bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The experience of adherence among hemodialysis patients undergoing therapeutic regimen: a qualitative study
Authors: Sulistyaningsih Dwi Retno , Nurachmah Elly , Yetti Krisna , Priyo Hastono Sutanto
Published: December 2020

Background: Hemodialysis is one of the most widely used renal replacement therapies and the most efficient procedure for managing patients with end-stage renal disease. It can reduce the symptoms of the disease; however, it affects quality of life, resulting in major changes to all areas of life. Thus, patients must adhere to the therapeutic regimen of hemodialysis. Knowledge regarding the adherence of hemodialysis patients to their therapeutic regimens and their experience is needed as it forms the basis for developing comprehensive nursing care and broader nursing practices for renal disease patients. This study aimed to explore patients’ experience of adherence to the therapeutic regimen.

Methods: The design of this study was formulated using a qualitative phenomenological approach with a purposive sampling method that involved interviewing 10 selected patients. Data analysis was performed using the Colaizzi method.

Results: The results of this study revealed five themes: (1) the most difficult period is the beginning of the hemodialysis program; (2) it is important for patients to perform self-care; (3) nurses play a critical role in improving adherence; (4) there is a decrease in patients’ ability to perform physical activity; and (5) there are supporting and inhibiting factors of adherence to the therapeutic regimens in hemodialysis patients.

Conclusions: Adherence to the therapeutic regimen fluctuates. Thus, there is a need to optimize the role of nurses in improving adherence.
High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in health care workers but relatively low numbers of deaths in urban Malawi
Authors: Chibwana Marah G. , Jere Khuzwayo C. , Kamng'ona Raphael , Mandolo Jonathan , Katunga-Phiri Vincent , Tembo Dumizulu , Mitole Ndaona , Musasa Samantha , Sichone Simon , Lakudzala Agness , Sibale Lusako , Matambo Prisca , Kadwala Innocent , Byrne Rachel L. , Mbewe Alice , Henrion Marc Y. R. , Morton Ben , Phiri Chimota , Mallewa Jane , Mwandumba Henry C. , Adams Emily R. , Gordon Stephen B. , Jambo Kondwani C.
Published: December 2020

Background: In low-income countries, like Malawi, important public health measures including social distancing or a lockdown have been challenging to implement owing to socioeconomic constraints, leading to predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic would progress rapidly. However, due to limited capacity to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, there are no reliable estimates of the true burden of infection and death.  We, therefore, conducted a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey amongst health care workers (HCWs) in Blantyre city to estimate the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban Malawi.

Methods: We recruited 500 otherwise asymptomatic HCWs from Blantyre City (Malawi) from 22nd May 2020 to 19th June 2020 and serum samples were collected from all participants. A commercial ELISA was used to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in serum.

Results: A total of 84 participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The HCWs with positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody results came from different parts of the city. The adjusted seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 12.3% [CI 8.2 - 16.5]. Using age-stratified infection fatality estimates reported from elsewhere, we found that at the observed adjusted seroprevalence, the number of predicted deaths was eight times the number of reported deaths.

Conclusions: The high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs and the discrepancy in the predicted versus reported deaths suggests that there was early exposure but slow progression of COVID-19 epidemic in urban Malawi. This highlights the urgent need for development of locally parameterised mathematical models to more accurately predict the trajectory of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa for better evidence-based policy decisions and public health response planning.
Programme theory and linked intervention strategy for large-scale change to improve hospital care in a low and middle-income country - A Study Pre-Protocol
Authors: English Mike , Nzinga Jacinta , Irimu Grace , Gathara David , Aluvaala Jalemba , McKnight Jacob , Wong Geoffrey , Molyneux Sassy
Published: December 2020

In low and middle-income countries (LMIC) general hospitals are important for delivering some key acute care services. Neonatal care is emblematic of these acute services as averting deaths requires skilled care over many days from multiple professionals with at least basic equipment. However, hospital care is often of poor quality and large-scale change is needed to improve outcomes. In this manuscript we aim to show how we have drawn upon our understanding of contexts of care in Kenyan general hospital NBUs, and on social and behavioural theories that offer potential mechanisms of change in these settings, to develop an initial programme theory guiding a large scale change intervention to improve neonatal care and outcomes.  Our programme theory is an expression of our assumptions about what actions will be both useful and feasible.  It incorporates a recognition of our strengths and limitations as a research-practitioner partnership to influence change. The steps we employ represent the initial programme theory development phase commonly undertaken in many Realist Evaluations. However, unlike many Realist Evaluations that develop initial programme theories focused on pre-existing interventions or programmes, our programme theory informs the design of a new intervention that we plan to execute. Within this paper we articulate briefly how we propose to operationalise this new intervention. Finally, we outline the quantitative and qualitative research activities that we will use to address specific questions related to the delivery and effects of this new intervention, discussing some of the challenges of such study designs. We intend that this research on the intervention will inform future efforts to revise the programme theory and yield transferable learning.
Multiregional Oligopoly with Capacity Constraints
Authors: Alsabah Humoud , Bernard Benjamin , Capponi Agostino , Iyengar Garud , Sethuraman Jay
Published: December 2020

