bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GENERATION OF MODE-SELECTIVE FREQUENCY RESPONSE FUNCTIONS FROM TEMPORALLY SAMPLED, BROADBAND AND MULTIMODAL GUIDED ULTRASONIC WAVE SIGNALS
Authors: ROLOFF THOMAS , SINAPIUS MICHAEL
Published: December 2023

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems for thin-walled, large-scale structures using guided ultrasonic waves (GUW) have recently been complemented by methods based on frequency response functions (FRF). These approaches enable the calculation of the structure’s response to any artificially generated excitation signal within the frequency range under investigation. This study presents a novel concept for extracting separate FRFs for the two fundamental modes from temporally sampled, broadband and multimodal GUW signals. In this work, quasi-ideal impulse response functions (IRF) are generated by retransforming multimodal broadband FRFs into the time domain. These FRFs are recorded energy-efficiently using sweep excitation and contain all occurring GUW components at the sensing position. The extended dispersion based frequency-domain intrinsic component decomposition (DBFICD) algorithm and the iterative frequency-domain envelopetracking filter (IFETF) algorithm are used to extract the corresponding signal components from the IRFs. Based on their different dispersive behaviour they can be assigned to the fundamental modes and combined to form the two respective IRFs. Transforming the latter back into the frequency domain results in two separate FRFs. This allows damage detection algorithms to estimate the structure’s mode-selective response to any selected signal within the frequency range under investigation. The method is validated experimentally by recording multimodal and single-mode FRFs in an aluminium plate with a mode-selective, two-sided piezoelectric actuator setup and a laser Doppler vibrometer. The estimated single-mode structural responses based on the FRFs extracted by the presented approach agree well with the actual responses to mode-selective excitation. The presented concept enables mode-selective FRF-based SHM systems to work with multimodal excitation, which reduces setup complexity and increases the application range by providing information for both fundamental modes over a wide frequency range.
CASE STUDY FOR USING OPEN-SOURCE UAV-DEPLOYABLE WIRELESS SENSOR NODES FOR MODAL-BASED MONITORING OF CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
Authors: SATME JOUD N. , YOUNT RYAN , SMITH JASON , DOWNEY AUSTIN R. J.
Published: December 2023

OPEN JOURNAL SYSTEMS Journal Help SUBSCRIPTION Access All Papers USER You are logged in as... admin My Journals My Profile Log Out NOTIFICATIONS View (7 new) Manage JOURNAL CONTENT Search Search Scope All Browse By Issue By Author By Title FONT SIZE Make font size smallerMake font size defaultMake font size larger INFORMATION For Librarians Table of Contents Purchase Full Access Hard Cover CASE STUDY FOR USING OPEN-SOURCE UAV-DEPLOYABLE WIRELESS SENSOR NODES FOR MODAL-BASED MONITORING OF CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE JOUD N. SATME, RYAN YOUNT, JASON SMITH, AUSTIN R. J. DOWNEY ABSTRACT Experimental modal analysis is an important technique used in structural health monitoring to evaluate the dynamic properties of a structure, such as natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes. There has been an increasing interest in using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform experimental modal analysis, as they offer several advantages over traditional hardwired sensing systems. UAVs equipped with deployable wireless sensor packages can capture a vast amount of data due to their high mobility, enabling the identification of subtle structural behaviors that would be more challenging to obtain using conventional sensors. This case study focuses on the use of UAV-deployable wireless sensor nodes to perform experimental modal analysis on a pedestrian bridge in use. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the potential for monitoring the dynamic properties of a structure using networks of UAV-deployable sensor packages. The paper reports on the development of an open-source UAV-deployable sensor node designed for autonomous deployment on steel structures. The open-source sensor package is a standalone system that includes independent energy storage along with nonvolatile memory and radio frequency communication capabilities. A high-performance microcontroller is utilized to record and process acceleration data in real-time. Moreover, the microcontroller processes various input/output commands, manages the transmission of status updates, and controls the electropermanent magnet onboard during the docking procedure in combination with the UAV to ensure safe deployment. The case study consists of an experimental approach, using a vibration-based sensing network in conjunction with a structural shaker, to capture the structural dynamics of a pedestrian bridge under forced excitation. The results showed that the UAV-deployable wireless sensor nodes were able to capture accurate and reliable data, enabling the identification of the bridge’s first flexural mode shape. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights into the challenges and prospects associated with using UAV-deployable sensors for the dynamic modeling of structures in a structural health monitoring framework.
MONITORING DAMAGE EVOLUTION IN CARBON/ EPOXY AND CARBON/THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES USING ACOUSTIC EMISSION TECHNIQUE
Authors: RIJAL MANOJ , OBIE-ROLLE TRAVIS , SUNDARESAN MANNUR
Published: December 2023

