bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interpretação ambiental e tecnologia móvel em Parques Nacionais: Um panorama das Unidades de Conservação Brasileiras
Authors: Baptista Leandro , Moreira Jasmine Cardozo
Published: December 2020

O interesse em conhecer espaços naturais e a busca por destinos distantes de centros urbanos são as principais motivações apontadas para o crescimento de viagens para Unidades de Conservação. No entanto, nem sempre as características do local são compreendidas pelo público, que utiliza de ferramentas para interpretar as singularidades que observa. Estas ferramentas estão relacionadas aos meios interpretativos, que agregam valor e experiência ao visitante. Desta maneira, este artigo objetiva compreender a realidade dos Parques Nacionais brasileiros em relação aos seus recursos disponíveis e identificar as demandas dos gestores em relação ao uso de aplicativos para este fim, obtendo 45 respostas de 72 possíveis. Para o cumprimento dos objetivos, foi aplicado o método dialético de investigação, utilizando-se de técnicas laboratoriais e de campo. Como resultados, verifica-se que há o predomínio de meios tradicionais de interpretação ambiental e a disponibilidade de novos recursos configura interesse de gestores, que apontam possibilidades para a implantação de estratégias que potencializam a interpretação e educação ambiental nestes locais.
Redes Colaborativas Interorganizacionais no Projeto ‘De Lixo A Bicho’ do Instituto Federal De Santa Catarina – Campus De Itajaí
Authors: Pereira Graciane Regina , Souza Rose Fernandes de
Published: December 2020

A educação ambiental tem um papel fundamental na construção de uma sociedade mais responsável, principalmente quando as organizações atuam em forma de redes colaborativas. O trabalho analisou as relações colaborativas entre os atores sociais que integram o projeto de extensão ‘De lixo a bicho’ realizado pelo Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina - Campus Itajaí. O trabalho é uma pesquisa aplicada, descritiva, de análise quanti-qualitativa, que utilizou como instrumento um questionário eletrônico. Os resultados mostraram que existe uma relação de colaboratividade entre os participantes da rede do projeto e que há contribuição nas práticas sustentáveis. Todavia, existe a necessidade de reforçar a identidade de rede, aproximando os participantes de todas as etapas do projeto, e realizar momentos formativos, visando o fortalecimento da rede.
O resistir e reexistir das populações tradicionais e extrativistas no Território Amazônico Amapaense
Authors: Silva Gomes Raimunda Kelly , Calado Janaina Freitas
Published: December 2020

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar o processo de descolonização do pensamento colonial empreendido em três territórios Amazônicos Amapaense. Para tanto, adotamos metodologias participativas, com os comunitários que integram as organizações sociais locais, com um total de 240 participantes. Os resultados demonstram que a concepção de pertencimento pelos ribeirinhos amazônicos, é para além do uso dos recursos naturais, mas, sobretudo das relações que são estabelecidas com o meio ambiente, e a certeza de que seus direitos sociais fazem parte da luta contra-hegemônica. Logo, precisamos ter um olhar atencioso para novas/velhas práticas, e um olhar de esperança para superar os desafios do reexistir, entendendo que a construção coletiva fortalece a luta por direitos das comunidades tradicionais amazônicas pelo uso sustentável de seus territórios.
Dimensão ambiental no curso de Agronomia: estudo de caso
Authors: Galarraga Vanessa Fabrica , Francisco da Paz Matheus , Corrêa Luciara Bilhalva
Published: December 2020

Este artigo é oriundo da análise do curso de Agronomia da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Faculdade de Agronomia Eliseu Maciel, que teve como objetivo investigar a dimensão ambiental dentro desta formação. A metodologia foi de natureza qualitativa descritiva, com dados obtidos pelo estudo de caso, análise de conteúdo documental, pesquisa bibliográfica e entrevistas pelo aplicativo WhatsApp aos acadêmicos formandos voluntários. Analisou-se o Projeto Pedagógico de Curso e as temáticas ambientais nos conteúdos e disciplinas do curso. Das 129 disciplinas ofertadas, as temáticas ambientais aparecem em 13 disciplinas obrigatórias e 8 optativas. Para os discentes formandos voluntários a dimensão ambiental ficou superficialmente fundamentada e deficiente. Pela percepção do conhecimento discente às questões ambientais, se supõe que esta instituição deva dispor oportunidades de atualização destas temáticas, para ampliação, aperfeiçoamento e especialização universitária.
Uso do óleo essencial derivado da Alpinia Zerumbet na espasticidade decorrente de lesão nervosa central – Uma revisão sistemática
Authors: Lencina Patrícia Caroline de Oliveira , Vilaverde Andriele Gonçalves , Meireles André Luís Ferreira
Published: December 2020

