title: Towards a Better Understanding of (Partial Weighted) MaxSAT Proof Systems

text: MaxSAT is a very popular language for discrete optimization with many domains of application. While there has been a lot of progress in MaxSAT solvers during the last decade, the theoretical analysis of MaxSAT inference has not followed the pace. Aiming at compensating that lack of balance, in this paper we do a proof complexity approach to MaxSAT resolution-based proof systems. First, we give some basic definitions on completeness and show that refutational completeness makes compleness redundant, as it happens in SAT. Then we take three inference rules such that adding them sequentially allows us to navigate from the weakest to the strongest resolution-based MaxSAT system available (i.e., from standalone MaxSAT resolution to the recently proposed ResE), each rule making the system stronger. Finally, we show that the strongest system captures the recently proposed concept of Circular Proof while being conceptually simpler, since weights, which are intrinsic in MaxSAT, naturally guarantee the flow condition required for the SAT case.


title: Taming High Treewidth with Abstraction, Nested Dynamic Programming, and Database Technology

text: Treewidth is one of the most prominent structural parameters. While numerous theoretical results establish tractability under the assumption of fixed treewidth, the practical success of exploiting this parameter is far behind what theoretical runtime bounds have promised. In particular, a naive application of dynamic programming (DP) on tree decompositions (TDs) suffers already from instances of medium width. In this paper, we present several measures to advance this paradigm towards general applicability in practice: We present nested DP, where different levels of abstractions are used to (recursively) compute TDs of a given instance. Further, we integrate the concept of hybrid solving, where subproblems hidden by the abstraction are solved by classical search-based solvers, which leads to an interleaving of parameterized and classical solving. Finally, we provide nested DP algorithms and implementations relying on database technology for variants and extensions of Boolean satisfiability. Experiments indicate that the advancements are promising.


title: Short Q-Resolution Proofs with Homomorphisms

text: We introduce new proof systems for quantified Boolean formulas (QBFs) by enhancing Q-resolution systems with rules which exploit local and global symmetries. The rules are based on homomorphisms that admit non-injective mappings between literals. This results in systems that are stronger than Q-resolution with (injective) symmetry rules. We further strengthen the systems by utilizing a dependency system D in a way that surpasses Q(D)-resolution in relative strength.


title: MaxSAT Resolution and Subcube Sums

text: We study the MaxRes rule in the context of certifying unsatisfiability. We show that it can be exponentially more powerful than tree-like resolution, and when augmented with weakening (the system MaxResW), p-simulates tree-like resolution. In devising a lower bound technique specific to MaxRes (and not merely inheriting lower bounds from Res), we define a new semialgebraic proof system called the SubCubeSums proof system. This system, which p-simulates MaxResW, is a special case of the Sherali–Adams proof system. In expressivity, it is the integral restriction of conical juntas studied in the contexts of communication complexity and extension complexity. We show that it is not simulated by Res. Using a proof technique qualitatively different from the lower bounds that MaxResW inherits from Res, we show that Tseitin contradictions on expander graphs are hard to refute in SubCubeSums. We also establish a lower bound technique via lifting: for formulas requiring large degree in SubCubeSums, their XOR-ification requires large size in SubCubeSums.


title: Speeding up Quantified Bit-Vector SMT Solvers by Bit-Width Reductions and Extensions

text: Recent experiments have shown that satisfiability of a quantified bit-vector formula coming from practical applications almost never changes after reducing all bit-widths in the formula to a small number of bits. This paper proposes a novel technique based on this observation. Roughly speaking, a given quantified bit-vector formula is reduced and sent to a solver, an obtained model is then extended to the original bit-widths and verified against the original formula. We also present an experimental evaluation demonstrating that this technique can significantly improve the performance of state-of-the-art smt solvers Boolector, CVC4, and Q3B on quantified bit-vector formulas from the smt-lib repository.


title: Abstract Cores in Implicit Hitting Set MaxSat Solving

text: Maximum Satisfiability (MaxSat) solving is an active area of research motivated by numerous successful applications to solving NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems. One of the most successful approaches to solving MaxSat instances arising from real world applications is the Implicit Hitting Set (IHS) approach. IHS solvers are complete MaxSat solvers that harness the strengths of both Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) and Integer Linear Programming (IP) solvers by decoupling core-extraction and optimization. While such solvers show state-of-the-art performance on many instances, it is known that there exist MaxSat instances on which IHS solvers need to extract an exponential number of cores before terminating. Motivated by the structure of the simplest of these problematic instances, we propose a technique we call abstract cores that provides a compact representation for a potentially exponential number of regular cores. We demonstrate how to incorporate abstract core reasoning into the IHS algorithm and report on an empirical evaluation demonstrating that including abstract cores into a state-of-the-art IHS solver improves its performance enough to surpass the best performing solvers of the most recent 2019 MaxSat Evaluation.


title: Positional Games and QBF: The Corrective Encoding

text: Positional games are a mathematical class of two-player games comprising Tic-tac-toe and its generalizations. We propose a novel encoding of these games into Quantified Boolean Formulas (QBFs) such that a game instance admits a winning strategy for first player if and only if the corresponding formula is true. Our approach improves over previous QBF encodings of games in multiple ways. First, it is generic and lets us encode other positional games, such as Hex. Second, structural properties of positional games together with a careful treatment of illegal moves let us generate more compact instances that can be solved faster by state-of-the-art QBF solvers. We establish the latter fact through extensive experiments. Finally, the compactness of our new encoding makes it feasible to translate realistic game problems. We identify a few such problems of historical significance and put them forward to the QBF community as milestones of increasing difficulty.


title: Towards a Complexity-Theoretic Understanding of Restarts in SAT Solvers

text: Restarts are a widely-used class of techniques integral to the efficiency of Conflict-Driven Clause Learning (CDCL) Boolean SAT solvers. While the utility of such policies has been well-established empirically, a theoretical understanding of whether restarts are indeed crucial to the power of CDCL solvers is missing. In this paper, we prove a series of theoretical results that characterize the power of restarts for various models of SAT solvers. More precisely, we make the following contributions. First, we prove an exponential separation between a drunk randomized CDCL solver model with restarts and the same model without restarts using a family of satisfiable instances. Second, we show that the configuration of CDCL solver with VSIDS branching and restarts (with activities erased after restarts) is exponentially more powerful than the same configuration without restarts for a family of unsatisfiable instances. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first separation results involving restarts in the context of SAT solvers. Third, we show that restarts do not add any proof complexity-theoretic power vis-a-vis a number of models of CDCL and DPLL solvers with non-deterministic static variable and value selection.


title: Simplified and Improved Separations Between Regular and General Resolution by Lifting

text: We give a significantly simplified proof of the exponential separation between regular and general resolution of Alekhnovich et al. (2007) as a consequence of a general theorem lifting proof depth to regular proof length in resolution. This simpler proof then allows us to strengthen the separation further, and to construct families of theoretically very easy benchmarks that are surprisingly hard for SAT solvers in practice.


title: A Faster Algorithm for Propositional Model Counting Parameterized by Incidence Treewidth

text: The propositional model counting problem (#SAT) is known to be fixed-parameter-tractable (FPT) when parameterized by the width k of a given tree decomposition of the incidence graph. The running time of the fastest known FPT algorithm contains the exponential factor of [Formula: see text]. We improve this factor to [Formula: see text] by utilizing fast algorithms for computing the zeta transform and covering product of functions representing partial model counts, thereby achieving the same running time as FPT algorithms that are parameterized by the less general treewidth of the primal graph. Our new algorithm is asymptotically optimal unless the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH) fails.


title: Reasoning About Strong Inconsistency in ASP

text: The last decade has witnessed remarkable improvements in the analysis of inconsistent formulas, namely in the case of Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) formulas. However, these successes have been restricted to monotonic logics. Recent work proposed the notion of strong inconsistency for a number of non-monotonic logics, including Answer Set Programming (ASP). This paper shows how algorithms for reasoning about inconsistency in monotonic logics can be extended to the case of ASP programs, in the concrete case of strong inconsistency. Initial experimental results illustrate the potential of the proposed approach.


title: Reducing Bit-Vector Polynomials to SAT Using Gröbner Bases

text: We address the satisfiability of systems of polynomial equations over bit-vectors. Instead of conventional bit-blasting, we exploit word-level inference to translate these systems into non-linear pseudo-boolean constraints. We derive the pseudo-booleans by simulating bit assignments through the addition of (linear) polynomials and applying a strong form of propagation by computing Gröbner bases. By handling bit assignments symbolically, the number of Gröbner basis calculations, along with the number of assignments, is reduced. The final Gröbner basis yields expressions for the bit-vectors in terms of the symbolic bits, together with non-linear pseudo-boolean constraints on the symbolic variables, modulo a power of two. The pseudo-booleans can be solved by translation into classical linear pseudo-boolean constraints (without a modulo) or by encoding them as propositional formulae, for which a novel translation process is described.


title: SAT-Based Encodings for Optimal Decision Trees with Explicit Paths

text: Decision trees play an important role both in Machine Learning and Knowledge Representation. They are attractive due to their immediate interpretability. In the spirit of Occam’s razor, and interpretability, it is desirable to calculate the smallest tree. This, however, has proven to be a challenging task and greedy approaches are typically used to learn trees in practice. Nevertheless, recent work showed that by the use of SAT solvers one may calculate the optimal size tree for real-world benchmarks. This paper proposes a novel SAT-based encoding that explicitly models paths in the tree, which enables us to control the tree’s depth as well as size. At the level of individual SAT calls, we investigate splitting the search space into tree topologies. Our tool outperforms the existing implementation. But also, the experimental results show that minimizing the depth first and then minimizing the number of nodes enables solving a larger set of instances.


