bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multipolar silicon-based resonant meta-surface for electro-optical modulation and sensing
Authors: Liu Zhengqi , Tan Wenyong , Fu Guolan , Liu Xiaoshan , Liu Guiqiang , Chen Jing , Tang Chaojun
Published: May 2023

A multipolar silicon-based resonant meta-surface scheme is proposed and numerically presented via intercalating oblique slits into the silicon patches, leading to an ultra-sharp resonant spectrum via the excitation of electric and magnetic quadrupoles and their hybridization coupling. High-performance electro-optical modulator is demonstrated, showing a spectrally shifted modulation sensitivity up to 1.546 nm/V. Moreover, novel, to the best of our knowledge, optical sensing for ion solution concentration with the detection limitation down to 5.15 × 10−3 is demonstrated as another application. These findings provide an impressive strategy for resonant silicon-based nano-photonics and opto-electronic devices.
Compact highly sensitive Fabry–Perot temperature and gas pressure sensing probe fabricated by a femtosecond laser and PDMS
Authors: Zhu Xiping , Jiang Chao , Huang Huiling , Cao Tingshui , Sun Simei
Published: May 2023

A high sensitivity optical fiber temperature and gas pressure sensor with integrated micro-cavity is proposed. First, a single-mode optical fiber (SMF) is spliced with a section of capillary, and then the sensitive material polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is filled into the capillary to form a Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI). Finally, a femtosecond laser is used to ablate the fiber core of the SMF to form the third reflecting surface, constituting two cascaded FPIs. When two FPIs have a similar free spectral range, a Vernier effect is produced. The temperature and gas pressure sensitivity of the sensor reached 14.41 nm/°C and 113.82 nm/MPa, respectively, after using the sensitive material and Vernier effect double sensitization technology. In addition, a fiber Bragg grating is cascaded with the sensor, which can realize the simultaneous measurement of temperature and gas pressure and eliminate cross-sensitivity.
Toward a see-through camera via AR lightguide
Authors: Ma Yuchen , Gao Yunhui , Wu Jiachen , Cao Liangcai
Published: May 2023

As the foundation of virtual content generation, cameras are crucial for augmented reality (AR) applications, yet their integration with transparent displays has remained a challenge. Prior efforts to develop see-through cameras have struggled to achieve high resolution and seamless integration with AR displays. In this work, we present LightguideCam, a compact and flexible see-through camera based on an AR lightguide. To address the overlapping artifacts in measurement, we present a compressive sensing algorithm based on an equivalent imaging model that minimizes computational consumption and calibration complexity. We validate our design using a commercial AR lightguide and demonstrate a field of view of 23.1° and an angular resolution of 0.1° in the prototype. Our LightguideCam has great potential as a plug-and-play extensional imaging component in AR head-mounted displays, with promising applications for eye-gaze tracking, eye-position perspective photography, and improved human–computer interaction devices, such as full-screen mobile phones.
Light strands: exploring flat-field modes in optofluidic fibers for tracking single nano-objects
Authors: Gui Fengji , Jiang Shiqi , Wieduwilt Torsten , Scheibinger Ramona , Hofmann Johannes , Foerster Ronny , Schmidt Markus A.
Published: May 2023

Structured light has enabled access to new physics and applications, and has particular potential in nanoscience. Here, we present a concept for creating light fields with constant intensity along all three spatial directions—a light strand—within externally accessible liquid-filled nanochannels integrated into optical fiber cores. We demonstrate all relevant properties of this mode, as well as a universally valid condition for obtaining flat fields and experimental evidence from nanoparticle tracking experiments. This concept can be adapted to other waveguides and could be valuable for characterizing rapidly diffusing nanoparticles in life science, analyzing nanoscale chemical reactions, investigating nanorheological phenomena, and understanding fundamental light–matter interactions.
Generative models of birdsong learning link circadian fluctuations in song variability to changes in performance
Authors: Brudner Samuel , Pearson John , Mooney Richard
Published: May 2023

Learning skilled behaviors requires intensive practice over days, months, or years. Behavioral hallmarks of practice include exploratory variation and long-term improvements, both of which can be impacted by circadian processes. During weeks of vocal practice, the juvenile male zebra finch transforms highly variable and simple song into a stable and precise copy of an adult tutor’s complex song. Song variability and performance in juvenile finches also exhibit circadian structure that could influence this long-term learning process. In fact, one influential study reported juvenile song regresses towards immature performance overnight, while another suggested a more complex pattern of overnight change. However, neither of these studies thoroughly examined how circadian patterns of variability may structure the production of more or less mature songs. Here we relate the circadian dynamics of song maturation to circadian patterns of song variation, leveraging a combination of data-driven approaches. In particular we analyze juvenile singing in learned feature space that supports both data-driven measures of song maturity and generative developmental models of song production. These models reveal that circadian fluctuations in variability lead to especially regressive morning variants even without overall overnight regression, and highlight the utility of data-driven generative models for untangling these contributions.
West Nile virus eco-epidemiology and climate change
Authors: Heidecke Julian , Lavarello Schettini Andrea , Rocklöv Joacim
Published: May 2023

