bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O GÊNERO PRATICADO COM AS CRIANÇAS: PERSPECTIVAS PARA UMA EDUCAÇÃO DO PORVIR.
Authors: Rossato Bruno Costa Lima
Published: May 2022

Esse texto surge na urgência de pensarmos em perspectivas para uma educação do porvir e, emerge, a partir das memórias de alguns achados numa pesquisa de Mestrado que teve, como proposta, pensar o gênero praticado na/com a Educação Infantil. O propósito do artigo é enaltecer a produção performativa do gênero na infância, considerando que as prescrições e normas têm que ser praticadas pelas crianças, em suas articulações às aprendizagens que se forjam em meio aos rituais, gestos e processos miméticos, os quais têm como modelos e referências as tradições culturais, assim como o múltiplo repertório de imagens, inclusive as midiáticas, que compõem o imaginário infantil. Nesse sentido, é imperativo darmos visibilidade a essas memórias, no meio de uma pandemia, devido a capacidade das crianças em constituir-se como produtoras de subjetividades, em processos de criação permanente. Tais processos, que se realizam principalmente nos/com os corpos, expressam e criam relações com o mundo que se modificam permanentemente, produzindo diferença. Como pressuposto, esse texto pensa as crianças, e seus trânsitos escolares, como algo que, embora seja forjada na contingência das normas estabelecidas, atravessa e transborda as fronteiras do instituído, produzindo subjetividades que rompem às expectativas sociais. Algo primordial para vislumbrarmos uma educação do porvir.
O INCÔMODO DAS “LETRINHAS”: FLUXOS E CONTRAFLUXOS DO DEBATE SOBRE GÊNERO E SEXUALIDADE NO ENSINO REMOTO EMERGENCIAL
Authors: Da Silva Francisco Vieira
Published: May 2022

O texto analisa as relações de poder e as estratégias de resistência que margeiam o debate sobre gênero e sexualidade na escola, particularmente a partir da emergência do chamado ensino remoto emergencial, tomando como norte discursos acerca do caso de um aluno de uma escola pública da cidade Campinas, interior de São Paulo, que foi hostilizado num grupo de WhatsApp, ao sugerir fazer um trabalho com a temática LGBTQIA+. Para subsidiar teoricamente essa discussão, busca-se amparo nas elucidações de Foucault (2008; 2010) acerca do discurso, do saber, do poder, da resistência e da verdade. No tocante à metodologia, este trabalho segue uma abordagem descritivo-interpretativa de natureza qualitativa. As análises pontuam que a hostilidade sofrida pelo discente insere-se no esteio de relações de poder, aliadas ao avanço do conservadorismo no campo político, que suscitaram estratégias de resistência, as quais fizeram emergir medidas que buscam reordenar a atuação da escola na abordagem das questões de gênero e sexualidade.
CONVERSAS SOBRE FEMINILIDADES NA PANDEMIA: PRÁTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS ANTISSEXISTAS A PARTIR DA SÉRIE “CONFISSÕES DE ADOLESCENTE”
Authors: Amaro Ivan , Da Silva Lyzia Toscano , Matos Vanessa Soares
Published: May 2022

A pandemia lançou o mundo num cenário caótico e imprevisível provocando mudanças inimagináveis.  A educação teve um impacto considerável, pois o isolamento social, uma das medidas necessárias para conter o novo   corona vírus, vem se estendendo no país desde março de 2020. Neste contexto, as aulas presenciais foram suspensas e as redes buscaram alternativas para darem continuidade à formação em formato remoto. Este artigo traduz análises realizadas sobre as percepções das diversas feminilidades na escola, a partir de um trabalho pedagógico interdisciplinar desenvolvido por duas professoras, uma de Língua Portuguesa e outra de Ciências, em turmas do 8º ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública do Município do Rio de Janeiro, no período da pandemia. O objetivo é investigar as construções sociodiscursivas de alunos e alunas sobre  os significados de “ser mulher” hoje. Adotando a conversa como procedimento metodológico de uma pesquisa qualitativa, tivemos, como mote, a série “Confissões de Adolescente” (1994), obra que foi a disparadora de debates, via Whatsapp, o que nos levou à netnografia, como metodologia secundária. O objetivo era acessar os discursos de alunos e alunas no sentido de indagar a noção essencializada do “ser mulher”, questioná-la e (re) significar as noções de feminilidades e, mesmo, de masculinidades, entendendo que gênero é um conceito relacional.  Os achados inscrevem-se, também, na visibilidade de práticas pedagógicas insurgentes no cotidiano escolar, indicando que adolescentes (re)significam experiências e repensam os processos de constituição de subjetividades que constroem masculinidades e feminilidades, contribuindo, assim, para uma formação  antissexista e antimachista.
PROCESSOS FORMATIVOS E PRÁTICAS DIDÁTICO-PEDAGÓGICAS NA EDUCAÇÃO ONLINE
Authors: Carvalho Felipe , Santos Edmea , Pimentel Mariano , Santos Rosemary dos
Published: May 2022

Editorial e Apresentação Edição Fluxo Continuo
Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of Northeast India – Patterns and gaps in discovery
Authors: HARIDAS SNEHA , MALHOTRA HARSHA , KARIMBUMKARA SEENA , PRIYADARSANAN DHARMA
Published: May 2022

