bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Conceptual Model for Excellence in Business Towards Sustainable Development
Authors: Sá José Carlos , Oliveira Ana Rita , Carvalho José Dinis , Santos Gilberto , Silva Francisco
Published: July 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand whether or not the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model and the Shingo Model promote and are embedded into the three pillars of sustainability, as well as to propose a conceptual model for excellence in business towards sustainability.
Methodology/Approach: Following the PRISMA methodology, 102 articles were included in the review. A bibliometric co-citation network was created based on those publications to understand the link between the topics, using the VOSViewer software. This paper presents a literature review on the topics of the EFQM and Shingo Model, Corporate sustainability (CS), and the relationship between the excellence models and CS.
Findings: Findings from the literature review indicate that effectively the new version of the EFQM Model and the Shingo Model guide organisations towards achieving sustainable economic, social, and environmental results.
Research Limitation/Implication: There are still a restricted number of articles on the Shingo Model and on the relationship between the Shingo Model and CS, as well as, on the latest version of the EFQM Model and therefore on the relationship between this model version and CS, which presents a limitation to this paper.
Originality/Value of paper: This paper contributes to filling the literature gap regarding the lack of studies evolving the EFQM 2020 model version and the Shingo Model, as well as its relationship with CS.
A review of applications of artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine
Authors: Owens Amy , Vinkemeier Doratha , Elsheikha Hany
Published: July 2023

Artificial intelligence is a newer concept in veterinary medicine than human medicine, but its existing benefits illustrate the significant potential it may also have in this field. This article reviews the application of artificial intelligence to various fields of veterinary medicine. Successful integration of different artificial intelligence strategies can offer practical solutions to issues, such as time pressure, in practice. Several databases were searched to identify literature on the application of artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine. Exclusion and inclusion criteria were applied to obtain relevant papers. There was evidence for an acceleration of artificial intelligence research in recent years, particularly for diagnostics and imaging. Some of the benefits of using artificial intelligence included standardisation, increased efficiency, and a reduction in the need for expertise in particular fields. However, limitations identified in the literature included a requirement for ideal situations for artificial intelligence to achieve accuracy and other inherent, unresolved issues. Ethical considerations and a hesitancy to engage with artificial intelligence, by both the public and veterinarians, are further barriers that must be addressed for artificial intelligence to be fully integrated in daily practice. The rapid growth in artificial intelligence research substantiates its potential to improve veterinary practice.
Introducing public choice in international relations: the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Authors: Trantidis Aris
Published: July 2023

With this article, I present a public choice perspective on Russia’s war on Ukraine. I criticise the realist view according to which Russia’s security concerns, defined by President Putin, prompted the conflict. I argue that realism offers a deficient analytic framework to the extent that it disregards the political and economic structure of Russia and, generally speaking, how the political economy of each case study shapes preferences, strategies and intra-elite relations, which feed into foreign policy formation. Russia is a government-controlled economy and society; a key property of Russia’s political economy is the dependency of key socio-economic actors and groups on the regime’s survival. This landscape pre-empts the expression of genuine feedback and dissent from society, and explains why Putin’s decision has faced very little disagreement and resistance. Given the previously close economic ties between Russia and Ukraine, this article also challenges capitalist peace theory for its blanket assertion that dense economic relations would provide a strong disincentive for countries to resort to war. Instead of talking about capitalism generically, we can discern varieties of capitalism, as they condition state–society relations differently. In Russia, the value that key socio-economic elites assign to their relationship with Putin outweighs the costs they are experiencing from the conflict and the external sanctions. Developing a public choice perspective in the study of international relations focuses on the preferences and strategies of the leadership and of domestic elite-level actors within the aggressor state, and invites attention to the power asymmetries that characterise their relationship.
Cassini composite infrared spectrometer: correcting an offset error and refining the pointing parameters for the midinfrared detectors: publisher’s note
Authors: Pearl John C. , Nixon Conor A. , Jennings Donald E. , Aslam Shahid , Calcutt Simon , Kaelberer Monte S. , Gorius Nicolas , Achterberg Richard K. , Romani Paul N. , Bjoraker Gordon L. , Flasar Michael
Published: July 2023

This publisher’s note serves to correct Appl. Opt.
62, 5882 (2023).APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.491970
Self-powered Pt/a-Ga2O3/ITO vertical Schottky junction solar-blind photodetector with excellent detection performance
Authors: Ye Liyu , Zhou Shuren , Xiong Yuanqiang , Tang Jie , Wang Xuan , Li Xudong , Pang Di , Li Honglin , Zhang Hong , Ye Lijuan , Cui YuTing , Li Wanjun
Published: July 2023

