bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jogo para o ensino de reabilitação na pessoa submetida a artoplastia da anca: estudo de caso
Authors: Fernandes Carla Sílvia , Soares Andreia Elisabete , Amaral Catarina , Costa Eva França , Santos Almeida Inês Silva , Ascensão Nogueira Pedro Manuel
Published: October 2020

Objetivo: O estudo teve como objetivo conhecer a opinião dos estudantes de especialização em enfermagem de reabilitação em contexto de ensino clínico sobre a utilização de um Jogo para o ensino dos cuidados de reabilitação à pessoa submetida a Artoplastia da Anca.
Métodos: Trata-se de estudo de caso múltiplo, descritivo e exploratório, no qual foi desenvolvido e aplicado o jogo Reabilit´Arte. Os participantes foram selecionados através de uma amostragem em bola de neve. Para a recolha de dados foi realizada uma breve caracterização sociodemográfica, aplicação do Instrumento de Avaliação de Estratégias de Formação (IAEF), e perguntas abertas sobre as vantagens e desvantagens do jogo. Para a análise das perguntas abertas foi utilizado o software Atlas-ti versão 8.0.
Resultados: A amostra foi constituída por 9 estudantes da pós-licenciatura em enfermagem de reabilitação. Sobre a avaliação da utilização do jogo observa-se que em média da aplicação da escala total os valores variaram entre 80 e 100 muito acima do valor médio da escala. Da análise dos dados, emergiram no âmbito das vantagens da aplicação do jogo as subcategorias: reforço do ensino, facilidade da aprendizagem, participação ativa, motivação e memória visual. No âmbito das desvantagens, com menor frequências são apresentadas o fator tempo e as características dos participantes.
Conclusão: O jogo foi avaliado positivamente, revelando que a intervenção do enfermeiro especialista em enfermagem de reabilitação através de um jogo pode ser útil para promover capacidades adaptativas com vista ao autocontrolo e autocuidado nos processos de transição saúde/doença e ou incapacidade.
Palavras-chave: Educação em Saúde; Materiais de Ensino; Artroplastia de Quadril; Enfermagem em Reabilitação
The IL1-IL1RAP axis plays an important role in the inflammatory leukemic niche that favors acute myeloid leukemia proliferation over normal hematopoiesis
Authors: De Boer Bauke , Sheveleva Sofia , Apelt Katja , Vellenga Edo , Mulder André B. , Huls Gerwin , Jacob Schuringa Jan
Published: October 2020

Upregulation of the plasma membrane receptor IL1RAP in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been reported but its role in the context of the leukemic bone marrow niche is unclear. Here, we studied the signaling events downstream of IL1RAP in relation to leukemogenesis and normal hematopoiesis. High IL1RAP expression was associated with a leukemic GMPlike state, and knockdown of IL1RAP in AML reduced colony-forming capacity. Stimulation with IL1b resulted in the induction of multiple chemokines and an inflammatory secretome via the p38 MAPK and NFkB signaling pathways in IL1RAP-expressing AML cells, but IL1b-induced signaling was dispensable for AML cell proliferation and NFkB-driven survival. IL1RAP was also expressed in stromal cells where IL1b induced expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines as well. Intriguingly, the IL1b-induced inflammatory secretome of IL1RAP-expressing AML cells grown on a stromal layer of mesenchymal stem cells affected normal hematopoiesis including hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells while AML cell proliferation was not affected. The addition of Anakinra, an Food and Drug Aministration-approved IL1 receptor antagonist, could reverse this effect. Therefore, blocking the IL1-IL1RAP signaling axis might be a good therapeutic approach to reduce inflammation in the bone marrow niche and thereby promote normal hematopoietic recovery over AML proliferation after chemotherapy.
SF3B1-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia shows evidence of NOTCH1 pathway activation including CD20 downregulation
Authors: Pozzo Federico , Bittolo Tamara , Tissino Erika , Vit Filippo , Vendramini Elena , Laurenti Luca , D’Arena Giovanni , Olivieri Jacopo , Pozzato Gabriele , Zaja Francesco , Chiarenza Annalisa , Di Raimondo Francesco , Zucchetto Antonella , Bomben Riccardo , Rossi Francesca Maria , Del Poeta Giovanni , Dal Bo Michele , Gattei Valter
Published: October 2020

