bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LA PROPUESTA DE MIES VAN DER ROHE PARA EL ESPACIO URBANO DEL CONVENTION HALL
Authors: Santatecla Fayos José , Lizondo Sevilla Laura , Cabanillas Cuesta Amparo
Published: May 2024

El Convention Hall propuesto por Mies van der Rohe para la ciudad de Chicago ha sido un proyecto muy referenciado por los historiadores y críticos que han estudiado su obra. Su claridad, dimensiones y estructura, o, mejor dicho, su no-estructura, han sido temas de reflexión recurrentes. No obstante, hay un aspecto poco tratado de su arquitectura en general y de este proyecto en particular: el proceso del diseño urbano capaz de albergar este enorme espacio. El Convention Hall no solo era importante por su escala edilicia, sino que debía contribuir a la regeneración urbana de un área del sur de Chicago siguiendo las directrices del Plan Burnham de 1909. La infraestructura fue inaugurada en 1960, desechando la propuesta del maestro, y construyéndose el proyecto de su antiguo asistente Gene Summers, quien trabajaba para la firma C.F. Murphy. Este artículo propone conocer el proceso de ideación y relación formal entre el lleno -edificio- y el vacío -espacio urbano- de la propuesta de Mies que, aunque no construida, sigue aportando consideraciones válidas para nuestras ciudades actuales. Para ello se analizan y comparan los planos y memorias del archivo, tanto de la propuesta presentada por Mies como de los estudios que siguió desarrollando con sus alumno del IIT. Realmente, Mies nunca desistió en ver construido su ansiado espacio universal. Surge la duda de si la esencia del Convention Hall era un edificio o simplemente un espacio urbano
LAURA TRIPALDI: MENTES PARALELAS. DESCUBRIR LA INTELIGENCIA DE LOS MATERIALES
Authors: Millán Gómez Antonio
Published: May 2024

Este libro de la doctora Tripaldi, inicialmente publicado en italiano en 2020, y recién vertido al castellano por la editorial argentina Caja-negra-editora, se sirve de algunas metáforas mitológicas para adentrarnos en la jungla disciplinar, donde algunas estructuras materiales reclaman concreción. Y, para ello, se limita a cinco apartados donde desarrolla un elenco de asuntos, ya tratados en ocasiones por profesionales destacados. Su interés radica en la riqueza sugestiva para la imaginación creativa en los nuevos instrumentos de diseño actuales, sin olvidar el medio, hacia el que acabará dirigiéndose en sus reflexiones finales. Las redes que se van desplegando de modo paradigmático en este libro son Ecografías Ambientales, que nos hacen tomar posición ante el medio que ya nos supera. Aquí la sutileza de lo material nos absorbe e inspira, transportándonos a un estado de cosas, tan real, y tan futuro. Las notas al pie inducen a seguir las referencias y aplicar los ejemplos en la producción real, profesional.
PAOLO PORTOGHESI: NATURA E ARCHITETTURA
Authors: Plaza Carlos
Published: May 2024

A partir de inicios de los años noventa se observa en Portoghesi el paulatino desplazamiento de sus intereses por la Historia de la Arquitectura hacia la interacción entre Naturaleza y Arquitectura desde una perspectiva que no descuida su historicidad. Natura e architettura es un libro que recoge material recopilado por Portoghesi durante decenios de estudios, observación de la naturaleza y viajes. La investigación hace reaccionar las fotografías, los dibujos o los esquemas de arquitecturas o ciudades con las estructuras o las formas de la naturaleza, no tanto en la búsqueda de una derivación formal sino en la individualización de la "unità profonda" entre arquitectura y naturaleza.
De la percepción a la objetividad: cómo la búsqueda de la credibilidad de los think tanks puede conducir a una evaluación más rigurosa de la calidad de la investigación
Authors: Mendizabal Enrique
Published: May 2024

En este capítulo se señala que los grupos de reflexión, que suelen ser juzgados sobre la base de una evaluación subjetiva de su credibilidad, en lugar de una evaluación objetiva de la calidad de su investigación, ofrecen una rica cartera de alternativas para las universidades que quieren maximizar el impacto no académico de su investigación. Ya sea adoptando algunas de sus prácticas o trabajando en colaboración con ellas, las universidades pueden tener su pastel, y comerlo también; en otras palabras, pueden influir en los profanos e inspirar a los expertos. La excelencia de la investigación no debe verse comprometida.
Effects of 15-minutes physical exercise on physical fitness of adolescents: A protocol study
Authors: Rocha Rodrigo Zanetti da , Ribeiro Franciéle da Silva , Romig Igor Darlan Krause , Arrieira Henrique de Oliveira , Cunha Gicele de Oliveira Karini da , Bergmann Gabriel Gustavo
Published: May 2024

