bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
To value the model of psychiatric hospital admission, from 2013 to 2017 in local health service in a 240.000 people area of northern Italy
Authors: Giacomin M.
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Psychiatric Patients Admissions in Mental health Service of Treviso (Italy) were compared from 2013 to 2017. Trends of Admissions take onto consideration, the presence of Menthal Health Service for Outpatients Care.

Objectives

To point out the distribution of Diagnosis made in Different Years for different patients ages.

Methods

For every patient has been considered the following date : Sex, Age, Marital State, Profession, Psychiatric Diagnosis, Days of Admission, Geografic Origin and KInd of Admission (Voluntary / Involuntay).

Results

It is noticeable the different percentage of Psychiatric Diagnosis in 2013 rather than in 2017. In 2017 it happened a more amount of Psychiatric Admission of Subjects with Substance Addiction Related Disturbs (Alcool included) and Atypical Depression Sindrome and Borderline and Cluster B Perrsonalòity Disorders. Lower amount instead was verified for Diagnosis of Schizofernia, Neurosis and Oligofrenia. Beside it was noticed, an earlier onset of Psychotic Sindrome in Young people often related with Substance Abuse. In the 2017 besides was lower the amount of Involuntary Admission (T.S.O. in Italy) compared with 2013.

Conclusions

Different distribution of Diagnosis is explained by the Evolution Diagnosis Orientation (from D.S.M. IV to I.C.D. 10) About the increased Diagnosis of Substance Addiction Disturbs and Younger age of same subjescts seems caused by a different treatment’s Strategy with brief selective Admissions. Furthermore lesser Involonary Admission seems due to best knowledge of every patients. The most of Theese were indeed already known by Ambulatory Outpatient Mental Health Service.
Social factors and suicidal ideation in adulthood
Authors: Lirón A. Rodríguez , Gayete S. , Olaya B. , Ayuso-Mateos J.L. , Haro J.
Published: February 2022

Introduction

In recent years, it has been possible to corroborate that people’s social environment is a key aspect in the study of suicide risk.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to assess the relation between suicidal ideation and social factors (loneliness, social support, trust, participation and cohabiting) in a representative sample of the Spanish adult population, comparing the effect according to sex different age groups (18-49, 50-64, ≥65 years).

Methods

Cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the Spanish population (n = 4,217) conducted between 2011 and 2012. Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Social support was assessed using the OSLO-3 Social Support Scale, and participation scale and trust. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models adjusting for sex, sociodemographic and health variables (lifestyles, depression, and multimorbidity).

Results

Prevalence rates of suicidal ideation were higher in young and middle-aged adults. In the middle-aged groups, loneliness is significantly associated with suicidal ideation in both women and man. Among man, cohabiting and trust were identified as a protective factors of suicidal ideation. Among women, only social support was identified as a protective factor. In the older adult’s group, trust acted as a protective factor of suicide ideation among women. For man was the social support. Among younger adults, cohabiting was identified as a protective factor in man.

Conclusions

Due to the different results involving social factors and suicidal ideation according to age and sex, we highlight the importance of studying social factors for the detection of specific needs among the Spanish adult population.
Manual and mechanical restraint and the hierarchy of coercive measures: Evidence or tradition?
Authors: Lynge M. , Dixen S. , Johansen K. , Düring S. , Parnas A. , Nordgaard J.
Published: February 2022

Introduction

In the continuous work to reduce the use of coercion in the psychiatric care, attention in Denmark has especially been directed towards mechanical restraint, i.e. the use of belts to fixate patients to a bed. While the use of mechanical restraint is currently decreasing, increases in other types of coercive acts are observed (e.g., forced medication and hourly episodes of manual restraint). The use of manual restraint refers to mental health workers immobilizing a patient to avoid harm to self or others. Manual restraint is generally considered less intrusive to a patient’s autonomy than the use of mechanical restraint. However, no study has yet explored if it is actually experienced as such by the patients.

Objectives

This study explores patients’ perspectives on manual and mechanical restraint, respectively.

Methods

We are currently performing a qualitative interview study of 10 patients, who have been exposed to both types of coercion. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim and analysed for thematic content.

Results

We expect to discover more nuanced perspectives of the intrusiveness of the different forms of coercion—perspectives that may challenge the assumption that one type of coercion is by default better than another. The study’s results will be presented.

Conclusions

In this study, we only look at two types of coercion. More investigation into the differentiation of patients and ideal type of coercive measure is paramount to the ambitions of a better and more humanistic psychiatric care.
Exercise Intolerance in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: VERA KATHRYN A. , MCCONVILLE MARY , GLAZOS ALINE , STOKES WILLIAM , KYBA MICHAEL , KELLER-ROSS MANDA
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Determine 1) if adults with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) exhibit exercise intolerance and 2) potential contributing mechanisms to exercise intolerance, specific to FSHD.

