showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Spin-dependence of gravity-mediated dark matter in warped extra-dimensions
2021
We study the spin-dependence of Dark Matter (DM) particles which interact gravitationally with the Standard Model (SM) in an extra-dimensional Randall-Sundrum scenario. We assume that both the Dark Matter and the Standard Model are confined to the TeV (Infra-red) brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely Kaluza-Klein gravitons and the radion. We analyze the different DM annihilation channels and find that it is possible to achieve the presently observed relic abundance of Dark Matter, $\Omega_{\rm DM}$, within the freeze-out mechanism for DM particles of spin 0, 1/2 and 1. We study the region of the model parameter space for which $\Omega_{\rm DM}$ is achieved and compare …
Bond and work ruptures in group counseling
2021
Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the immediate effects of group counseling ruptures. Group ruptures were defined as discrepancies between (1) the member’s bonding and working ratings in a session and the member’s average bonding and working across all sessions, (2) the member’s bonding and working in a session and the group-as-a-whole’s (across all members and sessions) bonding and working, and (3) the member’s average bonding and working across all sessions and the group-as-a-whole’s bonding and working. Method: Participants were 232 counseling students (199 women and 33 men; age: M = 22.78, SD = 3.51) who participated in one of 13, 7-session, interpersonal process groups. At…
Genetic inactivation of the sigma-1 chaperone protein results in decreased expression of the R2 subunit of the GABA-B receptor and increased suscepti…
2021
There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the significant involvement of the sigma-1 chaperone protein in the modulation of seizures. Several sigma-1 receptor (Sig1R) ligands have been demonstrated to regulate the seizure threshold in acute and chronic seizure models. However, the mechanism by which Sig1R modulates the excitatory and inhibitory pathways in the brain has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to compare the susceptibility to seizures of wild type (WT) and Sig1R knockout (Sig1R−/−) mice in intravenous pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and (+)-bicuculline (BIC) infusion-induced acute seizure and Sig1R antagonist NE-100-induced seizure models. To determine pos…
Kuvia metsäkansan luontosuhteista
2021
Olin jo vuosia kerännyt satunnaisesti metsistä löytämiäni roskia. Syyskuussa 2019 aloin kantaa päivittäisillä retkillä mukanani pusseja ja kerätä roskia järjestelmällisesti. Pussit täyttyivät nopeasti tupakantumpeista, käärepapereista, juomatölkeistä, shampoopulloista, miesten boksereista sekä kaikesta muusta ilmeisestä ja yllättävästä.
Tuning of the Mg Alloy AZ31 Anodizing Process for Biodegradable Implants
2021
Coatings were grown on the AZ31 Mg alloy by a hard anodizing process in the hot glycerol phosphate-containing electrolyte. Anodizing conditions were optimized, maximizing corrosion resistance estimated by impedance measurements carried out in Hank's solution at 37 °C. A post anodizing annealing treatment (350 °C for 24 h) allowed us to further enhance the corrosion resistance of the coatings mainly containing magnesium phosphate according to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman analyses. Gravimetric measurements revealed a hydrogen evolution rate within the limits acceptable for application of AZ31 in biomedical devices. In vitro tests demonstrated that the coatings are biocompati…
Soil and Regulated Deficit Irrigation Affect Growth, Yield and Quality of ‘Nero d’Avola’ Grapes in a Semi-Arid Environment
2021
The present work studied the effect of two consecutive years of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) compared to rain fed management on the vegetative growth, yield, and quality of ‘Nero d’Avola’ grapes. The trial was conducted separately in two soils (vertisol and entisol) located at the top and bottom hillside of the same vineyard. Vertisol was characterized by greater depth, organic matter, exchangeable K20, and total N than entisol. RDI was based on an irrigation volume at 25% of estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc) up to end of veraison and 10% of estimated ETc up to 15 days before harvest. Predawn water potential (PDWP) was used as indicator of plant water status and irrigation timin…
Cost-effectiveness of buffered soluble alendronate 70 mg effervescent tablet for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in Italy
2021
Summary The use of buffered soluble alendronate 70 mg effervescent tablet, a convenient dosing regimen for bisphosphonate therapy, seems a cost-effective strategy compared with relevant alternative treatments for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis aged 60 years and over in Italy. Introduction To assess the cost-effectiveness of buffered soluble alendronate (ALN) 70 mg effervescent tablet compared with relevant alternative treatments for postmenopausal osteoporotic women in Italy. Methods A previously validated Markov microsimulation model was adjusted to the Italian healthcare setting to estimate the lifetime costs (expressed in €2019) per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) of buffered …