Overweight, obesity, and low physical fitness (PF) are conditions associated with physical and mental health problems in children and adolescents. Schools and physical education (PE) classes provide ideal environments for promoting physical exercise, improving levels of PF, and preventing obesity in this population. This article outlines the protocol of an experimental study whose primary objective is to assess the effects of a 15-minute physical exercise program implemented during elementary school physical education classes on PF and anthropometric markers of overweight and obesity (AMOO). Enrolled students in 6th to 9th-grade classes within rural elementary schools located in a Southern city in Brazil will participate of the study. The participants will be randomized into the intervention group and control group. The intervention will last for 12 weeks with two sessions per week. Various components of PF and AMOO will be the primary dependent variables. Physical activity level, recreational screen time, sleep duration, physical self-concept, motivation for participating in PE classes, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress will be secondary dependent variables. Sociodemographic information and somatic maturation will serve as covariates. All variables will be measured pre and post-intervention. The study’s findings will contribute to a better understanding of the potential of school PE classes to improve PF, AMOO, and, secondarily, health-related behaviors, motivation for participating in PE classes, and the mental health of students.
How Demand Shocks “Jumpstart” Technological Ecosystems and Commercialization: Evidence from the Global Electric Vehicle Industry
Authors: Dutta Sunasir , Vasudeva Gurneeta
Published: May 2024

We examine how exogenous demand shocks overcome ecosystem bottlenecks in the commercialization of an emergent technology. We argue that demand shocks that spur new technology adoption by niche users pull “hub” firms into country technology markets, despite ecosystem bottlenecks, thereby serving to “jumpstart” the process of ecosystem development and technology commercialization. By analyzing global electric vehicle markets over the period 2008–2017, we find that extreme weather events such as abnormal heat-related events spur adoption of electric vehicles by end users, thereby propelling automotive or hub firms’ entry into country technology markets, and the subsequent shift of their electric vehicle product portfolios toward the more radical version of the technology. Notably, such demand shocks propel firms’ commercialization strategy, despite ecosystem bottlenecks such as the lack of regulatory and economic inducements for adoption, relative absence of complements, and product market differences. After entry, entrant firms’ electric vehicle product portfolios transition from hybrids toward radical technology products and investments in complements, albeit contingent on their competitive market position in the legacy technology. We discuss the implications of these findings concerning the uptake of demand shocks, and their robustness to modeling choices, technological generations across extended timeframes, potential mediating forces, and boundary conditions owing to firm and country-market heterogeneity.

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/stsc.2022.0075 .
Arte, cultura africana e os livros didáticos do Ensino Fundamental
Authors: Carvalho Jailson Araújo
Published: May 2024

O presente estudo buscou: analisar a utilização da coleção Afreaka como possibilidade pedagógica para suprir as lacunas existentes nos livros didáticos do 6º ao 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental sobre Arte e Cultura africana; analisar os livros didáticos de Arte do Ensino Fundamental – Anos Finais – mais utilizados na Coordenação Regional de Ensino do Recanto das Emas, Distrito Federal, a partir da Lei nº 10.639/2003, sobre o ensino da Cultura e Arte africana; analisar a coleção Afreaka a partir da Lei nº 10.639/2003; e, analisar possíveis interações entre os livros didáticos de Arte e a coleção Afreaka. A metodologia utilizada foi a análise documental com reflexões sobre as cinco coleções de livros didáticos e a coleção Afreaka. Notou-se que, de fato, a Lei nº 10.639/2023 ainda não é aplicada na prática escolar a partir dos livros didáticos.
Decolonización epistémica desde los feminismos del sur: saberes ancestrales como prácticas de resistencia y re-existencias
Authors: Alvarado Mariana
Published: May 2024

Este texto se inscribe en lo que Eli Bartra y Ana Maria Bach definen como investigación feminista; desde los aportes de Yuderkys Espinosa Miñoso y Maria Lugones des(a)nuda la episteme moderna colonial para anclar en una experiencia situada y en contexto, local-global que agencia la construcción de un locus de enunciación colectivo de abajo-arriba que se sostiene en la trama de los feminismos indígenas y comunitarios.
Trajetória e práxis de Amílcar Cabral:
Authors: Oliveira Araújo Serinaldo
Published: May 2024

Este artigo, combinado com revisão bibliográfica e análise documental, apresenta a trajetória,teoria e práxis de um importante líder anticolonial africano, Amílcar Cabral. Poeta e revolucionário, conduziu a luta armada na Guiné-Bissau, transformando-aem um dos mais bem-sucedidos processos de libertação nacional contra o colonialismo europeu. Tendo internacionalizado a luta anticolonial, Cabral angariou apoio externo e deu a conhecer ao mundo a forte repressão e a fome que sofriam as colônias. Ele viveu integralmente a luta anticolonial, foi combatente, teórico e acadêmico. A complexidade de seus anseios e pensamentos é de uma atualidade incomum, e se insere em discussões como liderança, democracia, cultura, educação – dentre outras. Nesse sentido, esta pesquisa apresenta uma introdução à teoria e à práxis de Cabral, destacando-se alguns aspectos da sua concepção de cultura e educação.
Coletivo Ação Zumbi - trilhando epistemologias outras:
Authors: Da Silva Janaína Amorim , Antônio Paim Elison
Published: May 2024