Methods

Eleven people with FSHD (47 ± 13 yr, 4 females) and 11 controls (46 ± 13 yr, 4 females) completed one visit, which included a volitional peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak) cycling test. Breath-by-breath gas exchange, ventilation, and cardiovascular responses were measured at rest and during exercise. The test featured 3-min stages (speed, 65–70 rpm) with incremental increases in intensity (FSHD: 20 W per stage; control: 40–60 W per stage). Body lean mass (LM (kg, %)) was collected via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Results

V̇O2peak was 32% lower (24.5 ± 9.7 vs 36.2 ± 9.3 mL·kg−1·min−1, P < 0.01), and wattage was 55% lower in FSHD (112.7 ± 56.1 vs 252.7 ± 67.7 W, P < 0.01). When working at a relative submaximal intensity (40% of V̇O2peak), wattage was 55% lower in FSHD (41.8 ± 30.3 vs 92.7 ± 32.6 W, P = 0.01), although ratings of perceived exertion (FSHD: 11 ± 2 vs control: 10 ± 3, P = 0.61) and dyspnea (FSHD: 3 ± 1 vs control: 3 ± 2, P = 0.78) were similar between groups. At an absolute intensity (60 W), the rating of perceived exertion was 63% higher (13 ± 3 vs 8 ± 2, P < 0.01) and dyspnea was 180% higher in FSHD (4 ± 2 vs 2 ± 2, P < 0.01). V̇O2peak was most strongly correlated with resting O2 pulse in controls (P < 0.01, r = 0.90) and percent leg LM in FSHD (P < 0.01, r = 0.88). Among FSHD participants, V̇O2peak was associated with self-reported functionality (FSHD-HI score; activity limitation: P < 0.01, r = −0.78), indicating a strong association between perceived and objective impairments.

Conclusions

Disease-driven losses of LM contribute to exercise intolerance in FSHD, as evidenced by a lower V̇O2peak and elevated symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue during submaximal exercise. Regular exercise participation may preserve LM, thus providing some protection against exercise tolerance in FSHD.
Origins of and lessons from quantitative functional X-ray computed tomography of the lung
Authors: Hoffman Eric A
Published: February 2022

Functional CT of the lung has emerged from quantitative CT (qCT). Structural details extracted at multiple lung volumes offer indices of function. Additionally, single volumetric images, if acquired at standardized lung volumes and body posture, can be used to model function by employing such engineering techniques as computational fluid dynamics. With the emergence of multispectral CT imaging including dual energy from energy integrating CT scanners and multienergy binning using the newly released photon counting CT technology, function is tagged via use of contrast agents. Lung disease phenotypes have previously been lumped together by the limitations of spirometry and plethysmography. QCT and its functional embodiment have been imbedded into studies seeking to characterize chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe asthma, interstitial lung disease and more. Reductions in radiation dose by an order of magnitude or more have been achieved. At the same time, we have seen significant increases in spatial and density resolution along with methodologic validations of extracted metrics. Together, these have allowed attention to turn towards more mild forms of disease and younger populations. In early applications, clinical CT offered anatomic details of the lung. Functional CT offers regional measures of lung mechanics, the assessment of functional small airways disease, as well as regional ventilation-perfusion matching (V/Q) and more. This paper will focus on the use of quantitative/functional CT for the non-invasive exploration of dynamic three-dimensional functioning of the breathing lung and beating heart within the unique negative pressure intrathoracic environment of the closed chest.
Eye image effect in the context of pedestrian safety: a French questionnaire study
Authors: Sueur Cédric , Piermattéo Anthony , Pelé Marie
Published: February 2022

Human behavior is influenced by the presence of others, which scientists also call ‘the audience effect’. The use of social control to produce more cooperative behaviors may positively influence road use and safety. This study uses an online questionnaire to test how eyes images affect the behavior of pedestrians when crossing a road. Different eyes images of men, women and a child with different facial expressions -neutral, friendly and angry- were presented to participants who were asked what they would feel by looking at these images before crossing a signalized road. Participants completed a questionnaire of 20 questions about pedestrian behaviors (PBQ). The questionnaire was received by 1,447 French participants, 610 of whom answered the entire questionnaire. Seventy-one percent of participants were women, and the mean age was 35 ± 14 years. Eye images give individuals the feeling they are being observed at 33%, feared at 5% and surprised at 26%, and thus seem to indicate mixed results about avoiding crossing at the red light. The expressions shown in the eyes are also an important factor: feelings of being observed increased by about 10-15% whilst feelings of being scared or inhibited increased by about 5% as the expression changed from neutral to friendly to angry. No link was found between the results of our questionnaire and those of the Pedestrian Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ). This study shows that the use of eye images could reduce illegal crossings by pedestrians, and is thus of key interest as a practical road safety tool. However, the effect is limited and how to increase this nudge effect needs further consideration.
Effect of hydrothermal treatment of titanium in high concentration of AgNO3 solution on surface morphology and roughness
Authors: Sunarso Sunarso , Putra Raihan Jazmi Hares , Theodorea Citra Fragrantia , Pangesty Azizah Intan
Published: February 2022

Development of silver (Ag) modified titanium (Ti) as an antibacterial dental implant has recently been growing. Ag demonstrated an excellent antibacterial property without the risk of bacterial resistance. Hydrothermal treatment using AgNO3 solution is one of the facile and promising methods to modify Ti surface with Ag. However, the effect of high AgNO3 concentration and the absent of a toxic reduction agent has not been clearly studied. In this study, Ti surface was hydrothermally treated in 0.01 mol/L and 0.1 mol/L AgNO3 solutions at 150oC for 24 hours. Analysis of surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis suggested the formation of non-homogenous Ag coating with a tendency to be aggregated and thicken with the increase of AgNO3 concentration. The Ag coating deposited on Ti surface were composed of mainly metallic and some oxide forms. Surface roughness of all AgNO3 treated Ti surface was comparable based on the analysis of surface roughness parameter. In conclusion, hydrothermal treatment of Ti surface in solely AgNO3 solution at high concentration produced non-homogenous Ag coating on its surface without significantly changed surface roughness.

