bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Desenvolvimento como liberdade em uma comunidade ribeirinha da Amazônia: uma análise dos efeitos do Programa Bolsa Família em São Carlos, Porto Velho, Rondônia
Authors: Hecktheuer Pedro Abib , Souza Cassio Bruno Castro , Hecktheuer Fabio Rychecki
Published: November 2018

Neste artigo, discute-se se o Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) é uma política pública eficiente na expansão das liberdades substanciais dos indivíduos. Para responder ao problema proposto, a pesquisa realizou uma pesquisa de campo no Distrito de São Carlos, localizado no Município de Porto Velho, Rondônia. Os achados demonstram que o Programa Bolsa Família é uma alternativa bem-sucedida, já que proporciona aos ribeirinhos melhores condições de vida.  O acesso a utilidades básicas, como alimento, materiais escolares e vestuário, é garantido pelo programa, tendo em vista que uma grande parcela de pessoas dessas comunidades, embora desenvolvam atividades laborativas voltadas à subsistência, não possui vínculo formal e renda fixa.
Abertura constitucional e pluralismo democrático: a tensão na divisão dos poderes sob a ótica das instituições participativas
Authors: Andrade Cauê Ramos , Gaspardo Murilo
Published: November 2018

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo aplicar os pressupostos da teoria crítica da democracia e as suas implicações à hermenêutica constitucional para atualizar o debate sobre a divisão dos poderes entre circuito governo-parlamento e jurisdição constitucional, com a inserção das Instituições Participativas (IPs) como elemento de controle no caso brasileiro. Como fundamento teórico, será utilizada a proposta de abertura da hermenêutica constitucional, sumarizada no conceito de sociedade aberta de intérpretes de Peter Häberle, e a concepção de controle da Esfera Política pela Esfera Pública, em Habermas, reinterpretada sob a ótica das Instituições Participativas.
As audiências públicas no STF: a adoção de um modelo cooperativo de controle de constitucionalidade das normas
Authors: Oliveira Jadson Correia de , Silva Ivan Luiz da , Amorim Fernando Sérgio Tenório de
Published: November 2018

O presente trabalho pretende analisar a abertura do processo constitucional objetivo por meio da realização de audiências públicas. Faz-se um estudo sobre a atividade jurisdicional e seu exercício, de acordo com a evolução da própria sociedade a respeito dos seus valores, sob pena de se fossilizar o Direito e afastá-lo da sociedade. Assim, utiliza como exemplo da aplicação dos temas abordados a forma como foram organizadas as audiências públicas. A pesquisa conclui que a subjetivização do controle concentrado de constitucionalidade reflete uma expansão da cidadania e da própria democracia, quando cria um espaço deliberativo para viabilizar o acesso social ao processo de construção da decisão judicial.
La problemática de los inmigrantes ambientales y el patrocinio privado de refugiados
Authors: Villena Del Carpio David Fernando Santiago , Annoni Danielle
Published: November 2018

O presente artigo tem o objetivo de analisar a política do Patrocínio Privado de Refugiados (Private Sponsorship of Refugees), o qual se apresenta como uma alternativa diante do fluxo massivo de refugiados atualmente. O Patrocínio Privado de Refugiados nasceu no Canadá na década de 1970, com base na participação do setor privado – não restrito às empresas, mas também aberto à sociedade civil – que assume o patrocínio, ou a responsabilidade, de ajudar economicamente os solicitantes de refúgio, gerando consciência na sociedade local sobre os sofrimentos e a realidade vivida por essas pessoas. Nesse sentido, o presente artigo analisará como o Patrocínio Privado de Refugiados pode se tornar uma resposta rápida perante o fluxo de deslocados ambientais, já que eles não estão encaixados na definição de refugiados no Direito Internacional.
Obra de arte e filosofia: uma leitura de Franz Kafka a partir de Theodor Adorno
Authors: Savi Neto Pedro
Published: November 2018

O presente artigo se propõe a tensionar a relação entre filosofia e obra de arte no pensamento de Theodor Adorno com especial atenção à literatura de Franz Kafka. Pretendemos percorrer o caminho argumentativo construído por Adorno, desde a sua tese de habilitação até sua última obra, refletindo sobre os conceitos centrais de sua obra, buscando explicitar a relação entre filosofia e obra de arte.
Convergênciais e dissonâncias entre Luhmann e Bourdieu: os limites operacionais dos conceitos anomia e autopoiesis
Authors: Treuke Stephan
Published: November 2018

Este artigo identifica as principais convergências e dissonâncias metodológicas entre a Teoria dos Sistemas (Luhmann) e a Teoria da Prática (Bourdieu), valendo-se para isso de um contrastivo insight em seus conceitos-chave autopoiesis e anomia. Partindo das reflexões sociológicas-filosóficas de Christian Hartard (2010), o artigo examina criticamente o princípio da recursividade circular perpassando a concepção de sociogênese dos dois autores e o dilema da dupla hermenêutica deflagrado no discernimento emancipador do sujeito. Conclui-se que a recursividade inerente aos dois conceitos construtivista-generativista pressupõe a incorporação de elementos exógenos com capacidade transformatória das estruturas historicamente sedimentadas (Luhmann), respectivamente, dos corpos socializados (Bourdieu), através de processos de diferenciação e distinção, que ocorrem, contudo, dentro de estabelecidas restrições. Ambos autores pleiteiam pelo questionamento crítico do status quo interiorizado pelo sujeito, suscetível de restituir a capacidade de desmascarar as necessidades dóxicas da dupla contingência (Luhmann), respectivamente da legitimação hierárquica disfarçada (Bourdieu), ao observador da terceira ordem.
Imaginação e conhecimento na escola para além da verdade científica
Authors: Costa Marina Teixeira Mendes de Souza , Silva Daniele Nunes Henrique , Cruz Eva Aparecida Pereira Seabra da , Pederiva Patrícia Lima Martins
Published: November 2018

