bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enjeux liés au rôle et aux fonctions de l’orthopédagogue en milieu scolaire en contexte d’éducation inclusive
Authors: Boily Élisabeth , Ruberto Noémia , Fontaine Myriam , Granger Nancy , Beaulieu Judith , Baron Marie-Pierre
Published: December 2023

L’éducation inclusive prône la prise en compte de la diversité des besoins de tous les élèves pour permettre à chacun de développer son plein potentiel (Conseil supérieur de l’éducation [CSE], 2017). Or, les champs d’action de plusieurs acteurs et actrices qui contribuent à sa mise en oeuvre sont plus ou moins étanches, dont ceux de l’orthopédagogue (CSE, 2017). Cette situation se traduit par des pratiques variables d’un milieu à l'autre, ce qui occasionne des iniquités et des difficultés d’accès aux services (Office des professions du Québec [OPQ], 2014; Prud’homme, 2018). Cet article expose les résultats d’études québécoises récentes ayant porté sur les rôles et les fonctions des orthopédagogues. Grâce à une méthodologie inspirée de la démarche de recension intégrative (Whittemore et Knafl, 2005), la mise en commun de ces études vise à faire ressortir les principaux enjeux liés à l’exercice de l’orthopédagogie en contexte d’éducation inclusive. Les résultats mettent en lumière différentes tensions de rôles qui ont une incidence sur le déploiement des compétences professionnelles des orthopédagogues en milieu scolaire. Des perspectives de recherche à prioriser pour soutenir ce processus sont proposées pour la prochaine décennie.
Regard sur des défis scolaires en contexte de diversité ethnoculturelle et perspectives de développement
Authors: Kharchi Zina , Koubeissy Rola
Published: December 2023

Cet article explore certains défis auxquels fait face le personnel enseignant qui travaille dans un contexte de diversité et d’inclusion, et propose des perspectives de développement. Pour ce faire, nous avons mené une revue de littérature pour faire ressortir des thématiques, entre autres, celles autour desquelles s’articulent les recherches en éducation inclusive sous l’angle de la diversité ethnoculturelle. Ces thématiques ont ensuite permis de faire émerger trois catégories de défis, en contexte de diversité ethnoculturelle et d’inclusion : 1) des défis en lien avec la formation initiale et continue du personnel enseignant; 2) des défis en lien avec la mise en place des pratiques pédagogiques et des ressources; et 3) des défis en lien avec la collaboration avec les familles. Un aperçu général sur le concept de l’enseignement sert d’introduction aux trois sous-parties.
Nouvelle expérience immersive au Biodôme de Montréal
Authors: Charpentier Pascale , Gauvin Jean-François
Published: December 2023

Cet article propose une discussion détaillée autour de la première évaluation sommative (réalisée à l’été 2021) des nouveaux outils complémentaires de médiation lancés dans le cadre de la récente, et substantielle, rénovation du Biodôme de Montréal (qui a réouvert en août 2020). Cette offre de médiation renouvelée incorpore des éducateurs/médiateurs muséaux, une application mobile Espace pour la vie et un guide papier d’identification — trois outils distincts qui se côtoient dorénavant pour enrichir les visites. Des questionnaires (150), des observations in situ (402) et des entretiens semi-dirigés post-visite (40) ont permis de récolter un grand nombre de données sur la manière dont les visiteurs (en famille ou non) effectuent et organisent leur visite. L’analyse des résultats offre le constat suivant : il est impossible d’avancer qu’un seul outil d’interprétation convienne mieux à un groupe qu’à un autre, ni que les groupes à l’étude utilisent les outils différemment. Notre analyse suggère plutôt que l’utilisation mixte des outils de médiation répondra davantage aux besoins des visiteurs. Ces derniers, d’ailleurs, apprécient et s’adaptent très bien aux nouveaux outils de médiation, à condition qu’ils soient informés adéquatement des options qui leur sont offertes, et ce, dès leur arrivée sur les lieux.
L’inscription des Waorani dans le milieu amazonien
Authors: De Meyer David
Published: December 2023

Depuis l’entrée relativement récente des Waorani dans la modernité occidentale, le milieu amazonien dans lequel ils vivent est quadrillé par de nombreux blocs pétroliers. Ces derniers se trouvent aujourd’hui dans une posture paradoxale entre l’attrait pour la technologie, le pouvoir magnétique de la ville et la défense de leur territoire contre l’abattage massif des arbres, l’exploitation et la pollution pétrolières. A partir d’un terrain ethnographique mené en 2021 dans quatre communautés waorani en Equateur, Obepare, Toñampare, Tihueno et Bameno, cet article vise à montrer, voire à faire ressentir, la relation intime que les Waorani entretiennent avec leur milieu.
Steroidogenesis and androgen/estrogen signaling pathways are altered in in vitro matured testicular tissues of prepubertal mice
Authors: Moutard Laura , Goudin Caroline , Jaeger Catherine , Duparc Céline , Louiset Estelle , Pereira Tony , Fraissinet François , Delessard Marion , Saulnier Justine , Rives-Feraille Aurélie , Delalande Christelle , Lefebvre Hervé , Rives Nathalie , Dumont Ludovic , Rondanino Christine
Published: December 2023