Mais do que simplesmente cumprir as legislações 10.639/03 e 11.645/08, uma educação antirracista exige modificar as epistemologias e metodologias, repensando nossa visão de educação, sociedade e sistema mundo. Nesse sentido, esse artigo deseja contribuir na construção de uma proposta de educação que esteja aberta a escuta e aprendizado com o movimento negro, valorizando epistemologias como a filosofia ubuntu e o sentipensamento.  Na busca por uma experiência de educação antirracista, escolhemos pesquisar sobre e com o Coletivo Ação Zumbi, um coletivo negro, criado em 2003 que atua principalmente nas cidades catarinenses de Florianópolis e São José, onde foi precursor na promoção da igualdade racial através da arte, na valorização da cultura africana e afro-brasileira, revelando memórias contra-hegemônicas de origens afro-brasileiras, reencontrando e recontando a história do Brasil e de Santa Catarina.
Ética Ubuntu como Alicerce para as Motivações das Educadoras que Implementaram a Lei 10.639/03 em Sala de Aula
Authors: De Souza Ramos Maria Aparecida
Published: May 2024

A abordagem deste artigo consiste em refletir e compreender a Ética Ubuntu observada a partir da práxis das educadoras que fizeram valer a Lei nº 10.639/03 em sala de aula. O objetivo é apresentar as motivações que levaram as professoras a desenvolverem atividades educativas com a temática da História e Cultura Africana e Afro-brasileira, evidenciando a Ética Ubuntu em suas práticas pedagógicas antirracistas de modo a analisar de que forma a dimensão axiológica da Filosofia Ubuntu se manifesta no cotidiano escolar das docentes. A revisão bibliográfica e a produção das entrevistas, semiestruturadas, com as professoras do ensino público que conseguiram implementar a referida lei para produção e análises dos dados caracterizou a metodologia. As motivações expressas nas entrevistas são de forma implícita vivenciadas relacionadas com a Ética Ubuntu.
O CURRÍCULO INTEGRADO PARA ALÉM DO ENSINO MÉDIO INTEGRADO:
Authors: Fávero de Oliveira Tiago , Baldo Sandro
Published: May 2024

No Brasil, a educação historicamente atuou como um mecanismo de conformação de classes, reproduzindo desigualdades e dualidades que são produzidas e garantem a permanência do status quo de dependência, atraso e subdesenvolvimento. Com a educação profissional e tecnológica (EPT) não foi diferente. Pesquisas de Cunha (2005) indicam que a formação técnica para o trabalho sempre foi relegada para os desvalidos da sorte e da fortuna, órfãos, menores infratores e filhos das famílias pobres e miseráveis. É evidente que com o passar dos anos, a Rede Federal de EPT sofreu inúmeras reformas e adaptações, mas ainda sim, permanece em sua concepção uma herança dualista e comprometida com a desigualdade.
Nesse sentido, o objetivo desse texto é refletir sobre as bases teóricas que fundamentam a educação integrada e sinalizar para a necessidade de se buscar a integração para além do ensino médio. Isso implica em ampliar os esforços para a superação da dualidade educacional que marca nossa história. Não se pretende que este tema seja visto como uma inovação referente a uma nova leitura acerca da integração. Muito pelo contrário: o que se deseja é desenvolver uma percepção acerca do conceito e da necessidade da integração para além do ensino médio, aprofundando e alargando o seu entendimento.
Developing your role with conferences and chairing meetings
Authors: Burch Jennie
Published: May 2024

Jennie Burch guides readers on how to present research at a conference as well as providing practical advice on chairing a meeting
siRNA incorporated in slow-release injectable hydrogel continuously silences DDIT4 and regulates nucleus pulposus cell pyroptosis through the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 axis to alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Ma Miao , Zhang Chongjing , Zhong Zeyuan , Wang Yajun , He Xuegang , Zhu Daxue , Qian Zhi , Yu Baoqing , Kang Xuewen
Published: May 2024

Aims

In this investigation, we administered oxidative stress to nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs), recognized DNA-damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) as a component in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), and devised a hydrogel capable of conveying small interfering RNA (siRNA) to IVDD.

Methods

An in vitro model for oxidative stress-induced injury in NPCs was developed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the upregulation of DDIT4 expression, activation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP)-NLRP3 signalling pathway, and nucleus pulposus pyroptosis. Furthermore, the mechanism of action of small interfering DDIT4 (siDDIT4) on NPCs in vitro was validated. A triplex hydrogel named siDDIT4@G5-P-HA was created by adsorbing siDDIT4 onto fifth-generation polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer using van der Waals interactions, and then coating it with hyaluronic acid (HA). In addition, we established a rat puncture IVDD model to decipher the hydrogel’s mechanism in IVDD.

Results

A correlation between DDIT4 expression levels and disc degeneration was shown with human nucleus pulposus and needle-punctured rat disc specimens. We confirmed that DDIT4 was responsible for activating the ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3 axis during oxidative stress-induced pyroptosis in rat nucleus pulposus in vitro. Mitochondria were damaged during oxidative stress, and DDIT4 contributed to mitochondrial damage and ROS production. In addition, siDDIT4@G5-P-HA hydrogels showed good delivery activity of siDDIT4 to NPCs. In vitro studies illustrated the potential of the siDDIT4@G5-P-HA hydrogel for alleviating IVDD in rats.

