bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Avoiding Liability and Other Legal Land Mines in the Evolving Genomics Landscape
Authors: Clayton Ellen Wright , Tritell Alex M. , Thorogood Adrian M.
Published: January 2023

This article reviews evolving legal implications for clinicians and researchers as genomics is used more widely in both the clinic and in translational research, reflecting rapid changes in scientific knowledge as well as the surrounding cultural and political environment. Professionals will face new and changing duties to make or act upon a genetic diagnosis, address direct-to-consumer genetic testing in patient care, consider the health implications of results for patients’ family members, and recontact patients when test results change over time. Professional duties in reproductive genetic testing will need to be recalibrated in response to disruptive changes to reproductive rights in the United States. We also review the debate over who controls the flow of genetic information and who is responsible for its protection, considering the globally influential European Union General Data Protection Regulation and the rapidly evolving data privacy law landscape of the United States.
The Immunological Conundrum of Endogenous Retroelements
Authors: Kassiotis George
Published: January 2023

Our defenses against infection rely on the ability of the immune system to distinguish invading pathogens from self. This task is exceptionally challenging, if not seemingly impossible, in the case of retroviruses that have integrated almost seamlessly into the host. This review examines the limits of innate and adaptive immune responses elicited by endogenous retroviruses and other retroelements, the targets of immune recognition, and the consequences for host health and disease. Contrary to theoretical expectation, endogenous retroelements retain substantial immunogenicity, which manifests most profoundly when their epigenetic repression is compromised, contributing to autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease and age-related inflammation. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that regulated immune reactivity to endogenous retroelements is integral to immune system development and function, underpinning cancer immunosurveillance, resistance to infection, and responses to the microbiota. Elucidation of the interaction points with endogenous retroelements will therefore deepen our understanding of immune system function and contribution to disease.
A Novel Flexible Electrochemical Molecular Imprinted Sensor for the Determination of GABA in Serum of Depressed Mice
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Wei Hong , Chen Yan , Ma Jing , Zhang-Peng Xinru , Li Wen , Hu Fangdi
Published: January 2023

The content of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in human serum has been proved to be closely related to depression, so the rapid, sensitive, highly selective and accurate determination of GABA is of great significance for the objective diagnosis of depression. In this study, a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor based on high-performance magnetically functionalized reduced graphene oxide (MRGO) was constructed for the sensitive detection of GABA in the serum of depressed mice. Using MRGO modified the flexible electrode (ITO-PET), 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene derivative of GABA as the template and pyrrole with self-polymerization effect as the functional monomer and cross-linking agent, the molecularly imprinted sensor MIP/MRGO/ITO-PET was successfully constructed by simple electropolymerization and stirring elution. Under the optimal construction process, the sensor realized the accurate detection of GABA in the range of 250 pM ∼ 100 μM, and the detection limit was as low as 1.25 × 10−10 M (S/N = 3). The simultaneous possession of high sensitivity and selectivity, good stability, repeatability and reproducibility enables this sensor to be successfully applicable for the determination of GABA in mice serum. The results showed that the sensor is expected to provide a basis for objective diagnosis of depression in clinic.
Distinct adaptation processes underlie multidigit force coordination for dexterous manipulation
Authors: Smith Michael D. , Hooks Kevin , Santello Marco , Fu Qiushi
Published: January 2023

Changes in digit force coordination in multidigit object manipulation were quantified with a novel experimental design in which human participants adapted to mechanical perturbations applied to the object. Our results show that the adaptation of digit force coordination can be characterized by two distinct components that operate at different timescales. We further show that these two components respond to changes in perturbation direction differently.
Influence of Light‐Emitting Diode‐Derived Blue Light Overexposure on Rat Ocular Surface
Authors: Nan Li , Zhang Yifan , Song Hui , Ye Yan , Jiang Zhixin , Zhao Shujun
Published: January 2023

We aim to investigate the effect of overexposure to blue light on the rat ocular surface and explore the potential mechanisms. 450 nm light‐emitting diode (LED) derived light at 1000 lux was used to irradiate SD rats, 12 hours a day, for consecutive 28 days. Rats in the control group were exposed to 400 lux white light at the same time (in an indoor environment). Tear film breakup time (TBUT), tear volume, and corneal fluorescein staining scores were used to measure the changes to the ocular surface. Expressions of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), inhibitor‐κB (I‐κB), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) were measured by real‐time PCR, and the activation of the NF‐κB pathway was detected by Western blotting, respectively. Cornea ultrastructure was examined by TEM and optical microscope on day 28. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of NF‐κB signaling pathway, was used to measure the inhibition of blue light injury. The above indexes were detected again when compared with the solvent‐treated group. On day 28, compared with day 0, the TBUT of the blue light group was significantly shorter, and the score was significantly higher. The amount of tear secretion changed slightly with time. HE and PAS staining revealed significantly decreased corneal epithelial cell layers and goblet cells after 28‐day irradiation of blue light. Disarranged stromal cells, vacuoles in the basal nuclei, and decreased desmosomes were also found in the blue light group. Significantly increased levels of NF‐κB, IL‐6, TNF‐α, and the ratio of phosphorylated NF‐κB p65 (pNF‐κB p65) to total NF‐κB p65 implied blue light‐induced damage and pathway activation. In addition, PDTC significantly reduced the phosphorylation of NF‐κB activated in blue light‐treated corneas and alleviated the ocular surface changes caused by blue light. Finally, our results demonstrated that long‐term blue light exposure in rats could cause ocular surface changes and manifest as dry eye. Inflammation and activation of the NF‐κB pathway may play a role in the pathogenesis.
Study on Computer Screening and Drug Properties of Herbs Intervening in Copper Death
Authors: Dayuan Zhong , Lan Li , Hui Cheng , Huanjie Li , Yumei Liu , Yumiao Luo , Deliang Liu , Dingxiang Li , Yihui Deng
Published: January 2023