title: Mycielski Graphs and [Formula: see text] Proofs

text: Mycielski graphs are a family of triangle-free graphs [Formula: see text] with arbitrarily high chromatic number. [Formula: see text] has chromatic number k and there is a short informal proof of this fact, yet finding proofs of it via automated reasoning techniques has proved to be a challenging task. In this paper, we study the complexity of clausal proofs of the uncolorability of [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] colors. In particular, we consider variants of the [Formula: see text] (propagation redundancy) proof system that are without new variables, and with or without deletion. These proof systems are of interest due to their potential uses for proof search. As our main result, we present a sublinear-length and constant-width [Formula: see text] proof without new variables or deletion. We also implement a proof generator and verify the correctness of our proof. Furthermore, we consider formulas extended with clauses from the proof until a short resolution proof exists, and investigate the performance of CDCL in finding the short proof. This turns out to be difficult for CDCL with the standard heuristics. Finally, we describe an approach inspired by SAT sweeping to find proofs of these extended formulas.


title: On the Sparsity of XORs in Approximate Model Counting

text: Given a Boolean formula [Formula: see text], the problem of model counting, also referred to as #SAT, is to compute the number of solutions of [Formula: see text]. The hashing-based techniques for approximate counting have emerged as a dominant approach, promising achievement of both scalability and rigorous theoretical guarantees. The standard construction of strongly 2-universal hash functions employs dense XORs (i.e., involving half of the variables in expectation), which is widely known to cause degradation in the runtime performance of state of the art [Formula: see text] solvers. Consequently, the past few years have witnessed an intense activity in the design of sparse XORs as hash functions. Such constructions have been proposed with beliefs to provide runtime performance improvement along with theoretical guarantees similar to that of dense XORs. The primary contribution of this paper is a rigorous theoretical and empirical analysis to understand the effect of the sparsity of XORs. In contradiction to prior beliefs of applicability of analysis for sparse hash functions to all the hashing-based techniques, we prove a contradictory result. We show that the best-known bounds obtained for sparse XORs are still too weak to yield theoretical guarantees for a large class of hashing-based techniques, including the state of the art approach [Formula: see text]. We then turn to a rigorous empirical analysis of the performance benefits of sparse hash functions. To this end, we first design, to the best of our knowledge, the most efficient algorithm called [Formula: see text] using sparse hash functions, which achieves at least up to two orders of magnitude performance improvement over its predecessor. Contradicting the current beliefs, we observe that [Formula: see text] still falls short of [Formula: see text] in runtime performance despite the usage of dense XORs in [Formula: see text]. In conclusion, our work showcases that the question of whether it is possible to use short XORs to achieve scalability while providing strong theoretical guarantees is still wide open.


title: Equivalence Between Systems Stronger Than Resolution

text: In recent years there has been an increasing interest in studying proof systems stronger than Resolution, with the aim of building more efficient SAT solvers based on them. In defining these proof systems, we try to find a balance between the power of the proof system (the size of the proofs required to refute a formula) and the difficulty of finding the proofs. Among those proof systems we can mention Circular Resolution, MaxSAT Resolution with Extensions and MaxSAT Resolution with the Dual-Rail encoding. In this paper we study the relative power of those proof systems from a theoretical perspective. We prove that Circular Resolution and MaxSAT Resolution with extension are polynomially equivalent proof systems. This result is generalized to arbitrary sets of inference rules with proof constructions based on circular graphs or based on weighted clauses. We also prove that when we restrict the Split rule (that both systems use) to bounded size clauses, these two restricted systems are also equivalent. Finally, we show the relationship between these two restricted systems and Dual-Rail MaxSAT Resolution.


title: A Lower Bound on DNNF Encodings of Pseudo-Boolean Constraints

text: Two major considerations when encoding pseudo-Boolean (PB) constraints into SAT are the size of the encoding and its propagation strength, that is, the guarantee that it has a good behaviour under unit propagation. Several encodings with propagation strength guarantees rely upon prior compilation of the constraints into DNNF (decomposable negation normal form), BDD (binary decision diagram), or some other sub-variants. However it has been shown that there exist PB-constraints whose ordered BDD (OBDD) representations, and thus the inferred CNF encodings, all have exponential size. Since DNNFs are more succinct than OBDDs, preferring encodings via DNNF to avoid size explosion seems a legitimate choice. Yet in this paper, we prove the existence of PB-constraints whose DNNFs all require exponential size.


title: Multi-linear Strategy Extraction for QBF Expansion Proofs via Local Soundness

text: In applications, QBF solvers are expected to not only decide whether a given formula is true or false but also return a solution in the form of a strategy. Determining whether strategies can be efficiently extracted from proof traces generated by QBF solvers is a fundamental research task. Most resolution-based proof systems are known to implicitly support polynomial-time strategy extraction through a simulation of the evaluation game associated with an input formula, but this approach introduces large constant factors and results in unwieldy circuit representations. In this work, we present an explicit polynomial-time strategy extraction algorithm for the [Formula: see text] proof system. This system is used by expansion-based solvers that implement counterexample-guided abstraction refinement (CEGAR), currently one of the most effective QBF solving paradigms. Our argument relies on a Curry-Howard style correspondence between strategies and [Formula: see text] derivations, where each strategy realizes an invariant obtained from an annotated clause derived in the proof system.


title: On CDCL-Based Proof Systems with the Ordered Decision Strategy

text: We prove that CDCL SAT-solvers with the ordered decision strategy and the DECISION learning scheme are equivalent to ordered resolution. We also prove that, by replacing this learning scheme with its opposite, which learns the first possible non-conflict clause, they become equivalent to general resolution. In both results, we allow nondeterminism in the solver’s ability to perform unit propagation, conflict analysis, and restarts in a way that is similar to previous works in the literature. To aid the presentation of our results, and possibly future research, we define a model and language for CDCL-based proof systems – particularly those with nonstandard features – that allow for succinct and precise theorem statements.


title: Post mortem tissue donation in the Netherlands: a nationwide approach

text: In this article we describe the organization of post mortem tissue donation in the Netherlands, the average number of tissue donors procured during the years 2015–2019 and the main challenges we face to improve this number. Licensed by the Dutch Ministry of Health, the Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS) plays a central role in the organization of tissue donation. The NTS works closely with the Dutch hospitals, two tissue banks and a procurement organization. Potential tissue donors are reported to the NTS 24/7. After consulting the Donor Register and relatives give consent for donation, donors are subject to a thorough medical evaluation. If no medical contraindication is mentioned, the donor is approved for tissue donation. Each year, tissues of an average of 1918 donors (112.1 donors Per Million Population) are procured. After procurement of tissues, donor blood and tissues are tested on virology and quality respectively. Based on the test results and the assessment of potential disease transmission, tissues can either be released for transplantation or discarded. In conclusion, the Netherlands has developed a uniform, nationwide approach for safe and efficient post mortem tissue donation in which the NTS plays a central role. In the past 5 years, tissues from a considerable number of donors are procured. The NTS will continue to work together with their partners, by stimulating donor recognition, registration of the donor will, relatives’ informed consent and by extending donor selection criteria, for an even more efficient way to help patients on the waiting list for a transplantation.


title: Development of an in situ simulation-based continuing professional development curriculum in pediatric emergency medicine

text: BACKGROUND: Continuing professional development (CPD) activities delivered by simulation to independently practicing physicians are becoming increasingly popular. At present, the educational potential of such simulations is limited by the inability to create effective curricula for the CPD audience. In contrast to medical trainees, CPD activities lack pre-defined learning expectations and, instead, emphasize self-directed learning, which may not encompass true learning needs. We hypothesize that we could generate an interprofessional CPD simulation curriculum for practicing pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians in a single-center tertiary care hospital using a deliberative approach combined with Kern’s six-step method of curriculum development. METHODS: From a comprehensive core list of 94 possible PEM clinical presentations and procedures, we generated an 18-scenario CPD simulation curriculum. We conducted a comprehensive perceived and unperceived needs assessment on topics to include, incorporating opinions of faculty PEM physicians, hospital leadership, interprofessional colleagues, and expert opinion on patient benefit, simulation feasibility, and value of simulating the case for learning. To systematically rank items while balancing the needs of all stakeholders, we used a prioritization matrix to generate objective “priority scores.” These scores were used by CPD planners to deliberately determine the simulation curriculum contents. RESULTS: We describe a novel three-step CPD simulation curriculum design method involving (1) systematic and deliberate needs assessment, (2) systematic prioritization, and (3) curriculum synthesis. Of practicing PEM physicians, 17/20 responded to the perceived learning needs survey, while 6/6 leaders responded to the unperceived needs assessment. These ranked data were input to a five-variable prioritization matrix generating priority scores. Based on local needs, the highest 18 scoring clinical presentations and procedures were selected for final inclusion in a PEM CPD simulation curriculum. An interim survey of PEM physician (21/24 respondents) opinions was collected, with 90% finding educational value with the curriculum. The curriculum includes items not identified by self-directed learning that PEM physicians thought should be included. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight a novel methodology for PEM physicians that can be adapted by other specialities when designing their own CPD simulation curriculum. This methodology objectively considers and prioritizes the needs of practicing physicians and stakeholders involved in CPD.


title: Cellular immunotherapies for cancer

text: Cancer is a major burden on the healthcare system, and new therapies are needed. Recently, the development of immunotherapies, which aim to boost or use the immune system, or its constituents, as a tool to fight malignant cells, has provided a major new tool in the arsenal of clinicians and has revolutionized the treatment of many cancers. Cellular immunotherapies are based on the administration of living cells to patients and have developed hugely, especially since 2010 when Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), a DC vaccine, was the first cellular immunotherapy to be approved by the FDA. The ensuing years have seen two further cellular immunotherapies gain FDA approval: tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta). This review will give an overview of the principles of immunotherapies before focusing on the major forms of cellular immunotherapies individually, T cell-based, natural killer (NK) cell-based and dendritic cell (DC)-based, as well as detailing some of the clinical trials relevant to each therapy.


