bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The low prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency in urban adults of Wuhan from central China: findings from a single-center, cross-sectional study
Authors: Shen Ying , Liu Ke , Luo Xia , Cheng Liming
Published: March 2023

Background

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient in human body famous for its antioxidant and non-antioxidant functions. However, little is known about vitamin E deficiency status in urban adults of Wuhan from central China. Our aim is to describe the distribution of both circulating and lipid-adjusted serum vitamin E concentration in urban adults of Wuhan.

Methods

We hypothesized that the prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency would be low in Wuhan in consideration of the Chinese food composition. A cross-sectional study with 846 adults was performed in a single-center. Concentrations of vitamin E were measured by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).

Results

The median (interquartile range, IQR) of serum vitamin E concentration was 27.40 (22.89–33.20) μmol/L while that of serum vitamin E concentration adjusted by total cholesterol or the sum of cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) (the sum of cholesterol and triglyceride, TLs) were 6.20 (5.30–7.48) and 4.86 (4.10–5.65) mmol/mol, respectively. No significant difference of the circulating and TC-adjusted vitamin E concentration was found between male and female except for vitamin E/TLs. However, concentrations of vitamin E increased significantly (r = 0.137, P < 0.001) with age, but lipid-adjusted concentrations of vitamin E did not. On analysis of risk factors, the subjects characterized by hypercholesterolemia are more likely to exhibit higher circulating but lower lipid-adjusted vitamin E level due to adequacy of the serum carriers for delivery of vitamin E. Only 0.47% of the population were below 12 μmol/L of vitamin E defined as functional deficiency.

Conclusion

The prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency in urban adults of Wuhan is low, which is important and useful to clinicians for clinical decision-making in public health practice.
Controlled release of silica-coated insulin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles as a promising oral administration system
Authors: Fathy Mohamed M. , Hassan Asmaa A. , Elsayed Anwar A. , Fahmy Heba M.
Published: March 2023

Background

Oral insulin administration has recently become one of the most exciting research subjects. Different approaches have been carried out to get an effective oral insulin delivery system using nanotechnology. The development of a delivery system that overcomes the difficulties of oral insulin administration, achieving high stability and minimal side effects, is still an urgent need. Therefore, this study is considered one of the efforts to design a new prospective drug delivery nano-composite (silica-coated chitosan-dextran sulfate nanoparticles).

Methods

Chitosan-dextran sulfate nanoparticles (CS-DS NPs) were prepared via a complex coacervation method and then coated with silica. Uncoated and silica-coated CS-DS NPs were physically characterized via different techniques. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to investigate the chemical elements, size, morphology, and surface properties of the prepared formulations. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to assess the thermal properties of formed nano-formulations. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy investigated the silica coat and chitosan interaction. The encapsulation efficiency was evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The insulin release profile of nano-formulations was performed with and without silica coat at two different pHs (5.5,7), nearly simulating the environment of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Results

The silica-coated CS-DS NPs revealed interesting physicochemical properties exemplified by suitable core particle size obtained by TEM images (145.31 ± 33.15 nm), hydrodynamic diameter (210 ± 21 nm), high stability indicated by their zeta potential value (-32 ± 3.2 mV), and adequate surface roughness assessed by AFM. The encapsulation efficiency of insulin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (ICN) was (66.5%) higher than that of insulin-chitosan complex nanoparticles (ICCN). The silica-coated ICN demonstrated a controlled insulin release profile at pHs (5.5 and 7) compared with uncoated ICN.

Conclusion

The silica-coated ICN can be an efficient candidate as a desired oral delivery system, overcoming the common obstacles of peptides and proteins delivery and achieving high stability and controlled release for further applications.
Emerging subdisciplines in ethnology and anthropology of Serbia: research trends at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade
Authors: Vučinić Nešković Vesna
Published: March 2023

This article presents the in-depth analysis of the disciplinary landscape of ethnology and anthropology in Serbia within the institutional contexts of humanities and social sciences. Focusing on the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, it provides insights into the main subdisciplines, fields, and themes of research since 2006, a time when significant publishing activity was invigorated and the Bologna Process reforms were implemented in Serbian universities. Using a theoretical approach to knowledge production as a complex mosaic of complementary research, rather than a hierarchy of different quality works, the article tracks the dynamics of disciplinary (re)orientations in the Department over the past 16 years. This is accompanied by a methodological approach whereby the author does not assume the role of an epistemic arbiter who selects and labels representative work, but instead invites members of the studied Department to exercise the selection processes by filling out a survey that the author composed and distributed. The article is based on information collected through the survey, the Department documentation, as well as the author’s own interpretation of the published works. Related subdisciplines are grouped in larger wholes and presented in counter-alphabetical order of the names given to them. Finally, the concluding part discusses the innovative and dynamic developments of the Department’s faculty research.
A novel strategy to attenuate porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by inhibiting viral replication in the target pulmonary alveolar macrophages via hematopoietic-specific miR-142
Authors: Tan Shaoyuan , Wu Weixin , Ge Xinna , Zhang Yongning , Han Jun , Guo Xin , Zhou Lei , Yang Hanchun
Published: March 2023

