bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assistance in the process of grouping students based on basic literacy and numeracy skills in Karang Sidemen Village
Authors: Oktaviyanti Itsna , Affandi Lalu Hamdian , Maulyda Mohammad Archi , Rosyidah Awal Nur Kholifatur , Erfan Muhammad , Hamdani Iwan
Published: December 2022

This community service aims to provide assistance to the process of grouping students based on basic literacy and numeracy skills for teachers in accordance with the “Semua Anak Cerdas” approach in Karang Sidemen Village, North Batukliang District, Central Lombok Regency. Mentoring activities were carried out 1 to 2 times with the target schools for mentoring, among others, SDN Karang Sidemen, SDN Persil, SDN Rangkep, SDN Repuk Sintung Barat, SDN Senurus, and MI NW Nurul Hidayah. Mentoring activities are centred on two focus activities, namely: (1) Grouping students based on basic literacy and numeracy skills; (2) Identifying the number of students who have learning difficulties. Each school is assisted by their respective regional facilitators (FASDA). From this community service, we obtained that students who have good literacy skills are more than those who have numeracy skills, the number of students who experience functional learning difficulties is relatively not different, mentoring activities are running well and in accordance with the expectations of the implementing team, the obstacles encountered are related to mastery of literacy and numeracy concepts, facilities and infrastructure and conditions of students at the time of grouping. The results of the mentoring activity showed that the students' ability in literacy and numeracy was increasing. In addition, because they are in groups with students who have the same ability, students become more confident in class.
Introducing polynucleotides
Authors: Kremerov Anna
Published: December 2022

Nurse prescriber Anna Kremerov details the science behind this revolutionary branch of regenerative medicine
The future of aesthetic nursing
Authors: Bennett Sharon
Published: December 2022

Sharon Bennett looks to what is ahead in aesthetic medicine and reflects on the undertakings of the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses
Doom and gloom, or a growth moment?
Authors: Underdown Pam
Published: December 2022

Pam Underdown considers the effects of the economic downturn in the UK and how aesthetic practitioners can weather the upcoming storm
In sickness and in health
Authors: Bernstein Adam
Published: December 2022

Employee sickness and ill health are a cause for concern among employers. While there is a need to manage employee absences due to sickness in the labour market, it is essential that clinics are made aware of employee rights, says Adam Bernstein, in collaboration with Mark Stevens and Arwen Makin
IWII Wound Infection in Clinical Practice consensus document: 2022 update
Authors: Swanson Terry , Ousey Karen , Haesler Emily , Bjarnsholt Thomas , Carville Keryln , Idensohn Patricia , Kalan Lindsay , Keast David H , Larsen Donna , Percival Steven , Schultz Gregory , Sussman Geoff , Waters Nicola , Weir Dot
Published: December 2022

Wound infection is a major challenge for clinicians globally, with accurate and timely identification of wound infection being critical to achieving clinical and cost-effective management, and promotion of healing. This paper presents an overview of the development of the International Wound Infection Institute (IWII)'s 2022 Wound Infection in Clinical Practice consensus document. The updated document summarises current evidence and provides multidisciplinary healthcare providers with effective guidance and support on terminology, paradigms related to biofilm, identification of wound infection, wound cleansing, debridement and antimicrobial stewardship. Integral to the update is revision of wound infection management strategies which are incorporated within the IWII's Wound Infection Continuum (IWII–WIC) and management plan. The aim of the 2022 IWII consensus document update was to provide an accessible and useful clinical resource in at least six languages, incorporating the latest evidence and current best practice for wound infection and prevention. Dissemination techniques for the consensus are discussed and highlighted.
Skin lesions resulting from use of personal protective equipment in the context of COVID-19: a cross-sectional study
Authors: da Silva Brandao Euzeli , Sant'Ana Mandelbaum Maria Helena , Lanzillotti Regina Serrão , Granja Paula Dadalti , da Silva Liliane Faria , Tonole Renato
Published: December 2022

Objective:

During the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, to prevent the transmission of the virus, the use of personal protection products and equipment were recommended by international and national organisations. The need to use it more frequently and for a long time can damage the skin of health professionals. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with skin lesions in health professionals resulting from the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Method:

This was a cross-sectional exploratory study through an online questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire collected socio-labour characterisation data and the second part related to exposure factors. The variables were analysed according to the prevalence and the odds ratio (OR), within a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results:

Of the 398 participants who met the inclusion criteria, 65.3% were self-diagnosed with skin lesions: 37.3% with pressure injury, 25.8% with contact/allergic dermatitis and 2.7% with acne. Regarding the use of PPE, of the 240 professionals who reported using an N95 mask, 80.4% developed injuries, 70.4% of which related to a work regime of >6 hours per day (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.79–2.42).

