bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Teachers’ Upgradation Policy on Education Quality Primary School Level in District Swabi
Authors: Masheed Qasrim , Hayat Fazal
Published: December 2022

A new service structure for teachers will probably soon be introduced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration. According to a representative of the department of elementary and secondary education, this has long been a requirement of instructors working in the same grade in public schools. Thus, the present study sought to explore the impact of teachers’ upgradation policy on education quality at primary school level in district Swabi. The current study was designed as descriptive in nature in which the data was collected concerning the existing status of the subject of the study. All the 591 government primary schools constituted the population of the study. In which 2392 teachers were the target population of the designed study. From the total population a sample of 100 primary school head teachers were randomly selected as sample for the study. Therefore, a closed end questionnaire was adopted on the 3-point scale, contained 10 items by taking input from supervisor. Findings of the study shows that Majority of the sampled respondents opined that it is a good step taken by the government. Most of the sampled respondents were of the opinion that upgradation policy is best suited for all of the teachers from the primary. Moreover, Government may upgrade 50% of in-service teachers through upgradation and Government may reserve 50% for the new induction through ETEA/NTS are some of the recommendation based on study findings.
PENGUKURAN INDIKATOR KINERJA DAERAH KOTA MALANG TAHUN 2021
Authors: Dan Pengembangan Bidang Penelitian
Published: December 2022

Indikator Kinerja adalah tanda yang berfungsi sebagai alat ukur pencapaian kinerja suatu kegiatan, program atau sasaran dan tujuan dalam bentuk output, outcome, impact. Indikator Kinerja Daerah meliputi Indeks Pembangunan Manusia (IPM), indeks pendidikan, indeks kesehatan, indeks daya beli, angka kemiskinan, persentase penurunan PMKS (Penyandang Masalah Kesejahteraan Sosial), indeks pembangunan gender, Indeks Pembangunan Masyarakat (IPMas), dan indeks modal sosial. Tujuan Penyusunan Indikator Kinerja Daerah Kota Malang tahun 2021 yaitu untuk mengukur capaian indikator kinerja daerah tahun 2021, mengukur capaian indeks pembangunan masyarakat dan indeks modal sosial tahun 2021 berdasarkan data primer yang dilakukan secara survei, melakukan review terhadap target/sasaran indikator-indikator tersebut yang telah ditetapkan di Rancangan Peraturan Daerah Perubahan RPJMD Kota Malang tahun 2018-2023, melakukan analisis antara hasil capaian yang diperoleh pada tahun 2021 dengan target/sasaran yang telah ditetapkan di Rancangan Peraturan Daerah Perubahan RPJMD Kota Malang tahun 2018-2023, memberikan rekomendasi kebijakan dan langkah-langkah apa yang perlu dilakukan oleh Pemerintah Kota Malang berdasarkan hasil penelitianberdasarkan hasil penelitian. Metode analisis yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu Analisis Faktor Pendekatan Principal Component Analysis (PCA), dan Gap Analysis.
PEMETAAN RISIKO BENCANA PANDEMI COVID-19 DI KOTA MALANG BERDASARKAN ASPEK ANCAMAN, KERENTANAN, DAN KAPASITAS
Authors: Shoimah Fadhilatus
Published: December 2022

Penelitian bertujuan untuk mendapatkan pengkajian risiko bencana pandemi COVID-19 melalui analisis tingkat ancaman, analisis kerentanan, dan analisis kapasitas pada masing-masing kelurahan di lima kecamatan di Kota Malang. Analisis tingkat ancaman pandemi COVID-19 menggunakan data yang dikeluarkan oleh Dinas Komunikasi dan Informatika Kota Malang per Tanggal 16 Mei 2021. Analisis tingkat kerentanan masyarakat pada penelitian memperhatikan tiga variabel meliputi kerentanan fisik, ekonomi, dan kerentanan sosial. Masing-masing variabel kerentanan dipetakan dan dioverlay untuk membentuk kerentanan wilayah rawan bencana di Kota Malang dengan klasifikasi kerentanan tinggi, sedang, dan rendah. Pengkajian kapasitas dilakukan dengan mengidentifikasikan status kemampuan individu, masyarakat, lembaga pemerintah atau non-pemerintah, dan aktor lain dalam menangani ancaman dengan sumberdaya yang tersedia untuk melakukan tindakan pencegahan, mitigasi, dan mempersiapkan penanganan darurat, serta menangani kerentanan yang ada dengan kapasitas yang dimiliki oleh masyarakat tersebut. Teknik weighted overlay peta ancaman dengan peta kerentanan, kemudian weighted overlay peta ancaman-kerentanan dengan peta kapasitas menggunakan Arc GIS dilakukan untuk mendapatkan peta risiko bencana. Berdasarkan pengkajian risiko bencana pandemi COVID-19 melalui analisis tingkat ancaman, analisis kerentanan, dan analisis kapasitas pada masing-masing kelurahan di Kota Malang diketahui bahwa sebagian besar wilayah Kota Malang berisiko rendah terhadap bencana pandemi COVID-19. Hal ini dipengaruhi oleh tingkat ancaman pandemi COVID-19 pada masing-masing kelurahan didominasi rendah dengan tingkat kerentanan sedang dan tingkat kapasitas rendah
REVIEW RENCANA PEMBANGUNAN JANGKA MENENGAH DAERAH KOTA MALANG TAHUN 2018-2023
Authors: Dan Evaluasi Bidang Perencanaan Pendataan
Published: December 2022

