bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Petrobrás e a indústria de petróleo no Brasil: geopolítica e estratégia nacional de desenvolvimento
Authors: Costa Wanderley Messias da
Published: March 2019

Este texto examina e discute a evolução da indústria do petróleo no Brasil e a posição central da Petrobrás nesse processo. Tomando como abordagem principal a geopolítica e suas interações com as relações internacionais, o estudo enfatiza e explora os diversos significados desse inestimável patrimônio conquistado pelo país nessa trajetória de sessenta anos. Antes de tudo, expõe a posição de destaque do Brasil enquanto uma das potências territoriais do mundo e sua incomparável riqueza em recursos naturais, ali destacados o petróleo e o gás. Ao mesmo tempo, a mobilização política dos anos 1950 inspirada pela defesa soberana dos interesses nacionais que resultou na criação da Petrobrás, combinada à acertada decisão de estruturá-la como o núcleo criador e irradiador de avançadas tecnologias que a tornaram líder mundial na exploração e produção de petróleo em águas profundas e ultraprofundas e viabilizaram a autossuficiência nacional. Dessa perspectiva, explora ainda o impacto dessas conquistas sobre a projeção e a inserção internacional do Brasil nessa estratégica área de notório significado econômico e geopolítico do mundo atual. Finalmente, ressalta que o país deve fortalecer sua Defesa Nacional para defender seus interesses soberanos, com destaque para as águas jurisdicionais e as reservas de petróleo e gás do Atlântico Sul e que, sobretudo na crise atual, cabe aos brasileiros proteger o patrimônio representado pela Petrobrás e sua estratégica cadeia produtiva, tecnológica e industrial.
Iconografia das fronteiras das Guianas
Authors: Silva Gutemberg de Vilhena , Miceli Clicia Vieira Di , Silva Brenda Farias da
Published: March 2019

Este texto apresenta um registro iconográfico comentado das fronteiras das Guianas. O trabalho foi formatado em grandes eixos (circulação; comércio e padrão arquitetônico) de modo que analisamos assuntos importantes a estes eixos vinculados para dar visibilidade a espacialidades e problemas pelos quais as cidades fronteiriças das Guianas se estruturam, interagem e criam paisagens peculiares em suas geograficidades. Utilizamos em nossas reflexões diversas fontes de dados, mas os registros fotográficos de trabalho de campo realizado entre novembro e dezembro de 2017 foi o de maior destaque. A avaliação central é que toda a complexidade presente nas fronteiras das Guianas é resultado de séculos de ocupação, mobilidades e conflitos. Em geral, vários arranjos institucionais em variados temas atinentes àquele espaço geográfico são mais complexos que o usual, tendo em vista que as decisões de “abrir” ou “fechar” nas interações fronteiriças consideram toda a dinâmica política e econômica que os países possuem e cujos reflexos são sentidos direta ou indiretamente nas cidades fronteiriças.
Entre la ville et la mer, entre la France et le Brésil : penser la balnéarisation
Authors: Vidal Laurent , Gomes Paulo Cesar da Costa
Published: March 2019

Il s’agit ici de présenter ici le cadre général des questions et orientations à l’origine d’une enquête collective réunissant historiens et géographes de la France et du Brésil autour du processus de production de l’espace balnéaire, ainsi que des circulations atlantiques des modèles, expériences et pratiques. C’est l’évolution du contact ville-mer, ses renégociations constantes ainsi que les défis qu’elle impose qui sont au cœur de cette initiative.
A circulação de práticas e ideias balneárias: a estância termal de Poços de Caldas (MG)
Authors: Ferreira Lohanne Fernanda Gonçalves , Silva-Júnior Rogério
Published: March 2019

Pode-se dizer que os modelos balneários litorâneo e termal são concorrentes em seu nascimento, ainda que fortemente conectados pela coincidente frequência das elites que os fundaram e os frequentaram. Para compreender algumas dimensões de circulação práticas e ideias balneárias entre o litoral e as estâncias termais, partimos da experiência de uma das principais cidades termais balneárias do início do século XX no Brasil, Poços de Caldas (MG). Para além da historiografia construída sobre a cidade, analisamos no presente artigo as matérias sobre a cidade nas reportagens da Revista O Cruzeiro. Foram identificados três momentos fundamentais: a construção da estância termal enquanto balneário; o apogeu e a consolidação do balneário; e a decadência da estância termal como um espaço social das elites brasileiras. Isto se deu no mesmo momento em que os balneários litorâneos ganhavam força.
Rio de Janeiro e a Avenida Beira Mar: desejo de paisagem e cidade balneário nas primeiras décadas do século XX
Authors: Ribeiro Rafael Winter
Published: March 2019

