bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A biopsychosocial approach to death, dying, and bereavement: a course on end-of-life education for medical students
Authors: Kripalani Simran , Joy Sandra , Raizada Shivani , Cerceo Elizabeth
Published: November 2022

Background: Despite the inevitable nature of death and dying, the conversations surrounding this subject are still uncomfortable for many physicians and medical students.

Methods: A six-week humanities-based course, “A Biopsychosocial Approach to Death, Dying, & Bereavement,” at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, United States, which covers definitions of death and dying, the process of dying, ethical dilemmas, and new concepts of the grieving process. Through development of a curriculum using various academic and medical literature and resources, we sought to bring attention to the necessity of having a medical education curriculum on death and dying to prepare medical students for the difficult conversations and patient experiences that lie ahead of them. Qualitative data in the form of surveys and reflection papers submitted by students and quantitative data (Likert scores on course satisfaction) were collected and analyzed both pre- and post-course.

Results: 90.7% (49/54) of the respondents answered that they agree or strongly agree with the statement that this selective course was useful in the student’s medical education experience. The top three qualitative themes brought up the most in reflection papers (n=54) were: the utility and instruction of the course (21 times), the importance of hospice and palliative care (20 times), avoidance around topics of death (15 times).

Conclusions: Medical students are often not prepared to cope with the realities of patient loss and of caring for the patient and their families throughout the dying process. We created this course to familiarize medical students with an aspect of the medical experience that is frequently neglected in traditional medical curricula. We learned that integrating such a course can help educate medical students facilitate important conversations, teach them to act with kindness and dignity in a physician-patient setting, and enhance their personal understanding of death and dying.
The use of Karelian language online: Current trends and challenges
Authors: Moshnikov Ilia
Published: November 2022

This article looks to analyze the use of the Karelian language on the internet and especially on social media platforms. The study is based on a survey carried out among Karelian speakers at the end of 2021. The survey was implemented in the Karelian language and received 161 responses, mostly from Finland, but also from Russia and other countries. The survey consists of questions related to the use of Karelian in daily life and online. The benefits, challenges, and needs related to the use of Karelian online are also explored. The results show that 40% of the respondents use the Karelian language online on a daily basis. Karelian is visible on all of the popular social media platforms, with the most popular being Facebook and Instagram, although the use of TikTok is still rare. However, it is considered that popular social media platforms would benefit from more content in Karelian, in order to support the visibility and revitalization of the Karelian language.

Kokkuvõte. Ilia Moshnikov: Karjala keele kasutus veebis: hetkeseis ja väljakutsed. Artikkel analüüsib karjala keele kasutust internetis, keskendudes eriti sotsiaalmeedia platvormidele. Uurimus põhineb andmetel, mis on kogutud karjala keele kõnelejatelt 2021. a lõpus. Küsitlusele vastas 161 informanti, peamiselt Soomest, aga ka Venemaalt ja mujalt. Küsitlus oli koostatud karjala keeles. Esitatud küsimused puudutavad karjala keele kasutamist igapäevaelus ja veebis. Uuritakse ka seda, mida peetakse karjala keele veebis kasutamisel kasulikuks, mida aga väljakutseks, samuti vajadusi, mis karjala keele veebis kasutamisel esile tõusevad. Tulemused näitavad, et 40% vastanutest kasutab karjala keelt veebis igapäevaselt. Karjala keel on esil kõikidel populaarsetel sotsiaalmeedia platvormidel, mille hulgast tõusevad esile Facebook ja Instagram. Seevastu TikTokis kasutatakse karjala keelt veel harva. Peetakse vajalikuks, et populaarsetel sotsiaalmeedia platvormidel oleks rohkem karjalakeelset sisu, sest see toetaks karjala keele nähtavust ja revitalisatsiooni.
RESSONÂNCIA E REINVENÇÃO: DEBATE E PRÁTICA URBANA ANTES DA REVOLUÇÃO PORTUGUESA
Authors: Figueiredo Rute , Seco Rui
Published: November 2022

Nos anos sessenta do século xx, as redes impressas de disseminação arquitectónica ampliavam a escala de interacção e conectavam geografias distantes, proporcionando contacto com novas ideias de organização do território e do habitat, numa sociedade em rápida mudança, sob pressão demográfica e territorial, e com um imaginário graficamente contaminado pela evolução tecnológica. Em contraste, a resposta ao problema de escassez de habitação em Portugal era marcada por paisagens “pessimistas”, em territórios sujeitos a um não‑planeamento. Este artigo procura compreender até que ponto a ressonância dos conteúdos e do debate crítico internacional, amplamente mediatizados pelos periódicos especializados, se projectou na investigação de modelos habitacionais, nas formas de representação e na reinvenção das práticas do planeamento urbano em Portugal, no final da década de sessenta. A partir da análise qualitativa de textos, conteúdos e imagens publicados nas revistas Arquitectura e Binário, e da documentação de arquivo original do caso concreto do Plano Integrado de Almada —momento primeiro de experimentação—, verifica-se a influência desta perspectiva crítica ampliada na procura e definição de soluções, notória no modo como a concepção arquitectónica se foca nos sistemas geradores e de agregação, visando a flexibilidade e adaptabilidade, em lugar das anteriores preocupações com a composição formal.
EDIFICIO EXPERIMENTAL EN MALECÓN Y F (LA HABANA, 1967). LA EXPRESIÓN ARQUITECTÓNICA DE TRADICIÓN Y MODERNIDAD EN LA CUBA REVOLUCIONARIA
Authors: Pedrós Fernández Óscar
Published: November 2022

