bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased branching independent of strigolactone in cytokinin oxidase 2-overexpressing tomato is mediated by reduced auxin transport
Authors: Pino Lilian Ellen , Lima Joni E. , Vicente Mateus H. , de Sá Ariadne F. L. , Pérez-Alfocea Francisco , Albacete Alfonso , Costa Juliana L. , Werner Tomáš , Schmülling Thomas , Freschi Luciano , Figueira Antonio , Zsögön Agustin , Peres Lázaro E. P.
Published: May 2022

Tomato production is influenced by shoot branching, which is controlled by different hormones. Here we produced tomato plants overexpressing the cytokinin-deactivating geneCYTOKININ OXYDASE 2(CKX2).CKX2-overexpressing (CKX2-OE) plants showed an excessive growth of axillary shoots, the opposite phenotype expected for plants with reduced cytokinin content, as evidenced by LC-MS analysis andARR5-GUSstaining. The TCP transcription factorSlBRC1bwas downregulated in the axillary buds of CKX2-OE and its excessive branching was dependent on a functional version of the GRAS-family geneLATERAL SUPPRESSOR(LS). Grafting experiments indicated that increased branching in CKX2-OE plants is unlikely to be mediated by root-derived signals. Crossing CKX2-OE plants with transgenic antisense plants for the strigolactone biosynthesis geneCAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE(CCD7-AS) produced an additive phenotype, indicating independent effects of cytokinin and strigolactones on increased branching. On the other hand, CKX2-OE plants showed reduced polar auxin transport and their bud outgrowth was reduced when combined with auxin mutants. Accordingly, CKX2-OE basal buds did not respond to auxin applied in the decapitated apex. Our results suggest that tomato shoot branching depends on a fine-tuning of different hormonal balances and that perturbations in the auxin status could compensate for the reduced cytokinin levels in CKX2-OE plants.
The Evolving Treatment Landscape in BRAF-V600E–Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Tabernero Josep , Ros Javier , Élez Elena
Published: May 2022

Between 8% and 12% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) harbor a BRAF-V600E mutation in their tumors, which is associated with a poor response to standard chemotherapy and short overall survival. Moreover, nearly 30% of BRAF-V600E mCRC tumors also have microsatellite instability. Transcriptomic signatures suggest a strong immunogenic biologic background for most of these tumors. In contrast to the melanoma context, single-agent BRAF inhibition does not achieve clinical benefit in BRAF-V600E mCRC. Different preclinical/translational studies have elucidated that, in this context, upon BRAF inhibition, there is immediate signal upregulation via the EGFR, and therefore an anti-EGFR treatment should be added to the BRAF inhibitor. Several phase II studies have confirmed the activity of BRAF inhibitors combined with EGFR-directed monoclonal antibodies in patients with BRAF-V600E mCRC. The role of other mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase or PI3K inhibitors, remains unclear. The phase III BEACON clinical trial confirmed the BRAF/EGFR inhibitor combination of encorafenib/cetuximab as the new standard of care for BRAF-V600E mCRC after at least one previous line of systemic therapy. Novel approaches for managing BRAF-V600E mCRC include, among others, triple combinations of BRAF inhibitors and anti-EGFR antibodies combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in the microsatellite instability population and evaluation of the encorafenib/cetuximab treatment in combination with standard chemotherapy with bevacizumab in the first-line setting.
Loneliness at Older Ages in the United States: Lonely Life Expectancy and the Role of Loneliness in Health Disparities
Authors: Raymo James M. , Wang Jia
Published: May 2022

We provide an empirical foundation for research on the demography of loneliness at older ages. First, we use published life tables and data from the U.S.-based Health and Retirement Study for the period 2008–2016 to calculate lonely life expectancy for Americans aged 55 or older. Using Sullivan's method, we demonstrate pronounced differences in lonely life expectancy by sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment that correspond to well-established patterns of stratification in other dimensions of well-being. Next, we estimate models that decompose observed sex, racial/ethnic, and educational differences in three key health outcomes into the part explained (in a statistical accounting sense) by loneliness and the part accounted for by other factors. We find little evidence of an important role for loneliness in understanding disparities in mortality and the onset of physical disability and cognitive impairment among Americans aged 55 or older, net of several established correlates of health disparities. These descriptive findings provide an empirical foundation for continued development of a demography of loneliness at older ages in response to the anticipated growth in scientific and policy emphasis on loneliness and the fundamental life changes that have accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regenerative neurogenesis: the integration of developmental, physiological and immune signals
Authors: Becker Thomas , Becker Catherina G.
Published: May 2022

In fishes and salamanders, but not mammals, neural stem cells switch back to neurogenesis after injury. The signalling environment of neural stem cells is strongly altered by the presence of damaged cells and an influx of immune, as well as other, cells. Here, we summarise our recently expanded knowledge of developmental, physiological and immune signals that act on neural stem cells in the zebrafish central nervous system to directly, or indirectly, influence their neurogenic state. These signals act on several intracellular pathways, which leads to changes in chromatin accessibility and gene expression, ultimately resulting in regenerative neurogenesis. Translational approaches in non-regenerating mammals indicate that central nervous system stem cells can be reprogrammed for neurogenesis. Understanding signalling mechanisms in naturally regenerating species show the path to experimentally promoting neurogenesis in mammals.
The genetic basis of natural variation in the timing of vegetative phase change inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Doody Erin , Zha Yuqi , He Jia , Poethig R. Scott
Published: May 2022

