bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Sovereign Self
Authors: Kester Grant H.
Published: June 2023

In The Sovereign Self, Grant H. Kester examines the evolving discourse of aesthetic autonomy from its origins in the Enlightenment through avant-garde projects and movements in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Kester traces the idea of aesthetic autonomy—the sense that art should be autonomous from social forces while retaining the ability to reflect back critically on society—through Kant, Schiller, Hegel, Marx, and Adorno. Kester critiques the use of aesthetic autonomy as the basis for understanding the nature of art and the shifting relationship between art and revolutionary praxis. He shows that dominant discourses of aesthetic autonomy reproduce the very forms of bourgeois liberalism that autonomy discourse itself claims to challenge. Analyzing avant-garde art and political movements in Russia, India, Latin America, and elsewhere, Kester retheorizes the aesthetic beyond autonomy. Ultimately, Kester demonstrates that the question of aesthetic autonomy has ramifications that extend beyond art to encompass the nature of political transformation and forms of anticolonial resistance that challenge the Eurocentric concept of “Man,” upon which the aesthetic itself often depends.
Violence of Democracy
Authors: Chaturvedi Ruchi
Published: June 2023

In Violence of Democracy Ruchi Chaturvedi tracks the rise of India’s divisive politics through close examination of decades-long confrontations in Kerala between members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and supporters of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and extensive archival research, Chaturvedi investigates the unique character of the conflict between the party left and Hindu right. This conflict, she shows, defies explanations centering religious, caste, or ideological differences. It offers instead new ways of understanding how quotidian political competition can produce antagonistic majoritarian communities. Rival political parties mobilize practices of disbursing care and aggressive masculinity in their struggle for electoral and popular power, a process intensified by a criminal justice system that reproduces violence rather than mitigating it. Chaturvedi traces these dynamics from the late colonial period to the early 2000s, illuminating the broader relationships between democratic life, divisiveness, and majoritarianism.
Nutrient regulation of development and cell fate decisions
Authors: Tu William B. , Christofk Heather R. , Plath Kathrin
Published: June 2023

Diet contributes to health at all stages of life, from embryonic development to old age. Nutrients, including vitamins, amino acids, lipids and sugars, have instructive roles in directing cell fate and function, maintaining stem cell populations, tissue homeostasis and alleviating the consequences of aging. This Review highlights recent findings that illuminate how common diets and specific nutrients impact cell fate decisions in healthy and disease contexts. We also draw attention to new models, technologies and resources that help to address outstanding questions in this emerging field and may lead to dietary approaches that promote healthy development and improve disease treatments.
Divergent functions of histone acetyltransferases KAT2A and KAT2B in keratinocyte self-renewal and differentiation
Authors: Walters Benjamin William , Tan Tiak Ju , Tan Chew Teng , Dube Christabel Thembela , Lee Kang Ting , Koh Jace , Ong Yasmin Hui Binn , Tan Vanessa Xue Hui , Jahan Fathima Rifkhana Shah , Lim Xin Ni , Wan Yue , Lim Chin Yan
Published: June 2023

The mammalian epidermis undergoes constant renewal, replenished by a pool of stem cells and terminal differentiation of their progeny. This is accompanied by changes in gene expression and morphology that are orchestrated, in part, by epigenetic modifiers. Here, we define the role of the histone acetyltransferase KAT2A in epidermal homeostasis and provide a comparative analysis that reveals key functional divergence with its paralog KAT2B. In contrast to the reported function of KAT2B in epidermal differentiation, KAT2A supports the undifferentiated state in keratinocytes. RNA-seq analysis of KAT2A- and KAT2B- depleted keratinocytes revealed dysregulated epidermal differentiation. Depletion of KAT2A led to premature expression of epidermal differentiation genes in the absence of inductive signals, whereas loss of KAT2B delayed differentiation. KAT2A acetyltransferase activity was indispensable in regulating epidermal differentiation gene expression. The metazoan-specific N terminus of KAT2A was also required to support its function in keratinocytes. We further showed that the interplay between KAT2A- and KAT2B-mediated regulation was important for normal cutaneous wound healing in vivo. Overall, these findings reveal a distinct mechanism in which keratinocytes use a pair of highly homologous histone acetyltransferases to support divergent functions in self-renewal and differentiation processes.
Minimally Invasive and Open Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Davey Matthew G. , Temperley Hugo C. , O’Sullivan Niall J. , Marcelino Vianka , Ryan Odhrán K. , Ryan Éanna J. , Donlon Noel E. , Johnston Sean M. , Robb William B.
Published: June 2023

Background and Objectives

Optimal surgical management for gastric cancer remains controversial. We aimed to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing outcomes after open gastrectomy (OG), laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy (LAG), and robotic gastrectomy (RG) for gastric cancer.

Methods

A systematic search of electronic databases was undertaken. An NMA was performed as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-NMA guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using R and Shiny.

