bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL, MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY OF PHYSICS TASKS
Authors: Mayer R.
Published: April 2023

The effective method of developing students' physical thinking consists in solving specially selected tasks presented by the teacher in accordance with the principle «from simple to complex». Therefore, the development of methods for assessing the didactic complexity of physical tasks is an urgent problem of didactics. Its resolution will optimize the learning process and knowledge control, quickly and correctly determine the didactic complexity of tasks for the Unified State Exam, physical Olympiads, various task books and test materials. It is established that the didactic complexity of the physics tasks consists of physical, mathematical and computational complexity. To evaluate the numerical components of complexity, it is necessary: 1) formulate the task condition so that it briefly and at the same time fully reflects the analyzed physical situ-ation; 2) write out 5 key terms – the most complex scientific concepts used in solving the physics task; 3) write down the formulas used and the result obtained in general form; 4) create a file in which physical formulas, mathematical reasoning, calculations are verbally encoded in the form of separate sentences; 5) analyze the text file using the special program, determine the overall semantic complexity and the coefficient of in-formation folding; 6) calculate the physical, mathematical and computational complexity by summing up the complexity of the corresponding terms and ordinary words. This will determine the didactic complexity of the task. The article presents examples of the proposed method use, analyzed the results.
Collection of floral resources by bees in Solanum lycocarpum A.St.-Hil. (Solanaceae): interference of abiotic factors and need for buzzing behavior
Authors: Tavares Paulo Roberto de Abreu , Morais Glaucia Almeida de , Paula Michele Castro de , Henrique Jessica Amaral , Polatto Leandro Pereira , Alves Junior Valter Vieira
Published: April 2023

The foraging activity of floral visitors is influenced by habitat conditions and abiotic factors. The aim of this research was to define the faunal composition of the visitor community in Solanum lycocarpum A.St.-Hil. (Solanaceae) and to evaluate the influence of abiotic factors on the flight activity of the predominant visitors. The capture of bees was conducted for 15 minutes from the beginning of each hour between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm in a cluster with 15 S. lycocarpum individuals during 10 days. Centridini was the predominant tribe of bees, with 83.5% of the total foraging recorded. About 66.5% of foraging was concentrated in the time interval between 8:00 am and 12:59 pm, characterized as a optimal foraging period. At 6:00 am and from 5:00 pm onwards, bees were discouraged from foraging. Only Epicharis flava Friese and Centris scopipes Friese were classified as predominant species. Centris scopipes was the only predominant species whose abiotic conditions interfered in the foraging activities. Since bee foraging records were developed in the summer, environmental conditions did not limit the foraging of most bees during the entire foraging period of the day.
Convex and Nonconvex Risk-Based Linear Regression at Scale
Authors: Wu Can , Cui Ying , Li Donghui , Sun Defeng
Published: April 2023

The value at risk (VaR) and the conditional value at risk (CVaR) are two popular risk measures to hedge against the uncertainty of data. In this paper, we provide a computational toolbox for solving high-dimensional sparse linear regression problems under either VaR or CVaR measures, the former being nonconvex and the latter convex. Unlike the empirical risk (neutral) minimization models in which the overall losses are decomposable across data, the aforementioned risk-sensitive models have nonseparable objective functions so that typical first order algorithms are not easy to scale. We address this scaling issue by adopting a semismooth Newton-based proximal augmented Lagrangian method of the convex CVaR linear regression problem. The matrix structures of the Newton systems are carefully explored to reduce the computational cost per iteration. The method is further embedded in a majorization–minimization algorithm as a subroutine to tackle the nonconvex VaR-based regression problem. We also discuss an adaptive sieving strategy to iteratively guess and adjust the effective problem dimension, which is particularly useful when a solution path associated with a sequence of tuning parameters is needed. Extensive numerical experiments on both synthetic and real data demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methods. In particular, they are about 53 times faster than the commercial package Gurobi for the CVaR-based sparse linear regression with 4,265,669 features and 16,087 observations.

History: Accepted by Antonio Frangioni, Area Editor for Design & Analysis of Algorithms–Continuous.

Funding: This work was supported in part by the NSF, the Division of Computing and Communication Foundations [Grant 2153352], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 12271187], and the Hong Kong Research Grant Council [Grant 15304019].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.1282 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0012 ) at ( http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7483279 ).
The Longshot Bias Is a Context Effect
Authors: Meyer Andrew , Hundtofte Sean
Published: April 2023

In nearly every betting market, gamblers overvalue the riskiest bets. This “longshot bias” is usually explained by a tendency to overweight low-probability events. We offer a novel explanation: contrast effects enhance the attractiveness of longshots because gambles presented in terms of their payoffs are easier to compare along the payoff dimension than along the probability dimension. Our analysis of historical betting odds suggests that contrasts between gamble payoffs can explain the longshot bias. Laboratory experiments confirm those contrast effects and show that the longshot bias disappears when gamblers consider bets in isolation or when winning probabilities are easier to compare.

This paper was accepted by Manel Baucells, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: The authors thank the University of Chicago’s Center for Decision Research and Richard Thaler for funding.

