bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thickness of simple calcaneal tuberosity avulsion fractures influences the optimal fixation method employed
Authors: Wang Chunliang , Liu Shih-Jung , Chang Chung-Hsun
Published: August 2023

Aims

This study aimed to establish the optimal fixation methods for calcaneal tuberosity avulsion fractures with different fragment thicknesses in a porcine model.

Methods

A total of 36 porcine calcanea were sawed to create simple avulsion fractures with three different fragment thicknesses (5, 10, and 15 mm). They were randomly fixed with either two suture anchors or one headless screw. Load-to-failure and cyclic loading tension tests were performed for the biomechanical analysis.

Results

This biomechanical study predicts that headless screw fixation is a better option if fragment thickness is over 15 mm in terms of the comparable peak failure load to suture anchor fixation (headless screw: 432.55 N (SD 62.25); suture anchor: 446.58 N (SD 84.97)), and less fracture fragment displacement after cyclic loading (headless screw: 3.94 N (SD 1.76); suture anchor: 8.68 N (SD 1.84)). Given that the fragment thickness is less than 10 mm, suture anchor fixation is a safer option.

Conclusion

Fracture fragment thickness helps in making the decision of either using headless screw or suture anchor fixation in treating calcaneal tuberosity avulsion fracture, based on the regression models of our study.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(8):504–511.
Photonic generation of frequency-doubling Nyquist pulses using external modulation
Authors: Yuan Jin , Mei Ying , Xu Xiuxiu , Cui Jinyi , Zhang Hui , Liu Jinbo
Published: August 2023

In this paper, an approach to generate frequency-doubling sinc-shaped optical Nyquist pulses based on external modulation is proposed and demonstrated. First, four flat optical frequency comb (OFC) lines are obtained after optical carrier suppression modulation in a dual-electrode Mach–Zehnder modulator. Then an optical interleaver is introduced to split the phase-locked OFC into two paths, of which one is transmitted to a dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator for quadrupling RF modulation and another is applied to the remodulated signal to acquire comb lines with equal intervals. Thus, a phase-locked 12-line flat OFC with equal frequency intervals and corresponding Nyquist pulses is finally obtained, and Nyquist pulses at 2.5 GHz, 5 GHz, 10 GHz, and 15 GHz are achieved.
Continuous-variable quantum key distribution with time-division dual-quadrature homodyne detection
Authors: Oh Junsang , Cho Jeongsik , Kevin Rhee June-Koo
Published: August 2023

We propose a novel heterodyne detection scheme for continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD), which measures both quadrature components of a quantum signal encoded in optical phase space. The proposed method uses time division to achieve identical performance to conventional heterodyne detection with only a single homodyne detection system. Our method also uses a Faraday-Michelson interferometer to make it independent of polarization drift and eliminate the need for dynamic polarization control. Our method is experimentally demonstrated using the Gaussian-modulated coherent-states (GMCS) protocol over a 20.06 km optical fiber channel, achieving an expected secret key rate of up to 0.187 Mbps.
Large aperture and defect-free liquid crystal planar optics enabled by high-throughput pulsed polarization patterning
Authors: Meng Zhi , Huang Wenbin , Zhang Li-xin , Zhou Xiaohong , Zhao Keyang , Pu Donglin , Chen Linsen
Published: August 2023

The liquid crystal (LC) geometrical phase optics, which is realized by the high-resolution control of the optical axis orientation in transparent micrometer-thin polymer films, is emerging as a next generation of planar optics. It features pronounced optical properties and stimuli-responsive behaviors, which could introduce appealing and new possibilities for photonic purposes. The development of fabrication techniques producing elements with large aperture sizes and arbitrarily varying molecular orientation is of significance in terms of practical utility. Here, we propose the pulsed polarization patterning technique to create large-aperture and defect-free LC geometrical phase elements. We investigated the capability of the azo photo-alignment material responding to nanosecond laser pulses and the corresponding anchoring behaviors to LCs. The threshold was reduced to one fourth of that under the continuous wave recording. The patterning resolution was found to be enhanced to around 0.71 µm, due to the ultra-fast interaction nature of the photo-alignment material with the polarized light field. We proposed the flying exposure mode to deliver high frequency modulated polarized laser pulses (8 kHz), with the precision stage moving in a uniform velocity for light-field stitching and the servo auto-focusing in the sample normal, enabling the stable and reliable polarization patterning for large aperture sizes. We further report on representative fabrication of LC polarization gratings with an aperture of 4 inch and 99.2% average diffraction efficiency.
Phase stability diagram, self-similar structures, and multistability in a free-running VCSEL with a small misalignment between the phase and amplitude anisotropies
Authors: Gu Shuangquan , Zhou Pei , Mu Penghua , Guo Gang , Liu Xintian , Li Nianqiang
Published: August 2023

