Host Developmental Stage Effects on Parasite Resistance and Tolerance.

2022

Hosts can defend themselves against parasites either by preventing or limiting infections (resistance) or by limiting parasite-induced damage (tolerance). However, it remains underexplored how these defense types vary over host development with shifting patterns of resource allocation priorities. Here, we studied the role played by developmental stage in resistance and tolerance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). This anadromous fish has distinct life stages related to living in freshwater and seawater. We experimentally exposed 1-year-old salmon, either at the freshwater stage or at the stage transitioning to the marine phase, to the trematode Diplostomum pseudospathaceum. Using 56 pedigree…

YK:n legitimiteetti yleiskokouksen kautta tarkasteltuna

2022

Legitimiteetti tai legitiimisyys on yksi Yhdistyneiden kansakuntien (YK) toiminnan kannalta keskeisistä käsitteistä, joka linkittyy myös monenkeskiseen yhteistyöhön ja siihen sitoutumiseen. Tässä katsausartikkelissa tarkastellaan YK:n legitimiteettiä yleiskokouksen näkökulmasta ja kysytään, miten yleiskokouksen uudistamista koskeva keskustelu vaikuttaa puolestaan koko YK:n legitimiteettiin. Erityisenä kiinnostuksen kohteena on kirjallisuudessa vähälle huomiolle jäänyt YK:n yleiskokous kansainvälisen politiikan toimijana ja yleiskokouksen mandaatti toimia eri kansainvälisen politiikan alaan kuuluvissa kysymyksissä. Artikkeli osoittaa, miten yleiskokouksella on tärkeä tehtävä koko YK:n kannal…

Odd-odd neutron-rich rhodium isotopes studied with the double Penning trap JYFLTRAP

2022

Precision mass measurements of neutron-rich rhodium isotopes have been performed at the JYFLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility. We report results on ground- and isomeric-state masses in $^{110,112,114,116,118}$Rh and the very first mass measurement of $^{120}$Rh. The isomeric states were separated and measured for the first time using the phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance (PI-ICR) technique. For $^{112}$Rh, we also report new half-lives for both the ground state and the isomer. The results are compared to theoretical predictions using the BSkG1 mass model and discussed in terms of triaxial deformation.

Small extracellular vesicles from young adipose-derived stem cells prevent frailty, improve health span, and decrease epigenetic age in old mice.

2022

Aging is associated with an increased risk of frailty, disability, and mortality. Strategies to delay the degenerative changes associated with aging and frailty are particularly interesting. We treated old animals with small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) of young animals, and we found an improvement in several parameters usually altered with aging, such as motor coordination, grip strength, fatigue resistance, fur regeneration, and renal function, as well as an important decrease in frailty. ADSC-sEVs induced proregenerative effects and a decrease in oxidative stress, inflammation, and senescence markers in muscle and kidney. Moreover, pre…

Coronary Arteries Aneurysms: A Case-Based Literature Review

2022

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is an abnormal dilatation of a coronary artery segment; those coronary artery aneurysms that are very large in size are defined as giant. However, a standardized dimension cut-off to define giant CAAs is still missing. The reported prevalence of coronary aneurysms in the population who underwent coronary angiography ranges from 0.3% to 5%, and often CAAs are found in patient with aneurysms in other sites, such as the ascending or abdominal aorta. In half of the cases an atherosclerotic etiology could be recognized; often, CAA is found in the context of acute coronary syndrome. Seldomly, CAA is found at the autopsy of patients who died due to sudden cardiac dea…

E-cycling and health benefits: A systematic literature review with meta-analyses

2022

The objective of the present study is to review and meta-analyze the effect of E-cycling on health outcomes. We included longitudinal experimental and cohort studies investigating the effect of E-cycling on health outcomes. The studies were identified from the seven electronic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cinahl and SportDiscus and risk of bias was assessed with the revised Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (RoB2). We performed meta-analysis with random effects models on outcomes presented in more than one study. Our study includes one randomized controlled trial, five quasi experimental trials and two longitudinal cohort studies. The trials included …

Environmental and Energy Analysis of Two Orchard Systems: A Case Study in Mediterranean Environment

