bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Free time of elderly people in terms of physical activity
Authors: Czarnecki D. , Skalski D. , Grygus I.
Published: December 2022

Gerontological issues will gain more and more recognition, both in the social and medical aspect. The reason for this is the sharp increase in the percentage of the elderly population, which is related to a decline in birth rates on the one hand and an increase in life expectancy on the other. The aging of the population of Europe and Poland is probably the most important health and socio-political challenge in the coming years. In 2050, people aged 60-79 are expected to make up a quarter of the entire population of the European Union. Maintaining the appropriate level of health, independence and independence of the elderly becomes a great challenge. This is not only a public health challenge, but also a huge socio-economic problem. A typical situation in old age is the occurrence of several diseases at the same time. In addition, the situation is complicated by the procedure of a number of degenerative changes affecting almost all systems and functions of the system, deteriorating the possibility of functioning and rehabilitation. Taking up issues related to seniors becomes important for at least several reasons. The most important ones include: the increasing number of elderly people, the widespread cult of a financially efficient and independent person (completely different from the geriatric reality), the need to educate professionals to help or support those in need, and the need for mental changes in society regarding the aging process and old age itself. The aim of this article is to present the problem of leisure time of elderly people from the perspective of physical activity. The starting point for the considerations was the explanation of the concepts of "old age" and "aging". Next, the most important issues concerning human activity in late adulthood are presented and the main assumptions of the theory of activity are presented. Then the concept of free time was defined, the features of free time activity were discussed, and the functions of free time were also indicated. Attention was also paid to the structure of seniors' time budget and the types of free-time activity that dominate among them. Next, the problem of free time of old people is presented in the context of the theory of activity, paying particular attention to the issues related to the activation of seniors.
Intellectual Honesty
Authors: Miller Christian B.
Published: December 2022

Until recently, almost nothing had been written about the moral virtue of honesty in the past 50 years of Western analytic philosophy. Slowly, this is beginning to change. But moral honesty is not the only kind of honesty there is. In this paper, I focus specifically on the intellectual cousin to moral honesty, and offer a preliminary account of its behavioral and motivational dimensions. The account will be centered on not intentionally distorting the facts as the person takes them to be, for one of a variety of intellectually virtuous motivating reasons.
Interpersonal Intellectual Virtues
Authors: Vanney Claudia E. , Aguinalde Sáenz J. Ignacio
Published: December 2022

Due to the hyperspecialization so prevalent nowadays, interdisciplinary research is a demanding kind of epistemic activity. The concept of intellectual virtue as presented by responsibilist approaches of virtue epistemology could offer an effective counterweight to this challenge but raises the question of what epistemic virtues are necessary for interdisciplinarity.

Based on a qualitative study, we identify and heuristically conceptualize a relevant subset of epistemic virtues required by interdisciplinarity that we call interpersonal intellectual virtues. These virtues are personal character traits that facilitate the reciprocal acquisition and distribution of knowledge with and through other people. By their very nature, they are only exercised in an interpersonal relationship that seeks an epistemic good, so in some sense, they are at the intersection of social virtues and intellectual virtues.

We use Jason Baehr’s four-dimensional proposal for the essential components of intellectual virtues (motivational, affective, skill, and judgment) to show that these interpersonal traits are indeed epistemic virtues. Some examples of interpersonal intellectual virtues are intellectual empathy, intellectual respect, and intellectual trust, among others. Intellectual empathy is a paradigmatic case that we analyze in more detail.

Finally, we suggest that interpersonal intellectual virtues are the key character traits of people involved in any successful collective epistemic endeavor, interdisciplinary research being a privileged context in which we can clearly see their manifestation.
Analysis of organoleptic properties and consumer acceptance of frozen noodle products
Authors: Zuhdi Muhson , Khairi Amalya Nurul
Published: December 2022

Frozen noodles are a type of noodles that undergo a boiling process after the noodle printing stage so that the moisture content reaches 52%. An organoleptic test is a sensory test with testing using human senses as the primary tool in measuring acceptance power. The purpose of writing this journal is to determine organoleptic properties and consumer acceptance of frozen noodle products. The method used was a hedonic test on 20 semi-trained panelists. The parameters tested were color, aroma, suppleness, softness, stickiness, taste, and degree of liking. The parameters that consumers most like are in terms of the color of the noodles, while the parameters that consumers do not like are the stickiness of the noodles.
Qualificação à distância para promoção da alimentação adequada e saudável no Sistema Único de Saúde
Authors: Silva Angélica Ribeiro e , Lopes Mariana Souza , Ferreira Nathália Luíza , Freitas Patrícia Pinheiro de , Lopes Aline Cristine Souza
Published: December 2022

