bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dos personajes destruidos por la ambición: 'Macbeth' y 'La hija del aire'
Authors: Guirao Silvente María Mercedes
Published: December 2020

Este artículo compara a dos personajes trágicos destruidos por el poder: al célebre Macbeth de William Shakespeare y a la poco conocida Semíramis (La hija del aire) de Pedro Calderón de la Barca. El proceso de ascenso y caída de estos dos usurpadores, permite comprobar las numerosas conexiones entre los dos geniales dramaturgos, a través de aspectos como la oposición destino/libertad, la concepción del mundo como teatro y la fabricación de máscaras – que hace imposible distinguir el ser de la apariencia – , la crítica al juego de la política y, sobre todo, el escepticismo irónico con el que tanto Shakespeare como Calderón contemplan la vida.
Reseña de "El canto de la décima Musa. Poesías del Renacimiento y el Barroco"
Authors: Alvarez-Cifuentes Pedro
Published: December 2020

Reseña de:Esther M. Villegas de la Torre, ed., El canto de la décima Musa. Poesías del Renacimiento y el Barroco, Barcelona, Austral-Planeta, 2020, ISBN: 978-84-08-22496-9, 352 pp.
Índice
Authors: Epos Revista de Filología
Published: December 2020

Índice (tabla de contenidos) del número 36 de Epos. Revista de Filología.
Silício na mitigação de estresse causado pela falta ou excesso de nitrogênio em alface
Authors: Cândido Aureane Cristina Teixeira Ferreira , Rocha Adriano Maltezo da , Pereira Henildo de Sousa , Lourini Simone Hemkemeier , Caione Gustavo
Published: December 2020

Para o bom rendimento de espécies cultivadas, em especial a alface que é uma das mais importantes folhosas para consumo in natura, um dos principais fatores que afetam seu desempenho no campo é a falta de nutrição adequada para a cultura. Com isso, a busca por informações sobre a indisponibilização ou disponibilização de nutrientes para essa espécie, considerada sensível, passa a ser uma importante prática para entender a dinâmica na resposta da cultura submetida à presença ou ausência de nutrientes, como buscado nessa pesquisa utilizando o silício. Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos do silício em alface cultivada em solução nutritiva, sob estresse causado pela falta ou excesso de nitrogênio. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3x2 com três repetições. Os fatores foram formas de N (N-30% na forma de NO3-; N-100% na forma de NH4+ e N-100% na forma de NO3-) na presença e ausência de silício (56 mg de Si L-1). Avaliou-se índice de cor verde, massa fresca total, massa fresca comercial, massa seca aérea e da raiz, índice comercial, comprimento do caule, diâmetro da cabeça, número total de folhas e número de folhas comerciais. Utilizar 100% de N na forma de NH4+ reduz a produtividade da alface, evidenciando que o fornecimento total do N na forma amoniacal é toxico a planta.
Composição funcional e sazonalidade da macrofauna edáfica em diferentes usos do solo, Bioma Cerrado, Brasil
Authors: Lima Charlyan de Sousa , Dalzochio Marina Schmidt , Silva Edison Fernandes da , Périco Eduardo
Published: December 2020

A macrofauna edáfica é representada por organismos invertebrados que ocupam o solo e podem ser distribuídos em grupos funcionais que desempenham funções especificas nos ambientes. Este trabalho objetivou-se analisar a composição funcional da macrofauna edáfica e sazonalidade em diferentes usos do solo, do bioma Cerrado. A pesquisa foi realizada em ambientes que reúnem características naturais (Cerradão e Mata dos Cocais) e formações florestais que sofreram perturbações antrópicas (Corte e Queima, Eucalipto e Pastagem), em Chapadinha, Maranhão, Brasil. Os invertebrados edáficos foram coletados no período chuvoso e no período seco, e identificados em nível de ordem e/ou família. Foram coletados 2149 indivíduos da macrofauna edáfica, pertencentes a 16 grupos taxonômicos, distribuídos em cinco grupos funcionais: engenheiros dos ecossistemas, saprófagos, predadores, onívoros e fitófagos; sendo que os predadores reuniram o maior número de táxons. Foi calculada a beta diversidade da macrofauna edáfica particionada em substituição (betasim) e aninhamento (betasne) tanto em ambientes naturais como antrópicos. Observou-se que todos os valores de substituição foram maiores que os valores de aninhamento em todos os ambientes e períodos. O teste da PERMANOVA verificou alterações significativas na composição dos grupos funcionais da macrofauna edáfica para a interação dos fatores: período sazonal e ambiente. Foi observado sobreposição entre ambientes quanto nos eixos 1 e 2 do NMDS envolvendo os cinco grupos funcionais. Conclui-se que os grupos funcionais da macrofauna edáfica (engenheiros dos ecossistemas, saprófagos, predadores, onívoros, fitófagos) desempenham atividades que regulam muitos processos físicos, químico e biológicos que ocorrem no solo do bioma Cerrado, além de promover o seu equilíbrio e o funcionamento habitual.
Atributos químicos de latossolos amarelos em áreas de ocorrência da Soja Louca II na Região Oeste do Pará
Authors: Gaspar Avner Brasileiro dos Santos , Silva Rodrigo da
Published: December 2020

