bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Edible CaCO3 nanoparticles stabilized Pickering emulsion as calcium‐fortified formulation
Authors: Guo Xiaoming , Li Xiaoying , Chan Leung , Huang Wei , Chen Tianfeng
Published: March 2021

Background

Nanoparticles assembled from food-grade calcium carbonate have attracted attention because of their biocompatibility, digestibility, particle and surface features (such as size, surface area, and partial wettability), and stimuli-responsiveness offered by their acid-labile nature.

Results

Herein, a type of edible oil-in-water Pickering emulsion was structured by calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CaCO3 NPs; mean particle size: 80 nm) and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) for delivery of lipophilic drugs and simultaneous oral supplementation of calcium. The microstructure of the as-made CaCO3 NPs stabilized Pickering emulsion can be controlled by varying the particle concentration (c) and oil volume fraction (φ). The emulsification stabilizing capability of the CaCO3 NPs also favored the formation of high internal phase emulsion at a high φ of 0.7–0.8 with excellent emulsion stability at room temperature and at 4 °C, thus protecting the encapsulated lipophilic bioactive, vitamin D3 (VD3), against degradation. Interestingly, the structured CaCO3 NP-based Pickering emulsion displayed acid-trigged demulsification because of the disintegration of the CaCO3 NPs into Ca2+ in a simulated gastric environment, followed by efficient lipolysis of the lipid in simulated intestinal fluid. With the encapsulation and delivery of the emulsion, VD3 exhibited satisfying bioavailability after simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

Conclusions

Taken together, the rationally designed CaCO3 NP emulsion system holds potential as a calcium-fortified formulation for food, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.
Hsp90 modulates human sperm capacitation via the Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways
Authors: Sun Peibei , Wang Yayan , Gao Tian , Li Kun , Zheng Dongwang , Liu Ajuan , Ni Ya
Published: March 2021

Background

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a highly abundant eukaryotic molecular chaperone that plays important roles in client protein maturation, protein folding and degradation, and signal transduction. Previously, we found that both Hsp90 and its co-chaperone cell division cycle protein 37 (Cdc37) were expressed in human sperm. Hsp90 is known to be involved in human sperm capacitation via unknown underlying mechanism(s). As Cdc37 was a kinase-specific co-chaperone of Hsp90, Hsp90 may regulate human sperm capacitation via other kinases. It has been reported that two major mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) and p38, are expressed in human sperm in the same locations as Hsp90 and Cdc37. Phosphorylated Erk1/2 has been shown to promote sperm hyperactivated motility and acrosome reaction, while phosphorylated p38 inhibits sperm motility. Therefore, in this study we explored whether Hsp90 modulates human sperm capacitation via the Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

Methods

Human sperm was treated with the Hsp90-specific inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) during capacitation. Computer-assisted sperm analyzer (CASA) was used to detect sperm motility and hyperactivation. The sperm acrosome reaction was analyzed by using fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugatedPisum sativumagglutinin (PSA-FITC) staining. The interactions between Hsp90, Cdc37, Erk1/2 and p38 were assessed using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments. Western blotting analysis was used to evaluate the levels of protein expression and phosphorylation.

Results

Human sperm hyperactivation and acrosome reaction were inhibited by 17-AAG, suggesting that Hsp90 is involved in human sperm capacitation. In addition, Co-IP experiments revealed that 17-AAG reduced the interaction between Hsp90 and Cdc37, leading to the dissociation of Erk1/2 from the Hsp90-Cdc37 protein complex. Western blotting analysis revealed that levels of Erk1/2 and its phosphorylated form were subsequently decreased. Decreasing of Hsp90-Cdc37 complex also affected the interaction between Hsp90 and p38. Nevertheless, p38 dissociated from the Hsp90 protein complex and was activated by autophosphorylation.

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings indicate that Hsp90 is involved in human sperm hyperactivation and acrosome reaction. In particular, Hsp90 and its co-chaperone Cdc37 form a protein complex with Erk1/2 and p38 to regulate their kinase activity. These results suggest that Hsp90 regulates human sperm capacitation via the Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.
Planting seeds of change: reconceptualizing what people eat as eating practices and patterns
Authors: Olstad Dana Lee , Kirkpatrick Sharon I.
Published: March 2021

Language focused on individual dietary behaviors, or alternatively, lifestyle choices or decisions, suggests that what people eat and drink is primarily a choice that comes down to free will. Referring to and intervening upon food consumption as though it were a freely chosen behavior has an inherently logical appeal due to its simplicity and easily defined targets of intervention. However, despite decades of behavioral interventions, population-level patterns of food consumption remain suboptimal. This debate paper interrogates the manner in which language frames how problems related to poor diet quality are understood and addressed within society. We argue that referring to food consumption as a behavior conveys the idea that it is primarily a freely chosen act that can be ameliorated through imploring and educating individuals to make better selections. Leveraging practice theory, we subsequently propose that using the alternative language of eating practices and patterns better conveys the socially situated nature of food consumption. This language may therefore point to novel avenues for intervention beyond educating and motivating individuals to eat more healthfully, to instead focus on creating supportive contexts that enable sustained positive dietary change. Clearly, shifting discourse will not on its own transform the science and practice of nutrition. Nevertheless, the seeds of change may lie in aligning our terminology, and thus, our framing, with desired solutions.
Depicting developing trend and core knowledge of hip fracture research: a bibliometric and visualised analysis
Authors: Peng Guanrong , Guan Zhenhua , Hou Yunfei , Gao Jiaxiang , Rao Wenqun , Yuan Xianyun , Guo Jiusheng , Huang Xiaohua , Zhong Zhangrong , Lin Jianhao
Published: March 2021

