bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Third-person overt pronoun and zero reference in Estonian. Insights from two experiments
Authors: Hint Helen , Reile Maria , Kaiser Elsi
Published: November 2023

This study reports two experiments that investigate the variation between two Estonian third-person referential devices – zero reference vs. the overt pronoun ta. First, in a speech-restoration paradigm (Experiment 1), we test whether the structure of a reference chain affects referential choice. Second, drawing on Experiment 1, we designed an acceptability judgement task (Experiment 2) to explore a possible systematic variation between zero reference vs. overt pronoun in different sentential configurations (two separated sentences vs. one coordinated sentence). Our findings suggest that sentential configuration affects referential choice. Thus, our study accords with earlier observations that salience-only accounts cannot fully explain referential choice. Furthermore, this study supports the form-specific account of reference, by showing that zero reference is more sensitive to sentential configuration than the overt pronoun. We suggest that along with microstructure and the local coherence effects on referential devices, it is necessary to consider macrostructure and the effect of discourse segmenting on referential devices.

Kokkuvõte. Helen Hint, Maria Reile, Elsi Kaiser: Kolmanda isiku eksplitsiitne pronoomen ja nullviitamine eesti keeles. Tähelepanekuid kahe katse tulemustest. Artiklis analüüsime eesti keele kolmanda isiku nullviitamise ja eksplitsiitse personaalpronoomeni ta vaheldumist ja referentsiaalseid omadusi. Viisime läbi kaks katset. Esimeses katses uurisime, kas valikut nullviitamise ja ta vahel mõjutab viiteahela struktuur ehk see, millised on olnud eelnevad samale referendile osutavad viitevahendid. Teises katses testisime, kas viitevahendi vastuvõetavuse hinnangut mõjutab lausete omavahelise ühendamise viis (kas kasutatakse kaht iseseisvat lauset või üht kahe rindliikmega lauset). Katsete tulemused näitavad, et viiteahela struktuur nullviitamise ja eksplitsiitse pronoomeni valikut üksinda ei mõjuta, vaid on seotud lausungite ühendamisega. Viimane on aga oluline tunnus eraldiseisvana: nullviitamine on tavalisem siis, kui kasutatakse üht rinnastusseoses olevate liikmetega lauset, ta esineb pigem siis, kui kaks (liht)lauset on omavahel punktiga eraldatud. Teisalt mõjutab lausete ühendamise viis eelkõige nullviitamist, samas kui ta kasutus ei näita selle tunnuse suhtes olulisi erinevusi. Siinne uurimus osutab selgelt, et viitevahendite kasutuses peegeldub diskursuse töötluse mitmetahulisus. Lisaks kohesioonisuhetele mõjutab viitevahendi valikut diskursuse üldisem ülesehitus. Seega on siinse uurimuse tulemused kooskõlas mitmefaktorilise ja vormispetsiifilise lähenemisega viitamisele.
Prosodic phrasing of the parenthetical palun ‘please’ in Estonian requests
Authors: Asu Eva Liina , Sahkai Heete , Lippus Pärtel
Published: November 2023

This study investigates the prosody of the Estonian parenthetical palun ‘please’ in imperative requests. The occurrence of prosodic phrase boundary cues such as pauses, pre-boundary lengthening, and creaky voice as well as pitch characteristics and accentuation are analysed. The analysis is based on 753 utterances, where palun appears in three different positions: initial, medial or final. The requests were elicited using context descriptions from 21 female speakers of Estonian.
The results show that palun is not phrased as a separate intonation phrase and that its intonation and accentuation vary depending on its position in the host utterance. Utterance-initially, palun always receives an intonational pitch accent while utterance-finally it is unaccented. It is concluded that the integrated prosody of palun may derive from its discourse marker-like function. Its prosody may be representative of certain other categories of parentheticals with similar functional properties such as comment clauses and reporting verbs, but different from functionally more independent parentheticals that express a proposition or speech act of their own.

Kokkuvõte. Eva Liina Asu, Heete Sahkai, Pärtel Lippus: Kiilu palun prosoodiline fraseerimine eesti palvetes. Käesolev artikkel uurib kiilu palun prosoodiat eesti keele käsklausena vormistatud palvetes. Vaadeldakse prosoodilise fraasipiiri tunnuste (pausid, lõpupikenemine ja kärisev häälelaad) esinemist ning põhitooni ja aktsentueerimist. Materjaliks on 753 lausungit, kus palun esineb kolmes eri positsioonis: lause alguses, keskel ja lõpus. Materjal salvestati 21 eesti emakeelega naiskõnelejalt katses, kus osalejad pidid palveid esitama nii, nagu nad kontekstikirjelduse põhjal vastavas olukorras seda teeksid.
Tulemused näitavad, et sõna palun ei fraseerita eraldi intonatsioonifraasina ja selle intonatsioon ja aktsentueeritus varieeruvad sõltuvalt lausepositsioonist. Lause alguses saab palun alati intonatsioonilise tooniaktsendi, aga lause lõpus on see aktsentueerimata. Kokkuvõtvalt võib palun’i integreeritud prosoodia tuleneda tema diskursusemarkeri-laadsest funktsioonist. Sellisena võib ta sarnaneda prosoodiliselt ka mõningate teiste sarnaselt funktsioneerivate kiiludega, nagu episteemilised või evidentsiaalsed kiilud (nt ma arvan, ütles ta), aga erineda funktsionaalselt iseseisvamatest kiiludest, mis väljendavad eraldiseisvat propositsiooni või kõneakti.
'Sellepärast tahate 'kiirabi või. Päästekorraldaja ebaviisakus eesti hädaabikõnedes
Authors: Hennoste Tiit , Rääbis Andriela , Upser Piret , Laanesoo-Kalk Kirsi , Rumm Andra , Annuka-Loik Andra
Published: November 2023

