Clinical Study and Serological Diagnosis of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Sardinian Dogs.

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) comprise a group of infectious diseases caused by a wide range of pathogens transmitted by arthropod vectors. Clinical signs commonly involve symptoms such as fever, anorexia, weight loss, blood disorders, hepatosplenomegaly, and others that can lead to death in dogs with comorbidities. Some pathogens responsible for CVBDs constitute a serious threat to human health due to their zoonotic transmission. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of zoonotic vector-borne diseases (Rickettsia rickettsii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Bartonella henselae, and Leishmania infantum) in domestic Sardinian dogs with and without clinical signs of these pathogens. Blood serum samples were collected from 142 dogs and examined through serological analysis. Clinical signs suggestive of these pathogens were also evaluated. The results obtained showed that 33 (33/140; 23.6%), 22 (22/134; 16.4%), 14 (14/142; 9.9%), 20 (20/66; 30.3%), and 26 (26/108; 24.1%) dogs were seropositive for Rickettsia sp., Anaplasma sp., Ehrlichia sp., Bartonella sp., and Leishmania sp. antibodies, respectively. Among these dogs, 12 dogs presented with at least one clinical sign (8.5%), while 18 (12.7%) showed more than two symptoms at the same time. Furthermore, among the asymptomatic dogs (93/142; 65.5%), 13% (n = 12) tested positive for A. phagocytophilum, 12% (n = 11) tested positive for B. henselae, 9% (n = 8) tested positive for E. canis, 12% (n = 11) tested positive for L. infantum, and 19% (n = 18) tested positive for R. rickettsii. This survey represents the first study assessing different canine vector-borne pathogens in dogs from North Sardinia. Since the pathogens detected here represent emerging zoonotic diseases, these results highlight the need to undertake further studies to increase the knowledge of these under-reported vector-borne pathogens in Sardinia.

Investigating the effect of prescribing status and patient characteristics on the therapeutic outcomes in patients with diabetes using a leftover drug adjustment protocol.

Treatment for diabetes includes anti-diabetic medication in addition to lifestyle improvements through diet and exercise. In Japan, protocol-based pharmacotherapy management allows drug treatment to be provided through cooperation between physicians and pharmacists, based on a protocol that is prepared and agreed upon in advance. However, there are no studies to clarify the relationship between patient characteristics and therapeutic effects after pharmacist intervention in protocol-based pharmacotherapy management for patients with diabetes. Therefore, this study aimed to use protocol-based reports from pharmacies to understand the status of outpatient diabetes medication compliance. We classified patients with diabetes on the basis of patient characteristics that can be collected in pharmacies and investigated the characteristics that impacted diabetes treatment. Patients were prescribed oral anti-diabetic drugs at outpatient clinics of Hitachinaka General Hospital, Hitachi, Ltd., from April 2016 to March 2021. Survey items included patient characteristics (sex, age, number of drugs used, observed number of years of anti-diabetic drug prescription, number of anti-diabetic drug prescription days, and presence or absence of leftover anti-diabetic drugs) and HbA1c levels. Graphical analyses indicated the relationship between each categorised patient characteristic using multiple correspondence analyses. Subsequently, the patients were clustered using K-means cluster analysis based on the coordinates obtained for each patient. Patient characteristics and HbA1c values were compared between the groups for each cluster. A total of 1,910 patients were included and classified into three clusters, with clusters 1, 2, and 3 containing 625, 703, and 582 patients, respectively. Patient characteristics strongly associated with Cluster 1 were ages between 65 and 74 years, use of three or more anti-diabetic drugs, use of 3 years or more of anti-diabetic drugs, and leftover anti-diabetic drugs. Furthermore, Cluster 1 had the highest number of patients with worsening HbA1c levels compared with other clusters. Using the leftover drug adjustment protocol, we clarified the patient characteristics that affected the treatment course. We anticipate that through targeted interventions in patients exhibiting these characteristics, we can identify those who are irresponsibly continuing with drug treatment, are not responding well to therapy, or both. This could substantially improve the efficacy of their anti-diabetic care.

