bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
REFLEXÕES SOBRE FELICIDADE E INFELICIDADE A PARTIR DAS CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA FILOSOFIA, PSICOLOGIA E PEDAGOGIA
Authors: Fernandes Vladimir , Maria Fodra Sandra , Cintrão França Ribeiro Mônica
Published: May 2022

Este artigo discute diferentes visões sobre a felicidade por meio de pesquisa qualitativa, cujas reflexões partiram de uma revisão bibliográfica relacionada à Filosofia, à Psicologia e à Educação. O tema da felicidade tem inquietado a humanidade desde a antiguidade, pois todo ser humano parece estar sempre em busca de ser feliz. Ao longo da história, filósofos, psicólogos e pensadores têm se dedicado em explorar o assunto. Alguns países trazem o tema da felicidade em seus princípios constitucionais, como a declaração de independência dos Estados Unidos, que assegura a busca da felicidade como um direito inalienável. Atualmente, existem índices para mensurar o nível de felicidade das populações, que utilizam diversos indicadores, como os econômicos, os sociais, os subjetivos entre outros. Devido à complexidade do assunto, algumas perguntas persistem: o que é a felicidade? Como ela pode ser alcançada? É possível evitar a infelicidade? A educação pode contribuir para a construção de uma sociedade mais feliz? Com base nestes questionamentos sobre a ideia de felicidade e de infelicidade na sociedade contemporânea, consideramos que a educação tem um papel fundamental para o desenvolvimento da autonomia e aproximação com os elementos que compõem a felicidade, ou na medida do possível, consiga, pelo menos, evitar maior infelicidade.
Os visitantes florais de Eriope blanchetii (Benth.)Harley (Labiatae) nas dunas de Abaeté, Salvador, Bahia
Authors: Silva Fabiana O. , Viana Blandina F.
Published: May 2022

Este estudo investiga as oscilações temporais na composição e atividade dos visitantes florais de Eriope blanchetii (Benth.)Harley, enfatizando a influência da duração e intensidade da floração na freqüência de visita das espécies de abelhas predominantes. As observações foram feitas entre outubro de 1999 e outubro de 2000, em uma população natural localizada na Área de Proteção Ambiental das Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté - APA (12056’S, 38021’W), Salvador, Bahia. Foram coletados 354 insetos visitantes das flores de E. blanchetii, sendo os Hymenoptera o grupo predominante. As abelhas solitárias formam o grupo mais representativo (85%), do total de visitantes. Os demais insetos coletados (15%) incluem outros Hymenoptera como Formicidae (4%) e Vespoidea (4,5%), além das ordens Lepidoptera (4,25%), Diptera (1,7%) e Coleoptera (0,3%). As espécies predominantes foram Xylocopa cearensis Ducke, 1910 (28,32%), Pseudoaugochloropsis pandora Smith, 1853 (15,30 %) e Colletes petropolitanus Della Torre, 1896 (9,39%). Todas estão ativas durante todo o dia, em período coincidente com a antese na população. O número de abelhas visitantes é maior nas plantas com duração e intensidade de floração elevada. A diversidade e o número de abelhas visitantes elevam-se no período de pico, enquanto os demais insetos são mais abundantesdurante a baixa floração.
Análise do padrão de uso de recursos florais por duas espécies de Melipona Illiger, 1806 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) nas dunas interiores do médio Rio São Francisco, Bahia, Brasil
Authors: Melo Amada Mariana Costa , Viana Blandina F. , Neves Edinaldo Luz
Published: May 2022

As populações de Melipona (Eomelipona) asilvai Moure, 1971 e Melipona (Melipona) mandacaia Smith, 1863, residentes nas dunas interiores do médio Rio São Francisco, foram estudadas com o objetivo de verificar se essas abelhas apresentam baixa similaridade no uso de recursos tróficos. As abelhas foram coletadas nas flores utilizando-se redes entomológicas, das 6:00h às 17:00h, em uma área restrita (10 ha) com vegetação de caatinga, no período de fevereiro a dezembro de 2000. As plantas floridas foram coletadas, identificadas e o número de flores foi estimado. Amostrou-se um total de 131 indivíduos, sendo 53,4% de M. asilvai e 46,6% de M. mandacaia, visitando as flores de 14 espécies vegetais (7 famílias). As espécies vegetais predominantemente visitadas foram Byrsonima gardnerana Adr.Juss. (Malpighiaceae) (45,8%), Copaifera coriacea Mart. (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) (12,2%) e Serjania comata Radlk. (Sapindaceae) (11,4%). As melíponas concentraram suas atividades em poucas espécies vegetais com floração massal e apresentaram maior atividade diária das 6:00h às 8:00h. Não houve relação entre o número de indivíduos coletados e o número de flores estimadas, sugerindo que a quantidade de recursos não foi limitante. O baixo valor de similaridade no uso de recursos tróficos sugere que essas espécies partilham recursos tróficos na área.
Plantas visitadas por Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) em uma área de caatinga em Itatim, Bahia, Brasil
Authors: Aguiar Cândida M. L. , Monteiro Valéria M. , Santos Gilberto M. M. , Resende Janete J. , França Flávio , Melo Efigênia de
Published: May 2022