Artikli teema on päästekorraldajate keeleline ebaviisakus helistaja suhtes Eesti hädaabikõnedes. Uurimuse eesmärk on leida, millistes suhtlustegevustes ebaviisakus esineb, mis selle esile kutsub ja milline on ebaviisakuse keeleline vorm. Analüüs tõi esile kolm rühma ebaviisakaid suhtlustegevusi: (a) etteheited helistajale, (b) ebaviisakalt vormistatud küsimused, infopalved, palved ning (c) ebaviisakad abipalve tagasilükkamised ja järsud ühepoolsed kõne lõpetamised. Valdavalt on ebaviisakuse vallandajaks helistaja. Ühe rühma moodustavad joobes või ebaviisakad helistajad ja inimesed, kes ei järgi suhtlusnorme. Teise rühma moodustavad juhtumid, milles helistaja antud info ei sobi päästekorraldaja rutiinidega või Häirekeskuse töönormidega. Üksikjuhtudel esineb päästekorraldaja ebaviisakus ka ilma helistajapoolse mõjurita. Päästekorraldajad vormistavad ebaviisakused samal viisil nagu teistes uuritud keeltes. Keeleliste vahendite seas on nii ebaviisakusega seotud häälduslikud, sõnavaralised ja süntaktilised vahendid kui ka kõnevoorude vormistamise võtted. Eraldi tõstame esile pragmaatilised partiklid ja järsud kõnelõpetamised, mida meie teada varasemas literatuuris välja toodud ei ole.

Abstract. Tiit Hennoste, Andriela Rääbis, Piret Upser, Kirsi Laanesoo- Kalk, Andra Rumm, Andra Annuka-Loik: `Sellepärast tahate `kiirabi või. Call-takers impoliteness in Estonian emergency calls. The topic of the article is the linguistic impoliteness (rudeness, face attack) of call-takers towards the caller in Estonian emergency calls. The purpose of the research is to find out the social actions where impoliteness occurs, its triggers and the linguistic form of rudeness. The data consists of audio-recorded calls from the emergency call corpus of the University of Tartu. The analysis revealed that impoliteness could be divided into three groups: (a) reproaches to the caller, (b) rudely formulated questions, requests for information and directives and (c) rudely formulated refusals of help and unilateral closings of the call. Impoliteness is generally triggered by the caller. One group includes drunk or rude callers and callers who do not follow social norms of interaction. The second group consists of cases where the information provided by the caller does not meet the standards of the call-takers or the Emergency Response Center. Only in a few cases, the call-taker initiates an impolite social action without the influence of the caller. Estonian call-takers express rudeness using the similar means as in the other languages studied. Linguistic tools associated with rudeness are found in pronunciation, vocabulary, syntax, and techniques of formulating turns in dialogue. In particular, we highlight pragmatic particles/markers and unilateral closings that, as far as we know, have not been presented in previous literature.
Kolme (inter)subjektiivsusmarkeri lugu: ehk, äkki, järsku
Authors: Metslang Helle
Published: November 2023

Polüseemsetel sõnadel ehk, äkki ja järsku on erinevaid tähendusi ja kasutusi, kuid kõigile kolmele ühine on toimimine episteemilise modaalsuse partiklina. Ehk on eesti keeles tõenäoliselt alati partiklina toiminud. Äkki on korpuseandmete põhjal hakanud toimima ka modaalpartiklina 20. sajandi jooksul. Äkki sünonüümil järsku leidub mõningaid kasutusi modaalpartiklina, kuid partiklistumine on veel üsna algusjärgus. Alles kujuneva partiklina kopeerib järsku neid funktsioone, mis samatähenduslikul sõnal äkki ilmselt sammhaaval on kujunenud. Partikli ehk kasutuses domineerib subjektiivsus (kõneleja hinnang lause sisule), äkki ja järsku puhul on valdav intersubjektiivne kasutus (miratiivsus, mitmesugused küsivad ja direktiivsed suhtlusfunktsioonid ja nende pehmendamine). Eri partiklitel on erinevad registrieelistused. Vana ja väljakujunenud partikkel ehk esineb enam kirjalikes registrites, nii netis kui trükitekstides. Uuemad partiklid äkki ja järsku levivad ennekõike suulises ja seejärel netisuhtluses. Seejuures paistavad mõned tekstiliigid (foorumid, netikommentaarid, tabloidajakirjandus) silma eripäraste kasutusviisidega.

