bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Charity Starts at Home: Understanding What Drives Children from Economically Disadvantaged Communities to Engage in Social Action
Authors: Garnelo-Gomez Irene , Money Kevin
Published: October 2024

This study explores motivations and barriers to social action in children from economically disadvantaged communities, through the lens of Construal Level Theory. Results from a qualitative study involving 40 children in the United Kingdom (engaged and non-engaged in social action) suggest that a concrete, place-based understanding of social action (low-level construal) and intrinsic motives drives children to engage. An abstract and decontextualized understanding of social action (high-level construal) and concrete responsibilities such as caring for family (low-level construal) often hinders engagement. Contrary to expected trends, motivations to engage in social action are more associated with intrinsic benefits. Social identity needs act both as motivators (disproving negative views about children) and as barriers (maintaining a sense of “coolness”). Our study contributes to knowledge by suggesting that a place engagement approach, which embraces low-construal aspects and is “closer to home,” may help both motivating and overcoming barriers to child volunteering in economically disadvantaged communities.
On the Unequal Burden of Obesity: Obesity’s Adverse Consequences Are Contingent on Regional Obesity Prevalence
Authors: Berkessel Jana B. , Ebert Tobias , Gebauer Jochen E. , Rentfrow Peter J.
Published: October 2024

Obesity has adverse consequences for those affected. We tested whether the association between obesity and its adverse consequences is reduced in regions in which obesity is prevalent and whether lower weight bias in high-obese regions can account for this reduction. Studies 1 and 2 used data from the United States ( N = 2,846,132 adults across 2,546 counties) and United Kingdom ( N = 180,615 adults across 380 districts) that assessed obesity’s adverse consequences in diverse domains: close relationships, economic outcomes, and health. Both studies revealed that the association between obesity and its adverse consequences is reduced (or absent) in high-obese regions. Study 3 used another large-scale data set ( N = 409,837 across 2,928 U.S. counties) and revealed that lower weight bias in high-obese regions seems to account for (i.e., mediate) the reduction in obesity’s adverse consequences. Overall, our findings suggest that obesity’s adverse consequences are partly social and, thus, not inevitable.
Sleep Problems in Adults With ADHD: Prevalences and Their Relationship With Psychiatric Comorbidity
Authors: van der Ham Mirte , Bijlenga Denise , Böhmer Mylène , Beekman Aartjan T. F. , Kooij Sandra
Published: October 2024

Background:

Sleep problems are common in adults with ADHD and may be bidirectionally associated with ADHD severity and other psychiatric symptoms. We investigated the prevalence of positive screenings for various sleep disorders, and their association with psychiatric comorbidities in a large sample of adults with ADHD from a specialized outpatient clinic.

Methods:

We included data of 3,691 adult patients diagnosed with ADHD, who had filled out a screener for sleep disorders (Holland Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (HSDQ)) as part of routine diagnostic assessment. The HSDQ screens for the sleep disorders insomnia, parasomnia, hypersomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD), restless legs syndrome (RLS)/periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), and sleep-related breathing disorders (SBD). As delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is very frequent in ADHD, we additionally screened for DSPS. Psychiatric comorbidities were diagnosed through clinical assessment and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) Plus, which assesses 26 psychiatric disorders following the classification of the DSM-5. All data were retrieved from the electronic patient files.

Results:

Mean age was 35.4 and 49.4% of the patients were female. About 60% of the adults with ADHD screened positive for any sleep disorder. Highest prevalences were found for symptoms of DSPS (36%), insomnia (30%), and RLS/PLMD (29%). Sleep problems in adults with ADHD were associated with comorbid depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conclusion:

Adults with ADHD often report sleep problems, which are associated with specific psychiatric comorbidities. Systematic screening for sleep disorders in adult patients with ADHD can contribute to a better understanding of their complaints and may aid improved and integrated treatment for the sleep and psychiatric problems.
Complement biosensors identify a classical pathway stimulus in complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy
Authors: Cole Michael A. , Ranjan Nikhil , Gerber Gloria F. , Pan Xiang-Zuo , Flores-Guerrero Daniel , McNamara George , Chaturvedi Shruti , Sperati C. John , McCrae Keith R. , Brodsky Robert A.
Published: October 2024

Complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (CM-TMA) or hemolytic uremic syndrome, previously identified as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, is a TMA characterized by germ line variants or acquired antibodies to complement proteins and regulators. Building upon our prior experience with the modified Ham (mHam) assay for ex vivo diagnosis of complementopathies, we have developed an array of cell-based complement “biosensors” by selective removal of complement regulatory proteins (CD55 and CD59, CD46, or a combination thereof) in an autonomously bioluminescent HEK293 cell line. These biosensors can be used as a sensitive method for diagnosing CM-TMA and monitoring therapeutic complement blockade. Using specific complement pathway inhibitors, this model identifies immunoglobulin M (IgM)–driven classical pathway stimulus during both acute disease and in many patients during clinical remission. This provides a potential explanation for ∼50% of patients with CM-TMA who lack an alternative pathway “driving” variant and suggests at least a subset of CM-TMA is characterized by a breakdown of IgM immunologic tolerance.
Re-irradiation of anaplastic meningioma: higher dose and concomitant Bevacizumab may improve progression-free survival
Authors: Haisraely Ory , Taliansky Alicia , Sivan Maayan , Lawerence Yaacov
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Anaplastic meningiomas, categorized as WHO grade 3 tumors, are rare and highly aggressive, accounting for 1-2% of all meningioma cases. Despite aggressive treatment, including surgery and Radiation, they exhibit a high recurrence rate and poor survival outcomes. The aggressive histopathological features emphasize the urgent need for effective management strategies.

