bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Der Einfluß polarisierten Lichtes auf die Chromatophorenanordnung von Dictyota dichotoma
Authors: Pfau Jürgen , Rüffer Ursula , Nultsch Wilhelm
Published: March 2023

Der bereits für mehrere Organismen beschriebene Aktionsdichroismus in der Piastidenanordnung läßt sich auch bei der Braunalge Dictyota dichotoma nachweisen. Bestrahlung mit polarisiertem Schwachlicht (Weißlicht von 1000 Lux oder Blaulicht von 442 nm, 1,3 Wm−2) verursacht eine Verlagerung der Chromatophoren an die parallel zum Polarisationsvektor (E‐Vektor) liegenden Zellwände. Dabei besteht in der Plastidenanordnung kein grundsätzlicher Unterschied zwischen der lichtzugewandten und der lichtabgewandten Rindenschicht.

Eine Serie von Mikroaufnahmen, die sowohl aus fixiertem und geschnittenem Material als auch aus unversehrten Thalli gewonnen wurden, gibt Auf‐Schluß über die Lage der Phaeoplasten in den Zellen unter verschiedenen Lichtbedingungen, und zwar im unpolarisierten Schwach‐ und Starklicht, im längs‐und querpolarisierten Schwach‐ und Starklicht sowie im Dunkeln. Gleichzeitig wurden die Chromatophorenbewegungen als Änderungen der Thallustransmission mit einem registrierenden Mikrophotometer quantitativ erfaßt.

Die gemessenen Transmissionsänderungen wurden auf die unpolarisierte Schwachlichtlage mit 0% Transmission und die unpolarisierte Starklichtlage mit 100% Transmission bezogen. Polarisiertes Schwachlicht führt zu einer Erhöhung der Transmission von 0% auf etwa 7%, Dunkelheit dagegen auf einen Wert von 40%. Die Bestrahlung mit polarisiertem Schwachlicht, dessen Polarisationsvektor parallel zur kurzen Achse der Rindenzellen liegt, ergibt nur einen Wert von 5%, d.h. nur etwa 7/10 der Transmissionszunahme, die man bei Einstrahlung polarisierten Schwachlichts parallel zur Längsachse der Zellen erhält.

Der direkte Wechsel von der Quer‐ zur Längspolarisation und umgekehrt ergibt entsprechende Transmissionsänderungen. Während jedoch beim Übergang von der Längszur Querpolarisation die Phaeoplasten direkt an die nunmehr parallel zum E‐Vektor liegenden Wände wandern, nehmen die Plastiden beim Übergang aus der quer‐ in die längspolarisierte Anordnung vorübergehend die Schwachlichtlage ein.

Die Dosis‐Effekt‐Kurve der durch polarisiertes Schwachlicht verursachten Transmissionsänderung zeigt ein Maximum der Polarisierung in dem Intensitätsbereich, der bei Verwendung unpolarisierten Lichtes bereits eine gewisse Starklichtbewegung auslöst (5 bis 10 W × m−2). Dagegen ergibt sich unter polarisiertem Starklicht (15 W × m−2 I 120 W × m−2 bei 442 nm) keine polarisierte Plastidenanordnung, sondern eine normale Starklichtlage.

Spektral wirksam ist für die Polarisierung nur der Blaubereich von 365 nm bis etwa 500 nm ohne signifikante Unterschiede in der Wirksamkeit der einzelnen Wellenlängen.

Der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft danken wir für die finanzielle Förderung dieser Arbeit. Frau G. Puhe und Frau H. Klappstein gilt unser Dank für gewissenhafte technische Assistenz.
Mature Phloem of Perennial Monocotyledons
Authors: Parthasarathy M. V.
Published: March 2023

Structural aspects of differentiating and mature sieve elements of perennial monocotyledons in general and of palms in particular are presented. As in other angiosperms, an immature sieve element undergoes a profound modification of the protoplast during differentiation. Intact, mature sieve elements lack nuclei, possess a parietal cytoplasm, empty lumen and sieve‐plate pores that are free of obstructions. Such a structure is in general agreement with the physiological data obtained from exuding inflorescences of woody monocotyledons. Structural evidence and some tracer experiments indicate that sieve elements in perennial monocotyledons are long‐lived and apparently function throughout the lifetime of the organ or the plant.
Effect of Potassium on the Assimilate Conduction to Storage Tissue
Authors: Mengel Konrad
Published: March 2023

The promoting effect of K+ on phloem transport has been shown by various authors for different plant species. This effect was also obtained in cases in which C02‐assimilation was not improved by K+. Experiments with Ricinus communis provided evidence that K+ favoured the flux rate of phloem sap without diluting its content in organic and inorganic solutes. This all over effect results in higher flux rates of all phloem solutes. In this respect the long distance transport of sucrose, amino acids and Mg2+ is of particular interest. The long distance transport of these compounds was shown to be favoured by K+.