Children undergoing cancer treatments are at risk for impaired fertility. Cryopreserved prepubertal testicular biopsies could theoretically be later matured in vitro to produce spermatozoa for assisted reproductive technology. A complete in vitro spermatogenesis has been obtained from mouse prepubertal testicular tissue, although with low efficiency. Steroid hormones are essential for the progression of spermatogenesis, the aim of this study was to investigate steroidogenesis and steroid signaling in organotypic cultures. Histological, RT-qPCR, western blot analyses, and steroid hormone measurements were performed on in vitro cultured mouse prepubertal testicular tissues and age-matched in vivo controls. Despite a conserved density of Leydig cells after 30 days of culture (D30), transcript levels of adult Leydig cells and steroidogenic markers were decreased. Increased amounts of progesterone and estradiol and reduced androstenedione levels were observed at D30, together with decreased transcript levels of steroid metabolizing genes and steroid target genes. hCG was insufficient to facilitate Leydig cell differentiation, restore steroidogenesis, and improve sperm yield. In conclusion, this study reports the failure of adult Leydig cell development and altered steroid production and signaling in tissue cultures. The organotypic culture system will need to be further improved before it can be translated into clinics for childhood cancer survivors.
A randomized multiplex CRISPRi-Seq approach for the identification of critical combinations of genes
Authors: Ellis Nicole A , Myers Kevin S , Tung Jessica , Davidson Ward Anne , Johnston Kathryn , Bonnington Katherine E , Donohue Timothy J , Machner Matthias P
Published: December 2023

Identifying virulence-critical genes from pathogens is often limited by functional redundancy. To rapidly interrogate the contributions of combinations of genes to a biological outcome, we have developed a multiplex, randomized CRISPR interference sequencing (MuRCiS) approach. At its center is a new method for the randomized self-assembly of CRISPR arrays from synthetic oligonucleotide pairs. When paired with PacBio long-read sequencing, MuRCiS allowed for near-comprehensive interrogation of all pairwise combinations of a group of 44 Legionella pneumophila virulence genes encoding highly conserved transmembrane proteins for their role in pathogenesis. Both amoeba and human macrophages were challenged with L. pneumophila bearing the pooled CRISPR array libraries, leading to the identification of several new virulence-critical combinations of genes. lpg2888 and lpg3000 were particularly fascinating for their apparent redundant functions during L. pneumophila human macrophage infection, while lpg3000 alone was essential for L. pneumophila virulence in the amoeban host Acanthamoeba castellanii. Thus, MuRCiS provides a method for rapid genetic examination of even large groups of redundant genes, setting the stage for application of this technology to a variety of biological contexts and organisms.
ARID1A governs the silencing of sex-linked transcription during male meiosis in the mouse
Authors: Menon Debashish U. , Chakraborty Prabuddha , Murcia Noel , Magnuson Terry
Published: December 2023

We present evidence implicating the BAF (BRG1/BRM Associated Factor) chromatin remodeler in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). By immunofluorescence (IF), the putative BAF DNA binding subunit, ARID1A (AT-rich Interaction Domain 1a), appeared enriched on the male sex chromosomes during diplonema of meiosis I. The germ cell-specific depletion of ARID1A resulted in a pachynema arrest and failure to repress sex-linked genes, indicating a defective MSCI. Consistent with this defect, mutant sex chromosomes displayed an abnormal presence of elongating RNA polymerase II coupled with an overall increase in chromatin accessibility detectable by ATAC-seq. By investigating potential mechanisms underlying these anomalies, we identified a role for ARID1A in promoting the preferential enrichment of the histone variant, H3.3, on the sex chromosomes, a known hallmark of MSCI. Without ARID1A, the sex chromosomes appeared depleted of H3.3 at levels resembling autosomes. Higher resolution analyses by CUT&RUN revealed shifts in sex-linked H3.3 associations from discrete intergenic sites and broader gene-body domains to promoters in response to the loss of ARID1A. Several sex-linked sites displayed ectopic H3.3 occupancy that did not co-localize with DMC1 (DNA Meiotic Recombinase 1). This observation suggests a requirement for ARID1A in DMC1 localization to the asynapsed sex chromatids. We conclude that ARID1A-directed H3.3 localization influences meiotic sex chromosome gene regulation and DNA repair.
Repeatability of adaptation in sunflowers reveals that genomic regions harbouring inversions also drive adaptation in species lacking an inversion
Authors: Soudi Shaghayegh , Jahani Mojtaba , Todesco Marco , Owens Gregory L , Bercovich Natalia , Rieseberg Loren H , Yeaman Sam
Published: December 2023

Local adaptation commonly involves alleles of large effect, which experience fitness advantages when in positive linkage disequilibrium (LD). Because segregating inversions suppress recombination and facilitate the maintenance of LD between locally adapted loci, they are also commonly found to be associated with adaptive divergence. However, it is unclear what fraction of an adaptive response can be attributed to inversions and alleles of large effect, and whether the loci within an inversion could still drive adaptation in the absence of its recombination-suppressing effect. Here, we use genome-wide association studies to explore patterns of local adaptation in three species of sunflower: Helianthus annuus, Helianthus argophyllus, and Helianthus petiolaris, which each harbour a large number of species-specific inversions. We find evidence of significant genome-wide repeatability in signatures of association to phenotypes and environments, which are particularly enriched within regions of the genome harbouring an inversion in one species. This shows that while inversions may facilitate local adaptation, at least some of the loci can still harbour mutations that make substantial contributions without the benefit of recombination suppression in species lacking a segregating inversion. While a large number of genomic regions show evidence of repeated adaptation, most of the strongest signatures of association still tend to be species-specific, indicating substantial genotypic redundancy for local adaptation in these species.
Ulk4 promotes Shh signaling by regulating Stk36 ciliary localization and Gli2 phosphorylation
Authors: Zhou Mengmeng , Han Yuhong , Jiang Jin
Published: December 2023