Conclusion:

The results of this study showed a significant prevalence of skin lesions in health professionals. Among exposure factors, the N95 mask and goggles stand out. Longer or more frequent exposure time to personal protective products and equipment proved to be important factors to be considered.
Nationwide time-series surveys of pressure ulcer prevalence in Japan
Authors:   The Fact-finding Committee of the Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers, Konya Chizuko , Takeuchi Yoshinori , Nakagami Gojiro , Kitamura Aya , Morita Koujiro , Ishizawa Mihoko , Abe Yoshiro , Higuchi Hirobumi , Mizuki Takeo , Motegi Sei-ichiro , Shoju Sawako , Shimada Kenichi , Tanaka Katsumi , Kawakami Shigehiko , Sanada Hiromi
Published: December 2022

Objective:

The Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers (JSPU) has two purposes: first, to improve knowledge and skills among health professionals related to preventing and managing pressure ulcers (PUs); and second, to represent those in the field managing PUs, including with government and health authorities. Since 2006, JSPU has conducted fact-finding surveys about every four years to identify PU prevalence in Japan (2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016). Based on the prevalence identified by these surveys, an attempt was made to validate the achievements of JSPU's activities.

Method:

Information from one-day surveys of hospitals, long-term care health facilities, long-term care welfare facilities, and home visit nursing care stations was analysed. We used generalised estimating equations to estimate the proportions of PUs and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each survey.

Results:

A total of 662,419 patients in 2631 facilities participated in the surveys. The estimated proportions for all facilities (95% CI) in chronological order, from the first to the fourth survey, were: 2.67% (2.52–2.83); 2.61% (2.43–2.80); 1.99% (1.83–2.17); and 1.79% (1.65–1.94), respectively. In all facility types, the proportion of PUs was lower in the fourth survey than the first survey.

Conclusion:

The proportion of PUs showed a decreasing trend and was low according to global standards, demonstrating the efficacy of JSPU's activities.
Optical double-image cryptosystem based on generalized singular value decomposition and five-dimensional hyperchaotic maps
Authors: Zhang Liao , Tang Chen , Shen Yuxin , Han Rui
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we propose an asymmetric optical double-image cryptosystem based on generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD) and five-dimensional (5D) hyperchaotic maps. In the proposed cryptosystem, the two plain images are first decomposed into five components by the GSVD operation. The two unitary matrices obtained by GSVD are encoded as a complex function, which is then modulated by the chaotic random phase masks (CRPMs). The private key and the final encryption result are generated by phase-truncation and amplitude-truncation operations. The GSVD operation can decompose two images at the same time and is used to generate the private key that enables the encryption process to be asymmetric. Compared with the existing phase-truncated-based cryptosystems, our cryptosystem can improve security against a special attack. In addition, the CRPMs are generated by 5D hyperchaotic maps, which have a larger parameter space and better randomness. Numerical simulation results are shown to verify the feasibility and robustness of our cryptosystem. Furthermore, the proposed cryptosystem can be extended to encrypt multiple images conveniently.
Fast and accurate centerline extraction algorithm for a laser stripe applied for shoe outsole inspection
Authors: Sheng Yh , Li Jf
Published: December 2022

Line laser 3D reconstruction technology is widely used in industrial applications. As a key step of this technology, line laser midline extraction directly affects the accuracy of the 3D reconstructed model. In reconstructing the shoe outsole, the traditional algorithm based on the threshold method to determine the laser position may result in a large amount of information loss and miscellaneous point misjudgment owing to the irregularity of the shoe outsole surface, which critically affects the laser imaging quality. To address this problem, an algorithm based on the QQ plot inspection of the laser has been proposed. The QQ plot is a scatter plot, the abscissa is usually the quantile of the standard normal distribution, and the ordinate is the quantile of the data to be tested. If the points on the scatter plot tend to be straight lines, the data to be tested is in a normal distribution. Based on this property, the proposed algorithm aims to check whether the pixels of the image column tend to be normally distributed, rather than using traditional thresholding methods to locate the laser. The objective is to examine whether the image column pixel distribution is normal, instead of using the traditional threshold method to locate the laser. However, the calculation speed of this method is extremely low. To enhance the efficiency of testing the normality of the QQ plot, a quantile-repetition (Q-R) test method is proposed. In this approach, the degree of repetition of quantiles and the position of Q-R values are used to replace the QQ plot based evaluation of the points being on a straight line, and the exact center position is determined by the GGM. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can extract more effective points and fewer invalid points of the laser compared to those obtained using the traditional approach, in a rapid, stable, and accurate manner.
Modeling and minimization for thermal stress birefringence of an optical voltage transducer
Authors: Xu Qifeng , Dong Chunlin , Huang Yifan
Published: December 2022

The thermal stress birefringence (TSB) is a big issue that destroys the sensing stability of the optical voltage transducer (OVT), and the existing research on the theoretical modeling and solution are not good enough to handle it. This paper presents a mathematical model of the TSB based on the photo-elastic effect, and then it is quantitatively calculated through the multiphysics coupling simulation. It shows that the asymmetric radial stresses in the electro-optic crystal are the root cause for the TSB, which results in a phase delay greater than 3.153°. On this basis, a method for TSB minimization to use the polyurethane buffer layer to enwrap around the crystal is proposed, which eliminates the random radial stress and improves the symmetry of stress distribution. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation and experiment.
Intensity noise transfer properties of a Yb-doped single-frequency fiber amplifier
Authors: Liu Liu , Li Can , Tao Yue , Jiang Man , Zhou Pu
Published: December 2022