True dung beetles belonging to the sub-family Scarabaeinae, a group with over 6000 species known worldwide, play an important role in biological pest control, soil fertilization, and several other ecosystem services. At present, the Northeast India biogeographic region, the meeting point of two world biodiversity hotspots, has reports of 206 species of Scarabaeinae. State-wise species reports from this group indicated that certain states like Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have relatively higher richness compared to other states like Nagaland and Mizoram. The species discovery curve of Northeast Indian Scarabaeinae indicated two distinct periods of descriptions in 1931 and 2000, apart from which the rate of discoveries in the region has been slow. Body size and range of the species were weak indicators of the date of description and pattern of species discovery in the region. Mapping of the type localities of the species suggests that most of the discoveries were around major cities with easier accessibility, suggesting gaps in the systematic studies conducted in the region. Incomplete distribution information, especially of ecologically important taxa like dung beetles leads to several challenges regarding the lack of clarity on their ecology and conservation status. Our results thereby stress on the need for systematic taxonomic inventorying and long-term monitoring of ecologically important, yet underexplored taxa such as Scarabaeinae in the region.
FORMAÇÃO CIDADÃ NA EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL: O CONHECIMENTO SOBRE DIREITOS E GARANTIAS FUNDAMENTAIS NA DOCÊNCIA
Authors: Gasparin dos Santos Pereira Cassia Regina , Prados Rosália Maria Netto
Published: May 2022

Este artigo trata de uma discussão sobre o conhecimento dos direitos e garantias fundamentais, estabelecidos na Carta Magna, e sua relevância na docência em educação profissional. Fundamenta-se em conceitos teóricos de direito e educação. Este estudo tem como objetivos apresentar a relevância do conhecimento sobre os direitos e garantias fundamentais no âmbito da educação profissional e descrever os marcos legais e políticas educacionais, que formam e constituem o sujeito, no que se refere aos valores da ética e solidariedade na educação profissional. Para o desenvolvimento desta discussão, propõe-se uma pesquisa descritiva documental, de abordagem qualitativa, por meio de análise de conteúdo, de modo que foram selecionados três Incisos do Artigo 5º, da Constituição Federativa do Brasil, de 1988. A educação profissional no contexto da globalização e desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico tem um papel decisivo na formação dos indivíduos e na conscientização do seu papel social.
As espécies-núcleo dos bandos mistos de aves da mata atlântica da Serra de Paranapiacaba, no sudeste brasileiro
Authors: Machado Caio Graco
Published: May 2022

Este estudo investigou a estrutura dos bandos mistos de aves em uma área de Mata Atlântica no alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba, no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Foram realizadas doze visitas mensais, de abril de 1990 a março de 1991, com 36 horas de campo em cada. Em cada contato com bandos mistos registrava-se a composição específica, a distribuição específica dentro do bando e na vegetação, o tamanho dos bandos (em número de indivíduos) e dados sobre comportamento das espécies integrantes. Cinco espécies mais típicas observadas nos bandos foram analisadas quanto à função de espécie-núcleo: Basileuterus culicivorus (Licht., 1830), Philydor rufus (Vieillot, 1818), Phylloscartes oustaleti (Sclater, 1887), Hylophilus poicilotis (Temminck, 1822) e Orthogonys chloricterus (Vieillot, 1819). Nenhuma delas adequou-se totalmente aos parâmetros que classificam as espécies-núcleo. Por outro lado, bandos mistos onde duas ou mais destas espécies estavam presentes eram significativamente maiores que os bandos onde estas ocorriam sozinhas ou não ocorriam. Assim, a força coesiva dos bandos mistos desta área da Mata Atlântica parece não advir de uma ou duas espécies-núcleo típicas, mas de um conjunto de espécies que atua como elemento formador e de manutenção dos bandos mistos.
Nota prévia sobre a ordem Scorpaeniformes (Actinopterygii: Teleostei) na coleção do Laboratório de Ictiologia (Departamento de Ciências Biológicas) da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (Bahia)
Authors: Lopes Paulo R. D. , Silva Gilvanete R. da
Published: May 2022

É apresentada a relação do material pertencente à ordem Scorpaeniformes depositado na coleção do Laboratório de Ictiologia (Departamento de Ciências Biológicas) da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. Foram examinados 85 lotes e 182 exemplares procedentes da região compreendida entre os estados de Pernambuco e Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Foram identificadas três famílias e nove espécies: Dactylopteridae: Dactylopterus volitans; Scorpaenidae: Scorpaena brasiliensis, S. isthmensis e S. plumieri; Triglidae: Bellator brachychir, Peristedion altipinne, Peristedion sp., Prionotus nudigula e P. punctatus.
Measurement of arbitrary scan patterns for correction of imaging distortions in laser scanning microscopy
Authors: Rose Patrick , Klioutchnikov Alexandr , Wallace Damian J. , Greenberg David S. , Kerr Jason N. D. , Sawinski Juergen
Published: May 2022