As plantas visitadas pela abelha africanizada Apis mellifera L. para obtenção de recursos florais foram estudadas em uma área de caatinga (Itatim, Bahia, Nordeste do Brasil). Um total de 588 forrageadoras foi coletado visitando 33 espécies de plantas. Sterculiaceae, Erythroxylaceae, Mimosaceae e Rhamnaceae foram as famílias botânicas mais freqüentemente visitadas. Apis mellifera apresentou nicho trófico amplo (2,71), todavia poucas plantas foram importantes como fontes de pólen e néctar. Cerca de 80% dos indivíduos foram coletados em dez espécies de plantas, sendo Melochia tomentosa e Erythroxylon catingae as plantas mais freqüentemente visitadas. A similaridade encontrada entre a flora visitada por A. mellifera em Itatim e em outra área de caatinga distante 30 km foi baixa (0,17), e diferentes espécies de plantas foram mais freqüentemente visitadas em cada área. Isto pode resultar de diferenças na composição florística das comunidades assim como de diferenças na quantidade de recursos florais disponíveis em cada área.
Aspectos da estratégia reprodutiva de duas espécies co-ocorrentes de Senna (K. Bauhin) P.Miller (Caesalpiniaceae) nas dunas do Médio Rio São Francisco, Bahia
Authors: Borges Michelle S. , Viana Blandina F. , Neves Edinaldo L.
Published: May 2022

A composição dos visitantes florais e as estratégias de co-existência de Senna gardneri (Benth.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby e Senna macranthera var. pudibunda (Benth.)H.S.Irwin & Barneby, duas espécies co-ocorrentes nas dunas interiores do Médio Rio São Francisco, Bahia (10º47’37’’S, 42º49’25”W), foram investigadas no período de fevereiro a dezembro de 2000. Essas espécies apresentam inflorescências com flores hermafroditas, amarelas, anteras poricidas e disponibilizam apenas pólen aos visitantes.Senna gardneri produziu o maior número de flores no final da estação chuvosa e S. macranthera var. pudibunda no início do período seco. Senna gardneri foi visitada por 13 espécies de abelhas (n=227) sendo as mais abundantes Trigona spinipes (Fabricius, 1793) (55,5%), Frieseomelitta silvestrii languida (Moure, 1989) (12,7%) e Xylocopa grisescens Lepeletier 1841 (7,9%). Senna macranthera var. pudibunda recebeu a visita de 14 espécies (n=178), com predominância de T. spinipes (40%), Augocloropsis calicroa Cockerell, 1900 (27%) e F. s. languida (15,8%). A separação temporal no período de floração entre as espécies de Senna, a grande quantidade de flores disponibilizadas por essas espécies e a baixa similaridade de visitantes florais atraídos parecem ser os fatores responsáveis pela co-ocorrência das espécies de Senna nas dunas do médio Rio São Francisco.
A “maçã-do-boi” (bezoário): etnomedicina, história e ciência
Authors: Pessoa Rosineide Santos , Almeida Argus V. , Alves Ângelo G. C. , Melo Lúcio Esmeraldo H.
Published: May 2022

Através de atividades de ensino de Ciências em escolas municipais de Olinda (Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil), foi constatado, entre os alunos, uma série de concepções alternativas associadas com práticas de medicina popular, através do uso de plantas e animais com fins terapêuticos. Entre as mais interessantes, destacou-se o uso da “maçã-do-boi” ou bezoário, que é conhecido e usado como remédio por membros da comunidade de origem rural. Através de entrevistas com essas pessoas, vários usos medicinais da “maçã-do-boi” foram registrados, entre os quais se destacam os tratamentos da asma e da impotência sexual masculina, bem como um corpus de etnomedicina relacionado ao seu uso. Por outro lado, realizou-se um estudo do ponto de vista médico-veterinário, que identificou os bezoários como concreções de efeito patológico na digestão dos ruminantes. Através de uma revisão bibliográfica em fontes históricas, a partir da medicina árabe medieval, estendendo-se pela Península Ibérica até os colonos portugueses no Nordeste brasileiro, durante o século XVI, a antiguidade do uso dos bezoários foi constatada no tratamento de várias enfermidades humanas, entre as quais se destacam o seu uso como antídoto contra envenenamentos e no tratamento da impotência sexual masculina. Concluiu-se que a existência e o uso dos bezoários até os dias atuais revelam o poder de resistência e reprodução cultural do conhecimento tradicional, mesmo quando submetido a pressões do ambiente urbano atual.
Fauna associada a bromélias terrícolas da Serra da Jibóia - BA
Authors: Juncá Flora A. , Borges Carlos L. Silva
Published: May 2022

Comparamos a composição faunísitca associada a bromélias terrícolas de uma área florestada de mata atlântica e de um campo rupestre adjacente, na região da Serra da Jibóia, Bahia. Os números médios de morfoespécies e animais por bromélia foram aproximadamente o mesmo nos dois ambientes. Na mata, o tamanho da bromélia influenciou positivamente no número de morfoespécies e número de animais presentes por bromélia. O número de indivíduos jovens ou em fase larval foi significativamente maior na área de mata. Araneae foi o grupo mais diversificado na mata, enquanto no campo rupestre foi Coleoptera. Entretanto, a maioria das morfoespécies de Araneae apresentou baixa abundância, enquanto uma morfoespécie de Coleoptera foi a mais abundante na mata, seguida de uma morfoespécie de Formicidae. No campo rupestre, as mais abundantes foram uma morfoespécie de Diptera (larva) e outra de Coleoptera.
Pesquisas em seres humanos: aspectos éticos e situação no Brasil
Authors: Souza e Azêvedo Eliane Elisa de , Gomes Maria da Glória S.
Published: May 2022