Causal Forest Machine Learning Analysis of Parkinson's Disease in Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence has been used to assist healthcare professionals in detecting and diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we propose a methodology to analyze functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging signals and perform classification between Parkinson's disease patients and healthy participants using Machine Learning algorithms. In addition, the proposed approach provides insights into the brain regions affected by the disease. The functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging from the PPMI and 1000-FCP datasets were pre-processed to extract time series from 200 brain regions per participant, resulting in 11,600 features. Causal Forest and Wrapper Feature Subset Selection algorithms were used for dimensionality reduction, resulting in a subset of features based on their heterogeneity and association with the disease. We utilized Logistic Regression and XGBoost algorithms to perform PD detection, achieving 97.6% accuracy, 97.5% F1 score, 97.9% precision, and 97.7%recall by analyzing sets with fewer than 300 features in a population including men and women. Finally, Multiple Correspondence Analysis was employed to visualize the relationships between brain regions and each group (women with Parkinson, female controls, men with Parkinson, male controls). Associations between the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale questionnaire results and affected brain regions in different groups were also obtained to show another use case of the methodology. This work proposes a methodology to (1) classify patients and controls with Machine Learning and Causal Forest algorithm and (2) visualize associations between brain regions and groups, providing high-accuracy classification and enhanced interpretability of the correlation between specific brain regions and the disease across different groups.

Effects of mask use on cardiopulmonary functions and coronaphobia in the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study among university students.

Mask use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been widely recommended and mandated worldwide. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the potential adverse health effects of mask usage. This study aimed to investigate and evaluate the negative effects of surgical mask use on scientifically proven cardiopulmonary functions in undergraduate and associate degree students, as well as its impact on coronaphobia. A total of 145 volunteer university students (49 males, 96 females, with a mean age of 20 years) were enrolled in the study, which consisted of two 120-minute sessions. Blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure were assessed before and immediately after each session. The Coronavirus-19 Phobia Scale was utilized to measure levels of COVID-19 phobia. While a time-dependent decrease in oxygen saturation level, blood pressure, and heart rate was measured when vital signs were evaluated at 1 and 120 minutes, none of the values fell outside the reference range. The study also investigated the effects of mask use on various symptoms including headaches, visual impairment, facial discomfort, earaches, shortness of breath, and anxiety. Significantly increased occurrences of all these symptoms were observed at the 60th and 120th minute compared with the baseline. The participants enrolled in the study demonstrated a moderate level of COVID-19 phobia based on the mean total score. Furthermore, high scores were recorded in the psychological and social sub-dimensions, while lower scores were recorded in the economic and psychosomatic sub-dimensions. In the post-COVID-19 normalization phase, the use of a surgical mask during a 120-minute course was found to have no significant impact on cardiopulmonary functions, but moderately affected coronaphobia scores.

Case presentation and management of Lyme disease patients: a 9-year retrospective analysis in France.

Introduction: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector disease in temperate countries of the northern hemisphere. It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. Methods: To study the case presentation of LB in France, we contacted about 700 physicians every year between 2003 and 2011. An anonymous questionnaire was established allowing the collection of 3,509 cases. The information collected was imported or directly entered into databases and allowed identifying variables that were validated in a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Results: Sixty percent of the cases were confirmed, 10% were probable, 13.5% doubtful, 10.2% asymptomatic seropositive and 6.3% were negative. The clinical manifestations reported were cutaneous (63%), neurological (26%), articular (7%), ocular (1.9%) and cardiac (1.3%). Almost all patients were treated. When focusing more particularly on confirmed cases, our studies confirm that children have a distinct clinical presentation from adults. There is a gender effect on clinical presentation, with females presenting more often with erythema migrans or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans than males, while males present more often with neurological signs or arthritis than females. Discussion: This is the first time that a comprehensive study of suspected Lyme borreliosis cases has been conducted over several years in France. Although we were not able to follow the clinical course of patients after treatment, these results suggest the interest of refining the questionnaire and of following up a cohort of patients over a sufficiently long period to obtain more information on their fate according to different parameters.