Peraturan Menteri Dalam Negeri Nomor 86 Tahun 2017 mengamanatkan Pemerintah Daerah untuk melakukan pengendalian dan evaluasi RPJMD tidak kurang dari 3 tahun. Salah satu bentuk dari pengendalian dan evaluasi adalah review. Tujuan dilaksanakan kegiatan review RPJMD Kota Malang Tahun 2018-2023 adalah untuk mengetahui apakah harus melakukan Perubahan RPJMD Kota Malang dengan memperhatikan capaian kinerja penyelenggaraan pemerintahan sampai dengan tahun ke 2 periode berjalan. Dalam kajian ini pragmatisme dipilih sebagai paradigma evaluasi kebijakan lintas sektor karena metodenya yang bersifat gabungan (mix method) kualitatif dan kuantitatif maupun gabungan logika deduktif dan induktif. Ditemukan 6 indikator kinerja utama (IKU) performanya belum optimal. Indikator kinerja daerah (IKD), dari 16 indikator 9 berstatus weak performance, 3 indikator menunjukkan kelemahan dalam menetapkan besaran target pesimis. Untuk itu perlu ada penyesuaian terhadap arah kebijakan pembangunan dengan perspektif penanganan Covid-19, target indikator kinerja dengan perspektif landscape 5 tahun kinerja, target pendapatan daerah dengan asumsi kondisi riil penurunan pendapatan Sumber PAD dan peraturan baru dari pemerintah pusat.
PENGUKURAN INDIKATOR PROGRAM PEMBANGUNAN BIDANG SOSIAL KOTA MALANG TAHUN 2021
Authors: Dan Pengembangan Bidang Penelitian
Published: December 2022

Pembangunan kesejahteraan sosial merupakan salah satu upaya mewujudkan keberhasilan di bidang sosial dan budaya. Kota Malang mengalami jumlah peningkatan Penyandang Masalah Kesejahteraan Sosial (PMKS) dan fakir miskin akibat dampak dari adanya wabah Covid-19 ini pada tahun 2021 ini. Pergeseran anggaran ke bidang kesehatan juga berdampak secara signifikan terhadap pencapaian indikator pembangunan bidang sosial. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengukur capaian indikator program pembangunan bidang sosial tahun serta mereview target sasaran indikator pembangunan sosial di Kota Malang. Analisis yang dapat digunakan untuk mengukur idnikator program pembangunan bidang sosial, yaitu angka kemiskinan, Indeks Modal Sosial (IMS), persentase penurunan PMKS, Indeks Pembangunan Masyarakat (IPMas), Indeks Pembangunan Gender (IPG), dan metode evaluasi target capaian urusan kegiatan bidang sosial. Berdasarkan hasil analisis diketahui bahwa angka kemiskinan di Kota Malang pada tahun 2016-2019 mengalami penurunan, nilai IMS Kota Malang terus mengalami peningkatan setiap tahunnya, persentase PMKS di Kota Malang pada tahun 2016-2021 mengalami penurunan, nilai IPMas mengalami kenaikan pada tahun 2021 sebesar 2,2% serta Kota Malang memiliki nilai IGP tinggi.
From the DttP Vault:Librarians and the Moscow Coup—August 16 to 23, 1991
Authors: Abbott Hoduski Bernadine E.
Published: December 2022

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in vol. 20, no. 2, June 1992, which is available online at https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/489643. This is the final historic article from DttP celebrating 50 years, which I thought appropriate with the ongoing war in Ukraine. The author was Chair of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Section on Official Publications from 1985 to 1989.As we waited in line for a flight out of Moscow on Friday, August 23, E. J. Josey said it for all of us—“It was an emotional week, tiring because of the emotions.” We librarians had been part of the revolution against the Moscow coup, the revolution for freedom. One of the Soviet librarians, who has risked her life at the barricades, explained that because we stayed in Moscow during the coup and continued the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) meeting, that it helped protect those librarians fighting the coup. She and the other Soviet librarians thanked us with hugs and kisses.
A County-Level COVID-19 Response
Authors: Bryant Chloe , Terada Emily
Published: December 2022

Accurate COVID-19 information has seemed contradictory and inconvenient to find since the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. There are many sources that could be blamed for this, including the newspapers, Facebook, or the government itself at federal or even county levels. But where does the average user stand in their ability to access and understand accurate, relevant information relating to COVID-19? We explored twelve county websites picked from six states across the country—Washington, New York, Nevada, Kansas, Louisiana, and Ohio—to see how effective and accessible information at the county-level response differs between Democrat and Republican-leaning states, when those counties acted, and how the information compares regarding lockdowns, vaccines, and quality-of-life documents (such as unemployment forms and aid) during the pandemic. For a birds-eye view of this government information problem, we have chosen to highlight five of these sites to provide a brief look at our findings, which includes observations on population size, political leanings, and information availability and accessibility.
Exploring History Through Government Documents: The Civil Rights Movement
Authors: Karagianis Ani
Published: December 2022