Suizidalität und Sucht unter Ärzten


SARS-CoV-2 nun doch in Sperma nachgewiesen


Nierenkranke stark gefährdet


Konkrete und statistische Menschenleben


Zu Risiken und Nebenwirkungen des ärztlichen Präsentismus


Resilienz - lohnt die Beschäftigung?


title: Winter School on sEMG Signal Processing: An Initiative to Reduce Educational Gaps and to Promote the Engagement of Physiotherapists and Movement Scientists With Science

text: The application of surface electromyography (sEMG) in neurology is sometimes limited by a scientific background in the use of sEMG. Students frequently use sEMG only when developing their graduate studies. To reduce these barriers, we promoted a free Winter School on sEMG to Latin American students. The school was a 3-day event with theoretical classes and computer programming in Matlab. Lectures were delivered in Portuguese and Spanish to 50 participants. All lectures were recorded and made available on YouTube®. After the School, participants completed a written exam to receive a certificate. The written exam revealed the average effectiveness of 71 ± 20% in the comprehension of topics addressed during the school. Participants rated the School as “excellent” and considered the event as having changed their thoughts about the use of sEMG. Limited mathematical skills or background were the main barriers identified to follow the lectures and to make use of sEMG. We conclude that the Winter School had a positive impact on participant's formation, especially by showing them the importance of continuous involvement with the concepts related to sEMG to become proficient in its use. From the participant's point of view, the activity was excellent and the follow up of the school on YouTube® suggests that combining face-to-face activities followed by the online availability of lectures is a valid strategy to reinforce the learning process and to reduce barriers in the use of sEMG. Whether similar results would be achieved for a paid registration event in an economically developing region, still requires further investigation.


title: The Importance of Human Emotions for Wildlife Conservation

text: Animals have always been important for human life due to the ecological, cultural, and economic functions that they represent. This has allowed building several kinds of relationships that have promoted different emotions in human societies. The objective of this review was to identify the main emotions that humans show toward wildlife species and the impact of such emotions on animal population management. We reviewed academic databases to identify previous studies on this topic worldwide. An analysis of the emotions on wildlife and factors causing them is described in this study. We identified a controversy about these emotions. Large predators such as wolves, coyotes, bears, big felids, and reptiles, such as snakes and geckos, promote mainly anger, fear, and disgust. This is likely due to the perceptions, beliefs, and experiences that societies have historically built around them. However, in some social groups these animals have promoted emotions such as happiness due to their values for people. Likewise, sadness is an emotion expressed for the threatening situations that animals are currently facing. Furthermore, we associated the conservation status of wildlife species identified in the study with human emotions to discuss their relevance for emerging conservation strategies, particularly focused on endangered species promoting ambiguous emotions in different social groups.


title: Repeated Inoculation of Young Calves With Rumen Microbiota Does Not Significantly Modulate the Rumen Prokaryotic Microbiota Consistently but Decreases Diarrhea

text: The complex rumen microbiota exhibits some degree of host specificity. The undeveloped simple rumen microbiota is hypothetically more amendable. The objective of this study was to investigate if the rumen prokaryotic microbial assemblage of young calves can be reprogrammed by oral inoculation with rumen microbiota of adult cows. Twenty newborn male calves were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 5 per group), with two groups being orally inoculated with rumen microbiota (fresh rumen fluid) collected from two lactating dairy cows, while the other two groups receiving autoclaved rumen fluid collected from another two donor cows. Each calf was orally drenched with 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mL of the rumen fluid at d3, d7, d21, d42, and d50, respectively, after birth. The inoculation with rumen microbiota did not affect (P > 0.05) feed intake, average daily gain (ADG), heart girth, or feed conversion ratio but significantly (P < 0.01) lowered instance of diarrhea. At the age of 77 days (27 days post-weaning), all the calves were slaughtered for the sampling of rumen content and determination of empty rumen weight. Rumen fermentation characteristics were not affected (P > 0.05) by the inoculation. Rumen prokaryotic microbiota analysis using metataxonomics (targeting the V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes) showed that the calf rumen prokaryotic microbiota differed from that of the donors. Two Succinivibrionaceae OTUs, two Prevotella OTUs, and one Succiniclasticum OTU were predominant (relative abundance > 2%) in the donors, but only one Succinivibrionaceae OTU was found in the calves. On the other hand, five other Prevotella OTUs were predominant (>3%) in the calves, but none of them was a major OTU in the donors. No correlation was observed in relative abundance of major OTUs or genera between the donor and the calves. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) based on weighted UniFrac distance showed no significant (P > 0.05) difference in the overall rumen prokaryotic microbiota profiles among the four calf groups, and principal component analysis (PCA) based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity showed no significant (P > 0.05) difference in functional features predicted from the detected taxa. Nor the calf rumen microbiota showed any clustering with their donor’s. Repeated oral inoculation with rumen microbiota probably has a limited effect on the development of rumen microbiota, and the rumen microbiota seems to develop following a program determined by the host and other factors.


title: Convalescent Plasma Coupled With Medications for the Treatment of a Severe COVID-19 Patient: Drugs Analysis and Pharmaceutical Care Based on the Newly Established Guidelines for COVID-19 Remedy

text: Given the extreme importance of the current pandemic caused by COVID-19 and due to the fact that scientists agree that there is no identified treatment, this paper analyzes in detail the treatment of a severe COVID-19 patient with convalescent plasma and drugs based on current guidelines for COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment. This can provide a reference for other medical institutions on rational drug use and pharmaceutical care for severe COVID-19 patients.


title: How Have COVID-19 Isolation Policies Affected Young People’s Mental Health? – Evidence From Chinese College Students

text: The breakout of COVID-19 has brought about huge influence on people’s physic and mental health. This paper aims to investigate the mental health status of young people living in isolation due to the policy response to Coronavirus disease. Nine hundred ninety-two Chinese college students (Mage = 19.45, SD = 1.41) were recruited to finish an online survey in the period of self-isolation. Seven dimensions of psychological well-being were measured, including mental status, knowledge of stress management, behavioral patterns, risk perception, academic stress, family relationships, and peer relationships. Results of cluster analysis indicated that young individuals’ mental status can be divided into three groups: high-risk (n = 61, Mage = 19.26, SD = 1.32), medium-risk (n = 627, Mage = 19.43, SD = 1.38), and low-risk (n = 304, Mage = 19.54, SD = 1.49). Moreover, results of multiple regression showed that the isolation policy has had a complex influence on the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder [F(12, 979) = 44.894, p < 0.001], fear [F(12, 979) = 30.776, p < 0.001], hypochondria [F(12, 979) = 22.530, p < 0.001], depression [F(12, 979) = 39.022, p < 0.001], and neurasthenia [F(12, 979) = 45.735, p < 0.001] via various factors. This paper also proposes a six-step intervention strategy to alleviate young people’s psychological problems while in isolation. It provides practical insights into the psychological interventions in face of the global threat.


title: Pharmacotherapics Advice in Guidelines for COVID-19

text: Since December 2019 to May 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 6 million people worldwide. Due to its sudden and rapid outbreak, effective treatment for COVID-19 is scarce. Based on national clinical trials of novel treatments, China, Italy, Germany, and other countries and organizations have published multiple guidelines for COVID-19 and advised many medicines, such as chloroquine and tocilizumab. In this paper, we summarize the pharmacotherapy for COVID-19 according to those guidelines, highlight updates of the pharmacotherapy guidelines, and review the efficacy and safety of the indicated anti-COVID-19 drugs.


title: Efficient market hypothesis: a ruinous implication for Portugese stock market

text: The advocates of the efficient market hypothesis recommend buying the market index for the long run, the implication for the Portuguese investors are to buy the PSI-20 index and hold it for at least 15 years. In this paper, we compare two other strategies for PSI-20 over the period 1999 to 2020. The first strategy is based on moving average trading rules and the second strategy, Gold Momentum Strategy (GMS), is based on switching between gold and PSI-20 based on semi-annual performance. Our findings suggest that the moving average trading rules beat the buy and hold strategy by more than 10% per year over the entire period and each sub-period considering both risk and transaction costs. For the second strategy, GMS which is based on comparing the performance of the PSI-20 and the gold index on semi-annual basis and go with the best of two for the next 6 months, we find similar results as the moving average trading rules.


title: Colistin heteroresistance in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates from a Thai university hospital

text: Colistin is the last resort for the treatment of infections with carbapenem-resistant (CR) Gram-negative bacteria particularly Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). Currently, both colistin-resistant and -heteroresistant A. baumannii isolates have been reported globally. We therefore investigated the colistin heteroresistance rate in 75 non-duplicate colistin-susceptible CRAB clinical isolates from a Thai university collected in 2016. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of colistin for all isolates were determined by broth microdilution method and carbapenemase genes were detected by PCR methods. All isolates were genotyped by ERIC-PCR method and screened for colistin heteroresistance by modified population analysis profile (PAP) method. The colistin MIC range for the 75 isolates was 0.5–2 µg/mL, with MIC(50) and MIC(90) of 1 and 2 µg/mL, respectively. Thirty-three isolates (44%) were considered colistin-heteroresistant with subpopulations growing at 3–8 μg/mL of colistin. After three daily passages of the subpopulations on antibiotic-free medium, their colistin MICs ranged from 4 to > 32 µg/mL, with MIC(50) and MIC(90) of 32 and > 32 µg/mL, respectively. Eight different ERIC-PCR profiles were obtained among the 33 isolates and all carried bla(OXA-23-like). The high rate of colistin heteroresistance in the CRAB isolates highlights the possibility of treatment failure of CRAB infections by colistin due to the selection of colistin-resistant subpopulations.


