bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frontiers of Automotive Industry Development in the Russian Federation in Terms of Adaptation to New Challenges
Authors: Kamberdiev B.
Published: October 2024

The automotive industry is one of the main industries in mechanical engineering. It accounts for a large share of capital investments. The conveyor assembly system, which was widely used in this industry at the time, radically changed the entire industry of the XX century. The multiplicative effect of car production makes the industry the "locomotive" of the economy. The automotive industry is today one of the frontiers in the development of our country's economy. The purpose of the study is to analyze the situation in the Russian car market and assess the prospects for the development of the Russian automotive industry in the context of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the strengthening of sanctions restrictions by unfriendly countries. In the process of working on the study, methods of analysis, synthesis, description, comparative, problematic, logistic and dynamic methods were used. According to the results of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: the automotive industry plays an essential role in the processes of globalization of the modern economy. However, the disruption of logistics chains had a negative impact on the situation in the domestic automotive industry and the consumer market, led to a reduction in production and an increase in unemployment in this industry. The way out of this situation is to reorient domestic car production to cooperate with companies from friendly countries, such as China, and establish logistics chains through intermediary countries, such as Kazakhstan, but adjusted for minimizing costs. An important role in solving this problem can be played by the development and implementation of an import substitution mechanism in the production of domestic cars, including electric cars. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the proposed frontiers in the stabilization of Russian automotive production have been identified taking into account the impact of both external and internal factors in the current volatile economic situation caused by the reaction of unfriendly countries towards Russia.
La frontera disciplinar entre Bielefeld y Cambridge. Estratigrafía temporal y contextualismo lingüístico como espacio de investigación.
Authors: Garcia Leonardo
Published: October 2024

Dejando de lado puntos de tensión y desencuentro, el campo de investigación integrado por la Historia conceptual de Koselleck y el contextualismo lingüístico, sobre todo de Skinner, se ha explorado de manera fructífera en investigaciones que demuestran el potencial metodológico que sugiere su abordaje ecléctico. Propio de la lexicografía académica ha sido el intento de reconstruir “definiciones quintaesenciadas” que intentan afinar con total precisión el significado de cada concepto para extirpar su ambigüedad constitutiva. La mutabilidad y, por tanto, plurivocidad característica de conceptos sociales, políticos y jurídicos hacen que la articulación entre ambas contribuciones metodológicas proporcione, como sostiene Richter, un relato histórico más satisfactorio del pensamiento y el lenguaje social y político. El objetivo de este artículo, a partir de un estudio riguroso de fuentes primarias y secundarias, es reconstruir y explicar los perfiles medulares de ambas aproximaciones para analizar y demostrar los elementos de particular relevancia para la investigación conceptual en campos como el filosófico-político y el constitucional en Iberoamérica, los cuales poco se han servido de este fructífero sincretismo metodológico.
La Ciropedia y la Anabasis: ¿un príncipe socrático en una παμβασιλεία?.
Authors: García Sánchez Manel
Published: October 2024

Es un lugar común en los estudios sobre la Ciropedia de Jenofonte ver en ella un tratado sobre el liderazgo político (προστάτης; ἄρχων), así como un speculum principum para la Grecia de su tiempo y de toda la tradición occidental. Menos habitual ha sido leer la Anábasis como un tratado de filosofía política, pero tampoco han faltado solventes ejercicios que ven en ella otra obra de Jenofonte sobre el liderazgo político y en ambas la figura de un príncipe socrático en una παμβασιλεία.
A Reading on Xenophon’s Hiero (2.8-16; 6.7-10): Citizens and War in the Tyrant’s Discourse.
Authors: Poddighe Elisabetta
Published: October 2024

This essay focuses on the role that the theme of the war waged by the citizens plays in the tyrant Hiero’s regret for his lost status as a citizen. By invoking the military commitment that citizens offer to the city when it is engaged in a common war, Hiero underlines those aspects of being a citizen that he misses the most: sharing in the joys of victory, taking part in collective discussions when the community decides to go to war for a common advantage, the protection of the laws afforded to the citizens defending their city, the honor that victory over the enemy brings to the entire community of citizens.
El ejercicio de la jurisdicción universal desde América Latina. Reflexiones al hilo de la guerra en Ucrania.
Authors: Suárez Serrano Chema
Published: October 2024

El ejercicio de la jurisdicción universal permite a los estados cubrir la falta de competencia de la Corte Penal Internacional para la persecución de los crímenes que se están cometiendo en el contexto de la guerra en Ucrania y, en general, en cualquier lugar del mundo. Pero dos años después de la invasión de Rusia en el este del país y diez desde la ocupación del sur, las iniciativas en este sentido han partido desde estados europeos, entre la escasa implicación de América Latina. No pocos sistemas penales americanos contemplan en su legislación nacional la posibilidad de aplicar la jurisdicción universal y hasta la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos ha defendido recientemente este principio. La persecución de los crímenes internacionales interesa a toda la comunidad internacional, pero América Latina no se ha movilizado ante la extraordinaria gravedad de los sucesos en Ucrania.
La figura de los “terceros civiles” en la justicia transicional colombiana. Una contribución más a la sociedad internacional.
Authors: Vanyó Vicedo Raquel
Published: October 2024

