showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Choosy beetles : How host trees and southern boreal forest naturalness may determine dead wood beetle communities
2021
Wood-living beetles make up a large proportion of forest biodiversity and contribute to important ecosystem services, including decomposition. Beetle communities in managed southern boreal forests are less species rich than in natural and near-natural forest stands. In addition, many beetle species rely primarily on specific tree species. Yet, the associations between individual beetle species, forest management category, and tree species are seldom quantified, even for red-listed beetles. We compiled a beetle capture dataset from flight intercept traps placed on Norway spruce (Picea abies), oak (Quercus sp.), and Eurasian aspen (Populus tremulae) trees in 413 sites in mature managed forest…
Dentinal microcracks after root canal instrumentation using instruments manufactured with different NiTi alloys and the SAF system: A systematic revi…
2021
Aim: The aim of this systematic analysis was to assess the prevalence of dentinal microcracks at various levels (3, 6, and 9 mm from the apex) after using instruments made with conventional, R-Phase, and M-Wire NiTi alloys and the SAF system. Materials and Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in the databases Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. To arrange search methods, “MeSH” terms and/or keywords typically associated with the subject were paired with the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR.” Additional searches were conducted on the websites of four separate endodontic journals. After reading the titles and excluding duplicates, 1000 of the 1343 documents ori…
SARS-CoV-2 vs. Hepatitis Virus Infection Risk in the Hemodialysis Population: What Should We Expect?
2021
Since the dramatic rise of the coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, patients receiving dialysis have emerged as especially susceptible to this infection because of their impaired immunologic state, chronic inflammation and the high incidence of comorbidities. Although several strategies have thus been implemented to minimize the risk of transmission and acquisition in this population worldwide, the reported severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence varies across studies but is higher than in the general population. On the contrary, the screening for hepatitis viruses (HBV and HCV) has seen significant improvements in recent years, with va…
Surveillance of foodborne parasitic diseases in Europe in a One Health approach
2021
In 2012, WHO/FAO ranked 24 foodborne parasites (FBP) using multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to provide risk assessors with a basis for prioritising control of highly ranked FBP on the global level. One conclusion was that ranking may differ substantially per region. In Europe, the same methodology was used to rank FBP of relevance for Europe. Of the 24 FBP, the top-five prioritised FBP were identified for Europe as Echinococcus multilocularis, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spiralis, E. granulosus, and Cryptosporidium spp., all of which are zoonotic. The objective of the present study was to provide an overview of surveillance and reporting systems in Europe for these top five priorit…
Convex and expansive liftings close to two-isometries and power bounded operators
2021
Abstract In the context of Hilbert space operators, there is a strong relationship between convex and expansive operators and 2-isometries. In this paper, we investigate the bounded linear operators T on a Hilbert space H which have a 2-isometric lifting S on a Hilbert space K containing H as a closed subspace invariant for S ⁎ S . This last property holds in particular when S | K ⊖ H is an isometry. We relate such 2-isometric liftings S by some convex, concave or expansive liftings of the same type as S. We also examine some power bounded operators with such liftings, as well as an intermediate expansive lifting associated with T on the space H ⊕ l + 2 ( H ) . The latter notion is used to …
DNA damage and repair in the differentiation of stem cells and cells of connective cell lineages: A trigger or a complication?
2021
The review summarizes literature data on the role of DNA breaks and DNA repair in differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) and connective cell lineages. PSC, including embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), are rapidly dividing cells with highly active DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms to ensure the stability and integrity of the DNA. In PSCs, the most common DDR mechanism is error-free homologous recombination (HR) that is primarily active during S phase of the cell cycle, whereas in quiescent, slow-dividing or non-dividing tissue progenitors and terminally differentiated cells, error-prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) mechanism of the double-s…
Nicolás Olea. Libérate de tóxicos. Guía para evitar los disruptores endocrinos. Barcelona: RBA Libros; 2019. 416 p. ISBN: 978-84-9187-402-7. Depósito…
2021
Chronic exposure to glucocorticoids induces suboptimal decision-making in mice.
