bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RUSSIA BETWEEN CHINA AND UKRAINE: THREE POINTS OF VIEW
Authors: Backer Roman
Published: April 2022

Russia can be understood in many different ways. Observation from the inside is still possible. Doing your own research is very important, but it can’t be done quickly. The fastest way to understand Russia leads through scientific texts. The level of scientific literature on Russia’s foreign policy can be examined in two ways – through an extensive and long-term analysis of the entire world publications or through a very careful study of the most representative ones. The second path is easier and more effective. Three monographs publishedby the most recognizable scientific publishing houses in the world were analysed: written by experts, scientists using International Relations (IR) paradigms and scholars representing the neo-Marxist approach. Each of the three schools of foreign policy research has significant academic achievements, and also succeeds in the legitimization or de-legitimization of political actors. Each of these schools also has weaknesses. While experts did not always understand the cultural determinants, scientists with a very good theoretical feedback did not always know all historical facts. By contrast, the authors declaring a neo-Marxist approach actually aimed to justify Russia’s policy rather than to understand it. A multi-level understanding of any (including Russian) foreign policy is possible thanks to the critical analysis of scientists work results.
Pitfalls in medicine: pain out of proportion to examination findings
Authors: Martin Stephen-John , Stephen Victoria S
Published: April 2022

Most life-threatening conditions form a coherent clinical picture, with examination findings confirming the patient's history. However, pain out of proportion to examination findings can also signify an emergency – acute compartment syndrome, bowel ischaemia, necrotising fasciitis and acute aortic dissection may all present in this way. A lack of situational awareness leads doctors to erroneously rely on examination findings to flag impending catastrophe, but in such cases misdiagnosis or delayed treatment can have dire consequences. Patients with unexplained pain risk significant morbidity and mortality, and doctors are vulnerable to litigation and reputational damage. This article addresses this danger, exploring the causes and pathology of pain that is out of proportion, and presenting an approach to mitigate risk and prevent catastrophe.
Fuzzy edges of social capital: the migration–mobility nexus through the lens of a local third sector organisation
Authors: Caruso Carmen , McAreavey Ruth , Sirkeci Ibrahim
Published: April 2022

Since the 2015 migration crisis, third sector organisations’ (TSOs’) involvement in delivering various social, humanitarian, political and cultural services to incoming populations has increased. The recent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have not only intensified insecurity around economics and personal and communal safety, but also disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, movers and non-movers. By assuming human mobility as a structural feature of contemporary times, our intention in this article is to take a closer look at migrant TSOs to observe how social capital is generated and becomes available to individuals. Our aim is to elaborate on various dimensions of migration, social capital and the third sector, as at their intersection lies a synergy that is hardly ever explored. We appraise current literature and analytical tools to capture the role of TSOs in supporting the inclusion of migrants/movers, examine the intersection between migration, TSOs and social capital and, relatedly, consider the role of TSOs in effecting positive social change.
Surface plasmon biosensor based on Bi2Te3 antimonene heterostructure for the detection of cancer cells
Authors: Uniyal Arun , Chauhan Brajlata , Pal Amrindra , Singh Yadvendra
Published: April 2022

This theoretical investigation proposes the preliminary stage detection of cancer cells using a prism-based surface plasmon resonance biosensor. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor is label-free and rapid; it supports real-time investigations, including greater sensitivity, and it has an enormous possibility for detecting different forms of cancer. The refractive index alteration of cancer cells is 1.360–1.401. The performance of the SPR sensor has been analyzed. The different types of cancer cells for skin, cervical, blood, adrenal, and breast (type I and II) have been analyzed, and sensitivities of 292, 384, 229, 242, 254, and 261 (degree/RIU) have been achieved, respectively. A high figure of merit of

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has been achieved for HeLa cells and achieved detection accuracy of

0.32

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for basal cells.
Numerical study of absorption-enhanced parametric amplification
Authors: Valiulis Gintaras , Varanavičius Arūnas
Published: April 2022

Usually the absorption of interacting waves is detrimental to the parametric amplification process. We show that even in the case of large idler wave absorption it is possible to get highly efficient signal amplification as well as amplifier bandwidth enhancement due to back-conversion suppression. We numerically investigated the influence of the idler wave linear losses arising in the case of parametric amplification in 515 nm pumped BBO crystal tuned to signal amplification at 610 nm. The possibility to achieve ∼75% pump-to-signal energy conversion and amplification bandwidth of ∼900 cm-1 using collinear amplification scheme is demonstrated.
Resonant dielectric multilayer with controlled absorption for enhanced total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Mouttou A. , Lemarchand F. , Koc C. , Moreau A. , Lumeau J. , Favard C. , Lereu A. L.
Published: April 2022

