bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La transformación del orden territorial en la Nueva Granada, 1780-1858
Authors: Ruiz Gutiérrez Paola
Published: November 2024

El presente capítulo analiza la manera como se estructuró un orden político a partir de la reorganización del territorio. En la definición de una particular división político-administrativa, se manifestaron diversos proyectos políticos a través de los cuales se buscó ampliar y consolidar la presencia de un Estado nacional en formación en los espacios locales. No solo se precisó el número y naturaleza de las divisiones territoriales; al especificar el modo en que debían ser administradas, se pretendió conjurar la autonomía local, establecer la preeminencia de las autoridades nacionales sobre los poderes regionales y definir los modos de articulación de los espacios locales. Ello dio origen a una serie de tensiones que redefinieron los límites y posibilidades del Estado nacional neogranadino. En este sentido y como ha señalado Hespanha, el análisis de las divisiones político-administrativas permite historiar las relaciones entre el poder y el espacio.2
Noise Trading and Asset Pricing Factors
Authors: Huang Shiyang , Song Yang , Xiang Hong
Published: November 2024

We demonstrate that a broad set of asset pricing factors/anomalies are significantly exposed to “noise trader risk,” and the noise trader risk is priced in factor premia. We first confirm that mutual funds’ flow-induced trading of factors are uninformed, as they generate a large price impact on factor returns, followed by a complete reversal. We then show that asset pricing factors are subject to flow-driven noise trader risk in that expected variation (covariation) of flow-induced noise trading strongly forecasts variance (covariance) of factor returns. Importantly, factor premia are higher when flow-driven noise trader risk is expected to be more salient.

This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01827 .
Rethinking Education, Health and Care Plans
Authors: Crown Hannah
Published: November 2024

Education, health and care plans set out support requirements for children with SEND but vary in quality and timeliness. An expert explores what must change and we highlight some good practice
Divert capitalises on trusted relationships
Authors: Parkes Joanne
Published: November 2024

IN SUMMARY

Police stations London wide are covered by custody intervention coaches following a £3 mn mayoral investment in a project that is building resilience to violent crime among 18- to 25-year-olds.
Research roundup
Authors: Mendes Aysha
Published: November 2024

In this section, a range of brief synopses of recently published articles are presented. The aim is to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary, of the research papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Interventions tackling children's food insecurity: A commentary on a systematic review
Authors: Harrison Joanna , Allen Gerry , Clegg Andrew
Published: November 2024

In the UK, 7% of households are deemed food insecure; that is, they are unable to access, acquire and prepare food for the table. Food insecurity is associated with numerous negative effects for children, including reduced nutritional intake, social, behavioural and developmental problems and reductions in academic and cognitive performance. Poorer mental health outcomes are also experienced by both children and parents living with food insecurity. A systematic review of interventions to tackle children's food insecurity was undertaken by Holly et al (2019) . This commentary critically appraises the review and discusses what the findings imply for the provision of such interventions, particularly those related to holiday, activity and food clubs.
Taking a position on school nurses' role in safeguarding
Authors: Sutton Sallyann
Published: November 2024

While safeguarding is crucial, school nurses are not always the best health professional to support children and young people on plans. Sallyann Sutton, Professional Officer discusses the new policy position on public health nurses' safeguarding role.
Refraction responsibilities debate
Authors: McClean Andrew
Published: November 2024

Eye care professionals have discussed the delegation of roles in sight tests as part of the Opticians Act consultation. Andrew McClean reports
Eyes on two worlds
Authors: Daly Ilse
Published: November 2024

Dr Ilse Daly explores the world of archerfish and their vision
Commercialising myopia
Authors: Patchett Lucy
Published: November 2024

Lucy Patchett reported on the Independents Day Conference 2022, which aimed to raise awareness on myopia management
Eye care tomorrow
Authors: Harvey Bill
Published: November 2024

In the second of his reports from this year’s Optometry Tomorrow Conference, Bill Harvey highlights presentations with a focus on eye health in general and some looking specifically at anterior eye conditions
Attention please
Authors: Harvey Bill
Published: November 2024

Bill Harvey tries out the ingenious Visual Fixation System that allows greater accuracy when assessing the vision of patients with limited attention
Patient complaints in the post-Covid era
Authors: Jones Simon
Published: November 2024

Simon Jones unpacks some of the findings from the OCCS annual report
A brief history of contact lenses
Authors: Bennett Chris
Published: November 2024

Chris Bennett picks out the game changing moments in contact lens history
CPD: Autistic adults, vision and care 1
Authors: Parmar Ketan
Published: November 2024

In the first of a new four-part series based around new research looking into the assessment of eye health in the autistic population, Dr Ketan Parmar offers an overview of autism and its impact upon the visual sensory experience (C102936, suitable for logging as one provider-led distance learning CPD point for optometrists and dispensing opticians)
Dry eye conversations
Authors: Patchett Lucy
Published: November 2024

Lucy Patchett talks to dry eye clinics about how they communicate effectively with patients
Delivering therapeutics
Authors: McClean Andrew
Published: November 2024