A ética na pesquisa em seres humanos é vista em um contexto histórico focalizando os principais instrumentos legais e os conflitos de interesse gerados em alguns segmentos. Os avanços da ética em pesquisa em seres humanos no Brasil são analisados tendo como fulcro a Resolução 196/96 elaborada pela Comissão Nacional de Saúde e homologada pelo Ministro da Saúde em outubro de 1996. Esta Resolução cria a Comissão Nacional de Ética em Pesquisa (CONEP) com atribuições diversas, dentre as quais estimular a criação de Comitês de Ética em Pesquisa (CEPs) em instituições nas quais estejam sendo desenvolvidas pesquisas envolvendo seres humanos. Existem, hoje, cerca de 400 CEPs em todo o território nacional. A UEFS criou o seu CEP em 2001 o qual, à semelhança de outros CEPs, vem verificado que na elaboração do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido - TCLE, estão as maiores dificuldades dos pesquisadores. No exercício de suas funções educativas, o CEPUEFS produziu e distribuiu o folheto “Instruções ao Pesquisador” e tem em pauta a realização de Oficinas de Trabalho, inicialmente sobre TCLE e, posteriormente, temas que se reconhecerem necessários.
Pediculosis As a Possible Contributor to Community-Acquired MRSA Bacteremia and Native Mitral Valve Endocarditis
Authors:   Dignity Health St Mary Medical Center, Long Beach, California USA, Mahdi Ali , Tjoeng Charis , Patel Vishal , Sobnosky Serap
Published: May 2022

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia is a known cause of infective endocarditis. In this case report, we describe a patient with community-acquired MRSA bacteremia and subsequent mitral valve endocarditis. This patient was noted to be without commonly recognized risk factors for MRSA bacteremia, thus her likely source was skin colonization, with skin trauma facilitated by pediculosis infestation.
Stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopy with quantum-enhanced balanced detection
Authors: Xu Zicong , Oguchi Kenichi , Taguchi Yoshitaka , Sano Yuki , Miyawaki Yu , Cheon Donguk , Katoh Kazuhiro , Ozeki Yasuyuki
Published: May 2022

Quantum-enhanced stimulated Raman scattering (QE-SRS) is a promising technique for highly sensitive molecular vibrational imaging and spectroscopy surpassing the shot noise limit. However, the previous demonstrations of QE-SRS utilized rather weak optical power which hinders from competing with the sensitivity of state-of-the-art SRS microscopy and spectroscopy using relatively high-power optical pulses. Here, we demonstrate SRS spectroscopy with quantum-enhanced balanced detection (QE-BD) scheme, which works even when using high-power optical pulses. We used 4-ps pulses to generate pulsed squeezed vacuum at a wavelength of 844 nm with a squeezing level of −3.28 ± 0.12 dB generated from a periodically-poled stoichiometric LiTaO3 waveguide. The squeezed vacuum was introduced to an SRS spectrometer employing a high-speed spectral scanner to acquire QE-SRS spectrum in the wavenumber range of 2000–2280 cm-1 within 50 ms. Using SRS pump pulses with an average power of 11.3 mW, we successfully obtained QE-SRS spectrum whose SNR was better than classical SRS with balanced-detection by 2.27 dB.
Nonlinear dwell-time algorithm for freeform surface generation by atmospheric-pressure plasma processing
Authors: Su Xing , Yue Xiaobin
Published: May 2022

Based on deterministic chemical etching, atmospheric pressure plasma processing (APPP) with a high material removal rate and spatial machining resolution, is a promising computer-controlled optical surfacing (CCOS) technique for freeform surface generation. However, the time-variant removal characteristics of APPP induce nonlinearity in the CCOS process, which requires more consideration in the dwell-time calculation. In this paper, the nonlinear dwell-time algorithm based on the concept of controlling volumetric removal is studied. The freeform surface generation by controlling volumetric removal is modeled to provide the theoretical basis for the algorithm. The applicability of the algorithm in freeform generation by APPP with time-varying characteristics is explored through numerical simulations. Finally, a freeform surface is successfully created based on the algorithm and relevant analysis results, which validates the applicability of the algorithm in freeform generation using time-variant tool influence functions.
Unsupervised despeckling of optical coherence tomography images by combining cross-scale CNN with an intra-patch and inter-patch based transformer
Authors: Zhou Quan , Wen Mingwei , Ding Mingyue , Zhang Xuming
Published: May 2022