Collection Statement: This collection is a starting point for deeper exploration into the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century using government documents and websites. These documents are just a sample of the many documents available to learn about the historical context, key events, and people important to the movement. The goal of this collection is to provide a series of documents that can work together to provide some history of the Civil Rights Movement. This reference collection spans from 1948-2015, with the bulk of the documents in the 1960s, which mirrors the heyday of the Civil Rights Movement and the notable leaders of the movement (Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.). It is broken up into three main categories: historical context, key events/documents, and notable people/organizations. These were selected due to the differences in the government sources and provides a range of information about voting, the civil rights commission, and the actions of the leaders of the movement. The key events/documents are arranged chronologically so researchers can see the evolution of some Civil Rights documents and legislation. The historical context and key figures/organizations are organized alphabetically by content (which is why “Honoring the NAACP” will go after Malcom X and Martin Luther King, since the content is about the NAACP). Some documents will have related items with it to add context or another angle of research.
Government Documents Story: The Impact of Eugenics Policy on Marginalized Groups in the United States
Authors: Lausell Teresa M.
Published: December 2022

In recent years, debates centered around the idea and phenomenon of discrimination existing or being built directly into our governmental system(s), which is commonly referred to as institutional racism/discrimination, have been increasing We can see from the historical record of governmental documents, however, that at times throughout the history of the United States, government institutions have repeatedly passed and enforced legislation that is directed toward, and caused harm to specific groups of individuals based on their mental health status, status within the criminal justice system, or race.
NI UTOPÍA, NI DISTOPÍA: VIAJE Y PREHISTORIA EN LA NARRATIVA GRÁFICA LA MUCHACHA SALVAJE, DE MIREIA PÉREZ
Authors: Raventós-Pons Esther
Published: December 2022

Mireia Pérez, in La muchacha salvaje, imagines a mythical world, and goes back to the origins of our civilization to better understand the world in which she lives and women’s position in our society. Her graphic narrative focuses on the journey of the protagonist through different communities and modes of living that opens her eyes to other ways of thinking, being and seeing the world. This article examines the importance of the journey in shaping the identity of the main character. A protagonist who finds herself “out of place”, who lives displaced and in constant movement. Her travels through this imaginary world provide the arena to consider the female bildungsroman, the nomadic subject, the importance of silence in the narrative, as well as notions of subjectivity, deterritorialization, and the place of female authors in the comic world.

Resumen

Mireia Pérez, en La muchacha salvaje, inventa un mundo mítico y nos traslada a los orígenes de nuestra civilización para comprender mejor el mundo en que vive y la posición de la mujer en nuestra sociedad. La narrativa gráfica se centra en el viaje de la protagonista por diferentes comunidades y diferentes costumbres que le abren los ojos a otras formas de pensar, ser y ver el mundo. Este artículo examina el papel que cobra el viaje en la configuración de la identidad de un personaje que se encuentra “fuera de lugar”, que vive desplazado y en tránsito constante. El motivo temático del viaje por este mundo imaginario nos lleva a considerar varios aspectos, entre ellos, el bildungsroman femenino, el sujeto nómada, el silencio en esta narrativa gráfica así como nociones de subjetividad, desterritorialización y la situación de las autoras en el mundo del cómic.
CONSTRUYENDO LA MEMORIA COLECTIVA DEL PRIMER FRANQUISMO: BERENÀVEU A LES FOSQUES, DE JOSEP MARIA BENET I JORNET
Authors: Arroyo-Rodríguez Daniel
Published: December 2022

In 1973 Josep Maria Benet i Jornet reconstructs the collective memory of the Spanish postwar during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in his theater play Berenàveu a les fosques (You Were Having Tea in the Dark). This play initially clashes with the apathy of a public and critical environment that are not ready to confront this period, which causes it to be pushed to the sidelines of cultural discourse. The progress made in the recuperation of the historical memory during the last few years invites us to reevaluate Berenàveu as a valuable and innovative play that appeals to the individual memory of readers and spectators in order to construct a social memory of the Spanish postwar. Benet’s play revises 1950s Spanish realism to react against the oblivion of a period of misery and repression on which Franco’s regime supposedly builds a consumer welfare society during the second half of the dictatorship.