Keywords: Silver nitrate, titanium, hydrothermal, surface morphology, roughness
Current status and problems of orthopaedic residents in Thailand and Myanmar
Authors: Kasai Yuichi , Paholpak Permsak , Wisanuyotin Taweechok , Sirichativapee Winai , Oo Shwe Kyaw , Thu Si
Published: February 2022

Background: There is no research about current experiences of orthopaedic residents in Thailand and Myanmar.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was distributed among Thai and Myanmar orthopaedic residents to assess their current experiences. This study included a total of 168 participants, comprising 92 (94.8%) of 97 orthopaedic residents in Thailand, and 76 (97.4%) of 78 in Myanmar who answered the questionnaire. The survey comprised nine questions about issues such as the contents of residency training programs, current training satisfaction, and future careers. The survey was administered anonymously between October 2020 and January 2021.

Results: Regarding training content, 24 residents reported being "very satisfied", 103 were "satisfied", 37 were "moderately satisfied", and four were "dissatisfied", and respondents spent a mean of 3.1 h/day reading textbooks and research papers. As for salary, five residents answered "satisfied", 46 responded "moderately satisfied", and 117 were "dissatisfied".

Conclusions: Many orthopedic residents in Thailand and Myanmar were enthusiastic about and satisfied with their training. Their only problem was that the salary was low.
Jadwiga i Jagiełło w dziele chrystianizacji Litwy
Authors: Ożóg Krzysztof
Published: February 2022

JADWIGA AND JAGIEŁŁO IN THE TASK OF CHRISTIANIZATION OF LITHUANIA The article discusses the actions undertaken by Jadwiga of Anjou and Władysław Jagiełło in connection with the Christianization of Lithuania and Samogitia. The royal couple organized a missionary expedition, which Jagiełło led himself in 1387 taking part in converting the Lithuanians to the Christian faith, while Jadwiga materially supported the nascent Lithuanian Church. They both petitioned Pope Urban VI for the canonical establishment of the Vilnius Bishopric, which was founded in 1387. The bishopric’s erection took place in 1390 or 1391 with Andrzej Niemsta, the former bishop of Seret, translated to Vilnius. Władysław Jagiełło founded 11 parish churches in Lithuania. Monasteries of Franciscans, Benedictines, and Canons Regular of Penance, which were also established in the Lithuanian lands, contributed to the strengthening of faith among Lithuanians. With the approval of the Council of Constance in 1417, Samogitia was Christianized and a bishopric was founded with its seat in Miedniki. The royal couple strived to prepare educated clergy for the Church of Lithuania. The establishment of the Faculty of Theology in Cracow (1397) was to serve that purpose. Moreover, Jadwiga undertook efforts to found a college in Prague for theological students from Lithuania (1397). The Saint Queen was also a strong spiritual pillar of the young Lithuanian Church.
Efficiently Breaking the Curse of Horizon in Off-Policy Evaluation with Double Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Kallus Nathan , Uehara Masatoshi
Published: February 2022

Demystifying the Curse of Horizon in Offline Reinforcement Learning in Order to Break It

Offline reinforcement learning (RL), where we evaluate and learn new policies using existing off-policy data, is crucial in applications where experimentation is challenging and simulation unreliable, such as medicine. It is also notoriously difficult because the similarity (density ratio) between observed trajectories and those generated by any new policy diminishes exponentially as the horizon grows, known as the curse of horizon, which severely limits the application of offline RL whenever horizons are moderately long or even infinite. In “Efficiently Breaking the Curse of Horizon in Off-Policy Evaluation with Double Reinforcement Learning,” Kallus and Uehara set out to understand these limits and when they can be broken. They precisely characterize the curse by deriving the semiparametric efficiency lower bounds for the policy-value estimation problem in different models. On the one hand, this shows why the curse necessarily plagues standard estimators: they work even in non-Markov models and therefore must be limited by the corresponding bound. On the other hand, greater efficiency is possible in certain Markovian models, and they give the first estimator achieving these much lower efficiency bounds in infinite-horizon Markov decision processes.
Research on optical sparse code division multiple access encoding technology based on a multi-core fiber
Authors: Zhang Haojing , Ren Jianxin , Chen Shuaidong , Mao Yaya , Wu Xiangyu , Wu Fengyong , Zhao Lilong , Sun Tingting , Ulah Rahat , Tian Feng , Liu Bo
Published: February 2022

Sparse code division multiple access (SCMA) technology is one of the main technologies of 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology). Applying SCMA technology to the field of optical communication has broad prospects, which solves the access problem of a large number of users in optical access network. In this paper, a transmission system based on SCMA over multi-core fiber is proposed. The SCMA coding signal transmission at 30 Gb/s is successfully implemented on a seven-core fiber, which four of seven-core is only used. Its bit error rate (BER) can achieve forward error correction (FEC) limit (BER is 3.8 × 10−3) when the received optical power is -10 dBm. And this experiment verifies the performance of the proposed scheme. In addition, we propose a scheme to reduce the complexity of message passing algorithm (MPA) at the receiver by using the core of fiber dimension. Compared with original MPA, this scheme reduces the number of users superimposed on the same resource block. From the second experiment, for a BER of FEC limit the SNR penalty is∼1 dB for the proposed MPA compared to original MPA. The research of this paper provides a feasible scheme for the next generation of optical access network.
Generation of photon pairs by stimulated emission in ring resonators
Authors: Banic Milica , Liscidini Marco , Sipe J. E.
Published: February 2022