Supplemental Material: The online supplement and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4684 .
The Value of U.S. College Education in Global Labor Markets: Experimental Evidence from China
Authors: Chen Mingyu
Published: April 2023

One million international students study in the United States each year, and the majority of them compete in global labor markets after graduation. I conducted a large-scale field experiment and a companion employer survey to study how employers in China value U.S. college education. I sent more than 27,000 fictitious online applications to business and computer science jobs in China, randomizing the country of college education. I find that U.S.-educated applicants are on average 18% less likely to receive a callback than applicants educated in China, with applicants from very selective U.S. institutions underperforming those from the least selective Chinese institutions. The United States-China callback gap is smaller at high-wage jobs, consistent with employers fearing U.S.-educated applicants have better outside options and would be harder to hire and retain. The gap is also smaller at foreign-owned firms, consistent with Chinese-owned firms knowing less about American education. Controlling for high school quality, test scores, or U.S. work experiences does not attenuate the gap, suggesting that the gap is not driven by employer perceptions of negative selection. A survey of 507 hiring managers at college career fairs finds consistent and additional supporting evidence for the experimental findings.

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: This work was supported by the Industrial Relations Section at Princeton University and the Prize Fellowship in Social Sciences awarded by Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4745 .
Caught in the Revolving Door: Firm-Government Employee Mobility as a Fleeting Regulatory Advantage
Authors: Katic Ivana V. , Kim Jerry W.
Published: April 2023

How does the exchange of employees between regulatory agencies and regulated firms (i.e., the firm-government revolving door) affect firm regulatory outcomes? Existing work has mostly found a positive impact of revolving door hiring on firm outcomes, but it has overlooked potential limitations of this corporate political activity (CPA) tactic. We argue that the advantages firms can gain from hiring former regulators are bound by the timing of revolving door employment relative to the regulatory process. Within the context of agribiotechnology and its main regulator, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we study regulators who move to in-house and contract lobbying positions (i.e., exit revolving door). We find that firms receive better regulatory outcomes (i.e., faster regulatory approval for new crops) only prior to the regulators’ move to in-house lobbying, consistent with the regulatory capture perspective. Moreover, this revolving door was only valuable in the time period immediately before the mobility event. Additionally, contrary to the belief that former regulators provide firms with expertise and social capital as lobbyists, we find that firms did not gain any advantage after regulators became lobbyists. Taken together, our results suggest that revolving doors can be an effective business political mobilization strategy, albeit one that has limited success in shaping firm government outcomes, much like other types of CPA.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1669 .
UMA VAMPIRA BRASILEIRA QUE PRECEDEU DRÁCULA: A REPRESENTAÇÃO DA PERSONAGEM VAMPIRESCA EM “A NEVROSE DA COR”, DE JÚLIA LOPES DE ALMEIDA
Authors: Barp Guilherme , Albert Zinani Cecil Jeanine
Published: April 2023

O objetivo deste artigo é investigar a representação da personagem vampírica em “A nevrose da cor”, de Júlia Lopes de Almeida, com a finalidade de contribuir com subsídios para o alargamento de noções acerca da ficção insólita de autoria feminina no País, das histórias de vampiros e da própria fortuna crítica de Júlia Lopes de Almeida. Assim, executa-se revisão bibliográfica, a partir de aportes teóricos dos Estudos de Gênero, Estudos Culturais e, brevemente, de psicanálise. Evidenciou-se que a protagonista, Issira, não possui um vampirismo físico, mas patológico, configurando-se como uma vampira lato sensu, com poucas alterações na aparência, mas de grande impacto psíquico.
O ESTÁGIO CURRICULAR EM EJA NA FORMAÇÃO DE PROFESSORES
Authors: Moura Ana Paula Abreu
Published: April 2023

A Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), lócus da permanente disputa por concepções de homem e de mundo, tem nos estudos sobre a preparação dos docentes para atuar nessa modalidade de ensino um desafio fundamental. Este texto traz reflexões sobre a inserção da EJA no currículo do curso de Pedagogia a partir do estágio supervisionado e tem como objetivo identificar as contribuições dessa inserção para a construção da identidade do futuro docente. O corpus utilizado para análise foi constituído a partir de pesquisa de cunho qualitativo, com base em análise documental, que buscou elementos que auxiliassem na compreensão de como o contato com os sujeitos jovens e adultos, ainda no processo de formação inicial, possibilita forjar um profissional sensível às questões da EJA. Como resultado, apontou-se o estágio supervisionado como espaço de pesquisa, elaboração e construção da prática docente que visa à emancipação humana dos jovens e adultos trabalhadores.
INVESTIGAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA PARA O 1º ANO DO ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL: UMA ARTICULAÇÃO ENTRE FALAS E REPRESENTAÇÕES GRÁFICAS DOS ALUNOS
Authors: Coelho Flores Jeane , Puntel Robson Luiz
Published: April 2023