A espasticidade é um fenômeno que ocorrerá devido a lesão no neurônio motor superior, e pode ser definida como uma hiperexcitabilidade do reflexo de estiramento. Recentemente um óleo essencial derivado de uma planta conhecida como Alpinia Zerumbet, e comercializado como fitoterápico, vem sendo usado para modular a espasticidade causada por doenças neurológicas como o Acidente Vascular Encefálico (AVE) e Paralisia Cerebral (PC). O objetivo desse estudo foi sumarizar as evidências sobre os efeitos do óleo essencial derivado da Alpinia Zerumbet (OAZ) em pacientes com espasticidade. Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática. Artigos que envolvessem o uso do OAZ no tratamento da espasticidade em doenças neurológicas foram pesquisados nas seguintes bases de dados: Scielo, Lilacs, Pubmed, PEDro, EMBASE e Google Acadêmico. Estudos que investigassem a ação do OAZ sobre lesões nervosas periféricas ou condições não neurológicas, estudos de revisão e estudos pré-clínicos, foram excluídos desse estudo. A escala PEDro e a ferramenta Quality assessment tool for before-after (pre-post) studies with no control group foram utilizadas para avaliação metodológica dos estudos. Cinco estudos foram selecionados seguindo os critérios de inclusão. Desses, dois ensaios clínicos controlados randomizados, dois ensaios clínicos quase-experimentais e um era uma série de casos. As populações estudadas nesses artigos foram AVE, PC e lesão medular, e os principais desfechos avaliados foram espasticidade e função motora. A administração do OAZ associada a cinesioterapia foi capaz de diminuir a espasticidade muscular e melhorar função de pacientes neurológicos. Entretanto, devido a fragilidade metodológica encontrada nas atuais evidências, ainda não é possível atestar sua eficácia.
Ambiente e conceitos de computação em nuvem: implementação de um banco de dados para uso no segmento hospitalar
Authors: Martins Thiago , Souza Tulio Cezar Alves , Marques Marcio Alexandre , Do Nascimento Augusto Voltaire , Schor Paulo
Published: December 2020

Uma ferramenta foi desenvolvida utilizando um banco de dados em nuvem para auxiliar profissionais de saúde. Dessa forma, uma aplicação foi implementada para o uso hospitalar com a finalidade de colaborar nas atividades laborais de médicos, enfermeiros e todos os demais envolvidos no cotidiano de um estabelecimento da área da saúde, inclusive os pacientes. Escolheu-se o banco de dados da Oracle como base do desenvolvimento da ferramenta. A implementação do software permitiu a otimização da rotina de trabalho dos profissionais de saúde. Além disso, como a aplicação está baseada em nuvem pública, o seu uso e acesso são facilitados através de diferentes dispositivos como laptops, tablets e smartphones. Isso também permite ao hospital compartilhar o sistema com outros hospitais, clínicas e laboratórios parceiros sem grandes dificuldades, com o objetivo de unificar a base de informações e trabalhar de forma coordenada para obter melhores resultados.
Fatores socioeconômicos associados à expansão de casos da COVID-19 no Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Procópio Diego Pierotti
Published: December 2020

Objetivou-se verificar quais indicadores socioeconômicos possuem a capacidade de diferenciar os grupos de municípios sul-rio-grandenses entre os níveis de ocorrências de casos acumulados de COVID-19 acima da média estadual (superior a 628,30/100 mil hab) e abaixo da média. A metodologia utilizada foi a Análise Discriminante e as variáveis selecionadas foram a taxa de casos acumulados da COVID-19, taxa de pobreza, nível de informalidade, densidade de pessoas por dormitório no domicílio e o acesso aos serviços de abastecimento de água e coleta de esgoto. As bases de dados utilizadas foram o painel coronavírus RS da Secretária de Saúde do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e o Censo Demográfico de 2010 do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Dentre os principais resultados alcançados, verificou-se que a expansão de casos da COVID-19 nos municípios do Rio Grande do Sul está relacionada à renda, representada pelas variáveis de taxa de pobreza e nível de informalidade. Sendo assim, destacam-se a importância de políticas públicas de transferência de renda direta, como é o caso do auxílio emergencial, e de garantia da segurança alimentar e nutricional por meio de acesso a uma alimentação saudável para minimizar a expansão dos casos de COVID-19 nos municípios sul-rio-grandenses.
Fisiopatologia da COVID-19 e alvo farmacológico tromboimunológico
Authors: Hickmann Maria Fernanda Grossi , Vieira Alexandre Rafael Costa , Gallart Morra Rafaela Oliveira , Pereira Tayane Vasconcellos , Barroso Shana Prisicila Coutinho , Neto Miguel de Lemos , Alexandre Pedro Celso Braga
Published: December 2020

A pandemia da COVID 19 (coronavirus disease 2019) causada pelo coronavírus da síndrome respiratória aguda grave 2 (SARS-CoV-2) apresenta um desafio sem precedentes para identificação de drogas que possam prevenir e tratar a doença. Dado o rápido ritmo de descobertas científicas e dados clínicos gerados pelo grande número de pessoas rapidamente infectadas pelo novo vírus, os médicos precisam de evidências precisas sobre tratamentos médicos eficazes para essa infecção. A fisiopatologia é marcada por uma hiperinflamação responsiva à infecção viral, que é deflagrada pela “tempestade de citocinas”, associada a um estado de hipercoagulação. Heparina de baixo peso molecular e heparina não fracionada são drogas que podem apresentar efetividade no tratamento. A presente revisão tem por objetivo evidenciar os achados clínicos que demonstrem a eficácia da terapia com heparina no tratamento da COVID-19. Até o presente momento muitos fármacos são utilizados em terapia combinada e a rápida expansão de conhecimento sobre a virologia do SARS-CoV-2 gera um direcionamento mais apurado na terapêutica. A pandemia de COVID-19 representa uma enorme crise de saúde pública mundial, e a velocidade e volume de ensaios clínicos buscam investigar terapias potenciais contra a infecção elucidando a capacidade e a necessidade de produzir evidências de alta qualidade durante a pandemia.
#rioutópico, notas de um réquiem para a cidade maravilhosa
Authors: Melendi Maria Angélica
Published: December 2020