Resumen

En 1973 Josep Maria Benet i Jornet estrena la obra de teatro Berenàveu a les fosques (Merendabais a oscuras), en la que, de forma pionera, reconstruye la memoria de la posguerra durante la dictadura de Francisco Franco. Berenàveu contrasta inicialmente con la apatía de un público y de una crítica aún no preparados para hacer cuentas con este periodo, lo que relega esta obra al cajón de los trastos rotos del discurso cultural. No obstante, recientes avances en la recuperación de la memoria histórica invitan a reevaluar Berenàveu como una propuesta valiosa e innovativa que apela a la memoria individual de lectores y espectadores a la hora de reconstruir una memoria social de la posguerra. Para ello, esta obra recurre al realismo de los años cincuenta, reaccionando frente a un olvido que se fragua durante la propia dictadura y desde el que se dan por superados un pasado de represión y miseria sobre el que supuestamente se erige la sociedad de bienestar tardofranquista.
“ERAN DOS FLORES”: LAS PARADOJAS Y LAS AMBIVALENCIAS DE LA MATERNIDAD EN LA PLAZA DEL DIAMANTE
Authors: Gedo Gabrielle
Published: December 2022

This paper examines the ambivalent and paradoxical feelings about motherhood in Catalonian author Mercè Rodoreda’s La plaza del Diamante, a stream-of-consciousness novel about a woman in Barcelona before and after the Spanish Civil War. Employing sociological, psychoanalytic, and feminist theories of gender and motherhood developed by authors such as Adrienne Rich, Jacqueline Rose, and Nancy Chodorow, motherhood is defined as not only a possible phase in a woman’s life but also a social institution with its own expectations and pressures. Viewed through this lens, motherhood is a complex, often ambivalent project. Motherhood itself is a bittersweet venture, where the positive comes from each mother creating her own individual experience and relationships outside of the pressures of the social institution of motherhood.

Resumen:

Este trabajo examina los sentimientos ambivalentes y paradójicos hacia la maternidad en La plaza del Diamante, una novela de flujo de conciencia escrita por la autora catalana Mercè Rodoreda, sobre una mujer en Barcelona antes y después de la Guerra Civil. Empleando las teorías sociológicas, psicoanalíticas y feministas del género y la maternidad desarrolladas por escritoras como Adrienne Rich, Jacqueline Rose y Nancy Chodorow, la maternidad es definida no solo como una etapa posible en la vida de una mujer, sino también como una institución social que conlleva sus propias expectativas. Desde esta perspectiva, la maternidad en la novela es un proyecto complejo y, muchas veces, ambivalente. La maternidad es algo agridulce y lo positivo solo surge cuando la madre crea su propia experiencia y sus propias relaciones individuales fuera de las expectativas de la institución social de la maternidad.
Development of Innovative Rational Timber-concrete Composite Structures
Authors: Buka-Vaivade Karīna
Published: December 2022

Within the framework of the Thesis, a sustainable solution of timber-concrete composite structure has been developed with an innovative method of producing a rigid connection, which ensures the most effective synergy of materials. The performance of the full composite action has been investigated by numerical experiments as well as laboratory bending and shear tests. A methodology and software based on it have been developed for the determination of rational cross-section parameters and materials of timber-concrete composite slabs with full composite action. The possibilities of effective use of operational modal analysis and ultrasonic testing for construction quality control have been tested and determined.
Revisões integrativas em Odontologia
Authors: Hermont Ana Paula , Zina Lívia Guimarães , Silva Karine Duarte da , Silva Janine Mayra da , Martins-Júnior Paulo Antônio
Published: December 2022

Objetivo: Fornecer um guia no formato de checklist para auxiliar pesquisadores na condução de revisões integrativas em Odontologia.

Métodos: O guia para revisões integrativas em Odontologia foi construído a partir do Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (The PRISMA Statement).  

Resultados: Para o delineamento de revisões integrativas em Odontologia é preciso percorrer etapas distintas: 1. Identificação do tema (elaboração da pergunta de pesquisa); 2. Estabelecimento dos critérios de elegibilidade de estudos; 3. Busca sistematizada em diversas fontes de informação; 4. Coleta de dados; 5. Análise dos dados; 6. Discussão; 7. Apresentação da revisão/síntese do conhecimento. Os erros mais comuns ao realizar uma revisão integrativa estão relacionados à descrição incompleta ou não realização de etapas importantes, tais como: 1. Processo de seleção das evidências; 2. Estratégia de busca reprodutível; 3. Detalhes relacionados à busca, seleção e inclusão de estudos; 4. Aplicação dos critérios de elegibilidade; 5. Processo de extração dos dados (definição clara dos dados a serem extraídos, número de revisores envolvidos); 6. Apresentação do processo de seleção de estudos no formato de fluxograma; 7. Avaliação da qualidade dos estudos; 8. Síntese dos resultados.

Conclusão: O guia para revisões integrativas em Odontologia apresenta utilidade na redução de equívocos metodológicos frequentemente observados nesse desenho de estudo, bem como estimula a condução de trabalhos com delineamentos robustos.
Molecular dynamics study of temperature effects on shock response and plastic deformation mechanism of CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys
Authors: Wen Peng , Tao Gang ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Published: December 2022

