bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Satisfaction and Effectiveness of Telepractice for Parents of Young Children with Language Delay
Authors: Choi Si Hyeon , Hong Gyung-Hun
Published: October 2024

Objectives: This study aims to provide parent teaching techniques to mothers of 2-3-yearold children with language developmental delays via telepractice and to analyze the effectiveness and participant satisfaction. The training focuses on techniques to promote language development in their children.Methods: The study involved training and coaching seven mothers in parallel talk, self-talk, mand-model and time delay techniques via telepractice. The interactions between mothers and children were recorded at home and analyzed to observe changes in mothers’ use of the techniques and the characteristics of children’s speech. After completing the training-coaching procedure, a satisfaction survey was conducted among the participants.Results: Most participants showed improvement in the production rate per utterance and the total frequency of the techniques after the telelpractice for parent training and coaching. The children also exhibited more diverse types of utterances and increased production rates and frequencies following their mothers’ improvements. The satisfaction with remote parent training was reported to be high.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that for parent intervention, training and coaching via telepractice can be an effective alternative for educating parents of young children with language developmental delays, enabling them to engage in interactions that promote their children’s language development.
Longitudinal Study on the Pragmatic Language Skills during Play Activities in Preschool Children Who Stutter and Who do not Stutter
Authors: Lee Song Min , Sim Hyun Sub , Lee Soo Bok , Kang Jin Kyong
Published: October 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether there are any differences in pragmatic language skills between preschool children who stutter (hereafter, CWS) and those who do not stutter (hereafter, CWNS) in natural play interactions with their parents. Additionally, the study sought to examine the relationship between pragmatic language skills and children’s stuttering. Methods: 7 CWNS and 7 CWS aged 2-5 years, and their parents participated in the study. In a total of three times at 12-month intervals, their interactions during play activities were collected to analyze abnormal disfluency (AD), normal disfluency (ND) frequency, and pragmatic language skills (initiation utterance of child, initiation of utterance of mother and utterance turn-taking). Between-group comparisons of variables were made by collection period (initial evaluation, 12 months later, 24 months later). Results: First, the AD frequency of the CWS group was statistically significantly higher than that of the CWNS group at the initial evaluation and at 12 months, and there was no significant difference between the two groups at 24 months. Second, the frequency of initiation of utterance in CWNS group was significantly higher than that of the CWS group in the initial evaluation. At 12 months and 24 months, children with stutter had a similar degree of initiation of utterance as that of typical children. Third, there was no significant difference between the CWS and CWNS group in utterance turn-taking. The difference in the frequency of utterances and turn-taking between CWS and CWNS group tended to increase over time. Conclusion: These findings confirmed that stuttering in children is influenced by their pragmatic language skills. This suggests the need for parent-child interaction and parental education programs that enhance children’s pragmatic language skills, which may positively impact fluency in CWS.
Successful Outcome of Cataract Surgery Using Topical Anaesthesia in a Patient with Previous Local Anaesthetic Failures due to Scorpion Sting
Authors:   Department of Cornea, Dr. Shroff ’s Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi-110002, Patel Nikunj V. , Shah Shreya B. ,   Department of Anaesthesiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, Mathur Umang ,   Department of Cornea, Dr. Shroff ’s Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi-110002
Published: October 2024

Introduction: “Failure” of anaesthesia is a commonly encountered situation and the exact cause may not be known. Previous history of scorpion stings is one of the causes and is often not thought about. Case Presentation: A 71-year-old gentleman presented with a history of scorpion stings in childhood and two previous instances of “failed” anaesthesia. He felt pain when he was operated on for hydrocoele 30 years back and again when underwent left eye cataract surgery under local anaesthesia 3 years ago. We successfully operated on him for his right eye cataract under topical gel anaesthesia without him feeling significant pain. Conclusion: Extracting the history of scorpion stings in a patient having failures of anaesthesia in the past can help in planning future surgeries. Cataract surgeries in such patients should be performed under topical gel anaesthesia. Keywords: Scorpion sting, Anaesthesia failure, Cataract surgery, Topical anaesthesia, Corneal nerves.
Tension Pneumocephalus After Craniofacial Surgery Treated with Conservative Measures
Authors:   Department of Anaesthesia, UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA., Amilo Nnamdi , Zheng Steven ,   Department of Anaesthesia, UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA., Shaw Zat Akbar ,   Department of Anaesthesia, UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Published: October 2024

