bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining The Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Paroxysm in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Intact and Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Zakharov I. P. , Chomakhidze P. Sh. , Kopylov F. Yu. , Sultygova E. A. , Mesitskaya D. F. , Lyubimova E. A. , Andreev D. A.
Published: April 2024

Aim. To determine predictors for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with preserved and reduced ejection fraction by echocardiography (EchoCG) according to an extended protocol with determination of diastolic function and left atrial global strain.Material and methods. Data of 168 patients with stage I–III CHF without a history of AF were analyzed. All patients underwent echocardiography according to an extended protocol with the determination of diastolic dysfunction (DD), left atrial ejection fraction (LA EF), and left atrial global strain (LA GS). Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) was used to evaluate the early (E) and late (A) LV filling velocity and the early (E') and late (A') diastolic mitral annular velocity. In all patients, Holter ECG monitoring (HM ECG) of heart rhythm was performed for 3 days, and ECG monitoring with telemedicine technologies was performed for 7 days, 3 times a day for 3 minutes. The follow-up period was 3 months or until an AF episode.Results. During the study, paroxysmal AF (pAF) was detected in 41 (24.4%) patients using various methods of heart rhythm monitoring. Complaints of palpitations were noted for 10 (24.4%) patients during pAF, which was recorded using a CardioQVARK® device, HM ECG or a 12-lead ECG. In 5 (12.2%) patients, daily ECG monitoring revealed pAF without associated complaints. HM ECG detected 8, 2, 4 (19.5%, 4.8%, and 9.7%) cases during 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively; a single-channel CardioQVARK® detected 30 (73.2%) cases when used 3 times a day for 7 days. These results showed that AF frequently develops in CHF without accompanying symptoms. The method for detecting pAF with CardioQVARK® showed good results: it was twice more effective than HM ECG and three times more effective than 12-lead ECG. Also, according to ultrasound data, significant changes in the following parameters were noted in patients with AF: LA EF <36% (OR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08), p=0.003; LA GS <9.9% (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02-1.38), p<0.001; TDI E med <5.7 cm/s (OR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94-1.00), p=0.026. Grade 2 DD did not show statistically significant results (OR 1.1, 95% CI: 0.7–1.5, p=0.54). However, it was detected more frequently in patients with AF, in 34% of cases, compared to 29% of cases in patients without AF, which requires further study on a larger patient sample.Conclusion. Patients with CHF have a high risk of developing pAF (24.4%). 75% of patients with AF do not feel the development of paroxysm. All CHF patients should undergo EchoCG with assessment of LA EF, TDI E med and LA GS to identify a group at risk for the development of AF. Heart rhythm remote monitoring with CardioQVARK® devices can be considered a reliable method for early detection of pAF and timely initiation of anticoagulant therapy in patients with CHF.
Associations of ECG Signs of Ischemic and Non-Specific Signs of Metabolic Changes in the Myocardium With Unfavorable Cardiovascular Prognosis in a 7-Year Prospective Follow-Up of Young People Under 45 Years
Authors: Kuzminykh N. A. , Shcherbakova L. V. , Gafarov V. V. , Denisova D. V. , Shramko V. S. , Ragino Yu. I.
Published: April 2024

Aim. To study ischemic and/or nonspecific ECG signs of metabolic changes in the myocardium and to determine their relationship with unfavorable cardiovascular prognosis in a 7-year prospective observation of young people under 45 years of age.Material and methods. A cross-sectional population survey of a random sample aged 25-44 years (n=1363) was conducted in Novosibirsk. The survey program used the standardized epidemiological Rose questionnaire. Biochemical tests were used to measure blood concentrations of total cholesterol (C), triglycerides (TG), low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, HDL-C), and fasting blood plasma glucose. Systolic and diastolic BP (SBP, DBP), the presence of arterial hypertension (AH), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and smoking status were assessed. ECG was recorded at rest in 12 standard leads followed by interpretation according to the Minnesota Code. The presence of ischemic and/or nonspecific ECG signs of metabolic changes in the myocardium was determined. Subjects with ECG signs of ischemic changes in the myocardium were selected for long-term follow-up and additional examination by cardiologists. Then the whole cohort was monitored for 7 years, and cardiovascular events were recorded, including using data from the WHO Myocardial Infarction Registry in Novosibirsk. For statistical analysis of the results, cardiovascular events were combined into a composite endpoint.Results. During 7 years, 40 people (27 men and 13 women) had an unfavorable cardiovascular prognosis. Multivariate regression analysis showed that a 7-year unfavorable cardiovascular prognosis in people younger than 45 years was associated with signs of ischemic myocardial alterations identified on the background ECG (OR 5.319, 95% CI: 1.543-18.342, p=0.008) and nonspecific ECG signs of metabolic changes in the myocardium (OR 2.978, 95% CI: 1.216-7.216, p=0.017) regardless of age, gender, the presence of arterial hypertension (AH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).Conclusion. In young people under 45 years of age, not only ECG signs of ischemic changes in the myocardium, but also nonspecific ECG signs of metabolic changes in the myocardium are associated with an unfavorable cardiovascular prognosis, directly and independently on age and gender, in a long-term, 7-year period.
YOLOv5 vs. YOLOv8: Performance Benchmarking in Wildfire and Smoke Detection Scenarios
Authors: Casas Edmundo , Ramos Leo , Bendek Eduardo , Rivas-Echeverria Francklin
Published: April 2024