O artigo em questão escrito por Tatiana Schneider Vieira de Moraes e Anna Maria Pessoa de Carvalho foi baseado no estudo de discentes ingressantes no primeiro ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola de Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. De acordo com as autoras, os estudantes podem ser iniciados no ensino de ciências, desde pequenos, através da representação gráfica ou desenho e de discussões científicas com seus colegas e professor. Ambos são formas de comunicação do discente e que podem levar a novos conceitos e um maior engajamento na alfabetização científica auxiliando no desenvolvimento de habilidades.Estão elencados no presente, um apanhado de autores: uns, focam na análise de crianças maiores, outros, em estudos referentes a crianças da educação infantil, enquanto que o segmento pertencente aos anos iniciais, não é apontado na pesquisa. Mesmo assim, para vários autores citados, incluindo Piaget e Inhelder (1993) independente da idade em que o discente se encontra, a representação gráfica torna-se um meio de construir e interpretar significados.  Já a construção de argumentos em sala de aula, com atividades investigativas é enfatizada por Sasseron e Carvalho (2008, 2011). Então a fala e o desenho são formas de linguagem que levam o estudante ao mundo da ciência. O trabalho apresenta um enfoque qualitativo com estudo de caso, através da observação de um grupo específico, utilizando uma sequência de Ensino Investigativa sendo organizada em portfólios individuais que possibilitaram a análise e discussão de dados através de categorias para assim, poderem ser tecidas as considerações finais.Trabalhar com crianças de anos iniciais para a descoberta da ciência não é fácil para muitos docentes, mas como a atualização e o repensar das práticas fazem parte da rotina do professor, esse trabalho torna-se possível. Penso que a oralidade e o desenho, além de auxiliarem na iniciação científica, podem expressar emoções, revelar segredos, contar histórias e construir idéias essenciais para a aprendizagem significativa. Esse estudo será útil a todas as pessoas que precisam entender um pouco mais sobre o universo da criança e a importância de sua inserção no mundo da ciência, através de atividades interessantes e significativas.
Procedimentos Artísticos, Processos Jurídicos: Considerações sobre o estatuto político de Diário da Cadeia, de Eduardo Cunha (pseudônimo), idealizado por Ricardo Lísias
Authors: Sut Felipe Garzon
Published: April 2023

Em 2017, Diário da Cadeia é publicado por um duplo do ex-deputado Eduardo Cunha, que, por sua vez, entra na justiça para saber a verdadeira identidade de seu homônimo. Trata-se de Ricardo Lísias, escritor paulistano, cujos procedimentos artísticos em suas últimas obras se caracterizam por seu alto grau performático. Este artigo procura refletir sobre o estatuto político desta obra, de certo modo concebida a posteriori em co-autoria com o ex-deputado, obra que parece se inserir no chamado paradigma pós-autônomo (LUDMER, 2013) ao mesmo tempo que é carregada de uma potência dissensual e agressiva (RANCIÈRE, 2012).
O OLHAR FEMININO SOBRE AS MEMÓRIAS DE ANGOLA
Authors: Dos Santos Lourenço Amanda Regina
Published: April 2023

Resenha da obra Essa dama bate bué!, de Yara Nakahanda Monteiro.
ANTT® standardisation facilitates new efficiencies with a novel partially-sterile Standard-ANTT PIVC Pack
Authors: Rowley Stephen , Clare Simon
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

The widespread adoption of the ANTT®Clinical Practice Framework as a single standard for aseptic technique, has highlighted that many clinical procedures do not require a sterile procedure pack to be performed safely and aseptically. This study explores the utilisation of a partially-sterile procedure pack that is specifically tailored to Standard-ANTT.

Methods:

A prospective project improvement evaluation, using a non-paired sample (pre: n=41; post: n=33) of emergency department staff in an NHS hospital. Staff were evaluated performing peripheral intravenous cannulations (PIVC) using Standard-ANTT and the B. Braun Standard-ANTT peripheral cannulation pack.

Findings:

Significant improvements were observed in practice following the implementation of the pack and training in Standard-ANTT, including: Key-Part protection significantly improved (pre: n=28, 68.2%; post: n=33, 100%), and reduction in the Key-Site being touched after disinfection (pre: n=17; 41.4%; post n=5; 15.1%).

Conclusions:

In conjunction with appropriate education and training, this study provides proof of concept that due to the widespread use of the ANTT Clinical Practice Framework as a single standard aseptic technique, procedure packs that are specifically tailored to Standard-ANTT, can help to promote best practice and improve efficiencies.

