bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forecasting extremely high ischemic stroke incidence using meteorological time serie
Authors: Babalova Lucia , Grendar Marian , Kurca Egon , Sivak Stefan , Kantorova Ema , Mikulova Katarina , Stastny Pavel , Fasko Pavel , Szaboova Kristina , Kubatka Peter , Nosal Slavomir , Mikulik Robert , Nosal Vladimir
Published: September 2024

Motivation

The association between weather conditions and stroke incidence has been a subject of interest for several years, yet the findings from various studies remain inconsistent. Additionally, predictive modelling in this context has been infrequent. This study explores the relationship of extremely high ischaemic stroke incidence and meteorological factors within the Slovak population. Furthermore, it aims to construct forecasting models of extremely high number of strokes.

Methods

Over a five-year period, a total of 52,036 cases of ischemic stroke were documented. Days exhibiting a notable surge in ischemic stroke occurrences (surpassing the 90th percentile of historical records) were identified as extreme cases. These cases were then scrutinized alongside daily meteorological parameters spanning from 2015 to 2019. To create forecasts for the occurrence of these extreme cases one day in advance, three distinct methods were employed: Logistic regression, Random Forest for Time Series, and Croston’s method.

Results

For each of the analyzed stroke centers, the cross-correlations between instances of extremely high stroke numbers and meteorological factors yielded negligible results. Predictive performance achieved by forecasts generated through multivariate logistic regression and Random Forest for time series analysis, which incorporated meteorological data, was on par with that of Croston’s method. Notably, Croston’s method relies solely on the stroke time series data. All three forecasting methods exhibited limited predictive accuracy.

Conclusions

The task of predicting days characterized by an exceptionally high number of strokes proved to be challenging across all three explored methods. The inclusion of meteorological parameters did not yield substantive improvements in forecasting accuracy.
Vietnamese health professionals’ views on the status of the fetus and maternal and fetal health interests: A regional, cross-sectional study from the Hanoi area
Authors: Mogren Ingrid , Thi Lan Pham , Phuc Ho Dang , Holmlund Sophia , Small Rhonda , Ntaganira Joseph , Sengoma Jean Paul Semasaka , Kidanto Hussein Lesio , Ngarina Matilda , Bergström Cecilia
Published: September 2024

Obstetric ultrasound is an important tool in managing pregnancies and its use is increasing globally. However, the status of the pregnant woman and the fetus may vary in terms of clinical management, views in the community and legislation. To investigate the views and experiences of Vietnamese health professionals on maternal and fetal health interests, priority setting and potential conflicts, we conducted a cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire. Obstetricians/gynecologists, midwives and sonographers who manage pregnant women in maternity wards were invited to participate. We purposively chose public health facilities in the Hanoi region of Vietnam to obtain a representative sample. The final sample included 882 health professionals, of which 32.7% (n = 289) were obstetricians/gynecologists, 60.7% (n = 535) midwives and 6.6% (n = 58) sonographers. The majority of participants (60.3%) agreed that “The fetus is a person from the time of conception” and that maternal health interests should always be prioritised over fetal health interests in care provided (54.4%). 19.7% agreed that the fetus is never a patient, only the pregnant woman can be the patient, while 60.5% disagreed. Participants who performed ultrasounds were more likely to agree that fetal health interests are being given more weight in decision-making the further the gestation advances compared to those who did not perform ultrasounds (cOR 2.47, CI 1.27–4.79: n = 811). A significant proportion of health professionals in Vietnam assign the fetus the status of being a person, where personhood gradually evolves during pregnancy. While the fetus is often considered a patient with its own health interests, a majority of participants did give priority to maternal health interests. Health professionals appear to favour increased legal protection of the fetus. Strengthening the legal status of the fetus might have adverse implications for maternal autonomy. Measures to restrict maternal autonomy might require close observation to ensure that maternal reproductive rights are protected.
COVID-19’s impact on hospital stays, mortality, and readmissions for poverty-related diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and injury groups in Thailand
Authors: Palupi Satiti , Htet Kyaw Ko Ko , Nakhonsri Vorthunju , Ngamphiw Chumpol , Khunkham Peerapat , Vasoppakarn Sanya , Atthakul Narumol , Tongsima Sissades , Keeratipusana Chantisa , Janpoung Watcharapot , Chongsuvivatwong Virasakdi
Published: September 2024

Aims

This study aims to compare the trends in the quality of hospital care for WHO’s three disease groups pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic peak in Thailand.

Methods

The study utilized existing hospital admission data from the Thai Health Information Portal (THIP) database, covering the period from 2017 to 2022. We categorized WHO’s three disease groups: poverty-related, noncommunicable, and injury groups using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)—10 of initial admission of patients, and we analyzed three major outcomes: prolonged (≥ 90th percentile) length of stay (LOS), hospital mortality, and readmission pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic peak. Relative weight (RW) of hospital reimbursements was used as a surrogate measure of the severity of the diseases.