Tendo como base a perspectiva histórico-cultural, com destaque para a obra do psicólogo russo Lev Semionovich Vigotski, o presente artigo busca ampliar a reflexão teórica sobre as questões que envolvem a imaginação e o conhecimento na escola, problematizando alguns aspectos que se apresentam enraizados em nosso sistema educacional e que têm prejudicado a emergência dos processos criadores infantis. Na análise, propomos a problematização de três fatores interconectados, a saber: 1) a tradição positivista da escola; 2) a unidade compartimentalizada dos conteúdos escolares; e 3) o disciplinamento dos corpos. Notamos que, apesar dos muitos avanços e mudanças nas discussões acerca do tema e nas práticas pedagógicas contemporâneas, ainda temos um modelo de ensino que atrofia os processos de imaginar e criar na infância, trazendo prejuízos ao longo do desenvolvimento subjetivo.
UNICEF, infância, educação e práticas de proteção de direitos no Brasil
Authors: Lemos Flávia Cristina Silveira , Costa Nathália Dourado Frazão , Aquime Rafaele Habib , Couto Mariane Bittencourt Batista , Reis Júnior Leandro Passarinho dos
Published: November 2018

Esse artigo traz uma análise de práticas do Fundo das Nações Unidas para a Infância (UNICEF) sobre a educação infantil e a produção do objeto infância, no Brasil, a partir da Constituição de 1988. Resulta de pesquisa de mestrado na área de educação e psicologia escolar, com contribuições históricas e documentais. Aponta rupturas e descreve práticas na política da educação infantil brasileira escolar, a partir da Lei das Diretrizes e Bases da Educação, de 1996. Busca articular as relações entre as propostas do UNICEF, a LDB-1996 e o Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente de 1990, no panorama do cuidado e da educação de crianças pequenas e os efeitos dessas relações estabelecidas no governo dos corpos para a produção da infância escolar.
Razão e sociedade na teoria da escolha racionalidade
Authors: Boni Bittencourt Matheus
Published: November 2018

Trata-se de uma resenha do livro “A escolha racional como teoria social e política: uma leitura crítica”, de Bruno Sciberras de Carvalho. A obra analisada consiste em um estudo de Sociologia do Conhecimento sobre a teoria da escolha racional nas Ciências Sociais, uma corrente central no debate político e sociológico contemporâneo. O mérito da obra é explicitar os pressupostos normativos implícitos da perspectiva da escolha racional, que imprudentemente universaliza e naturaliza a atitude instrumental egoísta como um dado da natureza humana, ocultando as condições histórico-sociais que a estruturam.
Comparison of methods to derive radial wind speed from a continuous-wave coherent lidar Doppler spectrum
Authors: Held Dominique P. , Mann Jakob
Published: November 2018

Abstract. Continuous-wave (cw) lidar systems offer the possibility to remotely sense wind
speed but are also affected by differences in their measurement process
compared to more traditional anemometry like cup or sonic anemometers. Their
large measurement volume leads to an attenuation of turbulence. In this paper
we study how different methods to derive the radial wind speed from a lidar
Doppler spectrum can mitigate turbulence attenuation. The centroid, median
and maximum methods are compared by estimating transfer functions and
calculating root mean squared errors (RMSEs) between a lidar and a sonic
anemometer. Numerical simulations and experimental results both indicate that
the median method performed best in terms of RMSE and also had slight
improvements over the centroid method in terms of volume averaging reduction.
The maximum, even though it uses the least amount of information from the
Doppler spectrum, performs best at mitigating the volume averaging effect.
However, this benefit comes at the cost of increased signal noise due to
discretisation of the maximum method. Thus, when the aim is to mitigate the
effect of turbulence attenuation and obtain wind speed time series with low
noise, from the results of this study we recommend using the median method.
If the goal is to measure average wind speeds, all three methods perform
equally well.
MONITORING LANDSLIDES IN THE MUSSOORIE REGION, UTTARAKHAND USING MULTI-TEMPORAL SAR INTERFEROMETRY WITH SENTINEL-1 IMAGES
Authors: Narayan A. B. , Tiwari A. , Devara M. , Dwivedi R. , Dikshit O.
Published: November 2018

