bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shigella flexneri
remodeling and consumption of host lipids during infection
Authors: Ascari Alice , Frölich Sonja , Zang Maoge , Tran Elizabeth N. H. , Wilson Danny W. , Morona Renato , Eijkelkamp Bart A.
Published: November 2023

Shigella flexneri
is a major cause of bacillary dysentery in the developing world, predominantly affecting the pediatric age group, with malnutrition being a common co-morbidity. Lipids are key nutritional components, and their abundance and composition are likely to influence the pathobiology of
S. flexneri. S. flexneri
expresses a plethora of polysaccharides on its cell surface, but how this hydrophilic surface layer influences
S. flexneri
interaction with hydrophobic host molecules, such as fatty acids and lipids, is not well understood. In this study, we sought to interrogate how this hydrophilic layer affects
S. flexneri
during its intracellular lifestyle and how lipid homeostasis changes in both the host and pathogen. We characterized changes in
S. flexneri
cell envelope composition and surface-associated glycolipids, in particular lipopolysaccharide (LPS), during different phases of infection. We found that a dynamic capacity in LPS expression is necessary for the pathogen to manage delicate interaction with host fatty acids and maintain optimum virulence. Additionally, through confocal immunofluorescent microscopy, coupled with transcriptional and lipid analyses, we demonstrate that
S. flexneri
induces major host lipid remodeling during infection, by hijacking host lipid homeostasis pathways to its own benefit. Finally, this study suggests that fatty acid supplementation can influence the persistence and magnitude of
S. flexneri
infection. This work provides novel insights into the potential roles of balanced and sufficient dietary fatty acid intake in protection against gastroenteric pathogen infection.

IMPORTANCE

Bacterial pathogens have vastly distinct sites that they inhabit during infection. This requires adaptation due to changes in nutrient availability and antimicrobial stress. The bacterial surface is a primary barrier, and here, we show that the bacterial pathogen
Shigella flexneri
increases its surface decorations when it transitions to an intracellular lifestyle. We also observed changes in bacterial and host cell fatty acid homeostasis. Specifically, intracellular
S. flexneri
increased the expression of their fatty acid degradation pathway, while the host cell lipid pool was significantly depleted. Importantly, bacterial proliferation could be inhibited by fatty acid supplementation of host cells, thereby providing novel insights into the possible link between human malnutrition and susceptibility to
S. flexneri
.
HIV-1 Gag co-localizes with euchromatin histone marks at the nuclear periphery
Authors: Chang Jordan , Parent Leslie J.
Published: November 2023

The retroviral Gag protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays a central role in the selection of unspliced viral genomic RNA (gRNA) for packaging into new virions. Previously, we demonstrated that full-length HIV-1 Gag undergoes nuclear trafficking, where it associates with unspliced viral RNA (USvRNA) at transcription sites. To further examine the kinetics of HIV-1 Gag nuclear localization, we used biochemical and imaging techniques to determine the timing of HIV-1 entry into the nucleus. We also aimed to determine more precisely Gag’s subnuclear distribution to test the hypothesis that Gag associates with euchromatin, the transcriptionally active region of the nucleus. We observed that HIV-1 Gag localized to the nucleus at low expression levels shortly after its synthesis in the cytoplasm, suggesting that nuclear trafficking was not strictly concentration dependent. Furthermore, we found that HIV-1 Gag preferentially localized to the transcriptionally active euchromatin fraction compared to the heterochromatin-rich region in a latently infected T-cell line (J-Lat 10.6) treated with latency-reversal agents. Interestingly, HIV-1 Gag was more closely co-localized with euchromatin-associated histone marks near the nuclear periphery, the preferred location of HIV-1 proviral integration. Although the precise function of Gag’s association with histones in transcriptionally active chromatin regions remains uncertain, together with previous reports, this finding is consistent with a potential role for euchromatin-associated Gag molecules to initiate the selection of newly transcribed USvRNA in the nucleus for incorporation into virions.

IMPORTANCE

The traditional view of retrovirus assembly posits that packaging of gRNA by HIV-1 Gag occurs in the cytoplasm or at the plasma membrane. However, our previous studies showing that HIV-1 Gag enters the nucleus and binds to USvRNA at transcription sites suggest that gRNA selection may occur in the nucleus. In the present study, we observed that HIV-1 Gag trafficked to the nucleus and co-localized with USvRNA within 8 hours of expression. In infected T cells (J-Lat 10.6) reactivated from latency and in a HeLa cell line stably expressing an inducible Rev-dependent HIV-1 construct, we found that Gag preferentially localized with euchromatin histone marks associated with enhancer and promoter regions near the nuclear periphery, which is the favored site HIV-1 integration. These observations support the innovative hypothesis that HIV-1 Gag associates with euchromatin-associated histones to localize to active transcription sites, promoting capture of newly synthesized gRNA for packaging.
Diversity and conservation of the genome architecture of phages infecting the Alphaproteobacteria
Authors: Hyde Jonathan R. , Armond Thomas , Herring Jacob A. , Hope Sandra , Grose Julianne H. , Breakwell Donald P. , Pickett Brett E.
Published: November 2023