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by low CD20 expression, in part explained by an epigenetic-driven downregulation triggered by mutations of the NOTCH1 gene. In the present study, by taking advantage of a wide and well-characterized CLL cohort (n=537), we demonstrate that CD20 expression is downregulated in SF3B1-mutated CLL to an extent similar to NOTCH1-mutated CLL. In fact, SF3B1-mutated CLL cells show common features with NOTCH1- mutated CLL cells, including a gene expression profile enriched in NOTCH1-related gene sets and elevated expression of the active intracytoplasmic NOTCH1. Activation of the NOTCH1 signaling and downregulation of surface CD20 in SF3B1-mutated CLL cells correlate with overexpression of an alternatively spliced form of DVL2, a component of the Wnt pathway and negative regulator of the NOTCH1 pathway. These findings were confirmed by separately analyzing the CD20dim and CD20bright cell fractions from SF3B1-mutated cases as well as by DVL2 knockout experiments in CLL-like cell models. Together, the clinical and biological features that characterize NOTCH1-mutated CLL may also be recapitulated in SF3B1-mutated CLL, contributing to explain the poor prognosis of this CLL subset and providing the rationale for expanding therapies based on novel agents to SF3B1-mutated CLL.
Web-Based Desktop Support Trouble Ticket System Design In PT. Mnc Mediacom Cable
Authors: Shulton Besus Maulana , Zuraidah Eva
Published: October 2020

In recent years the existence of web-based information systems in Indonesia has increasingly felt its presence in supporting daily activities, both economic and non-economic. Manually processing data certainly cannot keep up with the need for fast, precise, and accurate presentation of information. Currently, manual data processing is considered less effective for providing reports and information for companies that are developing and have diverse transactions. The importance of Trouble Ticket Desktop Support is to make equalization of workloads that are fair and balanced besides that it is also a tool for assessment on each a technician. So with this, the author tries to examine the application of web-based technology that can be applied to problems that exist in one activity so that it can integrate the activities concerned. Ticket Desktop Support as a process to collect data from various existing sources and Desktop Support is required to be active monitor and treat user needs. With Trouble Ticket Desktop Support that is well integrated so that accessing data on Desktop Support can be done easily and quickly in order to measure the level of problems and access reports by the Head of IT Operations, as well as problems can be handled well within the scope of problem boundaries that produce the right solution to manage resources the power available, with this application it will be clear what problems are faced by the customer.
Участь у судовому процесі органів та осіб, яким законом надано право звертатися до суду в інтересах інших осіб, у структурі доступності правосуддя
Authors: ТИМОШЕВСЬКА ІРИНА
Published: October 2020

Стаття присвячена дослідженню поняття “доступність правосуддя” та інституту представництва як одному з основних елементів цього поняття.
Метою статті є аналіз поняття “доступність правосуддя” і визначення змісту та місця інституту представництва в цивільному процесі.
Розглянуто історичний шлях розвитку доступності правосуддя як фундаментальної суспільної та правової цінності, насамперед через призму доктринальних праць представників правових, економічних та історичних наук. На підставі аналізу напрацювань учених зроблено висновки щодо змісту цього поняття, його відмінності від принципів цивільного процесуального права.
Окрему увагу приділено рішенням Європейського суду з прав людини, які містять тлумачення ст. 6 Конвенції про захист прав людини і основоположних свобод, в якій закріплено право кожного при вирішенні спору щодо його прав та обов’язків на справедливий і відкритий розгляд протягом розумного строку незалежним і безстороннім судом, створеним відповідно до закону.
У розрізі доступності правосуддя проведено ґрунтовне дослідження інституту представництва в цивільному процесі, зокрема виокремлено основні підходи до визначення поняття “представництво у цивільному процесі”, та підсумовано, що інститут представництва й інститут участі у цивільному процесі органів та осіб, яким законом надано право звертатися до суду в інтересах інших осіб, мають певні особливості, а тому вони є самостійними інститутами, покликаними реалізовувати право на правничу допомогу особам, які цього потребують.
Зроблено ґрунтовні висновки про те, що правосуддя як форма здійснення прав і свобод людини та громадянина повинно здійснюватися через належні судові процедури, у зв’язку з чим абсолютного значення набувають гарантії прав осіб, які звертаються до суду за захистом своїх прав, свобод та інтересів. Однією з таких гарантій є, на думку авторки, інститут участі у цивільному процесі органів та осіб, яким законом надано право звертатися до суду в інтересах інших осіб. Як інститутпублічного спрямування його становлення і розвиток свідчить про те, що втручання державного механізму у вирішення приватноправових спорів не повинно суперечити диспозитивності та змагальності цивільного процесу, а також виходити за межі принципів правової держави і права сторін на розпорядження.
Організаційно-правові моделі розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону в країнах Співдружності Незалежних Держав
Authors: ДУКА ВАЛЕРІЯ
Published: October 2020