Introdução: Ações de promoção da alimentação adequada e saudável (PAAS) vêm ganhando espaço nas agendas das políticas públicas devido à urgência do cuidado das condições crônicas não transmissíveis. Para implementação dessas ações no cotidiano de trabalho, é fundamental que os profissionais de saúde sejam qualificados visando o seu empoderamento e autonomia. Objetivo: Avaliar atividade de qualificação profissional para o desenvolvimento de ações coletivas de PAAS na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Métodos: Estudo prospectivo e descritivo conduzido para avaliar qualificação profissional ofertada à distância, com carga horária de 30 horas. Foram ofertadas três turmas para profissionais da APS de todas as macrorregiões brasileiras. Foram utilizados questionários quantitativos on-line, aplicados imediatamente após a conclusão do curso e após três meses. Os resultados foram estratificados por macrorregião do país e conclusão do curso. Resultados: Dos 3.957 inscritos, cerca de mil profissionais concluíram o curso (taxa de conclusão: 25,3%), a maioria mulheres e nutricionistas. A qualificação profissional foi considerada como muito relevante para a prática profissional (99,2%) e com adequada qualidade metodológica (99,6%). O principal obstáculo para a não conclusão do curso foi a falta de tempo (78,1%), sendo os não concluintes mais velhos, enfermeiros, com maior tempo de atuação no SUS, aqueles que acessaram o curso pelo celular e com participação prévia em qualificação profissional sobre o tema. Conclusões: A qualificação profissional foi capaz de desenvolver competências e habilidades para a condução de ações coletivas de PAAS entre os profissionais de saúde. Entretanto, estratégias precisam ser propostas para ampliar a taxa de conclusão.
Pandemia da Covid-19: efeitos no ambiente alimentar de varejo em três cidades da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte
Authors: Honório Olivia Souza , Mendes Larissa Loures , De Holanda Heminelly Souza Barroso , Araújo Melissa Luciana , Pessoa Milene Cristine
Published: December 2022

Objetivo: Descrever o ambiente alimentar de varejo no primeiro ano da pandemia de Covid-19. Método: Estudo ecológico realizado em três cidades da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. Foram utilizados dados secundários, da Secretaria Estadual da Fazenda de 2020, do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística e da Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Estado de Minas Gerais. Avaliaram-se as seguintes variáveis: abertura e fechamento de estabelecimentos que comercializavam alimentos segundo o tipo e categorias de estabelecimentos. Foi realizada análise descritiva (frequência relativa) com o auxílio do software Stata 14.0 e mapas com o uso do software QGIS 2.10.1. Resultados: Dentre os estabelecimentos que fecharam durante o primeiro ano de pandemia, a maioria comercializa alimentos para consumo imediato (Belo Horizonte 76,53%; Betim 69,95% e Contagem 70,87). Apesar disso, as características gerais do ambiente alimentar de varejo se mantiveram inalteradas nas três cidades, com alta disponibilidade dos estabelecimentos que comercializavam predominantemente alimentos ultraprocessados. Conclusão: A pandemia de Covid-19 impactou mais os estabelecimentos que comercializam alimentos para consumo imediato. Contudo, ainda não é possível afirmar a dimensão do impacto gerado pela pandemia, para isso é necessário um acompanhamento a longo prazo para identificar se ocorre remodelação do ambiente alimentar.
SANÇÕES TRIBUTÁRIAS: FUNDAMENTOS E APLICABILIDADE À LUZ DOS PRINCÍPIOS CONSTITUCIONAIS
Authors: Gimenes Nilson Roberto da Silva
Published: December 2022

Este artigo examina os fundamentos das sanções tributárias, cuja razão de existência tem relação necessária com a disciplina legal das obrigações tributárias, e também analisa os princípios constitucionais que auxiliam o intérprete do Direito (em especial o princípio da proporcionalidade), para, finalmente, através  do estudo de casos práticos, evidenciar como se pode fazer uma correta aplicação das normas jurídicas nesse campo para que sejam evitados abusos contra os direitos fundamentais dos sujeitos passivos da relação jurídica tributária.
PESQUISAS SOBRE A LÍNGUA BRASILEIRA DE SINAIS (LIBRAS) E EDUCAÇÃO DE SURDOS NA ESCOLA: UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA
Authors: Da Silva Farias Rosângela Maria , Nunes de Farias Filho Everaldo
Published: December 2022

Este estudo tem como objetivo identificar os principais assuntos relacionadas a LIBRAS e a educação dos surdos nas escolas em artigos científicos das áreas de Educação e Ensino. Inicialmente, realizamos uma reflexão sobre a deficiência auditiva e a importância da LIBRAS na educação dos surdos tomando por base referenciais da área presentes na literatura. A metodologia utilizada contou com uma pesquisa exploratória em periódicos nas áreas de Educação e Ensino e análise dos resumos dos artigos pesquisados para fazer o levantamento do que se têm pesquisado sobre o tema abordado. Os resultados mostraram que as pesquisas recentes trataram abordam com mais frequência assuntos como a utilização de recursos didáticos, atuação do intérprete de LIBRAS, análise da legislação educacional de inclusão de surdos, acesso de alunos surdos ao ensino superior, inclusão de indígenas surdos em escolas, práticas pedagógicas com alunos surdos nas disciplinas do currículo, ensino bilíngue na educação infantil e parceria entre escola e o setor da saúde.
HETEROTOPIAS DO CUIDADO: ESPAÇOS OUTROS PARA A INFÂNCIA NA ESCOLA
Authors: Rosa Rogério Machado , De Sousa Letícia Teles , De Souza Maria Eduarda , Rieg Fernanda Karoliny Gonçalves
Published: December 2022