In May, a University of Birmingham spinout announced the development of a new treatment for dry eye. Andrew McClean speaks to Richard Williams about the potential of Healome's gel
Hypochlorous: the missing link in eyelid hygiene?
Authors: Atkins Nick
Published: November 2024

With much interest in a new hypochlorous acid spray with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities, Nick Atkins explains how it works and why it is ideal for use in the management of dry eye disease
Welsh reforms improve access to eye care
Authors: McClean Andrew
Published: November 2024

Andrew McClean speaks to Sali Davis about how a new contract supports primary eye care in Wales
Bleak future for eye health without urgent action
Authors: Jones Simon
Published: November 2024

A new report commissioned by Specsavers has warned of a tidal wave of avoidable blindness unless community optometry steps in. Simon Jones reports
Protecting practices against the cost-of-living crisis
Authors: Patchett Lucy
Published: November 2024

Lucy Patchett talked to practices to understand cost-of-living crisis impacts and how to mitigate them
Sustainable development and environmental taxation: what future prospects?
Authors: Parente Salvatore Antonello
Published: November 2024

In an attempt to tackle the environmental imbalances produced by the excesses of the global economy, the great contemporary legal systems are gradually evolving towards remedial intervention models of a different nature, in line with environmental sustainability policies.
To encourage this trend, the OECD has qualified interventions aimed at environmental protection all measures that affect the choices between different technological or consumption alternatives, through the modification of convenience in terms of private costs and benefits.
Within these coordinates, a strategic position is assuming environmental taxation which, supported by a widespread cultural orientation, can help to prevent, eliminate or reduce polluting activities through a complex of taxes, tariffs, fees, contributions and other services imposed owed by the polluting manufacturer or user. In this context, the role of environmental taxation can be truly decisive to discourage pollution. Environmental taxes and eco-incentives are frequently used by the Member States, whose domestic laws give more importance to “green taxation”, inspired by EU principles. For the future, we can hope for greater coordination of environmental taxation within the EU, through a rethinking of it, with a view to improving European integration policies in order to develop a uniform response to the current economic-financial crisis and favor economic growth.
Some remarks on protection of cultural and natural heritage in the light of threats posed by tourism
Authors: Pływaczewski Wiesław , Narodowska Joanna , Duda Maciej
Published: November 2024

The paper addresses the issue of protecting cultural and natural heritage from the threats posed by mass tourism. The authors justify the need for research on this phenomenon and point out the role of green criminology in this area. They subsequently define the basic concepts related to tourism, tourism crime and tourism pathologies. Furthermore, referring to the theoretical achievements of criminology, the authors attempt to explain the etiology of such deeds. The article reviews selected threats against cultural and natural heritage associated with mass tourism, occurring on a local, national, regional and global scale. Based on a review of literature, research results and an analysis of applied legal, institutional and social solutions, the authors propose possibilities of counteracting this phenomenon.
Deliberative Democracy – International Discourse
Authors: Sokalska Edyta
Published: November 2024

In the 21st century, dissatisfaction with the democratic arrangements contributed to the arousing curiosity about the improvement of representative democracy. Modern forms of political organization consider alternative ways of arranging the state. Deliberative democracy is the idea which became popular with the researchers in their theoretical considerations at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is also seen as a lucrative proposal to enrich and improve the mechanism accompanying the operation of the universal model of representative democracy. However, it should be taken into closer consideration that its solutions and postulates raise a number of questions and doubts, specifically as regards their applicability in practice. Scientific debate referring to the development of deliberative democracy did not establish any unified schools or currents. The discourse is internally diverse, however four generations of deliberative democracy might be identified. The ‘systemic turn’ exposes development and promotion of deliberation on a mass scale, emphasis on the division of activities and tasks of participants within the system, and – in order to link multiplicity of institutions and the processes that occur among them – application of a certain continuum to the criterion of deliberation.
Social support of mothers of children with epilepsy
Authors: Kręcisz-Plis Elżbieta
Published: November 2024

Analysis of the literature on the subject leads to the conclusion that the issue of functioning of families with chronically ill children is an area that does not attract much interest from researchers. In the context of Polish literature, there are few studies concerning the situation of families with children suffering from epilepsy, especially regarding the identification of needs for support in coping with the consequences of the illness. The aim of the presented research was to draw attention to the situation of mothers of children with epilepsy, as the primary caregivers of the sick child, and to the social support they can rely on in the face of difficult situations. The research utilized the Berlin Social Support Scales by Schwarzer and Schulz, in the Polish adaptation by Łuszczyńska and others, which were used to determine the intensity of support perceived by the surveyed mothers, their reported need for support, the support they are currently receiving, and their search for support.
The Essence of Democracy in the Teaching of John Paul II
Authors: Romanko Agnieszka
Published: November 2024

