bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mulheres vítimas de violência: a situação no município de Conceição do Coité-BA
Authors: Bispo de Jesus Ione
Published: February 2022

A violência contra a mulher possui expressões de relações de poder interpessoaise coletivas, alicerçada na estrutura de uma sociedade capitalista, racista, sexista e que reproduz valores patriarcais. Essa é a concepção de violência adotada nessa pesquisa, a qual tem por objetivo investigar como ocorre a violência contra a mulher no município de Conceição do Coité, no Território do Sisal, no estado da Bahia.
A historiografia em História da Educação nos Cursos de História na Bahia: apontamentos iniciais sobre um Estado da Arte
Authors: Lima Rebeca Laise Santos
Published: February 2022

O trabalho aqui presente teve como proposta a realização de um levantamento exploratório e inicial das pesquisas no campo de história da educação produzidas nos cursos de graduação e pós – graduações de História na Bahia, no período de 1990 à 2020.
O CORPO DE DIVAS POP NACIONAIS: DISCURSOS E SABERES EM REACTS NO YOUTUBE
Authors: Souza Almeida Beatriz
Published: February 2022

Partimos do questionamento de Michel Foucault (2015, p. 70) “Quem somos nós na atualidade?” para investigar, a partir de vídeos selecionados no Youtube, como determinados sujeitos se constituem e praticam a si como forma de (re)existência na atualidade. Tomamos vídeos de curta duração no Youtube, denominados Reacts, para averiguar quais discursos emergem sobre os corpos de Divas Pop brasileiras e os saberes que são instaurados sobre esses corpos seguindo uma norma institucional de conduta.
ILUSTRAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA A BICO DE PENA PARA ESTUDANTES DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS: TÉCNICA, DIFICULDADES E SUPERAÇÃO
Authors: Mizogami Santana Natsumi
Published: February 2022

O desenho é uma das formas mais antigas empregadas para expressar e transmitir ideias, presente desde os tempos pré-históricos. No entanto, a chamada ilustração científica surgiu há cerca de cinco séculos, influenciada pelo desenvolvimento da matemática e ciências naturais, como um trabalho de representação gráfica de materiais biológicos, médicos, geológicos, entre outros, de forma a respeitar suas proporções, cores, formas e medidas (Araújo, 2009; Rapatão & Peiró, 2016).
O LIVRO DO GADO DO BREJO DO CAMPO SECO: EDIÇÃO EM LINGUAGEM XML USANDO O EDICTOR
Authors: Do Rosário Taine
Published: February 2022

Este trabalho pretende apresentar os resultados alcançados com o desenvolvimento do plano de trabalho intitulado “O Livro do Gado do Brejo do Campo Seco: edição em XML usando o eDictor”.
ESTUDO DA INTENSIDADE SOLAR PARA DIMENSIONAMENTO DE SISTEMAS FOTOVOLTAICOS
Authors: De Souza Teixeira Murillo Erismar
Published: February 2022

A energia solar é uma das fontes energéticas mais cobiçadas quando o assunto é desenvolvimento sustentável, porém, ainda carece de soluções para um melhor aproveitamento de captação e conversão.
ECONOMIA, RACISMO E FEMINISMO NEGRO: ESTRATÉGIAS DE SOBREVIVÊNCIAS DAS MULHERES NEGRAS NA HISTORIOGRAFIA ECONÔMICA
Authors: Silva Juliana de Freitas
Published: February 2022

O plano de trabalho teve como finalidade analisar em que medida a economia popular e solidária se apresenta como uma alternativa de trabalho e renda a fim de contribuir para a emancipação da mulher negra, bem como analisar a percepção dessas mulheres em relação ao processo de organização do trabalho do grupo em seguida investigar e compreender a relação de gênero dessas mulheres nos espaços familiar e do trabalho para então identificar o perfil socioeconômico das mulheres investigadas. O pressuposto acerca do problema é se a economia popular e solidária se apresentaria como uma alternativa positiva para as mulheres negras.
Tal formação, tal ensino? A visibilização da pesquisa sobre currículo e formação de professores na UEFS
Authors: Dutra do Nascimento Lucas
Published: February 2022

Objetivou -se com essa pesquisa construir um acesso digital para a organização dos dispositivos relacionados as informações dos professores acerca da formação e do ensino.
Distribuição das galáxias peculiares com jatos no Universo local
Authors: Pereira Gusmão Pâmela
Published: February 2022

De acordo com as observações fotométricas no visıvel, as galáxias podem ser alocadas em uma sequência morfológica bem definida que, de forma simplificada, podem ser agrupadas em três distintas categorias: elípticas (E0 - E7), lenticulares (S0,SB0) e espirais barradas (SB) e não barradas (S), conforme definido por Hubble (Hubble 1926).
DEFICIÊNCIA DE TESTOSTERONA E OBESIDADE: PREVALÊNCIA NA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DE FEIRA DE SANTANA-BA
Authors: Silva Assunção Ana Carolina
Published: February 2022