West Nile virus (WNV) is an arbovirus with a wide geographical distribution. It is maintained in an enzootic bird-mosquito cycle and exhibits regular zoonotic transmission to humans, to whom it can cause West Nile fever and neuroinvasive disease. Over the last decades, WNV has emerged as a serious health threat with profound impacts on animal and human health. It is broadly accepted that climate change impacts the transmission of WNV through multiple pathways via its impacts on vectors, the pathogen, hosts, and the environment. Although some clarity has been established, the outcomes of these climate-driven processes are yet to be better understood before they can fully benefit tailored prevention and control measures. This review focuses on the eco-epidemiology of WNV and how it is impacted by climate change through an integrative lens. We discuss the role of eco-epidemiological modeling in knowledge generation and highlight the importance of adopting an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary One Health approach for improved surveillance, data collection, modeling, and translation of outcomes into actionable policy and control.
Changes in digital healthcare search behavior during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: A study of six English-speaking countries
Authors: van Kessel Robin , Kyriopoulos Ilias , Mastylak Alicja , Mossialos Elias
Published: May 2023

Public interest is an important component influencing the likelihood of successfully implementing digital healthcare. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to assess how public interest in digital health changed in response to disruptions in traditional health services. In this study, we used a difference-in-differences approach to determine how digital healthcare search behavior shifted during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period in 2019 across six English-speaking countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. In most cases, we observed that the official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020 was associated with a significant overall increase in the volume of digital healthcare searches. We also found notable heterogeneity between countries in terms of the keywords that were used to search for digital healthcare, which could be explained by linguistic differences across countries or the different national digital health landscapes. Since online searches could be an initial step in the pathway to accessing health services, future studies should investigate under what circumstances increased public interest translates into demand for and utilization of digital healthcare.
A game-theoretic analysis of Wikipedia’s peer production: The interplay between community’s governance and contributors’ interactions
Authors: Anand Santhanakrishnan , Arazy Ofer , Mandayam Narayan , Nov Oded
Published: May 2023

Peer production, such as the collaborative authoring of Wikipedia articles, involves both cooperation and competition between contributors. Cooperatively, Wikipedia’s contributors attempt to create high-quality articles, and at the same time, they compete to align Wikipedia articles with their personal perspectives and “take ownership” of the article. This process is governed collectively by the community, which works to ensure the neutrality of the content. We study the interplay between individuals’ cooperation and competition, considering the community’s endeavor to ensure a neutral point of view (NPOV) on articles. We develop a two-level game-theoretic model: the first level models the interactions between individual contributors who seek both cooperative and competitive goals and the second level models governance of co-production as a Stackelberg (leader-follower) game between contributors and the communal neutrality-enforcing mechanisms. We present our model’s predictions regarding the relationship between contributors’ personal benefits of content ownership and their characteristics, namely their cooperative/competitive orientation and their activity profile (whethercreatorsorcuratorsof content). We validate the model’s prediction through an empirical analysis, by studying the interactions of 219,811 distinct contributors that co-produced 864 Wikipedia articles over a decade. The analysis and empirical results suggest that the factor that determines who ends up owning content is the ratio between one’s cooperative/competitive orientation (estimated based on whether a core or peripheral community member) and the contributor’s creator/curator activity profile (proxied through average edit size per sentence). Namely, under the governance mechanisms, the fractional content that is eventually owned by a contributor is higher for curators that have a competitive orientation. Although neutrality-seeking mechanisms are essential for ensuring that ownership is not concentrated within a small number of contributors, our findings suggest that the burden of excessive governance may deter contributors from participating, and thus indirectly curtail the peer production of high-quality articles.
Evaluation of the impact of non-slip socks on the motor recovery of elderly people in acute care hospitals: Protocol for a randomized, controlled trial study
Authors: Rulleau Thomas , Planche Lucie , Dorion Agnès , Soldani Girolamo , Blain Cécile , Chapeleau Catherine , Bleher Yves , Da Silva Cécile , Launeau Nathalie , Joguet Emmanuelle , Fevrier Ronan , Decours Romain
Published: May 2023

Background

Older patients often arrive in acute care wards with inappropriate footwear. Hospitals may provide non-slip socks to improve the patients’ safety. However, few studies have been conducted on the benefits of non-slip socks. A recent literature review found only two randomized controlled studies that evaluated non-slip socks, but the socks were not the primary focus of the studies. The aim of this study is therefore to specifically evaluate the benefits of non-slip socks on gait in hospitalized older people.

