bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The operational approach to and challenges of high-technology clinical simulation in South Africa
Authors: Van Wyk R , Labuschagne M , Joubert G
Published: May 2023

Background. Research has been published on the application of high-technology clinical simulation as a training tool in South Africa (SA). However, littlehas been published on the operational approach taken and challenges faced when establishing and running a high-technology clinical simulation facility.Objective. To ascertain the current operational approach taken and challenges faced regarding high-technology clinical simulation by SA simulation facilities.Methods. A quantitative descriptive study with an online questionnaire survey was conducted with representatives of simulation facilities at SA publichealth professions training institutions where high-technology simulation is used. The questionnaire consisted of sections dealing with the characteristics ofand challenges faced by the facilities and the following operational aspects: management, funding, staffing and staff development, curriculum integration,physical environment and research.Results. Forty-two institutions were approached and 23 (54.8%) participated. Simulation was used at 16 (69.6%) of these institutions, representing17 facilities, with 14 (82.4%) using high-technology simulation. Nine (64.3%) of the 14 simulation facilities were custom built. Four (28.6%) facilitieshad dedicated technical staff. The participating simulation facilities acquired their funding mainly through institutional budget allocations (78.6%) andgovernment education grants (78.6%). The number of students using high-technology simulation facilities was the highest among the fifth-year (median195) and sixth-year (median 21) students.Conclusion. Large student groups and a lack of trained simulation staff are some of the challenges being faced by high-technology simulation facilities in SA.Recommendations and guidelines should be established to ensure effective integration and alleviation of all operational aspects and challenges
Crescentic glomerulonephritis in children: A retrospective review of data from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
Authors: Mansoor S , Petersen KL , Kala UK , Mosiane P
Published: May 2023

Background. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) as a cause of progressive renal failure is rare. Crescent formation on kidney biopsyrepresents a response to injury of the glomerular capillary walls. There are limited published reports on paediatric CGN in Africa.Objectives. To describe the clinical presentation and outcome of children with CGN in Soweto, South Africa, over a 22-year period.Methods. A retrospective study was conducted at the Paediatric Renal Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Childrenyounger than 14 years with crescent formation in more than 50% of glomeruli on renal biopsy were included in the study. Kidney biopsy specimens were examined by light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the patient files.Results. During the study period, 961 kidney biopsies were performed. Fourteen patients (1.5%) met inclusion criteria of crescents in>50% of glomeruli. Common clinical findings were oedema (n=13; 93%), microscopic haematuria (n=12; 86%), hypertension (n=11; 79%)and proteinuria (n=10; 71%). The median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at presentation was 23.9 mL/min/1.73m2. Thirteen patients (93%) had immune-complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. The underlying cause was acute post-infectious glomerulonephritis in 9 patients (64%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and IgA nephropathy in 2 patients each (14%) and global sclerosis in 1 patient (7%). Prolonged duration of symptoms resulted in a lower eGFR at follow-up. Treatment included peritoneal dialysis, methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide. Seven (54%) patients had a normal eGFR at a median (range) follow-up of 36.7 (4.5 - 61.5) months. Six (46%) patients had progressed to chronic kidney disease stages 2 - 5. One patient was followed up for less than 3 months, and therefore was not included in the follow-up results.Conclusion. Poor outcomes were observed in patients who presented late. The clinical findings of haematuria, hypertension and acutekidney injury warrant early referral and kidney biopsy to determine management.
Breastfeeding intentions and behaviours of doctor mothers in Bloemfontein, South Africa
Authors: Van der Bijl C C , Steinberg W J , Kellerman T E , Botes J , Van Rooyen C
Published: May 2023

Background. Doctor mothers are a high-risk group for early cessation of breastfeeding. Improving breastfeeding among doctor mothers would not only improve the wellbeing of their babies, but the experience might also enhance their advocacy for breastfeeding to patients.Objective. To describe the infant feeding intentions and behaviours of doctor mothers in Bloemfontein, South Africa, focusing onbreastfeeding and factors that impact the decision on feeding method.Methods. This was a descriptive study. The target population included female medical doctors with a biological child under the ageof 5 years, recruited via snowball sampling. Respondents completed an electronic questionnaire, answering questions regarding infantfeeding intentions and behaviours.Results. There were 104 respondents who provided information on 132 children. The median intended duration of exclusivebreastfeeding for the first-born child was 6 months and 6.5 months for the second-born, but the actual median duration for bothchildren was 3 months shorter. The intention to express breastmilk at work was 67.7% for Child 1 and 57.7% for Child 2; however,the actual outcome was less than half of the intention (32.0%). Most respondents (71.0%) indicated there was no dedicated area forexpressing breastmilk at their place of work.Conclusion. The intention to exclusively breastfeed was high (6 months), but the actual duration was 3 months shorter. The percentage of doctor mothers who eventually expressed breastmilk at work was less than half of those who intended to do so. Breastfeeding female doctors need more support in the postpartum period, especially when returning to work after maternity leave
Premier inventaire de l’odonatofaune du parc national du Bic et liste annotée des espèces de la région administrative du Bas-Saint-Laurent, Québec (Insecta : Odonata)
Authors: Mochon Alain , Savard Michel
Published: May 2023