The juvenile-to-adult transition in plants is known as vegetative phase change and is marked by changes in the expression of leaf traits in response to a decrease in the level of miR156 and miR157. To determine whether this is the only mechanism of vegetative phase change, we measured the appearance of phase-specific leaf traits in 70 natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that leaf shape was poorly correlated with abaxial trichome production (two adult traits), that variation in these traits was not necessarily correlated with the level of miR156, and that there was little to no correlation between the appearance of adult-specific vegetative traits and flowering time. We identified eight quantitative trait loci controlling phase-specific vegetative traits from a cross between the Columbia (Col-0) and Shakdara (Sha) accessions. Only one of these quantitative trait loci includes genes known to regulate vegetative phase change (MIR156A and TOE1), which were expressed at levels consistent with the precocious phenotype of Sha. Our results suggest that vegetative phase change is regulated both by the miR156/SPL module and by genes specific to different vegetative traits, and that natural variation in vegetative phase change can arise from either source.
Systematic expression profiling of Dpr and DIP genes reveals cell surface codes in Drosophila larval motor and sensory neurons
Authors: Wang Yupu , Lobb-Rabe Meike , Ashley James , Chatterjee Purujit , Anand Veera , Bellen Hugo J. , Kanca Oguz , Carrillo Robert A.
Published: May 2022

In complex nervous systems, neurons must identify their correct partners to form synaptic connections. The prevailing model to ensure correct recognition posits that cell-surface proteins (CSPs) in individual neurons act as identification tags. Thus, knowing what cells express which CSPs would provide insights into neural development, synaptic connectivity, and nervous system evolution. Here, we investigated expression of Dpr and DIP genes, two CSP subfamilies belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, in Drosophila larval motor neurons (MNs), muscles, glia and sensory neurons (SNs) using a collection of GAL4 driver lines. We found that Dpr genes are more broadly expressed than DIP genes in MNs and SNs, and each examined neuron expresses a unique combination of Dpr and DIP genes. Interestingly, many Dpr and DIP genes are not robustly expressed, but are found instead in gradient and temporal expression patterns. In addition, the unique expression patterns of Dpr and DIP genes revealed three uncharacterized MNs. This study sets the stage for exploring the functions of Dpr and DIP genes in Drosophila MNs and SNs and provides genetic access to subsets of neurons.
Microglia in brain development and regeneration
Authors: Mehl Lindsey C. , Manjally Amritha V. , Bouadi Ouzéna , Gibson Erin M. , Leng Tay Tuan
Published: May 2022

It has recently emerged that microglia, the tissue-resident macrophages of the central nervous system, play significant non-innate immune roles to support the development, maintenance, homeostasis and repair of the brain. Apart from being highly specialized brain phagocytes, microglia modulate the development and functions of neurons and glial cells through both direct and indirect interactions. Thus, recognizing the elements that influence the homeostasis and heterogeneity of microglia in normal brain development is crucial to understanding the mechanisms that lead to early disease pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. In this Review, we discuss recent studies that have elucidated the physiological development of microglia and summarize our knowledge of their non-innate immune functions in brain development and tissue repair.
Modulation of autoimmune diabetes by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea- induced mutations in non-obese diabetic mice
Authors: Chatenoud Lucienne , Marquet Cindy , Valette Fabrice , Scott Lindsay , Quan Jiexia , Bu Chun Hui , Hildebrand Sara , Moresco Eva Marie Y. , Bach Jean-François , Beutler Bruce
Published: May 2022

Genetic association studies of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in humans, and in congenic non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice harboring DNA segments from T1D-resistant mice, face the challenge of assigning causation to specific gene variants among many within loci that affect disease risk. Here, we created random germline mutations in NOD/NckH mice and used automated meiotic mapping to identify mutations modifying T1D incidence and age of onset. In contrast with association studies in humans or congenic NOD mice, we analyzed a relatively small number of genetic changes in each pedigree, permitting implication of specific mutations as causative. Among 844 mice from 14 pedigrees bearing 594 coding/splicing changes, we identified seven mutations that accelerated T1D development, and five that delayed or suppressed T1D. Eleven mutations affected genes not previously known to influence T1D (Xpnpep1, Herc1, Srrm2, Rapgef1, Ppl, Zfp583, Aldh1l1, Col6a1, Ccdc13, Cd200r1, Atrnl1). A suppressor mutation in Coro1a validated the screen. Mutagenesis coupled with automated meiotic mapping can detect genes in which allelic variation influences T1D susceptibility in NOD mice. Variation of some of the orthologous/paralogous genes may influence T1D susceptibility in humans.
Single-cell analysis reveals the Comma-1D cell line as a unique model for mammary gland development and breast cancer
Authors: Werner Rachel L. , Nekritz Erin A. , Yan Koon-Kiu , Ju Bensheng , Shaner Bridget , Easton John , Yu Jiyang , Silva Jose
Published: May 2022