Self-powered solar-blind photodetectors (PDs) are promising for military and civilian applications owing to convenient operation, easy preparation, and weak-light sensitivity. In the present study, the solar-blind deep-ultraviolet (DUV) photodetector based on amorphous Ga2O3 (a-Ga2O3) and with a simple vertical stack structure is proposed by applying the low-cost magnetron sputtering technology. By tuning the thickness of the amorphous Ga2O3 layer, the device exhibits excellent detection performance. Under 3 V reverse bias, the photodetector achieves a high responsivity of 671A/W, a high detectivity of 2.21 × 1015 Jones, and a fast response time of 27/11 ms. More extraordinary, with the help of the built-in electric field at the interface, the device achieves an excellent performance in detection when self-powered, with an ultrahigh responsivity of 3.69 A/W and a fast response time of 2.6/6.6 ms under 254 nm light illumination. These results demonstrate its superior performance to most of the self-powered Schottky junction UV photodetectors reported to date. Finally, the Pt/a-Ga2O3/ITO Schottky junction photodiode detector is verified as a good performer in imaging, indicating its applicability in such fields as artificial intelligence, machine vision, and solar-blind imaging.
Broadband frequency translation by space–time interface with weak permittivity temporal change
Authors: Wang Neng , Ping Wang Guo
Published: July 2023

Breaking spatial and temporal homogeneities simultaneously incurs the combination of wavenumber and frequency translations. In this work, broadband frequency translations with both redshifts and blueshifts triggered by a single photonic space–time interface (PSTI) with weak temporal change of permittivity across which a homogeneous medium suddenly becomes a one-dimensional photonic crystal is proposed. Mode conversions induced by the PSTI are analyzed, according to which the frequency translation amplitudes are independent of the change of permittivity and the initial frequency but are given by the product of the phase speed of the homogeneous medium and the spatial modulation frequency of the photonic crystal. Hence, a static field can be partially converted into dynamic fields by imposing the PSTI. Our findings pave the way for the study of PSTIs and provide a new scheme to realize broadband frequency translations.
Two-aperture measurements for GEO-feeder adaptive optics pre-compensation optimization
Authors: Lognoné Perrine , Conan Jean-Marc , Rekaya Ghaya , Paillier Laurie , Védrenne Nicolas
Published: July 2023

We present a method to estimate the pre-compensation phase of ground-to-geostationary orbit (GEO) optical links based on downlink phase and log-amplitude measurements from two ground apertures. This method allows us to reduce the point-ahead anisoplanatism that currently limits the telecom performance of GEO-feeder links. It is shown to reduce the anisoplanatic phase variance by 50%, hence improving the statistics of the coupled flux aboard the satellite. It also outperforms the one-aperture estimation method for very severe atmospheric conditions. Besides, only low-resolution amplitude measurements are required on the second aperture to reach the performance of the novel estimator.
Two-photon 3D printing diaphragm-integrated ring waveguide coupler for ultrasound detection
Authors: Wei Heming , Sun Kexuan , Wei Yan , Zhu Mengshi , Zhang Haiyan , Pang Fufei , Wang Tingyun , Krishnaswamy Sridhar
Published: July 2023

We demonstrate a diaphragm-integrated ring waveguide coupler fabricated by the two-photon direct laser wring technique as an ultrasonic sensor, which is integrated on an optical fiber tip. The device consists of a micro-ring waveguide with a diameter of 5 µm functionalized as an optical fiber tip light reflection mirror and a straight waveguide connecting a diaphragm. The evanescent field coupling can be realized between the two waveguides, and the coupling efficiency can be changed due to the variation of the coupling gap induced by ultrasound. Accordingly, the light reflection can be changed. Based on the plate vibration theory, the vibration frequency can be changed through optimizing the diaphragm size. The experiments show that the device exhibits a high sensitivity and low noise equivalent acoustic signal level of 1.07 mPa/Hz1/2 at 100 kHz, which has great potential in various acoustic wave sensing applications.
Research on a demand design method of a cross polarization converter metasurface based on a depth generation model
Authors: Li Junwei , A Qinhua , Lan Qiusong , Yang Jintao , Yun Lijun , Xia Yuelong , Yang Chengfu
Published: July 2023