Definitions:

Partially-sterile procedure pack – all items required to be sterile remain in their individual blister wrapper. The final assembled pack itself is not then subjected to a further round of sterilisation as it is not needed. Sterile procedure pack – often contains a mixture of non-sterile and sterile items that have been stripped from their individual blister wrapper requiring the sterilisation of the final assembled pack.
Accelerated Failure Time Models with Applications to Endometrial Cancer Survival Data
Authors: Tripathy Manas Ranjan , Swain Prafulla Kumar , Sarangi Pravat Kumar , Pattnaik S. S.
Published: April 2023

The objective of this study is to determine the significant predictors of endometrial cancer using accelerated failure time models (AFTM). We have demonstrated the applications of AFTM viz. Exponential, Weibull, Log-normal, Log-logistic, Gompertz, Gamma and Generalized Gamma AFTM, as an alternative of Cox proportional hazard model. Data for the analysis was collected from Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC), Cuttack, Odisha during the period 2016–20. Based on the lowest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) value, the Weibull AFTM has been chosen as the best fitted AFT model. The predictors such as age, comorbidity, tumor size, isolated para-aortic and adnexa have been found as significant predictors (p-value < 0.05) to explain the survival of endometrial cancer patients. Hence, by optimizing different treatments, based on such prognostic factors plays an important role in managing endometrial cancer at an early stage.
Effects of control fields on pair creation and vacuum information transmission
Authors: Wu J. X. , Gong C. , Sun A. R. , Li Z. L. , Li Y. J.
Published: April 2023

The effects of control fields on the energy spectra of particle pairs created from vacuum, the pair yield, and the transmission of information by Dirac vacuum modes are investigated using computational quantum field theory. The study reveals that oscillation structures of the energy spectrum are unstable and highly sensitive to the direction, width, and temporal profile of the control fields and can provide a more practical and detailed way to control or optimize the yield of the created particles with a certain energy. The information about the field direction, frequency, and time interval between two laser pulses can also be encoded in the control fields, embodied by vacuum modes, and reflected in the pair creation rate over time. In addition, the receiver and detector in the information transmission device can form a new remote, contactless detector for measuring laser field parameters. These findings may pave the way for future experiments and applications.
3  bit terahertz coder based on a graphene composite metasurface
Authors: Wang Hong , Hu Fangrong , Gong Yumin , Jiang Mingzhu , Zhang Longhui , Zeng Lizhen
Published: April 2023

Terahertz (THz) frequency coders are indispensable components of broadband wireless communication systems of the future. However, the coding of THz wave at multiple frequencies is still a challenge. In this work, a 3 bit THz coder based on a graphene composite metasurface is proposed and simulated using a full-wave electromagnetic simulation software. The unit cell of the device consists of three graphene-embedded split-ring-resonators (SRRs), i.e., SRR1, SRR2, and SRR3. The device has three transmission peaks modulated by external voltages of V1, V2, and V3. The central frequency of the peak generated by SRR1 locates at 0.864 THz and its maximum modulation depth is 79.6%. The second peak generated by SRR2 locates at 1.161 THz and has a maximum modulation depth of 87%. The third peak at 1.541 THz is produced by SRR3 and has a maximum modulation depth of 85.3%. More importantly, the device can be used as a 3 bit coder, and the codes of 111, 110, 101, 011, 100, 010, 001, and 000 are successfully realized by controlling the voltages of V1, V2 and V3. The proposed device has potential applications in next-generation broadband wireless communications.
Speed limitations of resonant tunneling diode-based photodetectors
Authors: Alomari Saif , Al-Taai Qusay , Elksne Maira , Al-Khalidi Abdullah , Wasige Edward , Figueiredo José
Published: April 2023

In this work, we study multiple epitaxial layer structures incorporating a resonant tunneling diode photodetector utilizing the In0.53Ga0.47As/InP material system for operation at the near-infrared region of 1.55 and 1.31 micrometers. We study the photodetection speed of response for these devices and the physical limitations affecting their bandwidth. We show that resonant tunneling diode-based photodetectors have bandwidth limitations due to the charge accumulation near the barriers and report on an operating bandwidth reaching up to 1.75 GHz in particular structures, which is the highest number reported for such detectors to the authors’ best knowledge.
Nanoscale control of non-reciprocal ripple writing
Authors: Xu Yi-Shi , Li Zhen-Ze , Wang Zi-Han , Xia Hong , Liu Yue-Feng , Juodkazis Saulius , Chen Qi-Dai , Wang Lei
Published: April 2023

Femtosecond laser-induced deep-subwavelength structures have attracted much attention as a nanoscale surface texturization technique. A better understanding of the formation conditions and period control is required. Herein, we report a method of non-reciprocal writing via a tailored optical far-field exposure, where the period of ripples varies along different scanning directions, and achieve a continuous manipulation of the period from 47 to 112 nm (±4 nm) for a 100-nm-thick indium tin oxide (ITO) on glass. A full electromagnetic model was developed to demonstrate the redistributed localized near-field at different stages of ablation with nanoscale precision. It explains the formation of ripples and the asymmetry of the focal spot determines the non-reciprocity of ripple writing. Combined with beam shaping techniques, we achieved non-reciprocal writing (regarding scanning direction) using an aperture-shaped beam. The non-reciprocal writing is expected to open new paths for precise and controllable nanoscale surface texturing.
Ghost images with controllable visibility and spatial resolution
Authors: Zhou Dongxu , Zhang Lu , Zhang Hongzhi , Zhang Guoquan
Published: April 2023