As intervenções urbanas que têm início durante a gestão do prefeito Pereira Passos (1902-1906) são comumente apontadas como um marco na construção da modernidade no Rio de Janeiro. Neste período há a abertura da Avenida Beira Mar, grande bulevar que ligava o Centro à Zona Sul pela orla da Baía de Guanabara, área que se consolidava como vetor de ocupação de uma população mais abastada. Na sua configuração, a avenida oferecia grande visibilidade a dois elementos que se consagraram como definidores da paisagem carioca: o mar e a montanha. Ver a paisagem a partir de espaços nascidos para serem considerados nobres colocava em evidência o desejo de usá-la. No mesmo período, a cidade vivia um crescimento considerável de atividades ligadas à função de balneário e que encontram lugar na nova avenida. A necessidade de contato com espaços abertos e com a natureza que a atividade balneária colocava repercutia numa exposição maciça dessa paisagem, que se descortinava de novos pontos de vista. Como a Avenida Beira Mar se relaciona com o processo de construção da paisagem do Rio de Janeiro? Qual o papel dos espaços e práticas de balneário? Quais espaços de balneário participaram desse processo e como? São algumas das indagações que orientam esse artigo. O trabalho aponta como a construção de uma infraestrutura ligada aos ideais de cidade balneário ao longo da avenida corrobora com essa relação: hotéis, cassinos, banhos de mar, práticas esportivas, passeios e festas contribuem para forjar essa associação entre balneário e a consolidação da paisagem carioca.
“Uma Copacabana Perdida nos Confins suburbanos”: a ideia de balnearização do bairro de Ramos/RJ (anos 1920-1940)
Authors: Chrysostomo Maria Isabel de Jesus
Published: March 2019

Discutimos nesse artigo as modalidades do projeto de interiorização, na metrópole do Rio de Janeiro, de um hábito que se tornou uma marca carioca: o de se banhar, de expor os corpos na praia e de praticar esportes marítimos. Para compreender como os subúrbios cariocas absorveram e adaptaram esse modelo, apresentaremos o caso do bairro de Ramos que, entre os anos 1920 e 1940, implantou um loteamento com uma espécie de “avenida Beira Mar”. “Perdida nos confins suburbanos”, a pitoresca praia de Ramos, vendida como principal atributo desse loteamento, passa a ser considerada possibilidade de lazer e espaço de moradia.
Historical evolution of seafront occupation in France (Bay of Biscay) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) face to coastal erosion vulnerability and risks (19th - 21th centuries)
Authors: Lins-de-Barros Flavia Moraes , Sauzeau Thierry , Guerra Josefa Varela
Published: March 2019

Intervenções antrópicas na zona costeira ocorreram em larga escala a partir do século XIX em virtude da necessidade de se acomodar embarcações cada vez maiores nas áreas portuárias e da difusão do banho de mar nas praias como um valor social. A partir do século XX intensifica-se a urbanização das zonas costeiras onde hoje se situam algumas das mais populosas cidades do mundo, bem como importantes destinos turísticos, o que resulta em enorme fluxo de pessoas para estas áreas. No presente trabalho é apresentada a evolução histórica da ocupação do litoral na cidade do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) e na Baía de Biscaia (França) apontando sua influência sobre as transformações da dinâmica natural das praias, a vulnerabilidade e os riscos à erosão costeira. O resgate histórico inicia-se no começo do século XIX e se estende até o momento atual, enfatizando as transformações promovidas pela ocupação urbana e o uso turístico, e sua relação com os eventos de ressaca.
O arrastão vai à praia: gentes, redes e visibilidades no balneário carioca
Authors: Machado Ana Brasil , Santos Mariana de Oliveira
Published: March 2019

No início dos anos 1990, os arrastões ficaram conhecidos no Rio de Janeiro como eventos nos quais furtos e roubos eram cometidos por bandos de jovens, particularmente nas praias, marcando fortemente a experiência nestes espaços e alterando o imaginário acerca das práticas balneárias na cidade. Este artigo se propõe a compreender, a partir da análise de notícias de jornal, o debate público que antecedeu à estabilização dos conteúdos relacionados ao arrastão e de sua localização nas praias da orla marítima da Zona Sul carioca. Recuando até o início da década de 1980, quando os arrastões ocorriam em outros espaços da cidade, o estudo se estende até o “verão do arrastão” (1991-1992), quando a prática se associa definitivamente à orla carioca e é profundamente requalificada. O artigo procura também destacar, além das próprias definições da prática e dos atores envolvidos, os elementos que constituíram a espacialidade de tal fenômeno, com ênfase para a centralidade e a visibilidade dos espaços públicos, e as relações e conexões entre diferentes espaços da cidade.
Mapeamento da qualidade nutricional da alimentação em diferentes estados do Brasil
Authors: Santana André Bento Chaves , Sarti Flavia Mori
Published: March 2019