A obesidade é um agravo de caráter multifatorial proveniente do balanço energético positivo que favorece o acúmulo de gordura, associado a riscos para a saúde devido à sua relação com complicações metabólicas, como aumento da pressão arterial, aumento dos níveis de colesterol, triglicerídeos sanguíneos e resistência à insulina (WHO, 2000). De acordo com o National Cholesterol Education Program – Adult Treatment Panel III, o ponto de corte para diagnóstico da obesidade a partir da avaliação da circunferência abdominal (gordura visceral) em homens deve ser 102 cm (ABESO, 2016).
A RELAÇÃO PEDAGÓGICA ENTRE PROFESSORES E ESTUDANTES DO CURSO DE LETRAS VERNÁCULAS DA UEFS
Authors: Da Silva Oliveira Jeiziane
Published: February 2022

O ensino superior, atualmente, vem apresentado uma maior diversidade de sujeitos, representada por indivíduos oriundos de condições sociais, econômicas, étnicas e locais que eram bastante limitadas a esse acesso quando observamos o histórico da educação. Balzan (2015) assegura que existe uma multiplicidade de estudantes.
POLÍTICAS FARMACÊUTICAS: ATUAÇÃO DO LEGISLATIVO FEDERAL ENTRE 2016 e 2018
Authors: Dos Santos Souza Lina Valéria
Published: February 2022

A Assistência Farmacêutica é parte integrante do direito à saúde e cabe aoEstado assegurá-la por meio de políticas farmacêuticas. Essa questão envolve aspectosligados ao acesso e uso racional de medicamentos, à sua vigilância sanitária e à ciência,tecnologia e inovação competentes ao setor (ALENCAR, 2016).
Avaliação da atividade antioxidante e fotoprotetora in vitro do extrato etanólico de Psidium guajava
Authors: Ribeiro da Silva Marília
Published: February 2022

A luz solar é um fator fundamental para a existência de vida na Terra, onde seus efeitos sobre o homem resultam das propriedades individuais da pele exposta, intensidade, frequência e tempo de exposição, circunstancias estas que, por sua vez, dependem da localização geográfica, sazonalidade, período do dia e condição climática.
EXPLORANDO AS BARREIRAS PERCEBIDAS PELAS MÃES DURANTE O ALEITAMENTO MATERNO EXCLUSIVO: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA
Authors: Araújo Dantas Taíse
Published: February 2022

O Brasil se destaca pelo conjunto de políticas integradas de incentivo ao aleitamento materno (AM), como: Iniciativa Hospital Amigo da Criança; Método Canguru; Lei nº 11.770, de 9 de setembro de 2008, que prorroga a licença maternidade de quatro a seis meses (Brasil, 2008); dentre outras (Brasil, 2017).
IDENTIDADE PROFISSIONAL DA ENFERMEIRA NA ATENÇÃO BÁSICA À SAÚDE
Authors: Lima da Silva Brasileiro Denise
Published: February 2022

A identidade profissional da enfermeira é construída pelo processo do cuidado, gerenciamento, autonomia, compreensão de si e de sua profissão, buscando com isso realizar suas funções dentro do que lhe compete, contribuindo para sua valorização e reconhecimento social, visto que a identidade se constrói a partir de diferentes socializações.
VIOLÊNCIA DOMÉSTICA NA GRAVIDEZ DE ADOLESCENTES E ADULTAS, FEIRA DE SANTANA, BAHIA
Authors: Soares Morais Katarina
Published: February 2022

A Lei nº 11.340/06, Lei Maria da Penha, afirma que ''configura violência doméstica e familiar contra a mulher qualquer ação ou omissão baseada no gênero que lhe cause morte, lesão, sofrimento físico, sexual ou psicológico e dano moral ou patrimonial'' (BRASIL, 2006).
EDIÇÃO ELETRÔNICA DO LIVRO DE RAZÃO DO CAMPO SECO (BAHIA SETECENTISTA E OITOCENTISTA)
Authors: Lopes de Almeida Bruno
Published: February 2022

A respeito da reconstrução, conservação e ampliação da sócio-história linguísticabrasileira, a professora Rosa Virgínia Mattos e Silva (2002), uma referência e grandeinspiração, afirma que “o trabalho, a meu ver, será muito, de muitos e não será por poucotempo”.
COMUNICAÇÃO ENTRE INSTÂNCIAS DE NÉVOA EM AMBIENTE DE EMULAÇÃO MININET
Authors: Santos Lima Emerson
Published: February 2022

As infraestruturas convencionais para oferta de serviços na Internet, baseadas emcomputação em nuvem (Cloud Computing) (NIST, 2011), estão se esforçando paraatender o crescimento no número de dispositivos e do volume de dados gerados pelainternet das coisas (Internet of Things, IoT) (GUBBI, 2013), ao mesmo tempo queprocuram fornecer a qualidade de serviço esperada pelos clientes.
Transformações urbanas e novas centralidades na cidade de Feira de Santana: o caso do Boulevard Shopping
Authors: Da Mota Silva Lilian
Published: February 2022

O surgimento de novos equipamentos comerciais no espaço urbano é responsávelpor formar novas expressões de centralidades na cidade, como é o caso dos shoppingcenters, pois, na medida que são instalados desencadeiam um processo contraditório. Aomesmo tempo em que são responsáveis pela relativa descentralização de atividades, antesexclusivas dos centros, promovem a recentralização em um único espaço e atuam nageração de novos fluxos tanto de pessoas quanto de automóveis.
ACESSO À SAÚDE BUCAL: CONQUISTAS E DESAFIOS
Authors: De Oliveira Santos Laís
Published: February 2022