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has found wide application to the diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases, but the quality of OCT images is degraded by speckle noise. The convolutional neural network (CNN) based methods have attracted much attention in OCT image despeckling. However, these methods generally need noisy-clean image pairs for training and they are difficult to capture the global context information effectively. To address these issues, we have proposed a novel unsupervised despeckling method. This method uses the cross-scale CNN to extract the local features and uses the intra-patch and inter-patch based transformer to extract and merge the local and global feature information. Based on these extracted features, a reconstruction network is used to produce the final denoised result. The proposed network is trained using a hybrid unsupervised loss function, which is defined by the loss produced from Nerighbor2Neighbor, the structural similarity between the despeckled results of the probabilistic non-local means method and our method as well as the mean squared error between their features extracted by the VGG network. Experiments on two clinical OCT image datasets show that our method performs better than several popular despeckling algorithms in terms of visual evaluation and quantitative indexes.
Multiple-access relay stations for long-haul fiber-optic radio frequency transfer
Authors: Li Qi , Hu Liang , Zhang Jinbo , Chen Jianping , Wu Guiling
Published: May 2022

We report on the realization of a long-haul radio frequency (RF) transfer scheme by using multiple-access relay stations (MARSs). The proposed scheme with independent link noise compensation for each fiber sub-link effectively solves the limitation of compensation bandwidth for long-haul transfer. The MARS can have the capability to share the same modulated optical signal for the front and rear fiber sub-links, simplifying the configuration at the repeater station and enabling the transfer system to have the multiple-access capability. At the same time, we for the first time theoretically model the effect of the MARS position on the fractional frequency instability of the fiber-optic RF transfer, demonstrating that the MARS position has little effect on system’s performance when the ratio of the front and rear fiber sub-links is around 1:1. We experimentally demonstrate a 1 GHz signal transfer by using one MARS connecting 260 and 280 km fiber links with the fractional frequency instabilities of less than 5.9 × 10−14 at 1 s and 8.5 × 10−17 at 10,000 s at the remote site and of 5.6 × 10−14 and 6.6 × 10−17 at the integration times of 1 s and 10,000 s at the MARS. The proposed scalable technique can arbitrarily add the same MARSs in the fiber link, which has great potential in realizing ultra-long-haul RF transfer.
Monolithic 6 × 6 transmitter-router with simultaneous sub-nanosecond port and wavelength switching
Authors: Guo Jia , Fan Zhuping , Zhou Siyang , Liu Biaohan , Meng Jianjun , Zhu Junqiang , Li Yayun , Li QiaoLi , Zhao Jiasheng , He Jian-Jun
Published: May 2022

A monolithic 6 × 6 transmitter-router with both port and wavelength switching at sub-nanosecond speed is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Based on an intra-cavity cyclic echelle diffraction grating router (EDGR) and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) arrays, each selectable output port can realize a selected multi-wavelength laser (MWL) output. The measurement results show that all 36 input–output combinations have a single-mode emission spectrum with a sidemode suppression ratio (SMSR) over 30 dB. Simultaneous switching of six laser wavelengths is achieved together with the switching of the output port by a single electrode selection. The switching time is less than 1 ns. It can offer a cost-effective solution to multi-wavelength multi-port optical transmitter-routers for fast distributed optical switching in datacenters and high-performance computers (HPCs).
Advanced hybrid plasmonic nano-emitters using smart photopolymer
Authors: Ge Dandan , Issa Ali , Jradi Safi , Couteau Christophe , Marguet Sylvie , Bachelot Renaud
Published: May 2022

The integration of nano-emitters into plasmonic devices with spatial control and nanometer precision has become a great challenge. In this paper, we report on the use of a smart polymer to selectively immobilize nano-emitters on specific preselected sites of gold nanocubes (GNCs). The cunning use of the polymer is twofold. First, it records both the selected site and the future emitters–GNC distance through plasmon-assisted photopolymerization. Second, because the polymer is chemically functionalized, it makes it possible to attach the nano-emitters right at the preselected polymerized sites, which subsequently recognize the nano-emitters to be attached. Since the resulting active medium is a spatial memory of specific plasmonic modes, it is anisotropic, making the hybrid nanosources sensitive to light polarization. The ability to adjust their statistical average lifetime by controlling the thickness of the nanopolymer is demonstrated on two kinds of nano-emitters coupled to GNCs: doped polystyrene nanospheres and semiconductor colloidal quantum dots.
Der Chief Information Officer als Forschungsgegenstand: Ein Blick zurück auf vier Jahrzehnte Forschung und ein Ausblick auf zukünftige Perspektiven
Authors: Kratzer Simon , Strahringer Susanne , Westner Markus
Published: May 2022

Trotz der Relevanz und des Reifegrads des Forschungsbereichs Chief Information Officer (CIO) gibt es nur wenige Studien, die den aktuellen Wissensstand objektiv und umfänglich zusammenfassen. Die vorliegende Arbeit schließt diese Forschungslücke und präsentiert eine umfassende Literaturübersicht über das CIO-Forschungsfeld unter Verwendung der Hauptpfadanalyse. Anhand einer quantitativen und qualitativen Analyse von 438 Forschungsbeiträgen werden die zentralen Arbeiten in der CIO-Forschung und verschiedene Forschungsrichtungen identifiziert. Es zeigt sich, dass sowohl etablierte Forschungsrichtungen, wie z. B. ‚Entwicklung der CIO-Rolle‘ und ‚Hierarchische Position und Beziehungen des CIOs‘, als auch neu entstehende Forschungsrichtungen, wie z. B. ‚CIO als Business Enabler‘, wachsende Aufmerksamkeit auf sich ziehen. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse werden vielversprechende weitere Wege auf dem Gebiet der CIO-Forschung aufgezeigt, z. B. solche, die den Einfluss neuerer Technologien untersuchen.
Mechanistic basis for multidrug resistance and collateral drug sensitivity conferred to the malaria parasite by polymorphisms in PfMDR1 and PfCRT
Authors: Shafik Sarah Heckmatt , Richards Sashika Natasha , Corry Ben , Martin Rowena Elizabeth
Published: May 2022