In this work, the intensity noise transfer properties of a two-stage single-frequency fiber amplifier at 1 µm are systematically investigated in the frequency domain. By applying an artificial modulation signal to the driving current of the first- and second-stage pump sources, the pump and signal transfer functions of the second-stage amplifier are experimentally measured from 10 Hz to 100 kHz. By associating the theoretical model, the effects of pump power, the operating wavelength, and the absorption coefficient of the gain fiber on the pump and signal transfer properties are analyzed based on the experimental measurements. It turns out that the gain dynamics of the last-stage amplifier play an important role in determining the noise performances of the final amplified laser. Because the pump and signal transfer functions essentially behave as a low pass and damped high pass filter, the pump intensity noise of the last-stage amplifier dominates the amplifier system’s overall noise performance. In addition, the effects of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) on the intensity noise transfer properties are nontrivial, although it is not included in the theoretical model. It is believed that the current work provides a useful guideline for optimizing the design of high-power single-frequency fiber amplifiers with low-intensity noise.
Data augmentation to improve performance of neural networks for failure management in optical networks
Authors: Khan Lareb Zar , Pedro João , Costa Nelson , De Marinis Lorenzo , Napoli Antonio , Sambo Nicola
Published: December 2022

Despite the increased exploration of machine learning (ML) techniques for the realization of autonomous optical networks, less attention has been paid to data quality, which is critical for ML performance. Failure management in optical networks using ML is constrained by the fact that some failures may occur more frequently than others, resulting in highly imbalanced datasets for the training of ML models. To address this limitation, a variational-autoencoder-based data augmentation technique is investigated in this paper, which can be used during data preprocessing to improve data quality. The synthetic data generated by the variational autoencoder are utilized to reduce imbalance in an experimental dataset used for training of neural networks (NNs) for failure management in optical networks. First, it is shown that, with a modified training dataset, the training time of NNs can be reduced. Reductions of up to 37.1% and 60.6% are achieved for failure detection and cause identification, respectively. Second, it is shown that improvement in the quality of the training dataset can reduce the computational complexity of NNs during the inference phase. As determined analytically, almost 68% reduction in computational complexity is achieved for the NN used for failure cause identification. Finally, data augmentation is shown to achieve improvement in classification accuracy. This work demonstrates improvement of up to 7.32%.
Point radiance calculation of GI-MMF and its application in a fiber connection
Authors: Mao Xuesong , Kagami Manabu
Published: December 2022

Graded-index multimode fiber (GI-MMF) is advantageous for low modal dispersion over its counterpart step-index multimode fiber, which renders it highly suitable for high-speed data transmission in short-range data links. To date, several theories and calculation methods have been proposed for MMF transmission and connection, most of which are based on geometric optics. Although the basic principle is extremely simple, the manipulation of the modal power distribution (MPD) variation along the transmission line that considerably affects the channel bandwidth still poses several challenges. Currently, the radiance of a point on the emitting fiber is assumed to evaluate the MPD at fiber connections, as its measurement or calculation method has not been determined yet. Thus, this paper proposes a method to numerically estimate the point radiance of GI-MMF using the near-field pattern (NFP) and far-field pattern (FFP) of the fiber. The method used data based on analytic functions representing NFP and FFP and yielded accurate estimations for the point radiance of GI-MMF; the accuracy was verified by comparing the fiber NFP and FFP calculated from the derived point radiance with the NFP and FFP analytical functions. In addition, the numerical aperture of the points on the fiber end-face obtained from the point radiance was in accordance with the theoretical value. Subsequently, we substituted the point radiance function of the GI-MMF into the matrix model that was established to compute the MPD conversion at fiber connectors under generic misalignments, including lateral, longitudinal, and angular offsets. Accordingly, the influence of misalignments on the MPD in GI-MMF connectors was assessed, and the performance of the fiber channel linked by GI-MMF was evaluated.
Intermodal dispersive wave generation and soliton linear-wave interaction in optical fibers
Authors: Qiu Yi , Subhan Mohammad Raihan , Ahsan M. D. Shamim , Du Shuxin , Xu Yiqing
Published: December 2022

The emission of dispersive wave and soliton linear-wave interaction are two of the widely studied nonlinear phenomena in fiber optics. They manifest as the generation of a new spectral component when a strong ultrashort optical pulse with/without a weak linear-wave propagates along an optical fiber in the presence of higher-order dispersions. Recent works have demonstrated that the dispersive wave generation and soliton linear-wave interaction can be interpreted in the spectral domain through the cascade of four-wave mixing processes. We show in this work that the emission of the dispersive wave is a special case of soliton linear-wave interactions, in which the linear-wave is degenerate from the soliton field. By studying the driving field (soliton) and linear-wave in different modes, the role of the soliton is to provide cross-phase modulation to the linear-wave as in the earlier studies, while the fiber dispersion is to detrimentally shape the pure cross-phase modulated linear-wave spectra into the seemingly ’idler component’. We present a theoretical model to approximately calculate the spectral profile of the generated idler/dispersive wave and further verify our model with numerical simulations.
Causes and consequences of fake transparency/excess information in food claims
Authors: Ray Susweta , Giannakas Konstantinos
Published: December 2022