Background

Hip fracture is common and carries high morbidity and mortality; thus, it has become a vital concern. We aim to analyse the present status, worldwide trends in hip fracture and state of clinical research.

Methods

Publications from 2000 to 2019 were retrieved from the Web of Science database and analysed using a bibliometric methodology. VOSviewer software was utilised for analysis.

Results

In total, 6139 publications were included, and publications increased annually from 152 in 2000 to 592 in 2019. U.S. researchers have produced the most publications, the highest H-index and the greatest number of citations. Osteoporosis International has published the most papers on the topic. Leading researchers, contributing institutions, their cooperative relationships and scientific masterpieces have been identified. The publications can be divided into five clusters: ‘mortality’, ‘surgical management’, ‘rehabilitation’, ‘osteoporosis’ and ‘epidemiology’. A clear developing trend was described, which began with fracture epidemiology and prevention, transitioned to perioperative management, orthogeriatric care and patient safety and then to functional recovery, disease burden and national audits in recent times.

Conclusions

Hip fractures result in conditions that extend far beyond orthopaedics concerning epidemiology and preventive medicine, internal medicine and endocrinology, as well as critical care and gerontology. Interest, research and publications are on the rise.
Geriatric screening, fall characteristics and 3- and 12 months adverse outcomes in older patients visiting the emergency department with a fall
Authors: Blomaard Laura C. , Mooijaart Simon P. , van Meer Leonie J. , Leander Julia , Lucke Jacinta A. , de Gelder Jelle , Anten Sander , Gussekloo Jacobijn , de Groot Bas
Published: March 2021

Background

Falls in older Emergency Department (ED) patients may indicate underlying frailty. Geriatric follow-up might help improve outcomes in addition to managing the direct cause and consequence of the fall. We aimed to study whether fall characteristics and the result of geriatric screening in the ED are independently related to adverse outcomes in older patients with fall-related ED visits.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of the observational multicenter Acutely Presenting Older Patient (APOP) study, of which a subset of patients aged ≥70 years with fall-related ED visits were prospectively included in EDs of two Dutch hospitals. Fall characteristics (cause and location) were retrospectively collected. The APOP-screener was used as a geriatric screening tool. The outcome was 3- and 12-months functional decline and mortality. We assessed to what extent fall characteristics and the geriatric screening result were independent predictors of the outcome, using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results

We included 393 patients (median age 80 (IQR 76–86) years) of whom 23.0% were high risk according to screening. The cause of the fall was extrinsic (49.6%), intrinsic (29.3%), unexplained (6.4%) or missing (14.8%). A high risk geriatric screening result was related to increased risk of adverse outcomes (3-months adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.27 (1.29–3.98), 12-months AOR 2.20 (1.25–3.89)). Independent of geriatric screening result, an intrinsic cause of the fall increased the risk of 3-months adverse outcomes (AOR 1.92 (1.13–3.26)) and a fall indoors increased the risk of 3-months (AOR 2.14 (1.22–3.74)) and 12-months adverse outcomes (AOR 1.78 (1.03–3.10)).

Conclusions

A high risk geriatric screening result and fall characteristics were both independently associated with adverse outcomes in older ED patients, suggesting that information on both should be evaluated to guide follow-up geriatric assessment and interventions in clinical care.
Eye Movement Desensitization (EMD) to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder-related stress reactivity in Indonesia PTSD patients: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Susanty Eka , Sijbrandij Marit , Srisayekti Wilis , Huizink Anja C.
Published: March 2021

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop after exposure to a traumatic event. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychological treatment for PTSD. It is yet unclear whether eye movements also reduce stress reactivity in PTSD patients. This study aims to test whether eye movements, as provided during Eye Movement Desensitization (EMD), are more effective in reducing stress reactivity in PTSD patients as compared to a retrieval-only control condition.

Methods

The study includes participants who meet criteria of PTSD of the public psychological services in Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. One hundred and ten participants are randomly assigned to either an (1) Eye Movement Desensitization group (n = 55) or (2) retrieval-only control group (n = 55). Participants are assessed at baseline (T0), post-treatment (T1), 1 month (T2), and at 3 months follow-up (T3). Participants are exposed to a script-driven imagery procedure at T0 and T1. The primary outcome is heart rate variability (HRV) stress reactivity during script-driven imagery. Secondary outcomes include heart rate (HR), pre-ejection period (PEP), saliva cortisol levels, PTSD symptoms, neurocognitive functioning, symptoms of anxiety and depression, perceived stress level, and quality of life.

