bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Impact of Diabetes Technology on Type 1 Diabetes Pregnancy
Authors: Less Jacob , Basina Marina
Published: May 2021

Pregnant women with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) experience challenges with glycemic management, planning for and transitioning into motherhood. Diabetes technology (DT) has been shown to improve glycemic control and pregnancy outcomes. The data on psychological aspects for the use of DT among women and their families during different stages of pregnancy is very sparse. This study characterized the perceived benefits and burdens of DT during T1D pre-, ongoing, and past-pregnancy journey. We surveyed 119 women with T1D from 12 countries (mean age 33.33 ± 5.26 years) as “Planning” (PP), “Attempting” (AP), “Previously” (PrP), or “Currently” (CP) pregnant. We explored the top three perceived “benefits” and “burdens” of DT (and their partners if relevant). Survey questions included: type of CGM device and insulin pump, use of hybrid closed-loop (Medtronic 670 G or Tandem X2 w/ Dexcom G6) or DIY system, insurance coverage, monthly out of pocket costs, breastfeeding. Results: 67 women in PrP group, 38 in CP group, and 7 in both PP and AP groups. A majority used CGM or insulin pump prior to pregnancy (n = 90 for CGM, n = 100 for pump). 11 women did not use any DT prior to pregnancy (n = 1 in CP group, n = 10 in PrP group). Five initiated DT during the first trimester, one during the second trimester, and five did not use any DT. Three women in CP group initiated CGM during the first trimester. Out of 12 women not using CGM in PP group, 7/12 initiated during pregnancy (n = 1 for 14-day Libre, n = 5 for Dexcom G5/6, n = 1 for Guardian 3). Overall these women, and their partners, perceived more benefits than burdens. Top three benefits of DT were “overall improved BS control,” improved confidence in DM control,” and “improved ease of administering insulin” (n = 86, 56, 55 respectively). Top three burdens were “alarms,” “problems with infusion sets,” and “glitches with sensors” (n = 52, 45, 43 respectively). Perceived benefits of DT for partners were the same except for a differing top-ranked benefit of “less worry about overnight hypoglycemia.” Burdens for partners were the same except for a differing top-ranked burden of “obsessiveness (more time thinking about BS).” CGM device usage showed: 68% for Dexcom (G4/5/6), 14.9% for Guardian 3, 9.9% for Libre (10 and 14 -day), and 7% reported no usage. Insulin pump usage showed: 52.2% for Medtronic, 15.7% for Tandem T:slim, 13% for Omnipod, 6% indicated other systems not listed, and 13% reported no usage. 26% of women have used a hybrid closed-loop system and 23% have used a DIY system. Our study is the first one to identify specific psychological benefits and stressors with the use of DT in women and their significant others internationally at various stages around pregnancy. It provides insight to clinicians on how to best counsel women and their families. Having the right expectations will help the with adaptability of DT and increase its use in order to improve pregnancy outcomes.
Liver-Specific Kisspeptin Deletion Impairs Energy Metabolism in Mice
Authors: Aloqaily Bahaa , Kwon Hyokjoon , Al-Samerria Sarmed , Negron Ariel L , Wondisford Fredric Edward , Radovick Sally
Published: May 2021

Kisspeptin, a neuroendocrine protein critical for the control of pubertal development and fertility has been shown to be modulated by nutritional signals. While the secretion of kisspeptin from specific hypothalamic nuclei is well-known to regulate GnRH-mediated pubertal maturation and reproduction, it remains unclear what role peripheral kisspeptin, specifically of hepatic origin, plays in regulating metabolism and glucose homeostasis. To define the role of kisspeptin in the liver, we developed a novel Kiss1f/f mouse line and targeted liver-specific Kiss1 ablation by injecting a AAV8-TBG-iCre virus via the tail vein (LKiss1KO). Control mice included Kiss1f/f male and female mice injected with AAV-GFP (LKiss1WT). We previously showed that deletion of hepatic kisspeptin did not affect body weight, but resulted in decreased insulin secretion and glucose intolerance in both sexes. To clarify the effects of liver-specific Kiss1 knockout on insulin action and glucose homeostasis in vivo, we conducted hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies three weeks after tail injections. We noted a sexual dimorphism in the glucose infusion rate (GIR), female mice have a higher GIR to maintain euglycemia associated with an elevated glucose consumption rate, suggesting that female mice are more insulin sensitive than male mice. However, the deletion of liver kisspeptin had no effect on the glucose production rate in either sex. Indirect calorimetry assessment was conducted 4 weeks post-injection. Both male and female LKiss1KO mice showed significantly higher oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and increased energy expenditure as compared to the LKiss1WT groups. However, there were no differences in either the respiratory exchange ratio or total ambulatory activity among treatments. These findings clearly define a pivotal role for hepatic Kiss1 in the modulation of insulin secretion to maintain glucose homeostasis without modulating glucose production as well as in maintaining energy homeostasis in both male or female mice.
Bisphenols effects on Granulosa Cell-Cell Communication
Authors: Sabry Reem , Apps Charlotte , Diepstraten Cassidy Van Den , Favetta Laura A
Published: May 2021