Potassium is known to activate starch and protein synthezising enzymes involved in the metabolism of storage tissue. There is evidence, that also in cases of a suboptimum K+ supply, the K+ level in the storage tissue probably is still high enough to provide an optimum activation of the K+ requiring enzymes. For this reason it is unlikely that the favourable effect of K+ on phloem transport is related to processes in the physiological sink. It is more likely that K+ favours the phloem loading process. Indirectly K+ could promote the phloem loading process by improving the provision of energy (ATP). It is, however, also feasible that K+ acts more directly by being involved in the ATPase reaction which is supposed to drive the sucrose uptake of sieve tubes.
Turgoränderungen in Blasenzellen von Mesembryanthemaceen
Authors: Brinckmann E. , Wartinger M. , von Willert D. J.
Published: March 2023

Die epidermalen Blasenzellen von verschiedenen Mesembryanthemaceen Arten können bei mangelnder Wasserversorgung offenbar kurzfristig als Wasserspeicher für das photosynthetisch aktive Gewebe genutzt werden. Durch die bei der teilweisen Entleerung auftretende Abflachung der Blasenzellen werden bei Mesembryanthemum crystallinum die Abstände zwischen den Blasenzellen verringert, so daB die Flache, die fiir den Gasaustausch der Stomata mit der umgebenden Luft zur Verfiigung steht, 24 h nach Abbruch der Wasserversorgung auf 1/3, reduziert wird. Damit bilden die Blasenzellen beinahe eine “zweite Epidermis”, die bei Drosanthemum‐Blättern durch eng aneinandergepreßte Blasenzellen erreicht wird und die die Wasserverluste durch Transpiration verringern könnte.

Der Turgor in den Blasenzellen von Drosanthemum ändert sich am natürlichen Standort (südliche Namib) im Tagesverlauf: in der Morgendämmerung sinkt der Turgor urn 2 bar und steigt erst während der Nacht wieder an. Der Turgorabfall läuft parallel zu einer lichtbedingten Malatsynthese im grünen Gewebe, dessen osmotische Aktivität für den Wasserverlust der Blasenzellen verantwortlich sein könnte. Die absolute Höhe des Turgordruckes ist in den Blasenzellen der jüngsten Blätter 5 bis 10 mal größer als in den alteren Blattern.
Shading by giant kelp canopy can restrict the invasiveness of Undaria pinnatifida (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae)
Authors: Sandoval‐Gil Jose Miguel , Sánchez‐Barredo Mariana , Cruz‐López Ricardo , Zertuche‐González José Antonio , Beas‐Luna Rodrigo , Lorda Julio , Montaño‐Moctezuma Gabriela
Published: March 2023

The spread of non‐indigenous and invasive seaweeds has increased worldwide, and their potential effects on native seaweeds have raised concern. Undaria pinnatifida is considered among the most prolific non‐indigenous species. This species has expanded rapidly in the Northeast Pacific, overlapping with native communities such as the iconic giant kelp forests (Macrocystis pyrifera). Canopy shading by giant kelp has been argued to be a limiting factor for the presence of U. pinnatifida in the understory, thus its invasiveness capacity. However, its physiological plasticity under light limitation remains unclear. In this work, we compared the physiology and growth of juvenile U. pinnatifida and M. pyrifera sporophytes transplanted to the understory of a giant kelp forest, to juveniles growing outside of the forest. Extreme low light availability compared to that outside (~0.2 and ~4.4 mol photon ⋅ m−2 ⋅ d−1, respectively) likely caused a “metabolic energy crisis” in U. pinnatifida, thus restricting its photoacclimation plasticity and nitrogen acquisition, ultimately reducing its growth. Despite M. pyrifera juveniles showing photoacclimatory responses (e.g., increases in photosynthetic efficiency and lower compensation irradiance, Ec), their physiological/vegetative status deteriorated similarly to U. pinnatifida, which explains the low recruitment inside the forest. Generally, our results revealed the ecophysiological basis behind the limited growth and survival of juvenile U. pinnatifida sporophytes in the understory.
Phenology of harbor seal pupping and the influence of weather on pup counts, investigated by UAV
Authors: Seganfreddo Samanta , Teilmann Jonas , van Beest Floris M. , Galatius Anders
Published: March 2023

Surveys of harbor seals to assess pup production in Denmark are conducted at the assumed breeding season peak between 9 and 15 hr at winds <10 m/s, with no precipitation at least 6 hr before observations and at low tide in areas with a significant tidal range. Harbor seal pups can swim immediately after birth, so the fraction available for counting likely varies according to conditions. In the Limfjord, a separate harbor seal population is living in a large inlet in northern Denmark where >95% of pups are born at two haul‐out sites situated 4 km apart. Drone surveys of these two haul‐outs were conducted throughout the breeding seasons during 2017–2019. The effects of weather conditions and timing of surveys on counts were analyzed by generalized additive mixed models. The best‐performing model included date and wind speed. Pup counts grew from the onset of the observation period and were predicted to peak on June 22. Wind speed had a linear relationship with pup counts and > 50% more pups were counted at 5 m/s than at 1 m/s. To achieve representative pup counts careful consideration of survey conditions and possibly correction for these effects are necessary.
Personality and psychological profile for patients with and without halitosis: A case–control study
Authors: Xu Jing , Gu Qin , Lu Haixia , Fan Juan , Ye Wei
Published: March 2023

Objective

To compare the personalities, social avoidance and distress, and anxiety status of Chinese patients with and without objective halitosis, and investigate the association among these psychological disorders.