Este trabajo reivindica la figura de los “terceros civiles” acuñada en el marco del Sistema Integral de Verdad, Justicia, Reparación y no Repetición (SIVJRNR) de Colombia como antídoto al veto corporativo en contextos de posconflicto. Así, a partir de una serie de fundamentos teóricos y jurisprudenciales, se reexaminan los argumentos esgrimidos por la Corte Constitucional colombiana en la Sentencia C-674 de 2017 para limitar la competencia sobre terceros atribuida a la Jurisdicción Especial de la Paz por el Congreso de la República (Acto Legislativo 01 de 2017), con el propósito de esclarecer la responsabilidad de aquellos sujetos que, sin formar parte de las organizaciones o grupos armados (incluidos los actores económicos), hubieren contribuido de manera directa o indirecta a la comisión de delitos en el marco del conflicto armado y de apostar, más allá del caso colombiano, por la necesaria universalización de esta figura en el Derecho Internacional.
Memoria en la transición: la desaparición forzada en las sentencias de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de países en postdictadura y postconflicto.
Authors: Bayona Aristizábal Diana Maite , Reyes Ortiz Liliana Andrea
Published: October 2024

Este artículo aborda la relevancia de la memoria en los periodos de transición, centrándose en los conceptos de "derecho a la memoria" y "deber de memoria", argumentándose en favor de este último, pues no presenta contradicciones con otros derechos fundamentales. Se proponen cuatro categorías de medidas para analiza “el deber de memoria” en la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de DDHH en seis países latinoamericanos que experimentaron transiciones postdictadura o postconflicto. Así se analizaron 118 sentencias, dividiéndolas en dos grupos: casos de desaparición forzada (DF)y casos de otros crímenes. Los resultados revelan que la tipología del delito no configura un patrón uniforme en las medidas ordenadas, y que las categorías más frecuentes ordenadas relativas al “deber de memoria” son las medidas de esclarecimiento y divulgación de la verdad. Finalmente, se discuten como aspectos como el contexto y las legislaciones locales pueden explicar la ausencia de patrones de reparación para la DF.
Justicia transicional, paso del caos a la democracia. Justicia restaurativa, ¿su insignia?.
Authors: Muñoz Hernández Luis Antonio , Toro Garzón Luis Orlando
Published: October 2024

La justicia transicional y la justicia restaurativa, que cuentan con estándares internacionales ya delineados, al menos en su concepto multidimensional son propias de sociedades complejas, diversas, móviles, significativas, pero no encajan en la sociedad colombiana, que insiste en instituciones y estructuras estáticas, hobbesianas, tradicionales y moralmente monistas. De acuerdo con estudios publicados en mayo de 2021, Colombia tiene un alto nivel de impunidad y uno de los más altos índices de criminalidad organizada del planeta. La ley procesal penal de 2004 y el Acuerdo de Paz de 2016 establecen la justicia restaurativa, pero la modalidad de justicia transicional que se aplica es la retributiva. En este estudio se pudo demostrar que, aforismos como: “Justicia transicional: paso del caos a la democracia” o “Justicia restaurativa: insignia de la justicia transicional”, no se pueden aplicar de forma absoluta. La investigación revela que hace falta un giro ontológico y epistemológico que dinamice las estructuras tradicionales dominantes, con aquellas novedosas tendencias sociales, políticas y jurídicas.
Small business, big footprint: the digital carbon footprint dilemma in small and medium-sized enterprises
Authors: Sándor Ágnes , Gubán Ákos
Published: October 2024

A major contributor to climate change is the emissions from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices and digitalisation. Energy use, heat production, and the operation of assets all contribute to the production of harmful emissions. However, indirect emissions, such as production and disposal, also play a role. We rely mainly on the output of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper focuses on the emissions of SMEs. Is it certain that cloud services (remote data storage and management) leave a much smaller carbon footprint than ICT devices for own use? These two solutions lead to a paradox: using more modern devices to produce less emissions requires more energy and generates more heat. This article analyses how to resolve this paradox for SMEs.
Violência Colonial e Efeitos Psicossociais: Diálogo entre Experiências Kaiowá e Guarani e Escritos de Martín-Baró
Authors: De Faria Lucas Luis , Martins Catia Paranhos
Published: October 2024

Este texto é parte da relação dialógica que temos construído com os povos Kaiowá e Guarani de Mato Grosso do Sul a partir do ensino e pesquisa em Psicologia Social. Nesta pesquisa nos debruçamos sobre as narrativas de violência denunciadas por estes povos para tecer análises de seus efeitos psicossociais a partir das contribuições de Ignacio Martín-Baró. Os relatos das violências coloniais, por suas relações intrínsecas com a colonização, são oriundos de recortes de notas da Aty Guasu, organização Kaiowá e Guarani, e da escuta sensível de diferentes comunidades e pessoas violentadas. O acesso às notas deu-se através das publicações no blog da Aty Guasu entre os anos de 2011 e 2013. Utilizamos as estratégias metodológicas de revisão da literatura da Psicologia da Libertação, a análise de documentos e o registro em diário de campo quando da participação em atividades públicas protagonizadas pelos Kaiowá e Guarani. Por meio desses procedimentos interpelamos a multiplicidade da violência colonial, como os homicídios e suicídios, praticada por diferentes atores. Com este estudo, consideramos a substantivação da violência em seus termos e raízes coloniais como modo de compreender, intervir e enfrentar as relações violentas fundadas no colonialismo e perpetuadas por suas atualizações na contemporaneidade.
Below-knee amputation with an ultrasonic scalpel: evaluation of early postoperative clinical outcomes
Authors: Ryoo Hyun Jung , Lee Yeon Ji , Lim Jin-Soo , Shim Hyung-Sup
Published: October 2024

