bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generating ultraviolet perfect vortex beams using a high-efficiency broadband dielectric metasurface
Authors: He Jinna , Wan Mingli , Zhang Xiaopeng , Yuan Shuqing , Zhang Liufang , Wang Junqiao
Published: January 2022

Due to the topological charge-independent doughnut spatial structure as well as the association of orbital angular momentums, perfect vortex beams promise significant advances in fiber communication, optical manipulation and quantum optics. Inspired by the development of planar photonics, several plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces have been constructed to generate perfect vortex beams, instead of conventional bulky configuration. However, owing to the intrinsic Ohmic losses and interband electron transitions in materials, these metasurface-based vortex beam generators only work at optical frequencies up to the visible range. Herein, using silicon nitride nanopillars as high-efficiency half-wave plates, broadband and high-performance metasurfaces are designed and demonstrated numerically to directly produce perfect vortex beams in the ultraviolet region, by combining the phase profiles of spiral phase plate, axicon and Fourier transformation lens based on geometric phase. The conversion efficiency of the metasurface is up to 86.6% at the design wavelength. Moreover, the influence of several control parameters on perfect vortex beam structures is discussed. We believe that this ultraviolet dielectric generator of perfect vortex beams will find many significant applications, such as high-resolution spectroscopy, optical tweezer and on-chip communication.
Broadband polarization-insensitive and oblique-incidence terahertz metamaterial absorber with multi-layered graphene
Authors: Huang Xiaojun , Cao Miao , Wang DanQi , Li Xuewen , Fan Jingdao , Li Xiaoyan
Published: January 2022

Metamaterial absorbers have been widely studied in the past decade and their performances have been incessantly improved in the practical applications. In this paper, we present a broadband terahertz metamaterial absorber based on graphene-polyimide composite structure, and the structure consists of a metal substrate and graphene layers with different sizes separated by two polyimide dielectric layers. The simulation results show that the absorptance of the absorber is greater than 90% in 0.86–3.54 THz with the fractional bandwidth of 121.8%. The absorptance can be adjusted by changing the chemical potential of graphene. In addition, the absorber is insensitive to polarization and still has robust tolerance for the oblique incidence. The equivalent circuit model based on transmission line is introduced to analyze the physics of the designed absorber and the results are in good agreement with the simulations. We believe that the designed absorber is a potential competitive candidate in terahertz energy harvesting and thermal emission.
The estimates of effective population size based on linkage disequilibrium are virtually unaffected by natural selection
Authors: Novo Irene , Santiago Enrique , Caballero Armando
Published: January 2022

The effective population size (Ne) is a key parameter to quantify the magnitude of genetic drift and inbreeding, with important implications in human evolution. The increasing availability of high-density genetic markers allows the estimation of historical changes inNeacross time using measures of genome diversity or linkage disequilibrium between markers. Directional selection is expected to reduce diversity andNe, and this reduction is modulated by the heterogeneity of the genome in terms of recombination rate. Here we investigate by computer simulations the consequences of selection (both positive and negative) and recombination rate heterogeneity in the estimation of historicalNe. We also investigate the relationship between diversity parameters andNeacross the different regions of the genome using human marker data. We show that the estimates of historicalNeobtained from linkage disequilibrium between markers (NeLD) are virtually unaffected by selection. In contrast, those estimates obtained by coalescence mutation-recombination-based methods can be strongly affected by it, which could have important consequences for the estimation of human demography. The simulation results are supported by the analysis of human data. The estimates ofNeLDobtained for particular genomic regions do not correlate, or they do it very weakly, with recombination rate, nucleotide diversity, proportion of polymorphic sites, background selection statistic, minor allele frequency of SNPs, loss of function and missense variants and gene density. This suggests thatNeLDmeasures mainly reflect demographic changes in population size across generations.
Population sizes, HIV prevalence, and HIV prevention among men who paid for sex in sub-Saharan Africa (2000–2020): A meta-analysis of 87 population-based surveys
Authors: Hodgins Caroline , Stannah James , Kuchukhidze Salome , Zembe Lycias , Eaton Jeffrey W. , Boily Marie-Claude , Maheu-Giroux Mathieu
Published: January 2022

Background

Key populations, including sex workers, are at high risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. Men who pay for sex can contribute to HIV transmission through sexual relationships with both sex workers and their other partners. To characterize the population of men who pay for sex in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we analyzed population size, HIV prevalence, and use of HIV prevention and treatment.