The mammary gland epithelial tree contains two distinct cell populations, luminal and basal. The investigation of how this heterogeneity is developed and how it influences tumorigenesis has been hampered by the need to perform studies on these populations using animal models. Comma-1D is an immortalized mouse mammary epithelial cell line that has unique morphogenetic properties. By performing single-cell RNA-seq studies, we found that Comma-1D cultures consist of two main populations with luminal and basal features, and a smaller population with mixed lineage and bipotent characteristics. We demonstrated that multiple transcription factors associated with the differentiation of the mammary epithelium in vivo also modulate this process in Comma-1D cultures. Additionally, we found that only cells with luminal features were able to acquire transformed characteristics after an oncogenic HER2 (also known as ERBB2) mutant was introduced in their genomes. Overall, our studies characterize, at a single-cell level, the heterogeneity of the Comma-1D cell line and illustrate how Comma-1D cells can be used as an experimental model to study both the differentiation and the transformation processes in vitro.
Patterns and processes in amphibious fish: biomechanics and neural control of fish terrestrial locomotion
Authors: Lutek K. , Donatelli C. M. , Standen E. M.
Published: May 2022

Amphibiousness in fishes spans the actinopterygian tree from the earliest to the most recently derived species. The land environment requires locomotor force production different from that in water, and a diversity of locomotor modes have evolved across the actinopterygian tree. To compare locomotor mode between species, we mapped biomechanical traits on an established amphibious fish phylogeny. Although the diversity of fish that can move over land is large, we noted several patterns, including the rarity of morphological and locomotor specialization, correlations between body shape and locomotor mode, and an overall tendency for amphibious fish to be small. We suggest two idealized empirical metrics to consider when gauging terrestrial ‘success’ in fishes and discuss patterns of terrestriality in fishes considering biomechanical scaling, physical consequences of shape, and tissue plasticity. Finally, we suggest four ways in which neural control could change in response to a novel environment, highlighting the importance and challenges of deciphering when these control mechanisms are used. We aim to provide an overview of the diversity of successful amphibious locomotion strategies and suggest several frameworks that can guide the study of amphibious fish and their locomotion.
Cockroaches adjust body and appendages to traverse cluttered large obstacles
Authors: Wang Yaqing , Othayoth Ratan , Li Chen
Published: May 2022

To traverse complex terrain, animals often transition between locomotor modes. It is well known that locomotor transitions can be induced by switching in neural control circuits or driven by a need to minimize metabolic energetic cost. Recent work revealed that locomotor transitions in complex 3D terrain cluttered with large obstacles can emerge from physical interaction with the environment controlled by the nervous system. For example, to traverse cluttered, stiff grass-like beams, the discoid cockroach often transitions from using a strenuous pitch mode pushing across the beams to using a less strenuous roll mode rolling into and through the gaps. This transition can save mechanical energetic cost substantially (∼100–101 mJ) but requires overcoming a potential energy barrier (∼10−3–10−2 mJ). Previous robotic physical modeling demonstrated that kinetic energy fluctuation of body oscillation from self-propulsion can help overcome the barrier and facilitate this transition. However, the animal was observed to transition even when the barrier still exceeded kinetic energy fluctuation. Here, we further studied whether and how the cockroach makes active adjustments to facilitate this transition to traverse cluttered beams. The animal repeatedly flexed its head and abdomen, reduced hindleg sprawl, and depressed one hindleg and elevated the other during the pitch-to-roll transition, adjustments which were absent when running on a flat ground. Using a refined potential energy landscape with additional degrees of freedom to model these adjustments, we found that head flexion did not substantially reduce the transition barrier (by ∼10−3 mJ), whereas leg sprawl reduction did so dramatically (by ∼10−2 mJ). We speculate that head flexion is for sensing the terrain to guide the transition via sensory feedback control.
Context-dependent effects on attack and defense behaviors in the praying mantisTenodera sinensis
Authors: Bosse Jacob W. , Svenson Gavin J. , Bowers Troy A. , Bourges-Sevenier Brendan M. , Ritzmann Roy E.
Published: May 2022

Most behavior needs to strike a balance between the competing needs to find food and protect an animal from predators. The factors that influence this balance and the resulting behavior are not well understood in many animals. Here, we examined these influences in the praying mantis Tenodera sinensis by presenting perching individuals with alternating sinusoidally moving prey-like stimuli and rapidly expanding looming stimuli then scoring their behavior on a defensive–aggressive scale. In this way, we tested the hypothesis that such behaviors are highly context dependent. Specifically, we found that defensive responses, which are normally very consistent, are decreased in magnitude if the animal has just performed an aggressive response to the previous sinusoid. A thrash behavior not normally seen with looming alone was often seen following aggression. In thrashing, the animal tries to push the looming stimulus away. Thrashing almost exclusively followed aggressive responses to the sinusoid stimulus. Moreover, aggression levels were found to shift from low to high and back to low as adult animals aged and, in general, female mantises were more aggressive than males. Finally, the specific nature of the mid-life spike in aggressive behaviors differed according to whether the animals were lab raised or caught in the wild. Lab-raised animals showed roughly equal amounts of increased attention to the stimulus and very aggressive strike behaviors, whereas wild-caught animals tended to either ignore the stimulus or react very aggressively with strikes. Therefore, our hypothesis regarding context-dependent effects was supported, with all four factors influencing the behaviors that were studied.
An accelerometer-derived ballistocardiogram method for detecting heart rate in free-ranging marine mammals
Authors: Czapanskiy Max F. , Ponganis Paul J. , Fahlbusch James A. , Schmitt T. L. , Goldbogen Jeremy A.
Published: May 2022

