showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Applicability of Echocardiographic Strict Negative Criteria for Suspected Infective Endocarditis.
2021
Echocardiography is the cornerstone imaging technique in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) but is often misused in clinical practice. Recently, strict negative criteria have been proposed to avoid unnecessary follow-up echocardiograms. We aimed to evaluate the use of echocardiography in real-world clinical daily practice and the usefulness of these criteria in the diagnosis of IE. We retrospectively retrieved every echocardiogram performed in our center for suspected IE between 2014 and 2018, including 905 transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs). Of these, 451 (49.8%) fulfilled the strict negative criteria (group 1). In this group, IE was seldom diagnosed (n = 4, 0.9%). In 338 patie…
L’orchestre Les Dissonances : une petite organisation artistique engagée dans le management participatif
2021
International audience
Exploring Organized Interests in Post-Communist Policy-Making: The "Missing Link"
2021
This book examines organized interests in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), providing incisive analyses in three critically important policy areas - healthcare, higher education and energy. The four countries surveyed – Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic – afford rich diversity offering broad empirical material available for cross-country and cross-policy comparative analyses. Featuring interdisciplinary research, the book draws together recent developments in the evolution of post-communist advocacy organizations, their population ecology dynamics, interest intermediation, the influence of organized interests and their (bottom-up and top-down) Europeanization. …
CD40 activity on mesenchymal cells negatively regulates OX40L to maintain bone marrow immune homeostasis under stress conditions
2021
BackgroundWithin the bone marrow (BM), mature T cells are maintained under homeostatic conditions to facilitate proper hematopoietic development. This homeostasis depends upon a peculiar elevated frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and immune regulatory activities from BM-mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). In response to BM transplantation (BMT), the conditioning regimen exposes the BM to a dramatic induction of inflammatory cytokines and causes an unbalanced T-effector (Teff) and Treg ratio. This imbalance negatively impacts hematopoiesis, particularly in regard to B-cell lymphopoiesis that requires an intact cross-talk between BM-MSCs and Tregs. The mechanisms underlying the ability of…
false
2021
Abstract. The strong reduction of air traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique test case for the relationship between air traffic density, contrails, and their radiative forcing of climate change. Here, air traffic and contrail cirrus changes are quantified for a European domain for March to August 2020 and compared to the same period in 2019. Traffic data show a 72 % reduction in flight distance compared with 2019. This paper investigates the induced contrail changes in a model study. The contrail model results depend on various methodological details as discussed in parameter studies. In the reference case, the reduced traffic caused a reduction in contrail length. The reduc…
Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Helium Energy Spectrum from 70 GeV to 80 TeV with the DAMPE Space Mission
2021
The measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic ray helium nuclei from 70 GeV to 80 TeV using 4.5 years of data recorded by the DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is reported in this work. A hardening of the spectrum is observed at an energy of about 1.3 TeV, similar to previous observations. In addition, a spectral softening at about 34 TeV is revealed for the first time with large statistics and well controlled systematic uncertainties, with an overall significance of $4.3\sigma$. The DAMPE spectral measurements of both cosmic protons and helium nuclei suggest a particle charge dependent softening energy, although with current uncertainties a dependence on the number of nucleons canno…
Empowering education professionals with twenty-first century skills through master's of education dissertation/thesis work
2021
This paper aims to explore the potential role of Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work in developing twenty-first century skills. A total of 600 education professionals studying Master’s of Education programmes in five countries – Poland, Portugal, England, Latvia, and Romania – were surveyed. The findings have revealed that participants recognise the usefulness of twenty-first century skills for their (future) professional practice, and perceive dissertation/thesis work as a valuable foundation for developing these skills. This study offers practical implications for designers of Master’s of Education programmes and contributes to our understanding that this assignment is not only…
Rationale for and usefulness of the inclusion of gaming disorder in the ICD-11.