Methods

This open, randomized, controlled trial will include patients aged 75 years and over, hospitalized in an acute medical unit. Patients will be randomized to either remain barefoot or wear non-slip socks throughout their stay. The primary outcome is gait speed, assessed on Day 1 and Day 8.

Discussion

This randomized controlled trial should provide clinicians with a scientific rational for the recommendation, or not, of the use of non-slip socks for older patients in acute care hospitals.

Trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/on May 12, 2021 under the reference:NCT04882696https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04882696
Wide and deep learning based approaches for classification of Alzheimer’s disease using genome-wide association studies
Authors: Alatrany Abbas Saad , Khan Wasiq , Hussain Abir , Al-Jumeily Dhiya ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: May 2023

The increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been leading towards a significant growth in socioeconomic challenges. A reliable prediction of AD might be useful to mitigate or at-least slow down its progression for which, identification of the factors affecting the AD and its accurate diagnoses, are vital. In this study, we use Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) dataset which comprises significant genetic markers of complex diseases. The original dataset contains large number of attributes (620901) for which we propose a hybrid feature selection approach based on association test, principal component analysis, and the Boruta algorithm, to identify the most promising predictors of AD. The selected features are then forwarded to a wide and deep neural network models to classify the AD cases and healthy controls. The experimental outcomes indicate that our approach outperformed the existing methods when evaluated on standard dataset, producing an accuracy and f1-score of 99%. The outcomes from this study are impactful particularly, the identified features comprising AD-associated genes and a reliable classification model that might be useful for other chronic diseases.
A comparison of machine learning approaches for the quantification of microglial cells in the brain of mice, rats and non-human primates
Authors: Anwer Danish M. , Gubinelli Francesco , Kurt Yunus A. , Sarauskyte Livija , Jacobs Febe , Venuti Chiara , Sandoval Ivette M. , Yang Yiyi , Stancati Jennifer , Mazzocchi Martina , Brandi Edoardo , O’Keeffe Gerard , Steece-Collier Kathy , Li Jia-Yi , Deierborg Tomas , Manfredsson Fredric P. , Davidsson Marcus , Heuer Andreas
Published: May 2023

Microglial cells are brain-specific macrophages that swiftly react to disruptive events in the brain. Microglial activation leads to specific modifications, including proliferation, morphological changes, migration to the site of insult, and changes in gene expression profiles. A change in inflammatory status has been linked to many neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. For this reason, the investigation and quantification of microglial cells is essential for better understanding their role in disease progression as well as for evaluating the cytocompatibility of novel therapeutic approaches for such conditions. In the following study we implemented a machine learning-based approach for the fast and automatized quantification of microglial cells; this tool was compared with manual quantification (ground truth), and with alternative free-ware such as the threshold-based ImageJ and the machine learning-based Ilastik. We first trained the algorithms on brain tissue obtained from rats and non-human primate immunohistochemically labelled for microglia. Subsequently we validated the accuracy of the trained algorithms in a preclinical rodent model of Parkinson’s disease and demonstrated the robustness of the algorithms on tissue obtained from mice, as well as from images provided by three collaborating laboratories. Our results indicate that machine learning algorithms can detect and quantify microglial cells in all the three mammalian species in a precise manner, equipotent to the one observed following manual counting. Using this tool, we were able to detect and quantify small changes between the hemispheres, suggesting the power and reliability of the algorithm. Such a tool will be very useful for investigation of microglial response in disease development, as well as in the investigation of compatible novel therapeutics targeting the brain. As all network weights and labelled training data are made available, together with our step-by-step user guide, we anticipate that many laboratories will implement machine learning-based quantification of microglial cells in their research.
One-year discontinuation among users of the contraceptive pill and injection in South East Tigray region, Ethiopia
Authors: Gebrslasie Kahsay Zenebe , Berhe Gebretsadik , Taddese Haftom , Weldemariam Solomon , Gebre Gelawdiyos , Amano Abdella , Birhane Daniel , Berihu Gebrehud , Kassa Munir , Weldegebriel Mulu , Haile Ezana
Published: May 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study is to determine the 12 months’ discontinuation rate and associated factors among family planning clients using pills and injection.

Methods

A follow-up study was initiated to collect data from 845 family planning users between November 2017 and December 2018. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20, where both are open-source systems. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) for the rate of discontinuation among participants.

Result

At 12 months, 63.5% of women discontinued the use of their baseline method. For the individual methods, 84% of women that chose the pill discontinued its use and for those using the injectable, 60.7% of women discontinued its use. Using the adjusted Cox proportional-hazards model, pills users (HR = 1.77; 95%CI = [1.4–2.3]), users receiving family planning services in the same room as other maternal health clinic services (HR 1.58; 95%CI = [1.16–2.2]), users served by health officers (HR = 3.7; 95%CI = [1.66–8.2]), and users not intending to use the baseline method continuously (HR = 1.6; 95%CI = [1.16–2.24]) were significantly more likely to discontinue using the baseline method. The main reason cited for discontinuation was side effects of contraception.

