bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
N-acetyl cysteine as a potential regulator of SARS-CoV-2-induced male reproductive disruptions
Authors: Sengupta Pallav , Dutta Sulagna
Published: June 2022

Background

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has shown its persistent pandemic strength. This viral infectivity, kinetics, and the mechanisms of its actions in human body are still not completely understood. In addition, the infectivity and COVID-19 severity reportedly differ with patient’s gender with men being more susceptible to the disease. Thus, different studies have also suggested the adverse impact of COVID-19 on male reproductive functions, mainly emphasizing on high expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the testes that allows the viral entry into the cells.

Main body

The N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent therapeutic agent of COVID-19, may be effective in reducing the impairing impacts of this disease on male reproductive functions. NAC acts as mucolytic agent by reducing sulfide bonds in the cross-linked glycoprotein matrix in mucus owing to its free sulfhydryl group. Since NAC also breaks the viral disulfide bonds required for the host cell invasion, it may help to prevent direct SARS-CoV-2 invasion into the testicular cells as well. NAC also acts as a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, directly scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and regulating the redox state by maintaining the thiol pool being a precursor of cysteine (an essential substrate for glutathione synthesis). Since it is suggested that male reproductive impairment in COVID-19 patient may be caused by secondary immune responses owing to systemic inflammation and OS, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of NAC explained above may attribute in protecting the male reproduction functions from these COVID-19-mediated damages.

Conclusion

This article explains the mechanisms how NAC treatment for COVID-19 may prevent the infection-mediated disruptions in male reproduction.
Relationship between core muscle strength and dynamic balance among hospital staff
Authors: Almutairi Nawaf , Alanazi Ahmad , Seyam Mohammed , Kashoo Faizan Zaffar , Alyahya Danah , Unnikrishnan Radhakrishnan
Published: June 2022

Background

Healthcare workers are at the risk of developing weakness in core muscles and balance disturbance due to stress at the workplace. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between core muscle strength measured with a plank test and dynamic balance assessed with the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (MSEBT) among hospital staff. A convenience sample of 27 healthy male employees at Rabigh General Hospital participated in the study; participants performed MSEBT and plank tests in the gym of the physical therapy department at the hospital.

Results

The mean age of the 27 participants was 32.19, standard deviation (SD) 4.16 years; mean height was 171.15, SD 6.39 cm; mean weight was 72.37, SD 11 kg; and body mass index was 24.73, SD 3.62 kg/m2. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a positive significant correlation between scores on the plank test with leg reach scores on MSEBT. The data showed a highest correlation between scores on plank test with dominant anterior leg reach scores on MSEBT (r = 0.446, p = 0.010), and lowest with non-dominant anterior leg reach scores on MSEBT (r = 0.335, p = 0.044).

Conclusion

Weak to moderate positive significant correlation between the plank test of isometric core muscle strength and both the right and dominant of the anterior, posteromedial, and composite score on the MSEBT of the lower limb and significantly with non-dominant anterior reach. There was no significant difference between the administrative and health practitioner on the plank test or MSEBT.
Iconic Intelligence (Or: In Praise of the Sublamental)
Authors: De Boever Arne
Published: June 2022

In this essay, De Boever focuses on a section titled “Idols of Unrepresentability” in the closing pages of Stathis Gourgouris's book The Perils of the One. Scrutinizing the two counterintuitive theses about iconoclasm's political theology and the artwork's desacralizing power of presentation that Gourgouris proposes there, De Boever expands on Gourgouris's examples to take on, in a productive tension with his thought, what De Boever calls “art's own political theology” and its related politics of “aesthetic exceptionalism.” Proposing a theory of unexceptional art, De Boever ultimately ties such a theory to the unexceptional politics of democratic anarchy that Gourgouris has developed elsewhere. In conclusion, De Boever considers the music Gourgouris has released as “Count G” within this aesthetico-political frame.
Minneapolis, Prince, and the Minneapolis Sound
Authors: Kay Roy
Published: June 2022

Prince was an artist who challenged many conventional notions of race, sexuality, and music. His music, characterized as the Minneapolis Sound, is a continuation and extension of America's indigenous music, the blues. This article is an explanation of the designation “Minneapolis Sound.” The first part establishes the Minneapolis milieu, specifically that of the black neighborhoods, and how it formed Prince and his cohort, such as James “Jimmy Jam” Harris Jr., Terry Lewis, André Cymone, Morris Day, and others. The second part is a close analysis of Prince's music and its sonic effects and how Prince engages and extends the blues idiom.
Three-Dimensional Modeling for Augmented and Virtual Reality–Based Posterior Fossa Approach Selection Training: Technical Overview of Novel Open-Source Materials
Authors: Carlstrom Lucas P. , Graffeo Christopher S. , Perry Avital , Nguyen Bachtri T. , Alexander Amy E. , Holroyd Michael J. , Peris-Celda Maria , Driscoll Colin L. W. , Link Michael J. , Morris Jonathan M.
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND:

Selection of skull base approaches is a critical skill for complex cranial surgery, which demands nuanced understanding of neuroanatomy and pathology.