De entre las arquitecturas brutalistas que se apoyaron en la formalización exterior de las circulaciones como parte de su lenguaje escultórico, destaca el Edificio experimental en Malecón y F en La Habana (Edificio Girón, 1967) de Antonio Quintana Simonetti y Alberto Rodríguez Surribas. Coetáneo —incluso anterior— a planteamientos europeos análogos, este edificio de viviendas se convirtió en el primer gran experimento de la arquitectura moderna en Cuba y abrió el camino a la modernización del país tras el triunfo de la Revolución. Un edificio tan pionero como poco conocido, sobre el que apenas existen reseñas bibliográficas y el acceso a la documentación no ha sido posible y que amenaza ruina. El texto que sigue encuadra y ofrece una visión analítica y crítica del Edificio Girón a través de documentación gráfica inédita elaborada a partir de un levantamiento realizado in situ, con un doble objetivo: por un lado, la lectura de una arquitectura revolucionaria en donde la máquina provoca una configuración espacial atípica, cuyo lenguaje y resultado final terminan por sublimar la idea que vio nacer el proyecto sin suplantar a la arquitectura; por otro lado, la necesidad de perpetuar —ante el alto grado de deterioro que presenta el edificio— y la escasez de fuentes, el legado de su arquitectura, contextualizando las decisiones de proyecto con las ideas surgidas desde la Revolución, las influencias europeas y de los CIAM y su dialéctica con la tradición arquitectónica cubana, la aparición de la tecnología y la decidida apuesta de sus creadores.
GAIA CARAMELINO; STÉPHANIE DADOUR (a cura di): THE HOUSING PROJECT: DISCOURSES, IDEALS, MODELS, AND POLITICS IN 20TH-CENTURY EXHIBITIONS
Authors: Benetti Alessandro
Published: November 2022

La casa e la mostra d’architettura sono i due oggetti di ricerca che s’incrociano in The Housing Project. Discourses Ideals, Models and Politics in 20th century exhibitions, co-curato da Gaia Caramellino e Stephanie Dadour nel 2020 per i tipi di Leuven Press. Il volume s’ispira alle discussioni del convegno On the Role of 20th Century Exhibitions in Shaping Housing Discourses (2016, ENSA Paris Malaquais e Politecnico di Milano). I dieci saggi di altrettanti autori europei e americani esplorano il ruolo delle mostre come medium in una fase cruciale di elaborazione e circolazione internazionale delle tante declinazioni della casa moderna, tra gli anni 1920 e 1970. Sono organizzati in due parti, che approfondiscono rispettivamente il ruolo delle mostre come spazi di traduzione e di mediazione. Caramellino e Dadour prendono le distanze da un approccio monografico e collocano le tante e diverse esperienze espositive in una cornice più ampia, sul piano disciplinare e geografico.
Polisemia systematyczna i współpredykacja
Authors: Czelakowska Anna
Published: November 2022

SYSTEMATIC POLYSEMY AND CO-PREDICATION The author of the article discusses the polysemy of nouns, distinguishing polysemy motivated by metonymy (called here derivative polysemy), and so-called logical polysemy in which the meanings are so strictly related to each other that one has to perceive them as a part of a complex meaning or a global notional unit. The author discusses the concepts of J. Pustejovsky and A. Cruse, focusing on the polysemy of units meaning institutions. In order to analyse them, the author of the article uses the co-predication test aiming at checking language ambiguity. In the conclusion, she attempts to explain the fortuitousness of the co-predication test in the indicated group of units, changed as compared to the discussed theoretical approaches. Various readings of the words in question are treated as aspects of the general notional structure of one lexical unit (quasi-polysemic aspects) that are more or less linguistically fixed and depend of one’s knowledge of the world which enables combined conceptualization of all the aspects.
Zur Anwendung piktographischer Elemente in popkulturellen Kurztexten am Beispiel des Herz-Piktogramms
Authors: Kapuścińska Anna
Published: November 2022

ON THE USE OF PICTOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS IN POP-CULTURAL SHORT TEXTS ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE HEART PICTOGRAM The article focuses on the use of pictographic elements in short texts of the pop-culture based on the example of the heart pictogram in the utterances which are built according to the pattern: ‘I ♥ ...’. It addresses two basic aspects of its use. The first one is the fact of combining two different semiotic codes: language and an iconic code in one sentence. This quite rare transsemiotic unit is understandable merely on the basis of an established convention, due to which the pictogram of a heart can be effortlessly encoded as `love’. The second aspect, which is also based on the convention, is the replaceability of the elements of a short text. It is especially plausible when the pictogram of a heart is replaced by other pictograms. However, after such a change, the primary meaning of the short text remains legible even if the implemented pictograms have an entirely different meaning.
Pamięć o Żydach w wielkich słownikach języka polskiego. Rekonesans. cz. II
Authors: Chlebda Wojciech
Published: November 2022