Objective:

Despite the development of microscopic reconstructive techniques for lower limb salvage, major limb amputation is still required for critical, unsalvageable lower leg wounds, with steadily increasing estimates of major limb amputations. In this study, the authors highlight a surgical technique for below-knee (BK) amputation using an ultrasonic scalpel, and evaluate its safety and effectiveness compared with the conventional method of using surgical blades.

Method:

A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, Republic of Korea, on patients who underwent BK amputation between October 2012 and January 2021. Patients were assigned to two groups: amputation using classical methods, such as surgical blades and electrocautery (group A); and amputation using an ultrasonic scalpel (group B). Numerous perioperative factors, such as operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications and recovery time were examined. The present study adhered to the STROBE guidelines.

Results:

A total of 41 patients (16 in group A and 25 in group B) were included in this study. Operation time was significantly shorter in group B (p=0.001) and intraoperative blood loss was lower (p=0.011). Wound healing time did not vary between groups.

Conclusion:

In this study, the use of an ultrasonic scalpel for lower limb amputation was effective in reducing operation time and blood loss, which may be helpful in improving outcomes for patients with comorbidities.
How accurate is the QbTest for measuring symptoms of ADHD in children and adults?
Authors: Morley Rachel , Hemingway Steve
Published: October 2024

This literature review aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the quantified behavioural test (QbTest) to measure the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), determining the extent to which results of the selected studies were accurate and generalisable. A literature review was undertaken, with each paper appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme randomised controlled trial checklist. Thematic analysis was also implemented to identify key themes and relationships between data sets. Three papers concluded that the QbTest increases clinical efficiency without compromising diagnostic accuracy, while others identified limitations relating to its ability to identify symptoms of impulsivity correctly. Additional issues were identified relating to external validity, generalisability and the extent to which the QbTest could differentiate ADHD from other conditions. It is concluded that the QbTest is an unreliable means of assessing ADHD in both children and adults, particularly when used as a stand-alone assessment tool. Thematic analysis highlighted concerns around diagnostic accuracy and the QbTest's inability to differentiate symptoms of ADHD from other conditions – fundamental flaws affecting the overarching fidelity of QbTesting.
Drug Breakdown: MEBENDAZOLE
Authors: Rees Sharon
Published: October 2024

In this column, Sharon Rees aims to refresh knowledge and interest in some of the commonly used drugs in a series of posts on X. This month she is talking about #mebendazole
Remote healthcare
Authors: Robertson Deborah
Published: October 2024

Deborah Robertson provides an overview of recently published articles that may be of interest to non-medical prescribers. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided
Use of Virtual Manipulatives in Addition of Fractions Among Year Four Pupils
Authors: Chan Cheng Yow , Leong Kwan Eu
Published: October 2024

One of the challenging concepts that many primary school pupils deal with is adding fractions. However, the problem of adding fractions in the classroom might be resolved by employing virtual manipulatives. This study aimed to compare the use of virtual manipulatives and conventional lecture-based methods in two groups of Year 4 pupils to examine the effects of understanding the addition of fractions. Sixty-four pupils participated in this study. This study occurred throughout a six-week time frame in a primary school in Temerloh, Malaysia. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent pre-post test was implemented to compare the effects of the control and experimental groups. The first finding showed that the experimental group's conceptual understanding of adding fractions was significantly better after using virtual manipulatives during the intervention, t (62) = 11.682, p<0.005. Cohen's D demonstrated the effect size for comparison (d=2.06), showing a significant effect. The second finding revealed that the conceptual understanding of adding fractions was significantly better after the intervention with virtual manipulatives when controlling the pre-test score, F (1, 61) = 9.475, p < .001, η2 = 0.134. This study showed that pupils in the experimental group improved their conceptual understanding of adding fractions.
Empire and Fascism, 1890s–1928
Authors: Vushko Iryna
Published: October 2024

This chapter relates a history of the nationalist radicalization, of fascism and anti-fascist responses, in territories that belonged to the Habsburg Empire and that after 1918 became part of Italy. The focus here is on a single country. The chapter brings together two protagonists, the Christian socialist Alcide De Gasperi and the nationalist Francesco Salata, both of whom lived in Italy after 1918. An analysis of Italian politics here also incorporates the discussion of conservatism, clericalism, nationalism, and internationalism in the preceding chapters, bridging them all to Marxism and internationalism, specifically on the empire’s southern borderland. This, too, is a story of the transfer of imperial practices across time and space. It is, in particular, an analysis of two political opponents who in fascist Italy found much in common; both of them, in different ways, carried on the legacy of the defunct empire. This analysis reveals a remarkable degree of continuity in national and nationalist politics between pre-1922 Italian liberals and post-1922 and Italian fascists.
From Promise to Terror
Authors: Vushko Iryna
Published: October 2024

