bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atividade física para pessoas com deficiência: Guia de Atividade Física para a População Brasileira
Authors: Orcioli-Silva Diego , Sasaki Jeffer Eidi , Tassitano Rafael Miranda , Ribeiro Cezar Grontowski , Christofaro Diego Giulliano Destro , Bezerra Ewertton Souza , Manta Sofia Wolker , Florindo Alex Antonio , Hallal Pedro Curi , Siqueira Fernando Carlos Vinholes
Published: July 2021

Visando orientar a população dos benefícios da prática de atividade física à saúde, pesquisadores nacionais, em parceria com o Ministério da Saúde, elaboraram o Guia de Atividade Física para a População Brasileira (Guia). O objetivo deste estudo foi apresentar o processo de elaboração das recomendações brasileiras de atividade física para pessoas com deficiência (PCD). O processo de elaboração das recomendações específicas para PCD foi liderado por um grupo de trabalho com nove pesquisadores/profissionais que realizaram reuniões semanais, e que conduziram revisões sistemáticas e escutas com PCD, familiares, gestores, profissionais da saúde, professores e pesquisadores. Na revisão sistemática, um total de 83 estudos foram revisados e incluídos. As escutas foram realizadas por meio de formulários eletrônicos enviados por e-mail para profissionais, gestores, professores e pesquisadores que trabalhavam com PCD e de escutas virtuais, as quais foram conduzidas em dois momentos: (a) com PCD, familiares e profissionais; (b) com professores, gestores; e pesquisadores da temática. Baseado nos resultados das revisões sistemáticas e das escutas, as recomendações de atividade física para PCD foram elaboradas considerando o tempo mínimo de atividade física de acordo com faixas etárias, domínio da atividade física e recomendações para redução do comportamento sedentário. Portanto, o presente trabalho apresentou as estratégias e as etapas utilizadas para a elaboração do Guia, com recomendações de atividade física para PCD, as quais podem ser aliadas a políticas públicas, ambientes e oportunidades de atividade física, tornando-se estratégia essencial para o engajamento de PCD em atividades físicas.
Educação física escolar: Guia de Atividade Física para a População Brasileira
Authors: Silva Kelly Samara , Bandeira Alexsandra da Silva , Ravagnani Fabricio Cesar de Paula , Camargo Edina Maria de , Tenório Maria Cecília , Oliveira Victor José Machado de , Santos Priscila Cristina dos , Ramires Virgílio Viana , Sandreschi Paula Fabricio , Hallal Pedro Curi , Barbosa Filho Valter Cordeiro
Published: July 2021

As aulas de educação física (EF) escolar representam um momento propício para conhecer e vivenciar a pluralidade do movimento humano, favorecendo a promoção de uma vida ativa e saudável. A importância da EF escolar foi reconhecida pelo Guia de Atividade Física para a População Brasileira (Guia), que dedicou um capítulo para orientar a comunidade escolar sobre os benefícios à saúde e as estratégias de sucesso adotadas nas aulas de EF escolar. O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar o processo de elaboração das recomendações brasileiras de EF escolar para a população brasileira, mais especificamente os estudantes, professores, pais e responsáveis, e gestores. Esse capítulo do Guia foi desenvolvido por dez pesquisadores brasileiros, incluindo um representante do Ministério da Saúde. Três sínteses de evidências, escutas ao público-alvo e consulta pública foram realizadas para a construção das recomendações. Dados de 49 revisões sistemáticas sobre os benefícios da EF escolar à saúde e de 22 intervenções nas aulas de EF escolar com estudantes brasileiros foram sumarizados. Ainda, foram sintetizados 63 documentos nacionais e internacionais com estratégias recomendadas para a EF escolar, com foco nas dimensões: política e ambiente; currículo; instrução apropriada; avaliação; e estratégias que interagem com a EF escolar. Os grupos focais e a consulta pública fundamentaram a elaboração e o aprimoramento da versão final das recomendações. Espera-se que estas recomendações alicercem a criação de políticas públicas, melhorem a conscientização sobre a importância da prática de atividade física na EF escolar e enfatizem a necessidade de realizar estudos futuros nesta área de conhecimento.
Resource Redeployment and Divestiture as Strategic Alternatives
Authors: Feldman Emilie R. , Sakhartov Arkadiy V.
Published: July 2021

What should the managers of a multibusiness firm do when their company’s resources are not used profitably? Research on redeployment proposes that managers should withdraw those resources from the business where they are underutilized and switch them to a business where they can be used more profitably, whereas the literature on divestiture advocates that managers should divest the business containing those resources. In this study, we investigate the factors that lead managers to choose resource redeployment over divestiture as a mode of exit and vice versa. Using a formal model, we establish that the two exit modes act as intertemporal substitutes, whereby redeployment dominates for earlier exits but divestiture dominates for later exits. Although both redeployment and divestiture are inversely related to their implementation costs, redeployment costs amplify the effect of divestiture costs on the likelihood of exit, and divestiture costs amplify the effect of redeployment costs on the likelihood of exit. Finally, we derive a series of results that show that disregarding one of these two exit options as a strategic alternative to the other may lead to misspecifications of empirical models that seek to predict the likelihood of redeployment, divestiture, or exit. Overall, our work contributes to the corporate strategy literature by uniting two streams of research that have largely remained disparate, yet whose insights have significant implications for each other.
Global Leaders for Global Teams: Leaders with Multicultural Experiences Communicate and Lead More Effectively, Especially in Multinational Teams
Authors: Lu Jackson G. , Swaab Roderick I. , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: July 2021