REMEMBRANCE OF JEWS IN GREAT DICTIONARIES OF POLISH LANGUAGE: RECONNAISSANCE Nine centuries of Polish-Jewish contacts in all spheres of life left a mark in Polish. The author of the article decided to check how great and how durable this trace is, looking in the great dictionaries of the Polish language for units considered as carriers of the memory of Jews. The author asks the question which prejudges the fact that a certain unit of language can be considered as a carrier of the memory of Jews. Also, the author attempts to establish in which linguistic forms this Jewish element can be manifested in dictionaries. The trial analysis examined the presence of 240 carriers of memory (“verbal judaics”), sampled from journals, memoir literature and tourist guides published after 2000, in two dictionaries intended for the mass audience: the Dictionary of Polish edited by M. Szymczak, and An Alternative Polish Dictionary edited by M. Bańko. It turned out that these dictionaries recorded only 25% of the collected corps of verbal judaics, often depriving the definitions of these units of the Jewish component. The author reflects on the social consequences of this state of affairs and its relationship with the “collective narcissism” of the Polish society and the historical policy pursued by the Polish state.
Przejście na ty jako demokratyzacja w języku polskim. Analiza danych ankietowych
Authors: Kawamoto Yumeko
Published: November 2022

TRANSITION TO FIRST-NAME BASIS AS DEMOCRATIZATION IN POLISH LANGUAGE: ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY RESPONSES

The topic of this paper is transition to first-name basis (przejście na ty) in Polish, which one of the most important research topics in the field of Polish linguistic politeness. The transition to first-name basis can be seen as a phenomenon of democratization in language, because, as some of the Polish linguists describe, it creates a sense of equality, which is one of the basic elements of democracy. The results of a multi-stage survey proved that, in general, Polish people positively evaluate the contemporary tendency of faster transition to first-name basis. The analysis of the comments from the questionnaire survey showed that many people consider this tendency as a positive phenomenon in linguistic communication and treat it as an effective way of reducing the unnecessary distance which exists between interlocutors. However, it is worth keeping in mind that there are also negative effects of an inconsiderate decision to move to first-name basis, as mentioned by some of the survey respondents. This study has shown that the combination of several methods allows researchers to take a fresh perspective on the dynamic process of democratization in language and its perception among the users of a given language.
O rozwoju dyskursywnej funkcji form rozkazujących (na przykładzie słuchaj)
Authors: Pastuch Magdalena
Published: November 2022

The article aims to present the process of forming the discursive function of the imperative form of the verb słuchać (słuchaj). These changes were presented as an example of the process of pragmaticalization. The analysis referred to contemporary and historical semantic context and the syntactic distribution of the form słuchaj. The author listed the conditions in which the form słuchaj should be acknowledged as a discourse marker. The diachronic viewing of the linguistic data attests that there were two triggers in the development of this new function: the regular (systemic) meaning of the imperative mood and the occurrences detached from the etymological meaning.
Content Marketing Analysis of Body Positivity Campaign on Instagram:
Authors: Swastika Gabriela , Audrey Felicia , Purnomo Felita
Published: November 2022

Women often lack confidence in their body shape. Apart from the lack of confidence, women’s bodies are also the target of humiliation and harassment, such as body shaming, especially on social media. With these problems, various organizations and business enterprises have sprung up. One of them is Nipplets, an online shop that sells lingerie. Nipplets has launched a “Real People Real Body” (RPRB) campaign to involve their customers as models to represent lingerie products. The problem formulation in this study is how to analyze the content of the RPRB campaign on the @nipplets_official Instagram account. This study aims to determine the role of the RPRB campaign in Nipplets content marketing using posts, hashtags #realpeoplerealbody, and tags or mentions. The theoretical foundations used in this study include representation, campaign theory, and social media marketing. This study used a descriptive approach within the textual analysis. The RPRB I campaign was an initiative to spread awareness of body positivity. The RPRB II campaign was considered successful in symbolizing the muse. In contrast, the RPRB III campaign was a continuation of the campaign using relevant tags consistently and in line with images and captions. The RPRB campaign trilogy by Nipplets has completed the interaction, which can be marked by customers wearing Nipplets lingerie products. The RPRB I, II, and III involvement support the marketing of Nipplets lingerie to answer the phenomenon of humiliating women’s bodies in Indonesia.
Lock-in range in a semiconductor ring laser gyroscope
Authors: Lariontsev E. G.
Published: November 2022

A locking range in a semiconductor ring laser (SRL) is theoretically
analyzed. The simplified model accounting for the specific features of
a SRL uses the carrier diffusion and the linewidth enhancement factor.
For stabilization of the steady-state bidirectional lasing, we
introduce in this model an active feedback loop that creates the
intracavity losses proportional to the intensity difference between
the counterpropagating waves. Frequency locking of the
counterpropagating waves in the region of stability of steady-state
bidirectional lasing is considered. Specific features inherent in the
locking range in a SRL are discussed. When backscattering coupling is
strong, the frequency locking of the counterpropagating waves does not
switch to a beat regime at any rotation rate. In the case of weak
backscattering coupling, analytical expressions for the locking range
are derived. It is shown that an active feedback loop has a strong
impact on a locking range. In a He-Ne laser, the locking range is
determined by dissipative backscattering, and there is no locking with
conservative scattering. Unlike a He-Ne laser, conservative
backscattering in a SRL has a strong impact on the locking range.
Adaptive blind receiving for deep VLC coverage in non-uniform LED systems
Authors: Xue Jing-Shu , Wang Tao , Wang Chao , Wang Xiao-Jing , Zhu Yi-Jun
Published: November 2022