Detecting, monitoring, and quantifying the growth of damage in structural components in real time is important for assuring safety of aerospace structures. Acoustic emission (AE) technique is one of the tools that can facilitate such monitoring and quantification of damage growth and provide meaningful insight into damage evolution. Damage growth in composite materials has long been studied under laboratory setting and documented in the literature, but there is a need to track such failure modes in real structures under operational conditions. In this study the progression of damage in pristine carbon/epoxy composites under static loading were examined. Bonded wide band sensors capable of detecting frequency components up to 2 MHz were used to differentiate signals from the three primary AE sources, namely, matrix cracks, delaminations, and fiber breaks. Traditional acoustic emission parameters as well as the waveform characteristics were used to classify the acoustic emission signals related to the three failure modes. Individual clusters of fiber breaks, progressive growth of individual matrix cracks as well as delamination growths were also traced using these techniques. The correspondence between the failure mode and the respective waveforms characteristics were validated to a limited extent using both experimental techniques as well as numerical simulations. Based on these classifications, the rate of growth of individual failure modes was also quantified using their respective cumulative energy. The appearance of greater number of AE clusters related to fiber breaks and the increase in their sizes along with cumulative energy are found to be a clear indication of impending failure.
A COMPARISON OF OPTICAL SENSING SYSTEMS WITH PIEZO-ELECTRIC SENSORS FOR IMPACT IDENTIFICATION OF COMPOSITE PLATES
Authors: MARINHO NATALIA  RIBEIRO , LOENDERSLOOT, RICHARD , GROOTEMAN FRANK , WIEGMAN JAN WILLEM , TINGA TIEDO
Published: December 2023

This paper proposes using Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) and piezoelectric (PZT) sensors for impact identification. The main objective is to evaluate the ability of the state-ofthe- art sensors to estimate the impact energy, using the results of the PZTs as a reference. This approach allows a fair comparison and overcomes the inherent variability of different test runs of the same measurement. The comparison of sensor technologies consists of evaluating sensitivity to features for impact energy estimation, signal strength, repeatability, directivity, and signal correlation. Small-mass impacts were applied to a square composite plate at different locations and energies. The energy was kept low enough to avoid damaging the panel. The PZT and FGB sensors were placed at the same locations but on either side of the panel to compare signals evenly. The results showed that the energy from the measured response reflects the impact energy level. Moreover, FBGs and PZTs had comparable responses and an apparent similarity in time response, besides consistency in the frequency domain. The higher sampling rate for the PZTs allows for the analysis of higher frequency bands, compared to FBGs, showing relevant amplitudes above 10kHz. Future work will focus on developing and validating a force reconstruction algorithm and defining the optimal sensor configuration.
COMBINED ACOUSTIC AND MODAL STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING AND STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT
Authors: FRIEDMANN HERBERT , KRAEMER PETER , NUBER ANDREAS , SCHMIDT CHRISTOPH , ADAM TOBIAS
Published: December 2023

The paper presents the first results of a recently completed R+D project KamoS - the acronym stands for Combined Acoustic and Modal Structural Health Monitoring and Structural Assessment. The scope of the project was to understand how combined approaches based on guided ultrasonic waves, acoustic emission and vibration measurement can be used for the monitoring of aircraft structures under changing operational conditions. The main idea is to combine the advantages of local and global Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) approaches. For the experimental validation of the first developed algorithms an extended measurement campaign was carried out on a realistic aircraft door environment. The laboratory tests combined active and passive measurement principles based on ultrasound and vibration to ensure robust and reliable damage detection and localization. In this paper only the experimental setup of the aircraft structure and some results based on vibration monitoring are presented. The obtained measurement data sets serve for the development of further damage identification algorithms.
AUTOMATIC AND HIGH-PRECISION ACOUSTIC EMISSION-BASED STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Authors: MOMENI SEYYEDMAALEK , SCHUMACHER THOMAS , LINZER LINDSAY , LECAMPION BRICE
Published: December 2023

Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring is a useful technique to monitor the health of a structure continuously, helping to prevent potential failure. AE are elastic waves produced and emitted during fracture processes inside a material and are recorded by sensors. Using quantitative geophysics-based methods, the recorded signals can be processed to monitor and describe the spatio-temporal growth of fracture in brittle materials such as concrete in real-time. Because of the complex nature of the recorded elastic signals and the non-homogeneous medium condition of concrete, data are usually processed manually. Combined with the high processing cost of the large datasets collected, which may exceed Terabytes, this approach has not found many real-world applications. Thus, an automated methodology is needed that can reduce costs, while maintaining high-precision, for implementation in a structural health monitoring (SHM) scheme. Here we discuss the application of a new automated and high-precision AE monitoring algorithm and software called SIMRGH [5,6] suitable for SHM of concrete structures. The core software has been developed for the laboratory-scale (in scale of centimeters) hydraulic fracture monitoring. It is up-scaled to the meters scale and works for heterogeneous media. The software works with various standard data formats and can handle trigger-based as well as continuous data. In this paper, we show some initial results of implementing the software for AE monitoring of two 4.88-meter-long concrete beams loaded in the laboratory and compare it with manually processed AE data. We were able to locate at least three up to 10 times more AE sources compared to when manual processing was used and with higher precision. If enough processing units are provided, the software can run in parallel and enable real-time SHM with excellent precision on crack geometry imaging. Future work will include implementing moment tensor inversion (MTI) to characterize AE source physics, providing valuable information for decision makers regarding the nature of the captured data.
TARGET-FREE, VISION-BASED SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION OF CIVIL STRUCTURES USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
Authors: ALKADY KHALID , RASQUINHA ACHILLES G. , BRANDL JOSEF T. , WITTICH CHRISTINE E. , DETWEILER CARRICK
Published: December 2023