OBJECTIVE:

To develop novel pedagogical resources for approach selection education and assessment.

METHODS:

A prospectively maintained skull base registry was screened for posterior fossa tumors amenable to 3-dimensional (3D) modeling of multiple operative approaches. Inclusion criteria were high-resolution preoperative and postoperative computed tomography and MRI studies (≤1 mm) and consensus that at least 3 posterior fossa craniotomies would provide feasible access. Cases were segmented using Mimics and modeled using 3-Matic. Clinical Vignettes, Approach Selection Questionnaire, and Clinical Application Questionnaire were compiled for implementation as a teaching/testing tool.

RESULTS:

Seven cases were selected, each representing a major posterior fossa approach group. 3D models were rendered using clinical imaging for the primary operative approach, as well as a combination of laboratory neuroanatomic data and extrapolation from comparable craniotomies to generate 2 alternative approaches in each patient. Modeling data for 3D figures were uploaded to an open-sourced database in a platform-neutral fashion (.x3d) for virtual/augmented reality and 3D printing applications. A semitransparent model of each approach without pathology and with key deep structures visualized was also modeled and included for comprehensive understanding.

CONCLUSION:

We report a novel series of open-source 3D models for skull base approach selection training, with supplemental resources. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such series designed for pedagogical purposes in skull base surgery or centered on open-source principles.
Intrathecal Fentanyl With a Myofascial Plane Block in Open Lumbar Surgeries: A Case Series
Authors: Metcalf Tyler , Sielatycki J. Alex , Koscielski Marissa , Schatzman Nathan , Devin Clinton J. , Goldstein Jeffrey A. , Hodges Scott Dean
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND:

Acute postoperative pain control after lumbar surgery is imperative to minimizing long-term narcotic use and associated adverse sequela. The safety of intrathecal morphine for postoperative pain management in spine surgery has been investigated; however, to date, no studies have investigated the safety of intrathecal fentanyl with a myofascial plane (MP) block in lumbar procedures.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the safety profile of intrathecal fentanyl with a MP block administered during lumbar surgery and the subsequent utilization of postoperative intravenous opioids.

METHODS:

An intraoperative intrathecal injection of fentanyl and a MP block was administered in 40 patients undergoing open lumbar reconstructive surgery. The procedure performed was an open decompression with lumbar total joint reconstruction at 1 to 3 lumbar levels. Postoperative complications including urinary retention, respiratory depression, and need for IV opioid use were recorded.

RESULTS:

Postoperatively, none of the study patients required IV opioid medication for supplemental pain control. Thirty-six patients (85%) were discharged same day or before 23 hours postoperatively. No intrathecal fentanyl-related perioperative complications were noted. None of the 40 listed patients experienced urinary retention or delayed respiratory depression. One patient (2%) experienced orthostatic hypotension at postoperative day 1, which resolved on discontinuation of oral oxycodone.

CONCLUSION:

Intrathecal fentanyl and MP block may be a safe option for perioperative pain control and may reduce the need for supplemental intravenous opioids without increased risk of respiratory depression, urinary retention, or other side effects. Further studies are necessary to compare the efficacy of intrathecal fentanyl with other analgesia techniques.
A Dynamically Responsive Chemosensor That Can be Modulated by an Effector: Amplification Sensing by Positive Heterotropic Allosterism
Authors: Suzuki Sho , Homma Amane , Nishi Reiya , Mizuno Hiroaki , Kawauchi Susumu , Fukuhara Gaku
Published: June 2022

Induced-fit chemosensors that can control their molecular recognition behavior using external stimuli such as temperature, light, pH, and chemical additives, have attracted much attention from several chemists. In this study, we report a bisporphyrin–bisthiourea–binaphthyl conjugated chemosensor that can be modulated using a chiral dianion. The optical properties of the chemosensor measured using fluorescence and UV/vis absorption spectroscopies, as well as fluorescence lifetime measurements, indicated that the unique conjugation enabled S2 fluorescence. The binding constants of the chemosensor for amino acids were amplified a thousand-fold compared to that of the reference compound due to positive heterotropic allosterism. The present study provides new perspectives for signal amplification of chemosensors by allosterism.
Leishmaniose visceral: aspectos epidemiológicos, espaciais e temporais no município de Sobral, nordeste do Brasil, 2007-2019
Authors: Cavalcante Francisco Roger Aguiar , Cavalcante Kellyn Kessiene De Sousa , Moreno Jarier De Oliveira , Flor Sandra Maria Carneiro , Alencar Carlos Henrique
Published: June 2022