Em maio de 1926, Filippo Tomasso Marinetti inicia sua palestra no Teatro Lírico, do Rio de Janeiro, lembrando, deslumbrado, a visita que tinha feito à favela do Morro do Pinto. Uma memorável fotografia mostra o escritor cercado por sua comitiva, no cume do morro. No grupo estão Benedetta – esposa de Marinetti –, Assis Chateaubriand, futuro magnata das comunicações, e o jovem Rodrigo Melo Franco de Andrade – então diretor da Revista do Brasil –, que dirigiria o Serviço Nacional de Patrimônio Artístico e Histórico. Também há policiais, jornalistas e moradores. A visita foi relatada pelos jornais do nascente império de Chateaubriand.
Debates sobre as relações do poder local, língua e cultura jurídica em Moçambique:
Authors: Timbane Alexandre António , Vicente Jose Gil
Published: December 2020

Em Moçambique, o poder local tem enfrentado  influências dos partidos políticos, atitude que desvia as intenções da criação deste poder nas comunidades. Os conflitos decorrentes da legislação e das práticas tradicionais em Moçambique têm raízes do passado distante. A pesquisa pretende estudar e debater a relevância do poder local na harmonia social e na estabilidade política e democrática. A língua se liga à cultura se transformam num pilar preponderante para a preservação das tradições. Com este trabalho objetiva-se identificar as relações de poder entre o governo e as autoridades locais; analisar as relações de poder nos processos de negociação e resolução de conflitos; avaliar o lugar social que a cultura jurídica detém e seu papel no processo de governação e propor possíveis estratégias de relações de poder e cultura jurídica. É uma pesquisa bibliográfica, analisando fenômenos por meio de uma abordagem qualitativa com aporte do método etnográfico. Cita-se teóricos como Cistac (2012), Vicente (2015), Weimer (2012), Massuanganhe (2011) entre outros. Da pesquisa se conclui que a cultura jurídica moçambicana está presente nas comunidades rurais embora fosse importunada pelos partidos no poder. A língua local e a cultura participam na determinação das relações sociais o que torna o papel dos lideres comunitários como fundamental para a harmonia social. Concluiu-se que é necessário aprofundar as dimensões da descentralização remetendo-se a uma reflexão sobre a relação entre o objeto a descentralizar, os atores envolvidos, o espaço tempo e as várias agendas que entram em cena nos contextos políticos e sociais específicos.
Legal analysis of the management of harvest residues in South-West Europe
Authors: Cazorla González María José
Published: December 2020

The Waste Directive establishes the basic principles of waste management, but it does not regulate issues relating to crop residues that remain on the farm, which creates a legal vacuum at the level of European Union law. In this situation, Member States are obliged to respond to problems arising from certain types of production. The article presents the current situation in this area in south-western Europe, where, due to the seasonal nature of production, crop residues arise at certain times of year. As we know, the common agricultural policy promotes the sustainable development of agriculture in relation to production carried out on European territory, which is why, according to the author, it is necessary to introduce appropriate legal regulations. The proper use and management of these residues by farmers may contribute to the improvement of their income which is consistent with the principles of circular management as part of the valorisation of these harvest residues.
Delegating Optimal Monetary Policy Inertia in a Small-Open Economy
Authors: Ida Daisuke , Okano Mitsuhiro
Published: December 2020

This paper explores the delegation of several targeting regimes in a small open new Keynesian (NK) model and examines how central banks overcome stabilization bias in a small open NK model. Results indicate that both speed limit and real exchange rate targeting can carry the isomorphic properties of optimal monetary policy over to the closed economy. In addition, neither nominal income growth targeting nor CPI inflation targeting replicates a commitment policy. These findings provide new implications for optimal monetary policy in an open economy.
AVA – europäische und internationale Arthouse- und Festivalfilme
Authors: Fallert Sarah , Scheel Tilman
Published: December 2020

AVA (Audio Visual Access) ist ein europäischer Video-Streaming-Dienst für Bibliotheken, der eine kuratierte Auswahl an europäischen und internationalen Arthouse- und Festivalfilmen aller Genres und Filmtypen anbietet. AVA verfolgt einen modularen und flexiblen Ansatz, der es Bibliotheken ermöglicht, eine für die spezifischen Bedürfnisse der Einrichtung passende Streaming-Plattform zusammenzustellen.
Evaluation of a novel stair-climbing transportation aid for emergency medical services
Authors: Verjans Mark , Schleer Philipp , Kinzius Max , Krumholz Philipp , Phlippen Lovis , Drobinsky Sergey , Radermacher Klaus
Published: December 2020