Results

The average prolonged LOS of patients with poverty disease pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic peak were 7.1%, 10.8%, 9.05%, respectively. Respective hospital mortality rates were 5.02%, 6.22%, 6.05% and readmission were 6.98/1,000, 6.16/1,000, 5.43/1,000, respectively. For non-communicable diseases, the respective proportions in the prolonged LOS were 9.0%, 9.12%, and 7.58%, with respective hospital mortality being 10.65%, 8.86%, 6.62%, and readmissions were 17.79/1,000, 13.94/1,000, 13.19/1,000, respectively. The respective prolonged LOS for injuries were 8.75%, 8.55%, 8.25%. Meanwhile, respective hospital mortality were 4.95%, 4.05%, 3.20%, and readmissions were 1.99/1,000, 1.60/1,000, 1.48/1,000, respectively. The RW analysis reveals diverse impacts on resource utilization and costs. Most poverty-related and noncommunicable diseases indicate increased resource requirements and associated costs, except for HIV/AIDS and diabetes mellitus, showing mixed trends. In injuries, road traffic accidents consistently decrease resource needs and costs, but suicide cases show mixed trends.

Conclusions

COVID-19 had a more serious impact, especially prolonged LOS and hospital mortality for poverty-related diseases more than noncommunicable diseases and injuries.
Transcriptional control of a stem cell factor nucleostemin in liver regeneration and aging
Authors: Liu Xiaoqin , Wang Junying , Li Fang , Timchenko Nikolai , Tsai Robert Y. L.
Published: September 2024

Nucleostemin (NS) plays a role in liver regeneration, and aging reduces its expression in the baseline and regenerating livers following 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx). Here we interrogate the mechanism controlling NS expression during liver regeneration and aging. The NS promoter was analyzed by TRANSFAC. Functional studies were performed using cell-based luciferase assay, endogenous NS expression in Hep3B cells, mouse livers with a gain-of-function mutation of C/EBPα (S193D), and mouse livers with C/EBPα knockdown. We found a CAAT box with four C/EBPα binding sites (-1216 to -735) and a GC box with consensus binding sites for c-Myc, E2F1, and p300-associated protein complex (-633 to -1). Age-related changes in NS expression correlated positively with the expression of c-Myc, E2F1, and p300, and negatively with that of C/EBPα and C/EBPβ. PHx upregulated NS expression at 1d, coinciding with an increase in E2F1 and a decrease in C/EBPα. C/EBPα bound to the consensus sequences found in the NS promoter in vitro and in vivo, inhibited its transactivational activity in a binding site-dependent manner, and decreased the expression of endogenous NS in Hep3B cells. In vivo activation of C/EBPα by the S193D mutation resulted in a 4th-day post-PHx reduction of NS, a feature shared by 16-m/o livers. Finally, C/EBPα knockdown increased its expression in aged (24-m/o) livers under both baseline and regeneration conditions. This study reports the C/EBPα suppression of NS expression in aged livers, providing a new perspective on the mechanistic orchestration of tissue homeostasis in aging.
Utility analysis and demonstration of real-world clinical texts: A case study on Japanese cancer-related EHRs
Authors: Yada Shuntaro , Nishiyama Tomohiro , Wakamiya Shoko , Kawazoe Yoshimasa , Imai Shungo , Hori Satoko , Aramaki Eiji
Published: September 2024

Real-world data (RWD) in the medical field, such as electronic health records (EHRs) and medication orders, are receiving increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. While structured data have played a vital role thus far, unstructured data represented by text (e.g., discharge summaries) are not effectively utilized because of the difficulty in extracting medical information. We evaluated the information gained by supplementing structured data with clinical concepts extracted from unstructured text by leveraging natural language processing techniques. Using a machine learning-based pretrained named entity recognition tool, we extracted disease and medication names from real discharge summaries in a Japanese hospital and linked them to medical concepts using medical term dictionaries. By comparing the diseases and medications mentioned in the text with medical codes in tabular diagnosis records, we found that: (1) the text data contained richer information on patient symptoms than tabular diagnosis records, whereas the medication-order table stored more injection data than text. In addition, (2) extractable information regarding specific diseases showed surprisingly small intersections among text, diagnosis records, and medication orders. Text data can thus be a useful supplement for RWD mining, which is further demonstrated by (3) our practical application system for drug safety evaluation, which exhaustively visualizes suspicious adverse drug effects caused by the simultaneous use of anticancer drug pairs. We conclude that proper use of textual information extraction can lead to better outcomes in medical RWD mining.
Release of P-TEFb from the Super Elongation Complex promotes HIV-1 latency reversal
Authors: Cisneros William J. , Soliman Shimaa H. A. , Walter Miriam , Simons Lacy M. , Cornish Daphne , De Fabritiis Simone , Halle Ariel W. , Kim Eun-Young , Wolinsky Steven M. , Lorenzo-Redondo Ramon , Shilatifard Ali , Hultquist Judd F.
Published: September 2024

