bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grisza Aszwajanc i inni Ormianie w trylogii ukraińskiej Józefa Łobodowskiego
Authors: Pełczyński Grzegorz
Published: March 2022

Grisha Ashvayants and other Armenians in the Ukrainian trilogy of Józef Łobodowski
The article analyses the image of Armenians and their fate in the novel cycle of the Polish emigratory writer Józef Łobodowski (1909-1988). This cycle, called the Ukrainian trilogy (Komysze, 1955; W stanicy, 1958; Droga powrotna, 1960), is based on experiences of the author, who spent his youth in Kuban during World War One and the period shortly after the Bolshevik revolution. In this trilogy, Armenians do not constitute only the oriental decoration. Writing about these people, Łobodowski realised more serious intention. He seems to indicate that friendship between the novel hero Staś Majewski and the Armenian boy Grisha Ashvayants means not only incredible adventures but primarily the effective alliance of the weak against threatening powers. This alliance is not only individual but also uniting even the whole nations.
A New Scenario Reduction Method Based on Higher-Order Moments
Authors: Zhang Weiguo , He Xiaolei
Published: March 2022

Scenario reduction is an effective method to ease the computational burden of stochastic programming problems, which aims at choosing a subset of scenarios that can better represent a large number of possible scenarios. Higher-order moments are critical in the scenario reduction process, especially for stochastic programming problems that are greatly affected by the moments. From this idea, we construct a mixed integer linear programming model to improve the reduction accuracy of traditional methods by minimizing the moments’ information loss between the original and reduced scenarios. An improved Benders decomposition algorithm is then designed to find an optimal solution for the model. Finally, the resulting scenarios are examined on an international portfolio selection problem. Empirical and comparative studies are also carried out to reveal the superiority of our proposed scenario reduction method over other existing approaches or models, together with the superior performance of the algorithm.

Summary of Contribution: To effectively solve stochastic programming problems, the scenario reduction method has become an active research area to strike a balance between the fine representation of random variables and computational complexity. Thus, how to design a reasonable optimal scenario reduction model and effectively solve this complex model is very important and meaningful. On the other hand, for some stochastic programming problems, especially the portfolio selection problems, statistical properties of risky assets returns may play a more important role in the scenario reduction process. However, the traditional scenario reduction methods have ignored this point. Thus, in this paper, we propose a mixed integer linear programming model to improve the reduction accuracy by minimizing the higher-order moments’ information loss between the original and reduced scenarios. Furthermore, an accelerated Benders decomposition algorithm is also designed to solve the proposed model. Hence, the aim of this paper is to extend the existing scenario reduction method in substantial and meaningful ways.
Candida Cardiac Tamponade Secondary to Oesophageal-Pericardial Fistula: A Rare Presentation of Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Ghunaim Monther , Someili Ali , Mawardi Mohammad
Published: March 2022

Candida is a rare cause of purulent pericarditis. Oesophago-pericardial fistula is an uncommon and potentially life-threatening complication of both benign and malignant oesophageal tumours. Here we report the case of 40-year-old woman who presented with symptoms and signs suggestive of acute pericarditis complicated by cardiac tamponade which required acute management with paracentesis. Pericardial fluid analysis was positive for Candida albicans. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed and revealed a small fistula in the proximal oesophagus extending into the retrocardiac space. Multiple biopsy specimens of the fistula site and oesophageal stricture were obtained. Histopathological findings were consistent with poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus complicated by fistulation to the retrocardiac space.
Pedagogia macunaímica: inspirações modernistas para pensar a escola e o Brasil contemporâneo
Authors: Sangenis Luiz Fernando Conde
Published: March 2022

Tendo como motes o centenário da Semana de Arte Moderna de 1922 e o movimento de “giro decolonial”, o ensaio se inspira em Macunaíma, rapsódia do modernista Mário de Andrade. De Macunaíma, texto e personagem chispam intuições para o desafiante compromisso de pensar o Brasil contemporâneo e a escola brasileira. Especificamente, desejamos destacar as potências que acompanham a trajetória do herói: a ausência de caráter, a preguiça e a aversão capitalista. Daí propormos uma Pedagogia macunaímica que se configura contrária aos rumos que o capitalismo vai impondo à escola e à sociedade. Sabemos que, sem mexer na estrutura do modelo econômico capitalista e no modo como o capital rentista se reproduz, não haverá verdadeira mudança e desenvolvimento econômico com equidade e inclusão de todos. Pois, não nos parece bom e honesto atrelar a escola a um projeto injusto e desumano, que gera riqueza para poucos e miséria e infelicidade para a maioria. O que nos resta fazer? Rejeitemo-lo! Contra a escola ocidental capitalista, que transforma o direito à educação em serviço a ser negociado, a pedagogia macunaímica é um salutar antídoto.
“Jonas e o circo sem lona”: entre o circo e a escola, olhar uma infância
Authors: Teixeira Sara Reis , Melo Marcos Ribeiro de , Vasconcelos Michele De Freitas Faria de
Published: March 2022