Vibration-based structural health monitoring (SHM) frameworks rely upon accurately identified natural frequencies and mode shapes of structures in the field, which is critical information for damage diagnostics and model updating. Vibrationbased techniques have traditionally relied on discrete contact-based sensors. Despite the success of traditional sensing modalities, challenges and limitations remain: 1) the sensors need to be placed at discrete locations, and 2) the structure needs to be accessed for instrumentation. Advancements in the fields of computer vision and robotics have facilitated the use of remote sensing technology, such as cameras and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), in vibration-based SHM applications to address the limitations of traditional sensors. Although UAVs have been used to monitor the dynamic response of structures, these applications have primarily relied on targets or GPS to track the structure’s motion, which is not always feasible due to the large scale of civil structures. To this end, the main objective of this study is to develop an end-to-end target-free, vision-based framework for system identification of civil structures using UAVs. The proposed framework incorporates a phase-based motion estimation approach to extract the structural vibration information from videos without placing targets in the scene. For videos collected by UAVs, a correction needs to be applied to account for the camera’s rigid body motion. To compensate for this motion, the framework extracts the power spectral density (PSD) plot of a static object in the scene and subtracts it from the PSDs of the structure-of-interest. To evaluate the efficacy and robustness of the developed framework, an experimental study was conducted to monitor the free vibration response of two single-degree-of-freedom structures using three different UAVs in a controlled laboratory environment. The analysis shows strong agreement between the results extracted from UAVs equipped with high-resolution cameras with those from a stationary camera and those from accelerometers. Furthermore, the results show that camera resolution, alignment, and motion can significantly impact the accuracy of the results. This study shows the potential of successfully incorporating UAVs into target-free vision-based dynamic monitoring frameworks.
NOVEL APPROACH FOR IMAGING TIME SERIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF CLASSIFICATION RESULTS “GRAYSCALE FINGERPRINT FEATURES FIELD IMAGING (G3FI)”
Authors: JOUMAA HAMMOUD AL
Published: December 2023

The remarkable successes achieved by Deep Learning (DL) in computer vision drew the attention of researchers to exploit this capability to apply it for the processing of time series and multivariate data. Thus, researcher began the development of suitable methods to transform time series signals into, images to enable the use of DL techniques to improve the classification of time series data. The most state-of-art techniques are Recurrence Plot (RP), Gramian Angular Field (GAF), or Markov Transition Field (MTF). These techniques transform each time series into RGB image. In this paper, a new transformation technique of time series and multivariate data to images technique is proposed. This technique is called <Grayscale Fingerprint Features Field Imaging" (G3FI). The main differences between this technique and state-of-art techniques are: a) the resulted image is a grayscale; b) the size of the resulted image is much smaller than the size of resulted images using state-of-art techniques. These differences provide the proposed technique with several advantages over the prior art, as it (a) results in avoiding redundant information and (b) noise, and (c) leads to a significant reduction in the required computational power. For the proof of concept, a dataset "Sonar, Mines vs. Rocks" is investigated and individually transformed using RP, GAF, and MTF, and the new developed technique "G3FI". The resulted images from each transformer are individually used to train and test Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). The proposed method leads to competitive results in comparison to RP, GAF, and MTF.
FUNDAMENTAL STUDY ON DAMAGE DETECTION OF CIVIL STRUCTURES MODELED AS MDOF SYSTEM BASED ON MACHINE LEARNING
Authors: MIKAMI ATSUSHI
Published: December 2023

In Japan, the deterioration of civil structures constructed during the period of strong economic growth combined with the shortage of engineers has become a serious social problem. One solution to address this issue is to improve the efficiency of structural maintenance and management using sensors. The application of machine learning method is expected to advance such efforts. This research attempts the damage detection of civil structures using an autoencoder, which is a type of unsupervised machine learning. The study revealed that there is a relation between the magnitude of reconstruction error and the degree of damage to the structure.
EDUSAS (Educación Universitaria para la Salud y la Sostenibilidad): un proyecto de innovación docente para la educación de la ciudadanía global en la comunidad universitaria
Authors: Badanta Romero Bárbara , Borrego Marin María del Mar , De Diego Cordero Rocío , Tarriño Concejero Lorena
Published: December 2023

Esta obra ofrece los resultados del desarrollo de un proyecto de innovación docente llevado a cabo en la Universidad de Sevilla: el proyecto EDUSAS (Educación Universitaria para la Salud y la Sostenibilidad); en él se plantea la formación y sensibilización de la comunidad académica en la relación entre salud y sostenibilidad con perspectiva de género. Para ello, se presenta la economía circular como un nuevo modelo de desarrollo sostenible que contribuye a alcanzar las metas propuestas por la Agenda 2030 y los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS). Para acometer esta propuesta, se han planificado actividades que, por una parte, permiten la identificación visual de la temática y, por otra, incluyen las nuevas tecnologías como estrategia educativa innovadora que admite extender los contenidos a otros contextos.
Arquitectura e inteligencia emocional en el pensamiento de Juhani Pallasmaa.
Authors: Crespo Fajardo José Luis
Published: December 2023