Abstract. Helle Metslang: The story of three (inter)subjectivity markers: ehk, äkki, järsku. The Estonian polysemous words ehk, äkki and järsku have different meanings and uses, but all three have in common the function as an epistemic modal particle. Ehk, that is used also as a conjunction, has probably always functioned as a particle in Estonian. Based on the corpus data, äkki (‘suddenly’, ‘perhaps’) has developed into a modal particle during the 20th century. Its synonym järsku (‘suddenly’) also finds some uses as an epistemic particle, but its pragmaticalization is still in its early stages. As a developing particle, järsku copies the functions that äkki has developed step by step. The use of ehk is mostly subjective (expression of the speaker’s assessment of the content of the sentence). In the case of particles äkki and järsku, intersubjectivity (mirativity, various interrogative and directive functions and their softening) is dominating.
Different particles have different register preferences. The old and well-established particle ehk appears more in written registers, in both web and printed texts. Developing particles äkki and järsku spread primarily through spoken and online communication. At the same time, some types of text (forums, internet commentaries, tabloid journalism) stand out for their distinctive uses of modal particles.
Automated Methods of Phonosemantic Analysis of Poetic Text: Communicative and Pragmatic Aspect
Authors: Kurakina N. , Haritonova E.
Published: November 2023

On the material of modern poetic texts of the poem "Ten Moons» in the original by the British writer S. Dugdale and translation, the phonosemantic analysis of the tone of the text using the automated system ParallelDots (and the others) is carried out. The aim of the study is to identify the effectiveness of automated systems of tonality analysis in general and in the translation of poetic literature, and to determine which of these systems have the greatest functionality, the highest accuracy and analyze the text on the greatest number of levels. Various methods of automated sentiment analysis are used: ParallelDots, SentiStrength, SentiWordNet, Social Media Monitoring Tool, VAAL, Zvukotsvet.ru. The analysis allows to establish the possibility of using this automated system in the work of a translator with the aim of self-testing for the compliance with the adequate transfer of the pragmatic potential of the poetic text in the fiction translation. The relevance and novelty of the study is beyond any doubt in view of the growing digitalization and the need to resort to different types of artificial intelligence to achieve quality and ergonomics in the translation process. The study has undoubted practical relevance: the results obtained allow us to identify the most successful automated systems for sentiment analysis of poetic discourse.
Intercultural Significance of the World Aphoristic Fund
Authors: Schennikova N. , Ozhegova E.
Published: November 2023

Introduction. The article is devoted to the consideration of the world fund of aphoristic units as a unique example of the spiritual and mental globalization of people, regardless of their nationality and citizenship. National archives of aphorisms are the quintessence of the depth of human mental activity in the active contemplation of the world. They are a kind of universal supra-ethnic information archive of universal values and truths and are considered by us in the light of their intercultural significance as a means of smoothing national differences and bringing together different ethnic cultures. Aim. The purpose of the article is to show that national aphoristic archives can be seen as a positive example of cultural globalization and used as a means of smoothing out national differences and uniting different nations, cultures and countries. Met¬ho¬do¬logy and re¬se¬arch met¬hods. A comparative analysis of some collections of aphorisms and an analysis of the content side of aphoristic rhetoric were the main methods for achieving this goal. Results. The themes of aphorisms are not directly indicative of any specific period of human history and also do not have any pronounced ethnic specificity. Aphorisms mainly characterize a person as a Human, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship and historical eras, and proclaim universal human values. Scientific novelty. Aphorisms are considered as a unique example of the spiritual and mental globalization of people regardless of their nationality and citizenship in the light of their intercultural significance as a means of smoothing out national differences and bringing together different nations, cultures and countries. Practical significance. The world fund of aphoristic units is a universal supra-ethnic information archive of universal human values and truths, has a significant potential for smoothing out contradictions (ethnic, religious, gender, political, etc.) and can be used in all contexts of the modern world as a reconciling and harmonizing factor.
Key Linguistic and Cultural Values of the Russian Linguistic Worldview in Internet Reviews of Tourists About a Trip to China
Authors: Boguslavskaya Vera , Sun' Veyfan
Published: November 2023

Tourist review is a popular and modern type of Internet communication. The object of consideration in the article is the Internet reviews of Russian tourists posted on social networks about a trip to China.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the Internet reviews of tourists in the axiological aspect and to identify the linguocultural specifics of the Russian linguistic worldview.

The material of the study was 585 texts of online reviews. The main research methods are the content analysis, interpretive and linguoculturological analyzes.

As a result of the study, the authors identify the key linguistic and cultural values of the Russian linguistic worldview, reflected in the concepts of travel, culture, knowledge, communication, China and hospitality, which make up the concept sphere of Russian tourism discourse with the destination China.
On the New Glossary of Quotations for Schoolstudents (Review of the Book: Dunev A.I. Cicadas of Quotations. The Essential List of Quotes for Schoolstudents. Glossary. Sankt-Peterburg: Publishing house of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Gertsena, 2022. 160 p.)
Authors: Yushkova Nataliya
Published: November 2023

The article represents a review of a glossary that contains quotes from school literary fiction books. The relevance of the publication is defined by disturbing trends of modern reality: teenagers' narrow reading interests, decrease in the general index of precedence, cognitive distortion while interpreting axiologically marked content of precedent units. The essential set of glossary units contains 350 quotes chosen according to the program content of literature education at school. The choice of quotes to be included in the glossary is due not so much to a methodological tradition as to the actual existence and frequency of the quote. A glossary entry includes several zones that give information about the length of a quote, its source and possible usage. Appendixes with quotes distributed accordingly to levels of education, as well as teaching tips to create various tasks based on quotes, add practical value to the glossary. The author of the glossary rightfully argues that the utterances that have become independent pieces of culture help to understand cultural meanings on the one hand, and on the other hand, start the mechanism of word coinage that affects the linguistic personality development.
REDUCTION IN COMPUTATIONAL COST OF PROGRESSIVE FAILURE ANALYSIS
Authors: DRAKE DANIEL A. , CARVALHO NELSON VIEIRA DE , LOVEJOY ANDREW E.
Published: November 2023