Conclusions

The discontinuation rate of the baseline contraceptive method after 12 months was very high. To increase the continuity of contraceptive use, family planning services should be given in a separate room with effective counseling on potential side effects, provided by midwives or nurses who have good counseling skills.
Aspergillus fumigatus transcription factor ZfpA regulates hyphal development and alters susceptibility to antifungals and neutrophil killing during infection
Authors: Schoen Taylor J. , Calise Dante G. , Bok Jin Woo , Giese Morgan A. , Nwagwu Chibueze D. , Zarnowski Robert , Andes David , Huttenlocher Anna , Keller Nancy P.
Published: May 2023

Hyphal growth is essential for host colonization during Aspergillus infection. The transcription factor ZfpA regulates A. fumigatus hyphal development including branching, septation, and cell wall composition. However, how ZfpA affects fungal growth and susceptibility to host immunity during infection has not been investigated. Here, we use the larval zebrafish-Aspergillus infection model and primary human neutrophils to probe how ZfpA affects A. fumigatus pathogenesis and response to antifungal drugs in vivo. ZfpA deletion promotes fungal clearance and attenuates virulence in wild-type hosts and this virulence defect is abrogated in neutrophil-deficient zebrafish. ZfpA deletion also increases susceptibility to human neutrophils ex vivo while overexpression impairs fungal killing. Overexpression of ZfpA confers protection against the antifungal caspofungin by increasing chitin synthesis during hyphal development, while ZfpA deletion reduces cell wall chitin and increases caspofungin susceptibility in neutrophil-deficient zebrafish. These findings suggest a protective role for ZfpA activity in resistance to the innate immune response and antifungal treatment during A. fumigatus infection.
Intracellular bottlenecking permits no more than three tomato yellow leaf curl virus genomes to initiate replication in a single cell
Authors: Ren Ruifan , Zheng Limin , Han Junping , Perdoncini Carvalho Camila , Miyashita Shuhei , Zhang Deyong , Qu Feng
Published: May 2023

Viruses are constantly subject to natural selection to enrich beneficial mutations and weed out deleterious ones. However, it remains unresolved as to how the phenotypic gains or losses brought about by these mutations cause the viral genomes carrying the very mutations to become more or less numerous. Previous investigations by us and others suggest that viruses with plus strand (+) RNA genomes may compel such selection by bottlenecking the replicating genome copies in each cell to low single digits. Nevertheless, it is unclear if similarly stringent reproductive bottlenecks also occur in cells invaded by DNA viruses. Here we investigated whether tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a small virus with a single-stranded DNA genome, underwent population bottlenecking in cells of its host plants. We engineered a TYLCV genome to produce two replicons that express green fluorescent protein and mCherry, respectively, in a replication-dependent manner. We found that among the cells entered by both replicons, less than 65% replicated both, whereas at least 35% replicated either of them alone. Further probability computation concluded that replication in an average cell was unlikely to have been initiated with more than three replicon genome copies. Furthermore, sequential inoculations unveiled strong mutual exclusions of these two replicons at the intracellular level. In conclusion, the intracellular population of the small DNA virus TYLCV is actively bottlenecked, and such bottlenecking may be a virus-encoded, evolutionarily conserved trait that assures timely selection of new mutations emerging through error-prone replication.
Senecavirus A-induced glycolysis facilitates virus replication by promoting lactate production that attenuates the interaction between MAVS and RIG-I
Authors: Li Huizi , Lin Cunhao , Qi Wenbao , Sun Zhenzhen , Xie Zhenxin , Jia Weixin , Ning Zhangyong
Published: May 2023

Senecavirus A (SVA)-induced porcine idiopathic vesicular disease has caused huge economic losses worldwide. Glucose metabolism in the host cell is essential for SVA proliferation; however, the impact of the virus on glucose metabolism in host cells and the subsequent effects are still unknown. Here, glycolysis induced by SVA is shown to facilitate virus replication by promoting lactate production, which then attenuates the interaction between the mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) and retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). SVA induces glycolysis in PK-15 cells, as indicated by significantly increased expression of hexokinase 2 (HK2), 6-phosphofructokinase (PFKM), pyruvate kinase M (PKM), phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), and superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2) in a dose-and replication-dependent manner, and enhanced lactate production, while reducing ATP generation. Overexpression of PKM, PGK1, HIF-1α, and PDK3 in PK-15 cells and high glucose concentrations promote SVA replication, while glycolytic inhibitors decrease it. Inhibition of RLR signaling allowed better replication of SVA by promoting lactate production to attenuate the interaction between MAVS and RIG-I, and regulatory effect of glycolysis on replication of SVA was mainly via RIG-I signaling. SVA infection in mice increased expression of PKM and PGK1 in tissues and serum yields of lactate. Mice treated with high glucose and administered sodium lactate showed elevated lactate levels and better SVA replication, as well as suppressed induction of RIG-I, interferon beta (IFNβ), IFNα, interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). The inhibitory effect on interferons was lower in mice administered sodium oxamate and low glucose compared to the high glucose, indicating that RLR signaling was inhibited by SVA infection through lactate in vitro and in vivo. These results provide a new perspective on the relationship between metabolism and innate immunity of the host in SVA infection, suggesting that glycolysis or lactate may be new targets against the virus.
Multifocal Pyloric Gland Adenoma of the Esophagus Treated by Circumferential Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
Authors: Lee Howard D. , Magulick John P. , Quiles John G.
Published: May 2023