Christian Kreuder-Sonnen. 2019. Emergency Powers of International Organizations: Between Normalization and Containment. (Oxford: Oxford University Press)


title: Incentivierung von Prosumern auf einem elektronischen Marktplatz für personennahe Dienstleistungen

text: In the context of the joint project INSELpro funded by BMBF, prosumers offer their services on a market of local neighbourhood services. Citizens in need of help in the local geographic sector are placed with suitable helpers for their respective support requirements via the service platform, who have basically agreed to provide assistance. Demand and supply are mediated via a sharing platform, but final agreements as well services are provided offline. The special feature here is that the selection of those willing to help the inquirers is limited based on a matrix of required and existing skills, which will improve the quality of the placement. The research project is based on the scientific approach of prototyping, in which an artifact (here: the mediation platform with an app as front-end) is developed in several iterative cycles. User-centered evaluations are directly linked to the individual development steps to be able to directly counteract any undesirable developments. Various measures are conceivable to expand participation in this electronically supported and coordinated form of neighbourhood assistance or to maintain it at a high level. This paper describes approaches to incentivising the prosumers involved, which can be carried out both online and offline.


title: The Association Between Prosocialness, Relational-Interdependent Self-construal and Gender in Relation to Burnout Among Swedish Clergy

text: Serving as a clergyperson is a highly variable profession and in recent decades, the role has evolved and expanded even further. Consequently, the demands have increased and with it the risk for stress-related ill-health and absenteeism. The aim of the current study was to evaluate, in a larger sample of Swedish clergy (N = 871), two possible antecedents of burnout, namely prosocialness and relational-interdependent self-construal. A further aim was to explore potential gender differences in the investigated associations. The direct and indirect relationships of prosocialness and relational-interdependent self-construal to two dimensions of burnout, exhaustion, and disengagement were investigated in a structural equation-modelling framework. The results showed that clergy who reported higher prosocialness experienced more stress in their work, in terms of both quantitative and emotional demands, which in turn was associated with higher levels of exhaustion and disengagement. But prosocialness was also found to be directly associated with lower levels of disengagement, as well as indirectly associated with higher levels of role clarity. However, no direct or indirect associations were found between relational-interdependent self-construal and any dimension of burnout. Regarding gender differences, female clergy reported higher levels of prosocialness and job demands, less role clarity, and in turn more exhaustion compared to male clergy. This indicated a more stressful situation for female clergy. Our study contributes new insights into the role that personality plays in different dimensions of burnout in clergy, as well as insights into an understanding of gender differences in burnout among clergy.


title: Haem oxygenase protects against thrombocytopaenia and malaria-associated lung injury

text: BACKGROUND: Malaria-triggered lung injury can occur in both severe and non-severe cases. Platelets may interact with parasitized erythrocytes, leukocytes and endothelium. These interactions can lead to microvessel obstructions and induce release of inflammatory mediators. Induction of the haem oxygenase enzyme is important in the host’s response to free haem and to several other molecules generated by infectious or non-infectious diseases. In addition, an important role for the haem oxygenase-1 isotype has been demonstrated in experimental cerebral malaria and in clinical cases. Therefore, the present work aims to determine the influence of haem oxygenase in thrombocytopaenia and acute pulmonary injury during infection with Plasmodium berghei strain NK65. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were infected with P. berghei and analysed 7-10 days post-infection. For each experiment, Cobalt Protoporphyrin IX/CoPPIX or saline were administered. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was used for total and differential leukocyte count and for protein measurement. Lungs were used for histological analyses or for analysis of cytokines and western blotting. The lung permeability was analysed by Evans blue dye concentration. Platelet-leukocyte aggregate formation was assayed using the flow cytometer. RESULTS: Plasmodium berghei NK65 infection generated an intense lung injury, with increased levels of inflammatory mediators, oedema, and cell migration into the lung. Plasmodium berghei infection was also accompanied by marked thrombocytopaenia and formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in peripheral blood. Treatment with the HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPPIX) modified the inflammatory response but did not affect the evolution of parasitaemia. Animals treated with CoPPIX showed an improvement in lung injury, with decreased inflammatory infiltrate in the lung parenchyma, oedema and reduced thrombocytopaenia. CONCLUSION: Data here presented suggest that treatment with CoPPIX inducer leads to less severe pulmonary lung injury and thrombocytopaenia during malaria infection, thus increasing animal survival.


title: A Posteriori Error Estimates for Fully Discrete Finite Element Method for Generalized Diffusion Equation with Delay

text: In this paper, we derive several a posteriori error estimators for generalized diffusion equation with delay in a convex polygonal domain. The Crank–Nicolson method for time discretization is used and a continuous, piecewise linear finite element space is employed for the space discretization. The a posteriori error estimators corresponding to space discretization are derived by using the interpolation estimates. Two different continuous, piecewise quadratic reconstructions are used to obtain the error due to the time discretization. To estimate the error in the approximation of the delay term, linear approximations of the delay term are used in a crucial way. As a consequence, a posteriori upper and lower error bounds for fully discrete approximation are derived for the first time. In particular, long-time a posteriori error estimates are obtained for stable systems. Numerical experiments are presented which confirm our theoretical results.


Letter to the editor regarding wei w et al.: “Experience of the hubei cancer hospital in wuhan, china”


HCQ induced QT prolongation- Primum non nocere


Defining the Recovery


Circular economy practices may not always lead to lower criticality or more sustainability; analysis and guidance is needed per case


Which QTc correction formulae (Bazett, Framingham, or Fridericia) to use for Hydroxychloroquine induced QTc prolongation?


Dupilumab As a Novel Therapy To Treat Adrenergic Urticaria


title: Public pension shortfalls and state economic growth: a preliminary examination

text: Public pension funding problems may contribute to a state's poor economic performance. This paper examines that proposition, using state-level data on public pensions developed by the Pew Trust, and jointly by the Federal Reserve Board and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. There is little evidence that measures of the level of unfunded pension plan liabilities lead directly to a state's soft economic performance, though growth in unfunded liabilities appear to be associated with lower growth. While these results suggest that reductions in the growth of a state's pension debt may be beneficial, they arguably do not imply that dramatic action to reduce liabilities is necessarily called for. In that regard, the implications are comparable to those of Lenney et al. (2019), that suggest that reasonable goals for some presumed highly troubled systems are stabilization of the ratio of their unfunded liabilities to their state's nominal GDP, rather than outright elimination of the debt.


Reviewers of the Year 2019. Fertility and Sterility celebrates excellence in our world class reviewers


title: After this, nothing happened

text: The presence of COVID-19 means that the world will not return to a prior normal, but we cannot yet know into what future we will head. The world will have considerably changed from the one in which our subjectivities were first formed. Though curriculum may be the story we tell our children, the presence of this plague has made a severe break in that story. But curriculum might serve as the source of a radical hope that will lead us to a future we cannot yet imagine. In curriculum, we can attend to the world that has now passed, after which nothing happened, and from the scattered fragments of culture begin to construct new subjectivities and provide the space for the rebirth of culture that we cannot yet know or yet even imagine.


title: Characterization of the Observed Electric Field and Molecular Relaxation Times for Millimeter-Wave Chirped Pulse Instrumentation

text: In a chirped pulse experiment, the strength of the signal level is proportional to the amplitude of the electric field, which is weaker in the millimeter-wave or submillimeter-wave region than in the microwave region. Experiments in the millimeter region thus require an optimization of the coupling between the source and the molecular system and a method to estimate the amplitude of the electric field as seen by the molecular system. We have developed an analytical model capable of reproducing the coherent transient signals obtained with a millimeter-wave chirped pulse setup operated in a monochromatic pulse mode. The fit of the model against the experimental data allowed access to the amplitude of the electric field and, as a byproduct, to the molecular relaxation times T(1) and T(2).


title: Socio-economic inequalities in modern Russia and their perception by the population

text: This paper focuses on the objective situation regarding inequalities and their subjective perception by the population in Russia in recent years. It is shown that socio-economic inequalities are currently perceived by the population as excessive and illegitimate, and the gap between expectations and social reality has led to growing requests for “leveling” being made to the state. This analysis of the perception of social inequalities is carried out against a background of the objective situation with inequalities that is characterized by the equalization of incomes in the middle layer of society and simultaneously by the growing gap between the top and the rest of the population. Key challenges and crossroads that the state faces in terms of developing socio-economic policies aimed at reducing inequalities are identified.