As a two-dimensional electromagnetic metamaterial, the cross-polarization conversion (CPC) metasurface is thin, easy to develop, and has attracted wide attention. However, existing CPC cell surface designs still rely on inefficient full-wave numerical simulation. Although some researchers have explored deep learning CPC metasurface structure design methods, the generated metasurface patterns are of poor quality. In this paper, an on-demand design method for cross-polarization conversion metasurface based on depth-generation model is proposed. Firstly, Wasserstein generative adversarial network (WGAN) is used to reverse design CPC metasurface, and Wasserstein distance is introduced to replace JS divergence and KL divergence to optimize the target. The problem of training difficulty caused by gradient elimination of original generative adversarial network (GAN) is fundamentally solved. Secondly, in the WGAN model, U-Net architecture generator is used to generate images, which greatly improves the surface image quality of CPC. In addition, a simulator composed of convolutional neural network (CNN) is also added in this paper to carry out forward prediction of S-parameter spectrum diagram. By inputting the patterns generated by WGAN into the simulator, the corresponding S-parameter spectrum diagram is generated and compared with the real S-parameter spectrum diagram, so as to verify whether the surface patterns of generated elements meet the requirements. The depth generation model proposed in this paper organically combines the forward spectrum prediction model and the reverse CPC metasurface structure design model, so that the CPC metasurface structure satisfying the expected electromagnetic response can be designed quickly on demand. This on-demand design method is expected to promote the rapid design, fabrication and application of electromagnetic devices.
Ultra-thin single-layer compact metasurface based on a meander structure for multifunctional polarization conversion
Authors: Li Bingzhen , Li Yan , Li Fangyuan , Chen Yuhua , Wei Yaxing , Wang Jijun , Wu Qingqing
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we proposed and investigated an ultra-thin, single-layer and compact metasurface (MS) based on a meander structure that achieves linear-polarization to linear-polarization (LP-to-LP) and linear-polarization to circular-polarization (LP-to-CP) conversion for both transmission and reflection simultaneously in the microwave region. Simulation and experimental results demonstrated that the cross-polarization coefficients of both transmission and reflection are approximately 0.49 for the normal incident LP wave passing through the MS at approximately 7 GHz, indicating a near LP-to-LP conversion in both reflection and transmission modes. Furthermore, the linear-to-circular polarization coefficients for both transmission and reflection are about 0.65 at approximately 8 GHz, indicating a near LP-to-CP conversion when the incident LP wave passes through the designed MS after transmission and reflection. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experiment. This design provides a valuable reference for the practical applications of MSs in full-space multifunctional polarization conversion and wavefront manipulation.
Diffraction-gated real-time ultrahigh-speed mapping photography
Authors: Liu Xianglei , Kilcullen Patrick , Wang Youmin , Helfield Brandon , Liang Jinyang
Published: July 2023

Single-shot high-speed mapping photography is a powerful tool used for studying fast dynamics in diverse applications. Despite much recent progress, existing methods are still strained by the trade-off between sequence depth and light throughput, errors induced by parallax, limited imaging dimensionality, and the potential damage caused by pulsed illumination. To overcome these limitations, we explore time-varying optical diffraction as a new gating mechanism to obtain ultrahigh imaging speed. Inspired by the pulse front tilt-gated imaging and the space-time duality in optics, we embody the proposed paradigm in the developed diffraction-gated real-time ultrahigh-speed mapping (DRUM) photography. The sweeping optical diffraction envelope generated by the inter-pattern transition of a digital micromirror device enables sequential time-gating at the sub-microsecond level. DRUM photography can capture a transient event in a single exposure at 4.8 million frames per second. We apply it to the investigation of femtosecond laser-induced breakdown in liquid and laser ablation in biological samples.
SpikeShip: A method for fast, unsupervised discovery of high-dimensional neural spiking patterns
Authors: Sotomayor-Gómez Boris , Battaglia Francesco P. , Vinck Martin
Published: July 2023

Neural coding and memory formation depend on temporal spiking sequences that span high-dimensional neural ensembles. The unsupervised discovery and characterization of these spiking sequences requires a suitable dissimilarity measure to spiking patterns, which can then be used for clustering and decoding. Here, we present a new dissimilarity measure based on optimal transport theory called SpikeShip, which compares multi-neuron spiking patterns based on all the relative spike-timing relationships among neurons. SpikeShip computes the optimal transport cost to make all the relative spike-timing relationships (across neurons) identical between two spiking patterns. We show that this transport cost can be decomposed into a temporal rigid translation term, which captures global latency shifts, and a vector of neuron-specific transport flows, which reflect inter-neuronal spike timing differences. SpikeShip can be effectively computed for high-dimensional neuronal ensembles, has a low (linear) computational cost that has the same order as the spike count, and is sensitive to higher-order correlations. Furthermore, SpikeShip is binless, can handle any form of spike time distributions, is not affected by firing rate fluctuations, can detect patterns with a low signal-to-noise ratio, and can be effectively combined with a sliding window approach. We compare the advantages and differences between SpikeShip and other measures like SPIKE and Victor-Purpura distance. We applied SpikeShip to large-scale Neuropixel recordings during spontaneous activity and visual encoding. We show that high-dimensional spiking sequences detected via SpikeShip reliably distinguish between different natural images and different behavioral states. These spiking sequences carried complementary information to conventional firing rate codes. SpikeShip opens new avenues for studying neural coding and memory consolidation by rapid and unsupervised detection of temporal spiking patterns in high-dimensional neural ensembles.
Natural silencing of quorum-sensing activity protects Vibrio parahaemolyticus from lysis by an autoinducer-detecting phage
Authors: Duddy Olivia P. , Silpe Justin E. , Fei Chenyi , Bassler Bonnie L.
Published: July 2023