This paper provides a thorough analysis and comparison of the YOLOv5 and YOLOv8 models for wildfire and smoke detection, using the Foggia dataset for evaluation. The study examines the small (s), medium (m), and large (l) variants of each architecture and employs various metrics, including recall, precision, F1-Score, and mAP@50, to assess performance. Additional considerations such as training and inference times, along with the number of epochs required for optimal recall, are also evaluated to gauge the models’ real-world efficiency and effectiveness. Quantitatively, YOLOv5 models generally outperform YOLOv8, with the YOLOv5s variant achieving the highest scores across all metrics. However, visual assessments reveal that YOLOv8 models exhibit similar, and in some cases superior, capabilities, particularly in detecting dark and dense smoke. Training times favor YOLOv5 models, contributing to their efficiency, and their shorter inference times offer advantages for real-time applications. While the “best model” variants confirm YOLOv5’s numerical dominance, YOLOv8’s “best models” also display competitive performance. Future research will explore model evaluation on diverse datasets and hyperparameter optimization to further enhance performance, adaptability, and applicability in various real-world object detection scenarios.
The Africa Food Prize
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Oniang'o Ruth
Published: April 2024

The Africa Food Prize 2022 event (5th - 9th September) just ended in the beautiful city of Kigali, Rwanda. I was a co-recipient of the Prize in 2017, awarded in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Right to Food Movement
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Karanu Njeri
Published: April 2024

In September 2022 I had the chance to visit the state of Jharkhand in India, one of the states where the Right to Food Movement took root. It was incredible to hear firsthand from those who were in the campaign and visit rural communities that benefit from the National Food Security Act, thanks to the tireless efforts of the movement.
The year 2023
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Oniang'o Ruth
Published: April 2024

This is 2023. We thank our God that we managed to cross over, successfully. Our first journal release this year is a special issue on Ghana.
Putting people at the center of food discussions
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Karanu Njeri
Published: April 2024

It is commendable to see how the world has rallied to save lives in the Horn of Africa, where hunger has reached unprecedented levels. African and foreign Governments, humanitarian organizations, development partners, and UN agencies, and special mention to the WFP Chief’s characteristic style, are rallying to save lives and to bring the face of hunger to those who are far removed from the continent for emergency appeal.
Food Systems Stocktaking
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Karanu Njeri
Published: April 2024

What can we expect from the ongoing UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment? This is the question we asked when we published the last issue. The UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment took place in Rome between July 24-26, 2023. It comes 2 years after the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) which aimed to find solutions for sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and equitable food systems, and ultimately realizing Zero Hunger by 2030.
The LGALS1 gene polymorphism is not associated with galectin-1 levels in tumor tissue and blood of colon cancer patients
Authors: Urazova Olga I. , Reyngardt Gleb V. , Kolobovnikova Yulia V. , Kurnosenko Anna V. , Poletika Vadim S. , Vasil'yeva Olga A. , Avgustinovich Aleksandra V.
Published: April 2024

Background: Galectin-1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). The blood and tumoral levels of galectin-1 could be dependent on the polymorphism of the promotor region of LGALS1 gene.
Aim: To analyze an association between galectin-1 levels in tumor tissue and plasma and the genotype of the rs4820293 and rs4820294 polymorphisms of the LGALS1 gene in CRC patients.
Materials and methods: The study included a total of 70 inpatients with pathologically verified CRC (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes C18-C20, 39 men and 31 women, mean age 65.4 ± 5.7 years), who were receiving treatment in the Tomsk Regional Oncology Center and Cancer Research Institute of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center from 2020 to 2022. The control group consisted of 70 healthy volunteers (34 men and 36 women, mean age 62.3 ± 7.2 years). Venous blood samples were taken from all study participants and tumor tissue samples were obtained from the CRC patients. Galectin-1 expression in the tumor tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry and plasma galectin-1 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The LGALS1 gene polymorphisms rs4820293 and rs4820294 were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
Results: The distributions of genotype and allele frequencies of polymorphic variants rs4820293 and rs4820294 of the LGALS1 gene in the CRC patients and in the healthy donors were comparable (p 0.05). Calculation of odds ratios did not confirm any association between LGALS1 gene polymorphisms and CRC. However, the rs4820294 polymorphism had a strong association with regional metastasis and tumor differentiation grade (Cramer's V above 0.4, p 0.001). The plasma galectin-1 levels in the CRC patients with the AA genotype of the rs4820294 polymorphism were higher than in the healthy carriers (17.42 versus 12.92 ng/ml, p = 0.040). However, there were no significant differences in the content of galectin-1+ cells in the tumor and galectin-1 in plasma of the CRC patients depending on the genotype of the LGALS1 gene polymorphisms (p 0.05).
Conclusion: The LGALS1 gene polymorphism is not associated with CRC, but in the carriers of the rs4820294 variant is related to clinical and morphological parameters of the tumor process. The intratumoral expression and blood levels of galectin-1 in CRC patients are not dependent on the genotype of rs4820293 and rs4820294 polymorphisms of the LGALS1 gene.
Unravelling Resilience in Homestead Agroforestry Practice: A Review
Authors: Arunjith P. , Isaac Sheeba Rabecca , Pooja A.P.
Published: April 2024