Factores pronósticos de síndrome cardio-pulmonar y muerte por hantavirus Andes Sur: estudio de cohorte en San Carlos de Bariloche y su zona de influencia sanitaria / Prognostic factors for cardio-pulmonary syndrome and death by hantavirus Andes Sur: cohort study in San Carlos de Bariloche and health influence área

Resumen Las infecciones por hantavirus, ocurren a través de la inhalación de aerosoles provenientes de excretas de roedores infectados. Estos virus causan síndrome cardiopulmonar en el caso de la variante Andes Sur, con una mortalidad que puede alcanzar el 50%. Se presenta como casos esporádicos o en pequeños conglomerados, en los que predomina el contagio interhumano. En este estudio observacional de tipo cohorte histórica, en personas infectadas con hantavirus Andes Sur durante los años 2009 a 2019 que fueron asistidas en el subsector público de salud de San Carlos de Bariloche(Argentina), se buscó identificar factores que pudieran predecir mala evolución (síndrome cardiopulmonar y muerte). Para ello se caracterizó el riesgo para cada una de las variables y, para obtener información clave sobre las relaciones entre las mismas, se aplicó además un análisis de correspondencias múltiples. Durante el período de estudio, 38 personas fueron incluidas. La edad media fue de 35 años. Se sospechó contagio de persona a persona en 10/38 (26.8%) casos. El 21.1% (8/28) tuvo al momento del diagnóstico un síndrome pulmonar por hantavirus. Mientras que, 55.3% (21/38) lo desarrolló durante su evolución y 44.7% (17/38) de los infectados fallecieron durante la internación. La edad mayor a 15 años y la plaquetopenia, se asociaron con un mayor riesgo de progresión clínica, mientras que las formas de leves o las personas asintomáticas, el contagio persona a persona o durante un brote epidemiológico, se asociaron con un menor riesgo de muerte.

Abstract Hantavirus infections occur through the inhalation of aerosols from the excreta of infected rodents. These viruses cause a cardiopulmonary syn drome in the case of the Andes Sur variant, with a mortality that can reach 50%. It occurs in sporadic cases or in small clusters, in which interhuman contagion predominates. In this historical cohort-type observational study, in people infected with Andes Sur hantavirus during the years 2009 to 2019 who was assisted in the public health subsector of San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina), it was sought to identify factors that could predict poor evolution (cardiopulmonary syndrome and death). For this, the risk for each of the variables was characterized and, to obtain key information about the relationships between them, a multiple correspondence analysis was also applied. During the study period, 38 people were included. The mean age was 35 years. Person-to-person contagion was suspected in 10/38 (26.8%) cases. 21.1% (8/28) presented a hantavirus pulmonary syndrome at the time of diagnosis, while 55.3% (21/38) developed it during their evolution, and 44.7% (17/38) of those infected died during hospitalization. Age over 15 years and thrombocytopenia were associated with a higher risk of clinical progression, while mild forms or asymptomatic people, person-to-person transmission, or during an epidemiological outbreak, were associated with a lower risk of death.

Evaluación de la variabilidad fenotípica en Simarouba amara Aubl., mediante descriptores cualitativos y cuantitativos / Assessment of phenotypic variability in Simarouba amara Aubl., through qualitative and quantitative descriptors / Avaliação da variabilidade fenotípica em Simarouba amara Aubl.,usando descritores qualitativos e quantitativos