The study attempts to synthetically present the essence of democracy in the teaching of Pope John Paul II. The Bishop of Rome pointed out that authentic democracy is possible only in a state of law and based on a correct conception of the human person. He warned against ethical relativism, according to which it is wrongly assumed that objective moral norms lead to authoritarianism.
A Mixed Methods Investigation of Trends in COVID-19 Pandemic-Specific Positive Changes Across Three Academic Years Following Pandemic Onset
Authors: Dolbier Christyn , Vanacore Sarah , Simon Alia , Stallings Taylor L. , Signorelli Jordan , Dietrich Kelsey M.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This study sought to identify levels and types of positive changes experienced during the pandemic and determine whether different patterns of positive changes existed across academic years. In this repeated cross-sectional mixed methods study, different samples of undergraduate students at a large, public university were recruited in Fall 2020–Spring 2021 (N = 719), Fall 2021–Spring 2022 (N = 1,243), and Fall 2022–Spring 2023 (N = 1,102). Participants completed an online survey that included the Stress-Related Growth Scale-Short Form-Revised (SRGS-SF-R) and an open-ended question about positive change due to the pandemic. Based on SRGS-SF-R scores, 41–45% reported low growth, 11–21% moderate growth, and 3–4% high growth across samples; means were significantly higher each subsequent academic year while remaining low. Common qualitative categories across years were enhanced social relationships (32–35%), personal development (24–28%), and enhanced academics (11–16%). Quantitative and qualitative analyses resulted in 15 overarching domains of positive change, including areas of psychological (e.g., change in perspective) and non-psychological (e.g., technology) change. Most students experienced some pandemic-specific positive change in each of the three academic years following the pandemic onset. Certain types of positive change may reflect specific impacts of particular phases of the pandemic.
Reflections on Jews and Christians between the Late Ottoman State and the Republic of Turkey
Authors: Karkason Tamir
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This essay offers a framework for understanding the change that occurred in the contacts between Jews and Christians between the latter decades of the Ottoman Empire and the early decades of the Turkish nation-state. Through analysis of a legal translation from Ottoman Turkish into Ladino from the early 1880s and a journal article in Ladino on a shared Jewish-Greek sports activity in the late 1940s, it shows how Jewish elites perceived Greeks and Armenians as role models because of their strong integration in Ottoman state and society and, later,the power of the local Christians became closer to that of the Jews, expanding. the possibilities for cooperation between the two minorities.
Religious Naturalism before and after Auschwitz: The Immanentist Theologies of Mordecai M. Kaplan and Richard L. Rubenstein
Authors: Erlewine Robert
Published: November 2024

Abstract: In this essay, I treat the work of Richard L. Rubenstein as attempting to inherit key elements of Mordecai M. Kaplan’s theological project and carry them forward into the post-Holocaust era. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rubenstein follows Kaplan in espousing a form of religious naturalism and in eschewing supernaturalist understandings of the Jewish tradition. Nevertheless, Rubenstein remains critical of the character of Kaplan’s account of naturalism and, instead, offers an alternative account more amenable to a tragic sensibility. I then note the role that the critique of Reform Judaism plays in the elucidation of the constructive visions of both thinkers. Comparing their critiques of Reform Judaism, I further elucidate commonalities and divergences of their respective theological projects. Finally, I conclude by considering these two thinkers as part a shared theological tradition characterized by its emphasis on divine immanence.
Grief and Re(dis)covery
Authors: Bakanas Erin L.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Grief is an emotion that reaches across multiple disciplines in healthcare. In this series we hear from medical students, residents and fellows, physicians, nurses, chaplains and social workers. Writers share their challenges with vulnerability, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion. Many identify a sense of isolation within the very system they are seeking to support. While not all are confident, they have reached a new grounding after grief, these authors do offer a sense of hope for recovery and rediscovery of the joy in the privilege of the practice of medicine.
The Genesis in a Nutshell? The Predicament of Being Human and Artist in Ian McEwan’s Nutshell
Authors: Golban Tatiana
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This study focuses on Ian McEwan’s Nutshell (2016), a novel frequently viewed as an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1601), and explores the relationship between the birth of the foetus-narrator from McEwan’s fiction, the anthropogenesis (understood by Agamben as the “becoming human of man”), and the genesis of a work of art in contemporary period when art is perceived as commodity or as inferior to tradition and canon. Concomitantly, this study aims to reveal various facets of ethical and aesthetic engagement experienced by an artist in the process of creation when confronted with success, influence, diffusion, but also with the awareness of the ephemeral nature of art. The ethic and aesthetical quandaries which emerge out of Nutshell are explored in relation to the critical and philosophical discourse of Theodor Adorno, Giorgio Agamben, Gilles Deleuze, and Felix Guattari, who offer insights into the significance of the artistic product.
Joe Christmas’ Last Gaze in William Faulkner’s Light in August : From Exile to Selfhood
Authors: Romdhani Mourad
Published: November 2024

Abstract: A key event in William Faulkner’s Light in August (1932) is the lynching of the biracial Joe Christmas by the white Percy Grimm, ostensibly as retribution for the alleged sexual assault and murder of the white Joanna Burden. In his dying moments, Joe Christmas directs a gaze at his executioner that profoundly disturbs and indelibly marks the consciousness of white onlookers. Readings of this gaze have varied, with some scholars viewing it as a manifestation of agony following a dehumanizing act, while others perceiving it as an expression that encapsulates a long history of suffering among marginalized communities. Despite the extensive scholarly discourse on the “lynching” scene, Joe’s retaliatory gaze has often been overlooked. Given its haunting resonance for both witnesses and readers, this paper refers to postcolonial theories to analyze Joe’s final gaze, arguing for its dual nature as both emasculating and fulfilling.
Misotheism in Robinson Jeffers’ Construction of Divinity
Authors: Zaller Robert
Published: November 2024