Objetivos: descrever os aspectos epidemiológicos, espaciais e temporais da leishmaniose visceral humana, no município de Sobral, no período de 2007 a 2019. Métodos: foi realizado um estudo epidemiológico descritivo e ecológico de análise espacial e temporal, com uso dos programas Quantum-Gis e Joinpoint. Resultados: foram confirmados 316 casos novos, predominantemente, no sexo masculino, nas faixas etárias de 1 a 4 anos (26,3%) e de 20 a 39 anos (24,0%), na zona urbana. Febre (95,9%), fraqueza (85,1%), emagrecimento (80,1%), palidez (73,7%), esplenomegalia (75,6%) e hepatomegalia (69,3%) foram os sinais clínicos mais frequentes. A doença se concentrou em quatro bairros: Terrenos Novos, Centro, Expectativa e Sinhá Saboia, expressando áreas mais densas (quentes). A incidência e a letalidade foram crescentes no início do período e decrescentes no final, com uma inversão destes indicadores no ano de 2014. Conclusão: em Sobral, a leishmaniose visceral humana é um agravo considerado relevante para o serviço de vigilância em saúde com necessidade de intensificação das ações de controle entomológico, zoonótico e de manejo ambiental, principalmente nas áreas mais densas.
Age, growth and maturity of false scad Caranx rhonchus in the Central Aegean Sea (Teleostei: Carangidae)
Authors: Altay Burak , İlhan Dilek
Published: June 2022

This study investigates the age, growth and maturity of false scad (Caranx rhonchus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817) in the İzmir Bay, the Central Aegean Sea. The total length of 392 fish varied between 12.8-36.0 cm and their weights were measured as 23.51-455.44 g. Sex ratio was 1:0.8 (F:M). Sagittal otoliths were used for age determination. Fish were between I-V age groups in the bay. The length-weight relationships were calculated as W= 0.0145*L2.8911 for females; W= 0.0168*L2.8425 for males, and W= 0.0132*L2.9259 for all fish. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were found as L∞= 40.86 cm, K= 0.2181 years-1, to= -1.0584 years for females; L∞= 39.54 cm, K= 0.2156 years-1, to= -0.963 years for males; and L∞= 41.12 cm, K=0.2061 years-1, to= -1.0548 years for all fish, respectively. The growth performance index values (Φ) were 2.532 for females, 2.555 for males, and 2.542 for all fish. The length at first maturity was calculated as 18.53 cm for females, and 18.95 cm for males.
Invasive Coptodon (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in southwest Turkey: Species identification using sequence data
Authors: Sarıbaş Dilara , Kaymak Nehir , Yahyaoğlu Özgül , Çıplak Battal
Published: June 2022

Nonnative cichlids (Coptodon zillii) have established populations in the Köyceğiz and Koca Lakes, located on the west coasts of Mediterranean Turkey. Conflicting species names in these lakes have been reported for many years. We studied samples from current populations of Coptodon in these lakes and the Pecenek canal concerning existing GenBank data. We estimated the possible ancestral population using sequence data in the mitochondrial D-loop segment. Inter and intra-population morphological variations of Coptodon were examined using 25 morphological and six meristic characters. Haplotype analysis revealed three unique haplotypes in three populations of Coptodon, indicating poor genetic diversity. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian trees showed that these three haplotypes constitute a distinct subclade within the Coptodon zillii clade. This phylogenetic pattern indicates that populations of both lakes were founded by a single invasion of C. zillii and belong to a single species. Consistent with phylogenetic data, the populations of both lakes do not exhibit significant phenotypic divergence, though the Pecenek population is slightly divergent. Intra-population morphological variability may be due to phenotypic plasticity in response to habitat heterogeneity within the lakes.
Variation in burrow morphology of ghost crab Ocypode cursor (Linnaeus, 1758) under human influence
Authors: Gül Mustafa Remzi
Published: June 2022

Ghost crabs are common bioindicator species for human disturbance on sandy shores. Ghost crabs often alter their population dynamics under human disturbance. Ghost crabs, further, alter their burrowing behavior under human influence, however, these changes are not well known on the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, burrowing morphology of Ocypode cursor at two sites that differ in the degree of human disturbance was compared. Ghost crabs created smaller, steeper and simpler burrows at the site under higher human disturbance compared to the crabs living at the sites with lower human influence. Further, there was no difference in the ghost crab burrow depth and the frequency of existence of chambers between sites. Moreover, the results of this study revealed that larger crabs preferred higher parts of the beach at both sites, suggesting that this is a common behavior for the populations of O. cursor. Consequently, the results of this study emphasized that O. cursor alter their burrowing morphology and characteristics under human disturbance besides their population demographics; suggesting that studies that focus on the use of ghost crabs for human disturbance should include burrow morphology in their assessments.
"Mysteries" of Modern Physics and the Fundamental Constants c, h, and G
Authors: Stuckey W. Mark , McDevitt Timothy , Silberstein Michael
Published: June 2022

We review how the kinematic structures of special relativity and quantum mechanics both stem from the relativity principle, i.e., "no preferred reference frame" (NPRF). Essentially, NPRF applied to the measurement of the speed of light c gives the light postulate and leads to the geometry of Minkowski space, while NPRF applied to the measurement of Planck's constant h gives "average-only" projection and leads to the denumerable-dimensional Hilbert space of quantum mechanics. These kinematic structures contain the counterintuitive aspects ("mysteries") of time dilation, length contraction, and quantum entanglement. In this essay, we extend the application of NPRF to the gravitational constant G and show that it leads to the "mystery" of the contextuality of mass in general relativity. Thus, we see an underlying coherence and integrity in modern physics via its "mysteries" and the fundamental constants c, h, and G. It is well known that Minkowski and Einstein were greatly influenced by David Hilbert in their development of special relativity and general relativity, respectively, but relating those theories to quantum mechanics via its non-Boolean Hilbert space kinematics is perhaps surprising.Quanta 2022; 11: 5–14.
Oma und Opa gefragt?
Authors: Spieß C. Katharina , Ziege Elena , Gambaro Ludovica , Barschkett Mara
Published: June 2022