Abstract. Occurrence of landslide events are common in the lesser Himalayan region which lie in a tectonically active zone with unstable slopes. The Mussoorie region is situated in the lesser Himalayas and is one of most visited tourist sites of the Uttarakhand state. The region is facing social and economic crisis due to the damage caused by multiple landslide events, which requires continuous monitoring for better planning and rescue operations. This study shows the time series analysis of landslide events occurring in the Mussoorie region using the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) technique on Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The processing steps required to process the Sentinel-1 data stacks using both differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) and PSI are presented. 13 Sentinel-1A C-band interferometric wide swath (IW) images covering a time period of one year are used for PSI processing, resulting in the generation of 12 differential interferograms. The PSI approach extracted 5593 measurement points in the study area. The one dimensional line of sight (1D LOS) time series displacement estimates obtained from PSI processing show a maximum velocity of −55.7 mm year−1 in the radar line of sight (LOS) direction, indicating subsidence. The displacement map further used to characterize the landslide susceptible zones show higher displacement magnitude for areas near Jabarkhet, Bhataghat, Bansagad and Raipur range. Use of more Sentinel-1 images and better DInSAR processing algorithms can improve the displacement estimation and pattern detection.
IV. Reseñas
Authors: Arredondo Erika
Published: November 2018

N/A
Del declive al decrecimiento urbano: un debate en construcción
Authors: Fernández Agueda Beatriz , Cunningham-Sabot Emmanuèle
Published: November 2018

A lo largo de la historia, las ciudades han experimentado crisis más o menos duraderas que han dado lugar a importantes disminuciones de población y de actividad económica e incluso a su destrucción. Sin embargo, las dinámicas contemporáneas han dado lugar a fuertes disparidades a escala global, nacional y metropolitana y concentran el decrecimiento en determinadas áreas y ciudades. En un contexto de competencia creciente, éstas quedan cada vez más apartadas de la carrera global por la obtención de recursos, capital y poder. De este modo, el objetivo de este artículo es plantear una reflexión sobre la irrupción de estas cuestiones en España y Francia, comprender su inscripción en el debate internacional y, proponiendo una denominación, contribuir a la afirmación de esta línea de investigación en ambos países.
Patrones de consumo de agua en usos turístico-residenciales en la costa de Alicante (España) (2005-2015). Una tendencia desigual influida por la tipología urbana y grado de ocupación
Authors: Morote Seguido Álvaro Francisco , Hernández Hernández María , Rico Amorós Antonio Manuel
Published: November 2018

El litoral mediterráneo español ha vivido un importante crecimiento urbano relacionado con la actividad turística desde 1960. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar y caracterizar la tendencia del gasto de agua en la costa de Alicante (2005-2015), teniendo en cuenta la repercusión del aumento de viviendas y usuarios conectados a la red durante el último boom inmobiliario (1997-2008). Para ello, se han analizado datos de facturación de agua potable por vivienda en función de las diferentes tipologías urbano-residenciales y tipo de ocupación, y un análisis del consumo en hoteles. Entre las conclusiones cabe mencionar que se ha producido un cambio de tendencia a partir de mediados de la década del 2000 con una reducción del consumo y la verificación de pautas distintas en los módulos de gasto de agua. Se detecta, asimismo, que en determinadas tipologías de marcada función turístico-residencial se ha producido una moderada recuperación del consumo de agua desde 2010.
Los nombres de lugar: un recurso didáctico en la enseñanza geográfica del paisaje natural
Authors: Ordinas Garau Antoni , Binimelis Sebastián Jaume
Published: November 2018

A partir de la experiencia en recopilación toponímica se descubre no sólo la estrecha relación entre la toponimia y la ciencia geográfica sino también las posibilidades didácticas que los nombres de lugar, también conocidos como nombres geográficos, ofrecen para la enseñanza de la Geografía. Nuestra aportación se centra en sistematizar las diversas áreas temáticas del medio natural que se pueden abordar desde el análisis y estudio de los topónimos que caracterizan un determinado territorio, tanto si el aprovechamiento didáctico se basa en un grupo concreto de ellos como si se consideran en su conjunto. Su aplicación como recurso en la didáctica de la Geografía contribuye a dotar al alumnado de un mayor y más profundo conocimiento tanto del paisaje natural como del territorio que ocupa.
Los saberes campesinos como estrategia de desarrollo rural en la Serranía de los Yariguíes (Santander, Colombia)
Authors: Vergara-Buitrago Paulina-Alejandra
Published: November 2018

El saber propio de las comunidades campesinas, constituye un potencial de cambio para el manejo racional y la protección de los ecosistemas, ya que implica la producción y la vinculación del campesino como actor dentro de su propio territorio, además de la participación del mismo en la conservación del medio ambiente. Se realizó un trabajo participativo local, con el propósito de caracterizar los saberes de los campesinos ubicados en la microcuenca la Cinco Mil, Serranía de los Yariguíes (Santander, Colombia), visibilizando la contribución de estos saberes a la protección y conservación de ecosistemas estratégicos. Los resultados muestran que la recuperación y apropiación de los saberes campesinos, representan estrategias sostenibles frente a las técnicas de producción agrícola actuales, así como acciones para promover el desarrollo rural de la población de la microcuenca la Cinco Mil.
La edición crítica de "Visión Deleitable": Constitución del texto e historia de la tradición
Authors: García López Jorge
Published: November 2018

La Visión deleitable de Alfonso de la Torre fue una de las obras más leídas durante la segunda mitad del siglo XV y su interés continuó hasta el Siglo de las Luces, lo que nos permite reflexionar sobre los fundamentos de un texto crítico y repasar ese inventario de intereses que nos aclaran muchos aspectos de los posicionamientos estéticos e intelectuales durante más de dos siglos. Respecto a la documentación manuscrita, tenemos cerca de una veintena de códices en casi todas las variantes lingüísticas peninsulares del siglo XV, aparte de cinco incunables, uno en catalán y cuatro en castellano, y varias ediciones impresas durante el siglo XVI incluso una en italiano, lo que da fe de la gran demanda que obtuvo la obra del Bachiller.
Maimónides en la "Visión Deleytable": diferencia antropológica, beatitud intelectual y el problema de la materia
Authors: Granada Miguel Ángel
Published: November 2018