У статті проаналізовано досвід окремих країн – учасниць Співдружності Незалежних Держав (СНД) щодо розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону.
Мета статті полягає у комплексному аналізі організаційно-правових засад розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону, які передбачені у країнах СНД.
Акцентовано увагу на досвіді Грузії, Вірменії, Казахстану, Молдови та Росії. Дослі джено законодавство цих країн про звернення громадян, а також відповідні підзаконні акти щодо порядку їхнього розгляду. Автор також звертає увагу на регламентації обов’язку розгляду звернення громадян у нормативно-правових актах, які визначають статус уповноважених суб’єктів. Визначено переваги та недоліки вивченого досвіду, що дало змогу порівняти його з відповідним досвідом України. Сформульовано три моделі розбудови організаційно-правових засад розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону в країнах СНД.
Виокремлено такі позитивні аспекти досвіду країн СНД щодо розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону: наявність у більшості країн СНД профільних законодавчих актів щодо реалізації права на звернення; наявність в окремих країнах СНД розвинених форм роботи зі зверненнями громадян із використанням інформаційно-телекомунікаційних систем; наявність формалізованих гарантій судового захисту права на звернення.
Акцентовано увагу на таких не гативних аспектах досвіду країн СНД щодо розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону: застарілість парадигми відносин “влада – суспільство” (обумовлена небажанням влади співпрацювати з суспільством); абстрактність і невизначеність законодавства про звернення громадян; відсутність інституціональних зв’язків між правом громадян на зверненнята обов’язком посадових осіб щодо їхнього розгляду; фрагментарність предмета звернень громадян. При цьому перспективним напрямом наукового пошуку залишається аналіз досвіду країн Європейського Союзу у сфері розгляду звернень громадян при перетині державного кордону.
Scavenging versus predation: shark-bite injuries in stranded sea turtles in the southeastern USA
Authors: Stacy BA , Foley AM , Shaver DJ , Purvin CM , Howell LN , Cook M , Keene JL
Published: October 2020

Injuries inflicted by sharks are a frequent observation in stranded sea turtles. Sharks prey on live turtles and scavenge carcasses, which can create uncertainty as to the cause of stranding when sea turtles are found dead with shark-bite wounds. Consequently, attributing the cause of stranding to a shark attack based purely on the presence of the characteristic wounds can overestimate predation by sharks as a cause of mortality. To better characterize the timing of shark-bite wounds relative to death of sea turtles in the southeastern USA, we performed necropsies on 70 stranded turtles that were found dead in which the predominant observation was bite wounds without any grossly evident vital responses (inflammation or healing). Postmortem examination included assessment for evidence of exsanguination and histopathological evaluation of skeletal muscle comprising wound margins. We characterized wounds as antemortem, perimortem, or postmortem based on specific criteria related to the presence or absence of supravital and intravital responses. Most (80%) shark-bite wounds were postmortem, 10% were antemortem, and 10% were perimortem. We found that antemortem and postmortem wounds were similar in extent and location except for wounds that primarily involved the shell, which were never found in cases of scavenging. For sea turtles found dead in the southeastern USA, our findings suggest that most shark-bite wounds without externally evident vital responses are due to scavenging. Additionally, this scavenging can significantly damage a carcass, potentially obscuring the detection of other causes of mortality. These findings should be considered when using data derived from stranded sea turtles to conduct mortality assessments.
Global synthesis of sea turtle von Bertalanffy growth parameters through Bayesian hierarchical modeling
Authors: Ramirez MD , Popovska T , Babcock EA
Published: October 2020

Knowledge of sea turtle demographic rates is central to modeling their population dynamics, but few studies have quantitatively synthesized existing data globally. Here, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model to conduct a meta-analysis of published von Bertalanffy growth curve parameters (growth coefficient, K; asymptotic length, L∞) for chelonid sea turtles. We identified 34 studies for 5 of 6 extant chelonids that met minimum selection criteria. We implemented a suite of models that included a multivariate normal likelihood on the log-transformed values of the 2 parameters to evaluate the influence of species, population (regional management unit, RMU), parameter estimation method (mark-recapture, skeletochronology, length-frequency analysis), latitude, and sampled body size range (all sizes, no large, no small, no large or small) on growth parameter estimates. According to information criteria, the best model included a random effect of species. The second best model also included latitude as a fixed effect, but RMU, parameter estimation method, latitude, and sampled body size ultimately did not strongly influence the means or variances of K and L∞ among studies. The apparent lack of RMU effect on parameter estimates within species may be an artifact of the small number of RMUs with published growth parameter estimates. The species-specific, and in some cases RMU-specific, posterior means and standard deviations of K and L∞ from this study would be appropriate priors for future studies of growth in chelonid sea turtles or for models of population dynamics. We highlight the need for expanded study and synthesis of sea turtle somatic growth rates.
How COVID-19 crisis measures reveal the conflation between poverty and adversity
Authors: Treanor Morag C.
Published: October 2020

The application of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in public policy and practice ignore the structural circumstances in which children and their families live; the majority of studies on ACEs do not take socioeconomic position into account. Poverty and ACEs are often conflated, which can lead to unintended consequences for children and families and for the implementation of policy and practice. Using some of the COVID-19 crisis response measures in Scotland, in particular the example of the hubs for ‘vulnerable’ children and receipt of free school meals (FSMs), this paper explores how poverty and adversity become conflated and how this can impede children's access to support and even to their legal entitlements. The sole criterion for eligibility to FSMs, outwith the universal entitlement for P1-P3s, is low income and the dignified response to an eligibility based exclusively on low income is to provide cash. Yet, many local authorities have imposed a nonmonetary approach to FSM eligibility, even when this has proved difficult, e.g. in sourcing food. By assuming that parents living in poverty will misspend monies meant for children they conflate poverty with adversity. The policy focus in Scotland should prioritise poverty, using a cash-first approach, and trust the majority of parents to prioritise their children. This would also free up resources to provide dedicated services to children who do in fact experience high levels of adversity.
Baby brain: Neuroscience, policy-making and child protection
Authors: Critchley Ariane
Published: October 2020