Bacteriophages are viruses that are only capable of replicating inside a suitable bacterial host cell. Here, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of all 103 publicly available phage genomes that are known to infect members of the Alphaproteobacteria. We combined the sequence data and associated metadata with results from various comparative genomic and phylogenetic methods to quantify gene presence, families of orthologous gene products, and assign the phages into clusters and subclusters. Comparative genomic analyses, such as this one, allow differentiation of phages based on their evolutionary relatedness. The results of our analyses justify the classification of these phages into 16 clusters and 6 subclusters to ideally balance sequence diversity, protein orthologs, and core genes with host range. This study is the first to group phages infecting the Alphaproteobacteria. We expect that these results will inform future studies and that our classification schema will improve the classification of phages that infect bacterial taxa in the Alphaproteobacteria class.

IMPORTANCE

This study reports the results of the largest analysis of genome sequences from phages that infect the Alphaproteobacteria class of bacterial hosts. We analyzed over 100 whole genome sequences of phages to construct dotplots, categorize them into genetically distinct clusters, generate a bootstrapped phylogenetic tree, compute protein orthologs, and predict packaging strategies. We determined that the phage sequences primarily cluster by the bacterial host family, phage morphotype, and genome size. We expect that the findings reported in this seminal study will facilitate future analyses that will improve our knowledge of the phages that infect these hosts.
Early offering transcatheter aortic valve replacement to patients with moderate aortic stenosis: quantifying costs and benefits – a Markov model-based simulation study
Authors: Nguyen Dieu , Marwick Tom , Moodie Marj , Gao Lan
Published: November 2023

Objective

Aortic stenosis (AS) is one of the most common acquired cardiac valvular diseases. The success of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe AS has led to increasing interest in its use to earlier disease—moderate AS (MAS).

Design

Model-based study using a Markov microsimulation technique to evaluate the long-term costs and benefits associated with ‘early’ TAVI. Key data inputs were sourced from the international literature and costs were obtained from Australian sources.

Setting

Australian health care system perspective.

Participants

10 000 hypothetical MAS patients with or without left ventricular diastolic dysfunction or impaired left ventricular ejection fraction.

Intervention

Comparing early TAVI to medical management over a life time horizon for MAS patients aged >65 years. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of offering early TAVI in five scenarios (10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% take-up rates).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome measure is quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained and the incremental cost–utility ratio (ICUR). Secondary outcomes are life-years gained and the number of heart failure case avoided.

Results

Offering early TAVI for MAS patients resulted in both higher healthcare costs and greater benefits (an increase of 3.02 QALYs or 3.99 life-years) per person treated. The ICUR was around $A10 867 and $A11 926 per QALY gained for all five scenarios, with the total cost of early TAVI to the healthcare system being anticipated to be up to $A3.66 billion. Sensitivity analyses indicated a 100% probability of being cost-effective with a willingness to pay threshold of $A50 000/QALY. The benefits remained, even with assumptions of high levels of repeat valve replacement after TAVI.

Conclusion

While ongoing randomised controlled trials will define the benefit of TAVI to MAS patients, these results suggest that this intervention is likely to be cost-effective.
Time-dependent wave-packet approach to the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer based on relaxed potential energy surfaces of benzimidazole molecule
Authors: Gao Jinmu , Zhou Xucong , Meng Qingtian , Zhang Hua
Published: November 2023

The wave-packet dynamical approach was used to investigate the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (PT) of 5′-amino-2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl) benzimidazole (P1) based on the relaxed potential surfaces. For the involved PT process of P1 molecule, the quantum chemical calculation shows that relative to the ground state S0 with a single potential well, the excited state S1 with a double potential well can give much dynamical information. It is also found that because of the existence of a shallow potential barrier on the excited state S1, the PT in it is much easier than that in the ground state S0. When a laser field is used to pump the wave packet and induce the PT process, the external field parameters, such as the frequency and the envelope, also have influences on the PT process because of the impact of both pump time and the energy gap between two states. This kind of external field effect on the PT process gives a specific perspective to examine its dynamical mechanism and provides a reference for exploring the light-induced biophysical processes.
Mandatory Monthly Sales Disclosure and the Information Content of Earnings
Authors: Lu Hsueh-Tien , Xin Hua Christine
Published: November 2023

Synopsis

The research problem

Taiwanese stock markets practice a unique form of reporting frequency, combining quarterly interim financial reports with mandatory monthly sales announcements. This unique setting allows us to compare the information content of quarterly earnings that are announced before, bundled with, or announced after the monthly sales disclosures.

Motivation

Monthly sales disclosures likely contribute to the pricing of earnings announcements (EAs) by providing investors with valuable information that helps them revise their expectations when forecasting earnings and cash flows. We examine whether monthly sales disclosures help investors to process earnings information.

