bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expert consensus for in-hospital neurorehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Gandhi Dorcas B.C. , Kamalakannan Sureshkumar , Chockalingam Manigandan , Sebastian Ivy A. , Urimubenshi Gerard , Alim Mohammed , Khatter Himani , Chakraborty Stuti , Solomon John M.
Published: May 2021

Background: People with neurological dysfunction have been significantly affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis in receiving adequate and quality rehabilitation services. There are no clear guidelines or recommendations for rehabilitation providers in dealing with patients with neurological dysfunction during a pandemic situation especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this paper was to develop consensus-based expert recommendations for in-hospital based neurorehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic for low- and middle-income countries based on available evidence. 

Methods: A group of experts in neurorehabilitation consisting of neurologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were identified for the consensus groups. A scoping review was conducted to identify existing evidence and recommendations for neurorehabilitation during COVID-19. Specific statements with level 2b evidence from studies identified were developed. These statements were circulated to 13 experts for consensus. The statements that received ≥80% agreement were grouped in different themes and the recommendations were developed. 

Results: 75 statements for expert consensus were generated. 72 statements received consensus from 13 experts. These statements were thematically grouped as recommendations for neurorehabilitation service providers, patients, formal and informal caregivers of affected individuals, rehabilitation service organizations, and administrators. 

Conclusions: The development of this consensus statement is of fundamental significance to neurological rehabilitation service providers and people living with neurological disabilities. It is crucial that governments, health systems, clinicians and stakeholders involved in upholding the standard of neurorehabilitation practice in low- and middle-income countries consider conversion of the consensus statement to minimum standard requirements within the context of the pandemic as well as for the future.
Tritium Organic Compounds in the Environment and Human Organism
Authors: Barchukov V.
Published: May 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the ratio of tritium oxide and tritium organic compounds in the environment and in the body in order to justify the graded approach when calculating the dose for the personnel working in the presence of tritium and its compounds in the air of the working area.

Material and methods: The study covered the forms of tritium (HTO and OBT) in water, air and bodies of the personnel working under conditions of the presence of tritium and its compounds in the air of the working area. Samples of water, air and biological assays (urine) of the personnel were collected for the study. Sample preparation of the collected material was carried out according to the approved methods certified by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “VNIIFTRI”. The liquid scintillation alpha-beta spectrometer Tri-Carb 3180TR/SL was used when estimating tritium concentrations in the preformed samples.

Results: It has been established that in the environment (water and air) and under the industrial conditions (air of the working area), tritium is to a greater extent in the form of OBT, which determines its predominant intake into the body of the personnel in the form of OBT. The ratio of tritium forms in biological fluids (urine) of the personnel was estimated using three methods. It was shown that OBT in the body of the personnel accounted for 70 to 90 %. These data indicate that OBT in the body of the personnel accounts for a larger share in comparison with HTO, therefore, the dose assessments of the personnel when working with tritium and its compounds should be revised.

Conclusion: Taking into account the developed methods for the separation of tritium oxide and its organic forms, the assessment of the dose induced by tritium exposure should be performed gradually, taking into account the ratio of these forms in the body of the particular worker.
Methodical Approaches to Establishing Control Levels’ Parameters of the Radiation Environment and Radiation Doses to Staff
Authors: Simakov A. , Abramov Yu. , Proskuryakova N , Isaev O , Alferova T
Published: May 2021

Purpose: The aim of work is to substantiate methodological approaches in establishing the parameters of the radiation situation at the workplaces of staff and radiation doses.
Results: Methodological approaches to establishing the following types of control levels (CL) are presented:
- the maximum possible CL, established from the conditions of guaranteed not exceeding the permissible values of the parameters of the radiation situation and the limits of radiation doses;
- CL, established from the condition of fixing the achieved values of the parameters of the radiation situation at a level below acceptable values;
- CL, exceeding the permissible values of the parameters of the radiation environment, established in those cases when the time of radiation exposure is short, and the decrease in existing levels is associated with significant labor and dose costs.
Regulatory documents of the sanitary-epidemiological standardization system require the establishment of CL for radiation facilities for all monitored parameters with the aim of operational monitoring of the radiation situation, preventing exceeding the basic dose limits for personnel and the public, fixing the achieved level of radiation safety and ensuring further reduction of exposure levels for personnel and the public. In this case, the interpretation of the results of radiation monitoring should be carried out taking into account the uncertainty of the measurement result of the parameters of the radiation situation and radiation doses.
Recalcitrant Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Lee Jae-Hoo , Park Min-Jong
Published: May 2021