Un premier inventaire des libellules dans le parc national du Bic en 2021 et en 2022 rapporte une richesse de 50 espèces et précise la composition de l’odonatofaune de 6 biotopes : le cours torrentueux d’une rivière, une mare nouvellement créée par la restauration d’une ancienne tourbière, un lac de kettle peu profond, un marais salé, un étang de castors et un ensemble de 4 petits étangs forestiers. La collecte exceptionnelle d’une exuvie de la gracieuse (Libellula pulchella) dans le parc constitue une première preuve que l’espèce peut compléter son cycle de développement à cette latitude. La mise à jour de la liste des espèces d’odonates de la région administrative du Bas-Saint-Laurent ajoute 38 espèces à la compilation précédente, portant le total à 81 espèces. Le réchauffement climatique semble avoir favorisé l’expansion vers le nord de l’aeschne cintrée (Aeshna constricta), de la leucorrhine mouchetée (Leucorrhinia intacta) et de la lydienne (Plathemis lydia) au Québec.
Neuron-associated macrophage proliferation in the sensory ganglia is associated with peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain involving CX3CR1 signaling
Authors: Guimarães Rafaela M , Aníbal-Silva Conceição E , Davoli-Ferreira Marcela , Gomes Francisco Isaac F , Mendes Atlante , Cavallini Maria CM , Fonseca Miriam M , Damasceno Samara , Andrade Larissa P , Colonna Marco , Rivat Cyril , Cunha Fernando Q , Alves-Filho José C , Cunha Thiago M
Published: May 2023

Resident macrophages are distributed across all tissues and are highly heterogeneous due to adaptation to different tissue-specific environments. The resident macrophages of the sensory ganglia (sensory neuron-associated macrophages, sNAMs) are in close contact with the cell body of primary sensory neurons and might play physiological and pathophysiological roles. After peripheral nerve injury, there is an increase in the population of macrophages in the sensory ganglia, which have been implicated in different conditions, including neuropathic pain development. However, it is still under debate whether macrophage accumulation in the sensory ganglia after peripheral nerve injury is due to the local proliferation of resident macrophages or a result of blood monocyte infiltration. Here, we confirmed that the number of macrophages increased in the sensory ganglia after the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in mice. Using different approaches, we found that the increase in the number of macrophages in the sensory ganglia after SNI is a consequence of the proliferation of resident CX3CR1+ macrophages, which participate in the development of neuropathic pain, but not due to infiltration of peripheral blood monocytes. These proliferating macrophages are the source of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF and IL-1b. In addition, we found that CX3CR1 signaling is involved in the sNAMs proliferation and neuropathic pain development after peripheral nerve injury. In summary, these results indicated that peripheral nerve injury leads to sNAMs proliferation in the sensory ganglia in a CX3CR1-dependent manner accounting for neuropathic pain development. In conclusion, sNAMs proliferation could be modulated to change pathophysiological conditions such as chronic neuropathic pain.
Aging impairs cold-induced beige adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolic reprogramming
Authors: Holman Corey D , Sakers Alexander P , Calhoun Ryan P , Cheng Lan , Fein Ethan C , Jacobs Christopher , Tsai Linus , Rosen Evan D , Seale Patrick
Published: May 2023

The energy-burning capability of beige adipose tissue is a potential therapeutic tool for reducing obesity and metabolic disease, but this capacity is decreased by aging. Here, we evaluate the impact of aging on the profile and activity of adipocyte stem and progenitor cells (ASPCs) and adipocytes during the beiging process in mice. We found that aging increases the expression of Cd9 and other fibro-inflammatory genes in fibroblastic ASPCs and blocks their differentiation into beige adipocytes. Fibroblastic ASPC populations from young and aged mice were equally competent for beige differentiation in vitro, suggesting that environmental factors suppress adipogenesis in vivo. Examination of adipocytes by single nucleus RNA-sequencing identified compositional and transcriptional differences in adipocyte populations with aging and cold exposure. Notably, cold exposure induced an adipocyte population expressing high levels of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) genes, and this response was severely blunted in aged animals. We further identified Npr3, which encodes the natriuretic peptide clearance receptor, as a marker gene for a subset of white adipocytes and an aging-upregulated gene in adipocytes. In summary, this study indicates that aging blocks beige adipogenesis and dysregulates adipocyte responses to cold exposure and provides a resource for identifying cold and aging-regulated pathways in adipose tissue.
Broad functional profiling of fission yeast proteins using phenomics and machine learning
Authors: Rodríguez-López María , Bordin Nicola , Lees Jon , Scholes Harry , Hassan Shaimaa , Saintain Quentin , Kamrad Stephan , Orengo Christine , Bähler Jürg
Published: May 2023

Many proteins remain poorly characterized even in well-studied organisms, presenting a bottleneck for research. We applied phenomics and machine-learning approaches with Schizosaccharomyces pombe for broad cues on protein functions. We assayed colony-growth phenotypes to measure the fitness of deletion mutants for 3509 non-essential genes in 131 conditions with different nutrients, drugs, and stresses. These analyses exposed phenotypes for 3492 mutants, including 124 mutants of ‘priority unstudied’ proteins conserved in humans, providing varied functional clues. For example, over 900 proteins were newly implicated in the resistance to oxidative stress. Phenotype-correlation networks suggested roles for poorly characterized proteins through ‘guilt by association’ with known proteins. For complementary functional insights, we predicted Gene Ontology (GO) terms using machine learning methods exploiting protein-network and protein-homology data (NET-FF). We obtained 56,594 high-scoring GO predictions, of which 22,060 also featured high information content. Our phenotype-correlation data and NET-FF predictions showed a strong concordance with existing PomBase GO annotations and protein networks, with integrated analyses revealing 1675 novel GO predictions for 783 genes, including 47 predictions for 23 priority unstudied proteins. Experimental validation identified new proteins involved in cellular aging, showing that these predictions and phenomics data provide a rich resource to uncover new protein functions.
Coordinated regulation of gene expression in Plasmodium female gametocytes by two transcription factors
Authors: Murata Yuho , Nishi Tsubasa , Kaneko Izumi , Iwanaga Shiroh , Yuda Masao
Published: May 2023