Third-order parametric downconversion (TOPDC) describes a class of nonlinear interactions in which a pump photon is converted into a photon triplet. This process can occur spontaneously or it can be stimulated by seeding fields. Here we show that stimulated TOPDC (StTOPDC) can be exploited for the generation of quantum correlated photon pairs. We model StTOPDC in a microring resonator, predicting observable pair generation rates in a microring engineered for third-harmonic generation, and we examine the peculiar features of this approach when compared with second-order spontaneous parametric downconversion and spontaneous four-wave mixing. We conclude that if the experimental difficulties associated with implementing StTOPDC can be overcome, it may soon be possible to demonstrate this process in resonant integrated devices.
Carrier dynamics of AlGaAs/AlAs asymmetric double quantum wells with different barrier thickness
Authors: Liu Yuejun , Weng Guoen , Cao Fuyi , Wang Youyang , Wan Wenjian , Wang Chang , Nakamae Hidekazu , Kim Changsu , Hu Xiaobo , Luo Xianjia , Luo Shuai , Chen Shaoqiang , Chu Junhao , Akiyama Hidefumi
Published: February 2022

Optical properties and carrier dynamics of AlGaAs/AlAs asymmetric double quantum wells (ADQWs) with varied barrier thickness are studied by excitation-power-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and temperature-dependent time-resolved PL (TRPL) experiments. The origin of the transition energies derived from the time-integrated spectra is confirmed by theoretical calculation using the Schrödinger equation. The carrier kinetics and the temporal behavior of the emission in the narrow well (NW) and wide well (WW) are physically revealed with varying barrier thicknesses by the TRPL measurements. For a better understanding of the carrier transport mechanism, the electron tunneling times for the ADQWs are theoretically estimated based on a rate-equation model. The calculation indicates that the electron tunneling time decreases with increasing temperature, which may be induced by enhanced phonon-assisted scattering.
Mode coupling based on split-ring resonators and waveguide and second harmonic enhancement
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhang Menglai , Qin Zhaofu , Hu Taozheng , Chen Zhuo , Wang Zhenlin
Published: February 2022

Nonlinear optical processes are promising for many applications, and recently great attention has been paid to improve the nonlinear efficiency of plasmonic metasurfaces. Here, we propose a hybrid structure consisting of a gold split-ring resonator (SRR) based nonlinear metasurface on top of a dielectric waveguide layer. By adjusting the periodicity of the SRR array, we demonstrate that the coupling between the magnetic surface plasmons (MSPs) of the SRRs and the waveguide modes could greatly enhance the second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity. Compared with the conventional SRR arrays, the hybrid structures could provide an extra enhancement in the SHG intensity of more than one order of magnitude.
Optical pulling force upon elliptical cylinder nanoparticles in the infrared range
Authors: Balaei Mohsen , Naseri Tayebeh
Published: February 2022

In order to investigate optical pulling forces exerted by an electromagnetic field, we develop a theoretical framework based on electrostatic theory and Maxwell stress tensor. We apply this framework to calculate the optical pulling force on elliptical cylinder nanoparticles with gain medium, which we put forward as an alternative material platform to optimize and tailor tractor beams. Moreover, the optical force can be further enhanced and flexibly tuned by controlling the physical and geometrical parameters of the proposed structure. The pulling and pushing force could be switched by changing the location of the hemisphere witch has complex susceptibility in the structure. Altogether, our theoretical findings can pave the way to increase the use of this structure for further applications based on active nanoparticles
Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution protocol with phase post-selection
Authors: Jiang Cong , Hu Xiao-Long , Yu Zong-Wen , Wang Xiang-Bin
Published: February 2022

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol can remove all the loopholes of the detection devices and, thus, has attracted much attention. Based on the technique of single-photon interference, we propose a modified MDI-QKD protocol with phase post-selection. We prove the security of the announcement of the private phases in the

X

basis and show how to apply the phase post-selection method to the double-scanning four-intensity MDI-QKD protocol. The numerical results show that the phase post-selection method can significantly improve the key rates at all distances. In the double-scanning method, two parameters need to be scanned in the calculation of the final key rate, and the global parameter optimization is pretty time-consuming. We propose an accelerated method that can greatly reduce the running time of the global parameter optimization program. This makes the method practically useful in an unstable channel.
Multi-omics data integration reveals metabolome as the top predictor of the cervicovaginal microenvironment
Authors: Bokulich Nicholas A. , Łaniewski Paweł , Adamov Anja , Chase Dana M. , Caporaso J. Gregory , Herbst-Kralovetz Melissa M.
Published: February 2022