Methods

A retrospective multi-institutional analysis was conducted on patients with recurrent anaplastic meningioma who underwent re-irradiation between 2017 and 2023. Clinical, dosimetric, and outcome data were collected and analyzed, focusing on local control, progression free survival and treatment-related adverse events.

Results

Thirty-four cases were analyzed, with a median follow-up 11 months after re-irradiation. Progression-free survival at 12 months was 61.9%, with higher doses correlating with better outcomes. Concomitant Bevacizumab improves progression-free survival and reduces the risk of radiation necrosis. CDKN2A homozygote deletion correlated with a higher risk of local failure. Symptomatic radiation necrosis occurred in 20.5% of cases, but its incidence was lower with concomitant Bevacizumab treatment.

Conclusion

Re-irradiation presents a viable option for recurrent anaplastic meningioma despite the associated risk of radiation necrosis. Higher doses with concomitant Bevacizumab improve clinical outcomes and reduce toxicity. Individualized treatment approaches are necessary, emphasizing the importance of further research to refine management strategies for this challenging disease.
Deep learning-based approaches for multi-omics data integration and analysis
Authors: Ballard Jenna L. , Wang Zexuan , Li Wenrui , Shen Li , Long Qi
Published: October 2024

Background

The rapid growth of deep learning, as well as the vast and ever-growing amount of available data, have provided ample opportunity for advances in fusion and analysis of complex and heterogeneous data types. Different data modalities provide complementary information that can be leveraged to gain a more complete understanding of each subject. In the biomedical domain, multi-omics data includes molecular (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, etc.) and imaging (radiomics, pathomics) modalities which, when combined, have the potential to improve performance on prediction, classification, clustering and other tasks. Deep learning encompasses a wide variety of methods, each of which have certain strengths and weaknesses for multi-omics integration.

Method

In this review, we categorize recent deep learning-based approaches by their basic architectures and discuss their unique capabilities in relation to one another. We also discuss some emerging themes advancing the field of multi-omics integration.

Results

Deep learning-based multi-omics integration methods were categorized broadly into non-generative (feedforward neural networks, graph convolutional neural networks, and autoencoders) and generative (variational methods, generative adversarial models, and a generative pretrained model). Generative methods have the advantage of being able to impose constraints on the shared representations to enforce certain properties or incorporate prior knowledge. They can also be used to generate or impute missing modalities. Recent advances achieved by these methods include the ability to handle incomplete data as well as going beyond the traditional molecular omics data types to integrate other modalities such as imaging data.

Conclusion

We expect to see further growth in methods that can handle missingness, as this is a common challenge in working with complex and heterogeneous data. Additionally, methods that integrate more data types are expected to improve performance on downstream tasks by capturing a comprehensive view of each sample.
Jointly benchmarking small and structural variant calls with vcfdist
Authors: Dunn Tim , Zook Justin M. , Holt James M. , Narayanasamy Satish
Published: October 2024

In this work, we extend vcfdist to be the first variant call benchmarking tool to jointly evaluate phased single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), small insertions/deletions (INDELs), and structural variants (SVs) for the whole genome. First, we find that a joint evaluation of small and structural variants uniformly reduces measured errors for SNPs (− 28.9%), INDELs (− 19.3%), and SVs (− 52.4%) across three datasets. vcfdist also corrects a common flaw in phasing evaluations, reducing measured flip errors by over 50%. Lastly, we show that vcfdist is more accurate than previously published works and on par with the newest approaches while providing improved result interpretability.
An easier life to come for mosquito researchers: field-testing across Italy supports VECTRACK system for automatic counting, identification and absolute density estimation of Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens adults
Authors: Micocci Martina , Manica Mattia , Bernardini Ilaria , Soresinetti Laura , Varone Marianna , Di Lillo Paola , Caputo Beniamino , Poletti Piero , Severini Francesco , Montarsi Fabrizio , Epis Sara , Salvemini Marco , della Torre Alessandra
Published: October 2024

Background

Disease-vector mosquito monitoring is an essential prerequisite to optimize control interventions and evidence-based risk predictions. However, conventional entomological monitoring methods are labor- and time-consuming and do not allow high temporal/spatial resolution. In 2022, a novel system coupling an optical sensor with machine learning technologies (VECTRACK) proved effective in counting and identifying Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens adult females and males. Here, we carried out the first extensive field evaluation of the VECTRACK system to assess: (i) whether the catching capacity of a commercial BG-Mosquitaire trap (BGM) for adult mosquito equipped with VECTRACK (BGM + VECT) was affected by the sensor; (ii) the accuracy of the VECTRACK algorithm in correctly classifying the target mosquito species genus and sex; (iii) Ae. albopictus capture rate of BGM with or without VECTRACK.