Methods and findings

We performed random-effects meta-analyses of population-based surveys conducted in SSA from 2000 to 2020 with information on paid sex by men. We extracted population size, lifetime number of sexual partners, condom use, HIV prevalence, HIV testing, antiretroviral (ARV) use, and viral load suppression (VLS) among sexually active men. We pooled by regions and time periods, and assessed time trends using meta-regressions. We included 87 surveys, totaling over 368,000 male respondents (15–54 years old), from 35 countries representing 95% of men in SSA. Eight percent (95% CI 6%–10%; number of surveys [Ns] = 87) of sexually active men reported ever paying for sex. Condom use at last paid sex increased over time and was 68% (95% CI 64%–71%;Ns= 61) in surveys conducted from 2010 onwards. Men who paid for sex had higher HIV prevalence (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.50; 95% CI 1.31–1.72;Ns= 52) and were more likely to have ever tested for HIV (PR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.06–1.24;Ns= 81) than men who had not paid for sex. Men living with HIV who paid for sex had similar levels of lifetime HIV testing (PR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.88–1.05;Ns= 18), ARV use (PR = 1.01; 95% CI 0.86–1.18;Ns= 8), and VLS (PR = 1.00; 95% CI 0.86–1.17;Ns= 9) as those living with HIV who did not pay for sex. Study limitations include a reliance on self-report of sensitive behaviors and the small number of surveys with information on ARV use and VLS.

Conclusions

Paying for sex is prevalent, and men who ever paid for sex were 50% more likely to be living with HIV compared to other men in these 35 countries. Further prevention efforts are needed for this vulnerable population, including improved access to HIV testing and condom use initiatives. Men who pay for sex should be recognized as a priority population for HIV prevention.
The dependence of hydropower planning in relation to the influence of climate in Northeast Brazil
Authors: Santos Nicorray de Queiroz , Lima Kellen Carla , Spyrides Maria Helena Constantino
Published: January 2022

Water scarcity in Northeast Brazil has caused latent perturbations in hydropower generation, which is undesirable for Energy Planning. Thus, this study aims to identify the influence of climate on hydropower generation by Sobradinho Dam in Bahia by: (i) assessing the streamflow climatology (1964–2017) and rainfall (1964–2015) through time series analysis, hypothesis testing and cluster analysis; (ii) assessing hydropower generation (2000–2017) using climate and energy data, through principal component analysis and dynamic regression models. The results indicated reductions of up to 30% in the mean climatological streamflow patterns; and reductions in rainfall amounts of 22.9%, 13.3% and 12.4% at latitudes 9°, 12°and 13°South, respectively. Decreasing trends were found in simulations of hydropower generation under the influence of different climate variables. Thus, the hydroelectric system operates in contingency, due to the growing energy load demand resulting in more energy imports in Northeast Brazil.
Empowering differential networks using Bayesian analysis
Authors: Smith Jarod , Arashi Mohammad , Bekker Andriëtte
Published: January 2022

Differential networks (DN) are important tools for modeling the changes in conditional dependencies between multiple samples. A Bayesian approach for estimating DNs, from the classical viewpoint, is introduced with a computationally efficient threshold selection for graphical model determination. The algorithm separately estimates the precision matrices of the DN using the Bayesian adaptive graphical lasso procedure. Synthetic experiments illustrate that the Bayesian DN performs exceptionally well in numerical accuracy and graphical structure determination in comparison to state of the art methods. The proposed method is applied to South African COVID-19 data to investigate the change in DN structure between various phases of the pandemic.
Dynamic platelet function: A novel biomarker in inflammatory arthritis?
Authors: Nic an Riogh Eithne , Dunne Eimear , Cowley Sharon , Leamy Kelly , McCarthy Geraldine , Kenny Dermot , Stack John
Published: January 2022

Background

Patients with inflammatory arthritis die prematurely of cardiovascular disease. Inflammation activates platelets. Since treatment of inflammatory arthritis is associated with reduced mortality, and decreased platelet reactivity reduces cardiovascular events, we hypothesised that platelet reactivity as measured by dynamic platelet function (DPF) would be increased in patients with inflammatory arthritis and that reactivity could be reduced with therapeutic intervention.

Objectives

To characterise platelet function using a validated physiological assay in patients with inflammatory arthritis before and after disease improvement.

Methods

22 patients were recruited and treated as per local protocol. DPF was measured at baseline and after clinical improvement. Video microscopy was utilised to measure dynamic platelet behaviour in microliters of blood perfused over von Willebrand factor (VWF) at arterial shear rates (1500 s-1). Motion-analysis software measured the number of platelets interacting with VWF, translocating across VWF, the speed and distance platelets travelled across VWF, and stably adhering to the surface. Platelet parameters at baseline and following improvement were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test and paired student t-test. Changes in platelet function were correlated to inflammatory disease markers by Pearson Correlation.

Results

18 patients completed the study. Platelet adhesion decreased and platelet motion increased following treatment. Tender joint count correlated with platelet adhesion (Pearson r = 0.616, p≤0.01) while CRP correlated with velocity of platelet movement (Pearson r = 0.563, p≤0.01).