Bisphenols are Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) linked to negative fertility outcomes in humans. The most common one, bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer that acts as an estrogen agonist. Alternatives such as BPS and BPF are becoming widespread and possess similar activities. The oocyte and nearby granulosa cells are particularly vulnerable to EDCs as they are dependent on hormone signaling. Granulosa-Granulosa cell communications are pivotal for proper development and are mediated by gap junction molecules, called connexins (Cxs). Cx37, Cx26, and Cx43 are crucial in follicular communication and are the focus of this study. Bisphenols can alter these genes which directly affects cell-cell communication and in turn proper development. This study uses an in vitro cell culture model of bovine granulosa cells as the bovine species is an excellent translational model for human reproductive toxicology. To determine optimal doses and exposure times, we performed a cytotoxic assay (CCK8) and treated cells with a low dose (0.5 μg/mL), a medium dose (5 μg/mL), the current reported LOAEL (50 μg/mL), and a high dose (0.5 mg/mL) of bisphenols for 1, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hrs. The high dose was lethal at all time points for BPA/BPF, while BPS was toxic from 1 hrs (P=0.0016; n=4). The LOAEL dose was toxic for BPA at 6, 12, 24 hrs (P=0.018, 0.0021, 0.0042 respectively; n=7) and was lethal at 48/72 hrs. BPF at the LOAEL dose showed an increase in cell viability at 6 hrs which was significant at 12hrs (P=0.0119; n=5). This trend declined at 48/72 hrs but was not significant. BPS did not affect cell viability at any other dose and the medium dose did not affect viability for all bisphenols; however, the low dose of BPA/BPF showed a trend towards decreased viability at 48 hrs of treatment. Therefore, we looked at the effects of BPA/S/F at the low and LOAEL doses for 12/48 hrs. We used qPCR and western blotting to quantify transcripts and proteins of the three connexins. Our data show that Cx43 mRNA was significantly increased at the LOAEL dose for BPA/BPF at 12 hrs (p=0.02; n=6). Preliminary data on proteins indicate a decrease and increase in expression at 12hrs for BPA/BPF treatment, respectively, at the LOAEL dose. BPS shows no effect on Cx43. BPS low dose and BPA/BPF LOAEL doses at 12 and 48 hrs increase Cx37 mRNA. Preliminary data on the protein levels show a significant decrease of Cx37 protein at BPA low dose, but no changes after exposure to the other bisphenols. Lastly, Cx26 mRNA is significantly increased after BPA treatment at the LOAEL dose at 12 hrs (P<0.0001; n=5). This novel study investigates the effects of low/high doses and short-term/chronic exposure of bisphenols on cell-cell communication in granulosa cells and provides the basis for future studies on bisphenol toxicity in early development.
Prediction of Prolonged Opioid Use After Surgery in Adolescents: Insights From Machine Learning
Authors: Ward Andrew , Jani Trisha , De Souza Elizabeth , Scheinker David , Bambos Nicholas , Anderson T. Anthony
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND:

Long-term opioid use has negative health care consequences. Patients who undergo surgery are at risk for prolonged opioid use after surgery (POUS). While risk factors have been previously identified, no methods currently exist to determine higher-risk patients. We assessed the ability of a variety of machine-learning algorithms to predict adolescents at risk of POUS and to identify factors associated with this risk.

METHODS:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a national insurance claims database of adolescents aged 12–21 years who underwent 1 of 1297 surgeries, with general anesthesia, from January 1, 2011 to December 30, 2017. Logistic regression with an L2 penalty and with a logistic regression with an L1 lasso (Lasso) penalty, random forests, gradient boosting machines, and extreme gradient boosted models were trained using patient and provider characteristics to predict POUS (≥1 opioid prescription fill within 90–180 days after surgery) risk. Predictive capabilities were assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC)/C-statistic, mean average precision (MAP); individual decision thresholds were compared using sensitivity, specificity, Youden Index, F1 score, and number needed to evaluate. The variables most strongly associated with POUS risk were identified using permutation importance.

RESULTS:

Of 186,493 eligible patient surgical visits, 8410 (4.51%) had POUS. The top-performing algorithm achieved an overall AUC of 0.711 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.699-0.723) and significantly higher AUCs for certain surgeries (eg, 0.823 for spinal fusion surgery and 0.812 for dental surgery). The variables with the strongest association with POUS were the days’ supply of opioids and oral morphine milligram equivalents of opioids in the year before surgery.

CONCLUSIONS:

Machine-learning models to predict POUS risk among adolescents show modest to strong results for different surgeries and reveal variables associated with higher risk. These results may inform health care system–specific identification of patients at higher risk for POUS and drive development of preventative measures.
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator-mediated crosstalk between N-cadherin and β-catenin promotes wound healing
Authors: Diaz Ariel , Martin-Jimenez Cynthia , Xu Yang , Merino Paola , Woo Yena , Torre Enrique , Yepes Manuel
Published: April 2021

