bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-performance 1–10  THz integrating sphere
Authors: Wang Chun-Lun , Chiu Chuang-Pin , Huang Pin-Jie , Wang Shiang-Yu , Wang Ming-Jye
Published: April 2021

The SPICA far-infrared instrument (SAFARI), one of instruments of the space infrared telescope for cosmology and astrophysics, requires a calibration source assembly to calibrate the transition edge sensor readout circuits. A high-performance integrating sphere working at SAFARI wavelength (34–230 µm) is essential. A novel process for preparing terahertz integrating spheres was developed. The aluminum surfaces after sandblasting, wet-etching, and gold plating processes demonstrate rough morphology but high reflectance of 0.91 in 1–10 THz. The spatial distribution of the measured output power excellently agrees with the numerical simulation results based on the assumption of uniform surface radiation at the output port.
Measurement of the internal electric field in periodically poled
congruent lithium niobate crystals by far-field diffraction
Authors: Prasath Ragothaman K , Ravi Rajan Indumathi , Madhupriya G. , Ali Meerasha Mubarak , Boomadevi Shanmugam , Pandiyan Krishnamoorthy
Published: April 2021

A simple nondestructive diffraction method is introduced to estimate the internal electric field present in the congruent lithium niobate crystal. Due to the presence of an unrelaxed internal field, the as-poled sample acts as an index grating and diffracts the incident light beam. By analyzing the diffraction patterns, we calculated the refractive index difference (

Δ
n
=
1.52
×

10

−
4

) between the poled and the unpoled domains, and the duty cycle error of 7.9%. Using the Pockels effect, the internal field

E
i

present in the periodically poled lithium niobate crystal is estimated to be 2.56 kV/mm.
Evolutions of Q-switched mode-locked square noise-like pulse with different cavity lengths
Authors: Wu Chong-Hao , Yao Yong , Wu Qian-Chao , Xu Ke , Xu Xiao-Chuan , Tian Jia-Jun
Published: April 2021

A

Q

-switched mode-locked square noise-like pulse (QMLSNLP) is generated in a nonlinear polarization rotation passively mode-locked fiber laser. When the pump power changes from 154 mW to 414 mW, the frequency of the

Q

-switched envelope varies from 21.7 kHz to 38.9 kHz, while the duration of the

Q

-switched envelope decreases from

5.1

µ
s

to

3.2

µ
s

, correspondingly. In the meantime, QMLSNLP keeps the fundamental repetition rate constant, and the pulse duration increases from 3.4 ns to 6.7 ns. By inserting different lengths of single-mode fiber into the ring cavity, the evolutions of QMLSNLP are measured and analyzed. According to the cavity parameters and experimental results, impacts of the cavity length on QMLSNLP are investigated in detail.
Mirau-type full-field optical coherence tomography with switchable partially spatially coherent illumination modes
Authors: Ho Tuan-Shu , Tsai Ming-Rung , Lu Chih-Wei , Chang Hung-Sheng , Huang Sheng-Lung
Published: April 2021

A crystalline-fiber-based Mirau-type full-field optical coherence
tomography (FF-OCT) system utilizing two partially coherent
illumination modes is presented. Using a diode-pumped Ti:sapphire
crystalline fiber with a high numerical aperture, spatially-incoherent
broadband emission can be generated with high radiance. With two modes
of different spatial coherence settings, either deeper penetration
depth or higher B-scan rate can be achieved. In a wide-field
illumination mode, the system functions like FF-OCT with partially
coherent illumination to improve the penetration depth. In a
strip-field illumination mode, a compressed field is generated on the
sample, and a low-speckle B-scan can be acquired by compounding pixel
lines within.
High pulse energy ZnGeP2 OPO directly pumped by a Q-switched Tm3+-doped single-oscillator fiber laser
Authors: Schneider Julian , Forster Patrick , Romano Clément , Eichhorn Marc , Kieleck Christelle
Published: April 2021

A mid-infrared

Z
n
G
e
P

2

optical parametric oscillator pumped by a

T
m

3
+

-doped fiber laser is reported, providing pulse energies of

230

µ

J

, pulse widths of 40 ns, and peak powers of

∼

6

k
W

with excellent efficiency and beam quality. The pump source is an actively

Q

-switched single oscillator optimized to generate high pulse energies.
Internal examination of mid-infrared chalcogenide glass optical fiber preforms and fiber using near-infrared imaging [Invited]
Authors: Nunes Joel J. , Crane Richard W. , Mabwa David , Furniss David , Farries Mark , Benson Trevor M. , Seddon Angela B.
Published: April 2021

We report on the internal examination of mid-infrared chalcogenide
glasses using near-infrared light to reveal light-scattering defects.
The technique is demonstrated on imperfectly made chalcogenide glass
rods and fiber. This simple, non-destructive technique enables
assessment of the interior of glasses and convenient detection of
regions containing defects hidden due to the glass opacity to visible
light. This method will reveal the presence of unwanted
light-scattering defects including nucleated crystals, dust, striae,
and bubbles. Hence, this method will help to optimize both
chalcogenide glass chemical formulations, against devitrification, and
process design to manufacture glass rods and fiber with minimized
light scattering defects.
Ultrafast two-photon optical switch using single crystal hybrid halide perovskites
Authors: Zhang Xinping , Wang Meng , Ma Lin , Fu Yulan , Guo Jinxin , Ma He , Zhang Yiwei , Yan Zhengguang , Han Xiaodong
Published: April 2021