Apesar dos inegáveis avanços da PNSB e toda a logística criada para que os usuários possam avançar dentro do sistema de acordo com o nível crescente de complexidade, ainda há uma série de desafios encontrados por estes para conseguirem o atendimento.
AVALIAÇÃO QUANTITATIVA DE RISCO MICROBIOLÓGICO PARA O USO DE ÁGUA CINZA EM DESCARGAS DE VASO SANITÁRIO
Authors: Cunha dos Santos Antonio Herick
Published: February 2022

Em meio a atual conjuntura, é necessário pensar em soluções para usos mais sustentáveis dos recursos hídricos. Uma das alternativas é o reúso da água cinza, com o objetivo de ser empregada em atividades que não exijam a sua potabilidade. Fazendo uma análise dos possíveis locais que podem ser utilizados a água de reúso, surge o uso em descarga de vasos sanitários, uma questão bastante importante nesse escrito é a quantidade de aerossol ingerido ao se dá a descarga.
Proof that spot diagram borders are always caustic curves and/or
marginal rays II: annular (circular and elliptical) and single
hexagonal exit pupils
Authors: González-García Jorge , Cordero-Dávila Alberto , Reyes-Olguín Diego Gabriel
Published: February 2022

In a previous paper [Appl.
Opt. 61, C20
(2022)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.435850], it was proven that for
a circular exit pupil and any optical path differences, the border of
any spot diagram is integrated by the caustic surface and/or marginal
rays. In this paper, the previous results are extended to annular
(circular an elliptical) as well as hexagonal (single and segmented)
exit pupils. Several examples of wavefronts affected by linear
combinations of orthonormal Zernike aberrations are shown.
Performance improvement in a supercontinuum fiber-coupled system for near infrared absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Fuglerud Silje Skeide , Noh Jong Wook , Aksnes Astrid , Roar Hjelme Dag
Published: February 2022

Accurate, in-field-compatible, sensing based on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) requires development of instrumentation with low noise and long-term stability. Here, we present a fully fiber-optic spectroscopy setup using a supercontinuum source in the long-pulse regime (2 ns) and a balanced detector scheme to demonstrate high-accuracy NIRS-based sensing. The noise sources of the system are studied theoretically and experimentally. The relative intensity noise was reduced from typical values up to 6% to less than 0.1% by deploying a balanced detector and averaging. At well-balanced wavelengths, the system without transmission cells achieved a signal to noise ratio (SNR) above 70 dB, approaching the shot noise limit. With transmission cells and long-term measurements, the overall SNR was 55 dB. Glucose in physiological concentrations was measured as a model system, yielding a root mean square error of 4.8 mM, approaching the needed accuracy for physiological glucose monitoring.
Direct in situ observation of the percolation transition in VO2 thin film by peak-shift spectroscopy
Authors: Kyoung Jisoo
Published: February 2022

When a thin film undergoes a percolative insulator-to-metal phase transition, the real part of the dielectric constant dramatically changes; it diverges close to the percolation threshold and becomes negative in the metallic phase. To date, the percolative nature of this phase transition has been monitored by near-field imaging or conventional spectroscopy. Although such methods are successful, they require laborious raster scanning or complicated theoretical fitting processes. In this study, using the strong coupling between slot antennas and a phase-transition material, a direct step-by-step investigation of the percolation transition can be demonstrated without any scanning or fitting processes. The percolation threshold can be identified in real time by monitoring the peak position, because the resonance transmission through the slot antenna array is highly affected by the dielectric environment. The work presented in this study could potentially contribute to the characterization of phase-transition materials to be used in memory devices or active metamaterials.
High-dispersion TIR-GRISMs with flattened angular dispersion profile
Authors: Heusinger Martin , Flügel-Paul Thomas , Grabowski Kevin , Michaelis Dirk , Risse Stefan , Zeitner Uwe D.
Published: February 2022

Modern grating imaging spectrographs typically show aberrations due to the nonlinear dependence of angular dispersion on wavelength. This error can be reduced by a combination of diffracting and refracting components (grating and prism). Here, we present a dispersive optical component, namely, total internal reflection (TIR) grating + prism, with a grating attached to one facet of a prism. The elements work within the limit of TIR and exhibit three advantages compared to standard diffraction gratings: first, high diffraction efficiency up to 98%; second, enormous angular dispersion up to

0.75
∘

n

m

−
1

; and third, a nearly constant angular dispersion profile. As an example, the fabrication of such a disperser designed for the short-wave infrared2 spectral range is demonstrated. We report on details of the manufacturing process, which relies on a dedicated combination of technologies, i.e., electron beam lithography, atomic layer deposition, and hydrophilic direct bonding.
The influence of entrepreneurial leadership and sustainability leadership on high-performing school leaders: mediated by empowerment
Authors: Kasim Norhisham Mohd
Published: February 2022