A dinâmica dos nutrientes no solo é resultado da interação de vários fatores, e, no SPD, os mecanismos que governam são modificados em velocidade e/ou intensidade pela redução do revolvimento do solo e manutenção dos resíduos culturais na superfície do solo. Anomalias em plantas relacionadas a solo são diretamente ligadas aos níveis críticos e tóxicos dos atributos físico, químico ou biológicos de solo, logo, a fertilidade do solo é um dos fatores de predisposição das plantas aos patógenos. A soja louca-II é uma anomalia que causa cerda 40% perdas em lavouras e sem causa definida. Objetivo do foi avaliar os teores e variância dos atributos químicos de solos em áreas de com ocorrência da Soja Louca II. Realizaram-se 180 amostras em 20 cm, 40cm e 60cm de profundidas em áreas com e sem a ocorrência da anomalia em propriedades nos municípios de Santarém, Belterra e Mojui dos Campos na região oeste do Pará Os Atributos químicos Ph, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn e CTC  e Teor de Argila natural foram submetidos a análise descritiva e análise de variâncias no programa Biostat versão 5.3. Não foram encontras diferenças significativas entre os atributos nos tratamentos, sendo consideradas estatisticamente semelhantes as áreas com  e sem ocorrência da Soja Louca II, porem com terrores de micronutriente em níveis tóxicos na maior parte das amostras em ambos os tratamentos em todas as profundidades coletadas. Os atributos que apresentaram maior e menor Coeficiente de Variação foram pH ( 7.45%)  e  Zn (198.17% )  a 20cm, pH (6,66%) e Cu (250,70%) a 40cm e pH (5,84%) e Cu (238,74%) a 60m de profundidade. A análise de variância dos atributos químicos não apresentou diferenças significativa entre as profundidades.
Urban green areas and real estate prices in Curitiba, Brazil
Authors: Panasolo Alessandro , Galvão Franklin , Higachi Hermes Yukio , Oliveira Edilson Batista de , Oliveira Fernando Campos de , Wroblewski Carlos Augusto , Gadda Tatiana Maria Cecy , Balbinot Camila Fossa
Published: December 2020

We attempted to identify to which extent the implicit ecosystem service values of urban green areas impact real estate values in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. The study is based on spatial econometrics techniques and hedonic price theory applied to 43 urban green areas, highlighting three units: the Airumã Private Natural Heritage Reserve, the Teresa Urban Ecological Station, and the President Getulio Vargas Refinery. Information was obtained on the structural characteristics of more than 5,300 apartments and houses. The results of exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and estimates from hedonic regression model parameters show that the presence of urban green areas contribute to the final property prices. The effects of proximity to urban green areas on the price of urban residential property are not homogeneous and stationary throughout urban spaces and can generate distinct spatial clusters of real estate prices: high-high and low-low. The used methodology proved to be efficient to assess the value of urban green areas with regard to the use of information, processing, data analysis, and results generated. Furthermore, it measured the impact of these areas on property prices and provided easily interpretable data that can be relevant for payments for ecosystem services policies at the local level.
A Influência da Sazonalidade sobre a qualidade de água para microbacia do Urumari, Santarém/Pará
Authors: Moura Lucinewton Silva de , Lopes Ruy Bessa , Ribeiro Joseph Simões , Fernandes Graciene do Socorro Taveira , Almeida Rodolfo Maduro , Melo Sérgio Gouvêa de
Published: December 2020

As águas superficiais urbanas ao receber uma determinada carga de poluentes alteram os parâmetros hidrológicos naturais e consequentemente a dispersão de contaminantes causa uma grande preocupação ambiental devido à disposição inadequada de compostos orgânicos e inorgânicos no corpo receptor que causam danos irreversíveis ao meio ambiente. Tendo em vista que as águas deste manancial são utilizadas como fonte de abastecimento para os moradores nas proximidades da microbacia são necessários estudos complementares de monitoramento sistemático na qualidade da água da microbacia, a fim de encontrar passivos ambientais de degradação em suas propriedades físico-químicas e bacteriológicas. O principal objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em avaliar o grau de comprometimento da microbacia Hidrográfica do Urumari em função da sazonalidade, e identificar a presença de compostos nocivos ao meio ambiente através do monitoramento do índice de qualidade de água, dos parâmetros físicos químicos e bacteriológicos presentes no corpo receptor. Para isso, foram analisados parâmetros físicos químicos e bacteriológicos em seis seções de coleta ao longo do leito da microbacia. Os parâmetros analisados na água, como pH, turbidez, sólidos totais dissolvidos, nitrito, nitrato, fosforo, ferro, zinco e coliformes termotolerantes. se mostraram fora dos padrões permitidos pela legislação, assim a água não está apropriada para nenhum tipo de uso ou atribuições estabelecidas pela legislação vigente. Já as análises de solo identificaram a presença de alguns metais, em diferentes proporções.
Geostatistical assessment of trace metals in urban soils, Paraná, Brazil
Authors: Dib Willian Hoffmann , Cicarello Janaína de Fátima Gonzalez Munster , Kummer Larissa , Monego Maurici Luzia Charnevski Del
Published: December 2020

