bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BARBATO, Lucia (UPV/EHU). La credibilidad de la voz del intérprete en la administración de justicia (Estudio de caso de la voz del intérprete de Rabei Osman Sayad “El Egipcio” en el juicio).
Authors: BARBATO Lucia
Published: November 2022

La voz y sus efectos persuasivos en la comunicación han sido investigados por diferentes disciplinas que han supuesto una gran aportación a los estudios de calidad en la interpretación simultánea. El presente artículo es un estudio piloto sobre la credibilidad de la voz del intérprete de Rabei Osman Sayad (“El Egipcio”) en el juicio del 11M.
LUNA ALONSO, Ana (Universidade de Vigo): La obra de Manuel Rivas traducida en el ámbito francófono.
Authors: LUNA ALONSO Ana
Published: November 2022

En este artículo utilizamos la división entre el espacio de gran difusión y el espacio restringido de la edición para analizar cómo se ha dado a conocer a un autor gallego de éxito en el ámbito francófono y cuáles son los circuitos editoriales recorridos por su narrativa en formato libro. La obra del escritor y periodista Manuel Rivas (A Coruña 1957) ha sido analizada por la crítica literaria (Vilavedra 2000 y 2010 o Vaz 2006) y estudiada por especialistas en traducción como Laurence Malingret (1995) o Vicente Araguas (2006), que han considerado el efecto diacrónico provocado por el texto traducido en la cultura de llegada, así como las consecuencias producidas por este fenómeno en la cultura de partida. Focalizaremos nuestro trabajo en las claves que han permitido que Rivas tenga buena recepción por parte de diferentes editoras y agentes mediadores de su obra en el ámbito francófono.
CAMPS, Assumpta. Victor Hugo en edición políglota
Authors: Camps Assumpta
Published: November 2022

CAMPS, Assumpta. Victor Hugo en edición políglota; reseña del libro: Hugo, Victor (2010). Los Djinns. Edición políglota francés, español, alemán, portugués e inglés. Edición, estudio preliminar, versión española y notas de Sonia Mabel Yebara. Versión alemana y notas de Ralf Tauchmann. Versión portuguesa y notas de Betty Vidigal. Versión inglesa de Cloudesley Brereton; notas de Gervasio Javier Fierro. Epílogo de Luis Alberto Vittor. Con edición facsimilar del poema (1832). Rosario (Argentina): Editorial Serapis (Serie Traslaciones, nº 3), 117 páginas.
CAMPS, Assumpta (UB): Una lectura de Sandro Penna en traducción al catalán
Authors: Camps Assumpta
Published: November 2022

En este ensayo, concebido como continuación de nuestros anteriores trabajos sobre la recepción de la literatura italiana en el mundo hispánico contemporáneo, nos centraremos en el estudio de las traducciones al catalán de la obra poética de Sandro Penna que aparecieron publicadas en 1990 en la antología Poesia italiana contemporània, del poeta catalán Narcís Comadira. En dicha ocasión, Comadira no solo seleccionó los textos, sino que también los tradujo al catalán. Con esta operación, brindó al lector una determinada imagen de este poeta italiano, poco conocido en nuestro país, condicionando su recepción posterior.
GORETTI, Faya Ornia (U. Oviedo). La necesidad de servicios de interpretación en el sector sanitario del Reino Unido.
Authors: GORETTI Faya Ornia
Published: November 2022

A pesar de que en los últimos años se ha experimentado un gran avance en los servicios de traducción e interpretación dentro del sector sanitario (principalmente debido al desarrollo de herramientas tecnológicas), aún hay muchos pacientes que, por desconocimiento del idioma, no entienden correctamente el tratamiento que les indica el médico. El fin de este trabajo es, por tanto, conocer de primera mano las experiencias de pacientes, médicos e intérpretes presenciales que trabajan en el ámbito médico-sanitario, así como determinar la situación actual y las posibles áreas de mejora. Los datos que se exponen aquí se basan en un estudio empírico que se ha llevado a cabo a través de cuestionarios anónimos a los participantes.
PIQUER DESVAUX, Alicia. La traducción de proyectos cinematográficos
Authors: PIQUER DESVAUX Alicia
Published: November 2022

PIQUER DESVAUX, Alicia. La traducción de proyectos cinematográficos; reseña del libro: MONTERO DOMÍNGUEZ, Xoán (2015). La traducción de proyectos cinematográficos. Modelo de análisis para los largometrajes de ficción gallegos. Berna: Peter Lang GmbH, 148 páginas.
MEMORIAS DUN NENO LABREGO: REVISITANDO LA LITERATURA DE LA EMIGRACIÓN A TRAVÉS DE LA TRADUCCIÓN
Authors: Galanes Yolanda
Published: November 2022