The unprecedented climate changes are impacting agrarian livelihoods worldwide. Since lives heavily depend on agriculture, alternative farming mechanisms should be promoted to counter the effects. Homestead agriculture has a long tradition of compensating for the vagaries of weather and offering subsistence to the growers, at the same time conserving the ecosystem. The resilience of the practice is reviewed in this article with a focus on agroforestry’s unique characteristics, high biodiversity and multifaceted benefits as a land use system. A better understanding of the resilience potential of the homesteads to varying environments is important to integrate the system into the agricultural production scenario of nations, thereby bridging the unpredictable events of climate change. The best illustration of an effective indigenous resilience strategy is the tenacious persistence of homestead farming across millions of hectares.
Congenital and Postnatal Cytomegalovirus: Case Series and State of the Science for Neonatal Providers
Authors: Salemi Taylor F. , McLean Vanessa R. , Jnah Amy J.
Published: April 2024

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a beta-herpes virus, is the most common viral infection in infants. Transmission may occur congenitally (cCMV) or postnatally (pCMV). Early detection and intervention are crucial in reducing morbidities, notable developmental delays, and sensorineural hearing loss. However, more than 90% of infants are asymptomatic at birth. Treatment involves intravenous ganciclovir or the oral prodrug, valganciclovir, drugs usually reserved for use with symptomatic infants because of the toxicity profile. Research currently supports standardized antenatal CMV screening and treatment of affected pregnant patients with hyperimmune globulin as well as vaccination against CMV in unaffected pregnant patients, although widespread adoption is lacking. Standardized postnatal CMV screening is a proven, cost-effective way to detect and diagnose CMV and optimize outcomes across the lifespan. This article presents a case series of cCMV and pCMV and a review of the state of science of CMV as well as promising scientific advances that are on the horizon.
Eficacia de una intervención familiar en duelo complicado por ruptura de pareja en atención primaria
Authors: Medina Martínez Sara Minerva , Sánchez Rodríguez Rosa Maria , Garrido Pérez Silvia María Guadalupe , Avalos-García María Isabel , De la O León Cesar Augusto , Castillo-Orueta María Luisa
Published: April 2024

Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de una intervención familiar en duelo complicado por ruptura de pareja.
Materiales y método: Investigación con enfoque mixto de intervención en tres etapas (diagnóstica-implementación-evaluación). En la primera se realizó estudio observacional, transversal, descriptivo, con muestra aleatoria simple con remplazo n=99. Se aplicó “Escala de Distrés por Ruptura Amorosa” de Field y APGAR familiar de Smilkstein, previo consentimiento informado. Se incluyeron cinco familias con duelo complicado y disfunción familiar. Se emplearon métodos y técnicas de trabajo con familia. En la tercera etapa se utilizó diseño cuasi experimental con pretest y postest de duelo complicado y APGAR familiar. Para la captura y análisis de datos se empleó el SPSS V25, con estadística descriptiva y analítica con prueba t de student.
Resultados. Fueron mujeres 81.8%, con edad Ⱦ=34,19-29 37.4%, bachillerato 37.4%, separados 59.6%, divorciados 49.4%. Con duelo complicado 14%, disfunción familiar 13%. Las familias con duelo complicado fueron disfuncionales 53.8%. Los factores de riesgo: conflicto en subsistema paterno filial, adicciones, economía. Factores protectores: grupos religiosos, artísticos, educativos y médicos. Las acciones se centraron en intervención cognitivo-conductual-emocional. En evaluación pretest/postest, el duelo complicado presentó diferencia de medias de Ⱦ=8.500, ŝ± 8.925, e IC95%: Li: 3.347 Ls:13.653, con t de student=3.564 y gl=13 y valor de p=0.003, estadísticamente significativo, diferencia de medias para Apgar familiar de Ⱦ= 3.357 con ŝ±1.946, IC95%: Li:2.234, Ls:4.481 con t de student=6.456 y gl=13, valor de p=0.001, estadísticamente significativo.
Conclusiones: El efecto de la intervención familiar modificó el duelo complicado y mejoró la dinámica y funcionalidad familiar.
 
Palabras claves:  Medicina familiar; Trastorno de duelo Prolongado; Divorcio; Espiritualidad; Familia Monoparental.
Realidade virtual aplicada na capacitação profissional da construção civil
Authors: Oliveira Leonardo , Vasconcelos Bianca
Published: April 2024

Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar o uso da realidade virtual aplicada no aprendizado de profissões técnicas na área da Construção Civil e sua correlação com a Segurança do Trabalho, analisando e sintetizando a literatura atual. A metodologia adotada consistiu na realização de uma Revisão Sistemática de Literatura, utilizando o Método de Orientações dos Itens de Relatório Preferidos para Revisões Sistemáticas e  Meta-análises (Metodologia PRISMA) para  a análise dos conteúdos dos artigos obtidos e selecionados. Como resultados foram identificados: as principais tecnologias imersivas, que utilizam a Realidade Virtual (RV), voltadas para a capacitação técnica do setor da Construção Civil; a forma de utilização da tecnologia de Realidade Virtual no ensino da Construção Civil; e a  correlação entre estas tecnologias identificadas e os conceitos da Segurança no Trabalho. Foi constatado que a tecnologia de Realidade Virtual está em franca expansão no referido setor e que o enfoque dado nos sistemas imersivos, já desenvolvidos, necessitam de uma maior interação com os conceitos da Segurança do Trabalho.
O ensino da história das ideias pedagógicas no Brasil na disciplina História da Educação
Authors: Bordignon Talita , Lombardi José Claudinei
Published: April 2024