Abstract: With the decline of religious orthodoxy in the post-Enlightenment West, the question of theodicy in a world apparently ruled by indifferent material forces became a critical cultural issue, and with it the ancient question of how divinity was to be regarded, if at all, in a world of suffering and evil. The American Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962) took up this question most rigorously of any poet of his generation, concluding that the universe as value—as an extension of divine being as such—was to be acknowledged and worshipped without expectation of concern or hope of personal salvation, and the goal of creation was enriched consciousness, the experience of all capacity, all possibility, in successive cycles of creation. To achieve acceptance of this, humanity first passed the test of misotheism, God-rejection, dramatically through tragedy, philosophically through intercourse with the world, before finding its place in the cosmic experience.
Linear fitting of biconic surfaces for corneal modeling: erratum
Authors: Blanco-Martínez Iñaki , González-Méijome José Manuel , Faria-Ribeiro Miguel
Published: November 2024

This erratum corrects a relevant equation from our previous paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 41, 288 (2024)JOAOD61084-752910.1364/JOSAA.505248].
Efficient on-chip training of large-scale optical neural network through block adjoint training algorithm
Authors: Yang Zhiwei , Zhang Tian , Dai Jian , Xu Kun
Published: November 2024

MZI-based block optical neural networks (BONNs), which utilize block matrix multiplication to achieve large-scale network models, have garnered significant attention but still lack efficient training algorithms. In this article, by calculating the original field and adjoint field for the block matrices in BONNs and directly updating the phase values of all phase shifters within the optical mesh, we propose an on-chip block adjoint training (BAT) algorithm for large-scale BONNs. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm, the trained BONNs are applied in image classification tasks for MNIST and SVHN datasets. The calculated results demonstrate that the performance of the BAT algorithm (95.915% for the MNIST dataset and 82.64% for the SVHN dataset) is competitive with the traditional gradient algorithm based on artificial neural networks (96.238% and 84.182%), but the BONNs can infer 1.5 times and 1.3 times faster than artificial neural networks, respectively. By studying the influence of the block size and the inputted position of the padded zero signals, we demonstrate that the BAT algorithm based on the BONNs with 12 block sizes can achieve higher performance by adding the padded zero signals to the same side beside the normal inputted signals. Additionally, we demonstrate that substituting the complete weight matrices with unitary matrices to construct BONNs is an efficient way to reduce both the system area and the required trainable parameters. Finally, we demonstrate the relatively good robustness of the BAT algorithm and the imprecision alleviation method by using on-chip retraining. Notably, our proposed BAT algorithm shows excellent potential for more complex tasks and network models.
Measuring wavelength-dependent radius and chromatic dispersion of a supercontinuum laser beam
Authors: Wang Gaozhong , Wang Shenghao , wang haoyu , zhou wei , Magan John , Bai Xue , sun mingxuan
Published: November 2024

Supercontinuum lasers are important for nonlinear optics, spectroscopy, microscopy, optical communication, frequency comb, biomedicine and so on. However, very little research has focused on measurement of their wavelength-dependent diameters and chromatic dispersion, which are significant parameters. Based on an improved knife-edge technique, we built a home-made set-up to measure chromatic dispersion of a supercontinuum laser over the wavelength range of 500 nm to 755 nm. The novel set-up is based on two integrating spheres, two spectrometers and two motorized linear translation stages. Beam waist and focal point position for each wavelength of the laser beam is successfully obtained using this set-up, from which chromatic dispersion of the laser is determined. Our measurement technique and analysis method may prove a useful and widely applicable characterization tool for nonlinear optics, metrology, biomedical imaging and diagnostics based on supercontinuum light.
Routine measurement of cardiometabolic disease risk factors in primary care in England before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based cohort study
Authors: Ho Frederick K. , Dale Caroline , Mizani Mehrdad A. , Bolton Thomas , Pearson Ewan R. , Valabhji Jonathan , Delles Christian , Welsh Paul , Nakada Shinya , Mackay Daniel , Pell Jill P. , Tomlinson Chris , Petersen Steffen E. , Bray Benjamin , Ashworth Mark , Rahimi Kazem , Mamas Mamas , Halcox Julian , Sudlow Cathie , Sofat Reecha , Sattar Naveed ,   CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT Consortium
Published: November 2024

Background

This study estimated to what extent the number of measurements of cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin) were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and whether these have recovered to expected levels.

Methods and findings

A cohort of individuals aged ≥18 years in England with records in the primary care—COVID-19 General Practice Extraction Service Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (GDPPR) were identified. Their records of 12 risk factor measurements were extracted between November 2018 and March 2024. Number of measurements per 1,000 individuals were calculated by age group, sex, ethnicity, and area deprivation quintile. The observed number of measurements were compared to a composite expectation band, derived as the union of the 95% confidence intervals of 2 estimates: (1) a projected trend based on data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) an assumed stable trend from before pandemic. Point estimates were calculated as the mid-point of the expectation band.

