bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of long-lasting moderate-intensity stage cycling event on cardiac function in young female athletes: A case study
Authors: Le Douairon Lahaye Solène , Kervio Gaëlle , Menard Vincent , Barrero Anna , Lachard Thibault , Carrault Guy , Matelot David , Carré François , Schnell Frédéric
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Effects of intense and/or prolonged exercise have been studied extensively in male athletes. Nevertheless, data are scare on the effect of long duration events on cardiac function in female athletes. Our aim was to investigate the effect of a long-lasting moderate-intensity stage cycling event on cardiac function of young female athletes.

Methods

Seven well-trained female cyclists were included. They completed a cycling event of 3529 km on 23 days. All underwent an echocardiography on 6 time-points (baseline and at the arrival of day (D) 3, 7, 12, 13 and 23). Cardiac function was assessed by conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking techniques. Daily exercise load was determined by heart rate (HR), power output and rate of perceived exertion data (RPE, Borg scale).

Results

All stages were mainly done at moderate intensity (average HR: 65% of maximal, average aerobic power output: 36% of maximal, average RPE: 4). Resting HR measured at the time of echocardiography did not vary during the event. Resting cardiac dimensions did not significantly change during the 23 days of cycling. No significant modification of cardiac function, whatever the studied cavity, were observed all along the event.

Conclusion

The results suggest that, in the context of our case study, the long-lasting moderate-intensity stage cycling event was not associated with cardiac function alteration. Nevertheless, we must be careful in interpreting them due to the limits of an underpowered study.
MonoDCN: Monocular 3D object detection based on dynamic convolution
Authors: Qu Shenming , Yang Xinyu , Gao Yiming , Liang Shengbin
Published: October 2022

3D object detection is vital in the environment perception of autonomous driving. The current monocular 3D object detection technology mainly uses RGB images and pseudo radar point clouds as input. The methods of taking RGB images as input need to learn with geometric constraints and ignore the depth information in the picture, leading to the method being too complicated and inefficient. Although some image-based methods use depth map information for post-calibration and correction, such methods usually require a high-precision depth estimation network. The methods of using the pseudo radar point cloud as input easily introduce noise in the conversion process of depth information to the pseudo radar point cloud, which cause a large deviation in the detection process and ignores semantic information simultaneously. We introduce dynamic convolution guided by the depth map into the feature extraction network, the convolution kernel of dynamic convolution automatically learns from the depth map of the image. It solves the problem that depth information and semantic information cannot be used simultaneously and improves the accuracy of monocular 3D object detection. MonoDCN is able to significantly improve the performance of both monocular 3D object detection and Bird’s Eye View tasks within the KITTI urban autonomous driving dataset.
Neuroplasticity of peripheral axonal properties after ischemic stroke
Authors: Chen Hung-Ju , Tani Jowy , Lin Cindy Shin-Yi , Chang Tsui-San , Lin Yi-Chen , Hsu Ting-Wei , Sung Jia-Ying
Published: October 2022

Objective

This study investigated how peripheral axonal excitability changes in ischemic stroke patients with hemiparesis or hemiplegia, reflecting the plasticity of motor axons due to corticospinal tract alterations along the poststroke stage.

Methods

Each subject received a clinical evaluation, nerve conduction study, and nerve excitability test. Nerve excitability tests were performed on motor median nerves in paretic and non-paretic limbs in the acute stage of stroke. Control nerve excitability test data were obtained from age-matched control subjects. Some patients underwent excitability examinations several times in subacute or chronic stages.

Results

A total of thirty patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled. Eight patients were excluded due to severe entrapment neuropathy in the median nerve. The threshold current for 50% compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was higher in paretic limbs than in control subjects. Furthermore, in the cohort with severe patients (muscle power ≤ 3/5 in affected hands), increased threshold current for 50% CMAP and reduced subexcitability were noted in affected limbs than in unaffected limbs. In addition, in the subsequent study of those severe patients, threshold electrotonus increased in the hyperpolarization direction: TEh (100–109 ms), and the minimum I/V slope decreased. The above findings suggest the less excitable and less accommodation in lower motor axons in the paretic limb caused by ischemic stroke.

Conclusion

Upper motor neuron injury after stroke can alter nerve excitability in lower motor neurons, and the changes are more obvious in severely paretic limbs. The accommodative changes of axons progress from the subacute to the chronic stage after stroke. Further investigation is necessary to explore the downstream effects of an upper motor neuron insult in the peripheral nerve system.
Comparison of two cable configurations in 3D printed steerable instruments for minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Culmone Costanza , van Starkenburg Remi , Smit Gerwin , Breedveld Paul
Published: October 2022