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF-M) is widely used in biological imaging. Evanescent waves, generated at the glass-sample interface, theoretically strongly improve the axial resolution down to a hundred of nanometers. However, objective based TIRF-M suffers from different limitations such as interference fringes and uneven illumination, mixing both propagating and evanescent waves, which degrade the image quality. In principle, uneven illumination could be avoided by increasing the excitation angle, but this results in a drastic loss of excitation power. We designed dedicated 1D photonic crystals in order to circumvent this power loss by directly acting on the intensity of the evanescent field at controlled incident angles. In this framework, we used dedicated resonant multi-dielectric stacks, supporting Bloch surface waves and resulting in large field enhancement when illuminated under the conditions of total internal reflection. Here, we present a numerical optimization of such resonant stacks by adapting the resulting resonance to the angular illumination conditions in TIRF-M and to the fluorescence collection constraints. We thus propose a dedicated resonant structure with a control of the absorption during thin film deposition. A first experimental demonstration illustrates the concept with a 3-fold fluorescence enhancement in agreement with the numerical predictions.
Lithography-free tunable absorber at visible region via one-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of an α-MoO3 layer
Authors: Sang Tian , Pei Yao , Mi Qing , Li Shi , Yang Chaoyu , Wang Yueke , Cao Guoyang
Published: April 2022

Flexible control of light absorption within the lithography-free nanostructure is crucial for many polarization-dependent optical devices. Herein, we demonstrated that the lithography-free tunable absorber (LTA) can be realized by using two one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals (PCs) consisting of an α-MoO3 layer at visible region. The two 1D PCs have different bulk band properties, and the topological interface state-induced light absorption enhancement of α-MoO3 can be realized as the α-MoO3 thin film is inserted at the interface between the two 1D PCs. The resonant cavity model is proposed to evaluate the anisotropic absorption performances of the LTA, and the results are in good agreement with those of the transfer matrix method (TMM). The absorption efficiency of the LTA can be tailored by the number of the period of the two PCs, and the larger peak absorption is the direct consequence of the larger field enhancement factor (FEF) within the α-MoO3 layer. In addition, near-perfect absorption can be achieved as the LTA is operated at the over-coupled resonance. By varying the polarization angle, the absorption channels can be selected and the reflection response can be effectively modulated due to the excellent in-plane anisotropy of α-MoO3.
Differential coded aperture single-snapshot spectral imaging
Authors: Hlubuček J. , Lukeš J. , Václavík J. , Žídek K.
Published: April 2022

We propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, concept of the differential coded aperture snapshot spectral imaging (D-CASSI) technique exploiting the benefits of using a {–1,+1} random mask, which is demonstrated by a broadband single-snapshot hyperspectral camera using compressed sensing. To double the information, we encode the image with two complementary random masks, which proved to be superior to two independent patterns. We utilize dispersed and non-dispersed encoded images captured in parallel on a single detector. We explored several different approaches to processing the measured data, which demonstrates significant improvement in retrieving complex hyperspectral scenes. The experiments were completed by simulations in order to quantify the reconstruction fidelity. The concept of differential CASSI could be easily implemented also by multi-snapshot CASSI without any need for optical system modification.
Plasma DNA and deoxyribonuclease are associated with glucose metabolism in healthy mice
Authors: Kmeťová Katarína , Čonka Jozef , Janko Jakub , Illés Júlia , Uličná Oľga , Celec Peter
Published: April 2022

It is currently unknown why obesity leads in some patients to prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. Microinflammation potentially caused by extracellular DNA is supposed to be involved. The aim of this cross-sectional study in healthy mice was to analyze the association between plasma extracellular DNA and glucose metabolism. Fasting glycemia and insulin were measured in healthy adult female mice that subsequently underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Indices of glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity were calculated. DNA was isolated from plasma and quantified fluorometrically. Deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity of plasma was measured using the single radial enzyme diffusion method. Fasting glycemia correlated negatively with both, extracellular DNA and DNase (r = -0.44 and r = -0.32, respectively). DNase was associated positively with the incremental area under curve (r = 0.35), while extracellular DNA correlated negatively with total area under curve of glycemia during oral glucose tolerance test (r = -0.34). Measures of insulin sensitivity were found to be associated with neither extracellular DNA, nor DNase. The hypothesis of an association of low DNase with increased fasting glucose was partially proved. Surprisingly, low extracellular DNA is associated with higher fasting glucose and lower glucose tolerance in mice. As novel therapeutic targets for prediabetes and metabolic syndrome are highly needed, this study provides novel unexpected associations within the limitations of the focus on physiological variability as it was conducted on healthy mice. The causality of these associations should be proved in further interventional experiments.
The role of collegiality in academic review, promotion, and tenure
Authors: Dawson Diane (DeDe) , Morales Esteban , McKiernan Erin C. , Schimanski Lesley A. , Niles Meredith T. , Alperin Juan Pablo
Published: April 2022