Objective. The objective of this study was to explore the medicinal properties of herbal medicines that can interfere with the copper death pathway. Methods. The Human Gene Database, Chemical Interactions in Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Medical Information Platform, and Cytoscape software were used to find target and chemicals that interfere with copper death targets, as well as herbal medicines containing these chemicals and their four natures and five flavors (basic properties of herbal medicines). Results. 27 copper death‐related targets were finally retrieved, as well as 2143 chemicals that could interfere with them, including 180 herbal compounds. The compounds with the highest degree values (number of nodes connected to this node) were folic acid, resveratrol, and quercetin. The 180 compounds were related to 278 herbs; those with the highest degree values (number of nodes connected to this node) were Jujubae Fructus, Ginkgo biloba L, and Acanthopanax senticosus. The 27 copper death targets were indirectly associated with 278 herbs; those with the highest degree values (number of nodes connected to this node) were Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc, and Mori Folium. Among the 278 herbs, 6 had incomplete information. A pharmacological analysis showed that among the 272 Chinese herbs, the most frequent meridians were the liver (133), lung (104), and spleen (91). Of the four natures, the most frequent were cold (73), warm (68), and flat (45). Of the five flavors, the most frequent were bitter (165), pungent (116), and sweet (99). Conclusion. This study preliminarily discussed the material basis and medicinal properties of herbs that can intervene in copper death, which can provide reference for the theoretical discussion, drug development, and clinical research of Chinese medicine regulating copper death.
Modelling and Simulation of Competition for Students’ Population with Holling Type II Response
Authors: Odhiambo Brian , Ngari Cyrus , Kimani Patrick , Njori Peter
Published: January 2023

The increase in the country’s population attracted the establishment of more schools, both public and private schools, to cater for the increasing number of students. However, there have been dynamics of students’ population both in public and private schools through transfer from one category of school to the other, through completion of the learning period, and through dropout due to unknown reasons which have subjected both the public and private schools to compete in order to maintain a good number of students. In this work, a modified Lotka–Volterra model of schools and nonenrolled entities population in the education system is studied. Private schools and nonenrolled entities play the role of a predator in public schools. Again, public schools and nonenrolled entities play the role of predators in private schools. Holling type II functional responses have been integrated in the analysis of the Lotka–Volterra model. The equilibrium points are established and their stability are determined using the Routh–Hurwitz criterion and eigenvalue method. Global stability has been done for the positive equilibrium point. Bifurcation is also done around the positive equilibrium point. Finally, a graphical illustration of various parameter is derived to show their effect on schools when they are varied. It is revealed that the increase in parameters

θ

2

,

θ

3

, and

η

3

greatly affects the schools population as they are the ones leading to predation in school. Therefore, proper strategies should be developed to focus on reducing the mentioned parameters to avoid leading schools’ population to extinct.
Experimental Study on Residual and Dissolution of DNAPL in Transparent Fracture
Authors: Wu Junyu , Zhu Shu , Zhu Zhende , Lu Bin , Wang Luxiang
Published: January 2023

Dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) is one of the main pollution sources of the underground environment. After DNAPL enters the underground environment, the migration and diffusion process has experienced a variety of media, resulting in large-scale and long-term pollution. To better understand the residual and dissolution process of DNAPL in fractures, the visual experiment of DNAPL residual and dissolution in the fracture was carried out using the transparent fracture model made of glass material, and the changes of DNAPL migration morphology and residual distribution in the crack were obtained. The results showed that the migration front of DNAPL in the fracture was finger shaped in the process of displacement of water phase by DNAPL phase, which was consistent with the state in porous media. When the process of water phase displacing DNAPL phase was over, discrete and aggregated DNAPL droplets remained in the fracture. The residual DNAPL was mainly concentrated in the area ranged from 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm. The dissolution rate of DNAPL in the fracture changed from fast to slow, and there was an obvious tailing period. The increased velocity of water phase flow significantly shortened the time of dissolution process. The DNAPL with hydrolysis reaction accounted for only 0.86% on average in the dissolution process. The findings of this study are helpful to the remediation of the underground environment.
Classification Prediction of Breast Cancer Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Chen Hua , Wang Nan , Du Xueping , Mei Kehui , Zhou Yuan , Cai Guangxing
Published: January 2023

