General Terms Research Articles

Digital gender-based violence from the experience of actors in the delivery of justice

Gender-based violence is one of the problems that most afflict Mexican society, and the most affected are women; with globalization and increased access to technology for many people, it has crossed the boundaries of the physical environment to manifest itself in digital spaces. There is a lack of literature approaching this problem, justifying the relevance of this research. The general objective of this paper is to analyze the current context of gender-based digital violence from the experience of public servants who currently provide care to women victims of gender-based digital violence in Nuevo León, Mexico. To carry out this research, a qualitative design was used in which 15 interviews were conducted with people who currently work as public prosecutors in the state of Nuevo León. For the analysis of the information, we opted for a thematic analysis based on the proposal of Braun and Clarke (2006), and for the treatment of the data we used the qualitative software Maxqda. In general terms, it was detected that many of the cases are not reported and involve bureaucratic and administrative problems that limit and hinder attention and resolution.

Navigating energy diplomacy in times of recovery and conflict: A study of cross-border energy trade dynamics

Recent geopolitical crises have underlined the importance of understanding when and how energy interdependence affects international politics. While scholars have extensively debated the link between international politics and international trade in general terms, systematic analyses gauging how energy interdependence shapes interstate relations have recently begun to emerge. To facilitate research on this topic, this study asks whether energy relations between states shape their foreign policy decisions. Using the recently released Global Energy Relations Dataset and United Nations General Assembly Voting Data, our study shows strong support for the hypothesis that energy interdependence increases dyadic foreign policy affinity. Moreover, out of four primary energy resources (i.e. coal, oil, natural gas, and electricity), trade in oil appears to be a strong motivator for trading states' foreign policy preferences to converge.

Discatenated and lacunary recurrences

Recursive sequences with gaps have been studied previously. This paper considers some elementary properties of such sequences where the gaps have been created on a regular basis from sequence to sequence – ‘discatenated’ (systematic gaps) and ‘lacunary’ (general gaps). In particular, their generating functions are developed in order to open up their general terms and relations with other properties.

On the General Current Dependence of the Distributed Series Resistance of Solar Cells: The Influence of the Base Resistivity

The lumped series resistance Rs of a silicon solar cell isn’t constant but depends on the operating point of the solar cell. For describing the relevant current dependence analytically, only few theories exist that can easily be applied to experiments. These are: (i) the ad-hoc modelling by Araújo et al., modified by Breitenstein et al., and (ii) the LR-Rs approach by Wagner et al. Both have fundamental limitations: Whereas Araújo’s ad-hoc model is partly unphysical, the LR-Rs approach misses the influence of the base resistivity. Here, we discuss these shortcomings, and we show where to include the base resistivity in the LR-Rs approach. In addition, we discuss the current dependence of the lumped series resistance of a solar cell in general terms, thereby clarifying the underlying physical basics.

Radiation-induced cutaneous vasculopathy of the breast: a rare case report

BackgroundRadiation therapy is often indicated as part of the treatment for breast cancer and is therefore used frequently worldwide. Vasculopathy is a general term used to describe any condition that affects blood vessels. We present a case report of a patient who presented with vasculopathy as a rare late side effect of radiation therapy to the breast.Case presentationThis 66-year-old woman was initially treated with breast-conserving surgery for early-stage receptor-positive left breast carcinoma. She received postoperative radiation therapy and hormonal treatment with tamoxifen. She developed sudden spontaneous painless ecchymosis spread over the whole irradiated area 1.5 years after finishing her radiation therapy. Tumor relapse was excluded. There was no associated vasculitis. The cause was presumed to be multifactorial. She had a history of smoking and was known to have hyperlipidemia. She had undergone several surgical treatments at the left breast one year after her initial breast-conserving treatment and was taking tamoxifen. Anti-inflammatory medicine and treatments increasing local blood flow were prescribed. The ecchymosis resolved completely within one month.ConclusionsVasculopathy can occur as a rare late side effect of radiation therapy. It can be reversible. Prevention begins with carefully treating precipitating factors.

Exploratory study on the syntactic and semantic consistency of terms in project management glossaries to provide recommendations for a project management ontology

This paper shows an exploratory study of the syntactic and semantic similarities and discrepancies of the terms of four selected project management glossaries. The main purpose of this study is to provide recommendations on adoptions and adaptations of labels and/or definitions of project management glossary terms to be included in a new or existing project management ontology. As a result, a list of recommended terms for a project management ontology to be built is analyzed. The recommendation of terms will be limited to generic terms that can be located at the core level instead of the domain level in the context of an ontological architecture. In particular, the list of terms will be discussed in light of a previously developed project management ontology that will be updated in future work. Another goal of this work is to evaluate the level of syntactic and semantic consistency and harmonization that currently exists in these glossaries. As a result, it becomes apparent from this early research that many opportunities exist to improve these terminologies for greater consistency, harmonization, and standardization in the field.