In laparoscopy, a small incision size improves the surgical outcome but increases at the same time the rigidity of the instrument, with consequent impairment of the surgeon’s maneuverability. Such reduction introduces new challenges, such as the loss of wrist articulation or the impossibility of overcoming obstacles. A possible approach is using multi-steerable cable-driven instruments fully mechanical actuated, which allow great maneuverability while keeping the wound small. In this work, we compared the usability of the two most promising cable configurations in 3D printed multi-steerable instruments: a parallel configuration with all cables running straight from the steerable shaft to the handle; and a multi configuration with straight cables in combination with helical cables. Twelve participants were divided into two groups and asked to orient the instrument shaft and randomly hit six targets following the instructions in a laparoscopic simulator. Each participant carried out four trials (two trials for each instrument) with 12 runs per trial. The average task performance time showed a significant decrease over the first trial for both configurations. The decrease was 48% for the parallel and 41% for the multi configuration. Improvement of task performance times reached a plateau in the second trial with both instruments. The participants filled out a TLX questionnaire after each trial. The questionnaire showed a lower burden score for the parallel compared to multi configuration (23% VS 30%). Even though the task performance time for both configurations was comparable, a final questionnaire showed that 10 out of 12 participants preferred the parallel configuration due to a more intuitive hand movement and the possibility of individually orienting the distal end of the steerable shaft.
Bridge crack detection based on improved single shot multi-box detector
Authors: Lu Guanlin , He Xiaohui , Wang Qiang , Shao Faming , Wang Jinkang , Jiang Qunyan
Published: October 2022

Owing to the development of computerized vision technology, object detection based on convolutional neural networks is being widely used in the field of bridge crack detection. However, these networks have limited utility in bridge crack detection because of low precision and poor real-time performance. In this study, an improved single-shot multi-box detector (SSD) called ISSD is proposed, which seamlessly combines the depth separable deformation convolution module (DSDCM), inception module (IM), and feature recalibration module (FRM) in a tightly coupled manner to tackle the challenges of bridge crack detection. Specifically, DSDCM was utilized for extracting the characteristic information of irregularly shaped bridge cracks. IM was designed to expand the width of the network, reduce network calculations, and improve network computing speed. The FRM was employed to determine the importance of each feature channel through learning, enhance the useful features according to their importance, and suppress the features that are insignificant for bridge crack detection. The experimental results demonstrated that ISSD is effective in bridge crack detection tasks and offers competitive performance compared to state-of-the-art networks.
Iodine biofortification of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants cultivated in three different soils
Authors: Vetési Viktória , Záray Gyula , Endrédi Anett , Sandil Sirat , Rékási Márk , Takács Tünde , Dobosy Péter
Published: October 2022

An important challenge for mankind today is to find a plant-based source of iodine, instead of table salt, which would provide the recommended daily dosage of iodine. The aim of this work was to study the accumulation of iodine and the physiochemical changes in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) irrigated with iodine-containing water. Applying iodine at concentration of 0.5 mg L-1 resulted 51, 18, and 35% decrement in biomass of bean fruit, while in pea fruit, a 13% reduction and a 3 and 2% increment were observed when the plants were cultivated in sand, sandy silt, and silt, respectively. The highest iodine concentrations in the bean and pea fruits were detected in plants cultivated in silt soil with concentration of 0.5 mg I- L-1 and amounted to 1.6 and 0.4 mg kg-1, respectively. In presence of iodine at concentration of 0.5 mg L-1, the concentration of magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and iron increased in the bean fruit, while in the case of pea, at iodine concentration above 0.1 mg L-1 the uptake of these nutrients were hampered. Based on these facts, the iodized bean can be recommended as a possible food source to enhance the iodine intake.
Prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy among Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes in a suburb of Shanghai, China
Authors: Tan Huiling , Wang Xin , Ye Kaiyou , Lin Jianmin , Song E. , Gong Lihua
Published: October 2022

Background

To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a Chinese population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a suburb (Qingpu) of Shanghai, China.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional study. A total of 7462 residents with T2DM in Qingpu were enrolled according to the resident health archives from January 2020 to December 2020. Blood and urine samples of the subjects were collected. Disc- and macula-centred retinal images were taken to assess DR. SPSS was used to analyse and investigate the prevalence and risk factors of DR.

Results

The fundus images of 6380 (85.5%) subjects were of sufficiently good quality for grading. The average (range) age of 6380 subjects was 63.46±7.77 (28–92) years. Six hundred forty-four subjects were diagnosed with DR. The prevalence of DR was 10.1% (95% CI 9.4%-10.8%), with mild, moderate, and severe non-proliferative retinopathy and proliferative retinopathy being 2.1%, 6.3%, 1.3% and 0.4%, respectively. The prevalence of bilateral DR was 6.5%. Higher T2DM duration (OR, 1.057), fasting plasma glucose (OR, 1.063), glycated hemoglobinA1c (OR, 1.269), urea nitrogen (OR, 1.059), and urinary albumin (OR, 1.001) were associated with the higher DR prevalence.