Este texto constitui-se como uma narrativa reflexiva de experimentações ético-estético-afetivas. Escrevemos a partir de uma experiência implicada com a produção de inteligibilidades sobre práticas de cuidado da infância em uma comunidade escolar. A cartografia, que reivindica a inseparabilidade entre fazer e conhecer, constitui-se como o dispositivo metodológico por nós eleito para a realização desta pesquisa-intervenção-experimentação. O Núcleo de Estudos e Acolhimento às Questões Escolares - NEAQUE foi o nosso ponto de partida, é o lugar desde onde ocupamo-nos com a tarefa de descolonização psicopedagógica das infâncias. Neste núcleo investimos no engendramento de heterotopias desnormatizadoras de ações voltadas para a educação e o cuidado das crianças nas instituições educacionais, na clínica e na comunidade. Nesta escrita cartográfica, subscrevemos que a escola tomada como território de disputas maniqueístas, produz apenas vida ou morte. Mas, para além do bem e do mal, como território ético-estético-político-afetivo, pode produzir micro-revoluções: heterotopias de uma infância bela, acontecimentalização da existência.
Learning or development?
Authors: Allingham Sue
Published: December 2022

What an interesting month it has been since I wrote my last update, and I mean apart from the rapid succession of Prime Ministers.
Helicopter stories to support children's development
Authors: Rayner Lorna , Laxton Debra , Horn Abi
Published: December 2022

This months’ ‘leadership journey’ follows Lorna Rayner and her project to introduce helicopter stories to promote communication and language, and personal, social and emotional development.
Government action needs to happen to tackle early years underfunding crisis
Authors: Reid Chris
Published: December 2022

Over the last few months, there has been lots of debate around a key, and not unfamiliar, topic within the early years sector - childcare funding.
Phlebological compression bandaging competence: comparing performance of nurses before and after one-off training
Authors: Protz Kerstin , Dissemond Joachim , Augustin Matthias , Maria Janke Toni
Published: December 2022

Objectives:

To investigate the differences in applying phlebological compression bandaging (PCB) in nurses before and after one-off training, and to compare the performance of subgroups.

Methods:

Participants received training teaching the correct application of PCB. Participants' competence was measured using the newly developed control score of compression bandaging (CCB score) before and after training, one and three months later. Subgroup analyses compared participants (work setting, wound certification, PCBs applied per week).

Results:

In total, 47 participants took part (mean age 40.7 years, 85.1% female, 59.6% outpatient nurses, 59.6% >10 years' working experience, 55.3% with a wound certificate). The CCB score improved after training. In all subgroups, the score differed significantly over time (p≤0.002 in all cases) except for participants applying the highest number of PCBs (p=0.241). In hospital-based participants, the CCB score three months after training was considerably, but non-significantly, higher than before training (2.84 versus 4.21, respectively; p=0.068). In participants working in outpatient settings, with and without a wound certificate, and applying a low (<5) and medium (5–10) number of PCBs per week, the CCB score remained significantly higher than before training (p≤0.011 in all cases).

Conclusion:

All subgroups benefited from training, mostly significantly, and maintained gains in competence for three months. Frequently applying these skills may improve performance. Previously published results showed that ideal pressure-related parameters are rarely achieved. Regular training should be offered, including the use of pressure-measuring devices, allowing nurses to gain experience and develop deeper understanding of correct PCB application.
Study of Encrypted Transmission of Private Data During Network Communication: Performance Comparison of Advanced Encryption Standard and Data Encryption Standard Algorithms
Authors: Bian Dongliang , Pan Jun , Wang Yanhui
Published: December 2022

The involvement of the Internet in the production of daily life has increased the demand for the security of private data on the Internet. This paper briefly introduced the principles of advanced encryption standard (AES) and data encryption standard (DES) algorithms and then conducted simulation experiments on the two encryption algorithms in a laboratory server. The results showed that both algorithms had excellent sensitivity to plaintext keys, and the sensitivity of the AES algorithm was higher; the encryption and decryption time of both algorithms increased as the file got larger, and the encryption and decryption time of the same algorithm was not much different; the encryption and decryption time of the AES algorithm was less than that of the DES algorithm for the same file, and the time taken to crack the AES-encrypted data by brute force was also much longer; during the transmission of encrypted data, as the data increased, the integrity of the ciphertext decryption by the third-party decreased, and the integrity of the AES algorithm-encrypted file was significantly smaller than that of the DES algorithm-encrypted file when it was decrypted.
RDF Graph Summarization Based on Node Characteristic and Centrality
Authors: Guo Jimao , Wang Yi
Published: December 2022

