bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macroscopic resting state model predicts theta burst stimulation response: A randomized trial
Authors: Kaboodvand Neda , Iravani Behzad , van den Heuvel Martijn P. , Persson Jonas , Boden Robert
Published: March 2023

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising alternative therapy for treatment-resistant depression, although its limited remission rate indicates room for improvement. As depression is a phenomenological construction, the biological heterogeneity within this syndrome needs to be considered to improve the existing therapies. Whole-brain modeling provides an integrative multi-modal framework for capturing disease heterogeneity in a holistic manner.

Computational modelling combined with probabilistic nonparametric fitting was applied to the resting-state fMRI data from 42 patients (21 women), to parametrize baseline brain dynamics in depression. All patients were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, namely active (i.e., rTMS, n = 22) or sham (n = 20). The active treatment group received rTMS treatment with an accelerated intermittent theta burst protocol over the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. The sham treatment group underwent the identical procedure but with the magnetically shielded side of the coil.

We stratified the depression sample into distinct covert subtypes based on their baseline attractor dynamics captured by different model parameters. Notably, the two detected depression subtypes exhibited different phenotypic behaviors at baseline. Our stratification could predict the diverse response to the active treatment that could not be explained by the sham treatment. Critically, we further found that one group exhibited more distinct improvement in certain affective and negative symptoms. The subgroup of patients with higher responsiveness to treatment exhibited blunted frequency dynamics for intrinsic activity at baseline, as indexed by lower global metastability and synchrony.

Our findings suggested that whole-brain modeling of intrinsic dynamics may constitute a determinant for stratifying patients into treatment groups and bringing us closer towards precision medicine.
Predicting functional effects of ion channel variants using new phenotypic machine learning methods
Authors: Boßelmann Christian Malte , Hedrich Ulrike B. S. , Lerche Holger , Pfeifer Nico
Published: March 2023

Missense variants in genes encoding ion channels are associated with a spectrum of severe diseases. Variant effects on biophysical function correlate with clinical features and can be categorized as gain- or loss-of-function. This information enables a timely diagnosis, facilitates precision therapy, and guides prognosis. Functional characterization presents a bottleneck in translational medicine. Machine learning models may be able to rapidly generate supporting evidence by predicting variant functional effects. Here, we describe a multi-task multi-kernel learning framework capable of harmonizing functional results and structural information with clinical phenotypes. This novel approach extends the human phenotype ontology towards kernel-based supervised machine learning. Our gain- or loss-of-function classifier achieves high performance (mean accuracy 0.853 SD 0.016, mean AU-ROC 0.912 SD 0.025), outperforming both conventional baseline and state-of-the-art methods. Performance is robust across different phenotypic similarity measures and largely insensitive to phenotypic noise or sparsity. Localized multi-kernel learning offered biological insight and interpretability by highlighting channels with implicit genotype-phenotype correlations or latent task similarity for downstream analysis.
Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis
Authors: Dantas Katia Cristina , de Freitas—Xavier Roseli Santos , Spina Lombardi Suzete Cleusa Ferreira , Júnior Alfredo Mendroni , da Silva Marcos Vinicius , Criado Paulo Ricardo , de Freitas Vera Lúcia Teixeira , de Almeida Terezinha Morato Bastos
Published: March 2023

Background

Cryptococcosis is a devastating opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals, primarily in people living with HIV/AIDS. This study evaluated a protocol for the early diagnosis of meningitis due to C. neoformans, utilizing established molecular techniques from serum and CSF samples.

Methods

The 18S and 5.8S (rDNA-ITS) sequence-specific nested PCR assays were compared with direct India ink staining and the latex agglutination test for detection of C. neoformans in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 49 Brazilian suspected meningitis patients. Results were validated with samples obtained from 10 patients negative for cryptococcosis and HIV, and by analysis of standard C. neoformans strains.

Principal findings

The 5.8S DNA-ITS PCR was more sensitive (89–100%) and specific (100%) than the 18S rDNA PCR and conventional tests (India ink staining and latex agglutination) for identification of C. neoformans. While the 18S PCR exhibited a sensitivity (72%) similar to that of the latex agglutination assay in serum samples, it was superior to the latex agglutination assay when testing CSF, with a sensitivity of 84%. However, the latex agglutination was superior to the 18SrDNA PCR in specificity in CSF (92%). The 5.8S DNA-ITS PCR yielded the highest levels of accuracy (96–100%) of any test for detection (serological and mycological) of C. neoformans in both serum and CSF.

Conclusion

Use of the nested 5.8S PCR was superior to other techniques for the diagnosis of cryptococcosis. The possibility of using serum, a non-invasively collected material, in a targeted 5.8S PCR analysis to identify Cryptococcus spp. is recommended, especially in immunosuppressed patients. Our results indicate that nested 5.8S PCR can increase the diagnostic capability of cryptococcosis, and we suggest its use to monitor patients in the future.
Epidemiology, management and outcomes of Cryptococcus gattii infections: A 22-year cohort
Authors: O’Hern Jennifer A. , Koenen Adrian , Janson Sonja , Hajkowicz Krispin M. , Robertson Iain K. , Kidd Sarah E. , Baird Robert W. , Tong Steven YC , Davis Joshua S. , Carson Phillip , Currie Bart J. , Ralph Anna P.
Published: March 2023

Background

Cryptococcus gattii is a globally endemic pathogen causing disease in apparently immune-competent hosts. We describe a 22-year cohort study from Australia’s Northern Territory to evaluate trends in epidemiology and management, and outcome predictors.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of all C. gattii infections at the northern Australian referral hospital 1996–2018 was conducted. Cases were defined as confirmed (culture-positive) or probable. Demographic, clinical and outcome data were extracted from medical records.