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA; encoded by Plau) is a serine proteinase that, in the central nervous system, induces astrocytic activation. β-Catenin is a protein that links the cytoplasmic tail of cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton, thus securing the formation of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion complexes. Disruption of cell–cell contacts leads to the detachment of β-catenin from cadherins, and β-catenin is then degraded by the proteasome following its phosphorylation by GSK3β. Here, we show that astrocytes release uPA following a scratch injury, and that this uPA promotes wound healing via a plasminogen-independent mechanism. We found that uPA induces the detachment of β-catenin from the cytoplasmic tail of N-cadherin (NCAD; also known as CDH2) by triggering its phosphorylation at Tyr654. Surprisingly, this is not followed by degradation of β-catenin because uPA also induces the phosphorylation of the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) at Ser1490, which then blocks the kinase activity of GSK3β. Our work indicates that the ensuing cytoplasmic accumulation of β-catenin is followed by its nuclear translocation and β-catenin-triggered transcription of the receptor for uPA (Plaur), which in turn is required for uPA to induce astrocytic wound healing.
Automated morphometric analysis with SMorph software reveals plasticity induced by antidepressant therapy in hippocampal astrocytes
Authors: Sethi Parul , Virmani Garima , Gupta Kushaan , Thumu Surya Chandra Rao , Ramanan Narendrakumar , Marathe Swananda
Published: April 2021

Nervous system development and plasticity involve changes in cellular morphology, making morphological analysis a valuable exercise in the study of nervous system development, function and disease. Morphological analysis is a time-consuming exercise requiring meticulous manual tracing of cellular contours and extensions. We have developed a software tool, called SMorph, to rapidly analyze the morphology of cells of the nervous system. SMorph performs completely automated Sholl analysis. It extracts 23 morphometric features based on cell images and Sholl analysis parameters, followed by principal component analysis (PCA). SMorph was tested on neurons, astrocytes and microglia and reveals subtle changes in cell morphology. Using SMorph, we found that chronic 21-day treatment with the antidepressant desipramine results in a significant structural remodeling in hippocampal astrocytes in mice. Given the proposed involvement of astroglial structural changes and atrophy in major depression in humans, our results reveal a novel kind of structural plasticity induced by chronic antidepressant administration.
Wolbachia manipulate fitness benefits of olfactory associative learning in a parasitoid wasp
Authors: Farahani Hossein Kishani , Ashouri Ahmad , Abroon Pouria , Pierre Jean-Sebastien , van Baaren Joan
Published: April 2021

Upon encountering a host, a female parasitoid wasp has to decide whether to learn positive or negative cues related to the host. The optimal female decision will depend on the fitness costs and benefits of learned stimuli. Reward quality is positively related to the rate of behavioral acquisition in processes such as associative learning. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium, often plays an impressive role in the manipulation of its arthropod host's biology. Here, we studied the responses of two natural Wolbachia infected/uninfected Trichogramma brassicae wasp populations to theoretically high- and low-reward values during a conditioning process and the consequences of their responses in terms of memory duration. According to our results, uninfected wasps showed an attraction response to high-value rewards, but showed aversive learning in response to low-value rewards. The memory span of uninfected wasps after conditioning by low-value rewards was significantly shorter than that for high-value rewards. As our results revealed, responses to high-quality hosts will bring more benefits (bigger size, increased fecundity and enhanced survival) than those to low-quality hosts for uninfected wasps. Infected wasps were attracted to conditioned stimuli with the same memory duration after conditioning by both types of hosts. This was linked to the fact that parasitoids emerging from both types of hosts present the same life-history traits. Therefore, these hosts represent the same quality reward for infected wasps. According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that Wolbachia manipulates the learning ability of its host, resulting in the wasp responding to all reward values similarly.
Low repeatability of aversive learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Mason Dominic , Zajitschek Susanne , Anwer Hamza , O'Dea Rose E. , Hesselson Daniel , Nakagawa Shinichi
Published: April 2021

Aversive learning – avoiding certain situations based on negative experiences – can profoundly increase fitness in animal species, yet no studies have systematically quantified its repeatability. Therefore, we assessed the repeatability of aversive learning by conditioning approximately 100 zebrafish (Danio rerio) to avoid a colour cue associated with a mild electric shock. Across eight different colour conditions, zebrafish did not show consistent individual differences in aversive learning (R=0.04). Within conditions, when zebrafish were conditioned to the same colour, blue conditioning was more repeatable than green conditioning (R=0.15 and R=0.02). Overall, aversive learning responses of zebrafish were weak and variable. We speculate that the effect of aversive learning might have been too weak to quantify consistent individual differences, or directional selection might have eroded additive genetic variance. We also discuss how confounded repeatability assays and publication bias could have inflated estimates of repeatability in the literature.
Effects of early-life conditions on innate immune function in adult zebra finches
Authors: Driessen Merijn M. G. , Versteegh Maaike A. , Gerritsma Yoran H. , Tieleman B. Irene , Pen Ido , Verhulst Simon
Published: April 2021