Trace metals are common pollutants in urban soils thus making important the assessment of these pollutants. The main purpose of this study was investigated the concentrations of trace metals in urban soils in the industrial region of Curitiba, in the State of Paraná, Brazil and to examine the applicability of geostatistical modeling for assessing the environmental impact generated. For the analyses of trace elements, soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-20 cm and subjected to an acid digestion, in accordance with the 3050B method. The identification of trace elements was through the technique Spectroscopy of Optical Emission. The soil texture was also analyzed and the data were determined by the compositional analysis method. For the geostatistical mapping, it was used the software R, with the geoR package. The spatial variability of the sampled data was analyzed previously calculating the classic statistical indicators. The results indicated an approximated normal distribution of the data samples which is desirable. Then, the Matheron's classical estimator was used to compute the experimental semivariogram for several directions. No effect of anisotropy was shown. The semivariogram was fitted to three theoretical models: spherical, exponential and Gaussian. The results of cross-validation of spherical model suggested that it is the best model among the others. Finally, the predictions of metals at unknown locations were obtained by ordinary kriging. In relation to the values obtained of metals and the standard values of the Brazilian referee legislation of management of contaminated sites, only one site had Ni levels higher than is allowed and other metals were ok. The generated map shows clearly the spatial variation of trace metals in the studied area. The results are suitable and suggest that the use of this methodology provides significant contributions to management of contaminated areas by different trace metals.
Tillid i socialt arbejde
Authors: Matthiessen Annemette , Rask Lisbeth
Published: December 2020

Artiklen handler om hvordan socialarbejdere kan nuancere og professionalisere deres tillidsarbejde i mødet med borgere. Feltets aktører forstår typisk tillid i socialt arbejde i et hverdagsperspektiv. Det kan være problematisk, da det indebærer en risiko for at afkoble tillidsarbejde fra det sociale systems kontekst og vilkår.

Artiklen gengiver fund fra en undersøgelse af kommunale børne- og ungesagsforløb, hvor forældres oplevelse og håndtering af tillid i socialt arbejde analyseres, og på den baggrund diskuterer vi socialarbejders tilgang til tillid. Vigtige elementer for socialarbejderen i et udviklende tillidsarbejde er at forstå både borgeres og egne forudsætninger for tillid og at skabe en balance mellem hverdags- og systemperspektiver. Der er fokus på forståelse og handleperspektiver både hos den enkelte socialarbejder og i arbejdspladsens fællesskaber.
Not of women born
Authors: Bach Anna Sofie
Published: December 2020

In 2014, Denmark abolished the castration requirement that had been in place since the 1950s in order to obtain legal gender reassignment. As a self-declaration model was introduced, the law was amended to enable everyone with a uterus to retain access to pregnancy care and assisted reproduction. Combining Science and Technology Studies with critical transgender scholarship, this paper explores how the legal reforms, which sought to separate legal gender status from the healthcare system, have shaped the emergence of reproductive transmasculinities and the institutionalization of reproductive citizenship for trans men. Drawing on the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries (­Jasanoff, 2015), I discuss how specific understandings of coherence between bodies, gender and parenthood organize and restrict the reproductive practices of trans men. For example, men who give birth are still registered as mothers. Through the framework of biomedicalization (Clarke et al., 2010), I extend my discussion of reproductive autonomy to fertility preservation access. I discuss why, in Denmark, sperm can be frozen in relation to gender- affirmative treatment, but eggs cannot, and in doing so I highlight how this disparity is not only shaped by normative practices of risk prediction, but also by the political opposition to surrogacy in Denmark.
Métier, savoirs et élèves : l’étrange casse-tête des nouveaux enseignants de formation professionnelle au Québec1
Authors: Beaucher Chantale
Published: December 2020

Les enseignants de formation professionnelle au Québec se distinguent de leurs collègues d’autres secteurs (Descheneaux, Monette et Tardif, 2012) par le fait qu’ils ont exercé pendant plusieurs années un métier avant de l’enseigner. Ils abordent en outre la carrière en enseignement sans formation initiale en pédagogie. Leur rapport au savoir (Charlot, 1997) s’appuie souvent sur une certaine tension avec l’institution scolaire et ce qu’elle représente (Beaucher, 2014) ainsi que sur la valorisation des savoirs techniques, concrets ou liés à l’exercice de leur métier. Engagés simultanément dans trois processus exigeants de transition entre le métier et l’enseignement, d’insertion professionnelle en enseignement et d’intégration à l’université, ils s’appuient d’abord sur ce qui leur est le plus familier : leur métier et leur expérience d’élève. Le texte soulève des questions éthiques posées par l’entrelacs de quatre pôles identitaires (expert de métier, enseignant, ancien élève et étudiant) occupés simultanément par les participants.
Quels enjeux éthiques de la variation des rapports épistémologiques et épistémiques aux savoirs d’élèves du secondaire?
Authors: Gagnon Mathieu
Published: December 2020

Le présent article expose les enjeux éthiques de résultats obtenus lors d’entretiens menés auprès d’élèves du secondaire touchant leurs rapports épistémologiques et épistémiques aux savoirs. Il ressort des rapports variés considérés comme peu propices à la mobilisation et au développement d’une pensée critique.
Les rapports aux experts et aux expertes scientifiques de futures enseignantes du primaire interprétés sous l’angle des postures déficitaire, non déficitaire et antidéficitaire
Authors: Groleau Audrey , Pouliot Chantal
Published: December 2020