2021
Interspecific-Competition Strongly Constrains Species-Richness and Species-Abundance Evenness in a Tropical Marine Molluscan Community Inhabiting Cau…
2021
Increasing species-richness at the local scale (within species communities) is accommodated, first, by the diversification of the niches respectively associated to species. Yet, in case of excessive supply in colonizing species issued from the regional pool, the corresponding increase in the number of solicited niches may lead to some “niche-overcrowding” resulting in significant niche-overlaps. Then, second, strong interspecific competition for shared resource can arise, triggered by the density in individuals among those species co-occurring at niche-overlaps. Accordingly, the accommodation of species-richness within a local community involves a balance between (i) the positive contributi…
ModEst - Precise estimation of genome size from NGS data
2021
AbstractPrecise estimates of genome sizes are important parameters for both theoretical and practical biodiversity genomics. We present here a fast, easy-to-implement and precise method to estimate genome size from the number of bases sequenced and the mean sequence coverage. To estimate the latter, we take advantage of the fact that a precise estimation of the Poisson distribution parameter lambda is possible from truncated data, restricted to the part of the coverage distribution representing the true underlying distribution. With simulations we could show that reasonable genome size estimates can be gained even from low-coverage (10X), highly discontinuous genome drafts. Comparison of es…
Understanding star-fundamental algebras
2021
Star-fundamental algebras are special finite dimensional algebras with involution ∗ * over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero defined in terms of multialternating ∗ * -polynomials. We prove that the upper-block matrix algebras with involution introduced in Di Vincenzo and La Scala [J. Algebra 317 (2007), pp. 642–657] are star-fundamental. Moreover, any finite dimensional algebra with involution contains a subalgebra mapping homomorphically onto one of such algebras. We also give a characterization of star-fundamental algebras through the representation theory of the symmetric group.
Towards the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formic acid at an applicative scale: technical and economic analysis of most promising routes
2021
In the last decade, the electrochemical conversion of CO 2 to formic acid, FA, using Sn‐based cathodes, was widely investigated. In this work, the technical feasibility and economic viability of this process were evaluated considering the most promising electrochemical routes reported in the literature. Five case studies, based on the utilisation of GDE technologies or high CO 2 pressures, were analysed. The cost for producing FA by the electrochemical route was compared with that of the conventional chemical route. Several scenarios were envisioned finding the target figures of merit, the potential bottlenecks (including low FA concentration, GDE cost and high energy consumption) of each t…
The Mutational Landscape of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Predicts Responses and Outcomes in Elderly Patients from the PETHEMA-FLUGAZA Phase 3 Clinical Tri…
2021
This article belongs to the Collection The Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Prognosis in Cancer.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF RILL FLOW RESISTANCE AT PLOT SCALE
2021
I processi erosivi costituiscono un rilevante problema ambientale con impatto anche di tipo socioeconomico. Infatti, questi processi determinando l’asportazione degli strati superficiali di suolo, causano la riduzione della fertilità e produttività del suolo, e hanno un considerevole impatto sulla biodiversità. La perdita di suolo dovuta all’erosione idrica è un fenomeno naturale ed inevitabile, che può divenire intollerabile in condizioni particolari che spesso dipendono da fattori antropici (Di Stefano e Ferro, 2016). I processi di erosione idrica sono generalmente caratterizzati dall’erosione interrill o rill. Nelle aree interrill, caratterizzate da correnti overland, il processo erosivo…
Estudiantes Universitarios con Trastornos del Espectro del Autismo: Revisión de sus necesidades y notas para su atención
2021
[ENIn the last 10 years we have seen an increase in the number of publications related to the inclusion in university classrooms of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome or high functioning autism. This article summarizes the literature on the presence of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders at the University and reflects on the need to develop specific programs for their care within the framework of support services for students with disabilities or other similar service structures. Among the specific measures, we have found experiences on awareness programs for teachers and students with the aim of generating a culture about "autism", programs to treat anxiety, m…