Conclusions

Improvement in clinical markers of inflammation is associated with a corresponding change in platelet function. Given the association between reduced mortality and decreased platelet reactivity our results suggest that an appropriate assay of platelet function could guide future therapy of patients with inflammatory arthritis.
Community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia
Authors: Shiferaw Wakshum , Demissew Sebsebe , Bekele Tamrat , Aynekulu Ermias
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to assess community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northern Ethiopia. Using purposive sampling and stratified random methods, 20 members of key informants and 154 households from four sites of Awash Fentale and Amibara Districts were selected. For data analysis, we used Kruskal Wallis non-parametric tests of K independent samples. About 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale reported that Prosopis juliflora was largely introduced into their landscape by livestock. It showed that 29% of the respondents in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara responded that Prosopis juliflora largely invaded and affected rangelands. Morevover, about 1% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora hindered movements of livestock. In addition, 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale believe that Prosopis juliflora was largely dispersed by livestock. It showed that 20% of households in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara have the notion that Prosopis juliflora majorly impacted rangelands. Whereas 1.3% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora have hampered the movement of livestock. Thus, the afromentioned findings are implications for management of rangelands. With regard to the control of Prosopis juliflora invasions, 12% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 33% in Amibara District tried control its expansion by fire. About 10% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 9% in Amibara district managed Prosopis juliflora expansion by its utilization, whereas, in Awash Fentale (11%) and Amibara (8%) households indicated that invasion of Prosopis juliflora could be controlled by mechanical methods. It is advisable to do some managerial work to reverse these impacts as perceived by local communities in the study area to avert the aggressive proliferation of Prosopis juliflora in the region.
CKMT1A is a novel potential prognostic biomarker in patients with endometrial cancer
Authors: Wang Yaping , Zhao Shujun , Qin Qiaohong , Gao Xiang , Zhang Xinlu , Zhang Min , Jiang Yi , Ji Xiaorong , Zhu Hai , Zhao Xin , Li Hongyu
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage remains the standard staging system for the assessment of endometrial cancer (EC) prognosis. Thus, we aim to identify the significant genes or biomarkers associated with the stage of endometrial cancer, which may also help reveal the mechanism of EC progression and assess the prognosis of patients with EC.

Materials and methods

We compared the mRNA expression levels of EC patients with stages I and II as well as stages III and IV in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of EC patients at different stages were selected by volcano plot and Venn analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Pathways were applied to analyze the identified genes. Protein protein interaction (PPI) network was employed to identify the correlation. The survival analyses based on TCGA database were conducted for further screening. The Human Protein Atlas, quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were utilized to confirm the differences in expression of DEGs in endometrial cancer samples at different FIGO stages.

Results

CKMT1A was identified as a candidate gene. Through survival analyses, we found that CKMT1A may be a poor prognostic factor in the overall survival of endometrial cancer patients. GO and Pathways revealed that CKMT1A is closely associated with the metabolic process. More importantly, Human Protein Atlas and quantitative PCR confirmed the differences in expression of CKMT1A in endometrial cancer samples at different FIGO stages.

Conclusion

In summary, this study shows that CKMT1A is a newly identified essential tumor progression regulator of endometrial cancer, which may give rise to novel therapeutic strategies in the management of endometrial cancer patients to prolong its prognosis and prevent tumor progression.
Cervical cancer screening programme attendance and compliance predictors regarding Colombia’s Amazon region
Authors: González Alejandra , Sánchez Ricardo , Camargo Milena , Soto-De León Sara Cecilia , Del Río-Ospina Luisa , Mora Luis Hernando , Ramírez Edwin , Rodríguez Anny Alejandra , Hurtado Paula , Patarroyo Manuel Elkin , Patarroyo Manuel Alfonso
Published: January 2022

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) promotion and prevention (P&P) programmes’ challenge lies in guaranteeing that follow-up strategies have a real impact on reducing CC-related mortality rates. CC P&P programme compliance and coverage rates are relevant indicators for evaluating their success and good performance; however, such indicators’ frequency rates are considerably lower among women living in rural and border areas. This study was aimed at identifying factors associated with CC screening programme attendance for women living in Colombia’s Amazon region.

Methods

This study (qualitative and quantitative phases) was carried out between September 2015 and November 2016; women residing in the border towns of Leticia and Puerto Nariño participated in it. The first phase (qualitative) involved interviews and focus group discussions; this led to establishing factors related to CC P&P programme attendance which were used in the quantitative phase for designing a survey for determining the strength of association in a logistic regression model. The terms attendance and compliance were considered to apply to women who had followed the 1–1–3 scheme throughout their lives, i.e. a cytology examination every 3 years after receiving two consecutive negative annual cytology results.

Results

Inclusion criteria were met by 309 women (≥18-year-olds having an active sexual life, having resided in the target community for at least one year); 15.2% had suitable P&P programme follow-up. Screening programme attendance was positively associated with first intercourse after becoming 20 years-old (aOR: 3.87; 1.03–9.50 95%CI; p = 0.045), frequent contraceptive use (aOR: 3.11; 1.16–8.33 95%CI; p = 0.023), awareness of the age to participate in P&P programmes (aOR: 2.69; 1.08–6.68 95%CI; p = 0.032), awareness of cytology’s usefulness in identifying cervical abnormalities (aOR: 2.43; 1.02–5.77 95%CI; p = 0.043) and considering cytology important (aOR: 2.64; 1.12–6.19 95%CI; p = 0.025). Women living in rural areas had a lower probability (aOR 0.43: 0.24–0.79 95%CI; p = 0.006) of adhering to CC P&P programmes.