A cohort of 49,303,410 individuals aged ≥18 years were included. There was sharp drop in all measurements in March 2020 to February 2022, but overall recovered to the expected levels during March 2022 to February 2023 except for blood pressure, which had prolonged recovery. In March 2023 to March 2024, blood pressure measurements were below expectation by 16% (−19 per 1,000) overall, in people aged 18 to 39 (−23%; −18 per 1,000), 60 to 79 (−17%; −27 per 1,000), and ≥80 (−31%; −57 per 1,000). There was suggestion that recovery in blood pressure measurements was socioeconomically patterned. The second most deprived quintile had the highest deviation (−20%; −23 per 1,000) from expectation compared to least deprived quintile (−13%; −15 per 1,000).

Conclusions

There was a substantial reduction in routine measurements of cardiometabolic risk factors following the COVID-19 pandemic, with variable recovery. The implications for missed diagnoses, worse prognosis, and health inequality are a concern.
HMGA2 as a prognostic and immune biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma: Comprehensive analysis of the HMG family and experiments validation
Authors: Zhong Qiangqiang , Zhao Baokang , She Xiao , Liu Xiangjie
Published: November 2024

The molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are complex and not fully understood. This study aims to explore the expression and clinical significance of High Mobility Group (HMG) proteins in HCC to identify potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Bioinformatic analyses were performed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and other databases. Expression levels of HMGs were validated in HCC cell lines using qRT-PCR, and functional studies were conducted by knocking down HMGA2.HMG family members, particularly HMGA1, HMGA2, HMGB2, and HMGN1, were significantly upregulated in HCC tissues compared to normal tissues. High expression levels of these proteins were associated with poor overall survival and disease-specific survival in HCC patients. Knockdown of HMGA2 in HCC cell lines led to reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. HMGA2, along with other HMG family members, emerges as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC. This study provides new insights into the role of HMG proteins in HCC progression.
STEED: A data mining tool for automated extraction of experimental parameters and risk of bias items from in vivo publications
Authors: Zurrer Wolfgang Emanuel , Cannon Amelia Elaine , Ewing Ewoud , Brüschweiler David , Bugajska Julia , Hild Bernard Friedrich , Rosso Marianna , Reich Daniel Salo , Ineichen Benjamin Victor
Published: November 2024

Background and methods

Systematic reviews, i.e., research summaries that address focused questions in a structured and reproducible manner, are a cornerstone of evidence-based medicine and research. However, certain steps in systematic reviews, such as data extraction, are labour-intensive, which hampers their feasibility, especially with the rapidly expanding body of biomedical literature. To bridge this gap, we aimed to develop a data mining tool in the R programming environment to automate data extraction from neuroscience in vivo publications. The function was trained on a literature corpus (n = 45 publications) of animal motor neuron disease studies and tested in two validation corpora (motor neuron diseases, n = 31 publications; multiple sclerosis, n = 244 publications).

Results

Our data mining tool, STEED (STructured Extraction of Experimental Data), successfully extracted key experimental parameters such as animal models and species, as well as risk of bias items like randomization or blinding, from in vivo studies. Sensitivity and specificity were over 85% and 80%, respectively, for most items in both validation corpora. Accuracy and F1-score were above 90% and 0.9 for most items in the validation corpora, respectively. Time savings were above 99%.

Conclusions

Our text mining tool, STEED, can extract key experimental parameters and risk of bias items from the neuroscience in vivo literature. This enables the tool’s deployment for probing a field in a research improvement context or replacing one human reader during data extraction, resulting in substantial time savings and contributing towards the automation of systematic reviews.
Transition from sexuality to androgenesis through a meiotic modification during spermatogenesis in freshwater Corbicula clams
Authors: Etoundi Emilie , Vastrade Martin , Berthelin Clothilde , Kellner Kristell , Fafin-Lefèvre Mélanie , Van Doninck Karine
Published: November 2024

Asexual taxa are often considered as rare and vowed to long-term extinction, notably because of their reduced ability for rapid genetic changes and potential adaptation. The rate at which they derive from sexual ancestors and their developmental mode however influence genetic variation in asexual populations. Understanding the transition from sexuality to asexuality is therefore important to infer the evolutionary outcome of asexual taxa. The present work explored the transition from sexuality to androgenesis, a reproductive mode in which the males use female resources to clone themselves, in the freshwater Corbicula clams. Since androgenetic lineages are distinguishable from sexual clams by the production of unreduced sperm, this study investigated the cytological mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis in Corbicula by following the DNA content variation of male germ cells. The widespread androgenetic C. sp. form A/R lineage was compared to the sexual species C. japonica and C. sandai. While in C. japonica, the last stages of spermatogenesis are reduced through a canonical meiosis process, no reduced or duplicated stages were observed in C. sp. form A/R, suggesting a meiosis modification in this lineage. However, 45% of C. sandai spermatozoa were unreduced. The production of unreduced sperm may condition or provide the potential for the emergence of androgenesis in this sexual species. Being closely related to androgenetic lineages and found in sympatry with them in Lake Biwa (Japan), C. sandai might be an origin of androgenetic lineage emergence, or even an origin of the androgenetic reproductive mode in Corbicula.
Amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau screening in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) brains from Italy reveals distinct immunohistochemical patterns correlating with age and co-morbidity
Authors: Orekhova Ksenia , Testori Camilla , Giorda Federica , Grattarola Carla , Mattioda Virginia , Di Guardo Giovanni , Corona Cristiano , Castagnaro Massimo , Sierra Eva , Casalone Cristina , Favole Alessandra , Centelleghe Cinzia , Mazzariol Sandro
Published: November 2024