Rolling bearing fault diagnosis based on multiple wavelet coefficient dimensionality reduction and improved residual network

In response to limitations in traditional intelligent fault diagnosis methods, such as accuracy, robustness, generality, and susceptibility to noise, this article proposes Multiple Wavelet Coefficient Dimensionality Reduction and Improved Residual Network (MWCDR-IResNet). This novel approach represents the first combination of multi-wavelet transform for extracting wavelet coefficients and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction. It incorporates a Residual Network enhanced by the Squeeze and Excitation (SE) module to focus on relevant channels and capture critical fault-related features, followed by fault classification. Validation is performed using rolling bearing datasets from Paderborn University(PBU) and Southeast University (SEU). Experimental results consistently demonstrate MWCDR-IResNet superior performance in terms of robustness, generality, and average accuracy when compared to existing methods.

Ultrasensitive Touch Sensor for Simultaneous Tactile and Slip Sensing.

Touch is a general term to describe mechanical stimuli. It is extremely difficult to develop touch sensors that can detect different modes of contact forces due to their low sensitivity and data decoupling. Simultaneously conducting tactile and slip sensing presents significant challenges for the design, structure, and performance of sensors. In this work, a highly sensitive sandwich-structured sensor is achieved by exploiting the porosity and compressive modulus of the sensor's functional layer materials. The sensor shows an ultra-high sensitivity of 1167 kPa-1 and a low-pressure detection limit of 1.34Pa due to its considerably low compression modulus of 23.8Pa. Due to this ultra-high sensitivity, coupled with spectral analysis, it allows for dual-mode detection of both tactile and slip sensations simultaneously. This novel fabrication strategy and signal analysis method provides a new direction for the development of tactile/slip sensors.

One Man, Two Guvnors: Revisiting the Principle Against Two Employers

Abstract This case note reviews the detail of, rationale for, and issues arising in relation to the longstanding principle that in general terms an employee cannot simultaneously have two employers in the context of its impact on the scope and application of labour law protections and its recent consideration by the Employment Appeal Tribunal in its Embery and United Taxis decisions. It is argued that this principle is ripe for reconsideration and restatement, not least in the light of the arguments in favour of the adoption of a joint employment model in order, where appropriate, to ensure the effective application of labour standards.

Study design of BI 1015550 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and progressive pulmonary fibrosis: a plain language summary

What is this summary about? Two ongoing clinical studies are part of a programme called FIBRONEER. The FIBRONEER studies are testing the drug BI 1015550 as a treatment for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and people with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). IPF is a severe lung disease where scar tissue builds up in the lungs. The ‘idiopathic’ part means that doctors do not know the cause of the lung scarring. PPF is a general term to describe the worsening of lung scarring in any disease where scar tissue forms in the lungs, both from known causes such as other underlying diseases and for unknown reasons. While IPF can be considered to be a typical form of worsening lung scarring, in clinical studies, IPF and PPF are usually considered separately. In both IPF and PPF, scar tissue builds up in the lungs, making them smaller and no longer able to take in oxygen well. This leads to difficulty in breathing and getting oxygen to the tissues, making it difficult to perform daily activities and reducing the patient's quality of life. The symptoms and outcomes of PPF are often similar to IPF. What study drug is being investigated? BI 1015550 is a new study drug being developed to reduce scarring in the lungs in IPF and PPF. In the FIBRONEER studies, some participants are taking BI 1015550 and others are taking placebo. The placebo looks identical to BI 1015550 but does not contain any medicine. Researchers will compare the study drug to placebo to find out how well the study drug works. Participants may also take another approved medicine to treat their lung scarring. The FIBRONEER studies are investigating the effects of BI 1015550 alone and in combination with any existing medicines the participants are taking. The goal is to see whether BI 1015550 can slow down or stop a decline in lung function in people with IPF and PPF, and how well it is tolerated.