The Hedgehog (Hh) family of secreted proteins governs embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis through the Gli family of transcription factors. Gli is thought to be activated at the tip of primary cilium, but the underlying mechanism has remained poorly understood. Here, we show that Unc-51-like kinase 4 (Ulk4), a pseudokinase and a member of the Ulk kinase family, acts in conjunction with another Ulk family member Stk36 to promote Gli2 phosphorylation and Hh pathway activation. Ulk4 interacts with Stk36 through its N-terminal region containing the pseudokinase domain and with Gli2 via its regulatory domain to bridge the kinase and substrate. Although dispensable for Hh-induced Stk36 kinase activation, Ulk4 is essential for Stk36 ciliary tip localization, Gli2 phosphorylation, and activation. In response to Hh, both Ulk4 and Stk36 colocalize with Gli2 at ciliary tip, and Ulk4 and Stk36 depend on each other for their ciliary tip accumulation. We further show that ciliary localization of Ulk4 depends on Stk36 kinase activity and phosphorylation of Ulk4 on Thr1023, and that ciliary tip accumulation of Ulk4 is essential for its function in the Hh pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that Ulk4 regulates Hh signaling by promoting Stk36-mediated Gli2 phosphorylation and activation at ciliary tip.
Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling
Authors: Cincotta Steven A. , Richardson Nainoa , Foecke Mariko H. , Laird Diana J.
Published: December 2023

While physiologic stress has long been known to impair mammalian reproductive capacity through hormonal dysregulation, mounting evidence now suggests that stress experienced prior to or during gestation may also negatively impact the health of future offspring. Rodent models of gestational physiologic stress can induce neurologic and behavioral phenotypes that persist for up to three generations, suggesting that stress signals can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the germline. Treatment with glucocorticoid stress hormones is sufficient to recapitulate the transgenerational phenotypes seen in physiologic stress models. These hormones are known to bind and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, thus implicating GR-mediated signaling as a potential contributor to the transgenerational inheritance of stress-induced phenotypes. Here we demonstrate dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of GR expression in the mouse germline, showing expression in the fetal oocyte as well as the perinatal and adult spermatogonia. Functionally, we find that fetal oocytes are intrinsically buffered against changes in GR signaling, as neither genetic deletion of GR nor GR agonism with dexamethasone altered the transcriptional landscape or the progression of fetal oocytes through meiosis. In contrast, our studies revealed that the male germline is susceptible to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling, specifically by regulating RNA splicing within the spermatogonia, although this does not abrogate fertility. Together, our work suggests a sexually dimorphic function for GR in the germline, and represents an important step towards understanding the mechanisms by which stress can modulate the transmission of genetic information through the germline.
Cannabinoid Combination Targets NOTCH1-Mutated T-ALL Through the Integrated Stress Response Pathway
Authors: Besser Elazar , Gelfand Anat , Procaccia Shiri , Berman Paula , Meiri David
Published: December 2023

In T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) more than 50% of cases display autoactivation of Notch1 signaling, leading to oncogenic transformation. We have previously identified a specific chemovar of Cannabis that induces apoptosis by preventing Notch1 maturation in leukemia cells. Here, we isolated three cannabinoids from this chemovar that synergistically mimic the effects of the whole extract. Two were previously known, Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabidivarin (CBDV); whereas the third cannabinoid, which we termed 331-18A, was identified and fully characterized in this study. We demonstrated that these cannabinoids act through Cannabinoid receptor type 2 and TRPV1 to activate the integrated stress response pathway by depleting intracellular Ca
2+
. This is followed by increased mRNA and protein expression of ATF4, CHOP and CHAC1, which is hindered by inhibiting the upstream initiation factor eIF2α. The increased abundance of CHAC1 prevents Notch1 maturation, thereby reducing the levels of the active Notch1 intracellular domain, and consequently decreasing cell viability and increasing apoptosis. Treatment with the three isolated molecules resulted in reduced tumor size and weight in-vivo and slowed leukemia progression in mice models. Altogether, this study elucidated the mechanism of action of three distinct cannabinoids in modulating the Notch1 pathway, and constitutes an important step in the establishment of a new therapy for treating
NOTCH1
-mutated diseases and cancers such as T-ALL.
The substrate-binding domains of the osmoregulatory ABC importer OpuA transiently interact
Authors: van den Noort Marco , Drougkas Panagiotis , Paulino Cristina , Poolman Bert
Published: December 2023

