bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of maladaptive daydreaming among medical students at the University of Khartoum, Sudan, in 2020–2021
Authors: Bashir Moez Mohammed Ibrahim
Published: August 2021

Background

Daydreaming is a normal cognitive phenomenon in which the individual experiences a temporary separation from reality during which contact with reality is compromised and, to some extent, replaced by a visionary fantasy. On the other hand, daydreaming can progress to a maladaptive state, known as maladaptive daydreaming. The aim of this study was to help understand the full scope of maladaptive daydreaming among medical students at the University of Khartoum, in Sudan, by displaying all maladaptive daydreaming-related statistics among studied population. An analytical cross-sectional university-based study was conducted during the academic year 2020–2021, using a total of 323 self-administered online questionnaires; the questionnaire containing the Arabic Version of Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale and other sociodemographic data were given by stratified random selection to undergraduate medical students at the University of Khartoum, in Sudan, between December and January 2021.

Results

34.3% of medical students at the University of Khartoum have identified themselves as maladaptive daydreamers. More males were found to be maladaptive daydreamers when compared to female medical students. The average Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale score among medical students was found to be 33.6 (sd=22.3). No significant correlation was found between Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale score and gender, and there was a significant correlation between the MDS score and the academic class of medical students at University of Khartoum.

Conclusions

Maladaptive daydreaming was discovered to have a significant impact on the population of medical students at the University of Khartoum, with some alarming rates and correlations among medical students; having more than one-third of total medical students found to be having MD must surely indicate a much larger and more widespread problem. A multifactorial holistic approach covering biological, psychological, social, and academic aspects must be used when hypothesizing the justification for these findings and planning an active intervention strategy.
Intra-articular corticosteroid injection and genicular nerve block under ultrasound guidance in pain control of knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Ragab Abdel Rahman , Hegab Sherif , Elnemr Rehab , Abdel-Kerim Amr
Published: August 2021

Background

Chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a frequent disease among the elderly. Intra-articular corticosteroid injection (IACSI) was commonly adopted to alleviate knee OA-related pains. Recently, Genicular nerve block (GNB) has emerged as a new alternative technique. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of those two approaches when guided with ultrasound and to determine which one offers better results. This study included 40 patients with painful chronic knee OA (Nine males and 31 females, age ranged from 44 to 65 years) and were randomly assigned to two equal groups. Groups 1 was managed with ultrasound-guided IACSI and group 2 with ultrasound-guided GNB using a mixture of lidocaine and Triamcinolone Acetonide. The baseline mean visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oxford knee score (OKS) for the group 1 were 87.10 and 51.3, while for group 2 were 87.75 and 53.25 respectively. Follow up values were obtained at 2, 4 and 8 weeks using VAS and OKS.

Results

The VAS score and OKS score were significantly lower in the GNB group and IACSI group at 2, and 4 weeks after the procedure (p < 0.001 for all), then returned near baseline values at 8 weeks. When the two groups were compared according to changes in VAS and OKS from baseline at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, GNB group showed significant alleviation of pain (mean reduction of 58.5, 53.3, and 9.25 points at 2, 4, and 8 weeks versus 44.9, 39.4, and 5.6 points at the IACSI groups, p < 0.001 at 2 and 4 weeks, p < 0.006 at 8 weeks). Similarly at the OKS, the GNB group showed significantly better results (33.50, 28.60, and 8.5 at GNB and 26.45, 20.10, 5.25 at IACSI. p < 0.001 at all periods).

Conclusions

Both GNB and IACSI are effective methods to relieve chronic knee osteoarthritis-related pains. When compared to each other, GNB showed more significant pain relief and functional improvement than IACSI.
Complete complementarity relations: Connections with Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen realism and decoherence, and extension to mixed quantum states
Authors: Basso Marcos L. W. , Maziero Jonas
Published: August 2021

Wave-particle duality is an essential character of quantum systems. In the last few years, much progress has been made towards formally quantifying these quantum features. The properties of the quantum density matrix were shown to lead to duality inequalities for single-quanton mixed states and to triality identities, also known as complete complementarity relations (CCRs), for two-quanton pure states. In this article, we establish connections between CCRs and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (ir)realism, as formalized by Bilobran and Angelo (see Bilobran A. L. O. and Angelo R. M., EPL, 112 (2015) 40005). Besides, we show that, for tripartite pure states

, CCRs can be applied to obtain the system-environment entanglement of formation,

, through the local information of a system A and its classical correlation with an auxiliary system B. Moreover, we discuss CCRs in the context of the emergence of the pointer basis in the decoherence process identified via the constancy of system-apparatus classical correlations. We also obtain CCRs for purified mixed bipartite quantum-classical states. In addition, we derive CCRs for mixed-bipartite two-qudit quantum states and discuss its interpretations.
The impact of COVID-19 and the NCAA’s (National Collegiate Athletic Association) season cancellation on sport support professionals
Authors: Economou Peter , Glascock Tori , Louie Mark
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced athletes to learn to navigate a world void of athletic competition and contend with the intricacies that life during a pandemic brings. Similarly, those that dedicate their lives to these athletes such as sport psychology practitioners, sport medicine personnel, athletic trainers, or academic advisors (i.e., sport support professionals) also experienced an abrupt ending to their routines, and in some cases their livelihoods. These professionals have been pushed to modify their art and find ways to engage their community from a distance (e.g., virtually, or physically from a social distance). Sport support professionals are experiencing a collective loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper addresses the impact of a global pandemic and the subsequent issues faced by sport support professionals across diverse disciplines, emphasizing the significance of these relationships and the necessary adjustments to manage the cessation of these relationships.
Entre Husserl y Heidegger: La articulación del tiempo o la configuración del espacio; la apropiación del tiempo y la facticidad de la experiencia.
Authors: García González Juan A.
Published: August 2021