This paper is concerned with the co-opting of neuroscientific findings into social work practice with infants at risk of harm. The value of neuroscience to our understanding of infants and infant care remains contested. For ‘infant mental health’ proponents, neuroscientific findings have become a powerful tool in arguing for the importance of nurture and care in the early years. However, critical perspectives question the selective use of neuroscientific evidence, and the impact that the ‘first three years’ agenda has actually had on families. In social work, much of our involvement with very young children is centred around risk. It is also concentrated on children born into families and communities experiencing multiple disadvantages. The emphasis on the vulnerability of infants and very young children has changed child protection social work in significant ways. Many of the children subject to child care and protection measures are very young, or not yet born. This paper draws upon findings from a study which followed families through the process of pre-birth child protection assessment. It is argued that it is necessary to engage critically with the ‘first three years’ narrative that has become dominant in Scottish policy making and the impact this has had on child protection practice and the lives of families. The paper argues for a broader interpretation of ACEs focused on community and public health across the life course.
Infância e educação infantil
Authors: Silva Simone de Oliveira Andrade , Silva José Gilberto de Andrade
Published: October 2020

Este estudo teve o objetivo de compreender as representações sociais das famílias de crianças matriculadas na educação infantil na rede pública de educação municipal de São Paulo, sobre infância e educação infantil. Para isto, selecionou-se uma escola de educação infantil da rede municipal de educação de São Paulo. Fizeram parte do estudo 336 participantes. Utilizou-se o questionário estruturado como técnica de coleta de dados. A base teórica para análise dos dados foi a Teoria das Representações Sociais. O material coletado foi processado no software computacional IRaMuTeQ. Os resultados indicaram que a representação de infância se caracteriza como um período da vida de brincadeiras e descobertas, destacando a concepção social moderna para a temática. Já a educação infantil ainda é percebida como preparatória para o ensino fundamental, concepção amplamente divulgada nas décadas de 1970/80 pela ciência e políticas educacionais da época, através da teoria da educação compensatória, priorizando unicamente o desenvolvimento cognitivo das crianças. Apesar das políticas educacionais atuais e as pesquisas científicas enfatizarem a importância de se trabalhar o desenvolvimento integral da criança e a necessidade a exploração de diferentes formas de ensino e salientarem as especificidades desta faixa etária, essa concepção ainda faz parte dos discursos dos familiares
Horizontal Gene Transfer and Tandem Duplication Shape the Unique CAZyme Complement of the Mycoparasitic Oomycetes Pythium oligandrum and Pythium periplocum
Authors: Liang Dong , Andersen Christian Benjamin , Vetukuri Ramesh R. , Dou Daolong , Grenville-Briggs Laura J.
Published: October 2020

Crop protection strategies that are effective but that reduce our reliance on chemical pesticides are urgently needed to meet the UN sustainable development goals for global food security. Mycoparasitic oomycetes such as Pythium oligandrum and Pythium periplocum, have potential for the biological control of plant diseases that threaten crops and have attracted much attention due to their abilities to antagonize plant pathogens and modulate plant immunity. Studies of the molecular and genetic determinants of mycoparasitism in these species have been less well developed than those of their fungal counterparts. Carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) from P. oligandrum and P. periplocum are predicted to be important components of mycoparasitism, being involved in the degradation of the cell wall of their oomycete and fungal prey species. To explore the evolution of CAZymes of these species we performed an in silico identification and comparison of the full CAZyme complement (CAZyome) of the two mycoparasitic Pythium species (P. oligandrum and P. periplocum), with seven other Pythium species, and four Phytophthora species. Twenty CAZy gene families involved in the degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, glucan, and chitin were expanded in, or unique to, mycoparasitic Pythium species and several of these genes were expressed during mycoparasitic interactions with either oomycete or fungal prey, as revealed by RNA sequencing and quantitative qRT-PCR. Genes from three of the cellulose and chitin degrading CAZy families (namely AA9, GH5_14, and GH19) were expanded via tandem duplication and predominantly located in gene sparse regions of the genome, suggesting these enzymes are putative pathogenicity factors able to undergo rapid evolution. In addition, five of the CAZy gene families were likely to have been obtained from other microbes by horizontal gene transfer events. The mycoparasitic species are able to utilize complex carbohydrates present in fungal cell walls, namely chitin and N-acetylglucosamine for growth, in contrast to their phytopathogenic counterparts. Nonetheless, a preference for the utilization of simple sugars for growth appears to be a common trait within the oomycete lineage.
Changes of Peripheral Nerve Function and Vitamin B12 Level in People With Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Qiu Feng , Wu Yue , Cao Hui , Liu Ben , Du Mingyang , Jiang Haibo , Li Shun
Published: October 2020

Background and Purpose: Peripheral nerve function plays an important role in balance control. Impairment of peripheral sensory information appears in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Furthermore, there is a link between peripheral nerve disorders and vitamin B12 level. Here, we studied whether there were deficits of peripheral nerve function and vitamin B12 level, which may lead to decreased postural stability in PD.

