bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward Cognitive Justice: Reconstructions of Climate Finance Governance in Fiji
Authors: Anantharajah Kirsty , Naisilisili Sereima Volivoli
Published: July 2023

In response to climate change’s devastating impacts on Pacific nations such as Fiji, climate finance—that is, the flow of public and private funds toward climate-aligned investment—has been presented as a promising solution. However, climate finance has had mixed results in delivering positive climate-aligned development benefits. In this article, we explore the climate finance governance around Fiji’s energy sector using postcolonial analytical tools, which allow us to explore some of the asymmetries playing out in climate finance and offer some alternatives. We argue that climate finance dysfunction is, in part, derived from the application of hegemonic knowledges in climate finance governance, and we aim to deconstruct these knowledge practices and subsequently, through the analysis of empirical, ethnographic data, to reconstruct governance alternatives that provide for epistemic inclusivity. This article demonstrates how Indigenous approaches such as talanoa and ‘iluvatu can facilitate recognition of governance innovation, and, in doing so, it considers the potential of cognitive justice, which calls for epistemic inclusivity, within the context of climate finance governance. The article concludes that including cognitive justice in climate finance governance can indeed promote better climate-aligned development benefits in Fiji and beyond.
Design and optimization of an SOI-based electro-absorption-type VOA
Authors: Huang Yuming , Lu Lidan , Chen Guang , Xu Yingjie , Zhu Lianqing
Published: July 2023

A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) variable optical attenuator (VOA) based on the plasma dispersion effect is optimized and realized, and the effects of doping concentration and distance about the VOA’s modulation depth and attenuation efficiency are investigated. Two structures of the VOA component are designed to achieve low power consumption, high stability, and high modulation efficiency. The modulation depth of the series VOA scheme reached 60.11 dB, and the insertion loss is only 4.87 dB. Compared with conventional components, our optimized VOA can not only improve the modulation accuracy and efficiency but also reduce the wavelength dependence.
Robust laser diagnostics of internal combustion exhaust gases for application directly behind the exhaust turbo system
Authors: Matero Henrik , Wagner Steven , Gehra Tobias , Günthner
Published: July 2023

Stronger regulatory emission requirements of the recent years have led to a wave of hybridization in the automotive sector, aiming to reduce harmful emissions by load balancing the internal combustion engine during real driving scenarios. In this work we present a robust multi-species measurement system, capable of quantitatively measuring selected gas species behind the exhaust turbo with high temporal resolution, thus able to identify critical operation points for the hybrid drive train. The application of the TDLAS (tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy) based sensor head will be shown and subsequently discussed regarding the performance and robustness of the system.
Two Color Ionization Seeded Laser Wakefield Accelerator
Authors: Kupfer R. , Chang A. , Petrushina I. , Gaikwad A. , Bromberg I. , Pogorelsky I.V. , Polyanskiy M.N. , Kusche K. , Babzien M. , Fedurin M. , Zgadzaj R. , Downer M.C. , Litvinenko V. , Samulyak R.V. , Palmer M. , Vafaei-Najafabadi N.
Published: July 2023

We report on an experimental realization of a two-color ionization seeded laser wakefield accelerator with a long wave infrared drive laser and a transverse, tightly focused, near infrared injector laser.
Electrochemically Modulated Metasurfaces
Authors: Eaves-Rathert Janna , Kovalik Elena , Ugwu Chibuzor Fabian , Pint Cary L. , Valentine Jason G.
Published: July 2023

Electrochemical intercalation of lithium in titanium dioxide and silicon-based metasurfaces is used to initiate phase changes in a continuously tunable, reversible, and bistable manner for dynamic control over structural color.
Quantum-inspired superresolution for incoherent imaging
Authors: Tan Xiao-Jie , Qi Luo , Chen Lianwei , Danner Aaron J. , Kanchanawong Pakorn , Tsang Mankei
Published: July 2023

Optical measurements that can achieve the fundamental quantum limits have the potential to improve the imaging of subdiffraction objects in important applications, including optical astronomy and fluorescence microscopy. Working towards the goal of implementing such quantum-inspired measurements for real applications, we experimentally demonstrate the localization of two incoherent optical point sources and the semiparametric estimation of object moments in the subdiffraction regime via spatial-mode demultiplexing (SPADE). In the case of two sources, we are able to estimate both of their locations accurately, not just their separation, by exploiting the asymmetric response of our SPADE device. In the case of semiparametric estimation, we demonstrate that, even if the source number is unknown, the moments of the source distribution can still be estimated accurately. Our demonstration paves the way towards the use of SPADE for optical superresolution in practical scenarios, where adaptive measurements are difficult and many parameters are unknown.
Reconfigurable perfect vortex beam generator based on a liquid crystal spiral phase plate
Authors: García Javier Pereiro , García-de-Blas Mario , del Val Pablo de la Rosa , Geday Morten , Quintana Xabier , Caño-García Manuel
Published: July 2023