Discussion

If the EMD intervention is effective in reducing stress reactivity outcomes, this would give us more insight into the underlying mechanisms of EMDR’s effectiveness in PTSD symptom reduction.

Trial registration

ISRCTN registry ISRCTN55239132. Registered on 19 December 2017.
Iron incorporation both intra- and extra-cellularly improves the yield and saccharification of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass
Authors: Lin Chien-Yuan , Donohoe Bryon S. , Bomble Yannick J. , Yang Haibing , Yunes Manal , Sarai Nicholas S. , Shollenberger Todd , Decker Stephen R. , Chen Xiaowen , McCann Maureen C. , Tucker Melvin P. , Wei Hui , Himmel Michael E.
Published: March 2021

Background

Pretreatments are commonly used to facilitate the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass to its component sugars and aromatics. Previously, we showed that iron ions can be used as co-catalysts to reduce the severity of dilute acid pretreatment of biomass. Transgenic iron-accumulating Arabidopsis and rice plants exhibited higher iron content in grains, increased biomass yield, and importantly, enhanced sugar release from the biomass.

Results

In this study, we used intracellular ferritin (FerIN) alone and in combination with an improved version of cell wall-bound carbohydrate-binding module fused iron-binding peptide (IBPex) specifically targeting switchgrass, a bioenergy crop species. The FerIN switchgrass improved by 15% in height and 65% in yield, whereas the FerIN/IBPex transgenics showed enhancement up to 30% in height and 115% in yield. The FerIN and FerIN/IBPex switchgrass had 27% and 51% higher in planta iron accumulation than the empty vector (EV) control, respectively, under normal growth conditions. Improved pretreatability was observed in FerIN switchgrass (~ 14% more glucose release than the EV), and the FerIN/IBPex plants showed further enhancement in glucose release up to 24%.

Conclusions

We conclude that this iron-accumulating strategy can be transferred from model plants and applied to bioenergy crops, such as switchgrass. The intra- and extra-cellular iron incorporation approach improves biomass pretreatability and digestibility, providing upgraded feedstocks for the production of biofuels and bioproducts.
Using techno-economic modelling to determine the minimum cost possible for a microbial palm oil substitute
Authors: Karamerou Eleni E. , Parsons Sophie , McManus Marcelle C. , Chuck Christopher J.
Published: March 2021

Background

Heterotrophic single-cell oils (SCOs) are one potential replacement to lipid-derived biofuels sourced from first-generation crops such as palm oil. However, despite a large experimental research effort in this area, there are only a handful of techno-economic modelling publications. As such, there is little understanding of whether SCOs are, or could ever be, a potential competitive replacement. To help address this question, we designed a detailed model that coupled a hypothetical heterotroph (using the very best possible biological lipid production) with the largest and most efficient chemical plant design possible.

Results

Our base case gave a lipid selling price of $1.81/kg for ~ 8,000 tonnes/year production, that could be reduced to $1.20/kg on increasing production to ~ 48,000 tonnes of lipid a year. A range of scenarios to further reduce this cost were then assessed, including using a thermotolerant strain (reducing the cost from $1.20 to $1.15/kg), zero-cost electricity ($ 1.12/kg), using non-sterile conditions ($1.19/kg), wet extraction of lipids ($1.16/kg), continuous production of extracellular lipid ($0.99/kg) and selling the whole yeast cell, including recovering value for the protein and carbohydrate ($0.81/kg). If co-products were produced alongside the lipid then the price could be effectively reduced to $0, depending on the amount of carbon funnelled away from lipid production, as long as the co-product could be sold in excess of $1/kg.

Conclusions

The model presented here represents an ideal case that which while not achievable in reality, importantly would not be able to be improved on, irrespective of the scientific advances in this area. From the scenarios explored, it is possible to produce lower cost SCOs, but research must start to be applied in three key areas, firstly designing products where the whole cell is used. Secondly, further work on the product systems that produce lipids extracellularly in a continuous processing methodology or finally that create an effective biorefinery designed to produce a low molecular weight, bulk chemical, alongside the lipid. All other research areas will only ever give incremental gains rather than leading towards an economically competitive, sustainable, microbial oil.
Genome-wide epistasis analysis for Alzheimer’s disease and implications for genetic risk prediction
Authors: Wang Hui , Bennett David A. , De Jager Philip L. , Zhang Qing-Ye , Zhang Hong-Yu
Published: March 2021

Background

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified by genome-wide association studies only explain part of the heritability of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Epistasis has been considered as one of the main causes of “missing heritability” in AD.

Methods

We performed genome-wide epistasis screening (N = 10,389) for the clinical diagnosis of AD using three popularly adopted methods. Subsequent analyses were performed to eliminate spurious associations caused by possible confounding factors. Then, candidate genetic interactions were examined for their co-expression in the brains of AD patients and analyzed for their association with intermediate AD phenotypes. Moreover, a new approach was developed to compile the epistasis risk factors into an epistasis risk score (ERS) based on multifactor dimensional reduction. Two independent datasets were used to evaluate the feasibility of ERSs in AD risk prediction.