We develop a model of Cournot competition between capacity-constrained firms that sell a single good to multiple regions. We provide a novel characterization for the unique equilibrium allocation of the good across regions and design an algorithm to compute it. We show that a reduction in transportation costs by a firm may negatively impact the profit of all firms and reduce aggregate consumer surplus if such a firm is capacity constrained. Our results imply that policies promoting free trade may have unintended consequences and reduce aggregate welfare in capacity-constrained industries.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, revenue management and market analytics.
Ensino remoto em tempos de Covid-19: percepções de alunos do curso de Letras
Authors: Lima Fernanda Barboza de
Published: December 2020

A pandemia do Covid-19 impeliu universidades a suspenderem suas atividades que, aos poucos, foram transferidas para a modalidade de ensino remoto. Nesse contexto, professores e alunos passaram a conviver com novos formatos de ensino que se propunham a atenuar os efeitos da interrupção das aulas presenciais. Com o objetivo de nos somar às reflexões e estudos que tentam compreender os impactos dessa realidade, propomo-nos a analisar as percepções que graduandos de Letras da modalidade presencial tiveram do ensino remoto depois de cursarem disciplinas em uma plataforma virtual de aprendizagem. Os principais resultados apontam a falta de interação presencial como maior desvantagem; e a maior autonomia na organização dos estudos como maior vantagem do ensino remoto em comparação ao presencial.
Letramento digital e multimodalidade: uma entrevista com a professora Carla Coscarelli em tempos de pandemia
Authors: Coscarelli Carla Viana , Da Silva Thayane Verçosa , Santos Brigida Marcela , Ribeiro Nunes Gabriela
Published: December 2020

A impressionante e sólida trajetória da professora Carla Viana Coscarelli, centrada em temas como leitura, produção de textos, ensino e letramento digital, justifica por si só a sua presença como entrevistada neste número da Palimpsesto. Graduada em Letras pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, ela é mestre e doutora em Estudos Linguísticos pela mesma Universidade, tem pós-doutorado em Ciências Cognitivas pela University of California (San Diego) e em Educação pela University of Rhode Island. Sua tese de doutorado, “Leitura em ambiente multimídia e a produção de inferências”, defendida em 1999, é um dos exemplos da reflexão da entrevistada sobre a inclusão de múltiplas fontes no processo de leitura e aprendizagem, a qual vem sendo aprimorada ao longo de sua carreira. Atualmente, é Professora Titular da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, onde participa do Núcleo de Pesquisa Lingtec (Língua e Tecnologia), do Ceale (Centro de alfabetização, leitura e escrita) e coordena o Projeto de Extensão Redigir, um belíssimo exemplo de como ensino, pesquisa e extensão, quando bem articulados, geram resultados muito frutíferos.
The image of New York in the context of the criminal world in the novel „The Godfather” by M. Puzo
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Boklakh D. Yu.
Published: December 2020

The work identifies the features of the artistic worldview of urban reality by the author, which is associated with the reproduction of the criminal sphere of life in New York in the middle of the twentieth century. It was found that the compositional center and background of events in the work is the image of the city, which becomes a sensotvir dominant, forms a system of local areas mainly without detailed action in time. The image of the city is perceived in the imagination of the explicit recipient, obeys the author’s intention and consciously follows it, becoming a passive observer. The author’s assessment of the reproduction of the objective world of the city is absent. The construction of temporal and spatial elements occurs through the retrospection of the narrator. New York is becoming a certified reflection of the life of the mafia world, full of social vices and an idle lifestyle. The sensual sphere of the city is full of immorality, the prosperity of crime, and the mercantile interests of residents. The linguistic context of reproducing the image of the city is indicated by modeling a kind of chronicle with a lexically monotonous text, created through the use of newspaper and telegraph stylistics.
Map-and-territory of modern geopoetics: sources and artistic practice
Authors:   Borys Hrinchenko University of Kyiv, Brovko O. O.
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this article is an attempt to outline the specifics of artistic mapping in contemporary literature through conceptualization to understand the „map” and territory "in the context of geopoietics studios. Philosophical and cultural works, which supplement the theoretical and methodological base of geopoetics, were chosen as the methodological basis for the research. Metaphor „A map is not the territory” (Alfred Korzybski) serves to explain the representation of the world, the description of reality. Artistic expictations of cartography are considered on the material of the works „Voroshilovgrad” by Sergey Zhadan, „The Map and the Territory” by Michel Welbeck, „Certain Judgments about Byzantium” by Velimir Churgus Kazimir. This article analyzes the problem of reality and literature interrelation and the problem of man and landscape relations. It is memory and place through the landscape that allow to connect local, ethnic and global aspects into a single whole. Cultural and civilization projections, map and territory designs are perceived in modern humanities as a manifestation of struggle and mutual overlay of „tree” and „root” cultures. The research of the transcultural communications in the artistic space, allows to define modern aesthetics as the universalistic functions. Local space and limited geo-cultural landscape inspires individual mythology of modern writers. In modern fiction we often observe incorporation of historical facts, fragments of pseudo-documents, description of real landscapes and maps of invented territories into the text.
Genre originality of R. Riggs’ novel „Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”
Authors:   National University ", Kushnirova T. V. ,   Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic", Fisak I. V. ,   General Education School №20
Published: December 2020