Partiendo de los resultados alcanzados por Luis M. Girón-Negrón en su libro Alfonso de la Torre’s Visión Deleytable, nos proponemos ampliar y completar la presencia de la Guía de Maimónides en la obra del bachiller Alfonso de la Torre mediante el examen de una serie de puntos centrales en la Visión, que ponen de manifiesto el sustrato judeoconverso de la obra y su afinidad intelectual con la corriente intelectualista que en los siglos XVI y XVII hallamos en pensadores como Pomponazzi, Bruno y Spinoza.
HISTÓRIA DA MAÇONARIA: MEMÓRIA COLETIVA, ESCRITA HISTÓRICA E LEGITIMAÇÃO DE UMA POTÊNCIA NO CEARÁ
Authors: SILVA Marcos José Diniz
Published: November 2018

O presente trabalho versa sobre a história da maçonaria no Ceará, a partir das publicações da Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Ceará sobre sua história como história da Maçonaria. A análise centrou-se nas cinco narrativas de autores vinculados à maçonaria local publicadas nos anos de 1973, 1977, 1987, 1998 e 2008. Discutiu-se, numa perspectiva historiográfica, o fato de que tais narrativas se inseriam naquilo que Maurice Halbwachs chama de memória coletiva, ou memória de grupo, à medida que os trabalhos denotam um esvaziamento da reprodução da memória coletiva entre seus membros e sua transplantação para narrativas históricas, ou memória histórica da instituição, na qual dominam interpretações que produzem e reforçam a hegemonia dessa corrente maçônica em detrimento da outra vinculava ao Grande Oriente do Brasil.
Societal Factors of Private Tutoring in English: Evidence from Bangladeshi Higher Secondary Students
Authors: Islam Monjurul , Hoque Kazi Enamul , Hoque Mohammed Shamsul
Published: November 2018

This study used the phenomenological qualitative research design to provide insights into the lived experiences of nine Bangladeshi higher secondary students in mainstream schools to determine the current practices of PT-E phenomenon, that had been motivated them to be enrolled in private tutoring sessions besides their formal schoolings. Each participant participated in one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interview. From nine verbatim transcripts 237 significant statements and four themes were emerged. The data represented that academic credentials, peer pressure, role of English in Bangladesh and parental involvement seem to be highly influential factors that influence school students to participate in PT-E.
Case valuation after scrambling: Nominative objects in Japanese
Authors: Kasai Hironobu
Published: November 2018

This paper provides new evidence for the claim that nominative objects in Japanese undergo overt movement without remaining at their base-generated positions, based on a variant of the construction which has not received as much attention as its complex predicate counterpart. It is then argued that the overt movement is scrambling. Departing from the general assumption, this paper investigates the hypothesis that an application of scrambling affects Case valuation, which was originally investigated by Fukui & Nishigauchi (1992) and Fukui (1995) (cf. Kuno 2002). Under the proposal, a nominative object is scrambled from its original position to the edge of vP, where nominative Case can be assigned. When scrambling does not take place, the object stays in-situ and receives accusative Case at its base-generated position. In other words, the Case alternation is contingent on the application of scrambling, which captures the optionality of the Case alternation in terms of that of scrambling. It is also proposed that the proposed mechanism of the Case alternation be restricted in such a way that the landing site and the base-generated position are included in the same transferred domain. Given this restriction, it is also possible to correctly capture cases where scrambling does not affect case valuation. The proposed analysis crucially adopts the hypothesis proposed by Chomsky (2001), where the transferred domain is the complement of a phase head. To the extent that the proposed analysis is successful, this paper lends support to this characterization of transferred domains.
Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) Preferred by Saudi EFL Students
Authors: Al-Bidawi Sultanah Abdulmoslah
Published: November 2018

The aim of this study is to identify Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) that seem to be used more frequently by Saudi undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students and to discuss the sub-strategies amongst the main five strategies identified by Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy of VLS. The population sample of 94 undergraduates was selected from Al Jouf University with the use of quantitative survey methodology. The questionnaire was designed based on Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy, with minor modifications. The findings reveal that Saudi undergraduate EFL learners highly preferred social strategies and, to a lesser degree, cognitive, meta-cognitive and determination strategies. It appears from this small sample size that memory strategies are the least preferred. From the sub-category strategies that appeared to be most preferred from the field work, our findings indicate that.
Memorias liberadas. Una aproximación al banco de la Memoria de San Juan del Puerto (Huelva).
Authors: Romero Villadóniga Juan Carlos
Published: November 2018