Photoelectronic performance of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites has been investigated extensively. Advancement in optoelectronic characterization and application of this group of materials in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and lasers has been pushed forward rapidly. However, nonlinear optical properties for applications in optical logic devices have not been exploited. Moreover, long-lived excitons and charges limit the response speed of such materials and further construction of ultrafast devices. In this work, we make use of the high third-order optical nonlinearity of

(

C
H

3

N
H

3

)

P
b
B
r

3

single crystals and develop a femtosecond optical switch (OS) based on strong two-photon processes through absorbing one pump and one probe photon. The fascinating band structure, with a steep edge at 2.22 eV between the transmission and strong absorption bands, endows single crystals of

(

C
H

3

N
H

3

)

P
b
B
r

3

with perfect characteristics for two-photon optical switching in the near infrared. An on–off ratio of the probe pulses of about 90% and a speed faster than 400 fs have been achieved for this OS device. To the best of our knowledge, such high efficiency has not been realized for an ultrafast OS with any other materials and devices. Moreover, this is a first exploration, to our best knowledge, of the third-order optical nonlinearity of organic–inorganic hybrid halide perovskites for application in ultrafast optical logic devices with high reliability and low threshold in the near infrared.
Human protection drives the emergence of a new coping style in animals
Authors: Sadoul Bastien , Blumstein Daniel T. , Alfonso Sébastien , Geffroy Benjamin
Published: April 2021

Wild animals face novel environmental threats from human activities that may occur along a gradient of interactions with humans. Recent work has shown that merely living close to humans has major implications for a variety of antipredator traits and physiological responses. Here, we hypothesize that when human presence protects prey from their genuine predators (as sometimes seen in urban areas and at some tourist sites), this predator shield, followed by a process of habituation to humans, decouples commonly associated traits related to coping styles, which results in a new range of phenotypes. Such individuals are characterized by low aggressiveness and physiological stress responses, but have enhanced behavioral plasticity, boldness, and cognitive abilities. We refer to these individuals as “preactive,” because their physiological and behavioral coping style falls outside the classical proactive/reactive coping styles. While there is some support for this new coping style, formal multivariate studies are required to investigate behavioral and physiological responses to anthropogenic activities.
PAH-pollution effects on sensitive and resistant embryos: Integrating structure and function with gene expression
Authors: Bozinovic Goran , Shea Damian , Feng Zuying , Hinton David , Sit Tim , Oleksiak Marjorie F.
Published: April 2021

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widespread natural and anthropogenic pollutants, and some PAHs are proven developmental toxicants. We chemically characterized clean and heavily polluted sites and exposed fish embryos to PAH polluted sediment extracts during four critical developmental stages. Embryos were collected fromFundulus heteroclituspopulations inhabiting the clean and heavily polluted Superfund estuary. Embryos of parents from the clean sites are sensitive to PAH pollutants while those of parents from the heavily polluted site are resistant. Chemical analysis of embryos suggests PAH accumulation and pollution-induced toxicity among sensitive embryos during development that ultimately kills all sensitive embryos before hatching, while remarkably, the resistant embryos develop normally. The adverse effects on sensitive embryos are manifested as developmental delays, reduced heart rates, and severe heart, liver, and kidney morphological abnormalities. Gene expression analysis of early somitogenesis, heartbeat initiation, late organogenesis, and pre-hatching developmental stages reveals genes whose expression significantly differs between sensitive and resistant embryo populations and helps to explain mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to polluted environments during vertebrate animal development.
Evaluation of anhydrous processing and storage methods of the temperate bacteriophage ɸV10 for integration into foodborne pathogen detection methodologies
Authors: Kanach Andrew , Bottorff Theresa , Zhao Min , Wang Jun , Chiu George T. C. , Applegate Bruce
Published: April 2021

Due to the nascency of bacteriophage-based pathogen detection technologies, several practical hurdles stand in the way between providing promising proof-of-concept data and development of robust detection platforms. One such hurdle, and the focus of this work, is the development of methods for transitioning laboratory stocks of bacteriophage into functional, consistent, and shelf-stable delivery methods in commercial detection kits. Research described here was undertaken to evaluate two methods for their ability to store the bacteriophage ɸV10 at ambient temperature without aqueous storage solutions while limiting loss of viability. ɸV10 is a temperate bacteriophage which solely infects the zero-tolerance food adulterant Escherichia coli O157:H7 and has been genetically modified to generate a detectable phenotype in host cells. In order to integrate this reporter bacteriophage into food-borne pathogen detection methodologies, two methods of processing phage suspensions for long-term, ambient storage were evaluated: printing solutions onto pieces of dissolvable paper and lyophilizing suspensions with sucrose. Applying phage to dissolvable paper yielded key attributes to consider when addressing phage viability, however, optimized methodology still resulted in an approximate five-log reduction in titer of viable phage. Lyophilization of ɸV10 with various concentrations of the cryoprotectant molecule, sucrose, yielded losses of approximately 0.3-log after 120 days of storage at 23°C. Liquid storage buffer samples with and without sucrose saw a reduction of viable phage of at least 3.9-log in the same period. Additionally, the ability for ɸV10 to form lysogens in an E. coli O157:H7 host was not negatively affected by lyophilization. Drying ɸV10 at ambient temperature drastically reduces the viability of the phage. However, lyophilizing ɸV10 in the presence of sucrose is an effective method for dehydration and storage of the phage in ambient environmental conditions for an extended time lending to commercial application and integration into foodborne pathogen detection methodologies.
The relationship between liver histology and thyroid function tests in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Authors: D'Ambrosio Roberta , Campi Irene , Maggioni Marco , Perbellini Riccardo , Giammona Enza , Stucchi Roberta , Borghi Marta , Degasperi Elisabetta , De Silvestri Annalisa , Persani Luca , Fugazzola Laura , Lampertico Pietro
Published: April 2021