Die Publikation fasst die Ergebnisse eines zweijährigen Forschungsprojekts zusammen, das sich mit wichtigen Fragestellungen zu den Auswirkungen der Großelternbetreuung auf die kindliche Entwicklung beschäftigt.
Taming the Communication and Computation Complexity of Combinatorial Auctions: The FUEL Bid Language
Authors: Bichler Martin , Milgrom Paul , Schwarz Gregor
Published: June 2022

Combinatorial auctions have found widespread application for allocating multiple items in the presence of complex bidder preferences. The enumerative exclusive OR (XOR) bid language is the de facto standard bid language for spectrum auctions and other applications, despite the difficulties, in larger auctions, of enumerating all the relevant packages or solving the resulting NP-hard winner determination problem. We introduce the flexible use and efficient licensing (FUEL) bid language, which was proposed for radio spectrum auctions to ease both communications and computations compared with XOR-based auctions. We model the resulting allocation problem as an integer program, discuss computational complexity, and conduct an extensive set of computational experiments, showing that the winner determination problem of the FUEL bid language can be solved reliably for large realistic-sized problem instances in less than half an hour on average. In contrast, auctions with an XOR bid language quickly become intractable even for much smaller problem sizes. We compare a sealed-bid FUEL auction to a sealed-bid auction with an XOR bid language and to a simultaneous clock auction. The sealed-bid auction with an XOR bid language incurs significant welfare losses because of the missing bids problem and computational hardness, the simultaneous clock auction leads to a substantially lower efficiency than FUEL because of the exposure problem.

This paper was accepted by Axel Ockenfels, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Grant BI 1057-1/8]. P. Milgrom gratefully acknowledges support from the U.S. National Science Foundation [Grant SES-1947514]. M. Bichler and G. Schwarz was supported by the German Research Foundation [Grants BI 1057 I-9 and 277991500].

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4465 .
Use of metolazone in the community setting for heart failure decompensation: is it worthwhile?
Authors: Phuyal Urmila , Byrne Barbara
Published: June 2022

Background/Aims

There are more than 900 000 people living with heart failure in the UK. The risk of hospitalisation for heart failure is even higher in patients with underlying chronic kidney disease with diuretic resistance. Prescribers can be apprehensive about prescribing metolazone for use in the community setting because of a perceived risk of renal function deterioration and electrolyte imbalance. This study explores issues around the safety of metolazone use in the community setting, aiming to demonstrate whether this is useful for the prevention of hospitalisation.

Methods

Data were collected retrospectively on patients who had been newly initiated on metolazone by the authors' London-based specialist heart failure service to treat decompensation during the 3-year period from June 2017 to June 2020. The renal function, incidence of hypokalaemia and hospital admissions of included patients (n=23) were analysed.

Results

Overall, 65% of patients did not require hospitalisation following initiation of metolazone. Most patients did experience a decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate, with an average decline of 21%, although only one patient experienced a severe decline. Of the three patients who experienced hypokalaemia, all were treated with oral potassium and did not require hospitalisation.

Conclusions

Metolazone requires good support and follow up from heart failure nurses or other heart failure specialists, but can be safe and effective in the community setting. In patients with heart failure and diuretic resistance, the risks of avoiding metolazone may be higher than the risks of administering it.
Too shamed to tell: the impact of shame on illness disclosure in women living with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Murphy Rachel , Harris Belinda , Wakelin Katharine
Published: June 2022

Background:

Living with an invisible disease of the bowel, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can evoke the psychologically difficult emotion of shame, which can in turn impact illness disclosure decisions.

Aim:

This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the link between shame and illness disclosure decisions.

Findings:

All 16 female participants experienced psychologically difficult emotions, with shame being predominant. This shame originated in the social stigma surrounding the specific nature of an illness of the bowel. Additionally, participants expressed their complex relationship with illness disclosure, which highlighted the influencing factor of shame.

Methods:

This IPA study was conducted under a humanistic, feminist theoretical framework and from a social constructivist standpoint.