Dans une recherche doctorale, nous avons construit une typologie de rapports aux experts et aux expertes scientifiques (rapports de dépendance, de coexistence, de coopération et d’empowerment) de futures enseignantes du primaire (Groleau, 2017). Dans cet article, nous interprétons ces rapports à la lumière des postures déficitaire, non déficitaire et antidéficitaire que les participantes entretiennent face aux citoyens et aux citoyennes. Certaines entretiennent une posture déficitaire, en ce sens qu’elles considèrent que les citoyens et citoyennes souffrent d’un déficit de connaissances, de compréhension ou d’intérêt relatif aux technosciences. D’autres participantes expriment une posture non déficitaire envers eux. D’autres encore veillent à combattre la posture déficitaire : elles entretiennent une posture antidéficitaire. Nous montrons enfin comment les rapports aux experts scientifiques s’arriment avec chacune de ces trois postures et discutons des conséquences de ces résultats sur la prise en compte des aspects éthiques des controverses sociotechniques dans les classes de technosciences.
L’initiation à l’épistémologie des sciences à l’école : peut-on envisager d’autres conceptualisations que le modèle Nature of science (NOS)?
Authors: Hasni Abdelkrim , Bousadra Fatima , Dumais Nancy
Published: December 2020

Au sein du monde anglophone, l’expressionNature of science(NOS), qui prédomine largement dans les travaux issus du domaine, est présentée comme une « vision consensuelle ». Récemment, cette « vision consensuelle » a été remise en question par de nombreux auteurs. Notre article s’inscrit dans ce mouvement de conceptualisation de l’initiation à l’épistémologie des sciences à l’école. Nous y exposons, dans une première partie, les principales caractéristiques utilisées pour définir la NOS, tout en soulignant ses apports et ses limites, puis nous poursuivons, dans une deuxième partie, par une présentation des principales reconceptualisations proposées. Dans une troisième partie, nous présentons notre proposition de l’initiation à l’épistémologie, fondée sur l’engagement des élèves dans des pratiques scientifiques scolaires et des pratiques épistémiques. Nous concluons l’article en ouvrant la discussion sur les considérations éthiques associées à l’initiation à l’épistémologie en sciences.
Speaking Freely and Freedom of Speech: Why is Black Feminist Thought Left Out of Ontario University Sexual Violence Policies?
Authors: Ostridge Lindsay
Published: December 2020

As of January 1, 2017, the Province of Ontario has required all post-secondary institutions to create and maintain a stand-alone sexual assault policy that includes clearly stated complaint and response procedures. This paper brings to bear the influence of Black feminist thought as an analytic tool and politic on the outcomes and omissions of the development of these policies. Analyzing the stand-alone sexual violence policy of the University of Ottawa as a case study, the author conducted a critical discourse analysis with an intersectional lens to determine if intersectionality influenced the policy creation. Findings reveal that policymakers conceptualize gender in a one-dimensional manner, without attention to intersections of sexualized violence with racism and other systems of oppression. A policy with an ill-defined focus on gender can result in a colorblind policy that suggests that the institution should treat all students the same, regardless of systemic disadvantages they might face on the basis of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. This avoidance can create barriers to reporting. Neoliberalism and the changing university culture are discussed.
Modernity and Progress: The Transnational Politics of Suffrage in British Columbia (1910-1916)
Authors: Campbell Lara
Published: December 2020

Canadian historians have underplayed the extent to which theproject of suffrage and first wave feminism was transnational in scope. The suffrage movement in British Columbia provides a good example of the global interconnections of the movement. While BC suffragists were relatively uninterested in pan-Canadian campaigns they explicitly situated provincial suffrage within three transnational relationships: the ‘frontier’ myth of the Western United States, radical direct action by suffragettes in the United Kingdom, and the rise of modern China. By the second decade of the 20thcentury, increasingly confident women’s suffrage societies hosted international visits and contributed to global print culture, both of which consolidated a sense of being part of a modern, international and unstoppable movement.

BC suffragists were attuned to American suffrage campaigns in California, Oregon and Washington, which granted female suffrage after referenda and situated political rights for settler women in the context of Western progress narratives. The emphasis on progress and modernity intersected with growing connections to non-Western countries, complicating racialized arguments for settler women’s rights to vote. BC suffragists were particularly impressed by the role of feminism in Chinese political reform and came to understand Chinese women as symbolizing modernity, progress, and equality. Finally, the militant direct action in the British suffrage movement played a critical role in how BC suffragists imagined the role of tactical political violence. They were in close contact with the militant WSPU, hosted debates on the meaning of direct action, and argued that suffragettes were heroes fighting for a just cause. They pragmatically used media fascination with suffragette violence for political purposes by reserving the possibility that unmet demands for political equality might lead to Canadian conflict in the future.
Family Matters: Immigrant Women’s Activism in Ontario and British Columbia, 1960s -1980s
Authors: Little Margaret , Marks Lynne Sorrel , Beck Marin , Paszat Emma , Tom Liza
Published: December 2020

This article uses oral history interviews to explore the ways in which different attitudes towards family and motherhood could create major tensions between mainstream feminists and immigrant women’s activists in Ontario and British Columbia between the 1960s and the 1980s.  Immigrant women’s belief in the value of the family did not prevent immigrant women from going out to work to help support their families or accessing daycare and women’s shelters, hard fought benefits of the women’s movement.  However, these women demanded access to job training, English language classes, childcare, and women’s shelters on their own terms, in ways that minimized the racism they faced, respected religious and cultural values, and respected the fact that the heterosexual family remained an important resource for the majority of immigrant women. 