Tension pneumocephalus (TP) is a neurological emergency characterized by air in the intracranial cavity. This can present with seizures, neurological deficits, coma, or even cardiac arrest in severe cases. Typically, TP requires urgent/emergent surgical intervention to decompress the intracranial cavity; however, this is not always the case. The aim of this case report is to highlight one such scenario where large-volume TP was treated with, full neurological recovery, using only conservative measures. Keywords: Tension, Pneumocephalus, Oxygen therapy.
Spatial Passing: The Revelation of Rural Blackness in Zakes MDA’s Cion
Authors: Butcher Kenton
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This essay explores the space between “Black” and “Appalachia” as a point of contact rather than separation. By doing so, it challenges the notion that Blackness and rurality are mutually exclusive terms and undermines the idea that isolation marks the Appalachian region in general. Drawing from rural Black studies and theorizations of identity passing to argue that “revelation” lies at the aesthetic and conceptual center of Black Appalachia, this essay analyzes the revelation of rural Blackness in a South African novel set in Appalachian Ohio: Cion by Zakes Mda. It argues that the diasporic mode of Mda’s narrative and its strategic use of revelation via the theme of passing demonstrates that Appalachia only appears isolated from certain perspectives; that the monolithically “white” façade of rural spaces is only a trick of the eye; and that, historically, the region has been made to pass for white.
“What is the Orbit of Our Dreaming?”: Hale County This Morning , This Evening and Black Time Studies
Authors: MacLean Sara Joan
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This article delves into the profound connection between Black life in Alabama, the temporal qualities of Southern geographies, and emerging formulations of time from the interdisciplinary field of Black Time Studies. The paper positions RaMell Ross’ 2019 experimental documentary, Hale County This Morning, This Evening , within an emerging field that examines radical representations of time in experimental Black art, aesthetics, and everyday life. Black Time Studies underscores the critical role of time in the ordering of Black life and labor, acknowledges modes of resistance, and envisions forms of liberation within the unique temporal landscape of the South, inviting this discussion of abstraction, framing practices, waiting, and patience. Hale County This Morning, This Evening explores and enacts an intricate interplay between time, place, and Black aesthetics, offering a generative contribution to theories of time in the South. Situating the film within this particular interdisciplinary discourse enables us in turn to draw from the methods, traditions, and analytical tools of poetry, experimental prose, sound, and music—fundamental elements of Black Time Studies, to create an expanded reading of the film. It is through this lens that we will ponder the film’s central question: “What is the orbit of our dreaming?”
An Emergency Of Black Diamonds
Authors: Reich Nicholas
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This essay offers a literary history of the black diamond, pertinent to Appalachian coal. Coal extraction is more than anything a massive engorgement of aesthetics, a tool by which human life is reproduced and expanded in styles of domination. The black diamond shorthands mineral enslavement and the fungibility of Blackened flesh, the gendered and racialized compression of danger and attachment. What I’m trying to understand is how a stubborn politics of the remnant comes to signify in the black diamond, how remaining inside the idea of Appalachia seems like the right thing to do for contemporary “Appalachians,” even after that very identity was consummated in the kiln of extractive violence. What kind of love operates so strangely to turn material fungibility into an erotics of fugitivity, a desire to flee into the absolute stillness of stone?
The Future Is Now: Keith S. Wilson’s Affrilachian-Afrofuturist Politico-Aesthetic
Authors: Mitchell Keith
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This essay argues that Affrilachian poet Keith S. Wilson’s poem “Calf’s Head and Ox Tongue,” from his debut collection Fieldnotes on Ordinary Love (2019), extends the African American poetic tradition and the concerns of Black poets associated with the Appalachian region by addressing ongoing issues concerning anti-Black surveillance and anti-Black violence in relationship to Afro-futurity.
Being Taken for a Ride: Social and Technological Externalist Complements to the Internalist Reading of Buddhist Chariot Similes
Authors: Hannes Tom , Bombaerts Gunter
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Slavoj Zizek’s criticism of Western Buddhism (2014) for being a late capitalist opiate of the people is partly unwarranted and partly of undeniable relevance. His implicit assumption is that Buddhism is an internalist path that only looks into the individual inner world, leaving harmful societal systems in peace. This article offers a response to Zizek’s analysis, by interpreting the chariot simile in the Buddhist Pali Canon. Even though Pali chariot similes indeed support an internalist perspective, some of them also allow for a reading that opens up to two “externalist” complements: the social outer world and the technological environment. In this way, while acknowledging Zizek’s criticism, we point at Buddhist philosophy’s inherent potential for developing a social-technological critical stance, for instance by linking it to mediation theory.
Facing Uncertainty: The Philosophy of Divination in the Xici 繋辭
Authors: Hon Tze-ki
Published: October 2024

Abstract: The Xici 繋辭 (Attached Verbalizations) is commonly considered as a pivotal text that transformed the 周易 ( Zhou Changes or the Book of Changes) from a manual of divination into a philosophical treatise. Yet in current scholarship, there is no consensus as to how to make sense of its authors’ argument that the Zhouyi provides a mantic method—particularly selecting hexagrams based on a counting of the yarrow stalks—to understand the working of the natural system and comprehend the intricacies of a developing event. In this essay, I will offer a reading of the Xici that shows how divination can be philosophically profound, and conversely, how philosophy can be made concrete through a practice of divination. In view of the uncertainty in our times—globally, regionally, socially, and individually—it is in our best interest to learn to see the world from the perspective of the Xici .
Neural network algorithm for under-sampled wavefront reconstruction: mathematical analysis and implementation
Authors: Zhang Zhiyun , Jin Ruiyan , Chai Fangfang , Lei Zhihao , Wen Linxiong , Wang Shuai , Yang Ping
Published: October 2024