title: CUPID COVID-19: emergency department attendance by paediatric patients during COVID-19 - project protocol

text: Background: Measures introduced to delay the spread of COVID-19 may result in avoidance of emergency departments (EDs) for non-COVID related illness. Clinicians and medical representative bodies such as the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) have expressed concern that some patients may not seek timely urgent medical intervention. Evidence from previous epidemics found that hospital avoidance during outbreaks of MERS and SARS was common. While ED attendance returned to normal following SARS and MERS, both outbreaks lasted 2-3 months. As the COVID-19 pandemic is forecast to extend into 2021, little is known about the impact COVID-19 will have on paediatric attendance at EDs as the pandemic evolves. Aims: This project aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on paediatric emergency healthcare utilisation, to understand how the health seeking behaviour of parents may have altered due to the pandemic, and to identify how any barriers to accessing care can be removed. Methods: Administrative data records from five EDs across Ireland and one Urgent Care Centre will be analysed to identify changes in attendances at emergency healthcare. Qualitative inquiry will be utilised to capture the experience of staff providing emergency healthcare to paediatric patients during COVID-19, and their feedback on identified trends will inform the interpretation of findings. A cross-sectional survey of parents will capture experiences, concerns and decision-making on accessing healthcare for their children during the pandemic. Results and Conclusion: This information will help decision makers respond rapidly to meet the clinical needs of paediatric patients as the circumstances of the pandemic unfold and reduce the disruption to normal paediatric ED services during the onset of COVID-19. As the health of a child can deteriorate more rapidly than that of an adult, any delay in seeking care for an acutely ill child may have serious consequences.


title: What settings have been linked to SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters?

text: Background: Concern about the health impact of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in widespread enforced reductions in people’s movement (“lockdowns”). However, there are increasing concerns about the severe economic and wider societal consequences of these measures. Some countries have begun to lift some of the rules on physical distancing in a stepwise manner, with differences in what these “exit strategies” entail and their timeframes. The aim of this work was to inform such exit strategies by exploring the types of indoor and outdoor settings where transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported to occur and result in clusters of cases. Identifying potential settings that result in transmission clusters allows these to be kept under close surveillance and/or to remain closed as part of strategies that aim to avoid a resurgence in transmission following the lifting of lockdown measures. Methods: We performed a systematic review of available literature and media reports to find settings reported in peer reviewed articles and media with these characteristics. These sources are curated and made available in an editable online database. Results: We found many examples of SARS-CoV-2 clusters linked to a wide range of mostly indoor settings. Few reports came from schools, many from households, and an increasing number were reported in hospitals and elderly care settings across Europe. Conclusions: We identified possible places that are linked to clusters of COVID-19 cases and could be closely monitored and/or remain closed in the first instance following the progressive removal of lockdown restrictions. However, in part due to the limits in surveillance capacities in many settings, the gathering of information such as cluster sizes and attack rates is limited in several ways: inherent recall bias, biased media reporting and missing data.


title: COVID-19: Public and patient involvement, now more than ever

text: The research community is responding with speed to the COVID-19 pandemic, with rapid response mechanisms to fund research, shortened application turnaround times, and expedited research ethics processes. Public and patient involvement (PPI) is under pressure in this rapid response research, where it is easy for researchers and funders to dismiss PPI as non-essential, an added extra, a “nice to have”. In this open letter, we, researchers and PPI contributors, argue that PPI is important, now more than ever. The pandemic is impacting everyone in society, with normal rules of engagement discarded. The solution to overcoming this virus will come from many different sources and many changes will emerge to healthcare delivery and to how we live our lives. It is essential that the research to find solutions is shaped by all who will be impacted: the public and the patient must be central contributors and their voice must be hear.


title: Addressing the implementation challenge of the global biodiversity framework

text: A Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is under discussion for the period 2021–2030, which will replace the “Aichi Targets” adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010. Given the limited success in meeting most of the Aichi Targets, this new framework must adopt a different approach. A key challenge the GBF must address is its implementation at national scales. Four ways this implementation challenge can be addressed include: The framework must move away from numerical targets to pursue positive trends in biodiversity, through adopting a “vectors of change” approach; The framework should be structured to focus on ecosystems and processes; The framework should synergise more extensively with existing biodiversity-relevant global agreements to maximise leverage and reduce overlap of resource use; The framework must adopt a much stronger theory of change than is in the current GBF Draft, to serve as the roadmap governments can use in upscaling their implementation of biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing. Finally, the GBF must become a “learning framework”, committed to facilitating and enabling governments to each meet their specific biodiversity challenges, while sharing back experiences with the global community, leading ultimately to realising the 2050 CBD vision of people living in harmony with nature.


title: Labs in the time of COVID: an early-career scientist's view

text: The outbreak of COVID-19 has stalled both the basic, clinical and non-COVID medical research. The scientific community has shown extraordinary flexibility and resilience in responding to the pandemic. However, funding restructuring, risk of infection, cancelation of scientific conferences and delayed experiments have already proven detrimental to the career opportunities of early-career scientists. Moreover, school closures and a lack of systematic support for childcare have been additional challenges for early- and mid-career researchers who have young children. This Editorial describes an early-career researcher's experience and highlights how after efficiently contributing to ‘flattening the curve’ of COVID-19 infections, the research community has an opportunity for growth and re-structuring.


Es gibt mehr Experten als Patienten


News-Screen Rheumatologie


Große Herausforderung auch für die Pflege: COVID-19: Statement der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Pneumologie — ÖGP


Erfolgreiches Distance Learning: Startvorteil für Privatuniversität UMIT TIROL


pflegebildung


The Adverse Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Healthcare Providers: Time to Start Measuring


title: Appropriate Nurse Staffing Levels for U.S. Nursing Homes

text: US nursing homes are required to have sufficient nursing staff with the appropriate competencies to assure resident safety and attain or maintain the highest practicable level of physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident. Minimum nurse staffing levels have been identified in research studies and recommended by experts. Beyond the minimum levels, nursing homes must take into account the resident acuity to assure they have adequate staffing levels to meet the needs of residents. This paper presents a guide for determining whether a nursing home has adequate and appropriate nurse staffing. We propose five basic steps to: (1) determine the collective resident acuity and care needs, (2) determine the actual nurse staffing levels, (3) identify appropriate nurse staffing levels to meet residents care needs, (4) examine evidence regarding the adequacy of staffing, and (5) identify gaps between the actual staffing and the appropriate nursing staffing levels based on resident acuity. Data sources and specific methodologies are analyzed, compared, and recommended. The goal is to assist nursing home nurses and administrators to ensure adequate nursing home staffing levels that protect resident health, safety, and well-being.


Tocilizumab in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and COVID-19-related cytokine release syndrome()


title: DNV GL says oil & gas industry sees hydrogen as key to decarbonisation

text: A new report from Norwegian-based classification society DNV GL reveals that hydrogen has surged up the priority list of many oil & gas organisations as they work towards decarbonisation of the sector. The analysis says that half of senior oil & gas professionals expect hydrogen to be a significant part of the energy mix by 2030, so the time is right to begin scaling up the hydrogen economy, despite recent oil market shocks.


Plastics and composites maintain growth trajectory through 2020 uncertainties


In the Limelight: July 2020


Leaks of Clinical Trial Data and Research Integrity


Les maladies émergentes, épidémiologie chez le végétal, l'animal et l'homme


COVID-19 impacts global clean energy sector as Chinese battery production capacity set to fall by 10% in 2020


Market outlook: post-COVID-19, what will change?


Do IL-17 Inhibitors Increase Risk of Respiratory Tract Infections?


Brève : Encore des problèmes pour les praticiens à diplômes hors Union européenne


Airway management lessons from case reports of negative outcomes


TiO(2) offers hiked but talks impeded


Biofuels: Gevo in slow motion until 2021


title: ITM Motive set up to manage UK portfolio of hydrogen stations

text: UK-based ITM Power has established the ITM Motive division as a separate, wholly owned subsidiary for the management of the company's hydrogen refueling assets. The division, led by Dr Duncan Yellen as the newly appointed Managing Director, is responsible for the company's ‘build, own and operate' (BOO) portfolio of hydrogen stations in the UK.


Events Calendar


Brève : 6-10 juillet 2020


Global hydrogen peroxide market forecast to experience a CAGR of 5.1% to 2030


Confinement, santé mentale, maladies chroniques


Introduction of a new rubric: “Crises and Disability: Issues, debates, experiences”


Global benzene market report 2020-2030


The Need for Responsible Technology: Inaugural editorial of the Journal of Responsible Technology


Brève : Accès à l'IVG durant la Covid-19


A tool to support the work of surgical teams during the COVID-19 pandemic()


Middle East chemical profile: Polypropylene


We can learn much from the biographies of eminent catalytic scientists – but you have to know where to look


Rappel au ministre: les LBM disponibles pour le déconfinement


Consultation annuelle des associés sur l'approbation des comptes des SELARL


Nel in green hydrogen strategic collaboration with Kvaerner


Inter Pipeline revises cost estimate for Heartland Petrochem Complex


Yesterday heroes, today plague doctors: the dark side of celebration


title: Regulating self-organized collaborative learning: the importance of homogeneous problem perception, immediacy and intensity of strategy use

text: Very often, university students deliberately form self-organized study groups, e.g. to study collaboratively for an upcoming exam. Yet, very little is known about what regulation problems such self-organized study groups encounter during their learning process and how they try to cope with these problems. Therefore, this study investigates how completely self-organized groups (i.e., non-guided groups outside the classroom that form without external impulse) regulate their collaborative learning process when faced with different kinds of regulation problems. More specifically, we tested the hypotheses that members of self-organized study groups are more satisfied with their group learning experience (a) the more homogeneous their problem perceptions are within their group, (b) the more they apply immediate (rather than non-immediate) strategies to remedy their regulation problems, and (c) the more frequently they apply regulation strategies. In a longitudinal study, N = 122 students, voluntarily studying for their exams in N = 52 groups, were asked to indicate the types of problems they experienced, the types of strategies they used to tackle those problems, and their satisfaction with their group learning experience after each of their self-organized study meetings. Hierarchical linear modeling confirmed all hypotheses. Qualitative analysis of two selected groups’ self-reported situational data provided additional insights about the mechanisms that may have contributed to the results. Our study provides important directions for future research, including the recommendation to identify the processes by which groups (a) can reach homogeneity of problem perceptions and (b) coordinate the choice of appropriate strategies within the group.