2021
AbstractAnxio-depressive symptoms as well as severe cognitive dysfunction including aberrant decision-making (DM) are documented in neuropsychiatric patients with hypercortisolaemia. Yet, the influence of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis on DM processes remains poorly understood. As a tractable mean to approach this human condition, adult male C57BL/6JRj mice were chronically treated with corticosterone (CORT) prior to behavioural, physiological and neurobiological evaluation. The behavioural data indicate that chronic CORT delays the acquisition of contingencies required to orient responding towards optimal DM performance in a mouse Gambling Task (mGT). Specifically, CORT-treat…
PSYCHOLOGY AND PROFESSION IN SPAIN. THE EARLY YEARS OF THE SPANISH PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
2021
The creation of the Spanish Psychological Association (Spanish acronym, COP) was of enormous significance in the establishing of psychology in Spain, and in the creation of its identity. Since the publication of the 1980 Law of Creation [of the COP], this organization—aimed at regulating and representing the psychology profession—has not stopped growing, despite the serious internal and external issues it has had. The Spanish Psychological Association has gone through different stages over the past 40 years, which reflect and help us to characterize the short history of Spanish psychology, in particular the history of its delimitation with respect to other professions. This article presents…
COGNITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ACROSS AGES
2021
Sequencing toponymic change: A quantitative longitudinal analysis of street renaming in Sibiu, Romania.
2021
Recent scholarship in critical toponymy studies has refashioned the understanding of street names from innocent labels to nominal loci of historical memory and vectors of collective identity that are embroiled with power relations. Urban nomenclatures consist of more than mere linguistic signposts deployed onto space to facilitate navigation. Street names are also powerful signposts that indicate the political regime and its socio-cultural values. Drawing on these theoretical insights, this paper is focused on Sibiu (Romania) and explore the city’s shifting namescape in a longitudinal perspective spanning one century and a half of modern history (1875–2020). The analysis is based on a compl…
Institutions, institutional quality, and international competitiveness: Review and examination of future research directions
2021
Abstract The importance of institutions has become more relevant analytically in recent years, emphasizing the significance of an appropriate institutional framework for international competition. This paper aims to identify the link between institutions, institutional quality, and international competitiveness. Following the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methodology) framework analysis, proposed by Paul & Rosado-Serrano (2019) , we conducted a systematic literature review of top tier journals during the period 2000–2020. This review unfolds the theoretical and empirical studies regarding institutions, institutional quality, and international competitiveness. Main findings rev…
DID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGE HIP FRACTURE INCIDENCE IN ELDERLY?
2021
The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the national lockdown on femoral neck fractures occurred in the elderly in an Italian city with more than 650 thousand people. We analyzed data related to patients over 65 years-old with femoral neck fractures admitted between March 9th and April 24th, 2020 to five public Hospitals in Palermo and four private Hospitals during lockdown. A total of 152 patients with hip fracture were observed with a significant reduction compared with the same period in 2017-2019. During the Lockdown period a reduction was observed of the mean age from 84.2 ±2.6 years old to 82.5±1.2 with a higher incidence in males, particularly in < 80-year-olds. The na…
Cytoprotection assessment against mycotoxins on HepG2 cells by extracts from Allium sativum L
2021
Abstract Cytoprotection effects of Allium sativum L garlic extract from a local garlic ecotype from Ferrara (Italy) on hepatocarcinoma cells, HepG2 cells, is presented in this study. This garlic type is known as Voghiera garlic and has been characterized as PDO (Protected designation of Origin) product. Voghiera garlic extract (VGE) was evaluated against beauvericin (BEA) and two zearalenone (ZEA) metabolites (α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL))-induced cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells by the MTT (3–4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, over 24 h and 48 h. Direct treatment, simultaneous treatment and pre-treatment strategies at the dilution 1:16–1:00 for VG…
La guarigione della ferita chirurgica nel cavo orale
2021
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study is to describe the physiological mechanism of healing of the surgical wound of the oral cavity and to present the systemic and local factors that can influence it. MATERIALS AND METHODS Hemostasis starts with the activation of the platelets and the coagulation cascade which carry out the vascular constriction and the formation of the fibrin clot which stops the blood loss and provides a temporary scaffold for the migration and anchoring of the cells that will reach the subsequent stages. The clot and surrounding injured tissue begin to release pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors such as tranforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth fa…
The Psychometric properties of the resilience scale (RS-14) in Lithuanian adolescents
2021