Results

We identified 2 candidate genetic interactions with PFDR <  0.05 (RAMP3-SEMA3A and NSMCE1-DGKE/C17orf67) and another 5 genetic interactions with PFDR <  0.1. Co-expression between the identified interactions supported the existence of possible biological interactions underlying the observed statistical significance. Further association of candidate interactions with intermediate phenotypes helps explain the mechanisms of neuropathological alterations involved in AD. Importantly, we found that ERSs can identify high-risk individuals showing earlier onset of AD. Combined risk scores of SNPs and SNP-SNP interactions showed slightly but steadily increased AUC in predicting the clinical status of AD.

Conclusions

In summary, we performed a genome-wide epistasis analysis to identify novel genetic interactions potentially implicated in AD. We found that ERS can serve as an indicator of the genetic risk of AD.
Finite difference scheme for singularly perturbed reaction diffusion problem of partial delay differential equation with nonlocal boundary condition
Authors: Elango Sekar , Tamilselvan Ayyadurai , Vadivel R. , Gunasekaran Nallappan , Zhu Haitao , Cao Jinde , Li Xiaodi
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates singularly perturbed parabolic partial differential equations with delay in space, and the right end plane is an integral boundary condition on a rectangular domain. A small parameter is multiplied in the higher order derivative, which gives boundary layers, and due to the delay term, one more layer occurs on the rectangle domain. A numerical method comprising the standard finite difference scheme on a rectangular piecewise uniform mesh (Shishkin mesh) of$N_{r} \times N_{t}$Nr×Ntelements condensing in the boundary layers is suggested, and it is proved to be parameter-uniform. Also, the order of convergence is proved to be almost two in space variable and almost one in time variable. Numerical examples are proposed to validate the theory.
Very broadband strain-rate measurements along a submarine fiber-optic cable off Cape Muroto, Nankai subduction zone, Japan
Authors: Ide Satoshi , Araki Eiichiro , Matsumoto Hiroyuki
Published: March 2021

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a new method that measures the strain change along a fiber-optic cable and has emerged as a promising geophysical application across a wide range of research and monitoring. Here we present the results of DAS observations from a submarine cable offshore Cape Muroto, Nankai subduction zone, western Japan. The observed signal amplitude varies widely among the DAS channels, even over short distances of only ~ 100 m, which is likely attributed to the differences in cable-seafloor coupling due to complex bathymetry along the cable route. Nevertheless, the noise levels at the well-coupled channels of DAS are almost comparable to those observed at nearby permanent ocean-bottom seismometers, suggesting that the cable has the ability to detect nearby micro earthquakes and even tectonic tremors. Many earthquakes were observed during the 5-day observation period, with the minimum and maximum detectable events being a local M1.1 event 30–50 km from the cable and a teleseismic Mw7.7 event that occurred in Cuba, respectively. Temperature appears to exert a greater control on the DAS signal than real strain in the quasi-static, sub-seismic range, where we can regard our DAS record as distributed temperature sensing (DTS) record, and detected many rapid temperature change events migrating along the cable: a small number of large migration events (up to 10 km in 6 h) associated with rapid temperature decreases, and many small-scale events (both rising and falling temperatures). These events may reflect oceanic internal surface waves and deep-ocean water mixing processes that are the result of ocean current–tidal interactions along an irregular seafloor boundary.
Weakly interacting disordered Bose gases out of equilibrium: From multiple scattering to superfluidity
(a)
Authors: Scoquart T. , Larré P.-É. , Delande D. , Cherroret N.
Published: March 2021

We explore the quench dynamics of a two-dimensional, weakly interacting disordered Bose gas for various relative strengths of interactions and disorder. This allows us to identify two well distinct out-of-equilibrium regimes. When interactions are smaller than the disorder, the gas experiences multiple scattering and exhibits a short-range spatial coherence. At short time this coherence is only smoothly affected by interactions, via a diffusion process of the particles' energies. When interactions are larger than the disorder, scattering ceases and the gas behaves more and more like a fluid, ultimately like a superfluid at low energy. In the superfluid regime, the gas exhibits a long-range algebraic coherence, characteristic of a pre-thermal regime in disorder.
Distinct evolution of charge occupations on Fe 3d orbitals in hole-doped iron arsenic superconductors
Authors: Ding Ming-Cui , Wu Li-Min , Zhao Gang , Pan Bing-Ying , Zhang Yu-Zhong
Published: March 2021

First-principles calculations are performed to study the hole doping effect in a series of iron arsenic superconductors, such as the undoped CaFe2As2, CaFeAsF, and the hole-doped CaKFe4As4, KCa2Fe4As4F2, and KFe2As2. Charge occupations in the Fe 3d orbitals are found to show opposite variations when the filling is changed. Compared with the undoped CaFe2As2 and CaFeAsF, charges of the

and

orbitals decrease while those of the

and d

xy
orbitals increase in the hole-doped materials CaKFe4As4, KCa2Fe4As4F2 and KFe2As2. By further analyzing the Pauli susceptibilities of CaFe2As2 and CaFeAsF, instability is found at the wave vector of