Laser scanning microscopy requires beam steering through relay and focusing optics at sub-micron precision. In light-weight mobile systems, such as head mounted multiphoton microscopes, distortion and imaging plane curvature management is unpractical due to the complexity of required optic compensation. Thus, the resulting scan pattern limits anatomical fidelity and decreases analysis algorithm efficiency. Here, we present a technique that reconstructs the three-dimensional scan path only requiring translation of a simple fluorescent test probe. Our method is applicable to any type of scanning instrument with sectioning capabilities without prior assumptions regarding origin of imaging deviations. Further, we demonstrate that the obtained scan pattern allows analysis of these errors, and allows to restore anatomical accuracy relevant for complementary methods such as motion correction, further enhancing spatial registration and feature extraction.
Large area stimulated emission luminescent solar concentrators modelled using detailed balance consistent rate equations
Authors: Flood Andrew G. , Kherani Nazir P.
Published: May 2022

Stimulated emission luminescent solar concentrators (SELSCs) have the potential to reduce escape cone losses in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). However, a functional SELSC is yet to be demonstrated. Previous numerical studies and detailed balance limits provide guidance, but they also contradict and likely overestimate performance and underestimate requirements. In this work, we introduce a rate-equation model with inversion requirements compatible with detailed balance limits and apply this model to the numerical modelling of window-sized SELSCs. We find that the optimal pump photon energy for both LSCs and SELSCs is 1.35 eV and the potential improvement of SELSCs over LSCs is found to be 19.3%. The efficiencies found are much lower than those specified in previous work due to the increase in Stokes shift required for a highly luminescent material. We also find that SELSCs are more attractive at higher matrix losses, that emission linewidths <0.05  eV are desirable, and that SELSC devices can potentially achieve performance equal to LSCs at low illumination levels and simultaneously exceed it by up to 16.5% at 1-sun illumination.
Learned iterative shrinkage and thresholding algorithm for terahertz sparse deconvolution
Authors: Wang Bo , Qin Xiaoling , Li Wenping , Li Zeren , Zhu Liguo
Published: May 2022

Terahertz sparse deconvolution based on an iterative shrinkage and thresholding algorithm (ISTA) has been used to characterize multilayered structures with resolution equivalent to or finer than the sampling period of the measurement. However, this method was only studied on thin samples to separate the overlapped echos that can’t be distinguished by other deconvolution algorithms. Besides, ISTA heavily depends on the convolution matrix consisting of delayed incident pulse, which is difficult to precisely extricate from the reference signal, and thereby fluctuations caused by noise are occasionally treated as echos. In this work, a terahertz sparse deconvolution based on a learned iterative shrinkage and thresholding algorithm (LISTA) is proposed. The method enclosed the matrix multiplication and soft thresholding in a block and cascaded multiple blocks together to form a deep network. The convolution matrices of the network were updated by stochastic gradient descent to minimize the distance between the output sparse vector and the optimal sparse representation of the signal, and subsequently the trained network made more precise estimation of the echos than ISTA. Additionally, LISTA is notably faster than ISTA, which is important for real-time tomographic-image processing. The algorithm was evaluated on terahertz tomographic imaging of a high-density poly ethylene (HDPE) sample, revealing obvious improvements in detecting defects of different sizes and depths. This technique has potential usage in nondestructive testings of thick samples, where echos reflected by minor defects are not discernible by existed deconvolution algorithms.
Kernel adaptive filtering-based phase noise compensation for pilot-free optical phase conjugated coherent systems
Authors: Boscolo Sonia , Nguyen Tu T. , Ali Abdallah A. I. , Sygletos Stylianos , Ellis Andrew D.
Published: May 2022

We propose a kernel-based adaptive filtering method to suppress the phase noise (PN) arising from small deviations from ideal counter-phasing in the dual-pump fibre-based optical phase conjugation (OPC) of pilot-free quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM) signals. We demonstrate experimentally and numerically that the proposed scheme achieves signal-to-noise ratio improvement over conventional PN compensation under optimised pump dithering settings in the OPC device and features no performance penalty across a range of pump-phase mismatch values, when it is used with a 16-QAM signal in an optical back-to-back configuration. We also illustrate the applicability of the method to the 64-QAM modulation format, and evaluate its performance in a transmission setup with mid-link OPC by means of numerical simulations.
Temperature dependence of refractive indices of Al0.9Ga0.1As and In0.53Al0.1Ga0.37As in the telecommunication spectral range
Authors: Zielińska Agata , Musiał Anna , Wyborski Paweł , Kuniej Mateusz , Heuser Tobias , Srocka Nicole , Grosse Jan , Reithmaier Johann Peter , Benyoucef Mohamed , Rodt Sven , Reitzenstein Stephan , Rudno-Rudziński Wojciech
Published: May 2022

In this work, we determine the temperature dependence of refractive indices of In0.53Al0.1Ga0.37As and Al0.9Ga0.1As semiconductor alloys at telecommunication wavelengths in the range from room temperature down to 10 K. For that, we measure the temperature-dependent reflectance of two structures: with an Al0.9Ga0.1As/GaAs distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) designed for 1.3 µm and with an In0.53Al0.1Ga0.37As/InP DBR designed for 1.55 µm. The obtained experimental results are compared to DBR reflectivity spectra calculated within the transfer matrix method to determine refractive index values. We further show that changes due to the thermal expansion of the DBR layers are negligible for our method.
Spectrally separable photon-pair generation in dispersion engineered thin-film lithium niobate
Authors: Xin C. J. , Mishra Jatadhari , Chen Changchen , Zhu Di , Shams-Ansari Amirhassan , Langrock Carsten , Sinclair Neil , Wong Franco N. C. , Fejer M. M. , Lončar Marko
Published: May 2022