title: Magnetic Curvatures of a Uniformly Magnetized Tesseroid Using the Cartesian Kernels

text: In recent years, the gravitational curvatures, the third-order derivatives of the gravitational potential (GP), of a tesseroid have been introduced in the context of gravity field modeling. Analogous to the gravity field, magnetic field modeling can be expanded by magnetic curvatures (MC), the third-order derivatives of the magnetic potential (MP), which are the change rates of the magnetic gradient tensor (MGT). Exploiting Poisson’s relations between [Formula: see text] th-order derivatives of the GP and nth-order derivatives of the MP, this paper derives expressions for the MC of a uniformly magnetized tesseroid using the fourth-order derivatives of the GP of a uniform tesseroid expressed in terms of the Cartesian kernel functions. Based on the magnetic effects of a uniform spherical shell, all expressions for the MP, magnetic vector (MV), MGT and MC of tesseroids have been examined for numerical problems due to singularity of the respective integral kernels (i.e., near zone and polar singularity problems). For this, the closed analytical expressions for the MP, MV, MGT and MC of the uniform spherical shell have been provided and used to generate singularity-free reference values. Varying both height and latitude of the computation point, it is found numerically that the near zone problem also exists for all magnetic quantities (i.e., MP, MV, MGT and MC). The numerical tests also reveal that the polar singularity problems do not occur for the magnetic quantity as a result of the use of Cartesian as opposed to spherical integral kernels. This demonstrates that the magnetic quantity including the newly derived MC ‘inherit’ the same numerical properties as the corresponding gravitational functional. Possible future applications (e.g., geophysical information) of the MC formulas of a uniformly magnetized tesseroid could be improved modeling of the Earth’s magnetic field by dedicated satellite missions.


title: Animal models for human disease

text: This chapter introduces some types of animal models which are used for better understanding the disease mechanisms and its treatment. These experimental models fall into two categories: spontaneous models and induced models. Among the diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as an autoimmune disease was considered. To study the pathogenesis of RA, we explained collagen-induced arthritis as an animal model that reflects a characteristic feature of RA patients. In addition, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) as an experimental model for multiple sclerosis (MS) was explained in detail to represent a standard method to investigate in its mechanism, finding the way for the amelioration of this incurable neurological disorder.


title: Green space networks as natural infrastructures in PERI-URBAN areas

text: Focusing on the analysis of green spaces of urban and peri-urban borders, this paper puts into practice a methodology designed for the analysis of green areas and peri-urban spaces as green infrastructures, but from a multifunctional and integrating perspective, as it is stated in the European Strategy for Green Infrastructures and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals. The deadline for implementing European legislation in this area means that strategic plans are being developed at local and regional level. In Spain there are municipal and regional strategies already developed and implemented but the national strategy has not yet been approved. To this end, the development of monitoring and evaluation tools such as the one presented in this article, can help not only in local decision-making, but also in the establishment of common criteria to help assess its future evolution. This research analyses the large peri-urban parks located in the southwest of the Community of Madrid (Spain). The evaluation is carried out from a local to a regional scale applying multifunctionality criteria to the planning, design, execution, maintenance and resilience phases. From the point of view of landscape structures, the findings of this study reflect a high environmental and social services delivery value, which makes it possible to understand the need to create networks to integrate the peri-urban spaces into the city and to attend to and understand the needs of all actors involved: citizens, political leaders, municipal technicians and private companies, providing them a common vision that improves the future of these spaces. This makes them core areas from which to design strategic plans for natural infrastructure and improvement of biodiversity in the urban area, being, likewise, an example that can be extrapolated and applied to large cities whose urban areas are adjoined and where peri-urban parks can be the starting point for designing supramunicipal strategies for open spaces. Based on these results we can conclude that south-west Madrid provides the ideal conditions for implementing a supra-municipal strategy for green infrastructures which, starting with its large forest parks, showcases the periurban areas which connect them with the urban green network. The Móstoles Green Network and Bosquesur are two strategic projects which, together with the forest parks, constitute a working framework based on which the Supra-municipal Strategy for Open Spaces in South-west Madrid can be devised.


title: Cefepime is Associated with Acute Encephalopathy in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Case–Control Study

text: BACKGROUND: Acute encephalopathy (AE) is a common complication of critical illness and is associated with increased short and long-term mortality. In this study, we evaluated the role of cefepime in causing AE. METHODS: Retrospective case–control study involving consecutive patients enrolled in the intensive care units (ICUs) of Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN between July 1, 2004 and December 31, 2015. AE was defined by the presence of delirium or depressed level of consciousness in the absence of deep sedation. Controls were identified as patients not developing AE and were matched by propensity score for age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, 24-h Apache III score and invasive ventilation use. RESULTS: The total number of eligible ICU admissions during our study period was 152,999. AE was present in 57,726 (37.7%) with a median AE duration of 17 (interquartile range [IQR] 4.0–51.8) hours. We matched 14,645 cases with AE with the same number of controls. Cefepime was used in 1241 (4.2%) patients and its use was associated with greater incidence of AE [713 (4.9%) vs 528 (3.6%), p < 0.001] and duration [unit estimate 0.73; (95% CI 0.542–0.918)]. On multivariate analysis, cefepime was associated with an increased likelihood of AE after controlling for shock, midazolam infusion and acute kidney injury [OR 1.24 (95% CI 1.10–1.27)]. These associations were also present after controlling for prior chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSION: The use of cefepime is associated with increased likelihood and duration of AE. These associations are stronger among patients with impaired renal function, but can also occur in patients without renal impairment. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12028-020-01035-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Physik e.V.


New horizons in energy geoscience


Book Recommendations and Roundtable on The Death of Arms Control and the Birth of Putinism 3.0


Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss:Putin ‘Changes’ the Constitution


Racial inequities in HIV


Guest Editors’ Corner


Selected Abstracts from the July Issues of the Journal of Vascular Surgery and the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders(): Editors: Peter Gloviczki and Peter F. Lawrence


title: Continuous versus intermittent short-acting β2-agonists nebulization as first-line therapy in hospitalized children with severe asthma exacerbation: a propensity score matching analysis

text: BACKGROUND: Short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) nebulization is commonly prescribed for children hospitalized with severe asthma exacerbation. Either intermittent or continuous delivery has been considered safe and efficient. The comparative efficacy of these two modalities is inconclusive. We aimed to compare these two modalities as the first-line treatments. METHODS: An efficacy research with a retrospective cohort study design was conducted. Hospital records of children with severe asthma exacerbation admitted to Hat Yai Hospital between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively collected. Children initially treated with continuous salbutamol 10 mg per hour or intermittent salbutamol 2.5 mg per dose over 1–4 h nebulization were matched one-to-one using the propensity score. Competing risk and risk difference regression was applied to evaluate the proportion of children who succeeded and failed the initial treatment. Restricted mean survival time regression was used to compare the length of stay (LOS) between the two groups. RESULTS: One-hundred and eighty-nine children were included. Of these children, 112 were matched for analysis (56 with continuous and 56 with intermittent nebulization). Children with continuous nebulization experienced a higher proportion of success in nebulization treatment (adjusted difference: 39.5, 95% CI 22.7, 56.3, p < 0.001), with a faster rate of success (adjusted SHR: 2.70, 95% CI 1.73, 4.22, p < 0.001). There was a tendency that LOS was also shorter (adjusted mean difference − 9.9 h, 95% CI -24.2, 4.4, p = 0.176). CONCLUSION: Continuous SABA nebulization was more efficient than intermittent nebulization in the treatment of children with severe asthma exacerbation.


title: African swine fever vaccines: a promising work still in progress

text: ABSTRACT: African swine fever (ASF), a disease of obligatory declaration to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), has contributed to poverty and underdevelopment of affected areas. The presence of ASF has been historically neglected in Africa, contributing to its uncontrolled expansion and favouring its spread to continental Europe on at least three occasions, the last one in 2007 through the Republic of Georgia. Since then, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has spread to neighbouring countries, reaching the European Union in 2014, China in the summer of 2018 and spreading through Southeast Asia becoming a global problem. Lack of available vaccines against ASF makes its control even more difficult, representing today the number one threat for the swine industry worldwide and negatively affecting the global commerce equilibrium. MAIN BODY: In this review, we intend to put in perspective the reality of ASF vaccination today, taking into account that investment into ASF vaccine development has been traditionally unattractive, overall since ASF-free areas with large swine industries applied a non-vaccination policy for diseases listed by the OIE. The dramatic situation suffered in Asia and the increasing threat that ASF represents for wealthy countries with large swine industries, has dramatically changed the perspective that both private and public bodies have about ASF vaccinology, although this is controversial. The feasibility of modifying the ASFV genome has led to safe and efficacious experimental recombinant live attenuated viruses (LAVs). The main challenge today will be confirming the safety and efficacy of these technologies in the field, accelerating transfer to the industry for official registration and commercialization. The complexity of ASFV, together with the lack of knowledge about the mechanisms involved in protection and the specific antigens involved in it, requires further investment in research and development. Although far from the efficacy achieved by LAVs, subunit vaccines are the optimal choice for the future. If the world can wait for them or not is a contentious issue. CONCLUSION: Despite their inherent disadvantages, LAVs will be the first technology to reach the market, while subunit vaccines will need much further research to become a successful commercial reality.