Results

Twenty-two RCTs including 6890 patients were included. Overall, 49.6% of patients underwent LAG (3420/6890), 46.6% underwent OG (3212/6890), and 3.7% underwent RG (258/6890). At NMA, there was a no significant difference in recurrence rates following LAG (odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77–1.49) compared with OG. Similarly, overall survival (OS) outcomes were identical following OG and LAG (OS: OG, 87.0% [1652/1898] vs. LAG: OG, 87.0% [1650/1896]), with no differences in OS in meta-analysis (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.77–1.52). Importantly, patients undergoing LAG experienced reduced intraoperative blood loss, surgical incisions, distance from proximal margins, postoperative hospital stays, and morbidity post-resection.

Conclusions

LAG was associated with non-inferior oncological and surgical outcomes compared with OG. Surgical outcomes following LAG and RG superseded OG, with similar outcomes observed for both LAG and RG. Given these findings, minimally invasive approaches should be considered for the resection of local gastric cancer, once surgeon and institutional expertise allows.
Athlete Muscular Phenotypes Identified and Compared with High-Dimensional Clustering of Lower Limb Muscle Volume Measurements
Authors: KNAUS KATHERINE R. , HANDSFIELD GEOFFREY G. , FIORENTINO NICCOLO M. , HART JOSEPH M. , MEYER CRAIG H. , BLEMKER SILVIA S.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Athletes use their skeletal muscles to demonstrate performance. Muscle force generating capacity is correlated with volume, meaning that variations in sizes of different muscles may be indicative of how athletes meet different demands in their sports. Medical imaging enables in vivo quantification of muscle volumes; however, muscle volume distribution has not been compared across athletes of different sports.

Purpose

The goal of this work was to define “muscular phenotypes” in athletes of different sports and compare these using hierarchical clustering.

Methods

Muscle volumes normalized by body mass of athletes (football, baseball, basketball, or track) were compared with control participants to quantify size differences using z-scores. z-Scores of 35 muscles described the pattern of volume deviation within each athlete’s lower limb, characterizing their muscular phenotype. Data-driven high-dimensional clustering analysis was used to group athletes presenting similar phenotypes. Efficacy of clustering to identify similar phenotypes was demonstrated by grouping athletes’ contralateral limbs before other athletes’ limbs.

Results

Analyses revealed that athletes did not tend to cluster with others competing in the same sport. Basketball players with similar phenotypes grouped by clustering also demonstrated similarities in performance. Clustering also identified muscles with similar volume variation patterns across athletes, and principal component analysis revealed specific muscles that accounted for most of the variance (gluteus maximus, sartorius, semitendinosus, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris).

Conclusions

Athletes exhibit heterogeneous lower limb muscle volumes that can be characterized and compared as individual muscular phenotypes. Clustering revealed that athletes with the most similar phenotypes do not always play the same sport such that patterns of muscular heterogeneity across a group of athletes reflect factors beyond their specific sports.
Using an expert survey and user feedback to construct PRECHECK: A checklist to evaluate preprints on COVID-19 and beyond
Authors: Turoman Nora , Heyard Rachel , Schwab Simon , Furrer Eva , Vergauwe Evie , Held Leonhard
Published: June 2023

Background: The quality of COVID-19 preprints should be considered with great care, as their contents can influence public policy. Efforts to improve preprint quality have mostly focused on introducing quick peer review, but surprisingly little has been done to calibrate the public’s evaluation of preprints and their contents. The PRECHECK project aimed to generate a tool to teach and guide scientifically literate non-experts to critically evaluate preprints, on COVID-19 and beyond.

Methods: To create a checklist, we applied a four-step procedure consisting of an initial internal review, an external review by a pool of experts (methodologists, meta-researchers/experts on preprints, journal editors, and science journalists), a final internal review, and an implementation stage. For the external review step, experts rated the relevance of each element of the checklist on five-point Likert scales, and provided written feedback. After each internal review round, we applied the checklist on a set of high-quality preprints from an online list of milestone research works on COVID-19 and low-quality preprints, which were eventually retracted, to verify whether the checklist can discriminate between the two categories.

Results: At the external review step, 26 of the 54 contacted experts responded. The final checklist contained four elements (Research question, study type, transparency and integrity, and limitations), with ‘superficial’ and ‘deep’ levels for evaluation. When using both levels of evaluation, the checklist was effective at discriminating high- from low-quality preprints. Its usability was confirmed in workshops with our target audience: Bachelors students in Psychology and Medicine, and science journalists.

Conclusions: We created a simple, easy-to-use tool for helping scientifically literate non-experts navigate preprints with a critical mind. We believe that our checklist has great potential to help guide decisions about the quality of preprints on COVID-19 in our target audience and that this extends beyond COVID-19.
The influence of indigenous knowledge on chemistry metacognition
Authors: Tawanda Tavonga , Mudau Awelani V.
Published: June 2023

Background: Chemistry is viewed as a difficult and challenging subject by many learners and teachers which leads to poor academic performance in the subject. The majority of the pre-service science teachers in Zimbabwean teachers’ colleges also find Chemistry to be a challenging subject. The focus of this study was to simplify and contextualize the teaching and learning of Chemistry concepts for life-long survival and problem-solving skills through exploring the influence of indigenous Chemistry knowledge on Chemistry metacognition.