We designed a kind of speckle field with controllable visibility and speckle grain size through a modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm based on Fresnel diffraction. Ghost images with independently controllable visibility and spatial resolution were demonstrated based on the designed speckle fields, which could be of much higher visibility and spatial resolution than those with pseudothermal light. In addition, speckle fields capable of reconstructing ghost images simultaneously on multiple different planes were customized. These results could be of potential applications on optical encryption and optical tomography.
Upregulation of astroglial connexin 30 impairs hippocampal synaptic activity and recognition memory
Authors: Hardy Eléonore , Moulard Julien , Walter Augustin , Ezan Pascal , Bemelmans Alexis-Pierre , Mouthon Franck , Charvériat Mathieu , Rouach Nathalie , Rancillac Armelle
Published: April 2023

Astrocytes crucially contribute to synaptic physiology and information processing. One of their key characteristics is to express high levels of connexins (Cxs), the gap junction–forming protein. Among them, Cx30 displays specific properties since it is postnatally expressed and dynamically upregulated by neuronal activity and modulates cognitive processes by shaping synaptic and network activities, as recently shown in knockout mice. However, it remains unknown whether local and selective upregulation of Cx30 in postnatal astrocytes within a physiological range modulates neuronal activities in the hippocampus. We here show in mice that, whereas Cx30 upregulation increases the connectivity of astroglial networks, it decreases spontaneous and evoked synaptic transmission. This effect results from a reduced neuronal excitability and translates into an alteration in the induction of synaptic plasticity and an in vivo impairment in learning processes. Altogether, these results suggest that astroglial networks have a physiologically optimized size to appropriately regulate neuronal functions.
Social Network Analysis of the Schistosomiasis control program in two local government areas in Oyo state, Nigeria: Insights for NTD elimination plans
Authors: Onasanya Adeola , van Engelen Jo , Oladunni Opeyemi , Oladepo Oladimeji , Diehl Jan Carel
Published: April 2023

Background

Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases targeted for elimination by 2030. Achieving disease elimination requires collaboration between stakeholders, country ownership and the involvement of community-level stakeholders. The state of stakeholder relationship determines the ease and timeliness of meeting disease elimination targets. Mapping stakeholder relationships is critical for assessing gaps in the schistosomiasis control program implementation, and providing a roadmap for improved stakeholder cohesion. The study aimed to measure the cohesiveness of the contact, collaboration and resource-sharing networks, across 2 local government areas in Oyo state, Nigeria.

Materials and methods

This study used a Network Representative design for Social Network Analysis (SNA). The study was conducted within Oyo state, Nigeria using 2 Local Government Areas (LGAs): Ibadan North (urban) and Akinyele (rural). Stakeholders were identified using a link-tracing approach. Data was collected using Qualtrics software from stakeholders across the state, local government, healthcare, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Data was analysed using Gephi software for network cohesion across the three networks.

Results

The social network analysis revealed high clustering and low density across the three networks implying low cohesion across multiple stakeholder categories. The contact and collaborative networks were the most active with the lowest level of cohesion seen in the resource-sharing network. Stakeholders were more active in the rural LGA than the urban, and stakeholders within the organized governance and public health system were the dominant actors in the schistosomiasis control program.

Conclusion

The low cohesion, high clustering and low network density among stakeholders within the schistosomiasis control program should be addressed in other to drive innovation and meet the WHO schistosomiasis elimination target.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of the Persian (Farsi) version of the QoLAF (quality of life in patients with anal fistula) questionnaire
Authors: Keramati Mohammad Reza , Yazd Seyed Mostafa Meshkati , Omidi Mostafa , Keshvari Amir , Shahriarirad Sepehr , Shahriarirad Reza , Ahmadi-Tafti Seyed Mohsen , Behboudi Behnam , Kazemeini Alireza , Sahebi Leyla , Fazeli Mohammad Sadegh
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The effective treatment of anal fistulas almost always requires surgical intervention, which could be accompanied by post-operative complications, and affect the quality of life of patients. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Persian version of the Quality of Life in patients with Anal Fistula questionnaire and evaluate its validity and reliability.

Materials and methods

Sixty patients with a mean age of 44 years ranging from 21 to 72 years entered the study. Forty-seven participants were men, and thirteen were women. After performing a scientific translation of the questionnaire based on Beaton’s guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and after extensive reviews by experts and specialists, the final version of the questionnaire was obtained. Then, 60 questionnaires (100%) were filled out by the participants (n = 60) and retrieved during a 7 to 21-day period. Data were collected and analyzed. Finally, according to the obtained data, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were calculated.

Results

Cross-cultural adaptation of the translated questionnaire was verified by the expert committee. The results showed perfect internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.842), and external consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.800; P<0.001). Spearman correlation coefficient between test and retest was reported to be 0.980 (P-value <0.01), confirming the temporal stability of the translated questionnaire. The interrater reliability based on Cohen’s kappa coefficient also demonstrated a perfect degree of agreement between two peer variables (Kappa = 0.889; P<0.001).