, which is responsible for the stripe type antiferromagnetic order. In contrast, the Pauli susceptibilities of CaKFe4As4 and KCa2Fe4As4F2 at

are strongly suppressed while the instabilities remain around

, which may be the origin of superconductivity. Combining with the calculated orbital-resolved Pauli susceptibility, we conclude that hole doping mainly results in a decrease of charge occupations in the

and

orbitals, and these three orbitals play dominant roles in controlling the magnetic and superconducting properties in these iron-based superconductors.
Radiographic modalities for diagnosis of caries in a historical perspective: from film to machine-intelligence supported systems
Authors: Wenzel Ann
Published: March 2021

Radiographic imaging for the diagnosis of caries lesions has been a supplement to clinical examination for approximately a century. Various methods, and particularly X-ray receptors, have been developed over the years, and computer systems have focused on aiding the dentist in the detection of lesions and in estimating lesion depth. The present historical review has sampled accuracy ex vivo studies and clinical studies on radiographic caries diagnosis that have compared two or more receptors for capturing the image. The epochs of film radiography, xeroradiography, digital intraoral radiography, panoramic radiography and other extraoral methods, TACT analysis, cone-beam CT and artificial intelligence systems aiding in decision-making are reviewed. The author of this review (43 years in academia) has been involved in caries research and contributed to the literature in all the mentioned epochs.
Fundamentals of psychological counseling
Authors: Andronnikova Ol'ga
Published: March 2021

The textbook contains the necessary information on the sections of the courses "Fundamentals of psychological counseling", "Psychotherapeutic method as the basis of practical activity of a psychologist", "Special problems of psychological counseling and psychotherapy", "Theory and practice of psychological counseling", "Family Counseling", "Counseling and psychotherapeutic work with children and adolescents". Methodological guidelines, the main theoretical ideas of the lecture course, tasks for students to perform independent work and self-control, exercises for developing skills are presented. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is intended for students studying in psychological specialties in the technology of full-time and part-time education.
CORPOREAL ACTIVISM IN ELIZABETH ACEVEDO’S THE POET X: TOWARDS A SELF-APPROPRIATION OF US AFRO-LATINAS’ BODIES
Authors:   Universidad de Sevilla, MARTÍN MARTÍNEZ MACARENA
Published: March 2021

Scholars have typically studied Chicanas/Latinas in the US and African American women separately. However, this paper explores both the cultural appropriation of Afro-Latinas’ bodies in the US and the strategies they employed to reclaim their bodies and agencies through Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel, The Poet X. The protagonist’s body is simultaneously and paradoxically hyper-sexualized by racist discourses, and called to chastity by the patriarchal Catholic doctrine presiding over her Dominican community. Nevertheless, I argue that the protagonist makes her body a site of activism as she re-appropriates the agency over her body by moving from a self-imposed invisibility and silence in order to try to avoid the hyper-sexualization of her incipient curves, to a non-objectified visible position through her sexual desire, self-representative embodied narrative, and performance of her slam poetry.
BLOWING UP THE NUCLEAR FAMILY: SHIRLEY JACKSON’S QUEER GIRLS IN POSTWAR US CULTURE
Authors:   UNIVERSIDAD NEBRIJA, PARRA FERNÁNDEZ LAURA DE LA
Published: March 2021

This paper intends to analyze the representation of girlhood as a liminal space in three novels by Shirley Jackson: The Bird’s Nest (1954), The Haunting of Hill House (1959) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962). Bearing in mind how nuclear fears and national identity are configured around the ideal of a safe domestic space in US postwar culture, the paper explores cultural anxieties about teenage girls who refuse to conform to normative femininity, following Teresa de Lauretis’s conception of women’s coming-of-age as “consenting to femininity” (1984). I will argue that Jackson criticizes the rigid possibilities for women at this time, and I will show how her representations of deviant femininity refuse and subvert the discourse of the nuclear family and, therefore, of the nation.
ENVIRONMENT AND THE SOMATIC BODY IN CHERRÍE MORAGA’S HEROES AND SAINTS AND EDWIDGE DANTICAT’S THE FARMING OF BONES
Authors:   University of Debrecen, Hungary, RUBÓCZKI BABETT
Published: March 2021

The paper offers a cross-cultural literary analysis of Chicana Cherríe Moraga’s Heroes and Saints (1992) and Haitian American Edwidge Danticat’s The Farming of Bones (1998) and compares the play and the novel on the basis of their shared thematic link of interwoven environmental and racial violence directed against marginalized people of color. Despite the works’ geographically distant contexts—set in the US Southwest and the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, respectively—and the differing collective traumas of genocide the texts dramatize, both narratives foreground the motif of violated nature as a primary critical lens to unveil and critique the ongoing practices of colonialism permeating twentieth-century US and Caribbean politics. The interlocking images of women-of-colors’ disfigured bodies and the environmental devastation caused by (post)colonial violence underline the pervasiveness of harm done to both the earth and the somatic body.
Inexact Nonconvex Newton-Type Methods
Authors: Yao Zhewei , Xu Peng , Roosta Fred , Mahoney Michael W.
Published: March 2021