Physio-logging methods, which use animal-borne devices to record physiological variables, are entering a new era driven by advances in sensor development. However, existing datasets collected with traditional bio-loggers, such as accelerometers, still contain untapped eco-physiological information. Here, we present a computational method for extracting heart rate from high-resolution accelerometer data using a ballistocardiogram. We validated our method with simultaneous accelerometer–electrocardiogram tag deployments in a controlled setting on a killer whale (Orcinus orca) and demonstrate the predictions correspond with previously observed cardiovascular patterns in a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), including the magnitude of apneic bradycardia and increase in heart rate prior to and during ascent. Our ballistocardiogram method may be applied to mine heart rates from previously collected accelerometery data and expand our understanding of comparative cardiovascular physiology.
Behavioral and postural analyses establish sleep-like states for mosquitoes that can impact host landing and blood feeding
Authors: Ajayi Oluwaseun M. , Marlman Justin M. , Gleitz Lucas A. , Smith Evan S. , Piller Benjamin D. , Krupa Justyna A. , Vinauger Clément , Benoit Joshua B.
Published: May 2022

Sleep is an evolutionarily conserved process that has been described in different animal systems. For insects, sleep characterization has been primarily achieved using behavioral and electrophysiological correlates in a few systems. Sleep in mosquitoes, which are important vectors of disease-causing pathogens, has not been directly examined. This is surprising as circadian rhythms, which have been well studied in mosquitoes, influence sleep in other systems. In this study, we characterized sleep in mosquitoes using body posture analysis and behavioral correlates, and quantified the effect of sleep deprivation on sleep rebound, host landing and blood-feeding propensity. Body and appendage position metrics revealed a clear distinction between the posture of mosquitoes in their putative sleep and awake states for multiple species, which correlated with a reduction in responsiveness to host cues. Sleep assessment informed by these posture analyses indicated significantly more sleep during periods of low activity. Night-time and daytime sleep deprivation resulting from the delivery of vibration stimuli induced sleep rebound in the subsequent phase in day and night active mosquitoes, respectively. Lastly, sleep deprivation suppressed host landing in both laboratory and field settings, and impaired blood feeding of a human host when mosquitoes would normally be active. These results suggest that quantifiable sleep states occur in mosquitoes and highlight the potential epidemiological importance of mosquito sleep.
Circulating isotocin, not angiotensin II, is the major dipsogenic hormone in eels
Authors: Nobata Shigenori , Takei Yoshio
Published: May 2022

Angiotensin II (AngII) is generally known as the most important dipsogenic hormone throughout vertebrates, while two other neurohypophysial hormones, vasopressin and oxytocin, are not dipsogenic in mammals. In this study, we found that systemic isotocin, but not vasotocin, is the potent dipsogenic hormone in eels. When injected intra-arterially into conscious eels, isotocin, vasotocin and AngII equally increased ventral aortic pressure dose dependently at 0.03–1.0 nmol kg−1, but only isotocin induced copious drinking. The dipsogenic effect was dose dependent and occurred significantly at as low as 0.1 nmol kg−1. By contrast, a sustained inhibition of drinking occurred after AngII injection, probably due to baroreflexogenic inhibition. No such inhibition was observed after isotocin injection despite similar concurrent hypertension. The baroreceptor may exist distal to the gill circulation because the vasopressor effect occurred at both ventral and dorsal aorta after AngII but only at ventral aorta after isotocin. By contrast, intra-cerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of isotocin had no effect on drinking or blood pressure, but AngII increased drinking and aortic pressure dose dependently at 0.03–0.3 nmol per eel. Lesioning of the area postrema (AP), a sensory circumventricular organ, abolished drinking induced by peripheral isotocin, but not i.c.v. AngII. Collectively, isotocin seems to be a major circulating hormone that induces swallowing through its action on the AP, while AngII may be an intrinsic brain peptide that induces drinking through its action on a different circumventricular site, possibly a recently identified blood–brain barrier-deficient structure in the antero-ventral third ventricle of eels, as shown in birds and mammals.
Financial accounting, auditing and environmental behavior of socially responsible companies
Authors: Παρταλίδου Ξανθή
Published: May 2022