In the current study, we provided the evidence of satisfactory validity of the RS-14 scale in the Lithuanian adolescents’ sample (N = 1299; Mage = 14.24; SDage = 1.26), based on its internal structure, and relations to other variables. The results of the study indicated an acceptable model fit for a single-factor structure of the scale with a high internal consistency (McDonald’s omega = 0.89). We also confirmed the scalar measurement invariance across groups of adolescents in terms of their age (i.e., early and middle adolescence) and mental health profile as well as partial scalar gender invariance. Adolescents characterized by high levels of socio-emotional problems reported lower levels…
Preliminary study of the Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory-11:validation for patients with head and neck cancer
2021
Background Cancer involves numerous physical, psychological and emotional changes and has a negative impact on patients. Although there are a wide variety of questionnaires for general use in patients with cancer, very few are available that assess the pain, disability and craniomandibular functionality of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in a more specific manner. The purpose of this study is to present the preliminary behavior of the CF-PDI in its reduced version adapted for patients with HNC. Material and Methods A total of 61 patients with HNC were included in a study to preliminarily analyze the internal consistency of the instrument, the convergent validity and the floor and c…
On the Objective Evaluation of Motion Cueing in Vehicle Simulations
2021
Motion-based simulators are used for a variety of applications, such as research, education, entertainment and training. In fact, motion cues are required to achieve the highest regulatory certifications in training vehicle simulators. Nonetheless, the reproduction of self-motion cues presents technological and economic limitations that are not present in the generation of audiovisual cues. For this reason, the generated motion does not generally match the expected one. Therefore, it is necessary to define means to assess the suitability/fidelity of the generated motion cues. After more than 50 years of motion-based vehicle simulation, no mechanism has been universally accepted as the stand…
COVID-19 Vaccine: A Survey of Hesitancy in Patients with Celiac Disease
2021
(1) Background: COVID-19 vaccination campaigns offer the best hope of controlling the pandemic. However, the fast production of COVID-19 vaccines has caused concern among the general public regarding their safety and efficacy. In particular, patients with chronic illnesses, such as celiac disease (CD), may be more fearful. Information on vaccine hesitancy plays a pivotal role in the development of an efficient vaccination campaign. In our study, we aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Italian CD patients. (2) Methods: an anonymous questionnaire was sent to CD patients followed at our tertiary referral center for CD in Milan, Italy. Patients were defined as willing, hesitant an…
Visitor arrivals forecasts amid COVID-19: A perspective from the Africa team
2021
Abstract COVID-19 disrupted international tourism worldwide, subsequently presenting forecasters with a challenging conundrum. In this competition, we predict international arrivals for 20 destinations in two phases: (i) Ex post forecasts pre-COVID; (ii) Ex ante forecasts during and after the pandemic up to end 2021. Our results show that univariate combined with cross-sectional hierarchical forecasting techniques (THieF-ETS) outperform multivariate models pre-COVID. Scenarios were developed based on judgemental adjustment of the THieF-ETS baseline forecasts. Analysts provided a regional view on the most likely path to normal, based on country-specific regulations, macroeconomic conditions,…
m6A RNA methylation of major satellite repeat transcripts facilitates chromatin association and RNA:DNA hybrid formation in mouse heterochromatin
2021
Abstract Heterochromatin has essential functions in maintaining chromosome structure, in protecting genome integrity and in stabilizing gene expression programs. Heterochromatin is often nucleated by underlying DNA repeat sequences, such as major satellite repeats (MSR) and long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE). In order to establish heterochromatin, MSR and LINE elements need to be transcriptionally competent and generate non-coding repeat RNA that remain chromatin associated. We explored whether these heterochromatic RNA, similar to DNA and histones, may be methylated, particularly for 5-methylcytosine (5mC) or methyl-6-adenosine (m6A). Our analysis in mouse ES cells identifies only b…
Identifying relevant segments of AI applications adopters : Expanding the UTAUT2’s variables
2021
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a future-defining technology, and AI applications are becoming mainstream in the developed world. Many consumers are adopting and using AI-based apps, devices, and services in their everyday lives. However, research examining consumer behavior in using AI apps is scant. We examine critical factors in AI app adoption by extending and validating a well-established unified theory of adoption and use of technology, UTAUT2. We also explore the possibility of unobserved heterogeneity in consumers’ behavior, including potentially relevant segments of AI app adopters. To augment the knowledge of end users’ engagement and relevant segments, we have added two new antec…
Die Dreikomponenten‐Selbstorganisation ändert ihre Richtung: Ein Sprung von einfachen Polymeren zu 3D‐Netzwerken sphärischer Wirt/Gast‐Aggregate
2021
Pairing Binge Drinking and a High-Fat Diet in Adolescence Modulates the Inflammatory Effects of Subsequent Alcohol Consumption in Mice
2021
This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota and Immunity.