A transmissive adaptable optical setup to generate a range of perfect vortex beams (PVBs) carrying different topological charges (TC) without using moving parts is presented. The setup is composed of an ad hoc transparent reconfigurable liquid crystal (LC) spiral phase plate (SPP), a refractive axicon and a convergent refractive lens. The LC SPP electrodes are manufactured ablating indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates using direct laser writing (DLW) resulting in a very high fill factor device. In-house tailored electronics drive the 72 LC SPP electrodes giving rise to 72 different configurations with orbital angular momentum. In this work, the generation of PVBs with 36 positive or 36 negative TCs using this optical setup is accomplished.
Intrinsic signal optoretinography reveals AD-induced retinal photoreceptor hyperexcitability before detectable morphological abnormality
Authors: Yao Xincheng , Ma Guangying , Kim Tae-Hoon , Son Taeyoon , Ding Jie , Ahmed Shaiban , Adejumo Tobiloba
Published: July 2023

Neuronal hyperexcitability promises an early biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, in vivo detection of neuronal hyperexcitability in the brain is technically challenging. The retina, one part of the central nervous system, presents a unique window for noninvasive monitoring of brain function. This study aims to test the feasibility of using intrinsic signal optoretinography (ORG) for mapping retinal hyperexcitability associated with early-stage AD. A custom-designed optical coherence tomography (OCT) was employed for simultaneously performing morphological measurement and functional ORG of both wild-type mice and 3xTg-AD mice. Comparative analysis revealed AD-induced retinal photoreceptor hyperexcitability prior to detectable structural degeneration.
Genetic differentiation among Aedes aegypti populations from different eco-geographical zones of India
Authors: Sumitha Melveettil Kishor , Kalimuthu Mariapillai , Kumar Mayandi Senthil , Paramasivan Rajaiah , Kumar Narendran Pradeep , Sunish Ittoop Pulikkottil , Balaji Thiruppathi , Sarma Devojit Kumar , Kumar Devendra , Suman Devi Shankar , Srivastava Hemlata , Bhowmick Ipsita Pal , Vaishnav Keshav , Singh Om P. , Patil Prabhakargouda B. , Tyagi Suchi , Mohanty Suman S. , Barik Tapan Kumar , Uragayala Sreehari , Kumar Ashwani , Gupta Bhavna
Published: July 2023

The present study explicitly evaluated the genetic structure ofAedes aegyptiLinn, the vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, across different geo-climatic zones of India and also elucidated the impact of ecological and topographic factors. After data quality checks and removal of samples with excess null alleles, the final analysis was performed on 589 individual samples using 10 microsatellite markers. Overall findings of this study suggested that,Ae.aegyptipopulations are highly diverse with moderate genetic differentiation between them. Around half of the populations (13 out of 22) formed two genetic clusters roughly associated with geographical regions. The remaining nine populations shared genetic ancestries with either one or both of the clusters. A significant relationship between genetic and geographic distance was observed, indicating isolation by distance. However, spatial autocorrelation analysis predicted the signs of long-distance admixture. Post-hoc environmental association analysis showed that 52.7% of genetic variations were explained by a combination of climatic and topographic factors, with latitude and temperature being the best predictors. This study indicated that though overall genetic differentiation amongAe.aegyptipopulations across India is moderate (Fst= 0.099), the differences between the populations are developing due to the factors associated with geographic locations. This study improves the understanding of theAe.aegyptipopulation structure in India that may assist in predicting mosquito movements across the geo-climatic zones, enabling effective control strategies and assessing the risk of disease transmission.
Using machine learning to design a short test from a full-length test of functional health literacy in adults—The development of a short form of the Danish TOFHLA
Authors: Hæsum Lisa Korsbakke Emtekær , Cichosz Simon Lebech , Hejlesen Ole Kristian
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Patients are compelled to become more involved in shared decision making with healthcare professionals in the self-management of chronic disease and general adherence to treatment. Therefore, it is valuable to be able to identify patients with low functional health literacy so they can be given special instructions about the management of chronic disease and medications. However, time spent by both patients and clinicians is a concern when introducing a screening instrument in the clinical setting, which raises the need for short instruments for assessing health literacy that can be used by patients without the involvement of healthcare personnel. This paper describes the development of a short version of the full-length Danish TOFHLA (DS-TOFHLA) that is easily applicable in the clinical context and where the use does not require a trained interviewer.

Materials and methods

Data were collected as a part of a large-scale telehomecare project (TeleCare North), which was a randomized controlled trial that included 1225 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The DS-TOFHLA was developed solely using an algorithm-based selection of variables and multiple linear regression. A multiple linear regression model was developed using an exhaustive search strategy.

