bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Requirements for the Training of Masters of Natural Sciences of Pedagogical Higher Educational Institutions
Authors: Hladun T.
Published: January 2022

The article deals with the issues of training future teachers of natural sciences; findings: what requirements for professional education are typical for the training of a teacher of a new formation; what role in the professional development of specialists of pedagogical HEI has professional training and what shortcomings in the training of masters of natural sciences occur at the present stage of development of higher education; areas of modernization of vocational education and physical education, in particular, are identified by scientists.
Dzieweczki i panny w pogrzebowych mowach szlacheckich i kazaniach (XVII wiek)
Authors: Ciszewska Małgorzata
Published: January 2022

Studium przedstawia analizę porównawczą enkomionów zawartych w oracjach szlacheckich i kazaniach wygłoszonych w XVII stuleciu na pogrzebach dziewczynek i panien. Zestawienie tekstów należących do dwu różnych gatunków stawia zagadnienie wzorów osobowych w nowym świetle, gdyż zależny od rodzaju mowy sposób amplifikacji retorycznej tych samych toposów pochwalnych okazuje się mieć zasadniczy wpływ na wzorzec, jaki wyłania się z mowy.
La asistencia personal, ¿una relación laboral “típica”?.
Authors: Rueda Monroy José Antonio
Published: January 2022

En el presente estudio se ofrecen algunas pautas relativas al vínculo jurídico que une al asistente personal con la persona para la que presta servicios, que nos llevarían, si atendemos a las especificidades propias de la figura, a que esta hallase encuadramiento en la relación laboral asalariada, en la medida en que permitiría satisfacer con suficiencia las cinco premisas fijadas en el artículo primero de nuestra norma laboral básica. Esta apreciación se ve matizada por el dato relativo a que la asistencia personal se presta bajo circunstancias muy particulares, análogas a las que concurren en la actividad efectuada por personas que trabajan en el servicio doméstico y que fundamentan la existencia de una relación laboral de carácter especial para esta última. A pesar de tal coincidencia de base, a nuestro juicio, no cabe subsumir la asistencia personal bajo el rótulo y régimen jurídico previsto para el trabajo doméstico puesto que sería forzar en exceso la delimitación subjetiva prevista en este régimen especial. De ahí que se torne preciso acometer el estudio de la regulación jurídico laboral de esta figura en auge y proponer la configuración del instrumento que, reconociendo su laboralidad, ordene y contemple las particularidades propias de esta prestación de servicios en la que prima sobremanera la relación existente entre asistente y persona usuaria.
Historical Vogue covers as a space for the relationship between art and advertising through fashion.
Authors: Jiménez-Marín Gloria , González-Ariza Irene , Bellido-Pérez Elena
Published: January 2022

The ability to inspire the fashion of the environment that surrounds it, as a science of study, as a discipline and from a psychological and sociological point of view, is not usually questioned. In this sense, the question arises about its capacity for artistic creation. Sometimes the artistic discipline is influenced by fashion and vice versa, contaminating both discourses. The present text starts from a deep analysis of the notions of art, fashion and advertising, pursuing the objective of knowing the limits that separate the general and specific characteristics of an advertising event, such as fashion shows, and those of an artistic act, from a business point of view, in the first case, and from an aesthetic point of view, in the second. To this end, a combined analysis methodology is applied, by means of a quantitative and qualitative study, in which we use a methodological triangulation of the artistic past of the magazine Vogue and the relations that have arisen thanks to the work of certain visual artists who left their mark on the covers of the magazine. The results show the intertextual relations and interrelations between the disciplines
Felipe de Solms, a diáspora de um realizador espanhol na África Portuguesa.
Authors: Ramos Alexandre , Martins Paulo Miguel
Published: January 2022

Um cineasta nascido em Madrid em 1916, mas que ainda jovem se viu envolvido nas disputas políticas entre apoiantes do regime de Franco e os seus opositores. Trabalhou na França sob ocupação nazi e depois de um processo judicial nos tribunais espanhóis, instalou-se em Portugal. Aí desenvolveu uma grande produção cinematográfica, realizando dezenas de filmes, muitos deles também filmados nas colónias portuguesas em África, especialmente em Angola e Moçambique. No final da sua vida estabeleceu-se no sul de França, perto de Cannes, onde veio a falecer. Palavras-Chave: Felipe de Solms; Cinema de Propaganda; Cinema colonial português; Portugal; África.
La evolución de la producción original de la plataforma de pago HBO.
Authors: Linares-Barrones Álvaro
Published: January 2022

Cuando el servicio de televisión de pago HBO debutó en el otoño de 1972, jamás se llegó a imaginar que su futuro iba a ser tan prometedor. En estas cuatro décadas, la cadena se ha convertido en una institución con un servicio que ha cambiado la televisión, ha reconfigurado la industria del cine y ha avivado el entretenimiento en el hogar. Gracias a la evolución de su producción original, HBO ha creado un contenido audiovisual que subvierte la narrativa televisiva y los géneros más tradicionales dando paso a una nueva forma de contar historias donde la identificación con el espectador es mayor.
MAD Dispersion Measure Makes Extremal Queue Analysis Simple
Authors: van Eekelen Wouter , den Hertog Dick , van Leeuwaarden Johan S.H.
Published: January 2022