Complications and failures after carpal tunnel release have been reported from 3% to 25%. And the revision surgeries usually show poorer outcomes than the primary surgeries. There are diverse etiologies causing neuropathic symptoms after the carpal tunnel release, which became a clinical challenge. Potential causes of the symptoms are categorized into three by those natures; persistent symptom, recurrent symptom, and new symptom. The decision of proper management should be based on the etiologies of reproduced symptoms. This article described an overview of the clinical presentation, etiologies, diagnosis, and treatments of the recalcitrant carpal tunnel syndrome.
Evaluating student knowledge about sexual exploitation using an interprofessional approach to teaching and learning
Authors: Birks Eileen , Ridley Angela
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to qualitatively assess student perceived impact of a novel interprofessional approach to delivering education on sexual exploitation (SE). This article reports on research that we designed, delivered and evaluated to develop an interprofessional community of learning, enabling SE to be discussed with second-year undergraduate students. Participants came from a broad range of specialties. Following the study, students reported an increased level of awareness, understanding and confidence when working with SE. This interprofessional education session has since been incorporated into the nursing, midwifery and allied health programme in a local university and is part of a second-year undergraduate module on knowledge and skills for safe practice.
An obesity strategy to reduce COVID-19 morbidity and mortality
Authors: Glasper Alan
Published: May 2021

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses the recently launched campaign in England with a package of measures to help people lose weight and mitigate effects of COVID-19
Addressing patient sexuality issues in cancer and palliative care
Authors: Williams Mary , Addis Gulen
Published: May 2021

The impact of cancer and subsequent treatments can have serious implications for patient sexuality, both physically and psychologically. Patients report inadequate communication and support from professionals in relation to sexual issues. The aim of this literature review was to ascertain the educational requirements of health professionals practising in oncology and palliative care, to enable effective assessment and support in this area of clinical practice. There appear to be numerous barriers preventing professionals from addressing patient sexuality—lack of knowledge and poor confidence levels being among the most common. Appropriate education is required to equip staff, and it appears that short training programmes can be effective. The use of sexuality assessment tools and information cards, and accessing information from cancer charity websites may improve clinical practice. Addressing sexuality concerns is the responsibility of each person in the multidisciplinary team. Patients require open discussion and professionals must skilfully address the topic of sexuality. Education in this area must be accessible, cost effective and sustainable.
Pain management in community-dwelling older adults with moderate-to-severe dementia
Authors: Ando Chiaki , Kanno Yusuke , Uchida Osamu , Nashiki Emiko , Kosuge Noriko , Ogawa Asao
Published: May 2021

Background:

This study explored visiting nurses' knowledge and beliefs regarding pain management in community-dwelling older adults with moderate-to-severe dementia.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data in 2019. A questionnaire was mailed to nursing managers at 1037 home-visiting nursing stations in Japan.

Findings:

The final analysis included 230 responses. The mean score on the knowledge and belief statements was 14 out of a possible 18, and respondents with more pain management training obtained a higher total score on knowledge than those without such training (p<.001). More than 95% indicated that they needed training on pain management for older adults with dementia.

Conclusion:

Visiting nurses in Japan require training in pain management for older adults with moderate-to-severe dementia. Despite its usefulness, the current pain management training programme should be improved to enable visiting nurses to manage dementia patients' pain more confidently.
Design and experimental demonstration of 8-QAM coherent free-space optical communication using amplitude compensation and phase recovery
Authors: Li Lin , Geng Tianwen , Wu Zhiyong , Gao Shijie , Li Xueliang
Published: May 2021

In this paper, a new, to the best of our knowledge, scheme is proposed to mitigate the atmospheric turbulence effect in coherent free-space optical (FSO) communications with 8-quadrature amplitude modulation by employing amplitude compensation and phase recovery. The amplitude compensation and phase recovery algorithm in the scheme can significantly improve system performance without acquiring instantaneous channel state information or probability density function of a turbulence model. Numerical studies show that the bit error rate of the proposed scheme is four orders of magnitude lower than that of the system without any algorithm over a lognormal turbulence channel with normalized standard deviation of irradiance

σ
=
0.25

and phase noise with normalized variance

σ

ϕ

2

=
0.07

, when the frequency offset

f
o

=
20

M
H
z

, combined linewidth

Δ
f
=
10

k
H
z

, and average signal-to-noise ratio

γ
=
20

d
B

. Experiments are also carried out to investigate the performance of the scheme, and the results prove its superiority. Hence, this scheme can contribute to practical realization of the FSO system.
High-port-count optical circuit switches for intra-datacenter networks [Invited Tutorial]
Authors: Mori Yojiro , Sato Ken-Ichi
Published: May 2021

With the rapid spread of cloud-based services, intra-datacenter traffic is growing exponentially. In typical present datacenters, top-of-rack switches, which act as gateways to computer systems, are interconnected via multi-tier electrical-switching networks. The electrical switch necessitates costly optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical conversion. Furthermore, its power consumption will explode due to the ever-increasing intra-datacenter traffic. To handle the large volumes of traffic in a cost-effective manner, optical switches are expected to play a key role in future intra-datacenter networks. To realize such cost-effective networks, high-port-count optical circuit switches will be a critical component. High-port-count optical circuit switches can be used to construct a flat network, and we can reduce the dependence on costly multi-tier electrical-switching networks. In this tutorial paper, we overview high-port-count optical circuit switch architectures for future intra-datacenter networks and discuss their characteristics. The high-port-count switch can be attained by combining the different dimensions of space and wavelength.
Evolution of plasticity in production and transgenerational inheritance of small RNAs under dynamic environmental conditions
Authors: Silva Willian T. A. F. , Otto Sarah P. , Immler Simone
Published: May 2021