Results

The exhaustive search showed that the number of items in the full-length TOFHLA could be reduced from 17 numeracy items and 50 reading comprehension items to 20 reading comprehension items while maintaining a correlation of r = 0.90 between the scores from full-length and short versions. A generic model-based approach was developed, which is suitable for development of short versions of the TOFHLA in other languages, including the original American version.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated how a generic model-based approach could be applied in the development of a short version of the TOFHLA, thereby reducing the 67 items to 20 items in the short version. Furthermore, this study showed that the inclusion of numeracy items was not necessary. The development of the DS-TOFHLA presents an opportunity to reliably identify patients with inadequate functional health literacy in approximately 5 minutes without involvement of healthcare personnel. The approach may be used in the development of short versions of any scaling questionnaire.
Subjective burden of government-imposed Covid-19 restrictions in Switzerland: Evidence from the 2022 LINK Covid-19 survey
Authors: Fink Günther , Förtsch Katharina , Felder Stefan
Published: July 2023

Background

While a large literature has quantified the health and economic impact of COVID-19, estimates on the subjective losses in quality of life due to government imposed restrictions remain scarce.

Methods

We conducted a nationally representative online survey in Switzerland in February 2022 to measure average self-reported quality of life with government restrictions. We used a discrete choice experiment to compute average willingness to pay for avoiding specific restrictions and time-trade-off questions to quantify the relative quality of life under restrictions.

Results

A total of 1299 Swiss residents completed the online survey between February 9th and 15th, 2022. On average, respondents valued life under severe restrictions at 39% of their usual life (estimated relative utility 0.39 [0.37, 0.42]). Willingness to pay for avoiding restrictions was lowest for masks (CHF 663 [319, 1007]), and highest for schools and daycares (CHF 4123 [3443, 4803]) as well as private parties (CHF 4520 [3811, 5229]). We estimate that between March 2020 and February 2022 a total of 5.7 Million QALYs were lost due to light, moderate and severe restrictions imposed by the governments.

Conclusions

The quality of life losses due to government restrictions are substantial, particularly when it comes to the closure of schools and daycares, as well as the prohibition of private gatherings. Future policies should weigh these costs against the health benefits achievable with specific measures.
Assessing the competitiveness of solar photovoltaic products in comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-pacific partnership countries
Authors: Guo Qing , You Wenlan
Published: July 2023

Solar PV enables the conversion of solar energy into electricity and has become a clean energy technology for economic development. The advantages and disadvantages of solar photovoltaic vary among CPTPP member nations; nevertheless, since the CPTPP’s implementation, fewer researchers have evaluated the member countries’ solar photovoltaic goods’ level of international competitiveness. In order to correct the flaw that the RCA index can only be studied from trade volume, this study adopts the IRCA index method and the revised CMS model, which integrates a number of variables to analyze the competitiveness of solar photovoltaic in each country. The study’s findings indicate that: (1) the structural effect has a significant impact on export growth, particularly during the epidemic period, when Australia’s contribution rate reached 106.58%; (2) the competitiveness effect has a lesser impact on export growth, and the epidemic led to a decline in competitiveness, with Japan’s contribution rate reaching -262.85%; (3) the second-order effect has a declining trend in its contribution rate of export growth; (4) the export competitiveness of solar PV products differs between CPTPP countries, with power supply products having the most export competitiveness and solar cells having a steady comparative advantage in a weaker state. Apart than Japan, the remaining nations’ comparative advantages for PV products are less than 1. Based on the above research findings, this paper puts forward the corresponding policy recommendations.
Safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Mesa Luz Estella , López Josue Guillermo , López Quiceno Lucas , Barrios Arroyave Freddy , Halpert Karolynn , Camacho Jhyld C.
Published: July 2023

Background and objectives

Some patients have insufficient treatment response to conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (cDMARD); although biologics have proven to be an effective treatment for RA, the effects that bDMARDs have on integumentary, cardiac, and immune systems and the high costs associated with these treatments, make that mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies (MSCs) for RA are being considered potential treatment methods. This work analyses the performance in safety and efficacy terms of MSCs techniques.

Methods and finding

A literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Open Grey databases from inception to October 28, 2022. Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one non-randomized controlled trial (non-RCTs), including 358 patients met our inclusion criteria and were included in qualitative synthesis; only RCTs were eligible for quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis). Meta-analysis of adverse events (AE) in RCTs showed no significant differences in the incidence of AE in the MSCs group compared to the control group (Risk ratio: 2.35; 95% CI, 0.58 to 9.58; I2 = 58.80%). The pooled Risk ratio for non-serious and serious adverse events showed no statistical difference between intervention and control groups concerning the incidence of non-serious and serious adverse events (Risk ratio: 2.35; 95% CI, 0.58 to 9.51; I2 = 58.62%) and (Risk ratio: 1.10; 95% CI, 0.15 to 7.97; I2 = 0.0%) respectively. The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and Disease Activity Score (DAS28) decreased in agreement with the decreasing values of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Additionally, a trend toward clinical efficacy was observed; however, this improvement was not shown in the studies after 12 months of follow-up without continuous treatment administration.