Conclusions

This study’s findings suggested the need for including novel strategies in screening programmes which will promote CC P&P activities going beyond hospital outpatient attendance to reach the most remote or widely scattered communities, having the same guarantees regarding access, opportunity and quality. Including education-related activities and stimulating the population’s awareness regarding knowledge about CC prevention could be one of the main tools for furthering the impact of attendance at and compliance with P&P programmes.
The effects of gastrointestinal disturbances on the onset of depression and anxiety
Authors: Cantarero-Prieto David , Moreno-Mencia Patricia
Published: January 2022

Background

Stomach pain is an ailment that occurs frequently in the general population. It is not unusual if such stomach issues produce some amount of stress in an individual, but it can be worrying if these pains lead to significant mental health problems. The relationship between some abdominal pain, such as bowel syndrome, and depression or anxiety has been gaining much interest. However, previous studies that have empirically investigated this relationship are scarce.

Methods

To analyze the impact of having gastrointestinal problems, among other socioeconomic conditions, on the onset of depression and anxiety in the Spanish population, we compare treating gastrointestinal diseases as exogenous in a single-equation probit model with a bivariate probit model in which this variable is treated as endogenous. A likelihood-ratio test of the correlation coefficient of the disturbances suggests that gastrointestinal problems are endogenous. Thus, the approach taken herein allows the direct testing of the hypothesis that having gastrointestinal problems and the onset of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are jointly determined by certain socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional analytical study was analyzed using data from a 2017 survey of health indicators and life conditions that was developed by the Statistics Spanish Office.

Results

The probability of having depression or anxiety increases with age, stress, daily limitations and gastrointestinal disorders. On the other hand, the probability is lower for men, married people and those who engage in exercise several times per week. Our findings estimate that having gastrointestinal problems increases the probability of having depression in 7% and the probability of anxiety in 8.8% of the sample.

Conclusions

Our empirical results suggest that not considering the endogeneity of gastrointestinal problems could result in an overestimate of the impact of this factor on the development of depression or anxiety.
Characterization of the chloroplast genome of Lonicera ruprechtiana Regel and comparison with other selected species of Caprifoliaceae
Authors: Gu Lei , Hou Yunyan , Wang Guangyi , Liu Qiuping , Ding Wei , Weng Qingbei
Published: January 2022

Lonicera ruprechtiana Regel is widely used as a greening tree in China and also displays excellent pharmacological activities. The phylogenetic relationship between L. ruprechtiana and other members of Caprifoliaceae remains unclear. In this study, the complete cp genome of L. ruprechtiana was identified using high-throughput Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The circular cp genome was 154,611 bp long and has a large single-copy region of 88,182 bp and a small single-copy region of 18,713 bp, with the two parts separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (23,858 bp each). A total of 131 genes were annotated, including 8 ribosomal RNAs, 39 transfer RNAs, and 84 protein-coding genes (PCGs). In addition, 49 repeat sequences and 55 simple sequence repeat loci of 18 types were also detected. Codon usage analysis demonstrated that the Leu codon is preferential for the A/U ending. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis using 22 Caprifoliaceae species revealed that L. ruprechtiana was closely related to Lonicera insularis. Comparison of IR regions revealed that the cp genome of L. ruprechtiana was largely conserved with that of congeneric species. Moreover, synonymous (Ks) and non-synonymous (Ka) substitution rate analysis showed that most genes were under purifying selection pressure; ycf3, and some genes associated with subunits of NADH dehydrogenase, subunits of the cytochrome b/f complex, and subunits of the photosystem had been subjected to strong purifying selection pressure (Ka/Ks < 0.1). This study provides useful genetic information for future study of L. ruprechtiana evolution.
Prevention of suicidal behavior in older people: A systematic review of reviews
Authors: Laflamme Lucie , Vaez Marjan , Lundin Karima , Sengoelge Mathilde
Published: January 2022

Older people have the highest rates of suicide, yet the evidence base on effective suicide preventions in late-life is limited. This systematic review of reviews aims to synthesize data from existing reviews on the prevention and/or reduction of suicide behavior in late-life and evidence for effectiveness of interventions. A systematic database search was conducted in eight electronic databases from inception to 4/2020 for reviews targeting interventions among adults ≥ 60 to prevent and/or reduce suicide, suicide attempt, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Four high quality reviews were included and interventions categorized as pharmacological (antidepressant use: 239 RCTs, seven observational studies) and behavioral (physical activity: three observational studies, and multifaceted primary-care-based collaborative care for depression screening and management: four RCTs). The 2009 antidepressant use review found significant risk reduction for suicide attempt/self-harm (OR = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.58) and suicide ideation (OR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.18–0.78) versus placebo. The 2015 review found an increased risk of attempts with antidepressants versus no treatment (RR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.10–1.27) and no statistically significant change in suicides versus no treatment (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.68–1.66) or ideation versus placebo (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.14–1.94). Protective effects were found for physical activity on ideation in 2 out of 3 studies when comparing active versus inactive older people. Collaborative care demonstrated significantly less attempts/ideation (OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.68–0.94) in intervention group versus usual care. The results of this review of reviews find the evidence inconclusive towards use of antidepressants for the prevention of suicidal behavior in older people, thus monitoring is required prior to start, dosage change or cessation of antidepressants. Evidence to date supports physical activity and collaborative management for reduction of suicide ideation, but additional trials are required for a meta-analysis. To build on these findings, continued high-quality research is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in late life.
An intercomparison study of ELISAs for the detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus – evaluating six conditionally dependent tests
Authors: Schoneberg Clara , Böttcher Jens , Janowetz Britta , Rostalski Anja , Kreienbrock Lothar , Campe Amely
Published: January 2022