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an economically important pathogen for the global pork industry. Although modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are commonly used for PRRSV prevention and control,  they still carry a risk of infecting the host and replicating in target cells, thereby increasing the likehood of virus recombination and reversion to virulence. In this study, we inserted the target sequence of miR-142 into the nsp2 hypervariable region of PRRSV to inhibit viral replication in its host cells of pigs, with the aim of achieving virus attenuation. The chimeric virus RvJX-miR-142t was successfully rescued and retained its growth characteristics in MARC-145 cells. Furthermore, it did not replicate in MARC-145 cells transfected with miRNA-142 mimic. We also observed limited replication ability of RvJX-miR-142t in pulmonary alveolar macrophages, which are the main cell types that PRRSV infects. Our animal inoculation study showed that pigs infected with RvJX-miR-142t displayed less severe clinical symptoms, lower viremia titers, lighter lung lesions, and significantly lower mortality rates during the first 7 days post-inoculation, in comparison to pigs infected with the backbone virus RvJXwn. We detected a partially deletion of the miR-142 target sequence in the RvJX-miR-142t genome at 14 dpi. It is highly possible that the reversion of viral virulence observed in the later timepoints of our animal experiment was caused by that. Our study provided a new strategy for attenuating PRRSV and confirmed its effectiveness. However, further studies are necessary to increase the stability of this virus under host selection pressure.
Neurosurgical interventions for psychiatric illness – an underutilised option in treatment?
Authors: Kennedy Nigel I.
Published: March 2023

Neurosurgery for mental disorder is performed in the UK for treatment-refractory obsessive–compulsive disorder and depression. In this commentary, the procedures used are considered alongside other surgical interventions for psychiatric conditions. Given the evidence for efficacy, this commentary agrees with Whitehead & Barrera's assessment that such procedures be considered more widely in treatment-refractory illness and concurs that the advent of minimally invasive radiosurgery is an exciting prospect for patients who have not responded to other treatments.
Vortex-like nano-objects in perforated permalloy films
Authors: Magadeev E. B. , Vakhitov R. M. , Kanbekov R. R.
Published: March 2023

In this paper, permalloy films containing artificially created nanoscale perforations are studied, and it is theoretically substantiated that in the region of a pair of closely spaced perforations, the formation of topologically protected vortex-like inhomogeneities is possible. Quantitative estimates of the conditions for the existence of inhomogeneities of this type are obtained, and the causes and possible scenarios for their destruction are studied in cases where these conditions are violated.
Higher-order complex cubic quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation: Chirped solitary waves
Authors: Saha Naresh , Roy Barnana , Khare Avinash
Published: March 2023

Propagation characteristics of the chirped dissipative solitary waves are investigated within the framework of higher-order complex cubic quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation. A potentially rich set of exact chirped dissipative pulses, such as, bright, dark, grey, antidark, kink, antikink is derived in the presence of the self-steepening, self-frequency shift and nonlinear gain/loss. The linear stability results are corroborated by the direct numerical simulations. The effect of the variation of model parameters on physical quantities, like the speed, amplitude and chirping, is explored.
Accelerated Longitudinal Weight Gain Among Infants With In Utero COVID-19 Exposure
Authors: Ockene Mollie W , Russo Samuel C , Lee Hang , Monthé-Drèze Carmen , Stanley Takara L , Ma Ingrid L , Toribio Mabel , Shook Lydia L , Grinspoon Steven K , Edlow Andrea G , Fourman Lindsay T
Published: March 2023

Context

Since the initial outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel population of children with in utero exposure to maternal infection has emerged whose health outcomes are largely unknown.

Objective

To compare longitudinal growth trajectories among infants with vs without in utero COVID-19 exposure.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study leveraging a prospectively enrolled perinatal biorepository among 149 infants with in utero COVID-19 exposure and 127 unexposed controls. Weight, length, and body mass index (BMI) were abstracted from health records at 0, 2, 6, and 12 months and standardized using World Health Organization growth charts. Analyses were adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, parity, insurance, and BMI as well as infant sex, birthdate, and breastfeeding.

Results

Infants with in utero COVID-19 exposure vs controls exhibited differential trajectories of weight and BMI, but not length, z-score over the first year of life (study group × time interaction, P < .0001 for weight and BMI). Infants born to mothers with prenatal COVID-19 had lower BMI z-score at birth (effect size: −0.35, 95% CI −0.66 to −0.03) and greater gain in BMI z-score from birth to 12 months (effect size: 0.53, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.99). Birth weight z-score mediated a significant proportion of the relationship between COVID-19 exposure and postnatal growth (estimate ± SE, 32 ± 14%, P = .02).