Σήμερα, ολοένα και περισσότερες επιχειρήσεις υιοθετούν εθελοντικά, τα πρότυπα κοινωνικής και περιβαλλοντικής πληροφόρηση, Constructing Excellence (2004) . Ένας από τους βασικότερους λόγους υιοθέτησης των προτύπων της Εταιρικής Κοινωνικής Ευθύνης (Ε.Κ.Ε.) είναι, η επίτευξη της βιωσιμότητας των επιχειρήσεων και η αύξηση της αξίας τους στόχοι οι οποίοι δεν επιτυγχάνονται μόνο με την μεγιστοποίηση των βραχυπρόθεσμων κερδών τους και, συνεπώς, την αύξηση της άμεσης απόδοσής τους, αλλά και μέσω της παρουσίασης μίας υπεύθυνης συμπεριφοράς. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, μιας συμπεριφοράς που εκτός της κάλυψης του τομέα της οικονομικής ανάπτυξης, μεριμνά για την προστασία του περιβάλλοντος, και την κοινωνική συνοχή, με απώτερο σκοπό την αειφόρο ανάπτυξη και την ικανοποίηση των ενδιαφερομένων μερών (π.χ. μετόχων, επενδυτών), καθώς και των καταναλωτών προς τους οποίους απευθύνονται. (Baron, D. (2001), McWilliams, A. , Bagnoli, Marc and Watts S. (2003), Beltratti A. (2005), McWilliams, A., Siegel, D.S., and Wright, P.M. (2006), Lindgreen, A., Swaen, V., and Johnston, W.J. (2009)). Η επίσημη και δομημένη προσέγγιση των επιχειρήσεων, στην αποτίμηση της κοινωνικής και περιβαλλοντικής επίδρασής τους, εκφράστηκε με νεοπαγείς μεθόδους κοινωνικής και περιβαλλοντικής λογιστικής (Ντούλας Δ., 2009). Η Κοινωνική Λογιστική και ο συνεπαγόμενος Έλεγχος (Social Audit) αποτυπώνει την επικοινωνία με τα ενδιαφερόμενα μέρη (Stakeholders), αναφορικά με τις κοινωνικές και περιβαλλοντικές συνέπειες των οικονομικών δραστηριοτήτων τους (Gray R. 2001). Επιπροσθέτως, η δημοσίευση κοινωνικών απολογισμών ή, αλλιώς, εκθέσεων ελεγμένων από ανεξάρτητους ελεγκτές αποτελεί πλέον, μια διαδεδομένη πρακτική που εφαρμόζεται στις πολύ μεγάλες επιχειρήσεις. Σε αυτή τη βάση η παρούσα Διδακτορική Διατριβή έχει ως σκοπό να διερευνήσει, την εφαρμογή λογιστικών αρχών στο πλαίσιο της κοινωνικής ευθύνης και την ποσοτικοποίηση των παραγοντικών επιπτώσεων που επηρεάζουν τις κοινωνικά και περιβαλλοντικά υπεύθυνες εταιρείες.
Potential impact of great lockdown on students’ knowledge, attitude and practices towards the COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Berekaa Mahmoud , Omer Eltigani , Almoslem Munthir , Alsahli Khaled , Aljassim Mohammed
Published: May 2022

Background: Despite variation in the types of COVID-19 vaccines and genetic variation in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, using preventive measures remains the first choice to reduce risks associated with COVID-19 infection.

Methods: This cross-sectional study highlights students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward SARS-CoV-2 infection during the lockdown. The study was conducted at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected from 43 male preparatory students via an online self-structured questionnaire. Knowledge level was determined using mean scores, while chi-square and t-tests were performed to detect significant differences between groups.

Results: Males aged 17–20 displayed better knowledge regarding COVID-19 than other groups (t = 2.03, p = 0.049). Most participants recognized the typical symptoms and transmission routes; 93% indicated they viewed social distancing as a crucial preventive measure. Following lockdown, a 1.7-fold increase in the number of participants who believed that mask-wearing was an effective preventive measure was observed; however, 37.2% did not trust this practice. There was a 2.2-fold increase in the number of participants who took part in awareness programs during lockdown. Students’ knowledge increased from 73.2% to 81.5% following the lockdown. Specifically, mean knowledge regarding the role of contaminated tools in disease transmission increased from 33.7% to 75.5%. After lockdown, 58.1% of participants were anxious and afraid of having contact with their colleagues, while 39.5% missed their classes due to anxiety. Two sources of information impacted students’ knowledge following the lockdown: university studies (t = 2.149, p = 0.038) and friends (t = 2.6, p = 0.013).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that IAU preparatory-year students have acceptable knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards COVID-19 infection. This reflects the impact of media on the improvement in preventive measure uptake. Knowledge of the pandemic may increase if health education programs are designed to target students.
Fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis: a living systematic review protocol
Authors: Correa-Pérez Andrea , Guijarro Jorge de Vicente , Gaetano Gil Andrea , Ocaña Jiménez Juan , Luengo González Raquel , Rigau Comas David , Bendersky Josefina , Rojas Reyes María Ximena , Plana Farrás María Nieves
Published: May 2022

Background: Primary studies and systematic reviews assessing the safety and effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation as a treatment for ulcerative colitis are being continuously published. The objective of this review is to synthesize and keep updated the evidence about the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation for adult patients with moderate or severe ulcerative colitis through a living systematic review.

Methods: We will carry out a living systematic review including only randomized controlled trials irrespective of publication type, year and language of publication. To prioritize the fecal microbiota transplantation administration route, comparators and outcomes more relevant for supporting the clinical decisions in the treatment of ulcerative colitis patients, we will perform a Delphi process conducted by an expert panel in the field of gastroenterology and colorectal surgery. Searches will be performed in Epistemonikos database and results will be incorporated into the L·OVE platform identified as “Fecal microbiota transplant in ulcerative colitis”. We will evaluate the risk of bias of the included randomized trials using the ROB-2 tool and assess the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach. 

We will monitor the L ·OVE platform every two months searching for relevant trials that could imply changes in the available evidence. The living process will end after 12 months of surveillance.