Recently, visible light communication (VLC) has become a promising technology for reliable communication in the industrial Internet of Things. In VLC, light sources with non-uniform parameters make uncontrollable signal blind zones and aliases. The unknown parameters also lead to the problem of channel estimation. Hence, deep coverage of VLC is challenging. In this paper, we design a dual-sensor elongated receiver. The receiver expands the signal receiving area by increasing the distance between photon detectors and realizes aliased signal recovery without channel estimation. Cooperatively, an adaptive blind receiving scheme is proposed. The scheme separates aliased signals by parameter estimation of a Gaussian mixture model without knowing transmitter parameters. It unifies the aliased and blind receiving cases by an adaptive signal combining method. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that our scheme achieves better reliability and deeper communication coverage in the given system.
Designing broadband dispersive mirrors in the mid-infrared spectral range: a theoretical study
Authors: Amochkina Tatiana , Trubetskov Michael
Published: November 2022

The study reports practically
important and interesting
results on designing dispersive mirrors (DMs) operating in the
mid-infrared spectral range from 3 to 18 µm. The admissible
domains of the most important design specifications, the mirror
bandwidth and group delay variation, were constructed. Estimations of
the required total coating thickness, thickness of the thickest layer,
and expected number of layers are obtained. The results are confirmed
by an analysis of several hundreds of DM design solutions.
Light invariant photometric stereo
Authors: Braun Yuval , Guterman Hugo
Published: November 2022

An imaging setup that enables unsynchronized photometric stereo (PS) for Lambertian objects based on modulated light sources is presented. Knowing the specific frequency of the modulated light source allows to filter out any other light in the scene. This creates an image that depends only on the particular light source while ignoring the ambient light. Moreover, if the scene is illuminated by multiple modulated sources with different frequencies, repeating this process for every frequency will produce a sequence of images with the corresponding illumination. This sequence is then used as an input to the PS algorithm for 3D reconstruction. The proposed approach, named Light Invariant Photometric Stereo (LIPS), was verified on both synthetic and real-world data. LIPS eliminates the need for synchronization between the sources and the camera and significantly outperformed the classical PS method in an illuminated environment.
Realization of optical fiber regenerated gratings by rapid cooling and split annealing
Authors: Bhattacharya Sayantani , Biswas Palas , Canning John , Bandyopadhyay Somnath
Published: November 2022

Rapid cooling, or quenching, during regeneration of seed gratings in standard single-mode silica optical fiber is explored. It is shown that regeneration can be broken up into stages in time. The novel, to the best of our knowledge, method of “split annealing” offers a unique tool for optimizing regeneration and studying fundamental glass science within a one-dimensional bi-material system. We demonstrate regeneration at temperatures as high as T = 1200°C for the first time as well as opening up an approach suited to batch processing of regenerated gratings.
Multiband topological states in the Penrose-triangle photonic crystals
Authors: Xu Qingxi , Peng Yuchen , Yan Bei , Shi Aoqian , Peng Peng , Xie Jianlan , Liu Jianjun
Published: November 2022

The topological edge state (TES) and topological corner state (TCS) in photonic crystals (PCs) provide effective ways to manipulate the propagation of light. To improve the performance and integration of topological photonic devices, the realization of multiband topological states by PCs combined with quasi-periodic structure needs to be urgently explored. In this Letter, a Penrose-triangle (P-T) PC, which arranges the basic structural unit of a 12-fold Penrose-type photonic quasi-crystal (PQC) in a triangular lattice, is proposed. The TES and TCS at low- and high-frequency bands can be generated in the same structure, accompanied by the realization of three groups of TCSs. This will provide a new structure for the generation of TESs and TCSs in PCs, and will provide a new way to improve the performance and integration of topological photonic devices.
Light-driven transport of microparticles with phase-gradient metasurfaces
Authors: Mahdi Shanei Mohammad , Engay Einstom , Käll Mikael
Published: November 2022

Optical tweezers have opened numerous possibilities for precise control of microscopic particles for applications in life science and soft matter research and technology. However, traditional optical tweezers employ bulky conventional optics that prevents construction of compact optical manipulation systems. As an alternative, we present an ultrathin silicon-based metasurface that enables simultaneous confinement and propulsion of microparticles based on a combination of intensity and phase-gradient optical forces. The metasurface is constructed as a water-immersion line-focusing element that enables trapping and transport of

2

μ

m particles over a wide area within a thin liquid cell. We envisage that the type of multifunctional metasurfaces reported herein will play a central role in miniaturized optical sensing, driving, and sorting of microscopic objects, such as cells or other biological entities.
Thick uniform epsilon-near-zero ITO films grown by hi-power impulse magnetron sputtering
Authors: DeLoach Andrew S. , Ni Jimmy H. , Leff Asher C. , Sarney Wendy L. , Zhou Weimin
Published: November 2022