Methods

Patients who complained of bad breath and diagnosed with objective halitosis were enrolled into the halitosis group, while patients without objective halitosis were enrolled into the control group. The questionnaires included the sociodemographic profile of the participants, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Results

A total of 280 patients were assigned into objective halitosis group (n = 146) and control group (n = 134). The extraversion subscales (E) score of the EPQ in the halitosis group were significantly lower than that in the control group (p = 0.001). The total SAD score and proportion of patients with anxiety symptoms in the BAI scale in the objective halitosis was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the extraversion subscale and the total SAD score, Social Avoidance and Social Distress subscales (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patients with objective halitosis have more introverted personality traits and are more likely to have social avoidance and distress than the nonhalitosis population.
Development and pilot of a community low‐vision, service‐specific Patient‐Reported Experience Measure
Authors: Bartlett Rebecca , Absalom Rachel , Williams Owen , Withers Kathleen
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Patient‐Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) act to identify the patient's objective experience while receiving care. PREM data can provide feedback to professionals on patients' personal experience of care processes, quality of care and insight into patient expectations. This can support service improvements and person‐centeredness of care. Despite this, PREMs are not currently routinely collected for any primary eye care services in Wales, inclusive of the National Low Vision Service Wales (LVSW). The primary aim of this project was to develop and pilot a community low‐vision, service‐specific, PREM (LVSWPREM).

Methods

The development of the LVSWPREMs was performed in partnership with LVSW service users. Fourteen people attended three successive, 1.5‐h online focus groups, and informed the development of a draft of LVSWPREMs inclusive of item generation and face validity. Following several rounds of iterative improvements based on the feedback gathered during the focus groups, LVSWPREM V4.0 was agreed upon and piloted for a period of 3 months within Hywel Dda University Health Board. Reliability of the final LVSWPREM V4.0 was assessed using Cronbach α.

Results

The final LVSWPREMs consisted of two parts: (1) LVSW‐specific items and (2) a generic PREM tool approved by the Welsh Government for use across National Health Service Wales. Reliability analyses with item deletion were conducted for each construct separately using Cronbach α and were 0.94 and 0.63 for parts 1 and 2, respectively.

Conclusion

The LVSWPREM is a validated, reliable tool, which can be used to provide information regarding patients' experience of accessing a community‐based, low‐vision service. Developed in partnership with people with vision impairment, it has the potential to be useful as a means of patient engagement and improvement in the delivery of high‐quality healthcare.
Clinical symptoms of patients with Kawasaki disease include smoldering fever
Authors: Iwasa Mitsuji , Inukai Sachiko
Published: March 2023

Background

Persistent low‐grade fever has been observed in some patients during intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy for Kawasaki disease (KD); however, smoldering fever (SF) has not previously been reported in patients with KD. This study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of SF in patients with KD.

Methods

A single‐center retrospective cohort study, which included a total of 621 patients who received IVIG therapy, was conducted. Patients with a fever of 37.5–38°C lasting ≥3 days after 2 days of the initial‐IVIG were defined as the SF group. Patients were divided into four groups according to the fever course: SF (n = 14), biphasic fever (BF, n = 78), non‐fever after initial‐IVIG (NF, n = 384), and persistent fever (PF, n = 145). The clinical features of SF were described and compared between the groups.

Results

The median duration of fever in the SF group was 16 days, which was longer than that in any other group. The neutrophil fraction after IVIG therapy in the SF group was higher than that in the BF and NF groups but similar to that in the PF group. Repeated IVIG administration in the SF group resulted in increased IgG levels but decreased serum albumin levels. In the SF group, 29% of the patients had coronary artery lesions at 4 weeks.

Conclusions

The frequency of SF in KD was 2.3%. Patients with SF continued to have moderate inflammatory responses. Repeated administration of IVIG doses was not effective in treating SF, and acute coronary artery lesions were occasionally observed. Active therapeutic intervention was needed.
A historical overview of textbook presentations of statistical science
Authors: Agresti Alan
Published: March 2023

We discuss the evolution in the presentation of statistical science in English‐language textbooks, focusing on the period 1900–1970 as the field became increasingly influenced by research contributions of R. A. Fisher and Jerzy Neyman. George Udny Yule authored an early popular book that had 14 editions. Methods books authored by Fisher and George Snedecor guided scientists in implementing modern statistical methods. In the World War 2 era, textbooks authored by Maurice Kendall, Samuel Wilks, and Harald Cramér presented a dramatically different “mathematical statistics” portrayal that centered on theoretical foundations. The textbook emergence of the Bayesian approach occurred later, influenced by books by Harold Jeffreys and Leonard J. Savage. The quarter century after World War 2 saw an explosion of books in mathematical statistics and in particular topic areas. In addition to his highly cited research contributions, Sir David Cox was a prolific author of books on a great variety of topics. Most were published after the 1900–1970 period considered in this article, but we also summarize them as part of this special issue to honor his memory. We conclude by discussing the future of textbooks on the foundations of statistical science in the emerging, ever‐broader, era of data science.
PHOTODEGRATION OF METHYLENE BLUE AND TANNERY WASTEWATER BY C, N CO-DOPED TITANIUM DI-OXIDE
Authors: Islam Md. Tarequl , Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Ahmed Tanvir
Published: March 2023