O presente artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um estudo sobre o ensino da história das ideias pedagógicas na formação de professores, buscando aprofundar a reflexão sobre a importância e a validade do estudo da Pedagogia Histórico-Crítica na disciplina de História da Educação nos currículos dos cursos de licenciatura. A partir da obra “História das ideias pedagógicas no Brasil”, nosso objetivo é demonstrar que o estudo das teorias pedagógicas, ao longo da história brasileira, permite aos estudantes uma percepção crítica e profunda sobre o desenvolvimento das relações capitalistas de produção, de modo que tenham condições de fazer uma leitura histórica da educação, sempre tratada em contexto, possibilitando se posicionar diante dela enquanto sujeitos da história e de sua própria narrativa. Adotando o materialismo histórico e dialético, como referencial teórico-metodológico, defendemos a importância de estudar as teorias pedagógicas para a compreensão do movimento que levou à proposta das habilidades e competências da Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) e da BNC-Formação, bem como as consequências que essa proposta traz para a formação dos alunos, precarizando o processo de ensino-aprendizagem e dificultando o entendimento da realidade concreta que vivenciamos sob o neoliberalismo.
Ciências na Rota: uma análise do trinômio “pesquisa, ensino e extensão”
Authors: Barretto Raquel Silva , Cunha Inara Pereira da , Assis André Vinícius Batista de
Published: April 2024

A pesquisa no Brasil percorreu um longo caminho até a sua inserção junto ao ensino e à extensão, sendo que um dos objetivos desse trinômio é a capacitação de profissionais atentos às necessidades sociais contemporâneas. Hoje, um dos temas profícuos para a academia brasileira é a construção da Rota Bioceânica. Com o objetivo de mapear o que tem sido produzido cientificamente, foi realizada uma revisão integrativa da literatura, utilizando as bases virtuais SciELO e Portal de Periódicos da Capes. Como complementação, analisou-se o Diretório de grupos de pesquisa registrados no CNPq. As buscas resultaram em 66 artigos e 02 grupos de pesquisa. O primeiro artigo encontrado sobre a temática foi publicado em 2000 e, quase duas décadas depois, em 2018 ocorreu uma propulsão nas produções brasileiras. A Revista com mais publicações foi a Interações, os grupos que mais publicaram fazem parte da Rede Universitária da Rota de Integração Latino-Americana (UniRila), com predominância dos brasileiros. Concluiu-se que há uma concentração das publicações no Mato Grosso do Sul, Estado aonde a Rota vem sendo construída e, internacionalmente, os estudos se limitam aos países envolvidos. Os temas mais abordados são referentes ao turismo, desenvolvimento territorial e infraestrutura. As lacunas apontam para a falta de envolvimento de docentes e discentes de outros Estados brasileiros, a homogeneidade nos componentes dos grupos registrados no Diretório, apesar da UniRila estar ativa e demonstrar parcerias em torno da elaboração das investigações. Há também hiatos relativos a outros temas essenciais e ausência de abordagens inerentes à extensão, sendo evidenciados o ensino e a pesquisa.  A revisão demonstrou que a Rede ainda é nova e tem muito a ser trabalhado, inclusive a ciência é uma das aliadas na perspectiva do posicionamento do Mercosul no Pacífico, nas cooperações internacionais e no desenvolvimento territorial.
Protección y promoción de los derechos laborales en el marco del Corredor Bioceánico
Authors: Felix Ynes da Silva , Filho Aldo de Almeida Nunes , Aquino João Victor Maciel de Almeida
Published: April 2024

Considerando la implementación del Corredor Bioceánico, este artículo analiza el impacto que esto tendrá en las relaciones laborales que se verán fortalecidas en su ámbito, con el objetivo de analizar los sistemas jurídico-laborales de los países involucrados, así como las normativas internacionales y regionales aplicables, con el fin de demostrar la necesidad de proteger y promover los derechos humanos sociales. Como resultado, se verifica la ocurrencia de una serie de asimetrías entre los países  parte del proyecto, con diferencias de nivel de protección de los derechos humanos sociales que al final importan no tan solo en divergencias normativas, pero en deficiencias de protección de las relaciones de trabajo en todo proyecto, reafirmando la necesidad de protección y promoción de los derechos sociales. Además, se tiene como un camino posible para la mitigación de los dichos puntos el fortalecimiento de las instituciones estatales y laborales, en particular los sindicatos. Para eso, se utiliza la investigación bibliográfica y el método deductivo como soporte de análisis.
A influência da cultura paraguaia em Campo Grande, MS, e suas relações com a Rota Bioceânica
Authors: Garcia Daniela Sottili , Neto Antonio Firmino de Oliveira
Published: April 2024

