bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tchinguilile: infâncias da Ganda Crianças “de lá”
Authors: Souza Adelaide Rezende
Published: February 2023

Recently, an increasing number of researchers in different parts of the world have been studying childhood from a point of view that highlights children who are considered “peripheral” – far from the ideal model associated with Western countries. We began with the intention of getting to know African children in Angola, informed by the belief that the preservation of languages is important in maintaining social knowledge and traditions. This text describes a preliminary study carried out in a culturally rich location with strong traditions, but which is also marked by processes of cultural denial and devaluation. According to Ndombele and Timbane (2020), most Angolan children learn Portuguese at age seven, when they start school, especially in rural areas. This fact hinders the literacy learning process, and presents the risk of the disappearance of some native languages. Many schools teach children only in Portuguese. When visiting a school in Ganda, a rural area of  Benguela, we found a group of children who, primarily through the games they played, keep the Umbundu language alive, and with that the identity and culture of their ancestors. Building on this, these children and their teachers created a syllable association game based on the music sung as they played. The game had two modalities - in the Umbundu language and in the Portuguese language – and functioned as a bilingual pedagogical tool. In the initial moment of offering the game for testing with the children, it was discovered that by singing the song of the game and discussing the possible solutions by themselves, they were able to make correct associations of the syllables in Umbundu, which they then translated into Portuguese. Thus, a resource was created together with the teachers, which, in addition to valuing the native language of the population, allowed the use of children's knowledge to create a didactic resource. In addition, it was possible to encounter  the concept of childhood in the current world, deconstructing the idea of a single and ideal model, especially in light of those children who bring habits from home that do not always harmonize with the school routine, and often clash with  Euro/Western model, which is based on age separation of classes as a requirement to guarantee learning, and tend to devalue other exchanges that help children learn.
por um horizonte público na educação das crianças: um diálogo com Hannah Arendt
Authors: Araújo Vania Carvalho de , Auer Franceila
Published: February 2023

This paper documents an encounter with some issues that deal with the education of children as mentioned by Hannah Arendt in her essay "The crisis in education." Arendt’s invocation of  "the obligation that the existence of children imposes on the whole society" is a key element of an ethical and political commitment to the education of new generations—especially in a world disillusioned by the estrangement of the human, and in which the undeniable criteria that the past – as authority – bequeathed to us as support for action and judgment on the world has faltered. If education should not be entirely responsible for the world, at least it should be able to insert children into a public culture that allows them, in turn, to appropriate it. The issues addressed by Arendt, although full of criticism and redolent with paradoxes, move us to think that only an education founded on a public horizon is able to educate children in a way that allows them the opportunity to act in the world, and to be able to discern civilization from barbarism, the fair from the unfair, truth from lies, and good from evil. On the one hand, her reflections reveal the utopian aspect of her thought, while on the other they make clear the collective responsibility that the arrival of children in a pre-existing world imposes on every human society.
Reseña de: Agratti, Laura (2021). Devenir pregunta: filosofía e infancias entre la escuela y la universidad. Rio de Janeiro: NEFI.
Authors: Tettamanti ángela
Published: February 2023

In "Becoming Question: Philosophy and childhood between school and university" Laura Agratti approaches the teaching of philosophy from the question: why and how was the presence and permanence of Philosophy with Children (PwC) possible in the Joaquin V. Gonzalez School? The author manages to contextualize and conceptualize her rich experience with the project, reviews and analyzes the historical path that allowed its development while traversing the intellectual path of her professor Guillermo Obiols, who inaugurated the debates and reformulated the proposals on how to teach philosophy in Argentina. The book shows the transformative and emancipatory effects of the Philosophy with Children project in the teaching of philosophy, as well as its ability to modify conceptions about it, generate tensions over the traditional knowledge taught by the school and impact on teaching subjectivity. Without diverting the focus of the research on the practice of PwC, Agratti focuses on the possibilities of self-transformation that this activity of thought grants to the teacher. In her research, the need to choose a broad and plural meaning of childhood is perceived, which includes both the chronological and the non-chronological sense of the term. In this way, Agratti considers that “Philosophy with Infancies” is an expression that makes visible to all the people involved in the practice (teachers and students), understanding the classroom as a space in which age infancy and existential infancy converge. Her deep, profound and detailed vision of the PwC project highlights the importance of the philosopher teachers in the first school,the space where the relationship with knowledge begins, so that it can take place a philosophical education that allows one to know oneself and based on that, maintain a relationship with others, with the world, with knowledge; Asking questions that lead to new ideas.
CRESCIMENTO URBANO DE RAFAEL FERNANDES/RN E O LOTEAMENTO SANTA LUZIA
Authors: Carneiro Rosalvo Nobre , Nascimento Renata Maria do
Published: February 2023