Early life conditions can affect individuals for life, with harsh developmental conditions resulting in lower fitness, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We hypothesized that immune function may be part of the underlying mechanism, when harsh developmental conditions result in less effective immune function. We tested this hypothesis by comparing innate immune function between zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in adulthood (n=230; age 108–749 days) that were reared in either small or large broods. We used this experimental background to follow up our earlier finding that finches reared in large broods have a shorter lifespan. To render a broad overview of innate immune function, we used an array of six measures: bacterial killing capacity, hemagglutination, hemolysis, haptoglobin, nitric oxide and ovotransferrin. We found no convincing evidence for effects of natal brood size on any of the six measures of innate immune function. This raised the question whether the origin of variation in immune function was genetic, and we therefore estimated heritabilities using animal models. However, we found heritability estimates to be low (range 0.04–0.11) for all measured immune variables, suggesting variation in innate immune function can largely be attributed to environmental effects independent of early-life conditions as modified by natal brood size.
Disentangling the energetic costs of step time asymmetry and step length asymmetry in human walking
Authors: Stenum Jan , Choi Julia T.
Published: April 2021

The metabolic cost of walking in healthy individuals increases with spatiotemporal gait asymmetries. Pathological gait, such as post-stroke, often has asymmetry in step length and step time which may contribute to an increased energy cost. But paradoxically, enforcing step length symmetry does not reduce metabolic cost of post-stroke walking. The isolated and interacting costs of asymmetry in step time and step length remain unclear, because previous studies did not simultaneously enforce spatial and temporal gait asymmetries. Here, we delineate the isolated costs of asymmetry in step time and step length in healthy human walking. We first show that the cost of step length asymmetry is predicted by the cost of taking two non-preferred step lengths (one short and one long), but that step time asymmetry adds an extra cost beyond the cost of non-preferred step times. The metabolic power of step time asymmetry is about 2.5 times greater than the cost of step length asymmetry. Furthermore, the costs are not additive when walking with asymmetric step time and asymmetric step length: the metabolic power of concurrent asymmetry in step length and step time is driven by the cost of step time asymmetry alone. The metabolic power of asymmetry is explained by positive mechanical power produced during single support phases to compensate for a net loss of center of mass power incurred during double support phases. These data may explain why metabolic cost remains invariant to step length asymmetry in post-stroke walking and suggest how effects of asymmetry on energy cost can be attenuated.
The Human Muscle Size and Strength Relationship: Effects of Architecture, Muscle Force, and Measurement Location
Authors: BALSHAW THOMAS G. , MADEN-WILKINSON THOMAS M. , MASSEY GARRY J. , FOLLAND JONATHAN P.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the best muscle size index of muscle strength by establishing if incorporating muscle architecture measurements improved the human muscle size–strength relationship. The influence of calculating muscle force and the location of anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) measurements on this relationship were also examined.

Methods

Fifty-two recreationally active men completed unilateral isometric knee extension strength assessments and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the dominant thigh and knee to determine quadriceps femoris size variables (ACSA along the length of the femur, maximum ACSA (ACSAMAX), and volume (VOL)) and patellar tendon moment arm. Ultrasound images (two sites per constituent muscle) were analyzed to quantify muscle architecture (fascicle length, pennation angle) and, when combined with VOL (from magnetic resonance imaging), facilitated calculation of quadriceps femoris effective PCSA (EFFPCSA) as potentially the best muscle size determinant of strength. Muscle force was calculated by dividing maximum voluntary torque by the moment arm and addition of antagonist torque (derived from hamstring EMG).

Results

The associations of EFFPCSA (r = 0.685), ACSAMAX (r = 0.697), or VOL (r = 0.773) with strength did not differ, although qualitatively VOL explained 59.8% of the variance in strength, ~11%–13% greater than EFFPCSA or ACSAMAX. All muscle size variables had weaker associations with muscle force than maximum voluntary torque. The association of strength–ACSA at 65% of femur length (r = 0.719) was greater than for ACSA measured between 10%–55% and 75%–90% (r = −0.042–0.633) of femur length.

Conclusions

In conclusion, using contemporary methods to assess muscle architecture and calculate EFFPCSA did not enhance the muscle strength–size association. For understanding/monitoring muscle size, the major determinant of strength, these findings support the assessment of muscle volume, which is independent of architecture measurements and was most highly correlated with strength.
An Ounce of Prevention
Authors: Newhouse Joseph P.
Published: May 2021

I look at prevention through an economic lens and make three main points. First, those advocating preventive measures are often asked how much money a given measure saves. This question is misguided. Rather, preventive measures can be thought of as insurance, with a certain cost in the present that may or may not pay off in the future. In fact, although most medical preventive measures improve expected health, they do not save money. Various lifestyle and early childhood interventions, however, may both save money and improve health. Second, preventive measures, including medical and life style measures, are heterogeneous in their value, both across measures and within measure, across individuals. As a result, generalizations in everyday discourse about the value of prevention can be overly broad. Third, health insurance coverage for medical preventive measures should generally be more extensive than coverage for the treatment of a medical condition, though full coverage of preventive services is not necessarily optimal.
Fiscal Policy in Europe: Controversies over Rules, Mutual Insurance, and Centralization
Authors: Bilbiie Florin , Monacelli Tommaso , Perotti Roberto
Published: May 2021