High-entropy alloys have broad application prospects in aviation, aerospace, military and other fields due to their excellent mechanical properties. Temperature is an important external factor affecting the shock response of high-entropy alloys. In this paper, we investigate the effects of temperature on the shock response and plastic deformation mechanism of CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys by using molecular dynamics method. The effects of temperature on the atomic volume and the radial distribution function of CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy are studied. Then, the piston method is used to generate shock waves in the sample to study the shock response of CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy. We observe the evolution of atomic-scale defects during the shock compression by the polyhedral template matching method. The results show that the shock pressure, the shock wave propagation velocity, and the rising of shock-induced temperature all decrease with the initial temperature increasing. For example, when piston velocity Up = 1.5 km/s, the shock pressure at an initial temperature of 1000 K decreases by 6.7% in comparison with that at 1 K. Moreover, the shock Hugoniot elastic limit decreases linearly with the increase of temperature. The Hugoniot Up-Us curve of CoCrFeMnNi HEA in the plastic stage can be linearly fitted by the formula Us = c0 + sUp, where c0 decreases with temperature increasing. As the shock intensity increases, the CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy undergoes complex plastic deformation, including dislocation slip, phase transformation, deformation twinning, and shock-induced amorphization. At relatively high initial temperature, disordered clusters appear inside CoCrFeMnNi HEA, which together with the BCC (body-centered cubic) structure transformed from FCC (face-centered cubic) and disordered structure are significant dislocation nucleation sources. Compared with other elements, Mn element accounts for the largest proportion (25.4%) in disordered cluster. Owing to the large atomic volume and potential energy, large lattice distortion and local stress occur around the Mn-rich element, which makes a dominant contribution to shock-induced plastic deformation. At high temperatures, the contribution of Fe element to plastic deformation is as important as that of Mn element. The research results are conducive to understanding the shock-induced plasticity and deformation mechanisms of CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys in depth.
Age of Auto Electric
Authors: Eisler Matthew N.
Published: December 2022

The electric vehicle revival reflects negotiations between public policy, which promotes clean, fuel-efficient vehicles, and the auto industry, which promotes high-performance vehicles.

Electric cars were once as numerous as internal combustion engine cars before all but vanishing from American roads around World War I. Now, we are in the midst of an electric vehicle revival, and the goal for a sustainable car seems to be within reach. In Age of Auto Electric, Matthew N. Eisler shows that the halting development of the electric car in the intervening decades was a consequence of tensions between environmental, energy, and economic policy imperatives that informed a protracted reappraisal of the automobile system. These factors drove the electric vehicle revival, argues Eisler, hastening automaking's transformation into a science-based industry in the process.

Challenging the common assumption that the electric vehicle revival is due to the development of better batteries, Age of Auto Electric instead focuses on changing environmental and socioeconomic conditions, energy and environmental policies, systems of energy conversion and industrial production, and innovation practices that affected the prevalence and popularity of electric vehicles in recent decades. Eisler describes a world in transition from legacy to alternative energy-conversion systems and the promises, compromises, new problems, and unintended consequences that enterprise has entailed.
Desiccation resistance differences in Drosophila species can be largely explained by variations in cuticular hydrocarbons
Authors: Wang Zinan , Receveur Joseph P , Pu Jian , Cong Haosu , Richards Cole , Liang Muxuan , Chung Henry
Published: December 2022

Maintaining water balance is a universal challenge for organisms living in terrestrial environments, especially for insects, which have essential roles in our ecosystem. Although the high surface area to volume ratio in insects makes them vulnerable to water loss, insects have evolved different levels of desiccation resistance to adapt to diverse environments. To withstand desiccation, insects use a lipid layer called cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to reduce water evaporation from the body surface. It has long been hypothesized that the water-proofing capability of this CHC layer, which can confer different levels of desiccation resistance, depends on its chemical composition. However, it is unknown which CHC components are important contributors to desiccation resistance and how these components can determine differences in desiccation resistance. In this study, we used machine-learning algorithms, correlation analyses, and synthetic CHCs to investigate how different CHC components affect desiccation resistance in 50 Drosophila and related species. We showed that desiccation resistance differences across these species can be largely explained by variation in CHC composition. In particular, length variation in a subset of CHCs, the methyl-branched CHCs (mbCHCs), is a key determinant of desiccation resistance. There is also a significant correlation between the evolution of longer mbCHCs and higher desiccation resistance in these species. Given that CHCs are almost ubiquitous in insects, we suggest that evolutionary changes in insect CHC components can be a general mechanism for the evolution of desiccation resistance and adaptation to diverse and changing environments.
Host-microbiome metabolism of a plant toxin in bees
Authors: Motta Erick VS , Gage Alejandra , Smith Thomas E , Blake Kristin J , Kwong Waldan K , Riddington Ian M , Moran Nancy
Published: December 2022

While foraging for nectar and pollen, bees are exposed to a myriad of xenobiotics, including plant metabolites, which may exert a wide range of effects on their health. Although the bee genome encodes enzymes that help in the metabolism of xenobiotics, it has lower detoxification gene diversity than the genomes of other insects. Therefore, bees may rely on other components that shape their physiology, such as the microbiota, to degrade potentially toxic molecules. In this study, we show that amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside found in honey bee-pollinated almond trees, can be metabolized by both bees and members of the gut microbiota. In microbiota-deprived bees, amygdalin is degraded into prunasin, leading to prunasin accumulation in the midgut and hindgut. In microbiota-colonized bees, on the other hand, amygdalin is degraded even further, and prunasin does not accumulate in the gut, suggesting that the microbiota contribute to the full degradation of amygdalin into hydrogen cyanide. In vitro experiments demonstrated that amygdalin degradation by bee gut bacteria is strain-specific and not characteristic of a particular genus or species. We found strains of Bifidobacterium, Bombilactobacillus, and Gilliamella that can degrade amygdalin. The degradation mechanism appears to vary since only some strains produce prunasin as an intermediate. Finally, we investigated the basis of degradation in Bifidobacterium wkB204, a strain that fully degrades amygdalin. We found overexpression and secretion of several carbohydrate-degrading enzymes, including one in glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3). We expressed this GH3 in Escherichia coli and detected prunasin as a byproduct when cell lysates were cultured with amygdalin, supporting its contribution to amygdalin degradation. These findings demonstrate that both host and microbiota can act together to metabolize dietary plant metabolites.
Clarifying the role of an unavailable distractor in human multiattribute choice
Authors: Cao Yinan , Tsetsos Konstantinos
Published: December 2022