A Chronic Lack of Perceived Personal Control Increases Women and Men’s Self-Reported Preference for High-Status Characteristics When Selecting Romant…
2021
The question what people desire in their romantic partner has hitherto been dominated by a focus on gender. It has been repeatedly found that, when asked what they find important in selecting a partner, women indicate that they find status more important compared to men. Across five studies, we move beyond gender and base ourselves on general theories of control deprivation to test the effect of differences in perceived personal control on stated partner preferences. We find that low-control people—both women and men—value characteristics associated with status more in romantic partners at the expense of other desirable traits (Study 1a and 1b). Furthermore, in simulated dating settings, l…
COVID-Guide: An app for Covid-19 triage and self-assessment
2021
Introduction. The unprecedented covid-19 pandemic has shown the weaknesses of health systems and opened new spaces for e-health and telemedicine. Recent literature states that chatbots, if implemented effectively, could be useful tools for quickly sharing information, promoting healthy behaviors, and helping reduce the psychological burden of isolation. The aim of this project is to develop and test a secure and reliable computerized decision support system (CDSS) in web-app and evaluate its use, usability and its outputs in a pre-specified way. Methods. A multidisciplinary team was recruited to plan and design, based on the SMASS medical CDSS, the scenarios of the COVID-Guide web-app, a se…
Le jazz comme culture : le témoignage des mots
2021
International audience; Le jazz fait parfois peur quand on ne le connaît pas… Mais le nombre de festivals de jazz en France et l’omniprésence de son imaginaire (des Aristochats à La La Land !) montre qu’il tient tout de même une place pas si lointaine dans notre culture. Entre séduction et intimidation, le jazz mérite qu’on l’aborde avec la conscience de son étrangeté. Comme pour tout univers qui nous est extérieur, il faut quelques clés pour le comprendre.Dans Jazz Talk, j’ai voulu expliquer le jazz sans le réduire à une simple chronologie. Les mots en révèlent les thématiques et l’humour, les allusions historiques et les codes musicaux. En passant par les titres d’œuvres, interviews, phra…
Rate of Post-Operative Pancreatic Fistula after Robotic-Assisted Pancreaticoduodenectomy with Pancreato-Jejunostomy versus Pancreato-Gastrostomy: A R…
2021
Background: Different techniques of pancreatic anastomosis have been described, with inconclusive results in terms of pancreatic fistula reduction. Studies comparing robotic pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) and pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) are scarcely reported. Methods: The present study analyzes the outcomes of two case-matched groups of patients who underwent PG (n = 20) or PJ (n = 40) after pancreaticoduodenectomy. The primary aim was to compare the rate of post-operative pancreatic fistula. Results: Operative time (375 vs. 315 min, p = 0.34), estimated blood loss (270 vs. 295 mL, p = 0.44), and rate of clinically relevant post-operative pancreatic fistula (12.5% vs. 10%, p = 0.82) were simil…
The Positive Relationship between Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Bone Mineral Content Is Not Mediated by Free Leptin Index in Prepubertal…
2021
Purpose: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) positively influences bone mineral content (BMC) in prepubertal children, but it is unknown whether this relationship is partially mediated by free leptin index. The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between MVPA and total body less head (TBLH) BMC is mediated or moderated by free leptin index in prepubertal children. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 401 children (194 girls) from baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Childhood Study. We applied the four-way decomposition mediation analysis method to assess whether free leptin index, measured from fasted blood samples, …
Apulian olive sapwood endophytes to cope with Xylella fastidiosa: community analysis, antagonists screening, colonization efficiency, and genes expre…
2021
This dissertation comprises a series of studies aimed at exploring the cultivable endophytic communities indigenous to the sapwood of Apulian olive cultivars, identifying potential antagonists against Xylella fastidiosa, pauca ST53, and demonstrating their colonization efficiency and associated effects on olive defence-related genes. This work starts with an extensive analysis of cultivable sapwood endophytes from resistant and susceptible cultivars distributed across phytosanitary zones in Apulia. After multiple isolation of endophyte colonies, the results were translated into quantitative indicators. It was found that the resistant cultivar 'Leccino' showed high stability and diversity of…