Acute and planned transportations of patients are major tasks for emergency medical services (EMS) and often result in substantial physical strains with a major impact on the workers’ health, because current transportation aids cannot provide sufficient support, especially on stairs. A new stair-climbing and self-balancing approach (SEBARES) has been developed and its usability is evaluated in the context of this paper. Twelve participants operated a prototype in a transportation scenario and user forces, user joint angles and the perceived usability were evaluated. Results show that user forces were within long-term acceptable ergonomic limits for over 90% of the transportation time and a mainly healthy upright posture of the back could be maintained. This resulted in a healthy working posture for 85% of the time, according to the OWAS method, and a good perceived usability. A comparison to the most ergonomic aid according to literature, a caterpillar stair chair, reveals that similar upright postures are assumed, while the operation of SEBARES required only 47% of the forces to operate the caterpillar stair chair. A comparison to a previous field study indicates a reduction of strenuous working postures by a factor of three, which further confirms the ergonomic advantages of this concept.
Optimality and Complexity Analysis of a Branch-and-Bound Method in Solving Some Instances of the Subset Sum Problem
Authors: Kolpakov Roman , Posypkin Mikhail
Published: December 2020

In this paper we study the question of parallelization of a variant of Branch-and-Bound method for solving of the subset sum problem which is a special case of the Boolean knapsack problem. The following natural approach to the solution of this question is considered. At the first stage one of the processors (control processor) performs some number of algorithm steps of solving a given problem with generating some number of subproblems of the problem. In the second stage the generated subproblems are sent to other processors for solving (one subproblem per processor). Processors solve completely the received subproblems and return their solutions to the control processor which chooses the optimal solution of the initial problem from these solutions. For this approach we define formally a model of parallel computing (frontal parallelization scheme) and the notion of complexity of the frontal scheme. We study the asymptotic behavior of the complexity of the frontal scheme for two special cases of the subset sum problem.
Two symmetric and computationally efficient Gini correlations
Authors: Vanderford Courtney , Sang Yongli , Dang Xin
Published: December 2020

Standard Gini correlation plays an important role in measuring the dependence between random variables with heavy-tailed distributions. It is based on the covariance between one variable and the rank of the other. Hence for each pair of random variables, there are two Gini correlations and they are not equal in general, which brings a substantial difficulty in interpretation. Recently, Sang et al (2016) proposed a symmetric Gini correlation based on the joint spatial rank function with a computation cost of O(n
2) where n is the sample size. In this paper, we study two symmetric and computationally efficient Gini correlations with the computational complexity of O(n log n). The properties of the new symmetric Gini correlations are explored. The influence function approach is utilized to study the robustness and the asymptotic behavior of these correlations. The asymptotic relative efficiencies are considered to compare several popular correlations under symmetric distributions with different tail-heaviness as well as an asymmetric log-normal distribution. Simulation and real data application are conducted to demonstrate the desirable performance of the two new symmetric Gini correlations.
Teachers negotiating multilingualism in the EFL classroom
Authors: Pitkänen-Huhta Anne , Mäntylä Katja
Published: December 2020

This article sets out to explore English as foreign language (EFL) teachers’ views of teaching migrant pupils with multilingual backgrounds in a regular classroom. Previous studies on multilingual pupils have mostly concentrated on second language learning contexts or on the role of pupils’ L1. In an increasingly multilingual world and due to growing migration, this study concentrates on EFL. The data were interviews with English teachers (n=7), who reflected on their experiences with migrant pupils in the foreign language classroom. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The participants had not really pondered on the role of multilingualism in the EFL classroom and some underlying preconceptions could be detected. Teachers’ perception of the multilingual pupil was controversial in that they did not want to draw attention to the linguistic background of the pupil but, on the other hand, they had noticed that multilingual learners had greater language awareness than their mainstream peers. Although not fully aware of the potential of multilingualism and the pupils’ linguistic resources in EFL teaching, the teachers had used several ways of supporting their multilingual learners, reflecting the principles of translanguaging.
A hybrid reconfigurability structure for a novel 5G monopole antenna for future mobile communication
Authors: Shereen Muhammad Kamran , Khattak Muhammad Irfan , Al-Hasan Mua’th
Published: December 2020

A novel printed and compact profile monopole antenna with hybrid reconfigurability structure for switching the resonant frequency and direction of maximum radiations is proposed in this research work. A novel mathematical model for the architecture of Reconfigurable Patch Antenna (RPA), considering input impedance, bandwidth, antenna gain, antenna efficiency and resonant frequency is proposed. For the desired functionality, antenna is incorporated with three switches in such a way that Switch 1 and Switch 2 direct the radiation beam patterns towards different directions while Switch 3 controls the frequency reconfigurability. When Switch 3 is ON, the designed antenna operates at 26.4 GHz covering the 24.2–26.5 GHz band. When Switch 3 is OFF, it operates at 28 GHZ, covering the 27.4–29.8 GHz band. The antenna is proposed to operate at the 5G mobile communication band having a center frequency at 27.6 GHz with a reflection coefficient of −21.5 dB. A 3D design tool HFSS has been used for the simulation purposes.
Dihydroartemisinin ameliorates balloon injury-induced neointimal formation through suppressing autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Wang Xiaoyuan , Wu Junpeng , Zhang Haiyang , Sun Bei , Huang Renping
Published: December 2020