Bacteria utilize various strategies to prevent internal dehydration during hypertonic stress. A common approach to countering the effects of the stress is to import compatible solutes such as glycine betaine, leading to simultaneous passive water fluxes following the osmotic gradient. OpuA from Lactococcus lactis is a type I ABC-importer that uses two substrate-binding domains (SBDs) to capture extracellular glycine betaine and deliver the substrate to the transmembrane domains for subsequent transport. OpuA senses osmotic stress via changes in the internal ionic strength and is furthermore regulated by the 2nd messenger cyclic-di-AMP. We now show, by means of solution-based single-molecule FRET and analysis with multi-parameter photon-by-photon hidden Markov modeling, that the SBDs transiently interact in an ionic strength-dependent manner. The smFRET data are in accordance with the apparent cooperativity in transport and supported by new cryo-EM data of OpuA. We propose that the physical interactions between SBDs and cooperativity in substrate delivery are part of the transport mechanism.
Selenium-rich food potentially useful to control mercury levels among Afro-Colombians: Towards an intercultural intervention
Authors: Díaz Sonia M. , Palma Ruth Marién , Gamboa Edna M. , Idrovo Álvaro J.
Published: December 2023

Introduction. Diet-based interventions may be a culturally acceptable option to decrease mercury levels and thus prevent the adverse effects of this metal on population health. Selenium is an element present in Colombian geology that can act as a chelator, decreasing mercury concentrations in the human body.Objective. To identify potentially useful selenium-rich foods to control the effects of mercury exposure among Afro-Colombians.Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 320 individuals from five municipalities of Chocó. They were asked about the frequency of consumption of selenium-rich foods, and their association with mercury concentrations in hair was estimated with multiple robust regression.Results. Guava, whole wheat flour, strawberries, cow liver, spinach and yeast extract were the foods with higher consumption. Walnuts, whole wheat flour, and yeast extract were identified in multiple robust regression as foods to consider in future interventions.Conclusion. It is proposed that the banana juice, the pineapple colada, the borojó (Borojoa patinoi) sorbet, the cucas, and the enyucado are basic elements for a culturally acceptable intervention.
First report of the prevalence of Shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli in ground beef in Quindío, Colombia
Authors: Giraldo-Rubio Valentina , Arango-Gil Brayan Stiven , Granobles-Velandia Claudia Viviana
Published: December 2023

Introduction. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a foodborne pathogen associated with clinical cases of diarrhea in humans. Its main virulence factors are the Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2). Cattle are the main reservoir of STEC, and many outbreaks in humans have been related to the consumption of undercooked ground beef contaminated with this pathogen.Objective. To determine the prevalence of STEC in ground beef commercialized in all the butcher shops of a township in the department of Quindío and to characterize the virulence genes of the strains found.Materials and methods. Thirty ground beef samples were taken in three different times; stx genes and other STEC virulence factors (eae, ehxA, saa) were detected by multiplex PCR.Results. The overall prevalence of STEC was 33.33 % (10/30 positive samples). We isolated eight non-O157 (LEE-negative) strains with four different genetic profiles: stx2 / stx2-ehxA-saa / stx1-stx2-ehxA-saa / stx1-saa.Conclusion. This is the first report on the prevalence of STEC in ground beef in a township in the department of Quindío.
Actualización sobre la resistencia antimicrobiana en instituciones de salud de nivel III y IV en Colombia entre enero del 2018 y diciembre del 2021
Authors: De La Cadena Elsa , Pallares Christian José , García-Betancur Juan Carlos , Porras Jessica A. , Villegas María Virginia
Published: December 2023

Introducción. El comportamiento de la resistencia antimicrobiana es fundamental en el mejoramiento y ajuste de los programas de optimización de uso de antimicrobianos, la implementación de las guías terapéuticas y las precauciones que limitan la transmisión cruzada de bacterias resistentes entre pacientes. Desde el inicio del 2020, la pandemia del SARS-CoV-2 desafió profundamente al sistema de salud y, según algunos reportes, aumentó las tasas de resistencia antimicrobiana.Objetivo. Describir el comportamiento de la resistencia antimicrobiana en los microrganismos más frecuentes en veinte hospitales colombianos durante el periodo 2018-2021.Materiales y métodos. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo basado en la información microbiológica reportada por veinte instituciones de salud de nivel III y IV, entre enero de 2018 y diciembre de 2021, en doce ciudades de Colombia, las cuales hacen parte del “Grupo para el estudio de la resistencia nosocomial en Colombia”, liderado por la Universidad El Bosque. La identificación de género y especie de los microorganismos más frecuentes, junto con su perfil de resistencia frente a antibióticos marcadores, se determinaron mediante el análisis de los datos vía WHONET.Resultados. En general, los 10 microorganismos más frecuentes analizados a lo largo de los 4 años no presentaron cambios estadísticamente significativos en sus perfiles de resistencia durante los cuatro años del periodo evaluado, de 2018 a 2021. En contraste, Pseudomonas aeruginosa aumentó su resistencia frente a piperacilina-tazobactam y carbapenémicos, lo cual fue estadísticamente significativo.Conclusiones. Los cambios en la resistencia antimicrobiana en estos años no han sido estadísticamente significativos, excepto para P. aeruginosa, bacteria que mostró un incremento en las tasas de resistencia a piperacilina-tazobactam y carbapenémicos.
Frequency of strongyloidiasis and associated factors: Analysis of 13 years of laboratory results in a tertiary referral hospital in Honduras, 2010-2022
Authors: García-Aguilar Jorge Alberto , Alger Jackeline
Published: December 2023