O estudo das características do consumo alimentar em diferentes grupos populacionais apresenta significativa importância no cenário de saúde coletiva, tendo em vista a necessidade de compreensão dos efeitos da transição nutricional na ocorrência e distribuição da carga global de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis de origem alimentar. Índices de avaliação da qualidade das dietas têm sido propostos para análise global do consumo alimentar registrado, a partir das principais características nutricionais da alimentação. O Índice de Qualidade da Dieta Revisado (IQD-R) é um instrumento adaptado e validado para aplicação no Brasil, possibilitando avaliação da qualidade da alimentação de indivíduos e grupos populacionais no país. Assim, o presente trabalho buscou conduzir uma análise da qualidade nutricional da dieta da população nos diferentes estados brasileiros utilizando o IQD-R, a partir do perfil de consumo alimentar registrado em pesquisa de representatividade nacional, segundo níveis de renda per capita. Os resultados obtidos apontam escore do IQD-R de 56,85 para população brasileira. Em termos geográficos, identificou-se menor qualidade da alimentação no Amapá (54,31), Sergipe (55,13) e Rio Grande do Sul (55,24); enquanto houve melhor escore de qualidade da dieta nos estados de Mato Grosso (59, 74), Alagoas (59,74) e Maranhão (60,31). Verificou-se, ainda, maior qualidade da alimentação entre indivíduos em faixas de renda inferiores, em relação ao restante da população. O consumo de calorias de alimentos processados e ultraprocessados em valores superiores a 50% do valor energético total da dieta associou-se à menor pontuação do IQD-R, sendo identificadas diferenças na pontuação do índice de acordo com local de residência. Tais evidências mostram um amplo espectro de variação na qualidade nutricional no padrão alimentar brasileiro, particularmente atrelado às diferenças em termos de características socioeconômicas e culturais da população residente em cada Unidade da Federação.
La mémoire des villes dans la société digitale : quelques réflexions pour São Paulo et l’exemple de « Quand la ville était plus douce »
Authors: Jayo Martin , Vargas Diego Vasconcellos
Published: March 2019

Deux décennies après sa publication, l’essai Sur la Mémoire des Villes, du géographe Maurício de Almeida Abreu, garde toute sa pertinence et se et encore largement cité et reconnu. Cependant, un élément relativement nouveau et peut-être important en ce qui concerne les discussions à propos de la mémoire des villes pourrait être approfondi : la manière dont, dans le contexte de la numérisation de la société, les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) ont les moyens d’altérer les formes de production, de transmission et de préservation de la mémoire urbaine. En partant du débat conceptuel d’Abreu, on argumente dans cet article que São Paulo, à cause de ses caractères historiques et du manque de lieux voués à la mémoire, peut se configurer comme un laboratoire privilégié d’expérimentation de TIC comme un support pour ce type de mémoire.
Agriculturas urbanas em São Paulo: histórico e tipologia
Authors: Caldas Eduardo de Lima , Jayo Martin
Published: March 2019

O artigo visa contribuir para o conhecimento disponível sobre as políticas e práticas contemporâneas de agricultura urbana na cidade de São Paulo. Para tanto, traça-se um histórico da agricultura paulistana a partir da década de 1980, e analisam-se as práticas atuais de agricultura urbana na cidade, resultantes desse histórico. A análise aponta que as iniciativas e políticas no setor oscilaram historicamente entre duas modalidades dem distintas de agricultura urbana: de um lado o que chamamos de “agricultura urbana de escala”, e de outro uma “agricultura urbana de visibilidade”. Essas duas modalidades, que resultam de distintas articulações de atores e atribuem distintos sentidos à prática de agricultura urbana, coexistem ainda hoje na cidade, embora praticadas em áreas diferentes: a agricultura “de escala” localiza-se de forma geral em áreas periféricas, ao passo que a “de visibilidade” está concentrada em regiões mais centrais.
Agricultures urbaines à São Paulo: histoire et typologie
Authors: Caldas Eduardo de Lima , Jayo Martin
Published: March 2019

Cet article vise à contribuer aux connaissances disponibles sur les politiques et les pratiques actuelles de l’agriculture urbaine dans la ville de São Paulo. Dans ce but, nous retraçons l’histoire de l’agriculture à São Paulo depuis les années 1980 et analysons les pratiques agricoles actuelles qui en résultent. L’étude révèle que les initiatives et les politiques du secteur ont historiquement oscillé entre deux formes distinctes d’agriculture urbaine : d'une part, ce que nous appelons l’agriculture urbaine « d’échelle » et d'autre part une agriculture urbaine « de visibilité ». Ces deux formes, chacune résultant d'une articulation différente des acteurs et attribuant différentes significations aux pratiques agricoles urbaines, coexistent aujourd’hui dans la ville, bien qu’elles soient pratiquées dans des zones différentes : l’agriculture urbaine « d’échelle » est généralement située dans des zones périphériques, autant que l’agriculture urbaine « de visibilité » se concentre dans des régions plus centrales.
Mettre en place une politique de lutte contre le changement climatique en aire métropolitaine : le cas de la Région du Grand ABC au Brésil
Authors: Bideux Julie
Published: March 2019

Les gouvernements locaux sont récemment apparus comme un niveau d’action important de lutte contre le changement climatique. Il devient donc nécessaire d’étudier quels sont les facteurs favorisant une action sur le sujet, et comment celle-ci est mise en place. A travers le cas de la Région du Grand ABC dans la Région Métropolitaine de São Paulo au Brésil, on peut analyser la construction d’une politique climatique, qui c’est faite en zone métropolitaine, par des villes petites et moyennes, et à travers la coordination d’un Consortium inter-municipal. Plus particulièrement, on voit comment les circonstances de mise à l’agenda de la lutte contre le changement climatique – des acteurs, institutions, niveaux de gouvernements ou secteurs impliqués - influencent la manière dont cette politique est mise en œuvre. Cela permet ainsi d’identifier en partie l’origine de problèmes d’institutionnalisation de la problématique, ou de répartition inégale des bénéfices du processus entre municipalités et secteurs.
Governos subnacionais e a Política de Mudanças Climáticas de São Paulo: uma análise a partir da multiposição dos atores na cidade de São Paulo
Authors: Checco Guilherme Barbosa , Caldas Eduardo de Lima
Published: March 2019