Conclusion

DDIT4 is a key player in mediating pyroptosis and IVDD in NPCs through the ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3 axis. Additionally, siDDIT4@G5-P-HA hydrogel has been found to relieve IVDD in rats. Our research offers an innovative treatment option for IVDD.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2024;13(5):247–260.
Up from the Soil: Agricultural Production, Racial Uplift, and Cultivating Citizenship in the Southern Workman
Authors: Serafini Sidonia
Published: May 2024

abstract: In response to a request by attendees of the 1897 inaugural Hampton Institute Negro Conference, editors of Hampton's central mouthpiece, the Southern Workman (1872–1939), revised the content of the periodical to better serve the needs of rural African American southerners battling exploitative renting, mortgage, and sharecropping systems. This article explores overlooked agricultural literature produced by and for African American readers of the Southern Workman who aspired to landownership and farming, from formerly enslaved subscribers to Hampton's African American students. I examine the agricultural vignettes of Alabama land cooperative leader, John W. Lemon, and the firsthand farming accounts of Oklahoman settlers, S. J. Faver and Logan Morgan. A blending of success stories and advice literature, their writings offer blueprints to struggling and would-be landowners and farmers seeking labor autonomy and economic prosperity. Often dismissed as unprogressive because its focus on manual labor, a closer examination of Hampton's most prominent print platform expands our understanding of how rural southern African Americans in the Jim Crow era harnessed the periodical press to circulate pathways toward realizing racial uplift and cultivating citizenship in ways that were rooted in the land.
"¡A ver la comeria nueva / que la negla representa!": Villancicos de negros en la Bogotá virreinal
Authors: León Sebastián
Published: May 2024

Abstract: Sung inside and beyond the confines of cathedrals during the principal religious celebrations, the musical-poetic genre of the villancico took on a special vibrancy in the viceregal city of Santafé (today, Bogotá, Colombia) from the later sixteenth century onward. The singers themselves not only played (sung) the roles of angels and shepherds, but also of others, often adapted from stock comic characters, such as the "Negro" or "Negra" (Black man or woman), found in the widely popular short comic dramas of the Spanish-speaking world. This article studies the manuscript evidence of how the villancicos composed, sung, and performed in the Bogotá Cathedral attest to the contribution of the "black voices" that were heard in this viceregal metropolis, to be embodied in these pieces. I provide transcriptions and analysis of the poems, and even theatrical scripts, found in the musical scores of a corpus of "villancicos de nacimiento" preserved in the Archive of Bogotá's Cathedral. In turn, these musical-poetic works open a window through which to better understand devotional and festive practices in a stratified colonial society and, in so doing, can give us also a picture of performance practices developed by largely unheralded and mostly anonymous Black performers of the territory of New Granada (which coincides with present-day Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador), which was administered through the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1717.
Whiteface versus Black Performance: Accounts of Black and Afro-descendant Performers in Portuguese America
Authors: Mayor Mariana
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This study of theatrical performance in Portuguese America examines the prevalence of Black and African descendant performers onstage, whether enslaved or free. On the one hand, I consider the artistic implications of these performers' prominence in terms of how their performances fused European theatrical elements, for instance, with plays being staged in opera houses and featuring works by Pietro Metastasio and Carlo Goldoni. Other engagements with the European tradition suggest Spanish influences, such as performances of comedias and comic farces ( entremezes ). On the other hand, we find Afro-diasporic performance practices on the Portuguese American stage. Additionally, I address methodological challenges: How can this kind of theatricality be analyzed? Is it possible to reconstitute such scenes of Black performance and analyze acting methods, notwithstanding the scarce documentation? Finally, must we interrogate the connections between social organization in colonial Brazil's slave-holding society and forms of artistic expression. Sources mobilized for these queries include travelers' descriptions of performances, documents found in archival sources, and firsthand accounts of fêtes.
Silencio de reyes negros: La Comedia Trofea de Torres Naharro y la cartografía de la colonización africana
Authors: Vélez-Sainz Julio
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This article considers how Bartolomé de Torres Naharro's Comedia Trofea (1517) represents the process of global colonization of the African and Southeast Asian coasts initiated with the Portuguese imperial expansion of the mid- to late fifteenth century. This drama, in essence, maps an emerging empire, highlighting key protagonists and places. Analysis here concentrates on the drama's parade of African kings (Monicongo, Mandinga, Capa, Milindo, Aden), considering how the representation of these rulers on stage proffers a cartography that supersedes the longstanding European conception of Africa that had remained entrenched from the influential world map of Claudius Ptolemy dating from Antiquity to the mid-fifteenth century. New place names and ethnicities evoked within the Comedia Trofea align with European imperialist projects and colonization, both justified in the drama with reference to evangelization and a Eurocentric notion of a civilizing process . This study also ponders the implications of this play's composition and performance in the context of ostentatious courtly festivities, where the aim was to elicit orientalist wonder through the representation of African kings.
Branding, Bondage, and Lope's Typeface
Authors: Slater John
Published: May 2024