In a changing environment, small RNAs (sRNAs) play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and can vary in abundance depending on the conditions experienced by an individual (phenotypic plasticity) and its parents (non-genetic inheritance). Many sRNAs are unusual in that they can be produced in two ways, either using genomic DNA as the template (primary sRNAs) or existing sRNAs as the template (secondary sRNAs). Thus, organisms can evolve rapid plastic responses to their current environment by adjusting the amplification rate of sRNA templates. sRNA levels can also be transmitted transgenerationally by the direct transfer of either sRNAs or the proteins involved in amplification. Theory is needed to describe the selective forces acting on sRNA levels, accounting for the dual nature of sRNAs as regulatory elements and templates for amplification and for the potential to transmit sRNAs and their amplification agents to offspring. Here, we develop a model to study the dynamics of sRNA production and inheritance in a fluctuating environment. We tested the selective advantage of mutants capable of sRNA-mediated phenotypic plasticity within resident populations with fixed levels of sRNA transcription. Even when the resident was allowed to evolve an optimal constant rate of sRNA production, plastic amplification rates capable of responding to environmental conditions were favored. Mechanisms allowing sRNA transcripts or amplification agents to be inherited were favored primarily when parents and offspring face similar environments and when selection acts before the optimal level of sRNA can be reached within the organism. Our study provides a clear set of testable predictions for the evolution of sRNA-related mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity and transgenerational inheritance.
DSPP dosage affects tooth development and dentin mineralization
Authors: Lim Dandrich , Wu Ko-Chien , Lee Arthur , Saunders Thomas L. , Ritchie Helena H.
Published: May 2021

Dentin Sialoprotein (DSP) and phosphophoryn (PP) are two most dominant non-collagenous proteins in dentin, which are the cleavage products of the DSPP (dentin sialophosphoprotein) precursor protein. The absence of the DSPP gene in DSPP knock-out (KO) mice results in characteristics that are consistent with dentinogenesis imperfecta type III in humans. Symptoms include thin dentin, bigger pulp chamber with frequent pulp exposure as well as abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, and the appearance of chondrocyte-like cells in dental pulp. To better understand how DSPP influences tooth development and dentin formation, we used a bacterial artificial chromosome transgene construct (BAC-DSPP) that contained the complete DSPP gene and promoter to generate BAC-DSPP transgenic mice directly in a mouse DSPP KO background. Two BAC-DSPP transgenic mouse strains were generated and characterized. DSPP mRNA expression in BAC-DSPP Strain A incisors was similar to that from wild-type (wt) mice. DSPP mRNA expression in BAC-DSPP Strain B animals was only 10% that of wt mice. PP protein content in Strain A incisors was 25% of that found in wt mice, which was sufficient to completely rescue the DSPP KO defect in mineral density, since microCT dentin mineral density analysis in 21-day postnatal animal molars showed essentially identical mineral density in both strain A and wt mice. Strain B mouse incisors, with 5% PP expression, only partially rescued the DSPP KO defect in mineral density, as microCT scans of 21-day postnatal animal molars indicated a reduced dentin mineral density compared to wt mice, though the mineral density was still increased over that of DSPP KO. Furthermore, our findings showed that DSPP dosage in Strain A was sufficient to rescue the DSPP KO defect in terms of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, odontoblast lineage maintenance, along with normal dentin thickness and normal mineral density while DSPP gene dosage in Strain B only partially rescued the aforementioned DSPP KO defect.
Effect of disinfection agents and quantification of potentially viable Leptospira in fresh water samples using a highly sensitive integrity-qPCR assay
Authors: Richard Elise , Bourhy Pascale , Picardeau Mathieu , Moulin Laurent , Wurtzer Sébastien
Published: May 2021