São Paulo, pela população e pela dinâmica econômica, é um ator local com dimensões e importância que extrapolam seu território. Assim, iniciativas de políticas de mitigação e adaptação às mudanças climáticas em São Paulo podem ganhar significância em todo o país. Chama a atenção o protagonismo exercido pela cidade de São Paulo em termos de políticas climáticas a partir da implementação de um conjunto de instrumentos da ação pública no período de 2001 a 2012, inclusive com a promulgação sua própria política de mudanças climáticas em junho de 2009, antes mesmo da existência de uma política nacional e estadual nessa agenda. Contribuiu igualmente para esse processo a articulação da cidade com diferentes redes e fóruns, bem como a influência do contexto internacional. Diante do exposto, esse artigo pretende identificar os elementos que contribuíram para o exercício desse protagonismo climático.
Ações Estatais ou Políticas Públicas? Fronteiras, Fluxos Migratórios e Política Migratória
Authors: Araújo José Renato de Campos , Pereira Paula Vitória , Rodas Bryan Zelmar Sempertegui
Published: March 2019

A partir de reflexões sobre as diferentes realidades do Estado Brasileiro, entre dois de seus níveis federativos (governo federal e municipal), este texto realiza uma reflexão sobre o estado das artes das Políticas Públicas brasileiras relacionadas aos fluxos migratórios internacionais que se direcionam para o território brasileiro nos últimos anos. Em nível federal o texto passa em revista a atuação pouco coordenada do Estado brasileiro em relação ao fluxo de venezuelanos que adentram o Brasil através da fronteira localizada no estado de Roraima, através do município de Pacaraima. Já no nível municipal, Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo, a partir de observações coletas em ações de pesquisa de campo junto à Escola Municipal de Educação Infantil Duque de Caxias, descreve-se o quanto a ação dos “Burocratas do Nível da Rua” são fundamentais na “construção” de ações do estado brasileiro para as populações migrantes fixadas no território do país. Conclui-se sobre a relevância desta agenda de pesquisa para reflexões consistentes sobre o estado das artes das Políticas Públicas Brasileiras.
Flexibilidade institucional e qualidade da democracia:sobre a comparação de conceitos historicamente construídos e geograficamente situados
Authors: Assumpção-Rodrigues Marta Maria , Netto José Veríssimo Romão
Published: March 2019

A partir da experiência do compartilhamento de uma agenda de pesquisa entre o Centro de Pesquisa de Políticas Públicas da Universidade de São Paulo e o Institute of Local Government Studies da Universidade de Birmingham, este artigo discute os desafios que os cientistas políticos e gestores públicos têm de enfrentar visando a padronização de conceitos como qualidade da democracia e flexibilidade / incompletude / rigidez institucional. Argumenta-se não apenas que esses conceitos devem ser historicamente contextualizados, mas principalmente que tal contextualização deve prestar atenção às relações entre a qualidade da democracia e os desenhos institucionais. Caso contrário, a análise comparativa não será frutífera ao iluminar as diferenças (e semelhanças) que caracterizam os casos estudados.
A Business Enterprise Resilience Model to Address Strategic Disruptions
Authors: Mohamed Hassan Ahmed Hassan , Galal-Edeen Galal Hassan
Published: March 2019

Resilient business enterprises are able to survive strategic disruptions like technology disruptions and come back as more successful. They succeed because they have resilient characteristics and apply resilience strategies. Based on a case study analysis, this paper builds a business enterprise resilience model that guides the business enterprises to build the resilience capabilities that enable them to survive during strategic disruptions. The proposed model guides the business enterprise to instil in its architecture the design characteristics of resilience that make it ready to respond to disruption. The model uses the resilience strategies of mitigation, adaptation, and transformation and applies them at three enterprise levels; the operating model level, the competitive strategy level, and the business model level. The mitigation strategy moves the operating model to the efficiency frontier. The adaption strategy recovers the enterprise from the impacts of the strategic disruptions. The transformation strategy transforms the enterprise business model totally.
Students' Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding the Use of E-Portfolio as an Alternative Form of Assessment: Results from a Pilot Survey in Greek Primary Education
Authors: Zafiropoulou Vasiliki , Darra Maria
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of the eportfolio to the development of positive attitudes and beliefs of students towards school and learning, as well as to the acquisition of self-assessment skills by students. The method used is the experiment using an experimental and a control group and two pre and post measurements. The survey was carried out during the first trimester of the school year 2016-2017 and a sample of 40 pupils of the second grade of the elementary school in the city of Rhodes. The findings of the survey show that students of both groups after the end of the intervention have a more positive attitude towards school and learning, but the experimental group that utilized the eportfolio has even higher rates of positive responses. In addition, in relation to the contribution of the eportfolio to the development of self-assessment skills by students, the students of the e-portfolio experimental group evaluated their performance higher than their teacher's assessment.
Job Stresses and Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence in Improving the Performance of Primary School Teachers, an Empirical Study
Authors: Shoukat Iqbal , Ahmad Muhammad Mushtaq , Ahmed Nadeem
Published: March 2019