The explosive growth of RDF data makes it difficult to be efficiently queried, understood and used. RDF graph (RDFG) summarization aims to extract the most relevant and crucial data as summaries according to different criteria. Current summarization approaches mainly apply single strategies such as graph structure, pattern mining or relevance metrics to calculate RDFG summaries. Different to the existing approaches, this paper proposes a summarization approach to automatically generating RDFG summary, which can capture both structure and centrality information. Specifically, we present three algorithms, SumW (merging nodes based on node characteristics or similar types), SumS (merging nodes based on typed node characteristics) and SummaryFL (retrieving central nodes by combining node frequency and bridging coefficient). The three algorithms can be used by two summarization strategies: SumS or SumW only, and SumS+SummaryFL or SumW+SummaryFL. We conducted experiments over large and real-world RDF datasets to verify the effectiveness of our method with respect to time complexity, compression capability and coverage of the summary. The experiment results demonstrate that our approach outperformed the comparative algorithms.
Fluorescence decay enhancement and FRET inhibition in self-assembled hybrid gold CdSe/CdS/CdZnS colloidal nanocrystal supraparticles
Authors: Blondot V. , Arnold C. , Delteil A. , Gérard D. , Bogicevic A. , Pons T. , Lequeux N. , Hugonin J.-P. , Greffet J.-J. , Buil S. , Hermier J.-P.
Published: December 2022

We report on the synthesis of hybrid light emitting particles with a diameter ranging between 100 and 500 nm, consisting in a compact semiconductor CdSe/CdS/CdZnS nanocrystal aggregate encapsulated by a controlled nanometric size silica and gold layers. We first characterize the Purcell decay rate enhancement corresponding to the addition of the gold nanoshell as a function of the particle size and find a good agreement with the predictions of numerical simulations. Then, we show that the contribution corresponding to Förster resonance energy transfer is inhibited.
High-fidelity mesoscopic fluorescence molecular tomography based on SSB-Net
Authors: Liu Kaixian , Jiang Yuxuan , Li Wensong , Chen Haitao , Luo Qingming , Deng Yong
Published: December 2022

The imaging fidelity of mesoscopic fluorescence molecular tomography (MFMT) in reflective geometry suffers from spatial nonuniformity of measurement sensitivity and ill-posed reconstruction. In this study, we present a spatially adaptive split Bregman network (SSB-Net) to simultaneously overcome the spatial nonuniformity of measurement sensitivity and promote reconstruction sparsity. The SSB-Net is derived by unfolding the split Bregman algorithm. In each layer of the SSB-Net, residual block and 3D convolution neural networks (3D-CNNs) can adaptively learn spatially nonuniform error compensation, the spatially dependent proximal operator, and sparsity transformation. Simulations and experiments show that the proposed SSB-Net enables high-fidelity MFMT reconstruction of multifluorophores at different positions within a depth of a few millimeters. Our method paves the way for a practical reflection-mode diffuse optical imaging technique.
Population coding strategies in human tactile afferents
Authors: Corniani Giulia , Casal Miguel A. , Panzeri Stefano , Saal Hannes P.
Published: December 2022

Sensory information is conveyed by populations of neurons, and coding strategies cannot always be deduced when considering individual neurons. Moreover, information coding depends on the number of neurons available and on the composition of the population when multiple classes with different response properties are available. Here, we study population coding in human tactile afferents by employing a recently developed simulator of mechanoreceptor firing activity. First, we highlight the interplay of afferents within each class. We demonstrate that the optimal afferent density to convey maximal information depends on both the tactile feature under consideration and the afferent class. Second, we find that information is spread across different classes for all tactile features and that each class encodes both redundant and complementary information with respect to the other afferent classes. Specifically, combining information from multiple afferent classes improves information transmission and is often more efficient than increasing the density of afferents from the same class. Finally, we examine the importance of temporal and spatial contributions, respectively, to the joint spatiotemporal code. On average, destroying temporal information is more destructive than removing spatial information, but the importance of either depends on the stimulus feature analyzed. Overall, our results suggest that both optimal afferent innervation densities and the composition of the population depend in complex ways on the tactile features in question, potentially accounting for the variety in which tactile peripheral populations are assembled in different regions across the body.
Bayesian nowcasting with leading indicators applied to COVID-19 fatalities in Sweden
Authors: Bergström Fanny , Günther Felix , Höhle Michael , Britton Tom
Published: December 2022