Review, promotion, and tenure (RPT) processes at universities typically assess candidates along three dimensions: research, teaching, and service. In recent years, some have argued for the inclusion of a controversial fourth criterion: collegiality. While collegiality plays a role in the morale and effectiveness of academic departments, it is amorphic and difficult to assess, and could be misused to stifle dissent or enforce homogeneity. Despite this, some institutions have opted to include this additional element in their RPT documents and processes, but it is unknown the extent of this practice and how it varies across institution type and disciplinary units. This study is based on two sets of data: survey data collected as part of a project that explored the publishing decisions of faculty and how these related to perceived importance in RPT processes, and 864 RPT documents collected from 129 universities from the United States and Canada. We analysed these RPT documents to determine the degree to which collegiality and related terms are mentioned, if they are defined, and if and how they may be assessed during the RPT process. Results show that when collegiality and related terms appear in these documents they are most often just brieflymentioned. It is less common for collegiality and related terms to bedefinedorassessedin RPT documents. Although the terms are mentioned across all types of institutions, there is a statistically significant difference in how prevalent they are at each. Collegiality is more commonly mentioned in the documents of doctoral research-focused universities (60%), than of master’s universities and colleges (31%) or baccalaureate colleges (15%). Results from the accompanying survey of faculty also support this finding: individuals from R-Types were more likely to perceive collegiality to be a factor in their RPT processes. We conclude that collegiality likely plays an important role in RPT processes, whether it is explicitly acknowledged in policies and guidelines or not, and point to several strategies in how it might be best incorporated in the assessment of academic careers.
Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression conversion exposure and their correlates among LGBTQI2+ persons in Québec, Canada
Authors: Blais Martin , Cannas Aghedu Fabio , Ashley Florence , Samoilenko Mariia , Chamberland Line , Côté Isabel
Published: April 2022

Background

Despite greater acceptance of sexual and gender diversity and the scientific consensus that same-gender attraction, creative gender expression, and transness are not mental illnesses, LGBTQI2+ persons are still commonly told that they can or should change their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression (SOGIE). The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of SOGIE conversion efforts, including their sociodemographic correlates, among LGBTQI2+ persons.

Methods

Using community-based sampling, we assessed SOGIE conversion attempts and involvement in conversion services of 3,261 LGBTQI2+ persons aged 18 years and older in Quebec, Canada.

Results

A quarter of respondents experienced SOGIE conversion attempts, and fewer than 5% were involved in conversion services. Over half of those who were involved in SOGIE conversion services consented to them, but the services’ goals were made clear and explicit to only 55% and 30% of those who engaged in SO and GIE conversion, respectively. The results also suggest that family plays a key role in SOGIE conversion attempts and services utilization, and that indigenous, intersex, transgender, non-binary, and asexual persons, people of colour, as well as individuals whose sexual orientation is not monosexual (i.e., bisexual, pansexual) were more likely to have been exposed to conversion attempts and involved in conversion services.

Conclusions

This study found that the prevalence of conversion efforts is substantial. Interventions to protect LGBTQI2+ people from such attempts should focus not only on legal bans, but also on supporting families who need to be counseled in accepting sexual and gender diversity. Health professionals need to be adequately trained in LGBTQI2+ affirmative approaches. Religious therapists should consult with colleagues and undergo supervision to ensure that their religious beliefs do not interfere with their practice.
Moral judgment and hormones: A systematic literature review
Authors: Freitas Carolina Coelho Moniz de Campos , Osório Flávia de Lima
Published: April 2022

This systematic review of the literature aims to evaluate possible associations between moral judgment and hormones. The electronic databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, Scopus, and LILACS were used. Twenty studies with different methodological designs were reviewed, covering the hormones cortisol, oxytocin, and testosterone, assessing aspects related to polymorphisms in receptor genes, endogenous levels, and exogenous administration. Taken together, the reviewed studies showed a trend towards an association between hormones and moral judgment, with important specificities involving biological, environmental, and individual aspects. Endogenous levels of cortisol, released under stress, showed negative associations with altruistic and utilitarian decisions only in highly emotionally charged dilemmas. Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms (rs2268498, rs237889, and rs2254298) and acute administration of this hormone were associated with variability in moral judgment, with sex as an important moderating variable. Testosterone studies have tended to show a positive association with utilitarian moral judgments, particularly in female and in individuals with low prenatal exposure to this hormone. Knowing how hormones influence moral judgment may help expand our understanding of the plurality of human behavior. However, this area of research is new and still little explored, which does not allow for conclusions with a high level of evidence. Subsequent research will benefit from methodological improvements to extend current findings.
Why people listen: Motivations and outcomes of podcast listening
Authors: Tobin Stephanie J. , Guadagno Rosanna E.
Published: April 2022

The aim of this preregistered study was to identify dispositional predictors of podcast listening and examine the associations between aspects of podcast listening, dispositional predictors, and psychological outcomes. Three hundred and six adults from a range of countries completed an online questionnaire that assessed individual difference predictors (the Big Five personality factors, curiosity, need for cognition, need to belong, age, and gender), aspects of podcast listening (amount, format, setting, device, and social aspects), and potential outcomes (autonomy, competence, relatedness, meaning, mindfulness, and smartphone addiction). As predicted, openness to experience, interest-based curiosity, and need for cognition positively predicted podcast listening. Contrary to predictions, need to belong negatively predicted podcast listening, and time spent listening to podcasts was not associated with autonomy, competence, relatedness, meaning, mindfulness, or smartphone addiction. However, certain aspects of podcast listening (e.g., parasocial relationships and social engagement) were related to positive outcomes and to our predictor variables. Furthermore, neuroticism negatively predicted podcast listening. Overall, the findings support the idea that informational motives can play a role in podcast listening, and that some aspects of listening are associated with positive outcomes.
Geographical range overlap networks and the macroecology of species co-occurrence
Authors: Pie Marcio R. , Caron Fernanda S.
Published: April 2022