Living with disability in a COVID-19 world
2021
Impact of cone-beam computed tomography for the identification and management of an oral portal of entry in patients with infective endocarditis. A D…
2021
Background Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare and life-threatening disease. Cutaneous portal of entry (POE) is predominant for IE, but an oral POE is the second most frequent source. Thus looking for and treating an oral POE in IE patients is of critical importance in order to reduce the risk of IE relapse or recurrence. The objectives of this study were: 1) To reach a consensus on decision-making following the detection of an oral POE on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) while they were not identified using the current recommended approach in IE patients (oral examination and orthopantomogram: OPT). 2) To determine whether this consensus differs when regarding the microbiology of IE.…
false
2021
Purpose: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) positively influences bone mineral content (BMC) in prepubertal children, but it is unknown whether this relationship is partially mediated by free leptin index. The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between MVPA and total body less head (TBLH) BMC is mediated or moderated by free leptin index in prepubertal children. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 401 children (194 girls) from baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Childhood Study. We applied the four-way decomposition mediation analysis method to assess whether free leptin index, measured from fasted blood samples, …
UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION ADOPTION IN THE FOOD SECTOR. THE PERSPECTIVES OF ENTREPRENEURS AND CONSUMERS
2021
In economic theory, innovation is a key tool for the growth of a company, allowing access to new markets and long-term sustainable development. Companies, driven by increased competition from global markets and unprecedented levels of interest in sustainable development practices, are seeking to implement more advanced sustainability practices and, at the same time, to maintain high-value products and services through innovation. Literature recognizes that companies adopting and developing innovations are more likely to thrive in highly competitive environments and that entrepreneurial figure, collaboration channels, and adopted marketing strategies play a fundamental role in these mechanis…
ASPERGILLI CONTAMINANTI DERRATE AD USO UMANO E ZOOTECNICO: attività enzimatica, tecniche diagnostiche innovative e possibili strategie di difesa biol…
2021
Sexual, bladder and bowel function following different minimally invasive techniques of radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical ca…
2021
Abstract Purpose Despite the establishment of radical surgery for therapy of cervical cancer, data on quality of life and patient-reported outcomes are scarce. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate bladder, bowel and sexual function in women who underwent minimally invasive surgery for early-stage cervical cancer. Methods From 2007–2013, 261 women underwent laparoscopically assisted radical vaginal hysterectomy (LARVH = 45), vaginally assisted laparoscopic or robotic radical hysterectomy (VALRRH = 61) or laparoscopic total mesometrial resection (TMMR = 25) and 131 of them completed the validated German version of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (PFQ). Results …
OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE VALLE DEL BELÌCE SHEEP BREED
2021
Molecular methods for the diagnosis and characterization of phytopathogenic fungi of quarantine concern or causing emerging plant diseases
2021
In the context of molecular techniques applied to Plant Pathology, this Ph.D. thesis has pursued the following major objectives: i) to develop new diagnostic protocols for fungal pathogens; ii) to study the metabolic and physiological effects determined by new and emerging fungal pathogens; iii) to contribute to develop management strategies of diseases caused by quarantine and/or emerging fungi on plant species typical of the Mediterranean region. To fulfill these objectives, the following specific studies have been developed: • “Fusarium circinatum an emergent and quarantine pathogen of pine worldwide: its detection and its interaction with Phytophthora species (P. cambivora and P. parvis…
The Dawn of the Human-Machine Era: A forecast of new and emerging language technologies
2021