Este trabajo se adentra en cómo influye el mundo de las emociones en la percepción de la arquitectura. Los avances en neurociencia y en inteligencia emocional nos sirven para comprender mejor el pensamiento de uno de los teóricos más influyentes en la arquitectura contemporánea, Juhani Pallasmaa. Sus reflexionen han contribuido a un nuevo campo de estudio, la fenomenología de la arquitectura, donde se entremezclan aspectos relativos a la psicología, a la filosofía y a contenidos literarios de cariz poético.
Arte y Teoría en los discursos plásticos de Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy y Óscar Domínguez.
Authors: Parra Romero Carlos
Published: December 2023

La obra artística de Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy y Óscar Domínguez cuenta, en un principio, con diferencia entre ambas. Sin embargo, estos artistas de las primeras vanguardias cuentan con una serie de semejanzas rastreadas en otros enfoques que se hallan más allá de lo formal. Para darle un soporte a dicha afirmación, se analizará en cada caso el desarrollo artístico que ha tenido con el fin de llegar a cómo se ha entendido las relaciones artísticas entre ellos antes, durante y después la década de los 30 del siglo XX, momentos en los que coincidieron en el movimiento surrealista. De este modo, se apreciará cómo hay un sentido poético acentuado entre ellos, además de unas particularidades simbólicas, perceptuales e imaginativas que entran en los condicionantes e intereses de cada artista. De este modo, se abarcará un análisis teórico-artístico centrado en la mirada realista y conceptual de aquello que no esté relacionado con lo determinado hasta ahora por la historiografía.
Chocolate toxicosis in pets
Authors: Bates Nicola
Published: December 2023

Chocolate ingestion is very common in pets, particularly dogs, but has also been reported in other animals including cats and rabbits. Most cases occur around Christmas and Easter, when large amounts of chocolate are often present in the home in the form of chocolate bars, snacks, confectionery, Easter eggs and chocolate figurines. Chocolate-covered raisins, nuts and coffee beans present an additional toxicological hazard in dogs. The type of chocolate is defined in law by the percentage of cocoa solids, with dark (plain) chocolate containing more than milk chocolate. The main toxic component of chocolate is theobromine, a methylxanthine, although caffeine, another methylxanthine, is also present. These cause central nervous system stimulation with cardiac and respiratory hyperactivity. Signs include gastrointestinal effects, excitability, hyperactivity, tachycardia, tremors, hypertension and hyperthermia. Signs of toxicosis generally occur within a few hours of ingestion. The mainstays of treatment are decontamination and supportive care with rehydration, control of central nervous system stimulation and arrhythmias as required. Most pets recover fully, and death is uncommon; however, prognosis is more guarded in pets with seizures or arrhythmias.
NUCLEAR ANXIETY: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE FILMS, DR. STRANGELOVE AND THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
Authors: ÇELİKSAP Sefa , ERBAŞ Engin Deniz
Published: December 2023

Due to the Cuban Missile Crisis between the USA and the USSR in 1962, the nuclear war was closer than ever. This situation thought as the most terrifying result of the Cold War era has also been the subject of film productions. Director Stanley Kubrick, satirically and critically, portrayed the US and Soviet politics of the time in his film "Dr. Strangelove." Conversely, John McTiernan's film "The Hunt for Red October," released in 1990, presents the politics of that era through American conservative values. These films reflect the policies of the era of unipolar world order, while also shed light on the transition period to a multipolar world order. In 2014, the Russian Federation's military intervention in the Crimean Federal District marked the beginning of a new era. In the following years, the Russian Federation expanded its military operations into Ukraine's interior regions, and consequently, this leads to concerns about nuclear threat once again. In this time of nuclear concerns has risen again, it is seen critical evaluate these films in the current context. These films, which present the politics of the era from different perspectives, were analyzed comparatively using a critical discourse analysis method.
HOVSEP KURBANYAN’IN ROMANLARININ VE KATKIDA BULUNDUĞU ESERLERİN TÜRK KÜLTÜRÜ İÇİNDEKİ YERİ
Authors: HAMARAT YARDIMCI Zehra
Published: December 2023

Türkçe yüzyıllar boyunca farklı alfabelerle yazılmış, ana dili farklı olan kişiler tarafından ortak iletişim dili olarak kullanılmıştır. Bu durum Türk dilinin zenginleşmesine ve Türkçe pek çok eserin yazılmasına imkân sağlamıştır. Osmanlı toplumu içinde özellikle Ermeniler hem ortak iletişim dili olarak Türkçeyi kendilerine has bir konuşma biçimiyle kullanmış hem de Türkçenin yazımında kendi alfabelerinin imkânlarından faydalanmışlardır. Bu makalede, Türkçenin yazılmasında belli bir dönem kullanılan Ermeni alfabesi üzerinde durulmuş ve Osmanlının son döneminde yaşamış olan Hovsep Kurbanyan’ın eserleri ile makale sınırlandırılmıştır. Ermeni alfabesiyle Türkçe yazılan eserlerin Türk edebiyatı ve Türk dili için önemine, Türk kültürünü ve özellikle İstanbul folklorunu yansıtma noktasındaki değerine dikkat çekmek amaçlanmış ve bu amaçla Hovsep Kurbanyan’ın yazdığı iki roman ve yazılmasına katkıda bulunduğu bir antoloji incelenmiştir.