The test hypotheses

Our first hypothesis is that the immediate market response to earnings news is lower if the previous quarter’s EAs are disclosed after the reporting of monthly sales for the first month of the next quarter. Our second hypothesis is that the subsequent market response to earnings news is lower if the previous quarter’s EAs are disclosed after the reporting of monthly sales for the first month of the next quarter.

Target population

We studied a sample of Taiwanese listed firms from 2014 through 2018.

Adopted methodology

We used multivariate regressions to test the hypotheses.

Analyses

We examined the monthly sales disclosures for the first month of quarter [Formula: see text], which are released within the first 10 days of the second month of quarter [Formula: see text]. We analyze the pricing of the content of the earnings of quarter q, conditional on whether the earnings are released before, simultaneously with, or released after the monthly sales disclosures.

Findings

We found that earnings disclosed after the monthly sales news are associated with weaker EA returns and post-EA drift, relative to earnings disclosed before or bundled with the monthly sales news. These results suggest that monthly sales disclosures preempt the information content of late EAs. More importantly, we found that late EAs are associated with less positive correlation between EA returns and post-EA returns than early and bundled EAs. Overall, these results suggest that by providing timely sales information, monthly sales disclosures improve the information environment.
Top Management Team Fault Lines and Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence from China
Authors: Huang Jingjuan , Zhu Bo
Published: November 2023

Synopsis

The research problem

This study examined whether and how top management team (TMT) fault lines formed by diversity and division affect stock price crash risk (hereafter, crash risk).

Motivation

Prior studies have documented how a single characteristic or the demographic diversity of managers affects real economic activities. However, TMT fault lines, formed by the structure of executives’ demographic diversity, remain untapped in crash risk research. Given the potential monopoly of the TMT on information, it is important to determine whether TMT fault lines influence the distribution of bad news. This study therefore explored how TMT fault lines reduce crash risk through the private leakage of bad news by subgroups and the moderating role of analysts in this process.

The test hypotheses

We hypothesized that firms with a strong TMT fault line have low stock price crash risk. Moreover, subgroups divided by TMT fault lines have a greater chance of leaking bad news when firms are followed by more analysts, thereby reducing the stock price crash risk to a greater extent.

Target population

We examined 19,228 annual observations of Chinese publicly listed firms from 2008 to 2021.

Adopted methodology

We applied ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and moderation analysis to our study.

Analyses

We evaluated the microgovernance factors affecting crash risk from a novel perspective — internal TMT conflict. First, we performed regression analysis on a sample of Chinese publicly listed firms to determine whether TMT fault lines reduce crash risk and the effect of analysts on this relationship. Second, we performed cross-sectional variation tests for the main regression. Finally, we investigated the effect of a CEO-CFO coalition on crash risk, given that the unequal status of subgroups may reduce the monitoring capacity of any subgroup in a weaker position.

Findings

We found that TMT task-related fault lines are negatively associated with crash risk and positively moderated by analysts. Meanwhile, the TMT biodemographic fault lines do not have a significant influence on crash risk. We also demonstrated that the monitoring effect of TMT task-related fault lines is stronger when external governance is weaker. Finally, additional analysis implies that the monitoring effect of a CEO-CFO coalition fault line remains effective, but this effect is weaker.
Strontium isotope stratigraphy of the Cretaceous
Authors: McArthur John M. , Howarth Richard J.
Published: November 2023

This contribution outlines the methodology of strontium isotope stratigraphy, and reviews the information that underpins the calibration curve of marine-
87
Sr/
86
Sr against time for the Cretaceous.
Highly Efficient Self-checking Matrix Multiplication on Tiled AMX Accelerators
Authors: Mummidi Chandra Sekhar , Ferreira Victor C. , Srinivasan Sudarshan , Kundu Sandip
Published: November 2023

General Matrix Multiplication (GEMM) is a computationally expensive operation that is used in many applications such as machine learning. Hardware accelerators are increasingly popular for speeding up GEMM computation, with Tiled Matrix Multiplication (TMUL) in recent Intel processors being an example. Unfortunately, the TMUL hardware is susceptible to errors, necessitating online error detection. The Algorithm-based Error Detection (ABED) technique is a powerful technique to detect errors in matrix multiplications. In this article, we consider implementation of an ABED technique that integrates seamlessly with the TMUL hardware to minimize performance overhead. Unfortunately, rounding errors introduced by floating-point operations do not allow a straightforward implementation of ABED in TMUL. Previously an error bound was considered for addressing rounding errors in ABED. If the error detection threshold is set too low, it will a trigger false alarm, while a loose bound will allow errors to escape detection. In this article, we propose an adaptive error threshold that takes into account the TMUL input values to address the problem of false triggers and error escapes and provide a taxonomy of various error classes. This threshold is obtained from theoretical error analysis but is not easy to implement in hardware. Consequently, we relax the threshold such that it can be easily computed in hardware. While ABED ensures error-free computation, it does not guarantee full coverage of all hardware faults. To address this problem, we propose an algorithmic pattern generation technique to ensure full coverage for all hardware faults. To evaluate the benefits of our proposed solution, we conducted fault injection experiments and show that our approach does not produce any false alarms or detection escapes for observable errors. We conducted additional fault injection experiments on a Deep Neural Network (DNN) model and find that if a fault is not detected, it does not cause any misclassification.
Effects of circulating endothelial microvesicles isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide production
Authors: Garcia Vinicius P. , Fandl Hannah K. , Hijmans Jamie G. , Berry Auburn R. , Cardenas Hannah L. , Stockelman Kelly A. , DeSouza Noah M. , Treuth J. William , Greiner Jared J. , Park Andrew J. , Stauffer Brian L. , DeSouza Christopher A.
Published: November 2023