We report on the growth and characterization of wavelength-thick indium tin oxide (ITO) films deposited using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with post deposition processing to achieve an epsilon near zero (ENZ) property at 1550 nm telecom wavelengths. The goal is to fabricate 1550 nm ENZ films for use as claddings for waveguides, resonators, or high-contrast metastructures in photonic devices operated at telecom wavelengths. We developed a HiPIMS growth and post-annealing process to improve on existing ENZ ITO quality and uniformity. By consecutively annealing the ITO film, the plasma frequency gradually shifts, enabling fine tuning of the ENZ wavelength regime from 1800 to 1500 nm. The films were characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Our micro-analyses shows that the change in the microstructure resulted in the change in the optical properties of the ITO. These findings allow us to control the ENZ property at the desired wavelength and reduce the absorption loss, which is beneficial for device application.
Amino acid variants of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease have impact on drug binding
Authors: Perlinska Agata P. , Stasiulewicz Adam , Nguyen Mai Lan , Swiderska Karolina , Zmudzinski Mikolaj , Maksymiuk Alicja W. , Drag Marcin , Sulkowska Joanna I.
Published: November 2022

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused both a health and economic crisis around the world. Its papain-like protease (PLpro) is one of the protein targets utilized in designing new drugs that would aid vaccines in the fight against the virus. Although there are already several potential candidates for a good inhibitor of this protein, the degree of variability of the protein itself is not taken into account. As an RNA virus, SARS-CoV-2 can mutate to a high degree, but PLpro variability has not been studied to date. Based on sequence data available in databases, we analyzed the mutational potential of this protein. We focused on the effect of observed mutations on inhibitors’ binding mode and their efficacy as well as protein’s activity. Our analysis identifies five mutations that should be monitored and included in the drug design process: P247S, E263D-Y264H and T265A-Y268C.
Social dilemmas of sociality due to beneficial and costly contagion
Authors: Cooney Daniel B. , Morris Dylan H. , Levin Simon A. , Rubenstein Daniel I. , Romanczuk Pawel
Published: November 2022

Levels of sociality in nature vary widely. Some species are solitary; others live in family groups; some form complex multi-family societies. Increased levels of social interaction can allow for the spread of useful innovations and beneficial information, but can also facilitate the spread of harmful contagions, such as infectious diseases. It is natural to assume that these contagion processes shape the evolution of complex social systems, but an explicit account of the dynamics of sociality under selection pressure imposed by contagion remains elusive. We consider a model for the evolution of sociality strategies in the presence of both a beneficial and costly contagion. We study the dynamics of this model at three timescales: using a susceptible-infectious-susceptible (SIS) model to describe contagion spread for given sociality strategies, a replicator equation to study the changing fractions of two different levels of sociality, and an adaptive dynamics approach to study the long-time evolution of the population level of sociality. For a wide range of assumptions about the benefits and costs of infection, we identify a social dilemma: the evolutionarily-stable sociality strategy (ESS) is distinct from the collective optimum—the level of sociality that would be best for all individuals. In particular, the ESS level of social interaction is greater (respectively less) than the social optimum when the good contagion spreads more (respectively less) readily than the bad contagion. Our results shed light on how contagion shapes the evolution of social interaction, but reveals that evolution may not necessarily lead populations to social structures that are good for any or all.
Human Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection leads to individual level steady-state parasitemia: Implications for drug-trial optimization in Chagas disease
Authors: De Salazar Pablo M. , Sosa-Estani Sergio , Salvador Fernando , Sulleiro Elena , Sánchez-Montalvá Adrián , Ribeiro Isabela , Molina Israel , Buckee Caroline O.
Published: November 2022

Currently available drugs against Trypanosoma cruzi infection, which causes 12000 deaths annually, have limitations in their efficacy, safety and tolerability. The evaluation of therapeutic responses to available and new compounds is based on parasite detection in the bloodstream but remains challenging because a substantial proportion of infected individuals have undetectable parasitemia even when using diagnostic tools with the highest accuracy. We characterize parasite dynamics which might impact drug efficacy assessments in chronic Chagas by analyzing pre- and post-treatment quantitative-PCR data obtained from blood samples collected regularly over a year. We show that parasitemia remains at a steady-state independently of the diagnostic sensitivity. This steady-state can be probabilistically quantified and robustly predicted at an individual level. Furthermore, individuals can be assigned to categories with distinct parasitological status, allowing a more detailed evaluation of the efficacy outcomes and adjustment for potential biases. Our analysis improves understanding of parasite dynamics and provides a novel background for optimizing future drug efficacy trials in Chagas disease.

Trial Registration: original trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01489228.
Challenges in antenatal care utilization in Kandahar, Afghanistan: A cross-sectional analytical study
Authors: Rahimi Bilal Ahmad , Mohamadi Enayatullah , Maku Muhibullah , Hemat Mohammad Dawood , Farooqi Khushhal , Mahboobi Bashir Ahmad , Mudaser Ghulam Mohayuddin , Taylor Walter R.
Published: November 2022

Background

Quality antenatal care (ANC) is one of the four pillars of safe motherhood initiatives and improves the survival and health of mother and neonate. The main objective of this study was to assess the barriers in the utilization of ANC services in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted over one year from December 2018–November 2019. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi squared, and binary logistic regression.