The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS) is critical in adaptive optics (AO) for measuring wavefronts via centroid shifts in sub-apertures. Under extreme conditions like strong turbulence or long-distance transmission, wavefront information degrades significantly, leading to undersampled slope data and severely reduced reconstruction accuracy. Conventional algorithms struggle in these scenarios, and existing neural network approaches are not sufficiently advanced. To address this challenge, we propose a mathematically interpretable neural network-based wavefront reconstruction algorithm designed to mitigate the impact of slope loss. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm achieves what is believed to be unprecedented fidelity in full-aperture aberration reconstruction with up to 70% wavefront undersampling, representing a precision improvement of approximately 89.3% compared to modal methods. Moreover, the algorithm can be fully trained using simulation data alone, eliminating the need for real data acquisition and significantly enhancing practical applicability.
Spiral feed polishing uniform removal and compensation strategy of sapphire components
Authors: Tie Guipeng , Wang Sheng , Chen Yunheng , Jiang Zhaoyang , Shi Feng , Song Ci , Wang Bo
Published: October 2024

A single crystal sapphire component has been widely used in various high-tech fields because of its significant advantages such as high hardness, high stability, and excellent optical and mechanical properties, and has put forward high requirements for surface accuracy and quality. The existing sapphire polishing technology has problems such as low polishing efficiency, difficult control of polishing accuracy, and difficulty in removing surface defects and subsurface damage introduced by the front grinding process. Therefore, for the polishing and damage removal stage of sapphire optical components, the surface shape accuracy should be strictly controlled, especially for the surface shape accuracy after ultra-precision grinding. It is of great significance to study the uniform removal technology of grinding damage based on not destroying the surface shape. This study focuses on the mechanical polishing of sapphire. Firstly, the characteristics of the sapphire removal function of the elastic polishing tool are analyzed and the stability of the polishing tool is verified. Secondly, by establishing the relationship between the amount of workpiece material removal and the radius of rotation, the feed rate is planned to achieve the effect of uniform spiral removal. By optimizing the center feed speed of the tilting axis small-size polishing tool, the center feature of the polishing surface is controlled to be sharp. Finally, based on the sub-aperture polishing figuring theory, the influence of the center feature on the surface profile is reduced by using the spiral grating processing method. This study provides an efficient and stable strategy for the uniform removal and polishing of rotationally symmetric optical elements (such as aspheric surfaces) of high-hardness material sapphire and is expected to play a role in scenes that are particularly difficult to process, difficult to detect full aperture, difficult to calculate removal function and dwell time, such as higher steep aspheric surfaces and Gaussian aspheric surfaces.
High-sensitive Fabry-Perot cavity-enhanced optical resonator for photoacoustic sensing
Authors: Peng Jiajun , Xu Wenhui , Lai Yongli , Mu Shengquan , Fu Lujun , Zhang Jiangshan , Zhang Jin , Jiang Yi , Lu Ping
Published: October 2024

Highly sensitive broadband acoustic detectors are needed to expand the capabilities of geological exploration, photoacoustic imaging, and industrial inspection techniques. However, while pursuing miniaturization, it is difficult to combine high sensitivity and wide acoustic detection frequency range. Meanwhile, the consistency and mechanical stability of the manufacturing process become important challenges for optical sensors in practical applications. To address this issue, we present a new silicon-based cavity-enhanced Fabry-Pérot interferometer photoacoustic sensor and fully characterize its acoustic performance. Micro-resonant cavity-enhanced photoacoustic sensor with broadband acoustic responses up to 50 Hz-10 k Hz has been fabricated. The detection sensitivity is also impressive, reaching -120.23 dB re rad/µPa @ 1 k Hz, with a noise equivalent pressure (NEP) of 88.7 µPa/√Hz @ 1 k Hz. This approach will help design photoacoustic sensors to improve detection sensitivity and bandwidth with limited fabrication accuracy and size.
Research on the position of the neutral surface of the space lightweight mirror with a two-axis bipod flexible mount
Authors: Guo Junli , Qin Tao , Han Peixian , Li Zhenchuang , Qi Bo , Cheng Yuhua
Published: October 2024