Business intelligence in investment offices: case study

The main theme of this article is investment offices, a market that is growing exponentially in Brazil, and business intelligence, which consists of a set of technologies and practices that help companies to perform the collection, analysis and visualization of data in order to maximize efficiency in decision making. This article aims to analyze the effects of BI in investment offices through bibliographic research to build the theory and the case study for the collection of primary data for a better understanding of how processes occur in the company and how BI affects this process. As a result of this analysis, it was observed that, in fact, BI, as it was raised in the bibliographic research, is essential in investment offices, both for data collection, analysis and visualization to assist in decision making in a more assertive way, in relation to the investment office interviewed it was raised that BI is present in practically all processes and departments, however it was also observed that there are departments where the use of BI is not so present, This is a point to be evaluated by the investment office. In general terms, the company actually uses BI, having this resource as essential for decision-making, which in addition to corroborating the propositions made together with the theory, also evidences the professionalism of the investment office in relation to the theme of this study.

Analysis of the advertising segment with a focus on Product and Brand awareness

The main theme of this article is Product and Brand awareness, which consists of the degree of familiarization of consumers with a product or service and with the brand, that is, a measure of how the product/service and the brand are known and remembered and associated with certain attributes by the public. This article aims to analyze the connections and correlations between Digital Marketing, Relationship Marketing and Content Marketing and how, together with Product and Brand awareness, these are used by companies to increase the awareness of the product/service and the brand. As a method, the bibliographic research was used to build the theory and the case study was used to collect primary data for a better understanding of how Digital Marketing, Relationship Marketing and Content Marketing together with Product and Brand awareness affects the notoriety of the product/service and the brand. As a result of this analysis, it was observed that the company analyzed by the interviewee actually uses Marketing in conjunction with Product and Brand awareness to leverage notoriety, however it was observed that Marketing, Product and Brand awareness techniques and data processing could be better explored. In general terms, the company does use the techniques mentioned above, but does not use some techniques in depth, which corroborates most of the propositions made in conjunction with the theory and shows that there are clear points of improvement in the company studied by the interviewee.

OSSN: An underrated neoplasia of the eye

: Ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma (OSSN) is a general term for various conjunctival tumors, including conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).: To evaluate the clinico-demographic characteristics and histopathological findings of ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma. : eyes of 47 patients aged 21 to 80 years with conjunctival tumors were included in the study and underwent excisional biopsy and subsequent histopathological examination. : Statistically significant associations were found with age, symptom duration, and lesion size (p<0.05). Benign and preinvasive lesions are more common than invasive lesions.

Intelligent maneuver strategy for hypersonic vehicles in three-player pursuit-evasion games via deep reinforcement learning.

Aiming at the rapid development of anti-hypersonic collaborative interception technology, this paper designs an intelligent maneuver strategy of hypersonic vehicles (HV) based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to evade the collaborative interception by two interceptors. Under the meticulously designed collaborative interception strategy, the uncertainty and difficulty of evasion are significantly increased and the opportunity for maneuvers is further compressed. This paper, accordingly, selects the twin delayed deep deterministic gradient (TD3) strategy acting on the continuous action space and makes targeted improvements combining deep neural networks to grasp the maneuver strategy and achieve successful evasion. Focusing on the time-coordinated interception strategy of two interceptors, the three-player pursuit and evasion (PE) problem is modeled as the Markov decision process, and the double training strategy is proposed to juggle both interceptors. In reward functions of the training process, the energy saving factor is set to achieve the trade-off between miss distance and energy consumption. In addition, the regression neural network is introduced into the deep neural network of TD3 to enhance intelligent maneuver strategies' generalization. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to verify that the improved TD3 algorithm can effectively evade the collaborative interception of two interceptors under tough situations, and the improvements of the algorithm in terms of convergence speed, generalization, and energy-saving effect are verified.

Quality of life and depression in professors in the health area

Context: Quality of life, in general terms, can be considered as the perception of expectations and ways of thinking about their satisfaction with life. Due to the accumulation and variety of their functions, such as workload, environment and work demand, teachers are exposed to major psychosocial risks, which can trigger overload and make them susceptible to work stress, which can lead to mental exhaustion and consequently lead to the depression. Objective: To analyze the quality of life (QoL) and depression in health professors at a public university in the state of Sergipe. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 146 professors in the health area of the Federal University of Sergipe. Three data collection instruments were used, the Whoqol-Bref, the Beck Depression Inventory and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data collection took place from February to November 2015. Data were analyzed descriptively and analytically. Results: Of the 146 professors evaluated in the health area, 58.2% were female, with a mean age of 44.44 years. The majority worked in an exclusive dedication regime (52.05%), and were dissatisfied with the conditions (70.5%) and salary remuneration (78.8%). Most professors had a positive perception of their quality of life (84.9%) and were satisfied with their health (67.8%). The prevalence of professors with depression was 29.5%, most of which were mild. Conclusions: Professors, in the majority, were satisfied with QoL and health. However, the prevalence of depression was high and there was an association with QoL, dissatisfaction with work conditions and leisure activities. Greater attention to professors in the health area by university management is recommended, with a view to developing health promotion actions in the university environment.