Sabe-se que escola é uma invenção moderna, um projeto de civilização com vistas a homogeneizar o mundo, embranquecendo-o por meio da ‘naturalidade’ da cultura europeia, de seus modos de conhecer, ver e viver. Mas, a vida sempre vaza: um circo sem lona, no quintal de casa, convida a artistarmos uma escola sem paredes, a outrar a cultura escolar. A proposta é vazar a tela da vida escolarizada/civilizada por meio do encontro com o filme “Jonas e o circo sem lona” (2015), que nos convida a uma desaprendizagem do olhar a infância e a escola, contagiando-a, sem folclorizar ou exotificar, de vida saberes populares, brasileiros e nordestinos. Nesse artigo, foi utilizado o cinema como um campo de produção de dados desenvolvidos a partir de uma etnocartografia de tela. Assim, foi possível transver a infância como um posicionar-se intensivo no mundo em agenciamento com a pluralidade heterogênea de práticas que a compõem.
Peripécias do saci, formação docente e aulas antropofágicas
Authors: De Moraes Ana Cristina
Published: March 2022

O texto evoca e reflete sobre o mito popular brasileiro do Saci Pererê como relevante elemento cultural e pedagógico no âmbito da formação docente. Ao problematizar a presença ou negação desta entidade cultural no âmbito da educação formal e das formações docentes, temos como objetivo primordial, analisar as potencialidades da figura mitológica do Saci como impulsionador de uma formação de docentes situada no contexto cultural brasileiro, numa perspectiva decolonial, crítica e criativa. Autores como Bourdieu (2001), Lobato (2005), Andrade (1924; 1928), Moraes (2015; 2016) Moraes & Therrien (2018), Paiva (2018), dentre outros, compõem a fundamentação teórica deste trabalho. Por meio de um questionário online aplicado junto a seis estudantes egressos do Mestrado de dois Programas de Pós-Graduação em Educação – PPGE – situados no Nordeste do Brasil, foi possível realizar o presente estudo. Com base nos relatos e em experiências antropofágico-formativas realizadas, percebemos o quanto a presença metafórica do Saci repercute nas formações desses sujeitos, instigando-os a alimentarem-se de saberes culturais essenciais às suas intervenções pedagógicas.
Dos parques infantis à educação infantil à brasileira: o que a semana de 22 tem a ver com isso? Culturas infantis, pedagogias descolonizadoras e políticas públicas
Authors: Faria Ana Lúcia Goulart de , Silva Adriana Alves da
Published: March 2022

A presente entrevista Dos Parques Infantis à Educação Infantil à brasileira:  o que a Semana de 22 tem a ver com isso? (culturas infantis, pedagogias descolonizadoras e políticas públicas), realizada em meados de dezembro de 2021, com a Professora Dra. Ana Lúcia Goulart de Faria, compõe o dossiê Por uma Pedagogia Macunaímica: Infâncias, Estudos Decoloniais e Resistências Plurais na Contemporaneidade, contribuindo nas conexões de eventos e episódios ligados ao movimento modernista que ainda ressoam nas nossas invenções e transgressões no campo da educação, da cultura e da política. Destacando o Manifesto Antropofágico de 1929 e a publicação do Macunaíma de 1928, ao Parque infantil de 1935, realizações posteriores à Semana de 22, mas que fortemente contribuíram para a Educação Infantil à brasileira
Trajetórias lésbicas entre (re) invenções do silêncio na educação (escolar-familiar)
Authors: Torres Thais Priscila de Souza
Published: March 2022

Este artigo lança o olhar sobre narrativas lésbicas da região metropolitana do Recife. Elas se narram, expõem medos e valentias, a partir de uma lente forjada por tudo aquilo que as interpelaram: as experiências dos espaços escolar e familiar. Assim, foi possível identificar e compreender os dispositivos heterossexualizadores e seus efeitos na subjetivação lésbica. Por serem dinâmicos e abertos, os dispositivos pedagógicos possibilitam uma ambivalência narrativa dos espaços, onde a imposição da norma pode ser ao mesmo tempo contradita. Resume-se: a (cis)heteronormatividade é um projeto só bem-sucedido se aplicado sobre corpos que estejam dispostos a correspondê-lo. Dito isso, ante ameaças de um modelo familiar cis-heterossexual, morte física e investidas de uma junção família-escola, as lésbicas elegem, ainda, a escola como um espaço de viver, burlando normas, tramando resistências.
A sociologia e a formação da cidadania dos alunos do ensino médio
Authors: De Sousa Maria Das Dôres , Dias Luciana Silva , Da Costa Douglas Pereira
Published: March 2022