An agent-based model of a cutaneous leishmaniasis reservoir host, Meriones shawi
2021
International audience; Meriones shawi (M.shawi) is the main reservoir host for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Central Tunisia. The incorporation of environmental and climatic effects on the spread of ZCL in M. shawi remains difficult. This study presents an agent-based model (ABM) to overcome these difficulties and examine the impact of environment (i.e. vegetation cover) and climate (i.e. temperature) on M. shawi movement and prevalence. The model simulation considers two agent types: rodent agent and field unit agent. We tested the model according to two types of rodent movement: random and thoughtful. We integrated time dependent normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) …
Incubation behaviour of Great Tits Parus major in response to ambient temperature in three contrasting Mediterranean habitats
2021
Esta tesis fue leída el 14 de junio de 2021 en la Universidad de Valencia y forma parte del Doctoral Program in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (RD 99/2011) del Departamento de Zoología de la Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas de dicha universidad.-168 pp.-
Monitoring Commercial Starter Culture Development in Presence of Red Grape Pomace Powder to Produce Polyphenol-Enriched Fresh Ovine Cheeses at Indust…
2021
Red grape Nero d’Avola cultivar grape pomace powder (GPP) was applied during fresh ovine cheese production in order to increase polyphenol content. Before cheeses were produced, the bacteria of a freeze-dried commercial starter culture were isolated and tested in vitro against GPP. Two dominant strains, both resistant to GPP, were identified. Thestarter culture was inoculated in pasteurized ewe’s milk and the curd was divided into two bulks, one added with 1% (w/w) GPP and another one GPP-free. GPP did not influence the starter culture development, since lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts were 109 CFU/g in both cheeses at 30 d. To exclude the interference of indigenous LAB, the pasteurized m…
Changes in Salivary Amylase and Glucose in Diabetes: A Scoping Review
2021
Background and Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common long-term disease which can be related with salivary amylase levels. DM has recently been associated with salivary amylase diagnostics that could further impair diagnoses in the diabetic population, as well as being an interesting alternative to traditional methods of determine glucose levels. The main advantage of this method is related to the fact that it is a fast diagnostic method. The DM population experiences changes to their metabolism which affects their salivary parameters, making this an alternative procedure for diagnosis and follow-up of the illness due to the non-invasive nature of salivary analyzes. The objective of …
Influencia del docente y la docente, la metodología y el contenido de las clases de educación física en la percepción de estudiantado chileno
2021
Resumen Introducción. La relevancia de la educación en la sociedad actual es evidente, por ello, es de vital importancia conocer la percepción de los diversos actores que interactúan en esta, en particular, la del estudiantado sobre las metodologías y contenidos que ofrece el profesorado es determinante en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Objetivo. Conocer la percepción que reportan estudiantes de tres centros educativos de la región de Valparaíso (Chile), en relación con la satisfacción por las actividades deportivas, la clase de educación física y la función del personal docente. Metodología. Se utilizó una escala de 12 ítems agrupadas en tres dimensiones. Se aplicó una escala de perc…
Johtajuuden diskurssit varhaiskasvatuksessa - valta ja vastuu johtajuuden jäsentäjinä
2021
Suomalaista varhaiskasvatusta ovat viime vuosina muokanneet monet yhteiskunnalliset ja rakenteelliset muutokset. Hallinonalan muutos opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriöön, uusi varhaiskasvatuslaki (540/2018) sekä uudet velvoittavat ohjausasiakirjat ovat määritelleet varhaiskasvatuksen vahvasti osaksi kasvatuksen ja opetuksen toimialaa aiemman päivähoidon sosiaalipalvelupainotuksen sijaan. Samaan aikaan organisaatiorakenteet ovat olleet muutosprosessissa. Kuntien taloudelliset haasteet ovat laajentaneet päiväkodin johtajien vastuualueita, ja uudenlaisista jaetun johtajuuden rakenteista on tullut kehittämisen kohteita. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan päiväkodin johtajien ja varhaiskasvatuksen op…
Computational methodologies applied to Protein-Protein Interactions for molecular insights in Medicinal Chemistry
2021
In living systems, proteins usually team up into “molecular machinery” implementing several protein-to-protein physical contacts – or protein-protein interactions (PPIs) – to exert biological effects at both cellular and systems levels. Deregulations of protein-protein contacts have been associated with a huge number of diseases in a wide range of medical areas, such as oncology, cancer immunotherapy, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, heart failure, inflammation and oxidative stress. PPIs are very complex and usually characterised by specific shape, size and complementarity. The protein interfaces are generally large, broad and shallow, and frequently protein-protein contacts are…