In the present study, we determined the effect of circulating endothelial cell-derived microvesicles (EMVs) isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. Circulating EMVs harvested from adults with obesity promoted a proinflammatory, proapoptotic, and NO-compromised endothelial phenotype. Elevated circulating EMVs in adults with obesity, independent of other cardiometabolic risk factors, are a potential novel systemic mediator of obesity-related endothelial dysfunction and vascular risk.
Mechanisms and Optimization Strategies of Paracrine Exosomes from Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Yin Xiaorong , Lin Lizhi , Fang Fang , Zhang Bin , Shen Cheng
Published: November 2023

The morbidity and mortality of myocardial infarction (MI) are increasing worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells with self-renewal and differentiation capabilities that are essential in tissue healing and regenerative medicine. However, the low implantation and survival rates of transplanted cells hinder the widespread clinical use of stem cells. Exosomes are naturally occurring nanovesicles that are secreted by cells and promote the repair of cardiac function by transporting noncoding RNA and protein. In recent years, MSC-derived exosomes have been promising cell-free treatment tools for improving cardiac function and reversing cardiac remodeling. This review describes the biological properties and therapeutic potential of exosomes and summarizes some engineering approaches for exosomes optimization to enhance the targeting and therapeutic efficacy of exosomes in MI.
Improvement of Properties of Gelatinization and Retrogradation of Adzuki Bean Starch by Adding Glycolipid
Authors: Shen Huifang , Yao Xinmiao , Zhou Ye , Shen Xinting , Wang Yao , Wang Fei , Li Tie , Wang Qiang , Zhao Rui , Li Zhebin , Xu Na , Lu Shuwen
Published: November 2023

To improve the storage quality of adzuki bean paste from starch aging, the effects of glycolipid addition on the properties of gelatinization and retrogradation properties of adzuki flour obtained by the retrogradation inside adzuki bean during storage and transportation are investigated. The results indicate the significant differences in the gelatinization and the distribution of starch granules for different varieties of beans. The higher gelatinization temperature of adzuki flour results in the lower enthalpy of gelatinization with an undulating tendency of the retrogradation due to the short-term aging of amylose and long-term aging of amylopectin within adzuki flour. In the early stage of aging, the coexistence of protein, fat, and starch inside adzuki flour hinder the aging of starch. An Avrami equation is introduced to characterize the aging process of the starch–protein–fat–water system of different varieties of adzuki flours. The nucleation mode of the crystal nucleus has a significant effect on the aging rate of different varieties of adzuki flour. The fat in the system fails to demonstrate a significant effect on the nucleation mode of starch retrogradation. The addition of glycolipids increases the gelatinization enthalpy of adzuki flour. Glycolipids can reduce the aging degree of adzuki flour, and the inhibition effect on the retrogradation of sucrose monoester is greater than that of maltose monoester. The research results provide the valuable guidance for the high-quality processing and storage of adzuki bean paste from starch aging.
2d Models of Steel Beams under Patch Loading for Buckling Coefficient Assessment
Authors: Maiorana Emanuele , Aloisio Angelo , Briseghella Bruno
Published: November 2023

This paper proposes an equivalent 2d model incorporating translational and rotational springs to simulate constraints in the stability analysis of steel plates under in-plane patch loading. The main objective is to develop an equivalent stability analysis of these plates by accurately calibrating the level of constraint provided by the stiffeners and flanges. The calibration involves determining the spring constants of a 2d equivalent plate model to achieve the same linear elastic critical load and buckled shape as a 3d model. The paper uses the buckling coefficient as the objective function to calibrate the translational and rotational springs. The ultimate goal is to effectively replicate the constraint conditions imposed by the flanges and vertical stiffeners within the structure. The proposed simplified method yields results that closely align with those obtained from the original 3d model, incorporating finite-rigidity restraints.
Performando etnografias no Timor-Leste contemporâneo: entre Kultura e Modernidades
Authors: Nogueira Silvia Garcia
Published: November 2023

Resenha do livro: Silva, Kelly Crisiane da. 2020. Performing Modernities: Pedagogies and technologies in the making of contemporary Timor-Leste. Rio de Janeiro: ABA Publicações/AFIPEA. 336p.
Habitar en el viaje: una aproximación antropológica a la Norpatagonia chilena
Authors: Freddi Andrea
Published: November 2023