Latent class analysis is a widely used statistical method for evaluating diagnostic tests without any gold standard. It requires the results of at least two tests applied to the same individuals. Based on the resulting response patterns, the method estimates the test accuracy and the unknown disease status for all individuals in the sample. An important assumption is the conditional independence of the tests. If tests with the same biological principle are used, the assumption is not fulfilled, which may lead to biased results. In a recent publication, we developed a method that considers the dependencies in the latent class model and estimates all parameters using frequentist methods. Here, we evaluate the practicability of the method by applying it to the results of six ELISA tests for antibodies against the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus in pigs that generally follow the same biological principle. First, we present different methods of identifying suitable starting values for the algorithm and apply these to the dataset and a vaccinated subgroup. We present the calculated values of the test accuracies, the estimated proportion of antibody-positive animals and the dependency structure for both datasets. Different starting values led to matching results for the entire dataset. For the vaccinated subgroup, the results were more dependent on the selected starting values. All six ELISA tests are well suited to detect antibodies against PRRS virus, whereas none of the tests had the best values for sensitivity and specificity simultaneously. The results thus show that the method used is able to determine the parameter values of conditionally dependent tests with suitable starting values. The choice of test should be based on the general fit-for-purpose concept and the population under study.
The power of proximity: Effects of a multidisciplinary fibroid clinic on inter-specialty perceptions and practice patterns
Authors: Keller Eric J. , Nixon Kayla , Oladini Lola , Chrisman Howard B. , Chaudhari Angela , Milad Magdy P. , Vogelzang Robert L.
Published: January 2022

Background

Multidisciplinary collaboration has generally been shown to have positive effects on healthcare but can be difficult to facilitate. This study assessed the effects of a multidisciplinary fibroid clinic on practice patterns and clinician perceptions to better understand drivers of interspecialty collaboration.

Materials and methods

Annual rates of hysterectomies, myomectomies, and uterine fibroid embolizations (UFEs) performed in an urban healthcare system were collected from 2012–2019. Rates of each procedure were compared over time before and after launching a multidisciplinary fibroid clinic at the academic medical center. Referral rates were also compared. The gynecologists and interventional radiologists (IRs) involved in the clinic were interviewed 2 years prior to and after the clinic launch about their approaches to fibroids and perceptions of others who treat this condition. A phenomenological approach was used to identify and compare themes within the interviews by two researchers with excellent inter-rater agreement (κ = 0.80).

Results and discussion

Annual rates of fibroid procedures increased over time (p<0.01) but the relative number of UFEs decreased (p = 0.01). UFE referrals by the clinic gynecologists significantly increased as did the number of combined fibroid procedures (p<0.01). However, the rates of one fibroid procedure relative to others were not different between the clinic and rest of the healthcare system (p = 0.55). Specialty-specific perceptions of fibroid treatments and inter-specialty dynamics did not change. Despite this, clinicians unanimously perceived the clinic and post-clinic practice patterns as positive and distinct from their previous work and relationships between gynecology and IR elsewhere. Limitations of this study included its single clinic design and potential confounder of differences in advertising pre- versus post-clinic.

Conclusion

Creating the right practice environment may be more important for fostering inter-specialty collaboration and work satisfaction than shared mental models or procedural volumes in certain practice settings.
Fluid-solid-heat coupling deformation analysis of the valve trims in a multistage pressure reducing valve
Authors: Xu Dongtao , Ge Changrong , Li Ying , Liu Yuejuan
Published: January 2022

A multistage pressure reducing valve with specially designed pressure reducing components is presented in this paper. As the deformation of the valve trims under fluid-solid-heat coupling has an important influence on the operation reliability of the valve, a numerical simulation is carried out to analyse the flow field characteristic in the valve and radial deformation of the valve trims using the ANSYS software. And a deformation experiment is designed to validate the deformations of the valve trims at high temperature of 693.15 K. The results indicate that the simulation results agree well with the experimental data. Moreover, it is found that the temperature field has the most significant influence on the deformation of the valve trims, the radial deformations of the matching surface vary from 0.439 to 0.442 mm. And the radial deformations caused by other factors vary from 0.005 to 0.015 mm. In addition, as a novel indicator, the clearance after deformation of the matching surface is used to evaluate the operation reliability of the valve. By using the GAP function in ANSYS static module, the clearances of the matching surface are obtained at different openings under the condition of fluid-solid-heat coupling, further indicating that the initial clearance between the valve plug and inner sleeve should be greater than 0.014 mm to ensure the operation reliability of the valve.
Peptidoglycan editing in non-proliferating intracellular Salmonella as source of interference with immune signaling
Authors: Hernández Sara B. , Castanheira Sónia , Pucciarelli M. Graciela , Cestero Juan J. , Rico-Pérez Gadea , Paradela Alberto , Ayala Juan A. , Velázquez Sonsoles , San-Félix Ana , Cava Felipe , García-del Portillo Francisco
Published: January 2022