Pyloric gland adenoma is a rare neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract typically observed in the stomach with a substantial malignant potential warranting its resection. While isolated esophageal pyloric gland adenoma has been reported, there is no literature on the encounter of diffuse, multifocal esophageal pyloric gland adenoma or its management. We present a unique case of multifocal pyloric gland adenoma of the esophagus treated by circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection. We demonstrate endoscopic submucosal dissection to be a feasible management option.
Patient with non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack. Part 1. Diagnosis
Authors: Kulesh A. A. , Yanishevsky S. N. , Demin D. A. , Syromyatnikova L. I. , Vinogradov O. I.
Published: May 2023

Non-cardioembolic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are heterogeneous conditions, some variants of which are associated with a high short-term and long-term risk of cardiovascular events. The article presents clinical portraits of patients in high and very high risk groups: 1) patients with extracranial atherosclerosis and severe stenosis/subocclusion/occlusion or CT signs of atherosclerotic plaque instability; 2) all patients with intracranial atherosclerosis, especially those with symptoms of hemodynamic compromise or multiple infarcts; 3) all patients with mobile/ulcerative atheroma of the aortic arch. For the timely identification of these subtypes, it is necessary to use clinical and radiological clues with necessary diagnostic search. In addition, the following patients with TIA may be at high or very high risk: those with an ABCD2 score of ≥4 points or an ABCD3-I score of ≥8 points; with TIA in the vertebrobasilar basin, "crescendo" or "limb shaking" type, orthostatic TIA, as well as patients with warning capsular and bridge syndromes. Assigning a patient to one of the considered categories requires the immediate administration of enhanced secondary prevention, which will be discussed in the second part of this article.
Depression in patients with cerebral microangiopathy
Authors: Bogolepova A. N.
Published: May 2023

Cerebral microangiopathy (CMA) is one of the significant causes of depression in the elderly. Close associations of the risk of developing depression with white matter hyperintensity, the presence of lacunar infarcts, and other markers of vascular disease are shown. The available data suggest that various vascular mechanisms, in particular, involvement of small vessels of the brain, generalized microvascular and endothelial dysfunction, metabolic risk factors, – are risk factors for the development of depression. Pathogenetic mechanisms include cerebral hypoperfusion and immune dysregulation. Depression is also a common complication of coronavirus infection, occurring both in the acute and postCOVID periods. The same mechanisms as in vascular depression are involved in the pathogenesis of the development of post-COVID depressive disorders. Given the complexity of the mechanisms of development of depressive disorders in patients with CMA, the presence of severe comorbid vascular pathology, antidepressants with an optimal ratio of efficacy and safety should be preferred. Agomelatine (Valdoxan) is one of such drugs.
Craig's Contradictory Christ
Authors: Tuggy Dale
Published: May 2023

William Lane Craig’s “Neo-Apollinarian” christology aims to give us a model of Incarnation which seems not to imply any contradiction, and which fits well with the Bible and with at least the creed from the fourth ecumenical council. It is argued that the theory fails to achieve any of these goals.
Tensiones y resonancias entre concepciones de bilingüismo y prácticas multilingües con infancias indígenas y étnicas
Authors: Montero Ramírez Ana María
Published: May 2023

Este artículo subyace de la reflexión entre las continuas tensiones que se evidencian en el sistema educativo con respecto a la concepción de bilingüismo que hay en Colombia. Del mismo modo intenta hacer una asociación entre dichas tensiones trasladándolas al campo de la educación inicial, para aportar al debate desde lo que implica asumir el bilingüismo como el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera que olvida por completo que el castellano no es la lengua materna de los niños y las niñas que pertenecen a diferentes culturas étnicas. Desde el panorama que implica asumir un bilingüismo inclusivo en los escenarios escolares que acogen a la primera infancia se trae a colación la importancia de la competencia comunicativa en el aprendizaje de los niños y las niñas, la gran resonancia que posee la tradición oral en los saberes culturales y las distintas prácticas educativas de estas infancias.
Claves teórico-prácticas para fortalecer la participación de niños y niñas: aprendizajes desde la IAP
Authors: Vélez Villafañe Gerardo , Romero Rodríguez Johan Rubén , Bayona Castañeda Santiago
Published: May 2023