The article carries out a systematic study of the genre of R. Riggs’ work „Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”, establishes its genre originality, states the features of different types of genre in the structure of one work, which is manifested in the multi-genre nature of the work. The article thoroughly and consistently proves that the work of R. Riggs „Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is a novel form, which is characterized by genre syncretism, as the genre structure combines features of fantasy, adventure, social novels and oral folklore, thoroughly decorated with philosophical motives. This „universality” is formed due to the relevant themes, issues, eidology, plot and compositional features. „Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is a multi-genre novel that combines several genres. The genre of the work can be called a fantastic-social novel-fairy tale, where the philosophical and psychological themes are constant. The author managed to reveal important social and psychological themes within the fantastic chronotope, which is presented by comparing real and unreal time-space. Constant in the novel is the image of the protagonist, who is the narrator, through the perspective of which the story achieves its subjectivity. The novel is characterized by a set of motives: social (war, genocide, inclusion, etc.), existential (meaning of life, existence of personality), psychological (loneliness, soul, loss), socio-historical (war, friendship, love, help), philosophical (good and evil, death, life), etc., which, combined, form a complex and unique artistic world of the novel form.
Contemporary literature as an art representation of the phenomenon of „hybrid identity”
Authors:   Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy, Slonevska I. B. , Piroshenko S. Yu. ,   Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy
Published: December 2020

The article considers the features of modern Western literature in postcolonial discourse. Emphasis is placed on researches that have formed the basis for understanding the phenomenon of multiculturalism in modern humanities. In this context, the concept of transculturation as a new worldview and a way of polemics with multiculturalism has been analyzed and the leading ideas have been singled out: „borderline identity”, hybridity, ambivalence, etc. The modern European literature is characterized as an artistic representation of the mentioned concepts, the so-called „borderline consciousness”, which underlies the hybrid worldview. The authors consider the phenomenon of cross-cultural (multicultural, transcultural) or postcolonial novel as one of the brightest phenomena of modern literary discourse. The dominant of creative work of cross-cultural authors is the identity crisis inherent in both the author and his or her character. In the proposed dimension, the work of immigrant authors in general and S. Rushdie’s novels in particular are considered as an artistic actualization of the theory of cultural hybridity, and the narrative of life „on the border” is defined as the most notable artistic strategy of modern literature.
The art of aphorisms in „The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
Authors:   Luhansk State University of Internal Affairs named after E. O. Didorenko, Khairulina N. F.
Published: December 2020

The article under consideration is devoted to the study of the nature of aphorisms in an artistic text. Variants of definitions of the term „aphorism” in modern science, its functions, and semantic features in the text are fully provided. The objective and all the tasks for solving are realized during the process of investigation. The principles of using aphorisms in English literature are described on the example of O. Wilde’s novel „The Picture of Dorian Gray”. The classification and interpretation of aphorisms that are actively used in the text of the English writer in the original language are provided. The analysis of aphorisms showed that the most common themes of the writer are love, marriage, life, art, human existence, religion. However, along with general philosophical themes, there are a number of themes that are unique to O. Wilde. For example, topics of beauty, aesthetics, success, etc. The analysis of structural features of aphorisms has shown that in the work there are aphorisms consisting of one sentence, and aphorisms consisting of two and more sentences. It is proved that the stability of the aphorism implies its regular reproduction in the language in the same form, with the preservation of all components and the order of their sequence. A sign of intertextuality is that aphorisms, as a rule, are successfully intertwined in the outline of other texts and often contain references to other texts. The presence of a specific author means that the authorship of the aphorism is well known and recorded in material sources.
The differential features of coordination
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Komlyk N. Yu.
Published: December 2020