The paper aims to extend the theory and application of nonconvex Newton-type methods, namely trust region and cubic regularization, to the settings in which, in addition to the solution of subproblems, the gradient and the Hessian of the objective function are approximated. Using certain conditions on such approximations, the paper establishes optimal worst-case iteration complexities as the exact counterparts. This paper is part of a broader research program on designing, analyzing, and implementing efficient second-order optimization methods for large-scale machine learning applications. The authors were based at UC Berkeley when the idea of the project was conceived. The first two authors were PhD students, the third author was a postdoc, all supervised by the fourth author.
Collaborative governance and innovation in public services settings
Authors: van Gestel Nicolette , Grotenbreg Sanne
Published: March 2021

Collaborative governance is believed to lead to more innovative solutions to complex problems in public services. This article analyses whether this hypothesis applies in the case of decentralisation of labour market policy to regional networks of various actors in the Netherlands. We first develop a theoretical argument that integrates theories of collaborative governance with theories of innovation, distinguishing between a wide and a small option for innovation in relation to the structure, process and output/outcome of collaborative governance. Our findings show that, despite a variety of partnerships and ambitions across the regions, new and bold solutions to complex problems are scarce. In particular, wide innovation, which creates public value beyond the existing policy frameworks and services, is limited in practice. The article advances the theory by specifying barriers and conditions for network innovation in the public sector, and provides some suggestions for further research.
Upper secondary school tracking, labour market outcomes and intergenerational inequality in Denmark
Authors: Birkelund Jesper Fels , Karlson Kristian Bernt , Reimer David
Published: March 2021

We study the relationship among family background, placements in upper secondary school tracks and labour market outcomes in the comprehensive welfare state of Denmark. We base our study on high-quality data from Danish administrative registers with a focus on the 1986 birth cohort, which allows us to examine very fine-grained measures of track placement in upper secondary schools. Our analyses show three results. First, upper secondary track placement is consequential for labour market outcomes, even after we control for the selection into tracks on pre-track academic performance and family background characteristics. Second, upper secondary track placement appears to affect labour market outcomes even net of higher education attainment. Third, educational tracking appears to play a role in intergenerational social reproduction net of family background-based skill gaps, suggesting that track choice help maintain inequalities across generations. We discuss the implications of our findings for the literature on educational tracking.
Transmission through a one-dimensional photonic lattice modulated by the side-coupled PT-symmetric non-Hermitian Su–Schrieffer–Heeger chain
Authors: Huang Piao-Piao , He Jing , Li Jia-Rui , Wu Hai-Na , Zhang Lian-Lian , Jin Zhao , Gong Wei-Jiang
Published: March 2021

We theoretically study the quantum transmission through a one-dimensional photonic lattice that couples laterally to the one parity-time (

P

T

)-symmetric non-Hermitian Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) chain. It is found that the SSH chain plays important roles in modifying the transmission properties of this system. In the case of weak coupling, the effect of the SSH chain is manifested mainly as the antiresonance caused by the edge states when it is in a topologically nontrivial region. And when the

P

T

-symmetric complex potentials are introduced at the ends of the SSH chain, the edge states undergo

P

T

-symmetry breaking accompanied by a notable change in transmission function spectra. On the other hand, few changes can be observed in the topologically trivial region of the SSH chain. For the strong coupling case, the antiresonance effect of the non-Hermitian SSH chain is apparently modified. Our findings provide helpful content for describing the physics properties of the

P

T

-symmetric non-Hermitian SSH chain.
Tunable ultrasharp terahertz plasma edge in a lightly doped narrow-gap semiconductor
Authors: Ju Xuewei , Hu Zhiqiang , Huang Feng , Wu Haibin , Belyanin Alexey , Kono Junichiro , Wang Xiangfeng
Published: March 2021

Plasma edges in metals typically occur in the visible range, producing characteristic colors of metals. In a lightly doped semiconductor, the plasma edge can occur in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. Due to low scattering rates and variable electron densities in semiconductors, such THz plasma edges can be extremely sharp and greatly tunable. Here, we show that an ultrasharp THz plasma edge exists in a lightly n-doped InSb crystal with a record-high transmittance slope of 80 dB/THz. The frequency at which this sharp edge happens can be readily tuned by changing the temperature, electron density, scattering rate, and sample thickness. The edge frequency exhibited a surprising increase with decreasing temperature below 15 K, which we explain as a result of a weak-to-strong transition in the scattering rate, going from ωτ  ≫ 1 to ωτ ∼ 1. These results indicate that doped narrow-gap semiconductors provide a versatile platform for manipulating THz waves in a controllable manner, especially as a high-pass filter with an unprecedented on/off ratio.
Multifunctional metalens generation using bilayer all-dielectric metasurfaces
Authors: Chen Li , Hao Yuan , Zhao Lin , Wu Ruihuan , Liu Yue , Wei Zhongchao , Xu Ning , Li Zhaotang , Liu Hongzhan
Published: March 2021