La participación de niños y niñas es un imperativo social y político de las democracias. Pese a su respaldo legal y teórico, es común evidenciar una censura total a este grupo poblacional, lo cual proviene de -y fortalece- una cultura adulto-céntrica que poco o nada les vincula en la toma de decisiones, ni mucho menos recibe sus aportes para la construcción colectiva de sociedad. El presente artículo de reflexión afronta esta cuestión desde en ejercicio investigativo de carácter experiencial y presenta el juego, las emociones, el arte y el diálogo intergeneracional como claves teórico-prácticas de alta relevancia para potenciar el desarrollo de procesos participativos con niños y niñas como sujetos políticos de derecho en y desde escenarios comunitarios. Metodológicamente se asumió la Investigación Acción Participativa por sus postulados ético-políticos que movilizan a la acción, dando la posibilidad de construir conocimiento desde el ejercicio reflexivo de las prácticas.
O estágio na formação de professores de ciências e biologia: experiências vivenciadas por docentes durante a pandemia de covid-19
Authors: Vilela Marcos Vinícius Ferreira , Mendes Michel , Soares Zilene Moreira Pereira
Published: May 2023

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo descrever a experiência de três professores da Licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Goiás, no âmbito das disciplinas de Estágio Curricular Obrigatório I e III, na modalidade de Ensino Remoto Emergencial. O estudo caracteriza-se como relato de experiência com vistas a problematizar as vivências e os limites observados ao longo do primeiro semestre letivo de 2020. A partir da apresentação de um histórico legal da institucionalização do ensino remoto durante a pandemia de Covid-19 e de descrições críticas, apresentam-se sete aspectos que sintetizam as particularidades vividas e suas contribuições para a formação inicial de professores. As experiências relatadas não constituem as únicas nem as melhores formas de realização de estágios, contudo explicitam os obstáculos e as possibilidades de ações docentes em meio à pandemia.
Decantando posibilidades de la modelación matemática desde nuestras prácticas pedagógicas e investigativas
Authors: Mancera Ortiz Gabriel , Camelo Francisco Javier
Published: May 2023

Con el fin de contribuir a la reflexión sobre la modelación matemática en la Educación Matemática, nos cuestionamos por las posibilidades para incorporar y consolidar prácticas de modelación matemática desde una perspectiva socio crítica en el contexto en el que nos desempeñamos como profesores e investigadores. Para llevar a cabo tal propósito, ejemplificamos, a la luz del reconocimiento de diversos trabajos de grado de maestría y doctorado que hemos desarrollado, tales posibilidades. El marco teórico considera, como un punto de partida, a la modelación matemática a partir de una perspectiva socio crítica. En concordancia con el propósito y el marco teórico, se adoptó como perspectiva metodológica la idea de investigar lo que no existe, pero podría ser. En correspondencia con las posibilidades de la modelación matemática —desde nuestras prácticas pedagógicas e investigativas— se vislumbran, como rasgos comunes en los trabajos señalados, una concepción de los estudiantes como sujetos sociales con gustos, anhelos y porvenires que distan de percibirlos como sujetos aislados de los contextos sociales, culturales y políticos que están dispuestos para el aprendizaje, solo por estar en el salón de clases.
Gender, Ethnicity and the Politics of Belonging in Postcolonial Africa/Cameroon: A Reading of Lola Perpetua Nkamanyang’s The Lock On My Lips
Authors: Niba Nforbin Gerald
Published: May 2023

Gender and Ethnicity are two key types of group distinctions with which group-based power is associated and, in a multi-cultural Postcolonial context like Cameroon, gender and ethnicity intersect to shape our identities, opportunities and the challenges we face in life. Lola Pepertua Nkamanyang’s The Lock on My Lips falls within the corpus of literature on group-based power and discrimination, leading to a hardening of identities around claims to belong and an opposite process of excluding outsiders. Drawing from minority theories, gender and postcolonial theories, this study investigates the intersection of gender, ethnicity and power in the play. The paper argues that the ethnic tension replicates the Anglophone/francophone divide in a bi-cultural Cameroon. Seen thus, Lola follows in the footsteps minority writers like Victor Epie Ngome to weave her drama around a marital conflict between two people from different ethnic backgrounds whose union is characterized by marginalization, assimilation and dictatorship. However, Lola treats this sensitive subject in a rather kaleidoscopic, suggestive and pacifist way, recognizing like her radical predecessor that the reunified nation has been rendered fragile and diseased by the marginalization of women and the Anglophone minority, Lola rather opts for healing. A unionist, Lola believes that nation-building can be effective, if it is founded on mutual respect and equal opportunities for the sexes and for the two ethnic/linguistic groups of Cameroon. The significance of the marriage metaphor in her play lies in her espousal of gender equality, cultural syncretism and peaceful co-existence of husband and wife, and of Anglophones/Francophones.
Salary Review of Strength and Conditioning Coaches: 2022 Survey Results
Authors: Cormier Tom
Published: May 2023