A notorious problem in queueing theory is to compute the worst possible performance of the GI/G/1 queue under mean-dispersion constraints for the interarrival- and service-time distributions. We address this extremal queue problem by measuring dispersion in terms of mean absolute deviation (MAD) instead of the more conventional variance, making available methods for distribution-free analysis. Combined with random walk theory, we obtain explicit expressions for the extremal interarrival- and service-time distributions and, hence, the best possible upper bounds for all moments of the waiting time. We also obtain tight lower bounds that, together with the upper bounds, provide robust performance intervals. We show that all bounds are computationally tractable and remain sharp also when the mean and MAD are not known precisely but are estimated based on available data instead.

Summary of Contribution: Queueing theory is a classic OR topic with a central role for the GI/G/1 queue. Although this queueing system is conceptually simple, it is notoriously hard to determine the worst-case expected waiting time when only knowing the first two moments of the interarrival- and service-time distributions. In this setting, the exact form of the extremal distribution can only be determined numerically as the solution to a nonconvex nonlinear optimization problem. Our paper demonstrates that using mean absolute deviation (MAD) instead of variance alleviates the computational intractability of the extremal GI/G/1 queue problem, enabling us to state the worst-case distributions explicitly.
Social Media Marketing, Quality Signaling, and the Goldilocks Principle
Authors: Nian Tingting , Sundararajan Arun
Published: January 2022

Embraced by a rapidly increasing number of companies, social media marketing has become an integral part of companies' business strategies. However, not all the firms plan on a big spend on social media marketing. Our stylized model investigates the strategic effects of social media marketing spending (SMM spending) with the presence of exogenous quality revelation through sources over which firms have no direct control. Unlike traditional advertising, social media marketing has two roles: awareness enhancement and information revelation. Consumers are heterogeneous in their awareness of the product (e.g., whether they know the existence of the product). Our results suggest that the high-quality firm gets enough quality transparency from background user-generated discussions, and the cost of maintaining a social presence outweighs the benefits. The low-quality firm avoids social media marketing because quality transparency is broadly detrimental, whereas the mid-tier firm is “just right” to benefit from social media discussions they encourage. Our model provides a first step toward framing social media marketing spending as a strategic investment. We recognize that social media marketing, although capable of increasing consumer awareness and improving the realized perceptions of a firm's true quality, also has strategic signaling effects.
Online Learning and Optimization for Revenue Management Problems with Add-on Discounts
Authors: Simchi-Levi David , Sun Rui , Zhang Huanan
Published: January 2022

We study in this paper a revenue-management problem with add-on discounts. The problem is motivated by the practice in the video game industry by which a retailer offers discounts on selected supportive products (e.g., video games) to customers who have also purchased the core products (e.g., video game consoles). We formulate this problem as an optimization problem to determine the prices of different products and the selection of products for add-on discounts. In the base model, we focus on an independent demand structure. To overcome the computational challenge of this optimization problem, we propose an efficient fully polynomial-time approximation scheme (FPTAS) algorithm that solves the problem approximately to any desired accuracy. Moreover, we consider the problem in the setting in which the retailer has no prior knowledge of the demand functions of different products. To solve this joint learning and optimization problem, we propose an upper confidence bound–based learning algorithm that uses the FPTAS optimization algorithm as a subroutine. We show that our learning algorithm can converge to the optimal algorithm that has access to the true demand functions, and the convergence rate is tight up to a certain logarithmic term. We further show that these results for the independent demand model can be extended to multinomial logit choice models. In addition, we conduct numerical experiments with the real-world transaction data we collect from a popular video gaming brand’s online store on Tmall.com. The experiment results illustrate our learning algorithm’s robust performance and fast convergence in various scenarios. We also compare our algorithm with the optimal policy that does not use any add-on discount. The comparison results show the advantages of using the add-on discount strategy in practice.

This paper was accepted by J. George Shanthikumar, big data analytics.
Digitization, Prediction, and Market Efficiency: Evidence from Book Publishing Deals
Authors: Peukert Christian , Reimers Imke
Published: January 2022

Digitization has given creators direct access to consumers as well as a plethora of new data for suppliers of new products to draw on. We study how this affects market efficiency in the context of book publishing. Using data on about 50,000 license deals over more than 10 years, we identify the effects of digitization from quasi-experimental variation across book types. Consistent with digitization generating additional information for predicting product appeal, we show that the size of license payments more accurately reflects a product’s ex post success, and more so for publishers that invest more in data analytics. These effects cannot be fully explained by changes in bargaining power or in demand. We estimate that efficiency gains are worth between 10% and 18% of publishers’ total investments in book deals. Thus, digitization can have large impacts on the allocation of resources across products of varying qualities in markets in which product appeal has traditionally been difficult to predict ex ante.