Cetacean brains are uniquely adapted to diving, but can be affected by diseases and exposure to toxins, triggering neurodegenerative processes that may cause stranding. Some species exhibit a significant post-reproductive lifespan (PRLS), increasing the likelihood of observing cumulative and age-related pathology. Immunohistochemistry against amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins is increasingly implemented to assess Alzheimer’s Disease-like neuropathology in cetaceans, but comparisons between geographically distinct populations, animals of different age groups, sex, and with concomitant pathologies are lacking. We tested 43 cetaceans’ (30 Tursiops truncatus; 13 Stenella coeruleoalba) parietal cortex, our most consistently archived cerebral tissue, in immunohistochemical analyses with amyloid-β oligomer 42 (Aβ-42) and hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau AT180 and AT8) antibodies. Aβ-42 antibody cross-reacted with plaques in three aged bottlenose and two aged striped dolphins, but was more often detected within neurons, glia, and blood vessels of all the dolphins. Histoscore comparisons between dolphins of different ages, sexes, and pathologies revealed significant correlations between older age, viral infections, and plaque presence. Protozoan cysts cross-reacted with Aβ-42 antibody. pTau signal was observed as single foci in neurons and neuropil in two young and two aged bottlenose dolphins. To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind for the Mediterranean region and will help establish baseline understanding of physiological and pathological expression of proteins associated with human neurodegenerative disease in cetacean brains.
Antibiotic use prior to attending a large diarrheal disease hospital among preschool children suffering from bloody or non-bloody diarrhea: A cross-sectional study conducted in Bangladesh
Authors: Bashar Syed Jayedul , Islam Md. Ridwan , Nuzhat Sharika , Amin Rukaeya , Rahman Md. Mushfiqur , Pavlinac Patricia B. , Arnold Samuel L. M. , Newlands Amy , Ahmed Tahmeed , Chisti Mohammod Jobayer
Published: November 2024

Background

Among diarrheal children, injudicious use of antibiotics is a major public health concern particularly in low- and middle-income countries. There are evidence-based guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prescribe antibiotics for bloody diarrhea in children. There is a scarcity of published data regarding the judicious use of antibiotics for bloody diarrhea in children. So, we aimed to evaluate the presenting features of bloody diarrhea at hospital with prior antibiotic use at home and the prevalence of injudicious antibiotic use for bloody diarrhea in children.

Methods

We screened 7,289 children aged 24–59 months with diarrhea (≥3 loose stools in the last 24 h) at Dhaka Hospital, International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), from December 5, 2021 to February 16, 2023. Antibiotic intake at home due to current diarrheal illness was evaluated and confirmed by direct observation of a prescription, the bottle of antibiotics, or asking the caregiver about the name of antibiotics.

Results

Out of 7,289 children presented with diarrhea, 3,823 (52.45%) children consumed antibiotics before visiting hospital. 254 (3.48%) children presented with bloody diarrhea, among which 162 ingested antibiotics. Among 162 children, 88 (54.32%) received inappropriate antibiotics due to bloody diarrhea, according to the WHO guidelines. The most prevalent single antibiotic consumed in bloody diarrhea was metronidazole (n = 45, 27.78%), followed by ciprofloxacin (n = 39, 24.07%) and azithromycin (n = 32, 19.75%). After adjusting for relevant covariates like age, sex, presence of straining/tenesmus, fever during admission, history of cough, stunting, wasting, and underweight; children suffering from bloody diarrhea had 1.55 times higher odds of using metronidazole alone or in combination with other antibiotics (aOR:1.55, 95% CI: 1.10–2.19, p-value = 0.012) and 1.93 times higher odds of using multiple antibiotics (aOR:1.93, 95% CI: 1.23–3.02, p-value = 0.004) compared to children with non-bloody diarrhea.

Conclusion

The study underscores the excessive use of antimicrobials among children with diarrheal illnesses. It is also evident that metronidazole use and multiple antibiotic use are increasing among children due to bloody diarrhea, which is alarming and calls for antibiotic stewardship by regulating bodies in the country.
Knowledge mobilisation of rapid evidence reviews to inform health and social care policy and practice in a public health emergency: Appraisal of the Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre processes and impact, 2021–23
Authors: Gal Micaela , Cooper Alison , Joseph-Williams Natalie , Doe Elizabeth , Lewis Ruth , Law Rebecca Jane , Anstey Sally , Davies Nathan , Walters Amy , Orford Robert , Collins Brendan , Trigg Lisa , Roberts Chris , Meredith Sarah , Macey Steven , Carson-Stevens Andrew , Greenwell Jane , Coomber Ffion , Edwards Adrian
Published: November 2024

Background

The Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre (WCEC) was established from 2021–23 to ensure that the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) relevant research evidence was readily available to inform health and social care policy and practice decision-makers. Although decisions need to be evidence-based, ensuring that accessible and relevant research evidence is available to decision-makers is challenging, especially in a rapidly evolving pandemic environment when timeframes for decision-making are days or weeks rather than months or years. We set up knowledge mobilisation processes to bridge the gap between evidence review and informing decisions, making sure that the right information reaches the right people at the right time.