In 2022, NSCA members were asked to participate in a salary survey. The survey contained questions regarding pay, market, education level, experience, and other employment and economic variables. In total, 2286 coaches responded. Of those who responded, 20% of coaches were female, 57% obtained their master's degree, and 85% completed a degree in an exercise-related field. Regarding salary, the average income for strength and conditioning coaches increased since 2018. In 2022, average earnings by market ranged from $60,527 to $84,575. The highest average salary and highest total salary belonged to coaches working in professional sports. Salary trends demonstrated that higher education, years of experience, senior positions, and working in a higher professional league influenced higher earning potential. The results provided should allow strength and conditioning coaches to review compensation packages and manage income-driven decisions.
Collaborative-Dialogic Practice: Relationships and Conversations That Make a Difference Across Culture and Context: Book Symposium, Part 2
Authors: Anderson Harlene , Gehart Diane R.
Published: May 2023

We welcome you to Part 2 of our book symposium (see Anderson & Gehart, 2022, for Part 1), discussing our book Collaborative Dialogic Practice: Relationships and Conversations That Make a Difference Across Contexts and Cultures (Anderson & Gehart, 2023). Here, the chapter authors share, and we engage in conversation with them. The sessions were electronically transcribed and then edited to help readability.
Structural Preservation Does Not Ensure Function at Sensory Ia–Motoneuron Synapses following Peripheral Nerve Injury and Repair
Authors: Rotterman Travis M. , García Violet V. , Housley Stephen N. , Nardelli Paul , Sierra Rommy , Fix Caitlin E. , Cope Timothy C.
Published: May 2023

Injury that severs peripheral nerves often results in long-lasting motor behavioral deficits and in reorganization of related spinal motor circuitry, neither of which reverse even after nerve regeneration. Stretch areflexia and gait ataxia, for example, emerge from a combination of factors including degeneration of Ia–motoneuron synapses between peripherally damaged Ia muscle spindle afferents and motoneurons. Based on evidence that nerve injury acts via immune responses to induce synapse degeneration, we hypothesized that suppressing inflammatory responses would preserve Ia–motoneuron connectivity and aid in restoring normal function. We tested our hypothesis by administering the anti-inflammatory agent minocycline in male and female rats following axotomy of a peripheral nerve. The connectivity of Ia–motoneuron synapses was then assessed both structurally and functionally at different time points. We found that minocycline treatment overcame the physical loss of Ia contacts on motoneurons which are otherwise lost after axotomy. While necessary for functional recovery, synaptic preservation was not sufficient to overcome functional decline expressed as smaller than normal stretch-evoked synaptic potentials evoked monosynaptically at Ia–motoneuron connections and an absence of the stretch reflex. These findings demonstrate a limited capacity of minocycline to rescue normal sensorimotor behavior, illustrating that structural preservation of synaptic connectivity does not ensure normal synaptic function.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHere we demonstrate that acute treatment with the semisynthetic tetracycline anti-inflammatory agent minocycline permanently prevents the comprehensive loss of synaptic contacts made between sensory neurons and spinal motoneurons following peripheral nerve injury and eventual regeneration. Treatment failed, however, to rescue normal function of those synapses or the reflex circuit they mediate. These findings demonstrate that preventing synaptic disconnection alone is not sufficient to restore neural circuit operation and associated sensorimotor behaviors.
Spinal Basis of Direction Control during Locomotion in Larval Zebrafish
Authors: Jay Michael , MacIver Malcolm A. , McLean David L.
Published: May 2023

Navigation requires steering and propulsion, but how spinal circuits contribute to direction control during ongoing locomotion is not well understood. Here, we use drifting vertical gratings to evoke directed “fictive” swimming in intact but immobilized larval zebrafish while performing electrophysiological recordings from spinal neurons. We find that directed swimming involves unilateral changes in the duration of motor output and increased recruitment of motor neurons, without impacting the timing of spiking across or along the body. Voltage-clamp recordings from motor neurons reveal increases in phasic excitation and inhibition on the side of the turn. Current-clamp recordings from premotor interneurons that provide phasic excitation or inhibition reveal two types of recruitment patterns. A direction-agnostic pattern with balanced recruitment on the turning and nonturning sides is primarily observed in excitatory V2a neurons with ipsilateral descending axons, while a direction-sensitive pattern with preferential recruitment on the turning side is dominated by V2a neurons with ipsilateral bifurcating axons. Inhibitory V1 neurons are also divided into direction-sensitive and direction-agnostic subsets, although there is no detectable morphologic distinction. Our findings support the modular control of steering and propulsion by spinal premotor circuits, where recruitment of distinct subsets of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons provide adjustments in direction while on the move.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSpinal circuits play an essential role in coordinating movements during locomotion. However, it is unclear how they participate in adjustments in direction that do not interfere with coordination. Here we have developed a system using larval zebrafish that allows us to directly record electrical signals from spinal neurons during “fictive” swimming guided by visual cues. We find there are subsets of spinal interneurons for coordination and others that drive unilateral asymmetries in motor neuron recruitment for direction control. Our findings suggest a modular organization of spinal premotor circuits that enables uninterrupted adjustments in direction during ongoing locomotion.
Model of cultural control of the cacao frosty pod rot disease (Moniliophthora roreri (CIF & Par) Evans et al.)1
Authors: Cubillos Gabriel
Published: May 2023