Results

A total of 1524 women were recruited in this study with mean age of 30.3 years. Of these women, 848 (55.6%) were rural dwellers, 1450/1510 (96.0%) were illiterate, 438/608 (72.0%) belonged to low-income families, 1112/1508 (73.7%) lived in joint families, 1420/1484 (95.7%) lived in a house of >10 inhabitants, while 388/1494 (26.0%) had attended had at least one ANC visit during their last pregnancy. On univariate analysis, the main barriers in the utilization of ANC services were living in rural areas, being illiterate, having lower socio-economic status, remoteness of the health facility from home, bad behavior of clinic personnel, and unplanned pregnancy. Only lower socio-economic status and bad behavior of clinic personnel were independent explanatory variables in the regression model.

Conclusions

Utilization of ANC services is inadequate in Kandahar province. Improving clinic staff professional behavior and status of women by expanding educational opportunities, and enhancing community awareness of the value of ANC are recommended.
Bone mineral density among virologically suppressed Asians older than 50 years old living with and without HIV: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Wattanachanya Lalita , Sunthornyothin Sarat , Apornpong Tanakorn , Lwin Hay Mar Su , Kerr Stephen , Gatechompol Sivaporn , Han Win Min , Wichiansan Thanathip , Siwamongsatham Sarawut , Chattranukulchai Pairoj , Chaiwatanarat Tawatchai , Avihingsanon Anchalee ,   HIV-NAT 207/006 study team
Published: November 2022

There are limited data regarding bone health in older people living with HIV (PWH), especially those of Asian ethnicity. We aimed to determine whether BMD in well-suppressed HIV-infected men and women aged ≥ 50 years are different from HIV-uninfected controls. In a cross-sectional study, BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and calciotropic hormones were measured. A total of 481 participants were consecutively enrolled (209 HIV+ men, 88 HIV- men, 126 HIV+ women and 58 HIV- women). PWH were on average 2.5 years younger [men: 55.0 vs. 57.5 yr; women: 54.0 vs. 58.0 yr] and had lower body mass index (BMI) [men: 23.2 vs. 25.1 kg/m2; women: 23.1 vs. 24.7 kg/m2] compared to the controls. The median duration since HIV diagnosis was 19 (IQR 15–21) years in men and 18 (IQR 15–21) years in women. Three-quarters of PWH had been treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-containing antiretroviral therapy for a median time of 7.4 (IQR 4.5–8.9) years in men and 8.2 (IQR 6.1–10) years in women. In an unadjusted model, HIV+men had significantly lower BMD (g/cm2) at the total hip and femoral neck whereas there was a tend toward lower BMD in HIV+women. After adjusting for age, BMI, and other traditional osteoporotic risk factors, BMD of virologically suppressed older PWH did not differ from participants without HIV (P>0.1). PWH had lower serum 25(OH)D levels but this was not correlated with BMD. In conclusion, BMD in well-suppressed PWH is not different from non-HIV people, therefore, effective control of HIV infection and minimization of other traditional osteoporosis risk factors may help maintain good skeletal health and prevent premature bone loss in Asian PWH.

Clinical trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov # NCT00411983.
Aquatic insects differentially affect lake sturgeon larval phenotypes and egg surface microbial communities
Authors: Walquist Ryan W. , Scribner Kim T. , Waraniak Justin , Bauman John M. , Marsh Terence L. , Kanefsky Jeannette , Larson Douglas L.
Published: November 2022

Documentation of how interactions among members of different stream communities [e.g., microbial communities and aquatic insect taxa exhibiting different feeding strategies (FS)] collectively influence the growth, survival, and recruitment of stream fishes is limited. Considerable spatial overlap exists between early life stages of stream fishes, including species of conservation concern like lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), and aquatic insects and microbial taxa that abundantly occupy substrates on which spawning occurs. Habitat overlap suggests that species interactions across trophic levels may be common, but outcomes of these interactions are poorly understood. We conducted an experiment where lake sturgeon eggs were fertilized and incubated in the presence of individuals from one of four aquatic insect FS taxa including predators, facultative and obligate-scrapers, collector-filterers/facultative predators, and a control (no insects). We quantified and compared the effects of different insect taxa on the taxonomic composition and relative abundance of egg surface bacterial and lower eukaryotic communities, egg size, incubation time to hatch, free embryo body size (total length) at hatch, yolk-sac area, (a measure of resource utilization), and percent survival to hatch. Mean egg size varied significantly among insect treatments. Eggs exposed to predators had a lower mean percent survival to hatch. Eggs exposed to predators had significantly shorter incubation periods. At hatch, free embryos exposed to predators had significantly smaller yolk sacs and total length. Multivariate analyses revealed that egg bacterial and lower eukaryotic surface community composition varied significantly among insect treatments and between time periods (1 vs 4 days post-fertilization). Quantitative PCR documented significant differences in bacterial 16S copy number, and thus abundance on egg surfaces varied across insect treatments. Results indicate that lethal and non-lethal effects associated with interactions between lake sturgeon eggs and free embryos and aquatic insects, particularly predators, contributed to lake sturgeon trait variability that may affect population levels of recruitment.
COVID-19 masks increase the influence of face recognition algorithm decisions on human decisions in unfamiliar face matching
Authors: Barragan Daniela , Howard John J. , Rabbitt Laura R. , Sirotin Yevgeniy B.
Published: November 2022