Results

45 individuals with C. gattii infection were included: 44 Aboriginal Australians; 35 with confirmed infection; none HIV positive out of 38 tested. Multifocal disease (pulmonary and central nervous system) occurred in 20/45 (44%). Nine people (20%) died within 12 months of diagnosis, five attributed directly to C. gattii. Significant residual disability was evident in 4/36 (11%) survivors. Predictors of mortality included: treatment before the year 2002 (4/11 versus 1/34); interruption to induction therapy (2/8 versus 3/37) and end-stage kidney disease (2/5 versus 3/40). Prolonged antifungal therapy was the standard approach in this cohort, with median treatment duration being 425 days (IQR 166–715). Ten individuals had adjunctive lung resection surgery for large pulmonary cryptococcomas (median diameter 6cm [range 2.2-10cm], versus 2.8cm [1.2-9cm] in those managed non-operatively). One died post-operatively, and 7 had thoracic surgical complications, but ultimately 9/10 (90%) treated surgically were cured compared with 10/15 (67%) who did not have lung surgery. Four patients were diagnosed with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome which was associated with age <40 years, brain cryptococcomas, high cerebrospinal fluid pressure, and serum cryptococcal antigen titre >1:512.

Conclusion

C. gattii infection remains a challenging condition but treatment outcomes have significantly improved over 2 decades, with eradication of infection the norm. Adjunctive surgery for the management of bulky pulmonary C. gattii infection appears to increase the likelihood of durable cure and likely reduces the required duration of antifungal therapy.
Epidemiology of secondary infection after snakebites in center-west Brazil
Authors: Soares Coriolano Coutinho João Victor , Fraga Guimarães Taiguara , Borges Valente Bruno , Gomes Martins de Moura Tomich Lísia
Published: March 2023

Background

Snakebites represent a significant health problem in tropical countries, with an annual incidence of 2.7 million cases worldwide. The incidence of secondary infections after snake bites is also high and is usually caused by bacteria from the oral cavity of snakes. Morganella morganii has been identified as an important cause of infections and has been guiding antibiotic therapy in several regions of Brazil and the world.

Methodology/Principal findings

We performed a retrospective cross-sectional evaluation of snakebites in hospitalized patients between January 2018 and November 2019 and selected those with secondary infection in their medical records. During the period, 326 cases of snakebites were treated, and 155 (47.5%) of them eventually had secondary infections. However, only seven patients underwent culture of soft tissue fragments, in which three cases were negative culture results, while Aeromonas hydrophila was identified in four cases. Of these, 75% were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, 50% had intermediate sensitivity to imipenem, and 25% had intermediate sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was not tested on any strain. Of the 155 cases that progressed to secondary infections, 48.4% (75) were empirically treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate, 41.9% (65) with TMP-SMX, and 32 (22%) of these 144 cases required a change to a second regimen, and 10 of these 32 patients required a third therapeutic regimen.

Conclusion

Wild animals act as reservoirs of resistant bacteria because their oral cavity favors biofilm formation, which explains the finding of A. hydrophila with a reduced sensitivity profile in this study. This fact is essential for the appropriate choice of empirical antibiotic therapy.
Xylem vessel type and structure influence the water transport characteristics of Panax notoginseng
Authors: Xu Tianyu , Li Zonglei , Bao Sanlin , Su Yanru , Su Zhouming , Zhi Shuteng , Zheng Ennan
Published: March 2023

Panax notoginseng plays a very important role in medicinal and economic value. The restriction imposed by the hydraulic pathway is considered to be the main limitation on the optimal growth state of Panax notoginseng. The flow resistance and water transport efficiency of vessel were affected by vessel type and secondary thickening structure. The vessel structure parameters of Panax notoginseng were obtained by experimental anatomy, and the flow resistance characteristics were analyzed by numerical simulation. The results showed that the xylem vessels had annular thickening and pit thickening walls. The flow resistance coefficient (ξ) of the pitted thickening vessel was significantly lower than that of annular thickening vessel in four cross-sectional types. The ξ of the circular cross-sectional vessel was the largest, followed by the hexagon, pentagon cross-sectional vessel and the lowest was the quadrilateral cross-sectional vessel, and the structure coefficient (S) was just the opposite. The ξ of the vessel model was positively correlated with the annular height, pitted width and pitted height, and negatively correlated with the annular inscribed circle diameter, annular width, annular spacing, pitted inscribed circle diameter and pitted spacing. Among them, annular (pitted) height and the annular (pitted) inscribed circle diameter had a great influence on the ξ. The increasing and decreasing trend of the S and ξ were opposite in the change of annular (pitted) inscribed circle diameter, and consistent in the change of in other structural parameters, indicating that the secondary wall thickening structure limited the inner diameter of the vessel to maintain a balance between flow resistance and transport efficiency.
Alcohol, tobacco and drug use among adults experiencing homelessness in Accra, Ghana: A cross-sectional study of risk levels and associated factors
Authors: Osei Asibey Benedict , Marjadi Brahmaputra , Conroy Elizabeth
Published: March 2023

Background

Substance use contributes to poor health and increases the risk of mortality in the homeless population. This study assessed the prevalence and risk levels of substance use and associated factors among adults experiencing homelessness in Accra, Ghana.