Teleurology and digital health app in COVID-19 pandemic


COVID-19: What are the Challenges for NHS Surgery


Ocular manifestations of mycoplasma-induced rash and mucositis


A further analysis of Manning and Fink (2020)


title: Fiocruz Biological Collections: strengthening Brazil's biodiversity knowledge and scientific applications opportunities

text: Biological collections are central in understanding and preserving life on Earth. In Brazil, the most representative collections are kept by natural history museums, whose primary focus is in invertebrates, vertebrates and vascular plants. Only a few institutions keep repositories in different kingdoms. The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), established in 1900, is a strategic public health institution of the Ministry of Health of Brazil. As such, Fiocruz is responsible for a wide range of activities, from basic research to the development and production of vaccines, drugs, reagents and diagnostic kits. Its biological collections were soon established in the expeditions made by naturalists and physicians seeking integrated knowledge of the fauna, flora and tropical diseases. Since then, they have been part of the institutional policy. In a few decades, those collections were already in the forefront of basic and applied research on tropical parasitic and infectious diseases. Currently, they comprise thirty-three repositories representing part of the Brazilian diversity of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths, arthropods, molluscs and plants of medical and environmental importance. Different methods of long-term preservation are applied for the conservation of this wide range of organisms represented by about 6 million specimens. Herein, we describe this range of collections and discuss their complementary role as repositories of groups not represented in other biological collections in Brazil. These valuable biological materials have been used in public health and medical research, as well as for technological development and innovation in Brazil. Parallel to this specific usage, Fiocruz biological collections have played and continue to play a unique and important role in understanding and conserving part of Brazil’s biodiversity that is currently under-represented in other biological and natural history collections in Brazil and South America.


Rethinking transport – towards clean and inclusive mobility (Highlights of the 2020 Transport Research Arena conference)


title: Current Challenges in Vaccinology

text: The development of vaccines, which prime the immune system to respond to future infections, has led to global declines in morbidity and mortality from dreadful infectious communicable diseases. However, many pathogens of public health importance are highly complex and/or rapidly evolving, posing unique challenges to vaccine development. Several of these challenges include an incomplete understanding of how immunity develops, host and pathogen genetic variability, and an increased societal skepticism regarding vaccine safety. In particular, new high-dimensional omics technologies, aided by bioinformatics, are driving new vaccine development (vaccinomics). Informed by recent insights into pathogen biology, host genetic diversity, and immunology, the increasing use of genomic approaches is leading to new models and understanding of host immune system responses that may provide solutions in the rapid development of novel vaccine candidates.


title: The political economy of multilateral lending to European regions

text: We study the political economy of allocation decisions within a major state investment bank. Our focus is the European Investment Bank (EIB) – “The Bank of the EU” – which is the largest multilateral lending (and borrowing) institution in the world. We study the behavior of about 500 national representatives at the EIB’s Board of Directors – the bank’s decisive body for loan approvals – and show that a representative’s appointment increases the probability that the sub-national region where she works receives a loan by about 17 percentage points. This “home-bias” effect is driven by large loans financing infrastructure projects. We discuss several pieces of evidence, which are consistent with the hypothesis that this home-bias lending may be due to favoritism, however, we cannot conclusively demonstrate this case of resource misallocation. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11558-020-09385-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


title: MicroGMT: A Mutation Tracker for SARS-CoV-2 and Other Microbial Genome Sequences

text: With the continued spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus around the world, researchers often need to quickly identify novel mutations in newly sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes for studying the molecular evolution and epidemiology of the virus. We have developed a Python package, MicroGMT, which takes either raw sequence reads or assembled genome sequences as input and compares against database sequences to identify and characterize indels and point mutations. Although our default setting is optimized for SARS-CoV-2 virus, the package can be also applied to any other microbial genomes. The software is freely available at Github URL https://github.com/qunfengdong/MicroGMT.


title: SUMOylation in α-Synuclein Homeostasis and Pathology

text: The accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein are central to Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the molecular mechanisms responsible for these events are not fully understood. Post-translational modifications of α-synuclein regulate several of its properties, including degradation, interaction with proteins and membranes, aggregation and toxicity. SUMOylation is a post-translational modification involved in various nuclear and extranuclear processes, such as subcellular protein targeting, mitochondrial fission and synaptic plasticity. Protein SUMOylation increases in response to several stressful situations, from viral infections to trauma. In this framework, an increasing amount of evidence has implicated SUMOylation in several neurodegenerative diseases, including PD. This review will discuss recent findings in the role of SUMOylation as a regulator of α-synuclein accumulation, aggregation and toxicity, and its possible implication in neurodegeneration that underlies PD.


GeSRU


'In een crisis is perspectief bieden cruciaal'


Jet Bussemaker: hoogleraar en voorzitter


E-health na de grote sprong voorwaarts


title: Haemato-immunological responses and effectiveness of feed-based bivalent vaccine against Streptococcus iniae and Aeromonas hydrophila infections in hybrid red tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × O. niloticus)

text: BACKGROUND: Streptococcosis and Motile Aeromonad Septicemia (MAS) are important diseases of tilapia, Oreochromis spp. and causes huge economic losses in aquaculture globally. The feed-based vaccination may be an alternative to minimize major infectious diseases in tilapia. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the haemato-immunological responses and effectiveness of a newly developed feed-based killed bivalent vaccine against Streptococcus iniae and Aeromonas hydrophila in hybrid red tilapia. A total of 495 hybrid red tilapia of 61.23 ± 4.95 g were distributed into 5 groups (each with triplicate). The fish were immunized orally through bivalent (combined S. iniae and A. hydrophila) spray vaccine (BS group), bivalent formulate vaccine (BF group), monovalent S. iniae vaccine (MS group), monovalent A. hydrophila vaccine (MA group) and unvaccinated as a control group. The vaccine was orally administered on days 0, 14 and 42 applied feed-based bacterin at 5% body weight. The blood and spleen samples were collected from all groups on 7, 21 and 49 days post-vaccination, and also 96 h post-infection to assess their haemato-immune responses. RESULTS: Compared with the unvaccinated group, leukocyte, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes counts in vaccinated groups were significantly (P < 0.05) increased on 21, 49 days post-vaccination and also 96 h post-infection, while erythrocytes, haemoglobin and haematocrit in vaccinated groups were significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced only 96 h post-infection. Additionally, the lysozyme and phagocytic activity and, serum antibody (IgM) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) against S. iniae and A. hydrophila in vaccinated groups compared to the unvaccinated group in the pre- and post-infection. Results from the challenge through co-infection with S. iniae and A. hydrophila showed the relative percent survival (RPS) in BF group was 76.67 ± 4.71%, which had the capacity to induce significant protection (P < 0.05) compared to others groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the bivalent formulate (BF) group could elicit significant non-specific and specific immunological responses with higher protection in hybrid red tilapia. In addition, this newly developed feed-based bivalent vaccination can be a promising technique for effective and large scale fish immunization in the aquaculture industry.


'Ik checkte te laat of anderen genoeg voorraad hadden'


Zoeken naar het nieuwe normaal


Ic-nachtdienst op duizenden kilometers afstand


title: Accumulation of antibiotic-resistant genes in anaerobic biofilm reactor fed with household chemical products

text: This research aims to determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARG) in anaerobic biofilm reactors (ABR) fed with household chemical products (HCP) such as laundry detergents and handwash without any influx of antibiotics. The ABR comprised a three-chamber design with bottom sludge, a middle chamber containing fluidized PVC spiral, and a top chamber with packed coir fiber as a biofilm support medium, respectively. Four different ABRs were simultaneously operated for a prolonged period (200 day) and subjected to variations in physicochemical conditions. The ABRs fed with HCP exhibited solitary accumulation of log (4.4–7.5) ermC gene copies/g VS whereas, ARG was undetectable in glucose fed ABRs indicating that HCP exhibited antimicrobial activities synonyms to Erythromycin. Accumulation of Erythromycin-C (ermC) was relatively higher on the biofilm inhabiting PVC support medium and further accentuated by effluent recycling to log 7.5 ermC gene copies at a ratio of ermC/16S gene copies of 0.65. Physico-chemical factors such as substrate composition, biofilm support medium, and effluent recycling simultaneously elevated the concentration of ermC genes. The results indicated that HCP augments the accumulation of ARG in the microbiome, subsequently, increasing the risk in ARG transmission from sewage treatment plants to the ecology and humans. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s42452-020-3143-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


title: Complicated hospitalization due to influenza: results from the Global Hospital Influenza Network for the 2017–2018 season

text: BACKGROUND: Since 2011, the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) has used active surveillance to prospectively collect epidemiological and virological data on patients hospitalized with influenza virus infection. Here, we describe influenza virus strain circulation in the GIHSN participant countries during 2017–2018 season and examine factors associated with complicated hospitalization among patients admitted with laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. METHODS: The study enrolled patients who were hospitalized in a GIHSN hospital in the previous 48 h with acute respiratory symptoms and who had symptoms consistent with influenza within the 7 days before admission. Enrolled patients were tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to confirm influenza virus infection. “Complicated hospitalization” was defined as a need for mechanical ventilation, admission to an intensive care unit, or in-hospital death. In each of four age strata (< 15, 15–< 50, 50–< 65, and ≥ 65 years), factors associated with complicated hospitalization in influenza-positive patients were identified by mixed effects logistic regression and those associated with length of hospital stay using a linear mixed-effects regression model. RESULTS: The study included 12,803 hospitalized patients at 14 coordinating sites in 13 countries, of which 4306 (34%) tested positive for influenza. Influenza viruses B/Yamagata, A/H3N2, and A/H1N1pdm09 strains dominated and cocirculated, although the dominant strains varied between sites. Complicated hospitalization occurred in 10.6% of influenza-positive patients. Factors associated with complicated hospitalization in influenza-positive patients included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (15–< 50 years and ≥ 65 years), diabetes (15–< 50 years), male sex (50–< 65 years), hospitalization during the last 12 months (50–< 65 years), and current smoking (≥65 years). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (50–< 65 years), other chronic conditions (15–< 50 years), influenza A (50–< 65 years), and hospitalization during the last 12 months (< 15 years) were associated with a longer hospital stay. The proportion of patients with complicated influenza did not differ between influenza A and B. CONCLUSIONS: Complicated hospitalizations occurred in over 10% of patients hospitalized with influenza virus infection. Factors commonly associated with complicated or longer hospitalization differed by age group but commonly included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and hospitalization during the last 12 months.