Abstract: In plays such as Los melindres de Belisa , Lope de Vega's characters pretend to be enslaved people who have been branded on the face. Their cosmetic brands or fingidos hierros act as signs within a system of figuration I call typeface. In Lope's typeface plays, hierros are removed easily but are undetectable as fake. These simulated brandings do not disfigure the characters pretending to be enslaved; instead, branding makes the character feigning unfreedom appear simultaneously more sexually attractive and racially ambiguous to other characters. Rather than clarifying racial hierarchies, as Miles Grier demonstrates is the case with the phenomenon he calls "inkface," typeface performances of enslavement represent what is for Lope a metaphysical reality: all human beings are enslaved and branded. Typeface goes beyond the appropriation of enslavement and entails a theory of signification in which human identities circulate as fungible signs, conflating the slave trade and literary dissemination, typographical characters and characterization. By elucidating how simulated brandings signify in plays Lope wrote across decades, this article identifies typeface plays as a subset of Lope's oeuvre, suggesting new ways of understanding his attitudes toward race and enslavement.
The Mandinga Experience: Illusion and Proof in the Inquisition Case of Patrício de Andrade, 1690
Authors: Cook Lexie
Published: May 2024

Abstract: In 1690, Capeverdean freedman and servant Patrício de Andrade was sentenced to exile by the Portuguese Inquisition for putting on performances of bodily invulnerability so convincing that no one could believe he had not made a pact with the devil. These performances, which he called experiências (from experientia meaning both experience and experiment), had a purpose: to demonstrate the protective powers of the amulets he made and sold, later known as bolsas de mandinga . But Patrício, as he sought to prove to the inquisitors, was an illusionist and swindler, whose experiences relied not on diabolical assistance, but on his own dexterity, artifice , and pretense . This article reconstructs and analyzes these performances inside and outside the space of the inquisition tribunal, showing how mandingueiros like Patrício both dramatized and promised a solution to pervasive fears around violence and bodily insecurity in Lisbon and across the empire, and mastered a vocabulary of experiential proof that, before the law, put considerable pressure on existing regimes of verification.
Contradicción, aculturación y celebración en El negro del serafín de Vélez de Guevara
Authors: Morales Manuel Delgado
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This article draws new attention to El negro del serafín , by Luis Vélez de Guevara, a hagiographic drama focused on the struggle for freedom and the rise to fame as a Franciscan friar of a Black protagonist. Despite evidence of enthusiastic reception at its time of composition and staging (ca. 1642–43), the comedia has remained obscure in recent times. In considering the historical and cultural contexts of the notion of Black sainthood in early modern Spain and Sicily overall and the theatrical subgenre of plays celebrating Black saints ( comedia de santos negros ), the article finds the comedia serves as a window through which to examine how religious beliefs and cultural practices informed representations of Blackness. Through a close reading of the play, I explore how Vélez de Guevara builds a hagiographic drama that epitomizes the fundamental duality of Renaissance and Baroque comedies that is the interplay of contradiction and celebration. As well, I ponder how the representation of the comedia's protagonist, Rosambuco, illustrates elements of the Franciscan order's quest to bring about the acculturation of Blacks in the early modern Spanish world.
Fan Labor Shapes Visibility for Women's Sports in Networked Sports Media
Authors: McClearen Jennifer
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: This article examines how networked sports media actively facilitates a hierarchical system of visibility dependent on social media engagement and data analytics. I argue that in the case of women's sports, as well as other less prominently mediated sports, the industry logics that structure hierarchies of visibility deflect responsibility for representation away from networks, brands, and leagues and onto fans, who are left to promote women's sports through their engagement online. This strategy shields the business of sports from the risk of investing in women athletes and instead places promotional responsibility on fan labor.
Le teen film, c'est ma culture : Céline Sciamma and the American Teen Movie
Authors: Smith Frances
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: On the release of Naissance des pieuvres ( Water Lilies , 2007), director and screenwriter Céline Sciamma likened her tale of female sexual awakening to American sex quest romp American Pie (Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, 1999). With Bande de filles ( Girlhood , 2014), Sciamma continues her engagement with le teen film . I examine the various ways in which Sciamma's films invoke elements of the American teen movie. I argue that Sciamma's films call to be read alongside and as examples of the transnational teen movie, thus decoupling the category from its predominant association with American cinema.
The Greening of the Others? The Destination of Alliance and Green Party Transfers, 1997–2023
Authors: McGuinness Philip
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: Northern Ireland’s elections are typically a contest about Union versus unity. However, constitutionally neutral parties have increased their vote share. Both communal blocs are now minorities. How significant is this shift? This paper analyses transfers from Alliance and the Green Party to nationalist and unionist blocs between 1997 and 2023. I show why it is reasonable to estimate that the nationalist share of Other party transfers has doubled. The concept of notional communal bloc (communal bloc first preferences added to lower preference votes for that bloc from Alliance and the Green Party) is introduced. It is estimated that the notional nationalist bloc is now a majority of Northern Ireland’s voters. Evidence of election-time communal realignment of many communally dealigned voters is presented. Northern Ireland is in a transformed and more complex political space: still pro-Union but also notionally nationalist. The implications of this transformation for zero-sum politics and reunification are discussed.
High performance few-mode fiber-based light field direction sensing system using deep convolutional neural network: fiber speckle demodulation network (FSDNET)
Authors: Wen Ya , Zhao Xing , Jiang Zhixiang , Li Haoran , Li Da
Published: May 2024