Methods

305 adults currently experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Accra aged ≥ 18 years were recruited. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was used to assess substance use risk levels. Association of high-risk substance use with sociodemographic, migration, homelessness, and health characteristics were assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Nearly three-quarters (71%, n = 216) of the sample had ever used a substance, almost all of whom engaged in ASSIST-defined moderate-risk (55%) or high-risk (40%) use. Survivors of physical or emotional violence (AOR = 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.89–6.65, p<.001) and sexual violence (AOR = 3.94; 95%CI 1.85–8.39, p<.001) had significantly higher odds of engaging in high-risk substance use, particularly alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis. The likelihood of engaging in high-risk substance use was higher for men than women (AOR = 4.09; 95%CI 2.06–8.12, p<.001) but lower for those in the middle-income group compared to low-income (AOR = 3.94; 95%CI 1.85–8.39, p<.001).

Conclusions

Risky substance use was common among adults experiencing homelessness in Accra, and strongly associated with violent victimisation, gender, and income levels. The findings highlight the urgent need for effective and targeted preventive and health-risk reduction strategies to address risky substance use in the homeless population in Accra and similar cities within Ghana and sub-Sahara Africa with a high burden of homelessness.
Influence of climatic factors on cyanobacteria and green algae development on building surface
Authors: Reboah Paloma , Bolou-Bi Clarisse Balland , Nowak Sophie , Verney-Carron Aurélie
Published: March 2023

Buildings and monuments are often colonized by microorganisms that can result in colour change and aesthetical and physico-chemical damages. This bio-colonization is dependent of the material and on the environment. In order to better understand and correlate the microbial development at the surface of buildings with meteorological parameters, concentration of green algae and cyanobacteria have been measured using an in situ instrument on the wall of a private habitation in the Parisian region during two periods: spring and fall-winter. Different locations were also chosen to assess the influence of the position (horizontal or vertical) and of the situation (shaded vs. sunny microclimate). The results show that the microorganism development rapidly responds to rainfall events but the response is more intense in winter as temperature is lower and relative humidity (RH) higher. Cyanobacteria are less sensitive to this seasonal effect as they are more resistant to desiccation than green algae. Based on all the data, different dose-response functions have been established to correlate RH, rain and temperature to the green algae concentration. The influence of the microclimate is considered via specific fitting parameters. This approach has to be extended to new campaign measurements but could be very useful to anticipate the effect of climate change.
Sparse representation learning derives biological features with explicit gene weights from the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas
Authors: Abbasi Mohammad , Sanderford Connor R. , Raghu Narendiran , Pasha Mirjeta , Bartelle Benjamin B.
Published: March 2023

Unsupervised learning methods are commonly used to detect features within transcriptomic data and ultimately derive meaningful representations of biology. Contributions of individual genes to any feature however becomes convolved with each learning step, requiring follow up analysis and validation to understand what biology might be represented by a cluster on a low dimensional plot. We sought learning methods that could preserve the gene information of detected features, using the spatial transcriptomic data and anatomical labels of the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas as a test dataset with verifiable ground truth. We established metrics for accurate representation of molecular anatomy to find sparse learning approaches were uniquely capable of generating anatomical representations and gene weights in a single learning step. Fit to labeled anatomy was highly correlated with intrinsic properties of the data, offering a means to optimize parameters without established ground truth. Once representations were derived, complementary gene lists could be further compressed to generate a low complexity dataset, or to probe for individual features with >95% accuracy. We demonstrate the utility of sparse learning as a means to derive biologically meaningful representations from transcriptomic data and reduce the complexity of large datasets while preserving intelligible gene information throughout the analysis.
Human resource time commitments and associated costs of Community Caregiver outreach team operations in South Africa
Authors: Mukora Rachel , Thompson Ryan R. , Hippner Piotr , Pelusa Resignation , Mothibi Martha , Lessells Richard , Grant Alison D. , Fielding Katherine , Velen Kavindhran , Charalambous Salome , Dowdy David W. , Sohn Hojoon
Published: March 2023

Introduction

In South Africa, Community Caregivers (CCGs) visit households to provide basic healthcare services including those for tuberculosis and HIV. However, CCG workloads, costs, and time burden are largely unknown. Our objective was to assess the workloads and operational costs for CCG teams operating in different settings in South Africa.