Quorum sensing (QS) is a chemical communication process that bacteria use to track population density and orchestrate collective behaviors. QS relies on the production, accumulation, and group-wide detection of extracellular signal molecules called autoinducers. Vibriophage 882 (phage VP882), a bacterial virus, encodes a homolog of the Vibrio QS receptor-transcription factor, called VqmA, that monitors the Vibrio QS autoinducer DPO. Phage VqmA binds DPO at high host-cell density and activates transcription of the phage gene qtip. Qtip, an antirepressor, launches the phage lysis program. Phage-encoded VqmA when bound to DPO also manipulates host QS by activating transcription of the host gene vqmR. VqmR is a small RNA that controls downstream QS target genes. Here, we sequence Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain O3:K6 882, the strain from which phage VP882 was initially isolated. The chromosomal region normally encoding vqmR and vqmA harbors a deletion encompassing vqmR and a portion of the vqmA promoter, inactivating that QS system. We discover that V. parahaemolyticus strain O3:K6 882 is also defective in its other QS systems, due to a mutation in luxO, encoding the central QS transcriptional regulator LuxO. Both the vqmR-vqmA and luxO mutations lock V. parahaemolyticus strain O3:K6 882 into the low-cell density QS state. Reparation of the QS defects in V. parahaemolyticus strain O3:K6 882 promotes activation of phage VP882 lytic gene expression and LuxO is primarily responsible for this effect. Phage VP882-infected QS-competent V. parahaemolyticus strain O3:K6 882 cells lyse more rapidly and produce more viral particles than the QS-deficient parent strain. We propose that, in V. parahaemolyticus strain O3:K6 882, constitutive maintenance of the low-cell density QS state suppresses the launch of the phage VP882 lytic cascade, thereby protecting the bacterial host from phage-mediated lysis.
Towards the sustainable elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in Côte d’Ivoire using an integrated approach
Authors: Kaba Dramane , Koffi Mathurin , Kouakou Lingué , N’Gouan Emmanuel Kouassi , Djohan Vincent , Courtin Fabrice , N’Djetchi Martial Kassi , Coulibaly Bamoro , Adingra Guy Pacôme , Berté Djakaridja , Ta Bi Tra Dieudonné , Koné Minayégninrin , Traoré Barkissa Mélika , Sutherland Samuel A. , Crump Ronald E. , Huang Ching-I , Madan Jason , Bessell Paul R. , Barreaux Antoine , Solano Philippe , Crowley Emily H. , Rock Kat S. , Jamonneau Vincent
Published: July 2023

Background

Human African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by trypanosomes among which Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is responsible for a chronic form (gHAT) in West and Central Africa. Its elimination as a public health problem (EPHP) was targeted for 2020. Côte d’Ivoire was one of the first countries to be validated by WHO in 2020 and this was particularly challenging as the country still reported around a hundred cases a year in the early 2000s. This article describes the strategies implemented including a mathematical model to evaluate the reporting results and infer progress towards sustainable elimination.

Methods

The control methods used combined both exhaustive and targeted medical screening strategies including the follow-up of seropositive subjects– considered as potential asymptomatic carriers to diagnose and treat cases– as well as vector control to reduce the risk of transmission in the most at-risk areas. A mechanistic model was used to estimate the number of underlying infections and the probability of elimination of transmission (EoT) was met between 2000–2021 in two endemic and two hypo-endemic health districts.

Results

Between 2015 and 2019, nine gHAT cases were detected in the two endemic health districts of Bouaflé and Sinfra in which the number of cases/10,000 inhabitants was far below 1, a necessary condition for validating EPHP. Modelling estimated a slow but steady decline in transmission across the health districts, bolstered in the two endemic health districts by the introduction of vector control. The decrease in underlying transmission in all health districts corresponds to a high probability that EoT has already occurred in Côte d’Ivoire.

Conclusion

This success was achieved through a multi-stakeholder and multidisciplinary one health approach where research has played a major role in adapting tools and strategies to this large epidemiological transition to a very low prevalence. This integrated approach will need to continue to reach the verification of EoT in Côte d’Ivoire targeted by 2025.
Risk prediction models for mortality and readmission in patients with acute heart failure: A protocol for systematic review, critical appraisal, and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Xuecheng , Zhou Kehua , You Liangzhen , Zhang Jingjing , Chen Ying , Dai Hengheng , Wan Siqi , Guan Zhiyue , Hu Mingzhi , Kang Jing , Liu Yan , Shang Hongcai
Published: July 2023

Introduction

A considerable number of risk models, which predict outcomes in mortality and readmission rates, have been developed for patients with acute heart failure (AHF) to help stratify patients by risk level, improve decision making, and save medical resources. However, some models exist in a clinically useful manner such as risk scores or online calculators, while others are not, providing only limited information that prevents clinicians and patients from using them. The reported performance of some models varied greatly when predicting at multiple time points and being validated in different cohorts, which causes model users uncertainty about the predictive accuracy of these models. The foregoing leads to users facing difficulties in the selection of prediction models, and even sometimes being reluctant to utilize models. Therefore, a systematic review to assess the performance at multiple time points, applicability, and clinical impact of extant prediction models for mortality and readmission in AHF patients is essential. It may facilitate the selection of models for clinical implementation.