El proceso de internacionalización de la cultura gallega tiene en latraducción literaria de obra gallega en el exterior uno de sus pilares.Algunos estudios como Seixas (2000), Domínguez (2010) o FernándezRodríguez et alii (2012) nos ofrecen datos y análisis sobre el resultado deesos intercambios culturales, que van más allá de la anécdota y del propioproducto (el libro traducido). Nos interesa profundizar aquí en losmecanismos y estrategias de difusión exterior de la literatura gallega y enlos valores que la traducción puede añadir al original.Para ello, hemos escogido una de las obras gallegas másdifundidas internacionalmente a través de sus traducciones. En concreto,estudiamos las traducciones de Memorias dun neno labrego (1961), deXosé Neira Vilas; una obra que clasificamos como literatura de laemigración y que ha pasado por ser la obra gallega más traducida durantedécadas.Las sucesivas ediciones del original (35 ediciones), así como lasmás de veinte versiones traducidas (de ámbito ibérico e internacional) nosiempre la presentan como obra de emigración. A través del análisis delos peritextos, de la correspondencia del autor publicada en los últimoscinco años, y de los testimonios de su recepción, así como de la consultade catálogos digitales, establecemos cuáles de esas versiones han sidopublicadas, cuáles son parciales y cuáles íntegras, como también losvalores que ha ido ganando la obra a través de dichas versiones que sehan realizado condicionadas por las necesidades (Even-Zohar 1999) y porlas normas de las culturas meta (Bourdieu 1992).
Design of DWDM optical communication systems with different modulation formats using DCF and a repeater
Authors: Akram Dina S. , Al-Tamimi Haydar M.
Published: November 2022

The dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technique has been used to provide a large capacity and low bandwidth loss for optical communication systems. In this paper, simulation designs by Optisystem15.0 of carrier-suppressed return to zero (CSRZ), differential phase shift keying (DPSK), and intensity modulation is proposed to determine which modulation format is more compatible with four and eight DWDM channels for transmitting an optical signal over 400 km distance. For a long optical path, the dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) technique is proposed to eliminate dispersion effects and increase the possibility of transmitting multiple optical wavelengths over long single-mode fiber. Optical amplifiers are used to amplify the optical signal with a distorted signal and process the attenuation caused by the long transmission distance. In DCF network design, CSRZ offers the best performance because of the large quality factor (24.560) and high threshold power (15 dBm), which make the system compatible with increased distance between the transmitter and receiver; next is intensity modulation with a 24.5604 quality factor and 13 dBm threshold power value; DPSK comes in last with the worst performance, with a quality factor of 10 at 13 dBm power due to non-linear effects, especially non-linear phase noise. In the repeater design, the DPSK modulation format has the best performance with a large quality factor of 20.7913 at a high threshold power of 14 dBm for 150 GHz spacing; this is because the repeater technique is compatible with reducing the non-linear effects of the DPSK format. CSRZ and intensity modulation have the same performance with a 12 quality factor at 4 dBm power for intensity modulation and 3 dBm power for CSRZ modulation.
Effective Range of Viewing Instruments
Authors: van Meeteren Aart
Published: November 2022

The distance at which an observer can just perform his particular visual observation task is perhaps the most practical metric of image quality with regard to viewing instruments. The direct relation between the distance of a target and the scaling of its image upon the retina suggests a simple theoretical approach: is it possible to express image quality in some sort of effective retinal "pixel-size", such as visual acuity, but then in a more generalized form, including the effects of luminance level, contrast, and noise? In this paper experiments will be described in order to determine the effective range first of a typical image intensifier system, and second for a thermal viewing system. The results will be discussed in the light of the above question.
Evaluation of Subjective Image Quality with the Square Root Integral Method
Authors: Barten Peter G. J.
Published: November 2022

After a short survey of some other measures of perceived image quality, the recently proposed square root integral (SQRI) is described, with special attention to the way in which this measure takes the effect of various display parameters into account.

Experimental data on subjective image quality at varying resolution, addressability, contrast, luminance and display size are compared with predictions by the square root Integral. From the comparison it appears that there is a high correlation between perceived image quality and calculated SQRI value.
Reading: Effects of Contrast and Spatial Frequency1
Authors: Legge Gordon E.
Published: November 2022

Reading
is a complex everyday task. Successful reading requires high-speed visual information processing. For several years, my colleagues and I have been studying visual factors in reading with two major goals in mind: to understand the roles played by sensory mechanisms in reading and to understand how visual impairment affects reading. In a typical study, we examine the effect of an important text variable (e.g. contrast) on reading by people with normal vision. Taking the normal data as a bench mark, we try to explain abnormalities in the performance of low-vision subjects.
Is Fractal Image Compression Related to Cortical Image Compression?
Authors: McGuire Michael D.
Published: November 2022

Fractals are customarily introduced with simple line replacement rules, for example the well known Koch curve. At each state of iteration single lines are replaced by combinations of lines according to a rule. Remarkable complexity can be built up this way as shown by five stages of this line replacement bush fractal1.
Vision Research Applied to Computer-Synthesized Imagery
Authors: Crow Franklin C.
Published: November 2022

Computer Graphics has always drawn on vision research although often rather indirectly. From the beginning, issues such as flicker fusion and resolution had to be considered in designing systems for computer graphics. However, there was a large body of experience and well-established standards from the cinema and television industries to provide guidelines. Later, when research focused more on the attainment of realism in images computed from numeric models, issues were raised which required a more basic understanding of vision. Currently, while the community, as a whole, is aware of the importance of underlying principles of vision, there is little reference to vision research in journals and conferences on computer graphics. On the other hand, many advances in computer graphics were based on results found in the vision literature. A few examples follow.
Identifying Breast Cancer Cell Lines Using High Performance Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Farooq Sajid , Del-Valle Matheus , Santos Sofia , Bernandes Emerson Soares , Zezell Denise Maria
Published: November 2022