Methods: An embedded mixed methods case study was underpinned by the social constructivist theory, which is used to collect and analyse the data. Twenty-nine respondents were purposively sampled. Their metacognition awareness was determined through focus group interviews which are triangulated with a paper and pen test. The indigenous Chemistry knowledge possessed by the pre-service science teachers was collected using focus group interviews, which was then used in the intervention stage for Chemistry metacognition.

Results: The findings suggest that indigenous knowledge influences chemistry metacognition in a positive way.

Conclusions: Further research is required on the relationship between indigenous Chemistry knowledge and Chemistry metacognition. It is recommended that Chemistry educators should be capacitated with skills for identifying and applying indigenous Chemistry knowledge that is relevant to Chemistry metacognition.
Agency, moral worth and the legal status of human cerebral organoids
Authors: Jowitt Joshua
Published: June 2023

Human cerebral organoids are an emerging medical technology whose development raises ethical questions pertinent to debates regarding how regulators ought to respond to research that makes use of them. The sentience of a non-human entity is a common focus of work exploring how moral status ought to be reflected in the law, but it is not the only threshold for moral worth suitable for this purpose. This paper considers the problem of the moral status of human cerebral organoids from the Gewirthian perspective – which holds that a special moral consideration ought to be afforded to agents through a principle of reciprocity, the Principle of Generic Consistency. This alternative framework may be preferable to the sentience-based approach due to the fact that it is proceeds from the bare agency of the observer, which provides a more certain foundation for assessments of moral worth than attempts to ascertain sentience in an observee.

The paper will proceed in three main steps. It will first provide an outline of the moral writing of Alan Gewirth, which, through a dialectically necessary argument, imposes an obligation on all agents to ensure that the freedom and wellbeing of all other agents is protected from non-consensual interference. It will then turn to consider whether human cerebral organoids may be considered agents for the purpose of the Gewirthian ethical framework, and thus deserving of this special moral consideration. Lastly, the paper will outline two potential legislative responses with regards to their legal status and legal protection of any interests they may possess. These will be offered from the perspective of two competing theories of legal validity – those that hold that the moral permissibility of a legal rule is a necessary condition of its validity, and those that may see such moral permissibility as desirable though not necessary.
Karolina Olszewska, Imperatywy jako narzędzia formacji chrześcijan w Apokalipsie św. Jana, Biblica et Patristica Thoruniensia. Series Monographiae 3. Toruń: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UMK, 2022, ss. 292. ISBN 978-83-231-4937-8
Authors: Podeszwa Paweł
Published: June 2023

Recenzowana monografia K. Olszewskiej stanowi rzetelne studium imperatywów będących narzędziami formacji chrześcijan. Pomaga ono lepiej zrozumieć przesłanie Apokalipsy św. Jana oraz jej aktualność jako Księgi Kościoła i dla Kościoła. Potwierdza również niezwykły walor tekstu biblijnego, który służy nie tylko przekazaniu informacji, lecz także posiada moc formacyjną uczniów Jezusa. Wskazuje na konkretne sytuacje egzystencjalne wraz ze wszystkimi złożonymi konsekwencjami wydarzeń, jakie przeżywa wspólnota, kiedy to formacja jest niezbędna, aby Kościół pozostał wierny Chrystusowi i wyznawanej wierze. Uświadamia także postulat ciągłej autoformacji chrześcijan, przygotowującej do ostatecznego spotkania Oblubienicy Kościoła z Oblubieńcem Barankiem.
Brada Easta doktryna Pisma Świętego
Authors: Zatwardnicki Sławomir
Published: June 2023

W artykule dokonano prezentacji monografii The Doctrine of Scripture. Jej autor, Brad East, proponuje czytelnikowi doktrynę Pisma Świętego, czyli teologiczne opracowanie natury ksiąg natchnionych, ich atrybutów oraz misji. Można jego zdaniem mówić o teologicznej ontologii Biblii ze względu na jej relację z wolą Boga i Bożym działaniem przez nią. Konsekwentnie na mocy pochodzenia od Boga oraz związku z nim święte pisma charakteryzują się pewnymi obiektywnymi właściwościami. Z woli Bożej pełnią one również właściwą im funkcję w ramach Bożego objawienia oraz ekonomii łaski. Twórczość Easta wpisuje się również w nurt tzw. teologicznej interpretacji Pisma Świętego, którego rzecznicy próbują odzyskać przednowożytne praktyki czytania Biblii. Protestancki teolog określił swoje dzieło jako nie-protestanckie, oparte na założeniach katolickich. Rozumie przez to refleksję uprawianą z perspektywy czasowo i teologicznie wykraczającej ponad tradycje protestanckie. To interesujące podejście rodzi jednak pytania o naturę tak rozumianej katolickości. W zakończeniu dokonano krytycznej oceny recenzowanej monografii. Stanowi ona cenne kompendium teologicznej refleksji nad Pismem Świętym, autor jednak nie ustrzegł się pewnych uproszczeń. Zwłaszcza tak podkreślana przez Easta sakramentalność Pisma domaga się teologicznego dopracowania, które należałoby oprzeć na wywiedzionej z liturgii relacji między słowem Bożym a sakramentem.
A Mean Field Games Model for Cryptocurrency Mining
Authors: Li Zongxi , Reppen A. Max , Sircar Ronnie
Published: June 2023