O fenômeno do crescimento urbano é uma realidade nas cidades brasileiras, e reflete as dinâmicas espaciais. Para tanto, os agentes produtores do espaço urbano desenvolvem ações específicas contribuindo, de acordo com seus interesses particulares. Nesse contexto, as pequenas cidades não fogem a esta regra, pois se verifica que elas têm apresentado um crescimento urbano em razão direta de seus fatores motrizes, isto é, seja pela indústria, pelo comércio, pela agropecuária dentre outros. Há, ainda, os casos diretamente relacionados a abertura de loteamentos, se configurando como uma forma de expansão urbana para as pequenas cidades. Deste modo, objetivou-se analisar o crescimento urbano em Rafael Fernandes, pequeno município do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, a partir da transformação da terra rural em solo urbano para a abertura do loteamento Santa Luzia. Pesquisa qualitativa, em campo, realizou-se entrevistas com promotores imobiliários, incluindo engenheiros e proprietários de terras, e o poder público municipal. Identificou-se que o crescimento urbano está associado às ações desses agentes, especialmente a partir de 2010. Além disso, este crescimento ocorre nas áreas à margem da BR-405, e em direção a Pau dos Ferros, polo sub-regional do interior do estado.
EDITORIAL
Authors: Karol Eduardo
Published: February 2023

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Saúde em tempos de recomeço
Authors: Coelho Thereza Christina Bahia
Published: February 2023

O ano de 2022 se encerra em clima de alívio e esperança, com a reeleição de Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, para presidente e da escolha, para o Ministério da Saúde, da primeira mulher, Nísia Trindade, presidente da Fiocruz, que será responsável por retomar o caminho traçado pela Constituição brasileira de manter um SUS integral, equânime e verdadeiramente público e universal. O número 2 do volume 12 da RSC da UEFS traz artigos que tratam de problemas que afetam a saúde de mulheres e crianças. O objetivo deste edital é articular uma reflexão a partir dos resultados publicados.
Identity erasure: women’s experiences of living with domestic violence and abuse
Authors: Neale Jo
Published: February 2023

This article explores the process of ‘identity erasure’ that is a feature of domestic violence and abuse. Data are taken from semi-structured narrative-style interviews with 14 women who had experienced abuse from a male partner.

I draw on Erving Goffman’s (1968) work on ‘total institutions’. Goffman uses the term ‘mortification’ in describing the attacks on identity and self that occur in ‘total institutions’ such as psychiatric hospitals, prisons and concentration camps. These attacks take the form of: loss of contact with the outside world, ritual degradation, the removal of possessions, and lack of control. Their effect is to erase the inmate’s prior identity, and render them compliant.

For the women who participated in this study, their abusers attempted to achieve compliance by adopting many of the tactics that Goffman describes. Drawing on participants’ words, I discuss some of the behaviours adopted by their abusive partners: isolation from support networks, surveillance, deprivation of privacy, and dispossession. I argue that, for women, the home/abusive relationship becomes a total institution. Understanding the abusive household as a ‘total institution’ can help friends, family and professionals to more fully appreciate, and therefore provide women with more appropriate help to overcome, the barriers to leaving.
Emotional reflexivity in the animal justice politics of sight: embodied moral shock and limit of the emotional repertoire
Authors: Bernatchez Annie
Published: February 2023

Farm occupation is a recent tactic and enacts a politics of sight, which makes visible hidden animal violence by the animal industry complex. Animal justice citizen activists (AJCAs) identify and enter farms to protest lawful violence against animals by documenting and sharing images from the inside. This article examines activists’ subjective experience of immersion in animal violence. The analysis shows that a politics of sight requires and introduces extreme, conflicting emotional demands on AJCAs, requiring a level of emotional reflexivity and negotiation that is sufficiently grasped by existing conceptions of emotional habitus and moral shock. The empirical study seeks to contribute to filling this gap. To do so, I investigated the role of emotional reflexivity during, and after, AJCAs’ bodily immersion in the context of animal violence. The latter is also at its core of an unexpected moral shock for which there is not an established emotional repertoire among AJCAs. Thus, I explored the conflictual tension and the emotional consequences that AJCAs must manage during and after immersion in animal violence.
History as activism: critical uses of history at the Berkeley School of Criminology in the 1970s
Authors: Catello Roberto
Published: February 2023

Works of historical criminology do not have to be disinterested studies of past crime-related phenomena. Instead, they can represent practical attempts to intervene in the politics of crime and justice in the present. This article takes this claim to a critical conclusion; historical research in criminology can function as a weapon in contemporary political struggles and a way of injecting radical politics into criminological studies. To demonstrate this point, the article scrutinises the ways in which early critical criminologists in the US engaged in historical research as a way of doing politics and activism. To such criminologists, doing historical research was a form of praxis. Focusing on the works produced at the Berkeley School of Criminology in the 1970s, the article shows that the nurture of a historical interest was deemed to be a vital step in the development of a critical paradigm within American criminology.
3D stimulated Raman spectral imaging of water dynamics associated with pectin-glycocalyceal entanglement
Authors: Floess Moritz , Steinle Tobias , Werner Florian , Wang Yunshan , Wagner Willi L. , Steinle Verena , Liu Betty S. , Zheng Yifan , Chen Zi , Ackermann Maximilian , Mentzer Steven J. , Giessen Harald
Published: February 2023

Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide responsible for the structural integrity of the cell walls of terrestrial plants. When applied to the surface of mammalian visceral organs, pectin films form a strong physical bond with the surface glycocalyx. A potential mechanism of pectin adhesion to the glycocalyx is the water-dependent entanglement of pectin polysaccharide chains with the glycocalyx. A better understanding of such fundamental mechanisms regarding the water transport dynamics in pectin hydrogels is of importance for medical applications, e.g., surgical wound sealing. We report on the water transport dynamics in hydrating glass-phase pectin films with particular emphasis on the water content at the pectin-glycocalyceal interface. We used label-free 3D stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectral imaging to provide insights into the pectin-tissue adhesive interface without the confounding effects of sample fixation, dehydration, shrinkage, or staining.
Simultaneous quantum estimation of phase and indistinguishability in a two-photon interferometer
Authors: Knoll Laura T. , Bosyk Gustavo M.
Published: February 2023

With the rapid development of quantum technologies in recent years, the need for high-sensitivity measuring techniques has become a key issue. In particular, optical sensors based on quantum states of light have proven to be optimal resources for high-precision interferometry. Nevertheless, their performance may be severely affected by the presence of noise or imperfections. In this work, we derive the quantum Fisher information matrix associated with the simultaneous estimation of an interferometric phase and the indistinguishability characterizing the probe state consisting of an even number of photons. We find the optimal measurement attaining the ultimate precision for both parameters in a single setup and perform an experiment based on a pair of photons with an unknown degree of indistinguishability entering a two-port interferometer.
Tailored disorder—materials design for advanced photonic applications: introduction
Authors: Zollfrank Cordt , Cao Hui , von Freymann Georg , Vasa Parinda , Fabritius Helge-Otto , Agrawal Arti
Published: February 2023

Tailored disorder represents an emerging design concept that explores the photonic properties of material composites with deliberately introduced irregularities in their geometry and composition. This rapidly developing field of cutting-edge research addresses various aspects from fundamental scientific questions to various subfields of material science required for technological implementations of optimized material applications. The combination of inspiration from biological systems, results from physics, chemical derivatization approaches, and validation from simulation, together with innovative material science and engineering approaches, enables a new design framework for advanced photonic materials with interesting properties. This finally leads to novel custom-made devices for a variety of photonic applications, their performance being related to the tailored disorder within three-dimensional micro- and nanoarchitectures. This feature issue presents most recent and selected developments in the field.
Source-independent quantum random number generator against tailored detector blinding attacks
Authors: Liu Wen-Bo , Lu Yu-Shuo , Fu Yao , Huang Si-Cheng , Yin Ze-Jie , Jiang Kun , Yin Hua-Lei , Chen Zeng-Bing
Published: February 2023

Randomness, mainly in the form of random numbers, is the fundamental prerequisite for the security of many cryptographic tasks. Quantum randomness can be extracted even if adversaries are fully aware of the protocol and even control the randomness source. However, an adversary can further manipulate the randomness via tailored detector blinding attacks, which are hacking attacks suffered by protocols with trusted detectors. Here, by treating no-click events as valid events, we propose a quantum random number generation protocol that can simultaneously address source vulnerability and ferocious tailored detector blinding attacks. The method can be extended to high-dimensional random number generation. We experimentally demonstrate the ability of our protocol to generate random numbers for two-dimensional measurement with a generation speed of 0.1 bit per pulse.
Amplification of random lasing enables a 10-kW-level high-spectral-purity Yb–Raman fiber laser
Authors: Qi Tiancheng , Li Dan , Fu Guohao , Yang Yousi , Li Guanzhong , Wang Lele , Du Shanshan , Yan Ping , Gong Mali , Xiao Qirong
Published: February 2023

By amplifying the cascaded random Raman fiber laser (RRFL) oscillator and ytterbium fiber laser oscillator, we present the first, to the best of our knowledge, demonstration of a 10-kW-level high-spectral-purity all-fiber ytterbium–Raman fiber amplifier (Yb-RFA). With a carefully designed backward-pumped RRFL oscillator structure, the parasitic oscillation between the cascaded seeds is avoided. Leveraging the RRFL with full-open-cavity as the Raman seed, the Yb-RFA realizes 10.7-kW Raman lasing at 1125 nm, which is beyond the operating wavelengths of all the reflection components used in the system. The spectral purity of the Raman lasing reaches 94.7% and the 3-dB bandwidth is 3.9 nm. This work paves a way to combine the temporal stability of the RRFL seed and the power scaling of Yb-RFA, enabling the wavelength extension of high-power fiber lasers with high spectral purity.
Plug-and-play algorithm for imaging through scattering media under ambient light interference
Authors: Ma Kai , Wang Xia , He Si , Li Linhao
Published: February 2023