Conclusion

Infants with in utero COVID-19 exposure exhibited lower birth weight and accelerated weight gain in the first year of life, which may be harbingers of downstream cardiometabolic pathology. Further studies are needed to delineate cardiometabolic sequelae among this emerging global population.
Epic Futurity: The Phaeacians, Carthage, and the Tradition
Authors: Quint David
Published: March 2023

Contrary to the views of Hegelian critics, epic from its Homeric beginnings has projected a future time and future readers beyond its narrative frame. The genre does not close itself off in a heroic past. The episode of the Phaeacian banquet in the Odyssey places a utopian, technologically advanced and wealthy mercantile society side by side with its heroic world. The Phaeacians who listen to Odysseus’s wanderings and tales of Troy at their banquet figure a future, nonheroic audience for the poem itself. Subsequent imitations of this episode in major epics—the Aeneid, Orlando furioso, Os Lusíadas, Gerusalemme liberata, The Faerie Queene, Paradise Lost—measure a modern, critical distance, fed by science and a commercial economy, upon epic and its heroic values. The genre contains a historical dialectic of past and present from its outset.
The Border Underground: Indigenous Cosmovisions in the Migration Narratives of Leslie Marmon Silko and Yuri Herrera
Authors: Rodríguez-Pliego Mariajosé
Published: March 2023

This article explores the relationship between storytelling and prophecy by reading narratives of extractivism in the US-Mexico borderlands that raise questions about the apocalyptic aftermaths of colonialism. Specifically, it analyzes contemporary migration stories narrated through Indigenous cosmovisions in Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac of the Dead (1991) and Yuri Herrera’s Señales que precederán el fin del mundo (2009). It contends that Silko and Herrera’s novels employ Maya, Nahua, Yaqui, and Laguna Pueblo migration narratives to eschew colonial cartographic portrayals of the borderlands and reclaim them as dynamic spaces of mobility, as opposed to static cartographic lines. The article demonstrates how Indigenous epistemologies afford Silko and Herrera opportunities to extend their stories into underground spaces and lay bare a history of extractivism—specifically of mining. In doing so, the novels materialize the land’s colonial history and lay out prophecies for the end of our present world.
“Je est un autre”: Beckett’sNot I, Rimbaud, and Synesthesia
Authors: Taylor-Batty Juliette
Published: March 2023

This article demonstrates that Beckett’s play Not I derives from a hitherto unrecognized source: Rimbaud’s poem of synesthesia, “Voyelles.” Revealing the significant intertextual links between Beckett’s play and Rimbaud’s poem, the article demonstrates that the striking central image of Not I—the disembodied mouth spewing out an almost incomprehensible torrent of words—directly recalls Rimbaud’s image for the vowel I in “Voyelles.” Beckett uses Rimbaud, the article argues, in a way that is distortive and translational: the image for I is carried across languages and across sensory planes: from French to English, from words on the page to theatrical performance; from verbal to visual and sensory experience. The correspondences between Not I and “Voyelles” are not only directly intertextual, however, but conceptual. Beckett draws particularly on two Rimbaudian concepts: the otherness of the poetic I, and the notion of a “dérèglement de tous les sens.” Adapting and translating Rimbaud’s conception of synesthesia in “Voyelles,” Beckett develops a theatrical mode that explores and manipulates various forms of cross-sensory experience, including synesthesia, to produce a “theater of the nerves.”
Remains to Be Seen
Authors: Carroll Rachel Jane
Published: March 2023

This article unspools the history of nylon as a commodity between two Black feminist cultural expressions, Senga Nengudi's R.S.V.P. series and Audre Lorde's Zami. The first popular petroleum-derived synthetic fiber, nylon was a crucial material in building what Dwight D. Eisenhower was to dub the “military-industrial complex.” Through readings of R.S.V.P. and Zami, the article traces the racial and gendered history of nylon as both a fashion commodity and a military resource. These readings demonstrate Black feminism's central relevance to US military imperialism, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, as well as imperialism's impacts on Black femininity during the Cold War. This article argues that Black feminist aesthetics, such as those Nengudi and Lorde employ, restores the context of commodities like nylons, revealing the centrality of Black women's productive and reproductive labor to US empire. Most important, as R.S.V.P. and Zami restore context, they also generate a system of value in opposition to racial capitalism that does not depend on violence against Black women.
A robust dual gene ON–OFF toggle directed by two independent promoter–degron pairs
Authors: Yeung Tsz Kwan , Kim Sehong , Ma Hoi Tang , Poon Randy Y. C.
Published: March 2023

Switching genes on and off on cue is a cornerstone for understanding gene functions. One contemporary approach for loss-of-function studies of essential genes involves CRISPR-mediated knockout of the endogenous locus in conjunction with the expression of a rescue construct, which can subsequently be turned off to produce a gene inactivation effect in mammalian cell lines. A broadening of this approach would involve simultaneously switching on a second construct to interrogate the functions of a gene in the pathway. In this study, we developed a pair of switches that were independently controlled by both inducible promoters and degrons, enabling the toggling between two constructs with comparable kinetics and tightness. The gene-OFF switch was based on TRE transcriptional control coupled with auxin-induced degron-mediated proteolysis. A second independently controlled gene-ON switch was based on a modified ecdysone promoter and mutated FKBP12-derived destabilization domain degron, allowing acute and tuneable gene activation. This platform facilitates efficient generation of knockout cell lines containing a two-gene switch that is regulated tightly and can be flipped within a fraction of the time of a cell cycle.
Hawkmoths regulate flight torques with their abdomen for yaw control
Authors: Le Viet , Cellini Benjamin , Schilder Rudolf , Mongeau Jean-Michel
Published: March 2023