Methods

Between March and October 2018, we collected standardized self-reported activity time forms from 11 CCG pairs working at two public health clinics in Ekurhuleni district, South Africa. CCG workloads were assessed based on activity unit times, per-household visit time, and mean daily number of successful household visits. Using activity-based times and CCG operating cost data, we assessed CCG annual and per-household visit costs (USD 2019) from the health system perspective.

Results

CCGs in clinic 1 (peri-urban, 7 CCG pairs) and 2 (urban, informal settlement; 4 CCG pairs) served an area of 3.1 km2 and 0.6 km2 with 8,035 and 5,200 registered households, respectively. CCG pairs spent a median 236 minutes per day conducting field activities at clinic 1 versus 235 minutes at clinic 2. CCG pairs at clinic 1 spent 49.5% of this time at households (versus traveling), compared to 35.0% at clinic 2. On average, CCG pairs successfully visited 9.5 vs 6.7 households per day for clinics 1 and 2, respectively. At clinic 1, 2.7% of household visits were unsuccessful, versus 28.5% at clinic 2. Total annual operating costs were higher in clinic 1 ($71,780 vs $49,097) but cost per successful visit was lower ($3.58) than clinic 2 ($5.85).

Conclusions

CCG home visits were more frequent, successful, and less costly in clinic 1, which served a larger and more formalized settlement. The variability in workload and cost observed across pairs and clinics suggests that circumstantial factors and CCG needs must be carefully assessed for optimized CCG outreach operations.
Simultaneous real-time PCR detection of nine prevalent sexually transmitted infections using a predesigned double-quenched TaqMan probe panel
Authors: Bui Ha T. V. , Bui Huyen T. , Chu Son V. , Nguyen Huyen T. , Nguyen Anh T. V. , Truong Phuong T. , Dang Thang T. H. , Nguyen Anh T. V.
Published: March 2023

Sexually transmitted diseases are major causes of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and premature birth. Here, we developed a new multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of nine major sexually transmitted infections (STIs) found in Vietnamese women, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and human alphaherpesviruses 1 and 2. A panel containing three tubes × three pathogens/tube was predesigned based on double-quenched TaqMan probes to increase detection sensitivity. There was no cross-reactivity among the nine STIs and other non-targeted microorganisms. Depending on each pathogen, the agreement with commercial kits, sensitivity, specificity, repeatability and reproducibility coefficient of variation (CV), and limit of detection of the developed real-time PCR assay were 99.0%–100%, 92.9%–100%, 100%, <3%, and 8–58 copies/reaction, respectively. One assay cost only 2.34 USD. Application of the assay for the detection of the nine STIs in 535 vaginal swab samples collected from women in Vietnam yielded 532 positive cases (99.44%). Among the positive samples, 37.76% had one pathogen, with G. vaginalis (33.83%) as the most prevalent; 46.36% had two pathogens, with G. vaginalis + C. albicans as the most prevalent combination (38.13%); and 11.78%, 2.99%, and 0.56% had three, four, and five pathogens, respectively. In conclusion, the developed assay represents a sensitive and cost-effective molecular diagnostic tool for the detection of major STIs in Vietnam and is a model for the development of panel detections of common STIs in other countries.
The fear-increasing and fear-decreasing effects of a pilot policy to reduce fear of crime
Authors: Benavente José Miguel , Goya Daniel
Published: March 2023

Fear of crime has been rising persistently in Chile, even in periods where actual crime rates have decreased, making the perception of crime an important policy issue. This paper presents the results of the impact evaluation of a pilot public policy designed to reduce fear of crime around a shopping centre in Santiago, Chile. The pilot policy consisted of installing a team including police officers and local government officials that handed out information leaflets and talked to passers-by about crime prevention. Pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were conducted in the shopping centre where the programme was implemented and in a control shopping centre nearby to identify the causal effects of the policy using a difference-in-differences empirical strategy. The results indicate that the programme was effective in reducing fear of crime around the shopping centre, especially at night among its workers, and that it reduced actual crime. However, a deeper analysis suggests that the programme might have actually increased fear of crime among the individuals who directly interacted with the programme. The reduction in crime might have indirectly resulted in an overall reduction in fear among workers, who are likely to be up to date on criminal occurrences in the area, explaining how an increase in fear in those directly contacted is consistent with an overall reduction in fear across workers.
Performing moderate to severe activity is safe and tolerable for healthy youth while wearing a cloth facemask
Authors: Marticorena Felipe Miguel , Barreto Gabriel Castanho , Guardieiro Natália Mendes , Esteves Gabriel Perri , Oliveira Tamires Nunes , de Oliveira Luana Farias , Pinto Ana Lucia de Sá , Riani Luiz , Prado Danilo Mendes , Saunders Bryan , Gualano Bruno
Published: March 2023

Objective

To investigate if a cloth facemask could affect physiological and perceptual responses to exercise at distinct exercise intensities in healthy young individuals.

Methods

Nine participants (sex, female/male: 6/3; age: 13±1 years; VO2peak: 44.5±5.5 mL/kg/min) underwent a progressive square-wave test at four intensities: (1) 80% of ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT), (2) VAT, and (3) 40% between VAT and V˙O2peak wearing a triple-layered cloth facemask or not. Participants then completed a final stage to exhaustion at a running speed equivalent to the maximum achieved during the cardio-respiratory exercise test (Peak). Physiological, metabolic, and perceptual measures were measured.