Decisions between two economic goods can be swayed by a third unavailable ‘decoy’ alternative, which does not compete for choice, notoriously violating the principles of rational choice theory. Although decoy effects typically depend on the decoy’s position in a multiattribute choice space, recent studies using risky prospects (i.e., varying in reward and probability) reported a novel ‘positive’ decoy effect operating on a single value dimension: the higher the ‘expected value’ (EV) of an unavailable (distractor) prospect was, the easier the discrimination between two available target prospects became, especially when their expected-value difference was small. Here, we show that this unidimensional distractor effect affords alternative interpretations: it occurred because the distractor’s EV covaried positively with the subjective utility difference between the two targets. Looking beyond this covariation, we report a modest ‘negative’ distractor effect operating on subjective utility, as well as classic multiattribute decoy effects. A normatively meaningful model (selective integration), in which subjective utilities are shaped by intra-attribute information distortion, reproduces the multiattribute decoy effects, and as an epiphenomenon, the negative unidimensional distractor effect. These findings clarify the modulatory role of an unavailable distracting option, shedding fresh light on the mechanisms that govern multiattribute decisions.
The clinical pharmacology of tafenoquine in the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria: An individual patient data meta-analysis
Authors: Watson James A , Commons Robert J , Tarning Joel , Simpson Julie A , Llanos Cuentas Alejandro , Lacerda Marcus VG , Green Justin A , Koh Gavin CKW , Chu Cindy S , Nosten François H , Price Richard N , Day Nicholas PJ , White Nicholas J
Published: December 2022

Tafenoquine is a newly licensed antimalarial drug for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria. The mechanism of action and optimal dosing are uncertain. We pooled individual data from 1102 patients and 72 healthy volunteers studied in the pre-registration trials. We show that tafenoquine dose is the primary determinant of efficacy. Under an Emax model, we estimate the currently recommended 300 mg dose in a 60 kg adult (5 mg/kg) results in 70% of the maximal obtainable hypnozoiticidal effect. Increasing the dose to 7.5 mg/kg (i.e. 450 mg) would result in 90% reduction in the risk of P. vivax recurrence. After adjustment for dose, the tafenoquine terminal elimination half-life, and day 7 methaemoglobin concentration, but not the parent compound exposure, were also associated with recurrence. These results suggest that the production of oxidative metabolites is central to tafenoquine’s hypnozoiticidal efficacy. Clinical trials of higher tafenoquine doses are needed to characterise their efficacy, safety and tolerability.
Frequency selective reconfigurable microstrip antenna for cognitive radio applications
Authors: Aldar D. S.
Published: December 2022

For the efficient utilization of electromagnetic radio spectrum cognitive radio communication system is employed, which deals with the spectrum scarcity. An efficient antenna is essential for the appropriate selection of the available frequencies. This paper presents the design and implementation of frequency reconfigurable antenna for cognitive radio applications. Reconfigurable inverted U-shape microstrip patch antenna feeding by 50 W microstrip line is designed and implemented. The designed and implemented antenna applied for switching frequency between 3.25 GHz to 4.1 GHz by choosing a specific sub-band from the specified wideband.  The frequency reconfiguration was achieved by using twelve PIN diode switches by placing them on the slotted ground plane of the antenna. The PIN diodes were organized in such a way as to alter antenna bandwidth and to shift the operating band. The switching of PIN diodes controlled using the microcontroller to select the appropriate frequency. The performance of the simulated and fabricated antenna is investigated using different parameters.
Mitochondrial genomes assembled from non-invasive eDNA metagenomic scat samples in the endangered Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica
Authors: Baeza J. Antonio
Published: December 2022