Many animals use body parts such as tails to stabilize posture while moving at high speed. In flying insects, leg or abdominal inertia can influence flight posture. In the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, the abdomen contributes ∼50% of the total body weight and it can therefore serve to inertially redirect flight forces. How do torques generated by the wings and abdomen interact for flight control? We studied the yaw optomotor response of M. sexta by using a torque sensor attached to their thorax. In response to yaw visual motion, the abdomen moved antiphase with the stimulus, head and total torque. By studying moths with ablated wings and a fixed abdomen, we resolved abdomen and wing torques and revealed their individual contribution to total yaw torque production. Frequency-domain analysis revealed that the abdomen torque is overall smaller than wing torque, although the abdomen torque is ∼80% of the wing torque at higher visual stimulus temporal frequency. Experimental data and modeling revealed that the wing and abdomen torque are transmitted linearly to the thorax. By modeling the thorax and abdomen as a two-link system, we show that abdomen flexion can inertially redirect the thorax to add constructively to wing steering efforts. Our work argues for considering the role of the abdomen in tethered insect flight experiments that use force/torque sensors. Taken together, the hawkmoth abdomen can regulate wing torques in free flight, which could modulate flight trajectories and increase maneuverability.
Nowe stanowiska Evernia divaricata (L.) Ach. w zachodniej Polsce
Authors: Fałtynowicz Wiesław , Jaśkiewicz Michał
Published: March 2023

A new locality of a rare fruticose lichen species Evernia divaricata in the western part of Poland was found in the vicinity of two cities: Gubin and Twardogóra. Single specimens of this epiphytic lichen, grew on larch and birch. The thalli were healthy and well developed. Evernia divaricata is under strict legal protection and considered an endangered species in Poland (the CR category in the „Red List of Polish Lichens”). In the last dozen or so years, over a dozen new localities of E. divaricata have been found in the country, which usually grew in the company of other lichens very sensitive to air pollution, e.g. from the genus Usnea. These taxa are a testimony to the increasing process of recolonization.
Εκπαίδευση μεταναστών
Authors: Ελευθερίου Παρασκευή
Published: March 2023

Στην Ελλάδα, οι μεταναστευτικές ροές από τη δεκαετία του 1990 και μετά διαφέρουν από αυτές των προηγούμενων ετών σε τέτοιο βαθμό που γίνεται λόγος για «νέα μετανάστευση». Μετανάστες και πρόσφυγες της περιόδου ήταν αρχικά ομογενείς. Το άνοιγμα των ελληνοαλβανικών συνόρων το 1991 οδήγησε σε μεγάλη εισροή από τη γειτονική χώρα. Ταυτόχρονα, από το 2000, περισσότεροι από ένα εκατομμύριο πρόσφυγες προσέγγισαν τη Νοτιοανατολική Ευρώπη και τα Βαλκάνια από τη Μέση Ευρώπη, την Ασία και την Αφρική. Οι πολιτικές ένταξης, με ένα ευρύ πλέγμα από τη μεταναστευτική, τη δημόσια και την εκπαιδευτική πολιτική έχουν προσπαθήσει να αντιμετωπίσουν το ζήτημα της. Η παρούσα έρευνα αναγνωρίζει την ανάγκη ανάλυσης του θεσμικού πλαισίου για την εκπαίδευση μεταναστών και προσφύγων στην Ελλάδα από τη δεκαετία του 1990 έως τις μέρες μας. Στόχος της έρευνας είναι να διερευνήσει τις ιδεολογικές βάσεις των πολιτικών που επιλέγονται και εφαρμόζονται κάθε φορά. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, εξετάζεται αν οι επιλογές που έγιναν διαμορφώθηκαν από τα διαφορετικά χαρακτηριστικά των μεταναστευτικών ροών και (ή) από τις ευρύτερες κατευθύνσεις της ευρωπαϊκής εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής. Η κριτική ανάλυση λόγου επιλέγεται μεθοδολογικά προκειμένου να αναδειχθούν ποιες πτυχές της πολιτικής θεωρίας συνάδουν κάθε φορά με το θεσμικό πλαίσιο που εφαρμόζεται. Ταυτόχρονα, φωτίζεται ο βαθμός συμμόρφωσης με το πολιτικό παράδειγμα, καθώς αναδεικνύονται ιδιαιτερότητες ή αποκλίσεις. Τα αποτελέσματα της κριτικής ανάλυσης λόγου διασταυρώνονται και συμπληρώνονται με τη διεξαγωγή συνεντεύξεων με τους εμπνευστές του θεσμικού πλαισίου για τη εκπαίδευση μαθητών με ετερογενές πολιτισμικό υπόβαθρο στη χώρα. Ως αποτέλεσμα, φαίνεται ότι η εκπαίδευση στη χώρα «παραδοσιακά» ακολουθούσε το αφομοιωτικό μοντέλο, γεγονός που συμφωνεί με το ευρωπαϊκό παράδειγμα. Η προσέγγιση για την εκπαίδευση μαθητών σε πολυπολιτισμικές τάξεις που εφαρμόζεται θεσμικά είναι η εθνοτική. Ωστόσο το γεγονός ότι θεσμικά επιλέγεται ο όρος της διαπολιτισμικής προσέγγισης, χωρίς επί της ουσίας να εφαρμόζεται, συνιστά σαφή επιρροή του ευρωπαϊκού πλαισίου.
Essays on inequality and macro labor theory
Authors: Μπαλουκτσή Δέσποινα
Published: March 2023