Background

Data on the role of hypothyroidism in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis are conflicting, although selective Thyroid Hormone Receptor (THR)-β agonists have been identified as potential therapy in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Therefore, we investigated the association between hypothyroidism and NAFLD histological features potentially associated with progressive liver disease.

Methods

Between 2014 and 2016, consecutive patients with histologically proven NAFLD and frozen serum available for thyroid function tests assessment were included. NAFLD was staged according to the NAFLD Activity Score (NAS), and fibrosis according to Kleiner. NASH was defined as NAS ≥4, significant fibrosis as F2-F4 and significant steatosis as S2-S3. Thyroid function tests (TFT; TSH, FT3, FT4, rT3), TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab were also assessed.

Results

Fifty-two patients were analyzed: median age 54 years, 58% females, LSM 7.8 kPa, 27% diabetics, 14% hypothyroid. At histology, NASH was present in 21 (40%), F2-F4 in 28 (54%) and S2-S3 in 30 (58%) patients. Rates of hypothyroidism were similar independently of the presence of NASH (p = 0.11), significant fibrosis (p = 0.21) or steatosis (p = 0.75). However, hypothyroid patients displayed a higher NAS (p = 0.02) and NASH (p = 0.06) prevalence. At multivariate analysis, TFT were not independently associated with histology.

Conclusion

Hypothyroidism was highly prevalent in NAFLD patients, and was associated with increased NAFLD activity, but not with fibrosis and steatosis severity. Thus, thyroid dysfunction might play a direct and/or indirect in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH.
Prevalence and characteristics of fever in adult and paediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systematic review and meta-analysis of 17515 patients
Authors: Islam Md Asiful , Kundu Shoumik , Alam Sayeda Sadia , Hossan Tareq , Kamal Mohammad Amjad , Hassan Rosline
Published: April 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a pandemic disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 started to spread globally since December 2019 from Wuhan, China. Fever has been observed as one of the most common clinical manifestations, although the prevalence and characteristics of fever in adult and paediatric COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the overall pooled prevalence of fever and chills in addition to fever characteristics (low, medium, and high temperature) in both adult and paediatric COVID-19 patients.

Methods

The protocol of this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020176327). PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases were searched between 1st December 2019 and 3rd April 2020 without language restrictions. Both adult (≥18 years) and paediatric (<18 years) COVID-19 patients were considered eligible. We used random-effects model for the meta-analysis to obtain the pooled prevalence and risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Quality assessment of included studies was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic and Cochran’s Q test. Robustness of the pooled estimates was checked by different subgroups and sensitivity analyses.

Results

We identified 2055 studies, of which 197 studies (n = 24266) were included in the systematic review and 167 studies with 17142 adults and 373 paediatrics were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the pooled prevalence of fever in adult and paediatric COVID-19 patients were 79.43% [95% CI: 77.05–81.80, I2 = 95%] and 45.86% [95% CI: 35.24–56.48, I2 = 78%], respectively. Besides, 14.45% [95% CI: 10.59–18.32, I2 = 88%] of the adult COVID-19 patients were accompanied with chills. In adult COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of medium-grade fever (44.33%) was higher compared to low- (38.16%) and high-grade fever (14.71%). In addition, the risk of both low (RR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.69–3.22, p<0.00001, I2 = 84%) and medium grade fever (RR: 2.79, 95% CI: 2.21–3.51, p<0.00001, I2 = 75%) were significantly higher compared to high-grade fever, however, there was no significant difference between low- and medium-grade fever (RR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.94–1.44, p = 0.16, I2 = 87%). 88.8% of the included studies were of high-quality. The sensitivity analyses indicated that our findings of fever prevalence for both adult and paediatric patients are reliable and robust.