In modern era the increase in stress affects all domain of life. Job stress is a crucial problem and job performance is affected in a positive or negative manner. Job satisfaction and emotional intelligence are two important variables in organizational behavioral studies, and are key factors in promoting the efficiency of organizations. The present study was conducted to determine the correlation of job satisfaction and emotional intelligence of the employees. The study was conducted in 28 private and public primary schools to chalk out the association between job performance and job stress, moderated by using the emotional intelligence. This cross-sectional study was performed on 335 employees of Primary Schools, who were selected using convenient and random stratified method. Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to 335 school teachers to collect the information, which was then analyzed statistically by using the SPSS (23.0) measures. Bar-on emotional intelligence and job satisfaction questionnaires were used in this study. The result revealed that there was a direct positive association between job stress and job performance. This association helped to influence and improve the performance of the staff when moderated by emotional intelligence, which has a highly significant interactive role in this regard. The data were analyzed using statistical methods such as goodness of fit tests and regression and correlation analyses.
Rural Level Impact of China Free-aid Water Project in Nigeria
Authors: Eneji Rosemary I. , Li Xiaoyun
Published: March 2019

The objective of this study was to determine the socio-economic impact of Chinese involvement in the provision of potable water at the community level in Nigeria. We specifically determined how the water projects have contributed to health, education and personal income. The study was carried out in Toge/Gasa rural village located at the outskirts of Nigeria’s federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja. A combination of informal interviews as well as structured and semi-structured questionnaires was used. Before the water project, 70% of the beneficiaries relied on personal wells, 10% on rivers/stream and 20% on commercial boreholes. Only 12% of respondents agreed that the volume of water for domestic use before the borehole project was sufficient but 68% of people had sufficient water after the borehole project. Further, 78% of respondents considered the quality of water from project boreholes to be much better than what they had before. In contrast, some 75% of non-beneficiaries of the borehole water project still lacked enough water for daily use.
Euphemism and Hegemony: Discursive Power of Communication across Cultures
Authors: Sharma Pradeep K , Albarakati Mohammad
Published: March 2019

The socio-political manipulation of euphemisms across cultures as alternate metaphors with ideological force has been analyzed in the present paper. The study was inspired by George Orwell's treatment of euphemisms as ideological tools for hedging, Lakoff and Johnson's idea of metaphors as elements structuring human thought and Roman Jakobson's model to study metaphor and metonymy as instances of romantic and realistic tendencies respectively in the user, and ordering of human behavior accordingly. A close analysis of the employment of euphemisms in differing social set-ups suggests that some euphemisms reveal a hegemonic impulse behind their usage, while a different category of euphemisms behave as counter-balancing force against this hegemonic impulse exerting dominance in a community. To comprehend the significance of this distinction better, the researchers suggest that in the existing categorization of euphemisms, two new categories – hegemonic euphemisms and resistance euphemisms – may be added. Further investigation into the cultural function of euphemisms reveals that euphemisms function as signs of signs, therefore, meaningless words. The study concludes that such a usage of euphemisms is problematic since euphemistic expressions are capable of reducing (unwanted or undesirable) meaning as redundant, superfluous, and ineffectual to rouse human conscience.   Keywords: euphemisms; cultural hegemony; cultural capital; symbolic power
Industrial- or Residential-Dominant Development? A Comparative Analysis of Maritime Industrial Development Areas of Liaoning, China
Authors: Chen Fei , Yu Sherry , Liu Lianlian , Lu Wie , Cai Jun
Published: March 2019

This paper adopts a case-comparison method to study the spatial layout features of maritime industrial development areas (MIDAs) in Liaoning, China, in reference to similar projects in other Asian countries including Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Our study focuses on industry-city spatial relationship, land position and proportion, coastline utilization intensity and industrial land organization. We show that supplementary residential and recreational land has primarily occupied the high-quality coastlines, and resulted in limited industrial access to marine resources. Our theoretical and empirical analyses connect this feature to local government finances, purchase restriction policy and an investment-driven surge in demand for coastal residential housing. Many areas now exhibit low utilization of industrial land accompanied by the emergence of “ghost cities” phenomenon, which are critical factors that the policymakers should consider in the future planning of coastal development. Interviews with local developers, housing authority personnel, relocated employees and residents confirm our findings. We conclude with policy recommendations for promoting long-term sustainable development in the coastal area.
Photolysis of Staphyloxanthin in Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Potentiates Killing by Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Dong Pu‐Ting , Mohammad Haroon , Hui Jie , Leanse Leon G. , Li Junjie , Liang Lijia , Dai Tianhong , Seleem Mohamed N. , Cheng Ji‐Xin
Published: March 2019