The Amur or Siberian tiger Panthera tigris altaica (Temminck, 1844) is currently restricted to a small region of its original geographical range in northwestern Asia and is considered ‘endangered’ by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This solitary, territorial, and large top predator is in major need of genomic resources to inform conservation management strategies. This study formally tested if complete mitochondrial genomes of P. tigris altaica can be assembled from non-enriched metagenomic libraries generated from scat eDNA samples using the Illumina sequencing platform and open-access bioinformatics pipelines. The mitogenome of P. tigris altaica was assembled and circularized using the pipeline GetOrganelle with a coverage ranging from 322.7x to 17.6x in four different scat eDNA samples. A nearly complete mitochondrial genome (101x) was retrieved from a fifth scat eDNA sample. The complete or nearly complete mitochondrial genomes of P. tigris altaica were AT-rich and composed of 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a putative control region. Synteny observed in all assembled mitogenomes was identical to that reported before for P. tigris altaica and other felids. A phylogenomic analysis based on all PCGs demonstrated that the mitochondrial genomes assembled from scat eDNA reliably identify the sequenced samples as belonging to P. tigris and distinguished the same samples from closely and distantly related congeneric species. This study demonstrates that it is viable to retrieve accurate whole and nearly complete mitochondrial genomes of P. tigris altaica (and probably other felids) from scat eDNA samples without library enrichment protocols and using open-access bioinformatics workflows. This new genomic resource represents a new tool to support conservation strategies (bio-prospecting and bio-monitoring) in this iconic cat.
Talent Management Practices and Its Impact on Intention to Stay in the Organisation
Authors: Sathyanarayana S. , Pushpa B. V. , Gargesa Sudhindra
Published: December 2022

In today’s dynamic business environment, organizations are looking to add new and improved or innovative capabilities to their portfolio of business. To achieve these objectives organizations need to add a very vital component called human resources. Therefore, Talent management is the buzzword in the IT sector to attract and retain a talented workforce. The current research paper aims to explore the attitude of the employees towards the major factors that influence the talent management practices in Indian IT firms intending to stay in the organization. To realize the stated objectives the researchers have collected the primary data from two hundred talented employees across the IT sector. In this context talented means one has consistently been a top performer or received the best employee or star performer reward or recognition from the employer for at least two years in a specific domain. For this purpose, the researchers have identified eight major factors such as quality of supervision, Compensation Management practices, job engagement, innovation practices, open climate, Career Development Path, organizational Environment, and quality of working Environment. The multiple regression model results revealed that the independent variable Compensation management, Job engagement, Open climate, Organizational environment, and quality of working environment were the major drivers of intention to stay in the current organization. When we rank the determinants we found the most prominent determinant being Job Engagement followed by Quality of working environment, Open climate, Compensation management, and Organizational environment. The current study makes significant contributions to both talent management theory and practices. Firstly, we provide empirical support from the perspective of employees about the various talent management practices and strategies employed by various IT companies in the Indian context. Secondly, we provide a scheme of suggestions to IT firms across the sector and various strategies to retain the talented workforce. Thirdly, we have ranked the various variables chosen for the study based on the empirical evidence and suggested the managers' various interventions to nurture and retain the talented workforce. Additionally, the current paper is aimed to assist managers with some of the vital issues they face with the implementation of talent management strategies.
The Role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Inflows on Export Performance in Developing Economies: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Mohammad Mohidul
Published: December 2022

Considering the importance of FDI inflows to enhance the export performance in the developing economies, this study aims to investigate the relationship between FDI inflows and export performance in Bangladesh using annual time series data for the period of 1995 to 2020. The empirical analysis is performed employing Johansen cointegration approach and Vector Error Correction Mechanism (VECM) in order to find out the long run as well as the short run relationship between FDI inflows and export receipts. The results of the study indicate that the export receipts have statistically significant positive relationship with FDI inflows in the long run. While other important variables, namely import payments, exchange rate and government development expenditure also have statistically significant influences on the export receipts, moreover the right direction of the all of these variables shows that to some extent there have been an insightful economic relationship between the variables. However, in the short run, such a relationship between FDI inflows and export performance is not statistically well justified, as the inappropriate sign of the coefficient of the error correction term indicates that the dynamic adjustment to the long run equilibrium has not been found in a consistent statistical manner. Lastly, this study also recommends that the government should initiate proper steps for the infrastructure development in the export oriented industrial sector to attract higher FDI inflows in accelerating the export performance that would ensure the faster economic development of the country as a whole.
Association of Glucose-Lowering Drugs With Outcomes in Patients With Diabetes Before Hospitalization for COVID-19
Authors: Zhu Zheng , Zeng Qingya , Liu Qinyu , Wen Junping , Chen Gang
Published: December 2022

Importance

Patients with COVID-19 have a high prevalence of diabetes, and diabetes and blood glucose control are determinants of intensive care unit admission and mortality.

Objective

To evaluate the association between COVID-19–related adverse outcomes and 8 antihyperglycemic drugs in patients with diabetes who were subsequently diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19.

Data Sources

Data were retrieved and collected in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov from database inception to September 5, 2022.

Study Selection

For this systematic review and network meta-analysis, randomized clinical trials and observational studies conducted among patients with diabetes while receiving glucose-lowering therapies for at least 14 days before the confirmation of COVID-19 infection were included after blinded review by 2 independent reviewers and consultations of disagreement by a third independent reviewer. Of 1802 studies initially identified, 31 observational studies met the criteria for further analysis.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses reporting guideline. Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed with random effects.

Main Outcomes and Measures

A composite adverse outcome, including the need for intensive care unit admission, invasive and noninvasive mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death.