Το θέμα της διατριβής είναι η οικονομική ανισότητα στο πλαίσιο της μακρο-εργασιακής θεωρίας. Μεταξύ των διαφόρων παραγόντων ανισότητας, αυτός στον οποίο εστιάζει αυτή τη διατριβή είναι το γεγονός ότι τα οφέλη που προκύπτουν από την τεχνολογική ανάπτυξη και, γενικότερα, την οικονομία της γνώσης κατανέμονται άνισα μεταξύ των ανθρώπων. Ειδικότερα, το επίκεντρο είναι α) να εξηγηθεί πώς η τεχνολογική ανάπτυξη συμβαδίζει με το μεγαλύτερο ποσοστό επιχειρηματικότητας σε τομείς υψηλής τεχνολογίας, τα υψηλά μερίδια εισοδήματος και την πριμοδότηση μισθών υψηλής τεχνολογίας και β) ποιος είναι ο παράγοντας πίσω από το επίμονες γεωγραφικές ανισότητες στο ποσοστό ανεργίας και στους μισθούς, ειδικά σε όσον αφορά τοποθεσίες με διαφορετική πυκνότητα πληθυσμού.
RSOME in Python: An Open-Source Package for Robust Stochastic Optimization Made Easy
Authors: Chen Zhi , Xiong Peng
Published: March 2023

We introduce a Python package called RSOME for modeling a wide spectrum of robust and distributionally robust optimization problems. RSOME serves as an open-source framework for modeling various optimization problems subject to distributional ambiguity in a highly readable and mathematically intuitive manner. It is versatile and fits well in the open-source software community in the sense that (i) it is consistent with NumPy arrays in indexing and slicing and; (ii) together with the rich Python libraries for machine learning, data analysis, and visualization, it is easy to implement data-driven models; and (iii) it provides convenient interfaces for users to switch and tune parameters among different solvers.

History: Ted Ralphs, Area Editor for Software Tools.

Funding: The research of Z. Chen is funded by the Strategic Research Grant [Project 7005792] from the City University of Hong Kong. The research of P. Xiong is supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its 2019 Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant call [Grant MOE-2019-T3-1-010].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.1291 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2021.0146 ) at ( http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7463845 ).
The Effect of Gender Expectations and Physical Attractiveness on Discussion of Weakness in Online Professional Recommendations
Authors: Aggarwal Rohit , Midha Vishal , Sullivan Nicholas
Published: March 2023

Companies are using online professional networks at an increasing rate to find qualified candidates to interview for job openings. Although recommendations published on these sites can provide valuable information and influence hiring decisions, the information may suffer from credibility issues due to the medium by which it is shared. In this study, we investigate whether including a discussion of a candidate’s weakness in a recommendation may be an effective way to increase the perceived credibility of the recommender and thereby improve the candidate’s chance of receiving an interview. We surveyed hiring managers and recruiters to collect data to measure the impact different recommendations have on their decisions. Our findings show that including a discussion of weakness in a recommendation increases the perceived credibility of the recommender, which has a positive effect on the candidate’s likelihood of being interviewed. However, when the discussion of weakness counters common gender-based expectations, it is harmful. When the discussion of weakness is consistent, it is helpful. Furthermore, we find that the physically attractive candidates (as shown in their profile picture) are harmed regardless of the weakness discussed. We investigate this further and find that additional discussion of the candidate’s strengths can reduce the negative impact of the discussion of weakness, but only if the strengths are consistent with common gender-based expectations.
Effect of Online Professional Network Recommendations on the Likelihood of an Interview: A Field Study
Authors: Aggarwal Rohit , Midha Vishal , Sullivan Nicholas
Published: March 2023