We discuss the main fiscal policy issues in Europe, focusing on two that are at the core of the current debate. The first is that the government deficit and debt were, from the outset, the key objects of contention in the debate that led to the creation of the Eurozone, and they still are. The second issue is that a currency union implies the loss of a country-specific instrument, a national monetary policy. This puts a higher burden on fiscal policy as a tool to counteract shocks, a burden that might be even heavier now that the European Central Bank has arguably reached the Zero Lower Bound. Two obvious solutions are mutual insurance (or risk-sharing) amongst countries and a centralized stabilization policy. Yet both have been remarkably difficult to come by, especially due to political constraints. We review and discuss the relative merits of several proposals for increased insurance or centralization, or both. We conclude with an early discussion of the implications of the COVID-19 crisis for European fiscal policy reform and an assessment of the current fiscal measures.
Evaluating the performance of degrees of freedom estimation in asymmetric GARCH models with t-student innovations
Authors: Fonseca Thais C O , Cerqueira Vinicius S , Migon Helio S , Torres Christian A C
Published: May 2021

This work investigates the effects of using the independent Jeffreys prior for the degrees of freedom parameter of a t-student model in the asymmetric generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model. To capture asymmetry in the reaction to past shocks, smooth transition models are assumed for the variance. We adopt the fully Bayesian approach for inference, prediction and model selection We discuss problems related to the estimation of degrees of freedom in the Student-t model and propose a solution based on independent Jeffreys priors which correct problems in the likelihood function. A simulated study is presented to investigate how the estimation of model parameters in the t-student GARCH model are affected by small sample sizes, prior distributions and misspecification regarding the sampling distribution. An application to the Dow Jones stock market data illustrates the usefulness of the asymmetric GARCH model with t-student errors.
Decomposing public-private teachers’ wage gap: evidence from Brazil
Authors: Barcellos Thais , Hirata Guilherme
Published: May 2021

A two-stage wage gap decomposition permits measuring the contribution of observableand unobservable characteristics of the wage gap formation and evolution comparingteachers’ earnings in the public and private sectors from 2006 to 2017. Teachers fromthe public sector earn more than the ones from the private sector at mean, median, andquantile 10 due to the composition effect. The analysis across levels of education showsthat the composition effect is important in explaining the wage gap in early childhoodeducation while the structure effect is more relevant to the wage gap decomposition inprimary and high school education.
Concessão de serviço público e engenharia financeira: notas para uma visão contemporânea sobre a qualificação técnica
Authors: Amaral Garcia Flávio , Cyrino André
Published: May 2021

Os setores de infraestrutura comportam várias especificidades no seu processo seletivo como é o caso, por exemplo, das exigências de qualificação técnica, na fase de habilitação. Em vez de se exigir apenas a experiência pretérita no setor, tem sido comum editais exigirem a comprovação de que os licitantes possuem experiência na captação de recursos. Admite-se, assim, a participação, como licitantes, de atores que, tradicionalmente, funcionam como financiadores, como é o caso de fundos de investimento, entidades de previdência complementar, trusts e fundos de private equity. O objeto deste artigo é explicar que essa modelagem pode ser viável juridicamente, sendo, ainda, apta a fomentar a competição no certame. Não há um modelo rígido e inflexível de qualificação técnica, devendo ser observada a discricionariedade do gestor na modelagem do certame. De toda forma, é fundamental que essa opção seja devidamente motivada e que se tomem certos cuidados para que não se coloque em risco a adequação, segurança e eficiência do serviço.
Serviços sociais autônomos: identificação e distinções de entidades prestadoras de serviços públicos
Authors: Nilo de Almeida Edvaldo
Published: May 2021

O texto tem como objetivo distinguir os serviços sociais autônomos com figuras ou sujeitos jurídicos próximos, sobretudo as entidades privadas que se relacionam com a administração pública, prestando serviços de interesse público. A metodologia consiste na análise da doutrina jurídica e jurisprudencial do Supremo Tribunal Federal e do Tribunal de Contas da União relacionadas com o tema, utilizando-se os métodos bibliográfico e documental, com ênfase nas fontes de estudo do direito constitucional e teoria geral do direito. Nessa senda, o problema a ser respondido é o regime jurídico-constitucional de entidades jurídicas próximas aos serviços sociais autônomos, de modo a identificar as características de cada uma. Conclui-se situando o espaço e o modo de atuação dos serviços sociais autônomos e de entidades que fazem e que também não fazem parte da estrutura do Estado, mas que contribuem para a prestação de serviços públicos prestacionais fundamentais para a coletividade.
A perspectiva da execução fiscal como instrumento de política pública
Authors: Nonato Pereira Diniz Raimundo , Motta Fabrício
Published: May 2021

Este artigo discute a execução fiscal, considerada a partir do fenômeno da macrolitigância. O problema central é a possibilidade de ser utilizada como instrumento de política pública. O estudo objetiva descrever, a partir de uma abordagem interdisciplinar entre direito e políticas públicas, as perspectivas a partir das quais a execução fiscal pode assumir a configuração de instrumento dessas políticas. O referencial teórico de organização deste estudo é a metodologia de análise jurídica das políticas públicas, proposta por Maria Dallari Bucci. Os resultados alcançados confirmaram a hipótese apresentada, de que a execução fiscal pode assumir características funcionais de instrumento da política fiscal, mediante planejamento, utilização estratégica e avaliação de escolhas.
MARKETING ESPORTIVO E FIDELIDADE: O RELACIONAMENTO DE SÓCIOS-TORCEDORES COM O CENTRAL SPORT CLUB
Authors: Silva Sara Verissimo , Cordeiro Adriana Tenório , Silva Paula Gonçalves da
Published: April 2021