Immigrant women activists were less likely to accept a purely gender-based analysis than mainstream feminists. They often sought to work with men in their own communities, even in dealing with violence against women. And issues of violence and of reproductive rights often could not be understood only within the boundaries of Canada. For immigrant women violence against women was often analyzed in relation to political violence in their homelands, while demands for fully realized reproductive rights drew on experiences of coercion both in Canada and transnationally.
Computer-based Training Programs to Stimulate Learning to Read in French for Newcomer Migrant Children: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ecalle Jean , Vidalenc Jean-Luc , Magnan Annie
Published: December 2020

The integration of newcomer migrant children is a vital challenge for host countries. For such children, learning to read in a new language is a prerequisite for the acquisition of knowledge in all academic domains at school. To investigate this issue, two experiments were conducted: one with children who were just at the beginning of learning to read in French and another with children who could already read a few words in French. Two specific software programs were used for each group. Each group was exposed to the same experimental design, which included three assessment sessions, namely two before training to obtain a baseline of scores in different literacy skills and a third after training to examine the impact of 10 hours of training. In Experiment 1, the alphabetic code was stimulated: a significant effect on phonemic awareness was observed. In Experiment 2, the grapho-syllabic processing required to read words was stimulated: a significant effect on word reading was observed. Our initial results show that teachers can improve learning to read in ways tailored to the needs of newcomer migrant children.
Academic Self-concept in University Students: Their Association with Parents’ Educational Level and Previous Experience in Higher Education
Authors: Gedda Munoz Relmu , Villagrán Del Picò Natalia
Published: December 2020

The aim of this research is to associate academic self-concept with the educational level of the parents and previous experiences of students in higher education. It is a cross-sectional study that evaluated 1093 students from a private university in Chile. The instruments used were the academic self-concept scale (ASCS), the variables of educational level of the parents and students previous experience in higher education. Bivariate correlations were made using the Spearman coefficient, associations using Pearson’s Chi-Square, and mean difference using the Mann-Whitney U between ASCS with the parents’ educational level and previous experience in higher education. The outcomes indicate correlation, association and mean difference (p < .05) between the ASCS and the educational level of the mother when she has university studies, as well as with the existence of previous experiences in higher education, being the father’s educational level of no significant impact. In conclusion, academic self-concept is greater when students have a mother with university studies and when they have previous experiences in higher education.
Vontade geral, soberania e liberdade política em Rousseau: algumas problematizações
Authors: Santos Silva Eduarda
Published: December 2020

Given the union of individuals by a convention, as idealized by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in The social contract, the political body that is formed will be directed by the general will, which gives unity to the people, considering the person of each associate, their assets and their freedom. Although the general will is the foundation for the maintenance of citizens' political freedom, it is possible to ask whether it will really prevail in all spheres of civil society, if the individuals who deliberate in the exercise of sovereignty are sufficiently informed about what is good common, or if they are led to accept what suits the Legislator, that is, if the general will is not manipulated, corrupted or deceived by this extraordinary figure, considered a guide endowed with superior intelligence to better lead citizens to pass good laws and preserving the common good. We are interested, then, in contrasting the very important issue of the popular participation of individuals in public subjects, highlighted by Rousseau, with the apparent limits that such participation would encounter in a republican state, and its consequences for political freedom.
Mirando hacia el pasado para entender el presente: la medicina ante el azote de las epidemias
Authors: Fernández Agis Domingo
Published: December 2020

To understand what is happening it is often enlightening to direct our attention to the past. From this perspective, I do in this essay an approach to the history of the epidemics which occurred in particular in the city of Paris. From this, I intend to draw conclusions that could help us understand the situation created by the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as various options to face its consequences socially and medically.
O aspecto desestruturante da pandemia na reconfiguração dos espaços: do individual ao coletivo
Authors: de Lima Pinto Simã Catarina
Published: December 2020

The essay presents the public and private space from the reconfiguration imposed by the pandemic. It is considered that the information technology was inevitably intensified in order to face the pandemic and allow the continuation of life without major damages to the daily life. If before sociotechnologies were based on physical mobility and information technology for daily activities, restrictions on the use of public space have made information technology the main means of safe confrontation against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. With this, the delimitation between public and private space is questioned, which also allows the problematization of the relationship between the individual and the collective based on biopolitical concepts, which are resized by the new context that is imposed.
Multi-contrast anatomical subcortical structures parcellation
Authors: Bazin Pierre-Louis , Alkemade Anneke , Mulder Martijn J , Henry Amanda G , Forstmann Birte U
Published: December 2020