In an era of globalization, it is commonly assumed that multicultural experiences foster leadership effectiveness. However, little research has systematically tested this assumption. We develop a theoretical perspective that articulates how and when multicultural experiences increase leadership effectiveness. We hypothesize that broad multicultural experiences increase individuals’ leadership effectiveness by developing their communication competence. Because communication competence is particularly important for leading teams that are more multinational, we further hypothesize that individuals with broader multicultural experiences are particularly effective when leading more versus less multinational teams. Four studies test our theory using mixed methods (field survey, archival panel, field experiments) and diverse populations (corporate managers, soccer managers, hackathon leaders) in different countries (Australia, Britain, China, America). In Study 1, corporate managers with broader multicultural experiences were rated as more effective leaders, an effect mediated by communication competence. Analyzing a 25-year archival panel of English Premier League soccer managers, Study 2 replicates the positive effect of broad multicultural experiences using a team performance measure of leadership effectiveness. Importantly, this effect was moderated by team national diversity: soccer managers with broader multicultural experiences were particularly effective when leading teams with greater national diversity. Study 3 (digital health hackathon) and Study 4 (COVID-19 policy hackathon) replicate these effects in two field experiments, in which individuals with varying levels of multicultural experiences were randomly assigned to lead hackathon teams that naturally varied in national diversity. Overall, our research suggests that broad multicultural experiences help leaders communicate more competently and lead more effectively, especially when leading multinational teams.
Confronting behaviour in palliative care: a qualitative study of the lived experience of nursing staff
Authors: Pejoski Natalie , Skaczkowski Gemma , Moran Juli , Hodgson Hilary , Wilson Carlene
Published: July 2021

Background:

Little research examines the extent and impact of aggressive or uncomfortable ‘confronting behaviour’ experienced by palliative care nurses, despite palliative wards being an emotionally labile environment.

Methods:

Qualitative data on nurses' experiences of confrontation were collected from 17 palliative care nurses at a major metropolitan hospital via a focus group and individual interviews. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Findings:

Results indicated that family members were the main perpetrators and tolerance of confrontation varied dependent on the characteristics of the aggressor. Confrontation was described as arising in response to grief, and because of misunderstandings of palliative care goals. Nurses reported a perceived lack of appreciation for their work from some patients' families and feelings of discontent with the nature and amount of structured support available following a confrontation. Informal workplace support helped nurses to deal with these incidents and, despite bad experiences, nurses affirmed their commitment to working in this area.

Conclusion:

The findings demonstrate the demands placed on nurses working in palliative care, and the importance of compassion in moderating the impact of a challenging environment.
Effect of Vibration on Rapeseed Header Loss and Optimization of Header Frame
Authors: Li Yang , Xu Lizhang , Gao Zhipeng , Lu En , Li Yaoming
Published: July 2021

Highlights

The relationship of vibration and header loss was studied by multi-point vibration measurement and loss collection test.

There was an approximately linear positive correlation between total header vibration and total rapeseed header loss.

The header frame was analyzed and optimized through modal simulation and testing.

The total rapeseed header loss of the improved header was reduced by 33.2% to 46.9%.

Abstract. In view of the current large rapeseed header losses of rape combine harvesters, the effects of the header on rapeseed header loss were studied from the perspective of vibration. First, the vibrations at various measuring points on the header during rape harvest were studied using a data acquisition and analysis system while performing collection tests of rapeseed header loss with the sample slot method. The relationships between total header vibration and total rapeseed header loss and between vertical cutter vibration and rapeseed vertical cutter loss were shown to have a positive correlation, and they all increased with the increase in engine speed. Vertical cutter loss accounted for 31.2% to 42.4% of the total rapeseed header loss. Modal analysis and optimization of the header frame were then performed by simulation and test. The natural frequencies of the first-order and second-order modes of the optimized header were increased, and the possibility of resonance with other working parts was eliminated. Finally, the improved header was tested during rape harvest. The results showed that the total vibration of the improved header was reduced by 19.9% to 43.9%, and the total rapeseed header loss was reduced by 33.2% to 46.9%. The vertical cutter vibration was reduced by 30.5% to 49.8%, and the rapeseed vertical cutter loss was reduced by 20.8% to 34.7%. In addition, the vibration and rapeseed loss of the improved header had relatively slow rates of increase with the increase in engine speed. The method of reducing rapeseed loss by reducing the header vibration achieved an obvious and positive effect. Keywords: Frame optimization, Modal analysis, Rape combine harvester, Rapeseed header loss, Vibration.
Digitalisation in Agriculture: Knowledge and Learning Requirements of German Dairy Farmers
Authors: Goller Michael , Caruso Carina , Harteis Christian
Published: July 2021