Imaging through scattering media is a fascinating subject in the computational imaging domain. The methods based on speckle correlation imaging have found tremendous versatility. However, a darkroom condition without any stray light is required because the speckle contrast is easily disturbed by ambient light, which can lead to the reduction in object reconstruction quality. Here, we report a plug-and-play (PnP) algorithm to restore the object through scattering media under the non-darkroom environment. Specifically, the PnPGAP-FPR method is established via the generalized alternating projection (GAP) optimization framework, Fienup phase retrieval (FPR) method, and FFDNeT. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated experimentally and shows significant effectiveness and flexible scalability, which describe the potential for its practical applications.
Digital radio-over-fiber system based on differential pulse code modulation and space division multiplexing
Authors: Song Yunyu , Yu Zhenming , Liu Enji , Huang Hongyu , Sun Kaixuan , Yin Feifei , Xu Kun
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we present and experimentally demonstrate a digital-radio-over-fiber (D-RoF) architecture based on differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) and space division multiplexing (SDM). At low quantization resolution, DPCM can effectively reduce quantization noise and obtain significant signal-to-quantization noise ratio (SQNR) gain. We experimentally study the 7-core and 8-core multicore fiber transmission of 64-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (64QAM) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals with a bandwidth of 100 MHz in a fiber-wireless hybrid transmission link. Compared to PCM-based D-RoF, the error vector magnitude (EVM) performance in the DPCM-based D-RoF is effectively improved when the quantization bits (QBs) are 3–5 bits. In particular, when the QB is 3 bits, the EVM of the DPCM-based D-RoF is 6.5% and 7% lower than that of the PCM-based system in 7-core- and 8-core-multicore fiber-wireless hybrid transmission links, respectively.
Generalized spiral transformation for high-resolution sorting of vortex modes
Authors: Cheng Jie , Wan Chenhao , Zhan Qiwen
Published: February 2023

We achieve high-resolution sorting of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light with two bespoke diffractive optical elements using the generalized spiral transformation. The experimental sorting finesse is 5.3, approximately two times better performance than what has been reported. These optical elements will be useful for optical communication based on OAM beams and can be easily extended to other fields that use conformal mapping.
Dual-band flexible THz metamirror for spin-selective flips
Authors: Hu Rui , Chen Ge , Huang Xiaotian , Zhang Bohan , Du Kang , Zhou Cai , Wang Tingting , Zhu Wei , Wang Shengxiang
Published: February 2023

Metasurfaces with in-plane structure asymmetry have been widely investigated for realizing chiral characteristics which rarely exist in natural materials. The chiral metamirror, a novel metasurface, responds differently to the handedness of the designed circularly polarized waves. However, previously reported chiral metamirrors are limited to reflecting the circularly polarized waves with fixed polarization in a narrow band, severely restricting their potential engineering applications. Herein, we have experimentally demonstrated a dual-band spin-selection flips THz chiral metamirror with huge circular dichroism (CD) by constructing the asymmetry unit cells. Notably, the proposed chiral metamirror enables the realization of the flips of the spin-selective reflected waves in the two operating bands. Moreover, the circular polarization selection efficiency (CPSE) can be controlled flexibly, as well as the strong CD, by adjusting the configuration of the unit cells. Even more important, the distribution of the currents in the two arms of the unit cell with different bands has revealed the inner mechanism of chirality. Furthermore, compared with other traditional devices, we have fabricated the flexible metadevice for facilitating integration by introducing the modified polyimide (MPI). The results show that the chiral characteristic of spin-selective reflected waves can be completely controlled by precisely designing the unit cells of chiral metamirror, which has shown a great application prospect in many fields, such as electronic devices and bio-sensors.
Photon propagation control on laser-written photonic chips enabled by composite waveguides
Authors: Li Ze-Zheng , Tian Zhen-Nan , Li Zhong-Tian , Ouyang Yang , Chen Qi-Dai , Sun Hong-Bo
Published: February 2023

Femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) three-dimensional (3D) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) can realize arbitrary arrangement of waveguide arrays and coupling devices. Thus, they are capable of directly constructing arbitrary Hamiltonians and performing specific computing tasks crucial in quantum simulation and computation. However, the propagation constant β is limited to a narrow range in single-mode waveguides by solely changing the processing parameters, which greatly hinders the design of FsLDW PICs. This study proposes a composite waveguide (CWG) method to increase the range of β, where a new single-mode composite waveguide comprises two adjacent circular waveguides. As a result, the photon propagation can be controlled and the variation range of β can be efficiently enlarged by approximately two times (Δβ∼36  cm−1). With the CWG method, we successfully realize the most compact FsLDW directional couplers with a 9 μm pitch in a straight-line form and achieve the reconstruction of the Hamiltonian of a Hermitian array. Thus, the study represents a step further toward the fine control of the coupling between waveguides and compact integration of FsLDW PICs.
Why does the X chromosome lag behind autosomes in GWAS findings?
Authors: Gorlov Ivan P. , Amos Christopher I.
Published: February 2023