Baseada na história da imigração das diversas etnias que colaboram para a construção identitária de Campo Grande, MS, encontram-se as contribuições da colônia paraguaia. Com o objetivo de apontar traços identitários da cultura paraguaia sobre a cultura campo-grandense e suas relações com a Rota Bioceânica, esta pesquisa, de natureza bibliográfica e documental, utilizou-se também do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo (DSC) como técnica de análise aplicada às respostas com o método da saturação utilizado para fechar as amostras. O texto abordou as contribuições da cultura paraguaia na cultura campo-grandense desde os primórdios da cidade morena, e de que maneira a posição estratégica de Campo Grande na implantação da Rota Bioceânica, estreitará mais evidentemente as duas culturas, apontando os possíveis impactos socioculturais dessa potencialização. Uma vez que a pesquisa demonstrou que a cultura campo-grandense se converge em vários momentos com a cultura paraguaia, seja na música, na dança ou na gastronomia, desta forma, a cultura paraguaia pode ser considerada como um traço identitário na cultura campo-grandense.
Rota das Águas: desafios da gestão dos recursos hídricos em um cenário transfronteiriço da Rota de Integração Latino-Americana
Authors: De Mendonça Casadei Maria Teresa , Casadei Juliana de Mendonça
Published: April 2024

Os recursos hídricos desempenham um papel vital na sustentabilidade ambiental, econômica e social em todo o mundo. Na América Latina, isso se torna mais evidente, diante da diversidade de biomas que abriga uma abundância de rios, lagos e aquíferos compartilhados por múltiplos países. Nesse contexto, a "Rota de Integração Latino-americana" emerge como uma área geográfica de extrema relevância, onde Brasil, Paraguai, Argentina e Chile compartilham fronteiras e uma interconexão natural de recursos hídricos. A "Rota das Águas" que atravessa esses quatro países tornou-se um ponto focal de discussões sobre a gestão sustentável dos recursos hídricos em uma perspectiva transfronteiriça. O aumento da demanda por água, os desafios ambientais, as mudanças climáticas e as questões socioeconômicas agravam a importância dessa região para a segurança hídrica e o desenvolvimento territorial. Partindo de uma pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter bibliográfico e documental, este artigo busca analisar os desafios enfrentados na gestão dos recursos hídricos ao longo da "Rota das Águas" na perspectiva da cooperação e governança transfronteiriça. A análise dos dados coletados utilizou-se do método comparativo sobre governança das águas entre os países da rota, abordando-se questões como a regulamentação legal, as políticas públicas, a participação dos múltiplos atores envolvidos e as iniciativas de gestão conjunta que visam preservar e aprimorar a utilização sustentável desses recursos. Ao explorar as complexidades dessa região compartilhada, o trabalho contribui para um entendimento mais profundo dos desafios e das oportunidades relacionados à gestão de recursos hídricos em um contexto transfronteiriço na América Latina, servindo como inventário para a governança multinível, multiescalar e transnacional.
Tédio e Procrastinação como Modos de Res(ex)istência no Contemporâneo
Authors: Lima-Santos André Villela de Souza , Santos Manoel Antônio dos
Published: April 2024

Neste estudo teórico, buscamos refletir sobre o significado do tédio e da procrastinação no contexto pós-moderno, especialmente após a incidência dos traumatismos coletivos decorrentes da pandemia da COVID-19. Em diálogo com o pensamento de Foucault, Heidegger e Han, analisamos o protagonista do romance russo homônimo Oblómov para problematizar a recusa do indivíduo diante do imperativo da produtividade, no caso, no mundo social em transição do final do século XIX, com a acelerada urbanização e crescente industrialização. Apontamos que, após um século e meio, no processo de expansão do capitalismo, a relação da humanidade com o tempo e o espaço se alterou significativamente. O tempo se tornou um inimigo do indivíduo, um obstáculo a ser eliminado em um período dominado pela globalização, que intensifica os fluxos de produção e circulação de mercadorias. Tomamos o personagem Oblómov como representação alegórica do sujeito que se sente esmagado pelo tempo e tenta se defender da pressão para produzir até o limite da extração de potência de seu corpo, entregando-se ao tédio e à procrastinação. Destituído dos meios para agenciar sua existência, Oblómov é o suprassumo do sujeito do capitalismo contemporâneo: sua estratégia individualista de resistência acaba debilitando suas forças e esvaziando seu cotidiano de sentido.
Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles and their applications in degradation of azo dye
Authors: Kumar Nimish , Rathore Ajay , Devra Vijay
Published: April 2024

Metal nanoparticles have recently attracted the attention of environmental remediation researchers. We present the green production of iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf extract. Green-generated FeNPs were characterized using several experimental techniques. The findings indicate that the most significant UV absorbance peak was obtained at 248 nm wavelength and the FT-IR peak was obtained at 594 cm−1. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show the NPs are spherical and 48 nm in size, confirming the creation of zero-valent FeNPs. The nanoparticles were then used as a catalyst in methyl orange (MO) degradation in the presence of peroxodisulfate (PDS). The corresponding experiments evaluated the elimination kinetics and the effect of reactant concentrations. The loading experiment demonstrated that the dye was almost completely (83%) removed in 48 minutes. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was used to determine the structure of intermediates produced by MO degradation by FeNPs/PDS. Since synthesized FeNPs don’t require costly reagents, they are an innovative, effective, promising, and environmentally friendly approach for improving PDS oxidation potential for MO degradation.
Trans-eQTLs Can Be Used to Identify Tissue-Specific Gene Regulatory Networks
Authors: Nikpay Majid
Published: April 2024