Purpose: This study aims at investigating how digitalisation (in the sense of industry 4.0) has changed the work of farmers and how they experience the changes from more traditional work to digitalised agriculture. It also investigates what knowledge farmers require on digitalised farms and how they acquire it. Dairy farming was used as domain of investigation since it, unlike other industries, has strongly been affected by digitalisation throughout the last years.Method: Exploratory interviews with 10 livestock farmers working on digitalised dairy farms were analysed using qualitative content analysis. A deductive and inductive coding strategy was used. Findings: Farming work has changed from more manual tasks towards symbol manipulation and data processing. Farmers must be able to use computers and other digital devices to retrieve and analyse sensor data that allow them to monitor and control the processes on their farm. For this new kind of work, farmers require elaborated mental models that link traditional farming knowledge with knowledge about digital systems, including a strong understanding of production processes underlying their farm. Learning is mostly based on instructions offered by manufacturers of the new technology as well as informal and non-formal learning modes. Even younger farmers report that digital technology was not sufficiently covered in their (vocational) degrees. In general, farmers emphasises the positive effects of digitalisation both on their working as well as private life. Conclusions: Farmers should be aware of the opportunities as well as the potential drawbacks of the digitalisation of work processes in agriculture. Providers of agricultural education (like vocational schools or training institutes) need to incorporate the knowledge and skills required to work in digitalised environments (e.g., data literacy) in their syllabi. Further studies are required to assess how digitalisation changes farming practices and what knowledge as well as skills linked to these developments are required in the future.
The standardisation of the life course in 20th-century China
Authors: Wang Dianxi , Zhao Yufeng
Published: July 2021

In most Western countries, the patterning of the individual life course had reached a high level of uniformity by the 1960s. However, since the late 1970s, indications of an inverse tendency towards destandardisation of the life course have been observed, especially regarding life transitions and status sequences linked to family and occupation. Within China, little research has been conducted to examine the standardisation/destandardisation of the life course. This study uses life history data to take a preliminary step in addressing this question, using a sample of Chinese people born between 1920 and 1969 from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The sample is divided into five cohorts of individuals born in 1920–29, 1930–39, 1940–49, 1950–59 and 1960–69. We found that the life course of individuals in these cohorts generally shows a trend of increasing standardisation from the earliest to the most recent cohort, with the exception of the youngest cohort. There are substantively important group differences seen in the standardisation of the life course; a higher level of standardisation is seen in male and rural cohorts in the education–employment trajectories, compared to female and urban cohorts. Further, in terms of family life course, the standardisation of urban cohorts is higher than that of rural cohorts. Different domains of life course show inconsistent paces in their processes of standardisation; this can be seen manifested in the case of individuals’ education–employment trajectories, which tend to be more standardised than family life course.
From Working Tax Credit to Universal Credit: is the older workforce ready? Perspectives from employees and employers in Northern Ireland
Authors: Fitzpatrick Ciara , Chapman Alexandra
Published: July 2021

Universal Credit (UC) entails an unprecedented expansion of welfare conditionality to those in work. Working-age adults (16–66) in the United Kingdom who are working part-time and on a low income will be subject to work related requirements until they earn the equivalent of 35 hours per week at national living wage. It is estimated that workers aged 50 to 66 will account for nearly a quarter of those claimants subject to in-work conditionality. A small-scale qualitative study was carried out with workers aged over 50 in receipt of Working Tax Credit (WTC) who are set to be migrated to UC. The researchers also interviewed employers who have people over 50 in their workforce. The findings show that there was limited awareness of UC and little support for in-work conditionality.
Influence of bandwidth error on the performance of adaptive optics systems for uncooperative beacons
Authors: Toselli Italo , Gladysz Szymon
Published: July 2021

We discuss the capability of adaptive optics to increase the performance of laser systems operating in atmospheric turbulence. Our approach is based on the Zernike filter functions, Taylor’s frozen-flow hypothesis, and bandwidth limitations of a realistic servo control system. System performance is analyzed in terms of the Strehl ratio on target. Our results for plane-wave geometry indicate that adaptive optics can be effective even when engaging fast moving targets and that moderate closed-loop bandwidths of∼100Hzwould suffice for most analyzed scenarios. Applications of interest are beam delivery systems and free-space optical communications.
Rotation alignment of a camera–IMU system using a single affine correspondence
Authors: Yu Yingjian , Guan Banglei , Sun Xiangyi , Li Zhang , Fraundorfer Friedrich
Published: July 2021