The fifth shift of the Malaysian Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013–2015, stated that the ministry will ensure high-performing school leaders are placed in every school. But the main challenge for the Malaysian school leader is to improve and achieve the key performance indicators of high-performing schools. This study supports the aspirations of MEB 2013–2015 by identifying the best practices of leadership to achieve outstanding student performance as well as to maintain the high-performance of schools. Therefore, this study examines the influence of entrepreneurial leadership, sustainability leadership and empowerment towards high-performing school leaders in primary schools of East Coast Malaysia. The instrument used is a questionnaire adopted from several questionnaires developed by previous researches on entrepreneurial leadership, sustainable leadership, empowerment and high-performing school leaders. A total of 486 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents of 15 high-performing primary schools in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang using the random sampling technique. With a 58 percent return rate, the data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 and SmartPLS version 3.28 for descriptive analysis, measurement model and structural model. The findings show that variables such as entrepreneurial leadership exerted a significant influence on high-performing school leaders and sustainability leadership also exerted a significant influence on empowerment. In addition, the results of this study support the contributions of the study that have been proposed. The findings of this study will contribute to future research, particularly to researchers aiming to examine this leadership style in depth on school performance in Malaysia.
Known allosteric proteins have central roles in genetic disease
Authors: Abrusán György , Ascher David B. , Inouye Michael
Published: February 2022

Allostery is a form of protein regulation, where ligands that bind sites located apart from the active site can modify the activity of the protein. The molecular mechanisms of allostery have been extensively studied, because allosteric sites are less conserved than active sites, and drugs targeting them are more specific than drugs binding the active sites. Here we quantify the importance of allostery in genetic disease. We show that 1) known allosteric proteins are central in disease networks, contribute to genetic disease and comorbidities much more than non-allosteric proteins, and there is an association between being allosteric and involvement in disease; 2) they are enriched in many major disease types like hematopoietic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, or diseases of the central nervous system; 3) variants from cancer genome-wide association studies are enriched near allosteric proteins, indicating their importance to polygenic traits; and 4) the importance of allosteric proteins in disease is due, at least partly, to their central positions in protein-protein interaction networks, and less due to their dynamical properties.
Ribosomal DNA promoter recognition is determined in vivo by cooperation between UBTF1 and SL1 and is compromised in the UBTF-E210K neuroregression syndrome
Authors: Tremblay Michel G. , Sibai Dany S. , Valère Melissa , Mars Jean-Clément , Lessard Frédéric , Hori Roderick T. , Khan Mohammad Moshahid , Stefanovsky Victor Y. , LeDoux Mark S. , Moss Tom
Published: February 2022

Transcription of the ~200 mouse and human ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) by RNA Polymerase I (RPI/PolR1) accounts for 80% of total cellular RNA, around 35% of all nuclear RNA synthesis, and determines the cytoplasmic ribosome complement. It is therefore a major factor controlling cell growth and its misfunction has been implicated in hypertrophic and developmental disorders. Activation of each rDNA repeat requires nucleosome replacement by the architectural multi-HMGbox factor UBTF to create a 15.7 kbp nucleosome free region (NFR). Formation of this NFR is also essential for recruitment of the TBP-TAFI factor SL1 and for preinitiation complex (PIC) formation at the gene and enhancer-associated promoters of the rDNA. However, these promoters show little sequence commonality and neither UBTF nor SL1 display significant DNA sequence binding specificity, making what drives PIC formation a mystery. Here we show that cooperation between SL1 and the longer UBTF1 splice variant generates the specificity required for rDNA promoter recognition in cell. We find that conditional deletion of the TAF1B subunit of SL1 causes a striking depletion of UBTF at both rDNA promoters but not elsewhere across the rDNA. We also find that while both UBTF1 and -2 variants bind throughout the rDNA NFR, only UBTF1 is present with SL1 at the promoters. The data strongly suggest an induced-fit model of RPI promoter recognition in which UBTF1 plays an architectural role. Interestingly, a recurrent UBTF-E210K mutation and the cause of a pediatric neurodegeneration syndrome provides indirect support for this model. E210K knock-in cells show enhanced levels of the UBTF1 splice variant and a concomitant increase in active rDNA copies. In contrast, they also display reduced rDNA transcription and promoter recruitment of SL1. We suggest the underlying cause of the UBTF-E210K syndrome is therefore a reduction in cooperative UBTF1-SL1 promoter recruitment that may be partially compensated by enhanced rDNA activation.
Health-related quality of life and associated factors among Onchocerciasis patients in southeast Nigeria: A cross-sectional comparative study
Authors: Otache Adah E. , Ezenwosu Ifeyinwa L. , Ossai Edmund N. , Aniwada Elias C. , Nwobi Emmanuel A. , Uzochukwu Benjamin SC.
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Onchocerciasis, a neglected tropical disease of public health importance, causes chronic morbidity and severe disability that may impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the infected people. This study assessed the HRQoL and associated factors among onchocerciasis patients in southeast Nigeria.

Methods

This was a community-based cross-sectional comparative study. Using a multistage sampling technique, 340 onchocerciasis patients were selected and matched for age and gender with the healthy population in the same neighbourhood. The respondents were interviewed using the short-form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire to determine their HRQoL. WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 tool (WHODAS 2.0) was used to assess disability in persons with onchocerciasis. Means were compared with independent student t-test while Chi-square test was used to compare proportions. Also, correlation analysis and logistic regression were used in the analyses.