O presente artigo investiga as perspectivas dos alunos do ensino médio sobre a contribuição da disciplina de Sociologia para a formação da cidadania. Entende-se que as aulas de Sociologia podem ser um espaço propício para elucidar a concepção de cidadania e como exercê-la, pois instiga os educandos a desenvolverem um pensamento crítico e reflexivo que favorece uma compreensão dos seus direitos e deveres para com a sociedade. Trata-se de um estudo de cunho qualitativo. Para coleta de dados, foi aplicado um questionário estruturado junto a 50 alunos de cinco escolas estaduais de Picos-PI. Verifica-se com este estudo que os educandos consideram a disciplina de Sociologia um componente curricular necessário para a compreensão da sociedade em que vivem, tornando-os cidadãos mais conscientes da legitimidade de seus direitos e deveres e das desigualdades sociais que marcam a sociedade movida pelo capitalismo.
Diversidade no currículo escoar: perspectivas de professoras da educação básica
Authors: Sousa Mirtes Aparecida Almeida , Salustiano Dorivaldo Alves
Published: March 2022

O estudo da diversidade no currículo é amplo, complexo e está diretamente associado à visão de mundo predominante em determinado contexto histórico e educacional. Este artigo discute a compreensão de professoras dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental acerca da diversidade no currículo escolar. Apresenta resultados de uma investigação qualitativa (MINAYO, 2008; MOREIRA; CALEFFE, 2008), desenvolvida mediante a análise de conteúdo (BARDIN, 2016) de entrevistas semiestruturadas (GIL, 2010). Os dados evidenciaram que as professoras sujeito deste estudo reconhecem a necessidade de abordar a diversidade como temática significativa no currículo escolar e buscam inclui-la em suas práticas pedagógicas. Destacaram também a importância do respaldo legal para a visibilidade de conteúdos relacionados à diversidade, sem o qual a cultura afro-indígena, as desigualdades econômicas, a diversidade de credos ou práticas religiosas, dentre outros, continuariam negligenciados enquanto objeto de estudo.  Ressaltamos a importância da mediação docente na compreensão de práticas discriminatórias e excludentes, oportunizando a expressão e o reconhecimento de sujeitos silenciados e invisibilizados na escola e na sociedade. Concluímos que as questões relacionadas à diversidade ainda não receberam a devida atenção nos currículos de formação de professores, notadamente dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, e ressaltamos a importância da inclusão do tema na formação inicial e continuada de professores da educação básica.
A constituição da flexibilidade como estratégia política no esnino médio brasileiro
Authors: Bastos da Silva Santos Daiana , Dias da Silva Roberto Rafael
Published: March 2022

O presente artigo propõe-se a compreender os sentidos de flexibilidade no Ensino Médio brasileiro na última década. Dessa forma, interessa interrogar: Como os sentidos de flexibilidade se apresentam e se articulam na mídia pedagógica impressa pesquisada no Brasil no decorrer da última década? Para tal, elege como materialidade empírica um conjunto de textos e artigos da Revista Pátio: Ensino Médio, Profissional e Tecnológico. Como grade analítica, tomou-se por base o conceito foucaultiano de tecnologia de governo. Como apontamentos gerais  evidencia-se a constituição de uma tríade de sentidos, qual seja: a flexibilidade curricular pautada pela oferta de currículo flexível; a flexibilidade da prática pedagógica na organização do tempo, dos espaços e dos métodos; e a flexibilidade enquanto uma habilidade a ser desenvolvida no e pelo sujeito empreendedor de si, na produção de subjetividades capazes de gerir seu próprio capital de competências.
Linguagem e implementação de políticas: aproximações teórico-metodológicas entre o círculo de Bakhtin e o ciclo de políticas de Ball
Authors: Araújo Víviam Carvalho de , Santos Núbia Aparecida Schaper
Published: March 2022

Este artigo tem por objetivo trazer aproximações teórico-metodológicas entre o círculo de Mikhail Bakhtin e o ciclo de políticas (policy cycle approach)  desenvolvido pelo sociólogo inglês Stephen Ball e colaboradores no que tange à compreensão de implementação de políticas no campo da Educação. A perspectiva do círculo de Bakhtin se pauta em uma concepção de linguagem que se constitui da/na relação com a estrutura social e só pode ser compreendida como acontecimento ideológico e dialógico no fluxo da história.  Para Ball e colaboradores há um processo de recontextualização das políticas, que são compostas por arenas de sentidos e negociações. Transcender a ideia de que a produção da política está apartada da vida concreta da produção discursiva dos sujeitos e seus grupos sociais e dos processos que as legitimam confirma a aproximação de alguns conceitos que sustentam a perspectiva de linguagem em Bakhtin com o ciclo de políticas organizado por Ball.  A discussão caminha para considerar que a arquitetônica de linguagem e de ciências humanas em Bakhtin, dialogando com conceitos do seu círculo na direção do ciclo de políticas de Ball, principalmente na concepção da política como discurso, pode orientar o olhar para analisar a implementação de políticas no campo da Educação.
Uma realidade invisível: violência contra alunas negras na escola pela percepção dos docentes
Authors: Leite Ligia Costa , Melo Rosse Imair de Oliveira , Douat Cristina Maria
Published: March 2022