2022

This paper aimed to analyse and compare the environmental and energy sustainability of two orchards (peach versus kiwifruit) located in Southern Italy using Life Cycle Thinking. To this end, anthropogenic energy, CO2 emissions, biogenic energy and carbon gains were also considered through Life Cycle Assessment methodology and Energy Analysis. The C–CO2 balance was calculated as the difference between total C–CO2 stored in soil and trees, at the end of their life cycles, and orchards Carbon Footprint (CF). The results showed that the production of 1 kg of peaches caused minor impacts, especially with reference to CF (0.124 kg CO2 eq against 0.145 for kiwifruit), while it required 1.56 MJ of …

Rieleggere il Presidente. Il parlamentarismo italiano alla prova della vicenda Matttarella.

2022

The re-election of Mattarella takes on the clear meaning of recognition of the legitimacy of the model of presidency that has established itself during the seven-year period, justifying the opportunity to reuse the already tried and tested skills of a President who has worked well. Re-election is in fact an act which, especially in a democratic-representative regime, offers the opportunity to Parliament and parties to formulate, albeit indirectly and ex post, a political judgment on the work of the outgoing President. The re-election also made it possible to maintain a close relationship between the head of state and the political forces, giving an element of elasticity to the institutional…

Go Cashless! Mobile Payment Apps Acceptance in Developing Countries: The Jordanian Context Perspective

2022

Despite the expanding global usage of mobile phones in money transactions, the adoption of mobile payment systems in Jordan remains slow. This study employed the technology acceptance model (TAM) to identify the factors with a potential impact on mobile payment systems acceptance. The impact of perceived privacy (PP) and the mediating function of perceived certainty (PC) on the behavioral intention (BI) of mobile payment systems among Jordanian ministries were examined. Data obtained from 270 respondents were analyzed using partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The empirical findings show a positive link between perceived usefulness (PU) and PC on the BI of mobile pa…

Genomic Tools for the Characterization of Local Animal Genetic Resources: Application in Mascaruna Goat

2022

Italy contains a large number of local goat populations, some of which do not have a recognized genetic structure. The “Mascaruna” is a goat population reared for milk production in Sicily. In this study, a total of 72 individuals were genotyped with the Illumina Goat_IGGC_65K_v2 BeadChip with the aim to characterize the genetic diversity, population structure and relatedness with another 31 Italian goat populations. The results displayed a moderate level of genetic variability for Mascaruna, in concordance with the estimated values for Italian goats. Runs of homozygosity islands are linked to genes involved in milk production, immune response and local adaptation. Population structure anal…

The Foreign Policy of Poland and the Problem of Political Rationale

2022

The aim of the paper is to use international relations theories to explain the views of Polish elites in the field of foreign policy. The concept of political rationale in foreign policy, introduced by Fred Chernoff, is utilized to achieve this goal. The structure of the text is threefold. The first part introduces the theoretical approach. It is believed that it is possible to derive foreign policy mental maps from leading international relations theories such as realism, liberalism, and constructivism. The second part describes how foreign policy is understood by three groups of Polish elites. The third part compares decision-makers views identified in the second part with the theoretical…

Weak and strong convergence of an inertial proximal method for solving bilevel monotone equilibrium problems

2022

In this paper, we introduce an inertial proximal method for solving a bilevel problem involving two monotone equilibrium bifunctions in Hilbert spaces. Under suitable conditions and without any restrictive assumption on the trajectories, the weak and strong convergence of the sequence generated by the iterative method are established. Two particular cases illustrating the proposed method are thereafter discussed with respect to hierarchical minimization problems and equilibrium problems under saddle point constraint. Furthermore, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the implementability of our algorithm. The algorithm and its convergence results improve and develop previous results i…

Measurement of ψ(3686)→ΛΛ¯η and ψ(3686)→ΛΛ¯π0 decays

2022

Integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP) with existing library framework in enhancing level of users' satisfaction