Results

A significantly lower proportion of people living with onchocerciasis had a good quality of life when compared with the healthy subjects (69.4% vs 93.5%, p<0.001). Also, an inverse relationship was seen between disability and quality of life in the onchocerciasis group (r = -0.647, p<0.001). Predictors of poor quality of life among respondents with onchocerciasis were: respondents aged ≥48 years (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4–5.0), those with some disability associated with onchocerciasis (AOR = 3.33, 95%CI: 1.4–5.0) and respondents who perceived themselves as a burden to people (AOR = 10, 95%CI: 2.5–20).

Conclusion

Onchocerciasis impacted negatively on HRQoL of persons with onchocerciasis when compared with the healthy population. The quality of life of persons affected with onchocerciasis reduces with increasing disability. There is the need to increase community awareness on onchocerciasis to ensure early diagnosis and prompt treatment as this will reduce disability among those affected with the disease thus enhancing their HRQoL.
Relationship between urban morphology and land surface temperature—A case study of Nanjing City
Authors: Yin Shusheng , Liu Jiatong , Han Zenglin
Published: February 2022

This study investigated the relationship between urban form and land surface temperature (LST) using the Multi-access Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model. A case study on Nanjing City was conducted using building data, point-of-interest (POI) data, land use data, remote sensing data, and elevation data. The results show that the MGWR model can reveal the influence of altitude, urban green space, road, building height (BH), building density (BD) and POI on LST, with a superior fitting effect over the geographically weighted regression model. LST in Nanjing exhibits a significant spatial differentiation, and the distribution of LST hotspots is spatially consistent with the level of urban construction. In terms of the two-dimensional landscape pattern, LST decreases with altitude and increases with POI. In terms of the three-dimensional structure, building height has a positive correlation with LST. POI, urban roads, and urban buildings positively affect LST, while urban green space and altitude negatively affect LST. The results of this study were verified against existing findings. The LST of areas with high-rise and super high-rise buildings is lower than that of areas with mid-rise building, which can be attributed to the large number of shadow areas formed by high-rise and super high-rise buildings. A similar phenomenon was also observed between areas with medium- and high-density buildings. These findings provide a reference for urban architecture planning and can help to develop urban heat island adaptation strategies based on local conditions.
Hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis of COVID-19 in health workers: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Rojas-Serrano Jorge , Portillo-Vásquez Angelica Margarita , Thirion-Romero Ireri , Vázquez-Pérez Joel , Mejía-Nepomuceno Fidencio , Ramírez-Venegas Alejandra , Pérez-Kawabe Karla Midori , Pérez-Padilla Rogelio
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Health care workers are at high risk of being infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Our aim is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for prophylaxis of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in health personnel exposed to patients infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Methods

Double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled single center clinical trial. Included subjects were health care workers caring for severe COVID-19 patients. Main outcome was time to symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Results

127 subjects with a confirmed baseline negative RT-PCR SARS-CoV2 test were included in the trial. 62 assigned to HCQ and 65 to placebo. One subject (1.6%) in the HCQ group and 6 (9.2%) subjects in the placebo group developed COVID-19 (Log-Rank test p = 0.07). No severe COVID-19 cases were observed. The study was suspended because of a refusal to participate and losses to follow up after several trials reported lack of effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Conclusion

The effect size of hydroxychloroquine was higher than placebo for COVID-19 symptomatic infection in health personnel, although this was not statistically significant. The trial is underpowered due to the failure to complete the estimated sample size.
A Bayesian belief data mining approach applied to rice and shrimp aquaculture
Authors: Randall Marcus , Lewis Andrew , Stewart-Koster Ben , Anh Nguyen Dieu , Burford Michelle , Condon Jason , Van Qui Nguyen , Huu Hiep Le , Van Bay Doan , Van Sang Nguyen , Sammut Jes
Published: February 2022

In many parts of the world, conditions for small scale agriculture are worsening, creating challenges in achieving consistent yields. The use of automated decision support tools, such as Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs), can assist producers to respond to these factors. This paper describes a decision support system developed to assist farmers on the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, who grow both rice and shrimp crops in the same pond, based on an existing BBN. The BBN was previously developed in collaboration with local farmers and extension officers to represent their collective perceptions and understanding of their farming system and the risks to production that they face. This BBN can be used to provide insight into the probable consequences of farming decisions, given prevailing environmental conditions, however, it does not provide direct guidance on the optimal decision given those decisions. In this paper, the BBN is analysed using a novel, temporally-inspired data mining approach to systematically determine the agricultural decisions that farmers perceive as optimal at distinct periods in the growing and harvesting cycle, given the prevailing agricultural conditions. Using a novel form of data mining that combines with visual analytics, the results of this analysis allow the farmer to input the environmental conditions in a given growing period. They then receive recommendations that represent the collective view of the expert knowledge encoded in the BBN allowing them to maximise the probability of successful crops. Encoding the results of the data mining/inspection approach into the mobile Decision Support System helps farmers access explicit recommendations from the collective local farming community as to the optimal farming decisions, given the prevailing environmental conditions.
Differential gene expression analysis following olfactory learning in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)
Authors: Fahad Raza Muhammad , Anwar Muhammad , Husain Arif , Rizwan Muhmmad , Li Zhiguo , Nie Hongyi , Hlaváč Pavol , Ali M. Ajmal , Rady Ahmed , Su Songkun
Published: February 2022