Conclusion

The prevalence of DR among Chinese adults with T2DM in Qingpu was 10.1%, in which non-proliferative DR was more common. Higher fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobinA1c are well-known risk factors of DR, consistent with the findings in our study. Our study didn’t find the risk between lipid indicators and DR. However, several renal function indicators, like higher urea nitrogen and urinary albumin, were risk factors for DR in this study. Appropriate diagnosis and intervention should be taken in time to prevent and control DR development.
Germination and seedling establishment for hydroponics: The benefit of slant boards
Authors: Langenfeld Noah James , Bugbee Bruce
Published: October 2022

Germination and seedling establishment for transplanting into hydroponics often uses porous substrates, but fine roots grow into these substrates, and they cannot be removed without damaging these roots. Seedlings transplanted without removal of substrates can cause interactions with solution chemistry or addition of particulates to the nutrient solution. Germination of seeds on slant boards is clean, uniform, and reduces the time to transplanting. Slant boards facilitate development of long roots, which maximize exposure of the primary root to the nutrient solution after transplanting. The “boards” are made from thin acrylic or polycarbonate sheets with germination paper on top. Seeds are held in place by covering with thin paper before vertical placement of the boards in the container. Four to twelve days later, the seedlings with long roots can be removed from the paper without damage and transplanted into the hydroponic system. Here we describe slant board construction and procedures for rapid germination and transplanting in hydroponics.
Enhanced immune responses following heterologous vaccination with self-amplifying RNA and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Elliott Tamara , Cheeseman Hannah M. , Evans Abbey B. , Day Suzanne , McFarlane Leon R. , O’Hara Jessica , Kalyan Mohini , Amini Fahimah , Cole Tom , Winston Alan , Fidler Sarah , Pollock Katrina M. , Harker James A. , Shattock Robin J.
Published: October 2022

The optimal vaccination strategy to boost responses in the context of pre-existing immune memory to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein is an important question for global public health. To address this, we explored the SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular immune responses to a novel self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccine followed by a UK authorised mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) in individuals with and without previous COVID-19, and compared these responses with those who received an authorised vaccine alone. 35 subjects receiving saRNA (saRNA group) as part of the COVAC1 clinical trial and an additional 40 participants receiving an authorised SARS-CoV-2 vaccine only (non-saRNA group) were recruited. Antibody responses were measured by ELISA and a pseudoneutralisation assay for wildtype, Delta and Omicron variants. Cellular responses were measured by IFN-ƴ ELISpot and an activation induced marker (AIM) assay. Approximately 50% in each group had previous COVID-19 prior to vaccination, confirmed by PCR or antibody positivity on ELISA. All of those who received saRNA subsequently received a full course of an authorised vaccine. The majority (83%) of those receiving saRNA who were COVID-19 naïve at baseline seroconverted following the second dose, and those with previous COVID-19 had an increase in antibody titres two weeks following saRNA vaccination (median 27-fold), however titres were lower when compared to mRNA vaccination. Two weeks following the 2ndauthorised mRNA vaccine dose, binding and neutralising antibody titres were significantly higher in the saRNA participants with previous COVID-19, compared to non-saRNA, or COVID-19 naive saRNA participants. Cellular responses were again highest in this group, with a higher proportion of spike specific CD8+ than CD4+ T cells when compared to those receiving the mRNA vaccine only. These findings suggest an immunological benefit of increased antigen exposure, both from natural infection and vaccination, particularly evident in those receiving heterologous vaccination with saRNA and mRNA.
baokuan film sobre la leucemia mieloide crónica como impulsor de reformas en el sistema sanitario chino: el caso de Dying to Survive (2018)
Authors: Villén Higueras Sergio Jesús , Cabrera Corres Marta
Published: October 2022

Entre las numerosas producciones cinematográficas chinas que abordan el mundo de la medicina, destaca especialmente Dying to Survive (2018), un film basado en la historia real de Lu Yong, un enfermo de leucemia mieloide crónica que en 2004 organizó una red de contrabando para introducir en China el imatinib en su versión genérica. Esta producción se convirtió en un baokuan film, es decir, una película que alcanzó una gran repercusión social, económica y, en este caso, también política y jurídica. Así pues, utilizando esta película como caso de estudio, esta investigación tiene como objetivos analizar cómo refleja el film dicha leucemia y su tratamiento, explorar cómo es representado y resignificado el contrabando de medicamentos genéricos y examinar el impacto sociopolítico y sanitario de esta película en China. Entre los principales resultados obtenidos, destaca la representación de la evolución de esta enfermedad a través del personaje Lu Shouyi, la importancia de la industria farmacéutica india en la producción y obtención del imatinib, el surgimiento de una heterotopía en torno a la introducción y distribución de este medicamento en China y la gran influencia del film en la revisión y renovación de algunas leyes de medicamentos por parte del gobierno chino.
Neuroética en fotogramas
Authors: Biscaia Fernández José Miguel , Mohedano del Pozo Rosa Belén
Published: October 2022