The persistence of HIV-1 in long-lived latent reservoirs during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains one of the principal barriers to a functional cure. Blocks to transcriptional elongation play a central role in maintaining the latent state, and several latency reversal strategies focus on the release of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) from sequestration by negative regulatory complexes, such as the 7SK complex and BRD4. Another major cellular reservoir of P-TEFb is in Super Elongation Complexes (SECs), which play broad regulatory roles in host gene expression. Still, it is unknown if the release of P-TEFb from SECs is a viable latency reversal strategy. Here, we demonstrate that the SEC is not required for HIV-1 replication in primary CD4+ T cells and that a small molecular inhibitor of the P-TEFb/SEC interaction (termed KL-2) increases viral transcription. KL-2 acts synergistically with other latency reversing agents (LRAs) to reactivate viral transcription in several cell line models of latency in a manner that is, at least in part, dependent on the viral Tat protein. Finally, we demonstrate that KL-2 enhances viral reactivation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from people living with HIV (PLWH) on suppressive ART, most notably in combination with inhibitor of apoptosis protein antagonists (IAPi). Taken together, these results suggest that the release of P-TEFb from cellular SECs may be a novel route for HIV-1 latency reactivation.
A comprehensive study of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitor-resistant mutants selected in a VSV-based system
Authors: Costacurta Francesco , Dodaro Andrea , Bante David , Schöppe Helge , Peng Ju-Yi , Sprenger Bernhard , He Xi , Moghadasi Seyed Arad , Egger Lisa Maria , Fleischmann Jakob , Pavan Matteo , Bassani Davide , Menin Silvia , Rauch Stefanie , Krismer Laura , Sauerwein Anna , Heberle Anne , Rabensteiner Toni , Ho Joses , Harris Reuben S. , Stefan Eduard , Schneider Rainer , Dunzendorfer-Matt Theresia , Naschberger Andreas , Wang Dai , Kaserer Teresa , Moro Stefano , von Laer Dorothee , Heilmann Emmanuel
Published: September 2024

Nirmatrelvir was the first protease inhibitor specifically developed against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro/Mpro) and licensed for clinical use. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, variants resistant to nirmatrelvir and other currently available treatments are likely to arise. This study aimed to identify and characterize mutations that confer resistance to nirmatrelvir. To safely generate Mpro resistance mutations, we passaged a previously developed, chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-Mpro) with increasing, yet suboptimal concentrations of nirmatrelvir. Using Wuhan-1 and Omicron Mpro variants, we selected a large set of mutants. Some mutations are frequently present in GISAID, suggesting their relevance in SARS-CoV-2. The resistance phenotype of a subset of mutations was characterized against clinically available protease inhibitors (nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir) with cell-based, biochemical and SARS-CoV-2 replicon assays. Moreover, we showed the putative molecular mechanism of resistance based on in silico molecular modelling. These findings have implications on the development of future generation Mpro inhibitors, will help to understand SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor resistance mechanisms and show the relevance of specific mutations, thereby informing treatment decisions.
Prion diseases disrupt glutamate/glutamine metabolism in skeletal muscle
Authors: Caredio Davide , Koderman Maruša , Frontzek Karl J. , Sorce Silvia , Nuvolone Mario , Bremer Juliane , Mariutti Giovanni , Schwarz Petra , Madrigal Lidia , Mitrovic Marija , Sellitto Stefano , Streichenberger Nathalie , Scheckel Claudia , Aguzzi Adriano
Published: September 2024

In prion diseases (PrDs), aggregates of misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) accumulate not only in the brain but also in extraneural organs. This raises the question whether prion-specific pathologies arise also extraneurally. Here we sequenced mRNA transcripts in skeletal muscle, spleen and blood of prion-inoculated mice at eight timepoints during disease progression. We detected gene-expression changes in all three organs, with skeletal muscle showing the most consistent alterations. The glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL) gene exhibited uniform upregulation in skeletal muscles of mice infected with three distinct scrapie prion strains (RML, ME7, and 22L) and in victims of human sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. GLUL dysregulation was accompanied by changes in glutamate/glutamine metabolism, leading to reduced glutamate levels in skeletal muscle. None of these changes were observed in skeletal muscle of humans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia with Lewy bodies, suggesting that they are specific to prion diseases. These findings reveal an unexpected metabolic dimension of prion infections and point to a potential role for GLUL dysregulation in the glutamate/glutamine metabolism in prion-affected skeletal muscle.
Deep-sea sound system: Scientific listening, ocean heat, colonial power
Authors: Anderman Nicholas , Shiga John
Published: September 2024

Since the 1970s, oceanographers have used underwater sound to measure ocean heat by means of a scientific technique called acoustic tomography (AT). This article historicizes AT, arguing that both the technique itself and the climatic knowledge it produces propagate colonial, military and capitalist pursuits that are to blame for oceanic warming in the first place. The argument plays out in four parts. Part one situates AT in relation to the discovery of the deep sound channel and Cold War acoustics research. Parts two and three analyse two pivotal AT experiments, namely the Heard Island Feasibility Test (1991) and the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate experiment (1996–2006). Both experiments were premised on scientific understandings of the deep ocean as ‘nearly transparent to low-frequency sound’, as one oceanographer put it. We term this simplified image of the depthsoceanus nullius, after the nineteenth-century legal doctrineterra nullius, which has long been deployed by settler colonists to justify violently expropriating land. We propose instead that the deep ocean should be conceptualized as a loud and sonically dense space – anoceanus maximus– resonating not only with the sounds of ships’ propellers, air-guns and sonar pings, but also with the sonorous tones, clicks, buzzes, grunts and howls of manifold undersea creatures. The article concludes with a discussion of sound’s relation to ambiguity and violence in oceanographic knowledge production.
Autoradiography: Self-portraits of coral
Authors: Furuhata Yuriko
Published: September 2024