Insects change their stimulus-response through the perception of associating these stimuli with important survival events such as rewards, threats, and mates. Insects develop strong associations and relate them to their experiences through several behavioral procedures. Among the insects, Apis species,Apis mellifera ligusticaare known for their outstanding ability to learn with tremendous economic importance.Apis mellifera ligusticahas a strong cognitive ability and promising model species for investigating the neurobiological basis of remarkable olfactory learning abilities. Here we evaluated the olfactory learning ability ofA.melliferaby using the proboscis extension reflex (PER) protocol. The brains of the learner and failed-learner bees were examined for comparative transcriptome analysis by RNA-Seq to explain the difference in the learning capacity. In this study, we used an appetitive olfactory learning paradigm in the same age ofA.melliferabees to examine the differential gene expression in the brain of the learner and failed-learner. Bees that respond in 2ndand 3rdtrials or only responded to 3rdtrials were defined as learned bees, failed-learner individuals were those bees that did not respond in all learning trials The results indicate that the learning ability of learner bees was significantly higher than failed-learner bees for 12 days. We obtained approximately 46.7 and 46.4 million clean reads from the learner bees failed-learner bees, respectively. Gene expression profile between learners’ bees and failed-learners bees identified 74 differentially expressed genes, 57 genes up-regulated in the brains of learners and 17 genes were down-regulated in the brains of the bees that fail to learn. The qRT-PCR validated the differently expressed genes. Transcriptome analyses revealed that specific genes in learner and failed-learner bees either down-regulated or up-regulated play a crucial role in brain development and learning behavior. Our finding suggests that down-regulated genes of the brain involved in the integumentary system, storage proteins, brain development, sensory processing, and neurodegenerative disorder may result in reduced olfactory discrimination and olfactory sensitivity in failed-learner bees. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the olfactory learning behavior and gene expression information, which opens the door for understanding of the molecular mechanism of olfactory learning behavior in honeybees.
An anchor in troubled times: Trust in science before and within the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Bromme Rainer , Mede Niels G. , Thomm Eva , Kremer Bastian , Ziegler Ricarda
Published: February 2022

Researchers, policy makers and science communicators have become increasingly been interested in factors that affect public’s trust in science. Recently, one such potentially important driving factor has emerged, the COVID-19 pandemic. Have trust in science and other science-related beliefs changed in Germany from before to during the pandemic? To investigate this, we re-analyzed data from a set of representative surveys conducted in April, May, and November 2020, which were obtained as part of the German survey Science Barometer, and compared it to data from the last annual Science Barometer survey that took place before the pandemic, (in September 2019). Results indicate that German’s trust in science increased substantially after the pandemic began and slightly declined in the months thereafter, still being higher in November 2020 than in September 2019. Moreover, trust was closely related to expectations about how politics should handle the pandemic. We also find that increases of trust were most pronounced among the higher-educated. But as the pandemic unfolded, decreases of trust were more likely among supporters of the populist right-wing party AfD. We discuss the sustainability of these dynamics as well as implications for science communication.
Adaptive intertidal seed-based seagrass restoration in the Dutch Wadden Sea
Authors: Govers Laura L. , Heusinkveld Jannes H. T. , Gräfnings Max L. E. , Smeele Quirin , van der Heide Tjisse
Published: February 2022

Seagrasses form the foundation of many coastal ecosystems but are rapidly declining on a global scale. The Dutch Wadden Sea once supported extensive subtidal seagrass meadows that have all disappeared. Here, we report on the setbacks and successes of intertidal seed-based restoration experiments in the Dutch Wadden Sea between 2014–2017. Our main goals were to 1) optimize plant densities, and 2) reduce seed losses. To achieve our goals, we conducted research-based, adaptive seagrass (Zostera marina) restoration, adjusting methods yearly based on previous results. We applied various seeding methods in three subsequent years–from Buoy Deployed Seeding (BuDS), and ‘BuDS-in-frame’ in fall, to a newly developed ‘Dispenser Injection Seeding’ (DIS) method. Our adaptive experimental approach revealed high seed losses between seeding and seedling establishment of the BuDS methods (>99.9%), which we mitigated by controlled harvest and storage of seeds throughout fall and winter, followed by DIS-seeding in spring. These iterative innovations resulted in 83 times higher plant densities in the field (0.012 to 1.00 plants m-2) and a small reduction in seed loss (99.94 to 99.75%) between 2015–2017. Although these developments have not yet resulted in self-sustaining seagrass populations, we are one step closer towards upscaling seagrass restoration in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Our outcomes suggest that an iterative, research-based restoration approach that focuses on technological advancement of precision-seeding may result in advancing knowledge and improved seed-based seagrass restoration successes.
Traveling wave of inflammatory response to regulate the expansion or shrinkage of skin erythema
Authors: Sudo Maki , Fujimoto Koichi
Published: February 2022