This study develops novel multi-stage game-theoretic models of heterogeneous firms and consumers in vertically differentiated food product markets with asymmetric information to analyze the economic causes and market and welfare consequences of excess information/fake transparency in food labeling. Analytical results indicate that the firms’ incentives to adopt the excess information strategy, the Nash equilibrium configuration of firms adopting the strategy, and the market and welfare impacts of excess information are case-specific and dependent on the consumer reaction to excess information, the quality of the firms’ products, the degree of product differentiation between the brand producing firms, and whether the market is covered or not.
Robust classification of heart valve sound based on adaptive EMD and feature fusion
Authors: Wang Weibo , Yuan Jin , Wang Bingrong , Fang Yu , Zheng Yongkang , Hu Xingping
Published: December 2022

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is considered one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, this research area has attracted researchers’ attention to investigate heart sounds to diagnose the disease. To effectively distinguish heart valve defects from normal heart sounds, adaptive empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and feature fusion techniques were used to analyze the classification of heart sounds. Based on the correlation coefficient and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) method, adaptive EMD was proposed under the condition of screening the intrinsic mode function (IMF) components. Adaptive thresholds based on Hausdorff Distance were used to choose the IMF components used for reconstruction. The multidimensional features extracted from the reconstructed signal were ranked and selected. The features of waveform transformation, energy and heart sound signal can indicate the state of heart activity corresponding to various heart sounds. Here, a set of ordinary features were extracted from the time, frequency and nonlinear domains. To extract more compelling features and achieve better classification results, another four cardiac reserve time features were fused. The fusion features were sorted using six different feature selection algorithms. Three classifiers, random forest, decision tree, and K-nearest neighbor, were trained on open source and our databases. Compared to the previous work, our extensive experimental evaluations show that the proposed method can achieve the best results and have the highest accuracy of 99.3% (1.9% improvement in classification accuracy). The excellent results verified the robustness and effectiveness of the fusion features and proposed method.
Impact of high-speed rail on tourism in China
Authors: Shi Kehan , Wang Jinfang , Liu Xiaojin , Zhao Xiaoying
Published: December 2022

The “time-space compression” effect of high-speed rail (HSR) has effectively improved the accessibility of the cities and has had a profound impact on tourism. This study explores the impact of HSR on tourism development in cities along HSR lines from the perspective of transfer of transport advantages, then evaluates the impact of HSR on tourism development using panel data of 286 cities in China from 2005 to 2013 by the difference-in-differences (DID) method. The empirical results show that the opening of HSR has significantly increased the tourism revenue and tourist arrivals. These results are still holds after considering endogenous HSR lines placement, and by various robustness checks. Further analysis of nodal effect shows that node cities experienced greater growth in tourism revenue than non-node cities. The analysis of mechanism found that tourism development in node cities relied on hotel industry, while tourism development in non-node cities relied on scenic spots industry. The findings of this study validate the role of HSR as a catalyst for urban tourism development, and reveal the comparative advantages of tourism in different cities under the influence of HSR. This study has important reference value for the development of tourism industry policies in cities along and around HSR lines.
The economic costs of chronic wasting disease in the United States
Authors: Chiavacci Scott J.
Published: December 2022

Cervids are economically important to a wide range of stakeholders and rights holders in the United States. The continued expansion of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting wild and farmed cervids, poses a direct and indirect threat to state and federal government agency operations and cervid related economic activity. However, the scale of this disease’s direct economic costs is largely unknown. I synthesized existing publicly available data and stakeholder-provided data to estimate CWD’s costs within the continental United States. Federal government agencies collectively spent over $284.1 million on CWD-related efforts between 2000 and 2021, with $203.6 million of this total being spent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. In fiscal year 2020, state natural resources agencies and state agriculture/animal health agencies spent over $25.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively, on CWD-related work. Natural resources agencies in states with known CWD cases spent over 8 times as much on CWD as agencies from states with no known cases. The farmed cervid industry spent at least $307,950 on CWD sampling in 2020, though a lack of available data prevented a complete assessment of costs to this industry. Based on limited data, CWD’s economic effects on the hunting industry (i.e., outfitters and guides, companies leasing land to cervid hunters), may be negligible at this time. Overall, however, the realized economic costs of CWD appear considerable, and it is likely that the number of stakeholders financially affected by this disease and regulations meant to stem its spread will continue to grow. By understanding the current economic impacts of CWD, we are better positioned to assess the costs and benefits of investments in management and research and to understand the magnitude of this disease’s broader societal impacts.
Phylogenetic analysis and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from wild and domestic animals at an agricultural land interface area of Salaphra wildlife sanctuary, Thailand
Authors: Duangurai Taksaon , Rungruengkitkul Amporn , Kong-Ngoen Thida , Tunyong Witawat , Kosoltanapiwat Nathamon , Adisakwattana Poom , Vanaporn Muthita , Indrawattana Nitaya , Pumirat Pornpan
Published: December 2022

Background and Aim: Domestic and wild animals are important reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to isolate Escherichia coli from feces of domestic and wild animals at an agricultural land interface area of Salaphra Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, and study the phylogenic characteristics and antibiotic resistance in these isolates.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, we randomly collected ground feces from free-ranging wild animals (deer and elephants) and domestic animals (cattle and goats). All fecal samples were inoculated onto MacConkey agar plates, and lactose-fermenting colonies were identified as E. coli. Antibiotic susceptibility of the E. coli isolates was determined using the disc diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect antibiotic resistance and virulence genes.