The article analyzes and systematizes the different views of domestic and foreign linguists on the category of coordination. An attempt has been made to characterize it in terms of formal-grammatical, semantic-syntactic, typological and communicative approaches. We proposed our own definition of coordination – a linguistic category, which, when correlated with syntagmatics, manifests itself at the level of syntactic connection, which ensures the relative formal and grammatical equality of the components and the preservation of their semantic independence. Coordination in relation to syntagmatics and paradigmatics has been considered, and the positioning of this category at the communicative-pragmatic level also has been determined. The debatable issue is the functioning of coordination in sentences and phrases. We made an attempt to identify the main features of coordination, such as: relative grammatical independence of components, their equality and interdependence, the presence of open / closed connection, form of coordination and correlation, expression of connecting meaning with its typological variability, possibility of repeatability of connectors, lack of interposition, at communicative level the presence of illocutionary force of each component. Our own vision of the main problematic issues related to the nature and functioning of harmony has been offered.
Methods of development orientational skills in a foreign text
Authors:   Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, Myronova T. Yu. , Kovalevska O. V. ,   Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs
Published: December 2020

The article is devoted to the implementation of the methodical approach as teaching reading in foreign language to students of non-philological specialties on the basis of specific language material. It is based on the essential characteristics of reading as a type of speech activity based on the analysis of grammatical features contained in the text. The approach of teaching reading covered in the article involves managing the process of development an indicative basis for educational activities. This method has great advantages, because it helps to develop skills of creative analysis of the semantic content. Also, this method provides linking the language form and content, as well as eliminates the interference of native and foreign languages by differentiating language representations in different languages. In order to understand a grammatical phenomenon when reading a text, we must be able to know this phenomenon by its form and to connect the form with the corresponding meaning. Recognition of grammatical phenomena is based on the characteristic features of these phenomena, which symbolize their presence. Reading as a communicative process creates the following tasks before the reader: to recognize the graphic form of morphemes, words, sentences and to perceive the content. Skilled reading is characterized by the automatism of perceptual processing of the presented printed material and the adequacy of solving semantic problems that arise during the implementation of speech activity. Therefore, the way of learning passive grammar should repeat this communicative process, so the description of the phenomenon of passive grammar should be provided from the form (its features) to the disclosure of its content, so exercises should be aimed to developing automatic recognition of these features.
Stylistic functions of language emotional verbalizers in the woman's novel „Death by Design” by Carolyn Keene
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Byndas O. M.
Published: December 2020

This article examines the stylistic functions and features of language emotional verbalizers in the woman’s novel “Death by Design” by Carolyn Keene. Thus, the relevance and prospects of scientific research are correlated primarily with the functions of language units, their system characteristics, textual levels and communicative patterns. The author notes that the woman’s novel “Death by Design” belongs to the modern literary genre “chick lit”. The artistic means in the work are used by Carolyn Keene only to the extent that they are necessary for understanding the basic, often philosophical content of the work. Among the paths and figures in the novel “Death by Design” to denote the emotional state are widely represented: metonymy, chiasm, paraphrase, comparisons, epithets, irony, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, euphemism, allusion, synonyms, and insert sentences (parentheses), parallelism, antithesis, inversion, ellipse, gradation, etc. All of them serve to express the positive or negative emotionality of the speech behaviour of the work’s characters, represented, in particular, by emotions of joy, happiness, love or anger, fear, anxiety, irritation. After the analysis, the author concludes that the most frequent were emotionally-evaluative epithets, allusions, authorial punctuation, references to brands and various intensifiers, clearly describe the psychological portrait of a seemingly confident but sensitive character in a woman’s novel – a modern woman.
Dynamic typology of American socio-cultural stereotypes
Authors:   Kyiv National Linguistic University, Liubymova S. A.
Published: December 2020

The article presents the results of a dynamic classification of American sociocultural stereotypes based on their variability. The dynamics of stereotypes are traced in changes of assessment, emotional perception, and modification, reflected in the discursive representation of socio-cultural stereotypes. The degree of variability of socio-cultural stereotypes depends on the time of their formation, the frequency of occurrence in media discourse, and their emotional load. Persistent stereotypes, such as frontiersman, cowboy, are are based on cultural traditions. They function as templates for the reproduction of new sociocultural stereotypes. Transformational socio-cultural stereotypes demonstrate various changes that can relate to the content of stereotypes. Such is the case of melting pot. Once denoting unity of American society, this stereotype has transformed into a combination of diverse social and cultural elements, marked as salad bowl, mosaic, mixing bowl. Changes in socio-cultural stereotypes are manifested also in emotional and evaluative perception. Thus, the negative perception of the stereotype WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) has changed to positive. Transformational stereotypes can become the symbols of a certain historical period, marked by radical changes in views, attitudes and standards of behavior. Such is flapper – the stereotype of a bold and fashionable young woman that has become a symbol of “Roaring 20s”. Transient stereotypes are unable to transform and cease to exist with the disappearance of their referents. An example of such a stereotype is the Valley Girl, which denoted the category of rich and idle fashionistas of the 1980s. Today, the Valley Girl is an anachronism that alludes to the 1980s through definite fashion trends and slang. The result of the study is the recognition that American sociocultural stereotypes are changeable and situational fragments of the social environment. They may modify or disappear due to changes in the socio-cultural context. The duration of their existence depends not only on economic and cultural factors, but also on occurrence in media discourse.
Generation of a sub-diffracted Bessel beam via diffraction interference in a combined amplitude structure
Authors: Wang Wencong , Liu Dongmei , Gu Min , Han Peng , Xiao Min
Published: December 2020