Hovsep Kurbanyan’ın yazmış olduğu İki Kapu Yoldaşları adlı üç ciltlik romanın ve Mihran Bidar Arabacıyan ile birlikte yazdıkları Hayın Bir Adem adlı iki ciltlik romanın hem sosyal tarih adına hem de İstanbul’un gündelik hayatı ve folkloru adına önemli veriler içerdiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Mihran Bidar Arabacıyan’a ait olmakla birlikte Kurbanyan’ın, neşir noktasında katkı sağladığı Hazine-yi Eşar adlı antolojinin ise Ermeni aşuğların Türk dilini kullanmadaki üstün yeteneğini ortaya koyan değerli bir eser olduğu ve Türk halk edebiyatı için önemli veriler sunduğu anlaşılmıştır. Dolayısıyla, Ermeni harfleri ile Türkçe yazılan eserlerin ayrıntılı olarak incelenmesi Osmanlı toplumunun, İstanbul’un gündelik hayatının ve folklorunun, her şeyden önemlisi ise Türkçenin özel kullanımlarının ortaya çıkarılmasına katkı sağlayacaktır.
Validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the 9-item Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ-9)
Authors: Esa Dekta Filantropi , Shatri Hamzah , Rumende Cleopas Martin , Susilo Adityo , Maulahela Hasan , Fauzi Achmad , Simadibrata Marcellus
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND Decreasing the quality of life (QoL) of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will increase morbidity and mortality. A valid and reliable instrument is needed to assess the QoL of patients with IBD. This study aimed to analyze the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the 9-item Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ-9).

METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Indonesian version of the IBDQ-9 in adult patients with IBD at the Gastroenterology Outpatient Clinic, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, in November 2022. Patients aged 18 to 59 years who had experienced IBD for at least 2 weeks and provided informed consents were included. The total score of the IBDQ-9 Indonesian version was compared with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) using the Spearman's correlation test. Reliability tests were examined using Cronbach’s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

RESULTS A total of 124 participants were included in this study. The Spearman's test showed a high and significant result for the IBDQ-9 Indonesian version and the SF-36 (r = 0.769 and p<0.001). Cronbach’s alpha and ICC coefficient were equal to 0.883.

CONCLUSIONS This study provided evidence of the good validity and reliability of the IBDQ-9 Indonesian version for assessing the QoL of patients with IBD in Indonesia.
Bambara groundnut ameliorates kidney histology in female mice with protein deficiency
Authors: Firdiana Vykra Aulia , Gunanegara Rimonta Febby , Sunarti  , Nuriliani Ardaning
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND Protein deficiency (PD) can lead to kidney damage. Consuming plant-based proteins may improve this condition. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea)has an essential amino acid score of 80%, which is higher than other legumes; thus, it is potent in overcoming malnutrition. This study aimed to determine the effect of Bambara groundnut supplementation on kidney histology in adult female mice with PD.

METHODS The study was conducted for 2 months in randomly selected female mice. These mice were grouped into the control, PD, and PD supplemented with Bambara groundnuts at 100, 200, and 300 g/kg of feed. 1 day after the last treatment, the kidneys of the mice were collected and processed histologically using the paraffin method (stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome). Parameters for observation included histopathological scoring (glomerular and interstitial space fibrosis and tubular damage), kidney histomorphometry, and organ index. Semi-quantitative data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test, while quantitative data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA (followed by Tukey’s test) and nested t-test. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20 (IBM Corp., USA) (p≤0.05).

RESULTS PD caused cell sloughing (moderate level) and dilatation (severe level) of the kidney tubules. It also reduced glomerular diameter and area by approximately 17.66% and 29%, respectively. PD and Bambara groundnut administration had no significant effects on the glomerular number, cortex and medulla thickness, distal and proximal tubule diameter, and kidney organ index (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS Bambara groundnut (V. subterranea) administration prevented damage to the kidney’s histological structure of protein-deficient mice.
Science communication in Congress: for what use?
Authors: Akerlof K.L. , Lemos Maria Carmen , Cloyd Emily T. , Heath Erin , Nelson Selena , Hathaway Julia , Timm Kristin M.F.
Published: December 2023

Background:

Elected members of the US Congress rely on staff, including fellows with scientific and engineering expertise, to find and interpret information for use in policymaking. Factors that impede, or facilitate, the communication of scientific information within the institution thus can play a critical role in legislative capacity, but there is a limited understanding of these dynamics in the hyper-partisan body.