Methods

The same experimental design was implemented in four areas in northern (Bergamo and Padua districts), central (Rome) and southern (Procida Island, Naples) Italy. In each area, three types of traps—one BGM, one BGM + VECT and the combination of four sticky traps (STs)—were rotated each 48 h in three different sites. Each sampling scheme was replicated three times/area. Collected mosquitoes were counted and identified by both the VECTRACK algorithm and operator-mediated morphological examination. The performance of the VECTRACK system was assessed by generalized linear mixed and linear regression models. Aedes albopictus capture rates of BGMs were calculated based on the known capture rate of ST.

Results

A total of 3829 mosquitoes (90.2% Ae. albopictus) were captured in 18 collection-days/trap/site. BGM and BGM + VECT showed a similar performance in collecting target mosquitoes. Results show high correlation between visual and automatic identification methods (Spearman Ae. albopictus: females = 0.97; males = 0.89; P < 0.0001) and low count errors. Moreover, the results allowed quantifying the heterogeneous effectiveness associated with different trap types in collecting Ae. albopictus and predicting estimates of its absolute density.

Conclusions

Obtained results strongly support the VECTRACK system as a powerful tool for mosquito monitoring and research, and its applicability over a range of ecological conditions, accounting for its high potential for continuous monitoring with minimal human effort.

Graphical Abstract
Internet-based UP-A intervention on treatment of stress, anxiety, depression, and psychological flexibility among adolescents with sub-clinical diagnosis of emotional disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: a clinical trial
Authors: Javadi Vahideh , Ahmadi Farzaneh , Ebrahimi Leila Salek , Dadashi Mohsen , Mousavi Seyedeh Elnaz
Published: October 2024

This clinical trial aims to assess the effectiveness of internet-based Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A) during the COVID-19 pandemic in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, and psychological flexibility. 40 adolescents with subclinical features of emotional disorder randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. The participants first completed DASS-21 and AAQ-2 questionnare online. Then, the intervention group received 12 sessions of UP-A through video calls on WhatsApp, 2 days per week each for 45 min. UP-A is an emotion-focused, cognitive-behavioral therapy consisting of 5 core modules or components that target temperamental characteristics, particularly neuroticism and resulting emotion dysregulation. Eventually the stress, anxiety, and depression levels decreased in intervention group and their psychological flexibility increased immediately and 3 months after the intervention.

Clinical trial registration This study was registered by Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (Prospective, ID: IRCT20210428051113N1, Registration date: 14/06/2021; https://en.irct.ir/trial/55900).
Is thyroidectomy mandatory in the surgical management of cancer larynx? A meta-analysis study
Authors: Yassin Omar , Sabra Reda Mohamed , Marmoush Abdelrahman Tarek Saeed , Fadel Michael
Published: October 2024

Background

Laryngeal cancer is a prevalent malignancy in the head and neck region, often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The role of thyroidectomy in managing advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains controversial due to inconsistent findings regarding the incidence and predictors of thyroid invasion.

Aim of the work

This meta-analysis aims to assess the incidence of thyroid invasion in patients with advanced laryngeal cancer and recognize hazard facets for thyroid invasion to elucidate the need for thyroidectomy. The study also aims to decrease the happening of postoperative hypothyroidism and supply guidance for individualized treatment approaches.

Patients and methods

A comprehensive search was conducted, and the meta-analysis included 6 studies encompassing 852 patients. Data regarding patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and incidence of thyroid invasion were extracted and analyzed.

Results

The meta-analysis revealed a mean age of 57.7 years among patients with advanced laryngeal cancer, with a male predominance of 94.6%. Thyroid invasion occurred in 13.3% of patients who underwent complete laryngectomy. Subglottic tumor site and T4 classification were identified as significant risk factors for thyroid invasion, while supraglottis and glottis tumor sites and T3 classification were associated with reduced risk. The odds ratio for thyroid invasion was highest for patients with T4 stage tumors.

Conclusion

Thyroidectomy during total laryngectomy should be considered for patients with subglottic tumor sites and T4 classification due to the increased risk of thyroid invasion. However, for patients with supraglottis or glottis tumor sites and T3 classification, the thyroid gland may be preserved to reduce the risk of postoperative hypothyroidism.
Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network 12: Pembrolizumab in HIV-Associated Kaposi Sarcoma
Authors: Lurain Kathryn , Ramaswami Ramya , Ekwede Irene , Eulo Vanessa , Goyal Gaurav , Menon Manoj , Odeny Thomas A. , Sharon Elad , Wagner Michael J. , Wang Chia-Ching (Jackie) , Bhardwaj Nina , Friedlander Philip A. , Abdul-Hay Maher , Cornejo Castro Elena M. , Labo Nazzarena , Marshall Vickie Ann , Miley Wendell , Moore Kyle , Roshan Romin , Whitby Denise , Kask Angela Shaulov , Kaiser Judith , Han Emma , Wright Anna , Yarchoan Robert , Fling Steven P. , Uldrick Thomas S.
Published: October 2024

PURPOSE

Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network 12 demonstrated safety of pembrolizumab in treating advanced cancer in people with HIV. Here, we report results of the Kaposi sarcoma (KS) cohort.