Pretendemos dar una visión de conjunto de la obra husserliana, que explique la evolución posterior a Ideas. Desde ella es hacedera una comparación con Heidegger, en particular en orden a precisar el carácter incorporado de la inteligencia humana. Estaremos en condiciones entonces de considerar la propuesta de Leonardo Polo sobre el estatuto del cuerpo humano latente bajo la intelección
La alocución del lenguaje: el decir poético en Heidegger y el budismo zen; comparación y perspectiva.
Authors: Morán Roa Alberto
Published: August 2021

Siguiendo la estela de Byung-Chul Han, nos proponemos llevar a cabo una tarea que complemente los estudios acerca de la relación entre el pensamiento heideggeriano y Oriente. Así, sobre la base de un análisis acerca de la relación heideggeriana entre lenguaje, poesía y verdad, nos proponemos llevar a cabo un estudio sobre las implicaciones ontológicas, históricas y políticas de la poesía en Heidegger, para mostrar las incompatibilidades -así como los motivos de estas- con el poetizar oriental y, siguiendo la tesis de Lacoue-Labarthe, señalar el papel político de la noción heideggeriana de poesía, y cómo la naturaleza del poetizar oriental lo hace mucho menos compatible con la politización.
Designing Personalized Treatment Plans for Breast Cancer
Authors: Chen Wei , Lu Yixin , Qiu Liangfei , Kumar Subodha
Published: August 2021

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world. Contemporary treatment for breast cancer is complex and involves highly specialized medical professionals collaborating in a series of information-intensive processes. This poses significant challenges to optimization of treatment plans for individual patients. We propose a novel framework that enables personalization and customization of treatment plans for early stage breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Using a series of simulation experiments benchmarked with real-world clinical data, we demonstrate that the treatment plans generated from our proposed framework consistently outperform those from the existing practices in balancing the risk of local tumor recurrence and radiation-induced adverse effects. Our research sheds new light on how to combine domain knowledge and patient data in developing effective decision-support tools for clinical use. Although our research is specifically geared toward radiotherapy planning for breast cancer, the design principles of our framework can be applied to the personalization of treatment plans for patients with other chronic diseases that typically involve complications and comorbidities.
COOPERATIVA ESTUDANTIL “NEGÓCIO CERTO/ PRODUTOS DO CAMPO”: UMA EXPERIÊNCIA DE ENSINO BASEADA NA PERSPECTIVA DA COLABORAÇÃO
Authors: Wagner Simone Jancieli , Lima Maria do Rosário Soares , Leão Marcelo Franco
Published: August 2021

Este estudo tem como objetivo construir o entendimento sobre Cooperativismo a partir da experiência vivenciada na Escola Municipal Nazaré, município de Vila Rica/MT. Trata-se de um relato de experiência, ocorrida em 2018, que envolveu 21 pessoas, sendo 17 alunos (cooperados/consumidores) e 4 consumidores. Realizou-se um levantamento dos produtos produzidos no assentamento que excediam o consumo familiar, foi criada uma cooperativa estudantil para comercializar esses produtos e foi criado um grupo de WhatsApp, para instituir estratégias de comercialização. Além de dinâmica, essa atividade envolveu interdisciplinaridade por envolver conceitos de cooperativismo, agricultura familiar, economia solidária, aproveitamento de alimentos e comercialização, além de possibilitar estabelecer relações entre elementos da atividade com o currículo da educação do campo. Logo, acredita-se que os envolvidos compreenderam valores da Economia Solidária e princípios de cooperativismo, aprenderam a valorizar o local onde vivem e utilizar os produtos que excediam o consumo familiar para colaborar na renda incentivando dessa forma na permanência no campo.
DO IMPRESSO AO DIGITAL: REFLEXÕES ACERCA DE RECURSOS PEDAGÓGICOS NUMA ESCOLA VULNERÁVEL
Authors: Pinto Sabrine Lino , Nery Aline Silva Dejosi , Vermelho Sônia Cristina
Published: August 2021

Este trabalho apresenta reflexões em formas e normas de convivência promovidas pela escola no que diz respeito à utilização da biblioteca como espaço de articulação dos conteúdos trabalhados em sala de aula do ensino fundamental e da rede social Facebook como ferramenta pedagógica para as aulas de ciências, ambas visando à promoção de experiências educativas para a construção do conhecimento científico num contexto de vulnerabilidade social. Caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa qualitativa, no modo participante, apresentando resultados de um questionário realizado com os alunos, cujo objetivo foi obter respostas quanto ao uso da internet e da rede social e seu interesse com a aprendizagem de ciências, bem como seus hábitos de leitura e do uso da biblioteca escolar. Os resultados  obtidos permitiram sintetizar que a biblioteca se apresenta como um local de excelência dentro da escola, seja para estudar, como local de ação cultural ou espaço potencial para os professores utilizarem em suas práticas pedagógicas. E, quanto à internet, foi apurado que um número significativo de alunos faz uso, levando-nos à criação de uma página no Facebook, a qual já conta com 35 alunos interessados e que participam por meio de visualizações, comentários e curtidas nas postagens relacionadas as ciências.
O PROGRAMA INSTITUCIONAL DE BOLSAS DE INICIAÇÃO À DOCÊNCIA NA ESCOLA: A ÓTICA DOS ESTUDANTES DA EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA
Authors: Menezes Jones Baroni Ferreira de , Nunes Francisco Eldefábio Freire , Paixão Germana Costa
Published: August 2021