The real-time analysis of infectious disease surveillance data is essential in obtaining situational awareness about the current dynamics of a major public health event such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis of e.g., time-series of reported cases or fatalities is complicated by reporting delays that lead to under-reporting of the complete number of events for the most recent time points. This can lead to misconceptions by the interpreter, for instance the media or the public, as was the case with the time-series of reported fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. Nowcasting methods provide real-time estimates of the complete number of events using the incomplete time-series of currently reported events and information about the reporting delays from the past. In this paper we propose a novel Bayesian nowcasting approach applied to COVID-19-related fatalities in Sweden. We incorporate additional information in the form of time-series of number of reported cases and ICU admissions as leading signals. We demonstrate with a retrospective evaluation that the inclusion of ICU admissions as a leading signal improved the nowcasting performance of case fatalities for COVID-19 in Sweden compared to existing methods.
Domestication and selection footprints in Persian walnuts (Juglans regia)
Authors: Luo Xiang , Zhou Huijuan , Cao Da , Yan Feng , Chen Pengpeng , Wang Jiangtao , Woeste Keith , Chen Xin , Fei Zhangjun , An Hong , Malvolti Maria , Ma Kai , Liu Chaobin , Ebrahimi Aziz , Qiao Chengkui , Ye Hang , Li Mengdi , Lu Zhenhua , Xu Jiabao , Cao Shangying , Zhao Peng
Published: December 2022

Walnut (Juglans) species are economically important hardwood trees cultivated worldwide for both edible nuts and high-quality wood. Broad-scale assessments of species diversity, evolutionary history, and domestication are needed to improve walnut breeding. In this study, we sequenced 309 walnut accessions from around the world, including 55 Juglans relatives, 98 wild Persian walnuts (J. regia), 70 J. regia landraces, and 86 J. regia cultivars. The phylogenetic tree indicated that J. regia samples (section Dioscaryon) were monophyletic within Juglans. The core areas of genetic diversity of J. regia germplasm were southwestern China and southern Asia near the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Himalayas, and the uplift of the Himalayas was speculated to be the main factor leading to the current population dynamics of Persian walnut. The pattern of genomic variation in terms of nucleotide diversity, linkage disequilibrium, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and insertions/deletions revealed the domestication and selection footprints in Persian walnut. Selective sweep analysis, GWAS, and expression analysis further identified two transcription factors, JrbHLH and JrMYB6, that influence the thickness of the nut diaphragm as loci under selection during domestication. Our results elucidate the domestication and selection footprints in Persian walnuts and provide a valuable resource for the genomics-assisted breeding of this important crop.
Analysis of cataract-regulated genes using chemical DNA damage induction in a rat ex vivo model
Authors: Yamaoka Risa , Kanada Fumito , Nagaya Masaya , Takashima Masaru , Takamura Yoshihiro , Inatani Masaru , Oki Masaya
Published: December 2022

Although cataracts affect almost all people at advanced age and carry a risk of blindness, the mechanisms of cataract development remain incompletely understood. Oxidative stress, which is a causative factor in cataract, results in DNA breakage, which suggests that DNA damage could contribute to the formation of cataracts. We developed an ex vivo experimental system to study changes in gene expression during the formation of opacities in the lens by culturing explanted rat lenses with Methylmethanesulfonate (MMS) or Bleomycin, which induce DNA damage. Lenses cultured using this experimental system developed cortical opacity, which increased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In addition, we compared expression profiles at the whole gene level using microarray analysis of lenses subjected to MMS or Bleomycin stress. Microarray findings in MMS-induced opacity were validated and gene expression was measured from Days 1–4 using RT-qPCR. Altered genes were classified into four groups based on the days of peak gene expression: Group 1, in which expression peaked on Day 1; Group 2, in which expression peaked on Day 2; Group 3, in which expression progressively increased from Days 1–4 or were upregulated on Day 1 and sustained through Day 4; and Group 4, in which expression level oscillated from Days 1–4. Genes involved in lipid metabolism were restricted to Group 1. DNA repair- and cell cycle-related genes were restricted to Groups 1 and 2. Genes associated with oxidative stress and drug efflux were restricted to Group 2. These findings suggest that in temporal changes of MMS-induced opacity formation, the activated pathways could occur in the following order: lipid metabolism, DNA repair and cell cycle, and oxidative stress and drug efflux.
The impacts of conditions and person-organization fit on alliances performance: And the moderating role of intermediary
Authors: Sun Hui , Dai You-Yu , Zhang Chaochen , Lee Rok , Jeon Su-Sung , Chu Jin-Hua
Published: December 2022

This study expects to provide a reference for the catering industry. The travel industry expands sales channels and turnover tends to choose a strategic alliance with the alliance objects mutually beneficial cooperation to improve their competitiveness. This study examines the effects of alliance conditions and person-organization fit (P-O-fit) on the performance of strategic alliances between travel industries. Furthermore, this study contained the intermediary performance as a moderator to examine the influences of alliance conditions and P-O-fit on the performance of strategic alliances. There were 406 usable questionnaires collected. We verified the hypotheses by the structural equation modeling method. The results suggest that the alliance conditions have positive and significant direct effects on the performance of strategic alliances. Moreover, the P-O-fit also has positive and significant effects on the performance of strategic alliances. Furthermore, the intermediary performance has substantial moderating effects on the influences of P-O-fit on the performance of strategic alliances. The conclusion provides a theoretical and practical basis between performance and the travel industry.
It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it: An experimental task delineates among passive, reactive and interactive styles of behaviour on social networking sites
Authors: Shaw Daniel J. , Kaye Linda K. , Ngombe Nicola , Kessler Klaus , Pennington Charlotte R.
Published: December 2022