Method and analysis

Four databases will be searched from their inception onwards. Multivariable prognostic models for mortality and/or readmission in AHF patients will be eligible for review. Characteristics and the clinical impact of included models will be summarized qualitatively and quantitatively, and models with clinical utility will be compared with those without. Predictive performance measures of included models with an analogous clinical outcome appraised repeatedly, will be compared and synthesized by a meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of validation studies for a common prediction model at the same time point will also be performed. We will also provide an overview of critical appraisal of the risk of bias, applicability, and reporting transparency of included studies using the PROBAST tool and TRIPOD statement.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42021256416.
Clinical features and outcomes of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and Parkinsonian disorders: A multicentre UK-based study
Authors: Sorrell Lexy , Leta Valentina , Barnett Anton , Stevens Kara , King Angela , Inches Jemma , Kobylecki Christopher , Walker Richard , Chaudhuri K. Ray , Martin Hannah , Rideout Jane , Sneyd J. Robert , Campbell Sarah , Carroll Camille ,   on behalf of the COVID-19 PD UK study team
Published: July 2023

Background

Parkinson’s disease has been identified as a risk factor for severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, whether the significant high risk of death from COVID-19 in people with Parkinson’s disease is specific to the disease itself or driven by other concomitant and known risk factors such as comorbidities, age, and frailty remains unclear.

Objective

To investigate clinical profiles and outcomes of people with Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonian syndromes who tested positive for COVID-19 in the hospital setting in a multicentre UK-based study.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of Parkinson’s disease patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test admitted to hospital between February 2020 and July 2021. An online survey was used to collect data from clinical care records, recording patient, Parkinson’s disease and COVID-19 characteristics. Associations with time-to-mortality and severe outcomes were analysed using either the Cox proportional hazards model or logistic regression models, as appropriate.

Results

Data from 552 admissions were collected: 365 (66%) male; median (inter-quartile range) age 80 (74–85) years. The 34-day all-cause mortality rate was 38.4%; male sex, increased age and frailty, Parkinson’s dementia syndrome, requirement for respiratory support and no vaccination were associated with increased mortality risk. Community-acquired COVID-19 and co-morbid chronic neurological disorder were associated with increased odds of requiring respiratory support. Hospital-acquired COVID-19 and delirium were associated with requiring an increase in care level post-discharge.

Conclusions

This first, multicentre, UK-based study on people with Parkinson’s disease or atypical parkinsonian syndromes, hospitalised with COVID-19, adds and expands previous findings on clinical profiles and outcomes in this population.
Effects of polyethylene glycol-grafted phospholipid on the anionic magnetite nanoparticles-induced deformation and poration in giant lipid vesicles
Authors: Karal Mohammad Abu Sayem , Sultana Sharmin , Billah Md. Masum , Moniruzzaman Md. , Wadud Md. Abdul , Gosh R. C.
Published: July 2023

The hydrophilic polymer polyethylene glycol-grafted phospholipid has been used extensively in the study of artificial vesicles, nanomedicine, and antimicrobial peptides/proteins. In this research, the effects of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N- [methoxy (polyethylene glycol)-2000] (abbreviated PEG-DOPE) on the deformation and poration of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs)-induced by anionic magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) have been investigated. For this, the size of the NPs used was 18 nm, and their concentration in the physiological solution was 2.00 μg/mL. GUVs were prepared using the natural swelling method comprising 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and PEG-DOPE. The mole% of PEG-DOPE in the membranes were 0, 2, and 5%. The degree of deformation of the GUVs was quantified by the parameter compactness (Com), which is 1.0 for the spherical-shaped GUVs. The value ofComincreases with time during the interactions of NPs with GUVs for any concentration of PEG-DOPE, but the rate of increase is significantly influenced by the PEG-DOPE concentration in the membranes. The average compactness increases with the increase of PEG-DOPE%, and after 60 min of NPs interaction, the values of average compactness for 0, 2, and 5% PEG-DOPE were 1.19 ± 0.02, 1.26 ± 0.03 and 1.35 ± 0.05, respectively. The fraction of deformation (Frd) also increased with the increase of PEG-DOPE%, and at 60 min, the values ofFrdfor 0 and 5% PEG-DOPE were 0.47 ± 0.02 and 0.63 ± 0.02, respectively. The fraction of poration (Frp) increased with the increase of PEG-DOPE, and at 60 min, the values ofFrpfor 0 and 5% PEG-DOPE were 0.25 ± 0.02 and 0.48 ± 0.02, respectively. Hence, the presence of PEG-grafted phospholipid in the membranes greatly enhances the anionic magnetite NPs-induced deformation and poration of giant vesicles.
A longitudinal analysis of selective motor control during gait in individuals with cerebral palsy and the relation to gait deviations
Authors: Sorek Gilad , Goudriaan Marije , Schurr Itai , Schless Simon-Henri
Published: July 2023

Objective

To investigate longitudinal changes in selective motor control during gait (SMCg) in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), and to assess if they are related to changes in gait deviations.

Method

Twenty-three children/adolescents with spastic CP (mean ± SD age = 9.0±2.5 years) and two 3D gait assessments (separated by 590±202 days) with no interim surgical intervention, were included. SMCg was assessed using muscle synergy analysis to determine the dynamic motor control index (walk-DMC). Gait deviation was assessed using the Gait profile score (GPS) and Gait variable scores (GVS).