The human subcortex is comprised of more than 450 individual nuclei which lie deep in the brain. Due to their small size and close proximity, up until now only 7% have been depicted in standard MRI atlases. Thus, the human subcortex can largely be considered as terra incognita. Here, we present a new open-source parcellation algorithm to automatically map the subcortex. The new algorithm has been tested on 17 prominent subcortical structures based on a large quantitative MRI dataset at 7 Tesla. It has been carefully validated against expert human raters and previous methods, and can easily be extended to other subcortical structures and applied to any quantitative MRI dataset. In sum, we hope this novel parcellation algorithm will facilitate functional and structural neuroimaging research into small subcortical nuclei and help to chart terra incognita.
Digitaalne kirjandus: kas tõesti püsivalt efemeerne? / Digital Literature: Ephemeral in Truth?
Authors: Bootz Philippe , Amon Marri
Published: December 2020

Digitaalsete teoste praeguste säilitamisviiside ülevaade näitab, et eelkõige püütakse säilitada teoste materiaalseid seisundeid. Artiklis tutvustatakse labiilsust kui nähtust, mida võib määratleda kui lugemisel esitatava tulemuse tehnilist ja semiootilist sõltuvust programmi toimimise tehnilistest tingimustest, ning kui nähtust, mis ei võimaldagi täpselt kindlaks teha teose seisundit, mida säilitada soovitakse. Labiilsust käsitletakse kui n-ö erasfääris ehk lugeja andmekandjal lugemiseks mõeldud teoste fundamentaalset, paratamatut ja ennustamatut omadust. On teoseid, milles lahutatakse retseptsioon ja digitaalne lugemine, tuues sellega sisse meta-lugemise võimalusi, mis vahel viivad ellu teoste mõningaid kontekste, sealhulgas ka labiilsust. Spinoza ontoloogial põhineva heuristilise lähenemise abil saame mõtestada säilitamist kui „võimalust aktualiseerida teose teoväge“, mitte kui teose materiaalse oleku põlistamist.
Dysregulated levels of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and miR-135 in peripheral blood samples of cases with nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Ardalan Mohammadreza , Hejazian Seyyedeh Mina , Sharabiyani Hassan Fazlazar , Farnood Farahnoosh , Ghafari Aghdam Amirhossein , Bastami Milad , Ahmadian Elham , Zununi Vahed Sepideh , Cucchiarini Magali
Published: December 2020

Background

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3β) is a serine/threonine kinase with multifunctions in various physiological procedures. Aberrant level of GSK-3β in kidney cells has a harmful role in podocyte injury.

Methods

In this article, the expression levels of GSK-3β and one of its upstream regulators, miR-135a-5p, were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of cases with the most common types of nephrotic syndrome (NS); focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN). In so doing, fifty-two cases along with twenty-four healthy controls were included based on the strict criteria.

Results

Levels of GSK-3β mRNA and miR-135 were measured with quantitative real-time PCR. There were statistically significant increases in GSK-3β expression level in NS (P = 0.001), MGN (P = 0.002), and FSGS (P = 0.015) groups compared to the control group. Dysregulated levels of miR-135a-5p in PBMCs was not significant between the studied groups. Moreover, a significant decrease was observed in the expression level of miR-135a-5p in the plasma of patients with NS (P = 0.020), MGN (P = 0.040), and FSGS (P = 0.046) compared to the control group. ROC curve analysis approved a diagnostic power of GSK-3β in discriminating patients from healthy controls (AUC: 0.72,P = 0.002) with high sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions

Dysregulated levels of GSK-3β and its regulator miR-135a may participate in the pathogenesis of NS with different etiology. Therefore, more research is needed for understanding the relationship between them.
Characterization of DNA methylation in Malawian Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates
Authors: Ndhlovu Victor , Kiran Anmol , Sloan Derek J. , Mandala Wilson , Nliwasa Marriott , Everett Dean B. , Kumwenda Benjamin , Mwapasa Mphatso , Kontogianni Konstantina , Kamdolozi Mercy , Corbett Elizabeth , Caws Maxine , Davies Gerry
Published: December 2020

Background

Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains exhibit genomic homology of >99%, there is considerable variation in the phenotype. The underlying mechanisms of phenotypic heterogeneity in Mtb are not well understood but epigenetic variation is thought to contribute. At present the methylome of Mtb has not been completely characterized.

Methods

We completed methylomes of 18 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) clinical isolates from Malawi representing the largest number of Mtb genomes to be completed in a single study using Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) sequencing to date.

Results

We replicate and confirm four methylation disrupting mutations in 4 lineages of Mtb. For the first time we report complete loss of methylation courtesy of C758T (S253L) mutation in the MamB gene of Indo-oceanic lineage of Mtb. Additionally, we report a novel missense mutation G454A (G152S) in the MamA gene of the Euro-American lineage which could potentially be attributed to total disruption of methylation in the CCCAG motif but partial loss in a partner motif. Through a genomic and methylome comparative analysis with a global sample of sixteen, we report previously unknown mutations affecting the pks15/1 locus in L6 isolates. We confirm that methylation in Mtb is lineage specific although some unresolved issues still remain.
Study of Indoor Radon Using Data Mining Models Based on OLAP Cubes
Authors: García-Tobar Javier
Published: December 2020

This research has focused on a radon measurement campaign that was carried out in two dwellings in a residential building located in Madrid. A new methodology has been used in this field, such as the use of cubes based on On-Line Analytical Processing in SQL Server Analysis Services. The application of this methodology can be of particular interest in analysing thousands of radon measurements and complementary variables, which are easily obtained in any radon measurement campaign.
Coworking Spaces in Germany during the Covid-19 Crisis Utilized for Homeoffice and Homeschooling
Authors: Gruenwald Hermann
Published: December 2020

Aims: To capture the perception of coworking space (CWS) users during the covid-19 crisis for homeoffice and homeschooling purposes in terms of process, physical evidence and people components of the service marketing mix.