We propose an accurate and easy-to-implement method on rotation alignment of a camera–inertial measurement unit (IMU) system using only a single affine correspondence in the minimal case. The known initial rotation angles between the camera and IMU are utilized; thus, the alignment model can be formulated as a polynomial equation system based on homography constraints by expressing the rotation matrix in a first-order approximation. By solving the equation system, we can recover the rotation alignment parameters. Furthermore, more accurate alignment results can be achieved with the joint optimization of multiple stereo image pairs. The proposed method does not require additional auxiliary equipment or a camera’s particular motion. The experimental results on synthetic data and two real-world data sets demonstrate that our method is efficient and precise for the camera–IMU system’s rotation alignment.
Plasmonic enhancement of photoacoustic-induced reflection changes
Authors: de Haan Guido , Verrina Vanessa , Adam Aurèle J. L. , Zhang Hao , Planken Paul C. M.
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we report on
surface-plasmon-resonance enhancement of the time-dependent reflection
changes caused by laser-induced acoustic waves. We measure an
enhancement of the reflection changes induced by several acoustical
modes, such as longitudinal, quasi-normal, and surface acoustic waves,
by a factor of 10–20. We show that the reflection changes induced by
the longitudinal and quasi-normal modes are enhanced in the wings of
the surface plasmon polariton resonance. The surface acoustic
wave-induced reflection changes are enhanced on the peak of this
resonance. We attribute the enhanced reflection changes to the
longitudinal wave and the quasi-normal mode to a shift in the surface
plasmon polariton resonance via acoustically induced electron density
changes and via grating geometry changes.
Retrieval of weak non-resonant photoacoustic signal with the chaotic oscillator algorithm
Authors: Luo Jing , Mou Fusheng , Sun Youwen , Li Suwen
Published: July 2021

Photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopic technique has become a popular tool for trace gas detection and is especially suitable for in situ measurement of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) decomposition components in gas insulated switchgear (GIS). However, the concentrations of SF6 decomposition components are generally very low and the resulting PA signals are too weak to be accurately retrieved with traditional methods. In this study, we proposed a Lyapunov exponent based chaotic oscillator algorithm to retrieve the weak PA signals of SF6 decomposition components. Retrieval of weak PA signals from strong noise background was achieved for both simulation and measurement perspectives. The results were compared with those based on phase-locked amplification technique. Both simulation and measurement results concluded that the proposed chaotic oscillator algorithm is superior to the phase-locked amplification in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and stability. Since most trace gases have weak absorption signatures in the atmosphere (below 1%), this study can provide valuable insights in dealt with such weak signals in remote sensing of atmosphere.
Quantitative uncertainty determination of phase retrieval in RABBITT
Authors: Ji Jia-Bao , Heck Saijoscha , Han Meng , Wörner Hans Jakob
Published: July 2021

Reconstruction of attosecond beating by interference of two-photon transitions (RABBITT) is one of the most widely used approaches to measure the time delays in photoionization. The time delay, which corresponds to a phase difference of two oscillating signals, is usually retrieved by cosine fitting or fast Fourier transform (FFT). We propose two estimators for the phase uncertainty of cosine fitting from the signal per se of an individual experiment: (i)

σ
(

φ

fit

)
≈

B
A

2
N

, where B/A is the mean-value-to-amplitude ratio, and N is the total count number, and (ii)

σ
(

φ

fit

)
≈

1
−

R
2

R
2

n

bins

, where nbins is the total number of bins in the time domain, and R2 is the coefficient of determination. The former estimator is applicable for the statistical fluctuation, while the latter includes the effects from various uncertainty sources, which is mathematically proven and numerically validated. This leads to an efficient and reliable approach to determining quantitative uncertainties in RABBITT experiments and evaluating the observed discrepancy among individual measurements, as demonstrated on the basis of experimental data.
Adaptive beam shaping for enhanced underwater wireless optical communication
Authors: Nie Jiewen , Tian Lei , Wang Haozhi , Chen Long , Li Zhuoran , Yue Song , Zhang Zichen , Yang Haining
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we proposed and experimentally verified a diffraction-based optical beam shaping technique for underwater optical communication (UWOC) applications. The proposed method aimed to address the key issue in UWOC links, i.e., the high propagation loss experienced by the launched optical beam. It enabled a significantly higher portion of the launched signal to be collected by the receiver. The optimal transmission distance could also be fine-tuned by the software configuration. In a proof-of-concept demonstration based on the off-the-shelf components, 100 Mbps transmission was achieved over 15-meter distance and a significant enhancement in the transmission quality was observed. There is a huge scope for further improvement in the transmission distance and data rate when the proposed technique was used with purpose-built optical components and advanced coding schemes.
Realization of carrier envelope phase control in an erbium-doped all-fiber comb via an intracavity electrical polarization controller
Authors: Liu Tingting , Yan Ming , Shen Xuling , Zeng Heping
Published: July 2021

We present an erbium-doped all-fiber comb that is realized via intracavity piezoelectric mechanical responses by inserting an electrical polarization controller (EPC) for carrier envelope phase offset (

f

ceo

) control and sticking a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) for repetition rate (

f
r

)

stabilization. With only three components inside the oscillator, it facilitates an all-fiber comb system with high integration and robustness. Besides

f

ceo

control, smart, recoverable, and precise searching of mode-locked states can also be achieved by finely tuning the EPC driving voltages. The

f

ceo

signal can be tightly phase-locked due to the 20 kHz 3 dB bandwidth of the EPC device. Compared with the traditional pump feedback mode, the EPC approach exhibits a larger and flatter gain in the near-zero-dispersion zone of the fiber comb, corresponding to less EPC induced intracavity fluctuations. It is also a benefit for reducing cross regulation between

f
r

and

f

ceo

in long-term stabilization of the comb.
Continuous-wave and passively Q-switched pulse 1060 nm Nd:GdPO4 lasers
Authors: Xiao Hanyu , Chen Yujin , Lin Yanfu , Huang Jianhua , Gong Xinghong , Luo Zundu , Huang Yidong
Published: July 2021