Population dynamics and cultural niche construction during the Late Holocene in a mediterranean ecosystem (central Chile, 32°S−36°S)

Understanding socio-ecological systems over the long term can shed light on past adaptive strategies in environmentally sensitive regions. Central Chile is an emblematic case study for mediterranean ecosystems, where a progressive and sustained population increase began approximately 2000 years ago alongside significant landscape changes. In this work we analyzed regional paleo-demographic trends by compiling a new database of archaeological dates over the last 3000 years, and integrating population dynamics theory with an analysis of the spatio-temporal variation of regional cultural stages. Results show three moments of marked acceleration in population growth: just before agricultural adoption, during the Archaic Period (c. 700-300 BCE); during the second half of the ECP (500–900 CE); and during the Late Intermediate Period (1200–1400 CE). We also identified periods of deceleration in per capita growth rates, although population size continued to increase (300 BCE−500 CE, 900–1200 CE and after 1400 CE). These large shifts in the per capita growth rates coincide with major cultural changes associated with social and economic aspects. The pulses of major occupation show in general terms a more intensive use of the valleys as the population size increased, although the remaining ecosystems never ceased to be occupied with different economic and symbolic emphases.

UNSTABLE ANGINA, LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: Angina, or chest pain, is the most frequent symptom of ischemic heart disease, one of the primary origins of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unstable angina falls within a spectrum under the general term acute coronary syndrome, being the leading cause of death worldwide. Objective: to detail current information related to unstable angina, definition, etiology, epidemiology, anamnesis, physical examination, evaluation, treatment and prevention. Methodology: a total of 28 articles were analyzed in this review, including review and original articles, as well as clinical cases, of which 16 bibliographies were used because the other articles were not relevant to this study. The sources of information were PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane; the terms used to search for information in Spanish, Portuguese and English were: angina, precordial pain, cardiac management, unstable angina, cardiac emergencies, treatment. Results: Coronary artery disease is estimated to cause more than one third of deaths in individuals over 35 years of age. It is the leading cause of death in this age group. The incidence is more frequent in men; however, as individuals exceed 75 years of age, the incidence between men and women becomes more balanced. The average age of presentation is 62 years. The basis of treatment focuses on improving coronary artery perfusion. Conclusions: Unstable angina is characterized by an onset during rest, its diagnosis is clinical so it is of vital importance to know its clinical, epidemiological manifestations and its evaluation to reach a correct diagnosis, in order to guarantee a timely and adequate treatment. Since this condition continues to be a public health problem that affects a high percentage of the population on a daily basis, it is important to raise awareness of the problem and to try to prevent it by modifying lifestyle. KEY WORDS: angina, precordial pain, cardiology.

Generation Y in the Brazilian context

The topic of generations has gained prominence in the media and public debates in recent years. However, the characterization of each generational cohort remains controversial. Among these groups, Generation Z stands out, comprising individuals born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, in 2022 they already represented approximately 40% of the economically active population in Brazil. Nowadays, it is common to refer to this group of individuals using characteristics attributed to their North American generations, which can lead to misperceptions. Therefore, this study aims to characterize the Brazilian Gen Z through a bibliographic review of studies with different approaches to this generational cohort, what allowed the identification of both common and divergent points. The results suggest that the prevailing characterization of this generation depicts them as individuals who were pampered and became hedonistic. They are said to have grown up and been shaped by the peculiar circumstances of a globalized world undergoing rapid transformation based on communication technologies, such as the internet. In the Brazilian case, studies highlight that this generation, among other aspects, is composed of individuals who are highly adept at using the internet but dependent on it to build their identity and socialize. This results in a constant need to be connected and a propensity for excessive exposure, which can lead to addiction to social media, superficial relationships, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. Similar to previous generations, Brazilian Gen Z also seek financial stability and professional security. However, they believe that work is only a means to achieve their goals, not an end in itself. Therefore, they try to balance it with personal life aspects, also seeking a source of satisfaction and learning from it. Additionally, they tend to be less loyal to companies. They demonstrate skills for teamwork but have difficulties dealing with authority and hierarchy. Furthermore, they prefer organizations that are ethical and willing to invest in their development. Finally, in general terms, they are also individualistic, pragmatic, creative, and innovative, with a broader worldview and valuing aspects of collective consumption.

