COVID-19 and liver injury: An ongoing challenge

The new coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARSCoV-2)was identified in December 2019,in Wuhan,China.The virus was rapidly spread worldwide,causing coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Although COVID-19 is presented,usually,with typical respiratory symptoms(i.e.,dyspnea,cough)and fever,extrapulmonary manifestations are also encountered.Liver injury is a common feature in patients with COVID-19 and ranges from mild and temporary elevation of liver enzymes to severe liver injury and,even,acute liver failure.The pathogenesis of liver damage is not clearly defined;multiple mechanisms contribute to liver disorder,including direct cytopathic viral effect,cytokine storm and immune-mediated hepatitis,hypoxic injury,and druginduced liver toxicity.Patients with underlying chronic liver disease(i.e.,cirrhosis,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,alcohol-related liver disease,hepatocellular carcinoma,etc.)may have greater risk to develop both severe COVID-19 and further liver deterioration,and,as a consequence,certain issues should be considered during disease management.The aim of this review is to present the prevalence,clinical manifestation and pathophysiological mechanisms of liver injury in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Moreover,we overview the association between chronic liver disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection and we briefly discuss the management of liver injury during COVID-19.

Estimation of quality of life in Cypriot patients with inflammatory bowel disease

AIM To investigate the health-related quality of life(HRQoL)of patients suffering with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).METHODS The Greek validated version of the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire was used for evaluating the quality of life of IBD patients.The questionnaire was distributed to 100 consecutive patients suffering from IBD and presenting for a clinic appointment at the endoscopy unit of Larnaca General Hospital during the period from October to November 2012.The criteria for participating in this study were constituted by the documented diagnosis of either ulcerative colitis(UC)or Crohn’s disease(CD)after endoscopy and histologic examination at least 6 months before the study,adult patients(18 years old or older),the capability of verbal communication and the patient’s written consent for attending this study.The majority of the questionnaires were completed by a nurse practitioner who specializesin IBD patient care.RESULTS Regarding the physical dimension in patients with UC,males scored significantly higher than females(4.2 vs3.4,P=0.023).Higher scores were also observed in UC patients younger than 35 or older than 50 years(4.0 and 4.2 vs 3.2,respectively,P=0.021).The psychological dimension revealed similar results in patients with UC,with males,and older ages scoring higher(5.0 vs 3.0,P=0.01 and 4.7 vs 2.7,P<0.5,respectively),whereas regarding CD higher scores were observed in married compared to unmarried(3.83vs 2.33,P=0.042).No statistical differences in any parameters in the social dimension were observed.Regarding the treatment of,patients with CD,overall higher scores were observed when treated with biological factors compared to standard therapy in all dimensions but with statistical significant difference in the social dimension(5.00 vs 3.25,P=0.045).CONCLUSION The study reveals a negative impact of IBD on HRQo L.Increased risks are age and gender in patients with UC and family status in patients with CD.

Views of Parents and Teachers on Ways to Improve the Primary School’s Response to Children with Chronic Diseases

Many children with chronic diseases attend regular classes in public elementary schools,and their various needs are becoming a great challenge for the school and the educational system.Parents and teachers have the care giving responsibility for these children,but they do not always have the support or the means to meet those needs.Therefore,the school faces significant difficulties in responding to the challenge of attending to students with chronic diseases.This study’s purpose is to assess,through an exploratory approach,the opinions of parents and teachers regarding what they consider to be the basic needs of the school to improve its response to the challenge of chronic diseases.Our methodology is qualitative,and we conducted interviews with 28 parents and teachers during the school year 2019-2020.We analyzed our data by applying the Thematic Content Analysis method.According to our findings,parents and teachers believe that if the teachers receive proper training on chronic diseases and specialists are integrated into schools,the response to the challenge will improve dramatically.

Delisting in Athens Stock Exchange

The scope of this paper is to contribute to the question of delisting (both voluntary and involuntary), with particular emphasis on the initial conditions leading up to the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the firms. The case of Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) is examined, specifically the IPOs of years 1996-2004 and their subsequent performance (delisting or not) till the end of 2017. We find that the probability of delisting is positively associated with the size of the issuance and the degree of earnings’ manipulation and negatively associated with audit quality, information transparency, and market timing. The effects of audit quality, size of issuance, and earnings’ manipulation are accentuated in instances of voluntary delisting while the effect of market timing is more clearly pronounced in instances of involuntary delisting. Our results are robust to a number of confounding factors including size, profitability, leverage, liquidity, growth options, and corporate governance. Our work is not replication of existing studies;in addition, we choose ASE as in that capital market there were many delistings the last two decades.