Existing nonlinear-optic implementations of pure, unfiltered heralded single-photon sources do not offer the scalability required for densely integrated quantum networks. Additionally, lithium niobate has hitherto been unsuitable for such use due to its material dispersion. We engineer the dispersion and the quasi-phasematching conditions of a waveguide in the rapidly emerging thin-film lithium niobate platform to generate spectrally separable photon pairs in the telecommunications band. Such photon pairs can be used as spectrally pure heralded single-photon sources in quantum networks. We estimate a heralded-state spectral purity of >94% based on joint spectral intensity measurements. Further, a joint spectral phase-sensitive measurement of the unheralded time-integrated second-order correlation function yields a heralded-state purity of

(
86
±
5
)
%

.
Magnetic modulation of topological polarization singularities in momentum space
Authors: Zhao Chen , Dong Shaohua , Zhang Qing , Zeng Yixuan , Hu Guangwei , Zhang Yongzhe
Published: May 2022

The polarization singularities in momentum space, rather than in real space, are capturing interest for active singular optics with exotic light scattering and various topological phenomena, which have potential applications in vortex nano-lasers, valley exciton emission, and others. Here, we propose to magnetically control the polarization singularities in momentum space in the photonic crystal slabs with inversion spatial symmetry (P symmetry). A pair of C points (circular polarization points) with the same topological charge is spawned from a V point (polarization vortex center), and they can be dynamically shifted in momentum space with the variation of the magnetic field. Moreover, the coupling between transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes induced by the magnetic field gives rise to a hybrid mode, which can close certain leaky channels to achieve an accidental V point. Such active manipulation of polarization singularities with magnetic field is promised for various applications in light–matter interactions and reveals novel phenomena and physics in singular optics and topological photonics.
Electroluminescent white light-emitting diodes with cadimum-free Cu-In-Zn-S nanocrystals sandwiched between two TFB layers
Authors: Lv Peiwen , Wang Lijin , Li Xu , Yang Chunhe , Yin Zhe , Tang Aiwei
Published: May 2022

A high color rendering index (CRI) and stable spectra under different voltages are important parameters for large-area planar light sources. However, the spectrum of most electroluminescent white light-emitting diodes (el-WLEDs) with a single emissive layer (EML) varies with a changing voltage. Herein, an el-WLED is fabricated based on Cd-free Cu-In-Zn-S (CIZS)/ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) and poly [(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(4,4’-(N-(p-butylphenyl))diphenylamine)] (TFB) as double EMLs, which exhibit white-light emission with a high CRI value of 91 and commission internationale de l’éclairage (CIE) color coordinates of (0.33, 0.33). Meanwhile, it has a stable spectrum under voltage up to 7 V and a maximum luminance up to 679 cd/m2 with a low turn-on voltage of 2.2 V. This work provides a foundation for Cd-free el-WLEDs with high CRI and stable spectra.
Tunable non-Hermiticity through reservoir engineering
Authors: Meng Xin , Hu Zhiwei , Lu Xingda , Cao Wanxia , Zhang Xichang , Li Haowei , Hu Ying , Yi Wei , Xiao Yanhong
Published: May 2022

We experimentally demonstrate tunable non-Hermitian coupling in an atomic-vapor cell where atomic coherences in different optical channels are dissipatively coupled through atomic motion. Introducing a far-detuned light wall in the reservoir between the optical channels, we decorate the inter-channel coupling term so that it can be switched from dissipative to coherent. The tunable non-Hermiticity is then confirmed through measurements of the inter-channel light transport where the light-wall-induced phase shift is directly probed. Based on the tunable non-Hermiticity, we further discuss an exemplary scheme in which our setup can serve as a building block for the experimental study of exotic non-Hermitian criticality.
Gene regulation by a protein translation factor at the single-cell level
Authors: Dolcemascolo Roswitha , Goiriz Lucas , Montagud-Martínez Roser , Rodrigo Guillermo
Published: May 2022

Gene expression is inherently stochastic and pervasively regulated. While substantial work combining theory and experiments has been carried out to study how noise propagates through transcriptional regulations, the stochastic behavior of genes regulated at the level of translation is poorly understood. Here, we engineered a synthetic genetic system in which a target gene is down-regulated by a protein translation factor, which in turn is regulated transcriptionally. By monitoring both the expression of the regulator and the regulated gene at the single-cell level, we quantified the stochasticity of the system. We found that with a protein translation factor a tight repression can be achieved in single cells, noise propagation from gene to gene is buffered, and the regulated gene is sensitive in a nonlinear way to global perturbations in translation. A suitable mathematical model was instrumental to predict the transfer functions of the system. We also showed that a Gamma distribution parameterized with mesoscopic parameters, such as the mean expression and coefficient of variation, provides a deep analytical explanation about the system, displaying enough versatility to capture the cell-to-cell variability in genes regulated both transcriptionally and translationally. Overall, these results contribute to enlarge our understanding on stochastic gene expression, at the same time they provide design principles for synthetic biology.
Elucidation of host and symbiont contributions to peptidoglycan metabolism based on comparative genomics of eight aphid subfamilies and their Buchnera
Authors: Smith Thomas E. , Li Yiyuan , Perreau Julie , Moran Nancy A.
Published: May 2022

Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) are insects containing genes of bacterial origin with putative functions in peptidoglycan (PGN) metabolism. Of these,rlpA1-5,amiD, andldcAare highly expressed in bacteriocytes, specialized aphid cells that harbor the obligate bacterial symbiontBuchnera aphidicola, required for amino acid supplementation of the host’s nutrient-poor diet. Despite genome reduction associated with endosymbiosis, pea aphidBuchneraretains genes for the synthesis of PGN whileBuchneraof many other aphid species partially or completely lack these genes. To explore the evolution of aphid horizontally-transferred genes (HTGs) and to elucidate how host and symbiont genes contribute to PGN production, we sequenced genomes from four deeply branching lineages, such that paired aphid andBuchneragenomes are now available for 17 species representing eight subfamilies. We identified all host and symbiont genes putatively involved in PGN metabolism. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that each HTG family was present in the aphid shared ancestor, but that each underwent a unique pattern of gene loss or duplication in descendant lineages. While four aphidrlpAgene subfamilies show no relation to symbiont PGN gene repertoire, the loss of aphidamiDandldcAHTGs coincides with the loss of symbiont PGN metabolism genes. In particular, the coincident loss of hostamiDand symbiontmurCEFin tribe Aphidini, in contrast to tribe Macrosiphini, suggests either 1) functional linkage between these host and symbiont genes, or 2) Aphidini has lost functional PGN synthesis and other retained PGN pathway genes are non-functional. To test these hypotheses experimentally, we used cell-wall labeling methods involving ad-alanine probe and found that both Macrosiphini and Aphidini retainBuchneraPGN synthesis. Our results imply that compensatory adaptations can preserve PGN synthesis despite the loss of some genes considered essential for this pathway, highlighting the importance of the cell wall in these symbioses.
Ethnic diversity and mortality in northwest Burkina Faso: An analysis of the Nouna health and demographic surveillance system from 2000 to 2012
Authors: Wasko Zahia , Dambach Peter , Kynast-Wolf Gisela , Stieglbauer Gabriele , Zabré Pascal , Bagagnan Cheik , Schoeps Anja , Souares Aurélia , Winkler Volker
Published: May 2022

Ethnic diversity has been a topic of contention across the globe, contrasted with economic development, social security, and political stability. The link between health and ethnic diversity is not yet well established especially in low-middle- income countries. Our study aims to explore the association between ethnic diversity and all-cause mortality in rural areas of Burkina Faso. We used data from the Nouna Health & Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) collected between 2000 and 2012. To derive Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR), the observed number of deaths was compared to the expected deaths based on the entire HDSS taking into account sex, age, rainy season, calendar year, and village. SMR were calculated for ethnic and religious diversity on a village level (using the Simpson Index), sub-region, wealth, and distance to Healthcare Facilities (HCF). Furthermore, we modeled SMR with a multilevel random intercept Poisson regression considering individual ethnic and religious groups in addition to the above-mentioned village-level information. Village wealth (poorest fifth: SMR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02–1.13, richest fifth: SMR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.82–0.88), distance to HCF (within the village: SMR 0.88; 95% CI: 0.85–0.91, further than 5km: SMR 1.13; 95% CI: 1.10–1.16), and sub-region showed significant associations with overall mortality. Villages belonging to the third with the highest ethnic diversity had lowered SMR (0.86; 95% CI: 0.84–0.89) compared to the entire HDSS, while those belonging to the lowest diversity third yielded elevated SMR (1.13; 95% CI: 1.09–1.17). The multilevel model confirmed the association. Our study showed that historically established ethnic diversity in rural areas of Burkina Faso was associated with lower all-cause mortality. Generally, the literature suffers from a lack of standardization in defining ethnic diversity, along with measuring it. More research is needed to understand this relation and to establish it in different settings.
Diagnosis of Schistosoma infection in non-human animal hosts: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liang Song , Ponpetch Keerati , Zhou Yi-Biao , Guo Jiagang , Erko Berhanu , Stothard J. Russell , Murad M. Hassan , Zhou Xiao-Nong , Satrija Fadjar , Webster Joanne P. , Remais Justin V. , Utzinger Jürg , Garba Amadou
Published: May 2022

Background

Reliable and field-applicable diagnosis of schistosome infections in non-human animals is important for surveillance, control, and verification of interruption of human schistosomiasis transmission. This study aimed to summarize uses of available diagnostic techniques through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methodology and principal findings

We systematically searched the literature and reports comparing two or more diagnostic tests in non-human animals for schistosome infection. Out of 4,909 articles and reports screened, 19 met our inclusion criteria, four of which were considered in the meta-analysis. A total of 14 techniques (parasitologic, immunologic, and molecular) and nine types of non-human animals were involved in the studies. Notably, four studies compared parasitologic tests (miracidium hatching test (MHT), Kato-Katz (KK), the Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory technique (DBL), and formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation-digestion (FEA-SD)) with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and sensitivity estimates (using qPCR as the reference) were extracted and included in the meta-analyses, showing significant heterogeneity across studies and animal hosts. The pooled estimate of sensitivity was 0.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03–0.48) with FEA-SD showing highest sensitivity (0.89, 95% CI: 0.65–1.00).