O presente artigo pretende conhecer, por meio de entrevistas realizadas com professores do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciências e Tecnologia do Maranhão (IFMA), Campus Buriticupu, no Nordeste do Brasil, a invisibilidade da violência racial e de gênero enfrentada por alunas negras. A abordagem qualitativa e a análise temática são os instrumentos para coleta e interpretação dos dados das entrevistas. As dificuldades dos docentes em lidar com essas situações são analisadas tendo como eixo três categorias-temas ou unidades de significação relacionados com educação e saúde: etnia e cultura no contexto social; violências de gênero; procedimentos institucionais. Os resultados apontam como a violência se oculta em uma forma silenciosa que se sobrepõe às demais e acaba negligenciada, naturalizada ou banalizada por quem a perpetra, por quem assiste e por quem a sofre.
Ensino remoto na pandemia de covid-19: alfabetização em risco na Rede Municipal de Ensino de Porto Alegre
Authors: Camini Patrícia , Freitas Alice Teixeira de
Published: March 2022

O artigo apresenta resultados de pesquisa que visou a investigar efeitos do ensino remoto na alfabetização, em 2020, a partir do olhar de professoras alfabetizadoras da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Porto Alegre (RME-POA). A metodologia foi composta por survey e análise de conteúdo, tendo como material empírico respostas de 40 professoras alfabetizadoras. Os resultados indicaram como tendência a desconexão entre alfabetizadoras e a maioria dos estudantes das turmas, o que inviabilizou a continuidade da alfabetização. A partir de contribuições de autores como Byung-Chul Han, Axel Rivas e Luiz Carlos de Freitas, concluiu-se que a RME-POA deve avançar na implementação de estratégias para minimizar os efeitos do ensino remoto e seguir buscando atingir a meta 5 do PNE (2014-2024), a partir da responsabilização bilateral pela alfabetização e não às custas da autoexploração do trabalho docente.
Caracterização do coordenador pedagógico a partir de teses do Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações da Capes
Authors: Regina Predebon Silveira Rocheli , Mesquita de Lima Junior Agnaldo , Aires Vieira Maurício
Published: March 2022

Este trabalho buscou compreender como se tem caracterizado a figura do coordenador pedagógico em teses de doutorado. Com este propósito, realizamos uma pesquisa do tipo “Estado da arte”, utilizando o repositório do Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações (CTD) - Capes, valendo-se do descritor de pesquisa “coordenador pedagógico”, utilizando as aspas para melhor delimitar a pesquisa. Utilizamos este repositório por entender que abarca toda a produção nacional de pós-graduação em nível de mestrado e doutorado. Dessa forma, foi possível localizar quarenta e cinco pesquisas. Dessas produções, vinte e sete fugiram da temática e 4 não puderam ser lidas na sua completude, restando para análise catorze produções. As pesquisas foram divididas pela leitura dos resumos em três categorias, a saber: “coordenador pedagógico e sua relação com a formação docente”, “o trabalho cotidiano do coordenador pedagógico” e “políticas públicas e atuação do coordenador pedagógico”.
Editorial
Authors: Paiva Jane , Leonardi Paula
Published: March 2022

Se são toleráveis governos que praticam e confessam, incitam esse tipo de violência contra a vida, a questão agora não é julgar a escolha que um ou outro desses tecnocratas faz do seu vocabulário ou da sua práxis, mas seria perguntar que paradigma civilizatório produz esse tipo de mostrengos. Ailton Krenak
How to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of biologic treatments for arthritis
Authors: Taylor Matthew
Published: March 2022

Matthew Taylor explains the methods and challenges associated with evaluating biologic treatments for arthritis.
The great debate
Authors: MacKenzie Eddie
Published: March 2022

Eddie MacKenzie reports on a recent round-table discussion
Opening doors
Authors: Johnson Andrea
Published: March 2022

Andrea Johnson explains why applying for a Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholarship could be right for you
Effect of immediate electrical stimulation in the distal segment of the nerve with Wallerian degeneration in rats with sciatic nerve injury
Authors: Hamid Agus Roy Rusly Hariantana , Maliawan Sri , Samatra Dewa Putu Gde Purwa , Astawa Nyoman Mantik , Bakta I Made , Jawi I Made , Manuaba Ida Bagus Putra , Sukrama I Made Dewa , Perdanakusuma David Sontani
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND Electrical stimulation in the proximal segment is one of the modalities for peripheral nerve injury, although it is prone to cause excessive axonal sprouting growth in the proximal segment of the nerve. This study aimed to show that immediate electrical stimulation in the distal segment of the sciatic nerve in Wistar rats accelerated Wallerian degeneration by increasing the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-10, and galectin-3/MAC-2 macrophages to avoid sprouting axons excessively in the proximal segment.

METHODS This was an experimental study using male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) with a randomized post-test only control group design. The treatment group received immediate electrical stimulation (20 Hz, 2 mA, for 5 sec) to the distal nerve after sciatic nerve injury, while the control group received no treatment. After 3 days, tissue samples were extracted from the distal segment of the sciatic nerve to examine the level of TNF-α, IL-10, and galectin 3/Mac-2 macrophages using ELISA and from proximal nerves to histologically examine the sprouting axons.