Results: We obtained 362 E. coli isolates from the collected fecal samples. The E. coli isolates were categorized into four phylogenetic groups according to the virulence genes (chuA, vjaA, and TspE4C2). Phylogenetic Group D was predominant in the deer (41.67%) and elephants (63.29%), whereas phylogenetic Group B1 was predominant in the cattle (62.31%), and phylogenetic Groups A (36.36%) and B2 (33.33%) were predominant in the goats. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that most antibiotic-resistant E. coli were isolated from domestic goats (96.96%). Among the 362 E. coli isolates, 38 (10.5%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic, 21 (5.8%) were resistant to two antibiotics, and 6 (1.66%) were resistant to three or more antibiotics. Ampicillin (AMP) was the most common antibiotic (48.48%) to which the E. coli were resistant, followed by tetracycline (TET) (45.45%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (3.03%). One isolate from an elephant was resistant to five antibiotics: AMP, amoxicillin, sulfisoxazole, TET, and ciprofloxacin. Determination of antibiotic resistance genes confirmed that E. coli isolates carried antibiotic resistance genes associated with phenotypic resistance to antibiotics. Most antibiotic-resistant E. coli belonged to phylogenic Groups A and B1, and most non-resistant E. coli belonged to phylogenic Groups B2 and D.

Conclusion: Monitoring E. coli isolates from wild and domestic animals showed that all four phylogenic groups of E. coli have developed antibiotic resistance and are potential sources of multidrug resistance. High levels of antibiotic resistance have been linked to domestic animals. Our results support strengthening surveillance to monitor the emergence and effects of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in animals.
A snapshot of forest buffers near streams, ditches, and lakes on forest land in Sweden – lessons learned
Authors: Ring Eva , Johansson Fredrik , von Brömssen Claudia , Bergkvist Isabelle
Published: December 2022

Forest buffers beside surface water can mitigate negative effects of logging. To gain more information on buffer implementation in operational forestry, forest buffers were inventoried during 2018 on 174 harvested and site-prepared compartments traversed by or bordering streams, ditches and lakes in three regions across Sweden 2–4 years after clearcutting. Most of the inventoried stream and ditch reaches were ≤5 m wide. The water reaches were categorized as lakes (n = 16), natural streams (n = 50), modified streams (n = 21) or ditches (n = 87). Forest buffers with 100% shoreline coverage were present along all lake reaches and 55% and 10% of the natural or modified stream and ditch reaches, respectively. Buffers were absent beside 14% of the natural or modified stream reaches and 61% of the ditch reaches. Lake reaches had significantly wider buffers on average than ditch reaches and natural or modified stream reaches. The mean (SE) buffer widths beside lakes, natural or modified stream reaches and ditch reaches across all three regions and shoreline coverage classes were 12 (1.1), 6.6 (0.6) and 1.5 (0.5) m, respectively. The character of the local stream networks (natural or modified streams or ditches) containing each inventoried reach, were assessed using map information and the reaches´ field classifications. This illustrated the difficulty of judging a streams´ character based solely on field inspections of individual reaches on forest land where historic drainage activities have been performed. We recommend that also upstream and downstream conditions should be considered when planning environmental measures to protect surface water bodies.
Healthy Aging and Muscle Dysfunction: Will Melatonin Help?
Authors: Marks Ray
Published: December 2022

Background
Aging is said to represent a declining state that is possibly especially compromised by sleep issues, and declining melatonin levels.

Aim
This review examined the idea that aging can be favorably influenced in numerous ways by the addition or maintenance of adequate melatonin levels. Specifically, the impact of melatonin on skeletal muscle was the key topic of interest.

Method
Reviewed were peer reviewed research and review articles specifically pertaining to healthy aging, melatonin, and muscle associated observations.

Results
Declining melatonin levels greatly impact multiple essential body systems and tissues. Supplements or interventions that heighten melatonin presence appear to have beneficial impacts on aging in general, and muscle function and structure, in particular.

Conclusion
The use of melatonin early on in the aging process is likely to produce more favorable long-term outcomes than not in cases of deficiency, and should be further investigated.
Hepatic Abscess After Pancreatic Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy
Authors: Ramsey Mitchell L. , Bender Matthew , Lara Luis F. , Han Samuel
Published: December 2022

We report the case of a 61-year-old woman with painful chronic pancreatitis related to proximal pancreatic duct pancreatolithiasis who underwent successful fragmentation with pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Two weeks later, she developed abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting and was found to have a new 4.6 × 2.3 cm hepatic abscess. She was treated with antibiotics but did not require additional intervention. Reported etiologies of post-ESWL abdominal pain include local irritation and bruising at the interface and pancreatitis, which has been reported in 4.2% of cases. We suggest that hepatic abscess ought to be considered in the differential diagnosis of post-ESWL abdominal pain.
Desembolsos do BNDES para o setor sucroenergético no Estado de Goiás
Authors: Borges Ana Claudia Giannini
Published: December 2022