Este artigo visa discutir as estratégias de marketing esportivo usadas na gestão do relacionamento com o sócio-torcedor do Central Sport Club, time de Caruaru, no interior de Pernambuco. Considerando o caso do Central Sport Club, foi realizada entrevista com Diretoria de Marketing, e foram aplicados questionários junto a 114 sócios para analisar o nível de relacionamento de cada torcedor com esportes em geral, como eles se definem como torcedor, a representatividade do time Central na vida de cada um e quais os níveis de satisfação com as políticas adotadas pelo clube. Observou-se que o clube se destaca na quantidade de torcedores associados e na satisfação destes com o preço de ingressos e planos de sócios/ categorias. Faz-se necessário, ainda, implementar estratégias para manter a quantidade de sócios adimplentes com o clube, bem como fidelizar novos torcedores, buscando superar dificuldades gerais enfrentadas por clubes brasileiros, mas, em especial, entre times no interior do Estado.
A new species of Euplocania Enderlein (Psocodea, ‘Psocoptera’, Ptiloneuridae), from the Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil
Authors: Silva-Neto Alberto Moreira da
Published: May 2021

A new species of Euplocania belonging in the Marginata species group, collected in an area of the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazilian states of Bahia is described and illustrated. It differs from all the other species in the Marginata species group in details of the hypandrium and phallosome. This is the first record of a species in the Marginata species group for the Atlantic Rainforest biome and the first record of a Euplocania species for Brazilian states of Bahia.
Experiencias intensivas de trabajo de campo como herramienta pedagógica para la conservación patrimonial en ciudades marginalizadas
Authors: Calderon Edwar , Theodossopoulos Dimitris
Published: April 2021

El trabajo de campo en la educación para la conservación del patrimonio arquitectónico se considera principalmente una herramienta para documentar la condición actual y desarrollar habilidades relevantes como metodología comprometida con los valores arquitectónicos, cul­turales e históricos de un sitio. Sin embargo, su pedagogía, en ausencia de un amplio debate, puede enriquecerse mediante la revisión de experiencias en Geografía y Arquitectura, donde el trabajo de campo, una actividad esencial en los planes de estudio de pregrado, induce a los estudiantes a realizar preguntas críticas a través del aprendizaje y mejora la participación con lo inesperado a través de la interrupción de los procesos de formación lineales. Esta metodología ha demostrado producir experiencias de enseñanza intensivas en conservación patrimonial a través de talleres, por lo que este trabajo reflexiona sobre cómo pueden mejorarse estas pedagogías y cómo estas pueden aportar significativamente a la sostenibilidad del patrimonio cultural en poblaciones que han sido históricamente marginalizadas de los principales centros urbanos.
Promoting health and wellbeing across community nursing teams: role of the specialist practitioner district nurse
Authors: Rogers Amy
Published: May 2021

There is a growing concern around the health and wellbeing of community nurses due to the high complexities of and demand on district nursing services. It is well recognised that district nursing services have no limits to their capacity, and they have been dealing with an increasing caseload, with no increases in resources or staff. Consequently, this has left community nurses feeling exhausted and experiencing burnout, which, in the long term, can lead to compassion fatigue, which can in turn compromise patient safety. Specialist practitioner qualified district nurses (SPQDN) require the skills and knowledge to promote health and wellbeing, in order to provide a positive work environment and limit work-related stress and burnout despite the challenges encountered. This article explores possible strategies to promote health and wellbeing among community nurses and the barriers that SPQDNs encounter in doing so.
Role of the community nurse in Parkinson's disease and lower urinary disorders
Authors: Duncan Debbie
Published: May 2021

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an incurable and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. People with PD also have increased muscle weakness and the typical symptoms of tremor, stiffness, slowness, balance problems and/or gait disorders. Other symptoms may include an overactive bladder, urgency and nocturia which can often lead to incontinence. Treatment options vary are dependent on the cause of the incontinence and should focus on improving Quality of life with a multi-pronged diagnosis-specific approach that takes into consideration a patient's ability to comply with treatment. The article looks at the role of the community nurse in caring for patients with PD and lower urinary disorders. They have a key role in assessment of patients and supporting families with tailor made bladder training such as establish a regular toilet routine, education about pelvic floor exercises or supply of incontinence products.
Assessment and management of adult ankle fractures: understanding the evidence
Authors: Yip Grace , Hay Daniel , Stringfellow Tom , Ahluwalia Aashish , Ahluwalia Raju
Published: May 2021

Ankle fractures are a common injury. Assessment should include looking at the mechanism of injury, comorbidities, associated injuries, soft tissue status and neurovascular status. Emergent reduction is required for clinically deformed ankles.

Investigations should include plain radiographs and a computed tomography scan for more complex injuries or those with posterior malleolus involvement. An assessment of ankle stability determines treatment, taking into account comorbidities and preoperative mobility which need special consideration. Non-operative management includes splint or cast, allowing for early weightbearing when the ankle is stable.