Conclusions/significance

Our findings suggest that the parasitologic technique FEA-SD and the molecular technique qPCR are the most promising techniques for schistosome diagnosis in non-human animal hosts. Future studies are needed for validation and standardization of the techniques for real-world field applications.
Explainable AI toward understanding the performance of the top three TADPOLE Challenge methods in the forecast of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis
Authors: Hernandez Monica , Ramon-Julvez Ubaldo , Ferraz Francisco ,   with the ADNI Consortium
Published: May 2022

The Alzheimer′s Disease Prediction Of Longitudinal Evolution (TADPOLE) Challenge is the most comprehensive challenge to date with regard to the number of subjects, considered features, and challenge participants. The initial objective of TADPOLE was the identification of the most predictive data, features, and methods for the progression of subjects at risk of developing Alzheimer′s. The challenge was successful in recognizing tree-based ensemble methods such as gradient boosting and random forest as the best methods for the prognosis of the clinical status in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the challenge outcome was limited to which combination of data processing and methods exhibits the best accuracy; hence, it is difficult to determine the contribution of the methods to the accuracy. The quantification of feature importance was globally approached by all the challenge participant methods. In addition, TADPOLE provided general answers that focused on improving performance while ignoring important issues such as interpretability. The purpose of this study is to intensively explore the models of the top three TADPOLE Challenge methods in a common framework for fair comparison. In addition, for these models, the most meaningful features for the prognosis of the clinical status of AD are studied and the contribution of each feature to the accuracy of the methods is quantified. We provide plausible explanations as to why the methods achieve such accuracy, and we investigate whether the methods use information coherent with clinical knowledge. Finally, we approach these issues through the analysis of SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values, a technique that has recently attracted increasing attention in the field of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI).
Vocal changes in a zebra finch model of Parkinson’s disease characterized by alpha-synuclein overexpression in the song-dedicated anterior forebrain pathway
Authors: Medina Cesar A. , Vargas Eddie , Munger Stephanie J. , Miller Julie E.
Published: May 2022

Deterioration in the quality of a person’s voice and speech is an early marker of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In humans, the neural circuit that supports vocal motor control consists of a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortico loop. The basal ganglia regions, striatum and globus pallidus, in this loop play a role in modulating the acoustic features of vocal behavior such as loudness, pitch, and articulatory rate. In PD, this area is implicated in pathogenesis. In animal models of PD, the accumulation of toxic aggregates containing the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein (αsyn) in the midbrain and striatum result in limb and vocal motor impairments. It has been challenging to study vocal impairments given the lack of well-defined cortico-basal ganglia circuitry for vocalization in rodent models. Furthermore, whether deterioration of voice quality early in PD is a direct result of αsyn-induced neuropathology is not yet known. Here, we take advantage of the well-characterized vocal circuits of the adult male zebra finch songbird to experimentally target a song-dedicated pathway, the anterior forebrain pathway, using an adeno-associated virus expressing the human wild-type αsyn gene,SNCA. We found that overexpression of αsyn in this pathway coincides with higher levels of insoluble, monomeric αsyn compared to control finches. Impairments in song production were also detected along with shorter and poorer quality syllables, which are the most basic unit of song. These vocal changes are similar to the vocal abnormalities observed in individuals with PD.
Spatial and temporal characteristics of surface soil moisture in a disturbed coal mining area of Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Cao Yi , Zhu Hongfen , Bi Rutian , Jin Yaodong
Published: May 2022

Soil water content is an important variable in hydrology and many related disciplines. It affects runoff from precipitation, groundwater recharge, and evapotranspiration. This research used the coal mining area of the Changhe River Basin in the Loess Plateau as a study and using SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data, the surface soil water in 24 days (From Jan 25, 2018 to Dec 10, 2019) was estimated using a radar signal change detection algorithm. The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of surface soil water inside and outside the disturbed area were compared and analyzed. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis method was used to analyze the potential temporal and spatial variation of surface soil water, and to detect the regional soil water variation under coal mining disturbances to better understand the different potential modes of spatial variation of soil water in the unobserved time. The results showed that the average surface soil water content in the study area changed with season, showing a dry-wet-dry variation. Moreover, it was significantly affected by precipitation factors, and its response to precipitation had a hysteresis effect. From the perspective of spatial variation, the influence of coal mining disturbance on surface soil moisture was not obvious. From the perspective of time series change, moving from wet to dry conditions, the soil in the disturbed area dried faster than the soil in the undisturbed area after soil wetted. When moving from drying to wetting, the soil in the disturbed area was quickly wetted. The EOF analysis showed that most observed spatial variability of soil moisture was stable in time. The study was conducted in a disturbed area and an undisturbed area for single EOF analysis, and the results showed that the EOF mode of the disturbed area was closer to that of the whole study area. By comparing the two subregions and the entire study area, it was found that the changes of correlation values were related to soil texture, bulk density, altitude and slope, indicating that the soil texture of the two subregions may be different at different elevations, and may also be related to the change of the original soil structure in the disturbed area. Overall, the EOF mode of the disturbed area determined the EOF mode of the entire study area.
Exploring experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young racially minoritised people in the United Kingdom: A qualitative study
Authors: Burgess Rochelle A. , Kanu Nancy , Matthews Tanya , Mukotekwa Owen , Smith-Gul Amina , Yusuf Intisar , Lamptey Isabella , McCauley Nyisha , Wilson Renae , Pirisola Michael , Gul Malik
Published: May 2022