RESULTS Rats in the treatment group had higher TNF-α (52.1 [10.32] versus 40.4 [17.71] pg/100 mg, p = 0.031) and higher IL-10 (918 [167.6] versus 759 [158.9] pg/ml, p = 0.010). Expression of galectin 3/Mac-2 macrophages was similar in both groups (465 [49.5] versus 444 [54.4] pg/100 mg, p = 0.247). The number of sprouting axons was lower in the treatment group (2 [IQR 1–2] versus 2.5 [IQR 2–3], p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS Immediate electrical stimulation in the distal segment of the sciatic nerve can accelerate nerve regeneration.
The role of women’s descriptive representation on same-gender and proximity voting among women
Authors: Ferland Benjamin
Published: March 2022

The article examines the relationship between the descriptive representation of women in political parties and its effect on same-gender and proximity voting among women. In particular, we examine whether women are more likely to support parties that have more women representatives or a woman party leader. We also consider whether women’s descriptive representation in parties may help women cast a vote that better corresponds to their preferences. To answer these questions, we make use of data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. We analyse respondents’ vote choice in 55 elections across 14 countries. Overall, our results show that the presence of a woman party leader motivates women to support such a party and that it also encourages women to vote for a party closer to their ideological position. The results, however, do not provide strong evidence that the presence of more women representatives in parties also fosters same-gender and proximity voting among women.
Adaptive neuro fuzzy selection of important factors for prediction of
plasmons in silver nanorods
Authors: Petković Dalibor , Khadimallah Mohamed Amine , Cao Yan , Denic Nebojsa , Vujovic Vuk , Zlatkovic Dragan , Stojanovic Jelena
Published: March 2022

The major goal of this study was to find predictors of plasmon positions in silver nanorod (NR) optical absorption spectra. The goal of this study is to use an adaptive neural fuzzy inference system to identify the various input parameters for longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and transverse surface plasmon resonance (TSP). A seed strategy has been used for preparation of the silver NRs. During the preparation, the seed particles are synthesized in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). To produce the silver NRs, metal salt (AgNO3) has been added, as well as ascorbic acid (AA) and CTAB. Skillful prediction could play a pivotal role in the plasmon NR production management. The combination of CTAB and the seeds has the largest influence on the TSPR. The combination of CTAB and AA has the largest influence on the LSPR. The study considering different input parameters simultaneously, to the best of our knowledge, is the first on a small scale and should attract great general interest.
Tunable microwave-optical entanglement and conversion in multimode electro-opto-mechanics
Authors: Wei Tianli , Wu Dewei , Miao Qiang , Yang Chunyan , Luo Junwen
Published: March 2022

We study tunable double-channel microwave-optical (M-O) entanglement and coherent conversion by controlling the quantum interference effect. This is realized in a two-mechanical-mode electro-opto-mechanical (EOM) system, in which two mechanical resonators (MRs) are coupled with each other by phase-dependent phonon-phonon interaction, and link the interaction between the microwave and optical cavity. It’s demonstrated that the mechanical coupling between two MRs leads to the interference of two pathways of electro-opto-mechanical interaction, which can generate the tunable double-channel phenomena in comparison with a typical three-mode EOM system. In particular, by tuning of phonon-phonon interaction and couplings between cavities with MRs, we can not only steer the switch from the M-O interaction with a single channel to that of the double-channel, but also modulate the entanglement and conversion characteristics in each channel. Moreover, our scheme can be extended to an N-mechanical-mode EOM system, in which N discrete channels will be observed and controlled. This study opens up prospects for quantum information transduction and storage with a wide bandwidth and multichannel quantum interface.
Ruggedized, field-ready snapshot light-guide-based imaging spectrometer for environmental and remote sensing applications
Authors: Flynn Christopher , Stoian Razvan I. , Weers Brock D. , Mullet John E. , Thomasson J. Alex , Alexander David , Tkaczyk Tomasz S.
Published: March 2022

A field-ready, fiber-based high spatial sampling snapshot imaging spectrometer was developed for applications such as environmental monitoring and smart farming. The system achieves video rate frame transfer and exposure times down to a few hundred microseconds in typical daylight conditions with ∼63,000 spatial points and 32 spectral channels across the 470nm to 700nm wavelength range. We designed portable, ruggedized opto-mechanics to allow for imaging from an airborne platform. To ensure successful data collection prior to flight, imaging speed and signal-to-noise ratio was characterized for imaging a variety of land covers from the air. The system was validated by performing a series of observations including: Liriope Muscari plants under a range of water-stress conditions in a controlled laboratory experiment and field observations of sorghum plants in a variety of soil conditions. Finally, we collected data from a series of engineering flights and present reassembled images and spectral sampling of rural and urban landscapes
Design, fabrication, and characterization of a single-polarization single-mode flexible hollow waveguide for low loss millimeter wave propagation
Authors: He Menghui , Chen Zhangxiong , Zeng Jiafu , Chen Kewang , Liu Sheng , Zhang Xian , Zhu Xiaosong , Jing Chengbin , Chang Chao , Shi Yiwei
Published: March 2022