El auge de la neurociencia y la neurotecnología parece imparable. Cada vez sus posibilidades terapéuticas y el sueño de la neuromejora se hacen más evidentes. En este ensayo hacemos un recorrido descriptivo de una disciplina híbrida relativamente nueva, como es la neuroética, disciplina capaz de servir como marco deontológico de las profesiones “neuro”, capaz también de investigar aspectos de la condición humana tradicionalmente reservados a otras áreas de conocimiento. Además, teniendo en cuenta que este “neuroesencialismo” también ha impregnado al séptimo arte, utilizamos el cine de ciencia-ficción como herramienta divulgadora de algunos de los hitos más destacados en la agenda investigadora de la neurociencia de la ética, como es el origen neurobiológico del libre albedrío y de la responsabilidad moral.
On odd perfect numbers
Authors: Agama Theophilus
Published: October 2022

In this note, we introduce the notion of the disc induced by an arithmetic function and apply this notion to the odd perfect number problem. We show that under certain special local conditions an odd perfect number exists by exploiting this concept.
Scrutinizing E-Learning in Rural India: Covid-19 Pandemic- A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Grewal Sunny , Kidney Dr. Etain , Kenny Dr. Patrick
Published: October 2022

The $247 million e-learning industry in 2016 is grown to $1.96 billion by 2021 at a CAGR of 52%. The Covid-19 epidemic has given a boost to the e-learning market evolution. Online learning has become the dominant teaching platform, with schools, universities, and other educational institutions closed to avoid epidemics. The research objective is to study the impact of E-learning during Covid-19 in rural India. Understand the dimensions of digital adaptation and its impact on rural Indian education institutions. A systematic review is conducted by collecting and reviewing 110 research articles about E-learning. After carefully considering the articles discussing E-learning in rural India, 46 articles are reviewed to extract the meta-information about the e-learning adaptation, impact, and challenges faced in educational institutions in rural India. The research yielded ten themes related to the acceptance and challenges of E-learning in rural India. Impact and challenges in implementing and usability of E-learning platforms in rural India show more difficulties. The research has also discovered a limitation of parents’ knowledge and challenges in the cognitive abilities of students in accepting E-learning during the Covid-19 lockdowns. According to this review, many gaps exist between India’s e-learning development companies, governments, and educational institutions. Better E-learning platforms and business execution in remote rural India have expected if the three stakeholder groups establish a bridge. For a better understanding of e-learning in rural India, future research would include field surveys and interviews with all stakeholders.
Gender, Race, and Ethnicity Representation Among Gastroenterologists: A Review of Recent Trends
Authors: Rahal Harman , Girotra Mohit , May Folasade P. , Tabibian James H.
Published: October 2022

Diversity in medicine and the gastroenterology (GI) subspecialty is a topic warranting attention, especially in light of a number of recent incidents highlighting the persistence of racial, ethnic, and gender injustice in our nation. Insight into this topic is important insofar as the multitude of racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds comprising the national patient population should be reflected, to the degree possible, by the providers serving it. Inclusion becomes particularly imperative because the quality of health care and health research and bridging disparities may be closely linked to adequate representation among healthcare providers. Despite the urgency of this topic, there is a paucity of data examining trends in gender and racial/ethnic diversity among medical professionals within the field of GI. In this narrative review, we examine how ethnoracial and gender representation has changed over time at critical points along the educational, training, and career pathways in GI.
Continuing Medical Education Questions: October 2022
Authors: Shmidt Eugenia , Reau Nancy S. , Johnson David A.
Published: October 2022

Article Title: The ACG Monograph on GI Diseases and Endoscopy in Pregnancy and Postpartum Period
VIOLÊNCIA CONTRA A MULHER NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO: O PERFIL DAS VÍTIMAS DURANTE A PANDEMIA DA COVID-19
Authors: Evangelista Danilo Nogueira , Mazzu-Nascimento Thiago , Rodríguez-Martín Dolors , Negri Mariana , Lisboa Uliana Pereira da Silva , Sousa Amanda Soares , Abubakar Obeedu , Aciole Giovanni Gurgel
Published: October 2022

A violência contra a mulher é um problema de saúde e de segurança públicas. O presente artigo é resultado de um estudo do perfil das mulheres vítimas de violência doméstica no estado de São Paulo, por meio de dados da Secretaria da Segurança Pública do estado de São Paulo (SSP/SP) e do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DataSUS) entre março de 2020 a fevereiro de 2021. A análise dos dados coletados revela a necessidade de ações públicas que antecipem a violência e que previnam os casos que poderiam ser evitados, principalmente em um período em que as fragilidades sociais estão ainda mais expostas. Para isso, é importante que a mulher que é vítima seja encorajada a denunciar e encontre espaços e serviços de acolhimento, escuta e proteção. Nesse sentido, os meios digitais e ferramentas tecnológicas, como aplicativos de smartphone, representam importantes canais de denúncia que podem ajudar a conter esses casos de violência.
Mapeamento biorregional em comunidades pesqueiras
Authors: Vieira Fábio , Accioly Miguel da Costa , Santos Tayane Lopes
Published: October 2022