We report on the global dynamics of a free-running vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with misalignment between the linear phase and amplitude anisotropies due to the fact that this case might occur in practice caused unintentionally by minor manufacturing variations or design, in virtue of high-resolution phase stability diagrams, where two kinds of self-similar structures are revealed. Of interest is that the Arnold tongue cascades covered by multiple distinct periodicities are discovered for the first time in several scenarios specified in the free-running VCSEL, to the best of our knowledge. Additionally, we also uncover the existence of multistability through the basin of the attraction, as well as the eyes of anti-chaos and periodicity characterized by fractal. The findings may shed new light on interesting polarization dynamics of VCSELs, and also open the possibility to detect the above-mentioned structures experimentally and develop some potential applications.
Multiple conical odd harmonics from filament-inscribed nanogratings
Authors: Grigutis Robertas , Jukna Vytautas , Tamošauskas Gintaras , Dubietis Audrius
Published: August 2023

We report on the observation of conical third, fifth, seventh, and ninth harmonics that gradually emerge during the supercontinuum generation by filamentation of femtosecond midinfrared pulses in lithium strontium hexafluoroaluminate crystal. We show that the generation of conical odd harmonics is an optical signature of light-driven material reorganization in the form of volume nanogratings at the site irradiated by repetitive femtosecond filaments. The angle-resolved spectral measurements demonstrate remarkably broad spectra of individual odd harmonics, benefiting from a spectrally broadened pump pulse (supercontinuum), and reveal that filament-inscribed nanogratings represent photonic structures that are able to provide ultrabroad phase-matching bandwidths covering the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. We propose a scenario that interprets the generation of conical fifth, seventh, and ninth harmonics as nanograting phase-matched cascaded noncollinear four-wave mixing processes.
Resonance cavity-enhanced all-optical switching in a GdCo alloy absorber
Authors: Jiang Yunqing , Zhang Xiaoqiang , Cheng Houyi , Liu Huan , Xu Yong , Wang Anting , Wang Cong , Mangin Stéphane , Zhao Weisheng
Published: August 2023

In spintronic applications, there is a constant demand for lower power consumption, high densities, and fast writing speed of data storage. All-optical switching (AOS) is a technique that uses laser pulses to switch the magnetic state of a recording medium without any external devices, offering unsurpassed recording rates and a simple structure. Despite extensive research on the mechanism of AOS, low energy consumption and fast magnetization reversing remain challenging engineering questions. In this paper, we propose a newly designed cavity-enhanced AOS in GdCo alloy, which promotes optical absorption by twofold, leading to a 50% reduction in energy consumption. Additionally, the time-resolved measurement shows that the time of reversing magnetization reduces at the same time. This new approach makes AOS an ideal solution for energy-effective and fast magnetic recording, paving the way for future developments in high-speed, low-power-consumption data recording devices.
Molecular characterisation of Entamoeba histolytica UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, an enzyme able to provide building blocks for cyst wall formation
Authors: Nagode Anna , Vanbeselaere Jorick , Dutkiewicz Zuzanna , Kaltenbrunner Samantha , Wilson Iain B. H. , Duchêne Michael
Published: August 2023

In the human host, the protozoan parasiteEntamoeba histolyticais adapted to a non-invasive lifestyle in the colon as well as to an invasive lifestyle in the mesenterial blood vessels and the liver. This means to cope with bacteria and human cells as well as various metabolic challenges. Galactose andN-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) are sugars of great importance for the amoebae, they attach to the host mucus and enterocytes via their well-studied Gal/GalNAc specific lectin, they carry galactose residues in their surface glycans, and they cleave GalNAc from host mucins. The enzyme UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (GalE) works as a bridge between the galactose and glucose worlds, it can help to generate glucose for glycolysis from phagocytosis products containing galactose as well as providing UDP-galactose necessary for the biosynthesis of galactose-containing surface components.E.histolyticacontains a singlegalEgene. We recombinantly expressed the enzyme inEscherichia coliand used a spectrophotometric assay to determine its temperature and pH dependency (37°C, pH 8.5), its kinetics for UDP-glucose (Km= 31.82 μM, Vmax= 4.31 U/mg) and substrate spectrum. As observed via RP-HPLC, the enzyme acts on UDP-Glc/Gal as well as UDP-GlcNAc/GalNAc. Previously,Trypanosoma bruceiGalE and the bloodstream form of the parasite were shown to be susceptible to the three compounds ebselen, a selenoorganic drug with antioxidant properties, diethylstilbestrol, a mimic of oestrogen with anti-inflammatory properties, and ethacrynic acid, a loop diuretic used to treat oedema. In this study, the three compounds had cytotoxic activity againstE.histolytica, but only ebselen inhibited the recombinant GalE with an IC50 of 1.79 μM (UDP-Gal) and 1.2 μM (UDP-GalNAc), suggesting that the two other compounds are active against other targets in the parasite. The importance of the ability of GalE to interconvert UDP-GalNAc and UDP-GlcNAc may be that the trophozoites can generate precursors for their own cyst wall from the sugar subunits cleaved from host mucins. This finding advances our understanding of the biochemical interactions ofE.histolyticain its colonic environment.
Digital inclusive finance, consumer consumption and high-quality economic development
Authors: Li Wei , Wang Hui , Zhang Lu , Liu Runchen
Published: August 2023