Conclusion

The Persian translation of the Quality of Life in patients with the Anal Fistula questionnaire was proven to be valid and reliable for the evaluation of the QoL of patients with anal fistula.
Accuracy of 3D printed scan bodies for dental implants using two additive manufacturing systems: An in vitro study
Authors: Hopfensperger Liam J. , Talmazov Georgi , Ammoun Rami , Brenes Christian , Bencharit Sompop
Published: April 2023

This study compared the accuracy of implant scan bodies printed using stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) technologies to the control (manufacturer’s scan body) Scan bodies were printed using SLA (n = 10) and DLP (n = 10) methods. Ten manufacturer’s scan bodies were used as control. The scan body was placed onto a simulated 3D printed cast with a single implant placed. An implant fixture mount was used as standard. The implant positions were scanned using a laboratory scanner with the fixture mounts, manufacturer’s scan bodies, and the printed scan bodies. The scans of each scan body was then superimposed onto the referenced fixture mount. The 3D angulation and linear deviations were measured. The angulation and linear deviations were 1.24±0.22° and 0.20±0.05 mm; 2.63±0.82° and 0.34±0.11 mm; 1.79±0.19° and 0.32±0.03 mm; for the control, SLA, and DLP, respectively. There were statistical differences (ANOVA) among the three groups in the angular (p<0.01) or linear deviations (p<0.01). Box plotting, 95% confidence interval and F-test suggested the higher variations of precision in the SLA group compared to DLP and control groups. Scan bodies printed in-office have lower accuracy compared to the manufacturer’s scan bodies. The current technology for 3D printing of implant scan bodies needs trueness and precision improvements.
Distribution of soil microorganisms in different complex soil layers in Mu Us sandy land
Authors: Guo Zhen , Zhang Haiou , Li Juan , Chen Tianqing , Wang Huanyuan , Zhang Yang
Published: April 2023

The soft rock in Mu Us Sandy Land has rich resources and high content of clay minerals. The combination of soft rock with sand can play a certain role in sand fixation and promote the green development of ecological environment. In this paper, the aeolian sandy soil in Mu Us Sandy was taken as the research object, and it was mixed with soft rock to form composite soil. The four volume ratios of soft rock to sand were respectively 0:1, 1:5, 1:2 and 1:1. And CK, P1, P2 and P3 were used to represent the above four volume ratios in turn. By means of quantitative fluorescent PCR and high throughput sequencing, 16S rRNA gene abundance and community structure were investigated. The results showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in 0-30cm soil layer were higher. Compared with CK, the SOC of P2 was improved by 112.77% and that of P1 was 88.67%. The content of available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) was higher in 30-60cm soil layer, and P3 was more effective. The abundance of 16S rRNA gene in the mixed soil bacteria ranged from 0.03×109to 0.21×109copies g-1dry soil, which was consistent with the changes of nutrients. Under different soil layers, the three dominant bacteria in the mixed soil were the same, namely PhylumActinobacteriota, PhylumProteobacteriaand PhylumChloroflexi, and there were more unique genera in each soil layer. Both bacteria ɑ and β diversity showed that the community structure of P1 and P3 in 0-30cm soil layers was similar, and that of P1 and P2 in 30-60cm soil layers was similar. AK, SOC, AN (ammonium nitrogen), TN and NN (nitrate nitrogen) were the main factors contributing to the differentiation of microbial community structure under different compound ratios and soil layers, and PhylumActinobacteriahas the largest correlation with nutrients. The results showed that the soft rock could improve the quality of sandy soil, and that the growth of microbial growth was dependent on the soil physicochemical characteristics. The results of this study will be helpful to the study of the microscopical theory for the control of the wind-blown sand and the ecology of the desert.
VA’s implementation of universal screening and evaluation for the suicide risk identification program in November 2020 –Implications for Veterans with prior mental health needs
Authors: Gujral Kritee , Bahraini Nazanin , Brenner Lisa A. , Van Campen James , Zulman Donna M. , Illarmo Samantha , Wagner Todd H.
Published: April 2023

Importance

United States Veterans are at higher risk for suicide than non-Veterans. Veterans in rural areas are at higher risk than their urban counterparts. The coronavirus pandemic intensified risk factors for suicide, especially in rural areas.

Objective

To examine associations between Veterans Health Administration’s (VA’s) universal suicide risk screening, implemented November 2020, and likelihood of Veterans being screened, and receiving follow-up evaluations, as well as post-screening suicidal behavior among patients who used VA mental health services in 2019.

Methods

VA’s Suicide Risk Identification Strategy (Risk ID), implemented October 2018, is a national, standardized process for suicide risk screening and evaluation. In November 2020, VA expanded Risk ID, requiring annual universal suicide screening. As such, we are evaluating outcomes of interest before and after the start of the policy among Veterans who had ≥1 VA mental health care visit in 2019 (n = 1,654,180; rural n = 485,592, urban n = 1,168,588). Regression-adjusted outcomes were compared 6 months pre-universal screening and 6, 12 and 13 months post-universal screening implementation.

Measures

Item-9 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (I-9, VA’s historic suicide screener), Columbia- Suicide Severity Risk Scale (C-SSRS) Screener, VA’s Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation (CSRE), and Suicide Behavior and Overdose Report (SBOR).