We present a computational framework based on machine learning classifiers K-Nearest Neighbors and Neighborhood Component analysis for breast cancer (BC) subtypes prognostic. Our results has up to 97% accuracy for prognostic stratification of BC subtypes.
Image Processing based in Color Techniques for Material deformation Analysis
Authors: Herrera Mariel Fernanda Garcia
Published: November 2022

This paper presents the study of several deformed materials based on some color and shape techniques applied to optical acquisition methods. Some of the pictures are not well taken so, we have to apply some image processing techniques to improve the analysis method based on the shape and color features of the processed images. Images are obtained from several materials.
Random Laser emission from neodymium doped Lead-Germanate glass powder
Authors: Câmara Josivanir G. , da Silva Davinson M. , Kassab Luciana R. P. , de Araújo Cid B.
Published: November 2022

Random Lasing is reported for the first time in Nd3+-doped lead-germanate glass powders. Above laser threshold (0.3 mJ/mm2) a short pulse, in the nanosecond range is observed corroborating the lasing process.
Improvement of the image reconstruction in digital lensless holographic microscopy by scanning of the sample plane
Authors: Zapata-Valencia Samuel I. , Garcia-Sucerquia Jorge
Published: November 2022

A method to improve the quality of reconstructed images in digital lensless holographic microscopy is presented. The sample plane is scanned to record multiple holograms whose coordinated addition produces an enhanced reconstructed image.
Study of electrical characteristics of sensors based on indium tin oxynitride annealed in nitrogen atmosphere
Authors: Sparvoli Marina , Chubaci José F. D. , Abe Igor , Lopes Alexandre , Pereyra Inês , Onmori Roberto K.
Published: November 2022

The objective of this study is the characterization of optoelectronic sensors based on thin films of ITON (Indium Tin Oxynitride) annealed at high temperatures (600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000°C) in a conventional furnace with a nitrogen atmosphere.
Light diffraction in ordered photonics colloidal suspensions
Authors: Jiménez-Villar Ernesto , Martins Weliton S. , Wetter Niklaus U.
Published: November 2022

Light diffraction measurements show order in photonic colloidal suspensions of scatterers. Strong and long-range Coulomb interaction explains the order and correlation in the scatterers’ (TiO2@Silica) position, which favors significantly the localization (interference) of light.
Temperature sensor based on tilted optical fiber end with tailored sensitivity
Authors: Patiño-Jurado Brayan , Botero-Cadavid Juan F. , Garcia-Sucerquia Jorge
Published: November 2022

Cost-effective temperature sensors based on optical fibers with slanted surface at the distal end are presented. Fibers polished at 45°, 30°, and 22.5 ° are used to measure temperature ranging from 24 to 240 °C.
Measurement of refractive index in liquid form by common path interferometry from the visible to near infrared
Authors: Chang Hao-Jung , Munera Natalia , Keyser Christian , Webster Scott , Van Stryland Eric W. , Hagan David J.
Published: November 2022

We develop a common path interferometer to measure the refractive index of liquids from the visible to infrared. In this work, we present experimental data for several organic solvents from visible wavelengths to 2µm.
Split Step Fourier for Propagation of Beams in Free Space and Non-Linear Materials
Authors: Aupart-Acosta A. , Garduño-Mejía J. , Rosete-Aguilar M. , Rodríguez-Herrera Oscar. G. , Ruiz C.
Published: November 2022

The Split Step Fourier (SSF) method is used to propagate Gaussian beams in media with nonlinear properties. The method is validated by comparing the results between the analytical solution and the SSF for low powers.
Proposed instrumentation for Saturated Absorption Spectroscopy applied to the second generation Brazilian atomic clock
Authors: Mascarin R. P. , Tavares V. S. , Tarelho L. V. G. , Magalhães D. V.
Published: November 2022

Laser stabilization is widely used in the construction of atomic clocks. The present work shows instrumentation developed to improve the atom detection system of the second generation of Brazilian atomic clocks.
Study of Tellufluorobororite Glass Doped with Nd3+ as Near-Infrared Optical Thermometer
Authors: Melo Renata S. , Filho José Carlos S. , Camilo Nilmar S. , Rubio Thiago I. , Manzani Danilo , Andrade Acácio A.
Published: November 2022

Study to obtain a near-infrared optical thermometer with Nd3+-doped fluoroborontellurite matrix, measured emission intensities of the (4F5/2, 4F3/2) → 4I9/2. For 3.0% Nd, and 300K, the relative sensitivity is 1.48K-1%.
Synergistic enhancement effects of antibiotic combination with photodynamic inactivation
Authors: Soares Jennifer M. , Bagnato Vanderlei S. , Blanco. Kate C.
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most severe threats to global public health in this century. Photodynamic Inactivation (PDI) is an alternative to antibiotic therapy, a standard treatment for infections because the combination of a photosensitizer with light leads to the production of reactive oxygen species that promote eliminating undesirable cells without bacterial selection and with few side effects for the patient. This work investigates whether PDI can restore bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics. PDI protocols using curcumin and light at 450 nm are applied at regular intervals and new values of minimum inhibitory concentration of antibiotics are obtained. As a result, we observed that PDI treatments can decrease MIC. Thus, the combination of both antimicrobial therapies may result in synergistic effects.
Linear aplanatic Fresnel reflector as a solar concentrator and analytical description of its optical losses
Authors: de Souza Leonardo F. L. , Fraidenraich Naum , Tiba Chigueru , Gordon Jeffrey M.
Published: November 2022