We have theoretically investigated the use of a simple combined amplitude structure to produce a sub-diffracted Bessel beam via diffraction interference. This powerful structure is composed of a spiral slit and radial grating. When a vortex beam illuminates this combined amplitude structure, a subwavelength Bessel beam with a size of 0.39λ and a long working distance of approximately 100 µm is numerically realized. By tailoring the parameters of the spiral slit, we can obtain a longer sub-diffracted Bessel beam. Moreover, the observed Bessel beam has low-energy side-lobes. The peculiar features of our theoretically generated Bessel beam have numerous potential applications, such as in nanoparticles manipulation, super-resolution imaging, and lithography.
Time-delay signature concealing electro-optic chaotic system with multiply feedback nonlinear loops
Authors: Bai Jiachen , Wang Hongxiang , Ji Yuefeng
Published: December 2020

A novel time-delay signature (TDS) concealing electro-optic (EO) chaotic system with multiply feedback nonlinear loops is proposed and analyzed by numerical simulation. The proposed system employs mutual injection structure implemented by two asymmetric branches named as multiply feedback nonlinear loop which introduces an extra nonlinear factor to the system dynamic equation. The complexity of the chaos system is increased by introducing this multiply feedback nonlinear loop. The permutation entropy (PE) of the proposed system is improved to higher than 0.96 when feedback strength (β) equals 5. The proposed system can enter to chaos regime with a small β (β = 0.8). The TDS is concealed effectively due to the extra nonlinear factor introduced by multiply feedback nonlinear loop. Meanwhile, key-space of the proposed system is about 1012 times that of the classical EO system because more tunable time delay parameters are introduced. Furthermore, the performance of a secure communication system based on the proposed chaotic system is discussed, and the simulation results show that the system is sensitive to time delay parameters and robust to feedback strength, which proves the proposed system is suitable for secure communication.
Enhancement of the luminescent and optical properties of ceramic Ce:GAGG after surface treatment with phosphoric acid
Authors: Park Chansun , Kim Sangsu , Lee Wonhi , Kim Chanho , Cho Shinhaeng , Yeom Jung-Yeol
Published: December 2020

Surface modification of ceramic Ce-doped Gd3Al2Ga3O12 (Ce:GAGG) was performed by exposing small samples to anhydrous phosphoric acid (H3PO4) under different conditions (temperature and duration) to investigate the effects of chemical polishing treatment. When coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and used as a radiation detector, chemical treatment for 3 min at 190 °C improved the light (signal) output by 24.8% and energy resolution by 2.5% (percentage point), respectively. This can be attributed to a reduction in surface roughness that enhanced optical properties. Thus, chemical polishing could be a low-cost alternative to mechanical polishing especially for small or complex shaped ceramic scintillators.
Actively tunable bi-functional metamirror in a terahertz band
Authors: Zhang Kun , Liu Yan , Li Shixia , Xia Feng , Kong Weijin
Published: December 2020

In this work, we have proposed an actively tunable bi-functional metamirror based on a bi-layer graphene structure. The metamirror acts as a spin-selective absorber under circularly polarized incidence, which behaves as nearly perfect absorption and reflection for right and left circularly polarized waves, respectively, leading to giant circular dichroism. On the other hand, it is a polarization converter under linearly polarized incidence, which reflects the linearly polarized wave into a left circularly polarized wave. Both the spin-selective absorber and the polarization converter can be actively switched between ON and OFF states, with the working frequency controlled by the voltages applied to graphene. Moreover, the metamirror is insensitive to the incidence angle, which contributes to its application as a stable single-mode spin-selective absorber and polarization converter. This bi-layer graphene structure offers a method to construct actively tunable bi-functional metamirrors, which may achieve potential applications in integrated devices, such as active spin detectors, absorbers, and quarter-wave plates for terahertz waves.
Direct measurement of individual optical forces in ensembles of trapped particles
Authors: Strasser Franziska , Moser Simon , Ritsch-Marte Monika , Thalhammer Gregor
Published: December 2020