Emerging evidence suggests that host-microbe interaction in the cervicovaginal microenvironment contributes to cervical carcinogenesis, yet dissecting these complex interactions is challenging. Herein, we performed an integrated analysis of multiple “omics” datasets to develop predictive models of the cervicovaginal microenvironment and identify characteristic features of vaginal microbiome, genital inflammation and disease status. Microbiomes, vaginal pH, immunoproteomes and metabolomes were measured in cervicovaginal specimens collected from a cohort (n = 72) of Arizonan women with or without cervical neoplasm. Multi-omics integration methods, including neural networks (mmvec) and Random Forest supervised learning, were utilized to explore potential interactions and develop predictive models. Our integrated analyses revealed that immune and cancer biomarker concentrations were reliably predicted by Random Forest regressors trained on microbial and metabolic features, suggesting close correspondence between the vaginal microbiome, metabolome, and genital inflammation involved in cervical carcinogenesis. Furthermore, we show that features of the microbiome and host microenvironment, including metabolites, microbial taxa, and immune biomarkers are predictive of genital inflammation status, but only weakly to moderately predictive of cervical neoplastic disease status. Different feature classes were important for prediction of different phenotypes. Lipids (e.g. sphingolipids and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids) were strong predictors of genital inflammation, whereas predictions of vaginal microbiota and vaginal pH relied mostly on alterations in amino acid metabolism. Finally, we identified key immune biomarkers associated with the vaginal microbiota composition and vaginal pH (MIF), as well as genital inflammation (IL-6, IL-10, MIP-1α).
Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for serodiagnosis of human leptospirosis: specific IgG3/IgG1 isotyping may further inform diagnosis of acute disease
Authors: Fortes-Gabriel Elsa , Guedes Mariana Soares , Shetty Advait , Gomes Charles Klazer , Carreira Teresa , Vieira Maria Luísa , Esteves Lisa , Mota-Vieira Luísa , Gomes-Solecki Maria
Published: February 2022

The laborious microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the gold standard serologic test for laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis. We developed EIA based serologic assays using recombinant proteins (rLigA, rLigB, rLipL32) and whole-cell extracts from eight Leptospira serovars as antigen and assessed the diagnostic performance of the new assay within each class, against MAT positive (MAT+) human sera panels from Portugal/PT (n = 143) and Angola/AO (n = 100). We found that a combination of recombinant proteins rLigA, rLigB and rLipL32 correctly identified antigen-specific IgG from patients with clinical and laboratory confirmed leptospirosis (MAT+) with 92% sensitivity and ~ 97% specificity (AUC 0.974) in serum from the provinces of Luanda (LDA) and Huambo (HBO) in Angola. A combination of whole cell extracts of L. interrogans sv Copenhageni (LiC), L. kirschneri Mozdok (LkM), L. borgpetersenii Arborea (LbA) and L. biflexa Patoc (LbP) accurately identified patients with clinical and laboratory confirmed leptospirosis (MAT+) with 100% sensitivity and ~ 98% specificity for all provinces of Angola and Portugal (AUC: 0.997 for AO/LDA/HBO, 1.000 for AO/HLA, 0.999 for PT/AZ and 1.000 for PT/LIS). Interestingly, we found that MAT+ IgG+ serum from Angola had a significantly higher presence of IgD and that IgG3/IgG1 isotypes were significantly increased in the MAT+ IgG+ serum from Portugal. Given that IgM/IgD class and IgG3/IgG1 specific isotypes are produced in the earliest course of infection, immunoglobulin G isotyping may be used to inform diagnosis of acute leptospirosis. The speed, ease of use and accuracy of EIA tests make them excellent alternatives to the laborious and expensive MAT for screening acute infection in areas where circulating serovars of pathogenic Leptospira are well defined.
Mesopelagic microbial community dynamics in response to increasing oil and Corexit 9500 concentrations
Authors: Aljandal Shahd , Doyle Shawn M. , Bera Gopal , Wade Terry L. , Knap Anthony H. , Sylvan Jason B.
Published: February 2022

Marine microbial communities play an important role in biodegradation of subsurface plumes of oil that form after oil is accidentally released from a seafloor wellhead. The response of these mesopelagic microbial communities to the application of chemical dispersants following oil spills remains a debated topic. While there is evidence that contrasting results in some previous work may be due to differences in dosage between studies, the impacts of these differences on mesopelagic microbial community composition remains unconstrained. To answer this open question, we exposed a mesopelagic microbial community from the Gulf of Mexico to oil alone, three concentrations of oil dispersed with Corexit 9500, and three concentrations of Corexit 9500 alone over long periods of time. We analyzed changes in hydrocarbon chemistry, cell abundance, and microbial community composition at zero, three and six weeks. The lowest concentration of dispersed oil yielded hydrocarbon concentrations lower than oil alone and microbial community composition more similar to control seawater than any other treatments with oil or dispersant. Higher concentrations of dispersed oil resulted in higher concentrations of microbe-oil microaggregates and similar microbial composition to the oil alone treatment. The genus Colwellia was more abundant when exposed to multiple concentrations of dispersed oil, but not when exposed to dispersant alone. Conversely, the most abundant Marinobacter amplicon sequence variant (ASV) was not influenced by dispersant when oil was present and showed an inverse relationship to the summed abundance of Alcanivorax ASVs. As a whole, the data presented here show that the concentration of oil strongly impacts microbial community response, more so than the presence of dispersant, confirming the importance of the concentrations of both oil and dispersant in considering the design and interpretation of results for oil spill simulation experiments.
Decay and damage of therapeutic phage OMKO1 by environmental stressors
Authors: Blazanin Michael , Lam Wai Tin , Vasen Emma , Chan Benjamin K. , Turner Paul E.
Published: February 2022

Antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens are increasingly prevalent, driving the need for alternative approaches to chemical antibiotics when treating infections. One such approach is bacteriophage therapy: the use of bacteria-specific viruses that lyse (kill) their host cells. Just as the effect of environmental conditions (e.g. elevated temperature) on antibiotic efficacy is well-studied, the effect of environmental stressors on the potency of phage therapy candidates demands examination. Therapeutic phage OMKO1 infects and kills the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we used phage OMKO1 as a model to test how environmental stressors can lead to damage and decay of virus particles. We assessed the effects of elevated temperatures, saline concentrations, and urea concentrations. We observed that OMKO1 particles were highly tolerant to different saline concentrations, but decayed more rapidly at elevated temperatures and under high concentrations of urea. Additionally, we found that exposure to elevated temperature reduced the ability of surviving phage particles to suppress the growth of P. aeruginosa, suggesting a temperature-induced damage. Our findings demonstrate that OMKO1 is highly tolerant to a range of conditions that could be experienced inside and outside the human body, while also showing the need for careful characterization of therapeutic phages to ensure that environmental exposure does not compromise their expected potency, dosing, and pharmacokinetics.
Association of stigma with mental health and quality of life among Indonesian COVID-19 survivors
Authors: Wahyuhadi Joni , Efendi Ferry , Al Farabi Makhyan Jibril , Harymawan Iman , Ariana Atika Dian , Arifin Hidayat , Adnani Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah , Levkovich Inbar
Published: February 2022

Background and objective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors face societal stigma. The study aims to analyze the association of this stigma with the mental health and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we observed 547 adults who were previously documented as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) positive by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, treated in a hospital or an emergency hospital and proven to be SARS-CoV-2 negative by their latest PCR test. We adopted the Berger HIV Stigma Scale to measure stigma; the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Form to measure quality of life; and the Mental Health Inventory-38 to measure mental health. The chi-square and binary logistic regression tests were used to find the correlation between the variables.

Results

The multivariate analysis revealed that medium stigma was more likely related to quality of life and mental health than low stigma. Females were less likely to experience stigma related to mental health than men, and respondents who worked as laborers and entrepreneurs were less likely to experience stigma related to mental health than those who worked as civil workers/army personnel/teachers/lecturers. COVID-19 survivors experienced medium stigma in society and lower quality of life and mental health status. We found that quality of life and mental health were affected by stigma, sex, and occupation.

Conclusion

COVID-19 survivors are a vulnerable group that is most at risk when they return to their communities. Creating a safe environment and providing respectful care, including addressing complex stigma factors, is vital for developing appropriate interventions.
A decade of stability for wMel Wolbachia in natural Aedes aegypti populations
Authors: Ross Perran A. , Robinson Katie L. , Yang Qiong , Callahan Ashley G. , Schmidt Thomas L. , Axford Jason K. , Coquilleau Marianne P. , Staunton Kyran M. , Townsend Michael , Ritchie Scott A. , Lau Meng-Jia , Gu Xinyue , Hoffmann Ary A.
Published: February 2022

Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia endosymbionts are being released in many countries for arbovirus control. The wMel strain of Wolbachia blocks Aedes-borne virus transmission and can spread throughout mosquito populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying wMel were first released into the field in Cairns, Australia, over a decade ago, and with wider releases have resulted in the near elimination of local dengue transmission. The long-term stability of Wolbachia effects is critical for ongoing disease suppression, requiring tracking of phenotypic and genomic changes in Wolbachia infections following releases. We used a combination of field surveys, phenotypic assessments, and Wolbachia genome sequencing to show that wMel has remained stable in its effects for up to a decade in Australian Ae. aegypti populations. Phenotypic comparisons of wMel-infected and uninfected mosquitoes from near-field and long-term laboratory populations suggest limited changes in the effects of wMel on mosquito fitness. Treating mosquitoes with antibiotics used to cure the wMel infection had limited effects on fitness in the next generation, supporting the use of tetracycline for generating uninfected mosquitoes without off-target effects. wMel has a temporally stable within-host density and continues to induce complete cytoplasmic incompatibility. A comparison of wMel genomes from pre-release (2010) and nine years post-release (2020) populations show few genomic differences and little divergence between release locations, consistent with the lack of phenotypic changes. These results indicate that releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes for population replacement are likely to be effective for many years, but ongoing monitoring remains important to track potential evolutionary changes.
Th1 cells are dispensable for primary clearance of Chlamydia from the female reproductive tract of mice
Authors: Rixon Jordan A. , Depew Claire E. , McSorley Stephen J.
Published: February 2022