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s pursuit of the "double circulation" strategy, scholars are increasingly focusing on ensuring high-quality economic development in China. In this regard, digital inclusive finance and consumer consumption are of utmost significance. This study employs panel data from 30 provinces and cities spanning 2011 to 2020 to explore the impact of digitized inclusive finance on consumer consumption and high-quality economic development through a spatial econometric model. Our findings indicate that integrating digital finance with consumer consumption and economic development fosters high-quality economic growth. Furthermore, our semi-parametric spatial lag model suggests a nonlinear relationship between digital inclusive finance and high-quality economic growth, shaped like an inverted "U". Additionally, we examine the mediating effect of consumer consumption on the relationship between digital inclusive finance and high-quality economic development. Our results reveal a substitution effect between digital inclusive financing and consumer consumption in promoting high-quality economic development. Therefore, it is essential to promote the development of digital inclusive finance, harness its positive spillover effects between regions, and encourage an increase in consumer consumption to optimize the consumption structure, upgrade and adjust the industrial structure, and spur growth in emerging industries.
A protocol for a proof-of-concept randomized control trial testing increased protein quantity and quality in ready-to-use therapeutic food in improving linear growth among 6-23-month-old children with severe wasting in Malawi
Authors: Potani Isabel , Daniel Allison I. , Briend André , Courtney-Martin Glenda , Berkley James A. , Voskuijl Wieger , Vresk Laura , Bourdon Celine , Kathumba Sylvester , Mbale Emmie , Bandsma Robert H. J.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) have successfully promoted recovery from severe wasting and increased treatment coverage. However, RUTFs do not sufficiently improve linear growth, leaving many survivors of severe wasting at risk of persistent stunting, which is associated with high mortality risk, poor child development and non-communicable diseases in adulthood. High protein quantity and quality can stimulate linear growth.

Aim

The trial aims to assess whether higher-protein-RUTF leads to higher concentrations of markers of linear growth compared to standard RUTF among 6–23 months old children with severe wasting.

Methods

We designed a higher protein quantity and quality RUTF for a proof-of-concept (PoC) double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Outcomes

The primary outcome is a change in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone positively associated with linear growth after four weeks of treatment. Secondary outcomes include changes in ponderal and linear growth and in body composition from baseline to eight weeks later; plasma amino acid profile at four weeks; acceptability and safety.

Implications

These findings will help in informing the potential impact of increased protein in RUTF on linear growth when treating severe wasting towards conducting a larger clinical trial.

Trial registration

The trial has been registered on clinicaltrial.gov (NCT05737472).
Human embryonic stem cells secrete macrophage migration inhibitory factor: A novel finding
Authors: Wei Yanzhao , Zheng Xiaohan , Huang Ting , Zhong Yuanji , Sun Shengtong , Wei Xufang , Liu Qibing , Wang Tan , Zhao Zhenqiang
Published: August 2023

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is expressed in a variety of cells and participates in important biological mechanisms. However, few studies have reported whether MIF is expressed in human Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and its effect on human ESCs. Two human ESCs cell lines, H1 and H9 were used. The expression of MIF and its receptors CD74, CD44, CXCR2, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were detected by an immunofluorescence assay, RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. The autocrine level of MIF was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The interaction between MIF and its main receptor was investigated by co-immunoprecipitation and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Finally, the effect of MIF on the proliferation and survival of human ESCs was preliminarily explored by incubating cells with exogenous MIF, MIF competitive ligand CXCL12 and MIF classic inhibitor ISO-1. We reported that MIF was highly expressed in H1 and H9 human ESCs. MIF was positively expressed in the cytoplasm, cell membrane and culture medium. Several surprising results emerge. The autosecreted concentration of MIF was 22 ng/mL, which was significantly higher than 2 ng/mL-6 ng/mL in normal human serum, and this was independent of cell culture time and cell number. Human ESCs mainly expressed the MIF receptors CXCR2 and CXCR7 rather than the classical receptor CD74. The protein receptor that interacts with MIF on human embryonic stem cells is CXCR7, and no evidence of interaction with CXCR2 was found. We found no evidence that MIF supports the proliferation and survival of human embryonic stem cells. In conclusion, we first found that MIF was highly expressed in human ESCs and at the same time highly expressed in associated receptors, suggesting that MIF mainly acts in an autocrine form in human ESCs.
Healthcare providers as patients: COVID-19 experience
Authors: Al Mutair Abbas , Woodman Alexander , Al Hassawi Amal I. , Ambani Zainab , Al Bazroun Mohammed I. , Alahmed Fatimah S. , Defensor Mary A. , Saha Chandni , Aljarameez Faiza
Published: August 2023