We propose a mean field game model to study the question of how centralization of reward and computational power occur in Bitcoin-like cryptocurrencies. Miners compete against each other for mining rewards by increasing their computational power. This leads to a novel mean field game of jump intensity control, which we solve explicitly for miners maximizing exponential utility and handle numerically in the case of miners with power utilities. We show that the heterogeneity of their initial wealth distribution leads to greater imbalance of the reward distribution, and increased wealth heterogeneity over time, or a “rich get richer” effect. This concentration phenomenon is aggravated by a higher Bitcoin mining reward and reduced by competition. Additionally, an advantaged miner with cost advantages such as access to cheaper electricity, contributes a significant amount of computational power in equilibrium, unaffected by competition from less efficient miners. Hence, cost efficiency can also result in the type of centralization seen among miners of cryptocurrencies.

This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance.

Funding: A. M. Reppen is partly supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation [Grant SNF 181815].

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4798 .
How pancreatic cancer impacts carers in the UK: why do we know so little?
Authors: Brown Gabrielle , Bliss Julie
Published: June 2023

Background:

Pancreatic cancer is a disease with poor life expectancy and high symptom burden. The experiences of the spouses, family and friends who care for this group is poorly understood, especially during palliative care and within the UK.

Aims:

To highlight the current gaps within research and provide some insight into the challenges faced by carers assisting those living with pancreatic cancer, and how community nurses can support this group.

Methods:

A total of five research databases were searched using the terms ‘pancreatic cancer’, ‘carer’ and ‘experience’. Cancer and palliative charity websites were also referenced for grey literature.

Findings:

There is limited research exploring pancreatic cancer carers experiences in the UK healthcare system and community. Available information suggests that this group is likely to face significant psychological and physical challenges to caring.

Conclusions:

It is vital for community nurses to have an awareness of challenges this group face, to better recognise and support these vulnerable carers.
Surgical approaches to periprosthetic femoral fractures for plate fixation or revision arthroplasty
Authors: Scott Chloe E. H. , Yapp Liam Z. , Howard Tom , Patton James T. , Moran Matthew
Published: June 2023

Periprosthetic femoral fractures are increasing in incidence, and typically occur in frail elderly patients. They are similar to pathological fractures in many ways. The aims of treatment are the same, including 'getting it right first time' with a single operation, which allows immediate unrestricted weightbearing, with a low risk of complications, and one that avoids the creation of stress risers locally that may predispose to further peri-implant fracture. The surgical approach to these fractures, the associated soft-tissue handling, and exposure of the fracture are key elements in minimizing the high rate of complications. This annotation describes the approaches to the femur that can be used to facilitate the surgical management of peri- and interprosthetic fractures of the femur at all levels using either modern methods of fixation or revision arthroplasty.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(6):593–601.
The core outcomes for open lower limb fracture study
Authors: Aquilina Alexander L. , Claireaux Harry , Aquilina Christian O. , Tutton Elizabeth , Fitzpatrick Ray , Costa Matthew L. , Griffin Xavier L.
Published: June 2023

Aims

A core outcome set for adult, open lower limb fracture has been established consisting of ‘Walking, gait and mobility’, ‘Being able to return to life roles’, ‘Pain or discomfort’, and ‘Quality of life’. This study aims to identify which outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) should be recommended to measure each core outcome.

Methods

A systematic review and quality assessment were conducted to identify existing instruments with evidence of good measurement properties in the open lower limb fracture population for each core outcome. Additionally, shortlisting criteria were developed to identify suitable instruments not validated in the target population. Candidate instruments were presented, discussed, and voted on at a consensus meeting of key stakeholders.

Results

The Wales Lower Limb Trauma Recovery scale was identified, demonstrating validation evidence in the target population. In addition, ten candidate OMIs met the shortlisting criteria. Six patients, eight healthcare professionals, and 11 research methodologists attended the consensus meeting. Consensus was achieved for the EuroQol five-dimension five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) to measure ‘Quality of life’ and ‘Walking, gait and mobility’ in future research trials, audit, and clinical assessment, respectively. No instrument met consensus criteria to measure ‘Being able to return to life roles’ and ‘Pain or discomfort’. However, the EQ-5D-5L was found to demonstrate good face validity and could also be used pragmatically to measure these two outcomes, accepting limitations in sensitivity.