Conclusion:

The experience of shame by women with IBD heavily influences their illness disclosure choices. The question that now requires exploration is how shame impacts illness disclosure in healthcare settings.
Updated NICE guidelines on type 2 diabetes – what's new?
Authors: Morris David
Published: June 2022

David Morris explains the updated guidance on diabetes management for primary care nurses
Exploring a Relationship Between Stakeholder CSR and Corporate Image from a Developing Country
Authors:   Monywa University of Economics, Monywa, 02301, Myanmar, Aung Pyae Phyo , Win Naing Naing ,   Monywa University of Economics, Monywa, 02301, Myanmar
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACT This article focuses on stakeholder corporate social responsibility (CSR) to predict the corporate image (CI) of banking users in Myanmar. Each dimension of stakeholder CSR was applied from a consumer perspective. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data using convenience sampling. Five hundred and seventy-four valid responses were received from banking users and were analyzed using a structural equation model. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between CSR’s four dimensions: CSR targeted at social and non-social stakeholders, at customers, at employees, and at government and CI. CSR targeted at customers was most influential on CI, while CSR targeted at social and non-social stakeholders was the least influential. These results should be used by banks to effectively design and implement CI through application of the stakeholder CSR model. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, Corporate image, Stakeholder.
Blockchain Technology for a Safe and Transparent Covid-19 Vaccination
Authors: Rotbi Maha Filali , Motahhir Saad , Ghzizal Abdelaziz El
Published: June 2022

In late 2019, we witnessed the apparition of the covid-19 virus. The virus appeared first in Wuhan, and due to people travel was spread worldwide. Exponential spread as well as high mortality rates, the two characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that pushed the entire world into a global lock-down. Health and economic crisis, along with social distancing have put the globe in a highly challenging situation. Unprecedented pressure on the health care system exposed many loopholes not only in this industry but many other sectors, which resulted in a set of new challenges that researchers and scientists among others must face. In all these circumstances, we could attend, in a surprisingly short amount of time, the creation of multiple vaccine candidates. The vaccines were clinically tested and approved, which brought us to the phase of vaccination. Safety, security, transparency, and traceability are highly required in this context. As a contribution to assure an efficient vaccination campaign, in this paper we suggest a Blockchain-based system to manage the registration, storage, and distribution of the vaccines.
This manuscript has been presented as preprint in Blockchain technology for a Safe and Transparent Covid-19 Vaccination: https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.05428
Screening, isolation, and characterization of amylase-producing bacteria from Poring Hot Spring Sabah, Malaysia
Authors: FAZAL BAK ZAIBAH , BUDIMAN CAHYO , AMIN ZARINA , LING CLEMENTE MICHAEL WONG VUI
Published: June 2022

Abstract. Fazal BZ, Budiman C, Amin Z, Ling CMW. 2022. Screening, isolation, and characterization of amylase-producing bacteria from Poring Hot Spring Sabah, Malaysia. Biodiversitas 23: 2807-2815. Thermostable ?-amylases are being used in a wide range of industries, including food, textiles, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and fine chemicals. A good source of thermostable ?-amylases in thermophilic bacteria is found in high-temperature habitats like hot springs. Hence, this study aimed to screen, isolate, and characterize amylase-producing bacteria (APB) from the Poring hot spring in Sabah. Sediment and water samples were collected from the hot springs, serially diluted, plated onto the Luria Bertani agar medium containing starch, and incubated at 60°C for 48 hours. The amylase-producing bacterium was identified by the halo formation around the colony after the agar medium was stained with Lugol's solution. Nine colonies were found to be able to form halo zones, with a creamy colony (A7 strain) producing the highest amylolytic index (4.24). Further characterization of the A7 strain showed that the isolate was a Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium, with a positive reaction upon oxidase and catalase tests. The 16S rRNA sequence showed that the A7 strain had 99.81% similarity with the Anoxybacillus flavithermus, and therefore identified as A. flavithermus A7 strain. Further, the growth curve analysis indicated that the A7 strain grew well at 60°C. The 3, 5-dinitrosalicyclic acid (DNS) assay showed the crude enzyme secreted by the A7 strain exhibited optimum amylase activity at 60°C with 8.6 x 10-2 U/ml. This is the first APB obtained from hot springs in Sabah and promising for further studies and applications.
Mangrove species of Mantehage Island, Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: DJAMALUDDIN RIGNOLDA , DJABAR BRAMA
Published: June 2022

Abstract. Djamaluddin R, Djabar B. 2022. Mangrove species of Mantehage Island, Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 2845-2852. A study on mangrove species in Mantehage Island, Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, is important due to the large extent of mangrove forest, geographical position, and geomorphological characteristics of the island. Many mangrove species are expected to occur on this island. This study was conducted to explore the biological diversity of mangrove species and to evaluate the biogeography and conservation status of certain species occurring on this island. Extensive surveys were conducted throughout the island on the areas covered with mangroves, with a total of 58 locations surveyed using spot check and quadrat-transect methods, and species identification was based on morphological characteristics. Results showed that in Mantehage Island there were 20 species of true mangrove belonging to 13 genera and 11 families, including Acanthus ilicifolius L., Acrostichum spesiosum Willd., Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) Blanco, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh., Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk., Bruguiera parvilora Weight & Arnold ex Griffith, Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C.B. Rob, Excoecaria agallocha L., Heritiera littoralis Dryand, Nypa fruticans (Thunb.) Wurmb., Rhizophora apiculata Bl., Rhizophora mucronata Lamk., Rhizophora stylosa Griff., Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea Gaertn., Sonneratia alba J. Smith, Sonneratia ovata Blake., Xylocarpus granatum K?enig. Three rare species in the mangrove of Bunaken National Park, Camptostemon philippinense (Vidal) Becc., Bruguiera cylindrica (L.) Bl. and Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. were also recorded. The presence of C. philippinense could explain its distribution limit on the northern coast of North Sulawesi. Indication of putative hybrids in the genera of Rhizophora was found, but this needs further investigation. Two species of conservation concern, C. philippinense and S. ovata, are categorized as endangered and near-threatened species, respectively.
Profile of Multidrug Resistance and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on dairy cows and risk factors from farmer
Authors: KHAIRULLAH ASWIN RAFIF , SUDJARWO SRI AGUS , EFFENDI MUSTOFA HELMI , RAMANDINIANTO SANCAKA CASHYER , GELOLODO MARIA AEGA , WIDODO AGUS , RIWU KATTY HENDRIANA PRISCILIA , KURNIAWATI DYAH AYU , REHMAN SAIFUR
Published: June 2022