The linear aplanatic Fresnel concentrator was described as a new optical design suitable for solar thermal power plants. The final high-performance design is composed by cylindrical primary mirrors and a fully stationary secondary/absorber assembly.
CdS Nanocrystals in Glass Phosphate Matrix With High Photoluminescence Quantum Efficiency in Near Infrared
Authors: Camilo Nilmar S. , Messias Djalmir N. , Pilla Viviane , Silva Anielle C. A. , Dantas Noelio O. , Andrade Acácio A.
Published: November 2022

In this work the CdS nanocrystals (NC) photoluminescence quantum efficiency (η) was determined by thermal lens technique. Due the high NC diameter a near-infrared emission is observed and η was determined η ~ 60%.
Anti-counterfeiting strategy based on rare earths and biopolymers
Authors: Pereira Daniela Vassalo , Mello Yan Gorski , Barud Hernane da Silva , Cavicchioli Maurício , Ribeiro Sidney José Lima
Published: November 2022

Commodity counterfeiting can be resolved by attaching labels made from biopolymers and down- and up-converting particles. Measurements of luminescence spectrum and SEM were made, proving the formation of particles and luminescence.
Platinum micromachining using fs-laser pulses
Authors: Rocha Luiz E. R. , Paula Kelly T. , Almeida Juliana M. P. , Mendonça Cleber R.
Published: November 2022

In this work, Platinum thin films were used to investigate nanoparticles deposition by LIFT, and explore it’s applications. It was determined the optimum conditions to transfer are 250 pulses/spot and 4 µJ of energy.
Unveiling Two-photon Absorption Property and Relationship with Brightness and Aggregation in Benzothiadiazoles
Authors: Akiyama da Silva Júlia , De Boni Leonardo , Limberger Jones
Published: November 2022

Luminescent aryloxy-benzothiadiazole derivatives were studied and compared among them. The aim was to analyze the changes in photophysical properties through linear and nonlinear optics characterization due to the aggregate formation and applications in biological field.
Enhanced Two-Photon Absorption of Chalcone and Dibenzylideneacetone Derivatives: Study of the structure-property relationship in nonlinear optical response
Authors: de Araújo Raiane Sodré , Sciuti Lucas Fiocco , Cocca Leandro Henrique Zucolotto , Silva Aline Alves da , Valle Marcelo Siqueira , Abegão Luis Miguel Gomes , Junior José Joatan Rodrigues , De Boni Leonardo , de Alencar Márcio André Rodrigues Cavalcanti
Published: November 2022

Two Photon absorption compounds in the five compounds was theoretically and experimentally investigated. The results evidence that these compounds have good potential for application in devices based on third-order nonlinear optical responses.
From PDI BSA Monomer to Nanoaggregates: an Unchanged Two-photon Absorption Cross-section and Brightness Control relation
Authors: Galindo D. D. M. , da Silva J. A. , Torres B. B. M. , De Boni L.
Published: November 2022

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of the PDI BSA molecule was performed in a solvent binary mixture aiming biological applications. Preliminary results showed that the 2PA cross-section is similar regardless the system, monomeric or aggregated.
Mechanical squeezing in an active-passive-coupled double-cavity optomechanical system via pump modulation
Authors: Guo Qi , Ren Xiao-Qiao , Bai Cheng-Hua , Zhang Yuchi , Li Gang , Zhang Tiancai
Published: November 2022

We focus on the generation of mechanical squeezing by using periodically amplitude-modulated laser to drive an active-passive-coupled double-cavity optomechanical system, where the coupled gain cavity and loss cavity can form into a parity-time (

P
T

)-symmetry system. The numerical analysis of the system stability shows that the system is more likely to be stable in the unbroken-

P
T

-symmetry regime than in the broken-

P
T

-symmetry regime. The mechanical squeezing in the active-passive system exhibits stronger robustness against the thermal noise than that in the passive-passive system, and the so-called 3 dB limit can be broken in the resolved-sideband regime. Furthermore, it is also found that the mechanical squeezing obtained in the unbroken-

P
T

-symmetry region is stronger than that in the broken-

P
T

-symmetry region. This work may be meaningful for the quantum state engineering in the gain-loss quantum system that contributes to the study of

P
T

-symmetric physics in the quantum regime.
Fluorescent property of carbon dots extracted from cigarette smoke and the application in bio-imaging
Authors: Li Yuzhao , Bai Han , Zhang Jin , Tang Ju , Li Yingfu , Zhang Weizuo , Zhao Zhexian , Xiao Yiming , Lü Yanfei
Published: November 2022