Studies have produced vastly disparate findings when exploring relationships between social networking site (SNS) usage and psychosocial well-being. These inconsistencies might reflect a lack of consideration for how people use SNS; specifically, while meaningful interactions are suggested to foster positive feelings, the passive consumption of others’ feeds is proposed to have negative effects on users’ well-being. To facilitate the empirical evaluation of these claims, the present study developed a computerised task to measure styles of usage on a mock SNS platform. Administering this Social Network Site Behaviour Task (SNSBT) online to 526 individuals, we identified three dissociable usage styles that extend the active-passive dichotomy employed frequently in the literature: passive use (consuming content posted by others), reactive use (reacting to others’ content), and interactive use (interacting with others through content sharing). Furthermore, our data reveal that these usage styles differ on several measures of psychosocial variables employed frequently in the disparate literature: more interactive users reported greater feelings of social connectedness and social capital than passive or reactive users. Importantly, however, our results also reveal the multi-dimensional nature of usage styles, with online network size and time spent on SNS platforms serving as potentially confounding influences on some psychosocial measures. These findings not only advance our understanding of SNS behaviour by providing empirical support for theoretic propositions, but also demonstrate the utility of the SNSBT for experimental investigations into the psychosocial outcomes of different SNS usage styles.
Continuity and change in lithic techno-economy of the early Acheulian on the Ethiopian highland: A case study from locality MW2; the Melka Wakena site-complex
Authors: Gossa Tegenu , Hovers Erella
Published: December 2022

Recent research has made great strides clarifying the chronology, temporal span, and geographic and technological patterning of the Acheulian in eastern Africa. However, highland occurrences of the Acheulian remain under-represented and their relationship to cultural dynamics in the Rift are still poorly understood. Recently, a stratified sequence of four archaeological layers, recording Acheulian occupations dated between ~1.6 Ma and ~1.3 Ma, has been discovered in locality MW2 of the Melka Wakena site-complex (south-central Ethiopian highlands). This database enabled a systematic exploration of the question of tempo and mode of technological changes at a local sequence, allowing, for the first time, comparison with other highland sites as well as in the Rift. The detailed techno-economic study presented in this study shows that the early Acheulian at the locality was characterized by the co-existence of lithic reduction sequences for small debitage and for flake-based Large Cutting Tool production. In the early, ~1.6 Ma assemblage, a strategy of variable raw material exploitation and technological emphasis on small debitage were coupled with production of few crude bifacial elements. These shifted at ~1.4 Ma towards a preferential and intensive exploitation of a highly knappable glassy ignimbrite and emphasis on Large Cutting Tool production, including higher investment in their techno-morphological aspects. The MW2 sequence tracks lithic technological trends observed in the Rift, with only a short time lag. Diachronic changes in the raw material economy and land use patterns may have occurred at MW2 earlier than previously reported for the Acheulian on the highlands. The behavioral dynamics gleaned from the early Acheulian assemblages at MW2 are important for our understanding of the diachronic changes in the abilities of Acheulian hominins to exploit the diverse geographic and ecological habitats of eastern Africa and beyond.
Behavioural osmoregulation during land invasion in fish: Prandial drinking and wetting of the dry skin
Authors: Katayama Yukitoshi , Tsukada Takehiro , Hyodo Susumu , Sakamoto Hirotaka , Sakamoto Tatsuya
Published: December 2022

Osmoregulatory behaviours should have evolutionarily modified for terrestrialisation of vertebrates. In mammals, sensations of buccal food and drying have immediate effects on postprandial thirst to prevent future systemic dehydration, and is thereby considered to be ‘anticipatory thirst’. However, it remains unclear whether such an anticipatory response has been acquired in the non-tetrapod lineage. Using the mudskipper goby (Periophthalmus modestus) as a semi-terrestrial ray-finned fish, we herein investigated postprandial drinking and other unique features like full-body ‘rolling’ over on the back although these behaviours had not been considered to have osmoregulatory functions. In our observations on tidal flats, mudskippers migrated into water areas within a minute after terrestrial eating, and exhibited rolling behaviour with accompanying pectoral-fin movements. In aquarium experiments, frequency of migration into a water area for drinking increased within a few minutes after eating onset, without systemic dehydration. During their low humidity exposure, frequency of the rolling behaviour and pectoral-fin movements increased by more than five times to moisten the skin before systemic dehydration. These findings suggest anticipatory responses which arise from oral/gastrointestinal and cutaneous sensation in the goby. These sensation and motivation seem to have evolved in distantly related species in order to solve osmoregulatory challenges during terrestrialisation.
Recovery of performance and persistent symptoms in athletes after COVID-19
Authors: Vollrath Shirin , Bizjak Daniel Alexander , Zorn Jule , Matits Lynn , Jerg Achim , Munk Moritz , Schulz Sebastian Viktor Waldemar , Kirsten Johannes , Schellenberg Jana , Steinacker Jürgen Michael
Published: December 2022

Introduction

After the acute Sars-CoV-2-infection, some athletes suffer from persistent, performance-impairing symptoms, although the course of the disease is often mild to moderate. The relation between cardiopulmonary performance and persistent symptoms after the acute period is still unclear. In addition, information about the development of this relationship is lacking.