Direct interactions among species are only possible if there is some overlap in their geographical distributions. However, despite intense focus of macroecological research on species geographical ranges, relatively little theoretical and empirical work has been done on the evolution of range overlap. In this study we explore a simple model of range overlap based on a log-normal distribution of species range sizes along a one-dimensional domain, with or without absorbing boundary conditions. In particular, we focus on the mean and variance of range overlap distributions, as well as the topology of the resulting overlap networks with respect to their degree distribution, evenness, and betweenness scores. According to the model, there is an approximately linear relationship between many aspects of the distribution of range overlaps and their underlying species distributions, such as their mean and variance. However, the expected mean number of non-zero range overlaps for a given species varied from linear to convex depending on the variance of the underlying geographical range distribution. The expected topology of range overlap networks varied substantially depending on the mean and variance in the corresponding geographical distributions, particularly in the case of the degree and closeness distributions. Finally, we test the expectations of our model against five datasets of altitudinal distributions of Neotropical birds. We found strong departures from the expectations based on our model, which could potentially result from phylogenetic niche conservatism related to altitudinal gradients in environmental conditions, or from the asymmetric colonization of mountains by species from lowlands. Potential applications of range overlap networks to a variety of ecological and evolutionary phenomena are discussed.
A single-arm open-label pilot study of brief mindfulness meditation to control impulsivity in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Koh Jinsoo , Takahashi Maiko , Ohmae Yasuhiko , Taruya Junko , Sakata Mayumi , Yasui Masaaki , Terada Masaki , Ito Hidefumi
Published: April 2022

Background

Impulse control disorders are detrimental neuropsychiatric symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Increased impulsivity is a predisposing factor for impulse control disorders and should therefore be controlled. Recently, mindfulness meditation as a non-drug therapy has been reported to be useful in improving neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as impulsivity.

Methods

We performed a prospective single-arm, open-label pilot trial to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation to control impulsivity in patients with Parkinson’s disease (UMIN clinical trials registry: UMIN000037779).

Results

Twenty patients with Parkinson’s disease were enrolled in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program. As a primary outcome, we investigated whether the score of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was significantly reduced after the intervention. As an exploratory examination, functional connectivity changes were also assessed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. After the intervention, the BIS-11 score was decreased from 59.5 [55.6, 63.3] (mean [95% confidence interval]) to 55.2 [50.3, 60.1] (ΔBIS-11: -4.2, [-7.5, -0.9]). Functional connectivity was increased in the default mode network (DMN) at a cluster including the precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and left posterior lobe (false discovery rate-adjusted p [FDR-p] = 0.046) and in the right frontoparietal network (FPN) at the medial frontal lobe (FDR-p = 0.039).

Conclusions

This open-label, single-arm pilot study provided preliminary data for mindfulness meditation to control the impulsivity of patients with PD. A brief mindfulness meditation program may be effective in controlling impulsivity in PD and may change the functional connectivity of the DMN and right FPN.
Comparative analysis of the complete plastid genomes in Prunus subgenus Cerasus (Rosaceae): Molecular structures and phylogenetic relationships
Authors: Li Meng , Song Yan-Feng , Sylvester Steven P. , Sylvester Steven P. , Wang Xian-Rong
Published: April 2022

Prunus subgenus Cerasus (cherry) is an economically important group that distributed in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. However, shared interspecific morphological traits and variability across taxa of Cerasus are among the impediments to taxonomic efforts to correctly delimit taxa. This is further complicated by a lack of genetic information on these taxa, with no focused genomic or phylogenetic studies being done on Cerasus. In this study, we conducted comparative analysis on the complete plastid genomes (plastomes) of 20 Cerasus species to gain a greater understanding of the attributes of the plastome of these taxa while helping resolve their phylogenetic placement in Prunus sensu lato and interspecific relationships within the subgenus. Our results displayed that (1) the plastomes of the 20 Cerasus species studied exhibited a typical quadripartite structure with conversed genome arrangement, structure, and moderate divergence. (2) The average size of complete plastomes for the Cerasus taxa studied was 157,861 bp, ranging from 157,458 to 158,024 bp. A total of 134 genes were annotated, including 86 protein-coding genes, 40 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs across all species. In simple sequence repeat analysis, we found Cerasus had a comparable number of dispersed and tandem repeats to those identified in other angiosperm taxa, with only P. pseudocerasus found to contain trinucleotide repeats. Nucleotide diversity analysis revealed that the trnG-GCC gene and rpl32-trnL region had the highest Pi value showing potential as phylogenetic markers. (3) Two phylogenetic trees of the plastomes verified the monophyletic relationship of Cerasus and provided a more resolved species-level phylogeny. Our study provides detailed plastome information for exploring the phylogeny of subg. Cerasus taxa. We identified various types of repeats and nucleotide diversity hotspots, which can be a reference for species identification and reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships.
Validation of self-report measures of narcissism against a diagnostic interview
Authors: Baggio Stéphanie , Iglesias Katia , Duarte Miguel , Nicastro Rosetta , Hasler Roland , Euler Sebastian , Debbané Martin , Starcevic Vladan , Perroud Nader
Published: April 2022