Optical tweezers are a powerful tool to hold and manipulate particles on the microscale. The ability to measure tiny forces enables detailed investigations, e.g., of the mechanical properties of biological systems. Here we present a generally applicable method to simultaneously measure all components of the force applied to a specific particle in a trapped ensemble, or to a specific site of an extended object. This holographic force measurement relies on a detailed analysis of a single interference pattern formed in the far field to recover amplitude and phase of the field. It requires no information about size, shape, or optical properties of the particles and can be scaled to many traps—we show individual force measurements for up to 10 particles. In addition, we demonstrate force measurements when stretching a red blood cell, held directly by four traps. This method opens up a wealth of new opportunities made possible by localized quantitative force measurements in complex biological settings.
A mechanistic model of the BLADE platform predicts performance characteristics of 256 different synthetic DNA recombination circuits
Authors: Bowyer Jack E. , Ding Chloe , Weinberg Benjamin H. , Wong Wilson W. , Bates Declan G.
Published: December 2020

Boolean logic and arithmetic through DNA excision (BLADE) is a recently developed platform for implementing inducible and logical control over gene expression in mammalian cells, which has the potential to revolutionise cell engineering for therapeutic applications. This 2-input 2-output platform can implement 256 different logical circuits that exploit the specificity and stability of DNA recombination. Here, we develop the first mechanistic mathematical model of the 2-input BLADE platform based on Cre- and Flp-mediated DNA excision. After calibrating the model on experimental data from two circuits, we demonstrate close agreement between model outputs and data on the other 111 circuits that have so far been experimentally constructed using the 2-input BLADE platform. Model simulations of the remaining 143 circuits that have yet to be tested experimentally predict excellent performance of the 2-input BLADE platform across the range of possible circuits. Circuits from both the tested and untested subsets that perform less well consist of a disproportionally high number of STOP sequences. Model predictions suggested that circuit performance declines with a decrease in recombinase expression and new experimental data was generated that confirms this relationship.
Development of swarm behavior in artificial learning agents that adapt to different foraging environments
Authors: López-Incera Andrea , Ried Katja , Müller Thomas , Briegel Hans J.
Published: December 2020

Collective behavior, and swarm formation in particular, has been studied from several perspectives within a large variety of fields, ranging from biology to physics. In this work, we apply Projective Simulation to model each individual as an artificial learning agent that interacts with its neighbors and surroundings in order to make decisions and learn from them. Within a reinforcement learning framework, we discuss one-dimensional learning scenarios where agents need to get to food resources to be rewarded. We observe how different types of collective motion emerge depending on the distance the agents need to travel to reach the resources. For instance, strongly aligned swarms emerge when the food source is placed far away from the region where agents are situated initially. In addition, we study the properties of the individual trajectories that occur within the different types of emergent collective dynamics. Agents trained to find distant resources exhibit individual trajectories that are in most cases best fit by composite correlated random walks with features that resemble Lévy walks. This composite motion emerges from the collective behavior developed under the specific foraging selection pressures. On the other hand, agents trained to reach nearby resources predominantly exhibit Brownian trajectories.
Similar effects of fatigue induced by a repetitive pointing task on local and remote light touch and pain perception in men and women
Authors: Bouffard Jason , Weber Zachary , Pearsall Lyndsey , Emery Kim , Côté Julie N.
Published: December 2020

Background

Women involved in repetitive, fatiguing, jobs develop more neck and/or shoulder musculoskeletal disorders than men. Sex differences in the pain response to exercise could contribute to the higher prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders in women. The objective of this study was to assess sex differences in pain sensitivity following a fatiguing upper limb task. Relationships between measures of fatigue and of the sensitivity to nociceptive and to non-nociceptive stimulations were also explored.

Methods

Thirty healthy adults (15 women) performed a fatiguing repetitive pointing task with their dominant arm. Upper limb electromyography was recorded from the dominant upper trapezius, anterior deltoid and bicep brachii and from the contralateral tibialis anterior. Before and immediately after the repetitive pointing task, pressure pain and light touch sensitivity thresholds were measured over the same muscles.

Results

Electromyographic signs of fatigue were observed only in the anterior deltoid and biceps brachii muscles. Pressure pain thresholds over both muscles increased slightly (effect size ≤ 0.34), but no changes occurred over the upper trapezius and the tibialis anterior. Light touch thresholds increased moderately to importantly after the repetitive pointing task over all four muscles (effect sizes = 0.58 to 0.87). No sex differences were observed in any sensory variable. Moreover, no or weak correlations (r = -0.27 to 0.39) were observed between electromyographical signs of fatigue, light touch threshold and pressure pain threshold variables.