Objetiva-se compreender a atuação do Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência (PIBID) no ambiente escolar na perspectiva dos discentes da educação básica. A investigação caracteriza-se como descritiva, de abordagem qualitativa, utilizando um questionário on-line, produzido pelo Google Formulários, em dezembro de 2019, a 46 estudantes que participaram das atividades desenvolvidas pelo subprojeto multidisciplinar Biologia e Química/UAB, em duas escolas no município de Jaguaribe/CE. Dos achados, destacamos que os estudantes escolares reconhecem a importância do PIBID, principalmente quando se refere a diversificação das estratégias e recursos didáticos utilizados durante as atividades, além de que os conhecimentos adquiridos se exacerbam a utilização dos muros escolares, trazendo consigo a contextualização do ensino, bem como a proximidade de relação professor-aluno. Ademais, são esses fatores que discentes sentirão falta com a finalização do programa no lócus de investigação. Deste modo, aqui reafirmamos o PIBID como uma ressignificação da prática docente, pautada nos quesitos didático-pedagógicos e nas relações interpessoais no contexto escolar.
A FÉ E A CORDA DA VIDA: O NOVO MUNDO E AS TERRITORIALIDADES/ESTRATÉGIAS DE CONSTITUIÇÃO, MANUTENÇÃO E CONTROLE DO TERRITÓRIO
Authors: Corrêa Aureanice De Mello
Published: August 2021

Sob a perspectiva geográfica cultural e, norteados pelo procedimento metodológico de Comunidade de Destino, estabelecemos no presente texto um caminho possível para a compreensão da estratégia/ territorialidade engendrada na luta pela vida e permanência do território-terreiro, dos laços familiares constituídos a partir da prática cultural-religiosa-social - o Candomblé - nesse novo mundo. Novo mundo que se reterritorializa diante do que está denominado como “Novo Normal”, que é realizado a partir do evento contemporâneo da pandemia que se instaura no ano de 2020 com a disseminação do Covid-19, conhecido também por “coronavírus”.
AS GEOGRAFIAS DAS LUTAS POR RECONHECIMENTOS SOCIAIS: A FENOMENOLOGIA E O PROBLEMA DA CONSTITUIÇÃO DA IDENTIDADE HOMOSSEXUAL NO ESPAÇO INTERDITO E NAS MICROTERRITORIALIDADES
Authors: Costa Benhur Pinós da
Published: August 2021

O texto desenvolve uma leitura geográfica das lutas por reconhecimento de pessoas nas quais suas vontades (involuntárias) são estigmatizadas socialmente. Critica as constituições das identidades pelas limitações das multiplicidades de sentimentos e vontades humanas. Concentra sua análise na produção da identidade homossexual como dispositivo de elaboração e legitimação dos privilégios sociais das pessoas cisgêneros e heterossexuais. Desenvolve uma fenomenologia das constituições dos espíritos subjetivos, efetivos e absolutos relativos aos problemas existenciais de pessoas homossexuais. Nesta perspectiva, desenvolve uma geografia existencial de pessoas constituídas pelas identidades sociais estigmatizadas em um debate sobre a produção do “espaço interdito” às homossexualidades e das “microterritorialidades” como pressupostos geográficos potencializadores das lutas por reconhecimento social.
ENTRE PAISAGENS E PANORAMAS: FOTOGRAFIA E METÁFORAS VISUAIS
Authors: Maciel Caio Augusto Amorim , Vasconcelos Priscila Batista
Published: August 2021

A fotografia, apesar do largo emprego na geografia, raramente ultrapassa o estatuto de ilustração ou arquivo documental. Neste artigo, ao contrário do traço ilustrativo dominante, tratamo-la em seu caráter híbrido (arte, conhecimento e informação), propondo uma investigação cultural de espaços tornados “invisíveis”, entre outras questões, por seu caráter recôndito e impeditivo a grandes vistas. Assim, a partir de estudos sobre becos do Centro Histórico do Recife propomos uma reflexão sobre o uso de fotografias como recurso metodológico na Geografia Cultural. O trabalho pretende, mais do que apresentar um estudo de caso, refletir sobre o tema das paisagens não panorâmicas, almejando estabelecer parâmetros mais gerais sobre a relação entre “contemplação produzida”, a mobilização de panoramas para incitar análises geográficas e o processo de registro/produção de fotografias/panoramas por geógrafos-fotógrafos como instrumental de pesquisa. Optamos pelo recurso à produção autoral de uma fachada-prancha como estratégia heurística para apresentar o ambiente fissural das vielas, não imediatamente visível, à guisa de um quadro geográfico. A técnica recompõe a experiência sensível dos autores naquele espaço, reforçando a pertinência da fotografia na investigação geográfica, não apenas para desconstruir estereótipos, mas, sobretudo, para expor o poder de agência das próprias imagens, as quais interferem na estruturação material dos lugares e no acionamento de metáforas visuais que organizam a sociedade
Formação de familiares em alfabetizar letrando: processos dialógicos de aprendizagem entre mulheres
Authors: Nogueira Marques de Vasconcelos Beatriz
Published: August 2021