This study offers a theoretical solution for the neutral surface position of a space lightweight mirror employing two-axis bipod flexible mounts (TABFM) evenly distributed at three locations along the circumference. To maximize the surface shape accuracy of the mirror (SSAM) under the influence of radial gravity, it is typically necessary that the center of rotation of the TABFM coincides with the position of the neutral surface of the mirror (PNSM). Departing from the PNSM, the SSAM will be substantially deteriorated. In this paper, the compliance matrix of the TABFM utilized for space lightweight mirrors is initially solved. Subsequently, based on the compliance matrix, the analytical formulas and solution approaches for the PNSM under the action of 1g gravity are derived when the support structure of the mirror is symmetrically arranged horizontally and vertically. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis of the PNSM is also conducted. Finally, it is verified through the finite element simulation method. The results indicate that when the support structure of the mirror is uniformly distributed along the circumference and symmetrically arranged horizontally, the PNSM is solely related to the flexibility of the support structure, and the error between the theoretical calculation results and the finite element simulation results is merely 3.2‰; when the mirror support structure is uniformly distributed along the circumference and symmetrically arranged vertically, the PNSM is determined by the flexibility of the support structure and the mass characteristics of the mirror, and the error between the theoretical calculation results and the finite element simulation results is 2.1%. The proposed solution method of PNSM has been implemented in practical engineering projects. The method proposed in this paper can rapidly solve the PNSM and significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of integrated simulation optimization. Additionally, the method applies not only to the TABFM investigated in this paper but also to tripod mounts or other symmetric side support structures.
Lossless and stable propagation of surface plasmon polaritons in quasi-P
T potential
Authors: Han Zhengkai , Li Deen , Ding Weisheng , Tan Chaohua
Published: October 2024

We propose a scheme to study the propagation properties of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in a dielectric/metal/dielectric waveguide with a refraction index of the dielectric modulated as quasi-PT-symmetric potentials. By treating the propagation loss of SPPs as the absorption background, we prove that a total gain–loss balance system which allows SPPs losslessly and stably propagating can be achieved. In addition, the propagation robustness of single peak and dipole peak transverse structured SPPs in quasi-PT-symmetric potentials under noise perturbations is discussed. The results may have certain significance for expanding applications of non-Hermitian optics in micro-/nano-optical information processing.
Near-complete extraction of maximum stored energy from large-core fibers using coherent pulse stacking amplification of femtosecond pulses
Authors: Rainville Alexander , Whittlesey Mathew , Pasquale Christopher , Jing Yanwen , Chen Mingshu , Chen Siyun , Pei Hanzhang , Ruppe John , Zhou Tong , Du Qiang , Zhang Zhigang , Chang Guoqing , Kärtner Franz X. , Galvanauskas Almantas
Published: October 2024

High field science relies on ultrashort pulse lasers with multi-joule pulse energies for studying light–matter interactions under extreme conditions and for driving particle accelerators and secondary radiation sources of x rays, gamma rays, neutrons, positrons, muons, and protons. Next-generation laser drivers will require a 103−104 times increase in pulse repetition rates, producing multi-joule energies at multi-kilowatt average powers to enable practical applications in nuclear engineering, advanced materials, medicine, biology, homeland security, and high-energy physics. Spatially coherently combined femtosecond fiber lasers are recognized as a pathway to these next-generation drivers, with significant practical advantages including high efficiency and the possibility of compact integration. However, chirped pulse amplification in fibers is capable of extracting only a small fraction (usually ∼1%) of the maximum stored energy. Here we demonstrate near-complete maximum stored energy extraction with low accumulated nonlinearity from a large-core fiber amplifier using coherent pulse stacking amplification. We have amplified a 81-pulse stacking burst in a 85 µm core chirally coupled core Yb-doped fiber, extracting up to 9.5 mJ (∼90% of stored energy) with <4.5 radians of accumulated nonlinear phase, temporally combined this burst into a single pulse, and achieved 4.2 mJ pulses of 313 fs bandwidth-limited duration after compression. This represents, to our knowledge, the highest energy extracted and compressed into a femtosecond pulse from a single fiber amplifier, enabling approximately two orders of magnitude size reduction of future high-energy coherently spatially combined fiber laser arrays.
Single-mode chirped high-contrast metastructure VCSEL for 106  Gbps PAM4 transmission
Authors: Cui Yao , Hu Huawen , Ji Yipeng , Kapraun Jonas , Wang Jiaxing , Huang Xuanlun , Chang-Hasnain Connie J.
Published: October 2024

Short-reach optical interconnects, employing an 850 nm wavelength multimode vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and multimode fiber (MMF), are confronted with transmission distance limitation as the transmission speed increases. Achieving higher speeds over the same transmission distance necessitates a significant enhancement in the fiber’s effective bandwidth, resulting in substantial costs. Employing single-mode VCSEL with single-mode fiber transmission presents as a more economically viable solution. Here we report, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of an 850 nm single-mode VCSEL using a chirped high-contrast metastructure (HCM) as the top mirror with spatially graded reflectivity to suppress higher-order modes. The chirped HCM top reflector is designed to favor lasing of the fundamental mode. We show stable single-mode lasing with a >40dB side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) up to 15 times threshold current and an open eye through a short single-mode fiber SM800 transmission at 106 Gbps PAM4 modulation. This study highlights the potential for scalable single-mode VCSEL in advanced optical interconnects, providing a cost-effective pathway for high-speed applications.
Can the speed of information dissemination exceed the speed of light?
Authors: Wan Chuyi
Published: October 2024