Gametocytes play key roles in the Plasmodium lifecycle. They are essential for sexual reproduction as precursors of the gametes. They also play an essential role in parasite transmission to mosquitoes. Elucidation of the gene regulation at this stage is essential for understanding these two processes at the molecular level and for developing new strategies to break the parasite lifecycle. We identified a novel Plasmodium transcription factor (TF), designated as a partner of AP2-FG or PFG. In this article, we report that this TF regulates the gene expression in female gametocytes in concert with another female-specific TF AP2-FG. Upon the disruption of PFG, majority of female-specific genes were significantly downregulated, and female gametocyte lost the ability to produce ookinetes. ChIP-seq analysis showed that it was located in the same position as AP2-FG, indicating that these two TFs form a complex. ChIP-seq analysis of PFG in AP2-FG-disrupted parasites and ChIP-seq analysis of AP2-FG in PFG-disrupted parasites demonstrated that PFG mediates the binding of AP2-FG to a ten-base motif and that AP2-FG binds another motif, GCTCA, in the absence of PFG. In promoter assays, this five-base motif was identified as another female-specific cis-acting element. Genes under the control of the two forms of AP2-FG, with or without PFG, partly overlapped; however, each form had target preferences. These results suggested that combinations of these two forms generate various expression patterns among the extensive genes expressed in female gametocytes.
Millimeter-wave channel modeling in a VANETs using coding techniques
Authors: Ahmed Arshee , Rasheed Haroon , Bashir Ali Kashif , Omar Marwan
Published: May 2023

The Vehicular ad-Hoc Network (VANET) is envisioned to ensure wireless transmission with ultra-high reliability. In the presence of fading and mobility of vehicles, error-free information between Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) requires extensive investigation. The current literature lacks in designing an ultra-reliable comprehensive tractable model for VANET using millimeter wave. Ultra-reliable communication is needed to support autonomous vehicular communication. This article aims to provide a comprehensive tractable model for VANET over millimeter waves using Space-Time-Block-Coding (STBC) concatenated with Reed Solomon (RS) coding. The designed model provides the fastest way of designing and analyzing VANET networks on 60 GHz. By using the derived BER expressions and Reed Solomon coded doppler expression ultra-reliable vehicular networks can be build meeting the demands of massive growing volume of traffic. The performance of the model is compared with previous BER computational techniques and existing VANET communication systems, i.e., IEEE 802.11bd and 3rd generation partnership project vehicle to everything (3GPP V2X). The findings show that our proposed approach outperforms IEEE 802.11bd and the results are comparable with V2X NR. Packet Error Rate (PER), Packet Reception Ratio (PRR) and throughput are used as performance metrics. We have also evaluated the model on higher velocities of vehicles. Further, the simulation and numerical findings show that the proposed system surpass the existing BER results comprising of various modulation and coding techniques. The simulation results are verified by the numerical results there-by, showing the accuracy of our derived expressions.
Effect of Vent Area Ratio on Vent Flow Characteristics and Temperature D istribution in a C ompartment F ire with T wo Ceiling Vents
Authors: Park Yu Mi , Lee Chi Young
Published: May 2023

In this study, the effect of the vent area ratio on vent flow characteristics and temperature distribution in a compartment during a fire in the compartment with two ceiling vents was examined. The area ratio (A1/A2) between ceiling vent 1 (CV1), with a duct height of 0.19 m, and ceiling vent 2 (CV2), with a duct height of 0.05 m, was varied from 0.052 to 0.542, 1, 5.587, and 19.36, and numerical simulation was performed under these conditions. As the A1/A2 ratio increased, the flow pattern changed from unidirectional inflow to bidirectional flow for CV1 and from bidirectional flow to unidirectional inflow for CV2. When the A1/A2 ratio was 0.542, the outflow and inflow mass flow rates for CV1 and CV2 were found to be nearly equal. The outflow and inflow mass flow rates at CV1 were higher than those at CV2 when the A1/A2 ratio was high, while the outflow and inflow mass flow rates at CV2 were higher than those at CV1 when the A1/A2 ratio was low. Furthermore, it was observed that the temperature was lower and the temperature difference between the higher and lower regions in the upper part of the measurement position decreased near the lower part of the vent with a larger area compared to the vent with a smaller area. This was probably because the mixing effect increased near the vent with a larger area due to the occurrence of the active bidirectional flow pattern. When the flow pattern at CV1 was bidirectional, the previous correlation for predicting mass flow rate was examined. It was found that the previous correlation underestimated the mass flow rate of the numerical simulation conducted in this study.
Conformación y declive de los grupos nacionales de comunicación en Uruguay: el impacto de la competencia con las plataformas multinacionales
Authors:   FIC-Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay, Buquet Gustavo
Published: May 2023