This paper was accepted by Joshua Gans, business strategy.
The recognition and nursing management of common oncological emergencies in children
Authors: Sherwen Olivia , Baron Madeleine Kate , Murray Natalie Strachan , Heaton Paul Anthony , Gamble Jane , Paul Siba Prosad
Published: January 2022

An oncological emergency may be the initial presentation of a cancer, a sign of cancer progression, or a complication of cancer treatment. The most frequently encountered paediatric oncological emergencies include neutropenic sepsis, hyperleukocytosis, brain tumours presenting with raised intracranial pressure, tumour lysis syndrome and superior mediastinal syndrome. These are all life-threatening conditions that require urgent recognition and management. Health professionals working in an emergency department (ED) are likely to be involved in managing these children. This article brings together the current guidance and recommendations for these specific emergencies. It also includes two case studies that demonstrate the challenges health professionals can face while managing these situations. It is important that health professionals have an acute awareness of oncological emergencies. Confidence in recognising the presentations, diagnoses and initial management are essential because these conditions may be life-threatening and time critical.
The health professional's duty to warn of preconception risks
Authors: Griffith Richard
Published: January 2022

Richard Griffith, Head of Health Law and Ethics in the School of Health and Social Care at Swansea University, looks at the law around negligence for disabilities in a child caused by a failure to warn of preconception risks
Talking to children about their HIV diagnosis: a discussion rooted in different global perspectives
Authors: Warburton Katie , Navér Lars , Houghton Juliet , Fatikhova Kamila
Published: January 2022

An online meeting was arranged with four professionals representing four countries to debate current practices and future steps in naming HIV to children (disclosing HIV status). This article considers the evidence and reports on the commentary and debate from the meeting. Naming HIV to children remains a challenge. Although studies identify some of the facilitators and barriers to informing children of their HIV diagnosis, further review of practice is required. This article presents a global perspective of naming practices from different settings. The article comprises commentary and a report of the online debate, along with supporting evidence. The four participating authors concluded that health professionals must work in collaboration with families to support early naming of HIV to children or having an open discussion about HIV in clinics. Naming when a child is younger reduces self-stigma and empowers children and young people to adhere to their medication, make informed decisions and share their own diagnosis appropriately. The authors concluded that health professionals play a key role in educating colleagues and the public to reduce stigma and discrimination. Professionals working with children and families living with HIV require support and resources to instil confidence in naming and facilitate naming of HIV status to a child.
Design of an optical linear discriminant filter for classification of subwavelength concave and convex defects on dielectric substrates
Authors: Sugisaka Jun-ichiro , Yasui Takashi , Hirayama Koichi
Published: January 2022

Identification of the defect type on substrate materials is essential for enhancing their yield ratio. We propose a novel optical filter to discriminate between subwavelength-order concave and convex defects on flat surfaces. This filter performs Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis using light wave diffraction. The defect type is discriminated by simply comparing the irradiance at an observation point with the threshold value. Neither the defect image nor phase data, nor a large amount of data processing by a computer, is necessary. Numerical discrimination simulations indicate a discrimination error of 0.85%, and the noise tolerance of the proposed system is also discussed.
Light detection and ranging with entangled photons
Authors: Zhao Jiuxuan , Lyons Ashley , Ulku Arin Can , Defienne Hugo , Faccio Daniele , Charbon Edoardo
Published: January 2022

Single-photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a key technology for depth imaging through complex environments. Despite recent advances, an open challenge is the ability to isolate the LiDAR signal from other spurious sources including background light and jamming signals. Here we show that a time-resolved coincidence scheme can address these challenges by exploiting spatio-temporal correlations between entangled photon pairs. We demonstrate that a photon-pair-based LiDAR can distill desired depth information in the presence of both synchronous and asynchronous spurious signals without prior knowledge of the scene and the target object. This result enables the development of robust and secure quantum LiDAR systems and paves the way to time-resolved quantum imaging applications.
IR luminescence of plexcitonic structures based on Ag2S/L-Cys quantum dots and Au nanorods
Authors: Grevtseva Irina , Ovchinnikov Oleg , Smirnov Mikhail , Perepelitsa Alexey , Chevychelova Tamara , Derepko Violetta , Osadchenko Anna , Selyukov Alexandr
Published: January 2022

The luminescence properties of Ag2S quantum dots passivated with L-Cysteine (Ag2S/L-Cys QDs) are studied in the presence of Au nanorods passivated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide molecules (Au/CTAB NRs). The effect of plasmonic Au/CTAB NRs on IR trap state luminescence (750 nm) is considered. It has been found that the direct interaction between the components of the plexcitonic nanostructure leads to a significant luminescence quenching of Ag2S/L-Cys QDs, with the luminescence lifetime being constant. This is the evidence for photoinduced charge transfer. The spatial separation of the components of plexcitonic nanostructures due to the introduction of a polymer – Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PolyDADMAC) provides a means to change their mutual arrangement and achieve an increase in the IR trap state luminescence intensity and a decrease in the luminescence lifetime from 7.4 ns to 4.5 ns. With weak plexcitonic coupling in the nanostructures [Ag2S QD/L-Cys]/[PolyDADMAC]/[Au/CTAB NRs], the possibility of increasing the quantum yield of trap state luminescence for Ag2S QDs due to the Purcell effect has been demonstrated.
Highly birefringent hollow-core anti-resonant terahertz fiber with a thin strut microstructure
Authors: Du Zixuan , Zhou Yan , Luo Si , Zhang Yusheng , Shao Jie , Guan Zuguang , Yang Huinan , Chen Daru
Published: January 2022