In the double-slit interference experiment with light, once one of the slits is instantaneously closed, the point H on the screen directly opposite the other slit will experience a change in the intensity of light at that point. Moreover, the time it takes for the intensity of light at point H to change after the slit is closed is shorter than the time it takes for light from the slit to reach point H. This indicates that information is transmitted from the slit to point H on the screen at a speed faster than the speed of light c. This does not violate Relativity, as it does not conflict with the Principle of Constancy of Light Velocity. The transmission speed of information within a wave packet of photons is not solely determined by the Principle of Constancy of Light Velocity. Information is transmitted at varying speeds within the wave packet. In the direction parallel to the propagation of the photons, the speed of information transmission matches c. However, in other directions, the speed of information transmission can exceed c.
Ten simple rules to bridge ecology and palaeoecology by publishing outside palaeoecological journals
Authors: Schafstall Nick , Benito Xavier , Brugger Sandra O. , Davies Althea L. , Ellis Erle , Pla-Rabes Sergi , Bonk Alicja , Bunting M. Jane , Chambers Frank M. , Flantua Suzette G. A. , Fletcher Tamara L. , Greiser Caroline , Hernández Armand , Gwinneth Benjamin , Koren Gerbrand , Marcisz Katarzyna , Montoya Encarni , Quesada-Román Adolfo , Ratnayake Amila S. , Sabatier Pierre , Smol John P. , Suárez-Mozo Nancy Y.
Published: October 2024

Owing to its specialised methodology, palaeoecology is often regarded as a separate field from ecology, even though it is essential for understanding long-term ecological processes that have shaped the ecosystems that ecologists study and manage. Despite advances in ecological modelling, sample dating, and proxy-based reconstructions facilitating direct comparison of palaeoecological data with neo-ecological data, most of the scientific knowledge derived from palaeoecological studies remains siloed. We surveyed a group of palaeo-researchers with experience in crossing the divide between palaeoecology and neo-ecology, to develop Ten Simple Rules for publishing your palaeoecological research in non-palaeo journals. Our 10 rules are divided into the preparation phase, writing phase, and finalising phase when the article is submitted to the target journal. These rules provide a suite of strategies, including improved networking early in the process, building effective collaborations, transmitting results more efficiently and cross-disciplinary, and integrating concepts and methodologies that appeal to ecologists and a wider readership. Adhering to these Ten Simple Rules can ensure palaeoecologists’ findings are more accessible and impactful among ecologists and the wider scientific community. Although this article primarily shows examples of how palaeoecological studies were published in journals for a broader audience, the rules apply to anyone who aims to publish outside specialised journals.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: F. Rodrigues Michele , Junkes Larissa , Appolinario Jose , Nardi Antonio E.
Published: October 2024

Background

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a global health issue, and a significant portion of individuals with MDD experience Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), characterized by the lack of response to adequately trialed antidepressant medication and therapy. This systematic review aims to investigate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as an intervention for individuals with TRD.

Materials and methods

We will conduct a thorough search for publications of randomized clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science databases, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Furthermore, reference lists of included studies will be manually screened for additional relevant articles, with no restrictions on language or publication date. The search will be conducted from the inception of the databases until June 2024. Our PICO-guided research questions are: (1) In adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression, is MBCT more effective than standard care or other active treatments in reducing depressive symptoms? (2) In adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression, does MBCT demonstrate a comparable safety profile to standard care or other active treatments? The quality of the included studies will be assessed independently using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2). This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy as an intervention for Treatment-Resistant Depression, and will employ the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to appraise the confidence in the evidence.

Prospero registration

Prospero registration ID: CRD42023411978. Registered on April 07, 2023.
How much is too much: A case study of local self-government units in Slovakia using absolute variability to determine the importance of financial criteria in MCDM analysis
Authors: Vavrek Roman
Published: October 2024