Precisely sensing the light field direction information plays the essential role in the fields of three-dimensional (3D) imaging, light field sensing, target positioning and tracking, remote sensing, etc. It is thrilling to find that the optical fiber can be used as a sensing component due to its high sensitivity, compact size, and strong resistance to electromagnetic interference. According to the core principle that the few-mode fiber output speckle pattern is sensitive to the change of incident light field direction, the variation characteristics is further investigated in this research study. Based on the simulation and analysis of the fiber transmission characteristics, the output speckle corresponding to the incident light field with the direction in the range of ±6° horizontally and vertically are calculated. Furthermore, a deep convolutional neural network (CNN): fiber speckle demodulation network (FSDNET) is proposed and constructed to establish what we believe to be a novel way to reveal and identify the mapping relationship between the light field direction and the output speckle. The theoretical simulation shows that the mean absolute error (MAE) between the perceived light field directions and the true directions is 0.01°. Then, a light field direction sensing system based on the few-mode fiber is developed. Regarding to the performance of the sensing system, the MAE of the FSDNET for the light field directions that have appeared in the training set is 0.0389°, and for testing set of the unknown directions that have not appeared in the training set, the MAE is 0.0570°. Therefore, the simulation and experimental results prove that high performance sensing of light field direction can be achieved by the proposed few-mode fiber sensing system and the FSDNET.
Hologram generation using light-field modulated zone plates
Authors: Koyama Takayuki , Takaki Yasuhiro
Published: May 2024

A hologram calculation technique is proposed in this study using a depth image and light-field information comprising multiple parallax images. The depth image is used to determine the phase distribution of the zone plates, and the amplitude distribution is modulated using the light-field information. An object wave of three-dimensional (3D) objects is obtained by adding the light-field modulated zone plates. The proposed technique can generate sharp and shaded 3D images in space. The occlusion effects of 3D images can also be supported by modifying the amplitude modulation scheme. The proposed technique was experimentally verified.
Optomagnetism with a plasmonic skyrmion
Authors: Karakhanyan Vage , Grosjean Thierry
Published: May 2024

Research at the frontier between optics and magnetism is revealing a
wealth of innovative phenomena and avenues of exploration. Optical
waves are demonstrating the capacity to induce ultrafast magnetism,
while optical analogs of magnetic states, such as magnetic skyrmions,
offer the prospect of novel, to the best of our knowledge,
spin-optical states. In this Letter, we strengthen the synergy between
light and magnetism by exploring the ability of plasmonic Neel
skyrmions to create an optomagnetic field, i.e., an opto-induced
stationary magnetic field, within a thin gold film. We show that, when
generated using a focused radially polarized vortex beam (RPVB), a
plasmonic Neel skyrmion emerges as an optimum for inducing
optomagnetism in a thin gold film. Optical skyrmions offer new degrees
of freedom for enhancing and controlling optomagnetism in plasmonic
nanostructures, with direct application in all-optical magnetization
switching, magnetic recording, and the excitation of spin waves.
Eosinophils, basophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in chronic Loa loa infection and its treatment in an endemic setting
Authors: Burger Gerrit , Adamou Rafiou , Kreuzmair Ruth , Ndoumba Wilfrid Ndzebe , Mbassi Dorothea Ekoka , Mouima Anne Marie Nkoma , Tabopda Carole Mamgno , Adegnika Roukoyath Moyoriola , More Ayong , Okwu Dearie Glory , Mbadinga Lia-Betty Dimessa , Calle Carlos Lamsfus , Veletzky Luzia , Metzger Wolfram Gottfried , Mordmüller Benjamin , Ramharter Michael , Mombo-Ngoma Ghyslain , Adegnika Ayola Akim , Zoleko-Manego Rella , McCall Matthew B. B.
Published: May 2024

Background

Chronic infection by Loa loa remains an unsolved immunological paradox. Despite harboring subcutaneously migrating adult worms and often high densities of microfilariae, most patients experience only relatively mild symptoms, yet microfilaricidal treatment can trigger life-threatening inflammation. Here, we investigated innate cell populations hypothesized to play a role in these two faces of the disease, in an endemic population in Gabon.