Aims and objectives:

This study presents and tests a four-dimensional model describing how the obstacles to science communication in Congress change depending on whether information is sought for use in support of established policy positions (‘strategic use’) or to inform decision making (‘substantive use’).

Methods:

Data were collected between November 2017 and February 2019 through interviews with 58 congressional staff members in personal offices assigned to energy, natural resources, and science issue portfolios, and through surveys with 68 science and engineering fellows who completed their year in Congress between 2015 and 2019.

Findings:

Placing scientists and engineers in Congress as fellows augments staffing and institutional expertise. Yet we find that both staff and fellows experience communication-related impediments in using scientific information. Staff report more challenges in using science to substantively make policy decisions, due not only to lack of time, but also factors such as contacts, access, and information presentation. Fellows report fewer barriers and use science for policy in largely identical ways to staff.

Discussion and conclusion:

These findings support the proposed model and highlight the importance of staff scientific fluency and the decision-making context for science communication in Congress.
La Racionalidad Neoliberal en los proyectos de ley en materia de delitos contra el patrimonio en el Brasil (2019-2022)
Authors: Machado Lopes Iara Maria
Published: December 2023

La racionalidad neoliberal habita el Estado, las instituciones, los cuerpos, las mentes y las subjetividades. Para asegurar su hegemonía, utiliza diversos aparatos, como el propio sistema penal y su mecanismo primario de criminalización. La investigación selecciona una de sus repercusiones: la represión legislativa de los comportamientos relacionados con el patrimonio. Por lo tanto, el trabajo busca examinar si los proyectos de ley relativos a los delitos contra la propiedad, presentados en la 56ª legislatura del Congreso Nacional de Brasil (2019-2022), sirven a este propósito y si hacen explícito el funcionamiento práctico del neoliberalismo. El objetivo es, en primer lugar, comprender cómo opera el castigo bajo la racionalidad neoliberal y cómo el Estado adopta esta última para ejecutar la primera; y luego analizar las propuestas normativas para explicitar y ratificar rasgos vinculados a la razón hegemónica. La metodología consiste en un análisis documental, un análisis legislativo y una revisión bibliográfica. Se pudo constatar que los proyectos, entre otras explicaciones, recogían una racionalidad neoliberal marcada por el reclamo de más castigo y una lógica de criminalización de la pobreza e individualización de la responsabilidad. Además, otras tendencias observables son la falta de fundamentación empírica, el discurso del pánico social, los bajos índices de aprobación y la recurrencia de casos cada vez más específicos y puntuales.
Reseña de 'Il malinteso della vittima. Una lettura femminista della cultura punitiva'
Authors: Sbriller Lucía , Zampicchiatti Maria Eugenia
Published: December 2023

Reseña del libro Il malinteso della vittima. Una lettura femminista della cultura punitiva, Tamar Pitch, Edizioni GruppoAbele, 2022, 112 pp.
Increased sugar valuation contributes to the evolutionary shift in egg-laying behavior of the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii
Authors: Cavey Matthieu , Charroux Bernard , Travaillard Solène , Manière Gérard , Berthelot-Grosjean Martine , Quitard Sabine , Minervino Caroline , Detailleur Brice , Grosjean Yaël , Prud’homme Benjamin
Published: December 2023

Behavior evolution can promote the emergence of agricultural pests by changing their ecological niche. For example, the insect pest Drosophila suzukii has shifted its oviposition (egg-laying) niche from fermented fruits to ripe, non-fermented fruits, causing significant damage to a wide range of fruit crops worldwide. We investigate the chemosensory changes underlying this evolutionary shift and ask whether fruit sugars, which are depleted during fermentation, are important gustatory cues that direct D. suzukii oviposition to sweet, ripe fruits. We show that D. suzukii has expanded its range of oviposition responses to lower sugar concentrations than the model D. melanogaster, which prefers to lay eggs on fermented fruit. The increased response of D. suzukii to sugar correlates with an increase in the value of sugar relative to a fermented strawberry substrate in oviposition decisions. In addition, we show by genetic manipulation of sugar-gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) that sugar perception is required for D. suzukii to prefer a ripe substrate over a fermented substrate, but not for D. melanogaster to prefer the fermented substrate. Thus, sugar is a major determinant of D. suzukii’s choice of complex substrates. Calcium imaging experiments in the brain’s primary gustatory center (suboesophageal zone) show that D. suzukii GRNs are not more sensitive to sugar than their D. melanogaster counterparts, suggesting that increased sugar valuation is encoded in downstream circuits of the central nervous system (CNS). Taken together, our data suggest that evolutionary changes in central brain sugar valuation computations are involved in driving D. suzukii’s oviposition preference for sweet, ripe fruit.
Prevalence and predictors of use of long-term and short-acting reversible contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Wakiso and Hoima districts, Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Arunda Malachi Ochieng , Estellah Babirye Mary , Sjöland Carl Fredrik , Kyasanku Emmanuel , Mugamba Stephen , Olwa Vitalis Ofumbi , Bulamba Robert , Kato Phillip , Nkale James , Nalugoda Fred , Kigozi Grace Nalwoga , Nakigozi Gertrude , Kigozi Godfrey , Kagaayi Joseph , Kiwanuka Deusdedit , Watya Stephen , Ekström Anna Mia , Larsson Elin C.
Published: December 2023