In the 1930s, Japanese marine biologists began studying coral reefs at the Palao Tropical Biological Station on the island of Koror in today’s Republic of Palau while the island was occupied and governed by the Japanese Empire. These scientists’ ecological research on the symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and algae later contributed to the American science of ecosystem and radiation ecology, which developed in the irradiated atolls of the Marshall Islands, where the United States infamously conducted nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s. It was also in the 1950s when American and Japanese scientists turned to ‘radioautography’ to visualize the otherwise invisible presence of radiation in these coral reefs. Absorbing radioactive elements released into the marine environment, the bodies of irradiated corals and algae became organic mediums of ‘sensing’ radiation for scientists. This article examines the analogy of ‘self-portrait’ in relation to the radioautographic images made by these irradiated specimens.
Before the planetary thaw: Sensing permafrost infrastructure at the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry
Authors: Kinder Jordan B.
Published: September 2024

The Mackenzie Valley Pipelines were two competing natural gas pipelines proposed in the early 1970s that faced unprecedented scrutiny after then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau called for an inquiry into its impacts at the behest of the Dene, Inuit and Métis whose ways of life would be impacted by these lines, appointing Justice Thomas Berger to be its commissioner. After holding formal hearings with stakeholders and a series of hearings in the primarily Indigenous communities along the proposed path of the pipelines, which made the Inquiry take about twice as long as normal, Berger recommended a ten-year moratorium on construction to resolve outstanding Indigenous land claims and devise a new route to avoid disrupting the annual migration of a caribou herd numbering in the 100,000s. Around fifty years later, the pipeline has not been built. This short article turns to the senses and sensing of permafrost communicated at the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, speculating on what figuring permafrost as infrastructure and media might offer us today as we enter an age of planetary thawing.
Through the haze: Data centres’ elemental aesthetics
Authors: Kellogg Sam , Starosielski Nicole , Wiessner Megan
Published: September 2024

In this photo essay, we mobilize digital media to sense elemental phenomena at the same time as we ask what ‘elements’ – what constitutive, material and fundamental substrates – enable digitally mediated sensations. Taking an infrastructural perspective, we focus on data centres as core elements that condition digital systems. We describe data centres as zones of elemental intensity where globally distributed material compositions are concentrated, transduced and crystallized. Drawing from fieldwork across the Midwestern United States, we reflect on ‘haze’ as a material trace of these zones as well as an aesthetic sense of the terraforming undertaken to develop infrastructures of computation.
O FINANCIAMENTO DAS CAMPANHAS FEMININAS E A ADI 5617: UMA QUESTÃO DE DEMOCRACIA
Authors: Saraiva Bruno Cozza , Carvalho Martins Brunna Barros , Pereira da Silva Cléber de Deus
Published: September 2024

Contextualização: O Supremo Tribunal Federal, ao julgar a ADI nº 5617, declarou inconstitucional partes da Lei nº 13.165/2015, determinando, na mesma ocasião, que os partidos destinassem, no mínimo, 30% dos recursos do Fundo Partidário para o financiamento das campanhas femininas. Posteriormente, o Poder Legislativo promulgou a Emenda Constitucional nº 117/2022, mantendo os 30%, mas contrariando parte das deliberações do Supremo, ao permitir, por exemplo, anistia aos partidos que, porventura, não houvessem cumprido o referido percentual. A polêmica em torno dessas legislações revela um conflito entre os poderes Legislativo e Judiciário, especialmente o STF, em torno desse financiamento.
Objetivos: Este artigo objetiva discutir a relação entre os poderes no Brasil, tendo como objeto de análise a controvérsia entre o Supremo Tribunal Federal e o Legislativo acerca da política de financiamento das campanhas femininas, de modo a analisar os limites de atuação da Corte Constitucional ao estabelecer parâmetros legislativos para esse financiamento.
Método: Objetivando examinar os questionamentos acima apontados, utilizou-se o método dedutivo. Também se utilizou de análise de dados, uma vez que foram examinados os possíveis resultados positivos da destinação dos recursos citados ao longo do referido estudo.
Resultados: Ao final, verificou-se que o Supremo Tribunal Federal ultrapassou os seus limites constitucionais-institucionais ao criar parâmetros legislativos para o financiamento de campanhas femininas, em oposição ao que fora decidido pelo Legislativo. Efetivamente, diante de duas formas de apoiar e incentivar a participação política das mulheres – programas de formação política ou financiamento de candidaturas – o Congresso, a quem cabe as decisões políticas do país, optou por favorecer uma delas, sem desamparar a outra.
QUEM OUSA CONTRAPOR O ESTADO PUNITIVO? UMA ANÁLISE DO MÉTODO DA ASSOCIAÇÃO DE PROTEÇÃO E ASSISTÊNCIA AOS CONDENADOS (APAC)
Authors: Lugnani Chamorro Victor Jorge , Alejandra Nicolás María , Teotonio do Nascimento Daniel
Published: September 2024