Neste artigo, relatamos e analisamos a experiência de uma formação em “alfabetizar letrando” entre mulheres, realizada durante 2019 no Educandário Humberto de Campos, localizado na zona rural de Alto Paraíso de Goiás/GO. Parte de um movimento de transformação na escola como um todo, a formação buscou contribuir para a alfabetização dos estudantes, a partir do estudo e da expressão literária entre os familiares dos educandos, principalmente as mães de crianças das primeiras séries do Ensino Fundamental I. A partir da educação democrática, da metodologia de projetos e da comunicação não-violenta, o objetivo da instituição é criar uma Comunidade de Aprendizagem. Numa perspectiva poética e dialógica, a formação buscou fomentar o gosto pela literatura entre as mães e formá-las para apoiar a descoberta da leitura de seus filhos. O fortalecimento dos laços comunitários e o desenvolvimento educacional se deu a partir do estudo literário e da livre expressão da escrita, do compartilhamento de memórias, ideias e emoções entre as mulheres, da proposição de ações das mães junto às turmas e da avaliação da escrita das crianças e autoavaliação das ações do grupo.
Educação bancária é emissão de conteúdos: transmissão exige comunicação dialógica
Authors: Oliveira Inês Barbosa de
Published: August 2021

Paulo Freire formulou, dentre muitas outras, as noções de Educação Bancária e Educação Dialógica, opondo-as e esclarecendo os problemas que via na primeira e o potencial que percebia na segunda. Entendendo que a noção de transmissão de conhecimentos que está presente no modelo bancário de escola não resiste ao desafio de nenhuma perspectiva teórica sobre a comunicação, ou mesmo de educação, este texto defende que este modelo não se estrutura para a compreensão dos conteúdos, mas para impor aos destinatários da mensagem a consciência de sua ignorância. Por outro lado, baseada, portanto, na dialogia, a proposta freireana de uma educação problematizadora e libertadora se fundamenta na efetividade da comunicação, não mais numa perspectiva de emissor e receptor, mas numa perspectiva interativa dialógica. O texto busca, portanto, evidenciar a precariedade comunicacional do modelo de educação bancária e, em contraponto a ele, traz a perspectiva dialógica de educação, proposta por Freire, o que foi feito recorrendo-se a Habermas, principalmente, e a Maturana e Boaventura de Sousa Santos, que trazem contribuições relevantes ao debate, contribuindo para que o processo educativo seja repensado e inserido em uma lógica de sociedade democrática e participativa.
DO AMOR E DO DESEJO: SOBRE DOIS POEMAS DE LIA VIEIRA
Authors: Marques Samyn Henrique
Published: August 2021

O artigo propõe interpretações para dois poemas de Lia Vieira, uma das mais importantes escritoras negras brasileiras, com largo histórico de contribuição para os Cadernos Negros – publicação coletiva de autores negros brasileiros regularmente editada há mais de quarenta anos – e obras selecionadas para antologias publicadas no Brasil e no exterior. As análises propostas, acerca dos poemas “Meu Zumbi” (originalmente publicado em Cadernos Negros 15, de 1992) e “Ânsia” (originalmente publicado em Cadernos Negros 19, de 1996), tencionam enfatizar o tratamento de dois temas centrais da produção literária de Lia Vieira – o amor e o desejo como expressões de um corpo racializado –, concedendo relevo apara aspectos formais e retóricos das composições.
All-optical graphene-on-silicon slot waveguide modulator based on graphene’s Kerr effect
Authors: Ojaghi Saleh , Golmohammadi Saeed , Soofi Hadi
Published: August 2021

All-optical graphene-based optical modulators have recently attracted much attention because of their ultrafast and broadband response characteristics (bandwidth larger than 100 GHz) in comparison with the previous graphene-based optical modulators, which are electrically tuned via the graphene Fermi level. Silicon photonics has some benefits such as low cost and high compatibility with CMOS design and manufacturing technology. On the other hand, graphene has a unique large nonlinear Kerr coefficient, which we calculate using graphene’s tight-binding model based on the semiconductor Bloch equations. Its real and imaginary parts are negative at the wavelength of 1.55 µm and

E
F

=
0.1

e
V

. To simultaneously use the benefits mentioned above, we present an all-optical, CMOS-compatible, and graphene-on-silicon slot (GOSS) waveguide extinction and phase modulator that consists of two different geometries. The first one consists of a one-stage GOSS waveguide with a single layer of graphene. To increase the light–graphene interaction and consequently enhance the modulation efficiency (ME), another stage of the GOSS waveguide is placed over the first one. This two-stage configuration is called a graphene-on-silicon double-slot (GOSDS) waveguide. The ME, insertion loss (IL), and modulation depth (MD) for a 12.5 µm GOSDS waveguide modulator with a double layer of graphene can reach 0.241 dB/µm, 1.31 dB, and 77%, respectively, at optical pump intensities about