A flexible metallic waveguide with elliptical core that achieves single-polarization single-mode (SPSM) propagation at millimeter wave was designed, fabricated, and characterized. In order to achieve SPSM propagation, optimization of the lengths of major/minor axes of elliptical core was conducted to cut off one of the two orthogonally polarized fundamental modes and all high-order modes. A one-meter long hollow elliptical waveguide (HEW) with major/minor axis length of 1.5/2.7 mm was fabricated. The substrate tube was a flexible elliptical polycarbonate (PC) tube, which was fabricated through glass-draw technique. Silver film was then coated on the inner surface of the tube. Simulation results show that the 1.5/2.7 mm HEW maintains SPSM propagation in the frequency band from 66.5 to 114 GHz. The SPSM operation was experimentally discussed in detail at 100 GHz. The measured loss of 2.58 dB/m and the output polarization ratio of 99.9% was obtained after propagating one meter. Furthermore, the waveguide was robust to bending and twisting. The additional loss was as small as 0.2 dB/m even when the waveguide was coiled into a circle. The potential application of HEWs as polarizers was demonstrated by using a 10 cm long waveguide for polarization detection and extinction ratio of 22.3 dB was achieved at 100 GHz.
Task-induced neural covariability as a signature of approximate Bayesian learning and inference
Authors: Lange Richard D. , Haefner Ralf M.
Published: March 2022

Perception is often characterized computationally as an inference process in which uncertain or ambiguous sensory inputs are combined with prior expectations. Although behavioral studies have shown that observers can change their prior expectations in the context of a task, robust neural signatures of task-specific priors have been elusive. Here, we analytically derive such signatures under the general assumption that the responses of sensory neurons encode posterior beliefs that combine sensory inputs with task-specific expectations. Specifically, we derive predictions for the task-dependence of correlated neural variability and decision-related signals in sensory neurons. The qualitative aspects of our results are parameter-free and specific to the statistics of each task. The predictions for correlated variability also differ from predictions of classic feedforward models of sensory processing and are therefore a strong test of theories of hierarchical Bayesian inference in the brain. Importantly, we find that Bayesian learning predicts an increase in so-called “differential correlations” as the observer’s internal model learns the stimulus distribution, and the observer’s behavioral performance improves. This stands in contrast to classic feedforward encoding/decoding models of sensory processing, since such correlations are fundamentally information-limiting. We find support for our predictions in data from existing neurophysiological studies across a variety of tasks and brain areas. Finally, we show in simulation how measurements of sensory neural responses can reveal information about a subject’s internal beliefs about the task. Taken together, our results reinterpret task-dependent sources of neural covariability as signatures of Bayesian inference and provide new insights into their cause and their function.
Simple model for encoding natural images by retinal ganglion cells with nonlinear spatial integration
Authors: Liu Jian K. , Karamanlis Dimokratis , Gollisch Tim
Published: March 2022

A central goal in sensory neuroscience is to understand the neuronal signal processing involved in the encoding of natural stimuli. A critical step towards this goal is the development of successful computational encoding models. For ganglion cells in the vertebrate retina, the development of satisfactory models for responses to natural visual scenes is an ongoing challenge. Standard models typically apply linear integration of visual stimuli over space, yet many ganglion cells are known to show nonlinear spatial integration, in particular when stimulated with contrast-reversing gratings. We here study the influence of spatial nonlinearities in the encoding of natural images by ganglion cells, using multielectrode-array recordings from isolated salamander and mouse retinas. We assess how responses to natural images depend on first- and second-order statistics of spatial patterns inside the receptive field. This leads us to a simple extension of current standard ganglion cell models. We show that taking not only the weighted average of light intensity inside the receptive field into account but also its variance over space can partly account for nonlinear integration and substantially improve response predictions of responses to novel images. For salamander ganglion cells, we find that response predictions for cell classes with large receptive fields profit most from including spatial contrast information. Finally, we demonstrate how this model framework can be used to assess the spatial scale of nonlinear integration. Our results underscore that nonlinear spatial stimulus integration translates to stimulation with natural images. Furthermore, the introduced model framework provides a simple, yet powerful extension of standard models and may serve as a benchmark for the development of more detailed models of the nonlinear structure of receptive fields.
Stability and change in fertility intentions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
Authors: Zimmerman Linnea A. , Karp Celia , Thiongo Mary , Gichangi Peter , Guiella Georges , Gemmill Alison , Moreau Caroline , Bell Suzanne O.
Published: March 2022

Fertility intentions are expected to decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic but limited empirical research on this topic has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Longitudinal data from Kenya, with baseline (November 2019) and follow-up (June 2020) data, were used to 1) assess the extent to which individual-level fertility intentions changed, and 2) examine how security, specifically economic and health security, affected fertility intentions. The final sample included 3,095 women. The primary outcomes were change in quantum and timing. Exploratory analyses described overall changes within the sample and logistic regression models assessed sociodemographic and COVID-19 related correlates of change, specifically income loss at the household level, food insecurity, and ability to socially distance. Approximately 85% of women reported consistent fertility intentions related to both the number and timing of childbearing. No COVID-19-related factors were related to changing quantum intentions. Women who reported chronic food insecurity had 4.78 times the odds of accelerating their desired timing to next birth compared to those who reported no food insecurity (95% CI: 1.53–14.93), with a significant interaction by wealth. The COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to widespread changes in fertility intentions in Kenya, though the most vulnerable women may have accelerated their childbearing intentions.
An application of the extended parallel process model to protective behaviors against COVID-19 in South Korea
Authors: Yoon Hyejung , You Myoungsoon , Shon Changwoo
Published: March 2022