O artigo apresenta a produção de mapas biorregionais vividos e gestados no território de comunidades pesqueiras, a partir de seu envolvimento, saberes e fazeres, referente aos impactos do derrame de petróleo em 09 localidades na costa do NE brasileiro. Diversas comunidades pesqueiras foram afetadas pelo crime do derramamento do petróleo ocorrido em 2019. A gestão territorial é constituída, no evento em tela, a partir de ações que visaram resolver problemas decorrentes dos impactos no território que são descritos e problematizados pelas próprias comunidades pesqueiras que tiveram o sofrimento prolongado ao longo do tempo e do espaço por conta da pandemia da Covid-19. As descrições e problematizações foram constituídas e sistematizadas a partir do projeto "Manchas do Sofrimento" originado do INCT Amb Tropic II, GT 4.0 Derrames de Óleo. Referenciais decoloniais e da Educação Popular permitiram a tessitura deste artigo, cuja metodologia se deu em uma abordagem qualitativa, a partir da construção colaborativa de mapas por parte de pescadores, pescadoras e uma equipe de pesquisadores e bolsistas da Universidade Federal da Bahia. A técnica do mapeamento biorregional, constituído a partir da ciência cidadã estrutura a dimensão metodológica. Como resultados, trazemos uma metodologia constituída de maneira integrativa, em que múltiplos saberes possibilitaram a elaboração de mapas, que demonstraram o sentimento de pertencimento de pescadores e pescadoras e defesa de suas territorialidades.
Pandemia, ações de solidariedade do MST e a Agenda 2030 para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável
Authors: Machado Angela dos Santos , Albuquerque Jorge Aline , Mançano Fernandes Bernardo
Published: October 2022

O MST tem participado de diversas ações de solidariedade desde o início da pandemia da Covid-19, sobretudo, de doações de alimentos produzidos nos territórios da reforma agrária (assentamentos) e nos territórios de luta pela terra (acampamentos). As doações de alimentos evidenciam a importância da reforma agrária para a produção de alimentos, a redução das desigualdades sociais, a promoção da agroecologia e da soberania alimentar. Todos esses elementos são intrínsecos aos Objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) da Agenda 2030 da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU). Portanto, nosso objetivo é evidenciar a importância da reforma agrária e a contribuição dos movimentos para o alcance dos ODS, em um contexto que o Estado caminha na contramão do proposto pela Agenda. Os dados sobre as ações de solidariedade foram levantados nas redes sociais e na página do MST, sistematizados em uma planilha e mapeados com o software Philcarto. A discussão dos resultados foi realizada com apoio de bibliografias, de documentos da ONU e de entrevistas com lideranças do Movimento. Nossas análises apontam que os movimentos socioterritoriais têm construído territórios de sustentabilidade que contribuem com os ODS.
Documenting Indigenous Ties to the Texas Panhandle
Authors: Jordan Michael Paul , Richburg Emma , Armstrong F. Blair
Published: October 2022

This article summarizes the results of a multi-year ethnographic research study commissioned by the National Park Service (NPS). The goal of the project was to gain a better understanding of Native American connections to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument and Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, jointly administered units of the (US) national park system located in the Texas Panhandle. This paper presents, albeit in abbreviated form, the findings contained in the project technical report. Researchers identified eight federally acknowledged American Indian tribes with ties to the park units. In addition, the study documented ethnographic resources present within the project area and reconstructed traditional patterns of resource use. During the project, Indigenous community members shared both concerns, as well as recommendations, regarding the interpretation of their tribes’ histories. The report concludes by proposing ways in which the NPS might collaborate with the traditionally associated tribes in the development of interpretive and educational programming that acknowledges Indigenous people’s historic ties to the parklands, as well as the continued vitality of their cultures.
Monthly Review in Historical Perspective
Authors: Sweezy Paul M.
Published: October 2022

Monthly Review was started in 1949 and is now in its forty-fourth year of publication, so you could say that MR's existence is pretty much coterminous with the second half of the twentieth century. What have been the most important characteristics of this half century?
Student learning and teacher retention for graduates of Texas Noyce programs
Authors: Marder Michael , Horn Catherine , Stephens Sarah , Rhodes Annelies
Published: October 2022

The shortage of secondary STEM teachers has led to periodic calls over the past four decades for federal intervention. For more than 15 years, the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program has constituted the most important response at the national level to these calls. The main activity is direct support to undergraduate students and degree holders to become K-12 STEM teachers. Here we examine the Noyce program by looking beyond the qualities of particular university programs and measuring long-term outcomes on a statewide level. We accomplished this through a collaboration of eight Texas universities that pooled data on Noyce scholars supported as far back as 2003. Making use of a state longitudinal dataset, we examined whether recipients of Noyce Scholarships are more likely than other math and science teachers to remain in teaching, determined where Noyce scholars taught, and estimated student learning in classes taught by Noyce Scholars. Noyce Scholars are more likely than other STEM teachers from the same universities to teach marginalized students, and students of Noyce Scholars obtained higher value-added scores in mathematics than students of other teachers at the same schools. These are some of the most important intended outcomes. However, Noyce Scholars did not stay in teaching as long as other STEM teachers from their universities, and they were more likely to switch away from schools with low-income students. The Noyce program currently operates far below the scale needed to start reducing national STEM teacher shortages. We conclude with prospects for expansion and modification of the Noyce program.
Alternation phenomena and language proficiency: the genitive alternation in the spoken language of EFL learners
Authors: Dubois Tanguy , Paquot Magali , Szmrecsanyi Benedikt
Published: October 2022