Conclusions

The prevalence of fever in adult COVID-19 patients was high, however, 54.14% of paediatric COVID-19 patients did not exhibit fever as an initial clinical feature. Prevalence and risk of low and medium-grade fevers were higher compared to high-grade fever.
The logic of entrapment: Digital proletarians; digital fascism; symbiosis between a virus and autocracy
Authors: Šuvaković Miško
Published: April 2021

Abstract

This text was written on the occasion of the 200th issue of Maska magazine. My goal is to identify and interpret the time when the text is written and when the 200th issue of Maska will be published. I identified a situation of sociability at the time
of the coronavirus pandemic and the dominance of digital/postdigital communications. I am interested in the difference between media representation, virus events and political-or-artistic interpretation of modern and transitional forms of human life. If we are talking about digital art/culture/society
in relation to the technological turns from the mechanical to the analogue-electronic world, from the analogue to the digital world, from the digital world to the post-digital world, and from the post-digital world into a De Re media possible world, then we are facing a conflict between the
dialectic of emancipation through the new and the differentiation of the production/and/consumption of the new in a time and space where the human being is becoming the product of its own product. It is important to index the contemporary antagonism between the ‘digital proletarian’
and ‘digital fascism’. Confronted with digital fascism, digital proletarians pursue a risky process of self-fulfilment and thereby liberation/emancipation in complex digital practices and their impacts on other forms of existence in a critical and dialectic ontology. Therein lies
the essential difference between the politics of functionalism and that of liberation.
Occupation of the Volksbühne or the missing figure of the proletariat
Authors: Mirčev Andrej
Published: April 2021

Abstract

When in early 2015 it was announced that long-time director of Volksbühne Frank Castorf would be succeeded by the curator and director of Tate Modern Chris Dercon, theatre circles across Germany were infuriated. The general opinion was that this decision would
lead to a radical deviation from the production model and the politics of Berlin’s famous left-oriented theatre. In the autumn of 2017, after the artistic group Staub zu Glitzer squatted the building declaring a collective directorship and turning the Volksbühne into a performative-discursive
stage for discussions on social inequalities and gentrification, the situation was further antagonized. However, the occupation lasted only a couple of days as the squatters were soon evicted by police. In an essay ‘Towards the liberation of theatre’ written in the early 60s, Darko
Suvin derives the thesis of socialization as that which is ‘truly revolutionary’. Suvin’s intention was to formulate a production model which ‘would be socialist in its structure and tendencies’ and aligned with the ideology of self-management. Using this concept,
my text aims to test its epistemic potentiality to reflect on the squatting of Volksbühne. Is it plausible to invoke socialization in an attempt to articulate a discourse critical of commodification and precarisation? Can the occupation of the building on Rosa Luxemburg Square be regarded
as a contemporary example of self-management?
História Augusta. Vol. II: Vidas de Hélvio Pertinaz, Dídio Juliano, Severo, Pescénio Nigro, Clódio Albino, Antonino Caracala, Antonino Geta, Opílio Macrino, Diadúmeno Antonino, Antonino Heliogábalo
Authors: Rodrigues Nuno Simões , Teixeira Cláudia , Oliveira Francisco de , Brandão José Luís
Published: April 2021

Este segundo volume inclui as biografias de Pertinaz, Dídio Juliano, Setímio Severo, Pescénio Nigro, Clódio Albino, Caracala, Geta, Macrino, Diadúmeno e Heliogábalo. Assim, levando em conta a acessão de Pertinaz ao trono imperial e a morte de Heliogábalo, o volume abrange o período da História de Roma que vai de 192 a 222 d.C. Mas, se tomarmos como ponto de partida o nascimento de Pertinaz (122 d.C.), o conjunto perfaz cerca de um século. O período abrangido pelas Vidas aqui reunidas coincide com o da instituição da dinastia dos Severos, que se seguiu à dos Antoninos, que marcou a vários níveis o apogeu imperial romano. De todas as biografias reunidas neste volume, a de Heliogábalo deverá ser, pela riqueza das descrições, a que melhor corresponde a um certo imaginário contemporâneo — ainda que não necessariamente factual — da Roma Antiga: uma civilização pautada pela desmesura, pelo excesso, pelo exotismo, pela crueldade e pela perversão.
Pretreatment HLADQA1-HLADRB1 Testing for the Prevention of Azathioprine-Induced Pancreatitis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wilson Aze , Wang Qian , Choi Yun-Hee , Ponich Terry , Gregor James C. , Chande Nilesh , Yan Brian , Sey Michael , Beaton Melanie , Kim Richard B.
Published: April 2021

INTRODUCTION:

Azathioprine-induced pancreatitis is an idiosyncratic and unpredictable response, occurring in up to 7% of azathioprine-exposed patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The haplotype HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C is strongly associated with azathioprine-induced pancreatitis in IBD. We aimed to evaluate whether pretreatment HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C screening will reduce the risk of azathioprine-induced pancreatitis.

METHODS:

Participants with IBD were screened for HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C, and participants with a variant genotype were excluded from azathioprine treatment. Wild-type participants were started on azathioprine and followed for 3 months. The incidence of pancreatitis was compared with unscreened historical controls.

RESULTS:

HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C screening resulted in an 11-fold reduction in the incidence of azathioprine-induced pancreatitis (n = 1/328 or 0.30% vs n = 13/373 or 3.4%). In propensity score-matched cohorts (age and sex), HLA DQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C screening was significantly associated with a reduction in the incidence of AZA-induced pancreatitis independent of weight, glucocorticoid exposure, and smoking status (adjusted odds ratio = 0.075, 95% confidence interval = 0.01–0.58, P = 0.01). Up to 45% (n = 271/599) of participants were excluded from azathioprine therapy based on the haplotype in the HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C-screened cohort.