Online professional networks (OPNs) are an increasingly common tool used by recruiters to find and vet qualified job candidates for open positions. These sites allow users to publish recommendations given by other users to supplement their profile information and add credibility to the information provided. OPN recommendations offer a rich source of information to recruiters. Unlike recommendations shared in other ways (non-OPN recommendations), OPN recommendations are publicly accessible, and candidates have complete control over which recommendations they show to others. In this study, we investigate how recommendations may have a different effect when presented as an OPN recommendation versus a non-OPN recommendation. Furthermore, we explore how to improve the effectiveness of recommendations. We conducted a field study where we leveraged the candidate tracking system of a large recruitment firm to measure the varying impact recommendations have on recruiters’ decisions. Our findings show that OPN and non-OPN recommendations that discuss an expected weakness positively affect a candidate’s likelihood of being interviewed. In contrast, recommendations that discuss an unexpected weakness have a negative effect. Furthermore, we find that non-OPN recommendations with no discussion of weakness are significantly more effective than OPN recommendations with no discussion of weakness. We then show that the potential benefits of discussing an expected weakness are more pronounced for OPN recommendations, whereas the potential harm of discussing an unexpected weakness is more severe for non-OPN recommendations.
21ª REUNIÃO DO FÓRUM PERMANENTE DE PROCESSO CIVIL DA EMERJ: ESPECIALIZAÇÃO DE COMPETÊNCIAS NA 2ª INSTÂNCIA DO TJRJ: A RESOLUÇÃO 01/2023. PRIMEIRAS REFLEXÕES
Authors: Oliveira Natacha Nascimento Gomes Tostes Gonçalves de
Published: March 2023

O presente visa apresentar as primeiras reflexões a respeito das alterações de competência das Câmaras do Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em matéria cível, oriundas da 21ª Reunião do Fórum Permanente de Processo Civil da EMERJ, realizada em 07.03.2023.
COPD: what GPNs need to know from the latest GOLD update
Authors: Bostock Beverley
Published: March 2023

Every year, the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease publishes its update on COPD. Beverley Bostock provides an overview of what the latest publication means for general practice nurses

The latest guidance from the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will have an impact on the management of patients in general practice. The definition of COPD has been updated as well as the recommended approach to diagnosis. Updated treatment recommendations act as an important reminder for primary care clinicians to implement interventions that are relevant in the community setting and to refer on for more specialised interventions in secondary care as appropriate. The replacement of the ABCD assessment tool with the ABE approach underlines the significant impact that exacerbations can have in the management of COPD, independent of the symptom burden. Updated sections on exacerbations remind clinicians of the importance of considering comorbid or new diagnoses as the cause of any symptoms.
New Access to Nano[Mn]-Pyranopyrazole[2,3-c]dichloride Series As a Nano-Structured Schiff-Base Complex
Authors:   Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory, Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, Mohammat Mohd Fazli , Bouchamma Fatima Ezzahra ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, UiTM Shah Alam,40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, Abdul Rashid Fatin Nur Ain ,   Organic Synthesis Research Laboratory, Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Puncak Alam, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, Maarop Muhammad Siddiq ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, UiTM Shah Alam,40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, Manan Mohd Abdul Fatah Abdul ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, UiTM Shah Alam,40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Published: March 2023

A series of novel nano-structured manganese pyranopyrazole Schiff base complex (3a-l) has been synthesized and described. This synthetic complexation involved sequential reactions of domino four-component one-pot reaction for the template of pyranopyrazole (1), imination reaction (2) and finally completed by the complexation reaction with manganese to furnish the title compounds (3a-l). The salient of this nano-Schiff base synthetic reaction protocol is that diverse chemical functionalities were successfully incorporated, simple reaction protocol, and easy workup procedure to yield the title compounds from reasonable to moderate yield. All synthesized compounds were characterized by means of NMR, FTIR, EDX, and elemental analyzer, and by comparing the acquired spectra with the literature precedent for different manganese complexes. These findings revealed that the pyranopyrazole derivatives were successfully complexed with manganese to generate nano-Mn-Schiff base compounds. Further complexation of these derivatives generated 12 novel types of the title compounds (3a-l), which can then be subjected for future chemical applications.
An Update on Species Diversity, Distribution and Sequence Data of Tulostoma in Asia with the Addition of Tulostoma exasperatum, A New Record for Thailand
Authors:   Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Paloi Soumitra ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Suwannarach Nakarin ,   Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Kumla Jaturong ,   Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Phonrob Wiphawanee ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Karunarathna Samantha C. ,   Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China, Lumyong Saisamorn ,   Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Academy of Science, The Royal Society of Thailand, Bangkok 10300, Thailand
Published: March 2023

Members of the genus Tulostoma are commonly referred to as stalked puffballs that are known to be found in tropical and temperate regions. More than 155 species had been published worldwide, while 57 species had been reported in Asia. Herein, we present a brief review of the current findings through an overview of recently published literature involving taxonomic updates, diversity, distribution, and sequence data of Tulostoma in Asia. Moreover, two specimens of Tulostoma were collected during the period from 2021 to 2022 in northern Thailand. These two specimens were identified as T. exasperatum based on morphological characteristics. Till today, no sequence data of this species have been recorded. The present study offers the first record of T. exasperatum in Thailand along with the phylogenetic placement of this species within the genus Tulostoma. Comprehensive descriptions, photographic documentation, and comparisons with morphologically similar and phylogenetically related species are provided.
Open Non-conjoint Bicondylar Hoffa Fracture with Ipsilateral Tibial Spine Avulsion and Disruption of Patellar Tendon – A Rare Case
Authors: Senthil Vishnu
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Hoffa’s fracture is rare high velocity injuries. Bicondylar Hoffa is a rare fracture entity with only few reported cases. Case Report: We report a case of open Type 3b non-conjoint bicondylar Hoffa fracture accompanied with ipsilateral anterior tibial spine avulsion and disruption of the patellar tendon. Staged procedure was done, first procedure included wound debridement with external fixator. Second procedure involved definitive fixation of Hoffa fracture, anterior tibial spine, and patellar tendon avulsion. In our case, we have discussed the possible mechanism of injury, operative approaches, and early functional outcome. Conclusion: We report such a case with its possible etiological causation, surgical management, clinical outcome, and prognostic outcome. Keywords: Hoffa fracture, bi-condylar, tibial spine avulsion, patellar tendon disruption, open injury.
Applicants to a Special Education Advocacy Training Program: “Insiders” in the Disability Advocacy World
Authors: Goscicki Brittney L. , Goldman Samantha E. , Burke Meghan M. , Hodapp Robert M.
Published: March 2023