This chapter is a story of socialism and Marxism in Galicia and their chronological and geographical transformations across 1918. The transformations took place between the Habsburg and Russian Empires, on one side, and Poland, Ukraine, and the Soviet Union, on the other. The chapter brings together four protagonists who were in the Galician, and later in the Polish and Ukrainian, Social Democratic parties, whose membership and models set the tone for left politics in interwar Poland and Soviet Ukraine. Ignacy Daszyński, Herman Diamand, Mykola Hankevych, and Semen Vityk represented different generations but belonged to the same circle—one bound by shared ideas on Marxism, nationalism, and multiethnic politics. Living in Austria, Poland, and Ukraine (and then Soviet Ukraine) after 1918, they all carried imperial-era models and practices into post-imperial Europe. The development of Galician socialism is crucial for understanding the post-1918 trajectory of socialism and communism east of Vienna, including in the Soviet Union. Here, too, Habsburg-era socialism lived on, in the form of its former practitioners who found themselves in Soviet territory, and even in the policies of the Russian Bolsheviks, who for reasons of their own opted to imitate Austrian socialist models in the Soviet state.
Companionship in Black Attendant Needlework, The History of Sir George Ellison , and The Woman of Colour
Authors: Smith Chloe Wigston
Published: October 2024

This chapter addresses needleworks and novels that gesture to the possibilities of companionship between women of color and white women, and which operate outside the conventions of the ideal of companionate marriage. It looks first at “Black attendant needlework,” pieces that reimagine the conventions of Black attendant portraiture in thread and engage the intersection of domesticity and colonialism through the lens of companionship. These needleworks function as material counterparts to the handmade objects and fashion items depicted in Sarah Scott’s The History of Sir George Ellison and the anonymously authored The Woman of Colour (1808). In novels and needleworks deeply engaged with slavery and featuring enslaved domestic workers, companionship cultivates powerful alternatives to the marriage plot through material and artistic practice.
Coda
Authors: Smith Chloe Wigston
Published: October 2024

The coda considers the long legacies of the eighteenth century’s material entanglements, by studying how the era’s material forms live on in later-day intersections between material culture and empire. First it addresses how nineteenth-century makers stitched Wedgwood’s antislavery medallion onto a variety of pieces, suggesting the design’s continued visual and political currency across forms of handiwork. Such pieces contributed to the material presence of antislavery sentiment in the home and sewing circles, and at charity bazaars. The coda argues that the legacies of political needleworks persist into the twentieth century and today, into craftivism and the work of contemporary artists such as Yinka Shonibare and Fabiola Jean-Louis. Their formal experimentations reimagine the sources and futures of the eighteenth century’s material culture.
Justicia Territorial y Ciencia Popular. Propuesta de Ciencia Transformadora Latinoamericana 2024-2050
Authors: Bozzano Horacio , Saquet Marcos , Canevari Tomás
Published: October 2024

La justicia territorial y la ciencia popular son germen de una tendencia tanto subliminal como emergente en el desarrollo gradual de una ciencia transformadora en América Latina. Los objetivos de este artículo son: exponer perspectivas de justicia territorial y ciencia popular útiles para la concepción y formulación del Proyecto CTL Ciencia Transformadora Latinoamericana 2024-2050; comunicar e interpretar treinta y ocho acciones promotoras de praxis y teorías de la justicia territorial por una ciencia popular y transformadora; exponer algunos casos concretos impulsados desde UNLP-CONICET (Argentina), UNIOESTE-Fundación Araucaria (Brasil) y otras instituciones para relacionarlos con las perspectivas que dan título a este artículo; y reconocer cómo mediante un sinnúmero de praxis transformadoras nuestra red científica latinoamericana Territorios Posibles, Praxis y Transformación ha producido la propuesta de Ciencia Transformadora Latinoamericana 2024-2050. La metodología parte del reconocimiento de las perspectivas que dan nombre al artículo, para, desde allí profundizar tanto en el análisis cualitativo de las 38 acciones en el colectivo de investigadores en América Latina, como en algunas iniciativas concretas en Argentina, Brasil, México y Colombia. Esta metodología analítica e interpretativa a doble escala ha contribuido a dar a luz a la conclusión de la presente investigación: la concepción y formulación del Proyecto CTL 2024-2050 Ciencia Transformadora Latinoamericana, en esta primera etapa entre 12 instituciones académicas de América Latina. CTL promueve la rigurosidad en la ejecución de métodos, técnicas y dispositivos, el saber popular, la interdisciplinariedad, la inter-institucionalidad y la praxis de investigación y cooperación con los sujetos de cada proyecto.
Late Ediacaran carbonate production and REE+Y signatures tracing redox conditions in a Cadomian retroarc basin, Central Iberian Zone, Spain
Authors: Alvaro J. Javier , Lorenzo Saturnino , Martínez-Benítez Blanca , Pieren Agustín P.
Published: October 2024