Face masks, recently adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19, have had the unintended consequence of increasing the difficulty of face recognition. In security applications, face recognition algorithms are used to identify individuals and present results for human review. This combination of human and algorithm capabilities, known as human-algorithm teaming, is intended to improve total system performance. However, prior work has shown that human judgments of face pair similarity-confidence can be biased by an algorithm’s decision even in the case of an error by that algorithm. This can reduce team effectiveness, particularly for difficult face pairs. We conducted two studies to examine whether face masks, now routinely present in security applications, impact the degree to which this cognitive bias is experienced by humans. We first compared the influence of algorithm’s decisions on human similarity-confidence ratings in the presence and absence of face masks and found that face masks more than doubled the influence of algorithm decisions on human similarity-confidence ratings. We then investigated if this increase in cognitive bias was dependent on perceived algorithm accuracy by also presenting algorithm accuracy rates in the presence of face masks. We found that making humans aware of the potential for algorithm errors mitigated the increase in cognitive bias due to face masks. Our findings suggest that humans reviewing face recognition algorithm decisions should be made aware of the potential for algorithm errors to improve human-algorithm team performance.
Recent HIV infections among newly diagnosed individuals living with HIV in rural Lesotho: Secondary data from the VIBRA cluster-randomized trial
Authors: Mohloanyane Tsepang , Olivier Dedre , Labhardt Niklaus Daniel , Amstutz Alain
Published: November 2022

Background

HIV recency assays are used to distinguish recently acquired infection from long-term infection among individuals newly diagnosed with HIV. Since 2015, the World Health Organisation recommends the use of an algorithm to assess recency of infections which is based on an HIV recency assay and viral load (VL) quantification. We determined the proportion of recent HIV infections among participants of the VIBRA (Village-Based Refill of Antiretroviral therapy) cluster-randomized trial in Lesotho and assessed risk factors for these recent infections.

Methods

The VIBRA trial recruited individuals living with HIV and not taking antiretroviral therapy during a door-to-door HIV testing campaign in two rural districts (Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong). Samples were collected from participants newly diagnosed and tested for HIV recency using the Asanté HIV-1 Rapid Recency Assay and VL using the Roche Cobas System. Clinical and socio-demographic data were extracted from the trial database. Univariate analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with recent compared to long-term infection.

Results

Participants were recruited from August 2018 to May 2019 and 184 patient-samples included in this study. The majority were female (108 [59%]) with a median age of 36 years (interquartile range 30–50 years). We found 13 (7.0%) recent infections, while 171 (93.0%) were classified as long-term HIV infections. No conclusive evidence for risk factors of recent infection was found.

Conclusions

During door-to-door testing among a general population sample in rural Lesotho, 7% of those who were newly diagnosed had acquired HIV in the preceding 6 months. More efforts and research are needed to curb ongoing transmissions in these rural communities.
Combined monitoring of IgG and IgA anti-Spike and anti-Receptor binding domain long term responses following BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination in Greek healthcare workers
Authors: Sarrigeorgiou Ioannis , Moschandreou Dimitra , Dimitriadis Alexios , Tsinti Gerasimina , Sotiropoulou Evangelia , Ntoukaki Eleni , Eliadis Petros , Backovic Marija , Labropoulou Stavroula , Escriou Nicolas , Pouliakis Abraham , Giannopoulou Georgia , Gaitanarou Eleni , Lazaridis Konstantinos , Mentis Andreas , Mamalaki Avgi , Grouzi Elisavet , Lymberi Peggy
Published: November 2022

Studies on the humoral response to homologous BNT162b2 mRNA-vaccination focus mainly on IgG antibody dynamics, while long-term IgA kinetics are understudied. Herein, kinetics of IgG and IgA levels against trimeric-Spike (S) and Receptor-Binding-Domain (RBD) were evaluated by in-house ELISAs in 146 two-dose vaccinated Greek healthcare workers (HCWs) in a 9-month period at six time points (up to 270 days after the first dose). The effect of a homologous booster third dose was also studied and evaluated. The peak of immune response was observed 21 days after the second dose; 100% seroconversion rate for anti-S and anti-RBD IgG, and 99.7% and 96.3% respectively for IgA. IgG antibody levels displayed higher increase compared to IgA. Declining but persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels were detected 9 months after vaccination; IgG and IgA anti-S levels approached those after the first dose, while a more rapid reduction rate for anti-RBD antibodies led to significantly lower levels for both classes, supporting the need for a booster dose. Indeed, a homologous booster third dose resulted in enhanced levels of anti-S of both classes, whereas anti-RBD didn’t exceed the peak levels after the second dose. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, flu vaccination, BMI<35 and the occurrence of an adverse event upon vaccination, were associated with higher IgG antibody levels over time, which however were negatively affected by age increase and the presence of chronic diseases. Overall, after concurrently using the S and RBD target-antigens in in-house ELISAs, we report in addition to IgG, long-term persistence of IgA antibodies. Regarding antibody levels, homologous mRNA vaccination gives rise to an effective anti-viral protection up to 9 months negatively correlated to age. Considering that COVID-19 is still a matter of public concern, booster vaccine doses remain critical to vulnerable individuals.
Gender differentials in the timing and prognostic factors of pubarche in Nigeria
Authors: Fagbamigbe Adeniyi Francis , Obiyan Mary , Fawole Olufunmilayo I.
Published: November 2022