Conclusion

This Systematic review and meta-analysis showed a favorable safety profile, without life-threatening events in subjects with RA, and a trend toward clinical efficacy that must be confirmed through high-quality RCTs, considerable sample size, and extended follow-up in subjects with RA.
The effect of playing e-sports games on young people’s desire to engage in physical activity: Mediating effects of social presence perception and virtual sports experience
Authors: Ningning Wang , Wenguang Cheng
Published: July 2023

E-sports game experiences can help enhance young peoples’ willingness to participate in sports and fitness. However, e-sports game studies have mostly focused on users’ violent tendencies and aggressive behaviors, and less attention has been paid to the positive effects on young peoples’ sports health. The purpose of this study is to provide reasonable guidance young people away from sedentary, addictive and other negative behaviors and to promote active sports and healthy exercise and development. Following the random sampling criteria, questionnaires were distributed to Chinese young people aged 14 to 24 through gaming communities as well as social media platforms, and 1608 valid questionnaires were obtained after eliminating invalid ones. The influence mechanism of e-sports game experience on young peoples’ intention to participate in sports and fitness was examined empirically by using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The e-gaming scenes (β = 0.399, p<0.01), virtual sports experience (β = 0.257, p<0.01), and social presence (β = 0.258 p<0.01) each had a significant positive effect on young peoples’ intention to participate in sports and fitness; virtual sports experience [OR]0.099, 95%: CI 0.077–0.121 and social presence[OR]0.052, 95%: CI 0.035–0.071, were known to have mediating utility in the e-gaming scenario’s influence on young peoples’ intention to participate in sports and fitness. Using the significant features of sports video games such as entertainment and simulation to awaken the interest and willingness to participate in young people sports is an innovative way to accelerate the development of mass sports.
Prescription of oral antidiabetics in Mexico. A cross-sectional study
Authors: Fierro Inmaculada , Gallardo-Mora Osiel , Alba-Leonel Adela , Carvajal Alfonso , Molina-Guarneros Juan Arcadio
Published: July 2023

In 2016 diabetes was declared an epidemic and a health emergency in Mexico. As the rationale of the treatment is to achieve target glycemia levels, the appropriateness of the medications used is important. The aim of this study is to learn the pattern of antidiabetic drug prescription and factors associated with inappropriate prescription in Mexico. A retrospective cross-sectional drug utilization study has been conducted. A randomly selected sample was carefully examined. Out of 3600 clinical records of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 196 records were revised. As far as control is concerned, 36.7% had their glycemia values in the recommended range. A combination of different antidiabetics was the most common pattern observed (60.7%); the most frequent was that of the association of metformin with whatever oral antidiabetics. Prescriptions were considered as inappropriate in 149 cases (76.0%); younger age and lack of nutritional assessment was significantly related to inappropriate prescription. A trend to use more drugs for treating T2DM has been consistently observed. Despite using so many drugs, most of the patients are not controlled. Avoiding inappropriate prescription by following current guidelines may contribute to a better control and, in turn, decrease morbidity and mortality for this cause.
JAK-inhibitors and risk on serious viral infection, venous thromboembolism and cardiac events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol for a prevalent new-user cohort study using the Danish nationwide DANBIO register
Authors: Faquetti Maria Luisa , Vallejo-Yagüe Enriqueta , Cordtz René , Dreyer Lene , Burden Andrea M.
Published: July 2023

Janus Kinase inhibitors (JAKis) are targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and represent an important alternative to treat patients with moderate to high rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity. Safety concerns associated with increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), serious viral infection, and, more recently, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in JAKi users have emerged worldwide. However, as the exact mechanisms to explain these safety concerns remain unclear, the increased risk of VTE, MACE, and serious viral infection in JAKi users is heavily debated. In light of the need to enrich the safety profile of JAKis in real-world data, we aim to quantify the incidence and risk of MACE, VTE, and serious viral infections in RA patients registered in the Danish DANBIO registry, a nationwide registry of biological therapies used in rheumatology. Therefore, we will conduct a population-based cohort study using a prevalent new-user design. We will identify all RA patients in the DANBIO, ≥ 18 years old, receiving a JAKi or a tumor necrosis factor α inhibitor (TNF-αi) from January 2017 to December 2022. Prevalent and new users of JAKis will be matched to TNF-αi comparators with similar exposure history using time-conditional propensity scores (TCPS). We will describe the cumulative incidence of the outcomes (VTE, MACE, serious viral infection) in each exposure group (JAKi users; TNF-αi users), stratified by outcome type. Additionally, the Aalen-Johansen method will be used to estimate the time-to-event survival function stratified by outcome type. We will also estimate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of each outcome in both exposure groups using the time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model. Results will enrich the safety profile of JAKis in real-world data.
The application of an isotropic crushable foam model to predict the femoral fracture risk
Authors: Soltanihafshejani Navid , Peroni Federica , Toniutti Sara , Bitter Thom , Tanck Esther , Eggermont Florieke , Verdonschot Nico , Janssen Dennis
Published: July 2023