The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effects of injection of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) into the balloon-injured carotid arteries on balloon injury-induced neointimal formation and to explore whether autophagy is involved in the action of DHA. Percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats to induce neointimal formation, immediately after which DHA (100 μmol/l × 1 ml) and/or Rapamycin (1 mg/100 μl), were injected into the balloon-injured carotid arteries. After 14 days, the serum samples and carotid artery tissues were harvested for analysis. Rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were pretreated with DMSO (vehicle), DHA (1, 10, and 100 μmol/l), or 3-methyladenine (3-MA; 10 mM) for 1 h and then stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB; 10 ng/ml) for another 24 h. Animal experiments showed that DHA attenuated the balloon injury-induced neointimal formation, inflammation and VSMC phenotypic transition by inhibiting the balloon injury-induced autophagy activation. In vitro results showed that DHA attenuated the PDGF-BB-induced VSMC phenotypic transition, proliferation, and migration by inhibiting the PDGF-BB-induced autophagy activation. Taken together, DHA ameliorates balloon injury-induced neointimal formation through suppressing autophagy. This study provides insights into the development of a drug-eluting stent using DHA.
Study on the adsorption effect of diatomite on neosolaniol (NEO) in muskmelon fruits inoculated with Fusarium sulphureum
Authors: Zhang Rui , Xue Hua-Li , Li Lan , Bi Yang , Zong Yuan-Yuan , Carelle Jimdjio Kouasseu
Published: December 2020

Fusarium rot of muskmelon fruit is a common postharvest disease, which not only causes quantity deterioration but also leads to trichothecene accumulation in decay fruits. Neosolaniol (NEO) is one of main trichothecene, which poses a severe threat to human health. In this study, UPLC-MS/MS method was developed to determine NEO in muskmelon inoculated with Fusarium sulphureum. Diatomite was used to remove NEO in muskmelon and the adsorption kinetics, adsorption thermodynamics were analyzed in this adsorption process, and the changes of muskmelon juice quality before and after adsorption were investigated. The results showed that diatomite was a good adsorbent to remove NEO from muskmelon juice. The reaction process fits the Langmuir model and it was spontaneous exothermic reaction and not easy to be desorbed; the kinetic results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity was 12.35 μg/g, and this process fits the Pseudo-second-order model; diatomite had no significant effect on juice quality.
Nurse and midwife educators’ experiences of translating teaching methodology knowledge into practice in Rwanda
Authors: Ndayisenga Jean Pierre , Evans Marilyn K , Babenko-Mould Yolanda , Mukeshimana Madeleine
Published: December 2020

Objectives

The aim of this study was to explore how nurse and midwife educators applied the knowledge and skills acquired from attending acontinuous professional development (CPD) workshop on teaching methodologies into their teaching practices in Rwanda.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive design was used with a purposive sample of 15 nursing and midwifery faculty members from six private and public post-secondary schools in Rwanda. Participants were involved in semi-structured individual interviews. Inductive content analysis was used for generating themes.

Results

Five themes emerged describing the educators’ teaching experiences: (1) enhanced teaching practices competencies; (2) application of knowledge and skills gained into classroom and clinical teaching; (3) collaboration and teamwork; (4) facilitators and challenges faced to the application of the knowledge and skills into practice; and (5) indirect outcomes to maternal, newborn, and child health care.

Conclusion

CPD workshops about teaching methodologies for nurse and midwife educators offer a substantive means of improving the quality of nursing and midwifery undergraduate education in Rwanda. There is, however, an ongoing need to address existing barriers to applying knowledge and skills to the practice of teaching.
Hydrogen sulfide as a mediator of endothelium-dependent relaxation evoked by Moringa oleifera leaf extract in mesenteric arterial beds isolated from L-NAME hypertensive rats
Authors: Aekthammarat Direk , Tangsucharit Panot , Pannangpetch Patchareewan
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOE) is a potent inducer of endothelium-dependent relaxation of mesenteric resistance arteries of rats induced to be hypertensive using Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been shown to participate in endothelium-dependent relaxation of small resistance arteries. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether endothelial H2S-dependent signaling plays a role in the vasorelaxation in response to MOE.

Methods

Mesenteric arterial beds isolated from L-NAME hypertensive rats were set up in an ex vivo perfusion system for measurement of vasoreactivity. All experiments were performed in the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, L-NAME (100 µM) and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (10 µM) to prevent the formation of nitric oxide and prostanoids, respectively.

Results

In the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, L-NAME and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced by MOE (0.001–3 mg) was completely inhibited by DL-propargylglycine (100 µM), which inhibits the H2Sgenerating enzyme, cystathionine γ-lyase. This H2Sdependent response was reduced by the KATP channel blocker; glibenclamide (10 µM), the KCa channel blocker; tetraethylammonium (1 µM), and the myo-endothelial gap-junctional uncoupler; 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid (10 µM). In contrast, the muscarinic receptor antagonist, atropine (100 µM), did not affect the response to MOE.