There is compelling evidence for the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier epidemics. However, fewer studies have examined the subjective meaning experience of healthcare providers who have survived COVID-19 as patients. This qualitative study aimed to understand further and describe the life experiences of healthcare providers who have survived COVID-19 as patients in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using unstructured in-depth individual interviews among n = 10 healthcare providers from public hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed based on a phenomenological approach, which resulted in five themes: (i) physical and psychological signs and symptoms; (ii) self-healing, hiding pain, and family; (iii) fear of complications; (iv) disease stigma & long-term psychological outcomes; (v) emotional support, mental well-being & resignation. The overall synthesis showed that healthcare providers, as patients, experience the same difficulties and stressors as the general public. In some cases, these factors are even worse, as family members, colleagues, and employers develop a new type of stigma. Given the impact of social media and the flow of information of any type, more research is needed to examine the sources used to obtain information by the general public, whether these sources are reliable, and how the public can be taught to use only scientific data and not social data. Understanding the experience of healthcare providers as patients during the pandemic has allowed to look at the feelings and needs of people during illness from a new perspective. As expressed by participants, being a healthcare provider does not reduce the fear of the disease and does not mitigate its consequences in the form of stigmatization and isolation.
The effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on visceral fat and liver ectopic fat in an adult population with or without diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liao Chao , Liang Xinyin , Zhang Xiao , Li Yao
Published: August 2023

Aim

To uncover the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on the visceral- and hepatic fat content of adults.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception until November 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GLP-1Ras was extracted, including reports of effects on visceral adipose tissue and hepatic fat content in individuals with type 2 diabetes, non-type 2 diabetes, NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), and non-NAFLD. Meta-analyses used random-effects models.

Results

1736 individuals in the 30 qualified RCTs were included, comprising 1363 people with type 2 diabetes and 318 with NFLD. GLP-1 RAs reduced visceral adipose tissue (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.59, 95% CI [-0.83, -0.36], P<0.00001) and hepatic fat content (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -3.09, 95% CI [-4.16, -2.02], P<0.00001) compared to other control treatment. Subgroup analysis showed that GLP-1Ras dramatically decreased visceral fat in patients with type 2 diabetes (SMD = -0.49, 95% CI [-0.69, -0.29] P<0.00001), NAFLD (SMD = -0.99, 95% CI [-1.64, -0.34] P = 0.003), non-type 2 diabetes (SMD = -1.38, 95% CI [-2.44, -0.32] P = 0.01), and non-NAFLD (SMD = -0.53, 95% CI [-0.78, -0.28] P<0.0001). GLP-1Ras reduced the liver fat level of type 2 diabetes (WMD = -3.15, 95% CI [-4.14, -2.15] P<0.00001), NAFLD (WMD = -3.83, 95% CI [-6.30, -1.37] P = 0.002), and type 2 diabetes with NAFLD (WMD = -4.27, 95% CI [-6.80, -1.74] P = 0.0009), while showed no impact on the hepatic fat content in non-Type 2 diabetes (WMD = −12.48, 95% CI [−45.19, 20.24] P = 0.45).

Conclusions

LP-1 RAs significantly reduce visceral- and liver fat content in adults.
Influence of skill relatedness on the location choice of heterogeneous labor force in Chinese prefecture-level cities
Authors: Zhou Xiaoqi , Ao Rongjun , Aihemaitijiang Yierfanjiang , Chen Jing , Tang Hui
Published: August 2023

High-quality regional development should be promoted by facilitating inter-regional mobility of heterogeneous labor force to optimize its spatial allocation. This study incorporates skill relatedness into spatial categorization and selection effects, and explores how skill-relatedness affects the location choice of heterogeneous labor force. To do so, we use labor force migration data and employee data by occupation subcategory from the 2000 National Population Census and 2015 National Population Sample Survey. The empirical evidence provides three major findings. First, there are significant regional differences in labor migration rates by the occupational group between cities in China, and the trend is increasing. Regional concentration of location choice is increasing and six significant agglomerations are formed. Second, skill relatedness positively affects the location choice of the heterogeneous labor force in Chinese cities. When cities’ skill-relatedness is more robust, influence on labor location choice is more remarkable. In cities with high-size classes, the effect of high-skill relatedness on labor location choice is higher. Third, labor force with solid skill relatedness with regional employment moves to the location owing to the spatial sorting effect. Labor force without skill relatedness or weak relatedness moves out or does not move to the location owing to the spatial selection effect.
The flow of corporate control in the global ownership network
Authors: Mizuno Takayuki , Doi Shohei , Kurizaki Shuhei
Published: August 2023

We propose a model and algorithm to measure the amount of influence a shareholder has over the flow of corporate control held by the ultimate owners. Existing models of corporate ownership and control either focus on the ultimate owners’ influence or inadequately evaluate the influence possessed by intermediate shareholders in a ownership network. As it extends Network Power Index (NPI) that describes the the power of corporate control possessed by the ultimate owners, our new model, Network Power Flow (NPF), delineates the distribution of ownership influence among shareholders across the network and identifies the channels through which the ultimate owners’ corporate control travel through the global shareholding network. Our analysis of NPI and NPF values for 7 million ultimate owners and 16 million shareholders reveals a new landscape of ownership and control in the global shareholding network that remained opaque before.
A novel piecewise-linear method for detecting associations between variables
Authors: Wang Panru , Zhang Junying
Published: August 2023