The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) are often used to screen for pathological narcissism but have rarely been validated against a clinician-administered diagnostic interview. Our study evaluated the convergent validity of the PNI and NPI against a diagnostic interview for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) in a clinical population. We used data from a psychiatric outpatient center located in Switzerland (n = 123). Correlations between PNI/NPI and NPD ranged between .299 and .498 (common variance 9.0–24.8%). The PNI and NPI should be used carefully to screen for NPD. We highlight a need to increase the compatibility between the conceptual underpinnings of the PNI, NPI and NPD.
A novel smartphone-based activity recognition modeling method for tracked equipment in forest operations
Authors: Becker Ryer M. , Keefe Robert F.
Published: April 2022

Activity recognition modelling using smartphone Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) is an underutilized resource defining and assessing work efficiency for a wide range of natural resource management tasks. This study focused on the initial development and validation of a smartphone-based activity recognition system for excavator-based mastication equipment working in Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) plantations in North Idaho, USA. During mastication treatments, sensor data from smartphone gyroscopes, accelerometers, and sound pressure meters (decibel meters) were collected at three sampling frequencies (10, 20, and 50 hertz (Hz)). These data were then separated into 9 time domain features using 4 sliding window widths (1, 5, 7.5 and 10 seconds) and two levels of window overlap (50% and 90%). Random forest machine learning algorithms were trained and evaluated for 40 combinations of model parameters to determine the best combination of parameters. 5 work elements (masticate, clear, move, travel, and delay) were classified with the performance metrics for individual elements of the best model (50 Hz, 10 second window, 90% window overlap) falling within the following ranges: area under the curve (AUC) (95.0% - 99.9%); sensitivity (74.9% - 95.6%); specificity (90.8% - 99.9%); precision (81.1% - 98.3%); F1-score (81.9% - 96.9%); balanced accuracy (87.4% - 97.7%). Smartphone sensors effectively characterized individual work elements of mechanical fuel treatments. This study is the first example of developing a smartphone-based activity recognition model for ground-based forest equipment. The continued development and dissemination of smartphone-based activity recognition models may assist land managers and operators with ubiquitous, manufacturer-independent systems for continuous and automated time study and production analysis for mechanized forest operations.
Supra-threshold vibration applied to the foot soles enhances jump height under maximum effort
Authors: Moon Jeongin , Pathak Prabhat , Kim Sudeok , Roh Se-gon , Roh Changhyun , Shim Youngbo , Ahn Jooeun
Published: April 2022

Previous studies have shown that absence or reduction of cutaneous sensory feedback can diminish human motor performance under maximum effort. However, it has not been explored whether any appropriate intervention in the cutaneous sensory input can augment the output motor performance, particularly in motor tasks such as jumping that involve the kinematic chain of the entire body. Using shoes with active vibrating insoles, we applied mechanical vibration to the soles of 20 young and healthy adults and evaluated the change in the jump height and muscle activation using within-participants repeated measures. The noise-like vibration having an amplitude of 130% of the sensory threshold of each participant led to an average increase of 0.38 cm in the jump height (p = 0.008) and activation of the rectus femoris of the dominant leg (p = 0.011). These results indicate that application of a properly designed cutaneous stimulus to the soles, the distal end effectors of motor tasks, can augment the output performance by involving the prime movers distant from the end effector.
Comparison of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease and controls
Authors: Chow Jun Yong , She Poh Fong , Pee Xu Kent , Wan Muda Wan Norliza , Catherine Bastion Mae-Lynn
Published: April 2022

Objective

This study aimed to compare the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and macular thickness (MT) between patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (NDCKD) and controls, as well as between different stages of NDCKD. We also evaluated the correlation between pRNFL thickness and MT with duration of NDCKD.

Methods

This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Subjects were divided into NDCKD and control groups. Both pRNFL thickness and MT, including center subfield thickness (CST), average MT as well as average ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. One-way ANCOVA test was used to compare the differences in pRNFL and MT between NDCKD and controls, as well as between the different stages of NDCKD. Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients were employed to determine the effects of NDCKD duration on pRNFL thickness and MT.