Methods: Fifty PD and 50 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. This study evaluated folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in serum. Postural balance was studied according to the clinical Tinetti scale. Some comprehensive physiological assessments of peripheral nerve functions, including peripheral sensation, the perception of temperature, pain, and touch sensations, were also undertaken in this study.

Results: Compared with the control group, vitamin B12 and folic acid were decreased in PD (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the PD group exhibited declines in peripheral nerve functions, including touch, temperature, pain, and nerve conduction velocity (P < 0.05). Statistical tests identified a significant association between decreased peripheral nerve function and poor balance according to the Tinetti scale (P < 0.05). Low vitamin B12 levels were also associated with deficits of peripheral nerve function, cumulative levodopa dose, and poor balance in PD (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Data suggested that peripheral nerve function was impaired in people with PD. Deficits of sensory input and low vitamin B12 level may contribute to balance deficits in PD.
Computational Prediction of Antiangiogenesis Synergistic Mechanisms of Total Saponins of Panax japonicus Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Guo Xiang , Ji Jinyu , Jose Kumar Sreena Goutham Sanker , Hou Xiaoqiang , Luo Yanan , Fu Xianyun , Mei Zhigang , Feng Zhitao
Published: October 2020

Objective: To investigate the anti-angiogenesis mechanisms and key targets of total saponins of Panax japonicus (TSPJ) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: RStudio3.6.1 software was used to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by analyzing the differences in gene expression in the synovial tissue of RA and to predict the potential targets of active compounds from TSPJ by the PharmMapper and SwissTargetPrediction databases. We evaluated the overlapping genes by intersectional analysis of DEGs and drug targets. Based on the overlapping genes, we used Cytoscape 3.7.2 software to construct a protein–protein interactions (PPI) network and applied Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis to determine the mechanisms of the treatment. Finally, the correlations with angiogenesis-related genes were explored. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model was established and treated with different doses of TSPJ. The manifestations of CIA were determined by evaluation of arthritis index and histology score. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) were tested by ELISA. The mRNA levels of IL-1β and IL-17A were detected by real time-quantitative PCR.

Results: Altogether, 2670 DEGs were obtained by differential analysis, and 371 drug targets were predicted for four active components (Araloside A, Chikusetsusaponin IVa, Ginsenoside Rg2, and Ginsenoside Ro). A total of 52 overlapping genes were included in the PPI network and the KEGG analysis. However, only 41 genes in the PPI network had protein interactions. The results of the KEGG enrichment analysis were all related to angiogenesis, including VEGF and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Seven genes with negative correlations and 16 genes with positive correlations were obtained by correlational analysis of DEGs in the VEGF and HIF-1 signaling pathways. SRC proto-oncogene, nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (SRC), and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT 3) had a higher value of degree and showed a significant correlation in the pathways; they were regarded as key targets. Compared with the model group, TSPJ significantly relieved the symptoms and decreased the expression of VEGFA, HIF-1α, IL-1β, and IL-17A in serum or spleens of CIA mice.

Conclusion: In the current study, we found that antiangiogenesis is one of the effective strategies of TSPJ against RA; SRC and STAT 3 may be the key targets of TSPJ acting on the VEGF and HIF-1 signaling pathways, which will provide new insight into the treatment of RA by inhibiting inflammation and angiogenesis.
The Social Meaning of Contextualized Sibilant Alternations in Berlin German
Authors: Weirich Melanie , Jannedy Stefanie , Schüppenhauer Gediminas
Published: October 2020