The Cacao Frosty Pod Rot (Moniliophthora roreri (Cif. & Par.) Evans et al)1 is a disease with the greatest impact on cacao crop yields in Central and South America. It was recently detected in the state of Acre, Brazil. Although its control has been proven in various ways, cultural control has been checked to be the most effective and economical. The proposed model is based on the recognition of the critical states of the fruits as sources of infection, the disease cycle, the timely removal of diseased fruits and their free disposal on the soil.
Development of a Mathematical Model and Numerical Study of the Process of Biological Wastewater Treatment Under Conditions of Uneven Loading of the Treatment System
Authors:   National University of Water Management and Nature Management, Rivne, Safonyk A. , Rogov O. ,   National University of Water Management and Nature Management, Rivne, Trokhymchuc M. ,   National University of Water Management and Nature Management, Rivne
Published: May 2023

The main goal of this article is to design a multifactorial model for rapid evaluation of the effec-tive operation of reactors for biological wastewater treatment, which is based on: changes in the concentration of organic pollutants in the bioreactor over time; changes in the concentration of activated sludge in the bioreactor over time; changes in the concentration of activated sludge in the reactor over time, taking into account the unevenness of the flow of wastewater to treatment facilities; the process of transporting the substrate to the bioreactor (it is possible to obtain dif-ferent amounts at different times). The software implementation of the proposed algorithm for finding the appropriate model problem in the Python environment has been developed. The re-sults of computer experiments on the study of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment in bio-logical treatment reactors for different operating modes of the installations are given. The ob-tained results will be useful during calculations in the case of designing biological treatment fa-cilities or during the reconstruction of existing bioreactors for their promising operation in new operating conditions.
Correctness of Flat Classification
Authors:   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering  National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Yaroshynskyi M.S. , Sirotkin O.V. ,   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering  National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Sinko D.P. ,   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering  National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Hunko S.B. ,   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering  National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Manoliuk D.O. ,   G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modelling in Energy Engineering  National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: May 2023

Classifications are widely used in semantic networks and decision support systems based on formal knowledge and are part of computer ontologies. Classifications and computer ontologies built on them are the result of the work of one or more experts. As a result, such classifications reflect the subjective view of the author or authors on the world and the relationship between the classes (concepts) of the created classification. In the work, the authors propose an approach that will allow assessing how correctly the classification is constructed.
Methods of Simplifying the Processing of Independent Particle simulation Systems Based on the Unreal Engine 4 Environment
Authors:   Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Matvieiev D.I. , Lanovyy O.F. ,   Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics
Published: May 2023

The peculiarities of the development and practical implementation of systems designed to simulate the behavior of independent particles, the principles of their operation, the peculiarities of the model implementation and the process of facilitating processing are considered. Particular attention is paid to the process of facilitating processing at different processing levels of the particle simulation system. Factors that have a direct influence on it are considered, as well as the facilitation of shaders, as an important component of system speed.
Information resources distribution between automated workstations in local corporative networks
Authors:   State University of Trade and Economics, Pursky Oleg , Kozlov Valery ,   State University of Trade and Economics, Tomashevska Tetyana ,   State University of Trade and Economics, Dyvak Volodymyr ,   State University of Trade and Economics, Hordiiko Nataliia ,   NTUU "KPI", Sinitsky Mykola ,   National Academy of Statistics, Accounting and Auditing
Published: May 2023

This article focuses on the problem of optimal distribution of related information resources between automated workstations in local corporate networks. In this work we present a mathematical description of the algorithm for quasi-optimal distribution of related information resources at designing automated workstations in a local corporate network. The undirected graph describing the task of information resources optimal distribution is presented. The method of quasi-optimal distribution of related resources at designing automated workstations in the local corporative network is proposed based on the developed algorithm. Using conditional organization as an example the modeling of optimal distribution of related information resources has been considered in local corporative network. The described algorithm provides an opportunity to optimally distribute the information resource in the local corporate network, as well as solve the task of building reliable and efficient local networks. The proposed method of quasi-optimal distribution of related information resources can be used in corporation of any type.