Results

There were no mean changes in walk-DMC score, GPS or GVS between assessments. However, changes in walk-DMC scores in the more involved leg related to changes in hip flexion-extension and hip internal-external GVS (rp = -0.56; p = 0.017 and rp = 0.65; p = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusions

On average, there were no significant longitudinal changes in SMCg. However, there was considerable variability between individuals, which may relate to changes in hip joint kinematics. This suggests that a combination of neural capacity and biomechanical factors influence lower limb muscle co-activation in individuals with CP, with a potential important role for the hip muscles. These findings highlight the importance of taking an individualized approach when evaluating SMCg in individuals with CP.
RISK aversion in Italian forensic and non-forensic patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Authors: Canessa Nicola , Iozzino Laura , Andreose Sonia , Castelletti Luca , Conte Giovanni , Dvorak Alexander , Ferrari Clarissa , Heitzman Janusz , Macis Ambra , Markiewicz Inga , Mattavelli Giulia , Nicolò Giuseppe , Picchioni Marco , Restuccia Giuseppe , Rivellini Gianfranco , Teti Fabio , de Girolamo Giovanni
Published: July 2023

Background

Goal-directed decision-making is a central component of the broader reward and motivation system, and requires the ability to dynamically integrate both positive and negative feedback from the environment in order to maximize rewards and minimize losses over time. Altered decision-making processes, in which individuals fail to consider the negative consequences of their decisions on both themselves and others, may play a role in driving antisocial behaviour.

Aim

The main study aim was to investigate possible differences in loss and risk aversion across matched patients, all with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD), but who varied according to whether they had a history of serious interpersonal violence or not, and a sample of healthy controls with no history of violence.

Results

The sample included 14 forensic and 21 non-forensic patients with SSD, and 41 healthy controls. Among the three decision-making variables under investigation, risk aversion was the only significant predictor of membership of the three groups, with greater risk aversion among non-forensic patients with SSD compared to healthy controls. No differences were observed across groups in loss aversion and choice consistency.

Conclusions

This evidence suggests a new potential treatment target for rehabilitative measures aimed at achieving functional improvements in patients with SSD by selectively leveraging the neuro-cognitive processing of reward.
Temporal integration of infrasound at threshold
Authors: Friedrich Björn , Joost Holger , Fedtke Thomas , Verhey Jesko L.
Published: July 2023

Infrasounds are signals with frequencies below the classical audio-frequency range, i.e., below 20 Hz. Several previous studies have shown that infrasound is audible as well, provided that the sound level is high enough. Hence, the sound pressure levels at threshold are much higher than those in the classical audio-frequency range. The present study investigates how the duration and the shape of the temporal envelope affect thresholds of infrasound stimuli in quiet. Two envelope types were considered: one where the duration of the steady state was varied (plateau bursts) and one where the number of consecutive onset–offset bursts was varied (multiple bursts). Stimuli were presented monaurally to human listeners by means of a low-distortion sound reproduction system. For both envelope types, thresholds decrease with increasing duration, a phenomenon often referred to as temporal integration. At the same duration, thresholds for plateau-burst stimuli are typically lower than those for multiple-burst stimuli. The data are well described by a slightly modified version of a model that was previously developed to account for temporal integration in the classical audio-frequency range. The results suggest similar mechanisms underlying the detection of stimuli with frequencies in the infrasound and in the classical audio-frequency range. Since the model accounts for the effect of duration and, more generally, the shape of the envelope, it can be used to enhance the comparability of existing and future datasets of thresholds for infrasounds with different temporal stimulus parameters.
Characterizing clinical findings of Sjögren’s Disease patients in community practices using matched electronic dental-health record data
Authors: Felix Gomez Grace Gomez , Hugenberg Steven T. , Zunt Susan , Patel Jay S. , Wang Mei , Rajapuri Anushri Singh , Lembcke Lauren R. , Rajendran Divya , Smith Jonas C. , Cheriyan Biju , Boyd LaKeisha J. , Eckert George J. , Grannis Shaun J. , Srinivasan Mythily , Zero Domenick T. , Thyvalikakath Thankam P.
Published: July 2023

Established classifications exist to confirm Sjögren’s Disease (SD) (previously referred as Sjögren’s Syndrome) and recruit patients for research. However, no established classification exists for diagnosis in clinical settings causing delayed diagnosis. SD patients experience a huge dental disease burden impairing their quality of life. This study established criteria to characterize Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) patients’ SD based on symptoms and signs in the electronic health record (EHR) data available through the state-wide Indiana health information exchange (IHIE). Association between SD diagnosis, and comorbidities including other autoimmune conditions, and documentation of SD diagnosis in electronic dental record (EDR) were also determined. The IUSD patients’ EDR were linked with their EHR data in the IHIE and queried for SD diagnostic ICD9/10 codes. The resulting cohorts’ EHR clinical findings were characterized and classified using diagnostic criteria based on clinical experts’ recommendations. Descriptive statistics were performed, and Chi-square tests determined the association between the different SD presentations and comorbidities including other autoimmune conditions. Eighty-three percent of IUSD patients had an EHR of which 377 patients had a SD diagnosis. They were characterized as positive (24%), uncertain (20%) and negative (56%) based on EHR clinical findings. Dry eyes and mouth were reported for 51% and positive Anti-Ro/SSA antibodies and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) for 17% of this study cohort. One comorbidity was present in 98% and other autoimmune condition/s were present in 53% respectively. Significant differences were observed between the three SD clinical characteristics/classifications and certain medical and autoimmune conditions (p<0.05). Sixty-nine percent of patients’ EDR did not mention SD, highlighting the huge gap in reporting SD during dental care. This study of SD patients diagnosed in community practices characterized three different SD clinical presentations, which can be used to generate SD study cohorts for longitudinal studies using EHR data. The results emphasize the heterogenous SD clinical presentations and the need for further research to diagnose SD early in community practice settings where most people seek care.
Tributyrin alleviates gut microbiota dysbiosis to repair intestinal damage in antibiotic-treated mice
Authors: Yang Ning , Lan Tongtong , Han Yisa , Zhao Haifeng , Wang Chuhui , Xu Zhen , Chen Zhao , Tao Meng , Li Hui , Song Yang , Ma Xuezhen
Published: July 2023