Water is the most essential part of biological life but it is often contaminated by dyes and causes aesthetic problems in addition to health effects. The scarcity of clean water is on increase. Ultrasonic procedures, ozonation, electrochemical treatment, membrane separation, adsorption, and photocatalysis are the modern techniques used in separating dyes from water. Most of these techniques have limitations, but the use of semiconductors in decolorization through photocatalysis has attracted the interest of researchers as an ecologically benign and cost-effective strategy. Titanium dioxide was used as a photocatalytic degradant having a band gap of Eg 3.2 eV. Doping is an effective method for narrowing the band gap of TiO2. In this study, an N and C co-doped TiO2 was used and the samples were placed in a UV chamber for photodegradation. Primarily, the technology was tested for Methylene Blue and after that, for the dismounted wastewater from Tannery industries. Primary and secondary filtering were done for both the Methylene Blue and Tannery wastewater. Primary filtering was done using normal filter paper and secondary filtering was done using a Sterile Syringe Filter having a 0.45µm PES. Photocatalysis using co-doped TiO2 in MB and wastewater has been demonstrated for various concentrations. Color removal of low-concentrated MB was more satisfactory than that of the higher concentration. The absorbance of the higher concentration of Methylene Blue showed significant errors. The color removal efficiency of TiO2 for Tannery wastewater was moderate.
GLOBAL TRENDS AND RESEARCH HOTSPOTS OF AEROBIC GRANULAR SLUDGE FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT USING SCOPUS DATABASE: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
Authors: Ali N S Aftar , Muda K , Najib M Z M , Amin M F M , Ismail S
Published: March 2023

The aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system is a promising technology that is suitable for the treatment of various types of wastewaters. This system has received great attention from many researchers due to its wide range of applications and potential as a cost effective system. However, only a few reports are available in analyzing the progress of AGS research in wastewater treatment over the last 20 years. Therefore, in the present work, a bibliometric analysis was carried out to trace the global research trends and current hotspots of AGS in wastewater treatment from 1997 to 2020, based on the Scopus database. The bibliometric data was visualized using the VOSviewer software. A total of 1,347 articles were published in 160 journals across 19 subject categories, involving 50 countries and 129 academic institutions. Results showed that Bioresource Technology (175, 12%), Water Research (94, 6.96%), and Huanjin Kexue Environmental Science (78, 5.77%) dominated in the top 3 journals. Environmental Science (1036, 38%), China (716, 53%), and Harbin Institute of Technology (98, 7.28%) were the most productive subject category, country, and academic institution, respectively. The AGS research hot topics and future research directions were discovered through the analysis of the most frequently used keywords obtained in bibliometric maps.
A FRAMEWORK FOR CRITERIA WEIGHTING IN A SUSTAINABLE RIVER BASIN
Authors: Hafizan C. , Nur Z. Zainon , Hussein N.
Published: March 2023

River basin systems involve complex, diverse and dynamic nature. The Malaysia River Basin Sustainability Index (MyRIBASIN) monitors the sustainability status in river basin ecosystems by addressing multi-element involved in river basin systems.   The study highlights a link between the multi-criteria in MyRIBASIN as a sound basis for measures design. The multi-criteria judgment aims to define the river basin performance from criteria indicators which Johor River Basin is a case study. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) weighs four criteria for elements in the river basin: Environment, Social Awareness and Health, Governance and Economic. The group decision-making process is used to assess priorities based on the inputs from Malaysia’s authorities and academicians. Results show that the weighting values for Environment criteria have the highest value, followed by Social and Health, Governance and Economic. The findings show the perception of respondents on the importance of basin conservation and community awareness.
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (CI) PROTECTION FOR FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT AND FLOOD VULNERABILITY INDEX IN SUNGAI PINANG, PULAU PINANG
Authors: Wahab Y F , Alias N E , Anuar A , Taib S , Bashah K N , Baslan N
Published: March 2023

Infrastructure that is rated "critical" has a significant long-term impact on a large number of people when it fails.  This study's objective is to rank Sungai Pinang's Critical Infrastructure (CI) for flood risk assessment and vulnerability index. According to the literature research, there are seven (7) indicators that are linked to CI, including industrial areas, infrastructure and utilities, institutions and public facilities, commercial areas, transportation, residential areas, and open space and recreational areas. Experts from local governments and technical agencies in the state of Pulau Pinang that are concerned with and related to CI ranked the indicators during the focus group discussion. The most significant degree of CI was used to order these indicators. According to the results, residential areas received the maximum score of 165 points. With a total score of 160, institutions and public buildings are the second-ranked indicator. Infrastructure and utilities, which are ranked third, received 102 points, while transportation, which is ranked fourth, received 100 points. The fifth-ranked indication is commercial areas (65 marks). Open space and recreational areas are the indicator that came in sixth (64 marks). Industrial area ranks last among the indicators (58 marks).
Virtual clinical simulation to teach mental health concepts: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Timmermans Katherine E. , Cavanagh Frances C. , Chevalier Natalie , Luctkar-Flude Marian , Killam Laura A.
Published: March 2023

Objective:

The objective of this review is to determine the extent of the literature on the use of virtual clinical simulation to teach health professional students about mental health.