Salmonella enterica causes intracellular infections that can be limited to the intestine or spread to deeper tissues. In most cases, intracellular bacteria show moderate growth. How these bacteria face host defenses that recognize peptidoglycan, is poorly understood. Here, we report a high-resolution structural analysis of the minute amounts of peptidoglycan purified from S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) infecting fibroblasts, a cell type in which this pathogen undergoes moderate growth and persists for days intracellularly. The peptidoglycan of these non-proliferating bacteria contains atypical crosslinked muropeptides with stem peptides trimmed at the L-alanine-D-glutamic acid-(γ) or D-glutamic acid-(γ)-meso-diaminopimelic acid motifs, both sensed by intracellular immune receptors. This peptidoglycan has a reduced glycan chain average length and ~30% increase in the L,D-crosslink, a type of bridge shared by all the atypical crosslinked muropeptides identified. The L,D-transpeptidases LdtD (YcbB) and LdtE (YnhG) are responsible for the formation of these L,D-bridges in the peptidoglycan of intracellular bacteria. We also identified in a fraction of muropeptides an unprecedented modification in the peptidoglycan of intracellular S. Typhimurium consisting of the amino alcohol alaninol replacing the terminal (fourth) D-alanine. Alaninol was still detectable in the peptidoglycan of a double mutant lacking LdtD and LdtE, thereby ruling out the contribution of these enzymes to this chemical modification. Remarkably, all multiple mutants tested lacking candidate enzymes that either trim stem peptides or form the L,D-bridges retain the capacity to modify the terminal D-alanine to alaninol and all attenuate NF-κB nuclear translocation. These data inferred a potential role of alaninol-containing muropeptides in attenuating pro-inflammatory signaling, which was confirmed with a synthetic tetrapeptide bearing such amino alcohol. We suggest that the modification of D-alanine to alaninol in the peptidoglycan of non-proliferating intracellular S. Typhimurium is an editing process exploited by this pathogen to evade immune recognition inside host cells.
Nota do Editor
Authors: Cornelli Gabriele
Published: January 2022

Nota do editor.
Corporeality and Thickness: Back on Melissus’ Fragment B9
Authors: Brémond Mathilde
Published: January 2022

Melissus’ fragment B9, where he claims that being has no body and no thickness, raises the question of how being can be extended and full and at the same time incorporeal. Most recent interpretations tried to avoid lending to “body” the meaning of “physical body”. My aim in this paper is to reconstruct Melissus’ notion of body, by examining its connection to “thickness”. I show that Melissus meant by “thick” something that has distinct parts and therefore supports in B9 the indivisibility of being. I then indicate that he relied on the contrast between soul and body for his conception of corporeality, by highlighting that by Presocratic thinkers, the soul was considered as “thin” and regarded as something that could be exempt of the division into parts. I conclude that even though Melissus’ notion of incorporeality is very different from the one Plato will develop, he made a huge step toward its conceptualization.
Ineffective management practices on infection prevention and control by nurses in a public hospital
Authors: Magadze Thizwilondi , Chetty Dayanithee , Nkhwashu Enneth
Published: January 2022

This research aims to explore
the ineffective management practices on infection prevention and control by nurses in a public hospital. This was done through focus groups with nurses from different public hospitals in Tshwane area. Participants expressed that there are ineffective management practices in their working environment in the form of inadequate education, training on infection and control measures, shortage of human and material resources and poor communication that is affecting the implementation of infection prevention and control measures in the hospital.
Results: Most nurses have been found to have attended an hour to a day IPC training, which they alluded has no impact to their implementation as is too short. Study also found that institutions where nursing qualifications was obtained has significant impact to implementation of IPC measures. There was an agreement that continuous training on IPC related issues improve in practice and confidence to nurses

Study also found that the presence of well-trained nurse is vital in the ward, however the ward has to meet other aspects such as staffing, skill mix, resources and working conditions. Best practices that also involve behaviour changes were found to be successful in intervention to improve implementation of IPC measure. Ongoing feedback and full training on IPC were found significant to improve IPC measures
PLATFORM 2020 PRAGUE
Authors: Pfeiffer Tomáš
Published: January 2022

The Platform 2020 Prague is a pan-European and global database covering all fields of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) so that everyone, both professionals and non professionals, can obtain and use information in the field of TCIM therapies and holistic treatment. The full operation of the Platform was launched with the participation of important world personalities at the World Health Congress 2021 Prague between 10 - 12 September 2021 -
https://www.whc2021prague.com. Here we present the purpose and possibilities of the Platform.
Judging a book by its cover: a new project analysing leatherwork from Sur Island, Sudan
Authors: Steen Paige , Wandowicz Paulina
Published: January 2022