Leptospirosis is an emerging worldwide zoonotic disease, but the general biology of the causative agents is still poorly understood. Humans are an occasional host. The main risk factors are water-associated exposure during professional or recreational activities or during outbreaks in endemic areas. Detecting the presence of pathogenic bacteria in aquatic environments and their capacity to resist various inactivation processes are research fields that need to be further developed. In addition, the methods used for detecting and enumerating Leptospira still need to be improved. We aimed to describe a new quantitative polymerase chain reaction coupled to propidium monoazide treatment (PMAqPCR) that targets not only total Leptospira but also discriminates pathogenic from non-pathogenic Leptospira while also addressing PCR inhibitors, a frequently encountered problem when studying environmental water. In a second step, the killing efficiency of Leptospira to different treatments was tested and PMAqPCR compared to culture-based enumeration. This provided information about the effects of temperature, as well as ultraviolet and chlorine disinfection, that are both related to water treatment processes, in particular for the production of drinking water, on the persistence of both saprophytic and pathogenic Leptospira. Finally, PMAqPCR was used for the detection of Leptospira in freshwater samples for a proof-of-concept. In conclusion, our method could be used for routine freshwater monitoring and allows better evaluation of the presence of Leptospira, allowing evaluation of the bacterial dynamics in a designated area or assessment of the efficacy of water disinfection processes.
Body size ideals and body satisfaction among Dutch-origin and African-origin residents of Amsterdam: The HELIUS study
Authors: Hoenink Jody C. , Galenkamp Henrike , Beune Erik J. , Hartman Marieke A. , Snijder Marieke B. , Dijkshoorn Henriette , Peters Ron J. G. , Bal Ellen , Stronks Karien , Nicolaou Mary
Published: May 2021

Objective

Obesity is highly prevalent among ethnic minorities and acceptance of larger body sizes may put these ethnic minorities at risk of obesity. This study aimed to examine body size ideals and body satisfaction in relation to body weight, in two Sub-Saharan African (SSA)-origin groups in the Netherlands compared to the Dutch. Additionally, in the two SSA-origin groups, this study assessed the mediating role of acculturation in the relation between ethnicity and body size ideals and body satisfaction.

Methods

Dutch, African Surinamese and Ghanaians living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, participated in the observational HELIUS study (n = 10,854). Body size ideals were assessed using a validated nine figure scale. Body satisfaction was calculated as the concordance of current with ideal figure. Acculturation was only assessed among SSA-origin participants and acculturation proxies included age of migration, residence duration, ethnic identity and social network. Weight and height were measured using standardised protocols.

Results

SSA-origin women and Ghanaian men had larger body size ideals compared to the Dutch; e.g. Surinamese and Ghanaian women had 0.37 (95%CI 0.32; 0.43) and 0.70 (95%CI 0.63; 0.78) larger body size ideals compared to Dutch women. SSA-origin participants were more often satisfied with their weight compared to the Dutch. Similarly, SSA-origin participants had more than twice the odds of being satisfied/preferring a larger figure compared to the Dutch (e.g. BSurinamese men 2.44, 95%CI 1.99; 2.99). Within the two SSA-origin groups, most acculturation proxies mediated the relation between ethnicity and body size ideals in women. Limited evidence of mediation was found for the outcome body satisfaction.

Conclusion

Public health strategies promoting a healthy weight may need to be differentiated according to sex and ethnic differences in body weight perception. Factors other than acculturation may underlie the ethnic differences between African Surinamese and Ghanaians in obesity.
On the general relationship between plant height and aboveground biomass of vegetation stands in contrasted ecosystems
Authors: Proulx Raphaël
Published: May 2021

Ecological communities are unique assemblages of species that coexist in consequence of multi-causal processes that have proven hard to generalize. One possible exception are processes that control the biomass packing of vegetation stands; the amount of aboveground standing biomass expressed per unit volume. In this paper, I investigated the empirical and geometric underpinnings of biomass packing in terrestrial plant communities. I support that biomass packing in nature peaks around 1 kg m-3 across contrasted contexts, ranging from grasslands to forest ecosystems. Using published experimental and long-term survey data, I show that expressing biomass per unit volume cancels the effects of air temperature, species richness and soil fertility on aboveground stocks, thus providing a general comparative measure of storage efficiency in plant communities.
Transcriptome analysis unveils survival strategies of Streptococcus parauberis against fish serum
Authors: Lee Yoonhang , Kim Nameun , Roh HyeongJin , Kim Ahran , Han Hyun-Ja , Cho Miyoung , Kim Do-Hyung
Published: May 2021

Streptococcus parauberisis an important bacterial fish pathogen that causes streptococcosis in a variety of fish species including the olive flounder. Despite its importance in the aquaculture industry, little is known about the survival strategy ofS.parauberisin the host. Therefore, the objective of this study was to produce genome-wide transcriptome data and identify key factors for the survival ofS.parauberisSPOF3K in its host. To this end,S.parauberisSPOF3K was incubated in olive flounder serum and nutrient-enriched media as a control. AlthoughS.parauberisSPOF3K proliferated in both culture conditions, the transcriptomic patterns of the two groups were very different. Interestingly, the expression levels of genes responsible for the replication of anS.parauberisplasmid in the presence of olive flounder serum were higher than those in the absence of olive flounder serum, indicating that this plasmid may play an important role in the survival and proliferation ofS.parauberisin the host. Several ATP-binding cassette transporters known to transport organic substrates (e.g., biotin and osmoprotectants) that are vital for bacterial survival in the host were significantly up-regulated inS.parauberiscultured in serum. In addition,groEL,dnaKoperon, and members of theclpprotease family, which are known to play important roles in response to various stressors, were up-regulated inS.parauberisincubated in serum, thus limiting damage and facilitating cellular recovery. Moreover, important virulence factors including the hyaluronic acid capsule (hasoperon), sortase A (srtA), C5a peptidase (scp), and peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase (oatA) were significantly upregulated inS.paraubersin serum. These results indicate thatS.parauberscan resist and evade the humoral immune responses of fish. The transcriptomic data obtained in this study provide a better understanding of the mode of action ofS.parauberisin fish.
Unravelling the molecular basis of the dominant negative effect of myosin XI tails on P-bodies
Authors: Stephan Lisa , Jakoby Marc , Das Arijit , Koebke Eva , Hülskamp Martin
Published: May 2021