Conclusion

This study recommends the LEFS and EQ-5D-5L to measure the core outcome set for adult open lower limb fracture.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(6):352–361.
Estruturas Essenciais de Metodologias Ativas: Um Estudo no Segmento de Educação Corporativa
Authors: Lima Marcos Antonio Martins , Batista Blússia Tétis Brito , Maciel Ilana Maria de Oliveira , Silva Jáderson Cavalcante da
Published: June 2023

As metodologias ativas têm destaque no desenvolvimento da autonomia e do protagonismo do estudante estimulando sua conscientização e participação no processo de ensino e aprendizagem enquanto os professores se tornam facilitadores, introduzindo os alunos na construção do conhecimento. Na educação corporativa o treinando é o maior responsável pelo aprendizado cabendo ao instrutor desenvolver diferentes estratégias de ensino e aprendizagem direcionando o desenvolvimento do treinando de forma consciente.  Através da gestão de pessoas, a educação corporativa incentiva o treinando a desenvolver a capacidade de aprender de forma autônoma, participativa e contínua aliando as estratégias organizacionais e pessoais. Neste sentido, o artigo, buscou delinear e realizar pesquisa sobre modelos de metodologias ativas e suas aplicações junto a profissionais de educação corporativa. Para isso, utiliza-se uma amostra de 36 (trinta e seis) profissionais atuantes na cidade de Fortaleza/CE. Os dados foram tratados por meio da técnica de Análise Fatorial Exploratória (AFE) e indicam que as metodologias ativas permitem, aos educandos vivenciar experiências quanto a liberdade, iniciativa, interesse, responsabilidade pela avaliação da aprendizagem, diagnostico e treinamento.

PALAVRAS CHAVES: Metodologias Ativas; Educação Corporativa; Avaliação; Gestão do Conhecimento.
“Como uma pedra a rolar”: de ‘bico’ à profissionalização da GEOFORTES
Authors: Fortes Gustavo Passos , Matos Diná Vieira de , Freitag Maria Salete Batista
Published: June 2023

O presente caso conta a história da GeoFortes, uma empresa de consultoria ambiental e geológica. Objetiva colocar o discente como tomador de decisão em uma empresa do segmento ambiental. O empreendimento está em um momento de expansão e necessidade de profissionalizar o negócio, melhorando a comunicação e organização das atividades desenvolvidas pelos sócios. O caso é narrado de acordo com os dados coletados em entrevistas sobre a situação que a empresa vive. As situações vivenciadas pelos dirigentes, juntamente com as teorias relacionadas, servirão de base para a análise dos fatos, direcionando as possibilidades de solução do problema. A análise do caso contribuirá para que o aluno se aproxime de uma situação profissional e aplique os conceitos relacionados à profissionalização de uma pequena empresa, considerando as particularidades das MPEs e dos empreendedores. O caso pode ser aplicado às disciplinas de Empreendedorismo, Gestão de Pequenas Empresas nos cursos de graduação e pós-graduação.
Robotic Connection: A Startup que Democratizou a Robótica
Authors: De Carvalho Pessoa Machado Dionleno , Pereira Vieira Tauanny , Lopes de Matos Thamara , Lima Souza Samires , De Souza Olivindo Celina Maria
Published: June 2023

Este caso para ensino apresenta a trajetória de uma startup do ramo de ensino de robótica, e que através da perspectiva da CEO e do sócio fundador expõe as principais dificuldades que surgiram desde a criação do negócio. Tem como objetivos proporcionar uma reflexão sobre a importância do empreendedorismo; entender como a empresa se enquadra em um modelo de negócio com características disruptivas; e analisar o que faz da empresa uma economia criativa. A aplicação do caso é recomendada para cursos de graduação e de pós-graduação, especificamente em administração e áreas afins. Deve ser utilizado como material de ensino em disciplinas que abordam conteúdos como empreendedorismo, inovação, economia criativa, economia disruptiva ou prática organizacional. De forma prática, o caso contribui para aproximar os alunos de realidades que acontecem dentro da organização. A história retratada neste caso aborda uma situação real de criação de um negócio e os problemas que eles enfrentaram ao longo do caminho.
A Comunicação e o Feedback no Contexto dos Negócios Empreendedores
Authors: Cassia de Medeiros Dellaquila Alessandra , Maria Jorge Nassif Vânia
Published: June 2023

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar como a comunicação e o feedback contribuem para a melhoria dos negócios empreendedores, pois, as empresas dependem de uma comunicação bem-sucedida para melhorar seu desempenho, seja em seus níveis hierárquicos internos ou nas relações com seus parceiros, clientes internos e externos. A pesquisa é de natureza qualitativa, exploratória e descritiva e a entrevista apoiada em um roteiro semiestruturada foi utilizada como instrumento de coleta de dados. Foram entrevistados 28 empreendedores e 4 agentes locais de inovação do programa ALI. Os dados foram categorizados e analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo, com o apoio do software Atlas ti. Os principais resultados apontam que a comunicação acontece efetuvamente quando existe qualidade no relacionamento entre os interlocutores. A afetividade e a cognição reforçaram os resultados, pois evidenciaram que a confiança e o comprometimento, por exemplo, estão entre os principais alicerces da comunicação e do feedback. Portanto, instituições como, unversidades públicas ou privadas, bem como o SEBRAE poderiam desenvolver planos de ensino que destaquem a importância da comunicação com qualidade, bem como o relaciomanento humano, com base nos processos de feedback, com o objetivo de preparar o empreendedor para superar estes desafios.
Commitment to sustainability in a Brazilian technological university: a case study
Authors: Scur Gabriela , Alliprandini Dario
Published: June 2023