Introduction. The frequency of detected strongyloidiasis is affected by the selected laboratory method in the studied population. Considering that Honduras has fewcommunity-based studies, the analysis of the laboratory record data can provide information helping to understand this parasitosis.Objective. To estimate the frequency and to identify the factors associated with strongyloidiasis, analyzing the laboratory records of the Servicio de Parasitología atHospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa (Honduras) between 2010 and 2022.Materials and methods. We carried out a descriptive, cross-sectional, analytical study. The laboratory diagnosis consisted of stool samples’ examination by direct smear and modified Baermann technique. We estimated frequencies and percentages. The statistical association was calculated with prevalence ratios and a 95% confidence interval. Software R, version 4.2.0, and epiR package, version 2.0.46, were used to perform the analysis. Results. The frequency of strongyloidiasis was 0.29% (112/38,085). It was higher with the modified Baermann technique (0.87%; 40/4,575) among male patients (0.44%;70/15,758). Regarding the age, strongyloidiasis was higher in the 20-40 years old group (0.41%; 28/6,886) with direct smear and 41-61 years old (1.14%; 14/1,232) group with the modified Baermann technique. Among the factors associated with strongyloidiasis were age between 20 and 61 years old (PR=2.26, CI 95%=1.53-3.31), male patients (PR=2.34, CI 95%=1.60‑3.44), mucus (PR=1.86, CI 95%=1.22-2.83) and Charcot-Leyden crystals in stool (PR=8.47, CI 95%=5.14-13.96); watery stool (PR=2.39, CI 95%=1.55-3.68), and other helminthiases (PR=6.73, CI 95%=3.98-11.38). Associated factors to cases detected with the modified Baermann technique were outpatient consultation (PR=4.21, CI 95%=1.91-9.28) and formed stools (PR=3.99, CI 95%=1.94-8.19).Conclusions. The modified Baermann technique increased the detection of strongyloidiasis almost four times. Most cases were distributed among male adults. Thecases diagnosed exclusively with the modified Baermann technique have differences from those with observed larvae in the direct smear. It is necessary to develop community-based population studies.
Phar-LSTM: a pharmacological representation-based LSTM network for drug–drug interaction extraction
Authors: Huang Mingqing , Jiang Zhenchao , Guo Shun
Published: December 2023

Pharmacological drug interactions are among the most common causes of medication errors. Many different methods have been proposed to extract drug–drug interactions from the literature to reduce medication errors over the last few years. However, the performance of these methods can be further improved. In this paper, we present a Pharmacological representation-based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network named Phar-LSTM. In this method, a novel embedding strategy is proposed to extract pharmacological representations from the biomedical literature, and the information related to the target drug is considered. Then, an LSTM-based multi-task learning scheme is introduced to extract features from the different but related tasks according to their corresponding pharmacological representations. Finally, the extracted features are fed to the SoftMax classifier of the corresponding task. Experimental results on the DDIExtraction 2011 and DDIExtraction 2013 corpuses show that the performance of Phar-LSTM is competitive compared with other state-of-the-art methods. Our Python implementation and the corresponding data of Phar-LSTM are available by using the DOI 10.5281/zenodo.8249384.
Discovering the diversity of tadpoles in the mid-north Brazil: morphological and molecular identification, and characterization of the habitat
Authors: Sousa Patricia dos Santos , Azevedo Carlos Augusto Silva , Barros Maria Claudene , Fraga Elmary Costa , Guedes Thaís B.
Published: December 2023

Brazil stands out for presenting the highest amphibian anuran diversity in the world. However, taxonomic studies that address characteristic of larval stage of anurans are incipient, representing only 62% of known species. We assess the species diversity of tadpoles from eastern Maranhão state, mid-northern region of Brazil based on morphological and molecular identification (i.e., 16S rRNA gene fragment), and we also provide characteristics of the habitats occupied by each species. We carried out 30 field samplings during 13 months in 16 environments along an ecotonal area, over five cities inside the limits of state of Maranhão, between the Maranhão Babaçu Forest and Cerrado ecoregions. We searched for tadpoles in a variety of water bodies, and the tadpoles that reached the developmental stage between 34 to 40 Gosner were morphologically identified. The tadpoles collected herein represent 26 species belonging to five families. The external morphology enabled the identification of 24 species, while the molecular data recognized 22 unique evolutionary units. The most represented family was Hylidae (Hylinae 11 spp., Phyllomedusinae one spp.) followed by Leptodactylidae (Leptodactylinae seven spp., Leiuperinae three spp.), Microhylidae (Gastrophryninae two spp.), and Bufonidae (two spp.). Our results show that oral morphology was the most important character for identifying tadpoles based on morphology, and the specific 16S rRNA primer was suitable for molecular identification. This study pioneers the use of both morphological and molecular data to identify tadpoles in the state of Maranhão. It also provides, for the first-time, habitat characteristic for the species. Our study reveals a high number of anuran species sampled at the larval stage in the region, identifies species that require further taxonomic and systematic attention, and extends the geographic distribution of six species, three of which represent new occurrences for the state. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that the diversity of amphibians from Maranhão is underestimated and highlight the importance of herpetological inventories in poorly sampled areas, decentralizing the knowledge of biodiversity.
Competitive effects of the macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia on key physiological processes in the scleractinian coral Turbinaria peltata under thermal stress
Authors: Fu JianRong , Zhou Jie , Zhou JiaLi , Zhang YanPing , Liu Li
Published: December 2023