The directional movement and positioning of organelles and macromolecules is essential for regulating and maintaining cellular functions in eukaryotic cells. In plants, these processes are actin-based and driven by class XI myosins, which transport various cargos in a directed manner. As the analysis of myosin function is challenging due to high levels of redundancy, dominant negative acting truncated myosins have frequently been used to study intracellular transport processes. A comparison of the dominant negative effect of the coiled-coil domains and the GTD domains revealed a much stronger inhibition of P-body movement by the GTD domains. In addition, we show that the GTD domain does not inhibit P-body movement when driven by a hybrid myosin in which the GTD domain was replaced by DCP2. These data suggest that the dominant negative effect of myosin tails involves a competition of the GTD domains for cargo binding sites.
Intersections of food insecurity, violence, poor mental health and substance use among US women living with and at risk for HIV: Evidence of a syndemic in need of attention
Authors: Leddy Anna M. , Zakaras Jennifer M. , Shieh Jacqueline , Conroy Amy A. , Ofotokun Ighovwerha , Tien Phyllis C. , Weiser Sheri D.
Published: May 2021

Background

Food insecurity and intimate partner violence (IPV) are associated with suboptimal HIV prevention and treatment outcomes, yet limited research has explored how food insecurity and IPV intersect to influence HIV-related behaviors. To fill this gap, we conducted a qualitative study with women living with or at risk for HIV in the United States.

Methods

We conducted 24 in-depth interviews with women enrolled in the San Francisco and Atlanta sites of the Women’s Interagency HIV study (WIHS). Participants were purposively sampled so half were living with HIV and all reported food insecurity and IPV in the past year. Semi-structured interviews explored experiences with food insecurity and IPV, how these experiences might be related and influence HIV risk and treatment behaviors. Analysis was guided by an inductive-deductive approach.

Results

A predominant theme centered on how food insecurity and IPV co-occur with poor mental health and substance use to influence HIV-related behaviors. Women described how intersecting experiences of food insecurity and IPV negatively affected their mental health, with many indicating using substances to “feel no pain”. Substance use, in turn, was described to perpetuate food insecurity, IPV, and poor mental health in a vicious cycle, ultimately facilitating HIV risk behaviors and preventing HIV treatment adherence.

Conclusions

Food insecurity, IPV, poor mental health and substance use intersect and negatively influence HIV prevention and treatment behaviors. Findings offer preliminary evidence of a syndemic that goes beyond the more widely studied “SAVA” (substance use, AIDS, and violence) syndemic, drawing attention to additional constructs of mental health and food insecurity. Quantitative research must further characterize the extent and size of this syndemic. Policies that address the social and structural drivers of this syndemic, including multi-level and trauma-informed approaches, should be implemented and evaluated to assess their impact on this syndemic and its negative health effects.
See the light: ‘Biking-with’ as an a/r/tographic method of public pedagogy
Authors: Mayers Rebecca
Published: May 2021

Given the prevalence of cycling as a recreational activity and mode of transportation, cities are continuously increasingly incorporating cycling into their plans for the future. Considering the rise of cycling in popular and academic discourse, it is paramount to consider the lived experience of cycling and be able to conduct and disseminate research in a meaningful way. Drawing upon a/r/tography as a methodology, whereby the artist/researcher/teacher coexist, this article explores ‘biking-with’ as a political practice and critical public pedagogy opposed to dominant discourse of mobility and space in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The findings suggest that ‘biking-with’ as civic action and challenge norms around private/public space.
A Combined Unmixing Framework for Impervious Surface Mapping on Medium-Resolution Images with Visible Shadows
Authors: Luo Hui , Chen Nan
Published: May 2021