Protective immune responses toChlamydiainfection within the female reproductive tract (FRT) are incompletely understood. MHC class II-restricted CD4 Th1 responses are believed to be vital for bacterial clearance due to their capacity to secrete IFN-γ, but an essential requirement for T-bet-expressing Th1 cells has yet to be demonstrated in the mouse model ofChlamydiainfection. Here, we investigated the role of T-bet and IFN-γ in primary clearance ofChlamydiaafter FRT infection. Surprisingly, IFN-γ producing CD4 T cells from the FRT expressed low levels of T-bet throughout infection, suggesting that classical T-bet-expressing Th1 cells are inefficiently generated and therefore unlikely to participate in bacteria clearance. Furthermore, mice deficient in T-bet expression or with a CD4-specific T-bet deficiency cleared FRT infection similarly to wild-type controls. T-bet-deficient mice displayed significant skewing of FRT CD4 T cells towards Th17 responses, demonstrating that compensatory effector pathways are generated in the absence of Th1 cells. In marked contrast, IFN-γ-, and IFN-γR-deficient mice were able to reduce FRT bacterial burdens, but suffered systemic bacterial dissemination and 100% mortality. Together, these data demonstrate that IFN-γ signaling is essential to protect mice from fatal systemic disease, but that classical T-bet-expressing Th1 cells are non-essential for primary clearance within the FRT. Exploring the protective contribution of Th1 cells versus other CD4 effector lineages could provide important information for the generation of newChlamydiavaccines.
Speculative scholarship: Between text and image
Authors: Mamakos Christina
Published: February 2022

This experimental text considers the application of painting as a philosophical practice through an inquiry of what it actually means to have knowledge of an artwork. That is, what does it mean to think materially, in Hubert Damisch’s words, ‘what does it mean for a painter to think?’. Within this context emerges a dialogue between the cognitive, the analytic and the poetic, seeking to embody and offer a picture of the experience of the visible. This grows from an interest in the philosophy of perception, specifically engaging current approaches in embodied cognition and blending theory, considering vision and visual perception as an ontologic process. The text presented below seeks to explore the possibilities of carrying over this philosophical terrain to questions of received language, ideas of originality and problems of authorship. This is a painter’s task – an approach to ‘text as image’ – and is not only about devising and exploring a specific format to speak about how painting works but also about staging a compositional technique and textual act of re-production between experimental writing and the material practice of painting. Presenting unorthodox academic writing seeks to situate ideas not only within scholarship but also in how that scholarship might be transmitted effectively.
Mirad los lirios del campo (1947)
Authors: D’Ottavio Callegari María Eugenia , D’Ottavio Callegari María Silvia , D’Ottavio Cattani Alberto Enrique
Published: February 2022

Este filme argentino fue rodado en 1947 a partir de la novela brasileña homónima, cuyo título extracta un fragmento del Sermón de la Montaña. Más allá de los significados que apóstoles y filósofos cristianos otorgan al imperativo de mirar las lilas del campo, la novela y el filme exceden la de prescindir de las necesidades mundanas y proveen valiosas enseñanzas axiológicas para el ejercicio profesional y la vida cotidiana, ligadas todas a otros disvalores y valores. De tal modo, condenan las ambiciones vanas y el incumplimiento de un compromiso por ventajoso que resulte y, en contraste, rescatan la vida austera desprovista de lujos innecesarios, la redención personal y la paternidad responsable.
LAND DILEMMAS IN BRAZIL: THE HISTORY OF LAND PRIVATIZATION IN BRAZIL
Authors: Carolino Katia , Vieira Ricardo Stanziola , Sorrentino Marcos
Published: February 2022

This article aims to present, from a historical perspective, the main legal instruments on access to land, based on authors who have studied the agrarian issue in Brazil, namely: João Pedro Stédile (2011), José de Souza Martins (1980), Marcia Maria Mendes Motta (1998), Maria Ligia Osório Silva (1996, 1997), Ruy Cirne Lima (1954), among others. It also aims to demonstrate how legislation has advanced in the process of recognizing the socio-environmental function of property while it brought ambiguities that have led to regression in terms of a fairer and more equitable distribution of land, essential to human needs, such as housing and food. The materials used to prepare the article came from primary and secondary sources collected through bibliographic and documentary research.KEYWORDS: property of land, socio-environmental function of property, Brazilian legislation.
RESPONSABILIDADE DO ESTADO NA EFETIVAÇÃO DOS DIREITOS SOCIAIS: UMA PERSPECTIVA PÓS-PANDEMIA ATRAVÉS DA TEORIA DA JUSTIÇA DE RAWLS
Authors: Da Costa Ilton Garcia , Duarte Ronaldo Sergio
Published: February 2022

A Constituição Federal prevê extenso rol de direitos fundamentais sociais de responsabilidade do Estado. Sua concretização reverbera na dignidade humana, mas a disponibilização destes direitos demanda previsão orçamentário-financeira.  O presente estudo tem por finalidade analisar o comportamento do Estado na concretização dos direitos sociais no contexto atual e pós-pandemia diante da necessidade da população e opções políticas que devem ser tomadas através da leitura da teoria da justiça de John Rawls. Trata-se de uma visão influenciada pelo impacto social e econômico gerado pela crise decorrente da pandemia. O método adotado é o dedutivo adotando-se a técnica de pesquisa bibliográfica na doutrina e revistas científicas. Pretende-se mostrar como a equidade rawlsiana pode influenciar, de forma igualitária, o comportamento do Estado para concretizar direitos fundamentais sociais através da construção de uma sociedade justa, concluindo-se que este resultado é possível.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Responsabilidade do Estado, Direitos Sociais Fundamentais, Pós-Pandemia, John Rawls, Teoria da Justiça.
LACUNAS CONSTITUCIONAIS E POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS DE SAÚDE DO TRABALHADOR
Authors: De Oliveira Fernanda Beatriz M Paes G. B.
Published: February 2022