Contextualização do tema: Contrapor a lógica de um Estado punitivo que mantém 910 mil pessoas presas no Brasil e que se retroalimenta com 43% de reincidentes criminais, traduz o imenso desafio de aplicar processos inovadores de tecnologia social e tratamento penal como os defendidos pelo método da Associação de Proteção e Assistência aos Condenados (APAC).
Objetivos: O objetivo deste artigo foi identificar as relações e as principais dificuldades para a inclusão das unidades APAC na agenda política.
Metodologia: Com abordagem qualitativa e estudo de caso, por meio de quadro paradigmático interpretativista, buscou compreender, explicar e estabelecer relações entre os principais elementos emergidos dos estudos bibliográficos e documentais. Analisou triangularmente com os dados de questionário aplicado a atores relacionados ao Sistema Penitenciário de Foz do Iguaçu (PR).
Resultados: Os principais resultados apontam que o Estado brasileiro age sob preceitos ideológicos de controle e punição da criminalidade, que repercutem no encarceramento em massa, indivíduos que sem tratamento voltam a delinquir. Em resposta, a metodologia APAC, com algumas adaptações, tem-se mostrado como solução importante para a problemática prisional. O trabalho contribui como estudo analítico do problema prisional, agregando aspectos para possível Política Pública de implantação dessa metodologia de tratamento penal.
A OBRIGATORIEDADE DE SOLUÇÃO PRÉVIA DO CONFLITO COMO PRESSUPOSTO PROCESSUAL E A PROTEÇÃO DO CONSUMIDOR FRENTE AO NEOLIBERALISMO PROCESSUAL
Authors: Pereira Carneiro Torres da Silva Paulo José , Pereira Silva Heres , De Carvalho Eccard Wilson Tadeu
Published: September 2024

Contextualização do tema: A doutrina atual tem se debruçado na pesquisa de soluções que importem em maior eficiência do sistema de justiça. Dentre os objetos das referidas pesquisas está aquele que alerta sobre o excessivo número de processos que tramitam no Poder Judiciário brasileiro. Assim, buscam-se alternativas para criar condições gerais de acesso à justiça sob a ótica de um acesso à ordem jurídica justa, o que implica numa justiça célere e eficaz. A solução deste segmento da doutrina é a realização de uma releitura do conceito de jurisdição, do interesse de agir como condição da ação e do próprio conceito de acesso à justiça.
Objetivos: este artigo tem como objetivo discorrer sobre este segmento doutrinário de um ponto de vista crítico, analisando se as propostas sugeridas atendem ao direito fundamental de acesso à justiça, como direito social básico.
Metodologia: quanto à metodologia empregada, na fase de investigação utilizou-se a pesquisa bibliográfica, bem como o levantamento de dados, especialmente do Conselho Nacional de Justiça, no tocante aos números do Poder Judiciário.
Resultados: o trabalho se desenvolveu a partir de um critério que identificou a evolução do processo sob a ótica da evolução do próprio conceito de Estado, deste modo, verificou-se que a fase política pela qual o Estado brasileiro passa, isto é, sob os influxos do neoliberalismo, o processo vem tendendo também a ser desenvolvido sob uma legislação neoliberal, muito próxima do processo civil dos oitocentos e novecentos, limitando assim o direito fundamental social de acesso à justiça.
Educação Social como forma de inclusão através das políticas públicas: uma experiência exitosa
Authors: Silva de Paiva Jacyara , Ferreira Fagundes Eleionice
Published: September 2024

O presente artigo tem como objetivo apresentar um espaçode educação social voltado para a juventude negra comidade de 15 a 29 anos. O Núcleo Afro Odomodê desenvolveações afirmativas com políticas públicas voltadas paraações socioeducativas promovendo inclusão social eatendimento da juventude negra da região. Com a leitura dosPlanejamentos e Relatórios Anuais do núcleo observamosque existe um trabalho de valorização da cultura negra, deempoderamento juvenil, conscientização, fortalecimento da identidade étnico-racial e da educação social antirracista no enfrentamento ao racismo e na formação de uma consciência crítica entre os jovens assistidos.
Educação infantil do campo: um direito ainda em construção
Authors: Storch do Nascimento Gisely , Norberto de Aquino Rafael , Santos de Andrade Fábio
Published: September 2024

A Educação Infantil no Campo (EIC) é um direito da criança,da família e um dever do Estado; contudo, poucos são osestudos nesse campo que corroboraram para o pensar empolíticas públicas que possam efetivar plenamente essedireito. O presente artigo apresenta dados preliminaresde uma pesquisa de doutoramento em andamento emuma escola do campo no Município de Colorado do Oeste(RO), cujo objetivo é compreender se e como o currículoescolar incorpora as vivências das crianças do campo e astransforma em práticas educativas. A pesquisa, de cunhoqualitativo, tem como aporte teórico metodológico aHermenêutica de Profundidade (HP) de Thompson (2007)e os resultados preliminares apontam que a EIC ainda é umdireito negligenciado.
A agricultura familiar na Microrregião de Erechim (RS): uma caracterização a partir do censo agropecuário 2017
Authors: Deggerone Zenicléia Angelita
Published: September 2024