A comparison of the marginal adaptation of composite overlays fabricated with silicone and an intraoral scanner
2021
Background Intraoral scanners have been developing during last years. The aim of this study was to know if digital impressions achieve a marginal adaptation in overlays as well as conventional impressions with silicone. Material and methods Sixty-two extracted molars were selected. The samples were prepared for MOD overlays. The teeth were divided into two groups (n=31). Group 1: impressions were made with silicone (Express™ Impression, 3M ESPE) and overlays were manufactured with Sinfony composite (3M ESPE) by the laboratory technician. Group 2: impressions were taken with the scanner True Definition (TD, 3M ESPE) and under Lava Ultimate CAD/CAM Restorative composite (3M ESPE) were produce…
Branch-Price-and-Cut for the Soft-Clustered Capacitated Arc-Routing Problem
2021
The soft-clustered capacitated arc-routing problem (SoftCluCARP) is a variant of the classical capacitated arc-routing problem. The only additional constraint is that the set of required edges, that is, the streets to be serviced, is partitioned into clusters, and feasible routes must respect the soft-cluster constraint, that is, all required edges of the same cluster must be served by the same vehicle. In this article, we design an effective branch-price-and-cut algorithm for the exact solution of the SoftCluCARP. Its new components are a metaheuristic and branch-and-cut-based solvers for the solution of the column-generation subproblem, which is a profitable rural clustered postman tour …
Recent advances in aptamer-based miniaturized extraction approaches in food analysis
2021
Abstract Sample preparation is a relevant step in food analysis to achieve adequate extraction and preconcentration of target analytes before their introduction in the analytical system. Current trends in sample preparation involve moving towards miniaturized extraction devices combined with advanced affinity-based sorbents. Within affinity-based materials, aptamer-based ones have attracted much attention due to their excellent molecular recognition properties, high stability, and the possibility of immobilization onto the surface of different supporting materials, such as nanoparticles, monolithic stationary phases, etc. This review gives an overview of the literature published regarding a…
Influence of infrared camera model and evaluator reproducibility in the assessment of skin temperature responses to physical exercise.
2021
Infrared thermography (IRT) has been gaining in popularity in clinical and scientific research due to the increasing availability of affordable infrared cameras. This study aims to determine the similarity of measurement performance between three models of IRT camera during assessment of skin temperature before and after physical exercise. Three models of FLIR thermographic cameras (E60bx, Flir-One Pro LT, and C2) were tested. Thermal images were taken of the foot sole, anterior leg, and anterior thigh from 12 well-trained men, before and after a 30-min run on a treadmill. Image files were blinded and processed by three evaluators to extract the mean, maximum, and standard deviation of skin…
A New Approach of Sperm Motility Subpopulation Structure in Donkey and Horse
2021
This study aimed to characterize the sperm kinematic values with high frames per second, to define the subpopulation structure of a horse and a donkey and compare them. A total of 57 fresh semen ejaculates (26 Spanish and 16 Arabian horse breeds and 10 donkeys) were collected and subsequently analyzed for kinematic parameters using the Computer-aided sperm motility analysis ISAS®v1.2 system and using a Spermtrack® 10-μm depth counting chamber. Sequences were recorded at 250 frames per second, and eight kinematic parameters were automatically evaluated. All kinematic parameters showed significant differences between a donkey and a horse and between horse breeds. All ejaculates evaluated show…
The genotypes and virulence attributes of C. albicans isolates from oral leukoplakia
2021
Background There is a debate as to whether some types of oral leucoplakias (OL) are caused by Candida species, and whether they contribute to the malignant transformation, associated with a minority of such lesions. As no detailed population analysis of yeast isolates from OL is available, we evaluated the virulence attributes, and genotypes of 35 C. albicans from OL, and compared their genotypes with 18 oral isolates from healthy individuals. Material and Methods The virulence traits evaluated were esterase, phospholipase, proteinase, haemolysin and coagulase production, and phenotypic switching activity, and yeast adherence and biofilm formation. DNA from OL and control yeasts were evalua…
Gut vascular barrier impairment leads to intestinal bacteria dissemination and colorectal cancer metastasis to liver