Results

Mask did not affect spirometry (forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume; all p≥0.27), respiratory (inspiratory capacity, end-expiratory volume [EELV] to functional vital capacity ratio, EELV, respiratory frequency [Rf], tidal volume [VT], Rf/VT, end-tidal carbo dioxide pressure, ventilatory equivalent to carbon dioxide ratio; all p≥0.196), hemodynamic (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure; all p>0.41), ratings of perceived exertion (p = 0.04) or metabolic measures (lactate; p = 0.78) at rest or at any exercise intensity.

Conclusions

This study shows that performing moderate to severe activity is safe and tolerable for healthy youth while wearing a cloth facemask.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04887714.
Assembly and regulation of the mammalian mRNA processing body
Authors: Bloch Donald B. , Sinow Claire O. , Sauer Andrew J. , Corman Benjamin H. P.
Published: March 2023

Messenger RNA processing bodies (P-bodies) are cytoplasmic membrane-free organelles that contain proteins involved in mRNA silencing, storage and decay. The mechanism by which P-body components interact and the factors that regulate the stability of these structures are incompletely understood. In this study, we used a fluorescence-based, two-hybrid assay to investigate interactions between P-body components that occur inside the cell. LSm14a, PATL1, XRN1, and NBDY were found to interact with the N-terminal, WD40-domain-containing portion of EDC4. The N-terminus of full-length PATL1 was required to mediate the interaction between EDC4 and DDX6. The C-terminal, alpha helix-domain- containing portion of EDC4 was sufficient to mediate interaction with DCP1a and CCHCR1. In the absence of endogenous P-bodies, caused by depletion of LSm14a or DDX6, expression of the portion of EDC4 that lacked the N-terminus retained the ability to form cytoplasmic dots that were indistinguishable from P-bodies at the level of UV light microscopy. Despite the absence of endogenous P-bodies, this portion of EDC4 was able to recruit DCP1a, CCHCR1 and EDC3 to cytoplasmic dots. The results of this study permit the development of a new model of P-body formation and suggest that the N-terminus of EDC4 regulates the stability of these structures.
Transcriptomic profile comparison of monocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients in treatment with methotrexate, anti-TNFa, abatacept or tocilizumab
Authors: Talmon Maria , Percio Marcella , Obeng Joyce Afrakoma , Ruffinatti Federico A. , Sola Daniele , Sainaghi Pier Paolo , Bellis Emanuela , Cusinato Stefano , Ianniello Aurora , Fresu Luigia G.
Published: March 2023

It is well documented that patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have distinct susceptibility to the different biologic DMARDs available on the market, probably because of the many facets of the disease. Monocytes are deeply involved in the pathogenesis of RA and we therefore evaluated and compared the transcriptomic profile of monocytes isolated from patients on treatment with methotrexate alone or in combination with tocilizumab, anti-TNFα or abatacept and from healthy donors. Whole-genome transcriptomics yielded a list of regulated genes by Rank Product statistics and DAVID was then used for functional annotation enrichment analysis. Last, data were validated by qRT-PCR. Abatacept, tocilizumab and anti-TNFa cohorts were separately compared with methotrexate, leading to the identification of 78, 6, and 436 differentially expressed genes, respectively. The upper-most ranked genes were related to inflammatory processes and immune responses. Such an approach draws the genomic profile of monocytes in treated RA patients and lays the basis for finding gene signature for tailored therapeutic choices.
Untangling the systematic dilemma behind the roughskin spurdog Cirrhigaleus asper (Merrett, 1973) (Chondrichthyes: Squaliformes), with phylogeny of Squalidae and a key to Cirrhigaleus species
Authors: Viana Sarah , Soares Karla D. A.
Published: March 2023

Cirrhigaleus comprises a small genus of rare barbel-bearing dogfish sharks with distributions in limited regions of all oceans. Generic validity and taxonomic status of some species are upon controversies by morphological and molecular evidence that often suggest reallocation of Cirrhigaleus species into the genus Squalus. Particularly, the roughskin spurdog C. asper exhibits intermediary morphological characteristics within Squalidae that requires clarification. In the present study, a phylogenetic approach was undertaken to test the correct generic placement of C. asper using novel and revised morphological characters. We performed maximum parsimony analysis of 51 morphological characters of the internal (e.g., neurocranium, clasper cartilages, pectoral and pelvic girdles) and external anatomy applied to 13 terminal taxa. Cirrhigaleus represents a valid genus and it is supported by eight synapomorphies: high number of monospondylous vertebrae; medial nasal lobe supported by fleshy core and innervated by the buccopharyngeal branch of the facial nerve; neurocranium with greatest width across nasal capsules; one facet and one condyle in the puboischiadic bar for articulating with the basipterygium; two intermediate segments between the basipterygium of the pelvic fin and the axial cartilage of the claspers; five terminal clasper cartilages; and posterior medial process of the puboischiadic bar absent. Cirrhigaleus asper is sister-species to a small clade comprising C. barbifer and C. australis which is supported by one synapomorphy, presence of conspicuous cusplets in the dermal denticles. Cirrhigaleus barbifer, C. asper and C. australis are redescribed herein and the neotype of C. barbifer is designated. A key to Cirrhigaleus species is also given and the inner relationships within Squalus is tentatively discussed.
Neighborhood social organization exposures and racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension risk in Los Angeles
Authors: Sharp Gregory , Carpiano Richard M.
Published: March 2023