A novel highly birefringent and low transmission loss hollow-core anti-resonant (HC-AR) fiber with a central strut is proposed for terahertz waveguiding. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that a design of a highly birefringent terahertz fiber based on the hybrid guidance mechanism of the anti-resonant mechanism and the total internal reflection mechanism is provided. Several HC-AR fibers with both ultra-low transmission loss and ultra-low birefringence have been achieved in the near-infrared optical communication band. We propose a HC-AR fiber design in terahertz band by introducing a microstructure in the fiber core which leads to tremendous improvement in birefringence. Calculated results indicate that the proposed HC-AR fiber achieves a birefringence higher than 10−2 in a wide wavelength range. In addition, low relative absorption loss of 0.8% (8.6%) and negligible confinement loss of 1.69×10−4 dB/cm (9.14×10−3 dB/cm) for x-polarization (y-polarization) mode at 1THz are obtained. Furthermore, the main parameters of the fiber structure are evaluated and discussed, proving that the HC-AR fiber possesses great design and fabrication tolerance. Further investigation of the proposed HC-AR fiber also suggests a good balance between birefringence and transmission loss which can be achieved by changing strut thickness to cater numerous applications ideally.
Dark/bright band of a melting layer detected by coherent Doppler lidar and micro rain radar
Authors: Wei Tianwen , Xia Haiyun , Wu Kenan , Yang Yuanjian , Liu Qi , Ding Weidong
Published: January 2022

Observation of a melting layer using a 1.55 µm coherent Doppler lidar (CDL) is first presented during a stratiform precipitation event. Simultaneous radar measurements are also performed by co-located 1.24 cm micro rain radar (MRR) and 10.6 cm Doppler weather radar (DWR). As a well-known bright band in radar reflectivity appears during precipitation, an interesting dark band about 160 m below that in lidar backscattering is observed. Due to the absorption effect, the backscattering from raindrops at 1.55 µm is found much weaker than that at short wavelengths usually used in direct detection lidars. However, the CDL provides additional Doppler information which is helpful for melting layer identification. For example, a spectrum bright band with broadened width and sign conversion of skewness is detected in this case. After a deep analysis of the power spectra, the aerosol and precipitation components are separated. The fall speed of hydrometeors given by CDL is found smaller than that of MRR, with the differences of approximately 0.5 m/s and 1.5 m/s for the snow and rainfall, respectively. To illustrate the influence of absorption effect, simulations of the backscatter coefficient and extinction coefficient of aerosol and rainfall are also performed at the wavelength range of 0.3 ∼ 2.2 µm using the Mie theory.
High-efficiency KYW acousto-optic Q-switch for a Ho:YAG laser
Authors: Chizhikov Alexander I. , Mukhin Aleksey V. , Egorov Nikolay A. , Gurov Vasily V. , Molchanov Vladimir Y. , Naumenko Natalya F. , Vorontsov Konstantin V. , Yushkov Konstantin B. , Zakharov Nikita G.
Published: January 2022

A new, to the best of our knowledge, type of acousto-optic Q-switch was developed using slow shear acoustic mode in potassium yttrium tungstate (KYW) crystal. Two Q-switch configurations were created: one for vertical and one for horizontal light polarization, both providing over 50% diffraction efficiency at a wavelength of 2.1 μm and an RF driving power below 8 W. The laser-induced damage threshold of the KYW crystal was found to equal 650 MW/cm2. Operation of a nanosecond periodically pulsed Ho:YAG laser emitting 15 mJ pulses at 2.1 μm with the KYW Q-switch is reported.
32 Gb/s physical-layer secure optical communication over 200 km based on temporal dispersion and self-feedback phase encryption
Authors: Gao Zhensen , Li Qihua , Zhang Lihong , Tang Bin , Luo Ying , Gao Xulin , Fu Songnian , Li Zhaohui , Wang Yuncai , Qin Yuwen
Published: January 2022

Providing physical layer security at the lowest network layer in fiber-optic communication systems is a technical challenge worldwide. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a pure hardware optical encryption scheme based on temporal spreading and self-feedback phase encryption for high-speed and long-distance physical-layer secure optical communication. A record high bit-rate–distance product of 6400 Gb/s km is successfully achieved by the secure transmission of a 32 Gb/s on-off-keying modulated confidential signal over a 200 km optical fiber link. The demonstrated scheme is fully compatible with conventional optical transmission systems and can be operated in a pluggable manner, which may pave a new path to ultra-high-speed physical-layer secure optical communication in the future.
Directional control of propagating graphene plasmons by strain engineering
Authors: Ma Zenghong , Chen Zijian , Zhang Lian , Lu Xiaocui , Yang Guangwu , Xu Xin , Wang Ride
Published: January 2022