Aims and objectives

To describe the knowledge mobilisation processes used by the WCEC, evaluate the impact of the WCEC rapid evidence reviews, and share lessons learned.

Methods

Our knowledge mobilisation methods were flexible and tailored to meet stakeholders’ needs. They included stakeholder co-production in our rapid evidence review processes, stakeholder-informed and participatory knowledge mobilisation, wider dissemination of outputs and associated activities including public engagement, capacity building and sharing of methodologies. Feedback on processes and evidence of impact was collected via stakeholder engagement and a stakeholder survey.

Results

Findings indicate that knowledge mobilisation processes successfully enabled use of the WCEC’s rapid evidence reviews to inform policy and practice decision-makers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. Realising actual public and patient benefit from this ‘pathway to impact’ work will take further time and resources.

Discussion and conclusion

The WCEC knowledge mobilisation processes successfully supported co-production and use of rapid evidence review findings by scientific advisors and policy and practice decision-makers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identified barriers and facilitators are of potential relevance to wider evidence initiatives, for setting up similar Centres during crisis situations, and supporting future evidence-based policy and practice decision-making.
Porous biochars derived from brewery waste for the treatment of Cr(VI)-contaminated water
Authors: Zewde Zeleke , Asere Tsegaye Girma , Yitbarek Menberu
Published: November 2024

The use of brewery waste for the removal of pollutants such as chromium has rarely been studied. In the present work, the removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from aqueous solutions was evaluated by brewer’s spent grain (BSG), brewing sewage sludge (BSS), and their mixture (MIX), which were obtained from the Bedele Brewery Share Company, Ethiopia. BSG with acid and heat treatment at 600 °C was selected during the preliminary screening experiments and further characterized via FTIR, XRD, and SEM. An adsorption experiment was carried out in batches to study the effectiveness of adsorbents in removing Cr(VI) under different conditions. Factors affecting adsorption, including pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial Cr(VI) concentration, were analyzed and optimized. The best conditions for the highest efficiency in removing Cr(VI) were a contact time of 7 h, initial solution pH of 2, initial Cr(VI) concentration of 40 mg/L, and adsorbent dose of 2 g/L. The pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, which suggests chemisorption of Cr(VI) on the surface of the adsorbent, describes the kinetics of Cr(VI) removal by the adsorbent (R2 = 0.9570). The Freundlich isotherm was a good fit for the experimental equilibrium adsorption data. The BSG biochar was found to have an approximate adsorption capacity of 31.87 mg/g for Cr(VI). The ability to recycle adsorbents suggests that BSG biochar could be effectively used to treat Cr(VI) in wastewater. As a result, converting industrial waste into useful material is cost effective and beneficial for the protection of the environment. More research is recommended to study how well this adsorbent works in real wastewater samples and during the column adsorption process.
Pedagógusok karaktererősségeinek és munkahelyi jóllétének feltáró elemzése
Authors: Molnár Adrienn , Fodor Szilvia
Published: November 2024

Háttér és célkitűzések: A pedagógus szakma nehézségeire számos vizsgálat felhívta a figyelmet, viszont kevésbé jelenik meg a kutatásokban a pozitív pszichológiai szemléletmód alkalmazása és a személyes erősségek szerepének vizsgálata. Kutatásunk a pedagógusok erősségeire fókuszál, célunk a munkahelyi jóllét és a karaktererősségek kapcsolatának feltárása, valamint a jóllét mintázatainak feltérképezése. Tudomásunk szerint hazai pedagógusmintán még nem született olyan vizsgálat, ami a karaktererősségeket és a munkahelyi jóllétet vizsgálná, így az eredményeink a későbbi jóllét növelését célzó intervenciós vizsgálatok alapjául szolgálhatnak. Módszer: A kutatásban összesen 264 (M = 47,79; SD = 9,42), általános és középfokú intézményben dolgozó pedagógus vett részt. Az online adatgyűjtés során a Munkahelyi Jóllét Kérdőívet (Kun és mtsai, 2017), ami a PERMA jóllét modell alapján méri fel a munkahelyi jóllétet, és a 24 karaktererősség mérésére szolgáló VIA-IS-M kérdőívet (McGrath, 2019; Molnár és Fodor, 2021) alkalmaztuk. Eredmények: A pedagógusokra a legjellemzőbb karaktererősségek az Őszinteség (M = 4,54) és a Tanulás szeretete (M = 4,52) voltak. Az előzetes elvárásokkal összhangban majdnem az összes karaktererősség pozitív kapcsolatban állt a munkahelyi jóllét elemeivel, az erősségek közül pedig kiemelkedett a Remény (rs = 0,36–0,73) és a Vitalitás (rs = 0,26–0,6). A jóllét alskálái alapján négy klasztert sikerült elkülöníteni a vizsgálati személyekből, a klaszterek között pedig jelentős különbségek vannak a karaktererősségek tekintetében. Következtetések: A vizsgálatunk eredményei rávilágítanak arra, hogy a karaktererősségek szerepet játszhatnak a pedagógusok munkahelyi jóllétében, éppen ezért lényeges lehet olyan stratégiák kidolgozása, melyek bátorítják, ösztönzik a pedagógusokat a saját erősségek feltárására és alkalmazására.
Gerencialismo e saúde
Authors: Santos Lucio Souza dos
Published: November 2024