Breast cancer is the most common and deadly type of cancer in the world. Based on machine learning algorithms such as XGBoost, random forest, logistic regression, and K‐nearest neighbor, this paper establishes different models to classify and predict breast cancer, so as to provide a reference for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. Recall indicates the probability of detecting malignant cancer cells in medical diagnosis, which is of great significance for the classification of breast cancer, so this article takes recall as the primary evaluation index and considers the precision, accuracy, and F1‐score evaluation indicators to evaluate and compare the prediction effect of each model. In order to eliminate the influence of different dimensional concepts on the effect of the model, the data are standardized. In order to find the optimal subset and improve the accuracy of the model, 15 features were screened out as input to the model through the Pearson correlation test. The K‐nearest neighbor model uses the cross‐validation method to select the optimal k value by using recall as an evaluation index. For the problem of positive and negative sample imbalance, the hierarchical sampling method is used to extract the training set and test set proportionally according to different categories. The experimental results show that under different dataset division (8 : 2 and 7 : 3), the prediction effect of the same model will have different changes. Comparative analysis shows that the XGBoost model established in this paper (which divides the training set and test set by 8 : 2) has better effects, and its recall, precision, accuracy, and F1‐score are 1.00, 0.960, 0.974, and 0.980, respectively.
Identification of Comorbidities, Genomic Associations, and Molecular Mechanisms for COVID‐19 Using Bioinformatics Approaches
Authors: Omit Shudeb Babu Sen , Akhter Salma , Rana Humayan Kabir , Rana A. R. M. Mahamudul Hasan , Podder Nitun Kumar , Rakib Mahmudul Islam , Nobi Ashadun
Published: January 2023

Several studies have been done to identify comorbidities of COVID‐19. In this work, we developed an analytical bioinformatics framework to reveal COVID‐19 comorbidities, their genomic associations, and molecular mechanisms accomplishing transcriptomic analyses of the RNA‐seq datasets provided by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, where normal and infected tissues were evaluated. Using the framework, we identified 27 COVID‐19 correlated diseases out of 7,092 collected diseases. Analyzing clinical and epidemiological research, we noticed that our identified 27 diseases are associated with COVID‐19, where hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and lung cancer are observed several times in COVID‐19 patients. Therefore, we selected the above four diseases and performed assorted analyses to demonstrate the association between COVID‐19 and hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and lung cancer as comorbidities. We investigated genomic associations with the cross‐comparative analysis and Jaccard’s similarity index, identifying shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and linking DEGs of COVID‐19 and the comorbidities, in which we identified hypertension as the most associated illness. We also revealed molecular mechanisms by identifying statistically significant ten pathways and ten ontologies. Moreover, to understand cellular physiology, we did protein‐protein interaction (PPI) analyses among the comorbidities and COVID‐19. We also used the degree centrality method and identified ten biomarker hub proteins (IL1B, CXCL8, FN1, MMP9, CXCL10, IL1A, IRF7, VWF, CXCL9, and ISG15) that associate COVID‐19 with the comorbidities. Finally, we validated our findings by searching the published literature. Thus, our analytical approach elicited interconnections between COVID‐19 and the aforementioned comorbidities in terms of remarkable DEGs, pathways, ontologies, PPI, and biomarker hub proteins.
Characterisation of APS‐1 Experimental Models Is Crucial for Development of Novel Therapies
Authors: Almaghrabi Sarah , Lovewell Thomas , Azzouz Mimoun , Tazi Ahnini Rachid
Published: January 2023

Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS‐1) is an inherited autosomal disorder. The most common clinical features of the disease include adrenocortical failure, hypoparathyroidism (HP), and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC). APS‐1 is caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. AIRE is a transcriptional factor involved in the regulation of thousands of genes in the thymus. It facilitates central tolerance by promoting the ectopic expression of tissue‐specific antigens (TSAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), leading to the deletion of self‐reactive thymocytes. Several Aire‐deficient mice were developed separately, on different backgrounds; seven published Aire knockout mice show a variety of phenotypes depending on the strain used to generate the experimental model. The first Aire‐deficient mice were generated on a “black 6” background almost 20 years ago. The model showed mild phenotype with relatively modest penetrance compared to models generated on BALBc or NOD backgrounds. The generation of all these experimental models is crucial for development and testing new therapeutics as well as reading the response to treatments.
Chemical Reaction Optimization for Minimum Weight Dominating Set
Authors: Boni A. Pritam Khan , Islam B. Md. Rafiqul
Published: January 2023