METHODS

In this multicenter phase I trial, we enrolled participants with HIV-associated KS on antiretroviral therapy with CD4
+
≥50 cells/μL and HIV plasma RNA <200 copies/mL. Pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously was administered once every 3 weeks for up to 35 cycles. The primary end point was safety, and the secondary end point was KS response by modified AIDS Clinical Trials Group Criteria.

RESULTS

Thirty-two cisgender men enrolled with baseline median CD4
+
T-cell count of 274 cells/µL. All but nine participants had received previous systemic KS therapy. Participants received a median of 11 cycles of pembrolizumab (range, 1-35). Sixty-six percent had grade ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse events, including one death from polyclonal KS herpesvirus–related B-cell lymphoproliferation. Thirty-one percent had ≥one immune-mediated AEs (imAEs) with 25% requiring systemic steroids. In 29 participants with evaluable KS, the overall response rate (ORR) was 62.1% (95% CI, 42.3 to 79.3) and did not differ by CD4
+
T-cell count. ORR in the eight participants with evaluable disease without previous KS therapy was 87.5% (95% CI, 47.3 to 99.7). Median duration of response (DOR) was not reached, and the Kaplan-Meier estimate of DOR of ≥12 months was 92.3% (95% CI, 56.6 to 98.8). Median progression-free survival was 28.2 months (95% CI, 4.2 to noncalculable).

CONCLUSION

Pembrolizumab yielded a high rate of durable responses in HIV-associated KS. imAEs were successfully managed with standard guidelines.
Peripheral Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Wang Victor , Bačkonja Miroslav
Published: October 2024

OBJECTIVE

This article synthesizes current knowledge on neuropathic pain, with a brief review of mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies to help neurologists provide effective and individualized care for patients with this complex condition.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The most promising developments in peripheral neuropathic pain are related to the molecular biology of the peripheral nervous system. Systematic molecular and genetic analyses of peripheral nerve terminals and dorsal root ganglia have advanced our understanding of the genetics of function and disease of peripheral nerves, as well as their physiology and clinical manifestations.

ESSENTIAL POINTS

Peripheral neuropathic pain, similar to central neuropathic pain, is primarily influenced by the biology and pathophysiology of the underlying structures, peripheral sensory nerves, and their central pathways. The clinical course is widely variable in sensory symptoms and intensities, natural history, and response to treatments.
Identification, characterization, and structure of a tRNA splicing enzyme RNA 5′-OH kinase from the pathogenic fungi Mucorales
Authors: Ghosh Shreya , Wimberly-Gard Gina , Jacewicz Agata , Schwer Beate , Shuman Stewart
Published: October 2024

Fungal Trl1 is an essential tRNA splicing enzyme composed of C-terminal cyclic phosphodiesterase and central polynucleotide kinase end-healing domains that convert the 2′,3′-cyclic-PO4and 5′-OH ends of tRNA exons into the 3′-OH,2′-PO4and 5′-PO4termini required for sealing by an N-terminal ATP-dependent ligase domain. Trifunctional Trl1 enzymes are present in most human fungal pathogens and are untapped targets for antifungal drug discovery. Mucorales species, deemed high-priority human pathogens by WHO, elaborate a noncanonical tRNA splicing apparatus in which a stand-alone monofunctional RNA ligase enzyme joins 3′-OH,2′-PO4and 5′-PO4termini. Here we identify a stand-aloneMucor circinelloidespolynucleotide kinase (MciKIN) and affirm its biological activity in tRNA splicing by genetic complementation in yeast. Recombinant MciKIN catalyzes magnesium-dependent phosphorylation of 5′-OH RNA and DNA ends in vitro. MciKIN displays a strong preference for GTP as the phosphate donor in the kinase reaction, a trait shared with the stand-alone RNA kinase homologs from Mucorales speciesRhizopus azygosporus(RazKIN) andLichtheimia corymbifera(LcoKIN) and with the kinase domains of fungal Trl1 enzymes. We report a 1.65 Å crystal structure of RazKIN in complex with GDP•Mg2+that illuminates the basis for guanosine nucleotide specificity.
On changing approaches to developing reading literacy among schoolchildren
Authors: Niyazova Aynagul'
Published: October 2024

The article highlights the results of a study of the problem of developing reading literacy among schoolchildren in Kyrgyzstan in the light of the requirements of the All-Republican Testing (ORT). ORT tasks place higher demands than subject standards in terms of students' language skills and level of text complexity, as well as in terms of depth of analysis, analytical, critical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge in practical scenarios mastered in school subject lessons. However, there are gaps between the requirements of ORT and teaching students reading and comprehension at school. To eliminate the gaps between subject standards, methods of teaching reading and comprehension at school and the requirements of ORT, the author proposes ways to solve the problem that will contribute to the development of students’ ability to read and understand a variety of texts of varying complexity, which, in turn, will contribute to the formation of students’ information skills. competence.
Requirements Communication in Safety-Critical Systems: an extended literature overview
Authors: Vilela Jéssyka , Castro Jaelson , Martins Luiz , Gorschek Tony , Almendra Camilo
Published: October 2024