Introduction:

Graduates of health professional programs need to be prepared to provide safe and effective care for persons with a mental illness in every practice context. Clinical placements in specialty areas are difficult to obtain and cannot ensure students will have opportunities to practice specific skills. Virtual simulation is a flexible and innovative tool that can be used in pre-registration health care education to effectively develop cognitive, communication, and psychomotor skills. Given the recent focus on virtual simulation usage, the literature will be mapped to determine what evidence exists regarding virtual clinical simulation to teach mental health concepts.

Inclusion criteria:

We will include reports that focus on pre-registration health professional students and use virtual simulation to teach mental health concepts. Reports that focus on health care workers, graduate students, patient viewpoints, or other uses will be excluded.

Method:

Four databases will be searched including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Reports with a focus on mental health virtual clinical simulation for health professional students will be mapped. Independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts, then review the full texts of articles. Data from studies meeting the inclusion criteria will be presented in figures and tables, and described narratively.

Review registration number:

Open Science Framework https://osf.io/r8tqh
Barriers and enablers of utilization of low-vision rehabilitation services among people 50 years or older in East and Southeast Asia: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Saito Takashi , Imahashi Kumiko
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

This scoping review aims to explore and describe the barriers and enablers of low-vision rehabilitation service utilization among people 50 years or older in East and Southeast Asia.

Introduction:

Vision impairment is strongly associated with aging. East and Southeast Asia are experiencing a rapidly growing aging population and the associated eye-related health burdens. Despite the benefits of low-vision rehabilitation services, they are underutilized in these regions. Identifying the barriers and enablers of service utilization could be a crucial first step in making the services more accessible and, ultimately, easing the burden of this health issue.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will include published quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies and reviews that examine the barriers and/or enablers of low-vision rehabilitation service utilization among people aged 50 years or older living in East and Southeast Asia. Low-vision rehabilitation services are defined as any kind of intervention that aims to mitigate the impact of disability induced by eye-related health conditions.

Methods:

A literature search of 4 databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, Academic Search Ultimate, and Ichushi-Web), as well as a manual search of the reference lists of included articles, will be conducted to identify eligible articles. Two independent reviewers will assess the articles for inclusion. Data extraction will focus on general information of the study, demographic or descriptive information about the study population, the eye condition being studied, means of low-vision rehabilitation, and the barriers and/or enablers of service utilization. The information will be tabulated to depict the categories of barriers and enablers that influence access to services.

Review registration:

Open Science Framework https://osf.io/8y2wp
Un análisis socio-técnico de la infraestructura del "Programa Minha Casa, Minha Vida"
Authors: Dibbern Thais Aparecida , Dias Rafael de Brito , Serafim Milena Pavan
Published: March 2023

Este artículo examina la infraestructura del “Programa Minha Casa, Minha Vida” (PMCMV), un programa público de larga duración dedicado a brindar vivienda a familias brasileñas de bajos ingresos. El artículo utiliza conceptos e ideas extraídos del cuerpo de literatura STS (Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad). Metodológicamente, constituyéndose como un estudio exploratorio, este trabajo se desarrolló a partir de una revisión de la literatura sobre el caso de estudio propuesto. Como parte de los resultados, esta política representó, para muchos brasileños, la primera oportunidad de tener un hogar propio. Sin embargo, a pesar de mitigar, en cierta medida, el déficit habitacional existente, la infraestructura construida bajo el Programa está impregnada de imaginería sociotécnica, controversias en su formulación y riesgos inherentes a los emprendimientos y Unidades. La política se implementó con base en un modelo Top-Down, donde los únicos actores considerados en su formulación e implementación se refirieron a los grandes empresarios del sector de la construcción.
Desafios e alternativas da neutralização da subjetividade na cultura da modernidade
Authors: Fellipin Guilherme , De Almeida Marco Antônio
Published: March 2023

O artigo discute os processos de construção do conhecimento na sociedade contemporânea, considerando: 1- O desenvolvimento de perspectivas acerca do conhecimento na matriz cultural ocidental, apontando que a interpretação da realidade muda conforme as dinâmicas sociais, num processo reflexivo, ampliando as camadas de complexidade de compreensão do social; 2 Os desafios combinados da neutralização da subjetividade e da anulação da experiência, amplificados na era digital do século XXI, e o surgimento de formas sociais de construção de conhecimento mais reflexivas, que consideram novos sujeitos coletivos e os insumos proporcionados pelos debates em torno das questões decoloniais, ambientais e de gênero. O texto faz um breve apanhado do contexto histórico e do desenvolvimento da discussão teórica atual em torno do tema. Conclui-se, finalmente, pela importância da reflexão sobre mecanismos de construção do conhecimento que rompam com a hegemonia cultural da neutralização da experiência intersubjetiva, retomando-a como o próprio motor da Cultura.
Arrestin-dependent nuclear export of phosphodiesterase 4D promotes GPCR-induced nuclear cAMP signaling required for learning and memory
Authors: Martinez Joseph M. , Shen Ao , Xu Bing , Jovanovic Aleksandra , de Chabot Josephine , Zhang Jin , Xiang Yang K.
Published: March 2023