Dominating set of a graph can be defined as the set of vertices that can cover all other vertices of the graph. The minimum weight dominating set (MWDS) is the minimum number of vertices in the dominating set with minimum total weight. In recent times, the chemical reaction optimization algorithm (CRO) has shown its supremacy in solving these types of problems. Therefore in this paper, a novel approach based on CRO has been proposed to solve the MWDS problem. The proposed method uses a repair-based technique to generate a molecule. To make the solution feasible by covering all vertices and to get better results, three supporting operators are implemented along with the CRO operators. Besides this, two repair operators are introduced. In the first repair operator, the searching procedure works based on the scaling properties of vertices, and the second one is a unique method for eliminating common neighbors of vertices of the dominating set. The performance of the proposed method is better than any other existing related algorithms. The performance is measured from different graphs of the benchmark datasets. It can be mentioned that the proposed method takes minimal running time to obtain the minimum weight compared to other benchmark methods.
Musculoskeletal Telemedicine Trends Preceding the COVID-19 Pandemic and Potential Implications of Rapid Telemedicine Expansion
Authors: Kiani Sara N. , Cho Logan D. , Poeran Jashvant , Wilson Lauren , Zhong Haoyan , Mazumdar Madhu , Liu Jiabin , Valle Alejandro Gonzalez Della , Memtsoudis Stavros G.
Published: January 2023

Introduction. Telemedicine was rapidly deployed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little has been published on telemedicine in musculoskeletal care prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is aimed at characterizing trends in telemedicine for musculoskeletal care preceding the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. This retrospective study used insurance claims from the Truven MarketScan database. Musculoskeletal-specific outpatient visits from 2014 to 2018 were identified using the musculoskeletal major diagnostic category ICD-10 codes. Telemedicine visits were categorized using CPT codes and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding Systems. We described annual trends in telemedicine in the overall dataset and by diagnosis grouping. Multivariable logistic regression modeling estimated the association between patient-specific and telemedicine visit variables and telemedicine utilization. Results. There were 36,672 musculoskeletal-specific telemedicine visits identified (0.020% of all musculoskeletal visits). Overall, telemedicine utilization increased over the study period (0% in 2014 to 0.05% in 2018). Orthopedic surgeons had fewer telemedicine visits than primary care providers (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.55-0.59). The proportion of unique patients utilizing telemedicine in 2018 was higher in the south (OR 2.28, 95% CI 2.19-2.38) and west (OR 5.58, 95% CI 5.36-5.81) compared to the northeast. Those with increased comorbidities and lower incomes and living in rural areas had lower rates of telemedicine utilization. Conclusions. From 2014 to 2018, there was an increase in telemedicine utilization for musculoskeletal visits, in part due to insurance reimbursement and telemedicine regulation. Despite this increase, the rates of telemedicine utilization are still lowest in some of the groups that could derive the most benefit from these services. Establishing this baseline is important for assessing how the roll-out of telemedicine during the pandemic impacted how/which patients and providers are utilizing telemedicine today.
Mobilization Levels of Cardiac Surgery Patients in the Early Postoperative Period
Authors: İbrahimoğlu Özlem , Gezer Nurdan , Öğütlü Özde
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Early mobilization after cardiac surgery positively affects the improvement of the physical, social, and psychological functions of patients. This study was carried out to evaluate the mobilization levels of cardiac surgery patients in the early postoperative period with the ICU-Mobility Scale (IMS). Methods: This descriptive and observational study was conducted with 104 patients and 15 nurses between February and June 2021 in a cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit in Turkey. Data were collected with an information form and the IMS. Results: A statistically significant relationship was found between the time the patients reached the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th levels of the IMS in the intensive care unit and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamping time, operation time, and intubation time (p < 0.05). In addition, nurses reported that they had a little difficulty and high satisfaction during the application of the scale. Conclusion: Mobilization after cardiac surgery is affected by some factors during and after surgery. The IMS is an inexpensive, easy, and effective method that can be used to evaluate and classify the mobilization levels of patients in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.
Alterations of Spontaneous Cortical and Subcortical Activity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with and without Depression
Authors: Tian Jing , Liu Rui-Fang , Li Zhou-Le , Tan Jian , Lu Ya-Shan , Zhang Wen-Wen , Liu Ju-Xiang , Gong Rui , Cao Jian-Cang , Yang Chen , Huang Gang , Wang Ying , Zhao Lian-Ping
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with depression have a higher risk of complications and mortality than T2DM without depression. However, the exact neuropathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Consequently, the current study aimed to investigate the alteration of cortical and subcortical spontaneous neural activity in T2DM patients with and without depression. Methods: The demographic data, clinical variables, neuropsychological tests, and functional and anatomical magnetic resonance imaging of depressed T2DM (n = 47) of non-depressed T2DM (n = 59) and healthy controls (n = 41) were collected and evaluated. The correlation analysis, stepwise multiple linear regression, and receiver operating characteristic curve were performed for further analysis. Results: Abnormal neural activities in the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and hippocampus were observed in depressed and non-depressed T2DM and the right putamen of the depressed T2DM. Interestingly, the subcortical degree centrality (DC) of the right hippocampus and putamen were higher in depressed than non-depressed T2DM. Furthermore, the cortical amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in PCC, subcortical DC in the putamen of depressed T2DM, and hippocampus of non-depressed T2DM was correlated with cognitive scores. In contrast, the cortical fractional ALFF in PCC of non-depressed T2DM was correlated with depression scores. Conclusions: The abnormalities of spontaneous cortical activity in PCC and subcortical activity in the hippocampus might represent the neurobiological feature of cerebral dysfunction in T2DM. Notably, the altered subcortical activity in the right putamen might mainly associate with negative emotion in T2DM, which could be a promising biomarker for recognizing early cerebral dysfunction in depressed T2DM. This study provided a novel insight into the neuropathophysiological mechanism of brain dysfunction in T2DM with and without depression.
A trajetória do movimento feminista e das conquistas jurídicas até a paridade de gênero na Convención Constitucional chilena
Authors: Pitre Paloma Gerzeli , Galvão Ana Paula
Published: January 2023