PROSPERO registration: CRD42021257579 (29/10/2021).
Development and validation of an open-source CFD model for the efficiency assessment of data centers
Authors: Dogan Aras , Yilmaz Sibel , Kuzay Mustafa , Demirel Ender
Published: May 2022

In this study, an open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed based on OpenFOAM libraries for the accurate and robust simulation of thermal distribution in a data center. Two boundary conditions were developed for the temperature field in the black-box modeling of server components. The numerical model was first validated by comparing numerical results with the experimental measurements for three benchmark problems in the field of thermal engineering. Then, thermal distribution in an open-aisle data center was simulated using the proposed numerical model and results were compared with the experimental measurements. The consistency between numerical results and previous experimental measurements indicates that the present numerical model can be reliably used for the efficiency assessment of air-cooled data centers. Efficiency of the data center can be evaluated with respect to four metrics in the proposed numerical model. In addition to the determination of the overall efficiency, distribution of the efficiency can be monitored over the racks to capture thermal zones where the efficiency decreases due to the recirculation effects and cold air by-pass.
O modelo do gancho e a formação de hábitos: tecnobehaviorismo, capitalismo de vigilância e economia da atenção
Authors: Franco Bentes Anna Carolina
Published: May 2022

Em um contexto sociotécnico marcado por uma intensa disputa pela atenção, plataformas digitais investem em estratégias de formação de hábitos, uma vez que isso garantiria o retorno automático dos usuários. Neste artigo, discutiremos as relações entre as engrenagens do capitalismo de vigilância e da economia da atenção a partir de uma análise metodologica do modelo do gancho, guia prático de design comportamental que combina mecanismos psicológicos e tecnológicos voltados para formar hábitos. O gancho é entendido como exemplo emblemático do que chamamos de tecnobehaviorismo para designar a tecnociência que atualiza referências ao pensamento behaviorista, visando a construção de interações humano-computador através de princípios de condicionamento. Argumentaremos que, no elo indissociável entre capitalismo de vigilância e economia da atenção, o tecnobehaviorismo oferece modelos teóricos e práticos ideais para atingir os objetivos econômicos das plataformas digitais, visando o engajamento. Com um olhar crítico, concluímos que a formação tecnobehaviorista de hábito articula modos de automatizar a captura da atenção e o controle do comportamento, explorando vulnerabilidades humanas por mecanismos sutis de influência psicológica e um controle fino dos estímulos nas arquiteturas de escolha dos ambientes digitais.
Espécies de Curvularia (fungos anamórficos - Hyphomycetes) no semi-árido do estado da Bahia, Brasil
Authors: Gusmão Luís Fernando P. , Barbosa Flávia R. , Cruz Alisson Cardoso R. da
Published: May 2022

Durante o levantamento de fungos anamórficos associados à decomposição de folhas na região semi-árida do estado da Bahia, sete espécies de Curvularia foram encontradas: C. brachyspora, C. crepinii, C. eragrostidis, C. geniculata, C. intermedia, C. lunata e C. protuberata. São apresentadas descrições, ilustrações, comentários, distribuição geográfica e uma chave para as espécies coletadas. Todas as espécies, exceto C. brachyspora, estão sendo citadas pela primeira vez para o semi-árido brasileiro.
Composição florística de um fragmento de Mata Atlântica na Serra da Jibóia, Santa Terezinha, Bahia, Brasil
Authors: Carvalho-Sobrinho Jefferson G. de , Queiroz Luciano P. de
Published: May 2022

Este trabalho apresenta uma lista da flora fanerogâmica de um fragmento de Mata Atlântica na Serra da Jibóia, município de Santa Terezinha, Bahia. O levantamento florístico foi baseado em coletas no Morro da Pioneira, extremo norte da serra, e em espécimes anteriormente depositados no herbário HUEFS. Foram listadas 269 espécies pertencentes a 195 gêneros de 80 famílias de fanerógamas. As famílias com maior diversidade específica foram Leguminosae (29), Rubiaceae (16), Asteraceae (12), Melastomataceae (12), Orchidaceae (11), Myrtaceae (10), Solanaceae (10), Bromeliaceae (10) e Poaceae (9). No estrato arbóreo, as famílias mais representativas foram Leguminosae (15), Myrtaceae (7), Melastomataceae (7), Solanaceae (6), Lauraceae (5), Annonaceae (4), Rubiaceae (4), Apocynaceae (3) e Clusiaceae (3). Constatou-se uma grande diversidade florística e a presença de espécies endêmicas e de distribuição restrita da Mata Atlântica, que permite caracterizar esse fragmento como um importante remanescente desse bioma na Bahia.
Ignorância, consciência e indiferença (provocações para uma mesa)
Authors: Reis Nilo Henrique Neves dos
Published: May 2022

[sem resumo]
“Grilos” (Orthoptera) na percepção dos moradores de Feira de Santana, Bahia
Authors: Dias Mateus Assunção , Costa Neto Eraldo Medeiros
Published: May 2022