The X-chromosome is among the largest human chromosomes. It differs from autosomes by a number of important features including hemizygosity in males, an almost complete inactivation of one copy in females, and unique patterns of recombination. We used data from the Catalog of Published Genome Wide Association Studies to compare densities of the GWAS-detected SNPs on the X-chromosome and autosomes. The density of GWAS-detected SNPs on the X-chromosome is 6-fold lower compared to the density of the GWAS-detected SNPs on autosomes. Differences between the X-chromosome and autosomes cannot be explained by differences in the overall SNP density, lower X-chromosome coverage by genotyping platforms or low call rate of X-chromosomal SNPs. Similar differences in the density of GWAS-detected SNPs were found in female-only GWASs (e.g. ovarian cancer GWASs). We hypothesized that the lower density of GWAS-detected SNPs on the X-chromosome compared to autosomes is not a result of a methodological bias, e.g. differences in coverage or call rates, but has a real underlying biological reason–alower density of functional SNPs on the X-chromosome versus autosomes. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that (i) the overall SNP density of X-chromosome is lower compared to the SNP density on autosomes and that (ii) the density of genic SNPs on the X-chromosome is lower compared to autosomes while densities of intergenic SNPs are similar.
Allelic contribution of Nrxn1α to autism-relevant behavioral phenotypes in mice
Authors: Xu Bing , Ho Yugong , Fasolino Maria , Medina Joanna , O’Brien William Timothy , Lamonica Janine M. , Nugent Erin , Brodkin Edward S. , Fuccillo Marc V. , Bucan Maja , Zhou Zhaolan
Published: February 2023

Copy number variations (CNVs) in the Neurexin 1 (NRXN1) gene, which encodes a presynaptic protein involved in neurotransmitter release, are some of the most frequently observed single-gene variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To address the functional contribution of NRXN1 CNVs to behavioral phenotypes relevant to ASD, we carried out systematic behavioral phenotyping of an allelic series of Nrxn1 mouse models: one carrying promoter and exon 1 deletion abolishing Nrxn1α transcription, one carrying exon 9 deletion disrupting Nrxn1α protein translation, and one carrying an intronic deletion with no observable effect on Nrxn1α expression. We found that homozygous loss of Nrxn1α resulted in enhanced aggression in males, reduced affiliative social behaviors in females, and significantly altered circadian activities in both sexes. Heterozygous or homozygous loss of Nrxn1α affected the preference for social novelty in male mice, and notably, enhanced repetitive motor skills and motor coordination in both sexes. In contrast, mice bearing an intronic deletion of Nrxn1 did not display alterations in any of the behaviors assessed. These findings demonstrate the importance of Nrxn1α gene dosage in regulating social, circadian, and motor functions, and the variables of sex and genomic positioning of CNVs in the expression of autism-related phenotypes. Importantly, mice with heterozygous loss of Nrxn1, as found in numerous autistic individuals, show an elevated propensity to manifest autism-related phenotypes, supporting the use of models with this genomic architecture to study ASD etiology and assess additional genetic variants associated with autism.
Effect of varying thickness properties of the slow release fertilizer films on morphology, biodegradability, urea release, soil health, and plant growth
Authors: Majeed Zahid , Nawazish Shamyla , Baig Ayesha , Akhtar Wasim , Iqbal Atia , Muhammad Khan Wisal , Majid Bukhari Syed , Zaidi Asma , Loke Show Pau , Mansoor Nurlidia
Published: February 2023

Green biomass is a renewable and biodegradable material that has the potential use to trap urea to develop a high-efficiency urea fertilizer for crops’ better performance. Current work examined the morphology, chemical composition, biodegradability, urea release, soil health, and plant growth effects of the SRF films subjected to changes in the thickness of 0.27, 0.54, and 1.03 mm. The morphology was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy, chemical composition was analyzed by Infrared Spectroscopy, and biodegradability was assessed through evolved CO2 and CH4 quantified through Gas Chromatography. The chloroform fumigation technique was used for microbial growth assessment in the soil. The soil pH and redox potential were also measured using a specific probe. CHNS analyzer was used to calculate the total carbon and total nitrogen of the soil. A plant growth experiment was conducted on the Wheat plant (Triticum sativum). The thinner the films, the more they supported the growth and penetration of the soil’s microorganisms mainly the species of fungus possibly due to the presence of lignin in films. The fingerprint regions of the infrared spectrum of SRF films showed all films in soil changed in their chemical composition due to biodegradation but the increase in the thickness possibly provides resistance to the films’ losses. The higher thickness of the film delayed the rate and time for biodegradation and the release of methane gas in the soil. The 1.03 mm film (47% in 56 days) and 0.54 mm film (35% in 91 days) showed the slowest biodegradability as compared to the 0.27 mm film with the highest losses (60% in 35 days). The slow urea release is more affected by the increase in thickness. The Korsymer Pappas model with release exponent value of < 0.5 explained the release from the SRF films followed the quasi-fickian diffusion and also reduced the diffusion coefficient for urea. An increase in the pH and decrease in the redox potential of the soil is correlated with higher total organic content and total nitrogen in the soil in response to amending SRF films with variable thickness. Growth of the wheat plant showed the highest average plant length, leaf area index and grain per plant in response to the increase in the film’s thickness. This work developed an important knowledge to enhance the efficiency of film encapsulated urea that can better slow the urea release if the thickness is optimized.
Certainty equivalence-based robust sliding mode control strategy and its application to uncertain PMSG-WECS
Authors: Chand Annas , Khan Qudrat , Alam Waqar , Khan Laiq , Iqbal Jamshed
Published: February 2023