Neste artigo analisamos o processo de interpelação das mulheres à Assembleia Constituinte chilena como resultado da mobilização e da formação política ao longo de anos de luta por direitos. O marco inicial deste estudo é a primeira mobilização dos estudantes secundaristas, em 2006, findando nos acontecimentos do Mayo Feminista, em 2018, quando da aprovação de um processo constituinte. Destaca-se neste trabalho a centralidade do pensamento, ação e luta das mulheres e do feminismo chileno, pois aqui demonstramos o quanto a luta permanente das mulheres contra as estruturas patriarcais da sociedade e, principalmente, contra as instituições estatais. O resultado foi a participação das mulheres na Convenção Constituinte em termos paritários com os homens. As premissas deste trabalho se sustentam numa revisão das principais leis para a equidade nas relações de gênero, editadas a partir de 2015. Além da análise da legislação e de normas, realizamos, finalmente, uma consulta bibliográfica sobre o movimento de mulheres e feministas numa perspectiva histórica. Conclui-se que o modelo paritário da Assembleia constituinte é parte de um projeto de construção coletiva feminista da sociedade, após a politização da violência vivenciada contra as mulheres.
Corpo, narcisismo e performance do gênero masculino no Instagram
Authors: Anjos Lucas Wesley Kelly dos
Published: January 2023

Este artigo tem o intuito de analisar a influência do Instagram  na  construção da masculinidade heteronormativa como modelo hegemônico a ser seguido pelos sujeitos. A partir da etnografia virtual, conceito criado por Christine Hine, sete perfis de homens que propagam a cultura fitness no Instagram foram estudados para entender como ocorrem os processos representacionais das performances de gênero e corpo.
Desafios da regulação do digital e da inteligência artificial no Brasil
Authors: Oliveira Cristina Godoy Bernardo de
Published: January 2023

Este artigo apresenta e discute as oportunidades advindas da economia digital e a atuação do Estado para garantir a existência de um ambiente regulatório capaz de viabilizar e incentivar a inovação. A estrutura jurídica do Estado é fundamental para favorecer o desenvolvimento tecnológico; contudo, ao se tratar de fenômenos emergentes, como a inteligência artificial, é necessário compreender definições, classificações e mensurar riscos para apresentar normas jurídicas que protejam os cidadãos sem impedir o avanço tecnológico. Assim, utilizando o método analítico e comparativo, buscou-se avaliar os dispositivos normativos voltados a preparar a sociedade brasileira para a transformação digital, apresentando-se os aspectos positivos deste arcabouço jurídico existente e as lacunas ainda presentes que oferecem ameaças significativas para a competitividade do Brasil no âmbito da economia digital.
Duzentos anos de ciência no Brasil
Authors: Chaimovich Hernan , Porto Paulo Alves
Published: January 2023

O território e os habitantes do Brasil foram fontes de conhecimento para a ciência europeia e riqueza para Portugal. Na Independência surgem as primeiras instituições de ensino e pesquisa. Mesmo com destaques isolados de alguns institutos, foi somente no início do século XX que a pesquisa se institucionalizou, basicamente a partir da fundação da Universidade de São Paulo, em 1934. Especialmente desde a década de 1970, as descobertas de cientistas brasileiros aumentaram o seu impacto. Atualmente, o volume da produção da ciência brasileira é destaque, mas a sua visibilidade continua sendo menor que a média mundial. A ciência é internacional, mas existe em um ambiente social local. A dimensão e a qualificação da comunidade científica permitem que a ciência de excelência amplie sua contribuição para o desenvolvimento justo e sustentável do Brasil.
Inovação, ciência e os lugares da universidade
Authors: Plonski Guilherme Ary
Published: January 2023

A busca do lugar ideal está presente na cultura brasileira, como ilustra a expressão “coloque-se no seu lugar”. E se manifesta também em culturas bem diversas, como a de tribos nativas mexicanas, como retratado com maestria pelo antropólogo e escritor Carlos Castañeda em A erva do diabo. A busca do lugar ideal da universidade na sociedade ampla, feita neste artigo a partir do exame das notáveis inflexões que as ideias de inovação e de universidade tiveram ao longo da história recente, revela que esse ponto certo não existe. As razões são diversas. Por um lado, cada universidade corporifica uma utopia singular. E, em decorrência do entrelaçamento das trajetórias da inovação e da universidade, esta passou a assumir múltiplos papéis nas respectivas sociedades. Este artigo sugere uma mudança de foco: ao invés de buscar “o” lugar ideal, cultivar eutopias universitárias, espaços realizáveis que contribuam para a materialização dos sonhos das sociedades que as sustentam.
Coisas que se pode aprender sobre CT&I no Brasil pela análise das publicações científicas com autores no país
Authors: Cruz Carlos Henrique de Brito
Published: January 2023