Within high-income-countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people from racially minoritised backgrounds. There has been significant research interrogating the disparate impact of the virus, and recently, interest in the long-term implications of the global crisis on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. However, less work explores the experiences of young people from racialised backgrounds as they navigate the pandemic, and the specific consequences this has for their mental health. Forty young people (age 16–25) from Black, mixed and other minority backgrounds and living in London, participated in consecutive focus group discussions over a two-month period, to explore the impact of the pandemic on their lives and emotional wellbeing. Thematic analysis identified seven thematic categories describing the impact of the pandemic, indicating: deepening of existing socioeconomic and emotional challenges; efforts to navigate racism and difference within the response; and survival strategies drawing on communal and individual resources. Young people also articulated visions for a future public health response which addressed gaps in current strategies. Findings point to the need to contextualize public health responses to the pandemic in line with the lived experiences of racialised young people. We specifically note the importance of long-term culturally and socio-politically relevant support interventions. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
High striped hyena density suggests coexistence with humans in an agricultural landscape, Rajasthan
Authors: Panda Debashish , Mohanty Subham , Suryan Tanuj , Pandey Puneet , Lee Hang , Singh Randeep
Published: May 2022

Understanding the mechanism of coexistence, where carnivores adapt to humans and vice versa in the shared landscape, is a key determinant of long-term carnivore conservation but is yet to be comprehensively examined. We explored the coexistence mechanism of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)and humans in the shared landscape of Sawai Mansingh Wildlife Sanctuary (SMS WLS), Rajasthan, from November 2019 to March 2021. We used data derived from motion sensors-based surveys, satellite remote sensing images, and household questionnaires to understand socio-ecological, environmental and anthropogenic factors facilitating hyena persistence in the shared landscape. The high density (12 individuals/100 km2) striped hyena in the landscape revealed the coexistence with humans. Being scavengers, they get subsidised food sources and are perceived as low-risk species by humans. Striped hyena minimised temporal activity during the daytime when human activity peaked. However, the highest activity overlap was observed in the agricultural area (Δ1 = 0.39), and likely depicts the high activity due to agricultural practices. While the human settlement was positively associated with the detection of hyenas, the probability of striped hyena captures increased with decreasing distance from human settlement, possibly influenced by high carcass availability, providing the easiest food resources to striped hyena, and allowing them to coexist with humans. This study demonstrates the coexistence of hyenas and humans in the shared landscape supported by mutual benefits, where hyenas benefit from anthropogenic food from scavenging, while humans benefit from waste removal and the non-lethal nature hyenas.
Conversion of mammalian cell culture media waste to microbial fermentation feed efficiently supports production of recombinant protein by Escherichia coli
Authors: Lynch Ciara D. , O’Connell David J.
Published: May 2022

Deriving new value from waste streams through secondary processes is a central aim of the circular bioeconomy. In this study we investigate whether chemically defined spent media (CDSM) waste from cell culture bioprocess can be recycled and used as a feed in secondary microbial fermentation to produce new recombinant protein products. Our results show that CDSM supplemented with 2% glycerol supported a specific growth rate of E. coli cultures equivalent to that achieved using a nutritionally rich microbiological media (LB). The titre of recombinant protein produced following induction in a 4-hour expression screen was approximately equivalent in the CDSM fed cultures to that of baseline, and this was maintained in a 16-hr preparative fermentation. To understand the protein production achieved in CDSM fed culture we performed a quantitative analysis of proteome changes in the E. coli using mass spectrometry. This analysis revealed significant upregulation of protein synthesis machinery enzymes and significant downregulation of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes. We conclude that spent cell culture media, which represents 100s of millions of litres of waste generated by the bioprocessing industry annually, may be valorized as a feed resource for the production of recombinant proteins in secondary microbial fermentations. Data is available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD026884.
Users’ satisfaction levels about mHealth applications in post-Covid-19 times in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alanzi Turki M.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the users’ satisfaction levels about mHealth applications and their intentions to use them in future (in post-Covid-19 times) in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in this study. The mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ)22 was used in this study. An online version of the survey was created using Google Surveys, and a link for the survey was generated. As the objective of this study is to assess the users’ satisfaction levels about mHealth applications and their intentions to use them in future (in post-Covid-19 times) in Saudi Arabia, all individuals who used or using mHealth applications will be included in this study. At the end of the survey time period, 318 responses were received.