1060 nm continuous-wave and passively Q-switched pulse lasers were demonstrated in a 3.5-mm-thick X-cut Nd:GdPO4 crystal. At an absorbed pump power of 1.91 W, a 1060 nm continuous-wave laser with a maximum output power of 0.72 W and a slope efficiency of 42% was realized. When a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber with an initial transmission of 85% was used, a passively Q-switched pulse laser with repetition frequency of 6.7 kHz, pulse energy of about 19 µJ, pulse duration of 58 ns, and peak power of 0.33 kW was obtained in a plano-concave cavity with a length of 95 mm and an absorbed pump power of 1.91 W. For a plano-plano cavity with a length of 9 mm and the same pump power, a pulse laser with repetition frequency of 7.2 kHz, pulse energy of about 14.1 µJ, pulse duration of 4.1 ns and peak power of 3.4 kW was obtained.
Effects of Mild and Moderate Monoclonal Antibody Dose on Inflammation, Bone Loss, and Activation of the Central Nervous System in a Female Collagen Antibody-induced Arthritis Mouse Model
Authors: Williams Bonnie , Lees Florence , Tsangari Helen , Hutchinson Mark R. , Perilli Egon , Crotti Tania N.
Published: July 2021

Induction of severe inflammatory arthritis in the collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) murine model causes extensive joint damage and pain-like behavior compromising analysis. While mild models are less severe, their reduced, variable penetrance makes assessment of treatment efficacy difficult. This study aimed to compare macroscopic and microscopic changes in the paws, along with central nervous system activation between a mild and moderate CAIA model. Balb/c mice ( n=18) were allocated to control, mild, and moderate CAIA groups. Paw inflammation, bone volume (BV), and paw volume (PV) were assessed. Histologically, the front paws were assessed for joint inflammation, cartilage damage, and pre/osteoclast-like cells and the lumbar spinal cord and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) region of the brain for glial reactivity. A moderate CAIA dose induced (1) significantly greater local paw inflammation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and PV; (2) significantly more osteoclast-like cells on the bone surface and within the surrounding soft tissue; and (3) significantly greater glial reactivity within the PAG compared with the mild CAIA model. These findings support the use of a moderate CAIA model (higher dose of monoclonal antibodies with low-dose lipopolysaccharide) to induce more consistent histopathological features, without excessive joint destruction.
Optimizing testing for COVID-19 in India
Authors: Cherian Philip , Krishna Sandeep , Menon Gautam I.
Published: July 2021

COVID-19 testing across India uses a mix of two types of tests. Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are relatively inexpensive point-of-care lateral-flow-assay tests, but they are also less sensitive. The reverse-transcriptase polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) test has close to 100% sensitivity and specificity in a laboratory setting, but delays in returning results, as well as increased costs relative to RATs, may vitiate this advantage. India-wide, about 49% of COVID-19 tests are RATs, but some Indian states, including the large states of Uttar Pradesh (pop. 227.9 million) and Bihar (pop. 121.3 million) use a much higher proportion of such tests. Here we show, using simulations based on epidemiological network models, that the judicious use of RATs can yield epidemiological outcomes comparable to those obtained through RT-PCR-based testing and isolation of positives, provided a few conditions are met. These are (a) that RAT test sensitivity is not too low, (b) that a reasonably large fraction of the population, of order 0.5% per day, can be tested, (c) that those testing positive are isolated for a sufficient duration, and that (d) testing is accompanied by other non-pharmaceutical interventions for increased effectiveness. We assess optimal testing regimes, taking into account test sensitivity and specificity, background seroprevalence and current test pricing. We find, surprisingly, that even 100% RAT test regimes should be acceptable, from both an epidemiological as well as a economic standpoint, provided the conditions outlined above are met.
The influence of the crowding assumptions in biofilm simulations
Authors: Angeles-Martinez Liliana , Hatzimanikatis Vassily
Published: July 2021