A partir da década de 1990, observa-se a ocorrência de fatos relevantes que impactam na dinâmica e no crescimento do setor sucroenergético nas regiões produtoras e em outros estados. Para viabilizar estas mudanças demanda-se crédito de longo prazo, e o Estado, via Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES), é o principal concessor. Assim, o trabalho tem como objetivo analisar os desembolsos do BNDES no estado de Goiás, por finalidade e por município, microrregião e mesorregião, bem como o seu impacto na produção e na ocupação do território, na primeira década do século XXI. O estado é responsável pela captação 10,62% do volume desembolsado pelo BNDES para o setor, dos quais 99,97% foram destinados à implantação e expansão da capacidade produtiva e para o financiamento de compra de máquinas e serviços. Estes recursos contribuem para o crescimento da capacidade de moagem de cana-de-açúcar (186,25%), do número de agroindústrias sucroenergéticas (183%) e da área plantada (277%) e colhida (276%). Estas mudanças cooperam para a alteração da paisagem e da lógica de produção agropecuária, indicando o grau de importância do estado na dinâmica de produção de um setor estratégico para o país.
Saberes tradicionais e sementes: o caso da associação dos guardiões das sementes crioulas de Ibarama/RS
Authors: Cassol Kelly Perlin , Wizniewsky Carmen Rejane Flores
Published: December 2022

A presente pesquisa, indaga sobre como os agricultores familiares que fazem parte da Associação de Guardiões das Sementes Crioulas de Ibarama, RS, resgatam seus saberes tradicionais sobre a produção de cultivares de milho crioulo. A pesquisa também pretende investigar como este processo de resgate de saberes e construção de conhecimento interferem na organização das unidades de produção e reprodução da agricultura familiar e na forma de vida desses sujeitos. Para atender aos seus objetivos a investigação, que apresenta uma abordagem qualitativa, foi desenvolvida através de pesquisa participante, portanto a pesquisa conta com um hibrido metodológico centrado na observação e em entrevistas semiestruturadas que foram realizadas com os agricultores participantes da associação, técnicos das instituições EMATER/RS - ASCAR e da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, bem como com o atual pároco da igreja católica local. Após as entrevistas pode-se conhecer melhor o importante papel da Associação frente à sociedade, com a conservação e resgate das cultivares crioulas, por constituir-se este um ato de valorização da vida e dos saberes tradicionais.
Conflitos socioambientais no assentamento rural Santana Nossa Esperança, Teresina-PI
Authors: Oliveira Alyne Maria Souza , Monteiro Maria do Socorro Lira , Moraes Maria Dione Carvalho , Araújo Clarissa Flávia Santos
Published: December 2022

O assentamento rural Santana Nossa Esperança foi constituído pelo INCRA em 2005 e após a desapropriação do imóvel, a área foi ocupada por famílias de ex-funcionários da extinta fazenda; pequenos produtores arrendatários; agricultores periurbanos e trabalhadores sem-terra removidos pelo INCRA. A reunião de quatro grupos com origens e interesses distintos provocou embates que culminaram na divisão do assentamento e que persistem na atualidade. Neste trabalho sobre a natureza das dissensões e as formas de equacionamento encontradas pelos assentados, realizou-se pesquisa documental junto ao INCRA e pesquisa de campo no assentamento, por meio de observação direta, com registro em diário de campo e entrevistas não-diretivas com líderes das associações e habitantes mais antigos da área. Os resultados da pesquisa apontaram a existência de três principais conflitos: entre os assentados, pelos seus diferentes perfis socioculturais; entre as duas associações de assentados, na disputa de representatividade; e entre o INCRA e uma das associações, pela aplicação dos créditos de reforma agrária, o que reflete a incapacidade dos gestores públicos para o gerenciamento dos conflitos verificados.
Escolaridade, carteira de trabalho e renda dos empregados no meio rural brasileiro
Authors: Souza Hadma Milaneze de , Ney Marlon Gomes , Souza Paulo Marcelo de , Ney Vanuza da Silva Pereira
Published: December 2022

O trabalho realiza uma comparação entre as pessoas residentes no meio rural brasileiro ocupadas como empregados nos distintos setores da economia: agricultura, indústria e serviços. Ele leva em consideração dois aspectos referentes aos trabalhadores: o nível educacional e a proteção pela legislação trabalhista. A educação é conhecida como o principal determinante da renda no Brasil, sendo o elemento com maior influência nas heterogeneidades socioeconômicas nacionais. A legislação trabalhista é uma forma de se garantir um valor salarial mínimo. Esses dois elementos se relacionam quando se percebe que os trabalhadores com maiores níveis educacionais são também aqueles com carteira de trabalho assinada. Utilizando os microdados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) do ano de 2011, foi evidenciado que a agricultura é o setor que concentra as menores escolaridades médias, o maior número de empregados sem carteira de trabalho assinada e as menores rendas médias. Ainda foi possível observar que a região Nordeste é a que apresenta as piores condições de empregos entre as grandes regiões do país, além de ter os empregados com as menores escolaridades médias.
Insustentabilidade do capital e potencialidades emancipatórias de um campesinato agroecológico
Authors: Monerat Julio Cesar Pereira
Published: December 2022