Higher education institutions have been steadily integrating sustainable practices into their operations. Despite these efforts in the implementation, several challenges must be overcome to achieve sustainability. There is a lack of studies that investigate sustainable development in higher education, and the efforts of a small, specialized university have been scarcely analyzed in detail. This manuscript addresses the path toward sustainability followed by a private Brazilian technological university. The university in São Paulo is one of the region's most traditional and oldest universities, focused on engineering, computing, and business. Data from 2019/2020 on energy and water consumption and solid waste generation for the university campus were discussed and benchmarked with GreenMetric indicators. The data was analyzed by a theoretical framework composed of 6 dimensions. Challenges were identified, and remedial actions were proposed to transform the university into a greener campus. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher education institution kept sustainability projects active, some of which received international awards. However, this study reveals that although sustainable development is considered very important to HEI and society, it is not yet embedded in the system's strategies, activities, and policies.
June 2023 Pulmonary Case of the Month: An Invisible Disease
Authors:   Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA, Wesselius Lewis
Published: June 2023

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. History of Present Illness A 78-year-old man presented to the emergency Department on April 7 for shortness of breath and weakness over the last 2 weeks. He was in good health prior to an outside hospitalization March 29-April 3 for pneumonia and possible a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (elevated troponins). He had a bronchoscopy during his recent outside hospitalization without specific pathogen identified but treated with antibiotics, discharged on levofloxacin. Since his hospital discharge 4 days previously he feels weaker and increasingly short of breath. SOB even walking around in his home. He denies fever or a productive cough. Past Medical History, Family History and Social History Atrial fibrillation, s/p ablation. On Eliquis. Prior renal cell carcinoma, s/p resection, no recurrence DM Type 2 GERD OSA Essential tremor Never smoked Medications Apixaban Aspirin Atorvastatin Flecanide Insulin Levofloxacin Lisinopril Pantoprazole Tamsulosin Physical Examination General: The patient looks comfortable and is in no …
Advancing full-field metrology: rapid 3D imaging with geometric phase ferroelectric liquid crystal technology in full-field optical coherence microscopy
Authors: Zheng Wei , Kou Shan S. , Sheppard Colin J. R. , Roy Maitreyee
Published: June 2023

Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is a variant of OCT in which a high-numerical aperture lens is used. Full-field OCM (FF-OCM) is an emerging non-invasive, label-free, interferometric technique for imaging of surface structures or semi-transparent biomedical subjects with micron-scale resolutions. Different approaches to three dimensional full-field optical metrology are reviewed. The usual method for the phase-shifting technique in FF-OCM involves mechanically moving a mirror to change the optical path difference for obtaining en-face OCM images. However, with the use of a broadband source in FF-OCM, the phase shifts of different spectral components are not the same, resulting in the ambiguities in 3D image reconstruction. In this study, we demonstrate, by imaging tissues and cells, a unique geometric phase-shifter based on ferroelectric liquid crystal technology, to realize achromatic phase-shifting for rapid three-dimensional imaging in a FF-OCM system.
Demonstration of Hong-Ou-Mandel interference in an LNOI directional coupler
Authors: Babel Silia , Bollmers Laura , Massaro Marcello , Hong Luo Kai , Stefszky Michael , Pegoraro Federico , Held Philip , Herrmann Harald , Eigner Christof , Brecht Benjamin , Padberg Laura , Silberhorn Christine
Published: June 2023

Interference between single photons is key for many quantum optics experiments and applications in quantum technologies, such as quantum communication or computation. It is advantageous to operate the systems at telecommunication wavelengths and to integrate the setups for these applications in order to improve stability, compactness and scalability. A new promising material platform for integrated quantum optics is lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI). Here, we realise Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference between telecom photons from an engineered parametric down-conversion source in an LNOI directional coupler. The coupler has been designed and fabricated in house and provides close to perfect balanced beam splitting. We obtain a raw HOM visibility of (93.5 ± 0.7) %, limited mainly by the source performance and in good agreement with off-chip measurements. This lays the foundation for more sophisticated quantum experiments in LNOI.
Underwater plenoptic cameras optimized for water refraction
Authors: Jiang Guotai , Jin Xin , Deng Rujia , Sun Kelin , Yang Jingchuan , Lv Weijin
Published: June 2023

By inserting a microlens array (MLA) between the main lens and imaging sensor, plenoptic cameras can capture 3D information of objects via single-shot imaging. However, for an underwater plenoptic camera, a waterproof spherical shell is needed to isolate the inner camera from the water, thus the performance of the overall imaging system will change due to the refractive effects of the waterproof and water medium. Accordingly, imaging properties like image clarity and field of view (FOV) will change. To address this issue, this paper proposes an optimized underwater plenoptic camera that compensates for the changes in image clarity and FOV. Based on the geometry simplification and the ray propagation analysis, the equivalent imaging process of each portion of an underwater plenoptic camera is modeled. To mitigate the impact of the FOV of the spherical shell and the water medium on image clarity, as well as to ensure successful assembly, an optimization model for physical parameters is derived after calibrating the minimum distance between the spherical shell and the main lens. The simulation results before and after underwater optimization are compared, which confirm the correctness of the proposed method. Additionally, a practical underwater focused plenoptic camera is designed, further demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed model in real underwater scenarios.
Acousto-optic reconfigurable filter based on vector mode fusion in dispersion-compensating fiber
Authors: Huang Ligang , Liu Shunli , Zhang Chaoze , Zhao Yanxiang , Dang Laiyang , Gao Lei , Huang Wei , Yin Guolu , Zhu Tao
Published: June 2023