No presente trabalho usamos informações sobre publicações científicas com autores no Brasil para analisar algumas características do sistema de CT&I e identificar oportunidades para melhorar as políticas para ciência, tecnologia e inovação no país. Abordamos variações temporais nas tendências, de forma que o leitor possa observá-las à luz do histórico das políticas e condições do sistema de CT&I. Analisamos as taxas de crescimento do conjunto de publicações, as contribuições do setor acadêmico e empresarial, as contribuições regionais e a participação em termos de áreas de pesquisa e dos Objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Entre as observações, destacamos a debilidade do esforço de P&D em empresas, o que limita a capacidade para estabelecer parcerias com universidades (mesmo que essas colaborações venham crescendo), e o lento aumento do impacto de citações do conjunto de publicações do país.
Effects of Renal Denervation on Sympathetic Nerve Traffic and Correlates in Drug-Resistant and Uncontrolled Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Biffi Annalisa , Dell’Oro Raffaella , Quarti-Trevano Fosca , Cuspidi Cesare , Corrao Giovanni , Mancia Giuseppe , Grassi Guido
Published: January 2023

Background:

Whether and to what extent the reported blood pressure (BP) lowering effects of renal denervation (RDN) are associated with a central sympathoinhibition is controversial. We examined this issue by performing a meta-analysis of the microneurographic studies evaluating the BP and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses to RDN in drug-resistant or uncontrolled hypertension (RHT).

Methods:

This analysis comprised 11 studies including a total of >400 RHT patients undergoing RDN and were followed up for 6 months. Evaluation was extended to the relationships of MSNA with clinic heart rate and BP changes associated with RDN.

Results:

MSNA showed a significant reduction after RDN (−4.78 bursts/100 heart beats;
P
<0.04), which was also accompanied by a significant systolic (−11.45 mm Hg;
P
<0.002) and diastolic (−5.24 mm Hg;
P
=0.0001) BP decrease. No significant quantitative relationship was found between MSNA and systolic (r=−0.96,
P
=0.19) or diastolic BP (r=−0.97,
P
=0.23) responses to RDN. This was also the case for clinic heart rate (r=0.53,
P
=0.78, respectively), whose post RDN values were not significant different from the pre-RDN ones. More than 10 renal nerves ablations were found to be needed for obtaining a significant sympathoinhibition.

Conclusions:

This meta-analysis, the first ever done on the MSNA responses to RDN, shows that in a consistent number of RHT patients RDN is associated with a significant, although modest, central sympathoinhibition, which appears to be unrelated to the BP lowering effects of the procedure. Thus factors other than the central sympathetic outflow inhibition may concur at the BP lowering effects of RDN.
Evidence of Carotid Atherosclerosis Vulnerability Regression in Real Life From Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Results of the MAGNETIC Prospective Study
Authors: Catalano Oronzo , Bendotti Giulia , Aloi Teresa L. , Bardile Alberto Ferrari , Memmi Mirella , Gambelli Patrick , Zanaboni Daniela , Gualco Alessandra , Cattaneo Emanuela , Mazza Antonio , Frascaroli Mauro , Eshja Esmeralda , Bellazzi Riccardo , Poggi Paolo , Forni Giovanni , La Rovere Maria Teresa
Published: January 2023

Background

Atherosclerosis vulnerability regression has been evidenced mostly in randomized clinical trials with intensive lipid‐lowering therapy. We aimed to demonstrate vulnerability regression in real life, with a comprehensive quantitative method, in patients with asymptomatic mild to moderate carotid atherosclerosis on a secondary prevention program.

Methods and Results

We conducted a single‐center prospective observational study (MAGNETIC [Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Gold Standard for Noninvasive Evaluation of Atherosclerotic Involvement of Carotid Arteries]): 260 patients enrolled at a cardiac rehabilitation center were followed for 3 years with serial magnetic resonance imaging. Per section cutoffs (95th/5th percentiles) were derived from a sample of 20 consecutive magnetic resonance imaging scans: (1) lipid‐rich necrotic core: 26% of vessel wall area; (2) intraplaque hemorrhage: 12% of vessel wall area; and (3) fibrous cap: (a) minimum thickness: 0.06 mm, (b) mean thickness: 0.4 mm, (c) projection length: 11 mm. Patients with baseline magnetic resonance imaging of adequate quality (n=247) were classified as high (n=63, 26%), intermediate (n=65, 26%), or low risk (n=119, 48%), if vulnerability criteria were fulfilled in ≥2 contiguous sections, in 1 or multiple noncontiguous sections, or in any section, respectively. Among high‐risk patients, a conversion to any lower‐risk status was found in 11 (17%;
P
=0.614) at 6 months, in 16 (25%;
P
=0.197) at 1 year, and in 19 (30%;
P
=0.009) at 3 years. Among patients showing any degree of carotid plaque vulnerability, 21 (16%;
P
=0.014) were diagnosed at low risk at 3 years.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates with a quantitative approach that vulnerability regression is common in real life. A secondary prevention program can promote vulnerability regression in asymptomatic patients in the mid to long term.
(When) Are Authors Culpable for Causing Harm?
Authors: Arvan Marcus
Published: January 2023