Tributyrin (TB) is a butyric acid precursor and has a key role in anti-inflammatory and intestinal barrier repair effects by slowly releasing butyric acid. However, its roles in gut microbiota disorder caused by antibiotics remain unclear. Herein, we established an intestinal microbiota disorder model using ceftriaxone sodium via gavage to investigate the effects of different TB doses for restoring gut microbiota and intestinal injury. First, we divided C57BL/6 male mice into two groups: control (NC, n = 8) and experimental (ABx, n = 24) groups, receiving gavage with 0.2 mL normal saline and 400 mg/mL ceftriaxone sodium solution for 7 d (twice a day and the intermediate interval was 6 h), respectively. Then, mice in the ABx group were randomly split into three groups: model (M, 0.2 mL normal saline), low TB group (TL, 0.3 g/kg BW), and high TB group (TH, 3 g/kg BW) for 11 d. We found that TB supplementation alleviated antibiotics-induced weight loss, diarrhea, and intestinal tissue damage. The 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that TB intervention increased the α diversity of intestinal flora, increased potential short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria (such as Muribaculaceae and Bifidobacterium), and inhibited the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria (such as Bacteroidetes and Enterococcus) compared to the M group. TB supplementation reversed the reduction in SCFAs production in antibiotic-treated mice. Additionally, TB downregulated the levels of serum LPS and zonulin, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and NLRP3 inflammasome-related factors in intestinal tissue and upregulated tight junction proteins (such as ZO-1 and Occludin) and MUC2. Overall, the adjustment ability of low-dose TB to the above indexes was stronger than high-dose TB. In conclusion, TB can restore the dysbiosis of gut microbiota, increase SCFAs, suppress inflammation, and ameliorate antibiotic-induced intestinal damage, indicating that TB might be a potential gut microbiota modulator.
Identification of an autotransporter peptidase of Rickettsia rickettsii responsible for maturation of surface exposed autotransporters
Authors: Nock Adam M. , Aistleitner Karin , Clark Tina R. , Sturdevant Dan , Ricklefs Stacy , Virtaneva Kimmo , Zhang Yixiang , Gulzar Naila , Redekar Neelam , Roy Amitiva , Hackstadt Ted
Published: July 2023

Members of the spotted fever group rickettsia express four large, surface-exposed autotransporters, at least one of which is a known virulence determinant. Autotransporter translocation to the bacterial outer surface, also known as type V secretion, involves formation of a β-barrel autotransporter domain in the periplasm that inserts into the outer membrane to form a pore through which the N-terminal passenger domain is passed and exposed on the outer surface. Two major surface antigens of Rickettsia rickettsii, are known to be surface exposed and the passenger domain cleaved from the autotransporter domain. A highly passaged strain of R. rickettsii, Iowa, fails to cleave these autotransporters and is avirulent. We have identified a putative peptidase, truncated in the Iowa strain, that when reconstituted into Iowa restores appropriate processing of the autotransporters as well as restoring a modest degree of virulence.
Structures of SARS-CoV-2 N7-methyltransferase with DOT1L and PRMT7 inhibitors provide a platform for new antivirals
Authors: Kottur Jithesh , White Kris M. , Rodriguez M. Luis , Rechkoblit Olga , Quintana-Feliciano Richard , Nayar Ahana , García-Sastre Adolfo , Aggarwal Aneel K.
Published: July 2023

The RNA N7-methyltransferase (MTase) activity of SARS-CoV-2’s nsp14 protein is essential for viral replication and is a target for the development of new antivirals. Nsp14 uses S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) as the methyl donor to cap the 5’ end of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA and generates S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) as the reaction byproduct. Due to the central role of histone MTases in cancer, many SAM/SAH analogs with properties of cell permeability have recently been developed for the inhibition of these MTases. We have succeeded in identifying two such compounds (SGC0946 and SGC8158) that display significant antiviral activity and bind to the SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 N7-MTase core. Unexpectedly, crystal structures of SGC0946 and SGC8158 with the SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 N7-MTase core identify them as bi-substrate inhibitors of the viral MTase, co-occupying both the SAM and RNA binding sites; positing novel features that can be derivatized for increased potency and selectivity for SARS-CoV-2 nsp14. Taken together, the high-resolution structures and the accompanying biophysical and viral replication data provide a new avenue for developing analogs of SGC0946 and SGC8158 as antivirals.
Casa comunal. Diseño participativo en vivienda colectiva: El caso de la cooperativa de Vivienda Yungay, zona típica patrimonial barrio Yungay, Santiago de Chile
Authors: Francés Tortosa Verónica , Quiroga Nahuel , Valdés María Carolina
Published: July 2023