A review of mental health and wellbeing under climate change in small island developing states (SIDS)
2021
AbstractSmall island developing states (SIDS) are often at the forefront of climate change impacts, including those related to health, but information on mental health and wellbeing is typically underreported. To help address this research lacuna, this paper reviews research about mental health and wellbeing under climate change in SIDS. Due to major differences in the literature’s methodologies, results, and analyses, the method is an overview and qualitative evidence synthesis of peer-reviewed publications. The findings show that mental health and wellbeing in the context of climate change have yet to feature prominently and systematically in research covering SIDS. It seems likely that m…
Capsaicin Intake and Oral Carcinogenesis: a Systematic Review
2021
Background Chili is the most heavily and frequently consumed spice, either as a flavouring or colouring agent, and it is also a major source of pro-vitamin A, vitamin E and C. The main capsinoidcapsaicinoid found in chili peppers is capsaicin. It has been demonstrated that capsaicin acts as a cancer-suppressing agent through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, by blocking several signal transduction pathways. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most prevalent cancer worldwide. It is noteworthy that in countries where populations of diverse ethnic groups co-exist, differences have been observed in terms of incidence of oral cancer. The variances in their diet could explain,…
Part I: Relationship among Training Load Management, Salivary Immunoglobulin A, and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Team Sport: A Systematic Rev…
2021
Immunoglobulin A (IgA), which is the first line of defense against upper respiratory tract viruses, has been related with training load management. This article aimed to systematically identify and summarize (1) the studies that have found a relationship between training load and salivary IgA in team sports, and (2) the studies that have highlighted a relationship between IgA and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in team sports. A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using two electronic databases (PubMed and WoK) until 3 October 2020. From a total of 174 studies initially found, 24 were included in the qualitative synthesis. This systematic review confirmed that lo…
Phase 2 of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Urology: Ramping Up Surgical Caseload and Resident Training while COVID-19 Infections Decrease
2021
The In Vitro Interaction of 12-Oxophytodienoic Acid and Related Conjugated Carbonyl Compounds with Thiol Antioxidants
2021
α,β-unsaturated carbonyls interfere with numerous plant physiological processes. One mechanism of action is their reactivity toward thiols of metabolites like cysteine and glutathione (GSH). This work aimed at better understanding these interactions. Both 12-oxophytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA) conjugated with cysteine. It was found that the reactivity of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls with GSH followed the sequence trans-2-hexenal <
IgA-Dominant Infection-Associated Glomerulonephritis Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection
2021
The renal involvement of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported. The etiology of kidney injury appears to be tubular, mainly due to the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the key joint receptor for SARS-CoV-2; however, cases with glomerular implication have also been documented. The multifactorial origin of this renal involvement could include virus-mediated injury, cytokine storm, angiotensin II pathway activation, complement dysregulation, hyper-coagulation, and microangiopathy. We present the renal histological findings from a patient who developed acute kidney injury and de novo nephrotic syndrome, highly suggestive of acute IgA-domina…
Monitoring campaign over an edible dormouse population (Glis glis; rodentia: Gliridae) in Sicily: First report of mesocestodiasis
2021
Simple Summary In Nebrodi Park (Sicily, Italy), live many wild mammal species that move closer to human beings every day. The edible dormouse (Glis glis), in 2017 and 2018, was responsible for nut crop damage in the area. For this reason, a sanitary monitoring campaign involving 30 dormice was carried out by collecting rectal and conjunctival swabs and fur and nest content, which were then processed for laboratory examinations. A large presence of fleas belonging to Monopsyllus sciurorum was found. Necropsy of a dead dormouse revealed an infection of Mesocestoides lineatus, whose cysts were found in the abdomen cavity and on the liver; this is the first report of this in this species. Furth…
Cabbage and fermented vegetables: from death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19
2021
International audience; Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1 R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance …
Survival and causes of death in 2,033 patients with non-transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia
2021
Improvement of phonemic fluency following leftward prism adaptation.