Paucity of data exists on the timing of puberty, particularly the pubarche, in developing countries, which has hitherto limited the knowledge of the timing of pubarche, and assistance offered by physicians to anxious young people in Nigeria. Factors associated with the timings of puberty and pubarche are not well documented in Nigeria. We hypothesized that the timing of pubarche in Nigeria differs by geographical regions and other characteristics. We assessed the timing of pubarche among adolescents and young adults in Nigeria and identified prognostic factors of the timing by obtaining information on youths’ sexual and reproductive developments in a population survey among in-school and out-of-school youths aged 15 to 24 years in Nigeria. A total of 1174 boys and 1004 girls provided valid information on pubarche. Results of time-to-event analysis of the data showed that mean age at pubarche among males aged 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years was 13.5 (SD= 1.63 years) and 14.2 (SD= 2.18 years) (respectively) compared with 13.0 (SD= 1.57 years) and 13.5 (SD= 2.06 years) among females of the same age. Median time to pubarche was 14 (Interquartile range (IQR) = 3) years and 13 (IQR = 3) years among the males and females, respectively. Cumulatively, 37% of the males had attained pubarche by age 13 years versus 53% among females, 57% vs 72% at age 14, and 73% vs 81% at age 15. The likelihood of pubarche among males was delayed by 5% compared with females (Time Ratio (TR) = 1.05: 95% CI = 1.03–1.05). Every additional one-year in the ages of both males and females increases the risk of pubarche by 1%. Similar to the females, males residents in Northeast (aTR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.21), in the Northwest (aTR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.13–1.27) and in the Southwest (aTR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.11–1.26) had delayed pubarche than males from the South East. Yoruba males had delayed pubarche than Ibo males (aTR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.12). Age at pubarche among adolescents and young adults in Nigeria differed among males and females with earlier onset among females. Pubarche timing varied mainly by ethnicity, region, and location of residence. Our findings will aid medical practitioners in providing appropriate advice and support on pubarche-related issues among adolescents in Nigeria as it could help douse pubarche anxiousness in relation to request for medical assistance.
Associations between cardiovascular disease risk factors and spinal pain may be moderated by sex and health-related physical activity (CHAMPS Study-DK)
Authors: Beynon Amber M. , Wedderkopp Niels , Leboeuf-Yde Charlotte , Hartvigsen Jan , Walker Bruce F. , Hébert Jeffrey J.
Published: November 2022

Background

Spinal pain has been previously linked with cardiovascular disease risk factors in children. This study investigated the prospective associations between cardiovascular disease risk factors and non-traumatic spinal pain occurrences in children, and examined the moderating role of sex and health-related physical activity in these relationships.

Methods

We used prospective data from the Childhood Health, Activity, and Motor Performance School Study Denmark (CHAMPS Study-DK). The exposure variables were a clustered cardiovascular risk score and homeostasis assessment model-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score collected in 2008 and 2010. The spinal pain outcome comprised the number of weeks of non-traumatic spinal pain from 2008–2010 and 2010–2012. Potential confounders included age, sex, and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. We constructed age-adjusted mixed negative binominal regression models to investigate the prospective associations of cardiovascular disease risk factors and non-traumatic spinal pain, while considering the potential moderating roles of sex and physical activity in these relationships.

Results

Girls with low HOMA-IR scores and boys with low clustered cardiovascular disease risk scores, who engaged in higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, reported more weeks of spinal pain, compared to girls with high HOMA-IR scores (p = 0.001) and boys with high clustered cardiovascular disease risk scores (p = 0.024). whereas boys with higher clustered cardiovascular disease risk who had less time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reported more weeks of spinal pain than boys with low clustered cardiovascular disease risk score (p = 0.024).

Conclusion

Our results show that cardiovascular disease risk factors are related to future occurrences of non-traumatic spinal pain. However, these relationships appear complex and dependent on the nature of the interactions with sex and physical activity.
Spatiotemporal patterns of lung disease in China before 2019: A brief analysis of two nationally representative surveys
Authors: Francis-Tan Andrew , Wang Xueqing
Published: November 2022

Little is publicly known about the conditions surrounding the emergence of COVID in China. Using two nationally representative datasets, the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we engage in a descriptive analysis of spatiotemporal patterns of lung and other diseases before 2019. In both datasets, the incidence of lung disease in 2018 was elevated in Hubei province relative to other provinces. The incidence of psychiatric and nervous system disease was elevated as well. Overall, the evidence is consistent with many possible explanations. One conjecture is that there was an outbreak of influenza in central China, which implies the conditions that increased the susceptibility to influenza also facilitated the later spread of COVID. Another conjecture, though less likely, is that COVID was circulating at low levels in the population in central China during 2018. This study calls for more investigation to understand the conditions surrounding the emergence of COVID.