No final da década de 1970, em resposta a crise na queda da taxa de lucro nos países centrais do capitalismo, houve uma série de reformas do estado que tiveram por objetivo reduzir o custo de funcionamento de serviços públicos. A parceria publico-privada com organizações não governamentais sem fins lucrativos para a gestão, por meio de transferência de recursos do estado, foi o modelo encontrado com intuito de tornar os serviços mais eficientes e com menor custo. Esta ideologia passou a ser designado como gerencialismo. No Brasil o gerencialismo ganhou corpo institucional com a reforma do estado, em 1995, realizada pelo Ministério da Reforma Administrativa. Na saúde este modelo ganhou expressão com a transferência de gestão de serviços de saúde por entidades denominadas como organizações sociais de saúde.
Uses of artificial intelligence and machine learning in systematic reviews of education research
Authors: Karlstrøm Henrik
Published: November 2024

The speed and volume of scientific publishing is accelerating, both in terms of number of authors and in terms of the number of publications by each author. At the same time, the demand for knowledge synthesis and dissemination is increasing in times of upheaval in the education sector. For systematic reviewers in the field of education, this poses a challenge in the balance between not excluding too many possibly relevant studies and handling increasingly large corpora that result from document retrieval. Efforts to manually summarise and synthesise knowledge within or across domains are increasingly running into constraints on resources or scope, but questions about the coverage and quality of automated review procedures remain. This article makes the case for integrating computational text analysis into current review practices in education research. It presents a framework for incorporating computational techniques for automated content analysis at various stages in the traditional workflow of systematic reviews, in order to increase their scope or improve validity. At the same time, it warns against naively using models that can be complex to understand and to implement without devoting enough resources to implementation and validation steps.
The Life Sciences Challenge: delivering an all-Wales bilingual inter-school competition for over 10 years and throughout a global pandemic
Authors: Hatch Sarah , Edwards Karen , Watson Angharad , Matthews James
Published: November 2024

The Life Sciences Challenge/Her Gwyddorau Bywyd is an all-Wales bilingual inter-school competition for Year 10 pupils, designed and delivered by students, staff scientists and engagement professionals within Cardiff University School of Medicine. The fun, interactive and challenging quiz was created to share an enthusiasm for understanding the natural world, and to inspire pupils to consider the extensive possibilities of future careers involving science. It is one of a suite of school engagement initiatives within the highly successful centrally coordinated Science in Health programme, established in 1994. Now in its 12th consecutive year, the Life Sciences Challenge/Her Gwyddorau Bywyd has evolved considerably, and it continues to attract participation from a growing number of schools across Wales. In this article, we: (1) explore the evolution of the Life Sciences Challenge/Her Gwyddorau Bywyd between 2013 and 2022, and how it swiftly adapted and responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring no interruption in delivery; (2) present data evidencing the impact of the Life Sciences Challenge/Her Gwyddorau Bywyd on our key stakeholders: participating Year 10 pupils, teachers and Cardiff University students; and (3) highlight lessons learnt, to improve the impact of a science/research outreach activity to relevant audiences, researchers, public engagement professionals and any organisation with a public engagement agenda aimed at schools.
Mapeamento das produções publicadas sobre a presença das Tecnologias Digitais e Educação Matemática na formação do pedagogo (2012-2021)
Authors: De Oliveira Carloney Alves , De Melo Wilker Araújo , Da Silva Mariana Tenório
Published: November 2024

O estudo visa mapear produções científicas publicadas entre 2012 e 2021 em periódicos avaliados como Qualis A1 e A2 na área de Educação, focando na presença das Tecnologias Digitais (TD) e na Educação Matemática na formação de pedagogos. A pesquisa possui caráter exploratório e descritivo, com uma abordagem qualitativa e adota uma metodologia de mapeamento bibliográfico. O estudo encontrou uma quantidade limitada de publicações sobre o tema específico, destacando que apenas um artigo se dedica à integração de TD na formação matemática de pedagogos. Outros estudos revisados abordam tecnologias digitais na formação de professores em geral, sendo úteis como referência para pesquisadores e profissionais interessados na temática. Os resultados evidenciam uma lacuna significativa na literatura, sugerindo a necessidade de novas investigações que promovam a inclusão efetiva de TD no currículo de formação de pedagogos, com vistas a preparar futuros educadores para as demandas da sociedade digital atual.