Despite a growing evidence base documenting associations between neighborhood characteristics and the risk of developing high blood pressure, little work has established the role played by neighborhood social organization exposures in racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension risk. There is also ambiguity around prior estimates of neighborhood effects on hypertension prevalence, given the lack of attention paid to individuals’ exposures to both residential and nonresidential spaces. This study contributes to the neighborhoods and hypertension literature by using novel longitudinal data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey to construct exposure-weighted measures of neighborhood social organization characteristics—organizational participation and collective efficacy—and examine their associations with hypertension risk, as well as their relative contributions to racial/ethnic differences in hypertension. We also assess whether the hypertension effects of neighborhood social organization vary across our sample of Black, Latino, and White adults. Results from random effects logistic regression models indicate that adults living in neighborhoods where people are highly active in informal and formal organizations have a lower probability of being hypertensive. This protective effect of exposure to neighborhood organizational participation is also significantly stronger for Black adults than Latino and White adults, such that, at high levels of neighborhood organizational participation, the observed Black-White and Black-Latino hypertension differences are substantially reduced to nonsignificance. Nonlinear decomposition results also indicate that almost one-fifth of the Black-White hypertension gap can be explained by differential exposures to neighborhood social organization.
Modes of Perception: Paris Note as a Symbol of Emigration in the Novel by G.I. Gazdanov “Night roads”
Authors: Kukhtenkova Anastasia
Published: March 2023

The article presents the representation of sensory sensations in textual discourse. Perceptual image of the Parisian text, emigration in the novel by G.I. Gazdanov “Night Roads” is considered as an interpretive code that explains the specifics of the emigrant reception. The problem of artistic perceptivity is relevant and at the moment there is a need for research focused on studying the phenomenon of perception as a factor in text formation. The article analyzes the following contextual features of the use of linguo-poetic means characteristic of the author's idiostyle: perceptual metaphor, perceptual oxymoron, comparison, allusions, and others that create a sensory sensation. Text-forming and conceptually significant perceptual contrasting metaphors are revealed, corresponding to the opposition of the motives of one's own and another's world, present and past, night and day Paris. The article notes the close relationship of human mental activity with sensory, namely auditory, olfactory perception of reality, as well as the synergistic integrity of the processes of perception and state in the artistic space of G.I. Gazdanov.
Ways of Creating the Gender Identity of a Woman-Politician in Contemporary Political Discourse (by the Example of the Name the iron lady/die eiserne Lady and its Modifications in German).
Authors: Nefedova Lyubov , Polonyankina Nadezhda
Published: March 2023

The article is devoted to the study of the features of the construction of the gender identity of a female politician in modern political discourse on the material of the nickname the iron lady (German: die eiserne Lady) - the iron lady and its modifications in German, which were selected from various sources: popular online publications of the German presses; German-language Internet sites dedicated to the nicknames of famous contemporary politicians. The study was carried out in line with gender linguistics, which studies the totality of social, cultural and psychological aspects of “female” in comparison with “male”. In the article, the components of the gender identity structure are considered as a manipulative tool in political discourse, gender construction strategies are identified that contribute to the creation of a positive socio-personal portrait of a woman politician. As a result of the study, it was proved that a positive image of a political leader correlates with the sphere of masculinity, however, women politicians tend to compile the features of male and female communication styles in their political activities.
“Bulgarin's Manor” by F.V.B.: on the Question of the Properties of Network Paraliterature
Authors: Kozlov Alexey
Published: March 2023

The article analyzes the anonymous poetic text “Bulgarin's Manor”, which is a small anonymous poem published on the Internet systems Ridero and Amazon on February 2, 2022 under the laconic cryptonym F.V.B., referring to the initials of one of the main anti-heroes of Russian literature - Faddey Venediktovich Bulgarin. This context, connected with Russian-Estonian relations, on the one hand, and the history of Russian literature, on the other, seems to us the most significant for commentary. Based on historical and literary observations and reconstructing the historical and cultural contexts reflected in the textual structures of the work, we show how the anecdotes that accompany the personality of Thaddeus Bulgarin (1789-1859) and the myths that describe the history of Karlovo are transformed in a naive, amateur mind. Special attention is paid to the explicit intertext, represented primarily by the works of Nicolay Gogol and Prosper Merimee and implicit intertextual connections leading to the work of Alexander Pushkin. The study of the work allows us to be convinced of the total mastery of the idea of a palimpsest by modern actors of network literature.
“Zdes'” is not “Tut”: Some Remarks on the Deixis of Oral Mythological Stories
Authors: Chervaneva Victoria
Published: March 2023