Este artículo busca describir la configuración y la evolución económica de los grupos uruguayos de televisión comercial desde su nacimiento en 1956 hasta el año 2022. Desde una perspectiva de la economía política de la comunicación, la construcción de bases de datos cuantitativas y un análisis desde la economía industrial, se reconstruye el nacimiento, desarrollo y crisis de estos grupos y su relación con el poder político. El ingreso de los grupos multinacionales de televisión para abonados al mercado uruguayo, así como la convergencia en el sector audiovisual, expresadas más recientemente en el desarrollo de las plataformas de VOD en streaming, impactaron negativamente en los ingresos de los grupos nacionales de comunicación. Esto generó su declive y posterior crisis económica. Se contrastó esta situación con el impacto sufrido por otros grupos de la región con mayor solvencia económica. Finalmente, se analizó la concesión de licencias que obtuvieron los grupos uruguayos en 2022, lo que les permitirá vender televisión y datos fijos de forma simultánea. Si bien este hecho, también convergente, puede fortalecer a los grupos nacionales, todavía no se puede predecir el impacto futuro de esta medida.
Investigación sobre la calidad de las noticias automatizadas en la producción científica internacional: metodologías y resultados
Authors:   Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, España, Sandoval-Martín Teresa , La-Rosa Barrolleta Leonardo ,   Universidad de Nebrija, Madrid, España
Published: May 2023

La IV Revolución Industrial obliga a pensar en enfoques teóricos y metodológicos adecuados para los objetos de estudio del periodismo automatizado. Se realiza un metaanálisis y un estudio global para detectar las metodologías dominantes en torno a la calidad de las noticias automatizadas. Se aplica la técnica de la revisión sistemática de la literatura científica (SLR) a una búsqueda de artículos sobre los términos periodismo e inteligencia artificial (N=670) entre 2008 –cuando surge el periodismo de datos tal y como lo conocemos hoy en día– y 2022. Se identificaron 18 artículos publicados en Scopus y WoS que analizan la calidad de las noticias automatizadas entre 2014 y 2022, y se llevó a cabo un análisis de contenido y comparado de los aspectos formales, cuantificables (autores, revistas, año de publicación, país, entre otros), y de corte metodológico, como la orientación escogida y las técnicas. Entre los resultados más destacados está el predominio del experimento como método preferente. Los países más centrados en esta cuestión son los Estados Unidos (N=6), España (N=5) y Alemania (N=4). El primero y el último fijan su mirada en los estudios de la percepción y las primeras categorías de Sundar (1999). En España, se adoptan diversos enfoques, en la República Checa (N=1) experimentan con su propia creación algorítmica y en los Países Bajos (N=1) y en Singapur (N=1) se aplica el enfoque experimental.
Evaluación de quejas de consumidores durante COVID-19 analizando Twitter a gran escala
Authors:   Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Puebla, México, Gutiérrez-Leefmans Manuela , García-Miramón Fiorentina ,   Tec-Check Organización de Consumidores en Línea A.C. , Ciudad de México, México, Murck Maximilian David ,   Tec-Check Organización de Consumidores en Línea A.C. , Ciudad de México, México
Published: May 2023

El alto crecimiento del comercio electrónico en México causado por la pandemia de COVID-19 se convirtió en un desafío para los minoristas en términos de gestión de quejas. Si bien los estudios de marketing han investigado el uso de las redes sociales en este contexto, hay poca investigación desde la perspectiva del consumidor para comprender cómo la comunicación digital ha transformado la capacidad del consumidor para obtener compensación. Este estudio utiliza el marco teórico del boca a boca electrónico (e-WOM) y el comportamiento de quejas para explorar las quejas de los consumidores en línea durante la pandemia. A través del análisis de datos de Twitter a gran escala en 2019 y 2020 (más de 100.000 tuits), se cuantifica la frecuencia de las denuncias para mostrar la evolución de este fenómeno para siete de los principales minoristas del país a través de un análisis de contenido cualitativo. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de los minoristas presentan una tendencia similar en términos de cantidad y tipo de quejas, sin embargo, algunos de ellos parecen haberse adaptado más rápidamente. En general, los temas relacionados con la entrega, la devolución y el servicio estuvieron entre los más twitteados. Las quejas también sugieren que la falta de conocimiento sobre los procedimientos y la información insuficiente son dimensiones que requieren atención. Al comparar las quejas formales presentadas por los consumidores con el uso de Twitter, el estudio concluye que éstos utilizan este último para quejarse a las instituciones.
#MeToo em Portugal: uma análise temática do movimento através de artigos de opinião
Authors:   Universidad Lusófona, CICANT, Porto, Portugal, Cerqueira Carla , Taborda Célia ,   Universidad Lusófona, CICANT, Porto, Portugal, Pereira Ana Sofia ,   Universidad Lusófona, CICANT, Porto, Portugal
Published: May 2023