En unos tiempos en los que debido a la sobremodernidad tantas veces denunciada por Auger, el tiempo se ha dilatado de tal forma que ha perdido su esencia, conviene frenar en seco y pararse a pensar sobre los derroteros que estamos siguiendo. Curiosamente, a pesar del notable crecimiento exponencial que ha experimentado los medios de comunicación, donde la información se consume a una velocidad de vértigo y este volumen resulta ingente, contradictoriamente se está evidenciando una pérdida de la memoria colectiva, lo cual puede llegar a reportar graves consecuencias debido a la ausencia de referentes identitarios que dan sentido y cohesión a una comunidad. Para evitar dicha pérdida, se ha puesto en marcha en una pequeña población de Huelva, muy próxima a la capital, una experiencia novedosa la cual está comenzando a dar frutos duraderos, en beneficio del mantenimiento de una identidad colectiva con unos rasgos muy peculiares.
No sense la meva música: la música com a fet social
Authors: Martí Josep
Published: November 2018

Tot reconeixent que la societat no és la mera suma d’individus sinó el resultat d’individus interactuant, i els individus són així mateix el resultat de la seva interacció, l’article pren com a punt de partença la idea que aquesta interacció que ens construeix com a individus es produeix entre d’altres molts recursos mitjançant la música. La importància que té la música a la tasca de fer societat es posa especialment de manifest en el paper que juga en tres paràmetres bàsics de la lògica social: la identitat, l’ordre social i la necessitat de l’intercanvi. Però no és tan sols que la persona sigui incomprensible sense el constant intercanvi amb altres individus; sense moltes de les coses que l’envolten, ontològicament, tampoc podria ésser. I la música, en aquest sentit, en tant que tecnologia, pot arribar a entendre’s així mateix como una veritable extensió del nostre cos (McLuhan).
Wiedza na temat zaburzeń ze spectrum i opinie dotyczące edukacji włączającej dzieci z tymi zaburzeniami u nauczycieli szkół podstawowych oraz studentów kierunków nauczycielskich
Authors: Nowakowska Iwona , Pisula Ewa
Published: November 2018

Badanie dotyczyło poziomu wiedzy na temat zaburzeń ze spektrum autyzmu (autism spectrum disorders, ASD) oraz opinii dotyczących kształcenia inkluzyjnego dzieci z tymi zaburzeniami u studentów kierunków nauczycielskich (N = 70) i aktywnych zawodowo nauczycieli ogólnodostępnych szkół podstawowych (N = 70). Poziom wiedzy o ASD oraz opinie na temat inkluzji mierzono dwoma opracowanymi na potrzeby badania kwestionariuszami. Ogólny poziom wiedzy na temat ASD był stosunkowo wysoki, odnotowano jednak utrzymywanie się przekonania o występowaniu u większości osób z ASD wybitnych zdolności, a także niejasności dotyczących znaczenia czynników psychogennych w etiologii tych zaburzeń. Większość badanych nauczycieli była zdania, że dla dzieci z ASD korzystniejsza jest edukacja w specjalnym środowisku szkolnym,
uwzględniającym ich szczególne potrzeby. Ze względu na sondażowy charakter badania, specyfikę wykorzystanych narzędzi oraz małą liczbę uczestników uzyskane wyniki należy traktować
jako wstęp do dalszych badań.
Kierowca z niepełnosprawnością – aktualny stan wsparcia w obszarze mobilności na świecie i w Polsce .
Authors: Ucińska Monika , Wnuk Aneta
Published: November 2018

Wdrażanie zapisów Konwencji o prawach osób niepełnosprawnych Organizacji Narodów Zjednoczonych i związana z tym aktywizacja osób z niepełnosprawnościami skutkują coraz większym zainteresowaniem problematyką niepełnoprawności w kontekście mobilności tych osób.
Potrzeba bycia niezależnym implikuje poszukiwanie sposobów wsparcia osób z niepełnosprawnościami w celu jak największej ich niezależności. W artykule przedstawiono problematykę kierowców z niepełnosprawnościami oraz zaprezentowano przykłady wsparcia tej grupy uczestników ruchu, opierając się na zagranicznych i krajowych doświadczeniach.
Research-to-Practice Gaps in Multiple Sclerosis Care for Patients with Subjective Cognitive, Mental Health, and Psychosocial Concerns in a Canadian Center
Authors: Walker Lisa A.S. , Gardner Courtney , Freedman Mark S. , MacLean Heather , Rush Carolina , Bowman Marjorie
Published: November 2018

Background:

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at increased risk for cognitive impairment, mental health concerns, and psychosocial issues, which can negatively affect disease outcomes and quality of life. Current MS care guidelines recommend integrated interdisciplinary services to address these concerns; however, issues can be overlooked during routine care. To date, there is inadequate research on how often these issues are identified and addressed during routine MS care.

Methods:

One hundred medical records were randomly selected and reviewed (55 relapsing-remitting MS, 17 secondary progressive MS, 8 primary progressive MS, and 20 other or subtype not indicated). All visits to, and contacts with (ie, telephone, e-mail), an MS clinic over 1 year were included in the analysis to determine the proportion of patients presenting with cognitive, mental health, and psychosocial concerns and the proportion of patients offered associated services.

Results:

Of the 25 patients with at least one identified concern, treatment recommendations occurred for 13 (52%). Rates of identification of cognitive, mental health, and psychosocial concerns in standard clinical practice were significantly lower than the identified prevalence in epidemiologic studies. Demographic factors had no bearing on who was offered treatment. Patients with concerns access MS clinic services more often than those without.