Previous high throughput screening studies indicated trans-eQTLs tend to be tissue specific. In this study, I probed if this feature can be used to identify tissue-specific gene regulatory networks. eQTL data (P<5e-8) for 16,259 genes were identified and their summary association statistics were obtained from the eQTLGene database. Next, eQTLs that display both cis and trans regulatory effects were selected and the association between their corresponding genes were examined using Mendelian randomization. A total of 169 genes that exerted trans-regulatory impacts on 692 genes were identified. 90% of the genes (N=749) aggregated into a gene regulatory network significantly enriched in hemo-immune processes. The robustness of finding was confirmed through simulation. The identified network displayed the scale-free topology. This provided the reason to examine the association of the network’s hub genes with the phenome. The outcome of analyses revealed GSDMB and ORMDL3 impact several disorders of immune origin and ALDH2 overexpression contributes to obesity. This study reports trans-eQTLs can be used to identify tissue-specific gene regulatory networks and describes a workflow to achieve this purpose. The network identified in this study showed scale-free topology indicating the hub genes of a GRN could be targeted to prevent disease outcomes.
The Impact of SMOTE and ADASYN on Random Forest and Advanced Gradient Boosting Techniques in Telecom Customer Churn Prediction
Authors: Imani Mehdi , Ghaderpour Zahra , Joudaki Majid , Beikmohammadi Ali
Published: April 2024

This paper explores the capability of various machine learning algorithms, including Random Forests and advanced gradient boosting techniques such as XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost, to predict customer churn in the telecommunications sector. For this analysis, a dataset available to the public was employed. The performance of these algorithms was assessed using recognized metrics, including Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1-score, and the Receiver Operating Characteristic Area Under Curve (ROC AUC). These metrics were evaluated at different phases: subsequent to data preprocessing and feature selection; following the application of SMOTE and ADASYN sampling methods; and after conducting hyperparameter tuning on the data that had been adjusted by SMOTE and ADASYN. The outcomes underscore the notable efficiency of upsampling techniques such as SMOTE and ADASYN in addressing the imbalance inherent in customer churn prediction. Notably, the application of random grid search for hyperparameter optimization did not significantly alter the results, which remained comparatively unchanged. The algorithms' performance post- ADASYN application marginally surpassed that observed after SMOTE application. Remarkably, LightGBM achieved an exceptional F1-score of 89% and an ROC AUC of 95% subsequent to the ADASYN sampling technique. This underlines the effectiveness of advanced boosting algorithms and upsampling methods like SMOTE and ADASYN in navigating the complexities of imbalanced datasets and intricate feature interdependencies.
Optimizing Planting Methods for Sustainable Pomegranate Cultivation in the Shallow Gravelly Land of Central Deccan Plateau Region, India
Authors: Vadivel Rajagopal , Reddy Kotha Sammi , Singh Yogeshwar , Nangare Dhananjay D.
Published: April 2024

To enhance pomegranate production on marginal gravelly lands, our study evaluated standardized planting techniques in an 8-year-old orchard. We employed trenching, wider pit excavation, pit digging, and auger digs with dimensions of 1 and 2 meters. Utilizing native soil from barren land, with or without spent wash, and mixing it with black soil up to 1 meter deep, we assessed growth parameters, leaf nutrients, and fruit yield. The trench and wider pit methods outperformed others, yielding greater above-ground biomass (>7.03 t tree-1), root biomass (2.5 t tree-1), and cross-sectional area (3.3 m² tree-1). Additionally, trench planting enhanced leaf phosphorus (0.28%) and potassium (1.8%) levels, fruit juice content (48.5%), total soluble solids (16.05°), and fruit yield (>9.3 t ha-1). The trench method also fostered longer roots at 90–150 cm radial distance and deeper roots at 40–60 cm depth. In summary, the trench and wider pit methods, combined with a soil mixture, are recommended for sustainable, high-quality fruit production in shallow gravelly terrains, thereby improving food security and the livelihoods of farmers in arid regions.
Independently Accessible Dual-band Barrier Infrared Detector using Type-II Superlattices
Authors: Park Seung-man , Grein Christoph H.
Published: April 2024

We report a novel dual-band barrier infrared detector (DBIRD) design using type-II superlattices (T2SLs). The DBIRD structure consists of back-to-back barrier diodes: a "blue channel" (BC) diode which has an nBp architecture, an n-type layer of larger bandgap for absorbing blue band infrared/barrier/p-type layer, and a "red channel" (RC) diode which has an pBn architecture, a p-type layer of smaller bandgap for absorbing red band infrared/barrier/n-type layer. Each has a unipolar barrier using a T2SL lattice matched to a GaSb substrate to impede the flow of majority carriers from the absorbing layer. Each channel in the DBIRD can be independently accessed with a low bias voltage, as is preferable for high-speed thermal imaging. Device modeling of DBIRDs and simulation results of the current-voltage characteristics under dark and illuminated conditions are also presented. They predict that dual-band operation of the DBIRD will produce low dark currents and 27-33% quantum efficiencies for the in-band photons in the BC with λc=5.58 μm, and a nearly-constant 33% in the RC with λc=8.05 μm. The spectral quantum efficiency of the BC for 500 K blackbody radiation is approximately 20% over the range of λ=3 − 4.2 μm, while that of the RC has a peak of 42% at 5.7 μm. The DBIRD may provide improved high-speed dual-band imaging in comparison with NBn dual-band detectors.
The Effect of Sempervivum tectorum Extract on Some Biomarkers of Reproductive Function and Levels of Some Trace Elements in Male Rats Exposed to Aluminum
Authors: Muselin Florin , Dumitrescu Eugenia , Doma Alexandru Octavian , Dégi Diana-Maria , Degi Janos , Savici Jelena , Grigorescu Catalin Cicerone , Brezovan Diana , Gencia Ioana , Cristina Romeo Teodor
Published: April 2024