O #MeToo é um dos movimentos feministas impulsionado pelo digital e com expressão glocal. Tornado viral através do Twitter, rapidamente ganhou visibilidade nos media tradicionais trazendo para a esfera pública a discussão de temas associados ao assédio e violência sexual. Tomando como ponto de partida a expressão pública nos media tradicionais do movimento #MeToo em Portugal entre 2017 e 2022, e com base numa metodologia qualitativa ancorada numa análise temática de 91 artigos de opinião dos jornais Expresso e Público, este artigo visa conhecer as especificidades do contexto português em torno das questões que envolvem o #MeToo e analisar as temáticas que foram evidenciadas nestes espaços. Ressalta-se o surgimento de três grandes temáticas: Assédio e Violência Sexual; Questionamento da (re)vitimização e normalização; Ambivalência dos feminismos no movimento #MeToo. Dos resultados, destaca-se a existência de discursos paradoxais sobre o movimento, os quais, por um lado, contribuem para a sua descredibilização, e, por outro, funcionam como motores para a consciencialização pública em torno das questões da violência e do assédio. Concluímos que os artigos de opinião têm o poder de influência tanto na cristalização de determinadas posições, como na mudança de atitudes e comportamentos da esfera pública, sendo estes promovidos pela autoridade e legitimidade de quem faz opinião nos jornais e tem a capacidade para tematizar o espaço público.
Moderação das capacidades dinâmicas na relação entre a rede de negócios empreendedores e desempenho corporativo de micro e pequenas empresas
Authors: Piasentini Elisangela , Silva Givanildo , Leite Maurício
Published: May 2023

Para desfrutar de vantagem competitiva duradoura, tornou-se essencial que as organizações não apenas se adaptem aos ambientes em constante mutação, mas que também desenvolvam a capacidade de inovar. A rede de negócios empreendedores, está à disposição das empresas para ajudar na conquista de objetivos em comum. As pequenas empresas possuem estrutura reduzida que facilita o fluxo de informações e proximidade com clientes e fornecedores, é neste sentido que as capacidades dinâmicas podem ser um diferencial frente a alta competitividade existente entre estas empresas. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo avaliar em que medida as capacidades dinâmicas moderam a relação entre a rede de negócios empreendedores e o desempenho corporativo de pequenas empresas, é caracterizada como descritiva quanto aos objetivos, como levantamento quanto aos procedimentos e como quantitativa quanto à abordagem do problema. A amostra compreende gestores de 110 pequenas empresas do município de Pato Branco (PR). Os resultados demonstraram que a utilização das capacidades dinâmicas pelos gestores, possibilita o desempenho corporativo das pequenas empresas, e que a interação empreendedora possibilita melhor desenvolvimento e maiores lucros. Por meio desta interação é possível identificar as necessidades dos participantes da rede de negócios, tornando-se um diferencial competitivo e de inovação. A rede de negócios é vista pelos gestores como forma de proteção, e isso tem fortalecido o mercado e motivado o desenvolvimento de novos produtos e serviços, além de ter um papel fundamental na sobrevivência e desenvolvimento das pequenas empresas.
Agricultura de precisão no Setor Sucroalcooleiro do estado de São Paulo: análise produtiva, econômica e ambiental
Authors: Mazzi João Vitor Costa , Dos Santos Jeronimo Alves , Montebello Adriana Estela Sanjuan
Published: May 2023

Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a atuação da agricultura de precisão no Setor Sucroalcooleiro do Estado de São Paulo no que se refere às questões produtivas, econômicas e ambientais. Os objetivos foram: fazer um levantamento dos principais instrumentos da AP utilizados no Setor sucroalcooleiro e identificar os ganhos na produtividade, os principais aspectos econômicos e ambientais com a AP. Foi utilizado o método de revisão bibliográfica para extrair dados em textos, artigos, jornais, revistas e base de dados oficiais na compilação das informações necessárias para responder ao problema e objetivos da pesquisa. Conclui-se que na AP a aplicação correta e na área certa; a diminuição no tempo da produção e na tomada de decisão; o uso eficiente de água e outras fontes a serem aplicadas nos canaviais; a diminuição de sobreposição das linhas; o aumento da longevidade dos canaviais, influenciam diretamente nos ganhos produtivos, econômicos e ambientais. Espera-se como resultado deste trabalho, corroborar com informações relevantes no auxílio de gestão e políticas do Setor.
Sensory Quality of Coffee Beverrage Produced Thereof Linked to the Inhibition of Molds Growth and Ochratoxin a Removal from Coffee Cherries Using Lactobacillus Plantarum Strains
Authors: Beugre Guézéré Corinne , Kadjo Adobi Christian , Yao Konan Mathurin , Kone Koumba Maï , Piro-Metayer Isabelle , Poss Charlie , Durand Noël , Fontana Angélique , Guehi Tagro Simplice
Published: May 2023

Aims: Mold contamination of foods especially by mycotoxin producing fungi is not only a global food quality concern for food manufacturers, but it also constitutes a high risk for human and animal health resulting in massive economic losses globally. This study investigated the effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) on the growth of Aspergillus carbonarius strains and their production of ochratoxin A (OTA).

Methodology: Seven fresh coffee cherry and 9 dry coffee cherry samples were collected from Man, Daloa and Akoupé 3 main coffee producing regions in Côte d’Ivoire.  LAB were isolated from fresh coffee cherries while mold strains were from both fresh and dry coffee cherry. The inhibitory effect against mold growth and the ability for OTA removal of selected LAB strains were tested successively in vitro and then during coffee cherry primary postharvest processing before evaluating their influence on sensory quality of beverage. OTA production ability of molds strains are studied using both solid (CYA) and liquid (CYB) Cazapeck Yeast medium.