Polymorphisms in thePlasmodium falciparummultidrug resistance protein 1 (pfmdr1) gene and thePlasmodium falciparumchloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) gene alter the malaria parasite’s susceptibility to most of the current antimalarial drugs. However, the precise mechanisms by which PfMDR1 contributes to multidrug resistance have not yet been fully elucidated, nor is it understood why polymorphisms inpfmdr1andpfcrtthat cause chloroquine resistance simultaneously increase the parasite’s susceptibility to lumefantrine and mefloquine—a phenomenon known as collateral drug sensitivity. Here, we present a robust expression system for PfMDR1 inXenopusoocytes that enables direct and high-resolution biochemical characterizations of the protein. We show that wild-type PfMDR1 transports diverse pharmacons, including lumefantrine, mefloquine, dihydroartemisinin, piperaquine, amodiaquine, methylene blue, and chloroquine (but not the antiviral drug amantadine). Field-derived mutant isoforms of PfMDR1 differ from the wild-type protein, and each other, in their capacities to transport these drugs, indicating that PfMDR1-induced changes in the distribution of drugs between the parasite’s digestive vacuole (DV) and the cytosol are a key driver of both antimalarial resistance and the variability between multidrug resistance phenotypes. Of note, the PfMDR1 isoforms prevalent in chloroquine-resistant isolates exhibit reduced capacities for chloroquine, lumefantrine, and mefloquine transport. We observe the opposite relationship between chloroquine resistance-conferring mutations in PfCRT and drug transport activity. Using our established assays for characterizing PfCRT in theXenopusoocyte system and in live parasite assays, we demonstrate that these PfCRT isoforms transport all 3 drugs, whereas wild-type PfCRT does not. We present a mechanistic model for collateral drug sensitivity in which mutant isoforms of PfMDR1 and PfCRT cause chloroquine, lumefantrine, and mefloquine to remain in the cytosol instead of sequestering within the DV. This change in drug distribution increases the access of lumefantrine and mefloquine to their primary targets (thought to be located outside of the DV), while simultaneously decreasing chloroquine’s access to its target within the DV. The mechanistic insights presented here provide a basis for developing approaches that extend the useful life span of antimalarials by exploiting the opposing selection forces they exert upon PfCRT and PfMDR1.
Insect infestations and the persistence and functioning of oak-pine mixedwood forests in the mid-Atlantic region, USA
Authors: Clark Kenneth L. , Aoki Carissa , Ayres Matthew , Kabrick John , Gallagher Michael R.
Published: May 2022

Damage from infestations ofLymantria disparL. in oak-dominated stands and southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalisZimmermann) in pine-dominated stands have far exceeded impacts of other disturbances in forests of the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain over the last two decades. We used forest census data collected in undisturbed and insect-impacted stands combined with eddy covariance measurements made pre- and post-disturbance in oak-, mixed and pine-dominated stands to quantify how these infestations altered forest composition, structure and carbon dynamics in the Pinelands National Reserve of southern New Jersey. In oak-dominated stands, multi-year defoliation duringL.disparinfestations resulted in > 40% mortality of oak trees and the release of pine saplings and understory vegetation, while tree mortality was minimal in mixed and pine-dominated stands. In pine-dominated stands, southern pine beetle infestations resulted in > 85% mortality of pine trees but had minimal effect on oaks in upland stands or other hardwoods in lowland stands, and only rarely infested pines in hardwood-dominated stands. Because insect-driven disturbances are both delaying and accelerating succession in stands dominated by a single genus but having less effect in mixed-composition stands, long-term disturbance dynamics are favoring the formation and persistence of uneven age oak-pine mixedwood stands. Changes in forest composition may have little impact on forest productivity and evapotranspiration; although seasonal patterns differ, with highest daily rates of net ecosystem production (NEP) during the growing season occurring in an oak-dominated stand and lowest in a pine-dominated stand, integrated annual rates of NEP are similar among oak-, mixed and pine-dominated stands. Our research documents the formation of mixedwood stands as a consequence of insect infestations in the mid-Atlantic region and suggests that managing for mixedwood stands could reduce damage to forest products and provide greater continuity in ecosystem functioning.
Efficient gene transfection to lung cancer cells via Folate-PEI-Sorbitol gene transporter
Authors: Cho Kye Soo , Kim Sanghwa , Chun Hyung Bin , Cheon Jae Hee , Cho Myung-Haing , Lee Ah Young , Arote Rohidas B.
Published: May 2022