Designing aircraft structures requires efficient modeling approaches to iterate on multiple structural configurations to achieve an optimal design. Typically, damage tolerance is not considered at the design stage because of the high computational cost in its implementation within a finite element modeling approach. Therefore, analytical or empirical approaches are often used to size critical damage-tolerant structures once an optimal design is determined. In this study, the Progressive Release eXplicit Virtual Crack-Closure Technique (PRX-VCCT) is assessed for its capability to costeffectively evaluate skin-stringer separation of a blade-stiffened panel that is subjected to seven-point bend loads. An initial verification study was performed to evaluate PRX-VCCT to accurately simulate skin-stringer separation with respect to existing cohesive element approaches. Furthermore, the influence of element size, ranging from 0.10 in. to 0.40 in., on the total computational time using the PRX-VCCT is investigated. The results indicate that the PRX-VCCT can be used to accurately simulate skin-stringer separation using large element lengths (0.40 in.). Additionally, a significant reduction in the computational time to simulate skin-stringer separation is observed using the PRX-VCCT. Large-scale progressive damage analysis using PRXVCCT can be implemented early in the design cycle of composite structures without requiring a global-to-local modeling approach. DANIEL A. DRAKE
Various hand tumors: over 20 years of clinical experience in Korea
Authors: Kim Jeonghun , Lee Kanghee , Oh Sangho , Choi Jaehoon , Son Daegu
Published: November 2023

Purpose: Although the hand only constitutes 2% of the body, it is a site where a wide variety of tumors occur, and the results of surgery substantially impact its function. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis and appropriate selection of individual treatment strategies are very important. This study reviewed the diagnostic characteristics and clinical features of surgically treated hand tumors at our facility.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 65 patients who underwent surgery for suspected hand tumors at our institution between 2003 and 2020. Data, including patient demographics, diagnosis, pathology, type of surgery, comorbidities, and tumor characteristics (e.g., location and tumor size), were collected from medical records.Results: In total, 59 (90.7%) and six patients (9.3%) were diagnosed with benign and malignant tumors, respectively. Ganglion cysts were the most common tumors (n=11), followed by vascular anomalies (n=10), epidermoid cysts (n=7), and glomus tumors (n=4). There were four cases of bone tumors (6.2%), including one chondroma, one chondrosarcoma, and two giant cell tumors. In 53 cases with an imaging workup, the pathological diagnosis was concordant in 44 cases. Of the nine cases with inconsistent results, eight were tumors located in the finger; this association was significant (p=0.048).Conclusion: In this study, ganglion cyst and squamous cell carcinoma were the most common benign and malignant tumors, respectively, and four cases of bone tumors were found. Radiologic misdiagnosis was more frequent in finger tumors than in other tumors. Thus, hand tumors, especially those suspected to be malignant, should be assessed using a multidisciplinary approach.
The welfare impact of village fund allocation in Indonesia: The comparative of Java and Non-Java
Authors: Mardalena Mardalena , Adji Ardi , Rohima Siti , Harunurrasyid Harunurrasyid , Nida Rahma
Published: November 2023

There are inequality at the rural and urban levels that must be concern to the government. To reduce the inequality is to optimize village funds. Allocation of village funds is a stimulus to accelerate the village economy. Fiscal stimulus through village funds  boost the economy at the village level. This research examines the impact of village fund allocation on economic performance in Java and non-Java. The Difference in Difference (DiD) method compares the average value of the observed variables before the village fund policy and the average variable value of development indicators and welfare indicators after the policy was implemented. The allocation of village fund has some good impacts on Indonesia's rural economy. We found that funding can boost welfare, such as improving clean water, per capita income, human development index, and reducing poverty. We also discovered that the Java area has a greater impact than the non-Java area. The results of this study provide essential information for formulating government plans and policies as a policy reference and evaluating the implementation of regional autonomy policies and allocation of village funds in Indonesia.
Hyper-parallel nonlocal CNOT operation assisted by quantum-dot spin in a double-sided optical microcavity
Authors: Chen Meng-Fan , Zhou Ping , Lan Qi , Lu Xiang-Qi
Published: November 2023

Implementation of controlled-NOT (CNOT) operation between different nodes in a quantum communication network nonlocally plays an important role in distributed quantum computation. We present a protocol for implementation of hyper-parallel nonlocal CNOT operation via hyperentangled photons simultaneously entangled in spatial-mode and polarization degrees of freedom (DOFs) assisted by quantum-dot spin in a double-sided optical microcavity. The agent Alice lets photons traverse the double-sided optical microcavity sequentially and applies single-qubit measurements on the electron and the hyperentangled photon. The agent Bob first performs corresponding unitary operations according to Alice’s measurement results on his hyperentangled photon, and then lets photons traverse the double-sided optical microcavity sequentially and performs the single-qubit measurements on the electron and the hyperentangled photon. The hyper-parallel nonlocal CNOT operation can be implemented simultaneously in spatial-mode and polarization DOFs if Alice performs single-qubit operations in accordance with Bob’s measurement results. The protocol has the advantage of having high channel capacity for long-distance quantum communication by using a hyperentangled state as the quantum channel.
Aluminum-based plasmonic metasurface for computational spectrometry with full coverage of visible light
Authors: Fan Qingbin , Xu Weizhu , Lin Peicheng , Sun Yunfei , Yan Feng , Hu Xuemei , Yue Tao , Xu Ting
Published: November 2023