2022

Introduction: Libraries are the storehouse of information instilling knowledge into human minds. The easy availability of information from online sources has barred users from visiting the library physically. To keep the users intact within the physical confines of a library, there is a need for libraries to evolve through the implementation of state-of-the-art techniques. Purpose– The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework and conceptual background for applying natural language processing (NLP) in library and information science (LIS) to improve library services and related research. This study also aims to identify the LIS areas where NLP can use and implement …

Feasibility of Waste Engine Oil Electrooxidation with Ni-Co and Cu-B Catalysts

2022

To implement a circular economy policy, methods of using waste products as a starting point for other technologies are constantly researched. One of the waste products that should be disposed of after use is waste engine oil (WEO). Despite the permanent introduction of the electrification of cars, the number of combustion vehicles (and, thus, the production of WEO) is constantly increasing. For these reasons, the reuse of WEOs is extremely important; e.g., to use these oils for energy purposes. One of the potential uses of this type of oil is as fuel for fuel cells (for direct electricity production). To lower the production costs of electrodes for fuel cells, catalysts that do not contain …

Sports and exercise medicine clinic in public hospital settings: A real-life concept and experiences of the treatment of the first 1151 patients

2022

AbstractExercise has been shown to have a multitude of health-promoting effects, including improvements in cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, function, symptoms and risk factors. Furthermore, exercise may slow down, stop or even reverse the progression of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Despite the overwhelming evidence, exercise is still not comprehensively used as a treatment component either in primary care or in hospital settings. The outpatient Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic (SEMC) is the first specialized clinic in Finland to use exercise as part of patient protocols in the public health care system. Patients needing specialist attention due to NCDs, usually combin…

Teaching Motion Control in Mechatronics Education Using an Open Framework Based on the Elevator Model

2022

Universities and other educational institutions may find it difficult to afford the cost of obtaining cutting-edge teaching resources. This study introduces the adoption of a novel open prototyping framework in the context of mechatronics education, employing low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and tools for the motion control module. The goal of this study is to propose a novel structure for the motion control module in the engineering mechatronics curriculum. The objective is to foster a new teaching method. From a methodology perspective, students are involved in a series of well-organised theoretical lectures as well as practical, very engaging group projects in the lab.…

Sosiaalityön tutkimus ja kuntien moninaiset tutkimuslupakäytännöt

2022

Developing the "Choosing Health" Digital Weight Loss and Maintenance Intervention: Intervention Mapping Study

2022

Background Digital health promotion programs tailored to the individual are a potential cost-effective and scalable solution to enable self-management and provide support to people with excess body weight. However, solutions that are widely accessible, personalized, and theory- and evidence-based are still limited. Objective This study aimed to develop a digital behavior change program, Choosing Health, that could identify modifiable predictors of weight loss and maintenance for each individual and use these to provide tailored support. Methods We applied an Intervention Mapping protocol to design the program. This systematic approach to develop theory- and evidence-based health promotion …

Maternal homework approach and adolescents’ academic skills: The mediating role of task values

2022

The present study investigated the mediating role of the task values between the types of maternal homework approach (perceptions of their child’s autonomy or direct involvement) and adolescents’ academic skills. Data were utilized from 995 mother–child dyads followed across Grades 6, 7, and 9. At each time-point, mothers answered questionnaires on the types of their homework approach, adolescents answered questionnaires about their task values for math and Finnish, and adolescents’ skills in math (arithmetic and multiplication) and reading (reading fluency and reading comprehension) were tested. Separate longitudinal structural equation models were estimated for math and for reading. The r…

Agile methodologies in times of pandemic: acquisition of employment skills in higher education

2022

PurposeThis research aims to focus on analysing the opinion of university students on the effects that agile methodologies are having on their education during this time of pandemic that is affecting the normal functioning of on-site universities. Specifically, the authors intend to analyse the effect that different constructs have on the development of their skills for labour markets through the application of agile methodologies in blended learning. Thus, the authors will analyse the effects of intrinsic motivation, the interactivity of the system, the involvement of students, their engagement to these activities and their level of satisfaction with this training process.Design/methodolog…

Need adapted use of medication in the open dialogue approach for psychosis : a descriptive longitudinal cohort study