Context: Safety-critical systems (SCS) must be carefully plannedsince inadequate or misunderstood requirements have been recognized as themajor cause of safety-related catastrophes. Objective: We investigate the inte-gration and requirements communication in the requirements engineering (RE)process among different parties when developing SCS. Method: We used a Sys-tematic Mapping Study as the basis for our work. Results: We analyze severalaspects such as challenges, domain, requirements activity, languages, tools, sta-keholders involved, communication format, and safety standards. Conclusions:This information contributes to setting up possible collaborative networks andas a reference when developing new research projects.
Implementação e Avaliação de Co-Processadores para BlackScholes em FPGA
Authors: Castro Maria Clicia Stelling de
Published: October 2024

Option pricing is one of the main topics of the financial market. There are different models to perform this calculation, however BlackScholes is one of the most used nowadays. Due to this, the implementation of this algorithm shows an interesting study case for optimization. FPGAs (\textit{Field Programmable Gate Array}) are boards commonly used in high perfomance computing, with promising results in several cases. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to implement the Black Scholes formula in FPGA and evaluate its efficiency, using HLS (\textit{High level synthesis}) and running in a Pynq-Z1 board. The results were compared with an execution in python on the ARM present on the board. The obtained results show an unexpected performance, and somes of possible explanations to this fact.
NOPL-Erlang: Programação multicore transparente em linguagem de alto nível
Authors: Negrini Fabio , Ronszcka Adriano Francisco , Linhares Robson Ribeiro , Fabro João Alberto , Stadzisz Paulo Cézar , Simão Jean Marcelo
Published: October 2024

O aumento da capacidade computacional dos processadores tem sido alcançado por meio do incremento de núcleos dentro de um mesmo processador. Esta solução, entretanto, aumenta consideravelmente a complexidade de programação, obrigando desenvolvedores fazerem uso técnica de programação concorrente. Neste artigo é apresentado a NOPL, linguagem própria do PON com propriedades desacoplante e não sequencial. NOPL é uma linguagem que permite a programação concorrente de maneira transparente e em alto nível. O artigo apresenta a linguagem NOPL e sua integração com a arquitetura Erlang para explorar execução concorrente. Nos resultados é possível verificar a redução significativa no tempo de execução à medida em que se aumenta o número de núcleos disponíveis.
Classificação de Mamografias Usando MLP e PHoW sobre a base de dados MIAS
Authors: Santos Gilmário Barbosa , Filho André Luiz Tragancin
Published: October 2024

O câncer de mama é um tipo letal e recorrente de carcinoma, sendo por isso importante detectar nos estágios iniciais. Dessa forma, têm se destacado os sistemas do tipo Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) construídos a partir de modelos de para apoio à decisão. Este trabalho descreve a aplicação de uma rede neural Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) aplicada à classificação de mamografias do banco de dados MIAS processado sem patches e descrita por características Pyramid Histogram Of visual Words (PHoW), método baseado no Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) que considera a distribuição global e local de informações (características) da imagem. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em casos de normalidade, presença de microcalcificação e densidade mamária. O potencial da proposta de auxílio à rotina clínica é caracterizado. Os procedimentos experimentais são descritos e os resultados são apresentados e discutidos. Os resultados são muito bons, porém é importante enfatizar que os experimentos se basearam apenas no banco de imagens MIAS, com um vocabulário restrito às características das imagens dessa base de dados.
Modelando requisitos do trabalho em grupo para análise do alinhamento de recursos humanos
Authors: Sousa Henrique Prado de Sá , Almentero Eduardo Kinder , Machado Juliana Cesar Sirena , Leite Julio Cesar Sampaio do Prado
Published: October 2024

1, ekalmentero, juliana.sirena}@gmail.com2, Juliana Cesar Sirena Machado2, Julio Cesar Sampaio do Prado Leite3Os recursos humanos (RH) são responsáveis por tarefas que demandam como requisito uma ou mais competências. No entanto, nos trabalhos realizados de forma colaborativa, um conjunto maior de requisitos são necessários. Neste trabalho, propomos uma extensão da linguagem GPI-HR para permitir a modelagem de competências relacionadas ao trabalho em grupo e posteriormente a análise do alinhamento de RHs. Adicionalmente, propusemos regras de propagação de impactos e mecanismos de pesos para melhor representar as contribuições individuais presentes no trabalho em grupo.
Características clínicas e fatores de risco para desfechos fatais e positivos em pacientes de Covid-19 de São Paulo
Authors: Figueiredo Karla , Pereira Amanda Lucas
Published: October 2024