The performance evaluation of local self-government entities is very difficult, as their primary goal is not to make a profit, but to provide services to their residents that will contribute to an increase in their quality of life. In this context, it is necessary to evaluate their activity from the point of view of several available criteria, for which it is possible to find relevant and recognized sources. The presented research works with five criteria, identified by the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms, and aims to quantify the agreement of the results of the assessment of the financial health of territorial self-government entities in 2020 using the TOPSIS technique with a gradually decreasing number of criteria. For this purpose, a total of 26 combinations of criteria are created, with the number of 5, 4, 3 and 2 used criteria, the importance of which is determined based on their absolute variability using the standard deviation method. The results obtained in this way are interpreted using a wide range of mathematical and statistical methods including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Levene test, Jaccard index and others. As a result, the multi-criteria evaluation of territorial self-government subjects (in our case, district cities) proved to be highly applicable. However, the result itself is largely determined by the structure and number of entry criteria. Based on the performed analyses, we can see that significant differences result from their reduction. Each such reduction has an impact on the overall results, but it is possible to find combinations that defy this conclusion.
Neighborhood poverty and hopelessness in older adults: The mediating role of perceived neighborhood disorder
Authors: Choi Yeon Jin , Choi Eun Young , Ailshire Jennifer A.
Published: October 2024

Hopelessness is one of the strongest predictors of health and mortality, particularly for older populations. Prior research has found associations between individual-level socioeconomic factors and hopelessness, but less is known about the potential importance of neighborhood-level socioeconomic contexts for hopelessness. In particular, the role of neighborhood disorder as a potential explanatory factor for poor psychological well-being remains underexplored. This study investigates whether neighborhood poverty is associated with a sense of hopelessness among older adults and if perceived neighborhood disorder mediates the link between poverty and hopelessness. Individual-level data came from the 2014/2016 Health and Retirement Study and were merged with neighborhood-level poverty data from the 2012–2016 and 2014–2018 American Community Survey. Linear regression models were employed to examine the association between neighborhood poverty, disorder, and hopelessness. Respondents in neighborhoods with higher poverty levels reported a greater sense of hopelessness (b = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.08, 0.15, p < .001), controlling for individual-level sociodemographic and health characteristics. Greater perceived neighborhood disorder was also positively associated with a sense of hopelessness (b = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.14, 0.18). When we included both neighborhood poverty and disorder in the same model, the association between neighborhood poverty and hopelessness was reduced by two thirds (b = 0.04, 95%CI = 0.0003, 0.07), while the association between perceived disorder and hopelessness remained robust (b = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.14, 0.18). We further examined the formal mediating effects of neighborhood disorder using structural equation modeling. The total effect of neighborhood poverty on hopelessness was significant (β = 0.08, bootstrapped 95%CI = 0.05, 0.10). The direct effect of neighborhood poverty was not significant (β = 0.02, bootstrapped 95% CI = -0.01, 0.04), while the indirect effect through neighborhood disorder was significant (β = 0.06, bootstrapped 95% CI = 0.05, 0.07). Neighborhood disorder mediated 75% of the association between neighborhood poverty and hopelessness. In light of these findings, improving neighborhood conditions, such as signs of disorder, may alleviate feelings of hopelessness in older adults residing in impoverished neighborhoods.
The association of diet quality with the mental health of students during their transition to university
Authors: Solomou Solomis , Robinson Heather , Perez-Algorta Guillermo
Published: October 2024

University students are at risk of experiencing mental health and diet quality problems during their transition to university. This study aimed to examine the bidirectional associations between the diet quality and mental health of students during their transition to universities in the UK, and the impact of the transition on diet quality and mental health. The study adopted a cross-sectional design and took place during the first semester of year 2021–2022. Participants were first year undergraduate students at four UK universities, living at student halls. They were invited to participate by completing online surveys, including a diet quality instrument (Short Form Food Frequency Questionnaire), a mental health instrument (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale) and a quality of transition instrument (College Adjustment Questionnaire). Results showed that a healthy diet was associated with good mental health (b = -3.46, 95% CI [-6.14, -.78]). Unfavourable mental health was associated with having an unhealthy diet (b = -.01, 95% CI [-.02, -.00]). Transition did not moderate the relationship between diet quality and mental health of students, or vice versa (ps> .05). Preliminary analyses showed a significant direct effect of good quality of transition to university on good mental health (b = -1.51, 95% CI [-1.88, -1.13]), but did not have an indirect effect via diet quality; there were no significant direct or indirect effects on diet quality, however larger studies are needed to replicate these preliminary analyses. Our current findings can inform university policies and health education research, and further research is needed to determine whether interventions to improve diet quality at the university level could reduce mental health issues, and whether interventions to support students under stress may lead to healthier dietary habits. Cross-sectional studies cannot determine the directionality of effects, hence longitudinal studies are required to enhance our understanding of the relationships between diet quality and mental health over time.
Host 5-HT affects Plasmodium transmission in mosquitoes via modulating mosquito mitochondrial homeostasis
Authors: Gao Li , Zhang Benguang , Feng Yuebiao , Yang Wenxu , Zhang Shibo , Wang Jingwen
Published: October 2024