Lung cancer is known to be one of the fatal diseases in the world and is experiencing treatment difficulties. Many treatments have been discovered and implemented, but death rate of patients with lung cancer continues to remain high. Current treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy have shown considerable results, yet they are accompanied by side effects. One effective method for reducing the cytotoxicity of these treatments is via the use of a nanoparticle-mediated siRNA delivery strategy with selective silencing effects and non-viral vectors. In this study, a folate (FA) moiety ligand-conjugated poly(sorbitol-co-PEI)-based gene transporter was designed by combining low-molecular weight polyethyleneimine (LMW PEI) and D-sorbitol with FA to form FPS. Since folate receptors are commonly overexpressed in various cancer cells, folate-conjugated nanoparticles may be more effectively delivered to selective cancer cells. Additionally, siOPA1 was used to induce apoptosis through mitochondrial fusion. The OPA1 protein stability level is important for maintaining normal mitochondrial cristae structure and function, conserving the inner membrane structure, and protecting cells from apoptosis. Consequently, when FPS/siOPA1 was used for lung cancer in-vitro and in-vivo, it improved cell viability and cellular uptake.
Reducing social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the contribution of courtesy phone calls by volunteers
Authors: Normandin Louise , Wong Caroline , Dumez Vincent , Malas Kathy , Grégoire Alexandre , Grégoire Julie , Pettigrew Lise , Allanot Nicolas , Vialaron Cécile , El Mansali Sabrina Anissa , Nguyen Christine , Brunet Fabrice , Pomey Marie-Pascale
Published: May 2022

Context

During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions were imposed on visits in hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada in an effort to reduce the risk of viral exposure by minimizing face-to-face contact in order to protect patients, visitors and staff. These measures led to social isolation for patients. In order to reduce this isolation, CHUM (the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, a teaching hospital) shifted from in-person visits to courtesy telephone calls delivered by volunteers from CHUM’s Volunteers, Recreation and Leisure Department.

Objectives

To study: (1) the contribution made by these calls to reducing isolation and their limitations, (2) how the calls can be improved, and (3) whether they should be maintained, based on the views of patients and volunteers.

Methodology

This study examined two populations. The first one consisted of 189 adult patients hospitalized at CHUM who received a courtesy phone call from a volunteer and the second one consisted of the 25 CHUM volunteers who made these calls. Quantitative data were collected from patients and volunteers through questionnaires and a Smartsheet. The patient questionnaire evaluated isolation, the courtesy phone calls, the relationship of trust with the volunteer and sociodemographic questions. The volunteer questionnaire evaluated the appropriateness of the technology for the intervention, the support and training received, the impacts of the courtesy phone call on both the patients and the volunteers, an experience report and sociodemographic information. In addition, a focus group was held with 7 volunteers. Then the verbatim were transcribed and analyzed using QDA miner software.

Results

From April 27, 2020 to September 5, 2020 more than 11,800 calls were made, mainly concerning hospitalization conditions or home follow-ups (n = 83), and relationships with relatives, friends, and family (n = 79). For 73.6% of hospitalized patients, the courtesy calls from volunteers were a good response to their needs, and 72% of volunteers agreed. 64.5% of patients felt less isolated and 40% of volunteers felt useful.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that patients felt less isolated during their hospitalization because of the courtesy calls made by the volunteers, that smartphones could also be used for video calls and, finally, that maintaining this type of service seems as relevant after as during a pandemic to provide social interactions to people isolated for medical reasons.
Typology of content warnings and trigger warnings: Systematic review
Authors: Charles Ashleigh , Hare-Duke Laurie , Nudds Hannah , Franklin Donna , Llewellyn-Beardsley Joy , Rennick-Egglestone Stefan , Gust Onni , Ng Fiona , Evans Elizabeth , Knox Emily , Townsend Ellen , Yeo Caroline , Slade Mike
Published: May 2022

Content and trigger warnings give information about the content of material prior to receiving it. Different typologies of content warnings have emerged across multiple sectors, including health, social media, education and entertainment. Benefits arising from their use are contested, with recent empirical evidence from educational sectors suggesting they may raise anxiety and reinforce the centrality of trauma experience to identity, whilst benefits relate to increased individual agency in making informed decisions about engaging with content. Research is hampered by the absence of a shared inter-sectoral typology of warnings. The aims of this systematic review are to develop a typology of content warnings and to identify the contexts in which content warnings are used. The review was pre-registered (ID: CRD42020197687, URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020197687) and used five sources: electronic databases covering multiple sectors (n = 19); table of contents from multi-sectoral journals (n = 5), traditional and social media websites (n = 53 spanning 36 countries); forward and backward citation tracking; and expert consultation (n = 15). In total, 6,254 documents were reviewed for eligibility and 136 documents from 32 countries were included. These were synthesised to develop the Narrative Experiences Online (NEON) content warning typology, which comprises 14 domains: Violence, Sex, Stigma, Disturbing content, Language, Risky behaviours, Mental health, Death, Parental guidance, Crime, Abuse, Socio-political, Flashing lights and Objects. Ten sectors were identified: Education, Audio-visual industries, Games and Apps, Media studies, Social sciences, Comic books, Social media, Music, Mental health, and Science and Technology. Presentation formats (n = 15) comprised: education materials, film, games, websites, television, books, social media, verbally, print media, apps, radio, music, research, DVD/video and policy document. The NEON content warning typology provides a framework for consistent warning use and specification of key contextual information (sector, presentation format, target audience) in future content warning research, allowing personalisation of content warnings and investigation of global sociopolitical trends over time.
Associations between microbial communities and key chemical constituents in U.S. domestic moist snuff
Authors: Tyx Robert E. , Rivera Angel J. , Satten Glen A. , Keong Lisa M. , Kuklenyik Peter , Lee Grace E. , Lawler Tameka S. , Kimbrell Jacob B. , Stanfill Stephen B. , Valentin-Blasini Liza , Watson Clifford H.
Published: May 2022

Background

Smokeless tobacco (ST) products are widely used throughout the world and contribute to morbidity and mortality in users through an increased risk of cancers and oral diseases. Bacterial populations in ST contribute to taste, but their presence can also create carcinogenic, Tobacco-Specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs). Previous studies of microbial communities in tobacco products lacked chemistry data (e.g. nicotine, TSNAs) to characterize the products and identify associations between carcinogen levels and taxonomic groups. This study uses statistical analysis to identify potential associations between microbial and chemical constituents in moist snuff products.