Adapting a self-efficacy scale to the task of teaching scientific reasoning: collecting evidence for its psychometric quality using Rasch measurement.

Besides teachers' professional knowledge, their self-efficacy is a crucial aspect in promoting students' scientific reasoning (SR). However, because no measurement instrument has yet been published that specifically refers to self-efficacy beliefs regarding the task of teaching SR, we adapted the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) accordingly, resulting in the Teaching Scientific Reasoning Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (TSR-EBI). While the conceptual framework of the TSR-EBI is comparable to that of the STEBI in general terms, it goes beyond it in terms of specificity, acknowledging the fact that teaching SR requires very specific knowledge and skills that are not necessarily needed to the same extent for promoting other competencies in science education. To evaluate the TSR-EBI's psychometric quality, we conducted two rounds of validation. Both samples (N1 = 114; N2 = 74) consisted of pre-service teachers enrolled in university master's programs in Germany. The collected data were analyzed by applying Rasch analysis and known-group comparisons. In the course of an analysis of the TSR-EBI's internal structure, we found a 3-category scale to be superior to a 5-category structure. The person and item reliability of the scale proved to be satisfactory. Furthermore, during the second round of validation, it became clear that the results previously found for the 3-category scale were generally replicable across a new (but comparable) sample, which clearly supports the TSR-EBI's psychometric quality. Moreover, in terms of test-criterion relationships, the scale was also able to discriminate between groups that are assumed to have different levels of self-efficacy regarding teaching SR. Nonetheless, some findings also suggest that the scale might benefit from having the selection of individual items reconsidered (despite acceptable item fit statistics). On balance, however, we believe that the TSR-EBI has the potential to provide valuable insights in future studies regarding factors that influence teachers' self-efficacy, such as their professional experiences, prior training, or perceived barriers to effective teaching.

Fever-like temperature impacts on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa interaction, physiology, and virulence both in vitro and in vivo

BackgroundStaphylococcus aureus (SA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) cause a wide variety of bacterial infections and coinfections, showing a complex interaction that involves the production of different metabolites and metabolic changes. Temperature is a key factor for bacterial survival and virulence and within the host, bacteria could be exposed to an increment in temperature during fever development. We analyzed the previously unexplored effect of fever-like temperatures (39 °C) on S. aureus USA300 and P. aeruginosa PAO1 microaerobic mono- and co-cultures compared with 37 °C, by using RNAseq and physiological assays including in vivo experiments.ResultsIn general terms both temperature and co-culturing had a strong impact on both PA and SA with the exception of the temperature response of monocultured PA. We studied metabolic and virulence changes in both species. Altered metabolic features at 39 °C included arginine biosynthesis and the periplasmic glucose oxidation in S. aureus and P. aeruginosa monocultures respectively. When PA co-cultures were exposed at 39 °C, they upregulated ethanol oxidation-related genes along with an increment in organic acid accumulation. Regarding virulence factors, monocultured SA showed an increase in the mRNA expression of the agr operon and hld, pmsα, and pmsβ genes at 39 °C. Supported by mRNA data, we performed physiological experiments and detected and increment in hemolysis, staphyloxantin production, and a decrease in biofilm formation at 39 °C. On the side of PA monocultures, we observed an increase in extracellular lipase and protease and biofilm formation at 39 °C along with a decrease in the motility in correlation with changes observed at mRNA abundance. Additionally, we assessed host–pathogen interaction both in vitro and in vivo. S. aureus monocultured at 39οC showed a decrease in cellular invasion and an increase in IL-8—but not in IL-6—production by A549 cell line. PA also decreased its cellular invasion when monocultured at 39 °C and did not induce any change in IL-8 or IL-6 production. PA strongly increased cellular invasion when co-cultured at 37 and 39 °C. Finally, we observed increased lethality in mice intranasally inoculated with S. aureus monocultures pre-incubated at 39 °C and even higher levels when inoculated with co-cultures. The bacterial burden for P. aeruginosa was higher in liver when the mice were infected with co-cultures previously incubated at 39 °C comparing with 37 °C.ConclusionsOur results highlight a relevant change in the virulence of bacterial opportunistic pathogens exposed to fever-like temperatures in presence of competitors, opening new questions related to bacteria-bacteria and host–pathogen interactions and coevolution.