Results: About 34 fungal isolates belonging to Aspergillus and Penicillium genus were studied for their OTA production using the agar plug technique and HPLC-FD. Five A. carbonarius strains were capable of OTA production between 15.9 and 83mg.kg-1.Out of seven isolates of Lactobacillus plantarum, two were successful in inhibition of mycelial growthproduced fungicidal activity; five were successful in retarding it produced fungistatical activity All of L. plantarum isolates exhibited OTA reduction ability at about 99 %. The inoculation of two highest anti-ochratoxigenic LAB to fermenting coffee cherries resulted in great inhibition of mold growth and OTA contents reduction varying from 63.2 to 82.2%. The addition of LAB to coffee cherries did not influence the sensory attributes of the beverages produced thereof.

Conclusion: This study highlighted that LAB are very promising biological candidates for reduction of mold contamination and removal OTA from coffee cherry during primary postharvest processing.
Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme)
Authors: Kavitha G. , Kerketta Anita , Topno Samir E. , Bahadur Vijay
Published: May 2023

A cherry tomato is a small-sized tomato variety known for its round shape and sweet flavor. Therefore, at the Department of Horticulture at Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, an investigation titled "Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Cherry Tomato" was conducted during the Rabi-2022-23 season to assess the impact of plant growth regulators on the growth, quality, and yield of Pusa Cherry 1 tomatoes, as well as analyze the economic aspects of different treatments. Ten treatments were employed, including control with different concentrations of growth regulators (GA3 and Auxin) and Kinetin. The study found that using plant growth regulators had a significantly positive effect on cherry tomatoes for all traits. Among the treatments tested, T3(GA3 @ 75 ppm) showed the most favourable results in terms of plant height, number of primary branches, early flowering and maturing. T3 also demonstrated superior performance in terms of fruit weight, the maximum number of fruits per plant, and yield per plant.
The Effect of Health Promotion Strategies on the Level of Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS) in Household Settings in Penanggalan Sub-district of Subulussalam
Authors: Aswita Rika
Published: May 2023

Clean and healthy living behavior is essentially the basis for preventing humans from various diseases. Health is everyone's dream and need. The principle of clean and healthy living behavior (PHBS) is one of the cornerstones and health development programs in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of health promotion strategies (advocacy, atmosphere building, and community empowerment movements) on the level of Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS) in Household Settings in Subulussalam City Subdistrict. The population of this study was all heads of families in Penanggalan Kota Subulussalam District. The sample of this study is part of the heads of families from the number of heads of families in Penanggalan District, which is 14,394 households. Measurement of independent variables using the Likert Scale, with some conditions. The results showed that PHBS most respondents (56 people, 56%) were in the Healthy II category, followed by Healthy IV as many as 25 respondents (25%), healthy III as many as 14 respondents (14%), and healthy I as many as 5 respondents (5%). This condition shows that most respondents have not met the healthy category standards set by the Ministry of Health, namely PHBS healthy category IV.
Exploring cattle sheds as complementary avifaunal habitat niches in rice dominated agricultural areas in Punjab, India
Authors: Kaur Grewal Harnoor , Kaur Kler Tejdeep , Kaur Sidhu Sukhpreet
Published: May 2023

Avian diversity has often been studied in agricultural habitats, but ornithological aspect of cattle sheds has never been studied. This exploratory study was conducted with the objective of studying the potential of cattle sheds for sustaining avian abundance and diversity in rice dominated agricultural areas. The study was done in Rice Field Ecosystem (System I) and Cattle Shed Ecosystem (System II) during 2019 and 2020 monsoon crop season from selected villages, namely, Dangon, Pakhowal and Sarabha (district Ludhiana), Punjab. It was recorded that 26 avian species (mainly of grassland habitat) were present in cattle sheds from a total 34 avian species (wetland, grassland and open countryside inhabiting species) observed in rice fields, which reflected that cattle sheds support a wide proportion of avian fauna and complement rice fields in supporting and preserving avian abundance and diversity. There is immense need to explore and accordingly lay emphasis on boosting dairy as allied sector so that cattle sheds can be exploited in preservation of diverse avian populations and thereby reinforcing approach of sustainable agriculture.
Keywords: Avian diversity, Avian feeding guilds, Cattle Shed, Grassland birds, Rice crop
Disability Status and Induction Into US Medical Honor Societies
Authors: Nguyen Mytien , Schroth Samantha L. , Pereira-Lima Karina , Moreland Christopher J. , Chaudhry Sarwat I. , Addams Amy N. , Meeks Lisa M. , Boatright Dowin B.
Published: January 2025

This cohort study examines disability status and membership in medical honor societies among medical students in the US.
Shared Local Oncology Care After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Abel Gregory A. , Kim Haesook T. , Zackon Ira , Alyea Edwin T. , Bailey Alexandra S. , Winters John P. , Meehan Kenneth R. , Reagan John L. , Walsh Jeanna H. , Walsh Thomas P. , Ivanov Alexandra , Faggen Meredith A. , Sinclair Sarah , Joyce Amy C. , Close Sara D. , Emmert Amy , Koreth Jon , Antin Joseph H. , Cutler Corey S. , Ho Vincent T. , Soiffer Robert J.
Published: January 2025

Importance

Although sharing care with local oncologists after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been proposed for patients living far from HCT centers, it is not known whether a shared strategy is safe or improves patient quality of life (QOL).