Results

12 months post-universal screening implementation, 1.3 million Veterans (80% of the study cohort) were screened or evaluated for suicide risk, with 91% the sub-cohort who had at least one mental health visit in the 12 months post-universal screening implementation period were screened or evaluated. At least 20% of the study cohort was screened outside of mental health care settings. Among Veterans with positive screens, 80% received follow-up CSREs. Covariate-adjusted models indicated that an additional 89,160 Veterans were screened per month via the C-SSRS and an additional 30,106 Veterans/month screened via either C-SSRS or I-9 post-universal screening implementation. Compared to their urban counterparts, 7,720 additional rural Veterans/month were screened via the C-SSRS and 9,226 additional rural Veterans/month were screened via either the C-SSRS or I-9.

Conclusion

VA’s universal screening requirement via VA’s Risk ID program increased screening for suicide risk among Veterans with mental health care needs. A universal approach to screening may be particularly advantageous for rural Veterans, who are typically at higher risk for suicide but have fewer interactions with the health care system, particularly within specialty care settings, due to higher barriers to accessing care. Insights from this program offer valuable insights for health systems nationwide.
Spot-fire distance increases disproportionately for wildfires compared to prescribed fires as grasslands transition to Juniperus woodlands
Authors: Donovan Victoria M. , Fogarty Dillon T. , Twidwell Dirac
Published: April 2023

Woody encroachment is one of the greatest threats to grasslands globally, depleting a suite of ecosystem services, including forage production and grassland biodiversity. Recent evidence also suggests that woody encroachment increases wildfire danger, particularly in the Great Plains of North America, where highly volatile Juniperus spp. convert grasslands to an alternative woodland state. Spot-fire distances are a critical component of wildfire danger, describing the distance over which embers from one fire can cause a new fire ignition, potentially far away from fire suppression personnel. We assess changes in spot-fire distances as grasslands experience Juniperus encroachment to an alternative woodland state and how spot-fire distances differ under typical prescribed fire conditions compared to conditions observed during wildfire. We use BehavePlus to calculate spot-fire distances for these scenarios within the Loess Canyons Experimental Landscape, Nebraska, U.S.A., a 73,000-ha ecoregion where private-lands fire management is used to reduce woody encroachment and prevent further expansion of Juniperus fuels. We found prescribed fire used to control woody encroachment had lower maximum spot-fire distances compared to wildfires and, correspondingly, a lower amount of land area at risk to spot-fire occurrence. Under more extreme wildfire scenarios, spot-fire distances were 2 times higher in grasslands, and over 3 times higher in encroached grasslands and Juniperus woodlands compared to fires burned under prescribed fire conditions. Maximum spot-fire distance was 450% greater in Juniperus woodlands compared to grasslands and exposed an additional 14,000 ha of receptive fuels, on average, to spot-fire occurrence within the Loess Canyons Experimental Landscape. This study demonstrates that woody encroachment drastically increases risks associated with wildfire, and that spot fire distances associated with woody encroachment are much lower in prescribed fires used to control woody encroachment compared to wildfires.
Not only a territorial matter: The electoral surge of VOX and the anti-libertarian reaction
Authors: Ramis-Moyano Rodrigo , Pasadas-del-Amo Sara , Font Joan
Published: April 2023

Although previous work has shown the complexity of motives behind the VOX vote, its emergence is often associated mainly with the Catalan conflict. Our analysis shows that VOX’s first electoral success was marked importantly by preferences related to territorial conflict, but also by opposition to immigration, authoritarianism or ideology. The main contribution of the paper lies in demonstrating something that until now had not been empirically verified: the relevance of anti-feminist attitudes amongst the VOX electorate. This shows how, since its onset, these voters have not been so different from voters of other European radical right-wing parties, and how VOX has channelled into elections the reaction against different expressions of a more diverse and egalitarian society.
Support measures for the next of kin who has experienced the unexpected loss of a family member to HIV/AIDS
Authors: Hlophe Siphesihle Delani , Jooste Karien
Published: April 2023

Background

Passing of a close family member is one of the foremost traumatic occasions in a person’s life. The way in which this misfortune unfolds, shifts from individual to individual, and depend on how close you were with the deceased. It was unclear on what were the support measures provided to youth after the loss a family member to HIV/AIDS.

Aim

The aim of this article is to understand the support measures for the youth following the unexpected loss of a family member to HIV/AIDS.

Setting

Khayelitsha, Western Cape province, South Africa.

Method

A descriptive phenomenological design was followed, with an accessible population of youth who lost a family member to HIV/AIDS. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively selected participants after obtaining written informed consent. The sessions held with an interview schedule, did not take longer than 45 minutes to conduct until data saturation was reached. A digital recorder was used and field notes held. Open coding followed after transcribing interviews.

Results

Youths did not know how to manage themselves as a result of a lack of therapeutic sessions, which could provide emotional support and help them with their healing process.

Conclusion

Support measures for the next of kin were needed. Grieving influenced the emotions of an individual who experienced the burden of not having someone to speak to about their feelings.