Conclusions

The results may suggest that H2S is the likely mediator of endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to MOE in mesenteric arterial beds of L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats. MOE-induced H2S-dependent vasorelaxation involves activation of KATP and KCa channels and requires myo-endothelial gap-junctional communication.
Modeling of Irreversible Two-Stage Combined Thermal Brownian Refrigerators and Their Optimal Performance
Authors: Qi Congzheng , Ding Zemin , Chen Lingen , Ge Yanlin , Feng Huijun
Published: December 2020

This paper establishes a model of an irreversible two-stage combined thermal Brownian refrigerator with an intermediate heat reservoir by combining finite time thermodynamics with non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The model is composed of two irreversible thermal Brownian refrigerators working in series. The combined thermal Brownian refrigerator works among three constant temperature heat reservoirs. There exist finite rate heat transfer processes among heat reservoirs and refrigerators. Considering heat leakage, heat transfer losses, and heat flows via kinetic energy change of particles, expressions of cooling load and the coefficient of performance (COP) are derived. The effects of design parameters on system performance are studied. The optimal performance of the irreversible combined thermal Brownian refrigerator is studied. The cooling load and COP are higher when the temperature of the intermediate heat reservoir is close to that of the bottom heat reservoir. Compared with the single-stage thermal Brownian refrigerator, which works between the heat source and sink with the same temperatures, the cooling load of the combined thermal Brownian refrigerator is greater, whereas the COP is smaller.
Inborn errors of immunity and metabolic disorders: current understanding, diagnosis, and treatment approaches
Authors: Teke Kisa Pelin , Arslan Nur
Published: December 2020

Inborn errors of metabolism consist of a heterogeneous group of disorders with various organ systems manifestations, and some metabolic diseases also cause immunological disorders or dysregulation. In this review, metabolic diseases that affect the immunological system and particularly lead to primary immune deficiency will be reviewed. In a patient with frequent infections and immunodeficiency, the presence of symptoms such as growth retardation, abnormal facial appearance, heart, skeletal, lung deformities, skin findings, arthritis, motor developmental retardation, seizure, deafness, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, impairment of liver function tests, the presence of anemia, thrombocytopenia and eosinophilia in hematological examinations should suggest metabolic diseases for the underlying cause. In some patients, these phenotypic findings may appear before the immunodeficiency picture. Metabolic diseases leading to immunological disorders are likely to be rare but probably underdiagnosed. Therefore, the presence of recurrent infections or autoimmune findings in a patient with a suspected metabolic disease should suggest that immune deficiency may also accompany the picture, and diagnostic examinations in this regard should be deepened.
Factors associated with extubation failure in very low birth weight infants: a cohort study in the northeast Brazil
Authors: Teixeira Raphaela Farias , Costa Cinthia Maria , Maria de Abreu Catarina , Lessa Cicero Amsterdan , Carvalho Aline Carla , Kassar Samir Buainain , Barreto Ikaro Daniel , Gurgel Ricardo Queiroz , Medeiros Andrea Monteiro
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Identifying and understanding the main risk factors associated with extubation failure of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants in different populations can subsequently help in establishing better criteria while taking decision of extubation. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with extubation failure in VLBW infants.

Methods

A cohort study of VLBW infants who underwent their first extubation between April 2018 and December 2019 in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Alagoas, Brazil, were included in this study. Extubation failure was defined as reintubation within seven days of extubation. Relative risks of predictive variables different between the extubation success group (ES) and extubation failure group (EF) were estimated with a robust Poisson regression model.

Results

Out of the 112 infants included, 26 (23%) cases exhibited extubation failure. Extremely low birth weight (RR 2.55, 95% CI 1.07, 6.06), mechanical ventilation duration for first extubation greater than seven days (RR 2.66, 95% CI 1.10, 6.45), vaginal delivery (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.03, 4.18) and maternal chorioamnionitis (RR 4.89, 95% CI 1.26–18.98) remained independently associated with extubation failure. EF had a significant greater need for respiratory support, longer oxygen therapy duration, more bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and longer length of hospital stay, even when adjusted for confounding variables.

Conclusions

Extremely low birth weight infants needing mechanical ventilation, wherein the duration for first extubation was longer than seven days, with vaginal delivery and maternal chorioamnionitis failed more frequently at the first attempt of extubation. And this failure increased the risk of BPD and the length of hospital stay.
Understanding Multi-directional Democratic Decay: Lessons from the Rise of Bolsonaro in Brazil
Authors: Daly Tom Gerald
Published: December 2020

On 28 October 2018 the far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro won the presidential elections in Brazil with 55% of the vote. This result has been viewed by many as yet another instance of the global rise of authoritarian populist leaders, grouping Bolsonaro alongside the likes of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, India’s Narendra Modi, or Donald Trump in the USA – indeed, Bolsonaro has been dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics.” The focus on Bolsonaro himself reflects the strong emphasis on executives in a rapidly expanding literature suggesting the emergence of a new form of would-be autocrat who is democratically elected but who hollows out democratic rule over time. However, this Article argues that, far beyond Bolsonaro, the Brazilian experience is an important case-study as it prompts reflection on three fundamental propositions. First, any analysis of liberal democracy as the perceived object of attack must be highly cognizant of the democratic “starting point” and history of a given state. Second, an excessive focus on executive-led assaults on democratic rule can impede fuller analysis of a broader suite of actors and factors relevant to the (declining) health of the democratic system. Third, authoritarianism is a more appropriate analytical lens than populism for identifying potential democratic threats, especially in the Brazilian context.
A study of uniformities on the space of uniformly continuous mappings
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Hamarsheh Abdulkareem Saleh , Sarma Ratna Dev , George Reny
Published: December 2020

New families of uniformities are introduced on

UC(X,Y)