Reconstructive spectrometers/spectral cameras have immense potential for portable applications in various fields, including environmental monitoring, biomedical research and diagnostics, and agriculture and food safety. However, the performance of these spectrometers/spectral cameras is severely limited by the operational bandwidth, spectral diversity, and angle sensitivity of the spectral modulation devices. In this work, we propose a compact spectrometer based on plasmonic metasurfaces that operate across the entire visible wavelength range, covering wavelengths from 400 to 750 nm. We experimentally demonstrate the effective spectral reconstruction achieved by the designed metasurface spectrometer, exhibiting angle tolerance to the incident light within the range of ± 12°. Our results highlight the potential for constructing broadband, large field-of-view hyperspectral cameras.
Microsphere-assisted super-resolved hyperspectral microscopy
Authors: Mollaei Mina , Soltani Peyman , Panahi Majid , Moradi Ali-Reza
Published: November 2023

Hyperspectral microscopy (HSM) combines conventional microscopy with basic hyperspectral imaging and results in 3D microscopic spatio-spectral information. The combination comes along with a variety of applications, such as detection and classification of different material properties through spectral fingerprints, which otherwise cannot be detected with a color camera alone. However, similar to other microscopies, the resolution of HSM is limited by diffraction. In recent years microsphere (MS)-assisted microscopy has attracted intensive attention for resolution enhancement. Here, we extend the MS idea into HSM. We show that MS-HSM reveals extra hyperspectral information about the specimen which is lost without it. Moreover, the insertion of MS results in super-resolved images. The resolution enhancement and obtaining the extra hyperspectral information can be tuned by the MS size.
Highly flexible and compact volumetric endoscope by integrating multiple micro-imaging devices
Authors: Su Deer , Gao Weida , Li Haoyu , Guo Changliang , Zhao Weisong
Published: November 2023

A light-field endoscope can simultaneously capture the three-dimensional information of in situ lesions and enables single-shot quantitative depth perception with minimal invasion for improving surgical and diagnostic accuracy. However, due to oversized rigid probes, clinical applications of current techniques are limited by their cumbersome devices. To minimize the size and enhance the flexibility, here we report a highly flexible and compact volumetric endoscope by employing precision-machined multiple micro-imaging devices (MIRDs). To further protect the flexibility, the designed MIRD with a diameter and height of 5 mm is packaged in pliable polyamide, using soft data cables for data transmission. It achieves the optimal lateral resolvability of 31 µm and axial resolvability of 255 µm, with an imaging volume over 2.3 × 2.3 × 10 mm3. Our technique allows easy access to the organism interior through the natural entrance, which has been verified through observational experiments of the stomach and rectum of a rabbit. Together, we expect this device can assist in the removal of tumors and polyps as well as the identification of certain early cancers of the digestive tract.
Multiplexed dual-point refractive index sensor based on cascaded up-down tapered hetero-core structured fiber
Authors: Mahmood Sura Hussein , Al-Hayali Sarah Kadhim , Al-Janabi Abdulhadi
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we report the demonstration of an optical fiber sensor based on the cascaded up-down-tapered (UDT) hetero-core fiber structures in a sequence for simultaneous refractive index (RI) measurement at dual spatial locations for the first time. The two hetero-core fiber structures, namely sensor structures A and B, were fabricated by sandwiching a section of no-core fiber (NCF) with lengths of 45 and 60 mm between two standard single-mode fibers (SMF), respectively. The UDT hetero-core fiber structure was formed by introducing a down taper between two adjacent up tapers in the NCF section by using the over-fusion splicing method. The dual up tapers respectively serve as a fiber splitter/combiner, and the down taper acts as an optical attenuator. The proposed dual point sensing head (sensing point A and sensing point B) was engineered by cascading the two sensor structures A and B to generate two separate interference dips and achieve wavelength division multiplexing. Experimental results show that for the dual point sensing structure, sensing point A and sensing point B are sensitive to RI independently and simultaneously, and exhibit sensitivities of 99 nm/RIU and 93.7 nm/RIU for simultaneous measurement of RI ranging from 1.33 to 1.38 for each point, respectively. During measurement, there is no mutual interference to each sensing head. The results point out that the proposed dual point sensor can be potentially applied for the simultaneous detection of RI in any environment and at different locations.
Attention-based deep clustering method for scRNA-seq cell type identification
Authors: Li Shenghao , Guo Hui , Zhang Simai , Li Yizhou , Li Menglong
Published: November 2023