Results

Items including ’easy to learn using the app’ (mean rating = 3.9), ’easy to find information on the application’(mean rating = 3.9), ’interface of the app’ (mean rating = 3.8) were rated to be highly effective by the participants.). However, ability to recover from mistakes while using the applications (mean rating = 2.9), inconsistency in navigation (mean rating = 2.9), and lack of all necessary functions (mean rating = 2.3) were few issues identified. No statistically significant difference of opinions was observed in relation to all sub-scales of usability factor.

Conclusion

Although the satisfaction levels are good with respect to mHealth applications, the sudden rise in the mHealth users can be partly linked to the several psychological issues such as anxiety and depression among people and also because of restricted access during the pandemic.
Identifying rates and risk factors for medication errors during hospitalization in the Australian Parkinson’s disease population: A 3-year, multi-center study
Authors: Bakker Michael , Johnson Michaela E. , Corre Lauren , Mill Deanna N. , Li Xingzhuo , Woodman Richard J. , Johnson Jacinta L.
Published: May 2022

Background

Admission to hospital introduces risks for people with Parkinson’s disease in maintaining continuity of their highly individualized medication regimens, which increases their risk of medication errors. This is of particular concern as omitted medications and irregular dosing can cause an immediate increase in an individual’s symptoms as well as other adverse outcomes such as swallowing difficulties, aspiration pneumonia, frozen gait and even potentially fatal neuroleptic malignant type syndrome.

Objective

To determine the occurrence and identify factors that contribute to Parkinson’s medication errors in Australian hospitals.

Methods

A retrospective discharge diagnosis code search identified all admissions for people with Parkinson’s disease to three tertiary metropolitan hospitals in South Australia, Australia over a 3-year period. Of the 405 case notes reviewed 351 admissions met our inclusion criteria.

Results

Medication prescribing (30.5%) and administration (85%) errors during admission were extremely common, with the most frequent errors related to administration of levodopa preparations (83%). A higher levodopa equivalent dosage, patients with a modified swallowing status or nil by mouth order during admission, and patients who did not have a pharmacist led medication history within 24 hours of admission had significantly higher rates of medication errors.

Conclusions

This study identified 3 major independent factors that increased the risk of errors during medication management for people with Parkinson’s disease during hospitalization. Thus, targeting these areas for preventative interventions have the greatest chance of producing a clinically meaningful impact on the number of hospital medication errors occurring in the Parkinson’s population.
Social disparities in students’ intention to enter higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Stark Johannes , Daniel Annabell , Twardawski Mathias
Published: May 2022

Research consistently shows that students from academic households are more likely to enter higher education than students from non-academic households. These inequalities are only secondarily due to differences in performance (i.e., primary effects), but mostly due to students’ decision making behavior (i.e., secondary effects). The relative share to which primary effects and secondary effects mediate the effect of students’ educational background on their intention to enter higher education is affected by external conditions. One significant external influence that may have had an impact on social disparities in students’ educational choices is the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we present data from N = 596 upper secondary students (41.6% from non-academic households) that were collected in Germany in April 2021. Building on rational choice theory, we scrutinized students’ expected benefits (i.e., employment prospects and personal significance), costs (i.e., direct costs and opportunity costs), and subjective probability of success in pursuing higher education as important psychological pillars for their intention to enter higher education. Results show that about 14% of social differences in students’ intention to enter higher education were due to primary effects, whereas almost 77% were explained by secondary effects. Specifically, we found that differences in the evaluation of benefits most strongly contributed to social inequalities in students’ intention to enroll in higher education. Compared to research on pre- COVID-19 cohorts, our results point to shifts in existing patterns of inequalities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early use of barbiturates is associated with increased mortality in traumatic brain injury patients from a propensity score-based analysis of a prospective cohort
Authors: Léger Maxime , Frasca Denis , Roquilly Antoine , Seguin Philippe , Cinotti Raphaël , Dahyot-Fizelier Claire , Asehnoune Karim , Le Borgne Florent , Gaillard Thomas , Foucher Yohann , Lasocki Sigismond ,   for AtlanRéa group
Published: May 2022

Barbiturates are proposed as a second/third line treatment for intracranial hypertension in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, but the literature remains uncertain regarding their benefit/risk balance. We aimed to evaluate the impact of barbiturates therapy in TBI patients with early intracranial hypertension on the intensive care unit (ICU) survival, the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and the patient’s functional status at three months. We used the French AtlanREA prospective cohort of trauma patients. Using a propensity score-based methodology (inverse probability of treatment weighting), we compared patients having received barbiturates within the first 24 hours of admission (barbiturates group) and those who did not (control group). We used cause-specific Cox models for ICU survival and risk of VAP, and logistic regression for the 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) evaluation. Among the 1396 patients with severe trauma, 383 had intracranial hypertension on admission and were analyzed. Among them, 96 (25.1%) received barbiturates. The early use of barbiturates was significantly associated with increased ICU mortality (HR = 1.85, 95%CI 1.03–3.33). However, barbiturates treatment was not significantly associated with VAP (HR = 1.02, 95%CI 0.75–1.41) or 3-month GOS (OR = 1.67, 95%CI 0.84–3.33). Regarding the absence of relevant clinical trials, our results suggest that each early prescription of barbiturates requires a careful assessment of the benefit/risk ratio.