O propósito deste estudo consiste em apresentar o perfil socioeconômico da agricultura familiar da Microrregião de Erechim no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O trabalho apresenta um caráter exploratório, com viés qualiquantitativo, subsidiado por pesquisa bibliográfica e documental e por informações do banco de dados do Censo Agropecuário 2017 do IBGE. O estudo evidencia que a agricultura familiar é o segmento numericamente mais expressivo no meio rural da Microrregião, demostrando o predomínio de mão de obra com laços de parentesco, trabalhando nas unidades de produção familiares. Contudo, foi possível constatar que grande parte dos agricultores familiares apresentam baixa escolaridade e idades avançadas, e foi identificado um reduzido número de jovens agricultores como responsáveis pela gestão dos estabelecimentos agropecuários. Apesar dessas limitações, esta categoria social desempenha um papel muito importante na produção agroalimentar e que repercute na reprodução socioeconômica da agricultura familiar nesta Microrregião. Por fim, infere-se que apesar da representatividade desta categoria social, é necessário planejar uma nova geração de políticas públicas para dar condições estruturais para a permanência das famílias e dos jovens no meio rural.
Oral antimicrobial options for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus isolates in urine culture
Authors: Mohammed Roxanna S. D. , Yeung Eugene Y. H.
Published: September 2024

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the susceptibility profiles of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus isolates in urine culture to create an antibiogram to guide selection of oral antimicrobials in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Methods: An audit was conducted on all urine cultures reported from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023, in LifeLabs BC microbiology laboratories. Enterococcus species in urine were routinely tested with ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, tetracycline, and vancomycin. Linezolid and fosfomycin were tested in selected cases. Results: Three hundred and thirty-five vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, 47 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, 48 Enterococcus gallinarum, 25 Enterococcus casseliflavus, and no Enterococcus flavescens isolates were reported in urine culture. Vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolates were >90% susceptible to linezolid, but <15% susceptible to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline. Vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolates were >90% susceptible to ampicillin, linezolid, and nitrofurantoin, but <10% susceptible to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. E. casseliflavus isolates were >90% susceptible to ampicillin, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline. E. gallinarum isolates were >90% susceptible to ampicillin and nitrofurantoin. In the seven and 263 selected cases of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium and E. faecalis, respectively, fosfomycin susceptibility rates were 57% and 86%, respectively. Conclusions: Ampicillin and nitrofurantoin may be considered for urinary tract infections secondary to vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis, E. casseliflavus, and E. gallinarum. Tetracycline may also be considered for E. casseliflavus. Linezolid remained to be the only reliable oral antimicrobial for vancomycin-resistant E. faecium.
The neuronal density in the rostral pole of substantia nigra pars compacta in Wistar Albino rats from Rijswijk rats: A link to spike-wave seizures
Authors: Birioukova Lidia M. , Tsvetaeva Darya A. , Midzyanovskaya Inna S. , Raevsky Vladimir V. , Sitnikova Evgenia
Published: September 2024

This study aimed to investigate the role of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in the modulation of absence epilepsy. Immunochemical analysis of the rostral pole of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) was conducted on 13 adult male Wistar Albino rats from Rijswijk rats. The rostral pole of the SNpc included the dorsal and lateral parts. The neuronal density in the dorsal part was higher than in the lateral part. The ratio of dopaminergic to non-dopaminergic neurons in the lateral part of the SNpc was 1:1, while in the dorsal part, it was around 1.9:1. All rats exhibited spontaneous spike-wave discharges (SWDs) on their electrocorticograms. SWDs are known to be a hallmark of absence seizures in both human patients and rat models. In this study, we found that the number and duration of SWDs were negatively correlated with dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons only in the lateral part of the SNpc. However, in the dorsal part of the SNpc, no correlations were found between neuronal density and the severity of absence epilepsy. Our findings suggest that the lateral SNpc may be involved in modulating the severity of absence epilepsy in genetically prone subjects. This contributes to a better understanding of the role of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in the absence of epilepsy.
Interaction of pentaphenylantimony with N-(4-methoxyphenyl)phthalamic acid
Authors:   South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia, Sharutin V. , Sharutina O. , Zubareva V. , Chernyshova A. ,   Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Russia
Published: September 2024

Pentaphenylantimony reacts with N-(4-methoxyphenyl)phthalamic acid in benzene at room temperature to form colorless crystals of tetraphenylantimony carboxylate solvated by benzene Ph4SbOC(O)C6H4[2-C(O)NHC6H4(OMe-4)]∙1½ PhH (1a, b), the structure of which is proven by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). According to the X-ray diffraction data, the antimony atoms in two crystallographically independent molecules 1a,b have the coordination of a distorted trigonal bipyramid with three phenyl substituents in the equatorial plane, while the CSbO axial angles are 173.7(2)° and 179.0(2)°, and the Sb–Ceq bond lengths are 2.103(7)–2.123(7) Å (1a), 2.106(6)–2.114(6) Å (1b), which is significantly less than the Sb–Cax distances (2.184(7) Å (1a) and 2.155(6) Å (1b)). The molecules of the benzene solvate are disordered. The Sb-O bond lengths (2.235(4) Å (1a) and 2.257(4) Å (1b)) are slightly larger than the sum of the covalent radii of antimony and oxygen atoms (2.07 Å). The X-ray diffraction data: (1) (D8 Quest diffractometer from Bruker (MoKα radiation, λ = 0.71073 Å, graphite monochromator) at 293(2) K [C78H64N2O8Sb2, M = 1400.81; monoclinic system, space group C2/c; crystal size 0.34 ´ 0.13 ´ 0.13 mm; cell parameters: a = 40.68(2) Å, b = 10.492(5) Å, c = 36.395(17) Å; β = 100.30(2)°, V = 15283(13) Å3, Z = 8; rcalc = 1.218 g/cm3; m = 0.758 mm–1; F(000) = 5696.0; collection area according to 2q: 5.68–54.3°; –48 ≤ h ≤ 52, –13 ≤ k ≤ 13, –46 ≤ l ≤ 46; total reflections 203363; independent reflections 16863 (Rint = 0.1223); GOOF = 1.0; R-factor 0.0524]. The predictive analysis for bioavailability criteria has been performed for compound 1 and N-(4-methoxyphenyl)phthalamic acid as well. We have found that the reacting phthalamic acid can be considered as a candidate molecule for further bioscreening whereas compound 1 does not show acceptable physicochemical parameters to be considered as a potentially bioactive molecule.
Digital Capabilities and Risk Management Practice in Small Accounting Firms in Malaysia
Authors: Taib Azuraidah , Awang Yunita , Said Jamaliah , Akhir Noor Erni Fazlina Mohd
Published: September 2024