Aluminum, a contentious trace element found in the environment, has been demonstrated to have harmful effects on both humans and animals. In contrast, Sempervivum tectorum, an evergreen plant, has been found to offer numerous beneficial effects for both humans and animals. Therefore, this study aims to assess the protective effect of S. tectorum on certain reproductive biomarkers in male rats exposed to aluminum. Thirty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: NTC (no-treatment control) received distilled water; NC (negative control) received drinking water containing 1 mg/L aluminum sulfate (AS); E1 received 1 mg/L AS along with an 8% S. tectorum extract; PC (positive control) received only 8% S. tectorum extract; E2 received 1 mg/L AS for three months followed by 8% extract for one month. The study analyzed testosterone, LH, FSH, body weight, and the histological structure of the testis, epididymis, and prostate, as well as the levels of zinc, manganese, copper, and iron in these organs. Significant decreases in body weight, testis, and epididymis size were observed in the aluminum-exposed groups compared to the control, whereas these decreases were not significant in the S. tectorum-treated groups compared to the control. Aluminum exposure led to significant decreases in testosterone and LH levels, with FSH levels showing a non-significant decrease in males, which were mitigated significantly by the administration of the plant extract. Histological analysis revealed alterations in the testis, epididymis, and prostate of the AS-exposed groups, including necrosis of seminiferous tubule epithelium and Leydig cells in the testis, and basal epithelial necrosis in the epididymis and prostate. Aluminum levels increased in all organs studied, while levels of zinc, copper, iron, and manganese decreased, showing a negative and significant correlation with aluminum levels. The aqueous extract of S. tectorum demonstrated a protective effect on certain studied biomarkers in male rats affected by aluminum exposure.
Exploring the Relationship between Melioidosis Morbidity Rate and Local Environmental Indicators Using Remotely Sensed Data
Authors: Wongbutdee Jaruwan , Jittimanee Jutharat , Dandee Suwaporn , Thongsang Pongthep , Saengnill Wacharapong
Published: April 2024

Melioidosis is an endemic infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria, which contaminates soil and water. To better understand the environmental changes that have contributed to melioidosis outbreaks, this study used spatiotemporal analyses to clarify the distribution pattern of melioidosis and the relationship between melioidosis morbidity rate and local environmental indicators (land surface temperature, normalised difference vegetation index, normalised difference water index) and rainfall. A retrospective study was conducted from January 2013 to December 2022, covering data from 219 sub-districts, with each exhibiting varying morbidity rate of melioidosis on a monthly basis. Spatial autocorrelation was determined using local Moran’s I, and the relationship between melioidosis morbidity rate and the environmental indicators was evaluated using geographically weighted Poisson regression. The results revealed clustered spatiotemporal patterns of melioidosis morbidity rate across sub-districts, with hotspots predominantly observed in the northern region. Furthermore, we observed a range of coefficients for the environmental indicators, varying from negative to positive, which provided insights into their relative contributions to melioidosis in each local area and month. These findings highlight the presence of spatial heterogeneity driven by environmental indicators and underscore the importance of public health offices implementing targeted monitoring and surveillance strategies for melioidosis in different locations.
Neuromodulation and Habituation: A Literature Review and Conceptional Analysis of Sustaining Therapeutic Efficacy and Mitigating Habituation
Authors: Patil Anand S. , Levasseur Brittni , Gupta Mayank
Published: April 2024

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a therapeutic modality for the treatment of various chronic pain conditions that has rapidly evolved over the past 50 years. Unfortunately, over time, patients implanted with SCS undergo a habituation phenomenon leading to decreased pain relief. Consequently, discovery of new stimulation waveforms and SCS applications have shown to prolong efficacy and reduce explantation rates. This article explores various SCS waveforms, their applications and proposes a graded approach to habituation mitigation. We suspect the neural habituation phenomenon parallels that seen in pharmacology. Consequently we urge further exploration of early introduction of these stimulation strategies to abate spinal cord stimulation habituation.
Detecting Anomalies in IoT Devices: A Machine Learning-Based Solution
Authors: Al Attar Rama , alkasassbeh mouhammd , Al-Dala’ien Mu’awya , Alohaly Manar
Published: April 2024