Resumen Dentro de las estrategias de evaluación de especies forestales nativas por parte de la Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - AGROSAVIA, se encuentra la caracterización fenotípica. Con el propósito de validar el uso de descriptores morfológicos y determinar la variabilidad fenotípica de la colección de trabajo del Centro de Investigación La Libertad ubicado en el piedemonte llanero (Villavicencio, Meta); se evaluaron 121 individuos de machaco (Simarouba amara Aubl.) de 6.2 años de edad, por medio de 34 descriptores de planta, hoja y fruto. Los datos cualitativos y cuantitativos se analizaron mediante análisis de correspondencias múltiples y análisis de componentes principales respectivamente, con el fin de reducir la dimensionalidad de los datos, seguido de análisis de conglomerados, utilizando el algoritmo de WARD para el agrupamiento de los individuos. Los resultados obtenidos permitieron identificar que el volumen de tronco presentó la mayor variabilidad (31.13%) y las variables cuantitativas asociadas al tamaño y diámetro de la copa, diámetro de fuste, volumen del tronco, longitud y ancho de la hoja, altura total y de copa presentaron las mayores correlaciones con los tres primeros componentes principales (57.82%). Se obtuvieron nueve conglomerados que reúnen el 95.73% de la variabilidad original y en los cuales se encontraron individuos potencialmente útiles con fines maderables, arboricultura y sistemas agroforestales. La forma del fuste, la altura de ramificación y de bifurcación, el tipo de corteza y el hábito de fructificación presentaron mínima variación en los individuos, contrario a la rectitud del fuste y la forma de la copa.

Abstract Phenotyping is one of the strategies used by Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA) for evaluating native forest species. One hundred and twenty-one 6.2 year-old mountain damson/stavewood/bitterwood/paradise trees (Simarouba amara Aubl. commonly known as machaco in Colombia) were evaluated using 34 plant, leaf and fruit descriptors to validate the use of morphological descriptors and determine the phenotype variability of AGROSAVIA's La Libertad Research Centre's working collection. The centre is located in the foothills of Colombia's eastern plains (Villavicencio, Meta). Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used for analysing qualitative data and principal component analysis (PCA) for +data to reduce dataset dimensionality; this was followed by cluster analysis, using Ward's method (minimum variance method or Ward's minimum - agglomerative algorithm) for hierarchical cluster analysis for grouping the trees. The results led to identifying that the wood volume descriptor had the greatest variability (31.13%) and the quantitative variables associated with crown size and diameter, stem diameter, trunk volume, leaf length and width, total and crown height had the greatest correlation with the first three components (57.82%). Nine clusters were obtained (accounting for 95.73% of original variability) and in which trees were found for timber, arboriculture and agroforestry system purposes. The trees' stem shape, branch height and bifurcation, the type of bark and fruiting habits had minimum variation, contrary to the that found regarding stem straightness and crown shape.

Resumo Dentro das estratégias de avaliação de espécies florestais nativas pela Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation - AGROSAVIA, está a caracterização fenotípica. A fim de validar o uso de descritores morfológicos e determinar a variabilidade fenotípica da coleção de trabalhos do Centro de Pesquisa La Libertad localizado no sopé da planície, (Villavicencio, Meta); 121 indivíduos de machaco (Simarouba amara Aubl.) de 6,2 anos de idade foram avaliados por meio de 34 descritores de planta, folha e fruto. Os dados qualitativos e quantitativos foram analisados por meio da análise de correspondência múltipla e da análise de componentes principais, respectivamente, a fim de reduzir a dimensionalidade dos dados, seguida da análise de cluster, por meio do algoritmo WARD, para agrupamento dos indivíduos. Os resultados obtidos permitiram identificar que o volume do tronco apresentou a maior variabilidade (31,13%) e as variáveis quantitativas associadas ao tamanho e diâmetro da copa, diâmetro do caule, volume do tronco, comprimento e largura da folha, total a altura e a copa apresentaram as maiores correlações com os três primeiros componentes principais (57,82%). Foram obtidos nove aglomerados que atendem a 95,73% da variabilidade original e nos quais foram encontrados indivíduos potencialmente úteis para fins madeireiros, arboricultura e sistemas agroflorestais. O formato do caule, a altura da ramificação e bifurcação, o tipo de casca e o hábito de frutificação apresentaram variação mínima nos indivíduos, ao contrário da retidão do caule e do formato da copa.