The article examines the functioning of two spatial deictics “zdes'” and “tut” in the system of mythological story based on the material of the Northern Russian tradition. The analysis made it possible to reveal the composition of the meanings they represent, the quantitative ratio of these units, and the modes of use. The presence of specialization of these deictic units in the oral narrative has been established: “zdes'”, in all spatial meanings, it is used exclusively as a deictic of the speech mode and it is indicating of the speaker's location in the actual situation of speech. The lexeme “tut” is used both in the speech mode and in the narrative mode – as a means images of the situation of the text relative to the character or the observer (this feature is observed only if a specific limited area of space is designated by this word), which allows us to conclude that this lexeme performs the function of a means of narrating and modeling the chronotope of the text, separated from the actual situation of speech.
Anniversary of the International Scientific Conference "Onomastics of the Volga Region"
Authors: Bubnova Nina
Published: March 2023

The article describes the range of onomastic studies identified at the XX International Scientific Conference "Onomastics of the Volga Region", which took place October 5‒7, 2022 at the Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov with the assistance of the Russian Society of Teachers of the Russian Language and Literature. At the plenary and breakout sessions, reports were heard and discussed on the consideration of the theoretical and methodological aspects of onomastics (including the use of onomastic material in the educational process), modern problems of anthroponymy and ethnonymy, toponymy and microtoponymy; the study of urban onomastic space, literary and folklore onomastics, as well as onomastic periphery and appellative-onomastic borderland. For the first time, individual thematic blocks made reports that dealt with the issues of zoonymy, microtoponymy, theonymy and ethnonymy. As a result of the conference, the actual tasks of onomastics of the 21st century were identified, debatable issues and research prospects were identified.
Limits to Supply Chain Resilience
Authors: Selwyn Benjamin
Published: March 2023

Capital, Ben Selwyn writes, has been advancing its interests under the guise of protecting "global supply chain resilience." While those promoting the resilience agenda assert that these supply chains represent a net benefit, evidence suggests that they increase the transfer of surplus value from the Global North and, especially, in the. South.
Introduction
Authors: Hanuš Jiří
Published: March 2023

Introduction
A Conference Report: ‘The Role of Beauty in Being and Becoming Human: An Interdisciplinary Perspective’ (19–22 May 2022, Fortna monastery, Prague)
Authors: Noble Tim
Published: March 2023

A Conference Report
A Conference Report: ‘The Process of Maturing: Human Childhood and Adulthood in a Theological Perspective’ (2–5 September 2021, Fortna monastery, Prague)
Authors: Ryšková Mireia , Ovečka Libor
Published: March 2023

A Conference Report
Factibilidad económico-constructiva del carrizo, el mimbre y el polvo de mármol para elaborar cadenas en muros
Authors: Pérez-Gómez-Martínez Gonzalo José Francisco , Rubio-Sánchez José Guadalupe , Ponce-Palafox Cesar , Salgado-Conrado Lizbeth , Esmeralda-Gómez Alma Graciela
Published: March 2023

La investigación tuvo el propósito de definir un sistema alternativo para la construcción del marco rígido de la vivienda. Con tal fin, se fijó el objetivo de comprobar si un refuerzo para el concreto podría lograrse con una estructura conformada por caña de carrizo y vara de mimbre. La base teórica de la investigación comprendió el análisis de referencias relacionadas con la problemática del costo de la vivienda, tanto de antecedentes como de definición del marco conceptual. La metodología comprendió primeramente una revisión documental, para poder llevar a cabo un trabajo de tipo experimental en laboratorio, y desarrollar la parte matemática para la definición de resultados. De los ensayos realizados se pudo constatar que dalas y castillos, con una estructura principal de carrizo y estribos de mimbre, para reforzar un concreto que sustituye una parte de arena por polvo de mármol, pueden tener un adecuado comportamiento estructural y, en tal sentido, brindar seguridad a la construcción. Así pues, por su costo, más accesible, dichos materiales son viables para ser utilizados en la autoconstrucción de viviendas.
Comportamiento térmico de la arcilla cocida en espacios construidos, en el clima cálido semihúmedo de Cúcuta
Authors: Rico-García Sanyern Y
Published: March 2023

La investigación determina el comportamiento térmico de la arcilla cocida en espacios construidos, mediante el levantamiento de dos módulos independientes sin aperturas y con aislamiento, en las fachadas horizontales (base y cubierta); uno de dichos módulos, con bloque en arcilla cocida N.° 5 de dimensiones 1,66 m  1,66 m  h = 1,73 m, y otro, con ladrillo macizo en arcilla cocida, de dimensiones 1,67 m  1,67 m  h = 1,73 m, con la aplicación de una variable independiente en mortero 1:4 de 0,015 m de espesor. Se tomó, mediante el registro horario de temperatura y humedad (interior y exterior del módulo), el comportamiento del material en las dos etapas que precisa el clima de Cúcuta; estas son: la temporada de temperaturas altas (25 días) y la de precipitación (29 días). Por ello, el objetivo principal de la investigación fue establecer el comportamiento térmico de los dos productos más usados en el sistema constructivo de mampostería confinada, siguiendo la hipótesis argumentativa de que los dos productos en arcillas ofertados por el mercado responden de forma adecuada a las determinantes climáticas de la ciudad de Cúcuta, por medio del aporte de inercia térmica y amortiguamiento, como estrategia bioclimática de diseño. Por consiguiente, de acuerdo con el análisis de resultados, se concluyó que el módulo construido con bloque N.° 5 responde mejor a las condiciones climáticas de Cúcuta, al mostrar un mejor comportamiento, en comparación al módulo construido en ladrillo macizo.
Estrategias de diseño urbano táctico en los lugares de memoria: el caso del parque Bosque de la República, en Tunja
Authors: Pardo-Parada Linda Carolina
Published: March 2023