This study applied the extended parallel process model (EPPM) to investigate the factors affecting people’s preventive behaviors against COVID-19, and thereby, draw relevant policy implications for current and future other epidemics. The EPPM was used to examine the danger control and fear control responses, along with the separate effects of their sub-factors (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, response efficacy, and self-efficacy) on personal hygiene behaviors, social distancing measures, and fatalism. In total, data from an online survey of 813 adults were analyzed. The results of multiple regression analysis showed a strong effect of self-efficacy on danger control (ß= 0.23 for personal hygiene behaviors,β= 0.26 for social distancing) and fear control responses (ß= -0.13 for fatalism). However, based on the type of control response, the effect of perceived susceptibility and perceived severity, which were the main factors in threat appraisal, was insignificant or marginally significant. Further, a higher perceived severity was associated with higher fatalism in the fear control response (ß= 0.09). Those who were currently employed performed fewer social distancing measures compared to those who did not (ß= -0.11), whereas there was no difference in personal hygiene behaviors. These results suggest that risk communication in emerging infectious disease crises should provide customized information on people who are hard to comply with social distancing. Besides delivering the message of self-efficacy, policies should be implemented to create a social environment in which individuals can practice social distancing without constraints.
Temporal and spatial dynamics in soil acoustics and their relation to soil animal diversity
Authors: Maeder Marcus , Guo Xianda , Neff Felix , Schneider Mathis Doris , Gossner Martin M.
Published: March 2022

The observation and assessment of animal biodiversity using acoustic technology has developed considerably in recent years. Current eco-acoustic research focuses on automatic audio recorder arrays and acoustic indices, which may be used to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of local animal communities in high resolution. While such soundscapes have often been studied above ground, their applicability in soils has rarely been tested. For the first time, we applied acoustic and statistical methods to explore the spatial, diurnal, and seasonal dynamics of the soundscape in soils. We studied the dynamics of acoustic complexity in forest soils in the alpine Pfynwald forest in the Swiss canton of Valais and related them to meteorological and microclimatic data. To increase microclimatic variability, we used a long-term irrigation experiment. We also took soil samples close to the sensors on 6 days in different seasons. Daily and seasonal patterns of acoustic complexity were predicted to be associated with abiotic parameters—that is, meteorological and microclimatic conditions—and mediated by the dynamics of the diversity and activity of the soil fauna. Seasonal patterns in acoustic complexity showed the highest acoustic complexity values in spring and summer, decreasing in fall and winter. Diurnal acoustic complexity values were highest in the afternoon and lowest during the night. The measurement of acoustic diversity at the sampling site was significantly associated with soil communities, with relationships between taxa richness or community composition and acoustic complexity being strongest shortly before taking the soil samples. Our results suggest that the temporal and spatial dynamics of the diversity and community composition of soil organisms can be predicted by the acoustic complexity of soil soundscapes. This opens up the possibility of using soil soundscape analysis as a noninvasive and easy-to-use method for soil biodiversity monitoring programs.
An integrated optimization model and metaheuristics for assortment planning, shelf space allocation, and inventory management of perishable products: A real application
Authors: Sajadi Seyed Jafar , Ahmadi Ali
Published: March 2022

Product category management (PCM) plays a pivotal role in today’s large stores. PCM manages to answer questions such as assortment planning (AP) and shelf space allocation (SSA). AP problem seeks to determine a list of products and suppliers, while SSA problem tries to design the layout of the selected products in the available shelf space. These problems aim to maximize the retailer sales under different constraints, such as limited purchasing budget, limited space of classes for displaying the products, and having at least a certain number of suppliers. This paper makes an attempt to develop an integrated mathematical model to optimize integrated AP, SSA, and inventory control problem for the perishable products. The objective of the model is to maximize the sales and retail profit, considering the costs of supplier contracting/selecting and ordering, assortment planning, holding, and procurement cost. GAMS BARON solver is hired to solve the proposed model in small and medium scales. However, because the problem is NP-hard, an evolutionary genetic algorithm (GA), and an efficient local search vibration damping optimization (VDO) algorithm are proposed. A real case study is considered to evaluate the effectiveness and capabilities of the model. Besides, some test problems of different sizes are generated and solved by the proposed metaheuristic solvers to confirm the efficient performance of proposed algorithms in solving large-scale instances.
Visual preferences for outdoor space along commercial pedestrian streets under the influence of plant characteristics
Authors: Huang Xulin , Han Chenping , Ma Mingkang
Published: March 2022