Objective

To determine the efficacy and safety of sharing follow-up care after HCT between the HCT specialty center and local oncologists.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a multicenter collaborative randomized clinical trial of patients undergoing HCT at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)—a high volume HCT center in Boston (Massachusetts)—and 8 local oncology practices. Eligible patients were enrolled from December 2017 to December 2021 and were randomized 1:1 to shared vs usual care after neutrophil engraftment, stratified by local sites in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine. Data analyses were performed in January 2024.

Intervention

Shared care involved alternating post-HCT visits at DFCI and local oncology practices through day 100; for usual care, all post-HCT visits occurred only at DFCI.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Coprimary outcomes were nonrelapse mortality (NRM) at day 100, and QOL measured by the FACT-BMT (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Bone Marrow Transplantation) instrument and the QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer’s Quality of Life Questionnaire) at day 180. Prespecified secondary outcomes included day 100 QOL and 1-year overall survival.

Results

A total of 302 participants (median [range] age, 63 [20-79] years; 117 [38.7%] females; 185 [61.3%] males) were included in the analysis; 152 were randomized to shared care and 150 to usual care. Day 100 NRM was noninferior for shared vs usual care (2.6% [95% CI, 0.7% to 6.6%] vs 2.7% [95% CI, 0.7% to 6.7%]; P = .98). There were no differences at day 180 for the FACT-BMT total score (mean difference, 3.8; 95% CI, −2.1 to 9.6; P = .20) or QLQ-C30 global score (1.9; 95% CI, −4.9 to 8.8; P = .58). At day 100, the FACT-BMT total score was better for shared care (mean difference, 6.6; 95% CI, 1.0 to 12.1; P = .02) as was the QLQ-C30 global score (8.8; 95% CI, 1.8 to 15.7; P = .02).

Conclusions and Relevance

This randomized clinical trial found that shared care resulted in noninferior NRM at day 100 but similar QOL at day 180, with improved QOL at day 100. These data suggest that shared care is safe, improves QOL early on, and has the potential to become a routine model for post-HCT care.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03244826
Genetic Ancestry–Based Differences in Biomarker-Based Eligibility for Precision Oncology Therapies
Authors: Arora Kanika , Suehnholz Sarah P. , Zhang Hongxin , Ostrovnaya Irina , Kundra Ritika , Nandakumar Subhiksha , Nissan Moriah H. , Brannon A. Rose , Bandlamudi Chaitanya , Ladanyi Marc , Drilon Alexander , Brown Carol L. , Solit David B. , Schultz Nikolaus , Berger Michael F. , Chakravarty Debyani
Published: January 2025

Importance

Although differences in the prevalence of key cancer-specific somatic mutations as a function of genetic ancestry among patients with cancer has been well-established, few studies have addressed the practical clinical implications of these differences for the growing number of biomarker-driven treatments.

Objective

To determine if the approval of precision oncology therapies has benefited patients with cancer from various ancestral backgrounds equally over time.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A retrospective analysis of samples from patients with solid cancers who underwent clinical sequencing using the integrated mutation profiling of actionable cancer targets (MSK-IMPACT) assay between January 2014 and December 2022 was carried out. The annual fraction of patients per ancestral group with at least 1 level 1 biomarker was calculated for FDA drug approvals from January 1998 to December 2023. Analysis began in January 2024.

Main Outcomes and Measures

For each patient, genetic ancestry was quantitatively inferred, and patients were grouped based on predominant reference ancestry. OncoKB was used to identify all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–recognized somatic biomarkers associated with FDA-approved therapies (level 1 biomarkers) in each tumor sample.

Results

Overall, the study included 59 433 patients. The approval of the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib for patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers in 2013 disproportionately benefited patients of East Asian and South Asian ancestries, leading to higher patient fractions with level 1 biomarkers in these ancestral groups compared with other populations. Although the increase in precision oncology drug approvals from 2019 to 2020 had a notable positive impact on clinical actionability for patients of European ancestry, patients of African ancestry had the lowest fraction of level 1 biomarkers compared with other groups from 2019 onward.

Conclusion and Relevance

This study systematically assessed and compared temporal changes in genomic biomarker-based eligibility for precision oncology therapies as a function of inferred genetic ancestry derived from DNA sequencing data. Despite the accelerated rate of FDA approvals for precision oncology therapies over the past decade, measurable differences in biomarker-based drug eligibility among patient ancestral groups exist. These differences may exacerbate the systemic disparities in clinical outcomes in patients of African ancestry due to existing deficiencies in their access to cancer care.
Interaction between riluzole treatment and dietary glycemic index in the disease progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Lee Ikjae , Mitsumoto Hiroshi , Lee Seonjoo , Kasarskis Edward , Rosenbaum Michael , Factor‐Litvak Pam , Nieves Jeri W.
Published: January 2025

Objective

We examined whether riluzole treatment modifies the associations between the dietary glycemic index (GI) and load (GL) and disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods

Sporadic ALS patients in the Multicenter Cohort Study of Oxidative Stress who completed a baseline food frequency questionnaire were included (n = 304). Interactions between baseline riluzole treatment and GI/GL on functional decline and tracheostomy‐free survival were examined using linear regression and Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for covariates. Age, sex, disease duration, diagnostic certainty, body mass index, bulbar onset, revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS‐r) total score, and forced vital capacity, from baseline were included as covariates.