This study investigates how foreign language proficiency, which previous corpus-based research on alternation phenomena has largely ignored, influences the choice of genitive variant (the tail of the dog/the dog’s tail) in learners of English as a Foreign Language. The data stems from the Trinity Lancaster Corpus, a three-million-word corpus featuring spoken language from low-intermediate to advanced learners of English from several L1 backgrounds. The collected genitive observations were annotated for various constraints such as the length, animacy, definiteness and discourse status of the constituents and then analyzed via mixed-effects logistic regression. The results show that although native speakers and learners are remarkably similar, low-proficiency learners are less sensitive to possessor definiteness and possessor animacy, the latter of which is otherwise the strongest constraint of the genitive alternation.
Assessing the efficacy and safety of Unani pharmacopoeial formulations in dermatophytosis (quba) – a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Naseem Saima , Nawab Mohammad , Fatima Syeda Hajra , Minhajuddin Ahmed , Khan Asif Ahmad
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The recent trends of rising unresponsive cases of dermatophytosis to conventional therapies pose a challenge in clinical practice. Unani medicine offers effective treatment for dermatophytosis. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Unani herbo-mineral preparations Qurs-e-Asfar (QA) and Rogan-e-Narjeel (RN) in dermatophytosis.

Methods

This was a randomized, active-controlled and open-label clinical study. The participants diagnosed with dermatophytosis (n=78) randomized into treatment group (n=40) receiving oral QA (778 mg twice a day) and topical RN and control group (n=38) receiving oral Itraconazole (100 mg/day) and topical Terbinafine hydrochloride (1%) for 6 weeks.

Results

We found post-treatment improvement in itching by 86.3% vs. 78% (treatment vs. control group), erythema by 96.4% vs. 94.3%, scaling by 93% vs. 92.2% and peripheral raised margins by 82.3% vs. 81%. Furthermore, this study showed that the differences in the mean Total Signs and Symptoms Score (TSSS) and positive KOH mount were clinically and statistically significant (p<0.05) in both the groups. On comparing inter group, the differences in mean TSSS (p=0.07) and positive KOH mount (p=0.717) were found statistically insignificant.

Conclusions

This study concludes that the formulations QA and RN were effective and safe in the treatment of dermatophytosis.
Utilization Management in the Medicare Part D Program and Prescription Drug Utilization
Authors: Andersen Martin S.
Published: October 2022

Medicare Part D has significantly enhanced access to prescription drugs among Medicare beneficiaries. However, the recent rapid rise of utilization management policies in the Medicare Part D program may have adversely affected access to prescription drugs. I study the effects of expected and observed exposure to utilization management in prescription drug utilization using Medicare Part D claims data from 2009 to 2016 and an instrumental variables strategy based on the interaction of lagged health status and the set of plans available to each beneficiary. I find that the expected share of spending subject to utilization management increases the observed share, with the smallest effect for prior authorization. Increases in the expected share of drug spending subject to prior authorization increases Part D spending by $122.27 per percentage point, with almost three-quarters of this increase being paid by the Medicare program, rather than beneficiaries or plans. Comparable increases in step therapy and quantity limit exposure increase spending by $46 and decrease spending by $31, respectively. Interestingly, increased exposure to prior authorization and quantity limits increases the average price per 30-day prescription.
Radial distribution of pump and signal intensities in step index EDFA for LP11 mode in Kerr nonlinear condition
Authors: Ray Biplab Kumar , Majumdar Angshuman , Gangopadhyay Sankar
Published: October 2022

In an all-optical communication system, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier performs a very significant role. The effectiveness of the operation of this kind of amplifier depends on different parameters of the amplifier. Variation of the intensities of pump and signal with distance along the radius of the fiber from the core axis is one such significant parameter. In our present case, we have studied the distribution of the intensities of both the pump and signal along the radius of the fiber in an erbium-doped dual-mode fiber amplifier for the LP11 mode. In the present case, some step-index fibers of different normalized frequencies have opted. Our study is an application of the Chebyshev technique expressing the LP11 modal field in the form of a power series. A little computation is required for the prediction of the concerned results by this technique. Results obtained from this study show an excellent match with those found by the rigorous finite element method establishing its accuracy. This study using such a user-friendly and accurate technique will be helpful to the optical engineers involved in this domain.
The Excess of Moderation: Clement of Alexandria against Laughter
Authors: García-Peláez María-Elena , López-Farjeat Luis Xavier
Published: October 2022