Conclusions

We observed sex-independent effects of a repetitive upper limb task on the sensitivity to painful and to nonpainful stimuli. Moreover, the hypoalgesia induced by the repetitive pointing task was weak and localized, and did not directly correlate with the induced muscle fatigue. Results suggest that fatigue-related changes in the sensitivity to noxious and innocuous stimuli could not explain women’s greater prevalence of neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.
Autonomy, power dynamics and antibiotic use in primary healthcare: A qualitative study
Authors: Medina-Perucha Laura , García-Sangenís Ana , Moragas Ana , Gálvez-Hernández Pablo , Cots Josep María , Lanau-Roig Anna , Borràs Alícia , Amo Isabel , Monfà Ramon , Llor Carl , Berenguera Anna
Published: December 2020

Antibiotic resistance is a global health concern. Although numerous strategies have tried to reduce inadequate antibiotic prescribing, antibiotics are still prescribed in 60% of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) cases in Catalonia (Spain). This study aims to explore service users’ experiences of ALRTIs, the quality and access to healthcare services, and health education. Selective purposive sampling was carried out, based on a prior definition of participant characteristics. These were sex, age, ethnicity, date of the last ALRTI, number of ALRTIs in the last year, and treatments received. Participants with a previous diagnosis of ALRTIs were recruited from three primary health care centres in Barcelona and one in Tarragona. Twenty-nine interviews were conducted between April and June 2019. A content thematic analysis was performed. Three themes were identified: 1) risk perceptions and help-seeking; 2) treatment preferences and antibiotic use; and 3) relationship dynamics and communication with healthcare professionals. Accounts of service users’ sense of autonomy towards their health and power dynamics within the healthcare system were apparent. Supporting service users to become reliable, subjective and agentic experts of their health and bodies could help them to voice their healthcare agendas. Power structures embedded within healthcare, political and economic institutions should be challenged so that healthcare services can be co-developed (with service users) and based on service users’ autonomy and horizontal relationships. Special consideration should be paid to the intersection of social vulnerabilities. A concordance approach to prescribing could be key to improve the responsible use of antibiotics and to contribute to the prevention of AMR in primary healthcare. The marketisation of health, and the increased demands of private healthcare in Spain due to the financial pressures on public healthcare as a consequence of the financial crisis of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic, are a risk for promoting adequate antibiotic prescribing and use.

Trial registrationThe ISAAC-CAT study has been registered in the NCT registry, ID:NCT03931577.
Avaliação do comportamento ingestivo de bezerros leiteiros submetidos a duas estratégias de aleitamento
Authors: Ferreira Ana Carolina Garcia , Teixeira Rafael Monteiro Araújo , Paiva Igor Freire de , Silva Paulo Sérgio Dornelas , Mendes Bhremer Pereira , Coelho Neto Murilo Cézar Pinto , Oliveira Letícia Fernanda de
Published: December 2020

Objetivou-se avaliar o comportamento ingestivo de bezerros da raça Girolando recebendo duas estratégias de aleitamento. Foram utilizados 10 bezerros machos e 8 fêmeas distribuídos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados. As diferentes estratégias de aleitamento foram a oferta de 10 % do peso vivo (PV) em leite e 20 % do PV em leite nos primeiros 30 dias de vida, o qual posteriormente passou a ser ofertado em 10 % do PV, até a desmama com 60 dias de idade para os dois tratamentos. As avaliações comportamentais foram avaliadas quinzenalmente, totalizando 12 horas de observações/dia, com registros em intervalos de 10 minutos, analisadas ao nível de 5% de significância. Não houve diferenças significativas no comportamento ingestivo dos bezerros com os diferentes sistemas de aleitamento avaliados (p0,05). Sendo observados tempos médios de 47,0; 48,5; 28,5; 17,0; 7,3 e 582,9 minutos para pastejo, ruminação, consumo de concentrado, ingestão de água, aleitamento e para atividade de ócio, respectivamente. Não houve diferenças significativas sobre o início de ruminação, sendo iniciada a partir dos 21 dias de idade. Foram verificadas diferenças significativas para a vocalização, independente do período avaliado (manhã ou tarde). Conclui-se que as duas estratégias de aleitamento testadas não interferem no comportamento ingestivo de bezerros da raça Girolando.
Colonial Subjects and Others: Racism and Inequality during Italian Rule in the Horn of Africa
Authors: Camilleri Nicola
Published: December 2020