2022

Background The open dialogue (OD) approach includes the need-adapted use of psychiatric medication in treating first-episode psychosis (FEP), but there is limited information on how psychiatric medications are actually used in OD-based services. This study aims to analyse long-term medication dispensing patterns among FEP cohort treated according to the OD. Methods The OD cohort consisted of people who received treatment for FEP in the Finnish Western Lapland catchment area at a time of OD implementation (n=61). The comparison group included people whose FEP treatment commenced outside the catchment area during the mid-1990s (n=1378). Data were gathered from national registers from onset to…

Electrochemical Quantification of H2O2 Released by Airway Cells Growing in Different Culture Media

2022

Quantification of oxidative stress is a challenging task that can help in monitoring chronic inflammatory respiratory airway diseases. Different studies can be found in the literature regarding the development of electrochemical sensors for H2O2 in cell culture medium to quantify oxidative stress. However, there are very limited data regarding the impact of the cell culture medium on the electrochemical quantification of H2O2. In this work, we studied the effect of different media (RPMI, MEM, DMEM, Ham’s F12 and BEGM/DMEM) on the electrochemical quantification of H2O2. The used electrode is based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and was obtained by co-electrode…

Different epidemiology of bloodstream infections in COVID-19 compared to non-COVID-19 critically ill patients: a descriptive analysis of the Eurobact…

2022

Funder: European society of Intensive Care Medicine

Comment on Liu et al. Application of High-Flow Nasal Cannula in COVID-19: A Narrative Review. Life 2022, 12, 1419

2022

We read the article “Application of High-Flow Nasal Cannula in COVID-19: A Narrative Review” by Liu and colleagues [...]

Synthesis of Biocompatible and Biodegradable Polyamidoamines Microgels via a Simple and Reliable Statistical Approach.

2022

Polyamidoamines (PAAs) are biocompatible and biodegradable polymers with a huge potential as biomaterials for pharmaceutical applications. They are obtained by the step-wise aza-Michael polyaddition of bifunctional or multifunctional amines with bisacrylamides in water. To the best of our knowledge, no synthetic protocols leading to hyperbranched PAAs as well as PAA microgels have been published so far. To fill this gap, a statistical approach was established in this work to fine-tune the aza-Michael polyaddition stoichiometry when a multifunctional co-monomer (bf) is added to a mixture of bifunctional monomers with complementary functions (a2 + b2), possibly even in presence of a monofunct…

The role of diet in multiple sclerosis

2022

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by chronic inflammation associated with autoimmune damage to myelin and axons leading to neurodegeneration. Although the etiology is not fully understood, some factors that increase the risk of disease have been identified. One of the key elements of multidisciplinary approach to the management of MS is a properly balanced diet, e.g. Swank diet. Its main assumption is to reduce the supply of animal fats in favor of fats of plant origin, which contain polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3. One of the factors influencing the course of the disease is vitamin D deficiency. In 80-90% it is synthesized by exposu…

Feasibility of Producing Electricity, Hydrogen, and Chlorine via Reverse Electrodialysis

2022

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a technology to generate electricity from two streams with different salinities. While RED systems have been conventionally used for electricity generation, recent works explored combining RED for production of valuable gases. This work investigates the feasibility of producing hydrogen and chlorine in addition to electricity in an RED stack and identifies potential levers for improvement. A simplified one-dimensional model is adopted to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the process. We notice a strong disparity in typical current densities of RED fed with seawater and river water and that in typical water (or chlor-alkali) electrolysis. This …

A note on Kakeya sets of horizontal and SL(2) lines

2022

We consider unions of $SL(2)$ lines in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$. These are lines of the form $$L = (a,b,0) + \mathrm{span}(c,d,1),$$ where $ad - bc = 1$. We show that if $\mathcal{L}$ is a Kakeya set of $SL(2)$ lines, then the union $\cup \mathcal{L}$ has Hausdorff dimension $3$. This answers a question of Wang and Zahl. The $SL(2)$ lines can be identified with horizontal lines in the first Heisenberg group, and we obtain the main result as a corollary of a more general statement concerning unions of horizontal lines. This statement is established via a point-line duality principle between horizontal and conical lines in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$, combined with recent work on restricted families of projecti…