Many skin diseases show circular red lesions on the skin, called erythema. Erythema is characterized by the expansion of its circular area solely from local stimulation. A pathological inflammatory response caused by the stimulation persistently increases inflammatory mediators in the dermis, whereas a normal inflammatory response transiently increases mediators, resulting in the shrinkage of the erythema. Although the diffusion of mediators theoretically reproduces the expansion, how the inflammatory response expands or shrinks the erythema remains unknown. A possibility is positive feedback, which affects mediator production and can generate two distinct stable states (i.e., inflamed and noninflamed), referred to as bistability. Bistability causes a state transition either from the noninflamed to inflamed state or the reverse direction by suprathreshold stimulation. Additionally, the diffusion selectively causes state transition in either direction, resulting in spatial spread of the transited state, known as the traveling wave. Therefore, we hypothesize that the traveling wave of the inflammatory response can account for both the expansion and shrinkage. Using a reaction-diffusion model with bistability, we theoretically show a possible mechanism in which the circular inflamed area expands via the traveling wave from the noninflamed to the inflamed state. During the expansion, the boundary between the inflamed and noninflamed areas moves at a constant velocity while maintaining its concentration gradient. Moreover, when the positive feedback is weak, the traveling wave selectively occurs from the inflamed to noninflamed state, shrinking the inflamed area. Whether the inflamed area expands or shrinks is mainly controlled by the balance of mediator concentration between the noninflamed and inflamed states, relative to the threshold. The traveling wave of the inflammatory response provides an experimentally testable framework for erythema expansion and shrinkage, thereby contributing to the development of effective treatments, including probiotics.
What’s in the box? Exploring UK players’ experiences of loot boxes in games; the conceptualisation and parallels with gambling
Authors: Hodge Sarah E. , Vykoukal Max , McAlaney John , Bush-Evans Reece D. , Wang Ruijie , Ali Raian
Published: February 2022

Loot boxes are a popular mechanic within many video games, but it remains unclear if some forms of loot boxes can be seen of as gambling. However, the perspectives of players are often neglected, such as whether they see them as ‘fair’ game elements and how closely they feel this aligns with gambling. In this paper, we synthesise a conceptualisation for loot boxes through players’ actual experience and explore if there are any parallels with gambling. Twenty-one participants who played video games took part in the research through either an interview or online survey. Thematic analysis suggested that six themes were core to exploring loot boxes: Random Chance Effects, Attitudes Towards Content, Implementation, Parallels with Gambling, Game Design, and The Player. The results suggested both indirect and direct parallels with gambling from the players experiences. Implications of game design and classifying loot boxes as gambling are discussed in relation to game design and risk factors of gambling and purchasing behaviour.
Why we should monitor disparities in old-age mortality with the modal age at death
Authors: Diaconu Viorela , van Raalte Alyson , Martikainen Pekka
Published: February 2022

Indicators based a fixed “old” age threshold have been widely used for assessing socioeconomic disparities in mortality at older ages. Interpretation of long-term trends and determinants of these indicators is challenging because mortality above a fixed age that in the past would have reflected old age deaths is today mixing premature and old-age mortality. We propose the modal (i.e., most frequent) age at death,M, an indicator increasingly recognized in aging research, but which has been infrequently used for monitoring mortality disparities at older ages. We use mortality and population exposure data by occupational class over the 1971-2017 period from Finnish register data. The modal age and life expectancy indicators are estimated from mortality rates smoothed with penalizedB-splines. Over the 1971-2017 period, occupational class disparities in life expectancy at 65 and 75 widened while disparities inMremained relatively stable. The proportion of the group surviving to the modal age was constant across time and occupational class. In contrast, the proportion surviving to age 65 and 75 has roughly doubled since 1971 and showed strong occupational class differences. Increasing socioeconomic disparities in mortality based on fixed old age thresholds may be a feature of changing selection dynamics in a context of overall declining mortality. Unlike life expectancy at a selected fixed old age,Mcompares individuals with similar survival chances over time and across occupational classes. This property makes trends and differentials inMeasier to interpret in countries where old-age survival has improved significantly.
Inclusive, supportive and dignified maternity care (SDMC)—Development and feasibility assessment of an intervention package for public health systems: A study protocol
Authors: Avan Bilal Iqbal , Hameed Waqas , Khan Bushra , Asim Muhammad , Saleem Sarah , Siddiqi Sameen
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Mistreatment, discrimination, and poor psycho-social support during childbirth at health facilities are common in lower- and middle-income countries. Despite a policy directive from the World Health Organisation (WHO), no operational model exists that effectively demonstrates incorporation of these guidelines in routine facility-based maternity services. This early-phase implementation research aims to develop, implement, and test the feasibility of a service-delivery strategy to promote the culture of supportive and dignified maternity care (SDMC) at public health facilities.

Methods

Guided by human-centred design approach, the implementation of this study will be divided into two phases: development of intervention, and implementing and testing feasibility. The service-delivery intervention will be co-created along with relevant stakeholders and informed by contextual evidence that is generated through formative research. It will include capacity-building of maternity teams, and the improvement of governance and accountability mechanisms within public health facilities. The technical content will be primarily based on WHO’s intrapartum care guidelines and mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) materials. A mixed-method, pre-post design will be used for feasibility assessment. The intervention will be implemented at six secondary-level healthcare facilities in two districts of southern Sindh, Pakistan. Data from multiple sources will be collected before, during and after the implementation of the intervention. We will assess the coverage of the intervention, challenges faced, and changes in maternity teams’ understanding and attitude towards SDMC. Additionally, women’s maternity experiences and psycho-social well-being—will inform the success of the intervention.