In Berlin, the pronunciation of /ç/ as [ɕ] is associated with the multi-ethnic youth variety (Kiezdeutsch). This alternation is also known to be produced by French learners of German. While listeners form socio-cultural interpretations upon hearing language input, the associations differ depending on the listeners’ biases and stereotypes toward speakers or groups. Here, the contrast of interest concerns two speaker groups using the [ç]–[ɕ] alternation: multi-ethnic adolescents from Berlin neighborhoods carrying low social prestige in mainstream German society and French learners of German supposedly having higher cultural prestige. To understand the strength of associations between phonetic alternations and social attributes, we ran an Implicit Association Task with 131 participants (three groups varying in age and ethnic background (mono- vs. multi-ethnic German) using auditory and written stimuli. In experiment 1, participants categorized written words as having a positive (good) or negative (bad) valence and auditory stimuli containing pronunciation variations of /ç/ as canonical [ç] (labeledHochdeutsch[a term used in Germany for Standard German]) or non-canonical [ɕ] (labeledKiezdeutsch). In experiment 2, identical auditory stimuli were used but the labelKiezdeutschwas changed toFrench Accent. Results show faster reaction times when negative categories and non-canonical pronunciations or positive categories and canonical pronunciations were mapped to the same response key, indicating a tight association between value judgments and concept categories. Older German listeners (OMO) match a supposedKiezdeutschaccent more readily with negatively connotated words compared to a supposed French accent, while younger German listeners (YMO) seem to be indifferent toward this variation. Young multi-ethnic listeners (YMU), however, seem to associate negative concepts more strongly with a supposed French accent compared toKiezdeutsch. These results demonstrate how social and cultural contextualization influences language interpretation and evaluation. We interpret our findings as a loss of cultural prestige of French speakers for the YMO group compared to the OMO group: younger urban listeners do not react differently to these contextual primes. YMU listeners, however, show a positive bias toward their in-group. Our results point to implicit listener attitudes, beliefs, stereotypes and shared world knowledge as significant factors in culturally- and socially situated language processing.
Anxiety and Depression Among People Under the Nationwide Partial Lockdown in Vietnam
Authors: Le Huong Thi , Lai Andre Jun Xian , Sun Jiaqian , Hoang Men Thi , Vu Linh Gia , Pham Hai Quang , Nguyen Trang Ha , Tran Bach Xuan , Latkin Carl A. , Le Xuan Thi Thanh , Nguyen Thao Thanh , Pham Quan Thi , Ta Nhung Thi Kim , Nguyen Quynh Thi , Ho Roger C. M. , Ho Cyrus S. H.
Published: October 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects of the partial lockdown on the people in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire regarding attitudes toward COVID-19 along with psychological parameters, including the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was conducted. From a total of 1,382 questionnaires, the respondents reported low prevalence of depression (4.9%), anxiety (7.0%), and stress (3.4%). The mean DASS-21 scores recorded were also markedly lower compared to similar studies conducted in China, Italy, and Iran. Respondents who reported severe PTSD had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Factors that were associated with an increased level of depression, stress, and anxiety were being single, separated, or widowed, a higher education level, a larger family size, loss of jobs and being in contact with potential COVID-19 patients. Contrary to expectations, the level of depression, stress, and anxiety observed has been low. Our findings can aid in future research on the impact of a partial lockdown and guide mental health professionals in Vietnam and other countries in the preparation of better care for populations under such circumstances.
Motion Planning of Upper-Limb Exoskeleton Robots: A Review
Authors: Nguiadem Clautilde , Raison Maxime , Achiche Sofiane
Published: October 2020

(1) Background: Motion planning is an important part of exoskeleton control that improves the wearer’s safety and comfort. However, its usage introduces the problem of trajectory planning. The objective of trajectory planning is to generate the reference input for the motion-control system. This review explores the methods of trajectory planning for exoskeleton control. In order to reduce the number of surveyed papers, this review focuses on the upper limbs, which require refined three-dimensional motion planning. (2) Methods: A systematic search covering the last 20 years was conducted in Ei Compendex, Inspect-IET, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and Science-Direct. The search strategy was to use and combine terms “trajectory planning”, “upper limb”, and ”exoskeleton” as high-level keywords. “Trajectory planning” and “motion planning” were also combined with the following keywords: “rehabilitation”, “humanlike motion“, “upper extremity“, “inverse kinematic“, and “learning machine “. (3) Results: A total of 67 relevant papers were discovered. Results were then classified into two main categories of methods to plan trajectory: (i) Approaches based on Cartesian motion planning, and inverse kinematics using polynomial-interpolation or optimization-based methods such as minimum-jerk, minimum-torque-change, and inertia-like models; and (ii) approaches based on “learning by demonstration” using machine-learning techniques such as supervised learning based on neural networks, and learning methods based on hidden Markov models, Gaussian mixture models, and dynamic motion primitives. (4) Conclusions: Various methods have been proposed to plan the trajectories for upper-limb exoskeleton robots, but most of them plan the trajectory offline. The review approach is general and could be extended to lower limbs. Trajectory planning has the advantage of extending the applicability of therapy robots to home usage (assistive exoskeletons); it also makes it possible to mitigate the shortages of medical caregivers and therapists, and therapy costs. In this paper, we also discuss challenges associated with trajectory planning: kinematic redundancy and incompatibility, and the trajectory-optimization problem. Commonly, methods based on the computation of swivel angles and other methods rely on the relationship (e.g., coordinated or synergistic) between the degrees of freedom used to resolve kinematic redundancy for exoskeletons. Moreover, two general solutions, namely, the self-tracing configuration of the joint axis and the alignment-free configuration of the joint axis, which add the appropriate number of extra degrees of freedom to the mechanism, were employed to improve the kinematic incompatibility between human and exoskeleton. Future work will focus on online trajectory planning and optimal control. This will be done because very few online methods were found in the scope of this study.
Feature Detection of Focused Plenoptic Camera Based on Central Projection Stereo Focal Stack
Authors: Liu Qingsong , Xie Xiaofang , Zhang Xuanzhe , Tian Yu , Wang Yan , Xu Xiaojun
Published: October 2020