2021
AbstractAnatomo functional studies of prism adaptation (PA) have been shown to modulate a brain frontal-parieto-temporal network, increasing activation of this network in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the side of prism deviation. This effect raises the hypothesis that left prism adaptation, modulating frontal areas of the left hemisphere, could modify subjects’ performance on linguistic tasks that map on those areas. To test this hypothesis, 51 healthy subjects participated in experiments in which leftward or rightward prism adaptation were applied before the execution of a phonemic fluency task, i.e., a task with strict left hemispheric lateralization onto frontal areas. Results showed tha…
Exome-Wide Association Study on Alanine Aminotransferase Identifies Sequence Variants in the GPAM and APOE Associated With Fatty Liver Disease.
2021
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fatty liver disease (FLD) is a growing epidemic that is expected to be the leading cause of end-stage liver disease within the next decade. Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the susceptibility of FLD. Several genetic variants contributing to FLD have been identified in exome-wide association studies. However, there is still a missing hereditability indicating that other genetic variants are yet to be discovered. METHODS: To find genes involved in FLD, we first examined the association of missense and nonsense variants with alanine amino transferase at an exome-wide level in 425,671 participants from the UK Biobank. We then validated genetic variants wit…
Effectiveness of Entrepreneurial Universities: Experiences and Challenges in Digital Era (A Systemic Approach)
2021
The modern world actively discusses the challenges that will lead to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the specialists assume, part of the jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence. In addition, creation of completely new jobs is expected. As for the jobs that might be maintained in future, skills upgrading will be particularly important. In such a turbulent environment of economic development, universities, and in particular entrepreneurial universities, play a significant role. We think so as these universities have special structures that promote form a university-industry-government triple helix, reskilling and commercialization of new ideas, etc. Due to the above-mentioned fa…
Documento de consenso sobre asma y tabaquismo del Foro Autonómico de Asma de la SEPAR
2021
La prevalencia de tabaquismo activo en adultos con asma es similar a la de la población general. El tabaquismo se asocia con un peor control clínico de la enfermedad, una disminución acelerada de la función pulmonar y una respuesta irregular a la terapia con glucocorticoides. El consumo de tabaco impacta negativamente en la calidad de vida de los pacientes asmáticos y provoca un incremento en el número de visitas y de hospitalizaciones por exacerbaciones. Además, el tabaquismo aumenta el riesgo de cáncer de pulmón, comorbilidades cardiovasculares y muerte en pacientes asmáticos. A pesar de todo ello, las guías actuales del manejo del asma no incluyen recomendaciones específicas para el mane…
Clinical and economic consequences of switching from omalizumab to mepolizumab in uncontrolled severe eosinophilic asthma
2021
AbstractSevere asthma is burdened by frequent exacerbations and use of oral corticosteroids (OCS), which worsen patients’ health and increase healthcare spending. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and economic impact of switching from omalizumab (OMA) to mepolizumab (MEP) in patients eligible for both biologics, but not optimally controlled by omalizumab. We retrospectively enrolled uncontrolled severe asthmatic patients who switched from OMA to MEP during the last two years. Information included blood eosinophil count, asthma control test (ACT), spirometry, serum IgE, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), OCS intake, drugs, exacerbations/hospitalizations, visits and diagno…
Diversity, ecology, distribution and biogeography of Diplura
2021