The Relationship Between Parents’ Demographic Factors and Parenting Styles: Effects on Children’s PsychologicalAdjustment

The present study explored the extent to which parent’s demographic characteristics,such as age,gender,education,place of residence,and family income have an influence on the parental style they adopt and consequently on their perception of their children’s psychological adjustment in regards to their family relationships,peer relationships,school performance,and the development of their self-esteem.Various studies conducted in the past as well as in recent years indicate that parental demographic characteristics are significantly linked with parenting behavior(parental styles)and predict the way parents perceive their children’s adjustment,development,and school achievement.The present study was quantitative and we applied three different self-report questionnaires,namely,a Personal Information Form(PIF)for the demographic data,the Parental Authority Styles(PAQ)Questionnaire,and the Questionnaire of Children’s Family Relations,School Performance,Social Competence,and Self-Esteem.We administered the instruments to 336 Cypriot parents(23%fathers and 77%mothers).Our results showed that parent’s demographics are significantly related to the parenting styles they adopt.Furthermore,authoritative parenting is significantly correlated with positive parental perceptions of children’school performance,family relationships,social skills,and self-esteem.On the contrary,authoritarian parenting is a significant negative predictor to parental perceptions of children’s adjustment in the aforementioned areas of development.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety and Loneliness Levels of Elderly People and the Role of Counseling on Their Wellbeing

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused confusion and upset in many areas of life,resulting in humanity’s rapid adjustment to changes to contain the virus.The high infection rates have stipulated many governments to introduce severe restrictions on individual freedoms to minimize broader contagion.These strict hygienic protocols have disrupted the daily routines of many people of all ages,especially third-age citizens.The elderly,one of the most vulnerable sections of the population,seem to be paying the highest toll in terms of contagion and deaths.In this study we aim to investigate the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic contagion measures have impacted the loneliness and anxiety levels of third-age citizens(65+)in Cyprus and Greece and to explore the potential role of counseling in improving their psychological well-being.Quarantine and social isolation measures have eliminated the social life of senior citizens,creating the potential for loneliness and anxiety symptoms making the need for supportive mechanisms,e.g.,through counseling,even more imminent.Our research is quantitative.We collected data through an online survey that included the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale and the UCLA Loneliness Scale.Our sample consisted of 156 Greeks and Cypriots of both genders aged 65-85 years old.Findings indicated very high levels of anxiety and loneliness,with values on both scales rising above average.Only a tiny percentage of third-age citizens were able to access counseling services during the social isolation measures.

AMC Integrated Multilayer Wearable Antenna for Multiband WBAN Applications

In this paper,a compact,efficient and easy to fabricate wearable antenna integrated with Artificial Magnetic Conductor(AMC)is presented.Addition of slots and bevels/cuts in the rectangular monopole patch antenna yield a wide bandwidth along with band notches.The proposed antenna is backed with an AMC metasurface that changes the bidirectional radiation pattern to a unidirectional,thus,considerably reducing the Specific Absorption Ratio(SAR).The demonstrated antenna has a good coverage radiating away from the body and presents reduced radiation towards the body with a front-to-back ratio of 13 dB and maximum gain of 3.54 dB.The proposed design operates over a wide frequency band of 2.9 to 12 GHz(exceeding the designated 3.1−10.6 GHz Ultra-Wideband(UWB)band).The band notches were created using slots on the radiating patch in the sub-bands from 5.50 to 5.67 GHz and 7.16 to 7.74 GHz.The overall dimensions of the structure are 33×33×6.75 mm3.The antenna’s radiation performance increased considerably with the addition of the AMC layer.The SAR values for the antenna are reduced by 85.3%when the AMC is used and are 0.083 W/kg which is well below the FCC SAR limits.The simple design,miniaturized profile,low SAR and wide operating bands with multiple band notches make the presented antenna an appealing choice for several UWB wearable body area network(WBAN)applications.