Modern contraceptive use has increased globally, but unmet needs persist in low- and middle-income countries. This study in Uganda aimed to examine the prevalence and factors influencing the use of short-acting reversible contraceptives (SARC) like pills and long-term methods such as intrauterine devices. Limited evidence exists on the use of SARC and long-term methods in Uganda. Data from the Africa Medical and Behavioural Sciences Organization (AMBSO) Population Health Surveillance (APHS) in Hoima and Wakiso districts were analysed. Among the 1642 women aged 15–49 years, the prevalence of modern contraceptive use was 30% for SARC, and 18% for long-term method. Women with formal education were three times more likely to use long-term methods than those without formal education, relative risk ratios (RRR), 3.1–3.4, (95%CI 1.2–8.2). Joint decision-making for contraceptive use increased SARC usage, RRR 1.4 (95%CI 1.1–1.8). Urbanization played a role, with women in more urbanized Wakiso district less likely to use any modern contraception, RRR 0.6–0.7 (95%CI 0.5–0.9) compared to those living in the less urbanized Hoima. About half of the women in the study used modern contraceptives and the use of SARC was almost twice that of long-term methods. Increased access to contraception education for all women of reproductive age could significantly improve the use of long-term methods which offer more reliable protection against unintended pregnancies. The findings shed light on the need to strengthen both general and sexuality education to girls and women and to tailor contraception access for all in need, for mobile semi-urban as well as rural women. Well-informed strategies that engage young men and male partners in informed decision-making for contraceptive use could enhance progress.
The Chikungunya virus: A reemerging cause of acute febrile illness in the high jungle of northern Peru
Authors: Aguilar-Luis Miguel Angel , Watson Hugh , Tarazona-Castro Yordi , Troyes-Rivera Lucinda , Cabellos-Altamirano Felipe , Silva-Caso Wilmer , Aquino-Ortega Ronald , Carrillo-Ng Hugo , Zavaleta-Gavidia Victor , del Valle-Mendoza Juana
Published: December 2023

Background

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) that causes undifferentiated acute febrile illness. Cases of CHIKV may be under-reported in Peru, given the various difficulties in diagnosing it, such as lack of diagnostic tests in remote areas, the passive nature of epidemiological surveillance, and co-circulation of other arthropod-borne pathogens. Therefore, a study was conducted in the high jungle of northern Peru to determine the prevalence of CHIKV among febrile patients and describe their clinical characteristics.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the province of Jaen, Cajamarca, located in the high jungle of northern Peru. Patients attending primary healthcare centers within Cajamarca’s Regional Health Directorate were enrolled. The study took place from June 2020 through June 2021. Patients were eligible if they sought outpatient healthcare for a clinical diagnosis of acute febrile illness (AFI). Serum samples were collected from all patients, and the diagnosis of CHIKV was determined using real-time RT-PCR, as well as the detection of IgM antibodies by ELISA. A logistic regression model was employed to identify the risk factors for CHIKV, and the odds ratios (ORs) were calculated, along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

A total of 1 047 patients with AFI were included during the study period. CHIKV was identified in 130 patients of 1 047 (12.4%). Among the CHIKV positive cases, 84 of 130 (64.6%) were diagnosed by RT-PCR, 42 of 130 (32.3%) by IgM ELISA detection, and 4 of 130 (3.1%) by both assays. The majority of patients with CHIKV infection fell within the 18–39 years age group (50.0%), followed by the 40–59 years age group (23.9%) and those with 60 years or older (10.8%). The most common clinical symptoms observed in patients with CHIKV infection were headache (85.4%), myalgias (72.3%), and arthralgias (64.6%). The highest number of positive CHIKV cases occurred in May (23.1%), followed by March (20.0%) and February (13.8%) of 2021.

Conclusion

The study reports a considerable frequency of CHIKV infections among patients with AFI from the high jungle of northern Peru. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing CHIKV as an ongoing pathogen with continuous transmission in various areas of Peru. It is crucial to enhance epidemiological surveillance by implementing reliable diagnostic techniques, as the clinical symptoms of CHIKV infection can be nonspecific.
Longitudinal study of Chlamydia pecorum in a healthy Swiss cattle population
Authors: Loehrer Samuel , Hagenbuch Fabian , Marti Hanna , Pesch Theresa , Hässig Michael , Borel Nicole
Published: December 2023