Results

Baseline higher GI and GL were associated with less decline of ALSFRS‐r total score at 3‐month follow‐up in the riluzole treatment group (RTG) but not in the no‐riluzole group (NRG). When quartile groups were used, GI second [β = −1.9, 95% CI (−4.1, −0.2), p = 0.07], third [β = −3.0, 95% CI (−5.1, −0.8), p < 0.01] and fourth [β = −2.2, 95% CI (−4.3, −0.01), p < 0.05] quartile groups were associated with less ALSFRS‐r decline at 3‐months compared to the first quartile group (GI < 47.2) among the RTG. Similarly, GL fourth quartile group (GL > 109.5) was associated with less ALSFRS‐r decline at 3 months compared to the first quartile group [β = −2.6, 95% CI (−4.7, −0.5), p < 0.05] among the RTG. In NRG, no statistically significant differences in ALSFRS‐r decline were found among GI/GL quartile groups.

Interpretation

High dietary GI and GL are associated with a slower functional decline only among ALS patients taking riluzole.
Asynchronous Resilient Filtering for Singular Perturbation Stochastic Semi‐Markov CPSs Against Stochastic Cyber Attacks
Authors: Wang Yanqian , Yang Zhibo , Zhuang Guangming , Lv Chengxing
Published: January 2025

The article investigates the problem of asynchronous resilient filter design for cyber‐physical systems (CPSs) under multiple cyber‐attacks, which are characterized by singular perturbation and stochastic semi‐Markov jump systems (SPSS‐MJSs) with a dynamic‐memory event‐triggered (DMET) scheme. Firstly, we consider the vulnerability of communication network and establish a unified cyber‐attack framework to address the occurrences of deception attacks and denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks, simultaneously. Then, we introduce the function of the memorizer and propose the DMET scheme, which can effectively save network resources in bandwidth‐limited environments. Since the mode information of the resilient filter is often unavailable, we employ a hidden Markov model (HMM) to describe the asynchronous relationship between the modes of the original system and the constructed filter. Furthermore, we judiciously select a stochastic Lyapunov functional concerning the internal dynamic variable, which results in the stochastically admissible criterion for filtering error systems under complex cyber‐attacks. The co‐design approach is adopted to obtain the gains of the asynchronous resilient filter and the DMET scheme. Finally, a continuous stirred‐tank reactor (CSTR) system is offered to validate the effectiveness of the developed method.
Porosity‐Zoned Porous‐Transport Layer for Proton‐Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis by High‐Velocity Flame Spraying
Authors: Bobzin Kirsten , Finger Selina , Zhao Lidong , Heinemann Hendrik , Olesch Elisa , Radermacher Katja , Pechmann Sabrina , Possart Dennis , Christiansen Silke H. , Hoffmeister Darius , Fritsch Birk , Thiele Simon , Hutzler Andreas
Published: January 2025

The porous‐transport layer (PTL) is a crucial component in proton‐exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE) enabling water and gas transport as well as electrically contacting the catalyst layer (CL). To reduce the overall costs of PTLs, a fabrication method by high‐velocity oxy‐fuel (HVOF) spraying is introduced. Free‐standing PTLs are obtained via the application of a titanium coating onto a substrate and its subsequent separation and thermal treatment. The obtained PTLs feature two sides of different roughness and porosity as analyzed and visualized by X‐ray microscopy. This way, the side with decreased porosity (21%) is intended to function as a microporous layer, improving the contact with the CL. The presented fabrication process promises decreased costs compared to vacuum plasma spraying, a simplified, chemical‐free mechanical separation of the PTL from the substrate, and a high scale‐up suitability. In the results, it is demonstrated that HVOF can produce titanium PTLs with low oxygen content. Additionally, PEMWE single‐cell tests demonstrate that the sprayed PTLs perform on par with a commercially available PTL material.
Multifunctional Hydrogel with Photothermal ROS Scavenging and Antibacterial Activity Accelerates Diabetic Wound Healing
Authors: Xue Yijia , Yang Fan , He Yunjiao , Wang Feilong , Xia Dandan , Liu Yunsong
Published: January 2025

Poor diabetic wound healing poses a critical threat to human health. Excessive oxidative stress and increased susceptibility to bacterial infection are key issues that impede diabetic wound healing. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) have attracted increasing attention because of their unique antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Here, this work designs a near‐infrared (NIR) light‐responsive gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)/CeO2/polydopamine (PDA) hydrogel with antibacterial and antioxidant effects. The hydrogel exhibits a stable, efficient, and controllable photothermal conversion capacity under NIR stimulation. The hydrogel can be used to construct a local microenvironment conducive to chronic diabetic wound healing. Significant antibacterial effects of the NIR‐responsive GelMA/CeO2/PDA hydrogel on both Escherichia coli (E.coli) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are demonstrated by counting colony‐forming units (CFUs) and in bacterial live/dead staining experiments. The strong antioxidant activity of hydrogels is demonstrated by measuring the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The effect of the NIR‐responsive GelMA/CeO2/PDA hydrogel in terms of promoting diabetic wound healing is validated in full‐thickness cutaneous wounds of diabetic rat models. Additionally, this work describes the mechanism by which the NIR‐responsive GelMA/CeO2/PDA hydrogel promotes diabetic wound healing; the hydrogel inhibits the interleukin (IL)‐17 signaling pathway. This NIR‐responsive, multifunctional hydrogel dressing provides a targeted approach to diabetic wound healing.