Spectral unmixing methods with medium-resolution remote sensing images have become the main approach to mapping urban impervious-surface information. However, as more tall buildings appear, numerous visible shadows exist in medium-resolution images; these have usually been ignored in
previous research, but they seriously affect accuracy. To solve this problem, we propose a combined unmixing framework to extract impervious surface in nonshadow and shadow areas, using linear and nonlinear unmixing models, respectively. First shadow is separated from nonshadow. Then a nonlinear
unmixing method is selected to map impervious surface in shadow, which is more suitable to the complex imaging environment in shadow, and a classic linear unmixing model in nonshadow. Through experimental tests, the proposed combined unmixing framework is shown to effectively reduce error
in two study areas compared with classical unmixing methods.
Collage-Based Research and Design
Authors: Wehmeyer Sarah
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summay: In her contribution »Collage-Based Research and Design«, Sarah Wehmeyer addresses the distinct differentiation between design-based and design-related forms of investi- gation in architecture. Hereby, she fosters reflexive design and research processes and practices as sources of »design-specific knowledge«. In this regard, she highlights applied artistic and superordinate theoretical aspects as well as discusses practical skills and scientific capacities inherent to the medium of collage as an architecture-specific tool for design and research. This contribution can be read as a precise and distinct examination of the collage as an artifact, media of design, knowledge creation, and communication, and as an alternative - artistic-reflexive - methodological approach to research in architecture. [Katharina Voigt]
Reflexions on the Plurality of Methods in Architecture
Authors: Atalay Franck Oya
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summary: With »Reflexions on the Plurality of Research Methodology in Architecture«, Oya Atalay Franck explores the plurality of methods in architecture, unfolding the broad variety of working fields in the discipline. She highlights the specificity of the design tasks, resulting in a unique challenge for each task with correspondingly individual answers and results, thereby framing designing as an adaptive creational process that corresponds to the distinct demands of the project. Although the design process here is outlined as interactive and feedback-dependent, including the interwoven use of different media and working methods, this contribution questions whether the discipline of architecture can actually be investigated according to proven procedures of research practice. [Katharina Voigt]
Architecture Schools and Their Relationship with Research: It's Complicated
Authors: Silberberger Jan
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summary: In »Architecture Schools and Their Relationship with Research: It's Complicated«, Jan Silberberger describes the problematic divide between practicing architects that teach design at architecture schools and scholars investigating the practices of designing from a theoretical or social scientific perspective. Identifying three recurrent misunderstandings between these two groups, he stresses the lack of awareness about genuine research approaches within the discipline of architecture. Emphasizing the interconnectivity of research and practice, Silberberger highlights the potential for further development of the discipline that thorough reflections on the methodologies applied in architectural design afford. [Katharina Voigt]
Thinking the Transformative
Authors: Bösenberg Steffen
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summary: Steffen Bösenberg's contribution »Thinking the Transformative« reflects the dynamic momentum of reflexive design and research. In reference to the working process of his doctoral thesis, he highlights the procedural circularity of reflexive, concept-driven research approaches, tracing the »circular motion of constant reflection and rethinking«. Hereby a transdisciplinary concept of »plasticity« is explored as a productive tool in the analysis of design methods in adaptive reuse. Decision-making, reconsideration, comparison or evaluation thereby become considerable as reciprocally interlinked processes, which equally depend upon and shape each other. Most interestingly, the transformation and plasticity of the process mirrors the dynamic dimension of the investigated case studies. [Katharina Voigt]
Architects as Public Intellectuals: How Far Beyond Can We Go?
Authors: Knoop Hannah
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summary: The research of Hannah Knoop is methodologically based on political theory, extended by fundamental methods of art history and the humanities. The starting point of her work is the presumption that the work on the design, the architectural activity, also inherits an intellectual dimension and that both the architect as a person understands, and represents the challenge, expectation, and dimension of the so-called intellectuality, as well as that the public grants her this quality. She observes that the quantitative research method in political science is based on three principles: contextuality, processuality, and reflexivity; terms that are quite familiar within the discipline of architecture and which have corresponding connotations. In doing so, she stresses that a critical examination and constant review of this transfer from an established research science to the architectural research field is essential. [Ferdinand Ludwig]
What the Files Reveal: Making Everyday Architecture Talk
Authors: Boucsein Benedikt
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summary: Typically, design projects leave traces in building archives. Benedikt Boucsein sees great potential in this practice, as it can be used for a research methodology that explores archival material from the designer's perspective, especially for work that is otherwise not archived. In his text Benedikt Boucsein illustrates this through the example from everyday architecture of the reconstruction period after World War II, which he denominated as »Grey Architecture«. One major insight of this research was that the building files were more important for the research than the actual buildings, and that working in the archive helped make this particular architecture »speak« for the first time, unveiling how the built environment is produced. He concludes that archival material may, especially for everyday architecture, be more important than the actual building, and that the designer's view is decisive in understanding this material. [Ferdinand Ludwig]
What is Architectural Psychology?
Authors: Abel Alexandra
Published: May 2021