Abstract. Khairullah AR, Sudjarwo SA, Effendi MH, Ramandininto SC, Gelolodo MA, Widodo A, Riwu KHP, Kurniawati DA, Rehman S. 2022. Profile of Multidrug Resistance and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on dairy cows and risk factors from farmer. Biodiversitas 23: 2853-2858. Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccus that causes mastitis and is one of the most widespread pathogenic bacteria in dairy farming. These bacteria can quickly develop into antibiotic-resistant strains due to inappropriate antibiotic administration. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that have Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) properties can be known as Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) if these bacteria are resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. The high number of MDR and MRSA contamination in dairy farms as a result of excessive administration of antibiotics in the treatment of dairy cows and the spread of these bacteria cannot be separated from the sanitation management at the time of milking, it can be from milk that is milked from the udder and it can also be from the hands of farmers during the milking process. This study tests antibiotic resistance and detects Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains sourced from milk and hand swabs of farmers in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. A total of 109 dairy cow’s milk samples and 41 samples of farmers’ hand swabs were taken from each farm. Samples were cultured and purified using Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA). Staphylococcus aureus resistance profile was performed by disk diffusion test using antibiotic disks such as Oxacillin, Cefoxitin, Tetracycline, Erythromycin, and Gentamicin. Staphylococcus aureus isolates that were resistant to Oxacillin and Cefoxitin antibiotics were then tested for Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar Base (ORSAB) as a confirmation test for Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The results of the isolation and identification found 80 (53.33%) S. aureus isolates, then the results of the resistance test found 8 (10%) S. aureus isolates that were Multidrug-Resistant (MDR), and in the Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar Base (ORSAB) test there were 3 isolates of S. aureus MDR were ORSAB positive. It can be found that there are several S. aureus isolates that are Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) and Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in dairy farms. The S. aureus that is MDR and MRSA can be spread to the community and will endanger public health. Thus, prevention and control measures are needed to suppress the spread of S. aureus infection on a dairy farm in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia.
Un Panorama des Inégalités Liées à la Migration entre le Burkina Faso et la Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Tapsoba Tebkieta Alexandra , Meda Marc Mouoboum , Sangli Gabriel , Dabiré Bonayi Hubert
Published: June 2022

En se basant sur une analyse descriptive des résultats de l’enquête quantitative du projet MIDEQ (Migration pour le développement et l’égalité), le présent article a pour but d’identifier les inégalités en lien avec la migration Burkina Faso-Côte d’Ivoire. La mobilité entre les deux pays est historiquement marquée par celle des agriculteurs pauvres des zones rurales, vers la Côte d’Ivoire, où les conditions climatiques sont plus favorables. Que cette affirmation soit aujourd’hui valide ou non, on peut penser que les inégalités sont fortement liées à la migration. Les inégalités de revenus peuvent ainsi pousser les ménages les plus pauvres à engager un membre du ménage en migration en vue d’une amélioration de leurs conditions de vie. En retour, les retombées de la migration peuvent creuser l’écart entre les ménages migrants et ceux non migrants, grâce aux transferts de fonds par exemple. Ces inégalités de revenus, mais aussi celles liées à l’enfance et aux flux de ressources de la migration, constituent l’objet de la présente étude.
"Amar beton khub e kom"
Authors: Shah Heila , Bhuiyan Mohammad Rashed Alam
Published: June 2022

The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development explicitly links the goal of reducing inequality between and within countries to the encouragement of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration. Yet to date there has been little discussion on how migration processes, especially those which occur through commercialised recruitment intermediaries may, in fact, enhance rather than reduce socio-economic inequalities. In particular, existing research shows that migrant workers from the Global South, especially in Asia, are often recruited by intermediaries into low paid, temporary and precarious jobs such as domestic service and hospitality work, agriculture and construction, manufacturing and mining. Such workers are often recruited as cheap, flexible labour and denied access to the right to organise in trade unions. Moreover, intermediaries often charge migrants fees for recruitment which inhibit their ability to maximise their earnings and remit monies home. This article addresses one of the hitherto neglected yet most fundamental aspects of international migration: how commercialised recruitment intermediaries serve to reinforce racialised and gendered inequalities. The article draws on a content analysis of recent articles published in the media on Bangladeshi migrant workers, aiming to contribute to discussions of gender, race and inequality in international migration and domestic labour through the lens of intersectional analysis.
Migration, Memory and Longing in Haitian Songs
Authors: Cela Toni , Charles Kéthia , Dubuisson Pierre Rigaud , Fortin Olriche , Estinvil Dabouze , Marcelin Louis Herns
Published: June 2022