For biomechanical simulations of orthopaedic interventions, it is imperative to implement a material model that can realistically reproduce the nonlinear behavior of the bone structure. However, a proper material model that adequately combines the trabecular and cortical bone response is not yet widely identified. The current paper aims to investigate the possibility of using an isotropic crushable foam (ICF) model dependent on local bone mineral density (BMD) for simulating the femoral fracture risk. The elastoplastic properties of fifty-nine human femoral trabecular cadaveric bone samples were determined and combined with existing cortical bone properties to characterize two forms of the ICF model, a continuous and discontinuous model. Subsequently, the appropriateness of this combined material model was evaluated by simulating femoral fracture experiments, and a comparison with earlier published results of a softening Von-Mises (sVM) material model was made. The obtained mechanical properties of the trabecular bone specimens were comparable to previous findings. Furthermore, the ultimate failure load predicted by the simulations of femoral fractures was on average 79% and 90% for the continuous and discontinuous forms of the ICF model and 82% of the experimental value for the sVM material model. Also, the fracture locations predicted by ICF models were comparable to the experiments. In conclusion, a nonlinear material model dependent on BMD was characterized for human femoral bone. Our findings indicate that the ICF model could predict the femoral bone strength and reproduce the variable fracture locations in the experiments.
Strengthening the strategy to sustain optimal iodine status in the Republic of Moldova: Assessing the use of iodized salt in industrially processed foods
Authors: Salaru Ion , Demiscan Daniela , Turcan Lilia
Published: July 2023

Background

Although national legislation in the Republic of Moldova includes the use of iodized salt in processed food industry as well as household (cooking and table) salt, little is known of the actual use of iodized salt in the food industry and its contribution to the overall iodine intake of the population. This study has helped to address the gap in understanding about how much iodized salt is used in the production of different foods and to identify where more information is still required in order to more fully characterize the contribution of food industry salt to population iodine intake.

Methods

Using the available food consumption and production data, the assessment introduces a novel modelling technique, based on the methodology of the IGN Programme Guidance to assess the use of iodized salt in industrially produced foods (IPF). The method included the identification of key salt containing IPF and modelling of the salt and potential iodine intake in two groups of the population, non-pregnant adults and pregnant women. The findings were synthetized to develop a list of recommendations for adjustment or strengthening the existing salt iodization strategy.

Main results

In RM, the salt used for industrially produced bread and household use provide almost 80% of all salt intake for adults. The intake from iodized salt at household level and the 8 key salt- containing IPF is estimated to currently meet 89% and 53% of the recommended nutrient for adults and pregnant women, respectively. If all salt used at household level and industrial bread baking would be iodized, then, potentially, it could ensure 181% and 109%, respectively, of the required iodine intake.

Conclusions

Use of iodized salt in the processed food industry is of growing significance and universal use of iodized salt at household level and in bread production could result in a desirable increase in iodine intake. The national salt iodization strategy should include strengthened regulatory monitoring of iodized salt use in the bread baking industry.
Risk assessment of drinking water intake contamination from agricultural activities using a Bayesian network
Authors: Kammoun Raja , McQuaid Natasha , Lessard Vincent , Goitom Eyerusalem Adhanom , Prévost Michèle , Bichai Françoise , Dorner Sarah
Published: July 2023

Agricultural activities can result in the contamination of surface runoff with pathogens, pesticides, and nutrients. These pollutants can enter surface water bodies in two ways: by direct discharge into surface waters or by infiltration and recharge into groundwater, followed by release to surface waters. Lack of financial resources makes risk assessment through analysis of drinking water pollutants challenging for drinking water suppliers. Inability to identify agricultural lands with a high-risk level and implement action measures might lead to public health issues. As a result, it is essential to identify hazards and conduct risk assessments even with limited data. This study proposes a risk assessment model for agricultural activities based on available data and integrating various types of knowledge, including expert and literature knowledge, to estimate the levels of hazard and risk that different agricultural activities could pose to the quality of withdrawal waters. To accomplish this, we built a Bayesian network with continuous and discrete inputs capturing raw water quality and land use upstream of drinking water intakes (DWIs). This probabilistic model integrates the DWI vulnerability, threat exposure, and threats from agricultural activities, including animal and crop production inventoried in drainage basins. The probabilistic dependencies between model nodes are established through a novel adaptation of a mixed aggregation method. The mixed aggregation method, a traditional approach used in ecological assessments following a deterministic framework, involves using fixed assumptions and parameters to estimate ecological outcomes in a specific case without considering inherent randomness and uncertainty within the system. After validation, this probabilistic model was used for four water intakes in a heavily urbanized watershed with agricultural activities in the south of Quebec, Canada. The findings imply that this methodology can assist stakeholders direct their efforts and investments on at-risk locations by identifying agricultural areas that can potentially pose a risk to DWIs.
Avaliação de Políticas Sustentáveis
Authors: Munda Giuseppe
Published: July 2023

Sustainability policy evaluation and assessment seeks to answer the key question, sustainability of what and whom? Consequently, sustainability issues are multidimensional in nature and feature a high degree of conflict, uncertainty and complexity. Social multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) has been explicitly designed for public policies; it builds on formal modelling techniques whose main achievement is the fact that the use of different evaluation criteria translates directly into plurality of values and dimensions underpinning a policy process. SMCE aims at being inter/multi-disciplinary (with respect to the technical team), participatory (with respect to the community) and transparent. SMCE can help deal with three different types of sustainability-related policy issues: 1) epistemological uncertainty (human representation of a given policy problem necessarily reflects perceptions, values and interests of those structuring the problem); 2) complexity (the existence of different levels and scales at which a hierarchical system can be analyzed implies the unavoidable existence of non-equivalent descriptions of it both in space and time); and 3) mathematical manipulation rules of relevant information (compensability versus non-compensability, preference modelling of intensities of preference, mixed information on criterion scores, weights as trade-offs versus weights as importance coefficients, choice of a proper ranking algorithm). This paper focuses on the these three issues and provides an overview of the SMCE approaches to them.
FOTOJORNALISMO NOS E-SPORTS:
Authors: Souza Carlos Alberto de , Pires André Ribeiro
Published: July 2023