Sonothromblysis in Combination with Thrombolytic Drugs in a Rabbit Model Using MRI-Guidance

The potential of MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) combined with the thrombolytic drug recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), to dissolve clots in the carotid of a New Zealand rabbitin vivois evaluated. A spherically-focused transducers of 5 cmdiameter;focusing at10 cmand operating at 1 MHz was used. A pulsed ultrasound protocol was used that maintains a tissue temperature increase of less than 1℃?in the clot (called safe temperature). MRgFUS has the potentials to dissolve clots that are injected in the carotid of rabbits in vivo. It was found that the time needed for opening the carotid artery using ultrasound and rt-PA was decreased compared to just using rt-PA. The proposed protocol was monitored using Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) every 1 min.

Simulation of the Thermal and Mechanical Effects of a Planar Rectangular High Intensity Ultrasound Transducer to Be Used for Destroying Atherosclerotic Plaque

The aim of this study is to perform a simulation study of the thermal and mechanical effects of a flat rectangular (3×10 mm2),MRI compatible transducer operating at 5 MHz for the purpose of destroying atherosclerotic plaque. The simulation study focuses on measuring the plaque destruction (due to the thermal of mechanical mode of ultrasound) as a function of power, time, frequency, duty factor and pulse duration. The main goal is to keep the artery temperature at a safe level. The simulation study shows that with the thermal mode the temperature in the artery cannot be kept at a safe level.

Evaluation of Regular Multistory Buildings Using IBC2009 Code and ESEE Regulations by Pushover Analysis Method

For structural design and assessment of reinforced concrete members, the nonlinear analysis has become an important tool. The purpose of the pushover analysis is to assess the structural performance by estimating the strength and deformation capacities using static, nonlinear analysis and comparing these capacities with the demands at the corresponding performance levels. This paper aims to compare the results given by IBC2009 code and ESEE regulations. In this paper, four RC frames having 5, 15, 20 and 30 storeys were designed for seismicity according to both the recently adopted seismic code in Abu Dhabi (IBC2009) and the ESEE regulations. A pushover analysis is carried out for these buildings using SAP2000 (Ver. 15) and the ultimate capacities of the buildings are established. The obtained pushover curves and plastic hinges distributions are used to compare between the IBC2009 code and ESEE regulations. The comparison showed that there was variation in the obtained results by the two codes and the buildings designed by IBC2009 code were more vulnerable.

High association strengths are linked to phenotypic similarity,including plumage color and patterns,of participants in mixed-species bird flocks of southwestern China

Participants in mixed-species bird flocks(MSFs)have been shown to associate with species that are similar in body size,diet,and evolutionary history,suggesting that facilitation structures these assemblages.In addition,several studies have suggested that species in MsFs resemble each other in their plumage,but this question has not been systematically investigated for any MsF system.During the nonbreeding season of 2020 and 2021,we sampled 585 MSFs on 14 transects in 2 habitats of Tongbiguang Nature Reserve in western Yunnan Province,China.We performed social network analysis and the Multiple Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure to evaluate the effect of 4 species traits(body size,overall plumage color,distinctive plumage patterns,and diet)and evolutionary history on species association strength at the whole-MSF and within-MSF levels.All 41 significant relationships showed that species with stronger associations were more similar in their various traits.Body size had the strongest effect on association strength,followed by phylogeny,plumage patterns,and plumage color;diet had the weakest effect.Our results are consistent with the hypotheses that the benefits of associating with phenotypically similar species outweigh the potential costs of interspecific competition,and that trait matching can occur in plumage characteristics,albeit more weakly than in other traits.Several explanations exist as to why similarities in plumage may occur in MSFs,including that they could reduce predators'ability to target phenotypically"odd"individuals.Whether trait matching in plumage occurs through assortative processes in ecological time or is influenced by co-evolution requires furtherstudy.

Sensing Properties of Femtosecond Laser-Inscribed Long Period Gratings in Photonic Crystal Fiber

为在 photonic 水晶纤维的长时期纤维栅栏的铭文的近红外线的、高紧张 femtosecond 激光脉搏的使用被报导。在 photonic 水晶纤维的栅栏结构的形成由允许波浪指导，但是损害并且散布 femtosecond 铭文横梁的纤维结构是复杂的。对称、不对称的 femtosecond 激光铭文的效果被比较，到外部不安的长时期栅栏和他们的回答的极化特征被报导。