Results

A total of 132 subjects were recruited, 66 with NDCKD and 66 controls. There was a statistically significant difference in superior (110.74 ± 23.35 vs 117.36 ± 16.17 μm, p = 0.022), nasal (65.97 ± 12.90 vs 69.35 ± 10.17 μm, p = 0.006), inferior quadrant (117.44 ± 23.98 vs 126.15 ± 14.75 μm, p = 0.006), average pRNFL (90.36 ± 14.93 vs 95.42 ± 9.87 μm, p = 0.005), CST (231.89 ± 26.72 vs 243.30 ± 21.05 μm, p = 0.006), average MT (268.88 ± 20.21 vs 274.92 ± 12.79 μm, p = 0.020) and average GC-IPL (75.48 ± 12.44 vs 81.56 ± 6.48, p = 0.001) values between the NDCKD group and controls. The superior quadrant (p = 0.007), nasal quadrant (p = 0.030), inferior quadrant (p = 0.047), average pRNFL (p = 0.006), average MT (p = 0.001) and average GC-IPL (p = 0.001) differed significantly between different stages of NDCKD. There was no correlation between pRNFL thickness and MT with duration of NDCKD.

Conclusion

CST, average MT, average GC-IPL thickness, average pRNFL and all quadrants of pRNFL except the temporal quadrant were significantly thinner in NDCKD patients compared to controls. These changes were associated with the severity of CKD, but not its duration.
Institutional constraints and accordant interests: The speckled life of an ‘Ownership Bill’ in India
Authors: Parthasarathi Vibodh
Published: April 2022

This article unravels an unacknowledged moment in the public history of media regulation in India. In recovering this moment, the article speaks to us at two levels. Most immediately, it speaks to anxieties of ownership in the news media that have long marked scholarship of varied hues in media policy. In parallel, the article converses with wider debates on the role of institutional constraints and accordant interests in policy studies on the media and beyond. The takeaway here is about media regulation embodying the compulsions and opportunities of creating a framework of consensus. A consensus does not imply the absence of wrangles between actors but a relationship between contending actors that is in some way ordered. The moment under examination pertains to the early 1970s when there was wide-ranging enthusiasm and political support to address anxieties of ownership in the press. At the heart of a proposed regulation was the desire to cushion the press from influences and vulnerabilities of their proprietors. The earliest pronouncement proposed diffusing the ownership and control of high-circulating newspapers. Subsequently, the proposal got reoriented in terms of delinking ownership from big business. Astonishingly, even the revised proposal was never tabled in the the Indian parliament. Abandoning this intervention is intriguing, especially amidst the wide-ranging political enthusiasm over it, the ideological legitimacy of the ruling dispensation and rare legislative opportunity. This article is provoked to reconcile government’s intent in acting on anxieties of ownership with its subsequent silence, a rather considered one, in actualizing legislation. I begin by offering a framework to visualize risks to the press from the varied participant interests. Thereafter, I trace the ownership anxieties in earlier decades forming the deep context of the regulatory juncture signified by the so-called Ownership Bill. The article then details the life of the Bill between 1971 and 1974 as a particular confluence of policy and politics. Forming the immediate backdrop to the Bill’s ultimate withdrawal, this life cycle offers clues to the ‘failure’ of this regulatory endeavour. To reason the failure of this regulatory endeavour, I reflect on the institutional architecture confronted, and the political and economic expediencies of dominant interests. No doubt the state, as an apparatus, had hit against a complex set of institutional constraints, especially on the delicate matter of policy supremacy between the parliament and judiciary; but these constraints appear to be deftly evoked by the state, here as an interest, to shelve a legislation potentially jeopardizing its own stakes in the press. This considered silence essentially reiterated a framework of consensus that, while maintaining the vulnerabilities of different interests constituting the press, reiterated a particular order in the relationship between the state and the press as a whole.
Broadcast policy-making in an electoral authoritarian regime: From hope to despair
Authors: Rahman Anis
Published: April 2022

How are communication policies made in a hybrid regime that is democratically elected but essentially authoritarian? Exploring the inner-workings of the policy-making processes in Bangladesh, the article employs a critical analysis of the major communication policies under the incumbent Awami League-led government (in their third term consecutively), including the Private Television Ownership, Establishment and Operation Policy 2012 Draft, National Broadcasting Policy 2014 and the most recent Digital Security Act . Drawing from field-based data, document analysis and in-depth interviews, the article delves deeper into the politics of inclusion and exclusion of policy stakeholders, as well as the compromise, trade off and their consequences that often remain hidden from public scrutiny. The findings show, as Bangladesh moves towards a single party-ruled country, orchestrating an absolute control over broadcast media ownership and communications policy-making in general, the hope for media democratization through policy reforms becomes unattainable and turns into despair.
Blown sand movement at Kiskunhalas on the Danube-Tisza interfluve, Hungary
Authors: Nyári Diána , Kiss Tímea
Published: April 2022