G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) promote the expression of immediate early genes required for learning and memory. Here, we showed that β
2
-adrenergic receptor (β
2
AR) stimulation induced the nuclear export of phosphodiesterase 4D5 (PDE4D5), an enzyme that degrades the second messenger cAMP, to enable memory consolidation. We demonstrated that the endocytosis of β
2
AR phosphorylated by GPCR kinases (GRKs) mediated arrestin3-dependent nuclear export of PDE4D5, which was critical for promoting nuclear cAMP signaling and gene expression in hippocampal neurons for memory consolidation. Inhibition of the arrestin3-PDE4D5 association prevented β
2
AR-induced nuclear cAMP signaling without affecting receptor endocytosis. Direct PDE4 inhibition rescued β
2
AR-induced nuclear cAMP signaling and ameliorated memory deficits in mice expressing a form of the β
2
AR that could not be phosphorylated by GRKs. These data reveal how β
2
AR phosphorylated by endosomal GRK promotes the nuclear export of PDE4D5, leading to nuclear cAMP signaling, changes in gene expression, and memory consolidation. This study also highlights the translocation of PDEs as a mechanism to promote cAMP signaling in specific subcellular locations downstream of GPCR activation.
Modeling Antibiotic Concentrations in the Vicinity of Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria at the Micron Scale
Authors: Subirats Jessica , Sharpe Hannah , Santoro Domenico , Topp Edward
Published: March 2023

It is generally assumed that a natural function of antibiotics is to provide their producers with a competitive advantage. If this were the case, sensitive organisms in proximity to producers would be exposed to inhibitory concentrations.
Monitoring Enteroviruses and SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater Using the Polio Environmental Surveillance System in Japan
Authors: Kitakawa Kazuhiro , Kitamura Kouichi , Yoshida Hiromu
Published: March 2023

Long-term efforts are required to implement surveillance programs for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and they will be required even in the postpandemic era. We adopted the existing polio environmental surveillance (ES) system for SARS-CoV-2 sewage monitoring in Japan as a practical and cost-effective approach.
Modification of Phosphorylation Sites in the Yeast Lysine Methyltransferase Set5 Exerts Influences on the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Hog1 under Prolonged Acetic Acid Stress
Authors: Ye Pei-Liang , Yuan Bing , Wang Xue-Qing , Zhang Ming-Ming , Zhao Xin-Qing
Published: March 2023

Hog1 is the yeast homolog of p38 MAPK in mammals that is conserved across eukaryotes, and it plays crucial roles in stress tolerance, fungal pathogenesis, and disease treatments. Here, we provide evidence that modification of Set5 phosphorylation sites regulates the expression and phosphorylation of Hog1, which expands current knowledge on upstream regulation of the Hog1 stress signaling network.
Impact of maternal hepatitis B carrier status on congenital abnormalities: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Shiyao , Wang Jing , Xiong Yiquan , Liu Chunrong , Qi Yana , Zou Kang , Tan Jing , Sun Xin
Published: March 2023

Objectives

This study aims to explore whether maternal hepatitis B carrier status is associated with an increased risk of congenital abnormalities.

Design

A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Data sources

PubMed, Embase (Ovid), Scopus, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Wanfang databases.

Study selection

Five databases were searched systematically from inception to 7 September 2021. Cohort and case–control studies that investigated the association between maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and congenital abnormalities were included. This study was conducted according to MOOSE (Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers independently collected data, as well as assessed risk of bias by using Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. We pooled crude relative risk (cRR) and adjusted OR (aOR) by DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. Heterogeneity was explored byI2statistics, Cochran’s Q test. Several subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results

In total, 14 studies involving 16 205 pregnant women exposed to HBV were included. The pooled cRR of 1.15 (95% CI: 0.92 to 1.45; 14 studies included) showed a marginal but not significant association between maternal HBV-carrier status and congenital abnormalities. However, the pooled aOR of 1.40 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.93; 8 studies included) indicated that pregnant women with HBV infection might be associated with a higher risk of congenital abnormalities. Subgroup analyses of adjusted data showed a higher pooling cRR or aOR on high prevalence HBV infection populations, as well as studies from Asia and Oceania.

Conclusions

Maternal hepatitis B carrier status might be at potential risk for congenital abnormalities. The existing evidence was not sufficient to draw a firm conclusion. Additional studies may be warranted to confirm the association.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020205459.
Effectiveness of a facilitation programme using a mobile application for initiating advance care planning discussions between patients with advanced cancer and healthcare providers: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (J-SUPPORT 2104)
Authors: Obama Kyoko , Fujimori Maiko , Okamura Masako , Kadowaki Midori , Ueno Taro , Boku Narikazu , Mori Masanori , Akechi Tatsuo , Yamaguchi Takuhiro , Oyamada Shunsuke , Okizaki Ayumi , Miyaji Tempei , Sakurai Naomi , Uchitomi Yosuke
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Timely implementation of the discussion process of advance care planning (ACP) is recommended. The communication attitude of healthcare providers is critical in ACP facilitation; thus, improving their communication attitudes may reduce patient distress and unnecessary aggressive treatment while enhancing care satisfaction. Digital mobile devices are being developed for behavioural interventions owing to their low space and time restrictions and ease of information sharing. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention programme using an application intended to facilitate patient questioning behaviour on improving communication related to ACP between patients with advanced cancer and healthcare providers.