This work focuses on maximum power extraction via certainty equivalence-based robust sliding mode control protocols for an uncertain Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator-based Wind Energy Conversion System (PMSG-WECS). The considered system is subjected to both structured and unstructured disturbances, which may occur through the input channel. Initially, the PMSG-WECS system is transformed into a Bronwsky form, i.e., controllable canonical form, which is composed of both internal and visible dynamics. The internal dynamics are proved stable, i.e., the system is in the minimum phase. However, the control of visible dynamics, to track the desired trajectory, is the main concern. To carry out this task, the certainty equivalence-based control strategies, i.e., conventional sliding mode control, terminal sliding mode control and integral sliding mode control are designed. Consequently, a chattering phenomenon is suppressed by the employment of equivalent estimated disturbances, which also enhance the robustness of the proposed control strategies. Eventually, a comprehensive stability analysis of the proposed control techniques is presented. All the theoretical claims are verified via computer simulations, which are performed in MATLAB/Simulink.
A systematic review of influences on implementation of supported self-management interventions for people with severe mental health problems in secondary mental health care settings
Authors: Islam Samihah , Appleton Rebecca , Hutchings-Hay Chloe , Lloyd-Evans Brynmor , Johnson Sonia
Published: February 2023

Purpose

There is robust evidence for offering supported self-management interventions for people with severe mental illness (SMI) throughout secondary mental health services, but their availability remains patchy. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise the evidence on barriers and facilitators to implementing self-management interventions for people with SMI in secondary mental health care settings.

Methods

The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021257078). Five databases were searched to identify relevant studies. We included full-text journal articles with primary qualitative or quantitative data on factors which affect the implementation of self-management interventions for people with SMI in secondary mental health services. The included studies were analysed using narrative synthesis, using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and an established taxonomy of implementation outcomes.

Results

Twenty-three studies from five countries met eligibility criteria. The barriers and facilitators identified in the review were mainly on the organisational level, but included some individual-level influences. Facilitators included high feasibility, high fidelity, a strong team structure, sufficient number of staff, support from colleagues, staff training, supervision, the presence of an implementation champion and adaptability of the intervention. Barriers to implementation include high staff turnover, staff shortage, lack of supervision, lack of support for staff delivering the programme, staff struggling with their increased workload, a lack of senior clinical leadership, and programme content perceived as irrelevant.

Conclusion

The findings from this research suggest promising strategies to improve implementation of self-management interventions. For services providing support for people with SMI, organisational culture should be considered, as well as the adaptability of interventions.
Knowledge, attitude, practice, and fear level of Bangladeshi students toward Covid-19 after a year of the pandemic situation: A web-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Rupok Tahsin Ahmed , Dey Sunandan , Agarwala Rashni , Islam Md. Nurnobi , Bostami Bayezid
Published: February 2023

Introduction

In the earlier phase of the pandemic situation, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) badly suffered to adhere their people to preventive measures probably due to less knowledge and attitude toward Covid-19. To tackle the second wave of coronavirus, the GoB has again enforced an array of preventive measures, but still encountering the same problem after a year of the pandemic situation. As an attempt to find out the reasons behind this, our study aimed to assess the present knowledge and fear level regarding Covid-19, and attitude and practice of students toward Covid-19 preventive measures (CPM).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed and conducted from 15th to 25th April 2021. A total of 382 participants met all the inclusion criteria and were considered for performing all the statistical analyses (Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Multiple logistic regression, Spearman rank-order correlation).

Results

All the participants were students aged 16 to 30 years. 84.8%, and 22.3% of participants had respectively more accurate knowledge, and moderate to high fear level regarding Covid-19. And, 66%, and 55% of participants had more positive attitude, and more frequent practice toward CPM, respectively. Knowledge, attitude, practice, and fear were interrelated directly or indirectly. It was found knowledgeable participants were more likely to have more positive attitude (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.23–4.47, P < 0.01) and very little fear (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.10–4.26, P < 0.05). More positive attitude was found as a good predictor of more frequent practice (AOR = 4.00, 95% CI = 2.44–6.56, P < 0.001), and very less fear had negative impact on both attitude (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.23–0.84, P < 0.01) and practice (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.26–0.84, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The findings reflect that students had appreciable knowledge and very little fear, but disappointedly had average attitude and practice toward Covid-19 prevention. In addition, students lacked confidence that Bangladesh would win the battle against Covid-19. Thus, based on our study findings we recommend that policymakers should be more focused to scale up students’ confidence and attitude toward CPM by developing and implementing well-conceived plan of actions besides insisting them to practice CPM.
Temporal analysis of academic performance in higher education before, during and after COVID-19 confinement using artificial intelligence
Authors: Subirats Laia , Palacios Corral Aina , Pérez-Ruiz Sof´ıa , Fort Santi , Sacha Go´mez-Mon˜ivas
Published: February 2023