The largest blown-sand area of Hungary is located on the Danube-Tisza Interfluve. Here the most significant aeolian activity took place during the Pleistocene, however the aeolian transformation of the landscape occurred also in the Holocene and even in historical times. The aims of the study were (1) to reconstruct the relief at different historical periods; (2) to determine the periods of sand remobilisation during historical times; (3) to identify the changing of climatic conditions and possible types of human activities enabling aeolian activity and (4) to specify the spatial extension of sand movements. To reconstruct the spatial characteristic of sand and palaeosoil layers a 3Dmodel of the deposits at the archaeological site was created using total station measurements and Surfer 8.0 software. In order to determine the exact time of blown-sand movement optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements (6) were applied. Based on the results, the lowermost sandy-loess layer had a late Pleistocene age, on which sequences of palaeosoils and blown-sand layers were formed during the Holocene. The spatial extension of the palaeosoils and sandy layers suggest that the relief has changed significantly over historical times. The former Pleistocene blowout depression has altered because of both the climatic conditions and the human impact on the environment. Blown-sand movements in historical times filled up the blowout depression. The sand sheets reshaped the original morphology and soil properties. Today the surface is more elevated and even, the site is covered by dry and slightly humic sandy soils.
Synthesis, Characterization, Antimalarial and Anticancer Activities of
Few New Amino Analogues of 1,4-Naphthoquinone
Authors: Sanjay S.S. , Shashiprabha  , Shridhara K. , Nagarajan K. , Sivaramakrishnan H. , Arun B.
Published: April 2022

Present study involves the synthesis, characterization, antimalarial and anticancer activities of some
novel substituted amino analogues of 1,4-naphthoquinone. The chloro group present in the key starting
materials like 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone (1) and 2-chloro-3-[trans-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-
cyclohexyl]-1,4-naphthoquinone (2) was replaced by substituted amines. These analogues were isolated,
purified and screened for antimalarial and anticancer activities. A few of the novel compounds were
found to possess substantial biological activity and are reasonably potent.
Why is ‘powerful knowledge’ failing to forge a path to the future of history education?
Authors: Ford Alex
Published: April 2022

The concept of ‘powerful knowledge’ has become extremely influential in discussions about curriculum in England over the last ten years. However, the concept seems to have done little to revolutionise curriculum design, and in some cases it has led to curricular narrowing and a focus on an increasingly nationalistic narrative in history. Michael Young (2019, 2021) has argued that the failure of the concept of ‘powerful knowledge’ to underpin meaningful curriculum reforms has been mainly due to its misinterpretation and loose definition. This paper explores these claims and finds that key voices in education in England, and history education specifically, have misunderstood and misapplied the concept of powerful knowledge. However, it also makes the case that powerful knowledge cannot be meaningfully defined in terms of history education, and that attempts to make curricular decisions based on the concept are therefore a distraction from more meaningful curricular work.
TÉCNICAS DE ANÁLISE ESPACIAL NA IDENTIFICAÇÃO DE ÁREAS APTAS PARA A IMPLANTAÇÃO DE UM ATERRO SANITÁRIO NO MUNICÍPIO DE DIVINÓPOLIS, MINAS GERAIS
Authors: Aramaki Rick Max , Pereira Daniel Pena , Santos Amanda Santana dos
Published: April 2022

Atualmente um dos grandes desafios urbanos é a disposição adequada dos resíduos sólidos. O crescimento acelerado da população nos últimos anos vem causando inúmeros impactos ao meio ambiente, dentre eles, o descarte irregular de resíduos, tornando cada vez mais complexo o trabalho de encontrar um local ambientalmente viável ao descarte dos mesmos. Os aterros sanitários são as opções mais viáveis e seguras, pois, conseguem evitar a contaminação dos recursos hídricos, do ar e do solo. Porém, a escolha do local adequado para a construção de um aterro sanitário continua sendo um dos maiores problemas por todas as variáveis envolvidas. Assim, este artigo tem como objetivo determinar, através das ferramentas de geoprocessamento, áreas ideais para a implantação de aterros sanitários no município de Divinópolis – MG. Este objetivo foi alcançado por meio de Sistema de Informação Geográfica (SIG) e análise de Múltiplos Critérios. Os resultados mostraram que mais de 60% de toda a área do município possui áreas inviáveis à implementação de um aterro e que, aproximadamente, 27% de toda a área é considerada de adequabilidade média e, portanto, deveria ser analisada de maneira mais aprofundada.
MAPEAMENTO DE ÁREAS DE RISCO A INUNDAÇÕES NA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIBEIRÃO CALADÃO – CORONEL FABRICIANO/MG
Authors: Fonseca Vlamir Soares , Pinto Daniel Brasil Ferreira , Ferraz Caio Mário Leal , Almeida Ivan Carlos Carreiro , Brito Alexandre Faissal
Published: April 2022

A Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão Caladão (BHRC), localizada no município de Coronel Fabriciano/MG, tem passado desde a década de 60 por uma acelerada ocupação desordenada que associada às condições naturais peculiares formam um arcabouço de condicionantes fisiográficos e antrópicos que resultam em áreas de risco a inundações. Diante deste fato, objetivou-se identificar e classificar as áreas de risco a inundação na BHRC utilizando-se os softwares Terra View Hidro 0.4.5 e ArcGIS 10.8, utilizando-se a técnica de álgebra de mapas para elaboração dos modelos de suscetibilidade e vulnerabilidade delimitados pelo modelo HAND (Height Above Nearest Drainage), resultando no modelo de risco a inundações. Os resultados demonstraram que 53,03% das áreas suscetíveis a inundações são consideradas de risco e estão localizadas em todas as sub-bacias da BHRC, sendo que nas sub-bacias III e V concentram-se a maior parte da população em áreas de alto grau de risco. A presente pesquisa culminou em uma carta de risco a inundações que caracteriza o fenômeno e a condições de vulnerabilidade da BHRC, baseando-se em um método efetivo e de baixo custo que pode ser aplicado em outros municípios brasileiros.
ANALYSIS OF PRECIPITATION AND DRY SPELL IN THE CENTER WESTERN MESOREGION OF PARANÁ STATE, BRAZIL - A SPECIFIC STUDY IN SEPTEMBER 2020
Authors: Caldana Nathan Felipe da Silva , Rodrigues Leonardo , Ferreira Luiz Gustavo Batista , Pinto Larissa Fernandes Dias , Ribeiro Junior Walter Aparecido , Aguiar e Silva Marcelo Augusto de
Published: April 2022

Episódios de seca estão se tornando cada vez mais comuns atualmente no cenário de mudanças climáticas. Desta forma, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a variabilidade de precipitação e a probabilidade de ocorrência de veranico na Mesorregião Centro Ocidental Paranaense. Como objetivo secundário, analisou-se a ocorrência de um veranico extremo no mês de setembro de 2020. Para isso, foram criados mapas com interpolações para regionalizar as alturas pluviométricas. Criou-se gráficos de box plot e probabilidades para identificar o comportamento pluviométrico regional, além da análise gráfica e sinótica das chuvas de setembro de 2020. A precipitação anual na Mesorregião apresentou distribuição considerável anual e mensal, com valores médios que mostram extrato do balanço hídrico todo positivo. Porém, a região possui grande variabilidade e amplitude de mais de 500mm entre os meses mais chuvosos e mais secos. Na ocorrência de períodos secos, também se identificou valores alarmantes, com agosto apresentando até 60% de probabilidade de veranicos. Reflexo dessa grande variabilidade ocorreu em 2020, cuja série de dados maior que 40 anos, apresentou o mês de setembro mais seco da história.
TENDÊNCIA DE PRECIPITAÇÃO ANUAL E A OCORRÊNCIA DE EVENTOS EXTREMOS NA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO PIRAPÓ-PR ENTRE 1980 A 2017
Authors: Mioto Silvia , Silveira Hélio
Published: April 2022

A presente pesquisa objetivou analisar o padrão de distribuição e possíveis tendências da precipitação média e da pluviosidade máxima em 24 horas anual na bacia do rio Pirapó-PR. Essa bacia está localizada no Terceiro Planalto Paranaense, entre as latitudes de 22º 30’ e 23º 30’ Sul e longitudes de 51º15’ e 52º15’ Oeste. Para a realização da pesquisa foram utilizados os totais pluviométricos diários de precipitação do período de 1980 a 2017 de 10 postos pluviométricos do Instituto das Águas do Paraná – SIH. Foi aplicada a estatística descritiva para os dados de pluviosidade dos 10 postos pluviométricos, utilizando-se os respectivos parâmetros: média, desvio padrão e coeficiente de variação. Por meio do teste não paramétrico de Mann-Kendall (1975), verificou-se possíveis tendências nas séries anuais da precipitação média anual e da precipitação máxima em 24 horas. Os resultados mostraram que há um aumento na distribuição da precipitação média anual do baixo para o alto curso da bacia, não sendo observado o mesmo padrão para a pluviosidade máxima diária semelhante. O teste de tendência demonstrou indícios de mudança no comportamento dos valores médios anuais de pluviosidade e máximos diários, porém não significativas.
Effect of Using Raw and Treated Quinoa Seeds (Chenopodium Quinoa) in the Diets on Oxidation Indicators of Broiler Carcass
Authors: Alsafi Noufal H.J. , Zangana Bushra S.R.
Published: April 2022

The experiment aimed to study the use of different proportions of raw and treated Chenopodium quinoa seeds by soaking in the diet to identify the effect on the oxidation indicators of the meat stored for 2, 4, and 6 weeks. In the experiment, 336 sexed broilers (Ross308) were used at the age of one day, with an average initial weight of 39 g/chick. The chicks were fed on a starter diet (1-14 days) and the finisher diet including the initial grower diet (15-28 days) and second grower diet (29-42 days). Chicks were randomly distributed to seven treatments (8 males + 8 females/replicate), while the raw quinoa seeds were added at 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5% for treatments T1, T2, T3, and T4, and the treated by soaked in water for 48 hours for treatments T5, T6 and T7 % feed, respectively. The results showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the values of Thiobarbituric Acid (TBA), Peroxide Value (PV), and Free Fatty Acids (FFA) for the meat of all treatments using raw and treated quinoa seeds compared to the control treatment and for all storage periods of 2, 4 and 6 weeks. The current study results showed that all concentrations of raw and treated quinoa seeds contributed to reducing the exposure of meat to rancidity and preserving it from oxidation during different storage periods. Besides, enhancing the possibility of storing it for long periods.