La Cooperativa de Vivienda Yungay se constituye con la inquietud de impulsar experiencias sustentables y resilientes en viviendas colectivas, siendo uno de los primeros proyectos piloto que rescatan el modelo cooperativo, muy presente en Chile varias décadas atrás pero actualmente sepultado bajo la especulación y gentrificación urbanas. Este proyecto habitacional, productivo, cultural y patrimonial se inserta en un Inmueble de Conservación Histórica del Barrio Yungay de Santiago de Chile, al interior de una Zona Típica patrimonial, cuya delimitación y reconocimiento fueron logrados por sus vecinas, frenando así una mayor proliferación de proyectos inmobiliarios. Actualmente la Cooperativa está en proceso de construcción colectiva de su casa comunal en cesión de uso, sumándose a distintas estrategias vecinales de retención poblacional y recuperación de áreas urbanas patrimoniales consolidadas de Sudamérica, asegurando a su vez el uso permanente y sostenible del inmueble a futuro. En estas líneas presentamos el registro del diseño participativo que tuvo lugar en el año 2021, entre revueltas sociales y pandemias mundiales: En un contexto de crisis de la representación, colocamos acento en la producción cooperativa de herramientas literario-audio-visuales que potencien procesos comunales de pedagogía abierta para la producción social del hábitat, amplificando disciplinas como la arquitectura, el urbanismo o el arte hacia una acción directa en la elaboración de políticas públicas más justas en materia de vivienda y ciudad. Cápsulas literario-audio-visuales del proceso, recursos y mucho más en . Esta y otras experiencias de producción social del hábitat en .
“Minha língua é a Libras”
Authors: Alves Juliana Barbosa , Pedrosa Cleide Emília Faye
Published: July 2023

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar, com base em narrativas de sujeitos surdos, seus discursos de luta por reconhecimento de sua língua como incontornável para suas (re)afirmações identitárias. Para isso, busca-se aporte na Análise Crítica do Discurso (ACD) (Fairclough, 2008; Wodak, 2004) que traz em um de seus objetivos a denúncia de relações de poder sofridas por grupos subalternos; na Abordagem Sociológica e Comunicacional do Discurso (ASCD) (Pedrosa, 2012), uma visão brasileira e nordestina da ACD; nos Estudos Surdos (Perlin, 2016), a fim de entender a história cultural e social do povo surdo; e na teoria da Filosofia Social, focando na Luta por Reconhecimento (Honneth, 2009), teoria que busca apreender como os sujeitos respondem à denegação que sofrem em sua socialização.  As análises linguísticas serão influenciadas por espectros das categorias do sistema da avaliatividade propostas por Martin e White (2005), ao desenvolver a linguagem da avaliação no âmbito da Gramática Sistêmico-Funcional (Halliday,2004). Na composição do corpus, há narrativas do eu de alunos surdos do curso de Letras Libras da Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS). Utiliza-se a metodologia qualitativo-interpretativista (Magalhães; Martins; Resende, 2017) e se seguem os caminhos sugeridos por Pedrosa (2016) e Cunha (2021) para a ASCD. Foi possível verificar que, através das narrativas, os sujeitos surdos expuseram suas lutas pelo reconhecimento em várias esferas da vida e, especialmente, por sua língua. Com os seus posicionamentos de reinvindicação e denúncia por direitos linguísticos denegados, esses sujeitos puderam (re)afirmar suas identidades socioculturais, mostrando-se mais conscientes dos seus direitos.
Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Teaching Diverse Learners: Capturing Young Students' Attention through a Read-a-loud and Music
Authors: Arrington Nancy McBride
Published: July 2023

Abstract: The sense of efficaciousness for engaging diverse learners was examined with twenty-four pre-service teachers concurrently enrolled in a junior-level Creative Arts methods course and a field experience course with placements in K-2 general education classrooms. The pre-service teachers participated in music and literacy activities in their university class, then planned and implemented standards-based music activities in literacy lessons with their young students. In this case study, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including a teacher self-efficacy scale, an attitude survey, written reflections, interviews, open-ended responses, and lesson plans. Results demonstrated a significant increase in the pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy in pre-post ratings analysis and indicated that this project contributed to their efficacy for engaging and meeting needs of diverse learners in the elementary classrooms.  The pre-service teachers demonstrated proactive classroom management and reflected upon their students’ increased focus in class. The pre-service teachers indicated that their success with these types of projects encouraged them to plan for similar implementation with their future diverse learners; therefore, providing potential to positively impact their future performance. Additionally, this project emanated Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by encouraging self-reflection; examining and applying effective teaching strategies; and advancing the field of teacher education.

Keywords: self-efficacy, preservice teachers, creative arts, diverse learners, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.