El artículo tiene como objetivo presentar algunos rasgos históricos y sociales de las sociedades de colonos marginales de la Norpatagonia chilena, así como proponer herramientas conceptuales de la antropología, que puedan guiar la comprensión etnográfica de estos contextos. Se mencionan las historias de colonización, la trashumancia de bovinos, la fabricación de tejuelas de alerce y las migraciones a la Patagonia austral, como características que conforman un sentido de pertenencia territorializado. Estos aspectos se interpretan a la luz de las teorías de Tim Ingold y James Clifford, resaltando peculiaridades y puntos comunes de dos enfoques aparentemente antitéticos que, sin embargo, coinciden en una crítica a un concepto genealógico y esencialista de cultura, y en la valoración del movimiento como elemento cardinal en la generación de la vida y las culturas. Estas nociones parecen particularmente apropiadas para analizar un territorio fronterizo con una historia de intensos desplazamientos que desdibujan identidades étnicas y nacionales.
Eficácia da denervação simpática renal como tratamento para a insuficiência cardíaca
Authors: Portela Elany Maria Ferreira , Silva Jeanne Beatriz Nunes da , Lamounier Laís Emanuelle , Lamounier Lara Kaiulani , Faria Talitha Araújo Velôso
Published: November 2023

A insuficiência cardíaca (IC) tem se tornado cada vez mais frequente na população e, dada a importância dessa doença a nível mundial, diversos estudos avaliam novas formas para tratá-la, como a denervação simpática renal (DSR), com o intuito de inibir a ativação cardíaca estimulada pelos rins. O objetivo desse estudo é compreender se a DSR é um tratamento factível para a insuficiência cardíaca e quais são suas vantagens. Foi realizado uma revisão integrativa da literatura com busca nas bases de dados PubMed e Scielo, utilizando os descritores “Sympathectomy”, “Denervation” e “Heart failure”, encontrados no DeCS. Buscou-se por artigos publicados nos últimos 10 anos, em inglês, espanhol e português, disponíveis na íntegra, excluindo estudos com modelos experimentais. Foram encontrados 188 artigos e destes 23 foram selecionados. A DSR consiste em inativar o nervo renal, suprimindo a atividade simpática e do sistema renina-angiotensina-aldosterona. Apesar de ser uma técnica delicada, a DSR é segura, apresentando complicações inerentes a procedimentos invasivos, porém de baixa a moderada gravidade, e poucos efeitos adversos. Dessa forma, a DSR demonstrou ser um promissor tratamento para a IC, promovendo a remissão de sintomas importantes, como controle de arritmias e remissão de edemas periféricos, contudo não representou a cura para essa doença.
Situações de bullying no contexto universitário: percepções de estudantes de um curso de fonoaudiologia
Authors: Alpes Matheus Francoy , Santos Julia Helena Ferreira dos , Panúncio-Pinto Maria Paula
Published: November 2023

Introdução: O bullying corresponde a situações de agressões verbais e físicas que ocorrem de maneira intencional e repetitiva contra um indivíduo em desvantagem de poder, causando inúmeros problemas e sequelas durante toda a vida. Pode se manifestar em diferentes ambientes, dentre eles, no contexto universitário. Objetivo: Identificar a percepção de graduandos do curso de Fonoaudiologia sobre o bullying. Método: Estudo descritivo-exploratório, no qual participantes  foram abordados através de questionário semi-estruturado. Os dados foram analisados quali-quantitativamente, através de análise de conteúdo (questões abertas) e frequência simples (questões fechadas). Resultados: Dentre os 94 respondentes, 59 (62,7%) identificaram situações de bullying na graduação: na relação veterano-calouro (20); motivada por características pessoais (20); por orientação sexual/gênero (13); na relação professor-aluno (09); motivada por desempenho acadêmico (08); classe social (07) e etnia (05). Em relação ao desempenho acadêmico, 91 (96,8%) consideraram que a vítima têm prejuízo em seu desempenho acadêmico: provoca sofrimento psíquico e desgaste emocional (36), desmotivação e desinteresse pela faculdade (25), isolamento social e repressão da expressão (13); afeta o bem-estar geral (10) e desempenho no cotidiano (04). Conclusão: Os estudantes reconhecem a ocorrência do fenômeno no contexto da graduação e concordam que tais situações afetam o processo de ensino-aprendizagem.
Comportamentos de proteção contra a infecção por SARS-CoV-2: um estudo de coorte
Authors: Carvalho Filho Aguimar Xavier de , Lemos Maria Julia Nascimento , Ribeiro Marina  Lima , Queiros José Auri Vilela Lemos , Melo Maria Clara Morais , Assad Nubia Taveira Carvalhaes , Silos Isabela Ranieri , Pereira Bruna  Andrade , Silva Alexia Floriano Rodrigues da , Francisco Ghaspar Gomes de Oliveira Alves , Chiovatto Caroline Brandão , Pimenta Ruan , Leite Katia Ramos Moreira , Queiroz Vanessa Luzia , Bernardes Elexandra Helena , Ordones Alexandre Beraldo , Faria Sabrina Thalita dos Reis
Published: November 2023