Single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology provides higher resolution of cellular differences than bulk RNA sequencing and reveals the heterogeneity in biological research. The analysis of scRNA-seq datasets is premised on the subpopulation assignment. When an appropriate reference is not available, such as specific marker genes and single-cell reference atlas, unsupervised clustering approaches become the predominant option. However, the inherent sparsity and high-dimensionality of scRNA-seq datasets pose specific analytical challenges to traditional clustering methods. Therefore, a various deep learning-based methods have been proposed to address these challenges. As each method improves partially, a comprehensive method needs to be proposed. In this article, we propose a novel scRNA-seq data clustering method named AttentionAE-sc (Attention fusion AutoEncoder for single-cell). Two different scRNA-seq clustering strategies are combined through an attention mechanism, that include zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB)-based methods dealing with the impact of dropout events and graph autoencoder (GAE)-based methods relying on information from neighbors to guide the dimension reduction. Based on an iterative fusion between denoising and topological embeddings, AttentionAE-sc can easily acquire clustering-friendly cell representations that similar cells are closer in the hidden embedding. Compared with several state-of-art baseline methods, AttentionAE-sc demonstrated excellent clustering performance on 16 real scRNA-seq datasets without the need to specify the number of groups. Additionally, AttentionAE-sc learned improved cell representations and exhibited enhanced stability and robustness. Furthermore, AttentionAE-sc achieved remarkable identification in a breast cancer single-cell atlas dataset and provided valuable insights into the heterogeneity among different cell subtypes.
The Brazilian vaccine divide: How some municipalities were left behind in the Covid-19 vaccine coverage
Authors: Boing Antonio Fernando , Boing Alexandra Crispim , Barberia Lorena , Borges Marcelo Eduardo , Subramanian Sankaran Venkata
Published: November 2023

This study aims to assess the progress of geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic disparities in Covid-19 vaccination coverage in Brazil over the first two years of the vaccination campaign. Data from the National Immunization Program Information System were used to estimate covid-19 vaccine coverage. Brazilian municipalities were divided into two groups based on their vaccine coverage for the booster dose. The first group comprised 20% of municipalities with the lowest coverage, while the second group (80% of municipalities) had higher coverage. The analysis was conducted separately for four age groups: 5–11, 12–17, 18–59, and 60+. Explanatory variables included socioeconomic and health services indicators. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability of a municipality being among those with the worst vaccination coverage according to the categories of exploratory variables. Between January/2021 and December/2022, Brazil administered 448.2 million doses of the covid-19 vaccine. The booster vaccination coverage varied from 24.8% among adolescents to 79.7% among the elderly. The difference between the group with the highest and lowest coverage increased during the national vaccination campaign. Municipalities with lower education levels, higher proportion of Black population, higher Gini index, and worse health service indicators had a greater likelihood of having lower vaccination coverage. High and increasing levels of inequality in Covid-19 vaccination were observed in Brazil across all age groups during the vaccination campaign in 2021–2022.
Evaluation of ultrasound as diagnostic tool in patients with clinical features suggestive of carpal tunnel syndrome in comparison to nerve conduction studies: Study protocol for a diagnostic testing study
Authors: Murciano Casas María de la Paz , Rodríguez-Piñero Manuel , Jiménez Sarmiento Aguas-Santas , Álvarez López Mercedes , Jiménez Jurado Gema
Published: November 2023

Background

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common compressive neuropathy, accounting for 90% of all neuropathies. Its prevalence ranges from 3.8%–7.8% in the population. The gold standard for its diagnosis is the neurophysiological study (85% sensitivity and 95% specificity), with the disadvantage of being invasive, complex and expensive, which means an increase in cost and time for the diagnosis of the disease. The main objective of this diagnostic test evaluation study is to investigate the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of CTS, and among the secondary objectives, to establish the ultrasound parameters that are predictors of CTS in comparison with neurophysiological studies, attempting to standardize a protocol and reference values that determine the presence or absence of CTS.

Methods

Prospective, cross-sectional study. The reference test with which we compared the ultrasound is the neurophysiological test (NPT). Patients will come consecutively from the Neurophysiology Department of the Virgen Macarena Hospital, with clinical suspicion of CTS and fulfilling the inclusion/exclusion criteria. To calculate the sample size (EPIDAT program) we proposed a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 87% with a confidence level of 95%, requiring 438 patients (264 NPT positive, 174 NPT negative). We followed an ultrasound study protocol that included the ultrasound variables: cross-sectional area at the entrance and exit of the tunnel, range of nerve thinning, wrist-forearm index, flexor retinaculum bulging, power Doppler uptake and the existence of adjacent wrists or masses. We propose a timeline for the study to be performed between 2020 and 2023. Finally, we propose a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Discussion

Ultrasound not only allows to objectify the alterations of the median nerve but also the underlying pathological mechanisms in CTS. A multitude of ultrasound parameters have been described that should be regarded in syndrome’s study, among which we included the cross-sectional area, the range of nerve thinning, the wrist-forearm index, flexor retinaculum bulging, power Doppler uptake and assessment of anatomical alterations. The use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool in CTS has many advantages for both doctors and the patients, as it is a non-invasive, convenient, and fast tool increasingly accessible to professionals.

Trial registration

Trials registry number: NCT05556278.
Electroencephalography as a diagnostic tool for late-onset efavirenz neurotoxicity syndrome
Authors: Nightingale Sam , Ssemmanda Salvatore , Tucker Lawrence M. , Eastman Roland W. , Lee Pan Eddy B.
Published: November 2023

Introduction

To examine electroencephalogram (EEG) as a diagnostic tool for late-onset efavirenz (EFV) neurotoxicity syndrome (LENS), an uncommon but severe and potentially fatal complication of EFV therapy.