Microorganisms are frequently organized into crowded structures that affect the nutrients diffusion. This reduction in metabolite diffusion could modify the microbial dynamics, meaning that computational methods for studying microbial systems need accurate ways to model the crowding conditions. We previously developed a computational framework, termed CROMICS, that incorporates the effect of the (time-dependent) crowding conditions on the spatio-temporal modeling of microbial communities, and we used it to demonstrate the crowding influence on the community dynamics. To further identify scenarios where crowding should be considered in microbial modeling, we herein applied and extended CROMICS to simulate several environmental conditions that could potentially boost or dampen the crowding influence in biofilms. We explore whether the nutrient supply (rich- or low-nutrient media), the cell-packing configuration (square or hexagonal spherical cell arrangement), or the cell growing conditions (planktonic state or biofilm) modify the crowding influence on the growth of Escherichia coli. Our results indicate that the growth rate, the abundance and appearance time of different cell phenotypes as well as the amount of by-products secreted to the medium are sensitive to some extent to the local crowding conditions in all scenarios tested, except in rich-nutrient media. Crowding conditions enhance the formation of nutrient gradient in biofilms, but its effect is only appreciated when cell metabolism is controlled by the nutrient limitation. Thus, as soon as biomass (and/or any other extracellular macromolecule) accumulates in a region, and cells occupy more than 14% of the volume fraction, the crowding effect must not be underestimated, as the microbial dynamics start to deviate from the ideal/expected behaviour that assumes volumeless cells or when a homogeneous (reduced) diffusion is applied in the simulation. The modeling and simulation of the interplay between the species diversity (cell shape and metabolism) and the environmental conditions (nutrient quality, crowding conditions) can help to design effective strategies for the optimization and control of microbial systems.
ChIP-GSM: Inferring active transcription factor modules to predict functional regulatory elements
Authors: Chen Xi , Neuwald Andrew F. , Hilakivi-Clarke Leena , Clarke Robert , Xuan Jianhua
Published: July 2021

Transcription factors (TFs) often function as a module including both master factors and mediators binding at cis-regulatory regions to modulate nearby gene transcription. ChIP-seq profiling of multiple TFs makes it feasible to infer functional TF modules. However, when inferring TF modules based on co-localization of ChIP-seq peaks, often many weak binding events are missed, especially for mediators, resulting in incomplete identification of modules. To address this problem, we develop a ChIP-seq data-driven Gibbs Sampler to infer Modules (ChIP-GSM) using a Bayesian framework that integrates ChIP-seq profiles of multiple TFs. ChIP-GSM samples read counts of module TFs iteratively to estimate the binding potential of a module to each region and, across all regions, estimates the module abundance. Using inferred module-region probabilistic bindings as feature units, ChIP-GSM then employs logistic regression to predict active regulatory elements. Validation of ChIP-GSM predicted regulatory regions on multiple independent datasets sharing the same context confirms the advantage of using TF modules for predicting regulatory activity. In a case study of K562 cells, we demonstrate that the ChIP-GSM inferred modules form as groups, activate gene expression at different time points, and mediate diverse functional cellular processes. Hence, ChIP-GSM infers biologically meaningful TF modules and improves the prediction accuracy of regulatory region activities.
Mapping survey of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases towards mass drug administration in The Gambia
Authors: Camara Yaya , Sanneh Bakary , Joof Ebrima , Sanyang Abdoulie M. , Sambou Sana M. , Sey Alhagie Papa , Sowe Fatou O. , Jallow Amadou Woury , Jatta Balla , Lareef-Jah Sharmila , Sanneh Sainey , Njiokou Flobert , Jack Abdoulie , Ceesay Serign Jawo , Ukaga Chinyere
Published: July 2021

Background

A national mapping survey of schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) was conducted in The Gambia in May, 2015. The survey aimed at establishing endemicity of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases to inform decisions on program planning and implementation of mass drug administration (MDA).

Methodology/Principal findings

A cross-section of 10,434 eligible school aged children (SAC), aged 7 to 14 years old were enrolled in the survey. The participants were randomly sampled from 209 schools countrywide using N/50, where N = total eligible children per school. Stool, and urine samples were provided by each child and examined for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthic infections using double Kato-Katz, urine filtration, dipstick techniques and CCA rapid test kits. Data were managed using online LINKS system enabling real-time data availability and access. Epi Info version 3.5.3 and health mapper version 4.3.2 were used to generate outputs of endemicity and distribution. Descriptions of mapped districts for MDA eligibility and frequency were done with reference to WHO PC strategy recommendations. Mapping results indicated that nationally, the prevalence of schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) was 4.3% and 2.5% respectively. In terms of distribution STH are more common in Western Region One (WR1) at 4.1% prevalence, then Lower River Region (LRR) 3.6%, and Western Region Two (WR2) 3.0%. In contrast, SCH indicated much higher prevalence in Central River Region (CRR) at a rate of 14.2%. This is within medium prevalence range, and is followed by Upper River Region (URR) at 9.4%, which is within low prevalence range. At the district level, schistosomiasis prevalence seems to be highest in Niani district (22%) in CRR. Banjul island, the capital city, seems to have the highest prevalence of STH (up to 55%), followed by Kombo South with 22% prevalence. Schistosoma haematobium characterised by haematuria, was the most dominant infection of schistosomiasis discovered followed by Schistosoma mansoni which reported in 0.1% of infections. Out of 42 districts mapped 14, or 38%, of them are co-endemic for soil-transmitted helminthiases (ascariasis, trichuriasis, and hook-worm infections) and schistosomiasis (S. haematobium and S. mansoni).