Confronted with the severe situation that the pace of resistance acquisition is faster than the clinical introduction of new antibiotics, health organizations are calling for effective approaches to combat methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Here, an approach to treat MRSA through photolysis of staphyloxanthin, an antioxidant residing in the microdomain of S. aureus membrane, is reported. This photochemistry process is uncovered through transient absorption imaging and quantitated by absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Photolysis of staphyloxanthin transiently elevates the membrane permeability and renders MRSA highly susceptible to hydrogen peroxide attack. Consequently, staphyloxanthin photolysis by low‐level 460 nm light eradicates MRSA synergistically with hydrogen peroxide and other reactive oxygen species. The effectiveness of this synergistic therapy is well validated in MRSA planktonic culture, MRSA‐infected macrophage cells, stationary‐phase MRSA, persisters, S. aureus biofilms, and two mice wound infection models. Collectively, the work demonstrates that staphyloxanthin photolysis is a new therapeutic platform to treat MRSA infections.
Nrf2 in cancers: A double‐edged sword
Authors: Wu Shijia , Lu Hong , Bai Yongheng
Published: March 2019

The Nrf2/Keap1 pathway is an important signaling cascade responsible for the resistance of oxidative damage induced by exogenous chemicals. It maintains the redox homeostasis, exerts anti‐inflammation and anticancer activity by regulating its multiple downstream cytoprotective genes, thereby plays a vital role in cell survival. Interestingly, in recent years, accumulating evidence suggests that Nrf2 has a contradictory role in cancers. Aberrant activation of Nrf2 is associated with poor prognosis. The constitutive activation of Nrf2 in various cancers induces pro‐survival genes and promotes cancer cell proliferation by metabolic reprogramming, repression of cancer cell apoptosis, and enhancement of self‐renewal capacity of cancer stem cells. More importantly, Nrf2 is proved to contribute to the chemoresistance and radioresistance of cancer cells as well as inflammation‐induced carcinogenesis. A number of Nrf2 inhibitors discovered for cancer treatment were reviewed in this report. These provide a new strategy that targeting Nrf2 could be a promising therapeutic approach against cancer. This review aims to summarize the dual effects of Nrf2 in cancer, revealing its function both in cancer prevention and inhibition, to further discover novel anticancer treatment.
Variability in the Analgesic Response to Ibuprofen Is Associated With Cyclooxygenase Activation in Inflammatory Pain
Authors: Theken Katherine N. , Hersh Elliot V. , Lahens Nicholas F. , Lee Hyo Min , Li Xuanwen , Granquist Eric J. , Giannakopoulos Helen E. , Levin Lawrence M. , Secreto Stacey A. , Grant Gregory R. , Detre John A. , FitzGerald Garret A. , Grosser Tilo , Farrar John T.
Published: March 2019

The mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in analgesic efficacy of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not well understood. Therefore, we performed pain phenotyping, functional neuroimaging, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic assessments, inflammation biomarkers, and gene expression profiling in healthy subjects who underwent surgical extraction of bony impacted third molars and were treated with ibuprofen (400 mg; N = 19) or placebo (N = 10). Analgesic efficacy was not associated with demographic or clinical characteristics, ibuprofen pharmacokinetics, or the degree of cyclooxygenase inhibition by ibuprofen. Compared with partial responders to ibuprofen (N = 9, required rescue medication within the dosing interval), complete responders (N = 10, no rescue medication) exhibited greater induction of urinary prostaglandin metabolites and serum tumor necrosis factor‐α and interleukin 8. Differentially expressed genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were enriched for inflammation‐related pathways. These findings suggest that a less pronounced activation of the inflammatory prostanoid system is associated with insufficient pain relief on ibuprofen alone and the need for additional therapeutic intervention.
Quantifying Preferences in Drug Benefit‐Risk Decisions
Authors: Tervonen Tommi , Angelis Aris , Hockley Kimberley , Pignatti Francesco , Phillips Lawrence D.
Published: March 2019

Benefit‐risk assessment is used in various phases along the drug lifecycle, such as marketing authorization and surveillance, health technology assessment (HTA), and clinical decisions, to understand whether, and for which patients, a drug has a favorable or more valuable profile with reference to one or more comparators. Such assessments are inherently preference‐based as several clinical and nonclinical outcomes of varying importance might act as evaluation criteria, and decision makers must establish acceptable trade‐offs between these outcomes. Different healthcare stakeholder perspectives, such as those from patients and healthcare professionals, are key for informing benefit‐risk trade‐offs. However, the degree to which such preferences inform the decision is often unclear as formal preference‐based evaluation frameworks are generally not used for regulatory decisions, and, if used, rarely communicated in HTA decisions. We argue that for better decisions, as well as for reasons of transparency, preferences in benefit‐risk decisions should more often be quantified and communicated explicitly.
An approach to incorporating inferred connectivity of adult movement into marine protected area design with limited data
Authors: Friesen Sarah K. , Martone Rebecca , Rubidge Emily , Baggio Jacopo A. , Ban Natalie C.
Published: March 2019