An acousto-optic reconfigurable filter (AORF) is proposed and demonstrated based on vector mode fusion in dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF). With multiple acoustic driving frequencies, the resonance peaks of different vector modes in the same scalar mode group can be effectively fused into a single peak, which is utilized to obtain arbitrary reconfiguration of the proposed filter. In the experiment, the bandwidth of the AORF can be electrically tuned from 5 nm to 18 nm with superposition of different driving frequencies. The multi-wavelength filtering is further demonstrated by increasing the interval of the multiple driving frequencies. The bandpass/band-rejection can also be electrically reconfigured by setting the combination of driving frequencies. The proposed AORF gains the feature of reconfigurable filtering types, fast and wide tunability, and zero frequency shift, which is advantageous for high-speed optical communication networks, tunable lasers, fast optical spectrum analyzing and microwave photonics signal processing.
Quantum-dot light-chip micro-spectrometer
Authors: Yin Zhiqin , Liu Qingquan , Guan Xueyu , Xie Maobing , Lu Wei , Wang Shaowei
Published: June 2023

Micro-spectrometers have great potential in various fields such as medicine, agriculture, and aerospace. In this work, a quantum-dot (QD) light-chip micro-spectrometer is proposed in which QDs emit different wavelengths of light that are combined with a spectral reconstruction (SR) algorithm. The QD array itself can play the roles of both the light source and the wavelength division structure. The spectra of samples can be obtained by using this simple light source with a detector and algorithm, and the spectral resolution reaches 9.7 nm in the wavelength range from 580 nm to 720 nm. The area of the QD light chip is 4 × 7.5 mm2, which is 20 times smaller than the halogen light sources of commercial spectrometers. It does not need a wavelength division structure and greatly reduces the volume of the spectrometer. Such a micro-spectrometer can be used for material identification: in a demonstration, three kinds of transparent samples, real and fake leaves, and real and fake blood were classified with an accuracy of 100%. These results indicate that the spectrometer based on a QD light chip has broad application prospects.
Disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 in a large US city
Authors: Fox Spencer J. , Javan Emily , Pasco Remy , Gibson Graham C. , Betke Briana , Herrera-Diestra José L. , Woody Spencer , Pierce Kelly , Johnson Kaitlyn E. , Johnson-León Maureen , Lachmann Michael , Meyers Lauren Ancel
Published: June 2023

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted individuals depending on where they live and work, and based on their race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Studies have documented catastrophic disparities at critical points throughout the pandemic, but have not yet systematically tracked their severity through time. Using anonymized hospitalization data from March 11, 2020 to June 1, 2021 and fine-grain infection hospitalization rates, we estimate the time-varying burden of COVID-19 by age group and ZIP code in Austin, Texas. During this 15-month period, we estimate an overall 23.7% (95% CrI: 22.5–24.8%) infection rate and 29.4% (95% CrI: 28.0–31.0%) case reporting rate. Individuals over 65 were less likely to be infected than younger age groups (11.2% [95% CrI: 10.3–12.0%] vs 25.1% [95% CrI: 23.7–26.4%]), but more likely to be hospitalized (1,965 per 100,000 vs 376 per 100,000) and have their infections reported (53% [95% CrI: 49–57%] vs 28% [95% CrI: 27–30%]). We used a mixed effect poisson regression model to estimate disparities in infection and reporting rates as a function of social vulnerability. We compared ZIP codes ranking in the 75th percentile of vulnerability to those in the 25th percentile, and found that the more vulnerable communities had 2.5 (95% CrI: 2.0–3.0) times the infection rate and only 70% (95% CrI: 60%-82%) the reporting rate compared to the less vulnerable communities. Inequality persisted but declined significantly over the 15-month study period. Our results suggest that further public health efforts are needed to mitigate local COVID-19 disparities and that the CDC’s social vulnerability index may serve as a reliable predictor of risk on a local scale when surveillance data are limited.
Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants through pandemic waves using RT-PCR testing in low-resource settings
Authors: Nasir Asghar , Aamir Uzma Bashir , Kanji Akbar , Bukhari Ali Raza , Ansar Zeeshan , Ghanchi Najia Karim , Masood Kiran Iqbal , Samreen Azra , Islam Nazneen , Ghani Samina , Syed M. Asif , Wassan Mansoor , Mahmood Syed Faisal , Hasan Zahra
Published: June 2023