With over three million Haitians living abroad and the nation’s reliance on remittances and other forms of exchange for its survival, Haiti is shaped by an imagined transnational community found within and outside its geographic borders. In this article, we explore music as a prominent cultural form bound up in identity, examine the structural inequalities that have made migration the principal strategy for surviving social, political, and economic turmoil, and consider migration’s impact on transnational families. Through Haiti’s folk, konpa, and rap music genres, we explore how songs of migration evoke and suspend memory, express longing, and convey hope for (re)connection between migrants and those in Haiti. These songs exemplify cultural identity, authenticity, and innovation as they recount the perseverance, pain, and suffering of Haitians on both sides of the Caribbean Sea. This musical dialogue suggests solidarity but also signals antagonism between those living abroad and those who remain in the homeland. In examining this cultural form, we conclude that what is revealed in this music is what’s truly at stake in Haitian migration: more than the survival of families, it is also the hope for revival of a faltering nation.
Enhanced terahertz sensitivity for glucose detection with a hydrogel platform embedded with Au nanoparticles
Authors: Zhao Jingjing , Lu Shaohua , Bastos-Arrieta Julio , Palet Cristina , Sun Yiling , Wang Renheng , Qian Zhengfang , Fan Shuting
Published: June 2022

We presented a strategy for enhancing the sensitivity of terahertz glucose sensing with a hydrogel platform pre-embedded with Au nanoparticles. Physiological-level glucose solutions ranging from 0 to 0.8 mg/mL were measured and the extracted absorption coefficients can be clearly distinguished compared to traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy performed directly on aqueous solutions. Further, Isotherm models were applied to successfully describe the relationship between the absorption coefficient and the glucose concentration (R2 = 0.9977). Finally, the origin of the sensitivity enhancement was investigated and verified to be the pH change induced by the catalysis of Au nanoparticles to glucose oxidation.
Scintillation of partially coherent light in time-varying complex media
Authors: Garnier Josselin , Sølna Knut
Published: June 2022

We present a theory for wave scintillation in the situation of a
time-dependent partially coherent source and a time-dependent randomly
heterogeneous medium. Our objective is to understand how the
scintillation index of the measured intensity depends on the source
and medium parameters. We deduce from an asymptotic analysis of the
random wave equation a general form of the scintillation index, and we
evaluate this in various scaling regimes. The scintillation index is a
fundamental quantity that is used to analyze and optimize imaging and
communication schemes. Our results are useful to quantify the
scintillation index under realistic propagation scenarios and to
address such optimization challenges.
Design of photonic crystal fiber to excite surface plasmon resonance for highly sensitive magnetic field sensing
Authors: Wang Dongying , Yu Yang , Lu Zhechun , Yang Junbo , Yi Zao , Bian Qiang , Zhang Jianfa , Qin Shangpeng , Weng Junjie , Yao Siyu , Lu Yang , Hu Xiaoyang , Meng Zhou
Published: June 2022

To improve the sensing performance of optical fiber magnetic field sensor based on magneto-refractive effect, a D-shaped photonic crystal fiber-surface plasmon resonance (PCF-SPR) sensor based on magneto-refractive effect is proposed and its magnetic field sensing characteristics are investigated. The designed D-shaped PCF has a core-analyte-gold structure. Within the D-shaped PCF, the side polishing surface is coated with the gold film and the special hole is sandwiched between the core and the gold film. To realize the high magnetic field sensitivity for the fiber SPR magnetic field sensor, the special hole is filled with magnetic fluid (MF). In this paper, we analyze the mode transmission characteristics and magnetic field sensing characteristics of this fiber sensor by finite element method. We also obtain a general rule for the optimization of PCF-SPR sensors by analyzing the dispersion curves, the energy of the surface plasmon polariton mode and the core mode on the sensing performance of the designed fiber sensor. The maximum refractive index sensitivity and magnetic field sensitivity of the optimized fiber are 59714.3 nm/RIU and 21750 pm/mT (50-130 Oe), respectively. Compared with optical fiber magnetic field sensors based on magneto-refractive effect reported previously, the magnetic field sensitivity in this paper is nearly two orders of magnitude higher and it can initially achieve nT magnitude magnetic field resolution and testing capability. The proposed fiber sensor has the advantages of simple structure, easy production, high sensitivity, and strong environmental adaptability. It not only improves the sensing performance of optical fiber magnetic field sensors, but also provides an ideal alternative platform for biosensors like microfluidics because of its high refractive index sensitivity and the special structure.
Rigorous dynamic model of a silicon ring resonator with phase change material for a neuromorphic node
Authors: Lugnan Alessio , García-Cuevas Carrillo Santiago , Wright C. David , Bienstman Peter
Published: June 2022