Methods

We quantitatively analyzed 38 smokeless tobacco products for TSNAs using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and nicotine using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Moisture content determinations (by weight loss on drying), and pH measurements were also performed. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the microbial composition, and additionally measured total 16S bacterial counts using a quantitative PCR assay.

Results

Our findings link chemical constituents to their associated bacterial populations. We found core taxonomic groups often varied between manufacturers. When manufacturer and flavor were controlled for as confounding variables, the genus Lactobacillus was found to be positively associated with TSNAs. while the genera Enteractinococcus and Brevibacterium were negatively associated. Three genera (Corynebacterium, Brachybacterium, and Xanthomonas) were found to be negatively associated with nicotine concentrations. Associations were also investigated separately for products from each manufacturer. Products from one manufacturer had a positive association between TSNAs and bacteria in the genus Marinilactibacillus. Additionally, we found that TSNA levels in many products were lower compared with previously published chemical surveys. Finally, we observed consistent results when either relative or absolute abundance data were analyzed, while results from analyses of log-ratio-transformed abundances were divergent.
Evaluation of portable near-infrared spectroscopy for authentication of mRNA based COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Assi Sulaf , Arafat Basel , Abbas Ismail , Evans Kieran
Published: May 2022

Since its identification in 2019, Covid-19 has spread to become a global pandemic. Until now, vaccination in its different forms proves to be the most effective measure to control the outbreak and lower the burden of the disease on healthcare systems. This arena has become a prime target to criminal networks that spread counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines across the supply chain mainly for profit. Counterfeit vaccines provide false sense of security to individuals, heightens the risk of exposure and outbreak of the virus, and increase the risk of harm linked to Covid-19 infection. Moreover, the increase in counterfeit vaccines feeds hesitancy towards vaccination and erodes the trust in mass immunisation programmes. It is therefore of paramount importance to work on rapid and reliable methods for vaccine authentication. Subsequently this work utilised a portable and non-destructive near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic method for authentication of Covid-19 vaccines. A total of 405 Covid-19 vaccines samples, alongside their main constituents, were measured as received through glass vials. Spectral quality and bands were inspected by considering the raw spectra of the vaccines. Authentication was explored by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to the multiplicative scatter correction-first derivative spectra. The results showed that NIR spectra of the vaccine featured mainly bands corresponding to the mRNA active ingredient. Fewer bands corresponded to the excipients and protein spectra. The vaccines NIR spectra were strongly absorbing with maximum absorbances up to 2.7 absorbance units and that differentiated them from samples containing normal saline only (constituent reported for counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines). Clustering based on PCA offered optimal authentication of Covid-19 vaccines when applied over the range of 9000–4000 cm-1These findings shed light on the potential of using NIR for analysing Covid-19 vaccines and presents a rapid and effective initial technique for Covid-19 vaccine authentication.
The Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion: A difference-in-differences study of spillover participation in SNAP
Authors: Cha Paulette , Escarce José J.
Published: May 2022

The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion to individuals with adults under 138 percent of the federal poverty level led to insurance coverage for millions of Americans in participating states. This study investigates Medicaid expansion’s potential spillover participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly the Food Stamp Program). In addition to providing public insurance, the policy connects individuals to SNAP, affecting social determinants of health such as hunger. We use difference-in-differences regression to estimate the effect of the Medicaid expansion on SNAP participation among approximately 414,000 individuals from across the United States. The Current Population Survey is used to answer the main research question, and the SNAP Quality Control Database allows for supplemental analyses. Medicaid expansion produces a 2.9 percentage point increase (p = 0.002) in SNAP participation among individuals under 138 percent of federal poverty. Subgroup analyses find a larger 5.0 percentage point increase (p = 0.002) in households under 75 percent of federal poverty without children. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) are a category of individuals with limited access to SNAP. Although they are a subset of adults without children, we found no spillover effect for ABAWDs. We find an increase in SNAP households with $0 income, supporting the finding that spillover was strongest for very-low-income individuals. Joint processing of Medicaid and SNAP applications helps facilitate the connection between Medicaid expansion and SNAP. Our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that Medicaid expansion does more than improve access to health care by connecting eligible individuals to supports like SNAP. SNAP recipients have increased access to food, an important social determinant of health. Our study supports reducing administrative burdens to help connect individuals to safety net programs. Finally, we note that ABAWDs are a vulnerable group that need targeted program outreach.
Image-based cell profiling enhancement via data cleaning methods
Authors: Rezvani Arghavan , Bigverdi Mahtab , Rohban Mohammad Hossein
Published: May 2022