Conclusions:

Discrepancies between reported and expected frequencies may be due to overreliance on patient self-disclosure and concerns by the health care team that inadequate resources are available to address issues. An interdisciplinary team model may help address these issues.
The comparative population genetics of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Vigue Lucile , Eyre-Walker Adam
Published: November 2018

Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) and N. gonorrhoeae (Ng) are closely related pathogenic bacteria. Using those genes found across 20 Nm and 15 Ng genomes we find that Nm is 7x more diverse than Ng in their combined core genome. Both species have acquired the majority of their diversity by recombination with divergent strains, however we find that Nm has acquired more of its diversity by recombination than Ng. We find that linkage disequilibrium declines rapidly across both species. Several observations suggest that Nm has a higher effective population size than Ng; it is more diverse, the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous polymorphism is lower, and LD declines more rapidly to a lower asymptote. The two species share a modest amount of variation, half of which seems to have been acquired by lateral gene transfer and half from their common ancestor. We investigate whether diversity varies across the genome of each species and find that it does. Much of this variation is due to different levels of lateral gene transfer. However, we also find some evidence that the effective population size varies across the genome. We test for adaptive evolution in the core genome and found some evidence.
Cold-start playlist recommendation with multitask learning
Authors: Chen Dawei , Ong Cheng Soon , Menon Aditya Krishna
Published: November 2018

Playlist recommendation involves producing a set of songs that a user might enjoy. We investigate this problem in three cold-start scenarios: (i) cold playlists, where we recommend songs to form new personalised playlists for an existing user; (ii) cold users, where we recommend songs to form new playlists for a new user; and (iii) cold songs, where we recommend newly released songs to extend users’ existing playlists. We propose a flexible multitask learning method to deal with all three settings. The method learns from user-curated playlists, and encourages songs in a playlist to be ranked higher than those that are not by minimising a bipartite ranking loss. Inspired by an equivalence between bipartite ranking and binary classification, we show how one can efficiently approximate an optimal solution of the multitask learning objective by minimising a classification loss. Empirical results on two real playlist datasets show the proposed approach has good performance for cold-start playlist recommendation.
Microbiome of two predominant seagrass species of the Kenyan coast, Enhalus acoroides and Thalassodendron ciliatum
Authors: Kaimenyi Davies Kiambi , De Villiers Etienne P , Ngoi Joyce , Ndiso James B , De Villiers Santie M
Published: November 2018

Background. Metagenomics studies have reported on the complexity of microbiomes associated with seagrass and can provide critical insights into the sustainable use and conservation of seagrasses. Recent conservation activities in Kenya focused mainly on coral reefs and mangrove forests with little direct action taken to conserve seagrass meadows. Pollution, over-exploitation of marine resources and minimal efforts towards enforcement of conservation laws of marine environments, have caused degradation and defoliation of seagrass habitats. Little is known about the microbes associated with seagrass species in Kenya and this study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of the microbiomes of two prominent seagrass species, Enhalus acoroides and Thallasodendron ciliatum, which are the most commonly occurring species.

Methods. Replicate microbiome samples were collected from leaves, roots, sediment and water columns associated with the two seagrass species from two sites on the Kenyan coast. The microbial communities of the samples were characterized and compared using 16S ribosomal RNA gene PCR and sequencing. Microbiome features including diversity and taxonomic composition were used to compare within and between sample types and sites.

Results. Leaf samples from both E. acoroides and T. ciliatum had significantly different microbial communities comparted to root and sediment samples, revealing a diversity gradient with lowest diversity in water samples and highest in sediment. There were no significant variation in seagrass microbial composition associated with leaf and rhizosphere microbiomes of either E. acoroides or T. ciliatum. However, we did see a difference between water samples associated with each seagrass species.

Discussion. This study of the microbiomes associated with the sediments, roots, leaves and surrounding water of E. acoroides and T. ciliatum, included a limited number of samples from a small geographic area, providing a valuable first assessment of the microbial diversity of seagrass beds on the Kenyan coast. We found no significant differences between the plant-associated bacterial communities of the two-seagrass species investigated. Significant differences however, were observed amongst leaf-, root-, sediment- and water-associated bacterial communities. This work will contribute to understanding the dynamic environment of seagrass beds and will contribute to helping conserving and re-establishing seagrass beds degraded by due to anthropogenic activities.
Repeatedly adopting power postures does not affect hormonal correlates of dominance and affiliative behavior
Authors: Metzler Hannah , Grèzes Julie
Published: November 2018

Background. Adopting expansive versus constrictive postures related to high versus low levels of social power has been suggested to induce changes in testosterone and cortisol levels, and thereby to mimic hormonal correlates of dominance behavior. However, these findings have been challenged by several non-replications recently. Although there is thus more evidence against than for such posture effects on hormones, the question remains as to whether repeatedly holding postures over time and/or assessing hormonal responses at different time points would yield different outcomes. The current study assesses these methodological characteristics as possible reasons for previous null-findings. By testing effects of repeated but short posture manipulations in a social context while using a cover-story, it further fulfills the conditions previously raised as potentially necessary for the effects to occur.

Methods. 82 male participants repeatedly adopted an expansive or constrictive posture for 2 minutes in between blocks of a task that consisted in categorizing faces based on first impressions. Saliva samples were taken at two different time points in a time window in which hormonal responses to stress, competition and other manipulations are known to be strongest.

