and feedback, deconstruction of an operation, and monitoring progress are the metacognitive learning strategies most applicable to enhancing surgical trainees’ development of surgical motor skills. The feasibility study demonstrated incorporation of these strategies into a simulation exercise, and the subsequent experimental study demonstrated a non-significant improvement in trainees’ performance if the simulation exercise was metacognitively enhanced. Conclusions Surgical trainees use metacognitive learning strategies to learn complex motor skills. Enhancement of simulation exercises with metacognitive learning strategies produces a demonstrable, but without statistically significant improvement in performance. Future work should investigate further application of metacognitive learning strategies in the simulation suite and in the operating theatre.
Genetics and Juvenile Abundance Dynamics Show Congruent Patterns of Population Structure for Depleted River Herring Populations in the Upper Chesapeake Bay
Creators: name: Ogburn, Matthew B.
name: Hasselman, Daniel J.
name: Schultz, Thomas F.
name: Palkovacs, Eric P.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences

description: River herring (Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis) populations have declined dramatically along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Conservation efforts are currently inhibited by an incomplete understanding of stock structure for the upper Chesapeake Bay, which once supported some of the largest spawning runs across the species’ ranges. We collected genetic samples from 512 adult river herring from five rivers and used microsatellites to explore genetic differentiation and population structure. Juvenile abundance indices were also evaluated for spatiotemporal patterns using time series analyses. Statistically significant allelic heterogeneity was observed among most collections, and we identified genetically distinguishable groups for each species. Regression analysis indicated stable or declining juvenile abundance, and empirical orthogonal function analysis supported groupings of tributaries based on temporal patterns in abundance. Results suggest a divide between eastern shore and western shore tributaries, with the Susquehanna River and the head of the bay showing similarities to both groups and possible temporal shifts in genetic structure due to straying. The Patuxent River likely represents a third genetic group for Blueback Herring. Cumulatively, our results suggest at least two genetically distinguishable groups of spawning populations for Alewives and at least three for Blueback Herring; these groups should be considered separately for conservation and management. Received December 22, 2016; accepted June 3, 2017 Published online August 31, 2017
Stereoselective synthesis of novel monocyclic trans-3-halogenated-4-pyrazolyl-β-lactams: Potential synthons and promising biologically active agents
Creators: name: Shiwani Berry
name: Bari, Shamsher S.
name: Bimal K. Banik
name: Bhalla, Aman
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: 60506 Virology
subject: Computational Biology

description: Stereoselective synthesis of novel monocyclic trans-3-halogenated-4-pyrazolyl-β-lactams 5 is described. The reaction of ketene derived from α-bromo/chloroethanoic acids 4 using POCl3 and Et3N with pyrazolyl substituted imines 3a–d in refluxing toluene resulted exclusive formation of trans-β-lactams through [2 + 2] through cycloaddition reaction. The chemical structures of all the newly synthesized β-lactams were verified on the basis of spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis (CHN). The trans configuration of β-lactams 5 was assigned with respect to position of C3-H and C4-H. The novel β-lactams 5 are potential synthons for azetidines, aziridines, 3-unsubstituted azetidinones, 3-alkyl-halo-azetidinones, and promising biologically active agents.
The interaction relationships among agricultural certification labels or brands: evidence from Chinese consumer preference for fresh produce
Creators: name: Wang, Yiqin
name: Wang, Jingbin
name: Han, Dan
name: Lv, Shanshan
name: Chen, Mo
name: Yin, Shijiu
name: Wang, Yiqin
name: Wang, Jingbin
name: Han, Dan
name: Lv, Shanshan
name: Chen, Mo
name: Yin, Shijiu
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Consumer/Household Economics
subject: Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety
subject: consumer preference
subject: interaction relationship
subject: agricultural certification label
subject: agricultural brand
subject: menu-based choice experiment

description: China uses a multilevel agricultural certification system; however, its implications are not well understood. In this study, we used tomatoes as an example in a series of Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auction experiments to determine consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) toward three safety certification labels and two kinds of brands. Then, based on the auction experiment results, we designed a menu-based choice experiment to assess the interaction relationships between the safety certification labels and brands. The results showed that consumers were generally willing to pay a premium for tomatoes with safety-certified labels (especially for organic labels) and brands (especially for the enterprise brand). Providing consumers with additional information regarding the certification remarkably improved their WTP for tomatoes with organic and green labels. The menu-based choice experiment suggested that the organic and green labels were found to be substitutes. In addition, organic and green labels could not substitute the enterprise brand, whereas the converse of this relationship was true. Finally, a mutual substitution relationship was observed between hazard-free label and enterprise brand. Our research enables producers to consider the interaction between certification strategies and brand strategies. Therefore, marketers and policymakers should take steps to promote and expand consumers’ knowledge on certification, as it could benefit the development of certified food.
Strategies for control and elimination of HBV: modelling and economic evaluation
Creators: name: Nayagam, Amanda Shevanthi
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2016

description: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection continues to be responsible for a large burden of disease globally, and along with the other viral hepatitis infections, ranks amongst the top ten causes of mortality worldwide. This high burden exists despite the availability of safe and effective prevention and treatment tools. This thesis uses applied modelling to answer questions relevant to global public health policy about how these existing interventions can be scaled up, quantify what health gains are achievable and what the economic implications are of alternative strategies of scale-up. Firstly the HBV epidemic is investigated from a global perspective using a dynamic deterministic mathematical model. This shows a decreasing incidence of new infections due to existing prevention efforts taking effect, but that HBV-related deaths will remain high for the next few decades. A comprehensive package of interventions, scaled up to high coverage levels globally, could lead to a 90% reduction in incidence of new chronic infections and avert 7.3 million deaths globally, over the next 15 years compared to status quo. Annual costs of such a strategy are forecast to peak at $7.5bn globally (or $3.4bn in low and middle-income countries only). Next, the dynamic model is used to inform national level strategies in China and Senegal, two countries with high HBV endemicity, but contrasting financial, healthcare and demographic characteristics. Investing in a comprehensive package of prevention and treatment interventions will achieve significant health gains. Furthermore, this approach is likely to provide a return on investment (of 1.54 and 1.72 dollars for every dollar invested, in China and Senegal, respectively), when approached from an overall societal perspective. These economic gains are driven by the reduced costs of management of those with end-stage liver disease and increased productivity gains due to longer life expectancy. These first chapters show that ambitious testing and treatment targets are needed to achieve mortality benefits. The last chapter demonstrates that an active community-based screening and treatment strategy is feasible and likely to be cost-effective in The Gambia, a low-income setting with a high HBV prevalence in West Africa. Overall, these findings demonstrate the substantial health and economic impacts that a concerted effort to combat HBV can achieve on both global and local levels, therefore providing a useful evidence base from which to inform global health policy.