Control of propagating surface plasmon on a scale beyond the
diffraction limit is important for the development of integrated
nanophotonic circuits and optical information technology. In this
paper, a strain-based modulation mechanism for directional control of
propagating graphene plasmons was proposed. We demonstrated
numerically that the GPs can be directionally controlled by the
implementation of strain on graphene. The topologies of GPs excited by
a z-polarized optical emitter in unstrained and
strained graphene were illustrated both in real space and momentum
space. When imposing strain engineering to graphene in different
directions with a different modulus, multi-dimensional control of GPs
in any direction can be realized. The simulated propagation length
ratio η of the GPs can reach 3.5 when the
strain with a modulus of 0.20 is applied along or perpendicular to the
zigzag direction of graphene. Besides, the effect of PDMS on GPs was
investigated finally for the experiments to be carried out and we show
that the PDMS does not affect the generation of directional GPs under
strain engineering. Our proposed directional control of GPs not only
has the advantages of wide operating wavelength but does not require
additional coupling mechanisms, which is beneficial to the design of
integrated photonic devices.
Robust dynamic experiments for the precise estimation of respiration and fermentation parameters of fruit and vegetables
Authors: Strouwen Arno , Nicolaï Bart M. , Goos Peter
Published: January 2022

Dynamic models based on non-linear differential equations are increasingly being used in many biological applications. Highly informative dynamic experiments are valuable for the identification of these dynamic models. The storage of fresh fruit and vegetables is one such application where dynamic experimentation is gaining momentum. In this paper, we construct optimal O2and CO2gas input profiles to estimate the respiration and fermentation kinetics of pear fruit. The optimal input profiles, however, depend on the true values of the respiration and fermentation parameters. Locally optimal design of input profiles, which uses a single initial guess for the parameters, is the traditional method to deal with this issue. This method, however, is very sensitive to the initial values selected for the model parameters. Therefore, we present a robust experimental design approach that can handle uncertainty on the model parameters.
Optimism and pessimism in optimised replay
Authors: Antonov Georgy , Gagne Christopher , Eldar Eran , Dayan Peter
Published: January 2022

The replay of task-relevant trajectories is known to contribute to memory consolidation and improved task performance. A wide variety of experimental data show that the content of replayed sequences is highly specific and can be modulated by reward as well as other prominent task variables. However, the rules governing the choice of sequences to be replayed still remain poorly understood. One recent theoretical suggestion is that the prioritization of replay experiences in decision-making problems is based on their effect on the choice of action. We show that this implies that subjects should replay sub-optimal actions that they dysfunctionally choose rather than optimal ones, when, by being forgetful, they experience large amounts of uncertainty in their internal models of the world. We use this to account for recent experimental data demonstrating exactly pessimal replay, fitting model parameters to the individual subjects’ choices.
Analysis of HubP-dependent cell pole protein targeting in Vibrio cholerae uncovers novel motility regulators
Authors: Altinoglu Ipek , Abriat Guillaume , Carreaux Alexis , Torres-Sánchez Lucía , Poidevin Mickaël , Krasteva Petya Violinova , Yamaichi Yoshiharu
Published: January 2022

In rod-shaped bacteria, the emergence and maintenance of long-axis cell polarity is involved in key cellular processes such as cell cycle, division, environmental sensing and flagellar motility among others. Many bacteria achieve cell pole differentiation through the use of polar landmark proteins acting as scaffolds for the recruitment of functional macromolecular assemblies. In Vibrio cholerae a large membrane-tethered protein, HubP, specifically interacts with proteins involved in chromosome segregation, chemotaxis and flagellar biosynthesis. Here we used comparative proteomics, genetic and imaging approaches to identify additional HubP partners and demonstrate that at least six more proteins are subject to HubP-dependent polar localization. These include a cell-wall remodeling enzyme (DacB), a likely chemotaxis sensory protein (HlyB), two presumably cytosolic proteins of unknown function (VC1210 and VC1380) and two membrane-bound proteins, named here MotV and MotW, that exhibit distinct effects on chemotactic motility. We show that while both ΔmotW and ΔmotV mutants retain monotrichous flagellation, they present significant to severe motility defects when grown in soft agar. Video-tracking experiments further reveal that ΔmotV cells can swim in liquid environments but are unable to tumble or penetrate a semisolid matrix, whereas a motW deletion affects both tumbling frequency and swimming speed. Motility suppressors and gene co-occurrence analyses reveal co-evolutionary linkages between MotV, a subset of non-canonical CheV proteins and flagellar C-ring components FliG and FliM, whereas MotW regulatory inputs appear to intersect with specific c-di-GMP signaling pathways. Together, these results reveal an ever more versatile role for the landmark cell pole organizer HubP and identify novel mechanisms of motility regulation.
Spectral dependency of the human pupillary light reflex. Influences of pre-adaptation and chronotype
Authors: Zauner Johannes , Plischke Herbert , Strasburger Hans
Published: January 2022