This study provides the profiles and success predictions of students considering data before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a field experiment of 396 students and more than 7400 instances, we have analyzed students’ performance considering the temporal distribution of autonomous learning during courses from 2016/2017 to 2020/2021. After applying unsupervised learning, results show 3 main profiles from the clusters obtained in the simulations: students who work continuously, those who do it in the last-minute, and those with a low performance in the whole autonomous learning. We have found that the highest success ratio is related to students that work in a continuous basis. However, last-minute working is not necessarily linked to failure. We have also found that students’ marks can be predicted successfully taking into account the whole data sets. However, predictions are worse when removing data from the month before the final exam. These predictions are useful to prevent students’ wrong learning strategies, and to detect malpractices such as copying. We have done all these analyses taking into account the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, founding that students worked in a more continuous basis in the confinement. This effect was still present one year after. Finally, We have also included an analysis of the techniques that could be more effective to keep in a future non-pandemic scenario the good habits that were detected in the confinement.
Speaking the unspeakable; or providing the evidence without being censored
Authors: Paul Lissa
Published: February 2023

This article is about the difficulties inherent in using the racist tropes resulting from the transatlantic slave trade to address the chronic persistence of systemic racism. The problem with revealing horrific material – such as the fugitive slave ads I cite from early nineteenth-century Barbados newspapers – is that they raise the risk of causing offence. Yet the point of speaking the unspeakable is to move towards telling truths revealing both the brutality of enslavers and the ingenuity and courage of enslaved individuals who resisted. By focusing on the heroism of people in the fugitive slave ads I shift attention away from the White legislators typically credited with abolition and towards people who consistently resisted enslavement. My account of navigating the treacherous territory of speaking the unspeakable resolves as a cautionary tale about making sure that unspeakable, long concealed material is buffered with trigger warnings and careful explanations as to why it is being revealed.
Green Synthesis of Bimetallic ZnO-CuO Nanocatalyst for the
Hydro-dechlorination of 1,2-Dichlorobenzene and 3-Chlorophenol
Authors: Peddi Pavani , Prasada Rao P.T.S.R.K. , Pavan Kumar Chebolu Naga Sesha Sai , Marok Satwinder Singh , Usha Rani Nannapaneni , Tulasi S. Lakshmi
Published: February 2023

Bimetallic nanoparticles exhibit advantageous catalytic, optical and electrical properties and among
the various methods of synthesis of nanoparticles, green synthesis gained great attention due to its
simplicity, cost effective, ecofriendly and versatility. In view of this, the present work intended to
synthesize the ZnO-CuO bimetallic nanoparticles using aqueous root extract of Suaeda maritima (L.)
Dumort. The bimetallic nanoparticles synthesized were observed to be spherical in shape with particle
size in the range of 20-45 nm and the particles were distributed with less aggregation. The synthesized
nanoparticles have 41% of zinc element and 33% copper with hexagonal phase crystalline structure of
zinc oxide and monoclinic copper oxide phase. The synthesized ZnO-CuO bimetallic nanoparticles
were used for the hydro-dechlorination of 1,2-dichlorobenzene and 3-chlorophenol. The results indicated
that rapid dechlorination was observed during the initial time of study. The percentage dechlorination
of 19.37 ± 0.243 and 15.52 ± 0.193% was observed within 5 min of the study for 1,2-dichlorobenzene
and 3-chlorophenol, respectively. The high % dechlorination was achieved within 25 min wherein the
% dechlorination was observed to be 93.35 ± 0.103 and 89.75 ± 0.091 for 1,2-dichlorobenzene and 3-
chlorophenol, respectively. This study reports the cost-effective and eco-friendly method for synthesizing
ZnO-CuO bimetallic nanoparticles that can utilize for the dechlorination of various polychlorinated
aromatic compounds in natural samples.
Quantum Molecular Descriptors of 6-Thioguanine
Adsorbed PPy-PNVK Conducting Polymer: A DFT Analysis
Authors: Khare Kirtesh Pratap , Kathal Rachana , Shukla Neelima , Srivastava Reena , Srivastava Anurag
Published: February 2023

6-Thioguanine (6-TG) is an important drug to cure cancer with fierce adverse effects on human being,
necessitating its frequent monitoring. Present work reports the computational analysis of a copolymer
(PPy-PNVK), synthesized using polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(9-vinyl carbazole) (PNVK) host polymers.
The sensing ability of these polymers for 6-TG, has been performed through the DFT formulated ab
initio approach employing the generalized gradient approximations (GGA), considering the
revised-Perdew, Burke and Ernzerh (rPBE) pattern of parameters. The suitability of these polymers
for 6-TG sensing application, has been assessed by analyzing the variations in the HOMO-LUMO
gaps, density of state (DOS), Mulliken population, molecular energy spectrum (MES), adsorption
energy (Eads), bond variation, chemical reactivity of the surface, the recovery time (τ) and the electron
density plots. The estimated negative adsorption energy confirms the physisorption and stability of
6-TG on PPy, PNVK and their copolymer counterpart. Considering the recovery time, range of detection,
reusability and quantum molecular descriptors as an important sensing parameters, it has been observed
that the computationally synthesized copolymer is relatively better in comparison to its host polymers.
Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles using Carambola Fruit
Extract and Evaluation of their Antioxidant and Anticancer Efficiency
Authors: Babu Alampally Bangaru , Bhavani Anagani Kanaka Durga , Sravanthi Pidamarthi
Published: February 2023