Cigarette smoke is one of the six major pollution sources in the room air. It contains large number of particles with size less than 10 nm. There exist carbon dots (CDs) in cigarette smoke which have strong fluorescence and with good bio-compatibility and low toxicity. CDs in cigarette smoke can be applied in bio-imaging which has great potential applications in the integration of cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, CDs were extracted from cigarette smoke. Then, sodium borohydride was added to CDs aqueous solution for reduction and the reduced CDs (R-CDs) were used for biological cell imaging. The results indicate that the CDs with the particle size <10 nm in cigarette smoke are self-assembled by the polymerizated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and ammonium nitrite which are disk nano-structure composed of sp2/sp3 carbon and oxygen/nitrogen groups or polymers. Sodium borohydride can reduce the carbonyl group on the surface of CDs to hydroxyl group and increase the ratio of the Na 1s ratio of the CDs from 1.86 to 7.42. The CDs can emit blue fluorescence under ultraviolet irradiation. After reduction, the R-CDS have the intensity of fluorescence 7.2 times than before and the fluorescence quantum yield increase from 6.13% to 8.86%. The photoluminescence (PL) wavelength of R-CDS have red-shift of 7 nm which was due to the increasing of Na element ratio. The onion epidermal cells labeled with R-CDs show that the CDs could pass through the cell wall into the cell and reach the nucleus. The cell wall and the nucleus could be clearly visualized. CDs also shows low toxicity to human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) with good biological activity. The obtained results indicate that the CDs and R-CDs have good fluorescent property which could be used as bio-imaging agent.
Manufacturing-induced contamination in common multilayerdielectric gratings
Authors: Liu Nan , Dent Russell , Hoffman Brittany N. , Kozlov Alexei A. , Oliver James B. , Rigatti Amy. L. , Kessler Terrance J. , Demos Stavros G. , Shestopalov Alexander A.
Published: November 2022

Contamination of pulse compression gratings during the manufacturing process is known to give rise to reduced laser damage performance and represents an issue that has not yet been adequately resolved. The present work demonstrates that the currently used etching methods introduce carbon contamination inside the etched region extending to a 50- to 80-nm layer below the surface. This study was executed using custom samples prepared in both, a laboratory setting and by established commercial vendors, showing results that are very similar. The laser-induced-damage performance of the etched and unetched regions in the grating-like samples suggest that contaminants introduced by etching process are contributing to the reduction of the laser-induced damage threshold.
Stereo vision-based Kinematic calibration method for the Stewart platforms
Authors: Fu Lei , Yang Ming , Liu Zhihua , Tao Meng , Cai Chenguang , Huang Haihui
Published: November 2022

Accuracy is the most important index for the industrial applications of the Stewart platform, which can be guaranteed by the kinematic calibration method to improve the motion orbit performance of this platform. In order to improve the effectiveness of the least squares algorithm and the identified accuracy of the platform’s geometric parameter errors, an applicab-le dimensionless error model based on the structural characteristics of the Stewart platform is investigated. Moreover, a novel stereo vision-based measurement method is proposed, which can measure the 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) pose of the moving platform. On this basis, an identification simulation is schemed to validate the efficiency of the dimensionless error model, and the kinematic calibration experiment is carried out on a prototype. The experimental results demonstrate that the position error is decreased to 0.261 mm with an improved accuracy of 89.720%, the orientation error is decreased to 0.051° with an improved accuracy of 90.351%.
Efficiency assessment of wood and cellulose-based optical elements for terahertz waves
Authors: Mavrona Elena , Hu Yijie , De Freitas Siqueira Gilberto , Rüggeberg Markus , Popov Sergei , Berglund Lars A. , Hack Erwin , Nyström Gustav , Zolliker Peter
Published: November 2022

Polarized THz time domain spectroscopy was used to study the anisotropic properties of wood-based materials for potential optical elements in the THz range, such as half-wave and quarter-wave plates. Wood samples of different species and sample thickness were studied experimentally showing high birefringence but rather high absorption. We elaborate on two approaches to optimize the optical properties for use as wave plates and assess them based on a figure of merit describing their efficiency as a function of birefringence and absorption. The first approach is to dry the wood samples, which significantly improves the efficiency of wave plates. The second approach is the use of artificially produced cellulose samples using 3D printing and freeze drying techniques, which also show birefringence caused by their similar macroscopic cellulose fibre structure. These materials have the potential as cost effective THz elements that are easy to tailor and produce for use at specific frequencies.
Defining cardiac cell populations and relative cellular composition of the early fetal human heart
Authors: Dewing Jennifer M. , Saunders Vinay , O’Kelly Ita , Wilson David I.
Published: November 2022

While the adult human heart is primarily composed of cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial and smooth muscle cells, the cellular composition during early development remains largely unknown. Reliable identification of fetal cardiac cell types using protein markers is critical to understand cardiac development and delineate the cellular composition of the developing human heart. This is the first study to use immunohistochemistry (IHC), flow cytometry and RT-PCR analyses to investigate the expression and specificity of commonly used cardiac cell markers in the early human fetal heart (8–12 post-conception weeks). The expression of previously reported protein markers for the detection of cardiomyocytes (Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), fibroblasts (DDR2, THY1, Vimentin), endothelial cells (CD31) and smooth muscle cells (α-SMA) were assessed. Two distinct populations of cTnI positive cells were identified through flow cytometry, with MHC positive cardiomyocytes showing high cTnI expression (cTnIHigh) while MHC negative non-myocytes showed lower cTnI expression (cTnILow). cTnI expression in non-myocytes was further confirmed by IHC and RT-PCR analyses, suggesting troponins are not cardiomyocyte-specific and may play distinct roles in non-muscle cells during early development. Vimentin (VIM) was expressed in cultured ventricular fibroblast populations and flow cytometry revealed VIMHighand VIMLowcell populations in the fetal heart. MHC positive cardiomyocytes were VIMLowwhilst CD31 positive endothelial cells were VIMHigh. Using markers investigated within this study, we characterised fetal human cardiac populations and estimate that 75–80% of fetal cardiac cells are cardiomyocytes and are MHC+/cTnIHigh/VIMLow, whilst non-myocytes comprise 20–25% of total cells and are MHC-/cTnILow/VIMHigh, with CD31+endothelial cells comprising ~9% of this population. These findings show distinct differences from those reported for adult heart.
Inflammatory responses in SARS-CoV-2 associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome and Kawasaki Disease in children: An observational study
Authors: Biesbroek G. , Kapitein B. , Kuipers I. M. , Gruppen M. P. , van Stijn D. , Peros T. E. , van Veenendaal M. , Jansen M. H. A. , van der Zee C. W. , van der Kuip M. , von Asmuth E. G. J. , Mooij M. G. , den Boer M. E. J. , Landman G. W. , van Houten M. A. , Schonenberg-Meinema D. , Tutu van Furth A. M. , Boele van Hensbroek M. , Scherpbier H. , van Meijgaarden K. E. , Ottenhoff T. H. M. , Joosten S. A. , Ketharanathan N. , Blink M. , Brackel C. L. H. , Zaaijer H. L. , Hombrink P. , van den Berg J. M. , Buddingh E. P. , Kuijpers T. W.
Published: November 2022