Conclusions

We identified that 24/42(57%) districts mapped in The Gambia are endemic for schistosomiasis expressing the need for preventive chemotherapy. Twenty (47%) of the districts mapped are endemic for STH. However, only two STH endemic districts namely Banjul (55%) and Kombo South (22%) were within rates eligible for mass drug administration.
Addressing antimicrobial resistance by improving access and quality of care—A review of the literature from East Africa
Authors: Loosli Kathrin , Davis Alicia , Muwonge Adrian , Lembo Tiziana
Published: July 2021

Universal access to healthcare, including quality medicines, is a fundamental human right but is still out of reach for many in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). An existing framework capturing variability of access to healthcare in low-resource settings includes the 5 dimensions: availability, accessibility, affordability, adequacy, and acceptability. This framework encompasses key components, including health infrastructure and means to access it as well as service organisation, costs, and factors that influence users’ satisfaction. However, in reality, the effectiveness of accessed healthcare is measured by the likelihood of a positive outcome. We therefore propose an expansion of this framework to include an additional dimension, “aspects of quality,” incorporating quality, which critically influences the ability of the accessed services to generate optimal health outcomes. Within this framework, we explore literature from East Africa likely relevant to a range of LMIC contexts, mainly focusing on the provision of widely used antimicrobials such as antimalarials and antibiotics. We argue that major inadequacies exist across all 6 dimensions of access and quality of drugs and their provision. While the global focus is on curbing excessive antimicrobial use to tackle the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis, major constraints around access shape patients’ health-seeking decisions leading to potentially problematic practices that might exacerbate the AMR problem. We advocate for a holistic approach to tackling these inadequacies, encompassing all dimensions of access and quality of healthcare in order to improve health outcomes while simultaneously counteracting the AMR crisis.
Microbes increase thermal sensitivity in the mosquito Aedes aegypti, with the potential to change disease distributions
Authors: Ware-Gilmore Fhallon , Sgrò Carla M. , Xi Zhiyong , Dutra Heverton L. C. , Jones Matthew J. , Shea Katriona , Hall Matthew D. , Thomas Matthew B. , McGraw Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2021

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of many disease-causing viruses, including dengue (DENV), Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. As consequences of climate change, we expect an increase in both global mean temperatures and extreme climatic events. When temperatures fluctuate, mosquito vectors will be increasingly exposed to temperatures beyond their upper thermal limits. Here, we examine how DENV infection alters Ae. aegypti thermotolerance by using a high-throughput physiological ‘knockdown’ assay modeled on studies in Drosophila. Such laboratory measures of thermal tolerance have previously been shown to accurately predict an insect’s distribution in the field. We show that DENV infection increases thermal sensitivity, an effect that may ultimately limit the geographic range of the virus. We also show that the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, which is currently being released globally as a biological control agent, has a similar impact on thermal sensitivity in Ae. aegypti. Surprisingly, in the coinfected state, Wolbachia did not provide protection against DENV-associated effects on thermal tolerance, nor were the effects of the two infections additive. The latter suggests that the microbes may act by similar means, potentially through activation of shared immune pathways or energetic tradeoffs. Models predicting future ranges of both virus transmission and Wolbachia’s efficacy following field release may wish to consider the effects these microbes have on host survival.
The School Attachment Monitor—A novel computational tool for assessment of attachment in middle childhood
Authors: Rooksby Maki , Di Folco Simona , Tayarani Mohammad , Vo Dong-Bach , Huan Rui , Vinciarelli Alessandro , Brewster Stephen A. , Minnis Helen
Published: July 2021

Background

Attachment research has been limited by the lack of quick and easy measures. We report development and validation of the School Attachment Monitor (SAM), a novel measure for largescale assessment of attachment in children aged 5–9, in the general population. SAM offers automatic presentation, on computer, of story-stems based on the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST), without the need for trained administrators. SAM is delivered by novel software which interacts with child participants, starting with warm-up activities to familiarise them with the task. Children’s story completion is video recorded and augmented by ‘smart dolls’ that the child can hold and manipulate, with movement sensors for data collection. The design of SAM was informed by children of users’ age range to establish their task understanding and incorporate their innovative ideas for improving SAM software.

Methods

130 5–9 year old children were recruited from mainstream primary schools. In Phase 1, sixty-one children completed both SAM and MCAST. Inter-rater reliability and rating concordance was compared between SAM and MCAST. In Phase 2, a further 44 children completed SAM complete and, including those children completing SAM in Phase 1 (total n = 105), a machine learning algorithm was developed using a “majority vote” procedure where, for each child, 500 non-overlapping video frames contribute to the decision.

Results

Using manual rating, SAM-MCAST concordance was excellent (89% secure versus insecure; 97% organised versus disorganised; 86% four-way). Comparison of human ratings of SAM versus the machine learning algorithm showed over 80% concordance.