COVID-19 resulted in extensive morbidity and mortality worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 evolved rapidly, with increasing transmission due to Variants of Concern (VOC). Identifying VOC became important but genome submissions from low-middle income countries (LMIC) remained low leading to gaps in genomic epidemiology. We demonstrate the use of a specific mutation RT-PCR based approach to identify VOC in SARS-CoV-2 positive samples through the pandemic in Pakistan. We selected 2150 SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive respiratory specimens tested between April 2021 and February 2022, at the Aga Khan University Hospital Clinical Laboratories, Karachi, Pakistan. Commercially available RT-PCR assays were used as required for mutations in Spike protein (N501Y, A570D, E484K, K417N, L452R, P681R and deletion69_70) to identify Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants respectively. Three pandemic waves associated with Alpha, Delta and Omicron occurred during the study period. Of the samples screened, VOC were identified in 81.7% of cases comprising mainly; Delta (37.2%), Alpha (29.8%) and Omicron (17.1%) variants. During 2021, Alpha variants were predominant in April and May; Beta and Gamma variants emerged in May and peaked in June; the Delta variant peaked in July and remained predominant until November. Omicron (BA.1) emerged in December 2021 and remained predominant until February 2022. The CT values of Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta were all significantly higher than that of Omicron variants (p<0.0001). We observed VOC through the pandemic waves using spike mutation specific RT-PCR assays. We show the spike mutation specific RT-PCR assay is a rapid, low-cost and adaptable for the identification of VOC as an adjunct approach to NGS to effectively inform the public health response. Further, by associating the VOC with CT values of its diagnostic PCR we gain information regarding the viral load of samples and therefore the level of transmission and disease severity in the population.
The leishmaniases in Kenya: A scoping review
Authors: Grifferty Grace , Shirley Hugh , O’Brien Katherine , Hirsch Jason L. , Orriols Adrienne M. , Amechi Kiira Lani , Lo Joshua , Chanda Neeharika , El Hamzaoui Sarra , Kahn Jorja , Yap Samantha V. , Watson Kyleigh E. , Curran Christina , Atef AbdelAlim Amina , Bose Neeloy , Cilfone Alissa Link , Wamai Richard
Published: June 2023

Background

The leishmaniases are a group of four vector-borne neglected tropical diseases caused by 20 species of protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through a bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies. Endemic in over 100 countries, the four types of leishmaniasis–visceral leishmaniasis (VL) (known as kala-azar), cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL)–put 1.6 billion people at risk. In Kenya, the extent of leishmaniasis research has not yet been systematically described. This knowledge is instrumental in identifying existing research gaps and designing appropriate interventions for diagnosis, treatment, and elimination.

Methodology/Principal findings

This study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology to determine the state of leishmaniases research in Kenya and identify research gaps. We searched seven online databases to identify articles published until January 2022 covering VL, CL, MCL, and/or PKDL in Kenya. A total of 7,486 articles were found, of which 479 underwent full-text screening, and 269 met our eligibility criteria. Most articles covered VL only (n = 141, 52%), were published between 1980 and 1994 (n = 108, 39%), and focused on the theme of “vectors” (n = 92, 34%). The most prevalent study types were “epidemiological research” (n = 88, 33%) tied with “clinical research” (n = 88, 33%), then “basic science research” (n = 49, 18%) and “secondary research” (n = 44, 16%).

Conclusion/Significance

While some studies still provide useful guidance today, most leishmaniasis research in Kenya needs to be updated and focused on prevention, co-infections, health systems/policy, and general topics, as these themes combined comprised less than 4% of published articles. Our findings also indicate minimal research on MCL (n = 1, <1%) and PKDL (n = 2, 1%). We urge researchers to renew and expand their focus on these neglected diseases in Kenya.
Optimizing health and nutrition status of migrant construction workers consuming multiple micronutrient fortified rice in Singapore
Authors: Hannes Femke , Moon Kevin , Moench Pfanner Regina
Published: June 2023

Introduction

A well-nourished workforce is instrumental in eradicating hunger, alleviating poverty, and spurring economic growth. A fifth of the total workforce in high-income countries are migrant workers. Despite the accessibility of nutritious foods in high-income countries, migrant workers often rely on nutrient-poor diets largely consisting of empty calories, which in turn leads to vitamin and mineral deficiency, also called hidden hunger, and resultant productivity loss. Here, we study the magnitude of hidden hunger in male migrant construction workers in Singapore and investigate the impact of consuming fortified rice for 6 consecutive months on the nutrition and health status of these workers.

Methods

140 male migrant workers aged 20–51 years of either Bangladeshi or Indian ethnicity from a single dormitory in Singapore volunteered to participate in the study. In total, 133 blood samples were taken at the start of the study and were used to assess vitamin B12, hemoglobin, ferritin, folate, and zinc levels; a sub-sample underwent for homocysteine testing. Anthropometric measurements and vital signs, such as blood pressure, were recorded before and after the intervention.

Results

The results show that vitamin and mineral deficiency was present, especially folate (59% of workers deficient) and vitamin B12 (7% deficient, 31% marginally deficient). The consumption of fortified rice significantly improved the vitamin, iron and zinc level in the workers and significantly reduced the systolic blood pressure amongst the Bangladeshi migrant workers, specifically.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that fortified rice may have a positive impact on male migrant construction worker health and nutrition status at the workplace.