O presente estudo visa registrar o modo como grilos são percebidos pelos moradores do município de Feira de Santana, Bahia, descrevendo sua história natural a partir dos conhecimentos tradicionais e identificando o significado semiótico e os possíveis usos culturais. Os dados foram obtidos de junho a novembro de 2004 mediante utilização de técnicas padronizadas de registro etnográficos. Foram feitas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 69 homens e 194 mulheres, cujas idades variaram de 7 a 79 anos. As entrevistas seguiram um roteiro baseado em uma lista de tópicos previamente escolhidos. As informações foram registradas por escrito e em fitas micro-cassetes, com o consentimento dos entrevistados. O que os moradores osmoradores entenderam por “grilos” abrangeu desde grilos sensu estrito (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), gafanhotos (Orthoptera: Acrididae) e esperanças (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), até louva-deus (Mantodea), besouros (Coleoptera), pernilongos (Diptera), insetos (Insecta), “pragas” e “animais”. A percepção, por parte dos moradores, dos grilos foi determinada pela dimensão afetiva que os moradores apresentaram para com estes insetos. Em geral, os sentimentos, acompanhados sempre de impressões positivas ou negativas, interferiram tanto na qualidade quanto na quantidade das informações. Foram registrados dados cognitivos sobre etnotaxonomia, sazonalidade, comportamento, ecologia trófica e hábitat. No que se refere à etnotaxonomia, seis tipos de “grilos” foram determinados pelos entrevistados. Registrou-se também o papel desempenhado pelo grilo na medicina popular, na alimentação humana e em atividades lúdicas. Conclui-se que o conhecimento etnoentomológico dos munícipes de Feira de Santana e sua interação com “grilos” são mediadas culturalmente.
ELABORAÇÃO DE TAREFAS PARA O ENSINO INTERDICIPLINAR DE MATEMÁTICA DE FORMA INTEGRADA A DIFERENTES RECURSOS TECNOLÓGICOS
Authors: Da Silva Santos Caroline
Published: May 2022

O ensino interdisciplinar da matemática atrelado aos recursos tecnológicos é de grande importância para a formação dos alunos, visto que contribuem para a aprendizagem com maior significado.
Can fashion ever be fair?
Authors: Athreya Bama
Published: May 2022

The recent global economic crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of millions of women in apparel supply chains worldwide. Despite decades of activism and a plethora of corporate social responsibility and ethical labelling initiatives, there has been little evidence of progress toward greater equity in the fashion sector. Why can’t we make fashion more fair? This article explains historically rooted causes of inequity for Black and Brown women in apparel supply chains and details the rise of Fair Trade initiatives intended to use market forces to improve existing practices and support alternatives. Attempts to use consumerism and market forces to drive social change raised deep questions for social movement actors regarding first principles. Notwithstanding years of effort, Fair Trade apparel has failed to achieve any significant market penetration. Yet the sector as a whole is experiencing overlapping shocks of digitisation, climate change and pandemic-exacerbated disruptions to supply chains. Social movement actors are also targeting the sector with new demands for social and economic justice. This may provide opportunities to redesign our thinking around Fair Trade and what constitutes fairness in fashion.
Common-path off-axis single-pixel holographic imaging
Authors: Yoneda Naru , Saita Yusuke , Nomura Takanori
Published: May 2022

Common-path off-axis single-pixel holographic imaging (COSHI) is proposed to obtain complex amplitude information using an in-line interferometer and a single-pixel (point-like) detector. COSHI is more robust to disturbances such as vibration than the conventional single-pixel digital holography technique because of its common-path configuration. In addition, the number of measurements can be reduced due to COSHI’s reconstruction process based on the Fourier fringe analysis. In COSHI, an off-axis digital hologram can be obtained using the structured patterns composed of Hadamard basis patterns and stationary tilted phase distribution. Interestingly, COSHI’s space bandwidth is larger than of the conventional off-axis digital holography because COSHI does not reconstruct the self-correlation term of an object. The proposed method is theoretically confirmed and numerical and experimental results show its feasibility.
DNF: diffractive neural field for lensless microscopic imaging
Authors: Zhu Hao , Liu Zhen , Zhou You , Ma Zhan , Cao Xun
Published: May 2022

Lensless imaging has emerged as a robust means for the observation of microscopic scenes, enabling vast applications like whole-slide imaging, wave-front detection and microfluidic on-chip imaging. Such system captures diffractive measurements in a compact optical setup without the use of optical lens, and then typically applies phase retrieval algorithms to recover the complex field of target object. However existing techniques still suffer from unsatisfactory performance with noticeable reconstruction artifacts especially when the imaging parameter is not well calibrated. Here we propose a novel unsupervised Diffractive Neural Field (DNF) method to accurately characterize the imaging physical process to best reconstruct desired complex field of the target object through very limited measurement snapshots by jointly optimizing the imaging parameter and implicit mapping between spatial coordinates and complex field. Both simulations and experiments reveal the superior performance of proposed method, having > 6 dB PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) gains on synthetic data quantitatively, and clear qualitative improvement on real-world samples. The proposed DNF also promises attractive prospects in practical applications because of its ultra lightweight complexity (e.g., 50× model size reduction) and plug-to-play advantage (e.g., random measurements with a coarse parameter estimation).
Magnetically sensitive fiber probe with nitrogen-vacancy center nanodiamonds integrated in a suspended core
Authors: Filipkowski Adam , Mrózek Mariusz , Stępniewski Grzegorz , Głowacki Maciej , Pysz Dariusz , Gawlik Wojciech , Buczyński Ryszard , Klimczak Mariusz , Wojciechowski Adam
Published: May 2022