In this study, a successful synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using extract from the Carambola
fruit was carried out. Remarkably fast reduction of Au3+ ions was observed when aqueous chloroauric
acid was treated with star fruit powder at 60 ºC and this was obtained without the use of any stabilizing
or reducing agents. The UV-visible, FT-IR, DLS, XRD, SEM and TEM were used to study the
synthesized AuNPs. The FT-IR studies suggested that the phenolic group may have contributed to the
reduction of Au3+. The DLS particle size analysis and TEM measurements revealed that AuNPs had a
mean particle size of 10 nm and were nearly spherical in form. The crystalline character of AuNPs was
established by TEM-SAED image and XRD analyses. Zeta potential measurements were used to
analyze the stability of AuNPs. The synthesized AuNPs effectively scavenge free radicals such as
DPPH, NO• and H2O2 with % inhibition values of 57.12, 58.75 and 60.23, respectively. The MTT
assay of the anticancer activity demonstrated that the synthesized AuNPs worked effectively against
MCF7 cell lines and are comparable to those of standard cancer drugs.
Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) based Green Synthesis of
Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles and its Applications
Authors: Ahmad Waseem , Singh Ajay , Manral Meghna , Pandey Shivam , Rashid Mohd.
Published: February 2023

Due to its distinct and unique surface morphology, mechanical strength, tunable solubility in water,
viscous properties, ease of access and enormous amount of raw materials, low-cost synthesis process
and similarly several more opposing characteristics, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based materials
have wide applications. While synthesizing nanoparticles, CMC appears to be better as both a reducing
and stabilizing agent. CMC would have no detrimental effects on human health or the environment
and also is non-toxic and biodegradable. Hence, CMC mediated metal and metal oxide nanoparticles
have multiple benefits in the areas of antibacterial, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory,
wound healing, antioxidant, as well as optical properties. In this mini-review article, the role of
carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is highligted in the fabrication of nanoparticles.
Synthesis of New Degradable AB-Type Polyesters with 1,2,3-Triazole
Rings in the Backbone via “Click” Step-Growth Polymerization
Authors: Kantaria Tengiz , Kantaria Temur , Vanishvili A. , Kvinikadze S. , Klinger D. , Katsarava R.
Published: February 2023

A series of new aliphatic AB-type polyesters (PEs) and co-polyesters (co-PEs) with 1,2,3-triazole
rings in the backbone were successfully synthesized via Cu(I)-catalyzed click step-growth
polymerization (SGP) following the efficient one pot/two step synthetic strategy. The structure of the
click polymers was confirmed by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy and the new materials were
characterized in terms of yield, solubility, film-forming properties, molecular weights and molecular
weight distribution by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and degradation ability by total organic
carbon (TOC) technique. The obtained hydrolytically degradable AB-type polyesters and co-polyesters
with a rather high degree of polymerization, film-forming properties and solubility behaviour increase
a library of available degradable click polymers promising for wide range of biomedical applications
and also confirm the suitability of the present synthetic strategy for designing different types of triazole
main chain degradable click polymers.
Synthesis of Novel Isoxazoline/Isoxzolyl Pyrano Heterocyclic Annulated Flavones
Authors: Sydhulua Rachakonda , Hemasria Yerrabelly
Published: February 2023

The synthesis of new isoxazoline/isoxazole pyrano fused flavone derivatives from 6-hydroxy 5-formyl
flavone via in situ generation of nitrile oxide from aldoxime using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as
an oxidant followed by intramolecular cycloaddition reaction at olefin/alkyne functions is reported in
high yields. The reaction involves regio selective annulation at C5/C6 position in preference to the
C6/C7 position of flavones. All the synthesized compounds were successfully characterized by IR, 1H
NMR, 13C NMR and ESI-MS.
Metanil Yellow Dye Encapsulated Layered Double Hydroxide of Nickel and
Aluminium: A Fluorescent and Electrochemical Sensor for Pb2+ and Al3+ Ion
Authors: Kalita Sarojmoni , Das Diganta Kumar
Published: February 2023

In this work, metanil yellow (MY) dye was successfully encapsulated with layered double hydroxide
(LDH) of nickel and aluminium was latter synthesized by hydrothermal process. The prepared sensor
(MY@NiAl-LDH) was investigated through various characterization techniques. The sensor served
as a fluorescent turn-on sensor for Pb2+ ion and an electrochemical sensor for Al3+ ion. The fluorescent
detection of Pb2+ is highly selective, reversible with relatively low limit of detection (LOD). It showed
fluorescent enhancement mechanism through blocked PET process. Platinum disc electrode modified
with MY@NiAl-LDH could selectively detect Al3+ ion by cyclic voltammetry in presence of other
interfering metal ions. The present work aims to expand dye based layered double hydroxides sensors
in the field of feasible detection of biological and environmentally important metal ions.