An increased abundance of macroalgae has been observed in coral reefs damaged by climate change and local environmental stressors. Macroalgae have a sublethal effect on corals that includes the inhibition of their growth, development, and reproduction. Thus, this study explored the effects of the macroalga, Caulerpa taxifolia, on the massive coral, Turbinaria peltata, under thermal stress. We compared the responses of the corals’ water-meditated interaction with algae (the co-occurrence group) and those in direct contact with algae at two temperatures. The results show that after co-culturing with C. taxifolia for 28 days, the density content of the dinoflagellate endosymbionts was significantly influenced by the presence of C. taxifolia at ambient temperature (27 °C), from 1.3 × 106 cells cm−2 in control group to 0.95 × 106 cells cm−2 in the co-occurrence group and to 0.89 × 106 cells cm−2 in the direct contact group. The chlorophyll a concentration only differed significantly between the control and the direct contact group at 27 °C. The protein content of T. peltata decreased by 37.2% in the co-occurrence group and 49.0% in the direct contact group compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the growth rate of T. peltata decreased by 57.7% in the co-occurrence group and 65.5% in the direct contact group compared to the control group. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes significantly increased, and there was a stronger effect of direct coral contact with C. taxifolia than the co-occurrence group. At 30 °C, the endosymbiont density, chlorophyll a content, and growth rate of T. peltata significantly decreased compared to the control temperature; the same pattern was seen in the increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. Additionally, when the coral was co-cultured with macroalgae at 30 °C, there was no significant decrease in the density or chlorophyll a content of the endosymbiont compared to the control. However, the interaction of macroalgae and elevated temperature was evident in the feeding rate, protein content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity compared to the control group. The direct contact of the coral with macroalga had a greater impact than water-meditated interactions. Hence, the competition between coral and macroalga may be more intense under thermal stress.
İLKOKUL 4. SINIF TÜRKÇE DERS KİTAPLARINDAKİ OKUMA METİNLERİNİN VE METİNLERE AİT ETKİNLİKLERİN İNCELENMESİ
Authors: ÇALIŞKAN Emir Feridun , AKGÜL ÇOBANOĞLU Fadime
Published: December 2023

Bu çalışmada, 2021-2022 eğitim-öğretim döneminde okutulan Özgün ve MEB Yayınevlerine ait dördüncü sınıf Türkçe ders kitaplarındaki okuma metinlerinin ve metinlere ait etkinliklerin alan yazınına uygunluğunun incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışmanın veri kaynağını benzeşik örneklem yoluyla seçilen ilgili kitaplar içerisindeki okuma metinleri ve metinlere ait etkinlikler (dokümanlar) oluşturmaktadır. Çalışma, nitel araştırma yaklaşımıyla temel betimsel araştırma türünde desenlenmiştir. Talim ve Terbiye Kurulu Başkanlığının Ders Kitabı Hazırlama Kılavuzunda Geçen Ölçütlerin (TTKB, 2022) araştırmacılar tarafından kontrol listesi hâline getirilmesiyle çalışmanın verileri toplanmıştır. Çalışmanın güvenilirliği, araştırmacıların kontrol listelerindeki ölçütlere verdikleri yanıtlar arasındaki tutarlılığın %94 bulunmasıyla sağlanmıştır. İç geçerlilik, veri toplama araçlarındaki ölçütlere alan yazını destekli cevap verilmesiyle ve araştırmacıların ulaştığı verilerin karşılaştırılmasıyla sağlanmıştır. Dış geçerlilik, çalışma sürecinin detaylı anlatımıyla başka araştırmacıların da aynı adımları izleyerek uygulayabileceklerinin gösterilmesiyle sağlanmıştır. Erişilen veriler, betimsel analiz kullanılarak “(n=…)” şeklinde çözümlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak dokümanların gerekli ölçütleri barındırmaları açısından birtakım eksiklikleri olduğu; bunların kullanıma aykırı engeller olmadığı tespit edilmiştir.
Probing Farmers’ Awareness about Climate Change and Adaptation in Karkihalli Village, Koppala District, Karnataka
Authors: Naveesh Y. B.  , Raaga R.  , Sagar N.  , Suresh K. P.  , Ashwini M.  , Jayashree A.  , Sushma R.  , Krishnamoorthy P.  , Siju S. J.  , Patil S. S.
Published: December 2023