Methods and analysis

This study uses a parallel-group, evaluator-blind, randomised controlled trial design. We plan to recruit 264 adult patients with incurable advanced cancer at the National Cancer Centre in Tokyo, Japan. Intervention group participants use a mobile application ACP programme and undergo a 30 min interview with a trained intervention provider for discussions with the oncologist at the next patient visit, while control group participants continue their usual treatment. The primary outcome is the oncologist’s communication behaviour score assessed using audiorecordings of the consultation. Secondary outcomes include communication between patients and oncologists and the patients’ distress, quality of life, care goals and preferences, and medical care utilisation. We will use a full analysis set including the registered participant population who receive at least a part of the intervention.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Japan Supportive, Palliative and Psychosocial Oncology Group (Registration No. 2104) and the Institutional Review Board of the National Cancer Centre Hospital (registration No. 2020-500). Written informed consent is obtained from the patients. The results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at scientific meetings.

Trial registration numbers

UMIN000045305,NCT05045040.
Systematic review of clinical debriefing tools: attributes and evidence for use
Authors: Phillips Emma Claire , Smith Samantha Eve , Tallentire Victoria , Blair Sheena
Published: March 2023

Background and objectives

Clinical debriefing (CD) following a clinical event has been found to confer benefits for staff and has potential to improve patient outcomes. Use of a structured tool to facilitate CD may provide a more standardised approach and help overcome barriers to CD; however, we presently know little about the tools available. This systematic review aimed to identify tools for CD in order to explore their attributes and evidence for use.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted in line with PRISMA standards. Five databases were searched. Data were extracted using an electronic form and analysed using critical qualitative synthesis. This was guided by two frameworks: the ‘5 Es’ (defining attributes of CD: educated/experienced facilitator, environment, education, evaluation and emotions) and the modified Kirkpatrick’s levels. Tool utility was determined by a scoring system based on these frameworks.

Results

Twenty-one studies were included in the systematic review. All the tools were designed for use in an acute care setting. Criteria for debriefing were related to major or adverse clinical events or on staff request. Most tools contained guidance on facilitator role, physical environment and made suggestions relating to psychological safety. All tools addressed points for education and evaluation, although few described a process for implementing change. Staff emotions were variably addressed. Many tools reported evidence for use; however, this was generally low-level, with only one tool demonstrating improved patient outcomes.

Conclusion

Recommendations for practice based on the findings are made. Future research should aim to further examine outcomes evidence of these tools in order to optimise the potential of CD tools for individuals, teams, healthcare systems and patients.
Pilot study of tocilizumab monotherapy for active chronic periaortitis
Authors: Wang Anqi , Peng Linyi , Zhou Jiaxin , Liu Zheng , Lu Hui , Peng Yu , Li Jieqiong , Fei Yunyun , Zhang Wen
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of TCZ (tocilizumab) monotherapy for chronic periaortitis (CP) patients at acute active stage.

Methods

Twelve patients with definite or possible diagnosis of CP were enrolled and received intravenous infusions of TCZ (8 mg/kg) every 4 weeks for at least 3 months. Clinical features, laboratory and imaging findings were recorded at baseline and during the follow-up. The primary endpoint was the rate of partial and complete remission after 3 months TCZ monotherapy and the secondary endpoint was the frequency of treatment related adverse events.

Results

Three patients (27.3%) achieved partial remission and seven patients (63.6%) obtained complete remission after 3 months TCZ treatment. The total remission rate achieved 90.9%. All patients reported improvement in clinical symptoms. Inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein decreased to normal levels after TCZ treatment. Nine patients (81.8%) showed remarkable shrinkage of perivascular mass greater than or equal to 50% on CT.

Conclusion

Our study showed that TCZ monotherapy contributed to remarkable clinical and laboratory improvement in CP patients and could be an alternative treatment option for CP.
A systematic review of markets for forest ecosystem services at an international level
Authors: Bruzzese Stefano , Blanc Simone , Paletto Alessandro , Brun Filippo
Published: March 2023