To what extent are authors morally culpable for harms caused by their published work? Can authors be culpable even if their ideas are misused, perhaps because they failed to take precautions to prevent harmful misinterpretations? Might authors be culpable even if they do take precautions − if, for example, they publish ideas that others can be reasonably expected to put to harmful uses, precautions notwithstanding? Although complete answers to these questions depend upon controversial views about the right to free speech, this paper argues that five notions from the philosophy of law and legal practice − liability, burden of proof, legal causation, mens rea, and reasoning by precedent − can be adapted to provide an attractive moral framework for determining whether an author’s work causes harm, whether and how culpable the author is for causing such harm, steps authors may take to immunize themselves from culpability, and how to responsibly develop new rules for publishing ethics.
Three new species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with notes on additional taxa
Authors: NEARNS EUGENIO H. , SWIFT IAN P. , SANTOS-SILVA ANTONIO
Published: January 2023

The differences between Methia enigma Martins, 1981 and M. argentina Bruch, 1918 (Cerambycinae: Methiini) are discussed, and a new country record for the latter is provided. Sexual dimorphism in Pseudosparna Mermudes and Monné, 2009 (Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) is reported for the first time, and two new species of Pseudosparna (Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) are described from Panama: Pseudosparna dimitrisi sp. nov. and Pseudosparna marilenae sp. nov. The female of Pseudosparna mantis Devesa & Santos-Silva, 2020 is described for the first time. Eranina dariae sp. nov. (Lamiinae: Hemilophini) is described from French Guiana. The type locality of Bisaltes (Bisaltes) bimaculatus Aurivillius, 1904 (Lamiinae: Apomecynini) is reported, and a new country record is provided for the species. Aerenea subsulcicollis Breuning, 1948 (= A. sulcicollis subsulcicollis) (Lamiinae: Compsosomatini) is synonymized with A. sulcicollis Melzer, 1932, and a new country record is provided. A new state record is provided for Schmidarius kondratieffi Santos-Silva, Heffern, Botero & Nascimento, 2020 (Lamiinae: Hemilophini). Tucumaniella Breuning, 1943 (Apomecynini) is synonymized with Cacostola Fairmaire & Germain, 1859 (Onciderini), and Tucumaniella brevipes Breuning, 1943 is synonymized with Cacostola volvula (Fabricius, 1787).
Studies on mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Indonesia, with description of a new species and three new country records
Authors: ZARKANI AGUSTIN , ERCAN CANSU , APRIYANTO DWINARDI , KAYDAN MEHMET BORA
Published: January 2023

Pseudococcid mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) include economically important insect pests worldwide; however, little is known about the species present in Indonesia. Samples were collected and identified from wild and cultivated plants in several regions of southern Sumatra, Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. Eighteen species of Pseudococcidae in 8 genera were identified, including one undescribed species and new host plants. Dysmicoccus zeynepae Zarkani & Kaydan sp. n. is described and illustrated based on the morphology of the adult female, and a key is provided for the identification of all 18 species. Furthermore, Dysmicoccus arachidis Williams, D. carens Williams and Pseudococcus leptotrichotus Williams are recorded for the first time from Indonesia; new locality and host-plant data are given for these species.
Evaluating Winter Precipitation over the Western Himalayas in a High-Resolution Indian Regional Reanalysis Using Multisource Climate Datasets
Authors: Nischal  , Attada Raju , Hunt Kieran M. R.
Published: January 2023

Considerable uncertainties are associated with precipitation characteristics over the western Himalayan region (WHR). These are due to typically small-scale but high-intensity storms caused by the complex topography that are under-resolved by a sparse gauge network. Additionally, both satellite and gauge precipitation measurements remain subject to systematic errors, typically resulting in underestimation over mountainous terrains. Reanalysis datasets provide prospective alternative but are limited by their resolution, which has so far been too coarse to properly resolve orographic precipitation. In this study, we evaluate and cross compare Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analysis (IMDAA), the first high-resolution (12 km) regional reanalysis over India, with various precipitation products during winter season over WHR. We demonstrate IMDAA’s efficiency in representing winter precipitation characteristics at seasonal, diurnal, interannual scales, as well as heavy precipitation associated with western disturbances (WDs). IMDAA shows closer agreement to other reanalyses than to gauge-based and satellite products in error and bias analysis. Although depicting higher magnitudes, its fine resolution allows a much closer insight into localized spatial patterns and the diurnal cycle, a key advantage over other datasets. Mean winter precipitation over WHR shows a significant decreasing trend in IMDAA, despite no significant trend in the frequency of WDs tracked in either IMDAA or ERA5. The study also exhibits the potential use of IMDAA for characterizing winter atmospheric dynamics, both for climatological studies and during WD activity such as localized valley winds. Overall, these findings highlight the potential utility for IMDAA in conducting monitoring and climate change impact assessment studies over the fragile western Himalayan ecosystem.
Vertical Motions in Orographic Cloud Systems over the Payette River Basin. Part III: An Evaluation of the Impact of Transient Vertical Motions on Targeting during Orographic Cloud Seeding Operations
Authors: Heimes Kaylee , Zaremba Troy J. , Rauber Robert M. , Tessendorf Sarah A. , Xue Lulin , Ikeda Kyoko , Geerts Bart , French Jeffrey , Friedrich Katja , Rasmussen Roy M. , Kunkel Melvin L. , Blestrud Derek R.
Published: January 2023