Operative management includes open reduction and internal fixation, intramedullary nailing (of the fibula and hindfoot) and external fixation. Syndemosis stabilisation includes suture button or screw fixation. The aim of treatment is to restore ankle stability and this article explores the current evidence in best practice.
The pedicled submental flap in facial reconstruction
Authors: Saad M , Matteucci P
Published: April 2021

Submental flap (SF) is a reconstructive technique that can be utilised for reconstruction of medium to large oral cavity defects, head and neck cancer, and pharyngocutaneous fistula. The submental artery island flap is pedicled on the submental artery and veins. The vascular pedicle has a length of up to 8cm. If it is further dissected to its origin from the facial artery, the pedicle can be lengthened by an additional 1–2cm to reach the lateral canthus and zygomatic arch. The use of SF for the reconstruction of head and neck defects has re-emerged over the past decade due to various reasons. We present a series of four case reports of head and neck cancers including a basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and Merkel tumour, where the SF technique was used to successfully reconstruct the resultant facial defect. The advantages and disadvantages of the SF are discussed with a brief literature review.
Performance analysis of a 1024-port Hipoλaos OPS in DCN, HPC, and 5G fronthauling Ethernet applications
Authors: Terzenidis N. , Giamougiannis G. , Tsakyridis A. , Spasopoulos D. , Yan F. , Calabretta N. , Vagionas C. , Pleros N.
Published: May 2021

The explosive traffic growth of emerging cloud, augmented/virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and 5G applications along with the inherent need for high-bandwidth transport of big data has fueled the expansion of the Ethernet switch market for data centers (DCs), high-performance computers (HPCs), and 5G fronthaul networks. As such, next-generation switches have to be capable of conforming to the requirements of a versatile traffic environment, expanding along DC, HPC, and 5G fronthauling infrastructures while meeting the performance needs of these different application sectors. Within this frame, we experimentally validate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the performance of the recently reported Hipoλaos optical packet switch (OPS) within Ethernet-based traffic exchange in DC and 5G fronthaul testbeds, highlighting the credentials of the 1024-port and 10.24 Tb/s capacity OPS to successfully support real-world DC and 5G applications. Error-free unicast and dual-output multicast Ethernet packet transmission at 10 Gb/s are successfully validated for different output ports of the switch, followed by successful server-to-server high-definition video transmission, both when the OPS was employed in the DC as well as in the 5G fronthauling testbed. Network performance and stability over time were confirmed through several measurements carried out through the iperf application suite, revealing submicrosecond end-to-end (Layer 7) latency performance. Finally, an OMNeT++ simulation analysis for an Ethernet-switched Hipoλaos network utilizing real-world application traces collected from the MareNostrum HPC system revealed up to 89% lower latency performance compared to the actual system.
Spatial and temporal super-resolution for fluorescence microscopy by a recurrent neural network
Authors: Li Jinyang , Tong Geng , Pan Yining , Yu Yiting
Published: April 2021

A novel spatial and temporal super-resolution (SR) framework based on a recurrent neural network (RNN) is demonstrated. In this work, we learn the complex yet useful features from the temporal data by taking advantage of structural characteristics of RNN and a skip connection. The usage of supervision mechanism is not only making full use of the intermediate output of each recurrent layer to recover the final output, but also alleviating vanishing/exploding gradients during the back-propagation. The proposed scheme achieves excellent reconstruction results, improving both the spatial and temporal resolution of fluorescence images including the simulated and real tubulin datasets. Besides, robustness against various critical metrics, such as the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) and molecular density, can also be incorporated. In the validation, the performance can be increased by more than 20% for intensity profile, and 8% for FWHM, and the running time can be saved at least 40% compared with the classic Deep-STORM method, a high-performance net which is popularly used for comparison.
Analysis on leading-fiber-induced Doppler noise in interferometric FBG sensor arrays using polarization switching and PGC hybrid processing method
Authors: Shang Fan , Yu Yi , Ma Lina , Qi Yue , Song Junqiang
Published: May 2021

The random disturbance in the leading fiber is considered as a vital noise source in the practical interferometric fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor array, which is usually interrogated by periodic laser pulse pair. As the two interrogation laser pluses propagate through the leading fiber in a time-sharing manner, the leading fiber disturbance could cause undesired demodulated phase noises to both the polarization state and the pulse-interval, which are summarized as the polarization fading induced noise and the Doppler noise, respectively. This paper focused on the Doppler noise under the demodulation scheme of polarization switching (PS) and phase generated carrier (PGC) hybrid processing method. A model describing the transformation from arbitrary leading fiber stretching to sensor phase background was presented. The complexity was that the Doppler noise was coupled with the birefringence states, as verified by both simulation and experiment. In response to this issue, a two-stage Doppler noise suppression method was proposed, which is based on the PS and PGC hybrid processing and a reference sensor. A processing procedure was presented where the polarization synthesis must be performed before and the reference sensor was considered. Otherwise, the suppression algorithm will be completely invalid due to the mutual coupling of the Doppler noise and the birefringence. Experimental results showed that only after the first stage of polarization synthesis, identical Doppler noise in the two TDM channels could be obtained, with an amplitude error of 0.02 dB. The second stage involved non-sensitive reference sensor subtraction, which achieved a maximum suppression of about 30 dB, which was the highest to be best of our knowledge. The two-stage Doppler noise suppression method was tested for sinusoidal and wideband leading fiber disturbances, providing a solution for practical interferometric FBG array applications.
Synthesis and low-order optical nonlinearities of colloidal HgSe quantum dots in the visible and near infrared ranges
Authors: Ganeev Rashid A. , Shuklov Ivan A. , Zvyagin Andrey I. , Dyomkin Dmitry V. , Smirnov Michail S. , Ovchinnikov Oleg V. , Lizunova Anna A. , Perepukhov Alexander M. , Popov Victor S. , Razumov Vladimir F.
Published: May 2021