The aim of this article is to revisit Clement of Alexandria’s Paedagogus 2.5.45-8 discussing whether Clement holds a moderate position οf laughter or, like most early Christians, tends to an “antigelastic” position. Some scholars, such as Stephen Halliwell and Laura Rizzerio, have concluded that Clement holds an intermediate position between an optimistic approach to laughter and its condemnation. However, in this essay we argue that while Clement’s position is not a straightforward antigelastic one, his apparent acceptance of laughter is so narrow that his moderate view ends up being compromised. Ultimately, he is strongly inclined to condemn laughter and to prescribe an ascetic life devoid of laughter.
Framing the Ethical Boundaries of Humor
Authors: Poplar David
Published: October 2022

Humor is unlike other forms of communication because its content is not meant literally. Like acts of play, humor is not intended to be taken at face value. As a consequence, the assumptions and rules that govern normal conversation do not apply. Humor therefore depends upon both the speaker and the audience fully understanding that what was communicated should be treated in this unique way. The play frame refers to this shared understanding about the nature of the communication. Analyzing whether a communication falls within the play frame may help us better understand not only whether the communication can be deemed non-serious or serious, but also whether it can be treated uniquely as merely the speaker’s attempt at play or as a typical instance of literal speech for which the speaker can be deemed ethically responsible.
What Is Wrong with Laughing? Faulty Laughter as a Case of Negligent Omission
Authors: Lecón Mauricio
Published: October 2022

In most academic works laughter is praised because of its social, religious, and psychological benefits. However, when laughter’s morality has been historically discussed it usually has been condemned. To assign human responsibility to the act of laughing, it must be acknowledged as voluntary. However, studies indicate that laughter is not a voluntary action, but rather a neurophysiological reaction. If this is so, there is no basis on which to ground the moral relevance of laughter. In this article, I will put forward an argument that can help to ground the ethics of spontaneous laughter at least. I claim that humans have the power to avoid laughing or suspend it because they can voluntarily prevent some of the circumstances that are necessary for it to happen. If humans fail to do so when they are expected to, laughter becomes relevant as a kind of negligent omission.
The Robot Sol Explains Laughter to His Android Brethren
Authors: Rubin Richard Marc
Published: October 2022

Android understanding of laughter is limited even when robots have become self-motivated and understand frustration. Laughter is one of four ways to cope with upset. The others are detachment, suffering, and escape. Detachment is natural to androids as they originally had no stake in any outcome. Suffering takes two forms: grief and anger. Grief often needs to be faced before turning to other means of coping. Humor can often deflect anger by revealing it has either no basis or a common one. Escape is the flight from troubling affairs into an imaginative world. Laughter may start in mockery but is best when selfdeprecation yields greater respect. Jokes are stories designed to induce laughter. Professionals have developed routines that don’t employ them, but as androids grasp structure quickly, they may find jokes the best place to start building their own sense of humor.
Optimal Time Domain Reflectometry Penetrometer Design for Soil Water Content and Electrical Conductivity Profiling
Authors: Chung Chih-Chung , Wei Shih-Kai , Tang Hong-Ting
Published: October 2022

Taiwan has a subtropics monsoon climate and frequently counters typhoons and rainfall, resulting in shallow landslides and landform changes. The significant quantities of soil yields affect the infrastructure safety and environment nearby. Among the influences of factors of safety of the soil slopes, the soil water content (WC) is crucial, and WC and electrical conductivity (EC) profilings of the soil slope assist early warning during a rainfall event. Thus, this study adapted time domain reflectometry (TDR) with the current bipolar type penetrometer to simultaneously measure the volumetric WC (VWC) and the EC in a case study at reservoir watersheds. TDR committed continuous monitoring but with apparent bias because of the insufficient sensing volume of the bipolar type penetrometer. Based on the field experience, this study applied numerical analysis to improve the TDR penetrometer into the dipole type by examining the electrical field, the electrical energy density, and the strain with external stress. After considering all the factors to obtain the optimal design, verifications were accomplished in a sandbox to retrieve measurement performance and the relationship between the soil VWC and the EC in different wetting and drying rates. Results denoted the adequate procedures for TDR on-site monitoring and corresponding calibration of soil VWC and EC for slope stability analysis.
Prevalência de diabéticos, hipertensos e atividade física em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: de Castro Silveira Fernanda , Soldera Oliveira Eduardo
Published: October 2022

Objetivo: identificar a prevalência de diabéticos e hipertensos, a partir dos 18 anos, de acordo com perfil sociodemográfico e de prática de atividade física, no município de Porto Alegre, capital do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Método: estudo com dados da Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico do ano de 2019, do tipo transversal, com análise bivariada. Resultados: dos 2.058 indivíduos, predominou o sexo feminino (65,5%), com mais de 60 anos (55,1%), escolaridade até o primeiro grau (31,2%) e que praticavam atividade física (93,4%). A prevalência de diabéticos foi de 279 (13,6%) e de hipertensos, 866 (42,1%). Idade, escolaridade, frequência e duração da atividade física foram associadas à Hipertensão. E idade, e escolaridade, com Diabetes. Conclusão: houve alta prevalência de hipertensos e baixa frequência, na prática de atividade física.
Avaliação da espiritualidade e do bem-estar espiritual em estudantes da graduação de enfermagem
Authors: Hutul Silva Sonia , Penha Martins Eleine Aparecida
Published: October 2022