DISCUSSION:

HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C screening reduced the risk of azathioprine-induced pancreatitis; however, using this strategy to guide the use of azathioprine therapy in IBD may eliminate a large proportion of patients from being eligible for treatment with azathioprine. In regions where there is access to other IBD therapies, and given the short-term and long-term toxicities associated with azathioprine, HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C-screening may be a clinically relevant strategy for enhancing the safe use of azathioprine in IBD. In addition, cost-effectiveness analyses are needed to further solidify the utility of HLADQA1-HLADRB1*07:01A>C screening in IBD populations.
Clinically significant subjective features of highly qualified athletes with different types of cardiac rhythm regulation
Authors: Guzii O. V. , Mahlovanyi A. V. , Trach V. M.
Published: April 2021

The aim of the study is to identify the characteristic subjective features of highly qualified athletes with different types of cardiac rhythm regulation.

Materials and methods. 202 highly qualified male athletes aged 22.6 ± 2.8 years and engaged in acyclic sports were examined. According to the designed survey protocol, all athletes were interviewed using a specifically designed questionnaire, which included 4 questions pools, each of them characterized certain components of athletes’ subjective assessment of their condition and attitude to it during the previous week, as well as studies using spiroarteriocardiorhythmography (SACR).

Results. The SACR study allowed to divide athletes, taking into account heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, into 4 groups according to the types of their cardiac rhythm regulation.

Subjective signs that might have clinical significance in the development of cardiovascular overexertion were uncomfortable sensations in the heart, feeling of interruption in the heart work, perspiration at rest, headache after sleep, perspiration at low loads, feeling of fatigue after sleep and night perspiration.

Uncomfortable sensations in the heart occurred frequently in 1 % of cases and periodically in 15.3 % of cases, and feeling of interruption in the heart work occurred frequently in 0.5 % of cases and periodically in 14.9 % of cases. These indications were typical of people with cardiac rhythm regulations type I and II. In type III the least number of clinically significant features was noted. In type IV the number of significant features was less than in types I and II; however, this is nonsignificant. Probable differences in the features of perspiration at rest were noticed in athletes with type IV in comparison with type III.

Conclusions. Subjective indications can be employed to verify the regulatory features of the cardiovascular system, which are associated with the centralization of effects. Questionnaires can be useful in differentiating states of overexertion according to parasympathetic type and a state of high training level in type IV cardiac rhythm regulation.
Tu'Washindi na PrEP: Working With Young Women and Service Providers to Design an Intervention for PrEP Uptake and Adherence in the Context of Gender-Based Violence
Authors: Hartmann Miriam , Otticha Sophie , Agot Kawango , Minnis Alexandra M. , Montgomery Elizabeth T. , Roberts Sarah T.
Published: April 2021

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduces HIV acquisition among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Existing evidence suggests that uptake and adherence are low among AGYW and that relationship factors such as gender-based violence (GBV) are important barriers. Through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) process, a youth advisory board (YAB), service providers (SP), and a study team developed the Tu'Washindi na PrEP intervention to support AGYW PrEP use in the context of GBV. The YAB also guided the formative research and interpretation of results. The authors pretested the intervention with SP, AGYW and their partners, and community change agents, and then developed guides for AGYW support clubs, community-based male sensitization sessions, and couples-based events that included formulation of story lines for dramatized PrEP negotiation and information dissemination skills. Stakeholder engagement led to an intervention responsive to AGYW's needs for PrEP support in the context of their relationships, which was evaluated through a 6-month pilot community randomized controlled trial.
Development and Validation of the Community PrEP-Related Stigma Scale (Community-PSS)
Authors: Algarin Angel B. , Hee Shrader Cho , Hackworth Benjamin T. , Varas-Diaz Nelson , Fennie Kristopher P. , Sheehan Diana M. , Ibañez Gladys E.
Published: April 2021

Despite increasing availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV prevention efforts have stalled. It is important to study potential barriers to HIV prevention methods, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis stigma. This study aims to develop and validate the Community PrEP-related Stigma Scale (Community-PSS) to address gaps in the literature. Participants were 108 sexual and gender minority men recruited through virtual and community-posted advertisements in Florida. The authors assessed reliability using Cronbach's alpha analysis, determined scale components using principal component analysis, and assessed construct validity based on five a priori hypotheses. The scale had high internal consistency (α = 0.86) and four components (stigma of actions outside of sex, stigma of sexual actions, extreme stigma perceptions, and positive community perception). The Community-PSS was valid, supporting four out of five hypotheses and in the expected directions. The Community-PSS was a valid and reliable tool in the sample and correlates with a previously validated PrEP stigma scale, HIV knowledge, PrEP knowledge, and likelihood of condom use with a partner on PrEP.
Redeveloping a Digital Sexual Health Intervention for Adolescents to Allow for Broader Dissemination: Implications for HIV and STD Prevention
Authors: Javidi Hannah , Widman Laura , Lipsey Nikolette , Brasileiro Julia , Javidi Farhad , Jhala Arnav
Published: April 2021