A new project at the Institute of Archaeology will build on the work of the Humboldt University Nubian Expedition by bringing together multi-disciplinary approaches in the analysis and cataloguing of leatherwork recovered from a medieval church on Sur Island, Sudan. A particular focus of the Sur Island Leatherwork Project will be the rich corpus of Late Coptic bookbindings. They include fragments of unparalleled variety, ranging from examples of Coptic codices known from Egyptian contexts to more unusual structural components which may reflect Nubian leatherwork traditions. By combining archaeometric analyses with socio-historical research on the assemblage, we hope to shed light on the nuances in the use and cultural value of leather in Makuritan Nubia and Late Coptic bookbinding more broadly. The material reflects a diverse range of influences and will add to the growing body of knowledge about the Fourth Cataract region in Sudan.
geografia rural e agrária no Brasil
Authors: Marafon Gláucio José , David Cesar De
Published: January 2022

A Geografia Rural e Agrária possui uma longa tradição na Geografia brasileira. Enquanto ramo da ciência geográfica tem sido responsável por uma significativa contribuição na compreensão do dinâmico, complexo e conflituoso espaço rural contemporâneo. Esse artigo objetiva apresentar um panorama da produção brasileira nessa área do conhecimento, apresentando os grupos de pesquisa e os programas de pós-graduação e as principais temáticas objetos de suas pesquisas. Também pretende apresentar os principais veículos de divulgação do conhecimento produzido em Geografia Rural e Agrária, quais sejam: os periódicos Campo e Território: Revista de Geografia Agrária e Revista Nera, e os principais eventos nacionais, ENGA e SINGA, além do ENANPEGE.
Proposta de melhoria do processo de Propriedade Intelectual do Instituto Federal de Mato Grosso
Authors: Silva Eliel Batista da , Souza Paulo Augusto Ramalho de
Published: January 2022

Essa ação de extensão e pesquisa foi realizada como produto do Mestrado em Propriedade Intelectual e Transferência de Tecnologia para a Inovação (PROFNIT) e teve como foco o processo de Propriedade Intelectual do Instituto Federal de Mato Grosso (IFMT). Com objetivo voltado para a elaboração de uma proposta de melhoria do processo de gestão de Propriedade Intelectual (PI) do instituto foram realizados diagnósticos em doze Instituições de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT) brasileiras, entrevistas com técnicos do IFMT e reuniões de sondagens com um especialista em melhoria de processos. O resultado pode tanto contribuir com a gestão e o uso de recursos públicos, bem como servir como possível suporte para melhoria do processo de PI em outras ICT brasileiras.
Modelos didáticos para ensino inclusivo de física nuclear
Authors: Pinheiro Carla Mariana da Silva , Silva Monique França e , Perini Ana Paula , Neves Lucio Pereira
Published: January 2022

Diante do cenário de ausência e superficialidade do ensino de Física Nuclear, preconceitos e mitos sobre o tema em questão e escassez de materiais didáticos voltados para alunos com deficiência, o presente trabalho traz a ação extensionista na construção e aplicação de material didático para o ensino e divulgação científica dos conceitos de energia nuclear. Seu diferencial é o caráter tátil das maquetes, com detalhes em relevos e texturas trabalhadas com o intuito de possibilitar o ensino a alunos com deficiência visual. O material segue a cronologia do emprego da energia nuclear para fins bélicos, apresentando os processos de fusão e fissão nuclear e, posteriormente, as diferentes bombas criadas e utilizadas ao longo da Segunda Guerra Mundial e do período da Guerra Fria. Finaliza com o esquema de uma usina termonuclear, apresentando a geração de energia elétrica a partir de processos nucleares. O trabalho foi aplicado em um evento de divulgação científica que contava com a presença de alunos com e sem deficiência visual, que interagiram e aprenderam a partir do material elaborado. Por fim, essas ações contribuíram para a formação dos alunos da graduação envolvidos no projeto.
Idealização e implementação de uma Empresa Júnior e suas contribuições na formação de profissionais de Nutrição
Authors: Cardoso Carlos Eduardo de Faria , Magrani Juliana Isabela Raposo , Paula Victória Andrade de , Lobo Francine Albernaz Teixeira Fonseca
Published: January 2022

O mercado de trabalho vem sofrendo, ao longo dos últimos anos, significativas modificações em seu cenário e dinâmica de uma forma geral. Esse dinamismo, que perpassa o mercado, demanda das universidades e polos de formação acadêmica preparo e inovação no que diz respeito às perspectivas de empregabilidade, de tal modo a esclarecer e oportunizar que seu corpo docente se prepare para encarar a realidade da vida profissional ainda na formação. Nessa perspectiva, a idealização e implementação de projetos, tais como a “Empresa Júnior”, tornam-se uma via de fomento ao conhecimento, possibilitando o direcionamento para novas descobertas e contribuindo para a colocação no mercado. Dito isso, o objetivo deste artigo é relatar a experiência de acadêmicos do curso de graduação em Nutrição na idealização de uma Empresa Júnior, bem como apontar suas contribuições na formação profissional.
Extensão universitária
Authors: Gomes Erasmo José , Morais Gustavo Sapiensa
Published: January 2022