Contribution

The context-based information in this study addresses the important of support measures to be provided or implemented for the next of kin after they had lost a family member.
Enabling low-cost and robust essentiality studies with high-throughput transposon mutagenesis (HTTM)
Authors: Champie Antoine , De Grandmaison Amélie , Jeanneau Simon , Grenier Frédéric , Jacques Pierre-Étienne , Rodrigue Sébastien
Published: April 2023

Transposon-insertion sequencing (TIS) methods couple high density transposon mutagenesis with next-generation sequencing and are commonly used to identify essential or important genes in bacteria. However, this approach can be work-intensive and sometimes expensive depending on the selected protocol. The difficulty to process a high number of samples in parallel using standard TIS protocols often restricts the number of replicates that can be performed and limits the deployment of this technique to large-scale projects studying gene essentiality in various strains or growth conditions. Here, we report the development of a robust and inexpensive High-Throughput Transposon Mutagenesis (HTTM) protocol and validate the method using Escherichia coli strain BW25113, the parental strain of the KEIO collection. HTTM reliably provides high insertion densities with an average of one transposon every ≤20bp along with impressive reproducibility (Spearman correlation coefficients >0.94). A detailed protocol is available at protocol.io and a graphical version is also included with this article.
Experiments on physical ablation of long bone using microwave ablation; defining optimal settings using ex- and in-vivo experiments
Authors: Nijland Hendricus , Zhu Jinwen , Kwee Thomas , Hao Dingjun , Jutte Paul
Published: April 2023

Background

Improved survival of cancer patients leads to more skeletal metastatic lesions that need local therapies for tumor control and pain relief. Not all tumors are radiosensitive and alternative therapies are direly needed. Microwave ablation (MWA) is a technique for minimally invasive local tumor control by physical ablation. In soft tissue local temperature ablation is more common, but studies on bone tissue are limited. To ensure safe and effective treatment, studies on local tumor ablation in bone are needed.

Method

Microwave ablation was performed on sheep bone, for both in- and ex-vivo settings. Both a slow-cooking MWA protocol (gradually increasing wattage in the first two minutes of ablation) and a fast-cooking protocol (no warm-up period) were used. Heat distribution through the bone during ablation was determined by measuring temperature at 10- and 15mm from the ablation probe (= needle). Ablation size after procedure was measured using nitro-BT staining.

Results

In-vivo ablations led to up to six times larger halos than ex-vivo with the same settings. Within both ex- and in-vivo experiments, no differences in halo size or temperature were found for different wattage levels (65W vs 80W). Compared to a fast cooking protocol, a two-minute slow cooking protocol led to increased temperatures and larger halos. Temperatures at 10- and 15mm distance from the needle no longer increased after six minutes. Halo sizes kept increasing over time without an evident plateau.

Conclusion

Microwave ablation is technically effective for creating cell death in (sheep) long bone. It is recommended to start ablations with a slow-cooking period, gradually increasing the surrounding tissue temperature in two minutes from 40 to 90°C. Ex-vivo results cannot simply be translated to in-vivo.
Biomarker expression and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy in Denmark
Authors: Dalvi Tapashi , Nørgaard Mette , Fryzek Jon P. , Movva Naimisha , Pedersen Lars , Pham Hansen Hanh , Walker Jill , Midha Anita , Shire Norah , Boothman Anne-Marie , Rigas James , Mellemgaard Anders , Rasmussen Torben R. , Hamilton-Dutoit Stephen , Cronin-Fenton Deirdre
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression may help identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who would benefit from immunotherapy. We assessed PD-L1 expression, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and V-Ki-Ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutations in NSCLC patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

Data for stage IB/II/IIIA NSCLC patients (diagnosed: 2001–2012) were retrieved from Danish population-based registries. Tumor tissue samples were tested for PD-L1 expression using VENTANA PD-L1 (SP263) Assay in tumor cells (TC) at ≥25% cutoff and immune cells (IC) at ≥1% and ≥25% cutoffs. KRAS and EGFR mutations were tested using PCR-based assays. Follow-up began 120 days after diagnosis until death/emigration/January 1, 2015, whichever came first. Using Cox proportional hazard regression, hazard ratios (HRs) were computed for overall survival (OS) for each biomarker, adjusting for age, sex, histology, comorbidities, and tissue specimen age.

Results

Among 391 patients identified, 40.4% had stage IIIA disease, 49.9% stage II, and 8.7% stage IB. PD-L1-TC was observed in 38% of patients, EGFR mutations in 4%, and KRAS mutations in 29%. KRAS mutations were more frequent among patients with PD-L1 TC≥25% versus TC<25% (37% versus 24%). OS was not associated with PD-L1 TC≥25% versus TC<25% (stage II: adjusted HR = 1.15 [95% confidence interval: 0.66–2.01]; stage IIIA: 0.72 [0.44–1.19]). No significant association was observed with OS and PD-L1-IC ≥1% and ≥25%. EGFR and KRAS mutations were not associated with a prognostic impact.

Conclusion

A prognostic impact for NSCLC patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with PD-L1 expression, or with EGFR and KRAS mutations.