HIV/STDs and unintended pregnancy persist among adolescents in the United States; thus, effective sexual health interventions that can be broadly disseminated are necessary. Digital health interventions are highly promising because they allow for customization and widespread reach. The current project involved redeveloping and expanding HEART (Health Education and Relationship Training)—a brief, digital sexual health intervention efficacious at improving safer sex knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavior—onto an open-source platform to allow for greater interactivity and accessibility while reducing long-term program costs. The authors describe the process of adapting, reprogramming, and evaluating the new program, which may serve as a guide for investigators seeking to adapt behavioral interventions onto digital platforms. The final product is an open-source intervention that can be easily adapted for new populations. Among 233 adolescents (Mage = 15.06; 64% girls), HEART was highly acceptable and generally feasible to administer, with no differences in acceptability by gender or sexual identity.
Bailando en el Museo Reina Sofía. El Judson Dance Theater, más allá de la danza minimalista
Authors: Molina Olmos Blanca
Published: April 2021

Una vez conocida la manera en que se ha introducido la danza en diversos museos del panorama internacional, así como los textos, propuestas expositivas y otras iniciativas que reflexionan sobre el papel que adquiere esta en relación con el cubo blanco; se torna apremiante explorar el contexto español, marcado por una dilatada ausencia y escasez de fuentes. Así, este artículo plantea una primera aproximación a los procesos de musealización de la danza en España.
Para ello, explora cómo se ha introducido la disciplina en el Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, profundiza en su gestión en el área de colecciones y toma como objeto de estudio la Sala 104.04, Performance e Interacción. Judson Dance Theater, perteneciente a la Colección 3: De la revuelta a la posmodernidad (1962-1982).
De metáforas travestis y cuerpos transexuales: problemas de interpretación en torno a Una mala noche la tiene cualquiera de Eduardo Mendicutti
Authors: Romero Velasco Pablo
Published: April 2021

En este artículo ofrecemos una reflexión, a partir de la novela de 1982 Una mala noche la tiene cualquiera, de Eduardo Mendicutti, acerca de la visión de la transexualidad en la cultura y la contracultura españolas durante la Transición; concretamente, cómo su erección en símbolo de las libertades democráticas y del reto a la ideología franquista dio lugar a obliterar la precaria situación social de las personas transexuales de aquel período. La novela de Mendicutti, que narra la noche del intento del golpe de Estado del 23F desdela voz de La Madelón, una mujer transexual, ha sido leída por la crítica como una lectura, bien celebratoria o crítica, de las conquistas políticas y las contradicciones del período transicional, omitiendo el retrato que el escritor gaditano hace de la propia experiencia social y material de su protagonista.
Filtration capacity of a gravel inlet system under low accumulation conditions
Authors: Ranaivoson Andry Z , Moncrief John F
Published: April 2021

Filtration models were applied to a gravel inlet system to estimate attachment and/or detachment of particles onto collectors (gravel grain). Two methods were used to estimate total solidstrapping efficiency at the gravel inlet: mass concentration and particle count. The first method provided trapping estimate between 11% and 22% based on two averaging computations. The second method, particle count, showed that detachment of total solids occurred mostly with the clay size category and early duringrainfall events. Detachment reveals the quality of effluent and can be interpreted as particles being detached either from previous total solids deposit or not being retained by the collector. Based on a model by Rajagopalan and Tien, trapping ability of gravel inlet was expected to be relatively low (<50%) for particles and aggregates smaller than 100 μm. Five rainfall events in 2002 were analyzed and showed that the first event had a retention capacity of 32% with a significant statistical difference between pairs of samples from “above” and “below” the gravel, based on a paired t-test. The following rainfall events had not seen any significant difference based on the same statistical test between the above and below water samples; however, the pattern of retention within pairs of samples showed that large filtration values were associated with incoming large solids concentrations, which, in turn, are related to rainfall bursts. The laser diffractometer technique allowed the particle count method to estimate number of particles retained or detached with respect to the gravel media. Particle count was obtained by direct measurement in the fine silt and clay size region and by extrapolation of measured data for large size in the silt-sand region including small particles and aggregates. Two rainfall events (August 3 and 21) showed important detachment based on particle counting method.
Annual effective dose from radon-222 concentration levels in underground water in bungoma south sub - county, Kenya
Authors: Wanyama Conrad Khisa , Butiki George Wangila , Makokha John Wanjala , Masinde Fred Wekesa
Published: April 2021