New language technologies are coming, thanks to the huge and competing private investment fuelling rapid progress; we can either understand and foresee their effects, or be taken by surprise and spend our time trying to catch up. This report scketches out some transformative new technologies that are likely to fundamentally change our use of language. Some of these may feel unrealistically futuristic or far-fetched, but a central purpose of this report - and the wider LITHME network - is to illustrate that these are mostly just the logical development and maturation of technologies currently in prototype. But will everyone benefit from all these shiny new gadgets? Throughout this report we …
Le raisonnement du dirigeant de TPE, fondement du comportement concurrentiel de son entreprise
2021
Congrès initialement prévu du 20 au 23 Octobre 2019 à Nice; International audience
Effetti dell’applicazione di Edible Coating sul comportamento fisiologico e sulle caratteristiche fisico-chimiche, nutrizionali e sensoriali in prodo…
2021
L’incremento demografico e il cambiamento dei ritmi e degli stili di vita della società moderna hanno visto un mercato sempre più globalizzato nonché lo sviluppo di nuove dinamiche nel settore agroalimentare e la crescente richiesta da parte dei consumatori di prodotti pronti al consumo. Le industrie agro-alimentari rispondono a questa richiesta con i prodotti appartenenti alla categoria della IV gamma (detti anche fresh-cut o ready to eat), ossia frutta e verdura fresca, lavata, tagliata, confezionata in packaging personalizzati e posta nei banchi refrigerati della grande distribuzione organizzata (GDO). Nell’ambito del triennio del Dottorato di Ricerca si è scelto di approfondire una dell…
Etic and emic data production methods in the study of journalistic work practices: A systematic literature review
2021
This methodological paper discusses the application of etic and emic perspectives in producing data sets for the study of journalistic praxis. The concepts refer to the researcher-analyst’s and the practitioner-informant’s viewpoints, respectively, and that being the case, they have inherent weaknesses if used independently. We argue that these shortcomings can be mitigated through an integrated application of the concepts and by seeing the two perspectives as complementary to each other. Combining etic and emic perspectives will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of complex yet routinized real-life behaviour such as journalistic work. Following the appraisal of the etic-emic com…
Advanced techniques for solving groundwater and surface water problems in the context of inverse methods and climate change.
2021
[ES] El tema de la investigación se centra en técnicas avanzadas para manejar problemas de aguas subterráneas y superficiales relacionados con métodos inversos y cambio climático. Los filtros de Kalman, con especial atención en Ensemble Smoother with Multiple Data Assimilation (ES-MDA), se analizan y mejoran para la solución de diferentes tipos de problemas inversos. En particular, la principal novedad es la aplicación de estos métodos para la identificación de series temporales. La primera parte de la tesis, luego de la descripción del método, presenta el desarrollo de un software escrito en Python para la aplicación de la metodología propuesta. El software cuenta con un flujo de trabajo f…
Pseudo-Planar Organic Heterojunctions by Sequential Printing of Quasi-Miscible Inks
2021
This work deals with the interfacial mixing mechanism of picoliter (pL)-scale droplets produced by sequential inkjet printing of organic-based inks onto ITO/PET surfaces at a moderately high Weber number (~101). Differently from solution dispensing processes at a high Bond number such as spin coating, the deposition by inkjet printing is strictly controlled by droplet velocity, ink viscosity, and surface tension. In particular, this study considers the interfacial mixing of droplets containing the most investigated donor/acceptor couple for organic solar cells, i.e., poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), showing how low-viscosity and low-surfac…
Targeting the JAK/STAT Pathway: A Combined Ligand- and Target-Based Approach
2021
Janus kinases (JAKs) are a family of proinflammatory enzymes able to mediate the immune responses and the inflammatory cascade by modulating multiple cytokine expressions as well as various growth factors. In the present study, the inhibition of the JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is explored as a potential strategy for treating autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. A computationally driven approach aimed at identifying novel JAK inhibitors based on molecular topology, docking, and molecular dynamics simulations was carried out. For the best candidates selected, the inhibitory activity against JAK2 was evaluated in vitro. Two hit compounds with…