Results. Neither testosterone and cortisol levels linked to dominance behaviors, nor progesterone levels related to affiliative tendencies, changed from before to after adopting expansive or constrictive postures. The present results establish that even repeated power posing in a context where social stimuli are task-relevant does not elicit changes in hormone levels.
Translation attenuation by minocycline enhances longevity and proteostasis in old post-stress-responsive organisms
Authors: Solis Gregory M , Kardakaris Rozina , Valentine Elizabeth R , Bar-Peled Liron , Chen Alice L , Blewett Megan M , McCormick Mark A , Williamson James R , Kennedy Brian , Cravatt Benjamin F , Petrascheck Michael
Published: November 2018

Aging impairs the activation of stress signaling pathways (SSPs), preventing the induction of longevity mechanisms late in life. Here, we show that the antibiotic minocycline increases lifespan and reduces protein aggregation even in old, SSP-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans by targeting cytoplasmic ribosomes, preferentially attenuating translation of highly translated mRNAs. In contrast to most other longevity paradigms, minocycline inhibits rather than activates all major SSPs and extends lifespan in mutants deficient in the activation of SSPs, lysosomal or autophagic pathways. We propose that minocycline lowers the concentration of newly synthesized aggregation-prone proteins, resulting in a relative increase in protein-folding capacity without the necessity to induce protein-folding pathways. Our study suggests that in old individuals with incapacitated SSPs or autophagic pathways, pharmacological attenuation of cytoplasmic translation is a promising strategy to reduce protein aggregation. Altogether, it provides a geroprotecive mechanism for the many beneficial effects of tetracyclines in models of neurodegenerative disease.

Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
Arterial smooth muscle cell PKD2 (TRPP1) channels regulate systemic blood pressure
Authors: Bulley Simon , Fernández-Peña Carlos , Hasan Raquibul , Leo M Dennis , Muralidharan Padmapriya , Mackay Charles E , Evanson Kirk W , Moreira-Junior Luiz , Mata-Daboin Alejandro , Burris Sarah K , Wang Qian , Kuruvilla Korah P , Jaggar Jonathan H
Published: November 2018

Systemic blood pressure is determined, in part, by arterial smooth muscle cells (myocytes). Several Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are proposed to be expressed in arterial myocytes, but it is unclear if these proteins control physiological blood pressure and contribute to hypertension in vivo. We generated the first inducible, smooth muscle-specific knockout mice for a TRP channel, namely for PKD2 (TRPP1), to investigate arterial myocyte and blood pressure regulation by this protein. Using this model, we show that intravascular pressure and α1-adrenoceptors activate PKD2 channels in arterial myocytes of different systemic organs. PKD2 channel activation in arterial myocytes leads to an inward Na+ current, membrane depolarization and vasoconstriction. Inducible, smooth muscle cell-specific PKD2 knockout lowers both physiological blood pressure and hypertension and prevents pathological arterial remodeling during hypertension. Thus, arterial myocyte PKD2 controls systemic blood pressure and targeting this TRP channel reduces high blood pressure.
Forenende motsetninger i barnehagelærerhverdagen
Authors: Sando Svein E.
Published: November 2018

I intervjuer med erfarne praksislærere i barnehagelærerutdanningen beskriver disse en rekke situasjoner i barnehagehverdagen der personalet må velge mellom motsatte handlingsmåter der det gis gode grunner for begge motsetningene. En slik motsetning, ydmykhet – autoritet, finner vi også i Tholins Yrkesetikk for førskolelærere, som henter motsetningsparet fra en eldre rammeplan for førskolelærerutdanningen. K. E. Løgstrup kaller slike motsetninger for forenende motsetninger og skal etter hans syn nettopp beholdes som motsetninger som holder hverandre i sjakk slik at de ikke utarter seg til karikaturer av seg selv. Aristoteles teori om den gylne middelvei gir også hjelp til å finne hvilke av de to i et motsetningspar som bør gis fortrinn i konkrete øyeblikksituasjoner. Artikkelen drøfter om den gylne middelvei er en overflødig teori ved slike motsetninger som i stedet på tradisjonelt fagetisk vis kan drøftes som etiske dilemmaer.Nøkkelord: Aristoteles, barnehagelærer, etikk, Løgstrup
Anthropometric prediction of DXA-measured body composition in female team handball players
Authors: Cavedon Valentina , Zancanaro Carlo , Milanese Chiara
Published: November 2018

Background

The relevance of body composition (BC) to performance in sport has long been appreciated with special concern on the total and regional proportion of fat and muscle. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is able to accurately measure BC, but it may not be easily available in practice; anthropometry has long been used as a simple and inexpensive field method to objectively assess BC. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to develop and validate a sport-specific anthropometric predictive equation for total body fat mass (FM) and lean mass components in female handball players to be used in the sport setting; second, to cross-validate in female team handball players several independently developed, predictive equations for BC in female athletes.

Methods

A total of 85 female team handball players (30 wings, 31 backs, 14 pivots, 10 goalkeepers) of different competitive levels underwent anthropometry and a whole-body DXA scan. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to develop predictive equations in a derivation sample (n = 60) of randomly selected players using demographic and anthropometric variables. The developed equations were used to predict DXA outcomes in an independent validation sample (n = 25).