This research measured the concentration levels of radon in groundwater and determined the ingestion and inhalation dose. The study used RAD7 detector with RAD7-H2O accessory from Durridge Company to determine the radon levels. Thirty water samples in granitic dominated regions were collected from various areas of Bungoma County: ten from boreholes (BH), ten from hand dug wells (WL) and ten from springs (SP). The water samples were collected in 250 ml bottles which were tightly covered with lid to avoid radon leakage. The highest value was 303±4.00 KBq/m3 recorded in Kanduyi well and the lowest was 126±11.4kBq/m3 from where most of the samples recorded a high radon concentration with a mean of 269±5.25 KBq/m3 in wells, 213±7.96 KBq/m3 in boreholes and 290±7.70 KBq/m3 in springs. The average ingestion dose was found to be 1.5±0.07mSv/yr, 1.9±0.09 mSv/yr and 2.1±0.1 mSv/yr. The average annual effective dose rate for the samples collected were 2±0.1 mSv/yr for boreholes, 2.6±0.13 mSv/yr for wells and 2.7±0.14 mSv/yr for springs. The samples reported an average value of AED higher than the world average of 1.15 mSv/yr but below the exception limit of recommended action level of 10 mSv/yr hence the radon concentration levels in underground water in the study area has minimal health implications to the population.
Educação Matemática na Educação Infantil: o estado de conhecimento no período de 2010-2019
Authors: Moraes João Carlos Pereira de , Jahnke Thuanne Souza
Published: April 2021

O presente trabalho visa analisar e caracterizar produções científicas que discutem Educação Matemática na Educação Infantil. Para tanto, realizou-se um levantamento com os descritores “Educação Matemática” AND “Educação Infantil” no Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações da Capes (CTDC), Biblioteca Digital Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações (BDTD), Portal de Periódicos da CAPES (PPC) e no Scientific Electronic Library Online – Scielo. Após primeira leitura, analisaram-se somente os estudos que possuíam crianças na condição de sujeito da investigação. Como resultado, notou-se que as pesquisas: (1) estão centradas na região Sudeste e tiveram um crescimento nos últimos cinco anos; (2) objetivam discutir o pensamento numérico, estocástico e geométrico na Educação Infantil; (3) o foco metodológico pauta-se na questão da ludicidade, principalmente sobre jogos e brincadeiras; (4) os registros imagéticos (filmagem, fotografia e desenho) são os instrumentos mais selecionados pelos pesquisadores da área; e (5) a perspectiva da psicologia construtivista tem sido a abordagem mais utilizada nos estudos. Por fim, consideramos a necessidade de expansão da pesquisa em Educação Matemática na Educação Infantil, bem como a ampliação de perspectivas socioculturais nas abordagens com crianças.
Date of ear emergence: a factor for notable changing the grain yield of modern winter wheat varieties in different environments of Bulgaria
Authors: Tsenov N. , Gubatov T. , Yanchev I.
Published: April 2021

Abstract. Wheat is a crop with a very long growing season, during which it is subjected to prolonged exposure to many environmental factors. For this reason, the interaction of genotype with conditions is very common for any character of wheat. This study aims to determine whether the grain yield is affected by the change of the ear emergence date (EED) in various environments. In a four-year period, 30 current for national real grain production winter wheat varieties were studied. The EED and grain yield (GY) were studied as quantitative traits within five locations of the country having various soil and climatic conditions. Using several statistical programs, genotype x environment interaction of two traits was analyzed. The emphasis on data analysis was whether changes of traits due to the conditions were related and that the optimization of the ear emergence date could serve as a breeding tool for increasing grain yield. The date of ear emergence and grain yield are traits that are reliably influenced by growing conditions. The change in the date of emergence is mainly of the linear type, while the grain yield shows linear and nonlinear type changes in the same environmental conditions. It was found that the key roles in the change of characteristics are the conditions of the year, with the relatively weakest impact of the genotype on them. There is a positive relationship between the two traits, although their change depends on environmental factors. Although they change to different degrees and in relation to each other, there is a positive correlation between them. The more favorable the environmental conditions, the weaker the relationship between these two traits and vice versa. Under changing climatic conditions, the change in the relationship between the two traits is a signal of the need to create different varieties by date of ear emergence in order to obtain higher yields in the future.
DEVELOPMENT OF METHOD TO IDENTIFY THE COMPUTER SYSTEM STATE BASED ON THE «ISOLATION FOREST» ALGORITHM
Authors: Gavrylenko S. Y. , Sheverdin I. V.
Published: April 2021

Context. The problem of identification a computer system state was investigated. The object of the research is the identification process of the computer system state. The subject of the research is computer system state identifying means and methods.

Objective. The purpose of the work is to develop a method for identifying the computer system state.

Method. The method has been developed for identifying a computer system state based on integrated use the procedure for grouping unlabeled initial data and using machine learning technology based on the «Isolation Forest» algorithm, which provides to identify a computer system state and to distinguished the process name that initiated the abnormal state. Therefore, for collecting statistical data in the form of operating system functioning events, data method has been proposed and developed along with software. The analysis of functioning events has been performed. The result of analysis showed that the most informative are read and write operations. To set up a single dataset, read and write operations compared with the process name and combined into one array of event groups, so that it is possible to single out the process that causes the abnormal state of the computer system. As a result of the research, the «Isolation Forest» algorithm has been selected as a component of the method for identifying the computer system state. An accuracy and efficiency assessment of the developed method of identifying a computer system state has been carried out.

Results. The developed method is implemented and investigated when solving the problem of identifying anomalies in the functioning of computer systems.