Today's business environment can be described as extremely turbulent and unpredictable due to numerous factors such as social, political and technological changes. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are no exception. The situation requires employers and employees to achieve a certain level of technological capabilities and innovativeness. Thus, this digital revolution brings about change, especially in risk management. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate the relationship between digital capabilities and enterprise risk management practice (ERMP) among small accounting firm owners in Malaysia. Online questionnaires were distributed to 341 accounting firm owners and top management who registered with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants database. 290 small accounting firm owners participated in this study. The results show a positive moderate relationship among digital capabilities variables (human, collaborative, innovation and technical capabilities) with the ERMP. However, only innovation capabilities significantly influence the ERMP in small accounting firms in Malaysia. The study is subject to limitations as only one sector of SME from the accounting industry has been examined and only focuses on digital capabilities as a factor that influences ERMP.
Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis and track and field jump performance across different specialties: Sex differences and electrode configuration
Authors: Cebrián‐Ponce Álex , Levi Micheli Matteo , Politi Claudia , Bianchi Eva , Carrasco‐Marginet Marta , Izzicupo Pascal , Mascherini Gabriele
Published: September 2024

The assessment of athletic performance using non‐invasive methods has been a significant focus in research aimed at measuring physiological parameters. This study explores the application of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) among track and field athletes, with a focus on sex differences, electrode configuration, and the correlation between BIVA parameters and jump performances. This cross‐sectional study involved 61 Italian track and field athletes: 31 females and 30 males (age: 21.4 ± 3.8; 21.1 ± 2.6 years; stature: 166.1 ± 6.1; 180.1 ± 5.0 cm; body mass: 57.4 ± 9.7; 72.5 ± 10.5 kg, respectively). Anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and athletic jump performance were conducted. The RXc graph, two‐sample Hotelling's T2 test for BIVA, and one‐way ANOVA for specialty comparisons were employed. Pearson and Spearman's tests evaluated the correlations between BIVA parameters and jump performance. Differences in bioimpedance values were observed between athlete groups. Lateral asymmetries were more pronounced in females. Correlations between BIVA and jump performance also varied by sex and electrode configuration, ranging fromr = −0.072,p = 0.699–r = 0.555,p = 0.001 in females, and fromr = 0.204,p = 0.281–r = 0.691,p = 0.001 in males. This study highlights the utility of BIVA in providing rapid and non‐invasive assessments of body composition and its relationship with jump performance, considering variations in athlete sex and electrode configuration.
Waiting for the Weekend – The Adoption and Proliferation of Weekend Feeding (“BackPack”) Programs in Schools
Authors: Kurtz Michael D. , Brockmann Stephanie , Conway Karen Smith , Mohr Robert D.
Published: September 2024

This research studies factors affecting the rapid spread of a donor-driven, Feeding America BackPack (weekend food assistance) program at schools in northwestern North Carolina. Foodbank data are matched with census tract, administrative-school, and GIS data for places of worship (PWs), facilitating analyses of the role of need, religion, and race/ethnicity. Our conceptual model yields a new hybrid fragmentation index that captures racial/ethnic differences between the school and community. Consistent with the model, discrete-time survival estimates suggest that schools with a racial/ethnic composition different from the surrounding community were less likely to get a program, especially if no other program-eligible schools were nearby. The GIS-created PWs bring new information, but yield results only weakly suggestive of a positive relationship. Results withstand falsification and robustness checks. A descriptive update reveals that most high-need schools eventually offered weekend food assistance but that race/ethnicity may still play a role for those that do not.
Crumb rubber modification for enhanced rutting resistance in asphalt mixtures
Authors: Khadim Hawraa Mohammed , Al-Mosawe Hasan Mosa
Published: September 2024