Detecting the association between two variables is necessary and meaningful in the era of big data. There are many measures to detect the association between them, some detect linear association, e.g., simple and fast Pearson correlation coefficient, and others detect nonlinear association, e.g., computationally expensive and imprecise maximal information coefficient (MIC). In our study, we proposed a novel maximal association coefficient (MAC) based on the idea that any nonlinear association can be considered to be composed of some piecewise-linear ones, which detects linear or nonlinear association between two variables through Pearson coefficient. We conduct experiments on some simulation data, with the results show that the MAC has both generality and equitability. In addition, we also apply MAC method to two real datasets, the major-league baseball dataset from Baseball Prospectus and dataset of credit card clients’ default, to detect the association strength of pairs of variables in these two datasets respectively. The experimental results show that the MAC can be used to detect the association between two variables, and it is computationally inexpensive and precise than MIC, which may be potentially important for follow-up data analysis and the conclusion of data analysis in the future.
The coupling coordination between rural public services and rural tourism and its causative factors: The case study of southwestern China
Authors: Fang Shiqiao , Ou Kaihang , Xiong Jing , Teng Rongmei , Han Lifang , Zhou Xufan , Ma Hongyu
Published: August 2023

Rural public services and rural tourism are interdependent, and their coordinated development is crucial for promoting rural revitalization and overall growth in China. So far, the existing studies mainly focus on the mutual influence, mutual promotion, and coordination paths of rural public services and rural tourism but fail to conduct an empirical analysis on the coupling coordination of rural public services and rural tourism or summarize the spatial and temporal differences of the coupling coordination. Therefore, we adopt an evaluation index system for rural public services and rural tourism. To measure the development level and the coupling coordination degree of rural public services and rural tourism in southwestern China from 2012 to 2019, we used a comprehensive evaluation model and a coupling coordination degree model. Additionally, geographic detectors were utilised to detect the causative factors of their coupling coordination development. Based on the analysis of research results, we made the following observations. In southwestern China, the comprehensive development of rural public services and rural tourism indicated an upward trend. An additional interactive coupling relationship between the two systems is observed, and its coupling coordination degree increases, with the increment varying from slow to rapid. The type of coupling coordination changes from rural tourism lagging type to rural public service lagging type, and there are spatial differences in the degree of coupling coordination between the two. The coupling coordination development of the two systems is affected by multiple causative forces, such as economic, industrial, resource attraction, and service guarantee forces, and some differences distinguish the driving strengths of both single and interaction factors. The main contribution of this article is to reveal the coupling and coordination relationship between rural public services and rural tourism, to explore the driving factors affecting the degree of coupling and coordination between them, and to make relevant policy recommendations.
Determining cost and placement decisions for moderate complexity NAATs for tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing
Authors: Malhotra Akash , Thompson Ryan , De Vos Margaretha , David Anura , Schumacher Samuel , Sohn Hojoon
Published: August 2023

Background

Access to drug resistant testing for tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge in high burden countries. Recently, the World Health Organization approved the use of several moderate complexity automated nucleic acid amplification tests (MC-NAAT) that have performance profiles suitable for placement in a range of TB laboratory tiers to improve drug susceptibility tests (DST) coverage.

Methods

We conducted cost analysis of two MC-NAATs with different testing throughput: Lower Throughput (LT, < 24 tests per run) and Higher Throughput (HT, upto 90+ tests per run) for placement in a hypothetical laboratory in a resource limited setting. We used per-test cost as the main indicator to assess 1) drivers of cost by resource types and 2) optimized levels of annual testing volumes for the respective MC-NAATs.

Results

The base-case per test cost of $18.52 (range: $13.79 - $40.70) for LT test and $15.37 (range: $9.61 - $37.40) for HT test. Per test cost estimates were most sensitive to the number of testing days per week, followed by equipment costs and TB-specific workloads. In general, HT NAATs were cheaper at all testing volume levels, but at lower testing volumes (less than 2,000 per year) LT tests can be cheaper if the durability of the testing system is markedly better and/or procured equipment costs are lower than that of HT NAAT.