Este artigo realiza uma análise das imagens utilizadas pelo portal Globoesporte.com, em suas publicações referentes às 24 rodadas do segundo split do Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL), disputadas de forma remota durante a pandemia do Coronavírus, entre os dias 06 de junho e 05 de setembro de 2020, divididas em fase de pontos e playoffs. A pesquisa se propõe a abordar o tema “Fotojornalismo nos e-sports (esportes eletrônicos)”, de modo a identificar as ferramentas fotojornalísticas presentes nas reportagens, além de analisar as imagens destacando pontos importantes para a caracterização do fotojornalismo. A pesquisa propõe-se a entender como o portal contornou editorialmente a cobertura deste evento em suas publicações, de forma que superasse as dificuldades impostas pela pandemia.
KLARA CASTANHO NAS REDES SOCIAIS:
Authors: Golembiewski Carlos , Silva Pamella Cristina Rodrigues da
Published: July 2023

Este artigo tem o objetivo de analisar como o caso da atriz Klara Castanho ocorrido em maio de 2022 foi noticiado nas redes sociais. A atriz foi vítima de violência sexual que culminou numa gravidez indesejada e posterior doação da criança. O referencial teórico é composto pelas seguintes noções: Jornalismo Digital (Pereira, 2004; Traquina, 2005); Ética Jornalística (Christofoletti, 2008; Karam, 2009); e Violência contra a mulher (Teles, Melo, 2002); Em relação à metodologia, utilizou-se a Pesquisa Documental do tipo qualitativa para observar a forma que o caso foi retratado no Instagram, no TikTok e no Twitter. Os resultados da pesquisa revelam que de houve erros jornalísticos e éticos na condução do caso, o que gerou impactos na vida da atriz.
Iterative improvements from feedback for language models
Authors: Li Yuxi
Published: July 2023

Iterative improvements from feedback is a general approach for many, if not all, successful systems.Ground-truth-in-the-loop is critical.Language models (LMs) like ChatGPT are phenomenal, however, there are still issues like hallucinations and a lack of planning and controllability.We may leverage LMs' competence of language to handle tasks by prompting, fine-tuning, and augmenting with tools and APIs.AI aims for optimality.(Current) LMs are approximations, thus induce an LM-to-real gap. Our aim is to bridge such a gap.Previous study shows that grounding, agency and interaction are the cornerstone for sound and solid LMs.Iterative improvements from feedback is critical for further progress of LMs and reinforcement learning is a promising framework, although pre-training then fine-tuning is a popular approach.Iterative updates are too expensive for monolithic large LMs, thus smaller LMs are desirable.A modular architecture is thus preferred.These help make LMs adapt to humans, but not vice verse.We discuss challenges and opportunities, in particular, data & feedback, methodology, evaluation, interpretability, constraints and intelligence.
THE COLLATZ REGULAR LANGUAGE
Authors: Hernandez Javier
Published: July 2023

Does the Collatz conjecture shelter a regular language? In this article we address that question representing the Collatz sequences as words from the language L, accepted by the deterministic finite automaton M.
Depressão em estudantes universitários
Authors: Fonseca Coelho Galvão Ana Patrícia , Ferreira Pinto Thainá , Riyoti Uchida Ricardo
Published: July 2023

O início da vida adulta se caracteriza como marco fundamental, possui fases de adaptação, e a ingressão na vida acadêmica gera responsabilidades comuns, além de muitas vezes induzirem ao desencadeamento de transtornos psíquicos, que incluem a depressão. Estudo com objetivo de investigar os fatores predisponentes para depressão em estudantes universitários. Possui abordagem descritiva e correlacional com direcionalidade temporal prospectiva, realizada em uma universidade privada do município de São Luís do Maranhão, Brasil. Constituiu-se de 451 estudantes universitários dos cursos de graduação em Enfermagem, Odontologia, Psicologia e Medicina. Da amostra geral, 21,2% foi classificada com sintomas leves de depressão, 23,6% moderados e 22,5% severos; e 67,3% classificaram-se como triagem positiva, os escores de depressão foram significativamente maiores no sexo feminino (p<0,001), e quanto maior a idade (p<0,001), e nos estudantes que sentem apoio da instituição (p<0,001) e apoio dos colegas (p<0,001), 76,1% entre 18 e 20 anos. Pesquisas semelhantes apontam que, a triagem positiva em universitários se dá pela dificuldade em adaptação do universitário as atividades propostas, durante as atividades práticas onde se lida diariamente. Tornam-se preocupantes a semelhança dos dados obtidos, o que implicam na prática para futuros profissionais de saúde, pois, os casos leves a moderados podem representar sintomatologias iniciais da doença, que progrida com o avançar da idade, os casos mais severos apresentam maior gravidade como incapacidade de cuidar de si próprio e manter relações sociais, encontrando muitos obstáculos.
СИНДРОМ ГИПОГОНАДИЗМА У МУЖЧИН С САХАРНЫМ ДИАБЕТОМ 2 ТИПА В РОССИИ:
ОБЪЕДИНЕННЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ДАННЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ ЗА ПЕРИОД 2005-2022 ГОД
Authors: Чернова М. О. , Есауленко Д. И. , Роживанова Е. Р. , Роживанов Р. В. , Мельниченко Г. А. , Шестакова М. В.
Published: July 2023