In Part II, two classes of vertical motions, fixed (associated with vertically propagating gravity waves tied to flow over topography) and transient (associated primarily with vertical wind shear and conditional instability within passing weather systems), were diagnosed over the Payette River basin of Idaho during the Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds: The Idaho Experiment (SNOWIE). This paper compares vertical motions retrieved from airborne Doppler radial velocity measurements with those from a 900-m-resolution model simulation to determine the impact of transient vertical motions on trajectories of ice particles initiated by airborne cloud seeding. An orographic forcing index, developed to compare vertical motion fields retrieved from the radar with the model, showed that fixed vertical motions were well resolved by the model while transient vertical motions were not. Particle trajectories were calculated for 75 cross-sectional pairs, each differing only by the observed and modeled vertical motion field. Wind fields and particle terminal velocities were otherwise identical in both trajectories so that the impact of transient vertical circulations on particle trajectories could be isolated. In 66.7% of flight-leg pairs, the distance traveled by particles in the model and observations differed by less than 5 km with transient features having minimal impact. In 9.3% of the pairs, model and observation trajectories landed within the ideal target seeding elevation range (>2000 m), whereas, in 77.3% of the pairs, both trajectories landed below the ideal target elevation. Particles in the observations and model descended into valleys on the mountains’ lee sides in 94.2% of cases in which particles traveled less than 37 km.
A Generalized Density-Based Algorithm for the Spatiotemporal Tracking of Drought Events
Authors: Cammalleri C. , Toreti A.
Published: January 2023

Drought events evolve simultaneously in space and time; hence, a proper characterization of an event requires the tracking of its full spatiotemporal evolution. Here we present a generalized algorithm for the tracking of drought events based on a three-dimensional application of the DBSCAN (density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise) clustering approach. The need for a generalized and flexible algorithm is dictated by the absence of a unanimous consensus on the definition of a drought event, which often depends on the target of the study. The proposed methodology introduces a set of six parameters that control both the spatial and the temporal connectivity between cells under drought conditions, also accounting for the local intensity of the drought itself. The capability of the algorithm to adapt to different drought definitions is tested successfully over a study case in Australia in the period 2017–20 using a set of standardized precipitation index (SPI) data derived from the ERA5 precipitation reanalysis. Insights on the possible range of variability of the model parameters, as well as on their effects on the delineation of drought events, are provided for the case of meteorological droughts in order to incentivize further applications of the methodology.
The Tornado Probability Algorithm: A Probabilistic Machine Learning Tornadic Circulation Detection Algorithm
Authors: Sandmæl Thea N. , Smith Brandon R. , Reinhart Anthony E. , Schick Isaiah M. , Ake Marcus C. , Madden Jonathan G. , Steeves Rebecca B. , Williams Skylar S. , Elmore Kimberly L. , Meyer Tiffany C.
Published: January 2023

A new probabilistic tornado detection algorithm was developed to potentially replace the operational tornado detection algorithm (TDA) for the WSR-88D radar network. The tornado probability algorithm (TORP) uses a random forest machine learning technique to estimate a probability of tornado occurrence based on single-radar data, and is trained on 166 145 data points derived from 0.5°-tilt radar data and storm reports from 2011 to 2016, of which 10.4% are tornadic. A variety of performance evaluation metrics show a generally good model performance for discriminating between tornadic and nontornadic points. When using a 50% probability threshold to decide whether the model is predicting a tornado or not, the probability of detection and false alarm ratio are 57% and 50%, respectively, showing high skill by several metrics and vastly outperforming the TDA. The model weaknesses include false alarms associated with poor-quality radial velocity data and greatly reduced performance when used in the western United States. Overall, TORP can provide real-time guidance for tornado warning decisions, which can increase forecaster confidence and encourage swift decision-making. It has the ability to condense a multitude of radar data into a concise object-based information readout that can be displayed in visualization software used by the National Weather Service, core partners, and researchers.

Significance Statement

This study describes the tornado probability algorithm (TORP) and its performance. Operational forecasters can use TORP as real-time guidance when issuing tornado warnings, causing increased confidence in warning decisions, which in turn can extend tornado warning lead times.