1Abstract. In the context of the pandemic caused by the new Coronavirus SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19), it is relevant to analyze which are the risk factors that mostaffect patients, along with the groups that are more affected by the disease. Inorder to apply survival analysis methods to data made available by the SirioLibanes Hospital (HSL), the Kaplan-Meier estimator and log-rank tests wereused for this article. The results indicate a greater probability of survival offemale patients, which present a shorter hospitalization time, and a shorter timebetween hospitalization and death for older patients.Resumo. No contexto da pandemia causada pelo novo Coronav´ırus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), torna-se relevante analisar quais s˜ao os fatores que mais atingemos pacientes, em conjunto com os grupos de risco mais afetados peladoenc¸a. Com o objetivo de aplicar m´etodos de an´alise de sobrevivˆencia em dadosdisponibilizados pelo Hospital S´ırio Libˆanes (HSL), foram utilizados paraeste artigo o estimador de Kaplan-Meier e testes log-rank. Os resultados obtidosindicam uma maior probabilidade de sobrevivˆencia de pacientes do sexofeminino, os quais tamb´em apresentam um menor tempo de internac¸ ˜ao, e ummenor intervalo de tempo entre internac¸ ˜ao e ´obito para pacientes de idadeavanc¸ada.
Software watermarking: contributions that transcend the theme
Authors: Bento Lucila , Boccardo Davidson , Machado Raphael , Simoes Felipe , De Sá Vinícius Pereira
Published: October 2024

Software watermarking is the embedding of data in the graphs that represent the execution of a computer program. Such structures are important technology tools, but also bring interesting combinatorial problems. In the present paper, we describe the advances in software watermarking during the last two decades, highlighting the important contributions of Prof. Jayme Szwarcfiter
Indifference orders and split-indifference graphs: thirty years of productive collaborative work
Authors: Figueiredo Celina , Klein Sulamita , Villanueva Mónica
Published: October 2024

This is an account of our years as students of Jayme Luiz Szwarcfiter, during the years 1990. Two articles perfectly represent our experience as students, young researchers, and young authors.
Conformidade da LGPD em Instituições Públicas de Ensino Superior no Brasil: as perspectivas de profissionais de TIC
Authors: Oliveira da Silva Keyla , Costa Sarkis Laura
Published: October 2024

A Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD), define o que é ou não legal, com relação aos dados pessoais e assegura os direitos individuais desde agosto de 2018. Vários estudos buscam entender o cenário de sua adequação. Neste cenário, insere-se esta pesquisa, cujo objetivo busca investigar a conformidade da implantação da LGPD nas instituições públicas de ensino superior no Brasil. A pesquisa utilizou um survey que apresenta a visão de profissionais de TIC de 19 instituições públicas de ensino superior de todas as regiões do Brasil. A maioria dos participantes possuem mais de 10 de experiência e em sua maioria no cargo de Governança ou gestão de TI. Os resultados mostram que mais de 88% dos participantes tem conhecimento sobre a LGPD; um dado inquietante é que 79,4% dos participantes não realizam ou não sabem se a organização realiza elicitação de requisitos de privacidade; 67% consideram que a LGPD gerou impactos no desenvolvimento de software. É necessário tratar mudança de cultura e ter o apoio da alta gestão para a execução de ação de adequação da LGPD.
Could the utilization of Empathy Maps and Personas enhance the requirement elicitation process
Authors: Kahan Ezequiel , Insfran Emilio , Genero Marcela , Oliveros Alejandro
Published: October 2024

There is a growing interest in the use of Design Thinking (DT) to enrich requirements elicitation processes. We carried out a quasi-experiment to compare the Effectiveness of Brainstorming sessions in terms of the number of ideas of requirements generated, and the Identified Stakeholders, complementing the Brainstorming sessions with two of the most widely used DT techniques: Empathy Maps and Personas. Therefore, we consider three treatments: Personas + Brainstorming, Empathy Maps + Brainstorming, and Brainstorming alone (control group). The quasi-experiment was carried out with 74 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Computer Engineering course at the Universitat Politècnica de València in 2021. The results reveal a statistically significant effect on Identified Stakeholders when using Empathy Maps. Descriptive analysis also shows an increase in Identified Stakeholders when using Personas, and in the Effectiveness of Brainstorming sessions when used together with Empathy Maps or Personas. There is also a variation in the type of ideas, with the number of functional ideas being higher, and that of non-functional ideas being lower when Empathy Maps are used. These results seem to indicate that Brainstorming sessions are improved when complemented with Empathy Maps or Personas techniques. Nonetheless, we still lack enough evidence to recommend either Personas or Empathy Maps, necessitating further validation.
Serviço de Entrega de Crowdshipping: Análise do Comportamento dos Usuários
Authors: Stoffel Luiza , Larranaga Ana , Dexheimer Leticia , Tapia Rodrigo
Published: October 2024