Objective

To assess the prevalence of persistent symptoms over time and their association with the performance capability of athletes.

Methods

We conducted two cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) in a three months interval with 60 athletes (age: 35.2±12.1 years, 56.7% male) after infection with Sars-CoV-2 (t0: study inclusion; t1: three months post t0). At each examination, athletes were asked about their persistent symptoms. To evaluate the change of Peak VO2/BM (Body Mass) between the time before infection and the first examination, the VO2/BM (predVO2) before infection was predicted based on anthropometric data and exercise history of the athletes. For data analysis, athletes were grouped according to their symptom status (symptom-free, SF; persistent symptoms, PS) and its progression from the first to the second examination 1) SF-SF, 2) PS-SF and 3) PS-PS.

Results

Comparing the SF and PS groups at t0, significant differences for Max Power/BM, Max Power/lbm (lean body mass), Peak VO2, Peak VO2/BM, Peak VO2/lbm, Peak VO2/HR, Peak VE, Peak Vt and VE/VCO2-Slope were observed. Regarding the progression over three months, an increase in Max Power/BM was shown in SF-SF and PS-SF (tendency). Max Power/lbm increased in SF-SF and PS-PS (tendency). A decrease of VE/VCO2-Slope in PS-PS was found.

Conclusion

COVID-19 led to a decline in performance that was greater in PS than in SF. Additionally, PS had decreased ventilatory parameters compared to SF. Furthermore, an improvement over time was observed in some CPET parameters and a partial recovery was observed judging by the decrease in various symptoms.
Effects of dog ownership on the gut microbiota of elderly owners
Authors: Jiang Chaona , Cui Zeying , Fan Pingming , Du Guankui
Published: December 2022

Dog owners are usually in close contact with dogs. Whether dogs can affect the gut microbiota of elderly dog owners is worth studying. Data from 54 elderly (over 65 years of age) dog owners were screened from the American Gut Project. Owning a dog did not affect the α-diversity of the gut microbiota of the dog owner. Dog ownership significantly modulated the composition of the gut microbiota of the dog owner. The abundance of Actinobacteria was significantly increased. The abundances of Bifidobacteriaceae and Ruminococcaceae were significantly increased, while the abundance of Moracellaceae was significantly suppressed. In general, dog ownership can regulate the composition of gut microbiota and has a more significant effect on elderly males.
B cell phenotypes and maturation states in cows naturally infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis
Authors: Stabel J. R. , Bannantine J. P. , Humphrey S.
Published: December 2022

Little is known about the role that B cells play in immune responses to infection with the intracellular pathogen,Mycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosis(MAP). Traditionally, the role of B cells has been constrained to their function as antibody-producing cells, however, antibodies are not thought to play a protective role in mycobacterial infections. The present study was designed to characterize B cell subpopulations as well as activation/maturation states in cattle with paratuberculosis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from noninfected control cows (n = 8); as well cattle naturally infected with MAP in the subclinical (n = 8) and clinical (n = 7) stage of infection and stimulated with MAP antigen for 6 days. MAP infection resulted in greater numbers of total B cells for clinical cows compared to control noninfected cows. The major subpopulation in freshly isolated PBMCs in clinical cows was B-1a B cells, but this shifted to a composite of both B-1a and B-2 B cells upon stimulation of PBMCs with either MAP antigen or pokeweed mitogen, with higher numbers of B-2 B cells. Early B cells were observed to predominate the population of B cells in PBMCs, with lesser populations of germinal B cells, memory B cells and plasma cells. These subpopulations were elevated in clinical cows upon stimulation of PBMCs with MAP antigen, except for plasma cells which were lower compared to control noninfected cows. Increased numbers of B cells in clinical cows aligned with higher expression of B cell markers such as MAPK1/3, BTG1, Bcl2, CD79A and SWAP70, depending upon in vitro stimulation with either mitogen or antigen. This would indicate that the B cells were capable of activation but were anti-apoptotic in nature. The shift to B-2 B cells in the periphery of clinical cows seems to be indicative of an expansion of memory B cells, rather than plasma cells. This may be a last attempt by the host to control the rampant inflammatory state associated with advanced clinical disease.
The impacts of fine-tuning, phylogenetic distance, and sample size on big-data bioacoustics
Authors: Provost Kaiya L. , Yang Jiaying , Carstens Bryan C.
Published: December 2022