Although social groups have “insiders,” this construct has not been measured within the disability advocacy community. Examining 405 individuals who applied for an advocacy training program, this study examined the nature of insiderness within the disability advocacy community and ties to individual roles. Participants showed differences in mean ratings across 10 insider items. A principal components analysis revealed two distinct factors: Organizational Involvement and Social Connectedness. Non-school providers scored highest on Organizational Involvement; family members/self-advocates highest on Social Connectedness. Themes from open-ended responses supported the factors and showed differences in motivation and information sources across insiderness levels and roles. Qualitative analysis revealed two additional aspects of insiderness not addressed in the scale. Implications are discussed for future practice and research.
A Tale of Two Adaptations of a Special Education Advocacy Program
Authors: Burke Meghan M. , Goldman Samantha E. , Li Chak
Published: March 2023

Special education advocacy programs support families to secure services for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although research demonstrates the efficacy of one such program (the Volunteer Advocacy Project), its effectiveness when replicated by others is unknown. Replication research is critical to ensure that programs can remain effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the adaptation process for two agencies that replicated an advocacy program. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness. Although it took resources to replicate the advocacy program, agencies reported ongoing implementation would be easier once adaptations were completed. The adapted programs were effective in increasing participants' knowledge, empowerment, advocacy, and insiderness. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Capabilities and limits of surface roughness measurements with monochromatic speckles
Authors: Fischer Andreas
Published: March 2023

For coherent light illumination, surface roughness leads to speckles in the scattered light image. By evaluating the speckle contrast or image auto-correlation, a measurement of the roughness parameter Sq is possible. While these measurement principles have been well known for decades, a fundamental understanding of the minimal achievable measurement uncertainty is missing. Therefore, the measurement uncertainty limits for four unavoidable sources of uncertainty are derived by means of theoretical and numerical approaches. The study is focused on the case of monochromatic speckles, which provide the highest sensitivity, as well as on the case of planar surface and isotropic surface roughness with a Gaussian height distribution and Gaussian correlation function. The considered uncertainty sources are the natural randomness of surface roughness itself, speckle noise, quantum shot noise, and camera noise. As a result, for the studied experimental configuration, speckle noise is determined as the largest contribution to measurement uncertainty, which leads to a minimal achievable relative uncertainty of 1%–2% for Sq=(0.03−0.15)λ. According to theoretical studies, the speckle noise limit of the relative uncertainty is inversely proportional to four times the square root of the independent number of evaluated speckles. In addition, an absolute uncertainty limit is reached for ever-smoother surfaces, which amounts to λ divided by 64 times the square root of the independent number of evaluated speckles. Furthermore, systematic errors due to cross-sensitivity with respect to other parameters of surface roughness (height distribution, correlation length) as well as the surface position and shape (axial offset, tilt, curvature) are quantified and discussed. For the considered small deviations of different influencing quantities, the quantified errors are one order of magnitude smaller than the speckle noise limit.
Sub-nanometer manipulation of multiple nanoparticles by non-uniformly back-gated graphene sheet/strips
Authors: Rahnamafar Masoud , Ghorbanzadeh Mostafa
Published: March 2023

Taking advantage of a non-uniformly biased graphene sheet, a novel electrically reconfigurable platform for sub-nanometer manipulation of nanoparticles (NPs) is proposed. Numerical simulations show that using a well-designed V-shaped back-gate contact, the graphene sheet can function as an inhomogeneous graphene strip with electrically tunable edges. Under certain conditions, localized surface plasmons (LSP) can be coupled to the induced edges, realizing strongly confined and enhanced edge-coupled LSP hot spots (trapping sites). Tuning the gate voltage tunes the induced edges and consequently the trapping sites with sub-nanometer resolution. Moreover, we demonstrate that using graphene strips (instead of a graphene sheet), the proposed structure can trap NPs in three dimensions and manipulate them in 2D. We believe this platform can open up exciting possibilities for future integrated reconfigurable lab-on-a-chip devices to accurately control the trapping sites, manipulate, route, and deliver NPs.
Neural activity induced by sensory stimulation can drive large-scale cerebrospinal fluid flow during wakefulness in humans
Authors: Williams Stephanie D. , Setzer Beverly , Fultz Nina E. , Valdiviezo Zenia , Tacugue Nicole , Diamandis Zachary , Lewis Laura D.
Published: March 2023