Non-visual photoreceptors (ipRGCs) and rods both exert a strong influence on the human pupil, yet pupil models regularly use cone-derived sensitivity as their basis. This inconsistency is further exacerbated by the fact that circadian effects can modulate the wavelength sensitivity. We assessed the pupillary reaction to narrowband light stimuli in the mesopic range. Pupil size for eighty-three healthy participants with normal color vision was measured in nine experimental protocols with varying series of continuous or discontinuous light stimuli under Ganzfeld conditions, presented after 90 seconds of dark adaptation. One hundred and fifty series of stimulation were conducted across three experiments, and were analyzed for wavelength-dependency on the normalized pupillary constriction (nPC), conditional on experimental settings and individual traits. Traits were surveyed by questionnaire; color vision was tested by Ishihara plates or the Lanthony D15 test. Data were analyzed with generalized additive mixed models (GAMM). The normalized pupillary constriction response is consistent with L+M-cone derived sensitivity when the series of light stimuli is continuous, i.e., is not interrupted by periods of darkness, but not otherwise. The results also show that a mesopic illuminance weighing led to an overall best prediction of pupillary constriction compared to other types of illuminance measures. IpRGC influence on nPC is not readily apparent from the results. When we explored the interaction of chronotype and time of day on the wavelength dependency, differences consistent with ipRGC influence became apparent. The models indicate that subjects of differing chronotype show a heightened or lowered sensitivity to short wavelengths, depending on their time of preference. IpRGC influence is also seen in the post-illumination pupil reflex if the prior light-stimulus duration is one second. However, shorter wavelengths than expected become more important if the light-stimulus duration is fifteen or thirty seconds. The influence of sex on nPC was present, but showed no interaction with wavelength. Our results help to define the conditions, under which the different wavelength sensitivities in the literature hold up for narrowband light settings. The chronotype effect might signify a mechanism for strengthening the individual´s chronotype. It could also be the result of the participant’s prior exposure to light (light history). Our explorative findings for this effect demand replication in a controlled study.
Impedance-derived phase angle is associated with muscle mass, strength, quality of life, and clinical outcomes in maintenance hemodialysis patients
Authors: Kang Seok Hui , Do Jun Young , Kim Jun Chul
Published: January 2022

Introduction

We aimed to evaluate the association between the phase angle and muscle mass, muscle strength, physical performance tests, quality-of-life scales, mood scales, or patient and hospitalization-free survival rates in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

We included 83 HD patients. The patients were divided into tertiles based on phase angle value. The phase angle was measured using a bioimpedance analysis machine. Thigh muscle area per height squared (TMA/Ht2), handgrip strength (HGS), nutritional indicators, physical performance, quality-of-life, depression or anxiety status, and the presence of hospitalization or death regardless of cause were evaluated.

Results

In our study, no significant differences were observed in the serum albumin level and body mass index according to tertiles of phase angle. The phase angle tertiles were associated with TMA/Ht2 and HGS. The phase angle was also associated with physical performance measurements and depression or anxiety status. Subgroup analyses according to sex, age, and diabetes mellitus showed similar trends to those of the total cohort. Furthermore, the hospitalization-free survival rate and patient survival rate were favorable in patients with high values for the phase angle.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that the phase angle is associated with muscle mass, strength, physical performance, quality-of-life scale, and hospitalization-free survival in maintenance HD patients.
Neonicotinoid’s resistance monitoring, diagnostic mechanisms and cytochrome P450 expression in green peach aphid [Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)]
Authors: Sial Muhammad Umair , Mehmood Khalid , Saeed Shafqat , Husain Mureed , Rasool Khawaja Ghulam , Aldawood Abdulrahman Saad
Published: January 2022

Green peach aphid [Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)] is a significant pest with a known history of insecticide resistance. Neonicotinoids could manage this pest; however, their frequent use led to the evolution of resistance in field populations of M. persicae. Toxicity data for neonicotinoid insecticides synergized with pipernyl butoxide (PBO) in a field population (FP) were collected and compared to a laboratory susceptible clone (SC) of aphids. The enhanced expression of metabolic resistance-related cytochrome P450 gene CYP6CY3 and an arginine-threonine substitution were detected in FP, causing a single point mutation (R81T) at β1 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) within D loop. High level of resistance to imidacloprid was developed in FP with 101-fold resistance ratio and moderate resistance level (10.9-fold) to acetamiprid. The results of PBO synergized bioassay suggested that cytochrome P450 enzymes were involved in the resistance to neonicotinoids. The mRNA transcriptional level of CYP6CY3 gene was significantly higher (3.74 fold) in FP compared to SC. The R81T mutation associated with neonicotinoid resistance had 26% resistant allele frequency in FP. Both P450 enzymes and R81T mutation of nAChR were found in field-evolved neonicotinoid resistance. It is concluded that field-evolved resistance in green peach aphid could be managed by using appropriate synergists such as PBO.
Incidence of common infectious diseases in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hibiya Kenji , Iwata Hiroyoshi , Kinjo Takeshi , Shinzato Akira , Tateyama Masao , Ueda Shinichiro , Fujita Jiro
Published: January 2022