A extensão universitária, juntamente com o ensino e a pesquisa, é um dos três pilares que estruturam a função social das universidades. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo caracterizar a extensão universitária na Universidade de São Paulo (USP), no período de 2004 a 2020, a partir de 25 unidades acadêmicas selecionadas, localizadas em três campi universitários, por meio da oferta de cursos de extensão nas suas diversas modalidades. O levantamento de dados foi realizado por meio do acesso ao Sistema USP de Cultura e Extensão, denominado “Sistema Apolo”, que reúne informações acerca de atividades e cursos de extensão oferecidos, englobando todas as unidades de todos os campi da instituição. Para compor o cenário relativo à oferta dos cursos de extensão, foram utilizadas técnicas de estatística descritiva básica. Os principais resultados agregados evidenciaram, dentre outros aspectos, que os cursos que apresentaram maior oferta no período analisado foram os de Difusão (53,5%) e de Especialização (35,6%), ainda que a maior parte (68,9%) dessa oferta é composta por cursos pagos. No caso de cursos de Especialização, apenas 0,6% da oferta total é gratuita. Evidenciou-se também que 5,2% dos cursos foram oferecidos no formato EaD.
Zabiegi Zygmunta III o pomoc zagraniczną na wojnę z Turkami w 1590 roku
Authors: Milewski Dariusz
Published: January 2022

Artykuł przedstawia zabiegi Zygmunta III zmierzające do uzyskania pomocy zagranicznej wobec spodziewanej w 1590 r. wojny z Turkami. Ukazano zabiegi polskie w Italii i Rzeszy, jednak wagę skupiono na dworze cesarskim i Prusach Książęcych, od których król spodziewał się realnej pomocy. Ukazano sposób argumentacji obu stron oraz przyczyny, dla których Polska nie uzyskała pomocy od cesarza, a otrzymała od Prus Książęcych. Wskazano przede wszystkim na rolę partykularnych interesów w relacjach obustronnych Polski i jej partnerów politycznych, a także tych ostatnich z Imperium Osmańskim, które zaważyły na podejmowaniu decyzji o udzieleniu bądź odmowie pomocy Polsce przeciw Turkom.
Dimitre Cantemir - O języku Mołdawian, tłumaczenie wraz z komentarzem
Authors: Borowy Anna
Published: January 2022

Głównym celem artykułu jest przedstawienie polskiego tłumaczenia tekstu De lingua Moldavorum wraz z komentarzem. Tekst napisany został przez Dimitrie Cantemira na początku XVIII wieku na zamówienie Akademii w Berlinie. Tłumaczenie zostało dokonane z tekstu oryginału na język polski. Jest to pierwsza próba przybliżenia tekstu Dimitrie Cantemira polskiemu czytelnikowi. Tekst został opatrzony komentarzem z uwagami gramatycznymi, leksykalnymi i kulturowymi.
Zmiana społeczna a zmiana w edukacji
Authors: Szymański Mirosław
Published: January 2022

The article consists of two parts. In the first one, the author characterizes the social change in a tradi- tional, modern, and post-modern society. He points out the different nature of the former change and the modern-day change. He shows the cultural consequences of these differences for the individual and the society. In both dimensions, the effects are positive and negative. Against this background arises the question as to what changes in education are currently being caused by the rapid social change. The author contemplates this issue in the second part of the article. He wonders what kind of education is needed in times of the rapid social change in order to thoroughly prepare the youth to face the challenges of the future. It is a difficult task, because in a rapidly changing society, it is hard to predict what will happen in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to shape those qualities of the young generation that will allow it to solve new problems, unknown today. The author discusses those presented by Jérémy Lamri. They are: creativity, communication, critical thinking, cooperation. These competencies will be crucial in the 21st century.
Dobrze odrobiona lekcja – czyli o konstruktywnym wykorzystaniu przez środowisko lokalne doświadczeń oraz badań naukowych dla rozwoju edukacji
Authors: Jarosz Ewa
Published: January 2022

The paper presents initiative of making a diagnosis of the situation in education during pandemic time and the fruits of if which are the diagnostic picture of the environmental needs and projects of changes in education in a local environment – one of the parishes in the Silesia district. The paper describes the process of the realization of social engaged scientific research in a local environment, which is based on the influence of specific trauma for the readiness to undertake scientific reflection on the situation in education and the needs in this area but also based on the willingness of making changes in the reality of the local education. So, the article is an attempt to present possibilities to use difficult experiences of the online education forced by the pandemic reality for making constructive changes in a local context. It presents tendencies and phenomena of changes that can be observed in many local environments and educational institutions as positive consequences of the difficult situation of the pandemic education. Moreover, it is an attempt of presenting a good example of the partner collabora- tion social-local and scientific environments, directed for changing the environment and the reality of the education into the ones that are the better contexts of individual and over individual development. So it may be said that the paper is a narration about the possibility of social influence of researchers, about socially engaged research. The paper presents the both the beginnings, the process and some results of the diagnosis but also worked out in a dialog with local authorities recommendations and proposals of changes.