In the history of the Horn of Africa, Italian colonial rule came as a new chapter of a long history of foreigner rulers, conflicts, and translocal exchanges. Yet, Italian colonialism left long-lasting traces in the memory of the inhabitants of Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia. The present contribution deals with citizenship policy in the territories of the Horn of Africa during Italian rule (1880s– 1940s). It centers on the racialized and instrumentalized form of citizenship, i.e., colonial subjecthood (sudditanza coloniale), created by the Kingdom of Italy to keep local colonial inhabitants outside of the metropolitan legal sphere. The basis for this differentiating policy was the Eurocentric assumption of a racial and cultural superiority of the colonizers vis-à-vis the colonized. Yet, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic differences kept existing in colonial society. The article examines the different meanings and contents colonial subjecthood assumed throughout the years of Italian rule and the reasons of those changes. Furthermore, it looks at how diverse members of local society faced the citizenship policy of the Italian colonizer and how they, if possible, tried to negotiate their legal condition on the spot.
Frequency of intestinal parasites in patients attended at a university hospital in Maceió, state of Alagoas, Brazil
Authors: Araújo José Rayron Oliveira de , Cavalcante Ramon Manoel Sabino , Carvalho Neto Antônio de Pádua Medeiros de , Silva Karwhory Wallas Lins da , Silva Sandra Regina Guimarães , Ferreira José Rodrigo da Silva , Cavalcanti Marília Gabriela dos Santos , Matos-Rocha Thiago José
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to analyze the parasitological tests of a population at a public hospital in Maceió-AL. A descriptive study was made between January and July of 2015 analyzing the parasitological tests of a population at a public hospital in Maceió-AL. Variables such as gender, age, positive tests, protozoan species, helminths species and parasitic associations were analyzed. Out of 1.581 tests, 806 (51%) tested positive. Regarding gender, 535 (67%) were from women. Helminths were the most predominant infections (63.94%), compared to protozoans (36.06%). The Helminths with the highest number of infections were: Ascaris lumbricoides (93.23%), Trichuris trichiura (2.32%) and Enterobius vermicularis (1.26%). Among protozoans, Endolimax nana and Entamoeba coli corresponded to 78.09% and 15.91% respectively. Although non pathogenic, it suggests fecal contamination. According to the degree of parasitism, 84.0% were monoparasitism. It can be concluded that the number of positive tests for enteroparasites was high, mainly in men. The species A. lumbricoides was the main helminth detected, while E. nana was the main protozoan found in the tests. The age group between 24 and 59 years old was the one that had the highest amount of positive tests. The results observed strengthen the need for the implementation of prevention measures for intestinal parasitic infections.
Physical properties of beans of the BRSMG majestoso cultivar during drying
Authors: Paixão Aline Almeida da , Corrêa Paulo Cesar , Baptestini Fernanda Machado , Zeymer Juliana Soares , Bustos-Vanegas Jaime Daniel
Published: December 2020

Beans are the main source of protein of plant origin in the Brazilian diet, they also contain phenolic compounds, antioxidants, iron, fibers and vitamins. The BRSMG Majestoso cultivar belongs to the commercial group of carioca beans, displays high productivity, excellent health and a 90-day cycle, has high yield and is resistant to disease. The study of physical properties enables the prediction of agricultural products behavior relative to responses of physical and chemical treatments, in order to allow the maintenance of quality and safety of processed foods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of drying on the physical characteristics of beans of the BRSMG Majestoso cultivar. Beans with an initial moisture content of approximately 0.2660 d.b. (dry basis) were used, and dried at 40ºC. The following physical characteristics were determined: bulk density, unit density, intergranular porosity, 1000-grain weight, sphericity, circularity, geometric diameter, unit volume, projected area, surface area and the surface to volume ratio. Based on the results, a reduction in the moisture content of the beans promotes an increase in bulk density, unit density, porosity, sphericity, circularity and the surface to volume ratio. Conversely, the 1000-grain weight, geometric diameter, unit volume, projected area and surface area decreased as the moisture content of the beans was reduced.
Evaluation of the availability of mass of forage: morphological responses and chemical composition of Tanzania grass subjected to two pasture-management strategies
Authors: Camilo Michele Gabriel , Fernandes Alberto Magno , Oliveira Tadeu Silva de , Baffa Danielle Ferreira , Bernardo Sarah Ellen Eduardo , Cordeiro Camila da Conceição
Published: December 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphogenetic traits and chemical composition of Tanzania grass using a fixed rest period or according to light interception at 95%. The treatments consisted of evaluations of two Tanzania-grass pasture-management strategies: (1) LI95 - animals entered the paddocks when the pasture reached 95% of light interception (LI), with three days of paddock occupation; and (2) FR - the pasture was managed with a defoliation interval (DI) of 30 days, and three days of paddock occupation. The experimental area consisted of 4 ha, with 22 paddocks per treatments. Ten recently-calved cows were used per treatment in year 1, and eight cows were used per treatment in year 2. Sward height, forage mass, and morphological components and their chemical composition were evaluated. The management strategies used on the Tanzania grass pasture did not affect pasture mass or height in the pre- and post-grazing conditions, or the proportion of stems. However, the proportion of leaves was greater in the paddocks with 95% light interception. The crude protein content was higher in the paddocks with 95% light interception; the other nutrients were not affected. In conclusion, management adopting 95% light interception does not influence morphogenetic traits. Nevertheless, it promotes an increase in the crude protein content of grasses.