Objetivo: avaliar a espiritualidade e o bem-estar espiritual em estudantes de graduação em enfermagem. Método: estudo quantitativo e observacional com estudantes de enfermagem do primeiro e último ano no primeiro semestre de 2020, de quatro universidades em uma cidade no norte do Estado do Paraná. Foram aplicados e analisados Escala de avaliação da espiritualidade, e Escala de Bem-Estar Espiritual, e apresentados por meio de análise descritiva dos dados. Resultados: 87,8% (n=58) dos participantes têm pensamentos espirituais e 83,4% (n=55) com influência da religiosidade, com alto score de espiritualidade com 22,2 pontos, 54,5% (n=36) apresentaram alto score de bem-estar espiritual classificados como positivo, enquanto 45,5% (n=30) apresentaram score negativo. Conclusão: a maioria dos estudantes se esforçam em viver de acordo com sua crença religiosa, bem como sua vida está baseada na espiritualidade que possui. Na escala de bem-estar espiritual, observou-se pouca diferença entre os índices positivo e negativo no grupo.
Estado nutricional e condições de saúde de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde
Authors: De Souza Alves Julia , Mendes da Silva Valdinete , Da Silva Botelho Silvestre Grasiela Cristina , Silva Rocha Roseany Patrícia , Araujo Gaiva Fayanne , Barros Faria Nêmora
Published: October 2022

Objetivo: avaliar perfil sociodemográfico, medidas antropométricas e condições de saúde dos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde de um município do Médio Norte de Mato Grosso. Método: estudo quantitativo, observacional do tipo descritivo, desenvolvido com 34 indivíduos, selecionados por conveniência. Dados coletados nos meses de fevereiro e março de 2020, com instrumento sociodemográfico, condições de saúde e medidas antropométricas. Análise das variáveis descritas por frequência absoluta e relativa. Resultados: os participantes dessa pesquisa eram predominantemente do sexo feminino, com idade variável entre 23 e 61 anos. A maioria possuía ensino médio completo e tinha renda familiar menor ou igual a dois salários-mínimos. A avaliação antropométrica revelou que 44,1% apresentavam Obesidade classe I, II ou III e 76,5% apresentavam risco elevado ou muito elevado para doenças cardiovasculares. Conclusões: a avaliação indica que o excesso de peso e a obesidade abdominal foram os principais acometimentos à saúde desses profissionais.
Cadherin‐mediated adhesion takes control
Authors: Herranz Gonzalo , Martín‐Belmonte Fernando
Published: October 2022

The formation of a centralised apical membrane initiation site (AMIS) is a key event in epithelial cell polarisation. A recent study by Liang et al demonstrates that AMIS localisation relies on cadherin‐mediated cell adhesion.
Effect Of Surgical And N95 Facial Masks On Exercise Tolerance, Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate And Blood Oxygen Saturation
Authors: Hassabi Mohammad , Salehi Shahin , Yekta Amir Hosein Abedi , Qutbi Mohsen , Hakakzadeh Azadeh , Esfahani Mehrshad Poursaeid , Otaghsara Seyedeh Mohadeseh Taheri , Shams Seyedeh Sara , Parent-Nichols Jennifer
Published: October 2022

Background — Although wearing masks is inevitable these days, the effects of wearing them on physiologic parameters have not been reported. This study aimed to assess the effects of wearing no mask, a three-layer standard surgical mask, and wearing an N95 mask on blood oxygen saturation, aerobic tolerance, and performance during exercise. Methods — Twenty-one participants were enrolled in the study. Each participant was monitored with electrocardiography (ECG) while performing an exercise tolerance test using the Bruce treadmill protocol. Testing was conducted three times on different dates. Participants did not use any mask in the first test but did wear surgical and N95 masks during the second and third tests respectively. Respiratory rate (RR) was assessed for 10 seconds and then multiplied by 6. Heart rate (HR) was monitored by ECG, and oxygen saturation levels were monitored (O2Sat) via digital pulse-oximetry. Assessments were done before warm-up, at the middle and end of each Bruce stage, and as well at 1, 2, and 5 minutes into recovery (masks were worn during recovery). Results — HR, RR, and O2Sat measured data were all significantly different between the three trials at end-stage 3 of Bruce treadmill protocol (p<0.05). Although HR was still higher through the recovery period in the N95 trial in comparison with other trials (p<0.05), RR and O2Sat measured data were not different in the recovery phase. Conclusion — HR, RR, O2Sat and exercise tolerance are significantly affected by wearing surgical and N95 masks.