Chinese commercial pedestrian streets have developed rapidly in recent years. However, people’s preferences were not sufficiently considered and reflected in the outdoor space and landscape design. With the outdoor landscapes along commercial pedestrian streets in the region south of the Five Ridges as the research objects, this study revealed the public’s different preference evaluations of the landscapes under the reciprocal effects of street characteristics. The main results were as follows: (a) When arcade spaces were available, people prefer streets with taller trees and a lower planting density (50 plants/km or less). Conversely, they preferred streets with relatively low trees (3–6 m), a higher planting density (100–200 plants/km) and two or more vertical layers of plants. People did not like the way that plants are lined in the middle of a street. (b) When there were only one or two types of signage hanging, people preferred streets with a moderate planting density (50–100 plants/km); and there were three or more types of signage hanging, people preferred the plants with low linear density (50 plants/km or less) and that were arranged along one or two sides of the street. (c) When benches were available, people preferred streets with plants on one or both sides, fewer plant colours (one or two kind of colours) and better plant growth status. Specifically, the richer the vertical structure and the bigger number of colours were, the higher the preference score. This study provided design schemes to enhance the visual quality of landscapes by improving landscape characteristics in similar outdoor spaces.
Comparative analysis of alignment-free genome clustering and whole genome alignment-based phylogenomic relationship of coronaviruses
Authors: Kirichenko Anastasiya D. , Poroshina Anastasiya A. , Sherbakov Dmitry Yu. , Sadovsky Michael G. , Krutovsky Konstantin V.
Published: March 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 is the third coronavirus in addition to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV that causes severe respiratory syndrome in humans. All of them likely crossed the interspecific barrier between animals and humans and are of zoonotic origin, respectively. The origin and evolution of viruses and their phylogenetic relationships are of great importance for study of their pathogenicity and development of antiviral drugs and vaccines. The main objective of the presented study was to compare two methods for identifying relationships between coronavirus genomes: phylogenetic one based on the whole genome alignment followed by molecular phylogenetic tree inference and alignment-free clustering of triplet frequencies, respectively, using 69 coronavirus genomes selected from two public databases. Both approaches resulted in well-resolved robust classifications. In general, the clusters identified by the first approach were in good agreement with the classes identified by the second using K-means and the elastic map method, but not always, which still needs to be explained. Both approaches demonstrated also a significant divergence of genomes on a taxonomic level, but there was less correspondence between genomes regarding the types of diseases they caused, which may be due to the individual characteristics of the host. This research showed that alignment-free methods are efficient in combination with alignment-based methods. They have a significant advantage in computational complexity and provide valuable additional alternative information on the genomes relationships.
Investigating the factors of enterprise social media strain: The role of enterprise social media’s visibility as a moderator
Authors: Li Ying , Pitafi Abdul Hameed , Li Haoning
Published: March 2022

The significant effect of enterprise social media (ESM) usage has been extensively researched. However, recent studies and analysis have also emphasized the importance of understanding the negative aspects of ESM’s use. By applying uses and gratifications theory (UGT), this study proposes a research model that tests how employees’ ESM usage (hedonic, social, and information values) leads to ESM-related strain through perceived information overload. The study collected data from 315 Chinese employees using a survey method and analyzed the results using AMOS 21.0 software. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the proposed hypothesis. The results indicate that perceived hedonic, social, and information values are significant predictors of perceived information overload. Such overload is also significantly associated with ESM-related strain. The results also indicate that ESM visibility strengthens the significant relationship between perceived information overload and ESM-related strain. Furthermore, managers can also train individuals to use ESM appropriately. We recommend that employees can better control and manage their ESM usage by recognizing the causes of excessive use.
Emotion diffusion effect: Negative sentiment COVID-19 tweets of public organizations attract more responses from followers
Authors: Yu Haiyan , Yang Ching-Chi , Yu Ping , Liu Ke
Published: March 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered an enormous number of discussion topics on social media Twitter. It has an impact on the global health system and citizen responses to the pandemic. Multiple responses (replies, favorites, and retweets) reflect the followers’ attitudes and emotions towards these tweets. Twitter data such as these have inspired substantial research interest in sentiment and social trend analyses. To date, studies on Twitter data have focused on the associational relationships between variables in a population. There is a need for further discovery of causality, such as the influence of sentiment polarity of tweet response on further discussion topics. These topics often reflect the human perception of COVID-19. This study addresses this exact topic. It aims to develop a new method to unveil the causal relationships between the sentiment polarity and responses in social media data. We employed sentiment polarity, i.e., positive or negative sentiment, as the treatment variable in this quasi-experimental study. The data is the tweets posted by nine authoritative public organizations in four countries and the World Health Organization from December 1, 2019, to May 10, 2020. Employing the inverse probability weighting model, we identified the treatment effect of sentiment polarity on the multiple responses of tweets. The topics with negative sentiment polarity on COVID-19 attracted significantly more replies (69±49) and favorites (688±677) than the positive tweets. However, no significant difference in the number of retweets was found between the negative and positive tweets. This study contributes a new method for social media analysis. It generates new insight into the influence of sentiment polarity of tweets about COVID-19 on tweet responses.