Optical metasurfaces exhibit unprecedented ability in light field control due to their ability to locally change the phase, amplitude, and polarization of transmitted or reflected light. We propose a multifunctional metalens with dual working modes based on bilayer geometric phase elements consisting of low-loss phase change materials (Sb2Se3) and amorphous silicon (a-Si). In transmission mode, by changing the crystalline state of the Sb2Se3 scatterer, a bifocal metalens with an arbitrary intensity ratio at the telecommunication C-band is realized, and the total focusing efficiency of the bifocal metalens is as high as 78%. Also, at the resonance wavelength of the amorphous Sb2Se3 scatterer, the scatterer can be regarded as a half-wave plate in reflection mode. The multifunctional metalens can reversely converge incident light into a focal point with a focusing efficiency of up to 30%. The high focusing efficiency, dynamic reconfigurability, and dual working modes of the multifunctional metalens contribute to polarization state detection, optical imaging, and optical data storage. In addition, the bilayer geometric phase elements can be easily extended to multilayer, which significantly improves the capability of manipulating the incident light field.
Regulation and enhancement of the nonlinear optical properties of reduced graphene oxide through Au nanospheres and Au@CdS core-shells
Authors: Hao Yu , Wang Liwei , Zhu Baohua , Zhang Yimin , Gu Yuzong
Published: March 2021

Regulating nonlinear optical (NLO) absorption and refraction properties of graphene is significant in nonlinear photonics. In this work, the functionalizing strategy of quantum dots (QDs) was used for the regulation of the NLO properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with Au nanospheres and Au@CdS core-shells. The third-order NLO properties of rGO-Au and rGO-Au@CdS nanocomposites were investigated by Z-scan technique with 38 ps laser pulses at 532 nm wavelength. The saturation absorption (SA) of rGO was weakened when it was combined with Au nanospheres and switched to reverse saturation absorption (RSA) when combined with Au@CdS core-shells as irradiance intensity increased. The strength of RSA was tunable with the size of Au@CdS core-shells. Meanwhile, the nonlinear susceptibility of rGO was weakened with the complex Au but was tunable with the complex Au@CdS and realized two times enhancement. The effect of charge transfer mechanism was proposed to explain the regulated effect.
Wide-range optical fiber temperature sensor based on up-conversion luminescent nanocrystals
Authors: Yu Shiqi , Qian Chunya , Zhou Qi , Wang Lujie , Xiao Hui , Ye Song , Li Xuefeng
Published: March 2021

In this study, an optical fiber temperature sensor based on up-conversion luminescence (UCL) is proposed. The core part is a new plan of the sensing unit, which is constructed with UCL materials of

N
a
Y
F

4

:

Y
b

3
+

,

E
r

3
+

nanocrystals by fiber fusion technology to achieve a wide range of temperature measurements. Experimental results show that the proposed optical fiber temperature sensor shows significant spectrum-temperature characteristics in 80–373 K temperature range. Its relative sensitivities at low temperature and normal temperature are

2.2

×

10

−
3

/

K

with a determination coefficient of 0.957 and

9.1

×

10

−
3

/

K

with a determination coefficient of 0.994, respectively. This type of sensor also has good mechanical strength and system stability and shows great potential for development, particularly in the aerospace field with large temperature differences.
Neuronal SKN-1B modulates nutritional signalling pathways and mitochondrial networks to control satiety
Authors: Tataridas-Pallas Nikolaos , Thompson Maximillian A. , Howard Alexander , Brown Ian , Ezcurra Marina , Wu Ziyun , Silva Isabel Goncalves , Saunter Christopher D. , Kuerten Timo , Weinkove David , Blackwell T. Keith , Tullet Jennifer M. A.
Published: March 2021

The feeling of hunger or satiety results from integration of the sensory nervous system with other physiological and metabolic cues. This regulates food intake, maintains homeostasis and prevents disease. In C. elegans, chemosensory neurons sense food and relay information to the rest of the animal via hormones to control food-related behaviour and physiology. Here we identify a new component of this system, SKN-1B which acts as a central food-responsive node, ultimately controlling satiety and metabolic homeostasis. SKN-1B, an ortholog of mammalian NF-E2 related transcription factors (Nrfs), has previously been implicated with metabolism, respiration and the increased lifespan incurred by dietary restriction. Here we show that SKN-1B acts in two hypothalamus-like ASI neurons to sense food, communicate nutritional status to the organism, and control satiety and exploratory behaviours. This is achieved by SKN-1B modulating endocrine signalling pathways (IIS and TGF-β), and by promoting a robust mitochondrial network. Our data suggest a food-sensing and satiety role for mammalian Nrf proteins.
Measuring the global burden of chikungunya and Zika viruses: A systematic review
Authors: Puntasecca Christopher J. , King Charles H. , LaBeaud Angelle Desiree
Published: March 2021