Conclusions. The experiments carried out confirmed the efficiency of the proposed method. It allows us recommended the method for practical use in order to improve efficiency of identifying the computer system state and use it as an express method. Areas for further research may lie in the creation of the ensemble of fuzzy trees based on the proposed method and optimization of this software implementation.
APPROXIMATE SOLUTIONS FOR THE KOLMOGOROV-WIENER FILTER WEIGHT FUNCTION FOR CONTINUOUS FRACTIONAL GAUSSIAN NOISE
Authors: Gorev V. N. , Gusev A. Yu. , Korniienko V. I.
Published: April 2021

Context. We consider the Kolmogorov-Wiener filter for forecasting of telecommunication traffic in the framework of a continuous fractional Gaussian noise model.

Objective. The aim of the work is to obtain the filter weight function as an approximate solution of the corresponding WienerHopf integral equation. Also the aim of the work is to show the convergence of the proposed method of solution of the corresponding equation.

Method. The Wiener-Hopf integral equation for the filter weight function is a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. We use the truncated polynomial expansion method in order to obtain an approximate solution of the corresponding equation. A set of Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind is used.

Results. We obtained approximate solutions for the Kolmogorov-Wiener filter weight function for forecasting of continuous fractional Gaussian noise. The solutions are obtained in the approximations of different number of polynomials; the results are obtained up to the nineteen-polynomial approximation. It is shown that the proposed method is convergent for the problem under consideration, i.e. the accuracy of the coincidence of the left-hand and right-hand sides of the integral equation increases with the number of polynomials. Such convergence takes place due to the fact that the correlation function of continuous fractional Gaussian noise, which is the kernel of the corresponding integral equation, is a positively-defined function.

Conclusions. The Kolmogorov-Wiener filter weight function for forecasting of continuous fractional Gaussian noise is obtained as an approximate solution of the corresponding Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. The proposed truncated polynomial expansion method is convergent for the problem under consideration. As is known, one of the simplest telecommunication traffic models is the model of continuous fractional Gaussian noise, so the results of the paper may be useful for telecommunication traffic forecast.
MATHEMATICAL DELAY MODEL BASED ON SYSTEMS WITH HYPERERLANGIAN AND ERLANGIAN DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: Tarasov V. N.
Published: April 2021

Context. Studies of G/G/1 systems in queuing theory are relevant because such systems are of interest for analyzing the delay of data transmission systems. At the same time, it is impossible to obtain solutions for the delay in the final form in the general case for arbitrary laws of distribution of the input flow and service time. Therefore, it is important to study such systems for particular cases of input distributions. We consider the problem of deriving a solution for the average queue delay in a closed form for two systems with ordinary and shifted hypererlangian and erlangian input distributions.

Objective. Obtaining a solution for the main characteristic of the system – the average delay of requests in the queue for two queuing systems of the G/G/1 type with ordinary and with shifted hypererlangian and erlangian input distributions.

Method. To solve this problem, we used the classical method of spectral decomposition of the solution of the Lindley integral equation. This method allows to obtaining a solution for the average delay for systems under consideration in a closed form. The method of spectral decomposition of the solution of the Lindley integral equation plays an important role in the theory of systems G/G/1. For the practical application of the results obtained, the well-known method of moments of probability theory is used.

Results. For the first time, spectral expansions of the solution of the integral Lindley equation for two systems are obtained, with the help of which calculation formulas for the average delay in a queue in a closed form are derived. Thus, mathematical models of queuing delay for these systems have been built.

Conclusions. These formulas expand and supplement the known queuing theory formulas for the average delay G/G/1 systems with arbitrary laws distributions of input flow and service time. This approach allows us to calculate the average delay for these systems in mathematical packages for a wide range of traffic parameters. In addition to the average delay, such an approach makes it possible to determine also moments of higher orders of waiting time. Given the fact that the packet delay variation (jitter) in telecommunications is defined as the spread of the delay from its average value, the jitter can be determined through the variance of the delay.
Book Review: Aeneas Chigwedere. 2016. The Great Zimbabwe State and Its Off-shoots: A.D.1000-1700. Mutapa Publishing House. ISBN 9780797468085, 367 pages
Authors:   Arts Reporter and Book Reviewer, The Patriot, Mugovera Gracious
Published: April 2021

Book Review: Aeneas Chigwedere. 2016. The Great Zimbabwe State and Its Off-shoots: A.D.1000-1700. Mutapa Publishing House. ISBN 9780797468085, 367 pages
Dimensions of totemic history and its related accessories among the Gumbo-Madyirapazhe clan of Gutu, Zimbabwe
Authors:   Midlands State University, Tarugarira Gilbert
Published: April 2021

Ties of kinship traced through blood (consanguinity) are of fundamental importance to individuals because they enshrine historical content which cannot be ignored. The social recognition of these linkages through totems provides the individual with a blue print of interaction which forms a vital bas is for cooperation. This article challenges the so-called irrationality of totemism, taking an uncelebrated dimension of how the practice is crucial for tracing the history of a people and the cementing of domestic social relations. The study explores and traces the history behind toponyms with the intention of showing that totems are a rich heritage as a source of history and social registers through which people can identify themselves. The study has been motivated by the Afrocentricity theory which values preservation of oral history as the natural way of storing information and historical realities in many African societies.