The late Ediacaran carbonate production recorded in a Cadomian retroarc basin from the Iberian Peninsula provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate the tectonic and redox factors that controlled the infill of the foredeep troughs, located between uplifted orogenic wedges and exposed forebulge transects. In the Central Iberian Zone of the Iberian massif, the carbonates of the Villarta Formation follow two geographic belts, which represent short-term mosaics of uplifted and tilted fault-bounded basement highs. These recorded the nucleation of fringing reefal (rich in Cloudina and Sinotubulites microfossils embedded in thromboid textures) and shoal and back-barrier complexes, which episodically fed slope-related megabreccia lobes and channels. REE+Y datasets from the impure carbonates reflect contamination by detrital material, hydrothermal interaction and variable redox conditions, ranging from oxic to dysoxic, the latter emphasized by the deposition of kerogenous black shales in distal parts of the foredeep trough.
El balanceig de l’art entre el principal i el secundari
Authors: Alcoy i Pedrós Rosa
Published: October 2024

Presentació del número 23 de Matèria. Revista internacional d'Art, escrita per Rosa Alcoy.
Injusticias del pasado y justicia espacial en el barrio indígena de Sutiaba (León, Nicaragua)
Authors: Musset Alain Jean
Published: October 2024

La reparación de las injusticias del pasado es un tema de actualidad directamente relacionado con el gran movimiento de reconquista, liberación o descolonización de las memorias que se aceleró a raíz del asesinato de George Floyd en 2020 por un policía blanco. Hasta ahora, la dimensión geográfica del problema ha sido raramente tratada como si esta temática no hiciera parte del campo político y académico de la justicia espacial, excepto bajo la forma de unos cuantos lugares destacados de la memoria colectiva en los cuales se expresan los valores de comunidades oprimidas. Al enfocarnos más particularmente en la comunidad indígena de Sutiaba (León, Nicaragua) examinaremos cómo y porqué lo que se considera una “injusticia histórica” es un elemento tanto físico como simbólico de la justicia espacial y puede servir para diseñar y estructurar un territorio basado en una identidad compartida y en una memoria a veces instrumentalizada.
Tácticas ocultas. Artes de hacer de los manteros senegaleses en Barcelona
Authors: Contijoch Marta , Espinosa Horacio , Delgado Ruiz Manuel
Published: October 2024

Este artículo comparte averiguaciones de una investigación, que, a lo largo de cinco años, tuvo como objeto la actividad de los manteros dedicados a la venta informal en las calles de Barcelona. Luego de contextualizar el tratamiento político, mediático y policial que recibe, se describen y analizan las técnicas que despliegan para zafarse del acoso a que están sometidos. Estos procedimientos se contemplan como lo que Michel de Certeau llamó tácticas, artimañas de los débiles frente a los fuertes. Entre el abanico de tácticas desplegadas por los manteros, se incluyen gestos y materiales que suelen ubicarse en el ámbito de lo religioso. Este cuerpo de prácticas y conocimientos secretos, designado como lo mystique, es clave para la relación cotidiana con el Estado apelando a poderes alternativos a los movilizados por este, al tiempo que recurso de defensa de la exclusión y el estigma a los que la ciudad capitalista les condena.
Chatarreros senegaleses en las calles de Barcelona: la estruendosa invisibilidad de la desposesión naturalizada
Authors: Chemás Rendón Mauricio
Published: October 2024

Propongo una reflexión acerca de algunos procesos y condiciones de visibilidad-invisibilización, de apropiación-desterritorialización, y de marginalidad y desposesión en cierto sentido naturalizadas. Esto a partir de una descripción general de las prácticas laborales de un colectivo de chatarreros senegaleses de Barcelona, específicamente sobre aquellas que tienen lugar en el espacio urbano y que, así, permiten al menos sugerir la posible producción de su propio espacio marginal de subsistencia; prestando especial atención a ciertas interacciones y significaciones que, en el marco de dichas prácticas, el colectivo mencionado construye con el espacio, las infraestructuras y los residuos.
Compact multi-port multi-wavelength laser source with Tbps transmission for optical I/O technology
Authors: Nie Jiaqiang , Sun Zhenxing , Zhao Jie , Yang Zijiang , Wang Zhuoying , Sun Wentao , Chen Yuxuan , Zhang Yue , Wang Wenxuan , Xiao Rulei , Li Mi , Chen Xiangfei
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel compact multi-port multi-wavelength laser source (MP-MWL) for the optical I/O technology. The multi-wavelength DFB laser array is used for realizing the simultaneous emission of multiple wavelengths. The reconstruction equivalent chirp technique is used to design and fabricate the π-phase shifted DFB laser array to achieve precise wavelength spacing. The number of wavelengths is enlarged through the monolithically integrated wavelength routing architecture (WRA), and 64 optical carriers are obtained with 8 wavelengths in 8 output ports. The proposed MP-MWL has high mode stability and high uniform wavelength spacing. The side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of each wavelength is more than 40 dB and the wavelength spacing is 100 GHz under 25 °C working environment. A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is monolithically integrated into each output port to amplify the output power. The output power of each port exceeds 15 mW when the current injected into the SOA is 150 mA. Besides, the relative intensity noise (RIN) of all wavelengths is below −130 dB/Hz, and clear 25 Gb/s NRZ eye grams are obtained for the 64 optical carriers with the external lithium-niobate Mach-Zehnder modulator, with a total transmission rate of 1.6 Tbps. The superior performance of the proposed MP-MWL enables it to be a promising approach for the Tbps optical I/O links and high-density chip interconnection system.
1.6 µm tunable and switchable single-frequency erbium-doped fiber laser
Authors: Zhai Yaqi , Lu Baole , Meng Lingkang , Chen Haowei , Bai Jintao
Published: October 2024