INTRODUÇÃO: Nós elaboramos um estudo prospectivo com o objetivo de avaliar fatores (adesão ao distanciamento social, uso de EPI’s, etc.) que poderiam ser determinantes no desenvolvimento da COVID-19 que poderá subsidiar o desenvolvimento de estratégias de saúde eficazes no combate da infecção no município de Passos - Minas Gerais, Brasil, seja em ambientes hospitalar ou não-hospitalar. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo coorte longitudinal onde foram incluídos 343 indivíduos da população que foram selecionados aleatoriamente por conglomerado. Os indivíduos selecionados responderam a um questionário relacionado às características clínicas, medidas preventivas, comorbidades e uso de medicamentos. Na ocasião foi realizado teste rápido nos indivíduos para detecção de anticorpos IgG e IgM. O tempo médio de acompanhamento foi de seis meses e, durante o acompanhamento, manteve-se contato telefônico a cada duas semanas. Ao final do seguimento, novo teste sorológico foi realizado e calculado o risco associado à presença de fatores de risco e à incidência da doença. RESULTADOS: Verificamos que 27,3% dos participantes que se infectaram no seguimento faziam uso ivermectina e hidroxicloroquina como forma de prevenção, enquanto nós não infectados, 11,3% usavam esses medicamentos. Para os indivíduos que apresentaram a doença durante o seguimento 21,2% relataram respeitar o isolamento social, 27,3% relataram que saíram para trabalhar e 42,14% relataram que frequentaram ambientes hospitalares. Entre os participantes que tiveram a infecção, 12,1% relataram contato apenas com familiares, 9,1% com familiares e colegas de trabalho e 75,8% com profissionais de saúde. CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo forneceu dados epidemiológicos de indivíduos infectados pelo COVID-19, que podem contribuir com o sistema de saúde no estabelecimento de medidas preventivas.
Vigilância sanitária e Ministério Público: interrelações de parceria na proteção da saúde
Authors: Lima Yara Oyram Ramos , Costa Eliana Auxiliadora Magalhães , Costa Ediná Alves , Souza Gisélia Santana , Souza Mariluce Karla Bomfim de , Araújo Patrícia Sodré , Paz Bianca Maria Santos da
Published: November 2023

Health surveillance's role in the control of health risks, due to the nature of the objects in its field of action, often requires a partnership with other instances, including the Prosecution Office. The aim of this article was to identify and discuss challenges and potentialities of the relationship between health surveillance and Prosecution Office. This is a qualitative and descriptive study, with data produced using the focus group technique carried out with health surveillance workers, grouped into two thematic categories and analyzed according to the content analysis technique. The study identified, in sanitary inspection actions, a partnership relationship between health surveillance and Prosecution Office, recognized by the workers, as a reinforcement for the fulfillment of sanitary requirements, by the regulated segments. It also identified a relationship of dependence on the Prosecution Office, in certain situations, for the health surveillance to be able to carry out its institutional action of sanitary control. In addition, resulting from the many demands that the Prosecution Office presents to the health surveillance, it can be seen as a hierarchical superior , which, if prioritized, would increase the workload and interfere in the health surveillance's planning and routines. The relationship between health surveillance and the Prosecution Office has a strong potential for cooperation in favor of collective health, especially due to the insufficient political power of health surveillance in subnational instances in its role of health regulation and surveillance. These relationships also require reflection in light of the respective competences and responsibilities of the entities involved.
Aplicação de índices morfométricos para a estimativa de corridas de detritos em sub-bacias do Rio Perequê, Cubatão (SP)
Authors: Almeida Natália Rafaela de , Reis Fábio Augusto Gomes Vieira , Cabral Victor Carvalho , Corrêa Claudia Vanessa dos Santos , Isler Rebeca Meyer , Veloso Vinicius Queiroz
Published: November 2023

As corridas de detritos são processos hidrogeomorfológicos comumente associados a altos índices pluviométricos em áreas declivosas. A Serra do Mar possui características geomorfológicas e climáticas que a tornam favorável à iniciação desse fenômeno, sendo a região de Cubatão (SP) uma das mais afetadas no Brasil. Este trabalho objetiva analisar a potencialidade à deflagração de corridas de detritos em sub-bacias do Rio Perequê, com base em índices morfométricos na escala de 1:50.000. Para tal, 13 sub-bacias foram selecionadas devido ao seu alto histórico de eventos do respectivo processo. Os resultados mostram que a sub-bacia número 04, a qual compreende a Refinaria Presidente Bernardes da Petrobras, exibe a maior potencialidade em toda a área de estudo, devido aos seus elevados valores de Relação de Relevo (Rr), Índice de Rugosidade (Ir), Índice de Força do Canal (IFC) e Índice de Sinuosidade (Is). O cálculo dos índices morfométricos mostra-se, portanto, como uma ferramenta valiosa na avaliação e identificação das áreas com altos potenciais para corridas de detritos, especialmente na avaliação da potencialidade em tomadas de decisão em escalas regionais.
The Common Core of the Fundamental Standards of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law
Authors: Orzeszyna Krzysztof
Published: November 2023