9

M
W

c
m

−
2

. Our design has a smaller waveguide length (17.6 times) than the previous all-optical graphene-on-silicon ribbon waveguide extinction modulator and high MD (about 2 times) in comparison with a graphene-clad microfiber all-optical extinction modulator. Compared with an all-optical Mach–Zehnder interferometer phase modulator, our design has short graphene coated waveguide length (

≈

0.1

times) and low local optical intensities (

≈

0.043

times) needed for

π

phase shift. This study may promote the design and realization of high-performance, wideband, compact, and all-optical control on a single chip with a reasonable contrast level.
Hyperspectral anomaly detection via super-resolution reconstruction with an attention mechanism
Authors: Chong Dan , Hu Bingliang , Gao Hao , Gao Xiaohui
Published: August 2021

Hyperspectral anomaly detection aims to classify the anomalous objects in the scene. However, the spatial resolution of the hyperspectral images is relatively low, leading to inaccurate detection of abnormal pixels. Existing methods either ignore the low-resolution problem or leverage super-resolution models to reconstruct the global image to detect abnormal pixels. We claim that reconstructing super-resolution of the global image is unnecessary, while the area where the abnormal target is located should be paid more attention to be reconstructed. In this paper, we propose a super-resolution reconstruction with an attention mechanism for hyperspectral anomaly detection. Our method can automatically extract additional high-frequency information from low-spatial-resolution images and detect abnormal pixels simultaneously. Furthermore, the spatial-channel attention mechanism is adopted to select significant features for reconstructing super-resolution images by assigning different weights to different channels and different spatial–spectral locations. Finally, a regularized join loss function is proposed that balances different tasks by adjusting the relative weight. The experimental results on the public hyperspectral real datasets demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.
Rapid non-destructive volumetric tumor yield assessment in fresh lung core needle biopsies using polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography
Authors: Nandy Sreyankar , Helland Timothy L. , Roop Benjamin W. , Raphaely Rebecca A. , Ly Amy , Lew Madelyn , Berigei Sarita R. , Villiger Martin , Sorokina Anastasia , Szabari Margit V. , Fintelmann Florian J. , Suter Melissa J. , Hariri Lida P.
Published: August 2021

Adequate tumor yield in core-needle biopsy (CNB) specimens is essential in lung cancer for accurate histological diagnosis, molecular testing for therapeutic decision-making, and tumor biobanking for research. Insufficient tumor sampling in CNB is common, primarily due to inadvertent sampling of tumor-associated fibrosis or atelectatic lung, leading to repeat procedures and delayed diagnosis. Currently, there is no method for rapid, non-destructive intraprocedural assessment of CNBs. Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a high-resolution, volumetric imaging technique that has the potential to meet this clinical need. PS-OCT detects endogenous tissue properties, including birefringence from collagen, and degree of polarization uniformity (DOPU) indicative of tissue depolarization. Here, PS-OCT birefringence and DOPU measurements were used to quantify the amount of tumor, fibrosis, and normal lung parenchyma in 42 fresh, intact lung CNB specimens. PS-OCT results were compared to and validated against matched histology in a blinded assessment. Linear regression analysis showed strong correlations between PS-OCT and matched histology for quantification of tumors, fibrosis, and normal lung parenchyma in CNBs. PS-OCT distinguished CNBs with low tumor content from those with higher tumor content with high sensitivity and specificity. This study demonstrates the potential of PS-OCT as a method for rapid, non-destructive, label-free intra-procedural tumor yield assessment.
Quantum simulation of tunable and ultrastrong mixed-optomechanics
Authors: Zhou Yue-Hui , Yin Xian-Li , Liao Jie-Qiao
Published: August 2021

We propose a reliable scheme to simulate tunable and ultrastrong mixed (first-order and quadratic optomechanical couplings coexisting) optomechanical interactions in a coupled two-mode bosonic system, in which the two modes are coupled by a cross-Kerr interaction and one of the two modes is driven through both the single- and two-excitation processes. We show that the mixed-optomechanical interactions can enter the single-photon strong-coupling and even ultrastrong-coupling regimes. The strengths of both the first-order and quadratic optomechanical couplings can be controlled on demand, and hence first-order, quadratic, and mixed optomechanical models can be realized. In particular, the thermal noise of the driven mode can be suppressed totally by introducing a proper squeezed vacuum bath. We also study how to generate the superposition of coherent squeezed state and vacuum state based on the simulated interactions. The quantum coherence effect in the generated states is characterized by calculating the Wigner function in both the closed- and open-system cases. This work will pave the way to the observation and application of ultrastrong optomechanical effects in quantum simulators.
Unique beam deflection based on dynamic polarized nano-domains in Cu-doped KTN
Authors: Yang Quanxin , Liu Hongliang , Li Xiaojin , Zhao Zhuan , Zhang Xin , Wang Xuping , Ren Yingying , Wu Pengfei
Published: August 2021