Editorial Summary: Alexandra Abel explores the general potential of disciplinary fusion and, specifically, the incorporation of psychology into the field of architecture, aiming for an architectural psychology. In her contribution »What is Architectural Psychology?«, she questions the possible intertwining of the two disciplines, highlighting their reciprocal interconnectivity. She draws specific attention to the substantial ways in which the consideration of psychological findings affect the perception and appropriation of architectural spaces and their sensual and attentive impact on human well-being. In regard to the integration of perceptual and sensory principles into the architectural design, the consideration of psychology becomes inevitable when aiming for a human centered design. [Katharina Voigt]
Caracterización de la curva de lactancia y rendimiento en cabras Saanen de un tambo de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Authors: STEFFEN Kevin Denis , ARIAS Rubén O. , GORTARI-CASTILLO Lihuel , MORÉ Gastón A.
Published: May 2021

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el comportamiento productivo en cabras Saanen mediante la caracterización de la curva de lactancia y el rendimiento de acuerdo al número de lactancia y al tipo de parto en un tambo semi-intensivo de la provincia de Buenos Aires. El hato caprino fue dividido en las diferentes categorías: cabras de primera lactancia (1°L, n=89); segunda lactancia (2°L, n=39), tercera lactancia (3°L, n=49); cuarta y quinta lactancia (4°L y 5°L, n=41) y última lactancia (UL, n=38). El tipo de parto fue clasificado en Simple (una cría, n=120) y Múltiple (dos o más crías, n=136). El control lechero se realizó evaluando el ordeño 2 veces por día cada 42 ± 4 días (método BT6) mediante ordeño mecánico con lactómetros Waikato. Mediante un análisis de varianza multifactorial, se evaluó la influencia del número de lactancia y tipo de parto sobre la lactancia completa (PLT). Se observó una diferencia estadísticamente significativa de los factores (p= 0,0074) y (p= 0,0179) respectivamente sobre la PLT. El análisis de media verificó diferencias significativas (p< 0,05) entre las cabras de 3°L y las de 1°L, 2°L y UL, así mismo, las de 4°L y 5°L respecto de UL (p< 0,05). El tipo de parto observó diferencias significativas (p< 0,05) en la PLT entre las cabras múltiples y simples. El comportamiento productivo de cabras Saanen de un establecimiento caprino semi-intensivo de la provincia de Buenos Aires, asociado al número de lactancia y el tipo de parto registraron diferencias en la producción láctea.
Czy naukowiec ma płeć? Rozważania na temat relacji w świecie nauki przez pryzmat stereotypów płciowych
Authors: Kośnik Konrad , Węglerska Olga
Published: May 2021

The paper aims to study a problem of gender stereotypes present in the academic community, harming particular researchers (especially women). In the article chosen methods of stereotypes’ counteraction are focused and analysed in terms of their risks of stereotype preservation. The concept of feminatives as a proposition of gender equalization is reflected and presented from the perspective of their drawbacks in the field of social functioning. The gender stereotypes’ influence on research participants is treated as a special aspect of the problem, peculiarly in the area of human sexuality research due to specific feedback and results’ bias. The problem is analysed then both from the systemic (contextual) perspective of academia and the particular situation of research, showing that gender may but does not have to influence scientific work.
Nieoczywiste relacje z technologią. Przegląd badań na temat ludzkich postaw wobec robotów
Authors: Wasielewska Aleksandra , Łupkowski Paweł
Published: May 2021

This paper presents an overview of empirical studies concerning human attitudes towards robots. We start with explaining what attitudes towards robots are. It is followed by the overview of the aforementioned studies which is organized according to the factors related to the attitudes. These are human-related factors (sex, age, education, nationality, culture, belief in human nature uniqueness, religiousness), robot-related ones (external look, its purpose) and factors which arise from the human-robot interaction (earlier experiences with robots, interactions, designing robots).
The Complex Hodological Architecture of the Macaque Dorsal Intraparietal Areas as Emerging from Neural Tracers and DW-MRI Tractography
Authors: Caminiti Roberto , Girard Gabriel , Battaglia-Mayer Alexandra , Borra Elena , Schito Andrea , Innocenti Giorgio M. , Luppino Giuseppe
Published: May 2021

In macaque monkeys, dorsal intraparietal areas are involved in several daily visuomotor actions. However, their border and sources of cortical afferents remain loosely defined. Combining retrograde histologic tracing and MRI diffusion-based tractography, we found a complex hodology of the dorsal bank of the intraparietal sulcus (db-IPS), which can be subdivided into a rostral intraparietal area PEip, projecting to the spinal cord, and a caudal medial intraparietal area MIP lacking such projections. Both include an anterior and a posterior sector, emerging from their ipsilateral, gradient-like connectivity profiles. As tractography estimations, we used the cross-sectional area of the white matter bundles connecting each area with other parietal and frontal regions, after selecting regions of interest (ROIs) corresponding to the injection sites of neural tracers. For most connections, we found a significant correlation between the proportions of cells projecting to all sectors of PEip and MIP along the continuum of the db-IPS and tractography. The latter also revealed “false positive” but plausible connections awaiting histologic validation.
Linfoma histiocítico no epiteliotrópico cutáneo equino (Linfoma de células B alto en células T): Reporte de un caso clínico
Authors: Estrada-McDermott Juan , Somarriba-Soley Miguel , Murillo-Ramírez Carla , Montero-Umaña Javier , Vargas-Arrieta José , Estrada- Umaña Manuel
Published: May 2021