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow maintains healthy brain homeostasis, facilitating solute transport and the exchange of brain waste products. CSF flow is thus important for brain health, but the mechanisms that control its large-scale movement through the ventricles are not well understood. While it is well established that CSF flow is modulated by respiratory and cardiovascular dynamics, recent work has also demonstrated that neural activity is coupled to large waves of CSF flow in the ventricles during sleep. To test whether the temporal coupling between neural activity and CSF flow is in part due to a causal relationship, we investigated whether CSF flow could be induced by driving neural activity with intense visual stimulation. We manipulated neural activity with a flickering checkerboard visual stimulus and found that we could drive macroscopic CSF flow in the human brain. The timing and amplitude of CSF flow was matched to the visually evoked hemodynamic responses, suggesting neural activity can modulate CSF flow via neurovascular coupling. These results demonstrate that neural activity can contribute to driving CSF flow in the human brain and that the temporal dynamics of neurovascular coupling can explain this effect.
Validation of the severe COVID-19 prognostic value of serum IL-6, IFN-λ3, CCL17, and calprotectin considering the timing of clinical need for prediction
Authors: Yamamoto Kei , Ohsiro Yusuke , Suzuki Tetsuya , Suzuki Michiyo , Miura Sayaka , Nagashima Maki , Iwamoto Noriko , Takeuchi Junko S. , Kimura Moto , Sugiura Wataru , Nebuya Satoru , Kurokawa Masato , Ohmagari Norio
Published: March 2023

Although biomarkers to predict coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity have been studied since the early pandemic, no clear guidelines on using them in clinical practice are available. Here, we examined the ability of four biomarkers to predict disease severity using conserved sera from COVID-19 patients who received inpatient care between January 1, 2020 and September 21, 2021 at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, collected at the appropriate time for prediction. We predicted illness severity in two situations: 1) prediction of future oxygen administration for patients without oxygen support within 8 days of onset (Study 1) and 2) prediction of future mechanical ventilation support (excluding non-invasive positive pressure ventilation) or death of patients within 4 days of the start of oxygen administration (Study 2). Interleukin-6, IFN-λ3, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine, and calprotectin were measured retrospectively. Other laboratory and clinical information were collected from medical records. AUCs were calculated from ROC curves and compared for the predictive ability of the four biomarkers. Study 1 included 18 patients, five of whom had developed oxygen needs. Study 2 included 45 patients, 13 of whom required ventilator management or died. In Study 1, IFN-λ3 showed a good predictive ability with an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI 0.76–1.00). In Study 2, the AUC of each biomarker was 0.70–0.74. The number of biomarkers above the cutoff showed the possibility of good prediction with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.75–0.97). When two or more biomarkers were positive, sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 and 0.63, respectively. In terms of biomarker testing at times when prognostication may be clinically useful, IFN-λ3 was predictive of oxygenation demand and a combination of the four biomarkers was predictive of mechanical ventilator requirement.
Research on climate change based on carbonate porosity analysis in Jinping, China
Authors: Kuang Honghai , Li Jinghao , Zuo Hailong , Ye Xi
Published: March 2023

In this paper, climate change in the Jinping area is investigated. The climate change trend in the Jinping area is studied by plotting the porosity value of the carbonate rocks as a curve. By comparing the curve established using the climate change data from published articles, it is found that the B value curve obtained using the saddle line is the closest to the curve established using the climate change data from published articles. This shows that the carbonate porosity in the Jinping area obtained using an image analysis technique can be used for climate change research.
Long-term intermittent fasting improves neurological function by promoting angiogenesis after cerebral ischemia via growth differentiation factor 11 signaling activation
Authors: Liu Zhao , Liu Mengjie , Jia Gongwei , Li Jiani , Niu Lingchuan , Zhang Huiji , Qi Yunwen , Sun Houchao , Yan Liang-Jun , Ma Jingxi
Published: March 2023

Intermittent fasting (IF), an alternative to caloric restriction, is a form of time restricted eating. IF conditioning has been suggested to have neuroprotective effects and potential long-term brain health benefits. But the mechanism underlying remains unclear. The present study focused on the cerebral angiogenesis effect of IF on ischemic rats. Using a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model, we assessed neurological outcomes and various vascular parameters such as microvessel density (MVD), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), proliferation of endothelial cells (ECs), and functional vessels in the peri-infarct area. IF conditioning ameliorated the modified neurological severity score and adhesive removal test, increased MVD, and activated growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11)/activin-like kinase 5 (ALK5) pathways in a time-dependent manner. In addition, long-term IF conditioning stimulated proliferation of ECs, promoted rCBF, and upregulated the total vessel surface area as well as the number of microvessel branch points through GDF11/ALK5 pathways. These data suggest that long-term IF conditioning improves neurological outcomes after cerebral ischemia, and that this positive effect is mediated partly by angiogenesis in the peri-infarct area and improvement of functional perfusion microvessels in part by activating the GDF11/ALK5 signaling pathway.