Recent reports indicate that respiratory infectious diseases were suppressed during the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 led to behavioral changes aimed to control droplet transmission or contact transmission. In this study, we examined the incidence of common infectious diseases in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 data were extracted from the national data based on the National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (NESID). Common infectious diseases were selected from notifiable infectious diseases under the NESID. The epidemic activity of the diseases during 2015–2020 was evaluated based on the Infectious Disease Weekly Reports published by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. Each disease was then categorized according to the route of transmission. Many Japanese people had adopted hygienic activities, such as wearing masks and hand washing, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the correlation between the time-series of disease counts of common infectious diseases and COVID-19 over time using cross-correlation analysis. The weekly number of cases of measles, rotavirus, and several infections transmitted by droplet spread, was negatively correlated with the weekly number of cases of COVID-19 for up to 20 weeks in the past. According to the difference-in-differences analysis, the activity of influenza and rubella was significantly lower starting from the second week in 2020 than that in 2015–2019. Only legionellosis was more frequent throughout the year than in 2015–2019. Lower activity was also observed in some contact transmitted, airborne-transmitted, and fecal-oral transmitted diseases. However, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, exanthema subitum, showed the same trend as that over the previous 5 years. In conclusion, our study shows that public health interventions for the COVID-19 pandemic may have effectively prevented the transmission of most droplet-transmitted diseases and those transmitted through other routes.
Conspiracy beliefs and vaccination intent for COVID-19 in an infodemic
Authors: Ghaddar Ali , Khandaqji Sanaa , Awad Zeinab , Kansoun Rawad
Published: January 2022

Background

The massive, free and unrestricted exchange of information on the social media during the Covid-19 pandemic has set fertile grounds for fear, uncertainty and the rise of fake news related to the virus. This “viral” spread of fake news created an “infodemic” that threatened the compliance with public health guidelines and recommendations.

Objective

This study aims to describe the trust in social media platforms and the exposure to fake news about COVID-19 in Lebanon and to explore their association with vaccination intent.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study conducted in Lebanon during July–August, 2020, a random sample of 1052 participants selected from a mobile-phone database responded to an anonymous structured questionnaire after obtaining informed consent (response rate = 40%). The questionnaire was conducted by telephone and measured socio-demographics, sources and trust in sources of information and exposure to fake news, social media activity, perceived threat and vaccination intent.

Results

Results indicated that the majority of participants (82%) believed that COVID-19 is a threat and 52% had intention to vaccinate. Exposure to fake/ unverified news was high (19.7% were often and 63.8% were sometimes exposed, mainly to fake news shared through Watsapp and Facebook). Trust in certain information sources (WHO, MoPH and TV) increased while trust in others (Watsapp, Facebook) reduced vaccination intent against Covid-19. Believing in the man-made theory and the business control theory significantly reduced the likelihood of vaccination intent (Beta = 0.43; p = 0.01 and Beta = -0.29; p = 0.05) respectively.

Conclusion

In the context of the infodemic, understanding the role of exposure to fake news and of conspiracy believes in shaping healthy behavior is important for increasing vaccination intent and planning adequate response to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patient’s experience with the Arabin cervical pessary during pregnancy: A questionnaire survey
Authors: Seravalli Viola , Strambi Noemi , D’Arienzo Alessandra , Magni Francesco , Bernardi Ludovico , Morucchio Anna , Di Tommaso Mariarosaria
Published: January 2022

Introduction

The cervical pessary is used in women with precocious cervical ripening to prevent preterm birth. Up to now however, there have been no systematic studies on compliance and tolerance, which vary among different study cohorts.

Material and methods

A questionnaire was administered to 166 women treated with the Arabin cervical pessary in one center. Data were analysed about the patient’s experience before insertion (adequacy of information received), during treatment (follow-up, impact on daily life, perceived discomfort, side effects) and at the time of removal (pain, if the patient’s expectations had been met regarding the treatment).

Results

Information received before the insertion of the Arabin cervical pessary was considered adequate in 163/166 (98.2%) women. An increase in vaginal discharge was experienced by 70/166 (42.2%) women. Discomfort or other side effects were reported in 13.8% and 16.3% of cases, respectively. Overall, 77% of women reported an improved quality of life and 94% considered the follow-up during pregnancy adequate. Removal was moderately painful for 58/166 (35%) of women. Patient’s expectations regarding the treatment were exceeded in the majority of cases (75.3%). In a final step, we compared our results to previous studies regarding the use of the pessary in singleton and twin pregnancies.

Conclusion

Although some trials report high rates of non-compliant patients, this could not be confirmed by our study. In contrast, most women reported having a positive experience and that they were motivated to continue the treatment when they were continuously followed by experienced clinicians.
Changes in cannabis policy and prevalence of recreational cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Europe—An interrupted time-series analysis
Authors: Gabri Alexander Carl , Galanti Maria Rosaria , Orsini Nicola , Magnusson Cecilia
Published: January 2022

Background

Cannabis policy varies greatly across European countries, but evidence of how such policy impacts on recreational cannabis use among young people is conflicting. This study aimed to clarify this association by investigating how changes in cannabis legislation influenced cannabis use.