Conclusion

Assuming equivalent performance and infrastructural needs, placement strategies for MC-NAATs need to be prioritized by laboratory system’s operational factors, testing demands, and costs.
The construction and preliminary validation of a new Pictorial Materialism Test for 4–6-year-old children
Authors: Trzcińska Agata , Kubicka Karolina , Podsiadłowski Wojciech
Published: August 2023

Materialistic tendencies may originate in early childhood, and previous research shows that even preschoolers differ in the degree of their materialism. The goal of this project was to develop and validate a new instrument that reliably measures materialism in preschool children (4–6 years old). A simple and universal Pictorial Materialism Test (PMT) was created and its psychometric properties were evaluated. The PMT consists of 32 items reflecting two dimensions: acquisition as the pursuit of happiness and success defined by possessions. To evaluate the psychometric properties of the PMT, a total of 204 Polish children aged 4–6 years were recruited for the study using an opportunity sampling method. To examine the reliability of the PMT, we calculated the internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and test–retest intra-class correlation. To determine the convergent validity of the PMT, correlations with another measure of materialism in children (Happiness Collage) and with age were examined. The results confirmed that materialism can be reliably reported by preschool children and that the PMT has satisfactory (albeit moderate) psychometric properties. The instrument developed in this project is promising for further research because it has the potential to be used in research on materialism in preschool children around the world. In conclusion, we propose a preliminarily validated new Pictorial Materialism Test to measure general materialistic tendencies and their dimensions (possession-driven happiness and materially defined success) in 4–6-year-old children.
Self-supervised pseudo-colorizing of masked cells
Authors: Wagner Royden , Lopez Carlos Fernandez , Stiller Christoph
Published: August 2023

Self-supervised learning, which is strikingly referred to as the dark matter of intelligence, is gaining more attention in biomedical applications of deep learning. In this work, we introduce a novel self-supervision objective for the analysis of cells in biomedical microscopy images. We propose training deep learning models to pseudo-colorize masked cells. We use a physics-informed pseudo-spectral colormap that is well suited for colorizing cell topology. Our experiments reveal that approximating semantic segmentation by pseudo-colorization is beneficial for subsequent fine-tuning on cell detection. Inspired by the recent success of masked image modeling, we additionally mask out cell parts and train to reconstruct these parts to further enrich the learned representations. We compare our pre-training method with self-supervised frameworks including contrastive learning (SimCLR), masked autoencoders (MAEs), and edge-based self-supervision. We build upon our previous work and train hybrid models for cell detection, which contain both convolutional and vision transformer modules. Our pre-training method can outperform SimCLR, MAE-like masked image modeling, and edge-based self-supervision when pre-training on a diverse set of six fluorescence microscopy datasets. Code is available at:https://github.com/roydenwa/pseudo-colorize-masked-cells.
Migration choices of China’s older adults and spatial patterns emerging therefrom (1995–2015)
Authors: Wu Rongwei , Wu Linguo
Published: August 2023

The steady increase in China’s ageing population and an upswing in migration among the country’s population, on the whole, has caused a continuous expansion of the scale of older migrants. The migration of older adults not only directly affects the well-being of individual families but also significantly impacts the population structure and economic development of the places of origin and destination. Despite this, in China, the various relevant aspects concerning this age group and, in particular, its migration choices and the patterns thereof have only rarely been the subject of sound research. The study presented in this paper seeks to fill this gap; the present study makes use of the microdata obtained from the national population censuses of 2000 and 2010 and the 1% population sample surveys conducted nationally in 2005 and 2015. The findings of the present study were the following: ① During 1995–2015, the efficiency of older adults’ migration was significantly higher in the eastern region than in the central and western regions. ② Older individuals migrating to urban areas are increasingly choosing, for their relocation, economically developed, urban areas such as the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. ③ Relocation of older adults to urban areas was much more than to rural areas. The latter group has a more diverse choice of destination, and the larger migration flow is primarily from developed provinces to relatively underdeveloped provinces. ④ The results of binary logit regression indicated that the factors that significantly and consistently influence the migration decisions of older adults were found to be the following: age, education level, health status, the primary financial resource, children aged ≤ 6 years being members of the household that would receive the migrants, and the average wage of employees. As for the geographical characteristics of the province to which the older adults migrate, a substantial difference was observed between the preferences of older adults migrating to urban regions and those of older adults relocating to rural areas. The findings of the present study provide further insight into the decision-making of older adults regarding migration. Further, these findings constitute an empirical basis for the local governments concerned to devise and implement policies to better cope with an ageing population.
Regulation of coronavirus nsp15 cleavage specificity by RNA structure
Authors: Salukhe Indraneel , Choi Ryan , Van Voorhis Wesley , Barrett Lynn , Hyde Jennifer
Published: August 2023

SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has had an enduring impact on global public health. However, SARS-CoV-2 is only one of multiple pathogenic human coronaviruses (CoVs) to have emerged since the turn of the century. CoVs encode for several nonstructural proteins (nsps) that are essential for viral replication and pathogenesis. Among them is nsp15, a uridine-specific viral endonuclease that is important in evading the host immune response and promoting viral replication. Despite the established endonuclease function of nsp15, little is known about other determinants of its cleavage specificity. In this study we investigate the role of RNA secondary structure in SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 endonuclease activity. Using a series of in vitro endonuclease assays, we observed that thermodynamically stable RNA structures were protected from nsp15 cleavage relative to RNAs lacking stable structure. We leveraged the s2m RNA from the SARS-CoV-1 3’UTR as a model for our structural studies as it adopts a well-defined structure with several uridines, two of which are unpaired and thus highly probable targets for nsp15 cleavage. We found that SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 specifically cleaves s2m at the unpaired uridine within the GNRNA pentaloop of the RNA. Further investigation revealed that the position of uridine within the pentaloop also impacted nsp15 cleavage efficiency suggesting that positioning within the pentaloop is necessary for optimal presentation of the scissile uridine and alignment within the nsp15 catalytic pocket. Our findings indicate that RNA secondary structure is an important determinant of nsp15 cleavage and provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of RNA recognition by nsp15.
Applicability of machine learning technique in the screening of patients with mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Terabe Miriam Leiko , Massago Miyoko , Iora Pedro Henrique , Hernandes Rocha Thiago Augusto , de Souza João Vitor Perez , Huo Lily , Massago Mamoru , Senda Dalton Makoto , Kobayashi Elisabete Mitiko , Vissoci João Ricardo , Staton Catherine Ann , de Andrade Luciano
Published: August 2023

Even though the demand of head computed tomography (CT) in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) has progressively increased worldwide, only a small number of individuals have intracranial lesions that require neurosurgical intervention. As such, this study aims to evaluate the applicability of a machine learning (ML) technique in the screening of patients with mild TBI in the Regional University Hospital of Maringá, Paraná state, Brazil. This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study using ML technique to develop a protocol that predicts which patients with an initial diagnosis of mild TBI should be recommended for a head CT. Among the tested models, he linear extreme gradient boosting was the best algorithm, with the highest sensitivity (0.70 ± 0.06). Our predictive model can assist in the screening of mild TBI patients, assisting health professionals to manage the resource utilization, and improve the quality and safety of patient care.
Global microbial water quality data and predictive analytics: Key to health and meeting SDG 6
Authors: Rose Joan B. , Hofstra Nynke , Hollmann Erica , Katsivelis Panagis , Medema Gertjan J. , Murphy Heather M. , Naughton Colleen C. , Verbyla Matthew E.
Published: August 2023

Microbial water quality is an integral to water security and is directly linked to human health, food safety, and ecosystem services. However, specifically pathogen data and even faecal indicator data (e.g., E. coli), are sparse and scattered, and their availability in different water bodies (e.g., groundwater) and in different socio-economic contexts (e.g., low- and middle-income countries) are inequitable. There is an urgent need to assess and collate microbial data across the world to evaluate the global state of ambient water quality, water treatment, and health risk, as time is running out to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 by 2030. The overall goal of this paper is to illustrate the need and advocate for building a robust and useful microbial water quality database and consortium worldwide that will help achieve SDG 6. We summarize available data and existing databases on microbial water quality, discuss methods for producing new data on microbial water quality, and identify models and analytical tools that utilize microbial data to support decision making. This review identified global datasets (7 databases), and regional datasets for Africa (3 databases), Australia/New Zealand (6 databases), Asia (3 databases), Europe (7 databases), North America (12 databases) and South America (1 database). Data are missing for low- and middle-income countries. Increased laboratory capacity (due to COVID-19 pandemic) and molecular tools can identify potential pollution sources and monitor directly for pathogens. Models and analytical tools can support microbial water quality assessment by making geospatial and temporal inferences where data are lacking. A genomics, information technology (IT), and data revolution is upon us and presents unprecedented opportunities to develop software and devices for real-time logging, automated analysis, standardization, and modelling of microbial data to strengthen knowledge of global water quality. These opportunities should be leveraged for achieving SDG 6 around the world.
Metodologías activas en educación superior, mediadas por tecnologías en diversas disciplinas
Authors: Morales-Morgado Erla Mariela , Ruiz-Torres Santiago , Rodero-Cilleros Sergio , Morales-Romo Beatriz , Campos-Ortuño Rosalynn Argelia
Published: August 2023

Las metodologías activas forman una parte importante de los actuales modelos de enseñanza, que promueven un rol activo en los estudiantes, articulando sobre ellos los demás elementos del currículum como objetivos, contenidos, actividades y recursos, donde las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) ofrecen un importante soporte. El escenario de pandemia, provocado por el COVID-19, ha puesto más en alerta la necesidad de potenciar en los estudiantes universitarios la promoción de sus capacidades de aprendizaje autónomo y autorregulado. A través de este artículo, se presenta la experiencia de un grupo de docentes, pertenecientes a diversas disciplinas, a través de un proyecto de innovación docente, dirigido al desarrollo de metodologías activas a través de la plataforma institucional. Los resultados confirman la necesidad y la eficacia de las metodologías activas soportadas por las tecnologías, lo cual ayuda a mejorar la inclusión y la interacción de los estudiantes.
Channel Analysis for 3.5 GHz Frequency in Airport
Authors:   Federal University of Pará, Macedo Alex , Costa Thiago , de Matos Edemir ,   Federal University of Pará,   Federal University of Pará, Castro Eras Leslye ,   Federal University of the South and Southeast of Pará, de Araujo Jasmine ,   Federal University of Pará, Gonzalez Castellanos Pedro Vladimir ,   Federal Fluminense University, Barros Fabricio ,   Federal University of Pará (UFPA)
Published: August 2023