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar o comportamento dos usuários em relação ao modelo de entregas de crowdshipping, identificando os atributos que mais influenciam na opção por esse serviço e, com isso, analisar o potencial de sua implementação em Porto Alegre e Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre. Foi realizada uma pesquisa de preferência declarada para calibrar um modelo de escolha discreta de modo a entender as preferências dos consumidores. Pode-se concluir que o serviço tem potenciais usuários e que os atributos com maior influência na probabilidade de escolha do crowdshipping em relação à entrega tradicional são Custo de Entrega, Possibilidade de Danos e Reputação da Empresa.
Empowering and Supporting BIPOC Group Members With Supplemental Affinity Groups
Authors: Grover Sean
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Black, Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) individuals in group therapy face daunting emotional challenges when the group membership is predominantly White. Establishing a therapeutically beneficial, safer space for BIPOC group members demands special skills from group leaders, particularly when the group leader is White. This article explores how BIPOC group members are better supported when White group leaders expand their multicultural sensitivity, initiate dialogue about racial dynamics in groups, supply additional support, and offer supplementary affinity groups.
Between Cosmology and Technology: Nonhuman Near-Omniscience as Animist Practice in Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon
Authors: Wenske Ruth S.
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: This article develops the term nonhuman near-omniscience to examine the narrative dynamics behind narrators who know almost everything and whose super-human knowledge draws on African cosmologies. Noting the prevalence of such narration in African sf, the article takes Nnedi Okorafor's novel Lagoon (2014) as an example of nonhuman near-omniscience, focusing on the role of the storytelling spider Udide Okwanka as the novel's metanarrator. It traces Udide's use of uncertainty, paradox, and metafictional slippages, while also noting parallels between Udide's trickster qualities and technology in the novel—both human-made and alien—that likewise generate super-human registers of knowledge. As a rejection of the binaries of cosmology/technology, human/nonhuman, and realist/nonrealist, the article considers nonhuman near-omniscience as a practice of relationality, based on Harry Garuba's framework of "animist materialism" and scholarship on animism as a relational epistemology from divergent Indigenous contexts. The paper makes two overarching claims: one, that nonhuman near-omniscience draws on the conception of deities in animist traditions that are typically characterized by relationality, rather than the absolute power commonly associated with the omniscient narrator in Abrahamic traditions; and two, that nonhuman near-omniscience is a metafictional practice that is pertinent not only to our understanding of contemporary African literary genres, but to larger questions of knowledge production in the twenty-first century.
Embodying Time and Futurity in the Short Stories of Tendai Huchu and Temitayo Olofinlua
Authors: Ncube Gibson
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: One of the defining features of sf, Africanfuturism included, is the depiction of the relationship between embodiment and time. This article examines two short stories, "Egoli" by Zimbabwean writer Tendai Huchu (2020) and "The Last Brown Roof" by Nigerian author Temitayo Olofinlua (2022). This article demonstrates how the stories examine the ways in which past, present, and future are interrelated, melt into each other, and form a seamless temporality. The future cannot be imagined without drawing on the past and the present. I argue that nostalgia, and especially its futurity, are important in allowing the retrospective, introspective, and prospective understandings of embodiment in its relationship to space and time. I make use of the idea of Sankofa, a bird in Ghanaian cosmology that flies forward while facing backward, to draw on the wisdom and knowledge of the past. Engaging with the idea of "speculative sankofarration" proposed by Brook et al. (2017), as well as on Boym's concept of "reflective nostalgia," I argue that such an embodiment of time in Huchu and Olofinlua's stories makes it possible to tap into the past and its cosmology to imagine different futures. The futures imagined in the stories highlight not just the plasticity of space and time but, more importantly, the liberation of imagination from the constrictive thinking of time and space as fixed and rigid.
Literary Realism, Speculative Fiction, and Queer African Futures in Akwaeke Emezi's Freshwater
Authors: Fourqurean Megan
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: This article positions Akwaeke Emezi's novel Freshwater (2018) as a text that challenges definitions of multiple genres, namely literary realism and speculative fiction. I argue that Freshwater 's seemingly fantastical elements are in fact iterations of Igbo cosmology, which recognizes coterminous human and spiritual realms as part of material reality. By positioning Igbo ontology as the grounding principle of earthly existence, Freshwater contests the division of realism into multiple subsets (magical, animist, literary). Furthmore, I argue that the novel playfully refigures ogbanje identities and Igbo cosmological structures to envision new horizons for future kinship. Rather than speculating about futures that respond to African histories of European colonization, Freshwater reconfigures uniquely Igbo concepts such as ogbanje and iyi-uwa into means for queer agential re-destination. Thus, the novel shifts the speculative focus away from postcolonial efforts to "write back," and instead locates the basis for speculative futures within Igbo ontological structures. Freshwater 's complex navigation of not only multiple realisms and speculative fiction, but also tradition and change, defies easy categorization and instead offers open-ended avenues for queer Igbo and other African futurities.
The Evolution of Illiberalism: Necropolitical Economies and a Democratic Antidote
Authors: Pisano Jessica
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: Illiberal regimes exhibit a political economy in which people's continued access to welfare protections depends on loyalty to incumbent politicians. Their politicians' invocation of xenophobic tropes suggests a clear boundary between loyal lives that matter to the regime and those that do not, yet some illiberal regimes have come to promote a materialist necropolitics, devaluing human life not only outside the imagined boundaries of the demos, but also within it. By adopting approaches that explicitly recognize the value of individual human life, democracies can successfully hold on to societal buy-in to democratic forms of government even amid the spread of illiberalism.
Managing the Discontent of the Losers Redux: A Future of Authoritarian Neoliberalism or Social Capitalism?
Authors: Setterfield Mark
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: Neoliberalism eviscerated the value-sharing ethos of the postwar golden age (1945–1973), seeking to maintain social cohesion in civil society by "managing the discontent of the losers": reconciling working households to the realities of the neoliberal labor market by means of coercion, distraction, and debt accumulation (the last serving to limit the growth of consumption inequality in the face of burgeoning income inequality). The global financial crisis undermined the process of household debt accumulation, creating a crisis of neoliberal accumulation. Key to the institutional renewal required to address this crisis is managing the discontent of the losers inherited from the neoliberal era. One possibility is authoritarian neoliberalism, which involves amplification of the "coerce and distract" elements inherited from the previous regime. The alternative is social capitalism: a renewal of social democracy that eliminates the discontent of the losers and so reduces both the need and desire for illiberalism.
The China–GCC Partnership in Security, Energy, and Infrastructure
Authors: Sidiqie Daniel
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: China’s growing global ambitions are increasingly shaping the Arab Gulf region, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council member states (GCC): Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Given the geopolitical and strategic importance of the region to the global community and China’s growing role in the region, relations between China and the GCC are of paramount importance. This article sheds light on China’s role in the GCC region. Based on the three fields of (security) political cooperation, energy partnership, and economic cooperation as well as infrastructure projects, the motives and interests of the actors for cooperation are highlighted. Both sides are pursuing a hedging strategy. Given its energy demand, China is interested in regional stability and prioritizes this in its 1+2+3 framework. Political and military power is used to a minimum. As oil exporters, the GCC states depend on the Chinese energy market and are attempting to use it to drive their desired economic diversification and modernization. The great power rivalry gives the Gulf states greater flexibility to adapt their foreign policy when it comes to choosing pragmatic alliances to achieve.
Dynamic control, routing, and resource assignment in multi-granular optical node topologies combining wavelength, waveband, and spatial switching for 6G transport networks [Invited]
Authors: Lohani Varsha , Muñoz Raul , Casellas Ramon , Gifre Renom Lluis , Manso Carlos , Vilalta Ricard , Martínez Ricardo
Published: October 2024