Мужской гипогонадизм ассоциирован с сахарным диабетом 2 типа (СД2), в связи с этим представляет

интерес исследование его клинико-эпидемиологических характеристик. Эти данные опубликованы, одна-

ко проблемой является их разрозненность и малые объемы выборок. Суммарная оценка объединенных

первичных данных проведенных исследований обеспечит достаточную репрезентативность и позволит

экстраполировать результаты на российскую популяцию в целом.

ЦЕЛЬ: оценка клинико-эпидемиологических характеристик и отягощающих факторов синдрома гипо-

гонадизма у мужчин с СД2 в России.

МАТЕРИАЛЫ И МЕТОДЫ: объединение первичных данных (анамнеза, антропометрических показа-

телей, лабораторного исследования) сплошных одномоментных скрининговых исследований синдрома

гипогонадизма у мужчин с СД2, проведенных на территории Российской Федерации в период с 2005

по 2022 год. Сравнение групп проведено с помощью U-критерия Манна–Уитни и χ² с поправкой Йетса.

Статистически значимыми считались различия при p<0,05.

РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ: синдром гипогонадизма был выявлен у 893 из 1576 мужчин (56,7%). Пациенты с гипого-

надизмом по сравнению с мужчинами без гипогонадизма были статистически значимо старше (56 [50;60]

против 55 [49;59]лет, p<0,001), имели худшие показатели гликемического контроля (гликированный гемо-

глобин (HbA1c) 8,2 [6,8;9,9] против 7,6 [6,4;9,2]%, p<0,001) и более выраженное ожирение (индекс массы

тела (ИМТ) 31,0 [27,8;35,1] против 29,4 [26,5;32,6] кг/м2, p<0,001). Дополнительный сравнительный анализ

пациентов в группах с разным возрастом, ИМТ и HbA1c продемонстрировал возрастание частоты встре-

чаемости гипогонадизма и снижение уровня общего тестостерона сыворотки крови по мере увеличения

возраста, ИМТ и HbA1c (наиболее значимо при HbA1c≥10,0%). При оценке характера осложнений СД2

была выявлена статистически значимо большая распространенность макроангиопатий (ишемической

болезни сердца - 32,7 против 23,8%, p=0,005; острого нарушения мозгового кровообращения - 6,1 против

0,9%, p<0,001; синдрома диабетической стопы - 25,2 против 14,5%, p<0,001) и полинейропатии (70,4 против

58,8%, p<0,001) у мужчин с гипогонадизмом по сравнению с эугонадными пациентами.

ВЫВОДЫ: у 56,7% пациентов с СД2 выявлен синдром гипогонадизма. Его развитие обусловлено воз-

растом, ожирением, нарушением контроля углеводного обмена (наиболее выраженно при HbA1c≥10,0%).

Синдром гипогонадизма ассоциирован с развитием диабетических макроангиопатий и полинейропатии
Revision in Astrophel and Stella
Authors: Bland Mark
Published: July 2023

In his edition of the Poems of Sir Philip Sidney, William Ringler proposed that all the known manuscripts and early printed editions of Astrophel and Stella descended from a single source that was subject to various states of textual corruption in their transmission. This article proposes that instead of a unitary source, Sidney worked through various states of the text as the sequence evolved, and that the textual history reflects the genesis and evolution of Sidney at work, dividing the z tradition into two distinct parts. Further, it examines in detail the nature and character of the adjustments made to the z2 tradition when the copy was prepared for the press, and what it might indicate about the third party that did this.
PATTERSON, Jeanette. 2022. Making the Bible French: The Bible historiale and the Medieval Lay Reader.
Authors: Harris Scott
Published: July 2023

Review
CORRADI, Morena and Silvia VALISA, eds. 2021. La carta veloce. Figure, temi e politiche del giornalismo italiano dell’Ottocento.
Authors: Santagata Maria
Published: July 2023

Review
C-Phycocyanin Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis by Regulating the AMPK Pathway in NCL-H292 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Chaowen He , Dongxuan H. , Dongsheng H. , Jianfeng P. , Fan Y. , Yahui C. , Xiaohua L.
Published: July 2023