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a severe inflammatory disease in children related to SARS-CoV-2 with multisystem involvement including marked cardiac dysfunction and clinical symptoms that can resemble Kawasaki Disease (KD). We hypothesized that MIS-C and KD might have commonalities as well as unique inflammatory responses and studied these responses in both diseases. In total, fourteen children with MIS-C (n=8) and KD (n=6) were included in the period of March-June 2020. Clinical and routine blood parameters, cardiac follow-up, SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies and CD4+ T-cell responses, and cytokine-profiles were determined in both groups. In contrast to KD patients, all MIS-C patients had positive Spike protein-specific CD3+CD4+ T-cell responses. MIS-C and KD patients displayed marked hyper-inflammation with high expression of serum cytokines, including the drug-targetable interleukin (IL)-6 and IFN-γ associated chemokines CXCL9, 10 and 11, which decreased at follow-up. No statistical differences were observed between groups. Clinical outcomes were all favourable without cardiac sequelae at 6 months follow-up. In conclusion, MIS-C and KD-patients both displayed cytokine-associated hyper-inflammation with several high levels of drug-targetable cytokines.
COVID-19 associated changes in HIV service delivery over time in Central Africa: Results from facility surveys during the first and second waves of the pandemic
Authors: Rogers Ajeh , Brazier Ellen , Dzudie Anastase , Adedimeji Adebola , Yotebieng Marcel , Muhoza Benjamin , Twizere Christella , Lelo Patricia , Nsonde Dominique , Mafoua Adolphe , Munyaneza Athanase , Gateretse Patrick , Diafouka Merlin , Murenzi Gad , Niyongabo Théodore , Anastos Kathryn , Nash Denis
Published: November 2022

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted population health around the globe, directly and indirectly. The objective of this study was to document changes in HIV care associated with the COVID-19 pandemic at selected clinics in Central Africa, along with clinic-level strategies for minimizing disruptions in HIV care and treatment for people with HIV (PWH).

Methods

A 51-item questionnaire on COVID-19 pandemic-associated changes in HIV service delivery was completed by clinicians involved in HIV care at 21 clinics in five countries participating in Central Africa International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (CA-IeDEA). The survey was completed at two timepoints: June-July 2020 and October 2020 to February 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize changes in HIV care and related services.

Results

While 81% of sites reported at least one negative consequence of COVID-19 for clinic operations during the first survey, none reported suspending antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation services for new patients, and 24% reported adopting telemedicine. In the follow-up survey, fewer sites (48%) reported at least one disruption to clinic operations, and more sites reported mitigation strategies, including expanding rapid ART initiation services and providing extra supplies of ART medications to reduce visit frequency. In the follow-up survey, more sites, especially in Rwanda, reported stockouts of commodities, including HIV and viral load testing and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. More than one-fifth of sites reported stockouts of second- or third-line ART at each survey timepoint.

Conclusions

While the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in concerning disruptions to HIV service delivery at CA-IeDEA sites, most of these disruptions attenuated over time, and many sites introduced measures to help PWH avoid frequent visits to the clinic for care and medications. The impact of HIV commodity stockouts and clinic mitigation strategies on treatment outcomes needs to be assessed.
An intriguing new diapsid reptile with evidence of mandibulo-dental pathology from the early Permian of Oklahoma revealed by neutron tomography
Authors: Mooney Ethan D. , Maho Tea , Bevitt Joseph J. , Reisz Robert R.
Published: November 2022