We present a tunable and switchable single-frequency (SF) erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) operating at 1.6 µm. For the first time, a multichannel Sagnac filter, a “θ” sub cavity, and a saturable absorber (SA) have been combined to achieve SF operation of single- and dual-wavelength tunability as well as single-dual-triple-wavelength switching. The laser exhibited excellent stability, with no mode-hopping over the 60-minute observation period. Furthermore, linewidths measured utilizing the short-delay self-heterodyne interferometry method are less than 300 Hz. The investigated narrow linewidth SF EDFL has the potential to extend the applications in optical communications and provide a new idea for L-band tunable lasers.
Universal Paradigm of Raman Anisotropy: The Case of Birefringent TiS₃
Authors: Zou Bo , Zhou Yan , Wang Xiaonan , Ke Dingning , Xie Yong , Sun Huarui
Published: October 2024

Thoroughly understanding the Raman anisotropy (RA) quantified angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy (ARPRS) response of various anisotropic layered materials (ALMs) is challenging but essential. Although significant progress in representative black phosphorus (BP), crucial gaps remain. Herein, through systematic ARPRS studies on TiS₃ complementary to BP, the missing layout has been improved. First, the intimate relationship between optical anisotropy and thickness dependent RA is fully revealed by determining the three dominant physical mechanisms of the Raman enhancement factor ratio profile. Specifically, it is discovered that the large birefringence effect (Δn = nL – nS) leads to a near-intrinsic RA occurring at a non-monolayer specific thickness of λ/(6nL). This is also clearly confirmed by the perfect agreement between the predicted and measured thickness dependent RA. Moreover, by considering the competition between anisotropic electron-photon (e-pt), electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling, and resonance Raman effect, the physical origin of the phonon-mode- and excitation-wavelength-dependent intrinsic RA of TiS₃ are well elaborated. It is found that the e-ph coupling strength of the A_g^3 phonon with central symmetric atomic vibration is the weakest and the band edge resonance absorption significantly enhances the e-pt coupling. The integrated calculations, experiments, and theoretical analyses provide a universal paradigm and thorough insights for RA research of ALMs.
Purity-based self-calibration in ptychography
Authors: Liu Chang , Eschen Wilhelm , Molina Daniel Penagos , Licht Leona , Abdelaal Mahmoud , Rothhardt Jan
Published: October 2024

Calibration of ptychographic setup properties, such as the sample-detector axial distance is crucial for quantitative and high-resolution reconstructions. This study proposes a calibration scheme based on the degree of coherence (i.e. purity) of the probe in mixed-state ptychography. Compared to established sharpness-metric-based methods, it is significantly more robust and applicable to arbitrary samples. A numerical study and validations with various experimental datasets have been conducted to verify the performance of the proposed method, including the application to high-contrast samples and weakly-scattering biological samples. This calibration scheme can significantly enhance the image quality, the precision of wavefront sensing, and the reliability of quantitative analysis for ptychography with any kind of radiation, including the extreme ultraviolet, X-ray spectral range, and electron beams.
Reverse-engineered models reveal differential membrane properties of autonomic and cutaneous unmyelinated fibers
Authors: Thio Brandon J. , Titus Nathan D. , Pelot Nicole A. , Grill Warren M.
Published: October 2024

Unmyelinated C-fibers constitute the vast majority of axons in peripheral nerves and play key roles in homeostasis and signaling pain. However, little is known about their ion channel expression, which controls their firing properties. Also, because of their small diameters (~ 1 μm), it has not been possible to characterize their membrane properties using voltage clamp. We developed a novel library of isoform-specific ion channel models to serve as the basis functions of our C-fiber models. We then developed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) framework that used the isoform-specific ion channel models to reverse engineer C-fiber membrane properties from measured autonomic and cutaneous C-fiber conduction responses. Our C-fiber models reproduced experimental conduction velocity, chronaxie, action potential duration, intracellular threshold, and paired pulse recovery cycle. The models also matched experimental activity-dependent slowing, a property not included in model optimization. We found that simple conduction responses, characterizing the action potential, were controlled by similar membrane properties in both the autonomic and cutaneous C-fiber models, but complicated conduction response, characterizing the afterpotenials, were controlled by differential membrane properties. The unmyelinated C-fiber models constitute important tools to study autonomic signaling, assess the mechanisms of pain, and design bioelectronic devices. Additionally, the novel reverse engineering approach can be applied to generate models of other neurons where voltage clamp data are not available.
RNAtango: Analysing and comparing RNA 3D structures via torsional angles
Authors: Mackowiak Marta , Adamczyk Bartosz , Szachniuk Marta , Zok Tomasz
Published: October 2024