1. Diplura is the sister group to insects and one of the three basal hexapod groups with unique entognathan mouthparts. The order is divided into 10 families, which include 1008 species in 141 genera, with a high proportion of monotypic genera. They are ubiquitous in soils and subsurface terrestrial habitats, as well as have an important role in overall biogeochemical cycles. 2. We present the first comprehensive review of the global biodiversity and ecology of Diplura. We highlight four aspects of this basal hexapod group: diversity in morpho logical body plans and sizes; ecology in terrestrial environments from soil to caves; food preference and trophic levels, and their biogeographical a…
Evaluating the Utilization of Innovative Electrochemical Methodologies for the Real Wastewater Treatment
2021
Investigation on four centuripe vases (late 3rd-2nd cent. B.C.) by portable X-ray fluorescence and total reflectance-FTIR
2021
Abstract Four Centuripe vases dated back to the late 3rd-2nd centuries B.C. were analysed using imaging under visible and ultra-violet illumination as well as complementary non-invasive and non-destructive portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Total Reflectance – Fourier Transform InfraRed (TR-FTIR) spectroscopies. The vases are of great importance since they represent a rare expression of the Hellenistic vase painting. Four specimens, a “pyxis”, a “lebes gamikos” and two “lekanides” decorated with figures of different type, are exhibited in the Antonino Salinas Archaeological Museum in Palermo-Italy. The investigation was aimed to identify the used pigments and the painting technique, to r…
Thermal Decomposition and Combustion of Microwave Pre-Treated Biomass Pellets
2021
The objective of the study was to investigate a more effective use of commercially available biomass pellets (wheat straw, wood, peat) using microwave pretreatment to improve heat production. Pellets were pretreated using the originally designed microwave torrefaction device. The effects of microwave (mw) pretreatment were quantified, providing measurements of the weight loss and elemental composition of pellets and estimating the effect of mw pretreatment on their porosity, surface area and calorific values at pretreatment temperatures of T = 448–553 K. Obtained results show that the highest structural variations and elemental composition during mw pretreatment were obtained for wheat stra…
Prevalence of Low Back Pain among Primary School Students from the City of Valencia (Spain)
2021
It is well-known that low back pain (LBP) prevalence is high among school-age children. However, literature concerning the initial onset of back pain between the ages of three and eleven years is scarce. The present study aims to analyze the prevalence of LBP in kindergarten and primary school students. A total of 278 (9.9 ± 2.1 years old
Implications of the EFSA Scientific Opinion on Site Directed Nucleases 1 and 2 for Risk Assessment of Genome-Edited Plants in the EU
2021
Genome editing is a set of techniques for introducing targeted changes in genomes. It may be achieved by enzymes collectively called site-directed nucleases (SDN). Site-specificity of SDNs is provided either by the DNA binding domain of the protein molecule itself or by RNA molecule(s) that direct SDN to a specific site in the genome. In contrast to transgenesis resulting in the insertion of exogenous DNA, genome editing only affects specific endogenous sequences. Therefore, multiple jurisdictions around the world have exempted certain types of genome-edited organisms from national biosafety regulations completely, or on a case-by-case basis. In the EU, however, the ruling of the Court of J…
The Multiple Multidimensional Knapsack with Family-Split Penalties
2021
Abstract The Multiple Multidimensional Knapsack Problem with Family-Split Penalties (MMdKFSP) is introduced as a new variant of both the more classical Multi-Knapsack and Multidimensional Knapsack Problems. It reckons with items categorized into families and where if an individual item is selected to maximize the profit, all the items of the same family must be selected as well. Items belonging to the same family can be assigned to different knapsacks; however, in this case, split penalties are incurred. This problem arises in resource management of distributed computing contexts and Service Oriented Architecture environments. An exact algorithm based on the exploitation of a specific combi…
Photodoping-Inspired Room-Temperature Gas Sensing by Anatase TiO2 Quantum Dots
2021
Detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature in an ambient environment is highly desired, but still a distant function for gas sensor materials. Here, we are demonstrating a p...