The presented paper discusses the convergence of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in armed conflicts. International human rights law and the human rights law converge and interact with each other because natural law is at the core of both these disciplines of public international law. Although international humanitarian law is a lex specialis, the general rules regarding the interpretation of treaties clearly indicate that international human rights law must be interpreted in the context of other rules of international law, and its possible derogations must be compatible with other international obligations of the state, including humanitarian law. In the event of a conflict between international humanitarian law and international human rights law, the mechanism for resolving conflicts between the standards was supplemented by an interpretation based on the principle of ‘system integration’ of the International Court of Justice which results in the ‘humanization’ of international humanitarian law. The evolution of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, which takes into account the international humanitarian law as the reference norm that should be referred to, demonstrates the close relationship between these areas of law. In the case of the application of universal and regional instruments of international human rights law, we are dealing with the ‘humanitarianization’ of these rights.
Fermented rape pollen powder can alleviate benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats by reducing hormone content and changing gut microbiota
Authors: Han Y.Y. , Zhang Q.H. , Chen W.S. , Li Z.L. , Xie D. , Zhang S.L. , Lu H. , Wang L.W. , Xu Z.H. , Zhang L.Z.
Published: November 2023

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can cause urethral compression, bladder stone formation, and renal function damage, which may endanger the life of patients. Therefore, we aimed to develop plant-based preparations for BPH treatment with no side effects. In this study, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 322Hp, Lactobacillus acidophilus 322Ha, and Limosilactobacillus reuteri 322Hr were used to ferment rape pollen. The fermented rape pollen was subsequently converted into fermented rape pollen powder (FRPP) through vacuum freeze-drying technology. After fermenting and drying, the bioactive substances and antioxidant capacity of FRPP were significantly higher than those of unfermented rapeseed pollen, and FRPP had a longer storage duration, which can be stored for over one year. To investigate the therapeutic effect of FRPP on BPH, a BPH rat model was established by hypodermic injection of testosterone propionate. The BPH rats were treated differently, with the model group receiving normal saline, the positive control group receiving finasteride, and the low, medium, and high dose FRPP group receiving FRPP at doses of 0.14 g/kg/d, 0.28 g/kg/d, and 0.56 g/kg/d, respectively. The results indicate that medium dose FRPP reduced the levels of hormone such as testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and oestradiol in rats with BPH by about 32%, thus bringing the prostate tissue of BPH rats closer to normal. More importantly, medium dose FRPP treatment had a significant effect on the composition of gut microbiota in rats with BPH, increasing the levels of beneficial genera (such as Coprococcus and Jeotgalicoccus), and decreasing the levels of harmful pathogens (such as Turicibacter and Clostridiaceae_Clostridium) in the gut. This study showed that medium dose FRPP reduced the hormone level and regulated the unbalanced gut microbiota in BPH rats, thereby alleviating BPH.
Pearl S. Buck, Her Nobel Prize, and the Nazis
Authors: Hudey Katrin
Published: November 2023

In 1938, Pearl S. Buck was decorated with the highest literature award possible: the Nobel Prize. In most cases an award like this leads to a high increase in the symbolic capital for the author and raises the value of their books, but not for Pearl S. Buck. Looking closer at the global reception of Pearl S. Buck’s books before and after the awarding reveals that giving the Nobel Prize to her was for several reasons one of the most discussed decisions by the Swedish Committee. In the following, I will look exemplarily at the constellation of USA, China, and Nazi-Germany to reconstruct how her books were received in different national contexts before and after 1938 to investigate the global and national effects of her awarding.
The Nobel Literature Prize and Peacebuilding
Authors: Cheuk Michael Ka-chi
Published: November 2023

Organized as part of the Cultural Olympiad for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, “The Nobel Laureates of Literature: An Olympic Gathering” featured the largest ever assembly of Nobel laureates in literature for a single occasion. It was expected that the eight writers in attendance, namely Joseph Brodsky, Czesław Miłosz, Toni Morrison, Kenzaburō Ōe, Octavio Paz, Claude Simon, Wole Soyinka, and Derek Walcott, would singularly promote the values of peacebuilding. Instead, the laureates demonstrated varying degrees of uneasiness. By close-reading the panel discussion transcript in conjunction with the writers’ Nobel lectures, this paper argues for an alternative reading of the Olympic Gathering as a platform where the artistic visions of the eight writers interacted with each other on topics related to mutual understanding, privacy, and communication. Rather than reinforcing the liturgy of global peacebuilding, the Nobel laureates transformed the Olympic Gathering into a critical space that simultaneously promotes and deconstructs its peacebuilding processes.
Foreword to a Special Issue on “Interreligious Founding”
Authors: Chitwood Zachary , Lohse Tillmann , Sánchez Ignacio , Schmiedchen Annette
Published: November 2023