Methods

We conducted a Retrospective case-control study. EEGs from confirmed cases of LENS (clinical syndrome and plasma EFV >4ug/mL) recorded from June 2016 to May 2021 were compared with control EEGs from the same time-period. Controls were adults (18–70 years) with a similar indication for EEG (eg. encephalopathy or confusion), dysrhythmia generalised grade II, and LENS excluded. EEGs were reviewed by two blinded interpreters given a description of the characteristic EEG changes, ie. persistent, diffuse, high voltage, bisynchronous, monomorphic 4–7 Hz theta frequency waveforms with transient attenuation on eye opening. Interpreters were asked to determine whether EEGs showed definite, probable or no changes.

Results

Thirteen LENS cases were compared with 50 control EEGs. Interpreter 1 labelled 11/13 LENS cases as having define or probable changes, and interpreter 2 labelled 10/13. Interpreter 1 labelled probable changes in 1/50 controls and interpreter 2 in 3/50. Neither interpreter labelled any controls as having definite changes. Interrater reliability was good with 95% agreement and a Cohen’s kappa of 0.83. Sensitivity of EEG under these conditions for the diagnosis of LENS was 85% and 77% for interpreters 1 and 2 respectively, and specificity was 98% and 94%.

Conclusions

EEG is a useful tool in the diagnosis of LENS which can be used to aid clinical decisions while awaiting EFV levels, or in low-resource settings where EFV levels are not available.
Exploring multisite heterogeneity of human basal cell carcinoma proteome and transcriptome
Authors: Berl Ariel , Shir-az Ofir , Genish Ilai , Biran Hadas , Mann Din , Singh Amrita , Wise Julia , Kravtsov Vladimir , Kidron Debora , Golberg Alexander , Vitkin Edward , Yakhini Zohar , Shalom Avshalom
Published: November 2023

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. Due to multiple, potential underlying molecular tumor aberrations, clinical treatment protocols are not well-defined. This study presents multisite molecular heterogeneity profiles of human BCC based on RNA and proteome profiling. Three areas from lesions excised from 9 patients were analyzed. The focus was gene expression profiles based on proteome and RNA measurements of intra-tumor heterogeneity from the same patient and inter-tumor heterogeneity in nodular, infiltrative, and superficial BCC tumor subtypes from different patients. We observed significant overlap in intra- and inter-tumor variability of proteome and RNA expression profiles, showing significant multisite heterogeneity of protein expression in the BCC tumors. Inter-subtype analysis has also identified unique proteins for each BCC subtype. This profiling leads to a deeper understanding of BCC molecular heterogeneity and potentially contributes to developing new sampling tools for personalized diagnostics therapeutic approaches to BCC.
The gender and age differences in the passengers’ thermal comfort during cooling and heating conditions in vehicles
Authors: Kwak Jiyoung , Chun Chungyoon , Park Jun-Seok , Kim Sanghun , Seo Seokwon
Published: November 2023

The thermal physiological and psychological responses in vehicles, influenced by gender and age, play a crucial role in ensuring passengers’ comfort. However, these differences have often been overlooked. This study aims to comprehensively examine passengers’ thermal comfort and investigate gender and age disparities based on their physiological and psychological responses. Experiments were conducted inside a vehicle placed in a climate chamber under cooling and heating conditions, with the collected data subjected to statistical analysis. The findings reveal that males had significantly higher mean skin temperatures in cooling conditions and lower skin temperatures in heating conditions than females. However, overall thermal sensation and comfort did not significantly differ between genders. Interestingly, age-related differences were observed to a limited extent in both conditions. This study provides valuable insights into passengers’ thermal responses in vehicles, considering the factors of gender and age, thereby contributing to a comprehensive understanding of thermal comfort in a vehicle environment.
Structural and functional analysis of vaccinia viral fusion complex component protein A28 through NMR and molecular dynamic simulations
Authors: Kao Chi-Fei , Tsai Min-Hsin , Carillo Kathleen Joyce , Tzou Der-Lii , Chang Wen
Published: November 2023

Host cell entry of vaccinia virus (a poxvirus) proceeds through multiple steps that involve many viral proteins to mediate cell infection. Upon binding to cells, vaccinia virus membrane fuses with host membranes via a viral entry fusion protein complex comprising 11 proteins: A16, A21, A28, F9, G3, G9, H2, J5, L1, L5 and O3. Despite vaccinia virus having two infectious forms, mature and enveloped, that have different membrane layers, both forms require an identical viral entry fusion complex for membrane fusion. Components of the poxvirus entry fusion complex that have been structurally assessed to date share no known homology with all other type I, II and III viral fusion proteins, and the large number of fusion protein components renders it a unique system to investigate poxvirus-mediated membrane fusion. Here, we determined the NMR structure of a truncated version of vaccinia A28 protein. We also expressed a soluble H2 protein and showed that A28 interacts with H2 protein at a 1:1 ratio in vitro. Furthermore, we performed extensive in vitro alanine mutagenesis to identify A28 protein residues that are critical for H2 binding, entry fusion complex formation, and virus-mediated membrane fusion. Finally, we used molecular dynamic simulations to model full-length A28-H2 subcomplex in membranes. In summary, we characterized vaccinia virus A28 protein and determined residues important in its interaction with H2 protein and membrane components. We also provide a structural model of the A28-H2 protein interaction to illustrate how it forms a 1:1 subcomplex on a modeled membrane.
Cullinan Richards: A visit to the studio, 9 December 2022, Painting Fluid Thinking1
Authors: Key Joan
Published: November 2023