Vocalizations in animals, particularly birds, are critically important behaviors that influence their reproductive fitness. While recordings of bioacoustic data have been captured and stored in collections for decades, the automated extraction of data from these recordings has only recently been facilitated by artificial intelligence methods. These have yet to be evaluated with respect to accuracy of different automation strategies and features. Here, we use a recently published machine learning framework to extract syllables from ten bird species ranging in their phylogenetic relatedness from 1 to 85 million years, to compare how phylogenetic relatedness influences accuracy. We also evaluate the utility of applying trained models to novel species. Our results indicate that model performance is best on conspecifics, with accuracy progressively decreasing as phylogenetic distance increases between taxa. However, we also find that the application of models trained on multiple distantly related species can improve the overall accuracy to levels near that of training and analyzing a model on the same species. When planning big-data bioacoustics studies, care must be taken in sample design to maximize sample size and minimize human labor without sacrificing accuracy.
WASH, nutrition and health-seeking behavior during COVID-19 lockdowns: Evidence from rural Bangladesh
Authors: van Gurp Margo , Riad Imam M. , Islam Kazal A. , Islam Md Shariful , Geervliet Remco M. , Bakker Mirjam I.
Published: December 2022

A general lockdown to minimize to slow transmission of COVID-19 in Bangladesh came into effect on March 26th and lasted until May 30th. The lockdown had far-reaching economic implications for the population, with many facing economic hardship due to loss of income. Despite the attempt of the government to ease economic hardship by means of social safety net packages, people suffered from poor access to health services, and financial and food insecurity. This is likely to have disastrous consequences for the nutritional status of young children. This cross-sectional study measured the impact of the first general lockdown on food consumption of young children, access to water, handwashing and health seeking behavior, and the ability to maintain livelihood among households with children under the age of 5, in rural Bangladesh. The result of the analysis suggest that loss of income was reported by almost all respondents across all socio-economic groups. However, the poorest households were less likely to provide for sufficient food for their families and had to reduce consumption of food. Diet diversity and food intake–particularly animal protein sources—for young children were severely affected. On the other, increased awareness of handwashing and access to soap were also reported. The pandemic is likely to be detrimental to the nutritional status of children in Bangladesh and can exacerbate existing health inequities. Strong social safety net programs are needed to protect vulnerable populations to consequences of restrictive measures, supported in design and implementation by non-governmental organizations.
Bi-dimensional principal gene feature selection from big gene expression data
Authors: Hou Xiaoqian , Hou Jingyu , Huang Guangyan
Published: December 2022

Gene expression sample data, which usually contains massive expression profiles of genes, is commonly used for disease related gene analysis. The selection of relevant genes from huge amount of genes is always a fundamental process in applications of gene expression data. As more and more genes have been detected, the size of gene expression data becomes larger and larger; this challenges the computing efficiency for extracting the relevant and important genes from gene expression data. In this paper, we provide a novel Bi-dimensional Principal Feature Selection (BPFS) method for efficiently extracting critical genes from big gene expression data. It applies the principal component analysis (PCA) method on sample and gene domains successively, aiming at extracting the relevant gene features and reducing redundancies while losing less information. The experimental results on four real-world cancer gene expression datasets show that the proposed BPFS method greatly reduces the data size and achieves a nearly double processing speed compared to the counterpart methods, while maintaining better accuracy and effectiveness.
Rural parents’ attitudes and beliefs on the COVID-19 pediatric vaccine: An explanatory study
Authors: Lacy Rachael , Puma Jini , Tubolino Michael , LaRocca David , Crane Lori A. , Miller Lisa , Morris Chad D. , O’Leary Sean T. , Leiferman Jenn A.
Published: December 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first came to the Unites States in January 2020. Though adult and pediatric vaccines became available to the public, vaccine uptake among youth and particularly younger children has been gradual. This explanatory study aimed to better understand parents’ attitudes and beliefs of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine and the barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake in a rural community through a brief, online demographic survey, and in-depth qualitative interviews. Forty-one in depth interviews were conducted with parents (31-English and 10-Spanish-speaking) residing in rural and frontier counties in Colorado between September 2021 and February 2022. Six emergent themes related to COVID-19 pediatric vaccine uptake were identified among the population. These themes spanned the three levels of influence in the Social Ecological Model (individual, interpersonal, and community levels). The six themes were identified as such; 1) Vaccine accessibility was associated with pediatric COVID vaccine uptake in rural communities, 2) Previous pediatric vaccine behaviors were not associated with COVID-19 pediatric vaccine uptake, 3) Perceived health status of a child or family member influenced pediatric COVID-19 vaccine uptake, 4) COVID-19 health seeking behaviors, like COVID pediatric vaccine uptake, are influenced by an individual’s prosocial or individualistic perspectives, 5) Child autonomy and “age of consent” frames vaccine decision making behaviors in parents, and lastly 6) Social networks impacted COVID-19 pediatric vaccine decision making. These findings inform next steps for COVID-19 pediatric vaccine uptake including targeted and tailored messaging for communities (cues to actions), engaging youth stakeholders, and identifying trusted sources to build rapport and trust between health professionals and community members. The growing vaccine hesitancy among parents has serious implications for disease eradication and future viral outbreaks. Understanding the perceived barriers and facilitators to pediatric vaccine uptake is important to maintain the health of our youth and communities.