Markets for ecosystem services (MES) can play a key role in the protection of natural capital and the remuneration of sustainable management practices. This study aims to present the state of the art on forestry MES at the international level through a systematic review. The main objectives are (i) to analyse the distribution of actual or potential markets for forest ecosystem services (FES) that exist internationally today, (ii) to identify the spatial scale at which market-based instruments (MBIs) are applied and the respective measures of economic value used to assess FES, and (iii) to identify the actors and their involvement in the implementation of forestry MES. The study collected 304 peer-reviewed publications using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol was used to guide the systematic process and select the 52 articles analysed in the review. The results show that Europe is the most representative continent in terms of geographical areas involved ( n = 8) by forestry MES, followed by America ( n = 6), Asia ( n = 5), and Africa ( n = 1). The main scale of application of MBIs for forestry MES is local, i.e., at the level of forest stand, municipality, or province ( n = 31), followed by subnational ( n = 10), national ( n = 9), and international ( n = 2). The main pattern of social composition in forestry MES is buyers, sellers, and intermediaries ( n = 25), followed by buyers and sellers only ( n = 12), buyers, sellers, intermediaries, and knowledge providers ( n = 5), and buyers, sellers, and knowledge providers ( n = 3). In terms of the measure of economic value, most studies use willingness to accept ( n = 30), as opposed to willingness to pay ( n = 17), and only 5 studies used both. Future research on forestry MES should be directed towards a better understanding of the process leading to their creation, implementation, effectiveness, governance, and level of satisfaction in economic terms of the actors involved.
AMIR
Authors: Liu Shinan , Mangla Tarun , Shaowang Ted , Zhao Jinjin , Paparrizos John , Krishnan Sanjay , Feamster Nick
Published: March 2023

Activity recognition using video data is widely adopted for elder care, monitoring for safety and security, and home automation. Unfortunately, using video data as the basis for activity recognition can be brittle, since models trained on video are often not robust to certain environmental changes, such as camera angle and lighting changes. There has been a proliferation of network-connected devices in home environments. Interactions with these smart devices are associated with network activity, making network data a potential source for recognizing these device interactions. This paper advocates for the synthesis of video and network data for robust interaction recognition in connected environments. We consider machine learning-based approaches for activity recognition, where each labeled activity is associated with both a video capture and an accompanying network traffic trace. We develop a simple but effective framework AMIR (Active Multimodal Interaction Recognition)1 that trains independent models for video and network activity recognition respectively, and subsequently combines the predictions from these models using a meta-learning framework. Whether in lab or at home, this approach reduces the amount of "paired" demonstrations needed to perform accurate activity recognition, where both network and video data are collected simultaneously. Specifically, the method we have developed requires up to 70.83% fewer samples to achieve 85% F1 score than random data collection, and improves accuracy by 17.76% given the same number of samples.
LT-Fall
Authors: Zhang Duo , Zhang Xusheng , Li Shengjie , Xie Yaxiong , Li Yang , Wang Xuanzhi , Zhang Daqing
Published: March 2023

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries to elders in modern society, which has motivated researchers to propose various fall detection technologies. We observe that most of the existing fall detection solutions are diverging from the purpose of fall detection: timely alarming the family members, medical staff or first responders to save the life of the human with severe injury caused by fall. Instead, they focus on detecting the behavior of human falls, which does not necessarily mean a human is in real danger. The real critical situation is when a human cannot get up without assistance and is thus lying on the ground after the fall because of losing consciousness or becoming incapacitated due to severe injury. In this paper, we define a life-threatening fall as a behavior that involves a falling down followed by a long-lie of humans on the ground, and for the first time point out that a fall detection system should focus on detecting life-threatening falls instead of detecting any random falls. Accordingly, we design and implement LT-Fall, a mmWave-based life-threatening fall detection and alarming system. LT-Fall detects and reports both fall and fall-like behaviors in the first stage and then identifies life-threatening falls by continuously monitoring the human status after fall in the second stage. We propose a joint spatio-temporal localization technique to detect and locate the micro-motions of the human, which solves the challenge of mmWave's insufficient spatial resolution when the human is static, i.e., lying on the ground. Extensive evaluation on 15 volunteers demonstrates that compared to the state-of-the-art work (92% precision and 94% recall), LT-Fall achieves zero false alarms as well as a precision of 100% and a recall of 98.8%.
RoVaR
Authors: Dasari Mallesham , Sheshadri Ramanujan K. , Sundaresan Karthikeyan , Das Samir R.
Published: March 2023

The plethora of sensors in our commodity devices provides a rich substrate for sensor-fused tracking. Yet, today's solutions are unable to deliver robust and high tracking accuracies across multiple agents in practical, everyday environments - a feature central to the future of immersive and collaborative applications. This can be attributed to the limited scope of diversity leveraged by these fusion solutions, preventing them from catering to the multiple dimensions of accuracy, robustness (diverse environmental conditions) and scalability (multiple agents) simultaneously.

In this work, we take an important step towards this goal by introducing the notion of dual-layer diversity to the problem of sensor fusion in multi-agent tracking. We demonstrate that the fusion of complementary tracking modalities, - passive/relative (e.g. visual odometry) and active/absolute tracking (e.g.infrastructure-assisted RF localization) offer a key first layer of diversity that brings scalability while the second layer of diversity lies in the methodology of fusion, where we bring together the complementary strengths of algorithmic (for robustness) and data-driven (for accuracy) approaches. ROVAR is an embodiment of such a dual-layer diversity approach that intelligently attends to cross-modal information using algorithmic and data-driven techniques that jointly share the burden of accurately tracking multiple agents in the wild. Extensive evaluations reveal ROVAR'S multi-dimensional benefits in terms of tracking accuracy, scalability and robustness to enable practical multi-agent immersive applications in everyday environments.