The initial stages of diapsid evolution, the clade that includes extant reptiles and the majority of extinct reptilian taxa, is surprisingly poorly known. Notwithstanding the hypothesis that varanopids are diapsids rather than synapsids, there are only four araeoscelidians and one neodiapsid present in the late Carboniferous and early Permian. Here we describe the fragmentary remains of a very unusual new amniote from the famous cave deposits near Richards Spur, Oklahoma, that we recognize as a diapsid reptile, readily distinguishable from all other early amniotes by the unique dentition and lower jaw anatomy. The teeth have an unusual reeding pattern on the crown (long parallel ridges with rounded surfaces), with some teeth posteriorly tilted and strongly recurved, while a ventral protuberance forms the anterior terminus of the dentary. Overall, the lower jaw is unusually slender with a flattened ventral surface formed by the dentary and splenial anteriorly and the angular in the mid-region. The presence of a very slender triradiate jugal revealed through computed tomography confirms the existence of a large lower temporal fenestra, while the medial edge of the maxilla and the anatomy of the palatine confirm the presence of a large suborbital fenestra. Computed tomography of this new taxon reveals maxillary innervation that is characteristically reptile, not synapsid. Although no other definitively identifiable skull roof elements exist, the suborbital fenestra borders preserved on the palatine and maxilla supports the hypothesis that this is a diapsid reptile. Interestingly, the right dentary shows evidence of pathology, a rarely reported occurrence in Paleozoic amniotes, with several empty tooth sockets filled by bone. This small predator with delicate subthecodont implanted dentition provides strong evidence that diapsid reptiles were already diversifying rapidly in the early Permian, but likely were relatively rare members of terrestrial vertebrate assemblages.
Carpal tunnel volume distribution and morphology changes with flexion-extension and radial-ulnar deviation wrist postures
Authors: Anderson Drew A. , Oliver Michele L. , Gordon Karen D.
Published: November 2022

Non-neutral wrist postures have been reported to cause decreased carpal tunnel volume (CTV) contributing to impingement of the median nerve and development of carpal tunnel syndrome. Recent analysis found CTV did not change with ±20° flexion-extension (FE), however, CTV decreased with ulnar deviation over the range of -5° to 15° radial-ulnar deviation (RUD). These findings suggest CTV may be too coarse of a measure to reflect the effects of slight non-neutral postures, or that volume is conserved and redistributed due to changes in tunnel morphology with posture. The objective of this study was to assess volume distribution along the length of the carpal tunnel and to quantify regional morphology changes with deviated wrist postures in both FE and RUD. Analysis was performed on a dataset of computed tomography scans collected on ten cadaveric specimens (5 male, 5 female, mean age = 80.7 ± 10.9 years) over a range of FE and RUD postures. The carpal tunnel of each scan was divided into four quartiles of equal length along the tunnel to quantify volume distribution. Volume within the carpal tunnel was seen to redistribute with both FE and RUD. Decreased volume in the distal aspect of the tunnel with flexion and proximal aspect of the tunnel with ulnar deviation may contribute to localized compression of the medial nerve. Measures of mean cross-sectional area, width and depth by quartile provided an indication of the morphology changes associated volume redistribution. Morphology analysis also revealed twisting between the proximal and distal aspects of the tunnel which increased with flexion and ulnar deviation and may further contribute to strain on the median nerve.
The greatest air quality experiment ever: Policy suggestions from the COVID-19 lockdown in twelve European cities
Authors: Volta Marialuisa , Giostra Umberto , Guariso Giorgio , Baldasano Jose , Lutz Martin , Kerschbaumer Andreas , Rauterberg-Wulff Annette , Ferreira Francisco , Mendes Luìsa , Monjardino Joana , Moussiopοulos Nicolas , Vlachokostas Christos , Viaene Peter , Stijn Janssen , Turrini Enrico , De Angelis Elena , Carnevale Claudio , Williams Martin L. , Maione Michela
Published: November 2022

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) hit Europe in January 2020. By March, Europe was the active centre of the pandemic. As a result, widespread "lockdown" measures were enforced across the various European countries, even if to a different extent. Such actions caused a dramatic reduction, especially in road traffic. This event can be considered the most significant experiment ever conducted in Europe to assess the impact of a massive switch-off of atmospheric pollutant sources. In this study, we focus on in situ concentration data of the main atmospheric pollutants measured in twelve European cities, characterized by different climatology, emission sources, and strengths. We propose a methodology for the fair comparison of the impact of lockdown measures considering the non-stationarity of meteorological conditions and emissions, which are progressively declining due to the adoption of stricter air quality measures. The analysis of these unmatched circumstances allowed us to estimate the impact of a nearly zero-emission urban transport scenario on air quality in 12 European cities. The clearest result, common to all the cities, is that a dramatic traffic reduction effectively reduces NO2 concentrations. In contrast, each city’s PM and ozone concentrations can respond differently to the same type of emission reduction measure. From the policy point of view, these findings suggest that measures targeting urban traffic alone may not be the only effective option for improving air quality in cities.
UniCon: A unified star-operation to efficiently find connected components on a cluster of commodity hardware
Authors: Kim Chaeeun , Han Changhun , Park Ha-Myung
Published: November 2022