Fast and accurate feature extraction can lay a solid foundation for scene reconstruction and visual odometry. However, this has been rather a difficult problem for the focused plenoptic camera. In this paper, to the best of our knowledge, we first introduce an accurate and fast feature extraction algorithm based on central projection stereo focal stack (CPSFS). Specifically, we propose a refocusing algorithm that conforms to the central projection with regard to the center of main lens, which is more accurate than traditional one. On this basis, the feature is extracted on the CPSFS without calculating dense depth maps and total focus images. We verify the precision and efficiency of the proposed algorithm through simulated and real experiments, and give an example of scene reconstruction based on the proposed method. The experimental results show that our feature extraction algorithm is able to support the feature-based scene reconstruction via focused plenoptic camera.
Growth and Puberty in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Amaro Flavia , Chiarelli Francesco
Published: October 2020

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are gastrointestinal tract pathologies of unknown etiology; they have an alternating trend, with active and silent phases. IBD are classified in two main forms: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Both have chronic and recurrent course, gastrointestinal symptoms, and extraintestinal manifestations. The altered immune response role seems to be important both in UC and CD. In the majority of cases, CD begins with abdominal pain, diarrhea, decrease in appetite, and weight loss; there can be also perianal fistulas, rhagades, and perianal recurrent abscesses. In addition, retarded growth and delayed puberty can precede the development of the disease or can even be predominant at onset. Growth retardation is found in 40% of IBD patients, but the underlying mechanism of this and other extra-intestinal manifestations are partially known: the main hypotheses are represented by malnutrition and inflammatory response during the active phase of the disease. The increased level of pro-inflammatory cytokines can influence growth, but also the onset of puberty and its progression. In addition, it could be essential to clarify the role and the possible effects of all the currently used treatments concerning growth failure and delayed puberty.
Influence of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Psychomotor Symptoms in Major Depression
Authors: Bennabi Djamila , Carvalho Nicolas , Bisio Ambra , Teti Mayer Juliana , Pozzo Thierry , Haffen Emmanuel
Published: October 2020

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) might be a promising treatment strategy for depression. As disturbances in psychomotor activity are one of the key features of unipolar depression are, we aimed to evaluate the behavioral effects of ten tDCS sessions over a 5-day period on psychomotor retardation in depressed patients. Methods: Twenty-three treatment-resistant depressed patients received either active or sham anodal tDCS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (2 mA, 10 sessions over 1 week). Psychomotor functioning was registered by means of observer ratings (Salpêtrière Retardation Rating Scale—SRRS) and objective measures (kinematical analysis of movements, automatic imitation). Results: tDCS sessions resulted in improvements on SRRS scores, although active tDCS was not significantly superior to sham tDCS on the kinematical parameters. Furthermore, no general additional antidepressant effect of tDCS was observed. The relatively small sample size and the short periods of observation should be considered when interpreting these results. Conclusion: tDCS did not induce a clinically relevant effect on psychomotor function in active and sham stimulation groups.
Effect of Treadmill Exercise and Trans-Cinnamaldehyde against d-Galactose- and Aluminum Chloride-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Mice
Authors: Ryu Jong-Sik , Kang Ho-Youl , Lee Jong Kil
Published: October 2020

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) generally refers to impairment in cognition above that which accompanies the normal age-related cognitive decline and has attracted attention in recent years. Trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA), which is isolated from cinnamon, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Treadmill exercise also has diverse positive effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combination effects of TCA and treadmill exercise on learning and memory in a cognitive impairment mouse induced by a combination of d-galactose (d-gal) and aluminum chloride (AlCl3). We found that exercise and TCA attenuated cognitive impairment in mice with induced MCI. This effect was further increased by costimulation of exercise and TCA. To clarify the mechanisms of the positive effects of TCA and exercise, we analyzed the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and related signaling pathways. We found that TCA and exercise upregulated Nrf2, NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO-1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1); this suggests that TCA and exercise attenuate cognitive dysfunction by reducing oxidative stress. We also found that Nrf2-related signaling pathways, i.e., the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/Nrf2 and SIRT1/PGC-1a/Nrf2-ARE pathways, exerted antioxidant effects. Together, these results suggest that costimulation with TCA and exercise may be a therapeutic candidate for mild cognitive impairment.
Threatening Facial Expressions Impact Goal-Directed Actions Only if Task-Relevant
Authors: Mancini Christian , Falciati Luca , Maioli Claudio , Mirabella Giovanni
Published: October 2020