In this report, we successfully implement a unique cross-field beam deflector by exploiting the modulation of a one-dimensional refractive index in a copper-doped potassium tantalite niobite crystal. A theoretical model is established based on an electrostrictive effect regulated by the dynamic polarized nano-domains to explicate the mechanism of the abnormal beam deflection which is perpendicular to the applied electric field. Experimental results agree well with our theoretical deduction while validating the interactions between the dynamic polarized nano-domains and the applied electric field. Our findings will break the limitation of conventional electro-optic deflectors, paving the way to develop promising optical functional devices with a large field-of-view scanning angle and ultra-low driving voltage.
Propagator operator for pulse propagation in resonant media
Authors: Morales Felipe , Richter Maria , Olvo Vlad , Husakou Anton
Published: August 2021

We show that, for the case of resonant media, the available models for unidirectional propagation of short pulses can face serious challenges with respect to numerical efficiency, accuracy, or numerical artifacts. We propose an alternative approach based on a propagator operator defined in the time domain. This approach enables precise simulations using short time windows even for resonant media and facilitates coupling of the propagation equation with first-principle methods such as the time-dependent Schödinger equation. Additionally, we develop a numerically efficient recipe to construct and apply such a propagator operator.
PPIDomainMiner: Inferring domain-domain interactions from multiple sources of protein-protein interactions
Authors: Alborzi Seyed Ziaeddin , Ahmed Nacer Amina , Najjar Hiba , Ritchie David W. , Devignes Marie-Dominique
Published: August 2021

Many biological processes are mediated by protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Because protein domains are the building blocks of proteins, PPIs likely rely on domain-domain interactions (DDIs). Several attempts exist to infer DDIs from PPI networks but the produced datasets are heterogeneous and sometimes not accessible, while the PPI interactome data keeps growing.

We describe a new computational approach called “PPIDM” (Protein-Protein Interactions Domain Miner) for inferring DDIs using multiple sources of PPIs. The approach is an extension of our previously described “CODAC” (Computational Discovery of Direct Associations using Common neighbors) method for inferring new edges in a tripartite graph. The PPIDM method has been applied to seven widely used PPI resources, using as “Gold-Standard” a set of DDIs extracted from 3D structural databases. Overall, PPIDM has produced a dataset of 84,552 non-redundant DDIs. Statistical significance (p-value) is calculated for each source of PPI and used to classify the PPIDM DDIs in Gold (9,175 DDIs), Silver (24,934 DDIs) and Bronze (50,443 DDIs) categories. Dataset comparison reveals that PPIDM has inferred from the 2017 releases of PPI sources about 46% of the DDIs present in the 2020 release of the 3did database, not counting the DDIs present in the Gold-Standard. The PPIDM dataset contains 10,229 DDIs that are consistent with more than 13,300 PPIs extracted from the IMEx database, and nearly 23,300 DDIs (27.5%) that are consistent with more than 214,000 human PPIs extracted from the STRING database. Examples of newly inferred DDIs covering more than 10 PPIs in the IMEx database are provided.

Further exploitation of the PPIDM DDI reservoir includes the inventory of possible partners of a protein of interest and characterization of protein interactions at the domain level in combination with other methods. The result is publicly available at http://ppidm.loria.fr/.
Neural differentiation of glioblastoma cell lines via a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir system driven by a glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter
Authors: Luo Elizabeth Wei-Chia , Liao Meng-Lin , Chien Chung-Liang
Published: August 2021

Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis that rapidly acquires resistance to available clinical treatments. The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSVtk/GCV) system produces the selective elimination of HSVtk-positive cells and is a candidate for preclinical testing against glioblastoma via its ability to regulate proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to establish a plasmid encoding the HSVtk/GCV system driven by a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter and verify its possibility of neural differentiation of glioblastoma cell line under the GCV challenge. Four stable clones—N2A-pCMV-HSVtk, N2A-pGFAP-HSVtk, U251-pCMV-HSVtk, and U251-pGFAP-HSVtk—were established from neuronal N2A and glioblastoma U251 cell lines.In vitroGCV sensitivity was assessed by MTT assay for monitoring time- and dosage-dependent cytotoxicity. The capability for neural differentiation in stable glioblastoma clones during GCV treatment was assessed by performing immunocytochemistry for nestin, GFAP, and βIII-tubulin. Under GFAP promoter control, the U251 stable clone exhibited GCV sensitivity, while the neuronal N2A clones were nonreactive. During GCV treatment, cells underwent apoptosis on day 3 and dying cells were identified after day 5. Nestin was increasingly expressed in surviving cells, indicating that the population of neural stem-like cells was enriched. Lower levels of GFAP expression were detected in surviving cells. Furthermore, βIII-tubulin-positive neuron-like cells were identified after GCV treatment. This study established pGFAP-HSVtk-P2A-EGFP plasmids that successfully ablated GFAP-positive glioblastoma cells, but left neuronal N2A cells intact. These data suggest that the neural differentiation of glioblastoma cells can be promoted by treatment with the HSVtk/GCV system.
A systematic review assessing the quality of patient reported outcomes measures in dry eye diseases
Authors: Recchioni Alberto , Aiyegbusi Olalekan Lee , Cruz-Rivera Samantha , Rauz Saaeha , Slade Anita
Published: August 2021

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can provide valuable insights on the impact of a disease or treatment on a patient’s health-related quality of life. In ophthalmology, particularly in dry eye disease (DED) and ocular surface disease (OSD), it is unclear whether the available PROMs were developed using comprehensive guidelines. To address this, we evaluated the methodological quality of studies assessing the psychometric properties of PROMs in DED and OSD [PROSPERO registration number CRD42019142328].