Malaria parasites hijack the metabolism of their mammalian host during the blood-stage cycle. Anopheles mosquitoes depend on mammalian blood to lay eggs and to transmit malaria parasites. However, it remains understudied whether changes in host metabolism affect parasite transmission in mosquitoes. In this study, we discovered that Plasmodium infection significantly decreased the levels of the tryptophan metabolite, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), in both humans and mice. The reduction led to the decrease of 5-HT in mosquitoes. Oral supplementation of 5-HT to Anopheles stephensi enhanced its resistance to Plasmodium berghei infection by promoting the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. This effect was due to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria caused by 5-HT-mediated inhibition of mitophagy. Elevating 5-HT levels in mouse serum significantly suppressed parasite infection in mosquitoes. In summary, our data highlight the critical role of metabolites in animal blood in determining the capacity of mosquitoes to control parasite infection.
Desafia-TE: Avaliação externa de um projeto local para combater a exclusão social de jovens estudantes
Authors: Ribeiro Norberto , Casimiro Andreia , Freixo Liliana
Published: October 2024

Este artigo tem como principal objetivo analisar as perceções dos/as jovens relativamente ao impacto do projeto Desafia-TE (D-TE) implementado no Município de Santa Maria da Feira, localizado no Norte de Portugal. O D-TE é um programa criado para jovens estudantes (14-18 anos) que manifestam indicadores preocupantes de risco de exclusão social, e.g., desmotivação, insucesso escolar e acesso limitado a experiências educativas significativas. Neste estudo, adotou-se um desenho metodológico misto, com recurso a inquéritos por questionário (N = 33), entrevistas (N = 6) a jovens que participaram nas várias edições do projeto D-TE, e grupos de discussão focalizada (N = 13). Os resultados mostram a existência de uma perceção positiva relativamente ao impacto nas competências pessoais e relacionais dos/as jovens participantes. No que concerne especificamente ao impacto na escola, os/as jovens revelam uma perceção ambivalente. No geral, os/as participantes gostaram da experiência e voltavam a repeti-la. Discute-se o papel do D-TE no desenvolvimento pessoal, integração social e construção do projeto de vida de jovens em risco de exclusão. A qualidade desenvolvimental das experiências e a escola como potencial dispositivo de exclusão, emergem como tópicos de análise que legitimam o D-TE como alternativa viável para promover maior justiça social.
Design and In-silico Study of ¹³¹Iodium Radiolabeled of Thiourea derivatives for Breast Cancer Treatment
Authors: Al Anshari Miqdad Nurabdullah , Pratita Anindita Tri Kusuma , Ruswanto Ruswanto
Published: October 2024

Breast cancer is a serious challenge in both developed and developing countries, with current therapies still limited and potentially producing adverse side effects. To optimize breast cancer drug development, this study adopted an in-silico design approach. The aim is to develop radiopharmaceutical drugs with minimal side effects. Methods involved molecular docking analysis, molecular dynamics, drug scan, and pharmacokinetic profile prediction of the original ligan as well as the radioligand. Results showed that the radioligand had better binding energy and inhibition constant than tamoxifen as a comparator drug which is -11.31 kcal/mol and 0.00511 µM. Molecular dynamics analysis revealed that the radioligand compound exhibits comparable RMSD, RMSF, and stability metrics to the native ligand at the GRPR receptor with average RMSD and RMSF of 5.263 Å and 2.285 Å, respectively. By considering the results of these various methods, the radioligand compound shows potential as an effective radiopharmaceutical drug in breast cancer therapy.
« Vous pouvez entendre les mâchoires de l’arme de l’ange ». Le traducteur humain face à la traduction automatique dans le contexte littéraire : Les Livres de Jakób d’Olga Tokarczuk
Authors: Mitura Magdalena
Published: October 2024

The dynamic development of automatic translators raises questions about the future of human translators. The aim of this article is to evaluate the French versions of an excerpt from The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, made by Systran, Google Translate and DeepL, and to compare them with the reference translation made by a human translator. The translations were carried out in 2019 as part of the ATLAS association project ‘L’Observatoire de la traduction automatique’. The analyses show that the inability to interpret the original in a complex way leads to weaknesses in machine translators. This proves that the position of the human translator remains unthreatened in the field of translating high-quality literary texts.
Nonexistence of mean curvature flow solitons with polynomial volume growth immersed in certain semi-Riemannian warped products
Authors: Batista Márcio , Molica Bisci Giovanni , de Lima Henrique F. , Gomes Wallace F.
Published: October 2024

Our purpose is to establish nonexistence results concerning complete noncompact mean curvature flow solitons with polynomial volume growth immersed in certain semi-Riemannian warped products, under mild constraints on the warping and soliton functions. Applications to self-shrinkers in the Euclidean space, as well as to mean curvature flow solitons in other important warped product models such as the Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordström spaces, and Robertson-Walker spacetimes such as the Einstein-de Sitter spacetime, are also given. Furthermore, we study the nonexistence of entire solutions to the mean curvature flow equation. Our approach is based on a suitable conformal change of metric jointly with a maximum principle for complete noncompact Riemannian manifolds with polynomial volume growth due to Alías et al.
Research Libraries in Russia: The Past Revisited – Leading to the Future
Authors: Lynden Irina L. , Shrayberg Yakov L.
Published: October 2024