Facial emotional expressions are a salient source of information for nonverbal social interactions. However, their impact on action planning and execution is highly controversial. In this vein, the effect of the two threatening facial expressions, i.e., angry and fearful faces, is still unclear. Frequently, fear and anger are used interchangeably as negative emotions. However, they convey different social signals. Unlike fear, anger indicates a direct threat toward the observer. To provide new evidence on this issue, we exploited a novel design based on two versions of a Go/No-go task. In the emotional version, healthy participants had to perform the same movement for pictures of fearful, angry, or happy faces and withhold it when neutral expressions were presented. The same pictures were shown in the control version, but participants had to move or suppress the movement, according to the actor’s gender. This experimental design allows us to test task relevance’s impact on emotional stimuli without conflating movement planning with target detection and task switching. We found that the emotional content of faces interferes with actions only when task-relevant, i.e., the effect of emotions is context-dependent. We also showed that angry faces qualitatively had the same effect as fearful faces, i.e., both negative emotions decreased response readiness with respect to happy expressions. However, anger has a much greater impact than fear, as it increases both the rates of mistakes and the time of movement execution. We interpreted these results, suggesting that participants have to exploit more cognitive resources to appraise threatening than positive facial expressions, and angry than fearful faces before acting.
Preparation, Characterization and Performance Properties of Polydodecylmethylsilsesquioxane Nanoparticles
Authors: Deng Fuquan , Jin Hua , Xu Wei
Published: October 2020

A series of polydodecylmethylsilsesquioxane (PDMSQ) nanocomposite latexes were prepared via emulsion polymerization of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) and sodium hydroxide as the catalyst, and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate/Tween 80 as the mixed emulsifiers. Effects of the emulsifier doses, the reaction temperature, the catalyst concentration and the oil/water ratio on the particle size and distribution of the PDMSQ nanoparticles were discussed. Particle size and micromorphology, structure, thermal stability, crystallinity and hydrophobicity of PDMSQ nanoparticles (PDMSQ NPs) were investigated by dynamic laser scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), silicon-nuclear magnetic resonance (28Si-NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and contact angle tester. Results showed that a series of PDMSQ NPs could be obtained with an average particle size of less than 80 nm and narrow distribution as well as spherical structure under the optimal process conditions. PDMSQ NPs exhibited excellent thermal stability and were mainly amorphous but also contained some crystal structures. Importantly, the static water contact angles (WCAs) on its latex films were larger than 150° and the WCAs hysteresis were less than 10°, thus those PDMSQ nanocomposite latexes show potential in the field of superhydrophobic coatings.
Active Optical Beam Shaping Based on Liquid Crystals and Polymer Micro-Structures
Authors: Shang Xiaobing , Cuypers Dieter , Baghdasaryan Tigran , Vervaeke Michael , Thienpont Hugo , Beeckman Jeroen , Neyts Kristiaan , Li Quan , Wu Chao , Li Hongqiang , Jiang Changjun , De Smet Herbert
Published: October 2020

Emerging applications requiring light beam manipulation, such as high-efficiency sunlight concentrators for solar cells, switchable micro-lens arrays for autostereoscopic displays, tunable lenses for augmented reality goggles, auto-focusing spectacles, and smart contact lenses, mostly depend on one or more active optical components with the desired and controllable beam modifying functionalities, preferably manufactured at relatively low cost. Recent progress in research on components based on the combination of liquid crystals (LCs) and various polymer micro-structures is reviewed in this paper. It is found that such components can address the demands appropriately and have the potential of paving the way for large-scale applications of active optical beam shaping components.
A Comparison of Variational Bounds for the Information Bottleneck Functional
Authors: Geiger Bernhard C. , Fischer Ian S.
Published: October 2020

In this short note, we relate the variational bounds proposed in Alemi et al. (2017) and Fischer (2020) for the information bottleneck (IB) and the conditional entropy bottleneck (CEB) functional, respectively. Although the two functionals were shown to be equivalent, it was empirically observed that optimizing bounds on the CEB functional achieves better generalization performance and adversarial robustness than optimizing those on the IB functional. This work tries to shed light on this issue by showing that, in the most general setting, no ordering can be established between these variational bounds, while such an ordering can be enforced by restricting the feasible sets over which the optimizations take place. The absence of such an ordering in the general setup suggests that the variational bound on the CEB functional is either more amenable to optimization or a relevant cost function for optimization in its own regard, i.e., without justification from the IB or CEB functionals.
Analysis of HIV/AIDS Epidemic and Socioeconomic Factors in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Sun Shuman , Li Zhiming , Zhang Huiguo , Jiang Haijun , Hu Xijian
Published: October 2020

Sub-Saharan Africa has been the epicenter of the outbreak since the spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) began to be prevalent. This article proposes several regression models to investigate the relationships between the HIV/AIDS epidemic and socioeconomic factors (the gross domestic product per capita, and population density) in ten countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, for 2011–2016. The maximum likelihood method was used to estimate the unknown parameters of these models along with the Newton–Raphson procedure and Fisher scoring algorithm. Comparing these regression models, there exist significant spatiotemporal non-stationarity and auto-correlations between the HIV/AIDS epidemic and two socioeconomic factors. Based on the empirical results, we suggest that the geographically and temporally weighted Poisson autoregressive (GTWPAR) model is more suitable than other models, and has the better fitting results.