This study investigated the performance of rubberized asphalt mixtures through Marshall and wheel track tests. The optimal binder content for rubberized asphalt specimens containing 6 and 8% rubber was determined to be 4.9 and 5%, respectively, while the control asphalt required 4.6% binder content. The results indicate that modifying the binder with crumb rubber improves the properties of the asphalt mixture. The wheel track tests show that the rubberized asphalt samples have far shallower ruts than the control samples, demonstrating successful protection against long-term distortion. Rubberized asphalt is more resistant to rutting at higher temperatures, with lower sustained strain rates and shallower ruts. Adding crumb rubber enhances the stiffness and viscosity of the asphalt binder, contributing to the improved rutting resistance of the rubberized asphalt mixtures. This study emphasized the potential of rubberized asphalt as a sustainable solution for enhancing pavement durability and longevity. The findings highlight the benefits of using rubberized asphalt in pavement engineering and provide valuable insights for optimizing binder content and improving performance. Incorporating crumb rubber in asphalt mixtures can reduce rutting and enhance the overall sustainability of pavement surfaces.
Dog tales: second-generation joke parties on the horizon
Authors: Glied Viktor , Szegedi Peter
Published: September 2024

Political humour, lampooning of political figures and political satire have been part of political life since ancient times. Political parties that used humour as a means to an end in the political process emerged in the second half of the twentieth century criticizing the political elite and the electorate. This comparative paper analyses the phenomenon of modern joke/satirical parties and their use of political humour, focusing on the second generation of centrist anti-establishment joke parties that emerged and boomed amidst the 2007–2008 financial and economic crisis. This group includes the German Die PARTEI, which sends representatives to the European Parliament, and the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), which is present in local governments. Both of these successful joke parties are characterised by their mockery of the political elite and its messages, criticising the whole establishment, using the tools of satire, irony and humour. In the case of the second generation of joke parties, the joke is no longer just an end but also a means of drawing attention to corruption and political anomalies.
Meta-analysis of reproductive performance of improved dairy cattle under Ethiopian environmental conditions
Authors: Mesele Tsegay Lijalem , Hadgu Gebreegziabher Zereu
Published: September 2024

Dairy cattle production plays a great role in food security and generates income, draught power, and manure input for crop production. The present review focuses on major reproductive performance indicators; age at first service (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), days open (DO), and number of services pre conception (NSPC) of improved dairy cattle in Ethiopia. The overall mean values of AFS, AFC, CI, DO, and NSPC were 27.8 ± 5, 37 ± 4.9, 442.7 ± 80.5, 126 ± 40.27 days and 1.57 ± 0.23 numbers, respectively. The review showed the AFS of exotic dairy cattle breeds as 30.5 ± 2.6 for pure exotic, 26.8 ± 3.8 for 75–100%, 25.04 ± 4.5 for 50–75%, 26.7 ± 7 for 50% and 28.1 ± 5.7 days for <50% exotic blood levels; for AFC, it was 38.5 ± 5.5, 38.4 ± 4.1, 37.9 ± 5, 37.7 ± 4.2 and 35.2 ± 5.1 days of 50%, pure exotic (100%), 50–75, 75–100, and <50% exotic blood levels, respectively. In descending order, the average CI was found 460.2 ± 40.73, 450 ± 57.27, 446.8 ± 38.56, 445.3 ± 32.86, and 434.1 ± 118.02 days for 50–75%, pure exotic (100%), 75–100, 50, and <50% exotic blood levels, respectively. Exotic blood levels of <50 and 50% were the highest and lowest in both DO and NSPC, and recorded at 155.1 ± 48.36 and 98 ± 23.04 days; 1.7 ± 0.2 and1.2 numbers, respectively. Holstein Friesian (HF) cross Barka breed in AFS; Jersey cross Arsi breed in AFC and CI; HF cross Fogora breed in DO, HF cross Borena and HF cross Barka breed in NSPC were comparatively performing better in mean values. To improve the reproduction performance of improved dairy cattle, access to quality feed, veterinary service, heat detection, and artificial insemination skills should be improved.
The impact of nanofiller composition and nature on the enhancement of mechanical and rheological properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanobiocomposite films is achieved by regulating the spacing of organic fillers and PLA crystallinity
Authors: Khiati Zoulikha , Guella Soufiane , Mrah Lahouari , Mezrai Abdelmoumin
Published: September 2024

This study examines the morphology and various thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-based nanobiocomposites. The objective of this investigation is to evaluate the potential of modified Algerian clay as a nanofiller through an examination of the characteristics of PLA/Mag-CTA and PLA/CMC nanobiocomposites with varying levels of prepared fillers. This study is concerned with the synthesis of poly(lactic acid)/Maghnite-CTA (PLA/Mag-CTA) and poly(lactic acid)/microcrystalline cellulose (CMC) nanobiocomposites, with two distinctive catalysts and organic reinforcements produced in solution. The outcomes of the various techniques employed demonstrate that PLA nanobiocomposites exhibit a mixed morphology, comprising intercalation and exfoliation. The results from the diverse techniques used show that the PLA nanobiocomposites developed have a mixed intercalated-exfoliated morphology. The dispersion of the Maghnite-CTA filler and microcrystalline cellulose was enhanced during the production of the various materials, as well as the presence of aggregates at high levels. The best rheological performance, corresponding to the optimal dispersion of the nanofiller, was observed for a low quantity of organic filler. Thermal behavior properties were significantly enhanced with the incorporation of the two nanofillers. Analysis by steric exclusion chromatography showed that the fillers used in the nanobiocomposite synthesis increased the average molecular weights of the PLA chains, while the polydispersity index remained constant.