This letter presents an analysis of the radio propagation channel based on measurements at the 3.5 GHz frequency. The measurement campaigns were carried out inside the Valde-Cans airport using line-of-sight (LOS) transmissions. First, the channel small-scale dispersion parameters were extracted through channel probing and the results are similar to those obtained by ITU-R P.1238 for the bands below 15 GHz considering commercial indoor environments as well as for those using the 3.5 GHz band in outdoor environments utilizing WiMax OFDM-256 signals. Then, the floating-intercept (FI) and close-in (CI) models are applied and analyzed to evaluate the received signal behavior for co-polarized and cross polarized antennas. The results show that the CI path loss exponent values are close to the free space propagation loss model, while the FI model provides a lower root mean square error (RMSE) to the measured data. The results show that the FI and CI models are suitable for large-scale indoor propagation loss modeling for 5G networks with a frequency of 3.5 GHz.
A kultúraközvetítés speciális módja – a falugondnokok tevékenysége a kistelepüléseken
Authors: Kovácsné Biczó Klaudia
Published: August 2023

Magyarország településeinek közel egyharmada aprófalu, amelyeknek sajátos demográfiai, szociális és kulturális helyzetük van. Ennek megismerése fontos elem ahhoz, hogy az itt élők elvándorlását megállítsuk és segítsük mindennapi életüket, legyen szó akár szociális ellátásról, akár a kultúrához való hozzáférésről és kultúrafogyasztásról, akár oktatásról, vagy az élethosszig tartó tanulás lehetőségéről. Ezen települések életében nagy jelentőséggel bírnak személyközi kapcsolati hálók és a közösségben megjelenő társadalmi tőke.
Ennek egyik fontos eleme a falugondnoki szolgálat, amelyet egy 2022 tavaszán lefolytatott kvalitatív és kvantitatív elemeket is tartalmazó kutatás keretében vizsgáltunk. Ennek egyik egysége a kultúraközvetítéssel kapcsolatos tevékenységekkel foglalkozott. Előadásomban, illetve a tanulmány keretein belül ennek a kutatásnak eredményei mentén mutatom be az aprófalvak speciális helyzetét és a falugondnoknak a kultúraközvetítésben betöltött szerepét.
An Empirical Study on Impact of Project Management Constraints in Agile Software Development
Authors: Sathe Chaitanya Arun , Panse Chetan
Published: August 2023

Goal: The Study aims to investigate the impact of project management constraints in fixed-cost and fixed-scheduled Agile software development contracts using multigroup analysis (MGA) to perform repeated comparisons of parameters across groups of Scrum or Kanban methodologies using structural equation modelling (SEM)
Design/Methodology/Approach: A web-based survey is used to collect responses to a questionnaire based on project management constraints for Kanban and Scrum method-based Agile software development projects from people working on projects fixed-cost and fixed-schedule contracts and then analyzed with the help of multi-group analysis using SmartPLS 4.0
Results: Risk management has a mediating effect between project scope, resources, and delivery quality. MGA implied that the Kanban method is better at managing resources and will have a higher impact on the quality of deliverables than the Scrum method. 
Limitations of the investigation:  Evaluating the suitability of various multi-group analysis approaches requires more than just our empirical example using satisfactory data and other project management constraints.
Practical implications: The findings of the study suggest that hypothesis testing should be carried out for a distinct model parameter between study groups, whenever they are comparing more than two group.
Originality/Value:  This study helps in contributing to exploring PLS route modelling by the introduction of the original non-parametric confidence set approach based on a comparison of parameter estimations and bootstrap confidence intervals. The study investigates the impact of several project management constraints on to fixed-cost Agile software development projects.
Postille a papiri di Caritone
Authors: Vendruscolo Fabio
Published: August 2023

For five lacunose passages in papyri of Chariton’s novel new reconstructions are proposed removing or harmonising divergences from the medieval codex unicus F, and in one case bringing out a new variant, possibly correct; two F readings confirmed by a papyrus, yet still usually emended or suspected, are defended with a different interpretation.
Great Doxology with Miaphysite Trisagion
Authors: Toth Peter
Published: August 2023

The article contains the edition and study of three ostraca in the British Library (Ostracon 5878) which join with another fragment in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (P.Mon.Epiph. 607). The join of these pieces helps to date the British Library fragments to the turn of the 6th-7th centuries and assign them to Apa Moses from the Monastery of Epiphanius in Thebes. The ostracon now provides a complete and unique text of the Great Doxology as used in the Coptic Church of the late 6th century and probably the earliest version of the so-called Constantinopolitan version of this liturgical chant.