title: Gaussian bandwidth selection for manifold learning and classification

text: Kernel methods play a critical role in many machine learning algorithms. They are useful in manifold learning, classification, clustering and other data analysis tasks. Setting the kernel’s scale parameter, also referred to as the kernel’s bandwidth, highly affects the performance of the task in hand. We propose to set a scale parameter that is tailored to one of two types of tasks: classification and manifold learning. For manifold learning, we seek a scale which is best at capturing the manifold’s intrinsic dimension. For classification, we propose three methods for estimating the scale, which optimize the classification results in different senses. The proposed frameworks are simulated on artificial and on real datasets. The results show a high correlation between optimal classification rates and the estimated scales. Finally, we demonstrate the approach on a seismic event classification task.


title: To Follow or Not to Follow: Social Norms and Civic Duty during a Pandemic

text: The outbreak of COVID-19 has put substantial pressure on individuals to adapt and change their behaviours. As the hope of a vaccine remains at least a year away, everyone is urged to take action to slow the spread of the virus. Thus, “flattening the curve” has become vital in preventing medical systems from being overrun, and it relies on massive collective action by citizens to follow specific public health measures such as physical distancing, hand washing, and physical isolation for vulnerable individuals. Despite the recommendations, the public has often been confronted with the reality that some individuals are not respecting them, including elected officials (Aguilar, 2020).


title: A chronicle on genetics and the March of Darwinian and Mendelian Medicine

text: Ken Burns, a well-known documentarian has produced a film titled, “The Gene: An Intimate History” based on Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book by the same name. The film focuses sharply on the history of genetics, the science of inheritance and variation, in particular, the gene, the central player in genetics, its discovery, structure and function as well as its myriad influence on development, growth, health, disease and evolution of all organisms. Importantly, he has shown how geneticists, physicians, patients and their families as well as society at large must cooperate, develop mutual trust and share ethical responsibilities in order to predict, prevent, manage and cure many inherited disorders. Mr. Burns has reinforced these ideas beautifully with illustrations, archived film footage, location filming and commentaries. The film also hints at the need for taking a unified Darwinian-Mendelian and Hippocratic approach toward building a healthier human society. In short, this is a beautiful and engrossing documentary on the future of Genetic Medicine.


title: Non-invasive assessment of respiratory muscle activity during pressure support ventilation: accuracy of end-inspiration occlusion and least square fitting methods

text: Pressure support ventilation (PSV) should be titrated considering the pressure developed by the respiratory muscles (P(musc)) to prevent under- and over-assistance. The esophageal pressure (P(es)) is the clinical gold standard for P(musc) assessment, but its use is limited by alleged invasiveness and complexity. The least square fitting method and the end-inspiratory occlusion method have been proposed as non-invasive alternatives for P(musc) assessment. The aims of this study were: (1) to compare the accuracy of P(musc) estimation using the end-inspiration occlusion (P(musc,index)) and the least square fitting (P(musc,lsf)) against the reference method based on P(es); (2) to test the accuracy of P(musc,lsf) and of P(musc,index) to detect overassistance, defined as P(musc) ≤ 1 cmH(2)O. We studied 18 patients at three different PSV levels. At each PSV level, P(musc), P(musc,lsf), P(musc,index) were calculated on the same breaths. Differences among P(musc), P(musc,lsf), P(musc,index) were analyzed with linear mixed effects models. Bias and agreement were assessed by Bland–Altman analysis for repeated measures. The ability of P(musc,lsf) and P(musc,index) to detect overassistance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve. Positive and negative predictive values were calculated using cutoff values that maximized the sum of sensitivity and specificity. At each PSV level, P(musc,lsf) was not different from P(musc) (p = 0.96), whereas P(musc,index) was significantly lower than P(musc). The bias between P(musc) and P(musc,lsf) was zero, whereas P(musc,index) systematically underestimated P(musc) of 6 cmH(2)O. The limits of agreement between P(musc) and P(musc,lsf) and between P(musc) and P(musc,index) were ± 12 cmH(2)O across bias. Both P(musc,lsf) ≤ 4 cmH(2)O and P(musc,index) ≤ 1 cmH(2)O had excellent negative predictive value [0.98 (95% CI 0.94–1) and 0.96 (95% CI 0.91–0.99), respectively)] to identify over-assistance. The inspiratory effort during PSV could not be accurately estimated by the least square fitting or end-inspiratory occlusion method because the limits of agreement were far above the signal size. These non-invasive approaches, however, could be used to screen patients at risk for absent or minimal respiratory muscles activation to prevent the ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction.


title: Regional unemployment and cyclical sensitivity in Spain

text: Unemployment has been routinely used as a measure of the economic cycle. In addition, regional unemployment rates are characterized by, among other factors, their relation to the national unemployment rate. In this regard, the literature on regional sensitivity to the economic cycle has analyzed how fluctuations in the national unemployment rate affect the regions. In recent years, due to the great impact of past crises, the development of new econometric techniques and the possible arrival of new crises, the debate on how sensitive regions are to the economic cycle has reopened. In Spain, this debate is necessary since unemployment rates are very high and display a great deal of heterogeneity. We analyzed regional unemployment rates in Spain between 1978 and 2018 through a recently developed dynamic spatial econometric model with common factors and found that some regions are more sensitive than others to the economic cycle. The results seem to show that in Spain, the sensitivity to the economic cycle displays a geographical pattern where the most sensitive regions are those located on the Mediterranean coast. Specifically, we find that the sensitivity to the economic cycle of unemployment is not determined by the fact that regions have high or low unemployment; it seems that geographical location plays an important role. These results can be useful for the national and regional governments when they implement countercyclical policies.


EAN VIRTUAL 2020 — THE LARGEST NEUROLOGY CONFERENCE IN HISTORY


title: Emergence of multidrug-resistant non-fermentative gram negative bacterial infection in hospitalized patients in a tertiary care center of Nepal

text: OBJECTIVE: This study was designed for the characterization and establishment of antibiotic susceptibility profiles of non-fermentative gram negative bacteria isolated from hospitalized patients in a tertiary care hospital of Nepal. RESULTS: A total of 402 non-fermentative gram negative bacteria was isolated in 1486 culture-positive cases from 6216 different clinical samples obtained from hospitalized patients. Among total non-fermentative gram negative bacterial isolates, the highest number was recovered from specimens collected from lower respiratory tract infections (n = 173, 43.0%) of hospitalized patients followed by pus/swab samples (n = 99, 24.6%) and urinary tract infections (n = 49, 12.2%). The most common non-fermentative gram negative bacteria identified were Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 177, 44.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 161, 40.1%) and Burkholderia cepacia complex (n = 33, 8.2%). These bacterial isolates exhibited a higher rate of insusceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. On the other hand, all the isolates of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii were completely susceptible to colistin sulfate and polymyxin B. Among total isolates, 78.1% (n = 314) were multidrug-resistant with a high rate of multidrug-resistant among A. baumannii (91.0%).


Digitalization, clinical microbiology and infectious diseases


COVID-19 diagnosis through image()


The Humanities in Chest Medicine and CHEST: The Case for a Holistic, Patient-Centered Approach to Delivering Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine in the Twenty-First Century


Erythema multiforme in the context of SARS-Coronavirus-2 infection()


AANA: Education, Innovation, and the Power of Volunteerism


Introducing ASE's Critical Care Echocardiography (CCE) Specialty Interest Group!


ASE: Ready for a New World


title: Strukturiertes fallorientiertes Lernen: Eine Win-win-Situation für Forschung, Lehre und Behandlung

text: Modern case-based eLearning is an excellent tool for skills and communication training, as diagnostic reasoning can be seen as schema-based problem-solving. We report on a patient with coagulation disorder due to chronic substance abuse, in whom reasonable success can only be achieved with an interdisciplinary approach. In this regard, it should be mentioned that there is still little evidence and that more research is needed on this topic.


title: The state of South African media: a space to contest democracy

text: The South African media has played an important political and social role in the two and a half decades since the end of apartheid. Benefiting from strong Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and a vibrant civil society, the South African media have contributed to a culture of democratic debate while playing a watchdog role to keep political power to account through investigative reporting into corruption and malfeasance. Despite these positive developments in the emerging democracy, the role of the South African media has also been strongly contested. The media itself bears the characteristics of the continuing severe socio-economic inequalities in the rest of South African society, and especially the print media have been accused of serving mostly an elite. Normative self-regulatory policy in the country has also been contested and has gone through several revisions in order to be more responsive to the needs of the developing South African society. This article provides an overview of the major issues and debates pertaining to the normative values and ethical practices of the South African media and assesses the extent to which the media emerged as a space where democracy itself was contested.