Unfolding principles for student peer feedback : a comparative analysis of examples across higher education contexts

2022

In this paper we conceptualize formative peer feedback principles by analyzing and comparing six empirical examples of formative peer feedback in a set of international STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) contexts. By discussing how these different approaches to peer feedback unfold in practice, we aim to facilitate the bridging of the gap between theory and practice in implementing peer feedback in Higher Education. As a group of researchers and teaching practitioners from six Higher Education institutions, we discussed, analyzed, and synthesized practical examples of peer feedback in STEM that cover a breadth of settings, aims, and forms. The analysis and comparison o…

The Effects of Individual Characteristics of the Naval Personnel on Sleepiness and Stress during Two Different Watchkeeping Schedules

2022

Background: Naval service can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of seafarers, and the operation of warships is highly dependent on the personnel on board. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the impact of seafarers’ individual characteristics on their wellbeing in a naval environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate individual characteristics of the naval personnel that may be associated with the amount of sleepiness, fatigue and stress responses experienced during shift work and irregular working hours in a naval environment. Methods: The study took place on a Finnish Defence Forces’ Navy missile patrol boat on which 18 crewmembers served as s…

Social support at work and job satisfaction among midwives: The mediating role of positive affect and work engagement.

2022

Aims: This study examined whether social support at work from superiors and colleagues is associated with positive affect at work, and whether work engagement creates a positive relationship with job satisfaction among midwives. We also investigated whether a positive affect and work engagement mediate the relationship between social support at work and job satisfaction. Design: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study. Methods: Data were collected from 163 midwives working in the Polish public healthcare system between June 2019 and December 2019. Results: There was a direct relationship between support from superiors and colleagues, positive affect at work, work engagement and job sa…

Diagnostic and prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of tumor depth of invasion and bone invasion in patients with oral cav…

2022

To evaluate the accuracy of preoperative contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of radiological depth of invasion (rDOI) and bone invasion in patients with oral cavity cancer, and the prognostic value of preoperative rDOI.This retrospective study included patients with surgically resected oral cavity cancer and preoperative MRI acquired within four weeks before surgery. Two readers evaluated the MRI to assess the superficial and deep bone invasion, preoperative T stage, and measured the rDOI. The rDOI was compared to the histopathological DOI (pDOI), used as reference standard. Prognostic value of preoperative features for the disease-specific survival was eval…

An Update on the Current and Emerging Use of Thiazolidinediones for Type 2 Diabetes.

2022

Guidelines have increasingly stressed the concept that adequate glycemic control is required to prevent or decrease the macro- and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PPAR-gamma agonists (“glitazones”) are no longer prioritized due to their effects on heart failure. However, the association between these drugs and innovative therapies could be a valuable tool to attenuate the risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Glitazones are used for the treatment of diabetes and associated comorbidities. There is substantial scientific evidence demonstrating the effect of glitazones at a cardiometabolic level, as well as on hematological and neurological pathologies that po…

Energy assessment of a wave energy converter in a small island. A case study

2022

The diffusion of technologies supplied by Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is contributing to the challenge of reduction of energy dependence from fossil fuels, avoiding the emission of several polluting substances and greenhouse gases (GHG). Already today, global warming caused by human activity is estimated at around 1∘C; energy consumption attributable to human habits is no longer sustainable. To date, energy production is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels. To reverse the negative trend, it is necessary to invest in new technologies and improve the efficiency of energy production plants in general. In particular, a wave energy converter will be presented, consisting of a buoy connect…

A Simple Software-based Resolver To Digital Conversion System

2022

In this paper, a software-based resolver to digital converter (RDC) is proposed. The hardware signal conditioning circuit is realized using common electronic components, while the algorithm can be implemented either using a microcontroller or an FPGA. Its validation and performance analysis has been carried out using an interior permanent magnet synchronous machine drive and, with comparative purposes, an LTN Servotechnik 1024 ppr incremental encoder. Tests show that the proposed RDC is characterized by a good dynamic response and precision, moreover, due to low computational demand, it can be successfully adopted without significant extra cost.