We synthesize colloidal HgSe quantum dots and characterize their nonlinear refraction and nonlinear absorption using a Nd:YAG laser and its second harmonic. The 7.5 nm quantum dots were synthesized using the hot-injection method. The nonlinear absorption (β = 9×10−7 cm W-1) and negative nonlinear refraction (γ = -5×10−12 cm2 W-1) coefficients of colloidal quantum dots were determined using the 10 ns, 532 nm laser radiation. The joint influence of above processes was realized at a higher intensity of probe pulses. In the case of 10 ns, 1064 nm radiation, only negative nonlinear refraction dominated during z-scans of these quantum dots. The studies of optical limiting using two laser sources demonstrated the effectiveness of this process at 532 nm. The role of nonlinear scattering is analyzed. We discuss the mechanisms responsible for the nonlinear refraction processes in colloidal HgSe quantum dots.
Active polarization-independent plasmon-induced transparency metasurface with suppressed magnetic attenuation
Authors: Wang Jing , Tan Peng , Li Shuai , Wang Guanchao , Guo Wenpeng , Zhou Zhongxiang , Tian Hao
Published: April 2021

A tunable polarization-independent plasmon-induced transparency (PIT) metasurface based on connected half-ring and split-ring resonators is proposed to working in the terahertz band. We analyze the PIT effect in metasurfaces comprising of ring resonator and split ring resonator. Due to the magnetic attenuation caused by the reverse current between the two resonators, the relative position of the ring resonator and the split-ring resonator greatly affects the strength of the PIT effect. Magnetic attenuation weakens the dark mode of the split ring resonator. Through simulation and experiment, it is found that connecting the ring resonator and split-ring resonator can avoid magnetic attenuation and achieve a stronger PIT window. Furthermore, the fourfold rotation structure of the connected half-ring and split-ring resonator on silicon substrate achieves an optically controlled polarization-independent PIT effect. The design would provide significant guidance in multifunctional active devices, such as modulators and switches in terahertz communication.
High-sensitivity operation of a single-beam atomic magnetometer for three-axis magnetic field measurement
Authors: Tang Junjian , Zhai Yueyang , Cao Li , Zhang Yaohua , Li Lin , Zhao Binbin , Zhou Binquan , Han Bangcheng , Liu Gang
Published: May 2021

We demonstrate a single-beam atomic magnetometer (AM) capable of measuring a three-axis magnetic field with high-sensitivity, achieved by applying a small DC offset field and a high frequency modulation field. To satisfy the miniaturization demand of AMs, an elliptically polarized light detuned by 50 GHz from the resonance transition center is employed. The circularly polarized component is used to polarize the alkali-metal atoms, while the linearly polarized light is used to detect the dynamics of the polarized spin under a magnetic field. Based on theoretical analysis, parameters that significantly affect the performance are optimized, and a sensitivity of 20 fT/Hz1/2 in x-axis, 25 fT/Hz1/2 in y-axis, 30 fT/Hz1/2 in z-axis is achieved with a miniature 4 × 4 × 4 mm 87Rb vapor cell. Moreover, we also verify that the operation principle of AMs can be used to null background magnetic fields in-situ with isotropic compensation resolution of 6.7 pT, which provides an effectively precise method for zeroing ambient magnetic field. The high-sensitivity operating of an elliptically-polarized-laser-based magnetometer provides prospective futures for constructing a compact, low-cost AM, which is particularly applicable for non-invasive bio-magnetic imaging such as array-based magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetocardiography (MCG).
Highly stable measurement for nanoparticle extinction cross section by analyzing aperture-edge blurriness
Authors: Ying Qianwen , Zhang Jiahao , Zhang Hongliang , Yan Max , Ruan Zhichao
Published: May 2021

In order to stabilize the extinction cross section measurement of a single nanoparticle, we propose to analyze the blurriness parameter of aperture edge images in real time, which provides a feedback to lock the sample position. Unlike the conventional spatial modulation spectroscopy (SMS) technique, a probe beam experiences both the spatial modulation by a piezo stage and the temporal modulation by a chopper. We experimentally demonstrate that the measurement uncertainty is one order magnitude less than that in the previous report. The proposed method can be readily implemented in conventional SMS systems and can help to achieve high stability for sensing based on light extinction by a single nanoparticle, which alleviate the impact from laboratory environment and increase the experimental sensitivity.