Study Design:  This is a grounded theory study in nature which explores the users’ perceptions of coworking spaces.

Place and Duration of Study: Coworking spaces in Germany during the covid-19 crisis between March 2020 and August 2020.

Methodology: We included 200 respondents (88 male and 112 female; age range 18-88  years) who used the different services of various types of coworking spaces for  entertainment, business and or education purposes as employees, entrepreneurs, retirees or students.

Results: Very important for the process are comfort and atmosphere together with cleanliness and safety (Mean 3.48, SD 1.31, r = 0.529). The physical evidence mentioned location in terms of access and the facility itself (Mean 3.54, SD 1.11, r = 0.650). People (Mean 3.31, SD 1.27, r = 0.619) make the CWS function with management, staff and customer mix.

Conclusion: Coworking spaces received a big boost during the covid-19 crisis after initial lockdown and will continue to grow in the New Normal with homeoffice and on-line learning becoming the norm while CWS focus on process, physical evidence and people components of their marketing mix.
Covid-19: Socio-Economic Implications and Effect of Government Policy Initiatives on Developing Economies
Authors: Isukul Araniyar , Chizea John , Tobin Violet
Published: December 2020

This research investigates the socio-economic implications and effect of government policy initiative of coronavirus on developing economies from a neoliberalist theoretical perspective using a pragmatist approach and mixed method research. Quantitative and qualitative data have been employed to evaluate the effect of the virus on developing economies. The findings of this research reveal the following: that the coronavirus caused significant mortality and morbidity in developing countries and its rapid spread of across countries, and across borders led to a global economic recession. Several drastic government measures were taken to curb the spread of the virus through restriction of individual freedom and movement. These measures include social distancing, and isolation; closures of educational institutions, religious institutions, and businesses, prohibition of public events, and restriction of domestic and foreign travel. Furthermore, the prolonged lockdown measures taken by developing countries to contain the spread of the virus worsened their economic crises. It is expected that the pandemic will reduce economic growth, worsen government debt, increase inflation and worsen current account deficits. The long-term effect of the pandemic in developing countries is the worsening of inequality and poverty and wiping off the economic development strides gained in the last two decades.
Genetic deletion of the 67‐kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase alters conditioned fear behavior in rats
Authors: Fujihara Kazuyuki , Sato Takumi , Miyasaka Yoshiki , Mashimo Tomoji , Yanagawa Yuchio
Published: December 2020

The GABAergic system is thought to play an important role in the control of cognition and emotion, such as fear, and is related to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. For example, the expression of the 67‐kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67), a GABA‐producing enzyme, is downregulated in the postmortem brains of patients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. However, knocking out the Gad1 gene, which encodes GAD67, is lethal in mice, and thus, the association between Gad1 and cognitive/emotional functions is unclear. We recently developed Gad1 knockout rats and found that some of them can grow into adulthood. Here, we performed fear‐conditioning tests in adult Gad1 knockout rats to assess the impact of the loss of Gad1 on fear‐related behaviors and the formation of fear memory. In a protocol assessing both cued and contextual memory, Gad1 knockout rats showed a partial antiphase pattern of freezing during training and significantly excessive freezing during the contextual test compared with wild‐type rats. However, Gad1 knockout rats did not show any synchronous increase in freezing with auditory tones in the cued test. On the other hand, in a contextual memory specialized protocol, Gad1 knockout rats exhibited comparable freezing behavior to wild‐type rats, while their fear extinction was markedly impaired. These results suggest that GABA synthesis by GAD67 has differential roles in cued and contextual fear memory.
Skin‐Integrated Vibrohaptic Interfaces for Virtual and Augmented Reality
Authors: Jung Yei Hwan , Kim Jae‐Hwan , Rogers John A.
Published: December 2020

Haptic technology involves the use of electrical or mechanical means to stimulate afferent nerves or mechanoreceptors in the skin as the basis for creating sensations of physical touch that can qualitatively expand virtual or augmented reality experiences beyond those supported by visual and auditory cues alone. An emerging direction in this field involves the development of platforms that provide spatiotemporal patterns of sensation to the skin across not only the fingertips, but to any and all regions of the body, using thin, skin‐like technologies that impose negligible physical burden on the user. This review highlights the biological basis for skin interfaces of this type and the latest advances in haptics in the context of this ambitious goal, including electrotactile and vibrotactile devices that support perceptions of touch in form factors that have potential as skin‐integrated interfaces. The content includes a discussion of schemes for integrating these stimulators into programmable arrays, with an emphasis on scalable materials and designs that have the potential to support soft interfaces across large areas of the skin. A concluding section summarizes the potential consequences of successful research efforts in this area, along with key multidisciplinary challenges and associated research opportunities in materials science and engineering.
Quantification of Cellular Drug Biodistribution Addresses Challenges in Evaluating In Vitro and In Vivo Encapsulated Drug Delivery
Authors: Rodell Christopher B. , Baldwin Paige , Fernandez Bianca , Weissleder Ralph , Sridhar Srinivas , Dubach John Matthew
Published: December 2020