Efficient collection of photoluminescence arising from spin dynamics of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond is important for practical applications involving precise magnetic field or temperature mapping. These goals may be realized by the integration of nanodiamond particles with optical fibers and volumetric doping of the particles alongside the fiber core. That approach combines the advantages of robust axial fixation of NV diamonds with a direct spatial overlap of their fluorescence with the guided mode of the fiber. We developed a suspended core silicate glass fiber with 750 nm-diameter nanodiamonds located centrally in the 1.5 µm-core cross-section along its axis. The developed fiber probe was tested for its magnetic sensing performance in optically detected magnetic resonance measurements using a 24 cm-long fiber sample, with the NV excitation and fluorescence collection from the far ends of the sample and yielding optical readout contrast of 7% resulting in 0.5 µT·Hz-1/2 magnetic field sensitivity, two orders of magnitude better than in earlier designs. Thanks to its improved fluorescence confinement, the developed probe could find application in magnetic sensing over extended fiber length, magnetic field mapping or gradiometry.
Broadband second harmonic generation of counter-propagating ultrashort pulses
Authors: Lytle Amy L. , Dyke Eric , Novella Julia , Branch Thomas , Gagnon Etienne
Published: May 2022

Counter-propagating ultrafast pulses can disrupt the phase of harmonic generation, and offer a means to achieve quasi-phase matching in processes like high-order harmonic generation. Optimizing this process requires accurate modeling. Using second harmonic generation (SHG) as a simpler and more accessible proxy, we compare the results of two numerical simulations to experimental measurements of SHG with counter-propagating pulses. The first follows previous theoretical work in assuming a quasi-CW pulse and solving the nonlinear wave equation in the time-domain. However, we find that adapting a frequency-domain model to account for the broadband nature of ultrafast pulses better reproduces the salient features we observe in our experimental results.
Dual-comb optical parametric oscillator in the mid-infrared based on a single free-running cavity
Authors: Bauer C. P. , Camenzind S. L. , Pupeikis J. , Willenberg B. , Phillips C. R. , Keller U.
Published: May 2022

We demonstrate a free-running single-cavity dual-comb optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a single-cavity dual-comb solid-state laser. The OPO ring cavity contains a single periodically-poled MgO-doped LiNbO3 (PPLN) crystal. Each idler beam has more than 245-mW average power at 3550 nm and 3579 nm center wavelengths (bandwidth 130 nm). The signal beams are simultaneously outcoupled with more than 220 mW per beam at 1499 nm and 1496 nm center wavelength. The nominal repetition rate is 80 MHz, while the repetition rate difference is tunable and set to 34 Hz. To evaluate the feasibility of using this type of source for dual-comb applications, we characterize the noise and coherence properties of the OPO signal beams. We find ultra-low relative intensity noise (RIN) below –158 dBc/Hz at offset frequencies above 1 MHz. A heterodyne beat note measurement with a continuous wave (cw) laser is performed to determine the linewidth of a radio-frequency (RF) comb line. We find a full-width half-maximum (FWHM) linewidth of around 400 Hz. Moreover, the interferometric measurement between the two signal beams reveals a surprising property: the center of the corresponding RF spectrum is always near zero frequency, even when tuning the pump repetition rate difference or the OPO cavity length. We explain this effect theoretically and discuss its implications for generating stable low-noise idler combs suitable for high-sensitivity mid-infrared dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS).
Laser source frequency drift compensation in Φ-OTDR systems using multiple probe frequencies
Authors: Zabihi Mohammadmasoud , Krebber Katerina
Published: May 2022

Fully distributed fiber sensors, such as phase sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) systems, have drawn significant attention from researchers, especially for use in geophysical applications. Distributed sensing, cost efficiency, wide dynamic range, good spatial resolution, and high accuracy make these sensors ideal for industrial use and for replacing traditional geophones. However, inevitable drifts in the central frequency of laser sources always cause low frequency noise in the output, which could easily be mistaken with real sub-Hertz environmental vibrations. This deteriorates the data accuracy, especially when dealing with low frequency seismic waves. In this study, we propose a method in which adding an extra probe frequency to a Φ-OTDR setup provides a reference frequency. This reference frequency provides information regarding changes in the laser source and other environmental noises, such as humidity and temperature, helping to refine extracted results from low frequency noise. This feature is also very useful for frequency domain analysis, where we may lose the near DC band information during mathematical measurements. Regarding the adjustable properties of this reference frequency, it can be implemented in various Φ-OTDR applications and commercial devices.
Optical microfibers integrated with evanescent field triggered self-growing polymer nanofilms
Authors: Yan Zhengyu , Wang Jiajun , Wang Caoyuan , Yu Ruowei , Shi Lei , Xiao Limin
Published: May 2022

Hybrid optical fibers have been widely investigated in different architectures to build integrated fiber photonic devices and achieve various applications. Here we proposed and fabricated hybrid microfiber waveguides with self-growing polymer nanofilms on the surfaces of microfibers triggered by evanescent field of light for the first time. We have demonstrated the polymer nanofilm of ∼50 nm can be grown on the microfiber with length up to 15 mm. In addition, the roughness of nanofilm can be optimized by controlling the triggering laser power and exposure duration, and the total transmission loss of the fabricated hybrid microfiber is less than 2 dB within a wide wavelength range. The hybrid polymer nanofilm microfiber waveguides have been characterized and their relative humidity (RH) responses have also been tested, indicating a potential for RH sensing. Our fabrication method may also be extended to construct the hybrid microfibers with different functional photopolymer materials.