Methodology/Principal findings

We analyzed numbers and activation of eosinophils and basophils, as well as myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) subsets and associated circulating cytokine levels by flow cytometry in sex- and age-matched L. loa-uninfected (LL-), -amicrofilaraemic (MF-) and -microfilaraemic (MF+) individuals (n = 42), as well as microfilaraemic individuals treated with albendazole (n = 26). The percentage of eosinophils was lower in LL- (3.0%) than in the combined L. loa-infected population, but was similar in MF+ (13.1%) and MF- (12.3%). Upon treatment of MF+, eosinophilia increased from day 0 (17.2%) to day 14 (24.8%) and had decreased below baseline at day 168 (6.3%). Expression of the eosinophil activation marker CD123 followed the same pattern as the percentage of eosinophils, while the inverse was observed for CD193 and to some extent CD125. Circulating IL-5 levels after treatment followed the same pattern as eosinophil dynamics. Basophil numbers did not differ between infection states but increased after treatment of MF+. We did not observe differences in MDSC numbers between infection states or upon treatment.

Conclusions/Significance

We demonstrate that both chronic infection and treatment of L. loa microfilaraemia are associated with eosinophil circulation and distinct phenotypical activation markers that might contribute to inflammatory pathways in this setting. In this first ever investigation into MDSC in L. loa infection, we found no evidence for their increased presence in chronic loiasis, suggesting that immunomodulation by L. loa is induced through other pathways.
Associations between sleep problems in children with ADHD and parental insomnia and ADHD symptoms
Authors: Bondopandhyay Upasana , McGrath Jane , Coogan Andrew N.
Published: May 2024

Sleep problems are common in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children’s sleep problem may influence, and be influenced by, parents’ sleep problems as well as parents’ ADHD symptoms. In the current study we examined the associations of parent-rated sleep quality and sleep timing of pre-adolescent children with parental insomnia symptoms, parental ADHD symptoms and dysfunctional attitudes and beliefs about sleep in a convenience sample recruited by advertisement (N = 120). Childhood sleep problems were common in the sample, with 82% of children exceeding the threshold for the presence of a paediatric sleep disorder. Children’s sleep quality showed minimal association with their sleep timing and chronotype. Parental insomnia symptoms, ADHD symptoms and dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep all associated with their children’s sleep quality, and with the sleep subdomains of sleep anxiety and parasomnias. In multiple regression analysis only parental insomnia score was a significant predictor of children’s sleep quality. Children’s bedtimes, wake times, sleep duration, chronotype or social jetlag did not associate with parents’ ADHD or insomnia symptoms. Sleep quality was significantly poorer in children whose parents scored as both consistent for adult ADHD and probable for insomnia disorder compared to parents who scored as either ADHD consistent or insomnia probable, or those who parents scored as neither. We discuss the putative nature of the relationships between sleep quality of children with ADHD and parental ADHD and insomnia symptoms, and suggest that clinicians consider parental sleep when attending to children with ADHD.
The active time model of concurrent choice
Authors: Cleaveland J. Mark
Published: May 2024

The following paper describes a steady-state model of concurrent choice, termed the active time model (ATM). ATM is derived from maximization principles and is characterized by a semi-Markov process. The model proposes that the controlling stimulus in concurrent variable-interval (VI) VI schedules of reinforcement is the time interval since the most recent response, termed here “the active interresponse time” or simply “active time.” In the model after a response is generated, it is categorized by a function that relates active times to switch/stay probabilities. In the paper the output of ATM is compared with predictions made by three other models of operant conditioning: melioration, a version of scalar expectancy theory (SET), and momentary maximization. Data sets considered include preferences in multiple-concurrent VI VI schedules, molecular choice patterns, correlations between switching and perseveration, and molar choice proportions. It is shown that ATM can account for all of these data sets, while the other models produce more limited fits. However, rather than argue that ATM is the singular model for concurrent VI VI choice, a consideration of its concept space leads to the conclusion that operant choice is multiply-determined, and that an adaptive viewpoint–one that considers experimental procedures both as selecting mechanisms for animal choice as well as tests of the controlling variables of that choice–is warranted.
Advancing integrated paediatric care in Australian general practices: Qualitative insights from the SC4C GP-paediatrician model of care
Authors: Crespo-Gonzalez Carmen , Hodgins Michael , Zurynski Yvonne , Meyers Morris Tammy , Le Jane , Wheeler Karen , Khano Sonia , Germano Stephanie , Hiscock Harriet , Lingam Raghu
Published: May 2024

The Strengthening Care for Children (SC4C) is a general practitioner (GP)-paediatrician integrated model of care that consists of co-consulting sessions and case discussions in the general practice setting, with email and telephone support provided by paediatricians to GPs during weekdays. This model was implemented in 21 general practices in Australia (11 Victoria and 10 New South Wales). Our study aimed to identify the factors moderating the implementation of SC4C from the perspectives of GPs, general practice personnel, paediatricians and families. We conducted a qualitative study as part of the mixed-methods implementation evaluation of the SC4C trial. We collected data through virtual and in-person focus groups at the general practices and phone, virtual and in-person interviews. Data was analysed using an iterative hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis. Twenty-one focus groups and thirty-seven interviews were conducted. Overall, participants found SC4C acceptable and suitable for general practices, with GPs willing to learn and expand their paediatric care role. GPs cited improved confidence and knowledge due to the model. Paediatricians reported an enhanced understanding of the general practice context and the strain under which GPs work. GPs and paediatricians reported that this model allowed them to build trust-based relationships with a common goal of improving care for children. Additionally, they felt some aspects, including the lack of remuneration and the work and effort required to deliver the model, need to be considered for the long-term success of the model. Families expressed their satisfaction with the shared knowledge and quality of care jointly delivered by GPs and paediatricians and highlighted that this model of care provides easy access to specialty services without out-of-pocket costs. Future research should focus on finding strategies to ensure the long-term Implementation of this model of care with a particular focus on the individual stressors in general practices.
Stomach Cancer Prediction Model (SCoPM): An approach to risk stratification in a diverse U.S. population
Authors: Wu Bechien U. , Dong Elizabeth Y. , Chen Qiaoling , Luong Tiffany Q. , Lustigova Eva , Jeon Christie Y. , Chen Wansu
Published: May 2024