Los lugares de memoria urbanos, como lo son los parques patrimoniales, representan espacios de una gran complejidad, manifiesta en las tensiones sociales que allí se presentan. El propósito de la investigación fue estudiar el caso del parque Bosque de la República, de Tunja, identificando y analizando todo aquello que hace parte de su significación cultural, que define su valor como patrimonio de la capital boyacense. La necesidad de una gestión adecuada del lugar, de carácter público-patrimonial, es oportuna para plantear estrategias desde el diseño urbano, encaminadas a resolver satisfactoriamente problemáticas y a reconocer a los actores locales como parte esencial de cualquier proyecto por realizar. Se presenta el estudio de dos herramientas metodológicas como respuesta estratégica a las problemáticas y las necesidades del lugar: el urbanismo táctico y el placemaking, con las cuales los procesos bottom-up, creativos y a corto plazo, incentivan el desarrollo comunitario, el desarrollo económico local, la inclusión social, la preponderancia del medio ambiente y, en general, la calidad de vida de los ciudadanos. Estas metodologías consideran al reconocimiento de los valores del lugar la base para plantear proyectos que generen un sistema de resignificación y activación del lugar de memoria y, en sí, de la ciudad misma.
Extraction of Validating Shapes from Very Large Knowledge Graphs
Authors: Rabbani Kashif , Lissandrini Matteo , Hose Katja
Published: March 2023

Knowledge Graphs (KGs) represent heterogeneous domain knowledge on the Web and within organizations. There exist shapes constraint languages to define
validating shapes
to ensure the quality of the data in KGs. Existing techniques to extract validating shapes often fail to extract complete shapes, are not scalable, and are prone to produce spurious shapes. To address these shortcomings, we propose the Quality Shapes Extraction (QSE) approach to extract validating shapes in very large graphs, for which we devise both an exact and an approximate solution. QSE provides information about the reliability of shape constraints by computing their confidence and support within a KG and in doing so allows to identify shapes that are most informative and less likely to be affected by incomplete or incorrect data. To the best of our knowledge, QSE is the first approach to extract a complete set of validating shapes from WikiData. Moreover, QSE provides a 12x reduction in extraction time compared to existing approaches, while managing to filter out up to 93% of the invalid and spurious shapes, resulting in a reduction of up to 2 orders of magnitude in the number of constraints presented to the user, e.g., from 11,916 to 809 on DBpedia.
ACTA: Autonomy and Coordination Task Assignment in Spatial Crowdsourcing Platforms
Authors: Li Boyang , Cheng Yurong , Yuan Ye , Yang Yi , Jin QianQian , Wang Guoren
Published: March 2023

Spatial platforms have become increasingly important in people's daily lives. Task assignment is a critical problem in these platforms that matches real-time orders to suitable workers. Most studies only focus on independent platforms that are in a competitive relationship. Recently, an emerging service model was proposed, where orders are shared with multiple similar platforms. It aims to solve the imbalance between supply and demand through cooperation. However, it faces the following main challenges: 1) Coordinating independent platforms fairly based on the limited information; 2) Building a task assignment process with personalized algorithms. In this paper, we study real applications and define the Autonomy and Coordination Task Assignment problem (ACTA) to maximize the global revenue and fairness. We propose a framework to solve ACTA that consists of public order sending, local matching, global conflict adjustment and results notification. The framework uses mid-products and public data to train a revenue estimation model to coordinate participants. We further propose dynamic weight task assignment algorithms to guarantee fairness. Through the experiments, we prove that the platforms can obtain higher revenue, which shows the effectiveness and efficiency of our work.
On the Risks of Collecting Multidimensional Data Under Local Differential Privacy
Authors: Arcolezi Héber H. , Gambs Sébastien , Couchot Jean-François , Palamidessi Catuscia
Published: March 2023

The private collection of multiple statistics from a population is a fundamental statistical problem. One possible approach to realize this is to rely on the local model of differential privacy (LDP). Numerous LDP protocols have been developed for the task of frequency estimation of single and multiple attributes. These studies mainly focused on improving the utility of the algorithms to ensure the server performs the estimations accurately. In this paper, we investigate privacy threats (re-identification and attribute inference attacks) against LDP protocols for multidimensional data following two state-of-the-art solutions for frequency estimation of multiple attributes. To broaden the scope of our study, we have also experimentally assessed five widely used LDP protocols, namely, generalized randomized response, optimal local hashing, subset selection, RAPPOR and optimal unary encoding. Finally, we also proposed a countermeasure that improves both utility and robustness against the identified threats. Our contributions can help practitioners aiming to collect users' statistics privately to decide which LDP mechanism best fits their needs.