, the class of uniformly continuous mappings between X and Y, where

(X,{\mathcal{U}})

and

(Y,{\mathcal{V}})

are uniform spaces. Admissibility and splittingness are introduced and investigated for such uniformities. Net theory is developed to provide characterizations of admissibility and splittingness of these spaces. It is shown that the point-entourage uniform space is splitting while the entourage-entourage uniform space is admissible.
Efficient message transmission via twisted Edwards curves
Authors: Kirlar Bariş Bülent
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we suggest a novel public key scheme by incorporating the twisted Edwards model of elliptic curves. The security of the proposed encryption scheme depends on the hardness of solving elliptic curve version of discrete logarithm problem and Diffie-Hellman problem. It then ensures secure message transmission by having the property of one-wayness, indistinguishability under chosen-plaintext attack (IND-CPA) and indistinguishability under chosen-ciphertext attack (IND-CCA). Moreover, we introduce a variant of Nyberg-Rueppel digital signature algorithm with message recovery using the proposed encryption scheme and give some countermeasures to resist some wellknown forgery attacks.
From Augustine’s to Hegel’s theory of Trinity
Authors: Hösle Vittorio
Published: December 2020

The essay compares the two most original philosophical doctrines of the Trinity, namely the Augustinian and the Hegelian one. It focuses on their concepts of the philosophy of religion, their epistemologies of religion, their doctrines of the mind, and their conceptions of the immanent Trinity. It ends with a sketch of an alternative theory of Trinity that finds the best approach to the Trinity not in the individual mind but in intersubjective relations.
Farm size and its impact on land use: The case of the South African private wildlife industry
Authors: von Solms Woudi , van der Merwe Peet
Published: December 2020

This study briefly discusses the relatively young private wildlife industry of South Africa which surfaced in the late 1990s, early 2000s. The industry has unique conservation management models and land uses that include hunting, breeding and game sales and ecotourism and by-products as well as mixed farming practices that include stock and crop farming. The research found that breeding and game sales are the most productive land-use form. Since this research was conducted, the market for live game sales collapsed and the authors believe that other wildlife-related land uses, such as ecotourism and by-products, will gain popularity in the future to replace breeding which is now less favourable. Furthermore, it was also found that different farm sizes influence the land uses, and a combination of land uses was chosen to be incorporated on a private wildlife establishment. A qualitative research approach was followed, and 223 privately owned wildlife establishment owners and managers were interviewed at fourteen auctions across South Africa. This research also concludes that since most wildlife are found on private conservation land, this research is a must for the industry as it can guide private wildlife establishment owners and managers to manage their private wildlife establishments most productively. Since this research was conducted, the market for live game sales collapsed, and the results show that fewer wildlife establishments are now breeding with game. These game farmers or wildlife establishment owners are now looking for different options on their land. If they cannot find an alternative in the wildlife industry, they will divert to other farming activities such as cattle farming. This will lead to a decrease in land for wildlife, which can impact wildlife numbers in South Africa. The authors believe that land use such as ecotourism and by-products will gain popularity in the future to replace breeding. This research also shows where there are opportunities in the wildlife industry.
A review of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a large North East UK pleural centre
Authors: Murphy Declan C. , Mount Alexander , Starkie Fiona , Taylor Leah , Aujayeb Avinash
Published: December 2020

Objectives

The National Mesothelioma Audit 2020 showed Northumbria to have low rates of histopathological confirmation, treatment and one-year survival rates for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We hypothesized that an internal analysis over a 10-year period provides valuable insights into presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes.

Methods

A single-centre retrospective case series of all confirmed MPM patients between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019 was performed. Demographics, clinical, radiological and histopathological characteristics and outcomes were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V26.0.

Results

A total of 247 patients had MPM. About 86% were male, mean age 75.7 years. Dyspnoea (77.4%) and chest pain (38.5%) were commonest symptoms. 64.9 and 71.4% had pleural thickening and effusion, respectively. About 86.8% had at least one attempt to obtain a tissue biopsy, but histopathological confirmation in only 108 (43.7%). About 66.3% with PS 0 and 1 (62.7% of total cohort) had at least one anti-cancer therapy. Death within 12 months was associated with disease progression within 6 months (p≤0.001). Chemotherapy (p≤0.001) and epithelioid histological subtype (p=0.01) were protective.

Conclusions

This study confirms known epidemiology of MPM, demonstrates variability in practices and highlights how some NMA recommendations are not met. This provides the incentive for a regional mesothelioma multi-disciplinary meeting.
Ausgebeutet und vergiftet: Verletzung von Kinderrechten im Tabakanbau
Authors: von Eichborn Sonja
Published: December 2020

Dem internationalen Abkommen zur weltweiten Tabakkontrolle (WHO FCTC) wurden die Menschenrechte zu Grunde gelegt. Obwohl im WHO FCTC das Recht auf Gesundheit im Vordergrund steht, verweist das Abkommen auch auf die Produktion von Tabak. Dieser Artikel verschafft einen knappen Überblick, wie in der Lieferkette der Tabakindustrie Kinderrechte verletzt werden, und zeigt Wege zur Verwirklichung von Kinderrechten auf.
The Use of Statistical Methods for Determining Attribute Weights and the Influence of Attributes on Property Value
Authors: Gdakowicz Anna , Putek-Szeląg Ewa
Published: December 2020