Methods

Four databases were searched; reference list and citation searching of included studies was also conducted. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist was used to appraise the quality of the studies evaluating the psychometric properties of PROMs used in DED and OSD.

Results

The search strategy (S3 Table) retrieved 5,761 records, 573 duplicates were removed, 5,188 abstracts were screened and 127 full-text articles were retrieved for further review. Of these, 118 full-text articles did not meet the eligibility criteria and were excluded. Reference list and citation searching, identified an additional 8 articles bringing the total numbers of papers reviewed to 17. In general, psychometric properties such as content validity, measurement error and structural validity were not assessed by the studies included in this review. Studies reviewing The Impact of Dry Eye on Everyday Life (IDEEL) presented with the highest quality scores together with the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.

Conclusions

The quality of studies evaluating PROMs in DED and OSD was considered using the COSMIN standards. The majority of the studies evaluating PROMs included in this review did not meet the recommended COSMIN criteria and the quality of the PROMs evaluated is not assured. Further evaluation of their psychometric properties is required if these are going to be used in clinical practice or research.
PReventing Idiopathic SCOliosis PROgression (PRISCOPRO): A protocol for a quadruple-blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing 3D designed Boston brace to standard Boston brace
Authors: Diarbakerli Elias , Charalampidis Anastasios , Abbott Allan , Gerdhem Paul
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity in children. Treatment strategies aim to halt progression of the curve. Patients are treated mainly with thoracolumbosacral orthosis (TLSO) if indicated. This form of brace treatment has been shown to be cumbersome and tough on growing individuals. However, computer aided design and manufactured (CAD/CAM) braces might increase comfortability and ultimately outcome if compliance is improved. In a multicenter, randomized controlled trial, we aim to compare CAD/CAM designed Boston 3D-brace to standard Boston brace.

Methods

Subjects: 170 previously untreated and skeletally immature children diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis, aged 9–17 years of age (curve magnitude Cobb 25–40 degrees) will be included. Interventions: Both groups will receive a physical activity prescription according to the World Health Organization recommendations. Randomization will be performed 1:1 to a 3D CAD/CAM designed Boston 3D-brace or a standard Boston brace, both with prescribed daily wear time of 20 hours. Outcome: The subjects will participate in the study until curve progression or until skeletal maturity. The primary outcome variable is failure of treatment, defined as progression of the Cobb angle more than 6 degrees compared to the baseline x-ray. The progression is confirmed if seen on two consecutive standing spinal x-rays. Radiographs will be taken at each six-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures include patient and clinical reported outcomes, including number of individuals requiring surgical intervention.

Discussion

This study will show if efficacy in brace treatment can be improved with new brace designs.

Trial registration

The protocol has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04805437.
Developmental chronodisruption alters placental signaling in mice
Authors: Clarkson-Townsend Danielle A. , Bales Katie L. , Hermetz Karen E. , Burt Amber A. , Pardue Machelle T. , Marsit Carmen J.
Published: August 2021

Chronodisruption has been largely overlooked as a developmental exposure. The placenta, a conduit between the maternal and fetal environments, may relay circadian cues to the fetus. We have previously shown that developmental chronodisruption causes visual impairment and increased retinal microglial and macrophage marker expression. Here, we investigated the impacts of environmental chronodisruption on fetal and placental outcomes in a C57BL/6J mouse (Mus musculus) model. Developmental chronodisruption had no effect on embryo count, placental weight, or fetal sex ratio. When measured with RNAseq, mice exposed to developmental chronodisruption (CD) had differential placental expression of several transcripts including Serpinf1, which encodes pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF). Immunofluorescence of microglia/macrophage markers, Iba1 and CD11b, also revealed significant upregulation of immune cell markers in CD-exposed placenta. Our results suggest that in utero chronodisruption enhances placental immune cell expression, potentially programming a pro-inflammatory tissue environment.
Provider-perceived benefits and constraints of complete adherence to antenatal care guideline among public health facilities, Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Authors: Seyoum Tewodros , Alemayehu Mekuriaw , Christensson Kyllike , Lindgren Helena
Published: August 2021

Background

In Ethiopia, health care providers’ level of adherence to the national Antenatal Care (ANC) guideline is relatively low. The reasons why they do not follow the guidelines are not well known. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the provider-perceived benefits and constraints associated with using the guideline for ANC in public health facilities in Gondar town.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview was conducted among a purposive sample of nine health care providers working in four public health facilities in Gondar town. After the interviews were transcribed and coded, a content analysis was done using Atlas ti version 7.5 software packages.

Result

Decreasing provider’s workload and maximizing performance, improving safe motherhood, and improving the process of service delivery were reported as the perceived benefits of following ANC guideline. Organizational problems, care providers’ existing knowledge, attitude, and skills and availability of training and mentorship were the three main identified groups of factors that hinder complete providers’ adherence to ANC guideline.