Background and aims

Population-based screening for gastric cancer (GC) in low prevalence nations is not recommended. The objective of this study was to develop a risk-prediction model to identify high-risk patients who could potentially benefit from targeted screening in a racial/ethnically diverse regional US population.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study from Kaiser Permanente Southern California from January 2008-June 2018 among individuals age ≥50 years. Patients with prior GC or follow-up <30 days were excluded. Censoring occurred at GC, death, age 85 years, disenrollment, end of 5-year follow-up, or study conclusion. Cross-validated LASSO regression models were developed to identify the strongest of 20 candidate predictors (clinical, demographic, and laboratory parameters). Records from 12 of the medical service areas were used for training/initial validation while records from a separate medical service area were used for testing.

Results

1,844,643 individuals formed the study cohort (1,555,392 training and validation, 289,251 testing). Mean age was 61.9 years with 53.3% female. GC incidence was 2.1 (95% CI 2.0–2.2) cases per 10,000 person-years (pyr). Higher incidence was seen with family history: 4.8/10,000 pyr, history of gastric ulcer: 5.3/10,000 pyr, H. pylori: 3.6/10,000 pyr and anemia: 5.3/10,000 pyr. The final model included age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking, proton-pump inhibitor, family history of gastric cancer, history of gastric ulcer, H. pylori infection, and baseline hemoglobin. The means and standard deviations (SD) of c-index in validation and testing datasets were 0.75 (SD 0.03) and 0.76 (SD 0.02), respectively.

Conclusions

This prediction model may serve as an aid for pre-endoscopic assessment of GC risk for identification of a high-risk population that could benefit from targeted screening.
Large language model based framework for automated extraction of genetic interactions from unstructured data
Authors: Gill Jaskaran Kaur , Chetty Madhu , Lim Suryani , Hallinan Jennifer
Published: May 2024

Extracting biological interactions from published literature helps us understand complex biological systems, accelerate research, and support decision-making in drug or treatment development. Despite efforts to automate the extraction of biological relations using text mining tools and machine learning pipelines, manual curation continues to serve as the gold standard. However, the rapidly increasing volume of literature pertaining to biological relations poses challenges in its manual curation and refinement. These challenges are further compounded because only a small fraction of the published literature is relevant to biological relation extraction, and the embedded sentences of relevant sections have complex structures, which can lead to incorrect inference of relationships. To overcome these challenges, we propose GIX, an automated and robust Gene Interaction Extraction framework, based on pre-trained Large Language models fine-tuned through extensive evaluations on various gene/protein interaction corpora including LLL and RegulonDB. GIX identifies relevant publications with minimal keywords, optimises sentence selection to reduce computational overhead, simplifies sentence structure while preserving meaning, and provides a confidence factor indicating the reliability of extracted relations. GIX’s Stage-2 relation extraction method performed well on benchmark protein/gene interaction datasets, assessed using 10-fold cross-validation, surpassing state-of-the-art approaches. We demonstrated that the proposed method, although fully automated, performs as well as manual relation extraction, with enhanced robustness. We also observed GIX’s capability to augment existing datasets with new sentences, incorporating newly discovered biological terms and processes. Further, we demonstrated GIX’s real-world applicability in inferring E. coli gene circuits.
VDX-111 targets proliferative pathways in canine cancer cell lines
Authors: Farrell Kristen B. , Das Sunetra , Nordeen Steven K. , Lambert James R. , Thamm Douglas H.
Published: May 2024

VDX-111 (also identified as AMPI-109) is a vitamin D derivative which has shown anticancer activity. To further assess the function of this compound against multiple cancer types, we examined the efficacy of VDX-111 against a panel of 30 well characterized canine cancer cell lines. Across a variety of cancer types, VDX-111 induced widely variable growth inhibition, cell death, and migration inhibition, at concentrations ranging from 10 nM to 1 μM. Growth inhibition sensitivity did not correlate strongly with tumor cell histotype; however, it was significantly correlated with the expression of genes in multiple cell signaling pathways, including the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways. We confirmed inhibition of these signaling pathways as likely participants in the effects of VDX-111. These results suggest that a subset of canine tumors may be sensitive to treatment with VDX-111, and suggests possible predictive markers of drug sensitivity and pharmacodynamic biomarkers of drug exposure that could be employed in future clinical trials.