Throughout the last decade, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) infections have spread globally, causing a spectrum of disease that ranges from self-limited febrile illness to permanent severe disability, congenital anomalies, and early death. Nevertheless, estimates of their aggregate health impact are absent from the literature and are currently omitted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reports. We systematically reviewed published literature and surveillance records to evaluate the global burden caused by CHIKV and ZIKV between 2010 and 2019, to calculate estimates of their disability-adjusted life year (DALY) impact. Extracted data on acute, chronic, and perinatal outcomes were used to create annualized DALY estimates, following techniques outlined in the GBD framework. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020192502). Of 7,877 studies identified, 916 were screened in detail, and 21 were selected for inclusion. Available data indicate that CHIKV and ZIKV caused the average yearly loss of over 106,000 and 44,000 DALYs, respectively, between 2010 and 2019. Both viruses caused substantially more burden in the Americas than in any other World Health Organization (WHO) region. This unequal distribution is likely due to a combination of limited active surveillance reporting in other regions and the lack of immunity that left the previously unexposed populations of the Americas susceptible to severe outbreaks during the last decade. Long-term rheumatic sequelae provided the largest DALY component for CHIKV, whereas congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) contributed most significantly for ZIKV. Acute symptoms and early mortality accounted for relatively less of the overall burden. Suboptimal reporting and inconsistent diagnostics limit precision when determining arbovirus incidence and frequency of complications. Despite these limitations, it is clear from our assessment that CHIKV and ZIKV represent a significant cause of morbidity that is not included in current disease burden reports. These results suggest that transmission-blocking strategies, including vector control and vaccine development, remain crucial priorities in reducing global disease burden through prevention of potentially devastating arboviral outbreaks.
A painful journey to antivenom: The therapeutic itinerary of snakebite patients in the Brazilian Amazon (The QUALISnake Study)
Authors: Cristino Joseir Saturnino , Salazar Guilherme Maciel , Machado Vinícius Azevedo , Honorato Eduardo , Farias Altair Seabra , Vissoci João Ricardo Nickenig , Silva Neto Alexandre Vilhena , Lacerda Marcus , Wen Fan Hui , Monteiro Wuelton Marcelo , Sachett Jacqueline Almeida Gonçalves
Published: March 2021

Access to antivenoms is not guarranteed for vulnerable populations that inhabit remote areas in the Amazon. The study of therapeutic itineraries (TI) for treatment of snakebites would support strategies to provide timely access to users. A TI is the set of processes by which individuals adhere to certain forms of treatment, and includes the path traveled in the search for healthcare, and practices to solve their health problems. This study aims to describe TIs of snakebite patients in the Brazilian Amazon. This study was carried out at the Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado, in Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil. The itinerary from the moment of the bite to the patient’s admission to the reference unit was analyzed. Sample size was defined by saturation. After an exploratory survey to collect epidemiological variables, in-depth interviews were conducted following a semi-structured guide. Patients originated from rural areas of 11 different municipalities, including ones located >500 kilometers from Manaus. A great fragmentation was observed in the itineraries, marked by several changes of means of transport along the route. Four themes emerged from the analysis: exposure to snakebite during day-to-day activities, use of traditional therapeutic practices, and personal perception of the severity, as well as the route taken and its contingencies. Access to healthcare requires considerable effort on the part of snakebite patients. Major barriers were identified, such as the low number of hospitals that offer antivenom treatment, poor access to healthcare due to long distances and geographic barriers, low acceptability of healthcare offered in countryside, lack of use of personal protective equipment, common use of ineffective or deleterious self-care practices, late recognition of serious clinical signs and resistance to seeking medical assistance. Health education, promotion of immediate transport to health centers and decentralization of antivenom from reference hospitals to community healthcare centers in the Brazilian Amazon are more effective strategies that would to maximize access to antivenom treatment.
Near-infrared spectroscopy outperforms genomics for predicting sugarcane feedstock quality traits
Authors: Gonçalves Mateus Teles Vital , Morota Gota , Costa Paulo Mafra de Almeida , Vidigal Pedro Marcus Pereira , Barbosa Marcio Henrique Pereira , Peternelli Luiz Alexandre
Published: March 2021

The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the prediction performance of genomic and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) data and whether the integration of genomic and NIR predictor variables can increase the prediction accuracy of two feedstock quality traits (fiber and sucrose content) in a sugarcane population (Saccharumspp.). The following three modeling strategies were compared: M1 (genome-based prediction), M2 (NIR-based prediction), and M3 (integration of genomics and NIR wavenumbers). Data were collected from a commercial population comprised of three hundred and eighty-five individuals, genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms and screened using NIR spectroscopy. We compared partial least squares (PLS) and BayesB regression methods to estimate marker and wavenumber effects. In order to assess model performance, we employed random sub-sampling cross-validation to calculate the mean Pearson correlation coefficient between observed and predicted values. Our results showed that models fitted using BayesB were more predictive than PLS models. We found that NIR (M2) provided the highest prediction accuracy, whereas genomics (M1) presented the lowest predictive ability, regardless of the measured traits and regression methods used. The integration of predictors derived from NIR spectroscopy and genomics into a single model (M3) did not significantly improve the prediction accuracy for the two traits evaluated. These findings suggest that NIR-based prediction can be an effective strategy for predicting the genetic merit of sugarcane clones.