Determining the impact of individual attributes on the value or price of real estate in business practice poses many problems. One of the solutions to this problem is the use of statistical methods. The article proposes correlation coefficients (and their partial modifications) that can be used to determine the impact of selected features on the value of real estate. In addition, several procedures were taken into account for the factors in further calculations, using different methods for determining weights. Empirical verification of the proposed solutions was based on the mass valuation of land properties. The obtained results were compared with valuations developed by property appraisers and valuation errors were calculated. Based on valuation errors, the proposed methods of calculation procedures were ranged, indicating those which provide results closest to the individual valuations carried out by property appraisers.
Patterns of Interrelationships between Inflation, R&D, Innovation, and Economic Growth: Evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries
Authors:   University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Economics, Radonjić Ljubivoje , Veselinović Nevena ,   University of Kragujevac, Institute of Information Technologies
Published: December 2020

The primary objective of the article is to examine the nexus between inflation, R&D, patents, and economic growth within a group of Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). The examination is conducted in two parts. First, the impact of total R&D expenditures on economic growth is observed, as well as the influence of growth on private and public R&D investments. Second, the conversion from private and public R&D investment to innovation, measured by the number of patents, is observed. Throughout the analysis, economic growth and inflation are representative of macroeconomic stability. The outcomes of the panel auto-regressive distributed lag estimation indicate that total R&D expenditures are essential and positively significant for economic growth in the observed countries. The results also show that output growth has a remarkably positive impact on generating private R&D expenditures. Such an influence is also found, but at a weaker level, in the case of public R&D expenditures. In this part of the analysis, inflation has demonstrated a harmful influence on R&D expenditures. The results of the second part indicate that public and private R&D expenditures, at a significant level, generate innovation activities, while the impact of inflation has proven to be unimportant.
A Re-examination of the Validity of the Life Cycle Hypothesis (LCH): Evidence from Emerging Europe
Authors:   International University of Sarajevo, Department of Economics and Management, Ganic Mehmed , Mamuti Agim ,   Mother Teresa University, Department of Applied Economics and Entrepreneurship
Published: December 2020

The study aims to empirically explore the dependence of savings behavior on demographic changes in the context of the life cycle hypothesis (LCH) in a sample of 18 European transition and post transition countries. The empirical methodology is based on a multifactor modeling approach. The research estimates heterogeneous panel data models by employing three different heterogeneous coefficient estimators: mean group (MG) estimator, common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG) estimator, and augmented mean group (AMG) estimator. The findings demonstrate that the LCH is confirmed in the case of European post-transition countries and rejected as inappropriate in European transition countries due to inconsistency of regression coefficients (age dependency, unemployment rate, urbanization, and health expenditure). The models and their findings presented in this study can be used in policymaking to predict dynamic interactions and variations among selected demographic variables in the determination of savings behavior.
ESTILO DE ENSEÑANZA, APOYO A LA AUTONOMÍA Y COMPETENCIAS EN ADOLESCENTES
Authors: Moreno-Murcia J.A. , Llorca-Cano M. , Huéscar E.
Published: December 2020

El objetivo del estudio consistió en comprobar el poder predictivo de los estilos de enseñanza docente sobre el apoyo a la autonomía y las competencias clave en estudiantes adolescentes en clases de educación física. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 475 estudiantes (M = 15.43, DT = 1.13) de ocho centros de una gran provincia española a los que se les midió la percepción de los estilos docentes, el apoyo a la autonomía y las competencias clave. Tras los análisis de regresión lineal por pasos, los estilos de enseñanza activos (individualizadores, participativos y socializadores, cognitivos y creativos) predijeron de forma significativa y positiva el apoyo a la autonomía y las competencias clave con una varianza explicada de 44% y 17%, respectivamente. Como conclusión general, el estudio muestra la relación entre los estilos de enseñanza docentes, el apoyo a la autonomía y el desarrollo de las competencias clave.
Pensamiento crítico en ESO y Bachillerato: perspectiva de docentes y estudiantes de un IES en una provincia del norte de España
Authors: Agudo Saiz Diego , Salcines Talledo Irina , González Fernández Natalia
Published: December 2020

En los últimos años, se ha prestado un interés significativo a la promoción del pensamiento crítico de los estudiantes de ESO y Bachillerato en España. Sin embargo, la atención se ha centrado en contrastar la validez de propuestas didácticas diseñadas a tal efecto, dejando de lado el análisis de las perspectivas de los protagonis-tas del proceso educativo: los estudiantes y el profesorado. Mediante metodología mixta, esta investigación presenta un estudio de caso en el que se analiza el punto de vista de los docentes y discentes de un Instituto de Educación Secundaria de una provincia del norte de España en relación al desarrollo del pensamiento crítico del alumnado en las etapas mencionadas. Participaron en el estudio 25 docentes y 43 estudiantes, utilizándose cuestionarios elaborados ad hoc como instrumentos de recogida de información. Tanto docentes como estu-diantes señalan el pensamiento crítico como un aspecto clave a desarrollar en ESO y Bachillerato, y perciben la utilidad de las actividades para fomentar el pensamiento crítico del alumnado, estando también de acuerdo en que su promoción se traduce en la obtención de mejores calificaciones. Ambos colectivos detectan carencias en la promoción del pensamiento crítico del alumnado, identificándose los principales puntos débiles en la conceptualización del pensamiento crítico y su evaluación.