Conclusion

Although providers acknowledged the benefits of following ANC guideline, the guideline is not fully implemented. Refresher training should be given at the start of the updated eight-contact ANC guideline and continuing education and supervision throughout the implementation process. Health care providers call for profound and urgent revisions of the supply chain system for supplies and equipment.
Changes in the hydro-sedimentary balance: Impacts of the use of a borrow pit in a low-order stream
Authors: Tavares Cláudio , Eskinazi-Sant’Anna Eneida M. , Figueiredo Yuri A. , Almeida Hernani A. , Leite Mariangela G. P.
Published: August 2021

Construction of dams for hydroelectric power requires significant quantities of soil and rock, which are often extracted in borrow pits from adjacent regions. Although the effects of dams on stream processes has received significant attention, the effects of borrow pits has not. The main objective of this study was to analyze the geomorphological and sedimentological aspects of two second-order streams, one of which was directly affected by the borrow pit located upstream of its source (Pedra Branca stream). Flow rates were measured and cross-sections of 600m stretches in both streams were monitored over a hydrological year. At the same time, sediments from the bed of the channels and soils on their banks had their physical and chemical characteristics evaluated. Streams sediments differed in their chemical and organic matter composition. The mean particle size of the sediment particles was different between the reference and degraded streams. The water flow was very similar to both streams, only varying along the seasonal seasons. However, the fluvial channels presented great geomorphological differentiation, mainly downstream, due to the location of the Pedra Branca stream and its proximity to the borrow pit. Despite the great importance for the production of clean electric energy, the construction of hydroelectric plants promotes persistent impacts that affect structural and functional aspects of the adjacent aquatic habitats. Borrow pits used for the construction of projects become large sources of sediment for aquatic environments, affecting the drainage network of the hydrographic basin and the balance of river erosion, transport and deposition processes. The results show the need to review the intervention protocols in borrow pits and the environmental legislation that regulates their rehabilitation.
Multimorbidity and its effect on perceived burden, capacity and the ability to self-manage in a low-income rural primary care population: A qualitative study
Authors: Hardman Ruth , Begg Stephen , Spelten Evelien
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Multimorbidity is increasing in prevalence, especially in low-income settings. Despite this, chronic conditions are often managed in isolation, potentially leading to burden-capacity imbalance and reduced treatment adherence. We aimed to explore, in a low-income population with common comorbidities, how the specific demands of multimorbidity affect burden and capacity as defined by the Cumulative Complexity Model.

Materials and methods

Qualitative interviews with thirteen rural community health centre patients in Victoria, Australia. Participants were aged between 47–72 years and reported 3–10 chronic conditions. We asked about perceived capacity and burden in managing health. The Theory of Patient Capacity was used to analyse capacity and Normalisation Process Theory to analyse burden. All data specifically associated with the experience of multimorbidity was extracted from each burden and capacity domain.

Results

The capacity domains of biography, resource mobilisation and work realisation were important in relation to multimorbidity. Conditions causing functional impairment (e.g. chronic pain, depression) interacted with physical, psychological and financial capacity, leading to biographical disruption and an inability to realise treatment and life work. Despite this, few people had a treatment plan for these conditions. Participants reported that multimorbidity affected all burden domains. Coherence and appraisal were especially challenging due to condition interactions, with clinicians providing little guidance.

Discussion

The capacity and burden deficits highlighted by participants were not associated with any specific diagnosis, but were due to condition interactions, coupled with the lack of health provider support to navigate interactions. Physical, psychological and financial capacities were inseparable, but rarely addressed or understood holistically. Understanding and managing condition and treatment interactions was a key burden task for patients but was often difficult, isolating and overwhelming. This suggests that clinicians should become more aware of linkages between conditions, and include generic, synergistic or cross-disciplinary approaches, to build capacity, reduce burden and encourage integrated chronic condition management.
Interwoven traditions in Bell Beaker metallurgy: Approaching the social value of copper at Bauma del Serrat del Pont (Northeast Iberia)
Authors: Montes-Landa Julia , Murillo-Barroso Mercedes , Montero-Ruiz Ignacio , Rovira-Llorens Salvador , Martinón-Torres Marcos
Published: August 2021

Debates on early metallurgy in Western Europe have frequently focused on the social value of copper (between utilitarian and symbolic) and its purported role in the emergence and consolidation of hierarchies. Recent research shows that generalisations are increasingly untenable and highlights the need for comparative regional studies. Given its location in an intermediate area, the early metallurgy of Northeast Iberia provides an interesting case in point to explore the interaction between the well-characterised traditions of southern Iberia and southern France during the 3rdand 2ndmillennia BCE. Here the analytical study of seven Bell Beaker (decorated and undecorated) vessels reused as crucibles at Bauma del Serrrat del Pont (Tortellà, Girona) are presented. We employed pXRF, metallography, SEM-EDS and lead isotope analyses. The results show evidence for copper smelting employing a remarkable variety of ore sources, including Solana del Bepo, Turquesa and Les Ferreres mines, and an extra unknown area. The smelting vessels were manufactured using the same clay, which contained both mineral and organic inclusions. Our results are discussed with reference to all the evidence available for metals and metallurgy in the Northeast, and more broadly in comparison to southern Iberia and southern France, with special emphasis on issues of production organisation and social complexity. Taken together, our results support the notion that copper metallurgy played a predominantly utilitarian role in Bell Beaker societies and highlight idiosyncratic aspects of the metallurgical trajectory in the Northeast. Differences between territories challenge unilinear explanations of technological and social development after the introduction of metallurgy. Separate trajectories can only be explained in relation to area-specific socio-cultural and environmental factors.