Study conducted in Karkihalli village, Karnataka, India, aimed to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture and livestock, as well as the adaptation and mitigation strategies employed by farmers. Through interviews with ten farmers, it was found that a majority of farmers were aware of climate change and had observed various climate-related changes over the past two decades. These changes included rising temperatures, decreased rainfall, prolonged droughts and increased occurrences of heat waves, among others. The impact of climate change on agriculture was evident in the form of water scarcity, declining water quality and increased susceptibility of crops and livestock to pest and disease attacks. Farmers noted specific challenges such as new diseases affecting crops, such as fall armyworm and wilt disease, which led to significant crop losses. Erratic monsoon patterns and hailstorms further exacerbated the situation, resulting in reduced agricultural yields and earnings. The deteriorating quality of food due to chemical farming practices was observed to have adverse effects on human health, with changes in food consumption habits contributing to an increase in diseases. Moreover, livestock diseases were more prevalent in recent years, likely linked to climate-related shifts. Farmers identified various drivers for climate change adaptation, including a lack of information and knowledge about climate change, accessibility to credit facilities and the outbreak of new diseases or food scarcity. While many lacked knowledge about climate change mitigation strategies, they had adopted practices like crop rotation, improved seeds and soil conservation technique.
Tailoring MOF-5 Photocatalysts: Low-Temperature Synthesis and Solvent Variations for Enhanced Performance in Dye Degradation
Authors: Gupta Himanshi , Saini Isha , Singh Vinamrita , Kumar Tanuj , Singh Varsha
Published: December 2023

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as pivotal porous crystalline materials with diverse applications. Typically, MOFs are synthesized using solvothermal techniques at high temperatures and pressures. In this study, a novel approach was employed to synthesize zinc-based MOFs, specifically MOF-5, at low temperatures (up to 50 °C) via chemical mixing at standard pressures. Varying the temperature and solvents, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), in the chemical mixing process, the highest yield of the material was observed with DMF at 50 °C (M1). Two additional samples, M2 and M3, are synthesized at room temperature using DMF and NMP, respectively. Despite similarities in XRD, Raman, and FTIR analyses confirming successful MOF-5 formation, noticeable differences in sample morphology arise due to distinct synthesis conditions, particularly solvent and temperature variations. The MOF-5 samples exhibit UV absorption with varying band gaps. Notably, when employed as photocatalysts for organic dye (methylene blue) degradation, M2 outperforms others, achieving an impressive 85% degradation under simulated solar light irradiation. This work underscores the significance of tuning MOF photocatalyst properties through tailored synthesis routes, recognizing the profound impact of morphology and elemental composition on enhancing photocatalytic dye degradation performance. Copyright © 2024 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Burned Out on Burnout—The Urgency of Equity-Minded Structural Approaches to Support Nurses
Authors: Cunningham Tim , Gonzalez-Guarda Rosa M.
Published: December 2023

This JAMA Forum discusses a health equity framework to address burnout and professional fulfillment among nurses.
Maternal Migration Background and Mortality Among Infants Born Extremely Preterm
Authors: Vidiella-Martin Joaquim , Been Jasper V.
Published: December 2023

Importance

Extremely preterm infants require care provided in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to survive. In the Netherlands, a decision is made regarding active treatment between 24 weeks 0 days and 25 weeks 6 days after consultation with the parents.

Objective

To investigate the association between maternal migration background and admissions to NICUs and mortality within the first year among extremely preterm infants.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study linked data of registered births in the Netherlands with household-level income tax records and municipality and mortality registers. Eligible participants were households with live births at 24 weeks 0 days to 25 weeks 6 days gestation between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017. Data linkage and analysis was performed from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023.

Exposure

Maternal migration background, defined as no migration background vs first- or second-generation migrant mother.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Admissions to NICUs and mortality within the first week, month, and year of life. Logistic regressions were estimated adjusted for year of birth, maternal age, parity, household income, sex, gestational age, multiple births, and small for gestational age. NICU-specific fixed effects were also included.

Results

Among 1405 live births (768 male [54.7%], 546 [38.9%] with maternal migration background), 1243 (88.5%) were admitted to the NICU; 490 of 546 infants (89.7%) born to mothers with a migration background vs 753 of 859 infants (87.7%) born to mothers with no migration background were admitted to NICU (fully adjusted RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.08). A total of 652 live-born infants (46.4%) died within the first year of life. In the fully adjusted model, infants born to mothers with a migration background had lower risk of mortality within the first week (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-0.99), month (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.97), and year of life (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.96) compared with infants born to mothers with no migration background.

Conclusions

In this nationally representative cross-sectional study, infants born to mothers with a migration background at 24 weeks 0 days to 25 weeks 6 days of gestation in the Netherlands had lower risk of mortality within the first year of life than those born to mothers with no migration background, a result that was unlikely to be explained by mothers from different migration backgrounds attending different NICUs or differential preferences for active obstetric management across migration backgrounds. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these disparities, including parental preferences for active care of extremely preterm infants.
What Are Vocal Cord Nodules?
Authors: Gaskins Danielle , Baird Brandon J.
Published: December 2023

This Patient Page describes the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of vocal cord nodules.
Structural Tailoring the Phenylenediamine Isomers to Obtain 2D Dion–Jacobson Tin Perovskite Solar Cells with Record Efficiency
Authors: Yao Huanhuan , Wu Tai , Wu Cheng , Ding Liming , Hua Yong , Hao Feng
Published: December 2023