O modo de produção capitalista mostra-se insustentável por conta de sua contradição fundamental entre capital e trabalho que gera uma série de contradições secundárias, dentre as quais a concorrência, o imperialismo, as crises de superprodução e, consequentemente, um desafio socioambiental que ameaça a sobrevivência de boa parte da humanidade. No campo o capitalismo também se fundamenta em contradições: notadamente o capital em sua expansão ameaça a propriedade da terra camponesa bem como expropria a renda da terra produzida pelo campesinato, o que também demonstra sua insustentabilidade. Tal situação geral um permanente conflito territorial em que diferentes identidades podem ser desenvolvidas no sentido de reproduzir ou transformar tal dinâmica. O campesinato agroecológico se constitui como portador de uma sociabilidade com o sentido de coevolução entre sociedade e natureza que pode se constituir em uma identidade de projeto que contribua para a superação da insustentabilidade decorrente do modo de produção capitalista.
Rupturas e continuidades do sistema de produção agroecológica integrado e sustentável-PAIS em Macaíba, RN
Authors: Santos Raquel , Rozendo Cimone
Published: December 2022

O PAIS é uma tecnologia social criada para desenvolver a agricultura familiar por meio de padrões agroecológicos, integrando em um mesmo sistema a criação de animais e produção de hortaliças, frutas, cereais e adubação por compostagem. Agricultores em diversas regiões do país têm recebido unidades do PAIS através da iniciativa do SEBRAE, Fundação Banco do Brasil e o Ministério da Integração Nacional. Apesar da propagação desta tecnologia há uma grande disparidade em relação ao desempenho desse sistema entre as unidades implantadas. O presente artigo faz uma análise dos principais fatores que contribuem para o desenvolvimento da tecnologia social PAIS, tendo por base, estudos realizados em 24 unidades no município de Macaíba, região metropolitana de Natal, RN, distribuídas em quatro comunidades Através do método comparativo foi possível observar que duas comunidades houve desistência da produção pelo PAIS e em outras duas há uma produção crescente de alimentos através desse sistema. Os resultados demonstram que, os fatores que mais influenciaram na desistência ou permanência dos agricultores na produção com o PAIS foram aspectos relacionadas ao nível de organização comunitária, pois as comunidades onde os agricultores tinham uma maior entrosamento social foram as que conseguiram continuar com a manutenção das unidades do PAIS, por outro lado, nas comunidades onde houveram desistências foi notado um menor grau de coesão social entre eles.
Populações locais e hidrelétricas: o caso de duas localidades atingidas pela barragem de Belo Monte, Pará, Brasil
Authors: Maia Ricardo Eduardo de Freitas , Guerra Gutemberg Armando Diniz
Published: December 2022

Por meio deste trabalho foi estudada a percepção e a mobilização de famílias das localidades do Ramal dos Penas e São Raimundo Nonato na Volta Grande do Xingu em relação à construção da hidrelétrica de Belo Monte. Foram feitas 15 entrevistas no período compreendido entre os meses de maio e julho de 2012. Do ponto de vista político a mobilização se deu em função do medo das mudanças de perder o espaço de moradia e de produção, das modificações nas relações sociais existentes na área, do controle da produção do alimento. Essa resistência era dos que foram forçados a sair, e os enfrentamentos ao projeto foram solapados fundamentalmente pela rapidez das transformações socioambientais em decorrência do início das obras. OÂ caso apresentado fornece elementos paraÂ o debate sobre projetos e investimento queÂ se realizam na Amazônia e que embora violentos pretendem-se Â apaziguadores dos conflitos, pregam a inexorabilidade das obras e a naturalização da expropriação das pessoas sob o pretexto do progresso e do bem comumÂ sobrepondo-se a modos de vida e ampliando injustiças sociais.
Geografia da soja em Rondônia: monopolização do território, regionalização e conflitos territoriais
Authors: Ribeiro Alyson Fernando Alves , Silva Ricardo Gilson da Costa , Corrêa Silvia da Silva
Published: December 2022

A Amazônia brasileira se constitui, cada vez mais, no espaço do agronegócio globalizado, onde a geografia é transformada pela expansão da soja. No estado de Rondônia esse processo se manifesta através da monopolização do território e da regionalização da soja. As contradições produzidas pelo agronegócio ampliaram os conflitos territoriais no espaço agrário rondoniense. Especificamente no município de Vilhena, o maior produtor de soja na região, o crescimento desta commodity impactou o assentamento Águas Claras, que em síntese, revela os tensionamentos entre as lógicas das forças do agronegócio e dos camponeses.
O programa Pronaf Mais Alimentos: um estudo de caso da microrregião de Pinhalzinho (SC)
Authors: Rambo Fabiano Lazarotto , Bonamigo Irme Salete
Published: December 2022