Expected outcomes

Evidence from this implementation research will enhance understanding of health systems challenges and opportunities around SDMC. A key output from this research will be the SDMC service-delivery package, comprising a comprehensive training package (on inclusive, supportive and dignified maternity care) and a field tested strategy to ensure implementation of recommended practices in routine, facility-based maternity care. Adaptation, Implementation and evaluation of SDMC package in diverse setting will be way forward. The study has been registered with clinicaltrials.gov (Registration number: NCT05146518).
Visual saliency guided perceptual adaptive quantization based on HEVC intra-coding for planetary images
Authors: Dai Yuqi , Xue Changbin , Zhou Li
Published: February 2022

Due to the limited storage space of spacecraft and downlink bandwidth in the data delivery during planetary exploration, an efficient way for image compression onboard is essential to reduce the volume of acquired data. Applicable for planetary images, this study proposes a perceptual adaptive quantization technique based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). This technique is used for bitrate reduction while maintaining the subjective visual quality. The proposed algorithm adaptively determines the Coding Tree Unit (CTU) level Quantization Parameter (QP) values in HEVC intra-coding using the high-level features extracted by CNN. A modified model based on the residual network is exploited to extract the saliency map for a given image automatically. Furthermore, based on the saliency map, a CTU level QP adjustment technique combining global saliency contrast and local saliency perception is exploited to realize a flexible and adaptive bit allocation. Several quantitative performance metrics that efficiently correlate with human perception are used for evaluating image quality. The experimental results reveal that the proposed algorithm achieves better visual quality along with a maximum of 7.17% reduction in the bitrate as compared to the standard HEVC coding.
Signatures of hybridization in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Kay Christopher , Peacock Lori , Williams Tom A. , Gibson Wendy
Published: February 2022

Genetic exchange among disease-causing micro-organisms can generate progeny that combine different pathogenic traits. Though sexual reproduction has been described in trypanosomes, its impact on the epidemiology of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) remains controversial. However, human infective and non-human infective strains of Trypanosoma brucei circulate in the same transmission cycles in HAT endemic areas in subsaharan Africa, providing the opportunity for mating during the developmental cycle in the tsetse fly vector. Here we investigated inheritance among progeny from a laboratory cross of T. brucei and then applied these insights to genomic analysis of field-collected isolates to identify signatures of past genetic exchange. Genomes of two parental and four hybrid progeny clones with a range of DNA contents were assembled and analysed by k-mer and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies to determine heterozygosity and chromosomal inheritance. Variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes and kinetoplast (mitochondrial) DNA maxi- and minicircles were extracted from each genome to examine how each of these components was inherited in the hybrid progeny. The same bioinformatic approaches were applied to an additional 37 genomes representing the diversity of T. brucei in subsaharan Africa and T. evansi. SNP analysis provided evidence of crossover events affecting all 11 pairs of megabase chromosomes and demonstrated that polyploid hybrids were formed post-meiotically and not by fusion of the parental diploid cells. VSGs and kinetoplast DNA minicircles were inherited biparentally, with approximately equal numbers from each parent, whereas maxicircles were inherited uniparentally. Extrapolation of these findings to field isolates allowed us to distinguish clonal descent from hybridization by comparing maxicircle genotype to VSG and minicircle repertoires. Discordance between maxicircle genotype and VSG and minicircle repertoires indicated inter-lineage hybridization. Significantly, some of the hybridization events we identified involved human infective and non-human infective trypanosomes circulating in the same geographic areas.
Edificar a Igreja, consolidar o império: A Universidade de Coimbra e os bispos do Brasil (1676 - ca. 1773)
Authors: Mendes Ediana
Published: February 2022

A passagem pela Universidade de Coimbra e a obtenção de um grau em Teologia ou Cânones tornou-se, desde o século XVI, um critério essencial para o provimento episcopal. Nesse sentido, a academia conimbricense foi fundamental na formação dos bispos que atuaram nas dioceses do Brasil entre os séculos XVII e XVIII. Este livro pretende reconstituir qual foi a formação intelectual e universitária dos bispos de Olinda, do Rio de Janeiro e dos arcebispos da Baía e, principalmente, examinar a sua ação episcopal, procurando apurar os possíveis impactos da aplicação dos saberes adquiridos na instituição coimbrã e ao longo da carreira eclesiástica. Na primeira parte deste estudo examinam-se as trajetórias académicas na Universidade de Coimbra e as carreiras dos futuros bispos após a saída da instituição, além do exame dos modelos de bispo predominante na época estudada e das redes clientelares que possibilitaram a ascensão às mitras. Num segundo momento, em capítulos destinados a cada uma das dioceses, avalia-se o governo episcopal de cada prelado, sem perder de vista o panorama geral das relações destes sujeitos com os poderes endógenos e exógenos da diocese.