An adult, Ibero breed, equine gelding, with a clinical history of “several ulcers and inflammations all over the body, plus a chronic loss of condition” is attended. The farm veterinarian sent biopsy samples to a private pathology laboratory and referred the horse to the Equine Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. While the patient was hospitalized, the results from the private pathologist were received, and a diagnosis of “equine histiocytic non-epitheliotropic cutaneous lymphoma” was made. The horse was humanely euthanized, and the body was examined at the Department of Pathology. Necropsy reports the most relevant macroscopic & microscopic findings and confirms the diagnosis of “T-cell rich B-cell lymphoma (histiolymphocytic cutaneous lymphoma).” The histopathological results from examining several organs of the patient showed the presence of an abundant mononuclear infiltrate composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and some plasmatic cells. Considering that dermatological pathologies are amongst the first two groups of diseases affecting horses, it is of paramount importance to include this disease in the differential diagnosis.
El rol de la escuela en la formación de valores y actitudes cívicas en estudiantes de nivel medio superior
Authors: Villalpando Ortega José Luis
Published: May 2021

This paper studies the relationship between the school climate and the possibilities of participation into the school with the civic and political attitudes through the perception of the high school level students. We interviewed teachers and applied surveys to students from two schools of the Mexico City Colegio de Bachilleres (n=769) to build a structural equations model. The results set a significant relationship with civic values reported by students. The interviews suggest activities into the classroom are the only possibilities of participation to the students and identify a contradictory speech of the teachers about the students’ political attitudes.
Joaquín Prats: la didáctica de las ciencias sociales como ciencia
Authors: Meléndez Montero Arturo
Published: May 2021

Defining the epistemological status of the didactic discipline entails a series of problems that intensify when specific didactics is referred to, even more when it works with the knowledge generated by the social sciences, of whose disciplines its category has been questioned many times of science. In this text, it is exposed how the historian and didact Joaquín Prats addresses the epistemological problem in the didactics of the social sciences, using for this the theory of science elaborated by the philosopher Mario Bunge, from which he justifies the category of said discipline as science. In this way, he argues the relevance of the rigorous application of the scientific method and of the methodological particularities that the discipline requires. Finally, it is exposed how Prats takes his scientific position to the teaching of history, as a formula to generate criteria in students about historical phenomena.
Models to estimate longitudinal compressive strength of Brazilian hardwood based on apparent density
Authors: Lahr Francisco Antonio Rocco , Arroyo Felipe Nascimento , Rodrigues Edson Fernando Castanheira , Almeida João Paulo Boff , Aquino Vinicius Borges de Moura , Wolenski Anderson Renato Vobornik , dos Santos Herrison Ferreira , Ferraz André Luiz Nonato , Chahud Eduardo , Molina Júlio Cesar , Pinheiro Roberto Vasconcelos , Christoforo André Luis
Published: May 2021

As wood is an orthotropic and natural material, there are several properties required for its use in civil construction. The apparent density has been used to estimate physical and mechanical properties of wood, as it is easy to determine experimentally, unlike other determinations, which involve the use of equipment available only in large research centers. Using the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 7190 and linear and non-linear regression models, this research aimed to evaluate their accuracy in estimating the compressive strength parallel to the fibers (fc0) as well as their characteristic value (fc0,k). This study considered 72 tropical wood species from native forests that were divided into the 4 strength classes of this standard. For the set formed by all species, the linear polynomial model was the best fit, resulting in a determination coefficient of just over 70%.
Simulation of a maize ear picking device with a longitudinal horizontal roller based on hypermesh modeling
Authors: Tai Jianjian , Li Haitao , Guan Yunyi , Ding Ning , Du Yuefeng , Mao Enrong
Published: May 2021

As a key component of mechanized maize harvesting, the performance of the ear picking device directly affects the operational level of a maize harvester. Because the short harvest period of maize and the multiple experimental factors that lead to the field and bench tests cannot meet the actual research and developmental needs of manufacturing a maize harvester, this paper uses virtual prototype technology to study the influence of design and the motion parameters of a longitudinal horizontal roller in terms of picking performance. Based on the establishment of the finite element model of the corn and the ear picking device, this paper establishes evaluation indicators respectively, analyzes and evaluates the influence of the picking roller and the ground inclination angle, the picking roller speed, and the forward speed of the harvester on the performance of ear picking. Finally, a virtual orthogonal test analysis was carried out for the two factors of the picking roller speed and the forward speed of the harvester, and the significant influence of the picking roller speed and the forward speed of the harvester on the performance of the picking was compared. The research results of this paper can provide reference for optimizing the design of ear picking mechanism.