Chlamydia pecorum is a globally endemic livestock pathogen but prevalence data from Switzerland has so far been limited. The present longitudinal study aimed to get an insight into the C. pecorum prevalence in Swiss cattle and investigated infection dynamics. The study population consisted of a bovine herd (n = 308) located on a farm in the north-eastern part of Switzerland. The herd comprised dairy cows, beef cattle and calves all sampled up to five times over a one-year period. At each sampling timepoint, rectal and conjunctival swabs were collected resulting in 782 samples per sampled area (total n = 1564). Chlamydiaceae screening was performed initially, followed by C. pecorum-specific real-time qPCR on all samples. For C. pecorum-positive samples, bacterial loads were determined. In this study, C. pecorum was the only chlamydial species found. Animal prevalences were determined to be 5.2–11.4%, 38.1–61.5% and 55–100% in dairy cows, beef cattle and calves, respectively. In all categories, the number of C. pecorum-positive samples was higher in conjunctival (n = 151) compared to rectal samples (n = 65), however, the average rectal load was higher. At a younger age, the chlamydial prevalence and the mean bacterial loads were significantly higher. Of all sampled bovines, only 9.4% (29/308) were high shedders (number of copies per μl >1,000). Calves, which tested positive multiple times, either failed to eliminate the pathogen between sampling timepoints or were reinfected, whereas dairy cows were mostly only positive at one timepoint. In conclusion, C. pecorum was found in healthy Swiss cattle. Our observations suggested that infection takes place at an early age and immunity might develop over time. Although the gastrointestinal tract is supposed to be the main infection site, C. pecorum was not present in rectal samples from dairy cows.
A cautionary note on the use of N-acetylcysteine as a reactive oxygen species antagonist to assess copper mediated cell death
Authors: Graham Rebecca E. , Elliott Richard J. R. , Munro Alison F. , Carragher Neil O.
Published: December 2023

A new form of cell death has recently been proposed involving copper-induced cell death, termed cuproptosis. This new form of cell death has been widely studied in relation to a novel class of copper ionophores, including elesclomol and disulfiram. However, the exact mechanism leading to cell death remains contentious. The oldest and most widely accepted biological mechanism is that the accumulated intracellular copper leads to excessive build-up of reactive oxygen species and that this is what ultimately leads to cell death. Most of this evidence is largely based on studies using N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, to relieve the oxidative stress and prevent cell death. However, here we have demonstrated using inductively coupled mass-spectrometry, that NAC pretreatment significantly reduces intracellular copper uptake triggered by the ionophores, elesclomol and disulfiram, suggesting that reduction in copper uptake, rather than the antioxidant activity of NAC, is responsible for the diminished cell death. We present further data showing that key mediators of reactive oxygen species are not upregulated in response to elesclomol treatment, and further that sensitivity of cancer cell lines to reactive oxygen species does not correlate with sensitivity to these copper ionophores. Our findings are in line with several recent studies proposing the mechanism of cuproptosis is instead via copper mediated aggregation of proteins, resulting in proteotoxic stress leading to cell death. Overall, it is vital to disseminate this key piece of information regarding NAC’s activity on copper uptake since new research attributing the effect of NAC on copper ionophore activity to quenching of reactive oxygen species is being published regularly and our studies suggest their conclusions may be misleading.
The static balance ability on soft and hard support surfaces in older adults with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Qi Liuxin , Zhou Mian , Mao Min , Yang Jie
Published: December 2023

Objective

This study aimed to assess the static balance ability of the older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) while standing on soft and hard support surfaces.

Methods

Forty older adults participated in this study (21 in the MCI group and 19 in the control group). Participants were required to perform balance tests under four conditions of standing: standing on a hard support surface with eyes open, standing on a soft support surface with eyes open, standing on a hard support surface with eyes closed, and standing on a soft support surface with eyes closed. Each test was measured in three trials and each trial lasted 30 seconds. Participants were asked to take off their shoes and place their feet in a parallel position with a 20-centimeter distance for bipedal support. The trajectories of the center of pressure (COP) were measured using a Kistler force platform with a frequency of 1000 Hz to assess balance while standing in both groups, with larger COP trajectories indicating poorer static balance in older adults.

Results

With eyes open, the displacement of COP in the anterior-posterior direction(D-ap) (hard support surface: P = 0.003) and the 95% confidence ellipse area(95%AREA-CE) (soft support surface: P = 0.001, hard support surface: P < 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group standing on hard and soft support surfaces were significantly larger than the control group. The 95%AREA-CE (P < 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group on the soft support surface was significantly larger than on the hard support surface. With eyes closed, the root mean square distance(RDIST), root mean square distance-ML(RDISTml), and 95%AREA-CE of the COP were no significant between-group differences when standing on hard support surfaces. However, the RDIST (P = 0.014), RDISTml (P = 0.014), and 95%AREA-CE (P = 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group on the soft support surfaces were significantly larger than the control group. The 95%AREA-CE (P < 0.001), RDIST (P < 0.001), and RDISTml (P < 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group on the soft support surface were significantly larger than the hard support surface.

Conclusion

With eyes open, the older adults with MCI showed poorer static balance ability compared to the older adults with normal cognition on soft and hard support surfaces. With eyes closed, the older adults with MCI showed poorer static balance on soft support surfaces, but no differences on hard support surfaces compared with the older adults with normal cognition. With eyes open and closed, the older adults with MCI showed poorer static balance on soft support surfaces as compared to hard support surfaces.