RNA molecules, essential for viruses and living organisms, derive their pivotal functions from intricate 3D structures. To understand these structures, one can analyze torsion and pseudo-torsion angles, which describe rotations around bonds, whether real or virtual, thus capturing the RNA conformational flexibility. Such an analysis has been made possible by RNAtango, a web server introduced in this paper, that provides a trigonometric perspective on RNA 3D structures, giving insights into the variability of examined models and their alignment with reference targets. RNAtango offers comprehensive tools for calculating torsion and pseudo-torsion angles, generating angle statistics, comparing RNA structures based on backbone torsions, and assessing local and global structural similarities using trigonometric functions and angle measures. The system operates in three scenarios: single model analysis, model-versus-target comparison, and model-versus-model comparison, with results output in text and graphical formats. Compatible with all modern web browsers, RNAtango is accessible freely along with the source code. It supports researchers in accurately assessing structural similarities, which contributes to the precision and efficiency of RNA modeling.
Quality of care and post-discharge morbidity among children diagnosed with severe malaria in rural Uganda: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Kniss Jennifer M. , Kibaba Georget , Baguma Emmanuel , Bhattarai Chhetri Sujata , Hendren Cate , Ntaro Moses , Mulogo Edgar , Karabyo Samson , Boyce Ross M.
Published: October 2024

Pediatric severe malaria is a significant contributor of morbidity and mortality in Uganda. Most information is derived from tertiary referral centers and urban centers. Little is known about routine care or post-discharge outcomes in rural areas. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of pediatric severe malaria at St. Paul’s Level IV Health Center (SPHC) in Kasese, Uganda. We collected demographic, clinical, and laboratory results, and conducted follow-up 14 days post-discharge to assess patient outcomes in the immediate post-discharge period. The initial cohort included 187 children aged 0 to 17 years enrolled between July 9th, 2023 and January 9th, 2024. Almost all (94.7%) participants had a parasitological confirmed malaria diagnosis by rapid diagnostic tests or blood smear. While at SPHC, 95.7% of patients received 3+ doses of intravenous Artesunate, and 92.0% also received oral antimalarials. 62.0% had at least one symptom of severe malaria, with altered consciousness (40.6%) and convulsions (29.9%) the most frequently reported. 26.1% had evidence of severe malarial anemia (Hb <5 g/dl), of whom 93.5% received a blood transfusion. Most (82.2%) patients received care that we assessed as consistent with key elements of WHO management guidelines. We were able to contact 183 of the 187 patient caregivers post-discharge. Caregivers reported that 25.6% of patients were experiencing symptoms related to their hospitalization, with fever (18.5%) and nausea/ not feeding well (10.3%) reported most frequently. Children who experienced altered consciousness during their acute illness had 1.69 times the adjusted risk of reporting symptoms 14-days post-discharge compared to those who did not have altered consciousness (aRR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.01–2.82). Six deaths were recorded, including three at SPHC and three post-transfer or discharge. Findings suggest that at private health facilities in rural areas, treatment appears to be consistent with guidelines. Future research should investigate high morbidity in the immediate post-discharge period.
Evaluating alternative compounds for strongyloidiasis therapy: Novel insights from larval migration inhibition test
Authors: Cambra-Pellejà María , Valderas-García Elora , Balaña-Fouce Rafael , de la Vega Jennifer , del Olmo Esther , Antwi-Ekwuruke Jennifer , Linnemann Lara , Heepmann Lennart , Breloer Minka , Martínez-Valladares María
Published: October 2024

Strongyloidiasis is a neglected tropical disease estimated to affect more than 600 million people worldwide. Recently, the World Health Organization road map on neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030 has put the focus on strongyloidiasis, including this disease within its mass drug administration campaigns. With the use of ivermectin in extensive treatment of all populations at-risk, identifying effective therapeutic alternatives is crucial in case ivermectin resistance arises. The objective of the present study was the development of a larval migration inhibition assay to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of commercial drugs and diamine and aminoalcohol derivatives against infective Strongyloides ratti third stage larvae. Through this technique, we successfully screened and estimated the in vitro anthelmintic efficacy of six commercial drugs, seven diamine derivatives and eight aminoalcohol derivatives. Unexpectedly, the half-maximal effective concentration of ivermectin and moxidectin (2.21 and 2.34 μM, respectively) were observed as the highest value obtained among all commercial drugs tested by this in vitro technique. Moreover, some diamine and aminoalcohol derivatives showed superior efficacy inhibiting S. ratti motility compared to ivermectin, with five compounds (AA23, AA34, AO2 AO7 and AO14b) also displaying selectivity indexes on HepG2 and Caco2 higher than 1. These findings underscore the potential of these derivatives as promising alternatives for strongyloidiasis treatment, warranting further investigation and in vivo efficacy assessment.
Estimating the force of infection of four dengue serotypes from serological studies in two regions of Vietnam
Authors: Phuong Huynh Thi , Vy Nguyen Ha Thao , Thanh Nguyen Thi Le , Tan Maxine , de Bruin Erwin , Koopmans Marion , Boni Maciej F. , Clapham Hannah E.
Published: October 2024