The growing shift toward Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions expands the attack surface of systems by connecting an extensive network of heterogeneous devices and technologies. The heterogeneity of IoT devices and the scale of the network often make conventional security measures impractical. Therefore, recent research efforts have focused on machine learning (ML)-based device-agnostic IoT security solutions. However, most proposed solutions have focused solely on detecting malicious traffic in IoT networks. While this is important, further information about the attack is needed to provide a comprehensive defense before, during, and after the incident. To address this gap, we proposed an anomaly-based intrusion detection model that detects malicious traffic and identifies the attack category and subcategory with high accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score. The proposed intrusion detection model is an ensemble model that integrates multiple ML models to produce more robust and reliable detections. For evaluation, we performed three sets of experiments: (1) a binary classification to detect malicious traffic; (2) a multi-class classification to detect the attack category; and (3) a multi-class classification to detect the attack subcategory. In the experiments, our model achieved an accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score of 100% for the binary detection; a precision, recall, and F1-score of 99% and an accuracy of 100% for the multi-class category classification; and an accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score of 88% for the multi-class subcategory classification. These results suggest that the proposed model can reliably detect anomalies in IoT devices.
MMD-MSD: A Multimodal Multisensory Dataset in Support of Musculoskeletal Disorders Research and Technology Development
Authors: Markova Valentina , Ganchev Todor , Filkova Silvia , Markov Miroslav
Published: April 2024

Improper sitting positions are known as the primary reason for back pain and the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among individuals who spend prolonged time working with computer screens, keyboards, and mice. At the same time, it is well understood that automated technological tools can play an important role in the process of unhealthy habit alteration, so plenty of research efforts are focused on research and technology development (RTD) activities that aim to provide support to the prevention of back pain or the development of MSD. Here, we report on creating a new resource in support of RTD activities aiming at the automated detection of improper sitting positions. It consists of multimodal multisensory recordings of 100 persons made with a video recorder, camera, and wrist-attached sensors that capture physiological signals (PPG, EDA, Skin temperature), as well as motion sensors (three-axis accelerometer). Our multimodal multisensory dataset (MMD-MSD) opens new opportunities for modeling the body stance (sitting posture and movements), physiological state (stress level, attention, emotional arousal, valence), and performance (success rate on the Stroop test) of people working with a computer. Finally, we demonstrate two use cases: improper neck posture detection from pictures and cognitive load detection from physiological signals.
Emplacing Ecological Grief in Last Chance Tourism: Cryospheric Change and Travel in the Arctic
Authors: Chakraborty Abhik
Published: April 2024

Last Chance Tourism (LCT) is an increasingly popular phenomenon whereby tourists seek encounters with vanishing landscapes, cultures, and endangered species. However, there are concerns that it is not sufficiently ecologically informed, has a large carbon footprint, and may put further pressure on vulnerable ecosystems and communities. The Arctic has emerged as a major global frontier for LCT, and at the same time is at the forefront of disruptive and accelerating climate change. Here a review of important LCT literature is combined with a review of key insights from the concept of Ecological Grief, which calls for explicitly mourning the losses of formerly ecologically rich landscapes, species diversity, and traditional knowledge. While there is currently insufficient engagement with grief and mourning in LCT, Ecological Grief can provide a new research focus as well as a pathway to share empathy, concern, and sorrow between scientists, communities, and visitors—thereby offering an alternative way to critically reflect upon our connections with the vanishing cryosphere in the Anthropocene.
Altered Arterial Stiffness, Ventricular-Arterial Coupling and Troponin Levels in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematous
Authors: Kadoglou Nikolaos P.E. , Dimopoulou Alexandriani , Gkougkoudi Evangelia , Parperis Konstantinos
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), leading to elevated mortality rates among patients. We aimed to evaluate the levels of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), global longitudinal strain (GLS), ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hsTn), in SLE patients and to explore their relationship with clinical parameters. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 82 SLE patients without evident cardiac or kidney impairment and 41 age- and sex matched healthy controls. We comparatively evaluated CAVI, GLS, VAC, and hsTn between SLE patients and controls, and we assessed their association among SLE patients with disease activity based on the SELENA-SLEDAI Activity Index. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of CAVI and hsTn within the SLE cohort. Results: In comparison to healthy controls, SLE patients presented with significantly higher CAVI, GLS and hsTn levels, while VAC was significantly reduced (p<0.001). Further, SLE patients with active disease (SELENA-SLEDAI≥4) exhibited higher levels of CAVI and troponin than those with inactive disease (p<0.001). SLEDAI was an independent predictor of CAVI, while VAC and SLEDAI were independent determinants of hsTn in SLE cohort. Conclusion: SLE patients displayed abnormal levels of CAVI, VAC, GLS, and troponin compared to healthy individuals. Our findings implicate the potential of those CV novel CVD risk factors to refine screening and therapeutic strategies for this specific population.
Application of Artificial Intelligence in Shoulder Pathology
Authors: Cheng Cong , Liang Xinzhi , Guo Dong , Xie Denghui
Published: April 2024

The artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the science and engineering of creating intelligent machines for imitating and expanding human intelligence. Given the ongoing evolution of the multidisciplinary integration trend in modern medicine, numerous studies have investigated the power of AI to address orthopaedic-specific problems. One particular area of investigation focuses on the shoulder pathology, which is a range of disorders or abnormalities of shoulder joint, causing pain, inflammation, stiffness, weakness, and reduced range of motion. There has not yet been a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in this field. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to evaluate the current AI applications in the shoulder pathology. This review mainly summarizes several crucial stages of the clinical practice, including predictive models and prognosis, diagnosis, treatment, and physical therapy. In addition, the challenges and future development of AI are also discussed.