With a cluster of commodity hardware, how can we efficiently find all connected components of an enormous graph containing hundreds of billions of nodes and edges? The problem of finding connected components has been used in various applications such as pattern recognition, reachability indexing, graph compression, graph partitioning, and random walk. Several studies have been proposed to efficiently find connected components in various environments. Most existing single-machine and distributed-memory algorithms are limited in scalability as they have to load all data generated during the process into the main memory; they require expensive machines with vast memory capacities to handle large graphs. Several MapReduce algorithms try to handle large graphs by exploiting distributed storage but fail due to data explosion problems, which is a phenomenon that significantly increases the size of data as the computation proceeds. The latest MapReduce algorithms resolve the problem by proposing two distinguishing star-operations and executing them alternately, while the star-operations still cause massive network traffic as a star-operation is a distributed operation that connects each node to its smallest neighbor. In this paper, we unite the two star-operations into a single operation, namely UniStar, and propose UniCon, a new distributed algorithm for finding connected components in enormous graphs using UniStar. The partition-aware processing of UniStar effectively resolves the data explosion problems. We further optimize UniStar by filtering dispensable edges and exploiting a hybrid data structure. Experimental results with a cluster of 10 cheap machines each of which is equipped with Intel Xeon E3-1220 CPU (4-cores at 3.10GHz), 16GB RAM, and 2 SSDs of 1TB show that UniCon is up to 13 times faster than competitors on real-world graphs. UniCon succeeds in processing a tremendous graph with 129 billion edges, which is up to 4096 times larger than graphs competitors can process.
Can a supranational medicines agency restore trust after vaccine suspensions? The case of Vaxzevria
Authors: Albanese Andrea , Fallucchi Francesco , Verheyden Bertrand
Published: November 2022

Over the first half of March 2021, the majority of European governments suspended Astrazeneca’s Vaxzevria vaccine as a precaution following media reports of rare blood clots. We analyse the impact of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) March 18th statement assuring the public of the safety of Vaxzevria and the immediate reinstatement of the vaccine by most countries on respondents’ intention to get vaccinated. By relying on survey data collected in Luxembourg and neighbouring areas between early March and mid-April, we observe that the willingness to be vaccinated was severely declining in the days preceding the EMA statement. We implement a regression discontinuity design exploiting the time at which respondents completed the survey and find that the vaccine reinstatement substantially restored vaccination intentions.
Bitter taste sensitivity in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and its relevance to bitter deterrents of ingestion
Authors: Gibbs Matthew , Winnig Marcel , Riva Irene , Dunlop Nicola , Waller Daniel , Klebansky Boris , Logan Darren W. , Briddon Stephen J. , Holliday Nicholas D. , McGrane Scott J.
Published: November 2022

As the most favoured animal companion of humans, dogs occupy a unique place in society. Understanding the senses of the dog can bring benefits to both the dogs themselves and their owners. In the case of bitter taste, research may provide useful information on sensitivity to, and acceptance of, diets containing bitter tasting materials. It may also help to protect dogs from the accidental ingestion of toxic substances, as in some instances bitter tasting additives are used as deterrents to ingestion. In this study we examined the receptive range of dog bitter taste receptors (Tas2rs). We found that orthologous dog and human receptors do not always share the same receptive ranges using in vitro assays. One bitter chemical often used as a deterrent, denatonium benzoate, is only moderately active against dTas2r4, and is almost completely inactive against other dog Tas2rs, including dTas2r10, a highly sensitive receptor in humans. We substituted amino acids to create chimeric dog-human versions of the Tas2r10 receptor and found the ECL2 region partly determined denatonium sensitivity. We further confirmed the reduced sensitivity of dogs to this compound in vivo. A concentration of 100μM (44.7ppm) denatonium benzoate was effective as a deterrent to dog ingestion in a two-bottle choice test indicating higher concentrations may increase efficacy for dogs. These data can inform the choice and concentration of bitter deterrents added to toxic substances to help reduce the occurrence of accidental dog poisonings.
Effects of smoking cessation using varenicline on the serum concentrations of oxidized high-density lipoprotein: Comparison with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
Authors: Umeda Akira , Miyagawa Kazuya , Mochida Atsumi , Takeda Hiroshi , Ohira Yoshiyuki , Kato Toru , Okada Yasumasa , Kotani Kazuhiko
Published: November 2022

Background

The oxidized high-density lipoprotein (oxHDL) is a possible marker for cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated the effects of smoking cessation with varenicline (a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) on the levels of oxHDL in the serum of subjects compared with those of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).

Methods

Data of 99 nicotine-dependent adult subjects who visited the smoking cessation outpatient services at International University of Health and Welfare Shioya Hospital were reviewed. Each subject was treated with varenicline titrated up to 1.0 mg twice daily for 12 weeks. Serum levels of oxHDL and HDL-C were repeatedly measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and enzymatic method, respectively.

Results

The serum levels of oxHDL were significantly decreased from 163.2 ± 96.6 to 148.3 ± 80.7 U/mL (p = 0.034, n = 99). This effect was more prominent when the data of subjects in whom the treatment was objectively unsuccessful (exhaled carbon monoxide at 3 months ≥ 10 ppm) were omitted (from 166.6 ± 98.4 to 147.4 ± 80.6 U/mL; p = 0.0063, n = 93). In contrast, the serum levels of HDL-C were significantly increased (p = 0.0044, n = 99). There was a close relationship between the baseline levels of oxHDL and HDL-C (R = 0.45, p < 0.0001, n = 99). Changes in the levels of oxHDL were closely associated with changes in the levels of exhaled carbon monoxide in subjects in whom smoking cessation with varenicline was very effective (decrease in exhaled carbon monoxide by ≥ 15 ppm after treatment with varenicline; R = 0.42, p = 0.0052, n = 43).

Conclusions

Although there was a close relationship between the baseline serum concentrations of oxHDL and HDL-C, smoking cessation decreased oxHDL and increased HDL-C. This effect on oxHDL may be associated with the effectiveness of smoking cessation.