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important conservation tools that can support the resilience of marine ecosystems. Many countries, including Canada, have committed to protecting at least 10% of their marine areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Target 11, which includes connectivity as a key aspect. Connectivity, the movement of individuals among habitats, can enhance population stability and resilience within and among MPAs. However, little is known about regional spatial patterns of marine ecological connectivity, particularly adult movement. We developed a method to assess and design MPA networks that maximize inferred connectivity within habitat types for adult movement when ecological data are limited. We used the Northern Shelf Bioregion in British Columbia, Canada, to explore two different approaches: (1) evaluating sites important for inferred regional connectivity (termed hotspots) and (2) assessing MPA network configurations based on their overlap with connectivity hotspots and interconnectedness between MPAs. To assess inferred connectivity via adult movement, we used two different threshold distances (15 and 50 km) to capture moderate home ranges, which are most appropriate to consider in MPA design. We applied graph theory to assess inferred connectivity within 16 habitat and depth categories (proxies for distinct ecological communities), and used novel multiplex network methodologies to perform an aggregated assessment of inferred connectivity. We evaluated inferred regional connectivity hotspots based on betweenness and eigenvector centrality metrics, finding that the existing MPA network overlapped a moderate proportion of these regional hotspots and identified key areas to be considered as candidate MPAs. Network density among existing MPAs was low within the individual habitat networks, as well as the multiplex. This work informs an ongoing MPA planning process, and approaches for incorporating connectivity into MPA design when data are limited, with lessons for other contexts.
Temporal stability assessment in shear wave elasticity images validated by deep learning neural network for chronic liver disease fibrosis stage assessment
Authors: Gatos Ilias , Tsantis Stavros , Spiliopoulos Stavros , Karnabatidis Dimitris , Theotokas Ioannis , Zoumpoulis Pavlos , Loupas Thanasis , Hazle John D. , Kagadis George C.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To automatically detect and isolate areas of low and high stiffness temporal stability in shear wave elastography (SWE) image sequences and define their impact in chronic liver disease (CLD) diagnosis improvement by means of clinical examination study and deep learning algorithm employing convolutional neural networks (CNNs).

Materials and Methods

Two hundred SWE image sequences from 88 healthy individuals (F0 fibrosis stage) and 112 CLD patients (46 with mild fibrosis (F1), 16 with significant fibrosis (F2), 22 with severe fibrosis (F3), and 28 with cirrhosis (F4)) were analyzed to detect temporal stiffness stability between frames. An inverse Red, Green, Blue (RGB) colormap‐to‐stiffness process was performed for each image sequence, followed by a wavelet transform and fuzzy c‐means clustering algorithm. This resulted in a binary mask depicting areas of high and low stiffness temporal stability. The mask was then applied to the first image of the SWE sequence, and the derived, masked SWE image was used to estimate its impact in standard clinical examination and CNN classification. Regarding the impact of the masked SWE image in clinical examination, one measurement by two radiologists was performed in each SWE image and two in the corresponding masked image measuring areas with high and low stiffness temporal stability. Then, stiffness stability parameters, interobserver variability evaluation and diagnostic performance by means of ROC analysis were assessed. The masked and unmasked sets of SWE images were fed into a CNN scheme for comparison.

Results

The clinical impact evaluation study showed that the masked SWE images decreased the interobserver variability of the radiologists’ measurements in the high stiffness temporal stability areas (interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.92) compared to the corresponding unmasked ones (ICC = 0.76). In terms of diagnostic accuracy, measurements in the high‐stability areas of the masked SWE images (area‐under‐the‐curve (AUC) ranging from 0.800 to 0.851) performed similarly to those in the unmasked SWE images (AUC ranging from 0.805 to 0.893). Regarding the measurements in the low stiffness temporal stability areas of the masked SWE images, results for interobserver variability (ICC = 0.63) and diagnostic accuracy (AUC ranging from 0.622 to 0.791) were poor. Regarding the CNN classification, the masked SWE images showed improved accuracy (ranging from 82.5% to 95.5%) compared to the unmasked ones (ranging from 79.5% to 93.2%) for various CLD stage combinations.

Conclusion

Our detection algorithm excludes unreliable areas in SWE images, reduces interobserver variability, and augments CNN's accuracy scores for many combinations of fibrosis stages.
Characterization of Choked Conditions Under Subsonic to Supersonic Flow in Single‐Phase (Supercritical to Gaseous CO2 or Liquid H2O) and Multiphase (CO2 and H2O) Transport
Authors: Park Jong Gil , Han Weon Shik , Han Gidon , Piao Jize , Park Eungyu , Kwon Sanghoon
Published: March 2019

In geologic media, fluids exist in gas, liquid, and supercritical phases, generating multiphase and multicomponent systems. As fluids migrating through geologic fractures reach the speed of sound, choked flow can be developed in microfractures. To elucidate such choked flow, thermodynamic analysis and numerical simulations were conducted with CO2, H2O, and CO2‐H2O mixtures at various phases ranging from supercritical to gaseous CO2 and liquid H2O. Compressible CO2, with a relatively low speed of sound (~225 m/s at 31.1 °C and 7.38 MPa), demonstrated significant changes in thermodynamic properties with small pressure and temperature variations. In contrast, H2O, having a relatively high speed of sound (1,524 m/s), showed little thermodynamic variation. For CO2‐H2O mixtures, a small addition of CO2 (or H2O) dramatically reduced the speed of sound relative to those for pure H2O or CO2. For an idealized converging‐diverging microfracture with CO2 flow, choked flow and a shock wave were generated as outlet pressure was decreased to less than 6.8 MPa. The H2O flow did not generate choked flow at any outlet pressures. For CO2‐H2O mixtures, choked flow was generated when the CO2 void fraction was greater than 0.7 with an outlet pressure of 6.5 MPa, indicating that presence of H2O inhibited occurrence of choked flow. Choked flow and shock waves can occur in various geologic environments including geologic CO2 sequestration, geothermal energy development, geysers, and volcano eruptions.
Gender-specific associations of malocclusion traits with oral health-related quality of life in a Finnish adult population
Authors: Silvola Anna-Sofia , Närhi Linnea , Tolvanen Mimmi , Pirttiniemi Pertti
Published: March 2019

Aim

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate gender-specific associations of different malocclusion traits with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Finnish adults.