Socio-economic and technological typology of avocado cv. Hass farms from Antioquia (Colombia) / Tipologia socioeconômica e tecnológica do abacate cv. Granjas Hass de Antioquia (Colômbia)

ABSTRACT: A typology of avocado cv. Hass farms was constructed based on information collected from productive units in Antioquia, Colombia. The study aimed to provide key information about the farms for those involved in the design of programs and public policies directed to growers. The data were scrutinized through Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Cluster Analysis. The sample was made up of 214 growers of the crop. Quantitative and qualitative variables were employed for the MCA, which rendered 40 dimensions, out of which 16 accounted for 70% of the total inertia (variance) found in the data. These 16 dimensions were used as input for the Cluster Analysis, which provided the following results: 52%, 32% and 15% of the farms were located in Clusters 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The identified farm types can be associated to peasant (Cluster 1) and commercial (Cluster 3) agricultural schemes, plus a transition between them (Cluster 2). The most discriminating variables regarding such categorization were: farm size, farm registry at ICA (Colombian Agricultural Institute), Avocado cv. Hass yield, labor source, presence of crops other than avocado, existence of formal commercial alliances and technical assistance type. The percentage of farmers belonging to grower organizations was high in the three clusters. Growers in Clusters 3 and 2 had established formal commercial alliances which enabled them to access better sale prices for the crop. A trend towards establishing cv. Hass as a monocrop is observed, which may threaten both crop biodiversity and the food security of peasant growers.

RESUMO: Uma tipologia de fazendas produtoras de abacate cv. Hass foi realizada a partir de informações levantadas em unidades produtivas no departamento de Antioquia, Colômbia. O objetivo do estudo foi fornecer informações importantes sobre as fazendas produtoras da variedade de abacate Hass, com o intuito de apoiar a elaboração de programas e políticas públicas destinados aos produtores desta variedade. Métodos estatísticos multivariados como Análise de Correspondência Múltipla (ACM) e Análise de Clusters foram utilizados. A amostra foi composta por 214 produtores de abacate cv. Hass. Variáveis ​​categóricas de tipo quantitativo e qualitativo foram utilizadas no ACM, o que permitiu a obtenção de 40 dimensões, das quais 16 continham 70% da inércia total (variância) presente nos dados. As 16 dimensões serviram como entrada para a Análise de Clusters, a qual produziu os seguintes resultados: 52%, 32% e 15% das fazendas estiveram localizadas nos Clusters 1, 2 e 3, respectivamente. Os tipos de fazendas identificados podem ser associados a esquemas de agricultura camponesa (Cluster 1), agricultura comercial (Cluster 3), e uma transição entre elas (Cluster 2). Variáveis ​​como a fonte de trabalho, a presença de culturas diferentes ao abacate, a existência de alianças comerciais formais e o tipo de assistência técnica recebida são as mais diferenciadas em relação a esta categorização. A percentagem de produtores pertencentes a organizações de produtores foi alta nos três clusters. Os produtores dos Clusters 3 e 2 estabeleceram alianças formais de negócios, o que lhes permitiu ter acesso a melhores preços de venda da cultura. Há uma tendência a estabelecer o abacate cv. Hass como uma monocultura, o que pode ameaçar tanto a diversidade da agricultura quanto a segurança alimentar dos produtores camponeses.

O uso da análise de correspondências múltiplas (ACM) na pesquisa: o auxílio da tabela de proporções condicionais / The use of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) in research: the aid of conditional proportions table

A análise de correspondências múltiplas (ACM) é uma técnica pertinente para a psicologia, pois permite estudar associações entre diversas variáveis categóricas tais como características individuais e respostas a questionários, produzindo um mapa que permite visualizá-las. No entanto, é frequentemente mal interpretada, pois trabalha com um nível alto de dimensões, o que torna difícil verificar os dados originais. O trabalho apresenta uma técnica auxiliar para a ACM, a tabela de proporções condicionais, que apresenta as proporções das variáveis incluídas isoladamente e em relações bivariadas, possibilitando a identificação de associações e sua magnitude de modo concreto. O trabalho inclui a aplicação empírica de análise de atribuições de tarefas domésticas a homens e mulheres, proveniente de pesquisa com 958 adultos que forneceram opiniões em levantamento de dados realizado no interior do Brasil. A principal contribuição da tabela de proporções condicionais está no esforço de tornar mais acessível e precisa a utilização da ACM para pesquisadores de psicologia.

Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) is a relevant technique for psychology, since it allows the study of associations among various categorical variables such as individual characteristics or questionnaires responses, producing a map that makes it possible to visualize them. However, it is often misinterpreted as it deals with a high level of dimensions that makes it difficult to verify the original data. The paper presents an auxiliary technique for MCA, the conditional proportions table, which presents the proportions of the included variables in isolation and in bivariate relationships, enabling the identification of associations and their size in a concrete way. The paper includes an empirical application of the analysis of the attribution of domestic tasks to men and women, from a study with 958 adults who provided their opinions on a survey carried out in the Brazilian countryside. The main contribution of the conditional proportions table lies in the effort of making the use of MCA more accessible and precise for psychology researchers.

Factores asociados a la disposición por el teletrabajo entre docentes universitarios / Factors associated with the disposition for telework amon university teachers

Son múltiples los beneficios reportados alrededor del mundo con referencia a la adopción del teletrabajo, y es ampliamente recomendada su implementación para actividades relacionadas con la gestión del conocimiento y la información. Pero es muy escasa la investigación adelantada al respecto en el sector educativo. La presente investigación se propuso determinar qué factores inciden con la disposición hacia la adopción del teletrabajo entre profesores universitarios. Se aplicó una encuesta entre 118 profesores de universidades públicas y privadas del sector del Eje Cafetero-Colombia en donde se recolectó información relacionada con aspectos individuales, actividades tele-trabajables, percepción y actitud hacia el uso de TIC, aptitud para el manejo de TIC, y aspectos relacionados con su entorno laboral. Se aplicaron pruebas de independencia, análisis de correspondencias múltiples y regresión logística. Se detecta una alta disposición hacia la adopción del teletrabajo entre profesores universitarios. Entre los factores asociados hacia el interés por teletrabajar surgen principalmente los relacionados con los aspectos aptitudinales y actitudinales hacia el uso de las TIC en las actividades laborales, mientras que por el contrario, los aspectos individuales, el entorno laboral y el tipo de actividades realizadas presentan muy poca incidencia en la disposición a teletrabajar.

Multiple benefits are reported around the world with reference to the adoption of telework, and is widely recommended its implementation in activities related to knowledge management and information. But there is little research in the education sector. This research aims to determine what factors affect the disposition towards adoption of telework among university teachers. A survey was done among 118 teachers from public and private universities of a region of Colombia where related information with individual aspects, teleworking activities, perceptions and attitudes towards the use of ICT, aptitude for the management of ICT, and aspects related to their work environment was collected. Tests of independence, multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression were applied. A high disposition towards the adoption of telework among academics is detected. Among the factors associated to the interest in telecommuting arise primarily those related to the aptitudinal and attitudinal aspects to the use of ICT in work activities, while on the contrary, the individual aspects, the working environment and the type of activities have very little impact on the willingness to telework.

Acoso en el ambiente escolar: análisis de un cuestionario mediante Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem y Análisis de Correspondencias Múltiples / Analysis of a School Bullying Questionnaire Using Item Response Theory and Multiple Correspondence Analysis

En este estudio se reanalizaron los datos de Cepeda C., Pacheco Durán, García Barco y Piraquive Peña (2008) mediante un modelo de Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem (TRI), y mediante Análisis de Correspondencias Múltiples (ACM) y de clasificación. Se encontró que las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario de acoso escolar son bastante buenas (α = 0.96 y buen ajuste al modelo unidimensional a partir del análisis paralelo). Además, se presentan las coincidencias entre los resultados de los dos tipos de análisis, y se encuentran resultados similares a otros estudios en Colombia. Los resultados de este estudio indican que el cuestionario analizado es una medida válida y confiable del acoso en el contexto escolar.

This study presents reanalyzes of Cepeda et al. (2008)'s data using an Item Response Theory (IRT) model and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Both internal consistency (α = 0.96) and fit to the unidimensionality assumption (per parallel analysis) were found to be satisfactory. Coincidences between both analyses are shown. The percentage of students affected by bullying in the sample is similar to that found in other studies in Colombia. Finally, the questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable measure of bullying.