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) results in high mortality and has gained increasing attention. C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) has been identified as a potential therapeutic inhibitor for NSCLC, but its underlying mechanism remains obscure. The gene expression of the long noncoding RNA neighbour of BRCAI RNA 2 (NBR2) in NSCLC cells was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The cell capacity for proliferation and migration was examined by EdU and wound-healing assays. Furthermore, the viability and apoptosis of cells was measured with CCK-8 and annexin V/PI, respectively. Next, the protein level of activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and the rapamycin kinase (mTOR) signalling pathway-associated molecules was evaluated by western blotting. H292 cells were pre-treated with C-PC or transfected with plasmids encoding NBR2 or the shNBR2 plasmid, to over-express or knock down NBR2 expression, respectively. NBR2 expression was robustly down-regulated in NSCLC cell lines compared with a normal cell line (BEAS-2B). NBR2 over-expression inhibited migration and promoted apoptosis of H292 cells. Treatment of H292 cells with C-PC enhanced NBR2 levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Down-regulation of NBR2 in H292 cells inhibited the activity of C-PC on cell proliferation, viability and clone formation. Further mechanistic investigation showed that the down-regulation of NBR2 abolished the mo­dulatory effects of C-PC on the AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway. In conclusion, C-PC inhibits H292 cell growth by enhancing the NBR2/AMPK signalling path­way.
Treatment methods for peripheral nerve injuries (a literature review)
Authors: Nevmerzhytska N. M. , Yaremenko L. M. , Chuhray S. M. , Grabovyi O. M.
Published: July 2023

Aim: to analyze modern professional literature and summarize data on treatment methods for peripheral nerve injuries, taking into account the mechanisms of positive effects.
The article presents an overview of possible methods for treatment of peripheral nerve injuries, fundamental classifications of peripheral nerve injuries, their differences are considered, pathophysiological mechanisms and the probability of spontaneous recovery depending on the degree of injury, general principles and conditions for successful regeneration of the peripheral nerve. Options, combinations, advantages and disadvantages of such surgical methods for peripheral nerve injury treatment as neurorrhaphy, autotransplantation and allotransplantation are described in detail, such terms as “small”, “large” and “critical” gaps between the nerve stumps are specified. Classifications and characteristics of conduits are described, types of synthetic conduits are considered. The use of drugs, Schwann cells, growth and neurotrophic factors, neural, embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells of various origins, exosomes of mesenchymal stem cells in the so-called “stem cell-free therapy” in treating this pathology is mentioned. Genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells, optokinetics are also noted, such physical methods for peripheral nerve injury treatment as short-term low-frequency electrical stimulation of the nerve, magnetic stimulation, low-intensity ultrasound, photobiomodulation therapy, photochemical bonding are discussed, indicating some mechanisms of their positive effects.
Conclusions. Improving the quality of life and reducing the degree of disability in patients with injuries of the main nerve trunks depends on the combined use of a number of surgical, bioengineering and regenerative technologies. These involve the restoration of the anatomical continuity of the nerve, including through the use of natural or artificial elements, cellular technologies and the management of regenerative processes. Therefore, every time, a surgeon is facing a major challenge to create a combination of various means from the indicated basic components for the treatment of nerve damage in managing a particular patient. However, such a treatment approach requires proper competences of surgeons as well as specific material and technical bases in order to bring down the level of social tension in patients with injuries of the main nerve trunks.
Implementation of pro- and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of sirtuin-1 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic coronary syndrome and their combination
Authors: Chobanu Ya. V. , Ilashchuk T. O.
Published: July 2023

One of the key pathogenetic aspects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) is endothelial dysfunction. Further study on this pathological process is relevant for a better understanding of the course and increasing the treatment effectiveness of these diseases. In this context, in recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence about sirtuins which, according to the latest research results, were capable of rebalancing vasoconstrictory and vasodilatory mediators, regulating the balance in the protease-antiprotease system, protecting endothelial cells from oxidative stress and may be useful in relation to the pathogenesis of COPD and CCS.
Aim. To study changes in the levels of serum endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3/eNOS) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in patients with a combined course of COPD and CCS and with COPD or CCS alone.
Materials and methods. In order to study endothelial dysfunction and the role of SIRT1 in the processes of its development, we examined 60 patients with combined course of COPD and with CCS or COPD alone. The control group included 10 apparently healthy individuals. Levels of SIRT1 and NOS3/eNOS were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) – by immunoturbidimetric method; clinical data and medical records were analyzed. Commonplace statistical analyses were used.
Results. The results have shown that the serum level of SIRT1 in patients with COPD and CCS was lower than that in the control group. The level of hsCRP was significantly higher in patients with the studied pathology than that in apparently healthy individuals and was the highest in patients with combined COPD and CCS. The study on serum NOS3/eNOS has showed the highest concentration in COPD patients, and it was significantly higher in all groups of patients with the studied pathology than that in healthy individuals. A direct correlation has been found between the serum level of SIRT1 and hsCRP and an inverse correlation – with the level of NOS3/eNOS.
Conclusions. Thus, the pleiotropic effects and multifaceted molecular interactions of SIRT1 are a promising direction in the search for effective new therapeutic strategies in COPD and CCS.