Results

Thirty-one distinct observational studies (3 689 010 patients with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19) were included. The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is) were associated with relatively lower risks of adverse outcomes compared with insulin (log of odds ratio [logOR], 0.91; 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.57-1.26), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (logOR, 0.61; 95% CrI, 0.28-0.93), secretagogues (logOR, 0.37; 95% CrI, 0.02-0.72), and glucosidase inhibitors (logOR, 0.50; 95% CrI, 0.00-1.01). Based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curves value, SGLT-2is were associated with the lowest probability for adverse outcomes (6%), followed by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (25%) and metformin (28%). A sensitivity analysis revealed that the study was reliable.

Conclusions and Relevance

These findings suggest that the use of an SGLT-2i before COVID-19 infection is associated with lower COVID-19–related adverse outcomes. In addition to SGLT-2is, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and metformin were also associated with relatively low risk of adverse outcomes.
Effects of Elaboration and Instructor Feedback on Retention of Clinical Reasoning Competence Among Undergraduate Medical Students
Authors: Berens Milena , Becker Tim , Anders Sven , Sam Amir H. , Raupach Tobias
Published: December 2022

This randomized crossover trial examines whether elaboration on common errors in patient treatment, combined with individualized mailed feedback, improves medium-term retention of clinical reasoning competence.
Porous 3D Graphene from Sustainable Materials: Laser Graphitization of Chitosan
Authors: Larrigy Cathal , Burke Micheal , Imbrogno Alessandra , Vaughan Eoghan , Santillo Chiara , Lavorgna Marino , Sygellou Labrini , Paterakis George , Galiotis Costas , Iacopino Daniela , Quinn Aidan J.
Published: December 2022

Laser‐fabrication of graphene from cellulose‐based feedstock materials often requires extensive preprocessing. This work demonstrates laser fabrication of porous, 3D graphene from a new class of marine‐based sustainable materials–chitosan biopolymers. The biopolymer films contain only chitosan, acetic acid, glycerol, and water. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies indicate that the cured chitosan films still retain a significant water content (≈30%), enabling production of flexible films. A simple 3‐step laser fabrication process is presented using low‐cost infrared (CO2, 2.1 W) and visible (405 nm, 0.5 W) hobbyist laser engravers, with measured sheet resistance values as low as 40 ohms sq.−1. Transient electrochemical detection of an inner sphere redox molecule is demonstrated using a graphene‐like carbon working electrode fabricated on a water‐soluble chitosan substrate.
Recent Advances in Chromium‐Doped Near‐Infrared Luminescent Materials: Fundamentals, Optimization Strategies, and Applications
Authors: Dang Peipei , Wei Yi , Liu Dongjie , Li Guogang , Lin Jun
Published: December 2022

Development of chromium‐doped luminescent materials is pertinent to many emerging applications, ranging from agriculture, food industry to noninvasive health monitoring. The fundamental importance of chromium‐activated luminescent materials in the field of optics and biomedicine makes the rapid development of novel materials and relevant applications. Herein, the recent advances on the luminescence principle and photoluminescence (PL) optimization for Cr3+‐activated luminescent materials together with their potential applications are reviewed. The different types of most recently developed Cr3+‐doped luminescent materials and the design principles are systematically summarized. The associations between crystal structure and near‐infrared (NIR) PL properties, as well as performance‐evaluating parameters are introduced with the examples of known NIR emitting phosphors, which will be helpful to explore future NIR luminescent materials. Based on crystal field control, site engineering, and electron–phonon coupling, several efficient strategies for optimizing luminescence performances including bandwidth, thermal stability, and quantum efficiency of Cr3+‐doped NIR luminescent materials are proposed. Then, potential applications in the fields of food analysis, night vision, information encryption, and optical sensors are surveyed. Finally, the challenges of promising Cr3+‐doped luminescent materials are proposed.
Bilayer MXene‐Derived Carbon‐Encapsulated Palladium Nanocatalysts: Engineering Robust Electronic and Chemical Interfaces for Oxygen Reduction and Zinc–Air Batteries
Authors: Yan Fangfang , Zhang Hucheng , Wang Haiyan , Jia Huanli , Wang Jianji
Published: December 2022

Designing highly active and durable electrocatalysts remain an ongoing challenge in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, the reductive IL/Ti3C2Tx(FA) is produced in a water‐free mixture of formic acid (FA), ionic liquid (IL) and LiF, subsequently, the simultaneous reduction encapsulation trap the Pd nanocatalysts and IL within bilayer carbide‐derived carbon (CDC) to obtain Pd@IL/CDC(FA) with high metal loading up to 69.7%. Thereby, the featured active phases in Pd@IL/CDC(FA) impart potent chemical nanoconfinement to defend metals from dissolution and aggregation, boost mass and electron transfer, and mediate oxidation states and adsorption/desorption of metal Pd in the ORR. Instead of deactivation and Ostwald ripening, the catalytic performances of Pd@IL/CDC(FA) are gradually enhanced in an accelerated durability test up to 20 000 cycles. In a Zn–air battery, the Pd@IL/CDC(FA) cathode gives a specific capacity of 812.6 mAh gZn−1 and a voltage loss of only 41 mV in galvanostatic discharge for 1000 h. The work opens new venues in controllably preparing high activity and durable electrocatalysts from in‐situ generated CDCs.