The photonics platform has been considered increasingly promising for neuromorphic computing, due to its potential in providing low latency and energy efficient large-scale parallel connectivity. Phase change materials (PCMs) have been recently employed to introduce all-optical non-volatile memory in integrated photonic circuits, especially finding application as non-volatile weighting element in photonic artificial neural networks. Interestingly, these weighting elements can potentially be used as building blocks for large-scale networks that can autonomously adapt to their input, i.e. presenting the property of plasticity, similarly to the biological brain. In this work, we develop a computationally efficient dynamical model of a silicon ring resonator (RR) enhanced by a phase change material, namely Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). We do so starting from two existing dynamical models (of a silicon RR and of a GST thin film on a straight silicon waveguide), but extending the optical equations to properly account for the high absorption and asymmetry in the ring due to the phase change material. Our model accounts for silicon nonlinear effects due to free carriers and temperature, as well as for the phase change of GST, whose energy efficiency and optical contrast can be enhanced by the RR resonant behaviour. We also restructure the optical equations so that the model can be efficiently employed in a modular way within a commercial software for system-level photonics simulations. Moreover, exploiting the developed model, we explore several design parameters and show that both speed and energy efficiency of memory operations can be enhanced by factors from six to ten. Also, we show that the achievable optical contrast due to GST phase change can be increased by more than a factor ten by leveraging the resonant properties of the RR, at the expense of higher optical loss. Finally, by exploiting the nonlinear dynamics arising in silicon RR networks, we show that a strong contrast is achievable while preserving energy efficiency.
Massively distributed fiber strain sensing using Brillouin lasing
Authors: Murray Joseph B. , Cerjan Alexander , Redding Brandon
Published: June 2022

Brillouin based distributed fiber sensors present a unique set of characteristics amongst fiber sensing architectures. They are able to measure absolute strain and temperature over long distances, with high spatial resolution, and very large dynamic range in off-the-shelf fiber. However, Brillouin sensors traditionally provide only modest sensitivity due to the weak dependence of the Brillouin frequency on strain and the high signal to noise ratio required to identify the resonance’s peak frequency to within a small fraction of its linewidth. Recently, we introduced a technique which substantially improves the precision of Brillouin fiber sensors by exciting a series of lasing modes in a fiber loop cavity that experience Brillouin amplification at discrete locations in the fiber. The narrow-linewidth and high intensity of the lasing modes enabled ultra-low noise Brillouin sensors with large dynamic range. However, our initial demonstration was only modestly distributed: measuring strain at 40, non-contiguous positions along a 400 m fiber. In this work, we greatly extend this methodology to enable fully distributed sensing at 1000 contiguous locations along 3.5 km of fiber—an order of magnitude increase in sensor count and range. This highly-multiplexed Brillouin fiber laser sensor provides a strain noise as low as 34 nɛ/√Hz and we analyze the limiting factors in this approach.
Optical design of Lissajous pattern multipass cells with multiple spherical mirrors based on particle swarm optimization
Authors: Kong Rong , Liu Peng , Zhou Xin
Published: June 2022

We propose a method to intelligently design and optimize a multiple-spherical-mirror-based multipass cell (MPC) with Lissajous patterns. The MPC consists of at least three spherical mirrors, which are placed in a rotationally symmetric arrangement. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is performed to optimize the parameters of the MPC configurations and accelerate the design process. Two Lissajous patterned MPCs with three and five mirrors are built and tested experimentally. We further develop an open-path gas sensor based on a five-mirror-based MPC to detect methane concentrations in ambient laboratory air, and a detection precision of 1.1 ppb with a 123 s averaging time is realized. The PSO algorithm is efficient for optimizing the proposed MPC, which has superior proprieties of symmetry configuration, cost-effectiveness and high detection sensitivity and is well suited for trace gas sensing applications.
Generation of highly pure single-photon state at telecommunication wavelength
Authors: Kawasaki Akito , Takase Kan , Nomura Takefumi , Miki Sigehito , Terai Hirotaka , Yabuno Masahiro , China Fumihiro , Asavanant Warit , Endo Mamoru , Yoshikawa Jun-ichi , Furusawa Akira
Published: June 2022

Telecommunication wavelength with well-developed optical communication technologies and low losses in the waveguide are advantageous for quantum applications. However, an experimental generation of non-classical states called non-Gaussian states at the telecommunication wavelength is still underdeveloped. Here, we generate highly-pure-single-photon states, one of the most primitive non-Gaussian states, by using a heralding scheme with an optical parametric oscillator and a superconducting nano-strip photon detector. The Wigner negativity, the indicator of non-classicality, of the generated single photon state is -0.228 ± 0.004, corresponded to 85.1 ± 0.7% of single photon and the best record of the minimum value at all wavelengths. The quantum-optics-technology we establish can be easily applied to the generation of various types of quantum states, opening up the possibility of continuous-variable-quantum-information processing at the telecommunication wavelength.