With the advent of high-throughput assays, a large number of biological experiments can be carried out. Image-based assays are among the most accessible and inexpensive technologies for this purpose. Indeed, these assays have proved to be effective in characterizing unknown functions of genes and small molecules. Image analysis pipelines have a pivotal role in translating raw images that are captured in such assays into useful and compact representation, also known as measurements. CellProfiler is a popular and commonly used tool for this purpose through providing readily available modules for the cell/nuclei segmentation, and making various measurements, or features, for each cell/nuclei. Single cell features are then aggregated for each treatment replica to form treatment “profiles”. However, there may be several sources of error in the CellProfiler quantification pipeline that affects the downstream analysis that is performed on the profiles. In this work, we examined various preprocessing approaches to improve the profiles. We consider the identification of drug mechanisms of action as the downstream task to evaluate such preprocessing approaches. Our enhancement steps mainly consist of data cleaning, cell level outlier detection, toxic drug detection, and regressing out the cell area from all other features, as many of them are widely affected by the cell area. Our experiments indicate that by performing these time-efficient preprocessing steps, image-based profiles can preserve more meaningful information compared to raw profiles. In the end, we also suggest possible avenues for future research.
Global trade of South Korea in competitive products and their impact on regional dependence
Authors: Kang Dongsuk , Heo Pil-sun , Lee Duk Hee
Published: May 2022

The economic growth of a nation under the competition among countries can result from the interaction of the diversity and complexity of product export and import relations on the globe. This research aims to evaluate the competitiveness of South Korea’s trading products and its partner countries’ dependency by implementing a product and partner-based analysis. This research raises questions about the transactional positions of products and trading partners based on the diversification of import-export relations of South Korea. This study utilizes the matrix of products and trading partners from the Korean product export and import data from 1995 to 2015. The research analyzes Korea’s product competitiveness and dependency of trading countries on Korea using the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and a nonlinear iterative method (NIM). The study finds that the products of several manufacturing industries showed a large production scale. From the global perspective, the trade dependency on Korea was high in Asia and in Africa and South America where the portion of underdeveloped or developing countries is relatively large. This research suggests that Korea may face difficulties of continuing growth if it maintains or intensifies its trade relation pattern under the environment of rapidly changing technology and economy. Therefore, diversification and mutual complementarity could be important for the export of promising products and industrial development policy.
Challenges and solutions in communication with patients with low health literacy: Perspectives of healthcare providers
Authors: Murugesu Laxsini , Heijmans Monique , Rademakers Jany , Fransen Mirjam P.
Published: May 2022

Insights in the challenges that healthcare providers encounter in serving low health literate patients is lagging behind. This study explored challenges perceived by healthcare providers and provides strategies in communication with low health literate patients. Primary and secondary healthcare providers (N= 396) filled in an online survey. We assessed the frequency of challenges prior to, during and following a consultation, and which strategies were used and recommended. Survey outcomes were validated in in-depth interviews with healthcare providers (N= 7). Providers (76%) reported one or more challenges that were subscribed to patients’ difficulties in comprehending or applying health-related information, in communicating with professionals, or in taking responsibility for their health. Providers (31%) perceived difficulties in recognizing low health literate patients, and 50% rarely used health literacy specific materials. Providers expressed needs for support to recognize and discuss low health literacy, to adapt communication and to assess patient’s comprehension. Future research should focus on developing strategies for providers to ensure patients’ understanding (e.g. applying teach-back method), to recognize low health literate patients, and to support patients’ in taking responsibility for their health (e.g. motivational interviewing).
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the simple shoulder test in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Shousha Tamer , Alowais Fatima , Arumugam Ashokan
Published: May 2022

Background

The Simple Shoulder Test (SST) is a simple and short patient-reported outcome measuring functional limitations of the affected shoulder in patients with shoulder dysfunction. Although it is widely used in different clinical cultures, literature review to date revealed that the SST has not been yet translated nor validated in the Arabic language.

Research objectives

To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Arabic version of the Simple Shoulder Test (SST).

Methodology

A forward-backward translation method was adopted. One hundred and forty-one patients with shoulder pain were recruited for psychometric analysis based on the inclusion criteria. The test–retest reliability of the Arabic SST (ASST), pain, disability and total scores were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The construct validity of the ASST was tested by Spearman rank coefficients through comparing the Arabic SST scores to the severity of shoulder pain measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Arabic version of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). Internal consistency was assessed by the Cronbach’s alpha.

Findings

One hundred and forty participants (60 males and 80 females) with a mean (Standard Deviation) age of 39.3 (4.9) years participated in the study. The ICCs for score of ASST were reported high; pain 0.84 (0.78–0.93), disability 0.96 (0.93–0.97) and total score 0.95 (0.91–0.97). Similarly, the Cronbach α values for the ASST scores were also of high values with regards to pain (0.89), disability (0.94), and total score (0.97) respectively. Comparing the scores between the first and the second use of the ASST revealed no statistically significant mean differences of -1.9 (95% CI—3.61 to 0.17).

Conclusion

The Arabic-translated version of the SST showed high reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity based on substantial correlations of the ASST with Arabic SPADI and VAS. We recommend the Arabic version of the SST for the evaluation of Arabic-speaking patients with shoulder dysfunction.