Nanoencapsulated drug delivery to solid tumors is a promising approach to overcome the pharmacokinetic limitations of therapeutic drugs. However, encapsulation leads to complex drug biodistribution and delivery making analysis of delivery efficacy challenging. As proxies, nanocarrier accumulation or total tumor drug uptake in the tumor are used to evaluate delivery. Yet these measurements fail to assess the delivery of active, released drug to the target, and thus it commonly remains unknown if drug‐target occupancy is achieved. Here, an approach to evaluate the delivery of encapsulated drug to the target is developed, where residual drug target vacancy is measured using a fluorescent drug analog. In vitro measurements reveal that burst release governs drug delivery independent of nanoparticle uptake, and highlight limitations of evaluating nanoencapsulated drug delivery in these models. In vivo, however, the approach captures successful nanoencapsulated delivery, showing that tumor stromal cells drive nanoparticle accumulation and mediate drug delivery to adjacent cancer cells. These results, and generalizable approach, provide a critical advance to evaluate delivery of encapsulated drugs to the drug target—the central objective of nanotherapeutics.
One‐Pot Synthesis of a Cyclic Antimicrobial Peptide‐Conjugated Phthalocyanine for Synergistic Chemo‐Photodynamic Killing of Multidrug‐Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Chu Jacky C. H. , Chin Miu Ling , Wong Clarence T. T. , Hui Mamie , Lo Pui‐Chi , Ng Dennis K. P.
Published: December 2020

Multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a serious threat to public health globally. Among the various antimicrobial modalities that have recently emerged, photodynamic therapy has received considerable attention because of its various potential advantages, including the unlikelihood of inducing drug resistance. A facile synthetic approach is reported to prepare a phthalocyanine‐based photosensitizer conjugated with a cyclic bactenecin peptide. This one‐pot procedure that involves site‐selective alkylation of the two cysteine residues of a linear bactenecin peptide followed by Diels–Alder reaction leads to the formation of the conjugate labeled as cBac‐Pc in 27% isolated yield. As shown by confocal fluorescence microscopy, this conjugate shows selective affinity toward bacterial over mammalian cells. It can also induce synergistic cytotoxic effects due to the cyclic peptide and phthalocyanine against a spectrum of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacterial strains, including two ATCC‐type strains and two clinical isolates of MDR bacterial strains. It is believed that the inhibition mechanism is based on the physical destruction of the cell membrane due to the cyclic peptide followed by photodynamic action induced by the phthalocyanine unit.
Velvet bentgrass putting green quality, water retention, and infiltration as affected by topdressing sand size and rate
Authors: Wang Ruying , Murphy James A. , Giménez Daniel
Published: December 2020

Velvet bentgrass (Agrostis canina L.) putting greens require intensive sand topdressing programs for thatch management; however, their high shoot density combined with the low mowing heights make it challenging to maintain smooth, sand‐free putting surface when topdressing is applied at high rates. A field trial was initiated to determine the effects of sand size and topdressing rate on a ‘Greenwich’ velvet bentgrass putting green. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial and included a non‐topdressed control arranged in a randomized complete block design. The two factors were topdressing sand (medium‐coarse sand and medium‐fine sand) and topdressing rate (0.15 and 0.3 L m–2). Topdressing improved turf quality compared to the non‐topdressed control. Additionally, velvet bentgrass had better quality when topdressed at the rate of 0.3 L m–2 compared to 0.15 L m–2. Increasing topdressing rate from 0.15 to 0.3 L m–2 notably increased the quantity of unincorporated medium‐coarse sand remaining on the putting surface, whereas it often did not increase or only slightly increased the quantity of unincorporated sand with medium‐fine sand. Independent of sand size and rate, topdressing treatments maintained the top 0‐to‐3.8‐cm soil profile relatively dry and increased infiltration rate measured with mini disk infiltrometers. The lack of negative effects of medium‐fine sand on measured parameters and the minimum disruption to putting surface may encourage superintendents to apply greater quantities of topdressing for improving the performance of velvet bentgrass putting greens.
Adaptation and co‐adaptation of skin pigmentation and vitamin D genes in native Americans
Authors: Missaggia Bruna Oliveira , Reales Guillermo , Cybis Gabriela B. , Hünemeier Tábita , Bortolini Maria Cátira
Published: December 2020

We carried out an exhaustive review regarding human skin color variation and how much it may be related to vitamin D metabolism and other photosensitive molecules. We discuss evolutionary contexts that modulate this variability and hypotheses postulated to explain them; for example, a small amount of melanin in the skin facilitates vitamin D production, making it advantageous to have fair skin in an environment with little radiation incidence. In contrast, more melanin protects folate from degradation in an environment with a high incidence of radiation. Some Native American populations have a skin color at odds with what would be expected for the amount of radiation in the environment in which they live, a finding challenging the so‐called “vitamin D–folate hypothesis.” Since food is also a source of vitamin D, dietary habits should also be considered. Here we argue that a gene network approach provides tools to explain this phenomenon since it indicates potential alleles co‐evolving in a compensatory way. We identified alleles of the vitamin D metabolism and pigmentation pathways segregated together, but in different proportions, in agriculturalists and hunter‐gatherers. Finally, we highlight how an evolutionary approach can be useful to understand current topics of medical interest.