2021
Metastasis is facilitated by the formation of a "premetastatic niche," which is fostered by primary tumor-derived factors. Colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasizes mainly to the liver. We show that the premetastatic niche in the liver is induced by bacteria dissemination from primary CRC. We report that tumor-resident bacteria Escherichia coli disrupt the gut vascular barrier (GVB), an anatomical structure controlling bacterial dissemination along the gut-liver axis, depending on the virulence regulator VirF. Upon GVB impairment, bacteria disseminate to the liver, boost the formation of a premetastatic niche, and favor the recruitment of metastatic cells. In training and validation cohorts of C…
The “Circolo Matematico di Palermo” and the First World War: The crisis of scientific internationalism: a view through the unedited correspondence of…
2021
Abstract In this work the situation of the “Circolo Matematico di Palermo” between 1914 and 1928 is analyzed. It will be observed that during this time the Circolo was among the few European scientific associations with German as well as French associates. During the 1930s, the nationalist politics of Fascism and above all the racial laws dealt a deadly blow to the Circolo as an international scientific association. We will use the rich correspondence in the Circolo's archives to shed some light on this. In particular, the correspondence between M. De Franchis and E. Landau and other recently found documents will figure prominently.
Managing Teachers' Job Attitudes: The Potential Benefits of Being a Happy and Emotional Intelligent Teacher
2021
According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the frequency of positive emotions is associated with the development of positive attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors in organizational contexts. However, positive and negative attitudes at work might also be influenced by different personal and job resources. While emotional intelligence has been significantly associated with positive job attitudes and personal well-being, no studies have yet examined the joint role of teacher happiness and emotional intelligence in key teacher job attitudes. The present study assesses whether emotional intelligence interacts with levels of teacher happiness to jointly explain important teach…
Long term effects of peripubertal stress on excitatory and inhibitory circuits in the prefrontal cortex of male and female mice.
2021
Abstract The impact of stressful events is especially important during early life, because certain cortical regions, especially the prefrontal cortex (PFC), are still developing. Consequently, aversive experiences that occur during the peripubertal period can cause long-term alterations in neural connectivity, physiology and related behaviors. Although sex influences the stress response and women are more likely to develop stress-related psychiatric disorders, knowledge about the effects of stress on females is still limited. In order to analyze the long-term effects of peripubertal stress (PPS) on the excitatory and inhibitory circuitry of the adult PFC, and whether these effects are sex-d…
Review of wind tunnel modelling of flow and pollutant dispersion within and from naturally ventilated livestock buildings
2021
[EN] Ammonia emissions from naturally ventilated livestock buildings (NVLBs) pose a serious environmental problem. However, the mechanisms that control these emissions are still not fully understood. One promising method for understanding these mechanisms is physical modelling in wind tunnels. This paper reviews studies that have used this method to investigate flow or pollutant dispersion within or from NVLBs. The review indicates the importance of wind tunnels for understanding the flow and pollutant dispersion processes within and from NVLBs. However, most studies have investigated the flow, while only few studies have focused on pollutant dispersion. Furthermore, only few studies have s…
A collagen extraction and deuterium oxide stable isotope tracer method for the quantification of bone collagen synthesis rates in vivo.
2021
Abstract The development of safe and practical strategies to prevent weakening of bone tissue is vital, yet attempts to achieve this have been hindered by a lack of understanding of the short‐term (days‐weeks) physiology of bone collagen turnover. To address this, we have developed a method to quantify bone collagen synthesis in vivo, using deuterium oxide (D2O) tracer incorporation techniques combined with gas chromatography pyrolysis isotope‐ratio mass spectrometry (GC‐pyrolysis‐IRMS). Forty‐six male and female rats from a selectively bred model ingested D2O for 3 weeks. Femur diaphyses (FEM), tibia proximal (T‐PRO), and distal (T‐DIS) epiphyses‐metaphyses and tibia mid‐shaft diaphyses (T…