Effective management of end-to-end 6G network services is crucial, with peak capacity requirements for 6G transport connections expected to exceed 1 Tb/s. As demand for high bandwidth rises, there is a growing necessity for high-capacity optical fiber links, including ultra-wideband (UWB) and multiple fiber links within the network. Scaling up to accommodate these demands, designing wavelength-selective switches (WSSs) for such networks significantly increases the port count. To tackle this issue, we propose various multi-granular optical node (MG-ON) architectures utilizing heterogeneous wavelength, waveband, and spatial switching. We evaluate these architectures’ performance against high-capacity wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) networks through various simulation parameters.
Multi-color long-wave infrared perfect absorber based on a heavily doped semiconductor that is inverse-designed via machine learning
Authors: Feng Yanming , Yue Song , Wang Ran , Hou Yu , Cai Shunshuo , Wang Zihuang , Xue Mei , Zhang Kunpeng , Zhang Zichen
Published: October 2024

Metamaterial perfect absorbers (MPAs) with high absorption, thin thickness, and custom-tailorable spectrum are in great demand in many applications, especially in photoelectric detectors. Presently, infrared (IR) focal plane array detectors based on type-II superlattice (T2SL) still face the challenge of a low absorption coefficient. Moreover, it is still difficult to integrate conventional metal-insulator-metal (MIM) MPA with a T2SL infrared detector, due to the incompatibility of fabrication processes. In addition, the need to achieve custom-tailorable multi-peak absorption in the long-wave infrared band is high, and the design process of an MPA with a complicated geometric shape is time-consuming. To tackle these problems, in this work, we replace the ground metal layer in a conventional MIM MPA with a heavily doped semiconductor (n++), whose growth process is compatible with the fabrication process of T2SL infrared detectors and thus can be integrated with them. Moreover, we set up a deep neural network (DNN) to associate the spectral response of the device with the corresponding structural parameters. In this way, we can quickly inverse design the infrared perfect absorber with multiple absorption peaks using a trained DNN. The designed devices can achieve three perfect absorption peaks in the wavelength range of interest (8 ∼ 13 µm), and the peak absorptivity generally reaches over 90%. Our work provides an effective method for the inverse design of n++IM MPA based on DNN, which is of significant guidance for the study of infrared MPA. Additionally, our work anticipates enhancing the detection performance of infrared detectors through absorption enhancement, indicating substantial application potential in the field of optically modulated infrared detectors.
Acoustic modulation on a fiber laser based on dissipative coupling of a microcavity
Authors: Yu Desheng , Guo Xiao , Jiang Bing , Che Kaijun
Published: October 2024

Imparting information on a light wave by signal modulation is fundamental for all forms of optical sensors. Here, we use a microfiber coupled whispering-gallery microcavity as a feedback element and experimentally demonstrate the intensity modulation on a fiber laser based on dissipative acousto-optic interaction where the acoustic wave modulates the coupling strength of suspended microfiber and microcavity, and accordingly modulates the decay rate of laser cavity. As high as 35% modulation depth is realized and the laser is then explored for the sensitive detection of an acoustic wave in air and a noise equivalent pressure of less than 0.9 Pa is found at frequency of 35 kHz. The microcavity with a higher mutual coupling rate of counterpropagating degenerate modes and higher Q factor resonance is anticipated for more sensitive detection on the acoustic wave.