A constitucionalização do direito à saúde acarretou um aumento formal e material de sua força normativa com inúmeras consequências práticas, sobretudo quanto à sua efetividade, considerada como o desempenho concreto de sua função social. Os limites encontrados pelo SUS, no entanto, evidenciam a contradição com a qual se depara diariamente: a própria Constituição Federal tem como finalidade garantir direitos coletivos na área da saúde que, na prática, não são assegurados plenamente. A partir dessa contradição, diversos grupos da sociedade têm buscado a materialização desses direitos, articulando novas estratégias, como meio de superar a lacuna existente entre a previsão constitucional e a prática das políticas públicas de saúde. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Direito à saúde, Políticas públicas, Sistema Único de Saúde, Judicialização.
UMA BREVE ANÁLISE ACERCA DA CRÍTICA HERMENÊUTICA DO DIREITO FRENTE AOS DESAFIOS DO MULTICULTURALISMO
Authors: Santos Luana Marina dos
Published: February 2022

A sociedade contemporânea é protagonizada, cada vez mais, pela diversidade étnica, cultural e religiosa, em que a temática do multiculturalismo se afigura como um aspecto relevante, principalmente no que diz respeito ao problema de moralidade e da aplicação da ciência jurídica. Diante da pluralidade de culturas autônomas presentes em um mesmo território, esta pesquisa procura transcorrer acerca da problemática da hermenêutica jurídica no que tange às inúmeras possibilidades de interpretações constitucionais realizadas pelo Poder Judiciário. Para isso, objetiva-se explanar sobre o fenômeno do multiculturalismo e seus impactos na comunidade jurídica, e, por fim, identificar como a proposta apontada pelo jurista e professor Lenio Streck pode se apresentar como uma resposta para a harmonização das divergências provenientes de sociedades multiculturais, sem abrir mão dos direitos e garantias fundamentais previstos na Constituição Federal Brasileira de 1988. O método empregado é o indutivo, aliado ao levantamento bibliográfico e documental. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Hermenêutica, Multiculturalismo, Integridade.
ASSÉDIO MORAL NA ADMINISTRAÇÃO PÚBLICA FEDERAL
Authors: Korzekwa Júlio
Published: February 2022

Trabalho acadêmico sobre assédio moral na administração pública federal, elaborado através de pesquisa doutrinária e jurisprudencial a fim de evidenciar a importância de discutir o assunto e a necessidade de previsão legal para orientar e embasar as decisões judiciais. No decorrer do trabalho restará evidente que as condutas caracterizadoras de assédio moral na administração pública federal são inaceitáveis, pois constituem afronta ao princípio da dignidade da pessoa humana e aos princípios norteadores da administração pública, além de caracterizarem desvio da função da administração no que se refere ao bem comum, à soberania do interesse público e a justiça. Além disso, o assédio moral na administração pública federal constitui cruel violência ao servidor vítima, causando-lhe inúmeros problemas físicos e psicológicos, denegrindo sua saúde e faltando-lhe com as mais básicas garantias constitucionais. Conta-se apenas com um projeto de lei tramitando na Câmara dos Deputados, além de dois projetos de lei tramitando no Senado Federal, ambos aguardando aprovação. Além disso, é de se mencionar a responsabilidade do Estado em organizar, dirigir e fiscalizar seus órgãos, além de proteger seus servidores. Expõe-se, nesse trabalho, a carência de Políticas Públicas para o combate do assédio moral na administração pública federal.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Assédio Moral, Administração Pública Federal, Políticas Públicas.
AUTONOMIA E PRERROGATIVAS DO MINISTÉRIO PÚBLICO BRASILEIRO EM PERSPECTIVA COMPARADA: CONSTRUINDO UM ÍNDICE DE INDEPENDÊNCIA/AUTONOMIA
Authors: Limas Tomio Fabrício Ricardo de , Robl Filho Ilton Norberto
Published: February 2022

A constatação do elevado grau de autonomia e independência do Ministério Público (MP) brasileiro (após Constituição Federal/1988) tem sido frequente na literatura nacional e comparada. Este artigo tem por objetivo principal desenvolver um índice para mensurar a autonomia e a independência do MP, permitindo uma análise comparada mais precisa do MP brasileiro com outras instituições semelhantes no mundo. Secundariamente, comparamos o índice do MP aos outros poderes constitucionais (Legislativo, Executivo e Judiciário) para dimensionar a relação entre os poderes e, eventualmente, sugerir uma explicação causal (constitutional making) para a independência/autonomia atribuída constitucional e estatutariamente ao MP. Como metodologia, inicialmente, utilizamos índices consolidados na literatura que analisam os poderes constitucionais do Estado (CCP Índices). Em seguida, abordando o objeto central, descrevemos e construímos um índice de independência/autonomia do MP (CEPEJ/DIRPOL) com base em prerrogativas institucionais (de jure), compilando a legislação brasileira e utilizando os dados organizados pelo CEPEJ para 47 países europeus. Os achados e conclusões preliminares demonstram que o Brasil apresenta quase todas as prerrogativas e garantias atribuídas ao MP de forma plena, situando-se no estrato mais elevado do índice, e, comparativamente, reforçam a percepção, estatisticamente limitada, que há maior probabilidade de encontrar um grau mais elevado de prerrogativas e garantias institucionais atribuídas ao MP em países que constitucionalizam mais poderes ao Legislativo ou em “democracias recentes” (transições mais recentes de regimes autoritários).PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Ministério Público; Autonomia; Prerrogativa; Índice.