Conclusions

We have developed a new tool for measuring attachment at the population level, which has good reliability compared to a validated attachment measure and has the potential for automatic rating–opening the door to measurement of attachment in large populations.
Use of non-invasive intracranial pressure pulse waveform to monitor patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Authors: Rickli Cristiane , Cosmoski Lais Daiene , dos Santos Fábio André , Frigieri Gustavo Henrique , Rabelo Nicollas Nunes , Schuinski Adriana Menegat , Mascarenhas Sérgio , Vellosa José Carlos Rebuglio
Published: July 2021

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is treated mainly by hemodialysis, however, hemodialysis is associated with frequent complications, some of them involve the increased intracranial pressure. In this context, monitoring the intracranial pressure of these patients may lead to a better understanding of how intracranial pressure morphology varies with hemodialysis. This study aimed to follow-up patients with ESRD by monitoring intracranial pressure before and after hemodialysis sessions using a noninvasive method. We followed-up 42 patients with ESRD in hemodialysis, for six months. Noninvasive intracranial pressure monitoring data were obtained through analysis of intracranial pressure waveform morphology, this information was uploaded to Brain4care® cloud algorithm for analysis. The cloud automatically sends a report containing intracranial pressure parameters. In total, 4881 data points were collected during the six months of follow-up. The intracranial pressure parameters (time to peak and P2/P1 ratio) were significantly higher in predialysis when compared to postdialysis for the three weekly sessions and throughout the follow-up period (p<0.01) data showed general improvement in brain compliance after the hemodialysis session. Furthermore, intracranial pressure parameters were significantly higher in the first weekly hemodialysis session (p<0.05). In conclusion, there were significant differences between pre and postdialysis intracranial pressure in patients with ESRD on hemodialysis. Additionally, the pattern of the intracranial pressure alterations was consistent over time suggesting that hemodialysis can improve time to peak and P2/P1 ratio which may reflect in brain compliance.
Autocrine signaling by receptor tyrosine kinases in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
Authors: Lee Young H. , Lee Molly M. , De Silva Dinuka M. , Roy Arpita , Wright Cara E. , Wong Tiffany K. , Costello Rene , Olaku Oluwole , Grubb Robert L. , Agarwal Piyush K. , Apolo Andrea B. , Bottaro Donald P.
Published: July 2021

Comprehensive characterizations of bladder cancer (BCa) have established molecular phenotype classes with distinct alterations and survival trends. Extending these studies within the tyrosine kinase (TK) family to identify disease drivers could improve our use of TK inhibitors to treat specific patient groups or individuals. We examined the expression distribution of TKs as a class (n = 89) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) muscle invasive BCa data set (n >400). Patient profiles of potentially oncogenic alterations (overexpression and/or amplification) clustered TKs into 3 groups; alterations of group 1 and 3 TKs were associated with significantly worse patient survival relative to those without alterations. Many TK pathways induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which promotes tumor invasiveness and metastasis. Overexpression and/or amplification among 9 EMT transcriptional activators occurred in 43% of TCGA cases. Co-occurring alterations of TKs and EMT transcriptional activators involved most group 1 TKs; 24% of these events were associated with significantly worse patient survival. Co-occurring alterations of receptor TKs and their cognate ligands occurred in 16% of TCGA cases and several BCa-derived cell lines. Suppression of GAS6, MST1 or CSF1, or their respective receptors (AXL, MST1R and CSF1R), in BCa cell lines was associated with decreased receptor activation, cell migration, cell proliferation and anchorage independent cell growth. These studies reveal the patterns and prevalence of potentially oncogenic TK pathway-related alterations in BCa and identify specific alterations associated with reduced BCa patient survival. Detection of these features in BCa patients could better inform TK inhibitor use and improve clinical outcomes.
Spatio-temporal modelling for the evaluation of an altered Indian saline Ramsar site and its drivers for ecosystem management and restoration
Authors: Naik Rajashree , Sharma Laxmikant
Published: July 2021

Saline lakes occupy 44% and 23% of the volume and area of all lakes that are tending to suffer from extended dryness, reduced hydro period, or complete desiccation by 2025. The current study is conducted on Sambhar Salt Lake, the largest inland saline Ramsar, site of India, contributing to 9.86% of total salt production. The lake is under threat due to illegal salt pan encroachment, losing brine worth 300 million USD. The objective was to identify the key drivers that affect the lake at a landscape level. Geospatial modelling was conducted for 96 years (1963–2059) at a decadal scale, integrating ground data (birds-soil-water). Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classification was conducted using CORONA aerial imagery of 1963, along with Landsat imageries, using supervised classification for 1972, 1981, 1992, 2009, and 2019, and future prediction for 2029, 2039, 2049, and 2059. Further, images were classified into 8 classes that include the Aravali hills, barren land, saline soil, salt crust, salt pans, wetland, settlement, and vegetation. Past trends show a reduction of wetland from 30.7 to 3.4% at a constant rate (4.23%) to saline soil, which subsequently seemed to increase by 9.3%, increasing thereby the barren land by 4.2%; salt pans by 6.6%, and settlement by 1.2% till 2019. Future predictions show loss of 40% wetland and 120% of saline soil and net increase in 30% vegetation, 40% settlement, 10% salt pan, 5% barren land, and a net loss of 20%, each by Aravali hills and salt crust. Additionally, the ground result shows its alteration and reduction of migratory birds from 3 million to 3000. In the light of UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), restoration strategies are suggested; if delayed, more restoration capital may be required than its revenue generation.