This short introduction prefaces an ends special issue devoted to the topic of “interreligious founding”, whose contributions stem from an online workshop held April 8th–9th, 2021. This workshop was planned as a continuation of the dialogue on charitable foundations held between experts of various academic disciplines in Tokyo (2019) and Singapore (2020). As a result of discussions begun at these venues, it has become apparent that the scholarship on endowments, which has unfolded to the greatest extent within Medieval Studies and therefore with the context of the medieval Latin West foremost in mind, has not adequately addressed the phenomenon of interreligious patronage, that is the participation in foundation activities by persons of different religious traditions.
Feeling Happiness, Feeling Science: Diffractive Readings of Émilie Du Châtelet’s and Sophie Germain’s Philosophical Writings
Authors: Tamboukou Maria
Published: November 2023

In this paper I read diffractively the philosophical writings of Émilie Du Châtelet and Sophie Germain, particularly focusing on their engagement with happiness, both as a theoretical notion and as a lived experience. What I argue is that their take on happiness has nothing to do with the gendered norms and discourses of happiness that they were seen and judged by, in the longue durée of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Their happiness was more in line with the joys and pleasures of knowledge, understanding, living, and creating. While feelings are central in both women’s theorization of happiness, they are deployed along different strands in the philosophical history of emotions and affects, and despite their original and unique contribution, they are still absent from it.
Taxonomic revision of the genus Penia Laporte (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Dendrometrinae) from Taiwan
Authors: ARIMOTO KÔICHI
Published: November 2023

The genus Penia Laporte, 1838 (tribe Dimini Candèze, 1863, subfamily Dendrometrinae Gistel, 1848) has three known endemic species from Taiwan. However, little is still known about these species and their important features, including genitalia. Here, the taxonomy of Taiwanese Penia is revised and eight species are confirmed: Penia alishanensis sp. nov., P. babai Kishii, 1994, P. elongata sp. nov., P. inopinata sp. nov., P. pulla sp. nov., P. smetanai Schimmel, 1996, P. takasago Kishii, 1997, and P. tsou sp. nov. The paratype of P. takasago is a different species and the species is described as P. inopinata. Three species have elongated bodies (P. alishanensis, P. elongata, and P. smetanai), whereas the other five have broad bodies. The eight species are distinguished from each other by the sizes of the eyes and apical maxillary palpomeres, the lengths of antennae and elytra, the relative length of the basal antennomeres, the degree of development of the mesosternal process between mesocoxae, and the shapes of the pronotum, hypomeron, scutellar shield and abdominal ventrite V. A key to all species in Taiwan is provided.
Magnetohydrodynamic Darcy-Forchheimer Squeezed Flow of Casson Nanofluid Over Horizontal Channel with Activation Energy and Thermal Radiation
Authors: Deepthi V. V. L. , Srinivasa Raju R.
Published: November 2023

The most well-known research areas in computational fluid dynamics are concerned with the interplay of fluid flow with chemical reaction and activation energy. According to the findings of several studies, its industrial applications include simulating the flow inside a nuclear reactor,
for which it has received appreciation from many researchers. This study, driven by the use of flow in industrial challenges, explores the impacts of activation energy and chemical reaction on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Darcy–Forchheimer squeezed Casson fluid flow through a porous
material across the horizontal channel. The flow is produced when two horizontal plates are compressed to create more space between them. By using similarity variables, one may successfully convert partial differential equations (PDEs) to ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The shooting
technique was used to carry out the numerical analysis, which entailed solving the competent governing equations with dominating parameters for a thin liquid layer. This was done to determine the results of the study. To validate the current solutions, it is vital to evaluate the numerical
findings alongside the results of the prior research. The findings indicate that fluid velocity and temperature increases may be expected as the plates are brought closer together. In addition, there was a correlation between a rise in the Hartmann number and a decrease in the fluid’s
velocity and concentration because of the existence of strong Lorentz forces. The temperature and the concentration of the liquid will increase due to the Brownian motion. When the Darcy–Forchheimer and activation energy parameters are both increased, the velocity and concentration decrease.
Magneto-Thermo Heat Transfer of a Chemically Reactive and Viscous Dissipative Casson Nanofluid Thin Film Over an Unsteady Stretching Surface with Variable Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Pal Dulal , Chatterjee Debranjan
Published: November 2023

This paper addressed unsteady magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer of an incompressible Casson nanofluid thin film past a stretching sheet by considering the features of thermal radiation, chemical reaction, and viscous dissipation. The problem is modeled mathematically, and the
governing basic equations are brought into nonlinear ordinary differential equations by utilizing appropriate similarity transformations. Then the transformed equations are then solved numerically by using the bvp4c solver. The influences of pertinent physical variables are performed on velocity,
temperature gradient, and nanoparticle concentration gradient profiles. It is seen that the profile of the nanoparticle concentration gradient enhances by increasing the values of the Schmidt number, whereas the opposite trends are observed by increasing the values of the thermophoresis parameter.
It is also analyzed that by increasing the values of the thermophoresis parameter, there is an increase in the profiles of the temperature and concentration distributions. The computed results are obtained by giving main consideration to the convergence process and comparing them with the
results existing in the literature.