2D Dion–Jacobson (DJ) tin halide perovskite shows impressive stability by introducing diamine organic spacer. However, due to the dielectric confinement and uncontrollable crystallization process, 2D DJ perovskite usually exhibits large exciton binding energy and poor film quality, resulting in unfavorable charge dissociation, carrier transport and device performance. Here, the ortho‐, meta‐, and para‐isomers of phenylenediamine (PDA) are designed for 2D DJ tin halide perovskites. Theoretical simulation and experimental characterizations demonstrate that compared with p‐PDA and m‐PDA, o‐PDA shows larger dipole moment, which further reduces the exciton binding energy for the 2D perovskites. Besides, there is a strong hydrogen bond interaction between o‐PDA cation and inorganic octahedron, which not only improves the structural stability, but also induces larger aggregates in the precursor to form dense and uniform high‐quality films, and strengthens the antioxidant barrier. More interestingly, femtosecond transient absorption further proves that o‐PDA organic spacers can reduce unfavorable small n‐phases, resulting in sufficient and effective charge transfer between different n‐value. As a result, the 2D DJ (o‐PDA)FA3Sn4I13 solar cells achieve a record power conversion efficiency of 7.18%. The study furnishes an effective method to optimize the carrier transport and device performance by tailoring the chemical structure of organic spacers.
Inflammation‐Targeting Mesenchymal Stem Cells Combined with Photothermal Treatment Attenuate Severe Joint Inflammation
Authors: Shin Min Jun , Park Jun‐Young , Park Jun Young , Lim Su Hyun , Lim Hyoungsub , Choi Jin Kyeong , Park Chul‐Kyu , Kang Youn Joo , Khang Dongwoo
Published: December 2023

Current clinical therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of osteo‐ and rheumatoid‐arthritis is obviously limited. Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as a source of promising regenerative therapy, un‐modified or genetically engineered MSCs injected in vivo restrict their clinical utility because of the low drug efficacy and unpredicted side effect, respectively. Herein, a strategy to enhance the migration efficacy of MSCs to inflamed joints via an inflammation‐mediated education process is demonstrated. To reinforce the limited anti‐inflammatory activity of MSCs, gold nanostar loaded with triamcinolone is conjugated to MSC. Furthermore, near‐infrared laser‐assisted photothermal therapy (PTT) induced by gold nanostar significantly elevates the anti‐inflammatory efficacy of the developed drugs, even in advanced stage arthritis model. An immunological regulation mechanism study of PTT is first suggested in this study; the expression of the interleukin 22 receptor, implicated in the pathogenesis of arthritis, is downregulated in T lymphocytes by PTT, and Th17 differentiation from naïve CD4 T cell is inhibited. Collectively, inflammation‐targeting MSCs conjugated with triamcinolone‐loaded gold nanostar (Edu‐MSCs‐AuS‐TA) promote the repolarization of macrophages and decrease neutrophil recruitment in joints. In addition, Edu‐MSCs‐AuS‐TA significantly alleviate arthritis‐associated pain, improve general locomotor activity, and more importantly, induce cartilage regeneration even for severe stages of arthritis model.
Ultrathin Transparent Nickel Electrodes for Thermoelectric Applications
Authors: Nasiri Mohammad Ali , Seijas‐Da Silva Alvaro , Serrano Claumarchirant José Francisco , Gómez Clara M , Abellán Gonzalo , Cantarero Andrés , Canet‐Ferrer Josep
Published: December 2023

In this work, ultrathin nickel films are developed for application as transparent electrodes in thermoelectric devices. The quality of the films is determined systematically by electrical, optical, and morphological characterization in a series of samples with different thickness. The thermal properties of the films show a dramatic dependence of the Seebeck coefficient on the film thickness. This dependence, with values ranging from −16 to +5 𝜇V K−1 for thicknesses from 10 to 2 nm, includes a change in the behavior of the thermoelectric response from n‐ to p‐type. It has also been demonstrated that the accurate estimation of the thermal conductivity in thin films is challenging due to substrate effects. In this situation, a differential measurement method based on scanning thermal microscopy is proposed, as in these conditions the measurements are less sensitive to the substrate effects. In further works, the dependence of the thermal properties of ultrathin nickel films can be exploited as a tuning parameter for the design of thermoelectric devices.
Ruddlesden–Popper and Dion–Jacobson Perovskites in Multiple Quantum Wells Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Yudco Shir , Etgar Lioz
Published: December 2023

Low dimensional perovskite forms multiple quantum wells (MQWs) structures that can be an efficient structure for light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). Here the use of different barrier molecules is demonstrated to create Ruddlesden–Popper and Dion–Jacobson 2D perovskite and implement them in LEDs. It is found that the aromatic barrier molecules are better performing in Perovskite LED (PeLED) compared to linear barrier molecules. The benzylammonium (BnzA), n = 5, shows the highest external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 16.65% compared to the di‐ammonium and the linear barrier molecules. The BnzA forms n = 1 inside the 3D perovskite, which provides a non‐radiative energy transfer from the wider bandgap, n = 1 perovskite, to the smaller bandgap, 3D perovskite, that presents radiative recombination. Optical characterizations support the MQW structure whereas physical characterizations show unique morphology of separate nanocrystals laying on top of thin perovskite film during the n = 5 BnzA crystallization. In addition, it is revealed that the barrier molecule type, in this case, the BnzA, is responsible for the formation of the MQW structure whereas other barrier molecules didn't show this structure. The formation of an additional low n‐value phase inside the 3D perovskite is beneficial for the enhancement of the radiative recombination which results in high EQE.