A agricultura familiar é a base da economia da microrregião de Pinhalzinho e de Santa Catarina, necessitando de políticas públicas que promovam o desenvolvimento rural e a qualidade de vida das famílias que nela atuam. Como mecanismo governamental para alcançar tal objetivo o Governo Federal criou, o Programa Nacional de Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar (Pronaf). O mesmo, com o passar dos anos, foi aprimorado, culminando em novas linhas de crédito. A mais recente é o programa Mais Alimentos. Destinada a realização de investimentos, com esta linha o agricultor familiar pode obter junto aos bancos públicos, privados e privados cooperativos financiamentos para investimentosem infraestrutura. Estetrabalho objetivou realizar um estudo de caso sobre o impacto do Pronaf Mais Alimentos no desenvolvimento econômico e social dos agricultores familiares residentes na microrregião de Pinhalzinho - SC. Para tanto, foram levantados o montante financeiro e o número de contratos firmados, identificando os atores que compõem a rede do Pronaf Mais Alimentos. Como ferramenta teórico-metodológica para a realização deste estudo de caso utilizou-se a Teoria Ator-Rede (TAR). Chegou-se à conclusão que o número de contratos firmados e o volume de recursos disponibilizados pelo programa, entre 2008 e 2013, foram de 5.232 contratos e R$ 156.397.288,90. Além disso, se confirmou a importância da política pública para o desenvolvimento rural e a qualidade de vida das famílias, através do crédito.
O programa nacional de produção e uso de biodiesel: a Petrobras e a agricultura familiar do Norte de Minas
Authors: Penido Marina de Oliveira
Published: December 2022

O objetivo do artigo é analisar as práticas e discursos associados à  produção de biodiesel, tomando como referência o Programa Nacional de Produção e Uso de Biodiesel (PNPB) e a sua execução no Norte de Minas, a partir da implementação da Usina Darcy Ribeiro, da Petrobras Biocombustíveis, em Montes Claros. Para tanto, analisamos: os objetivos e regulamentações legais do PNPB; o papel do agribusiness no contexto nacional de produção de biodiesel; e a proposta social do programa, voltada para o incentivo Ã  participação da agricultura familiar como fornecedora de matéria-prima para produção de biodiesel. Na análise da integração da agricultura familiar Ã  cadeia produtiva do biodiesel focamos no município de Matias Cardoso, maior produtor de mamona do Norte de Minas, destinada à  Usina Darcy Ribeiro.
Os impactos gerados pela expansão da cana-de-açúcar no município de Junqueirópolis - SP
Authors: Lelis Leandro Reginaldo Maximino , Hespanhol Rosangela Aparecida de Medeiros
Published: December 2022

A partir da década de 1950, o Estado incentivou o processo de territorialização do capital no campo com o intuito de proporcionar a modernização da agricultura. A referida modernização seria realizada com o propósito de aumentar a produção e a produtividade agrícola e, consequentemente, contribuir para a internacionalização da economia brasileira. Desse modo, a territorialização do capital e a modernização da agricultura proporcionaram as condições necessárias para a expansão das atividades agrícolas desenvolvidas em grande escala no Brasil, como é o caso da monocultura canavieira. Nesse contexto, este artigo tem como objetivo analisar os impactos gerados pelo processo de expansão da cana-de-açúcar no município de Junqueirópolis. A partir da leitura da bibliografia selecionada e da análise dos dados de fontes secundárias, constatamos que a expansão da lavoura canavieira provocou intensa reestruturação espacial, produtiva e econômica, bem como, gerou impactos socioambientais significativos no município pesquisado.
Ambiente e alimentação saudável: percepções e práticas de agricultores familiares
Authors: Busato Maria Assunta , Model Danice , Esswein Denise , Gallina Luciara Souza , Teo Carla Rosane Paz Arruda , Nothaft Simone Cristine dos Santos
Published: December 2022

A agricultura familiar é constituída por pequenos e médios produtores, que possuem características específicas na sua organização, como a utilização de mão-de-obra familiar e a diversificação dos produtos cultivados. A racionalidade camponesa está voltada a atender demandas da família e não, de imediato, as necessidades do mercado. Esta agricultura busca restabelecer as relações harmônicas entre o homem e o meio natural em que vive, minimizando o impacto das atividades agrícolas no ambiente, e ampliando os benefícios da agricultura para além do espaço rural. Foram realizadas entrevistas com treze agricultores familiares em um município do oeste do estado de Santa Catarina, a fim de conhecer sua percepção sobre ambiente e alimentação saudável, bem como suas práticas na produção de alimentos. Os agricultores familiares estão engajados em consumir alimentos produzidos na propriedade e livres de agrotóxicos. Têm a percepção de que a alimentação saudável é o consumo de uma variedade de alimentos produzidos com manejo orgânico. Os agricultores têm grande preocupação com a contaminação do meio ambiente, haja vista suas práticas tanto na produção de alimentos como no cuidado com a preservação das fontes de água e o destino dos resíduos.
Das modalidades e dos modos de criminalizar: a repressão aos movimentos sociais de luta pela terra no Pontal do Paranapanema/SP
Authors: Leonidio Adalmir
Published: December 2022

Este artigo busca analisar o processo de criminalização movido contra os movimentos sociais de luta pela terra no Pontal do Paranapanema, extremo oeste do Estado de São Paulo, no âmbito das ações penais movidas contra suas lideranças. Para tanto, analisa diretamente tais processos crime, bem como as notícias de jornais sobre tais processos, entre os anos de 1990 e 2014. Mostra, com isso, que o Judiciário tem protagonizado um obstáculo poderoso Ã  realização da reforma agrária e da justiça social no campo.