Results

Statistically significant (P < 0.001) models were developed for total body FM (adjusted R2 = 0.943, standard error of the estimate, SEE = 1,379 g), percentage FM (adjusted R2 = 0.877, SEE = 2.00%), fat-free soft tissue mass (FFSTM) (adjusted R2 = 0.834, SEE = 2,412 g), fat-free mass (FFSTM + bone mineral content; adjusted R2 = 0.829, SEE = 2,579 g). All models were robust to collinearity. Each developed equation was successfully validated in the remaining 25 players using correlation analysis, mean signed difference, t-test, and Bland–Altman plot. The whole dataset of team handball players (n = 85) was used to cross-validate several predictive equations independently developed by others in female athletes. Equations significantly (P < 0.001 for all; t-test) over- or underestimated the corresponding DXA measurements.

Discussion

It is concluded that in team female handball players the anthropometric equations presented herein are able to estimate body fat and FFSTM with accuracy. Several BC predictive anthropometric equations developed in different female athletic populations revealed inaccurate when tested in team handball players. These results should be of use for coaches, physical trainers, and nutritionists when evaluating the physical status of female team handball players.
Cochlear impulse responses resolved into sets of gammatones: the case for beating of closely spaced local resonances
Authors: Bell Andrew , Wit Hero P.
Published: November 2018

Gammatones have had a long history in auditory studies, and recent theoretical work suggests they may play an important role in cochlear mechanics as well. Following this lead, the present paper takes five examples of basilar membrane impulse responses and uses a curve-fitting algorithm to decompose them into a number of discrete gammatones. The limits of this ‘sum of gammatones’ (SOG) method to accurately represent the impulse response waveforms were tested and it was found that at least two and up to six gammatones could be isolated from each example. Their frequencies were stable and largely independent of stimulus parameters. The gammatones typically formed a regular series in which the frequency ratio between successive members was about 1.1. Adding together the first few gammatones in a set produced beating-like waveforms which mimicked waxing and waning, and the instantaneous frequencies of the waveforms were also well reproduced, providing an explanation for frequency glides. Consideration was also given to the impulse response of a pair of elastically coupled masses—the basis of two-degree-of-freedom models comprised of coupled basilar and tectorial membranes—and the resulting waveform was similar to a pair of beating gammatones, perhaps explaining why the SOG method seems to work well in describing cochlear impulse responses. A major limitation of the SOG method is that it cannot distinguish a waveform resulting from an actual physical resonance from one derived from overfitting, but taken together the method points to the presence of a series of closely spaced local resonances in the cochlea.
Arabidopsis thaliana α1,2‐l‐fucosyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of l‐galactose to xyloglucan oligosaccharides
Authors: Ohashi Hiroyuki , Ohashi Takao , Misaki Ryo , Fujiyama Kazuhito
Published: November 2018

l‐Galactose (l‐Gal) is one of the components of plant cell wall polysaccharides. In the GDP‐l‐fucose‐deficient Arabidopsis thaliana mutant mur1, l‐fucose (l‐Fuc) residues in xyloglucan are substituted by l‐Gal residues. l‐Gal only differs from l‐Fuc by the presence of an oxygen at C‐6. Thus, we hypothesized that the A. thaliana xyloglucan α1,2‐l‐fucosyltransferase (AtFUT1) is also responsible for the l‐galactosyl transfer to d‐galactose residues in xyloglucan. In this study, we heterologously produced AtFUT1 in fission yeast and carried out an in vitro assay for the activities of AtFUT1 on GDP‐l‐Gal and xyloglucan oligosaccharide. We show that the recombinant AtFUT1 catalyzes l‐Gal transfer to xyloglucan oligosaccharides although the initial velocity of l‐Gal transfer is 3.1 times lower than that of l‐Fuc transfer.
EGFR and Prion protein promote signaling via FOXO3a‐KLF5 resulting in clinical resistance to platinum agents in colorectal cancer
Authors: Atkinson Caroline J. , Kawamata Futoshi , Liu Cheng , Ham Sunyoung , Győrffy Balázs , Munn Alan L. , Wei Ming Q. , Möller Andreas , Whitehall Vicki , Wiegmans Adrian P.
Published: November 2018

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) supports colorectal cancer progression via oncogenic signaling. Anti‐EGFR therapy is being investigated as a clinical option for colorectal cancer, and an observed interaction between EGFR and Prion protein has been detected in neuronal cells. We hypothesized that PrPC expression levels may regulate EGFR signaling and that detailed understanding of this signaling pathway may enable identification of resistance mechanisms and new actionable targets in colorectal cancer. We performed molecular pathway analysis following knockdown of PrPC or inhibition of EGFR signaling via gefitinib to identify changes in expression of key signaling proteins that determine cellular sensitivity or resistance to cisplatin. Expression of these proteins was examined in matched primary and metastatic patient samples and was correlated for resistance to therapy and progression of disease. Utilizing three colorectal cancer cell lines, we observed a correlation between high expression of PrPC and resistance to cisplatin. Investigation of molecular signaling in a resistant cell line revealed that PrPC contributed to signaling via colocalization with EGFR, which could be overcome by targeting p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK). We revealed that the level of Krüppel‐like factor 5 (KLF5), a target downstream of p38 MAPK, was predictive for cell line and patient response to platinum agents. Further, high KLF5 expression was observed in BRAF‐mutant colorectal cancer. Our study indicates that the EGFR to KLF5 pathway is predictive of patient progression on platinum‐based therapy.