Dengue is endemic in Vietnam with circulation of all four serotypes (DENV1-4) all year-round. It is hard to estimate the disease’s true serotype-specific transmission patterns from cases due to its high asymptomatic rate, low reporting rate and complex immunity and transmission dynamics. Seroprevalence studies have been used to great effect for understanding patterns of dengue transmission. We tested 991 population serum samples (ages 1–30 years, collected 2013 to 2017), 531 from Ho Chi Minh City and 460 from Khanh Hoa in Vietnam, using a flavivirus protein microarray assay. By applying our previously developed inference framework to the antibody profiles from this assay, we can (1) determine proportions of a population that have not been infected or infected, once, or more than once, and (2) infer the infecting serotype in those infected once. With these data, we then use mathematical models to estimate the force of infection (FOI) for all four DENV serotypes in HCMC and KH over 35 years up to 2017. Models with time-varying or serotype-specific DENV FOI assumptions fit the data better than constant FOI. Annual dengue FOI ranged from 0.005 (95%CI: 0.003–0.008) to 0.201 (95%CI: 0.174–0.228). FOI varied across serotypes, higher for DENV1 (95%CI: 0.033–0.048) and DENV2 (95%CI: 0.018–0.039) than DENV3 (95%CI: 0.007–0.010) and DENV4 (95%CI: 0.010–0.016). The use of the PMA on serial age-stratified cross-sectional samples increases the amount of information on transmission and population immunity, and should be considered for future dengue serological surveys, particularly to understand population immunity given vaccines with differential efficacy against serotypes, however, there remains limits to what can be inferred even using this assay.
Auranofin is active against Histoplasma capsulatum and reduces the expression of virulence-related genes
Authors: de Abreu Almeida Marcos , Baeza Lilian Cristiane , Silva Leandro B. R. , Bernardes-Engemann Andréa Reis , Almeida-Silva Fernando , Coelho Rowena Alves , de Andrade Iara Bastos , Corrêa-Junior Dario , Frases Susana , Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely Maria , Alanio Alexandre , Taborda Carlos Pelleschi , Almeida-Paes Rodrigo
Published: October 2024

Background

Auranofin is an approved anti-rheumatic drug that has a broad-range inhibitory action against several microorganisms, including human pathogenic fungi. The auranofin activity against Histoplasma capsulatum, the dimorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, has not been properly addressed. Since there are few therapeutic options for this life-threatening systemic mycosis, this study evaluated the effects of auranofin on H. capsulatum growth and expression of virulence factors.

Methodology/principal findings

Minimal inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations (MIC and MFC, respectively) of auranofin against 15 H. capsulatum strains with distinct genetic backgrounds were determined using the yeast form of the fungus and a microdilution protocol. Auranofin activity was also assessed on a macrophage model of infection and on a Tenebrio molitor invertebrate animal model. Expression of virulence-related genes was compared between auranofin treated and untreated H. capsulatum yeast cells using a quantitative PCR assay. Auranofin affected the growth of different strains of H. capsulatum, with MIC and MFC values ranging from 1.25 to 5.0 μM and from 2.5 to >10 μM, respectively. Auranofin was able to kill intracellular H. capsulatum yeast cells and conferred protection against the fungus in the experimental animal model of infection. Moreover, the expression of catalase A, HSP70, superoxide dismutase, thioredoxin reductase, serine proteinase, cytochrome C peroxidase, histone 2B, formamidase, metallopeptidase, Y20 and YPS3 proteins were reduced after six hours of auranofin treatment. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Auranofin is fungicidal against H. capsulatum and reduces the expression of several virulence-related genes, which makes this anti-rheumatic drug a good candidate for new medicines against histoplasmosis.
Weight perception and mental health disorders among adolescents of central-eastern Tunisia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Ghammem Rim , Ghali Hela , Pavicic Laura , Ben Fredj Sihem , Zammit Nawel , Dalhoumi Amira , Bannour Rania , Maatoug Jihene , Ghannem Hassen
Published: October 2024

Background

The physical changes that accompany the onset of puberty demand a constant restructuring of the adolescent’s perception of their body and may influence adolescents’ mental health.

Aim

To describe weight status perception and its association with socio-demographic characteristics (SDC) and mental health disorders among adolescents in a low and middle-income country (LMIC).

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in high schools in the urban area of the governorate of Sousse, Tunisia in 2018. We included in our study all students studying in selected classes in selected public high schools and who are consented to participate. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the associated factors to weight perception categories.

Results

The total number of students participating was 1399 with a response rate of 86.68%. The female sex was predominant (60.5% versus 39.5%). The mean age was of 17.03 ± 1.51 years. According to multivariate analysis, perceived weight categories were associated with sociodemographic factors such as gender and maternal educational level. Adolescents perceiving themselves as obese were at risk for severe depression (aOR = 0.40; p = 0.033). The BMI was associated with weight misperception: adolescents with normal weight tend to overestimate their weight (obesity aOR  =  0.13, p  =  0.017; overweight aOR  =  0.1, p  =  0.001).

Conclusion

There was a clear discrepancy between the actual weight status of the teens and their self-perceived weight. Adolescents are still growing both physically and mentally, and forming their self-image. Thus, health promotion practices designed to create accurate perceptions of current body weight need to be part of prevention efforts.