The article describes the development of research libraries in the USSR and Russia after Perestroika up till the present and the prospects for the future, including an overview of library automation, changes in collection development and the creation of the post-Soviet book market. The transformation of library mission, the active stand of Russian librarians during the transition time in the 1980s and 1990s, Government and private foundation support for library developments, and the role of international co-operation are also covered.
Short-term tank culture of Gracilariopsis heteroclada at high salinities improves agar quality
Authors: Endoma Leonilo F. , Monsale Duke R. , Borlongan Iris Ann G. , Gaya Hazel Coleen G. , Santacera Pearl Aljean S. , Yap Encarnacion Emilia S.
Published: October 2024

Agar, a phycocolloid naturally extracted from Gracilariopsis heteroclada is strongly influenced by salinity. Wild stocks of G. heteroclada were exposed to varying salinities (20, 30, 40, 50, 60) for 6 days, and subsequently processed for agar extraction using 5 % NaOH. The extracted agar was evaluated regarding yield, gel rheology, colour composition, chemical properties, and infrared spectra. Results highlighted that hypersaline conditions (salinity 50) could produce high agar yield (4.77 %) and viscosity (10.67 mPa s), while agar samples at salinity 40 exhibited gels with high cohesiveness (6.35 mm), gel breaking strength (3.01 N), and gel strength (390.61 g cm−2) while having a rather high 3,6-anhydrogalactose content (7.49 %). All samples exhibited FTIR signature peaks at 930 cm−1, confirming the identity of extracted agar from G. heteroclada. Exposure at increasing hypersalinity increased the sulphate levels of agar from G. heteroclada, which implies synthesis of sulphated polysaccharides. Moreover, high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities were obtained in acid hydrolysed agars at salinities of 40 (74.09 %) and 50 (75.57 %), suggesting that G. heteroclada agars from hypersaline conditions potentially offer antioxidative roles beyond its traditional food use.
Evidence for the proposal that Palisada corallopsis and P. furcata (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) are conspecific
Authors: González-Sánchez Patricia M. , Soares Luanda Pereira , Areces Mallea Arsenio J. , Cavalcanti Maria Irisvalda Leal Gondim , Cassano Valéria , Fujii Mutue Toyota
Published: October 2024

Palisada corallopsis has a widely reported distribution in the western and eastern Atlantic and some areas of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, whereas P. furcata has a more restricted distribution, reported only from Brazil and Cuba. Palisada corallopsis and P. furcata were collected from their type localities, Havana, Cuba and Ceará, Brazil, respectively, and compared by morphological and molecular analyses using rbcL and COI-5P genes. The molecular results placed the sequences from the type locality of both species in the same clade, showing low genetic divergence, 0.95 % for rbcL and 1.6 % for COI-5P. Morphologically, the species share similar habits, with branchlets bi-to trifurcated, cortical cells that may be arranged as a palisade and connected by secondary pit-connections. Our detailed morphological observations, including examination of the type specimens, and molecular analyses demonstrate that P. corallopsis and P. furcata are conspecific, P. furcata being a later taxonomic synonym of P. corallopsis.
SEA’s Science Teacher Voices Through the Modified World Café
Authors: Nurhasanah Farida , Mustafa Zainun , Sinniah Deva Nanthini a/p , Mohamad Tiana
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the perspectives of science teachers in Southeast Asia (SEA) regarding future curriculum using a modified World Café method. The research involved 19 science teachers from SEA participating in dialogues and a plenary session. Data were collected during the discussions taken place in groups as well as in the plenary session. In addition, an affinity diagram was used to record teachers’ voices in each group. Thematic analysis of data from affinity diagrams and participatory discussions identifies key themes and priorities for future curriculum development. The intra-country analysis reveals diverse findings in terms of (1) curriculum and assessment, (2) funding and resource allocation (3) organizational, and (4) context-specific complexities without consensus on underlying causes. The study emphasizes key themes in the situational analysis including teacher competency, facilities, curriculum, and systemic support, uncovering both similarities and differences in these areas. Participants focused primarily on practical improvements rather than speculative possibilities, advocating for better school facilities, systematic professional training, and community engagement. This research contributes to the on-going discourse on educational reform, providing critical insights for policymakers, curriculum developers, and educators seeking to enhance science education in the region.
Law, Commodification, and the Distribution of Resources
Authors: Murray Ian J. , Fia Tommaso
Published: October 2024

By exploring the historical and theoretical underpinnings of law as a source of distributional inequities and resource depletion, in tandem with its influence on investment in tangible and intangible assets in contemporary capitalism, this special issue paves the way for new understandings that might better promote shared community interests in sustainability and social equality.