Material and methods

The study material comprised 1885 subjects from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. A clinical oral examination including registration of occlusion was carried out in connection with a 46-year follow-up examination. The 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to measure OHRQoL. Subgroups with increased/decreased overjet, deep bite, open bite, lateral crossbite, and scissor bite were selected for further analysis. Subjects with normal occlusion were selected to form the normal occlusion group. Differences between subgroups and the normal occlusion group were evaluated for both genders separately. Education, number of teeth, caries, and orthodontic treatment history were chosen as confounding variables. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses were conducted to assess the effect of independent variables on OHRQoL.

Results

After adjustments, decreased overjet, open bite, and scissor bite were associated with higher OHIP severity in women (P < 0.01). In men, deep bite was associated with higher OHIP severity (P = 0.007). Different malocclusion traits had associations with some OHIP dimension either in men or women. Orthodontic treatment history had a positive effect on OHRQoL in both genders.

Conclusion

The associations of malocclusion traits with OHRQoL differed between genders, with women reporting more impacts. Deviations from normal occlusion were generally found to have a negative impact on OHRQoL, but most of the adults with malocclusion seem to adapt to their condition.
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices: best practice and real-world experience
Authors: Seewöster Timm , Löbe Susanne , Hilbert Sebastian , Bollmann Andreas , Sommer Philipp , Lindemann Frank , Bacevičius Justinas , Schöne Katharina , Richter Sergio , Döring Michael , Paetsch Ingo , Hindricks Gerhard , Jahnke Cosima
Published: March 2019

Aims

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has long been a contraindication for patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED). Recent studies support the feasibility and safety for non-thoracic magnetic resonance imaging, but data for CMR are sparse. The aim of the current study was to determine the safety in patients with magnetic resonance (MR)-conditional or non-MR-conditional CIED and to develop a best practice approach.

Methods and results

All patients with a CIED undergoing CMR imaging (1.5 T) between April 2014 and April 2017 were included in the study. Devices were programmed according to the standardized protocol directly before and after the CMR examination. Follow-up interrogation was performed 6 months after CMR examination. Results were compared with a large, reference cohort of CIED patients not undergoing any MR examination. A total of 200 consecutive patients with a CIED (non-MR-conditional, n = 103) were included in the study. Directly after CMR imaging, one device failure (0.5%, battery status = end of service) was noted necessitating premature generator replacement. In three patients (2%) of pacemaker/implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) carriers a sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurred during CMR imaging. Ten ICD showed a decrease in battery capacity immediately after CMR. Overall, the reference cohort showed comparable changes of CIED function during follow-up.

Conclusion

With adherence to a standardized protocol and established exclusion criteria CMR imaging could safely be performed in patients with a CIED. The potential risks of device malfunction necessitate the presence of a device trained individual during the entire CMR examination. If there is a history of VT storm the attendance of an experienced cardiologist, should be mandatory.
Decreased expression of ApoF associates with poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Ya-Bin , Zhou Bo-Xuan , Ling Yun-Biao , Xiong Zhi-Yong , Li Rui-Xi , Zhong Yue-Si , Xu Ming-Xing , Lu Yi , Liang Hao , Chen Gui-Hua , Yao Zhi-Cheng , Deng Mei-Hai
Published: March 2019

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently associated with metabolism dysfunction. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the crucial role of lipid metabolism in HCC progression. The function of apolipoprotein F (ApoF), a lipid transfer inhibitor protein, in HCC is incompletely understood. We aimed to evaluate the functional role of ApoF in HCC in this study.

Methods

We used quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect ApoF mRNA expression in HCC tissues and hepatoma cell lines (SMMC-7721, HepG2, and Huh7). Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of ApoF in HCC tissues. The associations between ApoF expression and clinicopathological features as well as HCC prognosis were analyzed. The effect of ApoF on cellular proliferation and growth of SMMC-7721 and Huh7 cells was examined in vitro and in vivo.

Results

ApoF expression was significantly down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in HCC tissues as compared with adjacent tissues. In SMMC-7721 and Huh7 HCC cells, ApoF overexpression inhibited cell proliferation and migration. In a xenograft nude mouse model, ApoF overexpression effectively controlled HCC growth. Kaplan–Meier analysis results showed that the recurrence-free survival rate of HCC patients with low ApoF expression was significantly lower than that of other HCC patients. Low ApoF expression was associated with several clinicopathological features such as liver cirrhosis, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage and tumor-node-metastasis stage.

Conclusions

ApoF expression was down-regulated in HCC, which was associated with low recurrence-free survival rate. ApoF may serve as a tumor suppressor in HCC and be a potential application for the treatment of this disease.