Methods

Available data on self-reports of recreational cannabis use among individuals aged 15–34 years was retrieved from EMCDDA. Information on cannabis policy changes was categorized as more lenient (decriminalisation or depenalisation) or stricter (criminalisation, penalisation). Countries that had implemented changes in cannabis legislation or had information on prevalence of use for at least eight calendar years, were eligible for inclusion. We used interrupted time-series linear models to investigate changes in country-specific trajectories of prevalence over calendar time and in relation to policy changes.

Results

Data from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom, for 1994–2017 was available for analyses. Cannabis use varied considerably over the study period and between countries. On average, use was stable or weakly increasing in countries where legislation was not changed or changed at the extremes of the study period (+0.08 percent per year [95% CI -0.01, 0.17 percent]). In contrast, the pooled average use decreased after changes in legislation, regardless of whether it had become more lenient (-0.22 [-1.21, 0.77]) or stricter (-0.44 [-0.91, 0.03]).

Conclusions

Our findings do not support any considerable impact of cannabis legislation on the prevalence of recreational cannabis use among youth and young adults in Europe.
Adolescent fertility and its determinants in Kenya: Evidence from Kenya demographic and health survey 2014
Authors: Monari Naomi , Orwa James , Agwanda Alfred
Published: January 2022

Background

Adolescent fertility in Kenya is vital in the development and execution of reproductive health policies and programs. One of the specific objectives of the Kenyan Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) policy developed in 2015 is to decrease early and unintended pregnancies in an attempt to reduce adolescent fertility. We aimed to establish determinants of adolescent fertility in Kenya.

Methods

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2014 data set was utilized. Adolescent’s number of children ever born was the dependent variable. The Chi-square test was utilized to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. A Proportional-odds model was performed to establish determinants of adolescent fertility at a 5% significance level.

Results

Over 40% of the adolescent girls who had sex below 17 years had given birth i.e, current age 15–17 years (40.9%) and <15 years (44.9%) had given birth. In addition, 70.7% of the married adolescents had given birth compared to 8.1% of the unmarried adolescents. Moreover, 65.1% of the adolescents who were using contraceptives had given birth compared to only 9% of the adolescents who were not using a contraceptive. Approximately 29.4% of the adolescents who had no education had given birth compared to 9.1% who had attained secondary education. Age at first sex (18–19 years: OR: 0.221, 95% CI: 0.124–0.392; 15–17 years: OR: 0.530, 95% CI: 0.379–0.742), current age (18–19 years: OR: 4.727, 95% CI: 3.318–6.733), current marital status (Not married: OR:0.212, 95% CI: 0.150–4.780), and current contraceptive use (Using: OR 3.138, 95% CI: 2.257–4.362) were associated with adolescent fertility.

Conclusion

The study established that age at first sex, current age, marital status, and contraceptive use are the main determinants of adolescent childbearing. The stated determinants should be targeted by the government to control the adolescent birth rate in Kenya. Consequently, delaying the age at first sex, discouraging adolescent marriage, and increasing secondary school enrollment among adolescent girls are recommended strategies to control adolescent fertility in Kenya.
Conservation of carbon resources and values on public lands: A case study from the National Wildlife Refuge System
Authors: Zhu Zhiliang , Middleton Beth , Pindilli Emily , Johnson Darren , Johnson Kurt , Covington Scott
Published: January 2022

Public lands in the United States are those land areas managed by federal, state, and county governments for public purposes such as preservation and recreation. Protecting carbon resources and increasing carbon sequestration capacity are compatible with public land management objectives for healthy and resilient habitats, i.e., managing habitats for the benefit of wildlife and ecosystem services can simultaneously capture and store carbon. To evaluate the effect of public land management on carbon storage and review carbon management as part of the land management objectives, we used existing data of carbon stock and net ecosystem carbon balance in a study of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), a public land management program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). Total carbon storage of the 364 refuges studied was 16.6 PgC, with a mean value 42,981 gCm-2. We used mixed modeling with Bonferroni adjustment techniques to analyze the effect of time since refuge designation on carbon storage. In general, older refuges store more carbon per unit area than younger refuges. In addition to the age factor, carbon resources are variable by regions and habitat types protected in the refuges. Mean carbon stock and the rate of sequestration are higher within refuges than outside refuges, but the statistical comparison of 364 refuges analyzed in this study was not significant. We also used the social cost of carbon to analyze the annual benefits of sequestrating carbon in these publicly managed lands in the United States, which is over $976 million per year in avoided CO2 emissions via specific conservation management actions. We examine case studies of management, particularly with respect to Service cooperation activities with The Conservation Fund (TCF) Go Zero® Program, Trust for Public Land (TPL) and individuals. Additional opportunities exist in improving techniques to maximize carbon resources in refuges, while continuing to meet the core purpose and need of the NWRS.