The long-term collaboration of Charlotte Cullinan and Jeanine Richards, originally predicated on painting, extends to its studio management; conceptions of work-sharing; design of formats of presentation and exhibition strategy. This raises a question of how far the conception of ‘a painting’ could hold in a context where paintings’ contiguity with boundaries and processes is already a debate arising from variables explored through shared production. The positioning of painting as ‘installation’ further destabilizes the discreet objecthood of a painting resolved within a solidifying frame. Taking up a conception of fluid materiality as a metaphor for this instability, reference is made to both painting and feminist philosophy: Helen Frankenthaler’s development of a painterly language of fluid applications and Luce Irigaray’s terminology of ‘fluidity’ as a physical and discursive interrelation, based in a double experience of feminine physiology. Frankenthaler’s fluid paint and Irigaray’s poetics of fluidity, devised to imagine a non-hierarchical discourse, are contemporaneous but may have no historic connection. The term ‘fluid’, drawn from both these sources, will be used to read an imaginative and purposeful resistance to idealizing the authority of formal explanations of painting present within Cullinan Richards’s practice.
Editorial
Authors: Sobral Neto Margarida
Published: November 2023

Após um longo tempo de maturação chega, com o cair da folha, o volume 54 da Revista Portuguesa de História. Os artigos nela publicados versam temas vários de História de Portugal e do Império Português e reportam-se a um tempo longo que se inicia no século XIII e termina em 1974. Se fizermos um exercício de integração dos textos em várias áreas temáticas predomina a história social que se cruza com a história económica e a história militar.
Reflections on the debate about the future of portuguese expansion: Morocco and India in clash (1495-1578)
Authors: Staněk Karel
Published: November 2023

The Portuguese Empire started shaping around 1415 in the Atlantic Ocean. It was gradually transformed into a multi-continental empire. Around 1500, it expanded particularly in Asia, at that time known as India, and Morocco, known as Africa or Berberia. At the same time, it possessed other areas in Africa and Brazil. However, too many interests eventually began to manifest negatively. It was so despite the fact that the Crown tried to isolate from the simultaneous European events and Portugal had been engaged exclusively in activities on the world stage. The rationalization of overseas expansion began to be discussed at the domestic political level. A rivalry between Morocco and India as areas of expansion emerged and the possibility of leaving one of those areas began to be considered. This rivalry was present most intensivelly from the discovery of the sea route to India (1498) to the dismantling of most Moroccan fortresses (1542-1550) and determined the character of Portuguese expansion in general. The question of abandonment of Morocco or India was debated for the last time on the occasion of King Sebastião's campaign to Morocco in 1578.
Mulheres contratadoras de rendas, bens e serviços na Idade Moderna: Câmara Municipal e Universidade de Coimbra
Authors: Lopes Maria Antónia
Published: November 2023

Este estudo procurou as mulheres nas suas relações contratuais com uma Câmara Municipal e uma Universidade durante a Época Moderna, propósito que, segundo creio, se intenta pela primeira vez. Depois de se terem clarificado os direitos e restrições legais das mulheres portuguesas da época, percorreram-se os contratos notariais celebrados por essas instituições sediadas em Coimbra. Comprovou-se que todas as tipologias das receitas camarárias e universitárias auferiam do trabalho das mulheres, que também atuaram no âmbito da ação governativa concelhia como arrematantes e administradoras de cobrança de rendas camarárias, licitadoras em hasta pública do fornecimento de bens e serviços à cidade (com e sem monopólio) e fiscalizadoras das vendagens. A administração da Universidade também usufruiu do seu trabalho na cobrança de rendas e na vigilância das vendas na sua feira privilegiada. Sendo impossível que Coimbra constituísse caso único, conclui-se que, embora poucas, as mulheres estiveram presentes na administração local de Antigo Regime, sobretudo na vertente do abastecimento público, que era, na verdade, a principal preocupação das autoridades concelhias. A abolição dos ofícios públicos de propriedade e, sobretudo, a extinção do recurso aos rendeiros/contratadores confinou as mulheres, nessas instituições, às funções humílimas de limpezas, carretos de água e outras do género.
A relação entre e a Intendência Geral da Polícia e as magistraturas régias periféricas: o caso de Óbidos (1780-1806)
Authors: Catarina Duarte Alves Dina
Published: November 2023

A crescente monopolização do sistema judiciário pelo Estado culminou com a criação da Intendência Geral da Polícia da Corte e do Reino em 1760. Esta instituição articulou-se com as magistraturas régias periféricas com vista à punição dos crimes e à modelação das relações sociais a partir de padrões valorativos considerados racionalistas.Neste artigo, elaborado a partir da análise da intensa troca de correspondência entre a Intendência e as magistraturas régias periféricas, nomeadamente entre a corregedoria da Comarca de Alenquer e o magistrado régio de Óbidos, no período compreendido entre 1780 e 1806, pretende-se perscrutar as áreas de atuação da Intendência no espaço em análise, bem como a relação existente entre esta e a magistratura régia obidense nos finais do Antigo Regime.
     Este estudo evidencia uma forte intervenção da Intendência nas áreas da manutenção da ordem e tranquilidade públicas, modelação dos comportamentos morais e recrutamento militar. Revela-se, igualmente, a sua função disciplinadora e de controlo social. No que concerne à sua relação com as magistraturas régias periféricas verifica-se um cerceamento da autonomia das últimas, convertendo-se, doravante, em diligentes executoras das ordens de um Intendente que exercia competências de policiamento, mas, também, judiciais.